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Renomitsu · 03-16-2020, 09:08 AM

[Image: nhl-draft-062219-getty-ftr_1qa5e1x93ytap...uality=100]

Ah, draft day. Some argue it's the single most impactful day of an athlete's career, regardless of sport. Though players don't know their final landing spot in the SHL as of yet, it's clear that your first professional locker room, coaching staff, and teammates have a significant effect on your career trajectory - and it's all decided by a process outside of the draftee's control.

We're here to discuss a bit more on that, but most relevantly, who in the world are any of these guys? About half of the draft selections were players with virtually no pedigree in the sport, or any well-renowned sports agency supporting them. In terms of analysis of draft picks, we'll at least skirt around the following criteria but not assign a grade:

1)    Does it meet a need?
2)    Was it the best pick available (by TPE)?
3)    What history does the member have, if any?
4)    How much value does the pick have relative to nearby picks?

Perhaps more relevantly, when able we'll also expand on the story behind these players and give a little more life to the unfamiliar names on the jerseys. Shall we?

Pick 1.1 | Maine Timber [Image: timber.png]

| D Mikkel Asmus Sondergard (@Rabidsponge21)
For many mock drafters, the Season 53’s first overall selection for the SMJHL was a foregone conclusion. In fact, in all but three mock drafts, Mikkel Asmus Sondergard was the first overall selection (and in the other three he was taken second overall). Managed by the remarkably reputable Rabidsponge21, Sondergard’s pedigree is impeccable – dating back to 2016 (or Season 31), at which point the storied Ludwig Koch Schröder made his declaration for the SMJHL.

There’s hardly any need to actually reproduce any of LKS’s career here, however, as Sondergard’s track record speaks for itself. Recruited effectively at the deadline, the first bit of media coverage for the young Danish defenseman started approximately one month ago, and scouts haven’t looked back since. The 6’2”, 195 pound prospect fits a prototypical build for a two-way defenseman – if a bit slim – and was demonstrated to have excellent playmaking and possession fundamentals even prior to recent development. Showing promise even before making his SHL intentions known, he was a known quantity defensively – with grainy highlight reels from personal phones including monster checks, high-quality defensive positioning, and overall mastery of reading the defensive ice prior at the junior level.

Since declaring, however, his representation has gotten him in contact with the best fitness minds in the league and has also begun work on the finesse-based aspects on the opposing end of the ice. Demonstrating excellent puck handling abilities and remarkable shooting range for a junior player, he has yet to play a single game with the team that drafted him and looks like he could be an immediate starter nonetheless.

The question of whether Sondergard fills a need for the Timber is almost moot at this stage; it’s clear he’ll be maximally active from the get-go and has a twenty-season consummate professional behind him managing the rest. But a quick glance at the Timber roster shows just four blue liners that have scarcely more raw skill than the Dane in spite of one (or more) seasons’ development over him. Maine boasts a handful of forwards approaching the minor league limit, meaning the two-way defenseman has a few weapons at his disposal and could have a spot on the second or even first line come the end of this upcoming season. This one’s a clear and obvious home run if I’ve ever seen it.

In a recent presser, Sondergard remarked that he’d prefer to be a “steady and reliable two-way defenseman” who’d prefer to “keep [himself] on 1 team for [his] entire career,” which is worth its weight in gold to SHL teams scouting the rookies this season.

Pick 1.2 | Anchorage Armada [Image: armada.png]

| RD Mathew Sawful (@SAwful)
Appearing in the top five of the draft in just three mocks (out of ~35), Mathew Sawful ruined quite a few pundits’ hopes and dreams just two picks into the Entry Draft. A Chicago native, he knows a thing or two about protecting what’s near and dear, and at 6’3” and 190 lbs. he’s quite physically imposing as well. Unlike our first overall pick, however, Sawful doesn’t have much of a history at all in the SHL – as a matter of fact, his agent rushed onto the scene just earlier this month and managed to usher his client into an enviably high draft position.

The SHL at large had effectively zero notice that Sawful even existed – at least until a few graphics were featured on the SHL network featuring the importance of his staying power (and uh… Cal Covid’s criminal history? Maybe more on that later). Limited video of Sawful’s skills began to surface from the depths demonstrating a skillset not all that dissimilar to Sondergard. As scouts analyzed the extremely limited tape, the young American defender showed some proficiency with basic defensive skills – checking, shot blocking, reading a defense – appropriate for a minor league player, though nothing particularly flashy.

However, he’s managed to showcase a high-class shooting and puck handling ability that couldn’t really be ignored by scouts. In fact, even his passing was regarded as high-tier by scouts, though his upper limit in that respect isn’t clear because of limited data. Moreso than other players, it’s been remarked that Sawful is a remarkable physical specimen for a complete unknown; in addition to his highlighted stamina, he’s shown grace and deliberation in his skating, with an ability to keep up with quick forwards off the bat. While his technique could still use a little work to get him up-to-speed schematically, he has a solid starting point for the Armada.

As the first pick for Anchorage, where does he realistically fit? Well, as a player/agent combo that very recently joined, he’s had virtually no time to improve – so it’s virtually impossible to tell how he’ll develop relative to the team’s other defensemen. With Lando Norris, Berry Blue, Ulrik Bergstrom, and Vladimir Khristorozhdestvensk clearly above this particular prospect in raw skill, it’s unlikely Sawful will break the top two pairings early on in Season 53. Admittedly it’s difficult to imagine a situation where he passes any (except the aforementioned Russian) of the top four before the end of this season, even if they were to hold at their current level of skill.

With quite a few solid forwards on the team, however, a defenseman was probably the right pick. The real question is if Sawful was the right one – and it’s awfully difficult to justify that without any insider insight.

Pick 1.3 | Newfoundland Berserkers [Image: berserkers.png]

| LD PBJ Souppan (@thevoicelesscreator)
Another player largely unknown and the third consecutive defenseman to be moved in the draft, PBJ Souppan presents as – you guessed it – a two-way prototype. Projected by most to go in the late first (sixth to thirteenth in most mocks), he makes for a second surprising pick.

Raised as the third of five children, Souppan’s childhood was wrought with hardship. His father immigrated to Canada from Haiti following a massive earthquake; his mother, an immigrant from Barbados, arrived with little to her name, and they met working in a local kitchen. Faced with financial challenges and the ambiguity that comes with growing up as a middle child, PBJ grew up with thick skin and a degree of natural talent for hockey. As part of a no-frills, stick-and-skates-only league in his childhood, he also grew to be resilient in a physical sense – earning him the name “Ice Breaker” for reasons you and I can likely both guess.

He eventually grew to be something of a folk legend in the Great Lakes League, leading to a sponsorship with the Caledonia Cows in the SOHL (a semi-pro league) before declaring for the SMJHL. The primary challenge for Souppan at this stage will be proving that he wasn’t a big fish in a small pond. He’s shown his mettle in a local/regional league with the wherewithal to fight through limited team success, but scouts have thrown doubt over the Calgarian’s ability to get it done on a larger stage.

Ostensibly he plays very similarly to Sawful and Sondergard: a defenseman with solid defensive technical and cerebral basics and a deadeye shot from deep in the ice. He doesn’t necessarily have the same staying power as Sawful or quite the same level of defensive skill as Sondergard, but the three are cut from the same cloth. Each can control possession well and are a threat from any distance or position on the ice, with (generally) middling-to-average physical specs throughout.

The question then becomes how Souppan fits in the Berserkers. Disisde Dayudie aside, Newfoundland has a habit of making about half of their defensive draftees ‘hits.’ Case in point are Jukka Timonen, a fine prospect from the S53 SHL Entry Draft class who has developed remarkably well, and Vince Chalut, whom some regard as lagging behind in development even relative to some of this season’s SMJHL prospects. Jebany Franciszek, another Newfoundland defensive prospect, panned out mostly the same way (now 173 TPE after 2 seasons), leaving Souppan with a spot on the starting pair if he’s so inclined at 170 TPE.

Overall, like Sawful, the position selected at this pick was appropriate; since most of the prospects at this stage are pretty raw even at the top of the draft, it’s hard to say if he’ll be worth the selection. His agent (thevoicelesscreator) has at least collected the last few activity checks, trained twice, and completed a couple of surveys and tasks, which puts him in a promising spot for the foreseeable future.

