The Hurricanes drafted Goalie Callum Booth with their first pick in the fourth round, #93 overall. The Hurricanes may have gotten a steal here. He has nice size, 6'3" and 200 pounds, and he was the second ranked Goalie in North America by most scouting services. There were seven Goalies drafted ahead of him.
Booth played the last two season with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and posted a 23-12-5 record last season with a 3.05 Goals Against Average.
Ben Kerr of the website thelastwordonsports.com described Booth as being "a bit of a project as he is likely several years away from the NHL." Kerr described his attributes as "he gets out well to cut down angles and gives shooters very little to look at" and that he had "very good rebound control." Al Jensen of NHL Central Scouting said that "he has excellent positional play and net coverage and is strong in all areas."
Among the negatives for Booth is that Kerr does not believe that he will make acrobatic, athletic saves when he is caught out of position and Jensen believes that he can be beat to the high side in spite of his size. It will also be several years before this draft can be evaluated as well.
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Sebastian Aho, Second Round Pick
The Carolina Hurricanes selected Finnish Right Wing Sebastian Aho with their Second Round draft pick, #35 overall. I thought this pick was a little bit of a reach for Carolina. Most scouts doubt Aho's offensive upside and with higher ranked wingers Paul Bittner (taken 38th by the Columbus Blue Jackets) and Daniel Sprong (46th by the Pittsburgh Penguins) still on the board, I think the Hurricanes could probably have gotten Aho in a later round. The hockey draft experts had Aho ranked anywhere from the 28th overall prospect down to the 110th but most questioned whether his game could translate to the NHL and its bigger hockey rinks.
Aho played with Karpat and Asaat in Finland's Elite League Liiga last season where he scored four goals and had nine assists in 30 games as a 17 year old. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects see Aho as being "strong on his skates" with "excellent puck handling ability and finesse." Hockey writer Cole Hamilton on bsndenver.com believed that Aho would go anywhere from the second to the fifth rounds.
Aho is still under contract for one more season to Karpat and so he is a project for the future for the Hurricanes organization. It may be three or four seasons before this pick can be completely evaluated.
Aho played with Karpat and Asaat in Finland's Elite League Liiga last season where he scored four goals and had nine assists in 30 games as a 17 year old. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects see Aho as being "strong on his skates" with "excellent puck handling ability and finesse." Hockey writer Cole Hamilton on bsndenver.com believed that Aho would go anywhere from the second to the fifth rounds.
Aho is still under contract for one more season to Karpat and so he is a project for the future for the Hurricanes organization. It may be three or four seasons before this pick can be completely evaluated.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Carolina Hurricanes Select Hanifin
Although I wanted the Carolina Hurricanes to go with an offensive player with their first pick, the Hurricanes could not go wrong with Defenseman Noah Hanifin of Boston College. He was considered by many to be the third best overall prospect in a very deep draft and the top defensive prospect. My top pick for the Hurricanes, Lawson Clouse, fell all the way to the eleventh selection to the Florida Panthers.
I look for Hanifin to stay at Boston College for at least one more season and get more playing time under his belt and to get some international experience as well on the United States team at the World junior Championships. I would look for him to be in Carolina's system by the end of next season.
ESPN.com listed Noah Hanifin as one of the players to watch (not named McDavid or Eichel) in the 2015 season because of his size and his advance skill set. They labeled Hanifin as already possibly the best Defenseman in the Hurricanes system (I believe Justin Faulk would have something to say about that) and a really good selection for the Hurricanes.
I look for Hanifin to stay at Boston College for at least one more season and get more playing time under his belt and to get some international experience as well on the United States team at the World junior Championships. I would look for him to be in Carolina's system by the end of next season.
