Last year, the Ontario Hockey League had one of its worst draft crops in recent memory. Only 25 players in total were drafted in 2019, and the first OHL player (Thomas Harley) didn’t hear his name called until 18th overall. It was the first NHL draft since 1986 where an OHL player did not get selected inside the Top 10. Ironically enough, Ken McRae (to the Quebec Nordiques) was the first OHL player selected in ‘86...at 18th overall.
Thankfully (for those who cover the OHL, like myself), this year’s crop of potential selections from the league is incredibly strong. It is conceivable that five of the first ten selections could be from the Ontario Hockey League. One of the strengths of this Ontario draft group is goal scoring ability, as there are several quality goal scoring options eligible. This article intends to highlight those top snipers and explain what makes them so dangerous. It will also be synched with some fabulous videos thanks to quite a few contributors. Make sure you follow their great video work on twitter.
Brandon Holmes - (@BHolmes_Hockey), Spencer Pomoty - (@SPProspects), Ryan McArthur - (@ryanpmcarthur), Sam Happi - (@DraftLook)
Cole Perfetti - Saginaw Spirit
While Perfetti has added greatly to his offensive repertoire this year by becoming an elite level playmaker, it should not take away from the fact that he is also an elite level goal scorer.
Perfetti does not possess an explosive first few strides, something that has been well documented and discussed this year. However, his lateral quickness and overall agility are very good. He also happens to be one of the most intelligent players in this draft and in the Ontario Hockey League.
As such, the vast majority of Cole’s goals come within that “home plate” area, as he anticipates the play incredibly well and is able to get himself in behind defenders. But more importantly, he possesses elite level hands and an elite release, which allows him to corral pucks under pressure and in traffic and elevate them quickly past the netminder. He finishes equally well on his forehand and backhand and is able to receive passes on either hand too. If you give Perfetti any semblance of time near the crease, the puck is usually in the back of the net.
Additionally, Perfetti is adept at scoring in odd man rush situations. Equal parts playmaker and goal scorer, defenders have to respect Perfetti’s skill level and that gives him time to operate in transition. He is confident in using his wrist shot while in stride, shooting off of his front foot and generating both power and accuracy with a quick release.
This clip is a great example of the hands that Perfetti possesses. While dangerously close to being offside, Perfetti corrals the pass and goes between his legs, followed by a quick move to his backhand to simultaneously break the stride and avoid the stick check of the defender. He maintains speed while doing this, allowing him to break in on a partial break. Perfetti keeps the puck to his backhand as long as possible to avoid the potential reach of the defender, then when satisfied that he has everyone beat, he quickly switches back to his forehand and finishes far side.
This time, we see how dangerous Perfetti can be working the half wall area on the powerplay. He initially has a shooting window because the defender is slow to come out to be in a position to block, however he exhibits patience to try to work the puck in closer. He opens up his shoulders to initially make the defender believe he is passing backdoor. Then, he gets the defender to bite on a shot fake, pushes hard to the left to open up the lane and rifles it short side over the glove. He is never content to just simply put pucks on net from a distance, and is willing to navigate traffic to make a play closer to the slot.
On this play, we see Perfetti’s hockey sense, and again, his willingness to play through traffic. As Ryan Suzuki circles behind the net with the puck, watch Perfetti cut hard to the net, but then fake that he is leaving the slot. As the defenders turn their attention back to Suzuki, he pushes back toward the net, slipping behind them. He handles the hard pass cleanly and releases it quickly upstairs before taking a hard whack and a check up high.
Here, we see Perfetti executing a three on two perfectly. The Flint defender, in this case the terrific Tyler Tucker, is not sure how to play Perfetti. If he is aggressive in attacking him physically, he knows that Perfetti will pass off quickly, creating a two on one or a clean break for the right side winger. However, he allows Perfetti to dictate the play, which is a mistake. Perfetti backs up both defenders, using hand fakes to sell the pass, daring them to make the first move. They don’t, so he continues to press on until he is close enough to unleash a wrist shot far side over the glove of Flint’s goaltender.
Summary: Perfetti can beat you multiple ways and is exceptional at breaking down defenses to create scoring chances for himself.
Jack Quinn - Ottawa 67’s
Without question, Quinn was one of the OHL and CHL’s most improved players this season. His 52 goals on the year were 40 more than the previous year and placed him second in the entire CHL in goals to fellow OHL’er Nick Robertson.
