LW Noah Greuter - EHC Kloten U20, Swiss Jr. (2022 NHL Draft)

[Speyer]

Well usually nobody makes a thread for Swiss prospects this long before the Draft but since the next couple of Drafts looks pretty bleak for our country I will break the mold with this one.

Noah Greuter is a scoring winger with an apparently pretty complete skillset. I must admitt I havent seen that much of him, but he seems to have a very good hockey IQ, decent hands and a above average shot (and goalscoring ability in general) for his age. Most notable hover is his very gritty aproach to the game wich reminds me of the Tkachuk brothers. This aspect of his game should make a potential transition to North American ice hockey much easier than other Swiss prospects have experienced it in the past.

His numbers in the Swiss U17-league are in line with guys like Timo Meier, Kevin Fiala, and Marco Rossi (Top prospect for 2020), so a potential selection in the first round of 2022 is absolutely not out of the question. Hopefully he will continue to develop at a nice pace and not stagnate like a most of the best Swiss forward prospects lately and eventually make the NHL.

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[Kuracmugger]

Well usually nobody makes a thread for Swiss prospects this long before the Draft but since the next couple of Drafts looks pretty bleak for our country I will break the mold with this one.

Noah Greuter is a scoring winger with an apparently pretty complete skillset. I must admitt I havent seen that much of him, but he seems to have a very good hockey IQ, decent hands and a above average shot (and goalscoring ability in general) for his age. Most notable hover is his very gritty aproach to the game wich reminds me of the Tkachuk brothers. This aspect of his game should make a potential transition to North American ice hockey much easier than other Swiss prospects have experienced it in the past.

His numbers in the Swiss U17-league are in line with guys like Timo Meier, Kevin Fiala, and Marco Rossi (Top prospect for 2020), so a potential selection in the first round of 2022 is absolutely not out of the question. Hopefully he will continue to develop at a nice pace and not stagnate like a most of the best Swiss forward prospects lately and eventually make the NHL.

I have often played against him he is really fast an tall too

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I saw him play today. Looked good and I'd agree with the description of an all-around game. His team was completely outplayed, so he didn't have that much of the puck. He scored a goal going to the net, although it was a very easy goal to score.

 

[SwissMountaineer]

Commenting here since I saw the name pop up in another thread. The guy has a really hard slapshot, has mostly always played against considerably smaller opponents (he became physically big and strong very early), skates like a load of bricks / grandpa with a backproblem. Speed going straight is ok for his size, otherwise at the level of a complete amateur. I haven't seen him recently, but unless he has improved his skating really dramatically, he has no chance to ever being even close to NHL-level. Over-hyped because he could shoot goals from the red line with his slapshot, while standing still. If you would take away the size advantage, you wouldn't even notice him on the ice. Sorry for being so blunt.

 

[Speyer]

Commenting here since I saw the name pop up in another thread. The guy has a really hard slapshot, has mostly always played against considerably smaller opponents (he became physically big and strong very early), skates like a load of bricks / grandpa with a backproblem. Speed going straight is ok for his size, otherwise at the level of a complete amateur. I haven't seen him recently, but unless he has improved his skating really dramatically, he has no chance to ever being even close to NHL-level. Over-hyped because he could shoot goals from the red line with his slapshot, while standing still. If you would take away the size advantage, you wouldn't even notice him on the ice. Sorry for being so blunt.

I still havent seen him a ton so take anything I am going to say with a grain of salt but I would like tho respond to this post anyway.

Greuter definitely has struggled to get acclimated to the U20 level as his stats are considerably worse than Biasca's and Canonicas were last season. I would definitely agree that his skating needs a lot of work. I think his straight line speed is actually better than ok i would say he is pretty fast, especially for his size. His accleleration, form, and especially his agility and edge work though definitely need a lot of improvement as you have pointed out. He seems often very stiff on the ice and is able to do some effective straight line rushes or cycles if he is not harassed by opposing players. But once he has picked up speed he has a hard time changing his direction or the pace of his game effectively, as any cerebral player would. If he wants to be an NHL player he, really needs to put in massive work in that department. However I wouldn't reduce his toolset on his shot alone. I do think he has really good hockey iq one one hand (some of his plays seem to indicate the opposite but that is because his skating cant implement what his mind wants to do in my opinion). He is also very good at deflecting the puck in the slot and lurking for rebounds witch is greatly helped by his iq. I like his vision and passing too, as he really has a talent to find his open teammates at high speed, even if he cant actually see them. I am also impressed by his hands; he tends to use more faints than dekes (like Pius Suter for example) to cut to the middle and open up a shooting line for himself.

