Neutral Zone’s NHL Draft staff will be releasing 60 players over 6 days leading up to the NHL Draft on October 6 where we break down players our scouts like from the WHL, OHL, QMJHL, NTDP/USHL, Europe and Junior/HS/Prep. Each of those 6 divisions will get 10 players that our scouts will highlight, breakdown their game and provide some background information on the prospects all for free. We will include their NHL Draft Grade off our most recent NHL Draft Final Rankings.
Today we will analyze prospects with ties to Europe. These are not necessarily the top 10 players in Europe, but rather prospects our scouts were impressed with and felt compelled to write about as a primer for our upcoming draft coverage. Scouts can click on the players names below and get redirected to their player profile where subscribers can read scouting reports, draft rankings, amateur reports and rankings and other useful background information on these prospects.
Rodion Amirov (4.25 Star Amateur Ranking, NHL Grade — A-) Forward
Brain – Rodion processes the game quickly and shows high level anticipation both when activating into open ice or when retrieving a loose puck. He’s the type of player who consistently ends up winning bouncing 50/50 pucks because he arrives early and is prepared. On line rushes he toys with the defender’s gap control and will regularly get them to cross their feet in the wrong direction. Vision & Poise – Sees the entire sheet clearly and, again, his anticipation allows him to use his poise to make passing plays that most of his peers can’t. He is excellent at finding tight passing seems and he can put defenders in a blender while cycling. Feet – Great first step when coming out of tight turns and has the ability to generate space in very tight areas. Rodion is a player who does not slow down when the puck is on his stick. Compete & Effort – Rodion is a 200′ player. There are times when he can get caught puck watching in the defensive zone, but he works to be an effective backchecker and wins 50/50 battles consistently. Contact or Physicality – He is not a banger. He relies on smart angles and an active stick to generate turnovers and loose pucks. With that being said, he is very strong along the walls and can protect the puck for extended periods of time in all three zones without being a defensive liability or a hindrance to his team’s momentum. Release – Rodion has a quick deceptive release. He uses screens incredibly well and has the ability to shoot through defender’s legs while his feet are moving. He is deadly accurate while rolling off his offside mid-wall and shooting through the net front scrum. Rodion’s shot is not predictable and he disguises his release point very well. One Timer Ability – Although we feel this is an area that will improve as he gains strength, Rodion has the one timing skills to put the puck where he wants it and he does not need a perfect pass to be a scoring threat. Body Language – He is engaged and shows enthusiasm for everyone’s success. Special Teams Potential – This kid has top unit power play written all over him. He has a clean first touch, superior vision and understands spacing very well. We feel his skating, anticipation and active stick will make him an effective penalty killer as he matures into an NHLer and he could be the type of killer who can score shorthanded. Intangibles – Rodion’s backhand. Simply, his ability to find open teammates on the backdoor or streaking into open ice is special and differentiates him from his peers.
Jan Mysak (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A) Forward
2/8/2020 vs Flint Firebirds – Mysak was Hamilton’s first round pick in the 2019 OHL import draft. He is a recent addition to the Hamilton line-up joining the team in January. A dynamic skating forward with elite foot speed he is contributing at a point per game clip early in his OHL career. Mysak is an explosive player with a quick first step and has the ability to beat defenders through the neutral zone. He is dangerous on the rush and at times could only be stopped by being hauled down. Mysak was dangerous in the first period and had a number of positive shifts in the offensive zone. He has good size and a sturdy base on the cycle. Mysak is finding his way on a new roster with new teammates. Our viewing was his tenth OHL game and Mysak already had 8 goals. A dynamic player with great offensive tools, he will be interesting to watch as he gains experience in the OHL. Game Grade: B+
3/7/2020 vs Saginaw Spirit – Mysak joined the Bulldogs after the World Juniors at Christmas. He has been developing nicely early in his OHL career and has been operating at better than a point per game in his first 22 games in the OHL (15 goals and 10 assists). No change for Mysak with this viewing, he continues to show as a dynamic skating forward with elite foot speed. His best asset is his foot speed in open space. Early in the game he gave the veteran Saginaw defensive unit fits with his pace. He gets to the net well with a quick first step and he also closes well on opposition defenders on the forecheck. Mysak created a handful of turnovers when he did not have the puck and took away time and space effectively to create good puck pressure on the Saginaw defenders. Mysak was excellent early in this game, but had some quiet stretches where he was not as noticeable. Overall on the majority of shifts his foot speed is among the best on the ice on any given shift. Game Grade: B+
Eemil Viro (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A-) Defense
Brain – Eemil plays an aggressive physical style that is on the edge. He is as strong as a bull and he knows it. Some wonder if he will be able to play the style against men… We do not. We feel that with continued training and focus Eemil has the potential to be a top pairing defenseman who makes life absolutely miserable for the opponents top line. His high level anticipation allows him to have a very active stick that shuts down passing or shooting lanes very quickly. And if there is no play to break up, Eemil strategically places his stick into your kidneys. He does an excellent job of containing the cycle while eliminating the oppositions forwards with authority and the entire time he maintains defensive side positioning. He does not get beaten back to his net off the wall. Offensively, he understands what his role is (and will be) and makes quick outlet passes in transition and then joins the rush in a supportive role. He keeps it simple and stays out of trouble. His passes up the middle are tape to tape and he does not make “hope plays”. We feel that Eemil understands his game and is very comfortable playing to his strengths. Vision & Poise – He sees the entire ice well in all situations. We have seen times when he has been caught on long shifts and will continue to have his head on a swivel rather than becoming hyper focused on the puck. During transition he plays with his head up, finds the best outlet and moves the puck quickly. When he has the puck in the offensive zone Eemil shoots with the purpose of creating rebounds rather than foolishly firing pucks into the goalie’s chest or glove. He has the vision to “skip” men in controlled breakout situations, but does not do so just to move the puck to the weak or wide-side. Feet – He moves well in all directions and has a very explosive for step while skating backwards. This allows him to hold the offensive blue line longer than his peers during transition and maintain incredibly tight gaps when his forwards make a turnover at the offensive blue line. He has a very powerful first step when making body contact and drives through his opponents after initial contact. His wide base allows him to accelerate quickly while crossing over because his outside edge maintains contact with the ice for an extended period of time. Compete & Effort – Eemil wins battles and will make you pay if you get a step on him. High compete / effort / energy player without taking himself out of position. Contact or Physicality – It is part of his game and he seems to enjoy physical confrontations, finishing checks and battling in front of his net. He will do well playing in a North American environment. He shoots the puck quickly and accurately, but it is not a rocket. This is a weakness that we feel will improve as he matures, but if you expect him to be firing bombs from the point then Eemil is probably not the defenseman you will be drafting in the first round. One Timer Ability – We saw him misfire a few from the high slot. They still hit the net and caused rebounds, but it is worth noting because it happened on more than one occasion and in different situations. But again, we feel Eemil’s shooting will be dramatically different when he is ready to be a National League regular and his draft stock should not fall because of a few misfires. Body Language – He carries himself like a leader who wants to & expects to win. Special Teams Potential – Eemil will be counted on to kill penalties in both 5 on 4 and 5 on 3 situations. He’s smart and has high anticipation. He gets his sticks on pucks and regularly knocks pucks out of the air. His willingness to stand in shooting lanes and eat pucks make him a natural killer. We do not feel Eemil will be a first power play guy, but he will get consistent looks on the second unit. Intangibles – He plays a North American styled game right now and we feel he will have an easy transition to professional hockey. Eemil is a player that we will be very excited to watch at the U18 World Championships in the Spring.
Ruben Rafkin (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Defense
10/17/2019 vs Kitchener Rangers – A right shot offensive minded defenseman with a solid skating stride and an above average first step. A Finnish import, Ruben was Windsor’s first round pick in the 2019 OHL Import Draft. He plays a calm puck management game in transition, he reads fore-checks well and is always ready to use his acceleration as a secondary options on the rush. Ruben was held off the score sheet in this viewing, but has been effective early in the season with over a point per entering the game vs Kitchener. He is a first unit power play defenseman with offensive creativity and a heads up approach to finding open teammates. He walks the blue line very well and uses his feet to create shooting lanes or passing options. As a young defender he manages his gap well and used his body effectively on opposition rushes. As he improves his defending off the cycle and strength down low he should evolve into a top 4 defender quickly. Game Grade: B
HPHL U16 Plymouth, MI Showcase, February 2018: Ruben played limited minutes as he sustained an injury early in one of his games. It doesn’t take him many minutes though to impress you with his tools. A young defender who can take the body and defend well. He also possesses offensive tools with his shot and vison. He is a constant threat on the power play while keeping the penalty kill on its toes with his shot and mobility on the blue line.
U16 – Selects Academy @ NJ Avs, December 2017: Rubin can skate and moves the puck well. He has his head up at all times and has a good shot. But what we noticed more this time was more that he made the other team keep its heads up. He threw some nasty hits. His game has become more ”North American.”
U16 – USPHL South Division Playoffs, February 2017: Ruben did nothing outstanding but when you look at his age, he was pretty impressive. What catches our eye is he is very solid in his own end for his age. He is strong for his size. Ruben is good one on one and in coverage. He does not stray out of position. He moved the puck well but was not a big offensive force. Overall he plays a mature game.
Danil Gushchin (4.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B) Forward
World Junior A Challenge Update, January 2020: The smaller Gushchin made a big impact for the Gold Medal winning Russians. After scoring in the team’s opening game against Canada East, he was held off the score sheet until the Semi-finals, where he scored two important goals–including the game opener early on–against the Czech Republic to help send Team Russia on to the Gold Medal match. Gushchin is a skilled, speedy player–his quickness and stick handling stuck out in each game. He was particularly impressive on the penalty kill, where being down a man did not discourage him from trying to score and make plays offensively. His skating with the puck is top-notch, gaining entry into the offensive zone with speed. His 3 goals put him tied for 6th overall in the tournament, winning a Gold Medal for his efforts. Tournament Grade: A-
Muskegon Lumberjacks @ USNTDP U-17, October 2018: The young Russian was pretty dazzling. Crafty, excellent patience, good separation speed. Great on edges which he used to cut back and create space away from pressure. Takes what is given in space never forcing plays and always trying to keep possession. Scored a pretty goal late, created separation for a 2 on 1, looked at the passer but wired a shot short side over the goalies glove to put the game out of reach. Grade: A-
Danil is very creative offensively. He sees plays developing early and has the ability to get to the open areas on time. He does not rush the play, yet still plays with pace. He understands how to manipulate defenders gaps and naturally changes speeds on a line rush. In the offensive zone he creates his own picks and uses the net to his advantage. Vision & Poise – A gifted offensive winger. We feel that he can create plays on his own, but will be best suited playing with a play making center. By this we do not mean that Danil can not beat defenders 1 on 1 because he can. We do mean that his strengths are creating something out of nothing in quick give and go situations. Feet – Excellent agility and is very strong on the puck. His low center of gravity allows him to accelerate out of turns and escape quickly from tight areas. Can get to top speed in two quick steps. Compete & Effort – There is zero doubt that when Danil wants it he is the best player on the ice. He wins hand battles for pucks, can use his body to protect the puck for extended periods of time and he loves to be the center of attention. This is a compliment. Contact or Physicality – Danil plays through contact and does not get intimidated. He will battle for his ice against much larger opponents and will not back down. Release – NHL release. He gets it away quickly, cleanly and has the skills to put it where he wants it. One Timer Ability – We believe Danil has the potential to be a consistent scorer in the NHL and his ability to one time pucks while fighting through contact is a major reason why. Special Teams Potential – Danil is a power play guy in professional hockey. At the World Junior A Challenge he was particularly impressive on the penalty kill, where being down a man did not discourage him from trying to score and make plays offensively. We are not sure if this will translate into his professional game, but it shows the confidence he has in himself when trying to make plays. Intangibles – He has always put up points playing Internationally against the best players in his age group. We expect this to continue in the professional hockey and he has the natural instincts to be a top line player in the NHL. Danil is going to get paid to play hockey. His consistency will determine how much.
Simon Knak (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B-) Forward
Neutral Zone NHL’s Donald Godreau, May 2020: Knak is a nice skater. He has a fluid stride and shows good pop out of his cross overs. He gets nice and deep in his turns and produces good power out of his edges. Knack plays a smart game positionally. On the forecheck, he pressures with good speed and aggression, but will also force defenders into making plays where he wants them to by taking away options and attacking at good angles with a good stick positionally. He reads off of his teammates well, and shows nice acceleration when reacting to the play in front of him and getting to good areas on the ice. Offensively he likes to open up his hips and present his chest to attackers. He uses his lower body strength and solid edge work to protect the puck and slide away from defenders. He has soft hands and sends nice passes around the ice. He sees the ice well and makes quick decisions with the puck. Knak has a quick release, and can snap pucks quickly on the one timer. He does well to find those soft areas, and will sit and wait for his opportunity. Defensively he plays with active feet. On the penalty kill he forces plays with his aggression, but doesn’t play reckless. Simon doesn’t play with natural physicality, and often times, he will limit his opportunities by staying on the fray of the play instead of jumping into the scrum and trying to make things happen. Adding strength and gaining confidence in his abilities in the tougher areas is going to be an important step in his development moving forward. Grade: C
2020 NHL Draft Right Wing Rankings: Simon was Neutral Zone’s 24th rated right wing eligible for the 2020 NHL draft in our May rankings.
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran, February 2020: Simon is a big strong winger with a fluid stride. He’s not the most physical player, but I feel he’s making the adjustment to the Western Hockey League pretty quickly. He takes really smart angles while forechecking in both the neutral and offensive zones and shows very good awareness on 50-50 pucks. Meaning, he doesn’t commit to a puck just because it’s sitting there. He reads where his linemates are and judges if the risk is worth the reward. He uses very good offensive instincts to provide support all over the ice and he can extend offensive zone time or cycling time through his puck protection skills. Simon does not make hope passes. Instead he plays with his eyes up looking for options. It will be very interesting to see how he does down the stretch because he could really move himself up in the rankings with a strong finish to his rookie Western Hockey League season.
