Leaderboard

Berggren, who is also 20 and playing in a men’s league, is torching the SHL. Keep in mind he was picked after Veleno and has missed the better part of two years with injuries. That’s the difference between a guy who has natural offensive ability and one who doesn’t. In every way Veleno is further along in his development and yet he can’t out pace Berggren because he simply doesn’t have the puck skills to produce anything other than middling offensive numbers. He’s currently getting outpaced by Seider (A 19 year old defenseman) as well. And it’s only going to get harder to score when he gets to the NHL. I think we are looking at 40 point, two-way, 3rd line center here.

Woah... then I guess Zadina is going to break your heart.

If Veleno tops out as a Draper caliber player, he wouldn't be considered a bust, but he would definitely be considered a disappointment. To me, Veleno still has a 2C ceiling and 3C floor. He is still only 20 years old playing against men, and playing well despite not putting up monster points... *yet*. He had another nice assist in today's game, and he's looking more and more comfortable.