NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Deven Sideroff

Get to Know Deven Sideroff

Date of Birth: 4/14/1997
Place of Birth: Kamloops, BC, CN
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 179 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Right Wing
Team: Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

Born and raised in Kamloops, Deven Sideroff is the easy-to-root-for local boy who was raised in the local hockey scene. Sideroff was a member of the Okanagan Hockey Academy in Penicton when he was signed to a standard WHL education contract by the Kamloops Blazers as a 15-year old.

Sideroff spent the next two seasons dominating with Okanagan and making sporadic appearances with the Blazers until he finally got a shot to join Kamloops full-time. This past season was Sideroff’s first full season as a member of the Blazers and he was immediately given top responsibilities.

Sideroff’s first season was respectable as he put up 42 points in 64 games while playing on the top line for a Blazers team that simply wasn’t very good.

Statistics

What Scouts See

eliteprospects.com:

An offensive winger with tremendous work ethic and determination. Possesses quick feet and quick hands to go along with a high level of thinking when it comes to coming up big in the game’s key moments. Good vision and compliments his linemates on the rush. Shoots the puck on-net when he has the puck in a good position, and when he isn’t in a good position he can hold onto the puck or make a quick play to a teammate. All-in-all, a smart hockey player with noticeable speed and determination; plays above his age level.

Future Considerations:

Sideroff is that typical strong complementary winger who will dig in the corners and then go to the net as an option for a creative playmaking pivot. He makes smart simple plays
that keep the puck moving and does a lot of the heavy lifting in board battles. He is a decent skater; however, he doesn’t have high-­‐end breakaway speed. His best attribute may be his hockey sense.

He makes simple, smart plays with the puck and he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He has smooth hands, but he is not particularly dynamic with the puck. He’s a player who seems to understand his offensive limitations and is therefore fully committed to playing a complementary role and making a difference on the ice any way he can. He is a guy who could slide in anywhere in a lineup and be effective. While Sideroff is not the biggest player, he battles hard on the ice.

What BSN Avalanche sees

Deven Sideroff is one of those players you can absolutely guarantee will maximize every ounce of their talent. He’s an extremely hard worker who throws it all onto the ice on every shift. He has some quality skills to go along with that work ethic, such as good skating and impressive hands, and plays an important role on his team as a first line player.

Outside of his try-hard attitude, Sideroff possesses a high hockey IQ. His ability to read the game at a high level serves him well in all three zones as he’s a very effective player at creating for this team. He’s committed completely to serving his team as best he can and does a great job of playing within his own abilities at all times.

Where Sideroff struggles as a prospect is that his raw toolbox is simply lacking. He doesn’t have any standout on-ice qualities that you can see. His shot is nothing special, he’s not a very creative player, and even though he makes due with what he’s been given he’s not a very effective physical player with his limited size.

While Sideroff is a quality complementary player in juniors, the biggest question surrounding him is how much development he has left in his career. If he’s able to improve significantly, there’s a good shot he makes the NHL as a solid role player but that appears to be his maximum ceiling. His floor is where he currently is as a player – an effective, solid player in juniors.

Highlights


NHL Potential

Sideroff profiles as a versatile bottom 6 forward who can chip in points and fill a variety of roles. He’s not likely to grow beyond that and it seems like he’s more than likely destined for a prolific AHL career.

Expected Draft Position

Ranked 134th by CSS, 84th by ESPN’s Corey Pronman, 144th by Future Considerations, and 72nd by former NHL GM Craig Button suggests the industry doesn’t view Sideroff as more than a third round pick and could be as low as a sixth rounder.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

Were Rick Pracey still running the Avalanche draft room, Sideroff would be a prime candidate for selection. He’s a smaller player who plays a prominent role on struggling team and works extremely hard at all times. Vintage Pracey pick. Fortunately, that era of drafting is over and Sideroff no longer appears to be a good fit for the Avalanche.

He wouldn’t immediately come in as a more heralded prospect than any of the other wings in the organization and he would face a long uphill climb to the NHL. While Sideroff does fill a need at right wing, his potential is limited enough that drafting him in the fourth round or earlier would be questionable. Because the Avs don’t have a 5th round pick this year, they should only consider Sideroff with their 6th round selection.