1 00:00:03,799 --> 00:00:13,439 Welcome to Fantasy Hockey Life, presented by fan Tracks, your source of information 2 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:17,120 and analysis to help you win your fantasy hockey league. Fuck off, that's 3 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:22,239 a step on, stay lot, fod gosh. Here's your hosts, Jesse 4 00:00:22,359 --> 00:00:29,239 Sevier and Victor Nuno Fantasy Hockey Live that once again talking nothing but fantasy hockey. 5 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,799 I am Jesse, severa fan tracks and joining me as always as wonderfully 6 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,320 as he always does. It is Victor Nuno. Victor, how you do. 7 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,799 I'm wonderful. I think I could be no other way after that introduction, 8 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,880 how are you? I'm great, man, I'm great. We're ready 9 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,439 to talk fantasy hockey. We are. Yeah, we're all over it right 10 00:00:49,439 --> 00:00:52,439 now. We're deep in the mud. Deep in it's not mud, it's 11 00:00:52,439 --> 00:00:56,840 happy times. It's still times to be prepping for fantasy hockey and that we 12 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,159 love it as much as anything, especially Victor. When you score a big 13 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,200 guest like you did today, I gotta say, man, this is I 14 00:01:03,439 --> 00:01:07,079 don't want to build him up too much because who knows, maybe he's even 15 00:01:07,079 --> 00:01:10,439 listening to this part, but Scott Wheelers on the show today, this is 16 00:01:10,519 --> 00:01:15,719 freaking awesome. Yeah, man, I'm so excited. I think people probably 17 00:01:15,799 --> 00:01:19,159 know that I really like his takes and his opinions. In some ways, 18 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:23,400 this may be a bit of confirmation bias for me, because of all the 19 00:01:23,439 --> 00:01:26,439 public scouts that I read and listen to, it definitely seem to agree with 20 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,079 him the most. So maybe that's why I'm even more excited to have him 21 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:34,079 on. But I do think that it's not all about agreement. I think 22 00:01:34,079 --> 00:01:38,599 he has really smart insights, and he watches and goes to a ton of 23 00:01:38,879 --> 00:01:42,599 hockey, so it's definitely someone who's in the working a lot and then in 24 00:01:42,719 --> 00:01:48,239 the deep of it. So it's great to digest his information and we're happy 25 00:01:48,319 --> 00:01:51,959 to have him on and hear his takes here. It's gonna be a lot 26 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:53,680 for people to digest. It's going to be things that they can enjoy. 27 00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:59,920 And afterwards, Victor, we're gonna have We're gonna have continual after party conversation 28 00:02:00,079 --> 00:02:02,879 and it's a twenty four seventh sixty five business that we do over at our 29 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,840 discord. It's free to come into our discord and participate in the chatting that's 30 00:02:07,879 --> 00:02:12,039 going on there. All people have to do is hit us up at fan 31 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:16,319 Hockey Life on X. For me at Victor Newno. Twelve for Victor on 32 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:23,039 x and also email us Fantasy Hockey Life at gmail dot com. Victor, 33 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:27,000 I would say that I would say that there are also other things that people 34 00:02:27,039 --> 00:02:29,560 could do if they want to participate further in the types of things we have 35 00:02:29,599 --> 00:02:31,840 going on here. What are they tell people what we have going on out 36 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:37,159 there? Yeah, we got a lot of great stuff with the Patreon that's 37 00:02:37,159 --> 00:02:38,439 a good thing that you can get involved with if you like to show if 38 00:02:38,479 --> 00:02:42,000 you want to support it even a little bit, just by job, buy 39 00:02:42,039 --> 00:02:46,199 us a cup of coffee for all the work we're doing. That would be 40 00:02:46,199 --> 00:02:47,919 great. You also get a bunch of perks like patron casts. You get 41 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:51,719 access to the show notes. Depending on what tier you get, you can 42 00:02:51,759 --> 00:02:54,080 also have access to the prospect ranking sheet. Part of that is we're doing 43 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:59,080 an average draft position projects, so you can participate in sharing your drafts with 44 00:02:59,199 --> 00:03:01,680 us and we'll call it them put them together. You can also access that 45 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:07,120 on our website Fantasy Hockeylife dot com and you can have access to that that's 46 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,280 only for patrons. Oh, if you want to look at the ADP. 47 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:15,240 And there's also some other cool stuff there like the tier dynasty and we are 48 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,159 officially full. We have ninety six spots full. So if you want to 49 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:22,520 get on the waiting list, sometimes people drop or whatever, you can be 50 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:24,960 first in line to take over a team or depending on what kind of expansion 51 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:29,199 we decide on for next year, then you can get in there. So 52 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:34,439 lots of great stuff, yes, sir, definitely Patreon dot com slash where 53 00:03:34,439 --> 00:03:38,360 do you say, Victor Fantasy Hockeylife patre dot com slash Fantasy Hockey Life, 54 00:03:38,599 --> 00:03:43,639 Yes, sir, all right, and so let's take a break right now. 55 00:03:43,719 --> 00:03:46,439 We're gonna come back, and what we do, it'll be Scott Wheeler 56 00:03:46,479 --> 00:04:00,120 with us. We are very pleased to be joined today by Scott Wheeler of 57 00:04:00,159 --> 00:04:03,919 the Athletic, one of the main prospects guy over there for hockey prospects. 58 00:04:03,919 --> 00:04:09,120 Scott, how you doing today? I'm not doing well. Just winding down 59 00:04:09,159 --> 00:04:12,759 from the World Junior Summer Showcase in the Holy Koogretzky Cup, which were the 60 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:17,160 most recent events on my calendar, and preparing for the Buffalo Prospect Tournament, 61 00:04:17,199 --> 00:04:21,160 which is a couple of weeks away, surprisingly, and then we'll be right 62 00:04:21,199 --> 00:04:25,360 into a sort of the season and the World Juniors and all of that, 63 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,360 but that's where my aim, that's where my head's at these days. We're 64 00:04:29,399 --> 00:04:31,519 going on a whirlwind today, Scott, because you're not You're thinking about these 65 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,680 guys who were coming up for future drafts. But we want to get your 66 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:39,839 takes on the twenty three's and on some of the guys even from prior years, 67 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:43,000 because a lot of folks have a lot of questions and would love to 68 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,720 get your takes on this draft. We're gonna start out today with some of 69 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:49,160 the guys from the twenty twenty three some of the guys who were picked a 70 00:04:49,199 --> 00:04:54,879 little bit later on in some potential draft gems, and get your takes on 71 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:59,120 those. And let's start, Scott with Andrew Crystal of the Colonna Rockets. 72 00:04:59,199 --> 00:05:01,519 He was picked by the watched the Capital's number forty overall. Victor liked in 73 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:05,639 number twelve from a fantasy perspective out of this draft, and certainly a guy 74 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:10,920 who slipped a little bit below where I might have expected. But what's your 75 00:05:10,959 --> 00:05:15,920 take on Andrew Cristal as a prospect? Yeah, Christall is an interesting one. 76 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:19,360 Was one of the most polarizing players in last year's draft class. Is 77 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:25,399 a player who had some believers, myself included. I've spoken at length with 78 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,600 people around him, his agent, that people he skates with in the offseason, 79 00:05:29,879 --> 00:05:31,680 the staff with the Cologna Rockets, just to try to have mind through 80 00:05:32,079 --> 00:05:36,399 what's true and what isn't in terms of some of the faults in his game. 81 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:40,839 The big thing that had a lot of teams hung up was you've got 82 00:05:40,879 --> 00:05:44,639 a small winger whose skating has been in the past a major issue, and 83 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,000 now he believes that after a summer of hard work this summer with barbiadelbaumb that 84 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:51,439 it's going to be much improved and that he's going to shock some people this 85 00:05:51,519 --> 00:05:56,439 fall when they see what his skating looks like in his return to the WHL. 86 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:59,720 But it was a barrier for a lot of teams, and teams just 87 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:01,879 prepared. Most teams just weren't prepared to take him in the first round. 88 00:06:01,879 --> 00:06:05,279 As a result, the skating is going to determine I think what he becomes 89 00:06:05,319 --> 00:06:10,120 at the next level. The talent, the skill level, obviously, the 90 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:15,240 statistical profile in terms of his production that all gets very high marks. Andrew 91 00:06:15,319 --> 00:06:18,920 did things last year that are typical of top ten selections in terms of his 92 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:24,279 point per game pace, relative to his teammates, his sort of primary production 93 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,360 in the WHL. All of that so, a very impressive statistical track record, 94 00:06:28,879 --> 00:06:31,399 a very impressive game on the power play and inside the offensive zone. 95 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,480 It's the other areas that NHL teams were maybe a little bit concerned about. 96 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,800 But I think he's got a real chance to lead the WHL in scoring this 97 00:06:39,879 --> 00:06:43,720 year now that Connor mddard will obviously not be returning to the league, and 98 00:06:43,879 --> 00:06:47,439 from there he should have an opportunity to become an NHL player a lot like 99 00:06:47,879 --> 00:06:53,199 Jordan Dumay of the Columbus Bluejackets has now positioned himself to have. Jordan was 100 00:06:53,199 --> 00:06:56,879 another kid, sort of small winger who wasn't a great skater, who fell 101 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,439 in the draft, then led the QMJHL in scoring last ye, got an 102 00:07:00,519 --> 00:07:02,839 entry level contract with the Blue Jackets, and now his position himself well to 103 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:08,120 become a productive NHL player someday. So I think Christall has to look at 104 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:13,160 Jordan Dooman and use that as his sort of path, if you will. 105 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,839 Yeah, for sure, And Kristall going definitely top twenty in fantasy drafts, 106 00:07:16,879 --> 00:07:21,959 so he's definitely someone that we're all aware of from that perspective, that's great 107 00:07:21,959 --> 00:07:27,279 insight on him. Let's talk about the next guy you highlighted, and that's 108 00:07:27,319 --> 00:07:33,439 Etienne Moran and he was a forty eighth overall pick by Calgary. I had 109 00:07:33,519 --> 00:07:39,360 him twenty first on my list for fantasy perspectives and he was with Monkedin last 110 00:07:39,439 --> 00:07:42,920 year seventy two points and sixty seven games, so well over a point per 111 00:07:42,959 --> 00:07:46,920 game for a defenseman his draft year. Pretty nice. So what can you 112 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:49,800 tell us about him? Yeah, Moraine is an interesting one. He has 113 00:07:49,839 --> 00:07:54,360 emerged out of the qum JHL as the premium player at his position. It 114 00:07:54,439 --> 00:07:57,720 wasn't a great draft class out of the km JHL last year, so the 115 00:07:57,759 --> 00:08:01,720 guys who did rise to the crop got some tension and some buzz. He 116 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,639 was absolutely tremendous for Monkedin in their playoff run, really emerged as a dominant 117 00:08:05,639 --> 00:08:09,879 defenseman at that level in their playoff run, both at both ends of the 118 00:08:09,959 --> 00:08:13,639 rink. Frankly, he then was just okay. He arrived late out of 119 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:18,480 that playoff run to join Hockey Canada for the UA Team Worlds in Switzerland and 120 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,759 was just okay there. And I think that as a result of HEMNY scouts 121 00:08:22,759 --> 00:08:24,800 cover that tournament and how many eyeballs were on him just led to him being 122 00:08:24,879 --> 00:08:28,600 more of a second round pick than a late first round pick in terms of 123 00:08:28,639 --> 00:08:33,360 the NHL's purposes. But from a fantasy perspective, certainly a player who has 124 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:37,240 been extremely productive across levels, a player who runs the power play well and 125 00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:41,039 will probably if he makes it to the NHL, be a power play guy 126 00:08:41,039 --> 00:08:43,840 in the NHL. I think he's more likely to be a kind of PP 127 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,679 two guy than a PP one guy, if you will. He doesn't have 128 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:52,919 that true sort of star quality offensively, but a very talented defenseman who has 129 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:56,600 the size piece, has the skating component. I think he could get a 130 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:58,639 little bit quicker, but it's not an issue for him. Has a lot 131 00:08:58,639 --> 00:09:03,120 of the tules that you'd expect out of a sort of second pairing defenseman in 132 00:09:03,159 --> 00:09:05,240 the NHL. So I think that's what he's reaching and striving for over the 133 00:09:05,279 --> 00:09:09,159 next few years, is to become a second pairing guy at even strength and 134 00:09:09,519 --> 00:09:16,159 maybe a power play two guy. Another guy who's dealta between where he was 135 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:20,960 drafted in where he's perceived in fantasy value. Riley height taken by the Minnesota 136 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:26,120 while the number sixty four overall from the Prince George Cougars. He's a forward. 137 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:31,240 Victor had him number thirteen. But what is your take on Riley Hights 138 00:09:31,279 --> 00:09:35,759 game and how he will translate to the NHL. Yeah, Height's an interesting 139 00:09:35,799 --> 00:09:37,399 one. He's a player who's been on the radar for a long time. 140 00:09:37,519 --> 00:09:43,600 Was a star or borderline superstar level player in minor hockey, was a top 141 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:48,679 pick into the WHL draft. Has been extremely productive in the WHL, especially 142 00:09:48,759 --> 00:09:52,159 stewing more towards assists than goals. He's a sort of natural playmaker and passer. 143 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,960 I do think he's got more to offer in terms of getting to the 144 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:58,679 middle of the ice and shooting and scoring more. I think you're going to 145 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,279 see that next season from him with Prince George, as he takes command of 146 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:05,519 that team and becomes the guy there. But he's a very talented player. 147 00:10:05,799 --> 00:10:09,840 Not the biggest kid, not the strongest kid, not the fastest kid. 148 00:10:09,919 --> 00:10:13,159 And I think that's the sort of reason that he lingered and wasn't a first 149 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,559 round pick. But plays hard. He's physical. If you play in a 150 00:10:16,639 --> 00:10:20,559 league that counts things like hits, he's engaged that way. They'll finish all 151 00:10:20,559 --> 00:10:22,679 of this checksis can be actually a bit of a pest at times when he's 152 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,799 feeling comfortable. Never going to be Tom Wilson or Brad Marshaan type in terms 153 00:10:28,799 --> 00:10:33,240 of really stirring it up, but an engaged player all over the ice who 154 00:10:33,279 --> 00:10:37,480 has plenty of skill and playmaking touch and feel for the game offensively, and 155 00:10:37,919 --> 00:10:39,559 another player who will be a power play guy if he makes it to the 156 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,000 NHL. And all of these kids were talking about kids who aren't the locks. 157 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:46,360 If you're talking about quote unquote gems or late round steals, these are 158 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,159 kids who have some work to do and pieces of the puzzle to put together. 159 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:54,639 And Riley's no different that way. But I like him to give it 160 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:58,200 a real go and to make it hard on the Minnesota Wild and to get 161 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:01,799 an entry level contract and of that that gives that should give him an opportunity. 162 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:05,720 He's got enough talent and sence on the ice offensively to make it work 163 00:11:05,799 --> 00:11:13,200 and put it all together. Yeah, another potential late gem Grayson Sauchen ticking 164 00:11:13,399 --> 00:11:16,600 sixty third overall by Florida. I know I was at the draft and we 165 00:11:16,639 --> 00:11:20,799 were a lot of us were wondering, like the wind is satching gonna get 166 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,879 taken. He was falling pretty late and he did really well point per game 167 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,919 for Seattle, playing a little bit down the lineup on that really stacked team. 168 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,639 What is your take on him and what he can be in the NHL. 169 00:11:31,879 --> 00:11:35,559 Yeah, Grayson's an extremely talented player with the puck on his stick, 170 00:11:35,639 --> 00:11:41,080 has some of the quickest hands from last year's draft. They will really grab 171 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,759 you with his ability to stick handle in traffics, the candles in that cliche 172 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:48,080 of stick handling in a phone booth. That's his bread and butter. He's 173 00:11:48,279 --> 00:11:52,200 quick twitch in terms of putting pucks through feet, putting pucks around sticks, 174 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:56,159 the sort of curl and drag shot that he uses. All of that. 175 00:11:56,679 --> 00:12:00,320 I expect him to pop in the WHL this year in a more prominent role 176 00:12:00,399 --> 00:12:03,679 now that now that they're moving into a different chapter in Seattle and they're moving 177 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:07,240 out of that sort of Memorial Cup contention window, I expect him to take 178 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:11,440 on a big role there to be a top sort of extremely productive player. 179 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,639 He's a kid who went to the national development route originally with USA Hockey, 180 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,399 and then made the decision to leave and to go play in the WHL. 181 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:24,840 In his draft year. There's something there. He's another player who's very engaged. 182 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:26,919 He gets after it, He'll get in on a pucks, he'll for 183 00:12:28,159 --> 00:12:31,759 check. That's the reason he was successful playing oftentimes, as you hinted at, 184 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:35,120 in a bottom six role on that Seattle team. Now you're this year, 185 00:12:35,159 --> 00:12:37,679 You're going to get to see what he's made of and what that looks 186 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:39,799 like offensively, and I think you'll see some really high skill plays. He's 187 00:12:39,799 --> 00:12:43,559 going to find the highlight reel in the WHL fairly consistently, and he's going 188 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,559 to be one of those players who I expect to take a big step and 189 00:12:46,639 --> 00:12:50,960 to reshape the conversation around him, just because of the opportunity that's going to 190 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,840 be in front of him in the WHL, and that opportunity may not even 191 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:58,120 be in Seattle. They may well trade him if they enter into sort of 192 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:01,399 a full rebuild. He'd fit as a candidate to get traded to a contending 193 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,360 team and play it at the top of the lineup with another team potentially if 194 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:07,799 he wanted to watch. Regardless of how things go for him in Seattle this 195 00:13:07,879 --> 00:13:15,840 year, Nick Lardis was a third round pick for Speaking of rebuilding, teams. 196 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:20,639 The Chicago Blackhawks plays for the brand for Bulldogs, right winger number sixty 197 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:22,679 seven overall. As I said, Victor had him a bit higher thirty six 198 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:26,639 as a fantasy player. But tell us about Nick Lardis and your take on 199 00:13:26,759 --> 00:13:31,000 him. Yeah, Lardis is the sort of speed is the name of his 200 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:35,519 game. That's all about his speed and his shot. He was traded mid 201 00:13:35,639 --> 00:13:39,720 year from Peterborough to Hamilton. He was traded obviously away from an OHL championship 202 00:13:39,759 --> 00:13:43,960 team in Peterborough who went on to win the title, which is I'm sure 203 00:13:43,039 --> 00:13:46,639 it was at the time disappointing for him that he was dealt out in a 204 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:50,399 package to acquire an Arty drafted player. He was a young player on that 205 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:54,600 team. He was playing predominantly a depth role on that team. He then 206 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:56,639 got to move to Hamilton, which was a team that was on the upswing. 207 00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:00,759 He played on their first line and he exploded. He was really one 208 00:14:00,759 --> 00:14:03,279 of the stories of the second half of last season. In the twenty twenty 209 00:14:03,279 --> 00:14:07,799 three draft class. He was electric for Hamilton in terms of just using that 210 00:14:07,879 --> 00:14:13,440 speed, creating breakaways for himself, pounding his one timer and his shot on 211 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,919 the power play. He's a very dangerous shooter on the power play. Not 212 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:22,120 the most cerebral player, not the most spatially aware player in terms of using 213 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:26,240 his linemates. He's not going to fill the assist column necessarily, but looks 214 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:30,720 like a player who's speed and sort of ability to score and finishing touch could 215 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,200 carry him to the NHL, likely in a top nine role if he gets 216 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,879 there. A lot to like about Nick. He's a bit on the smaller 217 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,360 end, kind of five foot ten, five foot eleven a little bit, 218 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:45,039 but a natural athlete who performed really well that both the HL Combine at the 219 00:14:45,039 --> 00:14:48,440 Top Prospects Game in January and then also at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo 220 00:14:48,519 --> 00:14:52,440 this spring, and then obviously the second half really exploded as one of the 221 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:56,360 top scorers in the second half of the season in the OHL. A lot 222 00:14:56,399 --> 00:15:01,759 to like there about the way that he skates and attacks. Yeah, definitely. 223 00:15:01,879 --> 00:15:05,559 And the next guy we're gonna talk about, Noah Darron Nielsen. He 224 00:15:05,799 --> 00:15:09,919 was selected by Detroit's seventy third overall. He got just a few games in 225 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,600 the SHL. Mostly he was in the j twenty last season, fifty four 226 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,960 points in thirty seven games. It was really nice, especially since he's the 227 00:15:18,039 --> 00:15:20,759 late birthday so he was pretty much seventeen most of this season, and he 228 00:15:20,799 --> 00:15:24,360 did look really good at the UA teens at the very end for Sweden. 229 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:28,759 So tell us a little bit about Noah Darron Nielsen. Yeah, Darren Nielsen's 230 00:15:28,799 --> 00:15:33,679 an interesting one. He's a kid whose game is all about sort of finesse 231 00:15:33,759 --> 00:15:37,320 and his skill on the puck. I've spoken with the staff that coached him 232 00:15:37,399 --> 00:15:41,600 last year at that J twenty level and they talked about talked about him as 233 00:15:41,639 --> 00:15:46,000 a sort of Elias Petterson level, All Star level talent at that level last 234 00:15:46,039 --> 00:15:50,639 year. Obviously there's a big difference between JA twenty and playing professionally in the 235 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:56,000 shlight in the second tier hockey al Spenskin, But in terms of playing against 236 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,240 his peers, he was scoring beautiful goals regularly. There was a I'm in 237 00:16:00,279 --> 00:16:03,799 the middle of last season where he was three, four or five points a 238 00:16:03,919 --> 00:16:06,879 night for a good stretch of for a good chunk of the season, just 239 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:11,000 getting whatever he wanted offensively and with the puck on his stick, showing a 240 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:15,799 lot of dynamic traits. Now that hasn't always displayed itself internationally with Sweden. 241 00:16:15,919 --> 00:16:21,759 The staff with Sweden have will offer more mixed reviews about Noah dollar Nielsen and 242 00:16:21,879 --> 00:16:26,519 sort of his play for them over the years, but his finesse and his 243 00:16:26,559 --> 00:16:30,440 skill has still shown in spurts with the national team. I expect not this 244 00:16:30,519 --> 00:16:34,080 year he'll be our member of the World Junior team, but the following year 245 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,399 he should play for the Swedish World Junior team as a nineteen year old. 246 00:16:37,799 --> 00:16:41,600 He's a kid who with the puck on his stick, there's length there, 247 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:47,200 there's still there, there's finesse there, there's touch and feel in terms of 248 00:16:47,519 --> 00:16:51,519 knowing how to make plays and when to attack. And if he does make 249 00:16:51,559 --> 00:16:53,519 it, it's there's a bit of a boomer bus projection for him. I 250 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,240 think. I think there's an outcome where he doesn't become an NHL player, 251 00:16:56,559 --> 00:16:59,879 But if he does make it in the NHL, it's going to be as 252 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,840 an offensive player, it's going to be as a power play guy. It's 253 00:17:02,879 --> 00:17:06,880 going to be a sort of hit for the Detroit Red Wings. So I 254 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:08,519 think that's what the Red Wings are counting on, that if we give him 255 00:17:08,559 --> 00:17:11,359 proper time in the SHL, if we played a long game with this kid, 256 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:18,400 there's some real skill there out. In the BCHL last year, Idar 257 00:17:18,519 --> 00:17:25,640 Sunyev of the Bendicton VS really ran up the score for him in that league. 258 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:29,880 Left winger was drafted by Calgary in the third round at number eighty overall. 259 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:32,720 And what do you think of this guy? Is he going to be 260 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,759 able to make a transition? It sounds like maybe BCHL again next year at 261 00:17:36,839 --> 00:17:40,039 least, and then you masked the year after. That's what elite prospects seems 262 00:17:40,079 --> 00:17:44,160 to think. But what's the what's the trajectory and what's the ceiling for this 263 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:48,920 guy? Yeah, Adar was a sort of talked about player in terms of 264 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,279 the private sphere scouting world last year for both good and bad reasons. The 265 00:17:52,319 --> 00:17:56,720 bad was that he had to leave Saint Andrew's College and go to the BCHL 266 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:02,440 because of visa issues stemming his father. His father is Russian and his father 267 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:06,319 works. My understanding is that his father works fairly high up in this sort 268 00:18:06,319 --> 00:18:08,759 of Russian government, and as a result, it was on no fly lists. 269 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:12,039 And because his father was on no fly lists, he couldn't play his 270 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:17,680 Adar couldn't play games in the United States. So all of that contributed to 271 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:21,279 a lot of chatter about, Okay, here's this kid who's committed to going 272 00:18:21,319 --> 00:18:25,359 to college hockey route and can't gain entry into the United States. My understanding 273 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,759 now is that has been resolved that he will be attending UMass. He had 274 00:18:29,759 --> 00:18:33,680 to change his commitment from Harvard to UMass because he couldn't at the time, 275 00:18:33,839 --> 00:18:37,359 Harvard believed that he wasn't going to be able to get a visa and wouldn't 276 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,759 approve him to come. As a results, it's been a bit of a 277 00:18:41,799 --> 00:18:45,480 weird path for him, but the talent is clear. He's a kid, 278 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:49,440 and obviously what his father does for a living should have no bearing on our 279 00:18:49,519 --> 00:18:53,960 opinions of the kid. But he as a player is a really strong kid, 280 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:59,359 an incredible shot in terms of not just power, but also how quickly 281 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:00,759 he can get it off, the variety of stances he can get it off, 282 00:19:00,799 --> 00:19:03,720 from the variety of ways he can get it off, whether that's one 283 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:07,119 time or the curlin drag, a catch and release, a standard sort of 284 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:11,839 rister in motion, all of those things get high grades. Really strong kid 285 00:19:12,039 --> 00:19:15,559 built. If you run into him, you quickly realize that he's an athlete, 286 00:19:17,279 --> 00:19:19,039 not the greatest skater in the world. That would be the one sort 287 00:19:19,079 --> 00:19:25,400 of hiccup in his profile. But he looks like he looks like to me, 288 00:19:25,519 --> 00:19:27,640 he looks like more than a third rounder in terms of the NHL draft, 289 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,680 and I think was largely available in the third rounder just because of a 290 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:36,160 little uncertainty around his status and where he's going to be playing and these issues 291 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,880 that he's went into over the last couple of years. But otherwise a legit 292 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:45,119 NHL prospect for sure. Nice all right. So the next guy, Cohen 293 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:49,279 Ziemer, another guy who went much later than maybe his fantasy upside is. 294 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:53,559 He went seventy eighth overall to LA. He was eighteenth on my list for 295 00:19:53,720 --> 00:20:00,279 fantasy reasons. He was with Prince George of the WHL last season and had 296 00:20:00,319 --> 00:20:03,240 eighty nine points in sixty eight games after a pretty strong D minus one year 297 00:20:03,319 --> 00:20:07,400 too. So tell us a little bit bit about Cohen Ziemer Scott. Yeah, 298 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,720 Ziemer obviously played with Riley Hype, who we touched on off the top. 299 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,279 There were teammates they've played together for a couple of years now. Really, 300 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,279 Ziemer's a little bit on the older side. Ziemer was a two thousand 301 00:20:18,279 --> 00:20:22,640 and four and then predominantly two thousand and five draft. Ziemer is a really 302 00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:26,720 big kid. That concerned that NHL teams had about him was about fitness levels 303 00:20:26,799 --> 00:20:30,119 and his body mass index and sort of just the fact that, if I'm 304 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,119 being blunt, he carries around a little bit. He's six feet tall, 305 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:37,039 that carries around a little bit more weight than most sort of high level athletes 306 00:20:37,079 --> 00:20:41,920 do. So there were just concerns about sort of him getting into him needing 307 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,359 to get into better shape and get a little bit quicker. Other than the 308 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:48,359 foot speed and his fitness though that, you won't find a scout who has 309 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:52,400 anything bad to say about Cohen Ziemer. He's heavy on pocks, he can 310 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,799 shoot the puck, He's got fabulous hands. He scored some gorgeous individual goals 311 00:20:56,839 --> 00:21:02,000 in the who over the last three seasons. He's played three seasons. Because 312 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:04,720 of his older birthday, obviously, he'll finish his checks. He'll play the 313 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,559 heavy style, he'll play the skill game. He can shoot it. He 314 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:11,319 scored forty goals last year. All of that, you don't often get forty 315 00:21:11,319 --> 00:21:15,119 goal scorers out of the WHL outside of the first round, so I think 316 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:18,599 there could be some real nice value there for the LA Kings. And I 317 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:22,839 believe in a kid's ability to get into better shape. He's a teenager. 