| Frank Nazar | NTDP U18 | USHL | R | F | 5’10” | 174 | Michigan | 2022 | Chesterfield, MI | 2004 | 2021-2022: A- |
USHL: USNTDP vs Chicago Steel, October 10, 2021: In the 5-1 win versus the Steel Nazar earned 15:22 in total ice time, including 0:13 while on the power play and 1:10 while short handed. Statistically he finished with 1 assist, was plus 1, with 2 shots on goal, 3 grade “A” scoring chances, he won 8 of 13 face-offs, had 1 hit and 2 giveaways versus 4 takeaways. Nazar is a high end offensive talent who showed real defensive awareness versus Chicago. He knew his responsibilities while defending the cycle, after a lost face-off and he changed with the intent of making sure the next center up was not caught in a bad situation. His primary assist on Leonard’s goal was the result of a head’s up defensive play and a very quick release on a rocket pass to a streaking linemate.
U18: USNTDP vs Cornell, October 23, 2021: In the 4-2 loss to Cornell Nazar earned 17:37 in total ice time, including 1:58 while on the power play and 1:55 while short handed. Statistically he finished with 1 assist, was plus , 1 shot on goal, 3 grade “A” scoring chances, 1 minor penalty, won 5 of 10 face-offs and had 10 giveaways versus 5 giveaways. Throughout the game Nazar used his speed to create pressure on the Cornell defensemen as an F1 in the neutral zone and while on the forecheck. Although he received a hooking penalty while short handed we feel that the penalty is something that will not be called in professional hockey because he used an explosive burst of speed to get on the right side of the puck, and in all honesty he just easily could have drawn a penalty. He showcased his offensive skill set and offensive thinking in spurts. We have seen Nazar more involved, yet playing against an older more physical NCAA team might have limited his chances a little bit.
USHL: USNTDP vs Sioux City Musketeers, September 25, 2021: In the 4-2 Team USA win Nazar earned 15:52 in total ice time, including 1:47 while on the power play and an additional 2:09 while short handed. Statistically he finished with 1 goal, was plus 1, had 5 shots on goal, 4 grade “A” scoring chances, won 3 of 9 face-offs and had 3 giveaways versus 2 takeaways. Nazar’s goal was what really caught our eye in this one. He and his linemates were putting on a clinic of how to create space / passing lanes while cycling and Nazar rolled through the royal road positioning himself for a dot width one-timer into an open net. The play looked simple and he was wide open, but quite frankly it was his offensive game awareness that made the goal happen.
USHL: USNTDP vs Youngstown Phantoms, March 19, 2021: In the 4-2 win versus Youngstown Nazar earned 16:39 in total ice time, including1:43 while on the power play and 0:40 while short handed. Statistically he had 1 power play goal, 2 assists, finished plus 1, 3 shots on goal, with 2 grade “A” scoring chances (1PP), won 5 of 9 face-offs and had 5 giveaways versus 3 take aways. Nazar may have earned 2 assists, but what we liked about them was what he did after the pass. On the first he applied back pressure that caused a turnover allowing Boucher to gather the loose puck for a quick 2 on 1. As Boucher attacked the net Nazar sprinted to the back door opening up for a one-timer. Simply, his effort was the distraction that allowed Boucher to have more time and space so he could pick his corner. On the second he gave a blueline to blueline stretch pass and then sprinted up the ice and should there have been a rebound opportunity Nazar would have been the first player there for a tap in. His goal came on the power play where he was the bumper. His game awareness, anticipation and quick stick allowed him to slam home an open net rebound.
USHL: Chicago Steel vs NTDP U17, February 24, 2021: Nazar is a smooth-skating forward who used his speed to generate odd-man rush opportunities. He read the play well and was quick to transition the puck to an offence where he used his skating to create separation or force bad gaps. He registered a goal in this game after he capitalized on a rush chance, which came after the puck was turned over by the Steel in the neutral zone. On the play, he anticipated the turnover that was forced by his teammate and took off out of his zone. He caught a pass in stride, beat the defender down the wall with speed, and ripped a hard shot just inside the elbow of the net with his feet moving. His release was quick and the shot was heavy and accurate, especially with his feet moving. Overall, his skating is his best asset and he makes opposing defenders uncomfortable with his speed and tendency to anticipate turnovers before jumping to offence. Grade: A-
USHL: Des Moines, Sioux Falls, NTDP 17, Chicago, November 28, 2020: Small forward with blazing agility and north south speed. He is a guy that is all over the ice, not necessarily out of place, he just looks like hes going a million miles an hour at all times. Where his game excels in small areas with his stickhandling and deceptive moves. Grade: A
U17: USNTDP vs Soo Eagles, October 15, 2020: Frank is a smooth skater with quick hands and makes the game look easy. He has the ability to read the turnover and will transition to offence quickly as he had 3 breakaways but failed to capitalize. He has great vision as he will set up his teammates for goal opportunities as he made a nice pass on a 2 vs 1 and set up some passes in the slot. He is quick out of the corners with his speed and low center of gravity as he is difficult to put the body on him. Grade B
MAHA Bantam Festival 2004, April 19, 2020: Frank is an exciting player to watch as he scored an end to end rush to score a goal. He uses his speed and stick handling skills to weave through the defenders. He has a quick, accurate release as he scored another goal going top shelf. He will also make nice set ups for his teammates with his head up plays and passing skills. This evaluation was originally written in July of 2017. We came across it doing some “house cleaning” and loved seeing all of the familiar names with their evaluations. We thought it would be interesting to look back at what our scouts said about them as Bantams.
