Prospect Info: SJ Sharks 2020 draftee (2/38) Thomas Bordeleau (C) - US-NTDP

[Doctor Soraluce]

Realistically Bordeleau could push Couture to wing in few years if he becomes NHL 2-way center.
Until then I would love to see him more of a young 3C, or 2LW/RW and playing PP and some PK.

Possibly. I hope he's that good but the scouting on him right now isn't as optimistic.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

I don’t see Bordeleau being a C at the next level. In the admittedly very limited amount games I watched, he was more of a winger that took face offs with Estapa having more of the traditional center responsibilities. I think if you have Bordeleau at C you need to have another C on that line.

Will or Wilson said he was their go to face-off guy on either side this season and made great strides from last season as far as his all around play. If he can come in next season and somehow lock down the 3C spot that would be a huge win for the Sharks with their roster construction.

 

[OrrNumber4]

According to the scouts Sheng talked to they see him as a sort of Danault, 3C player at best. Hope he turns out to be more but it sounds like they intend to keep him at center so he likely slots in at 3C when he makes the Sharks unless they move Couture sometime in the next couple years.

His draft+2 numbers weren't that great. Just going off numbers, that has to lower the outlook a little bit.

 

[TheBeard]

A 3C is harder to find than a 2W

 

[OrrNumber4]

A 3C is harder to find than a 2W

It all depends. There was a time when the Sharks were churning out centers left and right. Really, from 1992 to October 2019 the Sharks always had terrific center depth. I mean, Timo Meier might be the best winger the Sharks ever drafted (outside of Ray Whitney who was drafted in draft #1). Who's after him, Jeff Friesen? Cheechoo? Clowe?

 

[gaucholoco3]

It all depends. There was a time when the Sharks were churning out centers left and right. Really, from 1992 to October 2019 the Sharks always had terrific center depth. I mean, Timo Meier might be the best winger the Sharks ever drafted (outside of Ray Whitney who was drafted in draft #1). Who's after him, Jeff Friesen? Cheechoo? Clowe?

How much did Marleau play C? A lot of guys are drafted as C's and move to wing.

 

[gaucholoco3]

Positions matter a lot less than how they play. F1, F2, F3 is a lot more important than position especially considering in the NHL the first guy back covers down low regardless of if they are a wing or not. I think the sharks have had a horrible time drafting F2 players and haven't had many good ones since Jumbo, but the new drafting strategy has focused more on the F2 type players with Bords and Eklund. If those guys play wing or C they are still going to be the F2 on their line with how they carry and distribute the puck.

 

[TheBeard]

It all depends. There was a time when the Sharks were churning out centers left and right. Really, from 1992 to October 2019 the Sharks always had terrific center depth. I mean, Timo Meier might be the best winger the Sharks ever drafted (outside of Ray Whitney who was drafted in draft #1). Who's after him, Jeff Friesen? Cheechoo? Clowe?

A center who ideally fits the placement instantly improves that line. A true 3C has a different assignment than a 1C but if that person fits the criteria then their job should be to make their line mates better. That’s why Logan is disappointing to me. I know he doesn’t have much to work with on the second line but he doesn’t exactly help in elevating them.

It’s pretty crazy how few wingers we’ve drafted that excelled in the nhl, yet we seemed to have hit a ton at Center.

 

[NWSharkie]

A center who ideally fits the placement instantly improves that line. A true 3C has a different assignment than a 1C but if that person fits the criteria then their job should be to make their line mates better. That’s why Logan is disappointing to me. I know he doesn’t have much to work with on the second line but he doesn’t exactly help in elevating them.

It’s pretty crazy how few wingers we’ve drafted that excelled in the nhl, yet we seemed to have hit a ton at Center.

Didn't the organization basically just draft centers and defensemen for like a decade? I feel like everybody they picked for a while was a center at whatever level they'd previously played. That could just be because the wingers didn't become impact players, but it also fits with the Tim Burke style of "draft for hockey IQ and/or size" that was the M.O. for quite a while.

 

[TheBeard]

Didn't the organization basically just draft centers and defensemen for like a decade? I feel like everybody they picked for a while was a center at whatever level they'd previously played. That could just be because the wingers didn't become impact players, but it also fits with the Tim Burke style of "draft for hockey IQ and/or size" that was the M.O. for quite a while.

I mean it worked a lot of the time except the first it seems.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

It all depends. There was a time when the Sharks were churning out centers left and right. Really, from 1992 to October 2019 the Sharks always had terrific center depth. I mean, Timo Meier might be the best winger the Sharks ever drafted (outside of Ray Whitney who was drafted in draft #1). Who's after him, Jeff Friesen? Cheechoo? Clowe?

Friesen was drafted as a center but his hands were too awful to play the position. Whitney was also drafted as a center. He was Falloons center in junior.

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

How much did Marleau play C? A lot of guys are drafted as C's and move to wing.

Patty played mostly at center while he was a Shark but had his biggest point totals playing on Jumbos wing (Im fairly certain). Wasn't until Couture or maybe Pavs came up I think that they moved him more to wing with Jumbo. Then he moved to 3C for a while in the 15-16 season.

 

[OrrNumber4]

Friesen was drafted as a center but his hands were too awful to play the position. Whitney was also drafted as a center. He was Falloons center in junior.

Hmm, I'm sure Friesen was a winger...Whitney very well may have been a center!

 

[hohosaregood]

Positions matter a lot less than how they play. F1, F2, F3 is a lot more important than position especially considering in the NHL the first guy back covers down low regardless of if they are a wing or not. I think the sharks have had a horrible time drafting F2 players and haven't had many good ones since Jumbo, but the new drafting strategy has focused more on the F2 type players with Bords and Eklund. If those guys play wing or C they are still going to be the F2 on their line with how they carry and distribute the puck.

Hard agree. We haven't had good distributors up front for years. At most, it's only been Thornton and Donskoi in the last 7 years. I put some of the blame on Deboer as it's a type of player that doesn't fit into his scheme that well and he seems to actively diminish their role on all the teams that he's been on. But you'd think the FO would recognize this regardless...

 

[Doctor Soraluce]

Hmm, I'm sure Friesen was a winger...Whitney very well may have been a center!

Pretty sure Freisen never played center in the NHL other than a little bit sporadically in his first few seasons. The team was so light in centers that they tried everyone. Nolan played center a couple games back then too. but I could have sworn Freisen played center in Junior. I have a vague memory about a discussion about him playing center but it could have been something temporary. I will concede I could be misremembering him. Whitney I know for a fact was Falloons center in junior though. Remenda used to mention it whenever he came up on Sharks broadcasts.

 

[Mattb124]

Making his NHL debut today versus MIN.