[04-May-2026 15:31:54 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'WP_Widget' not found in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_news_feed_widget.php:3 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_news_feed_widget.php on line 3 [04-May-2026 15:31:55 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'WP_Widget' not found in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_sidebar_menu_widget.php:3 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/widgets/mckeens_sidebar_menu_widget.php on line 3 [04-May-2026 15:31:45 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_editorials.php:22 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_editorials.php on line 22 [04-May-2026 15:31:46 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_tabs.php:50 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_display_tabs.php on line 50 [04-May-2026 15:31:47 UTC] PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function add_action() in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_heading.php:15 Stack trace: #0 {main} thrown in /home/mckeens/public_html/wp-content/themes/understrap-child/inc/shortcodes/mckeens_heading.php on line 15 2024 NHL Draft – McKeen's Hockey https://www.mckeenshockey.com The Essential Hockey Annual Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:53:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 2024 NHL DRAFT: SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Leon Muggli, D, EV Zub (NL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-draft-scouting-report-video-grades-leon-muggli-d-ev-zub-nl/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-draft-scouting-report-video-grades-leon-muggli-d-ev-zub-nl/#respond Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:53:05 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187738 Read More... from 2024 NHL DRAFT: SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Leon Muggli, D, EV Zub (NL)

]]> With the NHL draft rapidly approaching, we present you with this scouting report about Switzerland’s top prospect entering the draft able to safely say that all’s quiet on the Leon Muggli front. The crowning moment to what was an eye-opening season for the 17-year-old should have been his captaincy of Switzerland at the U18 Worlds, but an injury in Game 3 of the tournament ended his season prematurely in what ended up being a bitter 8-1 loss to Canada. Before that, he had unassumingly racked up 22 and 20 minutes of ice time against Czechia and Kazakhstan, scoring one goal in the process and generally playing an up and down game from shift to shift.

Still, this downer of a season ending can’t overshadow what Muggli actually achieved this past year. We got to see him taking a regular shift as an underager at last spring’s U18 Worlds in his native Switzerland. The summer then saw him take on a key role as a defensive defenseman at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in what was the best showing Switzerland ever had at the renowned tournament. Then he knocked all expectations out of the park by not only making EV Zug’s NL squad as a 17-year-old, but seeing his regular shift grow in ice time step by step throughout the season. A shockingly strong +8 after 16 games turned into a +17 over the course of 53 total games, including a +4 in the playoffs. The points were ultimately secondary, although 14 at that level of play for a young blueliner this age is highly impressive. An assist and 25 penalty minutes in 4 WJC contests also let us know he very much had a pulse against a few older kids.

More importantly though is that Muggli stayed true to his calling card of being a smart stay-at-home defender who stays within himself while subtly improving other aspects of his game (mostly with respect to puck-rushing and puck-handling attributes) and not backing down from the rough stuff, although he’s physically not near what he should be when he comes into question for the NHL.

And the team selecting him in what will likely be the second round of the draft can do so fully expecting him to become an NHLer in a useful capacity within 5 years’ time.

In the videos below, do take note that Muggli wears 23 for the national team and 41 for his EV Zug club team.

Skating

Whereas he won’t pop out at you as a speedster of any sort in most cases, Muggli has a strong lower body and consistently keeps pace with the entire play. If challenged by faster players, he keeps up with them. Give him some space, he can make you look silly. But the bulk of his movement comes in the form of strong lower body control and little upper body swing. This has him showing up as quite a balanced player who seems very much in control of his body.

In this clip, we’re looking at Muggli facing a one-on-one against a 2-year older AHL player in Adam Sykora. In essence, Muggli plays this pure textbook. Sykora never really had an outlet around him. Muggli then pins him to the boards in the corners until assistance comes along.

But on a handful of occasions this season, we’ve seen Muggli rushing with the puck. This endeavor in the first game of the U18 Worlds ended in a blocked shot and some stumbling over the opposition defenseman’s stick, but the zone-to-zone movement was very promising.

That he can bring some flash ‘n dash at the pro level was successfully put on display at times as well.

Backward crossovers along the blueline? Not a problem. He even got a little wrister through once he felt the opposition getting too close for comfort.

The movement while catching the puck and then looking for a new lane to launch is another very regular aspect of his game.

This entire early season sequence gives us a feel of how he encountered several positional challenges in one shift. The move toward the middle in his zone once he assessed that the forward had too much speed was absolutely correct. Then there was board play. Then he joined the rush and was easily able to handle an imperfect pass by switching to a backwards motion only to carry the puck in and allow his team to set up shop. Ultimately, his skating made it all possible.

And since “Skill” and “Shot” are the next two categories, we’ll soothe on into them with this little combination tidbit back when we were first discovering Muggli. To date, it’s still one of the finest goals we’ve seen from him.

What we have no worries about are his pace and wheels - when he applies them. Muggli very much looks like a player who’ll bring the requisite skating skills for the modern defenseman and to be honest, we’re a bit excited to see just what kind of skater he’ll be at 25.

Grade: 55

Shot

What we don’t often see are slapshots. Even snapshots and one-timers come seldom. He’s a wrister guy. Like a lot. They’re controlled shots. They’re simplistic and somewhat effective. He can do them just fine, but his shot certainly isn’t a strong point.

We like what we see with his shot selection. He keeps things simple and gets pucks to the goal. He can quickly find lanes and slice the puck through. Sure, many are well-seen by goalies or even blocked along the way. But he not only recovers very easily but is always launching pucks in a manner that is easy for his teammates to tip them or expect a rebound.

This kind of shot is fine. It’s his go-to shot. It’s not blowing anyone away.

But pretty much this same shot, this time coming in from a much tighter angle at first, was a beauty and very cleanly beat the goaltender. No hesitation here either.

We quite liked this one as well. Again, he continues going with that which he uses best.

The release is quick enough. There’s no mechanical complaint here. Of course, a shot like this is basically meaningless with traffic in front of the net.

This was one of the few snapshot-style one-timers we could find in the course of the season. It was a dandy. Sure wish we’d see it more.

But we saw this too. Highly predictable shots that really were too easy for goalies to gobble up.

There are times when he can’t get those wristers past the first opponent.

And then there are times where he flubs his shot, basically turning a shot opportunity into a blatant turnover.

This area will need work moving forward.

Grade: 50

Skill

Our grade thus far for this category is modest, but it’s trending upwards. Muggli can be very quiet and obviously understands what the KISS principle is about. So, the flashes of stick-related skill aren’t necessarily plentiful. And there’s rarely a period of pure playmaking or stickhandling in a telephone booth to observe. But this is not to say that Muggli isn’t quite skilled in his own right - and here’s a compilation of some of his more impressive scenes.

Unpacking plays like this at the pro level can make a pundit giddy. There’s simply some real skill involved here in maintaining that puck control while moving backwards along the blueline over such a distance only to get that puck by the goaltender. A highlight of his season.

Gets the puck and moves with it. Doesn’t see anyone really able to set up, so he fires it to the net. But the entry, with hip fakes, was very skillful.

This zone-to-zone rush with an ensuing shot leaves us hungry for more.

We love how he was able to change gears, corral the puck with the backhand on the blueline, and then change gears again just to quickly rifle off a wrister.

The vision here is one thing, but to put this puck right on the tape of his goalmouth teammate while diagonally crossing the ice in the process is promising.

Sure, the shot gets blocked here, but rushing into the zone from the line change and managing not only to quickly get that puck under control, but then swerve to the left to create a better shooting lane, shows that Muggli has instinctual creativity and the hands to match.

Similarly, he grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone at the U18 Worlds, moved right in, deked his way to a shooting lane, and ultimately scored a goal, even if it was one the goaltender should have prevented.

This was among the plays we liked the best. We wouldn’t be advising a young player to be risking this move at the blueline, but he did and got away with it. He then moved in with prime puck control and sent off a hard wrister. Will this become a more regular part of his game?

All in all, there are plenty of moments that tell us that Muggli is skilled enough to make use of skillful teammates and do the things a coaching staff will want with accuracy and precision. His skating with the puck is really quite impressive. When he gets on that horse, he does have the hands to keep up while dangling. This area of his game is still growing positively.

Grade: 50

Smarts

What our viewings of Muggli throughout the 23-24 season made clear to us is that Muggli brings a certain skill set and effort to the table, then goes about living and learning and molding his game. There were plenty of periods without a wow factor but few times where his organization didn’t make regular use of him. Safe and sound plays were the norm. And every once in a while, he’d surprise us with some real treats, be they of a skill or physical nature. What we did pick up on is that errors made once and twice weren’t made a third time.

To begin, this is one of the most common plays we’ve been seeing from him all winter. He’s at the blueline. He gets the puck. It’s on the net in no time flat. In this case, he led to a quick assist at the WJC. But we saw this over and over again throughout his pro and international play all season long. It’s a built-in gimme, even if no-one should expect anything less.

There’s nothing to see here! And that’s just it. Muggli holds his position and keeps his head swiveling throughout the tail end of the shorthanded sequence. Once the puck heads his way, he’s consequent in clearing the zone. No more. No less.

This little block was followed by a quick and accurate decision allowing his team to exit the zone with ease.

On this little beauty of an assist, he gets the puck with all the time in the world, scans the situation, buys time, and then fires a pass-shot right onto the tape of his teammate who’s heading to the goal.

This OT assist is as much skill as smarts, but we’ve got it here because this is the play of a playmaker. The backhand saucer pass is made first once he’s ascertained that his teammate, and eventual goal scorer, is completely free of the backchecking opponent. Nifty!

A sample that is off the beaten track, but we love to see how defensemen at this age read certain unique situations and we’re convinced that not all of the young men in any given class would have read and ultimately timed this string of events in this manner, suffocating the play and physically stopping the opponent at the same time. He went about this superbly.

Here he fires a shot wide, then gets back real quick, looking effortless in the process, then assesses his options and sees a looooong dump-in opportunity, one that works out perfectly since his teammate had no problems being the first man on the puck. Very interesting.

We can really get behind this shorthanded play. First, he quickly locates and gets the puck out of the zone during the face-off. Then he stays composed and concentrated for a long period of time where Finland is moving the puck around. At some point, he completely reads the sneaky pass in/through the slot, blocks it, and then takes the puck for a job, dumping it in as he reaches mid-ice, giving his entire shorthanded group a prime opportunity to change comfortably.

Still, we’ve seen lapses. This one was glaring. If you want to give him the benefit of the doubt, he didn’t want to overcommit knowing that there was a Swedish opponent open in the high slot. But my goodness, did this look lackluster. It was a decisive 3-2 goal for Sweden at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and Muggli comes away here as the player in the slot who looked a combination of perhaps worn out and unaware, but there needed to be a whole lot more effort put into this scene.

Thanks to teammate Ustinkov, this mishap still led to the Swiss productively moving out of the zone but his lack of urgency and desire to carry the puck through his own slot are things nobody wants to be seeing from the best prospect Switzerland has for this draft.

And here we got to see that Muggli too can underestimate an opponent and leave that “playing it safe” zone. Not only is he robbed of the puck here while making a weave too many out of his zone, but he then takes a bit of a reactionary penalty on the play. Good thing for him that the staff chalked this one up to youthful inexperience.

But all this goes to show that he’s very human in a phase where he’s constantly been playing against top rate talent and players older than him, some considerably. There will be a learning curve and by all indications, Muggli has the intelligence to quickly add these lessons to his database and make sure such errors remain the exception, if not a thing of the past. He’s also hardly one not to stay within himself and when he decides to get a bit more spectacular, it’s usually something worth watching.

Grade: 57.5

Physical/Compete

The first impression we had of Muggli as a 15- and 16-year-old was that he was looking like a safe, stay-at-home defender who simply liked having his body firmly in the way of attackers. If he could add some oomph to that endeavor in the form of a check with some power, he’d have no hesitations. Fortunately, while the rest of his game has clearly been growing over the past two years, his propensity to be an all-in player with physicality and battle has remained unaltered. And this was put on display all season long.

When a young defenseman is 17 and playing in a top pro league, we like to see how he handles the little things that challenge his reads. Here he’s facing a faster winger darting into the corner to collect the puck. He almost gets beat, but upon noticing he’s losing his step on him, picks up the effort, catches up with him and then applies his body to separate the puck from the puck carrier, eventually throwing a shoulder that knocks the opponent down and out of the immediate play. Puck battles in the corner ensue, but Muggli has come out on top of a situation that could easily have otherwise led to pure puck possession for the opponent.

This play is an example of things we saw quite a bit from Muggli as in his zone, he wasn’t quick enough to catch a puck that was arriving behind the net but didn’t hesitate to simply take the body of the next opponent on the puck. Every motion is about maybe catching or deflecting a pass from that opponent, but while on his way to physically edging the guy out. Here, he also reads puck placement along the boards and quickly lobs it out to safety in the direction several of his forwards are heading in.

Look at the timing here in edging out the puck-carrying attacker who went from having all the time and space in the world to being able to do little more than let the puck slide into the opposition zone while Muggli took him out at the bench. Gotta love it!

This was a “Welcome to the tourney” hit in the Swiss’ first U18 Worlds game against the Czech Republic. And yes, this is exactly where you want your defenseman ending opposition progress in a situation like this. No messing around. He plasters the opponent, and the puck is soon in Swiss possession.

First, he dishes out a hit in his own zone corner, then uses his body to shield the puck in tight spaces.

He was a bit late getting back into the play here but found a target and didn’t let up in applying himself physically. This too is a scene we feel we saw quite a bit this season.

As was this quick pinning of the opponent along the end boards, something that led to an overly hastened pass right to Muggli’s teammate.

He continually endeared himself to us with plays like this throughout the season. Here he follows the opposition forward receiving a cross-ice pass and consequently makes him a part of the boards. He then has the wherewithal to quickly lob the puck out and deal with the next attacker who is there to take exception to the hit Muggli just put on his teammate, which earns the ire of the crowd. No backing down from Muggli here either.

In one of the NL’s bigger rivalries, Muggli knows right where the puck is going and what his opponent - who is gaining speed - has in mind. He goes for the big hit, which he would have hit on if his opponent hadn’t hopped up last minute. Good timing. Good instincts. He may want to watch where he’s putting that initial knee moving forward though.

We really like the second effort here. Muggli looks to take out the opponent shortly after he crosses the blueline but doesn’t get enough of him. The two continue on into the corner and then he lays on the hurt to finish off what he started.

We saw Muggli a few times at the WJC, and he certainly looked to bring his brand of hockey to the rink. The read and the timing was perfect in this WJC hit on a Slovakian attacker.

Muggli reads the play well enough here and when the Slovak forward fumbles around with the puck, Muggli moves in for the kill. He then shows him that he really doesn’t appreciate the guy just deciding to lay on the puck.

