Clark Bishop THW Close-Up:
Date of birth: 3/29/1996
Place of birth: St. John’s, Newfoundland, CAN
Ht: 6’0″ Wt: 183 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2014
Twitter: @cbish11
THW The Next Ones Rankings (January 2014): 58
Other Rankings:
THW War Room Rankings (April): 123
Future Considerations: not ranked
Craig Button: not ranked
CS Final Rankings for North American skaters: 104
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Clark Bishop is not a flashy player, but he does play all 200 ft. of the ice every shift every game. He chips away at both sides of the puck relying on his smarts to play an effective game. Bishop’s best asset is his skating which he uses to get back into plays and pressure on the forecheck.
Not a very reactionary player, Bishop waits for plays to develop to utilize his wingers. He’s calm in every zone and rarely ever gets rattled. He has limited skill in his puck handling, but is sharp when it comes to passing the puck. Bishop also has a chippy side to his game. The defensive part of his game is what strikes me the most. He positions himself well in every zone and makes strong plays on the puck.
Solid all-around centers aren’t easy to come by, but Clark Bishop is definitely one of them. His offensive numbers aren’t fantastic, but with the way he plays, the goals and assists should come naturally.
Where Will He End Up In June:
Bishop is likely to go in the 3rd or 4th round of the draft.
Scout’s Honor:
“Bishop is all heart and work ethic. Not blessed with the natural talents of others in his draft class, Bishop uses his physicality, grit, work rate, smarts and tremendous skating ability to make things happen on both sides of the puck. (November 2013)”
Aaron Vickers – Future Considerations
“Positionally strong centre with high-end acceleration and a strong two way game. Works hard all over the sheet despite not having the superior hands or the ability to finish plays with goals or great set-ups.“
Bill Placzek – Draftsite.com
Statistics:
International Tournaments:
Bishop has played for Team Canada twice and once for Canada Atlantic in the U17 WHC. He’s won a bronze, silver, and gold medal.
Bio/Interview(s)/Links:
Interview with Buzzing the Net
ETA:
2-3 years
Risk/Reward Analysis:
Risk: 1/5 Reward: 3/5
NHL Potential:
3rd line two-way center that can play on the PK
Strengths:
Faceoffs
Balance
Skating
Defensive Positioning
Hockey IQ
Slows the game down
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
Adding muscle to play against stronger competition
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive: 4/10 Defensive: 7/10
NHL Player Comparison:
– NHL comparison: Maxime Talbot
Video(s):
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THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph