Fan In Van

Draft Countdown - Nick Leddy

They say a lot of the best American players come from Minnesota, and everything that Nick Leddy seems to do on the ice these days renders him everything that Minnesota hockey embodies and symbolizes.

There are plenty of reasons to get excited about the Minnesota defenceman who for the past few years has been a fixture for his highschool team Eden Prairie. After being heavily recruited from colleges and Universities abroad (North Dakota, University of Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud), Leddy’s decision came to being a part of the Minnesota Golden Gophers legacy.

It seems only fitting. Leddy has imparted a tremendous mark on Minnesota hockey after being named “Mr. Hockey” of the state, which recognizes the best high school player from Minnesota. And what makes the soon-to-be Gopher deserving of the accolation?

For starters, he is one of the most complete players in the draft. Originally coined as an offensive defenceman, Leddy may best be touted as a two-way defenceman, as he has learned over the last year the finer points of playing defensively, and that comes with an improved skating stride and 15 added pounds of upper-body strength to his 5′11 frame which has allowed him to compete in the defensive zone against players who have a physical edge against him.

Leddy certainly has offensive prowess, as determined by the seven goals and 27 points he posted in 18 games this season and 27 points from last season. But he’s also combined that talent with smart and responsible play in his own end, and that makes him a tantalizing prospect in this year’s draft. Teams nowadays are putting more of an emphasis then ever before on players who can play in both ends of the rink and Leddy is a perfect example of a player with that type of mold.

Scouts like to compare him to Paul Martin of the New Jersey Devils. The talent and finesse are both there, but how he uses his size in the NHL will judge the impact he will have on his team. The good news is, there’s plenty of time and potential for Leddy to grow and become a mainstay on an NHL blueline, as the defender has shown he can gain muscle mass after adding 15 pounds of lean muscle. Leddy himself likes to compare his game to that of NHL defencemen Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell and says that his favourite player growing up was Scott Niedermayer.

For Vancouver fans, Leddy is a tempting option; with the cupboard of defensive prospects with offensive ability looking mighty bare at this point (Taylor Ellington and Yann Sauve aren’t exactly dynamic players), the Canucks are most certainly looking at drafting a smooth-skating defenceman who can move the puck. In addition, Leddy represents a lot of characteristics general manager Mike Gillis are looking for in players: Character, integrity and intelligence. Off the ice, Leddy can best be described as a calm leader with a quiet demeanor. He’s the consumate team guy; he’s well-liked and let’s his play do the talking on the ice. For Canuck fans, the Minnesota defenceman conducts himself much in the way Cody Hodgson does; there’s huge potential that Leddy may become a leader for an NHL team someday.

The only knock on Leddy is that there may be more high-risk, high-reward players who could reap greater benefits. There’s every possibility Minnesota’s “Mr. Hockey” can crack an NHL roster, but some draft experts have pegged him to go late in the first round or even early in the second. If the Canucks are indeed targetting Leddy, don’t be surprised if Gillis and co. look to parlay their 22nd overall pick to move down in the draft order and pocket an extra draft selection.