Kieffer Bellows is another one of those youngsters (he turns 18 just before the Draft) who is posting other-worldly numbers and turning heads among the scouting ranks. The son of former NHL forward Brian Bellows, Kieffer has far exceeded the point-per-game level in his USHL and US Development Team career, including a gaudy 50 goals and 31 assists in 62 games this past season. He was also the Rookie of the Year in the USHL for the 2014-15 campaign. Here’s the tale of the tape:
Position: LW/C
Current Team: US National Development Team
Date of Birth: June 10, 1998
Place of Birth: Edina, Minnesota, USA
Height: 6′ 1″
Weight: 194 lbs
Shoots: Left
With this kind of elite scoring touch, you might expect Bellows to have a “finesse” style of play. You would be wrong. Bellows thrives on winning puck battles in the corners, and brings an overt physical presence to the ice. He is very strong on his skates, and tenacious on the puck. So, while he will need to fill out that 6’1″ frame a bit to exert the same physical presence at the NHL level, the attitude is there.
Danton Cole, the US National coach, is obviously impressed with Kieffer’s skill package:
He’s physical on the forecheck and back pressure. He’s definitely a shooter . . . he looks to shoot the puck and he has that ability, I think, in today’s game, which is hard to do, is to get the pucks on the net from all kinds of odd angles and not just a soft shot; I mean he gets it on hard, it’s a goal-scorer shot. The biggest thing everyone notices is the result of that, and the goal scoring. He scores goals
A Good Fit in Columbus?
What’s not to like? A combination of skating, scoring and physical presence is always desired. However, it’s difficult to picture a scenario that puts Bellows in Columbus. With the #3 overall pick, Jarmo will undoubtedly be taking one of the Finns, and if the rumor mill is correct, might take a shot at both. If he fails there, he could trade up to a range where Bellows would be available, but the price would likely be steep. So while Bellows would be a good fit, Columbus does not seem to be in the cards.
Bellows in Action