Christopher Ralph is a sportswriter with a focus on hockey prospects, the entry draft, as well as occasional Flames coverage here at THW.
“Full Potential” Prospect Profile:
Derek Forbort (Click on name for up- to- date stats)
Date of birth: March 04, 1992
Place of birth: Duluth, MN, USA
Ht: 6-4.5 Wt: 198
Shoots: L
2009-10 Team: Team USA – USTDP – USHL
NHL Status: Draft Eligible 2010
One-Timer:
Forbort already possesses close to an NHL size body. The almost 6’5” towering blueliner skates wonderfully for a big man. While tougher to project how he will contribute at the NHL level, he shows signs of being an all-around talent. At this point, he is more adept on the defensive side, but he has shown he can contribute on the offensive side as well. He has a bullet slapshot and can lug the puck out of his zone efficiently, if not elegantly at this stage of his development. He is a tremendous athlete who reads the game well.
Derek has committed to the University of North Dakota, the strong NCAA program, for the fall of 2010.
Scout’s Honor:
“I love him. I think of all those defensemen, he has the biggest upside. With his size and ability to move the puck, he’s still just scratching the surface of what he could be.”
– A scout in The Hockey News Draft Preview 2010“Derek Forbort has good top-end ability at both ends (of the ice). He’s smart and skates so well, he’s almost 6-5 and he’s got everything there in front of him. It’s just a matter of filling out and getting more experience. He’s probably a top-two defenseman in the NHL if he reaches his potential.”
– Jack Barzee, NHL Central Scouting“A big two-way defender with a ton of room to build on his huge 6’5” frame, Forbort moves very well for a big man and can also jump into the offensive play very well. Although his offensive upside is not as big as some of the other defenders in the draft, Forbort really excels at rushing the puck up the boards and jumping in off the point from the weak side. He is a difficult player to contain when he jumps into the rush or plants himself in front of the net. Forbort is also very intelligent around his own net and rarely takes too many questionable risks.”
– International Scouting Services NHL Draft Guide 2010
“Derek continues to improve every day. He is strong on both sides of the puck, but his offensive instincts are what really jump out.”– U.S. Under-18 head coach Kurt Kleinendorst
Current Season:
2009-10: Forbort had 14 points (4 G, 10 A) and a plus-12 rating in 26 games with the USA Development Program Under-18 team (USHL).
Scouting Combine Performance:
- 1st in Anthropemetry: Wing Span (inches)
- Tied for 10th in Coordination: Hand-Eye
International Tournaments:
- Derek registered two assists and a plus-9 rating in 7 games as USA won gold at the Under-18 World Championships.
ETA = 3 yrs
Risk-Reward Analysis: Risk = 1.5/5 Reward = 4.25/5
NHL Potential: All-around blueliner
Strengths:
*See “One Timer” section above.
- Athleticism
- High level hockey IQ
- Blistering slapshot
- Moves the puck well
- Impressive skating, agility and balance
- Defensive acumen
- God shot blocker
- Very good passing skills
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
- Continue to train to increase strength and add mass to help strengthen his physical play and ability to deal with forwards at the pro level.
- Make more use of his size.
- Continue to focus on improving puck-handling
Fantasy Hockey Potential: Offensive = 7.5/10 Defensive = 8.5/10
NHL Player(s) Comparison:
– At his best: Tyler Myers
Interesting Notes: (NHL.com)
- · His childhood hockey idol was Wendel Clark because of the way he could score goals and fight.
Other Rankings:
CSB: 9-NA
ISS: 10
TSN: 18 {Bob MacKenzie}
McKeens: 18
THN: 11
THW: 18 (June ’10) {Christopher Ralph }
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This document is the intellectual property of Christopher Ralph and cannot be used or duplicated in any way without expressed written consent. Any use of this document without the expressed written consent of Christopher Ralph will result in public exposure and legal prosecution.