Does height still matter to the NHL draft outlook?

For several years, pumpkin Yanni and players like him have constantly faced questions about whether they are too small to make it to the NHL.

After more than 450 games, nearly 300 points, two Stanley Cups and $34.7 million in career earnings, 5-foot-9 athlete Seattle Kraken Forward has a question of his own: Why are we still talking about the obsession people have with height?

“I don’t understand why we still ask this question,” Gourde said. “There are a lot of people who have proven them wrong. It’s not about size anymore. It’s about your readiness. It’s about intelligence. It’s really about a lot of things. It’s about putting your body first in every shift and scoring big goals. Those things have nothing to do with height.”

Height is always an issue in hockey or any sport. Just the amount of time between the last game of the Stanley Cup Finals and the first day of the NHL draft (Round 1 on Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+) rekindled the discussion about height.

What complicates this year’s discussion is the role height of both events. Those who argue that height is everything will point out that winning the Stanley Cup vegas golden knight is the fifth highest team in the NHL. Especially when Vegas can maximize its collective size throughout Florida Newspapers23rd highest team in the league.

“It’s always been a preference,” an assistant general manager told ESPN. “That’s why people drool over [Adam] Fantilli [ranked No. 2 in the upcoming draft]. It’s size, skill and speed. Whenever you can get that, you’re trying to get it. We are all great teams. But I still think speed and how you can play with that is the priority. What these teams are showing a little bit is that there is always room for smaller strikers. But there continues to be more incentive in terms of size from a defensive standpoint.”

Those who argue that size is a tool and not the toolbox itself have an argument. They will point out that Jonathan Marchessault, the score was 5-9, leading the Golden Knights in playoff goals, second in playoff points and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. They will also cover how this year’s NHL draft has shown why height is not a deterrent, with Chicago Blackhawks is expected to pick Connor Bedard, who is at 5-10, with the number 1 pick in the draft class, where several senior strikers are 6 feet shorter.

“A good player is a good player,” one GM told ESPN. “Whether they’re 5-10 or 6-4. You want them to be 6-2 or 6-4. But some of the best players in this league are 5-10 and 5-11. Size matters. yes, but you also have to play the game you have to get the right combination, and that’s the fine line adjust your team. Maybe that’s the next small step where you add dimension. Size matters, but skill outweighs size.”

JACK HUGHES HAVE BEEN OLD a point of shyness at the end of his first 100 point campaign. his brother, Quynhranked fifth in the regular season in terms of assists. Nikita Kucherov second in assists and third in points, and Brayden’s point ranked fifth in the number of goals with 51.

They are both examples of players under 6 feet who have had some of the strongest individual campaigns in the NHL in 2022-23.

“I played the game myself. Good players are good players. Then when I take over, you know they’re hard to find,” GM said. “I know there’s hype about Vegas, but they’re good players. Alex Pietrangelo is one of the top four picks, and he’s also lucky to get the right size for it. But there are a lot of teams that are winning with boys 5-10, 5-11 and 6 feet tall. Look at this year’s draft. Connor Bedard has shown that size doesn’t matter.”

Contextualizing what has allowed Bedard to be discussed as a potential next-generation talent is an exercise that has been going on for at least two years. The fact that he 5-10 has been talked about. But it’s quickly overshadowed by everything else he has to offer, which is why he has long been considered the #1 pick of this year’s draft class.

Since 2000, only four players under 6 feet tall have been selected in the first pick. Sidney Crosby was the first, in 2005, followed by Patrick Kane in 2007. Yakupov nails was third in 2012 and Hughes was fourth when he finished first in 2019.

“You look like a talent, will the talent continue to level up?” Assistant GM said. “We talk about Bedard – his tee and his shot. But there are a lot of players in this class with impressive slot skills. … These are things that wouldn’t have happened a decade ago. Now we’re seeing everyone has it, and it’s been successful with this draft class.With the smaller strikers, they don’t have the height, but what other factors do they have?

“Is that an elite shooter? Elite speed? They’re under 6 feet tall but have a thick build. What factors will help them?”

