Claimed:Jonathan Killeen Rookie Profile [Final 8/8]

[Daniel 565]

 

NAME: Jonathan Killeen

POSITION: Centre

AGE: 17

HANDEDNESS: Left

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 185 lbs

 

Jonathan Killeen hails from the hotbed of hockey that is Southern Ontario, the son of a former Canadian lacrosse great. Despite being considered an unexceptional player throughout his junior career, he worked hard and played at the AAA level before his penultimate-round selection by his hometown major junior team, the Niagara Ice Dogs in the OHL Priority Selection. Jonathan played a bottom six role in his rookie season in the OHL but began to excel when given more ice time, allowing him to work on developing a responsible two-way game while improving his skating and playmaking abilities. His draft stock went up highly during his final season with the Ice Dogs, earning a first line position and going through a growth spurt that pushed him to just over 6" in height. Jonathan is eligible for the S45 VHLM dispersal draft and the S46 VHL draft and hopes to surprise and earn a high selection in both.

 

 

STRENGTHS

 

 

Skating: Jonathan is a technically strong skater who possesses dynamic speed on and off the puck, particularly through the neutral zone where he can really surprise unsuspecting defensemen. When coupled with his strong playmaking skills, this can make him especially effective at creating odd man rush situations.

 

Hockey IQ: Jonathan's game is built around a solid hockey IQ and a great sense of how best to expose an opponent's weaknesses. He seems to possess an uncanny skill for spotting open lanes before anyone else on the ice notices they're there, which coupled with his skating ability can cause some real problems for opposing teams.

 

Passing: Jonathan's definitely of the "pass-first" mentality, and is more than capable of opening up defensive systems through pinpoint passing. He's been considered by all his coaches to be a real playmaking talent, and he also possesses the crucial skill of making everyone around him better.

 

WEAKNESSES

 

Defence: While his offensive awareness is considered strong, one of Jonathan's big question marks can be his occasionally fatally poor judgement of defensive situations, and he can also be found to be overly passive on the forecheck. He carried a negative plus/minus rating throughout his time in major junior, which has been a contributing factor to his somewhat lukewarm draft stock. Although his two-way game has somewhat improved, he must strive to become more of a 200-foot player before he can make the jump to the VHL level.

 

Shooting: Jonathan possesses what can be called at best a below average shot for his age group. While this could be disguised if playing alongside a strong goal-scoring winger, his goal-scoring numbers definitely bring down his overall offensive game. This weakness could have more direct consequences if his VHLM coach believes him unable to shoot at an elite level, potentially leading to a reduction in minutes in powerplay and 4-on-4 situations.

 

Physicality: Although of average height and build, Jonathan lacks the instinct to go for big body checks and rarely wins battles in the corners or along the boards, preferring to allow his team-mates to put in the majority of the work in the dirty areas. If he's to succeed at the VHL level it is vital that Jonathan learns to play a gritty game, where he's more willing to put in the effort and work for the puck. 

 

PLAYER COMPARABLE

 

Nicklas Backstrom

 

A lofty comparison to make, but Killeen has the potential to develop the elite passing skills and razor sharp offensive awareness to help him progress to the point where he can be a playmaker on a top offensive line. Like Backstrom, his playmaking skills are fantastic, and his ability to quarterback a successful powerplay should prove very attractive to VHL teams looking to add a centre with star potential.

 

 

SUMMARY

 

Whilst Jonathan is at this stage a very raw talent, he possesses all the tools to go on and be a top-six forward at the professional level. Whilst his game is a long way from the VHL level as of now, the time he spends in the VHLM should allow him to make the key changes that he needs to go on and succeed. 

 

Projection: 1st/2nd playmaking Centre

Edited August 30, 2015 by dankoa

[Tylar 219]

Overview: 2/2 - Good rookie profile. Good luck with your player!!!

 

Pros & Cons: 3/3 - Yes. Solid pros and cons. Good work!

 

Grammar: 2/2 - power play

 

Presentation: 1/1 - Yuppers.

 

Overall: 8/8

[CowboyinAmerica 2,844]

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