Just days away from the 2023 NHL Draft, I have revealed my FINAL Mock Draft for all of you to laugh at, er, appreciate fondly. Who will the Sabres select? Will it be another future star, or another Artyom Kruikov? Will they trade up? Down? All around? Will they put their left foot in and turn themselves about? Will Victor Olofsson remain a Sabre after the Draft? What about Jacob Bryson? Casey Mittelstadt? Henri Jokiharju? UPL? Soon…very soon…all of those questions and more will be answered. The tension is palpable!
OK, OK, I’m being melodramatic. For the first time in a long time, wondering about the Draft has taken a backseat to anticipating the upcoming season. Which is a great step forward at long last. But before we get to that, let’s take a quick look back at the Combine, set once again in BFLO. Unfortunately, we don’t get to see any results of the most important portion of the Combine – the team interviews – although little drips and drabs of information leak out, some true, some decidedly (and intentionally) not.
But in terms of physical prowess, here are some of the standouts: Michael Hrabal, the likely top goalie off the Board, measured in at 6’7 and also performed remarkably well in the cardio tests and had an insanely long wingspan; Peterborough wing Nick Lardis, a riser for most of the season, finished at the very top of nearly all the leg strength tests, including all the jumps (best in the vertical, squat, and right near the top in the long jump) – he also did the most pull-ups of anyone at the Combine; Samuel Honzek, a McGee favorite, finished in the Top 10 in a variety of drills – mobility, strength, leg strength, the Wingate, and agility; and a surprise invite and Canadian prep school player Jonathan Castagna was superb in the bench press, functional agility, leg strength and lateral movement, as was defenseman Paul Fischer from the US Development Program.
It should surprise no one that Connor Bedard also showed out, the consensus #1 overall electing to test, and test incredibly well, at the Combine. There were also some notable players in terms of size measurements…I’ve already mentioned Hrabal. But Zach Benson came in under 5’10, as did Bedard – which would make him the smallest #1 overall in the Draft era, I believe. Eduard Sale was a bit bigger (6’2) than Quentin Musty (6’1 ½ ) which was a surprise. Gavin Brindley stood at 5’8, Jayden Perron at 5’9, and Jakub Dvorak at 6’5. Of course, we all know how sports tends to muck around with actual measurements for whatever reason, so the measurements listed by club teams being wrong (again, sometimes intentionally) is no surprise. Especially when you’re measuring teenagers. But regardless, an interesting exercise.
As with every season, we start to see some notorious Risers in this post-Combine window. Thought I would include a few for you to keep an eye out. First, on the back-end, there are a couple of guys who’ve been climbing for the past month or so. One is a big Russian kid, Dmitri Simashev (LHD), standing at 6’4. This is more of a case of people getting time to watch more film…he’s got a ton of raw ability, can really skate for a kid his size, and already shows off a more mature defensive game than most players in this Draft. How much offensive upside does he have? That’s an unanswered question, but a lot of signs suggest there’s much more to give. I like him better than the more talked about Reinbacher. Secondly, Tom Willander (RHD) has used the World U-18 tournament as a springboard for folks to go back and get a second look at him in league play. Willander is a tremendous skater, an excellent stretch passer who can start counter attacks in the blink of an eye, and tenaciously gaps up opposing forwards. I thought he might make it to Round 2, but after showing steady improvement all year, now it’s looking more and more like he’s a Top 15-20 kind of prospect in a Draft that’s thin on defenders.
Up front, there are a few guys of note. First off, Matthew Wood (C/W) is a guy who, simply because his skating isn’t great and he’s tall, has been called a Canadian Tage Thompson. For a while he’s been considered a late 1st rounder despite having a remarkable season as a freshman in the NCAA – it would have been even more highly regarded had Adam Fantilli not dominated as much as he did. But Wood can stand on his own without comparisons. He’s got a lethal shot, knows how to use his frame to get open, and has some high-end offensive instincts he puts to use even without the puck on his stick. Skating needs work, for sure. But there’s so much else to like. Next, US forward Danny Nelson (W) from the Development Program. Nelson is another kid with great size, a converted defenseman who’s only been playing forward for a couple years. Overshadowed by the prolific top line and Oliver Moore, Nelson started to show more in the last quarter of the season and has a ton of physical talent. He just needs more time and could become a beast of a power forward. Thought to be a middle-round guy for much of the year, he very well could sneak into the very end of the 1st round. Lastly, a swift, stealthy Danish centerman who played nearly his entire draft-eligible season in the highest Swedish league (SHL). Oskar Fisker Molgaard (C, and great name) is a creative, speedy center who can play effectively both ways and will do whatever it takes to win. I’m doubtful he makes it into Round 1, but he could, and almost certainly should be gone in the first 10 picks of the 2ndround…so he could be a target for the Sabres.
But when you have Risers, you must create space for them to rise…and so science says there must be Fallers. Here are a few players who’ve fallen during the year and might wind up being a value pick once the Draft rolls around. First, on the back end, you’ve got Cameron Allen (RHD). Coming into the season, he was widely expected to be the #1 D-Man off the Board and a Top 10 kind of player. A right-shot, a PP QB, with a broad frame and a willingness to play physical, he excelled on the Canadian Hlinka team in leading them to Gold. But then the wheels fell off. Allen’s numbers were surprisingly poor, he struggled defending the rush, and once he went off the rails, he could not seem to get back on. The turnaround was complete when Canada barely managed to medal at the World U-18s, where Allen captained the disappointing team. The shine was off. Another defender who many thought would challenge for a Top 20 selection was Czech Jakub Dvorak (LHD). Imposing at 6’5, he fell victim to a number of injuries, which prevented him from ever building up enough momentum to get back into the conversation. His offense never really materialized, and his skating seemed a little more clunky than what was expected. He’s likely a 2nd rounder but could slide until the 3rd.
The forward group is tough to figure. This was one of those years where not many players actually slid, but those who performed as expected wound up getting passed up or certain traits caused concern (maybe too much?). Among those is Finnish forward Kasper Halttunen (RW). Thought to be a potential Top 10 pick given his size, heavy shot and mobility, he scored only ONE point in 27 games in Liiga. Now, he is extraordinarily young to be playing in the top Men’s league in Finland, but his uninspired performances resulted in reduced ice time and eventually some draftniks just gave up on him. He may have redeemed himself in the World U-18s where he scored 10P in 5 games while wearing the C for Suomi, but the Finns failed to medal and he took some of the blame for that. Probably winds up as a 2ndrounder but could slide even further.
Lastly, Brass has I’m sure wondered about this, and probably others as well…Zach Benson. I saw a lot of him, watching him with teammate Matt Savoie racing up and down the ice together. Benson is an elite passer of the puck and works hard on the defensive end. Watching him in the WHL, he was a flat-out superstar. BUT (and you knew that was coming), he’s 5’9 and change. He’s not a great skater. Puts up a lot of points yet was helped by having a team that ran 3 legitimate scoring lines out there and had the best offense in the entire WHL. Doesn’t have a great shot, and I worry that he’s easy to defend at the NHL level when defenders will just swallow him up before he can make a play. He’s uber-talented, but I’ve got questions. And for a kid who was touted as a potential Top 5 selection right through the New Year, that’s a slide.
Now, I just want to say a couple words about a player I have been seeing a lot about around here on DBTB…Russian gamebreaker Matvei Michkov. There are those who want to sell the house AND the dog to move up and select him. A few thoughts: 1) I don’t think he’s getting past #7, 2) teams don’t like to have their agency taken away, especially bad teams…so moving out of, say, #4 to drop to even #9 or #10 is probably not happening, and 3) the idea of this is so anti-Sabres under the Adams regime that I have a hard time getting my head around it. I just can’t see it. And honestly, the biggest factor is the player. Michkov is, undoubtedly, an elite offensive talent. To me, he’s got a little bit of Patrick Kane and a lot of Ilya Kovalchuk, and he posted some impressive numbers once he got into a rhythm at the KHL level. He put up 20P in 27 games, the highest point total for a Russian draft eligible in the KHL but for Vlad Tarasenko’s 24P more than a decade ago. Not to mention he shined on the international stage, undeniably dominating at the Hlinka as a 16-year-old, where he set the tournament scoring record, and in the early stages of the 2022 World Juniors before it was cancelled by COVID. Scouts are salivating over him, right? And they should be! Well, in this case, a little context is needed.
Let’s go back to that Hlinka tournament. Michkov piled on early, with 7P in the first 2 games against teams who did not medal (the Swiss and the Finns). He only scored 4 the rest of the way including an empty-netter. Is that great for a draft -1 player, not even eligible yet for the Draft? Absolutely. Is it mind-blowing? No, and here’s why – Dalibor Dvorsky, who is also in this Draft, finished just 1 point behind Michkov in that tournament and is actually 6 months younger. No one is anointing him the Second Coming (although he should be a Top 10 pick). In addition, we don’t know how big Michkov actually is (see the Combine testing, above). He could be officially measured at 5’9 (he’s listed at 5’10). The last guy who scored 50G in a season at that size? Paul Kariya, almost 30 years ago.
Lastly, he’s under contract in Russia until the end of the 24-25 season. And if the Russia-Ukraine War is still going at that point? What is Michkov’s military service status? Does he want to play in BFLO? Rumor is he selectively choosing a handful of teams to meet with prior to the Draft, leading to the thought that he was engineering where he wanted to be chosen. Add to that Andrei Nikolishin, former NHL’er and current Capitals scout, blistered Michkov when asked about his personality, calling him rude, arrogant, and undisciplined. Now, of course, all of this could be a smokescreen, could be plenty of maneuvering going on behind the scenes trying to get the chance to draft this dynamic scorer.
And while I do think that had he gone into the Draft last year, he would have been the unanimous #1 overall, I feel the same way about Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson…and maybe, just maybe, Will Smith. This isn’t to say Michkov won’t be great, or he won’t be a Kaprizov or a Kovalchuk or a Kucherov kind of talent. He could be any or all of those. But I think it’s fair to have serious questions about him. And if you’re not sure, do you want to give up the farm? I don’t. If he’s there at #13, take him. If he’s there at #11 or #12, see what it would take to get up there and choose him. I wouldn’t go further than that. But I seriously doubt he’ll be there. So maybe this is all moot.
Speaking of the Sabres, what are they are up to at this Draft? When it comes to selections, I think the Sabres might have a player in mind. I don’t want to spoil it, not because I’m wrong (I almost certainly will be), but there are players out there who just fit what the Sabres seem to value: speed, motor, shot, athleticism. Don’t have to be big, don’t have to be strong or super creative or have one thousand moves, don’t have to be a shut-down guy or a pure banger. They can coach you up if you have the skating, the relentless mindset, a deadly shot and the athleticism. Look at players like Quinn, Kulich, Neuchev, Poltapov, Peterka…these are all guys that fit that model. And one guy kind of fits those qualifications for me more than others. Unfortunately for those folks hoping for a 1st-round defenseman, it’s another forward. You can sneak a peek below if you don’t already know! But what else might they be up to? I think Adams will try to make a move as soon as he can to give that new player time to acclimate to the Sabres and the culture they’re building. Which I expect to happen at the Draft. But I don’t expect more than one move. Then they announce Dahlin and Power extensions after July 1st and otherwise some tinkering around the edges for the rest of the summer. They go into next season with the roster remarkably similar to this past season.
Enjoy this final Mock Draft. No doubt if history is any indication, I’ll get a lot wrong, and maybe a few right…but hopefully this will give you all a sense of what to expect broadly come Draft Day(s). Hopefully I’ll at least be in the neighborhood as far the Sabres’ selections! Thanks for indulging me. I’ll have my Top 150 Big Board ready to roll in just a couple days for those of you looking for more Draft content.
And now, for your reading pleasure…
ROUND ONE:
#1: CHICAGO: Connor Bedard 5’10 C, WHL
#2: ANAHEIM: Adam Fantilli, 6’4 C, NCAA
#3: COLUMBUS: Will Smith, 6’0 C, US NTDP
#4: SAN JOSE: Leo Carlsson, 6’3 C, SWE
#5: MONTREAL: David Reinbacher, 6’2 RHD, SWISS
#6: ARIZONA: Dimitri Shimishev, 6’4 LHD, RUS
#7: PHILADELPHIA: Matvei Michkov, 5’10 RW, RUS
#8: WASHINGTON: Dalibor Dvorsky, 6’1 C, SWE
#9: DETROIT: Matthew Wood, 6’4 C, NCAA
#10: ST LOUIS: Tom Wallinder, 6’1 RHD, SWE
#11: VANCOUVER: Zach Benson, 5’10 LW, WHL
#12: ARIZONA (OTTAWA): Ryan Leonard, 5’11 RW, US NTDP
#13: BUFFALO: Oliver Moore, 5’11 C, US NTDP
#14: PITTSBURGH: Colby Barlow, 6’2 LW, OHL
#15: NASHVILLE: Axel Sandlin-Pelikka, 5’11 RHD, SWE
#16: CALGARY: Samuel Honzek, 6’4 C/W, WHL
#17: DETROIT (NY ISLANDERS): Gabe Perreault, 5’10 C/W, US NTDP
#18: WINNIPEG: Otto Stenberg, 5’11 C/W, SWE
#19: CHICAGO (TAMPA BAY): Daniil But, 6’4 RW, RUS
#20: SEATTLE: Quentin Musty, 6’3 LW, OHL
#21: MINNESOTA: Nate Danielson, 6’1 C, WHL
#22: PHILADELPHIA (COLUMBUS/LOS ANGELES): Eduard Sale, 6’2 C/LW, CZE
#23: NY RANGERS: Andrew Cristall, 5’9 W, WHL
#24: NASHVILLE (EDMONTON): Brayden Yager, 6’0 C/RW, WHL
#25: ST LOUIS (TORONTO): Nick Lardis, 5’11 RW, OHL
#26: SAN JOSE (NEW JERSEY): Cal Ritchie, 6’2 C, OHL
TRADE: BUFFALO #39, #86 -> COLORADO #27
Why Would COL Do This? The Avs have depleted their prospect pool over the past 3 years as they attempted (and succeeded) to win a Cup and traded a lot of assets to do so. They have only 4 picks in each of the next 2 Drafts. Here they get an extra pick and will likely get a 1st round quality player in the early 2nd round as they try to refill their pipeline.
Why Would BFLO Do This? They have an extremely deep prospect pool. Even if they give up a pick in a trade, they will still have the typical complement of 7 selections. And they jump ahead of Toronto and Detroit – 2 divisional rivals – who are both likely looking for a defender. So are the Sabres. They make the move to jump up and snatch the best defender still on the Board.
#27: BUFFALO (COLORADO): Oliver Bonk, 6’2 RHD, OHL
#28: TORONTO (WASHINGTON/BOSTON): Oscar Fisker Molgaard, 6’0 C/W, SWE
#29: ST LOUIS (DALLAS): Ethan Gauthier, 5’11 RW, QMJHL
TRADE: CAROLINA #30 -> DETROIT #41, #73
#30: DETROIT (CAROLINA): Mikhail Gulyayev, 5’11 LHD, RUS
#31: MONTREAL (FLORIDA): Michael Hrabal, 6’7 G, USHL
#32: VEGAS: Anton Wahlberg, 6’3 C, SWE
ROUND TWO:
#1: ANAHEIM: Danny Nelson, 6’3 C, US NTDP
#2: COLUMBUS: Carson Bjarnason, 6’3 G, WHL
#3: CHICAGO: Lukas Dragicevic, 6’2 RHD, WHL
#4: SAN JOSE: Maxim Strbak, 6’2 RHD, USHL
#5: MONTREAL: Brad Nadeau, 5’9 C, BCHL
#6: ARIZONA: Etienne Morin, 6’0 LHD, QMJHL
#7: COLORADO (BUFFALO/PHILADELPHIA): Charlie Stramel, 6’4 C/W, NCAA
#8: WASHINGTON: Theo Lindstein 6’0 LHD, SWE
#9: CAROLINA (DETROIT): Gracyn Sawchyn, 5’11 C, WHL
#10: DETROIT (ST LOUIS): Jayden Perron, 5’8 C, USHL
#11: DETROIT (VANCOUVER): Koehn Ziemmer, 6’0 RW, WHL
#12: CHICAGO (OTTAWA): Adam Gajan, 6’3 G, USHL **
#13: BUFFALO: Nico Myatovic, 6’3 RW, WHL
#14: NASHVILLE (PITTSBURGH): Caden Price, 6’1 LHD, WHL
#15: NASHVILLE: Felix Nilsson, 6’0 C, SWE
#16: CALGARY: Carson Rehkopf, 6’2 C, OHL
#17: NY ISLANDERS: David Edstrom, 6’2 C, SWE
#18: SEATTLE (WINNIPEG): Gavin Brindley, 5’8 RW, NCAA
#19: CHICAGO (TAMPA BAY): Tanner Molendyk, 5’11 LHD, WHL
#20: SEATTLE: Riley Heidt, 6’0 C/LW, WHL
#21: MINNESOTA: Hunter Bruzustewicz, 5’11 RHD, OHL
#22: LOS ANGELES: Kasper Halttunen, 6’3 RW, FIN
#23: NY RANGERS: Jakub Dvorak, 6’5 LHD, CZE
#24: EDMONTON: Martin Misiak, 6’2 C, USHL
#25: SEATTLE (TORONTO): Damien Clara, 6’6 G, SWE
#26: NEW JERSEY: Mathieu Cataford, 5’10 RW, QMJHL
#27: ANAHEIM (COLORADO): Beau Akey, 6’0 RHD, OHL
#28: ANAHEIM (BOSTON): Aydar Suniev, 6’2 W, BCHL
#29: DALLAS: Jesse Kiiskinen, 5’11 W, FIN
#30: CAROLINA: Gavin McCarthy, 6’2 RHD, USHL
#31: MONTREAL (FLORIDA): Aram Minnetian, 6’0 RHD, US NTDP
#32: MINNESOTA (BUFFALO/VEGAS): William Whitelaw, 5’9 C/W, USHL
ROUND THREE:
#1: ANAHEIM: Trey Augustine, 6’2 G, US NTDP
#2: COLUMBUS: Alex Ciernak, 5’10 W, SWE
#3: CHICAGO: Easton Cowan, 5’10 C, OHL
#4: NASHVILLE (SAN JOSE): Brady Cleveland, 6’5 LHD, US NTDP
#5: MONTREAL: Quinton Burns, 6’1 LHD, OHL
#6: ARIZONA: Casey Terrance, 6’1 C, OHL
#7: PHILADELPHIA: Tristan Bertucci, 6’0 LHD, OHL
#8: ARIZONA (WASHINGTON): Noah Dower-Nilsson, 6’0 C, SWE
#9: CAROLINA (DETROIT): Mazden Leslie, 6’1 RHD, WHL
#10: ST LOUIS: Juraj Pekarcik, 6’2 C/LW, SVK
#11: VANCOUVER: Coulson Pitre, 6’0 C, OHL
#12: ST LOUIS (TORONTO/OTTAWA): Kalan Lind, 6’1 LW, WHL
#13: VEGAS (BUFFALO): Andrew Gibson, 6’3 RHD, OHL
#14: LOS ANGELES (PITTSBURGH): Alex Rykov, 5’11 W, RUS
#15: NASHVILLE: Luca Pinelli, 5’10 C, OHL
#16: NEW JERSEY (COLUMBUS/CALGARY): Carter Sotheran, 6’3 RHD, WHL
#17: ARIZONA (NY ISLANDERS): Kristian Konstandinski, 6’5 LHD, SWE
#18: WINNIPEG: Lenni Hameenaho, 6’0 RW, FIN
#19: NASHVILLE (TAMPA BAY): Jayson Shaugabay, 5’9 C, USHL
#20: SEATTLE: Artuu Karki, 6’2 LHD, FIN
#21: ANAHEIM (MINNESOTA): Paul Fischer, 6’0 LHD, US NTDP
#22: COLORADO (BUFFALO/LOS ANGELES): Ethan Miedema, 6’3 RW, OHL
#23: PHILADELPHIA (NY RANGERS): Luca Cagnoni, 5’9 LHD, WHL
#24: ARIZONA (EDMONTON): Jordan Tourigny, 5’11 RHD, QMJHL
#25: VANCOUVER (TORONTO): Andrew Strathmann, 6’0 LHD, USHL
#26: PITTSBURGH (NEW JERSEY): Roman Kantserov, 5’9 W, RUS
#27: NY RANGERS (COLORADO): Tanner Ludtke, 6’0 C, USHL
#28: BOSTON: Axel Landen, 6’1 RHD, SWE
#29: CHICAGO (ARIZONA/DALLAS): Tyler Peddle, 6’1 C/LW, QMJHL
#30: SAN JOSE (CAROLINA): Tomas Uronen, 5’11 W, FIN
#31: PHILADELPHIA (FLORIDA): Noel Nordh, 6’3 RW, SWE
#32: VEGAS: Felix Unger Sorum, 5’11 RW, SWE
ROUND FOUR:
#1: ANAHEIM: Rasmus Kumpulainen, 6’3 C/W, FIN
#2: COLUMBUS: Matthew Mania, 6’0 RHD, OHL
#3: CHICAGO: Jesse Nurmi, 5’11 W, FIN
#4: SAN JOSE: Drew Fortesque, 6’3 LHD, US NTDP
#5: MONTREAL: Yegor Sidorov, 6’0 RW, WHL **
#6: ARIZONA: Connor Levis, 6’2 C/W, WHL
#7: PHILADELPHIA: Alexander Hellnemo, 6’2 G, SWE **
#8: WASHINGTON: Terrell Goldsmith, 6’4 LHD, WHL
#9: VANCOUVER (DETROIT): Alex Pharand, 6’2 C, OHL
#10: ST LOUIS: Cameron Allen, 6’0 RHD, OHL
#11: VANCOUVER: Larry Keenan, 6’3 LHD, US HS
#12: OTTAWA: Jay Lipinski, 6’3 RW, WHL
#13: BUFFALO: Yegor Zavragin, 6’3 G, RUS
#14: MONTREAL (PITTSBURGH): Aiden Fink, 5’9 W, AJHL
#15: NASHVILLE: Emil Jarventie, 5’11 LW, FIN
