Count on the surprising.
That was the chorus at this yr’s NHL scouting mix concerning the upcoming draft. Whereas a bunch of 90 potential NHLers have been put via their paces with interviews, dinners and health testing, scouts and executives alike marveled at what could possibly be an unpredictable first spherical when it comes down to creating picks on June 27 and 28.
“There are maybe 16 or 18 players I could see going in the top 10,” one scout stated. “It’s one of those classes. Deep. Great character guys. Lots of these players have unique skill sets. Teams will have tough decisions to make.”
One other government identified that there’s an “embarrassment of riches” on the ahead positions for golf equipment with excessive picks. So, whereas Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer could appear to be a consensus No. 1 total choice for the New York Islanders, what occurs from there?
Intrigue!
“The internal conversations have been heated,” the chief joked.
One identify that got here up a lot as a possible wild card? Carter Bear.
The Everett Silvertips ahead didn’t take part within the mix’s health testing after struggling an Achilles tendon harm in March, however he expects to be absolutely wholesome when NHL coaching camps start within the fall. Bear was tied for seventh in WHL scoring with 40 targets and 82 factors via 65 video games final season, and ranks tenth on the NHL Central Scouting last listing of North American skaters and thirteenth total on ESPN analyst Rachel Doerrie’s newest large board.
If there have been to be a jumper, although, Bear is perhaps the man. Regardless of not having the ability to undergo all the mix course of, his physique of labor up to now on the ice has clearly drawn severe consideration from a number of golf equipment.
We’ve seen groups get artistic in recent times — Juraj Slafkovsky going first total to Montreal in 2022 involves thoughts — and there could possibly be one other shocking first spherical awaiting us all in June. Till then, right here’s the information and notes from mix week.
Eklund, Frondell the very best of (aggressive) buddies
Victor Eklund wouldn’t be denied.
He was going to play on a line with teammate Anton Frondell. And their coach, Robert Kimby, at Djurgardens IF wouldn’t get a second’s peace till it occurred.
“I think I told him like 10 times,” Eklund stated. “He was like, ‘yeah, yeah, yeah.’ But then finally, we did get to [play together].”
The alignment of two high prospects within the upcoming NHL draft had been years within the making, actually. Eklund — who had 19 targets and 31 factors in 42 video games final season — and Frondell — 11 targets and 25 factors in 29 video games — began enjoying in opposition to one another as children of their native Sweden, which is when Eklund first skilled simply how gifted Frondell was with the puck.
“When we were 10 years old, I remember playing him, and he actually made a move on me,” Eklund recalled. “Like, [he put] the puck between my legs, and I just can’t forget that. He says he doesn’t remember that, but I kind of know. But we’ve been playing against each other, but we really got to know each other when both of us started playing for [our team].”
Frondell confessed that he did really keep in mind deking Eklund again within the day (“it was really good,” he laughed) and shared what he appreciated essentially the most about attending to share a line.
“Victor is easy to play with. I don’t think I’ve played with someone with so much energy,” Frondell stated. “He wins every battle, even when we play against men. Victor wins all the puck battles, and it’s just easy for me finding him in an open spot, and most of the times I get the puck right on the tape. So it’s easy for me too, and we like playing with each other.”
Eklund was effusive in his reward of Frondell to clarify why he dogged their coach so incessantly about lastly pairing them up in January.
“Anton, he’s a tank on the ice,” Eklund stated. “He has a shot like a missile. He’s only a actually nice, nice participant. I simply knew from the start that if we get the chance, we’ll take it and we’ll be the very best and I feel we did fairly good.
And, yeah, the coach most likely received sick of me asking so that they [had to] lastly put us collectively.”
Michael Misa staying put
Michael Misa realized the onerous means how persistence is a advantage.
The Saginaw Spirit ahead anticipated to be a middle within the OHL. However the Spirit have been so deep down the center when he entered the league two years in the past that Misa was thrust onto the wing as an alternative. He excelled there, and it helped construct a basis for the place he’s at now — with the potential to be a top-two choice within the draft.
However Misa was actually simply biding his time till the possibility to slip again into a middle spot introduced itself.
It lastly did for Misa’s draft yr — and he pumped in 62 targets and 134 factors in 65 video games to steer the OHL in scoring.
Suffice to say, Misa isn’t keen to vary positions once more anytime quickly.
“Growing up in minor hockey, I was always primarily a center,” Misa stated. “My first two years [in the OHL], we had a number of good centers who were a lot older. So I had to make that jump to wing. But coming back to this year, it’s what I planned to do for my draft year was go back to center and ultimately, I just feel a lot more confident down the middle. That’s primarily where my roots are at.”
