General Game Notes: A high scoring game that needed overtime to decide the winner. The Sioux Falls Stampede were able to sneak out the victory forty seconds into extra time completing their late third period surge comeback.
|Gennadi^Chalyi|
Game Grade: B
Comments: Tonight Chalyi showed that many of his best sequences start on the breakout, where he manipulates the first forechecker, then passes off. He activates, gets the puck back, completes another give-and-go, then fires off a chance off the rush. His smooth skating is what allows himself to create chances and use the entire ice sheet to make plays. He has a jump in his step to beat players into space which is how he gets a lot of his puck touches.
NHL Grade: Potential college free agent. This season undersized defenseman is on pace for 15 goals and 32 points in 58 games. He has a low panic point and moves the puck quickly. This season he is winning 59% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|Chris^Pelosi|
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Pelosi showed tonight that he is more a precision passer than manipulative playmaker. He did a good job tonight at identifying the next play before even touching the puck. He connects plays with one-touch feeds in space, along the boards, or in-tight. Even from the backhand, he slices pucks through tiny openings to hit teammates working into space, and frequent hook pass use limits turnovers. He has the confidence to pass through guys under pressure.
NHL grade: Pelosi was selected in 2023 in the 3rd round at #92 overall by Boston Bruins. He is on pace for 25 goals and 62 points in 57 games. This season he is winning 53% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|Jon/JJ^Wiebusch|
Game GradeA-
Comments: Wiebusch has confidence with the puck and how he moves it, he has a deft touch and large handling radius. He facilitates his line mates rather well by protecting pucks along the boards and taking them to the inside while also providing a solid off-puck scoring threat. Something about his game that can go unnoticed because he has the puck so much in the offensive zone is his defensive value he provides by being engaged and physical when necessary.
NHL Grade: Potential college free agent signing. Wiebusch is pretty interesting as he is playing at an a point per game pace after 24 points 45 games during the 2023/24 season. He’s probably not going to be a goal scorer in professional hockey but there’s no way to deny that is showing serious year over year improvement. This season he is winning 45% of his 50/50 puck battles
|Jaksen^Panzer|
Game GradeB+
Comments: Panzer understands the playmaking game and that his deception works best against defensemen with bad gaps. You could tell during the game that he aims to keep the puck in control of his team as much as possible. He looks for controlled, easy plays all over the ice, and completes those with a skillful touch. Capable of hooking and slipping passes past defensive sticks. Small speed stature allows him to get in under the bigger defenseman to create space for himself.
NHL Grade: College free agent. This season he is winning 50% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|Beckett^Hendrickson|
Game Grade: A
Comments: Hendrickson showed tonight that he can be a relentless attacker who shows no hesitation to challenge defenders to a race to the net. In the offensive zone, he plants himself in the slot, welcoming any and all contact, showing craftiness and quick hands when the puck arrives. Battles hard for pucks and will create second and third attempts at the net from loose pucks. Uses his size to construct space and his size to control that space. His hand eye under contact was impressive as he was able to get a stick on a couple pucks from the point.
NHL Grade: Hendrickson was selected in 2023 in the 4th round at #124 overall by Boston Bruins. This season he is winning 44% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|Artur^Cholach|
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Cholach keeps his gap is tight off the rush. He smothers rushes with pressure as well as hits sometimes. He has the mobility to match attackers as they skate through the neutral-zone and his absolute desire to wall off access to his own end. He puts his body on the line defensively and his motor is non-stop. The bigger sized defenseman moves puck first but shows that he can get a shot through at the blue line.
NHL Grade: Cholach was selected in 2021 in the 6th round at #190 overall by Vegas Golden Knights. This season he is winning 54% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|Aleksandr^Rybakov|
Game Grade: B+
Comments: The fluidity of Rybakov’s game appears defensively. He was able to show well timed backpedals to take away the middle, while his mobility erases space quickly, even when the attacker gets the jump. He is one of the bigger defenders on the ice and does not have the jump smaller defenseman do but when he times it out well he arrives with the puck to shut down plays. He doesn’t just mindlessly present his stick rather he angles and times his checks to break up plays.
NHL Grade: Neutral Zone has Rybakov graded as a “C” for the 2024 draft. With the combination of his size and skating ability makes him a very interesting prospect. Although he doesn’t produce a lot of points, this year he is averaging 2.5 shots per game with 50% of his shots hitting the net. This season he is winning 57% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|Seth^Constance|
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Constance showed tonight that he does not just throw the puck under pressure. He was able to hold on to pucks long enough for passing and shooting lanes to open up. He has the skating ability to beat the first forechecker in tight and created entries from the neutral zone. His skating also allows him to keep his gaps tight. Did a good job at forcing dumps early and even icings at the red line.
NHL Grade: Neutral Zone had Constance as a “C” rated draft prospect for the 2023 NHL draft but after going undrafted and having similar offensive numbers to last year we think it is more realistic that he signs a college free agent contract. The reality is Constance is a big strong right shot defender who is winning 60% of his 50/50 puck battles this year.
|Trevor^Connelly|
Game Grade: A-
Comments: When Connelly is not battling for pucks, he’s supporting. With the puck on his stick, he doesn’t just shoot immediately, preferring to build the play and try to hit teammates on the inside lane. Many of his reads are combined with patients and usually followed up by and attack at the net. He drives the offense by being a dual threat in a sense that he can use his size to attack in the hard areas while also being able to showcase skill, sit back and develop plays and make creative plays.
NHL Grade: Connelly is skilled and creative. He disguises his change of pace and has real deception on zone entries. This season he is winning 46% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|Owen^Beckner|
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Beckner was able to show tonight that he will not give up on a play. He always takes the extra stride to get next to the opponent and skates through their hands to win body positioning. Well-timed pokes and stick lifts eliminate threats in his own zone. Offensively he moves the puck well by entering every touch with a couple of scans, he quickly advances pucks to the next teammate open in space. Collected two assists on the night with this type of vision.
NHL grade: Beckner was selected in 2023 in the 7th round at #204 overall by Ottawa Senators. This season he is winning 46% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|A.J.^Lacroix|
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Lacroix anticipates the rotations of the puck and the opening of space in the offensive zone like it is second nature to him. He moves ahead of them and knows his next play before the puck has arrived on his stick. You’ll even see the odd flash of manipulative ability to open up gaps in their coverage and passing or shooting lanes.
NHL Grade: Potential college free agent. He plays hard and he plays fast and after a few years of college off-ice training Lacroix may be an interesting college free agent. This season he is winning 45% of his 50/50 puck battles.
|Vladislav^Lukashevich|
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Lukashevich took a pass in motion, skated parallel to the boards, drew defensive attention, then turned the shot into a cross slot pass for a chance. He has confidence with the puck and wants it on his tape. In the neutral zone he received on open-ice retrievals and expanded space to create passing lanes. In the offensive zone, he used a give-and-go to activate off the point. He was able to show a couple of crafty plays on breakouts and founds outs consistently under pressure.
NHL Grade: Lukashevich was selected in 2021 in the 4th round at #120 overall by Florida Panthers. This season he is winning 62% of his 50/50 puck battles.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Scout: Ben Marshall