Kristof Welch Scouting Report

[Juice 641]

 

It's not quite often you find an non-U22 prospect as intriguing as Kristof Welch. Hailing from Hungary (despite growing up Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada), Welch has made his way back to his hometown to play for the Yukon Rush who's signed him after declaring for the upcoming VHL/VHLM Draft. Despite being decently small as a defenseman - being under 6ft and under 150 lbs - the VHLM rookie has been making ways both on and off the ice. Starting out his career, he's put up a solid 3 points in 11 games played with a 3 +/- whilst playing on the 3rd pairing, and to pair this with his work ethic and potential, his ceiling could be one of the highest in the draft which is why he's already a fast riser on both the VHL and VHLM Draft Boards.

 

Pros

Skating

Scouts and players alike have been notice to Welch's speed and agility on the ice, being able to keep up with the rush whilst being able to backcheck back into position all in the same play. If there is one thing General Managers in the VHL and VHLM can be assured is that Welch's skating will translate easily to the next level and can keep up with the best skaters in both leagues.

 

Offensive Defenseman without the Defensive Liability

Most offensive defensemen put all their training and effort into maximizing their ability to assist in the offensive zone and only being decent in their own end of the ice. Whilst still wanting to be known as an offensive defensemen, Welch makes sure that when he's on the ice that he can provide on both ends of the ice.

 

Team Player

Whilst most rookies and players will fight tooth and nail to make sure they get the most minutes possible on their team, Welch is a very team orientated player. If it means being played on the 3rd pairing to ensure the team gets the win or shotblocking a slapshot that will leave quite the stinger, Welch will be the first player to step up to the plate.

 

Cons

Reserved Personality

Compared to some of the other rookies, Welch is quite soft-spoken and reserved which might be a turn-off to some teams who would want more personality in the locker-room.

 

Physical Concerns

As mentioned, Welch is not the largest player on the ice, and as a defenseman this can be quite the negative in the eyes of some scouts. If Welch gains some more strength and weight, this wouldn't be as much as an issue, however it seems that Welch is more concerned on his skills rather than in the gym.

 

Penalty Taking Issues

Albeit being focused on helping in the offensive zone, it seems that Welch might be attempting to help too much as thus far in his rookie season he has 12 PIM in 11 GP. Though this issue is known to Welch and is something that he takes seriously as a concern, it is still something to take into consideration.

[fromtheinside 1,278]

excellent job young padawan!