It goes without saying that Quinn has emerged as one of the top goal scoring forwards available for the 2020 NHL Draft, if not the best. Some choose to discredit him because he is a late born 2001 and because he is surrounded by talented playmakers on one of the CHL’s best teams. However, it is important to note that at even strength Quinn did not play with Marco Rossi and that he led the OHL with 34 even strength goals. It is also important to note that Quinn was playing AA only a few years ago and has had a big growth spurt that has allowed him to be a stronger and more dynamic player.
As a goal scorer, Quinn has many weapons. Like Perfetti, he is great in tight and works his way into the middle of the ice to finish off passes from behind the goal line, or by redirecting point shots from the buffer position. You do not score 50 goals in the CHL without being good in tight.
However, Quinn scores a large number of goals by creating his own scoring chances in transition. He can fly down the wing and is very adept at using his edgework to create shooting lanes for himself. He loves to make a sharp cut in order to use the defender as a screen before ripping off a wrist shot to the top shelf. Generally, he navigates the middle of the ice very well with his strong hands and puck skill, finding open space in the slot to use that same wrist shot.
In this goal, Quinn scores shorthanded by driving hard wide, never breaking stride even when receiving the pass and using his hip and lower body to shield the puck before finishing off the play top shelf with a quick chip shot. The defender on the backcheck here was 6’3, 200 lbs forward Egor Afanasyev. Yes, he’s a forward, but he also holds a considerable size advantage, which Quinn neutralizes effectively by engaging first with his hip, taking away Afanasyev’s opportunity to use his stick. This gives Quinn freedom to do as he wishes on his forehand.
Here Quinn exposes some bad defense from Niagara, but it does certainly show how effectively he is able to use his edges to push into the middle to create a shooting lane for himself. A quick stutter and then a hard push to the right has the defender reaching, allowing Quinn to walk into the slot nearly untouched. He makes no mistake with the wrist shot putting it just under the bar.
This time, Quinn operates a quick strike, two on one effectively. He uses Mitchell Hoelscher as a decoy as he drives the net far side, showing the appearance of passing, causing the defender to back up to try to take that way. He continues to push towards the middle to open up the goaltender. Then at the last second, he uses a slight stick drag to generate power in his wrist shot, beating the goalie clean far side, under the blocker.
This clip shows Quinn’s IQ with and without the puck. He keeps his head up in the cycle, drifting down low, beating the Owen Sound defender to the wall and poking the puck to Mitchell Hoelscher behind the net. He then identifies that Hoelscher has drawn all three down low defenders to him and drifts toward the net front. He then communicates his openness to Jack Beck and makes no mistake with the finish.
Summary: Quinn is much more than an opportunistic trigger man. He creates his own scoring chances and uses his high IQ to hunt out open space and shot opportunities.
Jan Mysak - Hamilton Bulldogs
His time in the OHL was short this year, transferring to Hamilton shortly after the new year. However, Mysak was able to make a pretty large impact in that time frame with 15 goals in 22 games. Regardless of whether you agree with it or not (because you felt he should have been ranked highly before arriving in Hamilton), this has led to a rise in most draft rankings for the 6’0 center.
Mysak scores a lot of his goals in tight to the net, finishing off his drives down the wing. He loves to use his size and power to beat defenders wide, before cutting back in near the crease where he finishes equally well on his forehand and backhand. His ability to protect the puck in transition has to be among the best in this draft class.
Additionally, Mysak plays the point on the Hamilton powerplay for a reason. He has a very hard slapshot that he manages to get on the net effectively. While cleaning up his stride could allow him to get open more effectively to use this weapon, he shows little hesitation to step into one, a lost art in today’s game among forwards.
This clip shows just so effective and dangerous Mysak can be when driving wide towards the net because of his creativity and quick hands. In this case, Mysak exploits a passive stick check from Soo defender Robert Calisti (one of the better skating defenders in the OHL) and uses a hesitation move to freeze him before exploding around him. He then fights through two sticks to drag the puck back to his forehand, beating the goaltender low.
Here, Mysak capitalizes on the Niagara defender fumbling the dump in, quickly pouncing on the loose puck. With the defender off balance, he switches from his backhand to his forehand and pivots to protect the puck. Then he shows off his quick release beating the goaltender far side.
With the man advantage, Mysak keeps his feet moving as Nathan Staois opens up a passing lane with his feet. Drawing closer to the net, he calls for the pass and makes no mistake. He generates velocity by pushing to the left slightly, snapping one just under the bar short side. Even with time to slide over to cut down Mysak’s angle, the goaltender, Andrew MacLean is no match for this shot, which beats him between the post and his blocker.