With all that came situations like this. Here he follows STL prospect Jimmy Snuggerud into his own zone and pins him against the board, albeit after Snuggerud has pushed the puck along. He then holds him there a bit with his stick wrapped around him and eventually lets go, as if he knew he was going to be entering penalty-taking territory. Snuggerud held Muggl’s stick instead, but the Swiss defender should have stayed with him a bit as Snuggerud would eventually sneak up behind him and make him look real foolish with a slight stick hook and subsequent pushing of the puck into the net. An ugly and unnecessary goal out of the vantage point of the Swiss and one of those times where Muggli’s compete level just wasn’t where it needed to be.

Grade: 57.5

Even if you’re a team viewing a 6-foot, 175-pound Muggli and wondering if that’s the kind of body you want to invest a pick in, you can rest assured that all he’s done is play bigger than he is for the better part of two years now. Physicality and effort isn’t an issue, and size has never seemed to be a negative either. After all, he’s always been identified as a methodical, yet feisty, physically adept defenseman. What this season really did is show us that there’s plenty in those hands of his to expect more on the offensive side of the game in the years to come. He’ll first be 18 ten days after the draft and will be entering his second full NL season as a regular. More often than not, that kind of thing has been a very good sign for Swiss defensemen with NHL ambitions.

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.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-draft-scouting-report-video-grades-leon-muggli-d-ev-zub-nl/feed/ 0 2024 NHL DRAFT WRAP UP: The best value picks plus the biggest surprise in each round https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-draft-wrap-up-picks-biggest-surprise/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-draft-wrap-up-picks-biggest-surprise/#respond Sun, 30 Jun 2024 18:58:05 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187348 Read More... from 2024 NHL DRAFT WRAP UP: The best value picks plus the biggest surprise in each round

]]> What a draft week it was! The Sphere in Vegas lived up to the hype, and then some. Perhaps, this is biased, but it was one of the most impressive spectacles that I have ever been part of. Derek Neumeier (our assistant director of scouting) and myself were blown away by the production. The feedback from fans was similar in nature; no question the live draft in Vegas was a massive success for the NHL.

But what about the actual draft action itself? Like any draft, there were things that went according to script and there were surprises.

From our Top 100 on our final draft rankings, 97 of said players were drafted. The only ones not selected were Alex Zetterberg, Daniil Ustinkov, and Tomas Galvas. Galvas was the highest of those three at 70th overall.

Let’s take a look at some of my favourite selections, some of the biggest surprises, and some of the best undrafted players.

ROUND ONE

Favourite Selection: Sam Dickinson (#11) to San Jose

Dickinson had been our favorite defender in this class nearly all season long and we really like the value San Jose got at #11 after trading up from #14 a few days prior. Dickinson is such a safe bet to a top four defender for the organization; the kind of player who can eat serious minutes for them when they’re ready to take that next step again as a playoff contender.

Favourite Selection: Stian Solberg (#23) to Anaheim

This represents one of the best fits in the draft for us. Solberg improved so much in the second half, and we saw that at the World Championships, where he was a standout playing tough minutes against NHL players with Norway. His game still needs further refinement, but he projects as the perfect partner for the likes of Olen Zellweger or Pavel Mintyukov (even though all three are left-handed shots) with his physical intense defensive presence. It’s obvious Anaheim really liked him as they traded up into this slot with Toronto.

Biggest Surprise: Terik Parascak (#17) to Washington

This one caught a lot of people by surprise on the draft floor. There was probably more talk that Parascak could be a “faller” due to concerns over pace/quickness, in combination with his average size. Even Parascak was incredibly surprised to be taken this early, with a look of bewilderment following the announcement of his name. Our Western scouts are still a bit leery of his NHL odds, but there’s no denying that he was one of the draft’s most intelligent players. Washington is banking on that, hoping that he can have a Joe Pavelski type career.

Biggest Surprise (bonus): Beckett Sennecke (#3) to Anaheim

This one wasn’t as big of a surprise to those on the floor because there was a ton of chatter about this about an hour prior to the draft. However, it’s obvious Sennecke had no idea because he was visibly shocked to hear his name, creating one of the most genuine and honest draft reactions of the weekend. Anaheim is banking on Sennecke’s athletic upside and second half improvements, which is often an intelligent thing to do.

ROUND TWO

Favourite Selection: Teddy Stiga (#55) to Nashville

Look at all the teams clamoring to sign Jake Guentzel this offseason, because of how good of a complementary offensive player he is. Stiga proved that same thing this year, playing alongside potential 2025 first overall pick James Hagens. He’s a hard worker. He’s skilled. His skating improved over the year. There’s a ton to like and we really like the fit in Nashville for him. These are the types of players Nashville had an abundance of when they were dominating the West.

Favourite Selection: Carter George (#57) to Los Angeles

Admittedly, I was a bit worried that Carter George would drop a bit because of his lack of size in a size-crazed industry (concerning goaltenders). So, it was great to see George go in the second round to Los Angeles. There’s a deep-rooted connection to Owen Sound there and George is a heck of a goaltender. He’s so polished and refined already; he’s a big game goaltender.

Biggest Surprise: Ilya Nabokov (#38) to Colorado

Speaking of goaltenders, it was a shock to see 21-year-old Ilya Nabokov as the first netminder taken…and this early. Granted, his resume spoke for itself this year as the KHL’s playoff MVP. Colorado obviously wasn’t a big fan of their goaltending this year and by selecting Nabokov, they’re taking someone who can be a potential difference maker very soon, a lot sooner than your average draft eligible netminder.

ROUND THREE

Favourite Selection: Tarin Smith (#79) to Anaheim

Anaheim has had tremendous luck drafting electric offensive defenders like Smith in recent years. Mintyukov, Zellweger and Rodwin Dionicio all fit the mold. Zellweger even came from the same Everett (WHL) program as Smith. He is very raw. However, his offensive upside from the backend is extremely high. With such a strong and deep talent pool in place, Anaheim could afford to take a chance on him.

Favourite Selection: Matvei Shuravin (#97) to Florida

We ranked Shuravin #34 in our final rankings but did realize that we were higher on him than we expected him to be selected this weekend. It would appear that his weaker second half really pushed him down some draft boards. However, that’s Florida’s gain as they selected an athletic defender who showed some terrific flashes this year at both the KHL and MHL levels.

Biggest Surprise: Henry Mews (#74) to Calgary

Personally, I had somewhat expected Mews to fall at the draft. I didn’t believe that he would be a top 40-45 pick. However, I also did not expect him to slide all the way to the mid third. He’s a fairly dynamic offensive defender. I certainly have questions about his projection, but this represents great value for Calgary, especially after they grabbed Zayne Parekh in the first.

ROUND FOUR

Favourite Selection: Heikki Ruohonen (#107) to Philadelphia

We felt that Ruohonen was being massively underrated this year due to the fact that he stayed in the Finnish U20 league in order to preserve his NCAA eligibility. He’ll play in the USHL next year then head to Harvard. The physically imposing two-way power pivot is someone who could dramatically outperform his draft slot.

Favourite Selection: Hagen Burrows (#128) to Tampa Bay

We get the concerns over the feet. Burrows needs to improve his skating. But the 2024 Mr. Hockey Award winner plays a mature, pro-style game. He is a strong playmaker, and he can find his way to the net. Once he fills out his frame, he could be a terrific middle six NHL player.

Biggest Surprise: Trevor Hoskin (#106) to Calgary

As someone who covers Ontario, I just didn’t see this one coming. I thought that maybe Hoskin had a chance to go late in the draft after a strong World Junior A Challenge performance, however, this early? It’s very, very rare to see a double re-entry selected from Canadian Tier 2, let alone almost in the Top 100. We’ll see how this one works out for Calgary in the long run.

Biggest Surprise (bonus): Aron Kiviharju (#122) to Minnesota

I mean, how could we not include Kiviharju here. Yes, we expected him to fall. But, to the end of the fourth? So, what’s next for Kiviharju? Would he consider coming to the OHL next year to help recover his former top prospect status?

ROUND FIVE

Favourite Selection: Luke Misa (#150) to Calgary

No question, we could have listed this as the biggest surprise of round five. Seeing Misa fall to the mid-5th round was shocking. However, this is also an excellent value pick by Calgary. Did Misa close out this past OHL season on a high note? No. But, does he have the skating ability, tenacity, and skill to be an NHL player in some capacity? Absolutely.

Favourite Selection: Justin Poirier (#156) to Carolina

At some point, a player becomes just too good to pass up, even if you have concerns over projectability. In the 5th round, Poirier is terrific value for the Hurricanes. The size, skating, and IQ components of his game are dicey. But you can’t argue with the production and the offensive upside. Bottom line, you’re not going to find many guys in round five who could be top six scorers and that’s Poirier.

Biggest Surprise: Max Graham (#139) to New Jersey

No offense intended to Graham, but when he was drafted, I turned to Derek (who also scouts the West for us) and asked him who? He was flabbergasted that Graham, a double overager, was selected. He didn’t come close to hitting the point per game mark as a 20-year-old and it certainly brings to light questions over NHL upside.

ROUND SIX

Favourite Selection: Anthony Romani (#162) to Vancouver

I get the hesitation from NHL scouts. Is his offensive skill set translatable? He’s purely a complementary guy; one of the “quietest” CHL leading scorers in recent memory. But, at some point you have to bet on players who think the game at an elite level and that’s Romani. One team used a 17th overall selection on a player with pace/strength concerns, but high-end hockey sense, and another used the 162nd overall pick. Who got the best value?

Favourite Selection: Luke Ashton (#165) to Columbus

A re-entry out of the BCHL, Ashton is a really intriguing defensive prospect. He’s big. He’s mean. He’s athletic. He flashes high end skill. How it all comes together at a higher level remains to be seen. But we really like the upside. We also really like that he’s going to Minnesota State, a program that has developed defenders like him well.

Biggest Surprise: Stevie Leskovar (#174) to Minnesota

Again, no offense meant to Leskovar, but Derek had the same reaction to him as I did Graham. If you had told me that Leskovar would be drafted ahead of Leenders, Fibigr, and Finn Harding from that same Mississauga team, I would have called you crazy. Leskovar is a big, mean, throwback on the back end. He got better this year in his first full year with the Steelheads. But an NHL draft selection?

ROUND SEVEN

Favourite Selection: Ryerson Leenders (#219) to Buffalo

It worked with Devon Levi. It could work again with Leenders. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s very athletic. Quick post to post and solid in scramble mode, Leenders just needs to refine his approach and improve technically. He’s capable of stealing games and he could end up being a draft steal when all is said and done, similar to the way Florida got Levi (then traded him to Buffalo).

Favourite Selection: Erik Pahlsson (#213) to Nashville

We’ve had Pahlsson ranked for a few years now, so it was great to see him finally get selected after a solid year in the USHL. Again, there are some projection concerns over the athletic profile, but he finds a way to be productive. He’s intelligent. He’s shifty. He’s probably going to produce at the college level too with Minnesota.

Biggest Surprise: Alex Zetterberg Goes Undrafted, but Mac Swanson gets selected

Again, you hit a point in the draft where players are worth selecting despite some limitations. Mac Swanson’s size and skating combination are worrisome, but he’s one heck of a smart player. If he hits, he’s going to be a home run. The same could be said of Alex Zetterberg, the Swedish equivalent, who did nothing but produce this year. If you’re taking a chance on Swanson this late, Zetterberg deserved to go too.

OUR BEST UNDRAFTED PLAYERS

Tomas Galvas

The undersized defender was one of the draft’s best skaters, but it wasn’t enough for NHL teams. He’ll need to take his offensive game to another level. Would be great to see him in the CHL next year.

Daniil Ustinkov

Ustinkov started the year as a potential first round candidate and ended up not being selected. Concerns over his processing ability ultimately scared off teams. Does he come over to London next year to try to turn his career around?

Alex Zetterberg

Again, this one feels like a misstep. Yes, he’s small. Yes, there are strength concerns. But he’s ultra talented. Few players available in the 7th round would have had the upside of Zetterberg.

Nolan Roed

Our aggressive ranking of Roed came mostly from me, as he was a player I was very impressed with at the USHL and high school levels. I liked the competitive drive in his game. Next year’s Joe Connor?

Lukas Matecha

He just couldn’t recover from his poor second half. If he can put together a more consistent season next year, he’ll be back on the draft radar.

Matthew Van Blaricom

This one is shocking to me. Loved the aggressive and tenacious approach. Had a terrific WJAC. Here’s hoping that he goes somewhere next year (USHL, NCAA) where he can show that he should have been selected.

Frankie Marrelli

I get it. He’s an undersized stay at home type. But this young man is just such a smart defensive player. He competes hard and he’s going to get better at the offensive end too.

Gian Meier

A breakout performer at the U18’s with Switzerland, we figured someone would take Meier given the flashes he showed this year as a two-way defender.

 

 

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-draft-wrap-up-picks-biggest-surprise/feed/ 0 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Sacha Boisvert, C, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-sacha-boisvert-c-muskegon-lumberjacks-ushl/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-sacha-boisvert-c-muskegon-lumberjacks-ushl/#respond Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:49:34 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187266 Read More... from 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Sacha Boisvert, C, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

]]> Sacha Boisvert
C - #9 Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
6'2, 183 lbs, Shoots: L
DOB: 17.03.2006 - Trois-Rivières, Quebec

Sacha Boisvert was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec and was drafted twice in the QMJHL draft, 12th Overall in 2022 and 88th Overall in 2023. Instead of playing his junior hockey in the CHL, the lanky centre decided to pursue the NCAA route, opting to join the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks last season. After putting up 0.82 points per game as a USHL rookie last year, he was a key cog in the Muskegon Lumberjacks offense this season. Boisvert, paired with fellow draft-eligible forward Matvei Gridin, were a dominant duo, each landing near the top of the 2023/24 USHL scoring race. Boisvert himself had 36 goals and 32 assists, as he helped lead the Lumberjacks to a 2nd place finish in the USHL’s Eastern Conference. He is committed to joining North Dakota in the NCAA next season.

Boisvert has a lot going for him on the ice, he has excellent vision, a good shot, decent skating, composure under pressure, some size, and some competitive fire: overall, he has the tools to grow into a very effective two-way forward. It’s not hard to see why he is likely to hear his name called in the first round of the NHL Draft on Friday. With some development in his own zone, and added weight, he should have a good career as a middle-six forward in the NHL.

Skating

Boisvert’s skating is kind of all over the place right now. On one hand, if you are looking for a naturally smooth skater, Boisvert can be your guy. The 6’2 centreman gains speed rapidly by using crossovers and then stays on the move by gliding around. He’s able to create separation often by changing angles at top speed. His skating style can look very effortless, but really he’s just very efficient with building and maintaining speed.

However, Boisvert’s straight-line skating is not quite as fast as you would expect, he tends to lean forward, which doesn’t allow the long strides that he ideally would be using in a straight line. He also needs to work on his burst from a standstill. He can sometimes look a little flat-footed when he is not already in motion. Ideally, some focused coaching can fix a lot of his skating flaws and he should end up as a plus skater overall.

Boisvert uses some quick acceleration to create some space right away on the rush here. One aggressive crossover changes his angle enough from him to evade the defender and turn a 2-on-2 into a 2-on-1.

This clip is a pretty good summary of Boisvert’s skating. He doesn’t really have much of a middle gear, he is either accelerating or gliding. He probably leans a bit too far forward when he’s hustling in a straight line, which ends up shortening his stride a bit. But crossovers are definitely the strength in his skating.

Another strength in Boisvert’s skating is his ability to change angles at his speeds to evade defenders. Here a quick turn on his front foot buys him an extra second to get his shot off.

Grade: 55

Shot

When it comes to shooting, Boisvert is an interesting case. He actually has a very hard and accurate wrist shot, which he loves to use from pretty much anywhere in the offensive zone. At the junior level, he can consistently beat goalies clean with wrist shots from the tops of the circles but will need to utilize screens or get closer to the net if he isn’t adding a slapshot to his repertoire. Furthermore, he has a long windup with that wrist shot, so he needs a bit of space to get it off. At times his long windup can be easy for defenders to read, particularly if he is trying to shoot from a distance. He will need to make some adjustments for the pro level, as it will be a lot harder for him to find time and space against NHL defenders. I wonder if he could fix this by using a shorter stick, just to get the shot off a bit quicker and keep the puck in tighter to himself.

Boisvert’s one-timer is somewhere in between a slap and a snapshot, and he’s very effective at getting it off quickly. It is unlikely that he is going to be the main one-timer option on the power play at the NHL level, but it is good enough that he is a threat to score when he uses it.

When he has a bit of space to get his shot off, Boisvert can be deadly. Here, he quickly settles the puck down and automatically pulls it into a shooting position. He regularly beats goaltenders clean from range with shots like this.

Here is a nice zone entry from Boisvert to get the powerplay set up before showcasing superb accuracy with the snipe from a sharp angle.

Sometimes Boisvert’s long windup can make him too easy to read, particularly on the rush. Here the defender has no problem shutting down the attempt from Boisvert.

Contrary to his wrist shot, Boisvert does not have a large wind-up for one-timers, enabling him to get the puck off quite quickly on opportunities like this.

Here is pretty much the maximum wind-up in Boisvert’s repertoire. He keeps his bottom hand still pretty high up his stick, I would think he could get a bit more on it if he slid that hand down a bit. He turns his toes a bit to compensate for the soft pass and gets a really clean release off.

Grade: 57.5

Skill

Boisvert actually had more goals than assists this season, but I think he probably is more of a playmaker at the NHL level. His shot is good but there are still some adjustments he needs to make to it. His passing? Much more impressive to me. He regularly threads the puck through passing windows that you can’t even see at first when you are watching him. He has a ton of confidence moving the puck and it always seems to end up right on the tape.

His hands are certainly above-average as well. He is very good at settling down bouncing or rolling pucks, which makes it very easy for him to retrieve pucks off the boards or quickly turn turnovers into offensive opportunities.

Here’s a clip that shows off Boisvert’s impressive confidence and playmaking ability. After picking up the loose puck he immediately identifies the lane he needs to funnel the puck through and does so perfectly, avoiding the defender beside him and getting the puck to his teammate before the backcheckers could get to the slot.

This is another one where he identifies the lane he needs to use on the rush and threads the puck right onto his teammate’s stick. Good to see him buy a little bit of time at the line, allowing his teammate to catch up with the play and even up the numbers on the rush.

He slips this backhand pass over so quickly and discreetly that you almost miss it. Right on the tape as per usual.

Boisvert displays some composure here in tight, calmly deking through the defender and beating the goaltender. He makes plays like this look so easy.

Points for confidence and creativity on this one. Boisvert sees the stick in the passing lane and decides to just sauce one over the defenders for a breakaway pass. Not many players would try this and even fewer would feather the pass so perfectly.

Grade: 55

Smarts

There are few players in the draft this year that are calmer with the puck under pressure than Boisvert. He has good vision and anticipation, he will attract defenders and then give the puck to a teammate with ease. If he doesn’t have a passing option, he won’t panic as he has no problem deking through a defender either. Around the blue lines, he does turn the puck over too much, often when he is delaying while waiting for his teammates to catch up on the rush.

Playmaking is Boisvert’s highest-end ability in my opinion. He does not get intimidated by traffic and trusts his reads to find teammates. Boisvert’s ability to thread passes through traffic seems pretty lucky at first, but when you watch him enough, you realize that he is able to read the body and stick traffic very well and times a lot of those passes perfectly. He makes a lot of passes through or between defenders, which is very effective with the mental mistakes that defenders make at the junior level. His knack for finding those lanes will come in handy when those windows get even smaller at the next level.

In general, Boisvert seems to know approximately where he needs to be in the defensive end, but he still needs to commit to actually defending. His positioning does not help much when he fails to get engaged in the task at hand in his own zone.

Boisvert is so calm under pressure in the offensive zone. He welcomes pressure in the corner here and quickly moves the puck to the wide-open blueliner.

Finding lanes to make passes is one of Boisvert’s greatest abilities, if there’s a stick he needs to find, he will find it. He knows where the pass is going as soon as he sees the defender’s stick on the inside.

Boisvert won’t ever park himself in front of the net for rebounds or deflections, but he is very good at sneaking across the slot for deflections as shown here. He will find some open ice where he does not look like much of a threat but then will come back across for a moving deflection before the defenders realize where he is.

This is a pretty good summary of where Boisvert is defensively. Good read, he knows he needs to cover for the d-man and uses his good skating to do so. Once he gets into position he kind of seems lost as to how to defend the rush 1-on-1. Once he picks up the puck he knows what to do.

A nice little rush to start the play here, but when Boisvert delays, he tries a pass that never really has a chance. Not a good turnover at the offensive blue line.

He gets a little lost on his defensive zone coverage here, causing some confusion among the forwards. Fortunately, even with all three Muskegon forwards on one side of the ice, their opponents are not able to generate much of a chance. Boisvert will need to improve on his play in his own end, but that can be learned before long if he commits to it.

Grade: 55

Physical/Compete

When Boisvert wants to compete, he can be very effective. His combination of skating and size (which will be much more of a factor when he fills out a bit) gives him a really good base to be an excellent power forward. As things stand currently, his hitting needs a lot of work, he leads with his hands a lot of the time and misses checks more than he should. Still, he has shown a willingness to play physically and will need to continue to develop that part of his game.

I would love to see Boisvert compete a bit harder defensively. A lot of the time he is one of the last players back on the backcheck, or he is in the defensive zone but not really defending at all. A lot of goals against have him simply standing there watching the puck. He has the physical tools, as well as the IQ (see: his intelligence with the puck), to be an effective 200-foot player but he has some serious development needed as a defender.

Boisvert flies up the ice here and doesn’t slow down on the forecheck. He doesn’t really get a great hit in on either attempt, but his skating and his willingness to get involved physically give him a good base to become a useful forechecker once he adds a bit more weight.

He uses his body a bit to open up space for himself, as shown here. Some more weight on his frame could make Boisvert pretty dominant down low. As per usual in this clip, he calmly dishes the puck to an open teammate as opponents collapse on him.

A bad turnover to start the clip here, but Boisvert remedies it almost instantly. He gets in between the puck and the net and forces his opponent to the boards, knocking him off the puck.

Boisvert wants to make an impact hit here but misses due to keeping too big of a gap defensively. Ideally, he plays this tighter and angles the forward up the boards, finishing with the hit he wants.

Goals against like this are a common occurrence, Boisvert is in the middle of the screen here, not really making an effort to defend at all. He knows he needs to be in the middle of the ice, but doesn’t really contribute to protecting his own net much. It will be interesting to see growth from him defensively when he is in a new environment next season at North Dakota.

Grade: 52.5

OFP: 54.75

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.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-sacha-boisvert-c-muskegon-lumberjacks-ushl/feed/ 0 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Stian Solberg, D, Vålerenga IF (EHL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-stian-solberg-d-valerenga-ehl/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-stian-solberg-d-valerenga-ehl/#respond Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:48:26 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187293 Read More... from 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Stian Solberg, D, Vålerenga IF (EHL)

]]> Stian Solberg
D - #10 Vålerenga IF (EHL)
6’2, 205 lbs, Shoots: L
DOB: 29.12.2005 - Oslo, Norway

As you’ve no doubt heard already, the 2024 NHL Draft class is shaping up to be the most talent-rich crop of Norwegian prospects ever. Headlining this group are two names. One is, of course, Michael Brandsegg Nygard, the speedy, physical winger with the make of a modern power forward. The other, who has shot up draft boards recently, is big, rough, tough D-man Stian Solberg.

Solberg has been playing steady minutes on one of the best teams in the top division of Norwegian professional hockey since his D-2 season but really grew into his role as a minute-munching defensive defenceman this year. Not only that, but his game has constantly been improving all year long. With a strong showing at the U20 WJC, an EHL playoff run for the ages, and a fantastic World Championship in May to cap it all off, Solberg has stepped his game up to whatever challenge lay before him. While there are areas of his game that still need refinement, his trajectory has been up, up, up – improvement during one’s draft year always bodes well for a prospect’s potential to hit their ceiling.

Standing at 6’2 and weighing in at 203 lbs, he’s not the guy you want to see when you’re flying down the right-side wing. If you do see him, you’d better brace yourself, because you are getting flattened. Solberg is physical. It is the hallmark of his game, and he takes pride in that. Sometimes, a little too much pride. He’s got a mean streak, no question about it. It is an aspect of his hard-nosed style that has had scouts fawning over him all season, drawing comparisons to some of the NHL’s most revered hitters like Radko Gudas, Luke Schenn, and even Jacob Trouba. While that may be a tad overzealous, there’s no denying that Solberg’s physical presence is his greatest strength.

However, we shouldn’t limit him to only being a freight train on skates. The more he has played, the more he’s shown. He plays smart positional defence and manages his gaps very effectively. He can sometimes be slow to react, Solberg has also shown an underrated ability to carry the puck with his powerful straight-line skating and ability to protect the puck with his frame. When he gets a full head of steam, he can transport that puck from DZ to OZ without much of a hassle. It’s when he’s put into a position where he must get around complex pressure from defenders that Solberg’s limitations get to him. He’s got rather poor stickhandling and spotty vision. He can make simple plays here and there and even flash the occasional dangle, but struggles to consistently get past defenders, execute on complex passes and navigate forechecking pressure in tight. He may not project to be much of a playmaker at the NHL level. However, he does have a pretty big shot, some fun ideas, and a budding on-puck deception game, so there might be some level of offensive upside to him.

Skating

Solberg’s skating has come a long way since the start of the season, and even then, there’s a ton of potential for growth. Generally speaking, Solberg is pretty mobile. While his skating can occasionally look choppy when picking up his feet, he can really build up some solid straight-line speed if given enough runway. This is evident when he carries pucks through the neutral zone with a full head of steam or when sprinting back to cover odd-man rushes against. He’s wired to be the puck carrier on breakouts, building up speed with crossovers, attacking skating lanes and pushing pace.

While he is agile enough to control his gaps and not get beat to the inside, moving laterally and backwards quickly enough in order to defend the rush and adapt to changes in play remains a work in progress. He had a tendency to stumble or trip himself up when changing direction too quickly early in the season. As time went on, he managed to limit the ugliness in his footwork and move enough in four directions to cover more ground in the defensive zone.

Here we see an example of Solberg (#72 white) utilizing his mobility to defend the rush. His strides and crossovers weren’t the smoothest and he was having a hard time turning and shifting his weight, but he made it work.

A nice example of Solberg’s (#72 white) straight-line speed on the hardback skate to catch an opponent who’s been sprung on a breakaway. You can see him accelerate for the first five steps, then focus on matching the speed of the Sparta player before thumping him off the puck.

A really good (and extremely rare) clip of Solberg (#72 white) skating coast to coast for a goal. He’s skating with his head up, building speed with crossovers, reading opponents intent and attacking open ice. I think everyone on the ice was surprised by this play, but Solberg has the confidence to try this stuff at will.

This clip is from a similar situation as clip 1 but from a World Championship exhibition match, and the results are much better. Solberg (#72 white) looks much more fluid and he is able to keep himself more balanced. You can tell he’s worked on his backwards skating here.

In this clip, we see what Solberg (#72 red) could become with even further refinement to his skating. He’s improved his agility to where he’s able to pull off more deceptive body fakes and he’s building speed quicker. Coupling Solberg’s confidence and creativity with further improved skating is a recipe for success and his underrated upside as a puck mover should be nurtured.

Grade: 55

Shot

Despite not profiling as an offensive defenceman, Solberg has found a fair bit of success generating offence with his shot. He knows how to shoot and he likes to shoot often. He can let a clapper go from the point and get it on the net, or take a few steps and whip a wrist shot toward the top corner. His ability to barrel down the wing and surprise goalies with a quick snapshot in stride will make your eyes widen with disbelief, as you don’t expect a defenceman known for throwing hits to show impressive rush attack instincts. With continued improvement to his skating, it may even be feasible for Solberg to be a competent rush attacker at higher levels, adding a whole other dimension to his game.

On the Vålerenga and the Norwegian national team, Solberg saw power play time as a shooting threat from the point. While he’s got to improve his puck distribution before getting serious consideration for power play time at higher levels, he’s really learned to put some serious weight behind his slapshot and can really connect on one-timers. It’s pretty easy to see this become a legitimate tool for Stian to create some offence with more refinement, and guys are going to start thinking twice about putting their bodies in front of a Sol-bomb.

Solberg (#72 white) sending a quick, low shot toward the net looking for a deflection. The shot finds a teammate’s stick and gets a good one that almost trickles over the line. This is the most common type of shot for Solberg, at least at even strength.

Here we see Solberg (#72 white) getting some time on the power play, but he’s not manning the point like he typically does. Instead, he’s along the half-wall looking for space to get a shot off from closer range. Once he gets it, boy, does he ever whip that wrister!

 

Here we see Solberg (#72 white) connecting on some howitzers. The way he switches with his winger after passing the puck low to him, granting him a gorgeous look from inside the house, showed some good off-puck movement.

 

Ouch! Solberg (#72 white) must have been watching some Shea Weber footage before the game. You don’t get much space for a slapshot in today’s NHL, but Solberg has the potential to unleash a canon when that space presents itself. Put your body in front of it and you’ll meet the same fate as that Latvian player. If not, it might be in the back of the net in the blink of an eye

Solberg (#72 blue) is streaking down the ice from the defensive zone and getting a shot off from a sharp angle in stride. Really great idea and drive, but couldn’t fool the goaltender. As you can see, Solberg has a diverse arsenal of shots that could generate offence in the future. Depending on how his skating develops, perhaps plays like this will get there as well.

Grade: 55

Skill

While there were only occasional flashes of skill, Solberg showed he can be an adequate puck mover and puck handler in the EHL. He hits simple passes and outlets, though not without some wrinkles and spotty vision. He shakes off pressure with patience and deception, sometimes even pushing forward and attacking the heels of defenders to create an advantage for himself and his team. However, when he encountered problems in tight that needed solving, Solberg showed some warts.