Pick 1.4 | Kelowna Knights [Image: knights2.png]

| RW Simon Takshak (@GeckoeyGecko)
We’ve finally come to the second pick that fell where most people thought he might. Simon Takshak was projected between picks 2-4 in the majority of mocks (including in RedArrow12c’s and GeckoeyGecko’s second, third, AND fourth selections, as well as several peoples’ 2 & 18), meaning the Treecko-loving Takshak was justified in his confidence. He’s also the first non-defensive player taken – and at fourth, many were left befuddled that it took quite this long.

The Danny Devito lookalike and son of Tokek Takshak has virtually no subtlety in declaring his strengths. With virtually no defensive wherewithal, it’s clear that the 5’ tall, 300 pound Indian winger is built for checking players and slamming pucks into goals, whether you like it or not. Because of his width, he’s quite effective at screening defenders and goalies from seeing incoming shots. He also has the element of surprise due to his physical stature – many don’t expect much from the oddly-proportioned forward, and so he has an easy time getting open and utilizing his high-quality shot accuracy in the process.

As previously noted, Takshak has two modes on the defensive ice: hitting and hitting some more. He’s uninterested in poke checks, getting in the way of pucks, or really even worrying about opposing teams’ offensive strategies. He just wants to check to get the puck back – so what happens if he can’t do that? He’ll take a nice chunk out of opposing forwards straight into the boards, which he does better than even some enforcer-type defenders.

His off-the-ice habits are quite well established in spite of his overall newness to the SMJHL: he’s a gamer, enjoying Monkeyball and League of Legends, and hardly ever fights others because of his lack of reach even if he enjoys engaging in sumo. But perhaps more troubling for those around the league is his agent’s antics. According to the agent and player themselves, Takshak’s placement at fourth overall both an over- and underestimation of the player’s expected spot. In a moment of temporary (?) insanity, GeckoeyGecko noted that Takshak would be taken at every selection from first through tenth in a “VERY ACCURATE” definitive SMJHL draft guide. He was not available for comment regarding this publication.

Now comes the question of how Takshak fits in Kelowna’s scheme (although as previously mentioned he’ll probably never adhere to the defensive one). At 208 TPE as of March 9th, he’s second only to Sondergard in currently-claimed points – and it makes sense, provided they both come from agencies with some repute. With several forwards likely making the leap this upcoming season – including wingers like Eriksson, Barbashev, and Käspertommevisnapuu, there may be some space for Takshak to make an immediate impact as a depth winger. After all, at this stage, many would regard him as equals to earlier draftees Antti Antinen, Oscar Cordero, and Ebenezer Virtanen; with a shakeup to how ice time works (read: STHS vs. FHM) this season, he might very well start with and see increasing minutes as the season goes on. I consider this pick an easy hit.

“Kelowna won the draft, by the way, because they got me.”
-Simon Takshek

Pick 1.5 | Vancouver Whalers [Image: whalers.png]

| G Cal Covid (@Skeleton Party)
Man, what an unfortunate (intentional?) name for these circumstances, huh? Once the fifth pick was announced and “Covid” was mentioned, the audience about hauled a*s and cleared out of the hall where the draft was being held.

And uh… that wasn’t really all that unmerited. Cal Covid (#19) literally is the coronavirus, or at least some weird radioactive non-human being that killed your grandpa (by his own admission – just look at his signature). On investigating the mysterious player (for which we probably contracted COVID-19), we found he was genetically engineered in the epicenter of the disease: Wuhan, China. Though the specifics are mostly lost – multiples of our investigative team fell to the deadly virus while on the hunt for journalistic integrity – it’s suggested that he (it?) has both extraterrestrial and feline DNA. It likely sounds as preposterous to you as it does to us, but we digress: the first goalie taken in this draft, he was found to simply be too deadly to play against.

Isolated to play against what amounts to programmed robots and simulations, he (again, reportedly) is able to place his pads against the post in five dimensions… with perfect save percentages. Through infection or otherwise, Covid has a body count of at least 471, mostly composed of scientists and former prospects. Startlingly, in spite of being called a pandemic by the World Health (and Hockey) Organizations, he was declared eligible for the S53 Junior Draft.

What does this mean for the players of the SHL? Well, in terms of goaltending skills, the virus has a remarkable handle on positioning, handling low shots (including the 5-hole), and possesses lightning reflexes comparable to even higher-tier SMJHL goalies. Though there are a few perceivable weaknesses in this multidimensional goalie’s game (namely skating ability and passing – ultimately secondary skills), Covid has a predilection for improvement. In fact, in spite of first updating on the 14th, he now sits at nearly 190 TPE.