Summary: Mysak is terrific at using his size and strength on the puck to create space for his hands and quick release. As such, he can be dynamic in transition.
Jacob Perreault - Sarnia Sting
It is certainly interesting to compare and contrast the playing styles of Jacob and his father (former NHL’er) Yanic. Yanic was a high calibre playmaker who had outstanding vision and hockey sense. Whereas Jacob is a dynamic goal scorer who possesses near elite level skating ability.
Jacob will look to push the pace and attack the offensive end using his speed. He does possess the capability to score off the rush using his powerful wrist shot similar to Perfetti and Quinn, by backing down defenders and shooting while in stride. However, he has yet to truly master the ability to harness his explosiveness and the ability to use change of pace or direction to create those shooting lanes for himself when he’s not operating out of an odd man rush. His game is very North/South in this regard at the current moment.
Where Perreault does excel is near the half wall, an area that he loves to operate in. He makes quick and decisive decisions with the puck when he receives it and will look to cut or spin into shooting position before using a quick release to beat goaltenders cleanly. Even from poor angles, his shot is a weapon because of its velocity and accuracy. He scored from some pretty impossible positions this year. As he gains strength and confidence in his ability to forecheck and force turnovers deep in the opposition’s end, this skill set and confidence down low will help him become an even more dangerous goal scorer.
Additionally, Perreault can serve as a trigger man with the man advantage where he looks to set up shop in the Ovechkin/Stamkos position. He is very adept at using one timers in similar fashion and scores a lot of goals this way. Without question, when he unloads the puck quickly in these instances, he possesses one of the hardest shots in the OHL.
This clip shows exactly how Perreault likes to operate from below the hash marks. With a two man advantage, he knows that he will have room to create if he acts quickly. So upon receiving a pass, he quickly pushes toward the middle and elevates the puck quickly past Cedrick Andree. On the powerplay, he loves to work in this area.
While one might debate as to whether this type of goal can be replicated at the next level, it is still a terrific display of the type of shot that Perreault possesses. He avoids the stick check of the defender by pulling the puck back, then turns his body to shield it. Even though he has made a slight push away from the net, and he’s at an awkward angle, his snap shot is accurate and hard enough to beat the Windsor goalie clean far side over the blocker.
Here, Perreault shows how his hands create time and space for him through traffic. He provides good support on the backcheck and then leads the rush. From here, he draws the defender out wide before dragging the puck back to the middle, using his edges to break the defender’s stride, giving him inside positioning. On his backhand he avoids two stick checks and rifles a backhander off the crossbar. Even though he did not score here, it does show Perreault’s creativity in transition.
Summary: Perrault shows an ability to score in a variety of different ways; from both a standstill and while in motion. As he further harnesses his skating ability, his upside is high.
Tyson Foerster - Barrie Colts
Speaking of that Ovechkin/Stamkos spot around the faceoff dot, Tyson Foerster has become a master from that area. He led the entire CHL with 18 powerplay goals this year and the vast majority of those goals came off of one-timers from that area. He has such good hands and coordination, and as such, he is able to get shots off quickly and with power. These shots beat goaltenders just inside both posts before they can get out to cut down the angle.
Currently, Foerster will need to improve his skating to add other elements to his game. He is a very intelligent player without the puck and does well to get himself into scoring position. This is especially true in tight to the net, where he can finish off plays despite the presence of defenders. He will skate into the slot to create a better shooting lane for himself, and obviously possesses a powerful wrist shot that can find the back of the net.
However, his 17 even strength goals on the year placed him tied for 50th among OHL players this season and is evidence to the fact that he operates at best right now as a triggerman with the man advantage. Shooting from a stand still is a strength. As he gains confidence in his skill level with the puck and improves his explosiveness, we may very well see him develop the ability to be more dangerous in transition the way that a guy like Jack Quinn is.
In this clip Foerster’s patience and poise with the puck is on display. He pounces on a turnover and backs up Thomas Harley, using the threat of his shot to keep Harley square to him as he is trying to block it. Foerster identifies this and keeps possession until he is clear of Harley, sensing that with his feet together to block the shot, he won’t be able to stay with him. Then he finishes blocker side with a strong release on his wrist shot. These are the types of goals that scouts want to see more of from Foerster as he attacks the middle.