His hands aren’t the quickest and he isn’t the shiftiest on his skates, so he can’t execute manipulative stick moves or fakes quickly or in tight. This made carrying pucks around or through defenders a challenge. Despite this, Solberg is full of confidence and tries to make creative plays happen. While it’s mostly D-to-D passes or throwing the puck into space down low, he can surprise everyone with a toe-drag-rip-through move on someone while streaking down the wing. It’s clear that Solberg wants to play a certain way and the ideas are encouraging, but he needs quite a bit of work to get there. It’s tough projecting much of the “fun” stuff he’s shown at his current level of competition to higher levels, but it’s hard to bet against a guy so willing to at least attempt them.

Solberg (#72 blue) hitting an outlet pass under pressure from earlier in the season. It was a bit risky to draw in forechecking pressure like that without being in motion, but it worked out.

Here’s a bit of the not-so-good hands. An unfortunate bobble at the blue line by Solberg (#72 white) led to a turnover and a goal. The struggle to settle bouncing pucks as well as execute on stickhandles is a bit rough, but should get better with some practice.

Here we have an example of Solberg (#72 blue) failing to get around opponents in the neutral zone while carrying the puck. You might say it was unlucky that the linesman was there, but it looked like he was just about out of room anyway and would have been stripped of the puck sooner or later. That move wasn’t fooling anyone.

I don’t think Solberg (#72 white) gets too discouraged by mistakes, otherwise, he wouldn’t have the guts to pull of a move like this in game 7 of the EHL semifinals. Although he didn’t beat his man, this took some coordination to pull off and it’s the ideas you care about at this point in his development.

Finally, Solberg’s (#72 red) stickhandling and vision looked like it took at the World Championship. He stickhandled quickly and passed that puck with amazing precision and timing. This level of playmaking is not something Solberg normally does, but it was very refreshing to see him execute a play. We won’t know if this is a part of his game until his SHL career starts in the 24-25 season – unlikely, but not impossible.

Grade: 52.5

Smarts

What Stian Solberg knows, he knows well. He exhibits strong positional awareness and makes good defensive reads, which is what has been one of the key factors to his excellent in-zone defence this season. He does a good job identifying skating lanes when carrying pucks or supporting the rush and supports breakouts with safe off-puck positioning behind the puck carrier in case things go awry.

Typically, Solberg plays defence with his eyes up and his head on a swivel. However, he has inconsistent pre-scanning habits, especially when he’s looking to make a pass up ice. He has a tendency to hang on to the puck too long and not take advantage of solid passing options. You’d wish he read the ice as well on-puck as he does off-puck. Even when off-puck, Solberg has shown some issues when adapting to changes in the direction of play, which has led to some difficult moments in viewings. Thankfully, one can learn to read and anticipate play with lots and lots of reps and guidance. This shouldn’t be a dealbreaker with Solberg and his hockey sense should project to be about average when it’s all said and done.

Right off the face-off, Solberg (#72 blue) takes charge and keeps his cool under pressure. We see him attempt to move forward, recognize that there isn’t much of a way beyond the obstacles in his path, curl back, and pass the puck to his teammate. He then opens himself up as a pass target for the teammate with the puck, in case he needs it. Solid puck support, poise, and play reading from Stian here.

While Solberg’s (#72 white) greatest strength is hitting, it should be said that he has a tendency to chase hits. This is an example where he has his opponent gapped up but tries to close the gap too early and misses completely. This is a decision-making issue that should be ironed out over time, but you’ll probably have to coach it out of him.

Solberg (#72 red) reads where the play is going and makes sure he supports the odd-man rush as best he can. He turns on the jets but controls his speed so as to put himself in the best position to accept the cross-ice feed from his teammate before burying the puck in the back of the net.

Here is an example of Solberg’s (#72 white) great defensive reads and positioning. On the PK in the defensive zone, Solberg reads that a saucer pass is going cross ice. He moves towards the intended target, sees that the pass is too hard to handle, leverages his momentum and engages physically, driving the target through the boards and removing him from play. Solberg quickly gets possession of the puck and banks it high off the glass and out, shaving valuable seconds off the clock.

Even at the World Championship, some ugly decisions were made. Here we have Solberg (#72) getting caught completely flat-footed at center ice trying to whack a puck back towards the offensive zone and getting burned. Again, this should be much less frequent the more reps he gets, but it is still frustrating to see happen when he’s improved so much everywhere else over the course of the year.

Grade: 50

Physical/Compete

Hitting is a skill, and most players will learn how to throw a solid check before reaching the NHL. However, relishing in the malice you inflict on your opponent is not something you can teach. Solberg has both of these aspects encoded in his DNA. He’ll staple you to the boards, send you upside down with a hip check, and knock the wind out right of you in open ice. He may even replace your spine with a carbon fibre stick if you’re brave enough to duel with him in the corners and in front of the net. Can you say “built for the playoffs”?

That being said, it would be selling him short to say that he’s only capable of violence. Solberg already has great strength, length and a solid frame to work with defensively. He can angle off attackers to the outside and use his stick to take away shooting and passing lanes. As if his ability to hit wasn’t evidence enough, his physical skills are quite advanced. He does a good job absorbing contact and using his frame and strength to keep opponents to the outside during retrievals and to wear them down if they’re on the inside.

Clichés are clichés for a reason, and there are many that one can attribute to Solberg. Gritty, built differently, got that dawg in ‘em, tough as nails… take your pick. Solberg doesn’t take any guff and won’t hesitate to stand up for himself or for teammates. He’ll answer the bell and do what it takes to win. He’s always working to get better – his improvement throughout the season is evidence of that. In Oslo, he was beloved by fans and teammates alike. Intangibles are tough to factor into one’s analysis of a player. However, with enough industry chatter corroborating the claim that he’s a fantastic person on and off the ice, it’s hard not to give weight to them.

This is just punishing lights-out defence by Solberg (#72 blue), him at his best. He’s moving his feet, engages physically and sticks to him, eventually wedging his body between the puck carrier and the puck and recovering possession of his team. Gotta love the cross-checks, too.

Here we see some great gap management by Solberg (#72 white) against an enemy who’s trying to challenge him head-on. He knocks the puck loose with a sweep of the stick which gets his opponent to lower his head, and then closes the gap on him in a hurry. He gains control of the puck cleanly and takes it around the net, insulating it with his body from a harassing forechecker, before passing it off.

Ding, ding! Solberg (#72 blue) won’t back down from a challenge. The game is over and his team has just won, but that doesn’t stop Stian from getting in the face of the opponent and sending a message. If you don’t wear his team’s jersey, you are in danger. If you do, he’ll put his body on the line for you. Now that’s what I call leadership!

Solberg (#72 white) hurting opponents physically and mentally by throwing a big hit (plus takedown) along the boards and drawing a penalty on the retaliation. There is a sense of cunning you need to be an agitator, and Solberg certainly knows what buttons to press. He’s been quoted saying he loves to get in the face of opponents and annoy them, so NHL teams can expect him to bring rat-like qualities to the ice.

Last, but certainly not least, we have Solberg (#72 blue) lowering the boom on a poor soul. This clip could have been one of a thousand candidates, but this hit shows just how much of a brick wall Solberg is already at 18. Complete and utter stopping power. It’s not just a defensive tool – Solberg is looking to throw one of these as early as he can and set the tone, or to create some momentum for his team.

Grade: 65

OFP: 58.75

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.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-stian-solberg-d-valerenga-ehl/feed/ 0 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-cayden-lindstrom-c-medicine-hat-tigers-whl/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-cayden-lindstrom-c-medicine-hat-tigers-whl/#respond Wed, 26 Jun 2024 11:32:08 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187237 Read More... from 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

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Cayden Lindstrom - photo Brian Liesse
Cayden Lindstrom
C - #28 Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
6’3, 214 lbs, Shoots: L
DOB: 03.02.2006 - Chetwynd, British Columbia

Every few seasons in the WHL a player comes along who is an undeniable force in all aspects of the game. A player who has the tools to become a game changer at the NHL level with their skill and their physical play. A player that gives everyone who watches his games something to talk about the next day. That player is Cayden Lindstrom.

Playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers, Lindstrom brings size, speed, and skill to each and every game. Hailing from Chetwynd, BC, he was selected in the 3rd round of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft and made his full-time debut for the Tigers in the 22-23 season. He played well, scoring 19 goals and 42 points in 61 games (0.69 pts/game) in his rookie season. He was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2023 Hlinka/Gretzky Cup last August. His play reached another level in the WHL this season but he suffered from injuries which limited the number of games he was able to dress for. Lindstrom scored 27 goals and 46 points but was only able to play in 32 games due to back and hand injuries. Despite this, his points per game jumped up to 1.44, good for third amongst NHL Draft-eligible players in the WHL this season. He returned to play in the WHL playoffs but struggled to elevate his game to the same level after missing so much time.

Lindstrom’s profile fits that of a power forward who uses his size and strength to overpower opposing players. He’s a big player in the WHL already and will add more muscle to his frame as he matures. He plays with a mean streak and will dish out hits to opposing players with regularity. Even with his size, Lindstrom is a good skater, capable of sprinting past defenders as well as holding them off when he has the puck. He is a very good shooter and can get his shot off at multiple levels in the offensive zone. His passing is improving and he is becoming a multi-dimensional offensive player as a result. His hockey sense is a plus trait as well.

As with most prospects, there are areas of Lindstrom’s game that will need to continue to improve before he reaches the NHL. His defensive awareness is good but he doesn’t always put forth his best effort in his own zone. His passing will need to continue to improve so that teams don’t key in on his shot.

At the end of the day, the team that drafts Lindstrom should feel very comfortable that they’re getting a top-line power forward who will excel in all aspects of the game as he matures.

Skating

Lindstrom is a strong skater with speed not found very often for a player of his size. His acceleration is deceivingly quick and he is able to puck handle while at speed. He pushes defenders back into their zone with his pace as they have to respect his ability to skate past them if they aren’t careful. This creates openings for himself and his teammates. Lindstrom can also turn a defender and protect the puck as he crashes the crease. He has good balance on his skates which allows him to weave through defenders while puck handling or stay on his feet when being checked by the opposition.

This first clip shows some of Lindstrom’s (#28 in black) acceleration with the puck. Starting from below his team’s goal line, he skates towards a forecheck that tries to front him. Lindstrom uses good edge work to change direction on the checker and is past him quickly. The defencemen see Lindstrom building speed through the neutral zone and have to back off in order to not get turned wide. This allows Lindstrom to pass to his teammate at the blue line, who then enters the zone with room to shoot or pass.

This next video starts with Lindstrom (#28 in white) leading a breakout of the Tigers' defensive zone. The defender does a good job of keeping up with Lindstrom and not allowing him to go to the slot. Due to the speed of the breakout, the Tigers outnumber the defenders and they can’t get back in time to prevent Lindstrom from scoring off of a nice passing sequence.

This clip shows Lindstrom’s foot speed as he picks up the puck at his own net while in a glide. He utilizes crossovers to accelerate through his turn to exit the zone. He continues to move his feet through center ice and only goes into his glide as he enters the offensive zone. This creates a momentary odd-man rush and scoring chance for the Tigers.

The last clip of this section shows Lindstrom starting with the puck at center ice. As he enters the offensive zone he uses a slight hesitation to set up his next move. The defender thinks they have a chance at a poke check but Lindstrom is able to use good edge work to spin away from the defender’s stick to create a scoring chance. The goal is just icing on the cake at that point.

Grade: 60

Shot

Lindstrom has a great, pro-ready wrist shot. He uses a drag and release to get the shot off quickly and pick corners of the net consistently. He also possesses a very good one-timer and sets himself up to use it on a regular basis. The Tigers use a five-forward group on their first power-play unit and have Lindstrom set up as the net-front presence. His ability to tip shots in that role improved over the course of his season.

This first clip is from last summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky Cup while Lindstrom was playing for Team Canada. The combination of speed and shot accuracy as he goes backhand to forehand makes it difficult for the goaltender to know what Lindstrom is going to do at that moment, and as such is unprepared to stop the shot.

This video is a perfect example of how Lindstrom’s size/speed combo along with his wrist shot accuracy make him a deadly goal scorer. The defenceman is not prepared to stop Lindstrom from entering the zone, and Lindstrom takes advantage, going to the slot with the puck. The defenceman tries to use body position and his stick to stop Lindstrom but he’s too strong. He loads up on his wrist shot and easily beats the goaltender high on his glove side.

Lindstrom is the beneficiary of being in the right place at the right time on this goal, but it’s not all luck. Once he sees the puck has been turned over, he quickly gets himself into a position to be a passing option. His teammate passes him the puck and he one-times it past the goaltender. The key to this goal is how he’s able to create velocity with the shot despite the awkward position by transferring his weight as he goes to one knee. If he tries to puck handle into a better shooting position, the goaltender will have time to set up for the shot and a goal is less likely.

This is a good old-fashioned goal scorer's goal. Lindstrom manipulates the defender into screening the goaltender with his puck handling, loads up on a hard wrist shot and puts the puck into the high glove-side corner.

The last clip for this section comes from a Medicine Hat power play. Lindstrom is playing the net front but slides over to the side to make himself a passing option for the puck carrier. Lindstrom is already turning his feet towards the net as he receives the pass. This move allows him to set up for a quick shot into the short-side top corner of the net. It’s a very accurate shot with excellent placement that’s nearly unstoppable.

Grade: 60

Skill

Lindstrom’s skill set matches his power forward profile but he has softer hands than expected for a player his size. His ability to handle and protect the puck, which along with his size and reach, make him difficult to check. His passing ability is underrated and improving quickly. This is an area of his game that projects well as he continues to mature.

Lindstrom’s ability to handle the pass coming off the boards and then protect the puck from the defender are key pieces of this goal and he looks very much the part of a power forward as he crashes down towards the net with the puck. The puck handling as the defender tries to close down on him creates space for Lindstrom and allows him to settle the puck for his next move.

This next play shows Lindstrom’s puck-handling ability and confidence to try things that other players wouldn’t. After receiving the pass, Lindstrom tries to angle himself past the defender, but the defender makes a good read and closes the space down. Instead of shooting the puck towards the near-side boards and trying to chase it down, Lindstrom attempts to put the puck through the defender’s feet. It’s not the cleanest play but it works, and Lindstrom is able to regain control of the puck as he enters the offensive zone. At this point, his space has become limited by a closing defender, but he is able to keep the puck with a stop-and-go move, handling the puck the whole time until he can pass it to an open teammate.

As mentioned, Lindstrom’s passing is improving and opening up more opportunities for scoring chances. This play is a very nice back door pass with Lindstrom able to get the puck to his teammate in perfect position while avoiding the sticks of two defenders. It’s one of Lindstrom’s prettier assists this season.

Lindstrom’s backhand pass at center ice in this clip is not ideal, both in the situational read and the execution. It would’ve been better to skate back toward his own blue line and reload through the neutral zone. After the failed pass, he puts himself in a good position for a takeaway in the neutral zone and ends up with the puck. From there he handles the puck around three defenders in rapid succession before pushing the puck into the offensive zone.

The last play in this clip demonstrates Lindstrom’s vision and good touch with the puck. As he receives the pass, he sees that he has an open teammate behind the closing defender. A nice little one-touch pass around the defender turns a potential neutral zone turnover into a good offensive zone entry.

Grade: 55

Smarts

Lindstrom’s hockey sense and decision-making is another rapidly improving area of his game. His awareness of passing options in the offensive zone has greatly improved year over year and has seen his assists per game rate nearly double from 0.38 last season to 0.59 this season. His defensive game continues to improve as well though it lags behind his offensive zone awareness, which is typical of most young players. His ability to read plays and anticipate where the puck will be is also improving.

This first clip is a really nice pass from Lindstrom to create a goal on a 2-on-0. Most skaters would shoot in Lindstrom’s position, but he reads the goaltender so well that he knows his teammate is wide open for an easy tap-in goal.

Another nice pass from Lindstrom in this clip. The Tigers are on the powerplay and Lindstrom is positioned at the net front. He sees Andrew Basha continuing to skate into the penalty kill box after losing the puck and one touch passes the puck over to him. Basha is essentially wide open in the slot and scores.

This clip contains a nice pass from Lindstrom after the Tigers enter the offensive zone, but it’s his positioning throughout the clip that is a bit of a mixed bag. As the puck enters the neutral zone, Lindstrom is skating through the center ice faceoff circle. Just before the puck enters his defensive zone, he does a shoulder check on the weak side winger who is wide open. At this point, Lindstrom should cover that player so they aren’t alone in front of the net, but he drifts towards the puck looking to help instead. Luckily, his team recovers the puck and once in the offensive zone, he is able to support the sustained pressure in the zone with good reads and decisions.

This play shows Lindstrom’s improving defensive anticipation. He continues to skate through the middle of the ice to his own net in support of his defencemen and is in a position to lift the opposing forward’s stick in time to prevent a shot on the open net. He then uses body position to ensure his check can’t get to the puck and Medicine Hat is able to skate the puck out of the zone.

This last clip is a good example of Lindstrom’s overall improving ability to read the play on the ice. From being a passing option as the Tigers enter the offensive zone, to reading the goaltender’s errant pass to create pressure, to being a good defensive support piece in his own zone, Lindstrom is reading the play well in every zone.

Grade: 55

Physical/Compete

Being a bigger player has its advantages, combine that with a bit of meanness and a desire for hitting, and you get a physical power forward who can be a chaos-causing wrecking ball. Lindstrom is those things, but he also has a competitiveness to his game that makes him good as a forechecker and board battler. He can go overboard at times and he’ll need to work on picking his spots better as his penalty minutes nearly doubled in far fewer games this season.

This video shows the kind of power forward that Lindstrom is turning into and it starts right at the faceoff with a sneaky mean cross-check to Kai Uchacz. As the puck enters the defensive zone, Lindstrom uses body position and strength to lean on Uchacz to prevent him from skating to the puck. Lindstrom gains control of the puck and skates into the offensive zone. As he enters the zone, he reads the defender is out of position and too slow, so he uses a hesitation move to turn the defender fully and makes a prototypical power forward move to the slot, complete with one hand on the stick while the other protects himself from the defender.

This clip demonstrates Lindstrom’s competitiveness and desire for the puck. He makes a good read here and is able to turn the puck over in the offensive zone. It’s a decent scoring chance that otherwise wouldn’t have happened had he backed off into the neutral zone.

In this clip, Lindstrom is being physical and using strong play along the boards to give the opposing players very little time or room to be effective. The result is an exit out of the defensive zone.

This clip shows Lindstrom’s ability to be an effective forechecker with his reads and physicality. He’s able to get two hits in on opposing players and takes up enough space along the boards that his teammate is able to come away with the puck.

Lindstrom’s ability to forecheck comes as much from his ability to read the defenders as his physical play. In this clip, he’s able to contain the initial zone exit attempt by the defender with his positioning. As he circles back into the neutral zone he closes in on the puck carrier, forcing them to dump the puck in. Once in the defensive zone, he’s able to be a good support for his defencemen and initiates a board battle for the puck with his hit on the puck carrier.

This last clip speaks to Lindstrom’s need to rein in his more aggressive play. The initial body check on the puck carrier at the boards is good, but the cross-check afterwards is what draws the referee’s attention, and the resulting penalty.

Grade: 60

OFP: 58.75

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.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-cayden-lindstrom-c-medicine-hat-tigers-whl/feed/ 0 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-ivan-demidov-rw-ska-1946-st-petersburg-mhl/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-ivan-demidov-rw-ska-1946-st-petersburg-mhl/#respond Tue, 25 Jun 2024 16:43:42 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187213 Read More... from 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)

]]> Ivan Demidov
RW - #91 SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
6’0, 192 lbs, Shoots: L
DOB: 10.12.2005 - Tampere, Finland

Normally, it would be completely unheard of for a prospect who played almost exclusively at the Russian junior level, and who was never tested against best-on-best competition, to be considered a consensus Top 5 pick for an NHL entry draft. The fact that Demidov has earned that consideration this year is a testament to just how special of a talent he is.

It was a little difficult to scout Demidov this season, though that was through no fault of his own. As a member of the powerhouse SKA Saint Petersburg organization, he wasn't given a proper opportunity to play at higher levels with their rosters in the KHL or VHL, even though he had more than deserved it, and Russia continues to be frozen out of international hockey due to the country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. As such, scouts were mostly limited to watching him on video all season long as he utterly feasted on his MHL opponents. He even managed to save his best hockey for last, leading the charge for his club on their way to winning the league championship. Did Demidov know that the only way to bolster his draft stock was to prove undeniably over and over and over again that he was far too good to be playing at that level, putting up one of the best seasons ever recorded in the history of that league? If so, mission accomplished.

Demidov is an electrifying presence on the ice because he drives play with an abundance of skill, smarts, confidence and determination. He's hard to defend because he can leave an impact in a multitude of different ways, and even when it looks like he's completely covered or neutralized he can pull another trick out from under his sleeve and keep the play alive in a way that nobody else saw coming. NHLers Nikita Kucherov and Kirill Kaprizov have this aura to them that often causes opposing defenders to freeze and second guess their next move because the defenders know that even the smallest of mistakes can become catastrophic, and you can see that Demidov has something like that as well.

While there is unavoidably some risk attached to Demidov, mainly due to the limitations of his resume over the past few seasons, this is a prospect who could realistically become a 100-point player in the NHL one day as his ceiling, and that kind of upside will be very hard for teams to pass up on.

Skating

While some of Demidov's traits are among the best in this entire draft class, his skating style could be ranked instead as one of the most awkward. It's a little difficult to analyze because there are some times when it looks like he's fighting with it, yet at other times he'll expertly weave through traffic or erupt into space with powerful bursts of acceleration. At the MHL level, his skating is certainly more of a strength than a weakness, but there are questions about whether that will still be the case when he eventually reaches the NHL.

Demidov loves to use the 10-2 or “mohawk” skating style, and even though it’s unconventional, there are times when it really works to his advantage. Watch how sharply he cuts to the inside here. His decision completely throws the opposing team’s defensive structure into disarray, which leads to breakdowns and eventually results in Demidov finishing the play with a goal.

You see this type of play from Demidov a lot, where he widens his stance and keeps it wide even when he’s changing angles, which helps him stay upright so that he can better focus on what he’s doing with his hands. In other words, he doesn’t want his work with his hands to be disrupted by something that affects his feet, because it’s harder to handle the puck while off-balance. This particular play is illuminating because three different penalty killers recognize how severe of a threat Demidov is when he cuts inside, but they make the mistake of leaving a second attacker wide open.

It’s not often that you see Demidov really try to explode up the ice in a straight line, but he can do it well when the opportunity presents itself. In this clip he builds up speed exiting his defensive zone and attacks the offensive blueline with so much speed that it pushes back the opposing defenders, who both keep too loose of a gap and allow far too much time and space for the shot.

Being able to get pucks off the wall is an important yet underappreciated skill. There are different ways to do it, and one of the techniques that Demidov displays is the agility of his footwork. This is a sublime change of direction, which creates a scoring chance out of seemingly nothing.

Grade: 60

Shot

Demidov's hands and playmaking get the most attention, and for good reason, but he's pretty lethal as a shooter as well. His wrist shots are hard and accurate, he loves to uncork his one-timer and can do it from difficult angles, and he can tidily beat goalies in tight equally well going forehand or backhand. When he has the puck on his stick in the offensive zone he generally leans toward passes more than shots, but he recognizes when a shot attempt is his best option and doesn't overthink it.

This is an excellent example of just how good his one-timer can be. The pass doesn’t quite reach him in his wheelhouse, but he drags his leg and drops his knee all the way to the ice to receive the puck and still manages to get the shot off his stick in one fluid motion.

Here’s another great look at the one-timer. That pass actually comes to him behind his body, but he somehow, amazingly, still catches it at the start of a shooting motion and tucks the puck under the bar.

This pass comes to him in a perfect position, and with that luxury, he is able to rifle the puck into the tiniest of spaces above the goalie’s shoulder and beside his head.

Demidov is no slouch with his wrist shot, either, packing a healthy amount of both power and accuracy. This is a truly ridiculous goal from him, timing his shot perfectly to fire a laser beam directly through the penalty killer’s legs and perfectly into the top corner.

Grade: 60

Skill

This is the real bread and butter of Demidov's game, and it's such a strength for him that it's the primary reason why he's a consensus Top 10 pick for the 2024 draft. There's a major dynamism to what he can do with the puck, which makes him dangerous with almost all of his touches. Not only is he extremely deft and controlled with his puck management and movement, but he is also wildly creative. By combining both he is able to pull off plays that most other forwards never even consider as options.

Demidov’s mitts are simply magical, and he knows how to use them to make defenders look foolish. Not only is this one of the best highlights of his season, but it is also one of the best highlights from any prospect in this entire draft. He dangles both a defender and then the goalie in quick succession before wrapping the puck into the yawning cage.

Just how confident is Demidov with his puck skills? Exceptionally confident. Watch how he enters the zone with control in this clip, intentionally drawing two defenders in close to him, which also opens up a passing lane to a breaking teammate.

Part of what makes Demidov so dangerous offensively is that he can deal damage from both the inside and from the outside. This clip presents a good look at the latter ability. He uses his hands to stop up and buy himself some time and space immediately after the zone entry, and then when the time is right he whips a tape-to-tape pass to a teammate cutting to the backdoor.

Much like how Demidov can shoot from difficult angles, he can also make passes in the same way. The only way that he can get this pass beyond the sliding defender and over to his teammate is by swinging the puck out wide to the left of his body, yet he still manages to connect it easily and effortlessly.

Grade: 60

Smarts

It's not easy to be a dominant player without elite skating or advantageous size, but Demidov managed to become an unstoppable force in the MHL through his smarts and aforementioned puck skills. His vision and situational awareness are superb, and he processes the play with expert precision and lightning quickness. He also doesn't get nearly enough credit for just how well he thinks the game in all three zones, with or without the puck.

This play happens quickly, but that’s just how Demidov liked it. He correctly recognizes that the defender is in trouble due to forecheck pressure, he perfectly times his pounce to steal the puck and then gets the pass over to his teammate before anyone in red can properly react and prevent the heartbreaking, game-winning goal that is about to happen.

Is there some luck involved in this assist? It’s pretty fair to say that there is. There were opportunities for the pass to get picked off or deflected. That being said, Demidov processes the play so quickly that he regularly thinks up and attempts plays like this that catch the other team off guard, and it’s always harder to defend against something that isn’t anticipated.

This clip is similar to the last one, but there’s no luck or guesswork about it. Demidov is completely aware that his teammate is moving into scoring position and that there’s going to be an open lane to him so long as he sends the backhand pass soon enough, which he times exquisitely.

Here is a look at Demidov’s aforementioned off-puck play. He is alert the whole shift, with plenty of shoulder checks to clock the positioning of the players on the ice. He does commit a pretty sloppy turnover with an errant pass, but he immediately retreats into a defensive position and neutralizes the ensuing rush with poise and focus.

Grade: 55

Physical/Compete

This is another area of Demidov's game that is more impressive than casual fans realize. He can be a real bull when bearing down on the puck, with a strong lower body and a lot of tenacity for fighting through checks. While he doesn't always look to play physically, he knows when he needs to elevate this part of his game and delivers accordingly, which was on full display in this year's MHL playoffs. He deserves credit for his compete level, as there's a fire to how he plays and he always wants to stomp his foot on the gas pedal during the offensive attack.

Here is a great example of Demidov using his strength to his advantage. He engages his check hard along the wall and outmuscles him to win the 50-50 puck battle, which helps his team maintain possession.

This clip is from the MHL final between SKA and Loko, and there are others like it that also highlight how Demidov elevated his physical play in that series. That kind of situational adaptation is important because the NHL playoffs always get harder and heavier the further they go along.

Nothing particularly flashy here, with Demidov throwing a bit of a reversal hit to help him protect the puck against an encroaching defender. However, these types of contact plays are very important in the NHL and make more of a difference than many fans realize.

Where and when a player applies himself physically is important. This isn’t Demidov making a hit just for the sake of making a hit, it’s him making a timely decision to try to win possession on the forecheck.

Grade: 50

OFP: 57.5

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.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-ivan-demidov-rw-ska-1946-st-petersburg-mhl/feed/ 0 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Sebastian Soini, D, Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-sebastian-soini-d-ilves-u20-u20-sm-sarja/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-sebastian-soini-d-ilves-u20-u20-sm-sarja/#respond Mon, 24 Jun 2024 19:28:11 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187144 Read More... from 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Sebastian Soini, D, Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

]]> Sebastian Soini
D - #6 Ilves U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
6’2, 187 lbs, Shoots: R
DOB: 10.06.2006 - Tampere, Finland

Although the Finnish-born Sebastian Soini was overlooked for the Finnish U18 roster in May, he is still a very interesting prospect for the upcoming NHL draft and a kid who could have a future in the NHL. Soini spent the majority of the season being loaned out to KooVee Tampere of the Mestis, Finland's second division men’s league where he went on to play 32 games and averaged just over 20 minutes of ice time over the course of the season. Soini also saw action in Finland's top men’s league, playing six games in the Liiga with Ilves at the start of the year, where he wound up playing just under 10 minutes in the games he played.

Soini’s game can be best described in one word: uneventful. And I mean that in the best way possible, he isn’t a flashy offensive defender who loves to get involved in the play, and he isn’t overly physical on the defensive end. Soini is more or less a defender who knows his assignment, in that he is there to stop the opposition from getting too many high-quality offensive chances - Soini goes out there and just does his job thanks to his skating and great awareness of his assignments in the defensive zone.

Although there wasn’t much offensive production this season for Soini - only posting nine total assists in the men's league games he played this year, it was still an impressive showing for the Finnish defender who showed he was capable of playing with and against older competition. He was able to keep up and defend against players that were over 10 years older than he is. His size and mobility are a big sticking point as to why he was able to make such a step at his age and there is hope that through further development he can find some offense he has struggled to find up to this point.

Skating

This is a major element of Soini’s game and a big reason why he is seen as a defender that is worth taking a look at in the first three rounds of the NHL draft. Soini is a fantastic skater, he sort of glides around the ice in a way that makes it look easy and something that you could do. It is particularly effective in the defensive end and defending in transition, as Soini is a great backward skater and is able to move quickly enough to maintain his gaps and frustrate the other team.

Soini possesses a skating ability that really catches your eye the first time you see him play. His agility and speed are most impressive, it allows him to make swift maneuvers with and without the puck. Sebastian's skating technique is smooth and effortless, enabling him to cover ground quickly and transition seamlessly between plays. His strong edges and balance contribute to his stability, making him elusive to opponents and effective in maintaining puck possession. Soini's acceleration and quick pivots enable him to react promptly to changes in play, giving him an edge in defensive positioning and the ability to join rushes with precision.

His agility allows him to pivot swiftly and cover opponents effectively, making it difficult for attackers to get past him. Soini’s strong edges and balance enable him to maintain a stable position while defending, crucial for maintaining control and preventing scoring chances. His speed allows him to quickly close gaps and challenge opposing players, disrupting their offensive plays and forcing turnovers. Additionally, his acceleration allows him to react promptly to changes in the game, whether it's intercepting passes, blocking shots, or supporting teammates under pressure.

With this video, it shows just how shifty of a skater Soini can be. He doesn’t always use this element to his game to his advantage, but it is something he can pull off from time to time in order to kickstart the transition.

Soini isn’t always a player to retrieve the puck like this and lead his team in transition, and in this clip, you can tell how timid he is in doing this but I really like this clip as it showcases his skating ability and some potential to do this more as he matures.

Look at how fast Soini gains speed with his crossovers in retrieving the puck here. He stops prematurely and makes a bad outlet pass as a result, but I think if he can gain more confidence with his puck management and lead the charge in transition more, plays like this can be added to his arsenal more.

Soini has a footrace with an opposing forward who was already gaining speed going forward and Soini had to change direction, he beats the forward to the puck and uses his body to keep him away from the puck.

Love how Soini showcases his ability to quickly change direction and gain speed in this clip, beating a forechecker to the puck as a result. It’s plays like this that make Soini such a fascinating defensive defender in 2024.

Grade: 55

Shot

This is an element of Soini’s game that is almost non-existent. His shot isn’t dangerous at all from the point, and he doesn’t have the confidence to jump up into the play to become a scoring option. He at times is able to get the puck through to the net and create a rebound chance because of it, but that’s the extent of his shooting ability from the point. If he can become more confident with this element of his game moving forward - maybe we see a more dangerous offensive threat from the blueline down the road.

This showcases how poor of a decision-maker he is at the point when taking a shot. Soini gets panicked by the oncoming pressure and instead of zipping a pass over to his D-partner, Soini just whips a shot at the net and misses the net badly. He needs to be better aware of exactly what's going on in the offensive zone, so this happens less frequently.

A bad pinch by Soini who was trying to take advantage of the goalie being out of the net, and an even worse shot which leads to an easy block by the defence and an odd man rush the other way. Instead of being too focused on the shot, Soini could have rimmed the puck down to one of his teammates down low as the defence was clearly in a panic at this stage.

I like this shot by Soini, sure there was no screen in front and the goalie saw the shot the whole way but he found open ice and tried to pick a corner with a quick snapshot.

Soini takes way too long with the puck on his stick here, he gives an off-balance defender more than enough time to close the gap to Soini and get his stick in the shooting lane and Soini takes a terrible shot that is blocked as a result. Another shot that would benefit from quicker decision-making by Soini in the offensive end.

The last one is Soini’s best. He uses the defender who is trying to take away Soini’s shooting lane as a screen, there is traffic in front of the net and Soini puts a shot through all of that to get it on the net where there was a juicy rebound that his teammate converted on.

Grade: 45

Skill

Soini has a highly effective first pass, a crucial skill that helps the team's transition play. He delivers precise and swift puck distribution - consistently finding his teammates with accuracy, facilitating smooth exits from the defensive zone and initiating offensive attacks. His ability to calmly and confidently move the puck under pressure is quite good also, as it helps his team maintain possession and avoid turnovers. Soini’s skill in executing the first pass is something that can help him become an effective NHLer one day.

Soini’s defensive ability with his stick is very good. His stickwork is a fundamental aspect of his defence, allowing him to disrupt plays effectively without always resorting to physicality. Soini utilizes his stick to maintain a strong defensive presence, adeptly angling it to block passing lanes and intercept pucks. His timing and precision in poke-checking enable him to strip opponents of the puck cleanly, thwarting scoring chances and regaining possession for his team. Sebastian Soini’s ability to extend his stick effectively adds to his reach, making him a threat in one-on-one situations by limiting the space the opposition has to maneuver. His stickhandling skills not only aid in defensive zone coverage but also contribute to his team's ability to transition smoothly to offense. Soini’s disciplined and strategic use of his stick showcases his defensive reliability, showcasing his capability to neutralize threats both in sustained zone pressure and against speed on the rush.

Soini does need to work on his puck management at the point, however. He at times gets caught under pressure and throws the puck away and panics. If he were able to clean up this element of his game, it would allow him to be a greater threat in the offensive zone and would help his team's more offensive chances as a result.

It may not be the best showcase of his breakout ability, but it still shows a willingness to try more complex moves out of the defensive zone.

Soini does an excellent job here off the rebound, he quickly gets to the puck, is calm, makes a move around a forechecker and starts his team up in transition in quick motion.

Great outlet pass here by Soini who threads the needle through multiple defenders and picks up an assist as a result.

Soini does a great job in this play being strong on the puck along the boards down low, winning the puck battle, exploding behind the net with the puck and making a real nice outlet pass to his teammate.

Soini starts an odd-man rush in this clip by flipping the puck over and past the forecheckers where his teammate eventually scores as a result.

Grade: 50

Smarts

Soini demonstrates a solid hockey IQ that contributes effectively to his overall game. His understanding of the game's nuances allows him to anticipate plays and make intelligent decisions on the ice. He reads the game well, positioning himself effectively to support his teammates defensively. His awareness of positional play helps him maintain defensive structure and limit scoring chances against his team. Soini’s hockey IQ also manifests in his ability to make quick, calculated passes that help aid smooth transitions and maintain possession. While not overly flashy, his ability to read and react to game situations reflects a reliable understanding of the game's flow and his role within it.

Soini’s ability to read the movements of opposing players enables him to maintain tight coverage and disrupt offensive rushes early, often using his stick to intercept passes or disrupt shooting lanes. His disciplined approach to defending ensures that he remains composed under pressure, making smart decisions that prioritize maintaining defensive integrity while also supporting his teammates. Overall, his astute awareness and decision-making in the defensive zone contribute significantly to his team's ability to limit opponents' scoring chances and maintain control of games, underscoring his value as a reliable defensive presence on the ice.

Smart play by Soini in this clip, he baits the defence into thinking he is going to shoot, only to zip the puck over to his partner who is streaking in from the point. Not something we see much out of Soini but if he continues to build off it, we may see more offence from him in the future.

His lone Liiga point is in this play and it is all due to Soini. He makes the defender covering him change the direction of his feet before he pulls in a second defender. This allows Soini to chip the puck to the point where his teammate scores. This play was all Soini.

Great read here by Soini in the neutral zone. He picks off an outlet pass by pinching up.

In this clip, Soini baits in multiple forecheckers and does a nice quick pass to a streaking teammate to start a transition play.

Grade: 50

Physical/Compete

Soini is quite adept in defending the front of the net with a combination of positioning, stick work, and awareness. Despite not relying heavily on physicality, he effectively uses his body to box out opponents and establish a strong defensive presence in front of his goaltender. Soini’s keen anticipation allows him to read plays and react quickly to threats, ensuring he is in the right place at the right time to block shots or clear rebounds. Because of his size at 6’2” and 195 pounds, he is difficult to move when defending the front of the net, and his frame contributes to winning a lot of loose puck battles both in front of his goalie’s net, but also in the corners, digging and battling for pucks.

He isn’t very physical, however, and this is an element of his game I hope to see him improve upon before he reaches the NHL. He has the frame to throw his body around more, however, he is quite timid in his approach to this side of his game. He prefers to defend with his stick than to line someone up for a check. However, if he can improve on this element in his game, we can see him becoming a very good “Playoff Style” defender - in that he is a strong skating defender who is sound defensively and can throw the body when the tempo of the game is increased.

Soini does a great job in using his body here in cutting off the opposing forward and taking him out of the play.

Soini does a fantastic job here cutting off the player who is trying to attack the middle with speed. He uses his body and leverage to stop the forward in his tracks and showcases his potential as a defender at this level.

This clip illustrates Soini’s ability to not give up on a play and use his stick to his advantage in front of the goalie, stopping a good rebound chance.

Soini showcases his ability to smother the opposition along the boards and his ability to win 50/50 puck battles.

Another clip where Soini ties up a player down low and his team comes away with the puck as a result. Soini is very effective at this.

Soini ties up his opponent after pinning him to the boards. It allows a teammate to come in and retrieve the puck.

Grade: 57.5

OFP: 51.375

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.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-sebastian-soini-d-ilves-u20-u20-sm-sarja/feed/ 0 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Tanner Howe, LW, Regina Pats (WHL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-tanner-howe-lw-regina-pats-whl/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-tanner-howe-lw-regina-pats-whl/#respond Mon, 24 Jun 2024 19:11:40 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187149 Read More... from 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Tanner Howe, LW, Regina Pats (WHL)

]]> Tanner Howe
LW - #43 Regina Pats (WHL)
5'10, 183 lbs, Shoots: L
DOB: 3.11.2005 - Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Going into the season, Tanner Howe was definitely one of the most intriguing prospects for scouts to watch in his draft year. Howe seemingly came out of nowhere as a fourth-round pick in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft by the Regina Pats, finishing third in rookie scoring in the 2021/22 season with 69 points in 64 games. Last year was more of the same, with the Prince Albert, SK native putting up 85 points in 67 games. Many scouts were interested to see whether he’d be able to do it this season, without a generational talent in Connor Bedard alongside him as his running mate. In a rebuilding year, the Pats were forced to place a large workload on Howe and he was up to the task once again, even being named the captain of the team. Howe played in all situations for Regina this season, manning the flank on the powerplay and playing a crucial role as a penalty killer. Unfortunately, Regina ended up in last place in the WHL’s Eastern Conference. The change in the quality of his teammates is apparent as Howe’s point total dipped slightly this season to 77, but he again finished above a point per game. Howe currently sits #5 in scoring in his 2020 WHL draft class with 233 points, trailing only Andrew Cristall, Riley Heidt, Connor Bedard, and Brayden Yager.

There are a few parts of the game that Tanner Howe does very well. He’s an excellent forechecker, not only routinely finishing his checks and forcing turnovers, but also he’s very good at staying positionally between his opponent and his own net so he’ll force opponents up the boards and get into their ice. He’s good at winning battles and picking up pucks out of piles. He sees the ice very well and is patient and selective with taking risks, where he can be very effective at intercepting passes. Howe can be creative with the puck when he’s coming out of the corner or coming off the boards but is inconsistent when attacking on the rush. His skating leaves a bit to be desired. You almost wonder if he has another gear that he has unlocked yet and sometimes he can just kind of float around the ice. He might not squeak into the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, but he has a chance to make whatever team does select him in the middle rounds be very happy with their selection.

Skating

Howe certainly is not going to impress anyone with his skating speed, but what he lacks in that aspect, he makes up for with his efficiency. In a foot race situation, he does not often get to the puck first, so he tries to keep himself positionally in places where his skating doesn’t hold him back. He isn’t necessarily slow, but he does lack burst and doesn’t accelerate quickly from a standstill.

His stance is a little weird and it contributes massively to his skating deficiencies. He stays low, which is great for maintaining balance, but it is mainly from bending at his waist instead of getting a deep bend in his knees. This really limits the length of his stride and impacts his straight-line speed quite a bit. His footspeed is also an issue as he doesn’t seem able to have much of a bounce in his step when he needs it. The good news is that a lot of his deficiencies in skating are likely able to be corrected through a combination of altered training and skating-specific coaching, both of which he’ll have plenty of access to through whichever team drafts him.

We’ll start off with a clip from the postseason last year, where Howe is a supporting player trying to get up in the rush. He has a few decent strides here before coasting into the zone and finding some open ice. Obviously, it helps to have a linemate in Connor Bedard that is able to make that pass.

Howe is able to generate enough speed through the middle for a breakaway here. Would love to see plays like this happen more frequently with this player.

Here, Howe is able to generate a bit of speed with some crossovers on the forecheck but is not particularly close to making it to the puck on time. He circles around, finding the open ice and the puck shortly thereafter.

This clip shows how badly Howe needs to develop a bit of burst to his skating repertoire. He is basically at a standstill when he receives the puck and is unable to maintain any gap on the backchecker, who catches him almost instantly.

Howe actually wins this footrace, thanks to a slight acceleration using crossovers and then maintaining body position. He just looks like he should have a bit more to give in a race like this though. Would also like to see a bit more battle for net-front positioning in the latter portion of this clip.

Grade: 55

Shot

Howe has a serviceable shot that is good enough that he can be a shooting threat on the powerplay when he plays the half-wall, but he’s most effective when shooting close to the net. Rebounds, deflections, or close one-timers are how he scores most of his goals.

His release is on the slower side and can sometimes take a while to get off, resulting in a lot of his shots getting blocked when they are from the perimeter. Fortunately, at five on five, he’s very seldom shooting from the perimeter as he’s often finding ice in the slot or sneaking back door. It will be interesting to see whether he’ll be able to get into that high-danger ice as easily at the next level.

Here is Howe showing off his shot when he has a wide-open opportunity. There’s a lot to like here, he one-times it even though the pass was a touch behind him and beats the goalie clean. Pretty natural release too as he drops his left leg back while hardly turning his chest at all.

This is the type of goal you can more frequently expect from Howe. Getting to the net and getting a stick on it is much more his game than the previous clip.

Again, simple formula: he goes to the net and he gets his stick on the puck.

Howe displays some quick hands here as he deftly dekes the puck across his body and uses the defender as a screen.

Here’s his slapshot, which he almost exclusively uses for one-timers on the powerplay. It’s good enough that he will score with it every once in a while, but it is mostly used to open up passing opportunities from the wall.

