Aaron Ekblad
THW’s NHL Draft War Room Rankings: #1 (Feb 2014)
THW’s NHL Draft Rankings – The Next Ones Edition (aka Chris’s List): #20 (March 2014)
-
- Hashtag/Nickname: #Shrek
- Team: #5, Barrie, OHL
- Position: Defense
- Shoots: Right
- Height: 6’4
- Weight: 216 lb.
- Born: Belle River, ON, 7-Feb-96
Other Rankings
1 – Bob MacKenzie, Jan-14
1 – Future Considerations, Feb-14
1 – ISS, Feb-14
2 – Craig Button, Jan-14
3 – NHL Combined – Mid-term, Jan-14
Worth Retweeting
http://t.co/XjymQcMFcg
#1 Aaron Ekblad @EK5Colts
Continues strong play post WJC; 8GP 6+5 11PTS in Jan… Total package dman w/ Captain upside— ISS Hockey (@ISShockey) February 15, 2014
Prospect Aaron Ekblad (@ek5colts) is ready for his close-up. https://t.co/w7Amuf13o4 #NHLDraft
— NHL (@NHL) January 15, 2014
[For all the prospects profiled in the THW NHL Draft War Room series check out
the 2014 NHL Draft War Room: Prospect Profile Index]
Profiles
- Profile 1: Bryant44 at ontheforecheck.com
- Profile 2: Mike G. Morreale at flames.nhl.com
Interview
Quotable
- TSN Director of Scouting, Craig Button, TSN:“When you build a team, you need a solid foundation. Aaron is a pillar defenceman who can play 25 minutes or more and do so in all important situations. His on-ice maturity is exceptional.”
- “Since his time as a top defenseman with Canada at the World Juniors, Ekblad’s game has just grown exponentially,” Future Considerations scouting director Dan Stewart said. “He has really taken charge like an army general on the ice in every game he has played in, both for Barrie and the Top Prospects Game, and done so with also staying within himself.”
From the War Room
- Eldon MacDonald, THW: “I have Aaron number one because I believe he will have the biggest positive impact on a team of any player in this draft. I love how he obliterates forwards at the blue-line on a pinch; I love how he finds the lane for his hard, heavy shot just when the team needs it the most; I love how he is the player counted on in the big moments and the hard situations. They don’t call him an ogre for nothing; he can show you a real mean streak. He reminds me of a young Shea Weber.”
Video
Video 1: Top Prospects game interview from video.oilers.com
Video 2: Four goal game from Hockey Prospect Videos
About NHL Draft War Room Series
This series is compiled by Eldon MacDonald and edited by @ChrisRalphTHW)