Thimo Nickl (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — A-) Defense
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran, May 2020: I thought Thimo adjusted really well to playing in North America. We knew he could skate and had the offensive capabilities to be a real asset on any sized sheet, but we didn’t know how long his transition to the smaller sheet would take. To be blunt, he adjusted quickly and every time we saw him he looked dramatically more confident in all situations. His defensive reads were decisive and, like I said, more confident. His chest was high, his hips were down and Thimo played stick on puck when initiating contact or shutting down the cycle. He seemed to get stronger as the season progressed, which was a really nice thing to see, and he became a much more consistent net front defender. A lot of Europeans struggle with consistency during the first year in North America once February starts, but Thimo looked more engaged mentally and ready for the stretch run. He is a really interesting prospect who I think goes in the second round. His skating ability will always earn him opportunities, but I was really impressed with how well he processed the game as the season went on.
QMJHL – Drummondville Voltigeurs NHL Prospects, March 2020: Nickl is a great skater. The 6’2 Austrian is a long and lanky, yet strong and balanced. He is able to accelerate with the puck on his stick to generate space for himself to skate for zone exits and move pucks up the ice. He looked more physical here than in past viewings, finishing a few guys along the wall with authority. He did have a few shots blocked while on the power play, but moved along the blueline very well to get his shots on net in 5 on 5 situations. One of his better assets is his puck-movement and decision making while on the power play, where he makes good passes especially while running the umbrella and was able to pick up a secondary assist on pretty Voltigeurs goal. Nickl is highly skilled right shot defender who Neutral Zone has ranked at number 54 and the 51st Ranked Skater in North America by NHL Central Scouting.
February NHL Draft Rankings: Thimo was ranked #54 in Neutral Zone’s February Draft Rankings and our 19th ranked defenseman.
QMJHL – Thimo Nickl’s game evaluation, February 2020: Extremely interesting prospect for the upcoming draft who has all the tools in becoming a solid top 4 defenseman at the next level. In this game against Gatineau, Nickl was great- quick heady puck movement in all three zones, poised on the offensive blue line and kept a tight gap on forwards attacking him on zone entries. Nickl wired a couple of impressive stretch passes on the tape allowing his forwards to easily gain the offensive zone. In the first period Nickl made a sharp cross box feed on a 4 on 4 situation giving his teammate an open look in front of the net before burying it after a nice deke. Nickl also finished off a one timer on a 5 on 3 power play, showing off once more his offensive prowess. There’s a lot of potential with Nickl as he possesses good size, an efficient skating stride and above average passing ability. He’s a prototypical modern-day pass puck moving defenseman that everyone wants on their team. Once Nickl puts on more weight filling out his long frame, he projects to be an extremely reliable defenseman at the next level. Game Grade: A- (Projected round 2-3) NHL Comparison: Jeff Petry
QMJHL – Drummondville Voltigeurs NHL Prospects, January 2020: 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.
