Winger Juraj Slafkovsky became the first Slovakian player to be taken No. 1 overall in the NHL draft when the Montreal Canadiens selected him Thursday night.
Then the New Jersey Devils took another Slovakian, defenseman Simon Nemec, as they are deep at center and didn’t need to fill that position.
Center Shane Wright, the top-ranked North American skater, fell to No. 4 with the Seattle Kraken after the Arizona Coyotes took American center Logan Cooley at No. 3.
Kyle Woodlief, the publisher and chief scout for the independent scouting newsletter Red Line Report, provides his analysis of the prospects taken in the first round.
1. MONTREAL CANADIENS
Left wing Juraj Slafkovsky — TPS Turku (Finland)
Scored seven goals, led his underdog Slovakia to a bronze medal and won the MVP award at the Olympics — at age 17. Oddly, he was never really offensively productive in Finnish League play until he became a regular for Turku after the Olympics. Massive winger has the potential to develop into a beast if he manages to put all the pieces together. Power winger with a huge frame, soft hands for giving and receiving passes, and improving vision. Scorching shot is heavy and overpowers goalies. Can shoot without stopping or cradling the puck. Strong on the puck, strong on his feet, and difficult to contain off the cycle down low. Enters board battles with force and is capable of separating opponents from the puck. Strong skater for his age and size; has quick feet and can fly when he decides to turn on the jets. Consistency in his effort level has eluded him.
Projection: Huge, powerful first line scoring winger.
Style compares to: Mikko Rantanen
2. NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Defenseman Simon Nemec — Nitra (Slovakia)
Incredibly advanced young defender already plays top pairing minutes against men in Slovakia’s top league. Looks and plays like a 10-year veteran with a remarkably poised and mature game. Has very good smarts and hockey sense all over the rink, making excellent decisions both with and without the puck. Shows an outstanding feel for the game, at times playing an up-tempo style and pushing the pace, but then also pulling back and controlling play when his team gets scrambly. Likes to jump up into the offensive flow and picks his spots wisely. Has a smooth stride with good short area burst to win puck races. Strong and rugged in board battles against men twice his age. Good distributor on the PP, but his shot is below average, limiting his offensive upside. Great stamina for playing big minutes. Never rushed into bad decisions. Well-rounded, two-way rearguard.
Projection: Smooth, steady, mistake-free first pairing defenseman.
Style compares to: Miro Heiskanen
3. ARIZONA COYOTES
Center Logan Cooley — U.S. National Team Development Program under-18 team
Elite center with a combination of pure skills, instincts and effort. His sublime playmaking drives the play for his line – creates loads of chances with vision and imaginative passes. Always on the puck and in the middle of the action; has tremendous anticipation and plays the game three moves ahead. Great edge work and ability to accelerate out of his cuts. Exerts constant forechecking pressure that forces numerous mistakes and turnovers, which he turns into grade A scoring chances. Understands angles and body positioning. Never rounds off his turns – always hard stop/starts. Uncanny weaving ability to slip past would-be checkers and create space for himself and linemates. Makes everyone around him better. Winning player and future NHL star.
Projection: Exciting first line offensive catalyst.
Style compares to: Trevor Zegras
4. SEATTLE KRAKEN
Center Shane Wright — Kingston (Ontario Hockey League)
The best all-round player in this draft class can skate, score, defend and has great vision and anticipation. Elite scorer has a devastating shot. Fell prey to the developmental hole that swallowed many in this year’s OHL draft class, as missing an entire key year caused him to stagnate a bit. An excellent four-directional skater who makes deceptive lateral cuts. Constantly adjusts his edging. His vision and reading of the ice are exceptional. Sets up chances with imaginative passes, showing super soft hands and touch. Fast hands and stick steal pucks nearly every shift. Holds the puck an extra split second, drawing coverage to him, then finds the open man. Also a tremendous natural goal scorer with a blurry fast release.
Projection: Complete, two-way first line center.
Style compares to: Patrice Bergeron
5. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
Center-wing Cutter Gauthier — U.S. NTDP U-18
Prototype power winger with a combination of terrific size and a tremendous, NHL caliber shot. Gets excellent wrist snap on a nasty release that overpowers goalies. Tall and lanky, but has quick twitch movements and moves with impressive fluidity for his size. Has deceptive speed and his long stride allows him to beat defenders wide, drop the leg and cut hard to net with the puck. Drives play in the offensive end and is extremely dangerous using long reach on wrap-arounds. Wide body and long stick allow him to shield and maintain control of the puck and make plays with defenders draped on his back. A major asset in puck possession and cycling below the circles. Strong on the puck along the boards, using his big frame and long reach to win the majority of board battles. Still developing consistency in his play away from the puck.
Projection: Hard-driving first line scoring winger.
Style compares to: Kyle Connor
6. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS (from Chicago Blackhawks)
Defenseman David Jiricek — Plzen (Czech Republic)
Knee injury sustained in first game at world juniors required surgery and ruined the rest of his season. Was playing up to 20 minutes a game, both power play and penalty kill, in the Czech Extraliga before the injury. Rehabbed in time to play at the senior World Championships. Has great size, very good mobility and the confidence to handle the puck and carry it up ice. Steps up into the offensive flow and jumps in as a late trailer. Makes good plays with the puck, showing vision. Steps in to pinch aggressively at the offensive blue line. Has an absolute howitzer point shot on the power play. Still filling out his frame, but is rugged and brings a heavy physical presence. Can get himself in trouble defensively by running around a bit and getting beaten on strong east-west lateral moves.
Projection: Hard hitting, top pairing shutdown defender.
Style compares to: Jaccob Slavin
7. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (from Ottawa Senators)
Defenseman Kevin Korchinski — Seattle (Western Hockey League)
Outstanding puck mover has tremendous vision across the whole ice and always gets the puck to the right spot. Makes sharp outlets, homerun stretch passes, and is one of the top power play distributors in this class. Super active stops and starts in all three zones, able to get down low with great knee bend and produce impressive footwork in tight spaces. Fantastic active stick to reach in and steal pucks off opposing forwards’ sticks. Zero wasted movement; defensively his game is all about perfect timing. Not flashy, but we marvel at his pinching decisions, sprinting in and then sprinting out again. Mistake-free defender just quietly steps into the high slot as an outlet for forwards looking to get rid of a pass in a pinch. Strong wrist strength for good
snap on passes/shots. Superb four-way footwork. Long, lean frame and eats up ice with excellent range. Should fill out into a big man.
Projection: Second pairing puck mover.
Style compares to: Rasmus Andersson
8. DETROIT RED WINGS
Center Marco Kasper — Rögle (Sweden)
Highly skilled traditional playmaking center with excellent size. Rugged and competes hard while playing at the pro level – has 80-plus games against men at his young age. Smart and dependable, intelligent both with and without the puck. Drives hard and finishes checks, can really put pressure on defensemen. Has plenty of skill with terrific passing touch off both sides of the blade. Has soft hands and a quick shot release. Opportunistic and instinctive around net, scores his share of garbage goals. Played (and scored tons) against players three to four years older his whole life in Austria before moving to the Swedish pro ranks two years ago. Plays a mature two-way game.
Projection: Gritty second line center/wing
Style compares to: Elias Lindholm
9. BUFFALO SABRES
Center Matthew Savoie — Winnipeg (Western Hockey League)
One of the best pure offensive talents in this draft. Advanced vision, sees the game well, doesn’t have to work hard in some areas because he’s never chasing. Steals pucks then sprints up ice, frequently starting and finishing odd man chances. Holds goalies to their posts, then throws last minute laser passes for tap-ins. Uses slick toe drags for impressive escapes off the boards into open ice. Rips hard passes cross-ice flatfooted with impressive accuracy. Most impressive talent is the ability to dance around the puck on multi-faceted dekes. Plays with some jam, driving into his cuts and dropping his shoulder to clear a space for himself. Shows some fire as well along the boards, using his stick liberally against opposing players to win loose pucks.
Projection: Top line playmaker.
Style compares to: Seth Jarvis
10. ANAHEIM DUCKS
Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov — Saginaw (Ontario Hockey League)
Despite not playing a single game last year, never missed a beat coming back as the most impressive draft eligible defenseman in the entire Canadian Hockey League. So confident in every facet of the game, just controls the play whenever he’s on ice. Big and highly mobile blue-liner excels at the offensive end with tremendous puck skills, excellent vision and distribution skills, and a cannon shot. Has a long, lean, athletic frame. Poised and calm with the puck. Soft hands for giving/receiving passes. Smooth, fluid skater with a long stride and good balance. Gains the zone with speed on the power play, and handles the puck well at top gear. Uses size to separate forwards from the puck around the corners. Plays a ton in all key situations.
Projection: Top pairing rearguard and PP quarterback.
