On a first look, there is nothing special about Tyler Kleven as a prospect. If anything, he seems like a player who would have been more noteworthy 10 or 15 years ago. He is big, physically mature, strong, skates well and is solid in his own end. On the puck, he rarely does much of note, although his slapshot, on the rare occasions he unleashes it, is devastating.
I have heard from at least one scout who considers him a potential first rounder, although others scoff at that notion. I side with the latter group, seeing Kleven as more of a second or third round type of talent. Safe, but with marginal upside.
I expect him to work diligently on his game over the next few years – both at North Dakota and after he reaches the pros – and to take on a leadership role at every level. There is still room for this type of player in the NHL, although more as a good #4 than a first pairing staple.
| Tyler Kleven | 2020 NHL Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: D, Shoots L | H/W: 6-4", 201 lbs |
| Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | USNTDP Juniors, USHL (17-0-2-2-37) |
| U.S. National U8 Team, USDP (45-2-10-12-63) |
Skating: Kleven is a fine skater for a large man. His balance is also a plus, which is critical for board battles, a staple of his game. His backwards skating is also a plus, giving him an edge in gaining and maintaining positioning in his own zone. I have also seen him achieve a fine top speed receiving a jail break pass as he left the penalty box. His feet also work well, giving him close distance utility. Grade: 55
Shot: On the one hand, Kleven doesn’t shoot the puck much. In 17 USHL league games, he fired only 19 shots on net. None of them went in the net. He let it rip a bit more often as a U17 player, scoring twice on 46 shots over 31 games. But then came the All-American Top Prospect game, which this year featured the U18s playing against an All Star roster of draft eligible American nationals playing in the USHL. At one point, Kleven was set up for a one-timer from the point and destroyed a puck and a heart. He can get his full frame into a slapper and the result is breathtaking. From that point until the end of the season, he was more liberal with the shot and showed an ability to rip it off the rush as well. To live up to this grade, Kleven will need to use his shot more regularly, but on ability alone, he deserves it. Grade: 55
Skills: Kleven has decent hands, but is not one to use them creatively. He can make a very sharp long-range breakout pass from his own zone to deep into the neutral zone, but can also be too quick to bang the puck off the glass to exit his own zone. I have seen him deke a goalie to the ice on a breakaway, but for the most part, the best I can say about Kleven’s skill game is that he makes clean D-to-D passes and can direct the puck well from the point to a more incisive player. Grade: 50
Smarts: Outside of a propensity to rush a zone exit, Kleven is a very advanced player away from the puck and in his own zone. He shuts down the rush with regularity thanks to great positioning and a smart stick. He is a penalty killing staple. He sees the ice well and males decisions which speak to his peripheral vision. He gets himself into shooting lanes and passing lanes and cuts off plays by the opponents. He earns a lot of praise from scouts for the “little details” in his game. In a word, Kleven is reliable. Grade: 60
Physicality: Not so much a bang-and-crasher, but Kleven uses his size and strength to his advantage very well. He can control plays along the boards. You will regularly see him take out opponents heavily, stopping a zone entry in its tracks. He can use his bulk to clear the crease in front of his net minder. Grade:
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 55.75
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.