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Grapehead · 05-09-2018, 07:50 AM

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Charlie Schieck at practice

News out of Charlottetown today is that highly regarded prospect Charlie Schieck is unhappy with the result of this weekendâ€™s draft lottery. As we know, Montreal defied the odds to come out with the 1st overall selection in the S41 draft, and their need for defense has led many to speculate that Charlie Schieck might be the first player selected. Apparently this hasnâ€™t been received well by Schieck who seems uncomfortable with the prospect of living in a french speaking province when he doesnâ€™t speak the language. Itâ€™s a pretty common scenario for players from the maritime provinces, and typically the french speaking team will just trade down in the draft. It isnâ€™t exactly an easy boundary to get over while youâ€™re also trying to train for and play hockey at your highest level, which is why so many players in this position opt to tell the team up front they wonâ€™t report to them if drafted. This plays out for some french players as well who opt not to travel to play hockey in an english speaking city. Itâ€™s a move that some frown upon, especially those fans of the team holding the first overall pick, but most GMs actually appreciate the forewarning of the playerâ€™s intentions. Why would a GM want to use a draft pick on a player who will not play for them? While Schieck has not formally informed Montreal that he would not report to them, he has told his agent, and at this point itâ€™s his agent who is trying to talk him into the pros of playing for the Militia. Some scouts have scoffed at Schieckâ€™s assertion that he would even be Montrealâ€™s first choice in this draft.

â€œI donâ€™t know who this kid thinks he is,â€ Militia scout Ryan Vas said. â€œThere are a dozen kids in this draft we are considering for that first pick.This is not how anyone should be scouted.â€

â€œHonestly, I would say that Charlie Schieck is a reach at one,â€ Whalers GM Teddy Phelps said. â€œAt number one you want a player that is going to shine for a few seasons before graduating to the SHL. Charlie Scieck is more like the kind of player you draft 2nd or 3rd.â€

Clearly Schieck was never the consensus first overall pick, but he was highly rated and knew there was a possibility heâ€™d be picked by Montreal. The knocks on Schieck come largely with his shaky transition to playing defense and how that will affect his transition to the SMJHJL. Scouts see the possibly that Schieck could fizzle out when he canâ€™t handle the extra workload heâ€™ll be dealing with. Still, there are as many, if not more scouts who say that Schieck is a slam dunk pick at number one.

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Schieck showing off his game day routine

â€œSchieck has been training at a high level for a couple of years now so I donâ€™t foresee the transition being all that difficult,â€ league scout Adam MacDonald said. â€œHeâ€™s going to have very little trouble keeping up with the bigger boys in the SMJHL because heâ€™s been pushing himself harder than any other player at his level. If he comes in and struggles out of the gate there is no doubt in my mind that heâ€™ll push through. This kid will be a stud on the blueline, and Iâ€™m betting he will play four seasons in the SMJHL because of the fact he doesnâ€™t like to rush his own development. He recently played out his eligibility for his local minor hockey team opting to delay his jump to the SMJHL, so we expect heâ€™ll push for his SHL GM to send him down. If youâ€™re looking at hockey skill then there are a handful of great picks in this draft, but when you consider the added security a player like Schieck could offer a team I think that is what sets him ahead.â€

There are only a few more days until the SMJHL draft, and players are already arriving in Boston. The Schieck family are taking a road trip to get there, and apparently theyâ€™ve been planning the vacation for months. So whether or not Charlie goes first, and whether or not the team picking him is Montreal, it seems like the kid is just happy to be playing hockey, and ready to take the next step in his journey. Weâ€™ll see what happens on Friday.