Phileas Lachat (G, L, 6’2″, 183, Biel-Bienne U20, 06/11/2006)
Tournament Grade: B
Lachat is an average sized goalie who showed a quick glove hand. We liked how shots to his glove stayed in his glove as they did not bounce out to create secondary scoring opportunities. There were times when Switzerland was under constant scoring pressure but he remained calm and poised understanding the importance of getting a whistle while his teammates were running around. Lachat showed good mental toughness when coming on in relief versus Finland playing the final 45 minutes. He gave up one goal on thirteen shots for a .929 svp but more importantly he stopped the bleeding and allowed his teammates to make a valiant comeback effort.
Christian Kirsch (G, L, 6’3″, 174, EV Zug, 06/18/2006, UMass Amherst)
Tournament Grade: C+
Kirsch is an average sized goalie with above average lateral quickness. On royal road passes he showed a nice combination of puck anticipation and inside edge explosiveness that allowed him to quickly move post to post so he was square with the puck when the shot arrived but on plays where the puck carrier controlled the puck for an extra second there were too many times when Kirsch made the first move which allowed him to be caught out of position. During in zone cycling he played tight to his post or at the top of his crease fighting for his ice and was strong through incidental contact. In the Five Nations Tournament he was the tale of two dramatically different goalies. In the game against Team USA he gave up seven goals in a full 60 minute effort for a 0.767 svp, while against Finland he only played 14:36 of the game but he gave up four goals for a 0.429 svp and 16.44 GAA. In his last game versus Czechia he won in OT stopping 33 of 35 for 1.97 GAA and a 0.934 svp.
Gian Meier (D, R, 6’2″, 170, GCK Lions U20, 07/10/2006)
Tournament Grade: B+
The captain of Team Switzerland. Meier is a 6’2″ right shot defenseman who is strong through contact but it still looks like his shoulder pads are swimming on him so we know he has room to fill out his 170lbs frame. In the defensive zone he maintained net side positioning through contact. We liked how after wall battles he would ride his man to the strong side post and then use his inside edges to slam on the breaks so his opponent could not gain net side positioning or set a screen. During defensive transition Meier surfed his opponents with a hidden poke check so that when the puck arrived he was able to go stick on puck to create turnovers. Offensively he played a simple direct game. He moved the puck without needing to stickhandle and his passes were where his teammates wanted them and they were on time. He was used in all situations and when his coaches had a choice they wanted him on the ice for defensive zone face-offs.
At this point we view Meier as a potential late round 2024 draft pick. Up until this point he has only played U20-Elit so if we were a drafting team we would want him to come to North America for the 24/25 season to play in the USHL so we could keep a close eye on him. We would want him to lengthen his development curve by earning a college commitment and then spending a few years on a college campus with a strength coach up his rear pushing him to get his 6’2″ frame to carry an explosive 210lbs. At that point you could see what you’ve got and that might just be a late round steal with leadership skills.
Paul Mottard (C, L, 5’11”, 159, Biel-Bienne U20, 09/26/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Mottard is a below average sized left shot forward who took shifts at both center and wing. He showed an upright skating posture with a stride that almost went straight back rather than at a 45 degree angle but he was quick and fluid with good straight line speed. Offensively he has the puck skills to one touch passes with authority through tight lanes or to put the puck into an area that his teammate could skate into. When shooting he has an expanded one-timer area with ability to fire passes that are wobbling or behind him. On line rushes we would have liked to have seen him use his skating ability to attack the middle ice or to skate the through the neutral zone at angle rather than being content to stay wide. We think there’s a good chance this was his first time in a while playing on the smaller ice sheet so he was used to feeling safe outside the dots. Defensively Mottard is still quite light and could be pushed off the puck during battles but he was conscientious about trying to stay on the defensive side of the puck. He is a September 2006 so he is not draft eligible until 2025.
Jamiro Reber (C, L, 5’10”, 168, HV71, 09/04/2006)
Tournament Grade: B
Reber is an undersized left shot center with a long fluid strides that finish with a toe snap. The puck does not slow him down. Offensively on a shift by shift basis he showed the agility and edge control to initiate body contact and then spring off the opponent into the open ice. There is no doubt that he wanted the puck on his stick looking to create give-and-goes and then take advantage of the odd man situations. Reber was elusive in one on ones and has the puck skills to make defenders lean then move the puck through the defender’s feet or triangle to a teammate or move passed the defender himself. His passes were on the money and with the touch so his teammate could make the next play. Defensively he attempted to use his feet to establish body positioning but he is still physically quite light so there were times that he could be pushed out of the way or off the puck.
As far as the 2024 NHL draft his offensive instincts will make teams take a longer look. Organizations will question his slight frame and whether he will be able to not only put on more weight but will he be able to carry it while maintaining his quickness.
Basile Sansonnens (D, L, 6’3″, 196, Gotteron U20, 08/19/2006)
Tournament Grade: B
Sansonnens is a long left shot defensive minded defender with an upright skating posture and long stride who is still developing his on ice explosiveness and quickness. Positionally he is sound and showed the patience to not get caught leaning or looking to make the highlight hit. In the defensive zone he was strong through contact while having the strength to pin his man to the wall after contact or the inside edge drive to clear shooting lanes. Offensively he was low risk looking to make the simple outlet pass and when he did not have a lane Sansonnens understood to use indirect passes into the space behind the opposing team.
NHL teams should be paying attention to his foot speed and if they feel he will do well on the smaller ice sheet because at this point the offensive side to his game is still developing and limited. We feel he will also have to add some snarl to his game if he is going to be a late round pick with a chance to play.
Joel Kurt (D, R, 5’11”, 163, Biel-Bienne U20, 05/16/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Kurt is a quick agile undersized right shot defender. He showed a smooth heel to heel pivot without needing to crossover to maintain or gain speed. Defensively he relied on his puck anticipation and footspeed to take away time and space by arriving at the same time as the puck. Once the puck was loose he showed a burst to win the race to start offensive transition. While his forwards were cycling in the offensive zone he looked to expand the zone by staying near the blueline but as soon as there was a loose puck he used his skating ability to shrink the zone to the tops of the circles to take way passing lanes or passing options. Offensively Kurt is a pass first player who looked to move the puck quickly and then jump passed his opponent into the open ice. He sees the ice well and we like that he had a plan before he received the puck but he was not married to making the play and could think on his feet if the passing lane was taken away.
NHL teams should be aware that he has worn a letter on passed teams and that the combination of his passing skills and skating could lead to success in North American styled hockey. He is player I would look to bring over to play in the USHL and then spend a few years developing physically with a college strength coach. Kurt’s lack of size is going to hurt his chances of being drafted but his quickness and passing ability should have teams taking a longer look.
Nolan Cattin (RW, R, 5’9″, 168, Biel-Bienne U20, 06/19/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Cattin is an undersized right shot forward who played primarily right wing. He showed a knee over toe skating posture and his feet were always in motion. Defensively he used an active stick to force turnovers, he stopped on pucks and then showed the hand strength to pop his opponents stick so he could win the 50/50 puck. Offensively Cattin used the same style of nonstop motion and effort to create opportunities from inside the house. Again he stopped on pucks looking to be on the net side of the battle so he could win the 50/50 for a shot or keep the play alive. Although we loved his work rate and high compete Neutral Zone does not view him as a potential draft pick at this time.
Nils Wehrli (RW, L, 5’11”, 174, Zug U20, 01/29/2006)
Tournament Grade: C
Wehrli is a left shot forward that plays the right side who looks bigger than his listed 5’11”. He showed a deep knee’d shoulder width skating base with three quarter length strides but his strides were powerful so he had good speed. Wehrli is a maximum effort winger who looked to get the puck to net as quickly as possible and then outwork his opponent for the rebound.
NHL teams should be aware that he has taken a step back offensively. Last year he had 6 points in games while playing U20-Elit for Zug and this year he has still been effective but he has 20 points in 40 games. We would have expected him to play at near a point per game pace.
Janis Weber (RW, L, 5’11”, 165, Sundsvall J20, 06/11/2006)
Tournament Grade: B-
Weber is a left shot forward with the skating ability and awareness to play both wings. He showed a deep knee’s skating base with a three quarter length stride and a return leg that lands on it’s flat edge. Defensively he was very conscientious as the weakside winger in the defensive zone as he did not drift to the wide ice and he was aware of when to collapse to provide support. Offensively he used his straight line speed to beat his opponent to the net for rebounds or to win races to 50/50 pucks along the walls. We do not view Weber as a threat to beat an opponent by making him lean in one on one situation but he most certainly will try to beat through strength and compete.
NHL teams should know that throughout his younger years he has had a nose for the net and this year is no different as he has scored 17 goals in 38 games plus an additional 2 goals in 4 games at the Five Nations Tournament. At this point we do not view him has a potential draft pick.
