Scout's Analysis: Observations from the 2023 NHL Draft Combine

The NHL Draft Combine was held in Buffalo last week, a yearly event that brings together a large majority of the top end prospects who are being targeted for selection. As we've discussed throughout this season, the 2023 draft class is flush with a wide range of talent and skill sets.

I attended the event with my Sportsnet colleagues Sam Cosentino, Ryan Dixon Caroline Cameron, Michelle Methot and Scott Lennox. Here are some of my observations, followed by some of what Cosentino took away from the event:

A Scout's Approach

One of the more interesting aspects of my role at Sportsnet is interacting with players, prospects, coaches, managers, and agents. It’s especially eye opening to see how a draft prospect reacts to my line of questioning. Everyone at Sportsnet has a role to play when interviewing players. My role mirrors the same process I used when I was scouting for the Nashville Predators, and the Scouting Director in Florida with the Panthers. So far, it seems like some of the players are caught off guard by a few of my specific questions.

In no particular order, here are some examples of what I consider to be “generic” questions:

• What’s your current height and weight? What was your height and weight at the beginning of last season?

• Walk me through a typical day during the off-season. What time do you start your day? Do you, or have you in the past, had a summer job? Do you make your bed before leaving the house?

• What are the most elite elements in your game? What are the two most significant weaknesses that need attention?

• Which NHL player do you model your game after? Who’s your favourite NHL player? What role do you project yourself playing in the NHL: Top six forward? Top pairing “D”? Middle of the lineup energy provider?

• Rate your skating for me (from 0-10) in the following categories: explosiveness, first three steps/separation in open ice/small area turns, edges, and agility.

• I always ask prospects from Europe about their contract status with their club teams. How many more years are you under contract with your team? Do you have an NHL out in your deal?

• Keeping with the theme of European players, some of them are signed to “junior” contracts with their club teams, indicating they may consider moving to North America to play in the CHL (for example) if selected in the import draft.

• Do you consider yourself a shooter or distributor/playmaker?

• Are you the kind of prospect who can be trusted in a variety of roles: even strength/power-play/penalty kill/4-on-4? Why do you think you can slide into a variety of roles up and down the lineup?

More Specifically...

Prospects, and fans of the game, should take the time to properly view and dissect playoff hockey in the NHL. It’s by far the hardest time of the year and pushes players to find another level in their game. Every day is a “hard day”. With that in mind, it’s important to ask prospects some hard questions that might rattle them a bit but aren’t positioned to be mean or malicious.

An example from last week comes from our interview with forward Oliver Moore of the the USNTDP. He’s a fun player to watch and a highly competitive player who pushes the pace. He plays in all situations and projects to play any role his future NHL team requires. He can score at even strength or the power-play, as well as contribute a checking role and kill penalties. He’s a versatile player.

My concern about his game was the fact he sometimes plays too fast, which can make him difficult to play with as a linemate. He needs to slow things down, allow seams and space to open up, and his linemates to catch up and provide more options for Moore. He can’t do it all himself was my message. Is it something he has identified as an area of weakness? Or am I out of line with my observations?

“I recognize I play fast, sometimes too hectic," was how Moore answered. "I need to have my brain catch up to my legs and make more plays. I’m working with a mental skills coach to make me better understand the process of playmaking. I don’t want to slow down, but I want to better prepare myself to make the best plays more often.”

Other Combine Takeaways

• Gavin Brindley, from the University of Michigan, was an outstanding interview. It’s my opinion he projects as a middle six NHL forward who will provide secondary scoring and can be deployed in all situations. He believes he can be a top six NHL forward. I’m projecting Brindley as a late first-round target at the draft.

• Sticking with Brindley for a moment, we discussed the tip goal he scored at the WJC in Halifax versus Team Slovakia. I mentioned to him that most players tip the puck “down” instead of “up” when shots are directed on goal from long range. He indicated he had been working on tipping pucks at the end of practices and when he had some spare ice time. He went on to tell us the tip goal was something he absolutely meant to do. Watch closely as Brindley moves to the front of the net and tips the shot from Lane Hutson under the bar:

• I’m starting to envision teams stepping up to draft the top three right shot defencemen within the first 11 picks of the draft. David Reinbacher, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Tom Willander only increased their momentum with their outstanding interviews.

