It's Gritty!

[eaglesfan036 4,602]

 

Age: 19

Place of birth: Philadelphia, PA

Height: 6'3”

Weight: 197.

Current team: Ottawa Lynx

 

Selected by the Ottawa Lynx with the 15th pick of the S64 VHLM Dispersal Draft, Gritty is excited to prove his doubters wrong and help lead his team towards the elusive Founder's Cup. The Lynx shocked the world and made the VHLM finals last year thanks to their GRIT and determination, and Gritty's additional year of experience should be key in providing the leadership necessary. The below scouting report shows why the Ottawa Lynx got the steal of the S64 VHLM Draft. 

 

Positives 

 

Grittiness

In case you couldn't tell by his name, Gritty is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. He will joust for positioning in front of the opposing goalie, fight for pucks along the boards, and lay his body on the line to block even the hardest slapshot. Additionally, Gritty plays a Dave Hakstol "heavy" game, meaning that he is great at disrupting puck possession by toppling his opponents, and is impossible to knock off the puck when it's in his possession. 

 

Hockey Awareness

In addition to having the heart to be a great defensive player, Gritty possesses an outstanding hockey IQ, as he is one of the best players without the puck on his stick in the league. Gritty always knows where to go to intercept passes, disrupt defensive zone entries, and when to spring forward as an open outlet for his defensemen. This obviously makes Gritty a top penalty-killer, with one of his talents being attacking the opposing point players and creating a breakaway the other way. 

 

Passing

Continuing with the theme of being a team player, Gritty is always looking to set up his teammates, as he is a pass-first player who usually will pass on a 2-1 rather than shoot. Gritty has some great saucer pass ability, making it look like he is playing NHL 19, and if often able to thread the puck over opposing sticks to set his teammates up for great one-timer chances. Additionally, Gritty is adept at entering the offensive zone, as he often drops passes back to his teammates on the rush. 

 

Negatives

 

Finishing Ability

Gritty often gets frustrated because while he is great at pushing play into the offensive zone and getting set up for scoring chances, his shooting accuracy is just not there. It takes Gritty forever to wind up a shit if he wants to get any power on it, and if he has to get off a quick snapshot it often misses the net entirely. Unless Gritty is scoring off a rebound or deflection, it's unlikely he will snipe one past the goalie. 

 

Discipline

Sometimes when Gritty gets frustrated from not scoring, he takes it out on the other team in the form of a big hit, forgetting that the other player may not actually be near the puck. Additionally, while Gritty's teammates love that he is willing to stick up for them, sometimes he takes things a little too far and creates an unnecessary penalty kill for his team.

 

Puck Handling

Gritty's puck-handling is acceptable at best, as he plays within his limitations and will not try to make ridiculous looking dekes that result in a turnover the other way. He generally looks to pass the puck before he becomes in danger of losing it, or will just brute force his way towards the net. However, he cannot make slick moves to get towards the goalie, and does not have much of a breakaway move.