Projection: Top Six Upside

Tools: Playmaking, Puck Skills, Creativity

Development Opportunities: Off-puck Game, Strength

Keefe is one of the better raw playmakers in the class. In terms of slowing the game down, opening up passing lanes with deceptive handling, and picking apart defences with clever passes, Keefe is up there with the best of them. He’s quick and uses his explosiveness to blaze through the neutral zone and push the tempo. The finishing ability is there too, threatening with a quick powerful release, notably on the powerplay where his shot and passing game offer a nice dual-threat on the wing of the umbrella. Overall just a well-rounded offensive toolkit that offers plenty of upside.

Moving forward I think he'll need to focus on the physical side of things, getting stronger and more ready to handle junior level competition, but nothing out of the ordinary for most U16 players. Shayne is a solid bet for a middle six forward with upside to play up in the lineup. At the very least, I think the passing creativity and offensive instincts should help bolster a team's depth and add a secondary scoring boost.

Keefe was the star for Biosteel. I really liked the creativity and processing he showed. With the puck, he was patient, operating with control, and looking to pick apart the Hill defence with clever passing. He’s quick and shifty with the puck on his stick, enabling him to deceive defenders, buy space, and open up passing lanes. Shayne just always seemed to want to make a high-end play, waiting for a play to open up, and controlling things offensively for Biosteel. All of this has been the theme with Keefe, game in and game out whenever I’ve seen him play, and it was nice to see another strong performance at the finish line.

Keefe showed his dynamic offensive abilities in this game, bringing tons of on-puck deception and high-end processing. He was incredibly calm and patient with the puck, never panicking under pressure and always looking to make plays. Using delays, changes of pace, and sheer puck handling, Shayne was able to evade checks time and time again, advance plays, and control the flow of the game. It all just revolved around an impressive theme of a quick and skilled player who played with a methodical approach, making the right decisions and being the primary puck manager whenever he was on the ice. Keefe potted two against the Wild, both on breakaways, one with a quick shot high and the other he beat the goaltender five-hole.

A skilled player on the puck who was difficult for defensemen to keep under lock and key, Shayne Keefe’s elusiveness led to him creating a number of scoring chances for him and his teammates. He maneuvered well along the half boards, spinning out of pressure and quickly turning his attention towards the slot, and his stick strength to be able to weather a barrage of stick checks kept him from losing the puck too easily. He danced his way through the neutral zone allowing his team to set up in the attacking end consistently, and his rapid decision making in regards to puck distribution really stood out. He was quick to react to players closing him down, or if a pass was coming into him he made deft one touch passes with pressure on his back to move play along smoothly and keep the defense chasing. He was thinking the game very well, found space on and off the puck to be able to factor into the attack, and his soft hands and skating ability forced defenders to drag him down and take penalties to stop him.

I was impressed with the puck handling capabilities that Shayne Keefe displayed, he was very agile to be able to slip by the defense upon zone entry and open up an array of passing options to mull over. He was confident on the puck and was able to bide his time while waiting for a passing lane to jump out at him to feed the puck into. He showed an ability to read the defense well and identify their weak points to exploit, and his ability to distribute the puck was a very effective way for him to do that. He seemed to always know where his teammates were going to be and was able to do some real damage with that information.