Chase Reid
2026 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots: R
H/W: 6-Foot-2, 188 Pounds
Date of Birth: 2007-12-30
What an interesting career arc it’s been for Reid so far in such a short amount of time. Last year, Reid was hit with a couple of wake-up calls; slaps in the face if you will, as he was cut from both the U.S. Hlinka/Gretzky Cup team and Waterloo of the USHL and pushed to the NAHL. Things were looking somewhat bleak for his NHL prospects, but then the light bulb just seemed to go on. He took the demotion in stride and performed well in the NAHL with Bismarck, then made the difficult decision to sign with the Soo Greyhounds, heading North of the border in December. Reid’s impact was felt immediately with 26 points in his first 21 games.
Fast forward to this year and things have exploded even further for Reid. He finds himself near the top of the league’s defenseman scoring race and on a strong Soo Greyhounds team. He also made the U.S. roster for the World Juniors and played a top four role. Needless to say, Reid has emerged as a serious contender for the top five of this year’s NHL draft because of his immense upside as a puck mover.
Reid is the prototype of the modern-day NHL puck moving defender. He’s got size at 6-foot-2, but is also explosive, skilled, and aggressive. He consistently attacks downhill and loves to play the game at a quick pace, utilizing his ability to blend power and skill to be an impactful transition player. Reid is also an excellent powerplay quarterback thanks to his heavy shot and critical thinking skills with the puck. A true dual threat at the top of the powerplay; Reid can hammer it or dish it. While there are some concerns over his defensive game and wavering physical engagement deep in the defensive zone, he has the frame and mobility to eventually become a quality two-way defender at the pro level, although some patience may need to be exhibited.
Thanks to the new NCAA eligibility rules, patience can truly be exhibited here, allowing Reid to polish his game. He’ll attend Michigan State as early as next season, and the NCAA will prove a great test for him defensively. Then, depending on how his development goes, he can turn pro and his NHL organization can take things from there. In a few years, Reid could easily develop into a Zach Werenski kind of player (or an Eric Desjardins for the older crowd) for his NHL team; a fixture in the top three and on the top powerplay unit.
Skating
From a technical standpoint, Reid is an excellent and proficient skater. He generates significant power in straight lines thanks to long, explosive strides, accelerating to top speed with only a few pushes. His speed is effortless and this allows him to glide, minimizing effort. He’ll then utilize linear crossovers to help him build speed while protecting the puck through coverage in the NZ and OZ. This allows him to be such an impactful transitional attacker. He is very aggressive as a rusher, consistently looking to gain the offensive zone with his rushes, often pushing deep in the OZ. He leads the OHL in entries via stickhandling among OHL defenders with an average of 3.5 per game. Reid is also hyper aggressive without the puck, looking to use his speed to create odd man rushes. He routinely beats opposing backcheckers up ice and earns scoring chances as the third- or fourth-man in.
Reid’s transitional agility is also a strong suit of his skating profile. He switches from forward to backwards stride effortlessly and because he picks up speed quickly, he is often first to dump ins and rarely gets hemmed inside his own end. He also takes great routes to these retrievals, allowing him to clear the zone with his feet, building speed out of turns well. Much like his offensive zone entries stat, Reid leads the OHL in successful breakouts and loose puck recoveries.
If there is a weakness in Reid’s skating ability, it’s his lateral quickness and explosiveness on his edges. Of course, the term weakness is relative because Reid is not poor in this area. However, he’s not as fluid or quick when changing direction as many other high end offensive defenders and powerplay quarterbacks. This does create some limitations for him as he looks to evade pressure at the point. He has to rely on his hands to create space or use his frame to help him protect the puck. To his credit, Reid recognizes this and makes extremely quick decisions with the puck. Occasionally, we’ll see him switch to the mohawk stride to help him work off the point and evade pressure, but it’s something he could utilize more. While creative and confident in transition, Reid is often a little more cautious once inside the zone. He’ll look to get the puck off his stick quickly or use the threat of his shot to help create exploitable lanes. Improving his explosiveness out of cuts and improving his lateral quickness will be key for Reid if he wants to be a topflight NHL powerplay quarterback.
