Prospect Info: With the 66th overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft, the Ducks select Sasha Pastujov

[Ducks DVM]

Sasha Pastujov

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[MMC]

Welcome!

 

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[LastWordArmy]

The U.S. National Team Development Program has consistently produced top draft prospects in recent years. The latest is Bradenton, Florida native Sasha Pastujov. A talented left-winger, Pastujov spent most of this season on the Under-18 team’s top line. He put up 30 goals and 35 assists for 65 points in 41 games with the NTDP. Pastujov was named one of the top three players on the team at the IIHF Under-18 World Championships. He certainly did his part with five goals and three assists for eight points in five games in the tournament. Despite the U.S. suffering a disappointing quarter-final loss, it certainly can’t be blamed on Pastujov.

2021 NHL Draft #25: Sasha Pastujov Scouting Report

 

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[bsu]

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[duxfan1101]

Pastujov will be joining Trevor Janicke at Notre Dame next year.

 

[Goose of Reason]

He's a project but I'd rather bet on his talent and hope he can improve his skating enough to contribute. I like it. 2 high upside swings to start day 2.

 

[cheesymc]

Hmmm would have rather have Winterton. I don’t like hearing about the skating problems… sounds like a problem that Kerdiles also had. Advanced scorer but couldnt keep up in higher competition.

 

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[WhatTheDuck]

Skill and smarts for days, can spend a couple years in college finding another gear.

 

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[bsu]

Just watched some film.... Jason Robertson or Blake Wheeler without the skating. Needs to improve skating for sure but so does Jason.

 

[Static]

Wheeler had him ranked 14th:

I think Pastujov’s a little misunderstood. Some scouts see mediocre acceleration and top speed and worry about his ceiling. I see an inventive playmaker who can do a lot with the puck and produced at an extremely high rate as the program’s most dangerous offensive player when Lucius was out. He’s got excellent touch, regularly pulling pucks through feet and sticks and into space. But he also mixes in fakes and stutter-steps to create transition separation or go inside-out on defenders. You seldom see players who did what Pastujov did this year run into any trouble becoming top college players. He can run a power play, he’s dangerous around the net because of his ability in tight spaces, and he’s a superb passer through bodies who can slow the play down and dictate with his poise or speed it up with his ability to quickly react to openings in coverage.
Here’s U.S. NTDP head coach Dan Muse on Pastujov: “All he does is score and put up points. He’s a guy that has the great shot but he’s also got the playmaking ability. I love the fact that he wants the puck in key situations and moments in the game. Everybody will say that they want it, but he shows it time and time again. … And then his overall game has come a long way. If you look back over our last six-to-eight games, I can guarantee you’ll find a big shot block in every one of them from him. That says a lot about the work he has put in away from the puck. I wasn’t seeing as much of that earlier in the year. He has been dedicated to making those contributions all over the ice.”

 

[The Duck Knight]

Hmmm would have rather have Winterton. I don’t like hearing about the skating problems… sounds like a problem that Kerdiles also had. Advanced scorer but couldnt keep up in higher competition.

Kerdiles skating was less of an impediment than the injuries.

Anyways I'd rather worry about a guy improving his skating than taking a lower skill guy with great skating.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Ohhh I like this pick. He was supposed to be late first round to second round projection. Grabbing him in the 3rd round is great value and it reminds me of Thrun's situation. Thrun was projected to be a late first round projection in 2019 and was selected in the 4th round by the Ducks. I was hoping the Ducks would have grabbed Thrun at 29th overall, but took LW Tracey. Then again at 39th overall, but took OFD LaCombe. We didn't own a third round pick in 2019.

Pastujov will be going to the NCAA (Notre Dame) route. A stash and develop prospect.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

Both of our forward picks needing to improve skating makes me miss Skahan.

Love the pick though. Skill for days

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Hmmm would have rather have Winterton. I don’t like hearing about the skating problems… sounds like a problem that Kerdiles also had. Advanced scorer but couldnt keep up in higher competition.

Skating can be improved, you can't teach a kid to have one of the best IQs in the class.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Great pick for you guys. Pastujov is one of my favorite players in this draft. One of the best scoring forwards in this draft. Passing and shooting are both elite. He has 30+30 potential, maybe higher, if he hits his ceiling. He also will run the PP for any team he plays for. He probably will even take that over from Zegras, if he reaches the NHL, because Pastujov is incredible as a PP QB. His size isn't bad either.

The main issues, which are mentioned earlier in this thread, is the skating. I'd also mention the pace. His skating looks worse because he slows the game down. Thats similar to Zegras, another Ducks player, that slows the game down, although Zegras is obviously a good skater. The point I'm making is that players who slow the game down look slower and get more skating concerns than their raw skating indicates. I also wouldn't call Pastujov a good defensive player. The effort isn't terrible, but he's probably never a PK'er. Pure offensive winger. Also, he has two older brothers that went through the NTDP, and neither panned out because of their skating. Sasha is a better player though than either of his brothers, but its a commonality in this family that they can't skate.

I've been using the Jason Robertson comparison for months that has been mentioned earlier in this thread. I know some don't like it, but I think thats exactly the type of comparable you are looking at, if he hits his ceiling with the main similarities being a good all-around offensive winger with some size who had excellent scoring ability, but had skating/pace concerns that dropped him way past where he should've went.

 

[GreatBear]

If the player is willing to work at it, he can significantly improve his skating. ND is a good college hockey program, so I expect that we will see progress in his skating while he is there.

 

[PuckProspects]

Great pick. Skill and offensive instincts are hard to teach and Pastujov's got them. Pace and skating are a bit of an issue but he's got time to improve them.

 

[GermanRocket7]

Well, a certain player from Germany had a somewhat similar scouting report in his draft class.

He put in a lot of work and improved his skating a lot, and now has a Hart Trophy under his belt.

Definitely not expecting even a fraction of that from Pastujov, but I think skating is, fortunately, the easiest area to develop in for a hockey player.

 

[MMC]

 

[Kalv]

Love the pick

 

[WhatTheDuck]

I love these "if he improved this one area he could be a high impact player" type picks so much more than the "sum of parts should get him to the NHL" variety.