Ethan Belchetz:
Projection: Middle 6 Winger
Strengths: Physically mature game, Ability to drive the play, Strong shot
Weaknesses: Needs to grow into his skates, Lack of creativity and
adaptability, Weak transition game
Analysis:
Ethan Belchetz is another big power forward in this draft class. He
has a very physically mature game for being 6’5 230lbs and isn’t
afraid to use it to his advantage. He likes to lean on defenders along
the boards, forcing the puck to his stick before driving the net.
Through the use of his size, he is also a force when planted in front
of the goalie for rebounds, deflections, or backdoor passes. Where he
is the most dangerous is inside the circle without the puck, where he
can make use of his very powerful shot.
That’s kind of where I see his strengths begin to fall off. Apart from
his size and heavy shot, he lacks anything that is super outstanding
or noteworthy. I find that he still hasn’t found his stride due to his
size, so he lacks any monumental speed or dangerous explosiveness. He
doesn’t have any special stickhandling or vision abilities, so the
only way I find he beats defenders is by making use of his body to
protect the puck and drive wide or cut to the middle before releasing
his shot. He also has a very weak transition game in my eyes. He
struggles to make pinpoint passes on the rush, and when he decides on
what he’s going to do, he has a hard time adapting and deviating from
that plan based on how the play develops. With some extra time and a
good development path, he has the potential to be a solid middle-six
play driver.