With the 92nd overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, the Nashville Predators selected defenseman David Farrance.
Here’s what the experts said about him leading up to the draft.
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David Farrance
defenseman
committed to Boston University (NCAA) for 2017-18
18, 5’11”, 187 lbs.
RANKINGS
McKeen’s: #54
ISS: #83
The Hockey News: #77
Future Considerations: #48
Central Scouting: #46 (North American skaters)
Craig Button, TSN Director of Scouting: #45
Bob McKenzie, TSN: #60
Dan Friedman of Sports Illustrated: #33
recrutes.ca: #64
TheScout.ca: #60
McKeen’s
“He has very smooth hands and his natural speed lends itself very nicely to the role of puck rusher he took on with the USNTDP. He has excellent vision in the offensive zone. His shot is quick, he makes good pinching decisions and spots opportunities that few other teenagers can. Farrance still has work to do away from the puck, such as learning how to defend against two-on-ones or showing more willingness to make the safe play. He will never be much of a physical player, but the skills he brings to the blueline are far rarer.”
ISS
“A slick skating defensemen that has excellent mobility and very good top end speed. He logs a ton of minutes and because of his skating ability, he looks like he could play all day long. Sees ice very well and attacks lanes. Can take risks at times that lead to odd-man rushes against his team. Average defensively. Has good positioning but lacks strength 1×1. BU commit, will get a chance to get stronger and more defensively sound. He has difficulty handling players in front of the net physically. Will need the time in the NCAA to mature and prepare his game for the NHL. Good potential with proper development.”
Future Considerations
“A speedy offensive defender who does a great job generating offensive chances in transition. He has good acceleration with short, powerful strides and is adept at lugging the puck through the neutral zone and making a controlled zone entry. He has good stickhandling ability for a defender, showing the skill to deke around defenders at high speed, maintaining control. He is good at carrying the puck and maneuvering around defenders, but he often lacks the vision to take advantage of the added time and space his skating can create.”
Recrutes.ca
“In a year with several highly-rated defenceman that are under 6-0, Farrance is the USNTDP’s version, and while he is similar to the top ones in that he is an elite skater, he will have to clean up the defensive part of his game. Scouts like him but were frustrated with the limited ice time he received most of the season.”
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- READ: What experts say about 1st round pick Eeli Tolvanen
- READ: What experts say about 2nd round pick Grant Mismash
- READ: What experts say about 5th round pick Tomas Vomacka
- READ: What experts say about 6th round pick Pavel Koltygin
- READ: What experts say about 7th round pick Jacob Paquette
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PHOTO CREDIT: Jeremy K. Gover
