NHL Prospect Profile: Ty Dellandrea

Statistics

Scout Quotes

Dellandrea scores goals with an excellent wrist and snapshot. He has the hockey IQ to find soft spots in the opposing defence and gets his shot off from the high slot. His shots are powerful and accurate. He also has a good backhand. Dellandrea gets to the dirty areas of the ice, where he has the hand-eye coordination to get deflections and pounce on rebounds. He could be even more effective there with a bit more strength, as this would help him to establish a position in front of the net. He goes there often without the puck and provides a good screen in front of the goalie.

As a playmaker, Dellandrea plays a very straightforward, north-south game. He makes quick smart, passes to teammates. Dellandrea is not the type of player to make a number of fancy moves or stickhandling with the play or to try to thread the needle on a dangerous pass. Instead, he makes the smart play, keeps the puck moving, and looks to maintain possession down low. This is another area where he needs a bit more lower-body strength to dominate down low.

The good news is that Dellandrea’s biggest weakness is one that is common in teenage hockey prospects and easily remedied. Adding muscle and strength are often things that are necessary, and come through hard work over the next couple of years. While Dellandrea may not become a franchise centre, he could be a top-six centre with a good defensive game. – Last Word on Hockey

AJ’s Thoughts

I don’t usually punt on these because I typically have different things to say than the scouting reports I link to above but I think the blub above pretty much nailed how I feel about Dellandrea. I know some think he’s going to be a top center but I see a very, very good complementary player in the NHL instead.

Highlights

Avalanche Fit

He would be a fantastic fit for the Avalanche. The problem is his draft stock seems to be in the no man’s land that exists between Colorado’s first two picks, 16 and 47. If Colorado wants Dellandrea, it probably has to use the 16th pick on him. Given how the board could fall, that would likely be too rich for my blood. But he’s a guy that ultimately down the road you won’t care about his draft position and you just appreciate the talent. His draft position is going to be very interesting because he has had so much late helium.

Rankings

#29 Hockey Prospect
#30 Future Considerations