March Draft Update: On The Rise

This edition of On The Rise features the amazing development of USHL forward Justin Abdelkader, as well as NTDP goalie Jeff Frazee – who did a great impersonation of a brick wall at the Five-Nations Tournament in Sweden. Mattias Hellstrom has stepped his game and Egor Zharkov appears to have made the right decision to leave the Q for Dynamo this year.

Justin Abdelkader - C (Cedar Rapids)

It's been nothing but sky for fast-climbing MSU recruit since earning Michigan 'Mr. Hockey' honours last year. His emergence continued at the summer Select 17 Festival where he tied Phil Kessel as the tournie's top goal scorer (6-5-1-6), and throughout a sensational rookie campaign with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders, who persuaded Abdelkader to forgo his senior year at Muskegon Mona Shores High School. "He's really blossomed over the past month or so," according to one scout. "He's getting more aggressive and taking charge and starting to make full use of his abilities. His best attribute is a dynamic first step that is equal parts smooth and explosive. He moves effortlessly, his body stays relaxed and well-prepared, and he's very skilled and patient on the puck. Not the flashiest, but he seems to know how to score goals and brings a well-rounded game to boot. Industrious, never stops working and sound positionally. Lots to admire here."

Niklas Broms - LW (Leksand)

Little-known Swedish winger enjoyed a major coming-out party at the recent Under-19 Five Nations Tournament. Never really considered a potential draft pick last season as he had a decent but not spectacular year in Leksand. But he came out much stronger in the junior league this season and really drove the point home at the tournie. Broms may be one of the finer stickhandlers available for this draft according to our scout. "He just turns guys inside out with his cuts and moves with the puck. Mostly, however, I was surprised to see him compete physically as well as he did. He is a finisher but he works hard for space and attacks the net. Dedicated in traffic and will finish in the nick of a second when the puck finds his stick. He's also stronger than the skinny kid he was last year."

Jeff Frazee - G (NTDP)

Impenetrable at the Five-Nations tournament in Sweden leading the powerhouse American team to a 4-0 record and baffling the Russians in the final game, stopping 35 of 36 shots. "When he's on his game, it's a sight to behold," comments one scout. "He's bouncing all over the place, attacking the puck and doing cartwheels to pull off spectacular saves. Incredible flexibility and I love his fiery competitiveness and great athleticism. He's not only highly unorthodox, but also highly unpredictable for shooters. You never really know how he is going to react. His swashbuckling style does get him into positional hot water, but he seems to find a way to bail himself out, especially when it's an important game. I'd say that with the proper coaching he could become a tremendous goaltender. He leaves it all out on the ice and his quickness and mobility are both exceptional."

Nate Hagemo - D (Minnesota)

Completely disregard his sluggish showing at the World Juniors as he laboured with a persistent shoulder problem that's also hindered his freshman campaign. At times in the first half, he's been the Gophers' top defender, though his points are modest due to low minutes on the powerplay. "He's a marvelous skater," says a scout. "Quick, agile, strong on his edges with a superb first-step burst. He is not as skilled a passer or puckhandler as teammate Alex Goligoski but he's still very good and would win any footrace. He's also more of an end-to-end threat than Goligoski. He moves the puck quickly and efficiently and is much stronger in possession than he was earlier in the season, not getting pushed around as much. Defensively, he is tough to shake one-on-one and plays physical around his crease. But perhaps the one asset that really separates him are his shooting skills. He has an excellent wrister and slapper which should come more to fore as a sophomore. I could see some team biting in the second round."

Mattias Hellstrom - C (MoDo)

The rub on Hellstrom has always been that he's a solid two-way player but wasn't flashy and struggled to put points on the scoreboard. Well, that's all changed this season. He won over a lot of scouts at the Five-Nations with a powerhouse eight-point performance, controlling the play at both ends of the ice. "He was criticized for being plain but I think that is because he is more of a general," says a scout. "Last year, he was too much of a pushover for people to notice just how smart he is out there. He is a terrific playmaker and a hard worker and, most importantly, he is quicker and stronger than I had seen him before. I was pleasantly surprised at his defensive contributions and work ethic. Always displays excellent timing and a really cool decorum whenever he's on the ice. Made things look so easy that the only question is why doesn't he show up with this game all the time in the junior league as well?"

Jordan LaVallee - LW (Quebec)

Bypassed at last June's draft, the big strong power winger has taken his game to a different dimension this season and barged his way into this month's Top 100. "You really couldn't see much of it in him last year," says a scout. "He was painfully slow and that was the only thing everyone seemed to notice, however his skating and overall quickness have improved by leaps and bounds. His balance is strong and his take-off speed is quite decent now. You can see that he really put in the time over the summer to work on his leg strength and skating. He has become deceptively quick but there is nothing misleading about his desire to drive the net and create. His hands are really soft and I love his hockey sense and uncanny ability to get to all the right spots in the opponent's end. Though he works the walls well, I'd still like to see him play a more consistent physical game but, with the right seasoning, he can be a consistent force down low."

