World News – CA – Live: Canucks go big with top two picks in 2020 Draft

CAMEROON MAGAZINE - GM07/10/20204 Mins read53 Views

The Vancouver Canucks did not choose in the first round of the first day of the 2020 NHL Draft

Their first choice of the day was Finnish defender Joni Jurmo in the third round, 82nd overall

He is tall, said to be an excellent skater and scored 28 points in 43 games for Jokerit’s U20 team last season He plays for JYP in the Liiga this year, although through two games he didn’t play for JYP. haven’t seen much ice time

« This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, » he said in his post-draft media session from his apartment in Jyväskylä, Finland, where he had watched the draft with a few teammates

The TV project was on publicity when he got a text from his agent that the Canucks picked him. He heard about the Canucks soon after

He is an exceptional skater and offensive player, which he readily recognized when asked to describe himself

He is from Espoo, the same hometown as Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who he trained with this summer

« He’s a young man, really gifted, not the most physical guy, but really smart, » Jurmo said

Most scouting services gave him a much higher rating than 82nd and, as a tall defenseman who is more comfortable with the puck on his stick than without, he has made comparisons to Tyler Myers His talents could make him one of the top four defenders, but his decision making is a question mark

« I have to be harder and fill my gaps better, » he said. He’s managing the transition to men’s hockey well, he says

« It’s much more physical, when you make a small mistake it immediately shows up on the dashboard »

He thought it would take at least two more years, maybe up to five, before he was physically and mentally ready to be in the NHL

I’m a big fan of #Canucks Joni Jurmo pick We ranked him No 46 overall @EliteProspectsOur Finnish scout @LassiAlanen broke down his game in this fantastic post at @EPRinkside Check it out https://tco / KK12Ok7FPd

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« Incredibly long player who covers a ton of ground, » Jré Burke, editor at Elite Prospects, spoke of Jourmo’s stature and skating ability

« He has a propensity to make stupid mistakes and he has to take them out of his game if he has any hope of playing in the NHL »

Cam Robinson of Dobber Hockey agreed with Burke’s assessment, calling him a “deceptive skater.” He ranked him as the best end-to-end skater in the Finnish Junior League in 2019-20 , but wondering if he can « become a drilling machine to the next level »

“Defensively, a long range that allows him to stop rushes. It can be physically punishing, but there is still plenty of room to fill his frame and he could become more physical,” Robinson added. “Defensive positioning requires a lot of development «

VAN picks Joni Jurmo in 82nd overall Excellent skater for six-foot-four defenseman Probably one of the best blueliners in the entire draft class Can handle high speed too Defends well against rush High choice # Canucks picTwittercom / 4MNQ0dtoG0

He’s never been to Vancouver, but said he saw pictures of the city and also watched many Canucks games on TV

« I saw pictures, it looks like a really big and pretty city », he said « I watched a lot of Vancouver games because there are a lot of young and talented players in their squad «

The Canucks then chose a great American winger in the fourth round, Jackson Kunz, in 113th overall He currently plays for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers but heads to the University of North Dakota in 2021-2022

Kunz says he’s been a #Canucks fan since former UND stars Brock Boeser and Troy Stecher performed for Vancouver Kunz East of Grand Forks

It’s a pick that has left a few observers scratching their heads, but it seems to mirror Assistant General Manager John Weisbrod’s draft record: it’s not the first time he’s picked a great striker who has played in American hockey in high school

Kunz is 6-foot-3 and scored 40 goals in 45 games in 2019-20 for Shattuck-St Mary’s, the Minnesota high school hockey powerhouse

Kunz has said he is modeling his game after Jamie Benn and, although he scored a lot last season, doesn’t consider himself a sniper

« Most of my goals came from the net, just fast, low plays, » he said.

He added that at St Mary’s last year, players were asked to compare themselves to a soccer player and he chose the Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry as a running back monster

They still have choices in the 144th row (5th round), 175th overall (6th) and 191st overall (7th round)

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