The Vancouver Canucks are preparing for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft — and so are we.
Once again the Vancouver Canucks failed to secure a spot in the NHL playoffs. So, instead of competing for the Stanley Cup, Canucks GM Jim Benning and his staff will use the upcoming months to prepare next season’s roster. Now that the organisation is officially in a ‘transition period’, the 2017 NHL Entry Draft will be of utmost importance.
A four-game winning streak to start the 2016-17 season gave fans hope for the playoffs. But — blame the coach, the roster, injuries or anything else — unfortunately, the team was unable to play competitively for an entire season. With that, they are guaranteed another high draft pick this year.
Here at The Canuck Way, we will do our best to prepare you for the upcoming draft by profiling as many eligible players as we possibly can. Keep in mind that we are not saying these are players the Canucks are targeting. Instead, these are players that we think the Canucks could or should have interest in.
This year’s draft seems wide-open, with no real consensus in any of the seven rounds. So, it will certainly be interesting to see who will put on a Vancouver Canucks jersey come June.
Today, let’s take a look at American center Scott Reedy of the US National Team Development Program.
Name: Scott Reedy
Position: Center, right wing
Shoots: Right
Birthdate: 1999-04-04
Height, weight: 6’1”, 203 lbs
Team, league: USA U-18, NTDP
Stats (from eliteprospects.com):
G
A
P
PIM
+/-
542221435114
Rankings:
#39 by Future Considerations
#40 by NHL Central Scouting
Risk, Reward: 2.5/5, 4/5
NHL-potential: Top-six forward
Draft Range: Top 60
Scouting report
"An athletic and offensively skilled power center…always seems to be in the right position to capitalize on opportunities…thinks the game really well…a supreme skater who is just as agile, quick and mobile as he is smart…has skilled hands and some creativity to carry the puck in traffic…makes smart choices with the puck on his stick…will drive the net both with and without the puck…poised and patient with the puck, waiting for the right play to develop…has the powerful frame to protect the puck…wins the majority of puck battles or battles for space…his shot is efficient…a bull when coming off the wall and taking the puck to the crease…displays strong vision and the ability to find teammates with passes while being hounded by a defender…plays a decent all-around game as he comes back hard and picks up his checks…a big, strong-skating forward with loads of NHL upside. (Future Considerations)"
Strengths
Scott Reedy is one of the most skilled players in the entire draft. There is virtually nothing he can’t do with the puck, and if you run at him too aggressively, he’ll get the puck through your legs before you even know it. Reedy has incredibly quick hands that allow him to deke around opponents in various situations.
An additional aid in that regard is his edge work. Reedy can turn on a dime, cut to the middle or stop and start extremely quickly, all with his puck glued to his stick. If all you do is watch a USA under-18 game without keeping an eye on any players in particular, you will certainly notice this guy when he makes a move that has you thinking, “wow, who is that?!”
Furthermore, Reedy has an excellent NHL frame, which makes his skill and agility even more impressive. At 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds, Reedy possesses the tools to be a highly skilled power forward at the next level.
Weaknesses
More from Draft
- Recapping the Canucks picks from rounds five to seven
- Canucks take Daimon Gardner in fourth round
- Canucks select Elias Pettersson in third round
- Canucks select Jonathan Lekkerimäki with 15th overall pick
- Five players the Canucks could draft with the 15th overall pick
Reedy has excellent edge work and mobility, but some scouts call skating a weakness. Reedy doesn’t have the quickest first step and doesn’t have the highest top speed, which has some scouts questioning whether he will be able to keep up at the next level. So, don’t be fooled when you read something like Reedy is “a supreme skater,” like in FC’s scouting report above. He is outstanding in one aspect, but another one might be his biggest weakness.
Another negative some scouts see in his game — though, again, not all of them — are his smarts. Personally, I have seen Reedy making very smart decisions with the puck and getting open in high-danger areas without it. Yet, there are also situations where he just tries to make plays himself, deking through three opponents before you start thinking “just pass the puck already!”
It is a little difficult to project what Reedy can be at the next level. Is he fast enough? Is he smart enough? Can he be a playmaker? Those are questions that force him to drop on some lists.
Final Thoughts
In the US NTDP, players get compared to each other more than anything else. On their team, it’s often not about who is talented enough to get drafted, but who out of the 20 talented players has the highest upside. And that’s something that could hurt Reedy.
Comparing him to other potential second or third-round picks, you usually find someone who’s better than him in a certain area. Josh Norris is a better skater. Grant Mismash is smarter. Reedy’s only true standout ability is his stickhandling.
So, comparing separate skills with the rest of the team, one might look past the players as packages. Reedy is a highly skilled player with excellent skating abilities (aside from his top speed), solid smarts and a perfect frame. There really is a lot to like about this guy.
Next: 2017 NHL Draft Profile Overview
So when the Canucks are on the board with pick No. 33, they should take a long look at Reedy. Perhaps they are even lucky enough to pick him up at 64 or with the compensatory pick from the Columbus Blue Jackets that could become Vancouver’s thanks to former head coach John Tortorella. If Reedy works out, they won’t regret it.