LW Quentin Musty - Sudbury Wolves, OHL (2023, 26th, SJS)

[JiggsNY]

Tied with Callum Ritchie for the scoring lead among 05 born skaters. 12 goals, 19 assists, 31 pts in 42 games.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He was catching a lot of criticism for his play at the Hlinka. I thought it was mostly undeserved.

That team comes together so quickly and they've almost entirely never played hockey together. He tried to play hero a few too many times, but you see the skill and size. He was one of the best players on that American team.

While his skating acceleration isn't the best, I think his skating for his size is about average. He's also a powerful skater that has some speed when he gets going and he's usually moving his feet, so his skating probably plays better than the raw tool grade you could give it. Teams are going to draft him higher than fans will.

I think he goes first round. It might end up being latter half of the first as opposed to first half of the first, but a power forward with skill, some physicality, and good enough skating is always going to go higher than people think.

 

[Frk It]

Best American player in this draft? I think he might be. Not sure I like anyone on the program better than him this year. We will see.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

He was catching a lot of criticism for his play at the Hlinka. I thought it was mostly undeserved.

That team comes together so quickly and they've almost entirely never played hockey together. He tried to play hero a few too many times, but you see the skill and size. He was one of the best players on that American team.

While his skating acceleration isn't the best, I think his skating for his size is about average. He's also a powerful skater that has some speed when he gets going and he's usually moving his feet, so his skating probably plays better than the raw tool grade you could give it. Teams are going to draft him higher than fans will.

I think he goes first round. It might end up being latter half of the first as opposed to first half of the first, but a power forward with skill, some physicality, and good enough skating is always going to go higher than people think.

Agreed on that. Look at Josh Anderson for example. Lots of demand for him. He is a better skater than Musty but Musty's other tools are likely better.

Best American player in this draft? I think he might be. Not sure I liked anyone on the program better than him this year. We will see.

There certainly wasn't much on the Hlinka team.

 

[Leviathan899]

He was catching a lot of criticism for his play at the Hlinka. I thought it was mostly undeserved.

That team comes together so quickly and they've almost entirely never played hockey together. He tried to play hero a few too many times, but you see the skill and size. He was one of the best players on that American team.

While his skating acceleration isn't the best, I think his skating for his size is about average. He's also a powerful skater that has some speed when he gets going and he's usually moving his feet, so his skating probably plays better than the raw tool grade you could give it. Teams are going to draft him higher than fans will.

I think he goes first round. It might end up being latter half of the first as opposed to first half of the first, but a power forward with skill, some physicality, and good enough skating is always going to go higher than people think.

Agreed, I think he got a lot of underserved bashing from people looking for a scapegoat, and it does seem if you’re a bigger prospect, a lot of new age fans instantly dislike you as big=Dumb and lacking skill in a lot of peoples eyes, which is flat out wrong. He does need to make some better decisions when under pressure, but scouting is all about long term projection and his tools project very nicely to the next level imo. At his size and ability to make plays, shoot the puck and beat goaltenders from distance is impressive. I still think other than Stramel, Musty as of now is the top American prospect for the draft. We’ll see how he progresses this year in Sudbury, but I can almost guarantee scouts weren’t getting hung up on a few bad plays at the blue line or the odd selfish play by Musty, they see what tools he has and it gets them excited to track him throughout the year. To me he’s in that group of players like Barlow, Ritchie, Rehkopf, Haltunnen, Carlsson, Wood, all bigger boys with tantalizing tools and various skill sets that teams all covet. He’s all about upside and where he can be in 4-5 years. For example a kid like Whitelaw, whose also a good prospect in his own right, may look flashier and jump off the page a lot easier in a short tournament like this, doesn’t have the same potential runway a prospect like Musty has. To me Whitelaw is sort of what you see, what you get. He’s already highly skilled and can rip the puck, he’s likely not going to grow much more than he is now as he has a thicker frame for a shorter kid, so it’s a lot easier to sort of see what he’ll be in 4-5 years. Is he a Caufield level player? Not likely at all imo, projects more so like a Conor Garland or at the least, a Rocco Grimaldi type. Sorry for the ramble…

 

[Leviathan899]

Best American player in this draft? I think he might be. Not sure I like anyone on the program better than him this year. We will see.

