According to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s director of amateur scouting, Al Murray, there are not any “A+” prospects in this years draft. But, Murray believes that there are five to ten “A” or “A-” players available.
That being said, with the third overall pick, Tampa Bay will be selecting a very special player in the June 30 draft.
This is the fourth in a series of scouting reports on the top choices in this year’s NHL entry level draft. We look to the prospect guru’s to introduce you to the next Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick.
Today we focus on talented 18 year old forward Aleksander Barkov.
Al Murray, via TampaBayLightning.com:
“He’s a 6-foot-3 center. His dad is a Russian who played in Russia and then finished his career in Finland, which is where the family settled, so that’s why he plays for Finland in all the international tournaments. He’s a combination of a goal-scorer and a playmaker. He played the past two years in the Finnish Elite League and this past year was very impressive. He was top 10 in scoring in the men’s league as a 17-year-old. The one thing that’s interesting about this kid is that we’ve never ever seen him play in his own age group at some of the international tournaments. When they had the U-17 championships, he was the third-line center of the Finnish World Juniors team. He’s big, he’s mobile, he’s a very good skater, he’s got puck handling ability and he’s a good defensive player.”
Caveat: “He had a shoulder problem, a dislocation. We have not received all the X-Rays yet, and you don’t want to drop a guy due to injury, but you certainly do all the checking you can about how the procedures went and everything. Hopefully he’s back and healthy. He’s a candidate to go very high in the Draft.”
Alex Muscat, JuniorHockey.com, LightningShout:
“Aleksander Barkov has stood out as the top European player in the draft. In 53 games with Tappara this season, Barkov, who is only 17 years old, scored 21 goals and added 27 assists for 48 points in a league against men before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Barkov also represented Finland at the 2013 World Junior Championships in Ufa and the rest of the hockey world took notice as he scored three goals and dished out four assists in six games.
Barkov has been described as the top two way player in his age group and has great vision with outstanding playmaking abilities. The son of former hockey player Alexsander Barkov Sr., the younger Barkov already has the size (6’2″, 205 lbs) and talent to crack an NHL lineup next season.“
Corey Pronman, Hockey Prospectus:
“Barkov is one of the greatest NHL Entry Draft prospects to ever come out of Finland. He is a tremendously advanced player, with elite hockey sense. He regularly logged 20 minutes this season, which is rare for a September-born 17-year-old in Finland’s top league.
He has an incredible amount of patience, vision, and awareness. He can slow the game down and dictate the tempo, as well as be the focal point on the power play. He also has a high level of defensive skill, showing ability at a very young age to be a quality defensive center. He has good technique on faceoffs, as he keeps his hands low, pulling pucks back quickly. Despite having good puck skills, he is not a player who will consistently try to stickhandle around players. He is selective, but he has the talent to create offense out of nothing. Barkov is a big, strong player. He will not crash and bang, but he protects the puck well. His skating is a tick below average. It is possible he could improve to an average skater, but his game will not be predicated on blazing past defenders. When bringing the puck out of his zone, he tends to prefer making a good pass rather than rushing the puck up.”
Jr. Hockey Recruit:
“After beginning the season on a point per game pace in Finland’s top professional league, 17 year-old Sasha Barkov was ranked 4th overall in the JHR November list. Some questioned whether the young star could maintain such a pace over a lengthy season. Now, 31 games into the year, Barkov remains close to that point per game average with 14 goals and 14 assists and has maintained his status as one of the league’s best offensive weapons at the age of 17.“
“A very calm center who uses his vision well, Barkov has an excellent offensive game and good size. His very good passing and puckhandling combined with great hands and hockey sense make him a big offensive threat. He plays with high confidence and never seems to be under pressure. Barkov is a creative with a very solid overall package and the skill set to compensate for his below-average skating, making him one of the top prospects for the 2013 NHL Draft.”
NHL player comparison: Joe Thornton
Next up: Seth Jones
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