Name: Nick Ebert
Age: 17 Years Old
Country: USA
League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Team: Windsor Spitfires
Position: Defenseman
Number: #22
Pros
Physical Ability: Nick Ebert may be more of an offensive defender. He does possess the physical skill set to succeed on defense.
Durability: Nick Ebert played in 64 games last season. I am not too worried about his durability.
Size: Ebert is 6 foot 1 205 pounds. Ebert has better size than Ryan Murray.
Awareness: Nick Ebert has outstanding offensive awareness. He models his offensive awareness after his favorite player who happens to be Los Angeles Kings defender Jack Johnson.
Ebert’s defensive awareness is improving looking sharper each game. If his defensive awareness comes close to matching his offensive awareness then Ebert could solidify his status as a top 5 pick.
Hockey IQ: Nick Ebert was mentored by veteran defenseman Ryan Ellis when he first joined the Winsdor Spitfires. Nick Ebert has taken everything he learned from Ellis and applied to his game. Now things are finally coming through for Ebert as the 2012 NHL Draft approaches.
Intangibles: Ebert has the offensive intangibles are off the charts.
Shooting Power: Nick Ebert knows how to fire slap shots and wrist shots with a lot of force and power. His shots also manage to be very precise and accurate at times.
Passing: Nick Ebert uses his passing ability to distribute the puck to open teammates.
Athleticism: Ebert has great athleticism on the ice. Ebert has the athletic ability of a two way defender despite lacking some of the defensive intangibles of a defensive defenseman.
Skating Ability: Nick Ebert is a phenomenal skater. Just good skating ability.
Production: Nick Ebert played well today against the Sarnia Sting. While other defenders finished with a minus ratio in the plus minus chart, Ebert had a +1 ratio.
In 64 games last season Ebert tallied 11 goals, 30 assists, and 41 points for the Windsor Spitfires.
Potential: Nick Ebert has the potential to develop into a line 1 defenseman. He may not have the upside to develop into a #1 defenseman who anchors the line 1 unit. Ebert will be more of a #2 defenseman on a line 1 unit.
Cons
Line 2 Talent: Nick Ebert is a line 2 talent at this point. He is playing on the 2nd line for Windsor’s defense.
Discipline: You watch video’s of Ebert you will see him picking fights with other OHL players. I don’t think Ebert has any anger issues of any sort. I just think its odd that a player with Ebert’s talent is not a captain or an assistant captain. Craig Duininck is a 2012 4th round prospect and he is an alternate captain instead of Ebert. I just find that to be very strange.
Ebert is clearly physically disciplined if you look at his game play on the ice. Ebert may not be that mentally disciplined because I really wonder why Ebert is not an assistant captain over Craig Duininck another 2012 NHL Draft prospect on Windsor who does not provide as much as Ebert.
NHL Ready: Ebert clearly is not NHL Ready at this stage. He needs to mature into a line 1 defender becoming more mentally disciplined from a defensive aspect.
Ebert could end up being the best defender in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft if he manages to accomplish this task.
My thoughts on Nick Ebert
Ebert has more promise than Ryan Murray. The thing is Ebert is not mentally disciplined to rival Murray for the top defenseman spot in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Ebert will end up being a Jack Johnson, Ryan Ellis, Alex Goligoski line 1 type offensive defender where he can be the #2 defender on your line 1 defensive unit. Nick Ebert will provide an offensive spark for your first line giving your team a chance to win every night. Ebert is not the kind of defender who can carry the first line on his shoulders from a defensive aspect the #1 defender on the blue line. Johnson is not a top notch defender in this league like Chara, Weber, Doughty, or Victor Hedman.
I am not saying Nick Ebert will bust. I think Ebert will manage to prove himself it just might take him a little longer to adjust to the NHL. All I believe is that maybe a team should draft Ebert in the top 10 rather than taking a chance on him in the top 5. The Hurricanes drafted Jack Johnson in the top 5 and then traded him to the Los Angeles Kings.
Jack Johnson is making huge strides as an offensive defender now coming off a 42 point season while playing in 82 games. The thing is Johnson had 2 straight seasons of 11 points before he broke out with 36 points in the 2009-2010 NHL Season.
Ebert will need that exact type of time to develop. Will a team have the patience like the Los Angeles Kings did to watch Ebert maximize his potential?
