Stouffville, Ontario is the home of a successful OHL hockey
family. This player’s older siblings have and are playing in the O and this
little brother is following along nicely in the family’s footsteps. Although he
is only in his first OHL season, NHL central scouting sees something special already,
putting him in the 45th spot amongst North American skaters in the
mid-term rankings. Let’s get to know Trevor Carrick’s game better…
The Line:
Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 175 lbs
Shoots: Right
Plays: Defense
Draft Eligible: 2012
After having a great rookie season in the Ontario Junior
Hockey League, putting up 19 points in 40 games, Carrick earned a spot on the
blue line with the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga St. Michaels Majors and
over the course of the season, and with the help of a key injury to Toronto Maple
Leafs prospect, Stuart Percy, he has started to take on the shutdown role for
his team’s defense corp. He has been doing a good job of it too, shutting down
top players like the high-flying Mark Scheifele who he held off the score sheet
just one week ago.
Carrick is your steady, stay at home, kind of defender who
isn’t afraid to play the body or get physical and drop the mitts. He has been
used in offensive situations at times this year and has had some small success
but this is the part of his game he will need to improve on if he is to become
a better-rounded player.
Carrick has the defensive game down already at a very young
age. His gap control is some of the best that I have seen in a draft-eligible
player and his closure rate is very surprising for most players coming at him
because you wouldn’t expect him to be as fast or explosive as he is. He also
uses his long reach very well and because of that he keeps guys to the outside
effectively, keeping them out of the dangerous scoring areas.
One part of his game I would like to see improved on is his
panic-tolerance. When the puck is on his stick he looks almost unnatural when
he handles it, and that gets him into trouble and then he rushes the play to
get the puck to someone else and mistakes can be made here when he is forced to
make a fast decision. This is not uncommon for a young player, not to mention a
rookie in the OHL.
Carrick’s upside is going to be where many place his value. He
plays an extremely sound, minimal-mistake game and as his offensive game
matures he has the chance to develop into a special hockey players. That is
what teams will draft, not the kid with 11 points to date who is a shutdown D
in the O. If Carrick works at his game, there is an infinite room for growth.
He will be a player to watch.
NHL Player
Comparison: Trevor Daley—Dallas Stars
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