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RD Connor Hobbs - Regina Pats, WHL (2015, 143rd, WSH)

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R S

R S

Registered User
Sep 18, 2006
25,466
10
He gets his own thread after having a rather solid year, slowly climbing up many lists as the season progressed.

He finished the year as my 18th ranked WHL player for the 2015 NHL Draft: http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2015/05/final-whl-rankings-2015-nhl-draft.html

#18 Connor Hobbs

Team: Regina Pats
Position: D
Shoots: R
Height: 6’0.5
Weight: 187
GP: 45
Goals: 2
Assists: 16
Points: 18
Pts/Gm: 0.40
PIM: 36

Player Analysis: Connor Hobbs is a toolsy and abrasive two-way defender for the Regina Pats…possesses a rather knock-kneed skating stride…despite his rough-looking stride he gets around the ice well for the junior level…has explosive top speed and can change direction quickly and with fluidity…first few backwards cuts have power and allow him to transition to defence quickly…footwork defensively isn’t always perfect but has shown improvement this season…edges, footwork and hip angles on defence will need to show more improvement to play at the next level…has a tall, long and rather skinny look to his frame despite being listed at just a hair over 6’0… passes the puck extremely hard…really whips the biscuit around his own zone and isn’t afraid to attempt frequent stretch passes with somewhat inconsistent results…passing is fairly accurate for the most part…does have a tendency to force pucks into tight spots at times, rather than letting the play develop…like with his physical play (more on this in a second), he will need to improve his decision making with the puck as he gets more experience…pass reception and general puck handling skill exist but are somewhat inconsistent…have seen him bobble some routine passes…he shoots the puck extremely hard…owns a good one-timer, although the accuracy of his shot needs work…gets his feet in proper position to fire and seems to have the tools to score more than he did this year…wrist shot is good, release is quick…could stand to be a tad more aggressive jumping into the play at times but does make some solid aggressive plays when it comes to keeping pucks in the offensive zone…is punishing in the way he plays defence…is extremely aggressive with his body contact and often hits to hurt…is not shy to step up into the neutral zone and bury opposing players…will be a human missile if he can get up to 6’1.5 and closer to 210 pounds…picks his spots quite well regarding when he goes to lay hits but it would be an area that could use slight improvement with more experience…really works hard in his own zone playing an abrasive and up-tempo style of defence…not afraid to play a bit chippy and be somewhat of an agitator…while his length and decent mobility allows him to maintain tight gaps, he has shown some brain cramps defensively regarding simple and rather basic blown coverage plays…lack of overall experience shows itself at times regarding his basic defensive instincts, but I remain confident he doesn’t have any major hockey sense issues… would definitely classify him as a rather raw player (just over 50 regular season WHL games under his belt) with a bit of a wild stallion vibe to his game…with that being said, a lot of things he does have a “pro style†to them…showed me very good signs of improvement each time I saw him during the season…was used as a top pairing defenceman ever since being acquired by Regina mid-way through this season, really going through a “trial by fire†process due to a lack of general WHL experience before that trade… along with playing top minutes alongside Colby Williams he also was featured on both the main powerplay and penalty killing units…his PPG rate was T-10th best among all first-year draft-eligible WHL defenders this season…his even-strength PPG rate of 0.27 was T-9th among that same class of skaters…was originally a 4th round pick, 67th overall, by the Prince Albert Raiders at the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft…was traded to Medicine Hat during the 2013-14 season…early in the 2014-15 season he requested a trade from the Tigers after playing 12 games in a depth role…while he awaited a trade he spent time with the SJHL’s Nipawin Hawks…was acquired by Regina as part of a massive trade, culminating with him landing on the Pats top defensive pairing for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs…his game overall leaves me with some general questions about what kind of defender he wants to be…despite that concern I see a lot of tools and a rather moldable player…while I see him as a raw player with some skating issues, he has all the tools, size and the aggressive mindset that teams covet…if all things go well I think he projects as a top 4 NHL defender who can play special teams while not necessarily being a true anchor on the PP…I would rank him as roughly a mid-4th round type of prospect and feel that he will come off the board sometime starting in the back half of that round come draft day…
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Hobbs is extremely impressive in all areas of the ice. Can't believe there isn't more talk about this kid. Very dependable defensively, makes a great outlet pass, skates well with the puck, physical, smart, great shot. Plays with a very mature game.
 
1G+3A tonight and 15 pts in 12 games on the year. Should be getting a lot more attention and is on Hockey Canada's radar for the WJC team. He was my big sleeper for the 2015 draft and he's definitely looking like a great late pick as of now.
 
Hobbs now has 29 points in 21 games(3rd in D scoring), 2 points off the defensive scoring lead with 3 games in hand on #1 and 6 games in hand on #2. Has anyone been able to watch him this season? I need to catch a game or two and see how he looks but keep getting stuck watching Caps and Bear games when he's on. Is he a product of an extremely potent offense and just racking up points with the rest of the team or is he the real deal? With this type of season could he be looking at a spot on the U20 team?
 
The Pats are in Moose Jaw for the Trans-Canada rivalry game tonight. Hobbs has played a solid game so far tonight. Tough to say whether he translates to a potential NHL'er or not. May end up being a solid AHL'er but he looked good tonight. Absolutely crushed someone coming across the middle with their head down, and immediately answered the bell against Odgers who is one of the tougher guys in the league and he held his own, arguably winning the fight. Don't want to get myself too excited about him but it looks like another solid late round pick for the Caps. Boy do I love Ross Mahoney.
 
Is it time to start giving Hobbs some more recognition?
He currently sits second in WHL D scoring (46 pts in 36 gp) but has the highest points-per-game.

Are there deficiencies in his game that will prevent him from becoming a PP QB in the NHL? Why is nobody talking about this kid?
 
lfchockey said:
Is it time to start giving Hobbs some more recognition?
He currently sits second in WHL D scoring (46 pts in 36 gp) but has the highest points-per-game.

Are there deficiencies in his game that will prevent him from becoming a PP QB in the NHL? Why is nobody talking about this kid?
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Probably relatively anonymous on the pats due to all the media darlings on that team, brooks, steel, ahl, Henry. Hobbs should start in the AHL next season, figure out how to translate his truculent style from junior to men's league, and work on his defensive miscues. Once he gets that figured out, he should become a good second pairing NHL dman, and a fantastic draft day bargain
 
I'm not really familiar with Washington's depth chart in term of defensive prospects, but how does the future look for Hobbs, assuming he'll start next season in Hershey?
 
lfchockey said:
Two goals and an assist in last night's contest.
He now leads all Dmen in scoring across the entire CHL with 49 points
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Paddock healthy scratched him the night before due too Hobbs taking too many undisciplined penalties
 
monsieurthibz said:
I'm not really familiar with Washington's depth chart in term of defensive prospects, but how does the future look for Hobbs, assuming he'll start next season in Hershey?
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Definitely. Washington doesn't rush players very often under Trotz. Even if they happen to lose Orlov and Schmidt next summer they'll have more seasoned options in former fellow WHLers Bowey and Lewington. Hobbs will probably need at least a couple of seasons in the AHL to further refine his defensive game and also probably his mobility. He's got the skills to be a PP defenseman but the Caps should be able to take their time with him.
 
Sabes said:
He played forward in this game. Defence on the PP.
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Just posted about that in the Capitals board on our prospect thread. Here are his goals at forward. Guy reminds me a ton of Mike Green who I also always wanted to see play winger.


 
Not much buzz about him. He is having a great season. Sure, it is on an offensive powerhouse and he is an overager but he looks very good.
 
Markus078 said:
Not much buzz about him. He is having a great season. Sure, it is on an offensive powerhouse and he is an overager but he looks very good.
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He's not an overager. He's in his last year of junior eligibility before he's listed as an overager. You have to be 1996 to be viewed as an overager.

People probably don't talk about him because he was a late round pick and he never got team Canada consideration. Also, Washington fans don't tend to be too vocal around these parts as they are chasing a cup and are trying to win right now. Vrana barely gets talked about either.
 
His skating is excellent. I hate NHL comparisons but his game is very similar to TJ Brodie - he's got such exceptional skating and vision that he can move up ice and into the rush seamlessly, then be back in position to defend a counter.

He's got enough of an edge to his game that I've grown to hate him because he's so effective as a defender and agitator. Really good player and I think the Capitals have a real steal coming along here.
 
Big, mean and nasty, bodes well for his hockey future. He has played as a winger some since the trade deadline
 
Hobbs is seemingly starting to get comfortable in his rookie AHL season for Hershey. He currently sits at 10 points in 32 games, but if you look a little closer:

First 16 games: 2 points and 22 SOG
Last 16 games: 8 points and 38 SOG

Hoping to see this trend continue for him.
 
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