Habster:
Joe Colborne, Greg Nemisz and Nicolas Deschamps are all very intriguing prospects who have decent upside though Nemisz is said to need some work on his skating which isn’t something you want to hear when drafting a prospect.
Colborne is probably the most interesting prospect to consider drafting. He has great size (6’5″ 190lbs) and a very good skill set but there have been some minor concern about his work ethic on the ice where he isn’t skating full out. There is also an evaluation concern as he plays for Camrose of the AJHL where the level of competition is lower than the CHL or even the USHL. Colborne will be playing for the University of Denver this upcoming season so it will be interesting to see how well he plays at the NCAA division I level.
Here are some scouting evaluations on Colborne:
mynhldraft.com ( Lee Fehler ):
Soft hands, and good offensively skills, absolutely lighting it up in Junior A. Has the size to play and go into the high risk zones without worry. Unfortunately some scouts have associated with his upper class upbringing with a lack of work ethic based on one game scouting observations (where he still scored 3 assists), this is not true or very fair at all. It is true that he must add more of a mean streak for his game though, like his hands, he’s pretty soft when it comes down to the gritty play, which is what is hurting his draft value. He can still skate well for his size and has great hands that contribute to an amazing setup ability. He will likely go very much higher then he is listed or could go lower based on GMs who question his work ethic. Too many GMs are willing to gamble though, watch him go mid first round and don’t be surprised, he is elite all things being perfect in his development. Will play in Denver next year in the NCAA, some comparisons to Wheeler, don’t know if that’s good or bad, so he’s a long-term development project.
Here’s Hockey’s Future take on Colborne:
Talent Analysis
Has the size that every team dreams of but is still learning how to use it to his full advantage. The growth spurt is still relatively recent and so Colborne is still making the adjustment mentally that he can do much more than he believes he can from a physical perspective.Decent skater but best asset apart from his size is his on ice vision and playmaking skills. He can finish and does possess an above average shot but he is a self-admitted pass-first player. Loves to control the puck on along the boards on the power play and find his teammates for gift goals. Played the wing in Camrose but took most of the faceoffs and then would shift to the wing after the play had started. Some scouts have wondered if he might make a better center with his size and passing skills.The knock on Colborne is his lack of physical grit; he’s not a banger and he doesn’t really drive to the net very often both of which he could do easily if he tried.Comes from a wealthy family which some consider a flaw for some reason believing his committment isn’t as deep as with other players. Hockey’s Future does not believe this to be an issue. With excellent grades in school, Colborne has shown the dedication for personal improvement off the ice and his coach’s do not question his determination on it.
Like any sports draft, it’s a real crap shoot as far as how well these players will develop. Unless your team is drafting in the top 10, you never really know where you stand until 3-4 years have pasted.
The saving grace is that Trevor Timmins and his amateur scouts have had great success drafting players in every round with 11 players on their current roster who were drafted and developed through the draft. With super amateur scout Frank Jay working along side Timmins, there won’t be a stone unturned by the time Friday and Saturday’s draft is under way.