[Sandman]

More Draft thoughts, post U-18's:

-LW Andrew Cristall is definitely a player I expected more from, with 6 points in 7 games, considering he amassed 95 points in only 56 WHL games for Kelowna. If he didn't suffer an injury, he would've had well over 100. Even more impressive is that he had those numbers on the team with the 16th most (out of 22) goals-for, so it's not like he had a ton of help (he led the team in points by 16). Cristall started very slowly, and looked lost for the first 3 games of the tourney, as did a few of his Team Canada teammates. I've referred to Cristall as a "poor man's Bedard". He's only 5'10", but is an offensive wizard. His hockey sense, IQ, and creativity are all elite, even if his skating is not. He's a gifted stickhandler, and like Bedard, is extremely shifty and elusive, being capable of beating opponents 1-on-1, and weaving through traffic with his elite deceptiveness, and his extensive arsenal of dekes and fancy moves, as well as his amazing puck-protection- which was on display many times. Despite owning these skills, he doesn't need to be flashy all the time, and more often than not, will keep it simple. Cristall is a good skater, but definitely not elite, and has room for improvement- he still shows great agility and balance, and can change direction quickly. He can create plays out of nothing, and sees passes available that few players can. His defensive awareness is definitely above average, but he's a bit of a work in progress- sometimes he doesn't engage enough, but it's not a negative- I would consider him a good 3-zone player. AC is not afraid to get his nose dirty, plays in traffic, and doesn't back down from the battle areas. This kid is not a "complimentary" player, he's a facilitator, and play-driver. Top-20.

-6'1" C Carey Terrance had 47 points in 67 to lead the Erie Otters, who were the 3rd-worst offensive team in the OHL. For the Americans at the U-18's, he was 9th in scoring with 6 points in 7 games. He's an excellent skater, who likes to compete along the boards, down low, and in front of the net. He's fairly creative, and has a solid base of IQ and hockey sense, but his shot is one of his main weapons- It's hard and heavy, with a quick realease, but he simply doesn't use it enough, and misses the net often. Terrance has good stickhandling skill, and is ultra-competitive in all areas. He seems to be a good defensive player, with exemplary positioning, and a good stick. He brings that competitiveness and hockey sense with him in his own zone- he blocks shots, snuffs entries, fights for pucks, and picks off passes. Although he thrives in the hard areas, he could be more physical. He might just be one of those players that does the unsung duties that a team needs, in order to win. Valuable third-liner perhaps? Third round.

-D Theo Lindstein was part of the best duo on defense at the U-18's in my estimation. At one point last year, he was touted as a potential top-10 pick in this draft, but he's found himself ranked by most to be picked in the first third of the second round. Lindstein finished 7th overall in scoring for D in the tourney, with 5 points in 7 games, but had an up-and-down year back home. Only 7 points in 14 J20 games, but had an impressive amount of games for Brynas of the SHL, with 32 (2 points)- you don't get that many games if you're not doing something right. To me, Lindstein looks a lot like TJ Brodie- he's an effortless skater, with fantastic mobility in all directions, and while he's not physical, he's extremely responsible in all 3 zones, and a quiet defensive conscience. I think it may be his attention to defense that has slowed his offense a bit, but I have confidence that he will learn to put it all together. Lindstein has high IQ and hockey sense, great feet, fantastic transitional skill, and is an excellent passer and puck-mover. Nice hard wrister from the point. The only real weakness here is size (6'0"), and lack of physicality. Early 2nd round.

-LW Noel Nordh is player for Sweden who I noticed in a good way. He's 6'2", a very good skater, and plays with energy and tenacity. He always seems to be at the front of the net, or just skating through, to get tips or rebounds, or a good screen. He's a master of the screen. He's highly competitive, physical, and has a fine motor- he battles hard in the dirty areas. Has good offensive awareness, but backchecks hard, and is solid and aggressive in his own zone, winning pucks, and turning them back the other way. Very effective defensively. He owns a hard, heavy shot that he needs to use more, and has great hands for scoring and passing. I feel like this is a player that has tons of room to grow offensively, but plays a good enough all-around game to be considered a player with a high floor. 5 points in 7 games this tournament, to go with 27 points in 38 J20 games in Sweden. Third round.

-C Rasmus Kumpalainen has many of the same traits as Nordh. Kumpalainen put up 5 points in 5 games for Finland in the tournament, and displayed a solid, all-around power-forward game, with skill and some speed. Kump plays well in the hard areas, competing and battling hard, exhibiting excellent puck protection, and the stickhandling to dance around defenders. Like Nordh, he's competitive and has motor. His IQ and vision makes him a solid performer in all 3 zones, and he'a a quality defensive player, capable of killing plays and rushes. Good player without the puck, and has smart positioning in all situations. He moves ok, but his skating is a work in progress. 34 points in 41 U20 Liiga games back home in Finland.

-6'0" RW Jesse Kiiskanen is an exciting offensive player, and someone I wanted to see play. 5 points in 5 games for the disappointing Finns, but I don't think he hurt his draft stock. His numbers back home are impressive, with 43 points in just 31 games, good enough for 16th in the entire U20 Liiga, although only 4 players in the top-20 had a better ppg than his 1.39. He is first for ppg for draft-elible players coming out of the U20. His production earned him 7 games in the top men's Liiga, and it's important to note that he's one of the youngest players in this draft, with an August birthday. JK owns an impressive offensive arsenal, complete with solid speed, high IQ and vision, and a good shot. He's also an excellent playmaker, and can dish in transition, and off the rush. He's one of those players who the puck seems to follow around. He's still known to be more of a shooter, with a top-notch selection of shots to use, and a quick, deceptive release. He leads by example, with a great work ethic, and isn't afraid to do the dirty work, or to compete in the dirty areas. He's a versatile, all-situations player who strives to make a difference whenever he's on the ice, and he's the type that forechecks as hard as he backchecks. Good in all 3 zones, and helps the transition. Love this player, and i think he'll go late in the 1st.

