| Daniil Ustinkov | ZSC | NL | L | D | 6’3″ | 174 | Avon, OH | 2006 | 2023-2024: B |
Game Grade: C
Comments: We were not very impressed with Ustnikov today. He was very low energy and had a lot of trouble keeping up with the pace of play. He needs to pick his head up when the puck is on his stick as he was easily shut down behind the net and was unable to effectively move the puck up ice in a quick manner. He had trouble in defensive transition because he stopped moving his feet and could not keep up. He was easily walked multiple times and finished the game -4 which was tied for worst rating in this game. We have seen good things about Ustnikov this season, but he was not able to show his game off in a rough loss today.
| Jamiro Reber | HV71 | SHL | L | C | 5’9″ | 170 | Lagnau, SUI | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C+
Comments: Reber is a 5’10 160lb grinder with some offensive upside. He is not the most skilled player in the world, but his unrelenting effort created multiple quality chances during today’s game. He has trouble executing moves and plays under pressure but when given the time and space, he was able to display some flashy dekes and a good wrist shot. Early in the game his hands were shown when he picked off a pass near the net and attempted a one hand drag (Forsberg) move around the goalie and was very close to scoring. He was a dog around the boards, showing off a great motor and did not stop working. He showed off great forecheck and backchecking efforts all game. He never seemed to give up even though his team was down big and definitely deserved more minutes. Jamiro is having a good season in the Swedish U20 league and is worth a deep look as a late round pick in the 2024 draft.
| Leon Muggli | EV Zug | NL | L | D | 6’0″ | 165 | Cham, SUI | 2006 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: C
Comments: Muggli is a smooth skating defenseman whose brain works a bit faster than his skill level allows him to play. You could tell what he was trying to do when he possessed the puck, but he was not able to execute his plays very often. He made active scans in all three zones which benefited him in his ability to close down the defensive zone and to find open teammates up ice. His hands and feet were a bit choppy, and he lost control of the puck often when under pressure. He showed off some agile footwork that allowed him to execute tight turns to escape pressure at times. His passing was a bit rushed, but he was able to execute a couple of crisp breakout passes. He showed off a heavy slap shot from the point which he let go many times but only 2 of his attempts hit the cage. This was a tough game to evaluate Muggli in as the US was a train that Switzerland had no chance of slowing down. He is a likely pick in the mid to late rounds of the 2024 draft.
| Zeev Buium | Denver University | NCAA | L | D | 6’0″ | 183 | Denver | 2023 | Laguna Niguel, CA | 2005 | 2023-2024: A- |
Game Grade: A
Comments: We were very impressed with Buium’s game today. He is a 6’0 183 lb, smooth skating defenseman with great offensive abilities and upside. He finished this game with a goal and an assist, both coming off of impressive plays set up by himself. He has quick feet and is able to generate speed very easily. His stride is a bit short and choppy in open ice, but it does not hold him back from rushing up ice and activating deep into the offensive zone. He is incredibly mobile and agile and uses his skating ability to cut to space and control play with the puck in all three zones. He was nearly impossible to separate from the puck today. He made sharp turns into space and used his skilled hands to execute quick, timely fakes away from pressure. A few times he was able to execute these moves to weave through multiple opponents at very high speeds and then immediately set up chances after getting to space. He used his skating ability well to set up the first goal of the game where he executed a skilled and quick line walk away from pressure and found a wide-open teammate back door who he hit with a crisp pass for a one-time finish. He is constantly in motion without the puck and picks great spots to activate deep into the offensive zone to become a target. He is a smart player and chooses good spots to cut into in order to become the best possible target. His goal was a great example of his ability to pick his spots to join play deep into the offensive zone. He rushed the puck up ice with speed and created a zone entry with a quick pass up ice. He spotted an open lane and continued to skate up ice after firing his pass. He received a quick pass back in a give and go play which sprung him on a 1v0 alone with the goalie. He fired a hard backhand once he got close which slipped through for his first of the tournament. Most defensemen his age would have held back after the initial pass, but Buium saw an open lane and kept his feet moving to take full advantage. Defensively, Zeev made a couple of fantastic plays but overall is going to need a lot of improvement in his own end. He used his skating ability well to maintain a good gap in transition and made well timed step ups to shut down play. One in particular he timed his attack well, arriving stick first before using his free hand to shove his opponent and separate him from the puck. His negative defensive traits revolve around his positional play and his reactionary style. We caught him watching the puck with his stick in the air on many occasions and he was late in his attempts to shut down play. He needs to become more aware and actively work to shut down play rather than wait for the puck to come into his area. We also think he needs to work on his discipline positionally. He was constantly creeping far from his spots while watching the puck and was cheating for offense at times. There was also a moment in defensive transition where the puck was on his partner’s side, and he slid all the way over and skated on top of his teammate. Against a better opponent, a quick pass would have fired to Buium’s man for a breakaway chance. We were very impressed with Buium’s offensive game and feel that his combination of mobile skating ability, playmaking, and skilled hands make him one of the best defensemen we have seen so far, and he looks like he will be one of the first defensemen off the board at the 2024 draft. He will need to make defensive improvements, but his offensive talent was very impressive in today’s match.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Player Evaluations: Henry Lawrence