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Prospect Info: Thomas Harley (2019, 18th Overall)

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Kcb12345 said:
I think we'd see a lot more complaining if Newhook or Krebs was still on the board...Harley truly was the next best option though imo
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Exactly, I don't understand the complaining. You could argue for 1 or 2 other players, but this was not a stretch by any means.
 
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Troy McClure said:
That’s a very unexpected guy to point to.
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I honestly think I remember other scouts mention the same thing about him. Dallas would be fortunate if he could have a similar path as Chabot ... at least with how it is going so far.

I just noticed that Chabot was the 18th overall pick too (Thought it was interesting coincidence ... not anything to do with the comparison).
 
MrHeiskanen said:
Since we picked another OHL guy we can get Brocks insights.

OHL Prospects: My Final Top 50 OHL Players for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft - Part 4: 10-1

3. Thomas Harley - Defense - Mississauga Steelheads
Without question, Harley is one of the most athletic defenders available for the NHL Draft this year. His skating ability is top notch and he has to be considered one of the best skaters in the OHL. Harley is such an asset in transition because of how quickly he is able to start the breakout. Can grab a loose puck in his own end and be across the opposing blueline in a matter of seconds. And because of his size, he is so difficult to separate from the puck as he is cutting through the neutral zone. Once he gets that head of steam going, he is almost a sure bet to gain access to the offensive zone. Harley is also very aggressive in his rushes. Few defenders in the OHL ended up with as many partial breaks as Harley this year, after spitting defenses on end to end rushes. Harley is also a good powerplay QB, who can use his length to hold the line and his skating ability to open up passing lanes. His shot is still developing and is not yet a consistent weapon, but it could be one day as he adds strength and becomes more aggressive in attacking those lanes that he opens up with his mobility. Harley's vision is also excellent. He is just as efficient making a breakout pass as he is skating the puck out and that makes him such a dangerous offensive weapon. Defensively, there are some warts though. Harley really needs to become more assertive physically. He will allow attackers into the offensive zone too easily and leaves too large of gaps, hoping to use only his length to keep them at bay. At 6'3, he should not be losing as many battles along the boards as he does currently, and again that's from a lack of intensity. But with his size and mobility, once he adds some strength, there's a good chance that this could improve. Harley is a mid August birthday, meaning he's one of the younger players available. Like Tomasino, I thought Harley had a good U18's, actually showing more intensity defensively than he did at times during the OHL season. With his size, skating ability, and offensive prowess, Harley will be a hot commodity in June.
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And a whole bunch of other quotes from my media/scout poll, which had Harley 2nd in the OHL.

OHL Prospects: Final Media/Scout Poll for the 2019 NHL Draft
 
1. I love this pick. Betting on skill is a good thing.

2. There’s a ton of smart people who know way more than us about prospects that think this pick is a steal.

3. Credit where credit is due- this is par for the course for the past couple years, I wanna say since the 2nd round of 16. Nill and co. have consistently brought in serviceable players. Not many home runs, but it’s been consistently good for a number of years. The farm feels stocked now.
 
Zrhutch said:
1. I love this pick. Betting on skill is a good thing.

2. There’s a ton of smart people who know way more than us about prospects that think this pick is a steal.

3. Credit where credit is due- this is par for the course for the past couple years, I wanna say since the 2nd round of 16. Nill and co. have consistently brought in serviceable players. Not many home runs, but it’s been consistently good for a number of years. The farm feels stocked now.
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Genuinely interested who and where?

as to #3.. ummmm what? in the 21picks from 2016 to 2018, only 7 have NHL potential 2 of which are goalies, 1 is an over-age that was re-drafted (excluded Heiskanen for Obvious reason)
of the 23 picks from 2013 through 2015, 8 have NHL potential 7 of which have already played in the NHL (Cecconi being the 8th)

The only thing that makes the recent years look better is Heiskanen. Otherwise it's par for the course.
The only difference is right now the dust has settled on the early picks and the players we all thought we're going to be good (like Nichushkin and Honka) have settled into bust territory.
While shiny new toys like Damiani and Robertson haven't had a chance to crash and burn yet
 
I came away very impressed with the two viewings I had of him this year.

He wasn’t perfect defensively, but he was just 17 years old playing top pair minutes.

Great pick with who was available.
 
After reviewing all the scout reports on Harly, I guess I'm okay with the pick. Tempered somewhat by the approximate 50% success rate of any 18th pick.

Has speed and skill, plus some defensive flaws. I hope he isn't Honka V2! As with Guri and Hintz, Nill seems to pick for physical skills, regardless of actual production. He will have to be developed, for sure.

Scouts ranked him all over the place, but mostly positive. One ranking had him at 60, but most were right around 18, so no reach.
 
M88K said:
Time will bare that out
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The thing is if he ends up being a 5th/6th D man it'll be considered a good pick by Dallas' standards. Now to improve his odds we need to send him oversees for development and keep him away from Texas until he's NHL ready.
 
That's a weird thing to say. Once they get to Texas, the AHL staff has been good at getting players ready. The problem has been draft picks getting signed or even making it to the AHL.
 
M88K said:
I guess we'll find out in 3-4yrs, but our definition of great picks couldn't be further apart.

Heiskanen was a great pick. This is an ok pick
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Well Heiskanen was 3rd overall and was pretty hard to mess that up. I get what your saying about Harley, but honestly he sounds promising.

I really like the part where they gave him the chance of being the top Dman and he able to seize the opportunity at a young age. He does need some work in his own end, even he admits it, but almost all jr Dmen need help with some area of defending.

I actually liked our draft
 
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BigG44 said:
That's a weird thing to say. Once they get to Texas, the AHL staff has been good at getting players ready. The problem has been draft picks getting signed or even making it to the AHL.
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We don't have a good record of developing defensemen under our tutelage (ex. Honka, Oleiskiak, etc). Meanwhile those who have had little (1 year or less) to no exposure at Cedar seem to do quite well (ex. Klinger, Heiskenan, Lindell). It's not like this is just some recent trend. It's been that way since as long as I can remember.
 
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