Center/Left Wing
Toronto Jr. Canadians (OJHL)/Boston College (NCAA; 2018/19)
Size: 6’3 (191 cm) and 196 lbs (89 kg)
Would you prefer a pun relating this youngster to Batman’s strongest villain or should I leave it at a ‘Jack of all trades’ reference?
He’s a talented kid with really nice speed for his size. He’s playing a well rounded game with a strong net front, solid 2-way game, and he holds his own in the corners. Vision and passing are substantial. He’s got a good shot, but there’s probably room for improvement. To say he’s dominant in the OJHL is an understatement. There’s not much competition in terms of pure skill in that league and his move to college hockey will be a great choice for his development. Hockey East (Boston College in particular) should give him a place to develop his physical game. Likely 2 years out from the AHL and 3 from the NHL. If he can add weight and make strides in his consistency, he might even earn an end of season cup of coffee like Buffalo’s Casey Mittelstadt did. His hockey sense is quite good and I think there’s elite offensive potential there, but it’s more likely that he tops out as a top 6 winger or top 9 center than anything else. He’ll likely go in the late first round or early second.
There’s some concern among fans and scouts alike that he has a tendency to take nights off. While he’s picked up 9 points (6 goals, 3 assists) in 4 games in the playoffs, he ended his season with 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) in 48 games. That puts him in a tie for 17th in points on the season, only one person younger than him in the same conversation for points (Dylan Jackson, who also had 58 points but in 54 games, at a year and a half younger). I can’t exactly say I’ve seen it in the games I’ve watched of him, but I suppose if enough people have been watching him slide a bit, there’s probably a reason for it. Again, it’s a lot of talk coming from games where his team is getting beaten and instead of fighting back, he gets disengaged and waits for a new game. That might work in League of Legends (lane phase is everything kiddos) and it might work in the OJHL, but that would never fly in an NHL sweater.
Likely draft position: 25-35
Best fits in the NHL: Colorado, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver, Washington
Player comparison(s): Frans Nielsen, Patrice Bergeron, Sean Couturier
The Motor City Sports 