ESPN.com listed Noah Hanifin as one of the players to watch (not named McDavid or Eichel) in the 2015 season because of his size and his advance skill set. They labeled Hanifin as already possibly the best Defenseman in the Hurricanes system (I believe Justin Faulk would have something to say about that) and a really good selection for the Hurricanes.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Mock Draft
My mock NHL Draft
1. Connor McDavid C Edmonton Oilers
2. Jack Eichel C Buffalo Sabres
3. Dylan Strome C Arizona Coyotes
4. Mitch Marner RW Toronto Maple Leafs
5. Lawson Crouse LW Carolina Hurricanes
6. Pavel Zacha C New Jersey Devils
7. Noah Hanifin D Philadelphia Flyers
8. Zach Werenski D Columbus Blue Jackets
9. Kyle Connor C San Jose Sharks
10.Ivan Provorov D Colorado Avalanche
I would like to see more offense in the NHL so my mock draft was heavy on the offense. I do not believe there will be any more Paul Coffey type Defenseman racking up 100 point seasons any more and I would like to see the Hurricanes take Crouse if he's available, then Marner if Crouse is gone, and possibly Hanifin but I want the Hurricanes to think offense first.
Word in the Hockey world is that the Hurricanes might be willing to deal Skinner and Eric Staal and Cam Ward are in the final seasons of their contract. If anyone is dealt tonight I believe Skinner will be the most likely to go. His production has gone down since his Rookie season but he is still a very young player and put into the right system, he could easily regain his scoring touch.
1. Connor McDavid C Edmonton Oilers
2. Jack Eichel C Buffalo Sabres
3. Dylan Strome C Arizona Coyotes
4. Mitch Marner RW Toronto Maple Leafs
5. Lawson Crouse LW Carolina Hurricanes
6. Pavel Zacha C New Jersey Devils
7. Noah Hanifin D Philadelphia Flyers
8. Zach Werenski D Columbus Blue Jackets
9. Kyle Connor C San Jose Sharks
10.Ivan Provorov D Colorado Avalanche
I would like to see more offense in the NHL so my mock draft was heavy on the offense. I do not believe there will be any more Paul Coffey type Defenseman racking up 100 point seasons any more and I would like to see the Hurricanes take Crouse if he's available, then Marner if Crouse is gone, and possibly Hanifin but I want the Hurricanes to think offense first.
Word in the Hockey world is that the Hurricanes might be willing to deal Skinner and Eric Staal and Cam Ward are in the final seasons of their contract. If anyone is dealt tonight I believe Skinner will be the most likely to go. His production has gone down since his Rookie season but he is still a very young player and put into the right system, he could easily regain his scoring touch.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Draft Prospect Mitch Marner
Most of the Hockey World has Dylan Strome and Mitch Marner as interchangeable parts in the upcoming Hockey draft and many have him as the third best overall player behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. The X factor is Marner's playmaking ability. He has spent the last two seasons with the London Knight's of the Ontario Hockey league where he posted video game like numbers of 126 points in 63 games including a few five point games.
The biggest knock on Mitch Marner is his size. He only weighs in at 5-10 and 160 pounds. Dan Marr, the Chief Scout of NHL Central Scouting believes Marner "plays bigger than his size and is not afraid to get involved in traffic or battle for pucks." Marner is seen as being strong in all three zones and an underrated defensive player.
Marner's strength is his playmaking ability. Marr describes Marner as having a "high end skill set with puck handling and playmaking ability." Dominic Tiano of the OHL Writers believes that Marner has the "ability to step up his game." He went on to say that Marner "carried the Knights in the absence of Max Domi" when Domi went down during the season with an injury. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects believes that Marner "makes the players around him better."
The Toronto Maple Leafs own the number four pick in the draft ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes and Marner was born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill. It will be interesting to see of new Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock will take a chance on a local player of Marner's playmaking abilities or if he will go with Strome or Hanifin to build his foundation on. The Hurricanes could use someone of Marner's playmaking ability but he may not be around by pick number five.
The biggest knock on Mitch Marner is his size. He only weighs in at 5-10 and 160 pounds. Dan Marr, the Chief Scout of NHL Central Scouting believes Marner "plays bigger than his size and is not afraid to get involved in traffic or battle for pucks." Marner is seen as being strong in all three zones and an underrated defensive player.
Marner's strength is his playmaking ability. Marr describes Marner as having a "high end skill set with puck handling and playmaking ability." Dominic Tiano of the OHL Writers believes that Marner has the "ability to step up his game." He went on to say that Marner "carried the Knights in the absence of Max Domi" when Domi went down during the season with an injury. Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects believes that Marner "makes the players around him better."
