Observations:

February 2017 – As suggested in the last update, the Kings found a regular spot for Dowd on their NHL roster this season, and Dowd hasn't looked out of place. His 18 points in 54 games (0.333 points per game), is about where we expected Dowd to be in his first season, as his NHLe (NHL equivalency) last season was 0.378. Dowd has been a bit unlucky so far this season, with a very low 934 PDO, and a very low 5-on-5 Shooting Percentage (4.15%), so there might be some room for improvement. He is seventh in scoring for forwards on the Kings. As with most rookies, he is still earning the coaching staff's trust, so his playing time has fluctuated from a high of 18:30 (Nov. 13) to a low of 6:35 (Jan. 21). Dowd is a bottom six center, and really should only be considered in deep leagues. Philip Kamhi

September 2016 – The late draft pick of Nic Dowd looks like it was a solid one, as he has shown continual improvement year after year, and he finished second in scoring last season for the Reign with 48 points in 58 games (0.83 points per game). Despite his strong scoring, he also played a defensively responsible game, which fits the Kings system to a T. Dowd also got a five-game cup of coffee with the Kings last season, and did not look the least bit out of place. Not only has he proven his work ethic, Dowd would have to clear waivers next season to go back to Ontario, thus the Kings will likely find a spot for him with the big club. Philip Kamhi  

October 2015 – With the NHL graduations of a couple of their stars, there was plenty of opportunity for a fresh face to take over for the Reign. Dowd has done just that, proving himself to be Ontario's second-most important forward (after Mersch) and most reliable two-way center in the early-going. The Alabama native should get a crack at the bigs soon enough, but his scoring potential remains limited. Sheng Peng

February 2015 – By and large, Dowd has adjusted well in his first full pro season. The smart, defensively-sound center has been a key cog for a Manchester Monarchs machine that’s challenging for the conference crown. After impressing with a near point-a-game average in his first 22 games, he’s slumped with just four points in his last 19 games. For the former Hobey Baker finalist who’s accustomed to being more mature than his competition—he was 23 last season at St. Cloud State—it will be interesting to see how he responds to his first pro slump. Long term, he still needs to build his strength. Also, it seems like he hasn’t mentally caught up to AHL speed at times, but that’s understandable given his upper-level inexperience. Despite Dowd’s advanced age, the physical and mental tools are there for a successful NHL career. He has an intelligent game that will translate well at the highest level. Sheng Peng

Fantasy Outlook: C-

His offensive ceiling appears to be bottom-six.

Footage:

Dowd outhustles the opposition to notch the OT winner in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals:

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