[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 28):

LHC Carson Harmer (5'10",185lbs)
Saginaw (OHL): 68gp/ 23g/ 27a/ 50pts, +17, 39 PIM

Center Carson Harmer (ranked # 106 NA Skaters) is an OHL rookie, having played the previous season for the Stratford Warriors of the GOJHL, placing 4th in league scoring with 65 points in 46 games. His 50 points was good enough for second in scoring for freshmen this year, just 3 points ahead of teammate (and frequent linemate) RW Jacob Cloutier of the Saginaw Spirit- who finished 9th-overall in the standings, but scored the second-highest amount of goals in the league. It was a bit of an adjustment for Harmer at first, with only 7 points in his first 15 games, but he fit in to the lineup remarkably well. Harmer is a two-way pivot with playmaking ability, and some bite in his game. Though he can push pace, and seems to be everywhere all at once at times, he's not an especially potent skater and possesses average straight-line speed at best. He can beat a defender wide once in awhile, and is able to win puck-races on occasion with his will-power alone, but he has trouble separating in open ice- which is a big detriment for a player his size. He plays a rather straight-line game, with not much flash or dash, and no real dynamic traits, but he's a gamer and quite well-rounded.

Harmer is blessed with a high hockey IQ, and is a smart playmaker with superb awareness; he makes quick reads and sound decisions to produce constant advantages for his teammates with his passes, although he isn't a high-end creator just yet. In the offensive zone, he funnels pucks to the middle on the cycle, makes high-danger feeds across the crease through bodies, slips short-passes under sticks, and connects with saucers through traffic. He seems to like making low-to-high plays from below the goal-line to the slot, and can push defenses back upon entry in order to make space for a drop-pass. In transition, he often finds open space to slow the play down, exhibiting patience to wait for the right play, drawing pressure to open passing seams, and finding teammates with short, quick feeds. He finds open lanes to relocate to, skates his routes with purpose, and has quick hands with a soft touch to catch smoothly at top-speed, then stickhandle through traffic with full control while evading pressure. He also owns outstanding protection skills, angling his body away from checkers, and handling outside of their range. Harmer can fire the puck off the catch, wielding a hard shot with a snappy release that can freeze goalies, and the precision to hit targets while in-motion. While he could definitely stand to shoot more, he gets most of his goals in-close with his quick hands to beat goalies, his hand-eye coordination, and his sharp timing; he's very inside-driven, and a regular fixture in the slot and in-front. He knows how to find soft spots around the net to sneak into, and times his attacks to the crease to be in good position to snag rebounds, or get his stick on a tip.

Despite not having ideal size, Harmer doesn't shy away from the rough stuff at all, and in fact- he throws hits, can crush opponents in open-ice, plays through contact, and will even drop the gloves when necessary. He asserts himself physically, winning board battles, competing hard down-low, fighting for positioning in front of the net, and will use the odd reverse-hit to make more room for himself. He does a fair amount of the dirty work for his line, in digging out pucks in the dirty areas. He is gritty, competitive, energetic, and employs a non-stop motor. Harmer exhibits off-puck smarts to support the play in all three zones, and to stay open and playable, but also to hound puck-carriers in all areas of the ice and get in his opponents' faces. He is pesky and disruptive in all three zones- stealing pucks, picking pockets, and forcing uncontrolled plays, but he also works to make room for teammates who are in possession of the puck. In his own zone, he performs very well- exerting smarts, solid positioning, and keen awareness to act proactively in setting picks, getting inside position on aggressors, and tying up sticks before the puck arrives. He is disruptive through the other teams' breakout, to their rush through the neutral zone by harassing puck-carriers with his stick and his physicality, to the set-up in his team's defensive zone. He will engage opponents with contact to separate man from puck, and dole out stiff hits to dislodge possession; he retrieves loose pucks, and finds outlets to instantly start the breakout going in the other direction. I like this player, and I believe he will be high up the OHL scoring list for the next few years. Going forward, skating and pace are his biggest weaknesses, which isn't ideal for a smaller player in the eyes of scouts- but he doesn't play small. Look for him in later rounds.