All in all I still think he has a lot of promise but needs to improve his weaknesses like skating and anger issues hopefully sooner than later.

 

[SwissMountaineer]

About the anger issues, that‘s because of his domestic living conditions. I don’t blame that on the young man at all. Nothing further about that in public, but things are not easy for Noah.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

This guy is getting no hype, but I think he's going to be picked. He may be a big riser due to his play style. I think he's at least a mid-round guy. Maybe he could go higher with a good season.

I don't think he's the type of player that is looking to hit to set the tone for his team and be tough to play against. He's an all-out player on every shift. If a player is in his way, he will hit that player. I also completely follow the discussion going on above about his skating. I think the way he plays the game leads to some of these concerns. His skating form is pretty unusual, and he skates as if he's winding up to compete in a speed-skating competition as opposed to playing the game of hockey where the game is moving in all different directions. However, I did see him make some nice changes of direction once inside the offensive zone, so it may be that he's a capable E-W skater that doesn't use it much because of how much of a N-W game he plays.

I think he has some other good tools. The skating speed as mentioned is at least average. It might be better. He has good size. He has above-average stick skills. He likes to shoot the puck, and I don't think his playmaking is bad either.

My main concern is his hockey sense looks weak to me. He can look like he isn't trying to fit into the action on the ice, and is freelancing. He needs to play more alert.

 

[Speyer]

This guy is getting no hype, but I think he's going to be picked. He may be a big riser due to his play style. I think he's at least a mid-round guy. Maybe he could go higher with a good season.

I don't think he's the type of player that is looking to hit to set the tone for his team and be tough to play against. He's an all-out player on every shift. If a player is in his way, he will hit that player. I also completely follow the discussion going on above about his skating. I think the way he plays the game leads to some of these concerns. His skating form is pretty unusual, and he skates as if he's winding up to compete in a speed-skating competition as opposed to playing the game of hockey where the game is moving in all different directions. However, I did see him make some nice changes of direction once inside the offensive zone, so it may be that he's a capable E-W skater that doesn't use it much because of how much of a N-W game he plays.

I think he has some other good tools. The skating speed as mentioned is at least average. It might be better. He has good size. He has above-average stick skills. He likes to shoot the puck, and I don't think his playmaking is bad either.

My main concern is his hockey sense looks weak to me. He can look like he isn't trying to fit into the ion on the ice, and is freelancing. He needs to play more alert.

Yes he is a pretty unusual prospect that I have a hard time to get a read on. I have to say i am confused about his hockey iq. Sometimes he seems very able to sort of lurk around, anticipate how a play is going to develop and then be on the right spot for a tap in or rebound and on other occasions he seems detached from the play as you pointed out. Also his stubborn reliance on straight line rushes can sometimes look like bad hockey iq but i am not sure how much he is just limited by other aspects of his skating like edge work, agility etc. He certainly needs to diversify his approaches in that regard in the future, as his "head through the wall approach" is already not working anymore at the Ivan Hlinka level. On the other hand there are also a lot of things to like like his offensive toolset, his size and the grit in his game.

Unfortunately no one picked him in the import draft. Kloten really doesnt like to give junior players ice time because they want to move up to the first tier league again and dont like to take chances while doing it. This could mean another year for him in the (subpar) Swiss u20 league. I feel like he could have benefited from going to the CHL or some other change of scenery.

 

[pgfan66]

Any update on this kid? Looks like he had a decent season, though "only" a point per game in the U20 season, which isn't great for a draft-eligible player. He even had fewer points per game than 05 Kimo Gruber on the same team. Anyone hear who watched him play this season (and can perhaps also give a comparison to Gruber, talent-wise)?

