2021 Elite Prospects NHL Draft Guide Preview

I nt r oduct i on Ther ei s n’ tamor echal l engi ngj obi nal lofs por tt hant hatoft heamat eurs cout , and t hat ’ sl ongbeent hecas eunderor di nar yci r cums t ances .

I nayeart hat ’ spl acedof t en i ns ur mount abl ebar r i er st ot r avel , andgat her i ngsi nt hewayhockey’ si nt r epi damat eur t al enteval uat or s , i t ’ sneverbeenmor et r ue.

Theongoi ngCOVI D1 9pandemi chast akens omuchf r om s omanyofus .

Thought he hockeywor l dt r i edt ocar r yonunabat ed, i thar dl ypr ovedanoas i sf r om t hehar ds hi ps oft hi scr i s i s .

I nmanyways , i tr eflect edt hedi f ficul t i est hats oci et yatl ar gehas s uf f er edf ort hel as tyear pl us .

Regi onals cout shaveneverbef or eoper at edi ns uchar i gi d, l i t er alf as hi on, and cr os s overs cout i ngbecameal uxur yal mos texcl us i vel yaf f or dedbyt heU1 8Wor l d HockeyChampi ons hi pi nFr i s coandPl ano, Texas .

Somel eaguesnevergotof ft hegr ound.

Ot her sbar el ypl ayedatal l .

Ther ewer e mi ds eas ons t oppagesel s ewher e.

Themi gr at i onofhockeyr ef ugeesacr os st heAt l ant i c s entmanypl ayer st ounus uals et t i ngs , andt hei ri nvol vementwass ucht hatt hos e l eaguesbar el ys eemedr ecogni zabl eatpoi nt s .

I t ’ sbeenas t r angeyear , andi t ’ sgoi ngt obeoneofi fnott hes i ngl emos ts t r angedr af t we’ veevercover ed.

Comp m oundi ngmat t er si st hei nes capabl er eal i t yt hatt hi syear ’ scol l ect i onoft al ent maybet hel eas texci t i ngt owal kt he( vi r t ual )s t agei nr ecentmemor y.

Cer t ai nl y, one hast ogoal lt hewaybackt o201 3, att hever yl eas t , f oral i keas s embl ageofs kat er s ; event hats eemsabi tr i chcons i der i ngs omeoft het opof t hel i neupt al ent swhol ed t hatcl as s .

Scout i ngf ort heNHLDr af tt hi ss eas onhasbeent hechal l engeofal i f et i me, andi t ’ sone t hatwecoul dn’ thavef acedwi t houtt hehel pofourpar t ner satI nSt atHockey.

They’ ve r el i abl yof f er edusunt ol dacces st ogamet apef r om ever ycor neroft hehockeywor l d wi t hdat at omat ch, t oo.

Fort hat , wear eet er nal l ygr at ef ul .

Wecan’ twai tt ot akeupourper chi never ycor neroft hehockeywor l d, butf ornow, t hi swi l ldoj us tfine.

I t ’ soneoft hemanychal l engesoft hi suni ques eas on, butonewe t ookt owi t hagr eatdealofent hus i as m.

Wher ewel os ts omeoft hedet ai landcl ar i t y t hatal i ves et t i ngaf f or dedusi nyear spas t , ours cout scamet oappr eci at et headded ef fici encyoffil ms cout i ngwi t hs hi f ti s ol at i ont apet hi ss eas on.

Ther ewass omegi ve andt akeher e, t obes ur e.

W heni twasal ls ai danddone, we’ dwat chedt hous andsofhour soft ape, fil ed hundr edsofgamer epor t s , cons ul t edwi t hdoz ensofi ndus t r ys our ces , ands ynt hes i z ed al loft hos ei nput st of or m a2021NHLEnt r yDr af tGui dewi t h1 00r ankedpr os pect sand mor et han1 50pr ofil est ot al .

WhatWe ’ r eLooki ngForI nAPr ospsect Hockeyi sas t r ongl i nkgame.

I t ' st hel eague' ss t ar st hatf or mt hes hapeoft heSt anl ey CupPl ayof f s , nott hedept hpi eces .

We' r et r yi ngt ounear t hands or tt hepl ayer smos tl i kel yt odevel opi nt ot hos et opoft he l i neupt al ent s-t heonest hatSt anl eyCupcont ender sar ebui l tar ound.

Thatmeans pr i or i t i zi ngups i dewhendet er mi ni ngpl ayerval ues .

I fwemi s sonaf ew dept hpi ecesher eort her ei nt hepur s ui tofi mpactpl ayer s , t hat ’ sa t r adeof fwe’ r epr epar edt omake.

Ul t i mat el y, wehopet hatourr anki ngwi l lal i gnwi t h t heWAR( Wi nsAboveRepl acement )l eader boar datt het opmor ecl os el yt hani tdoes t hegamespl ayedl eader boar d.

I nt hepur s ui toft hos et ypesofpl ayer s , weus eat ool sgr ades ys t em andFut ur eVal ue t ohel pusdet er mi neone’ spr ofici encyi ns ever alcr i t i calar easoft hegameandt hent o wei ghtt hei rl i kel i hoodofmaki ngi tt ot heNHLasaf ul l t i mecont r i but or .

Si mpl yput : We’ vei nt r oducedal i t t l es ci ent i ficmet hodt oapr oces st hati sl ar gel ydefinedby s ubj ect i vi t yt ohel pcount erourbi as esandar r i veatt hes oundes tconcl us i ons .

We' r egoi ngt ohaveourf ai rs har eofhi t sandmi s s es .

That ' sj us tparf ort hecour s ei n t hi spar toft hei ndus t r y.

Mos tt eamsvi ew adr af ti nwhi cht heyunear t ht wopl ayer s f orever ys evenpi cks-abouta29per cents ucces sr at e-t obeagooddr af t .

I fourhi tr at el andss omewher ei nt hatr ange, t henI ' m happy.

Theonet hi ngyoucancountoni st hatwe' veputi nt hewor k, del i ber at edamongs t our s el vesf orunt ol dhour s , andi ncor por at edadat af r i endl yappr oacht hat ' s uncommoni nt hepubl i cs pher e.

