The son of former NHL star Rod Brind’Amour, Skyler was one player who immediately caught my eye at the OHL Cup. He’s a big kid with a great frame to build on and he owns some solid fundamental skills. At 6-foot-1, Brind’Amour has good length and he uses it as an advantage in his attacks. His puck skills, especially in traffic, are very impressive showing very little panic. His on-ice reads were excellent identifying soft areas and playing to them. Brind’Amour plays an OHL-style of game using quick touches and can extend possession time with his confident puck handling abilities. He came into the tournament as an unknown for me but quickly climbed my draft rankings.

Skyler is the son of longtime NHLer, Rod Brind’Amour. This year Skyler spent his time with the US National development program but, he will be leaving them next year to join the Chilliwack Chiefs of the BCHL. Skyler is 6’2” but only weighs around 170 pounds, so he will need to continue to gain some weight. Like his father, Skyler is a two-way forward that plays a checking role. He is a very smart hockey player in his own end, and always makes the simple hockey play. While Brind’Amour is safe in his own zone, he will need to work on his offensive game if he wants to crack an NHL roster.

He’s got the familiar name, but Brind’amour plays a different style to his father Rod, who won a Cup with Carolina in 2006 and played in nearly 1500 NHL games. Skyler is a strong-skating forward who is competent in all three zones and has potential for more, especially when you consider his size. Brind’amour is a cerebral player who hustles, competes and displays occasional periods of dominance. He doesn’t have breakaway speed but is difficult to slow down once he reaches top speed.

• Ranked #122 by ISS Hockey
• Ranked #157 by NHL Central Scouting