Kevin He
2023-24 team: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Date of Birth: April 30, 2006
Place of Birth: Nobelton, Ontario, Canada
Ht: 6-foot-0 Wt: 183 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Left Wing
Draft Eligibility: 2024 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting: 78th (among NA skaters)
- McKeen’s Hockey: 81st
- Elite Prospects: 94th
Kevin He led the offensive charge on a basement-dwelling Niagara IceDogs team that has struggled to win games over the past three seasons. With few eyes on the IceDogs due to their lack of production, He flew under the radar and wasn’t even invited to the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton.
After he was selected by Niagara in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, He proved to be a major contributor to an IceDogs team that has been in the basement of the OHL for the past three seasons. He posted 34 points while also passing the 20-goal mark in his rookie season and improved significantly in his sophomore season with over 30 goals and 53 points.
He has blazing speed through the neutral zone and always leads the charge into the offensive zone when he is on the ice. His ability to keep the puck on his stick at high speeds is one of the best among his peers. With his speed, He can find open space for his teammates to find him in transition, or when he drives hard to the net, he is often open for a tap-in because the defender can’t catch up with him.
Where He struggles is in his ability to create offence outside of his blazing speed and lightning-quick hands. He will only create offence off the rush and through the neutral zone and has not been able to find the back of the net in other ways consistently. He will need to become more threatening at scoring from the half boards with a quick snap shot or by going to the net and creating havoc in front of the opposing goaltender. If He adds more of those aspects to his game, he will be much harder to defend against.
Kevin He – NHL Draft Projection
He is not likely to be a first- or even a second-round talent, but once the third round approaches and teams are looking for good value picks, He will likely hear his name called. I couldn’t see a non-playoff team taking him in the third round, but a team that regularly makes the playoffs will feel comfortable taking a speedy winger who produces points at a constant level in junior.
He’s draft stock is very similar to a player like Logan Stankoven, who is overlooked because of his size but has several great qualities in their game. In Stankoven’s case, he went to the perfect team when the Dallas Stars picked him in the 2021 NHL Draft, and he is now thriving with the Stars in the playoffs. If He is put in a similar situation, I could see him having a lot of success.
Quotables
“Kevin’s had to take the load on by himself. I think this guy’s going to be a steal for whoever ends up drafting him. He’s going to be an impact player. He’s going to play professional hockey, for sure.” – Ben Boudreau, Niagara IceDogs Head Coach
“People see the flashiness, the speed, the explosiveness, but for me, judging what makes a successful hockey player is just his work ethic. He’s one of those guys that you have to drag him out the gym, you have to drag him off the ice.” – Anthony Stewart, Former NHL Player
“He’s a dynamic skater, to say the least, when he is in full stride he’s almost impossible to handle. He can get up to speed in one or two strides.” – Darell Woodley, OHL Director of Central Scouting
Strengths
- Speed
- Agility
- Puck control through the neutral zone
- Ability to find open space
Under Construction (Improvements to Make)
- Defensive responsibilities
- One-dimensional
- Needs to shoot more
NHL Potential
He’s one-dimensional game could limit him from reaching top-six forward status, but the energy he constantly brings to the ice with his speed and agility will make him a good middle-six forward at the NHL level. His speed can be a huge factor in a team’s special teams unit whether it’s on the power play or penalty kill, and his on-ice smarts will be very attractive to NHL teams.
Risk – Reward Analysis
Risk – 1/5 , Reward 3/5
Fantasy Hockey Potential
Offence – 6.5/10, Defense 5/10
Interviews/Links
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