BSH 2018 Community Draft Board, No. 6: Quinn Hughes

After four forwards in a row, the second defenseman goes on the board at No. 6, let’s dive in.

BSH 2018 Community Draft Board, No. 6: Quinn Hughes

2017-18 Season:                                                                                                                                               Position / Team: D / University of Michigan (NCAA)                                                                    2017-18 Statistics: 5 G, 24 A in 37 GP                                                                                                       Size: 5’10”, 174

Pre-draft rankings

No. 6 (NA Skaters/Goalies) by NHL Central Scouting
No. 6 by Future Considerations
No. 7 by ISS Hockey
No. 3 by Pronman/The Athletic (Midseason)

What’s there to like?

Hughes’ greatest strength is his skating ability. He’s the quintessential puck moving defenseman who can push the defense back with his skating prowess alone. He has fantastic top speed and is great on his edges, able to get away from attacking forwards with relative ease. His hockey IQ is another area of strength for the 18 year old college freshman. Hughes has great awareness of where other players are on the ice and where the puck is going. Despite being primarily known for his offensive talent, Hughes is perfectly capable defensively as well. It’s definitely not at a very high level and he does need to work on it, but it’s not necessarily a liability. When he does jump in on the rush, his speed allows him to get back and cover quickly.

Other than his skating ability, it’s Hughes passing that truly stands out. Hughes is able to successfully make the breakout passes and stretch passes more often than not, and his ability to find players seemingly anywhere on the ice makes him a lethal offensive talent.

The aspect of his game that sets him apart from some of the other projected top 10 defenseman picks is his offensive potential. Hughes has potentially game-breaking offensive skill and while the likes of Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson certainly aren’t slouches offensively, Hughes seems to have the edge.

What’s not to like?

Hughes at times can get in the habit of trying to do too much when breaking the puck out. He’ll attempt the fancy dangle around the fore-checking forward and it can end up biting him. However this is something that should be worked out as he matures and adapts at higher levels, so it’s hard to view it as too much of a concern. After all, he was just a freshman this year.  His defense is absolutely not a  liability, but there is work to be done. His positioning can be iffy at times, and he’s sometimes a little too focused on jumping up the ice. Once again, something that would most likely easily get minor fixes at the AHL level.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?

I usually don’t care for player comparisons, but I see a lot of Shayne Gostisbehere in Hughes. His play style resembles Ghost quite a bit and as long as these two don’t get paired together, I think the Flyers could make it work. He didn’t tend to QB the power play at Michigan completely, so they might have some more flexibility with him in that regard.

Could the Flyers actually get him?

Most likely not, but considering the nature of many NHL GM’s and their propensity to take the “safer” players, Hughes may just fall right into the Flyers lap at 14. However, I wouldn’t put any money on that.

Additional reading

2018 Prospect Profile: Quinn Hughes (Winging It In Motown):

Hughes has an incredibly explosive first step, allowing him to get to top speed in a few short strides. His agility in all four directions is smooth as glass, and his edgework is among the best in the entire draft class. Overall, you’re going to be hard pressed to come across a prospect in this draft class that outskate Hughes.

With one name off the poll, we add another one on. Welcome to the poll, Joel Farabee.

Joel Farabee — LW, USNTDP Juniors (USHL) — 15 G, 25 A in 26 GP

Farabee is an cerebral three-zone playmaker who consistently adheres to textbook fundamentals in addition to being one of the most lethal scorers in his draft class. He can tailor his style to fit any game — wide open, slogging matches, physical…it simply does not matter. Farabee is a top-line winger for the NTDP and he plays that role in every situation no matter the score or time on the clock. He’s very quick in open ice and possesses a devastating change of pace that catches defenders flat footed, and he’ll use a rapier-like inside shift inside if taking the puck wide isn’t the preferred route. One thing you notice instantly is his work ethic on the ice — Farabee has a nonstop motor and will bust it from start to finish on every shift. He’s a wiry kid, but his balance is stromng and he can endure a physical beating, plus ward off thicker defenders as he bulls his way to the cage. Even at 17-years-old, Farabee already own a pro-quality shot for its accuracy, velocity and release. Compounding matters for opposing goalies is that he’s as proficient with his backhand as he is on the forehand. Easily one of the top forwards among his draft-eligible peers and a kid with star potential.— via The Draft Analyst

2018 BSH Community Draft Board

1. Rasmus Dahlin — D, Frolunda (SHL) (no vote)
2. Andrei Svechnikov — RW, Barrie (OHL) (60% of the vote)
3. Filip Zadina — LW, Halifax (QMJHL) (74%)
4. Brady Tkachuk — LW, Boston University (NCAA) (57%)
5. Oliver Wahlstrom — C/RW, USNTDP (USHL) (40%)
6. Quinn Hughes — D, Michigan University (NCAA) (50%)
7. ???

***

Please use your vote below to answer the following question: If all of the players listed were available when the Flyers were on the clock, which one would you most want them to pick?

Who should be No. 7 on the 2018 BSH Community Draft Board?