Barrett Hayton
Date of birth: June 9, 2000
Position: Center
Team: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 185 pounds
Shoots: Left
Barrett Hayton, drawing comparisons to Patrice Bergeron, is a solid two-way center who has averaged a point per game in the OHL. He is not a fast skater but has worked to improve his footspeed and uses smart angles and an above average hockey IQ to make great plays all over the ice.
Scouting Reports
He is a very crafty stick-handler who has a great release and a deceivingly quick shot. While Hayton has strong scoring ability, he has the natural instincts to know when to shoot and when to become a playmaker. Defensively, he is very aggressive in puck pursuits and always seems to leave the corner battles with the puck on his stick. He puts on a lot of pressure to frustrate opponents, creating turnovers in the neutral zone. He has a calmness to his game that allows him to succeed in all areas of the ice and can play a physical game when he needs to. –
Hayton is not afraid to get to the front of the net. Once he gets there, he battles hard for position and has the soft hands to finish plays in tight. Hayton scores on tip-ins, quick one-timers and by quickly pouncing on rebounds. Hayton plays a straightforward game. He protects the puck well on the cycle and has some soft hands. However, he is not the type of forward to dangle a defenceman and get past him in a one-on-one situation. Instead, Hayton looks to keep the puck moving, find the open man, and then get it to the net. He is a smart player, who makes quick, smart plays with the puck on his stick. He is also good on the forecheck. While he does not lay a lot of big hits, he gets in quickly, pressuring defenders and creating turnovers.