With White Goodman, a S51 prospect, likely on his way up to the majors sometime soon, the Whalers need a replacement sooner rather than later. They attempted to rectify the problem with Joe Simpson last season; while he showed signs of improvement prior to the draft, however, very few would regard him as Covid’s equal in spite of the former’s experience advantage. Drafting a second goalie at this stage certainly indicates that management has lost confidence in Simpson, and Covid was likely the best pick available. Vancouver didn’t have another pick in this draft until selection 16 (and after that, selection 36) – which meant they couldn’t risk losing their likely goalie of the future to a team who didn’t need him quite as much. Though it’s a bit surprising to see Covid selected over far more reputable (i.e. recreate) picks, he’s shown promise so far; hopefully the Whalers’ audacity is rewarded.

Pick 1.6 | Colorado Raptors [Image: raptors.png]

| RD Aumy Jr (@st4rface)
Predictions for Aumy Jr. were all over the place – selections as high as top 5 but ranging beyond twentieth were present in mock drafts. Regardless, the Finnish prospect has fleshed out as a two-way defenseman (tell me if you’ve heard this one before) over the last few weeks, earning him an enviable spot as the fourth defenseman selected in this draft. The son of the quiet-but-consistent Reinis Aumeisters (a S27 sixth round draftee), Aumy Jr. has a clear bar set for success. Heck, it might even be higher because of how successful the original Aumeisters was despite the low pick.

Though he only recently came to the attention of the SHL, Junior is noted to be focused and has a relatively mature perspective on his playing career. He has no preoccupation with filling up the stat box, and no geographic preference in the team he plays for – instead focusing on winning championships and helping his national team succeed. At 18 years old and facing a challenging junior league, he’ll need to rely on this level of maturity in order to overcome hardship and (at some point) losses even when performing at his best. He’d listed off the Maine Timber (formerly his father’s Halifax Raiders) and Carolina Kraken as possible destinations but landed in Colorado – altogether a different environment from either of the aforementioned east coast towns.

At present, Aumy Jr.’s agent has shown the ability to produce content that keeps his client in the spotlight. From a ‘team fit’ perspective, it’s a bit hard to say how he’ll fit in – as there are currently three or four defensemen that would clearly sit above the young Fin. At the moment, Bradley Barkov, Glen Anders, Bryce Turner, and Georgy Gorbachenko are all prospects that should slot above him in the depth chart; however, as Gorbachenko and Anders have both generally slowed in their development, Aumy Jr. may find some ice time in the third pair with a good shot at continuing into the second later this season. The team is filled with a couple of lines’ worth of improving centers and wingers, making this a pretty solid pick for the Raptors.

Pick 1.7 | Kelowna Knights (via CAR) [Image: knights2.png]

| C Daniel Laforest (@Snoopdogg)
Seven selections in we’ve found our very first center of the draft – and he’s a far more lopsided player than any of our prospects thus far (including Takshak). The Kelowna Knights took a chance on an all-in offensive center out of Montreal, Canada in Daniel Laforest, a 6’3” lefty, physical freak, and excellent playmaking prospect.

Likely a bang-on candidate for the power play, Lafores is agile with bursty, effective speed on the break. He doesn’t concern himself with skills like checking or hitting – but should his team have the puck, he’s masterful enough in maintaining possession and finding the open man that most defenses are left aghast with his ability to read the ice. In short, he’s a finesse-oriented player focused on moving the puck from point A to point B – where point B is that winger unexpectedly swinging in an impossibly-angled tight shot against your hapless goalie. In many scouting reports, he’s unfortunately regarded as a liability defensively, with little-to-no development in defensive skills (save faceoffs, if you count that). And unfortunately, unlike basketball or football it’s quite difficult to manage defensively without specific technical skills. He may be a physical freak and a wizard on the offensive ice, but athleticism can only take you so far.

Laforest may prove to be a deadly one-two combo in tandem with Takshak, mentioned just a few picks prior. Unfortunately, with three solid centers sitting ahead of him (Berni, Duncan, and Forestier), there may be some time yet before the Canadian gets significant even-strength playing time. And that shouldn’t matter much to the maestro, who fits the paradigm of powerplay playmaker all the better. Expect him to have quite a few powerplay assists by the end of the season, as he’s got the chops for it. Great move by Kelowna.

