Prospect Info: [2024 - 166th] Ben Merrill (C) - Penticton Vees (BCHL) - Committed to Harvard U

[Treb]

Welcome to Montreal!

Ben Merrill - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Ben Merrill, 2005-11-04 Hingham, MA, USA USA. Most recently in the undefined with Penticton Vees. Complete player biography and stats.

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[Seb]

Bienvenue à Montréal, Ben!

 

[Wateredgarden]

I see him as this generation's Steve Quailer.

 

[c3z4r]

can't say I understand the faith the management team has placed into the BCHL to develop prospects

Other than Newhook and Jost I can't remember any other recent picks that turned into NHLers

 

[Whitesnake]

Let's wait 4 years.

 

[Nicko999]

can't say I understand the faith the management team has placed into the BCHL to develop prospects

Other than Newhook and Jost I can't remember any other recent picks that turned into NHLers

Depends on your definition of recent but Jamie Benn.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

can't say I understand the faith the management team has placed into the BCHL to develop prospects

Other than Newhook and Jost I can't remember any other recent picks that turned into NHLers

19 BCHL alumni crack NHL opening-night rosters

bchl.ca

More than that

 

[red devil]

can't say I understand the faith the management team has placed into the BCHL to develop prospects

Other than Newhook and Jost I can't remember any other recent picks that turned into NHLers

This article is from 2021 but they were 31 players that played in the bchl that made their teams opening day roster

31 BCHL alumni crack NHL opening-night rosters

bchl.ca

 

[montreal]

Went to the same USHS as Struble, played 2 games with Hage in the USHL this year after HS hockey ended. He's not slated for Harvard until '25-'26 according to elite prospects as they have him playing in the BCHL next year but the recruiting site I use has him going to Harvard next season.

Houle will get a good look at him if so and Croteau at Dartmouth since they are rivals.

 

[snuffelapagus]

Worst skater in the draft, per EliteProspects...they mailed it in today. At least day 1 was a resounding success.

 

[MXD]

This is a very big kid.

But ultimately, there's no difference between a very big kid that doesn't get offered a contract and a kid that doesn't get offered a contract.

 

[PavelBrendl]

Clearly going for size and power in the later rounds today.

 

[Jee]

Let's wait 4 years.

Nah if next season he doesn't make the team, he's out

 

[Treal]

Brett Stapley Draft Memorial pick. Hey if it works, it works! Welcome aboard!

 

[Wateredgarden]

Same team as Habs legend Marky Mark Millan.

 

[Big Lurk]

Him or Kieran Ruchienski?

 

[JianYang]

Does he come with a mullet

 

[WeThreeKings]

Can't say I have any information on this guy - looking forward to finding some footage and quotables.

 

[MattFromFranklin]

I watched around 15 of his games this year. His team was stacked this year, as there are several players who will be playing D1 hockey or in Canada/USHL over the next few years. IMO, he was the second best player on the team, only behind Casey Mutryn, who made the NTDP team and will be a fairly high draft pick in 2 years. Nice player. Definitely a projection pick as he's a bit raw, but he has good size. His skating has improved throughout his St. Sebastian's career which is a very good sign, and he's good in front of the net. He plays hard, has a nice snap shot and is pretty good at picking corners. I know someone who taught him at St. Sebastian's and they had nice things to say about him, so off the ice he shouldn't be a problem.

Here are a few of his goals from this past season:

2:06:03 (hustle play, picked the corner)


1:42:51 (greasy goal in front of the net)


5:56 (uses his size to knock the player off the puck, leading to his goal)


A Director for Central Scouting talked about him here starting at the 15:45 mark:

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I see him as this generation's Steve Quailer.

That sounds about right. He's a big project. Not overly concerned with our last three picks. We have a lot of picks next year, too. We actually need a few busts. Can't sign them all.

 

[snuffelapagus]

To paraphrase Simon "The Snake" Boisvert, who sums up the way way I feel about this this draft:

Habs get an A+ for day one and maybe a C for day two. Overall it's still an A grade since finding a player in rounds 3-7 is a very low percentage proposition. Drafting in rounds 3-7 is like throwing darts at a board, but the way the Habs threw their darts does not align with my drafting philosophy.

Bingo, Snake!

 

[TennisMenace]

I watched around 15 of his games this year. His team was stacked this year, as there are several players who will be playing D1 hockey or in Canada/USHL over the next few years. IMO, he was the second best player on the team, only behind Casey Mutryn, who made the NTDP team and will be a fairly high draft pick in 2 years. Nice player. Definitely a projection pick as he's a bit raw, but he has good size. His skating has improved throughout his St. Sebastian's career which is a very good sign, and he's good in front of the net. He plays hard, has a nice snap shot and is pretty good at picking corners. I know someone who taught him at St. Sebastian's and they had nice things to say about him, so off the ice he shouldn't be a problem.

Here are a few of his goals from this past season:

2:06:03 (hustle play, picked the corner)


1:42:51 (greasy goal in front of the net)


5:56 (uses his size to knock the player off the puck, leading to his goal)


A Director for Central Scouting talked about him here starting at the 15:45 mark:

Thank you for these videos and your review of this kid. That’s all I needed to stay hopeful. I like seeing a bigger kid too…we have enough smurfs….I didn’t see many smurfs on the Florida Panthers team winning the Cup.m

 

[WeThreeKings]

Cool videos above - if they skating is coming along and they are mentioning how much he improved throughout the year. That looked to be the play for most of our later picks, guys with size and specific attributes who had big jumps in development.

 

[Ezpz]

Cool videos above - if they skating is coming along and they are mentioning how much he improved throughout the year. That looked to be the play for most of our later picks, guys with size and specific attributes who had big jumps in development.

TBH I prefer that to taking undersized guys with big talent but severe flaws that will never crack the NHL. Everyone's going after the next msl like anyone has come close to Marty or his path to the NHL. Marchessault was probably the closest and wasn't drafted. The boom of a 5'7 winger making the NHL isn't far off the bust path. Which cup winning teams are carrying those small guys?

 

[Miller Time]

can't say I understand the faith the management team has placed into the BCHL to develop prospects

Other than Newhook and Jost I can't remember any other recent picks that turned into NHLers

Makar played for Brooks, AHL at the time but now a BCHL franchise...