The Hockey Spy’s 2010 NHL Entry Draft Preview – Taylor Hall
Christopher Ralph is a sportswriter with a focus on hockey prospects, the entry draft, as well as occasional Flames coverage here at THW.
“Full Potential” Prospect Profile:
Please “Click Here” for “Notes Up Front” and the “Legend” for various topics covered below as described for the NHL 2009 Draft rankings. Stay tuned for a live updated article dedicated to the NHL 2010 Entry Draft.
Position: Left Wing
Hometown: Kingston, ON
Birthday: November 14, 1991
Shot: Left
NHL Status: Eligible in 2010
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 185
One-Timer: One word comes to mind to describe Taylor Hall – dynamic! He is a unique, but explosive skater and very creative offensively.
There are those rankings services that try and contend Tyler Seguin or Cam Fowler are ahead of Hall. While both Seguin and Fowler are outstanding talents and potential cornerstones for whichever franchise drafts them, I remain unconvinced that either is in the same league as Taylor Hall. Admittedly, though Tyler Seguin is doing everything in his power to dethrone Hall, and Fowler was a huge part of USA’s gold medal win at the WJCs in Saskatchewan.
Hall is still a cut above the rest, in my opinion, offering up a tantalizing mix of offensive ability with his speed and puck savvy creativity, with an unquestionable passion for the game.
Current Season: Because of his amazing season last year, some facts and stats included from last season as well.
He currently sits second in overall scoring in the OHL with 76 points (32G, 44A) in 42 games. He has played three fewer games than league leader Tyler Seguin who has notched 81 points.
As per Hockey Canada:
“Named OHL Player of the Month for October, after registering 27 points, on 11 goals and 16 assists, in 14 games for Windsor … Named OHL Player of the Week for the week ending on October 25, after registering 10 points, on six goals and four assists, in three games … 2008-09: Helped Windsor capture the OHL championship and the Memorial Cup … Named the Memorial Cup most valuable player and to the tournament all-star team … Was named MVP in the OHL playoffs after registering 36 points in 20 games …”
Bio/Interview(s): http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/juniorhockey/article/753728–taylor-hall-at-home-in-nhl-draft-spotlight
International Tournaments:
Hall represented Canada at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships in Kazan, Russia. He finished fifth in tournament scoring, with nine points in seven games, helping Canada to a gold medal. Also as a member of Canada’s under-18 team, he was part of the gold medal winning squad at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in Slovakia.
More recently, Taylor Hall represented Team Canada for the 2010 World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan. He was the lone 2010 draft-eligible player selected to the final roster for Canada. He registered 6 goals and 6 assists (12 points) in 6 contests, placing him 3rd overall in scoring for the tournament. Taylor was named to the WJC all-star team in 2010.
ETA = 1 year
Risk-Reward Analysis: Risk = 0.5/5 Reward = 5/5
NHL Potential: Superstar; elite scoring, speedy winger
Strengths: Blazing speed, lightning acceleration, agility, puck skills, game-changing talent.
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On: The Scouting Report notes:
“He’s prone to making bad turnovers in transition, and sometimes he makes poor decisions with the puck in the offensive zone as well. While his plus/minus rating has been very solid the past two seasons, he is susceptible to being caught out of position, leading one to wonder how much playing for a strong Windsor club is sheltering some defensive concerns in his game.”
With a talent like Hall, I think the cause for concern here is minimal. Just unleash this kid and let him play.
Fantasy Hockey Potential: Offensive = 10/10 Defensive = 8/10
NHL Player(s) Comparison: If you can imagine a morph or hybrid of Pavel Bure and Mark Messier
Video(s):
– Sportsnet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQZ21_Dj7po
– TSN: video removed
Interesting Notes: As per Wikipedia:
– “Despite the unlikelihood of Hall playing in Russia, he was drafted 89th overall by the Kontinental Hockey League‘s Ak Bars Kazan on June 1, 2009.”
– “His father, Steve Hall, was a former CFL player in the 1980s. He played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Toronto Argonauts in 1983. He finished his CFL career in 1985 with the Ottawa Rough Riders.”
As per Hockey Canada:
– Favourite NHL team: Calgary Flames
– Favourite NHL player: Sidney Crosby
Other Rankings:
ISS: 1 (Jan ‘10)
CSB: 1-NA (Mid-term)
TSN: 1 (Sep ’09) {Bob MacKenzie}
THN: n/a
NACS: 1 (Sep ’09) {Mark Seidel}
RLR: 1 (Oct ’09)
THW: 1 (Jan ’10) {Christopher Ralph}
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