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Top-20 des meilleurs espoirs
CANADIENS DE MONTRÉAL
Analyses de Scott Wheeler de The Athletic.
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| 1- Jake Oettinger Gardien 23 ans 6'5 220 lbs Repêché 20ie au total en 2017 par Québec.  |
" It feels like Oettinger’s days in the AHL are over (or ought to be) but because he has split time between the two levels again this season, I elected to include him here one last time. Oettinger has most of what you look for in a goalie. He’s huge (already one of the bigger and heavier goalies in the NHL at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds) but he’s not slow. And while he plays a more aggressive style than many goalies his size who prefer to sit back in their nets, that challenging approach works for him because he plays his angles effectively and swallows the first shot. He’s also got a good glove hand and strong technique through his butterfly to cover the lower half of the net. He can scramble a little when the play breaks down, but that’s really my only real concern. I’m not convinced he’s going to be a true starter in the league but it’s not hard to imagine him as a fine 1A or good 1B. " | ||
| 2- Brandt Clarke Défenseur 18 ans 6'2 185 lbs Repêché 6ie au total en 2021 par Montréal.  |
" Clarke has offensive-zone skill that is extremely hard to find among defencemen. He’s just a roving, confident, attacking defender with an uncanny ability to beat opposing players side-to-side, find his way into dangerous areas and then execute NHL-level plays to drive offense. He’s got some oddities, too. His knees knock. He rides on his inside edges. He’s not a natural athlete (though he has worked very hard to build out his frame and strength). But I don’t think any of those things are prohibitive to his development and he’s actually a pretty darn good defender (the biggest misnomer about him tries to say otherwise) against the rush and inside his own zone as is. Different isn’t necessarily a negative and I think that’s the case with Clarke. All of his little quirks make him the weird, fascinating, gifted player that he is. And I expect his intricacies will make him a special player at the next level, just like they have at every level below it. Clarke’s east-west vision was impressive as ever. He does a great job changing sides. He has this way of getting into the spots to make something happen. I liked what I saw defensively, too. I’ve often referred to him as a bit of a unicorn. He looks, at all times, completely unbothered by the stage or the pressure of opposing players. I think there are times when that can result in him trying to do too much. But there are also times it results into little spin or flip passes that are rare. There are things about his game that may scare off the odd coach (which I’d argue has less to do with him than hockey’s misperceptions of what he is) but he can completely take over a game and I admire his gumption. I also expect him to make significant progress as he continues to get stronger and sturdier. " | ||
| 3- Luke Hughes Défenseur 18 ans 6'2 185 lbs Repêché 3ie au total en 2021 par Montréal.  |
" Hughes is one of the youngest players in college hockey this season and yet as I write this, he leads all under-19 players in NCAA scoring (as a defenceman no less). His freshman season has gone about as well as you could hope for. He has continued to play his effortless transition style, often while playing his off-side (the right side) extremely effectively. When I went to Ann Arbor at the end of November to watch the Wolverines play, he was tremendous. The stops and starts into a burst in a different direction. The step-back into his stance before adjusting onto his toes to change pace. The way he breezed through holes in the neutral zone to transport the puck up ice. He’s a brilliant transition defenseman whose skating helps him snuff out rushes, lead them back the other way, and then create on the perimeter of the offensive zone when he keeps his feet moving. This year, he’s also done a much better job of getting to the perimeter to create to more dangerous spots (one of my biggest criticisms of his game during his draft year) and play with more of a killer instinct inside the offensive zone. The fluidity of his stride (which extends back fully when he’s pushing forward) and the airiness of his edgework will always define his game. They allow him to draw attention, force opposing players into puck-watching, and then open up the play for him. He’s got some work to do to fill out his 6-foot-2 frame but he’s an extremely athletic kid and that will come. The tools are there and the potential of what they could become as a new age defencman is tantalizing. I thought it was interesting when, in a recent conversation with Wolverines associate coach Bill Muckalt, when Muckalt pointed out (unprompted) that he actually thinks Hughes’ play this season has flown under the radar. Here’s what he said: “The one kid I think has really come into his own is Luke Hughes from where he was at the start of the year to where he is now. He has been outstanding for us. He looks like a star.” I don’t think it’s a coincidence that his head coach with the U.S. NTDP, Dan Muse, said essentially the same thing at the end of last season, almost as if both are defensive about Hughes’ game. Here was Muse: “If you look at the hockey that Luke Hughes has played this year, I think he has absolutely shown to anyone that has watched his abilities on the ice. He has shown that he is an elite-level defenceman in this birth year. He’s a guy that has an extremely unique ability in regards to how he skates, how he is on his edges, how he breaks pucks out. I haven’t been around a lot of guys at this level for sure that have that ability to get the puck from one end of the ice to the other in a variety of different ways like he does. He can skate the puck, he can get the puck when it’s appropriate by himself, he makes a great first pass, he can see those plays that are in front of him. ”" |
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| 4- Cody Glass Centre 22 ans 6'3 205 lbs Repêché 5ie au total en 2017 par Québec.  |
" I think what often happens with top picks is that when they don’t become top players, they aren’t allowed to be contributing depth pieces without being disappointments. I think where Glass was selected (No. 6 in 2017) is actually working against him in that way at this point because there’s this belief that if he’s not a top offensive player, there are other better fits for complementary top-nine roles in players who’ve always projected into those roles. I tend to disagree. If Glass played on Nashville’s third line and second power play for the rest of the season starting tomorrow and the Preds committed to encouraging him to be himself in that role, I think he’d be successful. He’s a plus-level passer, he has the size-skill blend, he anticipates the play at very high levels, his head is always up and shoulder checking, and he knows how to use dead space. His skating and scoring haven’t risen to the level that you’d hope for but there are plenty of good NHL contributors who are passable in those areas and make things happen with their skill and sense in other ways. I’d still be surprised if he doesn’t have a career as a middle-six contributor. " | ||
| 5- Chaz Lucius Centre 18 ans 6'0 172 lbs Repêché 13ie au total en 2021 par Montréal.  |
" After beginning his college career with just three points through his first eight games, Lucius turned the corner in late-November and has, as I write this, seven goals and 10 points in the eight games since. The second half of those 16 games is how I expect him to look and included an impressive one-game showing at the world juniors where, despite playing just a shade over 10 minutes, he registered five shots on goals and drew two penalties with the puck on his stick. Lucius was never going to be a one-and-done college player after missing almost all of last season rehabbing from a bone lesion in his knee, which required surgery. But I’m a huge fan, I still think he’s got high-end goal-scoring upside, and I won’t be the least bit surprised if he torches college hockey as a sophomore and goes two-and-done. He’s a lethal, multi-faceted scorer. He’s got the natural mid-range finishing ability. He’s got a unique ability to change his angles in a split second (thanks to lightning-quick hands) and shoot around sticks and feet. And he’s got an opportunistic sense for spacing and timing so that he scores his fair share of goals — like every good goal scorer — by simply sliding into scoring areas, finishing rebounds, or getting open into pockets of space around the net just as his linemates are looking to pass. He’s not an explosive skater, which leads to apprehension among some scouts as to how his finishing ability will translate at NHL pace, but I think his feel for the game and talent will supersede that in the next stage of his development. He’s also an underrated playmaker and passer who understands how to play pucks into space when he draws pressure. He can find pockets inside the offensive zone to get open into when he doesn’t have the puck and uses opposing defenders as decoys when he does. " | ||
| 6- Brayden Tracey Ailier Gauche / Centre 20 ans 6'0 176 lbs Repêché 21ie au total en 2019 par Montréal.  |
" After struggling to find another level in his final year in the WHL last season on a bottom-feeding Victoria team, Tracey’s first full season in the AHL this year has marked a really nice turnaround (as I write this, he’s San Diego’s leading scorer in goals, assists and points). Tracey’s got plenty of skill (without having an abundance of it per se), he plays hard, and he’s constantly thinking on the ice. I don’t think anyone would call his skill or his skating dynamic. He’s just a well-rounded offensive player with a good overall talent level. He’s got finishing touch in the slot and around the net. He can see through the first layer to make plays to his teammates. He can play an effective give-and-go game when he keeps his feet moving because of the way he utilizes space. He makes his plays quickly to ramp up pace and compensate for average speed. And he’s a conscientious, diligent player who works for loose pucks and plays with care. I’ve often said if he can add a step, he’ll make a good middle-six winger who slots easily alongside a variety of linemate types. " | ||
| 7- Kirill Marchenko Ailier Droit / Ailier Gauche 21 ans 6'2 181 lbs Repêché 41ie au total en 2018 par Montréal.  |