This play is a perfect example of why Foerster is so dangerous on the powerplay. He slowly inches forward behind the Rangers PK and is able to set up in his office around the dot. From a stand still, he accepts Evan Vierling’s terrific backhand saucer pass, one timing it over the Kitchener netminder’s shoulder before he can slide over, catching him too deep in his crease. This is a shot that would beat almost all pro netminders too. This is Foerster’s bread and butter and if you were to look at his 18-league leading powerplay goals, the majority would resemble this clip.
Here is a goal from the Top Prospect’s Game, where Foerster was named MVP of Team White. While a lot of Foerster’s goals come from a standstill, or from gathering and shooting, he does possess the ability to score off the rush, as demonstrated by clip one and this third one. He takes a pass from Connor Zary on his off wing, opens himself up, uses Alexis Lafreniere as a decoy and rifles one just inside the bar, short side.
In this clip, we see Foerster shooting from a stand still again; his bread and butter one timer. However, this time it’s from the slot with intense pressure from a defender right in his face. He is not deterred from his presence, accepting that he may have to take a hit to get the shot off. However, he still manages to get it through to the net and it beats the netminder five hole because of the significant velocity behind it.
Summary: Foerster is deadly on the powerplay, where his strength as a stand still shooter is best utilized. Scouts will look for him to create more opportunities with his feet as his game matures.
Will Cuylle - Windsor Spitfires
One of the more physical forwards available in the draft this year, Cuylle’s game is built around power and his ability to drive the middle of the ice. That North/South attacking style plays well given his excellent size at 6’2, 200 lbs.
As a shooter, Cuylle is most effective from the slot. He uses both a quick wrist shot, and a larger slap shot to finish off plays from this area. His shot is extremely heavy, which you would expect from a larger player. Like Foerster, shooting from a stand still is a strength.
Additionally, Cuylle is very adept in tight to the net and has a very quick release, which he can surprise goaltenders with. While driving the net, he can receive passes, protect the puck, and have the puck off his stick in an instant. This shows great hands and composure.
If Cuylle does have such a terrific shot, why did he have only 22 goals on the season? It is this inconsistency that has scouts slightly perplexed by Cuylle. He certainly possesses the ability to create his own scoring chances and goals by driving wide and using his strong release. And he obviously can dominate the middle of the ice. But at this current time, he does not find those soft spots in the defense well or often enough. Additionally, Windsor utilizes other players (such as Jean Luc Foudy) to lead the charge across the opposing blueline, which means that Cuylle isn’t being trusted enough to create with the puck on his stick.
Here Cuylle demonstrates how quick his release is on this “Teddy Bear Toss” goal. He circles the slot, keeping his feet moving, while Jean Luc Foudy keeps the play alive along the wall. Foudy identifies Cuylle being open, hitting him with a quick pass. Cuylle has the puck on and off his stick within an instant, before the three Saginaw defenders can close in on him. The shot also surprises the Saginaw netminder, who is caught deep in his crease. This type of release is what makes Cuylle a potentially effective goal scorer in high traffic areas.
In this clip, Cuylle demonstrates his ability to score in transition from the wing. He takes a pass in full stride from the left side, and really leans into his wrist shot. Even with the Flint netminder out to cut down his angle, he beats him clean short side over the blocker. The velocity and power in his wrist shot are on full display.
This is another clip that shows Cuylle’s strong wrist shot. On the powerplay, he sets up near the faceoff dot. He holds his positioning with the threat of a shot, showing patience with the puck, utilizing a few subtle fakes to keep the goaltender and defender guessing. He then avoids the shot blocking defender by going far side, beating the goaltender clean above the blocker. Again, this highlights the power behind his wrist shot.
Summary: A true power forward, Cuylle is at his best driving through the slot where he can use his quick release to score. Armed with a powerful shot, scouts want to see him create his own chances more consistently.
Martin Chromiak - Kingston Frontenacs
Like Jan Mysak of Hamilton, Martin Chromiak arrived around the halfway point of the OHL season, instantly becoming an impact player for the Kingston Frontenacs. Together with the exceptional Shane Wright, and the energetic Zayde Wisdom, the trio formed one of the best lines in the OHL in the second half. Next year, with all three becoming stronger, quicker, and more confident, this is a line that could become one of the best in the CHL, let alone the OHL.
