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Sonny Milano enters the draft as one of the best stickhandlers available in 2014, and that's not his only talent. The left winger is a creative forward, with skill and speed to spare.
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Milano stands at 5'11, 185 lbs, although he's never been hindered by his below average height, since he's dominated at almost every stage in his young career. In fact, he's known to engage physically, and finish all his checks, leading some to call him a pest. He's highly elusive, and uses his blazing speed to create scoring opportunities when there seems to be none.
Milano is a tenacious defender when chasing the puck, and applies a relentless forecheck when pressuring opposing defencemen. Basically, he's a great player.
The only draw back I have seen reported in regards to Milano is that sometimes he tries to do too much, although that's par for the course when discussing young talent.
Scouting
"He has some flaws and I think he might drive coaches crazy once in a while but at the end of the day he’s one of the most skilled players in the draft." – Mark Edwards (Hockey Prospect)
"He's so dynamic, very good with the puck in traffic and in open ice. He can make defencemen look silly. He enjoys chirping at other players too. He likes to get under your skin. Certainly has the potential to become a complete player" - David Gregory (NHL Central Scouting)
"Sonny Milano has good top end speed, but his quickness is outstanding. By that I mean that he has a tremendous first step, great acceleration, and the ability to change direction on a dime. This really helps him to get by defencemen as the moment he sees an opening, he can fly through it. His ability to change speeds is deceptive and makes him very elusive. His balance and strength on the puck would be improved by adding more muscle to his frame." - Last Word on Sports
Rankings:
Hockey Prospect: 12
McKeen's Hockey: 27
Craig Button: 20
International Scouting Services: 16
Average Ranking: 18
Thoughts:
There are really no good reasons why the Habs would not pick Sonny Milano.
Except, of course, the fact that he'll likely be long gone by the time the draft reaches the 26th pick. Therefore the only way I see Milano joining the Canadiens would be if the Habs pay a hefty fee to move up in the draft.
Is Milano worth paying a king's ransom to move up in the draft? Quite possibly. Milano is a possession monster, and we all know that puck possession is the key to winning hockey games, and the Stanley Cup.
A lot of his skills are bordering on NHL levels, which leads me to believe that Trevor Timmins might push for a trade if he sees the Massapequa native drop below the 15 range, although that's a big if.