Augustus Kennedy - Scouting Report

[InstantRockstar 1,243]

PLAYER NAME: AUGUSTUS KENNEDY
POSITION: GOALIE

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 200LBS

AGE: 18

NATIONALITY: CANADIAN
VHLM TEAM: SASKATOON WILD

VHL DRAFT STATUS: ELIGIBLE

CURRENT RANKING: 11TH OVERALL

 

HOW ITS GOING - CURRENT VHLM STATUS

Augustus Kennedy is currently in his first (and likely only) season in the VHLM. As of today's date, Augustus and his team, the Saskatoon Wild, are second in the league, and their conference with a very impressive 51-18-1 record. From this team record, Augustus is to thank for all 51 of the wins, as well as being accountable for 17 of their 18 regular season losses and the 1 OT loss. Away from this record, his other stats are equally impressive, as he currently is first in the league (amongst starters) for GAA (2.74) as well as third in the league (amongst starters) in SV% (0.895%), and to top it all off, he has 4 shutouts which ties him for third best in the league. When conducting his VHL draft combine interview, Augustus came off as very knowledgeable when it comes to the sport, and seems to be very aware of his surroundings and present at all times, his hockey IQ is also very high for a goalie which will help him as he makes the jump from the minor league to the 'middle' league and eventually, to the major leagues. Augustus has also made it aware to all scouts that he did join the league late, and he is aware that he is behind in training hours, but it seems like what he lacks in practice hours, he makes up for in performance, as he's outperforming every goalie with more hours than him, even those eligible in his draft class, so he does urge goalies to keep this in mind. 

PROS OF HIS GAME

REBOUND CONTROL - Augustus prides himself on being able to cover the puck up during sticky situations and has really limited his chances of letting out a rebound. Augustus has been working with numerous goalie coaches to find the proper techniques to avoid accidental kick-outs and awkward bounces that could put him and his team in jeopardy of being scored on. Moving forward, this will continue to be one of the biggest mechanics of his game that he will focus on, all the way to the pros. 

REACTION TIME - Similar to rebound control, another massive mechanic of the game Augustus prides himself in, is his ability to react swiftly to big plays and awkward plays that some goalies may otherwise find difficult. Whether put in a situation with a 2-on-1 or maybe even a 3-on-1, Augustus has the ability to snap back into position quickly and really read a play, as well as rely on his teammates to secure the shutdown of a possible goal attempt. This will also be something Augustus has openly said will be a focus his whole career, until there is no way to improve it. 

CONS OF HIS GAME

 

SPEED & AGILITY - A mixture of the two, Augustus is aware that his speed and agility has not been worked on since his debut in the VHLM, however his goalie coaches have made him aware that these mechanics are the least of his worries while in the minor league level. Augustus has been very open with explaining his reasons for not improving on these mechanics quite yet, but has said he will begin to balance out his overall style and gameplay once he reaches a more pro level, where these may become more 'necessary' than they are now. 

 

PUCK CONTROL - As we rambled on about the above, Puck Control is another mechanic that just has not been a focal point for Augustus, but also has not really weakened his game in any way. Because Augustus is focusing so much on his rebound control and his reaction time, as well as his hand speed and his overall flashiness on the ice, puck control seemingly has not become a huge problem... yet. Like his goalie coach has said, he is aware that eventually it will need to be another focal point for Augustus, and he will make the necessary changes as his career progresses. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by InstantRockstar