Erik Killinger | Prospect Scouting Report

[Peace 1,518]

Erik Killinger
LW | 6'5 | 220 LBs 
27 Years Old
Drafted #1 OVR by the Houston Bulls


 

Erik Killinger's development as a prospect has been nearly synonymous with the definition of a 'franchise player' within the Victory Hockey League, as are the top prospects from his draft class, which brings an exciting future to the VHL with a new crop of similar players entering the league. Erik Killinger has shown rapid growth in his capabilities; he joined the Saskatoon Wild through the VHLM waiver wire, where he was placed on the forth line by the assistant GM (now GM) for the first week or so of his career. Despite a justified initial spot in the depth chart, and a relatively low prospect ranking at the time, Killinger's rapid growth earned him promotions through the depth chart as his skills developed.  He eventually earned more responsibilities on the second and eventually first line, the line he'd end his time in Saskatoon on. 

Although Killinger had a personally disappointing regular season, he picked up his play during the playoffs, going on to help his team win the championship while planted on the top line. Killinger recorded eight points in the post season, splitting his goals and assists evenly, while also earning two game winning goals. This brings us into his strengths and weaknesses, it's important to recap where he is so a context is developed as we provide a scout report for this blossoming left winger. 

PROS: 

Puck Control: Killinger's ability to control the puck is atop his draft class (78), making him a lethal player in the offensive zone and a nightmare for opposing defenders to contain. His ability to avoid stick checks and puck handle around defenders means he get set up other players, or create himself space on the ice to get a shot on net. What's more surprisingly his his puck control isn't hampered by his height, it's enhanced by it, giving him an advantage over many players.

Awareness: Killinger's awareness is second to just Davis in his draft class, while being slightly better than the majority of his peers in his draft pool. His ability to read both the offensive and defensive zones during plays is impressive. This is commonly referred to as 'hockey IQ' by some fans, so we'll roll with that ball, and Killinger's rolling with it too. It's perhaps one of his strongest assets for any club, as he'll be defensively responsible too. 

Shooting: Killinger likes to shot... a lot, and he's pretty good at it too, given the right opportunity. The issue with Killinger isn't the speed of his shot, or the accuracy of his attempts, but rather the sheer amount of shots he'll throw at the net. His shooting percentage seems low, but they usually generate offensive opportunities, and having a skilled winger capable of creating chances around the net is nearly worth its weight in gold in a tight battle. 

 

Skating: Perhaps a more surprising strength for a man of Killinger's height, but he's actually an excellent skater. He's got an explosive first step, can maintain his speed and agility while in stride, and can outwork opponents with superb feet work. Did we mention his height? 6'5 and he's that agile, you'll be wondering what you just saw when you look at a man that tall skating around like he's 5'5. 

CONS: 

 

Strength: We feel this is an irritatingly critical con for a man of Killinger's stature. Being that tall, and appearing to be muscular under the uniform back in his military days, the reality is Killinger isn't a strong individual. He's rated pretty low in raw strength in his draft class, which is odd considering he's 6'5 and over 200 LBs at the moment, so perhaps he's eaten far too many burgers from the local Arby's to actually gain any muscle weight. Certainly a flaw he'll need to address before entering the VHL - if he doesn't he will be bullied on the ice by stronger VHL players.

 

Discipline: This will come as a surprise for an individual who didn't serve a single minute in the penalty box during the post season, but Killinger's got an attitude problem. We're not saying he'll be in the box all the time, he's a more classy player, but if someone gets under his skin you can expect him to retaliate and take penalties. Getting under his skin and drawing penalties against him is a tactic previously used successfully, and it something Killinger needs to work on before making the jump to the VHL. We could have labelled this one 'anger issues', but that falls under mental discipline too, so we'll just leave it as is. 

Checking: Does he even know how to be physical - as in, does he actually know how to make a hit? Colliding along the boards is one thing, which counts as a hit, but actually making a hit is something entirely different. I don't think I've seen Killinger throw a check in his career yet! Similar to how irritating his physical strength is (or lack of physical strength), Killinger's inability - or rather inaction to make a physical play can be frustrating for both fans and teammates alike. 

Experience: We covered this during his entry into the minors system, but Killinger didn't play any organized hockey growing up. He joined the Canadian Forces and was medically discharged, so he's not exactly experienced in competitive play. People take advantage of this inexperience, even though he has strengths listed above that take away from it. You can be the strongest individual in the world naturally and decide to go to the gym, but someone with weight lifting experience will know what to do before you even figure it out yourself. On ice knowledge is important, and Killinger still needs to develop some.