• Someone is going to be lucky enough to call Colby Barlow’s name in the top half of the first round, likely top 10. I asked Barlow if I should have any concerns about his skating stride. More specifically, I noticed the length of his stride and his posture were off at times at the U18 Worlds in Switzerland. He let us know he was playing with a hip flexor at the event and it held him back at times.

• One of our producers, Michelle Methot, was tasked with asking a wide-range of questions to the prospects. She did an amazing job of making the players comfortable. She asked Barlow if he had “any special talent(s)” that people aren’t aware of. After a short pause Colby’s response was “I think I started growing my beard around Grade 7."

• Willander is heading to Boston University in the fall. It’s somewhat unusual for a player who could be playing professionally in Sweden to head across the pond to develop at the NCAA level. Willander believes it will be best for his long-term development to get a head start playing on the smaller ice in North America. It will challenge him defensively.

• Talking about challenging, I mentioned to Willander that Boston College looks like they will be hard to beat next season with the entire line of Will Smith, Gabe Perreault, and Ryan Leonard – all from the USNTDP - joining the Eagles program. Willander’s response: “Come watch!” He’s clearly geared up for what lies ahead.

• Leo Carlsson could end up going as high as second overall in Nashville. The 6-foot-3, 199-pound centre says he models his game after Aleksander Barkov, Evgeni Malkin, and Anze Kopitar. He went on to say he can play both the wing and the middle, but that he’s a natural centreman.

• I’ve had reservations about Calum Ritchie this season. There were several nights I was looking for him to be more visible from shift to shift. He’s a big body forward who scored 24 goals and 35 assists for the Oshawa Generals. Ritchie showed up to the combine in a sling and he played the entire season with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He’s had surgery and is on the mend now. It couldn’t have been comfortable for him and it has to be considered when discussing his season overall.

• Ryan Leonard is a riser for me. His interview was elite, his personality fits what you see on the ice, and he brings more than skill and pace. He’s a gritty competitor who described his game as a combination of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Alex Turcotte…and I agree.

• Andrew Cristall could go down as one of the happiest, most engaging prospects I have interviewed in the last 20 years. Cristall’s ranking has ranged. He’s an elite scorer who produced 39 goals and 56 assists playing for the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL. He compares his game to Mitch Marner and indicated his most elite element is his hockey IQ and vision. He went on to say he needs to keep working on his skating and speed, which I think is accurate.

Some Cristall quotes that made me chuckle:

Q: "How are you feeling heading towards the draft in Nashville? Are you nervous? How’s it going to feel hearing your name called?"

A: “I’m pretty stacked!”

Q: "Who are you bringing to the draft? Friends and family?"

A: “Oh yeah, I’ve got a big brass coming to the draft!”

• Last one on Cristall. He was asked about his most important piece of equipment. Most players talked about their sticks and tape jobs, or their skates. Not Cristall. He needs his “undergarments” to fit just right. “My gitch is definitely important”.

• Connor Bedard on if there’s anything we don’t know about him. Does he have a special talent that hasn’t been revealed? “I don’t know what else I can tell anyone about me. I’ve covered all the bases. I’m ready to move to the next step in the process.”

• Last on my list for this piece is UConn forward Matt Wood. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound right shot forward scored 11 goals and 23 assists in his freshman season. He also contributed seven goals and six assists representing Canada at the U18 Worlds in Switzerland. When I mentioned I had some concerns about his consistency, and ability to push the pace shift to shift, he came back with the following response:

“If a scout who came to watch me play thinks I’m inconsistent, not fast enough, or don’t compete, they should get another job.”

It was a microphone drop moment.

TESTING

I get asked the same question every year: Can a prospect improve his ranking, or drop significantly, based on his combine testing results?

My answer is always no.

There are many factors that go into how the prospects prepare themselves for testing.

Some players just finished playing last weekend at the Memorial Cup, while others played prep school hockey and have been done for months. Others have travelled across the globe to attend the combine. Some have been pushing through injuries in-season and only recently became healthy enough to test.

What I specifically look for is the player competing to the best of his ability to finish each station. I’m looking for him to empty the tank and compete.

The combine is an example of a “hard day”. It’s not easy. But neither is the journey to the NHL, nevermind the daily grind of being fortunate to play in the top league in the world and hopefully compete for a Stanley Cup someday.

Sam Cosentino was also in attendance at the scouting combine and shares some of his notes after the event...

Moonlighting

Austrian David Reinbacher was a breath of fresh air. This season he played pro hockey for Kloten in the Swiss League, he attended school and had a job as a head hunter. Yes, a head hunter. Amazing young man, fun interview.

