Owen Tippett is perhaps the purest goal scorer in the 2017 draft class.
Considering he has tremendous skating ability to go along with his vaunted shot, one of his NHL comparisons is Phil Kessel.
“He’s a natural goal scorer who is extremely dangerous when attacking with speed,” NHL Central Scouting’s Matt Ryan told NHL.com. “He possesses an excellent release while also displaying the vision and passing ability to create offense for his teammates, making him very difficult to defend.”
The sniper does not lack confidence either. According to Tippett’s official draft profile, he isn’t afraid of anything and lists himself among the people he is inspired by.
Here’s some more on Tippett.
Age on June 23: 18
Current Team: Mississauga Steelheads, OHL
Position: Right Winger
Shoots: Right
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 200 pounds
From: Peterborough, Ontario
NHL Central Scouting Rank (North American): 7
Jeff Marek’s Take: “Best pure sniper in the draft. A ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ player.”
His shot sets him apart
Only four players in the OHL scored more goals than Tippett this past season and only five players had more shots on goal, all of whom played more games than him. Often when Tippett buries the puck it’s thanks to his laser of a shot. The winger excels on the strong side and off-wing, he’s great with wristers and clappers, plus his one-timer can be deadly.
Tippett takes inspiration from 2016 second-overall pick Patrik Laine and the way the Winnipeg Jets star fires the puck.
“It was amazing to me how he could score all those goals from the outside,” he told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. “A goal scorer is something you dream about becoming in the NHL.
“Shooting the puck is something I’ve always worked on, whether in the driveway or an outdoor rink. I like to use that shot to an advantage, and I’m always looking for those fast breaks because I know if I get a step on a guy I’ll be able to go by them. I like to get pucks to the net.”
He’s a product of the GTHL and loves the Lightning
Tippett is the latest in a long line of highly touted prospects to emerge from the Greater Toronto Area. He spent his minor midget AAA season with the GTHL’s Toronto Red Wings, scoring 52 goals in 50 games in the 2014-15 season. The former lacrosse player hopes to follow in the footsteps of two of the best to develop their skills in the GTA.
He says the athlete he admires most is Connor McDavid (Toronto Marlboros) and his favourite player is Steven Stamkos (Markham Waxers). When he was a rookie he said the team he’d most want to be drafted by is the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning hold the 14th pick in the draft so unless he falls lower than he’s projected to go he won’t begin his NHL career as teammates with his favourite player. He also happens to be cousins with Lightning prospect Mitchell Stephens.
He could go down as an all-time great in Mississauga
Tippett has grown substantially as a player since being drafted fourth overall by the Steelheads in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. He was named to the OHL All-Rookie Team in 2015-16 after scoring 15 goals in 48 games then led his team in scoring in 2016-17 with 44 goals and 75 points in 60 games. His production dipped slightly in the post-season although 10 goals and 19 points in 20 games is more than respectable.
If he returns to the Steelheads next season and takes another leap forward in his development he has the potential to become one of the great players in that franchise’s history.
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