Basic Player Overview
2019/2020 Team(s): Vancouver Giants (WHL)
Position: C
Body Size: 5’11” / 165lbs
Handedness: Right
Introduction
Justin Sourdif was drafted 3rd overall by the Vancouver Giants in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft. He was a lethal scoring threat in bantam and midget hockey. His rookie campaign in the WHL was a successful one, posting 23 goals and 23 assists for 46 points in 64 games. Sourdif had a lot of momentum going into his NHL draft year but statistically disappointed many. He increased his totals to 26G-28A-54P in 57 games but many were expecting him to be more than a point per game player. Although the points may not have come, Justin’s draft year was a successful one as he developed and grew his game away from the stat sheet.
Shot
Sourdif has a shot that is lethal. His accuracy is pinpoint in the offensive zone, and he is very quick at identifying the open spots of the net. Does a great job at making goaltenders pay for being out of position. When he has a defender on him he does a subtle but deceiving body twist that often makes the defender bite. His shot has a good amount of power but could always be improved. His inconsistent point production throughout the season will more than likely lower his ranking in the 2020 NHL draft
Justin Sourdif receiving a pass softly and using his shot to beat the goaltender over the glove side shoulder.
Here he uses a nice move to get around the defender and creates time and space to pick the perfect spot for the goal.
Above is an example of the way Justin shifts his body to buy himself space and cause the opponent to bite.
Net Front Presence & Vision
My favorite part of Justin’s game is his raw determination in front of the net. He drives the net with power. His long reach allows him to get from side to side effectively. He does a great job of getting into the right spots in the slot to get lots of rebound opportunities. Won’t stop digging trying to get the puck to the back of the net until he hears a whistle.
Above you can see a great example of Sourdif keeping his head up and scanning the play to see if he should make a pass to his teammate or take the shot. His great vision allowed him to recognize that the goaltender was out of position despite being outnumbered 4-2 by the opposing defenders.
Compete Level
Sourdif is not the strongest player, so defenders do tend to knock him to the ground easily. He will always pop back up in a heartbeat. When he does get knocked down he gets back up and plays even better. He is a heart and soul player that will fight through adversity and find ways to help his teammates be better. Sourdif can and will sacrifice his own statistics in order to win the game.
Physicality
Justin Sourdif is an average-sized center height-wise. He will need to add more weight before making the jump to pro hockey. In addition to weight he will need to become a stronger player and make it harder on defenders to take him out of a play. It’s not very common to see him deliver any big hits in a game. On the odd occasion, he gets into a fight he holds his own very well. Over time he should be able to grow. Strength should not be considered a red flag since he has shown the dedication to becoming a better overall player.
Skating
This is where I have a little bit of concern with Sourdif. His acceleration is good, but he needs to improve his top speed. He struggles to out speed defenders. I do think his first step is excellent. I do believe that if he was a better skater we would be considering him a first-round talent. At the professional level, this will be what will hold him back from taking the next step. Skating issues on top of not being a physical player may mean we see Sourdif fall in the draft.
DY Environment
Sourdif started the year centering the second line while Milos Roman (CGY 4th,18) centered the first line. Justin had nights where he would explode and post 3-4 point games. but in between these games, he would be nonexistent. This caused the Giants head coach Michael Dyck to shuffle Sourdif around to try and get his game to be more consistent. He tried him on the wing and even moved him to the top line as Roman struggled this year as well. After the trade deadline where the Giants acquired forward Eric Florchuk (WSH 7th,18) Justin started to find his grove and ended the season with 23 points in 17 games.
Statistics
Draft Rankings
#49- RecruitScouting
#68- Future Considerations
#60- McKeen’s Hockey
#23- NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
#52- Elite Prospects
#48 – Bob McKenzie
Expected Round of Selection
The expectation is that Justin Sourdif will be drafted around the late second – early third round.
NHL Comparable
The way he plays the game is very similar to Blake Coleman. Both are guys who will fight and grind to help the team in whatever way they can. Sourdif has the potential to be a better goal scorer than Coleman but like Blake it may take a while before he will produce at the NHL level.
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