| Gavin Reed | Benilde St. Margaret’s | Minnesota HS | L | D | 6’3″ | 200 | Dayton, MN | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
MN-HS: Benilde St. Margaret’s vs St. Louis Park, December 28, 2022: Long Defenseman who likes to slow the game down and bring forecheckers in near him before he makes the right play. Always hitting forwards on the tape as they execute the breakout. Smooth skater. Grade: B+
MN-HS: Benilde St. Margaret’s vs Andover, December 27, 2022: Reed totaled 22:22 in ice time including 1:23 on the power play and 3:35 while shorthanded. He ran the power power play from the top of the umbrella and he finished the game with 1 PP primary assist that came after he handled a poorly aimed pass that jammed his backhand. On the play he settled the puck quickly while locating the Andover penalty killer. He then deceptively “looked” to his left before passing to his right which allowed the right flanking goal scorer more time and space so he could pick his spot. Reed was on the ice for 4 goals against, 1 while killing a 5on4, one while killing 4on3 and 2 even strength goals. On the first even strength goal he was positioned as the the weakside defender and miss read the danger of an Andover left shot forward who was on his left strongside while outside the dot-lane and below the face-off circle. Reed pursued the man who passed into the high slot to the eventual goal scorer. The second even strength goal against came immediately Benilde St. Margaret had called a timeout to settle things down. On the goal Reed pinched on a bouncing puck and did not get the puck or make contact with the man which led to a fast and furious odd man rush into his end. On both even strength goals against we feel Reed was trying to do too much because his team was down by multiple goals and these are both teachable moments he can learn from. He also had a minor penalty for roughing, but we kind of liked it because he showed real acceleration and explosiveness when driving through his opponent. Reed also had three shots blocked. None of the three hit shinpads to bounce out of the offensive zone. Instead all three went off extended sticks trying to takeaway his shooting lane. A quicker release and or moving his feet laterally along the blueline is a skill the the 6’3″ defender will continue to work on.
MN-HS: Benilde St. Margaret’s vs Andover, December 6, 2022: Reed is a big and long defenseman with lots of offensive upside. He was really patient while running the power play on the top. All of his passes were on the forward’s tape in the best positions for one-timers. He made a really nice move through an Andover defender that resulted in a grade-A scoring chance. Reed totaled 23:14 of ice time including 2:49 while on the power play and 3:44 while shorthanded. He finished with 0 points, a 0 plus minus, 3 shots on goal, 2 PIMs on a neutral zone step-up while his team was already killing a penalty, 0 hits and he had 1 shot from the point blocked. We feel he is player to watch closely and that he has professional upside. Grade: B
UMHSEL: SIT Mutual Funds vs Twin Cities Orthopedics, October 22, 2022: Reed was a beast in this one as he finished with 2 goals on 3 shots. The first goal came on a heavy snapshot from the high slot after he activated to join the rush. On the play the left shot entered the offensive zone coming down the off wing, made a hard fake to his backhand as if he was going to drive wide and then cut hard to his left as he fired a hard snapshot high to the short glove side. His second goal was a seeing eye snapshot from the left point, but on the play he did recognize that Twin City’s right wing was lost in coverage so he stepped into the puck with authority. Reed also had two penalties. The first was called after he stepped up on a forward from the weakside. On the play he missed the forward with his shoulder and was called for a trip. In our opinion his second penalty was a soft one as he stepped up on a forward who was attempting to dangle him in an open ice 1 on 1. On the play Reed showed real strength and power as he loaded both inside edges and did a hard reverse snow plow to knock his opponent on to his back side.
U15: Minnesota Blades Invitational, September 24, 2020: Gavin played a solid smooth skating puck moving defenseman style. He possesses offensive characteristics but that is not what sets him apart. Throughout the tournament he was reliable in his own end being able to defend and break pucks out under pressure. Has the ability to make cross ice tape to tape passes. Grade: A
U14: Minnesota Bantam Elite League, September 4, 2019: Reed is a very shifty and confident with the puck for a young defenseman. He showed vision and the puck skills to go along with it. His head was up and he surveyed the ice very well. As he gets older and stronger, his game has tremendous upside in today’s game.
STX 68 Combine, September 3, 2019: Reed is very effective under pressure when having the puck. He is evasive and smart. He knows how to find open ice in addition to creating space for himself with his feet and stick handling ability. With that comes good poise and control. He sees the ice well and can thread passes and find open teammates always. Very good with the puck.
U14: USA Hockey National Championships, April 30, 2019: Gavin was impressive as a 2005. He hit to defend and was very good in the corners. He has good size at about 5’9” with a strong core and balanced skating stride. He moved pucks from his end and can attack space and size or lead the rush from the zone. He played smart on the lines and has a rifle shot. Interesting young prospect who would be an “A” grade in most reports with his own age but here, he is a bit lower. High ceiling player.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images