NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Nick Merkley

Get to Know Nick Merkley

Date of Birth: May 23, 1997 (17)
Place of Birth: Calgary, Alberta
Ht: 5’10” Wt: 187 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Right Wing/Center
Team: Kelowna Rockets

Nick Merkley is a dynamic playmaking forward for the WHL Champion Kelowna Rockets. After a solid 58 points in his first full, 66 game season last year, Merkley exploded onto scoreboards across the WHL in 2015. Nick Merkley finished 2015 with 90 points in 72 regular season games, 27 points in 19 playoff games, and has 3 goals and 5 points so far in 3 Memorial Cup contests.

Merkley is a feisty and well rounded player who plays in all situations and can be effective on any line. His point totals slant heavily towards the assist column, which is befitting of a player with his skillset. Merkley does an excellent job of drawing defenders to him and making creative plays with his skates and stick to get the puck to his teammates in scoring areas.

Statistics

What Scouts See

Cody Nickolet, WHL Scout for Future Considerations:

Nick Merkley is a hard-driving playmaker for the Kelowna Rockets…possesses a strong lower-body with sharp edges that allow him to really drive and power his way around the ice…has the agility to go east-west when the situation calls for it thanks to immensely advanced inside edges…that edgework allows him to shimmy and shake when he needs to, opening up a defenders hips and giving Merkley that half step needed to get around his man off the rush…straight line speed is good but not great, having room to improve as he gets stronger thanks to his understanding of edgework…has a remarkable set of hands with the ability to handle the puck and make plays at absolute top speed

Curis Joe, Elite Prospects

A playmaking center that has an excellent eye for the game; sees the ice like a hawk from above. Creates scoring chances and on-ice energy through taking advantage of puck-possession and making the most of turnovers. Incredible work ethic; will battle against larger players and isn’t afraid to do the dirty work in front of the net. Does not possess the largest frame or a dynamic level of skating; however, he does boast a remarkably high level of Hockey-IQ and a deep understanding of the game.

What BSN Avalanche sees

The first word I would use to describe Nick Merkley is disruptive. On the forecheck, on the back check, on the penalty kill, Merkley makes the puck on someone else’s stick his personal business. He is an extremely aggressive player away from the puck and despite his small stature, does an excellent job of finishing his checks. More importantly, Merkley has a good stick defensively and if even he can’t finish an opponent physically, he can almost always do enough to strip them of the puck.

Nick Merkley is the kind of player that coaches at every level love to work with. He plays in all situations, he finishes every check, he battles hard, and he leaves every ounce of himself on the ice on every shift. Offensively Merkley makes up for his lack of elite shooting with incredible creativity and passing. He does an excellent job of maneuvering in high traffic areas and making impossible passes out of pressure to find open teammates.

Whether it’s knocking down a defender on the forecheck and starting an odd-man rush, or carrying the puck deep and dishing to a teammate while taking a check, Merkley consistently finds ways to be a catalyst on offense. He processes the game at a very high speed and anticipates both his teammates and opponents with passes that no one else on the ice can see.

Merkley’s biggest shortcoming is without question his size. Merkley is strong and solid for his height, but some elements of the physical game where he excels may not translate at the next level of competition. His skating and defensive positioning need work, but both are correctable and Merkley has the kind of motor and determination where neither should be a concern long term.

A good pass to start and then Nick Merkley uses both feet before scoring against Rimouski. https://t.co/XfophryJlG

— Cody Nickolet (@DubFromAbove) May 25, 2015

NHL Potential

How successful Nick Merkley is at the next level will depend in large part on how well he’s able to adapt to the limitations of his size. At 5’10 (some services list him at 5’11”) Merkley is by no means too small for the NHL, but he may have to adapt his game and to take a bit less contact, because it’s unlikely that he will continue to have the physical impact he has in the WHL in the much faster and larger NHL. That said Merkley already uses his low center of gravity as leverage extremely well against larger opponents.

With Merkley’s versatility and work ethic he projects very safely as a Top 9 forward but could very well become a Top 6 playmaker.

Expected Draft Position

Nick Merkley finished as the 23rd ranked North American Skater for the NHL’s Central Scouting Service, but was better liked by a number of other scouting services, finishing in the mid teens for Future Considerations and ISS Hockey. Given Merkley’s impressive showing in the WHL playoffs, he could be a late riser but at worst, he should be selected within the first 20 picks of the 2015 draft.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

Given some of the talent likely to be available at 10th overall, the Avalanche would be reaching off the board if they selected Nick Merkley with their first round draft pick. It would also be shocking to see Merkley available at 40th overall, so the odds of Nick Merkley joining the Avalanche are slim.

That said, Nick Merkley is an excellent model for the type of forwards the Avalanche should select in rounds 2-7. The Avalanche need versatile forward prospects like Merkley who bring organizational depth, can play multiple roles, but also have the upside to play in Top 6 and complement the Avs’ elite offensive forwards. At times centering his own line and at times playing alongside Oilers’ top prospect Leon Draisaitl, Nick Merkley has shown all those traits in spades.