SAM STEEL - Center - 21 - $.863MM Cap Hit - RFA in 2021-2022
LAST UPDATED 7/18/19
While Steel, a star for WHL Regina, had an uneven 22-game NHL debut, his success as a rookie in the AHL, and especially the AHL playoffs, indicates that Steel's time as one of the Ducks' elite prospects has not come to an end. A creative playmaker at heart, Steel uses his high-end puck skills and quickness as a skater to create offensive opportunities. He's an excellent and lightning-fast skater, and his skating should be what carries him at the next level. He's undersized, and lacks the strength to win battles for pucks consistently, meaning that his defensive upside is considerably lower than his offensive upside. He's still a hard worker and will likely be relentless on the forecheck, but the reality is that his lack of size will keep him from being a true shutdown center. His time in the WHL indicates that Steel has remarkable leadership qualities, and should be ready to fill the leadership void Ryan Getzlaf's eventual retirement will create. Since Steel's value is based on his skating ability, once he gets older and becomes a worse skater, Steel will likely see his production plummet, so the Ducks will need to be careful with the contracts they hand out to him once he gets to his thirties. Still, Steel has huge offensive upside and should be the offensive centerpiece of the next era in Anaheim.
While Steel, a star for WHL Regina, had an uneven 22-game NHL debut, his success as a rookie in the AHL, and especially the AHL playoffs, indicates that Steel's time as one of the Ducks' elite prospects has not come to an end. A creative playmaker at heart, Steel uses his high-end puck skills and quickness as a skater to create offensive opportunities. He's an excellent and lightning-fast skater, and his skating should be what carries him at the next level. He's undersized, and lacks the strength to win battles for pucks consistently, meaning that his defensive upside is considerably lower than his offensive upside. He's still a hard worker and will likely be relentless on the forecheck, but the reality is that his lack of size will keep him from being a true shutdown center. His time in the WHL indicates that Steel has remarkable leadership qualities, and should be ready to fill the leadership void Ryan Getzlaf's eventual retirement will create. Since Steel's value is based on his skating ability, once he gets older and becomes a worse skater, Steel will likely see his production plummet, so the Ducks will need to be careful with the contracts they hand out to him once he gets to his thirties. Still, Steel has huge offensive upside and should be the offensive centerpiece of the next era in Anaheim.
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