Budding power centre-forward schooled in the USA-NDT. When does a NHL scouting staff decide the best player available to them is checking line wing? I guess the answer I keep coming up with is the only freshman college player who the older more experienced college players have issues against, Shane Vanaghi. His strength, smarts, jump, and high end hockey sense see him economically make impact use of shifts, as he doesn’t get a lot of touches, playing limited minutes in a more checking role. He plays in control, but violent and full of hard power, impact, pace, and determination, and most of all, shifts filled with physicality. There is a motor that doesn’t down shift once on the sheet. His desire to attack is obvious; he may not always be successful, but he make contact before trying to get to loose pucks, and never dials down his desires to fight for every one of them, or for net front presence. He blocks shots in the defensive zone, win the race to the loose ones, and then controls the game down low. There is a motor that doesn’t down shift once on the sheet. His desire to attack is obvious; he may not always be successful, but he make contact before trying too get to loose pucks, and never dials down his desires to fight for every one of them, or for net front presence. His work station is on the boards, hammers and pins opponents. He’s a puck retriever, a sledgehammer and a digger, and has a decent set of hands in that offensive toolsbox, making passes in space to teammates. He’ll chip the puck in, go recover it, pass out high in the zone, and then rush the slot for the rebound. But not done, he jumps back at the puck carrier to seal them off and hold the zone. There is something special qualities about him, but also some skills that have to become additions. The primary is his skating, which is below-average at the college level, and some of his difficulty changing directions are another, but he compensates with pure will and power. And although a Rrealistic projection is bottom-six, but I could see him move up a line up and score with the right linemates, as he develops, there seems to be more than he displays in the college game role.. A really intriguing player who likely could go in first round. Where? Anywhere from slot 20 to the top third of the second rd.
–Bill Płaczek–
