LD Sam Dickinson - London Knights, OHL (2024, 11th, SJ)

[Hockey Duckie]

How so? It was a move where flowers should be given to Sennecke.
What would you have like Dickinson do in that split second scenario?

In the future, Sam could play the body instead of playing the puck. Sam overcommitted by playing the puck and it broke his ankles, so to speak. Against finesse players, it probably is safer to take out the body. Sennecke put a rare and great move on Sam. Nothing shameful about it, but something that Sam and other defensemen might learn to do against finesse players.

 

[Grinner]

In the future, Sam could play the body instead of playing the puck. Sam overcommitted by playing the puck and it broke his ankles, so to speak. Against finesse players, it probably is safer to take out the body. Sennecke put a rare and great move on Sam. Nothing shameful about it, but something that Sam and other defensemen might learn to do against finesse players.

Every shift can be a learning experience

 

[PAZ]

In the future, Sam could play the body instead of playing the puck. Sam overcommitted by playing the puck and it broke his ankles, so to speak. Against finesse players, it probably is safer to take out the body. Sennecke put a rare and great move on Sam. Nothing shameful about it, but something that Sam and other defensemen might learn to do against finesse players.

How exactly do you play the body there?

Dickinson expected him to go left, so if he tried playing the body he would've looked even more foolish than he already did.

That move would've worked on a good chunk of NHL defenseman as well.

 

[JadedRandom]

How exactly do you play the body there?

Dickinson expected him to go left, so if he tried playing the body he would've looked even more foolish than he already did.

That move would've worked on a good chunk of NHL defenseman as well.

It would have worked against the vast majority of NHL defensemen actually, unless they were willing to take a penalty and just slashed Sennecke's stick.

And that's to Sennecke's credit. I mean, there's a reason why he was selected 3rd overall in last year's draft, and spoiler-alert, it's not because he sucks.

Breaking it down a little bit more, what happened on that play, the "mistake" on Dickinson's part was adjusting a little too slowly to Sennecke's move and missing the timing on his stick-check.

But Sennecke's stick-handling, body position, and hiding of his intentions were unbelievably on-point in that sequence.

I mean, a guy like Slavin would probably have managed to neuter that chance. But thing is that the guy is amongst the elite of the NHL defensively, and not an 18 year-old OHLer like Dickinson.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

He looks like an absolute joke for Canada. Ristolainen low IQ on this guy.

I think he’s been responsible for two of the goals this period and almost a third.

 

[jfhabs]

He looks like an absolute joke for Canada. Ristolainen low IQ on this guy.

He's on PP 1 while Parekh is sitting at home... His IQ is not as bad as it's been today, but he's very bad today.

 

[jtechkid]

He looks like an absolute joke for Canada. Ristolainen low IQ on this guy.

I think he’s been responsible for two of the goals this period and almost a third.

You have to wonder how inflated his numbers are in the OHL- loaded team - weak competition - zero defense league? No way he translates as a high end scoring nhl dmen .

 

[Bobby Holik agent]

MEH he's still super young.

 

[Sting]

I think he was probably a bit humbled after this WJC. Pre-tournament, people were hyping him up to be the clear cut # 1 of the team and his offensive numbers in juniors proved he'd cancel out not bringing Yakemchuk/Parekh. I thought he looked pretty average on both ends of the ice.

All that said - only one tournament. Plenty of blame to go around.

 

[jfhabs]

Just looked up his stat line after reading some comments, holy cow, perhaps he felt too much pressure, IDK but he wasn't playing like a guy scoring 2ppg. Even on the PP, he made a ton of bad decision with the puck.

It's one short tournament, no need to panic as far as his NHL potential. That team was not well managed at all.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Every shift can be a learning experience

“Life is the cruelest teacher — first you get the test, then you get the lesson”

 

[Peasy]

Nothing he showed in this tourney was dynamic. Bizarre to see someone putting up those kinds of numbers in the OHL and then look like that during the tourney.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Just looked up his stat line after reading some comments, holy cow, perhaps he felt too much pressure, IDK but he wasn't playing like a guy scoring 2ppg. Even on the PP, he made a ton of bad decision with the puck.

