Scouting Report
EVALUATED 14/05/2024
Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
After what I thought was a masterful performance at the Atlantic Championships earlier in the month of April, Walters competitive and effective two-way game once again caught my attention amongst his peers. There aren’t many players better than Walters along the boards in the offensive zone in this year’s class. His ability to anticipate pressure and perform a quick cut towards the opposite direction allows him to create space for himself in the offensive zone and generate chances off the cycle for his team. His proclivity to attack the center off the ice from off the boards is a testament to his willingness to withstand contact to make things happen on the offensive side of things. Combine this with an underrated set of hands, and Walters might be one of the better players in this class at making something out of nothing in condensed areas of ice. He defends physically in his own zone as well, often using his body to rub out puck-carriers along the boards and isn’t afraid to put himself into shooting lanes to block shots. The playmaking and straight-line speed are still question marks, even if I believe that Walters has shown me that his strengths as a player far outweigh his weaknesses.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 28/04/2024 Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
It took until the third period for Walters to really find his game, but once he did it was nearly impossible for Team Dobson to contain in the offensive zone. When he was at his best, Walters was winning puck battles along the perimeter in the offensive zone, protecting the puck with his body and anticipating pressure well in order to spin away from it and work his way to the middle of the ice. While the skill level isn’t always apparent for a player who works as hard as Walters, he made a few plays with his hands to get off the wall and get to the middle, sometimes putting pucks through defenders and getting around them to get a shot off in a dangerous area on the ice.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 25/04/2024 Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
What we learned from this game is that you just can’t take Walters compete level out of a game, no matter the score. While this wasn’t one his most effective performances, Walters was doing his best to try and establish a physical presence in all three zones. Defensively, he was applying pressure to puck carriers to limit their time and space and was also using his body to remove attackers from the puck along the perimeter. He had a great shift in the second period where he was able to establish the cycle game by protecting the puck below the hash marks and shrugging off a multitude of defenders with his frame.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 05/04/2024 Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
Walters doesn’t seem to be able to take a game off. On the forecheck he was relentless and making life miserable for Flyers defenders, whether it was delivering a body check or poking a puck loose to create 50/50 battles in the offensive zone. He was consistently taking the puck to the middle of the ice trying to generate high-danger chances, either by using a series of outside-inside moves to get around defenders or executing a nice pull and drag shot to create rebounds in front. He was able to find the soft spots in the Flyers defensive zone coverage quite consistently, making himself a prime passing option for scoring opportunities from the slot. He scored a goal in the second period by driving the net, picking up a rebound and going around the net to tally a beautiful wrap-around goal.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 04/04/2024 Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
Walters is becoming one of my favorite draft-eligible players to watch in this year’s class. The compete level is there every shift, and this game was no different. Rather than carry the puck himself, Walters was using his teammates to dish off then drive the net, pushing back defenders and creating space up high. His work below the goal line in the offensive zone was fantastic, using his body to shield the puck from defender and anticipating pressure while pivoting away into open ice. He scored his goal by being around the net area and putting home a loose puck that was sitting in the crease area. His decision making as a playmaker is still a bit sporadic, but his compete level combined with his small area game make me confident in his projection to the next level. He has all the makings of a great playoff performer.
Player Card
- All Data is derived via 5v5 per 60 minutes rate displayed in percentile format.
- Data Courtesy of In Slat.
SIGNED:
Halifax Mooseheads
29/08/2024
LEAGUE PREDICTION
-
CHL
Confirmed
100%
TEAM PREDICTION
-
Halifax
Confirmed
100%
TIMELINE
- 2024
29/08/2024
Halifax Mooseheads sign Daniel Walters
- 2024
07/06/2024
Halifax Mooseheads select Daniel Walters in the QMJHL Entry Draft