Game Evaluation Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (1/7/2020) NHL Prospects
Simon Pinard (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
Pinard is a talented player for the Armada. The 2001 born skater is C-Rated for the 2020 NHL Draft by Central Scouting, and after watching him it is easy to see why. He is a quick skater with a good amount of skill–able to make plays on entries and reacting on turnovers, generating scoring chances for his team. Though he didn’t reach the scorecard here, Pinard created chances in each period in all strength situations–including a rush on the penalty kill. Pinard lacks a bit of strength, but has a good stick on the forecheck and got to the net for chances in tight. Lost a wall battle for a goal against but was otherwise a productive teammate–averaging a point per game this season. Game Grade: B-
Luke Henman (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+, 2018 Round 4 #96 Carolina Hurricanes) Forward
Henman is the Captain for Blainville-Boisbriand, leading by example on the ice. He isn’t the biggest player–listed at only 164 pounds–but he works hard to win pucks. His line took over the game on a few shifts, cycling and ending with Henman finding his linemates for scoring chances with good passes, tallying one assist on a deflected shot. The first of his two goals showed his hand-eye coordination, as he batted a rebound out of the air to give the Armada a 3-0 lead. His second goal came on a pretty 2v1 give-and-go with a quick and accurate finish, the Armada’s 4th and the eventual game winner. Henman also saw time in all special teams situations. The 2018 Carolina 4th round draft pick is having a productive year as a 19 year old. Game Grade: A-
Maxim Bykov (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Forward
Born in July of 2002, Bykov is a young skater eligible for the NHL Draft this June. His game against the Huskies was solid–netting two goals and finishing at a whopping +5. His big frame was effective as a screen on the PP and he finished checks as a fore-checker. Bykov’s skating is decent, and his work rate helps keep him in plays. His first goal was pretty, jumping on a loose puck and making a move to his backhand to finish. His second goal came on a nice deflection after a dominant shift. His size and offensive ability stand out, and I liked his work ethic. Game Grade: A-
Yaroslav Likhachyov (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Forward
|Yaroslav*Likhachev| – Grade: B+, Likhachev had a productive game for the Armada–tallying an empty net goal and 3 assists, and finishing the game +4. The right shot forward put 5 pucks on net, a couple of them coming from the shooting position on the Power play. His skating is just OK, but he seemed to be able to get to scoring areas and find passing lanes well. One assist came on a cycle, the next came on a sneaky face- off win where he shot it from the dot, and the third came on a great give-and-go play where he faked a shot and slid it over for a tap-in for his linemate. Likachev is having a great season averaging over a point per game.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Game Evaluation: William White