Don Brennan (Slamsports.com):
DeBoer (Kitchener Rangers head coach) thinks his defenceman, Yannick Weber, is the best in the OHL. Weber, a third round pick of the Habs, is from Zurich, Switzerland. He’d love to get a chance to play with countryman Mark Streit, but the latter is heading to unrestricted free agency. “It would be great, two Swiss defenceman in the NHL playing together … if he plays defence,” Weber said yesterday of Streit, who has established himself as a rich man’s Christoph Schubert with his capability of working on the wing and the blueline. He’s really big (in Switzerland), pretty much the first player to really play a lot. It just reminds yourself you want to be like him. I’m glad i can skate with him in the summer and he can teach me stuff.”
http://blog.canoe.ca/offtheposts/2008/05/20/memorial_cup_musings
http://blog.canoe.ca/offtheposts/2008/05/20/memorial_cup_musings
Habster:
There is no questioning Yannick Weber‘s solid two way play on the blueline for the Rangers the past two seasons. The Canadiens have got themselves a gem in the offensively talented Weber.
Weber can be a force on the powerplay with his heavy 95-100 mph slap shot and his creativity with the puck. He can be a solid PP quarterback and is very good on break out passes.
Some NHL teams passed on selecting Weber (Canadiens took him in the 3rd round 73rd overall in 2007) and were a little skeptical about Weber’s lack of size (he’s listed at 5’11” 195 lbs). They were also concerned about his alleged difficulties containing bigger forwards in the defensive zone but by all accounts his defensive play this season has been solid.
Some hockey pundits will point to his plus/minus regular season rating of +7 and wonder how a 55 point (GP- 51 G-20 A-35) defenseman can have such a low rating but most of Weber’s points have come off the powerplay which doesn’t count towards the plus/minus statistics.
After two solid junior seasons with the Kitchener Rangers, Yannick Weber really has nothing more to prove or gain in the CHL even though he has another year of junior eligibility left (he’ll be 20 years old just after the OHL season starts). Trevor Timmins and the Canadiens organization will have to re-evaluate whether his development is better served playing at the pro level or another year in the CHL but it would be foolish to think that Weber would gain anything at the junior level.
Look for the Canadiens to sign Weber to a three year entry level contract once the Memorial Cup is done. We’ll be watching his development at the AHL level with the Hamilton Bulldogs next season as the Bulldogs truly lack an offensive defenseman who can quarterback their poor powerplay unit.
There is no questioning Yannick Weber‘s solid two way play on the blueline for the Rangers the past two seasons. The Canadiens have got themselves a gem in the offensively talented Weber.
Weber can be a force on the powerplay with his heavy 95-100 mph slap shot and his creativity with the puck. He can be a solid PP quarterback and is very good on break out passes.
Some NHL teams passed on selecting Weber (Canadiens took him in the 3rd round 73rd overall in 2007) and were a little skeptical about Weber’s lack of size (he’s listed at 5’11” 195 lbs). They were also concerned about his alleged difficulties containing bigger forwards in the defensive zone but by all accounts his defensive play this season has been solid.
Some hockey pundits will point to his plus/minus regular season rating of +7 and wonder how a 55 point (GP- 51 G-20 A-35) defenseman can have such a low rating but most of Weber’s points have come off the powerplay which doesn’t count towards the plus/minus statistics.
After two solid junior seasons with the Kitchener Rangers, Yannick Weber really has nothing more to prove or gain in the CHL even though he has another year of junior eligibility left (he’ll be 20 years old just after the OHL season starts). Trevor Timmins and the Canadiens organization will have to re-evaluate whether his development is better served playing at the pro level or another year in the CHL but it would be foolish to think that Weber would gain anything at the junior level.
Look for the Canadiens to sign Weber to a three year entry level contract once the Memorial Cup is done. We’ll be watching his development at the AHL level with the Hamilton Bulldogs next season as the Bulldogs truly lack an offensive defenseman who can quarterback their poor powerplay unit.