Photo Credit: Jan Malte Diekmann

Player Profile

D.O.B – May 17, 2002
Nationality – Germany
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 6’0
Weight – 172 lbs
Position – Left Wing/Right Wing
Handedness – Left

Reichel’s Style Of Play

Reichel shot up the rankings this year after coming into the season as a bit of an unknown outside of Europe. While a constant on junior national teams, he had played second fiddle to Peterka and Stützle, while also being less physically developed than both. But what he did in Berlin this year made everyone sit up and take notice. Only Goc and Stützle have ever really had better draft years in the DEL. The winger of Czech descent comes from a big hockey family, his dad Martin (Oilers 2^nd rounder, Olympics for Germany 02), uncle Robert (800+ games, 1^st liner, 93pt season Flames) and cousin Kristian (AHL, Jets) all played pro hockey.

Reichel’s game is constructed around his hockey IQ. Yes, the young German has great vision and impressive passing ability, but the foundations for where he wins on ice have been built due to what is between his ears. It is rare for an 18 year old to be capable of playing such a mistake free game, especially in a pro league, and especially when they go into every physical battle at a disadvantage. He patrols lanes well, has an active stick, and is more than capable of slotting in for his center in the defensive zone if they are caught up ice. Reichel is also a competent penalty killer while required to fulfill that role. It speaks volumes for how much he prides himself on the minutiae of his chosen profession that it is a surprise to see him out of position, caught up ice, or late to make a play.

Offensively he is a pass first player who skates very well, having both good speed and impressive agility. However, this year he has shown he can be a goalscorer when given the opportunity and a good play-making center. Despite being physically underdeveloped, Reichel thrives in the tough areas of ice. He possesses the uncanny ability to pop up around the net and crease with acres of daylight around him. His plus hands in tight mean that once he gets the puck within 5ft of the net it is a rarity for him not to effect a dangerous shot, even if being harangued by a defenseman. He works extremely hard over all 200ft of ice, but can lose battles vs pros due to size right now.

While he has legitimate top six upside, Reichel also feels a “safe” pick late in the first round. Unless his development trajectory alters enormously you would expect him to be at worst a solid NHL bottom six forward. Barring physical maturity there are no real major flaws to his game right now.

Comparison

Ondřej Palát, Left Wing, Tampa Bay Lightning

Reichel has the potential to become an NHL player in the mold of the Tampa Bay stalwart. The young German is a better skater than his Czech counterpart, but both have fantastic hockey IQ, high-end passing ability, and a strong 200-ft game. Furthermore, while both are pass-first players they have good hands and a shot that can cause goalies serious trouble. Neither is scared of going to the net-front and nabbing some dirty goals here and there, and have an instinctive ability of where to find space in the danger areas.

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

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Photo Credit: Malmö Redhawks

Player Profile

D.O.B – January 31, 2002
Nationality – Sweden
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 5’10
Weight – 165 lbs
Position – Left Wing/Right Wing
Handedness – Left

Magnusson’s Style Of Play

Magnusson was the second highest J20 scorer this year, and only really had Helge Grans for help for half the year, on a mediocre team that was not exactly high scoring. When he has played for the national junior team he has generally played a bottom six role as a utility player, but were it not for his age-group having a profligacy of talented wingers he would have had more spot-light there.

The small, shifty winger has good speed that he combines well with solid edge-work, meaning that he is very evasive. He uses his plus skating ability to make defensemen back up and lose their gaps with some regularity. Magnusson is also a naturally confident player who relishes attempting highlight reel plays. But despite having some real “panache” to his game Magnusson is no one-trick pony. He has some real snarl to him, and on the power-play this season was often utilized in a slot or net-front role despite being a smaller player. A tenacious fore-checker, the man from Trelleborg disrupts lanes well and is good at knocking passes out of mid-air and turning pucks over by pressuring defensemen. Each shift he injects the game with energy one way or another.

The Swede is also good penalty-killer who works hard when back-checking. He plays a simple but effective game inside his own blue-line, and in turn can be relied on in any phase of the game. Magnusson also has a nice release, soft, creative hands, and good vision that enables him to find team-mates regularly. While his skill level is not that of a future top six NHL player, Magnusson is just very-well rounded with noticeable hockey IQ even as a teenager. In turn it is easy to see him becoming a good, solid NHLer down the line as a middle six winger, more likely third line, but maybe a second line third wheel at times.

Comparison

Carl Hagelin, Left Wing, Washington Capitals

The Capitals winger has become a paradigm for what a depth NHL winger should be. Magnusson has the skill-set to make you think he could be an NHL player in that mold down the line. Both share above average puck skills and a good shot, but really “win” due to the combination of speed, smarts and determination they possess. Like Hagelin, Magnusson is a good defensive player who is dangerous on the penalty-kill, and always plays the game with an air of resoluteness to him.

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

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Photo Credit: Vännäs HC

Player Profile

D.O.B – July 17, 2002
Nationality – Sweden
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 5’10
Weight – 187 lbs
Position – Left Wing/Right Wing
Handedness – Left

Tellström’s Style Of Play

Tellström came out of absolutely no-where this year. However, this has seemingly been more of a question of opportunity as opposed to ability. The young Swede was never picked up by a professional team before this year, so carved out a youth career in “second rate” junior leagues, being one of the best players for his age in the J18 Elit last season. Despite this, hockey is in his blood, with father Johan an ex-SHL pivot.

This year he started in the Swedish third men’s tier, HockeyEttan, with Vännäs HC. He promptly destroyed the competition, having the best production for an u-18 in close to 20 years at that level, with over point-per-game against men at a semi-pro level. Players who produce at that level, or even P/GP+ at 17 in HockeyEttan usually end up as at least good SHLers, Tre Kronar players etc. His play meant he was picked up by his father’s old club Luleå HF at mid-season, and made his SHL debut in March as a 13^th forward, just before the season prematurely ended. Tellström is almost certainly a winger going forward, but he spent parts of the year playing center for both Vännäs and the Luleå J-20 team.

In terms of his skill-set, the young forward skates very well, and is very shifty. He uses this ability to put defensemen on the back-foot when coming up ice with the puck. Tellström also has a good hockey IQ, and as a result can find gaps in play and get to danger areas with ease. When you combine this with the fact he has a powerful wrist-shot with a quick release it is easy to see why he was so dangerous even against men. On the power-play he usually sets up off the right half-boards, and looks for one timers and quick wrist-shots. He can use his agility in man-up situations to deceive defensemen and walk in closer for even higher danger chances. Tellström also has decent hands that he can use at speed, and it is not uncommon to see him drive past defensemen up the wing before cutting in on goal. He is also strong on the puck for his size and fore-checks well.

In terms of what the man from close to the Finnish border needs to work on? Right now he can hesitate to make a play at times and end up either shooting or passing later than he should, negating a good chance. Additionally, while he works hard defensively he can be overwhelmed physically and sometimes get behind the play.

Comparison

Jesper Bratt, Left Wing, New Jersey Devils

Tellström and Bratt were both underrated going into their draft year, but that is not the only thing the two Swedes share. On the power-play they are virtually a mirror of each other, setting up in the same spot on the right side and possessing a very similar release both on their wrist-shot and slap-shot. There are also echos of Bratt’s game in Tellström at 5v5. Both use their high end speed to beat men on the rush with regularity, though Bratt is the flashier of the two. They also mirror each other with their ability to find lanes in the offensive zone, and their diligent fore-checking. The Devil’s forward can also be overwhelmed physically like Tellström. However, Tellström is a stronger, more instinctive defensive player than Bratt.

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

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Photo Credit: Maurice Parrée

Player Profile

D.O.B – April 22, 2000
Nationality – Austria
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 5’9
Weight – 165 lbs
Position – Left Wing/Center
Handedness – Left

Baumgartner’s Style Of Play

This is the third time that the Austrian forward has been draft eligible, and it has been somewhat of a surprise no team has taken a flyer on him before. Baumgartner and Marco Rossi have been a great one-two punch for the Austrian junior international teams for years now. The culmination of that (without Rossi) was that this year Baumgartner was the top scorer in the WJC D1A with 11 points in 5 games to garner his nation promotion.

At the pro level for Davos this year, Baumgartner was comfortably the top u-20 scorer in the NLA. His 0.73 P/GP was almost triple what any other NLA regular his age or younger could achieve. It is also worth noting that those numbers were suppressed due to his role. He started the year in the bottom six and hardly got any power-play time on a good team.

In terms of skill set Baumgartner is a plus skater with great edge-work and a nice burst that means he can pull away from opponents once he gets separation. He also possesses soft hands that, combined with good vision, mean he can feather beautiful passes to danger areas and anticipate openings that not many players see. He is a play-maker first and foremost, though he has a decent shot when he uses it. Additionally, he is by no means scared to go to danger areas, even though he is a bit undersized. While diligent defensively, he does not possess instinctively high defensive zone awareness, and there is no doubt that going forward he will be a winger both in Europe and if he can reach the NHL. He could play in the AHL right now and more than hold his own.

However, the big question with Baumgartner is whether he may fall into the “tweener” category. Not quite good enough offensively for a top six NHL role, but not good enough defensively for a bottom six role. If a team drafts him though they are getting a player who may well be an NHL third line level player in the next 18 months.

Comparison

Tyler Ennis, Left Wing, Edmonton Oilers

The Oilers winger and the young Austrian have a myriad of similarities in their games. Like the undersized Ennis, Baumgartner is a terrific skater, especially in tight when he uses his agility. Both have high-end hands, brilliant vision and can find lanes with seeing eye passes. Additionally, despite both being diminutive they have some fire in them, and drive to the net hard and relish physical battles, even if they are not favorite to win. They also both have a solid defensive game.

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

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Photo Credit: Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Cole Perfetti? More like Goal Perfetti. (I wouldn’t blame you if you shut down your computer after that).

Few prospects have been as fun to follow over the past 2-3 years than Perfetti, one of the top offensive threats from the 2002-born CHL class. Regardless of league, Perfetti’s primary points-per-estimated-60 of 4.11 was good for fifth among all eligible first-year draft prospects, moving up a spot to fourth among primary points-per-game with a 1.39 rating. That’s all thanks to an impressive 111-point sophomore campaign, a year after leading all OHL rookies with 37 goals and 74 points on a Saginaw team that came close to advancing to the league final.

Perfetti entered his draft year as one of the top prospects and he hardly disappointed. He started by winning gold with Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in August, highlighted by a tournament-leading eight goals and 12 points in just five contests. He then turned that opportunity into a shot at Canada’s World Junior Championship team at camp in December, and while he struggled to find his groove against older competition, Perfetti proved he could at least hang with the best.

Let’s dig a bit deeper into Perfetti’s abilities:

Player Profile

D.O.B – January 1, 2002
Nationality – Canada
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 5’10
Weight – 185 lbs
Position – Center
Handedness – Left

Perfetti’s Style Of Play

Two years ago, you wouldn’t be blamed if you only noticed Perfetti for his innate scoring ability. Perfetti’s 52 goals were by far the most of any GTHLer in 2017-18, with just Brennan Othmann (Shane Wright’s teammate in Don Mills in 2018-19) beating Perfetti’s goal-count since 2015-16. Perfetti scored 37 goals as an OHL rookie, which, at the time, was the most scored by a U-17 player over the past decade before Wright upped the bounty with 39 this season. So, yes, scoring is a major part of Perfetti’s game. Perfetti’s wrist shot has been among the most dangerous in the entire CHL since his graduation to major junior, and he’s no slouch when getting off a slap shot or a one-timer. At this point, I will confidently say that the only players with a more impressive wrist shot in the draft are Alexis Lafrenière (projected No. 1) and Alexander Holtz (potential top five pick), if that tells you anything about Perfetti’s hard, lethal snipe.

Cole Perfetti has Canada's first goal of the tournament after a pass from Jamie Drysdale. The location will surprise nobody. #HlinkaGretzkyCup pic.twitter.com/ihMROWT7Nm

— Steven Ellis (@StevenEllisTHN) August 5, 2019

But to make the most of his scoring abilities, he needs to put himself in those situations. Fortunately, Perfetti has the speed and hands to make high-reward plays at a quick rate, and he can contain possession on both the forehand and backhand with equal ease. While Perfetti’s goal-scoring abilities have never been questioned, his play-making maneuvers have been steadily improving over the past few seasons. In the past, he may have given up a good passing opportunity to instead force a shot on net, but as he’s gotten more patient and smart with the puck, Perfetti has nearly “perfected” the other aspects of his offensive game. That’s why, despite sitting at 37 goals for the second consecutive year, Perfetti increased from 37 assists to 74 this season in what was seen as a big development year for the dominant offensive weapon. Perfetti’s 33 primary assists at even strength were the most in the CHL among draft-eligible prospects. In fact, his 62 even strength primary points bested Lafrenière’s 59 for the CHL lead, so few kids his age were able to keep up with Perfetti’s numbers at five-aside.

Since Perfetti is so confident with the puck, he’s not afraid to let his creative side show. It’s not uncommon for him to make a behind-the-back pass and make it stick because his goal-scoring nature allows him to predict where others around him will go to finish off a play. He’s by no means a one-trick-pony: sometimes, he’ll forego a simple pass to a rushing defenseman to instead set up a defender and use it as a way of moving towards the net himself to pick up a rebound or make a future pass. In times where he’s outnumbered, Perfetti will play mind games with defense to drag them out of position – he’s always a main talking point for opposing coaches – as long as it means it helps out the team around him.

You can’t help but adore Perfetti’s power-play prowess. When you give him the extra space and time to work with, he’ll unleash his accurate wrist shot, he’ll find a way to make it work. Perfetti’s 19 primary points with the mad advantage were good for fifth in the OHL among draft-eligible prospects, but he also finished second among shorthanded points with four – two goals and two assists. He did most of his damage to the right of the net, shooting directly around the right faceoff dot without much competition around him. Teams started to adjust and hung a winger near Perfetti’s hotspot, but he often got his shots off quick enough to capitalize on the extra room.

Circling back to the skating front, Perfetti has good footwork and can make plays at a good speed, but his overall skating needs work. He doesn’t have a high top speed and will sometimes be caught standing still and watching the action around him. He’s good in spurts and can handle himself in stop-start situations quite nicely, and he can use his feet to avoid getting hit along the boards, but his lack of high-end speed is what bounces him down a few notches despite his strong offensive numbers. Perfetti’s skating is by no means a detriment to his overall skill level, but it isn’t at the point now where he can use it to his advantage just yet. I wouldn’t be surprised if he needs a year in the AHL following major junior to help work on that, but he’s got a good foundation to build around and should improve under NHL coaching.

Perfetti’s defensive game isn’t a standout quality, but it doesn’t need to be. Perfetti doesn’t have the size to throw a big hit and can be beaten in front of the net by a stronger opponent, but Perfetti, at the very least, can use his smart decision-making to fool the other team’s forwards and pick off a pass somewhere in the middle of the zone. Again, there are times where I’d like to see him get more engaged, but he wants the puck at all times, so he’ll typically find a way to retrieve it.

Comparison

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, C, Edmonton Oilers

A scout gave me this comparison at the start of the season, and as the year went on, it quickly became clear why. Neither are big centermen, both came from a high-scoring background but eventually improved their play-making game and creativity isn’t an issue. According to Byron Bader’s Hockey Prospecting tool, Perfetti had the draft-year NHLe edge with 45 points over Nugent-Hopkins’ 38, and I personally think Perfetti is more gifted with the puck, so expect many 65-75-point runs in Perfetti’s future.

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This prospect report was written by Steven Ellis. If you would like to follow Steven on Twitter, his handle is @StevenEllisNHL.

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Photo Credit: Saana Hakala

Player Profile

D.O.B – January 11, 2002
Nationality – Finland
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 5’9
Weight – 172 lbs
Position – Left Wing/Right Wing
Handedness – Right

Simontaival’s Style Of Play

Simontaival is a real joker in the pack for this draft. There is no doubt that in terms of “natural” talent he is a first round level player. Just a couple of years ago he was already being talked about as a likely top ten pick for this draft. However, injuries have plagued him over the last two years. There are also legitimate concerns that he has not actually developed very much since he turned 16.

His skating is neither explosive or overly agile for his size, however, Simontaival really knows how to skate with a puck. He instinctively understands where to position himself and the puck in order to maintain possession even though he is undersized. This can lead to him being a puck-hog at times, and making poor decisions trying to find a perfect seam instead of a higher percentage play, but it is impressive to watch. His hands are where he really wins. The Tampere native makes you think he can probably do anything he wants with the puck on his stick. This ability transfers itself well when it comes to his passing game. He also has all the shots. Slap, snap, wrist and backhand are all pluses for his age. Simontaival is also not afraid to battle in the offensive zone, but he is not very good once he gets physically engaged. In the defensive zone he can look un-engaged and unaware at times, losing his man and getting drawn to the puck without understanding the coverage he should be in. Overall he is the kind of player that in five years it would be no surprise to see as a 60-point NHLer… and also no surprise to see as a second line Liiga winger. Boom or bust is often bandied about, but with Simontaival it is apt.

Comparison

Jonathan Marchessault, Forward (has lined up at Center, Left Wing and Right Wing), Vegas Golden Knights

Both the Finn and his Canadian counterpart share several tendencies and skills in regards to their offensive game. Like the Vegas winger, Simontaival has a wicked shot that he can get off from anywhere. Additionally, both have sets of mitts that can baffle opponents, and the hand-eye coordination to tip pucks home from danger areas. Despite their size they do not mind battling on the boards and at the net-front either. They both also possess high-end passing ability, and an instinctive understanding of how to get free in the slot and near the net. In terms of weaknesses, neither are the fastest for their size, and both are sub-par in their own zone.

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

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Photo Credit: Luleå Hockey

Noel Gunler is coming off of a strong campaign with Luleå HF. In 45 games played, the Luleå, Sweden native tallied four goals and nine assists. While the offensive numbers might not be as high as junior players in Canada or the United States, we need to keep in mind that there are several factors in play that make it more challenging for a prospect like Gunler to have comparable numbers to Marco Rossi, Jack Quinn, Dawson Mercer and others. One, in the SHL, more than often, players with seniority get more minutes and that means that players who are playing in the SHL for the first or second season end up getting less ice time. Several of the other Swedish draft prospects playing in the SHL this season like Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz averaged similar minutes to Gunler. Second, you have to keep in mind that the SHL is not a junior hockey league. It is the highest level of hockey being played in all of Sweden. Prospects in the SHL need some time to get their feet wet. It is similar to how prospects get their feet wet in the NHL. We rarely ever see a team throw a rookie prospect on their first or second line. They need time.

Aside from his play in the SHL this season, Gunler did suit up for Luleå HF J20 (SuperElit) and tallied six points in four games. While he had success at the junior level and at the SHL level, Sweden did not have Gunler as part of their World Junior team. But, Gunler was not the only promising Swedish draft prospect who did not make the cut. Zion Nybeck of HV71 and Emil Andrae of HV71 were not part of Sweden’s World Junior team. The only draft eligible prospects who appeared for Sweden at the World Juniors were Holtz and Raymond.

Player Profile

D.O.B – October 7, 2001
Nationality – Sweden
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 6’2
Weight – 174 lbs
Position – Right Wing/Left Wing
Handedness – Right

Gunler’s Style Of Play

When you flip on a Luleå game and catch #8 Noel Gunler, you see how quickly he can accelerate. Gunler’s speed is one of the best in the 2020 NHL Draft class. He can light up the jets pretty quickly. He favors his left foot when he starts picking up speed.

Not only is Gunler quite fast and possesses a great stride, but his crosses and edge work are in fine form as well. At times, his turning radius might appear to be a bit on the bigger side, but he has the ability to complete tight turns from time-to-time. It is just on occasion where Gunler might take a bit of larger turn.

One of the attributes that Gunler excels at is his shot. His accuracy is excellent and when I say excellent, I mean that Gunler will be an accuracy specialist at quite a few NHL All-Star Game competitions. When Gunler is shooting, he will more than often rely on his wrist shot and does a great job at pin-pointing the best corner or angle for success.

While Gunler is a strong shooter, his passing is nothing to sneeze at. Even when completing a button hook turn, Gunler is still capable of firing a crisp cross ice pass to a defender rushing into the offensive zone. He can complete a swift saucer zone exit pass into the neutral zone and a lethal swing pass when in transition.

But, there are instances in which Gunler’s decision-making leads to some inaccurate passing. For example, there are sequences in which Gunler is on a 2-on-1 and the pressure is tight and instead of passing in the slot to his teammate, he tries to go too deep into the slot and can not execute a shot or a pass due to the pressure. While that might not look too favorably for Gunler, you have to keep in mind that many prospects at his age are ironing out their decision-making. Jean-Luc Foudy of the Windsor Spitfires gets into similar situations himself. It is all about learning from your mistakes.

From an aggression/physicality perspective, Gunler is not as aggressive as fellow draft eligible prospect, Lucas Raymond, but he is still is a reliable fore-checker/back-checker. He is not as consistent as Raymond when it comes to pressure. There are shifts in which Gunler sits back and then there are shifts where he is applying pressure along the half-wall and behind the net. In addition, when Gunler is challenging his opponent for the puck, he loves a slightly bigger gap than Raymond, but as I said Gunler is slightly weaker when applying pressure. Before I continue, that is not a knock on Gunler. There are not many prospects in this draft class that possess the high-octane pressure that Raymond will deliver from shift-to-shift.

Even though there are instances in which Gunler gives up a bit too much room, he will make up for it with tight blue-line pressure in his own zone. In the second clip that I posted, you can check out Gunler putting solid pressure on his opponent and then stealing the puck.

All-in-all, there is a lot to like about Gunler. His speed, stride and shot are his strongest components and are only likely to get better.

Comparison

A mixture of Jordan Eberle, Right Wing, New York Islanders and Phil Kessel, Right Wing, Arizona Coyotes

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stats from eliteprospects.com

Photo Credit: Jarno Hietanen / KOOVEE

Järventie had a ridiculous season in Mestis this year, on a pretty mediocre team. He managed to accumulate the most points ever for u-18 player and did not look out of place versus men. Järventie comes from a hockey family. His father Martti played one solitary game in the NHL for the Canadiens, and carved out a 20 year Liiga career as a defenseman.

Player Profile

D.O.B – August 8, 2002
Nationality – Finland
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 6’2
Weight – 185 lbs
Position – Left Wing
Handedness – Left

Järventie’s Style Of Play

Järventie has a great combo of size and speed, meaning he can be a juggernaut on the puck up the wing. He makes the kind of plays that can get GM’s, or anyone who loves “old-school” hockey salivate. At times you think you are back in the 90s when the big teenager decides to go through a defenseman instead of around them. He also has a brilliant shot and loves to let it fly. On the power-play he can look like a left-handed Ovechkin when he sets up off the right half boards and hammers away. The young Finn will go to the net front and take the pain as well, playing with snarl both there and along the boards. Finn’s might often be characterized as ice-cool… but Järventie has some fire to him. The big winger is a decent passer, but who you should not expect to thread the needle too often, even if he tries from time to time. He has good hands when he decides to use him. At the next level he will likely be a “complementary” player alongside a play-making. While he can carry a puck he is never really the guy “driving” play. His hockey IQ is a question-mark, and his despite his physicality and tenacity in the offensive zone he can look like a different player inside his own blueline. The defensive aspects of his game have to improve going forward. Järventie is a project, but if he hits he could well be a second line, modern day “power-forward”.

Comparison

Brett Connolly, Right Wing, Florida Panthers

Like the Panthers winger, the young Finn is known for having a fantastic shot. He also has a big body, and utilizes his plus skating to create dangerous opportunities. While neither are the most aggressive players they get to the net well and are solid on the boards. Their issues are also similar too, as like Connolly, Järventie has a questionable hockey IQ and a below average defensive game. If the Tampere native hits in the NHL I would expect him to have a similar impact as middle six winger Connolly as well.

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Photo Credit: Marissa Baecker / Kelowna Rockets

Player Profile

D.O.B – April 16, 2002
Nationality – Czech Republic
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 5’10
Weight – 170 lbs
Position – Right Wing/Left Wing
Handedness – Right

Novák’s Style Of Play

Novák is a shifty Czech winger who crossed the pond last summer to head to the WHL. What stands out when you watch Novák play is that he is a good skater, who is great at finding lanes in the offensive zone and creating space for himself. But he is not merely defined by his skating alone. He has a high skill level – which has been evidenced on numerous occasions at the highest levels of u-16, u-17 and u-18 international hockey, versus the best junior players on earth – with quick hands and an ability to control the puck well in full stride. Novák also has a solid shot that he can get off quickly when needed. Where he really wins though? Passing. No matter where he is on ice he finds tape all day long. This is supplemented by great vision and high IQ in the offensive zone, he can dissect plays developing and adapt what he is going to do to create high percentage chances. As a result, it is not rare to see a goal go in off the stick of one of his line-mates without the goalie having time to react.

The Czech winger is also fun to watch in the neutral zone. He is very effective at transitioning the puck up ice, and loves to get defensemen get on their heels by pushing play. He also has a real tendency to want to “get on his horse”. You can see him champing at the bit when off the puck, looking for opportunities to get up ice with speed. On the power-play he controls play well from the right boards, but also uses his puck-handling and vision to drift out to the blue-line to create seams.

But, there are some downsides to his game. He can play too much of a perimeter game at times, and while not “shy” when it comes to physical contact he is not generally a favorite to win a 1v1 board battle. At times he seems to lose plays in the neutral zone and defensive zone when off the puck, and his consistency shift-to-shift also needs improvement. In terms of NHL upside, he could well be a middle six winger down the line, who has the power-play ability to potentially be on a second unit.

Comparison

Andreas Johnsson, Left Wing, Toronto Maple Leafs

Like the Swedish winger, Novak is a smaller forward who relies on his speed, skill and energy to make an impact. Neither are great defensively even if they try in that area, and both can be found playing a perimeter game at times.

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Photo from Terry Wilson/OHL Images

Was Tyson Foerster this year’s most impressive draft riser? He’s definitley in the running.

Most public pre-season draft lists didn’t have Tyson Foerster ranked – or if they did, it was outside the top 100. Many scouts didn’t have much of a book on him. A 23-point rookie season left a lot to be desired, especially given how impressive he was with the Barrie Colts’ AAA minor midget team prior to the OHL draft in 2018. It was clear there was a pure level of skill that he didn’t showcase as a rookie, so a big sophomore campaign was in order.

Fortunately, he lived up to the expectations. Foerster exploded with 36 goals and 80 points as a sophomore, good for third among U-18 OHLers. Foerster’s primary points-per-60 of 1.02 was good for sixth among draft-eligible OHLers while finishing 33 points clear of the second top-scoring Colt.

Tyson Foerster had six points in the Barrie Colts 7-3 win over the Mississauga Steelheads last night. Foerster has 4G & 4A for 8 points in 4 games (tied for 5th in the OHL). Expect to see Tyson at the 2020 CHL Top Prospects Game in Hamilton on January 16th. @tfoerster8 #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/tOmPPhJEqV

— Ryan McArthur (@ryanpmcarthur) September 29, 2019

So it’s safe to say Foerster improved his fortunes, but that was more in line with what was expected of him when he was a third-round pick at the 2018 OHL draft. Foerster had 61 points in his minor midget AAA season and was one of the most impressive forwards at the OHL Cup to finish off the 2017-18 season thanks to a nine-point effort. One tthing was clear: Foerster, a big, skilled winger, knew how to create offense. He finally earned the praise he deserved, flying up the NHL’s Central Scouting Rankings from 41st among North American forwards at the halfway point of the season to 21st in the final rankings, and teams looking for a smart winger capable of hitting 40-50 points in the NHL some day could even consider him in the top 20.

Foerster showed true promise in 2019-20, so let’s take a closer look at why that was the case:

Player Profile

D.O.B – January 18, 2002
Nationality – Canada
Draft Eligibility – 2020
Height – 6’1
Weight – 194 lbs
Position – Center
Handedness – Right

Foerster’s Style Of Play

When the puck hits Foerster’s stick, watch out. With a strong, accurate release, Foerster possesses one of the most dangerous wrist shots among draft-eligible OHLers, and a high-volume shooter at that – his 3.63 shots-per-game was good for fifth among 2020 draft prospects from the OHL and his 149 even strength (sixth) and 71 power-play shots (first) made him a league leader. Equally as impressive, Foerster’s 19 primary assists was good for fifth behind a host of first-round prospects this year.

Like most notable goal-scorers, he’s proficient around the net and has no issue finding the right spot to plant himself in front of the crease to put pucks in the net. According to InStat, Foerster has a 60.3 percent success rate from the high slot, but Foerster’s a high-percentage shooter from the faceoff dots, too. His 59.6 percent shot attempt success-rate on the left faceoff dot is a big jump over Quinton Byfield’s 51.7 percent, while Cole Perfetti finished at 55.4 percent.

Why does this matter when the likelihood of a goal is limited? That’s usually true: six of Perfetti’s 37 goals came from the outside while Byfield found the back of the net just four times. Foerster had 10 goals from the perimeter – around 28 percent of his goals – but he still hit the net on 73 of his 122 attempts. Compare that to fellow Colt Aidan Brown, who had 19 goals to sit in team scoring (at 20 years old, nonetheless), and he connected on 38 of his 53 attempts – a better overall percentage, but with just one goal and much fewer shots. For further reference, Jack Quinn, who led all draft-eligible OHLers with 52 goals, had just four goals from the perimiter despite hitting the net on 75 shots (more than Foerster) on 120 attempts (fewer) – but nobody was better at capitalizing in the slot than Quinn. What does this tell us? It shows that, when compared to the OHL’s top prospects (sorry, Brown), Foerster is what’s considered a “confident” shooter and can be trusted in key scoring roles at the next level.

Specifically, when looking at the charateristics of Foerster’s shot, it’s his quick release – on a snap, slap or wrist attempt – that stands out among the rest of the OHL’s top prospects. When pulling off a one-timer, he tends to do so with fantastic accuracy, even when aiming from the off-wing. Once he gets the release off, you know exactly where it’s going – but it’s often too fast to get in the way. When you give him room on the power play, he’ll rip slap shots on net like you see from Alex Ovechkin, and that’s scary when you take into account how powerful his release is. And while he’s definitely a sharpshooter, Foerster loves to get creative when making passes and has the hands to keep up with the quick pace of a play. Scouts aren’t worried about his offensive abilities – he has all the makings of a 50-goal scorer in the OHL next season, but he just needs the help around him to achieve that.

There aren’t many complaints about Foerster’s game in the defensive zone. At tthe very least, he’ll cheat a bit closer to the blueline to get an edge on a defender on the reverse scoring chance, but Foerster is rarely out of position when utilized in tight siutations and has solid defensive zone awareness.

One of the biggest knocks on his overall game – and a reason he isn’t ranked higher on public draft boards – is his skating. It’s not bad, per say, but it’s underwhelming. He’ll often get beat in short burst situations due to a low acceleration speed and mid-range top speed. He can hold his own against other top players in this regard, but it’s what’s really seperating him from an extra 10 draft spots, given the speed posessed by many first-round prospects. That was especially noticeable at the CHL Top Prospects Game, and while he was one of the game’s top players, he lost his fair share of battles trying to gain control of the puck. His current speed is managable, but taking it to the next step will open up many more opportunities.

Comparison

Radek Dvorak, RW (Various NHL teams)

Dvorak was never a big point-producer in the NHL, but he was a reliable two-way forward that teams could easily count on to be an effective secondary scorer. Dvorak had a powerful shot that he wasn’t afraid to unleash from anywhere on the ice, matching Foerster’s biggest strength. Dvorak hit the 50-point mark on a handful of occasions, and that’s a realistic expectation for Foerster after a few years of further development.

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