Scouting Report
EVALUATED 18/04/2023
Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
At 16 years old, Conrad offers a tremendously athletic build with the expectation of continued growth to fill in. At 6’2”, 185lbs, Owen’s combination of defensive fortitude and offensive acumen are about as close a player in this draft will come to last years’ 1st overall selection Tomas Lavoie. Be that as it may, Conrad is in fact a unique player unto himself, with some key distinctions in his game that would separate him from Lavoie at this point last season. While Conrad’s size and ability to use his reach for maximum defensive impact are somewhat in line from what we saw from the former College Esther Blondin Phoenix defender, I think Conrad’s defensive acumen is actually a touch stronger. When it comes to defending the rush, Conrad’s positioning, footwork and reach are all but impenetrable. When pinned in by a cycle, I’ve really grown to appreciate the way in which Owen remains disciplined with his home plate defending until such time as his opponents attempt to attack the middle. He’s entirely comfortable watching his wingers wear down opponents in the corners, and will not induce panic or scramble among his teammates by being lured out of position otherwise. I think elements of quickness and agility are yet another area where Conrad is the compromise between a player like Lavoie and the aforementioned Alex Huang. Owen’s most attractive ability is probably his ability to process multiple outlets simultaneously as both an even-strength and special teams quarterback. In spite of his size, he is nimble and uses detailed footwork to integrate deception into his playmaking, executing accurate and powerful passes with subtle, almost imperceptible windups. Banking on continued physical growth in parallel with his ability to manage his size well with athleticism, Conrad has the potential to anchor a QMJHL teams top pair for 2-3 seasons.
Skating
8Puck Skills
8Hockey IQ
7Playmaking
7.5Scoring
7Physicality
9Defense
8.5Overall
7.86Scouting Report
EVALUATED 16/09/2022 Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
Coming off of a season in which he led all NSU15MHL defensemen in scoring, the physically mature Owen Conrad is poised for a year in which he’s certain to garner massive attention. For such a sizable player, Conrad moves extremely efficiently with and without the puck. His tendency to play with his head consistently up and scanning means that he’s almost never caught off guard. This applies both offensively, as he displays an above-average level of evasiveness on the breakout or offensive blueline to create effective passing lanes, and defensively, as he pinches, or gaps up with optimized timing to inhibit opposition momentum. He seems to play both sides of the ice quite comfortably which offers teams substantial flexibility when it comes to deployment options. While playing in Pictou County for the Weeks Majors this season, Conrad could have the opportunity to regularly play 30+ minutes, exposing himself to the highest quality of opponents in the region and using that experience to refine his overall timing and conditioning.
Skating
8.5Puck Skills
8.5Hockey IQ
8.5Playmaking
8.5Scoring
7Physicality
9Defense
8.5Overall
8.36Game Reports
EVALUATED
Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
I thought Conrad struggled in their opener against Alberta. I could see what he was trying to do, but it seemed like a player used to having more space and needed time to adjust to the heightened pace. However, Owen hit his stride in Nova Scotia’s third game, and I thought he was Nova Scotia’s best player. I noticed his footwork in this game, and how he relied on his feet to dodge pressure and create separation. Owen combined agile movements, and head fakes to find lanes to the net. Conrad had a highlight reel play when he toe-dragged around an opponent in the neutral zone to win a zone exit and then connected on a no-look pass between his legs to an open teammate. Despite playing a great game, there were instances where I thought Conrad could have even done more. For example, there were a few sequences where he rushed decisions at the point when he had time to scan for options and then decide which play was best.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Jordan Malette
Head of Ontario Scouting
I thought Conrad struggled in their opener against Alberta. I could see what he was trying to do, but it seemed like a player used to having more space and needed time to adjust to the heightened pace. However, Owen hit his stride in Nova Scotia’s third game, and I thought he was Nova Scotia’s best player. I noticed his footwork in this game, and how he relied on his feet to dodge pressure and create separation. Owen combined agile movements, and head fakes to find lanes to the net. Conrad had a highlight reel play when he toe-dragged around an opponent in the neutral zone to win a zone exit and then connected on a no-look pass between his legs to an open teammate. Despite playing a great game, there were instances where I thought Conrad could have even done more. For example, there were a few sequences where he rushed decisions at the point when he had time to scan for options and then decide which play was best.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Regional Scout - Canada
In addition to Conrad serving as a defensive anchor with supplemental offensive contributions in this game, I thought Brady Peddle gave his team the best chance of capitalizing on any miscues from their opponents. Unfortunately, those miscues were few and far between. Peddle made quick reads when recovering the puck and was often able to lead his forwards into open space when there was any available. As the pace of this game was almost entirely derived from BC’s possessions, Nova Scotia’s attempts to match pace resulted in their forwards playing outside of their normal boundaries, which was something Peddle seemed capable of reading and adapting to.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Regional Scout - Canada
In an extremely trying contest for Team Nova Scotia, Owen Conrad exhibited a number of key attributes that piqued my interest in such context. Although I might’ve hoped to see Conrad adapt his game a bit to mitigate the onslaught, I was pleased to see that he showed no signs of letting up on his excellent board play and attempts to exit the defensive zone with efficiency, despite the circumstances late into the game. While there were instances when I felt he did get caught a bit flat footed at the blueline, I’m beginning to accept that this is part of the compromise when it comes to his particular skillset. When the game began to fall apart for Nova Scotia, which happened quite early, Conrad maintained composure under pressure and relied on his strength and sure footedness to create sustainable possessions for those he was on the ice with. He had a couple of quality individual shots from the point, although the subsequent pressure didn’t materialize. At the end of the day this was a game where Nova Scotia would probably like to have a redo with some adjustments to their overall approach – on an individual level though, I thought Conrad did what he could to mitigate the damage.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
