In the final installment of the draft series dedicated to the possible first round pick, we arrive at William Nylander’s resume. Choosing Nylander could be awkward, but it might be a wise choice. Let’s have a look.
THEY’RE JUST WILD ABOUT WILLIAM…..
- Craig Button, TSN: Nylander boasts high-end skills highlighted by excellent puck control.
His confidence with the puck is outstanding and he has as much patience
with it as any player in the draft. - Red Line Report: while William Nylander has recently rebounded from some early doldrums,
we have soured somewhat on all the drama that surrounds his attitude.
Having said that, we can’t knock him out of the top 10 because, well…
he’s very likely the most purely skilled offensive player in this draft. - Report is here.
- Goran Stubb, Central Scouting:“William
is an exceptional talent with all the tools needed to become a star.
He’s an artist on the ice. William is an excellent offensive player with
an extremely high skill level. He’s not a selfish player, but does tend
to hold on to the puck too long at times. He needs to improve his
defensive game, but he’s a fun player to watch and a real
crowd-pleaser.” - Report is here.
Nylander is dominating the scoring at this year’s U18 tournament, and the Oilers have scouts observing the action in Finland.
ALSO IN THE SERIES….
ANYTHING ELSE?
William Nylander is the son of Michael Nylander. There is some history here, but if Nylander was the right pick I doubt it would impact anything. Still, it’s part of the story.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
Nylander’s closing fast based on reports, but I don’t think he’ll go in the top three overall. The Edmonton Oilers, if they pick third overall, will select one of Aaron Ekblad, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett or Leon Draisaitl.
