If you’ve been following OTF for a while now, you’ve seen Eric’s amazing prospect reports every year; he does a great job breaking down a prospect’s skills and where they should fall in the draft. What I want to do with this series is take a look at some of my favorite prospects from another angle: how would they fit into Nashville’s prospect pool? I’ll look at things like star probability, underlying numbers, and what I think of a player from the film I’ve watched to give you all the reasons why you, as a fan, should be hoping to hear their name on draft day.
For my sixth (and likely final) player in this series, I’ll be looking at Dawson Mercer, a 6’0”, 179 lb. right winger from the Chicoutimi Sagueneéns in the QMJHL. Mercer is an extremely intelligent and well-rounded player, boasting above average offensive skill across the board—most notably in his silky hands. However, the young winger has been tagged with a few question marks, chief among them his skating, that will likely make him available in the range of the 11th overall pick.