[Sandman]

C/RW Ryan Winterton, 6'2"190lbs (Hamilton, OHL): Didn't play a whole lot of hockey this year, but won U-18 Gold, playing on Canada's fourth line and PK, with 4pts in 7 games. I wrote a little about this kid during the tourney, as his speed and defensive acumen stood out to me. In 2019-20, he put up 23 pts in 53 games for Hamilton. Winterton is one of the youngest players in this draft, with a September birthday.

Winterton plays a reliable two-way game. He's versatile, playing all F positions-and in games, he reads and adapts to whatever situation is in front of him. He possesses high-end skill, and high-end IQ in all 3 zones. He has a never-quit attitude, will battle in the trenches, and in front of the net, and plays with pace. He has a goal-scorers mentality, and a knack for bending the twine. Highly dangerous off the rush, he can fire an accurate wrister, or a tape-to-tape pass, or he can drop a shoulder and bull his way to the net. His fantastic puckhandling is talked about a lot.

Winterton is aggressive on the backcheck, and deploys a smart defensive game. He's a hound for the puck, and is often called a "puck thief". His skating has quick pace, and fluid mobility to get up and down the sheet with ease. Excellent puckhandler, and puck protector. There's not many holes in Winter's game, but questions about how his offense will translate as there's only been a small sample size this year. Tons of untapped potential though. CS updated his ranking to a "B", meaning he'll be picked in the 2nd/3rd round. MacKenzie ranked him 78th. Very low risk.