Alexis Vanier THW Close-Up:
Date of birth: 12/21/1995
Place of birth: St-Constant, Quebec, Canada
Ht: 6’5″ Wt: 225 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2014
Twitter: @AlexisVanier
THW The Next Ones Rankings (January 2014): 36
Other Rankings:
THW War Room Rankings (April): 39
Future Considerations: not ranked
Craig Button: not ranked
CS Final Rankings for North American skaters: 112
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If your a forward trying to get into the zone, the one guy you don’t want to go up against in this year’s draft is Alexis Vanier of Baie-Comeau Drakkar. He’s an imposing blueliner with the size of an NFL linebacker. And he’s not afraid to use that size to intimidate opponents.
A solid bodychecker, Vanier is a great positional defender who knows where to be at the right time to either lay a big hit or break up a play. He packs a great deal of power into his slapshot given his 6’5″, 225 lb. figure. He was used on Drakkar’s powerplay frequently to tee up his blast from the point. He has some decent offensive skills, too.
The most he has to work on is his skating – all aspects of it. He’s not very fast and when he moves around the ice it looks very choppy. He loses momentum in his strides and moving laterally, so agility is something to focus on. However, he can be a potential force in the NHL if his skating improves over the next few seasons.
Where Will He End Up In June:
Many rankings have him going relatively high. I’d say Vanier is more likely to go in the 3rd or 4th round of the draft.
Scout’s Honor:
“Though he has skating issues, the rest of Vanier’s package is very entertaining. The hulking defenseman isn’t shy to throw the body and picks his spots well. With his frame, he also has a booming shot that is highly effective on the power play. (October 2013)“
Aaron Vickers – Future Considerations
Statistics:
Bio/Interview(s)/Links:
Profile on Last Word On Sports
ETA:
3-4 years
Risk/Reward Analysis:
Risk: 3/5 Reward: 3.5/5
NHL Potential:
2nd pairing two-way/shutdown defenseman
Strengths:
Size
Strength
Bodychecking
Pokecheck
Positioning
Powerful slapshot
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
Speed
Agility
Acceleration
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive: 5/10 Defensive: 5/10
NHL Player Comparison:
– NHL comparison: Tyler Myers
Video(s):
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THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph
Follow Shawn on Twitter: @ShawnTHW