On January 27th we watched Drummondville travel to Sherbrooke to take on The Phoenix. Here are the prospects who made the biggest impact;
Thimo Nickl (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B+) Defense
Game Grade: B-, Nickl, an Austrian-born defender, has some appealing qualities–mainly, a smooth skating stride and a good sense of poise. Ranked number 51 by NHL Central Scouting among North American Skaters, Nickl is an intriguing prospect. His puck moving ability and footwork help him to escape oncoming fore-checkers, and find teammates for exit passes. He did not shy away from contact, but is a bit light/skinny. He is a good puck mover on the PP, and is used on the Kill as well. He did struggle to defend the rush, getting burned on an entry for a goal against, and was caught puck watching for another Phoenix scoring chance. A two-way type defender with good mobility, Nickl could develop into a quality player with some defensive work. Look for him to be selected come June.
William Dufour (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
Game Grade: B, Dufour is a big winger, checking in at 6’2 and tipping the scales at 198 on the roster listing. The NHL CSS 99th ranked North American Skater showed good play making ability in this match, setting up two goals with primary assists. The first came on a cross-ice pass on the PP, and the second on a cross-seam pass on an entry for a wide open tap in for his teammate. He has the ability to enter wide, protect the puck, and manage a scoring chance with a defender on him. Dufour battled on the wall in his own end as a winger, getting pucks out safely. His speed is not going to blow anyone away, but he can skate well enough. His size and offensive ability are attractive and will help keep his name around the Draft this June.
Xavier Simoneau (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
Game Grade: B, NHL CSS 211th.. Simoneau may be smaller in stature–listed at 5’7 and 179 pounds–but his work ethic and heart are bigger than that. A very important player for the Voltigeurs, he deservedly wears the “C” on his sweater. A skilled forward with quick feet, Simoneau is a talented passer–setting teammates up for scoring chances on the PP and at even strength. His work on the penalty kill was impressive, battling to clear pucks and getting up the ice applying pressure on the fore-check. He takes the majority of the draws for Drummondville, and plays a lot of minutes in all situations. A pass-first guy, Simoneau is having a great year offensively, and his work ethic sticks out above others. He is ranked 211th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in his 2nd year of draft eligibility.
Jacob Dion (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B) Defense
Game Grade: B-, Dion is a two-way defender with offensive upside. He defends the rush well thanks to his footwork and a good defensive stick–disrupting plays for opposing forwards on entries. He is the main carrier of the puck for breakouts on the PP, showing a great first pass ability. He isn’t all that big, but has good mobility and picks up sticks in front of the net in battles. He showed good hands and was able to get pucks through to the net offensively. Probably will not be drafted this summer, but he is one to keep an eye on.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Game Evaluation: William White