21. Henrik Samuelsson
22. Derrick Pouliot
23. Tomas Hertl
24. Hampus Lindholm
25. Nicolas Kerdiles
26. Scott Laughton
27. Ludvig Bystrom
28. Cristoval 'Boo' Nieves
29. Oscar Dansk
30. Malcolm Subban
Already deep, and young, now with three building blocks down the middle in Claude Giroux, Brayden Schenn and Sean Couturier, Holmgren turns his attention to the back end that is aging, and without All-Star Captain, Chris Pronger.
"With the twentieth overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers are proud to welcome, from the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League:
Slater Koekkoek."
Big mean and nasty, just the way they like it on Broad Street, Slater Koekkoek is one of the highest upsides of all the defensemen in the 2012 NHL Draft. That being said, a shoulder injury kept him out most of the season, and he's already a very raw player in need of some polish before he hits the pro ranks.
Koekkoek (pronounced CUCKOO) is a proto-typical two-way defender with a whole lot of mean in him. The smooth skating rearguard controls play at both ends of the ice. Before his injury, Slater was playing 30 minutes a night and was a clear cut top pairing OHL defenseman. He uses quick feet, mobility, and very good agility to skate the puck out of trouble with ease and grace.
He has explosive first few strides and can take off from a stand still through traffic, and become a dangerous option on the rush. He has all-way mobility and really closes gaps well.
Offensively, he brings a booming slap shot as his main point of attack. He controls the puck from the point and moves it around with precision. His head stays on a swivel and he shows high-end vision and understanding of defensive systems.
Koekkoek has always been an offensively-minded defender. His growth defensively has been impressive, using his reach and gaps to angle forwards towards the board. He has good positioning and is continuing to improve each game in that regard.
He's also a very physical specimen. He's strong as it is, and has the ability to 'lay the boom' with highlight reel hits through open ice. Down low he makes you pay, with a couple shoves and a whack here and there. Koekkoek is a real pain to play in any situation, and he's continuing to get ever better.
A real wildcard, Koekkoek could go anywhere on the board with the questions over his shoulder and the long term effects of it - if any.
Join the Discussion:
»