Coming this fall? Teenage NHL draft picks often stick around
Guy Spurrier, REUTERS, Jun 25, 2012
http://sports.nationalpost.com/2012/06/25/coming-this-fall-teenage-nhl-draft-picks-often-stick-around/
Your favourite NHL team hired a bunch of teenagers this weekend at the annual job fair in Pittsburgh. Most of them will never make your favourite team’s roster.
But some of them will. And it’s even possible you might see some of them this fall, barring a lockout.
With the advent of the 10-game rule in the 2005 collective bargaining agreement, there is a special focus on draftees that have junior eligibility remaining. The nine-game (or less) tryout at the start of each season has become an interesting early-season guessing game. The rule, from the CBA, in its glorious lawyer language:
9.1 (d) (i) In the event that an 18 year old or 19 year old Player signs an SPC [standard player contract] with a Club but does not play at least ten (10) NHL Games in the first season under that SPC, the term of his SPC and his number of years in the Entry Level System shall be extended for a period of one (1) year …
Looking at the numbers, it was surprising to learn that more players actually make their NHL club as 18- and 19-year-olds than are sent back after getting their brief tryout.
Mining Hockey-Reference.com for lists of post-lockout teenage players (under 20 years old as of Feb. 1, which is Hockey Reference’s default age parameter), 53 players were retained as teenagers by their NHL club while only 31 played fewer than 10 games in their first season and were sent back to their junior or NCAA teams.
Six of the No. 1 picks and five of the No. 2 picks made their club the season after they were drafted. Of course, that list is a who’s who of the game’s young stars: Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (the No. 1s); Jordan Staal, Drew Doughty, Victor Hedman, Tyler Seguin and Gabriel Landeskog (the No. 2s).
The only No. 1 who had to wait a season was defenceman Erik Johnson, then of the St. Louis Blues.
The highest draft pick to get sent back to junior after an early-season tryout was Kyle Turris, then of the Phoenix Coyotes, who had been drafted out of the B.C. junior hockey league. He spent a year at the University of Wisconsin before making the Coyotes the next season.
In the chart below, you’ll find a breakdown of the number of teenage players who made their NHL team with junior/university eligibility left and those who had brief stints without triggering the first year of their contract. The numbers are broken down by year, draft position, hockey position and by team. Four teams have yet to have their teenage draft picks play a game in the NHL since the lockout.
For a closer look at the players who made each list, follow these links:
Made NHL team before junior eligibility was up
http://www.hockey-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&year_min=2006&year_max=2012&season_start=1&season_end=1&age_min=0&age_max=19&birth_country=&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=S&handed=&c1stat=games_played&c1comp=gt&c1val=10&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=year_id&order_by_asc=Y
Played fewer than than 10 games in their first season: Skaters
http://www.hockey-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&year_min=2006&year_max=2012&season_start=1&season_end=1&age_min=0&age_max=19&birth_country=&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=S&handed=&c1stat=games_played&c1comp=lt&c1val=9&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=year_id&order_by_asc=Y
Goalies
http://www.hockey-reference.com/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&year_min=2006&year_max=2012&season_start=1&season_end=1&age_min=0&age_max=19&birth_country=&franch_id=&is_active=&is_hof=&pos=G&handed=&c1stat=games_goalie&c1comp=lt&c1val=9&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=year_id&order_by_asc=Y
College coach says Schultz is real deal: Ex-Flame Eaves helped player develop at Wisconsin for three years
By George Johnson, Calgary Herald June 29, 2012
CALGARY — Mike Eaves considers himself a lucky gent. To have been perched in an orchestra seat the last three years and able to see firsthand what all the fuss is about.
And the fuss, he’s here to tell you, is worth it.
“Great kid,’’ the long-ago Calgary Flames’ centreman is praising from the head-coaching office at the University of Wisconsin, in Madison, Badger Town. “Justin Schultz is just a terrific, terrific kid.
“Quiet. Soft spoken. Heck, sometimes you don’t even know he’s in the room. He’ll engage with you, he has his own opinions, but this is not a guy that’s going to start a conversation out of the blue.
“Not a big talker. But quite a player.
“I read somewhere that people are questioning his character. Well, I can say with some authority that this is a young man who says if he’s going to be somewhere, he’s there on time; who says if he’s going to get something done for you, he does.
“Character? He’s got lots and lots of it. There are no airs about him.’’
As a recent example of that last trait, Schultz returned to Madison earlier this summer to work out with the Badgers’ strength and conditioning coach, joining Wisconsin teammates along with a slew of pros, including Adam Burish, Brian Elliott and Tom Gilbert.
“Our equipment manager,’’ reveals Eaves, “put Justin’s gear in the room with the pros, Justin took one look and told him: ‘No, put me back in the room with the boys. I don’t belong in there with those guys. I’m not a pro yet. I haven’t signed a contract.’
“That’s pretty respectful. He doesn’t want anything given to him; he wants to earn everything that comes his way. That tells you what kind of a kid he is.’’
Even though most NHL fans have never seen him play, might not be able to pick his photo out of a group of 8x10 glosses, Justin Schultz just happens to be all the rage as the July 1st approaches. He’s trending online. After officially “de-registering” from Wisconsin the last week of May, the 43rd overall pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2008 is readying to plunge into the golden-encrusted pool of unrestricted free agency.
Teams, meanwhile, are completely gaga, simply salivating, over the boy. At 21, he’s closer to the finished product than the vast majority of first-round draft selections. He produced 16 goals and 44 points this year from the blueline for the Badgers.
There isn’t an organization among the 30 that wouldn’t kill to sign this kid to an entry-level contract and watch him blossom.
“You take a look at Justin’s resume up to this point,’’ says Eaves. “A Hobey Baker Top-10 finalist the last two years, the defensive player of the year in the WCHA the last two years, an All-American the last two years. So you’d have to say he’s been successful at this level.”
According to reports, Schultz’s destination decision has been narrowed to either Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, Ottawa or the New York Rangers.
In terms of potential immediate impact, Eaves mentions Jake Gardiner of the Leafs —Schultz’s point partner at Wisconsin two seasons ago — as a barometer. Gardiner used a 10-game stint with the AHL Marlies after his university as a launching pad to making the Toronto roster last season and contributing 30 points in his freshman campaign.
“The transition time for Jake was pretty quick. Justin and Jake are both excellent skaters. Both have the ability to see that first pass and make that first pass. In terms of point-production I might give the edge to Justin because that one of the best parts of his package. He sees the ice from back of the blueline, can quarterback a team from there, and his shot’s got some magic on it.”
Mike Eaves has coached at Wisconsin for the past 10 seasons. So he’s seen prospects pan out, and fade out.
Having played seven years pro, this is someone who fully understands that with 21-year-olds there is no such thing as a sure thing. Even if there are pretty safe bets.
“Playing hockey,’’ says Eaves, “is what Justin Schultz should be doing, because he has that presence on the ice that you cannot teach. You love watching those guys that have presence. It’s an undefiniable quality.
“Ryan Suter had it, too.
“When he was here, Ryan was the most comfortable playing the game, loved to do it. . . “Justin, same thing.
“You put that together with a really good skill set and I can see him playing a long time in the NHL, and well.’’
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At 21, this young man is closer to a 'finished product' than most of the 18 year olds just taken in the draft. Too bad the draft age is 18 and they couldn't increase it to 19 or 20. I think it would help ensure more accurate predictions in who will play at what level...
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