Scouting Report
EVALUATED
Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
In my past viewings of the Titans, Lindsay and Perrier were the two standouts, and everyone else blended in a bit together, but throughout the showcase, two forwards made strong impressions, one of which was Stevens. Carter showed value in many situations, but the most was his play off the rush, especially his eagerness to attack the middle of the ice. So often, he'd be blazing down the wing using his speed, forcing defenders to give him a cushion, and then he'd drive to the center lane until defenders converged on him and then dish it off to his options on the flank. This combination of speed and willingness to use it to his advantage was Carter's leading value creator over the OHL showcase's two games. Stevens tallied a goal over the weekend, forcing a turnover in the neutral zone, walking in for a shot, and pouncing on his rebound to finish the sequence.
Scouting Report
EVALUATED Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
After the HEO OHL Showcase weekend, I wrote about how Stevens elevated his game relative to earlier in the year. Stevens was once again impactful, entering the offensive zone with control and threading passes to teammates in scoring positions. Using cross-ice passes, slip passes under defenders' sticks, and passes to the slot, Stevens successfully moved the puck to open teammates for quality shots on target. In addition, he was impactful at forcing turnovers in the neutral zone, winning back possession, which meshed well with his success upon entering the offensive third. When passing lanes weren't available, Stevens didn't hesitate to attempt to move to the middle of the ice, sometimes using slick puck moves to escape pressure and access the center lane.
Scouting Report
EVALUATED Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
Stevens was the one on the line who made the most impact. He was the main playdriver in transition, controlling play through the middle of the ice and sparking plenty of chances off the rush. All game long, Stevens crossed the offensive blueline and found ways to dish pucks off to teammates for scoring chances. Whether entering the zone and dropping it off or taking it wide and moving it across the zone, Carter gave his linemates quality scoring chances consistently. Much of this success stemmed from his crafty and tactical puck touches, which allowed him to move around checks and open up plenty of space to operate. This is how he created the Braydon Lindsay goal, using slick touches to take the puck wide around a defender and then slip it back to Lindsay, who fired it home. Stevens found the back of the net, picked up a puck in the net-front area, and quickly blasted it by the goaltender. He's only continued to impress in this second half of the season, so he's certainly one I'll be keeping a close eye on to see if he warrants a bump in my rankings now that he's been added.
Scouting Report
EVALUATED Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
The Steve Richey Tournament of Champions was when I really started to see Stevens turn the corner and take over. The main element that caught my eye was puck management and how tactical he was with the puck on his stick. Carter completed almost every transition with control, methodically dodging defenders in the neutral zone with a swift lateral move. It wasn't flashy, but smart and calculated touches were what Stevens leveraged to transport the puck up ice reliably. He really shined within the offensive zone, as he was easily the primary playmaker on the Titans. He constantly found ways to spot teammates in the slot area for quality scoring chances, typically off zone entries, after using a delay to buy time and space. In my last 5 or so viewings of the Titans, Stevens has been taking over more and more, leading to his recent inclusion in my latest rankings.
Scouting Report
EVALUATED Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
A few players have really jumped off the page to me in the second half of the season, and Stevens is near the top of that list. It wasn't the best I've seen the Titans play, but I still thought Stevens was their central bright spot. I thought he was the one moving the needle, driving play, and being the focal point of almost everything when he was on the ice. Especially in transition, he constantly used his smart and tactical puck touches to evade defenders and enter the offensive zone with control. Those same touches enabled Stevens in the offensive zone to attack the middle lane and have plenty of scoring chances from around the net after weaving in and out of checks. Through these sequences, Stevens was able to penetrate the middle lane all week long and easily led the Titans as an offensive creator. While his primary value was his play as a puck carrier, I also found he did a good job at finding open space, being in the right spot for passes or pouncing on loose pucks around the net. These moments showed Stevens' hands in tight and finishing skills, as he potted a handful of goals from in and around the net. Overall, it was a great week for Stevens and an excellent way to cap off his superb second half of the season and earn himself a decent bump on my final rankings.
Player Card
- All Data is derived via 5v5 per 60 minutes rate displayed in percentile format.
- Data Courtesy of In Slat.
SIGNED:
Guelph Storm
18/06/2024
TEAM PREDICTION
TIMELINE
- 2024
18/06/2024
Guelph Storm sign Carter Stevens
- 2024
12/04/2024
Guelph Storm select Carter Stevens at the 2024 OHL Priority Draft