33 | | - | | A Swiss army knife type of player who can play and excel in every situation. He is one of the more dynamic skaters of the draft. He uses his skating to fuel his dangerous transition. Can combine his puck skills with his skating to make skilled plays at high speed. Could potentially play on both the power play and the penalty kill. Center. |
34 | | - | | Incredible speed and a wicked release. Drives the net and has the ability to shield and protect the puck. Power-play upside. One of the best shots in class, second to Wright. Strong skater and handles the puck well. Top 10 talent but recently diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma and will take time away from hockey during treatment. Could show more consistent effort in backchecking. Left Wing. |
35 | | - | | Good puck mover. Good at denying entries and breaking plays up. Great skater. Can appear out of place in his own zone. Struggles to win puck battles. Right Defense. |
36 | | | | Top level hockey IQ and vision, dynamic puck handler and distributor but his best asset is his skating. He can make creative plays at high speed or open up the game with a long, accurate pass. Likes to carry the puck in transition, he is confident and plays with pace. He does lack some patience which can cause him to make mistakes and he needs to get better in his defensive IQ needs improvement. Small (5'10"). Right Defense. |
37 | | - | | Strong skating ability and uses his reach very well. He is confident and calm under pressure. He has excellent puck-moving abilities and an offensive toolkit that is on-par with the best of this draft. Needs to mature, tighten up his positioning and work on his consistency. He fails to make an impact every shift and needs to really work on his defensive game if he wants to make it in the NHL. Right Defense. |
38 | | - | | Smooth skating fuels a good transition game. He loves to start off a rush with a controlled exit and rarely chips the puck out of his own end for the sake of it. His defensive game is sounds but what makes him special is his offensive game. He will probably quarterback a powerplay wherever he ends up playing in the NHL. He is undersized (5'10") and needs to add strength. He ahs some work to do defensively, especially in front of his own net but that part of his game isn't as far off as some other offensive defensemen. Right Defense. |
39 | | - | | The kid with the best name in the draft, Del Bel Belluz is a defensively responsible two-way player. Whose excellent edgework makes his skating look like the best in the class (although in reality he lacks footspeed). From 6 points in 58 games as a rookie to 76 points in 68 games this year, he has showed that he can improve at an explosive rate. He has good hands and is a dual-threat in the offensive zone, being able to score and make plays. Beyond his foot speed, Del Bel Belluz needs to add a physical element to his game if he wants to make it at the NHL level. This missing piece in his game has cost him in his own end in the past. Center. |
40 | | - | | Standing tall at 6'4", Bystedt is a big kid with a hard, accurate shot although what stands out is his playmaking and creativity. He has excellent hands and fantastic vision. He is also sound defensively with good skating overall. He has two glaring weaknesses in his game: his release and his acceleration. He needs an extra second or two to load up his shot which will cost him at the next level and heavily impact his goal scoring. Although he has good top speed, he takes a long time to get to that speed which costs him offensively. This problem may get resolved as he grows into his body however. Center. |
41 | | - | | A modern two-way puck moving defenseman. Odelius is smart and uses his deceptive, smooth skating to make plays. He uses his artistic mobility to create passing lanes and dance away from pressure on the blue line in the offensive zone. He is evasive and his control of the puck is excellent. He could benefit from using his strength more often and he could be more consistent in the defensive end. Left Defense. |
42 | | - | | Hutson has everything that you want in a defenseman in terms of tools. Smooth skating? Yes. Playmaking/passing skills? Yes. Creativity? Yes. Hockey IQ? Work Ethic? Transition play? Defensive play? Yes to all of that.
So why could he fall into the second round? The smallest defenseman in the NHL currently is Jared Spurgeon at 5'9". Lane Hutson stands at 5'8". Zdeno Chara has a full 1'1" on Lane Hutson (which is pretty funny to think about if you picture them next to each other). This begs the question to be asked, when the play ramps up and things get physical in the NHL, can Hutson still play his game? This causes Hutson to be a boom or bust prospect. If your team drafts him, get excited and he could be better than both Jiricek and Nemec but he could also completely flop. Personally, I think he can make it, I just don't think he gets drafted early due to his small frame and strength.
