Could The Columbus Blue Jackets Draft Liam Greentree?
as the dust settles around Don Waddell’s hiring for the Blue Jackets we’re turning our attention back to the draft we’ve got another draft profile as we look at Liam green tree today on lock on Blue Jackets your locked on Blue Jackets your daily podcast on the Columbus Blue Jackets part of the locked on podcats network your team every day hello and welcome to locktown Blue Jackets part of the podcast Network your team every day I am as always your host Jay Foster here to give you the Good the Bad and the Ugly about your favorite team and mine the Columbus Blue Jacket before we get started I want to thank everyone for making this your first listen of the day every single day L and blue jacket is free and available on all podcast platforms over on YouTube and on SiriusXM I also to let you know that today’s EP is brought to you by Game Time download the game time app create account and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase terms apply um like I said at the top of the show got another draft profile for you uh got one half of lock on nhop Prospect hady kakes here to uh talk a little bit about Liam Green Tree who is a guy that has been crawling up some draft boards kind of sneaky like so uh we’re going to get into him and talk a little bit more about what the Blue Jackets could do at the draft this June so I’m just going to get into my conversation with Haddie reports are out there that the Blue Jackets are looking to kind of pick up a second first round pick I don’t know how they’re going to do that yet but if they do Le Green Tree might be an option for them kind of in that late first round so I’ve got hady kakes one half of lockon NHL Prospect and uh the assistant director I believe over at Dober Prospect uh and book dra call about Liam Green Tree who uh had has just informed me outscored uh everyone else on his team by about 25 to 30% this season so let’s uh let’s let’s get into it obviously the spit f were not great this season but is is Green Tree really that much better than everyone else on the roster uh yes and no I I think that you know in terms of pure abilities in terms of pure upside at the NHL level No One Compares To greenry on this roster yeah he he scored 90 points and 64 games for wior uh including 36 goals um and outscored everyone on Team by 24 points so in terms of carrying a steam doesn’t get better than that he was one of only two CHL draft only one of only two NHL draft eliges playing in the CHL to wear a c on their Jersey it was him and Tanner how um and for good reason Green Tree was the key part on the ice that kepts wisor in games when they shouldn’t be um this was a team that really struggled this season and even Green Tree I mean there was a pretty interesting progression in this game earlier on the year um everyone including myself kind of just saw goal scoring you know a a bad skater with a big body who could kind of get off the boards and and shoot from the slot fairly frequently but as the season went on um the hockey sense just kept shining more and more and more and he became one of the best Playmakers in the OHL as well so top of being a good goal scorer player I think at the NHL level could score 25 to 30 goals um he’s added a dimension to his game that really really works um he’s really good at playing give and goes kind of passing the puck moving it to space getting it back and just kind of building play incrementally so he’s not a player who necessarily sees passing as just a way to get a primary assist he’s a player who sees passing as a way to kind of Chess his way up the ice um and that I find really really interesting in green tre’s game and I think that if you can build the game around that concept if you can build your roster um in a way that you’re you’re really playing chess on the ice instead of just running and gunning playing kind of Counterattack hockey um I think you’ve got a really good shot of making lean greenry a very very good potential top six player so when we were kind of discussing what what which prospects we were going to um discuss in this recording you immediately were like yes let’s talk Liam green tree uh why is that why are you so high like obviously we’ve just talked about like what intrigues you about him but like why are you so high on Liam Green Tree as opposed to kind of some of the other players that are going to be available in that kind of maybe 15 to 20 range which is I think what most rankings have him as yeah absolutely um for me what makes green tree so interesting is that the things that he needs to work on are things that have gotten easier and easier to work on with uh with time power skaters have gotten better um the understanding of what makes good skating mechanics has has grown and improved over the last couple of years in the NHL so I think that he’s got a really good shot on improving on the one thing that he needs to improve on um and I think that in terms of his skating ability if his skating improves the rest of his game gets elevated because he already thinks at an NHL Pace he already processes the game at an NHL Pace um he just doesn’t have the footwork yet but if you combine the footwork if you get the footwork up to speed with the brain you’ve got a fantastic player and that’s the main part that makes me so happy to talk about Liam Greener is he is so smart um you know I watch for example Trevor Conley uh who plays with the Tri City storm of the USHL if you watch him play you really can see how everything he does is in the objective of getting a goal or primary assist when he passes the puck is because he thinks he’s going to get the the primary assist on the goal um he he passes to create immediate scoring chances Liam greenry can make one pass that leads to five shots that’s the difference for me is he knows how to slow down the play how to draw players in how to make the right pass at the right weight at the right moment um that understanding of passing as a as a means rather than an ends uh is what really made me so interested in Liam greenry as a prospect to start with and again like I said the skating is something that I think can be worked on um in his game it’s not fundamental lackings it’s just he’s big he’s heavy and he still hasn’t figured out stride depth but that’s something that power skating usually f fixes so I think the one big big issue in his game can be fixed and the plus of his game um the the intangibles the things that are difficult to teach he already has that’s what makes him so interesting for me and that’s why he’s he can he can show up anywhere on on boards he’s on our he’s number 13 on our board at Dober prospects um right around where I would have him he’s as high as number six on one board he’s as low as 25 on another so there’s a wide range of of where people kind of uh project him based on his big weakness of his skating but I think that can be fixed and that’s why we have him higher than consensus obviously like development is not linear and players are not like it’s so hard to look at a player and be like you are exactly two and a half years away from an NHL job but like how do you see green tre’s progression like obviously he’s probably a little bit more of a project than some of the other guys that are kind of being talked about as first round picks but is he a guy that you know probably goes back to Windsor next season continues to tear it up and then is he a guy that as soon as he turn 20 makes the the AHL and tear it up there or is he a guy that you think is probably going to take a little bit longer and it’ll probably take a little bit more kind of a slow year in the AHL and then another year in the AHL and then finally making it to the NHL and kind of going up that way like what do you see his his progression is like yeah usually the prospects who see we see be kind of long-term projects are the prospects who haven’t figured out the decision- making the habits um all the things that lead to good results at least in a bottom six at an NHL level at minimum right um I think with Liam greenre that’s not the problem his awareness his decision-making his habits are really really really good um he’s good defensively as well so he’s reliable in his own Zone that’s why he’s a captain that’s why he’s been so effective that’s why he’s been playing so often per game for for Windsor in the OHL um I don’t think that I don’t think AG grei is gonna need as much time as Beck at senica for example um because he understands how to play in a way that’s translatable that’s projectable I think in consistency will be one thing but if you’re playing in a bottom six if your offensive consistency isn’t all there it’s not the end of the world so I think that’s I think that greenre is going to spend a lot of time in an NHL bottom six um but eventually will get to a top six we’ll get to a level where he one year he just just elevates his game to another level and and hits it off and becomes a true top six player um and I think that’s going to come sooner than later so I think that by the time he’s 20 I’d be surprised if we don’t see green tree play at least five NHL games um and then within the next couple years after that he should slowly but surely climb his way onto a top six I don’t think that’s out of the question got more of my conversation with Haddie in just a second but first I’ve got to tell you all about game time uh game time is the best ticketing service out there they are the official ticketing service for the NBA uh they are it’s the best one like I I could talk about their last minute deals I could talk about their all in prices their low price guarantee they’ve got views from your seat like there are so many different cool features that I can talk about and it’s not just Sports they’ve got concerts they’ve got comedy they’ve got theater they’ve got deals on everything uh I’ve mentioned the lowest price guarantee if game time finds tickets in your section and row for Less on somewhere else they will credit you 110% of the difference they’ve got the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry and my personal favorite uh is they’re all in pricing feature so you can get the total UPF front which means that you don’t get to the checkout and find like 50 bucks in Surprise fees added for you like on some other ticketing