The Tigers might be getting a 2nd round NHL Pick in last year's entry draft headed their way.
Tommy Vannelli an 18 yr old, 6'2 175 lb offensive defenceman, has decided to leave the University of Minnesota. The Medicine Hat Tigers hold his CHL rights. He has yet to make a decision on whether he wants to play in the CHL or play in the USHL for Tri-City in the states.
Here is an excerpt from the Gophers head Coach on his take why he left their program.
“After a few weeks of trying to balance academics and athletics, Tommy made the decision this morning that college hockey was not the best route for him at this time,” coach Don Lucia said. “We accept his decision and will move on as a team.”
http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/224139831.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Scouting Report
From Mckeens Hockey
http://www.mckeenshockey.com/draft-blog/minnetonkas-tommy-vannelli-exponential-path/
Tommy Vannelli (D, 2013), Minnetonka (USHS-MN) – since returning from the Hlinka tournament, Vannelli has shown why the National Team Development Program wanted him in Ann Arbor .. smooth skater and methodical two-way defender with an offensive flair .. always has his head on a swivel, demonstrating exceptional awareness and hockey sense .. impressively keeps the game in front of him – does an excellent job surveying the ice and seeking out potentially dangerous situations .. excels at the transition game – can fuse himself into the rush and also has the ability to recovery quickly .. boasts excellent puckhandling talents thanks to soft hands which allow him to maneuver around opponents .. very good passer – makes a strong outlet pass to break out of the defensive zone – and can thread a precision feed through traffic .. quarterbacks the power play, exhibiting impressive patience handling the puck combined with a sharp ability to find the open man .. possesses very quick feet – even if his stride is a bit short, which gives him the luxury to dart through the neutral zone with relative ease .. moves well laterally and is fluid in transitions and cuts .. does a good job getting pucks through traffic to the net and opening up scoring opportunities for teammates, however does not have an overpowering slapshot .. at 175 pounds, he still has plenty of room to fill in a lanky frame – and his lack of strength is a marginal issue at this level of competition in terms of competing in front of the net and in the corners when a physical response is needed .. appears to have tremendous upside with his development progressing at such a rapid pace .. looks to build on the momentum of a very productive summer and further enhance his draft stock.
Thoughts
The Tigers have a stacked blueline already. If Vannelli did decide to join the Tigers it would be likely that young players in Hobbs, Allan, Schultz, and Staples would be really hard pressed to get a lot of ice time here.
From what I read it seems like he is a player that would fit well into the Tigers systems, and they have a Minnesota connection with the training a lot of players do down there, as well as Miles Koules who played hockey down there.
Bredo Lewington
Vannelli Jensen
Becker Stanton
Schultz/Hobbs/Allan/
To me that seems like the best defensive group the Tigers have iced since their memorial cup run.
5 comments:
There are rumors floating around that he will be visiting Medicine Hat this weekend.
The Tigers need a good PP quarterback
19 year old Dman Becker is going to become trade bait
The Penticton Vees might be on Tommy as well? Not sure how that would work as I believe you can only have 6 Americans on your roster and they already have that amount.
Found this in an article talking about the top 10 rookie players to watch in the whl this year.
5. Tommy Vannelli, defence, Medicine Hat Tigers – Up until two days ago, Tommy Vannelli (NHL.com)Vannelli was expected to start his college career this season with the Minnesota Gophers. But right at almost the last minute, the St. Louis Blues second-round pick decided to head north to play for the Tigers.
Vannelli spent the last two seasons in his hometown playing for Minnetonka High in the USHS. He led his team’s defencemen in scoring both years, tallying 14 goals and 51 points in 50 games throughout the seasons.
Although he hasn't signed his WHL contract yet, multiple reports have circulated that Vannelli will join the Tigers.
Medicine Hat doesn’t have a superstar on the blueline, but they do have a handful of impact players. Therefore, it seems Vannelli is walking into a perfect situation as an 18-year-old rookie. He will receive opportunity to play big minutes and won’t have to bear the burden of carrying the back end.
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