Red Wings Pre-Draft Prospect Breakdown: Logan Cooley

Prospect Breakdown: Logan Cooley, C, U.S. NTDP

Logan Cooley is currently an 2022 NHL entry draft prospect at eighteen years old. Cooley, who is currently a forward for the US national juniors team, and commited to play for the University of Minnesota next season, has been highly regarded as a top center prospect in this draft class. Therefore, I figured it was time to break out some film and see if he could potentially be a fit for the Red Wings come draft time.

Now, In previous articles regarding prospects in this draft class, I’ve generally done my own scouting session on the player and given you my thoughts. But more recently, on top of giving my findings and thoughts, I’ve also given other scouts opinions on the player as well. So, without further adue, let’s get right into it.

Professional Scout’s Opinions

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic:

"“Cooley is a beautiful, flowing skater capable of beating defenders off the mark or circling the zone to get defenders watching him with the puck. He’s got an uncanny ability to side-step and hop around oncoming players at speed. He’s got a great sixth sense for timing and spacing around the zone which frees him to accept passes or jumps him onto rebounds. Despite a smallish frame, he regularly flashes skill to the inside, slicing to the middle and pulling pucks through or around defenders. “He’s also a Swiss Army knife player who combines NHL speed and skill with a working attitude to push pace, make plays, win races, stay involved, and get onto the ice in all situations. I love his tempo and feel for the game out there. His touch with the puck and hands both get high grades, his skating (particularly his change of pace) and energy level are both differentiators, and those things make for a pretty compelling package on the ice. You won’t find a scout who doesn’t like him, either.”"

Corey Pronman of The Athletic:

"“Cooley is a dynamic player. When he has the puck on his stick you instantly notice him because of his high-end speed, skill and offensive IQ. He can make highly creative dekes and passes at full speed. The pace of his game is why I think he will be a top NHL player. He takes pucks up the ice and to the net often. Cooley lacks size, but he plays hard. He can drive play at even strength while also having the vision and shot to be a power-play threat running a unit from the walls. He projects as a first-line forward; if it’s as a center it would be a low-end first-line center in the NHL.”"

My Breakdown

When it comes to breaking down a player, I grade on a couple different things. The first and most important thing I look for in a player is his competitiveness. Does he stand out on film? That’s what helps me determine rather or not the player has what it takes at the next level. If he passes that then I follow up with the question: What makes him stand out? That’s what generates this list of traits that I look for.

Shot

Logan Cooley is one of the few people in this draft class that I feel that no matter how tough the competition is, he rises to the occassion. Not many prospects are able to do that, but Cooley can and does.

I’m a big believer in stats don’t tell the full story. Always have been and always will be. However, when it comes to Cooley, I feel that his stats accurately depict his game. Cooley this past season with the US national team, played in 51 games and was able to score 27 goals. Furthermore, he played on the US juniors team and had 13 goals in 24 games.

He is able to score from just about anywhere on the ice and any situation which is what opens his game up to new heights.

Speed

Logan Cooley is a phenomonal skater which isn’t all that surprising given his frame and his name. Similar to Johnny Gaudreau, the smaller you are, the more you game has to fit who you are. Cooley seems to understand that part of it as he isn’t the biggest player in this draft, but he is very fast and uses his speed to make a name for himself and then growing upon that part of his game.

Cooley operates at high speeds whenever he is on the ice and can skate well at both ends. As far as the people that I have watched play, Cooley is definetly one of the faster players in this draft class.

Two-Way Forward

Logan Cooley has been previously mentioned as a terrific two-way forward, which I don’t completley disagree with. However, I’d say that it’s more the effort that he puts into his game than his actually talent on the defensive side of the puck.

Cooley is versatile but he works as hard as a fourth-line player. By that I mean he grinds hard and really gives it his all when he’s out on the ice which makes him such a impactful player on both sides of the ice.

Passing

Logan Cooley’s speed sets things in motion, the second part to that statement is his ability to make plays while remaining at full speed and hitting his teammates in stride at full speed as well. His feel for the game is pretty remarkable for someone as young as he, but I expect him to have a very long, stellar career with the traits he possesses.