Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 1, 2024 1:52:19 GMT -5
This is where Lapointe/Bobrov started to “galaxy brain” the draft a bit and go off public lists and pick their own dudes. Logan is actually a very intriguing prospect though, even if he only has one year of Junior A (Brooks in the AJHL until they defected to the BCHL late in the year). Brooks has been the top Junior A team in Canada for a few years now, bar none. Great program and I try to watch some of their games live each year. Not lat year, but I did see Sawyer on tv in a gold medal winning performance at the World Junior A Challenge. Bobrov likes this late bloomer whi is still learning the game at this level. He also has the amazing personality that reminds me of Fowler last draft. I will try and post his draft video, it was awesome. He is committed to the NCAA in Providence in 2025-26, so he might be back in Brooks for one more season.
The reports:
It looks like adding more middlemen is a focus of this year’s draft as Sawyer becomes the third centre picked in a row, going back to Michael Hage on Friday although he spent a lot of time on the left wing this past season. He’s committed to Providence College but is set to start there in 2025-26 so he’ll be more of a longer-term project.
Bio
Centre
Shoots: Left
DOB: May 6, 2006 – Orangeville, ON
Height: 6’1
Weight: 173 lbs
Scouting Reports
DraftPro: Has the ability to be a weapon on the power play and draw players to him to open up passing options. Plays 200 feet and hustles in both ends of the ice. Is responsible defensively and covers his man. Is not the most electric player but he is a true leader on the ice. Has good speed and can drive the centre lane or the outside lane as well. Uses his big frame and ability to skate to drive through coverage and capably keeps control of the puck. Is very hard to knock off the puck. Solid bottom six forward in the future.
Elite Prospects: A volume shooter, Sawyer’s shot isn’t necessarily separating from a projectability point of view, but it’s a tool he leverages at every chance. Crossbody and catch-and-release efforts litter his tape, but he tends to telegraph his intentions, especially when working downhill. His passing game is full of short-strike, give-and-go efforts, but he falls into junior habit patterns, looking for hope feeds and forcing pucks into layers, especially out of offensive zone retrieval wings. A player whose whole is greater than the sum of his parts, Sawyer has enough ability to push a pro-projection, possibly in a bottom-line role.
McKeens: On the ice he possesses a nice collection of above-average tools that all complement each other well. He’s smart, aware, and consistently plays with his head up. His natural athleticism is stellar, and he generates a lot of speed in straight lines. There’s some danger to his shots, mostly through an accurate wrister that has a snappy, clean release. Right now, there’s a bit of immaturity to his game, as he can look a little sleepy out there at times. Between his big, exciting moments are often long stretches of quiet shifts. It would also be nice to see more jam overall, as he doesn’t always commit to digging in and doing dirty work.
Recrutes: He had a terrific first half of the season in the AJHL where Brooks dominated before moving to the BCHL, collecting 59 points in 39 games. He also had two standout games at the World Junior Challenge that put him on scouts’ radars. The hope will be that his skating comes with much-needed strength.
Corey Pronman, The Athletic: He has above-average puck skills and vision and makes a lot of tough plays. He has a good shot and can finish chances from midrange. Scouts often expressed concerns about his skating. He’s a bit knock-kneed, but when I’ve watched I saw a player often pulling away from pressure and showing decent speed in transition to create chances. He has the tools and scoring touch to potentially be a bottom-six wing although his off-the-puck game isn’t ideal for that type of role.
Recruit Scouting: Logan Sawyer is the ultimate do-it-all workhorse forward that every bottom-6 needs to win games. Sawyer never stops moving when he is on the ice and is always around the puck. A strong stick and never-ending supply of energy make him the perfect puck retriever and he thrives in dump-and-chase situations. His defensive stick work has improved, but he needs to add more strength to consistently win those tie-ups. Sawyer goes to the dirty areas and battles till the puck has left then proceeds to chase down the puck carrier like a dog on raw meat. While he doesn’t have the velocity on his shot to beat goalies at the NHL level regularly, he is accurate with his shot.