Bedard was just the first of a few players to fall into this discussion. Forwards Zach Benson, Andrew Cristall, Riley Heidt, Ryan Leonard, Oliver Moore, Bradly Nadeau, Gabe Perreault and Otto Stenberg are all potential first-round picks under 6 feet tall. There are also lower defenders that can go through in the first round like Mikhail Gulyayev and Axel Sandin Pellikka.

While the conversation about height continues, the numbers suggest that many teams are feeling more comfortable having smaller players on their roster. Since the 2009-10 season, more than 175 players shorter than 6 feet each have played at least one NHL game, according to ESPN Stats & Information data.

According to research by ESPN Stats & Info, more than half of those players have also played at least half a season with their respective teams. Between the 2009-10 and 2016-17 seasons, an average of 185 players under 6 feet tall played at least one NHL game in a season, and 112 players played at least half a season.

But those numbers have increased dramatically over the past six years with the introduction of Golden Knights and Kraken as an expanded franchise alongside the use of taxi fleets during the pandemic.

At that time, an average of 210 players under 6 feet had played at least one NHL game, and an average of 123 players under 6 feet had played at least half a season.

Of the 951 players who played at least one game in the 2022-23 season, 215 were under 6 feet tall – meaning 23% of NHL players played at least one game under 6 feet tall.

Every team in the NHL has at least one under-6-foot player on their roster this season. It’s a group that also features Alex DeBrincat, Johnny Gaudreau, Kevin Fiala, Kirill Kaprizov, Torey Krug And Brad Marchandamong others.

“You can even say goalkeeper. You can say it’s good to have a 6-6 goalkeeper, but look at [Juuse] saros. He’s 5-10 years old, and he’s fine,” pointed out the GM. “That’s the hot part. You can say, ‘We need to be bigger.’ But will you ignore Connor Bedard to become bigger? You won’t do that. But those conversations happen when you know you need the extra dimension. That’s always the challenge at the draft. You must be careful. You don’t want to pass up a skilled person when you know you can get them.”

EVERYONE SEARCH FOR MORE CODE Insight into how much the landscape has changed for shorter players in recent years just speak to Gourde.

For example, what kind of feedback did he hear from NHL scouts during his draft year?

“Not a single scout spoke to me during my draft year,” says Gourde. “I shouldn’t have been in the army. … That was never a concern. But it happens more when I’m on probation or in PTO. [professional tryout contract] and we negotiated.”

That’s what makes watching Martin St. Louis became a valuable experience for Gourde. Follow St. Louis, who is 5-8, struggles from extra to top threat, who will eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, let Gourde know he has a chance.

Seeing that a lower player can find success is fundamental. Then it was about trying to figure out how Gourde could create a blueprint that worked for him. He shared that some of the concerns about his size are that he will be flopped in the corners or will be pushed out of the net while unable to win games against bigger players.

In 2022-23, IcyData figures show that 43% of Gourde’s goals come from the opposition net – while the league average for a single player is 25%. Meanwhile, 20% of his shots also went straight into the net, 3 percentage points above the league average.

“That’s the detail. Do your best to get inside as soon as possible,” Gourde said. “At least you’ll have control of the ball. Standing lower, having a lower center of gravity and placing the ball lower will make it harder for the other team to move you. Those are all little details that you have to practice. You have to go out there and do it, and that’s some of the things you learn over the years.”

Assistant GM spoke to ESPN providing insight into how players like Gourde and Marchessault are examples of what makes talent assessment difficult. He says seeing players at their size is why it’s important to keep an open mind.

But because judging talent can be complicated, it’s also why executives must proceed carefully when it comes to how they evaluate smaller players.

“It’s the same thing with Nick Bonino in Pittsburgh the other day,” said the assistant GM, “I can tell you and show you 100 skaters like Bonino, who plays in the ECHL. I can show you players with similar production [in major junior] to Marchessault are in ECHL or they are in Europe. People like Gourde and Marchessault have defied all odds. You must keep an open mind. If they are motivated and have a work ethic, you will keep them in your organization.

“At the end of the day, we’re all trying to bet and make NHL players.”