#16: CALGARY: Denver Barkey, 5’8 C, OHL
#17: NY ISLANDERS: Arvid Bergstrom, 6’0 LHD, SWE
#18: COLUMBUS (WINNIPEG): Zach Nehring, 6’3 C, US HS
#19: NASHVILLE (TAMPA BAY): Dylan McKinnon, 6’3 RHD, QMJHL
#20: SAN JOSE (SEATTLE): Ondrej Molnar, 5’11 LW, OHL
#21: DETROIT (MINNESOTA): Sawyer Mynio, 6’1 LHD, WHL **
#22: LOS ANGELES: Samuel Urban, 6’2 G, USHL
#23: VANCOUVER (NY RANGERS): Cole Knuble, 5’11 C, USHL **
#24: PHILADELPHIA (EDMONTON): Jonathan Castagna, 6’2 C, OJHL
#25: NASHVILLE (TORONTO): Noah Erlinden, 5’11 G, SWE
#26: NEW JERSEY: Cam Squires, 5’11 RW, QMJHL
#27: SEATTLE (COLORADO): Brad Gardiner, 6’1 C, OHL
#28: BOSTON: Angus MacDonnell, 5’10 C, OHL
#29: DALLAS: Ty Higgins, 6’1 RHD, QMJHL
#30: CAROLINA: Tomas Suchanek, 6’2 G, WHL **
#31: FLORIDA: Kalem Parker 6’0 RHD, WHL
#32: MONTREAL (VEGAS): Michael Hagens, 6’0 LHD, USHL
ROUND FIVE:
#1: ANAHEIM: Matthew Soto, 5’11 RW, OHL
#2: SAN JOSE (COLUMBUS): Hampton Slukynsky, 6’2 G, US HS
#3: CHICAGO: Kaden Hammell, 6’1 RHD, WHL
#4: SAN JOSE: Petter Vesterheim, 5’11 C/LW, SWE
#5: MONTREAL: Albert Vikman, 6’0 LHD, SWE
#6: ARIZONA: Hoyt Stanley, 6’2 RHD, BCHL
#7: PHILADELPHIA: Donovan McCoy, 6’1 RHD, OHL
#8: WASHINGTON: Vadim Moroz, 6’2 F, RUS **
#9: DETROIT: Peteris Bulans, 6’0 RHD, QMJHL
#10: ST LOUIS: Jakub Stancl, 6’3 C/LW, CZE
#11: CAROLINA (VANCOUVER): Dominik Petr, 6’2 C/LW, FIN
#12: OTTAWA: Matteo Mann, 6’5 RHD, QMJHL
#13: BUFFALO: Justin Kipkie, 6’4 LHD, WHL
#14: PITTSBURGH: Carsen Musser, 6’4 G, US NTDP
#15: NASHVILLE: Hunter Anderson, 5’9 W, US HS
#16: MONTREAL (CALGARY): Emil Pieniniemi, 6’2 LHD, FIN
#17: NY ISLANDERS: Brandon Svoboda, 6’2 C, USHL
#18: WINNIPEG: Scott Ratzlaff, 6’0 G, WHL
#19: NASHVILLE (TAMPA BAY): Matteo Koci, 5’11 LHD, CZE
#20: SEATTLE: Matthew Mayich, 6’2 LHD, OHL
#21: MINNESOTA: Tanner Adams, 6’0 C, USHL
#22: LOS ANGELES: Lukas Hes, 6’3 RW, CZE
#23: WINNIPEG (NY RANGERS): Beckett Hendrickson, 6’1 C/W, US NTDP
#24: NY RANGERS (EDMONTON): Owen Outwater, 6’3 C, OHL
#25: TORONTO: Yegor Rimashevsky, 6’2 RW, RUS
#26: NEW JERSEY: Rodwin Dionicio, 6’3 LHD, OHL **
#27: COLORADO: Hannes Hellberg, 6’1 W, SWE **
#28: COLUMBUS (BOSTON): Joey Willis, 5’10 C, OHL
#29: DALLAS: Ryan Conmy, 5’11 RW, USHL
#30: CAROLINA: Hugo Hell, 6’0 LHD, SWE
#31: FLORIDA: Mike Emerson, 6’2 RW, USHL **
#32: ARIZONA (VEGAS): Griffin Erdman, 5’11 C, USHL
ROUND SIX:
#1: ANAHEIM: Austen Burnevik, 6’3 C, US NTDP
#2: ARIZONA (COLUMBUS): Juha Jatkola, 6’2 G, FIN **
#3: CAROLINA (CHICAGO): Hudson Malinoski 6’1 C, AJHL **
#4: SAN JOSE: Ryan Hopkins, 6’1 RHD, BCHL **
#5: MONTREAL: Aaron Pionk, 6’2 LHD, USHL **
#6: ARIZONA: Matteo Fabrizi, 6’5 LHD, WHL
#7: PHILADELPHIA: Daniil Karpovich, 6’4 LHD, BEL
#8: SEATTLE (WASHINGTON): Owen Beckner, 6’2 C, BCHL
#9: DETROIT: Ruslan Khazheyev, 6’4 G, RUS
#10: ST LOUIS: Ignat Lutfullin, 6’0 LW, RUS
#11: VANCOUVER: Rhett Stoesser, 6’2 G, WHL
#12: PHILADELPHIA (OTTAWA): Florian Xhekaj, 6’2 W, OHL
#13: BUFFALO: Erik Pohlkamp, 5’11 RHD, USHL **
#14: PITTSBURGH: Anthony Romani, 6’0 RW, OHL
#15: NASHVILLE: Ivan Anoshko, 5’10 C, RUS
#16: CALGARY: Cole Burbidge, 6’1 LW, QMJHL
#17: NY ISLANDERS: Niko Minkkanen, 6’4 RHD, OHL
#18: NY RANGERS (WINNIPEG): Luke Mittelstadt, 6’0 LHD, NCAA **
#19: TAMPA BAY: Ivan Remezovsky, 6’1 LHD, RUS
#20: SEATTLE: Kalle Carlsson, 6’0 C, SWE
#21: MINNESOTA: Axel Hurtig, 6’4 LHD, SWE
#22: LOS ANGELES: Zack Sharp, 6’2 LHD, USHL
#23: NY RANGERS: Ian Blomquist, 6’2 G, SWE **
#24: EDMONTON: Hugh Fransson, 5’11 LHD, SWE **
#25: TORONTO: Jake Fisher, 6’3 LW, US HS
#26: NEW JERSEY: Austin Roest, 5’11 C, WHL **
#27: COLORADO: Vojtech Port, 6’2 RHD, WHL
#28: BOSTON: Kalle Kangas, 6’4 LHD, FIN
#29: DALLAS: Thomas Milic, 6’0 G, WHL **
#30: CAROLINA: Brady Stonehouse, 5’10 C/W, OHL **
#31: FLORIDA: Tommaso De Luca, 6’0 C, WHL
#32: VEGAS: Timur Mukhanov, 5’9 C, RUS
ROUND SEVEN:
#1: TAMPA BAY (ANAHEIM): Hugo Pettersson, 6’0 RW, SWE
#2: COLUMBUS: Lucas Moore, 5’10 RHD, OHL
#3: CHICAGO: Jake Sloan, 6’4 C, WHL **
#4: SAN JOSE: Ben Poitras, 5’11 C, USHL
#5: MONTREAL: Artyom Kashatanov, 6’6 W, RUS
#6: FLORIDA (ARIZONA): Adam Dybal, 6’1 G, CZE
#7: PHILADELPHIA: Ty Campbell, 6’3 LHD, CCHL
#8: WASHINGTON: Zeb Forsfjall, 5’9 W, SWE
#9: DETROIT: Gabriel Szturc, 5’10 C, WHL **
#10: ST LOUIS: Morgan Brady, 6’1 RHD, AJHL
#11: SAN JOSE (ARIZONA/VANCOUVER): Ben Robertson, 5’10 LHD, USHL
#12: OTTAWA: Gustav Kangas, 6’0 C, SWE
#13: BUFFALO: Frantisek Dej, 6’4 C, SVK
#14: SAN JOSE (PITTSBURGH): Kevin Bicker, 6’1 W, GER
#15: OTTAWA (NASHVILLE): Arthur Smith, 6’4 G, NAHL **
#16: CALGARY: AJ Lacroix, 6’0 C/LW, BCHL
#17: NY ISLANDERS: Nikita Nedopyokin, 5’10 C, RUS
#18: WINNIPEG: Sam Court, 5’10 RHD, AJHL
