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Cameron Reid- 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
James Hagens, Matthew Schaefer (The Hockey Writers)

Cameron Reid

2024-25 Team: Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
Date of Birth: April 8, 2007
Place of Birth: Aylmer, Ontario, CAN
Ht: 6-feet Wt: 190 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible

Rankings

Cameron Reid, a defenseman who has seen his draft stock rise throughout the season, can do it all on the ice. He is more of a two-way d-man, leaning more toward being more developed defensively at this point. Reid’s defensive game is top-notch. While on the smaller side (6-feet, 190 pounds), he uses his body well when needed but also relies on his skating to shut down opponents. When he has an opponent looking to create a rush towards him, he uses his high defensive IQ to take good angles and use good gap control to limit any time and space to make a move around him.

Once Reid gets the puck on his stick, he quickly leads a rush, whether with a pass or by skating the puck himself. He is a smooth skater, allowing him to help make transition plays well. He also has the speed to make his way through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone when he sees a lane. When set up in the offensive zone, he finds himself activating from the point quite a bit, and his stats for the season show how often he jumps into the play. He has been an absolute force on the power play, quarterbacking the Rangers’ first unit and putting up the sixth-most power-play assists among defensemen in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) behind players like Henry Mews, Zayne Parekh, and Emil Pieniniemi. While the numbers look strong this season, he struggles to finish at times, and he will need to work on his shot selection as part of his development.

Overall, Reid has shown he can be a shutdown defenseman this season for the Rangers this season while taking his offensive game to another level. Further offensive development will do wonders for his future in the NHL.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Cameron Reid- NHL Draft Projection

One of the more well-rounded defensemen in this year’s draft class, Reid should find himself being a lottery pick, at the lowest, a mid-first-round pick.

Quotables

“His increased size has improved his ability to engage in puck battles and play more physically on defense, a crucial aspect of his development that will help him succeed at higher levels of play. This newfound strength complements his skating ability, making him a more well-rounded player, both defensively and offensively. Reid has also taken on more offensive responsibility this season. He is frequently seen joining the rush and using his speed to act as a trailer, contributing to offensive plays.”- Blake McGuire, Future Considerations

“Reid makes excellent decisions with the puck, utilizing his skating to exit the defensive zone quickly and carry the puck with control into the offensive end. He processes the game at high speed, executing plays with pace and consistently generating chances by drawing defenders out of position to create space. Defensively, Reid displays good instincts and an active stick, compensating for his lack of physicality with strong timing and awareness to disrupt cycle plays and win puck battles along the boards.”- Joseph Aleong, Future Considerations

“Reid is one of the best skaters on the backend in this draft class. His high IQ and poise allow him to handle the puck in space, and get to open ice which leads to minimal mistake making. His skating ability allows him to set really nice gaps, and force puck carriers to chip and chase or dump the puck in. Not only a stud on the back end, Reid is sitting just shy of a point a game for Kitchener on the season.”- Ben Jordan, SMAHT Scouting

Strengths

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

Reid’s defensive game should help make him a top-four defenseman in the NHL when he reaches that level. Adding even more to his offensive game will help him be a power-play contributor and penalty killer at the next level.

Risk/ Reward Analysis

Risk: 2/5 Reward: 5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense: 5/10 Defense: 9/10

Awards/Achievements

Interviews/Links

The Hockey Writers- Top Performers From the Connor McDavid OHL Top Prospects Game
CHL.CA- NHL Draft Inside Take: Cameron Reid

Cameron Reid Stats

Videos

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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