Scouting Report: Zach Dean

Photo Credit – Olympiques de Gatineau

Zach Dean is a 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect and plays for the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques. He was born in Grand Prairie, Alberta (northwest of Edmonton and roughly an hour and a half drive time from Dawson Creek, British Columbia).

Eventually, the Dean family moved to Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Dean played youth hockey for Mount Pearl MHA. After his time with Mount Pearl MHA, he played for Tri Com Bantam of the NLBAAAHL and the GTHL’s Toronto Nationals U16 AAA.

He was selected fourth overall in the QMJHL Entry Draft by Gatineau and completed his QMJHL debut season last year (2019-2020). In 57 games played, he tallied 18 goals and 28 assists.

This past season, Dean has played in 20 games for Gatineau and has recorded ten goals and ten assists. He missed four games at the beginning of the season due to a wrist injury.

Player Profile

D.O.B – January 4, 2003
Nationality – Canada
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’0
Weight –176 lbs
Position – Center
Handedness – Left

Dean’s Style Of Play

Dean is a playmaker with strong stick-handling skills, a good power stride and a solid backhand shot.

When you watch Dean’s game-tape, you will notice immediately that he is a quality stick-handler and can complete windmill stick-handling with ease. He will often utilize his stick-handling each and every shift. In the offensive zone, Dean will use his stick-handling in anticipation of complete a tape-to-tape pass, in medium danger situations where he is trying to cut past the last defender to get into a high danger situation and to frustrate the opposing goaltender and catch him off guard. With that being said, his reach when stick-handling is limited and if he tries to push the puck further out he will have puck security issues. Also, if Dean tries to get a little fancy and flashy with his stick-handling, he will cough up the puck. There have been instances where Dean will attempt to dangle through his legs, but will fail to recapture the puck afterwards due to his limitations with his reach.

Given his affinity for stick-handling, it makes a lot of sense that Dean tends to favor backhand shooting and backhand passing. In fact, most of his shots from down low are backhand shots. Dean has range on his backhand and he can get backhands shots from medium danger on net. Prior to shooting, you will see Dean complete a windmill, get the puck on his backhand and then try his luck. Earlier on in the 2020-2021 season, we saw Dean use multiple windmills against the Shawinigan Cataractes to throw the goaltender off and the find the five hole for a backhand shot goal. While he does take a lot of backhand shots from the perimeter towards the low slot, he does opt to take plenty of wrist and snap shots from low danger. At low danger, he will take plenty of wrist and snap shots, but his selection is far from perfect. He often will choose moments in which he is facing tough pressure and should pivot out or button hook, but instead he will take an ill-advised shot. The majority of his low danger shots don’t get a ton of elevation and the goaltender can make a clean stop.

One of the areas that needs further development is his decision-making. Sometimes Dean will see three teammates battling in the corner of the defensive zone for the puck and instead of planting himself at center ice to eliminate a potential open lane, he will join the party which could lead to his opposition scoring should they win the puck battle and find a teammate in the slot. Dean also faces challenges with quick thinking. If a defenseman slides in front of him, he stumbles and carries the puck towards low danger instead of using his stick-handling skills to evade the defender and skate towards the doorstep.

When it comes to his transitional game, it’s pretty solid. Given Dean’s power stride and crossovers, it typically takes three lengthy extensions for him to generate top speed. So, if Dean is not facing a tremendous amount of pressure in the neutral zone, he can navigate through with ease. But, when facing tighter pressure, he will struggle. He will test his reach and motion the puck further out to stick-handle around traffic, but due to puck security he has challenges with keeping possession. Dean will also have challenges with his edges, especially when using his inside edge to make a quick pivot and turn. Aside from his edges, Dean does struggle on the rush when facing pressure from a defender who is bigger than him. He will struggle to out-muscle the defender and lose possession of the puck along the boards. The goal should be for Dean to work on his upper body strength and further develop his reach. If he does, his stick-handling skill-set will only lead to plenty of successful rushes.

His defensive game is another area that needs further development. He will struggle at executing pressure and often will give up too much room for his opposition to take advantage. Dean needs to exert more pressure in the neutral zone and defensive zone. If not, it will only lead to many scoring chances for his opponents.

From a passing perspective, as I noted above, he will use his stick-handling as part of his wind-up in tape-to-tape passes. But, on occasion, you will see Dean approach a pass as if he is completing a snap shot. He will extend the leg and gather power, but will over-shoot the intended target. But for the most past, his passing is pretty crisp and will sometimes look to utilize his backhand in transition. He will look to make quick backhand zone exit passes.

In the offensive zone, he is quick to puck battles and can hold his own in battles against players with a similar frame. But, when in control of the puck, he likes to carry the puck around the back of the net, go to the right ride, drop a well-timed pass and shift back to the left side of the offensive zone. Given Dean’s stick-handling ability and speed, once he gains some upper-body strength and adds to his reach, he could be a handful on the cycle.

Comparison

Ryan Spooner, Center/Left Wing, Dinamo Minsk, Played for four NHL clubs (Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks)

Spooner and Dean are very similar in size. During his junior hockey days, it was evident that Spooner needed to beef up his strength, but he came in clutch with his backhand shot and stick-handling. While a Spooner comparison might seem to be an eye-opener given that he is now playing in the KHL, it shouldn’t be. Spooner had the necessary fundamentals to be a successful top nine forward in the NHL, but concussions changed the way that Spooner approached the game. I just want to be very transparent as I’m not saying that Dean’s NHL career will be as short as Spooner’s.

Projection

Top Nine Center (NHL).

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Josh Tessler. If you would like to follow Josh on Twitter, his handle is @JoshTessler_.

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Scouting Report: Prokhor Poltapov

Photo Credit – CSKA Moscow/@HCCSKA

Prokhor Poltapov is a 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect playing the CSKA Moskva farm system. He hails from St. Petersburg, Russia and played youth hockey for Serebryanye Lvy St. Petersburg and Dynamo Moskva. Last season, he made the short trek across Leningradsky Avenue and joined the CSKA Moskva organization. Poltapov split his time between CSKA’s U17/U18 teams and their MHL club, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva.

This season, Poltapov has appeared in 46 games for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva and has recorded 20 goals and 16 points. At the moment, Poltapov is in the top 20 for points in the MHL, but is not the leading 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect in points. Fellow 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect Alexander Kisakov of MHK Dynamo Moskva leads the league in points with 58. While there is a sizable point differential, it is worth noting that Poltapov is in top 10 for goals scored with 20.

Player Profile

D.O.B – February 1, 2003
Nationality – Russia
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –5’10
Weight –161 lbs
Position – Center/Right Wing
Handedness – Left

Poltapov’s Style Of Play

Poltapov is a power forward prospect with explosive speed and has a knack for finding open lanes in the slot, which makes him a handful when Poltapov and a teammate are on a 2-on-1 rush. Poltapov excels at driving hard to the net. He lives for causing chaos in the slot.

