Crotty’s Season ends on a High Low Note
March 23, 2017
By Grant McCagg
The Brockville Braves’ season ended last night after dropping a nail-biting 2-1 decision to the Ottawa Jr. Senators at the Jim Durrell Complex in Ottawa.
The main focus of scouts’ attention was on Brockville’s Cam Crotty, a 6-2 draft eligible defenceman slated to attend Boston University next season. Here is a scouting report on his performance:
Crotty played at least ten minutes in the first 15…ended up logging close to 30 minutes. His size/skating combo really stands out at this level. Long stride, smooth, good lateral agility. Takes care of his own end…you don’t see him caught up ice too often..usually the last defenceman back. He did join the rush on a couple of occasions in the first half of the game but only when it was prudent. He is poised with the puck, usually makes the smart first pass.
Good peripheral vision..adept at receiving the pass from his D partner moving laterally protecting the puck in such a way that he keeps his options open, either a pass to an open forward, or if that’s covered…back to his D partner safely.
Crotty doesn’t have much to work with offensively on this team. In the third period with his team trailing 2-0 and facing the possibility of trailing 3-1 in the series, Crotty scored to cut the lead to 2-1. He pinched in to intercept a pass and snapped one past the goalie from the high slot. He made several rushes in the third period, and tried to be a difference maker offensively, which hasn’t been his MO from most accounts. With five minutes left he joined the rush and wristed a shot from the blueline that almost sneaked through the five-hole…he ended up being his club’s most offensively dangerous player in the game, and best player overall by a fair margin.
His shot needs some work…he walks the blue line pretty well and gets quite a few shots past the forwards. A number of them were head level though, and he also needs to work on his velocity.
Four years of college, get stronger, improve the shot…play with a little more jam as he gains strength…he may be a solid #5 NHL defenceman by the time he’s 23 or 24. Projection – a 50-70 draft consideration…at worst a late third-round pick.