Brady Tkachuk – 2018 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Brady Tkachuk

2016-17 Team: Boston University (#27)
Date of Birth: September 16, 1999
Place of Birth: St. Louis, Missouri
Ht: 6’3” Wt: 196 lbs.
Position: C/LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2018 first-year eligible

Rankings

  • NHL Central Scouting: 2nd (among NA Skaters)
  • Future Considerations: 3rd
  • McKeen’s Hockey: 5th
  • Hockeyprospect.com: 5th
  • ISS Hockey: 4th
  • Bob McKenzie: 4th
  • Craig Button: 2nd
  • Jeff Marek: 4th

We’ve all seen what Matthew Tkachuk has done for the Calgary Flames in his brief NHL career. Some good, some bad and certainly some ugly, but most of it has been good. Now, consider that there’s a player with the ability to agitate like the Flames youngster, but with more speed and skill. What if I told you he has the same last name? Meet Brady Tkachuk. He’s Matthew’s younger brother and should be a top five pick in the upcoming NHL Draft.

RELATED: THW’s 2018 Draft Guide

He’s tenacious and gritty, like his last name would suggest, but he’s incredibly quick and has the ability to make plays in tight spaces. His uses all types of shots – snap, wrist or slap – to get things done in the offensive zone and doesn’t shy away from dishing off the puck to reward his teammates as well.

After spending time with the U.S. National Development Program in 2016-17, Tkachuk committed to playing at Boston University in 2017-18 and had a great season in his freshman year. He tallied 8 goals and 31 points in 40 games during the regular season – adding 61 penalty minutes – and was named to the NCAA’s all-rookie team for Hockey East.

Boston University forward Brady Tkachuk
Brady Tkachuk could be the best Tkachuk to play in the NHL. (Rich Gagnon/Boston University)

His pure skill should be exciting for those teams that have a chance to acquire the young forward. And while they should expect him to live up to the Tkachuk talent pool, they could be getting much more as the youngest Tkachuk also looks like he could be the best yet.

Other THW Draft Profiles:

Brady Tkachuk – NHL Draft Projection

Is it possible that he works out better than his brother? Regardless of what he will actually bring to the table when his skates hit NHL ice surfaces, Tkachuk is yet another raw talent that is coming out of that family. While Craig Button has him going top two, there a good chance that he could fall to three or four in the upcoming draft. Either way, there’s going to be a team in the first four picks that will enjoy the chippy, skilled player they get in the younger Tkachuk.

Quotables

“There’s something in the DNA there that they’re putting together with these boys, because they’re playing the game hard and heavy with a lot of talent. When this kid starts his motor, he goes from 0 to 100 real quick and he wants to do everything at a high pace and heavy and hard. And he’s just 18 and his best hockey is ahead of him.” – Bob Motzko/Head Coach of Team USA

“He has a little more finesse to his game. Matthew and their dad could go right through the door at you, but Brady may be a little more deceptive with his skill set. But he still has the same drive and tenacity that drives him to the net – except he can also get there with an end-to-end rush.” – Dan Marr/Director of Scouting at NHL Central Scouting

“Brady Tkachuk plays the game as his name would suggest, physically, aggressively and with a significant amount of skill. Tkachuk has a pro ready game in most respects as he is physically mature and strong enough to play against men. His skating is an asset as he has good acceleration and top speed, and is very strong on his skates in terms of balance and can make power drives to the goal when he drops his shoulder and drives to the goal. He is dangerous in front of the goal as he uses his size and strength to plant himself as a screen in front of the goalie and has excellent hand-eye coordination for tips and rebounds. Tkachuk has a quick release on his shot, has a variety of dangerous shooting options from a quick wrist shot, to a powerful one-timer.” – Peter Harling/Dobber Prospects

Strengths

  • Skating and speed
  • Physicality and tenacity
  • Shot
  • Strength and size

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

  • Focus
  • Consistency of play

NHL Potential

There’s no arguing that this edition of the Tkachuk family will be in the NHL and it won’t be long. I certainly wouldn’t be surprising if he made it out of camp next year, but give him a couple years before he finds his eventual place among the top-six on whichever team has the fortune of selecting him in the NHL Draft.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 2/5, Reward – 4.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offence – 9/10 Defence – 8/10

Awards/Achievements

In 2016-17, Tkachuk was part of the gold medal winning American team at the U18 World Junior Championship. He took that success and carried it over to the 2017-18 season. He was named to the NCAA (Hockey East) All-Rookie Team on route to winning the NCAA (Hockey East) Championship with Boston University. On top of that, he added to his international collection – taking home a bronze medal at the U20 World Junior Championships.

Interview/Profile Links

Videos

https://youtu.be/gfptxni0CiA