David Goyette – Sudbury Wolves – Player Profile

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
5’11	174	3-27-2004	C	L	11th 2020	35 N/A	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2018-19	HEO U-15	Eastern Ontario Wild	30	43	51	94
2019-20	Under-15	Selects Academy	65	49	104	153
2020-21	NCDC	P.A.L. Junior Islanders	4	3	3	6

When it comes to David Goyette of the Sudbury Wolves, the consensus is (at this point) that he will hear his name called very early in the second round at the 2022 National Hockey League Draft. Smaht Scouting has him the highest at 31^st.

Goyette has done nothing but produce at every level he has played at. Even in the Ontario Hockey League, he has 19 goals and 23 assists through 43 games to date. What makes those stats even more remarkable is that he’s doing it on a young Wolves team that consists of no less then 10 draft eligible players on the ice on any given night. He easily leads his team in goals and points and has a slim lead in assists.

Goyette is truly an electrifying skater and if he’s not the best skater in the draft class, he has to be top-2. His speed, first steps, edgework, starts-and-stops are a treat to watch. More importantly, he is an elite skater with the disc.

I’m not going to dive to deep about his offensive abilities because it speaks for itself. That said, he has the willingness to take on defenders one-on-one but he also has the ability to beat them. But this is where size comes into question. At 5’11” and just 174 pounds, if you can catch him, you can knock him off the puck and create turnovers. Obviously at this stage, he’s not finished developing physically and adding some bulk to his frame will certainly help him in this area.

Attacking the offensive zone, he can put defenders on their heels with his skating and that allows him to gain the zone with relative ease. Without the puck, he always seems to find open areas of the ice and make himself an option. With the puck, he can find lanes to set up linemates, but he’s also willing to go to the net with the puck. He can sometimes skate into trouble but he has the ability to elude defenders with his stickhandling. He has shown he has excellent playmaking abilities and vision, but he doesn’t always make the right decision. If he can improve on that aspect, it will only make him a more dangerous offensive threat.

Goyette has a decent shot and is currently firing at a 16.9% shooting percentage. He plays in all situations and is a threat on the PK. He will need to work on his faceoffs which is currently at 49.3%. He appears to be a coachable player and is learning the defensive game on the fly. There’s a ways to go there, but the effort is showing through.