Max Coffey

[Aero 7]

Name: Max Coffey

Age: 18

Height: 6’2

Weight: 225

Birthplace: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Position: Defense

High School: Cardinal-Newman

 

 

Fun Fact: Max Coffey is a third cousin Pro Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman, Paul Coffey. Max has spent a lot of time working with his famous cousin and claims to have modeled much of his game after Paul’s.

 

Strengths: 

Max Coffey has all the tools to evolve into an outstanding offensive defenseman. Coffey has a large, 6’2 frame, but appears more imposing than he plays. Tact and intuition are the pillars to his defensive game; both of which are rare intangibles in 2018. Coffey was lauded by his high school coaches for an incredible ability to anticipate the opposition by reading the ice and disrupting plays.  

 

Coffey may be somewhat of a unicorn, given how well he plays the blue line. In an age where a growing number of pro teams are using offensive players to run the point, Coffey is the classic example of a defenseman built to run the power play. A decent passer, Coffey was relied upon heavily by high school coaches to keep the puck moving and then bury the puck with a hard shot from long range.

 

 

Weaknesses:

Coffey’s lack of physical play is perhaps the biggest inhibitor to him becoming a lock-down defender. He doesn’t favor play around the boards and has had issues with clearing “garbage” in front of the net. Many VHL scouting reports claim Coffey often plays with “too much finesse”. He’ll need to play more to his size and with greater aggression if he plans to bang around with the big-bodies in the VHL.

 

Skating may be the one part of Coffey’s game he’ll have to improve if he hopes to achieve VHL stardom. Scouts noted his skating as a bit “clumsy”; which often causes him to lose better skaters and lose chases for loose pucks in the defensive zone. High school coaches and trainers have worked a lot with Coffey on his flexibility over the last year. Coaches noted his “stiff” movement about the time he hit a final growth spurt as a sophomore.

 

 

Conclusion:

Max Coffey will have every opportunity to develop into a VHL All-Star caliber player. He is known for being extremely coach-able and wise beyond his years. These traits will give him a distinct advantage over his peers, as VHLM coaches immediately work to improve his game.

 

With Season 63 beyond the halfway point, Coffey may be better off waiting until the start of the next season. Either way, VHLM teams will be extremely motivated to bring in an offensive-minded defenseman. Coffey should get top line minutes from his first game and bring a lot of experience with him to the VHL.

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Update: Max Coffey signed a 1-year, $1.5M contract with the Ottawa Lynx. Coffey considered waiting until Season 64 to sign on with a VHLM team but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play close to home. Coffey’s signing fills a big need for the Lynx, as he figures to immediately slot on Ottawa’s top defensive line.

Edited November 15, 2018 by Aero