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NHL Combine

2024 NHL Draft Combine Results

June 8, 2024 at 4:11 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 16 Comments

The NHL Draft combine is back in full swing after a two-year break due to Covid-19 in 2020 and 2021. A full 100 players were invited to the event this year, six fewer than in 2023 but 15 more than in 2022. The festivities include team interviews earlier in the week and physical testing on Saturday. Here are the results of a select few tests, thanks to NHL Central Scouting.

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Aerobic Fitness: Test Duration

  1. F Cole Beaudoin – 13:45
  2. D Gabriel Eliasson – 13:14
  3. F Oliver Josephson – 13:05
  4. F Herman Traff – 13:04
  5. D Alfons Freij – 13:04

Aerobic Fitness: VO2max (ml/kg/min)

  1. F Oliver Josephson – 65.0
  2. F Tij Iginla – 65.0
  3. F Simon Zether – 64.0
  4. F Macklin Celebrini – 63.0
  5. F Max Plante – 63.0

Agility & Balance: Pro Agility – Left (sec)

  1. D Stian Solberg – 4.12
  2. F Kamil Bednarik – 4.25
  3. F John Mustard – 4.26
  4. F Terik Parascak – 4.28
  5. F Michael Hage – 4.29

Agility & Balance: Pro Agility – Right (sec)

  1. D Stian Solberg – 4.08
  2. F Jett Luchanko – 4.23
  3. D Eric ’EJ’ Emery – 4.23
  4. F Anthony ’AJ’ Spellacy – 4.24
  5. F Terik Parascak, F Sam O’Reilly – 4.25

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Mean Power Output (watts/kg)

  1. F Jett Luchanko – 12.9
  2. D Alexis Bernier – 12.8
  3. F Linus Eriksson – 12.7
  4. D Sebastian Soini – 12.7
  5. F Aatos Koivu – 12.6

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Peak Power Output (watts/kg)

  1. F Anthony ’AJ’ Spellacy – 18.3
  2. F Maxim Massé – 18.1
  3. F Linus Eriksson – 18.0
  4. D Ben Danford – 18.0
  5. F Michael Brandsegg-Nygård – 17.9

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Fatigue Index

  1. F Oliver Josephson – 35.1
  2. F Ondrej Becher – 39.7
  3. F Ryder Ritchie – 40.5
  4. F Emil Hemming – 40.9
  5. F Christian Humphreys – 41.6

Wing Span (inches)

  1. F Dean Letourneau – 83.25
  2. D Gabriel Eliasson – 81.00
  3. D Eric ’EJ’ Emery – 80.75
  4. D Jesse Pulkkinen – 80.75
  5. F Erik Mateiko – 80.25

Body Composition Yuhasz % Body Fat

  1. D Eric ’EJ’ Emery – 3.64
  2. D Sam Dickinson – 3.64
  3. F Ethan Procyszyn – 6.84
  4. F Simon Zether – 7.11
  5. G Mikhail Yegorov – 7.11

Force Plate: Vertical Jump (inches)

  1. D Eric ’EJ’ Emery – 27.23
  2. F Jett Luchanko – 24.63
  3. D Veeti Vaisanen – 24.22
  4. D Will Skahan – 23.88
  5. D Stian Solberg – 23.84

Force Plate: Squat Jump (inches)

  1. F Jack Pridham – 19.52
  2. F Aatos Koivu – 19.08
  3. F Linus Eriksson – 18.96
  4. D Eric ’EJ’ Emery – 18.82
  5. F Tij Iginla – 18.38

Force Plate: No Arm Jump (inches)

  1. D Eric ’EJ’ Emery – 23.57
  2. D Veeti Vaisanen – 21.91
  3. F Jack Pridham – 21.21
  4. F Jett Luchanko – 21.11
  5. F Linus Eriksson – 20.75

Musculoskeletal: Bench Press 50% Body Weight – Power (watts/kg)

  1. F Cole Beaudoin – 8.71
  2. D Lukas Fischer – 8.26
  3. F John Mustard – 7.78
  4. F Cayden Lindstrom – 7.69
  5. D Sebastian Soini – 7.54

Musculoskeletal: Left Hand Grip (lbs)

