LW Brayden Tracey - Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL (2019, 29th, ANA)

[Artorius Horus T]

He’s a prototypical smallish junior ‘hands’ guy. High IQ and knows how to find seams and tuck in rebounds and loose pucks at this level. Works well with skill linemates and on the PP.

But nothing ‘pops’ at this level to allow for an easy projection to higher levels. Undersized, decent skater but won’t be better than average in pro, not a great shot, not really a great motor or well-developed all around game (which Point had coming out of his ears at this age).

The one thing he really does have going for him is a steep development curve. Has come from nowhere to have the season he’s had so it’s hard to know how much his game and weaknesses will still improve.

Would say he probably goes somewhere in the 50-80 range.

Undersized????. you mean...doesn't weigh much?. Can people please stop talking about players weight,
or measurements for that matter, they mean nothing today.

Tracey is 6 feet tall, he is def. not too small.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Tracey had a 3 point game, one goal, two secondary assists. I can honestly say though, his game just doesn't move the needle for me. MS sums it up quite well. He is a perimeter player who finds the open space offensively. He absolutely shied away from contact in this one. He took a nasty crosscheck at the top of the offensive zone on a brutal missed call, but that was late in the game. He then took a bad penalty behind the Pats net because he stopped moving his feet(which I can honestly say he did way too often for my liking) - I would give him a pass on the shying away from contact on this play because he could've been hurting from the crosscheck a few minutes earlier, but he shied away from contact the whole game. He engaged in board battles 3 times in the game. The first he made a very weak attempt with a one-handed stick jab to move the puck, but didn't get into the battle at all. The second he stood behind the Pat defender, but didn't pin him and allowed the defender to move the puck, and the third he got knocked over. His skating was a little rough, but passable. He does seem to have a nose for the net, and will follow the puck there, but I didn't see him take it there in this game.

Nothing changed for me in this game as far as my impression goes. He produces, which makes him draftable, he has good IQ and gets himself in the position to score, but he plays a weak board game and is a perimeter player. I would keep him as a flyer 4-7th rounder. Certainly not in my top 100 right now.

On a side note, Tristan Langan was impressive for the Warriors today. The straw that stirred their drink offensively.

On another side note, Regina is awful. It's going to be a long 5 years for this team.

2 key elements of 3 in today's NHL.

You don't need a strong board, nor none perimeter top 6 player in today's NHL,
you need a player like him.

I think scouts who sees him as a 3rd or 4th rounder (or lower) are thinking the old way.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

He plays really well with top players (can't say the same about them all), he produces, has a high hockey IQ
has skating abilities, knows how to put the puck to the net.

Who ever drafts him gets a top 6 player, he should go 1st round.

 

[MS]

Undersized????. you mean...doesn't weigh much?. Can people please stop talking about players weight,
or measurements for that matter, they mean nothing today.

Tracey is 6 feet tall, he is def. not too small.

6’0 174 is undersized. He’ll play at 180-185 which is small. And he plays small.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

He leads WHL and the entire CHL in rookie goals,assists,points, PP goals, PP points, GW goals* is 3rd in +/-, 3rd in SOG,
- sure, you can argue that points and stats aren't everything and that the fact that he plays for Moose Jaw,
where as for example Perfetti, plays for Saginaw, but...you also can't exclude those either, he is 17 years
old and leads most of the categories in his age group of 3 leagues, that should carry some weight, you'd think

* his 11 game winning goals not only lead all rookies in the entire CHL, but lead all players

 

[Artorius Horus T]

6’0 174 is undersized. He’ll play at 180-185 which is small. And he plays small.

Hell no!, not in million years!. - not sure have those numbers ever considered "undersized" numbers.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

6’0 174 is undersized. He’ll play at 180-185 which is small. And he plays small.

Plays small....<sigh>, that idiom has lost its meaning few years ago already.

 

[MS]

Hell no!, not in million years!. - not sure have those numbers ever considered "undersized" numbers.

It’s below the average size of an NHL forward = undersized.

You don’t have to be a Debrincat to be undersized. Tracey will be one of the smallest players on his team throughout his pro career.

 

[Daximus]

It’s below the average size of an NHL forward = undersized.

You don’t have to be a Debrincat to be undersized. Tracey will be one of the smallest players on his team throughout his pro career.

And one of the most talented. 6'0 is not at all an undersized player. There are over 100 full time players in the NHL that are 6'0. Some of which include MacKinnon, Marner, Aho, Pastrnak, Ehlers, Kessel, RNH, Tarasenko, Barzal, Horvat, Drouin, Kadri, Stepan, Stastny and DeBrusk. Size will not in any way shape or form hold Tracey back. And neither will speed. He's got that in spades.

