Sam Dickinson

November 2023 – Players of Dickinson’s size and athleticism profile will always grab scouts’ attention. Combine that prototypical frame with excellent skating and advanced defending, and you get a player with early first round potential. Dickinson routinely kills plays, especially in transition. Players have a difficult time gaining the zone against him as he’s got the feet to stay with almost anyone, combined with the ideal length, reach, and stick work to knock pucks away. He’s tough and physical in his own end and ties up players in front of his net. His defensive game is truly spectacular. Dickinson transitions the puck up the ice with a nice first pass and can carry the puck through the neutral zone. Upon gaining the offensive zone is where Dickinson struggles to create as he loses his teammates and skates into defensive traps at times, resulting in missing open teammates to pass to. Still, on the cycle, he can be an effective passer and he can get hard, accurate shots on net in locations that can cause rebounds or be tipped. He’s been effective putting up points even if the offensive IQ isn’t there yet. Overall, even if he’s just a decent offensive producer, his elite defending combined with the ideal physical profile make him a worthy top 10 pick. If he can take another step as a puck carrier and offensive creator then he could be a big-time player in the NHL. Jordan Harris (November Rankings: 3rd overall)