Not only does Poltapov find open lanes and gaps consistently, but he has underrated hands and has solid reach when stick-handling. He also uses his ability in finding gaps to find tight lanes that can he exploit with quick and crisp threaded passes right through those gaps.

In general, he tends to play more at right wing, but Krasnaya Armiya Moskva has battle-tested him at center. Given his dominant speed and strong defensive awareness, Poltapov was worth a shot at center and hasn’t missed a beat when shifting from wing to center.

When it comes to stick-handling, Poltapov has excellent reach. He can swing the puck far away from an attacker and ensure strong puck security. His upper body strength allows him to maneuver the puck around tough pressure with ease and he uses that same upper body strength to drive past defenders. Check out the first 14 seconds of the below clip to see Poltapov’s stick-handling in action.

Poltapov’s upper body strength on the rush allows him to push the neutralize the pressure by pushing the defender closer and closer to the slot. He can also use his upper body strength and reach to collect passes that went slightly off-target. It’s not a given that Poltapov can collect every off-target pass, but the fact that he can use his reach to grab a hold of a few is interesting to note. It eliminates the amount of loose pucks, interceptions and turnovers that Krasnaya Armiya Moskva has to deal with.

What I really like about Poltapov is his ability to read his opponents and adjust strategy on the fly. If his defensemen have pinched up, he will drop back to the blue-line and cover for them. If a few of his teammates are involved in puck battles along the boards and no one is manning center ice, Poltapov will sit at center ice to try to circumvent a potential pass to an attacker in the slot. In those situations where he is chasing down a loose puck in his own zone, he will have a good read of who is chasing the puck with him. Once he has possession of the puck, he won’t button hook because he would immediately face attackers head on. Instead, he will identify a teammate on the opposite half-wall and play the puck off the boards, so that his teammate can grab possession on the other side.

While I do like Poltapov’s ability to shift gears on a dime, there are some question marks with his play. Poltapov has a tendency to complete a drop pass without truly assessing the situation. There are times where he will pin-point the teammate that he wants to pass to, but does not keep an eye on an attacker bursting into the zone. The attacker will jump into Poltapov’s own zone and intercept the puck. Poltapov needs to take the time to scan more than just his teammate in order to eliminate costly turnovers.

In addition, on a dump and chase, he typically will not go hunting in the trenches and corners for the puck. Instead, he will opt to sit at the blue-line with his defensemen to create a three man wall. Poltapov should be looking grab some open ice closer up to the net and giving his teammates an option in the slot should they grab possession off the dump and chase. I also find it interesting that Poltapov will flip on the jets to chase a loose puck, but is less eager to forecheck on a dump and chase. But, with that being said, it isn’t odd to see Poltapov struggle on the forecheck. When he does go out on the forecheck, he is often too late and the attacker who he is charging after has already passed the puck to a fellow teammate. With Poltapov’s ability to turn on the motor, he should be working on acceleration when going on the forecheck. Without ironing out his acceleration on the forecheck, he will struggle at the NHL level.

Poltapov does struggle at times with his attackers forechecking/back-checking and putting pressure on him while he is along the boards. Instead of pivoting out of pressure, he freezes and can’t identify a way to get around traffic and keep the play alive.

From a skating perspective, he does struggle with quick pivots, but he displays quality edges and crossovers. He can accelerate quickly to dart after loose pucks. His extensions allow him to power up quickly with two-to-three power skating lengthy extensions, but sometimes he has difficulty with over extending his leg and will fall from time-to-time.

Lastly, Poltapov has shown that he can elevate shots from up close. But, what I really like about his shot is that he can be deceptive with his movements leading up to the shot. For example, at the doorstep, he will skate from left to right and then fire a backhand shot five hole. Poltapov can draw net-minders in and then pick the most ideal moment to strike. It’s sleek and well-timed. It’s natural for Poltapov.

Comparison

Blake Coleman, Center, Tampa Bay Lightning

Poltapov is around the same size as Coleman and plays a very similar game. Both players are power forwards who have explosive acceleration when chasing after loose pucks. Coleman and Poltapov also have excellent reach and stick-handling, so they can evade attackers with ease.

Projection

Top Nine Winger (NHL).

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Josh Tessler. If you would like to follow Josh on Twitter, his handle is @JoshTessler_.

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Scouting Report: Artyom Grushnikov

Photo Credit – CSKA Moskva/@HCCSKA

Artyom Grushnikov, a 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect, is a 17-year-old defenseman currently on the roster for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL. Due to COVID-19 playing the main role in delaying all OHL play this season, Grushnikov has yet to take the ice in the 2020-21 season. Grushnikov was born in Yegoryevsk, Russia, and played the majority of his youth hockey in the Khimik Voskresensk system. Notable players to suit up for the Khimik Voskresensk youth system include Vladislav Namestnikov, Andrei Markov, and Igor Larionov.

For the 2017/18 season, Grushnikov joined up with the CSKA Moskva Under 16’s. Throughout his minor hockey career, Grushnikov has been a stalwart on the back end, and he recorded his best junior season in 2018-19 as a member of the CSKA Moskva U16/U17/U18 teams. In all competitions, he tallied three goals and 11 assists for 14 points in 24 games. Grushnikov also tallied another three goals and eight assists for 11 points in International play for Russia’s U16 and U17 programs.

Last season, Grushnikov played for Krasnaya Armiya Moskva in the MHL, thus beginning his pro career. He dressed in 29 games, where he scored one goal and added four assists for five points.

As mentioned previously, Grushnikov has yet to touch the ice in 2020/21 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but he is slated to begin the season with the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL, once they resume play.

Player Profile

D.O.B – March 20th, 2003
Location – Yegoryevsk, Russia
Nationality – Russian
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height – 6’2”
Weight – 174 lbs.
Position – Defense
Shoots – Left

Grushnikov’s Style Of Play

In watching the game film on Grushnikov, it’s easy to point out that he’s a defensive defenceman who can be relied upon in his own end. While he won’t garner a lot of attention in the offensive zone, there’s not much to worry about when it comes to his play in the defensive zone. For a prospect of Grushnikov’s style to be playing professional hockey overseas and to be counted upon so heavily by his team at such a young age, is a major plus in the eyes of NHL front offices. Perhaps the most underrated part of his game is his ability to lead the rush out of the defensive zone and/or execute a long breakout pass. If an NHL team can find a way to develop his offensive game a little more, they could have quite the two way defensive prospect on their hands.

Skating

In watching footage of Grushnikov from seasons past, his skating is impressive. He doesn’t possess great top end speed or acceleration, but his edgework and agility are ridiculously good. He’s able to pivot and change direction exceptionally well, and his backwards skating allows him to be effective in pinching attackers towards the boards and out of the higher danger areas. Grushnikov is also capable of jumping into the rush and leading an attack. It’s yet to be seen of course if he can get the offensive pieces of his game to fully click together, but if he can, it should benefit his all around game immensely.

Offense

While Grushnikov won’t necessarily wow you with points on the stat sheet, he does have an adequate amount of offensive skill and awareness. He’s a very good passer of the puck in all three zones of the ice, and can anticipate where teammates will be and deliver a crisp pass up ice. One area of his offensive play where Grushnikov could use some work is his shot. This isn’t to say his shot is bad, however, he has a tendency to shoot it from literally anywhere in the offensive zone. That being said, Grushnikov does have a good looking shot stance, and can get some velocity on slapshots from the point. He can look to become a little more disciplined with his shot taking, which could lead to more offensive output and less blocked shot attempts

Defense

Defensive zone play is the bread and butter for Grushnikov, who can bust up passing lanes and force opponents out wide with ease. Rarely will you find Grushnikov out of position, as he’s usually guarding the crease, tying up attackers in front of the net. He’s also an exceptional shot blocker. Grushnikov isn’t afraid to put his body in front of a puck, and he is quite good at getting a stick on a shot to deflect the puck out of play. Another huge positive of Grushnikov’s defensive play is his ability to make smart decisions under pressure. He is able to break up opponent’s chances, recover the puck, and either get the puck to a teammate or carry it to safety with ease. One aspect that isn’t overly mentioned when it comes to Grushnikov’s game is his ability to be quite physical. When needed, he has no problem laying the body or roughing up attacking players, a trait that will sure come in handy at the next level. Teams taking a hard look at Grushnikov will be more than impressed with his prowess in the defensive zone.

Improvements

There’s not much to improve on the defensive side of things for Grushnikov, however, he can look to improve some aspects of his offensive skillset. As previously mentioned, he can look to be a little more selective with his shot taking, as he tends to have quite a few of his shots from the point blocked. He may look to either toss the puck in the corner, or pick out a teammate with a pass. Aside from a few tweaks in the offensive area of his game, Grushnikov can look to work on adding some mass to his 6’2″, 174lbs frame, which will make him even more of a burden to play against.

Overall Outlook

In conclusion, Artyom Grushnikov projects to be a solid option for teams looking to add a defensive minded prospect to their system. He excels at shot blocking, decision making in the defensive zone/neutral zone, and can be leaned on defensively at such a young age already, which should impress most, if not all NHL teams. Grushnikov has experience and is more than capable to play in all game scenarios, whether it be even strength, powerplay, or penalty kill. Based off his talents, look for him to be selected somewhere between 36-50th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Comparison

Vladislav Gavrikov – Defenceman, Columbus Blue Jackets

Watching film on Grushnikov reminded me of a similar player patrolling the blueline for the Columbus Blue Jackets; Vladislav Gavrikov. While the skating comparison may not be fully correct, there are aspects between the two that are similar. For example, both players skate excellent backwards, allowing them to play the shutdown role of defenceman so well. Both also possess good edgework and mobility which allow themselves to keep the play in front of them and protect alot of the defensive zone. As Gavrikov is a newcomer to the NHL as of 2019-20, look for both players to succeed in the role of a second-pair defenceman.

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Paul Zuk. If you would like to follow Paul on Twitter, his handle is @paulzuk_81.

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Scouting Report: Dylan Guenther

Photo Credit – Andy Devlin/Edmonton Oil Kings

Dylan Guenther is a 2021 NHL Draft eligible left winger from Edmonton, Alberta. Prior to his time with the Edmonton Oil Kings, he played for North West Zone MHA, Knights of Columbus Squires U15, Northern Alberta U15 Prep, Northern Alberta Elite 15s and Northern Alberta X-Treme Prep. During his time with Northern Alberta, he played with New Jersey Devils prospect Ethan Edwards and 2022 NHL Draft prospect Matthew Savoie.

His 2019-2020 season was his first full season in the WHL. In 58 games played, Guenther tallied 26 goals and 33 assists. He was not the point leader for 2021 NHL Draft eligibles playing in the WHL as fellow 2021 prospect Ryder Korczak had recorded eight more points than Guenther, but he was still one of the best 2021 NHL Draft performers in the WHL. Cole Sillinger of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Logan Stankoven of the Kamloops Blazers were not far behind.

This season, Guenther has seen limited ice time due to COVID-19. With the WHL unable to return to play, the Edmonton Oil Kings loaned Guenther to the AJHL’s Sherwood Park Crusaders, where Guenther teamed up with former teammate Matthew Savoie. Guenther had appeared in 4 games for the Crusaders in which he recorded three goals and two assists. The loan expired in December of 2020.

In recent weeks, we have seen quite a few players from the WHL including Savoie, Sillinger and Detroit Red Wings prospect Cross Hanas being loaned out to USHL clubs. Perhaps, it won’t be long before Guenther is loaned out to a USHL team.

Player Profile

D.O.B – April 10, 2003
Nationality – Canada
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’1
Weight –170 lbs
Position – Left Wing
Handedness – Right

Guenther’s Style Of Play

If you select Guenther at the 2021 NHL Draft, you are acquiring an outstanding playmaking winger, who possesses the ability to read defensive formations with ease and adjust on the fly. In one of his few games with the Sherwood Park Crusaders, I noticed Guenther implementing a pick and roll like strategy at the blue-line, which allowed his teammate and puck carrier Savoie to skate to the right of Guenther. Guenther used the pick and roll to distract the attackers. He pulled the attackers to him and opened up wide lanes on the right side for Savoie to exploit. He will also draw attackers towards him and flip a pass behind his back to a teammate.

Not only does Guenther come up with strategies on the fly to open up lanes, but his ability to deliver passes from range has come in handy at both the WHL and AJHL levels. Guenther can fire crisp cross ice seam passes, long range passes from the point to the corners and backhand cross ice feeds from half-wall to half-wall. He moves the puck with ease.

Speaking of moving the puck with ease, Guenther is a strong transitional winger. From a skating perspective, he normally needs three lengthy leg extensions to get to top speed. Occasionally, he will start his acceleration with a few crossovers to get his feet truly moving, but he seems to pick up the most speed on those leg extensions. Once he has generated solid speed, he shortens up on his extensions, which allows him to be more mobile in the offensive zone. When he is not completing a controlled transition, he will constantly look to feed passes towards the middle of the ice and loves to drop saucer passes down the middle for his teammates to pick up.

Sometimes, he will struggle with ill-advised passes at his own blue-line. He will have difficulty reading his teammates routes and attempt a pass before his teammate gets to the spot. It’s similar to a quarterback overthrowing his wide receiver. I have also noticed similar tendencies in the offensive zone when Guenther is in Gretzky’s office and throws an ill-advised pass towards the doorstep without a teammate in sight.

Once Guenther has rushed into the offensive zone, he will draw the opposing defenseman towards him. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that Guenther will struggle at getting past that last defender. It’s not that he swings the puck too late. But, it has more to do with how he uses his frame. Guenther is not the biggest guy out there on the ice and that will hurt him especially when facing slightly bigger defenders. I’m always careful when I say that players need to gain muscle as that can be over-stated, but Guenther needs to build up strength to swing by the last defender otherwise a decent percentage of his rushes will be silenced way before he gets a high-danger chance. With that being said, sometimes he will manage to get around that last defenseman but fail to grab possession of the puck immediately after swinging the puck around.