U15: HPHL Playoffs, February 2020: Frank is a highly skilled player who makes the game look easy and effortless. He is a smooth skater with great edge work who doesn’t look he gets tired. He has great vision with the ability to have the puck on his stick for one second and manage to find the open player. He has quick hands with quick feet to beat defenders in the traffic. He has a quick release and the ability to get open in the offensive zone. The opponents tried to get in his head and play physical and he played right through it. He set up his teammates for numerous goals and other scoring opportunities. He is very effective off of the rush as he creates opportunities by passing the puck off quickly and getting open for a return pass.
U15: Toronto Marlies Classic, February 2, 2020: Nazar is smart with the puck and is great getting the puck over in a 2-on-1 situation using fakes or other motions to get the D to make the first move. He is not afraid of the physical play and uses his body to shield off defenders and get to the puck first in a race. Nazar continues to show a great first step in tight spaces to get into scoring lanes and his pace off the rush was very difficult to handle. Nazar continues to show among the top all round offensive players in the age group. When he is going he has the ability to create offense on nearly every shift. Grade: A
U15: Whitby Silver Stick (2004s), December 2019: Nazar won’t jump out as an elite player with his size or speed but his play with the puck and vision do. He is relaxed and under control and draws defenders wide creating many lanes that his teammates will fill knowing they will get the puck. After a faceoff win and getting the puck on the half-wall, he consistently found the weak side D cutting to the net and created many primary assists on this patented play that was rarely defended against. Nazar protects the puck with his body on the cycle and is a constant threat to hit the seam for a scoring opportunity, often leaving the goalie wondering if a pass or shot is coming as he plays with his head up and can look away to make pass and freeze the goalie. Grade: A
U15: Battle of the Border, November 2019: Nazar has exceptional vision with the puck on his stick and makes finesse passes in tight. He is strong on his stick and wins battles for loose pucks by outmuscling defenders. He is quick transitioning to offense with the puck and can pull away from defenders when he gets a step. He looks for an offensive break by sneaking behind defenders in the neutral zone and uses his speed to drive hard to the net. Nazar controls the puck on his off wing on the PP and needs to use his vision rather than forcing shots from bad angles. GRADE: A-
U15: USHL Showcase, October 25, 2019: Cerebral playmaking right-shot that is a threat to score each time he touches the puck. Plays under control and processes the game quickly with and without the puck. Sees the ice and is creative making touch-plays in all three zones. He has an explosive first step which lets him get from a standstill to top speed in a few strides. Elusive through the neutral zone and makes defenders miss in space. Always around the net and will reappear in space right before the puck gets to him. The Michigan commit was one of the most skilled playmakers here this weekend and will be a highly sought after prospect for the team that takes him in the OHL. NTDP candidate. Grade: A College: Michigan
USA Hockey Select 15 Development Camp, August 24, 2019: Nazar entered camp as one of the most coveted prospects in the country and did not disappoint. He had 4 goals and 4 assists and was arguably the fastest, most dynamic, skilled forwards in the whole camp. He can hit full speed in only a few steps, he has a quick, accurate release and showed the ability to score from outside, from dekes in tight and on quick stick rebounds. He creates separation with shifty feet and elusive stick skill and uses change of speed and deception to beat defenders 1v1. His speed is next level, he consistently wins races to loose pucks and pulls away from opponents in the neutral zone leading several odd man rushes up the ice. His most impressive play may be one that he didn’t even score on; he blew past 3 opponents in the neutral zone with a gear few players at this age have and cut in with a quick deke move that was trickling into the net before an opposing defender cleared it out. He’s not just speed and talent; he has a potent shot and shoots to score, he’s selfless and showed great vision especially on the power play and he’s got jam to his game. He’s a pest on the forecheck, he gets in quickly on defenders, plays physical and competes hard. While his offensive ability is obvious he was slow getting back to help defensively, he cheated the play at times and showed poor body language at times when frustrated. His ability makes him a targeted player and if he wants to reach his full potential he needs to ignore it or play through it and not react and get distracted. Highly skilled prospect with NTDP upside. Grade: A College: Michigan