We' vet ur nedoverever ys t onei nourques tt oappr opr i at el yr ankt hebes tpl ayer si nt he 2021NHLDr af t .

Acknowl edgement s Myfir s ts etofacknowl edgment shast ogot ot hepeopl ewhohavehel pedmet ur nEl i t e Pr os pect si nt ot hepower hous et hati ti st oday.

Thi spr oj ectcan' thappenwi t houtt hewor kt hatMi t chBr own, Cam Robi ns on, Davi d St Loui s , Las s iAl anen, Dani elGee, JoeyPadmanabhan, RachelDoer r i e, Laur enKel l y, Jul i eRobenhymer , Rus sCohen, Cat her i neSi l ver man, Ji mmyHamr i n, andDyl an Gr i f fingal lputi novert hecour s eoft heyear .

I ' l lbef or evergr at ef ulf ort hei rcont r i but i onst oEl i t ePr os pect smor ebr oadl yandf or t hei rhar dwor ki nt hedr af tgui dees peci al l y.

I t ' sbeenmydi s t i ncthonourandpr i vi l ege t owor kwi t heachandever yoneoft hes ei ndi vi dual s .

Li kewi s e, Iwoul dl i ket oacknowl edget hes uppor tofEver ySpor tMedi aGr oup.

They pr ovi dedmewi t ht her es our cesneces s ar yt os eet hi spr oj ectt hr ough, andt hey' vebeen unwaver i ngi nt hei rs uppor tofever yt hi ngwedoatEl i t ePr os pect s .

Speci fical l y, Iwoul dl i ket ot hankPet erSi bnerandJohanNi l s s on.

Thi sj obhasbeen t hepr i vi l egeofmyl i f et i me, andt hat ' si nl ar gepar tduet oyourbel i efands uppor ti n ever yt hi ngwedoatEPRi nks i de.

J. D. Bur ke Edi t or i nChi ef

MeetTheTeam

Mi t chel lBr own Mi t chel lBr owni st heEl i t ePr os pect sDi r ect orofNor t hAmer i can Scout i ng.

Bas edoutofCanmor e, Al ber t a, i nCanada, Br ownr egul ar l y s cout st heWHLal ongwi t ht heBCHLandAJHL, t oo.

Hi spas s i onf or hockeyt akeshi m al lovert hehockeywor l d, t hough, i ncl udi ngbr i ef s t opsi nSweden, Ont ar i o, andanywher eel s ewher eonemi ghtfinda r i nk.

Mi t chnevers l eeps , becaus es l eepi st hecous i nofdeat h, andi t al l owshi mt omanual l yt r ackobs ceneamount sofdat at hr ough devel opment all eagueswher ei t ’ sot her wi s enotavai l abl e.

Cam Robi nson Cam Robi ns oni st heDi r ect orofFi l m Scout i ngf orEl i t ePr os pect sand ourl eadf ant as yhockeyanal ys t .

Heus esvi deot oanal yz epr os pect s f r om al lar oundt hegl obe, andi sknownf orhi sgr eatfil mr oom deep di vear t i cl esonEPRi nks i de.

Cam’ swor khasal s oappear edi n Dobber Pr os pect s , Dobber Hockey, andDai l yHi veVancouver .

Youcan hearhi m ont her adi oonSpor t s net650, wher ehe’ sacont r i but or .

Cam i sal s oami ddl es choolgener al i s tt eacher , af at heroft wo, ahus bandof one, andanavi dr eader .

RachelDoer r i e RachelDoer r i ei sanOHLScoutf orEl i t ePr os pect sbas edoutof Tor ont o, Ont ar i o, wher es hei scompl et i ngherMas t er si nSpor t Sci ence( t al enti dent i ficat i on)andwor ki ngwi t ht hehockey pr ogr ammeatYor kUni ver s i t y.

Shes pendsani nor di nat eamountof t i mei nf r ontofacomput er , t r acki ngandanal yzi ngdat a, aswel las wat chi nghockey.

Whens he’ snotwat chi nghockey, s hecanbef ound di s cus s i nghockeyt act i cswi t hcol l eaguesorhos t i ngt heSt af f&Gr aph Podcas t .

LassiAl anen Las s iAl aneni sar i s i ngs t ari nt her eal m ofpl ayereval uat i on, par t i cul ar l yont heamat eurs i de, wher ehes cout sFi nl and’ s pr of es s i onalandj uni orhockeyl eagues .

Notwi l l i ngt ol eaveanys t one unt ur ned, Al anenmanual l yt r acksdat af r om t het opdr af t el i gi bl e pr os pect si nt heLi i ga, Mes t i s , andFi nni s hU20ci r cui t s .

Davi dSt Loui s Davi dSt Loui si sal eads cout , QMJHLr egi onals cout , anda cont r i but ort oEPRi nks i de, bas edoutofQuébecCi t y, Québec, wher ehe r egul ar l yat t endsRempar t sgames .

Hi swor kcanal s obef oundonThe CoachesSi t e, andonSBNat i on’ s‘ Eyesont hePr i z e’ bl og, wher ehe cover st heMont r éalCanadi ens .

Hewat chesmor ehockeyt hanj us t aboutanyoneyouknow, andt hat ’ saguar ant ee.

Dani elGee Dani elGeei sacr os s overfil ms coutf orEl i t ePr os pect s , havi ngj oi ned t hegr oupaf t ert hecal endart ur nedt o2020.

He’ saMar ket i ngand Fi nanceal umnif r om t heUni ver s i t yofNor t her nBr i t i s hCol umbi a, bas edoutofPr i nceGeor ge, Br i t i s hCol umbi a, i nCanada, wher ehe at t endscount l es sPr i nceGeor geCougar sgames .

Hecoul ddowi t hout t hebl i s t er i ngcol dandf eetofs now t hatt hi senvi r onmentaf f or dshi m, buts ur vi vesnonet hel es sbys pendi ngext r at i mei ndoor s , cover i ng Canuckspr os pect sonTwi t t er .

JoeyPadmanabhan JoeyPadmanabhant r adedi nhi ss kat esands t i ckf orapenand not epadt hi syear , j oi ni ngt heEl i t ePr os pect st eam asaUSHLs cout anddat aanal ys t .

Hepl ayedAAAhockeyi nChi cago, goi ngt oet ot oe wi t hmanyoft hepl ayer shenow s cout si nt heUSHL. Whenhe' snot t aki ngnot esorwat chi ngfil m, heenj oyspl ayi ngpi ckuphockeyathi s communi t yr i nkandwal ki nghi sdog, JayJay. Joeyat t endsCor nel l Uni ver s i t y, wher ehemaj or si ns t at i s t i csandeconomi cs .

Appar ent l y, t heyhaveapr et t ygoodhockeypr ogr am t her e.

RussCohen Rus sCoheni sanAmer i cans coutf orEl i t ePr os pect s , cover i ngt he pr of es s i onalandNCAAr anksmos t l y, aswel lasbei ngan accompl i s hedwr i t erf orSpor t s ol ogyandar adi ohos tf ort he Spor t s ol ogyRadi oNet wor k.

Hecover st heNew Yor kRanger sand Phi l adel phi aFl yer sont heNHLs i deoft heequat i on, t oo.

Hi swor khas appear edonNHL. com, CSNPhi l l y. com, FoxSpor t s , EPRi nks i de, The HockeyNews , Becket tHockey, Bl ues hi r tBul l et i n, New Engl and HockeyJour nal , andcount l es sot herout l et s .

Heal s ocohos t ed HockeyPr os pectRadi oonNHLNet wor kRadi oaspar toft heSi r i us XM net wor k.

He’ sal s oapubl i s hedaut hor .

Wr i t er swantt obehi m; edi t or swantt owor kwi t hhi m.

CatSi l ver man Cat her i neSi l ver mani st hegoal t endi ngs coutf orEl i t ePr os pect s , pr ovi di ngs cout i ngr epor t sandpl ayergr adesf ort ar get sacr os st he hockeywor l d.

Goal t ender , coach, j our nal i s t , andr unner .

Byl i nesatThe At hl et i cNHL, I nGoalMagazi ne, NHL. com, andmor eal ongt heway.

Speci al i s ti ngoal t endi ngvi deoandanal ys i s , butgr eatf orchat sabout di s t ancer unni ngandNew Yor ks t yl epi zzai nhers par et i me.

Laur enKel l y Laur enKel l yj oi nedEl i t ePr os pect sasanOHLs coutt hi ss eas onaf t er r ecr eat i onal l ys cout i ngonl i nef ort hel as tf ew year s .

Shei sbas edj us t nor t hofTor ont oandanal umnusofRyer s on' sRTA: Spor tMedi a pr ogr am.

Whens he' snotacci dent al l yi nj ur i ngher s el fi ns omebi zar r e f as hi on, Laur ens pendsar i di cul ousamountoft i mewat chi nghockey, bet weenj uni orgamesandt heNHL. Shehasal s odabbl edi nOHL col ourcomment ar y.

WhenLaur eni s n' ts cout i ng, s he' swor ki ngasa di gi t alvi deopr oducerwi t hSpor t s netandoccas i onal l ywr i t i ngt her e t oo, andyoucanfindherot herwr i t t enwor katSBNat i onandFC Hockey.

Dyl anGr i f fing Dyl anGr i f fingi sawr i t erandt heRus s i anr egi onals coutf orEl i t e Pr os pect swhi l ebei ngbas edoutofWi s cons i n, USA. Hes pendshi s t i met r acki ngdat a, pl ayi ngFoot bal lManager , doi ngpuzzl es , andt hen s t ayi ngupunt i lf ouri nt hemor ni ngwat chi ngRus s i anj uni orhockey.

Hei sver ygr at ef ulf orhi st hr eecat s-Lul u, Lol a, andPandy-who cons t ant l ydi s t r acthi m whi l ehet r i est ogetwor kdone.

Ji mmyHamr i n Ji mmyHamr i ni st heSwedi s hr egi onals coutf orEl i t ePr os pect s .

Hi s wor khasappear edpr evi ous l yi nMcKeen' s , andheal s ocont r i but est o HockeySver i ge.

He' sar i nkr atwi t hapas s i onf ors cout i ng, l ooki ngt o findt hebes tSwedi s hdr af t el i gi bl epl ayer sf ort heNHLEnt r yDr af t .

Gl ossar y Dot ( t ed)l i ne: Ani nvi s i bl el i net hatr unspar al l elt ot he boar dsf r om t hedef ens i vez onef aceof fdott ot he of f ens i vez onef aceof fdot s , di vi di ngt he" i nt er i or "oft he i ceand" ext er i or "oft hei ce.

St r i deext ensi on: Thegener at i onofpoweri nas t r i de, char act er i z edbyapus handext ens i onfini s hi ngbehi nd t hepl ayer , i deal l ywi t hat oepus handankl et wi s t .

St r i der ecover y: Thef or war dmovementoft heext ended l egi deal l yundert het or s ofini s hedwi t ha90degr ee kneebendonbot hedges .

Gapcont r ol : Themanagementofdi s t ancebet weent he def enderandat t acker ; ani dealgapi sof t en s t i ckons t i ckt ol i mi topt i ons , andi ncr eas et heoddsofa br eakupandr ecover yofpos s es s i on.

Ri skmi t i gat i ngf oot wor k: Ar us hdef ences t r at egyt hat emphas i z esmi ddl eandoutbackpedalr out es , backwar d moment um, andavoi di ngwei ght commi t t i ngcr os s over s unt i lt heat t ackerhasasf ew opt i onsaspos s i bl e.

Pr obl emsol vi ngski l l s/ adapt abi l i t y: Theabi l i t yt ol ocat eas econdar yort er t i ar ypl ay af t eranunexpect edvar i abl eal t er sorel i mi nat est hepr i mar yopt i on.

Smal l ar eagame: Thepuckcont r ol , handl i ng, ands kat i ngt hatal l ow apl ayert o maneuvert hr ought r af fic, andof t ent i mes , es capet r af fic.

