Date of Birth: Feb. 11, 2005
Age: 18
Height: 6′
Weight: 173lbs
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Team: Barrie Colts (OHL)
Overview
Ranked #32 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #38 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #33 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #55 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
Ranked #48 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #94 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
Ranked #33 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #52 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
Ranked #47 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
Ranked #34 by SMAHT SCOUTING
Oh boy. Because we live in a hockey world where a phrase like the “eye test” is unironically meaningful to some, it’s refreshing to talk about a player whose projection is something of a figure-ground illusion. Does Beau Akey project to be the face (modern day shutdown defender), or the vase (depth defender/penalty killer)?
There’s a good chance he isn’t there when Dallas picks, but this is a very deep draft, and weirder things have happened. And most critically: I’m not sure we’ve figured what the modern shutdown defender really looks like (beyond just playing tape of Miro Heiskanen). So let’s talk about the maybe-shutdown defender from Waterloo.
Need-O-Meter
If you’re a draft nerd, you’ve probably seen this tweet.
Beau Akey, the smoothest rush defender in the #2023NHLDraft. No needless crossovers, pokes, or lunges. Controlled, precise, suffocating. By the numbers, he stopped the highest % of rushes against I’ve ever tracked for a DY player (400 players), fourth-highest overall (1800).
If Akey is what he’s advertised as — a shutdown defender who can’t miss on the rush — then why wouldn’t Dallas pick him if he’s available? He’s a right shot, which makes him perfect next to Heiskanen or Harley in the future. You could argue that Dallas has already drafted a players like Akey for some time between Lian Bichsel, and Artyom Grushnikov. And indeed those are good comparables. But Akey is way better than at least one of them.
(These are relatively small sample sizes so this is not a shot at Grushnikov, who I like but the draft itself is a small sample size in the grand scheme of things.)
His rush defense is exactly as advertised. He’s agile enough to follow the attacker’s route, so whether the strongside is going into the interior or exterior of the ice, Akey will be there. His stickwork reminds me of Miro Heiskanen, and I don’t say that with any reluctance whatsoever. He’s got an array of Street Fighter moves at his disposal, being able to jab, poke, sweep, and deflect. But like Heiskanen, these moves don’t work without expert body positioning first and foremost. Also like Heiskanen, his defensive work doesn’t go to waste. Defense often gets stereotyped as a passive act, but nothing could be further from the truth. Akey is happy to enjoy the spoils of puck war, making himself open for the counterrush, and displays a booming shot to put a bow on the transition from defense to offense.
What I like about Akey’s potential here is that he’s not just some defensive zone player. He’s got some real transition ability, and can generate offense on his own. As an aside ,I’ll never understand Dallas’ willingness to let their best defenders play with partners who are completely absent of certain talents as if a little redundancy (i.e. the guy next to Heiskanen actually taking the weight off Miro’s offensive shoulders and creating offense of his own) will hurt or something. Make no mistake: Akey would instantly be Dallas’ best defensive prospect behind Bichsel.
BPA-O-Meter
What’s interesting about Akey is that for a player who is so good defending at full speed, his defensive zone play is a little less stellar (something you see in the data when it comes to puck retrievals). He’s a very agile skater, but I wouldn’t describe him as particularly fast, which is odd for his size (this was true of Julius Honka too: super agile skater, but his lack of acceleration really screwed with his sense of pace as he made the jump from junior to pro). He’s got a gallop to his game, but he chugs a bit too much with his first few steps, limiting his ability to accelerate out of trouble or in transition (something that also shows up in the data in terms of overall transition ability).
Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot to like. A lot. But being able to defend the rush is just one aspect of defending. It’s a crucial aspect (certainly more than being able to block shots or throw hits), and that shouldn’t be downplayed. But it does leave me wanting a little; especially for a player of his size.
The other thing is his offense. To me, a defender with a big shot is just house money. But a defender who can pass: that’s the stuff of sustainable offense.
Good pick — Bad Pick?
I’m not totally convinced of Akey’s defensive genius. (Granted, nobody is actively making this case.) But this is pick #61. If there weren’t any doubts about his game, he’d be going in the first round. In that context, I think this would be a good pick. The way he photographs each play, how his head is always on a swivel, and the fact that he’s willing to be assertive in all three zones makes him excellent value added if Dallas takes him.
Beyond that, I think there is something to mastering rush defense at his age. It’s so hard just to master one aspect of defending; for him to have that part figured out is, to me, kind of a big deal. There will be plenty of diamonds in the offensive rough in the later rounds. A true blue modern day shutdown defender on the other hand…that’s a rare creature.