OHL: Greyhound Has Bite

Soo Greyhound rearguard Jordan Smith is earning top marks and showing major pro upside in recent action. Find out our latest thoughts on Jeff in the latest edition of OHL scouting notes.

Jordan Smith (2004), D, Sault Ste Marie

Very fluent skater with excellent lateral quickness .. well-balanced, shows excellent top speed, but should use it better when rushing the puck .. nice first step and impressive acceleration allows him to reach full speed effortlessly .. gets to corners quickly and descends up the ice with ease .. shows promise as a puck-moving defenseman, but should muster more willingness to take it up the ice .. handles the puck smoothly .. possesses a hard and accurate breakout pass with a very quick release .. will let the puck go quickly and easily in transition .. generally pretty conservative with his puck-moving decisions .. excellent defensive instincts .. uses his stick smartly, puts it in shooting and passing lanes .. strong poke check .. a superb panic point and does not rush his instincts, but is wise enough to hang on to the puck when is being pursued .. hard slapshot with accuracy .. a really strong presence around the goal, making life miserable for opponents .. likes to step into guys with punishing, crushing hits .. a competitor, will block shots and do the dirty work .. an overall impressive blend of strength, mobility and skill .. oozes potential of a two-way physical rearguard.

Brad Good (2004), D, Sault. Ste. Marie

Fluid skater .. excellent acceleration and above-average top speed .. solid agility and quick feet down low .. stops and starts quickly around the goal and very useful working against a team using a low cycle .. moves well laterally .. possesses fine hands, a lively stick he uses smartly when working close in on an opponent .. handles one-on-one situations maturely, does not panic and blocks the player’s lane to the net effectively .. strongly positioned in the defensive end .. a smart defender who is willing to bank the puck away from harm when needed and doesn’t rush his decisions .. very physical, but must add strength to the frame in order to overpower guys .. accurate shot from the point, but not much power to speak of.

Jason Pitton (2004), F, Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds

Average acceleration and top speed .. good agility, can stop and make cuts quickly, but seems off-balance much of the time .. has a major-league booming shot and is an oft-used commodity at the point on the powerplay despite modest mobility .. very good passer .. handles the puck fluently .. a sturdy forechecking presence and a very solid hitter.