" If you need a reference point for just how much the Blue Jackets pool has changed, a year ago this time Marchenko was its top prospect. Now, he’s fifth. Marchenko’s another legitimate potential top-nine NHL forward with a pro frame and more of a knack for scoring than facilitating. He has been a top player and producer in his age group in the KHL for the last three seasons (and should be playing more than he is this year). He’s a strong and sturdy winger who plays the game with skill characteristic of a smaller player, with A-grade hands and touch with the puck which helps him fool goalies and defenders one-on-one or feather a shot into a specific location in the net from a tough angle when there isn’t an opportunity to blow the puck past a goalie (which he can also do). I’d like to see him leverage his size more but he’s never going to be a mean, imposing player and he uses his length effectively in other ways, including through his shot when he really needs to turn on a puck and use his forward momentum to lean into a shot from an off-balance stance. I’m looking forward to watching him play at the Olympics, where I expect him to continue to reaffirm his NHL merits before he makes the jump to North America next season. He’s going to be good. " | ||
| 8- Pierre-Olivier Joseph Défenseur 22 ans 6'2 185 lbs Repêché 36ie au total en 2017 par Winnipeg.  |
" I’m actually a little surprised, given how Joseph played last season (well!), that it didn’t earn him a regular role. Part of that comes down to handedness. The Pens are thinner on the right side than the left. But I do believe he’s more than capable enough. I also think he flies a little under the radar because he’s not a dynamic offensive defenceman in any one way, so your eyes aren’t typically drawn to him a ton during games. He also doesn’t really have special teams upside at the NHL level, which limits him as a No. 5-6, mostly five-on-five guy (though I do think he could spot in on either special team in a pinch). He’s got the tools to be an effective possession-driving player at even strength. He’s a smooth, controlled skater who can play tight gaps through the neutral zone. He’s got an active, disruptive stick and heady awareness on when to close and when to funnel carriers to the perimeter. The smoothness of his stride helps him step past or away from that first layer of pressure to open himself up to headman the puck with time and space, instead of in a panic. He doesn’t often hesitate in execution, quickly making smart, decisive plays with NHL pace. I’ve said it before but he’s the kind of defender who makes a lot of small plays that result in chances and goals, even if he’s two or three passes removed from them happening. And while he’s not a shot threat, he definitely has some decent playmaking sense as a passer (both inside the offensive zone and on outlets). " | ||
| 9- Thomas Harley Défenseur 20 ans 6'3 205 lbs Repêché 17ie au total en 2019 par Montréal.  |
" It can be easy, as you wait for Harley to break through, to sour on him because he’s the oldest of the shiny prospects at the top of the pool and has played the most pro hockey. But it’s my job to remind you he has a late-August birthday, he could still be in junior, and the first season of that pro hockey was not only out of necessity due to COVID-19 but was a strong one. His game exists and is evaluated at two polarities, where the highs are really high and the lows can be quite low, which doesn’t help come to a sensible conclusion about him on the whole. Harley is a long, highly talented puck transporter who is at his best when he’s playing a free-spirited, roving style that involves him in the game in all three zones (even when it comes with some mistakes). He can use his feet to escape, his length to flow up ice, and his gifts in control to pull pucks past opposing players in neutral ice or off the point. When he’s active, you notice him. But he’s a high-risk, high-reward player who for everything he gives you in transition offensively, or while using his skating to carry pucks deep into the offensive zone, or showing off excellent outside-in hands, or using his mobility to get back when the puck goes the other way, he gives back in misreads, mistiming, and the inconsistency of his decision-making. He’s got the ability to play an effective flow game defensively, sticking with opposing puck carriers and relying on his footwork and stick to compensate for mistakes. But his game lacks polish and he has struggled at the pro level with his identity (I actually find him too restrained at times, almost as if he doesn’t trust himself to make the plays he’s capable of making because he hasn’t been instilled with that confidence from his coaches). His style isn’t for everyone but I think he’s going to have to play loose to reach his ceiling as a play-creating top-four defenceman in the NHL. I want to see him hanging onto the puck and delaying until he can hit the second or third option. I want to see him taking space. " | ||
| 10- Samu Tuomaala Ailier Droit 18 ans 5'10 176 lbs Repêché 38ie au total en 2021 par Montréal.  |
" This season hasn’t gone well for Tuomaala, the Flyers’ first pick in the 2021 draft — a second-rounder. After signing his entry-level contract and beginning the season in the AHL, he was returned to Liiga on loan, placed in a depth role which doesn’t suit him with a new club (he’s playing with Sport, after being developed by Karpat) and left off the world junior team. Tuomaala’s a 5-foot-10, 174-pound shoot-first winger who plays a fast game built upon hard work, plus-level skating, good hands, and a dangerous mid-range shot (which hasn’t actually filled the net as much over the years as his reputation often suggested). I’ve seen him score some really pretty goals but I’ve also watched him force his looks and take too many low-percentage shots from the outside. When he plays an up-tempo, energizing game, he’s very effective. His skill makes him a lot of fun to watch when he’s surrounded by talented players, too. But I do have concerns about his ability to make things happen himself and his processing power (ie. his choices with the puck under duress). " | ||
| 11- Scott Morrow Défenseur 19 ans 6'2 194 lbs Repêché 33ie au total en 2021 par Montréal.  |
" The hardest decision on this list was actually who to rank No. 1 (which is kind of interesting, considering that’s the easiest decision for just about every team). I debated slotting each of the top four players here in just about any order you could think of. But Morrow has been so impressive as a freshman that he feels like the right call here. The kids who jump from high school hockey directly into the NCAA typically take longer to adjust than the kids who enter via the USHL, Canada’s Jr. A ranks, or the national development program. It’s even more uncommon for them to not just make that transition smoothly, but to immediately become one of the top players at their position in college hockey. And that’s what Morrow has done. Buffalo’s Owen Power and Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson stand alone as the best defencemen in college hockey this season, but Morrow is already in that next tier and he’s certainly in the conversation as the top freshman D in the country. He’s an excellent transition defender who transports pucks confidently, plays boldly inside the offensive zone, and possesses impressive handling skill for a defenceman. He’s an exit/entry machine who carves teams up through the neutral zone with head fakes, side-steps and cuts (his skating really impresses on its edges, even if he’s not explosive). When he’s on the ice, he wants to take over and direct play in possession and does so by guiding opposing players out of his way. And on top of all of that, he’s a 6-foot-2 righty whose game defensively has both taken steps this season and proven that some of last year’s bad habits were about a level that was below him more than they were major concerns about his game. There’s real top-four upside to Morrow’s game if he continues on the steep trajectory he’s on into next season at UMass. " | ||
| 12- Roni Hirvonen Centre 19 ans 5'9 172 lbs Repêché 48ie au total en 2020 par Montréal.  |
" Hirvonen, who is already in his third productive pro season and only just turned a couple of weeks ago, sits eighth in points per game (as I write this) among the more than 130 under-21 players who’ve played in Liiga this season. He also plays a game that can be a lot of different things. He can play a physically-engaged, scrappy, middle-lane style that plays off of his linemates, goes to the guts of the ice, and pounces opportunistically on chances around the net. But he’s also skilled enough to hang onto pucks, play on the perimeter, create for his linemates, evade pressure, navigate traffic, and make finesse plays in facilitation. He’s got quick hands off of bobbles to correct and side-step closed gaps or navigate through traffic. He stays in battles to fight for possession and extend sequences more than you might expect out of a 5-foot-9 player (he’s sneaky strong). He has sound defensive instincts, can be counted upon to support the play, and can play multiple forward positions. He’s going to need to pick up a step to be the same player at the next level and contribute in a middle-six role though (he gets caught in open ice a little too much, etc.), especially at his size. The good news is he plays fast without being fast (which is definitely the Leafs’ type these days). " | ||
| 13- Patrik Puistola Ailier Droit / Ailier Gauche 20 ans 6'0 174 lbs Repêché 56ie au total en 2019 par Montréal.  |
" I don’t love using comparables because of the way they dumb down player evaluation remove some of the nuance and description that should define it, but … it’s hard not to see some of the similarities that exist between Puistola and Gunler. Both were polarizing prospects in their draft year. Both skate in stances that bow out. Both are natural finishers with long followthroughs in their shooting motions. Both carry pucks wide when they pull pucks across their bodies. And both will need the right kind of development and support to reach their full potential. When Puistola is involved in the game, getting touches, and playing with good players, he’s one of my favourite young players in the sport to watch and regularly flashes spectacular, ankle-breaking stickhandling ability and an NHL wrist shot that can clean beat goalies. He’s crafty with the puck on his stick and he can play through contact because of that low base in his skating posture that I talked about. Maybe most of all, though, he wants to be a difference-maker. He wants to attack off of the flank and make a big play. And he’s talented enough to beat players one-on-one to create for