The Toronto Maple Leafs own the number four pick in the draft ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes and Marner was born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Thornhill. It will be interesting to see of new Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock will take a chance on a local player of Marner's playmaking abilities or if he will go with Strome or Hanifin to build his foundation on. The Hurricanes could use someone of Marner's playmaking ability but he may not be around by pick number five.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Draft Prospect Noah Hanifin
The chances are that 6-3, 205 pound draft prospect Defenseman Noah Hanifin of Boston College will have already been taken by the time the Hurricanes step to the podium to announce their pick. He is the top rated Defenseman in the draft and he is widely seen as the overall number three prospect behind Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel. The Hurricanes could definitely use some help on Defense but they need help now. Hanifin, who recently turned 18, just completed his Freshman year at Boston College and at 17, was the youngest player to ever suit up for BC. He does have the option to return to college for another season or he could finish out his amateur career there.
In an interview with nhl.com Hanifin describes his game as being more "of an offensive defenseman; I like to rely on my skating a lot and rush the puck up the ice." He likes to model his game after Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings and Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks.
His Head Coach at Boston College Jerry York said in an interview with the Boston Herald that he really believed Hanifin's "offense is going to blossom, with his ability to walk the blue line and find open guys. I think his shot will get better." He is seen as a strong skater.
At 6-3 and 205 pounds, Hanifin is not seen as a bruising defender who is going to go out on the ice and lay the opposition to waste. In the same interview with the Boston Herald Colorado Avalanche amateur scout Neil Shea, who coached Hanifin at an early age and is credited by Hanifin with teaching him a lot of how to play defense, believes that Hanifin "defends by angling guys off the puck, using his stick and he's positionally very sound." Hanifin is seen as a player who will make the smart play on defense versus taking unnecessary risks in his own zone.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will be the first two players to go in the draft and Hanifin will more than likely go at number three or four but if he does fall to number five, the Hurricanes would not be taking a risk by drafting Hanifin. I do believe it would be a draft pick that would pay more dividends three or four years down the road much like Justin Faulk.
In an interview with nhl.com Hanifin describes his game as being more "of an offensive defenseman; I like to rely on my skating a lot and rush the puck up the ice." He likes to model his game after Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings and Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks.
His Head Coach at Boston College Jerry York said in an interview with the Boston Herald that he really believed Hanifin's "offense is going to blossom, with his ability to walk the blue line and find open guys. I think his shot will get better." He is seen as a strong skater.
At 6-3 and 205 pounds, Hanifin is not seen as a bruising defender who is going to go out on the ice and lay the opposition to waste. In the same interview with the Boston Herald Colorado Avalanche amateur scout Neil Shea, who coached Hanifin at an early age and is credited by Hanifin with teaching him a lot of how to play defense, believes that Hanifin "defends by angling guys off the puck, using his stick and he's positionally very sound." Hanifin is seen as a player who will make the smart play on defense versus taking unnecessary risks in his own zone.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will be the first two players to go in the draft and Hanifin will more than likely go at number three or four but if he does fall to number five, the Hurricanes would not be taking a risk by drafting Hanifin. I do believe it would be a draft pick that would pay more dividends three or four years down the road much like Justin Faulk.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Draft Prospect Lawson Crouse
Power forward Lawson Crouse is widely regarded as a top ten prospect in the 2015 NHL Draft. He is an impressive physical specimen at 6-4 and 212 pounds and 18 years old and plays with a physical edge and toughness that the Hurricanes lacked last season. He doesn't mind dropping the gloves when he feels it is necessary and the Hurricanes could also use some of that.
He spent the last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He didn't exactly set the league on fire with his scoring (51 points in 56 games) but neither did Kingston as a team. He played his way onto the Canada team for the World Junior Championships and helped them win the Gold Medal. He is considered an excellent penalty killer and would add to the Hurricanes penalty killing unit that was the fourth ranked in the league last season.
In an interview with Chip Alexander of the News and Observer, Hurricanes director of amateur scouting Tony MacDonald described Crouse as a "physical specimen and will get even bigger and stronger" and that he plays "a power game." Doug Gilmour, former Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and current General Manager of the Kingston Frontenacs said in an interview recently "He's a big body. He can skate, he's got a pro shot-his release is phenomenal." Sportsnet's Jonathan Willis compared him to Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins at this stage in their development.
