Prospect Scouting Report: Tater Tottingham

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Scouting Report: Tater Tottingham - How to Draft and Slow Cook a Tot

 

Step 1: Inspect your potato
Standing 6'3" and weighing nearly two hundred pounds, Tater Tottingham checks the box for what most GM's are looking in a new age prototypical defense men. Using his size combined with deceptive speed makes closing off offensive players remarkably easy for the young defense men, as he is quick to take away time and space from attackers. His strength on and off the puck, combined with a lack of fear of retrieving pucks from the dirty areas means Tottingham is rarely in his own end for long, and strong first pass often send his team the other way. Of course on the offensive side of the puck is quite possibly where his greatest strength is. Unafraid to shoot, while able to provide pin point passes sets him up to be a future power play quarterback, who can also kill penalties as needed. All of this combined with a high hockey IQ aims Tater towards joining the ranks of the 'new age' defensemen that has recently emerged.

 

Step 2: Add some seasoning.
Drafted 16th overall by the Mexico City Kings, Tater quickly settled into the role of a leader for the team on and off the ice. Despite being a new comer, he was named Captain and certainly led by example. By the end of the season, not only did he lead his team in points, Tater also finished first among defense men with 89 points, with an attonishing 27 of those being goals behind a staggering 12.39 shooting percentage. His point totals weren't inflated from power play time either, as only 14 of those goals and 22 of the assists came with the man advantage. Perhaps Tater's most staggering statistic however is the 29.66 minutes per game he averaged- while only recording 38 penalty minutes over the 72 game span. This high amount of ice time however could explain this prospect's low +29 considering their point total. In the playoffs, Tater's points per game dropped below 1, with 8 points in ten games, just one of which being goals and over half of his points coming on the power play.

 

Step 3: Bake and let rest
Tater likely still has at least another season before joining whatever VHL chooses to draft him, as the young defense men will hope to continue to make strides as he sets his eyes on Europe. Stepping up a league means Tater will no longer be able to dominate his peers as he did in the VHLM, and will have to rely on his IQ and natural talent to succeed rather than being able to bully his opponents with his size. On the ice and within the locker room, there is no foreseeable reason why Tater wont continue to be an active member and leader of whichever teams choose to draft him.

 

Step 4: Enjoy!
Tater Tottingham is a puck moving two-way defense men who uses his skill and size rather than physicality to separate his opponents from the puck before nearly immediately turning his focus up ice. A power play specialist, whose speed allows him to be the first man back and cover for any of his youthful mistakes, makes this young prospect the total package that will make any team that chooses him feel he was worth their pick.