Claimed: Rookie Profile - Daring Do

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Rookie Profile - Daring Do:

 

Hailing from the Amazon Rainforest, Daring Do is the league's only Brazilian player - and perhaps the first in league history. At 6'6" and 217 pounds, Daring Do could end up being a force to be reckoned with. While Brazil is not a country known for its hockey prowess, Daring Do has said she is ready to come in and make a different right away at the age of 26. Donning the number 77, she impressed some scouts at the combine with her flashy speed, among other aspects of her game, and it looks like she could be a surprise steal for the VHL's Toronto Legion when she finally makes the jump to the big leagues.

 

So what is there to say about Daring Do's game?

 

STRENGTHS:

 

While many counted her out going into the VHL draft, Daring Do actually has a lot of upside to her game.

 

Blistering Speed: Daring Do likes to say that in the air, she's one of the fastest she's ever seen - "second only to one," and she's made a point of translating that speed to the ice. While she's not able to use her wings to her advantage in the hockey rink, she's worked hard to get all four hooves moving as quickly as possible so that she can fire off a shot in the offensive end, then quickly turn and head back to the defensive end to break up whatever play has started to develop there. She looks to play a two way game, and her speed helps her out immensely in doing that.

 

A Sniper's Eye: When you watch her play, it's immensely clear that Daring Do wants to be the one putting up big offensive numbers - and she has the skills to pay the bills. With her shot clocked at 89 miles per hour coming into the draft with room still to grow, it's hard to imagine what her shot could look like just a few seasons down the road. Combine that with her ability to pick the open corner of the net that the goalie inadvisably left free for her to take, and you've got a player goalies everywhere are going to be afraid of when they see she has the puck.

 

Bone-crushing Hits: If you were to ask Daring Do what aspect of her game she was most proud of, she'd look back at you with a twinkle in her eye and tell you it's the way she's able to lay her opponents out on the ice. While she has a strong shot and amazing speed, that's not what she wants to be most known for - and it shows. While playing in the prospects showcase prior to the draft, it only took a few hits before her opponents were ducking out of the way, trying to avoid being in a position where she might be able to make them pay for trying to hold on to the puck.

 

WEAKNESSES:

 

 

Of course, as Miley Cyrus reminded us in one of classic songs before she went absolutely insane, nobody's perfect - and Daring Do is no exception.

 

Discipline: While she's made a point of being strong-headed and hard on the puck, this does have its drawbacks in many situations. Daring Do refuses to hold back, even when it might be to the benefit of her team to ease off a little bit, putting her and her teammates in compromising situations, often resulting in her spending two in the box. While she's not one to get into fights, that won't stop her from trying to get under her opponents' (and the referees') skin. So while you're going to get a player who wants to hit hard, you're also getting one who won't take her foot off the gas, even after being warned by the officials.

 

Playmaking: Speaking of not someone who doesn't like to listen to others, you've got another problem here with Daring Do. While she's got a blistering shot, she often refuses to give up the puck to others. This can be an issue when she doesn't have good positioning for a shot, but her teammates do. She's more likely to still take that bad angled shot and go for her own shot at glory, rather than trying to set her teammates up for a good chance. With time her playmaking ability will likely develop, but she's always going to be putting herself ahead of her linemates - and that's something scouts and GMs are going to want to keep in mind when looking at her play.

 

Small Stature: For a physical player, Daring Do is actually not all that strong. While she puts in reps trying to build up her muscle mass and increase her overall strength both on and off the puck, there's only so much she can do for someone who's in reality a completely different species than the other players she finds herself up against on a nightly basis. Unlike the other two weaknesses listed here, which have the potential to develop with time, it's likely that Daring Do is going to find herself at a loss when it comes to her relative strength throughout her VHL career.