Here's my draft profile on Reid Schaefer from back in February:
LW Reid Schaefer, Seattle WHL
I'm just going to come out and say it right away: I want Reid Schaefer on my hockey team. He's gone completely unnoticed by all the independent scouting bureaus and draft writers, but the Bob McKenzie scouting poll sees him as a late 3rd rounder at #79 overall. I'm going to have him ranked higher. Why? Well, we're talking about a 6'3-215 power forward who plays with extreme physicality and possesses the requisite skill to play alongside skilled scorers. If I'm picking anywhere in the 3rd round and I see Reid Schaefer's name on the draft board, this is the guy I'm taking. Hell, I'm drafting this kid anywhere from the mid-2nd round.
Schaefer plays a high-compete game and is features incredible physical strength which he loves to throw around. If you're a defender chasing a puck in the corners with the Spruce Grove native anywhere on the ice, you'd better be looking over your shoulder or you might spend the next few days wondering where the truck was which just ran you over. In net-front battles he is immovable and unstoppable, and he scores a ton of rebounds while creating screens and general havoc which allows his teammates to play up their own offensive acumen. Schaefer creates space for everyone else wearing his teams' jersey, and his coaches concurrently use him as sort of a Swiss army knife, flipping him from line to line according to game situation. Playing a team with a star scorer? Schaefer is a defensive beast on the checking line. Down by a goal late? Schaefer moves up to the top line and his scorers immediately have more room to work with.
Reid Schaefer has 25 goals in 47 games and would have more if he were a staple on the top-line, but he seems to relish his role as the Thunderbirds' jack-of-all-trades. He possesses a great shot, though most of his goals are of a greasier, more interior variety. His one-timer, however, is terrific -- accurate and heavy, making him a nice option for the right circle on the PP. He is an accurate and efficient passer without being a high-vision dazzler. He is a good stickhandler, though like many bigger players his go-to move is to shield the defender with his huge frame and then use his long reach to hold the puck out of their reach.
To me, Schaefer has one area of improvement which can see him become an absolute monster at the NHL level, and that's his skating. Right now, I'd say he skates well for his size and his top speeds are above average. But, much like a young Jamie Benn, if he can gear this up to the next level, his upside professionally may be beyond what anyone is close to realizing. Because he's just a dominant power forward right now in so many aspects, and the addition of a separation gear would just improve the rest of his surrounding game stratospherically.
There's nothing not to like here. I think at the very least, you'll have an intimidating 4th liner who can pop in some offense with his strong shooting and net-front play. But with a few years of development and areas of improvement, I believe the upside here is immense. I watch the NHL this year and see what similar-styled players like Tanner Jeannot and Marcus Foligno are achieving, and I feel Reid Schaefer has the upside to be even better -- sort of a prime era Jamie Benn-lite. There's no guarantee Schaefer will hit these lofty heights, but I still feel he's a terrific pick because I have few doubts he'll at least carve out a power role in an NHL bottom 6.
LW Reid Schaefer, Seattle WHL
I'm just going to come out and say it right away: I want Reid Schaefer on my hockey team. He's gone completely unnoticed by all the independent scouting bureaus and draft writers, but the Bob McKenzie scouting poll sees him as a late 3rd rounder at #79 overall. I'm going to have him ranked higher. Why? Well, we're talking about a 6'3-215 power forward who plays with extreme physicality and possesses the requisite skill to play alongside skilled scorers. If I'm picking anywhere in the 3rd round and I see Reid Schaefer's name on the draft board, this is the guy I'm taking. Hell, I'm drafting this kid anywhere from the mid-2nd round.
Schaefer plays a high-compete game and is features incredible physical strength which he loves to throw around. If you're a defender chasing a puck in the corners with the Spruce Grove native anywhere on the ice, you'd better be looking over your shoulder or you might spend the next few days wondering where the truck was which just ran you over. In net-front battles he is immovable and unstoppable, and he scores a ton of rebounds while creating screens and general havoc which allows his teammates to play up their own offensive acumen. Schaefer creates space for everyone else wearing his teams' jersey, and his coaches concurrently use him as sort of a Swiss army knife, flipping him from line to line according to game situation. Playing a team with a star scorer? Schaefer is a defensive beast on the checking line. Down by a goal late? Schaefer moves up to the top line and his scorers immediately have more room to work with.
Reid Schaefer has 25 goals in 47 games and would have more if he were a staple on the top-line, but he seems to relish his role as the Thunderbirds' jack-of-all-trades. He possesses a great shot, though most of his goals are of a greasier, more interior variety. His one-timer, however, is terrific -- accurate and heavy, making him a nice option for the right circle on the PP. He is an accurate and efficient passer without being a high-vision dazzler. He is a good stickhandler, though like many bigger players his go-to move is to shield the defender with his huge frame and then use his long reach to hold the puck out of their reach.
To me, Schaefer has one area of improvement which can see him become an absolute monster at the NHL level, and that's his skating. Right now, I'd say he skates well for his size and his top speeds are above average. But, much like a young Jamie Benn, if he can gear this up to the next level, his upside professionally may be beyond what anyone is close to realizing. Because he's just a dominant power forward right now in so many aspects, and the addition of a separation gear would just improve the rest of his surrounding game stratospherically.
There's nothing not to like here. I think at the very least, you'll have an intimidating 4th liner who can pop in some offense with his strong shooting and net-front play. But with a few years of development and areas of improvement, I believe the upside here is immense. I watch the NHL this year and see what similar-styled players like Tanner Jeannot and Marcus Foligno are achieving, and I feel Reid Schaefer has the upside to be even better -- sort of a prime era Jamie Benn-lite. There's no guarantee Schaefer will hit these lofty heights, but I still feel he's a terrific pick because I have few doubts he'll at least carve out a power role in an NHL bottom 6.
