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.
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.
Similar draft -1 #s to Kent JohnsonHe 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.
Skating huge red flag for me.
He is on my do not draft list in the 1st/2nd round.
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.Skating huge red flag for me.
He is on my do not draft list in the 1st/2nd round.
A good take of yours for once? I’m shocked.Hes 10th on my list
I see a 6'3 teenager with not enough lower body strenght that has not even started to grow in his body.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.
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.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.
Wood's goal and some shifts if you are willing to look for him. (#71 blue)
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.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.
Also I think his reference to Kent Johnson's age is wrong? The stats are right, but Johnson was younger than Wood.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.
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