[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Monster Edition, Vol.2):

Eriks Mateiko is a huge (6'5"210lbs) winger, who wears an "A" while plying his trade for the second-worst team in the Q- the Saint John Sea Dogs, who are also 3rd last in goals-for. Mateiko is second in scoring for the rebuilding club, with 22 goals, and 42 points in 47 games, and sees a ton of ice-time there in all situations, as a solid, two-way player. He was Latvia's Captain in the U-18's, where he put up 2 points in 5 games, and played in the World Junior Championship, with a goal in 5 games. He's a little older, with a November birthday.

Mateiko is a good puck-possession player, and carries with confidence, elite puck-protection, and some slick 1-on-1 moves. He's an excellent handler, and can dangle through defenders, and weave through traffic, which is impressive for a big man. Goal-scoring is his main contribution to the offensive side of the puck, and he has a blistering shot with a wicked release, but does his best work below the dots- most of his goals are scored within 5 feet of the net. He has soft hands in-close, and the moves to beat goalies 1-on-1, but has no problem with shoveling in garbage goals, or converting on rebounds. His stick is always cocked and ready to shoot, and he's an imposing net-front presence on the PP. Mateiko moves quite well, with a long, powerful stride, and can flat-out fly in a straight-line, in open ice. He further propels himself forward by keeping his legs pumping hard. In the on-ice testing leading up to the CHL Top Prospects Game, he tested quite well according to reports, and even finished 4th overall in the 30M Forward Skate With Puck. He plays a physical brand of hockey, and hits hard, but also has no problem absorbing a hit to make a play. He will battle in the trenches to win pucks, and will go to the net to set up a screen- he's a menace in the crease. Mateiko is not much of a playmaker, but can complete passes of a more difficult variety from time-to-time, with accuracy, even in full stride.

Mateiko is a character player, and he leads by example with a high-energy approach to the game, and a solid work-ethic. He's a disruptive force on the backcheck, with a fantastic reach to disrupt plays, and dislodge pucks- he's very reliable defensively. He always seems to be on the right side of the puck, with sound positioning, and excellent anticipation in closing lanes, and blocking shots. He supports his D down low with physicality, and is trusted with penalty-killing duties. In transition, one could say that Mateiko doesn't contribute much, as he defers to others to do the carrying- but he will engage with give-and-go's in the neutral zone to keep opposing defenses on their toes. He needs to work on his puck-skills and passing game, but could be an excellent depth player in the NHL, with the potential for much more. I like this kid a lot more than Adam Jecho, who I think will be selected in the second round, so I will say that Mateiko will go late second, early third. He reminds me a little of a poor-man's Jesse Puljujarvi, in a good way.