Gilmour also credits Crouse with another skill that can't be measured on any stats sheet and that is the ability to be a leader. Gilmour said he is great in the clubhouse and "he is going to be a great leader." Crouse picked up the nickname "The Sheriff" from his teammates.
Several mock drafts have Crouse going with the seventh pick to the Philadelphia Flyers but the Hurricanes are taking a serious look at Crouse. The Hurricanes need players that are NHL ready and they need to improve on the 27th ranked offense. Crouse would provide the physical presence they need in front of the net and he is one of the few power forwards available in the draft. Crouse should be available with the fifth selection.
He spent the last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He didn't exactly set the league on fire with his scoring (51 points in 56 games) but neither did Kingston as a team. He played his way onto the Canada team for the World Junior Championships and helped them win the Gold Medal. He is considered an excellent penalty killer and would add to the Hurricanes penalty killing unit that was the fourth ranked in the league last season.
In an interview with Chip Alexander of the News and Observer, Hurricanes director of amateur scouting Tony MacDonald described Crouse as a "physical specimen and will get even bigger and stronger" and that he plays "a power game." Doug Gilmour, former Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and current General Manager of the Kingston Frontenacs said in an interview recently "He's a big body. He can skate, he's got a pro shot-his release is phenomenal." Sportsnet's Jonathan Willis compared him to Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins at this stage in their development.
Gilmour also credits Crouse with another skill that can't be measured on any stats sheet and that is the ability to be a leader. Gilmour said he is great in the clubhouse and "he is going to be a great leader." Crouse picked up the nickname "The Sheriff" from his teammates.
Several mock drafts have Crouse going with the seventh pick to the Philadelphia Flyers but the Hurricanes are taking a serious look at Crouse. The Hurricanes need players that are NHL ready and they need to improve on the 27th ranked offense. Crouse would provide the physical presence they need in front of the net and he is one of the few power forwards available in the draft. Crouse should be available with the fifth selection.
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Carolina Hurricanes Draft Prospects
The Carolina Hurricanes have the # five pick in the draft and they can go in any direction they would like to. Prospects at just about every position will be available. The Hurricanes need help on the wings, they need help and depth on defense, and they need to start developing depth at goaltender. These issues cannot be solved in one draft or even free agency so General Manager Ron Francis has his work cut out for him. At #5 the draft is wide open for him.
The Carolina Hurricanes top draft prospects are:
1. Lawson Crouse Left Wing Kingston OHL
2. Noah Hanifin Defenseman Boston College
3. Mitch Marner Right Wing London OHL
4. Mikko Rantanen Right Wing Finland
5. Pavel Zacha Center Sarnia OHL
6. Ivan Provorov Defenseman Brandon WHL
7. Dylan Strome Center Erie OHL
One or two of these players could be gone by the time the Hurricanes make their selection. They will still have quality players to choose from in what is thought to be one of the deepest drafts in years and some of this group may be able to step in and play right away.
The Carolina Hurricanes top draft prospects are:
1. Lawson Crouse Left Wing Kingston OHL
2. Noah Hanifin Defenseman Boston College
3. Mitch Marner Right Wing London OHL
4. Mikko Rantanen Right Wing Finland
5. Pavel Zacha Center Sarnia OHL
6. Ivan Provorov Defenseman Brandon WHL
7. Dylan Strome Center Erie OHL
One or two of these players could be gone by the time the Hurricanes make their selection. They will still have quality players to choose from in what is thought to be one of the deepest drafts in years and some of this group may be able to step in and play right away.
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
2015 NHL Draft
The Carolina Hurricanes needs are too many to be able to fix in one draft but their most glaring need is on offense. Free agency can help address some of those needs as the Hurricanes have $20 million in cap space. The Hurricanes were 27th in the NHL in scoring last season only averaging 2.2 goals per game. Their leading scorer Eric Staal only had 54 points in 77 games. Their second leading scorer was a Defenseman, Justin Faulk, who also led the team in Assists with 34.
