RW Matthew Wood – Univ. of Minnesota, NCAA (2023, 15th, NSH)
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Lavar Ball
Neva Lost
Had a goal and two assists in a win over Yale today
He’s a slow and a little one dimensional winger (the least important position in hockey, but man being close to a ppg as a 17 year old in college is impressive.
WADEugottaBELAKthat
Nikishin turning heads.
He played in the BCHL, right? Man I’d love to know how fans of that league would compare him to recent BCHL prospects taken in the first round.
His skating sucks a lot, but I think he's doing (and has done) enough where you just have to kinda ignore it and hope for the best. This isn't a flash in the pan production, he's always been with the top of his age group, he walked through the BCHL, and is now the best producing U18 in the NCAA for a good long while. He's huge, he has an offensive skillset that will translate, and he can use it.
His skating needs to improve to make it, but if it does, I think he'll be a high value player. This time next year I predict that he'll be about 1.5-1.7ppg in the NCAA with skating that doesn't look half as awkward. That will still put him as a below average skater, but I think that's about all he needs. At that point you're looking at an extremely high value prospect.
His skating needs to improve to make it, but if it does, I think he'll be a high value player. This time next year I predict that he'll be about 1.5-1.7ppg in the NCAA with skating that doesn't look half as awkward. That will still put him as a below average skater, but I think that's about all he needs. At that point you're looking at an extremely high value prospect.
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
I agree 100%.. he just needs to be able to get where he needs to go. I really like him as an option for the Florida pick on the Habs because I think if there's one thing the Habs are missing, it is someone like him who can score from in tight and around the net. Thinking about him swinging from the net-front to the bumper spot on the powerplay would be really great.
lawrence
Registered User
- May 19, 2012
- 16,448
- 7,352
not worry about skating anymore. Mathew Boldy, Brock Boeser, heck Chris Tanev, Toews, Sedins, Sam Reinhart not pretty skaters.
Bubbles
Die Hard for Bedard 2023
The BCHL tends to have speedy, slightly undersized forwards. He's unlike Newhook, Jost or Turris.
I use the slower version of Laine as a comparable. There's no doubt on his offensive abilities. The question is can he improve his speed to the NHL level? From what I've seen, he has not improved is speed at all in college.
Lavar Ball
Neva Lost
Another goal+assist this evening, point streak to 8 games (4g 8a in that span)
I'd pick him probably at pick 25-32 range and hope. This draft is really fun. It's rare to see someone with so much skill, offensive smarts, a good shot, and just one of the worst skating strides in a potential first rounder. He rounds his back soooo much that he can't get any type of long stride with his legs. His upper body moves up and down so much that he looks like he's bobbing when trying to get up to speed. It's so so bad. Legitimately if he can't improve his skating he won't have an NHL future even on the wings. He won't be able to get back to backcheck when the puck comes out of the zone, he won't be able to reach the points in time to try to block or prevent shots. It's really rare to see a prospect that legit won't make the NHL unless they become a better skater, but I really think Wood is that.
All that being said, he has some really good in-tight stickhandling, he makes really smart passing plays and transition plays aside from all the shooting talent and powerplay capability.
All that being said, he has some really good in-tight stickhandling, he makes really smart passing plays and transition plays aside from all the shooting talent and powerplay capability.
Tkachuk Norris
Registered User
- Jun 22, 2012
- 15,964
- 7,327
Similar draft -1 #s to Kent Johnson
I'd be pretty shocked if he doesn't go top 15
I wonder if a team can see a way to fixing his stride. Brink was all sorts of unconventional and inefficient in his draft year, yet has made strides (pun only tangentially intended) even before his hip surgery.
MichaelFarrell
Registered User
I think that’s a bit far. I wouldn’t draft him too high, but I think he’s a first rounder. He’s definitely one-dimensional right now but he just turned 18. 28 points in 30 games is production worth betting on in the late first/early second at least.
Mrb1p
PRICERSTOPDAPUCK
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s | Rest Easy #13
A good take of yours for once? I’m shocked.
I’m kidding though, I enjoy most of your non Sanderson takes.
I see a 6'3 teenager with not enough lower body strenght that has not even started to grow in his body.
He has a heavy shot, decent hands for his size. Not convinced about his hockey IQ, but you can't deny his scoring ability.
It is not unreasonable to think he'll at least improve his straight line speed when he'll get stronger in his legs... Add to that personnalized attention from a skating coach, I see a clear path to improvement. Not all big wingers can skate like Josh Anderson.
I'd like to see him more in front of the net on the PP, however. They play him half-wall and I don't see him playing there on an NHL PP, even if he has a heavy shot.
Certainly worth a 1st round pick.
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Mrb1p
PRICERSTOPDAPUCK
If you like most of my takes, maybe you should think about the Sanderson one tooA good take of yours for once? I’m shocked.
I’m kidding though, I enjoy most of your non Sanderson takes.
His hockey IQ is his best trait. Well, vision, smarts, angles, etc. Hes very good.
