Akil Thomas
Position: C
Current Team: Niagra IceDogs – OHL
Date of Birth: January 2nd, 2000
Hometown: Brandon, FL, USA
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 170 lbs
Shoots: R
2017-18 Stats
68 GP/22 G/59 A/81 PTS/36 PIM
Niagra IceDogs center, Akil Thomas will likely go in the first round, if not the upper second round, of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. His silky smooth stick work and powerful skating makes Thomas a heavily sought after prospect. A quick thinking mind paired with speedy feet allows him to chase down any opponent who may have broken away from the pack.
If a team is looking for a player fairly similar to Alexander Wennberg, they should scoop up Thomas as quick as possible.
Thomas has a few attributes which parallel Alexander Wennberg. Instead of taking a shot for himself, Thomas tends to set teammates up for the goal. Being good at reading the ice allows Thomas to be able to set his teammates up. It also allows him to note when players are in scoring position. This helps Thomas get the puck to his teammates as well.
Rankings
Future Considerations – 17
ISS Hockey – 27
McKeen’s Hockey – 18
NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters) – 15
Scouting Reports
“He needs and wants the puck, and that hunger is going to get him to the NHL. He’s the new hybrid of NHL wingers. It used to be that the center was the guy who touched the puck the most, but now it’s the wings who can orchestrate plays, and Thomas is that type of player.” – Karl Stewart – NHL Central Scouting
“Thomas has a good straight-line speed and average first-step quickness, but he is elusive and agile within tight spaces. Opponents find difficulty in lining up Thomas for a hit because he makes sharp directional changes and anticipates puck movement extremely well.” – Steve Kournianos – The Draft Analyst