It should be said, right out the gate, that tournaments like the World Junior Summer Showcase and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup should be taken with a grain of salt. Not every prospect is present and some of the matchups are lop-sided. Which, is a great segue into my first topic…
TEAM CANADA’S DOMINANCE
After Canada’s opening contest, in the preliminary round, against Finland, I tweeted out the following:
https://twitter.com/keithfries/status/1158405341836525568
Finland was arguably Canada’s toughest opponent in their first three games and it all signs pointed to their cakewalk into the medal rounds.
Quinton Byfield, rated as my #3 pre-season prospect for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, put on highlight-reel performances game-after-game. His size and skill draw you in, but his team play and compete keep you sticking around. A sweet between the legs goal was all scouts needed to see to put the stamp of approval on this young man. And I say “man,” because he’s built like one and acts like one.
Quinton Byfield goes between the legs 😱😱 #HlinkaGretzkyCup @HockeyCanada pic.twitter.com/KIuYa8hPUB
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 7, 2019
But some might say it was Cole Perfetti who really stole the show, for Team Canada. His elite hands and skill with the puck were heavily displayed, and based on that skill carried Team Canada to a shootout victory over Jesper Wallstedt and Team Sweden.
https://twitter.com/HC_Men/status/1159916543217557504
Craig Button of TSN fame noted that the roster assembled for Team Canada may be one of the best, and while the performances were certainly one-sided in the preliminary round, Canada wasn’t without their struggles.
Sure, they beat the Swedes in a shootout but one could argue that such a dominant team shouldn’t be in a shootout, anyway. That’s not to discredit the Swedes, mind you, who did an excellent job of wearing down Canada in the first 40-minutes of the game.
And, we all know Canada’s fate in the gold/silver medal round, so I won’t dwell on that part other than to say it proves Canada wasn’t an unstoppable juggernaut.
Another great segue, because…
YAROSLAV ASKAROV IS THAT GOOD
I mentioned in our pre-tournament article, here at BLH, that our Askarov would have to be elite in-order for the Russians to contend for a gold medal, let alone win it. To say he lived up to that billing would be an understatement.
Between a tight back-and-forth contest against Team Sweden and holding the lead to secure a gold medal victory against the Canadians, Askarov showed why he is more than worthy of a lottery pick, next June. My fellow BLH scout, Max (@TPEHockey), believes Askarov could go in the top-10, so I consulted with him about Askarov’s performance at the HGC, and here’s what he had to say:
“I think Askarov is a superstar. His play and style is impeccable. To summarize, he holds all the qualities of an NHL star and I see him worthy of a top-10, and maybe a top-5, pick.”
2021 GOALTENDERS
Jesper Wallstedt, who I mentioned earlier, came into this tournament with a lot of interest from scouts, myself included. Billed as a potential franchise level goaltender and top-10 pick in his draft year, Wallstedt did exceptionally despite losing two, meaningful, matchups against Russia and Canada. He showed great poise and did a nice job of keeping Sweden in the game when little offense was being generated on the other end of the ice.
Bra räddning av Jesper Wallstedt. #HlinkaGretzkyCup #2021NHLDraft #LHF pic.twitter.com/2RHCCbrz35
— Anton (@bolaniii9) August 7, 2019
For Team Canada, Tristan Lennox really impressed me when his number was called for some big games. Really liked his approach to the game – simple, but when he makes a big save he does it with style. He wants to bring the crowd out of their seats with a huge glove save but knows not to go chasing those moments. Or waterfalls, as TLC would say. You hear me, Lennox? Don’t go chasing waterfalls. …Stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.
Sorry… Point is, Lennox was good.
https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1159893298150039552
BIGGEST RISER AND FALLER
It’s all subjective, but, I thought Cole Perfetti did an excellent job of establishing his name as a top prospect. You see names floating around various boards and you’re trying to see which of those players takes a foothold, and Perfetti certainly did that. His shootout performance, mentioned above, would’ve been enough to keep scouts salivating, but seeing those incredible dangles and goals translate over into actual gameplay was something else.
My biggest faller was Helge Grans. I had heard some good things about him, before the tournament, and was interested in watching him play. But one bad play-after-another didn’t keep me watching for very long.
https://twitter.com/JokkeNevalainen/status/1160218632934367232
Max’s Riser: Hendrix Lapierre
Max’s Faller: Jan Mysak
WHO DIDN’T PLAY AT THE TOURNAMENT (OR THE WJSS) THAT YOU WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN?
I’m a big supporter of Jaromir Pytlik, a Czech-born YouTube sensation turned top prospect. Loosely, you could affiliate his rise in popularity with that of 2018 draftee, Oliver Wahlstrom, who gained initial fame through his internet videos. But make no mistake about it, I ranked him as my pre-season #10th-overall pick for a reason.
🚨POWER PLAY GOAL🚨 @jaromir_pytlik with a 🚀 of a one timer to increase the Greyhounds lead to 3-1!!! pic.twitter.com/xOPTDVLHPy
— HTA PROSPECTS (@HtaProspects) March 16, 2019
Let’s go back to Max, one more time, to close this one out:
“I would’ve liked to have seen two guys out of the AJHL, playing for the Sherwood Park Crusaders, Michael Benning and Carter Savoie. Benning scores at a very similar rate to Cale Makar (2017 draftee) at the same age. This, while Savoie was one of the AJHL’s best rookies.”
Micheal Benning, brother of Matt (EDM), is the best under the radar defender for the #2020NHLDraft. He plays for Sherwood Park in the AJHL. Based on point totals he seems to be the next Cale Makar. In draft -1 year:
Makar-54GP 10G 45A 55P 1.0PPG
Benning-45GP 4G 39A 43P .96PPG pic.twitter.com/Koegrsarpw
— TPEHockey (@TPEHockey) January 22, 2019
