Tuesday, Feb 4/2020
4-2 final for the Erie in this game. An excellent road win for Erie who were missing two of their 2 top draft eligible players – defenseman Jamie Drysdale and skilled forward Hayden Fowler were not in the Otters line-up. Write-ups on NHL Prospects can be found below.
Erie Otters Draft Eligible
4 Jame Drysdale (did not play)
13 Elias Cohen (played, was not a factor)
14 Hayden Fowler (did not play)
25 Marcus Gillard (did not play)
31 Aidan Campbell (was a factor, see report)
53 Cameron Morton (played, was not a factor)
73 Connor Lockhart – 2021 NHL draft eligible – first star in the game (was a factor, see report)
74 Noah Sedore (played, was not a factor)
91 Brendan Hoffmann (was a factor, see report)
Aiden Campbell (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Goalie
The lanky 6’5” goaltender played a steady game in the net for Erie. In our two previous viewings this season, Campbell had given up 11 goals in a game and a half. Tonight’s game in Guelph was an excellent road win. Campbell gave up two goals in the first and shut the door the rest of the way. It was a tight checking game overall, but there were a number of breakdowns and Campbell was sharp down the stretch. He was very efficient in the net and used his big frame well on direct shots. He challenged shooters and played the angles well. Guelph had some chances moving the puck side to side and he showed good lateral mobility. This is an area of the game he will need to continue to develop as his career progresses. He is a rookie goalie, but is confident and has great size – he has all the tools to excel at this level and beyond. Game Grade: B-
Brendan Hoffman (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Hoffmann continues to show well in spurts with his large size and reach. Hoffmann had more of a presence in this game than early season viewings. His game was particularly effective late as his physical play increased. He was a force on the forecheck and along the walls and created a number of turnovers. Hoffman is a depth forward for Erie who plays a sound 200 foot game. He is reliable in his own end and supports pucks well in the defensive zone. Vs Guelph tonight he spent very little time in his zone chasing pucks and was effective at neutralizing opponents to start the transition up ice. Hoffmann is a player who could elevate his game significantly with focused improvement on his overall foot speed. Game Grade: C+
Connor Lockhart (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — B+) Forward
Lockhart isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2021, but his play tonight was worth calling out. Erie’s first round pick in 2019 was impressive this evening on Erie’s top line. He created space with his pace and had a number of scoring chances. His foot speed and first step created separation on the cycle and gave defenders fits. Lockhart scored and set up another and was excellent in close in the good scoring areas with his elusive edge work and tenacity. At 5’8” Lockhart was not going to out physical many of the big defenders on the Storm, but he played with an edge and fought hard for space in a tight checking game. He played with confidence 5 on 5 and on the power play. He a played unselfish heads up game in the scoring zones. With injuries for the Otters Lockhart had the opportunity to play first line minutes and he was the game’s first star. Game Grade: A
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Game Evaluation: Paul O’Hagan