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There’s a big American kid playing for the Windsor Spitfires that has been rocketing up draft lists in the second half of the season. When I say big, I mean huge – Logan Brown is already 6’6 and may still be growing.  Brown has the potential to develop into the big, dynamic centre that every team in the NHL craves, including the Canadiens. Many of the experts have the Habs grabbing Brown with the ninth selection, and it appears they could do a lot worse. That said, Montreal needs goals and Brown is more a set-up man than a sniper so there may be better options to fit their needs.

Bio

Centre
DOB: March 5, 1998; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Height: 6’6.25
Weight: 220

Rankings

CSB: 7 (North American Skaters)
ISS: 7
TSN-McKenzie: 13
TSN-Button: 7
McKeens: 13
Hockey Prospect: 7
Future Considerations: 12
The Hockey News: 14

Statistics

Scouting Report

Most scouting reports on Brown start with his size – he’s a tough guy to knock off the puck and has excellent reach already, and he still seems to have room to grow. He’s a good skater, especially for a guy that big, and sports tremendous vision and hockey sense. If he can put it all together the team that picks him could end up with the kind of player that is among the hardest to find – a big, talented top-six centre that can distribute the puck.  Logan also comes from a hockey background, his father is former NHL defenceman Jeff Brown, who played over 700 games in the NHL and piled up 498 points from the back end.

The major drawbacks on Brown appear to be his lack of readiness to play in the NHL – he isn’t someone you pick for today, but rather what you hope he could be. Despite his size he’s not all that strong as of yet (his father encouraged him to not do any weightlifting for fear it might stunt his growth) and actually lacks a physical component to his game. He’ll certainly need some time to pack on the muscle and hopefully develop a bit of a mean streak.

Timeline

While Brown is huge, he definitely needs some time before he’ll be ready to step into an NHL lineup. This will allow him to add some bulk to his massive game and also refine his defensive game, which is a must for top six centres in today’s NHL. He’ll most likely need at least one, if not two, more years in junior – so it could be three or four years before we would see Brown in a Habs jersey. With this team likely in “win-now” mode, Brown may not be a fit given his projected development time.