Prospect Report: Brady Gilmour
Last Friday night I attended an Ontario Hockey League game that saw the second place London Knights take on the Saginaw Spirit. The reason I chose this game specifically was because I have followed a certain former Quinte Red Devil forward for the last two years - that player is Saginaw's Brady Gilmour.
Brady Gilmour played last season with the Minor Midget Quinte Red Devils, where he captained the team to Ontario Minor Hockey Association Championship. Gilmour had a terrific season as he was tied with Niagara IceDogs prospect Cal Davis for the lead in OMHA scoring with 61 points. Gilmour tallied 28 goals and added 33 assists, as the Red Devils went on to finish with a 31-1-4 season record.
Gilmour led the Ontario Hockey League in scoring during the preseason with three goals and fives assists through all four of Saginaw's preseason games.
His time with the Canadian U-17 team also gave him the chance to play against some of the world's best 16 year olds.
Now to get more in depth about Gilmour's game.
Player: Brady Gilmour
D.O.B: April, 18, 1999
Hometown: Grafton, ON
Nationality: Canadian
Current team: Saginaw Spirit
Current League: Ontario Hockey League
Position: Centre
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165
Drafted: 6th overall, in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection Draft
Draft Eligibilty: Prospect for the 2017 National Hockey League Entry Draft
Rankings
Offensive play: 7.5/10
Defensive game: 7/10
Skating: 8/10
Positional play: 8/10
Shot: 8/10
Physicality: 5.5/10
Overview: Brady Gilmour is a dynamic 16-year-old centreman. His ability to handle the puck and control the play sets him apart from other 16 year olds playing in the OHL. Although his points are not yet exceptional, he has the skills set to become one the the OHL's better playmakers and two-way forwards - and he's playing on one of the weaker teams in the OHL's Western Conference. Gilmour is a smaller forward, but his strength allows him to keep possession for long periods of time. Again, slightly under-sized, Gilmour does not shy away from playing in the corners. His skating is very good at this stage of his career and he is used by Spirit head coach Greg Gilbert in all situations (powerplay, penalty kill and 5 on 5). The two biggest assets that he posseses is his leadership qualities and his ability to play in both ends of the ice. Brady was also strong in the face-off dot last season in Quinte, and his face-off stats in the OHL have improved throughout the season.
Gilmour will need time to fully develop into the potential NHL draft pick. He will need to get a little bigger and put on more muscle if he wants to be successful in the OHL. His physical game isn't terrible by any means, because that's just not the type of player he is - but it might be an area of weakness down the road.
Potential: 50-60 point OHL player.
Style: Two-way forward
NHL draft: The potential to be selected in the second or third round of the 2017 draft - at this point.
NHL comparable: Scott Laughton