NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Sean Day

Get to Know: Sean Day

Date of Birth: January 9, 1998
Place of Birth: Leuven, Belgium (Canadian dual-citizen, raised in Singapore and the US)
Ht: 6′-3″ Wt: 229 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Defense
Team (League): Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

Statistics

What Scouts See

Curtis Joe, Elite Prospects 

A mobile two-way defenceman who boasts an elite level skill package. Strong on the forecheck and delivers hard shots and crisp passes. His consistency and enthusiasm exhibited at the game’s defining moments does seem to wane, and the pressure felt seems to impact his decision-making slightly. When focusing on simplifying his game and getting all the little things right, he becomes a forceful impact that is hungry to be a difference maker. All-in-all, a talented two-way defenceman who has all of the raw abilities in place to become an elite defenceman, but has yet to put it all together and prove that he can thrive in the driver’s seat.

Gare Joyce, Sportsnet 

With the season on the line, Day’s play without the puck in his own zone was the stuff that has frustrated the Steelheads for three seasons—though he has the skating and size to dominate, he works hard enough to be just a half-step behind puck carriers but no closer. “There’s just no urgency to his game,” a scout said. “It’s all there but he just doesn’t tap into it. He’s great with the puck, a lot of the times anyway, from the top of the circles and up, and that starts to fool you. Someone’s going to gamble on him at the draft, but it’s not going to be us, at least not based on anything I’ll have to say.”

What BSN Avalanche sees

He’s a big player with great mobility.  He’ll rush the puck up by himself, makes good passes under pressure, and uses his size to push people around on occasion.  It’s pretty clear that he certainly has the tools to be good, but it’s just not there yet.

Passive would be the best word to describe his game.  He lets the play come to him instead of driving it forward, and he sometimes forgets he’s a lot bigger than most of the players on the ice.  I watched a shifty but smaller winger make Day into the perfect screen because Day stopped moving his feet and didn’t play the man.  It’s frustrating because he seems so disengaged.

Highlights

Highlights start at 3:19.

NHL Potential
He easily has the potential to be a top four defenseman in the NHL. However, after his brother was incarcerated for a DUI causing death and his mother was hospitalized for lupus, even he admitted “I think that’s what the scouts … talk about me just not looking engaged. A lot of the time I wasn’t.”  Add in high expectations and media exposure from being an “exceptional” player, and it’s been a recipe for less than outstanding development.

If he can find a way to reengage, the team that takes him will have themselves a steal. If he can’t, then he probably doesn’t have a future in the NHL. He was rushed into the CHL before he was ready, so the team that takes him in the draft will need to be very careful with him to remedy the damage that has already been done.

Expected Draft Position

Day is ranked all over the board. He’s as high as the mid-2nd round to as late as the 4th. He’ll likely be taken in the third round, but due to his unusual circumstances, it’s really anyone’s guess as to which team is going to gamble on him first.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

Sean Day is a defensive reclamation project, which does seem to be one of the Avalanche’s specialties. It’s very, very rare to see someone with this amount of talent available outside of the first round. If the Avs can snag him and are patient with his upbringing, he could turn into a great left-handed asset down the line.

However, this team has also had its share of talented players that never quite found the drive to get to the next level (yes, I’m talking about Wolski and Stoa). Are they willing to take the very real chance that Day busts completely? It’s a very difficult call.