 

[Dominance]

And one of the most talented. 6'0 is not at all an undersized player. There are over 100 full time players in the NHL that are 6'0. Some of which include MacKinnon, Marner, Aho, Pastrnak, Ehlers, Kessel, RNH, Tarasenko, Barzal, Horvat, Drouin, Kadri, Stepan, Stastny and DeBrusk. Size will not in any way shape or form hold Tracey back. And neither will speed. He's got that in spades.

Yeah, I saw a few comments back that people were denigrating his skating. Not sure where that is coming from...

 

[covfefe]

It’s below the average size of an NHL forward = undersized.

You don’t have to be a Debrincat to be undersized. Tracey will be one of the smallest players on his team throughout his pro career.

He's 17, there's time to add weight. I am not the same size I was at 17 and I don't imagine you are, either.

Unless you have some inside info on his parents, or his serious aversion to nutrition/lifting, the size is not a concern. This is a quick strike winger, not your 1C.

 

[HockeyMind9]

He's 17, there's time to add weight. I am not the same size I was at 17 and I don't imagine you are, either.

Unless you have some inside info on his parents, or his serious aversion to nutrition/lifting, the size is not a concern. This is a quick strike winger, not your 1C.

Two summers ago he was on the ice ~4-5 times a week. Last summer he was on 1-2 times and hitting the weight room as much as he could. He definitely does not have an aversion to lifting. He actually added pretty significant muscle last summer (yes he was even smaller before...)

 

[Daximus]

Yeah, I saw a few comments back that people were denigrating his skating. Not sure where that is coming from...

They obviously haven't watched him play then.

 

[covfefe]

Two summers ago he was on the ice ~4-5 times a week. Last summer he was on 1-2 times and hitting the weight room as much as he could. He definitely does not have an aversion to lifting. He actually added pretty significant muscle last summer (yes he was even smaller before...)

That's pretty much what I figured.

A guy who avoids the weights does not go from AAA, to the 1st line on a good WHL team, in the span of one year. Which is why the size thing is perplexing, because while he's slight, he's also 17.

He will add mass and strength over time like almost every other player.

 

[PKSpecialist]

He plays really well with top players (can't say the same about them all), he produces, has a high hockey IQ
has skating abilities, knows how to put the puck to the net.

Who ever drafts him gets a top 6 player, he should go 1st round.

And one of the most talented. 6'0 is not at all an undersized player. There are over 100 full time players in the NHL that are 6'0. Some of which include MacKinnon, Marner, Aho, Pastrnak, Ehlers, Kessel, RNH, Tarasenko, Barzal, Horvat, Drouin, Kadri, Stepan, Stastny and DeBrusk. Size will not in any way shape or form hold Tracey back. And neither will speed. He's got that in spades.

Yeah, I saw a few comments back that people were denigrating his skating. Not sure where that is coming from...

He's 17, there's time to add weight. I am not the same size I was at 17 and I don't imagine you are, either.

Unless you have some inside info on his parents, or his serious aversion to nutrition/lifting, the size is not a concern. This is a quick strike winger, not your 1C.

They obviously haven't watched him play then.

I suppose not all of this was directed at me, as I didn't bring up size at all, nor did I denigrate his skating, but I am going to weigh in. I have watched this player play. 4 times before Christmas, and this past Saturday I was in Moose Jaw to watch him, and recorded and rewatched the Sportsnet feed on Sunday to confirm my viewing, not only on him but a few other players as well.

As I stated before, there is nothing wrong with his skating. I wouldn't call him super fast, nor is he slow. His stride is a little off, but it doesn't hurt his ability. I believe it was MS who said his skating was above average for junior and I would agree, but that would likely make him an average skater in the pros, which again, I would agree with. My biggest issue with Tracey was his compete level in board battles. Literally I would grade him as an F in that category based on my most recent viewing. This was also a rivalry game against the Warriors biggest rival(although the Pats are an awful team). Sometimes kids who lack some of that compete can find it in this type of game, Tracey did not.

He produces. In this game he scored a goal on a broken play where he kind of turned the puck over, but it ended up back on his stick and he wired it top shelf over the goalies blocker from between the hashmarks. Nice shot. He had a PP secondary assist where he made a 10 foot pass from the left hashboard back to the defenseman who walked the line and made a beautiful pass to a teammate backdoor for a tip in goal. His other assist was again secondary, where he stopped a bouncing lob pass with his hand at opponent's blueline, touched it with his stick while his teammate took it, rushed in and passed out front and the puck bounced in off of Langan's shin pad. Both assists were essentially nothing plays by Tracey that led to goals, but they end up on the scoresheet. Like I said, he produces.
He was in on two other scoring chance plays in the game. One he found himself alone in the slot, and a bouncing puck on his stick, he kind of reached and hit it towards the net, and beat Paddock 5-hole, but the puck went wide somehow. The other, he was in on a 2 on 1 with Langan. Langan had the puck and shot it high and wide.

