[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 25):

LD Matthew Grimes (6'1",185lbs)
Sioux Falls (USHL): 54gp/ 4g/ 9a/ 13pts, +10, 51 PIM

Lefty Matthew Grimes made an appearance for Team USA in last summer's Hlinka-Gretzky, scoring 3 points in 5 games, and I thought he looked good for the most part. Grimes is a two-way, puck-moving defenseman with excellent mobility in all directions on a long, powerful stride, and superb maneuverability from his edges. His value lies mostly in his puck-movement; he is highly impactful in transitioning the puck up-ice, with his confidence and poise in possession of the puck, and his ability to weave through traffic with full control. He can support the rush with connective passes, or he can spearhead the attack- dictating pace, and pushing defenses back with his speed. Even when under duress, he usually makes intelligent plays, and uses various forms of deception to mislead defenders into going the wrong way- including look-offs, feints, dekes, and dangles. He remains calm and composed when shaking off pressure in retrievals, locating quick avenues to make his escape, then kickstarting the breakout with smart outlets, or short first-passes- making the whole process look relatively easy. He can quarterback the rush from the back, or jump into the action to act as an extra forward, but he's not very dynamic, and mostly plays a safe, simple game with smarts. Upon entry, he makes room for his teammates with cut-backs and button-hooks to draw pressure, or will attack up the middle to push defenders back, in order to open space for a drop-pass to the trailer.

Grimes is more of a facilitator at this point than a true playmaker, and perhaps lacks high-end vision and creativity. He walks the blueline effectively, manages the play well from the point position, and makes sound decisions as to when to activate into the play; more often than not, it's to keep the play alive, or snuff the breakout. He's a skilled passer though, with precision feeds off of his play-reading ability, and makes quick decisions- blending deception into his distribution game, using fakes and look-offs. Grimes' handling skill is a definite strength, with his quick hands and deft puck-control, but his shot is nothing too special- though he gets it on net with good consistency to create opportunities for teammates in proximity to the net. He is competitive and battles hard to win pucks, but he can be overpowered at times, and needs to get a lot stronger. Though he will engage opponents aggressively, he isn't the most physical player, and opts to use his solid positioning and reach to separate man from puck. He will pin attackers to the wall, push opponents off the puck, and use his frame as leverage to get inside position, but he's not the biggest hitter.

Another area where Grimes shows value is his play against the rush, and in the defensive-third. He is well-positioned in his own-zone, with good anticipation, and exerts strong gap-control with an active stick to cause turnovers, and force dump-ins. He hounds puck-carriers, taking away time and space, and is proficient at boxing opponents out from the net- although he has some issues with bigger players. He is impressive with how he shuts down plays with his amazing east-west mobility in the neutral zone. Grimes has excellent tools, and scouts see him as a potential bottom-4 defenseman in the show- how he develops will determine if he plays on the second, or third pairing. When he gets too fancy, he tends to get himself into trouble, and he often tries to do too much on his own. He can be overaggressive against the rush, and sometimes bites on enemy fakes, to inadvertently allow entries. In the defensive zone, he sometimes has positional lapses, and can be prone to mental mistakes and miscues. Grimes is committed to the University of Minnesota for 2026-27, and he might have to wait until later rounds to be selected.