Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage Scouting Report

[Grape 680]

Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage

Defensemen
6'8" 250lbs
VHLM Stats: 144GP, 33G, 96A, 129P, -52
Drafted By: Moscow Menace (12th)

Obuz Schneider Canet du Bocage is an offensive defenseman originating from France. Playing in Halifax, he showed a strong two-way game, despite being on a team that typically struggled on the defensive side of the puck. The Moscow Menace selected him late in the first round of the S90 VHL draft, with high hopes that he develops into a franchise level defenseman.

Pros:
Offense
Bocage has a very powerful shot and often uses it to either score or generate rebounds for his teammates. Over the course of his VHLM career, he averaged over 2.5 shots per game. His slapshot is one of the strongest in the league, and allows him to generate offense from the blue line. While shooting is his focus, Bocage has an underrated passing game, able to move the puck around the ice effectively. Of his 33 goals in the VHLM, 15 of them were on the powerplay, showing his effectiveness as a powerplay quaterback.

Leadership
For the majority of his two seasons in Halifax, Bocage was the only defenseman on the roster, and even with a lack of help for large portions both seasons, he was able to excel. Moving into a young Moscow roster, Bocage should be able to use this experience to slide into a leadership role and assist in mentoring the other blueliners, as well as quarterback the powerplay and run the offense reliably.

Defense/Physical Play
In his time with Halifax, Obuz was able to average roughly 2.5 hits and 2.5 shot blocks per game, able to neutralize offensive chances and slow down the rush through crushing body checks. While he is focused on the offensive side of the game, he has been able to utilize his staggering size to provide a strong physical edge and shut down opposing offenses.

Cons:
Skating Ability
Being a large body on the blue line, Bocage is one of the slower skaters on the ice at a time. The majority of time, he plants himself on the blue line when in the offensive zone, and is one of the first to back check when a turnover occurs to compensate for his below average speed. It is a concern if this lack of speed and skating ability will let his offensive game translate in the VHL.

Discipline
In his 144 games with Halifax, Obuz put up 155 PIMS. His physical edge coupled with his lack of skating ability led to late hits and desperation penalties and kept sending him to the penalty box. If he wants to be a top producer in the VHL, he needs to work on his discipline and learn to stop committing bad penalties.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Grape