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It's OK if you don't know Adam Gilmour. No one will judge you.
In case you aren't a Hockey East fan, or a giant Minnesota Wild prospect nerd, Gilmour is a Right Winger who is currently about to enter his sophomore year at Boston College. While Gilmour doesn't get a ton of love on Top-10 prospect lists, he has actually been a favorite sleeper prospect among the Minnesota Wild blogosphere since he was drafted in 2012. Both Dan Chan, our former prospect guru, and the First Round Bust guys (Nate and Dan) like him quite a bit. Why do they like him so much?
First of all, Gilmour has some nice tools to his game. At 6'3", 194 pounds, Gilmour has got a very nice NHL frame, and he combines that with good speed, especially for someone as big as he is. Even though he isn't known for his offensive game, he does have some sneaky offensive skills that could develop as time goes on.
Last season, Adam Gilmour played for Boston College. For those who may not know, BC was one of the best teams in the NCAA, with Johnny Gaudreau, Bill Arnold, and Kevin Hayes wrecking havoc to the tune of 198 points in a combined 120 games played. With that much offensive potency on the Eagles' top line, Gilmour played a lot of time in a defensive role.
This suited him pretty well. He scored 7 goals and 13 points in 40 games, while displaying that two-way game. BC ended up losing to Union in the Frozen Four, but the amount of production, ice time, and big-game experience that Gilmour had was pretty nice for a college freshman. With Gaudreau, Hayes, and Arnold all departing BC for the NHL, Gilmour has an opportunity to step into a major role on one of College Hockey's most storied teams.
An intriguing possibility is that he may play with another Minnesota Wild prospect who (SPOILER) will be on this list, Alex Tuch. Tuch, the Minnesota Wild's first-round draft pick in 2014, is committed to playing for the Eagles, and like Gilmour, he's a big guy with a gritty game. Might playing with a goal-scorer bring out his offensive skill more often? It'll be something to keep an eye on next season.
What Do The Scouts Say?
A solid skater with a a great frame to fill out and plays a simple two-way game. He battles hard, drives to the net, forechecks well, and plays with energy. He sometimes uses those [stick] skills of his, but he'd just rather keep it simple.- Dan Chan, Hockey Wilderness
Gilmour is the type of guy who will try to make his mark on the college game with his puck handling. Gilmour isn't the type of big forward who will go in front of the net and create space. Instead, he will try to use his good puck handling skills to help create plays for the guys around him. It may take him some time to develop, but once he hits his stride, he could be big time.- EagleHockeyBlogger, Boston College Hockey Blog
With his vision and two-way play, you can see why the Wild chose to draft Gilmour last season. Dan [Shrader] compared him to Mario Lucia last season, and while I wouldn't go that far offensively, their games are similarly built. Both are smooth skaters with sneaky forward speed and quick feet.- Nathan Wells, First Round Bust
Projection
Gilmour still needs time to develop in Boston College, and there are plenty of prospects of his caliber that don't ever see a single NHL minute. so don't pencil him into your 2015, or even 2016 lineup. But if he can continue to develop his skills and gain strength, Gilmour has the size, speed, and defensive acumen to top out as a bottom-six winger with some offensive upside in the NHL.
Don't write Gilmour in ink in the 2016 lineup. But since you're keeping tabs on his teammate, Tuch, you might as well keep an eye on him. You could be looking at the next late-round success story for Chuck Fletcher.