Pick 1.8 | Detroit Falcons [Image: falcons2.png]

| D Joseph Fantobens (@Fantobens)
Listed errantly as “Joseph FantobeAns” in several mock draft entries (not gonna lie, I’m guilty), Fantobens was a bit of a wild card in most mocks. He was projected as high as #4 and as low as the bottom of the second round – and as our fifth two-way defenseman on the list with a similarly-ambiguous development rate as most other selections, it’s not hard to see why. The Swedish defenseman does come from a strong pedigree, as his brother played nearly ten seasons while SHL eligible before flaming out, dissatisfied with his career. Will he turn out the same? The Detroit Falcons, who had taken him on a brief post-season ride, seem to think he’s got a significant edge on his sibling.

It’s hard to say. In a recent exposé by Rensselaer Polytechnic student Jacob Blutarski, Fantobens was in a rough spot in life and clearly not expecting an interviewer. The aspiring engineer in Blutarski found no way to problem solve his encounter with Fantobens, as the defenseman had soiled himself and was clearly hung over at the time. He wasn’t truly able to answer questions about the draft, training, or what might happen if a different team took him.

The Falcons clearly have faith in the Fantobens family – otherwise they wouldn’t invest in a second member. One thing is for certain, however: after James Brown and Ttam Renkrac flamed out, Detroit needed a defensive option for the future. Even without Brown and Renkrac, the team has options – Toki Wartooth, Magnus Liljeström, Jack Kanoff, and Zbigniew Pokrywka all have a legitimate claim to pairings above the Swede. The team has a clear direction at forward, with several players around or above 300 TPE – and Fantobens could help fill out the team’s second or third pairing defensively.

The jury’s still out on him. I can’t realistically say if he’ll pan out or not.

Pick 1.9 | St. Louis Scarecrows [Image: scarecrows-new.png]

| RW William Lockwood (@Lockwood)
The final (actual) pick of the first round, American William Lockwood is the second winger taken in the draft. Formerly a player for the University of Michigan, this 6’-even winger boasts a pretty classical skill set, with the ability to handle the puck, read a defense, and both pass and shoot. He’s drawn some criticism for limited abilities to separate from tight defenses, but he’s shown promise in both offensive and defensive aspects of the game otherwise.

Just after the draft, Lockwood wrote a brief but touching recollection of his emotions during the draft. He gushed about the apprehension in waiting for his name to be called, taking in the crowd after the Scarecrows drafted him, and the joy in taking pictures while clutching his jersey. It spells a wonderful story for a player who had so much uncertainty about where he’d be going, and frankly shows flashes of rapid improvement in the first practices after the draft. In working with offensive coaches, he’s already shown remarkable improvement in creating separation, screening for shots, and shoring up defensive skills, which must have the Scarecrows front office in (happy) fits.

He’s a relatively unknown quantity, but St. Louis’s first pick is a hit for me.

Pick 1.10 | Anaheim Outlaws [Image: outlaws2.png]

| FORFEIT
Well, I feel bad for whatever scrub gets drafted to these bandits.

For the second round, we’ll try to keep our analyses comparatively briefer to avoid making this article redundant.

Pick 2.11 | Maine Timber [Image: timber.png]

| C Konrad Danke (@JHS)
With an agent whose days harken back to Season 20 in John Heimer-Schmidt, Konrad Danke has a lengthy history of successful players that he has to live up to. We start the second round with a pick projected to go in the early first; in fact, most had him going second overall after Sondergard. After declaring for the draft on the twentieth of February, Danke’s progress has continued in remarkable fashion (he currently has ~$22M banked).

He’s overall demonstrated remarkable proficiency on both ends of the ice with a predilection for offense. Danke has amounted to a balanced scorer and playmaker, though has the defensive fundamentals necessary to hang with mid-tier wingers and centers. Physically, he’s also remarkably balanced between finesse/speed and power. All-in-all? No particular weaknesses with a clear, defined role on offense – something coaches love to see.

Provided what JHS has in reserve currently, seemingly consistent improvement, and pending updates, it’s a little surprising to me that he wasn’t taken higher. It’s true that Danke’s agent may have taken a roughly two-year hiatus from the SHL (at least based on his topic creation history), but this seems as solid a selection as any.

