F Zach Dean - Gatineau Olympiques, QMJHL (2021, 30th, VGK; traded to STL)

[Newfoundland]

Recently selected 4th overall by Gatineau in the Q. Great size for a kid his age looks to be well on track to be the next star from Newfoundland. He was good back here, any mainlanders see him play the year? How was he up there seemed to post good stats

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[Newfoundland]

 

[Wintersun]

Dean has some of the best hands I have seen on a player this age. Very skilled, good skater, pure playmaker. Will need to play a more pro game and develop his all-around game, but he has elite talent.

 

[Newfoundland]

Dean has some of the best hands I have seen on a player this age. Very skilled, good skater, pure playmaker. Will need to play a more pro game and develop his all-around game, but he has elite talent.

How would you compare him to Newhook at the same age? If you saw him play

 

[Wintersun]

How would you compare him to Newhook at the same age? If you saw him play

Sadly I did not get to see Newhook at that age, but if I were to assume Dean's NHL potential right now, I would not say he's a lock to be a first round NHL draft pick so Newhook likely has the edge.

 

[DrummondIsGod]

How would you compare him to Newhook at the same age? If you saw him play

I saw both at the minor midget level and I thought Newhook was more dominant for YSE than Dean was for the Nats. I would put Newhook slighly ahead at that age.

 

[Newfoundland]

3 pts in 5 games

 

[Newfoundland]

Bay Roberts and Mount Pearl Natives Score Big in International Hockey

 

[BondraTime]

Bay Roberts and Mount Pearl Natives Score Big in International Hockey

Wonder where you’re from?

 

[Newfoundland]

Wonder where you’re from?

miquelon born and raised baby

 

[ETTHAKING67]

He's playing in my hometown so I'll try to go catch a couple of games, I'll drop my opinion on him in a couple of weeks

 

[ETTHAKING67]

He's playing in my hometown so I'll try to go catch a couple of games, I'll drop my opinion on him in a couple of weeks

Since this post I went to a couple of games;

- I've fallen in love with the player, he's a good skater but his hands and playmaking ability is what makes him special.
He will need to be better defensively but I'm confident he will be a 1st rounder if he keeps getting better.

 

[ETTHAKING67]

An other hat trick for him this weekend with a wonderful 2nd goal.

 

[Newfoundland]

I think he'll explode next season and go top 10. Calling it now

 

[Wintersun]

I think he'll explode next season and go top 10. Calling it now

Don't know about top 10 but I think he's certainly a first round talent. Not many weaknesses in his offensive arsenal.

 

[Newfoundland]

Rookie of the year?

 

[Mickey Marner]

How do you get a one-armed Newfie out of a tree? Wave.

But seriously, nice to see the rock has been doing work the past couple few years.

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

Good start for Zach Dean's draft year: 4 pts in Gatineau's inaugural 4-2 preseason win (game is online for those who wanna watch).

He'll be one to watch; one of 6-7 players in the Q who seem to have legitimate 1st round aspirations at this point.

 

[Wintersun]

To me, first round is probably a lock for him. It's a matter of how high he goes. I think first half is very possible.

 

[JoshTessler]

Smaht Scouting's report on Zach Dean

Scouting Report: Zach Dean - Smaht Scouting

 

[Andy Lehoux]

Here's a quick report on his performance on November 22nd 2020.



Dean is super skilled and creative offensive threat who used his magnificent stick-handling abilities and impressive mobility to dominate 1v1s and plays along the boards. The smooth skating forward showcased the ability to break down skating lanes and dodge pressure elusively thanks to his cutting-edge agility. Dean adds to his skating swiftness some of the silkiest and most slippery mitts in the draft, molding him into a constant threat in rush offense. His favorite move, the backhand toe drag, left defensemens completely fazed and allowed him to attempt bypasses on the outside. There’s still room for improvements in Dean’s skating though, as adjustments as simple as widening his stance on straight-line drives and keeping his feet under him in puck protection would allow him to work with even more speed. As skilled as Dean is, he rarely ever attempted to get to inside positions, keeping a very safe approach and working on the outside. If he did create high-danger scoring chances as a playmaker, I would also like to see him strive to get his own opportunities in the middle ice ; that’s when he’s at his best. Dean is a fierce competitor along the wall, combining his delightful mobility to his quick feet and hands to either protect his puck or challenge a rival. The Canadian forward can turn with the disc with magistral smoothness or stop on a dime to create separation along the boards. He enjoyed getting his body involved and work with intensity in corners, flashing snippets of excellent compete. Although lacking a bit of consistency, Dean was willing to put the defensive effort too, occasionally getting on the backcheck with an active stick or supporting his defensemen down low. There’s one aspect that left a sour taste in my mouth, though, and it was his visually wavering attitude. Dean complained a lot to the officials throughout the game, throwing out is frustration at the wrong place. Not a big deal for one game, but I’ll keep an eye on any developing trend from now on. Overall, Dean is an extremely creative and skilled prospect who possesses all the tools and potential to become an impactful player at the next level. He’ll just need the right environment and support.

 

[Haanz]

Heating up. After a slow start to the season with just two points in his first six games, Dean has posted back-to-back three point games, with 10 points in his past five games.

 

[Aaron Vickers]

Rising on our draft boards (new rankings out in a few days). Here's a deeper look into his game...be warned, lots of clips and lots of reading:

Mallory's Playbook: Breaking down Dean's game - FCHockey

Dean’s 2021 numbers are very impressive. While he posted respectable box score production for Gatineau (10G, 10A, 20P in 23GP), it’s when you dig deeper into some more underlying metrics when you begin to see Dean’s individual and on-ice effectiveness as a player.

 

[newfy]

Seems like a guy with late first potential.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Drafted fourth overall in the 2019 QMJHL Draft by the Gatineau Olympiques, Zach Dean made an immediate impact in the league. He put up 18 goals and 28 assists for 46 points in 57 games in his rookie campaign in 2019-20. The performance meant that Dean was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team. He also played for Team Canada Black at that year’s Under-17 World Hockey Championships. Dean had a dominant performance, scoring three goals and four assists for seven points in five tournament games.

Like many prospects this year, Dean’s draft season was a difficult one. The QMJHL season was plagued with stops and starts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the campaign, he was named an alternate captain for the Olympiques. Dean scored 10 goals as well as 10 assists for 20 points in 23 regular-season games. He also scored one goal and one assist for two points in four playoff games. Unfortunately, the Olympiques fell three games to one to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the first round of the modified QMJHL playoffs.

2021 NHL Draft #37: Zach Dean Scouting Report - LWOS