Riley Duran
Scouting Report
An explosive winger with good size and a wicked shot, Duran was one of the NEPSAC’s top forwards while starring for Lawrence Academy and is a key building block for the Youngstown Phantoms and Providence College. He was on the Spartans’ top line alongside fellow 2020 draft hopeful David Sacco, and at times the duo alternated between center and wing during various parts of the season.
Duran took a significant leap forward this year by making himself a more well-rounded forward and living up to the label as a top high school recruit. Some view him as a power forward, but it is probably more for an intimidation factor via top-end speed and a powerful stride as opposed to him being a masher or crease crasher. In other words, Duran bombing up ice at top speed forces defenders to back off, thus allowing him to dictate zone time on his own terms. Of course, this is more prevalent in prep circles than what Duran will see in the USHL or Hockey East, but the points stands – he travels with the puck at a high rate of speed and is agile enough to create significant time and space.
The most impressive weapon in Duran’s arsenal is his wrist shot. Much like fellow Bay Stater Sam Colangelo, Duran can whip wristers with both accuracy and authority from anywhere inside the offensive zone. He has a very quick release and also knows how to use his screens. Duran can also make plays on the backhand and maintain both control and balance as he powers along a direct route to the goal. He has soft hands to handle passes cleanly while in flight, and his clean skate-to-stick transition seems natural.
Far from a one-trick pony, Duran was used in all situations and killed penalties with a degree of success, specifically in applying pressure on the points and keeping his stick positioned properly. He’s willing to play the body and finish his checks but also stand up for teammates after the whistle. There are moments, however, when Duran is on the periphery awaiting pucks to come his way rather than consistently display an exemplary battle level in the trenches, but this could be a directive from the bench rather than an individual disregard for a system. He also seemed to have shorter shifts than your average star forwards at the prep level, thus leading to some low-energy moments during extended shifts past the 45 or 50-second mark.