The Traverse City 2018 NHL Prospect Tournament is an annual tournament that has been going on for twenty years. Hosted every year at Center Ice Arena in Traverse City, Michigan, it is the most anticipated tournament of the NHL preseason showcasing prospect teams and unsigned players as well as giving new draft picks a taste of the big leagues. This tournament presents the opportunity for scouts and team staff to get a look at how their prospects might fair in the upcoming season.
The stands were filled with fans and scouts as well as team staff looking to get a good preview of the eight participating NHL teams featuring some of 2018’s top draft picks as well as past draft picks who are still looking to prove themselves worthy for a spot on their respective teams’ NHL rosters. The eight NHL prospect teams present were the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers and the host Detroit Red Wings. Here’s a look at a few prospects who stood out in Traverse City.
Two of this year’s first rounders who lived up to the hype were coincidentally both right wingers. Czech born Filip Zadina was this year’s sixth overall draft pick chosen by the Detroit Red Wings and the German born first rounder Dominik Bokk who was taken as the 25th overall pick to the St. Louis Blues.
Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images
Zadina, who was drafted out of the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads a year after Nico Hischier was chosen first overall in 2017, also from the Mooseheads, had a strong showing with the Red Wings in his first few games wearing the red and white. He immediately stood out for his overall skating ability and stride as well as his confidence in high pressure situations. He is a great two way player capable of getting back quickly on the backcheck and leading an offensive rush into the zone to set up plays on the forecheck. He is strong on the outside and rarely uses the middle for anything more than a shooting opportunity or to split defenders to circulate the puck during power plays. A smart player with the puck, rarely did he make mistakes passing in the breakout offensive zone. He is equipped with a good set of hands and a heavy shot which he specializes in releasing in the high slot, alternating from quick snapshots to one-timers which he proved to be successful with a few goals throughout the tournament. As he matures as a player, he will be stronger on the boards and his knowledge for the game will improve to keep him from getting lost during five on five action which is currently a weak area of the game for him. Zadina had a strong showing in both Traverse City and preseason play, however Detroit felt that he would be better off starting the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.
St. Louis’ Dominik Bokk was a player who had my attention from the minute I saw him step on the ice, he plays a very positionally sound game and it is fun to see his creativity with the puck. He is a big presence on the ice and as he grows he will only end up being more solid out there. Throughout the tournament Bokk was able to pick up more assists than goals which is a testament to his strengths as a player. What I like about him is his ability to slow the play down and control the passing flow from the high slot which is surprising considering he played with the Vaxjo Lakers last year in the SHL and had to make a quick adjustment to the smaller ice surface of the NHL. Bokk is strong on the boards and very defensive with how he plays. I was able to catch him in two games in Traverse City and in both games he was very capable of finding space both in the high areas of the attacking zone and getting shots off in the slot. With more experience and a full year back in the SHL, his shot will develop and he will get stronger on the puck.
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 18: Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) skates during the NHL preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 18, 2018, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)
Having eight NHL prospect teams playing almost simultaneously on two ice surfaces made it very handy to view this year’s top picks. This year’s second overall pick, Andrei Svechnikov, had his taste of NHL preseason play on the Carolina Hurricanes roster. Coming off of a strong performance with the Barrie Colts of the OHL, Traverse City was a good test for him. A strong physical presence on the ice, he was very adept at winning battles along the boards but at times seemed lost or a step behind the play. The puck touches were much quicker in Traverse City and the plays developed faster than in the major junior loop of the OHL. His neutral zone play needs improvement and he needs to keep his feet moving. Overall his skill level indicates that he is ready for the next level but his positional play in the neutral zone and defensive zone needs a little work, he was nevertheless able to get some quality shots off and show that he can move the puck well. Hopefully within this next year he will build more confidence when carrying the puck and make the adjustments required to play at a faster level. Svechnikov will make his debut with the Hurricanes on opening night of the NHL season.
Chicago had a fair showing in Traverse City finishing 4th. On paper their roster looked to be one of the best in the tournament with Victor Ejdsell, Dylan Sikura, Dominik Kahun and Henri Jokiharju to name a few of their high-end prospects. This year’s newcomer Adam Boqvist, drafted eighth overall, seemed to fare reasonably well with Chicago on defence. His hands definitely stood out along with his ability to carry the puck deep into the zone to set up scoring chances. He also has good sense of timing and knowledge of when to release the puck. On the other hand, he seemed nervous, as his passing and patience which have typically been present during international play as well as when playing with Brynas’ SuperElite team, were not apparent and instead he made a few crucial errors on both the powerplay and penalty kill when it came to puck movement and positioning. His confidence seemed to go up once he made a few good plays, and he was able to play a highly offensive game and get a few good scoring chances. Although Boqvist played very clean games and stayed out of the penalty box, there was still room for him to be a little grittier and more physical in tight to the net when keeping players to the outside. A year in the OHL with the London Knights might prove to be just the thing he needs to adjust to the size of the ice and the North American style of play.
