LD Chaz Reddekopp - Victoria Royals, WHL (2015, 187th, LAK)

[R S]

Is the highest ranked guy on my WHL board without his own personal thread, so I decided to make one. He's seen a bump in his ice time since Victoria traded away Keegan Kanzig so that should be a nice boost for his development and offensive totals as he gets to play alongside Joe Hicketts now.

Overall he's a kid to watch as he's got size and isn't afraid to use it. Here's my thoughts on him from my recent November WHL draft rankings:

17 (15) – Chaz Reddekopp – D – Victoria Royals – Speaking of physical defenders, Reddekopp definitely brings that to the table along with his 6’3, 215 pound frame. He won’t ever be accused of being a puck mover but he gets around the ice ok and can handle an outlet pass. I would probably say this part of the draft is where I start to lean more towards these players being 4th rounders and beyond, Chaz included.

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2014/11/2015-nhl-draft-rankings-second-edition.html

 

[Jamie Benn]

Is the highest ranked guy on my WHL board without his own personal thread, so I decided to make one. He's seen a bump in his ice time since Victoria traded away Keegan Kanzig so that should be a nice boost for his development and offensive totals as he gets to play alongside Joe Hicketts now.

Overall he's a kid to watch as he's got size and isn't afraid to use it. Here's my thoughts on him from my recent November WHL draft rankings:



http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2014/11/2015-nhl-draft-rankings-second-edition.html

He deserves the playing time, really underrated d-man. Can really do it all, you'll see his stock rise a bit more with more playing time. Not to mention his size is also very intriguing right out of the gate.

 

[R S]

Really like this player but comes in lower on my final ranking than I've had him rated all season.

#31 Chaz Reddekopp

Team: Victoria Royals
Position: D
Shoots: L
Height: 6’3.25
Weight: 219
GP: 72
Goals: 5
Assists: 16
Points: 21
Pts/Gm: 0.29
PIM: 53

Player Analysis: Chaz Reddekopp is big and well-rounded blueliner for the Victoria Royals…owns a sturdy mechanical skating stride…not the fastest in his front skating but possesses a good amount of power and decent acceleration…really bends his legs and drives hard when getting up to his full speed…backwards mobility is also rather strong, allowing him to keep good gaps…footwork could be cleaned up in tight spaces both in the offensive and defensive zones… isn’t a dynamic puck mover but gets the job done…handles it quite well for a player in a defensive mold and of his size…executes simple and basic outlets with ease but isn’t a guy that will do anything dynamic offensively and won’t create his own offence…has an adequate slapshot that has power…wrist shot is hard…accuracy in his shooting game could use more work, as could his footwork to get into a shooting position…a reliable defensive player…gap work is usually fairly tight and seems to understand hip and shoulder angles in his 1 on 1 defence…a very capable shot blocker…clears the crease, anchors his body position well in battles…is an eliminator along the walls…throws big hits and hits with a high amount of frequency…could stand to be a bit more disciplined in his defensive play overall, picking his spots a bit better when it comes to lunging hits or reaches for pucks in 1 on 1’s…long reach, physicality and mobility make him a very intriguing package of a player…hockey sense seems passable overall, reads the play well and doesn’t seem to get flustered much in his own zone…was tasked with stepping from the Royals third defensive pairing to their first (alongside Joe Hicketts) following the trade of Keegan Kanzig at midseason…his transition to those added minutes was extremely smooth…ended the year by playing 30 of Victoria’s final 31 games alongside Hicketts…was also counted on to play a major role on their penalty kill…had a rather consistent offensive season, posting 0.28 PPG in the first half and 0.30 PPG in the second half despite playing with a far better offensive partner…was a 1st round selection, 13th overall, by the Victoria Royals at the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft…overall I see Reddekopp as a player who has the size and tools to be a solid defensive defender at the next level…I project him to be a guy who would excel as a #4 or #5 style defender, but a guy who can log decent minutes and anchor a penalty kill…while his hands and offensive skills are decent enough for the WHL, his overall offensive potential at the next level is what holds him down a bit in my rankings…aside from that, he’s a kid that does a lot of little things well and doesn’t seem to have many major flaws…I expect to see him come off the board sometime before the end of the 4th round, even though I would rate him more like a guy who should be selected in the late 6th round range…

Rest of my rankings here: http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2015/05/final-whl-rankings-2015-nhl-draft.html

 

[MS]

I'm puzzled by how this player seems to be falling in most rankings as the season has gone along, when from my POV he's had a terrific upward development curve this season and taken massive leaps forward from the start.