Style compares to: Shea Theodore
11. ARIZONA COYOTES (via San Jose Sharks)
Center Conor Geekie — Winnipeg (Western Hockey League)
He’s a big, dominant center who controls the middle of the ice. Gains separation easily in open ice. Still a little gawky after growth spurt, but he’s actually highly coordinated, making creative dekes at top flight. Bulls his way through opponents with the puck, shedding them while maintaining control. Slips smart passes to teammates in behind play. Heavy shot with an easy release because he leans entire frame into stick. Soft hands for a larger player, can dish delicate passes at pace. Shows terrific puck protection, switching control to his offhand to prevent exposing the puck out in front of body. Throws shifty upper body jukes to throw off defenders one-on-one. Pushes the play forward in neutral zone. Makes hard horizontal cuts in offensive zone to get goalie moving side-to-side. Outstanding play away from the puck.
Projection: Huge second line center who controls the middle.
Style compares to: Pierre-Luc Dubois
12. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Defenseman Denton Mateychuk — Moose Jaw (Western Hockey League)
Swashbuckling blue-liner has absolutely brought it this season, showing excellent offensive creativity. Split second puck mover can string multiple passing sequences together. Rips hard passes cross-ice to reverse the side of the attack. Drives down low in offensive zone, then drops passes into the slot. Double clutches his shots to let shot-blockers slide by. Softly flicks pucks to safe areas when there’s no obvious outlet. Uses fast stop/starts in traffic to shut down developing plays. Pushes his edging to the limit, accelerating and generating speed out of his sharp cuts. Eats up ice when he’s given room to skate.
Great acceleration sprinting through open lanes in the neutral zone. Alertly stays between puckhandler and his passing outlets defensively to prevent any dangerous passes from getting into the middle.
Projection: Excellent skating No. 3 puck mover.
Style compares to: Devon Toews
13. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (from New York Islanders via Montreal Canadiens)
Center Frank Nazar — U.S. NTDP U-18
Plays like a wild young colt, and you never know what he’s going to do next. Has magical hands and offensive hockey sense and makes loads of high skill plays at speed. Makes wingers better by opening up so much space and holding onto the puck that extra split second to give them time to break for open ice. Has tremendously quick feet and change of direction. In constant motion and controls the puck brilliantly at top gear – makes all his slick moves without slowing down. Attacks the slot with abandon. The one issue that keeps us from having him higher is the giveaways – makes a lot of risky plays that aren’t necessary if he just managed the puck better. However, when he turns it over, he’ll go out and get the puck back. He’s risk-reward, but does a lot of things you simply can’t teach. Even with the mistakes and turnovers, the skating, creativity and effort is worth it.
Projection: Slick second line center.
Style compares to: Clayton Keller
14. WINNIPEG JETS
Right wing Rutger McGroarty — U.S. NTDP U-18
Rugged winger plays a solid up-and-down the wing game, doing all the little things right. Does a lot of the grunt work on his line. Produces consistent offence through determined forechecking and second effort down low. Relentless and works hard to win puck battles. Finds open ice in transition. Big, strong, and has a very heavy shot that he unleashes on the fly barreling down the wing. Also has
soft hands that allow him to deke goalies in tight. His offensive hockey IQ is among the best players in the draft, and as the son of a coach, he understands the importance of the little details. Unfortunately, his lack of foot speed and separation gear will be an issue at the pro level.
Projection: Heavy-footed, high character middle six wing.
Style compares to: Barclay Goodrow
15. VANCOUVER CANUCKS
Center Jonathan Lekkerimäki — Djurgardens (Sweden)
Vision and hockey sense are top-notch. Has elite skills and marvelous touch. Super dangerous off the rush; defenders back off to avoid being made to look foolish by his ridiculous stickhandling. Uses lightning fast toe drags at top speed to create space and get shots off. Dances on skates with great balance and edging, accelerating out of his cuts. Labels hard, pinpoint shots to the corners. Has a knack for stepping up when game is on the line. Makes every linemate he plays with better.
Projection: Dynamic producer who scores clutch goals.
