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Jesster · 04-18-2019, 04:43 PM

Double Media payout for S47 Draft

Raptors Season 47 SMJHL Draft Class Index
R1, P2: Alexander Thorstorm (Goalie)
R2, P11: Calogero Crudelli (LW)
R2, P13: Mikelis Ozolins (Defense)
R3, P21: Conrad Farell (RW)
R3, P22: Jay Steele (Defense)
R3, P29: Emeka Valentine-Okoli (RW)
R4, P31: Teddy Nuggets (LW)
R4, P35: Onwudiwe Adebowale (LW)

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Colorado Raptors came into the Season 47 draft looking to bolster many different areas of the team. They have added to their youth in this draft with a variety of recreates and first gen players. In order for Colorado to be successful in season 47 they must have their rookies progress well. A team that will be relying on theese rookies come the second half of the season and into the postseason if they wish to make a deep run. The goal of this draft was to fill needs for the immediate and the future of the Raptors organization. They needed strong skaters who can come into form by mid-season and be huge contributors, and those who are dedicated to their own development to come up big in the years to come. Lets review how the draft fell for the S47 Colorado Raptors.

Alexander Thorstorm - Goalie
Round 1, Pick 2

With the second overall pick in the 47 SMJHL draft class Colorado Raptors select goaltender Alexander Thorstorm out of Sweden, the highest goalie ever selected in SMJHL Entry Draft history. The goalie out of Sweden whose impressive size and athleticism at a young age have him turning heads. Coupled with his strong connection to Ryan Jesster, SHL Hall of Fame goaltender and one of the most influential goaltenders of his generation. Alexander makes for a very interesting Prospect for many general managers. He boasts an incredible flashy style reminiscent of that of dominik Hasek. His hand speed and rebound control set him apart from the rest in the Junior Leagues. Alexander is one of those goaltenders that has the ability to swallow up pucks. He's done a great job throughout the rookie showcase that once a shot hits him there is not often a rebound. Now his game is definitely far from perfect; a prospect like the rest, Alex needs to work on his style control and size. As a slightly above average sized goaltender he definitely needs to utilize his size better in net to make it more difficult for Shooters to pick top cheese. Almost to a fault he is reliant on his glove hand and this sometimes gets him beat when it shouldn't, however this also leads to a lot of times where it seems like you might be down and out and has the ability to flash the glove and make the unexpected save. There's going to be a lot of hype and interest on the development of this Prospect but you won’t see too much of Thorstorm this season as he will be taking on the backup role. However if there is any struggle in net you may see a bit more of Alexander before the season is over.

Calogero Crudelli - Winger
Round 2, Pick 11

The second but arguably the most important pick made by the Raptors for this upcoming season is left Winger Calogero Crudelli. One of the top forwards in this draft, Calogero Crudelli is it offensive for word the ability to puckk handle and find open teammates in all different areas of the ice. He has an impressive knack for scoring for a youngster and reliability in his own end that has proven to make him ahead in his development over most other prospects. This 6ft 2in, 235 lb Latvians’ only weakness is his ability to check, but the Raptors did not draft Calogero for his ability to hit someone. Expect Calogero to be one of the candidates for Rookie of the Year in season 47 with his impressive ability to create offense. A very hard worker with strong ambitions for what his future holds. Watch as Calogero progresses this season, you may find him on the top line with Knute sooner than you may expect.

Mikelis Ozolins - Defense
Round 2, Pick 13

Offensive defenseman Mikelis Ozolins is another Latvian selected in the second round by the Raptors. Mikelis is a player who has an impressive ability to put the puck in the net from the blue line with a keen sense to be a strong play controlling defenseman. Clearly drafted to fill some of the holes on the Raptors Blue Line Mikelis will be relied upon to develop his game and become a stronger and more physical player. However in Juniors he will not have too much of a hard time throwing his body around, but he does need to work on his skating before he makes the big leagues or will be able to hit a top pairing for Colorado. If he continues to work at a strong pace he will become a key figure in the Raptors future success.

Conrad Farell - Winger
Round 3, Pick 21

Conrad is another forward drafted by the Raptors with a little bit of a different skill-set than Calogero. Although boosting a small frame Conrad at 5 foot 178 lbs, he is not a player to back down. A two-way forward, he has a strong sense of playing in both ends of the ice at a very young age. Conrad has spent a couple years developing with the U.S. developmental team and is now ready to make his way into juniors and become an SHL prospect. Although you may not see Conrad lighting up the scoreboard game the game you will see his impact felt. Probably one of the strongest defensive Wingers in this draft class he has the ability to skate and stay with opponents in his own end.

