Kazuma Satou Prospect Scouting Report

[Spartan 4,530]

 

Pros:

 

Offensive Mindset - Kazuma Satou, while undersized, is still an offense generating player who's always looking to move the puck up the ice and facilitate breakouts. His presence on the powerplay is formidable, with 9 of his 13 goals in S96 with Halifax coming from the man advantage. Despite joining the team early in the season, Satou led the offensive production of Halifax skaters with the 2nd most points on a young and developing team, showcasing his offensive potential.

 

Skating - Smooth and precise. That's what most have to say about Satou when they watch him play. His skating is well developed, perhaps a perk of his size where finesse and precision is critical to success. Without a size or strength advantage, he has to use his slender frame and low center of gravity to avoid checks and use his speed to generate offense and move the puck up the ice.

 

Cons:

Size - At just 5'6, Satou is probably one of the smallest players on the ice at any given point. Perhaps one of the smallest players in league history as well. While this isn't an area he can develop, his size doesn't help for net battles at his position along with his light weight. Look for him to absorb a lot of hits and get bullied off the puck in physical battles.

 

Defensive Skill - Due to his size, play in his own area of the ice needs some creativity. The standard physical approach doesn't work with Satou, and he needs to get creative to recover the puck from opposing players. His length doesn't help either, and sometimes his game seems more fitting for a shifty winger than a defenseman. He'll really need to work to bulk up and develop physicality to be able to produce defensively.

 

Areas of Improvement:

 

Position - Due to his size, a position change to forward isn't off the table. Perhaps its an area that might be made mandatory for the young Japanese defenseman. His skating prowess is there and offensive mentality is already clear. While his positioning defensively is relatively sound, switching to winger might be more beneficial in the long run where his size isn't as important.

 

Physicality - So far, Satou hasn't shown much in the physical play department. Lacking both strength and size, he's prone to get taken away from the puck or bodied away from the play by bigger or more physical opponents. He'll certainly need to bulk up if he wants to compete at higher levels. He may also need to learn to throw the body effectively and get into battles that he hasn't shown much skill in so far.