Vancouver Canucks Prospect Profile: RW William Lockwood
The 2016 NHL Draft has come and gone for the Vancouver Canucks, and many are unfamiliar with the new faces in the organization.
Leading up to the 2016 NHL Draft, we profiled many of the players we thought the Vancouver Canucks could or should target. Despite profiling a total of 50 players, including 31 in rounds two and beyond, Jim Benning managed to pick up four players we hadn’t looked at yet. Thankfully, we have a long offseason to do that now.
Let’s kick things off with the Canucks’ third-round selection, US NTDP forward William Lockwood!
Name: William Lockwood
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Height, weight: 5’10”, 172 lbs
Team/League: US National Under 18 Team, USDP
Stats (from eliteprospects.com):
G
A
P
PIM
+/-
5913203335?
Rankings:
#151 by Hockeyprospect.com
#95 by ISS Hockey
#197 by Future Considerations
#71 by McKeen’s Hockey
#108 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
#74 by TSN/McKenzie
Risk, Reward: 2/5, 3.5/5
NHL-potential: Bottom-Nine Winger
Scouting report
"Displays soft hands, quick moves and a persistent forecheck. Never stops flying around, and is difficult to get a bead on. Handles the puck very well at top speed, and can turn tight and separate from opponents. An under six footer with an average frame, he can be knocked of the puck, but is strong on his skates and the puck most of the time. A battler who plays fast with quick mitts. (Bill Placzek, Draftsite.com)"
Strengths/Weaknesses
William Lockwood is a speedy winger who has been compared to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Carl Hagelin. Like Hagelin, Lockwood is a slightly undersized but quick skater with good hands, and a solid shot.
Lockwood is a very energetic winger who rarely takes a shift off. He likes to buzz around the ice and play a gritty “in-your-face” style. His lack of size and skill prevent him from being physical or making great offensive plays, so he relies on his intense, grinding style, forcing opponents to make mistakes.
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That said, Lockwood does have enough skill to keep up with his speed. He is not someone who loses the puck because his hands don’t keep up with his feet. On offense, he can do a lot with speed, as defensemen struggle to keep up. Lockwood likes to buzz around the net and cause trouble, even if he isn’t the most gifted offensive player.
In 20 games against USHL opponents, Lockwood had just three goals and three assists. Not because he is inconsistent or doesn’t work hard enough, but he simply wasn’t able to do more. Hard work and grit can only take you so far.
That was Lockwood on most nights.
In other instances, however, he displays some nice offensive upside as well. At the 2016 Under-18 World Championship, he recorded a goal and six assists for seven points in seven games, playing on a line with Boston Bruins first-round pick Trent Frederic in a bronze medal effort with the US. Only two of those points came in the 10-3 bronze medal victory against Team Canada, so he scored consistently throughout the tournament.
Lockwood has good vision, can play nice forward passes to lead the rush, and he has a solid shot. But he probably won’t be the one making plays on an NHL top line. To end things on a positive note: Lockwood plays a good defensive game and can be utilized on the penalty kill.
Final Thoughts
Lockwood can probably become a less physical Jannik Hansen. Someone who works his butt off every night but doesn’t wow you with his skill. With that, he could be a complementary player to guys with more skill, much like Hansen was for the Sedins in 2015-16.
Picking Lockwood at 64 was a curious move. McKeen’s Hockey and TSN’s Bob McKenzie had him ranked 71 and 74 respectively, but other scouting services aren’t convinced. One of the scouting services NHL scouts trust is HockeyProspect.com, and they had him ranked 151st on their list. For Future Considerations, he was the 197th on the final 211-player list.
But, as I have said before, rankings are just a number. If the Vancouver Canucks’ scouts and/or GM Jim Benning see something in him others don’t, that’s great. However, if Lockwood never makes the NHL because he is undersized and lacking skill, that would really suck for Benning and his staff.
Next: Prospect Profile: Rodrigo Abols
The Canucks’ drafting has been historically bad, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Lockwood turn into an ECHL player at best. However, Benning made some good selections in the past years, picking up players like Prince George Cougars defenseman Tate Olson whose talent nobody else seemed to see. So, there is hope.
And if Lockwood just turns into the next Jannik Hansen, I think fans could, should and would be really excited.