February NHL Draft Rankings: Simon was ranked #107 in Neutral Zone’s February draft rankings with a ‘B-‘ NHL draft grade.
December 1st NHL Draft Rankings: Simon was Neutral Zone’s 59th ranked 2020 NHL draft prospect.
WHL – Ranking the 2020 NHL Draft Prospects, October 2019: Simon was Neutral Zone’s 11th ranked Western Hockey League 2020 NHL Draft prospect with a ‘B’ NHL grade. He was our 6th highest rated forward.
Ole Bjorgvik Holm (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B-) Defense
OHL – Mississauga Steelheads NHL vs North Bay Battalion, February 2020: Ole played a steady smart two way game. By nature European defenders are very good at gapping up because of the puck possession game played in Europe, and certainly Ole is no exception. Today his lateral movement along the lines was exceptional and his active stick forced turnovers and off-sides. Offensively Ole moved the puck quickly and stayed out of trouble. He used his long stride to join the rush as an extra attacker, but he never put individual glory over team success. I believe that as he grows into himself and begins to feel more comfortable playing in North America that Ole will become more of a physical presence. I liked his game and I like his potential. Game Grade: B-
OHL – Mississauga Steelheads vs Erie Otters, February 2020: Ole played better as the game went on and by the third period he was playing a very effective two way game. He retrieved pucks with pace while shoulder checking and was a catalyst for clean breakouts and zone exits. There were instances early in the game where I felt he was too passive while defending line rushes or while trying to clear shooting lanes, but as the game became more physical and chippy Ole started to shine. He used his smooth stride to close on opponents and eliminate them all over the ice and when he made body contact it was obvious that he is 6’3″ and 200 pounds. He had a few hard shots from the point and he looked like a young defender who has the chance to blossom in a few years. Game Grade: B-
Ville Ottavainen (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B-) Defense
Kitchener Rangers vs London Knights, February 2020: The big bodied right shot defender continues to show development in his pace and foot speed as the season progresses. The first year OHL defender’s game is developing as he better understands the pace and adjusts. He continues to make smart decisions with the puck. He plays a simple, steady game in transition with good crisp passes and a heads up game in his own end. He showed good puck decisions and poise under pressure and doesn’t always look for the wrap around on the breakout. At 6’4″, Ville has great size and length but needs to continue to develop his pace and foot speed to close gaps on opposition players. Defensively, his gaps on the defensive side of the puck need to be tighter. Offensively, an increase in his overall pace would help engage more frequently in the two way game. Game Grade: C+
OHL – Owen Sound at Kitchener, October 2019: An import defender from Finland who was drafted in the first round of the 2019 OHL import draft. Ville is big bodied right shot defenseman with a calm demeanor offensively. He does not panic under pressure and will effectively find teammates moving at top speeds. He shows a patient approach to let plays develop and he use his partner well to dictate the pace of play during transition and breakouts. Ville is not afraid to engage in the rush and support offensively in a second wave. He also has the ability to skate the puck into the offensive zone. Defensively he is playing as a top 4 defender and looks poised against older more experienced forwards. He has an excellent reach, but may rely on it too much as opposed to using his big frame to help him win puck battles. As his physical game develops he will be a very interesting defender to watch. He is quickly adjusting to the OHL and North American game – and at 6’4, Ville has the potential to develop into a strong skilled defender. Game Grade: B
Elis Hede (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Elis just completed his first season in North America playing for the high flying Chicago Steel. Although he do not produce like some of his highly touted teammates, we feel he is player to keep an eye on. Elis is a smart crafty skilled forward who can generate offense from all three zones. He uses his speed and agility to be very dangerous in transition and if there is a turnover at his defensive blueline Elis is gone. He can make defenders lean, cross their feet and in general look foolish in open ice and he works give & goes very well. Elis is strong on the puck and does an excellent job shielding it while extending the cycle to find open teammates. His clean first touch allows him to have that extra split second in traffic and he is confident making plays when there is chaos around him. He is exceptionally quick from a stand still and has a wide powerful base on power turns. Elis has a hard snap shot that he disguises very well and he has the ability to shoot through defender’s legs. A hard accurate one timer makes him especially dangerous on line rushes or when finding the open area in the high slot.
Jan Bednar (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B) Goalie
Czech Republic U18 5-Nations Draft Evaluations: Jan is 6’4 goalie who moves well laterally and plays big. On this hard working team he was quite possibly the best player and we feel improved his draft positioning. He did an excellent job of controlling the game and settling the Czech play down when things would appear to be a on the verge of getting out of control. On the penalty kill his lateral movement and rebound control limited their opposition’s power play and rarely lead to second, never mind third scoring chances. Jan plays the puck well and has the ability to catch the other team in line changes that would ultimately result in quick transition for the Czech Republic team.