  1. F Jett Luchanko – 172
  2. F Cayden Lindstrom – 168
  3. F Erik Mateiko – 166
  4. F Sacha Boisvert – 163
  5. F Michael Brandsegg-Nygård – 160

Musculoskeletal: Right Hand Grip (lbs)

  1. F Jett Luchanko – 175
  2. F Cayden Lindstrom – 166
  3. D Colton Roberts – 165
  4. D Gabriel Eliasson – 162
  5. F Jack Pridham – 162

Musculoskeletal: Pull-Ups Consecutive (max #)

  1. D Zeev Buium – 16
  2. D Lukas Fischer – 15
  3. D Colton Roberts, F Jack Pridham, F Cole Beaudoin, F Oliver Josephson, F Tij Iginla – 13
  4. F Kamil Bednarik, F Ethan Procyszyn, F Kevin He, F Tanner Howe, G Mikhail Yegorov, F Rilet Patterson, F Anthony ’AJ’ Spellacy, F Max Plante, D Eric ’EJ Emery’ – 12

Musculoskeletal: Standing Long Jump (inches)

  1. D Eric ’EJ’ Emery – 123.0
  2. F Anthony ’AJ’ Spellacy – 119.3
  3. G Mikhail Yegorov – 115.8
  4. F Jack Pridham, D Alexis Bernier, F Dean Letourneau – 114.5
  5. F Linus Eriksson – 113.8

Prospects NHL Combine| NHL Entry Draft

16 comments

Snapshots: Vancouver, Pettersson, Combine

June 1, 2023 at 7:18 pm CDT | by Josh Cybulski 3 Comments

Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal wrote an article for The Athletic today outlining the best third line center options for the Vancouver Canucks to look at when free agency opens on July 1st. Vancouver has an excellent 1-2 punch down the middle of the ice with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller currently occupying the top two spots. Drance and Dayal begin their article by highlighting the fact that Vancouver not only needs a third line center, but they also need the right fit for the third line, preferably one with more of a defensive skill set.

While this year’s free agent class leaves a lot to be desired, there are some good top-9 center options for the Canucks to consider. Drance and Dayal produce an exhaustive list that includes bargain bin shopping as well as some players that will likely fall outside of Vancouver’s price range given their salary cap constraints. The most realistic targets, and the ones on the top of the list are Pius Suter and David Kampf.

What a change two years can make. In the case of Pius Suter, it’s the difference between being non-tendered (as he was in 2021 by the Chicago Blackhawks) and being a sought after unrestricted free agent (after two good seasons with the Detroit Red Wings). Suter is a bit undersized but could offer the Canucks a solid top-9 option at a reasonable price. Over two seasons in Detroit Suter put up 29 goals and 31 assists in 161 games. While those numbers won’t blow anyone away, the 27-year-old did this while hardly benefiting from any powerplay time as he saw just six minutes of ice time this season with the man advantage.

Kampf offers much stronger defensive metrics than Suter and is a bigger body, however he is more limited offensively as he had just 18 goals and 35 assists in 164 games over the past two seasons. He also saw very little powerplay time but struggles to drive play at even strength as he has a negative offensive impact even at 5v5. Drance and Dayal do wonder if having a better defensive player such as Kampf in the third line center role might make more sense for Vancouver as it could free up the top two line for more offensive deployment.

Other snapshots from around the league:

  • The Score is reporting that J.P. Barry, the agent for Vancouver Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson expects talks between his client and the club to begin this summer as they look to hammer out a long-term deal for the 24-year-old. Pettersson is just a year from being a restricted free agent and two years away from unrestricted free agency. He is due $10.25MM this upcoming season and would require an $8.82MM qualifying offer next summer for Vancouver to retain his rights. Given that he is coming off a 102-point season it would make sense for the young Swede to try and sign a long-term deal to obtain some security and peace of mind heading into next season. For the Canucks it would also give the club some cap certainty as they try to re-tool after missing the playoffs this past season.
  • Mike Morreale of NHL.com tweeted today that no Russian prospects who played overseas this season will be attending the NHL combine. The combine will run from June 4-10 in Buffalo and will give all 32 clubs the chance to get a look at the top prospects in this year’s entry draft. It’s an interesting development, but not a surprising one. Projected top-3 pick Matvei Michkov stated in Russian media back in May that he likely wouldn’t be at the combine but would be at the draft.

