F Simon Knak - Portland Winterhawks, WHL (2021, 179th, NSH)

[Ovechkin962]

Simon Knak at eliteprospects.com

Just signed with the Portland Winterhawks. I have a feeling he will be a first rounder next year. Anybody has a scouting report on him?

 

[Vandalay Industries]

Say, will Michal Kvasnica not return to Portland? I'm asking because Portland also drafted Danish D Jonas Brøndberg. I suppose Kvasnica wasn't good enough then?

 

[canucklax]

Say, will Michal Kvasnica not return to Portland? I'm asking because Portland also drafted Danish D Jonas Brøndberg. I suppose Kvasnica wasn't good enough then?

Correct, Kvasnica was released prior to the import draft

 

[canucklax]

Simon Knak at eliteprospects.com

Just signed with the Portland Winterhawks. I have a feeling he will be a first rounder next year. Anybody has a scouting report on him?

Do you have a source for the signing? Nothing has been posted by the team yet but I do expect him to report.

 

[tony d]

Seems like a decent player, be interesting to see how next yr. goes for him and if he does end up going in Round 1.

 

[Ovechkin962]

Do you have a source for the signing? Nothing has been posted by the team yet but I do expect him to report.

Knak und Derungs gedraftet

He will take on this challenge and move to the Western Hockey League for the 2019/20 season. Thus, he makes use of his exit clause.

 

[canucklax]

Knak und Derungs gedraftet

Thanks, super excited to see him here in Portland, expect him to be on a line with Seth Jarvis

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Good start for his WHL career; in his debut: 1+2=3 | +3 | 6 SOG

WHL Network (yeah that Cross Hanus lacrosse goal was pretty sick)

 

[Speyer]

Will be intersting to see what he can do this year. I have a feeling he could be a sleeper in the draft especially if he has a good world juniors tournament...

 

[wetcoast]

Simon Knak at eliteprospects.com

Just signed with the Portland Winterhawks. I have a feeling he will be a first rounder next year. Anybody has a scouting report on him?

It's funny but this will be said for about 60 or 70 guys this year.

that being said he had a great first game for Portland so we will see but the 20 draft is very deep in top forward depth so some very good forwards are going to drop to the 2nd round.

does anyone have a scouting report on him?

 

[canucklax]

Rated a B level skater by central scouting's preliminary watch list. Has 1+4 in 5 games so far in Portland and should be part of the Swiss WJC team. Will try to update this when I get a live viewing of him

 

[Speyer]

3 + 7 in 8 games so far. Wasn't able to watch any games of his so i can't say how he looked. At least the stats seem to suggest that he hasn't stagnated like other Swiss 2002s or Eggenberger and Nussbaumer in the past. If anybody can say more about his play it would be appreciated.

 

[DraftGuru]

Good start for his WHL career; in his debut: 1+2=3 | +3 | 6 SOG

WHL Network (yeah that Cross Hanus lacrosse goal was pretty sick)

You're getting 2 players mixed up....both teammates Cross Hanas and Clay Hanus.

 

[Stive Morgan]

You're getting 2 players mixed up....both teammates Cross Hanas and Clay Hanus.

It took me a couple years to differentiate the two, and they're in my team's division hahaha

 

[Jee]

As a québécois, this guy is my favorite. Hope the Habs draft him.

 

[Vandalay Industries]

As a québécois, this guy is my favorite. Hope the Habs draft him.

.... but not in the first round, though, right?

 

[Speyer]

I hoped he would produce over ppg in his draft season wich he wasnt able to do this far. He has a chance to get there though since he has been on a much higher scoring pace since the WJC. Looks like a third or forth round pick in the moment. He alway seemed to me like a player that has a better skillset than his numbers indicate.

Has someone seen him play regularly this year? If sow how has he looked aside from the numbers?

 

[Goldenhands]

As a québécois, this guy is my favorite. Hope the Habs draft him.

Simonak!!

 

[canucklax]

I hoped he would produce over ppg in his draft season wich he wasnt able to do this far. He has a chance to get there though since he has been on a much higher scoring pace since the WJC. Looks like a third or forth round pick in the moment. He alway seemed to me like a player that has a better skillset than his numbers indicate.

Has someone seen him play regularly this year? If sow how has he looked aside from the numbers?

Portland fan here, he plays a very well rounded game but doesnt seem to have a standout skill. I can see him being a complementary 3rd liner in the future if his development continues. 3rd or 4th round sounds accurate, he feels like a safe pick but limited upside so far. Point per game scoring pace or better is possible this season but Portland really rolls their lines and hes been getting middle six minutes so far on a top Portland team.

 

[Kuracmugger]

Wow he went undrafted, is there a reason for that? Because i don’t really see why he went undrafted.

 

[canucklax]

Wow he went undrafted, is there a reason for that? Because i don’t really see why he went undrafted.

It really surprised me as well, especially when Cross Hanas went in the 2nd and Jaydon Dereau in the 5th. Knak doesn't really have many flaws in his game, but he also doesn't have any real stand out traits so perhaps scouts saw a guy who is solid but don't project him to be more than an AHLer or european pro. That being said there were quite a few picks today that were head scratchers and players that Knak is probably better than. I feel bad for Simon but hopefully this just lights a fire in him and he will play better and get selected next year.

 

[JabbaJabba]

It really surprised me as well, especially when Cross Hanas went in the 2nd and Jaydon Dereau in the 5th. Knak doesn't really have many flaws in his game, but he also doesn't have any real stand out traits so perhaps scouts saw a guy who is solid but don't project him to be more than an AHLer or european pro. That being said there were quite a few picks today that were head scratchers and players that Knak is probably better than. I feel bad for Simon but hopefully this just lights a fire in him and he will play better and get selected next year.

From what I have learnt about drafting is that in later rounds you want to pick players with some speciality rather than guys who are kinda good overall but don't have any particular strength. Knak wasn't supposed to be an early round pick and maybe 'cos he didn't have that stand out trait, teams weren't high on him. Hopefully this motivates him to improve his game.

 

[Speyer]

I thought his World Junior performance would secure him a spot in the later rounds. I guess its really his lack of a standout skill that is holding him back. Maybe teams thought he isn't dynamic enough for the top 6 and not gritty, defensively sound enough for the bottom 6. Hopefully he can turn it around and find some success in Davos though he seems like a good kid that deserves a break.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

3 games for the newly named swiss top league NL (NLA) 1 goal +2, for HC Davos

 

[Speyer]

Has now two goals and one assist in six games for Davos with limited ice time on the fourth line. Hes probably never going to be a top six forward at the nhl level but it still puzzles me that no team thought he wasnt at least worth a 7th round pick.