[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Uncut Gems Edition, Vol.4)

-The BCHL Showcase is a one-stop shop for scouts and college recruits to evaluate talent in one place, and consists of each team in the league playing one home, and one away game in 4 nights of action. This years event took place between Oct.17th-20th in Chilliwack, BC. Hoyt Stanley is a 6'2",196lb right-handed D playing in the BCHL for the Victoria Grizzlies, and some fans say he is usually the best player on the team most nights, but some of his shortcomings were on full display for scouts in the Showcase, although Cornell University has liked him enough over the span of the season to bring him into their fold next year. It's fair to say that Stanley is more potential than finished product right now. He is said to have good mobility for his size, and a smart two-way game, compiling 38 points in 53 games of Junior A- which was surprisingly good enough to be tied for 8th place in D-scoring in the league. Daniel Gee of Elite Prospects was at the Showcase, and said at the time that Stanley has some bad defensive habits and an immature game, struggling in multi-dimensional defensive situations, and failing to guide attackers to the outside in transition due to some faulty footwork where he struggles in pivots and lacks explosiveness in turns. Stanley has enough assets to pique the interest of NHL clubs, but he looks a bit like a project at this point.

-Russian-born Aydar Suniev had some very positive reviews for his play in the 2022 BCHL Showcase, and the comments are in line with everything else I've read about him this year. Suniev is a sturdily built 6'2", 205lb power-forward playing LW for the BCHL Champions, the Penticton Vees, and finished 3rd in league scoring behind teammates Bradly and Josh Nadeau, with 45 goals and 45 assists in 50 games, followed by 23 points in 15 playoff games. Suniev uses his size and strength proficiently in all situations, and fights hard- winning more than his fair share of puck battles, and muscling through traffic. He's a load to handle on both the forecheck and the backcheck, and his game has plenty of deception to shake off defenders, and he has excellent protection skills as well as stickhandling. He attacks the middle, and there's little anyone can do to stop him. He's a force along the boards, and nearly impossible to move from in front of the net, and he's strong on his skates. There's effort, and awareness in his game defensively, and he can steer his man to the outside, and away from danger. His shot and release are NHL-calibre, but unfortunately, his skating is not. Some say he has a good short-area burst, but he has a stiff, lumbering stride in need of improvements to his acceleration, top-speed, and his crossovers. More important to me is the fact that he's not really a play-driver or facilitator, and is more a player that feeds off of the more skilled playmakers- and in his case, I wonder how much he's propped up by playing with two of the best in the league, one of them (Bradly Nadeau) being a potential first-round pick. Another question is- how much does he benefit from being so well-developed physically in a Junior A league? Suniev is committed to UMass next year.

-This year's recipient of the Mr.Hockey Award, given out to the most outstanding senior high-school player in Minnesota, was Warroad High RHC Jayson Shaugabay. Between his high-school season, and his 27 games with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, he finished the year with 76 assists in 61 games. Shaugabay is only the sixth player in USHS-Minnesota history to surpass the 300-pt mark for their career. Warroad High compiled a 29-1-1 record, but lost in the Championship game. If you haven't guessed, Shaugabay is far-and-away a playmaker, and his distribution skills are his best tool. He has a quality shot that is both hard and accurate, and he most definitely needs to use it more, but he defers mostly to his deft passing game. Like most playmakers, he knows how to open and exploit space, and he likes to make plays from the boards to teammates in high danger, as he can manipulate defenders easier there, and get a better view of the ice from that vantage point. It may also have something to do with his size (5'9",168lbs), and his average skating-stride, which lacks explosiveness, and often prevents him from penetrating consistently. He will drive the middle occasionally, but prefers the perimeter at this stage. In spite of this, he is a very adept puckhandler, with the moves and protection to beat opponents 1-on-1, and slice through traffic, but he lacks the strength to push his way through. His defensive game is lacking, as well. If he can get stronger and faster at the Unversity of Minnesota-Duluth, who he has committed to for next season, there could be a real good offensive player there.

-Calgarian Aiden Fink plays RW in the AJHL for the Champs, the Brooks Bandits, who regularly dominated the competition. His 97 points in 54 games was tops in the league, and he added 13 points in 15 playoff games. In the World Junior A Challenge, Fink finished 1st in tournament scoring by 3 points, with 12 points in 6 games- though Canada West finished 4th out of 5 teams. The event featured names like Otto Stenberg, Zeb Forsfjall, Cole Knuble, Felix Unger Sorum, Tanner Ludtke, Felix Nilsson, Anton Wahlberg, Tanner Adams, and Tom Willander. Though Fink is only 5'9",152lbs, he plays much bigger, winning battles regularly with his high compete and hard-nosed approach to the game. He can make plays at high speed confidently, even under pressure. Fink is excellent at puck-distribution, be it in transition or to high-danger areas in the offensive zone. He works with advanced offensive awareness and vision, and uses all the space he can to draw attackers and open seams for his wide array of high-end passes, as well as weave through traffic to scan for options. There's also a good shot with a deceptive release in his arsenal. He is intense, and has high motor and compete, and strives to be a difference-maker in all 3 zones- he is a dedicated defensive player, and can carry through transition with full control. Though he lacks an efficient stride and top-end speed, he makes up for it somewhat with his hard work in always keeping his feet in motion, and manages to play with pace. It's still a little difficult to project Junior A players, being that the competition is not as good, and Fink will probably need the full 4 years of college to develop, as he is committed to Penn State.