#19: TAMPA BAY: Jan Sprynar, 6’1 RW, QMJHL
#20: SEATTLE: Janne Peltonen, 6’3 LHD, FIN
#21: MINNESOTA: Teddy Townshend, 5’11 W, US HS
#22: BOSTON (LOS ANGELES): Jack Harvey, 5’10 LW, USHL **
#23: OTTAWA (NY RANGERS): Jiri Felcman, 6’4 C, SWISS
#24: EDMONTON: Adam Csabi, 5’10 W, CZE
#25: PITTSBURGH (TORONTO): Ben Rautiainen, 6’0 C, FIN
#26: NEW JERSEY: Nikita Susuyev, 6’0 F, RUS
#27: COLORADO: Magomed Sharakanov, 6’0 LHD, RUS
#28: BOSTON: Zach Schultz, 6’1 LHD, US NTDP
#29: DALLAS: Giacomo Martino, 5’11 LW, OJHL
#30: CAROLINA: Niks Fenenko, 6’1 LHD, QMJHL **
#31: FLORIDA: Mike DeAngleo, 5’11 LW, USHL
#32: VEGAS: Alex Weiermaer, 6’1 C, US NTDP
SabrEs Haul:
1#13: Oliver Moore, 5’11 C, US NTDP: The fastest skater in the Draft class, bar none. When it comes to skating, the kid has it all. A blazer up and down the sheet, generates a tremendous amount of power and torque as he gears up. But he’s also explosive coming out of a dead stop, getting up to top speed in a snap. And his balance and agility are high-end as well; he can weave through a clogged Neutral Zone with or without the puck and never touch another player while leaving them all in the dust. You pair that incredible speed with his relentless engine, and suddenly, you’ve got yourself a potential dynamic centerman even if his offense doesn’t necessarily transfer. Skating informs every aspect of his game. He’s an absolute hound on the puck and when he sets his sights on an opponent, it’s very tough to escape him. You don’t get a lot of drive-bys. If you shake him once, he will pursue you down the ice until he forces you to get rid of the puck. Excellent on the PK. His back-checking prowess is breathtaking…he’s simply relentless hunting pucks. Never quits on a play. Coaches never have to question what they’re getting out of this kid, because he goes all out as soon as his skates hit the ice and doesn’t stop until his shift is over. Now, don’t be mistaken, he’s not a one-trick-pony. Moore can put the puck in the net as well. Again, a good number of his goals are predicated on his quickness. He jumps on loose pucks in the slot before anyone else; he fills lanes on turnovers before he can be accounted for by the opposing defense, and he’s got a quick release on his snapper. In fact, he can really shoot it. Like everything else in his game, his shot is quick and Moore never seems to hesitate when the puck finds him in a scoring area. He’s got an abbreviated wind-up on his slapshot, but he’s very good with a lightning quick half-snapper that flies off his blade like lightning. The puck comes hard and accurately, and Moore rarely misses the net. You’re not going to get a lot of shiftiness from him, or much in the way of dangling. He simply doesn’t need to. Moore takes the puck to the crease as quickly as he can get it there. And he’s stout – he weighed in at the Combine at nearly 200# despite being 5’11, so he’s thick. No one is going to push him around. And don’t worry – he did 13 pull-ups at the Combine – no Mittlestadt jokes! So you can see why a lot of draft nerds have him being chosen in the Top 10. But to me his game isn’t perfect. Where Moore concerns me most is his lack of high-end processing. Not for himself – he innately knows what to do with the puck when he gets it – but seeing, and using, his teammates, either in transition or out of sets. He’s a straight-line player that sometimes struggles to slow his pace to match his linemates or vary his speeds to confuse or gain an advantage on defenders. He doesn’t always see the ice, and once he finds a lane to the net, he seems to put the blinders on to the exclusion of all else…leading to as many turnovers as scoring chances. There were a number of times when I watched him this year, I thought ‘there’s a better shot out there.’ This applies in the defensive end as well – he’s a true menace on the puck, but in space or off the puck, he can get lost on occasion. I’ve seen players of this sort before, and its easy to get absorbed in the speed and electricity of a player with top-end wheels and hands. In fact, a lot of my concerns about Moore are similar to the way I felt about Cozens when he came out. And no one is going to mistake Cozens for a great playmaker even now, although he’s had some moments. But I think what interests me in Moore is the possibility of plugging him into that 3C spot. He could be a force with the speed, the motor and the hands to be a shut-down center who can also score like a Philip Danault. And to be able to go Tage – Cozens – Moore down the middle for a long time is very appealing. So he checks a lot of the Sabres’ boxes: plays fast, check. Skating? Yessir. Can shoot it? No doubt. Competes every shift? Yep. Loves to pressure the puck? Indeed. I think the fit here is obvious, and if he’s still there, I’d be surprised if BFLO doesn’t take him. Moore ran at more than a PPG (75P in 61 games) for the National Program despite being the #2 center. Wore a letter while dominating for the USA Gold Medal winning U-18 team, where he put up 9P in 7 games. He’s off to the Golden Gophers at U Minnesota next season, where I think he can stay for a couple years working on his game before the Sabres bring him to ROCH. Long-term, you’re looking at a player whose floor is something like a Michael Grabner, who is still a very useful player. But his upside? At times, he made me think of another MG, Mike Gartner. And that’s a pretty good dude to be compared to.
1#27: Oliver Bonk, 6’2 RHD, OHL: 2005 must have been a big year for Charles Dickens, because I’m about to draft another Oliver. Us old timers may recall Ottawa’s Top 10 pick, Oliver’s dad Radek, known more for his famed mullet than his on-ice production. Well, his kid inherited the mullet, and potentially a much better NHL career when all is said and done! A part of the London Knights’ top pair, Bonk’s game revolves around his responsible play on the blueline. Not a physical presence despite having good size, positioning and pure smarts are his calling cards. Savvy in puck retrieval, Bonk seems unusually poised for an OHL rookie, with or without the puck. Smooth, graceful stride and his transitions are easy – pivots from forward to backward and vice versa with few hiccups. Instantly recognizes angles and plays them perfectly; cutting off hard-charging forwards and disrupting odd-man rushes. His lateral movement could use some upgrading, however. He’s not a burner, and could really add more explosion, especially when changing direction or starting/stopping. Still, he eats up a lot of ice and can play a ton of minutes thanks in part to that stride…it looks like he’s not even trying some of the time and still outpacing the opposition, getting to loose pucks first and consistently moving them out of trouble. He’s ultra-efficient when moving recovered pucks up to the forwards, although as the season wore on and his comfort level increased, he got more creative in his zone exits. Exceptional first pass out of the zone is crisp and precise, whether a stretch pass or quick sauce up to a forward leaving the zone. Distributes the puck well in the Neutral Zone. Rarely overhandles or misplaces the puck. His on-puck defense is excellent. Consistently stick-on-puck, gapped up, feet plenty good enough to stay in front of most puck handlers. Stick really active but not out-of-control. Deflects a lot of pucks to the middle of the ice, tips passes and disrupts rushes frequently. Good in space, gravitates toward the slot, shoulder checks to ensure players are not getting behind him. Elite defensive instincts. Sees the entire ice and reads the opposition so consistently, there are a couple times almost every game where you see an opposing forward’s expression ‘where did he come from?’ Regularly matched up against the other team’s top line. Bonk will get engaged physically – he’ll fight stick battles and uses positioning to get inside opposing forwards around the net – but has increasingly delivered hits or leaned on players, tangling them up. That said, he’s extremely effective as a defenseman thanks to his light feet, quick stick, and most importantly, high-level smarts. The puck rarely stays in his end for very long. Where Bonk has surprised is his offense. While he came into the year with low expectations in terms of numbers, is effectiveness has grown. When down in the O-Zone, he’s cognizant of defending when he’s operating high in the zone, and rarely allows an opponent to sneak out behind him. But he’s got a good shot that he uses smartly. Pucks almost always get through to the net. He’s patient enough to wait for lanes to open, but he doesn’t hold onto the puck too long or over-handle it. Posted 40P in 67 games for the Knights, plus adding 11P in 21 playoff games for a London team that lost in the OHL Finals. If he can add a bit more snarl to his game, and continue to improve his skating, he has all the tools to become one of the best defenders in the Draft. This is another ‘fit’ selection: he checks a lot of boxes. Right-shot defender? Yeppers. With size? Uh-huh. Defensive mindset? Got it. Upside? I think so. Can he skate? Definitely. I’m thinking with some more work, Bonk becomes a modern version of Toni Lydman, for those Sabre fans who remember Toni.
2#15: Nico Myatovic, 6’3 RW, WHL: Now we’re into the drafting for upside portion of the Draft. And this kid has a lot of it. First off, how can you not love a guy named Nico? Setting that aside, why draft this guy? Well, you can’t help but notice his size. Myatovic is a big boy, and he plays like it. He scores around the net, is tough to move once he gets his balance, and has the hands to tip pucks or recover loose pucks and put them behind the goalie. Will take a beating to score. In that regard, he’s got some similarities to Olivier Nadeau. They both have an uncanny nose for the puck and prefer to go to the high-traffic areas to find it. As I like to tell my kids, “Go to the front of the net.” “Why?” “Because that’s where you score.” (Disclaimer: Myatovic is not one of my kids.) He’s got a good shot but doesn’t use it to score enough. Too often he’ll put pucks on net – never a bad idea, per se – when passing it or taking the ice given to you could generate a better chance. In transition he can rip the puck, but here, his accuracy isn’t great. Misses the net too much for my taste. That’s something you can improve with effort. His skating is very good, especially for a player his size. He’s not blazing fast, but he’s got explosion in short areas and has very smooth transitions when he changes directions. Then he explodes out of those transitions and will catch defenders flat footed. And his top speed is good…it’s just not great, he just lacks that extra gear that a player like Oliver Moore has. That said, he’s pretty nimble for a big guy, which helps him particularly on the cycle. And in transition he can be elusive in the Neutral Zone, but he rarely takes chances with the puck. He won’t risk turning it over at the blue line by forcing a zone entry…instead, he’ll dump it in and track it down, which is something he’s good at. Reads lanes well on the rush and seems to have a good sense of where to go and when to get there. Myatovic clearly prizes possession. He can be a possession monster, controlling the puck in those small areas and routinely winning battles against one or two defenders to keep possession. Does work behind the net and can turn a puck battle into a scoring chance with a quick flip of his wrists. Would not be surprised to see him try a Michigan in the near future, as he loves scoring on wraparounds or coming out from behind the net and trying to jam the puck in. One area where he excels is winning a puck battle, getting it to a teammate, and making a beeline to the front of the net. Defensively, his game is pretty advanced for a kid who doesn’t play a ton. He plays on the PK and has a developed sense of playing in space. Recognizes defensive breakdowns before they happen and fills in where his teammates might have vacated an important spot on the ice. Likes to engage physically when defending, closes on a forward and rather than go for the puck, will make an effort to simply tie them up and wait for help to turn it over. Likes to plant guys into the boards now and then. Great glue guy. Interestingly, Myatovic put up a very strong 60P in 68 games on a stacked Seattle team that lost in the Memorial Cup Finals. They had 10 NHL draft picks on that team, and after this month’s NHL Draft, it might wind up being 12-13. So he put up almost all those points at 5v5 playing often on the 3rd line. Also had 4P in 5 games at the Memorial Cup. Next season, he could put up big numbers as a lot of those guys graduate to the AHL or higher levels, and he gets a chance to be The Guy. I think with more opportunities and some more coaching, Myatovic can be a big-time offensive player in the WHL and be ready to take a spot in ROCH the following season. At the end of the day, he could become a Mason Marchment kind of player…or maybe, if he hits his ceiling, an Anders Lee type.
4#13: Yegor Zavragin, 6’3 G, RUS: Haven’t you heard? Russian goalies are all the rage these days. Sorokin, Shestyorkin, Samsonov…why not get on the train now? Zavragin is a tough guy to get a read on, as there’s not a ton of accessibility to Russian junior games these days, but from what I have seen there’s a lot to like. Zavragin plays a style vaguely reminiscent of Craig Anderson. He’s not a true butterfly goalie, but instead he plays some upright, and drops into the butterfly later than most goalies. Rather than a pure technician, he’s more athletic in how he covers the net. Long legs let him cover the bottom of the net quickly when he does drop into the butterfly. Very conscious of remaining straight up instead of leaning, so he continues to take away as much of the top of the net as possible even while down. Of course, to play this way it helps to be 6’3 and 190#. Plays an aggressive style. Always out of the net, on top of the blue paint, sometimes even a little beyond that, to cut off angles and take away options from shooters. Has a very good glove, quick reflexes to use it, and will kill a lot of plays just by snatching the puck. Zavragin plays a very patient game as a goalie and is more likely to freeze a puck than play it. I don’t know if this tendency causes him to avoid handling the puck, but he doesn’t do much of it which is too bad. He’s become a very competent puck handler as a goaltender and can move the puck smartly and with authority when it’s required. But that patience helps him when facing down breakaways as he rarely is the first to move which makes it tough on the puck carrier. Seems to struggle a bit when the puck reverses behind his net; he can cheat to the side he expects the puck to come out, so a smart player can put on the brakes and stuff it in the short-side before Zavragin has time to get back. While he has good rebound control on low shots, he struggles at times fighting off high shots. That’s an area he’s going to have to clean up. Has excellent awareness of what’s going on around him; he tracks the play very well and responds to one-timers and other quick passes around the net like a cat. Has some of that Sorokin in his game where even when there’s a scramble in front, he never moves, just stays as big as he can and remains in front of the puck. From game to game his consistency can be wildly different; when he’s hot, forget about it. But he can go from red hot to ice cold in the span of a couple games. That needs to improve. Had a real solid season, with a 2.49 GAA and a .920 SV% in 21 games for a middling team – Mamonty Yugry – who give up quite a few Grade A chances. Even better in the playoffs, he posted 2.68 GAA and a .927 SV%. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten to see any of the Russian team in international play, so it’s possible that this kid flies under the radar a bit and the Sabres can snatch him up in the middle rounds…perhaps even later than this. Zavragin is one of the youngest prospects in the class, missing the cut-off for next year’s Draft by only 3 weeks, so he’ll have a long development window before he makes a run at joining the Sabres. With Erik Portillo moving on, and Topias Leinonen having an off-year, it makes sense to add to the goaltender stable within the organization.
5#13: Justin Kipkie, 6’4 LHD, WHL: A bit of a late bloomer, Kipkie went from a guy completely off the radar for the Draft to a player almost certain to get drafted. He has a lot of the physical tools: great size, length, plays a rough-and-tumble game and has pretty good mobility. Forced into a bigger role than maybe he was ready for, it took time for the Victoria Royals defender to get acclimated to playing top pair with another draft-eligible. But once they got things figured out, the pairing improved dramatically…and so did the team! Kipkie’s size, strength and length are the first things you notice about him. He’s not only tall, but has long arms and coupled with his stick, help him to be a very effective on-puck defender. It’s tough to get around him. When opponents try, Kipkie’s more than willing to ride them into the boards and force a turnover. He can shut down lanes simply by being in the right position, something that became more and more frequent in the second half of the season. Add to the fact he’s quite young for the draft class, with a late July birthday, and there’s plenty more runway for him to get even bigger in the months to come. Skating is a solid component of his game. He’s mobile, although he can be a bit clunky in a lot of his movement. Still, the technique elements are fixable, and as he gets stronger, his explosiveness and lateral movement will continue to improve. To be fair, they’re not bad now. But there is definitely room to get better. Even with his less-than-optimal skating, Kipkie still possesses a lot of poise with the puck on his stick. He makes a solid first pass, can evade forecheckers and doesn’t panic or put pucks in high-danger areas of the ice even when he’s pressured. He plays in all situations and plays a lot. What’s surprised me is how quickly his offensive game has matured. Initially a black hole on offense, he wound up leading all first-year defenders in points in the WHL with 33P in 67 games on a bad Victoria team. In the interest of full disclosure, he also played on the top PP unit and got a ton of minutes, a rarity in Canadian juniors for a new kid. Still, that’s saying something. He doesn’t have a bomb of a shot, and he’s not going to take the puck end-to-end, but his fledgling offensive instincts are excellent and he has a good feel for jumping into the play and finding lanes to get the puck to the net. Just an all-around smart player and as his physical skills improve, his game can follow. I think this is a player who the Sabres can take their time with, just let him grow and evolve. I could see him becoming a more offensive-minded Esa Lindell type if his development goes well. And that’s not a bad deal in the 5thround.
6#13: Erik Pohlkamp, 5’11 RHD, USHL **: Yes, he’s an over-ager. And yes, he’s below 6-foot. But boy can this kid play. Don’t take my word for it. He was named Defenseman of the Year in the USHL this past season! He’s a lethal weapon on the power play, and a dangerous hitter on the defensive end. Pohlkamp’s primary attribute is evident when you watch him quarterbacking the power play. He’s shifty, slick and can get off a cannon of a shot if you give him a lane. But close off that lane and create a new one, Pohlkamp will find it and make you pay that way. Disguises his shot well and can shoot from behind screens and target sticks for deflections and tips. A very good distributor, most of his passes are on time and on a platter for the recipient. He’s got enough in his bag of tricks to force defenses to shift and move to create openings that he can exploit. An accurate first pass coming out of the zone springs transition, but he can also carry the puck up (and pick apart a defensive structure) if the other team gives him enough ice. Not a fantastic skater, he’s good enough in terms of pure speed up and down the sheet. But his superior agility helps him stay in front of opposing forwards, walk the line on the PP, and shut down passing and shooting lanes in the D-zone. Defensively, he tends to drop out of the Neutral Zone when defending the rush…likely because his pure foot speed isn’t high-end. Instead, he’ll stand up at the blue line and has an aggressive nature with both his stick and lowering the boom on opponents that sometimes causes him to make a poor decision and allow an odd-man or even a breakaway from the blue line in when he misses. While he’s gotten better, will sometimes go out of his way to attempt a big hit, another element that he needs to rein in because it leaves his goalie high and dry if he doesn’t connect. Likes to pressure the puck and is very strong on his skates. I think his maturity from his first draft-eligible year to now has helped him play within himself more often. He’s gotten consistently better throughout the year at picking his spots for a big hit or dash up ice. Built like a tree trunk – 5’11 and 205# – he will battle for every inch of real estate in front of the net and win more than his share. Relishes the physical game. Plays it safe in space, or away from the puck, always coming back to defend the high-danger areas even if it means losing his check for a period of time. Led all USHL defenders with 51P in 59 games, a huge leap from 18P in 61 games the year prior. Was dominant at the World Junior A Challenge, where he helped lead the US team to a Gold Medal even though he came in late as an injury replacement. Pohlkamp still filled the stat sheet with 7P (including 5 goals!) in 4 games on the way to being named Best Defender at the tournament. Committed to Bemidji State next year, where they’ll try to get back to the Frozen Four. Could wind up being a Mario Ferraro-clone down the road if his development goes right. But even if he’s just a Top 4 AHL D-Man, that’s a solid value at this point of the Draft.
7#13: Frantisek Dej, 6’4 C, CZE: Think Paul Gaustad. A monster physical specimen who can defend, win faceoffs and throw his weight around is what you have with Dej. Is he raw? Yes, absolutely. That’s why I’m selecting him in the 7th round. But is there something more there? Could be. Firstly, Dej is the dream player of all our resident ‘we need more big guys’ crowd. He’s a bull in a china shop, loves to hit and knock guys off the puck. A defensive stopper. His size, reach, and surprisingly effective skating make him difficult to shake. He’s a bit clunky on his skates, and can almost tangle himself up when he tries to do too much or change direction quickly, but once he gets going he’s got pretty good speed and he’s got enough balance to put a shoulder into a guy and remain on his feet or chase down an opposing forward. Loves to play a physical game. He’s a beast along the walls and in the corners, seems to always play the man first, and will routinely blow guys up if he gets the chance. The kind of player that other teams have to be aware of. Long reach and sheer brawn let him patrol a big section of the ice. His stick placement needs work, but he can close off multiple lanes simply by getting to the right spot on the ice, and although very agile players can escape him, most others are simply overwhelmed by his size and strength. Extremely reliable in his own end. Covers for ranging defensemen or forwards caught out of position and is the last forward into the O-zone and first one out to help protect his side of the ice. Can be a terror on the forecheck because he doesn’t seem interested in retrieving the puck…just pounding the defender into the end boards. On the backcheck he’s persistent and has a knack for lifting sticks of puck carriers as they are making a move. Has a good sense of playing in space although his feet can get behind his brain as he tries to react to the opposition and he gets caught up. Is a bit of an agitator as well, willing to play after the whistle to antagonize the other team. Why is he available so late? Offensively, he is a black hole. He’s not a good puckhandler, nor does he have good instincts once he enters the O-zone. Almost entirely a dump-and-chase kind of player, Dej rarely exhibits any playmaking proficiency either in transition or out of sets. Can be useful as a screener in front of the net, but he leaves his spot too early as his tendency is to defend rather than stay too long deep in the O-zone. His shot is average, and it takes a bit too long to get it off. He’s best just finding loose pucks and either blindly funneling them to the netfront or hacking at rebounds as he uses his frame to seal off defenders and get inside position. Given his size and defensive prowess, he played for the Slovaks at both the U-18 and U-20 World Championships, as well as the Hlinka. At the U-18s he crossed the line on a brutal hit and was suspended for a game, while leading the tournament in penalty minutes. Played the bulk of the season in Slovakia’s 2nd tier Men’s league, putting up some impressive numbers with 21P in 24 games. A long-term project, but the Sabres have had some success with developing 7th rounders under the Adams regime. Maybe they can strike gold here.