Justin Graves Scouting report

[JDGraves 47]

Justin Graves Ahead of the Draft

Name:Justin Graves

Position:Right Wing

Age:22

Height:5'11

Weight:194 lbs

S70 Draft Eligible

Pros

Playmaking - While Graves didn't finish with a high number of assists in the regular season he did play a big role in the breakout with the Hounds as his crisp tape to tape passes are hard to pick off and he has great vision to find his guys on the move in the neutral zone. he has also proved that he is getting better in the offensive zone in the playoffs, his growth here played a big part in the first round against the Ottawa Lynx and now has 3 assists in 12 playoff games vs his 4 assists in 27 games this regular season.

 

Defensive minded -   on of Graves best ability's is in the defensive end, he is rarely out of position and isn't afraid to use his body to create turnovers, although this has caused him to accumulate 12 penalty minutes in the regular season and 8 so far in playoffs he will need to get his discipline under to continue be dominant here but has shown lots of promise and under the Hounds coaching staff he has improved here immensely as defense use to be one of his weakest areas.

 

Cons

Discipline- Graves biggest issue is his discipline he takes to many penalties when reaching for the puck and laying the body which comes into play with his defensive skill if he really wants to make a quality player in the defensive end he needs to be more disciplined. he is also known to take penalties in after the whistle in the scrum which can cost his team.

 

Consistency - Graves has played some good games and some bad but has failed to string anything together and one of the biggest things in question heading to the draft is can he become consistent enough to play in the VHL. even in the playoffs graves hasn't been consistent and what ever team drafts him will take a risk on him to make an effect for a full season.   

 

Strength- Graves small 5'11 194 pound frame lacks strength as a smaller player he needs to get into the gym to help keep him on his feet.

 

Scouts Advice

Whatever team takes Graves in the VHL draft will need to try to settle his nerves to find some consistency in him and work on his aggressiveness after the whistle. in the off season some time in the gym working on his strength would benefit him alot. He will defiantly need to spend a full season in the VHLM before a team can judge whether he is ready for the VHL.