Claimed:Rookie Report: Wolfgang Strauss [Final 8/8]

[Wasty 566]

Rookie Report: Wolfgang Strauss

Wolfgang Strauß was born in Mainz, Germany to Heinrich and Elise Strauß. Wolfgang started his hockey career at the age of nine for his hometown team. From the beginning Wolfgang showed his panache for scoring goals. At the age of eleven Wolfgang skated with his idol, SHL star David Winter which helped Wolfgang round out his defensive game to develop a more balanced style. However it was his goal scoring ability that his future teams coveted when he would continue to break records at every youth level he played in Germany when he posted over 135 goals in a two season span. Germany’s youth leagues proved to be too easy for Wolfgang so that’s when David Winter came calling and approached him about playing in North America to get better competition.

With Winter’s help, Strauß got a chance to play for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL (when transferring to Canada, his last name was misspelled to “Strauss") and Strauss would go on to wow his coaches in Kitchener with a 47 goal rookie season. He would stick with Kitchener for a second season and Wolfgang was hit with a string of bad luck as he would get hit with a shoulder injury early in the season and then finished the season with a bout of mononucleosis shortening his season to just fourteen games registering sixteen goals and just twenty-one points. Strauss would get passed over in the NHL Entry Draft causing Wolfgang to seek out other professional leagues leading him to the Victory Hockey League.

Details:

Height: 6’2” (74in)

Weight: 198 pounds

Birthplace: Mainz, Germany

Age: 18

Pronunciation: VAHLF-gahng Strouss

Strengths:

“Moves across the ice with impressive speed and flow,” – an Anonymous Scout

One of the best tools that Wolfgang has is that he skates very well. He has a strong base and a balance which makes him extremely hard to bump off the puck. His stride is fluid and he always has full extension which allows him to gain speed on the forecheck and to get back on defense quickly. While his skating is elite for his age group it is not perfect and will need to be worked on before he makes the jump to the VHL.

“Can score from anywhere on the ice, I don’t know how he does it but it drives me nuts,” – a former opposing OHL Coach

Wolfgang’s greatest attribute it has to be the ability to put a lot of points on the board by scoring key goals. It doesn’t matter what situation he is in, Wolfgang has the knack to stay calm and always delivers a big time goal for the team. He’s always thinking two steps ahead and wanting to make that play that will make the goals happen. He’s extremely hungry to get more goals which led him to leading the VHLM in his rookie season for hat tricks.

“What an incredible set of hands, always dangling the puck on his stick just waiting to strike,” – a VHLM player

"Lightning quick" is a term heard thrown around when talking about Strauss. He was tearing up the leagues in Germany for many seasons, so get ready to hear it more often. Because one of the biggest reasons Wolfgang is such a success on the ice is because the kid has hands that are made to deceive. Quicker than a street thief with your wallet, Strauss can fool you into looking one way and undress you going the other way to leave you alone on the blue line.

Weaknesses

“For a big kid, his physical play is a disaster. His 127 hits this year was a joke - an Anonymous Scout

Standing at six feet, two inches and having 198 pounds on that frame doesn’t automatically make you a power forward. What holds Wolfgang back from being a bruising power forward is well just that the bruising part. Strauss isn’t what you would call a big hitter and it shows on the ice as he strictly tries to stay on the perimeter. However with maturity and training, that part of the game should come but as he stands right now the hit numbers will be miniscule if he’s playing against older and strong talent.

“Although he hasn’t had a lot of past injury problems, I could just see him getting wrecked and see his name on the IR the next day,” - a NHL Scout

Like his perimeter play suggests, Wolfgang isn’t the most durable player. With just that shoulder issue that caused him to miss 20 games in his OHL season some scouts are placing bets if Wolfgang will be able to withstand the intense physicality of the VHL. With such players as Tyler Cote and Edwin Encarnacion patrolling the VHL ice, Strauss is a sitting duck and that could result in some missed time with injuries.

“Doesn’t know anything about defense, He improved when he was in Germany, but since coming to the States, he looks lost out there, all the time.” - a NHL Scout

Most snipers aren’t known to be defensive geniuses but most coaches want their players to know something. Well over the seasons Wolfgang’s defensive game dwindled and dissipated when his coaches honed his scoring game more and more but any bit of defensive knowledge flew out the window. There was once talent in the defensive game so it just needs to be shaped and brought out in him but right now at his stage of development, don’t expect Wolfgang to be a defensive forward.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Wastlund

[Kendrick 4,741]

[DollarAndADream 3,356]

Overview: 2/2 - Good amount of details. Not lacking anywhere.

 

Pros & Cons: 3/3 - This section is great and looks nice with the quotes from coaches and scouts.

 

Grammar: 2/2 - I'm not going to deduct here, but watch out for comma placement next time.

 

"From the beginning Wolfgang" - from the beginning, Wolfgang.

"finished the season with a bout of mononucleosis shortening his season" - mononucleosis, shortening his season. Missing comma.

"Wolfgang’s greatest attribute it has to be the ability" - Wolfgang's greatest attribute would have to be the ability. Sentence sounds odd.

"power forward is well just that the bruising part." - is well, just that, the bruising part.

"to miss 20 games in his OHL season some scouts are placing bets" - OHL season, some scouts. Missing comma again.

 

 

 

Presentation: 1/1 - Everything is good on this front.

 

Overall: 8/8

 

 

This was a great read. Being a follower of the Outlaws every season since Boychuk left, it will be a great pleasure to watch how Wolfgang's career unfolds.

[CoachReilly 688]

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