Snapshots| Vancouver Canucks David Kampf| Elias Pettersson| J.T. Miller| Matvei Michkov| NHL Combine| Pius Suter| Salary Cap

3 comments

NHL Announces Draft Lottery, Stanley Cup Final Dates

March 15, 2023 at 2:37 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

On May 8, one NHL franchise will earn the right to select Connor Bedard this summer. The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery will be held that night, determining the fate of the Regina Pats superstar a month and a half before he is actually selected.

Bedard has separated himself from the rest of the class with an incredible 61-goal, 125-point season for Regina, and is considered one of the greatest draft prizes in recent history.

While the worst teams in the league will cross their fingers and hope for some luck that day, Bedard won’t actually get to pull on a sweater until Wednesday, June 28, which will be the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

This year’s event will take place in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with rounds 2-7 following on Thursday, June 29. That’s less than a month after the Stanley Cup is awarded, as the tentative start of the Final is set for June 3—though that could change, depending on how quickly the playoffs progress.

All of the key dates released from the league are:

Monday, April 17

Start of 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Monday, May 8

2023 NHL Draft Lottery

Saturday, June 3

Tentative start of 2023 Stanley Cup Final

Sunday, June 4 – Saturday, June 10

2023 NHL Scouting Combine presented by adidas (Buffalo)

Monday, June 26

2023 NHL Awards (Bridgestone Arena)

Wednesday, June 28

Round 1 of 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft(Bridgestone Arena)

Thursday, June 29

Rounds 2-7 of 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft (Bridgestone Arena)

Uncategorized Connor Bedard| NHL Awards| NHL Combine| NHL Entry Draft

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2022 NHL Draft Combine Results

June 6, 2022 at 11:22 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

The NHL held its annual Draft Combine over the past week, with players able to speak with their potential teams and participate in fitness testing. The physical part of the week was held on Saturday (with a select few tests occurring the day before), with 85 prospects trying their best to show off their strengths in the gym.

Here are the results of the tests, thanks to NHL Central Scouting:

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Aerobic Fitness: Test Duration

  1. Owen Pickering – 15:30
  2. Calle Odelius – 15:01
  3. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki – 15:00
  4. Lian Bichsel – 15:00
  5. Liam Ohgren – 14:40

Aerobic Fitness: VO2max (ml/kg/min)

  1. Brennan Ali – 63.0
  2. Topi Ronni – 63.0
  3. Marco Kasper – 60.0
  4. Julian Lutz – 60.0
  5. Noah Ostlund – 60.0

Agility & Balance: Pro Agility – Left (sec)

  1. Michael Fisher – 4.33
  2. Julian Lutz – 4.38
  3. Jack Hughes – 4.4
  4. Brennan Ali – 4.42
  5. Maveric Lamoureux – 4.43

Agility & Balance: Pro Agility – Right (sec)

  1. Michael Fisher – 4.25
  2. Christian Kyrou – 4.38
  3. Owen Beck – 4.42
  4. Maveric Lamoureux – 4.48
  5. Jake Karabela – 4.54

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Mean Power Output (watts/kg)

  1. Cale Odelius – 13.5
  2. Joakim Kemell – 12.8
  3. Julian Lutz – 12.4
  4. Topi Ronni – 12.3
  5. Brennan Ali – 11.8

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Peak Power Output (watts/kg)

  1. Cutter Gauthier – 18.3
  2. Danil Zhilkin – 17.8
  3. Logan Cooley – 17.8
  4. Isaiah George – 17.8
  5. Joakim Kemell – 17.7

Anaerobic Fitness (Wingate Test): Fatigue Index

  1. Marco Kasper – 38.6
  2. Calle Odelius – 39.4
  3. Adam Ingram – 40.3
  4. Dylan James – 41.8
  5. Servac Petrovsky – 42.0

Wing Span (inches)

  1. Noah Warren – 82.00
  2. Lian Bichsel – 80.00
  3. Jack Sparkes – 80.00
  4. Maveric Lamoureux – 79.75
  5. Tyler Brennan – 78.75

Body Composition Yuhasz % Body Fat

  1. Noah Ostlund – 6.82
  2. Jack Hughes – 6.86
  3. Cameron Whitehead – 7.09
  4. Sam Rinzel – 7.1
  5. Lane Hutson – 7.15

