Maxim Golod
2017-18 Team: Erie Otters (#77)
Date of Birth: August 18, 2000
Place of Birth: Concord, ON
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 163 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2018 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term: 118th
The Erie Otters were entering a rebuild at the start of the 2017-18 season. With much of their talent graduated, not much was expected to come from the Otters from an NHL Draft standpoint. That was until Maxim Golod stepped up.
With the bottom nine in flux, Golod took the opportunity to carve himself a defined role on the team. He became a go-to scoring winger for the Otters. He had to work hard to earn that spot. Considering where her started from, you see the kind of worker he is.
RELATED: THW’s 2018 Draft Guide
The Otters selected Golod in the 13th round at 261st overall. He didn’t make the Otters and played the 2016-17 season in the GTHL. He scored 82 points in 48 games for the Markham Majors. Even with those good numbers, not many thought of him as someone who could earn a full-time role in the OHL.
(Credit: Matt Mead, Matt Mead Photography LLC)
How was Golod able to do this? He has two major things working in his favor for the next level. He’s a great skater and has good hands. That’s a nice foundation to build from. He’s an excellent puck handler who can operate in tight spaces. At his exit interview, Golod told me he would spend hours in his father’s basement working to improve his hands. It forced him to play in tight spaces. He has some interesting offensive upside.
Golod’s two biggest improvement areas are his size and his defensive game. He must get stronger over the summer. He doesn’t have the elite offensive upside of say an Alex DeBrincat, so this takes on greater importance. There must also be an improvement in his own end. He got better as the season went on but this is still a work in progress. He needs to consistently show an ability to slow an opposition’s rush down. With how good he is in tight quarters, I’d like to see him win more puck battles on the wall.
Other THW Draft Profiles:
Maxim Golod – NHL Draft Projection
Golod has worked his way into late day-two consideration. A team will need to be patient and work with him in his development. In today’s NHL, he has the tools and work ethic to pay off someone willing to take a chance. Not many players are available late in the draft with the hands and skating he has. He should get interest from a handful of teams.
Quotables
“Max arrived in Erie with a reputation for a game featuring speed and skill. But as he gained confidence in what he could do on the ice at the OHL level, he also displayed a grit and edge to his game that allowed him to win 1-on-1 battles along the boards and make plays in high-traffic areas around the net. Now comes a critical offseason of strength training, because getting physically stronger should make him a larger presence in those same areas of the ice next season.” -Victor Fernandes, Go Erie Hockey/Erie Times News
“Tough player to get a read on. Another later birthday (mid August) who’s not quite physically mature. And he’s also an OHL rookie. Not the biggest kid (5’10), but he can be noticeably strong on the puck down low and shows good hands in close. Good complimentary offensive player.” – Brock Otten, OHL Prospects
Strengths
- Excellent hands
- Good skater
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Overall defense
- Size and strength
NHL Potential
Golod has an intriguing skill set assuming that he continues to added needed size and strength. His hands and skating alone gives him a shot at the next level as a potential middle-six winger assuming he sees improvement at the defensive end.
Risk-Reward Analysis
Risk – 4/5, Reward – 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offence – 6/10, Defence – 4/10
Awards/Achievements
Golod scored 82 points in 48 games in his last season for the Markham Majors in the GTHL before making the jump to the Erie Otters in his draft season.