Services take the guesswork add a buying ticket with Game Time download the game time app create an account and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase terms apply again create an account redeem code l k e d o n NHL for $20 off your first purchase download game time today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed is see this is kind of more of an OHL thing I guess more than anything but if he feels like a great candidate for Windsor to trade next season and get like a bajillion draft pick back in the way that the CHL is like yeah we traded this one player and got 18 draft picks back like you see a guy that you think is is a candidate to go to a better OHL team and maybe get some playoff experience and things like that or is he a guy that you think is probably he’s going to stick it out with the the Spitfires for sure I think um captains get traded in this in the CHL a lot more frequently than they doing the NHL that’s for sure um I don’t think it’s out of the question I think it would be a good first his game to learn how to not learn how to play with better players because that’s the thing is once you get to the NHL I don’t think I don’t think greenry is gonna have to carry his team on every shift like I don’t think that’s going to be a good for his game and B realistic because he’s going to be playing with players who think the game at a high level who play at a high level uh and and play at high speed as well so learning to play with those guys learning to keep up with them mentally um is going to be super important for his game so if by some miracle London pulls out the London Knights pull off a trade to get Liam greenry on their roster that feels unfair it does seem unfair but it it does seem like a very night thing to do yeah like that that’s the thing is that it really seems like a London Knights thing to do he seems like a player that they could that they could Target but if it’s not London he can be s sagona could be yosua um I think the green tree would be really interesting next to Becka Sena over the next few years that would be quite interesting in terms of a uh a a combo of skills but yeah I think overall that the I don’t think it should be the objective to get him to into a better team I think that you know the OHL changes very quickly so who knows wsor might be a contender next year like there’s no way to predict that um but if you know depending on the circumstances if Windor is still not playing playoff hockey not playing at least at least meaningful playoff playoff hockey I think it would be a good idea at the deadline to see him moved uh to a team that is going to see playoff hockey because I think that that’s where it’s key because in tournaments so far green tree has been a bit underwhelming um in the regular season for Windor he’s been amazing but you know I I want to see a bit more from him in in key moments and key you know Do or Die games and we haven’t really seen that as often from greenry this year he hasn’t had a lot of opportunities to Showcase that do or die um kind of clutch ability like we see for example with z buam looks like all he’s been doing all year is just playing Do or Die games and just excelling in them uh we haven’t seen that yet from from Green Tree and that’s a challenge for me so far as I want to see that from him so a move uh to an O shell team that will play Do or Die games I think would be great but I don’t think it’s necessary to see him kind of reach his full potential yeah I guess it’s the argument of like would you rather have him be the guy on a team or would you rather him kind of play a lesser role on a better team and it’s I guess depends on the NHL team that drafts him and how they value like Player Development um which I guess kind of leads into kind of my next question is like obviously the Blue Jackets right now don’t have a draft pick that they could use on on Green Tree unless he somehow Falls to 36 they’re not taking him at Fourth that feels wild to even think about but is that kind of the is the development program at Columbus something that you think that green tree could kind of thrive in I think that’s one of one of their biggest strengths over the last few seasons has been how they develop their Prospect right up until they hit the NHL and then they sit on the bench for 18 minutes at a time or whatever it’s F don’t to get into that right now but it feels like the prospect development program at the for the Columbus has been really great in terms of getting players to be their best in the AHL in the CHL in the NCAA do you think he could thrive in in a system like that kind of working with the kind of the development program that the Blue Jackets have sure absolutely um I think that the improve ments in players like marenko and um you know chikov to a certain extent um these are two players that have improved their skating strides I I think that Columbus doesn’t have too much of a problem developing skating strides um and that’s a big that’s a big setback with green tree like it’s obvious whenever you watch him that this is a player who you know his stride is heavy his his his weight is too flat on his on his Skates um and doesn’t bend the knees as well these are things that it’ll take some time I think to get to kind of an NHL level but you can get that done um but the brain’s already there the hands already there the shot the hands the the passing like there’s so much that’s already any shell already that I think that this is a this is kind of like a layup for the for this for the development team at Columbus um just a very easy prospect that you know exactly what you need to work with uh you know exactly what you need to develop you don’t head into it with any surprises or anything that you know oh I didn’t expect us to have to work on this now we have to work on this as well which is a whole another um bag of tricks we have to open you know so it’s like I feel like this is the easiest um you know if you like your scout if you like your development team you’ll give them this Prospect is that kind of thing yeah for sure he Liam Greer to me feels like the kind of prospect that’s going to go to the Minnesota Wild at like 18 and then in two years time everyone’s going to be like how the heck did Minnesota do this because I feel like they always do this um but is his obviously we talked a little bit about like his skating is the thing needs to work on obviously is that something that you think is that he he needs an NHL level skating coach or is it just reps because I feel like at this age there are very few prospects that don’t need to work on their skating and it’s just a case of more skating at a higher level and you know reps reps reps is it that or is it something that you think could he could really benefit from a dedicated the the NHL team that draft him paying for a skating coach to go back to wherever he lives during the summer asosa apparently um and like just working with him specifically on his skating you know yeah so is it a teaching thing or is it a reps thing you know I I think it’s really um a mechanics thing and that’s a bit tougher to work with because you develop mechanics kind of organically based on on your your body weight distribution um you know if you don’t tell a player how to skate they’ll develop a skating stride that fits the way that their weight is built that their body’s built um that’s going to be tough to rework I don’t think it’s really just a rep thing um because these things actually usually kind of these problems accentuate with reps that aren’t um I don’t want to say controlled but supervised in a way or or kind of guided in the right direction if you don’t guide green trees skating Strat skating mechanics in the right direction I think this problem is just going to get worse as he grows as he adds weight as he you know all that good stuff um so I think that this is something that the earlier you tackle it the better because you know if you can put the axis on skating mechanics if you can teach him how you know to rework his stride around his frame to to kind of sometimes you have to go back to the basics I think of um I’m blank I think it’s yor sidorov um who’s a prospect of the Ottawa Senators he went to Barb Underhill and bar Barb Underhill got him kind of basically reworked him from the beginning went back to the types of the types of skating drills you show to like literal babies and children learning to skate like just back to the full Basics because it needed so much work I think it’s kind of the same thing with green sheep but to a lesser extent I don’t think skating is as bad as um that players was but yeah overall like the idea is to nip this problem in the bud because the longer you let this happen the long longer you let him kind of get reps with his current gaining stride I think the worse this is going to get so the right team’s going to be able to kind of intervene as quickly and as accurately as possible to to stop this before it happens which kind of follows onto a thought I was having which is um so I locked on Blue Jackets we recently just we’re doing our like player season reviews and uh we just recently did demit frankov who is a good player in many ways but is not the most graceful skater in the world let’s say um he does kind of skate like someone to put a grizzly bear on a pair of skates um but he’s made that he’s made that work for him you know and I don’t think he’s ever going to be the best skater in the world but his he’s kind of made his game fit his skating Style is there a possibility of that with green tree or do you think it’s he needs to fix his skating style or he’ll never be an NHL is there a world in which he kind of does the Veron COV thing or um the Dylan stro is also is the is the big name that I always think of of yeah looks like a cartoon character when he skates but gets the job done you know is is that a similar thing with green Che or do you think it’s serious enough that it is if he doesn’t fix his skating he will not be an NHL no I don’t think it’s that bad um and I think that skating concerns are overrated if look at I’d say 99% of nhlers don’t have a perfect skating stride you know not everyone’s Conor McDavid or Kyle Connor or Matt barzal or you know there are there are a few examples of players with perfect skating strides but