Just Who Is Liam Coughlin

The third skater and fourth player selected by Edmonton this past June, Liam Coughlin, is a little known prospect that hails from South Boston. Coughlin is a relative unknown, and left many scrambling to find information for a write-up following his selection that fateful Saturday afternoon.

The Means Of Entry:

The Oilers selected Coughlin with their fifth round selection, number 130 overall, in the 2014 draft. Coughlin, a native of South Boston, has taken a bit of an unconventional road to this point. He played high school hockey in Massachusetts for the power-house Catholic Memorial team until 2012-13, while also playing for the Boston Junior Bruins.

This past season, Coughlin took the next step in his development by playing in the BCHL, suiting up for the Vernon Vipers. Coughlin is slated to come back home, as he is committed to playing for Boston University, although it is unclear whether he will start for the Terriers this season or in 2015.

The Boxcars:

Coughlin was a star at the high school level for Catholic Memorial, one of the better teams in a highly competitive Massachusetts High School circuit. During the 2011-12 season, Liam posted a solid ten points in a handful of games, and followed that up with a decent four points in five games for the Junior Bruins.

The following season, Coughlin emerged as the go-to offensive option for CM, posting 48 points throughout the course of the season. He again joined the Junior Bruins following the season, scoring 16 points in eight games.

This past year, the BCHL proved to be a tougher challenge for the forward, who played in 53 games for the Vipers. Coughlin posted 45 points for the team, which is decent but not good enough considering the league. A guy with NHL potential should be able to post a point-per-game, and he failed to do that.

The boxcars are a bit of a concern here.

The Player:

Liam Coughlin has some decent size, standing in at 6’3”, but is a little on the light side at 185 pounds. He’s not exactly an overly physical player, but was able to hold his own at the High School level and seemingly did fine physically in the BCHL. He’s only 20 years old, so he has some room to grow. It’s very possible that he fills out his frame and ends up as a decently sized player when he hits pro.

Coughlin is an interesting case, because there really isn’t a lot out there on him. His boxcars at Catholic Memorial indicate that it took him a year to adapt to the level of player in the Catholic Conference, one of the premiere High School conferences in the United States. Once he did, he showed some offense and real play-making ability.

Talking to a goalie that played against Coughlin, I was able to find out a little more regarding his offensive style. He’s got a solid shot, one of the better ones in the state at the time he played for CM. He’s a highly competitive guy as well, and I was told is a guy that is willing to do what it takes to win. On top of that, he’s a solid skater and brings it every shift.

Further to that offensively, he’s got solid passing skills and sees the ice well. He posted 20 assists in his senior season for CM, and can be a playmaker when need be. That said, his 28 goals that season indicate a shoot first player that is more of a goal scorer.

Offensively in the BCHL he was below the ppg mark, which is where every NHL level prospect should be. For him to be below there suggests that there is something lacking offensively from this player. That’s a bit of a concern, but his numbers were down his first season for Catholic Memorial as well.

Overall, the returns from players that have seen him live and gone against him is positive. A solid shot, a hard-game, and a player that other teams had to game-plan for. Sure, it was at the High School level in Massachusetts, but he was a game-breaker and a star at one point on a good team in a very solid conference.

If he is to succeed as a prospect, the things I was told about, solid shot, good skating and competitive style, will need to show-up in spades.

The 2014-15 Outlook:

For Liam Coughlin, 2014-15 is a big season. The 20 year old forward will have a chance to make a name for himself and get recognized among Oiler prospects, as he will finally have some sort of spotlight on him.

It’s still unknown whether or not Coughlin will play in the BCHL for a second season in a row or the NCAA for Boston University. Regardless of where he ends up, the expectation should be the same for this prospect. A bit of a breakthrough year where the offense shows up would go a long way.

If it’s in the BCHL, the point-per-game mark should be the Mendoza line for this player. If it’s the NCAA, it should be within the neighborhood of a point-per-game depending on how he is used.

Liam Coughlin was not on anyone’s radar going into the 2014 entry draft, and even to this day he remains a relative unknown. That could change greatly this season with a solid season where ever he plays. He’s not the sexy name, but I’ll be rooting like hell for the kid from Southie. Us Boston people stick together you know….