2016 NHL Draft Profile: William Lockwood

Player: Will Lockwood

Team: US NTDP U18

Position: Right Wing

Height: 5'10" Weight: 172 lbs.

Shoots: Right

Stats:59 games, 13 goals, 20 assists, 33 points

Final NHL Central Scouting rank: 108th among North American skaters

What I Like:

-High Motor

Lockwood plays with a lot of energy and effort. He's a very consistent player that always gives 100%. He creates opportunities for himself by taking away time and space from the opposition and forcing mistakes

-Good Skater

Speed is Lockwood's best asset. He's got light feet which gives him a very quick first step  and above average straight-line speed. He doesn't always use that speed to his greatest advantage, but it could be a pro-level tool if he learns how to use it better.

-Finishing Ability

Lockwood wasn't a huge scorer for the NTDP this year, but when he got opportunities, he showed a nice ability to finish off plays. He'll have to show he can do that more consistently, but matched with the right linemate that can set him up, he could be a much bigger scorer.

What I Don't Like:

-Doesn't Create with the Puck

Lockwood is much more likely to make a play with his feet than he is with his hands. That makes him a fairly one-dimensional offensive player, and is a bit concerning in regards to how he'll do when he reaches a level where everyone can skate well.

-Doesn't Win Puck Battles

Lockwood isn't a very big player, but even for a player his size, he doesn't play a very heavy game. He needs to get better at utilizing his speed to get himself in position to out-angle and out-leverage opponents to win pucks in order to be a more effective two-way player.

Draft Projection:

Both NHL Central Scouting and myself have Lockwood ranked right around the range of a mid-fourth round pick. He maybe dropped after what was a pretty disappointing World U18s, but I couldn't drop him too far because it's a pretty weak Draft, and I couldn't find many guys to move above him. I don't see a complete enough player for a team to jump up and pick him much higher than the fourth round, but for a guy that works hard and has the skating ability to play at the next level, he's worth the risk of hoping his game rounds at while at Michigan.

Pro Projection:

The extreme ceiling for Lockwood would be a player like Carl Hagelin--another smallish forward that went to he University of Michigan and was a late round pick because he could skate, but didn't do much else--though obviously that's a best case scenario. Lockwood could also potentially play a bottom six role at the NHL if he gets stronger and smarter as a two-way player because of his skating ability.