Prospect Info: Jett Woo, Pt. II

[Catamarca Livin]

Might be a good idea to play 2 years in AHL for Woo. He could develop more offensively and physically while being a key member of a team. It is normal for defensive dman from the chl to spend more time in AHL. They are younger than the dmen coming out of university and they played at a lower relative level. I would be happy if Woo is called up in 3rd year of elc, after proving value in AHL. If he surprises early great but 2 years in Ahl full time should be the base case.

 

[sting101]

This was Judd’s guy so let’s hope he pans out. Benning was adamant to Judd in the draft video “you got your guy” and wouldn’t trade the pick if he was there still.

Of course he was.

Benning wanted Romanov

 

[MS]

I've been very pleasantly surprised by the first few games I've seen from him in Utica.

This was not a dominant WHL player and he wasn't standing out in games at that level. I expected a sort of Brisebois-level development curve where he'd require a couple seasons in the AHL and where he'd struggle with the pace and speed of this level for a while. I thought he'd be more physically ready than Brisebois but would have issues with his skating and decision-making with the puck.

Instead he's dropped in and looks totally at home. Skating looks substantially improved to me. Hasn't made a significant positional or puck error in the 3 full games I've watched. Looks confident and honestly doesn't look that far from pushing for an NHL spot. Will obviously spend the rest of the year in Utica - not that there's really much of a choice with COVID protocols - but has to have moved himself into a position where he'll be an interesting guy in training camp next year.

Really, really encouraging. Hasn't put up any points at the AHL level yet but if he plays the way he did in his last game those will start to come.

 

[sting101]

I've been very pleasantly surprised by the first few games I've seen from him in Utica.

This was not a dominant WHL player and he wasn't standing out in games at that level. I expected a sort of Brisebois-level development curve where he'd require a couple seasons in the AHL and where he'd struggle with the pace and speed of this level for a while. I thought he'd be more physically ready than Brisebois but would have issues with his skating and decision-making with the puck.

Instead he's dropped in and looks totally at home. Skating looks substantially improved to me. Hasn't made a significant positional or puck error in the 3 full games I've watched. Looks confident and honestly doesn't look that far from pushing for an NHL spot. Will obviously spend the rest of the year in Utica - not that there's really much of a choice with COVID protocols - but has to have moved himself into a position where he'll be an interesting guy in training camp next year.

Really, really encouraging. Hasn't put up any points at the AHL level yet but if he plays the way he did in his last game those will start to come.

I've watched him live a lot. (WHL)

I commented previously that he had a pro body and a very mature pro game but agree with what you said here. At times he was underwhelming and i had some concerns with his tempo and speed. Last year wasn't a big step in his development and that tempered my expectations. In saying that the cancellation of his year also prevented what could have been a dominant 2nd half?

It's great to hear he's transitioning well. Was fairly confident he would be a solid player for us if he can physically handle NHL speed. Very smart solid low event shut down potential player. Thanks for the ongoing reports.....we'll see how it goes

 

[MS]

I've watched him live a lot. (WHL)

I commented previously that he had a pro body and a very mature pro game but agree with what you said here. At times he was underwhelming and i had some concerns with his tempo and speed. Last year wasn't a big step in his development and that tempered my expectations. In saying that the cancellation of his year also prevented what could have been a dominant 2nd half?

It's great to hear he's transitioning well. Was fairly confident he would be a solid player for us if he can physically handle NHL speed. Very smart solid low event shut down potential player. Thanks for the ongoing reports.....we'll see how it goes

Yeah, you see older guys in the WHL who play a pretty mature, solid game but quite obviously lack the dynamic skills and speed/pace in their game to move up levels. Taylor Ellington was a rock-solid WHL defender.

Now, Woo was obviously better than Ellington but he definitely looked to me to share some of the traits of that type of player - a physically strong/mature kid who played a safe, fundamentally solid game, but didn't seem to have the skating or puck skills to make him an obvious bet to transition well to the AHL.

The game he played last Saturday I thought he looked more impressive relative to the players around him than he did in the WHL games I saw last season. And that's massive considering the huge change in level. Will say that he and Rathbone are probably really helping each other - they've settled in immediately as a pairing that looks like they've played together for years.

 

[JAK]

Woo looking well in the AHL is probably an example of where a player just plays better with better players.

Hopefully this transitions up the next level as well, we don't need him to be a top pairing D, a solid second pairing RD would do the team wonders

 

[sting101]

Yeah, you see older guys in the WHL who play a pretty mature, solid game but quite obviously lack the dynamic skills and speed/pace in their game to move up levels. Taylor Ellington was a rock-solid WHL defender.

