One of the best shots in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft fell into the Florida Panthers’ lap when they selected Owen Tippett with the No. 10 overall pick on Friday.
NHL draft 2017: Florida Panthers select winger Owen Tippett and his lethal scoring skills
Owen Tippett can shoot the puck.
Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images
Tippett adds a lethal scoring threat to Panthers’ prospect pool, which lacks high-end talents. He scored 44 goals and 75 points in 60 games with the Mississauga Steelheads (OHL) this season before scoring ten more in 20 playoff games. It wasn’t a fluke, either: in his first OHL season in 2015-16, Tippett scored 15 times.
That’s because he has the most NHL-ready shot of any first round prospect. Arguably the best pure scorer in the draft, Tippett draws comparisons to Phil Kessel for his speed and NHL-ready shot. You want this guy on your power play, where he can create space on his own to finish plays.
The Panthers have some interesting forward prospects like Adam Mascherin, Jayce Hawryluk, and Denis Malgin, but Tippett immediately becomes one of the best (if not the best) prospects in their organization.
The knock is he doesn’t compete hard enough the other way. Get him to buy in, though, and that speed can make him a dangerous complete package.
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