2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Drew Schock IV
Upside Hockey's NHL Draft profile series: American Edition Volume 26
Draft Thoughts (American Edition, Vol. 26):
LD Drew Schock IV (6'0", 182lbs)
NTDP: 57gp/ 4g/ 13a/ 29pts, -3, 26 PIM
The NTDP has some quality D listed in the first half of the 2025 Draft, but none more exciting than lefty Drew Schock (AKA Harold Schock IV). If you've read about this player, you've most likely seen him listed as being 5'10", and 160lbs- but those measurements are from the 2023-24 NTDP training camp, and therefore, erroneous. Schock is highly underrated, and beyond being the NTDP's top-scoring defenseman, he's sometimes their best player on a nightly basis, and considering the team itself- his numbers are not indicative of his capabilities. He's highly skilled, plays in all situations, and is fairly well rounded. In the CHL-USA Top Prospects Challenge, he was quite impressive, and one of the few Americans who was able to put a dent in the scoresheet, with 2 points in 2 games. Though it would be difficult to evaluate any player on the US side as they were vastly outplayed, Schock proved that he could keep up with the speed and pace of the dominant CHL squad (although he was burned a few times). Against USHL competition with the NTDP this season, his .54 ppg (7 points in 13 games) would be 14th in that league for defensemen, and first among under-18 players- ahead of Luka Radivojevic, and Charlie Trethewey.
Schock is a high-energy player who stays active and covers a huge volume of real estate every shift. He's highly engaged and competitive, staying involved with or without the puck on his blade. His skating is easy to evaluate, as it's already NHL-calibre- perhaps a notch or two below elite. His edges are superb and allow for quick pivots and rapid changes in pace and direction; he's highly elusive and shifty. Only a few steps are needed to get him up to top speed, and he can back defenders up, or burn them completely. His hands are quick too, with well-developed stickhandling to deke or dangle around opponents, and his manipulation game is on point- wielding the deception skills to fake his adversaries out of their skates. Schock joins the rush with regularity, and often leads them, making smooth, controlled entries using the aforementioned speed, deception, and 1-on-1 trickery. Once established in the zone, he walks the line like Johnny Cash, quarterbacking the PP, and activating frequently with the speed to recover almost instantly. He's creative, with high-end vision, and though he tries to stay safe and simple, he has a dynamic, flashy side; he can find teammates in high-danger with difficult passes, as he can see through coverage. Schock is not just a finesse player though, as he employs physicality, ties up opponents on the boards, and initiates contact to separate man from puck.
Schock plays a fairly sound defensive game, but not mistake-free, as he can be pressed into making mistakes with the puck at times when under duress. Still, he's engaged in his own zone in hounding puck-carriers, and is a willing shot-blocker. He shows aptitude against the rush by angling attackers to the outside, as he can match footwork with anyone. In retrievals, he scans for options and draws forecheckers in so he can pass to teammates in open space. His first-pass is usually sound, and he can connect on the more high-end breakouts through traffic for breakaways and odd-man rushes, but he can also be pressured into mistakes (like throwaways and turnovers). In those situations, he has the luxury of owning the speed to recover and correct more often than not. Schock is not a perfect player, and could use some work on his shot, and his decision-making under pressure, but he contributes in all 3 zones. He's headed to the University of Michigan next season, and I think he's going to be taken in the 3rd or 4th-round of the Draft- if he isn't, I'll be "Schock-ed".
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