Daniel 565 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 TSN Draft Spotlight Is Jonathan Killeen Worth The Risk? James Duthie: Welcome everyone to a very special broadcast. This season's VHL Entry Draft is one of the most exciting we've seen for as long as we can remember. At the top of the class we have a true generational talent in Zachary Parechkin, a player who's set to dominate in the VHL for years to come, closely followed by players like Jeff Hamilton, who've excelled in the juniors this season and are champing at the bit to make the jump up the big leagues and show just how good they really are. It's fair to say that we've heard a lot about these guys and they're all pretty well covered by the media in general. But what really makes this class stand out is some of the players a tier or two below this top class who possess the potential to grow into real players who could be making a difference for a VHL team sooner than you'd think. Isn't that right Bob? Bob McKenzie: That's right James, and one of the most divisive of all these bubble players is Saskatoon centre Jonathan Killeen. He had exactly the same reaction when he was heading into the VHLM Dispersal Draft last year, to the extent that you could probably ask all the GM's in the league their opinions on him and half would tell you he's a total bust, with the other half believing him to be a real diamond in the rough. While his performances for the Wild this year haven't been awful, his off ice behaviour has left a real question mark hanging over his head. Craig Button: Bob's right there. On the ice, Killeen has some incredible natural weapons in his armoury. He's a beautiful skater and an unbelievable playmaker, in my opinion, one of the best in this class, and he also possesses the fantastic raw hockey IQ that coaches crave and can't teach. If Killeen had an attitude to match there's no doubt he'd be a top 10 pick, but his behaviour has been erratic to say the least. Jonathan's missed all but two Wild team training sessions this year, neglected his media and community commitments and even missed games, reportedly due to a drink-fuelled bender with celebrity musician DJ Khaled. Killeen really needs to shape up here and focus on what matters. It is incredibly frustrating to see a young man with this potential throw it away because he can't commit to the game. James Duthie: I think you've really touched on it there Craig, in that had he worked hard this season and kept up the buzz he built pre VHLM Dispersal Draft, he'd be a very sought after guy. As it stands he's likely to be selected what, somewhere after 30th overall which is really disappointing. And that's if he's taken at all, I mean I can see some GM's refusing to even use a pick on him, no matter how low, because of what they feel is a blatant lack of respect for the game. But here's my question for you both; is there any way Jonathan Killeen gets selected earlier than we're anticipating on Thursday? To be specific, can you see him being a top-15 pick? Bob McKenzie: My heart wants me to say yes, but my head's telling me it's not possible and I'm inclined to go with that point of view. Killeen's just been too erratic and hasn't shown any of the drive needed to be a successful player in the VHL. I think if a team has a particular need for a playmaking centre he could get picked up between 30 and 40, but otherwise I'm seeing him as a 40+ pick or potentially even undrafted. Which is a real shame because if he'd only shown a bit more dedication this year he'd be right up there. Craig Button: I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I think he has a chance, albeit incredibly slim one, to be selected somewhere around 13 to 15. He's such a special player that I can see teams being willing to work around the issues he's had and try to develop him to be a real star player. He's come out and claimed he's 100% focused on his game and playing in the VHL, and if he can convince GM's he's worth a chance in the time between now and the draft, who knows what could happen? I personally would love to see a team take a risk and use a higher pick on him, but we'll just have to see how things go. James Duthie: Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure as always. Thanks to you all for tuning in tonight, we hope you'll join us again as we build up to the big VHL Entry Draft this Thursday night, only on TSN. DollarAndADream and Ahma 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 I think he is, but I'm bias because I've been tracking him all season long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel 565 Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 I think he is, but I'm bias because I've been tracking him all season long. You smart. You very smart. Matter of fact, you a genius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendrick 4,741 Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Just a white man trying to make a dollar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DollarAndADream 3,356 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Content: 3/3 - ~800 words, so you easily hit the word mark there. This was a great article that looks slick and has a nice TSN feel to it. Congrats on going 16th to Cologne. Grammar: 2/2 - Just one little thing. "champing at the bit to make the jump up the big leagues" - chomping at the bit to make the jump up to the big leagues Appearance: 1/1 - Looks great. Overall: 6/6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboyinAmerica 2,840 Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Claimed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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