[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Swedish Edition, Vol. 8):

LD Sascha Boumedienne (6'2",175lbs)
Boston U (NCAA): 25gp/ 0g/ 6a/ 6pts, +4, 29 PIM

When I watched D Sascha Boumedienne in last summer's Hlinka-Gretzky Cup (0 points in 5 games), I didn't come away with the impression that he would be worthy of being ranked #18 (EU Skaters) by Central Scouting, or #24 by Bob McKenzie at the mid-point of the current season. What I saw was a very low-event, meat-and-potatoes, defensive blueliner with no real dynamic skill who sometimes faded into the background, despite placing 3rd in the USHL in 2023-24 for U-18 D in points (27 in 49), with a ppg (0.55) behind only Logan Hensler (0.59), and Cole Hutson (0.63). This season, Boumedienne is the youngest player in the NCAA, playing over 20 minutes a night for one of the best programs in the circuit, in the 8th-ranked Boston University Terriers. He has yet to show off his offensive side in the form of assists and points (he gets no PP time) but he looks like he has fit in quite well playing against men. I get it now.

Boumedienne is a pure playmaker and gifted passer, and despite his poor production, he is described as having the upside of an offensive defenseman. He possesses high IQ and awareness in reading his opponents, and his passes are often crisp and accurate, right to his teammate's wheelhouse for them to skate into. Unfortunately, his skating is average at best right now, but fluid and projectable. His edges and agility are also a bit deficient, and some say his backwards skating needs work, as well as his balance. His straight-line speed is augmented somewhat by his high workrate, motor, and energy. Boumedienne is showing to be a solid defensive player, albeit not mistake-free, and even against men he is proving himself to be a calming, reliable presence on the backend. He protects his net well, blocks shots and slot-passes, and applies smothering gap control and an active stick to oncoming rushers to angle them to the outside. He is impactful against the rush, disruptive against the cycle by clogging lanes and employing smart positioning, and can play the PK. In transition, he exhibits smarts and good habits in finding the right lanes to rush the puck, but he covers more ground in a shorter amount of time with his pristine passing. Boumedienne will join the rush, and when his team is installed in the zone, he will activate into the play- sometimes all the way down to behind the net. He quaterbacks the play from the blueline quite seamlessly, and will pinch in to keep pucks alive, thereby extending offensive zone time.

Boumedienne has started to show solid ability on retrievals by shaking off pressure, as he is now scanning adequately to make safe, simple breakouts. This wasn't the case earlier this season, but to his credit, he has improved on many fronts throughout his freshman season. He is also really starting to show his value with his puck-moving capability, and makes a high number of intelligent feeds that put his team in advantageous positions. He owns a good shot on a quick release, and a bomb from the point, but he leans heavily towards making plays with passes- he should shoot more, though. Though his puck-control has, at times, looked sloppy under pressure, he can deke and dangle around opponents on occasion. Unfortunately, despite owning a decent frame, he is not very physical. Boumedienne is all projection and potential right now, and I think it's impossible to say what this kid is, until he gets stronger, fixes his mobility, and adapts better to the speed and pace of the NCAA. Look for him in the second round of this summer's draft.