On February 7th Neutral Zone watched the Saginaw Spirit travel to London, ONT to take on the Knights in a game that was really dominated by the Knight’s veterans, but when all was said and done how did the Spirit’s 2020 NHL Draft eligible players look?
Ilya Solovyov (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Defense
In my mind this was a great game to be able to evaluate Ilya. London’s forwards are a handful for any defenseman and I feel that he played well. London does not want to dump the puck in and there is a retrieval plan when they do. Ilya played with a tight gap and he showed good anticipation by having an active stick that caused a few turnovers and off-sides. When the puck was dumped in he was very effective starting breakouts and working for his partner to be an outlet. His consistent shoulder checks allowed him to read the play and when there wasn’t an outlet Ilya was able to move his feet and create offense. There were times when he tried to do much offensively (especially at the offensive blueline), but when he kept it simple he was a positive factor. I like his ability to one-touch passes in transition and he has a very nice stride and lateral mobility. Game Grade: B
Dalton Duhart (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — Free Agent) Forward
Dalton finished with two goals and had a very impactful game. As a team Saginaw was flying early and Dalton was a major factor in their tremendous road start. He used his speed to generate turnovers as an F1 on the forecheck and he was very good at creating the chaos needed for an aggressive forecheck to work properly. His first goal was a result of just that, as he and his linemates won puck battles to generate offense off of the cycle. On a quick play below the goal line he found the soft area where he pumped home a one-timer in the slot. I really feel this is his bread and butter. Dalton is strong and aggressive and can really be a disruptive force when he gets in and bangs around. He can be a huge part of a team’s success and his style tonight is suited for the playoffs. Game Grade: A-
Cole Perfetti (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A) Forward
Cole was on fire early in this one. He generated opportunities out of thin air and was generally impressive. His ability to change angles while shooting is special and, even though he did not end up on the score sheet, Cole was a positive factor for the Spirit. As always he was dangerous on the power play where his vision and poise are an incredible asset and if you give him space he is as entertaining a player as there is in this draft class. Game Grade: B-
Mitchell Smith (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Mitchell’s biggest asset are his feet and his brain. It’s tough to say a player improved in a 7-3 loss, but I felt he got better and better as this one went on. He seemed to be puck watching during his first few shifts and defensively his stick was in the air, but that all changed at about the 10 minute mark of the first. He began to play stick on puck and eliminated the cycle quickly by using his skating ability to take away time and space. He worked to be an outlet during neutral zone transition and his passes were crisp.