Think this is finally, actually, probably the last Upside post in this thread lol
- some of the undrafted gems remaining, where we had 'em ranked...
https://twitter.com/user/status/1676408299078701057
Couple of Sandman profiles of these lads:
87.
Samuel Urban, 18 yo, 6'1",183lbs, catches left. He was impressive in the U-18's for Slovakia, with a 3.74 GAA, and a .908%. He got 4 games with Sioux City of the USHL (2.80 GAA, .918%), 3 games in Slovakia's U20 league (2.02 GAA, .935%), and 14 games in Slovakia's Second-tier league (4.51 GAA, .897%). Seems to play a polished technical game, with good mobility, a tight post game, and excellent up-and-down movement. Scouts say he needs work, as things start falling apart when games get harder, and when he plays better competition, but his stats look ok to me. He looks to be a true butterfly goalie who falls back on his technique, and doesn't improvise much at this stage. 5th/6th round.
88.
"D Mazden Leslie was given a "C" rating earlier this year by Central Scouting, meaning they feel he will picked in the 4th-6th rounds of the Draft. How can a D who put up 50 points in 66 games for a team (Vancouver Giants) that had the second-worst goals-for, and finished 16th overall in the WHL, be given such a mediocre rating? While Leslie has size (6'1") and obviously has offensive chops, he has trouble in other parts of his game that make scouts doubt if he will ever make the NHL. First off, his skating and stickhandling are average- he has an ok short-burst, but his acceleration and top-speed are questionable. Loses power in turns. At the beginning of the year, he didn't have much defense in his game to speak of, but in reading interviews with him and his coach, some credit must be given, as Leslie openly acknowleges this fact, and has steadily improved this part of his game throughout the year. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the coach was giving him more favorable reviews. It seems that Leslie has problems with his decision-making, and problem solving- I've read that he makes mistakes when his first option doesn't turn out, and coughs up pucks when his second option fails. He is able to stifle rushes coming back, right when they start in the offensive zone, and he's reportedly good aginst the rush in the neutral zone as well, but he still makes questionable choices, and can pinch at ill-advised times. He has become far better in his positioning, and in using his stick to break up plays, but his own-zone play is a work in progress. The good part is that Leslie is most comfortable with the puck on his stick, and carries with confidence, and can do both in transition. 64 PIM is an indication of a chip on his shoulder. His passes are hard, crisp, and accurate, and he makes clean breakouts. In the attacking zone, he has an eye for offense, and has a strong shot that he gets through traffic to create offense off of tips and rebounds, and to make goalies work. Runs the PP point well, and he has no problem pinching to become another forward. A few years back, we took a chance on a raw D Jeremie Poirier, who is now paying dividends, and this kid might have a chance to do that for a team that takes a chance on him. I do believe, however, that he'll go in the third round, because as I said above- 50 points on a poor offensive team, and the next two D-men behind him in scoring on the team had 27, and 15 points respectively- so he didn't have all the help in the world."
