The Scouting Report:
Matthew Soto from Oakville, Ontario, Canada, born on August 31st, 2005, is an NHL draft-eligible prospect for the 2023 NHL entry draft in Nashville. Undersized and overlooked by many, Matthew Soto stands tall for his offensive contributions. Listed at 5’11” and 168 pounds, Soto will certainly have to put on some muscle in order to be more of a force at the NHL level. With 15 goals and 27 assists for 42 points in 54 games with the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League, Matthew Soto has solidified Kingston’s middle-six.
Related Page: 2023 NHL Draft – Nashville
Unranked by Inside The Rink
Ranked #130 by NHL Central Scouting (NASkaters)
Ranked #62 by Smaht Scouting
Ranked #71 by Draft Prospects Hockey
Ranked #62 by Recruit Scouting
Conrad Jack of Inside the Rink has Matthew Soto projected at 70th overall.
I don’t see a team letting Matthew Soto fall beyond the second round in this draft class, he is a strong forward and lives up to his skill set.
Diving Deeper:
Let’s take a look at Matthew Soto’s attributes and areas for improvement.
Agility and Finishing Ability:
Matthew Soto is extremely agile and pairs it with a strong forechecking ability, Soto digs for loose rebounds and always makes sure to level the playing field with strong pressure when needing to rush back defensively. It’s hard to see if and where Matthew Soto doesn’t play on the ice, he’s strong on the penalty kill, powerplay, and five-on-five.
Areas for Improvement:
Matthew Soto’s skating is one of the biggest concerns of his game up until this point. He hasn’t grown into his frame and hasn’t found a level of skating that you would see with a serious hockey player. Soto’s edgework helps him in his skating grade, but he lacks that “it” factor about his game currently
Prospect Potential:
Matthew Soto can almost certainly become a solid middle-six forward, given he works on his skating and rounds out his game overall. He’s a highly intelligent forward and makes a true case that he could be a third or fourth-liner, given the opportunity.
Final Thoughts:
I think that Matthew Soto can improve a team’s depth, I don’t see anything that screams as a major concern about his potential as a future NHLer. Rebuilding teams should be lining up to take project prospects right now.
Stats via Elite Prospects
Highlights via MyNHLDraft.com
