Scotty Kaberle - Scouting Report

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SCOTTY KABERLE - SCOUTING REPORT

 

ATTRIBUTE RATINGS

 

Coming up from his hometown Jr-B club, Scotty Kaberle has just began his VHL journey in the minors after being scouted out by the Saskatoon Wild. Kaberle was known in juniior as an elite level two-way defender. With his high hockey IQ, his positional and structural play in his own end was undoubtedly his best strength. However it would incorrect to label him as a just a stay-at-home defender. What really made Kaberle stand out in junior was two things... his skating prowess and his playmaking ability. Kaberle was an excellent skater in junior, displaying both high level speed and acceleration. He was a lethal weapon on the breakout being able to either carry it into the offensive zone himself or make great outlet passes also. He was always a solid option on the powerplay  thanks to his high level playmaking ability. One knock on him could be his shot. While he does have a very quick release on wrist shots, he was not known for the big cannon slap shot that other D-men possess who you'd normally see quarterbacking powerplays. Kaberle was more of a pass first player or he was also known for throwing the puck in low towards the net for tip or deflection plays. 

 

NHL COMPARISONS

 

 

PROS/CONS

PROS:

• HIGH HOCKEY IQ- Despite taking a non-traditional path to pro hockey, Kaberle's Hockey IQ is elite level. Whether it be in his own end being mindful of how he is positioned or  knowing whether to jump up in a play or even making the right pass, he always seems to be in situations to make himself successful.
•  SKATING- The kid can flat out fly... with high end speed, acceleration and agility and a motor that never seems to quit, Kaberle's skating skills are definitely a weapon he will look to exploit on his opponents.

 

CONS:

• PHYSICALITY- This may be a tad misleading. Kaberle is not afraid to finish his checks or play a physical game (as you will see in the early outlook below), but being only 20 and playing in a men's league full of genetic freaks, Kaberle will need to pack on some muscle this offseason to prevent himself from getting ragdolled around and landing on the IR!
• DISCIPLINE- While Kaberle wears his heart on his sleeve and leaves it all on the ice at all times, he has been known to get a little hot headed at times and take some bad penalties and if our early outlook is any indication, this will be something he will need to address going forward as a player with his skillset is much better suited on the ice than in the penalty box- or worse yet, the press box.

 

EARLY OUTLOOK

 

Given it's a small sample size, but the early first days for Scotty Kaberle will be ones to forget. In 4 games with the Saskatoon Wild, he has failed to register a point and is a disappointing -6. Aside from personal stats, his club has also been winless since he was added to the team over the weekend. Certainly this was not how Scotty was hoping to start his career in the VHLM. In junior, one of Scotty's calling cards was his high end speed and skating and this has been the most noticeable flaw since his call up to the pros. Perhaps the overall speed of the league will take some adjusting, the level of competition is no question higher than anything Kaberle has experienced thus far in his career. If his skating comes along as expected, he will still project to be a high end defensemen in the VHLM for seasons to come....and who knows perhaps even the VHL if things go his way. The one bright spot is his 17 hits and 4 blocked shots. He's definitely not been afraid to sacrifice the body, so that's a great sign regardless if it hasn't yielded positive results thus far. Only time will tell how Kaberle's career will continue to unfold, but nobody can argue he is a fascinating younger player in the VHLM who is definitely worth keeping an eye on!