RW Oliver Wahlstrom - Boston College, NCAA (2018, 11th, NYI)

[IPreferPi]

more of a floater than Boeser

Scouting reports labeled Boeser's defensive game as a work in progress as a prospect too, while noting he wasn't really a high-energy player in the offensive zone. There's a reason why he was drafted in the 20s in his draft year, while Wahlstrom appears to have a cemented a consensus top 7-10 ranking in this class.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Scouting reports labeled Boeser's defensive game as a work in progress as a prospect too, while noting he wasn't really a high-energy player in the offensive zone. There's a reason why he was drafted in the 20s in his draft year, while Wahlstrom appears to have a cemented a consensus top 7-10 ranking in this class.

I just fins he floats around too much.. he engages really well when there's an opportunity. I guess I like to see more energy. I prefer Farabee and he is ranked lower but I like the energy and fire he plays with,

 

[Dux917]

So what happened to him going to Harvard?

Were his grades not good enough?

Harvard is Harvard - but the ECAC is not as strong as Hockey East and Big Ten. May have mentioned it on another thread - but if it is Michigan, it really shows the unfair advantage Michigan has with the NTDP program being in it's backyard. Kids can visit the campus everyday, they soak in the Michigan experience, etc. History really shows them getting an almost unfair amount of NTDP players....

 

[IPreferPi]

I just fins he floats around too much.. he engages really well when there's an opportunity. I guess I like to see more energy. I prefer Farabee and he is ranked lower but I like the energy and fire he plays with,

I really like Farabee too and have had a historical preference for smaller offensively talented guys who are also three-zone fireplugs - but those guys also tend to physically wear out as time goes on (see Parise).

 

[57special]

So what happened to him going to Harvard?

Were his grades not good enough?

I would guess so. Harvard isn't a place that you can hide if you're academics are not up to snuff. Michigan is still a great school, but there is more wiggle room there academically.

 

[Dux917]

Confirmed - he's going to Boston College next year.

Neutral Zone‏ @_Neutral_Zone
5-star prospect is strong & balanced. Elite scorer w/ a powerful/accurate release. Reads the play & is strong on pucks. High hockey IQ & elusive stick skills. Projected 1st rd NHL pick. Former Maine/Harvard recruit

 

[Elias Pettersson]

Scouting reports labeled Boeser's defensive game as a work in progress as a prospect too, while noting he wasn't really a high-energy player in the offensive zone. There's a reason why he was drafted in the 20s in his draft year, while Wahlstrom appears to have a cemented a consensus top 7-10 ranking in this class.

The main thing that dropped Boeser to 20's wasn't his defensive game. It was his skating. Scouts felt that he won't score that much in the NHL due to being too slow. Unfortunately they didn't realise that Boeser's shot is good enough to mask his skating deficiencies. You don't need to be in the perfect position when you can beat the goalie from anywhere.

 

[hockeydraftcentral]

Although I have Wahlstrom ranked only eighth on my list, I could easily see him in the top five, based on his shot alone. As a tribute to that great shot, I put together a video of 23 goals he scored from the circles or long range. You can find it on YouTube or on his profile page at my site.

Oliver Wahlstrom career profile at HockeyDraftCentral.com

I honestly think this guy has the best shot I have ever seen in a draft prospect. Here's hoping it translates to the NHL.

If someone knows where Wahlstrom's going to college, let me know here so I can update his page. I hope the team that drafts him convinces him to do only one year of college and then go to the AHL or perhaps go straight to the QMJHL and then on to the NHL. But it's only from a hockey standpoint that I hope that. For his own personal growth, at least two years of college is probably the better option.

One of the better American NHL players from the past 20 years told me his greatest regret was going straight to major-junior and never getting the chance to experience college life. Despite all the money he had made in his career, he said the experience of life on a college campus was the one thing he will always wish he'd had.

 

[Estlin]

Although I have Wahlstrom ranked only eighth on my list, I could easily see him in the top five, based on his shot alone. As a tribute to that great shot, I put together a video of 23 goals he scored from the circles or long range. You can find it on YouTube or on his profile page at my site.

Oliver Wahlstrom career profile at HockeyDraftCentral.com

I honestly think this guy has the best shot I have ever seen in a draft prospect. Here's hoping it translates to the NHL.

If someone knows where Wahlstrom's going to college, let me know here so I can update his page. I hope the team that drafts him convinces him to do only one year of college and then go to the AHL or perhaps go straight to the QMJHL and then on to the NHL. But it's only from a hockey standpoint that I hope that. For his own personal growth, at least two years of college is probably the better option.

