The overriding message at this year`s NHL scouting combine was clear: brace for unpredictability. As 90 aspiring NHL players underwent rigorous testing, team interviews, and dinners, scouts and executives expressed considerable uncertainty about how the first round of the draft, scheduled for June 27th and 28th, would unfold.
“There are maybe 16 or 18 players I could see going in the top 10,” one scout remarked. “It`s just that kind of group. It`s deep, filled with players of great character. Many possess unique skill sets. Teams are going to face challenging decisions.”
Another executive highlighted the wealth of talent among forwards available for teams with high draft positions. While Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer is being discussed as a potential top overall pick for the New York Islanders, the picture becomes much less clear after that.
Intrigue abounds!
“Our internal discussions have been quite lively,” the executive quipped.
One name frequently mentioned as a potential wild card is Carter Bear.
The Everett Silvertips forward did not participate in the combine`s fitness testing due to an Achilles tendon injury sustained in March. However, he anticipates being fully healthy by the start of NHL training camps in the fall. Bear finished tied for seventh in WHL scoring last season with 40 goals and 82 points over 65 games. He ranks 10th among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting`s final list and 13th overall on analyst Rachel Doerrie`s latest big board.
If there`s a player poised to rise significantly in the draft order, Bear could be that individual. Despite being unable to complete all combine activities, his performance on the ice has evidently captured serious attention from numerous clubs.
Teams have demonstrated creativity in recent drafts – remember Juraj Slafkovsky surprisingly going first overall to Montreal in 2022? – and June could bring another surprising first round. Until then, here are some other key notes and news from combine week.
Eklund and Frondell: Competitive Friends on the Ice
Victor Eklund was persistent. He was determined to play on a line with his teammate Anton Frondell at Djurgardens IF. Their coach, Robert Kimby, apparently heard about it constantly until it happened.
“I think I told him like 10 times,” Eklund recalled. “He kept saying, `yeah, yeah, yeah.` But eventually, we finally got the chance to play together.”
This pairing of two top prospects for the upcoming NHL draft was years in the making. Eklund, who recorded 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games last season, and Frondell, with 11 goals and 25 points in 29 games, first played against each other as children in Sweden. It was then that Eklund first witnessed Frondell`s impressive puck skills.
“When we were 10 years old, I remember playing against him, and he actually pulled off a move on me,” Eklund recounted. “He put the puck between my legs, and I`ve never forgotten it. He claims he doesn`t remember, but I`m pretty sure he does. We`ve played against each other often, but we truly got to know one another when we both started playing for our team.”
Frondell admitted that he does, in fact, remember deking Eklund (“it was really good,” he laughed) and shared what he valued most about playing on the same line.
“Victor is easy to play with. I don`t think I`ve ever played with someone who has so much energy,” Frondell stated. “He wins every battle, even when we`re playing against men. Victor consistently wins puck battles, and it makes it simple for me to find him in open ice. Most of the time, I receive the puck right on my stick. So it`s easy for me too, and we enjoy playing together.”
Eklund was full of praise for Frondell, explaining why he relentlessly badgered their coach to finally pair them up in January.
“Anton is a force on the ice,” Eklund said. “He has a shot like a rocket. He`s truly a great, great player. I knew from the outset that if we got the opportunity, we would seize it and be the best, and I think we did quite well.”
He added, “And yeah, the coach probably got tired of me asking, so they had to eventually put us together.”
Michael Misa Embraces Center Role
Michael Misa learned the importance of patience the hard way. The Saginaw Spirit forward initially expected to play center in the OHL. However, the team`s depth at the position when he joined two years ago led to him playing on the wing instead. He excelled there, and that experience helped build the foundation for his current position – potentially a top-two selection in the draft.
But Misa was simply waiting for the opportunity to return to his preferred center position.
That chance finally came for his draft year, and he capitalized by scoring 62 goals and accumulating 134 points in 65 games, leading the OHL in scoring.
Evidently, Misa is not keen on changing positions again anytime soon.
“Growing up in minor hockey, I was always primarily a center,” Misa explained. “For my first two years in the OHL, we had several good centers who were older. So I had to transition to wing. But coming back this year, it was my plan for my draft year to return to center, and ultimately, I feel much more confident there. That`s fundamentally where my roots are.”
