Samuel Harris is scoring goals in Denver.
One of the better college hockey programs is the University of Denver. They’ve won 10 NCAA titles and they’re a top team again this season. Samuel Harris is a sophomore there and that’s a great place for the left wing to be. I’m sure when the Canadiens drafted him 133rd overall in 2023 they knew that. That does mitigate some of the risk from the pick for sure.
His 2022-23, season for Sioux Falls was fantastic. Getting 30 goals in the USHL is an accomplishment. That helped him get drafted but there’s more to the story than just that.
Harris is a goal scorer. His shooting percentage is off the charts at Denver. It was always high but according to InStat it’s at 60%. He has 11 goals and five assists this year. Harris has had two multi-goal games and five game-winning goals this year as well as two last year. That’s crazy clutch. Clutch goal scorers are hard to come by. A lot of times, those players aren’t the big goal-scorers as far as volume goes but they are guys you can count on.
He averages almost four shots per game.
Harris is 5’11” but he gets a lot of goals near the net. His one-timer is fine but not as deadly as his wrist shot. Jumping on loose pucks is something he’s good at. When playmakers have the puck, he goes closer to the net looking for an opportunity. He has a quick release and sometimes he has more room than you would expect. That will change as he moves up the ladder.
Will Harris dominate on the power play as he moves up the ladder? To a degree, and that’s why he needs more time in college to get physically stronger and round out his game. I can see him going back for another season at Denver and then the Canadiens can talk to him about playing in Laval.