Grading Every New Jersey Devils NHL Draft Pick
By Nick Villano
LW. Hamilton Bulldogs. player. 85. Scouting Report. 164. Pick Analysis. Cole Brown
Cole Brown is an interesting name. He rose up rankings throughout the season, playing well for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL. He had some great moments, including overtime winners. This is a competitor for sure. He wasn’t even on some analysts rankings, including The Atheltic’s Corey Pronman’s final mock draft. He did at one point have Jesper Bratt at 49th in his draft rankings, so he is an expert, but he also called for Patrick Laine to be drafted before Auston Matthews at the time.
Brown has a long way to go, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be anything. He’s a power forward who can still put points on the board. He has skill in both the offensive and defensive ends. It was a weird season for all Hamilton Bulldogs, who announced a relocation while the arena is under construction, and possibly a permanent move. It impacted the value of a few players, including Nick Lardis and Patrick Thomas.
Brown could continue to progress as a player. He needs to really focus on the offensive end, as he could work with Thomas and Lardis to build a really good offensive core. This is a really good team that could bounce back and win in the playoffs if they can get over the off the ice issues for the team.
Will Brown ever be a point-per-game player in the OHL? Maybe. He needs to get better this offseason.