In an extremely trying contest for Team Nova Scotia, Owen Conrad exhibited a number of key attributes that piqued my interest in such context. Although I might’ve hoped to see Conrad adapt his game a bit to mitigate the onslaught, I was pleased to see that he showed no signs of letting up on his excellent board play and attempts to exit the defensive zone with efficiency, despite the circumstances late into the game. While there were instances when I felt he did get caught a bit flat footed at the blueline, I’m beginning to accept that this is part of the compromise when it comes to his particular skillset. When the game began to fall apart for Nova Scotia, which happened quite early, Conrad maintained composure under pressure and relied on his strength and sure footedness to create sustainable possessions for those he was on the ice with. He had a couple of quality individual shots from the point, although the subsequent pressure didn’t materialize. At the end of the day this was a game where Nova Scotia would probably like to have a redo with some adjustments to their overall approach – on an individual level though, I thought Conrad did what he could to mitigate the damage.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
After making a rather simple blue line hold, Conrad fanned on a puck with a clear opportunity to get a good hard shot on net. Sometimes it seems that he's trying to be a bit too pretty with the puck and it tends to backfire. The way he holds his stick gives him maximum reach, even from a choked up grip, but he has the wrist power to make it work. Sometimes it means sacrificing accuracy and contact though. His size and skating refinement is such that he can add a step and instantaneously be nearly at game speed. This is just one of the really subtle things about his game that gives the impression that he could be one of the players in this draft class who is capable of making the transition to major junior almost immediately.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
Conrad's switch from passive defending (zone) to actively defending (applying direct pressure) while playing without the puck is seamless. He makes the decision without hesitation and it enables him to play conservatively and aggressively at the same time. He processes and makes the decision so fast. In this game he showed good identification and execution of passes up the gut from the wall, especially off of his forehand. Late in the game he made a key puck recovery in the crease as the puck slipped between his goalies legs, showing good composure to collect the puck and promptly clear the zone. Some of his shooting was way off target, which was disappointing because I felt that he was able to create a lot of time and space for himself that could've enabled him to make a more accurate shot. On skates, he's supremely intimidating. The way he moves for a player as physically mature as he is, is incredible. He is has such a strong foundation.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
I thought Conrad did a nice job changing from defense to offense in the neutral zone and really flicking the switch to activate into the offensive zone and set something up. He's imposing in the neutral zone and when he recognizes his opponents weaknesses he can strike. When he's able to recover the puck, he carries with a nice strong wide stance. It takes away from his speed a bit, but certainly adds to his stability. In instances such as this I'm forced to consider how fast he can play, but in other instances have seen him really step up his pace. While agility is not at the forefront of his game, his ability to assess the ice in front of him helps him to make decisions quicker and reduce the need to rely on that sort of a technical skill.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
Mainly because of his sheer size and physical advantage, Owen Conrad had a way of making many things look easy in this game. He has been able to manhandle his way around every opponent on the Western Kings side of the ice with ease. This game has not been much of a competition but Conrad's confidence was sky high and he capitalized as a result. He's used the extents of his reach to extend possession and maintained a very cool composure. The power in his wrists is very good and has enabled him to make quick snap shots and crisp passes.
Game Reports
EVALUATED Brayden Olafson
Head of Eastern Canada Scouting
Fair or unfair, I went into this event with sky-high expectations for Conrad, the minute-munching defenseman from Pictou who has been revered early on as one of the top defensemen from the region. I felt that while Conrad had some moments, and streaks where he was, in fact the most impactful player on the ice, that theme wasn’t consistent to me throughout the event. He’s a quick thinking and occasionally evasive puck mover who has the ability to make key passes through the neutral zone as well as identify optimal shooting lanes that have a high success rate. He holds the offensive blueline with strength and uses subtle skill to find his way to open ice after recovering the puck. He doesn’t have the need to play with a high degree of puck skill, but is somewhat evasive in his own right, using a long reach and a very powerful stride to clear long distances in open ice. While he was able to earn so much positive credit in these streaks, I found that his tendency to bobble a pass or slip and turnover a puck were often potentially costly events of which were difficult to recover from. His upside as a top rearguard in the CHL exists, but I’ll be watching closely to see how he limits these sorts of mis-plays with Pictou throughout the year.
Player Card
- All Data is derived via 5v5 per 60 minutes rate displayed in percentile format.
- Data Courtesy of In Slat.
SIGNED:
Charlottetown Islanders
26/06/2023
LEAGUE PREDICTION
-
CHL
Confirmed
100%
TEAM PREDICTION
-
Charlottetown Islanders
Confirmed
100%
TIMELINE
- 2023
26/06/2023
Signed by the Charlottetown Islanders
- 2023
10/06/2023
Drafted by the Charlottetown Islanders in the QMJHL Draft