If you feel like doing some in-depth research on Philadelphia Flyers fourth-round selection, Mason Millman, you have to do some digging. Accessible videos of his play are few and far between and most scouts fail to go into great detail about his game.
Still, from what one can gather, one thing is certain. The Flyers may have grabbed a pretty solid defensive/two-way defenseman for the future.
Background Info on Mason Millman
Millman, a 17-year-old blueliner from London, Ontario, recently completed his rookie season in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit. Even though he won’t turn 18 until mid-July, the 6-foot-1, 176-pound Millman already has some decent size to build on.
In his rookie year with Saginaw, Millman played in 66 games, recording three goals and 22 assists. Additionally, he laced his skates for 13 playoff games, posting two goals and three assists. Before playing in the OHL, Millman played in the GOJHL for the St. Thomas Stars. In 2017-18, he was crowned GOJHL (Western) Most Outstanding First-Year Defenseman and was elected to the GOJHL (Western) Rookie All-Star Team.
Millman will continue to play in the OHL next season and look to build off a strong rookie campaign.
Areas of Strength
Mason Millman is not afraid to be physical on the ice and he actually thrives in that area. He’s competitive and knows how to prevent the opposition from gaining offensive momentum. He’s great at reading offensive plays in advance which gives him an advantage while defending. In hockey, mistakes are going to happen regardless of the caliber of player. Whenever Millman commits an error he is typically quick to recover, making him less of a liability.
Offensively, there is currently not much there. However, he possesses a good outlet pass and also has the ability to skate the puck up the ice. His skating is fine as Millman has a powerful-stride. Although it’s not a detriment, he skating can still improve a great deal.
Areas of Weakness
Whether it should be viewed as a weakness is a topic for debate. However, Millman does not possess much offensive ability. He’s not necessarily a liability in that part of the ice but he brings he very little offensive production of his own to the table. It is unlikely that he will ever be viewed as an offensive-defenseman. Still, with coaching, there certainly is some room for growth.
Additionally, Millman is not the most agile player. Adding this to his big frame makes it challenge to weave through the opposition and contribute on offense. It is not much of a problem right now, because he is still developing, but it may be challenging at higher levels of play.
Final Thoughts
Mason Millman was a great selection for the fourth round because his defensive skill provides something strong to build off of. He is still incredibly young and will only improve with development. There is some uncertainty behind whether he will transform into a capable professional hockey player but there is plenty of time to figure that out. For now, Millman just needs to focus on growing in the OHL, increasing his role and responsibilities as frequently as possible.
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