318 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:26,200 There's lots of time for him to figure out the gym side of the gym 319 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:30,640 and eating and sleeping side of his career. And otherwise he's got He certainly 320 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:37,160 looks like he's got the tools of an NHL player. Jadan Parrn is going 321 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:41,000 to be making the transition from the Chicago steel up to the University of North 322 00:21:41,079 --> 00:21:45,640 Dakota forward drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes all the way near the end of the 323 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,640 third round at number ninety four. Victor likes him quite a bit, has 324 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,839 him up at twenty fourth on his fantasy draft list. Tell us about Jan 325 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:59,480 Barraun and his prospects for future in the NHL. Yeah, the name of 326 00:21:59,559 --> 00:22:03,200 Jaden's game is that sort of cliched term of hockey. IQ was one of 327 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:07,559 the smart the very smartest players in last year's draft. Just a sort of 328 00:22:07,599 --> 00:22:11,559 brilliant operator of the puck when he's on the ice inside the offensive zone in 329 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:14,839 particular, I would argue really all over the ice in terms of the way 330 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:18,920 he manages the puck and escapes trouble and problem solves. He's just a tremendous 331 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,440 sort of thinker out there in terms of the way he reads the game offensively, 332 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,160 very high end, and there is a belief amongst staff with the Chicago 333 00:22:26,200 --> 00:22:30,000 Steel that I've spoken with that's going to make him a top six NHL winger 334 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:34,519 just on that basis alone of how smart he is. They've seen a lot 335 00:22:34,559 --> 00:22:40,279 of those players come through the Chicago Steele. Sean Farrell is another one who's 336 00:22:40,319 --> 00:22:44,400 about to graduate and become an NHL player, potentially with the Montreal Canadians, 337 00:22:44,759 --> 00:22:48,160 who was also drafted fairly low as a sort of five foot nine, five 338 00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:52,559 foot ten player who relied up smarts to get picked. Jaden similar like. 339 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:56,279 He's just a crafty, crafty, inventive kind of player out there, and 340 00:22:56,519 --> 00:23:02,119 that increasingly, I think is carrying some kids further than maybe they get credit. 341 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:07,319 I have high expectations for Jaden to become a very productive two three year 342 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,720 player in college and then to turn pro and give it a go and get 343 00:23:10,759 --> 00:23:14,079 signed and all of that. He's not the biggest kid, he's not the 344 00:23:14,119 --> 00:23:15,960 fastest kid, but he's a good athlete. He's been a top player at 345 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,200 every level he's ever played at, going right back to his minor hockey days 346 00:23:19,519 --> 00:23:25,359 when he was a true star prospect in sort of Western Canada and ultimately could 347 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:29,119 have gone extremely high in the WHL draft, but elected to go to college 348 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:32,799 travel instead to give him in his sort of smaller frame, a little bit 349 00:23:32,839 --> 00:23:36,839 more time. So I'm not I'm fascinated by by Jaden Braun and what he 350 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:42,359 might become. Yeah, for sure, really excited to watch that. Another 351 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:47,359 guy that's really interesting is Luca Panelli. He went one hundred and fourteenth overall 352 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:52,440 to Columbus and he was with the ohl Ottama sixty seven's last year. He 353 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,440 also has a brother, Francesco Panelli, who I'm curious to hear if he 354 00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,480 has some similarities to his game. Of course, Francesco's element was derailed a 355 00:24:00,519 --> 00:24:04,079 little bit by the COVID shutdown in the HL, and so he's back now 356 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:08,400 doing pretty well. But to tell us a little bit about Luca's game and 357 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,359 whether he hasn't he similarities to his brothers. Yeah, Luca is, I 358 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:17,279 would say, relative to Francesco, a little bit busier on the ice. 359 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:22,359 Lucas a player who works and moves constantly. He's got skill, and he's 360 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,599 got quick hands, and he can shoot the puck and score with his wrister, 361 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:29,720 and he'll work hard to get involve his linemates and to be a sort 362 00:24:29,759 --> 00:24:33,039 of complete, well rounded player. But he's also a kid who just stays 363 00:24:33,079 --> 00:24:37,279 involved. He stays on pucks, he gets at he's a little bit smaller, 364 00:24:37,519 --> 00:24:38,839 but he's stronger than he looks, and he gets after it, and 365 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,200 he wins battles, and he keeps his feet moving and he gets up and 366 00:24:42,279 --> 00:24:45,640 under sticks, and he's just a sort of winning hockey player, if you 367 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:48,400 will, at least my version of one. I'm a big fan of Luca. 368 00:24:48,519 --> 00:24:52,960 I liked Francesco and his draft here before the Kings took him as well, 369 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:56,960 But I think Luca has a little bit more pro quality, if he 370 00:24:56,039 --> 00:25:00,720 will, in terms of just style of play. He plays the game the 371 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,160 way that coaches like it to be played, maybe a little bit better than 372 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,920 than Francesco does. But both of them are B plus NHL prospects who have 373 00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:12,279 an opportunity to make it. And there's probably also an opportunity or an outcome 374 00:25:12,319 --> 00:25:15,920 for both of them where they just become good HL guys who are called up 375 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:21,599 options. A variety of outcomes for both Luca and Francesco, but are like 376 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:29,680 both kids as solid NHL prospects. Alex Chernick a Slovak plane up in Sweden 377 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:33,359 last year for a couple of teams in the Hockey El Svenskin as well as 378 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:38,200 for the Slovakia national team at the World Juniors. He was drafted by the 379 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:42,720 Philadelphia Flyers number one twenty overall. Victor likes him a little bit better at 380 00:25:42,799 --> 00:25:47,519 number eighty. But Alex Charonick tell us about this guy's game, and now 381 00:25:47,559 --> 00:25:49,640 we're getting pretty deep into the draft. But is this a guy who could 382 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:56,079 significantly outperform that draft status. Yeah, Chernick's a kid who I had ranked 383 00:25:56,400 --> 00:26:00,440 early second round on my list, so obviously I feel that one he was 384 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:02,839 a little low. He was a kid who was in the thirties on my 385 00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:04,799 list throughout the year, thirties and forties on my list throughout the year. 386 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:10,160 He's a player who was an older kid in last year's draft class. Two 387 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:14,119 another two thousand and four late two thousand and four in a draft class that 388 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:17,960 was made up mostly of two thousand and five's, but wasn't a re entry 389 00:26:18,039 --> 00:26:22,960 player. Had excelled internationally for Slovakia, playing at cross levels Helenka Gretzky Cup 390 00:26:23,079 --> 00:26:29,880 Use seventeen levels, the U eighteen Worlds. Obviously, he has now also 391 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,039 played at the World Juniors. He will play again at the World Juniors in 392 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:37,240 Gothenburg this December, after having already played in Halifax. There's a track record 393 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:41,480 there. Internationally, there's a track wreck there. Domestically in Sweden. He's 394 00:26:41,519 --> 00:26:44,640 a Slovak kid, but he's played in Sweden over the last few years, 395 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:48,599 made that move successfully, has played at the Hockey Al Spenskin second tier level 396 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:53,160 and been fairly productive there for a teenage player in a decent pro league, 397 00:26:53,319 --> 00:26:57,079 and just plays the game with sort of a knifing skill. He's a darting 398 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:02,759 player. He cuts through holes and rights offense in bursts. He's a talented 399 00:27:02,759 --> 00:27:07,119 player with the puck on his stick, creating attacking on angles and creating off 400 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:10,920 the wall inside the offensive zone or off off of the rush. Just a 401 00:27:11,039 --> 00:27:15,200 very tactile offensive player, talented winger who can create offense in a variety of 402 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:19,000 ways. I'm looking forward to seeing what Alex does with his career. He's 403 00:27:19,079 --> 00:27:23,559 got a real opportunity, i think, to progress up pro levels to become 404 00:27:23,599 --> 00:27:27,319 an HL scorer and then to potentially some day become an NHL scorer as well. 405 00:27:27,519 --> 00:27:30,960 He's a kid who at one twenty, I don't think you can do 406 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:37,079 do