The final round, where the scouts get paid the big bucks. For every unknown player that never makes it into the league, you also have Henrik Zetterberg, a hidden gem drafted by the Red Wings in the seventh round. The Jackets in the seventh round selected Calvin Thurkauf of the Kelowna Rockets. His second time through the draft, Thurkauf found some success this year playing in the WHL. Does Thurkauf have any pro potential?
Dennis Schellenberg of publications such as the Hockey Writers and Hockey Prospectus had this to say about Thurkauf last year:
“Thurkauf is a two-way center with a good frame and solid work ethic. He was part of the Swiss U18 team and impressed scouts with his calmed and matured play. Thurkauf doesn’t possess enough high end skills to get drafted in one of the earlier rounds but he could be selected with one teams last pick.”
Much like Thome, not a lot of info is out there about Thurkauf. Taking a look at his stat line, he dominated most of the Swiss Junior leagues and once he started to face older competition, he started to peter out. Playing in the WHL was a good challenge for him as he fell just shy of 0.75 ppg in 61 games. Playing for the Rockets this next season, he should have an opportunity to be more of “the man” and showcase his talents. His complete game follows the Blue Jackets mold of defensively capable players being drafted in the later rounds.
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