2015 NHL Draft: Top 6 Avalanche 2nd Round Picks
#3: Mitchell Vande Sompel
Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Height/weight: 5’10″ and 182 pounds
Team: Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Pro comparison: Tyson Barrie, Kris Letang
Draft range: second round, NHL.com = #34 N.A. skaters
Mitchell Vande Sompel started his hockey life as a forward but converted to defense. As such, he’s an offensive defenseman who scored 12 goals and earned 63 points last season with the Oshawa Generals.
Vande Sompel is smallish even by forwards standards, and that hurts him. However, he’s a gifted skater with a quick and deadly shot. He told Hockey’s Future that he models his game after players he thinks he resembles:
"“Obviously there’s a lot of guys that I look up to and watch. I think [Kris] Letang — I think I try to keep a close eye on him. And [Erik] Karlsson — all those guy who are offensive-minded defenseman.”"
With his size and forward-like abilities, I think he’s got Tyson Barrie written all over him — and that worked out pretty well for the Avalanche.