Neutral Zone had seventeen right wingers who are 6’2″ or larger on our 2020 draft list. Four (4) of them were potential 1st rounders, two (2) we projected to be selected by the end of the third round and three (3) that we didn’t think would be drafted. The rest are long term projects who we feel have the potential to mature into legit National League prospects. This is why we will continue to track Doug Grimes during his first season in the USHL.
| Douglas Grimes | Sioux City Musketeers | USHL | R | F | 6’3″ | 190 | Boston University | 2021 | Brookline, MA | 2002 | 2020-2021: C |
USHL: Sioux City vs. Sioux Falls, November 2020: Grimes had two goals in this game for Sioux City, including the game winning goal in overtime and looked really strong throughout the contest. Grimes was a presence when had the puck and was a hard man to take it away from as he was very good at using his size to his advantage. On Grimes’ first goal he totally turned the momentum of the game as the Musketeers were on their back foot. On the play Grimes collected a quick stretch pass and moved his feet into space, firing a nice wrist shot short side high for an opportunistic goal. This goal completely changed the outlook of the game and helped his team turn their play around. On the overtime goal Grimes was again opportunistic, jumping on a loose puck in the slot and burying it to win the game for the Musketeers. Overall, Grimes looked strong on the puck and displayed an ability to finish if you give him a chance. Grade: A-
Dougie was drafted 15th overall in the Phase II USHL Draft. The scouting report below was releases in December 2019 and really not much has changed. Except for the fact that he continued to look stronger, more confident and impactful as the New England Prep season continued. He’s a massive kid (6’3″ 190lbs) who’s athletic and competitive. Dougie plays with an edge and it was obvious that as the season wore on he became aware that intimidation is a very useful tool. For him, this is where it will get interesting. Does he head back to Dexter where he physically dominated almost everyone on the ice? Or does he head to Cedar Rapids and be challenged mentally and physically from the moment he gets off the plane? Maybe the RoughRiders know something that the rest of us don’t and that’s why he was chosen in the first round, but from a hockey perspective I believe he is ready for the challenge of Junior hockey and move on from prep. And this brings us back to the 2020 NHL Draft and what NHL organizations are thinking. Again, He’s a 6’3″ righty who is on a very steady path of improvement. He weighs 185-ish now, but after some time training at Boston University he’ll be playing around 210lbs. He’s mean and, most importantly, Dougie’s game matured last season showing much more game awareness and patience.
February NHL Draft Rankings, February 2020: Dougie was ranked #201 in Neutral Zone’s February Draft Rankings.
E.G. Watkins: Top 25 Players Ranked, January 2020: Dougie was ranked as the 5th most impactful player in the tournament.
Groton-Lawrence Holiday Tournament, January 2020: Doug committed to BU shortly before the event and continued his strong play here. He is a raw but very athletic and pushes the pace with straight line speed. The 2002 has a strong stride which lets him puck up speed quickly. He has a slick set of hands which allows him to make plays in tight areas. He made plays in transition and was able to process the game quickly to find open teammates. Used his reach and body well and plays physical to separate defenders from the puck. Was creative with the puck on his stick and made some nice drop-passes or cross ice reads that created chances. He will continue to get strong and fill out and has as much upside as anyone here. Grade: A- Riley Duran, Ronan Walsh, David Sacco, John Fusco, Kyle Furey are 2020 NHL Draft hopefuls who were also evaluated.
