[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 43):

RW Florent Houle (6'0",174lbs)
Sherbrooke (QMJHL): 61gp/ 11g/ 23a/ 34pts, +9, 74 PIM

I'm not sure if the NHL in his future, but I love this kid. Winger Florent Houle (ranked # 128 NA Skaters) is a CHL-rookie on a Sherbrooke squad that concluded the regular-season 10th, out of 18 teams. Houle's numbers may not be very impressive, but his 34 points were good enough for 5th on a team that values staunch defense, with a fast-paced puck-possession style- finishing 11th in goals-for, and 7th in goals-against. I might be biased, but he seems to be on the ice for an inordinate amount of Sherbrooke's high-danger chances in the playoffs, and although he currently has only 2 points in 8 post-season contests (with 23 PIM), he has been their best player in a few games, and tries to make something happen every shift. He's a hard-nosed, pacey physical player who plays on the edge and drives opponents crazy, but he has some amazing soft-skills. He loves contact, but gives a lot better than he gets, and puts his body on the line every game to absorb hits and make plays. A menacing presence on the ice, he's highly physical and mean, sometimes following-up a bone-jarring hit with a nice cross-check for good measure, and never passes up the opportunity to punish an opponent. He's tenacious and competitive, excelling in puck-battles, making life hard for his enemies, and throwing hits to energize his team. An agitator and a pest, he gets under his opponents' skin, baiting them to take penalties, and is usually in the middle of every post-whistle scrum.

Houle is a tough kid, but his hands are butter-soft and quick, giving him superb puck-handling in tight areas, and problem-solving ability- his puck-skill is one of his best assets. He could stickhandle in a phone booth, and he does the same in traffic- deking and dangling through bodies while in-flight, and he catches wild passes smoothly while in motion. Those same hands give him soft-touch on his passes, and the power to thread the needle through small spaces- sometimes off of his backhand. He is a quick processor and play-driver, who packs some creative playmaking and vision- enough that he is used often on the point in powerplay situations. Another big asset of his is that, while he may not be a burner, he's an excellent skater with above-average speed in a straight-line, but even more importantly- he employs first-rate edgework that allows him to weave in-and-out of small-areas with remarkable escapability. He evades pressure, sidesteps hits, spins off of checks, and can change pace or stop-and-start on a dime. With relentless motor and high-end work-ethic, he hustles to outpace defenders, sprints to loose pucks, and launches himself into battles.

Houle has a nasty presence in front of the net, taking on all combatants to remain well-positioned, and isn't afraid to cause a scene by messing with the opposing netminder- giving second-and-third efforts to shovel the puck over the line, even when it's been covered, or is sitting underneath a body. Those silky-soft hands often make an appearance to deke goalies out in-close, and he owns good hand-eye coordination for re-directs. He drives the net fearlessly, and cuts to the slot with an eye for open gaps off-puck. On the forecheck, he attacks with energy, tenacity, and physicality to terrorize puck-carriers and cause turnovers with stick-lifts. Not sure how his game will translate to the pros, but even if he makes it as a bottom-six defensive player, he will surely be a needle-mover. He needs to get a lot stronger to survive the rigors of pro hockey, and he can still get pushed off the puck at times. He could use more mustard on his shot, but he already has fairly good precision, and a quick release. This kid is vastly outplaying his stats in my opinion, and I would easily take a flyer on him in the middle-rounds.