Ryan Sullivan Jr. Rookie Profile [1/2]

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Ryan Sullivan Jr.

Defense

6”6

220

Las Vegas Aces (Signed to 1 Year, 1.5M contract)

 

Born in Dallas, Ryan Sullivan Jr. is the son of a Victory Hockey League legend who shares the very same name.  Growing up watching his dad play on team’s like the New York Americans and the Calgary Wranglers, he often grew up without his dad but always aspired to be like him.  Playing much of his early hockey years in Texas, he would eventually move to New York after his father retired and played for one of the top prep schools in the state.  Opting to play in the Canadian Hockey League instead of the NCAA, Ryan would lace the skates for the Mississauga Steelheads for four years before deciding to turn professional by joining the Victory Hockey League Minors.

 

STRENGTHS

 

Skating – As it was with his father, Ryan Sullivan Jr. possesses a tremendous stride despite his size.  He shows great balance and a tremendous ability to stop and start while excelling at using his speed and reach to break up pretty much any play that comes in front of him.  Anonymous VHL Scout’s Take: “I see a lot of his father in his skating.  The ability to rush the puck up the ice and get back and break up plays.  His biggest thing will be continuing to adjust for the speed in front of him, as the VHL will be a whole lot faster than the OHL ever was.”

 

Defense – Some have described Sullivan Jr. as a bit more of a defensive presence than his dad was in the Victory Hockey League.  However, what some forget about Ryan Sullivan was how good he was defensively and how physical he was while in the VHLM.  It wasn’t until his third year in the VHLM where he really started to develop his offense, on route to winning the Raymond Bourque Trophy (now titled Ryan Sullivan Trophy).  Junior uses his excellent skating and positioning and combines that with one of the longest reaches in the game to be an absolute stalwart on the defensive end of the ice.  Anonymous VHL Scout’s Take: “Probably the best raw defensive skills out of the Season 64 prospect pool.  He has to keep developing them but his skating and reach are just off the charts, and I really think he has the brain to be an excellent defender.”

 

Passing – Ryan is not without his offensive traits though as he is developing into a pretty talented playmaker.  Like his Dad, at a young age he really focused on passing over scoring as he enjoyed setting up his linemates rather than being riskier and trying to drive the puck towards the net.  This allowed him to still be excellent defensively while contributing offensively for the team.  This is something you can expect to see a lot of in the VHLM and if he wants to be on the level of his father or even higher, will have to continue to master.  Anonymous VHL Scout’s Take: “Not sure he has the ability to be a 100 point player like his dad was in the VHL but you definitely can see the skills to be that elite playmaking defensive defender.  If he develops like his dad did, the sky is the limit, but I am a bit worried that he focuses too much on the defensive side of things to ever be anything more than a decent offensive contributor.

 

WEAKNESSES

 

Scoring – While it is not out of the question for him to develop his scoring ability, Ryan Sullivan Jr. is a self admitted pass-first player that plays a strong defensive game.  He doesn’t have the most lethal shot and really prefers to look off the shot and play for his teammates.  Anonymous VHL Scout’s Take: “Some other scouts I know are very concerned that he is too unselfish and under-developed as an offensive player to ever be more than a second pairing defender.  While strong defensively, he is too easy to read for defenses because he rarely shoots the puck.  Adding some versatility to his offensive game is pretty needed to become a number one defender in the VHL.”

 

Strength – Yes, he is 6”6 and 220 pounds, but he is still pretty lean and raw to be in the Victory Hockey League.  A lot of VHLM General Managers seemed worried about this with only two actually offering a contract to the young American.  Anonymous VHL Scout’s Take: “It isn’t the biggest deal because you can bulk up pretty easily at his age but for now it definitely has to be a concern because he likes to try and play physical but could have a hard time being effective and staying healthy if he does not add more muscle.”

 

Discipline – While Ryan Sullivan Jr. certainly plays a pretty disciplined defensive game, he does have a knack for taking a lot of dumb penalties as he led the OHL in minor penalties this past season.  With many being roughing after the whistle and elbowing calls while trying to be really aggressive, Sullivan Jr. will have to find the line and not cross it if he wants to be a minutes eating defender.  Anonymous VHL Scout’s Take: “He is a defensive stalwart but he is useless on the PK if he is the one in the box.  Controlling his emotion and being a safer hitter will do wonders for his game.”

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Review:

Scoring isn't the best weakness, but it's not a huge con being a defenseman. You'll make up for it with the defense and passing, and everything else. Scoring can be worked on as well!

Good stuff with the RP, but I expected nothing less from you. Haha.