Hawks’ DeBrincat poised for NHL stardom

Chicago Blackhawks forward Alex DeBrincat isn’t your typical top prospect. Standing at just 5’7” and weighing just 165 lbs, DeBrincat looks more like someone’s kid brother off the ice than an elite level sniper. Get him on the ice however and his skill is evident.

DeBrincat’s size, or lack of it, has seemingly held him back in the eyes of analysts and scouts for years. Fortunately for the youngster, he doesn’t believe his size is an issue and Blackhawks director of amateur scouting Mark Kelley agrees with him. "I don't think anybody in the NHL has a problem with anybody's size if they can play," Kelley said. "The thing with Alex is that he's always stood out at his size, playing at an elite level. We did a lot of research on him, and he also played with older kids growing up. He's always played with bigger kids and stood out."

In junior DeBrincat tore up the OHL with the Erie Otters scoring 51 goals in each of his first team seasons and topping out at 65 in 2016-17. He’s a quick, sneaky player with a wicked release. While most modern NHLers of his size tend to be playmakers more than goal scorers, think Johnny Gaudreau or Patrick Kane, DeBrincat is a pure sniper more in the image of Martin St. Louis or Theoren Fleury. His dogged determination enables him to turn over pucks and create offensive opportunities out of nothing. Sound like the perfect compliment for Kane next season in Chicago? We think so too. Watch for big things from this kid in 2017-18.