Top 25 Under 25: #24 Zack Mitchell

For those who may not be as familiar, here's a quick rundown:

For the past five years, Mitchell has played for the Guelph Storm of the OHL. He had a breakout year in 2011-2012, leading the storm in goals (37) and assists (38), playing in 67 games. Since then he has been a very consistent player, serving as an alternative captain for the Storm and leading them to an OHL title in 2014 and a Memorial Cup appearance. He tore it up in last year's playoffs, scoring 30 points in 20 games. Here's a quick highlight clip of a 2-point night for Mitchell in the Cup against Edmonton:

Strengths

Zack is extremely motivated to make the NHL someday. At the age of 16, he turned down a full ride scholarship to Harvard in order to play junior hockey and pursue his professional dream. He waited through two drafts as teams passed over him. He's been through NHL development and training camps only to walk away without a contract. Instead of giving up on the dream, Mitchell focussed on improving his game. Patience and hard work are about to finally pay off as he is about to start his first year as a professional hockey player. He may not have elite talent, but he might make up for it with his extraordinary work ethic.

Weaknesses

Perhaps the biggest knock against Mitchell is that he is unproven beyond the junior leagues. Yes, he put up great numbers for the Storm last year, but he was also overage and played against inferior talent. Some scouts are skeptical that he has the skill level to make it in the NHL.

Projection

Mitchell will definitely start the year with the Iowa Wild. He should provide quality depth for Iowa as they try to rebound from a tough inaugural season. The Wild scouts will keep a close eye on Zack to see how he develops to the AHL. It's very unlikely he will get a call up to the big club this year, but a solid season in Iowa could propel him up the depth chart for years to come. Best case scenario for Mitchell would be to have a few solid seasons building experience in the minors before working his way up to a bottom-6 role in the NHL.

The great thing about Mitchell is that his ceiling is very up in the air. He's the perfect embodiment of a low-risk, high-reward signing. If he ends up being a complete bust, it won't hurt the team because he was signed dirt cheap. However if he can somehow work his way into the NHL and excel, the payoff could be huge.

Keep an eye on Mitchell this year down in Iowa. He could very well surprise us all.