Functional Movement Screening: Total FMS Score

  1. Ryan Greene 18
  2. Lucas Edmonds – 18
  3. Eight others at 17

Force Plate: Vertical Jump (inches)

  1. Maveric Lamoureux – 22.42
  2. Isaiah George – 21.09
  3. Owen Beck – 21.07
  4. Frank Nazar – 21.05
  5. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki – 20.67

Force Plate: Squat Jump (inches)

  1. Joakim Kemell – 18.04
  2. Maveric Lamoureux – 17.95
  3. Dylan James – 17.3
  4. Aleksanteri Kaskimaki – 16.86
  5. Fabian Wagner – 16.51

Force Plate: No Arm Jump (inches)

  1. Joakim Kemell – 21.14
  2. Jiri Kulich – 20.09
  3. Fabian Wagner – 18.51
  4. Frank Nazar – 18.24
  5. Maveric Lamoureux – 18.12

Musculoskeletal: Bench Press 50% Body Weight – Power (watts/kg)

  1. Filip Mesar – 9.43
  2. Brennan Ali – 9.07
  3. Liam Arnsby – 9.06
  4. Seamus Casey – 9.03
  5. Jake Karabela – 8.79

Musculoskeletal: Left Hand Grip (lbs)

  1. Jack Hughes – 160
  2. Maveric Lamoureux – 160
  3. Ty Nelson – 160
  4. Jack Sparkes – 158
  5. Denton Mateychuk – 153

Musculoskeletal: Right Hand Grip (lbs)

  1. Jeremy Langlois – 165
  2. Devin Kaplan – 160
  3. Noah Warren – 159
  4. Cameron Lund – 152
  5. Ty Nelson – 151

Musculoskeletal: Pull-Ups Consecutive (max #)

  1. Jack Hughes – 19
  2. Lane Hutson – 18
  3. Jake Karabela – 18
  4. Julian Lutz – 17
  5. Matthew Poitras – 17

Musculoskeletal: Standing Long Jump (inches)

  1. Maveric Lamoureux – 117.5
  2. Isaiah George – 115.0
  3. Owen Beck – 114.5
  4. Four others at 112.0

Prospects NHL Combine| NHL Entry Draft

3 comments

Prospect Notes: Wright, Jiricek, Utunen

May 30, 2022 at 11:15 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The NHL Scouting Combine is underway for the first time since 2019–the last two years the event has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns–and Shane Wright has all eyes on him as the potential (but not consensus) first-overall pick. Mike Morreale of NHL.com tweets that Wright will have interviews with 12 different teams, including the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Arizona Coyotes, teams that will select in the top three later this summer.

While no sure thing to go first overall, it is unlikely that Wright drops much further than that meaning other teams with interviews booked don’t have a chance unless they found a way to trade up. The Devils at No. 2 have at least considered a move, should one present itself, though it still would need quite the return package after they moved up by way of the lottery.

  • David Jiricek, in the race for the top defenseman in this year’s draft, will not attend the combine according to Morreale. The young Czech just finished his World Championship run on Sunday (winning bronze) and now he won’t be able to meet with teams in person. Jiricek was fourth on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of international skaters, just behind Simon Nemec, the other player vying to be the first defenseman off the board this year.
  • Toni Utunen is one of the players whose draft rights will expire this week, and Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reports that the Vancouver Canucks have no interest in signing him. The 22-year-old defenseman had 11 points in 59 games while playing in Finland’s Liiga this season. He will be an unrestricted free agent if not signed by June 1.

Prospects NHL Combine| NHL Entry Draft| Shane Wright

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NHL Could Still Hold Draft In June, Resume Season Afterward

April 21, 2020 at 7:17 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 8 Comments

As the sports world prepares for the first major event in more than a month with the NFL Draft occurring virtually this Thursday through Saturday, it seems that the NHL could be using the event as a test run for their own entry draft. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun relayed word today from Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly that the league has considered a virtual format for their own draft. This could potentially allow them to keep the event in June as scheduled.

The league had initially postponed this year’s draft, as well as the NHL Combine, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the indefinite nature of the current league year left questions as to when and how the draft would occur and the impact that would have on the rookies, their NHL clubs, and their junior teams. Holding the draft in June as planned would solve a number of these issues, but obviously raises a number of other questions.

First and foremost would be how this would impact the continuation of the 2019-20 season. LeBrun was quick to note that the draft being held in June, which ordinarily follows the end of the postseason, would not preclude the league year from continuing in July or August as many hope. This of course leads to other issues, such as how the draft lottery, draft order, and conditional picks will be sorted out if there are still games to be played. Abandoning the regular season in favor of jumping directly to the playoffs later this year would simplify these matters somewhat but would not entirely answer all questions.

Additionally, a continued season would also mean that teams remain prohibited from making trades, at least in the way that deals are normally made in the off-season. The lack of draft day trades would be another stark difference from how the NHL Draft operates and could frustrate a number of teams looking to leverage picks into players.

Given the lack of hockey during what would typically be the early stages of the postseason is certainly depressing for hockey fans and makes the idea of a June draft sound appealing. However, the league will need to respond to a number of major questions with satisfying answers before they could sign off on a virtual draft before making a decision on if and how the current season will continue.

Rookies| Schedule Bill Daly| NHL Combine| NHL Entry Draft

8 comments

109 Players Invited To 2019 NHL Scouting Combine

April 11, 2019 at 11:53 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The NHL has invited the top 109 draft-eligible players to the 2019 Scouting Combine which will once again be held in Buffalo. Fitness testing will start on June 1st, where players from all over the world will compete to show their athletic ability and bump up their draft stock at least a few positions. The league will also be releasing their final draft rankings on Monday, April 15.

While the Scouting Combine can’t make a player a star, it can certainly shine a light on some physical attributes that may have been overlooked throughout his minor and junior hockey career. Last year saw Liam Foudy explode onto the scene with outstanding performances in nearly every event, which likely helped the Columbus Blue Jackets feel confident selecting him 18th overall in the following draft. Foudy has taken another step in his development with the London Knights, scoring 36 goals and 68 points in 62 games while helping the team to the brink of the OHL Conference Final.

For players like Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, the presumptive top two selections in this year’s draft, the combine doesn’t mean a whole lot. A poor showing in some of the events wouldn’t remove them from consideration at the top of the draft, and a good one would only be expected at this point. For players a little further down the draft board it can be another important showcase.

The Athletic recently released a mock draft of the top-15 selections (subscription required), and there are several players on the list that are worth watching if they end up attending the event. Of course many eyes will be on the smaller players in the draft like Cole Caufield, who was mocked to the Philadelphia Flyers with the 11th pick. The USNTDP forward measures in at just 5’7″ 157-lbs, but is an incredible offensive player that could perhaps make an impact at the NHL level anyway. There are also beefy defensemen like Philip Broberg, who already weighs in at over 200-lbs and stands 6’3″. The Swedish defenseman is an excellent skater, and good performances in the mobility events might just make him even more appealing to NHL scouts.

It’s also of course a chance for teams to meet face to face with some of these players, and get a read on what drives them to be professional athletes. The interview process is one that has changed the course of many drafts in the past, and will continue to do so even as scouting techniques refine in the future.

Prospects NHL Combine| NHL Entry Draft

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Combine Notes: On-Ice Drills, Kaut, Bouchard, Dobson, Merkley,

June 2, 2018 at 7:52 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

While the 2018 Scouting Combine has evolved over the years, much of the combine is nothing more than cardio and fitness events to pick apart the differences between prospects. While there is plenty more than that, change could be coming in the future as Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News writes that on-ice drills could be coming soon.

The scribe writes that he spoke to one executive who believes that on-ice testing will be required, especially if the league intends to televise the combine in the future. The main reason there are no on-ice drills is because some players haven’t been on the ice in months, while others have only recently finished their playoff runs.

Another testing issue that has come up that recently is the constant improvement of technology as times are so much more accurate that you can no longer compare times to older times of five and 10 years ago when they used stopwatches compared to laser times. Another problem is that the combine keeps changing its events. The bench press is no longer about reps and more about power output, while the Wingate bike test made changes in its times as well to simulate real NHL shifts. While the changes are good, teams now can’t compare how a prospect did compared to even players from a couple of years ago.

For a look at the top-10 performers for each drill, go here.

