Nick Lardis was one of the drafts biggest risers this year when he got traded from the Peterborough Petes to the Hamilton Bulldogs. For the Petes, he had only 12 goals and 7 assists in 36 games. On the Bulldogs, he scored 25 goals and 21 assists in 33 games. He then went into the playoffs to score 5 goals and 5 assists in 6 games. That trade changed his NHL trajectory completely. Lardis is a premiere goal scorer with an excellent skating ability. He is 5'11" 168 lbs and is in great shape. In the CHL combine, he placed top 10 in 7 of the 10 on-ice competitions. At the NHL combine he was near the top in a lot of them, winning 4 of them against 96 other players. This is an impressive feat and shows his dedication to his fitness. I am not sure what scouts think of him. He was ranked 96 on Pronman's list and one scout listed him as the best skater of the draft in his polls. My guess is Lardis goes anywhere from 28-50, so he is a bit of a wildcard. I am very high on Lardis because I see some major upside as a skill player. To me, he is a top 20 talent.
If it hasn't been proven enough at the CHL combine, Lardis is a terrific skater. While he could use more power to reach a better top-speed, his acceleration is elite. He takes one step and he blows by the opposition. He floats on the ice like he was born on skates and can turn on a dime. His side to side movement is incredible. He weaves in and out of harms way with ease. If he can bulk up his 168 lbs body to 180 lbs or so, he could be a legitimate star in the NHL. His concerns are in the strength area of his game. He can get bullied off the puck for being a lot lighter than most. This is an easier issue to fix because he isn't too short at 5'11" and he shows signs of being strong for his weight.
One of his other strong qualities is his shooting ability. He has a really hard wrist shot that he used to score 30 goals in 39 games with the Bulldogs. His shot is fast and accurate. Similar to Bedard, his ability to get his shot off is his strong suit. His outstanding skating gets him in the open areas of the ice where he uses a quick release to beat goalies. If your team drafts Lardis, they are getting a high upside winger that is one of the best skaters in the draft.
Below is his Elite Prospects page
Elite Prospect's page for Nick Lardis3/4 Above Average
4/4 Elite
2/4 Average
2/4 Average
2/4 Average
Below are some sources to look at for visual demonstration;