BigG44
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- Jul 12, 2007
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APPLE
"Mavrik is a center with great upside, and he will continue to physically mature," stated McDonnell. "He has elite hockey sense which makes him a solid playmaker."
Stars select center Mavrik Bourque with 30th pick in 2020 NHL Draft
Craig Button's Analysis
"Mavrik will not grab your attention with flash and dash, but he's very smart, very competitive and is invested in the hard areas of the game. Skills are good and with his versatility, he's productive."
Projection: Swiss Army Knife
Comparable: David Krejci/Mikael Backlund
Pronman’s thoughts: Bourque is a very talented forward with NHL caliber hands, vision and finishing ability. He got to No. 30 because of his size and skating combination. But he has put up big numbers in the Q and stood out often with his playmaking. Some teams were skeptical that the way he plays will work versus men, but I’m a fan and think he’ll be able to score in the NHL. With Ty Dellandrea and Jason Robertson, Bourque brings some much-needed skill up front into the Stars organization.
2020 NHL Draft Round 1 full analysis: What we learned
His hockey IQ is unreal. Out of nothing, he’s going to make plays that on one else can see on the ice. Bourque is very effective at putting the puck at the proper space so he can protect the puck. He’s so good at bringing defenders to him. With the occasional head fake or a change of speed; he's shown a real knack for luring defencemen out of passing lanes. -EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide
Strengths
Most scouts will agree that Bourque is among the smartest players in the entire draft. His hockey sense is his biggest asset. He not only makes the right play with the puck in the offensive zone, but he can make plays that no one else even sees.
He has the ability to deceive defenders, leaving them wondering what he will do at all times. He’s able to make plays with his exceptional passes that are accurate more often than not, and he has a shot that can be unleashed at any point.
Bourque quite simply runs the offence in Shawinigan despite being in his first draft year. The only first-year draft eligible forward with more ice time in the QMJHL was Alexis Lafreniere, according to InStat Hockey. The Cataractes were not a very good team and there’s no doubt that Bourque was their best offensive player.
Weaknesses
While his skating isn’t bad, it’s not necessarily a strength either. Scouts aren’t worried about his ability to move at the next level, but some feel he lacks the strength in his stride.
Luckily that is something that can be handled. Aside from adding strength to his lower body, scouts feel that he could add more muscle to his frame to help him adjust to the professional game. He’s not easy to knock off the puck as it stands, and scouts even point out how slippery he can be off checks, but it is a question that some scouts have.
As good as he is offensively, there are some weaker points to his offensive game. He’s not the type of player to go through entire teams with the puck on his stick. He doesn’t have that kind of high end puck handling and skating ability. However, he can make up for that by creating his own space and his ability to see the play in front of him is unique.
Overall
There is little doubt that Bourque’s upside is that of a top-six centre in the NHL. His offensive ability is so good that he can very well be a player many wonder why he was taken as late as he was. Perhaps the best thing you can say about Bourque is that the weakest points of his game are not as much weaknesses as they are not as strong as his strengths.
2020 NHL Draft prospect profile: Mavrik Bourque is one of the smartest players available
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