Reid Duke THW Close-Up
Date of Birth: January 28, 1996
Place of Birth: Calgary, AB
Ht: 6’0” Wt: 187 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Center
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2014
Reid Duke may be one of the most under-the-radar players from the WHL in this year’s NHL Draft class.
On the surface, his numbers aren’t too great. 40 points isn’t amazing, though that’s third-best on the WHL’s worst team (by a country mile). His plus/minus was pretty bad (minus-47), but it was also on the WHL’s most scored-upon team. And he had 91 penalty minutes – including 38 minor penalties – but that was also on the WHL’s most penalized team.
Okay, 38 minors in 62 games isn’t great, and he tended to take penalties in bunches. But on a team with serious problems with off-ice distractions, Duke played as responsible 200-foot game one could play under the circumstances and steadily increased his offensive production from the previous season. He was quietly one of the Dub’s better face-off men, despite his team’s circumstances.
Duke’s a project. His counting stats are not great, but odds are some team will take a peek at game tape and decide that his numbers were more representative of the on (and off)-ice turmoil that was the 2013-14 Lethbridge Hurricanes and bank on a change of scenery (and perhaps some better teammates) could help Duke grow into a productive pro.
Scout’s Honour:
“Black hole of a franchise has dragged him down into the quagmire. Not scoring or playing any “D.””
–Kyle Woodlief, Red Line Report (November update)
“Responsible two-way player with average size, he plays for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, possibly the most obscure location in the CHL.”
–Alan “Lowetide” Mitchell, OilersNation
Statistics:
Bio/Interview(s)/Link(s):
International Tournaments:
Duke played for Team Pacific at the World U-17 Challenge, winning silver.
ETA:
2-3 years
Risk-Reward Analysis:
Risk 1.5/5, Reward 3.5/5
NHL Potential:
Third or fourth line center. His face-off skill may project him as a penalty-kill specialist.
Strengths:
- Good at face-offs.
- Well-rounded.
- Responsible in all three zones.
Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:
- Takes too many penalties, needs to work on discipline.
- Outside of face-offs, it’s hard to find an area he’s especially strong or great at.
- Hard to tell how good he is offensively because of the team he’s on.
Fantasy Hockey Potential:
Offensive 8/10, Defensive 7.5/10
NHL Player(s) Comparison:
Best-case would be Boyd Gordon. More likely he could be something like Zack Smith.
When He’ll Go In June:
Duke projects to go somewhere between the third and fourth rounds.
