BertCorbeau
F*ck cancer - RIP Fugu and Buffaloed
Per NHL Draft Blackbook, courtesy of Maple Leaf Hotstove:
*He’s certainly a physical presence, especially on the forecheck. His forechecking is a strength – he anticipates defensive zone passes well and employs good stick positioning while applying pressure.
*He can play calmly or chaotically at his discretion.
*The overall skating package is going to grade up higher for us now because it seems so obviously projectable. He actually has greater length to his stride than meets the eye; it’s just that the power isn’t fully fleshed out yet.
*Maybe most frustrating of all is his overall lack of puck poise. For a player that has been a reasonably productive WHL player, he sure doesn’t touch the puck that much during a game. When he has it, it’s not for long.
I like that he's young, has a body that will fill out and get stronger, offers high hockey IQ, has 73 points in 87 WHL games and 16 points in 17 playoff games, and did it during covid (as did everyone else). Being one of the younger players in the draft, while not being one of the best talents, and still progressing well speaks to a maturity that impresses. I'll be interested to see how Kamloops uses him next year and if he can continue to improve his impacts for team success. A Cirelli type end result would be marvelous.
I like this report. I can see why Dubas would be bullish on him but at the same time why he’d be a reach.