Washington Capitals 2017 NHL Draft Profile: Adam Dawe

Another undersized 2017 NHL Draft prospect the Washington Capitals should look at is Adam Dawe from the Notre Dame Hounds.

Despite what many people think, there are more junior options out there then going to Canada or the USHL. Many leagues are starting to gain respectability. One of them is the SJHL (Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League), of which the Notre Dame Hounds are members. Adam Dawe is a product of the team, growing through their program starting in midgets. The Washington Capitals should take interest in him.

Dawe has two strikes against him, which should cause him to fall in the draft. First of all, he’s from a relatively new league. The SJHL is growing, but it’s nowhere close to the QMJHL, WHL, OHL or even the USHL. Secondly, and more importantly, Dawe is tiny. He’s listed at 5’8″ and 161 pounds. Whether it’s fair or not, this should affect his ranking enough to where the Capitals can reasonably expect him to be available in the fourth round, when they’ll pick first.

Prospect Profile

Height: 5’8″
Weight: 160 pounds
Junior team: Notre Dame Hounds
Position: Right Wing/Center
Shoots: Right-handed
Birthday: Jan. 18, 1999
Ranking: N/A
Nationality: Canada

All information is courtesy of Hockey Draft Central.

2016-17 Stats

Games	Goals	Assists	Points	Penalty Minutes
54	19	45	64	88

Stats via EliteProspects

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STRENGTHS: Dawe is a creative player with the puck. He’s more comfortable passing it, but his shot is lethal enough to make teams pay if they take him lightly. Despite his size, Dawe is very feisty and competitive. He doesn’t back down from fights and can hold his own against larger competition. Dawe’s scoring ability has a lot of potential and he’s very strong with the puck despite his size.

He’ll be attending the University of Maine next season. This should set him up for a solid three year development plan with one of the better college hockey teams in the United States.

WEAKNESES: His overall game needs improvement. Defensively, Dawe needs to have better positioning because he won’t be able to rely on being physical. He tends to get a little bit too fancy at times, going with the perfect play rather than the smart one.

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Hot Take

Another guy the Capitals should look at. Just like Yaroslav Alexeyev, this is a forward who has skills NHL teams have yet to value in the NHL Draft. Yet, the league itself values these skills. Dawe is a very raw player, so admittedly there is a lot of risk in drafting him. However, the reward is even higher than his risk.