Cam Hillis – 2018 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
By Mark Scheig, The Hockey Writers
Cam Hillis
2017-18 Team: Guelph Storm (#8)
Date of Birth: June 24, 2000
Place of Birth: Oshawa, ON
Ht: 5’11” Wt: 165 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: C
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2018 first-year eligible
Rankings
- NHL Central Scouting Mid-Term: 59th
- Future Considerations: 48th
The Guelph Storm got a huge boost thanks to a commitment from one of their early draft picks from the 2016 OHL Draft. With the 28th overall pick, the Storm took Cam Hillis. Some thought he’d go the school route as he was enrolled at St. Andrews College. After winning a championship with them, Hillis decided to commit to Guelph.
That decision has worked out for both Hillis and the Storm. All of the rookie attention in the OHL has gone to expected top-two pick Andrei Svechnikov and rightly so. But did you know Hillis finished second in the entire OHL in rookie scoring? He finished with an impressive line of 20-39-59 in 60 games. At almost a point per game, Hillis made a huge statement about his draft stock.
RELATED: THW’s 2018 Draft Guide
When watching Guelph, you think of players like Ryan Merkley, Isaac Ratcliffe and others. So in my first viewing of them of the season, I had my eyes on Merkley, until Hillis decided to go off. On Oct 28 in Erie, Hillis went off for four points including his first multi-goal game of his OHL career. He wasn’t even on my radar. I walked out of the building that night wondering if he could go in the first round? He was the best player on the ice by a mile that night.
So what do we have in Hillis? We have an offensive dynamo who can drive the play in the opponent’s zone. We have a player who can make pinpoint passes. If his opponents play pass, he can also shoot. Although his skill isn’t to the level of a Clayton Keller, I see some remnants of him in Hillis.
While the offense is excellent, his defense is still a work in progress. He can get worked off pucks easily and loses a lot of his battles in his own end. He knows he needs to fill out and get stronger for the next level. I’d also like to see some more consistency in his game. While there were nights he dominated, there were other nights I didn’t see him.