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2015 Leafs Draft Classs

Does anyone have a source for trends in players size in the NHL? Lots of talk about smaller players coming in and succeeding in recent years, but is there a source that has quantified this beyond the various examples that get used?

A good guy to tweet/ask about that would be mirtle, he often wrote about the trends in the NHL from year to year when it came to age/height/weight.
 
At the same time, I'm happy they aren't giving him more power than he needs. Had it been Babcocks call, we'd have drafted Hanifin.


I want the guys to do what they're paid to excel at. Babcock coaching, and Hunter drafting/scouting.......and I'm glad Babcocks hire & monster contract doesn't appear to have come with a promise of more power than he should probably have.

They did use him to mine information though on various prospects, calling former coaches of players, talking with their parents pre-draft etc......so they're putting him to work in valuable ways.

What is so wrong about drafting Hanifan?
 
Because Hunter is the draft guy and anyone influencing his decisions on players aside from his scouting staff would ruin what he was brought in to do. And whether of not these kids pan out. This is one of the most promising drafts I've ever witnessed the Leafs have.

I might have to do some road trips to Mississauga to catch London and Sarnia games next season.
 
Because Hunter is the draft guy and anyone influencing his decisions on players aside from his scouting staff would ruin what he was brought in to do. And whether of not these kids pan out. This is one of the most promising drafts I've ever witnessed the Leafs have.

I might have to do some road trips to Mississauga to catch London and Sarnia games next season.

I get that he's the draft guy and Babcock while has some input is the coach BUT it doesn't answer my question which is why is it so wrong IF the Leafs were to have drafted Hanifan? Sorry just curious...
 
Love watching the videos of the kids get drafted and the first guy they meet is Mike Babcock, and then goes an introduces himself to their parents/siblings. Such class.
 
I get that he's the draft guy and Babcock while has some input is the coach BUT it doesn't answer my question which is why is it so wrong IF the Leafs were to have drafted Hanifan? Sorry just curious...

He wasn't number 1 on the Leafs scouts lists at their pick. If they picked him they would have gone against their scouts list and listened to a guy that was coaching all year while the guys getting paid to be scouts were scouting all these players. Its pretty clear who the GM should listen to in that situation.
 
Not great quality, but saw someone put this together...

[video=youtube;rXOJiDnuCEA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXOJiDnuCEA[/video]
 
New rule: you heretofore are not allowed to be indignant about not drafting or trading for a player whose name you demonstrate a repeated inability to spell correctly.

It's Noah HanIFIN. This "Hanifan" crap is driving me up the wall.
 
I get that he's the draft guy and Babcock while has some input is the coach BUT it doesn't answer my question which is why is it so wrong IF the Leafs were to have drafted Hanifan? Sorry just curious...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the prospect of drafting Hanifin, but like 101 said, at this point in time it would be incredibly short-sighted to ignore the recommendations of the scouting staff that has watched these kids all season long and to disregard their rankings.

The Leafs literally could not lose out by drafting any of the Big Three in Strome, Marner, and Hanifin. Any one of the three would go first overall in many of the drafts from the past twenty years.

Nitpicking over which player the Leafs selected is illustrative of the quality and depth of this year's draft class if anything.
 
New rule: you heretofore are not allowed to be indignant about not drafting or trading for a player whose name you demonstrate a repeated inability to spell correctly.

It's Noah HanIFIN. This "Hanifan" crap is driving me up the wall.

Get used to it... sounds like Habs fans whining about trading McDonagh but having no clue how to spell his name.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the prospect of drafting Hanifin, but like 101 said, at this point in time it would be incredibly short-sighted to ignore the recommendations of the scouting staff that has watched these kids all season long and to disregard their rankings.

The Leafs literally could not lose out by drafting any of the Big Three in Strome, Marner, and Hanifin. Any one of the three would go first overall in many of the drafts from the past twenty years.

Nitpicking over which player the Leafs selected is illustrative of the quality and depth of this year's draft class if anything.
So much this. Hanifin putting up the kind of numbers he did as a 17 year-old against NCAA competition was amazing. Dylan Strome's numbers were a complete head-turner, even if he did have Connor McDavid as a teammate.

But to put what Mitch Marner did in context...he played on London's first line, and got the opposing team's best players matched against him and his line night in and night out. In spite of that, here's how his draft year stacks up with the draft years of the top drafted forwards from the last 10 drafts:

(includes regular season & playoff totals)

Mitch Marner: GP 70, G 53, A 89, Pts 142, PPG 2.02 (2015, 4th overall)

Sam Reinhart: GP 73, G 42, A 86, Pts 128, PPG 1.75 (2014, 2nd overall)
Nathan MacKinnon: GP 61, G 43, A 65, Pts 108, PPG 1.77 (2013, 1st overall)
Nail Yakupov: GP 48, G 33, A 41, Pts 74, PPG 1.54 (2012, 1st overall)
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: GP 78, G 35, A 82, Pts 117, PPG 1.50 (2011, 1st overall)
Taylor Hall: GP 76, G 57, A 84, Pts 141, PPG 1.85 (2010, 1st overall)
John Tavares: GP 70, G 68, A 57, Pts 125, PPG 1.78 (2009, 1st overall)
Steven Stamkos: GP 70, G 69, A 47, Pts 116, PPG 1.65 (2008, 1st overall)
Patrick Kane: GP 74, G 72, A 104, Pts 176, PPG 2.37 (2007, 1st overall)
Jordan Staal: GP 87, G 38, A 46, Pts 84, PPG 0.96 (2006, 2nd overall)
Sidney Crosby: GP 75, G 80, A 119, Pts 199, PPG 2.65 (2005, 1st overall)

Marner was a more prolific scorer at the CHL level than eight out of the past 10 forwards who heard their names called first at their respective entry drafts. The only two players who did better are Patrick Kane and Sidney Crosby.

So, being disappointed that we ended up with Marner in any way, shape or form is flat out nuts, IMO. The kid could easily be the best forward this team has drafted since taking Lanny McDonald at 4th overall all the way back in 1973, or Vincent Damphousse at 6th overall in 1986.
 
It's my hope that Mark Hunter is right and Mitch Marner is a centre as a pro.

Because I can only think of two that played the game the way he does and I'd be ecstatic if he turned into either.
 
feed him nothing bu steroids injected alberta beef, and stretch him out. I want Martin St. Louis legs on that guy
 
Usually do my post draft thing and gather as much information as I can about our drafted prospects but I was at a wedding yesterday. Apologies if any of this is repeat information...

Travis Dermott

- In 2013-14, Dermott tied for third in points among rookie defensemen to earn a spot on the OHL’s first All-Rookie Team. His plus-35 rating placed second among all rookies behind Mitchell Marner (No. 6 NA Skater) of the London Knights.

Elite Prospects:

An intelligent, mobile defenseman that capitalizes on offensive chances when they arise and is quick to recognize his post and backcheck hard. Doesn't force plays or take a lot of chances; rather, he plays it simply, letting the game come to him. Decent physical game, but not overly physical as he can lose some size matchups. All-in-all, a two-way defenseman that makes smart, high-percentage decisions in all three zones. (Curtis Joe, EP 2015)

#58 by ISS Hockey
#30 by McKeen’s Hockey
#36 by Future Considerations
#46 by NHL Central Scouting
#42 by Bob McKenzie

OHLProspects.blogspot.ca

8. Travis Dermott - Defence - Erie Otters
Easily one of the most underrated prospects for this year's draft. He's the number one defender for the top team in the Western Conference and that has to count for something. He was also one of the best defenders in this year's OHL playoffs, again something that deserves recognition. Is he the biggest defender available this year (at 5'11)? No. Is he the best offensively? No. But his intelligence at both ends, overall mobility, and high intensity level make him a near sure bet to be an NHL defender. Think Dan Girardi of the New York Rangers. Dermott is the type of player every good team needs. While his offensive skill level isn't flashy, he gets the job done by making a great first pass, being confident with the puck and running the point on the power play effectively. Defensively, he's incredibly reliable. He rarely gets beat to loose pucks and is almost always in the right position. He also blocks shots with the best of them. As the year went on, he played more and more aggressively in his own end and really seems to excel when he's engaged physically. The battle for top defender from the OHL was a close one this year, but I give the slight nod to Dermott because of how well rounded he is and because I believe he's going to be a longtime NHL player. .

Seidel: Injuries have hurt him a bit... Skilled puck mover... Made the right decisions... Was a key in Erie's playoff run…Got better under Jay McKee

Grant McCagg*‏@grantmccagg: Leafs traded down and in my opinion got two first round guys (Bracco, Dermott)

This pre-draft article calls Dermott the steal of the NHL draft:

http://thehockeywriters.com/meet-the-steal-of-the-nhl-draft/

Last Word on Sports:

Travis Dermott’s biggest asset is his hockey sense. His positioning at both ends of the ice is extremely strong. He reads the play well, and picks the right times to pinch in at the blueline, to join the rush, or to look to step up and make a hit. With the puck on his stick he is able to avoid danger with good poise and decent stickhandling, use his vision to make a strong first pass, or to control the play and quarterback things from the point on the powerplay. His shot could use more power, but he gets it through traffic, and keeps it low and on net, looking for screens, deflections and tip ins. He almost always has his head up and looking for the right play, which he makes on most occassions. He isn’t the top of puck rushing defenceman to try and go coast to coast with it, but has been known to follow up on the play to unleash a wrist shot or one timer.

Travis Dermott is a very good skater. He has impressive speed and acceleration in both directions. He has a very quick first step which allows him to be first on loose pucks. With his good pivots, edgework and agility he is able to transition from offence to defence, or vice-versa, quickly and this helps him to cover a ton of ice. This agility and edgework also helps him to walk the line in the offensive zone, allowing him to open up shooting and passing lanes. Dermott might not be the biggest player, but he has a strong lower body and is solid on his skates, helping him to win board battles and to clear the front of the net. While he does well against most players, he can still struggle with the exceptionally big forwards though just due to the sheer size and strength mismatch.
 
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