|
Brayden Point, C |
||
|
Shoots: R |
Height: 5-10 |
Weight: 166 |
|
Born: 1996-03-12 |
Hometown: Calgary, AB, CAN |
Drafted: 2014 by Tampa Bay Lightning, 79th overall |
Observations:
March 2018 – After a successful rookie campaign in which Point was flooded with injury-replacement ice-time not typically awarded to an inexperienced center, the sophomore has come back to prove that he was more than just a flash in the pan, and has earned every bit of that ice time back. Point's emergence as a legitimate top-6 forward will give the Lightning even further flexibility with their salary cap in the coming years, as he still has another season remaining on his ELC. Point has proven to be especially effective 3-on-3 in overtime, potting a league leading (tied with Brad Marchand) four overtime winners. Brayden Olafson
November 2017 – In his second full professional campaign, "Tyler Johnson-lite" has become the Tyler Johnson replacement. While the Lightning top line that includes Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov has absorbed much of the attention directed towards the South Florida squad, Point has been discreetly dominating the scoresheet in the background. The sneaky center is on pace to nearly double his previous point total, although his shooting percentage is up slightly from a year ago. Offensively driving the 5-on-5 production of himself, Ondrej Palat and Yanni Gourde – Point is in a position to be the long-term beneficiary of Tyler Johnson's decline in Tampa. In his current situation, it would not be unexpected to see Point develop into a perennial 65-point pivot. Brayden Olafson
July 2017 – The Lightning extended RFA center, Tyler Johnson for the next seven years this week. Point, who's often been compared to Johnson in terms of playing characteristics could be road-blocked by this extension as the Lightning depth at center leaves him comfortably in the third slot. Injuries throughout the lineup were a benefactor to Point's success in his rookie campaign, however without that same opportunity, his development curve may slow. There is still the opportunity for him to command time on the power play, and he's proved in the past that he is more than capable of making good on that. The possibility remains, despite his long term promise, that Point could be a candidate for somewhat of a sophomore slump. Brayden Olafson
February 2017 – Point made an impression at camp and earned a spot with the big club to start the season. His initial offensive output was impressive, especially for being part of such a deep lineup and one which he wasn’t fully expected to be a part of prior to camp. After sitting out January with a hand injury, Point returned to the lineup in a somewhat reduced capacity compared to his pre-injury usage. As long as the rookie is able to regain the trust of coach Cooper, his offensive output should continue to improve. Point will be exempt from the Vegas expansion draft and therefore likely have a solid opportunity to carve out a permanent position in the Lightning’s top six. Brayden Olafson
September 2016 – After finishing his WHL career, Brayden Point will be beginning his professional career this season with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. Whether it will begin with the Lightning or the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL is still unknown, but he will certainly be competing for NHL games this year if he does not make the team out of camp. His size has always been a factor in assessing his performance, so the faster and more physical play at the professional level will test the theory that his small stature hinders him. Max Marko
March 2016 ─ Brayden Point most likely played in his final WHL regular season action with the Moose Jaw Warriors; his 2015-16 regular season has ended with the Warriors moving onto the playoffs, claiming the third spot in the East Division. Point finished second in scoring on the Warriors with 35 goals and 53 assists. Point also finished 11th in league scoring, despite playing the least amount of games (48) out of anybody in the top 90 in WHL scoring. His size may hinder his route to success, but his physicality and defensive is always noticeable on the ice. The centerman’s work ethic is dynamite and he plays a game that compliments the pace of the professional level of hockey. Moose Jaw opens the playoffs against the Prince Albert Raiders. Max Marko
January 2016 – Point has dominated the WHL so far in the 2015-16 season with 47 points (19 goals, 28 assists) in 21 games. This puts him on pace to exceed his excellent 87-point season in 2014-15, his first as captain of Moose Jaw. While also captaining a disappointing Team Canada WJC team, Point provided five points in five games. He doesn't rack up penalty minutes or crazy plus-minus stats, but his offensive potential is outstanding and will be appreciated in a talent-focused Tampa Bay organization. Hayden Soboleski
June 2014 – The Tampa Bay Lightning selected pint-sized pivot Brayden Point 79th overall at the 2014 NHL Draft. Brendan Ross
May 2014 – After an outstanding 16-year-old season scoring 57 points as a rookie, Brayden Point led his Moose Jaw Warriors in scoring with 36 goals and 91 points in his draft season. Undersized at 5-foot-9, Point’s scrappy skilled approach is one that has proven to be successful recently in the NHL, which will help his cause at the 2014 NHL Draft. His defensive awareness is excellent and he is the type of player who can be trusted in every situation. Offensively, Point sees the ice well and displays sneaky playmaking abilities. Size will be the main topic of discussion at drafts table for Brayden Point but outside of that, he’s got smarts, skill set and production to be a top 40 selection. Brendan Ross
Reliable top-6 centerman on the smaller side, more value in points only type leagues than rotisserie.
Footage:
Brayden Point's first NHL goal at 1:16:
{youtube}Vl-OihEEEKM{/youtube}
Brayden Point WHL Player of the Month, October 2015
{youtube}WQVuCCTltCI{/youtube}
Buy the latest Fantasy Prospects Report here.
{source}<iframe src="http://www.eliteprospects.com/iframe_player_stats_small.php?player=62204" width="100%" height="550" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" ></iframe>{/source}