2010 NHL Entry Draft

Merrill thinking his way to the top

Tuesday, 03.30.2010 / 10:33 AM / 2010 NHL Entry Draft

By Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer

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Merrill thinking his way to the top
Jon Merrill admits he isn't the biggest, fastest or most-skilled player on the ice. Instead, he uses his smarts to put him near the head of the 2010 Draft class.
Jon Merrill realizes the mind is a terrible thing to waste.

It's especially true on the ice, where he's made a living out-thinking his opponents as a top-two defenseman for the U.S. National Team Developmental Program's Under-18 team in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"I'm not the strongest or the fastest player and I don't have the heaviest shot, so when I play the game, I have to out-think my opponent because I can't out-skill or throw guys into the boards," Merrill told NHL.com. "I look at a player like Nicklas Lidstrom -- I really enjoy watching the way he does it. He just controls the whole game back there just by thinking the game. That's how I want to be and I think I've done a pretty good job so far."

NHL Central Scouting had the Brighton, Mich., native rated 20th among North American skaters (No. 6 among defensemen) on its midterm list of the best talent available for the 2010 Entry Draft.

"He's very intelligent on both sides of the puck, makes good decisions, and defensively is good about keeping himself in good position," USNTDP U-18 coach Kurt Kleinendorst said. "There are a lot of things to appreciate about his game, including his size (6-foot-3 1/4, 198 pounds) and his dedication in the weight room."

Like any other aspiring skater on the board, Merrill was pleased with his ranking.

"I think it's a great honor; I guess I was kind of expecting it because I don't think my play has suffered at all," Merrill said.

Merrill was born in Oklahoma City, but moved to Michigan, where he picked up the game as a 5-year-old. It was around that time he began tagging along with his older brother, Greg, now a defenseman for the Bay State Breakers of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

"Greg is a definite role model," Jon said. "He's a real hard competitor. When people tell me I don't play hard enough or am not competitive enough, he's there to back me up. He's such a worker and I respect and admire that in him."

Merrill, who will attend the University of Michigan in the fall, played a role in the U.S. national team's gold medal-winning performance at the 2009 World Under-18 Championships. He also paced the U.S. defense corps with 3 points during the club's three-game sweep to the '09 Four Nations Cup title, and chipped in with 3 points during Team USA's second-place showing at the 2010 Six Nations Cup in Belarus in February.

Having the opportunity to play 19 games with the U-18 team last season got Merrill into the proper frame of mind entering his first full season with the club in 2009-10.

"It was awesome, especially winning that (World U-18) gold medal," he said.
Attending Michigan long has been a dream of his, especially playing in front of a sold-out Yost Arena.

"The atmosphere in that place is unbelievable and I can't wait to get there and play for coach Red Berenson," Merrill said. "I'm just hoping to make an impact."

While there has been discussion of his needing to improve his overall speed, Merrill doesn't foresee any issues down the road.

"I don't think it'll be a big thing," he said. "It's something I'm working on every day."

"He's not a poor skater, but he's just not at that high level with getting to that gap, but once he does, he'll completely bring his game full-circle," Kleinendorst said. "He's only 18, so it's not like he's a seasoned pro yet."

But he's slowly getting there, particularly in the USNTDP's games in the United States Hockey League, where he's learning against many of the nation's finest 19- and 20-year-old skaters.

"He plays the game a lot like Jordan Leopold," said Central Scouting's Jack Barzee, who specializes in U.S. prospects. "He plays weaving and diving, sneaking and thinking, gaining the zone and moving the puck ahead and right on the tape to a guy. He's skilled and he's really come a long way in his development."

That continued development could lead to him rising in the rankings when Central Scouting releases its final list in April.

"I can tell the way our reports are coming in now that our final meeting will be a dandy," Barzee said. "I don't think where we have him will play any significant role on where he gets drafted; it'll depend on the teams that are in the immediate hunt for a defenseman like him and how many picks they have. Right now, I'd say he'd probably go anywhere from 14 to 24 in the draft."
 
Contact Mike Morreale at [email protected]