Grade: 50

Skill

Howe is smart enough and talented enough to play with really good players, but it’s not likely that he will be a play driver in the National Hockey League. The Pats forward is confident handling the puck and is skilled enough to beat defenders one-on-one, which is really helpful when he’s coming off the wall or on a rush down the ice.

His puck tracking is also elite, he always seems to be able to find the puck or redirect the puck when he’s in a crowd. He often will hover and then fish the puck out of the pile as if it were a loose puck.

Howe attracts a lot of attention from defenders and is good at finding his teammates with passes in the offensive zone. On the power play, in particular, he makes very quick decisions with the puck and will often make a play before the penalty-killing unit has time to make adjustments.

This clip is probably the one that best summarizes Howe’s game in the offensive zone. He gets involved on the forecheck, when the puck moves he goes to the net and ends up getting the puck back for a dangerous opportunity. He then circles back up high to provide additional support.

This time, Howe has a bit of speed coming up the wall, and actually almost drops to one knee to dodge a hit. Pretty effective use of his skating here, he maintains control of the puck and ends up setting up a goal.

Howe fishes the puck out of the pile here for an easy goal. This is worth noting because of the frequency of which he emerges from big piles with the puck on his stick, he just has a knack for finding it.

We have some flash here from Howe with the nice toe drag on the defender, he has lots of confidence with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone.

Again, Howe starts off with a good forecheck. He then shows his ability to carry the puck off the wall and beat a defender, resulting in a great chance for.

Howe creates a couple of chances out of a seemingly innocent situation in the corner here. He slips out of the pin along the boards and then just spins into the open ice and gets to the net. He then stays in the slot and gets the rebound himself.

Grade: 55

Smarts

Another standout quality of Howe's game is his hockey smarts. He does an excellent job of anticipating where his teammates and opponents are headed. This awareness helps him make quick decisions and stay in the right position, so he's not constantly chasing the play. Whenever he doesn’t have the puck himself, it seems like he is always in the right spot to support off the puck.

Offensively, Howe uses his vision to make quick passes or to attempt to beat defenders one-on-one. He often draws multiple defenders which will leave open a teammate somewhere in the zone. He then moves the puck and beelines to the net. Defensively, Howe uses his IQ to maintain excellent positioning. He often will make reads and try to disrupt pucks around the bluelines, causing turnovers frequently. Within his own zone, he is efficient with his stick, knocking pucks out rather than over-committing physically.

Howe does struggle with turnovers a bit. He sometimes just seems to give up the puck partway through a rush, particularly when he is later in a shift. This is likely a symptom of taking shifts that are a bit too long, as well as some frustration with the lack of help he is often getting offensively with the bottom-feeding Pats.

This is such a high IQ shift from Howe from start to finish. After shooting the puck off the draw, he supports as the high forward, then is able to perfectly pressure the opposing winger into a turnover. When Regina heads back up ice he provides inside support and runs a bit of interference on the Tri-City blueliner’s stick. Excellent positioning the whole time.

Here, Howe draws the attention of four defenders as he enters the zone. Instead of just dumping the puck, or trying to get through a one-on-four, he pulls up and finds his teammate across the ice. He then finds some open ice backdoor himself, but the pass doesn’t make it back to him.

Quick puck movement is essential on the powerplay and Howe showcases that regularly. His vision and anticipation are a big reason he was set up on the flank for Regina on the man-advnatage.

Howe uses good anticipation here to read the play and intercept the pass. He ends up taking the puck around the net, but perhaps in this situation, he should lean in and try to drive to the far post.

Yet again it is Howe’s ever-reliable formula of making a play on the forecheck then getting to the net for the puck. This one falls into the IQ category because he took out the defender who was supposed to be covering the net front.

In this clip, Howe does a great job of cutting off the opposing forward and giving his teammate an extra second to corral the puck. He plays it perfectly, running interference without taking a penalty.

This is a good clip from Howe, even if the end result is a goal against. It starts off great with him taking a straight line backchecking instead of looping around the net, he scans the ice and finds the trailer to cover and defend. Unfortunately, an opponent falls on his stick, knocking it out of his hands and also knocking the goaltender over. Not sure that should have counted.

Here, Howe retrieves the puck in his own zone, only to make a half-hearted attempt at a pass up the boards to his teammate. A poor turnover for sure, but Howe rectifies the situation almost immediately by getting the puck back for an offensive chance.

Grade: 55

Physical/Compete

Howe is only listed at 5‘11“ and 180 pounds, but he certainly plays much larger than that. He’s easily one of the best forecheckers in the draft. He forces opposing blue-liners to keep their heads up and also causes a lot of turnovers when he’s pressuring them. He especially loves to make big hits in the first period of games, setting the tone for what his opponents can expect the rest of the night. Howe also isn’t afraid to toe the line and be a bit of a pest when he needs to be. He’ll take runs at guys or “accidentally” interfere with them to just be a thorn in their side.

Sometimes his compete level can look a little casual. Some of that is stylistic as he is so efficient positionally that he often isn’t caught chasing the play. However, some of it is bouts of laziness where he just seems to be circling around the ice waiting for an offensive opportunity. Given his elite IQ, I think that he will be able to get this sorted out before long.

This is Howe in all his forechecking glory. He cranks the opposing blueliner and ends up with the puck down low, he then threads a pass to his teammate all alone in the slot for the easy goal.

Howe finds ways to be effective, even when his game isn’t clicking offensively. Here he has an unsuccessful rush chance that is usually neutralized, so he decides he needs to make an impact a different way on the shift. He makes a beeline for the opposing defenceman along the boards for the hit, and then intentionally gets tangled up with him after. Howe’s ability and willingness to be a pest will be beneficial for him at the next level.

Once again here he is not showing away from physical contact. He sees the opportunity to make a big hit and gain momentum for his own team and he takes it right away.

Here is an example of Howe being unafraid to be a nuisance and get under the skin of his opponents, opting for a few extra pokes at a rebound on this clip.

Here's a shift where how is not moving around too much because he is generally in the right position however, he still looks disinterested in his defending and is very passive. He will need to be more engaged in his own zone at the next level.

This clip was basically just neglecting any defence and just waiting to get the pack for an offence of opportunity. He’s flying the zone and he’s staying up high and doesn’t seem interested in defence at all.

Grade: 55

OFP: 53.25

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.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-tanner-howe-lw-regina-pats-whl/feed/ 0 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Veit Oswald, LW, Red Bull Munich (DEL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-veit-oswald-lw-red-bull-munich-del/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-veit-oswald-lw-red-bull-munich-del/#respond Sun, 23 Jun 2024 12:00:43 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187082 Read More... from 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Veit Oswald, LW, Red Bull Munich (DEL)

]]> Veit Oswald
LW - #19 Red Bull Munich (DEL)
6’2, 179 lbs, Shoots: L
DOB: 31.08.2004 - Landshut, Germany

We’ve got to call a spade a spade when it comes to Germany’s prospect status regarding the 2024 NHL draft. Defensemen Paul Mayer and Edwin Tropmann as well as center Elias Pul were the first-year eligible names to watch heading into this past season, but none were able to muster up the kind of season and performances that warrant being drafted at this point, with particularly Tropmann falling off the map. We acknowledge that a player like overager Julius Sumpf (DY+1) got plenty of exposure in the QMJHL and may have piqued the interest of a club here or there. We also feel that any scouts having given special attention to the RB Junior program in their scouting endeavours will surely have noticed first-year eligible winger Paul Vinzenz, whose WJC-time injury parlayed into a very strong second-half at the pro level.

And sure, there are a few other names of interest that have made a splash this season and may become topics at a later juncture, predominantly 19-year-old goaltender Simon Wolf and 20-year-old DELers Roman Kechter and Adrian Klein. However, this year’s class has ultimately given the scouting community little reason to go fishing in German prospect waters for the upcoming draft. When all is said and done, we find ourselves tipping our hand at one German player who is almost certain to be an NHL property by the time the ongoings conclude on June 29th, namely winger Veit Oswald.

The long and short of it though is that Oswald, although still only 19 (late August birthday), just completed his DY+2 season. He unexpectedly made the top-flight DEL team Red Bull Munich (previously JJ Peterka and Julian Lutz) right out of camp and never looked back. He saw action in the Champions Hockey League, as the youngest member of Germany’s U25 “Team Perspective”, and as one of its shining lights at the WJC, playing a crucial role in retaining the class. After the WJC, he returned to his DEL where his ice time and role just continued to grow until things got tight in the playoffs. At the end of the season, he not only had 17 points in 38 games but also zero penalty minutes and a +4, which he topped off with two more points in 9 playoff games. In essence, he had the kind of year that would have any scouting staff raving to the fanbase about his progress - had he already been drafted.

Alas, an NHL team will look at his overall achievements this season, take his physical abilities and currently underdeveloped body into account, and weigh all that with the projectable outcome of a young man who has plenty of time before he’s got his man strength and a fully developed A-game. There’s a good argument here that Oswald has what it takes to one day don an NHL jersey, perhaps even in an offensively-oriented middle-six role.

Skating

All things considered, Oswald is a fast skater. He can really get from point A to B. He displays quick strides that get him up the ice at an above-average rate for the DEL. There’s some real speed generated in just a few hops. He does a good job using his knees as springboards to steer his turns and displays strong curving and crossover abilities. Things are less pretty in the agility department, but he keeps battling. We can’t forget that he’s a tall, skinny young man up to this point.

This is the key point because the technical skills are there and every time it looks like he’s having trouble slowing down or his mind is telling his body to do something before his feet get the message, we can rest assured that all these glitches will be solved as he acquires his man strength. Should there be extended focus placed on building his lower body muscle system, we could very well come to see a player who generates above-average speed and agility at the NHL level. But the balance and cleanliness of his movement will automatically improve with age and strength.

Despite this description, you can see a number of things of importance in this clip. He moves from being flatfooted off a face-off in his own zone to forcing the defensemen to drop back deeper into their zone than any coach wants to see. He continually moves his legs over a good 20+ yard distance, adding an extra hop and shoulder jerk to buy more space. Once in the zone, he correctly twists on a dime towards the boards, buying time and space, and allowing for his teammates to all enter the offensive zone safely and controlled. There are many established pro forwards who can’t combine all these things as effectively.

Here’s another sample of Oswald hopping on his horse and carrying the puck all the way from his zone. Granted, he isn’t challenged in the neutral zone and thus has little problem taking all that speed with him in dancing through 3 defenders and getting a shot on goal. We can already imagine what this will look like with another 15-20 pounds and more lower body control. This attack is already noticeable at this early stage.

Did we mention that he can be off to the races real quick? Well, he smelled blood and started marching. Getting behind defences this efficiently is a very attractive trait.

There are stickhandling problems to be seen here but if he’s given the neutral zone to build up speed in, there will be little the opposition defenders can do. A strong run is concluded with a nice scoring attempt with hints of power forward net-driving

This clip kicks off with an opportunity (and ensuing goal) that is first made possible by some slick and timely edgework. The clip could be used to highlight his backhand shot or even his skill level throughout the play, but without the control and incredible skating balance displayed here, the play would have died on the blueline. The strong swerve while maintaining balance with an upper-body twisting in a non-flow-conforming manner to catch the puck on the backhand only to widen his stance with enough speed to stay ahead of the upcoming defender highlights the entire play which surely had veterans back on the bench thinking, “Did that kid just do what I think he did?”

What we know is that there’s some wonderful potential for Oswald to go from being a deceptively speedy, gangly skater boy to an overbearing attacker who runs past, if not over, opposition defensemen. Some of the clips in other categories will also touch on his skating.

Grade: 55

Shot

If Oswald has a slapshot, we haven’t really seen it yet. Instead, he seems to be all about placement and shot quickness. He’s more snap and wrist than anything else. There is a one-timing ability here but not in the sense of setting up on the power play and ripping pucks off of longer passes. More like launching the puck ASAP off of neat passes in the slot.

Certainly to be seen here…

And then here again in a motion that is basically a clone of the previous sample.

The wrist shot here after quickly receiving the pass and using the momentum to place an accurate shot is a bit reminiscent of landsman Tim Stützle. His power play role with the U20 national team is naturally a different one than at the pro level, but here we see what he’s got.

In this beauty of a give-and-go goal, which also puts his smarts and skating acumen (despite the slight stutter while receiving the pass) on display, we see the quick acquisition of the pass and deposition of the puck in the almost open goal.

This is one of the few times we saw him shoot from a distance and again he decided to use his wrister. The more controlled shot looked like it could very well have been launched with the hope of his teammate tipping it out of the air or pouncing on an ensuing rebound. Less about scoring and more about getting the action to the goal.

Alas, we’ve enjoyed his shots from in tight a lot more. It was smart to make that push back a step in the slot once the puck was on the goal line, but to coral that pass and laser the biscuit into the upper corner was pretty doggone slick.

There’s nothing overpowering in his normal arsenal. He’s got enough movement and jive not to be needing to take many shots from abroad. There’s a readiness and tendency to get shots off quickly, which will surely be a boon on smaller North American ice. What’s important here is that although his shot won’t be why you select this player, he’s got no problem knocking pucks towards the net and can be sufficiently quick and accurate in tight quarters.

Grade: 50

Skill

Oswald seems to have a love-hate relationship with the puck. We’ve seen him do masterful things with it. We’ve seen him fighting it. Here and there, it looked like a live grenade. He has moves. Sometimes he is successful with them although the puck doesn’t look like it’s fully under control. Other times, all was well and then the puck slipped away from him at the last second.

But he can create plays. He can finish them off. He gets to loose pucks and makes something of them with little ado. He makes moves at high speeds and he can rag around with it in corners as well as make quick passes in tight quarters. There are enough samples of a more than adequate skill set that is still being forged. We can’t forget that he was 19 and taking a regular shift in one of Europe's most veteran-laden pro leagues.

A taste of that can be seen here, where Oswald gets a puck, releases it quickly, gathers in the blocked shot rebound, then skillfully recognizes that there’s actually a little window of opportunity, hoping to fool the goaltender while moving to a slightly better shooting position. He gets the shot off and it was all in all, a very astute play for the youngster in a matter of mere moments.

Here he grabs the puck with his backhand along the boards and boxes his way through to a wraparound attempt, maintaining puck control with lots of moving pieces.

This assist was definitely one to write home about. From puck contact to dishing off the nifty drop pass, Oswald did everything with speed and the guile of a more seasoned playmaker.

But other situations allowed us to see some strong puck control and playmaking ability. This scene shows him playing shorthanded and not only does he steal the puck in his zone, curbing it handily up the ice and away from the closest opponent but also carrying it just long enough to allow a teammate to get into passing range before dishing off a strong pass to the net-charging colleague. Again, while shorthanded.

Then we see another combination highlight, one that could just as easily be used to point out strength in skating and shooting. Alas, Oswald makes use of the two-steps-in, three-steps-out, then around the defender move that left his opponent in the dust, then perfectly placing a shot from the left side with another opponent coming over to cut him off. The skill was on display from start to finish.

