[Sandman]

Here is my write-up on Greentree, for anyone who cares to read it:

More Draft Thoughts:

Jerrod Smith, who took over coaching duties of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires from Marc Savard, was fired 4 months into the current season after the Spits came out of the gate poorly, to say the least. After a 2022-23 season that saw the team winning a Division title, finishing 3rd overall, and scoring the most goals in the league with 320 (22 more than the next highest team), they are currently in last place in the OHL and tied for 12th in goals-for. Players like Matt Maggio and Brett Harrison are gone. The one thing giving Spits fans a reason to cheer this season is team Captain, power-forward Liam Greentree- a 6'2", left-handed RW who is currently sitting at 57 points in 39 games, a pace that would put him at 95 points in 65 games. Greentree is performing this feat without much help, as he's up 10 points on his next highest teammate, Oliver Peer (who attended Flames camp), and 25 points up on Windsor's third-highest scorer. In 2022-23, he led all OHL rookies in goal-scoring with 25, and had 45 points in 61 games. When you watch Greentree's highlights, the first thing you will likely notice is his deficient skating, so let's get that out of the way first. Greentree owns a bit of a short, choppy stride that lacks power and explosiveness, and pervades many areas of his game. His start-up, acceleration, and top speed are all concerns, and make it hard for him to evade pressure in all 3 zones. The good news for him is that he's extremely strong on the puck, with magnificent puck-control, and his balance is outstanding- he's strong on his skates, and hard to knock off the puck, meaning he can play keep-away with the biscuit while eluding defenders. Puck-protection is not an issue here, as he handles the puck with ease, and keeps it close to his body. His east/west quickness is actually not bad as well, giving him some extra evasiveness. Despite his mobility issues, he can drive play, gain the blueline, and make entries with full control. Greentree's stickhandling is exceptional, and he exudes confidence and poise when carrying the puck, as well as outstanding decision-making. While he can be considered a dual-threat offensive player, his specialty right now is goal-scoring- he has a deep arsenal of hard, accurate shots with power, and a lightning-quick release, and is threat to score from anywhere. His hands are silk-soft, and he can score in tight, outmanouvre a goalie, or park himself in front to capitalize on tips and deflections. There has been criticism this year in regards to Greentree's physicality, as he's not hitting nearly as much as previous years (or in the Hlinka), but still uses his size well in puck battles, jockeying for position in front of the goalie, and driving to the middle of the ice, or to the net. These attributes make him a big presence on the forecheck, and down low, where he applies good pressure and battles hard to win pucks. Like most players who carry elite IQ and vision, LG shows a heightened sense for positional awareness, and always finds the best places to be to execute plays with his creativity, or to score. As the marquee player for the Spits, he draws plenty of attention from checkers, but that opens ice for his teammates, and he has that uncanny spacial awareness to capitalize. Usually, he's the most skilled player on the ice, and those skills are polished and well-developed. There are no issues with work-ethic, as he's quite competitive and hard-working- definitely not a perimeter player. While he's considered a fine 200-ft player who engages opponents in the defensive end of the rink, putting pressure on attackers, his skating can give him some trouble with closing space and time. Still, he exhibits positional awareness, and will readily engage in battles along the boards, or down low in the defensive zone. This player reminds me a bit of a former Spitfire- Gabe Vilardi, who had (and still has) mobility issues while being a top offensive player in his draft year. If Greentree can improve his speed, he will surely become a top-line force in the NHL.