Rushpat t er ns: Thecombi nat i onofr out es , s t i ckhandl i ng, ands kat i nghabi t s ( es peci al l ycr os s overus age)t hatapl ayerus esi nt r ans i t i on.

Decept i on: Theabi l i t yt omas ki nt ent i onsbyi ndi cat i nganot herpl ay, r angi ngf r om f akess hot st omor ecompl excombi nat i onsofl ookof f sands ubt l ebodyf akes .

Lanedecept i on: Typesofr us hpat t er nst hatus et hedot ( t ed)l i ne, cr os s over s , and decept i ont or el ayf al s ei nf or mat i ont ot hedef ender ; of t enus edt odr aw def ender st o t heper i met er , t henwor ki ngt hepucki ns i de.

Pace: Thes peedsatwhi chapl ayercanexecut e; of t enchar act er i z edbyact i vef eet t hr oughpr es s ur e, pas s es , andpuckhandl i ng.

Of f puckof f ence: Themovementapl ayermakesi nt opocket sofs pacef ors uppor t i ng t heof f enceorbecomi ngas cor i ngt hr eat , of t ent i medwi t hpas s esors hot st odecr eas e oddsofget t i ngt i edupbyt hedef endi ngt eam.

Of f puckdef ence: How apl ayerdef endspl ayer swi t houtt hepuck, i ncl udi ngbutnot l i mi t edt o: net f r ontdef enceandcl os i nggapst odet erpas s es .

Sl i ppass: Anal t er nat i vet ot hes aucerpas swher et he pl ayerpul l st hepucki nt owar dst hei rs kat est henpas s es , changi ngt heangl eofr el eas e.

Hookpass: Anal t er nat i vet ot hes aucerpas swher et he pl ayerl engt henst hei rgr i pt ochangeofangl eoft hepas s .

TheRat i ngSyst em You' l lnot et hatwegr adeourdr af t el i gi bl es kat er sbas edons i xcr i t er i aus i nga1 t o9 l i nearr at i ngs cal e.

Wher eneces s ar y, we' veappl i edhal f gr adest owi dent her angeofout comes .

Thes i xi t emst hatwe' vei dent i fiedasmos tcr uci alt ot heeval uat i onpr oces sar eas f ol l ows : s kat i ng, s hoot i ng, pas s i ng, puckhandl i ng, hockeys ens e, andone' sphys i cal abi l i t y.

Forpos t er i t y, t heabs enceofs omet hi ngf r om ourr at i ngr ubr i ci s n' tevi denceof i t sabs encei noureval uat i on.

We' vecover edever ybas e, whet heri t ' sfir s t handanal ys i sgl eanedf r om ent i r edays s penti nmus kyr i nkss i ppi ngs t al ecof f eeormaki ngphonecal l st ot hes cout swho hol dt hel ever sofpoweratt heNHLDr af t .

Now, l et ' sgeti nt ot hes peci ficpl ayert ool st hathel ps hapet hef or m ofouranal ys i s .

Skat i ng Thi sones eemspr et t ys t r ai ght f or war d, r i ght ?Thi nkagai n.

Somuchgoesi nt oa pl ayer ' ss kat i ng, andt hent her e' sawhol eheapofcont r i but i ngf act or st hathel pone det er mi newhet hert her ei sr oom f ori mpr ovement , t hecapaci t yf ordevel opment , et c.

Her ear et hei t emsonourcheckl i s twheneval uat i ngapl ayer ' ss kat i ng: -Twos t epexpl os i venes s -Four waymobi l i t y -Fl ui di t yt hr oughone' shi ps -Foot wor k -St r i dedept h/ kneebend -Cr os s overus e -St r i der ecover y -St r i deext ens i on -St r i dedi s ci pl i ne -Bootpl acement -Edgewor k -Mot or -St ami na -Mechani calcons i s t ency Mos toft hes ei t emsar ecover edi nt hegl os s ar ys ect i onoft heEl i t ePr os pect s2021NHL Dr af tGui de.

I fi t ' snot , t henwef eelast houghi t ' sr el at i vel ycommonpl acei nhockey conver s at i onsandnotwor t hyoft hes pace.

Shoot i ng Youknow i twhenyous eei t .

Somepl ayer scans l i ngt hepuckwi t hs ucht hunder ous f or ceands ur gi calpr eci s i onast ol eavet hei ropponent scompl et el yhel pl es s .

ThePat r i kLai nes , Aus t onMat t hews , andSheaWeber soft hewor l ddepl oyt hi st hr eat onas hi f t t os hi f tbas i sandt heymakei tl ookeas y.

Thent her e' sever yoneel s e.

Fort her emai nderoft hel eague, i t ' sabouti ncr eas i ngone' s abi l i t yt ocr eat eof f enceont hemar gi nswi t ht act i calef fici encyr at hert hanany over whel mi ngphys i calf or ce.

Her ear es omeoft hei t emst hathel puseval uat et hebes ts hoot er s , t hewor s ts hoot er s , andever yonei nbet ween: -Power -Pr eci s i on -Accur acy -Pl acement -Var i et y -Sel ect i on -Decept i on -Adapt abi l i t y -Shoot i ngwhi l epr es s ur ed -Rel eas es -Wei ght s hi f t -One' sabi l i t yt os hootof fofoneorbot hf eet We' vegr adeds hoot i ngi ncl udi nganof f puckt i mi ng/ pocketofs pacei dent i ficat i on var i abl e, muchl i kehow t her ear emor es ens ebas edat t r i but esi nt hepas s i ngs ect i on.

Pas s i ng Ri gor ous , peer r evi ewedwor ki nt heanal yt i css pher ehass hownt hatpl aymaki ngi s t heabi l i t yt hathol dsupbes ti nt hefightagai ns tFat herTi me.

Onecanbui l dal engt hy, pr oduct i veNHLcar eerpl ayi ngt her ol eofas et upmanr at hert hanafini s her .

I t ' sapr et t yval uabl es ki l l , eveni fi tdoes n' tear noneasmucht i mei nt hel i mel i ght .