Now, Woo was obviously better than Ellington but he definitely looked to me to share some of the traits of that type of player - a physically strong/mature kid who played a safe, fundamentally solid game, but didn't seem to have the skating or puck skills to make him an obvious bet to transition well to the AHL.

The game he played last Saturday I thought he looked more impressive relative to the players around him than he did in the WHL games I saw last season. And that's massive considering the huge change in level. Will say that he and Rathbone are probably really helping each other - they've settled in immediately as a pairing that looks like they've played together for years.

Ellington....e gaawd yikes

A friend of mine scouted him for Junior. When the Nucks picked him i gave him a shout knowing he worked for Everett and thought he may have some good things to say. He laughed and said he will never play in the show, he can't skate has no skill and isn't nearly tough enough to be an enforcer (not that had value but was still considered in the scouting community at that time).

Said it was an awful pick. It's amazing Delorme survived through all this time.

 

[MS]

Ellington....e gaawd yikes

A friend of mine scouted him for Junior. When the Nucks picked him i gave him a shout knowing he worked for Everett and thought he may have some good things to say. He laughed and said he will never play in the show, he can't skate has no skill and isn't nearly tough enough to be an enforcer (not that had value but was still considered in the scouting community at that time).

Said it was an awful pick. It's amazing Delorme survived through all this time.

Oh, it was a terrible pick. He couldn't skate well enough and had zero offensive ability whatsoever. But he was a very effective WHL defender because he was a strong, physically mature kid with solid defensive fundamentals.

It's crazy how many no-talent defenders were high picks in the 1990s and 2000s. Ryan Parent is the Cadillac of this type of player from that era.

Again, Woo was clearly better than Ellington but I wasn't really sold he was that much better than Guillaume Brisebois. And I was very wrong there.

 

[VanJack]

Woo is battling almost 50 years of miserable Canuck history in drafting d-men out of the Dub. Off the top of my head, I can think of Snepsts, Bucher, Sopel, and, that's about it.

How is that even possible? But I guess even a hitter with his eyes closed will eventually make contact with the baseball. So if Woo pans out, you'll take it.

 

[Fatass]

I've been very pleasantly surprised by the first few games I've seen from him in Utica.

This was not a dominant WHL player and he wasn't standing out in games at that level. I expected a sort of Brisebois-level development curve where he'd require a couple seasons in the AHL and where he'd struggle with the pace and speed of this level for a while. I thought he'd be more physically ready than Brisebois but would have issues with his skating and decision-making with the puck.

Instead he's dropped in and looks totally at home. Skating looks substantially improved to me. Hasn't made a significant positional or puck error in the 3 full games I've watched. Looks confident and honestly doesn't look that far from pushing for an NHL spot. Will obviously spend the rest of the year in Utica - not that there's really much of a choice with COVID protocols - but has to have moved himself into a position where he'll be an interesting guy in training camp next year.

Really, really encouraging. Hasn't put up any points at the AHL level yet but if he plays the way he did in his last game those will start to come.

All true, except excited at Woo could be a player. But he is partnered, mostly, with Rathbone. BOne might be giving Woo a bump.

 

[nucksflailtogether]

Oh, it was a terrible pick. He couldn't skate well enough and had zero offensive ability whatsoever. But he was a very effective WHL defender because he was a strong, physically mature kid with solid defensive fundamentals.

It's crazy how many no-talent defenders were high picks in the 1990s and 2000s. Ryan Parent is the Cadillac of this type of player from that era.

Again, Woo was clearly better than Ellington but I wasn't really sold he was that much better than Guillaume Brisebois. And I was very wrong there.

What kind of ceiling do you think we're looking at? Would you be disappointed in this years Jordie Benn?

 

[M2Beezy]

Man would Woo ever be a huge positive suprise if he can make the jump to the nhl next year or the one after and be a ROCK on our right side

 

[iceburg]

Beginning of the year I was saying it would be a huge win if 2 of the 4 (Rafferty, Rathbone, Juolevi, Woo) went on to have impactful NHL careers....

I may have underestimated.

 

[MS]

What kind of ceiling do you think we're looking at? Would you be disappointed in this years Jordie Benn?

Something between Hamonic and Benn as an upside? Boring 2nd pairing type.

Beginning of the year I was saying it would be a huge win if 2 of the 4 (Rafferty, Rathbone, Juolevi, Woo) went on to have impactful NHL careers....

I may have underestimated.

We can probably stick a fork in Rafferty but the other 3 have all done better than expected.

That said, there is absolutely no scenario where all of Hughes/Rathbone/Juolevi are Canucks regulars in the medium-long term. If Rathbone makes it and they can find room for him at the left side, it will be at the expense of Juolevi.

 

[iceburg]

Something between Hamonic and Benn as an upside? Boring 2nd pairing type.



We can probably stick a fork in Rafferty but the other 3 have all done better than expected.

