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To say Connor Toms’ game fits the system of the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds would be an understatement.
A smooth-skating defenceman, Toms is coming off a strong season at the major midget level with the Great North Midget League’s Soo Jr. Greyhounds.
The 16-year-old scored nine times and had 26 points in 38 regular-season games for the Jr. Greyhounds and proceeded to be selected in the third round of the 2020 OHL Priority Selection earlier this month.
“When we talk about a defenceman and what we look for in terms of skillset, he has that,” Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said at the time of the pick. “He’s a great skater. He’s got a great I.Q. His decision-making is elite. He can create shot lanes for himself on the blueline. He defends well and he quarterbacked the power play for them this year. He has a lot of attributes on that side of it and he’s definitely a kid that’s motivated.”
The scouting reports on Toms speak of his mobility and offensive skill.
“He is a defenceman who has very good hockey IQ and skating ability with the puck,” independent scouting service HockeyProspect said of Toms. “He is very comfortable with the puck on his forehand and his backhand anywhere on the ice. The way he displays his intelligence on the ice is when he shoulders checks, retrieving the puck in his own zone, head is up looking for open lanes when walking the line in the offensive zone. Also, he looks off his wingers to make the goalie bite on the shot before passing it off to his winger for an easy goal.”
Like many players his age looking to make the jump to major junior, there are parts of his game Toms is looking at improving ahead of training camp with the Greyhounds in the fall.
“I can always get stronger,” Toms said. “I need to work on that and my D-zone (play), I need to get better there. I can’t get away with quick stick checks that I do at the midget level. To get to the OHL, I have to have tighter gaps too.”
Prior to the draft, Toms’ coach with the Jr. Greyhounds, Jamie Henderson, spoke of how he’s a player that is “one of those kids that loves to come to the rink.”
“The offensive game comes naturally to him,” Henderson added. “He’s really poised with the puck and willing to join the rush or lead the rush at any point during the game. He’s pretty calm there on the back end and definitely will be a quarterback of a power play at the next level. His game grew quite a bit throughout the year.”
Toms called being selected by his fathers’ former team “extremely special.”
“It almost felt surreal that the Sault chose me,” Toms said.
Toms’ father Jeff was a member of the Greyhounds from 1991 to 1994.
In three seasons with the Greyhounds, Jeff Toms had 77 goals and 150 points in 155 OHL games with the Greyhounds, which included a 50-goal season in 1993-94 before he turned pro.