Ahhh yeah folks….it’s Mini-Friday a.k.a. Thursday. We’re sooooo close to the weekend! How’s everyone doing today? I don’t know about where you are, but here in Toronto it is an absolute beauty of a day outside! The sun is shining, birds are singing, and my 3 sons just got home from school and are racing to get outside and play some road hockey with their new net and goalie gear! Wherever you are, I hope that you’re having a fan-fucking-tastic day!
So let’s do this! Here is the highest ranked defenseman on my list…yessir! That clearly means that I have 2 forwards taking up the #1 and #2 spots. But who? People of the BLH Universe, this defenseman is not only the d-man that I’d like to see the Oilers land, I also think that he’ll be the first d-man to go in the draft this year. So heeeeeeeeeere we go…#3!
If you haven’t read no.4 through no.10 on our list, check them out below! And please keep in mind that these are my projections based on the Oilers’ needs as an organization.
#10 – Alex Nylander
#9 – Pierre-Luc Dubois
#8 – Mikhail Sergachev
#7 – Matthew Tkachuk
#6 – Dante Fabbro
#5 – Jesse Puljujarvi
#4 – Olli Juolevi
Jakob Chychrun – D
Sarnia Sting (OHL)
6’2″ 216lbs
62GP 11G 38A 49PTS 51PIM 23+/-
The son of former NHLer Jeff Chychrun and nephew of former Edmonton Oiler Luke Richardson, Jakob Chychrun is a complete defender, hands down. He’s already a monster with NHL size (6’2″ 216lbs), that definitely does not shy away from using it. Have you ever you seen Chychrun lay someone out? Oh man, it’s a beautiful thing. Of course, not if you’re on the business end of that shit! But getting back to that whole complete defender thing, he truly does possess a lot of skills and tools. He has elite vision and the premier skating ability to match it. Those two skills combined have him almost always ahead of the play. He plays a very well composed game as well, and is able to apply pressure to the opposition. Causing them to make high pressure plays, which usually results in the play being broken up. Jakob is very responsible defensively, and is consistently trustworthy. He also has, what I personally think is, the best first pass in the OHL, and the best out of any prospect in this years draft. That’s not to take away from his stick handling/puck carrying ability, as Chychrun is excellent whenever he is driving or directing the play. This kid also has a widow-maker of a shot, that he loves to flaunt on the power play. All in all, this kid is an absolute stallion as far as defensive prospects go, He possesses a high hockey IQ, elite vison, excellent skating, and he mixes them up with an outstanding two-way game.
NHL Comparable(s): Aaron Ekblad
while injury is an inevitable part of the game, the ability to rebound and perform and produce on a consistent basis is generally what separates the stars from the pretenders. When he’s defending from the circles and below, he possesses the uncanny ability to successfully differentiate between when to pressure the opposing puck possessor and when to support the friendly.
Chychryn is perhaps a more complete version of former top pick (and OHL’er) Aaron Ekblad, and in that we mean both offensively and defensively. – Steve Kournianos (source)
Where does he fall versus the plethora of forwards that are available? In comparing him against Olli Juolevi and Mikhail Sergachev, Chychrun is the most complete player of the three. Juolevi made a significant push forward during the past World Junior Championship. The smooth skating Finn put up several points and impressed several scouts. The London Knights top defender does not have the physical ability, overall hockey sense, or shooting ability that Chychrun holsters. Sergachev is as good or maybe better when rushing up the ice and driving towards the net. Again he loses out in sense and shooting. – Craig Smith, Hockey Prospectus (source)
Why would this player be on the Oilers Draft List? Simple, because we need an Aaron Ekblad type of d-man on our team…and hello Chychrun! But for real, he’s a stud and we need a stud on our back-end. I mean we have Nurse, and Klefbom…but I’m not even sure that they have the same ceiling as Jakob Chychrun. The sky’s the limit with this kid…I think that he’s the type of d-man that you build you’re back-end around. If we fell back in the draft, I’d scoop him up in a heartbeat.
That’s all for today people, I’ve got a road hockey game to get to! Stay trippy!! See who checks in at #2 next!
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