Taylor Raddysh – The Next Ones: 2016 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Taylor Raddysh

2015-16 Team: Erie Otters (#17)

Date of birth: February 18th, 1998

Place of birth: Caledon, ON

Ht: 6’2″  Wt: 202 lbs

Shoots: Right

Position: Right-Wing

NHL Draft Eligibility: 2016 1st year eligible

Twitter:@raddy1998

THW The Next Ones Ranking (February): 34

Other Rankings

Raddysh’s Skill, Power Lifting Erie Otters

If the Erie Otters were going to continue the success that they had in the Connor McDavid era, several players had to step up. One of which was former OHL first-round pick Taylor Raddysh. He had a solid rookie season, scoring 21 goals in 58 games. When he was good, he was very good. Other times, you could tell he was finding his way. This season was time for him to shine. He has answered the bell.

Raddysh poured in 24 goals in playing 67 games. The dramatic difference for him is his assist total. He had just six in his rookie year. He finished with 49 this year. His passing ability jumps out at you when you see him play. For a power forward, it is an impressive display.

Raddysh’s size and strength allow him to gain an advantage in winning loose pucks. Once he gets the puck, his decision-making ability allows him to read plays, sometimes one to two steps ahead of his competition. His passing then allows him to hit teammates in stride, whether it’s DeBrincat from the slot, or Strome streaking toward the goal. But when he wants to do it himself, he’s a powerful finisher.

https://twitter.com/HOCCA_Scouting/status/711344123924635650

Once Raddysh accelerates, he is hard to stop. It’s also hard to get the puck from him. It makes him a threat every time he touches the puck. Then when in a prime scoring position, he has a powerful shot, one that catches goaltenders off guard. He has the tools to become an effective NHL power forward.

There were times where Raddysh had long stretches without scoring. He moved into different parts of the lineup where he wasn’t as effective. He’s thrived with Strome and DeBrincat, which makes him a little dependent on who he plays with. He also can let frustration get to him if things aren’t going well. This leads to stretches of lapses on the defensive end, although he has made great strides there this season. If he can consistently play both ends of the ice, he could crack the first round.

NHL Draft Projection:

If Raddysh had the consistency on the defensive end of the ice, he’s a slam-dunk first-round pick. Although that part of his game has improved, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Some teams will see the offensive talent and consider him in the first round. I expect he’s one of the first few picks in round two, which will make a lottery team very happy he fell to them.

Quotables:

Raddysh is strong on the puck, protects it well and reads plays well. He is strong on his skates and difficult to knock off the puck but lacks acceleration, top speed or elite mobility. Raddysh plays a heavy game and is aggressive on the forecheck, delivers hard hits, is a force both in front of the goal and along the wall in board battles. Raddysh has made significant strides in his offensive game with a breakout season seeing his point totals jump from 27 in his rookie season to 73 in his draft year with the Erie Otters. Skating is average but adequate and will need to improve to succeed at the NHL level.

-Dobber Prospects

At 6’2” and 200 pounds, Raddysh has good size and is an above average skater. He has an elusiveness where he can slip away from coverage unnoticed and putting himself in prime scoring areas. He can play a 200 foot game, come back hard on the back check and rarely misses his defensive responsibilities in his own zone. He’s also an effective forechecker, able to dump and chase using smarts to put the puck in where he can retrieve it and use his skating to get on top of defensemen and deliver a hard and sometimes punishing hit.

 -Dominic Tiano

Statistics

Strengths:

  • Excellent passer
  • Size
  • Good Hockey IQ
  • Protects Puck Well
  • Good Shot

Under Construction (Improvements to Make):

  • Skating
  • Overall Defensive Play
  • Consistency

NHL Potential:

Raddysh can thrive when paired with certain linemates, such as Strome and DeBrincat. If Raddysh gets to play with an elite center, he could see top-six minutes and play well. Overall, if he reaches his full potential, he will play on the second or third line. This is dependent upon the improvement in his skating and consistency.

NHL Player(s) Comparison – Bobby Ryan

Risk-Reward Analysis:

Risk = 2.5/5   Reward = 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential:

Offensive = 7/10   Defensive = 5/10

Awards/Achievements

  • 2013-14 OHL Cup Champion and Leading Point-Scorer
  • 2013-14 OHL Gold Cup Silver Medalist
  • 2015-16 CHL Top Prospects Game

Interview/Profile Links: 

Video(s):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv5NrntYiu8

THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph