Tristen Robins // Hidden Gem // Scouting Report #1
This is a picture of Tristen Robins suited up for the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL as they hit the ice in a game against the Moose Jaw Warriors.
Scouting Report #1
D.O.B.: 11/15/01
Stats: 33 Goals, 40 Assists, 73 Points, 62 games played
Team: Saskatoon Blades, WHL
Position: Center
Blue line to Blue line time: 1.68
Most outstanding stat: last 34 games with 1.55 PPG (52 P)
Letter, (A-F)=Consistency, A being most consistent
Number, (1-5)=tier of talent, 1 being highest
Rank:
51st by EliteProspects.com
63rd by Future Considerations
55th by McKeens Hockey
86th by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
34th by Dr. Tee Scouting
Scouting report:
And here is the first ever scouting report of the 2020 season by Dr. Tee. And the lucky nominee for the first scouting report just happens to be one of my very favorites, and the one that I’ve ranked pretty high (34th) according to most other sites. He finished the last half of the 2019-20 WHL hockey season with an incredible 52 points in 34 games which are numbers that players going in the top 20 of this year's draft can name to themselves. So without further a- do let’s get right into this exciting scouting report.
Move - 2C
Although Robins’ skating may not be the most recognizable at first once you really start to take a little bit of a deeper plunge into how he skates you kind of start to notice really that he isn’t a bad skater by any means.
He doesn’t necessarily have the best speed of all time but I did clock him at a relatively average time for many skaters to the likes of Dylan Holloway, Lucas Raymond and such, with a 1.68 second blue line to blue line average. He makes up for this with his quick turns in tight, and really his great ability to flat out move effortlessly around the ice. He has very good explosiveness, as well as first few step acceleration. He really maximizes this especially when chasing loose picks which isn’t always a bad thing especially when you have the ability to get the puck and always do something with it. His lower body strength helps him to fight through checks and go up against bigger players. This part of Robins’ game will need to improve but is still extremely solid. He has that good foundation going now all that he really has to do is build off of that.
Dangle - 1B
Robins’ stickhandling is great. He is consistent but not at the very, very highest level where I can give him a full 1A. Every single bone in my body wanted to give him a 1A but at the end of the day it was a case of there’s a Tim Stützle and then that one player that has everything right just not quite at the same level.
Back to his stickhandling though. And let me tell you there’s something about Tristen Robins that just makes me say “wow!” In my head every single time I watch him play. He’s so smooth with his hands if I really have to start somewhere. The fact that he can pivot quickly, or turn on a dime in tight areas is outstanding in my perspective. This is probably the reason why I like him so much as a player. The way he can blend his edgwork, and agility with his hands, and finishing ability really blows my mind. The way that he operates is a lot similar to that of Cole Caufield especially with their skating and hands which I’ve mentioned going on million times right about now. They both have this unique ability to always know what move to make before to make it. And if you want to get even crazier I think you could see the same metrics you would see in a Dawson Mercer type player who is projected to go in the top 20, if not 15 if I may so this something that you take in consideration especially while evaluating someone like Robins with the skill that he has.
Snipe - 1B
In the shooting category of Robins’ game I feel that it’s very similar to the stickhandling department of his game at first glance. This was another case of he has the shot of Cole Perfetti, but not Alexander Holtz. And like Tristen Robins stickhandling there was just something about it when he did it it’s almost like you were always wanting him to do more of what he was doing.
The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Tristen Robins’ shot is “Top 10 in the draft class!” He has a very scary quick release and has the same ability that Jack Quinn has to shoot from anywhere, and to score from anywhere. Let me tell you, he can score off of a tip, in front of the net cleaning up the garbage. It doesn’t have to look pretty for it to a Tristen Robins goal and that’s what makes it so pretty! He has an absolute scary quick release and when I say quick I mean quick! This also transfers really well when corralling wild passes as it allows him to get the puck off of his stick as soon as he possibly can as quick and accurately as he can. That leads me to the next thing as well! He has an incredibly accurate shot of any kind! His wheelhouse is right on the faceoff dots in the offensive end, or just above the circles where he has a bit of a Matvei Michkov feel to his game. He can either use his great vision, and underrated playmaking ability to set up a teammate, shoot that quick wrister or a hard slapshot, or he can go in and create something out of nothing. The kid is something else.
Defensive mindset - 2B
Robins’ defensive game like his skating is not something that immediately sticks out to you at first. Instead you have to look over his drive to always make the right play, and the way he overall thinks the game.
Despite the fact that I did give him a 2B he is a consistent player in his own end of the ice. It’s something I guess you could call average. He’s doing what he’s supposed to be doing in the defensive zone more often than not, and also knows how to generate offense with his great hockey IQ. He does what he can do at a consistent basis by clogging up passing, and shooting lanes, playing a positional, smart game, and never jumping ahead of the play too much looking for a scoring chance, or an offensive breakout before the defense is properly ready for that to be executed. Although his size can limit what he does in the defensive zone he doesn’t let this stop him at all. “He has a drive, mindset, and mentality of a leader.” Daft dynasty described Robins in his scouting report on him. “There’s not a time that he just simply stopped or gave up on a play, or someone hits him, or a teammate bad then he goes over there and talks to the guy.” He is a hard worker especially in neutral, and defensive zone breakouts as well as on the defensive side of the game. This leads to limited mistakes, and great results for the Saskatoon Blades hockey team. This also leads to me finally summing up this and saying that he is a big time team player that possesses extreme talent.
Overall - 1B
Overall Tristen Robins is a unique brand of so many different players from head to toe. When you look at his playmaking you see a creative Mavrik Bourque as well as his quick release. When you look at his hands they often resemble that of Dawson Mercer where he feels more comfortable under high pressure situations. And when you look at his skating you see a shifty Cole Caufield that can make room for himself very easily, fight off checks, and use short bursts of speed to find the back of the net.
I see him becoming a vital part to whichever team in the NHL he ends up on.
Player Comparison: Jeff Skinner
In terms of style of play there nearly identical. Skinner possesses great agility, probably top 3 in the league which matches perfectly with how Tristen Robins looked in his draft year. When it comes to playmaking the edge goes to Robins but in terms of shooting there both neck and neck.
Goal scoring, leader of a center
More detailed report: Draft dynasty, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTpGw1mZky0