One of the better American NHL players from the past 20 years told me his greatest regret was going straight to major-junior and never getting the chance to experience college life. Despite all the money he had made in his career, he said the experience of life on a college campus was the one thing he will always wish he'd had.

Here's hoping that, regardless of which college Wahlstrom picks, he stays the full four years and signs as a free agent with Boston.

 

[thelittlecoon]

Oliver Wahlstrom career profile at HockeyDraftCentral.com

I honestly think this guy has the best shot I have ever seen in a draft prospect. Here's hoping it translates to the NHL.

Laine's was better in his draft year imo.

Cool website/video

 

[Whalers Fan]

Laine's was better in his draft year imo.

Cool website/video

Stamkos had a pretty wicked shot, too, when playing in the OHL.

 

[BKarchitect]

Ouch, so Harvard lost both Wilde and Wahlstrom in the last couple months for next season. Was always curious, both of them committed to Harvard so, so early...IIRC correctly, Wahlstrom committed to Maine actually first when he was like 13 or 14, then jumped to Harvard and now he's going to BC. Not that I blame him or anything, choosing something like college at that age, especially when your hockey career is just beginning, has got to be overwhelming. If Harvard University offers you a scholly, you don't turn that down. That said, excited to see him at BC this fall...really gives their incoming freshman class a huge boost.

 

[GoBoltz56]

Ouch, so Harvard lost both Wilde and Wahlstrom in the last couple months for next season. Was always curious, both of them committed to Harvard so, so early...IIRC correctly, Wahlstrom committed to Maine actually first when he was like 13 or 14, then jumped to Harvard and now he's going to BC. Not that I blame him or anything, choosing something like college at that age, especially when your hockey career is just beginning, has got to be overwhelming. If Harvard University offers you a scholly, you don't turn that down. That said, excited to see him at BC this fall...really gives their incoming freshman class a huge boost.

I think it has been brought up in this thread, but apparently Harvard does not give sports scholarships.

 

[BKarchitect]

Yeah you’re right - my bad. Still if Harvard is recruiting you, as a 15 or 16 year old kid, it’s hard to say no to that. They’ve gotten some great recruits lately like Donato, Fox, Badini, Walsh, Drury etc but when Wilde and Wahlstrom committed they were already the very cream of the US crop for their age group so it was a bit eyebrow raising and I think a lot of people at the time questioned whether those guys would actually end up in Cambridge. Just an observation. Be interesting to see if guys like Thrun and Warren end up there as currently committed.

 

[Blue Liner]

I think it has been brought up in this thread, but apparently Harvard does not give sports scholarships.

Ivy League schools do not give athletic scholarships, period. They do, however, have very liberal use of grant money for such things, though I can't speak to whether or not the frequency/quantity of funds equals what athletic scholarships would. But they do have money to give to athletes, it's just not in the form of athletic scholarships.

 

[kroypuck]

 

[93LEAFS]

Not a surprise. Wasn't able to get the grades/pre-requisites for Harvard having to accelerate a year which is what I was hearing back in January.

 

[AmericanDream]

good incoming group for BC now with A. Samuelsson, Giles, McBain, and Walsh...etc, etc...

 

[JK2K]

This may mean Walsh or Giles may have to wait a year. Only one senior leaving and too many forwards coming in.

 

[mouser]

I think it has been brought up in this thread, but apparently Harvard does not give sports scholarships.

Harvard doesn’t give athletic scholarships. They do give needs based scholarships to all students based on their parents ability to pay. Depending on how much Wahlstrom’s parents make it’s possible he could get a 100% or very high % partial scholarship to Harvard.

 

[Icebreakers]

Scouting reports labeled Boeser's defensive game as a work in progress as a prospect too, while noting he wasn't really a high-energy player in the offensive zone. There's a reason why he was drafted in the 20s in his draft year, while Wahlstrom appears to have a cemented a consensus top 7-10 ranking in this class.

Wahlstrom has been criticized for his compete level. Some people said he floats a lot.

 

[IPreferPi]

Wahlstrom has been criticized for his compete level. Some people said he floats a lot.

Compared to Farabee everyone else will look like they're floating or dogging it on the ice.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Wahlstrom has been criticized for his compete level. Some people said he floats a lot.

I don't think this vid is very flattering

 

[rt]

The game has obviously changed, but there is still room for opportunistic snipers ala Brett Hull. Golden Brett didn't move his feet either.

 

[AmericanDream]

I don't think this vid is very flattering

looks exactly like Laine and Ovi most of their regular season and even playoff games. Snipers are cerebral, more concerned with finding open ice when the team gets the puck over what to do without the puck...what they are able to do is the most important aspect of the game, scoring goals.