Michael Brand Eggs
Knee Guard
This video makes me think Wood's skating has a lot to do with conditioning. He has several shifts where he's skating fine, but then others where he's just terrible. And it seems like the longer the shift, the worse he skates.
Kipper933
Remember the Kipper
Now has the highest PPG for a u18 player in the NCAA since Mike York in 1995/96, 27 years ago.
His 0.94 ppg is on par with Toews' 0.93 ppg.
Speed is the key for him at the NHL level, even with his skillset unless the speed improves he might end up as one of those tweeners.
Bubbles
Die Hard for Bedard 2023
This is from Scott Wheeler's recent article in the Athletic
12. Matthew Wood — C/RW, University of Connecticut, 6-foot-4
One of my favourites in the 2005 age group, Wood is the youngest player in college hockey this season (he was, for a moment, its only 17-year-old) and has stepped right in to become an impactful player on a good UConn team (albeit as a winger after playing mostly centre at the Jr. A level). His near point-per-game production at the top of the Huskies’ stat sheet comes a year after he led the BCHL in goals (45 in 46 games) and points (85) for a 1.85 points-per-game clip that stands as the most productive 16-year-old season in the league in decades, besting Alex Newhook (1.47), Kyle Turris (1.26), Tyson Jost (0.98), and Kent Johnson (0.81) — while being four months younger than Johnson was at the time. Wood is a rangy, goal-scoring forward who has silky hands for his size (considering the long stick he uses, he’s got great control on the toe of his blade out wide and the heel in tight to his feet), a marksman’s shot inside the offensive zone (both through a natural shooting motion and his one-timer), and a sixth sense for arriving around the net/slot at the right time.
He’s got quick hands one-on-one, he drops pucks back into his shooting stance effortlessly, and he’s got a beautiful curl-and-drag motion. There’s work to do to get a little quicker from a standstill, and that leaves some believing he’s more of a mid-to-late first than an upper-half-of-the-first guy, but he’s better suited as a playmaker and finisher than a power forward type anyways. I love the way he slows down the game, adjusts and maneuvers his frame and shades pucks. Mix in a multi-dimensional shooting arsenal and I see top-six upside.
I know he's a respected guy, but Wheeler is just plain wrong here. Wood has never played centre in his two years in the BCHL. He's always been a winger. 2nd point, Wheeler only casually mentions his speed, which is his greatest weakness.
I don't want to be mean but I hate lazy journalism and its pretty evident that Wheeler just wrote the article with some cursory stats from the internet.
12. Matthew Wood — C/RW, University of Connecticut, 6-foot-4
One of my favourites in the 2005 age group, Wood is the youngest player in college hockey this season (he was, for a moment, its only 17-year-old) and has stepped right in to become an impactful player on a good UConn team (albeit as a winger after playing mostly centre at the Jr. A level). His near point-per-game production at the top of the Huskies’ stat sheet comes a year after he led the BCHL in goals (45 in 46 games) and points (85) for a 1.85 points-per-game clip that stands as the most productive 16-year-old season in the league in decades, besting Alex Newhook (1.47), Kyle Turris (1.26), Tyson Jost (0.98), and Kent Johnson (0.81) — while being four months younger than Johnson was at the time. Wood is a rangy, goal-scoring forward who has silky hands for his size (considering the long stick he uses, he’s got great control on the toe of his blade out wide and the heel in tight to his feet), a marksman’s shot inside the offensive zone (both through a natural shooting motion and his one-timer), and a sixth sense for arriving around the net/slot at the right time.
He’s got quick hands one-on-one, he drops pucks back into his shooting stance effortlessly, and he’s got a beautiful curl-and-drag motion. There’s work to do to get a little quicker from a standstill, and that leaves some believing he’s more of a mid-to-late first than an upper-half-of-the-first guy, but he’s better suited as a playmaker and finisher than a power forward type anyways. I love the way he slows down the game, adjusts and maneuvers his frame and shades pucks. Mix in a multi-dimensional shooting arsenal and I see top-six upside.
I know he's a respected guy, but Wheeler is just plain wrong here. Wood has never played centre in his two years in the BCHL. He's always been a winger. 2nd point, Wheeler only casually mentions his speed, which is his greatest weakness.
I don't want to be mean but I hate lazy journalism and its pretty evident that Wheeler just wrote the article with some cursory stats from the internet.
Also I think his reference to Kent Johnson's age is wrong? The stats are right, but Johnson was younger than Wood.
Johnson's 16 year old season was his D-2; he turned 16 in October that year. Wood's 16 year old season was his D-1; he turned 16 in February the year before. So technically Johnson was 8 months younger.
If he's comparing to the season where he was 4 months younger than Johnson, then that's Johnson's D-1 (age 17 season), where he had 1.94 ppg in the BCHL
Bubbles
Die Hard for Bedard 2023
The ages confuse me too, but yeah it would make sense to compare both D-1 seasons instead because Wood and Johnson both played college hockey before getting drafted.
