Edwin THE Encarnacion - Prospect Scouting Report

[Tagger 2,722]

 

Name: Edwin THE Encarnacion

Position: Defenseman

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 235 lbs

VHLM Team: Saskatoon Wild

VHLM Draft: 2nd Overall

 

Pros

 

Shooting – Only ranking eighth on the Wild in shots taken, Encarnacion hasn’t been taking a ton of shots (especially given he leads the team in average minutes per game), but of the shots he has had, he’s been taking a lot of good ones. His 18.64% shooting percentage puts him at joint-tenth in the league and is also leading the Wild in that statistical category.

 

Defense – Given the strength of the current Wild roster, we were not expecting to see much of Encarnacion’s defensive capabilities in the lead-up to the draft but, thus far, when he has been required to have an impact on defense, he has stepped up accordingly. Encarnacion currently leads the Wild in shot blocks and is 28^th in the league in that category, a respectable figure given that they are facing two shots or more per game less than any of the other VHLM teams.

 

Consistency – While Encarnacion has had some impressive individual performances in games (he is currently tied with Danny DeYeeto in first stars on the Wild), what scouts have been most impressed by is the consistency of his performances. Through seventeen games, Encarnacion recorded points in sixteen of those games (the only game he didn’t record a point was in the Wild’s 5-1 victory over the 21^st) and is currently on an eleven point scoring streak.

 

Work Ethic – One thing that all of the Encarnacion’s have displayed in the lead-up to their drafts is their high work ethic and THE Encarnacion is no different in that regard. After this piece has been posted, Encarnacion will have recorded over 30 practice hours (TPE) more than his nearest rival, Wild teammate Mikko Lahtinen. While there have been Encarnacion’s that have dwindled when it comes to improving their game post-draft, we see no reason to believe he won’t continue to rack up practice hours at the rate he currently is for the foreseeable future.

 

Cons

 

Physicality – The VHLM is a notably less physical league than the VHL, so to see Encarnacion record surprisingly low hit totals is a bit of a concern. His 34 hits is currently only good enough for sixth on the Wild and, while there’s still plenty of time for Encarnacion to develop this part of his game upon being drafted, he may face a tough rookie and sophomore season if he isn’t able to add a more physical edge to his game.

 

Indecisiveness – While Encarnacion is currently listed as a defenseman, plans to remain at that position for the remainder of this season and is currently doing very well at that position, there’s still something that giving Encarnacion second thoughts about his current position and he is potentially considering a move to forward. Such indecisiveness may be viewed unfavourably by a team picking in the very early picks who is looking specifically for a defenseman.

 

Draft Projection

 

With the VHL standings fluctuating so dramatically week on week, it’s difficult to analyse which teams will potentially be picking in the top half of the draft, so it’s difficult to assess Encarnacion’s draft stock in comparison to the rest of his draft class. However, with his work ethic and current ability, we believe Encarnacion will most likely be selected with one of the top three picks in the draft.