Scout's Analysis: Checking in on Oilers, Flames prospects playing in NCAA and Europe

NHL team depth charts are flush with players developing in pro and amateur leagues throughout North America and Europe.

When an NHL team drafts a player who is heading to college, they inherit four years to develop the prospect. The player can attend summer development camps while attending college, but they are required by NCAA rules to pay their own way to keep their college eligibility. As we know, some players decide to leave school early to turn pro. If the NHL team believes the prospect is worthy of a contract before his senior year in college, they can sign the prospect to an entry-level deal.

Teams drafting players from Europe are also given four years to decide if the prospect is worthy of an NHL contract (Note: There is an exception for players from Russia who could end up on NHL protected lists without being signed to a contract due to the lack of a transfer agreement between the NHL and Russian leagues).

Over the course of the next week, I will be providing insight into some of the prospects Canadian NHL teams have drafted and are developing in the NCAA and Europe.

Let’s start with prospects from the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

Matt Coronato (Forward)
Team: Harvard (NCAA / ECAC / Sophomore)
Drafted: 13^th overall in 2021
5-foot-10 / 185 lbs / Shoots: R
NHL Projection: 3F / even strength / power-play

Coronato is off to another solid start this season at Harvard. His element is offence. Through nine games, he has recorded six goals and six assists. He’s being used in all situations and averaging over 21:00 TOI.  He has some moments in games that he needs to be more engaged defensively but it’s not a significant red flag. He’s a smart player who knows his responsibilities in all three zones. Like most offensive-minded players, he does cut corners occasionally and finds more energy going on offence.

Josh Nodler (Forward)
Team: UMASS (NCAA / Hockey East / Senior)
Drafted: 150^th overall in 2019
5-foot-10 / 195 lbs / Shoots: R
NHL Projection: Not an NHL prospect at this time

Nodler transferred from Michigan State to UMASS for his senior season. He scored in his first game and had three points through his first five games of the season. Unfortunately, things have not progressed from there as he has one assist in his last nine games. Nodler has a stocky build so has leverage along the wall and in the hard areas. He’s a competitive college player but I don’t see enough speed and skill to translate to the NHL.

Jake Boltmann (Defence)
Team: Notre Dame (NCAA / Big Ten / Sophomore)
Drafted: 80^th overall in 2020
6-foot-1 / 201 lbs / Shoots: R
NHL Projection: Bottom pairing NHL defenceman

Boltmann doesn’t have a history of producing a ton of offence at any level of his development. At Notre Dame, he is deployed at even strength and the primary penalty kill. Boltmann is a sound skater and is mobile. He also has some bump to his game, physically. He’s average with the puck on his stick. There are some likable qualities in his game. He produced secondary offence last season but has not seen the same opportunity on the second power-play this year at Notre Dame. At this stage of his development, he is trending as a two-way, possible shut-down ‘D’.

William Stromgren (Forward)
Team: Brynas (SHL / Sweden)
Drafted: 45^th overall in 2021
6-foot-3 / 175 lbs / Shoots: L
NHL Projection: Bottom six / 13th forward

Stromgren is an interesting prospect. He has height and length but lacks leg power and core strength. He’s a bit gangly looking. He will definitely require more strength for the North American game. In his last 10-game segment, Stromgren averaged 12:30 TOI. He is deployed at even strength and, occasionally, the second power-play unit. He needs time but there are glimpses of offensive upside. I like his quick stick around the net. He’s also not shy about directing pucks on goal when he gets a look. Overall, his offensive instincts provide some projection. Things could go either way, but he does have some positive upside. He needs time.

Topi Ronni (Forward)
Team: Tappara (J20 & Liiga / Finland)
Drafted: 59^th overall in 2022
6-foot-2 / 188 lbs / Shoots: L
NHL Projection: Middle-six forward

Ronni is going through some growing pains this season overseas. When he suits up for Finland in J20 events, he produces offence. On the power-play, he makes plays from his off-side, opening up the entire ice on his forehand. He’s more of a playmaker from the perimeter than an interior threat. When pucks are turned over, he works to win them back but cannot be described as a physical forward. He’s a solid skater that has good jump out of the gate and can create off the rush. Ronni is also efficient at taking key face-offs. He should play a top role for Finland at the world juniors where his skill will be on full display.  

Luca Munzenberger (Defence)
Team: Vermont (NCAA / Hockey East / Sophomore)
Drafted: 90^th overall in 2021
6-foot-3 / 198 lbs / Shoots: L
NHL Projection: Depth prospect / AHL ‘D’ / role player

Over his last 10-game segment, Munzenberger has skated an average of 18:35 TOI. He is used at even strength and on the penalty kill. He doesn’t project to be a point producer and doesn’t have a history of scoring at any level in his development. He’s quick to space and doesn’t shy away physically. His skating is solid, but Munzenberger lacks deception with the puck on his stick. He’s a very straight-forward player and projects as a true defensive ‘D’. The fact he plays to a consistent identity gives him a chance at being a potential depth prospect for the Oilers.

