Toronto Maple Leafs 2017 NHL Draft Preview: No. 9 Owen Tippett
By Austin Owens
As the Toronto Maple Leafs and the rest of the NHL prepare for the draft, we look at Owen Tippett, who has solidified himself in the top 10 as the best pure shooter of this class.
The 2016 draft had several headlining players that controlled the main portion of the coverage in North America. This was particularly true north of the border, as the Toronto Maple Leafs and every other Canadian team failed to reach the playoffs.
This summer will be a different story. Further, there has been a lot of movement in the draft rankings over the course of the season.
On Sunday, we profiled Timothy Liljegren. Today, we cover Owen Tippett, who is the ninth-ranked prospect on our board.
Tippett was taken by the Mississauga Steelheads with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 OHL Priority Selection.
He had a decent rookie campaign, with 20 points. He was lower on the depth chart behind 2016 picks Nathan Bastian and Alex Nylander.
This season, Tippett had a great showing, potting 45 goals. He also bettered his previous high in assists (five) by 26.
Owen Tippett loses then regains possession by kicking the puck to his stick, taking it to the slot & scoring on the backhand. #2017NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/bpYNlQss4g
— Kat (@msconduct) May 13, 2017
Here’s what Future Considerations had to say about Tippett:
"A strongly built, scoring winger who possesses that natural scorer’s touch…he gets to the right areas of the ice both with and without the puck and has the pro-type shot and release to bury it…he is strong and shifty with the puck, protecting it well as he moves through traffic…gets around the ice well, showing quick jump acceleration to generate space and speed coming down the ice on the rush, and he shows agility and balance on his fee"
Tippett led the Steelheads in scoring this season and helped them to the second-best record in the OHL Eastern Conference.
The Steelheads had a great run in the playoffs. They made it all the way to the J. Ross Robertson Cup Final against Erie, where they were eliminated in five games.
Tippett had a solid playoff run, averaging just under a point per game. He’ll have bragging rights over his cousin — 2015 second-rounder Mitchell Stephens —as the highest draft pick in their family.
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What’s your take on Tippett? Do you agree with the current projection that he will be drafted ninth overall, or is this too high or low? Further, what kind of career are you predicting for him in the NHL? Share your thoughts in the comments section.