I really rate his IQ, love how he's so consistently physical without leaving himself out of position or taking penalties, and his puck skills improved immeasurably as the season went along - playing with Hicketts is probably a boon in that regard.

Reminds me a lot of Willie Mitchell and I'd have him as a late 2nd/3rd rounder.

Is also in a ridiculously good developmental situation on one of the best up-and-coming teams in the WHL, with the best coach in the league and probably the best defensive partner. Is in a great position to succeed.

 

[NikF]

I like his defensive play a lot. I think there's this tendency for guys who project as shutdown guys to fall nowadays due to how the game has "changed" or is perceived to be changing. But he has some real tools, skating, tracking in keeping inside position, stickwork, and willingness to engage all give him a toolset that is projectable enough. I'd be quite surprised if he doesn't get picked.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I'd take a chance on him at some point in the draft. I wonder if his size will hurt him in that scouts don't project much more physical development from him?

 

[lordmalc]

I'd take a chance on him at some point in the draft. I wonder if his size will hurt him in that scouts don't project much more physical development from him?

How does that work? He's 6'3 220...

 

[MS]

I like his defensive play a lot. I think there's this tendency for guys who project as shutdown guys to fall nowadays due to how the game has "changed" or is perceived to be changing. But he has some real tools, skating, tracking in keeping inside position, stickwork, and willingness to engage all give him a toolset that is projectable enough. I'd be quite surprised if he doesn't get picked.

Oh, he'll definitely get drafted.

I'm just surprised how low he's ranked, and how his ranking has fallen.

Seemed like he was ranked 3rd-round ish on most lists early in the year when he was playing on a 3rd pairing, then he saw his minutes bumped up, excelled in that role and saw a big offensive spike ... and his ranking falls?

 

[R S]

How does that work? He's 6'3 220...

I think he means that because he's already big he doesn't have as much room for improvement re: size/strength.

Oh, he'll definitely get drafted.

I'm just surprised how low he's ranked, and how his ranking has fallen.

Seemed like he was ranked 3rd-round ish on most lists early in the year when he was playing on a 3rd pairing, then he saw his minutes bumped up, excelled in that role and saw a big offensive spike ... and his ranking falls?

He didn't actually see a big offensive spike.

He had a 0.28 PPG rate up until Dec. 31st and a 0.30 PPG rate from January 1st until the end of the year.

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2015/04/tracking-point-production-fluctuation.html

 

[MS]

I think he means that because he's already big he doesn't have as much room for improvement re: size/strength.



He didn't actually see a big offensive spike.

He had a 0.28 PPG rate up until Dec. 31st and a 0.30 PPG rate from January 1st until the end of the year.

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2015/04/tracking-point-production-fluctuation.html

He was 1-6-7 -3 in his first 36 games and 4-10-14 +15 in his last 36 games.

 

[R S]

He was 1-6-7 -3 in his first 36 games and 4-10-14 +15 in his last 36 games.

Fair enough. I guess it goes to show you how much a 4-5 game stretch can swing the data for a full season.

In the end 5 points in his final 23 games (0.21 PPG) isn't exactly a world-beating tally. That also fell in the playoffs with only a pair of assists in 10 games.

 

[Zaddy]

One of few shutdown d-men I actually like and wouldn't mind taking a flyer on. Like that he's a 97 (even if only by a day) too which means he can stay in juniors for another two years and really work on his offensive game, even if it's unlikely he'll ever be a big pointgetter.

 

[MS]

Fair enough. I guess it goes to show you how much a 4-5 game stretch can swing the data for a full season.

In the end 5 points in his final 23 games (0.21 PPG) isn't exactly a world-beating tally. That also fell in the playoffs with only a pair of assists in 10 games.

