Me neither. I have read lots about him here but I’m still a bit vague on who in the nhl he compares with. Some say he’s a big defensive forward. But I also read he’s a great playmaker. And also that he has a heavy shot. Sounds like maybe a jack-of-all-trades type with good hands. I guess that, like with most, it’ll come down to how hard he works, how fast he can think the game, timing/luck, and ability to stay healthy. But would love to see a scouting report including comparables.
In terms of defensive skill set and offensive upside, I think he compares favorably with Brian Boyle with the very unlikely possibility of becoming a Kevin Hayes type contributor in a top 6.
He has a good NHL shot, above average I would say. He tends to operate on the boards and in the corners as he is the primary playmaker on his team and line, but I think he could be pretty good as a net front presence. He's the trigger-man on the PP and he'd be okay from that spot in the AHL , but isn't quite creative enough really handle it at the NHL level. He has really good vision and is an excellent college playmaker and potentially a solid to good one in the pros. Once a game he would put a pass right to an open spot or on a teammate's stick that they weren't anticipating and I think in the pros, more of those chances get converted. Defensively he's as solid as they get. 1st PK unit, used late in games in tight situations, and one of the best back checkers I've seen in the ECAC in a while. His ability to pick someone's pocket is unbelievable, and he has good enough hands and edges to turn those plays around quickly.
His biggest weakness is obviously his skating. He's not a bad skater but I would say he'd get the label "Good skater for his size" and he is a big man. He's not the quickest in tight spaces, with both his skating/edgework and his hands(Good enough in a more open neutral zone as noted above but not good enough to handle his way out of a corner against high caliber D-men). His game projects very much North-South in the pros. In the past he's had a tendency to loaf a bit, but I think what's changed is he stopped going 100% then 50% and started going 80% all the time. He does still take some lazy and dumb penalties. I would say the biggest thing people knock him for is his skill. I think he was very skilled for the college ranks and certainly has enough to play at a high level in the AHL (IMO he's already better than Nieves).
TLDR:
Realistic Ceiling: Brian Boyle
Unlikely but Possible Ceiling: Kevin Hayes
Stylistic Comparison: Rick Nash
Compares Favorably To: Riley Nash(fellow Cornell alum)
Strengths*: Defense, Shot, Vision
Weaknesses*: Skating, Skill
(*note: Defense is the only skill that is outstanding in either way.)