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Old 05-01-2025, 03:09 AM   #1672
Sandman
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Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 58):

RHC Jeremy Loranger (5'10",165lbs)
Sherwood Park (BCHL): 54gp/ 40g/ 65a/ 105pts, 26 PIM

W/C Jeremy Loranger (ranked # 149 NA Skaters) will be attending the University of Nebraska-Omaha for the 2026-27 season, so even though he was drafted by the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL, he plied his trade this season in Junior A, for the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the BCHL. The story this season in Sherwood Park is the supernatural chemistry that Loranger shares with teammate Kale Dach, enabling the duo to dominate the league as the top-two scorers in the circuit, with Loranger leading in points by 18, and finishing second in goals. Both players were tied with 65 assists, which led the league by an incredible 17 helpers. The Crusaders were eliminated from the post-season in 8 games, but the two linemates led the playoff scoring race in terms of points-per-game, with Loranger coming in first (1.75 ppg on 14 points), and Dach tied for second (1.63 ppg on 13 points). As with Dach, anything that can be said about him must come with an invisible asterisk, as the BCHL is an inferior league to the CHL- although it is considered to be (along with the OJHL) the best Junior A circuit in the country. Loranger is the more flashy and dynamic of the duo; he is a high-octane offensive player, but has a solid game in all three zones. His June 15th, 2007 birthday works in his favor, as he's a bit younger than most in this draft-class.

Loranger reminds me a bit of Johnny Gaudreau at times, with the nimble way he skates and handles the puck so effortlessly. Like Johnny Hockey, he is blessed with sublime edges that give him extreme elusiveness, and make him slippery and evasive with his maneuverability; he can pivot on a dime, make ultra-tight turns, change direction in an instant, and stop-and-start abruptly to make opponents miss- all with full control of the puck. He also resembles Gaudreau in the way he explodes out of turns on his crossovers, with that peppy stutter-step. Like Dach, he is clearly faster than most of his BCHL counterparts, but I believe that Loranger is the more explosive of the two, and he would still be considered a speedster if he were playing in the CHL. His stickhandling might be even more impressive than his footwork, and may be his best physical trait- it's elite. He moves about with his head up to scan with the puck seemingly glued to his blade, and owns a deep arsenal of one-on-one moves to deke and dangle his way through traffic, with layers of deception on top, making defenders look foolish. He wants the puck, and is calm, confident, and patient in possession. Though he isn't as inside-focused as his linemate, he's so good at sneaking in-and-out of holes in the slot, and going to the net on the weak-side undetected; he times his appearance perfectly to arrive at the same time as the puck with his stick on the ice for a high-danger pass, or to finish a rebound. He also gets off the wall a lot for threatening looks. Loranger has excellent shot-selection, he can really fire it with precision and a snappy release, using bodies around the net as screens. Sometimes, he will take a knee to one-time a bullet at the net from distance.

Loranger generates a ton of offensive chances for the Crusaders, with the ability to drive play, and exerts high-end IQ and vision with amazing patience; he is often put on the point on the PP because of his passing precision and creativity. With the understanding of how to manufacture time and space for himself and his teammates, he will cut across the zone to shift defenses, and he moves around in possession to open lanes, hitting teammates with passes through the crease, saucers through traffic, and cross-ice feeds. A highly skilled distributor, he exhibits a fine-touch on his passes, putting the exact amount of weight and velocity on his feeds- right to his target's wheelhouse. Loranger is a valuable transitional driver, and can skate dynamic routes through the neutral zone with full control, while weaving through traffic to gain the zone- or he can push the play forward with give-and-go patterns and connective feeds on the fly for clean entries. He is not above using patient delays or cut-backs to open space and find the right play. Though he's a pest and a disruptor to opponents on their breakout, as well as in the neutral zone, his play in the defensive-third is inconsistent at best- with some good, and some bad. On one hand, he seems to be usually well-positioned, and even intercepted a pass to the slot for a sure goal in the game I watched today. There are also times where he is in his opponents faces, eliminating time and space, while disrupting their play. However, I don't think he shows the same level of engagement or effort that he puts forth in the other areas of the ice, and might not have very good awareness in defensive situations; there's a lot of gliding and puck-watching going on, and he can be quick to leave the zone early.

Loranger will throw the odd bodycheck, but he's not a physical player and would be a lot more effective if he could learn to leverage his low center of gravity to get under opponents and put them off-balance. He does, however, like to dole out little slashes and cross-checks behind the play to make his presence felt, and from what I've seen- he has a bit of a temper, and will take the odd retaliatory penalty when taking unwanted contact. Though Loranger is more exciting to watch than his linemate, Dach seems to get a bit more recognition- I think it may be because Dach leans a touch more towards a pro-style, with a more straight-forward, simple game, and much better defensive awareness. Both are longshots to be drafted, and both might have to wait until later rounds to be picked, if they are picked at all. With Loranger, I think it may boil down to how scouts see his offensive game translating to pro-hockey.

Last edited by Sandman; 05-01-2025 at 03:16 AM.
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