Originally Posted by Sandman
Draft Thoughts (Spitting Fire Edition):
LW Cole Davis is a bit diminutive at 5'10",174lb, and though he plays for Windsor of the OHL, he might be the human embodiment of the word, "Spitfire". This season, he garnered 41 points in 63 games which, for a player on the Spits, is quite a feat. Windsor is the Liam Greentree show this season, but there's been a lot of tumult surrounding the team. Head Coach Jerrod Smith was fired four months into the season with the team in the OHL basement, after taking over for Marc Savard in the summer, leaving interim coach Casey Torres in charge of mopping up the mess. Windsor finished second-last in the league, with Greentree leading the scoring by 27 points over the next-best Spitfire, and Davis finishing 4th in scoring on the team. Davis was chosen in the 4th round of the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, 65th overall by the Spits. With a June 22nd birthday, he is still quite young and a rookie, having played only 5 games for Windsor in 2022-23, wtih most of his time spent in Junior A with the GOJHL. It's a pretty big step up to Major Junior but Davis handled it well, even being named the OHL Rookie of the Month for November with 12 points in 13 games. He was also named the OHL West Academic Player of the Month for December.
Davis isn't a specialist in any one area as he's not a high-end playmaker, and doesn't own an overwhelming shot- he's just simply a good hockey player who can play in all situations, and both special teams. He has a supreme work ethic, and is a high-energy player who is always active on the ice and pushing the pace of the game. Few can match his never-ending motor or his compete level, and despite his size he wins more than his fair share of battles in the hard areas. He's a fantastic skater, and an aggressive one, who can manouver through the neutral zone while separating from attackers, and beat defenders wide for scoring chances. On the forecheck, he gives opponents fits with how much he cuts down their space and time, and how rough and tumble he is in performance of this task. Davis' 55 penalty minutes shows he's not out to win any sportsmanship awards, and his physicality helps him win battles. He plays without fear, and throws his weight around like a bowling ball. Earlier in the season, he dropped the gloves against 6'4", 210-lb defenseman David Bedkowski, but thankfully the refs intervened- possibly saving his life. In another incident, Saginaw Spirits' center Ethan Hay, who measures 6'1"and 190lbs, dropped his gloves and pummeled him off the faceoff before he even knew what was happening. To say the least, he gets under the skin of opponents. Davis fights through checks, attacks the middle of the ice, and will drive the net to cause havok, set up the screen, and open space for teammates.
Davis has good hands around the net, and likes to beat goalies in-close with his slick moves and his ability to pick corners from the slot. He has a fairly good shot-and-release combo, but most of his goals are scored within 10 feet of the net. His puck skills and deception give him room, with good control, and puck-protection. He has some nice moves to get around the ice through traffic, with some clever dekes and dangles that make defenders look silly, and the spatial awareness to find open lanes to move through. He's an off-puck force, and one of the Spitfires' best defensive performers, displaying moxie and a physical approach. As he does on the forecheck, he hounds puck-carriers relentlessly, and removes all space and time. Davis could still be considered a raw prospect as he didn't have the head start of playing Major Junior in his draft-minus-one year, as most kids do. Though he plays on a poor team, his offensive game needs further development, with his shot and playmaking in need of an upgrade. If he also adds significant strength, he could develop into a middle-6 energy winger. I think he'll be off the board in round 5 or 6.
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