Erik Gudbranson: 2010 NHL Draft Profile and Scouting Report

Erik Gudbranson, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

Position: Defenseman | Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight 195 lbs
FanHouse Ranking: No. 6 | Age: 18 | Hometown: Orleans, Ontario, CA

More: Top 35 Prospects | Full 2010 NHL Draft Coverage

Erik Gudbranson 2009-10 Stats
	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Regular Season	41	2	21	23
Playoffs	7	1	2	3

Multiple scouting reports I've read compare Gudbranson to Chris Pronger. Suspension jokes aside, this is quite the lofty praise for a kid who just turned 18 in January.

Gudbranson shouldn't be mistaken for a Cam Fowler type of player. Fowler's game is defined by his ability to see the play developing in front of him and move the puck to the right spot. Gudbranson's impact may come more without the puck than with it.

He wants to hit. He loves to hit.

Oh, and he's really good at it.

Of all the top defensemen in this draft, Gudbranson is the most physical. That doesn't mean he can't handle the puck. That's just not where his best work comes.

Gudbranson's physical play is known to most scouts, and his puck-handling skills show promise, though he's not as refined in that area.

Limited a bit by illness and injury in 2009-2010, Gudbranson may have missed out on a chance to pass Fowler and Gormley on most teams' draft boards. He's healthy now, and could make an impact at the upcoming combine.

Oh, and Gudbranson likes to hit.