For sure, out of Smith, Perrault, Moore, Leonard, I think their good prospects in their own right and perhaps a couple go in the first as well; albeit likely second half of the first as well. Not a year where the NTDP is stacked with can’t miss prospects. I don’t think there is a D on that team I’d consider as an A rated player today. Musty for me is still the best 05 American prospect for this draft where it stands today, with late 04’s like Stramel, Brzustewicz, Brindley being potential first rounder as well. I see Stramel as a 10-18 sort of kid, Brzustewicz brindley as mid to late first round prospects.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Best American player in this draft? I think he might be. Not sure I like anyone on the program better than him this year. We will see.

What about Stramel?

I think the consensus, which may not be right, is that he's the best American and maybe with a large gap.

 

[Frk It]

What about Stramel?

I think the consensus, which may not be right, is that he's the best American and maybe with a large gap.

Yeah he probably is the favorite, I suppose you're right. I happen to like Musty quite a bit though.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Agreed, I think he got a lot of underserved bashing from people looking for a scapegoat, and it does seem if you’re a bigger prospect, a lot of new age fans instantly dislike you as big=Dumb and lacking skill in a lot of peoples eyes, which is flat out wrong. He does need to make some better decisions when under pressure, but scouting is all about long term projection and his tools project very nicely to the next level imo. At his size and ability to make plays, shoot the puck and beat goaltenders from distance is impressive. I still think other than Stramel, Musty as of now is the top American prospect for the draft. We’ll see how he progresses this year in Sudbury, but I can almost guarantee scouts weren’t getting hung up on a few bad plays at the blue line or the odd selfish play by Musty, they see what tools he has and it gets them excited to track him throughout the year. To me he’s in that group of players like Barlow, Ritchie, Rehkopf, Haltunnen, Carlsson, Wood, all bigger boys with tantalizing tools and various skill sets that teams all covet. He’s all about upside and where he can be in 4-5 years. For example a kid like Whitelaw, whose also a good prospect in his own right, may look flashier and jump off the page a lot easier in a short tournament like this, doesn’t have the same potential runway a prospect like Musty has. To me Whitelaw is sort of what you see, what you get. He’s already highly skilled and can rip the puck, he’s likely not going to grow much more than he is now as he has a thicker frame for a shorter kid, so it’s a lot easier to sort of see what he’ll be in 4-5 years. Is he a Caufield level player? Not likely at all imo, projects more so like a Conor Garland or at the least, a Rocco Grimaldi type. Sorry for the ramble…

I also have Musty a lot higher than Whitelaw. I may prefer Whitelaw to Musty on a junior team, but when Reid Schaefer goes two rounds ahead of Jordan Dumais, we see what NHL teams are looking for. Musty is what they like. I'd probably say his range is 16-26. I put him at 8 on my first 2023 list from 5 weeks ago. I think after watching him for four games at this tournament thats not outrageously high, but probably about 10 spots too high. 18 seems more accurate. He's a good prospect and I completely agree with you that he's competing with a bunch of guys for second best American in this draft.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

For sure, out of Smith, Perrault, Moore, Leonard, I think their good prospects in their own right and perhaps a couple go in the first as well; albeit likely second half of the first as well. Not a year where the NTDP is stacked with can’t miss prospects. I don’t think there is a D on that team I’d consider as an A rated player today. Musty for me is still the best 05 American prospect for this draft where it stands today, with late 04’s like Stramel, Brzustewicz, Brindley being potential first rounder as well. I see Stramel as a 10-18 sort of kid, Brzustewicz brindley as mid to late first round prospects.

As for second best American, assuming that Stramel stays at 1 which its possible he might not, the main guys I'd be considering right now are Smith, Leonard, Shaugabay, McCarthy, Brzustewicz and Brindley.

Tier 1: Stramel
Tier 2 (in no order): Smith, Leonard, Shaugabay, McCarthy, Musty
Tier 3: Brzustewicz, Brindley

At this point, I find the gap between tier 1 and 2 to be greater than the gap between 2 and 3. 2 and 3 is pretty interchangeable. I could see how Brzustewicz and Brindley are ranked higher than the ones in tier two, but I think the tier 2 guys have higher draft upside. Brzustewicz and Brindley are the same draft profile. Real solid players, but undersized to an extent and not huge upside guys.

