At the start of the season Christoffer Sedoff looked like a great skater that was a bit lost in his own zone. By the quarter-mark of the season he tidied that up nicely and has continued to show signs of improvement in his own zone. In the last 10 games he has been jumping into the rush and looking more dangerous as an offensive weapon. He is comfortable enough to quarterback a second powerplay unit and provide some good minutes 5 on 5 where he helps the transition game, as well as zone exits. He plays on the penalty kill and is used on the top pairing night in and night out.
He doesn’t get pushed around and has that typical Finnish grit that makes him hard to play against. As he continues to progress this season it will be interesting how much more his offensive game develops but even what he is showing now gives him a chance to be a solid top four defenceman.
| Christoffer Sedoff | 2020 Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: D, Shoots L | H/W: 5-11", 180 lbs |
| Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | Red Deer Rebels, WHL (32-2-10-12-26) |
Christopher Sedoff. Photo by Rob Wallator/Red Deer Rebels
Skating: Sedoff took a bit of time to adjust to the game in North America. His good skating enabled him to go East/West a lot at home, but he quickly discovered that you need to move North/South or you quickly run out of room over here. Since that adjustment has been made his skating has been more noticeable. He accelerates quickly and has very good edge and footwork that help him generate a quick burst of speed. When he is chasing the play, he can really bear down and find another gear. When moving along the offensive line you can see him use his edges effectively. Grade: 55
Shot: Sedoff is a capable shooter from the blueline. He doesn’t wind up many big slap shots but he is very effective at quickly releasing the puck towards the net. He doesn’t over handle the puck and decides before he gets it whether he is shooting or not. He will not just hammer pucks into the defender if the lane is covered and has a good shot selection which has started to earn him time on the powerplay. Grade: 50
Skills: Sedoff has a nice set of skills and handles the puck pretty well for a defender, especially when he is moving through the neutral zone. Has good vision and can see a lot of plays develop. His passing skills are only average though as he sees the right play but doesn’t always get the puck there. This has been improving as he gets more comfortable with the North American style of game. He looks dangerous when he jumps into the rush as a trailer on odd man rushes. He is at his best when he is moving his feet and jumping into the play. He controls the offensive blue line very well and can move pucks back down low effectively even under pressure. Grade: 55
Smarts: He can sometimes overhandle the puck in his own zone but generally works methodically through his reads and makes the right pass to start the breakout. In his own zone he does a nice job protecting his net, while handling big minutes against opponents’ top forward groups. He has an active stick and is very good at controlling the passing lanes defensively. On two on ones he is excellent putting pressure on the shooter while still covering the pass. This has created a number of quick transition plays that have led to good offensive chances for teammates. Grade: 55
Physicality: He has laid a few big hits this season in open ice and has been more engaged physically than I expected. He is good along the wall with a quick stick and a strong frame to hold guys off. He answered the bell this season in a fight after a big hit and more than held his own against a larger opponent. Grade: 50
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 53.5