It's one short tournament, no need to panic as far as his NHL potential. That team was not well managed at all.

TBF dickinson isn't 2ppg good.

 

[shaner8989]

Arguably the single worst performance I’ve ever seen from a player in this tourney.

 

[jtechkid]

Nothing he showed in this tourney was dynamic. Bizarre to see someone putting up those kinds of numbers in the OHL and then look like that during the tourney.

got question the competition - lack of defense in the ohl . This is the main point guy like him should be playing NCAA hockey against 23 years old men instead scoring at mens league pace against boys in the OHL . Im sure NHL see’s this in depending time line most of high end guys will go to NCAA for 2 years after draft year .

 

[FLAMESFAN]

I didn't think he was as bad as many on here are saying, but I sure expected more from him.
Hopefully he grows alot over the nextyear and becomes that leader on the backend we'll need.

 

[Forlan]

I agree with many reviews. Playing PP at this level is definitely not for him. Slow speed of taking actions and understanding game situations. He definitely won't become an attacking defender, rather he will become a reliable defensive defender of the top 4 if he improves his defensive skills.

 

[MakoSlade]

It will be very interesting to follow the progress of the 2024 9th through 12th picks. Four defensemen in a row with such a varying skillset. There will be a lot of scrutiny. Minesota may be the luckiest - they drafted last and may still have gotten the best guy!

I liked Dickinson for the Devils but his supposed lack of hockey IQ was a scary thing. Has he displayed that this year? Was his bad WJC an outlier?

 

[Sam de Mtl]

As someone who watched a bit of him last season and did not get to see him this year, I expected a higher level of speed and execution for him. I don't think he was as bas as some of the hyperbole we hear here, but it wasn't as good as I thought it would be.

 

[JimmyApples]

Nothing he showed in this tourney was dynamic. Bizarre to see someone putting up those kinds of numbers in the OHL and then look like that during the tourney.

100%

I can get behind a player making some mistakes. But he had about as concerning WJC as you could have had. Didn’t seem to be effective at either end of the ice and no toolbox to back him up.

London Knights effect where a player looks way better than they actually are?

 

[frederixx]

I think he was exposed since the play was faster and didn't have that extra split second to complete his plays. He will learn from it and adjust to higher level of competition.

Not comparing him to Mailloux, but Logan is the perfect example of a very good Dman who just can't seem to adjust to the NHL pace.

 

[Erika]

Arguably the single worst performance I’ve ever seen from a player in this tourney.

He looked like complete garbage in this tourney, like Canada's worst defenceman by far.

OHL level of competition will do that and he got exposed big time here. His hockey IQ seems very low for all the hype we heard until this WJC.

I'm also questionning this London Knight trend to produce overrated/overhyped defencemen in the recent years; Zadorov, Juolevi, Merckley, Mailloux, Dickenson, Bonk...

It's not looking good imo.

Only Evan Bouchard came out as advertised.

 

[PanniniClaus]

Arguably the single worst performance I’ve ever seen from a player in this tourney.

I was trying to think of a worse individual performance since the mid 80's. J.P Dumont had a horrendous tourney in 98 but I can't think of one particular game that went like this one. Better days ahead perhaps.

 

[Deas]

Wow these are strong words. How much is disappointment over the early exit a factor in that?

Also, he wasn't on PP1 for most of the tournament right? Despite destroying Bonk and even Cowan as an older forward on their team he wasn't on PP1 in the WJC right? Or was he in the last game?

 

[Peasy]

Wow these are strong words. How much is disappointment over the early exit a factor in that?

Also, he wasn't on PP1 for most of the tournament right? Despite destroying Bonk and even Cowan as an older forward on their team he wasn't on PP1 in the WJC right? Or was he in the last game?

Not sure exactly when, but he was definitely on PP1 their final 2 games. Canada was running both Bonk and Dickinson on it but Bonk was playing in the bumper