Why doesn't Nicolas Petan get more love around here?
He's leading the entire CHL in scoring on the best team in junior hockey as a 17-year-old. What's there not to love about this kid besides his size? He's only two inches shorter than MacKinnon and Drouin anyway. If Portland wins the Memorial Cup and Petan has a huge tournament, do you guys think he could become a mid first rounder?
2 inches and 20+pounds isn't an insignificant difference.
Despite that, if he continues his performances then I expect a team will take him in the 20-25 range. I seen that the TSN ranking had him around the 50 mark, but I don't believe for a second that a team isn't going to gamble on him a good bit before that. He has great upside.
I'm very intrigued by this player. I've seen him play, but last season, before he started to dominate. I don't really know what his skillset looks like.
But the fact that he's outscoring Rattie definitely has to count for a lot.
5-9 is always a problem, but what Petan has that many small players that don't succeed in the NHL have is elusiveness. Petan can weave his way through traffic, showing some promise he can handle bigger and tough competition.
Still, he needs to rely on it because without elusiveness, he's done. A high risk but HUGE reward type of prospect
5-9 is always a problem, but what Petan has that many small players that don't succeed in the NHL have is elusiveness. Petan can weave his way through traffic, showing some promise he can handle bigger and tough competition.
Still, he needs to rely on it because without elusiveness, he's done. A high risk but HUGE reward type of prospect
I think you might see a team with 2 2nd round picks snatch him up.
Look at Conacher this year, he is having little trouble adjusting to the NHL and he's 5'8 175ish. Petan should be an early 2nd rounder if no one takes a chance on him in the first.
He's leading the entire CHL in scoring on the best team in junior hockey as a 17-year-old. What's there not to love about this kid besides his size? He's only two inches shorter than MacKinnon and Drouin anyway. If Portland wins the Memorial Cup and Petan has a huge tournament, do you guys think he could become a mid first rounder?
Size is bringing him done. He's early first round talent probably be drafted late first round. See Dan Briere his draft year.
His skating is good. He doesn't shy away from physical play, but his frame is the only real negative on him.
The fact that it is such a deep draft might mean that teams stick with "safer" picks, but he is the same size and, IMO, a better player than Tyler Ennis was when he was drafted in the first round.
Teams will be kicking themselves if he hits a growth spurt. He's still so young. I could see him hitting 5'11 - 185/190 in 3-4yrs.
That's assuming he can play a 5'11 man's game, which is hard to say at this point. He'd be expected to play the body, would have a much higher center of gravity, less quickness, etc. A lot of players that suddenly grow at an older age like that have a hard time adjusting to their frame.
