Melvin Wersall

NZ’s Director of NHL Scouting Ian Moran says: Wersall is an average sized left shot forward who plays his off side right wing. He has a slight frame, but is a willing net front presence. On net front rebounds or 10′ races for loose pucks he has a very quick stick and relies on his puck anticipation to establish body positioning to extend puck possession or generate scoring opportunities. He has a slightly bowlegged skating posture that allows him to protect the puck while cycling and while attacking outside the dot lane on his off wing. Wersall does not have elite speed, but interestingly he is the type of player who seems faster while the puck is on his stick. While avoiding defenders he shows a strong outside edge and powerful cross-under that allows him to create separation after contact. At both the U18 and U20 level Wersall is regularly used on the power play, often being positioned as the bumper. Up until this point in the 2022/23 season he has rarely been used as a penalty killer. I like that he is willing to take a hit to make a play, but it’s a bit concerning that he gets hit as often as he does on the Olympic sheet playing junior hockey in Sweden and he would like to see him win more 50/50 puck battles.