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

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

RD Dmitri Kostenko, Lada Togliatti VHL
While not a player who will be a likely target in the first few rounds of the draft, Kostenko is an intriguing but very raw defenseman who is a potential value pick for the late rounds. He features excellent edges and good puck-skills which make him extremely elusive for oppositional forecheckers. Kostenko is also a player who passes quite well in space and is particularly good at defending opposing rushes.

He has a lot to work on however. Kostenko can get trapped running around in his own zone when the other team establishes a forecheck. Though he has projectable size at 6'1-165, he is not currently strong enough to body opponents off the puck. He is also a bit mistake prone when trying to overextend himself with stretch and outlet passes.

Defensemen are tougher to project than forwards, and they tend to develop a bit slower. Sometimes, you get defensemen who do not establish themselves until their early 20s when they hone their decision making and grow fully into their adult bodies. Kostenko has several elements of this type of player, and his fine skating and elusiveness with the puck gives me hope here, along with the fact that there are elements of his defensive game which currently impress.

Dmitri Kostenko is certainly a player who would jump out to me if I were drafting in the 6th/7th rounds and his name was still on the board, which is certainly a possibility.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

C Cole Huckins, Acadie-Bathurst QMJHL
This is a player who will get attention at the draft because, quite simply, he is a 6'3-200 skater who is averaging PPG numbers at the QMJHL level and can reach nice top speeds. There are a lot of areas of improvement, but it is difficult not to be intrigued.

Huckins' skating is tough to describe. Once he gets going, he seems like the prototypical "big & fast" which makes NHL scouts drool extensively. However, there is a hitch in his step which inhibits his acceleration. So, while he's a good skater when he gets going, it also takes him awhile to get going. There are games when he's always seemingly a step behind the play, and you wonder if it's his anticipation or simply an inability to fire the jets.

Huckins has many translatable and impressive abilities. He's one of the better draft-eligibles in the face-off circle. Though he's still growing into his body, he's pretty strong and wins the lion's share of puck battles along the boards. He's a very good shooter and a good-enough passer. It's easy to watch him and envision a big third-line center who scores much more than the average third-line center.

The problem is, that third-line centers are usually relied on for defensive play at the NHL level, and this is an area of Huckins' game which needs particular attention in development. And development is really the key here. Huckins has many terrific talents, but they need to be honed. If a skating coach can remove the hitch from his initial steps, and if a coaching staff can better instruct him on two-way play and how offense can be generated from defense -- especially from the center position? Then, we can have a real beast on our hands.

Huckins' consensus projection is far too low for what he has the potential to grow into. The Highest I've seen him ranked is literally the last pick of the 3rd round. The Devils need center depth, and Cole Huckins is the type of player you draft in. the 4th round at the position who combines size and talent, much like NJ did with Jaromir Pytlik last year. Cole Huckins is a name to know for the middle rounds of the 2021 draft.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

LD Ethan Del Mastro, Mississauga OHL
There are certain players I look forward to writing up. I save them for when I need a mood pick-me-up. Ethan Del Mastro is one of those players. I just don't have enough good things to say. I noticed him last year in Mississauga -- it's tough not to at 6'4-205 with high end skating ability. But he seemed to drop off everyone's radar after the OHL season was cancelled due to the pandemic and he did not opt to play out his draft-eligible campaign in Europe. In fact, Del Mastro's entire season did not begin until the U-18 Tournament in Texas where he was a bit of a surprise selection for Team Canada.

Del Mastro has -- somehow -- improved exponentially from last season. He's huge and out skates opponents to pucks with regularity. In the rare instance he does not reach a puck first, he's physically dominating, plastering opponents into the boards with his tremendous strength and easily jaunting away with full control. The precision passing and poise he sometimes lacked in his early OHL days seem to have been completely alleviated. I don't know what happened with this kid in the months between October and April. Did he go to the crossroads and make a deal with the devil for a possessed hockey stick? Did he get infused with the blood of Dustin Byfuglien in a top-secret Ontario underground laboratory? His shot is harder and more accurate than I have ever seen it. His defensive positioning was terrific.

The Sweden game was particularly impressive. High-speed Swedish forwards seemed to be wanting to out-skate him, then they would turn around and Del Mastro would be right there, beating them to the puck with his long reach. A few times in this tournament, opposing forwards tucked down to beat Del Mastro outside and seemed shocked when the next thing they knew was Del Mastro crunching them into the boards.

I would need to see more of Ethan Del Mastro than just one tournament to get a grip on his offensive potential. He's certainly got the speed, passing, shooting and puck-protecting parts. But defensively, I see an absolute beast and match-up impossibility. Now to the craziest part...

I have only seen Del Mastro ranked in a top 50 once. Once. Elite Prospects has him at #43. Several bureaus have omitted him from the top 100 altogether. Though an outstanding U-18 tourney is certain. to garner him more notice, I see a player worthy of a pick as early as the late first round. In fact, I will go so far as to say that -- had he played an entire 2020-21 season -- this would be a kid who might be in top 20s. If I were to write an article of "Top 10 Potential 2021 Draft Steals", Ethan Del Mastro would be near the top of that list.

 

[RememberTheName]

2021 Draft Profile:

LD Ethan Del Mastro, Mississauga OHL
There are certain players I look forward to writing up. I save them for when I need a mood pick-me-up. Ethan Del Mastro is one of those players. I just don't have enough good things to say. I noticed him last year in Mississauga -- it's tough not to at 6'4-205 with high end skating ability. But he seemed to drop off everyone's radar after the OHL season was cancelled due to the pandemic and he did not opt to play out his draft-eligible campaign in Europe. In fact, Del Mastro's entire season did not begin until the U-18 Tournament in Texas where he was a bit of a surprise selection for Team Canada.

Del Mastro has -- somehow -- improved exponentially from last season. He's huge and out skates opponents to pucks with regularity. In the rare instance he does not reach a puck first, he's physically dominating, plastering opponents into the boards with his tremendous strength and easily jaunting away with full control. The precision passing and poise he sometimes lacked in his early OHL days seem to have been completely alleviated. I don't know what happened with this kid in the months between October and April. Did he go to the crossroads and make a deal with the devil for a possessed hockey stick? Did he get infused with the blood of Dustin Byfuglien in a top-secret Ontario underground laboratory? His shot is harder and more accurate than I have ever seen it. His defensive positioning was terrific.

The Sweden game was particularly impressive. High-speed Swedish forwards seemed to be wanting to out-skate him, then they would turn around and Del Mastro would be right there, beating them to the puck with his long reach. A few times in this tournament, opposing forwards tucked down to beat Del Mastro outside and seemed shocked when the next thing they knew was Del Mastro crunching them into the boards.

I would need to see more of Ethan Del Mastro than just one tournament to get a grip on his offensive potential. He's certainly got the speed, passing, shooting and puck-protecting parts. But defensively, I see an absolute beast and match-up impossibility. Now to the craziest part...

I have only seen Del Mastro ranked in a top 50 once. Once. Elite Prospects has him at #43. Several bureaus have omitted him from the top 100 altogether. Though an outstanding U-18 tourney is certain. to garner him more notice, I see a player worthy of a pick as early as the late first round. In fact, I will go so far as to say that -- had he played an entire 2020-21 season -- this would be a kid who might be in top 20s. If I were to write an article of "Top 10 Potential 2021 Draft Steals", Ethan Del Mastro would be near the top of that list.

I've seen two of his games thus far, and both games, he has impressed the absolute hell out of me. Absolutely going to be in my first round. He has been an absolute nightmare for teams to face. Insanely physical and has the ability to turn the puck around and just skate the puck right through defenses in transition and create plays with absolute ease. This kid is the ultimate steal pick this draft. We have a lot of depth at LD, but if he is available at that Islander's 2nd round pick, we take him, run, and never look back.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I've seen two of his games thus far, and both games, he has impressed the absolute hell out of me. Absolutely going to be in my first round. He has been an absolute nightmare for teams to face. Insanely physical and has the ability to turn the puck around and just skate the puck right through defenses in transition and create plays with absolute ease. This kid is the ultimate steal pick this draft. We have a lot of depth at LD, but if he is available at that Islander's 2nd round pick, we take him, run, and never look back.

