Landon Dupont Granted Exceptional Status in the WHL
There's yet another historic feat coming out of the WHL this season, with 2009-born defenseman Landon Dupont becoming only the second player in WHL history to be granted Exceptional Status. This will allow Dupont to play as a 15-year-old in the league next season, and he becomes the second name to Connor Bedard (2020, Regina Pats) to be given the Exceptional Status honor. It's a remarkable feat, and there's a lot that Dupont has done in terms of his development progression at his age already. He is already exceptional in terms of his play-driving style, ability to push pace using his feet and dynamic puck skill, and his in-zone offensive ability is remarkable in terms of how advanced his processing speed is already.
As for who Dupont will end up going to, the Everett Silvertips won the WHL Lottery and will pick first in the draft this year. That pick came from the Kamloops Blazers, who traded that pick originally to acquire Olen Zellweger in hopes of a late postseason run for the Memorial Cup, which took place in Kamloops at that time. It's an obvious win for Everett now, but understandable why Kamloops traded the picks in the first place, as the primary goal was to win a championship.
As for Dupont, what stands out in his game in terms of style is how aggressive he is when pushing pace, especially playing in the Canadian Sport League (CSSHL U18) with Edge School. He set a single-season scoring record among defensemen in the CSSHL U18 league this year, totaling 62 points (19G, 43A) in 30 games. In the playoffs, where Edge won the title in, he finished with 16 points (5G, 11A) in only 5 games. Remarkable scoring races given Dupont's ability as a defenseman and a multi-year underage player.
He is a standout play-driver when it comes to pushing pace in transition, on line rush for, has aggressiveness in his skating style and playmaking at high speeds, and he is really effective using his feet to close and time his gaps as well. He isn't afraid to stand up to the play and assertively shut a play down on line rush against when necessary, but he also does an elite job of running the offensive game in all situations. He played every situation and a lot of minutes in his games with Edge this season, and for good reason.
When we look at the pinpoints of Dupont's offensive game, it's highlighted through a combination of deception, manipulation along the line east-west, ability to circle the zone on possession sequences, and look to engage inside the slot and house as a scoring threat. He plays eerily similar to Cale Makar, where Makar has that rare tandem of speed, decisiveness as a playmaker, aggressiveness as a pace-driver, and assertiveness in transitional/in-zone offensive sequences.
It's really remarkable to see how gifted Dupont is with the coordination in his puck-handling and the speeds he is able to handle these pucks at. Especially playing U18, he thrived right from the start of the season, and there never was an adjustment period for him.
Given that Dupont has translatable abilities to process puck retrievals behind the net instantly, be a one-man breakout, and use his skating to separate from forecheckers, he should adjust almost instantly to the WHL next year because of those abilities. They allow him to make seamless plays, and it makes it so easy for him to be able to find space and be elusive inside contact. Being an effective player, especially an elite player at the next level and beyond, requires that cognitive ability as a defenseman to make timely reads on breakouts and on retrievals behind the net.
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Other things that will help Dupont adjust to the WHL instantly next season include the manipulative decision-making inside his transitional play through neutral ice. He can throw you off with a head fake, stutter step with his feet, keep his head up with the puck and rarely look down at the ice, and he can incorporate speed differentials and acceleration to break down opposing neutral ice traps. An added bonus given that Everett is in the midst of a playoff run, they might be able to bring back some veteran scoring forwards who thrive as puck carriers, which can also make Dupont's adjustment easier as well.
As for his in-zone offensive play, again, very similar to what Makar does in terms of natural playmaking ability. The manipulation of defenders' feet at the line helps him gain inside ice with the puck, he can walk the line effortlessly, he uses his crossovers as a habit really effectively to backpedal and generate speed east-west with the puck, and he can engage inside the house using his nifty puck skills in a decisive way. A lot of translatable components that will help him as a east-west puck-mover inside the offensive zone, and even a possession player inside the offensive zone as well.
There might be some sequences early next season where he tries to figure out what works and what doesn't when walking the line, since high opposing forwards will be smarter in pursuit of Dupont at the blue line compared to the CSSHL U18 league. He will translate successfully to the WHL for sure, because of the details and other elements that he has in his game, and will be a player to watch up until the 2027 NHL Draft.
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7 个月Seems to have EARNed “exceptional status”. He’ll be interesting, and FUN, to watch????