 

[Speyer]

Any update on this kid? Looks like he had a decent season, though "only" a point per game in the U20 season, which isn't great for a draft-eligible player. He even had fewer points per game than 05 Kimo Gruber on the same team. Anyone hear who watched him play this season (and can perhaps also give a comparison to Gruber, talent-wise)?

He most likely won't get drafted. He was about as noticable as projected first rounder Lian Bichsel a few years ago even though its hard to compare them as Winger and Dman. His u17 numbers were not that far of someone like Timo Meier back then. But in the end he wasn't able to round out some serious flaws in his game and stagnated in other areas. For one he still has major issues skating wise. While he has decent top end speed his mobility, agility and edgework is very lacking. Once he has picked up speed he seems to struggle to change direction and just tries to take a "north south" path towards the goal. While his shot doesn't lack power it lacks accuracy and has a very telegraphed release. It is therefore finding the back of the net less and less as the opposing goalies are getting better in the higher leagues. On the other hand, he has decent vision and is a good passer. He has also fairly soft hands and is a gritty player as well even though he looses his temper a bit to often resulting in frustrating penalties.

Ultimately its his skating that is holding him back the most. If he doesn't make major progress in this area he will even have trouble to be an effective player in the NLA. Also, beeing PPG in the Swiss U20 League is anything but good if you are a forward in your draft season. Lorenzo Canonica was PPG in his draft minus 1 season and still coldn't get drafted a year later. Liekit Reichle put up 1.7 points per game in his draft season and wasnt selected. He even struggled quite a bit in the WHL this year. The Swiss junior leagues are a lot weaker than those of Sweden and Finland. If you put up good numbers there it doesn't automatically mean you are a promising prospect.

In comparison to that Gruber seems a much more well rounded player. He has a decent offensive skillset all around. IQ, hands, vision, skating and passing are all good but not great. His wrist shot is fantastic though, its his biggest strength. He needs to get more involved when he doesn't have the puck though. I feel like his commitment on the fore- and backcheck, maybe even his compete level in general are lacking sometimes. I see him as a player that NHL teams will be interested as a mid to late round pick in 2023.

 

[Speyer]

Double post delete

 

[pgfan66]

He most likely won't get drafted. He was about as noticable as projected first rounder Lian Bichsel a few years ago even though its hard to compare them as Winger and Dman. His u17 numbers were not that far of someone like Timo Meier back then. But in the end he wasn't able to round out some serious flaws in his game and stagnated in other areas. For one he still has major issues skating wise. While he has decent top end speed his mobility, agility and edgework is very lacking. Once he has picked up speed he seems to struggle to change direction and just tries to take a "north south" path towards the goal. While his shot doesn't lack power it lacks accuracy and has a very telegraphed release. It is therefore finding the back of the net less and less as the opposing goalies are getting better in the higher leagues. On the other hand, he has decent vision and is a good passer. He has also fairly soft hands and is a gritty player as well even though he looses his temper a bit to often resulting in frustrating penalties.

Ultimately its his skating that is holding him back the most. If he doesn't make major progress in this area he will even have trouble to be an effective player in the NLA. Also, beeing PPG in the Swiss U20 League is anything but good if you are a forward in your draft season. Lorenzo Canonica was PPG in his draft minus 1 season and still coldn't get drafted a year later. Liekit Reichle put up 1.7 points per game in his draft season and wasnt selected. He even struggled quite a bit in the WHL this year. The Swiss junior leagues are a lot weaker than those of Sweden and Finland. If you put up good numbers there it doesn't automatically mean you are a promising prospect.

In comparison to that Gruber seems a much more well rounded player. He has a decent offensive skillset all around. IQ, hands, vision, skating and passing are all good but not great. His wrist shot is fantastic though, its his biggest strength. He needs to get more involved when he doesn't have the puck though. I feel like his commitment on the fore- and backcheck, maybe even his compete level in general are lacking sometimes. I see him as a player that NHL teams will be interested as a mid to late round pick in 2023.

This is great, thank you! I did think Greuter flashed power forward upside at times but wasn’t consistent in the games I saw. Didn’t look like an NHL prospect. But I only saw one league game and 2 at the U18s.

Can you shed some light on the quality of the U17 league? I was really surprised to see Vinzenz Rohrer not only picked in the import draft but also having a really strong rookie year in the OHL, coming straight out of the Swiss U17.

