[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 20):

LW/RW Caden Taylor (6'3",185lbs)
Peterborough (OHL): 68gp/ 15g/ 16a/ 31pts, -38, 51 PIM

Winger Caden Taylor (ranked # 113 NA Skaters) is a victim of circumstance, with numbers that have been affected negatively by toiling for the lowly Peterborough Petes, who drafted him in the 2023 OHL Priority Selection, with the ninth-overall pick. The Petes are dead-last in the league, and are one of the lowest-scoring clubs in the entire CHL; Taylor's 33 points in 68 might seem paltry, but he is third in scoring on the team, and only 6 points away from the scoring lead. Much more was expected of him this season, especially when considering the fact that he was able to post 11 goals and 18 points in just 31 games in 2023-24, his D-minus-one year- meaning that his points-per-game actually decreased this season. At any rate, Taylor is an offensive winger with an NHL-caliber shot and a lethal release, perhaps one of the best shooters in the class. He can fire off the catch, or shoot shoot while in-flight, and has a nasty curl-and-release wrister with a knack for using opposing defenders as screens. He doesn't need a lot of space to get a shot off in traffic, and doesn't need much of a wind-up to send a hard and heavy shot on net. Unlike earlier in the campaign, Taylor is doing a better job of locating open space in the slot, playing up the middle, and going to the net. He moves intelligently off-puck to remain a playable option for teammates, and will park himself in front of the net for finishing opportunities.

Taylor's skating is rather smooth and fluid in terms of mechanics, with good posture and a long, powerful stride- giving him above-average speed in a straight line. His skating profile is projectable, but he needs to build more strength in his lower-body. There's nothing too fancy about his game, and other than his shot, he lacks any real dynamic traits, and plays a largely north-south style. He handles well, and has a wide array of 1-on-1 dekes and dangles at his disposal to turn defenders inside-out, but he seems to have some puck-control issues at high-speeds, and can cough up the puck in traffic at times. Though he isn't known as a playmaker by any means, he's a solid passer and doesn't embarrass himself as long as he doesn't try to do too much, or try to get fancy. There are flashes though, of high-end vision and passing skill, and he shows value in transition with his plays off of retrievals in the defensive zone- connecting on some high-quality feeds to get the breakout going. Off the puck, he keeps his feet moving and stays active, supporting the play in all three zones and making himself a constant playable option for teammates.

I think that Taylor's defensive play is underrated, although his entire game is plagued by inconsistency, and like teammate D Carson Cameron, he is being brought down by playing on a bad team. The other big issue is that Taylor is not very physical, and would be much more effective if he were to use his frame better. In the defensive-third, he keeps up with attackers and strips them of the puck with deft stickwork, including pokechecks, sweeps, stick-lifts, and with slashes to the shafts of enemy twigs. Most of the time, he looks engaged and disruptive with high energy and activity, while suffocating opponents of their time and space. True, there are times where he is caught watching the play as a spectator, but he's generally aggressive with his reach, well-positioned, and supports the play competently. For a player of his size, Taylor loses too many board battles, and needs to leverage his size and strength more consistently. As with his own-zone play, he can be caught floating in other areas of the ice, and his pace at times is lacking; his effectiveness and effort are quite inconsistent- not only game-to-game, but often shift-to-shift. Taylor might end up being a bit of a project, but I believe he's miles better than his numbers show. Look for him in the middle-rounds.