[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Mr. Mrs Edition):

C/LW Tomas Mrsic was given a "C" rating by Central Scouting at the beginning of the year, meaning that they saw him at the time to be a likely 4th, or 5th round pick; however, they probably didn't foresee him putting up the kind of offense he has shown for Medicine Hat of the WHL, with 23 goals and 61 points in 61 games. The way I see it, Mrsic's numbers have been pumped up a little by two factors: first of all, the absence of Cayden Lindstrom due to injury since mid-December has most likely given him more ice-time and responsibility (35 points in 29 games since the start of 2024)- and second, the fact that coach Willie Desjardins likes to deploy 5 forwards on the PP, which ranks second-best in the league, at 29.2%. Out of Mrsic's 61 points, 29 have come via the powerplay, which usually features Mrsic, Lindstrom, McKenna, Basha, and Weisblatt. Mrsic, who is actually a Canadian from Surrey, BC with Croatian decent, was selected 8th overall by the Tigers in the 2021 WHL Draft.

Mrsic was tasked over the the summer by coach Willie to get faster and stronger, as well as improve his shot, and give the kid credit- he went to work in the gym and on the ice, and shot 300-400 pucks every day. The results are noticeable- he looks much bigger (and has grown a few inches, now measuring 6'0",170lbs) and much faster on the ice, and his shot looks better. He still isn't an elite skater, but he moves very well with good acceleration and a little explosiveness, and strong edges to make tight turns, and move quick laterally. He's always had a hard and heavy selection of shots, and a variety of quick releases, with a cannon of a one-timer that has earned him a spot on the left wall on the PP. He can score from in-tight, or from a distance, with the pinpoint accuracy to pick corners in full flight, and the moves to beat goalies 1-on-1. He is able to snipe or finish, and has uncanny hand-eye co-ordination to knock down passes, or tip shots. In past seasons, in lower levels, Mrsic has looked like he leaned heavily towards scoring goals, but he seems to be comfortable playing the role of skilled playmaker these days, and has the vision and anticipation to read gaps in coverage, with the passing skill to capitalize. He can thread the needle through traffic, over sticks, between legs, and through triangles.

Mrsic handles the puck well, even in tight spaces, and he can roll off of checks, or outwit opponents with his small-area game. He does a good job of drawing defenders towards him, thereby opening space for himself and teamamtes to operate in, or pass through. His puck-control and protection skills are a plus, and it's difficult to strip the puck from him. Mrsic is good at capitalizing on opponents' mistakes, turning them into offensive opportunities- he pounces on turnovers, and picks off passes well. He plays with good energy, and a high pace, and will fight in the trenches for pucks. Despite being 10th in goals-against, all of the personnel on the Tigers have bought in to Coach Desjardins' defensive scheme, and Mrsic is no different- he hounds puck-carriers, forces mistakes, pounces on loose pucks, breaks up plays, and helps turn the tide to offense. He uses an active stick to execute clever poke-checks, and block lanes. He is also trusted with penalty-killing duties. I wouldn't say Mrsic is elite in any way, but is fairly good in many areas, however- his dependency on the powerplay might be a bit of an issue for scouts. Still, I don't think it will keep him from being picked past the 4th round in this year's draft.