Her ear et hei t emswe' vehonedi nonasi ndi cat i veofone' spas s i ngabi l i t y: -Power -Pr eci s i on

-Sel ect i on -Adapt abi l i t y -One' sabi l i t yt ocompl et epas s est hr oughl ayer s -One' sabi l i t yt opas st hr oughone' ss t r i de -One' sabi l i t yt opas si nt os pace -One' sabi l i t yt oi nt egr at et heboar dsi nt oone' spas s es -Ont hef or ehand -Ont hebackhand

Puckhandl i ng Ther at i oofr el at i vei mpor t ancet ocont r ol l i ngt heflow ofpl ayorgoal st ot hehi ghl i ght r eelpot ent i alofpuckhandl i ngi sper hapst hemos tdi s pr opor t i onat eofanyabi l i t yi n anys por t .

Thel i s tofphenomenalpuckhandl er swhocoul dn' tbr i ngenoughval ue el s ewher et oj us t i f yt hei rpos i t i oni nt heNHLi sami l el ong.

St i l l , onewoul dr at herbeanexcel l ents t i ckhandl ert hannot .

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EP

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SKATING

5.5

SHOOTING

5.5

PUCKHANDLING

5.0

PASSING

6.0

HOCKEY SENSE

5.5

PHYSICAL

A

GRADE

UNIV. OF MICHIGAN

6.0

Matty Beniers

GRADES

1

pGPS/SEAL

33%

2021 XLS

45%

3Y REGR. BXLS

15%

3Y REGR. IXLS

N/A

SEAL ADJ. PTS/GP

It’s not just the speed, smarts, and confidence with Beniers. He has a long track record of playing up in age groups and a large part of that owes to his polished two-way game.

Cam Robinson

Matty Beniers UNIV. OF MICHIGAN

Position: Birth Date:

C

Shoots:

Left

Nov 5, 2002

Height:

5’10” / 178 cm

USA

Weight:

172 lbs / 78 kg

Nation: LEAGUE

GP

GP

A

PTS

NCAA WJC-20 WC

24 7 6

10 1 1

14 2 1

24 3 2

1

SCOUTING REPORT

M

ATTHEW BENIERS is the No. 1 prospect for the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He’s the complete package: A natural centre with an elite defensive profile, unmatched transition value, and enough offence to comfortably project to the top-six of an NHL lineup.

That Beniers revealed as much through such uniquely challenging circumstances this season only speaks to his quality.

Originally committed to Harvard, Beniers transferred to Michigan as it became increasingly clear that the Ivy League schools in the ECAC wouldn’t participate in the 2020-21 season. He paused his freshman year to wear the stars and stripes at the World Juniors in Edmonton, and played excellent hockey, helping Team USA secure gold. If that wasn’t enough, Beniers joined the Americans in Latvia for the World Hockey Championship and helped them take home bronze.

It’s Beniers’ skating that acts as the connective tissue binding every part of his game into one cohesive package.

He’s a dynamic, high-pace transporter of the puck; one who accelerates with linear and nonlinear crossovers through a wide array of rush patterns and tempo changes to manoeuvre past opposing defenders.

It’s evident in Beniers’ tape, but the neutral zone data that Elite Prospects Dir. of North American Scouting Mitchell Brown collected from his time at Michigan and with the United States at the World Juniors really sends the message home.

“Another awesome transition performance from Beniers, driving play up the middle with comical ease,” Brown said of Beniers in a March 5th game report. “Always cuts away from pressure, entering retrievals with pre-scanning and deception to prepare the space. Problemsolves pressure when necessary, independent hands and feet keep his posture deceptive.

Instinctively drives play up the middle; a high-end transition manipulator.”

He’s the most efficient puck-carrier in this class, and he can get even better with more speed as a skater through improved ankle flexion, a more restrained upper body, and better posture.

There’s no telling whether Beniers will iron out those inefficiencies, but if he does, watch out.

Of course, one can’t broach Beniers’ game without a thorough review of his work in the defensive third.

He never cheats. Beniers is always involved in his team’s defensive game, showing high-level details, defensive problem-solving ability, and switchability. He takes great lines on puckretrievals, and consistently displays excellent supporting instincts. He’s physical, always taking the extra stride rather than lunging with his stick, cutting off opponents at their hands.

There is little doubt among our group that Beniers is the premier defensive pivot in this year’s draft.

The only real question for us was whether Beniers brought enough to the table offensively to meet the expectations of a No. 1 overall pick. We’re not certain we can answer that question in the affirmative, but there are some reasons for cautious optimism to that end.

The way Beniers carries the puck through the neutral zone and attacks on an arc is going to create numbers advantages at the NHL level. That’s going to lead to a tonne of rush offence. That Benier has flashed the occasional bit of deception on his passes and shown some strong off-thepuck timing and instincts offers hope, too.

It’s also easy enough to imagine a scenario where Beniers puts up numbers with his speed by just speeding right past defenders. They say that speed kills, and Beniers is like a roadrunner out there.

Even so, Beniers lack of overwhelming skill as a puckhandler, good-not-great touch as a distributor, and a shot that registers as about NHL average could prove prohibitive to gaudy point totals.

Realistically, Beniers profiles as a topsix matchup centre with a dominant two-way profile and enough scoring touch to hang in that part of an NHL lineup. He’s never going to climb the NHL points leaderboard, but something in the 45-55-point range seems attainable at the height of his career.

HEAR FROM THE SCOUTS

Mitch Brown

Rachel Doerrie

Cam Robinson

“I think he’s about as close to a top six forward as you’re gonna get…and in a draft where there’s probably no guy who’s an elite number one or elite top line forward, Matty Beniers is probably the safest bet.”

“If I’m putting a bet on a player to come out of this draft and be impactful in a certain way, I’m putting it on Beniers just because I think his path to success is so clear cut and he’s already got so many other things, in terms of maturity in his game, that a lot of other players just don’t have.

“He’s probably the safest prospect at the top of this draft…he projects as a top six guy, but even if the bottom falls out, you’re still looking at a highly effective transitional third liner.”

