2020 Draft: Daws improved conditioning, chance of being selected

The 2020 NHL Draft will be held virtually on Oct. 6-7. The first round will be Oct. 6 (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS). Rounds 2-7 are Oct. 7 (11:30 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN1). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects and other features. Today, Nicolas Daws, No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Nicolas Daws began focusing on the 2020 NHL Draft not long after the 2019 draft ended.
The 19-year-old goalie was not selected and received no invitations to NHL rookie development camps. A third season with Guelph of the Ontario Hockey League wasn't even a sure thing.
But after losing nearly 30 pounds and changing his habits off the ice, Daws (6-foot-3, 199 pounds) is No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies.
"I knew coming into this season I wanted to be a starting goalie, whether that was with Guelph or wherever I was going to end up," Daws said. "I kind of dialed in all the way. I was a little bit overweight at the time, was around 225 pounds the end of last season. I knew that I had to change if I wanted to last and be able to have a chance to get drafted and be a pro."
Daws' hard work last summer has him feeling faster, more athletic and better able to showcase his skill set.
"His confidence and approach to the game has been very noticeable," Central Scouting's Al Jensen said. "His coaches have done a great job in his development. He has a lot of pro skills already that are very necessary to be successful at the pro level. He's got a great chance to make his mark at the NHL level someday. He is technically very sound in all aspects of his game."
Daws said the first proof that his hard work was worth it was in the season opener, when he made 40 saves in a 3-2 shootout loss to Ottawa.
"I think that was the defining moment for me," he said. "That was, 'OK, you put all the work in and now it's starting to pay off.' And that gave me a lot of confidence and it was really important for me going forward. Confidence is really big for goalies, so to be able to have that good game in my first game, I think that really helped me take off."

Daws led the OHL with five shutouts, was second with a .924 save percentage and third with a 2.48 goals-against average in 38 games. He also helped Canada win first place at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship
"He's kind of hard to score on, I can't really find anything when I'm out there," said Sudbury (OHL) center Quinton Byfield, No. 2 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters. "He plays pretty big, he's quick laterally, and I think he has a lot of confidence right now. He's spectacular, the backbone of that team."
Daws credits his work with Brandon Coccimiglio of SHIELD Performance in Burlington, Ontario, for helping create a nutrition program for him, that combined with a workout regimen helped him re-make his body.
"Nico has a lot of talent," Coccimiglio said. "It was just his weight, his habits away from the ice that were holding him back. He made that change away from the hockey to really dedicate himself and self-develop himself.
"He shut that all out and made drastic changes in his lifestyle. … His first two-week cycle, hitting that hard-core nutrition plan that evolved into a steady state with nutrition, and it was roughly 27-30 pounds [that he lost]."
But it's been about more than weight loss for Daws.
"It's about maturity and choices and understanding that you get so many opportunities along the way," Guelph coach George Burnett said. "He certainly made the best of this one."
His summer work was rewarded in part at the World Juniors, where he played two games, including making 28 saves in a 6-4 win against the United States on the first day of the tournament.
"I didn't even really think about the World Juniors being on my radar," Daws said. "I knew I was eligible this year but I'd never thought about me ever getting an invite. … If you would have told me in the summer that I was going to be winning a gold medal with Team Canada, I wouldn't care what role I'm playing. Just to be a part of it was special. I was grateful to get the opportunity."

Now it's about staying consistent with his work on and off the ice. Daws has maintained his nutrition program and his extended offseason has consisted of four days a week in the gym or on the track and skating 3-4 times a week. With the bad weight gone and staying gone, he's now adding muscle and is up to 209 pounds.
"When I'm moving side to side in my crease I feel a lot faster," Daws said. "The strength I'm building in my legs is creating speed for me. I feel a lot more explosive when I'm moving around my net, which is a great feeling."
The next reward Daws wants for all his hard work is hearing his name called during the draft.
"I've wanted to get drafted since I was a little kid," he said. "Obviously every kid does. And when it didn't happen last year, it stunk]. It really did. But I'm hoping that it'll happen this year, and I'm really excited to see how it plays out."
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