NHL Scouting Report – Dougie Grimes, December 2019: We recently (12/1/19) saw Doug play against St. Andrews College. In all honesty we came away shocked that he was an uncommitted 2002 and wouldn’t you know it, a few days later he committed to Boston University. So that got us thinking, how do NHL teams view Dougie Grimes and he his potential? Doug is a player who gets better every time we see him. Not only his physical skills, but his positioning and processing the game as well. There were times in the past where Doug would sometimes get lost in defensive zone coverage or appear to chase the puck in neutral zone transition. In our most recent viewing he was positionally sound in his end providing consistent slot coverage as the weak side wing. He also showed improvements in his game awareness and processing. Awareness Example – He is the weak-side wing covering the slot… when his weak-side defenseman would need to engage the strong side battle, Doug showed the awareness to slide lower to provide the net front coverage needed and in transition he was clever enough to “fall below the goal line” to be an outlet for an easy D to weak-side wing break out to the soft side corner. A year ago we are not sure if Doug would have made these reads or had the patience to be that sound defensively, but against St. Andrew’s he was very good away from the puck. So what will an NHL Organization think about his physical tools? Well, he’s a 6 year project and they’re going to say he’s a big kid who is going to Boston University. That is a huge long term plus if he gets drafted. BU will consistently have high end, high NHL draft picks coming on to their campus while Doug is there. Meaning, Doug will have to battle his ass off every day in practice and in the weight room competing against high end players who are National League prospects. Huge Plus. His feet will improve by osmosis, but we feel he is showing the signs of a kid who wants to be a player and will therefore put in the work needed to get stronger and quicker. Doug has the building blocks to be a physical force in the professional game. An NHL team knows that they can draft him and stash him (for years) before they will think about signing him to a contract. The drafting team knows they can bring him in for Development Camps each summer and keep reliable stats on his off-ice progress without investing a dime into him. And if he shows the consistent commitment into being a pro, they’ve got a 6’3 215lbs diamond in the ruff…. and that’s not a bad thing to have hanging around. In summary, Doug’s physical stature combined with his trending game will mean that there will be plenty of NHL eyes on him as the season progresses.
Mass Festival Final 40: Team NZ Mass Teams for 2002s-2004s, May 2019: We had to have Douglas. One of the players in the whole Final 40 with the most upside and probably the player in the 2002 group with the most room to grow his game. He is a big boy, huge with huge feet and a strong body. His skating keeps getting better. He hit a player so hard on Saturday (clean hit) that the referees stopped the game and talked to both benches about things getting out of hand. We thought the boys were finally playing. Grimes was anyway. He is still a project but grinds shifts out, makes plays on the rush and goes to the net front. Love to be around his progress as when he figures it out, it will be scary. Lots of talents and tools. This is the first time we have an evaluation for Dougie as a forward and Neutral Zone came impressed with his compete, physicality and potential. I remember talking about him in the parking lot after the Final 40 and thinking that he was going to be a force in prep hockey for the 2019-20 season.
MA Festival 2002, May 2018: Grimes burst onto the scene here in May at the Festival with these two outings. You didn’t hear much about him during Dexter’s regular season and playoff run but what did saw here was intriguing. He was great at feeding the stretch forward with tape-to-tape feeds with authority. He has some elusiveness in his game to avoid contact but there were moments where the puck would come off his blade. His edge work isn’t perfect but he can move up and down the sheet with speed: escaping pressure situations with his legs. Able to fire the puck hard at the net but there is more he will be able to do with an additional season of game action under his belt. Good size and athleticism. Under the radar type who may be the most interesting player in this report. Lots of upside. Dougie was evaluated as a defenseman at the MA Festival. Riley Duran, Owen Fowler, David Sacco, Kyle Furey, Ian Moore all participated in the Festival and are on Neutral Zone’s 2020 NHL Draft Watch List.
Beantown Classic Futures Division, August 2017: Grimes is tall and thin and showed good straight-line speed. He took mostly good angles to defend and was accountable in his end. He had some moments where he struggled with the speed and size of older players but he mostly held his own. We liked his athletic ability and that was what allowed him to compete. He must add some strength and tighten his overall game up but he is well ahead of a lot of players his age. The 2002 is a new addition to our profiles. Dougie was evaluated as a defenseman in the tournament. Interestingly Sam Colangelo and Ronan Walsh were evaluated as well and they are two (2) of the seventeen (17) wingers who are 6’2 or larger who are on Neutral Zone’s right wing draft list.
Neutral Zone has seventeen right wingers who are 6’2″ or larger on our draft list. Four (4) of them are potential 1st rounders, two (2) will most likely be selected by the end of the third round and three (3) that I don’t think will be drafted, but I know NHL teams will continue watching over the next 3-5 seasons because they have chosen to go the NCAA route and they will be potential free agents. So NHL teams are left to decide between eight (8) 6’2″ or larger right wings who are long term developmental projects.