Ranked #147 by Hockeyprospect.com
Ranked #61 by ISS Hockey
Ranked #112 by Future Considerations
Ranked #119 by McKeen's Hockey
Ranked #61 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
- See more at: http://www.eliteprospects.com/player....ZF1qkhsq.dpuf
6'4'' 201lbs
committed to UND
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Not many players possess his rare combination of size, scoring ability, and two-way game. While he’s still very raw and can be considered a bit of a project, the potential payoff for a team taking a chance on him outside of the first round is a complete and physically imposing top six centre, a rare commodity in today’s NHL.
Finding a big body that can play up the middle is one of the most valuable and one of the hardest things to find in the modern NHL. Even if Mattson isn't necessarily there yet, he certainly has that potential, and if it pays off, there could be a huge reward for the team that drafts him.
-Lots of tools
Taken individually, there are a lot of things Mattson does well. He's a nice skater for his size, he can handle the puck a little bit and is a nice passer. It hasn't added up to much yet, but if he figures out a way to put it all together, he could be a really dangerous player.
What I Don't Like:
-Terrible production
Mattson played in 31 USHL games this year and finished with a 3-0-3 scoring line. Three points in 31 junior games would be a red flag for a defenseman, let alone a forward. It is really, really difficult to play that many games and not pick up even a single assist just by accident. Players develop at different rates and bigger players like Mattson generally take longer to develop, so it's not a death sentence, but his struggles to adjust to a higher level of play have to be very concerning for NHL teams.
-Soft play
A big reason for Mattson's lack of production is that he's fairly passive as a player. He's the type of player that prefers to let the game come to him rather than asserting himself into the action, As a result, he can disappear for long stretches of time, even at the high school level where one would expect an NHL prospect to be dominant. It was debatable if he was even the best player on his high school team many times this year.
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Pro Projection:
Mattson is boom-or-bust as a prospect. If he hits his ceiling, he could be an effective two-way center in the mold of a Brian Boyle. But he still has a very, very long ways to go to reach that potential, and early returns don't suggest a high likelihood of reaching it. But Mattson will play junior hockey again next season, and potentially a year after that before having up to four years at the University of North Dakota. The team that drafts him can afford to be patient and hope that the light goes on for Mattson eventually.
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With the 126th OA pick Flames select C Mitchell Mattson