Shouldering the load

Calum Ritchie’s shoulder popped out at the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament in August and he was never the same all season. After helping Canada win bronze at the world U18’s, he underwent labrum surgery and interviewed in a sling at the combine. He remains one of the more polarizing figures this draft class has to offer. 

Timeout

After participating in the men’s worlds Adam Fantilli was left with little time to prepare and had little left to prove so he did not participate in the physical testing. This is not uncommon. Fantilli fulfilled every other requirement and did so with a smile on his face. Great personality. 

Home Cooking

Ryan Leonard lived with Will Smith and Will Vote, whose mothers Deb and Colleen respectively alternated living with the three boys. Leonard was quick to give great scouting reports on the cooking proficiency of both mothers. 

Band-Aid

Look for a band of white tape at the bottom of the shaft of Zach Benson’s stick. During a slump in minor hockey he wanted to change things up, so he took a small piece of white tape, wrapped it around the bottom of his shaft, went out and scored a hat trick. From then on, the tape has never left.

Carey Me Higher

Erie Otter Carey Terrance took full advantage of his opportunity to play for the US at the world U18’s. He performed well in a variety of roles there, putting up six points en route to a gold medal. The opportunity is rarely afforded to CHL players to suit up for a US team that is primarily based on USNTDP players. Terrance upped his draft stock with his strong performance. 

Ziemmer Time

The knock on Prince George Cougar Koehn Ziemmer is his skating. He’s a big body, power-forward type who can really shoot the puck, but admittedly could use work on his skating. He’s been working with former Olympian Susan Humphreys-St. Martin of Pure SK8 and Vanessa Hettinger of Quantam Speed to improve his stride.

Still New

Lukas Dragicevic played forward up until three years ago. When bantam coach Tim Preston was short on defencemen, Dragicevic volunteered to help out. He hasn’t looked back and is focusing on his backward skating this off-season. 

South Side Smitty

Will Smith has family ties to the original Chicago White Sox owners, and would’ve pursued a career in baseball had hockey not worked out. His mother also worked for the Chicago Bulls for a period of time and has a championship ring. 

It's Still Sid

Amazing how many players remarked that Sidney Crosby was their favourite player, especially amongst Swedes. In the past couple of years we’ve heard mostly Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon as the most popular "favourite player" answers. 

Playing For Mom

Noah Dower-Nilsson lost his mother to cancer at a young age and he wears a necklace with two birds on it in her memory. Hearing him tell that story, I’m so impressed with how he continues to process that terrible loss, seeking the help of professionals and getting lost in hockey. 

Wood You Have Gone To Regina?

Matthew Wood of UConn was drafted by the Regina Pats of the WHL. Instead of joining boyhood friend Connor Bedard, Wood wanted to carve his own path to the NHL by using the college schedule to help him with his strength and development. 

That's A Wrap

In the most unusual of moves, Wood doesn’t use traditional hockey tape on his blade. He uses a blade wrap which he say he likes the feel of. Blade wrap doesn’t surround the blade, so the blade glides naturally along the ice with less friction.

Shooting Partner

Wood lived with Bedard in Grade 9 during their time together at West Vancouver Academy Prep School, and credits his great shot to being exposed to Bedard’s work during their time together.

Knight Rider

One of the highest risers from mid-season until now has been London Knights forward Easton Cowan. Taken in the second round of the 2020 OHL Priority Draft, Cowan spent most of the 2021-22 season playing Jr. B with the Komoka Kings in all situations, and practicing with the Knights. He learned quickly that you don’t play for the Hunters unless you play defence first.

Sam Van

Vancouver Giants rookie Samuel Hozek hasn’t been home since August of 2022, and that stint may end up being significantly longer. Honzek stayed in Vancouver to prepare for next season. He’s been working with Ian Gallagher and skating with his son, Brendan, amongst others. 

Buffalo Brindley

Michigan sensation Gavin Brindley’s dad, Ryan, is a former college teammate of Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams. Brindley was a freshman at Miami of Ohio when Adams was a senior during the 1995-96 season. 

Yager, Leon and Mo

Brayden Yager isn’t just a hockey player, he juggles and plays piano, too. Yager, from Prince Albert, SK., attended Raiders games and practices as a kid. He was lucky enough to watch Josh Morrissey and Leon Draisaitl during their WHL careers. He has a signed Prince Albert Draisaitl stick at home.