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F Nathan Villeneuve - Sudbury Wolves, OHL (2024, 63rd, SEA)

Power forward (the new age kind) with a great shot. He plays a physical style with skill. I read where someone (an eastern Ontario bantam scout) compared him to Mason McTavish, but a little more dynamic and he's a better skater.

There's a good compilation (with iso) of Villeneuve's play last year on this video clip. Bonus: Tragically Hip's Blow at High Dough is the soundtrack. No techno-garble crap.
 
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Don’t love his skating, but good offensive player. Can shoot, pass, gets into good scoring positions. Maybe he could reach first round if he improved his skating, but my thinking is more likely a round 2-3 player.
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
Don’t love his skating, but good offensive player. Can shoot, pass, gets into good scoring positions. Maybe he could reach first round if he improved his skating, but my thinking is more likely a round 2-3 player.
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What don't you like about his skating? In OHL draft scouting reports, his skating was touted as one of the strengths of his game, an assessment that I agree with having watched quite a bit of video on him in midget during the two years before he was drafted.

I'm curious, have you watched him a fair bit before this tourney? If this is your first look at him and you don't like his skating, it makes me wonder if he has some kind of injury that his hampering his skating.
 
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Ryan Van Horne said:
What don't you like about his skating? In OHL draft scouting reports, his skating was touted as one of the strengths of his game, an assessment that I agree with having watched quite a bit of video on him in midget during the two years before he was drafted.

I'm curious, have you watched him a fair bit before this tourney? If this is your first look at him and you don't like his skating, it makes me wonder if he has some kind of injury that his hampering his skating.
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Big agreement with you, watching him play for the Wolves this year, he's one of the best skaters on the team.
 
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Pavel Buchnevich said:
Don’t love his skating, but good offensive player. Can shoot, pass, gets into good scoring positions. Maybe he could reach first round if he improved his skating, but my thinking is more likely a round 2-3 player.
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he was one of the best skaters for the OHL draft and is an amazing skater in the OHL....not sure what your watching out there?
 
Ryan Van Horne said:
What don't you like about his skating? In OHL draft scouting reports, his skating was touted as one of the strengths of his game, an assessment that I agree with having watched quite a bit of video on him in midget during the two years before he was drafted.

I'm curious, have you watched him a fair bit before this tourney? If this is your first look at him and you don't like his skating, it makes me wonder if he has some kind of injury that his hampering his skating.
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Just giving my take from what I saw. Maybe he’s a good skater.

Had never seen him play before this tournament. Could be a good skater, for all I know, but I saw him play for the first time between Red and Black and he looked a little sluggish. No burst in his skating. Couldn’t pull away from players. Those players who don’t actively use their skating as an asset in a junior game usually end up having skating problems.
 
LeProspector said:
Just speculating, but Barrie Colts defender Kashawn Aitcheson had to be held out of 2 recent games. Not injury related, and not related to his on ice play. It is believed he was held out for his safety.

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In the comments someone said something about a bounty. Would be wild, if true.
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
In the comments someone said something about a bounty. Would be wild, if true.
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Just speculation, of course - but, if that’s the case; the suspended players may have put a bounty on Aitcheson’s head internally, the chats got leaked, Aitcheson had to be held out of Barrie’s next 2 games against Sudbury because of it for his own safety, and we’re seeing him and Konyen reprimanded now.
 
LeProspector said:
Just speculation, of course - but, if that’s the case; the suspended players may have put a bounty on Aitcheson’s head internally, the chats got leaked, Aitcheson had to be held out of Barrie’s next 2 games against Sudbury because of it for his own safety, and we’re seeing him and Konyen reprimanded now.
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That might be what it was.
 
Read something last night that Villeneuve put a bounty out in the Wolves group chat, in which Konyen replied to in some sense. Not sure if entirely true, but it matches the reports that have come out.
 
I think his game is actually a little closer to a young Vincent Trocheck, He's very good defensively, good at face-offs, strong for his size but not a big guy, skates well but not a burner, and most of all, he's a "rat", big chirper, instigator type. He's very smart and probably pencils out as a 3C in the NHL but a very good one if he continues to develop. Is there upside as an offensive player at the NHL level? I tend to doubt it but it's always possible. Jenner is a bull, poor skater but wills himself around the rink and drags other guys into the fight, a very valuable player. I kind of doubt Villeneuve gets there but he sure has grit and tenacity in spades. He's also a very confident kid, very well regarded in the Wolves locker room.
 
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