Observations:

April 13, 2012– Two time Memorial Cup champion, two time OHL “Most Outstanding Defenseman”, one WJHC gold and two silver medals, along with the 2010-2011 Canadian Major Junior Player and Defenseman of the Year.  These are just a few examples of hardware that Ryan Ellis has collected over his junior hockey career.  Using a combination of high intelligence and speed, Ellis is ideal for quarterbacking a power play.  His fluid skating and strong center core allows him to shift gears and direction quickly while going up ice, catching his opponents off guard as he jumps into the offensive zone.  Ellis has a great vision of the play in front of him, having the elevated hockey sense to create chances quickly, without becoming too much of a liability in front of his own net. Size is a concern, but as noted he has a strong center core. He saw some time in the show and did not look out of place, but ice time will be hard to come by in Nashville over the next year or two.

Fantasy Outlook: A

Big upside. Could be fantasy top 5 NHL d-man within three years if hockey intelligence continues to grow

Footage:

Ryan Ellis lays out Wayne Simmonds

{youtube}Km9I73WKhiY{/youtube}

Fantasy Prospects Report Notes (Any FPR’s released in the last 18 months will not be listed here):

Buy the latest Fantasy Prospects Report here.

Ryan Ellis statistics courtesy of Elite Prospects