Aside from beating the last defender, there is a lot to like about Guenther’s play in the offensive zone. He is puck hungry and it shows on the forecheck. Guenther uses solid inside and outside edges to turn on a dime when he is puck hunting. While he is not the most physical player on the ice, he can become aggressive and look to execute checks along the half-wall to eliminate the opportunity for the opposition to create a breakout pass and get the puck out of the zone.

From a shooting perspective, Guenther enjoys one-timers. He will find open ice in the offensive zone, call for the puck and drill one-timers in the back of the net with good precision and accuracy. But, he is not a one-dimensional shooter, he will get in down low and has shown that he can elevate backhand shots at the doorstep. So, he can draw the goaltender closer and lower, but at a drop of a dime, he will use his backhand to burn the goaltender on the top right of the net. When advancing towards the net, if it seems like he is over-skating the puck, he has shown that he will utilize his skate to kick the puck to his stick to preserve the opportunity.

During his short stint in the AJHL, I noticed that his defensive play was a bit slow at times. Sometimes, he came into the zone too late or was slightly late to put pressure on an attacker. But, in the WHL, he has displayed good defensive positioning as he shifts back and forth from defending the point to defending down low. Guenther will also use his frame and push the attack towards the boards to limit access to the net. He will also stick lift and try to catch an attacker by surprise at the blue-line in an attempt to stop a controlled zone entry. The only area for improvement for Guenther in the defensive zone is to try to match the physical play that he implements in the offensive zone but in his own zone.

Comparison

Kyle Connor, Left Wing, Winnipeg Jets

Like Connor, both wingers know how to read defenses well and adjust on the fly. They both possess strong power skating and the ability to thread the needle and score goals from all over the offensive zone. Connor similarly to Guenther did struggle at times with his physicality during his junior hockey days.

Projection

Top Six Winger (NHL).

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Josh Tessler. If you would like to follow Josh on Twitter, his handle is @JoshTessler_.

Looking for other scouting reports? Check out the Prospects tab for our other scouting reports.

Need a scouting report on a particular prospect, contact us today!

Scouting Report: Chaz Lucius

Photo Credit – Rena Laverty

Chaz Lucius not only boasts one of the most amazing names in the 2021 NHL Draft class, but also one of the most talented and intriguing offensive skill sets. Lucius is a 17 year-old prospect currently playing for the United States National Team Development Program’s U-18 squad. Lucius was born in Grant, Minnesota, and was a relatively late bloomer to the game of hockey, beginning to play at eight years old.

He played at Gentry Academy, a middle school academy which his parents Chuck and Tami founded to help develop Chaz, as well as his 2022 NHL Draft-eligible brother, Cruz. When the opportunity came knocking to join the USNTDP, Lucius jumped at the chance and certainly did not disappoint. In his first season playing for the U-17 team in 2019/20, Lucius tallied 31 goals and 19 assists for 50 points in 46 games. He also added eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 32 games during U-17 USHL play.

The 2020/21 season has been somewhat of a loss thus far for Lucius, as he’s missed the entirety of it due to a lower body injury. Hopefully he can make a full recovery and be back on the ice for the U-18’s as soon as possible.

For the 2021/22 season, Lucius has committed to the University of Minnesota, where he will join the likes of Ben Meyers, Sampo Ranta, and Ryan Johnson. Lucius will certainly add to a very talented Golden Gophers team who has had an amazing start to the 2020/21 season, amassing a record of 10-1 as of January 9th.

Player Profile

D.O.B – May 2, 2003
Nationality – American
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’0
Weight –172 lbs
Position – Centre
Handedness – Right

Lucius’ Style Of Play


Lucius’ style of play reminds me a lot of his teammate on the U-18 USNTDP squad, Sasha Pastjuov. Lucius has a great set of hands, an insanely high hockey IQ, and is a natural goal scorer. He is a shoot-first forward and can score from almost anywhere in the offensive zone. Lucius is just as likely to wow you with a beautiful wrist shot goal as he is to tap in a loose puck in the crease. He’s able to disrupt play in the defensive zone quite well, thus forcing more turnovers and generating more chances for his team in transition. Lucius is a flexible forward, meaning he can play at any position up front, although his natural position is center. At the next level, he seems like he’ll be a fit on the wing to start, perhaps moving back to center later on.

Skating:
Perhaps the only knock on his all-around game, and it’s mainly just being picky, would be his explosiveness. As he’s still a 17 year old developing prospect, it’s not uncommon to see this trait at his age. That being said, Lucius does possess great edge work, and can change direction quite quickly. Teams may be a little weary to select him so high knowing he does have some work to do in this area, however I don’t anticipate it affecting his draft stock too much.

Offence:
The one aspect of Chaz Lucius’ game where there aren’t many questions to be asked is his talent in the offensive zone. Simply put, he scores goals. A lot of them. He tucked home 11 goals in seven games to start the 2019/20 season, and finished with 31 on the season. There aren’t many teams in the NHL who couldn’t use that kind of offensive production out of a first-round pick. Not only can he score, he has one impressive set of hands. His shot release is incredibly fast, and he can make the opposing teams pay from the blue-line in. As much as he’s known as a goal-scorer, he is more than capable of being a very good playmaker as well. His impressive vision on the ice helps him seek out teammates in open ice where he can deliver a pass. Lucius’ ability to create chances and capitalize on them will surely impress nearly every team.

Defence:
The one area of Lucius’ game where i was mildly surprised/impressed with was his capability in the defensive zone. He can backcheck with ease and is back to help out his defencemen quite quickly more times than not. Lucius also is great at anticipating when the puck is going to become loose in his zone, and then can quickly pick it up and execute a good breakout pass. As good as he is in his own zone for his age, Lucius’ defensive skill should only go up. Teams will love his ability to be fully capable in his own zone, as well as being the offensive juggernaut that he is.

Improvements:
Lucius has developed himself into a very respectable 200-foot player, but could still benefit from rounding his game out a little bit. His skating could use a little more burst off the hop, which will obviously help him out immensely at the next level. With some added explosiveness, he will be able to couple that with his great hockey sense and awareness to create some dangerous changes in transition and off the rush. Aside from his explosiveness, Lucius could still benefit from adding to his defensive zone play, which may show teams he can be trusted as a three-zone player at the NHL Level.

Overall Outlook:
There’s no doubt in my mind Lucius would have been skyrocketing up the mock draft rankings had he been healthy to start the season. Once he gets back to full strength, look for him to light it up for the U-18’s, barring a setback. His offensive ability will have teams picking in the middle of the first round salivating at the chance to draft someone with his skillset. Based off his U-17 season, look for Chaz Lucius to be selected anywhere between the 12th and 20th picks.

Comparison 

Elias Lindholm – Center/Right Wing, Calgary Flames

This comparison may be a bit of a reach, considering Lucius has better goal scoring ability than Lindholm, however, both players are known for being elusive in the offensive zone, having an excellent set of hands, and having some incredible vision on the ice. Also, both players are capable of slotting in at any position up front, and know where to be in the offensive zone to put the puck in the net.

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Paul Zuk. If you would like to follow Paul on Twitter, his handle is @paulzuk_81.

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Need a scouting report on a particular prospect, contact us today!

Scouting Report: Samuel Helenius

Photo Credit – Liiga/Jiri Halttunen

The Finnish Liiga is not quite the same level of league it used to be. The loss of Jokerit to the KHL as well as the league’s lack of ability to compete with the SHL and NLA from a financial perspective mean that while still a premier European league, it is not in serious contention for being the third best league on earth like it used to be.

That being said, it is still difficult for a draft eligible player to make the league. And even more difficult for them to be an above average player in Finland’s highest tier at 18. In the last 20 years there have only been a handful of players who have managed to post over 0.5 P/GP in their draft years. Almost all have gone on to be high-end NHL players.

Samuel Helenius has been right around 0.5 P/GP to start the season for JYP Jyväskylä. Five goals and eight points through 19 games is impressive. So is his 6’6, 200lb+ frame, as is his ability to play center in such a high level league.

So why is Helenius not talked about as a first rounder, and instead seen as a potential late second rounder?

Player Profile

D.O.B – November 26, 2002
Nationality – Finland
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’6
Weight –201 lbs
Position – Center
Handedness – Left

Helenius’ Style Of Play

Well, upside matters. Helenius may well be a “safe” pick. He has the size and two-way game that means he will likely play in the NHL at some point in the future. However, his offensive skill-set has never really stood out at any level. While many of his peers were scoring at over P/GP pace at the Finnish junior level, Samuel Helenius was at around 0.5 P/GP.

Now, some may well point to his impressive production this season, as well as the fact many big-bodied players develop later than their pint-sized counterparts. However, there are some indicators that this production may be inflated. Not only does Helenius only have 36.9% Corsi in Liiga this season – the worst of any regular player on the team – he also has a 17.2% shot percentage, which is unsustainable given the shot quality he has created.

But getting past the mathematics, let us examine his actual skill-set.

One of the core skills that modern NHL players require is skating. Helenius is a good skater for his size. It takes some real power to get a 6’6, 200lb frame moving. While he might not be the most agile player, after a couple of strides he can breeze past players who cannot keep up with his long, loping strides. Circling back to agility, while he naturally cannot match players half a foot smaller in regards to short area skating, Helenius has decent edge-work and can make some tight, crisp turns, as well as stop and start quickly. He might look awkward at times due to his lanky frame, but his foot-work is already effective enough that he rarely gets beaten to a puck even at the pro level.


Another real plus area of Helenius’s game, to be expected given his frame, is his puck protection. It is rare for anyone to be able to get near a puck on his stick. Not only is he strong, he understands pressure, and his long limbs mean that very few players can even touch a puck with a poke-check through his body.

Something else that really stands out is his shot. He can really fire his wrister, and has good accuracy as well. He might not be able to keep up his 17 percent shot the whole of the Liiga season. However, his quick and accurate release mean that he may well have some seasons in his career where he is up around the 15% mark.


His wrister is also helped by his ability to find space. Helenius might not have a top tier IQ, but he understands coverages and can pick gaps, and this area of his game is definitely a plus overall. This, combined with his aggressive nature, and nose for the net, means he finds himself around the crease and slot on a regular basis.

Defensively Helenius is physical and aggressive, and also has a good stick. He breaks up plays with regularity and is usually in a good position. These abilities also help him be a good penalty-killer. He is already a regular in man-down situations in Liiga, and can be a short-handed threat with his long reach and ability to read plays.


However, Helenius does have his warts. First and foremost, while he has decent puck-skills, he does not seem to have the hands that the majority of players who end up top six in the NHL have. At times he has to look down at the puck to corral it, and can also lose pucks in stride.

Additionally, while his overall hockey IQ in terms of positional awareness, and seeing how a play may unfold, is good, for a pivot he does not always have an instinctive understanding of where his line-mates are in the offensive zone. He may well be a shot first player, but at times he simply does not see line-mates in a better position than he is. It is therefore hard to imagine him being an offensive zone “facilitator” at a higher level. Centers are supposed to make their line-mates more dangerous in the offensive zone. Samuel Helenius has not really done that so far in his career. You can count the amount of high-danger passes he has made in Liiga this season on your two hands.

Comparison

Brian Boyle, C/LW, UFA (who last played with Florida Panthers)

Size is not the only similarity between Samuel Helenius and the big American. The Finn is a better skater than Boyle, but apart from that is a mirror image. Both are shoot first centers who have plus IQ, but despite that struggle to utilise their team-mates in the offensive zone. They also share a love of the physical side of the game. And also have great sticks that force turnovers in all three zones. Like Boyle, Helenius is a dependable penalty-killer who can be a real short-handed threat. Helenius, if he hits, might have a similar impact as Boyle down the line.

Projection

Overall, Samuel Helenius is a solid player. He certainly has NHL upside. At very worst he will be able to be plugged into an NHL fourth line and contribute on the penalty-kill in a few years’ time. However, it is hard to imagine him garnering more than 30 points or so over a season at the highest level given his skill-set. As a result until the second half of the second round rolls around there will be higher upside players available. If he reaches the third round though? He could be a great pick.

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Alexander Appleyard. If you would like to follow Alex on Twitter, his handle is @alexappleyard.

Looking for other scouting reports? Check out the Prospects tab for our other scouting reports.

Need a scouting report on a particular prospect, contact us today!

2021 NHL Draft Goalie Dataset

The 2021 dataset will be focusing on rebound control and quickness. Each will have their Tableau page/chart.

Before I continue and explain the charts, I just want to list the goaltenders that I have tracked and will be tracking. Names are subject to change.

  • Spencer Knight (Florida Panthers – draft year data)
  • Yaroslav Askarov (Nashville Predators – draft year data)
  • Jesper Wallstedt (Luleå)
  • Maxim Motorygin (Dynamo Moscow)
  • William Jupiter (HV71)
  • Viggo Andrén (Frölunda)
  • Vsevolod Skotnikov (CSKA Moscow)
  • Jacob Goobie (Charlottetown)
  • Tomas Suchanaek (HC Ocelari Trinec)
  • Kaiden Mbereko (USNTDP)
  • Noah Patenaude (Saint John)
  • Juuso Helomaa (Ässät)
  • Carl Lindbom (Djurgårdens)
  • William Rousseau (Quebec)
  • Sebastian Wraneschitz (UPC Vienna)
  • Tristan Lennox (Saginaw)
  • Benjamin Gaudreau (Sarnia)
  • Sebastian Cossa (Edmonton)
  • Joe Vrbetic (North Bay)
  • Henri Risikko (Jokerit)
  • Marcus Brännman (Örebro)
  • William Håkansson (Växjö)
  • Tucker Tynan (Niagara)
  • Pavel Kanaev (Spartak Moscow)
  • Talyn Boyko (Tri-City)
  • Braden Holt (Everett)
  • Thomas Milic (Seattle)
  • Drew Sim (Vancouver)
  • Brett Brochu (London)
  • Yegor Naumov (Loko Yaroslavl)
  • Brock Grould (Moose Jaw)
  • Platon Zadorozhny (Spartak Moscow)
  • Kirill Gerasimyuk (SKA-Varyagi im. Morozova) 
  • Carter Serhyneko (Prince Albert)
  • Grant Riley (Tri-City)
  • Nikita Quapp (Ravensburg)
  • Nick Malik (Sault Ste. Marie)
  • Aku Koskenvuo (HIFK)
  • Fabio Iacobo (Victoriaville)
  • Patrik Hamrla (Karlovy Vary)
  • Noah Grannan (Sioux Falls)
  • Emerik Despatie (Gatineau)
  • Pavel Cajan (Kitchener)
  • Jed Baliotti (Green Bay)
  • Taylor Gauthier (Prince George)

Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov’s data have been added to serve as a bench mark, so you can understand how these goaltenders compare to two first round goaltenders in years’ past.

For the goaltenders who are playing in the OHL, should their season not happen and those goaltenders are not loaned out, I will be tracking data from their 2019-2020 campaign.

Quickness Data

My quickness tableau chart shows up/down time and side/side time. Up/down time is an average of how long it takes goaltenders to go from standing to down on the ice. Side/side time is how long it takes goaltenders to go from side to side in net. These times are an average and they were timed using an iPhone stopwatch. To be transparent, in order to be timed, the goaltender had to face a shot. So, I was not timing a goaltender’s side to side movement without a shot on net. Same with up/down time.

To access the quickness chart, please click here.

Rebound Data

My rebound tableau chart looks at how goaltenders control their rebounds. I have two charts. One compares low danger rebounds versus high danger rebounds and the other looks at medium danger rebounds versus high danger rebounds. Ideally, you want your high danger rebound rate to be lower and your low/medium danger rebound rate to be higher. So, in the medium/high danger rebound and low/high danger rebound charts, goaltenders that are towards the left side of the chart are far more appealing than ones toward the right.

To access the low/high danger chart, please click here. The medium/high danger chart, can be found here.

*The rebound data does not include data on Askarov and Knight*

Raw Data/Requests

If you are interested in looking at the raw data or are interested in looking at a goaltender who is not on my list, please contact me over DM. My Twitter handle is @JoshTessler_.

Scouting Report: Bryce Montgomery

Photo Credit – Terry Wilson/OHL Images/Aaron Bell

Bryce Montgomery is a 2021 NHL Draft eligible defenseman, who hails from the state of Maryland and his hometown is Bowie, Maryland (in between Annapolis, Maryland and Washington DC). Hockey is in his DNA. His father Matthew Montgomery played division three hockey for St. Mary’s University (Winona, Minnesota) in the 1980s. Blake Montgomery, Bryce’s younger brother, currently plays for the Skipjacks Hockey Club 16U AAA in York, Pennsylvania.

Maryland hasn’t produced a lot of NHL talent over the years. The most recognizable player from the State of Maryland is Jeff Halpern, who played mostly for the Washington Capitals and is now an Assistant Coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Aside from Halpern, Jarred Tinordi (Mark Tinordi’s son) played youth hockey for the Washington Little Caps. In addition, Alex Nylander and William Nylander both played for Team Maryland during Michael Nylander’s stint with the Washington Capitals.

Before coming to London Knights, Montgomery played youth hockey for both the Washington Little Caps 14U AAA and Team Maryland 16U AAA. During his time with the Washington Little Caps, the Knights caught wind of Montgomery as US-based scout Billy Sullivan stumbled upon the defenseman at a tournament in Buffalo, New York.

Also, he played prep school hockey for Dematha Catholic. Dematha is not widely known for hockey, but they have been extremely successful at developing athletes especially in basketball and football. Brian Westbrook (NFL), Byron Westbrook (NFL), Anthony McFarland Jr. (NFL), Cameron Wake (NFL), Victor Oladipo (NBA) and Markelle Fultz (NBA) are all alumni from Dematha. After his 2017-2018 campaign in Maryland, Montgomery decided to pack his bags and head up to Ashburnham, Massachusetts to play prep school hockey for Cushing Academy. Like Dematha, Cushing has done an excellent job in developing athletes, but they have had more success in hockey. Keith Yandle, Zach Bogosian, Tom Poti and Connor Sheary attended Cushing.

This past season, Montgomery completed his OHL rookie campaign. He played in 33 games for the London Knights and recorded two assists. Given his age, London decided to ease him. He would often play anywhere between six to nine minutes per night.

Due to COVID, Montgomery has not played in a league game since March of 2020. But, Montgomery has played in the Pandemic Hockey League and will play at the PBHH Invitational Tournament in Erie, PA.

In addition, Montgomery’s USHL rights are owned by the Waterloo Black Hawks. He was previously committed to Providence College and was likely to play in the USHL before heading to the NCAA, but playing for the London Knights was more appealing for defenseman.

Player Profile

D.O.B – November 12, 2002
Nationality – United States
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’5
Weight –220 lbs
Position – Defense
Handedness – Right

Montgomery’s Style Of Play

Montgomery is a defensive defenseman, who possesses offensive upside, but his play in the defensive zone is far more explosive than in the offensive zone.

He thrives at playing man-on-man defense in the slot. If an attacker (non puck carrier) is trying to exploit lanes in the slot, Montgomery keeps tabs on him and uses his frame to put pressure on the attacker to eliminate a potential threat. Not only does Montgomery exert a ton of pressure on non puck carriers, but he is quite strong at using his frame to limit puck movement. He has strong gap control and will play close to the vest. When an attacker is looking to shift the puck around the 6’5′ Marylander, Montgomery uses his frame to push attacker and by doing so he can control puck movement. In addition, he uses his frame well when dodging attackers on his way to loose pucks and he shown that he challenge and win puck battles with some of the best OHL prospects such as Cole Perfetti (Winnipeg Jets prospect). With his frame, he can be a handful for an attacker.

If he is battling net-front, sometimes he will look to screen the attacker who is screening his goaltender. By doing so, he doesn’t have to worry about the attacker dodging his stick and finding open ice. He just eliminates the treat completely. But, there are certainly times where Montgomery will use his stick to push attackers away from his crease.

Aside from using his frame to circumvent the attack, there are instances where the cycle will shift to the other half-wall and Montgomery will get out of position to come closer to the puck. While it doesn’t happen too often, Montgomery should work on positional awareness.

When it comes to puck movement, Montgomery is deceptive with his puck control. He will sell attackers on one lane and will take the other. He uses his reach to extend the puck out to one side, lure the attacker to that lane and immediately shift the puck to the other side to throw him off. He will also play a conservative game and will not force puck movement. If he has an attacker breathing down his neck, he will pivot and look for a pass to avoid a turnover.

In the offensive zone, there are instances in which he will pinch and jump to the perimeter, but it is not consistent. Montgomery does tend to use his slap shot quite a bit from the point. When he gets a tad closer in, he will opt to use his snap shot. With that being said, the majority of his shots end up in the goaltender’s lap. If Montgomery is set to expand his offensive game, he has to look to work on accuracy and elevating his shot more. If he can find those gaps in net and his elevation improves, he could prove to be a solid scorer or generate more rebound opportunities for his forwards. Aside from his shot, at times, London Knights head coach Dale Hunter has shifted Montgomery to right wing when he is looking to bring out a shut down line. When lining up at right wing, Montgomery tends to be aggressive with his forechecking and will show moments of grit.

From a skating perspective, Montgomery has an average extension. His leg extension isn’t too long and not too short. But, there are moments, where in the defensive zone, he will look to mimic his attacker when neutralizing the cycle. Sometimes, that means extending your legs out past the torso. Montgomery needs to be cautious of doing that. When you extend your legs too far out, you lose mobility and balance. If the attacker pivots on a dime, your feet are too wide apart and it becomes a challenge to use your edges to turn. There are instances where Montgomery struggles with shifting from a wide stride to a pivot.

All-in-all, Montgomery is a solid defensive prospect for the 2021 NHL Draft. If he can beef up his physical play and assert even more aggression from the perimeter towards the blue-line, he could be a handful for anyone trying to enter the zone.

Comparison

Brandon Carlo, Right Handed Defenseman, Boston Bruins

Given the size of Brandon Carlo and his strong gap control, Montgomery reminds me quite of Carlo. Both, Carlo and Montgomery have shown flashes where they can be effective in the offensive zone, but need more development with their shot. They both have shown to have a blistering shot, but accuracy and pin-pointing the right gap is the area for development.

Projection

Second Pairing Defenseman (NHL).

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Josh Tessler. If you would like to follow Josh on Twitter, his handle is @JoshTessler_.

Looking for other scouting reports? Check out the Prospects tab for our other scouting reports.

Need a scouting report on a particular prospect, contact us today!

Scouting Report: Noah Meier

Photo Credit – ZSC Lions

Noah Meier is a 2021 NHL Draft eligible left handed defenseman from Switzerland. This season, he has played in five games for the GCK Lions U20 (U20-Elite) and 17 games for GC Küsnacht Lions (Swiss League, B League in Switzerland). During his five games with the GCK Lions U20 squad, he tallied one goal and seven assists. As you would expect, his offensive production dropped in his 17 games with GC Küsnacht. He has managed to tally one goal and four assists.

Meier’s rights are owned by the Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions/ZSC Lions (Swiss National League). But, he has yet to play in a game this season for ZSC. But, he did make his National League debut last season for ZSC and suited up in three games for the Zürich based squad.

Meier is in attendance at the 2021 World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. He has been on the second defensive pairing for Switzerland and has been paired with Cédric Fiedler (Western Michigan University, Left Handed Defenseman).

In addition, there is no relation to Timo Meier of the San Jose Sharks. Meier is a very popular last name in German-speaking countries including Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Player Profile

D.O.B – September 24, 2002
Nationality – Switzerland
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –5’11
Weight –170 lbs
Position – Defense
Handedness – Left

Meier’s Style Of Play

When it comes to the Swiss defenseman, the two best attributes in his game are his skating and passing.

With Meier’s skating, he has shown that he possesses a quality first step for acceleration purposes. After the initial lengthy first step, he tends to trim down the foot extension into a smaller release. His outside edges are strong, especially when button hooking, which he will do depending on how tight the forechecking pressure is. The only area from a skating perspective which needs further development is his crossovers. Meier does not often start a breakout rush with crossovers. The goal should be to work on implementing crossovers, especially when starting the breakout from behind his own net and/or if he has to move around traffic when initiating the breakout. In the clip below from Dylan Griffing (Dobber Prospects), you can take a look at a controlled zone-to-zone transition in which Meier implements good first steps that help him gain speed out of the gate.

From a puck possession perspective, Meier seems to be more conservative with his puck control. If he is controlling the puck and facing a tough forecheck, you can expect him to alter his plan and look for a teammate to pass the puck to. Meier also has shown that he can be creative with his passing. Meier makes good use of the boards for bounce passes. Sometimes, he will play a pass off the boards in the defensive zone and it will ricochet off to a teammate in the neutral zone. But, from a more traditional tape-to-tape feed perspective, Meier has strong range. Quite often, you will see Meier elect to complete a stretch pass from the defensive zone into the neutral zone in hopes of driving the play into the offensive zone. When it comes to puck collection from a pass, it appears that Meier has challenges with capturing possession from time to time. Perhaps Meier is having difficulty reading his teammates and has challenges at identifying the precise moment when the puck will arrive at his location.

In the offensive zone, you will often see Meier stick to the blue-line. Occasionally, he will shift over to the right side, when he has control of the puck and look for a lane that he can exploit with a pass. But, more than often, Meier plants his skates at the blue-line in anticipation of his opponents securing the puck and attempting a rush. He will shift away from the blue-line if his teammates have control of the puck in the trenches. If they are cycling the puck behind the red-line, he will jump up to the perimeter and thus gives his teammates a fellow teammate to pass to, who could potentially instill a medium danger scoring chance. From a shooting perspective, don’t expect Meier to take many shots per game. Per InStat Hockey, Meier has averaged 1.2 shots on goal per game in league play. Meier prefers to find another teammate than take a shot from the blue-line.

In the defensive zone, Meier can get out of position, as he sometimes drifts too far towards the blue-line and can leave his defensive partner to fend for himself. But, the area the most development in the defensive zone is gap control and assertive play. Meier will plant himself in front of an attacker, but still give enough room to the attacker. This allows the attacker to skate around Meier or shoot/pass without fear of a deflection. Perhaps, Meier is hoping that his reach will allow him to shut down further puck movement, but it doesn’t always play out in Meier’s favor. Meier should look to be more assertive and aggressive. He should look to pin attackers against the boards and limit where his attackers can go. Aside from gap control, I have noticed that Meier is quick to a loose puck. He will not always win the battle, but he puts on the jets in an effort to grab possession.

Comparison

Mike Reilly, Left Handed Defenseman, Ottawa Senators

Like Meier, Reilly has struggled at time with his defensive play and has had to work on defensive awareness throughout his time in the NHL. Both, Reilly and Meier have proven to be effective passers and both have strong range. In addition, both defensemen are quality skaters, who can garner good speed off of their first extensions.

Projection

If Meier can become more assertive and aggressive with his defensive play, it is possible for Meier to be a bottom pairing defenseman in the NHL.

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Josh Tessler. If you would like to follow Josh on Twitter, his handle is @JoshTessler_.

Looking for other scouting reports? Check out the Prospects tab for our other scouting reports.

Need a scouting report on a particular prospect, contact us today!

Scouting Report: Stanislav Svozil

Photo Credit – hc-kometa.cz

The Czech Republic is still a world hockey power. They might not quite have the firepower up and down their line-up as they did in the early 2000’s, but in the last five World Championship’s they have reached the semi-final’s twice, and did at the 2018 Olympics as well. You can argue whether they are still a top five team. But despite that they are still a threat to beat anyone on their day.

When you examine what, though, has hamstrung them from competing with the best teams on earth over the last 10-15 years there is one obvious answer. Defensemen. The Czech’s still have a bevy of top-tier forwards such as Pastrňák, Voráček, Krejčí and Hertl. They also have some high-end young forwards who are developing into top six players. Kubalík, Vrána, Nečas, Zadina, Zacha and Chytil will be haunting NHL defenses for the next ten years.

But when was the last time the Czechs produced a top pairing defenseman? Let alone a number one? Radko Gudas has arguably been the best Czech blue-liner in the NHL over the last decade, and Gudas is simply a solid #4. Filip Hronek is the only young Czech defenseman making his mark in the league right now, but does he have the potential to be more than a good #2-3? Debatable.

You have to go back to an aging Marek Židlický in 2013-14 to find the last time a Czech defenseman played at a true top pairing level. A few extra years back and Tomáš Kaberle was the last man from the Central European nation to be a legit NHL #1.

There is hope on the horizon though. That hope comes in the form of a 2021 draft eligible from the heart of Moravia. His name? Stanislav Svozil.

Svozil has been a stand-out since he was 15 years old and producing at point-per-game level in u-16 internationals. He made history in 2019-20 by forcing his way into the Czech Extraliga at 16 years old. No other blue-liner that young has ever managed to play a whole season in the Extraliga.

Player Profile

D.O.B – January 17, 2003
Nationality – Czech Republic
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height – 6’1
Weight –172 lbs
Position – Defense
Handedness – Left

Svozil’s Style Of Play

So why is there not more hype? What does Stanislav Svozil do well? And where does he need to improve?

Svozil’s game is built around his fantastic passing ability and his high-end hockey IQ. In the defensive zone he uses this ability to produce mesmeric outlets that freeze neutral zone defenses and send his forwards into the offensive zone with speed. He attempts passes that others don’t even see. Offensively he utilises his vision and touch well to pick out seams in coverages and thread passes cross-ice, onto tape, regardless of how narrow the gap is. As a result he can make what appears a “nothing” situation on the cycle into a scoring chance.

When off of his game he can be prone to feeling pressure, and give-ways when heading up ice due to his predilection for attempting to hit long passes with a high degree of technical difficulty. This is not a major issue, and the positives massively outweigh the negatives, but he still needs to gain poise under pressure.


While his passing ability helps him exit his zone regularly, it is complemented by good skating ability as well. Therefore, if there are no passes available Svozil can simply skate his way up ice. Once he gets into the neutral zone his naturally aggressive nature also comes into play. He never seems happy just to make the red-line, but wants to get the puck even closer to danger. His ability to enter the offensive zone with the puck on his stick is just as impressive as his ability to exit his own zone. This is a skill that marks out so many of the best defensemen in the NHL. Svozil is already exceptionally good in this area versus men.


Breaking down his skating further, his agility, acceleration and edge-work are good, but he does have room to improve on his stride and top speed. His stride is slightly shorter than it could be, and is not overly powerful in terms of transferring his energy effectively and building speed. At times he will burst past a man going up ice, only for them to then stay with him or catch him. This may well come with maturity, as he is not quite as physically developed as many of the 2021 draft crop.

Looking more at his offensive zone play, while Stanislav Svozil is extremely dangerous and aggressive on the rush, and creates great opportunities with his passing on the cycle, he can be a bit “safe” in the offensive zone when set-up. Despite not having the biggest shot he can get a bit trigger happy near the blue-line. This is less of an issue when he plays at the junior level. In turn this may simply be due to fear of making a mistake and sending play the other way at the pro level. However, to best utilise his fantastic vision and passing going forward he will need to trust his ability and, in-turn, walk the line more, try and freeze opposition forwards, and do what he does so well on the rush in terms of getting to dangerous positions.


Coming back to positives in relation to the offensive zone, Svozil is already fantastic at protecting the puck on the cycle. He has great body position, and his plus hands mean that he can fend off players with only one hand before finding space and dishing the puck. While on the topic of hands, Stanislav Svozil has some silky mitts for a blue-liner. He can beat opponents with a deke or dangle, even at high-speed.

As can be imagined with this skill-set, Svozil is a dangerous power-play quarter-back. He is less trigger happy when he has more time and less pressure in a man-up situation. In turn he has more confidence to quickly move pucks and step-up into a play, or make an opponent bite on a move and walk round them. He is very good at making himself available in man-up situations. With his high IQ he pops up all over the ice in order to find a seam.


On the defensive side of things, Stanislav Svozil is solid for his age. One real stand-out ability here is directly related to his high IQ. He anticipates what is going to happen next extremely well. Especially in terms of pucks being turned over, or what passing options opponents will take through the neutral zone. The result of this is that he intercepts passes and gets his stick in lanes with great prevalence. This applies both when defending the rush, and when set-up defensively. The man from Přerov is also very aggressive at his own blue-line and has a good gap for his age, and breaks up a lot of entries with his extremely active stick alongside great back-wards and lateral mobility.


Once set-up in the defensive zone he does have some issues. One is simply strength related, he loses one-vs-one battles in the danger areas to opponents who are more mature than him. But Svozil is not small, and he is also naturally aggressive, so going forward this is not something that should be overly worried about. His aggression can get him into trouble in his own zone though. At times he loses his position puck-chasing, trying to “make” something happen.

Comparison

Ivan Provorov, Left Handed Defenseman, Philadelphia Flyers

Like his Russian counter-part, Svozil is exceptional both on the rush. Both also excel in terms of defending his own blue-line. The two also love to carry the puck, both out of their zone, and into the offensive zone. As with the Flyers blue-liner, Svozil does not fear getting to the slot and net-front once up ice. The Czech youngster does not quite have the speed Provorov has. But both have high-end mobility and hands that you don’t often see from a defenseman in transition. Both are a bit more conservative on the cycle, but can see passes and like to get their shots going.

Svozil arguably has better vision than Provorov once established in the offensive zone. In turn is a more instinctive and well-rounded power-play quarter-back. In the defensive zone Provorov was more developed at the same age, as well as more physical. But both are aggressive and use their stick extremely well.

Projection

Overall, there is a lot to like about Stanislav Svozil. Mobile, high-IQ, skilled blue-liners are hard to come by. If his game continues to mature the young Czech blue-liner can certainly become a top-pairing level NHLer. Additionally, it would be a surprise if Svozil – at worst – does not become a solid NHL #4 in the not so distant future.

stats from InStat and EliteProspects

Prospect report written by Alexander Appleyard. If you would like to follow Alex on Twitter, his handle is @alexappleyard.

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