Sean Day was granted "exceptional" status – following in the footsteps of John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid – to play in the OHL as a 15-year-old.
Now that it's his NHL draft year – Day turns 18 on Jan. 9 – Day has been afforded "exceptionally interesting" status by the scouts who turn out in droves to watch him and his (draft eligible) talent-laden Mississauga Steelheads team.
"I'd like to get all the scouts in one room and hear what they have to say about (Day) because I really think you would get everything from A to Z on this kid," an NHL team head scout said. "He's the most interesting prospect we've seen in a long time."
What's become clear is that in Day's case, the "exceptional" status bestowed on him has effectively expired. That is, in this instance, as opposed to those of Tavares, Ekblad and McDavid, Day isn't going to be first overall in his NHL draft year. He wasn't even first overall – he went fourth to Mississauga – in his OHL draft year.
Mind you, as the young man himself has noted, the technical definition of "exceptional" is whether a 15 year old is suited to play junior hockey a year earlier than normal. Day accomplished that. He's not going to fare well in comparisons to NHL No. 1 overall picks Tavares, Ekblad and McDavid, who have continued to be exceptional in every sense of the word.
Fair enough, but the 6-foot-3, 230-pound (that's his height and weight from the Steelheads' website) defenceman remains exceptionally interesting.
He showed up to Hockey Canada's Under-18 camp this past summer weighing 248 pounds. He did not earn a spot on Canada's roster for the Ivan Hlinka tourney, virtually unheard of for a seemingly high-end prospect. But he's also one of the most powerful and gifted skaters ever seen in any draft year.
On any given night, when NHL scouts show up to see elite Top 10 draft talent on the Steelheads (Michael McLeod and Alex Nylander), Day alternately wows them and terrifies them, often on the same shift.
Here's a sampling of the scouts' comments:
"NHL size, NHL skater, NHL passer, NHL shooter, limited hockey sense," one said.
"He skates so well, passes the puck like a pro, he has so much poise, there is a lot to like," said another scout. "There's also lot not to like. Is he in shape? Probably not. Does he lack urgency in his game? Yes. I'd really like to put this kid under the microscope to see what makes him tick. He's only 17 years old."
"Incredible tools," a third scout said. "He can make the game look easy and then makes it incredibly difficult. Horrible body language when not used the way he wants to be. Does he love the game? Lots of questions but he has NHL assets galore."
It's far too early to say when Day will be drafted. Some scouts have already said they wouldn't take him at all – too many red flags – but a flash poll of scouts puts Day's early-season consensus in the 20 to 40 range. That is, gifted enough to be a first-round pick but far from being a lock to go in the top 30.