A good example of Reid’s explosive forward stride. He builds speed quickly and generates power through linear crossovers, which allows him to protect the puck and blow past a Flint defender.
Another example of Reid’s linear power and quickness as he carves up the neutral zone and breaks in for a chance.
Reid’s impact on the transition game can be profound. He secures the puck in his own end and then finishes the play off the other way, utilizing the mohawk stride to open up a shooting lane while getting to the net.
As discussed, if there is a criticism of Reid’s skating it’s that he’s not incredibly dynamic on his edges or explosive laterally. A lot of his offense is generated in transition or from his ability to find open space to shoot. This will need to be a developmental focal point for him if he wants to be a top flight NHL powerplay quarterback.
While Reid’s explosiveness on his edges could use work, his transitional mobility is quite good. This allows him to recover quickly from offense to defense and it makes him difficult to beat to retrievals. This is a great example.
GRADE: 55
Shot
This is one of the hallmarks of Reid’s game. He is a multi-faceted goal scorer from the back end and his high goal totals the last few seasons are no fluke. Reid has an excellent wrist shot and a lightning quick release. He can beat goaltenders clean because of the velocity/accuracy of it. Due to his wrist shot being such a weapon, he consistently uses the threat of it as a way to open up lanes through fakes and delays. He’ll fake his wrister to get shot blockers to commit or freeze, then work deeper in the offensive zone, or use toe drags to create a better shooting lane. Reid also one times pucks cleanly and is a major weapon from the left flank or the point of the powerplay because of this. Lastly, Reid has terrific hands for shooting in tight; he’s comfortable driving the net and finishing on either his backhand or forehand. This is a player who has a chance to be one of the higher goal scoring defenders in the NHL.
Reid is so good at using shot fakes to help him freeze defenders, then he can exploit that by shooting, passing, or driving to help open up lanes further. He’s also excellent at getting his shot through traffic. Here we see both.
The Reid one timer, an effective weapon for him to utilize…especially on the powerplay.
Reid cuts this play off with a solid pinch and then makes no mistake with the wrister, an equally effective weapon for him.
GRADE: 57.5
Skills
There is absolutely no denying that Reid is one of the draft’s most skilled players, defender or forward. He routinely escapes pressure thanks to the fact that his feet and hands work completely in sync. Even operating at full speed; Reid’s typical breakneck pace, he rarely loses control of the puck and is able to not only gain the offensive zone but create chances by pushing deep into the zone with possession. He routinely turns defenders into pylons. Reid also uses this terrific puck control to help him escape pressure in the defensive zone, keeping the puck on a string to help him create the space necessary to start successful breakouts; he truly is a breakout machine. Although, he does need to trust his ability to escape pressure by making consistently better decisions (more on that in the “smarts” category).
Reid is also a terrific passer. He can thread the needle with stretch passes and rarely has to alter his pace to find seams or open teammates. Part of that has to do with his vision with the puck, but the other part is purely skill related. Reid is also so confident with the puck, comfortable drawing in pressure before passing off, again trusting that his hands and protection habits can help him maintain possession. It’s such an advantage for him to be over 6’2 with his skill level, because he can ward off attackers by keeping the puck out of reach or by shielding it in his hip pocket.
This sequence on the powerplay gives you some insight into how Reid likes to play and is most effective; at a breakneck pace. He carves up the neutral zone and chips/chases when he identifies that he’s about to be boxed in. The pass into the slot is calculated as he briefly shoulder checks to see if his teammate is crashing the slot. Then he opens himself up as a passing option and is quickly in attack mode again, drawing in pressure before looking back door. You’d never be able to argue complacency in regards to Reid’s play with the puck.
Reid is so aggressive offensively, always looking for opportunities to create odd man opportunities. This is a great example.
Exhibit B from the World Juniors.
Reid makes a smart pinch here to keep the puck and shows off his puck skill, basically playing “keep away” from four Flint defenders before dumping the puck in deep.
As mentioned, Reid isn’t the most dynamic East/West skater, so he relies a lot on his hands and ability to blend cuts with strong puck protection skill to make plays deep in the offensive zone.