himself or deke past a first layer and then use the attention that follows to feed a puck into space on the backside of the pressure to set up a teammate. I love the way he shapes his shots and changes angles through his release, too (he’s as comfortable on the toe and backhand of his blade as he is at the centre of his forehand). But he might not have the speed or acceleration needed to get to the danger areas in the same way in the NHL, and he comes with some warts. He’s got power-play upside for sure, so if he can figure it all out at even strength there might be a complementary scorer there. If one of he, Gunler or Dominik Bokk (who I’ll get to next) hit, that should be considered a success because it might mean another top-six option. I like taking those gambles, because the alternative is seeking out prospects to be the role players you can find for cheap each summer in free agency anyways. " | ||
| 14- Lukas Parik Gardien 20 ans 6'4 185 lbs Repêché 79ie au total en 2019 par Montréal.  |
" One
of the most active goalies in his draft class, Parik is an energetic
butterfly-style netminder who served as the Czechs' primary starter for
all but one of their major under-18 events. Outside of a few chunkers
in international tournaments, Parik has an impressive pre-draft resume
that includes split duty between Extraliga Juniors and the adult-age
Chance Liga. He has shown the ability to ahndle a high-volume workload,
even though the action near his crease always seems chaotic. Parik
manages to control the madness, mostly by using quick reflexes and
dedication towards maintaining total awareness of his net and the puck
before (or behind) him. He'll put his share of rebounds right into the
thick of things, but the key for Parik is actually stopping the puck,
and you rarely see him out of position from falling aslepp or guessing
incorrectly. Another consideration for Parik's rebound control is his willingness to fight hard through screens while staying upright and covering the upper half with proper glove and blocker positioning. Parik uses the VH frequently, mostly because he stays on his pads once the puck moves below the circles. His reads during odd-man rushes are generally sound, and it's the only situation when he will venture well beyound the top of the crease to play the shot from either circle. Parik also is an excellent stickhandler who is confident with the puck and is good for a stretch pass or two per game. " |
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| 15- Jan Jenik Ailier / Centre 21 ans 6'1 161 lbs Repêché 77ie au total en 2018 par Montréal.  |
" Jenik, like Maccelli, has taken major strides in the last three years (despite the knee surgery he had during that period). That started with adding muscle to his wiry frame (he’s now up to a playable 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds) so that he could stay over more pucks and play through bumps. With that, he’s also now able to use the puck skills and tenacious effort level to get the most out of his game. He’s got a balanced, almost meticulous shooting motion which makes his wrister from the slot accurate. He’s famously competitive and wants to play to the intro, and his handling is layered with fakes and deception. I’m still not sure what exactly that game will look like at the NHL level, though. Is he talented enough to play high in a lineup, does his effort-skill blend lend itself in more a complementary role, or is he missing a defining skill that will and destined to be a bubble guy? I lean toward one of the former outcomes than the latter but I think there are a range of possibilities for him. " | ||
| 16- Danila Klimovich Centre 18 ans 6'2 205 lbs Repêché 46ie au total en 2021 par Montréal.  |
" I said when asked (repeatedly) at the beginning of the season that I believed Klimovich’s development would have been better served in the QMJHL with Rouyn-Noranda than in the AHL. There should have been no rush, especially given his unconventional career arc to date. I don’t think it could have — or should have — been assumed that he would dummy the level. And even if he went to junior and did, what would that have looked like? Would it be 80 points or would it be 100? And in either case, is that a bad thing? And what if he went back and he was closer to a point per game than above it? We just don’t know. But he wasn’t going to be the best player in either league or so far ahead of his peers that you’re worried about his development there. It was going to be new and come with some adjustments regardless. He hasn’t looked out of place in the AHL, which is also likely a net-positive for his progression, but I still question the choice. As for the player? He’s got plenty of projectable tools, led by an explosive shot (standing still or moving, and through his release or one-timer), quick hands, a pro frame, and a tenacious, “go-get-the-puck.” I do worry a little about his feet and his spatial-awareness/problem solving, but I think the latter things will come with time and experience. If he can work on the former and pick up a step, he’s got a chance to be a middle-six winger." |
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| 17- Aliaksei Protas Centre 20 ans 6'6 225 lbs Repêché 88ie au total en 2019 par Montréal.  |
" Protas is becoming a nice little success story for the Capitals. NHL teams don’t often turn 6-foot-6 forwards into NHL players but Protas has already gotten a taste and typically those players are late bloomers but he only just turned 21 a couple of weeks ago and is only in his second year of pro hockey. He’s more than meets the eye, too. He has the net-front tools to potentially help out on a second power play someday (which he has played successfully at multiple levels, setting screens and making little plays off of chips and tips) and the length to be a penalty killer, protect pucks and lean on opponents to win board battles. But he has always been at his best when he’s controlling the puck, keeping defenders away from him, and making plays, feathering passes with surprising skill and touch. That hasn’t necessarily translated at the NHL level quite yet, where he has appeared a little more safe and passive, but he can make small little plays along the wall to play through feet and sticks, and then he’s also got the skills you’d expect him to have in front. I like him as a contributing bottom-six player long term. " | ||
| 18- Liam Foudy Centre / Ailier Droit 21 ans 6'2 194 lbs Repêché 27ie au total en 2018 par Vancouver.  |
" Given his NHL experience that Foudy has, most of you are already likely very familiar with what his game is all about. He’s a brilliant, explosive skater with world-class acceleration and top speed. Those things make him an effective forechecker, a threat to turn defenders, an option on flips out of the zone for breakaways, etc. I don’t love the rest of his skill, though. But he can put himself into tough spots when he’s trying to carry because he’s not a high-end playmaker (though that part of his game has improved). He has shown signs that he can be more than a high-value defensive player who creates chance with his speed and thrives in transition and on the forecheck. I like his work ethic, his athleticism, and the consistency of his habits. Those things will make him a good fourth liner at minimum. But he does feel like more of a depth/complementary piece even at his ceiling, too. I like to put it this way: If Johnson’s the kind of player who will be the most talented player on a first line, and Sillinger’s the kind of player who will be the most talented player on a second line, and Marchenko’s the kind of player who will be the second-most talented player on second line, then Foudy’s the kind of player that will fit in as the third-best player on a third line. " | ||
| 19- Logan Hutsko Ailier Droit / Centre 22 ans 5'10 172 lbs Repêché 68ie au total en 2018 par Hartford.  |
" After an impressive college career at BC, Hutsko began his AHL career on a four-game point streak and he hasn’t looked back since as one of Charlotte’s leading scorers this season. He uses quick hands, a lethal release, sneaky playmaking skill off the flank, and great north-south perimeter speed to impact the game offensively, occasionally wowing with a one-on-one play into his quick snapping motion. And while he’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, little details in his game that have developed over the years round him out enough so that coaches feel they can keep sending him over the board to do his thing offensively knowing he’s not going to be a liability on the other side of the puck like some smaller players are. I don’t think he’s got star quality but he’s balanced over his feet for his size, he has shown he’s not going to get stuck as a perimeter player at pro pace, and he’s effective enough without the puck that I suspect he forces an NHL look at some point this year or next. I still see upside as a bottom-nine secondary scorer who can contribute on PP2. " | ||
| 20- Brent Johnson Défenseur 18 ans 5'11 170 lbs Repêché 54ie au total en 2021 par Montréal.  |
" After a breakout year in the USHL last season where Johnson became one of the league’s top 5-on-5 players (as a rookie no less) at both ends of the ice, the 18-year-old’s transition to the NCAA has been a bumpier one. After offseason shoulder surgery following an injury he suffered in his draft year, Johnson lost his summer of training and spent much of the first half of his freshman year bouncing in and out of the lineup as a healthy scratch or extra defenceman. I wouldn’t read too much into it, though. The staff at UND still really like him, he made huge believers out of everyone in Sioux Falls last season, and the tools are the tools. I’m a fan. He’s got confidence with the puck but he’s also got restraint, which allows him to take what’s given and execute at a consistently high level. He doesn’t have a highlight quality on the backend, but he’s comfortable out there at all times, he never looks panicked, and he’s elusive under pressure. Sound footwork also helps him get out of trouble and advance play in the right direction, and I still like his stick detail defensively a lot. There’s not a lot to update about his evaluation post-draft. It would be easy to slide him down because of his role this year (I did move Iorio, who was lower on my final draft ranking, past him) but I expect him to get more reps in the second half, he was always going to be a four-year college player, and I still believe he’ll be a darn good one by the time he’s done if he can add some strength to his 5-foot-11 frame. " | ||
| Mentions honorables: |
- Ivan Prosvetov (G) |