Ht/Wt: 5'11"/185 lbs
Position: LW
Team: Halifax (QMJHL)

Jonathan Drouin's Player Profile

Drouin is special offensive talent, with upside through the roof—a prototypical elite, puck possession forward. Drouin has unique puck skills, with the ability to show consistent offensive creativity. He naturally generated highlight reel scoring chances on a regular basis for the Mooseheads, and his ability to make plays in tight spaces is second to none. What separates Drouin, though, are his hands, and his tremendous ability to think the game. He has elite vision and offensive hockey sense, which allow him to dictate the offense. If defenders try to man him up one-on-one, he will find a way to lose the check. If they double him, he can make incredible passes to set up scoring chances. Although he possesses just good top-gear speed, he is a top-notch skater with a high level of shiftiness to his game. His agility and his puck skills make him a nightmare to check in open ice. That said, Drouin can be a liability when the game turns physical. He is a tad undersized, and his strength level needs to be improved in order to be effective in pro-level board battles. Drouin was given top line duties at the recent World Juniors, which is a rare feat for a Canadian 17-year-old, especially given the availability of talent at that tournament due to the lockout.
Submitted by: Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus. Click here for Pronman's draft rankings

“A lot of people want to compare him to Martin St. Louis, but I’m not sure he’s that caliber. We’ve had him in the top 10 of our list since the Ivan Hlinka tournament last summer when a lot of people had him as a borderline first-round pick or a second-round pick. We watched him the year before in Halifax and when we watched him at the tryouts for Team Canada for the Ivan Hlinka tournament, he was the best player. He was the best guy there. He’s a dynamic offensive guy who’s a combination of a goal scorer and playmaker. He’s a terrific skater and he doesn’t have blazing speed, but he has above average speed and strong ability and quickness, which allows him to take the puck down either wall and cross diagonally in front of the D or put it through the D. He’s got a lot of confidence in his own ability, but he might be as good as a playmaker as there ever is in the Draft. Like St. Louis, he could be one of those playmaking wingers who can see a center and move the puck to somebody who is open at the appropriate time. That makes him very dangerous on the power play and his one-on-one skills are pretty impressive. If you play him too tight, he can take the puck and embarrass you.”

Caveat: “At the time of the tryouts for the Ivan Hlinka tournament, a lot of people were concerned about his size. At the time he was 5-foot-9, but everybody in his family is big, so he’s expected to be 6-feet when all is said and done, or bigger. Right now he’s 5-foot-11, 185 pounds.”

Comparable NHL Player: Patrick Kane

Scouting report from Lightning director of amateur scouting Al Murray on Lightning.NHL.com - May 16th 2013

Drouin’s rise to the cream of the 2013 crop has been swift and steady. The top scorer in the Q, Drouin is set to have one of the most dominant draft year seasons since Patrick Kane in 2006/07. While he lacks optimal size, Drouin has a stocky build and his elusive agility and supreme puck handling should allow him to compete fine against bigger NHL defensemen.

In terms of raw skill, you could make an easy case to slot Drouin ahead of both MacKinnon and Barkov, as well as being a player who could very well be in the mix for 1st overall come draft day. For now, the only thing holding him back from our Top 3 is the value that the other 3 players bring to the table in a very strong draft.
Submitted by: The Scouting Report

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ISS Top 30#4 Jonathan Drouin @jodrouin27Best hands in draft. Controls puck & ability to make everyone around him better. Great creativity.

— ISS Hockey (@ISShockey) December 13, 2012

Jonathan Drouin Videos

Jonathan Drouin Highlights

Jonathan Drouin Highlights

Jonathan Drouin Beauty Goal - Game 6 vs Quebec


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