Patrick Guzzo (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
(1) Brain – Patrick is a responsible two way center. He provides consistent low support in the defensive zone while defending and he does not cheat to the offensive side of the play on loose 50-50 pucks. On a soft defensive zone D to D breakout Patrick is a ready option who does not fly through the passing area too quickly. He does an excellent job staying below the puck.
(2) Vision & Poise – Patrick does not try to make high light reel plays on a line rush or in 1 on 1 situations. He reads gaps well and makes the smart decisions at the lines. He has the frame to protect the puck and he will cycle the puck while looking for options in the high slot or a defenseman crashing back door.
(3) Feet – He is a powerful skater with a long stride. He moves well laterally and can maintain his speed through contact. He shows very good agility while in defensive zone coverage and has no problem containing players who are perceived to be smaller and quicker.
(4) Compete & Effort – Maximum effort player. His coaches do not have to worry about what he’s bringing to the table every night.
(5) Contact or Physicality – He uses his NHL frame to his advantage in all situations.
(6) Release – Patrick has a hard accurate shot. Although he has never been a huge point producer, he has always been able to put the puck in the net. We do feel this is an area that he will improve on while at Ohio State.
(7) One Timer Ability – He is not a shooter, but he has the ability to fire poor passes and hit the net. He has a very quick stick on net front rebounds and can get the puck up under the bar quickly. Patrick is very good at one touch passing through the neutral zone. On quick regroups he can hit his wingers in stride for easy zone entries and better line rushes.
(8) Body Language – He plays hard and is direct. Patrick does not get involved in the nonsense and is able to stay focused.
(9) Special Teams Potential – Patrick is a natural high level penalty killer. He’s very good on draws and has very good defensive zone situational awareness. He keeps an active stick in passing lanes and he maintains line-ups. He’s willing to eat pucks and puts the team first.
(10) Intangibles – He is a tough kid who can play through pain. Early in the season we saw Patrick take an errant stick to the face breaking his nose. There was blood all over his face, his jersey and the ice. He went to the bench, had his nose filled with stuffing and continued playing hard two way hockey. This seems like something every player should do, but we can tell you they don’t.