Cade Webber, who has committed to playing with the Penticton Vees this upcoming season, was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes at the NHL Entry Draft in Vancovuer on the weekend. (Photo courtesy of Twitter.com/nhlcanes)
Cade Webber (7th round, 216th overall)
Last but not least, I present you Massimo Rizzo. Aside from having a great name, Rizzo has equally inspiring skills. He’s got some offensive flair, and plays a heart-on-sleeve type game. He’s a hard worker, and has some leadership qualities.
Overall though, his offensive game hasn’t taken the next step this season like I was hoping it would. He’s basically exactly on par with his totals from last season, and against relatively weak competition in the BCHL it’s a bit of a cause for concern.
He’s got 19 goals in 39 games, along with 42 points for the Coquitlam Express. He’s a natural centerman, and has decent enough size at 5-10 180lbs at 18 years old. Rizzo was actually projected to be a mid-round pick, so Carolina was praised for drafted Rizzo as late as they did.
As far as a scouting report, Corey Pronman recently said this about Rizzo:
"“Rizzo has an interesting skill set. He’s got great hands, he skates well and can break open any given shift. He competes fine, too. I liked his hockey sense and vision in the BCHL. But at the World Jr. A Challenge, he really struggled to make plays, raising concerns about whether he can elevate at a better pace. His mediocre numbers [with Coquitlam] also don’t inspire confidence”"
Rizzo is a long ways away as a player. He’s committed to the University of North Dakota, where he’ll likely head next year to continue his development at the next level. He’ll likely need to use all four years of his eligibility there if he’s to have a chance at the NHL.
Projecting him in the NHL, I see Rizzo as a bottom-six, gritty, all-situations center assuming he can put his package together. The risk vs reward is very likeable for a seventh-round draft pick, but he looks like a player I wouldn’t hold out a ton of hope for.
Estimated NHL arrival: Very far in the future, if at all