Each day over the next month leading up to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, held on June 22 in Dallas, we will be taking a look at the top 31 prospects available, starting with the 31st and leading up to number one.
Next in the series of prospect profiles is our 14th-ranked prospect, left wing Joel Farabee.
Joel Farabee
2017–18 Team: USA U-18 National Team Development Program (NTDP)
Date of Birth: February 25, 2000
Place of Birth: Syracuse, NY
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 164 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: LW
NHL Central Scouting Final Ranking: 12
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Ranking: 11
NHL Comparable: Jake Guentzel
Joel Farabee is among the best all-around players available in this year’s draft. Farabee is a high-end offensive talent who can fill the net. He is responsible in his own end and possesses excellent leadership abilities, serving as his team’s captain this season.
Farabee is a very well-rounded player offensively. He is a strong skater, stick handles well, makes good passes, has a good shot and thinks the game well. There is not much to dislike about his game.
Skating is one of Farabee’s biggest strengths. He has high-end speed, which he reaches quickly with his elite acceleration. In fact, Farabee’s acceleration is among the best in the draft. He also uses his edges well, and in combination with his acceleration, can weave across the ice with ease and dart into open ice quickly. Farabee is a threat for stretch passes because of his ability to use his skating to get past defenders. Farabee is rarely spotted standing still on the ice; he is a player who always wants to be in or around the play and moves his feet to do so. Considering Farabee has a very small frame, his balance and stability are pretty good. Obviously, these could be improved with added strength.
While not the best in the draft, Farabee has very good hands and knows how to use them. He is able to move his hands very quickly, which allows him to score on rebounds frequently. His hands are also good enough to remain dangerous at his top speed, giving him an added weapon on the attack, especially in one-on-one situations. Because of his top-notch speed, defenders typically give Farabee some space to prevent being beaten to the net, which allows Farabee to either shoot or pass if he desires.
As mentioned, Farabee uses his speed to create space for himself. While he sometimes elects to use the room to shoot, Farabee is a good setup man and is able to complete a tape-to-tape pass to a streaking teammate to finish off a scoring play. Farabee’s vision allows him to identify passing lanes well, which he takes advantage of, as is evidenced by his 43 assists this season.
Shooting is another strong suit for Farabee. While he does not overwhelm goaltenders with power, his shot is very quick and accurate. His release is high-end, particularly on his snapshot. Farabee regularly displays this ability on the breakaway, putting pucks past goalies before they have time to react.
Farabee is very sound defensively. He was relied upon to play penalty kill this season and did a good job doing so. Farabee uses his great anticipation skills to read and break up plays. Because of Farabee’s acceleration and speed, his is able to transition from defense to offense very quickly.
The main hole in Farabee’s game is his lack of strength. He is a pretty frail player, relatively speaking. He needs to add muscle to handle the physicality of the NHL. By adding strength, Farabee will improve his shooting, balance and stability in his skating and will be able to fight through pressure, both in open ice and along the boards.
Implications for the Blackhawks
Although Farabee has the skill needed to be picked in the top 10, his size will keep him from being picked earlier than that. Barring a trade a miracle, Farabee will not be available when the Hawks pick at 27, so unless the Blackhawks trade back from the eighth pick or up from the 27th pick into the early teens, Farabee will not be headed for Chicago.
Timeline
Farabee needs time to grow. He will be attending Boston University beginning in the fall, where he will likely spend at least a couple of years. Do not expect Farabee to hit NHL ice until 2020–21 at the absolute earliest.
Projection
Farabee has the skill needed to be a top-six winger in the NHL. It is possible Farabee could start out in a third line role if his team wants to keep him away from the opposition’s best defenders, but Farabee will likely slot in a more prominent role rather quickly once establishing himself and proving he can hold his own at the game’s highest level. Farabee has the high-end skating needed to be a very effective all-around threat for many years to come.
What others are saying
“The captain of the U18 USNTDP, Farabee is a dangerous and prolific scorer amongst his age group. Blessed with top level skating ability and a mind for creating offense, the New York native can also be trusted in his own zone which facilitates further opportunities from the coaching staff. His level of play seems to rise when surrounded with high-level talent as indicated with the recent boon of production next to fellow draft-eligible prospect, Oliver Wahlstrom and top 2019 pick, Jack Hughes. While Farabee lacks ideal size, his ability to use his edges to slash in and out of lanes keeps opposing teams on their heels and keeps him off of the IR.”
— Cam Robinson/Dobber Prospects
“Farabee is a very high-energy, big-effort player with skill…he never stops moving his feet or finding ways to try to be a factor on the ice…has jersey-flapping speed…his ability to change pace is impressive and allows him to stay elusive…possesses good puck control, and has a dogged willingness to take the puck to the net…has creative hands and can pull a skilled one-on-one move to gain space…moves the puck around the ice extremely well, connecting with good strong passes that lead his linemates effectively…not scared to shoot the puck when presented the opportunity…has a quick release but lacks velocity on his shot at this stage…keeps moving in the offensive zone, and that creates a lot of space and time for he and his teammates, and in doing so he generates a lot of offensive opportunities…he excels in all zones, providing his team with a tireless work ethic, strong defensive play, and some offensive flair…has the low-end potential of a strong third liner with speed who can help a penalty kill, or a high-end upside as a top-six scorer who can contribute on special teams.”
— Aaron Vickers/Future Considerations