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Beau Akey
Beau Akey2023 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots: R
H/W: 6’0”, 170lbs
Date of Birth: 2005-02-11
Stats to Date:
In today’s NHL game, mobile defenders have never been more important to team success. Additionally, right shot defenders or defenders who are comfortable playing the right side have never been more valuable. Insert Barrie’s Beau Akey, who checks both of those boxes.
Akey is an exceptional skater in every sense of the word; he has to be considered one of the more mobile blueliners available this year. He can have a profound impact as a puck mover thanks to his ability to lead the charge in transition and his high-end puck skill. However, this is not always evident. In fact, Akey is still learning how to use his quickness to be a consistent offensive threat. As he gains confidence in his carrying ability, the sky is the limit for him as an offensive defender.
In the defensive end, Akey’s effectiveness is equally enigmatic. He shows a great stick at times and does have good defensive instincts. However, his physical intensity wavers and he can struggle to win battles consistently. Still slight in build, as Akey adds strength to his frame, there is definitely a chance that he could be a quality two-way defender, perhaps similar to T.J. Brodie of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
To start the season, it was Beau Akey’s show in Barrie and he was given a long leash to roam. However, after Brandt Clarke returned from the NHL, Akey’s role was obviously reduced. This has led to a reduction in production in the second half. This should not be alarming. Akey will resume his role as the top offensive option from the back end for the Colts next year and he is in a great spot to develop positively. At this point, Akey is tracking towards being a potential early second round selection as teams will be eager to help him unlock his potential with an eye on him eventually developing into a top four defender at the NHL level.
Skating
Akey is best described as an effortless four-way mover. He builds and sustains power easily with smooth, elongated strides. This helps him lead or jump up into the rush and it makes Akey a threat to carry into the offensive zone nearly every time he secures possession in the defensive end or neutral zone. Akey uses linear crossovers to build deception into his attacks and he can change direction without losing speed. Confident on his edges, Akey can stop, start, and pivot on a dime. This gives him terrific lateral mobility which he uses to man the point both on the powerplay and at even strength. This lateral quickness allows him to push quickly to evade pressure, opening up a lane for him to use his excellent point shot. The scary thing is that Akey still hasn’t clued in as to how dominant he could be because of his skating ability and quickness. He can be passive with the puck outside of the offensive zone and could actually stand to take more chances to jump up in the play or lead the play in transition. As he gains confidence in using his feet, his breakouts should become more efficient, and he should become an even better powerplay quarterback.
This is Beau Akey in a nutshell. His skating stride is so effortless. A lot of the time, when he’s attacking, he’ll push up to speed and then glide into the offensive zone. There is a hesitancy to fully embrace an attacking mentality. However, this shows that he is capable. He catches Oshawa’s defense completely off guard with his quick chip and burst into the zone.
A great defensive play by Akey below the goal line and then it’s off to the races. He quickly builds up speed and gains the offensive blueline with ease.
Rinse, repeat. Akey picks up a loose puck in the neutral zone and gets on the counter attack, easily gaining the offensive zone with some nice linear crossovers.
Another great counter attack by Akey. He strips the puck and then explodes out of a pivot to gain separation, underhandling to maximize control. After he gains the line and draws the defender into the middle, he passes off to the wing to set up a Barrie goal.
This clip shows how good Akey is on his edges. A quick pivot and hesitation allow him to push deep, before sliding the puck out into the slot for the Barrie goal.
Grade: 60
Shot
Akey is a multi-threat goal scorer from the back end with a variety of shot types he can utilize. His most utilized weapon is a quick load wrist shot that finds its way through traffic well, even when he doesn’t keep it low. However, when given time, he will use a longer load on his wrist shot to generate significant velocity and he can beat netminders clean from a distance with it. Akey can also one-time pucks cleanly and has scored several goals this year by hammering the puck on a single touch. I would suspect that as Akey gains confidence, he will employ this method more and develop into an excellent triggerman. As mentioned, due to his excellent skating ability, Akey will jump up in the play and he will create shooting lanes with lateral pushes. Look for him to be among the leading defenseman goal scorers in the OHL over the next two years.
Bullet of a one timer by Akey as he accepts the drops pass and rifles one blocker side for the goal.
A quick pivot by Akey allows him to square up to the net and then Akey wires a wrist shot top shelf.
Great footwork by Akey here as he creates a shooting lane and fires a wrist shot through a crowd for the goal. Akey does a great job getting pucks to the net.
Grade: 55
Skills
With Akey still gaining confidence in his offensive abilities, he often mitigates risk and opts for the safe play. However, about once per game, Akey flashes high end puck skill that leads you to believe he is capable of so much more from a play creation perspective. Currently, you are most likely to see his quick hands put to use once already in the offensive zone. There, he will take chances with a one-on-one move to try to evade pressure and push to the inside. He is confident and calm when holding the offensive blueline. Conversely, in the defensive zone, you are less likely to see Akey take liberties with the puck…almost to a fault. He has the hands and skating ability to evade pressure, yet he will often opt for lower percentage chip outs, failed stretch pass attempts, or poor passing reads to his defensive partner. When you watch a guy like Pavel Mintyukov escape forecheckers to start the breakout, he has the confidence and skill to keep the puck on a string as he slips through pressure. Picking your spots to do so is integral, but Akey could definitely stand to take more chances, trusting his feet and hands to create extra time and space to help him start the breakout more efficiently.