Having the ability to dominate on the heart spot has given Misa a lift going into the draft, the place he’s projected to be among the many first gamers taken off the board. And whoever selects Misa is getting a skater who is ready to go well with up instantly within the NHL.
“I feel like I am ready to make that jump next year,” Misa stated. “That’s ultimately my goal, to make the NHL next year. I think gaining that center experience that I had this year definitely helped my game. And I’m just trying to become that more reliable 200-foot player defensively as well. So overall, I am ready.”
Misa stated being at heart permits him to be extra “involved” within the play. ‘It’s not simply offensively, however defensively, being dependable,” he stated. “It’s been good for me … got a lot more puck touches, just carrying the play on my stick.”
Will Horcoff units scouting mix file
When an NHL staff requested Michigan ahead Will Horcoff which animal he could be off the ice, he answered a silverback gorilla.
Based mostly on his horizontal leap on the mix, Horcoff is perhaps higher related to the impala. As a result of identical to an antelope, Horcoff can clear unbelievable distances in a single certain — his 124.75-inch mark set a brand new mix file, a feat he educated onerous to attain.
“I knew I had a chance to do it coming in,” stated Horcoff, whose earlier finest leap was 122 inches. “It was just whether I executed it. And I did. I’m happy about it.”
Horcoff — the son of former NHLer Shawn Horcoff — was centered on his horizontal strikes but in addition wished to indicate effectively within the vertical class. However his technique needed to change.
“It was a little weird; I jumped higher with my hands on my hips than I did with my arms,” Horcoff stated. “I don’t know, at U-18 Worlds, I jumped 4½ inches higher than I did here. So I don’t know what happened there.”
The 6-foot-4, 181-pound heart added — maybe unnecessarily — that “I’m a competitive guy” so the discrepancy in his figures was perplexing. Nonetheless, Horcoff was happy total with how his work paid off in entrance of NHL scouts and executives from the 31 groups he met with all through the mix week.
“I think I could be a skilled power forward in the NHL,” Horcoff stated. “I’d love to play like [Ottawa Senators forward] Brady Tkachuk. That [mean streak] is something I’ve added this season, and I think I’m going to continue doing it more consistently next season.”
Oh, and why the gorilla choose?
“He’s a leader,” Horcoff stated. “And he protects his family.”
Gamers compelled to confront their errors
The aim of a mix is to place your finest foot ahead.
However that doesn’t preclude some missteps from the previous from reappearing.
Such was the case in sure staff interviews, the place execs requested prospects to interrupt down footage of themselves from the season. And the movies weren’t precisely constructive.
“Pittsburgh did that,” Moose Jaw Warriors ahead Lynden Lakovic stated. “They didn’t show my highlights; they probably showed my lowlights, but asked me to break that down. It was good. I thought I handled it well. They weren’t my greatest clips, but I’m aware of that, and I thought I broke it down pretty well.”
Carlos Handel was equally caught off guard by seeing his poor performs return entrance and heart in the course of the meet and greets.
“Carolina did that,” the Halifax Mooseheads defenseman stated. “They showed me some bad clips, and wanted, for example, how I react [to it], but also they wanted to know how my coach, for example, wants me to attack there and what my opinion about that [play] was.”
If nothing else, these interviews stored prospects on their toes all through the week.
“Most of the [talks] were fun,” Lakovic stated. “But there were a couple ones that were a little bit more intimidating.”
Can Nashville do all of it?
The Nashville Predators didn’t anticipate being a lottery staff. However the best-laid plans generally go awry.
Nashville ended up ending the season 30-44-8 — however the lottery delivered the No. 5 total choose, simply one of many three picks they’ve within the first spherical. And there’s expertise to select from that might probably instantly assist the Predators.
Boston School’s James Hagens, Frondell or Brantford’s Jake O’Brien may all be there on the fifth slot to bolster Nashville down the center, and every has the potential crack an NHL lineup before later. Brampton winger Porter Martone would even be a stable match for Nashville.
The Predators signed Steven Stamkos in free company final summer time, and he could be a superb mentor to any younger participant coming into the league as effectively.
Talking of Stamkos, the Predators didn’t carry him on board for a rebuild. They’ll wish to be again within the playoff combine subsequent season. How they in the end use the twenty third total choose (acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning) and the twenty sixth choose (from the Vegas Golden Knights) will inform us a lot about what’s to come back this season from the Predators.