  • Kennedy also reports that prospect Martin Kaut left the combine early after a physical detected a heart problem that was swiftly dealt with. The 18-year-old Czech winger, who was considered to be a mid to late first round pick, won’t see his stock drop. According to Kennedy, everyone he talked to said that it shouldn’t affect his draft stock.
  • NHL.com’s Mike Morreale writes that defensemen combine prospects Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson each had solid fitness tests Saturday. The top two right-handed defensemen in the 2018 NHL draft are expected to be taken in the top 10. Bouchard, who led all defensemen in the OHL with 87 points this year, excelled in upper-body exercises, including a second place finish with 14 pullups and 16th in the bench press after generating a 6.73 watts of power. Dobson, who was an all-star in the QMJHL with 69 points, reached 20 inches in the vertical jump and 110.3 inches in the standing long jump event, both good scores.
  • The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reports that OHL prospect Ryan Merkley, one of the top offensive defensemen in the draft, has seen his stock drop due to issues with both his defense and character concerns, met with 25 teams at the combine and was repeatedly asked about his attitude. Merkley supposedly admitted he needs to work on both his defense and body language. He hopes to be taken anywhere from 10-31 in the first round.

Prospects Martin Kaut| NHL Combine

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Montreal Has Tough Decision To Make At Upcoming Draft

June 2, 2018 at 3:25 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

It’s well known that the Montreal Canadiens are looking for a franchise changing center. Usually when you have a top-three pick in a draft, a team can fill their biggest hole right there. However, that isn’t the case in the 2018 NHL Draft as the top of the draft is loaded with wingers and defenseman. Most of the centers are expected to go after the top-10. The Canadiens need help there as they have attempted to convert several players to the center position, including Jonathan Drouin and Alex Galchenyuk, but neither has made a successful conversion. If the team could add a couple of legitimate centers, it could hasten their turnaround.

Recent reports suggest the Canadiens have found themselves getting attached to Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who most mock drafts have going after the 10th pick. Admittedly, he has risen up draft boards over the past year after a season in Finland’s top league, SM-liiga and put up 10 goals and 29 points as a 17-year-old among men (ironically he played the wing position there). In fact, at the combine this week, Kotkaniemi said that Canadiens were one of three teams to take him out to a steak dinner this past week. Assuming the Canadiens’ interest in him is genuine, the Canadiens have some critical decisions to make in the next few weeks. Kotkaniemi, who has two years remaining on his contract in Finland, has said there is an out-clause and he could come to North America, depending on the team that drafts him. Regardless, whatever Montreal does with the No. 3 pick will alter the rest of the draft, according to the Montreal Gazette’s Pat Hickey.

One option is to take Kotkaniemi with the third overall pick regardless of the prospect rankings. Afterall, the Columbus Blue Jackets did the same thing in 2016 when they surprised many by taking Pierre-Luc Dubois with the No. 3 pick then. That worked out pretty well. The downside is the team would likely pass on some top talent in either winger Andrei Svechnikov or Filip Zadina (whoever Carolina doesn’t take at No. 2) as well as a number of stud defensemen like Adam Boqvist, Noah Dobson or Quinn Hughes. Montreal needs help at both positions as well.

The second option is for Montreal to trade back and pick up Kotkaniemi at a more reasonable spot and pick up more assets. Unfortunately, several other teams like Kotkaniemi as well, including the Detroit Red Wings (No. 6) and the Chicago Blackhawks (No. 8). By the way, both teams were the only other teams to take Kotkaniemi out to a steak dinner this week. However, earlier in the week, general manager Marc Bergevin said he was reluctant to trade back in the draft. Director of player personnel Trevor Timmons countered that Saturday, suggesting the team could go up or down with all their extra picks in this draft.

Assuming the Canadiens do want to add a center in the draft, then the team will have a big decision to make in the coming weeks about which route they intend to take.

Chicago Blackhawks| Detroit Red Wings| Marc Bergevin| Montreal Canadiens Alex Galchenyuk| Andrei Svechnikov| Jonathan Drouin| NHL Combine| NHL Entry Draft| Pierre-Luc Dubois

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Top Performers At The NHL Combine

June 6, 2017 at 9:10 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

While the combine results for top NHL prospects are taken with only a grain of salt relative to their NFL counterparts, combine weekend does allow for teams to pick up some key information about a player’s physical ability that may make a difference as to when their name is called on June 23rd. While there is always a player whose lackluster performance gets the attention of the media – the victim this year was Casey Mittelstadt and his inability to do a pull-up – other players can instead gain the attention of scouts by showcasing their athleticism.