As stated, so often we talk about a player’s hands not operating at the speed of their feet. Reid’s do and it allows him to play at such a quick pace. He plays through a defender while barely breaking stride.
Reid is so good at using the threat of his shot to open up lanes to attack. Here he freezes the Kitchener defender and circles the net before finding Jordan Charron for a glorious scoring chance.
Look at the precision and speed of this stretch pass that leads to a goal. Not a lot of defenders in junior hockey can make that play and thread that needle.
GRADE: 62.5
Smarts
To best break down Reid’s IQ, it is important to separate offensive and defensive responsibilities.
Offensively, Reid is a highly intelligent player. Last year, he struggled at times with turnovers from trying to force plays in the offensive zone or neutral zone. This year, he has really worked to limit those turnovers. Of course, a player like Reid is going to take liberties in the name of creating offense; you’ll need to live with the odd turnover if you want him to be creative. However, he has shown necessary growth in his decision making and is picking his spots better on when to be aggressive offensively. Where further growth is needed is in the defensive zone where he has a tendency to fire pucks into traffic under pressure to try to clear the zone, rather than use his feet, skill, and brain to find a better solution. While Reid’s breakout numbers are outstanding, he also leads the OHL in defensive zone turnovers this year.
Two things truly stand out that are representative of Reid’s excellent critical thinking skill as an offensive player. The first is that despite playing at such a ferocious pace, Reid rarely turns the puck over on the attack. He doesn’t need to alter pace to find passing lanes and has the vision with the puck to make plays at full speed. The second is that Reid is a very dangerous offensive weapon without the puck, consistently finding open space by timing cuts well or by picking spots to activate in transition.
Defensively, Reid’s more of a work in progress. He has an active stick in the defensive zone and can be disruptive to passing lanes. He’s at his best when he’s aggressive defending the neutral zone and able to flip the script quickly, turning defense into offense. Again, he has a penchant for jumping passing lanes in these situations and this has a profoundly positive impact on his team’s transition game. However, in zone coverage he can get a little lost. He can chase the puck and lose positioning, often not from a desire to cheat in the name of offensive creation, but from simply trying to do too much. As a transitional defender, his gap control is inconsistent, and he can be too passive; he needs to be more decisive at times. He has the length and mobility to be an excellent downhill defender, but he needs to fine tune his decision making and make a concerted effort to be aggressive all the time, because that’s when he’s at his best. Can these shortcomings be improved upon? I believe so as Reid gains more experience and is coached further.
When we talk about good routes and scanning habits for retrievals, this is what we’re talking about. It’s such a subtle play, but these make a huge difference. Reid shoulder checks to ensure that he’s got the forechecker behind him, then he approaches the puck in a position to attack, rather than pinning it along the wall and this allows the Soo to break out cleanly. Reid is often tactical with his breakouts when he has time/space because of this.
Exhibit B. Reid shoulder checks and knows that he has the far side to escape pressure, so he retrieves the puck and uses this momentum to start the breakout, pushing deep into the offensive zone.
This is such a great example of Reid’s poise with the puck and quick thinking skill. A great rush, but it’s the end of the play that is impressive as Reid passes back to the point at the perfect time before skating himself into trouble. A lot of young offensive defenders don’t see that play and either have to pivot and dump the puck back in or they turn the puck over.
A tremendous play from the WJC round robin against Slovakia. Reid secures the dump in and then finds the streaking Teddy Stiga in the slot who helps facilitate the goal. This really shows his vision and scanning habits.
While Reid’s defensive zone coverage is inconsistent, he does have a solid stick and good anticipation in the defensive end. Here’s an example of that with him bailing out D-partner Callum Croskery.
Reid can be very aggressive defending the neutral zone and he’s most effective when he makes plays like this. A terrific read to blow this play up and then his shot attempt helps to generate the goal.