-Kiiskanen's countryman, LW Jesse Nurmi is quite similar to him, but goes about his business a little more "quietly". Nurmi is 5'11", and isn't as hard-nosed as JK, but he carries with him his own package of offensive wizardry. 5 points in 5 U-18 games, but had 50 points in 41 U20 Liiga games, second only in ppg to Kiiskinen for draft-eligibles out of Finland. Nurmi earned himself 9 games in the top-tier men's Liiga as well. Nurmi is a great skater, and has the stickhandling, evasiveness, and east-west mobility to beat opponents 1-on-1, but he's not afraid of physical confrontation, as he fights through defenders, and finishes checks- although he's not that physical. Like JK, he forechecks with his speed and a good stick, but also backchecks with the same vigour, and both play a high-tempo, high-energy game. Nurmi is a well-balanced offensive contributor, being both playmaker and shooter. He has a quick, accurate snapshot, but can also find teammates with difficult passes, whether it's cross-ice, through traffic, or off the rush. He's a bit slight, and can be pushed off the puck at times, but he doesn't back down from the greasy areas, or from contact. He'll need to get stronger, and put a bit of work into his defensive game. 2nd/3rd round.

-It's hard to judge any of the players from Canada's team in this year's U-18 tournament, as they looked very disjointed, and at times, disinterested- most especially, the defense. D Caden Price was Canada's top-scoring defenseman (5 points in 7 games), but like fellow defensemen Cam Allen and Lukas Dragicevic, he was beat often, made plenty of mistakes with the puck, and missed assignments. Normally, Price is a fine example of a "modern-day defenseman", which is one that plays a quality 2-way game, with a quick transition, good skating, and puck-distribution. Price is not a very physical player, but uses his hockey sense and speed to make plays in all 3 zones- he can lead the rush through transition with his passing game, or with his feet, and he uses those same attributes to kill plays in the D zone. Good shooter and distributor in the offensive zone, and walks the line skillfully. It should be noted that Price is another August birthday, making him one of the youngest players in the draft, and giving him a slightly longer runway than other developing prospects. 40 points in 65 games to lead Kelowna's defense is very respectable, especially considering that Kelowna's offense is fairly weak, but there's room to grow his offense, his shot, and his decision-making. I still like this player, and I still see him going in the first half of the second round. I think it's worth mentioning that Canada typically doesn't show as well in this tournament, as in the WJC- with only 4 golds in the last 24 years.

-Team Canada Captain, D Cam Allen deserves perhaps more criticism than Price for that tournament, as his mistakes seemed to be of higher quality, and quantity. 4 points in 7 games, with a minus-2, where Price was plus-2. Another prototypical "modern-day defenseman", but I think Allen is far more driven (usually) to be a clean player defensively, and has dedicated his game as such. in 2021-22, Allen had 37 points in 65 games, but dropped to 25 in 62 this year. Part of that is the fact is that Guelph has the 10th best goals-for in the OHL, another part of that is the fact he plays behind a 19yo, and a 21 yo. Personally, I would usually peg a player with 37 points in his Draft-minus 1 year, to be closer to a ppg player in his draft year, but I think Allen was cast in a more defensive role this year, and took it on vigorously. He doesn't seem to activate much from the point, despite the fact that he can shoot it hard. He'a a good skater, but not elite, and perhaps a hair below Price in this area, but I think that on a good day, Allen is the better defensive player. Both are solid, all-around D with puck skill, hockey sense, and vision in all zones. Both play well on either side of transition, but Allen is chippier, more willing to initiate contact, and more hard-nosed. Allen is 5'11", whereas Price is 6'1". There's still a lot of growth to be done in both of their games, and I think Allen has a LOT more to show offensively. 2nd half of the 2nd round.

-I was perhaps more disappointed with 6'2" D Lukas Dragicevic than I was with Price or Allen, although I was a little more prepared for LD's mistakes. Dragicevic's skating has never looked as bad as some say it is, but it was the cause of some of his mistakes and giveaways. He's a bit of an average skater, and at this stage, he can be beat by the faster kids- although he has a good top speed. Only 4 points in the tourney for him, but he's supposed to be an offensive force- after all, he was the 4th-highest scoring D in the WHL, playing kids up to 21 years old. 15 goals, and 75 points in only 68 games for Tri-City. Obviously, he has a myriad of offensive tools at his disposal, and that will be his ticket going forward. He has a fantastic shot, and sublime passing ability, combined with good stickhandling, and some 1-on-1 skill. His IQ and vision in the offensive zone are off the charts, and he's no slouch in the defensive zone, either. He often uses his size to outmuscle opponents, and knock them off the puck, but he usually relies more on smarts and positioning, than physicality. Not afraid of the rough-going though. He has a quality first-pass, and the stickhandling to carry through transition, and lead the rush. Good puck-protection, too. I still think he'll go in the last third of the 1st.