F Frank Nazar - Michigan Wolverines, NCAA (2022, 13th, CHI)

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

I like this comparison. Visibly, they look quite similar on the ice. Super crafty, with great hands, edges, and creativity. I think Nazar is a better skater, which may allow him to play as a center in the NHL. I think he could be a great play driving winger as well.

My biggest concern with him is sometimes he can get a bit of "tunnel vision" when trying to beat defenders 1-1. He is typically a great playmaker, but I find that once he's decided he's going to try to beat a guy, he's committed to that. I'd like to see him read and react to what defenders are giving him a bit more.

I think Nazar will be stronger than guys like Tatar or Keller at the pro level, so I think that helps his ability to stick at center.

But I do think his strength/combativeness is overvalued by his biggest advocates.

Like to me Alex Turcotte was a stronger player in his draft eligible year than Nazar is, and I think we're seeing that his body can't necessarily play the game at a NA pro level the way his brain wants to. I still think Turcotte will be a solid pro, and I think the Kings have deployed him strangely so I don't want to get too far down that rabbit hole, but I think it's an interesting example. They also play a bit different, I think Turcotte has better defensive iq and was better in a straight line, whereas Nazar is more agile.

As a NTDP and U of M fan from southeast Michigan, I hope that Nazar is the next Braden Point. But personally I still feel most comfortable projecting him as a good 2nd line RW.

 

[Lloydchristmas138]

I see a lot of Brayden Point

 

[Thechozen1]

What do you think of Clayton Keller as a comparison?

I see a lot of Brayden Point in his game.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Feel like it's worth describing the landscape of the Michigan team that Nazar will walk into this year, since not everyone keeps up with NCAA hockey.

All of Beniers, Bordeleau, Johnson, Brisson, and Beecher have signed professional contracts. Some upperclassmen forwards in depth roles graduated as well. The top two center positions are pretty wide open at this point. I expect Adam Fantilli will snap one up. The other center spot I think depends on who Mel Pearson prefers at center vs. right wing between Samoskevich and Nazar.

I'd expect to see something like

McGroarty - Fantilli - Samoskevich
Duke - Nazar - Cicollini/Granowicz (upperclassmen)

or maybe

Duke - Samoskevich - Cicollini/Granowicz
McGroarty - Fantilli - Nazar

Personally I see Nazar most likely as a RW long-term, but I think he'll have a good chance to get minutes at center for Michigan.

Put Rutger in the center of the ice.

I see a lot of Brayden Point in his game.

The problem with that is we hear that for every 5'10 player who could play center. There's only one current Brayden Point in the NHL that is a top center at 5'10. He could end up Brayden Point, but he probably won't. I think it's a lot easier to suggest Cooley is Brayden Point, and I'm not expecting him to be that good either. Very unlikely they are both Brayden Point.

You could also suggest a player like Savoie is Brayden Point. There are so many skilled 5'10 players who could play center, and almost none of them ever end up that good or play center in the NHL.

 

[ponder]

I think Nazar will be stronger than guys like Tatar or Keller at the pro level, so I think that helps his ability to stick at center.

But I do think his strength/combativeness is overvalued by his biggest advocates.

Like to me Alex Turcotte was a stronger player in his draft eligible year than Nazar is, and I think we're seeing that his body can't necessarily play the game at a NA pro level the way his brain wants to. I still think Turcotte will be a solid pro, and I think the Kings have deployed him strangely so I don't want to get too far down that rabbit hole, but I think it's an interesting example. They also play a bit different, I think Turcotte has better defensive iq and was better in a straight line, whereas Nazar is more agile.

As a NTDP and U of M fan from southeast Michigan, I hope that Nazar is the next Braden Point. But personally I still feel most comfortable projecting him as a good 2nd line RW.

Agreed, though an advantage Nazar has is he’s better under tight checking. Someone on here (Butch26 I think?) mentioned Turcotte having a poor “bubble game”, like when a defender is close to him he’s not very good at making offence driving plays. Watching Turcotte since, and looking out for this, I agree, it’s a noticeable weakness. When tightly checked he mostly either makes safe passes or turns it over, rarely creates legit scoring chances, while NHL stars are still very dangerous under tight checking. Nazar doesn’t have this weakness, he’s quite shifty and make dangerous plays even under tight checking. Turcotte is/was more fundamentally sound - stronger on the puck, better defensively, better grinder game, more textbook perfect skating and stick handling, but I think Nazar has the edge on deception, shiftiness and creativity.

As for a comp, I agree Point is unlikely - he reminds me a bit of guys like Grabovski, Teravainen, Bratt and Marchessault. Bratt especially - the creativity, hands, agility, compete level, types of plays they try, all very similar. Good prospect, I’d strongly consider him in the top 10, and definitely wouldn’t let him slip past 15.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I see a lot of Brayden Point in his game.

No offense, but Brayden Point has got to be the most commonly-used comparable on these boards. Every sub-6'0 forward seems to be compared to him.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

No offense, but Brayden Point has got to be the most commonly-used comparable on these boards. Every sub-6'0 forward seems to be compared to him.