Dominating from the center spot has boosted Misa`s prospects heading into the draft, where he`s projected to be among the first players chosen. Whichever team selects him will acquire a player who feels prepared to step into the NHL immediately.
“I feel like I`m ready to make that leap next year,” Misa stated. “Ultimately, my goal is to make the NHL next year. I believe gaining that center experience this year definitely improved my game. I`m also working on becoming a more reliable 200-foot player defensively. So overall, I feel ready.”
Misa noted that playing center allows him to be more “involved” in the play. “It`s not just offensively, but being reliable defensively,” he said. “It`s been good for me… I`ve gotten a lot more puck touches and been able to drive the play more with the puck.”
Will Horcoff Sets Combine Record
When an NHL team asked Michigan forward Will Horcoff what animal he would be off the ice, he chose a silverback gorilla.
Based on his performance in the horizontal jump at the combine, Horcoff might be better compared to an impala. Like the antelope, Horcoff can cover remarkable distances in a single bound – his leap of 124.75 inches set a new combine record, a feat he specifically trained for.
“I knew I had a chance to do it coming in,” said Horcoff, whose previous best jump was 122 inches. “It just depended on whether I executed. And I did. I`m pleased with it.”
Horcoff, the son of former NHL player Shawn Horcoff, focused on his horizontal movement but also aimed for a strong showing in the vertical jump. However, his strategy for the vertical had to be adjusted.
“It was a bit odd; I jumped higher with my hands on my hips than when I used my arms,” Horcoff commented. “I`m not sure why. At the U-18 Worlds, I jumped 4½ inches higher than I did here. So I don`t know what happened.”
The 6-foot-4, 181-pound center added, perhaps unnecessarily, that “I`m a competitive guy,” which made the discrepancy in his vertical jump figures perplexing. Still, Horcoff was generally satisfied with how his preparation paid off in front of NHL scouts and executives from the 31 teams he interviewed with during combine week.
“I believe I can be a skilled power forward in the NHL,” Horcoff stated. “I`d love to play like Brady Tkachuk [Ottawa Senators forward]. Adding that competitive edge is something I focused on this season, and I intend to do it more consistently next season.”
And regarding the gorilla choice? “He`s a leader,” Horcoff explained. “And he protects his family.”
Players Confront Past Mistakes in Interviews
The purpose of a combine is typically to showcase one`s best attributes. However, that doesn`t mean past errors are overlooked.
This became apparent in some team interviews, where executives presented prospects with video footage from their season and asked them to analyze it. The clips weren`t always highlights.
“Pittsburgh did that,” said Moose Jaw Warriors forward Lynden Lakovic. “They didn`t show my highlights; they probably showed my lowlights, and asked me to break them down. It was a good exercise. I think I handled it well. They weren`t my best moments, but I`m aware of that, and I felt I explained it pretty well.”
Carlos Handel of the Halifax Mooseheads similarly found himself surprised by seeing his poor plays reappear front and center during meetings.
“Carolina did that,” the defenseman recalled. “They showed me some bad clips and wanted to see, for instance, how I would react to it. They also asked about how my coach would want me to approach that situation and what my own opinion on the play was.”
If nothing else, these interviews kept the prospects on their toes throughout the week.
“Most of the talks were enjoyable,” Lakovic commented. “But there were a couple that were a little more intimidating.”
Can Nashville Make the Most of Their Picks?
The Nashville Predators didn`t plan on being a lottery team. But plans don`t always go as expected.
Nashville finished the season with a 30-44-8 record. However, the lottery awarded them the No. 5 overall pick, just one of their three first-round selections. There is talent available that could potentially provide immediate help to the Predators.
Players like Boston College`s James Hagens, Frondell, or Brantford`s Jake O`Brien could be available at the fifth pick to strengthen Nashville down the middle, and each has the potential to crack an NHL lineup sooner rather than later. Brampton winger Porter Martone would also likely be a solid fit for Nashville.
The Predators signed Steven Stamkos last summer, and he would serve as an excellent mentor for any young player entering the league.
Speaking of Stamkos, the Predators didn`t acquire him for a rebuild. They aim to be back in playoff contention next season. How they ultimately use the 23rd overall pick (acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning) and the 26th pick (from the Vegas Golden Knights) will reveal much about Nashville`s strategy and outlook for the upcoming season.
