We have reported on the Saginaw Spirit throughout the season, but here are some recent thoughts from our Head of Canadian Scouting on the highly touted NHL prospect.
Cole Perfetti (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A) Forward
No arguing he may be one of, if not the most dangerous prospect in the league with a puck on his stick in the offensive zone (Marco Rossi / Ottawa 67’s perhaps only one who may rival). He is a left winger who is most dangerous when he attacks from the left side. In this lane he has a repertoire of dangerous moves that make him a big time threat. First of all with his unbelievable vision he can use his backhand and backhand sauce to put puts over defenders sticks and on to the sticks of open teammates in the slot or wide lane. Drives defenders crazy because they think they have him boxed out or contained wide and yet he has the skill and courage to make the play. Secondly he is very quick and agile on his blades. He draws defenders to him tight, then uses a quick turn or delay to create separation and now with puck on his forehand he again has the knack to move it quickly to a more dangerous teammate. So defenders give him time and he kills them. And if they jump him and reduce time/space, he beats them with stick still. He is uncanny at this. And the timing on his passes and when he finds teammates are world class. Doesn’t get pucks to them too early or too late, gets pucks to them just right. He isn’t a big hitter and he isn’t going to barrel into a corner and knock a defender off the puck. But he will get in. Then use his smarts and quick stick to steal pucks in battles, use agility to pivot away and find ice, then again find that open teammate and make a play.What he is not is a pace pusher. He is not a Marco Rossi, a Jack Hughes, an Alexis Lafreniere, who can take a puck from their end and use speed and skill to skate by or thru or around defenders and go coast to coast. Cole does not have the elite speed to do this. Not to say his speed is bad, but it isn’t elite. His agility and small ice skating is. His straight ahead speed is not. So if that factors into his ranking, it must be a consideration. But he is very very smart and his offensive IQ is through the roof. As such he will always and at any level find a way to produce and be of significant value.