{"id":138303,"date":"2023-06-14T16:00:47","date_gmt":"2023-06-14T20:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=138303"},"modified":"2023-06-20T21:43:14","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T01:43:14","slug":"2023-nhl-scouting-report-45-william-whitelaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/06\/14\/2023-nhl-scouting-report-45-william-whitelaw\/","title":{"rendered":"2023 NHL Scouting Report #45: William Whitelaw"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><i>Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2023 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lastwordbkerr\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b><i>Ben Kerr<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>, <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pereira_report\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b><i>Kyle Pereira<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> and <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mr_frans2603\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b><i>Frederik Frandson<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i> on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new <\/i><\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023-nhl-entry-draft-headquarters\/\" target=\"_self\"><b><i>headquarters for everything \u201cNHL Draft\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>! Today we bring you our William Whitelaw Scouting Report.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-106095 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/04\/TSPLogo-300x80.png\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/04\/TSPLogo-300x80.png 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/04\/TSPLogo-768x204.png 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2021\/04\/TSPLogo.png 1024w\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"80\"><\/p>\n<h2><b>William Whitelaw Scouting Report<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">William Whitelaw, born in Rosemount, Minnesota on February 5th, 2005, is a forward playing in the USHL. The young center stands at 5\u20199\u201d and 172 pounds, and played with the Youngstown Phantoms this past season. He is currently committed to play for the University of Wisconsin next year. This season, he scored 36 goals and 25 assists for 61 points across 62 USHL contests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the smaller stature and below a point-per-game pace, he still has seen his name ranked either late in the first or in the second. Some pundits have him ranked in the third round, however. Those rankings include being placed 23rd by Smaht Scouting, 28th by Daily Faceoff, 30th by Dobber Prospects and FCHockey, 39th by McKeen\u2019s Hockey, 45th by Recruit Scouting, 46th by Draft Prospects Hockey, 48th by Elite Prospects, 65th by Bob McKenzie, and 76th by FloHockey and Craig Button.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>William Whitelaw Deep Dive<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Right Wing &#8212; shoots Right<br \/>\nBorn February 5th, 2005 &#8212; Rosemount, Minnesota<br \/>\nHeight 5&#8217;9&#8243; &#8212; Weight 173 lbs [175 cm\/78 kg]<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/widgets.eliteprospects.com\/iframe_player_stats.php?player=603194\" width=\"700\" height=\"390\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"yes\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With undersized players, there are two groups of people. There are those who don\u2019t mind the lack of size as long as the skill is there. Then, there are those that need to be blown away by skill, production, and skating to look at an undersized skater. In the case of Whitelaw, one group is willing to take an earlier risk on him with a late-first or early second. Meanwhile, that other group has him ranked later in the second or early in the third, not willing to take a big risk. So, what does he lack, and what do those in the first group intrigued by?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>William Whitelaw\u2019s Skating<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whitelaw\u2019s skating is effective. He has really strong acceleration, with a strong first step. With that, he can win short-area races to loose pucks, which is key when moving up to tougher leagues. A lot of battles are won and lost by who wins those short-area races. Additionally, he has exceptional edges and agility. He\u2019s able to change direction on a dime and stop on pucks with ease. Also, he can change speeds with the puck on his stick. For example, he can slow down after entering the zone to get a defender\u2019s gap to be off, then if the defender slows up to keep a tight gap, he can use his quick burst to catch him off guard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Whitelaw does have a bit of an awkward stride. It takes away from his top end speed. While he can take off pretty quick, he is much more quick than fast. Whitelaw won\u2019t be burning defenders with regularity off the rush, and he lacks that extra gear to truly impact the game with his skating. But, with improved mechanics and NHL level coaching, on top of a lighter NCAA schedule to get him in the gym more, that can be improved.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Offensive Abilities<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whitelaw is a fast-paced offensive player. To a high degree. He is all gas, always. He possesses solid hands, though nothing that will catch the highlight reel consistently. But where the pace shows up is how willing he is to go full-fledged attack through the slot. Whether that\u2019s with his passing or getting into spots for his shots. He fires a ton of shots on net, and he attempts a bunch of passes into the high-danger areas of the ice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, those risks don\u2019t always turn into results. With some bad luck mixed with some poor decisions, his production never saw an explosion despite how he attacks the game. His shot doesn\u2019t feature consistent accuracy or power, making him inefficient from distance. Because he can\u2019t take advantage of long-distance shots, he\u2019s forced to get in tighter. While he can get there, his slighter frame doesn\u2019t allow him to be consistently effective, and it leads to some turnovers. Additionally, he doesn\u2019t connect on his slot passes very often, which can also lead to turnovers. The biggest thing going for him is how good he is at finding openings in the defence away from the puck, setting himself up for scoring chances.