Colton White
Birthday: 1997-05-03 | Position: D |
Eligible for draft: 2015 | Shoots: Left |
Drafted: 2015 | Height: 6-1 |
Acquired: 4th round (97th overall), 2015 | Weight: 185 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- C
History
2011-12: Colton White appeared in 10 games, including four playoff contests, with the London Junior Knights Gold minor midget team as a 14-year-old. He had 1 assist and 4 penalty minutes.
2012-13: White joined the Junior Knights Gold team on a full-time basis and was selected to play for Team ALLIANCE in the OHL Gold Cup tournament. In 27 regular season games for London he scored 7 goals with 13 assists and 22 assists. White scored 3 goals with 4 assists and 6 penalty minutes in 16 playoff games. London captured the ALLIANCE championship to reach the Central Regional for a chance to play in the TELUS Cup, finishing 1-4 in the six-team round-robin tournament. White scored 1 goal with 4 assists and 2 penalty minutes in five games as Team ALLIANCE finished third in the OHL Gold Cup. He was selected by Sault Ste. Marie in the second round (22nd overall) in the 2013 OHL Priority Draft.
2013-14: White skated in 57 regular season games and nine playoff contests for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in his first OHL season. He had 5 assists and was +2 with 10 penalty minutes in the regular season. The Greyhounds finished first in the West Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. White had an even plus/minus with 1 assist and no penalties in nine playoff games.
2014-15: White skated in 67 of 68 regular season games for Sault Ste. Marie as part of a deep and experienced blue line corps for the Greyhounds in his second OHL season. He scored 6 goals with 6 assists and was +38 with 30 penalty minutes. Sault Ste. Marie breezed to first in the West Division, winning 54 of 68 games. The Greyhounds reached the Western Conference finals, falling to the Erie Otters. White had 2 assists and was +4 with no penalties in 14 playoff games. He was ranked 128th amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by New Jersey in the fourth round (97th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft.
Talent Analysis
White is a smart defenseman who skates well and makes good passes. He is not overly physical on the backend but has a good stick and is often in the right position to break up the play. Recently, he has shown a surprising rise in his offensive talent and production. With his ability to keep pucks in at the blue line and how well he sees the ice on the point, the case could be made that he could work as a quarterback on the power play. He does have to improve his shot. Increased confidence at the point could open up new possibilities for the blue liner.
Future
White attended his first training camp with New Jersey before returning to Sault Ste. Marie for his third OHL season with the Greyhounds in 2015-16. With the team's top three scorers from a year ago and defensemen Darnell Nurse and Anthony DeAngelo now in pro hockey, the Greyhounds have slipped some but the expanded role for White has allowed him to play in all situations. Still a project at this point, his skill set suggests he can be an effective puck mover who is sound in his own end.