While Chromiak did only have 11 goals in 28 games, pro-rated to about a 25-goal season, it is obvious to those who watch him that he possesses the ability to be a high quality finisher. On that line, all three players are very well rounded, operating as both playmaker and goal scorer and as such the opportunities are spread out nearly equally among them.
Chromiak is at his best as a goal scorer when he is being assertive with the puck, looking to cut to the middle of the ice. He will come away from the wall and make a sharp cut to the middle, utilizing the open space provided to him. Stepping into it, he can really fire his wrist shot and has scored from this area many times this year, be it in transition, on the powerplay, or at even strength. He will look to use his explosive first few strides to cut or push to the middle to shoot.
Chromiak also possesses good hands in tight, like all those players mentioned in this article. His very first OHL goal was a deflection off of a point shot and he shows little fear near the crease, hunting down those garbage goals and exhibiting the ability to finish on both his backhand and forehand.
Next year, scouts will be looking for Chromiak to be more aggressive in transition as a shooter. No question he possesses the shot to be a goal scorer, but can he beat defenders and goaltenders clean from the wing, or will he continue to prefer to operate as a pass first player in these scenarios?
In this clip, Chromiak makes no mistake finishing in tight, dropping down to one knee to one time the puck past the Generals goaltender. Shane Wright forces a bad turnover from defender Nico Gross and Chromiak goes hard to the net giving Wright a quick passing option following the turnover. Instead of corralling and then trying to finish, Chromiak uses the one timer to make sure the goaltender does not have enough time to challenge him effectively.
Here, Chromiak shows how deadly and powerful his wrist shot can be. He cycles back to the point to receive a pass and quickly identifies that Oshawa’s penalty killers are not challenging him high. Because of this, he makes sure that he is pushing forward already when receiving the pass, quickly stepping closer to the slot. With two Kingston players in front providing a screen, he is able to beat the Generals goaltender clean under the bar. Chromiak is great at making sure he is already moving when receiving a pass, so that he can be aggressive and quick to open space with the puck.
In this clip, Chromiak shows off his terrific skating ability and his finishing ability in tight. Look at how quickly he hits the gap, as Wisdom peels off to the corner, recognizing that the defenders are puck watching. He receives the pass in full stride and generates great power in a push to the right, taking Lennox out of position and finishing on the forehand.
While Chromiak does not score here, it is another example of how quickly he can strike because of his first step quickness. He finds the loose puck in the crowd off of the faceoff, catches the Saginaw defender flat footed and makes a similar move to get the puck to his forehand. Only this time Tristan Lennox stays with him and makes a terrific save.
Summary: Martin Chromiak is an extremely versatile offensive player; equal parts goal scorer and playmaker. However, it is clear that he is capable of being a more consistent goal scoring threat as he gains confidence in his puck carrying ability.
James Hardie - Mississauga Steelheads
A high-volume shooter, Hardie is most at home working near the faceoff dot, where his quick release is a major asset. He gathers and elevates the puck quickly, beating goaltenders clean just below the bar. Hardie can also be an asset in transition as he finds open space well and can finish off plays in tight on the forehand and backhand. He also possesses the ability to one-time pucks from the half wall area, generating power with his slap shot and snap shot. A solid skater, Hardie also scores a lot on the breakaway or in odd man rush scenarios.
If you take away a stretch of 14 games in October and November where he was not very productive, Hardie 33 goals and 60 points in 45 games. That would put him in line with the likes of Jacob Perreault and Tyson Foerster, two players also on this list, but who are receiving more attention for the first two rounds. As such, Hardie is listed as a favourite “draft sleeper” by many independent OHL scouts, including McKeen’s very own Michael Rand, who wrote about Hardie in this collaborative feature from our scouts on the top underrated prospects for 2020.
One thing that scouts would like to see more consistently from Hardie is him attacking the middle of the ice with more authority. He shows the ability to be an effective shooter while in full stride and has shown that he can sharply cut into the middle and use defenders as screens. However, this is something that could be utilized more consistently and effectively. Additionally, by driving the middle and attacking the net, Hardie could get himself some easier goals near the crease from rebounds or quick passes into the slot.
Another thing that scouts want to see from Hardie is better shot selection. As mentioned, he is a high volume shooter. His 252 shots on the year were the most of any first time draft eligible player in the OHL, including the likes of Cole Perfetti and Jack Quinn. However, a lot of these shots come from a distance where Hardie is just throwing pucks blindly on net, especially when working the half wall. Better shot recognition, and more patience in the offensive end will be part of Hardie’s maturation process in the league moving forward.
