[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Re-entry Edition, Vol. 3):

C/RW Anthony Romani may be the highest profile re-entry into this year's draft, after going unselected in his first year of eligibility in 2023. In this, his D+1 season, he put up offensive totals of 58 goals (1st in the league) and 111 points (2nd in the league) in 68 games for North Bay of the OHL, who finished 5th in the regular season, but lost in the Conference final to the Oshawa Generals in 7 games. Romani, who is still 18 until July 12th, only played 3 of North Bay's 16 playoff games, posting 3 goals and 4 points. Looking back to the 2022-23 regular season, Romani finished with 23 goals and 43 points in 66 games, with 8 points in 20 playoff games. In my profile of Romani from 2023, I wrote that Romani was already a polished player in the neutral, and defensive zones but needed work on his offense, although I pointed out that he was 4th in the OHL in even-strength goals per 60. At the time, he was playing middle-six minutes, which ate a bit into his numbers, but he wasn't driving the middle enough, didn't do much to create space for himself or teammates, and lacked high-end creativity. Despite those deficiencies, plus a perception that he lacked speed, it was my contention that he might just look like a totally different player in his next two OHL seasons, though I wouldn't have dared to predict the kind of production he had this year. Ironically, his numbers from this season beat every OHL player that was drafted in 2023.

Romani has made some improvements to his skating, but some say he still has a way to go before his speed is close to being NHL-caliber- he could still use another separation gear, and more explosiveness, although he's able to push pace at times in junior and has fairly strong edges to evade checkers. There's no questioning his top-shelf hockey sense and vision, or his ability to make high-end plays, with distribution skill that enables him to stretch the ice with complex passes in transition, and across the ice (and crease) in the offensive zone. A great deal of his offense comes off of the rush, and he showed much more of a willingness to carry the puck this year, although he mostly relies on quick touches and give-and-go's- he doesn't often hang on to the biscuit for too long. He's highly manipulative, using deception to get around and employs a smart delay game, ragging the puck until a more high-percentage play becomes available, and he finds teammates in high-danger quite often. In contrast to his draft season, he's more inclined this year to get his nose dirty, with increased physicality in using his body to win pucks in hard areas, but isn't one to throw a lot of hits. He does possess a high work-ethic with unrelenting motor, and stays active.

Even though he does possess playmaking prowess, his best asset is still his goal-scoring ability, and his deep arsenal of hard, heavy shots that he can pick corners with. The big difference this season is that Romani is much more eager to cut to the inside and use the middle to get business done, and he's better at hunting down open spaces in coverage to operate in. He sneaks into high danger, staying out of his opponents' sightlines, and owns a lightning-quick release that can fool goalies. His metrics are still sterling when it comes to his dynamic transitional skills and defense, and both will be important assets in the future. Romani backchecks hard, and has top-notch awareness, with the ability to make high-end breakout passes. In transition, he will work the give-and-go's but can push the pace with long-bomb passes that cross the ice, and exhibits proactive defense in the neutral zone by breaking up plays and snuffing the rush before it gets to the blueline. Off the puck, he works hard and displays solid positioning in relocating on give-and go sequences, and he's always in the right place to support the action and stay playable.

Though he produced gaudy offensive numbers this season, with sparkling metrics, Romani's critics still question how his game will translate, and point to his skating and overall pace. He has inconsistent physical skills that he will need to work on, and his engagement and intensity have their ebbs and flows, but there's no denying his elite brain. I could see him in an NHL teams' middle-six in the future, but he could settle in to a bottom-6 defensive role with the solid base of skills he has shown, if all else fails. Some say they would be comfortable in taking him as high as the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft, but I think he'll have to wait until the 4th round, with the chance of moving up to the 3rd.