[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (TP for my Bunghole Edition):

It will be interesting to see where RHD Tory Pitner is picked in this year's draft, as he's got a fairly good resume and might be a little underrated. Pitner was picked 17th overall in the 2021 WHL US Draft by the Edmonton Oil Kings, but wisely waited until 2022 to be chosen 9th overall in the USHL Draft by the Youngstown Phantoms, the team he won a Championship with in 2023. This season, Pitner is wearing the "A" for Youngstown, and plays on the top-pairing with Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick Andrew Strathmann, and is currently 19th in league scoring by defensemen, with 23 points in 44 games, to go with 52 penalty-minutes. He also served as Captain for Team USA's entry in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and lead them to a bronze medal, but only managed 1 assist in 5 games.

Pitner is an all-situations defenseman, getting time on the penalty-killing unit for the Phantoms, but he doesn't get many powerplay minutes. The 6'1",183lb defender has excellent mobility, but his skating is not really elite in any way- his lateral mobility is good enough to sidestep pressure, and he skates backwards quite well, keeping a tight gap on attackers. He shoots hard and heavy from the point, getting it through layers of traffic, and can fake those shots to slap-pass to teammates on the doorstep for high-danger opportunities. There's a good selection of shots in his arsenal, and they all come with a nice, quick release. Pitner will pinch to the net off the rush with the puck, or following as the trailer, and will not hesitate to activate to the low slot from the point if he sees an opportunity. His vision and IQ may not be elite, but they are good enough to give him the ability to spot developing opportunities for teammates through a crowd, and the patience to hold on to the puck until he can open a seam to pass through. He carries a fair amount of puck-skill and playmaking ability, and can connect on difficult passes, even cross-ice, or through traffic, and his skating and anticipation give him time and space to execute. He's a quality puck-mover, and is outstanding in transition, which is one of his specialties- he makes smooth, effortless retrievals, and then quarterbacks the play up the ice with sharp passing, or by carrying it out himself with speed.

Pitner plays a robust physical game, and hits hard. He's rugged, and has no problem getting his nose dirty while winning battles in the greasy areas. He competes hard, has good character, and is a leader- the letters on his various jerseys would attest to that. He's an excellent defensive player, always on the right side of the puck with strong positioning and awareness, and employs a smart stick to disrupt plays. He's good at boxing attackers out of the net-front area, and drives forecheckers to the outside. These are good skills for him to have, as his defense and puck-moving ability will likely be his bread and butter at the next level. Still, he could stand to further develop his offense, even though his numbers are fairly good, and though his decision-making has improved vastly over where it was last year, he still needs work as he can sometimes try to do too much, forcing ill-advised passes. TP is committed to the U of Denver, after de-committing to UMass. Look for him in the 3rd, or 4th round.