GAME REPORTS David St-Louis: May 27th, 2021 - United States vs Latvia - WC Great performance from Beniers. He had about 5 minutes of ice-time, but showed more in those 5 minutes than most prospects in a season. Constant defensive engagement, reloading high, supporting defencemen, pressuring opposing forwards closely, making contact with them (got a questionable penalty for it), and intense forecheck on the other end of the ice. Beniers limits time and space all over the ice. Offensively, he tried to improve the conditions of the puck for the next teammate (dragged defenders away), made quick plays under pressure in transition (problem-solving), and rushed the net more than once. He scored that way. He also showed manipulative skills along the boards; he faked a defender by moving one-way, probed inside, and escaped backdoor. He changed the point of attack a couple of times, too, making cross-ice passes to teammates around opponents. Lots of interesting tactics and skills. He is a top-2 pick for me.

David St-Louis: May 23th, 2021 - Finland vs. United States - WC Let’s talk about Beniers’ skating. It closely resembles Trevor Zegras’ and Alex Turcotte’s so I don’t know if it is a specific teaching of players coming through the USNTDP, but it is extremely wide, almost spider-like. As a result of that wide stride, his upper-body flails up and down; down for forward skating and up for a change of direction or to initiate crossovers. It limits his balance and ability to fluidly change moves. He adapts and it doesn’t matter all that much in his overall game, but I hope he fixes that as it could open up even more of his rushing game. Skating is still at least a 6 for me if you account for tactics, too. Beniers was on the ice for 2 goals against in his five minutes of icetime, but the goals weren’t his fault: on one he just came on the ice and the second one was a point-shot; he clearly covered his man from the front of the net. Beniers’ strength was lacking in this game as he got pushed around, but it didn’t matter. Right back up hunting the puck, space, and scoring chances. Motor is as high as ever. He scans before getting the puck and hits teammates quickly or places the puck inside space for teammates to skate into. He is missing some details needed to have success in the NHL, like clean rim pickups, but I think he will successfully play as soon as next year. He can be trusted defensively.

Daniel Gee: March 15th, 2021 - Michigan vs Minnesota - NCAA Beniers put together such an insane support game in all three zones vs the University of Minnesota.

Mitchell Brown: March 5th, 2021 - Michigan vs. Minnesota - NCAA Another awesome transition performance from Beniers, driving play up the middle with comical ease. Always cuts away from pressure, entering retrievals with pre-scanning and deception to prepare the space. Problem-solves pressure when necessary, independent hands and feet keep his posture deceptive. Instinctively drives play up the middle; a high-end transition manipulator. Doesn’t quite translate in the offensive zone, where he identifies highdanger plays but lacks the deceptiveness, skill (hook and slip), and processing speed to consistently complete these plays. But that won’t prevent him from being a top-six centre. He’s such a dangerous escape artist with the puck.

Links together defence and offence better than anyone in the class not named Eklund. Play-destroyer in the neutral zone with effort and refined habits. Support game, long and short, remains a defining feature that will allow him to get the puck back in the NHL. Mitchell Brown: February 26th, 2021 - Arizona State vs. Michigan - NCAA Hat trick on 1.4 ixG at 5-on-5, basically as high of an ixG as non-Cole Caufield players get in Big Ten hockey. Showed better than off-puck instincts than previously noted, popping into pockets with perfect timing. He even flared wide to increase the lateral distance that the goaltender would have to cover if the pass got through twice, both leading to goals. Hat trick was finished off with a tricky backhand reception into a partial in-stride wrister shot out of a handle -- release deception that scales well. Head fakes and eye deception to misdirect the opposition. Doesn’t overhandle, using his stick to fend off other sticks, although his poor touch killed a couple of possession sequences. As usual, he was a puck-retrieving, thieving, and rushing machine. Tons of pre-scanning; always in position to step across and disrupt the play, intercept a pass, and get the puck back. Manages multi-variable defensive situations with ease.

Unconvinced he’s a high-end playmaker, but his defence and puck transportation are surely top-six-calibre. Scales to high-end teammates. Could be a big-time facilitator in the NHL, an easy top-three pick in this class.

Mitchell Brown: February 14th, 2021 - Wisconsin vs. Michigan - NCAA A really rough night from Beniers in transition. Didn’t get many HQ touches, but also looked to play more dumpand-chase style hockey. He’s quick with the puck because of his ability to make decisions in motion, the constant crossovers, and manipulation -- it doesn’t translate when he’s hunting down the puck with a defender having the edge. He still applies intense pressure, even if he’s chasing. Takes clever routes to make up for lost ground -identifies opportunities without hesitation to steal away possession. Reaction speed is insanely high. Translates to DZP, where he’s constantly scanning, adjusting, and killing plays. Puts himself in position to get the puck back. He needs to work on adjusting his speed in transition when off-puck to keep the lane open, however. Not convinced he’s a high-end playmaker, and illustrated that by failing to spot the HD look with a bit of patience, or the even better one-pass away play for an even better look. Once he gets the puck, the opposition can’t get it back from his body positioning and handling. He’s a potential 2C for me, which keeps him behind Eklund but still a top player in this class.

Mitchell Brown: February 13th, 2021 - Wisconsin vs. Michigan - NCAA A bit of uncharacteristically sloppy game in transition from Beniers, but better than most players anyhow. He just wasn’t pushing the puck up the ice with the same force, letting himself get pushed to the outside or dump the puck in. Defensive details remain strong, engaging down low, scanning constantly, staying above the puck. Pushes insane pressure on the opposition, whether he’s backchecking, forechecking, or in DZP. Takes the extra stride to come across the hips. Scored by blending the cut-off-the-hips maneuver with the release for his shot. NHL pace, handles and passes inside crossovers and strides. Advanced teammate usage. A potential 2C -- an easy top-5 pick in this class.

David St-Louis: February 13th, 2021 - Wisconsin vs. Michigan - NCAA Beniers was again on point defensively, working hard down low to help his defenceman, starting the transition game of his team with timely swing up the zone, lifting opposing sticks to immediately gift possession back for his team. His forward stride is still a weakness (hunched over and wide…), but speed isn’t a problem. Offensively, Beniers problem solved absent passing lanes by spinning on himself and using his backhand. He anticipated teammates and registered them with frequent shoulder checks. His best play? A goal off the rush where he dragged the puck from far outside his body to the front of his inside skates, completely changing the angle on the release and beating the goalie far-side. Beautiful execution. Something I didn’t see before from him.

