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Thread: Prospect Ramblings: Big Skill in Small Packages

  1. #1
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    Default Prospect Ramblings: Big Skill in Small Packages

    Hey Team,

    Just thought I'd relay the most recent ramblings discussing vertically-challenged prospects.

    Word around the campfire is, small is the new big.

    http://www.dobberprospects.com/prosp...mall-packages/
    Staff Writer for DobberHockey
    Associate Editor/Senior Writer and Scout for DobberProspects - Vancouver Canucks

    Keep on, keepin' on.

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    Default Re: Prospect Ramblings: Big Skill in Small Packages

    I enjoyed that article. Thanks!

    Honourable mention to the smallest of the small packages, Artyom Manukyan?

    5'7" and 139 lbs. 105 points in 60 games in the MHL last year.
    ESPN keeper league (5 rounds draft; 3 FA pickups per year; points for G, A, W, SO)

    Forwards: Ovechkin, McDavid, Huberdeau, Voracek, Boeser, Wennberg, Galchenyuk, Tkachuk, Keller, Arvidsson, Teravainen, Rantanen
    D-men: Letang, Keith, Krug, Ellis, Ekblad, Hanifin
    Goalies: Murray, Hellebuyck

    Bench: Hertl, Bjorkstrand, Gallagher, Domi, Tolvanen, Niskanen, Chychrun, Darling, Mrazek, Jarry

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    Default Re: Prospect Ramblings: Big Skill in Small Packages

    It is interesting because Dobber, himself, was very big on the undersized players 3-4 years ago.
    I didn't think then was the right timing for smaller players - and guys like Ennis (for example) are OK, but they don't have the upper-tier skating of the incoming classes.

    The skating/edgework & IQ of young players is so dynamic these days that the NHL certainly seems to have trended that way. Forwards can be any size, and even D can hold their own at 5'10" or 5'11" (though no shorter than that, yet).
    A lot of this, I believe, came on the heels of seeing how a guy like Patrick Kane scores by picking shots from strange angles and through screens.
    Its more about placing pucks where goalies aren't prepared or can't read/stop them... rather than needing a large enough frame or strong enough shot to power them past a goalie.

    I'd be curious to see the % of NHL players under 6' tall.
    Prior to 2010, I'd speculate only 5% of the NHL was under 6'.
    Currently, I'd guess it is closer to 10%-12%.
    By 2020... I think it'll be about 20%.
    That's a massive uptick if my guesstimates are correct.

    This 5'-9" defenseman gives this trend a thumbs up.

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    Default Re: Prospect Ramblings: Big Skill in Small Packages

    Quote Originally Posted by Poutine View Post
    I enjoyed that article. Thanks!

    Honourable mention to the smallest of the small packages, Artyom Manukyan?

    5'7" and 139 lbs. 105 points in 60 games in the MHL last year.
    I hate the fact that kids like him don't get a real chance to play in the KHL. In the 4 games he's played so far, he's received a total of about 19 minutes. That just can't be good for his development when you play a minute or two in some games and at most you see maybe 10 minutes of ice-time.

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    Default Re: Prospect Ramblings: Big Skill in Small Packages

    Quote Originally Posted by Pengwin7 View Post
    It is interesting because Dobber, himself, was very big on the undersized players 3-4 years ago.
    I didn't think then was the right timing for smaller players - and guys like Ennis (for example) are OK, but they don't have the upper-tier skating of the incoming classes.

    The skating/edgework & IQ of young players is so dynamic these days that the NHL certainly seems to have trended that way. Forwards can be any size, and even D can hold their own at 5'10" or 5'11" (though no shorter than that, yet).
    A lot of this, I believe, came on the heels of seeing how a guy like Patrick Kane scores by picking shots from strange angles and through screens.
    Its more about placing pucks where goalies aren't prepared or can't read/stop them... rather than needing a large enough frame or strong enough shot to power them past a goalie.

    I'd be curious to see the % of NHL players under 6' tall.
    Prior to 2010, I'd speculate only 5% of the NHL was under 6'.
    Currently, I'd guess it is closer to 10%-12%.
    By 2020... I think it'll be about 20%.
    That's a massive uptick if my guesstimates are correct.

    This 5'-9" defenseman gives this trend a thumbs up.
    You might find some answers here:
    https://hockey-graphs.com/2015/02/19...-a-brief-look/

    https://hockey-graphs.com/2015/03/05...18-to-2014-15/

    According to these articles, forwards and Dmen in 2014-15 are around the same height and weight as in 1995-96. And peak height and weight of skaters in the NHL has fallen since the lockout.

    The last point doesn't exactly answer your question about % above and below 6' heights, but you can find raw data here to play around with (if you have a few hours to spare!), and this is the article linked to it from 2010.
    ESPN keeper league (5 rounds draft; 3 FA pickups per year; points for G, A, W, SO)

    Forwards: Ovechkin, McDavid, Huberdeau, Voracek, Boeser, Wennberg, Galchenyuk, Tkachuk, Keller, Arvidsson, Teravainen, Rantanen
    D-men: Letang, Keith, Krug, Ellis, Ekblad, Hanifin
    Goalies: Murray, Hellebuyck

    Bench: Hertl, Bjorkstrand, Gallagher, Domi, Tolvanen, Niskanen, Chychrun, Darling, Mrazek, Jarry

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Prospect Ramblings: Big Skill in Small Packages

    Quote Originally Posted by Poutine View Post
    I enjoyed that article. Thanks!

    Honourable mention to the smallest of the small packages, Artyom Manukyan?

    5'7" and 139 lbs. 105 points in 60 games in the MHL last year.
    He's a great honourable mention! But the ultimate has to be wee little Sean Dhooghe. 5'3 139lbs and just a waterbug on the ice. Looked great at the Sharks development camp and had a tremendous U18s. I'm really rooting for him.
    Staff Writer for DobberHockey
    Associate Editor/Senior Writer and Scout for DobberProspects - Vancouver Canucks

    Keep on, keepin' on.

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    Default Re: Prospect Ramblings: Big Skill in Small Packages

    Yeah... not gonna chug chose numbers myself, but I did speed read the link.
    The "average" height, I believe - isn't telling of the point I wanted to discuss/explore.

    But I'd love to see a bar graph with the Y-axis being quantity of players and X-axis being height: 66", 67", 68", 69", 70"...etc.
    Probably a gaussian like curve center on 73" (6'-1") but that sort of data presentation would paint the best picture.
    If somebody was keen, you do them in different colours for each mid-decade, say 2015, 2005, 1995, 1985.

    Its deceiving because I think the gargant defender (6'-6") is still in demand... and they are still coming up thru the ranks.
    And also the diminuitive forward (5'-8") is now also getting love for their beautiful skating/hands/IQ combination.
    But those two things can offset themselves and the mean/average will lose the information.

    10 years ago, I'd guess maybe 90% of players were in the range of 6'-0" and 6'-4".
    Now... I'd say maybe 75% are in the range of 6'-0" and 6'-4" with 15% being sub6' and another 10% being over 6'-4".

    Which is good...
    It means there's a spot for different statures - and not as limited as it has been.

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