Perttu Lindgren - C (Ilves)

While waiting for Mikko Lehtonen to show some life, we have been pleasantly surprised to see Lindgren become a force in juniors and internationally. He centered the top line and emerged as Finland's top forward at the Under-18 Five Nations, even showing flashes of dominance. "He showed more offensive imagination than Jesse Joensuu out there," says a scout. "It's no wonder there is so much buzz about this guy right now as his skills, vision and hockey sense are impossible to ignore. Also, unlike some players, he actually uses his talent to goals, not just fancy moves. Not the biggest nor the most physical guy, and he looked pretty soft earlier in the year, however he now stands his ground in traffic and channels his energy properly to drive the net and keep his stick on the ice. He also enjoyed a strong spring in junior finishing sixth in points and drawing high praise from the coaches around the league, some of whom claim him to be the best centerman there."

Adam McQuaid - D (Sudbury)

With high-profile teammates like Pouliot and Staal grabbing the spotlight, the 6-foot-4 PEI native tends to blend into the scenery, but usually in a good way. One of McQuaid's strengths is that he knows his limitations and doesn't take unnecessary risks, a trait that is reflected in his team-leading plus-29 rating. "He stands out now," confides one scout. "The big fellow has shown much improved mobility in recent viewings which, combined with his defensive instincts, makes him an intriguing package. He moves his feet more than he did earlier in the season, hits a nice breakout pass, and is capable of playing an effective physical game. I've been very impressed with the overall intelligence he demonstrates in all situations. Has excellent timing, knows when to pinch and when to stay back. His first step needs to get quicker and stronger, but he moves around quite effortlessly for his size. I'd also like to see him develop better balance as he is still too easily taken off the puck for a defensive type d-man."

Jack Skille - RW (NTDP)

Seems to deliver his best efforts when the stakes are highest. Though he's been pedestrian at times this season with the NTDP, there was nothing boring about his effort at the recent U-18 Five Nations Tournament in Sweden. He stepped up with a captivating performance, leading the tournie in goals (tied with Phil Kessel), points and plus-minus (4-5-3-8, plus-7). "His energy level in Sweden was terrific," according to a scout. "He elevated his intensity away from the puck and was driving through traffic with determination. I love his persistence when he gets in scoring areas. He really gets an adrenalin boost if he has a chance to get a shot in. And he's a lethal threat high in the slot, where he seems to gravitate waiting for a chance to unload his rocket one-timer. His best weapon is a bone-rattling shot that is also extremely accurate. Still, there are concerns. Inconsistency has been a problem as he can look disinterested at times, and a tad impatient when things aren't going his way. But, when he's firing on all pistons, he's a Bill Guerin type power forward in the making."

Slava Trukhno - LW (PEI)

The Russian-Danish truck has made a smoother adjustment to the North American game than most players his age. "There were a lot of question marks when he first came in," remarks one scout. "No one doubted his abilities but were afraid that bad habits would emerge given his incredible individual skills and propensity to overextend himself. While he still isn't the perfect linemate, he has proven to be more multi-dimensional than expected. Very elusive skater, great speed, highly-accomplished stickhandler, this guy's fun to watch and easy to like. He can completely undress people one-on-one, create plays at high tempo and pick corners like second nature. As well, he has become more responsible defensively and is no longer letting guys just skate buy him in the corners. What has really caught my eye above all else though is his vision and playmaking. He is a very skilled and accurate passer, and it's this part of his game that has blossomed as he's grown more comfortable in traffic."

Jakub Vojta - D (Sparta)

With another encouraging showing, this time at the Five Nations Tournament, fears are subsiding in respect to Vojta's early-season shenanigans. "He was good, he was poised at both ends of the ice and proved yet again that he can quarterback the powerplay like perhaps no other European defenseman for this draft," said our scout. "It was also nice to see him transfer some of that tourney prowess into the junior league, where he had been at his most lazy and uninspired in past months. He still takes nights off but when a guy has more skill on the tip of his pinkie finger than most players showed at the entire event, it is hard to ignore the upside despite the obvious risks involved."

Egor Zharkov - RW (Dynamo)

Hulking Russian is finally getting over his ill-fated trip to North America and now fully recovered from the leg injury he suffered while skating for Cape Breton in the QMJHL. "Zharkov's decision to return home may prove to be the correct one in the long term," according to our scout. "Especially considering the little icetime he got in Canada and the guaranteed spot awaiting him on Dynamo's junior club. As well, he has since rejoined Ilya Zubov and Denis Istomin on the national team's top line. The trio showed some chemistry at the U-18 Five Nations in Sweden, however they will have to make significant strides to carry Russia at the upcoming U-18 Worlds. Zharkov needs to improve his physical presence and his effectiveness in traffic, which, considering his size, has been one of his major shortcomings since undergoing knee surgery last spring. He will also need to further refine his puckhandling skills, which would bolster his ability to carry the puck into the offensive zone and create better chances for himself and his linemates."