Steve Eso Prospect Scouting Report

[Eso 117]

As is common in all sports (and most fields in general), as Steve Eso graduated to the next level of his hockey career, he once again struggled to adjust to the heightened level of competition. Previously through out his amateur career and as a minor, he had been good enough to stand on his own merit and fit in. But when he signed a try-out contract with the Mexico City Kings towards the end of season 73, he was in for a real shock. Suddenly he wasn't just playing against kids his age, he was playing against professional hockey players, most of which were on career trajectories that were going to take them to the VHL. Now he had to force himself to focus on hockey, putting in hours in the gym and on the ice, and really applying a more clinical approach to his training. Not just "work hard and it'll come", but to look at how to improve everything. Need to get faster - but how? Leg strength sure, but spending time with power skating coaches that analyzed his stride on a slow motion computer. Need to get your shot off quicker, but how? Again, expert coaches made him modify his grip, his position, his weight shift, and then take wrist shots a few hundred times every practice until his arms felt like they were going to fall off.

 

Eso did not immediately impress in Mexico, scoring twice and adding three helpers in the 10 games he spent there. He hoped that he had done enough to get an invite back to next year's camp, but was worried that he might have been hitting the "ceiling" of his hockey career - all these other players were just that good. That's why it was such a surprise when he got a phone call from the general manager of the Saskatoon Wild informing him that they had selected him in the VHLM entry draft. Eso was flabbergasted by this - not only was he getting a chance to once again earn a spot on a VHLM team, but being from Manitoba, Saskatoon was the closest thing to a "local" team for his family that there was. Although he would regret not getting a chance to absorb more of the culture in Mexico City, he was thrilled to be spending the next season close to where he grew up, where his friends and family could occasionally make it out to games, and where he had the support of his parents so that he didn't also have to worry too much about living on his own.

 

That first season in Saskatoon, Eso started to turn into a "professional" hockey player. Going to practice, the gym, putting in a real effort, started becoming something that came naturally, that he didn't have to force himself into. He put up 45 points in 72 games during that first season, as the Wild made the playoffs but were knocked out in the first round. The following season, as had happened when he was playing junior hockey, his innate leadership was rewarded by being named captain of the team. He had a breakout year, scoring at over a point-per-game pace that season (96 points in 72 games), and the Wild once again made the playoffs. They went down three games to zero in the first round of the playoffs, then clawed their way back to force a game 7, which they unfortunately lost.

 

Prospect report:

Pros: Hardworking two-way player, faceoff specialist, decent but not remarkable skater, tracks back in the defensive zone to support his defensemen. Does not take many penalties.

Cons: Would score a lot more with better finishing, skating could use a bit of work, sometimes tries to do too much by himself and turns the puck over.