Scouting Report
EVALUATED 13/04/2023
Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
I’ve been up and down on Harry’s game all season long, and he’s the player I’m the most torn on in my rankings. Harry sits at the tail end of my second round, and I still don’t know how I feel about that. Looking at the names around him, I can more clearly see their path to success at the OHL level. However, the contrast is that Harry blows them out of the water regarding potential. Puck on his stick, Nansi is incredibly crafty, which enables him as a playmaker. He uses deliberate puck touches to move the defence out of position, and then threads passes to teammates in scoring position. Adding to his offensive arsenal is a lethal wrist shot that allows him to score from a distance. It’s tough to determine from looking at old video, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s recently hit a growth spurt and is still getting comfortable at his new height. His skating and handling have gotten more refined throughout the season, but there is still room for growth here. His long, powerful stride makes him an effective straight-line skater, however, there is an opportunity for development in gaining/maintaining speed through turns and, in general, his agile movements. His off-puck play has improved throughout the year, but he can still support the puck better and get himself in favourable scoring positions more often. My biggest question is, “is the OHL the best place for development to help him realize his potential?” I am optimistic that there will be a valuable player in Nansi come his 18-22-year-old seasons. However, sticking him in the OHL next season and playing limited minutes may not be the path he needs to get there. He’s one of the players in this class that may benefit the most from the extra runway the college route provides. A few years with the Raiders in the CCHL may do him wonders in adapting to the junior ranks and put him in a great position to succeed at the college level. I don’t want to sound like I am writing him off at the OHL level, I just think he needs time to flourish, and I fear rushing him may squander some of his potential. As is evident with this lengthy write-up with more questions than answers, Harry is a fascinating case that has challenged my thoughts all season long. I am extremely curious to see how he turns out, as there is enormous potential if everything goes right.
Skating
7.5Puck Skills
9Hockey IQ
8Playmaking
9Scoring
9Physicality
7.5Defense
7.5Overall
8.21Game Reports
EVALUATED Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
Harry Nansi was great at the combine. Streaking down the wing, Harry aggressively attacked the middle of the ice for prime scoring chances. He used quick cuts to the middle of the ice, relied on his reach to keep the puck away from defenders, and created plenty of opportunities. Nansi showed off his playmaking, setting up plenty of goals with clever passing to open teammates. The most impressive was when he received the puck on the wall, had it for a split second, and moved it quickly to an open Serov for a blast of a one-timer. These sorts of sequences are what I love about Nansi. The ability to pull the puck off the wall and hit open teammates is one of the best in the class.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
I previously noted that Nansi’s off puck play was a concern in an earlier viewing, making projecting him to the next level down the middle a challenge. However, in this match, he played on the wing, which allowed him to play to his strengths. Nansi created tons of offence through his ability to dominate on the puck and spot open lanes to teammates in scoring positions. Shift and shift, he would control the puck in the offensive zone, be difficult to knock off the puck, and the sequence would end with a dangerous chance for a linemate. I especially appreciated one play where Harry smartly chipped the puck back to his defenceman when pressured rather than opting for a dump. Those decisions always find my notes as they signal that the player values puck possession and doesn’t panic when faced with pressure. I’d like to see him be more involved in puck pursuit, breaking up plays, and supporting the puck a bit better, but the move from center to wing certainly made this less of a glaring area for improvement than my previous viewing.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
I caught Nansi in the opening weekend of the HEO U18 league play. While I thought he played well, I was a bit skeptical of a surefire 1st round-caliber player. But I saw things more clearly after focusing more on him in isolation against Hawkesbury. There is an excellent technical package of skills with Nansi. His skating and puck skills are top end, allowing him to dominate play in transition and the offensive zone. These skills enable him to excel in open ice and be incredibly evasive through the neutral zone. As well, I liked his eagerness to cut to the middle off the rush and try to penetrate the dangerous areas of the ice. However, I found his off puck play to be a slight concern as, at times, Harry was far from the puck and unable to provide support to the puck carrier. As a centreman, I’d like to see him in better positions to assist his linemates when they are under pressure and need an outlet. The second piece to this is if Harry is closer to the puck, he will get more puck touches which his team will surely benefit from. This may seem overly critical, but when dissecting the top end of the draft, little details are scrutinized more, as those details make the difference between all the highly talented players. As I previously said, what Harry offers is now considerably more apparent to me, and I think a 1st round grade is appropriate.
Player Card
- All Data is derived via 5v5 per 60 minutes rate displayed in percentile format.
- Data Courtesy of In Slat.
SIGNED:
Owen Sound Attack
12/09/2023
LEAGUE PREDICTION
-
CHL
Confirmed
100%
TEAM PREDICTION
-
Owen Sound Attack
Confirmed
100%
TIMELINE
- 2023
12/09/2023
Owen Sound Attack sign Harry Nansi
- 2023
22/04/2023
Owen Sound Attack select Harry Nansi in the OHL Priority Selection