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Los Angeles, CA. A few things seem certain every draft. One of them probably is that the Carolina Hurricanes will select someone from the Plymouth Whalers. And the Canes did not disappoint as they went the way of the "Whale" one more time on Saturday when they selected Austin Levi in the third round.
Levi is known as a "raw prospect" who scouts project to someday be a solid all around defenseman. Interestingly enough, he also played for the Compuware U-16 squad, so the organization should know him well.
Brock Otten of OHL Prospects.com projected that Levi would be drafted in the first three rounds.
More after the jump:
Otten explained:
"Levi is a very raw prospect, but one that has definitely caught the eye of NHL scouts. He's got plus size, and potential at both ends of the ice. In really his first OHL season, Levi made some big improvements over the course of the season. Defensively, Levi is solid off the rush thanks to his good mobility (a big plus for a large, physical defenseman), however he still needs to work on his zone coverage as he can get caught running around a bit too much (whether he's looking for the hit, or just plain loses his man).
"Offensively, the skating can be a really big asset in puck carrying, but he doesn't have the confidence or comfort to do it consistently. But he's fully capable. Earlier in the season Levi landed himself on the plays of the week for an end to end rush and a goal. But he continues to struggle with an active forecheck and can be prone to turnovers when he panics to a charging forward. I think with added strength, a larger role and greater experience, some of these problems will iron themselves out.
"My guess is there's an NHL team out there who likes Levi enough to take him in the first three rounds."
Turns out Otten was right.
Now at 6'3, he is very physical in his own end and is tough to play against.
Levi described his game as a "stay at home" defenseman, but scouts think he has great potential on offense as well. Check out his Hurricanes interview here. Austin Levi Interview.