All those tier 2 guys have obstacles. Not impossible that they could join Stramel in tier 1, but as of now I'd say no. Smith is really solid. I'm just not sure I think he's great. I think he lacks that great upside, even if I think he ends up a good NHL'er. Maybe I'm undervaluing what thats worth. Leonard has flashy puck skills and skating, but needs to improve his playmaking and sense to be a real top 20 threat. Shaugabay is the real dark horse. Most of us haven't seen that much of him. Really dynamic offensive player. For a player like him, the questions are going to be compete level and size. Those areas might check out, but a question for now. And flat out exposure. How much is it worth to destroy Minnesota High School Competition? McCarthy is a player whose upside I like, but he didn't have the greatest Hlinka. I thought he was better with Muskegon last season , but needs to continue working on skating/positioning. Not a great defenseman draft. He could compete for best or at least top few. Musty maybe doesn't have huge upside, but big power forward with skill and good enough skating always go higher than people think. His draft floor is pretty high.

I suspect Moore is going to get some discussion for that, but as of now I just don't see it. Don't see the upside, but he's the type of grit/intangibles player that NHL teams like more than me. Also, I could see a case that Augustine is the second best American player in the draft, but it's just hard to believe that a goalie is going to be the second highest drafted American. If that happens, either Augustine has taken a huge leap or the American crop is terrible.

My real wild card is Will McDonough. I wouldn't put him in any of those three tiers, but he's a real power forward in the truest sense, not just a big player with offense. He will hit and he gets involved in scrums. He just needs to put it all together for a really good season and maybe slightly improve his skating. I guess theoretically Sawchyn is another huge wild card based on his talent.

 

[Leviathan899]

What about Stramel?

I think the consensus, which may not be right, is that he's the best American and maybe with a large gap.

I’d say as it stands today, Stramel is definitely the top American available

 

[Leviathan899]

As for second best American, assuming that Stramel stays at 1 which its possible he might not, the main guys I'd be considering right now are Smith, Leonard, Shaugabay, McCarthy, Brzustewicz and Brindley.

Tier 1: Stramel
Tier 2 (in no order): Smith, Leonard, Shaugabay, McCarthy, Musty
Tier 3: Brzustewicz, Brindley

At this point, I find the gap between tier 1 and 2 to be greater than the gap between 2 and 3. 2 and 3 is pretty interchangeable. I could see how Brzustewicz and Brindley are ranked higher than the ones in tier two, but I think the tier 2 guys have higher draft upside. Brzustewicz and Brindley are the same draft profile. Real solid players, but undersized to an extent and not huge upside guys.

All those tier 2 guys have obstacles. Not impossible that they could join Stramel in tier 1, but as of now I'd say no. Smith is really solid. I'm just not sure I think he's great. I think he lacks that great upside, even if I think he ends up a good NHL'er. Maybe I'm undervaluing what thats worth. Leonard has flashy puck skills and skating, but needs to improve his playmaking and sense to be a real top 20 threat. Shaugabay is the real dark horse. Most of us haven't seen that much of him. Really dynamic offensive player. For a player like him, the questions are going to be compete level and size. Those areas might check out, but a question for now. And flat out exposure. How much is it worth to destroy Minnesota High School Competition? McCarthy is a player whose upside I like, but he didn't have the greatest Hlinka. I thought he was better with Muskegon last season , but needs to continue working on skating/positioning. Not a great defenseman draft. He could compete for best or at least top few. Musty maybe doesn't have huge upside, but big power forward with skill and good enough skating always go higher than people think. His draft floor is pretty high.

I suspect Moore is going to get some discussion for that, but as of now I just don't see it. Don't see the upside, but he's the type of grit/intangibles player that NHL teams like more than me. Also, I could see a case that Augustine is the second best American player in the draft, but it's just hard to believe that a goalie is going to be the second highest drafted American. If that happens, either Augustine has taken a huge leap or the American crop is terrible.

