The Hockey Spy’s 2010 NHL Entry Draft Preview – Tyler Seguin
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 covered for the NHL 2009 Draft rankings. Stay tuned for a live updated article dedicated to the NHL 2010 Entry Draft.
Tyler Seguin
Age: 18
Position: Center
Date of birth: January 31, 1992
Place of birth: Brampton, Ont., Canada
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 186
Shoots: R
NHL Status: Draft Eligible 2010
One-Timer: In comparing Tyler Seguin to projected first overall, Taylor Hall, one could argue Hall has been surrounded with substantially more talent than has Seguin. While I am still of a strong opinion that Hall is the clear cut #1 overall pick, one could argue that Seguin does more with less.
Tyler Seguin possesses a dynamic skill-set and displays outstanding hockey intelligence. Tyler already plays in every situation with the OHL Plymouth Whalers. He displays a maturity on the ice well beyond his years.
Current Season:
As of February 9th, Seguin leads the OHL in scoring with 86 points (37G, 49A) in 49 games, with a 3 point lead over fellow 1st overall draft candidate, Taylor Hall (who has played 3 less games).
He was OHL player of the month for both December and January. He has been named CHL and OHL player of the week on several other occasions.
Tyler Seguin also captained Team Orr at the 2010 Home Hardware CHL-NHL Top Prospects Game on January 19-20 in Windsor.
Bio/Interview(s)/Link(s):
– Bryanbryoil makes an interesting case for Seguin over Hall.
Don’t Miss: The Bruins/Stars Seguin Trade
International Tournaments:
2008-09: Won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Challenge in Port Alberni, British Columbia, finishing second in tournament scoring with 11 points on 3 goals and a tournament-best 8 assists in 6 games (12/29-1/4)
2009-10: Won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic (8/11-15), leading the tournament with 4 goals and 6 assists in 4 games.
Kyle Woodlief reported: “At Red Line, we reported that he looked like a man among boys in dominating Team Canada’s camp, and he was clearly the Hlinka tournament’s dominant force in Slovakia.”
*Attended Canada’s World Junior selection camp in Regina (12/12-16) for the World Junior Championships (U20), but failed to make the team. Taylor Hall was the only 2010 draft eligible player to make Team Canada. (12/26-1/5)
ETA = Risk-Reward Analysis: Risk = 1/5 Reward = 5/5
NHL Potential: 1st line franchise center
Strengths:
*While his enormous offensive talent is quite evident, Seguin takes pride in being an effective two-way player. He is an extremely talented playmaker and also very effective in the face-off circle.
* “Tyler Seguin just keeps pushing,” says one scout. “He’s not going away. If the team picking first overall needs a high-end centre more than it needs a goal-scoring winger, I could see Seguin going No. 1.” – Bob McKenzie
* Corey Pronman of Puck Prospectus stated:
“If you asked me who had the highest ceiling in this Draft class, my answer wouldn’t be Taylor Hall but rather the young Seguin. Tyler has exploded onto the OHL scene this year. With great vision and passing ability Seguin is an elite playmaker but also shows a goal-scoring touch. His development has come a long way in a short amount of time and the team that drafts him can only hope that the development curve stays steep.”
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On: The Scouting Report reports: “One concern for Seguin is his lack of commitment to the defensive zone, and that will be something that has to be addressed when he moves on to the next level.”
This is not that uncommon for a player at this level. Defense can be taught. Tyler Seguin’s impressive offensive acumen cannot.
Fantasy Hockey Potential: Offensive = 10/10 Defensive = 7/10
NHL Player(s) Comparison: Steve Yzerman
Video(s):
– Seguin Wireless – NHL.com: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=57689
– TSN Feature: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCK4oIW9jMM
– 1st OHL Hat-trick http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZVND-kEc8M
Interesting Notes: as per Hockey’s Future:
“While Hall has been atop 2010 draft rankings for years, Seguin is a bit of a late riser to his position. Seguin was an undersized player in the midget ranks who added a few inches as well as some much needed weight in his OHL draft year and rookie season. Prior to the season, he was not considered by many to be a top-five pick, but he’s quickly found a way to challenge for the top spot.”
Other Rankings:
ISS: 2 (Jan ‘10)
CSB: 2-NA (Jan ‘10)
TSN: 2 (Jan ’10) {Bob MacKenzie}
NACS: 10 (Sep ’09) {Mark Seidel – THN}
RLR: 1 (Dec ’09) {Kyle Woodlief – USA Today}
McKeens: 2 (Jan ’10)
THN: n/a
THW: 2 (Jan ’10) {Christopher Ralph }
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