Interesting article. A few thoughts:
The article describes Hanifin's skating as "above par".
I would *hope* that a D drafted in the top 5 has "above par" skating. If his skating was average, I'd wonder why the hell he was rated so highly.
This is where NHL scouting often screws up. They rate big defensemen, with average skating, highly, with the expectation that the D will "work on the skating". And then we wonder why later, they don't succeed.
Luke Schenn is a perfect example. Drafted top 5 overall and is pretty awful.
Griffin Reinhart is another. Drafted 4th overall and has not developed because his skating is mediocre. Chiarelli WAY overpaid for this guy.
I haven't seen Hanifin enough to know if he's one of these big D whose skating is overrated. But "above par" doesn't sound like he's a speed demon.
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I see Jim Benning is doing a nice job screwing up the Canucks with terrible trades:
Vancouver GM Jim Benning acquired Brandon Sutter from Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Sutter will be the Canucks’ No. 2 center behind Henrik Sedin. The former Bruins executive paid a big price. By trading two ex-Boston University Terriers, Nick Bonino and Adam Clendening, Benning will be expected to pay double during his next visit to T’s Pub.
Clendenning is a young two way D, and Bonino scored more goals and points than Sutter, himself, in his last two years.
Brandon Sutter is pretty awful and perennially overrated just due to his name.
People assume his production is mediocre because maybe he's a Bergeron style two-way center and possession beast? Nope.
Advanced Stats Confirm: Brandon Sutter is Not Very Good
http://gettoourgame.blogspot.ca/2013/10/advanced-stats-confirm-brandon-sutter.html
A similar analysis but more recent:
Brandon Sutter By Comparison – The Plain, Hard Truth
https://thepittblog.wordpress.com/2015/02/28/brandon-sutter-by-comparison-the-plain-hard-truth/
Seriously, Benning. Get a stat sheet.