Kings draft Gabriel Vilardi 11th overall
The Los Angeles Kings drafted center Gabriel Vilardi with the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft on Friday.
Gabriel Vilardi
Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 192 lbs
Age: 17
Club: Windsor (OHL)
Nationality: Canadian
| GP | G | A | P | ES GPG | ES PPG | ES GF% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 29 | 32 | 61 | 0.35 | 0.78 | 58.14 |
(Even-strength stats courtesy: prospect-stats.com)
Despite a 2016-17 plagued by injury and sickness - a bad knee and bout of appendicitis forced him to miss 19 regular-season games - Vilardi was able to register 61 points and maintain a top-five North American draft ranking throughout the year, according to NHL Central Scouting.
Vilardi is strong on the puck and offensively gifted, doing his best work down low and around the net. Vilardi uses his large frame to his advantage, according to Elite Prospects, but he can also play the finesse game, distributing the puck well by utilizing his great hands and soft touch around the net.
His main criticism surrounds his skating and lack of speed. However, Vilardi moves exceptionally well for a big man and should have little issue translating his game to the up-tempo pace of the NHL.
Regardless, his impressive showing at the Memorial Cup, where he posted seven assists in four games for the Windsor Spitfires, cemented Vilardi as a top prospect with NHL scoring potential.