Jon Merrill
Age - 19
Height - 6' 3"
Weight - 209
Position - Defenseman
NHL Comparable - Ryan Suter

Strengths - Merrill is a very good puck-moving defenseman with outstanding offensive instincts. He can read plays like a book, and can make pretty much any play or pass with ease. Merrill is very calm and poised player, who rarely panics. He can QB the powerplay quite efficiently. He's also a very big and strong player, who is hard to knock off the puck. His hockey sense and hockey IQ is through the roof, which really helps him take his game to another level.

Lastly, it's worth noting that though most of his strengths come from the offensive side of things, he is a very safe and simple defender who always seems to make the right play in his own zone.

Weaknesses - Jon Merrill has a couple things he definitely needs to improve on. First of all, his skating is average at best and he has a very slow first step. If he doesn't improve on that, fast teams like the Buffalo Sabres could be a problem for him.

Merrill's other weakness is that he is not physical enough for his size. He is not soft by any means, but as a 6' 3", 209 pound defenseman he's expected to be more physical. With that said, it is probably the easiest weakness to fix as he has the tools to be a physical force.

Career projection - Below average first-pairing defenseman...in other words, #2 defenseman.

Overall analysis - Jon Merrill has all the tools to be a very good defenseman in this league for a long time. He has great offensive instincts, a very high hockey IQ and he can make pretty much any play. He's a guy that can QB a powerplay, and play on the penalty kill. He's an every situation defender, who excels in both ends of the rink.

Based on his development so far, it appears Lou Lamoriello got a steal with the 38th selection in the 2010 draft. Hopefully we are still saying that in five to 10 years.

Follow me on twitter @ToddCordell for the latest news & notes surrounding the New Jersey Devils, and NHL in general.

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