much better than that, all right. In the next phase of types 407 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,680 of players who wanted to ask you about, it's some risers from last year, 408 00:27:40,799 --> 00:27:45,079 already drafted prospects, some guys who you know really popped off last year. 409 00:27:45,480 --> 00:27:47,839 And the first one, the first name you gave us as one of 410 00:27:47,839 --> 00:27:52,359 my absolute favorites, and that's Jeri Kulick. He was taken by Buffalo twenty 411 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:57,000 eighth overall in twenty twenty two and he's played primarily in Chechia in his draft 412 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:02,279 season, came over to the HL as you can do that without the CHL 413 00:28:02,359 --> 00:28:06,319 agreement for European players, and he had one of the best HL seasons by 414 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:10,440 a teenager ever, forty six points in sixty two games, including earlier point 415 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:12,799 per game in the playoffs. Took a break to go play for Czech Ye 416 00:28:12,799 --> 00:28:17,240 at the U twenties and had nine points and seven games there. So just 417 00:28:17,279 --> 00:28:21,640 an absolutely fabulous season for Cool. It seems like he's maybe even close to 418 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:25,599 making the Sabers roster with that kind of performance. So tell us a little 419 00:28:25,599 --> 00:28:29,839 bit about what you liked from him this past. Yeah cool, which is 420 00:28:29,880 --> 00:28:32,720 a kid who really burst onto the scene, not that he wasn't already on 421 00:28:32,759 --> 00:28:36,079 the scene, but really solidified himself as a first round pick at last year's 422 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,440 U eighteen Worlds in Germany. He especially on the power play, was just 423 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:45,319 an absolute force there. His one timer was consistently beating goalies. He was 424 00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:48,279 looking strong and like he had presence over the puck. He's not the tallest 425 00:28:48,319 --> 00:28:51,880 kid. I believe he's only sort of five ft eleven six feet, but 426 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:53,720 when you run into him in real life, you quickly realize that he's a 427 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:59,400 very strong, physically mature, well built kid. And then on top of 428 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,920 that, just plays the game to score, plays the game to make plays. 429 00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:07,119 He can play the wall on the power play, he can play the 430 00:29:07,119 --> 00:29:10,079 point on the power play. He can be a quick release guy in the 431 00:29:10,119 --> 00:29:12,880 slot or on the bumper on the power play. He can do it all 432 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:18,039 in terms of creating an offense at even strength. Just a really likable hockey 433 00:29:18,039 --> 00:29:22,880 player who can create offense in a variety of ways. I'm a big fan 434 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:26,640 of Kola Chiese, a kid who would go certainly go higher than where he 435 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,400 was picked in a do over today, and he was already a first round 436 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:32,960 pick, which speaks to just how impressive he was in the HL last year. 437 00:29:33,319 --> 00:29:36,519 And he's a kid that I'm absolutely so the kids we just talked about 438 00:29:36,559 --> 00:29:38,319 him in terms of some twenty twenty three gems or all kids that I'd be 439 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:42,720 unsure about becoming NHL players cool, which is at this point a kid that 440 00:29:42,839 --> 00:29:47,079 I don't have any reservations about. He's going to be a very good NHL 441 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:52,480 player, So I would have zero hesitation taking him fairly high in a fantasy 442 00:29:52,519 --> 00:29:57,839 draft. Oh nice. Next up, Ryan Green Boston University. He was 443 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:03,400 drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in twenty twenty two as centerman, drafted number fifty 444 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:07,799 seven overall. I guess he must have risen up above that status. Tell 445 00:30:07,839 --> 00:30:11,680 us about Ryan Green and what makes him different from the way he was perceived 446 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:15,200 at the draft. Yeah, at the draft, he was perceived as this 447 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,599 sort of utility guy who could skate and potentially penalty kill and he could play 448 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:22,960 center, and at the next level he was probably going to make a sort 449 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:26,240 of decent, low event, bottom six player. And I think part of 450 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,319 what has changed is his skating I think is even better than people realized, 451 00:30:30,319 --> 00:30:34,440 and it was already viewed as an asset. He's an excellent skater, and 452 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:38,000 there was just more offense. I think he's just scored and produced as a 453 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,480 freshman in college, maybe more than NHL scouts were expecting him too, and 454 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:45,240 that has shifted the dynamic. He also had a point in every single game 455 00:30:45,279 --> 00:30:49,680 he played in at the World Junior selection camp, which I attended in Monkedin 456 00:30:49,759 --> 00:30:55,440 before Team Canada selected their team. He was ultimately the last cut at forward 457 00:30:55,519 --> 00:30:59,279 for that team, but was a player who did everything he could have possibly 458 00:30:59,319 --> 00:31:03,000 done in that selection camp to make the team, and I know he was 459 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:07,000 a little bit disappointed that he felt he couldn't have played any better than he 460 00:31:07,039 --> 00:31:11,119 did and he still didn't make it. But Green's a kid who now if 461 00:31:11,119 --> 00:31:15,839 he was looking like a potential sort of low event, bottom six guy a 462 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,240 year ago, I think now there's a real opportunity for him to become a 463 00:31:18,319 --> 00:31:22,799 solid, productive third line center at the NHL level. I'm still not sure 464 00:31:22,839 --> 00:31:25,640 he's going to be a sort of top six type, but with the way 465 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:30,440 he skates, the well roundedness of his game offensively, there's a real opportunity 466 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,400 in front of him now to become a part of the black Hawks future. 467 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,480 And they've got a lot of coming down the middle, and certainly a lot 468 00:31:36,519 --> 00:31:38,440 of players who can skate. We talked about Nick Lardis and his skating, 469 00:31:38,799 --> 00:31:42,279 all of our more, Frank, Nasar Connor Bdards go down the list of 470 00:31:42,319 --> 00:31:47,880 their prospects, they're all kids who play fast, and they're in each of 471 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,559 those cases they're all natural centers. So there's going to be some competition for 472 00:31:51,759 --> 00:31:56,400 center jobs long term with the Blackhawks. Obviously Bedard is sewn up, but 473 00:31:56,480 --> 00:32:00,599 even behind him, whether it's Nasar Green all over more Nick Clardis, you 474 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:05,359 go down the list, it's Paul wood Winsky's another one at tremendous skater that 475 00:32:05,359 --> 00:32:07,519 they took it in the draft two years ago, who projects as a bottom 476 00:32:07,559 --> 00:32:12,480 six sort of energy type guy. There's some jobs to be won there, 477 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:15,599 but also at a healthy competition, and I expect now that Green's going to 478 00:32:15,599 --> 00:32:20,759 be a big part of that competition. Yeah, good stuff there. Let's 479 00:32:20,839 --> 00:32:23,720 move on to a defenseman. The only defenseman on this part of the list, 480 00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:29,960 that's Lane Hudson, and he was certainly a subject of many conversations last 481 00:32:30,039 --> 00:32:34,319 year because he was so small, taking sixty second overall by the Montreal Canadians, 482 00:32:34,839 --> 00:32:37,799 and I believe he was like five heat going into that draft, and 483 00:32:37,839 --> 00:32:40,440 he showed some evidence of why he thought he would grow, and from what 484 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:43,960 I can tell, he has. I think right now he's listed at five 485 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,759 to eleven, but I've heard people say he's closer to our sorry, five 486 00:32:45,839 --> 00:32:49,119 ten. I think people have said he's closer to five to eleven now. 487 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:52,000 So he's definitely grown a bit. And he had a pretty fantastic season for 488 00:32:52,039 --> 00:32:57,759 Boston University forty eight points and thirty nine games, along with playing some pretty 489 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:00,720 nice roles for the U twenty eight World Junior team him and the men's World 490 00:33:00,799 --> 00:33:02,319 Championships. So he's been all over. I know he was at the World 491 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:07,720 Junior Showcase if I remember correctly. So yeah, who are playing out lots 492 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:12,400 of levels and impressing pretty much everywhere. I know there's still some concerns maybe 493 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,920 about his skating and physicality, but he can do pretty incredible things with the 494 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:20,119 puck from what I understand. So tell us what you thought of Willane Hudson's 495 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,759 year. Yeah, it was a special year, a historic year. One 496 00:33:22,799 --> 00:33:29,759 of the best seasons in recent college hockey history by a freshman defenseman, especially 497 00:33:29,759 --> 00:33:32,839 a teenage freshman defenseman. He's a special player. He looks like he's got 498 00:33:32,839 --> 00:33:37,000 a chance to be a real star in the league. Offensively and from fantasy 499 00:33:37,119 --> 00:33:40,480 perspective, we know that offenses came, there's going to be huge value in 500 00:33:40,599 --> 00:33:45,480 terms of your purposes and the fantasy side of this sport that we all watch. 501 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:47,559 In Lane Hudson, he's going to be a powerplay one guy in the 502 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:52,200 NHL. He's going to quite likely put up huge counting stats in terms of 503 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:57,880 assists and shots on goal and primary assists, even if your league's count that. 504 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,440 He just has this playmate ability in his knack for creating with the puck 505 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:06,880 on his stick that is pretty rare. He can break ankles, he can 506 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:09,559 see through layers of coverage. He can walk the line, he can walk 507 00:34:09,599 --> 00:34:13,880 off the line, he can join the rush, he can find his way 508 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:15,719 out of trouble. You mentioned the skating being a bit of an issue. 