My real wild card is Will McDonough. I wouldn't put him in any of those three tiers, but he's a real power forward in the truest sense, not just a big player with offense. He will hit and he gets involved in scrums. He just needs to put it all together for a really good season and maybe slightly improve his skating. I guess theoretically Sawchyn is another huge wild card based on his talent.

Really good post and I agree with most of it for sure. I don’t think there’s a large gap either between those two tiers, a lot of it will depend on their progression this season. It’s true, someone may prefer a more flashy player like Whitelaw on a junior team where he likely produces big numbers, but does it translate easily? I still think to be an undersized player that is counted upon in a top 6 or 9 role, you need to be elite like Caufield or Brayden Point. I do think size isn’t as important as it was 10-15 years ago, but it still matters quite a bit. I agree with Shaugabay, clearly a skilled and smart player, but with limited views for most people at the moment, it’s difficult to really rank him at the moment, a real wildcard. Would like to see him in the ushl a bit more to get a better gauge for his overall talent package, but I do like what I’ve seen from him in limited views. As for your comment on Smith, I guess for me it goes that if you are fairly confident he’ll be an everyday NHL’er, how many guys in this draft do you also see having that upside with a solid chance of reaching that potential? As good as this draft looks like today, I still think it’s tough to truly find 30 plus players who can be worthy of that tag. If he’s solidly in that group, I’d say he’s a 20-32 level prospect, maybe a tad higher. Agreed on Moore, I think his upside isn’t as high as a lot of kids and it again comes down to whether you think he can become a staple as a third line guy, that kills penalties. Not to compare their style of play, but someone lik JT compher, while never going to be a high producer or top 6 F on a contender, is a valuable piece to any good team. I think Moore could down the road be a guy in a role similar to that. It’ll be interesting to see Brzustewicz in Kitchener this year and playing in the same division as Cam Allen. He sees the ice well and can move the puck, good enough skater, but I agree his overall upside may not be anything more than a 4-6 at the NHL level.

 

[Lavar Ball]

As for second best American, assuming that Stramel stays at 1 which its possible he might not, the main guys I'd be considering right now are Smith, Leonard, Shaugabay, McCarthy, Brzustewicz and Brindley.

Tier 1: Stramel
Tier 2 (in no order): Smith, Leonard, Shaugabay, McCarthy, Musty
Tier 3: Brzustewicz, Brindley

At this point, I find the gap between tier 1 and 2 to be greater than the gap between 2 and 3. 2 and 3 is pretty interchangeable. I could see how Brzustewicz and Brindley are ranked higher than the ones in tier two, but I think the tier 2 guys have higher draft upside. Brzustewicz and Brindley are the same draft profile. Real solid players, but undersized to an extent and not huge upside guys.

All those tier 2 guys have obstacles. Not impossible that they could join Stramel in tier 1, but as of now I'd say no. Smith is really solid. I'm just not sure I think he's great. I think he lacks that great upside, even if I think he ends up a good NHL'er. Maybe I'm undervaluing what thats worth. Leonard has flashy puck skills and skating, but needs to improve his playmaking and sense to be a real top 20 threat. Shaugabay is the real dark horse. Most of us haven't seen that much of him. Really dynamic offensive player. For a player like him, the questions are going to be compete level and size. Those areas might check out, but a question for now. And flat out exposure. How much is it worth to destroy Minnesota High School Competition? McCarthy is a player whose upside I like, but he didn't have the greatest Hlinka. I thought he was better with Muskegon last season , but needs to continue working on skating/positioning. Not a great defenseman draft. He could compete for best or at least top few. Musty maybe doesn't have huge upside, but big power forward with skill and good enough skating always go higher than people think. His draft floor is pretty high.

I suspect Moore is going to get some discussion for that, but as of now I just don't see it. Don't see the upside, but he's the type of grit/intangibles player that NHL teams like more than me. Also, I could see a case that Augustine is the second best American player in the draft, but it's just hard to believe that a goalie is going to be the second highest drafted American. If that happens, either Augustine has taken a huge leap or the American crop is terrible.

My real wild card is Will McDonough. I wouldn't put him in any of those three tiers, but he's a real power forward in the truest sense, not just a big player with offense. He will hit and he gets involved in scrums. He just needs to put it all together for a really good season and maybe slightly improve his skating. I guess theoretically Sawchyn is another huge wild card based on his talent.

