D Charlie Elick - Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL(2024, 36th, CBJ)

[57special]

yup the box score scouts won't be high on him because he gets no free points. NHL teams will love a 6'3-6'4 200+ lb shutdown dmen with passable puck skills. They're a lot harder to find than the pp specialists. I have him 25-40 range

Don't forget some really nice skating, also. If you can get a rock solid defender with size who can also defend speed, let alone use that speed on puck retrievals, closing down the ice, and all the other things it does for you, then you are one happy GM. Just a little while ago Faber was considered a defensive Dman who couldn't get on the PP on his college team. Elick is going to be 2-3" taller, and is just as good of a skater.

Not saying he has the IQ- just saying that Elick's package is hard to pass up. Screams NHL'er, and if you are picking in the mid/late 20's that's all you can reasonably expect.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Don't forget some really nice skating, also. If you can get a rock solid defender with size who can also defend speed, let alone use that speed on puck retrievals, closing down the ice, and all the other things it does for you, then you are one happy GM. Just a little while ago Faber was considered a defensive Dman who couldn't get on the PP on his college team. Elick is going to be 2-3" taller, and is just as good of a skater.

Not saying he has the IQ- just saying that Elick's package is hard to pass up. Screams NHL'er, and if you are picking in the mid/late 20's that's all you can reasonably expect.

I’d be happy with the hawks picking him around then

 

[landy92mack29]

I’d be happy with the hawks picking him around then

He'd make a really good partner for Korchinski....or make the ultimate physical shutdown pairing and have him with Allan lol

 

[cheesymc]

This kid profiles to be a Brayden McNabb type and would be a great partner for an offensive Dman. McNabb showed significantly more offensive production in juniors, but teams would be drafting him for his physical play anyhow....

 

[Mrfenn92]

He'd make a really good partner for Korchinski....or make the ultimate physical shutdown pairing and have him with Allan lol

Lol yeah

 

[Thechozen1]

I’d take him with the Montreal 2nd that the Jets got in the Dubois trade. Should be a top 40 selection.

 

[rt]

There’s a lot to like. But he’s just so bad with the puck on his stick. I’m not a scout, so it’s hard for me to rank a kid like that. Where he’s got a lot of admirable tools but this one flaw that’s just so glaring and crucial to the game.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

There’s a lot to like. But he’s just so bad with the puck on his stick. I’m not a scout, so it’s hard for me to rank a kid like that. Where he’s got a lot of admirable tools but this one flaw that’s just so glaring and crucial to the game.

That scares me too. Every time I watch him he looks awful with puck.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

There’s a lot to like. But he’s just so bad with the puck on his stick. I’m not a scout, so it’s hard for me to rank a kid like that. Where he’s got a lot of admirable tools but this one flaw that’s just so glaring and crucial to the game.

This.

It isn’t the number of points. I don’t think that matters. You aren’t drafting him to be a scorer.

You are drafting him to be a DFD. He’ll need to be able to move picks well enough to be a regular NHL DFD for many years.

I think that’s still a big question.

 

[MNRube]

I think he will go around 20-25. Guys like him tend to be rated higher by GMs than fans.

 

[OilersFanatics505]

Don't forget some really nice skating, also. If you can get a rock solid defender with size who can also defend speed, let alone use that speed on puck retrievals, closing down the ice, and all the other things it does for you, then you are one happy GM. Just a little while ago Faber was considered a defensive Dman who couldn't get on the PP on his college team. Elick is going to be 2-3" taller, and is just as good of a skater.

Not saying he has the IQ- just saying that Elick's package is hard to pass up. Screams NHL'er, and if you are picking in the mid/late 20's that's all you can reasonably expect.

Sounds almost like a Jacob Middleton type player. But probably settle into a top 4 role instead of being a top pairing D on a team like Minnesota.

 

[User1996]

Wouldn’t even have him in the discussion until halfway through the 2nd. Like everyone says, he’s got truly atrocious puck skills. I also find he doesn’t let the play come to him, he chases big hits at the risk of being out of position often.

I just don’t see the value of drafting an off the glass and out defenceman early. I don’t think he moves the puck well enough to have any significant upside in the NHL.

Guys like Emery and Danford are every bit as good defensively but have much better ability to get out of their own zone clean.

 

[57special]

Sounds almost like a Jacob Middleton type player. But probably settle into a top 4 role instead of being a top pairing D on a team like Minnesota.

Not at all. Jake Middleton was a 7th rounder, and didn't play a full NHL season till he was 26 yo. He gets the most out of his talent, but is heavy footed, and not naturally talented with the puck. Oh, and his not a top pairing Dman in MN. Spurgeon, Brodin, and Faber are all above him.

Elick is significantly more talented than Middleton at a similar age, and will likely break into the NHL at least three years earlier than him.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The comparison is Braden Schneider, but he’s a little behind where Schneider was with moving the puck at the same age and will likely go about 10 slots lower because of it.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Wouldn’t even have him in the discussion until halfway through the 2nd. Like everyone says, he’s got truly atrocious puck skills. I also find he doesn’t let the play come to him, he chases big hits at the risk of being out of position often.

I just don’t see the value of drafting an off the glass and out defenceman early. I don’t think he moves the puck well enough to have any significant upside in the NHL.

Guys like Emery and Danford are every bit as good defensively but have much better ability to get out of their own zone clean.

Ya, I think Emery has clearly past him now. But I don't think Elick is far behind
I do want us picking a physical Dman in the 2nd. We'll see who's there.

 

[Juxtaposer]

The main reason I have Emery about ten spots higher than Elick is that while Emery doesn’t have high-end offense or even average offense, he at least doesn’t handle the puck like a grenade and can make a solid outlet pass.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I have Elick in the 50s range for now. Don't feel comfortable taking him in the 1st round when the offensive upside isn't there and the puck handling isn't great. I like the skating and athletic upside, but he's probably a number 4 or 5 guy on a good defense group.

 

[MS]

Teams will see an easy projection here to a Brandon Carlo/Joel Edmundson-type high-leverage mid-pairing defensive RHD and he'll go higher than this board has him rated, probably in the ~25 overall range.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Teams will see an easy projection here to a Brandon Carlo/Joel Edmundson-type high-leverage mid-pairing defensive RHD and he'll go higher than this board has him rated, probably in the ~25 overall range.

Perhaps, but Carlo went 37 and Eddie 46. That feels like a good range for Elick. He may go higher, but feel like that would be a mistake.

 

[MS]

Perhaps, but Carlo went 37 and Eddie 46. That feels like a good range for Elick. He may go higher, but feel like that would be a mistake.

Elick is a better skater at this age than those guys and just had the extra exposure of a strong performance on a U-18 champion.

I'd be very surprised if he doesn't go ahead of consensus and it boggles my mind to see him rated behind Ryder Ritchie.

 

[landy92mack29]

Elick is a better skater at this age than those guys and just had the extra exposure of a strong performance on a U-18 champion.

I'd be very surprised if he doesn't go ahead of consensus and it boggles my mind to see him rated behind Ryder Ritchie.

depends what consensus you use real scouts or internet ones. Both him and Ritchie should be taken in the 1st without question

 

[MS]

depends what consensus you use real scouts or internet ones. Both him and Ritchie should be taken in the 1st without question

Yeah, the fake scout consensus.

I highly doubt the real scouts have Ritchie in the first round, though.

 

[Hollel]

depends what consensus you use real scouts or internet ones. Both him and Ritchie should be taken in the 1st without question

You should uhhh…read the NHL scouts quotes on these players (Ritchie in particular) in the HockeyProspect black book. Spoiler: they’re not very positive lol

 

[MS]

You should uhhh…read the NHL scouts quotes on these players (Ritchie in particular) in the HockeyProspect black book. Spoiler: they’re not very positive lol

The scouting service rankings on Ritchie are absolutely baffling to me. His upside is to be a fungible, slightly-undersized, not-fast middle-6 winger.

 

[MMC]

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