Cole Perfetti could follow the two-way center mold that made the Red Wings great

Paul Boyer

• 2 min read Front Page

Over the next few weeks leading up to the draft I’ll be taking an in depth look at the prospects who should still be available at 4th overall for the Red Wings to select this year.

Just an update for those who don’t already know: The draft was scheduled to take place on June 26-27 but due to complications from Covid-19 it has been rescheduled and will be held virtually from October 6-7. As previously discussed, the Detroit Red Wings will have the 4th overall selection.

Getting to Know the Prospects Detroit Could Take 4th Overall: Lucas Raymond

Up next:

Cole Perfetti

Birthdate: January 1, 2002

Place of Birth: Whitby, Ontario

Age: 18

Height: 5’10

Weight: 177 lbs

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

2019-2020 League: Ontario Hockey League (OHL)

2019-2020 Team: Saginaw Spirit

2019-2020 Stats: 111 Points (37 G, 74 A) in 61 GP

Final NHL Central Scouting Ranking: #5 among North American Skaters

Analysis:

Perfetti is a fantastic playmaker, has good scoring ability, and possesses elite hockey IQ. Unlike most prospects, Perfetti doesn’t have stand out skills in one single area of his game, rather, he is well rounded and excels in all aspects which allows him to have the potential to be a strong 2-way center in the NHL if he can develop properly.

Perfetti’s most glaring weakness is his skating ability. With the way the style of play has developed in today’s NHL he won’t go on to be an elite NHL center if he can’t get the lead out of his wheels throughout his development.

Regardless of his skating, his floor is extremely high because he is so sound in all other areas of the game with his most important tool being his hockey IQ. Perfetti is able to slow the game down and open up the ice for himself because he knows where to be with and without the puck. This trait is probably the most important on the road to becoming a high end NHL center.

NHL Comparison: Sean Couturier, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Stats:

Bonus Statistic:

Highlights:

Who do you think Detroit should take in this year’s draft? Leave your thoughts in the comments below and make sure to come back to check out more draft profiles of players who could put on the Winged Wheel come October 6th that include:

Lucas Raymond

Jamie Drysdale

Marco Rossi

Alexander Holtz

Jake Sanderson

Anton Lundell