Watching the Marlies’ final playoff game, I couldn’t help but think: “God help me, I really like Landon Sim.” He only went and opened the scoring for them, which, let’s be real, isn’t something most folks expect from a guy like him. See, Sim is a player many people don’t take seriously, primarily because he isn’t flashy with sick hands or amazing deception. He isn’t out there with toe drags or wild dangles, even if he can zip around the ice a bit. What he *is*, though, is a fun disrupter, an agitator, and an all around irritant to the other team.
Meet the Disruptor with Deeper Skill
Sim, who was 21.96 as of July 1, plays left wing, stands 5’11”, weighs 187 lbs, and shoots left. He was a 2022 draft pick, going way down at number 184. He put in four years with the London Knights, even rocking an ‘A’ on his jersey, playing a massive 58 playoff games, and winning a Memorial Cup. He skated every single season with Easton Cowan. Sim is a year younger than Cowan and about the same size, with a similar approach to the game. You’ve gotta wonder if that’s natural talent or the Dale Hunter influence, right? His dad, Jon Sim, was an NHL player from Nova Scotia, and his old scouting report from 15 years back could totally be Landon’s current tagline: “A smallish winger who likes to play a physical game. Skates well and enjoys going to the net. Good along the boards despite his stature.” Jon Sim finished his NHL run with 469 games played, 139 points, and a hefty 314 penalty minutes.
Beyond the “Agitator” Tag: A Modern Game
Here’s the kicker for Landon: the NHL today is a completely different beast than his dad’s era. Jon Sim used to be a regular in the stands at London Knights games, and the camera would always cut to him when Landon got into a fight or a big scrum along the boards. But Landon is not just a carbon copy of his father. He’s actually a bit taller, “just above average height for a man like his dad,” and he brings a much more complex game to the ice, one that totally fits today’s style. The 2022 Elite Prospects draft guide spilled the tea, saying: “With the puck, Sim shows skill and creativity. He sets moves and passes up on his backhand, enabling access to lanes that most prospects can’t access. As he approaches defenders, he puts the puck inside his hip pocket and waits for the reach before deking. The details appear in his passing where he uses eye deception and his shooting, as he will pull the puck around a defender’s stick.” It’s wild that this level of skill often gets overlooked, especially since he was third on the London Knights in penalty minutes as a rookie prior to that draft.
That old prospect sketch paints him like a classic “zippy little winger,” the kind of offense-only player who melts near the boards. But for me, Sim is more like Pontus Holmberg, only with a way more aggressive edge. He doesn’t just “barely survive” board battles; he’s actively attacking them. People judging him just by his size or those carefully worded sketches are missing the whole picture. He’s listed at #21 on the T25U25 for a reason, folks! Keep an eye on Sim, because his aggressive, crafty play is exactly the kind of emerging trend that could make serious waves.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pension Plan Puppets.
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