Spencer Sova – Erie Otters – Player Profile

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’	185	1-10-2004	D	Left	8th – 2020	B – November	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Under-15	Honeybaked Under-15	57	19	38	57
2020-21	Under-16	Honeybaked Under-16	3	0	0	0
2020-21	OHL	DID NOT PLAY

When it comes to Erie Otters defenceman Spencer Sova, there are varying mentions when it comes to his size. While some have him at 6-feet there are plenty that list him at 6-foot two-inches. If you go by NHL Central Scouting and the Ontario Hockey League, he is listed at 6-feet and 185 pounds and that is what we will go by here, even if my untrained eye says differently. Now that we got that out of the way…

While there are no future NHL franchise blueliners in the draft class, there are a handful that are very intriguing and Sova is one of them.

What stands out first with Sova is his skating. He is a smooth skating defenceman who has speed to burn. Offensively, he can make you pay with that speed by jumping up into the play and winning the race. Defensively, he uses that speed to close gaps and break up plays at his blueline, the neutral zone and surprisingly at the oppositions blueline to keep plays in the O-zone. And his edgework should not be overlooked and could be the best in the draft class. There are no flaws in his technique or mechanics.

In his own zone, Sova has all the tools to be a one-man breakout. He can make the stretch pass or he has all the tools necessary to skate it out on his own. However, and this may be a coaching decision when it comes to system, Sova along with his fellow blueliners are a safer bunch of chips it out and get to work type. To me, it doesn’t appear that he has the green light.

Whatever the case may be, Sova has some work to do in his own zone and again, you can say that about any blueliner at this stage. While the skating is that good that it can mask some of the issues it will just come to making better decisions with and without the puck in his zone. He’s shown improvement and I think his hockey sense is high enough that it all comes down to gaining experience.

Offensively, his production probably isn’t where it was expected to be at this point, but again the tools are there. His vision is very good, he can make a pass, he can create lanes with his skating and can delay the play with the puck on his stick to allow plays to develop. He is creating opportunities for his teammates but puck just isn’t finding the back of the net. He has a howitzer of a shot but he misses the target to many times. If he can get his accuracy to a better spot and not always shoot to blow it past netminders a.k.a shooting with a purpose, it will be just another tool in the chest for him.  

Fairly or unfairly, Sova is compared to former Otter Jamie Drysdale. But in fairness, Drysdale possesses tools that Sova is lacking and vice versa.

A strong second half could see Sova climb up some rankings.