HabsWorld.net --
The 2nd round was set to be an extremely busy one for the Habs, as they had
the 34th, 36th, and 55th selection. With the 34th pick, Montreal selected
Swedish forward Jacob De la Rose, a two-way, versatile player. At 36th,
they added a blue chip goalie prospect, picking Quebec native Zach Fucale who
won a Memorial Cup with Halifax. Finnish winger Artturi Lehkonen was
picked 55th overall.
34th overall: Jacob De la Rose, C/LW, Leksand, Allsvenskan
Size and grit continued to be the name of the game with this selection.
De la Rose, a 6’2 forward, plays a sound two-way game and is very mature for his
age. He can play all three forward positions and can play in a variety of
roles although his bread-and-butter is his defensive game. In the future,
he can be a second liner if his offensive game can develop but if not, he should
be a high quality third line forward. He played in the Allsvenskan for
most of the year (the 2nd pro league in Sweden) and helped Leksand reach the
Elite League (now called the SHL). In 38 games with Leksand, he had six
goals and six assists with a +8 rating.
Stats
From the Scouts:
Hockey News: "Every team wants that budding superstar in the draft,
but scouts are also pragmatic. There’s nothing wrong with a safe player
you know will contribute to your franchise for years."
ISS: He has a great work ethic, with
good hands and a strong shot. De la Rose knows how to use his size to his
advantage and has a great presence around the puck."
Hockey Prospectus: "He is an all-around type of forward who can make
plays in both ends, and play any of the three forward positions if asked. His
best skill is his skating, which one NHL scout described as very good, while
another called him an explosive skater."
TSN: "Can play any forward position and gives a coach a lot of
flexibility to allow him to lend support to different players and combinations.
He gets offensive opportunities but may not be a natural scorer."
Future Considerations: "He plays not
totally like that bull in a china shop style one would expect but also uses his
smarts and instincts to anticipate well and not just react. He possesses dogged
puck pursuit, works hard along the walls and pretty much lives in traffic."
Hockey Prospect: He plays well
in all three zones. Jacob is very aware of his need to work on his shot and his
scoring ability. If can can improve in those areas going forward it will surely
raise his stock."
Rankings:
TSN: 29 ISS: 33 Hockey Prospect: 37
Central Scouting: 7 (Intl. Skaters) McKeen’s: 31 Hockey
News: 29
Highlights:
36th overall: Zack Fucale, G, Halifax (QMJHL)
The consensus top goalie in this draft, one that was widely expected to be a
first round selection, surprisingly slipped to the Habs with their second pick
in Round 2. He has had a tremendous junior career so far with the Mooseheads, collecting 77 wins in his two seasons there. In 2012-13,
Fucale’s team were the champions in the QMJHL while they also won the Memorial
Cup; Fucale was named to the tournament All-Star team. During the regular
season with Halifax, Fucale had just five regulation losses in 55 games (45-5-3
record) with a 2.35 GAA and a .909 SV%.
Stats
From the Scouts:
Future Considerations: "Fucale is a
cool and calm, poised goalie that is incredibly athletic. He shows high-end
reflexes and is never out in a play. He has elite level mobility and incredible
quickness within the crease."
Hockey Prospectus: "He has quick, powerful feet that allow him to move
across the crease and position himself efficiently. Fucale’s game, however, is
called into question by some scouts who do not believe he has a game-breaking
ability to make a high-athleticism second or third save."
Hockey News: "’Last year he looked better, but that’s because he was
facing 35 shots a night’, said one scout. ‘Now he’s facing 20 and learning
a new skill: keeping his head in the game.’"
ISS: "Fucale is mature beyond his years;
has near perfect technique, great read, rebound control, and is calm and
mentally tough. Plays like Carey Price."
TSN: "He has all of the qualities of (an) elite number one, workhorse
goaltenders who help teams win… championships!"
Hockey Prospect: "He plays a standard butterfly game, focusing on covering his
angles and trying to stop more pucks by doing less. What separates him from
others is his mental toughness."
Rankings:
TSN: 19 ISS: 1 (NA Goalie) Hockey Prospect: 14
Central Scouting: 1 (NA Goalie) McKeen’s: 28 Hockey News:
25
Highlights:
55th overall: Artturi Lehkonen, LW, KalPa, SM-liiga
Size wasn’t the name of the game with this selection as at 163 lbs, Lehkonen
is one of the lighter forwards in the draft. What he lacks in size, he
makes up for with offensive skill and creativity. He is a hard-working
forward that is smart at the defensive end but his lack of size has been a
hindrance so far in his career. He spent all of the 2012-13 season in the
top league in Finland and finished second with KalPa (14 goals and 16 assists in
45 games with a +12) rating. He also represented his native country twice
in the World Under-18’s (7 GP, 3-6-9) and the World Juniors (6 GP, 3-1-4).
He is under contract in the Finnish league through 2013-14.
Stats
From the Scouts:
Hockey Prospect: "Lehkonen may
not be very strong, but he is certainly not afraid to battle for loose pucks and
get in on the forecheck. The problem is that he rarely wins these battles, and
is often knocked onto the ice quite easily."
Hockey Prospectus: "Lehkonen is a good all-around offensive talent. He
possesses every desirable tool except size. His skating might not be explosive,
but it is quality, and he displays solid speed and elusiveness."
Future Considerations: "An extremely
smart player, Lehkonen has great hockey sense in all three zones and an
absolutely deadly shot that he gets off in a blink of an eye."
ISS: "He has great hands, loves the puck
and is always in the right place to make a play. He is a leader by example and
stands out consistently as a player who gives his team a better chance to win."
Hockey News: "A pair of concussions hurt Lehkonen’s draft stock since
he isn’t a big kid by pro standards. … Lehkonen has excellent puckhandling
skills and isn’t afraid to go into the corners despite his slender frame."
Rankings:
TSN: 43 ISS: 46 Hockey Prospect: 43
Central Scouting: 9 (Intl. Skaters) McKeen’s: 39 Hockey
News: 36
Highlights:
