The Gifted: Gabe Vilardi and the Art of Being Effective Without Being Noticed... by Wheeler
Before he fell to the Kings at 11th overall in 2017, he spent the most of the year ranked at No. 4 and No. 5 on my draft board. His Memorial Cup performance was some of the best hockey I’ve ever seen a 17-year-old play on that stage, and was chief among the reasons I was as surprised when he fell out of the top-10 a few weeks later at the draft. On a talented Windsor team that featured Jeremy Bracco, Logan Brown, and Mikhail Sergachev, among others, Vilardi was, far and away their best player despite not scoring a single goal...But you quickly learn, when you dig a little deeper, that Vilardi’s game is about the details...One of the bigger strengths of Vilardi’s game is his defensive play...What stands out isn’t how aggressive he is in pursuit (Vilardi isn’t a particularly strong skater but it doesn’t prevent him from getting in on the forecheck) but rather what he does after he finishes his check behind the net. A lot of players would stop moving there. Vilardi stays in motion and makes sure he gets to the front of the net to get a piece before the shot gets through...Sometimes, the little plays he makes are easily missed...He’s also just plain strong, and for every battle he wins with his stick, he wins another with body positioning and strength...Over the course of a game, these little plays add up...Because he always has his feet moving, despite his size, Vilardi also draws a lot of penalties...He rotates aggressively towards the wall to make himself available as a pass option, even if it takes him away from the slot, and Vilardi employs that again, and again...Offensively, Vilardi also has some quirks to his game that allow him to make plays — but they aren’t the kind of quirks that
look like they’re high-end skills. The first is his ability to protect the puck...The ability to handle the puck while skating with a variety of strides/on a variety of edges, allows him to remain a cycle protection threat in tight spaces too...Those puck skills, matched with his strength, his playmaking, and his ability to get into open space also make Vilardi a versatile option on the powerplay...Most of all, you’ll see a player who attacks and then makes quick decisions. There’s no hesitation. When he curls towards the slot, it’s to make the next play...Vilardi’s biggest offensive weapon has become his shot...he has developed a technique in his shot that allows him to remain elusive and unpredictable...Vilardi’s curl and drag allows him to create uncomfortable angles for goalies off of set-pieces and faceoffs too...You’re left with a kid who makes plays without breaking anyone’s ankles with a deke or burning them wide with speed. You’ve got a centre who’s as responsible in his own zone as he is with the puck in the other team’s. You’ve got a versatile power-play threat. You’ve got a big kid who protects the puck well and handles it effectively in tight. And you’ve got a player who gets into open space without wasting it, and works hard to close down on another player’s when he doesn’t have any.
All of those things sound like a modern, possession-driving, in-control NHL centre.
The Gifted: Kings prospect Gabe Vilardi and the art of being...