Edit: Forgot Rohrer played half the season in U20 but barely scored there. That makes it even more surprising to me.

If you have any insight into Leo Braillard’s year, that would be much appreciated too! Thanks!

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He’s probably no better than a late round pick, and he might not be that, but I would draft him late on. He has a lot of potential. He needs to fix his skating and hockey sense, but he has a lot of tools.

 

[Speyer]

This is great, thank you! I did think Greuter flashed power forward upside at times but wasn’t consistent in the games I saw. Didn’t look like an NHL prospect. But I only saw one league game and 2 at the U18s.

Can you shed some light on the quality of the U17 league? I was really surprised to see Vinzenz Rohrer not only picked in the import draft but also having a really strong rookie year in the OHL, coming straight out of the Swiss U17.

Edit: Forgot Rohrer played half the season in U20 but barely scored there. That makes it even more surprising to me.

If you have any insight into Leo Braillard’s year, that would be much appreciated too! Thanks!

Well its just not that good of a junior league at least internationally speaking. I'd say the main problem is depth. Most teams can probably field a line with some good talent for swiss standarts maybe even two if they have a good birhtyear but with the rest of the team the dropoff in talent is usually huge. I'd say U17 players from switzerland are usually good skaters and sound on a tactical level. But they are lacking in many other areas. For one they often don't have very good puck skills and lack what you would call "creativity*. Most of them are also not very good at shooting the puck and if you look at the junior national teams performing the swiss teams often struggle physically and with the intensity of the international play. In terms of quality its certainly closer to the equivalent leagues of Germany and Slovakia than those of Russia, Sweden or Finland. But I don't really know enough about those other junior leagues to make an accurate assesment.

As far as Rohrer is concerned I was surprised about his season to. I feel like his playstyle just fits NA well. Good skating, a decent shot, high IQ and a very good compete level made him able to succeed. Its not that surprising that a guy like Jonas Taibel who put up better numbers than Rohrer last year is struggeling much more in the Q as he is more of a finesse playmaking forward with less finish, less compete level and smarts.

As far as Braillard is concerned, sorry I haven't seen him much this year. I just haven't been able to watch as much hockey as before and he also missed some NT games hurt or for some other reason that I actually watched. His numbers seem quite promising but I wouldnt get to excited yet. It would probably be better for him to go to Sweden or the CHL if he is serious about being drafted. The U20 league just isnt compeditive enough for a player of his level and his chances to move up to the first team on a regular basis are very slim.

 

[pgfan66]

Well its just not that good of a junior league at least internationally speaking. I'd say the main problem is depth. Most teams can probably field a line with some good talent for swiss standarts maybe even two if they have a good birhtyear but with the rest of the team the dropoff in talent is usually huge. I'd say U17 players from switzerland are usually good skaters and sound on a tactical level. But they are lacking in many other areas. For one they often don't have very good puck skills and lack what you would call "creativity*. Most of them are also not very good at shooting the puck and if you look at the junior national teams performing the swiss teams often struggle physically and with the intensity of the international play. In terms of quality its certainly closer to the equivalent leagues of Germany and Slovakia than those of Russia, Sweden or Finland. But I don't really know enough about those other junior leagues to make an accurate assesment.

As far as Rohrer is concerned I was surprised about his season to. I feel like his playstyle just fits NA well. Good skating, a decent shot, high IQ and a very good compete level made him able to succeed. Its not that surprising that a guy like Jonas Taibel who put up better numbers than Rohrer last year is struggeling much more in the Q as he is more of a finesse playmaking forward with less finish, less compete level and smarts.

As far as Braillard is concerned, sorry I haven't seen him much this year. I just haven't been able to watch as much hockey as before and he also missed some NT games hurt or for some other reason that I actually watched. His numbers seem quite promising but I wouldnt get to excited yet. It would probably be better for him to go to Sweden or the CHL if he is serious about being drafted. The U20 league just isnt compeditive enough for a player of his level and his chances to move up to the first team on a regular basis are very slim.

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Speyer]

Seems like he has regressed even at the very weak swiss u20 level. Is totally lost in the swiss tier 2 league as well not generating production. I don't think he make the pros at this point.