With the 2024 NHL draft recently concluded, teams can now review their selections and introduce them to their fanbases. Here is all you need to know as an Edmonton Oilers fan about one of your newest prospects, Bauer Berry.
Who is Bauer Berry?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight | Average TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD | Left | 6’04 | 198 lb | 16:15 |
Born October 31, 2005 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the left shot defenceman grew up around hockey as Bauer’s father is former Winnipeg Jets defender, and long time UND head coach, Brad Berry.
The 6’04 physically imposing defender went through the Team North Dakota pipeline’s U15 and U16 in the 2020-21 season. After getting drafted in the 13th round, 194th overall in the 2021 USHL Entry Draft, Berry found developmental success at Northstar Christian Academy U16 and U18 levels for the following two seasons.
Bauer Berry’s on-ice production
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | Playoff GP | Playoff G | Playoff A | Playoff P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | D-1 | USHL | Muskegon Lumberjacks | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||
| 2023–24 | D+0 | USHL | Muskegon Lumberjacks | 59 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Muskegon scouts were impressed with Berry’s progress by the end of the 2022-23 season. This led to the younger Berry making his USHL debut with the Muskegon Lumberjacks in six games at the tail end of the 2022-23 season.
Entering this past season, the American was able to carve out a regular roster spot as a stable shutdown style defenceman.
This shut down ability has also gained the attention of scouts around the hockey world, he is now committed to play NCAA hockey with the University of St. Thomas come the 2024-25 season.
Berry also jumped on the Oilers’ radar because of his physicality, instincts, and puck retrievals.
Bauer Berry strengths
Physicality
From his 6’04 stature, Berry inherently has a size and reach advantage on most of his fellow players at the USHL level. This reach advantage comes in handy as the defender is able to have an active and engaged stick limiting passing and play lanes from the start.
This extended reach especially comes in handy when Berry falls behind on transitional plays, (more on that later).
Berry puts his size advantage to use with significant muscle that allows the young American to thrive in the more physical aspects of the game. Berry is about physically imposing of a presence as a late round pick can get.
This muscle and physicality manifests itself in a multitude of ways.
In defensive transitional play the 6’04 defender is able to neutralize rush chances against at the blue line. This neutralization is done with smart physicality that establishes favourable body leverage followed up with a big clean hit against opposing forwards displaying ok play anticipation in the process.
In zone play board battles are his forte, as the Lumberjacks defender is able to pin opponents against the boards with ease displaying good play support and grit, with an above average compete level. This effectiveness is best exemplified by his 55% puck battle winning percentage.
In addition, the Muskegon defender can also absorb the 0.89 hits per game he receives quite well displaying decent balance. Berry also proves to be a capable penalty killer who in addition to his physicality shows a willingness to block shots.
In-zone, Berry also provides a physically punishing route for bumper or net front opponents that makes it quite difficult to establish positioning, possession, or space around. Through this physical presence he is able to significantly decrease the quality of chances against.
This in-zone physicality and chance neutralization explains why Berry started 57% of all shifts in the D-zone and had 2:20 minutes of penalty kill time per game.
Instincts
Berry also shows flashes of a raw but developing hockey IQ through his frequent quick scanning, stick positioning, and defensive instincts.
In both defensive and offensive transition the young American is routinely scanning looking to identify play options, and passing options, following through with somewhat mixed results.
One of the best tools that exemplify this is his effectiveness on puck retrievals, as he thrives when he is able to identify quick up short breakout passing plays that allow his team to go from defensive to offensive transition on a moments notice.
Berry also has a somewhat common tendency to lead rushes where he displays ok puck handling and initiates in-zone offensive activations showing a hidden layer of offensive creativity and offensive play reading that if unlocked further could substantially increase his effectiveness as a player.
Where this hockey IQ is more notable is on the defensive end. Scouts can see this through his stick positioning in both transition and zone play, as he knowingly is able to block off lanes limiting the option identification. These defensive and offensive instincts hint at above average spatial awareness, and are positive signs in development.
In-zone as previously mentioned, Berry is able to tie players up and further isolate players to the outside displaying decent defensive play reading, and quality defensive responsibility and in-zone positioning.
Bauer Berry’s areas of improvement
Skating and Risk Assessment
There are two major limitations that reduce the effectiveness of Berry: his problematic skating, and puck skills.
In terms of skating Berry’s poor posture creates a lack of power, and below average crossovers that pose real barriers to his play.
The foundation of Berry’s skating is slightly flawed as his ankle flection and posture makes him appear as though he is upright when skating making just basic skating movements less efficient and produces issues around agility and top speed.
With a lack of power his edge work is severely impacted. The American’s inside edges produce a wonky sustained stride and this is most evident in his push off form (particularly from his left foot), which produces a lack of power and lateral acceleration at points.
Berry’s outside edge work also makes defensive pivots and turns naturally difficult. These same edges make the young Muskegon defenders execution of crossovers more challenging posing significant questions around his transitional agility.
These skating issues become even more problematic once his struggles with risk assessment.
This risk assessment is obvious through Berry’s problems maintaining a healthy gap control, and over aggression often resulting in him chasing the play in defensive transition if he misses his pinch or hit.
In offensive breakout situations this risk assessment leads to turnover creation is often caused by a lack of puck skills particularly around long stretch passes, which Berry has a tendency to attempt.
As highlighted earlier the left shot defenceman thrives with short passing but struggles with passing placement beyond that due to lack of poise and puck passing skills.
Bauer Berry’s next steps
The first step for Berry is to continue working on his skating and senses so that he can establish himself as a top-two defender for the Muskegon Lumberjacks. It is extremely likely he plays the 2024-25 season with his USHL team. So another year of junior play will help further his confidence and play.
After that the, Grand Forks product is slated to start his NCAA career with the University of St. Thomas in the 2025-26 season, where he will have a minimum of four years of development where head coach, Rico Blasi, can unlock more layers to Berry’s game.
Projection with the Oilers
With the current path of Berry, the Oilers have certainly taken on a project likely to join their system in five or more years. With further improvements to his skating and overall consistency, there is a possibility he plays in a seventh defender role for the blue and gold.
