[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems, Vol. 3):

RD Carson Cameron (6'2",194lbs)
Peterborough (OHL): 60gp/ 7g/ 16a/ 23pts, -24, 22 PIM

D Carson Cameron (ranked #87 NA Skaters) may not be a "hidden gem" per se, as I'm sure NHL scouts are well aware of him by now. Cameron is a much better player than his stats, as he plays for the worst team (.346 win %) in the OHL, and one of the lowest-scoring clubs in the entire CHL, and his 23 points are incredibly only 12 away from the team lead. He's quite young, with a June 27th birthday, and is a smooth-skating, 200-ft righty with offensive potential, and a reliable puck-moving game. A favorite of mine, he is very reliable in all situations, and a calming presence for his team with his constant poise and high panic threshold. He executes clean, controlled retrievals consistently, followed by polished first-passes to set up the breakout- pre-scanning thoroughly while protecting the puck from forecheckers, applying deception to escape pressure, and using cutbacks and delays to buy time and space. He will gladly take a hit in this process to make the proper play. In transition, he holds tremendous value, with the ability to rush the puck up-ice, or to pass through the neutral zone effectively.

Cameron is very mobile, with excellent speed and agility, on a smooth, powerful stride. He joins the rush frequently and attacks the middle, and though he may not possess elite creativity and vision, he has very little to work with in Peterborough, and plenty of his ideas die on his teammates' sticks, or miss the mark due to their ineptness. He manages the play well from the top of the offensive zone, walking the line to open seams, and showing excellent distribution skills. He often pinches in to the play, expertly finding soft spots to fill, and will attack the net from the weak side for one of his snappy catch-and-release wristers, or sprint up the wall to make a pass to the slot. He will activate to keep pucks alive and extend offensive zone time, and will throw a hit to prevent the breakout. His point shot is dangerous, and he gets it through to the goalie consistently, creating second-chance opportunities for teammates. Cameron is a physical player who wins more than his fair share of puck battles, will levy hits to win possession, and is aggressive and overpowering in front of his net. He pushes pace, and is a minute-munching workhorse who can play in any situation, as well as both sides of special teams.

Cameron is usually a safe and reliable defensive player, but he can be sloppy at times. Though it's hard to evaluate a player on a team as bad as the Petes, he is an excellent penalty-killer who executes a solid shutdown game. With his swift four-directional speed, he's adept at snuffing rushes by mimicking his opponents' footwork, exerting tight gaps, angling attackers to the outside, stripping them of possession with well-timed pokechecks, and often finishing the play with contact. Cameron owns good awareness and anticipation, giving him the sense to act proactively in the form of picks and stick-lifts, which help him in defending his net. If he were on a different team, he would be able to showcase his abilities and talent much better, but scouts will know that- and while I would put him in the third-round, he could go as early as the second. Going forward, he would benefit by adding more power to his shot, and he needs to get stronger as he can be overpowered at times. It will be difficult for him to keep expanding his offensive game while playing on the Petes, but his best years are definitely ahead of him.