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Edit: Drafted 57th by the St. Louis Blues.

William Carrier exploded out of the gate with 40 points in his first 24 games for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Playing with Alexandre Lavoie, they were really a two man wrecking crew for the Eagles. Unfortunately there was no help for them, as Cape Breton really struggled to find any secondary scoring whatsoever. Cape Breton realizing that they really weren’t a strong team decided to trade Lavoie to Rimouski in an attempt to rebuild. This would really hurt Carrier and he would score just 2 points in his next ten games. He literally had no one to play with, and no offensive support left on the team, and slumped as a result. Things went from bad to worse for Carrier as on December 14th, 2012 he suffered a series ankle injury. Originally said to be a high ankle sprain, there were some complications, and he would end up missing the rest of the season.

However to put in perspective just how impressive Carrier’s 42 points in 34 games were. He still finished the season as the second leading scorer on the Screaming Eagles. First was Lavoie with his 49 points in 37 games. This really shows how poor Cape Breton was as a team, and how little scoring they had without the dynamic duo.

Carrier has international experience winning a bronze with Team Canada at the 2012 IIHF Under 18 World Championships.

Left Wing

Born Dec 20 1994 — Lasalle, PQ

Height 6.02 — Weight 205 — Shoots Left

At his best Carrier has a strong, powerful skating stride. He generates very good speed, and his acceleration is such that he can reach top speed in only a few strides. He has enough speed to take a defender wide and cut to the net. Carrier has great balance and is very difficult to knock off the puck. Carrier’s powerful stride allows him to fight through checks, and he has the ability to go straight through defenders at times instead of going around them. He has decent agility and edgework, but he’s more likely to use his ability to bulldoze a defender then to elude them.

Carrier cycles the puck extremely well down low, and finds openings to cut to the net. He has soft hands when he gets there and scores a lot of goals in tight either through this cutting to the net, or by standing in front with rebounds and tip-ins. Carrier also has good vision and can be an excellent playmaker, especially out of the cycle. A pure powerforward, he wins battles along the boards, and loves to throw his weight around on the forecheck.

Carrier has the added bonus of playing a strong two-way game. He brings his physical presence to his own end of the rink, and continues to be strong in board battles and hitting. He also cuts down on passing and shooting lanes and is not afraid to block shots. Carrier has good anticipation, and creates turnovers. He has been used on the penalty kill.

Carrier’s power forward style of game is reminiscent of Erik Cole, just as a Left Wing instead of a Right Wing. His potential is to be a top 6 forward capable of playing in both ends of the ice. He will need some time to develop, and it is hoped that all those points were not the product of Lavoie, but he could also be a real home run type of pick. His defensive game and skating ability will likely give him the opportunity to be a third liner, even if the offensive potential is not reached.

And a vid from the 2011-12 season

Check back tomorrow for our number 46 prospect.

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