[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Testa-fy Edition):

For LHC Luca Testa, it's been a tale of two seasons in his draft year, one that came before missing a month due to injury, and the one that came after. Before he got hurt, Testa started the season with 12 points in 13 games for the Brantford Bulldogs, but in the 35 games after he came back in late December, he was only able to muster 13 points. In a 20-game stint between January 13th and March 6, he only put up 3 points with a 12-game drought included, to conclude the regular reason with 14 goals and 25 points in 48 games, with 28 penalty-minutes. Very disappointing, as I was hearing his name a lot earlier in the year as a candidate to go fairly high in the draft. From what I can gather, Testa lost his spot in the lineup while he was away, and only played bottom-6 minutes for the rest of the year upon his return. While I'm hoping there isn't a reason for his demotion that's related to something extracurricular, an argument could be made that he would have had a hard time cracking a talented Bulldogs' top-six anyhow. The 6'0",165lb pivot was taken 15th overall by the London Knights in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, but was traded to Brantford in January of 2023 in a multi-player trade that saw the Knights aquire Ryan Winterton. The Bulldogs were eliminated in the playoffs by the Ottawa 67's in six games to conclude the 2023-24 season, and Testa didn't contribute any points.

When Testa is on and 100%, he makes an impact on his team's lineup, and he can push pace and drive play at times. He leans towards shooting and finishing over passing as his main contribution to his team's offense, and is blessed with lethal instincts. His shot is a little on the weak side, but his impressive release and remarkable accuracy make up for it, along with his ability to use defenders as screens. Testa expertly finds soft spots in coverage, and has a nose for the net, with the hands to beat goalies 1-on-1. He's very good in-close, and will drive the net to plant himself in front to swat in rebounds, and has the hand-eye coordination to tip, or bat in pucks out of the air. He plays hungry, aggressive, and highly disruptive on the forecheck with no fear in going to the hard areas of the ice to fight for pucks. Bigger opponents don't seem to scare him, and he can play a physical brand of hockey with some big hits to get his team going. Testa flashes some high-end playmaking ability, and demonstrates good vision- he can make complex passes to teammates in high-danger, and delays well in order to find the right play, rather than throwing the puck away, or forcing plays that aren't there.

Testa's skating is above-average perhaps, but he lacks high-end speed, though it helps that he works hard and keeps his feet pumping. His edgework is reasonably good, giving him some escapability, and some mobility in small areas. Despite lacking a separation gear, Testa is still able to push pace, and employs some smooth 1-on-1 dekes and dangles to move through traffic and make defenders miss. He can make defensemen look foolish with his deception game and puck-skills, and competes hard with high motor. Off the puck, he's a smart contributor with his capability in always being available with his stick on the ice for a high-danger pass, and is always a threat. He skates smart routes in support of the play. His defensive play is quite polarizing, and sometimes he looks lost, while standing still and puck-watching, and coasting on the backcheck. There are issues for him in indentifying his man, and he cheats for offense. On a good day, he pressures opponents diligently, removing all time and space, and levels hits to separate man from puck. He has the foresight to intercept passes, and force turnovers, but something isn't clicking for him in his own zone. Upgrading his defense is an absolute must, and he has to get faster and stronger, while upgrading his shot arsenal. Before the injury, I would have said that Testa could make the NHL someday as a middle-6 forward, but scouts might have short memories. Look for him in round 5 or 6.