Ht/Wt: 6' 4"/208 lbs
Position: RHD
Team: University of North Dakota (NCAA)

Keaton Verhoeff's Player Profile

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - April 14th: "Verhoeff doesn’t have many bad games – the floor is still quite solid. He takes up a ton of space at 6-foot-4 and is willing to hit you hard while also making many high-end passes in the offensive zone. Scouts wish he’d add a bit more speed to be a true top-pairing defender, though, but there’s time for him to figure that out."

Will Scouch - Scouching.ca - April 13th: "He gets a ton of puck touches but turns it over in those zones more than I would like, his physical metrics are worse than you might expect, and his skill and puck settling ability at low-pace is still something to be worked on after months of seeing him deal with that. There’s a lot going right with Verhoeff, and the upside is significant, and like Gustafsson, he may take a bit of time to really break out, but with the right amount of patience and the right areas of development, Verhoeff could be a great addition to any team’s defense corps."

Dauton Reimer - The Hockey Writers - March 25th: "He doesn’t wait in one spot, either, and constantly adjusts and shifts to make sure he is in the best place possible. His booming shot from the blueline is enough to scare any goalie, but he also moves the puck very well for a 6-foot-4 player. There were concerns about how his offence would translate to the NCAA, but with 20 points in 33 games, he’s looked right at home with the University of North Dakota."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - March 17th: "Verhoeff has good vision and comfort on the puck (though he can occasionally bobble or over-skate it, and is prone to hanging onto it too long because he wants to make something happen), and a big shot. He’s competitive defensively and has a good stick, though he will make the odd mistake."

Jason Bukala - Sportsnet - March 17th: "Verhoeff landing fourth in my ranking has less to do with the way he has performed this season and more to do with the uptick in trajectory from the players ahead of him. Verhoeff has top pairing, all situations, upside and potential to be selected ahead of this slot."

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - March 13th: "Think: Aaron Ekblad meets Alex Pietrangelo. Verhoeff is a smart two-way defenseman who skates well for 6-foot-3 (but isn’t exceptional, by any means). He takes up a ton of space and is willing to hit you hard while also making many high-end passes in the offensive zone."

Peter Baracchini - The Hockey Writers - March 10th: "He shows great compete without the puck, being quick on retrievals and using his body and size to cut down angles well and pressure attackers. He’s composed defensively, showing great positioning and special awareness, but some aspects in his game are raw, especially when it comes to dealing with pressure and can turn the puck over."

Smaht Scouting - February 27th: "The physical tools are obvious and incredibly enticing, but it’s his calmness and poise at both ends of the ice that stand out most for me. He has an incredibly high panic threshold and understands how to navigate pressure to an impressive degree, especially given the fact he’s so young."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - February 25th: "Verhoeff has a high ceiling and possesses a variety of tools that scouts love. He has NHL size already, but still plenty of room to add strength, and there’s likely another small growth spurt ahead. His puck handles are good enough to evade oncoming forecheckers, make plays at the offensive blue line, and off the rush."

Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - February 23rd: "Verhoeff started the world juniors as Canada's extra defenseman and ended it looking like one of their best. He was an effective puck-mover and an efficient defender, and he seemed to have a better grasp of the game at both ends of the ice than most players on the Canadian back end."

Keaton Verhoeff's Stats

Click here to return