Guys who don't get much PP time are never going to be huge point producers, though, and his production was to me going in the right direction.

What I liked far more than that later in the season, though, was that, instead of just making constant 'defensive defender' board-and-outs when he was under forechecking pressure, he was starting to make strong, smart possession reads to create space for himself or to get the puck to his partner. For a player of his ilk, you couldn't do any better than playing with Hicketts and I think the tempo and intelligence Hicketts plays with has been hugely helpful.

It's easy to look at his size/numbers and just say 'low-upside 3rd pairing banger' but I really think this is a legitimately intelligent player who will do very well moving up levels. It's also rare to find guys who can be so consistently physical without taking penalties or throwing themselves out of position.

And again, I'm someone who really rates developmental situations, and his is perfect.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

How does that work? He's 6'3 220...

I wonder if his size will hurt him in that scouts don't project much more physical development from him?

I meant that he's clearly a big man even as a pro so scouts may ask how much room for physical improvement there will be, he doesn't need to add 20-30lbs. yet he wasn't dominant against less physically mature players than there are in the AHL and NHL. For me the size is a plus but if I drafted him it would be with the idea that he'd be a 6/7
D at the NHL level at best. Anything better would be gravy, anything worse and it is the nature of the draft.

 

[Tripod]

A Flyers poster, GirouxCouturier, said that he knows him and that the Flyers are interested in him. This is what he said:

The flyers have lots of interest in Victoria Dman Chaz Reddekopp. They see him as better then Keenan Kanzig (3rd round pick 2 years ago) right now

Yes he had a meeting with them at the combine today and he was shocked by how much they liked him, they said he had a really good second half which is intriguing and they would be lucky to get him if they do.

Yeah he will be a safe guy if he reaches his potential no real flaws but no huge attributes either, is physical and will stick up for teammates. Will go off the glass and out for the safe play often but isn't a bad passer by any means. As a person he's a great guy and probably the hardest worker I know. He decided in Bantam that he was going to take hockey really seriously and committed to it progressively getting better since then through hard work.

Just thought I would share the info that was shared to us.

 

[NikF]

A Flyers poster, GirouxCouturier, said that he knows him and that the Flyers are interested in him. This is what he said:

The flyers have lots of interest in Victoria Dman Chaz Reddekopp. They see him as better then Keenan Kanzig (3rd round pick 2 years ago) right now

Yes he had a meeting with them at the combine today and he was shocked by how much they liked him, they said he had a really good second half which is intriguing and they would be lucky to get him if they do.

Yeah he will be a safe guy if he reaches his potential no real flaws but no huge attributes either, is physical and will stick up for teammates. Will go off the glass and out for the safe play often but isn't a bad passer by any means. As a person he's a great guy and probably the hardest worker I know. He decided in Bantam that he was going to take hockey really seriously and committed to it progressively getting better since then through hard work.

Just thought I would share the info that was shared to us.

IMO, it's just that he's not very flashy. Look at:
1. how he tracks backwards with his skating and angles
2. the zone of control he establishes through his stick usage
3. gaining inside body position in physical battles

It's hard to find, and those aspects tend to be huge for a defenseman at the next level. For example a guy like Nielsen (that I also like but from a different more raw "what could he be" perspective) is even more "tools-y" but he has nowhere near the polish in those aspects.

 

[MS]

IMO, it's just that he's not very flashy. Look at:
1. how he tracks backwards with his skating and angles
2. the zone of control he establishes through his stick usage
3. gaining inside body position in physical battles

It's hard to find, and those aspects tend to be huge for a defenseman at the next level. For example a guy like Nielsen (that I also like but from a different more raw "what could he be" perspective) is even more "tools-y" but he has nowhere near the polish in those aspects.

Absolutely. Just a very high-IQ, mature defender who does a lot of little things like this really well. Like I said previously, reminds me a lot of Willie Mitchell, another very 'intelligent' defensive defender.

The consensus top 6 defenders from the WHL are Provorov/Carlo/Juulsen/Pilon/Wotherspoon/Guhle who will all probably go in the first two rounds ... but I'd pretty easily rate Reddekopp as the best guy outside that group.