Skyler Brind'Amour (Forward)
Team: Quinnipiac (NCAA / ECAC / Senior)
Drafted: 177^th overall in 2017
6-foot-2 / 185 lbs / Shoots: L
NHL Projection: Depth forward / potential recall / role player

The son of Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour, Skyler comes by his hard-working style honestly. He has good size and uses his reach to his advantage along the boards and out front the opposition net. Brind'Amour is not a flashy player but he plays a big role for Quinnipiac. His minutes are evenly distributed in all situations. He creates traffic and screens on the power-play and gets in the lane on the penalty kill. He also takes a ton of key face-offs. I’m not positive his pace is consistently fast enough for the NHL game but his approach is detailed and reliable.

Nikita Yevseyev (Defence)
Team: Ak Bars Kazan (KHL / Russia)
Drafted: 190^th overall in 2022
6-foot-1 / 187 lbs / Shoots: L
NHL Projection: Two-way / Potential 6 or 7 NHL defenceman

Yevseyev has to be watched closely to be appreciated. He’s not a defender who will bring much offensively as his approach is relatively simple. He keeps the play in front of him. He rarely pinches down in the offensive zone to extend a play. What he does do is get to pucks in a timely manner in his zone and moves them efficiently up ice. He has the hockey mind to be used at even strength and on the penalty kill. For a young defender playing against men in the KHL, he doesn’t look out of place. He’s averaged 15:00 TOI over his last 10-game segment. Over that period, he has only directed 14 shots on goal, which speaks to his approach.

Samuel Jonsson (Goalie)
Team: Rogle BK J20 (U20 Junior / Sweden)
Drafted: 158^th overall in 2022
6-foot-2 / 176 lbs / Catches: L
NHL Projection: Depth goalie prospect

Jonsson, on the surface, appears to have some upside. He’s a good size goalie who plays a hybrid style. He relies on sitting tall in his butterfly and absorbing pucks by being properly square to the shot. Jonsson’s numbers are certainly not poor. In his last six starts he has only allowed nine goals against. He faces, on average, just under 30 shots per game. My biggest concern is his lateral tracking and overall quickness. He has a very difficult time moving quickly from side to side when players skate behind his net looking to stuff pucks far post. His second stop reaction and scramble ability are lethargic. He has time on his side, but he will need to move up the ranks in Sweden and show he can adjust to the speed of the men’s game.

Joel Maatta (Forward)
Team: Vermont (NCAA / Hockey East / Sophomore)
Drafted: 222^nd overall in 2022
6-foot-3 / 202 lbs / Shoots: L
NHL Projection: Depth / two-way forward / limited offence

The Oilers dipped into the University of Vermont prospect pool by selecting Maatta in the seventh round of this past NHL Draft. Vermont head coach Todd Woodcroft is the brother of Oilers coach, Jay, so there is certainly some familiarity between the Oilers and Catamounts. Maatta is a hard-working two-way forward with good size. He gets involved at even strength and can kill penalties and take key face-offs at the college level. He’s a decent skater, not elite. In his freshman season, he scored three goals and added three assists. He has already almost matched his output from last season with three goals and two assists so far in 2022-2023. He’s a responsible 200-foot player who plays the game the right way. If his offence improves in the next couple seasons, the Oilers might have more of an NHL prospect in their pipeline.

Maxim Beryozkin (Forward)
Team: Lokomotiv (Yaroslavl / KHL / Russia)
Drafted: 138^th overall in 2020
6-foot-2 / 202 lbs / Shoots: R
NHL Projection: Middle-six forward

Beryozkin is an interesting prospect. His size is a plus when shielding pucks and opponents and can be heavy coming off the wall, heading to the net. Offensively, when he stations himself around the crease, he has leverage and gets in the eyes of the goalie. Beryozkin can transition pucks with decent speed through the neutral zone. He has a bit of an upright stride that lacks some knee bend. When he gets into the offensive zone with the puck on his stick, he has a shoot first mentality and has shown he can beat netminders from distance on occasion. His minutes range wildly in the KHL. It’s going to take time for him to earn the consistent trust of the coaching staff at the highest level in Russia. As a fifth-round pick, Beryozkin is worth the gamble. His skill, combined with his size, gives him a chance. He needs time to mature but I’m intrigued and will continue to monitor his progress.

Stay tuned for prospect reports on Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto in the coming days.