I saw Tracey standing flat footed several times in the offensive zone, away from the play while his teammates battled for the puck. He is very opportunistic. Finds an open spot, and waits for his teammates to dig the puck out and gets in a position to score. Hence the good hockey IQ. He knows where to go. It works really well in junior, especially when you're two linemates are hard-working 20 year olds. I can't say that Tracey doesn't have that battle in him, but I can say that I haven't seen it from him in any of my viewings.

Again, I wouldn't draft Tracey in the top 3 rounds because I don't like his compete, and I don't see any high end talent here outside of hockey IQ. He's a smart player who knows where to go on the ice, but doesn't get his nose dirty and relies on his teammates to do the dirty work. His skating is good(elite and excellent are terms that are thrown around about prospects skating way to often).

I will not be posting in this thread again because when I get worked up about posters thinking they are superior to others I always feel like my posts are overly negative towards a prospect. I'm not negative towards Tracey. Any kid worth drafting has put in a lot of work to get where they are and deserve all of our respect. Most of us didn't get to that point. I am basing my scouting report on actual viewings unlike what one poster alluded to. I am not here to denegrate a 17 year old kid. As I stated, he is a draftable prospect. That is a compliment. If he wants to go in the top 3 rounds(if I'm drafting) he needs to put in the work on the ice and get into the battle for the puck. Passengers generally don't make it to the NHL. But in the 4-7th rounds, all of the prospects have issues, and a prospect who produces despite those issues is precisely the kind of guy I would be looking for in those rounds. If you want or think he should go in the first, that is your opinion, and you are entitled to it, and nowhere have I told anyone that they were wrong.

 

[HockeyMind9]

He was named WHL and CHL Player of the Week.

Warriors’ Tracey named WHL On the Run Player of the Week – WHL Network
Warriors’ Brayden Tracey named CHL Player of the Week – CHL

As of Feb 28,
WHL Network
31 G, 42 A, 73 pts, +27 in 59 GP.

2 points behind Cozens in 2 less games played.
7 points more than Dach in 4 more games played
11 points more than Krebs in 3 more games played.

He's 1" taller than Krebs and 6 pounds lighter.
He has 46% more points than the second rookie scorer in the WHL (73 vs. 50 points)
He leads the WHL in game winning goals with 10.

 

[Makaveli]

Really liking Brayden Tracey in the 2nd round, could be a steal there. Would love for the Leafs to pick him up since we don't have a first this year.

 

[Lays]

He was named WHL and CHL Player of the Week.

Warriors’ Tracey named WHL On the Run Player of the Week – WHL Network
Warriors’ Brayden Tracey named CHL Player of the Week – CHL

As of Feb 28,
WHL Network
31 G, 42 A, 73 pts, +27 in 59 GP.

2 points behind Cozens in 2 less games played.
7 points more than Dach in 4 more games played
11 points more than Krebs in 3 more games played.

He's 1" taller than Krebs and 6 pounds lighter.
He has 46% more points than the second rookie scorer in the WHL (73 vs. 50 points)
He leads the WHL in game winning goals with 10.

These are very misleading stats

 

[HockeyMind9]

These are very misleading stats

Not trying to say he's better than those guys that are expected to be top 10 picks. Just showing that his production is right up there with those guys though. Obviously stats can be cherry picked and be misleading, but those stats are also all facts and still tell part of the story.

Brayden is ranked 21 for NA Skaters in the CSS Final Rankings. Was 73 in the midterm rankings. He is playing for Team Canada at the U-18s (will be televised on TSN).

 

[Bubbles]

Brayden is ranked 21 for NA Skaters in the CSS Final Rankings. Was 73 in the midterm rankings. He is playing for Team Canada at the U-18s (will be televised on TSN).

Anyone have stats about these top risers in the rankings? 73 to 21 is quite a jump!

 

[HockeyMind9]

First game of the u18 World Championship today. Brayden played on the top PP unit, scored the game tying goal (showed good hands in the neutral zone, give and go with Krebs then a nice finish driving and cutting across the net) and the game winning goal (one-timer on a 2 on 1). Named Team Canada's player of the game.

I'm thinking a big showing in this tournament could put him into the early second round possibly even late first round conversation. He has consistently shown he scores clutch goals and shows up in important tournaments.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

I think he's a 2nd rounder, but where in the 2nd round will depend on which teams like him.

He's got great hands, and a quick shot. But above all else its offensive IQ that makes him so good. He just knows how to find space & how to score.

The problem for him is he's not very fast for a 'smaller' player. (Not that he's super undersized at 6'0, but he does play small).

His 200ft game will need to improve at the next level, but ultimately if he was faster he might be a late first round guy.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

I think he's legit. Looking good again this morning. His hands and brain will get him to the NHL and his skating is not that bad.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

He’s a top 20 talent in this draft IMO, looking back people are going to regret not taking it. He’s going to be a solid second line winger in the NHL, I hope he keeps going under the radar so my Canucks can scoop him up in the second round!

 

[lakai17]

Is that 4 goals now? That's decent.