Another one is that every 5'8 winger is a pest like Brad Marchand.

 

[BondraTime]

No offense, but Brayden Point has got to be the most commonly-used comparable on these boards. Every sub-6'0 forward seems to be compared to him.

It's the laziest comparison for every 5'10 or smaller forward in the draft that is thrown around a dozen times every draft

 

[Wordofmouth]

No offense, but Brayden Point has got to be the most commonly-used comparable on these boards. Every sub-6'0 forward seems to be compared to him.

It's like how every white basketball player is compared to another white guy.

 

[ps241]

No offense, but Brayden Point has got to be the most commonly-used comparable on these boards. Every sub-6'0 forward seems to be compared to him.

Another one is that every 5'8 winger is a pest like Brad Marchand.

It's the laziest comparison for every 5'10 or smaller forward in the draft that is thrown around a dozen times every draft

Also how every 6’7” or taller D man is the next Chara. Logan Stanley, Sam Morin fill in the blank is the next Chara when they have absolutely zero in common.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Nazar was another top forward from the US National Team Development Program this year. He mostly played centre, but also saw some time on right wing as well. In 56 games with the NTDP Under-18 squad, Nazar put up 28 goals and 42 assists for 70 points. He also played for the American entry at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships. In six games, Nazar put up three goals and six assists for nine points. He helped the US team to a silver medal.

Frank Nazar Scouting Report: 2022 NHL Draft #11

Frank Nazar Scouting Report: Nazar had a strong season with the US NTDP, scoring 70 points in 56 games and winning silver at the Under 18s.

lastwordonsports.com

 

[Hen Kolland]

The problem with that is we hear that for every 5'10 player who could play center. There's only one current Brayden Point in the NHL that is a top center at 5'10. He could end up Brayden Point, but he probably won't. I think it's a lot easier to suggest Cooley is Brayden Point, and I'm not expecting him to be that good either. Very unlikely they are both Brayden Point.

You could also suggest a player like Savoie is Brayden Point. There are so many skilled 5'10 players who could play center, and almost none of them ever end up that good or play center in the NHL.

The problem is always going to be that no player is exactly the same mold as any one current player (or former for that matter). So when someone says "I see Brayden Point in his game" that can be true for Cooley, Nazar and Savoie if you are looking at particular elements of Point's game and identifying it in the prospects game.

Like, I see some Dylan Larkin in Marco Kasper in the way that Kasper will wind up and exit the defensive zone and attack the blue line with speed. He doesn't do it as fast as Larkin does it, but there's an element that I can see. It's something that I saw with Tim Stutzle as a prospect as well.

One thing that I see for Nazar that reminds me of Point is the location of his shot attempts. Now his shot is not on the level of Point, but I can easily envision Nazar filling the same role on a powerplay that Point does in that bumper role for Tampa. But I also can see some Athanasiou in the way that he just "happened" to create a bunch of breakaway opportunities. My fellow Wings fans will know that the way that something like that just "happens" generally means that you aren't in proper position in the defensive zone if you are handling a center's responsibilities. That element makes me feel not as good. But that's why it's important that we don't watch highlights or draft the stat sheet, because the comments about Nazar's mentality, approach, and character help me feel much more relieved than I would be if I was drafting Athanasiou who seemed to be allergic to doing his f***ing job as a center.

 

[lafellaesobar]

He's pretty close to Blake Coleman if we wanna be real.

 

[bsu]

He's pretty close to Blake Coleman if we wanna be real.

He has way more skill, creativity and play driving/creating than Blake Coleman.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The problem is always going to be that no player is exactly the same mold as any one current player (or former for that matter). So when someone says "I see Brayden Point in his game" that can be true for Cooley, Nazar and Savoie if you are looking at particular elements of Point's game and identifying it in the prospects game.

Like, I see some Dylan Larkin in Marco Kasper in the way that Kasper will wind up and exit the defensive zone and attack the blue line with speed. He doesn't do it as fast as Larkin does it, but there's an element that I can see. It's something that I saw with Tim Stutzle as a prospect as well.

One thing that I see for Nazar that reminds me of Point is the location of his shot attempts. Now his shot is not on the level of Point, but I can easily envision Nazar filling the same role on a powerplay that Point does in that bumper role for Tampa. But I also can see some Athanasiou in the way that he just "happened" to create a bunch of breakaway opportunities. My fellow Wings fans will know that the way that something like that just "happens" generally means that you aren't in proper position in the defensive zone if you are handling a center's responsibilities. That element makes me feel not as good. But that's why it's important that we don't watch highlights or draft the stat sheet, because the comments about Nazar's mentality, approach, and character help me feel much more relieved than I would be if I was drafting Athanasiou who seemed to be allergic to doing his f***ing job as a center.

I don't know about his mentality, approach, character, but when people talk about small, skill players that that aren't playoff performers, obviously they aren't talking about Point. They are talking about other players.

From what I see, Nazar is the type of player they'd be talking about. I find him to be the type of player who at his best can score four points and win the game for his team, and then the next game he's completely invisible, taking some bad penalties, turning the puck over, and making bad defensive plays. I think he's very one-dimensional. There's skill and offensive ability, but there's not a lot else. Cooley is the type of player that I view as a lot closer to Point. Savoie could also be similar to that Point type of player, but he's probably a better skater and less skilled overall than Cooley/Point. Nazar is not that similar to those players, in my opinion. I think there are other smaller skill players to compare him to. Clayton Keller is who I'd compare Nazar to as a ceiling.

 

[bsu]

I don't know about his mentality, approach, character, but when people talk about small, skill players that that aren't playoff performers, obviously they aren't talking about Point. They are talking about other players.

From what I see, Nazar is the type of player they'd be talking about. I find him to be the type of player who at his best can score four points and win the game for his team, and then the next game he's completely invisible, taking some bad penalties, turning the puck over, and making bad defensive plays. I think he's very one-dimensional. There's skill and offensive ability, but there's not a lot else. Cooley is the type of player that I view as a lot closer to Point. Savoie could also be similar to that Point type of player, but he's probably a better skater and less skilled overall than Cooley/Point. Nazar is not that similar to those players, in my opinion. I think there are other smaller skill players to compare him to. Clayton Keller is who I'd compare Nazar to as a ceiling.

Nazar goes to areas Keller simply does not and has an endless motor I don't see with Keller.

 

[pman25]

It's like how every white basketball player is compared to another white guy.

never forget that the Evander Kane comparison at his draft was Jarome Iginla

 

[BKarchitect]

Nazar is hard for me to pin down as a projection - I see both sides of the coin. There’s so much to love about his play this year and frankly there’s not a lot of actual “negative” big stuff on his CV. I’m no scout so those of you really breaking down some micro aspects of his game can certainly point out those flaws. But aside from being undersized and possibly more of a winger at the NHL level - the “general” stuff is certainly appealing…skill, skating, hard worker, great production, plays special teams.

I think his draft range could vary pretty wildly from team to team…I think he and Savoie are gonna be ones to watch in terms of how the draft dominoes fall - they both fit the kind of skilled, productive, undersized, tenacious, are they or aren’t they a full-time NHL center mold. Sometimes those types fall on draft day when teams chase more physically raw projects.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Praying he continues to get undervalued and the Habs can trade up to get him/

 

[Szechwan]

never forget that the Evander Kane comparison at his draft was Jarome Iginla

That's hilarious, but actually not even all that bad comparison-wise haha.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Sportsnet had him at #17 - seems low, no? I thought the consensus was closer to 10?

 

[newfy]

Sportsnet had him at #17 - seems low, no? I thought the consensus was closer to 10?

I read on the Athletic that his public opinion is higher than actual NHL scouts have him. Expect him to drop a bit compared to the mocks you see on the internet, that sportsnet mock might be a product of them hearing that

 

[Brodeur]

Sportsnet had him at #17 - seems low, no? I thought the consensus was closer to 10?

Sportsnet's 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: Final Edition

In his final draft rankings of the season, Sam Cosentino keeps Shane Wright at the top, but it's really tight with the top three. The NHL Draft is up next on July 7-8.

www.sportsnet.ca

Cosentino just released his final rankings and bumped Nazar to #14. Doesn't really seem to be a firm consensus on his ranking.

Craig Button: 24
Corey Pronman: 19
Scott Wheeler: 11
Chris Peters: 7
The Hockey News: 14
McKeen's: 12
NHL Network: 10
Central Scouting: 21 (among North Americans)

 

[Static]

Sportsnet's 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: Final Edition

In his final draft rankings of the season, Sam Cosentino keeps Shane Wright at the top, but it's really tight with the top three. The NHL Draft is up next on July 7-8.

www.sportsnet.ca

Cosentino just released his final rankings and bumped Nazar to #14. Doesn't really seem to be a firm consensus on his ranking.

Craig Button: 24
Corey Pronman: 19
Scott Wheeler: 11
Chris Peters: 7
The Hockey News: 14
McKeen's: 12
NHL Network: 10
Central Scouting: 21 (among North Americans)

Elite Prospects just released their draft guide and he's 5th with the following ranks:

Best straight line skater: 2nd

Best problem solving skills: 2nd

Highest ceiling: 1st

Best vision: 2nd

Best transition forward: 1st

He was also probably 6th in best motor, showed up on three of the five scouts' top five list.

 

[SlafySZN]

Sportsnet's 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: Final Edition

In his final draft rankings of the season, Sam Cosentino keeps Shane Wright at the top, but it's really tight with the top three. The NHL Draft is up next on July 7-8.

www.sportsnet.ca

Cosentino just released his final rankings and bumped Nazar to #14. Doesn't really seem to be a firm consensus on his ranking.

Craig Button: 24
Corey Pronman: 19
Scott Wheeler: 11
Chris Peters: 7
The Hockey News: 14
McKeen's: 12
NHL Network: 10
Central Scouting: 21 (among North Americans)

Craig button has him at 24 whattt