Style compares to: Brayden Point
16. BUFFALO SABRES (from Vegas Golden Knights)
Center Noah Östlund — Djurgardens (Sweden)
Little dynamo’s fantastic transition game was the key to Sweden winning the under-18 world championships. Has a tremendously quick mind, stick and feet. He gains the blue line easily, then makes slick drop passes as he’s driving the middle, or stops up to make plays. Fast and unpredictable; turns, twists, and cuts make it impossible for defenders to stick with him – constantly in motion. Can absolutely fly and dangles at top gear, never losing control of the puck. Forces opponents to take penalties trying to slow him down. Always thinking two steps ahead. Sometimes attacks too much on the outside using his speed instead of challenging on the inside, but he’s not shy about traffic. Has great moves and soft hands, but tries to go through too much traffic.
Projection: Smallish, fast, instinctive scorer.
Style compares to: Cam Atkinson
17. NASHVILLE PREDATORS
Right wing Joakim Kemell — JyP Jyväskylä (Finland)
Led Finland’s senior league in scoring with 12-6-18 in his first 16 games, but things cooled down in a major way after he suffered a shoulder injury in late October. Still a terrific prospect with plenty of positives. He’s a natural scorer and shots explode off his stick. Has a nose for getting to net with the puck. Tremendously instinctive with dynamic offensive skills. Great speed and body control. Super fast hands and a magician with the puck on his blade – tremendous stickhandler. Uses lots of head feints and east-west movement to gain time and space. Unpredictable and is able to generate loads of dangerous chances on his own. Also an underrated playmaker with slick passing skills.
Projection: Skilled first line scoring winger.
Style compares to: David Pastrnak
18. DALLAS STARS
Defenseman Lian Bichsel — Leksand (Sweden)
Humongous Swiss defender moved to play in the Sweden’s top league, where he has been defensively oriented, using his enormous size/reach to stop opponents and disrupt plays. Huge wingspan. Is quite strong and moves guys off the puck easily. Really physical; looks to initiate contact and tries to intimidate after the whistle. Overpowers opposing forwards around the corners and in front of the net, making opponents pay a heavy price for real estate. Likes to handle the puck and makes good outlets and cross-ice stretches. Also likes to carry it up himself and is like a freight train if given room. Impossible to knock off the puck when he’s in full flight. Has some skill and offensive upside. His heavy shot is an asset on the power play.
Projection: Massive, physical No. 4 shutdown blue-liner.
Style compares to: Erik Cernak
19. MINNESOTA WILD (from Los Angeles Kings)
Left wing Liam Öhgren — Djurgårdens (Sweden)
Natural scorer has great offensive instincts. Has a knack for breaking into open ice at just the right moment and then buries his chances. Quick release and great velocity – just a finisher. Scores off the rush, on the power play, or on deflections and rebounds around the net. Sneaky opportunist who lurks at the edges, then pounces on loose pucks. Has a strong build and some physical aspect to his game, but prefers to play the puck more than finish checks. Wins the one-on-one battles for loose pucks in the corners and drives into scoring areas. Very good puck control. Deft passing touch and great playmaking ability. Sometimes goes to sleep for extended periods and lets his linemates do all the heavy lifting – needs to show more effort away from the puck.
Projection: Two-way winger with size and a scorer’s touch.
Style compares to: Mark Stone
20. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Left wing Ivan Miroshnichenko — Omsk Krylia (Russia)
Would be our No. 2 overall prospect on merit alone, but that must be tempered by his Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis. Skill-wise, he’s an absolute stud and constantly dangerous. Plays much bigger/stronger than listed 6-1, 185 size. Bulldozes his way through traffic. Team captain at all international under-17 and under-18 events. Terrific playmaker who sees the ice beautifully. Lurks dangerously and pounces on loose pucks. Can stickhandle in a phone booth. Long, powerful stride with good straight line speed, but even better east-west lateral moves. Also one of the two to three best finishers in this year’s class. Star qualities.
Projection: Powerful first line scoring wing.
Style compares to: Andrei Svechnikov
21. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Defenseman Owen Pickering — Swift Current (Western Hockey League)
Nobody came further, faster this season. There’s big upside in this huge, projectable blue-liner with fine offensive skills – but he’s not the safest pick and does come with risk. Does all his best work off the rush stepping into the high slot to create slick passing plays. Also not afraid to sneak down the boards and help out forwards in the corner, working smart touch passes. Has a lengthy north-south stride that eats up ice. Booming point shot is a weapon on the power play. Defensively things are improving; starting to commit harder in own end instead of just waiting to leave and go up ice. But his attention to detail is still lacking and his defensive zone positioning is a mad scramble.
Projection: Massive, rangy No. 3-4 defensive defenseman.
Style compares to: Brandon Carlo
22. ANAHEIM DUCKS (from Boston Bruins)
Center-wing Nathan Gaucher — Quebec (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League)
Has great physical tools with outstanding size and strong skating ability. Overpowers goalies with a heavy shot. Really strong on his stick in scoring areas greasing pucks toward the net – never gets stripped. Can bull his way into scoring position and has a sharp release. Uses his sturdy frame to play in traffic and create space down low. But in his third full season in the Q, he’s still learning how to make the most of his physical gifts. Not a ton of finesse with the puck. His puckhandling is a bit stiff and lacks imagination, and he doesn’t use his linemates well. He may be better off on the wing as a pro, where he could play a dominant power game.
Projection: Good skating third-line wing who plays a heavy game.
Style compares to: Charlie Coyle
23. ST. LOUIS BLUES
Right wing Jimmy Snuggerud — U.S. NTDP U-18
Lanky winger shows high level intelligence to get himself to the right spots at just the right moments. Isn’t as flashy as his celebrated U.S. under-18 teammates, but has soft hands to go along with a great frame. Is a dynamic goal scorer. Snaps off bar-down rockets from the high slot. Makes power moves to walk off the boards and into the middle, attacking the slot and wasting no time getting dangerous shots away. Wins battles down low, using his frame to establish and maintain position in prime scoring territory. Smartly anticipates loose pucks around the net and buries them. Versatile and kills penalties. Average skating with sluggish first step is his biggest detriment, but generates good power in his stride.
Projection: Second line winger with size.
Style compares to: Brock Boeser
24. MINNESOTA WILD
Right wing Danila Yurov — Magnitogorsk (Russia)
Tall, rangy winger is tremendously skilled and already a regular in the Kontinental Hockey League. Has a long reach and top-notch puckhandling skills at speed. Has a goal scorer’s touch. When you consistently do smart things, you often get rewarded, and that’s the type of player he is. Has great speed, and his wide base makes him solid and tough to knock off the puck. Very soft, quick hands and really strong on his feet. Throws his weight around along the walls. Routinely beats defensemen wide and cuts to the crease with great body lean and control. His speed draws penalties on the rush as defenders can’t handle him one-on-one. Excellent vision and creativity. Sets up down low beside the net on the PP and 1-touches some fine passes into the slot. Goes to the crease for good screens when puck goes back to the point. Drops back alertly to cover for d-men.
Projection: Edgy second line scorer.
Style compares to: Matt Boldy
25. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (via Toronto Maple Leafs)
Defenseman Sam Rinzel — Chaska High School (Minnesota)
He starts off with gargantuan size, fantastic frame and a loaded toolbox – so he has a high ceiling. Has surprisingly soft hands for deft puckhandling. Heads-up vision and crisp edge work allow him to make three-zone lasers to his wingers or solo dashes up ice to lead the attack. Has a cannon shot he should use more often. Defends well against the rush, showing a sneaky stick creating poke-check turnovers. Displays impressive poise against forechecking pressure, moving the puck up to forwards with checkers draped on his back. Needs to develop a more physical approach and use his size more effectively against opponents around the corners and crease. Raw and when he stepped up in competition level, things appeared to move too fast for him.
Projection: No. 4-5 defensman with upside.
Style compares to: Joel Edmundsson
26. MONTREAL CANADIENS (from Calgary Flames)
Right wing Filip Mesar — Poprad (Slovakia)
Extremely smart and gifted playmaking winger is a regular in the Slovak league. Slick and speedy – gains the zone easily putting defenders on their heels with great dekes. Slippery, darts in and out of traffic and is always a moving target. An igniter and catalyst who makes superb passes with touch and plenty
of imagination. Excellent vision and is able to rifle pinpoint passes through tight seams. Uses a very fast stick to steal away lots of pucks from defensemen on the forecheck. Gets in on defenders very quickly and
exerts constant pressure on the puck. Always involved and buzzing around the net – has no fear of traffic. Bounces off checks easily – good balance. Not strong, but is tough to contain.
Projection: Speedy, second line creative playmaking winger.
Style compares to: Teuvo Teravainen
27. SAN JOSE SHARKS (from Carolina Hurricanes via Montreal Canadiens and Arizona Coyotes)
Center Filip Bystedt — Linkoping (Sweden)
Center has great size, a scorer’s touch and deft playmaking capacity. Tall and gangly and still filling out his frame. Very good hands and vision; sees the whole ice and makes imaginative passes that generate chances out of nothing. Holds onto the puck an extra split second to give linemates time to burst to open ice, then gets them the puck with delicate saucer passes off both sides of the blade. Tremendous potential with so many strong attributes, but he’s highly inconsistent. Will dominate one shift and create multiple chances, then is completely uninterested for the next several shifts. Can be strong on the puck and wins most one-on-one battles when interested, but mostly just stickchecks. Plays both special teams effectively, but is mostly just comatose with zero passion.
Projection: Big third line center.
Style compares to: Nicolas Roy
28. BUFFALO SABRES (from Florida Panthers)
Center Jiri Kulich — Karlovy Vary (Czech Republic)
Tremendously smooth, fluid skater has terrific speed, instant acceleration and a world class top-end gear that provides easy separation. Led the under-18 worlds with nine goals and 39 shots on goal in six games, and was a dominant force every game. For a forward who does plenty of damage down low near the net, he was scoring on 50-foot, one-timers. Possesses really good hands in tight, regularly cashing in on deflections and rebounds. Makes plays into and out of traffic. Quick shot, no big wind-up. His success playing against men in the top Czech league all year is remarkable since he’s playing with limited upper body strength. Can be pushed off the puck but should become more effective with additional strength.
Projection: Second line center with great speed and shot.
Style compares to: Dylan Larkin
29. ARIZONA COYOTES (from Edmonton Oilers)
Defenseman Maveric Lamoureux — Drummondville (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League)
Gargantuan 6-7 defender with massive upside if he reaches his ceiling. Outstanding footwork and agility, skates like a 6-footer with smooth pivots and stunningly good lateral movement. Long limbs and uses a long stick that gives him the wingspan of a condor – uses it to control gaps and get his stick in passing lanes. Plays on the top power play. Not shy about handling the puck and skating it up through the neutral zone. Standout movement along the blue line laterally. Impossible to get past along the wall. Enjoys the physical aspect, though he does crosscheck too liberally and will take some dumb penalties.
Projection: Enormous, physically intimidating defenseman.
Style compares to: Colton Parayko
30. WINNIPEG JETS (from New York Rangers)
Center Brad Lambert — Lahti (Finland)
No question he’s a special talent; he’s one of those players who can be invisible for 58 minutes, then elevate his game to break things wide open in the last two minutes. Highly dynamic with excellent puck skills and agility, but we’re concerned his development has plateaued. Received plenty of power play opportunities throughout the season but his offensive production continued to stagnate. Moved from Jyväskylä to Lahti after the world juniors but things didn’t really improve. Excellent skater with silky hands but inconsistent decision making and lack of composure means he often fails to make the most of offensive situations. Vision is off the charts, but he often tries to do too much on his own. Added 12 pounds of muscle, but he still gets pushed around easily.
Projection: Second line speedster if he pans out, or fringe player if he doesn’t.
Style compares to: William Nylander … or Alex Nylander
31. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Left wing Isaac Howard — U.S. NTDP U-18
This guy is not getting his due among the galaxy of offensive stars on the U.S. team. He’s one of the top three natural scorers in this year’s draft – everything he touches seems to go in the net. Has lightning hands and such a tremendous release. Makes toe drag moves straight into a blurry fast release that doesn’t give goalies a chance to get set. Always seems to pop up out of nowhere to fire one home – just has a great feel for when to break into open ice for an opportunity, and buries his chances. Flies around the ice, disrupting breakouts as an effective forechecker. Stretches defenses with his vertical speed and ability to catch pucks in full stride and pose a breakaway threat on every shift. Underrated passer and playmaker. What he lacks in physical stature, he makes up for in energy, skill and production.
Projection: Natural scoring first/second liner.
Style compares to: Joel Farabee
32. EDMONTON OILERS (from Colorado Avalanche and Arizona Coyotes)
Left wing Reid Schaefer — Seattle (Western Hockey League)
Hulking winger had 18 points during Seattle’s 17-game playoff run. We’ve always liked his combination of size and compete level, but lately he has displayed better hands and some dynamic goal scoring ability. Perhaps most intriguing is his physical development: A mere 5-11/175 just four years ago, he has added nearly 40 pounds of muscle. Uses his size to bang/crash and dominate below the circles in offensive zone. Wins all the one-on-one battles and plants himself in the slot, where he can’t be moved. Wires home hard wristers with a good release. Stride is powerful, but he lacks first step quickness and lateral agility.
Projection: Power winger who plays a heavy game.
Style compares to: Pat Maroon
