Max Everson

History

2008-09: Max Everson was on the blueline as a sophomore for an Edina (MN) HS team that featured five future NCAA players including NHL draft picks Zach Budish and Anders Lee as well as Everson's older brother Marshall, now at Harvard. Edina finished 26-5 after capturing the consolation championship at the state AA tournament.

2009-10: Everson scored 3 goals with 9 assists in 27 games as a junior at Edina HS. Edina, after finishing third in the Classic Lake conference standings, rolled through the state tournament winning six straight games and defeated Minnetonka, 4-2, to capture the Minnesota AA state championship. Everson played 21 games for Team Southwest in the pre-season Upper Midwest Elite League and had 3 assists and 22 PMs.

2010-11: Everson spent the first part of the season with the US National Development program's U-17 and U-18 squads before returning to Minnesota for his senior season at Edina. In five games with the U-17 team, he scored 1 goal with 1 assist and accumulated 2 PMs. In 17 contests with the U-18 team, including a trip to Sweden, he had 1 goal with 2 assists and had 12 PMs. With Edina HS, Everson scored 4 goals with 21 assists and was +5 in 28 games. Edina advanced to the semifinals of the Minnesota AA State Tournament. Everson committed to play college hockey at Harvard in 2011-12. Everson was ranked 93rd among North American skaters by Central Scouting and was selected by the Maple Leafs in the 7th round (203rd overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.

2011-12: Everson skated in all 34 games for Harvard as a freshman – playing on the Crimson's third defensive pairing  primarily with either junior Brendan Rempel or sophomore Danny Fick. A stay-at-home defender, he had 4 assists and was minus-ten with 4 penalty minutes. Harvard was third in the ECAC Hockey League; finishing with an unheard of 11 ties (nine in ECAC play). The Crimson defeated league runner-up Cornell in the ECAC playoff semifinals to reach the championship game but did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

 

Talent Analysis

Everson is a steady defensive, defenseman who uses his skating ability and competitiveness to shut down opposing forwards. Not particularly imposing, Everson is tremendously consistent; he is well-schooled having been coached by former NHLer Curt Giles at Edina. Everson's strength is his ability to constantly remain inside the play and play a disciplined, physical game. Everson is effective in the transition game and moves the puck to teammates well. He is not yet physically strong or big enough to play at the pro level but should develop in the coming years as a college player at Harvard.

 

Future

Everson is playing for Harvard University.  Both Everson and Leafs GM Brian Burke played their high school hockey at Edina before going the college route and like Burke, Everson's temperament on the ice dispels the Minnesota lore about players from that school not relishing physical play. Any seventh round pick is a long-shot, and Everson does not grab attention with big hits or outstanding offensive plays. What he does do is play the consistent defense that most winning teams need and with an opportunity to play fairly early on a re-building Harvard blueline he has the potential to develop into a Rob Scuderi-type defender.