[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems, Vol. 8):

LD Owen Conrad (6'3",209lbs)
Charlottetown (QMJHL): 64gp/ 7g/ 19a/ 26pts, -6, 32 PIM

Lefty Owen Conrad (ranked # 94 NA Skaters) has disappointed this season, when considering his offensive output from 2023-24; his 29 points in 59 games for the Charlottetown Islanders put him in the top-3 for rookie scoring by D last season, so I would have expected him to be closer to a point-per-game this year. A late first-rounder for the Islanders in the 2023 OHL Draft, Conrad's stats this season don't properly represent his abilities or potential in my opinion (I'm a fan of this kid), and I don't think his two-way capability should be overlooked. Offensive ability aside, he's already a fairly polished shutdown defender, but is very raw. He is a steadying presence on the blueline with his remarkable calmness and poise, and he is a known leader and character player, with high-end work-ethic and determination. He's a workhorse with the ability to log big minutes in important situations, excel in both special teams, and play a physical brand of hockey- throwing hits, and battling hard for pucks in the trenches.

Conrad is fairly mobile in all directions with a good top-speed when he gets going, but his explosiveness and acceleration are in need of an upgrade. Once he improves his lower-body strength, there's a chance his skating will become a strength, as his edges and mechanics are already sound; his stride looks fluid, and he is able to turn quickly, pivot smoothly, and transition seamlessly. An intelligent and dilligent defender, he never quits on a play and displays solid instincts and awareness in his own zone. He is solid rush-defender who puts up a tight gap to angle opponents to the outside, where he layers poke-checks on top of hard hits to snuff entries. He clogs lanes, blocks shots, intercepts passes, and protects his net aggressively- this side of his game is highly projectable, and may give him a high NHL-floor. He employs intelligent positioning and an active stick to disrupt plays, and suppresses attacks to the inside, while bringing his strength and physicality along the wall and down low. With the puck, he is poised and cerebral in limiting defensive-zone time by moving the puck quickly through transition, first by making plays to escape pressure in retrievals, then setting up the breakout with smart first-passes- or by stretching the ice with a long-bomb. He has an effective delay game at his disposal when needed, and displays good deception in his passes- always keeping possession for his team with few giveaways.

Conrad is a solid, albeit unspectacular handler, who will join the rush often, and activate in deep off of the line frequently, timing his pinches well to minimize risk. He displays good spatial awareness to locate open space to fill, lanes to pass through, and routes for relocation. He has at least a modicum of playmaking vision, but can be mostly classified as more of a distributor and facilitator at the present time- he's a skilled passer, but he stays a little too safe and risk-free right now. He would do well to take more calculated chances in an effort to make his flashes of play-creation much less rare. He needs work on his shot, as it's not very intimidating with it's lack of power and accuracy, and is right now being used as a playmaking device to set up his teammates with scoring chances. Though he shines in the defensive-third, he often looks like he's lacking urgency, so he needs work on his consistency and engagement. Offensively, his game might just be limited, but time will tell- many scouts think there's real upside in him. There's a ceiling here of a 2nd-pairing, two-way puck-mover who can potentially ride shotgun on the first-pairing, but he could make it as a bottom-pairing shutdown D who kills penalties. Look for him in the 3rd-round, but he could easily jump up to the 2nd.