Matthew Wood #4 in Final NHL Central Scouting NA Skater Rankings | The Boneyard

Matthew Wood #4 in Final NHL Central Scouting NA Skater Rankings

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Bedard tops Central Scouting North American ranking for 2023 NHL Draft | NHL.com

Regina center had 143 points in 57 games; Orebro forward Carlsson No. 1 among International skaters
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The top three North American skaters remained unchanged from the midterm release in January, with University of Michigan center Adam Fantilli at No. 2 and center William Smith of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team at No. 3. Rounding out the top five are University of Connecticut right wing Matthew Wood, who moved up from No. 8 in the midterm rankings, and NTDP right wing Ryan Leonard, who dropped one position to No. 5.
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Wood (6-3, 193) led Connecticut with 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) and 102 shots on goal in 35 games. Wood had been selected in the second round (No. 41) by Regina in the 2020 WHL bantam draft and could have played with Bedard. Instead, he chose to attend Connecticut and carved his own path as the youngest player in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season.

"For a guy of his size to have his trajectory go this way, there's going to be a little bit of a fever come draft day on who gets him," Gregory said. "I think the smart play with Wood would be to keep him in college at least another year and have him continue to develop. If he goes from point A to point B in Year One and does the same growth in Year Two, you're looking at a very special player."
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Palatine said:
The competition at UConn gave him a real leg up playing against 17 and 18 year olds.
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Agreed. And he will be gone after his sophomore year. Guys that good do not stick around. He might even leave immediately although the odds of that are probably less than 50%.
 
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Question for those who follow college hockey (I just follow UConn basketball mostly, and other UConn sports in passing).

Do drafted players leave immediately for the pro ranks, even if not directly to the NHL (i.e. ECHL/AHL or whatever)? Or do they stay in college/junior hockey until they feel ready to make the jump? It seems that UConn Hockey needs to take advantage of the time Matthew Wood stays in Storrs, and this past season may have been a missed opportunity. To me, it would be like having Stephon Castle come in this year (basketball's highest ranked recruit in years) and then the team missed the next NCAA tourney, but even worse, since basketball can always reload, but UConn Hockey is still building.
 
Sleepy said:
Question for those who follow college hockey (I just follow UConn basketball mostly, and other UConn sports in passing).

Do drafted players leave immediately for the pro ranks, even if not directly to the NHL (i.e. ECHL/AHL or whatever)? Or do they stay in college/junior hockey until they feel ready to make the jump? It seems that UConn Hockey needs to take advantage of the time Matthew Wood stays in Storrs, and this past season may have been a missed opportunity. To me, it would be like having Stephon Castle come in this year (basketball's highest ranked recruit in years) and then the team missed the next NCAA tourney, but even worse, since basketball can always reload, but UConn Hockey is still building.
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No, not every drafted player turns pro immediately. If the player is not good enough to make the NHL club, the pro team could determine that it is in the players best interest to return to Juniors or college for their development. The other option would be to sign a minor league contract and play in the AHL or ECHL. If I was betting, I would bet that Matt Wood will play for UConn next season and then sign a pro contract with which team drafted him a the conclusion of next season.
 
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theathletic.com

NHL Mock Draft: Pronman, Wheeler and Bultman pick two rounds as if they were the GMs

In this two-round mock draft, Corey Pronman, Scott Wheeler and Max Bultman make their picks as if they were GMs choosing for their clubs.
theathletic.com theathletic.com

19. Chicago Blackhawks (Pick by Corey Pronman): Matthew Wood, RW, UConn
I debated Yager here but I’m not sure Chicago can have three 5-foot-10 or 5-foot-11 centers between him Bedard and Frank Nazar. Wood is my best talent on board, anyways, and could form a connection with Bedard on a power play one day.
 
I've pitched Wood to my Rangers buddies. Doubt it'll happen, but Wood would be a high-ceiling pickup for the Blueshirts at pick 23.

However, with Wood's low skating grades, I can see him drafted lower than most expect even though his other attributes grade out well or really well like his shot, skill and puck possession.
 
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I would love to see the Rangers pick him but I'm not sure he'll fall that far.

My biggest worry is that he may get drafted by a team that feels they need to show their fans the results of the draft immediately and convince him to forego the remainder of his college career to play (what will end up being 10-12 minutes a game) in the NHL.
 
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-> 14. Pittsburgh Penguins: Matthew Wood, RW, UConn

With Kyle Dubas at the helm and the Penguins pool in desperate need of an injection of talent, I think there are five names to hone in on here: Perreault, Honzek, Wood, Yager, and Barlow. Perreault would represent the biggest swing and a bet on the player’s offensive IQ, but I wonder if they lean toward someone who is a little further down their development path because of Sid and Gino’s window. Barlow’s got a pro-style game and shot, but I wonder if lessons learned from the challenge Samuel Poulin’s lack of pace has posed make them pause. That would leave Wood, who has already been a point-per-game player in college and could conceivably factor in as a scoring top-nine winger before the Crosby-Malkin era finishes, Honzek, whose projectability and size may be appealing, and Yager, a natural centre who plays the game with the smarts and three-zone commitment that Duabs covets, while also having legit skill. <-
 
He looks like it will be close to beating Hawkins. Lots of mocks have him btween 9-14.
 
Palatine said:
He looks like it will be close to beating Hawkins. Lots of mocks have him btween 9-14.
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I bet he wishes he got Hawkins $$$$ LOL.
I am just glad he is coming back to UConn for at least another year.
 
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