Pick 2.12 | Anchorage Armada [Image: armada.png]

| G Scoochie Stratton (@honkerrs)
A likely future starter, Scoochie Stratton becomes the second goalie selected in the junior draft. At 6’4” and 210 pounds, Stratton is a relatively imposing presence in the net even without pads on. Though he doesn’t possess the same violent (?), quantum physics-defying history of Cal Covid, his skillset is reasonably similar. He has high-quality glove work and positioning skills, though overall seems to have superior reflexes and recovery – intending to focus on rapid shots rather than specifying toward low shot defense.

As another goalie with 185 TPE, I don’t think there’s a way to frame this selection poorly, per se. The Armada are two seasons off of selecting Sergei Potvinov. While the Russian butterfly-style goalie showed promise at first, there was a relatively rapid fall-off in Potvinov’s level of improvement after his first season in the minors. As a result, it makes sense for Anchorage to opt for an alternative who may eventually outpace their former draft pick – though it comes to bear whether or not he was the right choice at this selection. It’s true that he has one of the better TPE counts in this draft, but this team took the leap on a first generation player – a bit of a puzzling choice provided Newfoundland’s following selection.

2.13 | Newfoundland Berserkers [Image: berserkers.png]

| G Cale Amundsen (@Wally)
Most mocks envisioned Cale Amundsen as a top ten selection, with some envisioning him going in the early first. But as fate would have it, this Dutch netminder fell quite far into the early second, and in fact was the third overall (and second consecutive) goalie selected. After the surprise plateau and subsequent early retirement of goalie Aleksi O’Koivu-Volkova back in February, player rep Wally had the league in fits with the reveal for Amundsen.

A son to a single father, he learned independence fairly early on in his life while bouncing from city to city, truly only finding his home on the ice. In middle school he had a miserable experience with a growth spurt – and even in the setting of blocking shots with his helmet, legs, and torso, he knew his pains were all from puberty. But a reduction in his mobility didn’t come with a proportionate increase in strength, limiting his ability to play as a skater while shaping him into the goalie we saw drafted yesterday evening.

Now, Amundsen plays with the focus and determination of a man who won’t stop saving shots until he can have his father come join him in Newfoundland to watch him play. He’s got his motivation, a spot as a likely immediate #2, and a stellar agent behind him. The Berserkers found their future here.

2.14 | Kelowna Knights [Image: knights2.png]

| RD Devin Williams (@MrRuihu)
After a fantastic first round, Kelowna’s third selection left some scratching their heads. A last-second admission to the draft, virtually nothing is known about defenseman Devin Williams aside from vitals and his home in Kenora, Canada. More details will certainly emerge on the young player – especially provided his sky-high draft selection – but at present most of the SHL’s scouts have zero information on him.

Like many in this draft, he’s a two-way defenseman with a laser-accurate shot and middling-to-below-average defensive skills. He’s had no time to develop or show how he can improve, but has a nice sum of TPE to show for his rapid pre-draft efforts. I’m left a little puzzled by this selection, but Kelowna must know something we don’t.

2.15 | St. Louis Scarecrows [Image: scarecrows-new.png]

| G Richard Majors (@Hefe4711)
The latest in the slurry of late first/early second round goalies, Richard Majors and his representation have a somewhat short stint in the SHL forum thus far. But there’s evidence enough to suggest that he’ll remain an active player for the foreseeable future, especially provided his agent’s multiple article output since the start of the draft.

For a newer player he’s remained surprisingly visible to the public, addressing scouts’ concerns about lack of semi-professional play while understanding his own lack of experience in a recent interview with MSNBC’s Taryn Hatcher. He’s kept a clear growth mindset in his approach to the league and is an introspective player who understands his newness to the league, unfazed by news that some GMs simply had no interest in drafting him. But Majors also has a hyper-focused in-game persona that involves mind gaming players. He’s proficient enough to save the overwhelming majority of shots, instilling doubt in the minds of even the steeliest snipers and soaking up the boos he receives from opposing fans every time his name is announced.

He’s not afraid to be the villain – that much is clear. And after Jason Voorhees flopped for St. Louis last season, that might be exactly what Majors needs to become.

2.16 | Vancouver Whalers [Image: whalers.png]

| RD Ryosuke Sato (@Dextaria)
A relatively newer player projected to fall out of the second round by most drafters, defenseman Ryosuke Sato has all the reason in the world to keep a couple of chips on his shoulder. Similar to a handful of selections before him, Sato has a brand-spankin’-new agent and very little tape to watch.