Another question for you if you would -

How do you feel on Danny Nelson? Saw you made the thread on him but he really intrigues me... Big kid with a seemingly versatile game having success at both forward and defense. Could you see him rising to the 1st round?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Really good post and I agree with most of it for sure. I don’t think there’s a large gap either between those two tiers, a lot of it will depend on their progression this season. It’s true, someone may prefer a more flashy player like Whitelaw on a junior team where he likely produces big numbers, but does it translate easily? I still think to be an undersized player that is counted upon in a top 6 or 9 role, you need to be elite like Caufield or Brayden Point. I do think size isn’t as important as it was 10-15 years ago, but it still matters quite a bit. I agree with Shaugabay, clearly a skilled and smart player, but with limited views for most people at the moment, it’s difficult to really rank him at the moment, a real wildcard. Would like to see him in the ushl a bit more to get a better gauge for his overall talent package, but I do like what I’ve seen from him in limited views. As for your comment on Smith, I guess for me it goes that if you are fairly confident he’ll be an everyday NHL’er, how many guys in this draft do you also see having that upside with a solid chance of reaching that potential? As good as this draft looks like today, I still think it’s tough to truly find 30 plus players who can be worthy of that tag. If he’s solidly in that group, I’d say he’s a 20-32 level prospect, maybe a tad higher. Agreed on Moore, I think his upside isn’t as high as a lot of kids and it again comes down to whether you think he can become a staple as a third line guy, that kills penalties. Not to compare their style of play, but someone lik JT compher, while never going to be a high producer or top 6 F on a contender, is a valuable piece to any good team. I think Moore could down the road be a guy in a role similar to that. It’ll be interesting to see Brzustewicz in Kitchener this year and playing in the same division as Cam Allen. He sees the ice well and can move the puck, good enough skater, but I agree his overall upside may not be anything more than a 4-6 at the NHL level.

I had Smith 21 on my first list. I like his game too. I feel like he's Josh Norris as a draft prospect. Norris went 19th. Now obviously, Josh Norris has become a very good NHL player. But Norris has pretty much hit his best possible outcome when he was a draft prospect. Most of these players do not. If Smith does, he's probably Josh Norris. If he doesn't, he's like a lesser version of Josh Norris. I think thats a good NHL'er. Is it a 2nd liner, good third liner? It's dependent on the next five years for him, but I think he's a valuable NHL'er.

Moore, I agree with you. I also think seeing Moore high on some of these early lists is a symptom of people feel the need to throw a few NTDP guys into their top 15-20. How could there possibly be no 2005 NTDP players that are top 20 prospects in a draft? Well, there probably isn't. The 2005 NTDP players aren't the best and it's supposed to be a strong draft. Moore is one of the leading scorers on that team and does some other things that people may like, but I don't see real NHL level skill where he's the type of forward that is a staple on an NHL power play. As you say, he could be JT Compher. He's likely an NHL'er, but I think if you could guarantee you are getting a 35 point 3rd liner who can contribute in a bunch of areas of the game, you take that right now. Compher went 35th and is that. Career high of 33 points, and contributes in a few areas. I have Moore 41st right now. I'm not seeing the first round range people put on him. Don't think there's enough of an offensive ceiling.

Brzustewicz/Allen should be interesting. I had Allen 22 and Brzustewicz 23 on my first list. I would probably move Allen up a little, but I think it'll be an interesting battle this season. I think Allen is a little more dynamic. Better skater and more offense. They have similarities though. Both 5'11 RH defensemen that are solid all around, but probably not players that are sure-thing first pair defensemen that can break a game open. I think Brzustewicz looks like he projects safely as a third pair defenseman that could have some second pairing upside. I have considered that his role might be why he looks like this type of player. He's not played a feature role for the NTDP the last two seasons when not injured. At the Hlinka last year given this type of role, he was better than first round pick Sam Rinzel on that team. I'm not seeing the skillset though that makes me think he's anything other than a guy that plays in the NHL, but lacks those selling point areas to think he's a particularly good NHL'er. But there's value in a solid defensemen that you think will be an NHL regular.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Another question for you if you would -

How do you feel on Danny Nelson? Saw you made the thread on him but he really intrigues me... Big kid with a seemingly versatile game having success at both forward and defense. Could you see him rising to the 1st round?

