As we turn the page and move outside of the top-10, Ryan Lin arrives as a reminder that there’s ample talent to be found outside of that top group in this year’s draft.
A well-rounded and highly cerebral defender, Lin put in a solid season in the WHL, rounding out a very successful junior career, before he shifts his sights to the NCAA next season. One of the top defensemen in this class, while he doesn’t have the size of some of these other top prospects, he makes up for it with the strength of his two-way game and maintains his position as one of the more intriguing of these high-skill modern defenders.
Pre-draft rankings
Ranked #19 by Elite Prospects
Ranked #12 by Sportsnet (Jason Bukala)
Ranked #21 by The Athletic (Corey Pronman)
Ranked #9 by Chris Peters (FloHockey)
Statistics
What’s there to like?
Lin is, in the broadest of strokes, a real effective two-way defender. His numbers on the season paint a clear picture of the level of offense that he brings in his game — scoring at over a point per game clip in the WHL as a defenseman is a nice little feat accomplished — and while that certainly makes for a nice bit of flash added to his game, it shouldn’t steal all of the attention away from what’s also quite a solid defensive foundation to his game.
Lin’s skating is a real hallmark of his game, and the strength of that element is what props up all the rest of it. His straight line speed is solid, but his four-way mobility, through his edgework and the strength of his pivots, in particular makes him so effective, as he’s able to stay up alongside opposing puck carriers without getting crossed up or flatfooted. He’s able to close in on opponents with ease, and he shows a real aggressiveness to step up for this in the neutral zone, looking to make a subtle pay to chip a puck away before that opponent has a chance to force an entry into their offensive zone. His awareness stands out here as well, and his ability to kill plays early might not make for highlight reel plays necessarily, but it makes him a consistent and dependable defender. He’s been listed by a number of pundits as the smartest defender in this draft class, and it’s hard not to see this as anything other than a very fair designation.
His decision making is, on the whole, is really sound — off-puck, his timing is good as he looks to get after puck carriers and take a proper angle to push them off, but when he has the puck, he’s cool and confident. Combining his overall mobility with that confidence in puck handling, Lin has also carved out a role as a dependable puck mover — he’s more than capable of stepping up and leading a rush all the way on his own, but in those moments when he elects to defer, his first pass being as crisp as it is allows his team to still move themselves up-ice with pace.
Lin’s offensive toolkit is notable, as we alluded to off the top, and while he doesn’t have that huge booming shot from the point, there’s a good level of finesse in his game — strength enough to get a shot through from distance, but the ability as well to activate in the offensive zone for his individual chances, as well as a dependability in distributing smoothly and with speed to his teammates in the offensive zone, while his mobility gives him a level of poise at holding the line at the top of the zone. But what’s particularly notable running alongside that bit — and indeed points to a real maturity in his game — is that for as much offense as he’s able to generate, he never seems to overdo it or extend himself, is able to keep those instincts reined in well enough to create some offensive pop without starting a fire on the defensive side. It’s a fine balance to strike, particularly for a young defender, but Lin has shown an ability already to thread that needle pretty tremendously.
What’s not to like?
As we’ve established, there’s a lot to like in the toolkit that Lin brings, and there’s a good projection there as a finesse type, effective modern defender. That said, the big thing that gets pointed to with him — and indeed will inform his ultimate place in a number of these pre-draft rankings — is his size. While not outright undersized (he’s still listed at 5’11 and 174 pounds, which isn’t downright small, per se) that is still undersized relatively speaking as a defenseman, a fine line that Flyers fans will have seen well emphasized as their NHL group has been filled out this season. It feels a little bit like splitting hairs — as an evaluator who isn’t overly fussed by this kind of thing — as this “lack of size” doesn’t seem to hinder him, or at least it hasn’t so far, but you’ll probably see him dinged in the rankings of some of the traditionalist evaluators who find themselves more size-preoccupied.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
This case is a particularly interesting one. On the one hand, the Flyers are notably in particular need of adding another high-end defenseman who can bring a well-rounded game for them, fitting in with the level of defense that they’ve been working to build up, while also supporting the growth in offense that they need, and particularly, hopefully help them shore up their power play from the point, and there’s a lot in Lin’s profile that might suggest that he could be that guy for them.
