Jon Merrill: 2010 NHL Draft Profile and Scouting Report

Jon Merrill, U.S. National Team Development Program

Position: Defenseman | Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight 198 lbs
FanHouse Ranking: No. 20 | Age: 18 | Hometown: Bighton, Michigan

More: Top 35 Prospects | Full 2010 NHL Draft Coverage

Jon Merrill 2009-10 Stats
	GP	Goals	Assists	Points
Regular Season	22	1	8	9

There is plenty of room in the NHL for guys like Jon Merrill. Like so many big defensemen in this draft class, Merrill is one of those guys who does a lot of stuff well. His size and skill level give him a bigger upside, but we haven't seen everything in his game just yet.

Merrill had a good run with the U.S. NTDP, but he still has to become a better skater and develop some more maturity to his overall game.

A couple years at the University of Michigan should be a huge boost to Merrill's ability. The Michigan program has developed a number of quality NHL players over the years, including defenseman Jack Johnson of the Los Angeles Kings. Merrill won't be that kind of player, in all likelihood, but he's big and strong and should compete well at the college level. His hockey sense is off the charts. It's like he can see the play developing three steps ahead of everyone else sometimes. That sense helps him make up a bit for not being a great skater.

There are some character concerns, as Merrill was suspended from his team earlier this year. While this might hurt his stock with some teams, there are no indications it did any serious long-term damage to his draft potential.