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>William Whitelaw\u2019s Transitional Abilities<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whitelaw\u2019s transitional game isn\u2019t as exciting to watch as his offensive game. That\u2019s not to say he isn\u2019t good, however. But, with a player who is as constantly involved in the offensive end, with a buzzsaw style of play, flying around the ice, you\u2019d expect more involvement here. But, especially with exiting the defensive zone, he is not relied on very heavily. However, when he does get opportunities to move the puck, he makes the most of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only is he effective when tasked with entering the offensive zone, but he can also create chances off those rushes. With his skating, paired with his hunger to attack the middle, he can be a threat. With an improved shot, plus maybe slowing his game down a bit, those rush chances can turn into results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Whitelaw\u2019s Defensive Zone Play<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whitelaw\u2019s defensive game isn\u2019t pretty, but it isn\u2019t for a lack of effort. Similar to his offensive game, he\u2019s always moving. His forecheck is disruptive and probably his greatest strength when his team does not have the puck. When the opponent has the puck in their offensive zone, Whitelaw will hound the puck carrier. He can get carried away chasing the puck and leave his other assignments open. However, that relentlessness does cause chaos, which can force turnovers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There isn\u2019t much organization or order in Whitelaw\u2019s defensive style. Plus, his smaller stature doesn\u2019t help him in board battles. However, it is important to note he is more than willing to battle, and he plays bigger than he is at times. But, Whitelaw really needs to slow down his defensive game a bit and find some order to the chaos. The willingness to battle is great, and the relentless puck pursuit is also a positive. But there are times where he needs to reel it in and cover his spot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>William Whitelaw\u2019s Potential<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whitelaw is a ball of energy. He forechecks like there\u2019s no tomorrow, he attacks the slot relentlessly, and there\u2019s hardly ever a shift where his feet aren\u2019t moving. However, there are times where it\u2019s too much. His offensive game has the potential to truly become game-breaking, but he forces too many passes, and his shot isn\u2019t pro-ready. Working on his shot is one thing, but changing his style or having him reel it in is a whole different story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The one big thing to point towards is his off-puck ability in the offensive end, as that\u2019s where he shows a high-end vision and play reading ability. If he can utilize that vision and awareness when the puck is on his stick, he\u2019ll see an offensive explosion at the collegiate level. But his defensive and offensive styles are simply too chaotic that it does not project well to the NHL level, making him a boom-or-bust option. All things considered, there is a world where he can be a top-six forward some day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>NHL Comparison\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">William Whitelaw, based on style only and not based on future projection, is reminiscent of Connor Garland in a lot of ways. Garland is undersized, but plays like he is bigger than he really is. Additionally, he is also a buzzsaw, constantly moving his feet and being a thorn in the side of his opponents. Garland thrives in controlled chaos. The key word there is controlled. That\u2019s what Whitelaw needs to do, control his tempo better and reel it in when it\u2019s needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, Garland has a solid shot that&#8217;s allowed him to have a 20-goal season under his belt. If Whitelaw can improve his shot, play more controlled in all three zones, and bulk up, he could be a Garland-esque player at the next level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Hightlights<\/h3>\n<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=NIAuPC78Cw0&#038;list=PLOgBIUfkk2BNgjOm3SGqXh8wkvgY-XLVI&#038;pp=gAQBiAQB<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raw stats via Elite Prospects<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2023 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr, Kyle Pereira and Frederik [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3602,"featured_media":138316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1279,2,4547,4548,3462,309,3302],"tags":[7075,2148,931,7758,2822],"class_list":["post-138303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl-draft","category-featured","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-nhl-prospects","category-nhl-top-prospects","category-ushl-ncaa","tag-2023-nhl-draft","tag-scouting-reports","tag-ushl","tag-william-whitelaw","tag-youngstown-phantoms"],"modified_by":"Ben Kerr","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3602"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=138303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/138303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/138316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=138303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=138303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=138303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}