Another late-round pick for the Lightning begins his professional career this season. Can Dyllan Gill recover from shoulder surgery to earn a spot on the Syracuse Crunch this season?
| Name | Dyllan Gill |
| Position | Defenseman |
| Age (as of October 1) | 20 |
| Height/Weight | 6’2″, 194 lbs. |
| Expected 2024-25 Team | Syracuse Crunch |
| Draft – Year, Round | 2022, Round 7, #223 |
| Previous Rankings | 23 (2022) |
| Writer’s Ranking | Not Ranked |
| Reader’s Ranking | 17 |
| Final Rank | 22 |
Stats
Our Thoughts
Honestly you can go back and read last year’s profile of Dyllan Gill when he made his Top 25 Under 25 debut in the 23rd spot. An unfortunate shoulder injury limited the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies’ defenseman to only 12 games. To his credit, the Huskies’ captain picked up 9 points (1 goal, 8 assists) in those 12 appearances, so there was a good chance he was going to eclipse the 57 points (8 goals, 49 assists) he recorded during the 2022-23 season.
There is little about Gill’s game to hate. He is the prototypical two-way player who is responsible in his own zone while possessing enough offensive skill to run a power play at the AHL level at the very least. He isn’t going to be cranking out massive one-timers from the point, but he has an accurate wrist shot with a quick release. He skates with his head up and can pick out his teammates for passes.
The 20-year-old is a strong enough skater to carry the puck out of his own zone and into the offensive zone. His breakout passes are usually crisp and on point, which helps the transition to offense. In his own zone he reads the attack very well and is rarely out of position. There is a willingness to block shots on his part, and while he isn’t crushing folks with huge hits, he uses his size effectively.
Like Nick Perbix and Darren Raddysh, Gill’s game doesn’t really stand out, but he does everything pretty well. A coach can throw him into any situation and know that he will respond positively.
It’s a little concerning that he’s had two shoulder surgeries (one on each) before he’s able to drink in the United States legally, but it’s better than a recurring back or leg injury. Also, it’s pretty impressive that he put up as good of a season as he did in 2022-23, considering his shoulder popped out of the socket “six to eight times throughout the year.”
He can use the upcoming rookie showcase as well as training camp to earn a spot with either the Crunch or the Orlando Solar Bears to start the season. If the coaching staff feels he isn’t quite ready for the pro game, he could return to the QMJHL for one more season. Depending on how the Lightning’s roster shakes out, and if the Crunch make any veteran signings over the next month, Gill ranks fourth on the right-side defense behind veteran Steve Santini, Roman Schmidt, and Max Crozier.
Tyson Feist, who is on an AHL contract, is also in the mix for the Crunch, and will be the one player Gill is battling with for a spot in the AHL. If he is healthy, Gill should win that battle, and should have a pretty good chance at moving through the system quickly.
Highlight Videos
Gill scores on the power play here. It’s a good example of his patience and accurate wrist shot. He didn’t rush his shot and waited for his teammate to screen the goaltender in front of the net.
Another accurate wrister, this time for the point. He keeps it low and on target. These are the types of shots, if they get past the first line of blockers, tend to create a lot of havoc in front of the net.
A shot from the high slot got on net and created a rebound. Again, this demonstrated the importance of having a defenseman who can get the shot on net.