Great play by Akey here to hold the line then make a skilled play to evade pressure, helping to cause a defensive breakdown and an eventual goal.
Smart pinch by Akey here to force the turnover and then he makes two quick moves to create space before sliding the puck to two open teammates near the crease, neither of whom can deposit the goal.
Beautiful stretch, saucer pass by Akey to help secure the victory for Barrie with the empty netter.
Akey makes a great read to jump up in the play, recognizes an opportunity to create a three on two inside the offensive zone. Then he picks up the puck at his feet, makes a nice move on the Hamilton defender and slides the puck across for the easy goal. This was from round one of the OHL playoffs.
Grade: 55
Smarts
Early on in the season, I would have graded Akey higher in the smarts category. However, I haven’t seen enough growth in some of the areas that have been inconsistent this year (breakout reads in the defensive end and defensive coverage, specifically). Overall, Akey shows flashes of being a high-end processor from the back-end. He can make great reads in the neutral zone to intercept passes or break up rushes early. He can flash an active stick in the defensive zone that helps him deflect passes or secure possession so that he can lead a counterattack with his feet. He shows good vision in the offensive end and does a great job cutting off attempted clears by the opposition, holding the offensive blueline. He will push deep in the offensive zone, picking good spots to pinch to support the cycle or work as a playmaker. With his skating ability, he can work the give and go and jump up in the play, helping to create odd man opportunities. However, his decision making with the puck in the defensive end can leave some to be desired. He does not always shoulder check and he does not always take great routes to retrievals that would allow him to use his skating ability to escape pressure. Overall, he needs to make quicker decisions with the puck and would be better served to trust his feet more to help him create extra time and space. As a defender, he can both chase the puck and find himself out of position, or get caught flat footed and become susceptible to attackers with speed. Without high end strength and a pro frame currently, he doesn’t have the ability to be consistently disruptive sans consistent defensive positioning and patience. Akey either needs to up his physical intensity level, or improve his positioning and anticipation to become a high end two-way defender. As someone who believes in Akey’s potential, I do think that improved conditioning and confidence should improve these deficits, but there is some concern that they don’t.
This could have gone in the skills or smarts segment, but it’s a savvy play by Akey to cut down a chip out in the neutral zone, then switch to the attack. He cuts through the majority of the Steelheads’ team and successfully gains the line, which leads to an eventual goal by the Colts.
A poor assessment and read by Akey here. He panics under pressure of the forecheck and throws the puck at a teammate also under pressure, resulting in a turnover and a goal. Akey doesn’t take a great route to this puck. Had he approached it at a better angle, he could have escaped pressure on his backhand behind the net with his skating ability. A reverse behind the net would have worked too, but Akey did not shoulder check to identify where the pressure was coming from.
When I say that Akey is still learning to be confident in his ability to impact the game with his feet, this is exactly what I’m talking about. He averages about one or two entries per game, despite possessing the ability to dictate pace. He could have easily escaped this forechecker, yet he opts for a low percentage stretch pass that results in an icing.
Akey just needs to be quicker to make a decision here. This is just not a good assessment by him. He holds on to the puck too long and makes a poor pass behind the net, leading to a turnover and a goal. Go retrieve that puck with speed and head behind the net to open up both sides of the ice for yourself. Instead, Akey gets boxed in.
A poor defensive read by Akey as he leaves the net front, failing to identify the need for his defense partner to challenge the Mississauga puck carrier.
Grade: 50
Physicality/Compete
This is the area of Akey’s game that requires the most attention currently, but it’s also an area that I do think can eventually get to league average level. Part of it is mindset. He needs to become a more consistently intense physical competitor. Simply put, he is not a difficult player to match up against currently. He will leave too large a gap when defending in transition. He can get outmuscled near the crease and does not always tie up his check. From a positive perspective, he will engage along the wall and lean on opposing players to help separate them from the puck. With his quick feet and an increased willingness to push and pin, Akey does win a good majority of his 50/50 battles along the wall or behind the net. He just needs to defend open space more effectively.
Just not tight enough gap control here by Akey as he defends one on one in overtime. Over the course of the season, he has learned to trust his mobility to be more aggressive when defending one on one, but it’s certainly a mindset that needs to be flipped to defend effectively at the next level.
Another poor one on one defensive read by Akey. He could have blown that play up early by defending aggressively because he had great defensive support from his teammates. Instead, he gets caught flat footed and the result is a blow by and a goal.
A weak attempt by Akey here to defend below the goal line. This passive approach leads to Owen Sound scoring.
Akey fails to push a Mississauga player off the puck in the neutral zone and then fails to tie him up as he drives the net for the goal. The need to add strength is very evident here.
Another weak tie up attempt as a North Bay forward drives the net and scores.
Over the course of the season, plays like this did become more commonplace, suggesting that Akey can play with more snarl.
Grade: 50
OFP: 54
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.