This was a much-discussed play at one of the CHL/NTDP Prospect Challenge games. Was this Daxon Rudolph’s fault? Was it Chase Reid’s? Was it both? The bottom line is that you’ll need to live with the odd turnover and resulting goal from offensively oriented defenders like Reid. Rudolph put him in a terrible position under pressure with his flub, but Reid’s resulting flub is equally to blame.
When talking about Reid’s head for the game defensively, doubters point to plays like this. Reid just follows the puck and gets himself completely out of position, allowing the Rangers free passage to the net front for the goal. From a defensive perspective, he definitely needs to chase the play less. That, ultimately, comes from a desire to want to earn touches and counter offensively, but there needs to be trust in system structure and in teammates.
Like many junior defenders, Reid does have a tendency to try to force plays occasionally, or not make quick enough decisions with the puck in his own end when pressured. He’s really learned to trust his feet more and rarely gets hemmed in his own end in the OHL, but at least a few times a game, a play like this occurs where he just doesn’t do enough and a neutral zone turnover occurs. Sam Dickinson had some similar issues and it’s just something defenders need to work out before they hit the pro level. On the flip side, you could argue a neutral zone turnover is better than a defensive zone one, which Reid rarely is guilty of.
Another example. Too often Reid just opts to try to wildly get pucks out and it ends up as a turnover from his own end. He’s too skilled and too smart for this. He needs to find a way to make more composed plays when he doesn’t see a passing or skating lane.
GRADE: 55
Physicality/Compete
This is the area of Reid’s game that is often pointed to as his largest weakness and with good reason; it’s by far the most inconsistent component of his game.
Mentioned in the previous section, Reid is at his best when he’s aggressive and assertive physically. When he’s defending high and denying clean entries, forcing dump ins by cutting off attackers, he’s extremely effective as a defender. This is because when Reid is on the ice, teams rarely are able to establish possession through the dump and chase. However, because of how active Reid is offensively, he’s often tasked with having to defend as a backchecker, having to pick up checks in coverage quickly while trying to recover positioning. It is then that he starts chasing. What makes this somewhat problematic is that he doesn’t win enough 50/50 battles for the puck, especially below the hash marks. He will often make an initial hit to try to dislodge possession, but he has difficulty pinning to prevent movement through the cycle. If he’s not the first player to the puck, he gets in trouble.
But, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Reid does show some bite to his game. He can bring a physical edge. It’s not consistent, but it’s present. The key for him is to simply get stronger so that he’s not overwhelmed when defending below or near the goal line. That’s where Michigan State will come in handy; less game time and more time in the gym to advance physically. Reid will never be a high-end physical defender, but there’s reason to believe that as he matures physically, he could at least be average in this department.
As mentioned, Reid is at his best when he defends aggressively, attacking early to deny attackers. This is a great example as he steps up outside the blueline to disrupt a clean entry, even using his body effectively.
I absolutely love this play by Reid. He’s a competitive player by nature and this is a great example of that. Attack the middle, then completely outwork the Windsor defender to get to the puck to set up the goal.
When it comes to Reid’s defensive intensity level, these are the kinds of plays people point to as concerning. Here is Reid defending fellow 2026 top prospect Ethan Belchetz one on one and he’s just way too soft on him, allowing him to corral the rebound for the wrap around goal.
Here’s another play below the hash marks that sees Reid fail to tie up his man, resulting in a goal. He just needs to get stronger along the wall to be more effective at winning those 50/50 battles; to be more effective at pinning and taking away space.
Conversely, here’s the opposite. A great play physically to separate his man from the puck, then he successfully initiates the breakout that leads to a Greyhounds’ goal.
A couple of poor defensive plays by Reid from the WJC’s. First from the Slovakia game. In the first clip he’s not aggressive enough defending this attack. He could have negated that chance with an aggressive stick check or stepped up physically, but his passiveness allows the Slovak player way too much time and space. The second clip is more indecisiveness defending a two on one. He bites on the pass way too early and gives up a clear shooting lane. The third clip is against Sweden with the U.S. on the powerplay. Reid initially defends this odd man advantage well, communicating with the backchecker, as he picks up the puck carrier. But he fails to close the gap, again, and a goal is scored.
GRADE: 50
OFP: 55.75
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.