Prospect Info: Round 4, Pick 94, Zayde Wisdom, RW, Kingston (OHL)

[GKJ]

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[CutOnDime97]

FC Hockey:

 

[BillDineen]

Great name!

 

[LastWordArmy]

A fourth-round pick, 73rd overall in the 2018 OHL Priority Draft, Zayde Wisdom broke out in his second season in the league. The Kingston Frontenacs forward put up 29 goals and 30 assists for 59 points in 62 games before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was part of helping the rebuilding Frontenacs be in playoff position when the season ended. This came one year after Wisdom struggled as an OHL rookie in 2018-19. He put up just three goals and seven assists for 10 points in 60 games for the worst team in the league.

Wisdom spent the 2017-18 season with the Toronto Junior Canadiens in the GTHL. He put up 15 goals and 53 points in 57 games. He helped the Junior Canadiens to the OHL Cup, where he would put up three goals and eight points in seven games helping to win the tournament. Wisdom, the son of bi-racial parents (his father is Jamaican and his mother is Metis), was raised by his mother and grandmother in Toronto. Faced with many challenges in his childhood, as profiled by Scott Wheeler in The Athletic, Wisdom is a player that one can’t help but cheer for.


Zayde Wisdom Scouting Report: 2020 NHL Draft #109

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

Look at it this way - he makes Kevin Hayes completely redundant. Fast-track him to the bigs, rocket the Mutt back to New York. Sorted.

 

[Appleyard]

Solid player.

Was just outside my top 100.

Like his game but not sure he has more upside than solid 3rd line.

 

[GKJ]

"Zayde Wisdom." That's kind of cool.

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

In all seriousness, no one has ever gone poor nabbing a try-hard hockey player from Jamaica.

 

[FLYguy3911]

He had a great year statistically but I think that is the Shane Wright effect. If you were hoping for a pure skill guy you're probably going to be disappointed. Meat and potatoes type. Maxed out physically.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Wow I got drafted by the Flyers. This is great.

 

[pooch]

He had a great year statistically but I think that is the Shane Wright effect. If you were hoping for a pure skill you're probably going to be disappointed. Meat and potatoes type. Maxed out physically.

I know nothing about this kid, but your description makes me ask "why bother" and I wonder why we would trade up for that type of player?

 

[litflyersfan]

FC Hockey:

View attachment 370983

Sounds like a young Wayne Simmonds, no?

 

[Rebels57]

Holy hell what a name! They must have really liked him to trade up. Never mad at that.

 

[The Madrigal]

I know nothing about this kid, but your description makes me ask "why bother" and I wonder why we would trade up for that type of player?

71 on Button's list and 76 on McKenzies.

 

[CutOnDime97]

Sounds like a young Wayne Simmonds, no?

A lot shorter. Maybe more like a less skilled Konecny?

 

[Cootsfanclub]

He's a guy you really want to succeed and seems like he'll play whatever role you need him to. Mckeen ranked him as high as 66, Button at 71, McKenzie at 77.
Former Flyer legend Kurtis Foster coached him the O by the way.

"Though the Frontenacs didn’t know what to expect from Wisdom in his first training camp, he sold head coach Kurtis Foster from the very beginning. While the production didn’t follow, Wisdom became the player Foster turned to whenever he needed a hole plugged in the lineup.
“We need a guy to play on the penalty kill? Let’s give Wis a chance. We need a guy in front of the net on the power play? Let’s give Wis a chance,” Foster said."
'I want you to doubt me': Zayde Wisdom's against-all-odds journey to the draft

 

[pooch]

71 on Button's list and 76 on McKenzies.

Well that's encouraging. I'm not against the pick or anything...no clue who he is.

 

[FLYguy3911]

I know nothing about this kid, but your description makes me ask "why bother" and I wonder why we would trade up for that type of player?

Not the type I'd trade up for, especially when I'm short on picks. They probably see a guy that has a high probability of being an NHLer even if it's just a 4th line role.

He's going to keep putting up points though as long as he is playing with Wright (and Chromiak).

 

[IronMarshal]

Hockey Prospect had him at #36

How Hockey Prospect rated him:
Rating scale
3 poor, 4 below average, 5 average, 6 good, 7, very good, 8 excellent, 9 elite

Wisdom's grades:
Hockey sense 6
Compete7
Skill 7
Skating 6

Not bad​

 

[wankstifier]

Is this a high floor/low ceiling pick, or is it not that simple?

 

[The Madrigal]

Zayde Wisdom named recipient of 2020 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence – CHL

 

[Striiker]

There's the try-hard floor pick I was waiting for.

 

[The Madrigal]

Is this a high floor/low ceiling pick, or is it not that simple?

That's what it seems like. Sounds like the kid has a great chance to be a high character bottom 6 forward who can also add some offense.

 

[achdumeingute]

Is this a high floor/low ceiling pick, or is it not that simple?

looks that way to me. But I love that the guy knows what it's like to come from nothing. You can't instill that kind of drive in people.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Is this a high floor/low ceiling pick, or is it not that simple?

Yeah pretty much.

Fwiw, his ES numbers were (slightly) better than Foerster's.