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

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Good pick by CBJ. Easily could’ve went round 1. I don’t think he should’ve dropped in the weeks before the draft as much as he did.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Are we really to believe Elick is so elite defensively that he'll be able to make the NHL just by defending? Really hard transition for defensive defensemen out of the CHL to transition to pro & make it to the league.

 

[majormajor]

Are we really to believe Elick is so elite defensively that he'll be able to make the NHL just by defending? Really hard transition for defensive defensemen out of the CHL to transition to pro & make it to the league.

He's not elite defensively. He's a big tough 6'3 kid who skates really well. That's about it. With D-men a lot of the time you're not drafting them for what they can do in junior, because it isn't very translatable anyways. You take the tools and try to teach them the pro game. And there are a lot of big NHL D who get by with minimal offense.

 

[MrCreamm]

He's not elite defensively. He's a big tough 6'3 kid who skates really well. That's about it. With D-men a lot of the time you're not drafting them for what they can do in junior, because it isn't very translatable anyways. You take the tools and try to teach them the pro game. And there are a lot of big NHL D who get by with minimal offense.

Sure but on pace for 13 points, no goals is honestly something I didn't expect to see. Even guys like Allan, Del Mastro put up a lot more points in junior. There's still next year to show that there's some offense there but I think it'd be disappointing and worrying if he didn't get 40-50 points, which is a pretty low standard even if he is a shutdown guy.

 

[majormajor]

Sure but on pace for 13 points, no goals is honestly something I didn't expect to see. Even guys like Allan, Del Mastro put up a lot more points in junior. There's still next year to show that there's some offense there but I think it'd be disappointing and worrying if he didn't get 40-50 points, which is a pretty low standard even if he is a shutdown guy.

His breakout passing will probably be what determines whether he makes it. He's got to get that to a passable level. Teams will be confident that they can teach him the defensive side and they won't be interested in him for what he does in the offensive zone.

Personally Elick was not one of the guys I was interested in at that pick, I think he profiles more like an Andrew Peeke. Not a lot of upside. But that's still an NHLer.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

His breakout passing will probably be what determines whether he makes it. He's got to get that to a passable level. Teams will be confident that they can teach him the defensive side and they won't be interested in him for what he does in the offensive zone.

Personally Elick was not one of the guys I was interested in at that pick, I think he profiles more like an Andrew Peeke. Not a lot of upside. But that's still an NHLer.

Difference is Peeke had the longer runway of the NCAA route, which is very conducive for defensemen to develop better.

 

[MS]

Elick's ES production last year was actually pretty decent, and you hoped (and assumed, really, because it's what usually happens with drafted CHL defenders) that he'd continue improving and add some PP2 reps/points and get up into the 40-50 point range this year.

Instead he's regressed badly and needs a huge rebound year next year to re-establish himself as a quality prospect.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Victor Mancini is another example of a player who didn’t score until he turned pro, and it hasn’t mattered. Didn’t have more than 13 points in a season after getting drafted until turning pro, and now it looks like he’ll at least be a third pair DFD, and potentially much better than that.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Victor Mancini is another example of a player who didn’t score until he turned pro, and it hasn’t mattered. Didn’t have more than 13 points in a season after getting drafted until turning pro, and now it looks like he’ll at least be a third pair DFD, and potentially much better than that.

NCAA route player versus CHLer. Much different

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

NCAA route player versus CHLer. Much different

Had 13 points in the USHL the year after being drafted.

 

[hockeykid87]

NCAA route player versus CHLer. Much different

The good news is Charlie can still go the NCAA route now. He could play another year (or two) in the WHL and then go to school afterwards, assuming CBJ doesn't want to sign him after next season.

 

[LeProspector]

The good news is Charlie can still go the NCAA route now. He could play another year (or two) in the WHL and then go to school afterwards, assuming CBJ doesn't want to sign him after next season.

CBJ would lose his rights, no way they do that.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

CBJ would lose his rights, no way they do that.

That all depends on how the CBA gets amended. Would assume his rights get extended, but we will see.

 

[majormajor]

Instead he's regressed badly and needs a huge rebound year next year to re-establish himself as a quality prospect.

I find this amusing. I've never thought he was a particularly good prospect but surely his points in junior is not what his status is riding on. He's not that type of player.

The good news is Charlie can still go the NCAA route now. He could play another year (or two) in the WHL and then go to school afterwards, assuming CBJ doesn't want to sign him after next season.

Almost certainly he'll be developing in Cleveland for a while. That has its advantages over the NCAA.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

I find this amusing. I've never thought he was a particularly good prospect but surely his points in junior is not what his status is riding on. He's not that type of player.



Almost certainly he'll be developing in Cleveland for a while. That has its advantages over the NCAA.

The problem is a ton of CHLers aren't ready for the A at 20 years old if they haven't sufficiently dominated junior. Elick isn't dominating the Dub, we'll see how he rebounds.

 

[MS]

I find this amusing. I've never thought he was a particularly good prospect but surely his points in junior is not what his status is riding on. He's not that type of player.

If you aren't skilled enough to be at least a reasonable point producer in the CHL, it usually means you aren't even remotely skilled enough to get by as a 3rd pairing NHL defensive defender.

Guys like Braeden Schneider and Kaedan Korczak were legitimate offensive threats in the WHL. A guy like Harrison Brunicke is a similar sort of defensive D projection to those guys and is at nearly a point-per-game right now for Kamloops.