Prospect Profile: All the way to Hell and back

Thank you for joining me once again as we take another look at a prospect who will be taking part in the S53 SHL Entry Draft this Sunday afternoon. Earlier today I spoke to you about a man who is about as high as one can possibly get on a draft board, likely first overall candidate Magnus Liljestrom. I’m going to change things up a little bit and take things in a slightly different direction, as I focus on a player who is very much one of the more underrated names names that make up this draft class. It’s always interesting with these type of classes to take a look at the guys who aren’t grabbing the headlines but so their thing quietly in the background, keeping a steady rate of development but not making too much of a fuss, while they have that all important draft steal potential. The young man I’m going to talk about has been an important part of the Halifax Raiders S52 SMJHL Draft Class, holding down a spot on the wing for the team and being everything his teams asked of him while both on the ice and off, Lucas Hellquist.

Following in the great tradition of Norwegian hockey players to make their way to the SHL, Hellquist has managed to fly under the radar for a lot of people and certainly won’t be the first name many people’s thoughts jump to when they think of the elite wingers of this draft class, but in doing so they are making a serious error of judgement. In the S52 SMJHL Draft, Hellquist was pocked in the third round with the 28th overall pick. While he hasn’t been one of the elite earners since then, Hellquist has stayed steadily active and managed to add TPE each week, developing as a prospect nicely and bringing the quality on the ice to go along with it. Playing on the last place team in the league as a rookie is never the ideal opportunity for a young player to make their mark, but Hellquist handled his situation like a seasoned professional, delivering a very impressive stat line of 9 goals and 21 assists. These numbers were by far the best of the new arrivals in Halifax, and Hellquist certainly made a statement about his ability playing in his rookie season.

But what is it about Hellquist that makes him a potential player to watch in the future? Hellquist is first of all, a seriously impressive physical specimen. He stands 6’4” y’all and weighs 245 pounds, meaning he towers over a lot of his fellow SMJHL players and has a great frame for a player of his age. There must be something to say about those famous Norwegian genetics, because this kid is seriously stacked and still perhaps has some growing to do considering his young age. I think the biggest strength that Hellquist’s game has is the ability to play with the feel and touch of someone a lot smaller. He is able to skate very well, has good cardiovascular fitness and can play long shifts without getting tired, and has a level of control to his game that rarely sees him getting called for penalties. He truly plays atypically for his frame, and that’s allowed him to get the edge on many an unsuspecting defenseman when he’s able to stick handle his way past them. I’m also quite a big fan of Hellquist’s playmaking abilities. He’s able to make pinpoint accurate passes when needed to, and has proved to be a very effective player when it comes to getting the puck to the right man at the right moment. His 21 assists this season are a testament to his commitment to distributing the puck efficiently and effectively, and doing everything he can to elevate the way that those around him play. I would potentially like to see a bit of development from Hellquist in his two way game, as he can be a little slow to back check and even though he certainly possesses  the build for it, there’s little to note in terms of physical play. I think in order to avoid rushing into situations Hellquist can occasionally be a little overly cautious when playing in situations where his physical attributes would give him a huge advantage, but if he were able to implement this I think it would be a huge boost to his game and the game of the team as a whole.

All in all, I’m impressed with what Hellquist has shown so far in his young SMJHL career. I think he really does have all the makings of a potential draft day steal, as he’ll fly under the radar for many teams but could yet maintain the steady development we’ve seen from him so far or even potentially step it up and rise to the next level and become one of the bigger steals of his draft class. Taking everything into consideration and making an assessment based on a few factors including his bank balance and the amount of TPE he’s earned, I think we will likely hear Hellquist’s name be called in the third round of the draft on Sunday afternoon. I think he’d be a great value pickup in this sort of area, and if he is able to either maintain or increase his development he could one day end up as the one that got away for a lot of teams.

It’s been quite interesting to write something about a prospect who I think has been overlooked by some and is flying somewhat low under the radar. When you’ve seen as many drafts as I’ve managed to somehow get through since I joined the league, top players who appear like an absolute can’t miss may well do just that, and it’s very often the under the radar players like Hellquist who go on to have the great careers and steal the show down the road. Not saying that’s what’s going to happen here but I am certainly interested to see where Lucas is going to end up on draft day, and I’ll be watching his career in the SHL unfold with a keen eye. Hellquist had the opportunity to be a star as a rookie on a rather weak Halifax team (and it’s likely he’ll be the star again next season), and if he can maintain that same attitude and mindset going into the SHL, it’ll truly be a blessing for whatever team takes him. Lucas Hellquist has it all to play for and a lot to prove, but I wish him all the best going forward and good luck on draft day.

Thanks to everyone who read this. It’s been a bit of a grind so far getting as much draft media out as possible but it has genuinely been quite interesting to take a closer look at some of the prospects who make up this big ol reddit class. I’ll hopefully continue pushing on with some more media like this (as long as the motivation somehow manages to hold out), so unless I finally get too frustrated and decide not to write another one, see you in the next  article.