Casey Severo will not have to bring his coaches apples every day to be one their favorites.
Casey Severo (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
(1) Brain – Casey never looks busy. He doesn’t waste effort and this is a compliment. He is not a player who goes running all over the ice chasing the puck. He is a player who will thrive under a college and pro coaching staff that preaches structure. He reads his line mates very well and understands who has what responsibilities. He does not see a player out of position and compound the situation by trying to do their job too. I have no clue if he’s a New England Patriots fan, but I would not be surprised if he wears a Pats T-shirt under his shoulder pads that says “Do your job”.
(2) Vision & Poise – He sees the ice very well and does not try to force bad decisions. He protects the puck well and can do so with his head up.
(3) Feet – His straight line speed is above average. He creates space because he is very quick laterally and is powerful coming out of tight turns.
(4) Compete & Effort – Casey wins battles. In the defensive zone Casey is very strong. He maintains net side positioning and ties up sticks. He wins face-offs by any means necessary.
(5) Contact or Physicality – He finishes his checks, but does not take himself out of position to do so. He is willing to take a hit to make a play and will then beat the opposition up the ice.
(6) Release – There is no dusting the puck off and he does not need space to fire a bullet. He shoots with his head up and with the purpose of scoring or creating rebounds.
(7) One Timer Ability – We have not seen Casey one time many pucks, but when we have it has been hard and on net.
(8) Body Language – We feel he carries himself like a leader and he treats the officials with respect.
(9) Special Teams Potential – Casey’s attention to detail make him a potential high level penalty killer as do his willingness to battle and ability to win draws. His strong hands and physical strength will make coaches consider using him as a net front presence on a shooting power play. Coaches at higher levels will utilize him in many situations because of his high hockey IQ.
(10) Intangibles – Casey is uncommitted at this point, but we do not see that being the case for much longer. While he may not have the flash or showmanship of some other big name prep prospects, he does play a pro styled game right now. He is smart, abrasive and does not cheat. He is a reliable low forward in the defensive zone and in the transition game Casey always gives consistent support for his defensemen. Casey is the type of player who will earn the coach’s trust and quickly turn into a guy who is tapped on the shoulder during key game situations.
In total we have 13 Amateur Reports on Casey. As you will see from these three evaluation snapshots, Casey has always played the honest two-way game that coaches rely on;
His evaluation from the T1EHL U15 Showcase in December of 2016 shows that Casey’s attention to detail is nothing new – Severo had a good tournament. He is one of those players who contributes even when he is not on the scoreboard. He does the little things well. In the last game he was cheated out of a key assist in the when he won a draw clean in the zone, He also got the game winner in SO.
April of 2017 at the U15 USA Tier 1 Nationals – Severo is the team captain and was very good in Arizona. He made everyone else around him better. He worked for pucks and made plays in all three zones. He does everything well. He can skate, shoot, pass and play defense. He is a true 200 foot player and he led his team with his effort and in points. He is smart and as a result has a lot of upside.
HPHL/Beast Showcase U18 in October of 2018 – Severo is a solid compact built puck distributor who does a good job creating for line mates and throwing body around. One strong back check particular saved a goal where he relentlessly chased open opponent on 2 on 1, shutting down an almost sure goal. Presented a consistent net presence with a high tempo motor. Should look to get more pucks to the net this winter for the Bulldogs.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images