Ht/Wt: 5'11"/177 lbs
Position: RHD
Team: Vancouver (WHL)

Ryan Lin's Player Profile

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - April 14th: "is decision-making is near the top, and he has the skating to burn guys. You put those together and it’s easy to understand why Lin has the puck so often. Teams seem to be softening up to smaller blueliners – they should be all-in on Lin."

Will Scouch - Scouching.ca - April 13th: "Smart, well-positioned, and tactically sound, Lin had plenty of good ingredients, but a lack of defensive zone cycle involvement, getting absolutely destroyed possessionwise, and far more limited 5v5 offense than you would think were big, big concerns, but the agility and skill level in transition seems to have taken a jump, and while I still have some doubts, this is the area of the draft where the guys that make you go “wow” here and there should be at the worst."

Dauton Reimer - The Hockey Writers - March 25th: "He’s incredibly intelligent in his positioning and where he puts pressure on the opponent, forcing them to the outside and blocking shooting lanes, and he uses a deadly combination of speed and vision to set up the perfect play. He’s also got a powerful shot and can lay some huge hits despite his smaller size. Underestimate him at your own risk."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - March 17th: "Lin does everything at a high level, executes the small things extremely well and plays the game with a rare quality, maturity and detail for a D his age. He steers play with his quiet efficiency, feel for the game, puck-moving, elite hockey IQ, good skating (he could use another gear in straight lines, but his footwork, pivots, edges, surfing, etc., are all high-end), great stick and defensive reads."

Jason Bukala - Sportsnet - March 17th: "Lin is a workhorse for the Giants. He’s averaged over 25 minutes per game this season while being deployed in all situations. Lin is easily defined. He’s a transitional defender who has the agility to escape pressure in his zone with the puck on his stick and lead the rush offensively."

Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff - March 13th: "An injury kept Lin out of the lineup for more than a month, but it hasn’t really hurt his draft stock. The crafty, creative defender loves having the puck on his stick, which is why he has managed consecutive 50-point campaigns with the Giants. He’s great at killing plays in transition, and he’s unbeatable at times in 1-on-1 situations."

Peter Baracchini - The Hockey Writers - March 10th: "He wants to be involved in the play as much as possible, attacking defenders, creating chances and setting up his teammates with his playmaking. Defensively, he plays a well-rounded game. He’s rarely out of position and does a good job to take time and space away from attackers."

Smaht Scouting - February 27th: "Defensively, Lin competes and shows physical engagement despite his size, but his backward skating limits his ability to contain speed through the neutral zone, leading him to concede too much space and occasionally get beaten wide or overpowered off the rush. He isn’t the most creative puck mover, but he is extremely good at activating and getting into space and a very good distributor in the offensive zone."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - February 25th: "Lin is the most refined of the lot. He’s a dynamic skater, a highly effective puck-mover and is more than capable at defending. He has, however, been out of the lineup for over a month now and with Vancouver out of the playoff mix, he should have a few games before the end of the regular season to get ready to play for Canada at the U18 worlds."

Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - February 23rd: "Lin can facilitate and set plays up from the blueline or on the breakout. His defensive game needs work, particularly in the corners and out front of his net as he lacks the strength to move players. He isn't the quickest player, and he likes to play a bit lower pace at times, but there is an interesting profile here if an NHL team wants to bank on his facilitation ability."

Ryan Lin's Stats

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