After a slower than expected start to the season, Cole Perfetti is heating up and proving why he came into his draft year ranked 6th in The Neutral Zone Prospect Draft Rankings, but he is not the only Spirit player who is earning some attention. Ilya Solovyov, Ethan Cardwell, Mitchell Smith & Sebastian Bulovs are in the conversation as well.
Cole Perfetti (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A, NZ NHL Draft Rank – 6) Forward
Perfetti had a first class outing vs Guelph (11/16/19) in our most recent viewing. He continues to produce offensively for Saginaw and is the key offensive catalyst for his team and in the top 10 in league scoring. Perfetti is particularly effective at managing pucks on the power play and is incredibly dangerous with time and space. Perfetti was head and shoulders better tonight than in our last viewing on Oct 25 vs London. He registered one assist on the score sheet, but created opportunities on most shifts and with stronger finishing from his teammates Perfetti could have had a big offensive night. He has the ability to generate high quality scoring chances out of nothing and the players around him enjoyed a number of open looks in good shooting areas with elite passes from Perfetti. We are seeing great development of Perfetti’s strength as he matures and this core strength is adding to his pace through the neutral zone. Perfetti has always been a deceptive stick handler, but now we see an added dimension to his game with improved pace in transition. We continue to like Perfetti’s puck movement and give and go game. A heads up player – his stick is always ready, his body positioning is excellent, he knows how to get to open space and he has the poise to find the right player in all 3 zones. Game Grade: A
Ilya Solovyov (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Defense
Solovyov is a 2000 birth year left shot defender with good size and offensive upside. Saginaw’s first round pick in the 2019 OHL import draft, Solovyov hails from Belarus was an excellent find for Saginaw. Solovyov is an efficient skater with a good first step and at 6’2 he has great length and reach. He used these assets well to manage gap on the defensive side of the puck and win pucks in his zone. Solovyov is a confident defender who doesn’t back in and looks to make defensive plays in all zones of the ice. Offensively, he handles pucks well under pressure and was effective at finding players in transition and on the breakout. He engages offensively on the second wave of the attack and showed good IQ to add depth and a secondary option on the Saginaw attack. A draft eligible defender on the ice with a number of previously drafted players and he looked as strong as any defender and played with poise and confidence on both sides of the puck. Solovyov managed the first unit power play effectively for Saginaw and scored on a rocket from the top of the umbrella. He has the shot, mobility, and vision to score regularly and with some increased accuracy on his heavy shot we anticipate more offensive output from Solovyov as he continues to adjust to his first year in the OHL. Game Grade: C+
Ethan Cardwell (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C-) Forward
Cardwell presents challenges for defenders with his speed and high energy game. His pace and acceleration are noticeable every shift. He is most effective in transition, where defenders need to stand up and be aware of his speed. Cardwell is difficult to contain on the cycle when he keeps his feet moving and he plays a good give and go game, particularly on the go side of the equation where his first step gives him the ability to create separation from defenders. Cardwell had a handful of open looks during this viewing, but could not beat a hot Nico Daws in the Guelph net. Increased accuracy and focus with his shot would help as he missed a few chances wide of the net while he was trying to get them off quickly. As his confidence and poise around the net increase he has the potential to produce more consistently offensively. Cardwell plays with an edge and competes hard for loose pucks. He is not afraid to engage physically anywhere on the ice and creates turnovers on the fore-check. He is a player who needs to continue to work on his strength and core to allow him to fight through traffic and win more pucks in all zones, but he is trending in the right direction. Game Grade: C
Mitchell Smith (4.25 Amateur Star Rating, NHL Grade — C-) Defense
Mitchell has a strong background, but is still adjusting to the size, strength and consistency of the players in the Ontario Hockey League. A Neutral Zone NHL scout described him – “Mitchell has a wide base and he is a strong, fast skater who will skate the puck up ice & is confident to take the puck to the net or make plays in the offensive zone. He has a hard accurate shot from the point and his shots hit the net. He plays with is head up & has the ability to find the back door player as well. He has a quick first step & is solid in the defensive zone by being physical and taking away the opponent’s time and space.” We expect Mitchell to earn more ice time and contribute more as the season progresses.
Sebastian Bulovs (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C-) Forward
Bulovs is six games into his OHL career, but this is what one of our Ontario scouts had to say about him – “Bulovs has an incredible first step and he has elite top speed. Most games he is the fastest player on the ice and is able to cause defenders to back off when he is on the attack. He is difficult to handle in transition and especially during the cycle when he lowers his shoulder in an attempt to attack the net. We feel that if Bulovs learns how to use a change a pace he will generate higher quality offensive opportunities and we would like to see him utilize the give and go game more often.”