Nathan Borradori (LW, L, 5’9″, 168, Ambri-Piotta U20, 08/11/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Borradori is an undersized left shot forward with a powerful low center of gravity that he used to plow his way to the top of the crease looking for rebounds. On the forecheck he showed nice awareness and puck anticipation as he routinely jumped passing lanes to intercept passes. Offensively he looked to get the puck to the net and then win secondary opportunities though compete by out working his opponent.
At this point we do not view Borradori as a potential NHL draft pick.
Joel Grossniklaus (C, L, 5’11”, 154, Langnau U20, 03/30/2006)
Tournament Grade: C
Grossniklaus is a hard working direct left shot forward who played primarily forth line center. In the defensive zone he maintained net side positioning to pin his man to the wall and used a spring in his stride to beat his man up the ice in transition. We liked the attention to detail he showed by stopping on pucks and keeping his stick in potential passing lanes. Offensively he used his straight line speed to attack the middle lane before passing it to his teammate outside the dot-lane. Grossniklaus then used his speed to drive the net looking for rebounds.
Although we do not view Grossniklaus as a potential 2024 NHL draft pick we do think NHL teams should know that he has been a captain in the past that he has scored goals at the younger levels.
Leonardo Domenichelli (C, R, 5’8″, 165, Lugano, 06/15/2006)
Tournament Grade: C
Domenichelli is an undersized right shot forward with a very easy glide. He has the skating base that makes it look like he’s gaining speed without really exerting much effort. Defensively he looked to contain and then pick off passes to create transition. He maintained net side positioning throughout body contact while he attempted to pick the puck off his opponent and then go the other way. Offensively he felt comfortable staying out side the dots looking to draw his opponents out of position. Once he had an opponent drifting out of position Domenichelli showed the passing skills to put the puck through tight areas onto his teammate’s stick.
At this point we do not feel Domenichelli is a 2024 potential draft pick but we do feel he has the offensive instincts to be an impact player in International hockey over the next decade.
Loris Wey (RW, R, 5’9″, 150, EV Zug, 01/24/2006)
Tournament Grade: A
Wey is a high tempo right shot forward who showed a shoulder width deep knee skating posture with a full length stride no matter how deep into a shift he got. Defensively he used his quickness and anticipation to establish his ice early and the win the puck battles through hard work and determination. Offensively Wey did an excellent job of getting lost in coverage and the entering the scoring area just as the puck was coming to him. He showed an ease when handling bouncing pucks or poor passes as well as an expanded shooting zone. He shot with the purpose of scoring a goal or creating a secondary scoring opportunity for himself or his linemates not just ripping it hard and then seeing what happens.
Although he had an excellent Five Nations Tournament we do not see him as a potential 2024 NHL draft pick due to his size but we have no doubt that we will be seeing him play impactful hockey during international competition for a long time to come.
Robin Antenen (C, L, 6’1″, 190, Zug U20, 05/21/2006)
Tournament Grade: B+
Antenen is thickly built left shot left wing who showed good acceleration whether the puck was on his stick or not. As a puck carrier he looked to attack the center ice as much as possible and when a defender made contact with him he showed the strength and power to bull his way to the net. While cycling in the offensive zone we liked how he would trap the defender along the wall and then beat his man to the net front looking for tips and rebounds. Defensively there were times when he would cheat or drift expecting his teammate to win the battle and get him the puck but he would get back into position as soon as he realized that his teammate would not win the battle.
At this point we view Antenen as a potential late round 2024 selection and have him rated with a “C” draft grade.
Alessio Guignard (D, L, 6’0″, 170, Gotteron U20, 08/30/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Guignard is a slightly undersized left shot defenseman who has the footwork to play both sides. He showed an upright skating posture with half to three quarter length strides that landed on it’s flat edge. Defensively Guignard played an abrasive style looking to distract his opponent to get them off their game. He finished his checks with extra pop and sometimes maybe a tad late but he did it so consistently that there is no doubt that he was doing it intentionally. Offensively he was at his best when he moved the puck quickly, There were times late in shifts where he tried to do too much with the puck which led to turnovers and scoring opportunities against but, again, this usually only happened late in his shifts when he was tired.
At this point Neutral Zone does not view Guignard as a potential 2024 draft pick.
David Bosson (RW, R, 6’1″, 185, GCK Lions, 01/17/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Bosson is a powerful right shot forward who took shifts on both wings. Offensively we liked how he did not stay trapped along the wall. Instead he used his body to shield the opposing defender from the potential oncoming pass or from the puck while he was handling it. Although he did not score we feel he played with a shooter’s mindset and was constantly scanning the ice looking for potential passing lanes for him to drift into. In the offensive zone Bosson was strong on the puck and looked to attack the net as soon as his shoulder was in front of the defender’s. He showed a quick stick and the ability to one-time poor passes. Defensively he was detailed and patient.
Bosson has the frame to be a North American professional but at this point Neutral Zone has him with a “C” 2024 NHL draft grade due to his lack of offensive production while playing U20-Elit.
Mischa Geisser (D, L, 6’1″, 183, Zug U20, 01/26/2006)
Tournament Grade: B
Geisser is a 6’1″ left shot defender with a bit of an “A-frame” skating base. In the long term we would like to see him get his feet under him to more of a shoulder width stance. Defensively he used his strength to pin opponents to the walls when ending the cycle and he established his ice early when boxing out. Offensively his passes were hard flat and on time. During offensive transition Geisser was confident pulling the puck backwards through the neutral zone to draw a forechecker to him and then firing a rocket to a forward in the open ice. He walked the offensive blueline with confidence and his eyes up looking for shooting or passing lanes.
At this point Neutral Zone has Geisser rated as a “C” rated 2024 NHL draft prospect. We feel his ability to make passes under pressure and his size make him a defender that NHL teams should watch closely during the remaining months before the draft.
Niklas Blessing (D, L, 5’11”, 183, Biel-Bienne U20, 08/12/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Blessing is a steady left shot defender who has the footwork to play both the left or right side. He showed a shoulder width skating base with a forward leaning torso that did not slow him down but it did make him prone to leaning while defending line rushes. Once body contact was made he lowered his hips into a power position but at higher levels and stronger opponents his posture could give him some troubles while defending. Offensively he Blessing was confident with the puck and showed consistent passing deception that allowed him to find the center option in both the defensive and neutral zones. We also liked how he activated into the high slot during line rushes even when he knew he would not be getting a pass just so he would create confusion for his opponent’s coverage. Blessing showed some wiggle along the offensive blueline but he is still developing power on his shot.
Neutral Zone has Blessing rated with a “C” 2024 NHL draft grade but with improved skating posture and strength he could be a defender to draft late and then out on a serious off season strength and conditioning program.
Noe Tarchini (C, L, 5’11”, 163, Biel-Bienne U20, 06/06/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Tarchini is a lanky left shot center who played a diligent 200′ game. He showed an upright skating posture with long fluid strides and pop out of hard stops that allowed him to create separation. Defensively he tried to establish net side positioning early in coverage so he could not be pushed out of the way by stronger opponents. On transition he swung low and slow so his defensemen had a center option and he showed the first touch to handle both rockets in tight lanes as well as passes into his feet. While cycling in the offensive zone he used his quickness out of hard stops or power turns to win races for rebounds or loose pucks.
At this point in his development Neutral Zone does not have a 2024 draft grade assigned to Tarchini but with added strength he will be an impactful forward in international hockey for the Swiss.
Daniil Ustinkov (D, L, 6’0″, 198, ZSC, 08/26/2006)
Tournament Grade: B-
Ustinkov is a thickly built left shot defender with a powerful stride and good forward speed. He showed good pivoting and four-way mobility but he looks to still be developing his explosiveness and acceleration. Defensively he was confident playing with a tight gap and staying shoulder to shoulder with an opponent during coverage but there were rimes when he had difficulty staying with a more agile faster opponent. Offensively he moved the puck quickly and then looked to jump into the rush. His point shots were hard, accurate and generated rebounds.
At this point Neutral Zone has Ustinkov as a “C” rated 2024 draft prospect as we feel he needs to continue developing his explosiveness, quickness and change in direction.
Lenny Giger (C, L, 5’8″, 134, Rogle BK, 11/24/2006)
Tournament Grade: C+
Giger is an undersized left shot forward who has the game awareness to play all three forward positions. Despite his size he does an excellent job of annoying his opponents by bumping into them after whistles and stopping a little bit too close to their goalie after a save. While cycling we liked how he pushed off opposing defenders and then used his quickness to jump into open passing lanes with a prepared stick looking to be a shooting option. On the forecheck he was a disruptive F1 using his speed to cut the ice in half and when he was an F2 or F3 he jumped on the loose puck or forced the pass receiver as the puck was arriving. He liked to have conversations after the whistle and it appeared like he was not interested in making friends.
Giger is a November 2006 so he is well worth tracking to see how he continues to grow and fill out because we feel he has the temperament and skill set to be an effective player in North America.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images