Aaron Hyman: 2013 WHL Draft Prospect

Aaron Hyman (North West Calgary Athletics Association)

It is rare to see a 6’2, 14 year old defenseman who can skate and move the puck as well as Hyman. He impressed a number of scouts with his skill set and how he has been able to put every part of his game together.

When you first see a 14 year old as tall as Aaron Hyman, you expect a slow, awkward skater who has a lot of trouble with speed. However, Hyman will pleasantly surprise you with his very good skating abilities. He is difficult to get around on a rush due to his reach and backwards skating. He looks comfortable making turns around the corner, and does not have trouble dealing with speedy forwards.

Opponents have a tough time handling Hyman when he has the puck. He is quite poised, and protects it well with his big body. Players just do not have the reach to try to poke the puck away. Hyman moves the puck quickly and makes good passes to start the attack. He rarely puts his teammates in a bad position and takes a look before making a move. For his size, Hyman can definitely work on his shooting abilities more and add another weapon to his game. He reads the play pretty well, and jumps into the rush at appropriate times.

Defensively, Hyman is a work horse. Opponents have a tough time doing anything when they are on his side of the ice, and have a very little amount of time to make a play with the puck. He protects his net well, and does not have much trouble boxing players out and not allowing them to make an effective screen in front of his goaltender. As big as he is, he could be more physical and use his body to his advantage, especially out in open ice.

Aaron Hyman is still a raw prospect. He is good at many aspects of the game, but can still improve on them. Many players at his age are worried about their lack of size, but thankfully for Hyman, that is probably the last thing he has to worry about. If he can continue to receive a ton of ice time and make the use of it, he will surely become an effective player at the junior level some day.