Left Defense. |
43 | | | | Poitrois' strongest asset is his work ethic. He may not be a fast skater but he is very elusive. He combines his poise with good vision and puck handling to make plays. He has good hockey IQ both offensively and defensively. He is a smaller player (5'11") that does not have that explosive speed to get around defenders. He is a little inconsistent and he sometimes shies away from the more intense physical battles. All that being said, he could be a 3rd line guy in the NHL. Center. |
44 | | - | | Smart offensive player. Good size (6' 2"). Good playmaking ability. Middle six NHL upside. Needs to add pace and improve his game without the puck. Center. |
45 | | | | His is one of the best skaters in the draft. He is not the fastest skater nor does he have the best acceleration but his maneuverability is elite. When he has the puck on his stick, he can seemingly move around his opponents with ease. He is a very intelligent player who is enabled by his elusiveness. He can create scoring chances offensively just through his skating to create open ice and set up a goal. He is held back by his consistency where he struggles to make a significant positive impact every time he touches the ice but he is also prone to defensive positioning mistakes. Additionally, he could stand to benefit from hitting the gym and getting his strength up to match his decent size (6'0"). Left Defense. |
46 | | | | Gustafson does everything through his skating, he possesses good speed and good evasiveness. He excels at drawing penalties by dancing around his opponents. He has a good, accurate shot with a quick release and has played this season on the bumper on the T-Birds' power play. He struggles to be consistently engaged in the game which is going to need to be a focus in his development. He doesn't drive a lot of the play himself and may be more of a supporting piece on his line. His vision and his passing aren't great either. Center. |
47 | | | | Good shooter and playmaker. Good vision. Patient. Can thread the needle with a pass. Good defensive game. Great reach. Wins battles in the slot in the defensive end. Effort is there defensively. Needs to use his size (6' 3") to engage more physically. Skating needs improvement but he has already taken strides in that area. Center. |
48 | | - | | High-end offensive arsenal. Great puck skills. Deceptive passer. Powerful one-timer. Standout performance in the Hlinka-Gretzky cup. Left Wing. |
49 | | | | A big body (6'3") with a big shot, Schaefer could be an effective power forward in the NHL. He plays a very physical game and isn't afraid to go to the dirty areas. He is extremely competitive and works very hard. He loves getting to the front of the net and has a natural finishing ability. He could afford to be more consistent in his own end but the biggest flaws in his game are his hockey IQ and his skating. He is a long-term project but if he can fix these issues over time, he may eventually find himself being an important piece on an NHL team. That being said, his floor is pretty high, so he will most likely make the NHL even if he doesn't live up to his full potential. Left Wing/Right Wing. |
50 | | - | | Trikozov has some of the most complete tools in the draft. His shot is lethal with a quick release and great accuracy. He has good hands, he is a strong passer and he is very intelligent. His biggest issue is that he doesn't always seem fully engaged in the play. He can sometimes be caught floating and he doesn't seem to play with much pace. His skating is good, it just seem like he doesn't always use it to its full extent. If he can put more effort into his game, especially defensively (not that he is a liability defensively at the moment) then he could be great. Center/Right Wing. |
51 | | - | | Kaplan is a big body who battles hard on the boards and plays a nice physical game. He has a good shot but he needs to use it more. He is strong defensively and has potential to become a good power forward at the NHL level. Beyond shooting more often, he needs to improve his skating and his pace. Right Wing. |
52 | | | | Lutz is an aggressive forechecker who plays with great effort that is fueled by an excellent work ethic. His skating is great, he is fast, mobile and has good edgework. He also sports good vision and a high hockey IQ. He isn't the most skilled guy but he has a lot of potential. Unfortunately he went down with an injury which was originally supposed to be week-to-week but he ended up being out for a few months. This really hurt his production when he came back to play but hopefully it didn't hurt his development. Left Wing. |
53 | | | | Lorenz is one of the most versatile and well-rounded players of this draft. He often plays on both the 1st power play unit and the first penalty kill unit for his Okotoks Oilers team and often looks too good for his league (AJHL). He is a great skater who is at his best on the forecheck. He relentlessly pressures defenders trying to exit their zone on the ice and aggressively tries to further his game off the ice. He is fast, plays the physical game and is defensively responsible. Playing against worse competition in the AJHL means that his production is probably inflated so we will need to see how his game translates to the NCAA next year in Denver before being able to see where he truly matches up against his peers. Center. |
54 | | - | | Haight's game revolves around his blazing speed and his great hands. He is a smart, fluid skater who has that extra gear. When he has the puck, if he doesn't want to be caught, he won't be. He can combine his great skating with his good vision to open up the ice and create plays with a nice pass. He struggled with consistency this season and it seems like the year off in the OHL may have hurt his development but if he can rebound next year then he could be a steal at 54. He could also benefit from putting in some work at the gym and getting stronger. Center. |
55 | | | | Skill and offensive creativity stand out. Can make flashy plays. Great in one-on-ones with the puck. Can generate chances off the perimeter. Good shooter. Flashes of NHL level distributing. Center/Left Wing. |
56 | | - | | Dumais is the highest producing first-time draft eligible player this year with 109 points in 68 games for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. He set a franchise record in points surpassing Jonathan Drouin, Nico Hischier and Niklolaj Ehlers. His hands are incredible and he is probably one of the best playmakers in the draft. He is quick on his feet and has a relentless work ethic. He may be speedy but he is not the most fluid skater. The biggest issue, and the reason why he isn't going to go in the first round is his size (5'9"). He won't be drafted early due to his frame but he may be a steal for whoever drafts him. The definition of boom-or-bust. Right Wing. |
57 | | | | High floor, relatively low ceiling player. Forsmark's offensive play leaves to be desired but he more than makes up for it with his shutdown abilities. He defends the rush well and has a good stick to break up plays. He's an extremely mature defender who forces turnovers in his own end. He needs to improve his skating and his speed to be able to keep up at the next level. He makes safe passes and plays but could use some more poise in his game. If he can improve offensively, he could be a steal. Left Defense. |
58 | | | | An intense playmaker who thinks and plays the game at a high speed. Ludwinski is intelligent and works hard. His skating abilities are strong and he has that explosive jump in his step that can propel him past defenders. Unfortunately the points were not there for him this year production-wise and he needs to work on his consistency. He isn't the greatest puck handler and struggles to transition the puck over the opposing blue line for a controlled entry. Building strength in the off-season should benefit him greatly. Center. |
59 | | - | | BMB is a two-way forward with a quick release, good speed, a great compete level and good hockey IQ. He can play a physical game and has good acceleration which enables him to create turnovers in the neutral zone. he works hard with and without the puck and his offensive instincts are good but he is generally inconsistent offensively. He also lacks creativity and can sometimes be overaggressive. He started the season off slow but he finished strong. If he can build on that strong finish for next year then he could be well on his way to a third or fourth line job in the NHL. Center. |
60 | | - | | Huge defenseman (6' 7") with excellent reach. Imposing physically. Wins puck battles with ease. Likes to shoot low to create rebounds. Skating is surprisingly good for his size (not very agile though). Leaves a lot to be desired offensively. Gap control needs work. Can be too passive. Needs to work on breakouts (long passes can be inaccurate). Right Defense. |
61 | | | | Although he is a smaller player (5'10"), the young Slovak plays like a prototypical NHL penalty killer. His greatest assets are his skating and his motor. This kid is fast and is all about forechecking. For a 17 year old playing in the Slovak Pro League, his defensive game is strong. He does tend to get knocked off the puck due to his size and lack of strength but he blocks shots, gets into shooting lanes and pressures defenders at the blue line effectively. His offensive production is not mind blowing but it isn't bad either. His motor and his speed fuel his offensive game and I could see him being an absolute short-handed monster. Unfortunately he isn't a great passer and his shot lacks power but if he can improve his strength than it should solve a lot of the problems he currently has. Left Wing. |
62 | | | | The last 2 years were filled with adversity for Moldenhauer. Like many his first season in the OHL was cancelled due to the pandemic. In his second year, he didn't want to risk another year of lost development in the OHL so he played in the USHL where he took a skate blade to the face in a puck battle. He sat out about half of the season afterwards. When he came back, he was luckily able to make an impression with 43 points in 41 games. Adversity aside, Moldenhauer's greatest asset, like many, is his skating where he is especially good in transition. He can create plays off the rush and is extremely dangerous due to his good hands and playmaking abilities. He will need to tighten up his play in the defensive end to take the next step and as a smaller player (5'11"), he needs to strengthen up a bit more as well. Center/Right Wing. |
63 | | - | | Lucius is a dual-offensive threat with a well-rounded game. He excels in the offensive end, he has good hands and is a good playmaker. His shot is also underrated and he can be lethal if left uncovered. He doesn't have many holes in his game but he could use some added strength. Right Wing. |
64 | | | | All offense all the time, Persson is extremely dangerous as a scoring threat. His skating is elusive, fast and explosive making him extremely hard to stop when he has the puck. He has good offensive instincts, top-notched acceleration and a good wrister. He also doesn't seem to value defense at all. His defensive positioning and effort is pretty bad which he is going to need to work on. Left Wing. |
65 | | | | Rinzel has seen his stock rise pretty quickly recently. He is a big bodied defenseman (6'4") with above average skating. He has made a name for himself by jumping in offensively and by using his creativity to make space for skilled passes from around the blueline. He could benefit from playing against tougher competition which he will get when he plays next season at the University of Minnesota in the NCAA. His biggest flaw in his game is his defensive game. He uses his long reach effectively but needs to find consistency defensively but as he grows more into his body he should be able to do that. Right Defense. |