So too was his youthful enthusiasm.

We got to see more of this internationally. This clip unfortunately begins too late as it doesn’t show you how he pulled in a pass at a bad angle to then completely slide the puck and then burn past the Norwegian defender just to swoop on in and score one of the WJC’s best goals.

None of these samples are as smooth as this beauty during a WJC preparation game against Slovakia. The cheekiness and finish here are, well, something you’ll want to see several times.

We want more. He’s got it in him. He’s got plenty of time to keep refining it and making it a more consistent part of his game.

Grade: 55

Smarts

It’s so hard to look at the mistakes of a 19-year-old in a men’s league and decide whether they’re made because the player isn’t smart or if it’s just part of the current learning process. There’s plenty of room for interpretation.

Was this just one of those things where an opponent got the better of him or does he need to be smarter in his approach?

But he does show that certain situational givens are part of his make-up. Here he sees the blueliner go deeper and he replaces him at the blueline. He then gets the puck and gets it to the net just like you’d want your average blueliner to do.

Here he seems to know exactly what his defenseman is trying to do and gets the step on the opposition for the off-board rebound, smartly getting himself to the spot where he gets a quick mouth-front scoring opportunity.

This clip highlights how he reads the movement of his teammates in the offensive zone and how he goes about looking to turn himself into a passing station, ultimately reading everything to the point of grabbing the puck behind the net and going for the wraparound.

A quick grabbing of the puck off the boards turns into a corner drive towards the net and a quick lay-up pass for a one-timer. While assessing the continued play, he starts heading back up to be the high zone offensive player, who’d be the first man back if necessary.

Out of nowhere, he creates a bumper man situation and then slides the puck to the next best-positioned teammate who proceeds to score.

After using strong crossovers to create more space in the offensive zone, Oswald drops the puck and then follows the play intelligently, becoming a prime passing station in the high slot just moments later.

This one really tickles our fancy, as he picks up a bit of a Hail Mary pass between two opponents just along the blueline, does a little spinorama thingy, only to then adeptly get the puck to the next man charging. It ends up being an assist.

We sure enjoyed this dandy of a skill move in Germany’s historical victory over Finland to kick off the WJC, which proved to be the game-winner. The ability to think and react in this manner caught the goalie completely off guard, doing a right good job of nutmegging that puck into the net. You have to be smart to make this decision in such a small window of opportunity.

Then there are just the times when we see how he plays his role in cunningly orchestrating his team’s attack. In this longer clip, he enters the opposition zone with the puck twice, setting up a teammate to get things set up before making his way to the net to play his role without the puck. It’s a synopsis of where he’s at and understanding what he’s got to do to contribute and supplement the veterans on the team, combining skill and effort, but more importantly an understanding of what it means to gain entry and establish puck control.

Ice hockey is a game of centimeters and it’s the little things that often make the difference. We’ve spent this winter feeling like Oswald simply gets it. He tries to go above and beyond now and again, but his game is generally safe and fundamentally sound. That can’t really be said for young players who don’t bring a certain on-ice IQ to the table.

Grade: 60

Physical/Compete

Oswald will check. He doesn’t have the strength to push men around yet, but he’ll check. He’ll get dumped but it won’t stop him from heading into traffic and establishing a net-front presence. He’ll look to edge people out on the walls, and he’ll get in the way of shots. At times, it looks good. At times, it looks like he’s just surviving out there.

We saw plenty of this throughout the season. He likes to challenge but pro players will toss you around on plenty of occasions. But he keeps pushing the envelope.

He’ll get open, get the puck, and then attack the net. If there’s a rebound, he’ll look to hunt it down and it won’t matter if it puts him between a rock and a hard spot.

Even in situations where you could understand a young man perhaps getting a bit frustrated and then overly enthusiastic in his next physical encounter, he looks to keep things physical without going overboard. Remember: not a single penalty all season long until he got boxed for three minors in the playoffs.

If he gets knocked down or tripped up, Oswald gets back up and keeps things going.

A play can look to be dead or just hanging on a thread, but he doesn’t take to giving up on it. This attribute led to half his goals and assists this season, right when it looked like the train had left the station.

When he’s on the ice and his d-men have the puck on the offensive blueline, you can bet he’s planting himself in the slot. This scene is one we saw a hundred times, trying to get rebounds and then chasing down the puck in the corners, happy to dish out a shoulder to gain ground along the way.

Furthermore, that nose for the net is something most youth coaches harp on their players about. The goals don’t have to be beautiful, but they all count. Again, he knows where he’s got to go to pounce on opportunities like this one.

We’d also highlight that he has shown the tendency not to give up on plays. Time and again, particularly when the opponent has the puck. He applies athleticism to his efforts in his own zone (and elsewhere), something that clearly gained the staff’s trust, even as early as last fall.

Be it as a pro or internationally, Oswald has shown us that there's quite a little lion in him. It’s still limited as his body - which is an ample frame just waiting for more muscle - isn’t at the stage of i.e. most of the DEL opponents he spent this past season playing against. Still, that never stopped him from applying all his attributes, standing out against competition in his age group, and giving it his all with the type of joie de vivre any hockey coach would want to see from such a young man in his shoes. And it's just these key components that have us placing faith in him as a player who will do all that it takes to realize his dream of becoming an NHL forward.

Grade: 55

OFP: 53

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.

]]> https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-veit-oswald-lw-red-bull-munich-del/feed/ 0 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Berkly Catton, C, Spokane Chiefs (WHL) https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-berkly-catton-c-spokane-chiefs-whl/ https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-blog/2024-nhl-scouting-report-video-grades-berkly-catton-c-spokane-chiefs-whl/#respond Sat, 22 Jun 2024 15:00:10 +0000 https://www.mckeenshockey.com/?p=187122 Read More... from 2024 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Berkly Catton, C, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

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Berkly Catton - Photo by Steve Dunsmoor
Berkly Catton
C - #27 Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
5’11, 163 lbs, Shoots: L
DOB: 14.01.2006 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

When the 2023-24 season began every scout in the industry knew that Catton was a prodigiously skilled prospect. There were no doubts whatsoever that he was going to be a play driver for the Spokane Chiefs and that he would score a boatload of points. There was, however, a lot of curiosity about what the overall picture would look like. Here was a potential superstar under a very big microscope in his draft year, but one who was playing on a terrible team without much support around him, and was likely going to be put through the ringer on a game-by-game basis.

Amazingly, not only did Catton live up to the enormous expectations that were placed upon his shoulders, he shattered them. He doubled his offensive output from the prior season and finished fourth in WHL scoring, and he did so even though he went into every match as the number one shutdown target for other teams. And as if that wasn't impressive enough, he also rounded out his game incredibly well, becoming a much more complete 200-foot player, so much so that he ended up leading the entire league in shorthanded points.

When you zoom out and look at Catton's season as a whole, what he accomplished is nothing short of incredible. He consistently played a mammoth amount of minutes, wasn't sheltered from heavy usage, produced at an elite clip and didn't abandon his less glamorous duties, and he did all of that in spite of playing for a Spokane club that got outplayed most games and was never anywhere close to being a true contender. That speaks volumes about how committed Catton is and how much character he possesses.

Are there some questions or concerns about his long-term NHL potential? Yes, to a degree. He is well below average in terms of size and strength, which could cause issues for him when it comes to enduring the rigours of NHL seasons and managing the wear and tear on his body. And maybe those same physical limitations will force him to play the wing instead of down the middle, probably not permanently, but perhaps until his mid-20s. That being said, though, it is abundantly clear that Catton is a rare kind of young talent, and he displays a lot of qualities that are shared by some of the NHL's brightest stars.

Skating

While Catton isn't necessarily one of the fastest players in this year's draft, due in large part to the shortness of his strides, he is certainly among the quickest, if not outright alone at the top of that category. The value of his skating comes more from his acceleration and agility than it does from his top speed. He possesses excellent footwork and balance, which he combines with a motor that revs high and an innate desire to play the game at a breakneck pace. He can get his feet churning in a hurry, and when he does that he can easily push opposing defenders back in a straight line or weave through them or around them with his crossovers. His footwork can be very deceptive, too, which makes it difficult for enemies to anticipate where he's going to attack.

This is a great example of how Catton can be dangerous with his acceleration. You can almost see the realization as it dawns on the Victoria defenders that they’re in a bad spot and that they’re about to get burned.

He won’t win a disproportionate amount of even-odds footraces at the NHL level, but he’s certainly no slouch. In this clip we see him turn on the jets to establish the rush as a clear 2-on-1 and get himself in the right position to receive a pass. His skating technique here looks impeccable, maximizing the output of every step.

Catton has the ability to make defenders look foolish when he reaches his top speed coming through the neutral zone because his lateral footwork is just so fast and fluid. He can shift his weight and change his angle of attack without losing any momentum.

Grade: 55

Shot

Catton potted 54 goals in 68 games this season, so it's safe to say that he knows how to fill the back of the net. However, he's not exactly an elite goal-scorer in the way that those numbers might suggest. His shot accuracy and placement are undeniably superb. When the puck is on his stick in high-danger ice he can beat goalies clean by elevating it, threading it through holes, or making a deft deke in tight. He will occasionally try to score from distance as well and finds some success in doing so at this level, but he probably won't be able to get enough heat behind his shots to regularly beat NHL goalies in that way.

This is a quintessential Catton kind of goal. He attacks the entry with speed, dangles around an opposing defenseman, and then dangles the goalie too just for good measure, before casually sliding the backhand into the net.

Here is a great look at his ability to bury shots from a bit of distance. He’s thinking shot the whole way and he snipes it so perfectly in the top corner that the goalie had no chance.

While Catton does score on this shot, after clearly picking the spot that he wanted to place it, it’s not exactly a howitzer coming off his stick. This is the type of shot that NHL goalies will almost always stop if they can see it cleanly.

Despite what was just said about the last clip, maybe Catton doesn’t need to be an overly powerful shooter, since he’s so good at making quick adjustments between the dots and firing before the goalie can catch up to what’s happening and reposition himself.

Grade: 55

Skill

To put it simply, it's a real treat to watch Catton handle and distribute the puck. There are few players in the world, at any age or in any league, who can do it at the level that he can. It looks like the puck is glued to his stick at times, which is especially mesmerizing to watch when he's carrying it around the ice at full speed and trying to make difficult dangles with it. A huge part of what makes him so good offensively is that he's equally as lethal carving to the inside through sticks and skates as he is when he slows things down and sets up along the wall, calculating what his best option is.

It’s almost unfair how Catton can make his incredible puck skill look completely effortless. Most forwards his age would be thrilled to make a play like this once or twice per season, but for Catton, this is just something that he does on a regular basis and can pull out of his bag of tricks on any given shift.

Catton is the type of player that coaches are more than happy to let hog the puck a little. In this clip he handles the biscuit for just long enough, and carefully gets it into just the right position, to perfectly set up his teammate who activates off the blue line. The fact that it’s a no-look pass is the icing on the cake.

Could you consider this a textbook way to defend this situation? Definitely not. But nevertheless, that’s a ridiculous pass by Catton, who hooks the puck all the way around the right side of his body and connects it tape-to-tape, without plainly telegraphing what his intentions are.

This is the sort of precision shot-pass that an elite NHLer like Nikita Kucherov would make, which would then show up in nightly highlights and year-end YouTube compilations. It’s also just Catton being Catton, and him further displaying all the different ways that he can leave his mark offensively.

Grade: 65

Smarts

Not only is Catton arguably the smartest player in this entire draft class, but he can apply that wealth of knowledge in a variety of different areas. There are many ways to out-think the opposition or cleverly elevate the play of teammates, and he is proficient in pretty much all of them. You can tell from afar that he's a dedicated student of the game and a sponge for knowledge, while also having an innate level of hockey sense and overall understanding of the sport that simply cannot be taught.

Catton has an uncanny ability to keep a running mental log of where everyone is on the ice and what they’re doing. Not only does he know that his teammate is open on the far side in this clip, he also knows that not a single player in a dark sweater is going to expect him to snap a no-look backhand pass as he does.

Watch Catton’s head throughout this clip as he trails the play and gets himself in position to receive a pass. It might seem like a little thing, but scanning this frequently and quickly is a high-level habit, and it’s going to pay huge dividends for him in his career and he continues to get better and better at it.

This is such a cheeky play. He undoubtedly would have clocked that the defenseman going in for the handoff from the goalie was the 16-year-old Jackson Smith, who might not have been experienced enough to recognize the danger he was in. Catton sneaks in quietly and pounces at the precise split second, jacking the puck into his control, and then adding insult to injury by putting some flair on his assisting pass. He didn’t try to spin-o-rama just to be dramatic, though. He saw the attempts to block the lane in front of him and knew that he could change his pass and send it behind the defenders before they could change the positioning of their sticks.

Great situational awareness from him here. Nothing flashy, but he knows that as soon as he slides between the two penalty killers that he’ll have an open lane to the net and that the puck could come back to him, which it does. He also gives a couple of quick extra pushes to time his pass reception better and reduce the chances that someone can catch him from behind. While this is a simple and straightforward play, he executes it brilliantly.

Grade: 65

Physical/Compete

It feels wildly unfair that a prospect as exceptional as Catton might slide a bit come draft day because of reasons that are outside of his control, namely, the limitations of his frame and body type. But the reality is that being an NHLer is a demanding and often dirty job, and some players are naturally better equipped to withstand that grind than others. Now, much to his credit, he’s pretty darn determined and fearless. He rolls up his sleeves when he needs to, and he’s always willing to try taking the puck to the inside, even when he knows that it’s going to result in bumps and bruises. Unfortunately, it cannot be denied that he struggles to withstand physical play at times, and can get neutralized by opponents who are bigger and stronger than he is.

This is the type of highlight that gives scouts a bit of pause because it happens to Catton a lot. A lot of other forwards his age would easily be able to bounce off this check, but it knocks him over and results in a change in possession, even though it wasn’t a very hard bump. Yes, Catton will add some muscle to his frame as he matures, but defenders are going to get bigger and stronger too, and he’s always going to be at a disadvantage in his way.

Here’s another example of Catton on the receiving end of a physical engagement. Not only does he lose the 50-50, he gets knocked over again and goes into the boards. Nothing bad actually comes from this play, but it’s easy to envision how a similar situation in the NHL could be perilous for him if he’s going into it faster, gets hit harder, and slides into the boards in a more awkward position. It’s very easy for injuries to rear their ugly heads in moments like that.

This play isn’t even really a hit, but it’s the type of thing that you see a lot at the NHL level, where a defender angles an opposing forward into the corner and then tries to stand them up. With more strength, Catton could have been able to push the defender off and keep himself moving forward with the puck, but this one ends in a change of possession. It’s going to be imperative that Catton maintains his quickness and elusiveness as he develops, to minimize the number of situations where he can be easily bottled up or knocked out of the play.

Grade: 50

OFP: 59.25

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.

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