Prospect Info: Alexander Holtz (#7 pick - 2020 draft)

[LeedsMonster]

He is top-10 pick

Stranger things have happened. I have him as a mid 1st anyway. Now with the injury...who knows

 

[Guadana]

Stranger things have happened. I have him as a mid 1st anyway. Now with the injury...who knows

He has top 10 production for SHL history for 17 yo. He didn't get lost on the ice during the season. It is very possible that the injury will negatively affect his position in the draft.

 

[Guttersniped]

He has top 10 production for SHL history for 17 yo. He didn't get lost on the ice during the season. It is very possible that the injury will negatively affect his position in the draft.

It’s a appendectomy so I can’t see why that would effect his draft stock at all. Maybe missing a month after his bout with COVID, which already cost him the WJ tournament and SHL games, would normally hurt him because he’s only played in 22 SHL games but it’s not like other prospects are playing a ton either.

I assumed the 2nd round comment was joke.

 

[Guadana]

It’s a appendectomy so I can’t see why that would effect his draft stock at all. Maybe missing a month after his bout with COVID, which already cost him the WJ tournament and SHL games, would normally hurt him because he’s only played in 22 SHL games but it’s not like other prospects are playing a ton either.

So his disease is covid? Then he'll get over it.
If he continues like this, I would be surprised if he will selected as the fourth forward in the draft.

 

[Guttersniped]

So his disease is covid? Then he'll get over it.
If he continues like this, I would be surprised if he will selected as the fourth forward in the draft.

The new illness would be appendicitis and they removed his appendix. He did have COVID before the World Juniors, that’s why he didn’t go.

 

[Guadana]

The new illness would be appendicitis and they removed his appendix. He did have COVID before the World Juniors, that’s why he didn’t go.

Hah. Well then I don't think we should expect him in Djurgården )
Probably he will not have time to recover, some player can prove himself, some manager will not risk taking Eklund after surgery. Predicting and evaluating the next draft is very difficult. Constant pauses, some playing, some not. I'll probably focus on analyzing the players the Devils have.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I still think Holtz is the most NHL ready of the prospects we had at the WJC, regardless of his stat line or team result. Moreso than Mercer, which I could see some disagreeing with me on. Holtz looks like a kid who knows his strengths, knows his game and plays it. He's smart, makes quick, good decisions under pressure and has stick handling skills that none of our other prospects showed. He seems like a guy that would thrive with better players, and that is a skill. An NHL skill. That isn't a knock on any of our other prospects at the WJC either because Mercer freaking killed it and Muk has me feeling so much better than I felt at the draft. I just see that much NHL potential in Holtz.

 

[Sheros expletives]

He's gonna be a good one. His stat line did not reflect his plats, he had like six or seven posts that could easily have been goals instead.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I still think Holtz is the most NHL ready of the prospects we had at the WJC, regardless of his stat line or team result. Moreso than Mercer, which I could see some disagreeing with me on. Holtz looks like a kid who knows his strengths, knows his game and plays it. He's smart, makes quick, good decisions under pressure and has stick handling skills that none of our other prospects showed. He seems like a guy that would thrive with better players, and that is a skill. An NHL skill. That isn't a knock on any of our other prospects at the WJC either because Mercer freaking killed it and Muk has me feeling so much better than I felt at the draft. I just see that much NHL potential in Holtz.

I agree with you on Holtz. I actually think Mercer could also play in the NHL now, I just don't think it would be best for his development, long-term. But he could certainly play a bottom-6 RW role -- the kid is just an incredible forechecker and hell raiser out there. But I'd rather him work on his skating and skill-set, since his upside is as a first-line, Mark Stone-the dominant two-way forward.

 

[MartyOwns]

I agree with you on Holtz. I actually think Mercer could also play in the NHL now, I just don't think it would be best for his development, long-term. But he could certainly play a bottom-6 RW role -- the kid is just an incredible forechecker and hell raiser out there. But I'd rather him work on his skating and skill-set, since his upside is as a first-line, Mark Stone-the dominant two-way forward.

i recall you saying a lot of the same things for anderson that you're saying now for mercer. can you compare the two? IMO mercer seems to have more offensive upside but i haven't seen him play enough to know for sure.

 

[ThePrideofStockholm]

Holtz is back in Djurgården today on the third line.