This year, two players stood out above all the rest: Joshua Norris and Morgan Geekie. Norris put on a clinic at the combine, finishing first in the vertical jump (26.19 inches), long jump (118 inches), and shuttle (4.19 seconds), as well as placing near the top of pull-ups and fitness exercises. A 6’1″, 192-lb. center out of the U.S. National Development Program, Norris was ranked 34th among North American skaters in the NHL’s final prospect rankings and has been projected as a second-round pick, but given the athleticism he put on display this weekend, he could be pushing for a late first-round selection. Geekie, also a center and standing at 6’2″, 178-lbs., may not slide into the first, but has surely moved up some draft boards, up from his #45 ranking towards the top of the second round after his performance. Geekie finished third in the long jump (114.5 inches) and also placed near the top of many other workouts including the vertical jump, shuttle, pull-ups, and grip strength measurements. The Tri-City pivot showed a wide range of physical ability.

Others who excelled at combine workouts included several first-round candidates. Kailer Yamamoto was measured as having the top VO2 max of the class, a metric of oxygen consumption and thus stamina, and also finished second in the shuttle (4.2 seconds, 4.38 seconds) and in the top ten of pull-ups and fitness testing. At just 5’8″ and 153-lbs., many have been critical of the Spokane Chiefs right wing, but this showing of strength and athleticism may help to quell some of those concerns over his size. Another smaller player, potential top-ten defenseman Cale Makar, was similarly successful. The 5’11”, 180-lb. UMass-bound blue liner finished third in the shuttle (4.39 seconds) and near the top of both the vertical jump and long jump, displaying the explosiveness in his legs that helps him fly around the ice. On the other side of the size scale, 6’6″, 200-lb. Isaac Ratcliffe was not only measured as having the longest wingspan of the group (81.29 inches), but also finished third in VO2 max and near the top in the shuttle and long jump. A big man with a reach, strong legs, and stamina? The Guelph left winger seems like a lock to be taken in the first round now. Other standout skaters included Sault Ste. Marie center Morgan Frost, who could be hearing his name called on Day One after ranking first in fitness and third in the vertical jump (24.63 inches), Scott Reedy, who was all over the map with the top mark in grip strength (170 lbs. lefty), second-best VO2 max, and a high mark in the shuttle, and Owen Sound lefty Jonah Gadjovich, who had the second best grip with his primary hand (164 lbs.) and also excelled at the bench press and pull-ups. Look out for American prep school defensive prospect Jack Rathbone, who finished at the top of the pull-up charts with 13 and excelled on the bench press as well, and USHL defenseman Mario Ferraro, who had a well-rounded workout finishing among the best in the bench press, pull-ups, grip strength, and shuttles. Though late-round prospects, guys like Rathbone and Ferraro can use the combine to differentiate themselves from other lesser-known names.

A couple of goalies looked to stand out in a deep keeper draft as well, as both Dayton Rasmussen and Ian Scott shown bright at the combine. Rasmussen had the most bench reps of any player in attendance (17) and the second-best vertical jump as well (25.56 inches). Rasmussen, who played in the USHL last year, could use the extra attention. He also placed well in the long jump, but Scott stole his thunder in that exercise. Scott, of  the Prince Albert Raiders, is a more well-known prospect, but still one of many good goalies in this class. His size and strength could help to give him an edge though, as displayed by his 117.5-inch long jump, second-best of the weekend, and strong vertical jump, as well as his 78.5-inch wingspan.

What of the draft’s top two prospects, Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier? Hischier had the highest ranking in any one event, tying Rathbone atop the pull-up charts with 13, but the bigger news was his all-around domination over Patrick. The Swiss center edged out his rival in pull-ups, the long jump, the shuttle, and fitness and VO2 testing and only narrowly lost out in the vertical jump. The only workout where Patrick had a clear advantage was the bench press, where he repped 70% of his 198-lb. frame 12 times while Hischier could only manage seven reps of 70% of his 176 lbs.

Prospects Cale Makar| Casey Mittelstadt| NHL Combine| Nico Hischier| Nolan Patrick

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