I have a feeling they will stay away from Stankoven. We haven't had much luck with tiny forwards so far. Maybe if he's at where we pick and he's the clear cut BPA on the lists at our table we take him but I have a feeling he isn't on their radar. They seem to have shifted their focus to big, quick forwards on the wings.
I don't disagree - Jets have been reluctant to draft smaller players ... but with the emergence of Cole Caufield (15th overall), Debrincat (2nd round), Braydin Point (3rd round), etc., there's a clear case that NHL teams shouldn't ignore the best *hockey* player in favour of a bigger body.
A couple more things about Logan Stankoven: He may be short (5'8) but not that *small*. He's listed at 170 lbs which is the same weight as Ehlers / Connor. He's got two more years to grow, so probably will end up being 5'10 - 190 lbs as his ultimate playing weight. This is more fire hydrant type build than *small*. He plays a fast, crafty game, but gets dirty too (can score like Gallagher). However, stylistically, with the puck on his stick, he's so much more dynamic than Gallagher. He's got deception, quick feet, great hands and that unbelievable release. He's scouted as a VERY good skater with excellent agility and top end acceleration.
Shoots RIGHT!
If Stankoven was 2-3 inches taller he'd no doubt be a top 10 pick. His stats are INSANE at every level his entire life:
* Keep in mind he's always the smallest kid on his team
- As a 14 year old playing CSSHL (highest league you can play): 30 games played - 57 Goals (1st place in western canada) ahead of Dylan Guenther and Cole Sillinger
* Went on to be drafted 5th overall in WHL bantam draft despite being amongst smallest players available.
- As a 15 year old playing U18 AAA Hockey in only 38 games- 49 G, 52A - 101 pts ... he led the entire BC AAA hockey circuit by 40 pts! The 2nd highest point producer had 61 pts and WAS TWO YEARS OLDER
* This broke Tyson Jost's record for most goals in BC AAA hockey and tied Matthew Barzal's record for most pts in BC AAA history as a 15 year old!
- As a 16 year old (draft -2 years), in 59 games, scores 29 G, 48 pts in the WHL against players as much as 4 years older than him
- As a 17 year old (turned 18 in Feb 26th) - in only 6 WHL games played, 7 goals, 10 pts - he was the ONLY WHL player to average more than 1 goal per game played (small sample size), was 4th in league pts/game (1.67) despite being up to 2 years younger than guys like Peyton Krebs
- U18 Team Canada - 7 games - 4G 4A - once again more points than Dylan Guenther
These rates of scoring are sometimes seen in the QMJHL or OHL but extremely rare in the lower scoring WHL. His stats are simply incredible. If available, the Jets should absolutely take him because on talent alone, he's a top 10 player. Given the right opportunity and linemates, he can be electric in the NHL. As a bonus, we get a dynamic, entertaining player that has the ability to bring us out of our seats. After all, hockey is supposed to be entertainment.
This kid was on pace to score 60-70 goals this year had the WHL played a full season. It's insanity to pass on him because of his 5'8 stature.
In summary, he scores at an elite rate like Cole Perfetti, except Stankoven's skating is rated as 'Elite'. Again, he's the total package except for his size.
Logan Stankoven should be our pick!
I will die on this hill, haha.
This is a decent summary of his skill set when we was drafted by Kamloops in the WHL:
