Scouting Report: Sasha Pastujov

Photo Credit – Rena Laverty

Sasha Pastujov, a 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect, is a 17-year old left-winger currently playing for the United States National U-18 team. Pastujov hails from Northville, Michigan, and played his youth hockey for Detroit-area powerhouse teams such as Belle Tire 13U and Compuware 14U/16U AAA.  

During his minor hockey career, Pastujov really took off during the 2017-18 season while playing for Compuware 14U AAA. He scored 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points in only 20 games. He completed his first season with the USNTDP in 2019-20, scoring 14 goals and registering 36 assists for 50 points in 49 games. In addition, Pastujov managed another nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 29 games played during USNTDP USHL play. 

So far this season, Pastujov is off to an amazing start for the U18 program, tallying 13 goals and eight assists for 21 points in 13 games. He’s currently leading the U18’s in points, with his longtime teammate and 2021 NHL Draft prospect Dylan Duke hot on his tail. Pastujov has also totalled 4 PIM thus far in 2020/2021.

For the 2021-22 season, Pastujov is committed to the University of Notre Dame, where he’ll play under Head Coach Jeff Jackson. Surprisingly, Pastujov chose to take his talents to Notre Dame, rather than joining his brothers Nick and Michael at the University of Michigan. He’ll look to help bolster a Notre Dame team who have struggled since their NCAA National Title loss in 2018.

Player Profile

D.O.B – July 15, 2003
Nationality – United States
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’0
Weight –181 lbs
Position – Left Wing
Handedness – Left

Pastujov’s Style Of Play

Watching Sasha Pastujov’s game film from the past two seasons should excite any hockey fan, coach, executive or GM in any league. Pastujov is an elite passer of the puck, and is a driving force in the offensive zone. He plays with a glowing sense of confidence, and has given coaches/scouts many highlight reel goals during his time at the USNTDP. Aside from his talented skills in the offensive zone, Pastjuov possesses a ridiculously high hockey IQ. The way he can pick out a teammate streaking down towards the slot and deliver a crisp pass on the tape from the opposite circle is mind-blowing. Let’s dive into the more refined aspects of Sasha Pastujov’s game.

Skating

Arguably the most impressive trait in his game, Pastujov is an excellent skater. His edge work is among the best in the 2021 Draft Class, and is very capable of changing directions on a dime, all while maintaining possession of the puck. He can generate an adequate amount of space for himself in all three zones of the ice with a simple head fake or shoulder dip. Pastujov’s agility is another quality aspect of his skating that allows him to create rushes in transition with ease. He is quite strong on his skates, which makes entering the offensive zone a hassle for defenders. While Pastujov has an adequate amount of speed cruising through the neutral zone, he could benefit from working on his explosiveness, as well as his takeoffs. As he develops during his time with the USNTDP and UND, with a little added muscle and explosiveness, Pastjuov can become a dynamic skater.

Offence

Pastujov is an elite-level dual threat left-winger who can stickhandle in a phone booth and search out teammates with poise. In my opinion, he’s on the shortlist for Best Passers in the 2021 Draft Class, and can handle the puck at an elite level. Pastjuov has an incredible sense of awareness to put himself in opportune positions to either score or set up a teammate with a tap-in scoring chance. Sasha is the most offensively-gifted out of his two brothers, and can score from all regions in the offensive zone. Pastjuov is very effective from the hashmarks in to the net, as he has scored a fair chunk of his goals the past two seasons in close. He’s also a force on the powerplay, as he can usually be found setting up shop in the high slot, or along the half-wall, ready to unleash a beautiful pass to a teammate or to bury the puck on his own. Pastjuov could also benefit his draft stock by using his shot a little more, which he has been improving on this season for the U18’s. Perhaps the most impressive part of Pastjuov’s offensive game is his motor. He has a “wont-quit” attitude when it comes to keeping the puck in the offensive zone, where he sees the majority of his ice time (~52%), which is aided by the fact he’s seeing almost four minutes of power play ice time per game (03:52min/game). Pastujov also boasts an incredible ability to go end-to-end, weaving through the opposing team, which NHL front offices will certainly be impressed by.

Defence

Like most players that come out of the USNTDP, Pastujov is a well-rounded player. Even though he will be the most productive in the offensive zone, he is more than capable of being relied upon to help defend, either on the PK, or in general. Pastujov is more than capable of being a pest while covering the point, not giving much space to the opponents defensemen. He saw almost one minute of PK ice time last season (00:58/min/game), and was fairly successful on face-offs, swell (50% success rate). However, his defensive game could use a little work, mainly when it comes to controlling the puck on zone exits, as well as being stronger on the puck along the half-wall in his own zone. Though, it’s yet to really be seen so far how much the U18’s plan to use him in defensive situations.

Improvements 

As previously mentioned, Pastjuov seems to have a fairly rounded game. That being said, he’s still a developing prospect, and there are parts of his game which still need some tweaking. For example, he could benefit a lot from using his shot more, which is quite lethal. His goal scoring numbers could potentially skyrocket. Also, his skating stride could use some more explosiveness off the hop. Perhaps some time spent in the gym during the offseason will add some extra burst for a player who can fly down the wing when in full motion. Although these are minor areas where Pastujov can improve, he’s an incredibly skilled prospect. 

Overall Outlook

To sum things up, Sasha Pastujov looks like a force to be reckoned with when it comes to 2021 NHL Draft offensive prospects. It wouldn’t shock me to see a team take a shot at him as high as ~12th overall, but I believe his window to be selected lies within the 16-24th overall pick range.

Comparison 

Matthew Tkachuk – LW, Calgary Flames

Watching several of Sasha Pastujov’s games from the past few seasons reminded me a lot of a certain Calgary Flames left-winger, Matthew Tkachuk. Both players have excellent hockey sense, prefer to be more of a pass-first teammate, and both have a rough, physical aspect to their game. Also, both have an incredible shot, but may not always look to use it as their first option. If Pastujov can add some size and follow a similar career trajectory to Tkachuk, I’m sure whichever team that selects him is going to walk away from the first round more than pleased.

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: Anton Olsson

Photo Credit – Malmö Redhawks

The town of Helsingborg is a town of contrast. Survey it from the towers of Hamlet’s Castle, just three miles away in Denmark across the Øresund Strait, and you see both plumes of smoke and an industrial cargo port, as well as beautiful old buildings and rolling Swedish countryside. Anton Olsson is a son of Helsingborg, and his game mirrors the town. His transition play is akin to those rolling hills, while the rest of his game is utilitarian, much like one of the busiest ports in the world, just a stone’s throw from where he was born.

Helsingborg and the Øresund Strait have another indelible mark in history. Historically the waterway was close to impenetrable. A narrow stretch that could be defended and controlled. Which enabled Denmark and Sweden to control entry to the Baltic, something that was both financially and strategically profitable for them. It is only apt that Olsson, therefore, is a defenseman, and looks to follow Hampus Lindholm and Andreas Lilja from the mouth of the Baltic all the way across the pond.