Having touched on half of the teams present at the Prospect Tournament I will review a few prospects from this year’s draft. Next up; the Dallas Stars first pick Ty Dellandrea, drafted 13th overall. Having been able to catch two Dallas games I looked for Ty to show up for both games but he was relatively quiet and I had to look for him because his on ice presence was not as noticeable as it could have been. He was relatively strong on the draw and good down low. He activates right off the draw and has good reflexes in the center but a year back with the Flint Firebirds of the OHL will help him better his defensive play and push him to hopefully help carry the Firebirds to earn a call up next season.
Due to the New York Rangers’ 2018 first round pick Vitali Kratzov not being present in Traverse City my focus was drawn to their 2017 picks instead. Lias Andersson (7th overall, 2017) and Filip Chytil (21st overall, 2017) were both heavily relied upon. Chytil stood out for his strong offensive play as well as his puck skills. He can maneuver easily and quickly down low to create scoring chances and drive the net. He had a strong showing on the powerplay and was effective on the penalty kill. Andersson was equally effective in shorthanded or powerplay situations. He was very strong on draws, winning the majority in the two games I watched. His ability to read the play stuck out as he is rarely out of position and good at controlling and slowing the play down to set up scoring chances. With strong starts to both of their seasons it will be interesting to see where these two forwards end up, with Chytil starting with the Rangers, making the opening night roster and Andersson starting with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Either way, a year of development will not hurt them, as they can only develop further with both teams.
One of the Tournament’s overall standout players was the St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Kyrou. He stood out with his offensive play, his skating and his puck skills. A very high scoring forward who was able to produce both goals and assists and even picked up a hattrick in one game. Despite his relaxed backchecking ability and defensive play he makes up for it as a hyper offensive forward who gets points instead. Lethal on the powerplay when given any room to skate with the puck and any chance down low, he is an adept passer as well. It will be fun to see where Kyrou ends up, as a player of his skill and caliber, he definitely seems ready for the NHL. However, during preseason play he didn’t seem to fare as well as teammate Robert Thomas and St. Louis has sent him to the AHL for the start of the season where he will further develop his two-way skills with San Antonio.
CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 29: Chicago Blackhawks center Dylan Sikura (95), playing in his first NHL game, skates with the puck in the 3rd period during an NHL hockey game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Chicago Blackhawks on March 29, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. The Blackhawks won 6-2. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire)
Two additional forwards who stood out were Chicago’s Dylan Sikura and the Dallas Stars’ Roope Hintz. Sikura is a clever and sneaky player who was able to pick up points and go into the corners and always come out with the puck. The games I watched he occupied the wing; however he also received the chance to take a few draws which he did well on. He is a good skater with a knack for having good body position with the puck. He protects the puck well and keeps to the outside using clever and simple techniques like button hooks and quick fakes to the middle or outside to split the defence. He is a good two-way player who seems to like to pass more than shoot at times, sometimes attempting to force the puck through. For now, look for him to excel with Chicago’s AHL affiliate in Rockford. Dallas’ Roope Hintz is a smart, energetic and big presence on the ice. He was fun to watch as he controls the play extremely well and likes to shoot and drive the net. He also excelled in defensive play and the defensive zone penalty kill. He was strong against the boards and quick off the draw despite his big frame. With a strong shot and good awareness of the game I would expect the same thing to be said about him this season where he is starting with the Texas Stars of the AHL.
The last player who stood out based on communication and smarts was the Minnesota Wild’s 2015 draft pick Gustav Bouramman who played a strong two-way game as an offensive defenceman. He seemed to enjoy skating the puck and displayed a good amount of confidence when making breakout passes, setting up regroups and shooting. His smarts are what stood out the most as he rarely made mistakes in judgement with the puck, whether circulating the puck along the point of moving it during the powerplay, he seemed to know what to do without losing his sight lines or using tactless dump-ins as a way out. A full year with the AHL’s Iowa Wild should hopefully enable Bouramman to find an extra gear when making end to end rushes or defending deep in his zone. He needs to be careful not to get pulled deep down low by passing plays, with a year of development the maturity will come and he will have another shot at Minnesota.
As a quick recap, the final game of the Traverse City Prospect Tournament was won by the Blue Jackets over the host Red Wings. The hockey was very competitive and quite a few fights broke out. The tempo was high as everyone was trying to prove themselves, so the effort of the guys listed as well as all those not mentioned did not go unnoticed. I look forward to going back next year and seeing how 2019’s NHL draft picks fare up against some of the veterans present this year in Traverse City.