WJC 2016 team previews

Team Finland:

http://thehockeywriters.com/finlands-firepower-goes-beyond-puljujarvi-laine/

Team Sweden:

http://thehockeywriters.com/sweden-looking-to-spoil-finnish-wjc-party/

Team Switzerland:

http://thehockeywriters.com/wjhc-examining-switzerland-denmark/

Team Denmark:

http://thehockeywriters.com/wjhc-examining-switzerland-denmark/

German Rubtsov

View image | gettyimages.com

Team: Russia U18

League: MHL

Position: C

Born: 27th June 1998

Height: 6.1       

Weight: 174
Draft eligible for NHL Draft 2016

Size/Strength	Good
Skating	Average
Shot/Scoring	Average
Puckhandling	Good
Physical Play	Average
Offensive Play	Good
Defensive Play	Good
Hockey Sense	Excellent
Competitiveness	Good

 Report Card – Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor

Strengths

1. Hockey IQ

2. Calmed play

3. Two-way game

Area’s For Improvement

1. Could produce more offence 

2. Skating acceleration

3. Eliminate Penalties from his game

Scouting Report:

A very intelligent forward who plays an effective game in all three zones. Uses his great understanding of the game to make plays. Plays a very calm game and never panics, not even when he is under pressure. Each of his plays are well thought. Although he is not very big, he is really hard to knock off the puck as he protects the puck very well. Shows a good neutral zone game as he cuts passing lanes effectively and prevents the opponent team from fast counter attacks. Rubtsov is not a pure offensive weapon and therefore could create more scoring chances and also needs to work on his skating acceleration. All in all, Rubtsov is a highly intelligent two-way forward who works effectively in all three zones and is a plus for each team which has him in the lineup.                    

NHL Potential: Two-way forward, who shows a matured understanding of the game.  

Style compares to: Ryan O'Reilly

Scouting the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup 2015

View image | gettyimages.com

The season of the 2016 NHL Draft officially started in August with the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup. Let's have a look who stood out.

Team USA:

http://thehockeywriters.com/who-stood-out-for-team-usa-at-ivan-hlinka-memorial/

The rest of Group B:

http://thehockeywriters.com/some-names-to-watch-from-the-ivan-hlinka-memorial/

Top 100 Prospects

Scouting-Factory is listing the top 100 prospects, starting with the most promising ones. The list includes only Calder Trophy eligible players. Find them here:

Connor McDavid

Jack Eichel

Dylan Larkin

Sam Bennett

Dylan Strome

Sam Reinhart

William Nylander

Max Domi

Mitch Marner

Noah Hanifin

Mike Reilly

Nikolaj Ehlers

Mikko Rantanen

Andrei Vasilveskiy

Zach Werenski

Josh Morrissey

Mathew Barzal

Jimmy Vesey

Kevin Fiala

Michael Dal Colle

Derrick Pouliot

Ivan Provorov

Kyle Connor

Connor Hellebuyck

Joonas Donskoi

Darnell Nurse

Robby Fabbri

Pavel Buchnevich

Shea Theodore

Jakub Vrana

Nick Ritchie

Ivan Barbashev

Ryan Pulock

Oliver Bjorkstrand

Anthony Mantha

Timo Meier

Kasperi Kapanen

Jared McCann

Nick Merkley

Travis Konecny

Lawson Crouse

Griffin Reinhart

Anthony De Angelo

Yevgeni Svechnikov

Madison Bowey

Nic Petan

Denis Gurianov

Chris Bigras

Pavel Zacha

Adrian Kempe

Jakub Zboril

Jeremy Roy

Brandon Gormley

Thomas Chabot

Joel Eriksson Ek

Tyler Bertuzzi

Colin White

Jeremy Bracco

Ilya Samsonov

Nikita Scherbak

Brock Boeser

Juuse Saros

Trevor Van Riemsdyk

Calvin Pickard

Cole Cassels

Jake Virtanen

Daniel Sprong

Anthony Beauvillier

Josh Ho-Sang

Nikolay Goldobin

Anthony Duclair

Julius Honka

Michael McCarron

Hudson Fasching

Brady Skjei

Christian Dvorak

Andreas Johnson

Sonny Milano

Zane McIntyre

Kerby Rychel

Anton Slepyshev

Riley Barber

Jansen Harkins

Samuel Morin

Matt Murray

Brendan Perlini

Adam Erne

Haydn Fleury

Jake McCabe

Slater Koekkoekk

Iiro Pakarinen

Emile Poirier

Mirco Mueller

Jack Roslovic

Axel Holmstrom

Christian Fischer

Jake DeBrusk

Sven Andrighetto

Michael Paliotta

Robin Kovacs

2015 Mock Draft 1st Round

1. Edmonton - Connor McDavid (C)

The best prospect since a long time, who will play for the Edmonton Oilers. An absolute generational talent with franchise  player potential.

2. Buffalo - Jack Eichel (C)

Center with outstanding hockey IQ, great work ethic and a powerful stride. Has all tools to become a franchise player with the Sabres.

3. Arizona -  Noah Hanifin (D)

Big bodied two-way defender with good vision and hockey IQ. Potential to be the best US defender in years.

4. Toronto - Dylan Strome (C)

Center with good size and long reach and good speed. Good puckhandler and smart vision.

5. Carolina - Mitch Marner (C)

Quick smallish forward with good hands. Hardworking and unselfish center with good hockey sense.

6. New Jersey - Lawson Crouse (LW)

Big power forward playing a physical game. Possesses a good shot and uses his body to make space for team mates.

7. Philadelphia - Mikko Rantanen (RW)

Big bodied playmaking forward with good vision and accurate pass. Has smooth hands and played in 56 games in the highest Finnish pro league.

8. Columbus – Zachary Werenski (D)     

Puck-moving defenceman with good vision and high end mobility. Can quaterback a Power Play.

9. San Jose - Mathew Barzal (C)

Smart center with a good two-way game and great vision. Good puckhandler and uses his stick well in his own zone.

10. Colorado - Ivan Provorov (D)

Agile and quick offensive minded defender. Very creative defenceman who likes to get involved offensively.

11. Florida - Pavel Zacha (C)

Big center with dangerous offensive skills. Can play physical and has good size.

12. Dallas - Travis Konecny (C)

Smart, dynamic, passionate skater with good work ethic who does all for the win. Good puckhandler and shot.

13. Los Angeles - Kyle Connor (C)

Smart two-way center with good hands and vision. Pass first player who possesses a good play away from the puck.

14. Boston - Jakub Zboril (D)

Two-way defenceman who shows good maturity and understanding of the game. Not afraid to play physical,

15. Calgary - Timo Meier (RW)

Offensive threat with a tremendous shot and lightning quick release. Has a physical edge. Exploded this season.

16. Edmonton - Oliver Kylington (D)

Two-way defenceman and one of the best skaters in this draft. Very matured player and good understanding of the game

17. Winnipeg - Nick Merkley (C)

A smallish playmaker with great vision and good sense to create offence. Is a great passer and shows good work ethic.

18. Ottawa - Thomas Chabot (D)

A two-way defenceman who likes to get involved offensively. Shows good puckhandling skills.

19. Detroit - Joel Eriksson Ek (C)

Hard working Center who plays with a physical edge and does all for the win. Good shooting skills and two-way game.

20. Minnesota - Paul Bittner (LW)

Power Forward with good size and physical play. Hard to knock off the puck and good positioning game in front of net. 

21. Buffalo - Jeremy Bracco (RW)

Undersized but very agile and quick player. Great vision and outstanding in setting up plays. Very good passer

22. Washington - .Evgeni Svechnikov (LW)

Big skilled offensive forward who is hard to knock off the puck. Possesses a good shot and high-level offensive skills.

23. Vancouver - Daniel Sprong (RW)

Outstanding puckhandler and very agile skater. Very effective in the offensive zone and when creating scoring chances.

24. Toronto - Colin White (C)

Hard working two-way center with effective play in all three zones. Good work ethic and making players around him better.

25. Winnipeg - Jeremy Roy (D)

An intelligent two-way defender with a good positioning game. Uses his stick well in defensive plays.

26. Montreal - Anthony Beauvillier (C)

A very agile and quick skater with good top speed. A good puckhandler with good hands.

27. Arizona - Brock Boeser (RW)

Strong forward with a good scoring touch. Protects the puck well and possesses good offensive positioning.

28. Philadelphia - Ilya Samsonov (G)

Big goalie with good athleticism and movement. Challenges shooters well and has the ability to make big saves.

29. Anaheim - Jake DeBrusk (LW)

A winger with high-end speed and good offensive instincts. Shows good understanding of the game.

30. Tampa Bay - Denis Guryanov (RW)

Russian power forward with a booming shot and quick release. Can play physical and is strong in board battles.

Veeti Vainio

Team: Espoo Blues u20

photo by ilkka.fi

League: Jr. A SM-liiga

Position: D

Born: 16th June 1997

Height: 6.2       

Weight: 170
Draft eligible for NHL Draft 2015

Size/Strength	Below Average
Skating	Good
Shot/Scoring	Good
Puckhandling	Good
Physical Play	Below Average
Offensive Play	Good
Defensive Play	Average
Hockey Sense	Good
Competitiveness	Good

 Report Card – Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor

Strengths

1. Puckhandling

2. Offensive Involvement

3. Pass

Area’s For Improvement

1. Physical Game 

2. Risky 1vs1 

3. Defensive Responsibility

Scouting Report:

An offensive Defender who loves to get involved offensively and joins rushes. He is an agile skater and has good speed. Possesses a hard, accurate pass which he uses for a good 1st initiating pass. A good puck carrier who has good movement with the puck and a decent vision. Often enters the zone with a lot of speed, though he tends to go into risky 1vs1 situations which could ending in leaving him in bad positions in a breakaway. Needs to improve his physical game and eliminate risky plays from his game. A defender with lots of ups and downs but if he can get rid of his flaws, he is a matured offensive defender who can initiate plays and setup good rushes.               

NHL Potential: Offensive Defenseman, who loves to get involved offensively and good skater.  

Style compares to: Christian Ehrhoff

Christian Fischer

Team: U.S. National U18 Team

photo by Tom Sorensen/usantdp.com

League: USHL/USDP

Position: RW

Born: 15th April 1997

Height: 6.1       

Weight: 212
Draft eligible for NHL Draft 2015

Size/Strength	Good
Skating	Good
Shot/Scoring	Good
Puckhandling	Good
Physical Play	Good
Offensive Play	Average
Defensive Play	Good
Hockey Sense	Good
Competitiveness	Good

 Report Card – Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor

Strengths

1. Protecting the Puck

2. Size/Strength

3. Powerful Skating

Area’s For Improvement

1. No high-end offensive skills

2. Scoring

3. Foot-Speed

Scouting Report:

A very powerful two-way forward who works very hard in both ends of the ice and possesses an over average skating balance. Listed at 6'1 and 212 lbs, he uses all of his big frame to protect the puck very well and to play effectively along the boards in battles. One of the more NHL ready players in this years draft in terms of strength and hard to knock off the puck. Is a very agile skater and has extremely powerful strides plus good top speed but could improve his foot-speed. His shot power is decent, he could work on his accuracy though. Might not posses high end offensive skills but his tremendous work ethic and willingness to do whatever is needed to win is making him the player all coaches want to have.                       

NHL Potential: Two-way power forward with good work ethic and powerful skating.  

Style compares to: Brandon Dubinsky

Matthews, Fiala, Roslovic and 2015 Draft updates

Some of my posted articles at The Hockey Writers:

Auston Matthews breaking new ground:

http://thehockeywriters.com/auston-matthews-breaking-new-ground/


Kevin Fiala looking to take next step:

http://thehockeywriters.com/kevin-fiala-looking-to-take-next-step/


A look at potential 2015 NHL Draft steals:

http://thehockeywriters.com/a-look-at-potential-2015-draft-steals/


Introducing: Jack Roslovic:

http://thehockeywriters.com/introducing-jack-roslovic/

Jeremy Bracco

Team: U.S. National U18 Team

photo by Tom Sorensen/usantdp.com

League: USHL/USDP

Position: Center/Right Wing

Born: 17th March 1997

Height: 5.9       

Weight: 172
Draft eligible for NHL Draft 2015

Size/Strength	Below Average
Skating	Good
Shot/Scoring	Good
Puckhandling	Excellent
Physical Play	Average
Offensive Play	Good
Defensive Play	Good
Hockey Sense	Good
Competitiveness	Good

 Report Card – Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor

Strengths

1. Vision

2. Skating Agility/Speed

3. Passing

Area’s For Improvement

1. Size/Strength

2. Board Battles

3. Needs to use his shot more

Scouting Report:

An undersized forward listed at only 5'9". Uses his excellent skating abilities to get rid of defenders and to make room for himself. Very quick acceleration, good speed, and great agility. Possesses tremendous vision and uses it together with his good pass for nice setups and creation of scoring chances. Has silk soft hands and is hard to defend because of his puckhandling speed in connection with his skating skills. Plays an aggressive defensive game and is very present with his stick. Given his small size, he lacks strength to win corner battles and needs to add some extra muscle. However, he is a very intelligent player with good hockey sense and his playmaking skills are above average.                   

NHL Potential: Playmaker, who has an excellent vision, smooth hands and a great pass.  

Style compares to: Johnny Gaudreau

Mathew Barzal

Team: Seattle Thunderbirds

photo by mynorthwest.com

League: WHL

Position: Center

Born: 30th January 1997

Height: 6.0       

Weight: 181
Draft eligible for NHL Draft 2015

Size/Strength	Average
Skating	Good
Shot/Scoring	Good
Puckhandling	Excellent
Physical Play	Average
Offensive Play	Good
Defensive Play	Good
Hockey Sense	Good
Competitiveness	Good

 Report Card – Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor

Strengths

1. Vision

2. Two-Way Game

3. Puckhandling

Area’s For Improvement

1. Size/Strength

2. Needs to shoot more

3. Tries to do too much

Scouting Report:

A rather smallish center with tremendous vision and excellent playmaking skills. Is a very smooth puckhandler and possesses an accurate pass. He is very dominant in the offensive zone and likes to circle with the puck on his stick. Sometimes is trying to do too much and is missing the moment to fire the puck. Not only is he an offensive dominant player, he also takes his defensive responsibilities serious. Backchecks good and uses his stick very well to take away the puck and leads the break away. All in all, Barzal is a very competitive center who works good in all three zones and is dominant in most of his shifts. Has the ability to make players around him better.                    

NHL Potential: Playmaker, who has excellent vision, good puckhandling skills and good defensive mind.  

Style compares to: Claude Giroux

Julius Nättinen

Team: JYP-Akatemia

photo by jatkoaika.com

League: Mestis

Position: Winger

Born: 14th January 1997

Height: 6.2       

Weight: 194
Draft eligible for NHL Draft 2015

Size/Strength	Good
Skating	Average
Shot/Scoring	Good
Puckhandling	Good
Physical Play	Good
Offensive Play	Good
Defensive Play	Good
Hockey Sense	Good
Competitiveness	Good

 Report Card – Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor

Strengths

1. Shot

2. Size/Strength

3. Defensive Mind

Area’s For Improvement

1. Acceleration

2. Skating

3. Use his body better

Scouting Report:

A forward with good size and strength who has a very good shot. Uses his full shot arsenal and is an effective weapon on the powerplay. Tries to bring himself in good position to use his strong accurate slapshot from a good spot. Has good vision and is therefore more a playmaker than a shooter. Is an average skater in terms of agility and acceleration but has good top speed. Backchecks well and takes his defensive responsibility serious. Could use his big body more to win corner battles and to play with a more physical edge. Nättinen has the potential to create scoring chances with his great shot and decent vision and to play a good two-way game, but isn't a player who leaves you breathless and rather is a quiet worker.                     

NHL Potential: Two-way player with a great shot and ability to play effective in his own zone.  

Style compares to: Jeff Carter