With some adjustments to his game, it is likely that we see Hardie develop into a top 5 goal scorer in the OHL along with many of the players on this list. He could score 45+ as early as next season.
In this clip, Hardie receives a nice stretch pass to his backhand while in full stride. He doesn’t slow down, even though he doesn’t handle it cleanly. Instead he opts to keep his advantage over the trailing defender and eventually settles the puck down. While in full stride, he holds his stick drag until he gets the goaltender to commit and beats him just under the blocker, far side. His ability to generate velocity without breaking stride is one of his best qualities as a shooter.
Here, Hardie is driving the middle of the ice, where a deflected pass finds its way to him. He corrals the bouncing puck on his forehand and drags to create a shooting lane because he has three Windsor Spitfires currently in his path. Once in the clear (and his teammate partially interferes with the Windsor goaltender), Hardie unleashes a hard wrist shot just under the bar, blocker side.
This is another good example of Hardie handling a pass while cutting through the middle of the ice, this time on his backhand. He fights off an aggressive stick check from the trailing defender on his forehand and switches back to his backhand to create space from the net front defender. He then generates significant velocity and elevation on the backhand to get it just under the arm of the Ottawa goaltender.
Here, we see Hardie at home working the half wall on the powerplay. His pass back to the point hits the defender and bounces back. He reaches out, grabs it on his backhand, brings it to his forehand quickly and before you know it, it is in the back of the net. The release here is ultra-quick as he senses the defender behind him closing in, and because he wants to use the net front defender as a screen. The shot is well placed just below the bar and over the glove.
Summary: Hardie is terrific at using his speed to generate scoring chances and has quick hands to make plays in traffic. He just needs to make better choices when shooting and make more of an effort to find his way to the front of the net.
Pavel Gogolev - Guelph Storm
No article on the top goal scorers available from the OHL would be complete without the mention of Pavel Gogolev, regardless of whether he is in his final year of draft eligibility or not. Let us not forget that Gogolev scored 30 goals in his original draft year but concerns over his overall game caused him to go unselected.
In 2020, we’re looking at a player who finished fourth in the OHL in goals with 45, and third in even strength goals with 33. As such, he was voted as having the second-best shot in the Western Conference in this year’s coaches poll, slightly behind Connor McMichael, but ahead of the aforementioned Jacob Perreault. Consequently, he has re-emerged as a top contender to be selected finally in this year’s draft.
No question, Gogolev’s improvement is a direct result of other areas of his game taking steps forward (skating ability, strength on and off the puck, three zone engagement level). He has always possessed an elite level shot but improving other areas has allowed him to finally become a consistent threat who can take better advantage of his goal scoring gifts.
One thing that Gogolev is exceptional at is creating shooting angles and time/space with his quick hands. He is especially great at using the toe drag, combined with a quick, yet explosive wrist shot. He will also step around defenders coming off of the wall, before depositing the puck into the net.
With more experience (that comes with his age), Gogolev has the ability to score in nearly every way mentioned in this article. He can beat you in transition and shoot while in full stride. He can drive the net and finish off plays on his backhand and forehand. He can work from both the slot or the dot. He can operate as a triggerman and create his own scoring chances. The question is, will this ability translate to the next level and is there still room for improvement in his skating ability and overall engagement level?
In this clip, Pavel Gogolev receives a drop pass from Cam Hillis on a three on two, but delays in his attack, allowing him to survey the situation. He freezes the defender with a shot fake, giving Hillis time to drive through the slot with his defender, creating a screen. Gogolev then uses a subtle toe drag to create a better shooting lane, beating the goaltender over the glove with a powerful wrist shot.
Here, Gogolev accepts a terrific feathered pass from Cam Hillis and breaks in behind the Erie defense. He accepts the pass on his backhand while in full stride, gets the Erie goaltender to drop down early and uses a cheeky little chip shot to the top corner, just under the bar. This shows his creativity in finishing.
In this clip, Gogolev sets up near the dot with the man advantage. He uses a couple fakes to get the defender to slide down to attempt to block the shot. At the same time, he is stepping into his wrist shot, elevating it quickly to the far side, beating the goaltender clean just above the blocker. This, like the first clip, shows how much power Gogolev can generate with his wrist shot.
Summary: Despite being an older draft eligible player who has already passed through two NHL drafts, Gogolev remains a consistent scoring threat. He is back on the draft radar thanks to improvements made to his game that scouts believe will help his skill set translate more effectively.