NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Glenn Gawdin

 

Get to Know Glenn Gawdin

Date of Birth: March 25, 1997 (18)
Place of Birth: Richmond, British Columbia
Ht: 6’1” Wt: 191 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Center/Wing
Team: Swift Current Broncos

Glenn Gawdin is a responsible, two-way center who’s been on draftniks radar for some time now. Spending significant time alongside fellow draft eligible Broncos forward Jake DeBrusk, Gawdin more than doubled his offensive output this season and registered a career high 54 points in 72 games played.

Statistics

What Scouts See

Dan Stewart, Future Considerations

Gawdin has shown off a strong shot release, is hard to contain physically, and works hard in both zones; battling for every puck. One evaluator noted in his report “I really like (Gawdin’s) versatility and his defensive play, with his game reminding me a bit of a Ryan Getzlaf style of player” which is extremely high praise.

Benoit Roy, Hockey Prospectus

Gawdin is an effective two-way forward with an excellent work-ethic who can be slotted on any line, in any situation, and find success. The balance between his defensive awareness and ability to create offense makes him a valuable force. He lacks the physicality to make an immediate jump but has shown improvement as the year’s progressed. I project him to be selected in the mid to late second round, making him a Tier IV prospect.

McKeen’s Hockey Interview with Gawdin

What BSN Avalanche sees

You wouldn’t know that Glenn Gawdin is just 6’1” 180 lbs watching him play. Whether he’s taking a faceoff, battling in the corner, or carrying the puck through traffic, this two way forward is extremely strong on the puck. He battles well, works hard, and leverages his body position against opponents of all sizes. Gawdin is a decent skater with very good closing speed in both zones, and has a heavy accurate shot with a quick release, but needs to create more opportunities to use it.

Gawdin is a dependable player in both zones, and while he won’t often take over a game, he can be trusted in almost any situation. He’s the type of steady, grinding, two-way forward who creates positive possession for his team and frustrates opponents by constantly denying them the puck. His well roundedness and sharp defensive game are his biggest selling points as a player.

Overall Gawdin is a straightforward “meat and potatoes” hockey player and his biggest weaknesses are the things absent from his game. Gawdin doesn’t possess much finesse or offensive creativity and loses points with scouts for not “wowing” them enough. After scoring just 15 goals this season, Gawdin needs to take a big leap forward next year offensively, if he doesn’t it will be cause for concern.

Gawdin doesn’t win this fight, but you can see what a pest he is to play against in the corners

NHL Potential

Because of his limited offensive skill set, Glenn Gawdin projects more as a bottom six player in the NHL. Fortunately Gawdin’s defensive prowess, work ethic, and strong defensive game are tools that could make him a model third liner at the next level.

Expected Draft Position

Gawdin is a mid-draft player who watched his stock drop in the second half of the season (from 37th to 59th for NHL CSS). Expect Gawdin to be selected in the third round or later this June.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

With a glut of talented defensemen it seems logical that the Avalanche will draft forward-heavy in Florida this June. The Avalanche need to restock their forward prospects at all levels, so while Gawdin doesn’t project as a high impact scorer at the next level, he could still be an excellent fit in the Avalanche development system. For the Avalanche, Gawdin would essentially be a “poor man’s Conner Bleackley,” who they hope could be a large contributor in Lake Erie before one day transitioning to a 3rd or 4th line defensive role on the roster.

For a look at some of the other forwards in Gawdin’s draft range, check out these prospect profiles:

Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson
Erik Foley
Yakov Trenin
Nikita Korostelev
Christian Fischer