I would also say like 90% of those with perfect skating strides are darn good players um you know players who can impact the game at a high level um so so for me it’s just I don’t think it’s it’s a square versus rectangle thing where it’s like you know not every not every rectangle is a square but every square is a rectangle that kind of thing um I think that it’s important to to put the access on developing skating I think without a skating he’s still going to be an NHL he’s still going to be a player who who plays in the bottom six who gives you good impact defensively who does the right things and transition to create offense but he’s going to be limited he’s going to be a player who can’t escape pressure who can’t um you know deak through layers as effectively so for me it’s just getting that skating up to par unlocks so much upside so offense that you wouldn’t have if you don’t but you’re still getting an NHL if you don’t figure that part out I still think yeah I want to finish off by talking about um a a blue jacket prospect that by the time this episode goes live I believe the Memorial Cup will have already happened but I want to talk about D matuk yeah who just wrapped up a pretty darn good regular season with the Moosejaw Warriors and then entered just an entirely new level for the playoffs how excited should Blue Jackets fans be about D matchu kind of taking that jump to to Pro because he’s going to be in he’s going to turn pro after the Memorial Cup the question is really is he going to be with the AHL or the NHL come October like what what what’s what should Blue Jacket fans be excited about for um then to matuk absolutely so with matuk you’re getting a very daring offensive player um on the defensive side so for me this is a player who I think has the most um has more chaos that I’d be comfortable with uh as an NHL coach like he is very chaotic I’ve seen him retrieve his own dumpin and you know stay behind the net and try to wrap around that kind of stuff all on his own he’s he is fairly chaotic but I think that he’s he’s reigned in the defense of chaos a lot he’s gone a lot more calm and composed on the defensive side of the puck his stick work has gotten a lot better he’s still relatively um you know compared to other defensemen you know he’s not he’s not a Powerhouse he’s not a physical monster but he’s still able to handle physical scenarios he’s still able to the boards I think you’re getting a a second pair defenseman in in Denton Muk in the future um but a darn good one at that a player who can play on your top power play potentially who can um kind of dominate in transition as well I really like his combination of skating and hands and dare like it works really well so there’s a lot to love here in matak I think that he’s a he’s a he’s a unique Prospect um he’s the closest thing to Pavo mikov uh other than Pavo mikov in terms of the overall skill set and tools and way he plays um but obviously a shorter version of Pavo mikov which honestly I I think Blue Jacket fans should be happy with like that’s a that’s a good if D matri turns into pav mikov like I would not be I would not be even a little bit mad about that having having seen more of the Ducks play hockey this season than I really care to um I’ve watched a lot of paval mov so he’s he is a lot of fun and if matuk turns into him I think we should be uh we should take that and run quite frankly um if people want to learn more about Green tree if they want to learn more about prospects in general uh where can they find you in your work online heavy absolutely so wherever you’re listening to this just look up lockon NHL prospects and you’ll find Sebastian and I talking about prospects 5 days a week Monday to Friday uh if you’re looking to kind of follow me on Twitter to see kind of keep up with my general work obviously I post the podcast episodes there but everything else I do goes on Twitter it’s the onstop shop if you’re listening on YouTube the handle is right below my face um my handle is hady Kore scouting this h a Kore scouting again everything I post goes there so if you want to make sure you don’t miss anything I do uh just follow me on Twitter and you’ll get all of it and that’s about all I’ve got for today uh we will be back tomorrow for just probably a little bit of a Roundup of all of the news uh that has been happening in the Blue Jackets world this week because there’s been a lot of it um I’ve been J Foster thank you for listening you can find me on Twitter atore Jacob Foster j k o b f r s t e r you can find the show at lore blue jacket if you have comments questions criticism you can email me at lockon bluejackets gmail.com you can find uh us wherever you go to the podcast you can find us uh for free and uh readily available on YouTube on SiriusXM thank you for making us your first listen of the day every single day and until tomorrow make sure you stay locked on
Liam Greentree is one of the best goalscorers in the draft, and he did it on one of the worst teams in the OHL. We’re joined by Hadi Kalakeche to talk about his rising draft stock, and what his NHL ceiling is!
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