Player Introduction
Riley Kidney is certainly a player that is under the radar in the QMJHL. Right now, Kidney is playing second-line minutes at centre and boasts the fourth most minutes on a nightly average (based on average TOI). Currently Kidney in my opinion is a bit overshadowed by fellow 2021 draft-eligible forward Cole Huckins, at least statistically. However, I really think his draft stock could improve as the 2021 portion of his season goes on. I’m excited to see how he will perform after the mid-season break due to Covid-19 cancellations. I’m also keen to see how he will improve in his post-draft year with an expanded role on the team.
Starting off the current season, Acadie-Bathurst were seen as one of the weaker teams of the circuit. Coming off a dead-last finish the prior season, they were counting on their youth to elevate this team out of the cellar and that’s exactly what they have done so far. 9-4-2 at this stage of the season can only be seen as positive; trending in the right direction. The Titan are supposed to play their next game on March 3rd, which means over three months gap between their last game in November against Halifax. In a total of 15 games played before break, Kidney has amassed a total of 13 points, five of which were goals, six primary assists and two secondary assists.
Player Overview
Vision And IQ
Kidney is a smart player that can think fast and quickly process where the puck is heading, which helps him race for pucks and add early pressure. He is able to work the cycle pretty well and can often find little gaps and opportunities to make things happen. In the offensive zone he will sometimes rush plays so I’d like him to be more patient with the puck.
Skating
Kidney has above average skating. His technique is not perfect; he could use more bend with the knee and length on the stride, but he possesses quick first step acceleration to help him burst through holes and into space at a good rate of speed. He then will switch to slightly longer strides when trying to navigate through the neutral zone. He is very agile which lets him change directions quickly and enter the zone with relative ease due to both his speed and variety of angles. He will need to take his skating the next level to be able to stand out, as he’s smaller and lankier player. As he adds strength he should garner more power through his core and legs, giving him more drive.
Transition Play
Combining Great Stick-Handling and Passing Abilities
Kidney is a really agile player with great mitts on the rush which makes him really useful when trying to make offensive zone entries. Often Kidney is relied up and given the task of making the breakouts and zone entries because he’s really efficient at it. He shows good deception which helps him find lanes around defenders. He does keep his maneuvers simple, but does it well and consistently.
His playmaking ability is also strong part of his game. He is able to find nice lanes and cross-ice passes well. He’s capable of making opponents bite on his moves and send accurate passes to teammates while creating space and openings for them. Before the Covid-related break in December and January, he made the most Breakouts/GP and the third most Zone-Entries/GP (behind only Zachary L’Heureux and Zach Dean) among 2021 NHL Draft eligible in the Q.
Shooting
Even as a playmaker, Kidney isn’t scared to get pucks on net. Volume and a shooting mindset is good, but often Kidney takes low-danger shots. He finds himself shooting from awkward angles and tends to rush when on the puck and doesn’t wait for clearer opportunities. His shot also often lacks power. When leading the rush he tends to shoot with a relatively straight back without much weight transfer instead of leaning forward and dig on the ice with his blade. Most of the time his shots feel rushed which really reduces their quality. He also hits the crest and fans on his shots a little too much for my liking. It will be crucial for him to work on his shooting and hand-eye ability as it’s currently not consistent enough.
Motor And Defensive Impacts
Kidney is very calm on the ice. He likes to be conservative with his energy and use it on the counter. This does make him look inefficient at times. He lacks a bit of intensity on the backcheck which is something he needs to do as a center moving forward. Whilst not completely making up for it, Kidney does have a good defensive stick and is very good at positioning himself in the neutral zone. He has a tendency to find passing and skating lanes, disrupt and win pucks back. In the defensive zone, similarly, he’s good at working with his stick/space to cut passes and adds good pressure.
Physicality
It is not usually an easy task for Quebec league players to get strong with a 68 game schedule every year. But with the shortened year and the postponing of multiple games, Kidney will have more time to work in the gym and he will need to take advantage of that. Building on his currently slender frame is a must. He can get trapped along the boards a bit too easily and whilst his stick handling abilities are good, it is often not enough to keep possession of the puck. Again, he just lacks some of that strength through his trunk and legs. Adding weight and strength will also help him get more power on his shot which is something he desperately needs.
Responsibility Bred From Versatility
Special Teams
Kidney is fourth on the team for average ice time per’game for forwards on the Power Play and the Penalty Kill. So he’s not the top guy but he does gets the coach’s trust on both units. This polyvalence will come in handy for him as he will gain ice-time next year when the older roster players depart the team.
Kidney gets on average two minutes each game on the advantage. He is being used a lot to get in puck in the zone as he’s got decent speed and great stick-handling abilities which make his entries quick and smooth. Once the puck is in the zone, he likes to hover around the left circle, close in on the point defender in a loop maneuver and then head back in towards the hashmarks. Kidney constantly keeps seeking space and continually keeps in motion, helping him generate speed when receiving a pass. He is good at moving the puck around and using space. He also isn’t scared to face the wall created by the opposing defense formation, dive in and release a shot or a pass at the last second to create space for his teammates. The key area of improvements here to make are; if he gets caught with small space during board battles he will often be get trapped because of his lack of strength which can lead to loss of momentum and/or possession.
From what I saw when Kidney was on the ice on the penalty kill, he didn’t always have an active stick which bothered me sometimes but when he did, he was doing a good job at applying pressure with stick taps while positioning himself between the puck and the net. He was the one going on the forecheck in the opposing side most of the time. He was efficient at cutting lanes with positioning and putting pressure on the defenseman trying to exit his zone. He’s also pretty good in stick battles which helps him gain the puck over.
Clip #2 : Great positioning and use of the stick on the forecheck to retrieve the puck and send it back behind the opposing net.
Clip#3 : Kidney shows good stick work on the boards and is able to win a battle against 3 attacking players and send Chisholm on partial breakaway.
Conclusion
His lanky 5’11” frame shows he’s still raw physically and has potential to grow in the different physical aspects of his game such as his skating. He will need to add some weight and strength to help him compete during board battles and to take physical contact. The biggest concern would be the goal-scoring ability, as he will need to work on his shot to be more of a dual-threat. He is reliable in different situations, is an intelligent player with the puck, has good decision making, can work the cycle and make breakout & cross-ice passes facilitating zone entries leading to chance creation. He will take a bit more time to develop but for teams willing to take him as a long-term project he’s not a bad bet at all. If he can get his shot significantly better, build mass and work on refining other aspects of his game, I can see some action in the big league as a bottom-six guy mainly thanks to his versatility. Kidney is currently projected to be selected in the middle rounds of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
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