A little lower.

So I had it look like this about 5 weeks ago

3. Stramel
8. Musty
10. McCarthy
14. Shaugabay
18. Brindley
21. Smith
24. Brzustewicz
(25. Augustine)
27. Leonard
(31. Nelson)
(32. Sawchyn)

I thought Musty and McCarthy had weaker Hlinka's and some other players will move up, so I'd probably bump them down about 10 spots each, maybe a few less for McCarthy than Musty Still like both players though.

But as you can see, of those players I named Nelson is next among the skaters. I have Augustine in-between those 3 tiers and Nelson. I think he's really good, and will be the first goalie picked next year. It's bold, but he's probably my favorite player of the NTDP crop. Nelson, I haven't watched him play enough. I liked what I saw of him last year in the summer for the USA. I liked what I saw of him playing for the NTDP this year, but he also didn't play a full season for that team. I view him similar to Cutter Gauthier in how he plays, but probably not as good. I didn't have Gauthier 5th, so as good as that may sound, to me it sounds slightly less enthusiastic. I'm not expecting Nelson to be 10th on my list by the end of the season, but it's possible.

I know thats a lot of Americans for the first round, and it's probably true that I have more listed first round than others would because I am going to have real takes on players I know better. As I learn more about prospects from other countries, it's very possible some of those guys fall outside my top 32, but I think this is actually a pretty good year for Americans. It's just not a good year for Americans in the conventional way it would usually be (The U18 NTDP team). The American crop this year is similar in that sense to the 2021 full NHL Draft crop. I thought that was a very underrated draft. People said it was weak, but I thought there were a lot of unproven players in that draft with a lot of potential that eventually would look like real good prospects. I feel like it's the same way for the American crop for 2023. People just don't know as much about these players for exposure reasons.

If you look into those guys I named, Musty is OHL so he's going to get less attention from Americans than NTDP players. Shaugabay is high-school, so almost no one watches him play with any regularity. McCarthy is USHL, so less hype than NTDP players. Stramel is a late-birthday NTDP player, but also missed half of last season with injuries. Brzustewicz is another NTDP late birthday and now he'll be OHL for next year that won't get typical attention from Americans, but then also add that he's missed even more time with injuries than Stramel. Nelson wasn't full-time NTDP last year. Sawchyn was NTDP last year, but now won't be next year, so he won't get traditional hype from Americans that NTDP'ers get. Brindley is USHL. Augustine is NTDP, but he's part of a new NTDP feature where they employ three goalies instead of two, so it's less starts than usual.

Long story short, even if it's not as many first round picks as I suggest, I think this is a good American draft without there being the usual U18 NTDP skaters leading the way for the group. I think it will be proven out over time.

 

[William H Bonney]

Musty has high upside but he needs work. He needs to improve his pace, his acceleration, and his tunnel vision. If he improves on those over the course of the season he could go really high, but 15-25 range is where I'd slot him right now.

 

[DatDude44]

Musty got over mono and was down 15LBS less than a month before hlinka….. I think we can cut him some slack.

 

[AmericanDream]

I will be floored if Musty isn't a top 10 pick on draft day.

Kid just has too many skills to pass on. Players like him are coveted and I imagine he lights up the O this year.

Stramel is the top US player. I can't see anyone unseating him even Musty..

Stramel is top 5 for me.
Musty inside top 10.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I will be floored if Musty isn't a top 10 pick on draft day.

Kid just has too many skills to pass on. Players like him are coveted and I imagine he lights up the O this year.

Stramel is the top US player. I can't see anyone unseating him even Musty..

Stramel is top 5 for me.
Musty inside top 10.

I'd be floored if he was one. He'd need to iron out a lot in his game and a lot of players projected ahead of him would need to disappoint.

There's too many players in this draft with more talent than him and already play a way more effective game.

 

[Lavar Ball]

I'd be floored if he was one. He'd need to iron out a lot in his game and a lot of players projected ahead of him would need to disappoint.

There's too many players in this draft with more talent than him and already play a way more effective game.

More effective game? - sure.

More talent? - I wouldn't say there are too many with the skillset (and size) Musty has even in this loaded class. His potential is sky high, you can see that in his flashes of brilliance. He needs to play a more consistent and well-rounded game though if he wants to rise

 

[WeThreeKings]

More effective game? - sure.

More talent? - I wouldn't say there are too many with the skillset (and size) Musty has even in this loaded class. His potential is sky high, you can see that in his flashes of brilliance. He needs to play a more consistent and well-rounded game though if he wants to rise

My main issue is his decision making and IQ. It'll be interesting to follow him but my early impressions are Drouin-esque. A guy that looks enticing with tools but when it comes to actually applying them in a meaningful way, I don't know if I see it.

They are generally traps because the skill entices you but you have to ask yourself what does all that skill add up to on the ice and how productive was it. I found a lot of plays he did that the fan in me liked and then the end result really wasn't anything.

But I'd say in terms of talent.. as skilled as he is, I'd still say there's more talent in Bedard, Michkov, Fantilli, Carlsson, Yager, Benson, Sale, Ritchie and Wood. That's excluding defenseman like Allen. I'm not even sure if he's more skilled than Stenberg at this point and Stenberg was able to actually make plays that did something.

I'm actually not sure if Musty is more talented than Whitelaw but he was more competitive and the frame helps so I know Musty is going to get drafted well ahead of Whitelaw.

 

[Lavar Ball]

My main issue is his decision making and IQ. It'll be interesting to follow him but my early impressions are Drouin-esque. A guy that looks enticing with tools but when it comes to actually applying them in a meaningful way, I don't know if I see it.

They are generally traps because the skill entices you but you have to ask yourself what does all that skill add up to on the ice and how productive was it. I found a lot of plays he did that the fan in me liked and then the end result really wasn't anything.

But I'd say in terms of talent.. as skilled as he is, I'd still say there's more talent in Bedard, Michkov, Fantilli, Carlsson, Yager, Benson, Sale, Ritchie and Wood. That's excluding defenseman like Allen. I'm not even sure if he's more skilled than Stenberg at this point and Stenberg was able to actually make plays that did something.

I'm actually not sure if Musty is more talented than Whitelaw but he was more competitive and the frame helps so I know Musty is going to get drafted well ahead of Whitelaw.

Good analysis - I agree with most of your points here, including the guys you listed with more talent. I'd also add Dvorksy and a few other guys could even be argued. With that said, I think if Musty can improve that decision making throughout the season and continue to show the flashes of brilliance he has in the past at a more consistent rate, he could absolutely rise into the top 10 past guys like Benson, Wood and others. In no way would I say I expect Musty to rise to top ten status, but I also wouldn't be shocked if it happened come the end of the season.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Good analysis - I agree with most of your points here, including the guys you listed with more talent. I'd also add Dvorksy and a few other guys could even be argued. With that said, I think if Musty can improve that decision making throughout the season and continue to show the flashes of brilliance he has in the past at a more consistent rate, he could absolutely rise into the top 10 past guys like Benson, Wood and others. In no way would I say I expect Musty to rise to top ten status, but I also wouldn't be shocked if it happened come the end of the season.

Can't believe I missed Dvorsky there!

It's a tough climb but I'll be watching for progression in his game. At least he already has a competitive and fiesty element to his game, you don't have to teach him to implicate himself. I'll actually be curious to watch him with more talent on his lines as well.

It was one question I had with Musty and Whitelaw. Were they going hero puck often because they didn't trust their teammates or are they gonna do hero puck even with high end talent on their lines?

 

[Martinez89]

I can´t help but I really like this player, big big fan. I kind of get "Slafkovsky vibes" from him. See some similarities with Slaf - he is a big, skilled impact player with nifty hands and as a winger he can drive his line by himself.

Last year I had Slafkovsky in the top 3 from day one although many disagreed and you know the result.
This year Musty is in my top 5 from day one although many may disagree and... wait for the result

I see him as the highest picked American player in this upcoming draft (and I have no problem with Stramel I like him as well). I think he was very good at Hlinka, don´t understand criticsm on him there. He was most productive US player there, showed flashes of a great play and had "it" factor. I definitely see a ton of potential in this player.

 

[Lavar Ball]