Jay Steele - Defense
Round 3, Pick 22

Back-to-back picks, Colorado decides to go into two directions, this time bolstering their future blue line with the pick of Jay Steele. An English bornDefender Jay is looking to become this leagues PK Subban. A fast player this offensive defenseman has the ability takeover shifts and jump into plays to create offensive opportunities. His biggest weakness is by far his defense, but like all prospects in this draft he is far from complete. Expect Jay to work hard on improvinig his game in his own end. He is clearly has a bright future ahead of him with his ability to see the offensive game. The Raptors will need Jay to develop into one of the most lethal blue line threats in the SMJHL if they wish to be a strong contender in the next few seasons.

Emeka Valentine-Okoli - Winger
Round 3, Pick 29

Emeka Valentine-Okoli, the English born winger is one of the most natural goal scorers in this draft class. A pure scorer, Emeka will hope to add scoring depth to the roster. Although development will be key to Emeka’s long term success, he has all the right tools to become one of the best players in this draft class. He has proven to his teammates already that he is one of the hardest working prospects in this draft. This season Emeka may want to concentrate on rounding out his skating and improving on play in his own end. His leadership skills may be one of his most underrated strengths. The Raptors landed a great new member and someone who has a real chance to make an impact in juniors and into the SHL.

Teddy Nuggets - Winger
Round 4, Pick 31

An All-Around prospect, Teddy Nuggets is a jack of all trades. At an overall level Teddy might be a bit ahead of many of the prospects in this draft. As Teddy continues to shape and develop his game you’ll see more where he may fit in the SHL one day. Early scouting has Teddy pegged as a 2-Way forward who is not worried about only the points he puts up but his ability to shut down opposing players. Teddy is athletic and definitely junior pro ready, it’ll be great to see how his progression goes throughout the season.

R4, P35: Onwudiwe Adebowale - Winger
Round 4, Pick 35

With the final pick of the Season 47 SMJHL Entry Draft the Colorado Raptors select Latvian sniper Onwudiwe Adebowale. With an advanced level shot Onwudiwe is hoping to contribute this season by putting pucks in the net. A one-dimensonial prospect, he has a lot of work to do to be a consistent SMJHL player. If put in the right situation this season he may be able to produce more than most expec. A decent skater and strong shooter will definitely allow Onwudiwe to play a role this season. The jury is out on his potential but like any prospect he can begin to make a name for himself this season.

Interview with Colorado Raptors GM Sebastian Frost on the SMJHL Season 47 Draft.

In order to get a better understand of the thought process that went into selecting these prospects we sat down with GM Sebastian Frost to get his take on how the draft developed and his feelings for what the future may hold.

What were your biggest needs this offseason and how did you address them through the draft?

“Once the playoffs ended for us last season, our work started in earnest for us to identify what went wrong last year. Obviously no one in the organization wanted a repeat of that and we had to make some changes. The draft obviously is a big part of what we do here, and we had stockpiled a few extra picks with some savvy moves over the last couple years. We knew what positions we needed to address between some development that didn’t occur the way we thought it would and losing a lot of our top players to the SHL. We were extremely excited to grab what, in our opinion, were some of the top prospects, not just in their round, but the draft as a whole. Couple that with getting some players that we fully didn’t expect to be there when they were and we would consider this a fantastic draft season for us”

What do you expect out of your veteran players this season as this draft class settles into their form and adjust to the junior game

“We’re extremely lucky and proud of the fact that we’ve had a long tradition of great leaders here in Colorado and our team captains have been great representatives of the organization at all levels. This year’s group of veterans are no different. We’ve got some players like Anastasia O’Koivu and Nick Brain who we expect to step up this year and give our youth the time they need to get settled and adjust to the game in the SMJHL. They’ve been there before and we have the utmost confidence in them.”

What are you expectations for the club in Season 47?

“We’re expecting to see something different than what we did last year. That was not the season we, or our fans, expect from us each season and we have to meet the expectations we’ve established for ourselves. Obviously it’s going to be tough when you lose guys like Cassius Darrow and Jakub Novak, but we’ve still got some of the most talented players in the SMJHL and we’re going to expect them to shoulder the burden and lead us. It’s going to be an exciting season and I hope the fans here in Denver are looking forward to the season.”