Hey Guys,  

 

I've been a big fan for quite a few years now, but never been one to really write in, although I always feel like I have a lot to say. I love how you have achieved that balance between eye test/analytics, Pan's raw emotion vs Cardinal's colder more analytical approach all while Canuck is sprinkling in underappreciated puns and jabs.  

 

Anyway, I prepared this email for some of my friends who don't follow the draft quite as closely as I do, and thought you may be interested. I took a few scouting reports that I subscribe to and combined them into one email for each of our prospects. It's extremely long, but hopefully you guys can get some value from it. 

 

Keep up the great work!

 

Andrew

 

 

The tables are taken directly from a publication, so the grade and the ranking are not mine. The scores in each category are based on the following scale:

 

3 -Poor, 4- Below Average, 5 -Average, 6 - Good, 7 - Very Good, 8 - Excellent, 9 - Elite

 

The ratings comprise the following:

- Hockey Sense: Decision Making; Anticipation; Playmaking/vision; Deception; Processing Speed; Creativity; Spatial Awareness; Tempo

- Compete: Work Ethic; Attack the net; Consistency; First on pucks; Backcheck; Shot blocking; Playing Inside; Toughness

- Skill: Shot Power; Shot Release; Shot Accuracy; Puck Protection; Passing; Stickhandling; Scoring Ability

- Skating: Quickness; Speed; Balance; Mobility; Mechanics; Backwards skating

- Misc.: Height; Weight; Strength; Endurance; Athleticism

 

The draft grade they use is more a projection to what round they believe the player should be drafted: A (rd. 1), B (rd. 2-3), C (rd. 4-7)

 

Sources:

- HockeyProspect.com (HP)

- Future Considerations Hockey (FC)

- Corey Pronman of the Athletic (CP)

- Video scouting report by Draft Dynasty

 

 

1. TIM STÜTZLE, 3rd overall, LW/C, Manheim of the DEL, 41GP-7G-27A-34PTs-12 PIM (Video Scouting Report; Highlight Package)

 

HP: Ranked #2 - Stützle is an electrifying, quick-strike, line-driving winger who is one of the most talented players in this draft class. Stützle has the potential to take over a game on his stick with the way he processes the game. Tim is a take-over artist who features the right mix of game breaking instincts and confidence needed to become a star at the highest level. He’s exceptional at making an accurate and sharp pass while looking off his target. His head movement doesn’t allow opponents the ability to read his intentions. His elite playmaking counteracts aggressive opponents, in the time it takes them to close the distance, he’s already evaluated and identified multiple options. His anticipation melds into his deception, spatial- awareness and vision. Together they form a player who manipulates the ice-surface like very few other prospects. It’s the technical element of his passes that really separate him from the masses. The other element to his game that allows him to dictate the on-ice conditions of a given play, is his willingness to attack the dirty areas of the ice. What makes his deking exceptional is how coordinated he is with his hands while in motion. This makes him look erratic at times, yet he’s controlled and calculated within his movements, making him very difficult for opposing defenses to read. Another impressive aspect of his puck-skills is how he can use his skating in conjunction with his stick.  Stützle is one of the most gifted skaters in this draft class both technically and physically.  He’s willing to expend his gas-tank on the backcheck and cover his defensive responsibilities at an adequate level.  He’s not an instinctive shooter and you could make an argument that he under utilizes his release, which is a contributing factor to his lower goal scoring output this season relative to his assist totals.

FC: Ranked #2 - "He generates impressive speed with every stride and can seemingly take the puck from the defensive zone to the offensive zone at will. His skating is on such a high level that he can make mistakes because he is able to catch up and make up for them. He has excellent puck skills, stick-handling his way through the neutral zone, attacking stagnant defenders with his elite speed and edgework and putting defenders on their heels. He has a lightning-quick release and a heavy shot that jumps off his stick. His passing is near the top of the class as well. He can thread the needle with the best of them. An offensive dynamo, he plays like a shark on the hunt when he doesn't have the puck on his stick, constantly flowing in and out of traffic, getting to the slot and driving the lane with ease. He provides an outlet for his defensemen by circling high in the offensive zone when the puck is at the point. He is defensively responsible and covers the defensive zone like a center, which he has some experience playing. He is generally the first forward back, even when he seems most out of the play and he does a good job of getting his stick in on the puck, disrupting passes and shots regularly. Overall, he plays with joy and loves creating scoring chances, and is at his best when he’s feeling the game in a natural sense instead of forcing elements."

 

CP: Ranked #3 - Stutzle was very impressive for a U18 player competing against men, as an important piece of one of the best teams in the German pro league and often leaned on in big moments. Stutzle is a dynamic offensive player who has a lot of NHL caliber components to his game. He’s a great skater. His speed is just above-average; his stride can look a bit sloppy in a straight line but he can challenge with speed. His edgework is elite, which is why he gets a high skating grade. He is fantastic at spinning off pressure and evading checks with his edges. Stutzle also has great hands. His ability to play high-end skill plays at quick speeds has made him so successful as a pro and distinguishes him as a prospect. He’s a very good passer who makes tough plays on the move, like with his stick handling. This gives him a game with a ton of pace and should allow him to be an impactful NHL forward. Stutzle’s not very physical, but he has a great compete level, often using his quickness to hunt down pucks. Even versus much bigger players in the DEL he won a surprising number of battles. Stutzle is officially listed as a winger, but he’s played center before, such as at the U18 worlds B pool as an underage where he won 58 percent of his draws, and he says he feels comfortable playing center.

 

 

2. JAKE SANDERSON, 5th overall, LD, US National Development Program, 47GP-7G-22A-29PTs-12PIM (Video Scouting Report)

 

 

HP: Ranked #5 - He’s the most complete defenseman in the draft. The driving factors that allow him to be as complete and as dominant as he ended up being down the stretch, are the result of his competitiveness, hockey sense and skating ability. His skating works in combination with his defensive acumen to form a player that was bordering on impossible to beat in one-on-one situations. Perhaps the most compelling way we can make our case is that if we were to pick one defender who might actually be able to suppress Connor McDavid from this class, it’s Sanderson. What allows Sanderson to be such a dominant defensive force is his ability to read transitional play in-front of him. He has excellent anticipation, spatial-awareness, and processing. This allows him to maintain and manage the most consistent gap featured out of the top end defenseman. The odd time he mismanages his gap, his skating ability comes into play and allows him a rapid rate of recovery.  Sanderson is far more than just a defensive force though. He’s a hybrid defender that can look like a modern-day puck rushing defenseman, just as much as he looks like a shutdown defender in his own end. The skating and spatial awareness allow him to weave in and out of traffic effortlessly. He was one of the best  transitional zone entry players we evaluated.  Although he was dominant in the second half of the season and we see him as the safest defenseman you can take in the draft, that doesn’t mean we don’t see some areas that limit his ceiling. For starters, he’s not going to be the next Cale Makar and his offensive ceiling most likely caps out as a good offensive player, not a dynamic one. Furthermore, although he plays a physical and high-paced style of hockey, he’s still limited to a small degree by his size and frame.  We view Sanderson as a top-pairing, all situation, big minute eater who can help win games at a better rate than almost any other player in this draft. 

 

 

FC: Ranked #12 - A highly mobile defenseman, Sanderson is incredibly athletic and has an incredible toolbox. Using his smooth skating to be a dynamic puck-moving defender, his hands and decision-making have steadily caught up with his feet. He’s incredibly elusive with the puck, able to turn on the jets and cut through traffic with ease. Gets up to speed in a hurry, both forward and backward, with long, smooth strides. Likes to take matters into his own hands and carry the puck for zone exits and entries. Defensive work is average, as he keeps a good gap and can recover into position quickly, but he lacks size and strength, and doesn’t seem to see the ice quite as well without the puck as when he has it. Turns over the puck at times, but that’s to be expected for a guy who has it on his stick as much as he does. Offensively, he exudes a lot of confidence and clearly wants to make a positive difference for his team. However, his decision-making is an issue, as his puck rushes often end up going right into dangerous areas before the puck ends up getting turned over and going the other direction. He uses his skating to get his shot through opposing defenders, though his shot itself and his passing are good but not elite. He mostly makes simple plays on the man-advantage because he doesn’t have enough creativity. Overall, he is a defender that has the potential to  combine mobility, strength, physical play and speed with a high-level vision and hockey IQ.

CP: Ranked #10 - Sanderson was leaned on as the top defenseman for the NTDP. He ended the season on a high note at the U18 Five Nations in February co-leading the tournament in scoring. He’s a great skating defenseman in all directions with size that allows him to make a ton of stops. His gap control is excellent, and he killed so many rushes with how well he closed on opponents. He’s also a physical player who shows no hesitancy to close on checks with his body. Sanderson’s top speed is very good, not elite, but he can lead rushes well and isn’t afraid to jump into the play. His edges are excellent, allowing him to spin off pressure, to pivot and walk the offensive blue line very well. He was the PP1 guy for USA, but the main question on him is his offensive upside. He has skill and can make a very good first pass, but I wouldn’t call him a dynamic playmaker. 

 

 

3. RIDLY GREIG, 28th Overall, C/LW, WHL, 56GP-26G-34A-60PTs-83PIM (Video Scouting Report)

 

 

HP: Ranked #14 - Greig is a high-octane, two-way winger who can get under an opponent’s skin. He’s one of the younger players in the draft, and he plays with a ton of energy. The energy he consistently brings to the table is complimented by a fearlessness to attack in waves. There are few players in this class who are more willing to attempt to penetrate through traffic then Ridly is. He can be a one-man show at times, attempting to shift, weave, and turn through opposing defenses on his way to the net. What’s even more impressive, is that there’s a maturity and a level of control featured in his game that allows the grit and determination aspects of him to really thrive.  His tenacity extends to his off the puck play. He instinctively creates pressure on the forecheck. He has good stick positioning and placement to force opposing defenses who are attempting outlet passes, into uncomfortable situations.  He has the mental approach to drive play, but the puck skills suggest a bit more of a complementary role, unless he can further refine them.  What doesn’t need as much refining is his playmaking and shooting ability. He’s a gifted playmaker who can make high-end passes using a combination of creativity and deception.  Another impressive aspect of Greig is that he can attack in a multitude of ways using his aforementioned skills. If he’s moving east-west, he’s dangerous. If he’s moving north-south, he’s dangerous. If he’s stationary or in motion or if he’s attacking directly or making an indirect no look play, he’s dangerous.  There’s not a whole lot that we don’t like about Ridly’s game.  There are few players who have a better floor than Greig, yet he brings so many positive elements that extend his ceiling. If he can find better game to game consistency and another skating gear, then a top-6 role is a potential outlook.

 

FC: Ranked #54 - A clever forward, though he won’t knock players away with his speed or skating abilities. While there aren’t many concerns with his straight-line speed, his transitions can be un-balanced, and he loses speed in turns. His offensive play is strong, and he utilizes his straight-ahead speed to gain the zone and then protects the puck well. His best offensive weapon is his shot, which is hard, accurate and comes off his stick quickly. He is clever with the puck on his stick and his quick hands allows him to be elusive and deceptive offensively. You can expect the unexpected with him in the offensive zone as he is a plus passer and disguises his intentions effectively. It seems like he could stand to improve the quickness of his feet and his ability to be deceptive and agile in tight spaces, and he could do a better job of using his linemates. His physical play is excellent, especially when he is crunching opposing defensemen along the boards on the forecheck. His effort could improve when he doesn’t have the puck. His penalty killing is solid and he patrols the top of the defensive zone with a sharp focus and smart positioning, and when he exits the zone with the puck, he can be an offensive threat. Some of his inconsistency is effort based, though there seems to be two versions of this player; one where he plays with the puck and routinely creates opportunity, and another where he brings physicality and sandpaper.

CP: Ranked #26 - Greig was an all-situations player for Brandon with 26 goals and 60 points in 56 games as an August 2002 birthdate.  He’s the kind of player who, if your team picks him, you’re going to love to watch him and he will drive opposing fans crazy. He’s a highly skilled player who shows a ton of confidence with the puck. He can beat defenders clean with consistency. He’s not a truly elite passer – although he does pass quite well – but I love his offensive creativity. He tries to make things happen and attempts plays you rarely see. He’s got a lot of edge to his game, too. Greig knocks opponents around, he scraps off the puck, he attacks the net and gets under people’s skin. The only true issue in his game is average skating ability. I think he has a powerful lower body so he has quickness, but the stride in itself is not technically smooth.

 

 

 

HP: Ranked #74 - Jarventie is a big kid who moves fairly well on the ice. He has a long, powerful stride, generating some good speed in straight lines. He’s not the most agile skater, though; he’ll need to improve his fluidity and lateral agility in the next few years. Physically, he’s more advanced than a lot of kids from this draft class. One of our biggest problems with Jarventie is regarding his consistency and effort level. His compete level varies greatly from game to game, and while he does make good use of his frame to protect the puck along the boards, he’s not considered a physical or aggressive player at all. His play away from the puck is very raw. He’s not a dumb player, but he’s not very useful to his team in his own zone and has a lot to learn. As far as goal-scoring goes, he’s the best prospect out of Finland in his draft class thanks in large part to his heavy, powerful shot and very quick release. His vision is fine, but we don’t see him in the playmaker role often. His bread and butter will always be his shot and ability to score goals. However, if he doesn’t score, he’s not very useful for his team, making him a one-dimensional player at this point in his development. If one were to only draft players based on their ability to shoot the puck and score goals, there is no doubt that Jarventie would be a first-round pick. However, the rest of his game scares us, therefore he’s ranked lower on our list.

CP: Ranked #51 - Jarventie had a strong season at the second division pro level in Finland with 23 goals in 36 games. At the international level he was up and down, with a good November U18 tournament, but he had indifferent appearances at the Hlinka Gretzky and February U18 tournament. Jarventie has size, and he uses it to his advantage. He has a good shot but got a lot of goals by going to the crease and making skilled plays around the net. He’s a very good passer, although I found he didn’t make many tough plays at pace, only really making tough distributions when the play slowed down. Speed is his main issue, as his skating is mediocre and is the reason some scouts are skeptical he’ll be able to produce at higher levels.

 

 

5. TYLER KLEVEN, 44th overall, D, US National Development Program, 45GP-2G-10A-12PTs-63PIM (Reverse Check highlight)

 

 

HP: Ranked # 71 - The physical defenseman is something of an old school rearguard compared to where the game has been tracking towards the last 15 years. Kleven has done a pretty fair job of being physically imposing while still maintaining his positional integrity, which is key for usefulness at higher levels. Under his big frame, he has a real good skating base complimented by surprising edgework. His hockey sense is ok, but there are some recognition opportunities that could definitely be improved. When he doesn’t step up and make a big hit, he actually gets pushed back pretty deep into his own end. Beyond recognizing that, he doesn’t do a great job recovering from his heels and, as a result, fails to meaningfully jump to slot shots and other high danger chances like we’d expect from this style of defenseman. Instead, he ends up becoming a goalie screen or even surrogate goaltender instead of actually defending attackers. Based on his general rush recognition, it seems like he has the head to make this adjustment in time, but he’s not all the way there yet.  He has a bomb of a shot in terms of both a straight on slapshot and a one-timer. The problem is the inconsistent contact he actually makes with the puck.  It seems fairly likely that Kleven will jump to the NCAA in 2020-21 with the University of North Dakota. We just don’t see enough in the way of puck skills to really lead a pairing, but this is a player that could become a support guy with further grooming and improvement.

 

FC: Ranked #79  - A smooth and fluid skating defender with exceptional agility and lateral movement. His stride is efficient and his edge work is surprisingly good for a tall defenseman. While he possesses the size that NHL teams look for and is a good skater who can move the puck capably, he needs to improve his overall speed to keep up with the game and opponents as he can sometimes get beat wide by faster skaters. Defensively, he uses his long reach and physical frame in conjunction with his skating ability to attack opposing forwards. He does a good job of playing positionally when hemmed in his own zone, disrupting the cycle with a strong stick. He uses his big body in board battles and often comes out with the puck. He is fast in transition passing and has excellent all-around positioning. Offensively, he possesses a dangerous arsenal of shots from the blue line and reads the offensive zone well. When able to just wind up and blast a one time shot, he brings a bomb to the table and can beat goalies if he gets the puck through to the net. He plays with confidence and poise and doesn’t get frazzled with forechecking pressure often. An area for improvement for him would be playing more aggressively in joining the play to help forwards on the attack. Overall, he is a complete talent with high potential and is a capable defender with a big shot who can play big minutes if he works on increasing his foot speed even further.

 

CP: Ranked #108 - Kleven was a top-four defenseman for the U.S. NTDP last season. He is a very tough evaluation, a divisive player; by simply listing his name I know I’ll get texts from scouts arguing in both directions. He’s an extremely tough player to play against. He stands in at 6-foot-4, and he shows no hesitation to use his frame to punish opponents. His hits are hard, his shot is hard and he’s mobile for his size. It’s easy to see why some scouts are big fans and think he’ll have a long NHL career. His game does lack skill and puck-moving instinct. He was on the power play for the NTDP in brief flashes, but in general he doesn’t make a ton of plays and is limited to basic first passes for his transition game. I am somewhat skeptical that’s going to work in the NHL and know some scouts who agree.

 

 

6. EGOR SOKOLOV, 61st Overall, RW/LW, QMJHL, 52GP-46G-46A-92PTs-42PIM (Highlights)

 

HP: Ranked #109 - Sokolov is in his 3rd year of eligibility for the NHL Entry Draft after being passed over in 2018 and 2019. He has made some nice progress this season: notably, his skating has improved slightly, and he was one of the top players in the QMJHL this season. The first thing you notice about Sokolov is his size; he’s massive and has skills, too. He scored any highlight-reel goals this season thanks to his surprisingly smooth hands. He can be dangerous one-on-one not only due to his pure strength, but his very good puck skills. This combination made him very hard to defend against one-on-one throughout the league this season. The biggest issue with Sokolov since coming over in 2017 was regarding his skating abilities. He has worked hard at improving, even spending most of last summer in Halifax with a power-skating instructor. You could see a bit of an improvement this year, but it is still considered below-average at this point. Sokolov’s shot is excellent; he has a quick release and high-end velocity. He is never shy to put pucks on net, as he had 246 shots on goal in 52 games including 157 dangerous shots. He has quick hands in tight spaces, great accuracy on his shot and picks corners well. He can beat QMJHL goaltenders from anywhere in the offensive zone. He has those great shooting abilities, but he can also be a very useful player in front of the net.  Sokolov is a gamer too; he works hard and competes well. He’s very passionate on the ice and hates to lose

 

 

FC: Ranked #87  - Sokolov is a skilled power forward who excels at creating scoring chances in traffic and finishing plays from all around the ice. While he has tremendously improved his stride and top speed over the last two seasons, skating is still a weakness of his. His acceleration can feel a bit slow, and he lacks the quickness and agility to arrive first on loose pucks or dodge pressure in transition. It was the reason he was passed over in the recent years and, although improved, it still is a concern for his transition to the next level. However, the Russian attacker is the most dangerous goal scorer in the QMJHL, displaying his great wrist shot, slap shot and finishing skills every game. He possesses an extremely powerful, yet very accurate shot, which allows him to beat goaltender from any distance. He finishes plays around the crease thanks to his quick hands and great scoring drive. His puck skills are impressive, especially for an attacker of his size. He utilizes his quick, silky hands to pull out spectacular dangles and flashy moves on the attack and can dance around defenders with ease. He’s quick to adapt to what’s in front of him, and he can create his own opportunities thanks to his stick-handling abilities. His decision-making is impressive, and he sees his partners around the ice with ease and makes sound passing decisions. He is not the most active defender, but he is hard to play against despite not being overly physical.

 

CP: Ranked #53  - Sokolov has gone undrafted twice, but odds are likely he will get picked in his final season of junior hockey. He’s been a top player in the QMJHL and was solid at the U20 level for Russia. He’s a 6-foot-4 forward with a ton of skill. He shows great 1-on-1 ability and can improvise in small areas to create a lot of offense. Sokolov also has a great shot, able to pick corners from a distance and from difficult angles. Physically he’s built like a truck and can bully his way to the net. The main reason why he’s gone undrafted is his skating, and I don’t think it’s gotten that much better. It’s why some scouts are skeptical his stock has gone up as opposed to being a 19-year-old dominating the Q. He’s also not great off the puck.

 

SilverSevenSens: He’s played as part of the Kärpät system in Finland for the last few years, progressing from their U16 team last year to their U20 team this past season, putting up a .942 in 19 games in the former and a .908 in 16 games in the latter. So far this season, he has a .935 save percentage and a 1.67 GAA in three games for Kärpät U20. He’s not enormous, but at 6’2”, he keeps up the NHL trend of no short goalies, with Jaroslav Halak, Juuse Saros, and Anton Khudobin as the only sub-6’ goalies to play any games last season, with all three of them at 5’11”.

It’s hard to know what exactly to make of him, because there are no scouting reports on him. He was not on Colin’s consolidated draft rankings, and with 32 goalies left on that board (including some Finnish ones), this is definitely a surprise. Considering none of those 50 draft rankings even listed him, it seems reasonable to think he would’ve been available in the 5th or 6th rounds when the Sens were up again. Like most late-round and goalie picks, we likely won’t know for four years if the Sens found a diamond in the rough, or if this was a huge swing and a miss.

 

 

EliteProspects: Big raw swedish winger with a powerful stride and a very good wheel.He is predicted to be a future powerwing. He is not an intimidator or even initiator but won't back down from greasy play with heavy contact.He is responsible in his own end.

 

9. PHILIPPE DAOUST, 158th overall, QMJHL, 58GP-7G-22A-29PTs-6PIM (Highlight reel)

 

 

HP: Not ranked - He can play both at center and on the wing, Daoust is a late bloomer who has grown quite a bit in the last few years and now he's 6'00 but needs to put some muscle on his body. He lacks strength, his skating could benefit if he can add some lower body strength. It could help give him more power in his legs and improve his explosiveness and acceleration. His

 

FC: Not scouted

 

CP: Not scouted

10. COLE REINHARDT, 6'1" 200lbs, 181st overall, WHL, 56GP-31G-24A-55PTs-38PIM (Highlight package)