Upside Hockey: Sawyer’s main asset is his shot, which is good enough for any league, and it comes with a deceptive release. It’s hard and heavy, and he can pick corners with it. He can change the angle and the release point of the shot to stun goalies, and has some nice moves and deception to slice his way inside for shot opportunities. He’s also a net-front presence, able to convert rebounds, and cash in on scrappy goals- he has the hands to beat goalies in-tight, and seems to like to target water bottles by roofing pucks.
The reports:
It looks like adding more middlemen is a focus of this year’s draft as Sawyer becomes the third centre picked in a row, going back to Michael Hage on Friday although he spent a lot of time on the left wing this past season. He’s committed to Providence College but is set to start there in 2025-26 so he’ll be more of a longer-term project.
Bio
Centre
Shoots: Left
DOB: May 6, 2006 – Orangeville, ON
Height: 6’1
Weight: 173 lbs
Scouting Reports
DraftPro: Has the ability to be a weapon on the power play and draw players to him to open up passing options. Plays 200 feet and hustles in both ends of the ice. Is responsible defensively and covers his man. Is not the most electric player but he is a true leader on the ice. Has good speed and can drive the centre lane or the outside lane as well. Uses his big frame and ability to skate to drive through coverage and capably keeps control of the puck. Is very hard to knock off the puck. Solid bottom six forward in the future.
Elite Prospects: A volume shooter, Sawyer’s shot isn’t necessarily separating from a projectability point of view, but it’s a tool he leverages at every chance. Crossbody and catch-and-release efforts litter his tape, but he tends to telegraph his intentions, especially when working downhill. His passing game is full of short-strike, give-and-go efforts, but he falls into junior habit patterns, looking for hope feeds and forcing pucks into layers, especially out of offensive zone retrieval wings. A player whose whole is greater than the sum of his parts, Sawyer has enough ability to push a pro-projection, possibly in a bottom-line role.
McKeens: On the ice he possesses a nice collection of above-average tools that all complement each other well. He’s smart, aware, and consistently plays with his head up. His natural athleticism is stellar, and he generates a lot of speed in straight lines. There’s some danger to his shots, mostly through an accurate wrister that has a snappy, clean release. Right now, there’s a bit of immaturity to his game, as he can look a little sleepy out there at times. Between his big, exciting moments are often long stretches of quiet shifts. It would also be nice to see more jam overall, as he doesn’t always commit to digging in and doing dirty work.
Recrutes: He had a terrific first half of the season in the AJHL where Brooks dominated before moving to the BCHL, collecting 59 points in 39 games. He also had two standout games at the World Junior Challenge that put him on scouts’ radars. The hope will be that his skating comes with much-needed strength.
Corey Pronman, The Athletic: He has above-average puck skills and vision and makes a lot of tough plays. He has a good shot and can finish chances from midrange. Scouts often expressed concerns about his skating. He’s a bit knock-kneed, but when I’ve watched I saw a player often pulling away from pressure and showing decent speed in transition to create chances. He has the tools and scoring touch to potentially be a bottom-six wing although his off-the-puck game isn’t ideal for that type of role.
Recruit Scouting: Logan Sawyer is the ultimate do-it-all workhorse forward that every bottom-6 needs to win games. Sawyer never stops moving when he is on the ice and is always around the puck. A strong stick and never-ending supply of energy make him the perfect puck retriever and he thrives in dump-and-chase situations. His defensive stick work has improved, but he needs to add more strength to consistently win those tie-ups. Sawyer goes to the dirty areas and battles till the puck has left then proceeds to chase down the puck carrier like a dog on raw meat. While he doesn’t have the velocity on his shot to beat goalies at the NHL level regularly, he is accurate with his shot.
Upside Hockey: Sawyer’s main asset is his shot, which is good enough for any league, and it comes with a deceptive release. It’s hard and heavy, and he can pick corners with it. He can change the angle and the release point of the shot to stun goalies, and has some nice moves and deception to slice his way inside for shot opportunities. He’s also a net-front presence, able to convert rebounds, and cash in on scrappy goals- he has the hands to beat goalies in-tight, and seems to like to target water bottles by roofing pucks.