Jordan Kyrou was the third-highest scorer on a stacked Sarnia Sting squad this season, and he jumped 11 spots up in Central Scouting’s final rankings after finishing the year with a good showing at the Under-18 worlds.
But did he show enough growth in his offensive game to sneak into the first round of the NHL Draft? Here’s what you need to know about Jordan Kyrou.
Age on June 24: 18
From: Toronto, Ont.
Current Team: Sarnia Sting, OHL
Position: Centre
Shoots: Right
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 178 pounds
Twitter: @JordanKyrou
NHL Central Scouting Rank (North American): 34th
Strong showing at U18 Tournament…
After his season, Kyrou represented Canada at the World Under-18 Championship and finished tied for second on the team in goals (five) and points (eight) in seven games. He was tied with a couple other 2016 NHL Draft prospects, Brett Howden, Will Bitten and Dante Fabbro.
Sick mitts, nice shot, good speed…
As the scouting report at eliteprospects.com says about Kyrou:
“A highly mobile transitional two-way playmaker who always looks poised and reads the game well. A strong skater who moves with a natural ease and accelerates with purpose and drive. Defensively looks to block passing lanes and battle for puck possession. Transitions to offence tremendously well and is very dangerous with the puck. Displays excellent puck control and has a quick release on his shot. His forte is his ability to make plays, as his creativity and hockey sense seem to take over on the attack. All-in-all, a hard-working two-way player who can be relied upon in all situations to make a positive difference.”
Kyrou isn’t the biggest player out there, but he makes up for that with how well he reads and sees the play, which should make him an excellent playmaker at the next level. And his skating is fairly explosive as well.
Can he grow and adapt to better competition…
The knock on Kyrou, considering the skill set he brings to the table, was that he didn’t increase his scoring totals as much as scouts would have liked in the OHL this season. He scored just four more goals and 15 more points while playing two more games in increased minutes on a Sarnia squad that finished second in the Western Conference.
Also of note: as good as his overall numbers looked at the Under-18 tournament, he scored four goals in the opening game against Denmark. After that, against better teams, he was fairly quiet.
