Canucks: 5 the explanation why Nate Danielson is 'a field of candies' draft curiosity

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Nate Danielson had dinner with the Vancouver Canucks on the current NHL Draft Mix in Buffalo.

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No phrase whether or not candies have been on the dessert menu, however it might have been becoming. You by no means know what you’re going to get when introduced with an array of chocolate delights, and that’s the scouting consensus of the polarizing Brandon Wheat Kings right-shot centre.

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Danielson led by instance as captain and had a superb season on a foul WHL group — 78 factors (33-45) in 68 video games is admirable — however for each applauded attribute, there are simply as many considerations.

Does he pack NHL expertise, or is he a challenge? Would he be ranked increased on a greater group? And why are the Canucks, who maintain the eleventh general choice subsequent Wednesday in Nashville, so enamoured with a prospect projected to go in second half of the primary spherical and will solely mature as a third-line pivot?

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Potential? Most likely. Ideally.

If draft targets are off the board, together with defencemen Tom Willander and Dmitri Simashev, centres Ryan Leonard and Dalibor Dvorsky, together with winger Colby Barlow, the Canucks must pivot and belief their checklist, or commerce and transfer up or down.

On Wednesday, it first sounded just like the decide will not be in play, however that may change with a name, or on the draft flooring.

“I’m attempting to get entangled in conversations and see what’s finest for us short-term and long-term,” mentioned Canucks Normal Supervisor Patrik Allvin. “Because it sits now, we’re very excited in regards to the potential participant we’re going to get with the decide.

“There are a few defencemen which have potential to be actually good, and we’re most likely on the lookout for those that can kill penalties. There are numerous calls concerning the decide and buying and selling up, and if there generally is a extra intriguing participant than we are able to get at No. 11.

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“I used to be advised by Brian Burke that you could at all times transfer up within the draft. You could find gamers who match the best way we need to play.”

As for Danielson, listed here are 5 issues to think about:

1. Ask 10 scouts, get 10 completely different solutions

On elite draft boards, Danielson is ranked thirteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, twenty second, twenty sixth and thirty second.

“The quote I like to offer is that one participant in each Black Ebook (draft checklist) is Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump),” mentioned Brad Allen, director of scouting for HockeyProspect.com. “It’s the, ‘Life is sort of a field of candies, since you by no means know what you’re going to get.’

“That’s this participant. If you happen to polled 10 NHL scouts on our workers, in what this participant is and the right way to challenge him, you’d get 10 completely different solutions. That actually speaks to the sporadic nature, but in addition to the potential.

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2. A great participant on very dangerous WHL group

Think about if Danielson performed with higher gamers and on a stronger group.

“He was thrust right into a first-line function with the Wheat Kings (26-33-8-1) and so they relied on him too closely,” added Allen. “That put him in a foul spot. What would he seem like if he was on the Winnipeg Ice (57-10-1-0, WHL finalist)? We predict he’d fare lots higher.

“Once we first evaluated him, it was for aggressive nature. He was not at all times dialled in. By the top of the season, we felt he was fairly aggressive and confirmed intelligence, however sporadic in consistency.”

3. Assume like Suzuki, play like Suzuki

Danielson made a case for his play and potential by figuring out Montreal Canadiens centre and captain Nick Suzuki to emulate. That’s a excessive bar for the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Crimson Deer, Alta. native.

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Suzuki, 23, had 66 factors (26-40) on a struggling membership this season, however performed a 200-foot recreation that packed punch. Suzuki went thirteenth general within the 2017 draft to the Vegas Golden Knights, and was dealt to the Canadiens the next yr in a package deal that despatched Max Pacioretty to Sin Metropolis.

4. ‘It’s about work ethic to drive myself’

Danielson is saying all the suitable issues upfront of the draft.

“I need to take delight in enjoying a stable defensive recreation and being a talented, dynamic participant within the offensive zone,” he advised NHL.com. “I centered on one thing you may’t measure — it  was about work ethic to continually drive to a better customary. I used to be fairly per it.”

Danielson has dimension, pace, excessive hockey I.Q. and end to warrant draft consideration, however his shot may use enhancing. He can discover time and area to make robust performs, and can take successful to make a play, and end checks.

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“Skating might be the strongest a part of my recreation,” added Danielson. “It’s about realizing the place to be positionally. Once I get the possibility, my capability to transition rapidly is the place I could make lots occur offensively.”

5. What’s NHL ceiling, what’s flooring?

Danielson does have recreation, however does he have sufficient of it? NHL prospects scout Shane Malloy isn’t so certain.

“For me, and it’s a dialogue we’ve had with NHL folks, he’s very polarizing,” mentioned Malloy, who has authored the Artwork Of Scouting and seems on Hockey Prospect Radio.

“What’s his ceiling, what’s his flooring? And when is he going to play? That degree of uncertainty makes it actually difficult. Dvorsky is a simple man to scout. Danielson is the exact opposite.”

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