Left Winger
US Men’s Junior National Team (Committed to Boston University)
Size: 5’11” (180 cm) and 161 lbs (73 kg)
If you ask NHL coaches what they want most in a forward, you won’t have to go too far down the list to find consistency and solid defensive play. Often, those are the most integral factors between a player being a top 6 forward and earning special teams time or sitting on the bottom 6 with few meaningful minutes in games. Joel Farabee is, undoubtedly, the hardest working player in the draft this year. Just turning 18 a few weeks ago, he’s shown intelligence and leadership beyond his years.
Right off the bat, you notice his size. He’s not the biggest guy right now, but plays much larger than his frame allows. Skating is a plus for the Cicero, NY native, mostly using his legs and his intelligence to make big plays. Speed is good for his size, but he won’t burn that many in a league that’s trending faster and faster every year. Offensively, he contributes with great stickhandling and vision. He’s got a good shot on him, and while I don’t feel as enamored with it as some scouts are, that’s okay. The talent and tools are certainly there for him as he matures. You’ll tend to notice that he really takes advantage of plays around the net and seems to be involved in every play, but I have to wonder if this will translate in the NHL or even NCAA. If he comes up against bigger, stronger defensemen that can effectively clear the front of the net, I’d think his point production will drop from his current clip (28 points in 21 USHL games, 54 points in 49 games for the USDP). If he puts on pounds and plans to play a bigger game, he can do that through his decision to forgo the OHL (Flint Firebirds have his rights, for the record) and commit to Boston University in the NCAA. That’s probably the best route for his development though. He’d probably light up the scoreboards in the OHL and become a big success, but the more time he gets to play against men in the NCAA and the AHL, the better I think he’ll become.
There’s some debate whether he has elite talent, but I think he’s got a pretty clear cut path to success. He’s going to be a solid forward that plays well every shift, probably a good top 9 forward in terms of offensive production with room to improve if he sticks to a more playmaking role with his size or develops to play a grinding-with-talent role. However, he can become a truly elite defensive forward that can shut down just about anyone. This is exactly why I think he will stay a top 6 guy in his future. His natural ability on defense is borderline astonishing. His hockey sense is about as good as it gets for draft eligible players. He plays both sets of special teams with a knack for making plays on the penalty kill, often with his aggressive forecheck. Simply put, he’s an unbelievably safe selection that has arguably the best upside of any forward chosen between picks 10-20. I’m a little surprised, if anything, he hasn’t been transitioned to center by now in his young career.
Likely draft position: 10-16
Best fits in the NHL: New York Islanders, New Jersey, Anaheim, Philadelphia
Player Comparison(s): Brad Marchand without the cheap shots
The Motor City Sports 