[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Great Googly-Muggli Edition):

This is a player I like a lot. LHD Leon Muggli bucks the stereotype of the Swiss being neutral, as he's quite physical and competitive, and does a bit of everything to help his team win. Muggli is on the young side for this draft, with a July 9th birthday, but he plays in Switzerland's top-tier men's league for EV Zug, with 11 points in 37 games- tied in points with David Reinbacher, albeit in 7 more games. That number makes him 3rd in the league for U-20 players, and first overall for U-18 players. Muggli also made stops at the World Juniors, the Hlinka Gretzky, and the U-18's, putting up 1 point in each. In the WJC, his coaches bestowed a ton of trust on him, using him heavily in all situations, and on both special teams, and he played 26:58 in the quarterfinal against Sweden. Some say he might be bigger than his listed height of 6'0", and his listed weight of 165lbs. Central Scouting gave him a "B" rating, which projects him as a 2nd, or 3rd-round pick.

Muggli plays a well-rounded, mature game, and is a two-way performer who competes against men, regularly winning battles in a league full of former NHLers. He doesn't have many true weaknesses, and makes few mistakes defensively- which may be the main strength of his game. He has strong positional awareness, and stops rushes with regularity using his smothering gap control, an active stick, and his unrelenting physicality. In this side of the game, he takes few risks, and keeps things simple, using his superior speed to take away time and space from attackers, and keeping them to the outside, and out of danger. He's highly competitive, and doesn't ever want to be beat, which motivates him to kill plays over and over. He's usually calm and composed in retrievals, making shoulder checks to be aware of oncoming attacks, and to plan his next move. He can kick off the transition with his feet or hands, but he can also make smooth, accurate outlet passes- he's a good puck-mover. Muggli is an effortless skater, who can match speed with anyone, and is agile with smooth edges, and quickness in every direction.

Muggli likes to join the rush, and is ambitious and confident in doing so, pressuring defenders on the cycle, and opening lanes with his fantastic mobility. He has become an effective offensive contributor, with solid playmaking skills, and an ability to quarterback the offense from the point. He can stickhandle through, or around checkers, and never seems to overhandle. He's got a quick wrister with accuracy and a blinding release, that could perhaps use more velocity- and he's got soft hands around the net. Muggli gets time on both sides of special teams, with plenty of touches on the PP. He's very physical along the walls, in the corners, and in front of the net- he has some jam. He dishes out hits to dislodge pucks, and will engage in possession battles- where he establishes body position early. If there's a weakness, it may be that he can pressured into making mistakes with the puck in the defensive zone, or it could be the question of how his offense will translate to North American rinks, never mind the NHL. Some see him as a #4 D, or a bottom-pairing guy with PK duties. His profile reminds me a bit of Ryan Lindgren from the NYR- that of a physical, defensive D, who can move the puck a bit. Late second, early third.