World Selects Invite 2004 Division, July 10, 2019: Nazar is a high speed, dynamic playmaker who can access his full skill set at top pace. He’s explosive; he can separate with both his stickhandling and his feet and has a quick release in stride. His best play was a slick stick deke around a defender and cut to the net, fell to his knees and while on his knees continued to deke the goalie and scored. His hands are so quick and elusive that he’s nearly impossible to defend against in tight areas and he plays better in congested areas where he has to make quick decisions and rely on his instincts. He had 3 goals and 2 assists in 7 games and showed the speed, the release, the puck skill, creativity and offensive instincts to create scoring chances out of nothing. He was also an effective penalty killer and used his energy and acceleration to pressure the puck on the forecheck. He scored a goal just two minutes into the playoff game going end to end, dangling defenders and scoring on a quick stick deke move. Highly athletic, high pace, high skill forward who made a ton of plays here. College: Michigan Grade: A
MAHA Festival 2004s, June 30, 2019: Frank creates scoring chances on almost every shift by using his explosive speed and superior stick handling skills. He is strong on his skates and will play a physical game to create scoring chances. He scored a pretty goal on a breakaway by using his speed and quick hands. He then scored another goal in the high slot by using his quick release. He has great vision and the ability to set up his teammates for scoring chances. He is very effective off the cycle and the ability to beat defenders 1 vs 1 and he is constantly moving his feet. College: Michigan
U14: USA Hockey Nationals U14, April 30, 2019: Nazar led the whole tournament and earned a commitment to Michigan soon after. He is very fast, extremely dangerous on the rush and off the edge. He has elite edges and can change direction quickly without losing speed. His shot is lethal and his vision is excellent. An absolute magician with the puck, he made multiple Defenseman look silly. It was too easy the whole week for him. He is talented and has a very high ceiling. Played great in the playoffs and moved pucks quickly as he was a clear target for other teams. Played in every key situation. He will have to get better defensively as he moves along but we noted he worked hard on the backcheck so the effort is there. Not much to complain about with his performance. Elite player with a bright future. College: Michigan
U14: Silver Stick Finals 2004s, February 10, 2019: Frank was one of the better prospects in Port Huron. He has good size and speed. He was electric at times and took the eyes of opponents and off his teammates. He is patient with the puck and was able to wheel and wait for plays to open up. He waited for them to make mistakes n coverage and then would attack via pass or a drive to the net. Puck possession forward who did not want to dump the puck. Values possession. Showed poise on one 2v1 rush vs Don Mills as he beat one D with his speed to create the chance. Frank then held the puck, waited, waited, then just as the other D left his feet, Nazar stopped and let him slide by and made a perfect pass. No goal but a real smart, mature play. Has excellent cross zone vision. He pushed pace, beat defensemen and made the correct plays all weekend. Backchecked and simply took the puck from players and started back the other way. Jumped to avoid hits, took hits to make plays. He is quick and fast and got to pucks we never thought he could get to. Impressive performance. He has improved since the Fall and stood out on an excellent team here. Grade: A
U14: CCM World Invite, November 14, 2018: Nazar played a really nice two-way game. Created a good number of offensive chances and displayed good puck skills and feet, all the while having a strong showing on the backcheck and defensive zone. He can be plugged into any situation and is very versatile. Grade: A
U14: USHL Fall Classic, October 24, 2018: Frank is a good-sized prospect who is strong on his edges, can make plays in traffic areas and showed the hands to make plays. He gets in on the forecheck and disrupts, he can win battles in the corner and gets from the corners to the net in a few powerful strides. He plays best when he’s going hard and being tough to play against. Grade: B-
STX 68 Combine, August 20, 2018: Nazar’s game really came on around the second half of his second game. He was not overly noticeable prior to that but something seemed switch on and his game really upped itself. He wound up with the puck a lot and was really engaged and going hard after puck carriers in all three zones. Strong defensive effort and was good with the puck in the tough areas of the offensive zone. Interested to see more of him this season and whether he can find the latter half of his game more consistently
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
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