**Comparable:** Jason Robertson
**Skills:** Lethal Shooter, Tactician, Toolsy
**LW/C, Right**
**Player Grades:**
* Skating – 4
* Shooting – 6.5
* Passing – 6.5
* Puckhandling – 6.5
* Hockey Sense – 7
* Physical – 6
**Scouting Report:**
Matthew Wood was the youngest player in college hockey, and still one of its most effective ones in spite of that, finishing his freshman year with 34 points in 35 contests at the University of Connecticut. This, after a 45-goal, 85-point draft-minus-one in the BCHL with the Victoria Grizzlies.
He’s a player that’s long been on scouts’ radar, and with good reason. Wood’s been putting up video game numbers at nearly every level he’s played, done so in a projectable 6-foot-3 frame, and drawn rave reviews for his character off of the ice.
Still, we greeted Wood with considerable skepticism coming into the year. That he struggled so immensely at the U18s last spring and then at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup to start this scouting season offered pause that perhaps much of his gaudy scoring could be attributed to playing in the not-so-competitive Coastal Conference in a Junior A league (albeit one of the stronger ones).
Much of this skepticism appeared to be confirmed by Wood’s early work at college. Sure, the points came easy. The Huskies funneled their power play through his cannon of a shot, and it worked. Closer scrutiny revealed a mostly unidimensional player with significant mechanical hurdles and inflated point totals.
“*Wood has mostly played like a blunt object at college, but it hasn’t kept him from stringing together some highly productive outings with UConn in the early goings,”* EP Rinkside Editor-in-Chief and resident college hockey scout J.D. Burke wrote in one of his October game reports. *“Many of the same red flags that tempered my enthusiasm at the Hlinka Gretzky remain. Wood is still playing an incredibly simple north-south game and not showing much explosiveness or dynamism in the process.*”
Then, something changed. Wood’s game took a significant step forward in time for the new year, showing a more projectable, compelling complement of skills that just might allow him to generate offence at the next level in a sustainable fashion.
You start with the handling. Where Wood used to exclusively take on defenders from a glide with the puck exposed well in front of him and his feet and hands locked in unison, he was now using hip pocket handling, feints, weight shifts, and even give-and-goes to get around defenders. You know, the sort of thing that will work against NHL defencemen.
Next up, growth as a distributor. Simple things like scanning away from the puck and maintaining a detailed mental map of the ice allowed him to connect with pacey one- and two-touch passing plays. You’re not looking at the second coming of Joe Thornton here, but Wood became a strong enough distributor that teams now have to respect the threat of his pass. This, of course, will open up opportunities as a shooter.
Still, the skating is grim. That much hasn’t changed. It was every bit as sluggish at the U18s to close out the year as it was at Hlinka Gretzky that started it. And it affects every part of his game. Any hope of a top-six projection rests on at least a full-grade improvement in this regard over the next two or three seasons.
When you watch someone take as many significant steps forward in their development over the course of their draft year as Wood did at UConn this season, though, it’s easy enough to imagine a scenario where that happens. He’d hardly be the first player in a 6-foot-3 frame to need a little extra time to get up to speed.
If that happens, Wood has the capacity to be a top-six forward with size, a booming shot that can credibly threaten from range, handling skill, and some cunning as a distributor. No, he’s probably not the next Tage Thompson, no matter how many outlets will try to make that comparison, but he can be a solid contributor in his own right.
**Industry Chatter:**
“*Biggish centre that I think can grow a bit. Get the feet moving. I like that he went to UConn, I like seeing more Canadians going that route, using American colleges like Fantilli and Wood did to get roles at 18 they maybe wouldn’t otherwise. I also like how strong he is.*” – Western Conference scout, May 2023
“*He’s a little bit of an enigma there. On the power play, he’s great. When his top speed is going, he’s fine. It’s just that his skating is a big concern for where the NHL is going right now. He’s got a great stick, soft hands, but you never see him as the F1 and you only really see him score on the power play. His first three steps really have to improve. He does some good things, it’s just that there are some holes in his game.*” – Western Conference scout, May 2023
“*I’ve been to games where Wood has outplayed Cutter Gauthier. The production is tremendous for his age. Elite shooter. One of the best shots in the draft. Awesome offensive hockey sense. Gets open in scoring areas. Ability to make plays with his stick. Some question his compete. I have no issue with it. The skating is his major detriment. If he makes the NHL he will be one of the worst skaters. At the same time at the Hlinka, last year internationally, BCHL. He’s produced beyond his age level. Release, size. Hands, hockey sense is top end. Could be a Mark Stone type.*” – NHL scout, April 2023
“*I’d say I’m an offensive threat. I can score from anywhere and make plays. But I don’t take the defensive side of the game lightly at all.*” – Matthew Wood, April 2023
“*I wear 71 because of Yevgeni Malkin. He has always been my favourite player. Obviously, Tage Thompson went to UConn as well. I try to look at his game and model my game after him too. Two great players and I really look up to those guys for sure.*” – Matthew Wood, April 2023
“*With Matthew Wood, he’s a big, tall guy with some speed, great hands, and he complemented the other guys, but he can make some plays as well that kind of make you go ‘wow.’*” – Canada U18 head coach Jeff Truitt, April 2023
“*I thought college would help me work on things like playing with pace stuff like that. It’s a fast game with strong guys and I thought that would get me ready for the next level and push me to where I want to be.*” – Matthew Wood, December 2022
“*I love making plays. Finding open guys. Drawing guys to me. It’s one of my favorite parts of the game.*” – Matthew Wood, December 2022
**15. Nashville** [**Predators**](https://theathletic.com/nhl/team/predators/)**:** [**Matthew Wood**](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/matthew-wood-9VkdRJBxykPbV61K/)**, RW, UCONN (H-EAST)**
February 6, 2005 | 6′ 4″ | 197 pounds
Tier: Bubble top and middle of the lineup player
**Player comparable:** [Drake Batherson](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/drake-batherson-32lxEtbQCgJNJgCd/)
**Background:** Wood had a highly productive 17-year-old freshman season at UConn scoring a point per game. As a 16-year-old he led the BCHL in goals and points. At both this past summer’s Hlinka Gretzky and the 2022 U18 worlds, Wood played a limited even-strength/heavy power-play role for Team Canada but at the 2023 U18 worlds he was a top forward at the tournament.
**Analysis:** Wood is a very gifted offensive player. He has excellent one-on-one skills and offensive IQ. He has the ability to hold onto pucks for an extra second and knows how to beat defenders with skill. He also has an excellent wrist shot and one-timer, making him a major asset on the power play. Wood is a big winger as well, so the size/skill combo has a lot of upside. However, his skating is an issue as he lacks the ability to separate and the pace of the NHL will challenge him. I wouldn’t call him an overly physical or high compete type, and I’ve seen him take nights off, but Wood is a big body who can use his frame to win battles and gets to the inside parts of the offensive zone well enough. I think he’ll be a quality top six winger who will be a big part of an NHL power play, but he may frustrate his coaches at times.
**Thoughts on the pick:** Wood is a very talented offensive player. It’s not easy to find first-year draft eligibles who led their NCAA team in scoring, never mind at 6-foot-4. The Predators have a lot of needs for their rebuild, but they need high-end talent most of all, and Wood provides that. He needs to round out his game and with his OK footspeed he may need two to four years before he’s ready for the NHL.
by Sad-Maximum-9067
