Draft Thoughts:
LW Kevin He was born in China, and lived there until he was 6, when his father moved him and his family to Montreal to finish his schooling. That's where the elder Mr. He fell in love with the game of hockey, and wanted his son to experience the joy of playing the sport. When the younger He was 12, the family moved to Toronto. These days, Kevin is the leading scorer for the worst team in the OHL, the Niagara IceDogs, with 45 points in 52 games.
The first thing you notice when watching He play is his exceptional skating. He's one of the fastest players in the OHL with the puck on his stick- he can separate from attackers, get behind the D for breakaways, and puts defenders on their heels. On the rush, he can pick apart defenses with his explosiveness, elite edgework, and quick change of pace. His speed is game-breaking. Of his 45 points, 26 are goals- so it's easy to see that his main field of expertise is goal-scoring. He doesn't need a whole lot of space or time to get serious power behind his shot, and he has a potent release that can stun goalies. Though he's lethal from anywhere in the zone, he's not a perimeter player, and most of his goals come from working in the hard areas, or from dropping a shoulder and driving the net. He will wade into the greasy areas to battle for possession, and is relentless on the forecheck, pursuing and hounding puck-carriers, and applying all kinds of pressure, including that of the physical variety. He catches defenders by surprise when coming off the rush, as he can shoot in flight, but he's also got the offensive toolbox to make high-end plays with his passing. Smooth puck-handling, and protection skills help him carry through the neutral zone in transition, making clean entries and attacking the middle, exploiting holes in coverage. Though he is only 6'0", and 183lbs, he competes hard, and plays a feisty game, as his 47 PIM would attest. He plays in all situations for the IceDogs, and both sides of special teams.
He is known to have tunnel-vision for offense, but it's hard to blame him for that, as he's one of the few players on his team who can provide offense. Conversely, it is said that his defensive game is lacking, but that's difficult to gauge, as Niagara is currently the 2nd-worst defensive team in the league. His coach says he strips a ton of pucks from opponents in the neutral zone, though. There are times where he disappears for stretches, and his consistency game-to-game is lacking. Still, this is a player with some good tools, and huge upside. I would guess 3rd/4th round.
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