According to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s director of amateur scouting, Al Murray, there are not any “A+” prospects in this years draft. But, Murray believes that there are five to ten “A” or “A-” players available.
That being said, with the third overall pick, Tampa Bay will be selecting a very special player in the June 30 draft.
This is the first in a series of scouting reports on the top choices in this year’s NHL entry level draft. We look to the prospect guru’s to introduce you to the next Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick.
Today we focus on talented 18 year old forward Jonathan Drouin, who went from midget AAA to major juniors to a first-line role for Team Canada at the WJC in just one short year.
Al Murray, via TampaBayLightning.com:
“A lot of people want to compare him to Martin St. Louis, but I’m not sure he’s that caliber. We’ve had him in the top 10 of our list since the Ivan Hlinka tournament last summer when a lot of people had him as a borderline first-round pick or a second-round pick.
We watched him the year before in Halifax and when we watched him at the tryouts for Team Canada for the Ivan Hlinka tournament, he was the best player. He was the best guy there. He’s a dynamic offensive guy who’s a combination of a goal scorer and playmaker. He’s a terrific skater and he doesn’t have blazing speed, but he has above average speed and strong ability and quickness, which allows him to take the puck down either wall and cross diagonally in front of the D or put it through the D. He’s got a lot of confidence in his own ability, but he might be as good as a playmaker as there ever is in the Draft. Like St. Louis, he could be one of those playmaking wingers who can see a center and move the puck to somebody who is open at the appropriate time. That makes him very dangerous on the power play and his one-on-one skills are pretty impressive. If you play him too tight, he can take the puck and embarrass you.”
Alex Muscat, JuniorHockey.com, LightningShout:
“No player’s stock has skyrocketed more over the last couple of years than Drouin. After tearing up the QMAAA with 53 points in just 22 games for Lac St. Louis, the Mooseheads made room for Drouin, who adapted very well in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), scoring seven goals and accumulating 29 points in 33 games during the 2011-12 campaign.
In his first full season in the “Q”, Drouin finished second in league scoring with 110 points (41 goals, 64 assists) in only 49 games. Drouin even made the cut for Team Canada at the 2013 World Junior Championships, which is impressive for a 17-year old who was one of the team’s best players. This dynamic forward has been ranked higher than MacKinnon and some scouts had Drouin at the top of the board as the number one prospect in this year’s draft.”
Corey Pronman, Hockey Prospectus:
“Drouin is special offensive talent, with upside through the roof—a prototypical elite, puck possession forward. Drouin has unique puck skills, with the ability to show consistent offensive creativity. He naturally generated highlight reel scoring chances on a regular basis for the Mooseheads, and his ability to make plays in tight spaces is second to none. What separates Drouin, though, are his hands, and his tremendous ability to think the game. He has elite vision and offensive hockey sense, which allow him to dictate the offense. If defenders try to man him up one-on-one, he will find a way to lose the check. If they double him, he can make incredible passes to set up scoring chances. Although he possesses just good top-gear speed, he is a top-notch skater with a high level of shiftiness to his game. His agility and his puck skills make him a nightmare to check in open ice. That said, Drouin can be a liability when the game turns physical. He is a tad undersized, and his strength level needs to be improved in order to be effective in pro-level board battles. Drouin was given top line duties at the recent World Juniors, which is a rare feat for a Canadian 17-year-old, especially given the availability of talent at that tournament due to the lockout.”
“An agile forward, Drouin is very creative and a good skater. He is an extremely offensive player with fantastic hands and excellent on-ice-vision. Drouin has a good shot but is best used as a playmaker and is very dangerous on powerplay. Drouin is not a large player or an explosive skater, but he is very agile and able to play his way out of tight spots thanks to his hockey sense.”
Jr. Hockey Recruit:
“Drouin’s game is all offense, which revolves around his elite skill-level and impressive vision. Owning perhaps the silkiest set of hands in the draft, Drouin excels in close to the net and in breakaway situations where he can utilize his lethal backhand shot. On the power play, Drouin thrives in the role of playmaker. He has an impressive ability to use shoulder fakes to quickly change angles and open up seams that catch penalty killers off guard.
He also loves to use his speed to drive towards the net from the top of the circle which draws defenders towards him, allowing him to pass off to an open man down low or cross ice. While his shot is not overpowering, it is accurate and he does have the ability to score on shots from outside the hash marks, however, much of Drouin’s offense is created in close where his elite hands can really work.”
NHL player comparison: Patrick Kane
Next up: Nathan MacKinnon.
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