Taylor Raddysh

Aaron Vickers

Raddysh is that big, powerful winger who also possesses soft hands for a player of his size and playing style. He generates just average speed, but is not slow by any means. He is balanced on his feet and hard to knock off the puck; he can carry the puck into the zone, as well as play a dump-and-chase game in which he then uses his solid frame to get the puck and look to make plays. Raddysh uses his size and free arm to shield and protect the puck as he drives down low and through traffic. He has this ability to squeeze through a lane and separate from his check just enough to unload a quick-release shot with no real transfer of his weight or windup, and fully doing so with a man on his tail and no thought of doing anything else but shooting to score. The kid possesses impressive offensive instincts and has a knack for controlling the middle of the ice both with and without the puck. When entering the zone as the second or third man in, he does a great job of getting in position to be a passing option. Defensively, he sticks to his check and adapts to the play very well, making him reliable. His playing style won’t jump off the page as he doesn’t make really flashy plays, but he brings a consistent game on each shift. And NHL teams really like consistency.   (May 2016)