Originally Posted by Sandman
Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 23):
RD Everett Baldwin (6'0"174lbs)
St. George's School (USHS-Prep): 22gp/ 10g/ 10a/ 20pts
Righty Everett Baldwin (ranked # 99 NA Skaters) gave us a glimpse of what he can do in the USHL with Cedar Rapids (1 point in 2 games), and with the NTDP (1 point in 3 games), and he didn't look at all out place. Baldwin, who is 17th in the High School Prep league in ppg, is a well-rounded, two-way defenseman with blazing speed, but he comes with a very big asterisk- he's dominating, but in a vastly inferior league to most of his peers in this draft-class. His aforementioned blazing speed might be the main reason why he is getting so much attention from scouts. He is a fast, fluid skater- one of the fastest defensemen in the draft; not only is he highly mobile in all directions, but he's also extremely agile and shifty on his edges to side-step checks, and fool opponents with his quick changes in pace and direction. He rockets out of the blocks, accelerates effortlessly to top-speed, and separates easily- leaving opponents in the dust. He recovers seamlessly with lightning-quickness after pinching in to the play, explodes laterally, and transitions smoothly. The hands match the feet- well, almost- and he handles steadily while in-stride, with a wide array of one-on-one moves to deke and dangle his way through layers of traffic, and turn defenders inside-out.
Baldwin gets good power on his wrister, with pinpoint accuracy and a snappy, deceptive release than can paralyze goalies, and he's a high-volume shooter. He wields a heavy shot from the point that he gets on net with good consistency, and can act as a playmaking tool to create second-chance opportunities for teammates. He is a creative playmaker and a skilled passer who is confident with the puck on his blade, and exhibits patience and poise; he can see teammates through a crowd, and can thread the needle through traffic. If there's an opening, he will join the rush, and will activate into the play off the point frequently; he runs the offense from the line with intelligence, keeping plays alive and extending offensive zone time. Baldwin possesses high IQ to read plays proactively, and his strong anticipation keeps him ahead of the play in all three zones. He exerts good habits defensively and shows proficiency against the rush with his ability to easily mimic his opponents' footwork in order to maintain a solid gap, cut down angles, and take on secondary threats. Those efforts help to keep attacks to the outside, and he forces a ton of turnovers, dump-ins, and uncontrolled plays. In the zone, he sprints to loose pucks or skates into hands, and upon retrieval, he instantly starts the breakout. He uses an active stick, sharp timing, immaculate positioning, and physicality to separate man from puck, and owns the anticipation to clog lanes and intercept passes. He stays active, moving from disrupting the point at the top of the zone, to battling for pucks below the goal-line. Even with all of the aforementioned traits, he could still stand to improve his consistency of engagement, and become more disruptive in-zone.
Baldwin's best attribute is that he's an ace in transition, from leaving attackers in his wake on retrievals, to breaking out of the zone cleanly by carry or pass, to rushing the puck through the neutral zone, to controlled entries- all while staying calm, cool, and collected. He is adept at using give-and-go chains to draw pressure and pass off, then relocate quickly to a more advantageous spot in open-ice, with the goal of manipulating the opposing defense, and open lanes. He displays a strong first-pass, and can fire off an accurate outlet feed to stretch the ice. He plays a physical brand of hockey, throwing hits, winning battles in greasy areas, and delivering bit hits in open-ice, but can struggle to defend the front of the net against larger opponents. Baldwin needs to get a lot stronger for the next level- he can outmuscle opponents at the High School level, but he won't be able to do it against men. He could also stand to add more power to his shot, and become more consistent in his effort and intensity. For me, 20 points in 22 games at the HS Prep level is not necessarily indicative of offensive prowess, but even if he never fully realizes his potential production-wise, he is still an excellent performer in two-and-a-half zones- with overwhelming speed. He is committed to Providence for the 2026-27 season, and it will be exciting to watch his progress. Look for him in the middle-rounds.
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