A series dedicated to highlighting player's games and the differences in play styles.
A series dedicated to highlighting player's games and the differences in play styles.
In the opening edition of Player Profiles, I chose to look at Vancouver Giants forward Cameron Schmidt. Among NHL draft circles, he can be a bit of a polarizing figure. On one hand, he's an explosive forward with boundless offensive creativity, to others he can be slightly one-dimensional, along with being on the smaller side. In this article, I will analyze some clips of his game and provide a peek into the profile of the top 2025 NHL draft prospect.
All stats are as of the release of this article.
2024/25 Season At A Glance
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Pros:
There's a reason a large chunk of scouts and fans alike have Schmidt ranked so highly. As mentioned earlier, he's an explosive forward. He can easily reach top speed, and unlike some skaters in his class, does possess elite straight line speed especially coming out of his own zone.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJbC1rGbZCE[/embed]
In Exhibit A, Schmidt never takes his eyes off the puck carrier. He spots Lukas Hansen through a crowd, and the second the puck is off Hansen's stick, his gaze immediately moves over to the pass recipient, Tanner Molendyk. Molendyk is one of the better, if not one of the best skaters in the league, as well as having forward momentum out of the pass. However, Schmidt uses one crossover and one stride to close the gap as well as a quick stick check to poke the puck by Molendyk and spring himself for a rush. Upon getting free, he hits top speed almost immediately and is able to protect the puck from the defender and make a move to his backhand for a nice shot top shelf.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dozXlPFZE_Q[/embed]
Opening up his toolbox a little more, here's a grade A opportunity on the powerplay. While there isn't a lot to dissect in this one it's still a good look into how lethal Schmidt's shot can be. Posted up in the right faceoff circle (his strong side), he takes a pass from teammate Will Levis, and takes advantage of a rushing defender who was previously blocking the net. Schmidt is able to open up, turn to face the net, pull the puck to an optimal shooting position and rip it over the shoulder of Ethan Buenaventura before anyone had time to see it come off his stick. Despite his size, his vision more than makes up for it.
Cons:
One major criticism of Schmidt's game is that he doesn't play a lot of defence, or is considered "one dimensional". While that can be true at times, it's something that can be taught and the work ethic is certainly there to make it work. Sometimes, especially earlier on in the season, Schmidt had a tendency to almost do too much and give pucks away or make a play that wasn't there but as the season has wore on that habit has slowly started to fade.
Verdict:
Yes, Cameron Schmidt has his shortcomings (ironically, his height is not one of them) but for a player on pace to score the most goals in their draft year since Connor Bedard (before that, Pavel Brendl in 1998-99 with the Calgary Hitmen) and shatter the record for a Giants player (Evander Kane in 2008-09) those could absolutely be overcome en route to a high first round selection come June 2025.
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