Kingston had 6 draft eligible players on their roster playing in this game versus Peterborough. We would consider 2 players NHL draft prospects.
Zayde Wisdom (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
Zayde is a player who really impressed us in this game. He has made considerable improvement since our viewings of him in his Minor Midget draft year, where he ended up being a fourth round selection. After a 10 point OHL rookie year, Zayde’s game has exploded and he looks to be a player who could lead his team in scoring during his second season in the league. Zayde has an explosive first 3 steps. He has very good wide speed and will challenge defensemen to close their gaps. If he is given space there is no doubt that he will beat them wide. When he is pinched off, he keeps his feet moving and will fight through checks to win his ice and win puck battles. His high end top speed allows him to gain the offensive zone, where Zayde loves to lean in and gain middle ice before ripping snap or wrist shots. His shot is off the stick very quickly and he catches goalies by surprise. We feel it is a real positive that he knows he is a shooter and will rip it from anywhere. Zayde displays a high level work ethic and competitor. He comes back hard through the middle during defensive transition, and if he is the first forward back he is a very good low forward and is excellent at providing support. There is very little coast in his game. Although not tall, Zayde has a stocky powerful build and weighs in at around 200lbs. We would love to see him be more physical as we feel it would give him more space to be creative after turnovers. He uses his speed well on the fore-check, but we find he can be too is puck focused at times. Some people do not feel Zayde is a 2020 Draft Prospect, but they are overlooking him. His offensive game is exploding, and we feel his speed, mentality and frame make him a very intriguing professional prospect. Game Grade B+
Jake Murray (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Jake was a defenseman that Neutral Zone loved and showed tremendous upside during his Minor Midget draft year in 2018. At that level he was among the top 3 or 4 defensemen in his age bracket. He was a smooth skater who could lead a rush, jump into attacks and still be dominant in his own end. He was selected in the first round with the 13th pick by Kingston. At the OHL level Jake still has the skating qualities that earn the attention of pro scouts. Very smooth on his skates with great edges and the ability to turn, quickly, be evasive and beat fore-checkers. However, his offensive upside has not translated from Minor Midget to the Ontario Hockey League as of yet. He is now best described as a more of a good first pass defenseman who follows the play, but still has a good sense of when to jump. On one particular play on an offensive transition he jumped quickly and skated past a couple Peterborough defenders in order to be the third man on a 3 on 1 attack. The puck carrying forward delayed and found Jake attacking the slot, fed him the puck which Jake buried (his first of the year) tying the game at 1 each. Jake was also used as a go to guy on both the power play and the penalty kill which speaks volumes for the trust the coaching staff has in his play. He was effective on both units. On the power play he has patience with the puck, a low panic point and is heads up looking for his pass options. More of a pass first guy, but gets his shots through when he does fire it. And on the penalty kill his skating allows him to pressure a corner or mid-board quickly, yet still get back into the net slot area to defend. Jake will need to add physicality to his game in order to move up the draft board and be considered a more valuable asset. At times we found him a little too puck focused during battles in the corners or around his net, but as he matures we feel he will have the strength to contain high end players . Game Grade B