What our scouts possess show Sato as the first finesse shutdown-style defenseman of the draft, an archetype most analysts absolutely love to see. Sato has excellent defensive fundamentals, with poke-checking and stick checking as clear strengths on top of his firm hold on the cerebral parts of the defensive ice. While offensively he’s largely limited to making sure he doesn’t lose the puck in his defensive third and passing to those more scoring-inclined, he nonetheless has a skill set that should serve him incredibly well this upcoming season.

Even by finesse defenseman standards he’s a bit undersized at 5’7” and 150 pounds. But with just a couple of defensemen that could possibly outperform him at this point and Tommy Outlaw failing to bloom into the defenseman Vancouver needed, he might just be what they needed.

2.17 | Anaheim Outlaws [Image: outlaws2.png]

| LD Emilia Bergman (Renomitsu)
Oh, wait. I'm the scrub drafted to the Outlaws.

Another last-second addition to the eligible draftee list, Swede Emilia Bergman is largely an unknown quantity in hockey. She’s in fact better known as a short-term semi professional ice dancer and speed skater as of a few years ago, though her 6’0” frame eventually washed her out of professional skating dreams. In the last few years, she’s put on considerable muscle and much more recently began her foray into the hockey scene.

A classical stay-at-home defenseman, Bergman’s skillset is almost entirely defensive, though she’s shown the physical prowess necessary to be versatile on the ice. But with virtually no semi-pro experience and relatively few games at the amateur level, the Anaheim Outlaws performed a massive reach in going with this little-known Swede. As a journalist it’s quite difficult to justify exactly why the Outlaws used their only pick in the first three rounds on a virtual unknown (but more on her later, probably).

2.18-19 | Maine Timber (via COL) [Image: timber.png]

| C Patrick Shepherd (@Cobbenstein), G Leo Bloomfield (@BloomeyGB)
Is it a bit unfair to list these two selections together? Maybe, but these are the first back-to-back selections of the draft thus far and my fingers are about to fall off.

Cobbenstein, Shepherd’s agent, absolutely nailed two of the Timber’s four picks so far in his “team needs” analysis – the easy selection of Mikkel Asmus Sondergard and his very own client. A two-way (or arguably grinder) forward, Patrick Shepherd’s claim to fame is his mastery of faceoffs. Possession is an incredibly important part of the game and provided Maine’s recent draft selections, he’ll have quite a few options to work with, including Sondergard from the blueline. He’s an excellent defender at the center position and has a good understanding of strategy at the junior level already. Provided his 201 TPE at this stage in his career he’s one of the more impressive raw talents in the draft.

A glove specialist, Leo Bloomfield has drawn some mild criticism for his over-reliance on his glove hand but has emerged as one of the very few talents from Great Britain to make his way into the SMJHL this season. This pick comes as a bit of a surprise to most draft reviewers, and for good reason: this brand-new goalie is a bit undersized at 5’9” and 150 lbs and has shown relatively little improvement since entering the draft pool. It remains to be seen if he’ll develop into anything meaningful, though there were few active goalies left in the pool. Perhaps Maine has an individualized plan to help him return to relevance – but at this point he’s one of the few selections I can’t realistically justify.

2.20 | Newfoundland Berserkers (via DET) [Image: berserkers.png]

| LD Tinke Jutlia (@Snussu)
It’s about time. Tinke Jutlia must be the most-hyped, lowest-selected prospect in the draft, coming from am agent with a ten-season player under his belt in winger Dank Boija. For that reason, this is probably the highest-rated selection of the draft so far (from my perspective). It’s beyond surprising to see him fall through nineteen (okay, eighteen) other selections and every SMJHL team’s grasp. I’d pretty solidly rate him above my own player taken a few selections earlier.

The third stay at home/shutdown defenseman of the draft, Jutila is a defensive mastermind of a SMJHL prospect – but needs some honing on his actual positioning on the ice to be a genuine threat. Relatively little is known about this intelligent defenseman thus far – especially since his agent’s most recent statement was essentially “Boija died” before revealing him. Regardless, Jutila has some of the best resources around him for improvement, meaning his fit on the Berserkers long-term is all but guaranteed.

[5,714 in Microsoft Word]