Thomas Landry II - Prospect Scouting Report

[Doomsday 4,143]

Thomas Landry II

6'3", 218 lbs

United States 

VHLM: 9th OVR, S70,

 

As the son of a former VHL standout, Thomas Landry II's announcement that he was coming to the Victory Hockey League was met with considerable excitement. While Thomas Landry Sr. carved out his improbable story through heart and hard work in unlikely situations, he often credited his own shortcomings and unpreparedness for why the odds he had to overcome were so great. It appears that his father has done well in keeping his son prepared and focused, as Landry II is a far more polished prospect than his father ever was. While Landry Sr. had to spend an extra season in the VHLM, Landry II projects to be ready to immediately make the jump to the VHL when his name is called this spring. 

 

Right off the bat, Landry II has demonstrated himself to be an imposing, two-way presence on the ice. Even as a brand-new addition to the VHLM, he was among the more physical players on the ice. However, as a member of the San Diego Marlins, his physical play has gone through the roof. He leads the VHLM with 125 hits at the time of print, 21 more than the nearest player even with a game in hand. Despite the huge hit totals, Landry has not spent an overwhelming amount of time in the penalty box. He does lead the Marlins with 35 penalty minutes, but it is only good for 8th in the VHLM, despite the massive lead in hits. Landry II appears to have found a proper balance in discipline in hits at the current level, which can be rare for the brash, aggressive players of the VHLM. 

 

 

As a skater, Landry II has shown to be adept enough to succeed at his current level in the VHLM. He will never win a fastest skater competition, nor will be bobbing and weaving through defenders. However, with his physical stature, going around defenders has never been part of Landry II's game. With puck handling skills that are tremendously improved from his first season with the Halifax 21st. He has shown tremendous skill keeping the puck away from defenders as he drives to the net, and has also been looking to deflect shots while running screens in front of the yet. Landry II appears to be developing into a power forward, just as his father was.

 

As a power forward, goal scoring is a crucial component of the skill set, and one Landry II is quite skilled at. While he has demonstrated tremendous skill at getting the puck in the net, he has yet to do so consistently. VHL scouts have noted that he is a streaky scorer, who can go days without scoring a goal, then suddenly rip off multiple goals in a game. It does not help him that he has many talented offensive teammates around him, which certainly limits his opportunities to score. However, after having a limited amount of assists in his first season, Landry II felt down about not being able to set up his teammates as they had for him. After working tirelessly on it in the off-season, Landry II has put up 22 assists in 21 games, among the team leaders in the category. 

 

 

While his selfless attitude on the ice is commendable, his attitude off the ice has some scouts concerned. While he was a happy, positive and very public member at Halifax, he has not always looked that way in San Diego. After the Marlins switched up their lines after the first five games, which included moving Landry II from the first to the second line, he was noticably upset and is rumored to have voiced considerable displeasure behind closed doors. His play also massively dropped off, although he continued to play physically. Fortunately, Landry II appears to have seen the light. While he still plays angry, the fury is now fully directed towards the opposition. Landry II is also appearing much happier in the public eye, as he has either accepted or perhaps even embraced his new role for the Marlins. As a result, his play is right back where it should be and VHL scouts are breathing sighs of relief. 

 

In all, the progression of Thomas Landry II should have the scouting departments of VHL teams very pleased. His development as a power forward should project him to fit right in on most VHL teams on a checking line from Day One. With how deep the Season 71 draft class currently projects to be, Landry II could very well end up going in the later half of the first round. Being drafted onto a contending team while being allowed the time to fully develop his offensive game could very well allow Landry II to become a superstar in the VHL. That'd be tremendous value for a selection at that range, but it's all on Landry II to continue to work towards reaching that level.

Edited February 2, 2020 by Doomsday