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Name: Tim Heed
Age: 21
Hometown: Goteborg, Sweden
Position: Defenseman
Drafted: Drafted by the Ducks in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, number 132 overall.
How’d he become a Duck? We drafted (and kept) him! He just signed a three-year ELC in May of this year.
This Year’s Assignment for the Lockout: The Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Elite League.
Last Year’s Team: The Malmo Redhawks of Sweden’s Allsvenskan league (second tier).
Extra Experience: Has played for Sweden’s U19 and U20 international teams in the past, scoring 11 points in 12 total games at those levels.
Last Year’s Stats: Last season, Heed racked up 30 points (4 goals and 26 assists) over 47 games. He recorded 10 PIM and ended up a -8.
Scout’s Take: Somewhat undersized as a defenseman, the 6-0, 165 lb Heed is a converted forward who has shown an ability to accumulate points at every level. While he’s developed a reputation for being a solid puck-mover, his career +/- numbers suggest that playing defense may not be his forte. Scouts praise his skating and playmaking ability and also note that he has a good shot. As you might expect from this skill set, scouts also note that he’s an effective weapon on the power play.
Work-in-progress, Future Trade-bait, or a Keeper? Having just signed an ELC in May of 2012, it certainly appears that the Ducks appear to give Heed an extended look. Based on his skill set, however, I’m not sure how Heed fits in overall. The Ducks already have young, offensive-minded d-men in Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen. From an organizational perspective, Heed appears to be a redundant, less-effective commodity. Were he a better all-around defenseman, there might be a reason to get excited about Heed. But as of right now, I doubt he ever plays in North America. He might be able to excite teams in dire need of offensive defensemen, but he’s likely to be traded for spare parts if he’s ever moved.
Should We Be Excited? Probably not. On a scale of 1 to 5, Heed feels like a 1. He just doesn’t seem to meet any glaring needs in the long run and he’ll have a hard time cracking a future defensive roster that’s looking better and better every year.