509 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:20,280 I would say it's more the pivots than the skating. He can struggle defending 510 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:23,760 the rush with his pivots and his footwork turning back to go get pucks. 511 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,719 Obviously, he's never going to be the biggest player. He's never going to 512 00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:31,800 be the best player in terms of penalty minutes or hits, or he's not 513 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:36,440 going to be a penalty killer even at least I'd be pretty surprised if he's 514 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:39,360 a penalty killer in the NHL. But he's going to create offense and get 515 00:34:39,400 --> 00:34:45,440 offensive zone starts and make plays to talented players and do everything in college that 516 00:34:45,519 --> 00:34:49,000 he do everything in the NHL. But he did in college, and that 517 00:34:49,039 --> 00:34:52,559 he's done at the twenty level and at the eight team level with the national 518 00:34:52,599 --> 00:34:57,079 development program, and like he's just he's special. He's going to be one 519 00:34:57,119 --> 00:35:00,239 of the more when he makes it, and I truly believe he's going to 520 00:35:00,239 --> 00:35:02,599 make it. He's going to be one of the more entertaining defenseman in the 521 00:35:02,679 --> 00:35:10,400 NHL. Music to My Ears Okay Cruz Lucius University of Wisconsin, Madison. 522 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:15,360 He followed up being drafted number one, twenty four overall by the Carolina Hurricanes. 523 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,280 The right winger did buy nothing but a point per game freshman season for 524 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:23,039 the Wisconsin Badgers, and now he's going into a sophomore season and rising up 525 00:35:23,039 --> 00:35:28,400 the charts a little bit tell us about Cruz Lucius. Yeah, that Wisconsin 526 00:35:28,519 --> 00:35:30,920 team. We know that they've got excellent facilities, that they've been a giant 527 00:35:30,960 --> 00:35:35,159 in terms at a powerhouse in terms of recruiting over the years, but they've 528 00:35:35,159 --> 00:35:38,320 fallen into a little bit of disarray over the last few seasons. They've really 529 00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:43,320 struggled as a program. There's been a lot of inconsistency among the top prospects 530 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:47,079 that have gone there, even Alex Turcott and KeAndre Miller and Cole Coffield, 531 00:35:47,159 --> 00:35:50,480 the stars, some of the and Dylan Halloway, some of the stars that 532 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,079 they've had come through there have even had some of their own sort of reel 533 00:35:53,159 --> 00:35:58,199 ups and downs in that program. And one of the consistent, one of 534 00:35:58,239 --> 00:36:01,519 the only things that was consistent that team last year was Cruz and his play 535 00:36:01,679 --> 00:36:06,400 and just his ability to create offense, his ability to make plays on the 536 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:08,880 power play. He's a kid who, like his brother Chaz, a first 537 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:13,320 round pick in the Winnipeg Jets, as they both dealt with some pretty serious 538 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:16,400 injury troubles that have hampered their development earlier in their career. So it was 539 00:36:16,440 --> 00:36:21,119 just nice to see CRUs get back healthy last year. Play of the most 540 00:36:21,199 --> 00:36:24,400 of a full season in his freshman year at Wisconsin and really look like a 541 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:29,039 productive player. I'm not sure whether he's going to make as a nineteen year 542 00:36:29,039 --> 00:36:31,599 old in his last shot at making the World Junior team. I'm not sure 543 00:36:31,599 --> 00:36:35,920 whether he is going to make it this year. He feels to me like 544 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:37,800 a bit of a bubble guy on a very what will be a very deep 545 00:36:38,039 --> 00:36:43,079 team at forward. But I think in any other year he would probably make 546 00:36:43,119 --> 00:36:45,800 that American team at the World Juniors, would be a sort of solid top 547 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:51,800 nine winger for them. And I think he's now reset what the expectations are 548 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:53,320 for him in his career, and he doesn't look like a player who was 549 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:55,719 taking in the middle of the draft. He looks more like a player who 550 00:36:55,719 --> 00:36:59,719 should have been maybe not a first round pick, but a second round pick 551 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:04,000 for in the NHL draft. Cruz has he has some talent. He's a 552 00:37:04,079 --> 00:37:07,599 lot like Chazz, not the fastest player. Neither of them would call their 553 00:37:07,639 --> 00:37:12,079 skating their greatest assets. But he handles the puck really smartly, has some 554 00:37:12,199 --> 00:37:16,159 real skill and also has some of some sneaky ability to score, which at 555 00:37:16,199 --> 00:37:20,039 the program he was viewed more as a passer, and his brother, Chazz, 556 00:37:20,079 --> 00:37:22,639 who was a year ahead of him, was viewed as the pure scorer. 557 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,400 And I think Cruz actually has a little bit more to offer as a 558 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:30,320 shooter than he was maybe able to show at the national program. So I'm 559 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:35,400 looking forward to him continuing to develop that piece of this game as well. 560 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,320 All Right, And the last guy that we have in this section is Jimmy 561 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:44,239 Snuggerud, who was taken twenty third overall by Saint Louis, And he was 562 00:37:44,280 --> 00:37:46,880 at the USNTDP last year and he was good. He was one of the 563 00:37:46,920 --> 00:37:51,000 top players on the program. But I guess I did not expect to see 564 00:37:51,079 --> 00:37:54,519 this freshman season at University of Minnesota happened, where he had fifty points in 565 00:37:54,559 --> 00:38:00,880 forty games. He was really one of the most excellent freshman in recent memories. 566 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:04,280 And he also was fantastic at the World Juniors for US thirteen points in 567 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:07,119 seven games. I don't want to say this came out of nowhere, but 568 00:38:07,159 --> 00:38:09,599 I was a fantastic progression I would say for him. For snug Rud and 569 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:13,760 his D plus one seasons can tell us a little bit more about what you 570 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:17,599 saw from him. Yeah, you're banging on for sure. Jimmy had arguably 571 00:38:17,639 --> 00:38:22,119 the best season in terms of relative to where he was picked by anybody in 572 00:38:22,199 --> 00:38:24,840 last year's draft. Certainly Lane Hudson, Erie Coolwich I would include in that 573 00:38:24,920 --> 00:38:30,159 conversation as well. But Jimmy was tremendous. He played on one of the 574 00:38:30,199 --> 00:38:32,719 best lines in college hockey. There were nights where he was the best player 575 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:36,320 on one of the best lines in college hockey. And that was a line 576 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:40,920 obviously that included Rogan Cooley and Matthew Kneys, And it was a great year 577 00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:45,719 for him. It was just one of those seasons where everything went his way 578 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:49,159 and he was finishing on his chances, and he was getting good looks for 579 00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:51,880 himself, and he was using his line mates, and he was good on 580 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:52,760 the cycle, and he was good on the rush, and he was good 581 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:55,280 on the power play, and he just looked good in every facet of the 582 00:38:55,320 --> 00:39:00,519 game offensively, and he was a kid who played Cutter got in Logan Cooley 583 00:39:00,599 --> 00:39:05,239 on the top line at the national program. But I think during his draft 584 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:07,800 year there was this belief that Logan was the driver of that line and that 585 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:13,440 Cutter was this great story who'd established himself as this sort of big, strong 586 00:39:13,599 --> 00:39:16,800 shooting, scoring player, and that Jimmy was third fiddle, And I think 587 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:22,079 now what has happened is that those gaps have leveled. I certainly still think 588 00:39:22,079 --> 00:39:24,880 that Logan Coolly and Cutter go Tie are better prospects than Jimmy Snuggrood, but 589 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:29,719 he looks closer to them than I think people realized, or then people gave 590 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:31,960 it, or at least then people gave him credit for in his draft year. 591 00:39:32,079 --> 00:39:36,719 So just an excellent year and a player who I fully expect will be 592 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,119 a top six winger for the Blues, and maybe as early as this spring, 593 00:39:39,159 --> 00:39:43,119 because I expect that he's going to have another really strong year in college 594 00:39:43,119 --> 00:39:45,480 and that he'll be a two and done player who plays in the NHL for 595 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:52,000 the last few games of the regular season next spring. Just to fall up 596 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:54,239 on that, Scott, there was a bit of surprise, obviously, with 597 00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:57,920 Cooley saying he was coming back and then deciding to go to the NHL. 598 00:39:58,079 --> 00:40:01,519 Do you think that snuggrowed is and to be able to be as effective without 599 00:40:01,559 --> 00:40:05,079 Coolie, because as you mentioned, he proved it a little bit on his 600 00:40:05,119 --> 00:40:08,480 own, but he still had some pretty excellent teammates in the last two seasons 601 00:40:08,519 --> 00:40:10,480 to be able to get do what he did. Do you think he can 602 00:40:10,519 --> 00:40:14,920 do it on his own? Yeah, he's going to be a year older, 603 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:16,599 He's going to have another summer of training, and I think it's almost 604 00:40:16,599 --> 00:40:21,159 better for him that Logan's not coming back, because it's an opportunity for him 605 00:40:21,360 --> 00:40:24,599 to do it himself and to showcase himself and to take charge of that team. 606 00:40:24,639 --> 00:40:28,960 And I expect that he'll probably wear a letter with that team this year, 607 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:30,760 and all of that's going to be a bigger piece. They've graduated a 608 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:36,719 lot of players. They're probably losing Devon Michigan are probably losing the most in 609 00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,159 terms of what their rosters looked like last year for what they're going to be 610 00:40:39,599 --> 00:40:44,639 looking like this year. Virtually the an entire defense, or at least four 611 00:40:44,679 --> 00:40:49,679 out of the six main pieces of that defense at Minnesota are gone. Obviously, 612 00:40:49,719 --> 00:40:52,480 Matt Knys and Logan COOLi are gone upfront, among others. So this 613 00:40:52,559 --> 00:40:55,239 is going to be his team this year. They've still got another good freshman 614 00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:59,159 class coming in, led by Oliver Moore, who was a first round pick 615 00:40:59,199 --> 00:41:02,440 of the Chicago Black Cows and could be this sort of center replacement, could 616 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:07,159 be his center to replace Logan Cooley. And if that's the case, I 617 00:41:07,239 --> 00:41:10,320 fully expected Oliver More and Jimmy Snuggery will function great together. I think this 618 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:13,559 is still going to be a really big year for him. I expect him 619 00:41:13,559 --> 00:41:15,360 to be a point for game player and college hockey and as I mentioned, 620 00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:20,400 to turn pro at the end of his sophomore season. Very good. We'll 621 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:32,679 be right back and talk a little bit more of a Scott Wheeler, all 622 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:36,880 right. It's got a couple of questions from our patrons. The first one 623 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:39,199 from Dan, is there a standout prospect goalie in the twenty twenty four draft. 