Tuesday 25 August 2015

German Rubtsov


Team: Russia U18
League: MHL
Position: C
Born: 27th June 1998
Height: 6.1       
Weight: 174
Draft eligible for NHL Draft 2016

Size/StrengthGood
Skating
Average
Shot/Scoring
Average
Puckhandling
Good
Physical Play
Average
Offensive Play
Good
Defensive PlayGood
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

Thursday 20 August 2015

Scouting the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup 2015



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/


Monday 3 August 2015

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

Friday 12 June 2015

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.

Wednesday 10 June 2015

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/StrengthBelow Average
Skating
Good
Shot/Scoring
Good
Puckhandling
Good
Physical Play
Below Average
Offensive Play
Good
Defensive PlayAverage
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


Tuesday 2 June 2015

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/StrengthGood
Skating
Good
Shot/Scoring
Good
Puckhandling
Good
Physical Play
Good
Offensive Play
Average
Defensive PlayGood
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

Friday 29 May 2015

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/StrengthBelow Average
Skating
Good
Shot/Scoring
Good
Puckhandling
Excellent
Physical Play
Average
Offensive Play
Good
Defensive PlayGood
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

Sunday 24 May 2015

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/StrengthAverage
Skating
Good
Shot/Scoring
Good
Puckhandling
Excellent
Physical Play
Average
Offensive Play
Good
Defensive PlayGood
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

Wednesday 20 May 2015

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/StrengthGood
Skating
Average
Shot/Scoring
Good
Puckhandling
Good
Physical Play
Good
Offensive Play
Good
Defensive PlayGood
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