NHL draft 2015: Travis Konecny takes the final lottery spot at No. 14

The final lottery spot on our community big board is the fifth straight spot to go to a forward, as Ottawa 67’s center Travis Konecny gets his name put up. Konecny easily outpaced the rest of the field in the voting, picking up 54 percent of the votes that you all registered.

Konecny is a guy who’s got a pedigree to his name, as he was the OHL’s first overall pick in the 2013 draft. His best attribute is his skating, and boy, can he fly — it’s not an exaggeration to outright call him one of the draft’s speediest skaters, which is saying something considering how many of the guys we’ve profiled so far that have “good skating” as a plus attribute.

That skating helps in a lot of ways, but calling Konecny a do-it-all kind of player is reasonably accurate. He’s a very creative offensive player, who has high-end offensive skill on and off the puck that allows him to open up chances near the net. He also isn’t afraid to play a physical style of hockey or to try and make something happen by hitting guys who are bigger than him. Which, in fairness, is true of most — Konecny, at 5’10” and 175 pounds, can be reasonably classified as small.

Still, he’s a very strong all-around player. ESPN’s Corey Pronman ranked him among the draft’s best prospects in each of four different categories — skating (fourth), puck skills (sixth), passing (eighth), and hockey IQ (eighth). With the package he brings to the table, it’s hard not to see him at least making an impact at the NHL level.

And, however much or little this may mean, Konecny had one of the best performances out of anyone at the combine fitness tests a few weeks back, ranking highly in multiple strength-related categories. So while he’s not big, he’s a guy you can safely give the coveted “plays larger than his size” label to.

With that said, there are some concerns. It’s fair to wonder how well a guy his size can hold up playing a physical style of hockey at the NHL level the way he has in the OHL. And though he burst out the gate in his first season in the OHL, topping a point per game, his point totals were pretty stagnant year-over-year (1.11 points per game in 2013-14, 1.13 in 2014-15).

His scoring did pick up substantially over the later part of the year — NHL.com points out that he had 15 points in his first 18 games before scoring 56 in his last 42 — and there were mentions in that same piece that his early-season play was affected by an injury. Whoever takes him on Friday will certainly do so hoping that the version of him that showed up over the second half of the season is the one that’s reflective of his long-term potential.

Konecny may project as either a center or a winger at the NHL level, and given his size and playing style it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make that move out to the side. But in any case, I think there’s a lot to like in him — his combination of speed, skill, and physicality makes him a lot of fun, and I think there’s a level of safeness and upside in him. Obviously, one guy’s opinion and all, but I’d have him up there with any of the other forwards on the board after the top four (McDavid, Eichel, Strome, Marner) and Mathew Barzal. Take that, voting public.

So that’s that with the lottery. We’ll run this for two more days, with one more individual winner tomorrow and then a few guys chosen in the final poll to fill out the last few spots on the board. Here are two more names to consider in the meantime.

Thomas Chabot, D, Saint John (QMJHL) – 12 G, 29 A in 66 GP

Chabot is a smooth-skating blue-liner that’s seen as one of the most reliable prospects available in the draft. His high hockey IQ leads him to make smart decisions with and without the puck. … He’s particularly adept at supporting the offense, however he made big strides in his defensive game this season, establishing himself as a well-rounded defender that has the ability to play in every situation. He doesn’t necessarily possess a heavy shot, however he does have the ability to get his shots on net, which is often more beneficial than a booming slap spot. … He finished first among Saint John’s defenders in scoring, fifth on the team. His 27 even-strength points were fourth among all QMJHL defenders this past season, indicating that he doesn’t rely solely on powerplay situations to create offense.

— via Marc Dumont at Eyes on the Prize

Jake DeBrusk, LW, Swift Current (WHL) – 42 G, 39 A in 72 GP

DeBrusk plays with a joy and energy that is the kind of thing fans love. He’s fast and strong for his size, a very good skater and has a work-rate that’s…well, if not unparalleled then at least very rarely matched by his competitors. His game is based on positioning, timing and intelligence with a side order of fearlessness-he’ll go wherever is necessary to win the puck and give himself and his team the best chance of putting it in the net. … DeBrusk’s whole attacking arsenal relies on cunning and guile coupled with a killer instinct of a shot-on first out-thinking the other team, then doing exactly what’s needed at exactly the right time, whether that be tying up a defender in front of the net in a physical battle before pulling away at just the right moment to receive a pass or get his stick on a shot from the point, or timing a pass perfectly to hit a team-mate in the best position to score. … He’s also responsible in his own zone, having played a system that emphasises it strongly in Swift Current. … DeBrusk himself admits that he knows he’ll have to get bigger and make plays faster to have a chance at a true NHL career.

— via fourthlinewing at Stanley Cup Of Chowder

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The 2015 BSH Community NHL Draft Board

1. Connor McDavid, C, Erie (OHL)
2. Jack Eichel, C, Boston University (NCAA)
3. Dylan Strome, C, Erie (OHL) (45% of the vote)
4. Mitch Marner, C/RW, London (OHL) (54%)
5. Noah Hanifin, D, Boston College (NCAA) (77%)
6. Ivan Provorov, D, Brandon (WHL) (45%)
7. Mathew Barzal, C, Seattle (WHL) (39%)
8. Mikko Rantanen, RW, TPS (Liiga) (41%)
9. Zach Werenski, D, Michigan (NCAA) (35%)
10. Lawson Crouse, LW, Kingston (OHL) (31%)
11. Kyle Connor, C/LW, Youngstown (USHL) (37%)
12. Pavel Zacha, C/LW, Sarnia (OHL) (52%)
13. Timo Meier, RW, Halifax (QMJHL) (50%)
14. Travis Konecny, C, Ottawa (OHL) (54%)
15. ???

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As always, 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, who would you want them to pick?

Who should be No. 15 on the Community Big Board?