624 00:41:40,960 --> 00:41:45,280 The simple answer is no, not. At this stage. There isn't 625 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:50,119 a Sebastian Coast, a Spencer Knight of the Yeroslawastarov, a Yesper Walstet. 626 00:41:50,119 --> 00:41:53,559 There isn't a kid who's in that first round conversation. Even this time last 627 00:41:53,599 --> 00:41:58,840 year, we were starting to get a sense that Jacob Fowler and Michael Harrable 628 00:41:59,239 --> 00:42:04,960 and Tray certainly Trey Augustine, We're going to be the top goalie prospects in 629 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,440 the twenty twenty three draft. At this stage in the prospect in the process 630 00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:10,760 for twenty twenty four We're not there yet. There is one goal tender out 631 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:15,440 of Sweden who was an honorable mention on my preseason list, which actually dropped 632 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:19,679 today at the Athletic. His name's Eric Olsen. Olson's solid sort of B 633 00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:22,039 plus great goalie prospect. But isn't it doesn't look like he'll be in the 634 00:42:22,039 --> 00:42:25,280 first round conversation, at least, there isn't to answer that question. There 635 00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:30,719 isn't a natural, sort of true top goalie prospect in this upcoming draft. 636 00:42:31,119 --> 00:42:36,960 That's fair. Denique wants to know if you have a sense you've been covering 637 00:42:36,960 --> 00:42:40,239 the draft for a long time and scouting and talking to organizations, are there 638 00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:45,920 teams that do particularly well at both scouting and developing players and maybe some that 639 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:51,280 struggle a little bit. Yeah, it's a good question there. Some would 640 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:57,039 argue that the Los Angeles Kings, despite having drafted extremely well over the last 641 00:42:57,320 --> 00:43:00,760 decade, haven't actually developed all that well. I think sometimes that has less 642 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:06,079 to do with how the team is developing prospects and more to do with just 643 00:43:06,119 --> 00:43:09,559 how many prospects they do have. I think the Kings in particular ran into 644 00:43:09,559 --> 00:43:15,199 a situation where they had too many guys and they didn't sell high on a 645 00:43:15,199 --> 00:43:17,760 lot of those guys, and then as a result, when there's too many 646 00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:22,519 guys and there's not enough openings, players begin to lose value because they're not 647 00:43:22,559 --> 00:43:25,360 making a jump. I think there's a little bit of it happens sometimes. 648 00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:30,119 I think having too much can often work against you, or at least against 649 00:43:30,159 --> 00:43:34,320 your prospects in terms of giving them the opportunities that they need to continue to 650 00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:38,360 take steps. But I don't think there's any teams that draft or develop particularly 651 00:43:38,400 --> 00:43:43,440 poorly relative to the field. I do think there are teams that do it 652 00:43:43,519 --> 00:43:47,119 well. I think the Carolina Hurricanes do things really well. I think that 653 00:43:47,199 --> 00:43:52,519 Toronto make the least develop better than they draft, and have shown a track 654 00:43:52,559 --> 00:43:55,480 record to bringing guys along and getting the most out of guys. I think 655 00:43:55,519 --> 00:44:00,119 the Vegas Golden Knights have drafted quite well but done very little with those picks 656 00:44:00,159 --> 00:44:05,679 in terms of they've traded a lot of their success stories away so that they 657 00:44:05,679 --> 00:44:09,119 can upgrade their NHL roster, which has obviously worked in helping to get them 658 00:44:09,159 --> 00:44:13,280 to a Stanley Cup. I don't know, it's an interesting question. There 659 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:16,960 are I always point to the Carolina Hurricanes. Is the team that's most in 660 00:44:17,000 --> 00:44:21,519 line with the way that I would do things in terms of how they've drafted 661 00:44:21,559 --> 00:44:25,079 and how they've tried to put like minded players together within that organization, and 662 00:44:25,079 --> 00:44:30,079 they clearly have an identity that I think works and fits with the way that 663 00:44:30,079 --> 00:44:32,800 hockey's being played today. But outside of the Hurricanes, I don't think there's 664 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:37,400 any team that sort of really comes to mind for me that way. Perfect 665 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:42,599 that's fair. I want to ask you to pull out your crystal ball here, 666 00:44:42,679 --> 00:44:45,679 because one thing we're always interested in is who's going to be the power 667 00:44:45,679 --> 00:44:49,639 play quarterback of the future. And there's a couple of teams that have some 668 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:53,320 really stacked defensive prospects, and obviously you don't know, but I'm just wondering 669 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:57,239 what you think. So the first one would be the Ducks. Obviously they 670 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:00,719 have Zellwegger, that they have Drysdale, There's even some other depth guys there. 671 00:45:01,039 --> 00:45:05,199 But do you think one of those rises to be the clear power play 672 00:45:05,320 --> 00:45:07,239 quarterback in the future, Say, I don't know, three or four years 673 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:10,159 from now, something like that. If I had to place a bet on 674 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:15,679 Zellwegger, Meantukov and Drysdale in terms of who's running PP. One three years 675 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:17,920 from now, my answer would be Zellwegger. I just think he has a 676 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:22,719 little bit more quality and dynamism to the way that he plays the game. 677 00:45:22,760 --> 00:45:24,880 From the point, I think he offers a little bit more variety at the 678 00:45:24,920 --> 00:45:29,920 top of the point, he's now added a shot element to his game that 679 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:34,119 maybe wasn't there. Drysdale has never had a major shot element to his game, 680 00:45:34,199 --> 00:45:36,400 So zell Legger has got a leg up there, as does mean to 681 00:45:36,519 --> 00:45:39,239 Yukov. They're both better shooters than Drysdale is from the top of his own 682 00:45:39,599 --> 00:45:44,559 but on top of that, just his footwork, the way that distinguishes itself 683 00:45:44,599 --> 00:45:49,360 from his peers, the way he can attack and create opportunities with his feet 684 00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:52,320 and create lanes with his feet. But he's a pretty unique player. So 685 00:45:52,360 --> 00:45:55,480 I think Zellwegger has the leg up, and then honestly, I might go 686 00:45:55,559 --> 00:45:59,880 to him into Yukov second before I go to Drysdale. Drysdale just feels to 687 00:46:00,119 --> 00:46:02,480 me like a player at this point who's going to be a productive five on 688 00:46:02,639 --> 00:46:06,920 five PP two guy, and I think there is an opportunity where all three 689 00:46:06,920 --> 00:46:09,559 of those guys end up on the power play. Whether that's Zellweger, running 690 00:46:09,599 --> 00:46:15,639 PP one by himself and mint Ukavin Drysdale both being on PP two or some 691 00:46:15,719 --> 00:46:19,400 combination of two on one unit one on the other. But Zellweger, I 692 00:46:19,440 --> 00:46:24,760 think from a pure power play perspective, has the most upside. Yeah, 693 00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:28,559 that's fair. I really appreciate that answer. And then let's go to New 694 00:46:28,639 --> 00:46:31,440 Jersey for the next one, because they obviously have a lot of great prospects 695 00:46:31,440 --> 00:46:36,119 too. There's Luke Hughes who probably coming to the league as early as this 696 00:46:36,199 --> 00:46:38,159 year. Then we have Simo Nemics who was great in the HL, even 697 00:46:38,199 --> 00:46:42,639 Shamus Casey who was great, and Dougie Hamilton is there. Do you have 698 00:46:42,719 --> 00:46:47,679 a take there on those that crowded blue line. I think Hughes offers more 699 00:46:47,719 --> 00:46:52,360 than Nemics, at least in terms of true power play quality. I know 700 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:55,119 that the Devil's actually have speaking with a couple of people within the Devil's organization 701 00:46:55,199 --> 00:46:59,679 last year, but they were actually a little bit surprised at Nemis's game on 702 00:46:59,679 --> 00:47:01,800 the power we're playing, a little bit disappointed and how he looked on the 703 00:47:01,800 --> 00:47:07,239 power play and stretches last year. Nemich is still an extremely productive player. 704 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:09,639 He's going to be a productive NHL defenseman he's going to be. He should 705 00:47:09,679 --> 00:47:13,800 be a player who gets taken very high in fantasy drafts and is held on 706 00:47:13,960 --> 00:47:17,719 to he's an excellent defenseman. But in terms of just the power play conversation, 707 00:47:17,800 --> 00:47:21,559 I think Hughes has a leg up there. And then Hamilton, we 708 00:47:21,559 --> 00:47:23,639 already know he's an elite power play guy, so I don't think as long 709 00:47:23,679 --> 00:47:27,960 as he's in the prime of his career and healthy, I don't think that's 710 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:30,599 going to change. It'll be interesting to see what happens there. I don't 711 00:47:30,599 --> 00:47:34,760 think Hamilton's going anywhere in terms of PP one, and that probably means that 712 00:47:34,840 --> 00:47:37,960 at least right now, that Luke Hughes is your PP two guy there. 713 00:47:39,159 --> 00:47:44,320 Yeah, that makes sense for sure. And then let's look at the Jackets. 714 00:47:44,360 --> 00:47:47,679 The Jackets obviously David Jerrycheck looks pretty great and got some time already in 715 00:47:47,679 --> 00:47:52,880 the NHL, Dentimtaychuck, and Zach Warenski obviously coming off the injury, but 716 00:47:52,920 --> 00:47:55,360 he should still be there for a long term because one of those guys rise 717 00:47:55,559 --> 00:48:00,679 and take over for Wrensky at some point, I think of eventually, maybe, 718 00:48:00,719 --> 00:48:05,119 I think it's Lorenski's for now, Obviously, Metai Chuck's not turning into 719 00:48:05,159 --> 00:48:07,920 the into an NHL player this year. Jack might become the full time NHL 720 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:13,599 player this year. Relative to each other, I think Archeck has a little 721 00:48:13,599 --> 00:48:17,199 bit more dimension just because of his shot relative to Metai Chuck. Yearcheck has 722 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:21,599 a bomb from the point and could score. I could see him scoring ten 723 00:48:21,639 --> 00:48:23,440 goals as act ten to fifteen goals. It's a defenseman in the NHL, 724 00:48:23,519 --> 00:48:27,960 which obviously only a few guys do every year. I don't think Metai Check 725 00:48:28,039 --> 00:48:30,320 is going to be a ten to fifteen goal scorers a defenseman, but both 726 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:35,760 are capable power play guys. Both are potential PP one guys if they really 727 00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:37,639 figure it out and put all the pieces together. I would just give year 728 00:48:37,760 --> 00:48:42,840 Check the slight edge because he offers a shot threat that sort of changes the 729 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:46,599 dynamic on the power play a little bit. Yeah, that's fantastic. One 730 00:48:46,639 --> 00:48:52,960 more team and that's Detroit. Obviously most Cider was great and potentially bounce back 731 00:48:53,039 --> 00:48:57,280 from him. They have someone Evanson who's about to arrive. They have other 732 00:48:57,320 --> 00:49:01,639 guys too, like Albert Johanssen. They also have Jake Walman who's already there, 733 00:49:01,639 --> 00:49:06,079 Shane Gosta, spar They have a bunch of guys both there and on 734 00:49:06,119 --> 00:49:07,920 the way, so it seems like there's a lot of options there. But 735 00:49:08,239 --> 00:49:13,760 do you see a clear winner maybe taking it away from Cider or Gosasparitt at 736 00:49:13,760 --> 00:49:17,079 some point. No, I don't. You didn't mention William Wallander there, 737 00:49:17,079 --> 00:49:21,320 but I would add him to that list in terms of the prospects that are 738 00:49:21,320 --> 00:49:25,239 coming for that group. Obviously they've now added Axel Sandy and Pelica as well. 739 00:49:25,280 --> 00:49:29,679 Who if there is one who's going to take it from Cider in the 740 00:49:29,679 --> 00:49:32,360 long term, it might be Axel, Sandy and Pelica, who was arguably 741 00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:37,119 the most talented pure offensive defenseman in last year's draft, But sending Pelica is 742 00:49:37,199 --> 00:49:40,440 two three years away, so that's not an imminent thing. I don't think 743 00:49:40,559 --> 00:49:45,639 Edvnson because he lacks a shot from the point and has never been a particularly 744 00:49:45,679 --> 00:49:50,760 proficient shooter from the point. That could limit him in terms of power play 745 00:49:50,800 --> 00:49:54,239 up side. I think it's Ciders for the short, medium and long term. 746 00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:58,119 I think Cider is going to be that PP one guy for them, 747 00:49:58,159 --> 00:50:00,360 and then I would expect if there is anybody who going to challenge him, 748 00:50:00,360 --> 00:50:05,280 but the most likely one is Axel, Sandy and Pellato. Yeah, of 749 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:07,960 course, how could I forget those two suites? Thank you for that. 750 00:50:07,360 --> 00:50:09,880 I just wanted to run a couple more guys by you. I know you're 751 00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:15,079 running short on time, but there's a couple of power play prospect defenseman that 752 00:50:15,199 --> 00:50:19,840 I'm just wondering. Our patients are wondering if they're going to command top power 753 00:50:19,840 --> 00:50:22,760 play time. And this doesn't necessarily revolve around each team, but a couple 754 00:50:22,760 --> 00:50:25,599 of guys a little bit later in their development and some of there early and 755 00:50:25,679 --> 00:50:30,679 those would be Kill and Addison, Scott Prunovich, Rasmus Sandy and Kevin Korczynski 756 00:50:30,960 --> 00:50:36,400 and Nikishan and obviously the last two are really young. But I'm wondering if 757 00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:39,559 any of those guys, do they all have the potential to be that top 758 00:50:39,559 --> 00:50:44,840 power play quarterback or are their significant barriers in their way where they are not 759 00:50:44,960 --> 00:50:49,239 so likely to get that. I think Addison and Perunovitch have been in them. 760 00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:52,960 Certainly, I believe in Scott Prunovich. I think Scott Prunovich is going 761 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:55,639 to become a bit of a revelation in short order here in the NHL. 762 00:50:55,760 --> 00:50:59,159 I think he's going to have a breakout year. At some point in the 763 00:50:59,159 --> 00:51:01,719 next couple of years, isn't really established himself as one of the better offensive 764 00:51:01,719 --> 00:51:06,639 defenseman in the NHL. Addison, I think is a sort of natural just 765 00:51:06,760 --> 00:51:09,079 the way he plays and manages the puck. I think is a natural power 766 00:51:09,119 --> 00:51:15,199 play guy. Sanden has always felt to me like a PP two guy more 767 00:51:15,239 --> 00:51:17,280 than a PP one guy. I think if you're a contending team, you 768 00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:21,880 quite likely will have someone on your blue line who's more talented and a better 769 00:51:21,920 --> 00:51:24,920 fit for PP one than Rasmus Sandeen. So I think his ceiling is always 770 00:51:24,960 --> 00:51:29,119 going to be a little bit limited relative to at least these other names. 771 00:51:29,440 --> 00:51:32,159 Korchynsky, for sure, I think has a real opportunity to be the power 772 00:51:32,159 --> 00:51:37,039 play quarterback of the future with the Chicago Blackhawks. I think in talking to 773 00:51:37,039 --> 00:51:40,480 people within the Blackhawks organization, that's something that they expect as well. They 774 00:51:40,519 --> 00:51:45,639 expect him and have penciled him in as that and believe that he's capable of 775 00:51:45,679 --> 00:51:49,960 living up to those expectations. And then Alexander Nikischen is a tricky one, 776 00:51:50,079 --> 00:51:53,199 just because we know that in Carolina they have Brent Burns. We know that 777 00:51:53,239 --> 00:51:57,719 they're always a team that's in the market to add offensive defenseman. They were 778 00:51:57,800 --> 00:52:01,159 reportedly in on Eric Carlson before he was traded to Pittsburgh. So there may 779 00:52:01,199 --> 00:52:07,239 always be people blocking nkission in terms of the true PP one opportunities. But 780 00:52:07,480 --> 00:52:12,400 could I see Alexander Nicissien leaving the KHL and coming over to the NHL and 781 00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:15,960 being a power play quarterback. Absolutely, whether that's a PP one or PP 782 00:52:15,039 --> 00:52:20,519 two guy. But I think of those five that Perinovich and Kortchynsky are probably 783 00:52:20,519 --> 00:52:22,679 the two that I would really circle. Those guys I expect to be that 784 00:52:25,480 --> 00:52:30,639 this is fantastic. Scott, really appreciate your time. If some people haven't 785 00:52:30,679 --> 00:52:34,639 read your work or don't know who are, please let us let them all 786 00:52:34,639 --> 00:52:37,039 know where they can follow you and how to check out your great work. 787 00:52:37,039 --> 00:52:42,159 Yeah, at Scott's Wheeler on Twitter or x as I suppose it's called now 788 00:52:42,760 --> 00:52:45,760 and the same name Scott Wheeler at the Athletic. And we're obviously a paid 789 00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:50,320 subscription platform, so I know it's always a bit of a leap of faith 790 00:52:50,360 --> 00:52:53,280 for people to spend their money on our coverage, but I truly believe that 791 00:52:53,320 --> 00:52:59,000 if you're interested in the NHL draft or in prospects that you can't find equal 792 00:52:59,039 --> 00:53:02,199 coverage anywhere else in the hockey world, and we try our best to be 793 00:53:02,280 --> 00:53:08,079 as comprehensive as we can be across the NHL and really across every major sport 794 00:53:08,159 --> 00:53:12,679 in North America as well as in Europe with our F one and Premier League 795 00:53:12,719 --> 00:53:15,079 coverage. So if you're a diehard sports fan, I would recommend giving The 796 00:53:15,119 --> 00:53:20,000 Athletic Shot on a one year subscription, and I don't think you'll be disappointed. 797 00:53:21,199 --> 00:53:23,199 Oh, I definitely agree with that. Longtime subscriber, Jesse and I 798 00:53:23,280 --> 00:53:28,480 both are and thank you so much again stat for coming on. Thanks. 799 00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:40,119 A couple of things to mention before we get out of here today is you 800 00:53:40,159 --> 00:53:45,519 should play your leagues on fantracks dot com. They got all kinds of different 801 00:53:45,559 --> 00:53:51,000 sports in there. They've got Fantasy f one you like that, Fantasy football 802 00:53:51,159 --> 00:53:54,000 bet you've heard of that, all sorts of different things there, and Fantasy 803 00:53:54,039 --> 00:53:59,960 hockey of course is in full swing and ready to go for the upcoming sea. 804 00:54:00,559 --> 00:54:04,880 Fantrak's HQ is the place to check out all the fantasy content that they 805 00:54:04,920 --> 00:54:07,760 have to provide there as well. You'll see it when you're looking at your 806 00:54:07,800 --> 00:54:12,960 roster over on the right hand column to see articles by our authors at Fantrak's 807 00:54:13,079 --> 00:54:15,519 HQ. I'm even thinking about putting together a couple of articles here in the 808 00:54:15,519 --> 00:54:21,079 near future myself. In addition to Fantrak's HQ, and we're part of the 809 00:54:21,119 --> 00:54:25,079 Fantrack's podcast network, we're also part of the Dauber Podcast Network, where Victor 810 00:54:25,199 --> 00:54:32,639 Nuno is an editor and Victor also over at Dauber Prospects does another podcast it's 811 00:54:32,639 --> 00:54:37,239 called Dauber Prospects Report with our friend Peter Harling, and they talk a lot 812 00:54:37,320 --> 00:54:42,599 of fantasy prospects, a lot of Dynasty fantasy hockey as well. Over there. 813 00:54:42,639 --> 00:54:45,599 If you like this show, you're probably gonna like that one. You 814 00:54:45,639 --> 00:54:51,400 should give us a nice rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever else you 815 00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:54,599 get your pods, because that helps us out. You could listen to my 816 00:54:54,639 --> 00:54:58,840 other show, Dynasty Sports Life, where I talk about all kinds of other 817 00:54:58,960 --> 00:55:04,199 Dynasty sports, just hockey, but all baseball, basketball, football. Basically, 818 00:55:04,400 --> 00:55:07,119 you're round and if you're playing in a multi sport league, trying to 819 00:55:07,159 --> 00:55:12,239 provide a product that will appeal to you. Follow Victor and myself on Twitter 820 00:55:13,039 --> 00:55:16,519 slash x at fan hockey life is me at Victor Newno. Twelve VI C 821 00:55:16,719 --> 00:55:21,920 t O R n U n O one two is Victor. Thank you for 822 00:55:21,960 --> 00:55:27,400 subscribing, rating, reviewing, and listening. We hope you enjoyed the special 823 00:55:27,519 --> 00:55:32,119 presentation once in quite a while type of efforts to get Scott Wheeler on here. 824 00:55:32,199 --> 00:55:37,760 We appreciate all of his time until next time when we meet again. 825 00:55:37,039 --> 00:55:45,920 Keep living that fan sea hockey life.