The young Skåne native is already well on his way. He has shone at u-16 and u-17 international level, been one of the best defensemen at u-16, u-18 and u-20 domestic junior level, and is now holding his own in the SHL. In fact, at the time of writing Olsson has played over 16 minutes in his last two games in the world’s third best league, and just picked up his first point in Sweden’s top tier.

Player Profile

D.O.B – January 26, 2003
Nationality – Sweden
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’1
Weight –183 lbs
Position – Defense
Handedness – Left

Olsson’s Style Of Play

When it comes to the modern NHL the skill that is almost essential, especially for defensemen, is skating ability. That foundation is something that is already strongly cemented in place with Olsson. Not only is he mobile with good agility, he also has above average speed when in stride. His lateral ability and acceleration also allow him to get into open ice in all three zones with aplomb. He pivots well, and also possesses good backwards skating skill. All-in-all, a good four-way skater. The only minor issue is that Helsingborg native can get too wide and drift at times.

As has been the case with the majority of defensemen Sweden has produced in the last 10 years, Olsson has a fantastic transition game. This area is a stand-out ability for him. Not only is he extremely confident carrying the puck, but he also has some skill, and can deke past opponents at speed. The result is that he can carve through a neutral zone and make opposition players get on their heels.


His skating and puck-skills, as you would expect, also benefit him in the defensive zone. Not only is Olsson extremely poised under pressure, but he utilizes his skating and hands well in order to get out of trouble and effect clean zone exits with regularity. From the defensive zone he generally sees the ice in-front of him well, and if there are no options for him to break-out himself he can be trusted to use his team-mates, and has an accurate outlet.

Olsson’s gap control is good, and his defensive IQ is a plus even at the SHL level. He rarely puts himself in difficult situations and is adept at separating players from the puck either with his stick or shoulder. While not overly physical he has no issue getting involved around the net and holds his own in such positions against men, despite usually giving up a weight advantage to most SHL forwards. The result of this combination of skills mean he is a trusted penalty killer at both junior level and for the national team.

So, the Malmö Redhawks defenseman can: skate, play defense, and carry a puck. How about up ice?

In the offensive zone there are some things to really like about his game. On the cycle he is good at making himself available. He also constantly looks to make space for his partner and forwards. Additionally, he uses his skating well, especially laterally, to get into seams and make opposition forwards have to work hard not to allow a lane. He is also a nice passer with a good touch. However, he is not the most creative in terms of finding team-mates in the offensive zone.

Olsson also has a fantastic wrister with the release of a scoring forward. But it must be said that he is not the most accurate. He scores some highlight reel goals when his shot comes off, but this is not a common occurrence. In terms of his slapshot he can really hammer the puck when he steps into it, but rarely does due to his preference for quick wrist-shots. On the power-play his ability to create space and fire pucks means he is a good quarterback at the junior level.


However, there are some “down-sides” to his offensive zone play. Unlike in transition a lot of his work when set up in the OZ is “route one” stuff that keeps it simple. That is not an issue in itself, but he would likely be more effective there if he tried to do more with the puck. His mindset seems to be to generally make a safe play when at the line. His vision in the offensive zone also detracts from his positional awareness and skill. Too often for a player with a big shot do his shots miss or get blocked.

These issues limit his effectiveness on the cycle when the puck comes to him, and at times can detract from his great work to create space and lanes for himself and his team-mates. It is too common a sight for Olsson to do great work to get free, have a forward open, and just fire blindly instead of looking for a play. It can be strange to watch. He is poised and thoughtful in the offensive zone without the puck… but when on his stick? He gets tunnel vision. Though it must be said that it is rare these plays are not “safe”… but simply low percentage with better offensive options.

His approach in the offensive zone is similar to that of Radko Gudas. Think shot. Shoot often with volume, and some will get through. It does drive good results for him in terms of possession numbers. He has driven play well this season, with his 49.8% Corsi being second best on his team’s defense. However, at a higher level his offensive inflexibility may well limit his upside. He is more dangerous on the rush than when set up in the offensive zone.

There is a lot to like about Olsson. He is a smooth skating defenseman who is confident, has plus skills, and plays good two-way hockey. However, it is hard to see him being a consistent threat offensively outside the power-play at the next level, and there is no guarantee he will ever be an NHL power-play fixture. In turn, unless he adds more arrows to his quiver going forward, his upside is likely capped as a good number four defenseman. Still, defensemen with his skill-set are valuable in the NHL. As a result the young Swede will likely find his name called late in the first round of the 2021 draft.

Comparison

Calvin de Haan, left handed defenseman, Chicago Blackhawks

Not only are de Haan and the young Swede both a similar stature. They also have great skating ability, and a similar all-around skill-set. Both can effect zone exits and entries and have good transition skills. Yet the two lack offensive zone creativity and have a tendency to just fire away. They also share a high defensive zone IQ and have good gap control and are reliable penalty-killers. At his peak de Haan was a good second pairing defenseman. Olsson has the ability to be at that level in 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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Scouting Report: Owen Power

Photo Credit – Chicago Steel

Owen Power is a 2021 NHL Draft eligible defenseman, who hails from Mississauga, Ontario. Similarly to Brandt Clarke, another highly touted 2021 NHL Draft eligible defenseman, Power played midget and bantam youth hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL). Power played in the Mississauga Reps system and recorded a 33 point season in his final GTHL season (2017-2018).

After his time with the Mississauga Reps, he was drafted in both, the OHL draft and the USHL draft. The Flint Firebirds drafted him in the second round of 2018 OHL draft with pick #22. But, Power ultimately decided to join the Chicago Steel of the USHL, after they selected him with the seventh overall pick in 2018 USHL draft. The goal for Power was to play NCAA hockey at the University of Michigan and if he opted to play with the Flint Firebirds he would lose his NCAA eligibility.

Power spent two seasons with the Chicago Steel and became one of the best all-around defenseman in the USHL. In his first season with the Steel, he tallied 11 goals and 14 assists in 58 games. Power improved upon his production in his second and final season in Chicago, in which he recorded 12 goals and 28 assists in 45 games.

This past season, Power played for the University of Michigan Wolverines. The Wolverines are a well-rounded team with a lot of talent including Thomas Bordeleau (San Jose Sharks prospect), Brendan Brisson (Vegas Golden Knights prospect), Cameron York (Philadelphia Flyers prospect), Kent Johnson (2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect) and Matthew Beniers (2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect). In 26 games played, he recorded 16 points (3 goals and 13 assists).

Power was invited to Canada’s 2021 World Junior Championship camp in Red Deer, Alberta, but did not attend. The University of Michigan chose not to release him. But, he will be playing for Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championships in Riga, Latvia.

Player Profile

D.O.B – November 22, 2002
Nationality – Canada
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’5
Weight –214 lbs
Position – Defense
Handedness – Left

Power’s Style Of Play

Owen Power is a net front defenseman. He will put pressure on any attacker, who is looking to screen Strauss Mann and Erik Portillo (Michigan’s goaltenders). When he is not sitting net front, he is closing down lanes primarily on the left side of the ice. Power is efficient at keeping the rush glued to the boards. By doing so, Power eliminates high danger situations and prevents the attack from doing much aside from cycling the puck around the half-wall. While Power thrives at shutting down lanes, he isn’t overly physical. There are shifts where Power will lay down a hit, but it is not consistent. Most of the time, he insists on trapping the cycle along the boards, but will not look to neutralize the cycle on every single shift. He does exert more pressure when the rush gets to the perimeter. From the blue-line to the perimeter, he is more relaxed with his gap control.

While Power customarily patrols the left side of the ice, when his defensive partner (usually Nick Blankenburg) is stuck in a jam behind the red line, he will alternate sides and provide additional support. But, if Power has his back turned towards the attack, he will struggle to dodge the forecheck. Power needs to work on using his peripheral vision to identify the forechecker and develop quick pivots to muscle around the forechecker to avoid coughing up the puck.

From a transitional perspective, do not expect Power to push the play alone. Power isn’t going to go from zone to zone with the puck every shift. You will see instances throughout each game where Power does goes zone to zone, but Power often looks to feed zone exit passes in order to move the puck up the ice. In addition, Power is cautious with the puck and will not throw the puck into dangerous situations. If he sees the forecheck trying to close in on him, he will fall back and identify the ideal teammate to deliver a breakout pass to. Not only is it the safe approach, but it allows him to dictate the pace of the game. If he wants to slow the game down and silence an aggressive forecheck, falling back in the defensive zone buys Power some more time to find that teammate to pass to. Yet, we do see instances when Power is going from zone to zone, similarly to Clarke, he will zig-zag through the neutral zone to avoid traffic.

When defending in the neutral zone, Power will use an active stick when the rush draws close to Michigan blue-line. His active stick is the same as the gate coming crashing down. When he extends his stick out, he forces the opposition to dump the puck into the Michigan zone.

In the offensive zone, Power is a quality puck distributor. He possesses the ability to deliver crisp feeds all over the offensive zone, but his long range passing makes him an elite distributor. The Mississauga native can feed long range passing from the blue-line and that allows him to be clutch on the power play.

Not only does Power have the ability to thread the needle from the point, but he also has a cannon of a shot. Power has a big wind-up on his slap shot, which strengthens his slap shot power.

When Power does not have possession of the puck in the offensive zone, he does whatever he can to get open and gives his teammates an open teammate to pass to. If play moves to the left side of the offensive zone, Power will shift to the right side to provide an opportunity for his teammates to deliver a cross ice pass to him.

Not only does Power look for open ice, he will pinch and get into the trenches when the cycle goes past the red line. He will jump up to the perimeter and even move closer towards the corner to be more involved in the cycle. The only issue with his aggressive offensive play is that more than often he is one of the last players back into the defensive zone which can be disastrous when Michigan is looking to shut down an attack.

When you evaluate his skating, you will see that Power is not the fastest skater on the ice. But, he can turn on the jets if and when there is a breakaway and his defensive partner is well out of reach. Power’s ankle flexion is solid and he will utilize quality crossovers to get his motor going.

While he does have strong crossovers, I want to see crossovers being used a tad more consistently in the defensive zone. There will be shifts in which Power’s positioning might be a bit further out from the attacker and it takes him longer to get into position for gap control because he doesn’t use crossovers in the defensive zone as frequently as he does when he’s on the rush.

In addition, he needs further development with edges and pivoting. When Power has his back turned in the defensive zone and the forecheck is bearing down on him, he does not have the ability to quickly pivot and move away from the attack.

Comparison

Dustin Byfuglien, Right Handed Defenseman, Played for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Winnipeg Jets/Atlanta Thrashers

While Power’s physical game is not at the level of Dustin Byfuglien, like Byfuglien, he thrives at pinching in the corners and keeping the cycle alive. I am hopeful that the physicality will come over time. I would like to emphasize that getting to Byfuglien’s level of physicality will be a tough road, but if Power can boost his physical game it makes him even more dangerous in all three zones. Aside from physicality, both defensemen are strong puck distributors and can light up the lamp from the point.

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: Jesper Wallstedt

Photo Credit – Luleå Hockey

Over the last ten years NHL teams have grown more and more reticent to draft goalies in the first round. From 2011 to 2018 there were only four goalies taken before the end of the drafts first day, and of those four the highest selection was Andrei Vasilevskiy at 19th overall. Part of this shift has been due to how unpredictable many goalies development is. Part of it is also due to even the best goalies in the league being inconsistent from year to year due to the nature of the position.

Since underlying goalie statistics began to be recorded in 2007-08 only eight goalies in the entire NHL have managed more than five seasons with above league average statistics. (Lundqvist, Luongo, Price, Quick, Fleury, Crawford, Halak and Andersen.) It is no wonder that NHL GM’s and scouting teams therefore are reluctant to use a high value pick on a goalie.

However, in the last two drafts prodigal talents between the posts shifted that trend. The Florida Panthers took US National Team stand-out Spencer Knight 13th overall in 2019, and the Nashville Predators selected Russian phenom Yaroslav Askarov 11th overall just this summer.

The 2021 draft will certainly make it three in a row with a goalie in the first round. Likely three in a row with a goalie in the top 15 picks. And there is potential that Luleå’s Jesper Wallstedt eclipses both Knight and Askarov’s draft positions and does something no goalie since Carey Price in 2005 has done, and go top 10.

Wallstedt, having only just turned 18, has a practically spotless resume. At 13 years old he made his debut at u-18 junior level in Sweden. By the time he was 14 years old he was one of the best goalies at the u-18 level. At 15 years old he made the jump to u-20 level, before dominating the same level at age 16-17. He has also starred on the international level at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the U-18 World Juniors. And now, at just 18 years old, he has nine SHL games under his belt and a preposterous .931 sv% in them. Not bad for a league where the average sv% is under .910.

Player Profile

D.O.B – November 14, 2002
Nationality – Sweden
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’3
Weight –214 lbs
Position – Goaltender
Catches – Left

Wallstedt’s Style Of Play

So, what allows Wallstedt to have such great success at such a tender age? How is it that when most talented goalies his age are giving inconsistent performances at a junior level Wallstedt is shutting down men in one of the worlds best leagues?

First and foremost – somewhat appropriately considering he lives just 90 miles south of the Arctic Circle – the Stockholm born prospect is so cool as to appear ice cold between the posts. It does not seem that anything can ruffle his feathers. A crowded crease, one-on-ones, a barrage of shots, or quiet periods. No matter what is happening in front of him Wallstedt is locked in. His poise is exceptional.

Alongside his mental fortitude, the Swede possesses a technical game that most NHL starters would be jealous of. He rarely needs to make big saves, or rely on athleticism, because his skating ability and anticipation leave him in the perfect position to deal with shots simply the majority of the time. As with most modern goalies his base set is Reverse-VH when players get in close on his peripheries, and he is a master at the age of 18.

Unlike a lot of goalies who use it habitually, Wallstedt virtually never “jumps the gun” in terms of when to drop into it. So only exposes his upper corner when the angle of shot is extremely acute. Part of that also might be due to how big he manages to make himself when covering his posts. Wallstedt is no Vasilevskiy or Bishop size-wise, but he uses every inch of his 6’3 frame exceptionally well. He looks bigger than he is between the pipes as a result.

His ability to get himself into position no matter what the situation means that he deals with incoming pucks from all angles well, not just in terms of making the initial save, but also ensuring no rebounds. Smaht Scouting’s Josh Tessler has been tracking the NHL 2021 draft eligible goalies, and from a statistical perspective Wallstedt has allowed less rebounds that virtually every other goalie who will be eligible in 2021. When you account for the fact that Wallstedt is playing against men and the others against players their own age that is even more impressive. The young Swede just gobbles up shots, and has an amazing ability to get shots in awkward areas down on ice in-front of him, or trapped in his equipment.

On top of his mental game and technical prowess, Wallstedt also has one of the best gloves you will see for a young goalie. Often, this aspect of a net-minders game can take the longest time to develop. So many goalie prospects have issues, especially in the low glove area, where not being set can leave a gap that is hard to cover. But with Wallstedt’s technically ability, alongside fantastic hand-eye coordination, he plucks the puck out of the air with ease, even on shots that are hard and accurate. His glove-work through traffic is also a joy to behold as he tracks the puck and shuts play down inside his Bauer trapper.

As for his puck-handling? In a day and age where – partially due to the trapezoid – many goalies struggle with the puck on their stick Wallstedt is an exception. He grew up playing both goalie and skater, and his puck-handling makes you think he could have been a success had he never decided to don the mask. Impervious to pressure with the puck on his stick behind the net, Wallstedt can deceive forwards and is comfortable passing both forehand and backhand. At times he acts as effectively a third defenseman, and it is not a rare site seeing him head out of net to claim loose pucks in-front of him and dish out pin-point passes. Effecting a clean break-out I something he has in his arsenal that most goalies don’t.

So what are the issues? What needs work? Well, not much. That is exactly why he might go top ten in the draft. From a technical standpoint he can sometimes over-angle his blocker, which means pucks end up closer to him that they should be, but this is a minor issue and one that would not even be raised with most goalies.

The only major question? His athleticism. Simply put, Wallstedt is not Askarov or Knight in that area. He is not “as” quick up and down or side-to-side as many high-end goalie talents, though he compensates for this heavily with his skating and lower-body strength, especially going laterally where he can push off the post. Sure, he “can” make some amazing saves, but he cannot recover as well as some goalies.

However, that has not been an issue so far in his career, even at the SHL level. His technical ability combined with his skating and anticipation means that last ditch saves are rarely needed. It is also worth noting that his high-danger sv% this year is .906 in the SHL. At the NHL level, a high-danger sv% of over .840 is elite. The SHL is not the NHL, and eight games is not a large sample size, but it is still mightily impressive. He deals with one-v-one situations well and often simply sets, and outwaits the forward until they run out of room.

It would be an enormous surprise if Wallstedt does not develop into an NHL starter, and with his fundamentals and maturity he has the potential to be an elite goalie in the NHL. If a team in the 8-15 range pick him up in the 2021 draft no-one should complain about the value of the pick.

Comparison

Tuukka Rask, Goalie, Boston Bruins

Wallstedt and Rask are not only a similar size, but play a similar technical game, while being extremely poised and calm, and not often getting into bad positions. Both also have a lightning quick glove. The Bruins goalie is slightly more athletic than Wallstedt – though he is not elite in this regard himself – but the Swede is a far superior puck-handler and better with his rebound control.

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!

Preliminary 2021 NHL Draft Rankings

Alexander Appleyard, Paul Zuk, Sebastian Jackson and Josh Tessler combined their draft rankings and put together the official Smaht Scouting 2021 NHL Draft Preliminary Rankings.

The rankings are below and our scouting reports are hyperlinked. Just to note, we are still working on some more 2021 NHL Draft scouting reports for public consumption. Stay tuned for those.

PicksProspectPositionTeamNation
1Brandt ClarkeRHDBarrieCanada
2Luke HughesLHDUSNTDPUSA
3Owen PowerLHDMichiganCanada
4Carson LambosLHDWinnipegCanada
5Simon EdvinssonLHDFrölundaSweden
6William EklundC/LWDjurgårdensSweden
7Aatu RätyCKärpätFinland
8Kent JohnsonC/LWMichiganCanada
9Fabian LysellLW/RWLuleåSweden
10Matthew BeniersCMichiganUSA
11Dylan GuentherLWEdmontonCanada
12Cole SillingerCMedicine HatCanada
13Zachary L’HeureuxLWHalifaxCanada
14Jesper WallstedtGLuleåSweden
15Oskar OlaussonLW/RWHV71Sweden
16Chaz LuciusCUSNTDPUSA
17Nikita ChibrikovRWSKA St-PetersburgRussia
18Zachary BolducCRimouskiCanada
19Isak RosénRWLeksandsSweden
20Simon RobertssonRWSkellefteåSweden
21Samu TuomaalaRWKärpätFinland
22Stanislav SvozilLHDBrnoCzech Republic
23Sasha PastujovRWUSNTDPUSA
24Aidan HreschukLHDUSNTDPUSA
25Logan StankovenCKamloopsCanada
26Brennan OthmannLWFlintCanada
27Xavier BourgaultCShawiniganCanada
28Samu SalminenC/LWJokeritFinland
29Mason McTavishCPeterboroughCanada
30Anton OlssonLHDMalmöSweden
31Dylan DukeCUSNTDPUSA
32Zachary DeanCGatineauCanada
HMWilliam StrömgrenLWMODOSweden
HMOscar PlandowskiRHDCharlottetownCanada
HMMackie SamoskevichRWChicagoUSA
HMSean BehrensLHDUSNTDPUSA
HMScott MorrowRHDShattuck-St. Mary’sUSA
HMCameron WhynotLHDHalifaxCanada
HMCorson CeulemansRHDBrooksCanada
HMDaniil ChaykaLHDGuelphRussia
HMJames MalatestaLWQuebecCanada
HMBrett HarrisonCOshawaCanada

Scouting Report: Scott Morrow

Photo Credit – Shattuck-St. Mary’s School

Scott Morrow is a 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect, who hails from Darien, Connecticut. While Connecticut doesn’t produce nearly the amount of players that Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin does, we have seen a lot of talent come out of the State of Connecticut over the years including Spencer Knight (same hometown as Morrow), Cam Atkinson, Ron Hainsey, Chris Drury, Jonathan Quick, Craig Janney, Max Pacioretty, Nick Bonino and Kevin Shattenkirk.

Morrow and his sister, Sydney Morrow both play hockey for Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minnesota. He has spent the last four years or so developing his game with Shattuck and has turned into a well-rounded right handed defenseman.

Aside from playing for Shattuck, he played in two USHL games last season with the Youngstown Phantoms. Since last season, his USHL rights have transferred a few times. He was dealt to the Sioux City Musketeers initially and then the Musketeers flipped his right to the Fargo Force. But, with that being said, there is no indication that Morrow will move to the USHL full-time. In May, Morrow sat down with Brian Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald and the 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect indicated that “if the season starts on time, he’ll be in Fargo”. Unfortunately, the USHL season was delayed and thus Morrow opted to start the season in Minnesota.

So far this season, in nine games played for Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Prep, Morrow has recorded 13 points (three goals and ten assists). Per EliteProspects, he is averaging 1.44 points per game, which is almost on par with his performance last season. If Morrow plays a full season (which is roughly 55/56 games), at that rate, he would put up around 79 points.

He was supposed to join the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks next season. But, on May 5, 2021, it was reported by Nathan Strauss of UMass Sports Network that Morrow would be joining the UMass Minutemen next season. It was rumored that North Dakota asked Morrow to defer for a season and that is what spurred Morrow to switch to UMass.

Player Profile

D.O.B – November 1, 2002
Nationality – United States of America
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’2
Weight –192 lbs
Position – Defense
Handedness – Right

Morrow’s Style Of Play

When it comes to his playing style, he can be handful to skate around. When Morrow moves from the offensive zone to the neutral zone, he tends to play close to the vest and will opt to utilize his stick to push attackers away from his blue-line. Once he gets across his blue-line, he lowers his body and widens his stance. By doing so, he eliminates lanes for attackers. The attackers end up along the half-wall. With that being said, the goal to prevent high danger scoring chances and Morrow does that with his preventive defense specialties. When Morrow is patrolling the boards in his zone, he alters his gap control. Sometimes, Morrow will be right in your face and apply a quality backcheck. He tends to tighten up more so around the red line. Morrow doesn’t just stick to his own side. He owns the ice. At a moments notice, he will deviate and switch to the left side if he feels that his defensive partner is struggling at neutralizing the attack.

With his defensive style, you can expect Morrow to be the last defenseman to re-enter the defensive zone and that is due to his aggressive defensive measures in the neutral zone. Morrow thrives in the neutral zone and it would be a mistake to force him to adjust his style. Instead, coaches should expect to pair him with a defenseman who drops back to the net consistently.

From a puck movement perspective, there is a lot to cover with Morrow. His puck movement is quite similar to Barrie Colts defenseman Brandt Clarke. Morrow uses well-timed crossovers in the defensive zone to help drive his acceleration. He will not drive the play through dangerous situations. If there is an attacker bearing down on him, he adjusts on the fly, drops back and tries a different lane. But, he doesn’t just drop back in the neutral and defensive zones, he also plays it safe in the offensive zone when traffic is in front of him. When controlling the puck in the neutral zone, like Clarke, he will zig-zag around to avoid confrontations with his opponents.

While he is effective at controlled transitions, there are instances in uncontrolled transitions where Morrow runs into some problems. Sometimes Morrow’s decision-making on his first pass is off the mark and his passes lead to turnovers in front of his net. In addition, when he is finding the right teammate to pass the puck to and shifting around traffic in his own zone, there are instances where Morrow struggles to keep the puck on his stick and that leads to cough ups without much contact from opponents.

Morrow’s skating is quite strong. His foot extension is long, which allows him to take fewer strides when in transition. The recovery is not too wide, which is critical for strong mobility. His edges and crossovers are the main drivers for his acceleration and come in handy when navigating/stick-handling in the offensive zone.

In the offensive zone, Morrow loves to pinch, skate up the boards and complete centered passes to the slot. While you would expect Morrow mostly to pinch and control the cycle on the right side of the ice, that is not always the case. As mentioned above, Morrow likes to command the game and will alternate between rushing up the left and right side. Additionally, you can expect Morrow to charge through the slot and will use his stick-handling skills to swerve around attackers. All-in-all, his offensive play is quite strong, but I would like to see some refinement on his shot. When Morrow is shooting from the blue-line, his shot goes wide quite a bit. But, any time that you are taking a long-range shot, you need to expect that the chances of the puck reaching the net and not bouncing off the boards are much lower than if you are shooting from the slot or right at doorstep.

Comparison

Tyson Barrie, Right Handed Defenseman, Edmonton Oilers

Like Tyson Barrie, both defensemen are quite strong in transition, love to pinch, work the cycle and complete centered passes to the slot. While Barrie’s shot is strong from the point, I’m confident that with refinement that Morrow can get there.

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: Oskar Olausson

Photo Credit – HV71

Given the talent he possesses it is a surprise that Oskar Olausson has not got more column space in the lead-up to the 2021 draft.  Part of that might simply be due to him being a 2002 born player. Therefore his only major international tournament was the 2019 Hlinka, where he was the youngest skater on the roster and buried on the fourth line. Furthermore, a strong Swedish forward class including peers such as Fabian Lysell, William Eklund, Simon Robertsson, Isak Rosén, William Strömgren and Oliver Moberg means that Olausson has got lost in the mix at times.

Additionally, at the domestic level he was shuffled between the HV71 J-20 and J-18 teams in the last two seasons. He was good for his age at both levels, and given his role on the J-20 team last season his 0.76 points-per-game was admirable. Nevertheless, many 2021 draft rankings so far fail to include Olausson in the first round.

It is a fair bet that that will change quickly in the coming months. Not only has the Stockholm born winger had a great start to the season – lighting up the J-20 with 14 goals and 27 points in 16 games, and now holding his own in the SHL – but he has a skill-set to make scouts salivate.

Player Profile

D.O.B – November 10, 2002
Nationality – Sweden
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –6’2
Weight –181 lbs
Position – Left Wing/Right Wing
Handedness – Left

Olausson’s Style Of Play

The four S’s of scouting are the foundations that virtually every prospect either needs, or needs to have the potential to develop, to one day become a good NHLer. Skating, speed, skill and smarts. Olausson ticks all of those boxes already. And if on a true alliterative bent his shot and strength are also abnormally well developed for his age.


Explosive is an understatement with the HV71 winger. After a growth spurt at 17 he went from 6’0 to 6’2, adding close to 20lbs, without losing any of his skating ability. He is one of those players who would have excelled in whatever sport he chose to play. A true athlete who looks “natural” in almost everything he does on ice. When he gets into stride it is such a sight to behold that you almost wish the rink was 400ft to watch him for longer.

Olausson loves to carry the puck up ice. With his skating ability combined with soft, silky mitts, he has a mesmeric way of slicing through the neutral zone. It is not hyperbole to say that he has the confidence and stride up ice that mirrors NHLers such as MacKinnon, Voráček and Wheeler.

Once he gets into the offensive zone he has a whole bag of tricks that he can utilise. If he gets a defenseman one on one he loves to cut towards the slot, deke them inside-out, and use his wicked release to challenge a goalie. When a defenseman manages to maintain his gap and keep him to the outside Olausson has the edges to try and beat them up the boards and cut back in to get in close on the goalie. If that is not an option he is adept at rolling round the net, losing his man and keeping the cycle going.

He also creates havoc when handing off the puck after effecting an entry. As he then starts to work his own brand of magic in terms of making his 6’2 frame “disappear” in the slot and getting free to unleash a quick one-timer when the puck comes back to him.


Some have slotted Olausson in the “complimentary winger” category, or questioned his hockey IQ. While he can be guilty of holding onto a puck for too long, and he is certainly a shoot first player who needs a play-making center to be at his best, I think it is unfair to pigeon-hole him like that. His zone entry skill, ability on the cycle, and solid passing mean that he can create space for others. He also has the scorers knack of getting free in dangerous positions, and does it with regularity. That is hard to do that without thinking the game well.

Olausson, as one would imagine with his skill-set, is a serious power-play threat. Not only is he great at helping his team set-up, but once established in his favoured spot on the right boards he is extremely dangerous either walking in for a wrister, or sneaking over towards the circle for a one-timer. Like his skating, his shot technique is a thing of beauty, an efficiency of energy.



So where are the downsides here? While strong for his age he will – naturally – need to fill out his frame more. Also, he will have to utilize his team-mates better and not try as many home-run plays as he progresses. Olausson, however, is very well-rounded for his age.

Defensively he is not what I would call the “instinctive” type. But he plays the game at a high tempo and works hard inside his own half of ice. He is good at turning pucks over and forcing mistakes, and has also proven to be a solid penalty-killer. In his brief SHL career so far he has had some lapses in his own end, and I doubt he will ever be a high-end defensive player, but he will likely never be considered a liability.

Olausson is the type of player that it seems likely NHL scouts will fall in love with. In turn could end up going a lot earlier in the draft than many have pegged him to. If he continues to develop he has the potential to be a 30 goal, first line winger.

Comparison

Filip Forsberg, Left Wing, Nashville Predators

Olausson is not quite as physical as his older Swedish counterpart. But there are other aspects of their game that mirror each other. Both have great shots and skating, are brilliant at effecting zone entries. The two would also both rather fire the puck than defer to a team-mate. They both shield the puck exceptionally well on the cycle and are dangerous on the rush, with hands and confidence. The two also share the ability to find space in danger areas. They also both play the game at a high-tempo, and can be effective penalty-killers. Forsberg is a slightly more natural play-maker though.

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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Scouting Report: Aidan Hreschuk

Photo Credit – Rena Laverty

Aidan Hreschuk, a 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect, is a 17-year old defenseman currently playing for the United States National U-18 team. Hreschuk was born in Long Beach, California, and grew up playing in the Los Angeles Jr. Kings AAA program, dating back to the 10U ranks.  

Through his minor hockey career, Hreschuk was more than a point-per-game player, recording his best AAA season in 2017-18, in which he tallied 19 goals and 41 assists for 60 points in 49 games. He completed his first season with the USNTDP in 2019-20, scoring four times and registering 20 assists in 49 games. In addition, Hreschuk managed another two goals and nine assists for eleven points in 29 games played in USNTDP USHL play. 

So far this season, Hreschuk has totaled zero goals and six assists for six points in nine games for the U18 program. While the U18 program has had some games cancelled as of late, most likely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they are still slated to continue USHL play on November 27th, versus the Green Bay Gamblers.

For the 2021-22 season, Hreschuk is committed to Boston College, where he’ll play under the tutelage of Head Coach Jerry York. There should be plenty of opportunities to hone his skills alongside future teammates such as Matthew Boldy (2020 1st Round – Minnesota), Alex Newhook (2019 1st Round – Colorado) and Spencer Knight (2019 1st Round – Florida).

Player Profile

D.O.B – February 19, 2003
Nationality – United States of America
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –5’11
Weight –181 lbs
Position – Defense
Handedness – Left

Hreschuk’s Style Of Play

The first thing many scouts would mention about Hreschuk is the fact he can be a weapon offensively. His skating ability and smooth, long strides are quite the sight to see, but we’ll dive into that later in this report. Hreschuk isn’t afraid to jump up into the rush and generate numerous scoring chances, nor is he shy at pinching down towards the half-wall and getting a puck on net. While he may not get the love from NHL Central Scouting as his teammates Luke Hughes or Sean Behrens, (Hreschuk was given a C-rated prospect, usually meaning a fourth, fifth, or sixth round selection) it’s only a matter of time before Hreschuk starts popping up on their radar.

Skating

In watching footage of Hreshuk from last season, one thing that stood out was his impressive skating. He has a beautiful skating stride, and is capable of exiting the defensive zone and entering the neutral zone with only a couple of strides. It’s a promising sign for a prospect who’s size is something that could potentially scare a few teams in the draft. Hreschuk’s speed is another portion of his game that sort of shocked me. He was able to jump into the rush and create a scoring chance, and just as quickly back check and be in position for the opposing team’s counter attack. Hreschuk demonstrates a good crossover technique, keeping a low centre of gravity, as well as a good ability to pivot whilst pinching into the corners and behind the net in the offensive zone.Teams will fawn over his ability to play a 200 foot game, as well as he has so far in his career at the USNTDP.

Offense

If there’s one aspect of Hreschuk’s game that floors me, it has to be his offensive abilities. There aren’t too many times where he wasn’t able to wheel around the offensive zone at will and either set up a teammate with a dangerous scoring opportunity or release his wrist shot, which is quite impressive. He isn’t shy when it comes to pinching down from the point to keep the play in the offensive zone, or jumping into the rush heading down the ice. Hreschuk isn’t afraid to shoot from just about anywhere in the offensive zone either. He seems to be well versed in taking any and every opportunity presented to generate a scoring chance. His off the charts creativity should definitely turn a few scouts’ heads.

Defense

As talented and well rounded as his offensive abilities are, Hreschuk is still very adequate when it comes to his play in the defensive zone. In the film I’ve studied on his game, his transition game seems to be a strong point. He finds little difficulty in making the proper decisions while exiting his zone. Hreschuk can flow freely from behind his own net through the neutral zone with few issues. Very rarely will he make a poorly executed breakout/outlet pass. He is a very well equipped penalty killer, having served on the top PK unit for the U18’s. Hreschuk’s ability to shut down odd man rushes and block shots is comparable with the other top defensive prospects that are 2021 NHL Draft eligible. 

Improvements 

While Hreschuk seems to have a fairly rounded game from the games I’ve tracked, there are places of his game which could use some fine tuning. For example, he may look to tone down the amount of times he chooses to engage in a more offensive role. While some teams/scouts will view his offensive upside as a positive, some teams/scouts may be worried he’s mainly focused on contributing up front, as opposed to playing a more defensive-minded game. In addition to that, he may need to focus on gaining some size in the offseason ahead. While he obviously can’t control his height, he can look to add a few pounds of muscle onto his frame, as he’ll be needing it going against older players in the NCAA next season. 

Overall Outlook

In conclusion, Aidan Hreschuk looks like a promising prospect for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He’s an offensive-minded defenceman with a beautiful skating stride and a deadly wrist shot. Based off the coverage I’ve seen of the player, I project he’ll be selected at some point in the mid to late second round.

Comparison

Torey Krug – Left Handed Defenseman, St. Louis Blues

In watching a decent sample size of his games the past couple of seasons, Hreschuk reminds me of a Torey Krug style of defenseman. Both players have similar offensive ability and possess excellent positioning and puck-moving ability. Krug and Hreschuk also share a likeness when it comes to size, as both are on the smaller scale when it comes to defenseman.

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: Fabian Lysell

Photo Credit – Frölunda HC

Frölunda, the Gothenburg based club, have been the pre-eminent force in Swedish hockey for the last 20 years. Since 2003 they have won four Le Mat Trophies, the most of any SHL club over that time-span. They have also been a breeding ground for NHL talent. Henrik Lundqvist, Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, John Klingberg, Loui Eriksson, Fredrik Andersen, Robin Lehner, Alexander Steen and Lars Eller are just some of the names that were developed at the Scandinavium Arena. In the last 10 drafts no less than 34 players have been drafted from their pipe-line.

Yet the current crop of Gothenburg talent might be the deepest ever. Their J-20 team right now has potential first round picks on the third line. But when you tune in to watch the lavish riches of talent that take the ice each game one player stands out. While Red Wings prospect Theodor Niederbach dissects a game clinically, Winnipeg Jets winger Daniel Torgersson over-powers all in his wake, and potential top five pick Simon Edvinsson effortlessly breezes up and down ice, a diminutive winger is the one who is hard to direct your gaze away from.

Fabian Lysell is Frölunda through and through. He has played for three teams since he first put on skates. His youth teams Bäcken HC and Hovås HC are within 10 miles of the Scandinavium, and at 14 years old Lysell made the move every Gothenburg hockey acolyte dreams of, and donned the famous red jersey.

His ascension since then has been meteoric. He played u-18 level at 14 years old, and u-20 level at 16 years old. Lysell also made mincemeat of international competition with 32 points in just 22 junior international games. And saying he is fun to watch while he does that is an understatement.

Player Profile

D.O.B – January 19, 2003
Nationality – Sweden
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –5’10
Weight –176 lbs
Position – Left Wing/Right Wing
Handedness – Right

Lysell’s Style Of Play

Dynamic is an understatement when it comes to Lysell. His combination of hands and speed are breath-taking. It is rare for even an experienced, skilled, NHL player to have the puck control, poise and confidence to make the moves Lysell does with ease in full-stride. Puck-on-a-string comes to mind. His feel make it seems like he was born with a stick in his hands, or simply that it is an extension of his body itself. Even good defensemen at the u-18 international level get a deer-in-headlights look when Lysell picks their side of ice to attack. For good reason. He often makes them look like pee-wee players as they end up a foot-note in an ever expanding highlight reel.

Then there is his finishing. Not only can he carve through a whole team, but when he gets to the slot or goal-mouth he is clinical. He has a good release that is deceptive. It seems at times as though he is only half-way through a move when he turns his hands back over and flicks a puck past a statue-esque goalie. His wrist-shot is lethal, and his back-hand is amongst the best of any draft eligible. What is scary is that he could improve his technique on his shooting as well. He overbalances at times and the velocity is reduced as a result.

But he is not just a speedy sharp-shooter with silky hands. His beautiful touch extends to his passing. That combined with a natural lane-finding ability that Nicklas Bäckström would not be disappointed with means he is a threat from everywhere. He can find his team-mates anywhere on ice, and shred defenses who manage to keep his speed and shot on the rush in check on the cycle.

So, you ask, what are the downsides to his game? With his all-around explosive offensive tools there has to be a down-side? Well… yes. But maybe not where you would expect.

Defensively he works hard, and is great at picking off passes, disrupting lanes, and turning defense into offense. While no stalwart I would argue that he is at very worst “average” defensively for a winger his age. He is not physical in the slightest, which may draw some into the conclusion he does not commit enough in his own end… but when you key in on him he hustles hard inside his half of ice, and can cover for his center when they get caught up ice. With increased size and strength he could be a positive in his own zone even in the NHL. He has a broad frame for his height, and should be able to add weight going forward without losing any dynamism.

The area he does need to improve in though is, well, to play a more mature game at times. It might simply be that at the u-18, and even u-20, level the level of competition is simply too easy for him, but he can over-do things in terms of trying one move too many and play going the other way when there were better options. At times it appears as though he has to have seen a good passing opportunity, or a high percentage cycle play, but simply decides to take on three or four players anyway. Puck-management being more consistent is a must.

Some question if his hockey IQ matches his skill as a result, but I don’t believe there is any real cause for concern there long-term. He will soon be playing pro-level hockey in Sweden, and learn what he can and cannot get away with vs hardened professionals. At the junior levels he has no cause to alter how he approaches the game right now due to his overwhelming success.

Lysell’s draft position might be tempered simply by the fact he is in a very deep junior set-up where he does not get the ice-time he would elsewhere, and his lack of SHL minutes as well. He also might not get to show what he can do at the international level with the global situation right now. But make no mistake. Lysell is certainly a top 10 talent, and a player who could develop into a true game-breaker down the line. With the opulence of ability in the 2021 draft it may well be that Lysell falls into the 11-15 range. If he does the team who snaps him up will be laughing all the way to his first 30 goal season.

Comparison

Artemi Panarin, Left Wing, New York Rangers

It might seem a lofty comparable. But squint when you watch them play and you could mistake them for each other. Both righties who can bomb down the wing. Both similar in stature. Both love to embarrass opponents with feats of magical stick-handling. Both with very similar wrist-shots technique-wise. Both see the ice and can thread a pass. And both work hard in their own zone and excel at lane disruption. Will Lysell ever be the player the Russian dynamo is? It is doubtful. But a Panarin-redux can still be a special player.

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!

Scouting Report: Zachary L’Heureux

Photo Credit – Daniel St. Louis

Zachary L’Heureux is a 2021 NHL Draft eligible prospect, who hails from Mercier, Quebec (a stone’s throw from the Honoré Mercier Bridge, which connects Châteauguay/Mercier with Lasalle). L’Heureux played midget and bantam hockey for Lac St-Louis Grenadiers and the Châteauguay Grenadiers.

L’Heureux was initially drafted by the Moncton Wildcats in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft at pick #3. His 2019-2020 season was his QMJHL rookie season and he lead the league in rookie scoring with 53 points (20 goals and 33 assists). At the 2019-2020 QMJHL Trade Deadline, the Halifax Mooseheads and the Moncton Wildcats struck a deal in which Benoit-Olivier Groulx (Anaheim Ducks prospect) and Jared McIssac (Detroit Red Wings prospect) joined Moncton. But, the deal was not completely finalized until after the QMJHL season when Elliot Desnoyers (Philadelphia Flyers prospect) and L’Heureux was dealt to Halifax.

So far this season, L’Heureux has tallied six goals and six assists in 11 games played. He has been featured on the top line for the Mooseheads and typically plays alongside Robert Orr (2021 NHL Draft prospect, no relation to Boston Bruins great Bobby Orr) and Desnoyers.

Recently, he was given a four game suspension after engaging in a fight after a blind side hit. The suspension was likely longer than usual because the play had been blown dead and the referee had already raised his arm to indicate that there was a penalty on the play.

Player Profile

D.O.B – May 15, 2003
Nationality – Canada
Draft Eligibility – 2021
Height –5’11
Weight –196 lbs
Position – Left Wing
Handedness – Left

L’Heureux’s Style Of Play

To kick things off, I wanted to first take a look at some statistics. In the first chart, you will see a list of QMJHLers and their goals per 60, primary assists per 60 and scoring chances per 60. The data includes all 2020-2021 regular season games and pre-season games. In addition, there are other QMJHLers that we could add like Zachary Bolduc from the Rimouski Oceanic, but the sample size for Bolduc is not big enough. The issue is that many QMJHL clubs had to shut down and postpone games due to COVID-19, so there are more QMJHL talent that we could not compare L’Heureux’s data to at this time. But, with that being said, the chart indicates that L’Heureux has the highest goals per 60 and the highest scoring chances per 60 of the draft eligibles on this list. But, his primary assists per 60 is on the lower end of the scale.

Statistics from InStat Hockey, Data as of November 16, 2020 (Includes QMJHL Pre-Season Games)

In the second chart, you will find a comparison chart. The chart is comparing Alexis Lafreniére (New York Rangers prospect)’s first 11 regular season games in his draft year to L’Heureux’s first 11 games in his draft year. Since L’Heureux is the premier QMJHL draft eligible forward for the 2021 NHL Draft, we wanted to show you a data comparison. L’Heureux has been less effective in his first 11 regular season games, but he is registering a higher scoring chances per 60 (at even strength as well).

Statistics From InStat Hockey (First 11 regular season games from draft year)

But, let’s move away from the statistics and hone in on his playing style. What I love about L’Heureux is his transitional play. In the neutral zone, L’Heureux is constantly finding open lanes and gaps that he can exploit. He will find open lanes to provide his teammates with a low trafficked avenue to pass the puck through. Given how dangerous L’Heureux is at driving to the net and pilling up high danger scoring chances, his transitional play allows him to start his magic from the blueline.

From a defensive and forechecking perspective, L’Heureux’s game has evolved quite a bit from his midget and bantam days. Back then, L’Heureux’s primary position was center and he tended to be a bit more aggressive with his defensive and forechecking. In fact, he was still pretty aggressive with his play last year in Moncton even though he was on the wing at the time. While his play has relaxed slightly, he is still a robust defender, who opts to play zone defense. Like most wingers, his zone is from the blueline to the perimeter. When he is in his zone, he will still show aggression even though it is less than what it was previously. With that being said, L’Heureux will deliver open ice hits in an effort to silence the cycle and regain possession of the puck. Below, you will find an example of L’Heureux’s willingness to get gritty and deliver open ice hits to shut down the rush.

When it comes to his hands, L’Heureux is an efficient stickhandler, especially when he is driving to the net. Sometimes, his stickhandling might seem a bit slow and sluggish, but keep in mind that L’Heureux logs quite a bit of time on ice and his shifts can be quite long especially on the powerplay. In the below clip, you will see an instance where he L’Heureux had a long shift and still stickhandled efficiently when driving to the net. Due to the length of the shift, his glide was a bit wide but that is to be expected when you are on the ice for 80 seconds (as François Brosseau pointed out in his tweet). Even though L’Heureux was tired, he still drove hard to the net and managed to navigate around the Moncton attack.

In the offensive zone, L’Heureux thrives in the low slot/doorstep. Most of his primary assists and goals come down low. When you sift through quite a bit of his primary assists, you will notice that quite a few of them are a result of rebound shots. L’Heureux is deceptive. He knows exactly how to generate a quality rebound chances when his teammates have stormed the crease.

While he generates quite a bit of primary assists in the slot, I have noticed that when he is further out and past the perimeter that he struggles with long range passing. Instead of delivering a crisp tape-to-tape feed, his passes tend to be placed a bit further up. It appears that his Halifax teammates are well-aware of his passing struggles, so they will often assume where the puck is headed and quickly skate up to that spot to ensure that the pass is completed.

The only other attribute that needs further development is his puck control. In some instances, L’Heureux struggles with puck possession when facing quite a bit of pressure. In addition, I would like to see L’Heureux use his stickhandling more often when facing traffic. When L’Heureux is facing pressure on the half-wall and in the corners, he doesn’t use his stickhandling like he does when he drives to the net. I would like to see L’Heureux pivot and puck-handle away from the attack.

While L’Heureux has some attributes that needs to be ironed out, I want to talk about how lethal his wrist shot is. He has solid range with his wrist shot and will use it quite a bit in the mid to high slot. The Montreal-based prospect can go top shelf with his wrist shot and the accuracy is quite strong. With his open stick blade, L’Heureux has more control of where the puck goes and constantly uses it to his advantage to get the puck over the net-minder’s glove.

Last, but not least, let’s address L’Heureux’s skating. His stride extension is not too long and the recovery is not too wide. But, as we saw earlier, when L’Heureux is tired due to a longer shift, his glide becomes a bit wider. A wider glide can hurt your mobility, but we did not see any mobility issues in that particular shift because the penalty kill unit was also on the ice for a long period of time. In terms of L’Heureux’s speed, he can generate decent speed in transition. With his ability to pick up speed, he becomes a threat when driving from the blueline to the net. Also, his edge work allows him to shift at a moment’s notice away from an attacker when driving to the net. To be blunt, I do not see any concerns with his skating.

Discipline

*new section as of April 14, 2021*

As mentioned earlier, there have been issues of discipline. Unfortunately, L’Heureux has racked up quite a few suspensions throughout his 2020-2021 campaign.

As of April 14, 2021, the QMJHL has suspended Zachary L’Heureux for the fourth time this season. Not many players have been suspended multiple times across the QMJHL this season aside from Liam Leonard of the Saint John Sea Dogs and Nicholas Blagden of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. L’Heureux’s discipline is concerning. While his offensive production is very strong, his on-ice discipline has raised eyebrows at times. The NHL club who selects him on draft night will need to be patient and work with him on discipline.

Comparison

Jakub Voracek, Right Wing, Philadelphia Flyers

L’Heureux’s ability to fire quality wrist shots in the slot and generate quite a few high danger scoring chances reminds me of former Halifax Mooseheads winger Jakub Voracek. Voracek like L’Heureux does his dirty work down low and is highly efficient at driving towards the net.

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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