Here are my thought on Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers from May 23rd, 2011.

TEAM:            DRUMMONDVILLE VOLTIGEURS

LEAGUE:        QMJHL

POSITION:   CENTRE

BORN:            DEC 7, 1992            

HEIGHT:        6’3’’   

WEIGHT:       192 LBS.

SHOOTS:       LEFT  

NUMBER:       #7

2010-11 STATS:

*denotes team leader

**denotes league leader

	REGULAR SEASON	PLAYOFFS
GAMES PLAYED	58	10
GOALS	36	6*
ASSISTS	60*	5
POINTS	96*	11*
PLUS/MINUS	55*	3
PIM	36	14
PPG	9
PTS/GAME	1.66	1.1
SHG	4
FO%	54% (1430)

STRENGTHS:

1.  PUCK PROTECTION

2.  ELITE SHOT AND PASSING ABILITIES

3.  EXCELLENT VISION

WEAKNESSES & AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

1.  NEEDS TO IMPROVE FIRST FEW SKATING STRIDES

2.  NEEDS TO FIND THAT SECOND GEAR TO BURN DEFENDERS

3.  SHOT SELECTION, QUALITY MORE THAN QUANTITY

 SKILL CATEGORY:

TWO WAY CENTRE

SCOUTING REPORT:

COUTURIER WAS ONE OF SEVERAL PLAYERS WHO WAS FLIRTING WITH THE FIRST OVERALL RANKING LEADING UP TO THIS SEASON.  HE’S BEEN ON SCOUTS RADARS SINCE HE WAS DRAFTED 2^ND OVERALL IN THE QMJHL DRAFT.  AFTER SPENDING HIS ROOKIE SEASON DEVELOPING WITH GUY BOUCHER AND PUTTING UP 31 POINTS, HE NOW HAS BACK TO BACK 96 POINTS SEASONS.  HE LOST TWO TOP LINE MATES AND STILL MATCHED LAST YEAR POINTS TOTALS IN TEN LESS GAMES.  HE IS A COMPLETE PLAYER AND A BONAFIDE TOP FIVE PICK.

COUTURIER IS AN ELITE TALENT WHO CAN PLAY BOTH LEFT WING AND CENTRE.  HE EXCELS OFFENSIVELY AND IS A VERY RESPONSIBLE DEFENSIVE PLAYER. HE USES HIS SIZE AND STRENGTH TO HIS ADVANTAGE AND DOMINATES ALONG THE BOARDS.  HE HAS TREMENDOUS REACH AND DRIVES THE NET TO SCORE.

HE IS A HORSE IN THE FACEOFFS CIRCLE WITH OVER 1400 FACEOFFS TAKEN AND WON 54% OF THEM.  HE HAS AMAZING VISION AND AN NHL CALIBRE PASS AND SHOT.  HE IS TOP THREE IN ALMOST EVERY MAJOR OFFENSIVE CATEGORY AMONGST QMJHL ELIGIBLE PLAYERS.

HE’S A VERY DURABLE AND CONSISTENT PLAYER. HE HAD LIMITED LAGS IN PRODUCTION OVERALL AND SHOWED FATIGUE IS NOT AN ISSUE AS HE AVERAGED OVER A POINT A GAME IN THE SECOND GAME OF BACK TO BACKS THIS SEASON. (23 GAMES)

COUTURIER HAS ALREADY OBTAINED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE IN HIS YOUNG CAREER. HE LED HIS TEAM TO THEIR FIRST EVER QMJHL PRESIDENTS CUP AND MEMORIAL CUP IN 2009, PLAYED ON CANADA’S WORLD JUNIOR TEAM IN 2011, PLAYED ON U-17 TEAM ATLANTIC AND HAS ALSO MADE THE PLAYOFFS EVERY YEAR HE’S PLAYED IN THE QMJHL.

ALL THOUGH HE IS A TOP END PROSPECT, COUTURIER DOES HAVE SOME AREAS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT.  HE IS A GOOD SKATER BUT NEEDS TO IMPROVE HIS FIRST FEW STRIDES AND ACCELERATION.  HE ALSO SEEMS TO LACK THAT EXTRA GEAR TO BURN A DEFENDER ON THE OUTSIDE.  HE TAKES LOTS OF SHOTS BUT HE NEEDS TO BE SELECTIVE AND THINK QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.  HE ALSO NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO ADAPT AND CHANGE HIS GAME IF A TEAM IS SHUTTING HIM DOWN.