2022 Flames Second Round Targets: Devin Kaplan

Kaplan has all the tools to become a reliable two-way winger for any NHL team that takes a chance on him. The major flaws in Kaplan’s game, however, are his poor skating and slow pace. Kaplan has been the perfect complementary winger for the USNTDP this year. He relies on his strong hockey sense to find the soft areas of the ice and exploit them before the opposition realizes he’s open. At times, he compensates for his lack of foot speed by positioning himself to be the trailer on an offensive fast break. Another strong area of Kaplan’s game is in the trenches. With his big frame, he invites competition along the boards and outmuscles opponents for contested pucks. Once he wins those battles, he often looks to start the cycle to provide his teammates scoring opportunities.

I say this because, for instance, let’s take the eye test: he’s 6’3, moves well, has a motor defensively, has really good puck skill/transitional ability/passing ability, has a great brain, and uses his size to be physical. I would describe him, without data, as the type of player I’d expect administrators in the NHL to drool over. With data? My goodness is Kaplan just screaming upside. So many great indicators outside of his point total including shot differentials, work rates, passing data, transition data, and defensive blue line data in my data set. Even better microstats with some of the public sphere scouts who have tracked Kaplan as well.

There are moments when you watch Kaplan and wonder how he isn’t a first-round talent. His size and skill combination are excellent traits. The issue is that he lacks consistency and sometimes the compete level wanes. The talent is there, though, and I think a patient team could be rewarded as he progresses. I think he could be a real mid-round sleeper this year.