Scout: Brandon
Anaheim Ducks 2022 NHL Entry Draft 1st Round Pick
10th Overall Selection by the Anaheim Ducks
MAIN REPORT
Skating:
Very fluid and mobile skater that plays a heads up game.
Can easily shift gears to join the rush.
Puck handling:
Shifty puck handling though the neutral zone.
Quite skilled in close in stripping the puck from an opponent or keeping the puck away from pressure.
Shot:
Deceptive release that relies on finesse and accuracy. Aka “Sergachev Sifters”.
As the ability to add more snap to his shot in the right moment.
IQ (vision, offensive and defensive anticipation, panic meter):
Very high ability to read the flow of the play and see open teammates, even in times where it looks as though there might not be a pass option.
Can make effortless, no-look passes, especially on the PP and as he leading the rush through the neutral zone.
Uses his anticipation to get in passing lanes and excels in using his spatial awareness to thwart or prevent plays.
Defense:
Plays a zone/spatial game where his edges and stick placement are doing a lot of the work.
Looks to pick off pass attempts.
Best Asset:
Vision/anticipation that is expressed through both his activation in the O-zone and his passing across all 200 feet of the ice.
Biggest Concern:
May be a tad too aggressive in activating. Relies on teammate to cover for him.
Could serve to be more physically engaging (“sticky”) in close. Relies on space and time instead of taking it away via pressure and threat of physical contact.
Top Tier Potential:
First line, top PP, dangerous threat on PK.
PPG defender and PP specialist.
Higher end on the shot potential, low potential for peripherals like hits and blocks.
Most Likely Tier:
2nd pairing with 1st unit PP.
“Defense first” systems and scenarios may not be favourable for deployment if placed in that sort of NHL level system at this moment.
Stylistic Comparable:
A puck focused mix of Letang and Nurse with the physical edge of Gostisbehere.
GAME REPORTS
Date:2022-10-01
League:OHL
Team: Saginaw
Opponent:Guelph
Score:10-6 Saginaw
Notable Stats: 1 G, 4 A, 4 SOG, 0 HIT, 1 BLK, 25:45 TOI
Passing/Stickhandling:
Makes deceptive, shot passes while breaking out. Draws opponents to him and dishes the puck to teammates before the opponent can close the gap.
Makes quick passes on the powerplay. Knows where to put the puck before he receives it on his stick.
Displays great vision and anticipation of the play. Finds open teammates away from pressure and coverage.
Picking players pockets and pucks out of mid air to shut down the opponents play/puck control.
Shooting:
Well placed point shots.
Effortless release.
Skating:
Has more torque and momentum to his skating style than pure explosive power.
Keen eye to get into opportunistic areas either in support in the D-zone or on the attack in the O-zone.
Constantly flowing and maneuvering.
Seen as a threat on the rush, even without the puck. Allows for more options for the puck carrier including freedom to shoot the puck.
Defense:
Hesitant to commit to shot blocks.Covers face/mouth and coasts towards the shooter.
Holds the blueline spatially but is more puck focused as opposed to taking the body out of the play.
Uses his positioning to negate passing lanes and play options.
Decision Making/Panic Meter/IQ:
Very calm, almost visionary. Sees the play develop before most on the ice.
Is often in the right place when defending the attack, though he plays more zone as opposed to pressuring man-to-man.
Standout skill today:
Passing with an honourable mention of rush support/activation.
What was missing today?:
Physical engagement.
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Date:2023-01-06
League: OHL
Team: Saginaw
Opponent: Kitchner
Score: 3-0 Saginaw
Notable Stats: 2 G, 1 A, 3 SOG, 0 HIT, 1 BLK, 25:52 TOI
Passing/Stickhandling:
Crisp and accurate cross ice passes through coverage on the powerplay. Unfortunately the target whiffed on the one-time attempt. Teammate almost caught off guard or surprised that the pass made it to him.
Used reach, subtle edge work, and created pockets of space to play a prolonged game of keep away against multiple opponents along the halfwall in the O-zone.
Shooting:
Goal scored on a 2 on 1 rush where he was the beneficiary of a cross crease pass for the tap in.
Second goal scored on the empty net.
Doesn’t telegraph “shot” which leads to a deceptive release or movement that could easily be converted to a pass.
Skating:
Rover in full action.
Often finds himself deep in the O-zone.
Adept at reading the flow of the play and moving to where the play will develop.
Uses skating to apply aggressive pressure on the forecheck.
Defense:
Very mobile, able to go from pinch inside the blue line to back covering his blueline quite quickly.
Had a bit more physicality to his game in the sense that he leveraged contact against a player to take him out of the play behind the net. Stick/glove on the opponent’s hip at the right place and the right time to cause the player to lose their footing.
Decision Making/Panic Meter/IQ:
Zero panic, exudes a “knowing” of the play.
Eager to provide support on the breakout.
Likes to carry the puck from D-zone to O-zone.
Standout skill today:
Poise with the puck in close with honourable mention of distribution.
What was missing today?:
At times he will get caught leaning too heavily on his spatial awareness which lead to more reaching at a play.
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Date: 2023-03-11
League: OHL
Team: Ottawa
Opponent: Niagra
Score: 3-2 Ottawa
Notable Stats: 0 G, 2 A, 5 SOG, 1 HIT, 2 BLK, 23:54 TOI
Passing/Stickhandling:
Sees the pass he wants to make before he gets the puck.
Shifty movement/puck handling when carrying the puck. Creates gaps for himself.
Shooting:
Had one notable hard wrist/sling shot on goal that came off a quick release. Both the release and the goaltender’s save were obviously audible, especially compared to his usual finesse-base release.
Skating:
Smooth as always.
Knows when to shift gears and is great at conserving sprint equity.
Defense:
Breaks up plays/passes by getting a stick in the lane at the right time.
Active stick and feet that aren’t creating redundant coverage. Provides an always shifting obstacle to opponent puck carriers.
Decision Making/Panic Meter/IQ:
A very sound and quiet game, in a good way. While he tends to play a higher risk/reward style, today saw him playing in a way that allows his linemates to shine with extra room to breathe.
Absorbed a couple of heavy body checks. One in open ice as the play was dissolving, another as he was rushing the puck in on a zone entry along the boards.
Standout skill today:
Quick, decisive passes.
What was missing today?:
His usual nose for the slot/net.
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