Editor’s Note: With the Sabres recent congested schedule, we had held off on publishing this latest Mock Draft.
DBTB –
We haven’t discussed this year’s Draft lately, given the Sabres successes, the NFL playoffs, and the holidays! But we’re back, and what better way to come back than to tie it into the recent announcement of Buffalo as a host of the 2026 NHL Draft. I will, at this point, be attending with a couple of my kids. We’ll see if real-life doesn’t get in the way. But while we’ve been away, things have begun to change as far as this Draft Class. And that change starts right at the top! But this is beginning to become a defenseman draft first and foremost and the Sabres already are well-stocked on the blueline. So hopefully a couple quality forwards will fall to them. Before we get into that, we had the 50th anniversary of the World Juniors over the holidays, so let’s jump into that to see how that impacted the Board.
As I’m sure some of you already know, the Swedes defeated the Czechs in the World Junior gold medal game. The US lost in overtime to the Finns, while the Canadians were shocked by a gritty, resilient Czech team. Well, maybe not shocked, as they’ve now lost to the Czechs in 3 straight years. Our neighbors to the North did win Bronze against the Finns, however, so it was not a complete loss for them. The big news that came out of the tournament, as far as draft nerds like me are concerned, is the potential passing of the torch as far as the #1 overall selection in this Draft.
For all of 2025, Gavin McKenna was seen as a sure thing, a Patrick Kane-type dominant offensive wing. While McKenna did have a solid, even very good, tournament, Swedish wing Ivar Stenberg may have passed him in the pecking order…and if not, at least created enough doubt that one of a handful of players might wind up being the #1 overall. Stenberg, slightly bigger than McKenna, progressively improved over the course of the tournament, and iced the gold medal game for the Swedes while putting up 3P in the final. His defense and high pace of play in all 3 zones made him extremely noticeable, and the higher the stakes, the better he played. McKenna put up more points for the entire tournament, but he had a 4P game after the Czechs knocked out the Canadians – while he only managed a secondary assist in the semi-final game, when they lost. His defensive commitment and engagement throughout the tournament seemed to fluctuate far too much. So the question has become, is an elite-level Power Play weapon who struggles defensively and has inconsistent intensity level during 5v5 play, as valuable as a player who has a more complete game but whose offensive creativity doesn’t reach quite the same ceiling? Right now, I’d be inclined to say No. But I don’t think it’s just between Stenberg and McKenna.
Players like big Keaton Verhoeff could be the top choice as a right-shot defender who can skate, can rip the puck and has great size. Or Albert Smits, another big right-shot blueliner who dazzled for the Latvians during the World Juniors. One thing I know, it will be interesting to follow!
This year’s World Juniors had pretty strong representation from the current Draft class, something that you don’t always see. Not just the guys I mentioned – McKenna and Verhoeff for Canada, Smiths for Latvia, and Stenberg for Sweden – but players like Swedish mighty-mite Viggo Bjorck and Slovakian power-wing Adam Novotny made a splash, along with Finns like big two-way center Oliver Suvanto (more on him later!), American offensive D-Man Chase Reid, and surprise Canadian addition Carson Carels to their back-end. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise was the play of Slovakian centerman Tomas Chrenko, who may have locked himself into a 1st round selection with his play. For a while, he led the tournament in scoring and looked good doing it: quick, electric puck handler and finisher despite being only average (5’11) size. He led the Slovaks in scoring with 8P in 5 games, winding up 5th in the tournament in points-per-game. Other players who are more likely to be chosen in the 2nd round flashed some high-end talent as well. Names like Lars Steiner for Switzerland, Oliver Murnieks of Latvia, and Adam Nemec for the Slovaks are ones to remember as we get closer to the end of the season.
Before the World Juniors, the lesser-known World Junior A Challenge took place in Three Rivers in Quebec. Now, for those wondering what that is, the WJAC is a U-19 tournament that highlights players who typically play in Tier II leagues like the CCHL, AJHL, BCHL, NAHL and others. It features two teams from Canada (East and West), the USA squad, and Sweden (it used to be Russia, but that’s obviously been scrapped in recent years). Normally, there are a handful of players from this event who wind up getting selected, usually in the middle rounds, and sometimes they make the League. But this year, for some reason, a number of USHL players joined the group. And we saw several players who could be 1st rounders in this year’s Draft. The US team won gold, while the Swedes managed bronze with Canada West winning the silver.
US wing Evan Jardine, who I have as a 3rd rounder right now, led the tournament in scoring. Dynamic scoring center Alex Command of Sweden wowed with 5P in 5 games, while his teammates Marcus Nordmark and Axel Olofsson also put up solid numbers. Blake Zielinski led the way for the US after Jardine, while Peter Legostaev showed some finishing and some physical play during his time playing for Canada East. In net, 6’6 tendy Viggo Tamm impressed with a .910 SV% as he helped backstop the Swedes to a medal.
Well, you might ask, how did our Sabres prospects fare at the World Juniors? Excellent question. Given they had 3 players on Team USA, and they didn’t medal, you would probably say ‘not so good.’ But Radim Mrtka showed well in winning a medal for the Czechs. Playing on their 2nd pair with PP wizard Tomas Galvas (over-ager), Mrtka played some meaningful minutes on the PK and at even strength, finishing 3rd on the silver medalists despite not playing in the first couple games with an illness. On the US side, wing Brodie Ziemer finished 2nd on the team in scoring while setting up some clutch goals for the USA in the preliminaries. Playing on the top pair, towering blueliner Adam Kleber received the most ice-time and played tons on the PK. He also managed to have the highest +/- rating among American defenders, and second-most among all skaters. Not too shabby. Luke Osburn played on the 2nd pair, although he finished 2nd to Kleber in ice-time while getting minutes on both special teams. So a pretty solid performance from the Sabres prospects during the WJC. Imagine if Konsta Helenius had played for a Finnish team that just missed a medal?
Outside of Minneapolis, some surprises among the Sabres’ prospect pool have made a splash since we last posted. Defender Noah Laberge, playing for one of the Quebec league’s newest teams the Newfoundland Regiment, has erupted over the past couple of months, and is now approaching a point-per-game from the back-end. The swift skating, left-shot creator might have grown up to 6’2, but continues to drive offense from the blueline with 33P in 38 games while playing top pair minutes. He’s already matched last year’s numbers in 25 fewer games.
In Chicago, slick forward Ashton Schultz has gotten hot, another player nearing a PPG with 19P in 23 games for the Steel. He’s 2nd on the club in points-per-game, playing mostly on the wing. On pace to finish well ahead of last season’s numbers, this kid can play in all situations and has some Zach Benson in his game when it comes to recovering pucks. Lastly, in net, Belorussian netminder Yevgeni Prokhorov has been out of this world in the MHL with a Hasek-esque .939 SV% and 1.93 GAA. He’s been so good, in fact, that his parent team, Dinamo Minsk, called him up to the KHL recently. A 7th round choice, Prokhorov looks like a steal right now and another addition to Buffalo’s stable of prospect goaltenders.
Let’s get to it, folks! Hope you enjoy. I used Tankathon to run the Lotto.