David St-Louis: January 21st, 2021 - Michigan vs. Notre-Dame - NCAA Great performance from Beniers. He really commands the ice when he steps on it; so many little great details.

Mature defensive game, patient, in support, and intervening at the right times, hard pressure when needed. He bodied an opponent off the puck completely this game on the backcheck, leveraging a low-center of gravity. He rushes the puck up-ice and protects the puck with free-arm and knee, slips by the defenders. He takes pucks not only in movement, but by immediately springing to a perfect position to set up the next play by planting his outside edge far under him, accelerating instantly. His passing is deceptive and quick; he is preemptively aware of options and hits them fast when needed and patiently when needed. He leverages good scoring chances into great ones.

Russ Cohen: January 16th, 2021 - Ohio State vs. Michigan - NCAA He was skating circles around Ohio State with great edge work. Fifty percent on draws. He and Johnson were dominating. It was an equal 50-50 split of talent.

David St-Louis: January 16th, 2021 - Ohio State vs. Michigan - NCAA Beniers’ skating was kind of a problem this game. It’s crazy how solid in terms of posture he is in crossovers, how he can go knee over knee, how he keeps his back straight and falls to the ice, engaging his hip into the movement... and then in forward stride, it all goes away. He skates a bit like Alex Turcotte, super-wide, spider-style, very short strides that don’t carry much power. His body goes up and down in movements and in change of directions and he has to work hard on the backcheck to catch-up. Weird. But, since he achieves proper positioning in crossovers, it’s probable he could work on his forward stride form and fix it somewhat, no? At least, that’s the way I will probably think about it going forward, the potential to unlock… Beniers’ support was a bit off this game; he got mixed and confused with teammates on a few occasions. Johnson is a bit hard to predict sometimes, however. I wonder how Beniers would look with a more experienced, predictable winger.

Mitchell Brown: January 16th, 2021 - Michigan vs. Ohio State - NCAA Beniers wasn’t quite as impressive as he was the night prior, but still an effective performance. He’s definitely more of a distributor than shooter, although I hesitate to call him a high-end playmaker. One terrific look after scanning hitting the turnaround feed to Johnson in the slot. Timed a stick lift with the pass to generate a quality look, but he tried to jam the puck through the defender instead of continuing around and hitting Johnson in the slot. He was solid in transition, not dynamic like normal. He misread a few plays through the neutral zone. His defence remains absolutely lights out. Terrific supporting positioning, well-timed interceptions and checks, and stopping on pucks.

He takes the extra stride to come across the hips instead of reaching. Changes direction and pace well to fake out defenders. I like his game a lot. Probably a top-five player in this class, but he’s not an elite first-liner. He didn’t do a ton as a shooter or off-puck scoring threat, and his playmaking’s most advanced situation facilitator than pure creator.

Mitchell Brown: January 15th, 2021 - Michigan vs. Ohio State - NCAA A near perfect game in transition from Beniers. There’s a full transition toolkit here, even if his skating remains problematic from his wide stride recovery and short strides. He skates at forecheckers before faking them out with head, stick, and shoulder fakes. His rushes always default to the middle early, and he constantly fakes attacking one lane before going the other. His strategic acceleration ensures that he minimizes his lack of explosiveness in open ice, and he chips the puck into space rather than handling around defenders. He’s such a force. A lot of similar characteristics to Rodion Amirov, with worse skill but better ability to play through contact. His skating depth changes dramatically and his top hand doesn’t have a ton of give, which reduces his puck control when pressured.

He’s an intelligent half-ice distributor, who prefers open small-area passing lanes and works the puck quickly.

Potential high-end defensive impact (80th percentile and up) among NHL forwards with his excellent support, defensive stickwork, and constant desire to help. He’s physical, cuts off the hands, and takes the extra stride, which positions him for offensive and defensive success alike. He’s even a bit deceptive in low-leverage situations, identifying a lane, pretending he didn’t, and then popping in for the interception. Few prospects string defensive actions into offensive sequences better, showing an innate understanding of how defensive habits directly lead to increased puck touches, advantages, and scoring opportunities. I have my doubts that he’s a true top-line player because of his lack of dynamic passing and shooting, but he’s as close to a plug-and-play top-six forward as there is in this draft class.

Rachel Doerrie: December 26th, 2020 - USA vs. Russia - WJC Beniers was part of the most effective line for the USA tonight with Caufield and Boldy. He was 4th among forwards in TOI and finished with the most PK time of any American. While he may not have put up points, he was on the ice for two of the American goals. He was the high screen on the first goal and a slot presence on the 3rd one.

All throughout the game, I was impressed with his play in the OZ, forechecking, winning battles down low and constantly retrieving pucks to keep plays alive. He’s more physical than I expected him to be in the OZ and was often wreaking havoc for Askarov and defenders at the net front. With a few shots on goal, one crossbar from the top of the left circle, he seemed to be the centre of scoring chance creation for the USA. Defensively, he’s clearly trusted by his coach and for good reason. He tracked back through the middle well and negated a few rush chances.

In the DZ, his stick was in passing lanes, picking off two passes to the dangerous area and another on the PK, which

he sent down the ice. He’s constantly shoulder checking and communicating with teammates to direct traffic. He supports the puck all over the ice and was a consistent option on the middle bump play to get D out of trouble. On a night where the Americans struggled, his line did not, and he was the driver of play.

David St-Louis: December 22nd, 2020 - United States vs. Finland - WJ20 A little bit of everything in this first world junior performance from Beniers, only got better as the game went on.

His game lost effectiveness the closer he got to the boards, but he avoided getting pinned there by moving pucks quickly, making some timely pivots away, and using teammates consistently. His two best plays were a zone entry where he dropped the puck to Cole Caufield who then orchestrated a scoring chance with Matt Boldy and a netdrive where he rushed the near post after seeing the defence late to pressure him. Great awareness all around this game. Beniers needs to be careful not to make overly risky plays, however, as he might lose his spot between Boldy and Caufield. At one point, he tried to dangle two forecheckers and almost lost the puck in front of his own net.