That said, there is absolutely no scenario where all of Hughes/Rathbone/Juolevi are Canucks regulars in the medium-long term. If Rathbone makes it and they can find room for him at the left side, it will be at the expense of Juolevi.

I don’t know. It will depend in part on what Edler does.

I said a few days ago that I would like to see if one of Rathbone or Hughes can play the right side 5 on 5.
Hughes Schmidt
Edler Rathbone
Juolevi Myers
Woo

When Edler retires hopefully Woo is ready for full time duty. Rathbone moves back to the left side.

Your previous thoughts on fitting all those young guys into the lineup aren’t lost on me though.

 

[JAK]

Woo is battling almost 50 years of miserable Canuck history in drafting d-men out of the Dub. Off the top of my head, I can think of Snepsts, Bucher, Sopel, and, that's about it.

How is that even possible? But I guess even a hitter with his eyes closed will eventually make contact with the baseball. So if Woo pans out, you'll take it.

They did draft Edler and then send him to Kelowna, hmmmm

 

[Canucks1096]

They did draft Edler and then send him to Kelowna, hmmmm

Edler was drafted out of Sweden. Then played in the whl in his D+1 season.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

I see a Mackenzie Weager in him and would take that all day. Just continue to work on skating and edge work. Decent shot too.

 

[deckercky]

So goofy to compare Woo to Romanov. Woo was ranked by many as a first rounder, while Romanov was seen as a huge reach (I think some scouting services ranked him as a 3rd rounder, while NHL central scouting ranked him 115th among European players.

Obviously looks good for Montreal, but Romanov was miles off the board, while Woo was generally seen as a solid pick based on what was on the board.

 

[Izzy Goodenough]

Something between Hamonic and Benn as an upside? Boring 2nd pairing type.



We can probably stick a fork in Rafferty but the other 3 have all done better than expected.

That said, there is absolutely no scenario where all of Hughes/Rathbone/Juolevi are Canucks regulars in the medium-long term. If Rathbone makes it and they can find room for him at the left side, it will be at the expense of Juolevi.

There is something in Juolevi's game I really wasn't expecting even though I watched him in Junior and in Utica: He is mean and dishes out retribution when hit. I think he makes it even with Hughes and Rathbone because neither appear to be the sort of player and the Nucks need this sort of player.

 

[mriswith]

Woo is battling almost 50 years of miserable Canuck history in drafting d-men out of the Dub. Off the top of my head, I can think of Snepsts, Bucher, Sopel, and, that's about it.

How is that even possible? But I guess even a hitter with his eyes closed will eventually make contact with the baseball. So if Woo pans out, you'll take it.

Judd Brackett was practically drooling over Woo in the post-draft video, that counteracts a lot of the Canucks WHL voodoo in my books.

 

[Raistlin]

I was hoping to get Beaudin with the second pick, but when he was off, I wanted Perunovich overage be damned, Woo I wanted to avoid because WHL and Canucks don't mix. If he's developing well in the A then it's great news... There's more depth to play in the bottom pair with a chance that he can do spot duty in the top4.

 

[kyru]

Good to hear about Woo so far this year. Been browsing this thread here and there since he was drafted and it's seemed like mostly lukewarm reviews to date - nice to hear that he's started out in the AHL quite well.

 

[DL44]

I don’t know. It will depend in part on what Edler does.

I said a few days ago that I would like to see if one of Rathbone or Hughes can play the right side 5 on 5.
Hughes Schmidt
Edler Rathbone
Juolevi Myers
Woo

When Edler retires hopefully Woo is ready for full time duty. Rathbone moves back to the left side.

Your previous thoughts on fitting all those young guys into the lineup aren’t lost on me though.

Hopefully add Tryamkin... When Tryamkin arrives, if he looks solid, then it would enable us to move one of Juolevi/Rathbone/Woo for upside middle 6 piece for when Sutter/Beagle move on. Cuz once they do... we only have Podkolzin as a prospect option...

@MS you buying Lind as a legit NHL middle 6er option from the games you've seen? Or is he a top 6 or bust?

 

[iceburg]

Hopefully add Tryamkin... When Tryamkin arrives, if he looks solid, then it would enable us to move one of Juolevi/Rathbone/Woo for upside middle 6 piece for when Sutter/Beagle move on. Cuz once they do... we only have Podkolzin as a prospect option...

@MS you buying Lind as a legit NHL middle 6er option from the games you've seen? Or is he a top 6 or bust?

As with any trade, it depends on the return. It would have to be good or I'd prefer to keep the D-depth and work with it. If they take one of the stud D-men in the top 10 of this coming draft, then there's some additional flexibility for the long term. I've taken the position that I'm happy to talk Tryamkin if/when he arrives. Until then, I think they have to plan without him.