SCoC Draft Profile: Nick Hague is a big, point getting defender

Player Analysis:

Nick Hague is a large dude with some interesting upside...and potentially some real challenges to overcome in development.

This 6’6, 200lb-er plays a smart, no-frills kind of game that can be utilized in all situations adequately. His enormous wingspan means his gap control will probably only be bested by one or two other player in the draft, and he has an absolute cannon of a shot at his disposal he can use to help create chances or bury passes that come his way, and even better, a tape-to-tape passer by trade who can make players around him look like superstars.

There are some large dudes in the draft this year, And all of them certainly have some upside if they can work on that one teensy thing nearly every big skater in the NHL has ever had to work on: Skating, which would still be a bit of a problem for him in a league (and division) that’s getting much faster as time goes on. Another one? Discipline concerns.

Hague can be careless with the puck, which could cause real trouble for Mississauga. Another problem is that extended sequences in his own end could cause him to panic and do something ill-fitted for the team.

But the more obvious discipline part is penalties and when he ends up taking them. at 107 minutes of PIM, he’ll probably end up the player with the most PIM we talk about in these profiles. He also ended his playoff run in the most moronic fashion one person could possibly end up doing: Getting suspended indefinitely for punching a guy while he was down on the ice to the point that he had to be helped off.

Drafting him will come with the expectation that skating and Discipline will become his central focuses of development. But if that’s the only real holes in his game, he could end up being a really interesting blueliner in the black and gold!

Player Rankings:

• Ranked #18 by ISS Hockey
• Ranked #20 by Future Considerations
• Ranked #27 by McKeen's Hockey
• Ranked #20 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)

Stats:

Age: 18

Position: Defense

Height: 6’6

Weight: 200 lbs.