Mitchell Brown: December 2nd, 2020 - Michigan vs. Penn State - NCAA Just a really impressive performance from Beniers in a lot of regards. First, he might be the best in the draft class at positioning himself to get the puck back. He’s an insanely strong defensive support player, coming back to dislodge pucks, deter passes, and generally get involved. He translates that across the ice, where he’s finding pockets of space when not winning battles, shrinking distance between himself and the puck carrier to (a) increase his puck acquisition period and (b) create a give-and-go. With the puck, he consistently attacked the middle early, and built out his offence from there. Had a couple of impressive passes that weren’t converted, working off the backhand and with speed. His linemate, Kent Johnson, clearly doesn’t think the game at the same level, killing plays that Beniers had planned. He didn’t use his shot in this game, and didn’t get himself into position to use it. He’s a pretty interesting skater: quick, but a wide recovery that leads to inefficiency. Deceptive and his routes make him look faster than he actually is -- which will continue in the NHL. Perfect balance between supporting and battling; rarely on the wrong side of the puck. Exceptional angling and backtracking routes to kill plays; always taking the extra stride to come across the hips. His details across all three zones are already top-six forward calibre. No surprises if he gets there. Lots to like, I think he’s a potential top-five pick.

David St-Louis: November 28th, 2020 - Michigan vs. Notre-Dame - NCAA Beniers used changes of speed and delays to create passing lanes in this game. He also skated at defender for a second to force them back before turning his body towards teammates to feed them the puck. Beniers has the awareness and preparation of plays down at this level. I really like his crossovers (even if his ankles are flexing); he reaches far under him with his outside edge, even on the first crossover and really angles his body into them. His defensive game was pretty strong in this game, too, backchecking to cut passing lanes, conserving high positioning when needed… Good showing overall.

David St-Louis: November 27th, 2020 - Michigan vs. Notre-Dame - NCAA Beniers always feels on the verge of losing balance due a lack of ankle flexion in all of his skating moves: his weight is backward on his crossovers and he hunches over (a lot) in forward strides. This up/down, up/down, up/down motion limits his elusiveness, acceleration, and his ability to protect and control the puck. His fiery nature compensates for the lack of precise mechanics sometimes, however, as he just throws his body in front of defenders to get or protect the puck and move it before he collapses. He constantly wants to make defenders move when he has possession -- great habit.

Mitchell Brown: November 20th, 2020 - Michigan vs. Wisconsin - NCAA Tons of impressive plays from Beniers in this game, that also came with some concerns. Notably, his skating.

Beniers had some ugly moments, even early in shifts, where he fails to push his knees over toes, then collapses his torso over his body to compensate, recovers wide, and struggles to complete crossovers. Despite these flaws, he does an impressive job using weight shift maneuvers to open up defenders and quickly change directions. In one sequence, he used a mohawk to square to the slot, causing the backchecker to wedge his stick in the passing lane.

Then, Beniers pivoted out, handled the puck as if he were masking a shot, causing the backchecker to fixate on Beniers just as Beniers slid a puck through a tiny opening for a scoring chance. He grabbed an assist by firing a shot from the slot, but it was a poor decision -- prime manipulation opportunity passed up for what could’ve been a tapin. It worked this time, it won’t be a sustainable method going forward. He’s dependable defensively, works plays up the middle, and uses his teammates well. His shooting mechanics need work, as he arranges his feet properly but keeps his top arm locked to his side, preventing him from properly leveraging the shot. Ultimately, Beniers falls into the same group as the rest of the top forwards in this draft: flashes of high-level offensive ability (manipulation), but likely not enough to make an elite NHL forward.

David St-Louis: November 20th, 2020 - Michigan vs. Wisconsin - NCAA Fun performance from Beniers. Lots to like in his kit -- except the skating; it’s wide, very wide and, like it is often the case with very-wide skaters, his upper-body moves all over the place as he switches from one skating move to the next (crossover, cutbacks, pivots…). Good thing his way above-average handling skills compensate.

Beniers showed patience in possession to outwait defenders and create passing lanes and he also faked them out with look-offs and changes of body angle -- all of that at a high pace of play off the rush. He might not skate fast in a straight-line, but he can make plays fast. Big plus. Beniers’ forward stride doesn’t matter as much; he uses manipulative crossover patterns to rush in, turning defenders’ feet and dragging them out of lanes. Really understands the need to challenge the defence to open plays. He always seemed to pick the most dangerous option in offensive situations. Great vision and awareness. Off the puck, he controlled his skating to remain an option for Kent Johnson and got a shot out of it that turned into a rebound and into a goal.

Rachel Doerrie: November 15th, 2020 - Michigan vs. Arizona State - NCAA There’s an argument that he was Michigan’s best forward today. He played in all situations, including the bumper spot on the 5v3 where he presented his stick well to create passing lanes for puck movement. His skating, whether it is straight away acceleration, stopping and starting on the forecheck or dodging through defenders is high-end.

His play in transition led to multiple zone entries and clear scoring chances, ASU had no answer for the combo of him and Johnson all night. He was used on the PK as well, speaking to how well he reads the play, uses his speed and wins puck battles. He’s physically engaged and uses his strength to win battles at both ends of the ice, creating favourable positions for his team. THere’s a lot to like about this kid.

J.D. Burke: November 14th, 2020 - Michigan vs. Arizona State - NCAA Not to be outdone by Kent Johnson, Matthew Beniers showed up in a big way for Michigan in this game. Even if Johnson’s four points trump Beniers’ two (both goals), I’d rate Beniers as the better, more impactful player in this game. He’s got such a fearlessness as a puck-carrier, both in terms of what he’s willing to try, and where he’s willing to try it -- Beniers has a preternatural drive for the centre lane. Plays a real possession style of hockey. Holds the puck and outwaits the opposition. Did just that on his first goal, outwaiting the goalie and finishing a wrap-aroundsort-of goal. Just sent home a loose puck on the second. Michigan, to my surprise, used Beniers on the penalty kill, and he acquitted himself well in that role, too.