I'm nearly finished with my May rankings, and *spoiler* Del Mastro is very, very high.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I think I've written up over 100 2021 draft prospects for the Devils HFBoards right now, so if anyone wants to collect them and put them out on a single thread, it might be a good idea for easier reference. If we combine them with @thethinglonger 's shift-by-shift videos, we can have a very nice draft resource which might even attract fans from all over the HFBoards to come check out our Devils pages.

Also, I have a few more prospects I plan to write up, but I'm probably getting towards the tail end of my list. So, if there's any sleepers or viable prospects you feel I've missed, feel free to let me know and I'd be glad to type up my analysis for you.

Hope you guys are all getting as excited as I am -- the draft is only a month and a half away!

 

[thethinglonger]

I think I've written up over 100 2021 draft prospects for the Devils HFBoards right now, so if anyone wants to collect them and put them out on a single thread, it might be a good idea for easier reference. If we combine them with @thethinglonger 's shift-by-shift videos, we can have a very nice draft resource which might even attract fans from all over the HFBoards to come check out our Devils pages.

Also, I have a few more prospects I plan to write up, but I'm probably getting towards the tail end of my list. So, if there's any sleepers or viable prospects you feel I've missed, feel free to let me know and I'd be glad to type up my analysis for you.

Hope you guys are all getting as excited as I am -- the draft is only a month and a half away!

Been loving your write-ups and I'm still trying to catch up with the videos! We've got a few more names to cover for Bob McKenzie's top-96 listing and there are also some other videos I'm hoping to get out in time, including some overagers. All in all, it'll be a really nice resource! Looking forward to it.

 

[My3Sons]

I think I've written up over 100 2021 draft prospects for the Devils HFBoards right now, so if anyone wants to collect them and put them out on a single thread, it might be a good idea for easier reference. If we combine them with @thethinglonger 's shift-by-shift videos, we can have a very nice draft resource which might even attract fans from all over the HFBoards to come check out our Devils pages.

Also, I have a few more prospects I plan to write up, but I'm probably getting towards the tail end of my list. So, if there's any sleepers or viable prospects you feel I've missed, feel free to let me know and I'd be glad to type up my analysis for you.

Hope you guys are all getting as excited as I am -- the draft is only a month and a half away!

I have a question. The draft is going to be over 200 selections if my math is correct. Yet, for years I've heard that NHL teams go into a draft with about 100 prospects on their drafting list. I realize that interests can vary and some organizations barely cover some leagues or countries and there are some guys on a do not draft list for whatever reason. That aside, I'm surprised that scouting is so divergent that by round three there is little overlap in scouting lists if what I've read it true. If you finish round three this year with a pick in the 90s that should basically eat up everyone's 100 prospects or at least say the first 75-80 or so. When you have a minute and can shed light on that part of the process I'd appreciate it. Thanks as always....

 

[StevenToddIves]

I have a question. The draft is going to be over 200 selections if my math is correct. Yet, for years I've heard that NHL teams go into a draft with about 100 prospects on their drafting list. I realize that interests can vary and some organizations barely cover some leagues or countries and there are some guys on a do not draft list for whatever reason. That aside, I'm surprised that scouting is so divergent that by round three there is little overlap in scouting lists if what I've read it true. If you finish round three this year with a pick in the 90s that should basically eat up everyone's 100 prospects or at least say the first 75-80 or so. When you have a minute and can shed light on that part of the process I'd appreciate it. Thanks as always....

Well, I'm not a scout and have never worked for an NHL organization, but I've talked to people who have and I'm pretty sure these things vary from organization to organization. With some teams, the entire scouting teams confer on literally every player. With other teams, the scouts are more independent and mostly just report to the GM and AGM. From what I've been led to believe, one of Buffalo's major problems in recent seasons has been cuts to the scouting staff which have literally rendered them unable to scout certain players from certain regions. I know that when Edmonton was having their huge problems under Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish, there were several whispers that they preferred to use scouting positions as job slots for old pals and teammates with little accountability for actual results.

At the end of the year, I only compile a top 100 prospect list. Of course, I'm just one dude with paid subscriptions to the WHL and QMJHL and KHL and HockeyTV and a few friends in hockey media who might send me videos if I beg. I only have so much time -- I try to at least familiarize myself with every notable draft eligible, but sometimes it's tough for me to scout an intriguing player rated for the 5th round because, quite frankly, I really really want to watch Dylan Guenther yet again that night.

Ultimately, I have never had a draft where all of my top 100 have been selected in the NHL Draft. Last year, I had a kid I rated in my first round in Dmitri Rashevsky not get drafted at all. That's never happened before, that's for sure. Basically, and I hope I'm answering most of what you're asking here, I feel different teams scout different ways and enter draft day with different lists of different orders of different numbers of prospects.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2021 Draft Profile:

LW Alexander Kisakov, Dynamo Moskva MHL
Kisakov is the almost anachronistic player who I like right now, but I have concerns about how his abilities will play up at higher levels. There is no doubt this kid can score -- he tore up the MHL this season for 36 goals and 73 points in 61 games, and was one of the truly dominant forces in the entire MHL. This has contributed to some extraordinarily high rankings -- the Bob McKenzie TSN rankings see him just outside the first round at #34, while The Puck Authority have him as high as #23 overall.

Kisakov possesses some offensive talents which are undeniable. With the puck on his stick in the offensive zone, he's consistently dangerous. He's a slick passer with some creativity and very good vision. On the whole, his offensive awareness is outstanding -- this is certainly a player who knows how to create high-danger scoring opportunities out of thin air. He's also got a very hard and accurate shot with a quick release, making him a true dual threat. I can also call his puck-handling high-end, he's extremely elusive. He finds seams both with and without the puck -- he's all aces at finding the open man with a cross-ice sauce, and equally adept at finding the soft often spots when his teammates possess the puck.

This is all very exciting, but as stated there are some concerns. Kisakov is small, I'd say 5'9, and he might weigh just under 150 pounds. He's also not a particularly good skater. He has a hitch which negatively impacts his acceleration, and his top speeds are just okay. Though his shot is very good, he has a certain way he needs to shoot off his back leg to get the velocity, and often must turn his body in order to do so. This really hurts his release -- and although it is still quick enough to beat MHL defenders and goaltenders, he will not have this sort of time in the NHL. Kisakov does not like the physical stuff and can be forced to the perimeter by stronger defensemen, and he's pretty much a non-entity along the boards.

Ultimately, I feel Kisakov is an intriguing offensive prospect who is worth drafting, but if other teams are considering him in the 20s and 30s, he's just too much of an uncertainty to take so high. If he fell to the 4th round or later, I do feel Kisakov has upside and is a talent worth monitoring.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2020 Draft Profile:

LW/RW Dmitri Rashevsky, Dynamo Krasnogorsk VHL
The readers who have been following me for years know how high I have been on this young scorer, and how shocked I was that he passed through the past two drafts without being selected. Now a 20 year old double-overager, Rashevsky faces his last shot at the NHL Draft. For those of you who are less familiar with my past work, I'm going to try my best to explain why I feel a player who has been passed over in two drafts by all 31 teams has high-scoring, top 6 potential at the NHL level.



Dmitri Rashevsky stands at a rangy 6'1-165 and has an elite trio of offensive tools. He possesses a first-round-caliber shot, and his passing ability is also high end. His hands might be top 10 among all forwards in the draft, he can turn a defender inside-out from a standstill. He is a master of slightly changing the angle before shooting to fool goaltenders, and he can dangle so well some times he's like an adult playing keep away with small children.



This is not a perfect player. Rashevsky is an average skater at best, and he is more of a follower in transition than a driver of it. His defensive game certainly needs some work -- his IQ in his own zone is not the stratospheric awareness he displays regularly in the offensive end. Why you're drafting him is you hope coaching and development improve these skills enough to play up a trio of elite scoring skills -- something few prospects possess in the entire draft.

We're not talking about a "pretty good puck-handler with a pretty good shot". We're talking a kid who can be along the boards with two defenders all over him, then sit them both on their asses with a litany of mind-boggling moves before rocketing a shot top cheddar from a seemingly impossible angle. Rashevsky has certain offensive attributes which I would call special.

Rashevsky is a player who needs time to acclimate to new situations and higher competition. His first draft eligible season in the MHL was not particularly impressive, before exploding last season for 44 goals in just 61 games. This year, he took a while to get going while flitting between the MHL, VHL and KHL. I also feel he has a bit of a longer term development curve, and the team drafting him will need to have some vision. But you simply can't teach elite hands and elite shooting, and when you factor in the fact he is a true dual threat and a high-level playmaker, this is a player who could be just a tremendous steal for an NHL team in the 6th or 7th rounds.