That all makes Lin an intriguing piece for them, but the other side of the coin is a big question about how much his size might hold him back in their estimation. The Flyers already have two key players in their defense group in Cam York and Jamie Drysdale who are a little on the undersized side, and adding a third undersized defender into that top-4 mix could make for a challenging puzzle. What’s more, it’s a good open question how a pick of Lin would jive with any drafting philosophy that they’re carrying over from last season, when they largely did prioritize adding size.
There’s still undoubtedly an effective player here, and if he’s the best player available on the board when they get to him, they shouldn’t hesitate to grab him and figure out the rest later, but there still is a point to be made about him potentially being a little redundant within their current player group.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
We’ve moved into the range in the draft where things really open up, as far as the projected order goes, and if things break in the way that some of those traditionalists are expecting, there’s a real chance that Lin could fall all the way down to the Flyers at 21. That said, there’s a safer bet in here that a team is willing to bet on his upside and nab him somewhere just out of the top-10. That doesn’t rule him out for the Flyers, still, though, and he remains a player that they have the capital to move up for, should they feel strongly that he’s their guy.
What scouts are saying
“Lin is a transitional defenceman and power-play quarterback. His ability to defend and escape pressure in small areas borders on elite. Lin is comfortable leading the rush on his own or joining as an extra layer. His shot volume increased this year and produced an uptick in goal scoring. Lin produced five goals in his rookie season in the WHL, but increased to 14 this past season. Overall, Lin contributed 14 goals and 43 assists this season for the Giants. His defending detail is evolving, but his effort was clear at the U18s. Lin played with more of a physical presence, as well as contributing his usual offence. He ended the tournament with one goal and five assists and an impressive plus-7. Lin will be taking his game to the college level next fall at Denver University.”
–Jason Bukala, Sportsnet
“Many wondered if Lin would choose the NCAA route this season – instead, he had a big season with the Vancouver Giants, where he registered more than 50 points for the second consecutive campaign. He’s now committed to the University of Denver, where he should immediately slip into a top-four spot and play a similar two-way role that Hobey Baker finalist Eric Pohlkamp possessed this year. While Lin is small, he’s definitely one of the most skilled defenders in this class. His decision-making is near the top, and he has the skating to burn guys. You put those together and it’s easy to understand why Lin has the puck so often. Teams seem to be softening up to smaller blueliners – they should be all-in on Lin.”
–Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
“Lin is a very smart defenseman. He has the high-end vision and poise to run an NHL power play and makes difficult passes at both ends of the ice. He’s a smaller defenseman, but plays hard and wins a surprising amount of battles for his size. His skating is fine, but it’s an issue for his frame, and his defense at the next level will be a question. He projects as a No. 4/5 defenseman.”
–Corey Pronman, The Athletic
Next, we welcome Oscar Hemming to the draft board — a sizable winger with some notable NCAA experience already under his belt.
“Hemming is a near-6-foot-4 winger who impressed on Finland’s first line at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, putting himself firmly on the map heading into this year. His draft year was a messy one, though. After getting drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the CHL Import Draft, the team announced at the end of August that he’d signed with them. He wasn’t able to play a game for them, though, because his club team, Kiekko-Espoo, wouldn’t release him from his contract despite requests from his parents and representatives. He then chose to play for Sherwood Park in the BCHL, who aren’t governed by Hockey Canada’s transfer rules, before ultimately not going there either, landing instead at Boston College for the second semester. That stalemate with his club and the Finnish federation kept him off of Finland’s U18 worlds team as well. It also complicated slotting him for a while because he’s also a late August birthday who’s one of the youngest players in the class, and his sample was small even entering this season.
He’s a big, strong, powerful player who stays around the puck, goes to the net and has some clear pro attributes. He has a pro release and strong skating that really builds into a head of steam and can make him a lot to handle when he drives down ice or to the net. He generated shots at a good clip in the NCAA (one goal on 34 of them for a 2.9 shooting percentage that he was probably owed more on) and finished with eight points in 19 games across a very respectable 16:25 per game for a 17-year-old. He had a few very impressive games in the NCAA and some others where he looked like he was still figuring out the surface and how to play with his linemates. He has clear appeal, and some observers felt he belonged in the top-10 conversation at different points for his sheer presence. I haven’t quite been able to get there and wonder a little about the IQ/playmaking, but his size and strength are very real and will translate.”
–Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
