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We're churning along with our draft prospect profiles, and there are plenty of interesting players to find out about as we research and report on this year's crop of prospects. One such player is Sarnia Sting RW Jordan Kyrou; as a player who has improved his stock during his draft year, Kyrou is a player that may be worth keeping an eye on. We take a look today at if our New Jersey Devils should have him in their sights.
Who is Jordan Kyrou?
Jordan was born May 8, 1998 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; at 6'0" and 179 lbs, he's on the larger size for a prospect and while he probably needs to gain a bit of muscle and strength to be able to play in the NHL, it's not as much as some other prospects need to gain. He's spent the past 2 seasons of his career with Devils prospect Pavel Zacha and the rest of the Sarnia Sting. Kyrou would fill a need in New Jersey's system as a right handed shooter capable of playing right wing and center. Here are his full stats courtesy as always of Elite Prospects:
In his rookie year with Sarnia, Kyrou posted 13 goals and 23 assists for 36 points (0.57 points per game) in 63 games. He would appear in 2 more contests during the 2015-16 campaign and would increase his totals to 17 goals and 34 assists (0.78 PPG) for a total of 51 points in his sophomore season.
Where is Kyrou Ranked?
NHL.com has Kyrou ranked as the 34th best North American skater available in the draft, an increase of 11 spots from his midterm ranking.
Draftsite has Kyrou going in the 3rd round with the 81st overall pick to the Second Rate Rivals...make of that what you will.
What Others Say About Jordan Kyrou
Curtis Joe of Elite Prospects sees Jordan as a quick, hardworking playmaking forward with a quick shot to boot:
A highly mobile transitional two-way playmaker who always looks poised and reads the game well. A strong skater who moves with a natural ease and accelerates with purpose and drive. Defensively looks to block passing lanes and battle for puck possession. Transitions to offence tremendously well and is very dangerous with the puck. Displays excellent puck control and has a quick release on his shot. His forte is his ability to make plays, as his creativity and hockey sense seem to take over on the attack. All-in-all, a hard-working two-way player who can be relied upon in all situations to make a positive difference.
His strong skating ability stood out to me upon reading this, as we all know the Devils game plan involves having quick skaters that can support each other while attacking and defending.
Bill Placzek over at the NHL section of Draftsite had the following to say about Kyrou and the type of game he brings
A speed and energy centre who has a good two way junior game. Not really big or physical, not really overly skilled, and it is questionable if he can fill in the blanks in either area to ensure he could be a top six NHLers. Long term developmental prospect.
A direct contrast to what Joe at EP had to say is something that worries me; while EP saw him as a skilled player, Draftsite sees him as not overly skilled player who will be a long term project rather than someone who can make an impact in the near future. I'm always hesitant when there seem to be two largely differing opinions of a player; I can understand disagreement on one or two facets of a youngsters game, but this is an almost complete contradiction.
Joseph Aleong of The Hockey Writers critique of Kyrou seems to be the middle ground (and as such is presumably closest to the truth) offering praise for his skill set while at the same time acknowledging the flaws in his game that he will need to improve upon:
Kyrou isn’t extremely flashy and doesn’t produce eye-popping offensive numbers, but he’s a solid two-way player that still has a high enough offensive ceiling to become a centre in the NHL. It’s unlikely that a team would spend a first round pick on a player that doesn’t have a great chance of becoming a high-end top-six forward, but Kyrou would be a nice addition to a team looking to bolster its centre depth beyond the first round.
Kyrou hasn’t taken the step forward that many expected of him after a strong rookie OHL season, but is still talented enough to project as a future top-nine forward in the NHL. Due to the lack of regular season production, however, it’s likely Kyrou falls into the middle of the second round.
Certainly not the rousing round of praise he got from EP but a seemingly realistic projection here; he has talent and could be a late bloomer which would merit him being drafted in round 2 or 3.
A Little Video
Our first video is of the Sarnia Sting routing the Windsor Spitfires; #25 in white has 2 goals during this game, showing a bit of his offensive ability:
The second video is another Sarnia/Windsor match-up; the teams are wearing the same colors and the result is the same, but the score and statlines are not. You get to see Kyrou in action, but he doesn't impact the scoring.
Last, we have a short video from the Sarnia Sting featuring Jordan:
An Opinion of Sorts
I think Jordan Kyrou can be an interesting prospect and he obviously would aid a right wing prospect pool that has little to no depth at the moment. His ability to shift and play center makes him a versatile addition to any lineup as well. If EP's scouting report is accurate, I could see Kyrou going somewhere in Round 2, but I'm not sure he would be selected early enough where our Devils are at the podium.
I'm a bit hesitant to make Kyrou a Devil just because of not only the contradictory reports, but also because of the apparent holes in his game that Draftsite and The Hockey Writers spoke about. While the prospect pool could definitely use some right wings/right handed shots, I think there might be some better prospects to select with our second round choice. If Kyrou is around when we select in the 3rd, and he's our selection, I'd be pleased; if he does pan out and grows to meet expectations, he could be a good mid-round steal. The Devils will probably not be serious competitors for at least a couple more season, so picking someone that could be a "project" might not be the worst thing for a team that is currently reloading itself.
Your Take
Now I'd like to hear your thoughts on Jordan Kyrou; is he someone you would like to see the Devils pick up in this year's draft? Do you see him as more of a 2nd round or a 3rd round choice? Do you see any particular aspects of his game that you like? Any that you dislike? Do you think the discrepancy among scouting reports should make New Jersey wary of selecting him? Leave any and all comments below and thank you as always for reading!