 

[Davegarri]

Holtz is back in Djurgården today on the third line.

Djurgarden down early from goals from two rejects Max Veronneau and Tyler Kelleher

Dont think we ever had either, definitely not Kelleher, but I think we had them in a prospect camp of ours one year

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

This game is near unwatchable. Djurgarden is terrible and connect connect a pass if their lives counted on it.

 

[OmNomNom]

Djurgarden down early from goals from two rejects Max Veronneau and Tyler Kelleher

Dont think we ever had either, definitely not Kelleher, but I think we had them in a prospect camp of ours one year

Both were at our camps

 

[ThePrideofStockholm]

The worst first period of this season, normaly this day is the fan game of the year. It would be really loud, man I miss going to the games

 

[StevenToddIves]

i recall you saying a lot of the same things for anderson that you're saying now for mercer. can you compare the two? IMO mercer seems to have more offensive upside but i haven't seen him play enough to know for sure.

I absolutely adore Joey Anderson, but he's all intangibles and average talent. This is why I often compared him to Ryan Callahan, since his draft year.

Dawson Mercer has all of these intangibles, but adds a great deal of scoring skill. Though Anderson is a better skater, Mercer has a far superior shot and far greater passing vision. He's got man-strength as a teenager and high-end offensive instincts. Anderson is an entirely north/south player. This game is certainly where Mercer excels the most, but Mercer also has the ability and creativity to compliment high-end offensive talents. I would also say Mercer is more physical, and thus more disruptive on the forecheck.

Ultimately, I feel Toronto will be very happy with Anderson. I think he'll be a terrific 3rd-liner with some scoring pop. Hopefully, Joey will score enough to be able to fill in on a 2nd line if need be, much like Ryan Callahan once did. But Mercer has first-line talent. With Mercer, I think we're talking about a kid whose upside is hitting 70 points while competing for a Selke Trophy.

 

[Figgie]

Why Holtz have missed last 2 Djurgården games?

 

[SwedeChristoffer]

Why Holtz have missed last 2 Djurgården games?

I asked the same on the main boards, got this reply.

Minor injury.

 

[ninetyeight]

I actually thought Holtz looked good in the tournament, he just didn't score. He took A LOT of shots, and showed some great stickhandling and passing abilities.

What I gather from the wjc is that even though he has a good shot, he isn't that Laine level sharpshooter (who is?), but more of an all around offensive talent.

A great start for team Sweden that for some reason then turned into one of their poorest showings. I think all swedish prospects in that team lost some hype (except maybe Söderblom) , so no need to get overly worried about Holtz. Hope he heals quick and bounces back soon.

 

[theslatcher]

He'll be back playing tomorrow. Eklund's expected to be back around the end of the week, so until then it looks like Holtz will be stuck with Grewe, & Östman. Not the best company to play with in the o-zone to put it mildly.

 

[ThePrideofStockholm]

Back on the score sheet with 2 apples

 

[VoidCreature]

Read that Holtz suffered a back injury during the tournament, and that's what caused him to miss games coming back. Might help explain his more lackluster performance as the event went on.

I'm not concerned at all by it. He's going to be dynamite for us.

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

He was leading the tournament in shots when Sweden was eliminated and showed off his playmaking skills, still don't see why so many are calling it a lackluster performance unless they're just looking at a small sample size stat line

 

[Emperoreddy]

Sweden as a whole was a mess, especially after they lost their first game.

 

[Guttersniped]

He was leading the tournament in shots when Sweden was eliminated and showed off his playmaking skills, still don't see why so many are calling it a lackluster performance unless they're just looking at a small sample size stat line

Holtz’s last SHL game was on 12/5 and they didn’t get any exhibition games. I don’t even know how much practice time they got on the ice there because the Swedish team’s COVID troubles. They played Czech Rep on 12/26, Austria on 12/28, Russia on 12/30, US on 12/31 and Finland 1/2. The long layoff and limited ice time in Canada before the tournament seems like a recipe for injuries.

Holtz was the best forward in Russia game, and real force in that game despite being snake bit, then did a lot less in the last two games. The US game was the day after that intense Russian game so I assumed fatigue was an issue, plus the US team was a terror, but an achy back would help explain the drop off in his play as well.