The Devils would certainly benefit from LWs with top 6 potential in the prospect pool -- in fact they might be looking for one with either their own pick or the Islanders in the first round. Thus, I'm not sure what the risk would be in swinging for the fences on Rashevsky in the last round or two -- especially considering his combination of hands and shot are superior than many LWs who will be taken in the top two rounds.

Finally, I'll leave you with a great video from last year, compiled by Yannick St. Pierre, who is probably the best prospect evaluator on YouTube.

 

[aboriginal]

Yes have some

 

[BurntToast]

@StevenToddIves


Great draft thread! Question a little of topic:

Sharangovich’s shot was rated by many as excellent coming into his draft, and from my perspective it’s due to his very “Quick Release” and great accuracy. How does this compare to Holtz? I know Holtz can bomb, but we’ve all seen his struggles this season. Many fans want to throw with Hughes asap but I would prefer to keep him with unicorn 2.0 (unless his shot falls off a cliff)..

 

[Call Me Al]

it’s going to be a big offseason for holtz now that the team has him here for a few weeks - they’ll give him a plan both for training and nutrition and all that and see if he can take a step forward by next season. still expect him in the ahl at the start of the year but his shl team seemed to be a bit of a dumpster fire and sweden was having all kinds of covid issues so let’s see if the devils can give a little kick to help him reach his potential

 

[StevenToddIves]

@StevenToddIves


Great draft thread! Question a little of topic:

Sharangovich’s shot was rated by many as excellent coming into his draft, and from my perspective it’s due to his very “Quick Release” and great accuracy. How does this compare to Holtz? I know Holtz can bomb, but we’ve all seen his struggles this season. Many fans want to throw with Hughes asap but I would prefer to keep him with unicorn 2.0 (unless his shot falls off a cliff)..

The three elements which go into scouts' assessment of a players' shot are velocity, release, and accuracy. There are also some intangibles which some scouts will use, like the ability to change the angle on release to fool goalies, or even the "Brett Hull" ability to find soft open spots of ice to get the shot off.

Holtz is pretty much awesome at everything shooting-related. What made him a consensus top 10 pick last year was the combination of that and the fact he is also a good passer, which makes him a dual threat and less predictable -- he's not a player you can eliminate simply by clogging shooting lanes.

Sharangovich is a terrific player, and I'm thrilled to watch him on the Devils for hopefully the next decade. That being said, his shot lacks the velocity and accuracy of Holtz. I would say the release is similar, though -- Sharangovich really has a nice, quick release.

We don't know Holtz's ceiling or development curve, he's very young and has yet to play in the NHL. For Sharangovich, the development curve and ceiling are both higher than people are crediting him for. When I see people say things like: "Sharangovich is just a third liner" I remind myself that, for an 82-game season, Sharangovich would be on a rookie goal-scoring pace of 26-29 goals, which is extremely impressive. Thus, the idea that he has 30+ goal, 60+ point upside has to be a reality -- so we must consider Sharangovich has a possible top 6 future, especially considering he also adds a very good all-around game.

 

[BurntToast]

The three elements which go into scouts' assessment of a players' shot are velocity, release, and accuracy. There are also some intangibles which some scouts will use, like the ability to change the angle on release to fool goalies, or even the "Brett Hull" ability to find soft open spots of ice to get the shot off.

Holtz is pretty much awesome at everything shooting-related. What made him a consensus top 10 pick last year was the combination of that and the fact he is also a good passer, which makes him a dual threat and less predictable -- he's not a player you can eliminate simply by clogging shooting lanes.

Sharangovich is a terrific player, and I'm thrilled to watch him on the Devils for hopefully the next decade. That being said, his shot lacks the velocity and accuracy of Holtz. I would say the release is similar, though -- Sharangovich really has a nice, quick release.

We don't know Holtz's ceiling or development curve, he's very young and has yet to play in the NHL. For Sharangovich, the development curve and ceiling are both higher than people are crediting him for. When I see people say things like: "Sharangovich is just a third liner" I remind myself that, for an 82-game season, Sharangovich would be on a rookie goal-scoring pace of 26-29 goals, which is extremely impressive. Thus, the idea that he has 30+ goal, 60+ point upside has to be a reality -- so we must consider Sharangovich has a possible top 6 future, especially considering he also adds a very good all-around game.

My follow up question would be; What factors/skills have lead to Sharangovich success? Why has Holtz struggled at the end of this season?

I’m frustrated with the 8 year rebuild, and I love our prospects but I feel like they are overvalued a bit. You see so many players rushed to the NHL nowadays.

Bringing it back on track; Zacha should be a winger, does that change the Devils pick if Beniers is available?

 

[StevenToddIves]

My follow up question would be; What factors/skills have lead to Sharangovich success? Why has Holtz struggled at the end of this season?

I’m frustrated with the 8 year rebuild, and I love our prospects but I feel like they are overvalued a bit. You see so many players rushed to the NHL nowadays.

Bringing it back on track; Zacha should be a winger, does that change the Devils pick if Beniers is available?

Oooh, a lot to answer here.

1 Sharangovich is 22 and Holtz is 19, and players develop at different paces with different arcs. Sharangovich's success is no reflection nor cause for concern for Holtz. Sharangovich is a very good goal-scorer and has the type of puck-hawking instincts which are instinctual and cannot be taught. I predict a very long and successful NHL career for Yegor. Holtz has higher upside because his shooting and passing abilities are at a higher level than Sharangovich. But again, no cause for concern -- I expect them both to be key members of some very, very good future Devils teams.

2 I'm frustrated with the rebuild, too, but a team would be remiss to act rashly on this frustration. The Devils have a very deep prospect pool, which is likely to get much stronger with a top 7 pick and another pick in the first round. I feel a few of the younger players could be packaged for NHL players this off-season, but the Devils would be foolhardy to go overboard trying to compete in 2021-22. For instance, if we had to package a couple of the LD prospects to get a scoring winger for Jack Hughes, I'd be fine with it. But if the Devils went overboard and traded a Zacha or #6 overall pick or Mercer or Holtz, they had better be getting an impact player at the Matt Tkachuk level in return.

3 Zacha should absolutely be a winger, I feel everyone would agree with this. But this should not affect the Devils at the draft table -- they have an outstanding future at center with a 1/1A of Hughes and Hischier, and also have a very good 4C for the foreseeable future in Mikey McLeod. A 3C can be acquired in a number of ways -- trade, free agency, draft, you name it. The Devils should take the player they covet the most with their top pick -- if they feel Beniers is the best guy, then it's the right pick. But the fact that he's a center should not play into the decision either way.

 

[Pitaya]

Zacha makes me HORNY

 

[StevenToddIves]

Canada Vs. Russia for the U-18 gold medal tonight on NHL Network, could be a classic. Though the match-up we all want to see is 2023 draft eligible prodigies Conor Bedard vs. Matvei Michkov, there are plenty of players on either side who will be of great interest to Devils fans on draft day 2021:

RUSSIA
8 C Daniil Lazutin (6th/7th round)
9 C Fyodor Svechkov (Isles 1st rounder if he falls, which is looking unfortunately less likely)
13 LW Prokhor Poltapov (2nd/3rd round)
18 LD Nikolai Makarov (6th/7th round)
19 LW/RW Nikita Chibrikov (Isles 1st rounder)

CANADA
2 LD Nolan Allan (3rd/4th round)
3 LD Olen Zellweger (4th/5th round)
4 RD Corson Ceulemans (Isles 1st rounder)
5 RD Brandt Clarke (Devils 1st rounder)
6 RW Chase Stillman (3rd/4th round)
7 LW Brennan Othmann (Isles 1st rounder)
8 C Brett Harrison (2nd/3rd round)
9 C Francesco Pinelli (Isles 1st rounder)
12 LW Conner Roulette (6th/7th round)
14 LD Ethan Del Mastro (2nd/3rd round)
19 C Wyatt Johnston (2nd/3rd/4th round)
22 RW/LW Dylan Guenther (Devils 1st rounder)
23 C/LW Mason McTavish (Devils 1st rounder)
27 RD Jack Matier (4th/5th round)
29 G Benjamin Gaudreau (2nd/3rd round)

 

[StevenToddIves]

If any of you are not watching Canada v Russia in the gold medal game, I suggest you put it on now. It's 2-2 after the most entertaining period of hockey I have seen at any level in the entire calendar year thus far.

Notes on Russia:
Matvei Michkov is everything he is being advertised as and more. He showed off his high end sniping and playmaking with a goal and assist, and is dangerous any time he is even near the puck, much less possessing it. Fyodor Svechkov is just so smart and aware on every inch of ice, the fact that people have him near the end of their first round rankings is a huge mistake. This kid should be discussed as a possible top 10 pick. Ivan Miroshnichenko is proving to be an enormous talent who could be a top 5 pick in 2022, although he did take a tough penalty which resulted in a Canada PP goal. Nikita Chibrikov got hit more than a drunken rodeo clown at the Drunken Bull Ball and still managed to have a terrific two-way period. The kid has guts and gumption oozing in his pores and should be considered in the top half of the first round.

Notes on Canada:
Conor Bedard is unreal. He lost his man -- 2023 draft competition Michkov of all people -- on the first Russia goal and then missed a penalty shot which clearly upset him greatly. Instead of tucking tail and playing frustrated hockey, he came through with a ridiculous goal -- launching an almost impossible backhander top-corns at full speed from the edge of the circles to beat the goalie clean.

Bedard's penalty shot was set up by a brilliant pass by Brandt Clarke, who could be a top 3 pick after his outstanding tournament. He's been on the ice for both Russia goals, but neither was remotely his responsibility.

On both Russia goals, one of my own favorites Ethan Del Mastro was sorely out of position. He's had a tough game after a tremendous tourney, and I'm really looking forward to see how he responds. It's tough to play at this level after your entire OHL season was cancelled by the pandemic, and Del Mastro has not seen opposition nearly as good as this Team Russia, so I'll give him a pass. He's a terrific 2nd/3rd round sleeper for the 2021 draft.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

3-2 Canada now

 

[TheDuke93]

This game is down right amazing.

 

[StevenToddIves]

End of second period, 4-2 Canada... but overall it was an even period. The difference was a couple of Canadian players just coming up huge in huge moments.

For those readers who questioned my Devils selection of Brennan Othmann with the Islanders pick in both of my mock drafts thus far, he was the best player on the entire ice this period. He scored a ridiculous top-shelf goal from an impossible angle, then almost added a second on a breath-taking between the legs move while crossing the crease at full speed. He laid out a Russian with a thundering body check, and I believe he had 4 shots in the period. If this kid is available with the Islanders first rounder, he would be a simply tremendous pick there.

With the score 3-2, Russia was gaining the territorial play and then one play with a trio of exceptional individual efforts gave the Canadians a 4-2 lead. First, Shane Wright showed why he is potentially one of the best two-way centers we've ever seen, anticipating a Russian board pass, picking it off, and rocketing a tape-to-tape head-man pass to Brandt Clarke. Clarke rushed the zone brilliantly, and with pace dished off a perfect diagonal drop pass onto the blade of Logan Stankoven. Stankoven then made a slight angle-changing juke to the middle and blasted a snap-shot top shelf to give the Canadians a 4-2 lead. Just a brilliant play by three talents, two first-rounders in 2021 and the top overall pick in 2022. Just so much talent on display.

Other Canadian standouts worthy of mention must include Nolan Allan, who set the tone early in the game with a thundering body check on Nikita Chibrikov and has been rock solid in his own zone. Olen Zellweger has also stood out defensively, especially when you consider he has played a lot with Guillaume Richard, who has notably struggled. Mason McTavish is a beast -- he's all over the puck and the opposition, physical and consistently dangerous. Chase Stillman sets a physical tone with every shift and has sneaky offensive talent.

I can't wait for the third period to begin.

 

[TheDuke93]

Too add to all of this I have 0 f***ING CLUE how anyone can watch Clarke and be worried about his skating lol. It ain't pretty but it gets the job done better then a lot of NHLers who as prospects were "better skaters."

McTavish and Svechkov both should be challenging for top 10 picks and anyone in need of a center. McTavish seems like Bo Horvat but better, as a prospect ofc, in every imaginable way.

Othmann has displayed hands I wouldn't have guessed he had.

 

[TheDuke93]

I am gonna say it. Pretty sure baring some crazy injuries in the future there were 3 HoFers in tonight's game lol.