The Carolina Hurricanes have the #5 draft pick. The Hurricanes need a player that is NHL ready like Jeff Skinner was in 2010. The Hurricanes need a forward with some size. The Hurricanes got pushed around by the more physical teams last year. I am not saying they need to turn into a reincarnation of the Broad Street Bullies, but someone who can go into the corners with bad intentions would help free up some of the offense.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will go one and two. That is a given. What happens after that is debatable. I think that Left Wing Lawson Crouse will be available when it comes time for the Hurricanes to pick. He is listed at 6-4 and 212 pounds and is seen as the best, if not only, power forward in the draft. He spent the last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He also played his way onto the Canadian World Cup Junior team where he had one goal and two assists in seven games.
The Hockey News has Lawson Crouse as the number eight prospect. The International Scouting Services has him at number four. Several of the mock drafts I have seen has Crouse going to the Philadelphia Flyers at number seven. He is on the Hurricanes radar. It depends on what happens before the Hurricanes get to pick will dictate who they select. Here is hoping the hockey gods are good to the Hurricanes for a change.
The Carolina Hurricanes have the #5 draft pick. The Hurricanes need a player that is NHL ready like Jeff Skinner was in 2010. The Hurricanes need a forward with some size. The Hurricanes got pushed around by the more physical teams last year. I am not saying they need to turn into a reincarnation of the Broad Street Bullies, but someone who can go into the corners with bad intentions would help free up some of the offense.
Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel will go one and two. That is a given. What happens after that is debatable. I think that Left Wing Lawson Crouse will be available when it comes time for the Hurricanes to pick. He is listed at 6-4 and 212 pounds and is seen as the best, if not only, power forward in the draft. He spent the last two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. He also played his way onto the Canadian World Cup Junior team where he had one goal and two assists in seven games.
The Hockey News has Lawson Crouse as the number eight prospect. The International Scouting Services has him at number four. Several of the mock drafts I have seen has Crouse going to the Philadelphia Flyers at number seven. He is on the Hurricanes radar. It depends on what happens before the Hurricanes get to pick will dictate who they select. Here is hoping the hockey gods are good to the Hurricanes for a change.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Tanking It
A good draft can make or break any professional sports team's next season. The higher the draft pick, the better your chances of getting that franchise player that can help you turn the corner or get you into the playoffs the next season. That player can put fans in the stands, jerseys sell, and put some excitement back into the faithful. This is true of just about all of the professional sports.
The idea of deliberately trying to lose or "tanking it" to ensure that high draft pick when it is obvious a team is not going to make the playoffs has been a big issue in just about all of the professional sports over the course of the past several seasons. From some fans perspective, if you are going to be bad you might as well be the worst so you can get that high draft pick. #2 draft pick Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans had the #1 selling NFL jersey in the month of May. From my perspective, I hate losing more than I love the high draft pick and if I am going to spend money on my team, I want to see them doing everything possible to win.
The NBA is the only professional sports league that has a lottery style system, although it is weighted, to determine the draft order of the teams that did not make the playoffs. In the NFL it became the "Jameis Winston Sweepstakes" and in the NBA there is not a clear cut #1 Draft Pick. In the NHL it is thought to be Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. The Edmonton Oilers have the #1 Draft pick this year. This is the fourth year in six seasons they have had the first draft pick. No one can intentionally stink that bad can they?
The Carolina Hurricanes have the #5 pick in this year's draft so they should be able to draft a player that can help immediately. They were able to do that in the past with Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner.
The idea of deliberately trying to lose or "tanking it" to ensure that high draft pick when it is obvious a team is not going to make the playoffs has been a big issue in just about all of the professional sports over the course of the past several seasons. From some fans perspective, if you are going to be bad you might as well be the worst so you can get that high draft pick. #2 draft pick Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans had the #1 selling NFL jersey in the month of May. From my perspective, I hate losing more than I love the high draft pick and if I am going to spend money on my team, I want to see them doing everything possible to win.
The NBA is the only professional sports league that has a lottery style system, although it is weighted, to determine the draft order of the teams that did not make the playoffs. In the NFL it became the "Jameis Winston Sweepstakes" and in the NBA there is not a clear cut #1 Draft Pick. In the NHL it is thought to be Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. The Edmonton Oilers have the #1 Draft pick this year. This is the fourth year in six seasons they have had the first draft pick. No one can intentionally stink that bad can they?
The Carolina Hurricanes have the #5 pick in this year's draft so they should be able to draft a player that can help immediately. They were able to do that in the past with Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner.
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