Jordan Kyrou – The Next Ones: NHL 2016 Draft Prospect Profile

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Jordan Kyrou

2015-16 Team: Sarnia Sting (#25)

Date of birth: May 8th, 1998

Place of birth: Toronto, ON

Ht: 6’0″  Wt: 178 lbs

Shoots: Right

Position: Centre

NHL Draft Eligibility: 2016 1st year eligible

Twitter:@JordanKyrou

THW The Next Ones Ranking (February): 45

Other Rankings

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Despite his relatively high OHL draft slot (38th overall in 2014), Jordan Kyrou burst onto the scene in his freshman OHL season with a 13 goal, 36 point effort on a middling Sarnia Sting team. Coming off a strong season, Kyrou was included on Canada’s Ivan Hlinka Memorial roster in August and contributed 2 points in 4 games on his way to a gold medal. Coming into the OHL season, Kyrou was expected to be a big part of the Sarnia offense on a young team looking to make a playoff run.

With average size (6’0″, 178 pounds), Kyrou compensates for his still developing strength with great skating ability, both top skating speed and agility in all three zones. It’s that strong skating ability that allows Kyrou to make an impact in all three zones, using his speed to break up plays in his own end or power around opposing defenders. He has been used by the Sting on their first power play and penalty kill units, indicating his future potential as an all-situations centre. While many players of Kyrou’s size have necessitated a move to the wing, his dedication to his own end makes him a strong bet to remain at centre.

Even with his strong two-way play, Kyrou is far from a slouch offensively. In addition to his strong skating, Kyrou also possesses great puck handling abilities and offensive instincts. He is one of the Sting’s strongest players on their power play unit thanks to his ability to find open teammates with his passing. While his shot isn’t bad, he could stand to improve his release and his shot power will likely increase with added strength. Kyrou has also shown, albeit in a limited sample size, that he has the ability to produce in clutch situations, as he has tallied 13 points in 11 career OHL games.

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.

NHL Draft Projection:

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.

Quotables:

Kyrou plays the game with a ton of energy, constantly buzzing around, with and without the puck. When it’s on his stick, his creativity and vision make him a terrific playmaker. When it’s not on his stick, he’s battling hard to get it back and can be relentless in puck pursuit. Overall, just a terrific playmaking center who makes those around him better.

Brock Otten, OHL Prospects

Kyrou had the primary assists on both goals for Team Cherry [in the CHL Top Prospects Game]. His strong skating was a handful for Team Orr defenders and exhibited good vision as well. Utilized his teammates well in all zones, which has not always been the case with him. Strong three-zone game from Kyrou overall.

Zachary DeVine, Hockey Prophets

High-end offensive talent, with good vision and hands. Too much of a perimeter player for my liking, but with the tools he has, the right coach can certainly make a player out of him. Not impossible that he can turn into a top-6 forward at the pro level.

Nick Tropper, ISS Mentorship Scout


Statistics:

Strengths:

  • Skating speed
  • Good vision in the offensive zone
  • Strong stick handling ability
  • Defensive effort

Under Construction (Improvements to Make):

  • Shot
  • Faceoff ability
  • Added strength
  • Physical play, can be pushed off puck

NHL Potential:

Kyrou is definitely skilled and is a relatively good two-way centreman, a player type always in demand by NHL teams. However, he hasn’t shown enough offensive production yet to justify a first round pick this summer. However, he has flashed the all-situations potential to perform well above his draft slot in the future.

NHL Player(s) Comparison – Bryan Little

Risk-Reward Analysis:

Risk = 2/5   Reward = 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential:

Offensive = 7.5/10   Defensive = 6/10

Awards/Achievements

  • 2013-2014 GTHL Prospects Game
  • 2013-2014 OHL Gold Cup Silver Medal
  • 2015-2016 CHL Top Prospects Game
  • 2015-2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Gold Medal

Interview/Profile Links: 

The Pipeline Show spotlight

OHL Player Profile

Video(s):

THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph