Sunday, August 9, 2015

30 Teams in 30 Days - Boston Bruins

One of my favourite cities in the U.S. to visit, Boston. Only one OHL'er and that's recent draft pick Zach Senyshyn.

1. Zach Senyshyn - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Perhaps the most talked about player at the 2015 NHL Draft, because of the trade and because the general public hadn't heard a lot about Senyshyn. As a big fan, I figured he'd be a first round pick. But going as high as he did, did surprise me (I'd be a liar if I didn't admit that). That said, I love the gamble. Word is there were a few teams in the 20's who loved Senyshyn. If he's your guy, you've got to trust your gut and take him or lose out on the opportunity. Senyshyn improved greatly from the start of this past OHL season to the end. His speed and overall skating ability is among the best in the OHL, and he flashes an above average shot coming down the wing, in addition to terrific puck protection skill. As he gets stronger, the above could become even better and he could be a very difficult power winger to stop off the rush. His play away from the puck is inconsistent. His overall offensive game (playmaking vision especially) is very raw. But…the potential is very high here. Even when the Hounds acquired some incredibly talented forwards (Ritchie, Bailey), Senyshyn continued to get playing time. He forced the hand of the coaching staff by elevating his play and that's ultimately what made him such a high pick. Next year, the Hounds should still be pretty decent despite losing a whole bunch of players to the pros (and their coach). He's going to get all the ice time he can handle in 2015/2016, especially on the power play and I expect him to have a great year. A 35/35 season is well within his grasp.

No comments: