Prospect Info: STI 2021 Preliminary Draft Rankings (4/21)

[StevenToddIves]

Just finished doing an involvement tracker for Canada for their game tonight against Switzerland. For the forwards, there were four in the top tier, and for the defenseman, there were 3 in the top tier of involvements.
Forwards:

1. Francisco Pinelli: 21
2. Connor Bedard: 19
3. Mason McTavish: 18
4. Dylan Guenther: 17

Defense:

1. Corson Ceulemans: 14
2. Brandt Clarke: 12
3. Ethan Del Mastro: 12

I think overall, this system is pretty accurate in terms of ranking player performance, as my eye test for the night generally matches these numbers. One of the things it doesn't account for, though, is TOI, and it definitely seems like some players have more and less than others. For example, tonight, it seemed as though Clarke didn't have as much ice time as he usually gets, especially 5v5, so his numbers are less than they should be.

One of the more interesting things. Francisco Pinelli was the last forward on Team Canada for me to write down an involvement for. It took him until about 15 minutes through the first period for me to mark him for his first involvement, which was for an absolutely monstrous hit he through, laying a guy flat on the ice. About 20 seconds later, he did the exact same thing. Two monstrous hits on one shift. I absolutely loved that. For the rest of the game, he was dominant. I didn't have amazing numbers for Pinelli for his first game vs Finland, but this game, he definitely stood out in a very positive way. Well earned 4 point performance for him.

Worst performance of the night somehow again goes to Richard. Don't know what it is, but I just don't like him. At all. Does not impress me in the slightest, except for his skating, which did seem pretty nice on one or two occasions throughout the game. Jack Matier didn't seem great either, I had him marked for just four involvements and 2 of them were bad.

Continue to be greatly impressed by Ethan Del Mastro. Dude is a big boy who throws his body around insanely well and plays some really solid defense to boot. His skating also impressed me for a defenseman his size and on multiple occasions he took the puck in transition and created a rush going into the offensive zone. Reminded me a little of Kulikov.

Another guy who impressed was Wyatt Johnston. I had him down at 14 involvements and 11 of them were defense/hustle/physicality. He is a hard worker on the defensive end of things who loves to cause chaos on the forecheck, throw his body around, read passes and turn things around in transition, and overall work hard to play a 200 foot game. I would like to see him play a little bit more offensive of a game because I only marked him 3 times for offensive involvements, but I absolutely loved how hard he worked tonight.'

And Jesus, how is Bedard only 15. And how is there a 15 year old out there who might be better than him?!? That is insane to me.

Everyone else on Canada looked pretty solid. McTavish is rising up my board quickly, as I love how impressive his 200-foot game is and how he works so well in both zones. Such a well rounded player.

I hope you noticed my multiple raves about how great Pinelli is, along with with Planet Earth-high ranking of him at the outset of this very thread.

If I'm the Devils and he's around with the Islanders' pick, I take Francesco Pinelli in a heartbeat and laugh all the way to the bank.

 

[Ryaduesu]

I wouldn't plan on McLeod being good enough offensively to be a 3C. He should be looked at as the 4C

The point still stands then that we only need one center for a long time

thats not what id call a position of need

 

[StevenToddIves]

I would like to talk a bit more about Francesco Pinelli. Watching tape of last night's game (sorry for the delay, I had to work), I feel he was the best player on the ice from the second period on. And if you haven't seen Team Canada -- there's a lot of f---ing talent on the ice.

I'm the only person on the planet who had him ranked in the top dozen prospects for the 2021 draft prior to the U18 tournament, but this was not without reason. I feel his chances to shoot up the draft boards with a dominant 2020-21 campaign for Kitchener were really dashed by the pandemic and subsequent cancellation of the OHL season. I felt Pinelli could have been this year's Jack Quinn -- putting up video game numbers and opening up eyes all over the globe to his tremendous talents on the ice.

But as we saw last night, Francesco is a high-compete, high-IQ center who combines near-elite tools at every area of import -- skating, passing, puckhandling, shooting, you name it. If you're still sleeping on him after you watched him take over last night's game -- not to mention his terrific outing vs. Sweden -- it's now on you, as they say.

Pinelli is a center, and also a left shot, and there is a very reasonable chance he will be available when the Devils step to the podium in the 20s-range of the first round with the Islanders pick. I feel he can be a swingman -- playing 3rd line center and slotting to Hughes' LW for the PP and must-score late-game situations. Or, he could just be an extraordinarily high-upside third-line center -- this kid has a pretty good two-way game and a terrific motor. Or, he can just be slotted to LW full time to compliment Hughes or Hischier.

Essentially, I'm saying that Francesco Pinelli should be a serious target for the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 draft with the Islanders pick. I'd love to hear what all you folks feel about this -- whether you agree or disagree.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I would like to talk a bit more about Francesco Pinelli. Watching tape of last night's game (sorry for the delay, I had to work), I feel he was the best player on the ice from the second period on. And if you haven't seen Team Canada -- there's a lot of f---ing talent on the ice.

I'm the only person on the planet who had him ranked in the top dozen prospects for the 2021 draft prior to the U18 tournament, but this was not without reason. I feel his chances to shoot up the draft boards with a dominant 2020-21 campaign for Kitchener were really dashed by the pandemic and subsequent cancellation of the OHL season. I felt Pinelli could have been this year's Jack Quinn -- putting up video game numbers and opening up eyes all over the globe to his tremendous talents on the ice.

But as we saw last night, Francesco is a high-compete, high-IQ center who combines near-elite tools at every area of import -- skating, passing, puckhandling, shooting, you name it. If you're still sleeping on him after you watched him take over last night's game -- not to mention his terrific outing vs. Sweden -- it's now on you, as they say.

Pinelli is a center, and also a left shot, and there is a very reasonable chance he will be available when the Devils step to the podium in the 20s-range of the first round with the Islanders pick. I feel he can be a swingman -- playing 3rd line center and slotting to Hughes' LW for the PP and must-score late-game situations. Or, he could just be an extraordinarily high-upside third-line center -- this kid has a pretty good two-way game and a terrific motor. Or, he can just be slotted to LW full time to compliment Hughes or Hischier.

Essentially, I'm saying that Francesco Pinelli should be a serious target for the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 draft with the Islanders pick. I'd love to hear what all you folks feel about this -- whether you agree or disagree.

I only saw some of the first period of last nights game so I can’t say anything about it but I’m not as high on him as you. He seems to have really good iq but I wouldn’t call the rest of his tools near elite. His skating is pretty good but far from near elite from what I’ve seen. Good shot but once again I wouldn’t call it close to elite or think he’s gonna be a sniper in the NHL. I would characterize him as a player who has a well-rounded skillset without any significant weaknesses but doesn’t have any elite skills apart from a high IQ that set him apart. Certainly think he’s an interesting option for our 2nd pick tho.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I only saw some of the first period of last nights game so I can’t say anything about it but I’m not as high on him as you. He seems to have really good iq but I wouldn’t call the rest of his tools near elite. His skating is pretty good but far from near elite from what I’ve seen. Good shot but once again I wouldn’t call it close to elite or think he’s gonna be a sniper in the NHL. I would characterize him as a player who has a well-rounded skillset without any significant weaknesses but doesn’t have any elite skills apart from a high IQ that set him apart. Certainly think he’s an interesting option for our 2nd pick tho.

Glad to hear your input! I think Pinelli's skating and shooting are very good, but they both play up due to a high compete and hockey IQ. I absolutely feel his passing vision and puck handling are tremendous skills, even in a vacuum. I think he could be a big scorer at the NHL level while giving you a very good all-around game, as well.

 

[NJ Fan 12]

I’m partially going off skillset. Bratt is a much more skilled player and I see is skillset as being that of a top 6 forward. I don’t feel the same about Sharangovich. Also I see the fact that it’s Bratts 4th year putting up decent numbers as being a positive in this argument. He’s put up solid numbers and this is actually his best season points wise although it’s not a huge jump. He’s a proven NHL player who has a really good skillset and could still breakout.

Sharangovich on the other hand is the same age and while Bratts been putting up solid NHL numbers he’s been putting up worse numbers in the AHL than Bratt in the NHL. He wasn’t expected to be an NHL player and wasn’t even very good in the AHL production wise. All of the sudden he’s found a new game and broken out and become a better NHL player than he was an AHL player. I don’t think it’s a fluke and he looks good enough to maintain those numbers I just don’t see them getting a whole lot better. Players dipping down after their rookie seasons isn’t uncommon either and it wouldn’t completely surprise me if that happened to him. I think he can be a consistent 20+ goal 40 point player.

Bratts also on a 55 point pace compared to Sharangovich’s 44 point pace although he has a lot more goals. My eye test tells me that Bratt is a better player than him right now.
To summarize, Bratt is a solid young NHL player who’s gotten a bit better and I think still has potential to break out although I don’t expect him to become a point per game player or get significantly better. Sharangovich broke out from being a okay AHL player to a pretty good NHL player and I don’t expect him to get a whole lot better.

I don’t think Boqvist will be good enough to be a 3C, I think there’s some potential for that but I wouldn’t project him as that. I don’t think the 4 centers you mentioned will necessarily be good enough but it’s not a terrible start. Mcleods line is not the 4th line on our team but on a contender they would certainly be. Right now I’m not sure McLeod or Bastian would be in a contending teams lineup or possibly even on the roster.

Can appreciate your perspective but see things differently.

Bratt's skillset is significant but what troubles me is that he seems to get so little out of it and is inconsistent. Tend to see him as a poor man's version of some of the better smaller forwards in the league and those players usually thrive on teams lower in the standings.

As for Bastian and McLeod, while they don't seem as impressive with the puck or making highlight reel plays, they are the kind of players nearly every championship team has - think Maroon, Coleman or Goodrow with the Lightning, the Martin line for the Islanders, and some of the other bigger forwards.

 

[Ryaduesu]

I’m partially going off skillset. Bratt is a much more skilled player and I see is skillset as being that of a top 6 forward. I don’t feel the same about Sharangovich. Also I see the fact that it’s Bratts 4th year putting up decent numbers as being a positive in this argument. He’s put up solid numbers and this is actually his best season points wise although it’s not a huge jump. He’s a proven NHL player who has a really good skillset and could still breakout.

Sharangovich on the other hand is the same age and while Bratts been putting up solid NHL numbers he’s been putting up worse numbers in the AHL than Bratt in the NHL. He wasn’t expected to be an NHL player and wasn’t even very good in the AHL production wise. All of the sudden he’s found a new game and broken out and become a better NHL player than he was an AHL player. I don’t think it’s a fluke and he looks good enough to maintain those numbers I just don’t see them getting a whole lot better. Players dipping down after their rookie seasons isn’t uncommon either and it wouldn’t completely surprise me if that happened to him. I think he can be a consistent 20+ goal 40 point player.

Bratts also on a 55 point pace compared to Sharangovich’s 44 point pace although he has a lot more goals. My eye test tells me that Bratt is a better player than him right now.
To summarize, Bratt is a solid young NHL player who’s gotten a bit better and I think still has potential to break out although I don’t expect him to become a point per game player or get significantly better. Sharangovich broke out from being a okay AHL player to a pretty good NHL player and I don’t expect him to get a whole lot better.

I don’t think Boqvist will be good enough to be a 3C, I think there’s some potential for that but I wouldn’t project him as that. I don’t think the 4 centers you mentioned will necessarily be good enough but it’s not a terrible start. Mcleods line is not the 4th line on our team but on a contender they would certainly be. Right now I’m not sure McLeod or Bastian would be in a contending teams lineup or possibly even on the roster.

Jesper has four years on NA ice

Yegor does not. Thats a huge factor

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Jesper has four years on NA ice

Yegor does not. Thats a huge factor

Yegor has 3 years on NA ice.

 

[Ryaduesu]

Yegor has 3 years on NA ice.

My high ass confused Sharangovich with Maltsev because Yegor played overseas this year

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Mctavish just scored a really nice goal. He’s really pushing to be a top 10 pick. Kuzmin on Belarus looks like somebody that should be a surefire 1st rounder.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I don’t think I have to tell anyone that Shane Wright is really good. 5 goals in 5 periods this tournament so far. Hopefully he’s not even close to an option for us next year.

 

[Oneiro]

I've settled on Clarke, Hughes and Power, in order of preference.

Clarke's ability to see the play develop is impressive and he comes off like the rare guy who will be able to do it all in his prime. A lot's been made of his offensive skillset and potential risk taking but I see a guy who's capable of being a calming influence on his team.

I find it toughest to get a real read on Power and have always thought talent in the NCAA is tough to judge. It's more of a frantic, up-tempo game and makes a lot of players come off as more immature than they likely are.

I'll be fine with one of the forwards but again, it will be a tough pill to swallow. Really don't want another 2016 scenario.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

C/LW Zach Dean, Gatineau QMJHL
Prior to the season, Dean was considered right in the mix with a couple other Zacharys in Bolduc and L'Heureux for best QMJHL player. But an early season injury combined with some inconsistent play dropped him into the 2nd round for most rankings. Recently, Dean has very much found his game, and his name is back in the conversation for the first round of the 2021 draft.

Dean is a rangy (6'0-176) center with three terrific abilities. He's a very good skater, who -- like most playmakers -- excels in the areas of puckhandling and high-creativity passing. He's a beast at zone exits and entries, always showing a tremendous amount of confidence with the puck on his stick.

Dean is a pretty good shooter, but it's not on the level of his passing game. His only notable flaw in the offensive zone is that he can sometimes get stuck on the perimeter for large stretches of play. He's also a young player with a bit of duality in his hockey IQ -- though he is wickedly smart in the offensive zone, he can make some questionable decisions in his own zone and the neutral zone. But overall, his intelligence is high enough with the puck on offense that I feel his flaws can be ironed out through coaching and experience.

Ultimately, Dean's upside is as a very good offensive 2C at the professional level. A left shot, this is also a player who could slot to the LW -- where I feel he would excel with the lessening of 200-foot responsibility. I feel Dean will be picked anywhere from the late 1st round to halfway through the second round, so let's say the #25-#45 range.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Just FYI -- I'm working on a Mock Draft 2.0 for May, and I'm going to write up a new May rankings as soon as the u18 tourney is over -- there's certainly been some movement there on my list, and I think I'll extend it to a Top 50 this time out.

 

[RememberTheName]

Just finished watching the Russia vs USA game and just focusing on the Russian players. They are not very deep and their defensive talent is frankly quite lackluster. I had four players stand out above the rest in terms of game involvement, and here they are below.

1. Prokhor Poltapov: 19
2. Fyodor Svechkov: 17
3. Nikita Chibrikov: 15
4. Danila Yurov: 14

Poltapov is my game MVP. Was absolutely flying all over the ice, was insanely elusive along the walls, had some insane backchecks that led to takeaways, and showed off some ridiculous hands and offensive talent. I haven't gotten the chance to watch the kid until now, but man, this kid looked fantastic. He did this playing the entire game away from Svechkov, Yurov, Chibrikov, Michkov, and Miroshnichenko as well.

Svechkov is a defensive beast who has a super high offensive IQ and patience that allows him to generate countless scoring chances. He was no doubt my second star of the game and could arguably take first over Poltapov.

Chibriokv is a just good all-around winger who isn't afraid to get physical and does a good job of generating consistent offense and making correct reads and passes. He has a really nice shot and is a great puck carrier through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone.

If I had to choose one defensive player of the game, it would have to be Koromyslov. He impressed me a lot as a solid two way defenseman and I think he will probably be a first rounder next year.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

LW/RW Ville Koivunen, Karpat FIN JR.
Here we have the classic "the big picture is better than the sum of its parts" player. Koivunen does nothing but produce massive amounts of offense wherever and whenever he plays. And yet, his lack of a singular "standout skill" or lightning-quick skating or massive size has somehow dropped him below the regard his outstanding results have merited. Things might be changing, as Koivunen has enjoyed a massive U-18 tournament in Texas, pounding home 4 goals and 5 assists for 9 points in just 4 games.

Koivunen is a slim young man with a slightly projectable frame, listed at 6'0-165. Though he certainly needs to build core strength, he plays a feisty game and is not afraid to go to the dirty areas. His skating is probably a bit above average, but not a particular strength. Though Koivunen lacks a singular elite ability, he is a smart player and an excellent puck distributor who also shoots well enough to be considered a true dual threat. His scoring totals at Karpat this year are very impressive -- 23 goals and 49 points in 38 games. Much of this has been attributed to playing on a line with the higher-regarded Samu Tuomaala, but Koivunen is half a year younger and scoring at an even greater pace.

Koivunen is one of the younger players in the 2021 draft, with a June birthday. There's room to grow, and he's generally a very heady player, though he can make positional mistakes defensively and get caught on the perimeter sometimes in the offensive zone. But again, the point here is that he does not blow you away visually, and then you look at the scoresheet at the end of the day and he had a goal and two assists. This is a young talent who just knows how to create offense.

Koivunen's consensus ranking is generally in the 2nd/3rd round range. I believe strongly he is a very good pick in this range. If he can build his core strength and up his skating a notch, he might have some sneaky offensive upside for a future NHL second line. There is some risk here, as I'm not certain this is a player who can thrive in the NHL in a bottom six role, but if he hits he will be a huge offensive bargain for his likely draft position.

 

[TBF1972]

pfew, excellent! Thought I would have schmooze the jury.

On the subject of NJD’s draft needs, RD and scoring LW stand out but after that would you say C is an under rated need? Easy to overlook with the top duo of Nico/Jack but after that it’s Mikey, JBo, Malts, Pytlik and not much else. Possibly Goalie is another need.

RD
Goalie
Depth C
High End LW

While the Devils don't seem to have a top line LW in the current NHL line-up, this is not a glaring need in the prospect pipeline IMO. There is quantity with Bratt, Woods, Johansson, Kuokkanen, Maltsev, Foote and Gritsyuk and even more so, if you count some of the listed centers as LWs: Zacha, Boqvist, Sharangovich, Talavite and Pasic. I don't see a need to add quantity. Tough quality is always a need. It doesn't mean a prospect must have first line upside to help the prospect pipeline. If a prospect offers one or more elements in his game, which are missing or only scarcely available in the pool, he can still strengthen the pipeline. But adding more of the same is not a need at LW.

 

[TBF1972]

I don’t think Boqvist will ever be good enough to be to be a 3C and don’t think he’s a good shutdown player at all. Hoping for Clarke to be a top 6 forward is a bit ambitious IMO but not something that’s impossible and I’m not completely convinced Foote will get there either. I see Mercer as a top 6 right wing and think we might still need a good LW as well as a 3C. If Mercer is the 3C I think we still need a good RW. At LW I see Foote, Zacha, and Sharangovich as potential top 6 players. Bratt’s already penciled in and if Zacha continues this seasons level of production as a winger I think it’s fair to call him a top 6 forward. Sharangovich has had good production as rookie but I don’t see it getting much better and he doesn’t really have a top 6 skillset IMO but we’ll see how he turns out.

a player completely ignored in this discussion is moynihan. elite prospect lists him as a center, but i always thought of him as a rw. he was not considered a scorer, when drafted, but had encouraging showings in college so far (51 games, 19 goals, 36 points). i could see him as a nice option to fill out the forward rotation to balance an offensive line with some defensive elements or add some scoring punch to a shut down line.

 

[StevenToddIves]

a player completely ignored in this discussion is moynihan. elite prospect lists him as a center, but i always thought of him as a rw. he was not considered a scorer, when drafted, but had encouraging showings in college so far (51 games, 19 goals, 36 points). i could see him as a nice option to fill out the forward rotation to balance an offensive line with some defensive elements or add some scoring punch to a shut down line.

Moynihan is not a center, he is a RW. He is developing nicely into a very good third-liner for the Devils.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Moynihan is not a center, he is a RW. He is developing nicely into a very good third-liner for the Devils.

I would say more along the lines of he’s developing into a good bottom 6 prospect for the devils. He may never be an NHL player and he may never be a 3rd-liner.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I would say more along the lines of he’s developing into a good bottom 6 prospect for the devils. He may never be an NHL player and he may never be a 3rd-liner.

I have high hopes for Moynihan. He was great in his role at the WJC for the gold medal-winning Team USA, he has been great for Providence in a more offensive role. The kid just plays his way into the good graces of coaches and teammates wherever he plays. I'm extremely optimistic about his future prospects.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

RW Chase Stillman, Esbjerg Denmark Jr.
Long-time NHLer Cory Stillman's son is a quick-skating winger with good offensive skill and a whole lot of jam in his game. He's got good size at 6'0-185 and clear-cut middle six upside, but he is another OHL player who has been hurt by the pandemic and finds his consensus ranking in the early 3rd round neighborhood.

Stillman was impressive last year, totaling 34 points in his debut season for the Sudbury Wolves while displaying a great deal of toughness and a willingness to drop the gloves and muck it up with anyone. This year, the pandemic shut down the OHL season and Stillman took his game to the Denmark Junior Circuit. Unfortunately, this is not an especially competitive league, and though Stillman has put up pretty phenomenal numbers it may have hurt his development to not play against level competition.

After all, this is a player with NHL caliber tools but a lot to work on. Though his compete level in the offensive zone is courageous and commendable, it dips a great deal on the defensive side of the puck. He'd often rather hit someone than cover a man and clear the zone with possession. The weak competition in Danish juniors also clouds his offensive upside. I feel if Sudbury played a normal OHL schedule, Chase could have been a PPG player with some healthy penalty minutes and opened some eyes. But he's basically playing in a league which is far below even the AJHL or NAHL, so many people just throw his numbers out the window.

To me, Chase Stillman is a very good pick in the 3rd round, and a terrific one if he falls to the 4th. He has NHL bloodlines and a lot fo room to improve. He skates well, shoots well and passes well. I think he is a third-liner if he can clean up his defensive lapses and a perhaps has a ceiling of a winger who can slot up the lineup if he puts it all together and shows a consistent compete.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

2021 Draft Profile:

RW Chase Stillman, Esbjerg Denmark Jr.
Long-time NHLer Cory Stillman's son is a quick-skating winger with good offensive skill and a whole lot of jam in his game. He's got good size at 6'0-185 and clear-cut middle six upside, but he is another OHL player who has been hurt by the pandemic and finds his consensus ranking in the early 3rd round neighborhood.

Stillman was impressive last year, totaling 34 points in his debut season for the Sudbury Wolves while displaying a great deal of toughness and a willingness to drop the gloves and muck it up with anyone. This year, the pandemic shut down the OHL season and Stillman took his game to the Denmark Junior Circuit. Unfortunately, this is not an especially competitive league, and though Stillman has put up pretty phenomenal numbers it may have hurt his development to not play against level competition.

After all, this is a player with NHL caliber tools but a lot to work on. Though his compete level in the offensive zone is courageous and commendable, it dips a great deal on the defensive side of the puck. He'd often rather hit someone than cover a man and clear the zone with possession. The weak competition in Danish juniors also clouds his offensive upside. I feel if Sudbury played a normal OHL schedule, Chase could have been a PPG player with some healthy penalty minutes and opened some eyes. But he's basically playing in a league which is far below even the AJHL or NAHL, so many people just throw his numbers out the window.

To me, Chase Stillman is a very good pick in the 3rd round, and a terrific one if he falls to the 4th. He has NHL bloodlines and a lot fo room to improve. He skates well, shoots well and passes well. I think he is a third-liner if he can clean up his defensive lapses and a perhaps has a ceiling of a winger who can slot up the lineup if he puts it all together and shows a consistent compete.

I believe his dad is an assistant coach for Arizona now as well.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

LD Evan Nause, Quebec QMJHL
Nause is a good bet for the second round of the 2021 draft, because he's one of those defensemen who are solid in all aspects of the game and play a low-event but highly effective game in all three zones. There's not another hidden gear here he's likely to hit to become a top pairing guy, but he has a very high floor and an excellent tool set to work with.

Nause has good size and a projectable frame at 6'2-185. He's strong and athletic and should top 200 pounds by the time he hits the NHL in three years or so. He's a very smooth and rapid skater with a nice wing-span which helps him become extremely effective in both the defensive zone and in transition. While not a creative passer or puck-handler, again I'm going to have to use the word effective because he shields the puck well and is always making the right play, even if it's the low event one. He's tough to beat one-on-one which is nice, but what's really attractive is that Nause is not a player who will beat himself with poor decisions or execution. Nause has an okay shot, it's neither here nor there. He has some offensive upside, likely as a 2PP guy who can also score 5x5 because he's really smart and efficient with his pinches from the point.

Defensively, Nause shows good anticipation and positional awareness and has a nice, active stick. He's not a player who looks for physicality but he can handle it if it comes. Ultimately, Nause is a low-risk draft pick for the second round with a very good possibility of growing into a bottom 4 defenseman at the NHL level with a good mix of size, skating and smarts.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

C/RW Wyatt Johnston, Windsor OHL
Wyatt Johnston was hurt by the pandemic as much as any player in the entire 2021 class. His season with the Spitfires was cancelled, and he did not go to play in Europe. The U-18 tournament in Texas is sadly the only chance anyone has to see him, and a full season of development was erased. Johnston was likely due for a big season in Windsor, and could have moved up to early 2nd or even late 1st round consideration. As it stands, he is like a late 2nd/3rd candidate. For the NHL team which takes him, however, it is a boon because you could have a serious steal on your hands.

Johnston is a heady, two-way center with excellent skating ability. He is very aware in both the offensive and defensive zones, and it's safe to say he's a high IQ player. He is a very efficient passer and good puck-handler and a nice puck-hawk. He's more of a playmaker than a scorer and his shot lacks velocity, but it's very accurate and Johnston has some upside here. I'd say he's a nice sleeper to be a successful middle 6 center at the NHL level.

Johnston needs some refinement and development offensively. He's terrific with the puck in space, but can be forced into weaker decisions while under pressure. But the more you watch him the more you realize there is no outstanding weakness which cannot be refined, and with such a smart player who skates so well, there's really some upside here.

The Devils need center depth, and Johnston's 200-foot play makes him a nice candidate to stay at the pivot position. He needs to build strength, as he can be overpowered by stronger centers despite a projectable frame of 6'1-175. He has been very impressive thus far at the U-18 tourney and there is reason to positively project a high development curve after a mostly wasted 2020-21 campaign.