LD Matthew Grimes - Sioux Falls Stampede, USHL (2025 Draft)

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Had him as the third best of the Americans on the U17 Select team. He wasn't close to as good as Reid or Simpson, but I thought he showed a good two-way game. Could make plays with the puck, skated well, and was good in his own zone. He wasn't making a lot of high-event plays, but he was one of the better players out there in an efficient way. Listed at 6'0 176, so he's not small either. He's listed on EP as playing for Sioux Falls this season, and I think he could be good enough to play a full season in the USHL, but he'll likely need to earn that spot over the coming weeks. Committed to Minnesota for 2026-27 already.

Matthew Grimes - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Matthew Grimes, 2007-05-19 Locust Valley, NY, USA USA. Most recently in the USHL with Sioux Falls Stampede. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Click to read more...

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

@sigx15, he's another former Mount player. What do you think of him?

He's been very effective so far in the USHL. One of the most impactful U17 players in the USHL so far this season. His skating is very good, and he makes a lot of simple yet effective plays with moving the puck or exiting the zone. He has good hockey sense. I don't think he has high-end skill, and he's only 6'0, but I find him to be a good two-way defenseman. I see a lot of potential in his game, and think he could be a potential first rounder next year, if he takes another step next season.

Another of the next generation from Long Island. This one is a little smarter with his choice of NHL team.

 

[sigx15]

@sigx15, he's another former Mount player. What do you think of him?

He's been very effective so far in the USHL. One of the most impactful U17 players in the USHL so far this season. His skating is very good, and he makes a lot of simple yet effective plays with moving the puck or exiting the zone. He has good hockey sense. I don't think he has high-end skill, and he's only 6'0, but I find him to be a good two-way defenseman. I see a lot of potential in his game, and think he could be a potential first rounder next year, if he takes another step next season.

Another of the next generation from Long Island. This one is a little smarter with his choice of NHL team.

When I saw him, I just thought he was incredibly solid. He was a player who made a ton of the right plays, very good first pass but wasn't super flashy like Felicio was when you watched him. I wasn't surprised he didn't make the NTDP because they tend to go with either super high end offensive defenseman, really raw but projectable kids or big defensive defensman. He's just right in the middle of all of those. That said, I was surprised to see Bracco make it over him because I think he's a better player than him but that could've been something else entirely

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think he’s been very effective so far at the Hlinka. Had that fluke goal, which is cool, but aside from that he’s bringing a lot with his ability to evade pressure with his puck patience and skating. Has defended well too and he’s at 6’1 185, so his size won’t be any type of issue in the pros.

Minnesota recruit. They have some real impressive LHD’s coming up the pipeline the next few years with Rombach and Phillips also. Their left side will be stacked. Also Mooney and Kvaskicka too. That’s some very smart recruiting, even if not BU/BC level potential early first round picks of late.

Could Grimes end up a second rounder? If he has a bigger points year than last, and I don’t see why he can’t as I think he has pretty decent skills, I could see that happening.

 

[jtechkid]

going 100% depend on his season - felicia after ushl - hlinka cup was projected 2-4 th round then had a bad ushl season and by year end no shot of getting drafted - so this means not much - how he is playing end of season - playoffs ushl is what matters

 

[BKarchitect]

going 100% depend on his season - felicia after ushl - hlinka cup was projected 2-4 th round then had a bad ushl season and by year end no shot of getting drafted - so this means not much - how he is playing end of season - playoffs ushl is what matters

True but Felicio is like 5-10, 165. Teams avoid undersized defensemen like the plague come draft day. Grimes at least has a floor with decent size to go along with a well-rounded game. But yeah of course, if he doesn’t do anything to distinguish himself during the season, it will hurt a prospect who maybe doesn’t have any one or two eye-popping traits.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

One thing I like a lot about Grimes is how smooth he is at moving the puck and transporting it. He’s not blazing fast, but comfortably skates well. You try to forecheck him, and he cleanly gets it to his player on the boards to leave the zone. He’s crafty too with his puck handling and can wait you out.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Was really impressed with him in my Hlinka Gretzky viewings. Could be a solid 2nd or 3rd round pick if the offense comes a bit more in junior for Grimes. Gophers, at current moment, likely have a good one coming.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think he has very decent potential.

Where he might falter a little is that he's not a true PPQB (he could probably be a PP2 guy, but there might be teams that have two better than him) and his defense is fine, but not necessarily strong.

So he could end up too much of that in between type of not strong enough offensively and not strong offensive defensively. He has a habit of trying to do too much moving the puck out of the zone and then losing it in his own zone or the neutral zone and it going back into his own net. He doesn't do it that often and is one of the best you'll see in this draft at moving the puck up the ice, but it still happens too often and he tries to get too risky.

But on the flip side, he cleans up that, gets everything a little better, and teams are wondering how this player dropped outside the first round and they got a top four defensemen. He has tools that will intrigue NHL teams. He's very smooth, low panic threshold with the puck, and his skating is pleasing on the eye for a player that has NHL size (6'1) and playable hockey sense and defense.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Fallen off a cliff so hard that he wasn't at the All American Prospect Game...

 

[jtechkid]

Think issue with him is lot of these kids - especially dmen should never go to ushl at age 16 . he was high end offensive dmen at youth moves to ushl plays limited minutes - turns into 5-7 th dmen and loses all his creativity

 

[BKarchitect]

Think issue with him is lot of these kids - especially dmen should never go to ushl at age 16 . he was high end offensive dmen at youth moves to ushl plays limited minutes - turns into 5-7 th dmen and loses all his creativity

It’s interesting that by basically going from the NAHL to OHL, Chase Reid avoided this USHL young dman purgatory situation for even part of a season. He started his first real junior season off slowly but his NAHL team allowed him to work through growing pains and be a focal point and by the time he left for Soo, he he was brimming with offensive confidence.

 

[jtechkid]

It’s interesting that by basically going from the NAHL to OHL, Chase Reid avoided this USHL young dman purgatory situation for even part of a season. He started his first real junior season off slowly but his NAHL team allowed him to work through growing pains and be a focal point and by the time he left for Soo, he he was brimming with offensive confidence.

100% that’s why I think lot kids from USA head to CHL over ushl especially if your high end skill - creative player . I think all the Advisors see it too and you do think Reid heading back to USHL next year - lol I wonder what Grimes does next year , can’t see him heading to minnesota . Does he stay ushl or does he bolt to chl .

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Too bad his first name wasn't Frank

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Haven’t seen him yet this season. Totals are low for what I’d expect. Is he playing big minutes or just third pair? Hard to believe someone with his poise with the puck and puck handling would have such low point totals.

I’m interested to see if he’s actually struggling or just getting bad usage/bad puck luck. He looked relatively decent to me at the Hlinka (some turnovers I didn’t like, but all things considered did an adequate job), good last season, and then the summer before. I’ve seen a lot of good hockey from him, so not ready to give up yet, but certainly possible he goes the way of Hamilton, Guite, players like that.

 

[jtechkid]

Games i’ve seen Bongo -2007 has taken over second power play duties . they have older dmen but doesn’t look like his old self - puck moving - confidence dmen i would have thought . The forward group is strong so would think he would have more points . Surprised he didn’t ask for a trade or head to the OHL . Schultz wasn’t playing a ton got a trade to steel now he was nhl scouting mid season projected second round .

 

[Bonin21]

Kinda doubt he'll be a Gopher at this point.