The Vancouver Canucks are preparing for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft — and so are we.
Unfortunately, the 2015-16 season was cut short for the Vancouver Canucks, which means we have a long offseason ahead of us. Canucks GM Jim Benning and his staff will use the time to prepare next season’s roster, and the 2016 NHL Entry Draft will certainly play an important part in that process.
Vancouver started off strong in the fall of 2015 but ended the season with a thud. Thanks to their abysmal 28th rank in the league standings, the Canucks own seven picks early in each round. Benning did a great job in his first two years at the job and another successful draft could certainly help boost the rebuild.
Here at The Canuck Way, we will do our best to prepare you for the upcoming event by profiling as many draft-eligible players as we possibly can. Keep in mind that we are not saying these are players the Canucks are targeting. Instead, these are players that we think the Canucks could or should have interest in.
Today we are taking a look at QMJHL defenseman Luke Green of the Saint John Sea Dogs!
Name: Luke Green
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Height, weight: 6’1”, 185 lbs
Team/League: Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL
Stats (from eliteprospects.com):
G
A
P
PIM
+/-
611025352918
NHL CSS Ranking: 40th (North American Skaters)
Risk, Reward: 2.5/, 4/5
NHL-potential: Top-Four Defenseman
Draft Range: Second to Third Round
Scouting report
"An excellent offensive defenceman whose killer instincts in the offensive zone allow him to materialize scoring chances. Very shifty skater who is highly mobile. Good puckhandling ability and puck control; makes quick decisions with the puck in traffic and under pressure. Reliable defensively, but is much more effective when utilizing his offensive tools at the other end of the ice. All-in-all, a smart, smooth-skating defenceman who can play in most situations and excel in an offensive position. (Curtis Joe, Elite Prospects 2015)"
Strengths
Luke Green is a great offensive defenseman who used his draft year to grow into a more responsible two-way player. His standout attributes, however, are either his general skills or his offensive abilities.
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The general skills part mostly refers to his skating. Green is very mobile, has dynamic feet, top-end acceleration and great speed, which helps him wherever he is on the ice. He can carry the puck out of trouble and then play an easy pass, instead of attempting a pass through traffic. Furthermore, he can lead the rush by carrying the puck through the neutral zone and into the attack.
That is not to say that Green fails to play passes when he is in trouble, however. He makes good decisions, either passing the puck or skating with it once he has it in the defensive zone. Green can play accurate breakout passes and support the rush as a trailer man.
In addition, Green has quick hands and knows how to use them. He moves the puck around the offensive zone very well, can play a pass or let a shot go with a quick release.
Weaknesses
If the defensive aspect of the game was still a real weakness for him, Green would not be ranked as a second-round prospect by most scouting services. However, so far, he failed to combine his offensive abilities with the offensive side of the game. Throughout his minor hockey career and in his first year of junior, Green was an entirely offensive defenseman. He got more and more responsible in his own zone in his draft year, and plays a decent defensive game now, but that shifted focus stalled his offensive production.
So what we are looking at now is a terrific skater who can contribute offensively, but he “only” had 36 and 35 points, respectively, in his past two seasons. Decent numbers, but not enough for a purely offensive D-man. Plus, he is decent defensively but needs to refine his defensive skill-set. A promising defenseman who’s got all the tools but needs to work on his all-around game.
A real factor might be Green’s consistency. Throughout the season, he had more than just one off-night followed by a multi-point game. It is hard to pinpoint a reason for that, but it is certainly worth noting.
Final Thoughts
Whichever players the Vancouver Canucks go for in the first two rounds, Green could be a great pick-up in the third round. His chances are good to be picked in the second round, just not by the Canucks. Selecting him 33rd would be a reach.
However, Vancouver is definitely in for a trade that turns their second-round pick into a late first-round selection, and they might also be interested in flipping their third-rounder for another second-round pick. In that case, Green would definitely be a great option as well.
Next: More 2016 NHL Draft Profiles
The team that drafts Green will get a player with a rather low floor but good upside. He could become a top-four player at the next level, but if he fails to develop his all-around game — or at least his offensive game — to an NHL level, he might not make it at all. That said, his skating and size should translate extremely well to the next level.