Adam Ingram- 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

by

Adam Ingram

2021-22 Team: Youngstown Phantoms / United States Hockey League (USHL)
Date of Birth: Oct. 14, 2003
Place of Birth: West St. Paul, MB, Canada
Ht: 6-foot-2 Wt: 174 lbs
Shoots: L
Position: Forward
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2022 first-year eligible

Rankings

As the 2022 NHL Draft approaches, we are starting to directly see the fallout from the 2020 and 2021 pauses in play. Many young players saw their future plans thrown into turmoil, as leagues adjusted to constantly changing global struggles.

For 2022 draft hopeful Adam Ingram, one such hurdle occurred when the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) had to pause and then cancel the 2020-21 season. This left players like Ingram with few options, but also brought with it an opportunity. With it, he joined the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for 2012-22. Despite this unexpected change of scenery, Ingram has thrived in Youngstown, posting 26 goals and 55 points in 54 starts.

Related: THW’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide

As a commit to St. Cloud State University (SCSU), Ingrim could be playing at a top university as soon as the 2022-23 season. This could be the perfect situation for him to grow into his frame while rounding out the defensive aspects of his game. In three to four years, he should be ready to jump into American Hockey League (AHL) ice time and continue developing his game from there.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Adam Ingram – NHL Draft Projection

Ingram is one of those players that has the size and skillset to attract a lot of attention from NHL general managers. Sure, there may be some questions about how complete his game is, but as a prospect, it’s likely that these questions will be moved aside in the face of his potential upside.

Adam Ingram Youngstown Phantoms
Adam Ingram of the Youngstown Phantoms. (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)

With this in mind, despite many ranking him as a mid-second round pick, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him rocket up the draft boards and eventually land in the late first or early second. The NHL loves a big-bodied forward prospect, after all, and Ingram has all of the intangibles you look for in a top draft pick.

Quotables

“The USHL is a difficult league to put up points and he’s (Ingram) come in and he gradually got better and better… When you watch him it’s just the way he carries himself on the ice. It’s remarkable the confidence and poise and presence that he has when he has the puck. He’s got good instincts to the net and good finishing touch. And he’s a good playmaker.”

Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting

Ingram is a natural scorer who is learning to use his physical traits to his advantage. The shot needs no introduction, as Ingram already has an NHL caliber skill that will wreak havoc on goalies for the rest of his career. He has a quick release, great accuracy, and elite power. Ingram has now learned how to get his shot off from any angle with full power and knows that he can simply overpower any USHL goalie he faces.

Austin Broad (From Adam Ingram Game Report, FCHockey, Feb. 23 2022)

Smart offensive forward with good size and playmaking ability. Needs to add pace and improve his off-puck game but has middle-six NHL upside.

Nick Richard – Dobberprospects.com

Strengths 

  • NHL-caliber shot
  • Size and Strength
  • Ability to overpower opponents
  • Strong hockey fundamentals with a high hockey-IQ

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

Defensively, Ingram has a lot of room to grow. He can play a bit soft in his own zone, which will hinder his potential to take that next step in his career. He will need to better utilize his size and skill to round out his game to make the most out of the opportunities presented in the coming years.

NHL Potential

With his size and toolbox, Ingram is a perfect forward prospect that any general manager would love to have in their system. If he is able to round out his two-way game, there’s a real chance for him to be consistent a top-six player who takes on meaningful time on the powerplay.

However, if Ingram continues to struggle in the defensive zone, then he may have a lower overall ceiling. Even with his offensive upside, you have to be able to play a complete game to stick around in the NHL. Despite this, he still appears to be a player who is destined to take on NHL ice time.

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 3/5, Reward 4/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 9/10, Defense – 5/10

Media

The Hockey Writers 2022 NHL Draft: USHL Spotlight

Adam Ingram Statistics