ROUND ONE:
1#1: UTAH: Ivar Stenberg, 6’0 W, SWE
1#2: WINNIPEG: Gavin McKenna, 6’0 C/LW, NCAA
1#3: VANCOUVER: Alberts Smits, 6’3 LHD, FIN
1#4: CHICAGO: Caleb Malhotra, 6’0 C, OHL
1#5: ST LOUIS: Keaton Verhoeff, 6’5 RHD, NCAA
1#6: CALGARY: Ty Lawrence, 6’0 C, NCAA
1#7: NY RANGERS: Daxon Rudolph, 6’1 RHD, WHL
1#8: COLUMBUS: Ethan Belchetz, 6’5 LW, OHL
1#9: NASHVILLE: Chase Reid, 6’2 RHD, OHL
1#10: LA KINGS: Adam Novotny, 6’1 W, OHL
1#11: BOSTON: Carson Carels, 6’1 LHD, WHL
1#12: NEW JERSEY: Ilia Morozov, 6’3 RW, NCAA
1#13: BOSTON (TORONTO): JP Hurlbert, 6’0 W, WHL
1#14: OTTAWA: FORFEITED
1#15: WASHINGTON: Malte Gustafsson, 6’4 LHD, SWE
1#16: PITTSBURGH: Ryan Lin, 5’11 RHD, WHL
1#17: SEATTLE: Marcus Nordmark, 6’1 RW, SWE
1#18: SAN JOSE: Xavier Villaneueve, 5’11 LHD, QMJHL
1#19: SAN JOSE (EDMONTON): Viggo Bjorck, 5’10 C/W, SWE
1#20: ANAHEIM: Yegor Shilov, 6’1 C, QMJHL
1#21: CHICAGO (FLORIDA): Juho Piiparainen, 6’3 RHD, FIN
1#22: NY ISLANDERS: Viktor Fyodorov, 6’0 C, RUS
1#23: BUFFALO: Oliver Suvanto, 6’3 C/W, FIN
1#24: PHILADELPHIA: Ryan Roobroeck, 6’4 C, OHL
1#25: DETROIT: Tomas Chrenko, 5’11 C, SVK
1#26: MONTREAL: Jack Hextall, 6’0 C, USHL
1#27: VANCOUVER (MINNESOTA): Elton Hermansson, 6’1 W, SWE
1#28: NY RANGERS (DALLAS): Brooks Rogowski, 6’6 C/W, OHL
1#29: CALGARY (VEGAS): Will Hakansson, 6’4 LHD, SWE
1#30: CAROLINA: Mathis Preston, 5’11 LW, WHL
1#31: SEATTLE (TAMPA BAY): Luke Schairer, 6’2 RHD, US NTDP
1#32: NY ISLANDERS (COLORADO): Axel Elofsson, 5’11 RHD, SWE
ROUND TWO:
2#1: PITTSBURGH (WINNIPEG): Nikita Klepov, 6’0 W, OHL
2#2: VANCOUVER: Oscar Hemming, 6’4 LW, NCAA
2#3: CHICAGO: Adam Valentini, 5’11 W, NCAA
2#4: PITTSBURGH (ST LOUIS): Lavr Gashilov, 6’2 C, RUS
2#5: CALGARY: Blake Zielinski, 6’1 C, USHL
2#6: UTAH: Giorgos Pantelas, 6’2 RHD, WHL
2#7: NASHVILLE (NY RANGERS): Beckham Edwards, 6’1 C, OHL
2#8: MONTREAL (COLUMBUS): Niklas Aram-Olsen, 6’0 W, SWE
2#9: NASHVILLE: Simas Ignatavicius, 6’4 C/W, SWISS
2#10: LA KINGS: Alex Command, 6’1 C, SWE
2#11: BOSTON: Landon Nycz, 6’2 LHD, NCAA
2#12: NEW JERSEY: Noah Kosick, 5’11 C, WHL
2#13: CHICAGO (TORONTO): Pierce Mbuyi, 5’11 LW, OHL
2#14: UTAH (OTTAWA): Gleb Pugachyov, 6’3 LW, RUS
2#15: FLORIDA (WASHINGTON): Oleg Kulebyakin, 5’11 LW, QMJHL
2#16: PITTSBURGH: Adam Goljer, 6’3 RHD, SVK
2#17: SEATTLE: Maddox Dagenais, 6’4 C, QMJHL
2#18: SAN JOSE: Sean Burick, 6’7 RHD, BCHL
2#19: EDMONTON: Nikita Ovcharov, 6’2 RW, RUS
2#20: ANAHEIM: Samu Alalauri, 6’2 RHD, FIN
2#21: FLORIDA: Vlad Dravecky, 6’1 RHD, OHL
2#22: CHICAGO (NY ISLANDERS): Nikita Shcherbakov 6’5 LHD, RUS
2#23: OTTAWA (BUFFALO): Vilho Vanhatalo, 6’3 W, FIN
2#24: PHILADELPHIA: Cooper Williams, 6’0 W, WHL
2#25: DETROIT: Marcus Ruck, 6’0 C, WHL
2#26: MONTREAL: Verrti Svensk, 6’1 LHD, FIN
2#27: NASHVILLE (MINNESOTA): Lars Steiner, 5’10 RW, QMJHL
2#28: DALLAS: Thomas Vandenberg, 5’11 C, OHL
2#29: VEGAS: Olivers Murnieks, 6’1 C, QMJHL
2#30: NY RANGERS (CAROLINA): Filip Novak, 6’1 RW, CZE
2#31: TAMPA BAY: Braidy Wassilyn, 5’11 C, OHL
2#32: SAN JOSE (COLORADO): Rudolf Berzkalns, 6’4 LW, USHL
ROUND THREE:
3#1: WINNIPEG: Alex Di Iorio, 6’1 C, OHL
3#2: CALGARY (VANCOUVER): Jaxon Cover, 6’2 LW, OHL
3#3: CHICAGO: Ola Palme, 6’1 LHD, SWE
3#4: ST LOUIS: Wyatt Cullen, 6’0 C/LW, US NTDP
3#5: CALGARY: Ben Cossette-Ayotte, 6’1 RHD, QMJHL
3#6: UTAH: Liam Ruck, 5’11 W, WHL
3#7: NY RANGERS: Casey Mutryn, 6’2 C, US NTDP
3#8: COLUMBUS: Slava Fedoseyev, 6’1 RHD, RUS
3#9: NASHVILLE: Max Sokolovsky, 6’8 LHD, OHL
3#10: LA KINGS: Brady Knowling, 6’5 G, US NTDP
3#11: BOSTON: Simon Katolicky, 6’4 W, FIN
3#12: NEW JERSEY: Jakub Vanacek, 6’2 LHD, WHL
3#13: TORONTO: Adam Nemec, 6’1 W, SVK
3#14: OTTAWA: Oscar Holmertz, 6’0 C, SWE
3#15: WASHINGTON: Dimitri Borichev, 6’3 G, RUS
3#16: PITTSBURGH: Riley Boychuk, 5’10 W, WHL
3#17: DALLAS (SEATTLE): Mike Berchild, 5’9 W, US NTDP
3#18: PITTSBURGH (SAN JOSE): Cole Zurawski, 6’0 RW, OHL
3#19: EDMONTON: Colin Fitzgerald, 6’2 C, OHL
3#20: ANAHEIM: Joe Iginla, 5’10 W, WHL
3#21: OTTAWA (FLORIDA): Lincoln Kuehne, 6’2 RHD, NCAA
3#22: NY ISLANDERS: Cam Chartrand, 6’1 RHD, QMJHL
3#23: BUFFALO: Jonas Lagerberg-Hoen, 6’2 RW, SWE
3#24: PHILADELPHIA: Tobias Trebjal, 6’4 G, USHL
3#25: DETROIT: Brayden Klimpke, 6’0 LHD, WHL
3#26: MONTREAL: Will Yared, 6’2 C/RW, QMJHL
3#27: MINNESOTA: Evan Jardine, 6’0 W, USHL
3#28: LA KINGS (DALLAS): Pavel Denisov, 6’1 LHD, RUS
3#29: VEGAS: Caelen Joudrey, 6’4 W, WHL
3#30: UTAH (CAROLINA): Callum Croskery, 6’0 LHD, USHL
3#31: TAMPA BAY: Alexei Vlasov, 5’9 W, QMJHL
3#32: COLUMBUS (COLORADO): Jakub Frolo, 6’1 RW, CZE
ROUND FOUR:
4#1: NEW JERSEY (WINNIPEG): Jacob Xu, 6’2 LHD, OHL
4#2: VANCOUVER: Charlie Morrison, 6’3 LHD, QMJHL
4#3: FLORIDA (CHICAGO): Tobias Tomik, 6’1 C/W, WHL
4#4: ST LOUIS: Max Isaksson, 6’0 C, SWE
4#5: CALGARY: Harrison Boettinger, 6’2 G, WHL
4#6: UTAH: Samuel Hrenak, 6’4 G, SVK
4#7: COLUMBUS (NY RANGERS): Theodore Knights, 6’4 LHD, SWE
4#8: DETROIT (COLUMBUS): Axel Brongel-Larsson, 6’1 LHD, SWE
4#9: NASHVILLE: Chase Herrington, 6’0 LW, WHL
4#10: LA KINGS: Victor Plante, 5’9 W, US NTDP
4#11: BOSTON: Landon Amrheim, 6’5 RW, WHL
4#12: NEW JERSEY: Jordan Duguay, 5’11 RW, WHL
4#13: COLUMBUS (TORONTO): JC Lemieux, 6’0 C, OHL
4#14: CHICAGO (OTTAWA): Xavier Wendt, 6’2 G, WHL
4#15: WASHINGTON: Nils Bartholdsson, 5’11 RW, SWE
4#16: NASHVILLE (PITTSBURGH): Frankie Poletin, 6’2 G, FIN
4#17: DALLAS (SEATTLE): Jonas Kemps, 6’6 LHD, USHL
4#18: SAN JOSE: Rian Chudzinski, 6’1 LW, QMJHL
4#19: BUFFALO (EDMONTON): Ryder Cali, 6’2 C, OHL
4#20: SEATTLE (ANAHEIM): Landon Hafele, 6’0 W, USHL
4#21: SAN JOSE (FLORIDA): Eddy Doyle, 6’3 LHD, QMJHL
4#22: NY ISLANDERS: Carter Stevens, 6’1 C, OHL
4#23: BUFFALO: Nick Koering, 6’5 LHD, USHL
4#24: ANAHEIM (PHILADELPHIA): Onni Kalto, 6’2 W, OHL
4#25: ANAHEIM (DETROIT): Slava Matyev, 6’5 LHD, RUS
4#26: MONTREAL: Thomas Rousseau, 5’11 LW, QMJHL
4#27: MINNESOTA: Logan Hawery, 5’10 C/W, OHL
4#28: NEW JERSEY (DALLAS): Zach Jovanowski, 6’2 G, OHL
4#29: WASHINGTON (VEGAS): Ethan MacKenzie, 6’1 LHD, WHL
4#30: COLORADO (CAROLINA): Cruz Pavao, 6’0 W, WHL
4#31: BOSTON (TAMPA BAY): Yegor Rybkin, 6’7 G, RUS
4#32: COLUMBUS (COLORADO): Joe Salandra, 5’10 W, OHL
SABRES’ HAUL:
1#23: BUFFALO: Oliver Suvanto, 6’3 C/W, FIN:
One thing the Sabres do not have in their deep and varied prospect pool is a true power center. A player with size, strength, skill and the ability to play a two-way game. Anton Wahlberg is probably the closest thing they have, and he’s more a wing with a bit more finesse in his game than I’m looking for. Welcome Oliver Suvanto. That’s right, Jarmo’s first choice as Sabres’ GM is a Finn! How fitting.
Suvanto is a kid who can already hang physically with adults (6’3, 210#) but remains a work in progress given his youth. Despite that youth – and he’s one of the youngest players in this Draft class, with a birthday just two weeks from the cut-off for next year’s Draft – he regularly acquits himself well against men, and can dominate against his peers with a very mature game. Suvanto already does a lot of things that you hope prospects can learn over time, he does them well, and he does them against professionals.
First off, and perhaps most surprising, is his ability to defend at a high level at the center position against adults. Suvanto has played the overwhelming majority of this season in Liiga, the Finnish Senior Men’s League, and has gotten regular shifts down the middle. Defensively, he excels. Gets around the ice very well, is highly mobile for his size and his lateral movement is excellent. Moves with purpose. Pair that with some high-level anticipation, and Suvanto is a guy who can gap-up on the other team’s best forward when necessary or play in space. An active stick consistently disrupts passing lanes, deflects shots, and forces opponents to focus more on protecting the puck than making plays.
Suvanto uses his size and strength to bang players down low, lean on guys during wall battles and tie up sticks and hands of players in the slot or around the crease. In the NZ, he’s just as much of a problem. Great reads in open ice. Steals pucks, intercepts passes, and makes himself a nuisance for teams trying to get through the zone clean. A bear in the dot. Understands how to win a face-off against a veteran center, uses his body and power to shield pucks and win battles in the corners, behind the net, or in the face-off circle. But Suvanto isn’t all defense.
Doesn’t have elite skill, but he is a crafty operator in front of the net and coming out of the corners off the cycle. A dangerous pass-shoot threat, he won’t dazzle you with stickhandling or no-look passes. Instead, like all parts of his game, he takes the direct route. Has a short, quick release. Fires pucks at the net, follows his shot to the goalie, but can make slick backhand passes in tight as well. Has the hands to menace goalies by anchoring at the top of the crease and deflecting or tipping shots as well as jumping on rebounds. Owns the ability to play on the perimeter but chooses to go into the corners and net front instead.
Not great in transition, although he’s smart enough to find open guys while on the move, he could stand to improve his movement while carrying the puck up ice…and his short-area quickness could use some upgrading. This isn’t a player who’s going to go 30-50-80 for you. But he can be a middle-6 player who can shut-down guys on one end, and add 40-50P depending on his linemates. Reminds me at time of a bigger Mikko Koivu in just the way he controls the defensive half of the ice. Has played nearly the entire year in Liiga for Tappara, and has contributed 7P in 30 games. But showed out the Hlinka, where he was Finland’s #2 scorer with 4P in 5 games, and again at the World Juniors, where he scored 2 goals and was named one of Finlan’s Top 3 players in the tournament.
3#23: BUFFALO: Jonas Lagerberg-Hoen, 6’2 RW, SWE:
As we know, the Sabres moved their 2nd round selection to Ottawa in the Dylan Cozens/Josh Norris trade. So now into the 3rd round, the Sabres decide to get a natural goal scorer to add to their mix of prospects. And Hoen is just that. A broad-framed wing who can burn up the ice, he’s a pure shooter of the puck. And his shot is a missile. While he can crank up a big clapper, his most dangerous weapon is his laser of a wrister, which he can get off quickly with a ton of velocity and power. That shot can find the back of the net from distance, even from above the circles. High volume shooter. Has a fearsome one-timer which he normally sets up on the off-wing. Great reflexes and unlike a lot of shooters, can shift his feet slightly to maximize the torque he gets on the shot even if the pass isn’t perfect.
Speaking of his feet, this kid can really get up the ice. His straight-line speed is impressive, and he can blow past defenders in the NZ and come roaring down the slot beaver-tailing it for the puck. Really explosive burst from a dead stop. Unfortunately, his lateral movement and some of his mechanics (kind of skates upright, with shorter, choppier strides) need some work. But he can really go-go-go and can chase down pucks and win races when the need arises. Not huge (6’2 180#) but his wide shoulders suggest he could easily get bigger and stronger with some development, he already plays a fairly heavy game.
Will bang in puck battles and is not afraid to do a little jousting after the whistle on occasion. Tough on the walls, if the puck is there, he’s going after it. And he wins his share. Doesn’t hesitate to lower his shoulder to get to where he wants to be and can leave bodies in his wake as he gets there. Really a dangerous weapon in transition, where his speed and shot combine to make him deadly as a trailer, or leading the rush where he can take the puck all the way to the net. Not a great passer, his vision is limited, which calls into question his on-ice awareness.
Of course, it could be because once the puck comes to him, he isn’t passing it, so he doesn’t have to be aware of where everyone else is. But seeing more of his processing and distribution of the puck would go a long way to moving him up Draft boards. Defensively, he’s a willing defender who will battle for pucks and use that speed and strength to get pucks out of trouble. Also excellent in support. Can struggle to defend in space, however. Gets turned around too easily.
Hoen’s suffered from an injury this year that has limited his games, but when healthy, he’s been super-productive. He’s putting up a goal per-game (9 in 9) and has gone for 16P in 9 games for the U-20 league in Sweden. That 1.78 PPG average is good for 3rd in the entire league, behind two players over a year older than Hoen. So productive, he’s received the call to come up to his SHL club in Leksands, although he only got 3 minutes of TOI during his 2-game call-up. His game reminds me a little of Evander Kane without the punching; a lot of shots, from everywhere, but a big-time shooter with wheels and a physical edge.
4#19: BUFFALO (EDMONTON): Ryder Cali, 6’2 C, OHL:
The Sabres continue to load up on the size/speed combination, as they look across the border to North Bay. Cali is a big, physical player with big time wheels and a motor that never quits. Or even slows down. His game is still developing, but his intensity, urgency and willingness to insert himself into the middle of every play is his signature. Versatile, aggressive, and fast, Cali plays a straight-line game that bottom 6 forwards have to be able to play.
First off, the kid can play down the middle, or on either wing. He’s sound defensively but also can contribute on the offensive end, both scoring the puck and distributing. One thing you can say about Cali’s game is efficiency. Direct routes to the net, to pucks, and to his check are commonplace. He’ll go through you rather than around you. Skating is high-end. He’s not a blazer, but with good acceleration, top speed that comes from explosiveness, smooth lateral movement and transitions, he’s very good and can get better. And his feet are always in motion, which adds to his quickness because he doesn’t need to stop-start very often. Being a prolific shooter is a part of Cali’s simple game; he gets pucks in shooting areas, and he puts those pucks on net. A strong one-timer, a hard, low snapper and wrister he can use even in tight are some of the tools in his tool box. But Cali is not just a shooter. He’s shown some creative puck handling and passing as well, particularly around the net. A clever playmaker in tight quarters. Operates well with the puck behind the net or coming out of the corner where he can find guys back door or go diagonal to the opposite point for an open shot.
Puck possession is the name of the game for him. He plays bigger than he is, which is saying something given he’s already got pretty good size (6’2 210#) and with his pace and strength, he’s tough to take off the puck. Will absolutely control a cycle down low, shrugging off defenders and maintaining puck control for long stretches. It can take 3 defenders to get him off the puck at times. Defensively, he’s very active, using his stick to take away the middle of the ice or jumping on fumbled pucks and just pushing players out of the zone to force regroupings or icings. And he will hit just about anyone or anything that gets in his way. Energy never seems to wane, shift after shift. He needs time to develop, put all the pieces together consistently. But the effort is always there.
Unfortunately, despite a good start, Cali has missed the last couple months with a separated shoulder. That said, before the injury he put up 11P in 16 games on a stacked North Bay team with a half-dozen NHL draft picks in the line-up. He was also one of the youngest players last December at the World Junior A Challenge, where he chipped in 2P in 5 games. Could be a Jordan Martinook-type player when all is said and done, which would be great value in the 4th round.
4#23: BUFFALO: Nick Koering, 6’5 LHD, USHL:
A player that Sabres’ scouts have no doubt seen plenty of while watching surprise sensation Mel Novotny crushing it for Muskegon, Koering is a big, mobile, long-limbed defense-first defender that fits the model of what the Sabres have been drafting on the defensive end for the last few years. Koering’s game is predominantly in his own end. A physical, shut-down blueliner with a bit of a mean streak, he fits that role the Sabres have been looking to fill for some time now. Koering’s skating is solid for a kid his size. Smooth transitions, he gets around pretty well in all four directions.
He’s not fast by any means, and his burst could use some work, but he’s pretty light for a 6’5 player (190#). If he can add some heft, it could help him add explosiveness to his skating game and help him pull away from forecheckers easier. That said, his solid lateral movement, long stick and natural length make him a difficult assignment for most forwards. He closes off passing lanes and blocks a lot of shots simply by reading the play and getting in the way. Not to mention he doesn’t mind putting a shoulder or a forearm into his check to get them off the puck or divert them away from the dangerous areas of the ice. Not a huge hitter by any means, but doesn’t hesitate to body his opposition, especially around the net. And he’ll drop the gloves when it’s called for as well.
Doesn’t often cross the red line, as he likes to start transition with a crisp first pass to exit the zone, but only on rare occasions will he follow the puck into the other end. Has an angry clapper that he will fire from the blue line but has a sneaky-good one-timer that he can use when he drops down to the dot. And he’s shown fleeting glimpses of clever offensive creativity in the O-zone, starting or finishing passing plays that lead to Grade A chances. Notched 4P in 18 games this season thus far. Unfortunately, those are few and far between, but as he grows into his game, there might be more there. Is also a leader, as he was the Captain of his Eden Prairie (old friend Casey Mittelstadt’s alma mater!) team. Will be off to Colorado College next season, where he’ll be installed in the Tigers’ D-corps for the next several seasons. Plenty of time to develop his game, get bigger, and hopefully become a strong prospect before he turns professional.
5#23: BUFFALO: Vladimir Shtyrkhunov, 6’1 LHD, RUS:
Jarmo is known from his previous tenure in Columbus for reaching into the Russian hockey ranks to find gems in the middle-to-late rounds (Vlad Gavrikov, Kirill Marchenko, Dimitri Voronkov, etc). Here he takes a shot at another potential diamond-in-the-rough. This kid is a dynamic creator from the back-end, a silky smooth skater who can drive offense in all three zones with his feet and his head. Has a great feel for spacing. Identifies where the most room is and takes a direct route to get to that opening. From there, he locates teammates and puts pressure on the D by instantly becoming a threat with the puck. This opens up passing or shooting lanes, which he takes advantage of to create high-danger chances. The first thing you notice when you see him play is his skating.
He’s a graceful operator, with high-end lateral movement and edgework. Weaves through the NZ, leaving defenders in the dust as he wheels from into the O-zone. Can dance around checks, with or without the puck, and get inside larger defenders with ease. He’s not super-explosive, but his skating isn’t that different from someone like Dahlin. Effortless, nimble, elusive but has another gear when he needs it. He’s fearless as well. Will take on a 1-on-2 and win purely due to his edges and belief. Very attack-focused. Superb facilitator.
Sees the ice really well, using that sense of spacing to draw defenders to him before sending a hard pass on the tape to an open teammate. Instincts help him to see one step ahead of the play, and make adjustments on the fly. Likes to handle the puck, sometimes to his detriment . Could be even more dangerous if he focused more on stretch passes and longer passes to speed up transition. Defensively, he’s competent. Flies around intercepting passes and disturbing rushes, but needs to get a little more mature in how he defends in his own end, particularly down low. Doesn’t get caught puck watching too often but can overcommit when pursuing the puck and find himself out of position.
The top draft-eligible in Russian juniors (the MHL) as far as defenseman scoring, and playing on the top pair for Krasnaya Armiya, one of the top teams in the league with several NHL draft picks on the roster. Putting up 19P in 34 games, he’s dazzled and will only get better. A worthy flier on what could be a real find in the later rounds.