Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2015 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Sports is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! The following is a complete listing of all our 2016 Draft Articles.
Its almost here, draft day. With 75 full NHL Draft scouting reports in the books, I now make a number of shorter write-ups over the next few days to take us over 100 prospects ranked and reviewed. If history is any indication, some of these players will get taken in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds. In my opinion, they will be big time steals at those picks. Today we move on with final 10.
2016 NHL Draft Scouting Reports: 91-100
#91 Nicholas Caamano – Right Wing, Flint Firebirds, 6’1″ 183 lbs
Caamano is a very good skater. He has good speed and acceleration. He can get to the outside on defenders off the rush and cut to the net. He is also not afraid to battle in the corners or get to the dirty areas in front of the net to score goals. Caamano could stand to add some extra muscle to his frame. Ths could give him a more powerful shot, and become an even better goal scorer as a result.
#92 Travis Barron, Left Wing, Ottawa 67s, 6’1″ 187 lbs
Barron is a gritty forward who battles in the corners and in front of the net. He has a non-stop motor and plays a strong physical game. He has the hand-eye co-ordination to get tip-ins out front; as well as to bury rebounds. He is strong on the puck and protects it well in the cycle game. Barron could stand to work on his wrist shot. He will need a quicker release to score at the next level.
#93 Jacob Neveu, Defence, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, 6’2″ 205 lbs
A stay-at-home defender who was part of the best team in the QMJHL this past season. Neveu was matched up against other team’s top lines, and on key defensive zone draws. He has strong positioning, and a good active stick that takes away passing and shooting lanes. Neveu uses strong skating, and good agility to keep himself between attackers and the front of the Huskies net.
#94 Beck Malenstyn, Centre, Calgary Hitmen 6’2″ 192 lbs
Malenstyn plays a simple, but effective game. He works hard in all three zones, bringing physicality and grit to the team. Malenstyn creates offense by winning battles for loose pucks, and then getting the puck to the front of the net. His shot is powerful, but lacks accuracy. He could stand to work on his stick handling, and playmaking ability. Malenstyn has a well developed defensive game.
#95 Tanner Laczynski, Centre, Lincoln Stars, 6’1″ 174 lbs
A draft re-entry, Laczynski was fourth in scoring in the USHL this past season. He is a strong playmaker, with very good vision and passing skills. Laczynski can fit the puck through tight spaces, or make saucer passes to teammates. He creates space with strong puck handling skills. Laczynski also has a good release on his shot. He could stand to work on his skating. He will be headed to Ohio State next year.
#96 Griffin Luce, Defence, US NTDP 6’3″ 214 lbs
The son of former Florida Panthers head scout Scott Luce, Griffin Luce is a stay at home defenceman with excellent size and physicality. He loves to hit and does so a lot. An old school defenceman, Luce clears the crease and wins battles in the corners. He also makes a good first pass out of the zone and starts the transition game; but there really isn’t much to speak of in terms of offence here. He could stand to work on his skating, because he can sometimes struggle against quicker forwards.
#97 Jacob Moverare, Defence, HV71 6’2″ 198 lbs
Moverare is an effective stay-at-home defenceman. He has good agility and edgework, as well as solid backwards mobility. He is tough to beat one-on-one off the rush. If forwards attack Moverare’s side of the ice with their heads down, he is capable of throwing a big hit. Moverare shows good passing skills, especially in moving the puck out of the zone. He also has a decent shot. Those skills haven’t translated into offensive production yet; due to the fact that Moverare doesn’t take many offensive chances.
#98 Otto Somppi, Centre, Halifax Mooseheads, 6’1″ 181 lbs
Somppi combines good skating skill and nifty puck handling to be very dangerous off the rush. He can create space for teammates to get open, and then hit them with a tape-to-tape pass. His speed and shiftiness make him very difficult to defend in open ice. When working the cycle game, he can get pushed off the puck and will need to bulk up. Somppi has a good shot, but does not use it often enough.
#99 Keaton Middleton, Defence, Saginaw Spirit 6’6″ 235 lbs
The big defenceman is the brother of Jacob Middleton, a player for the Ottawa 67s, and defenceman drafted by the Los Angles Kings. The younger Middleton also fits the same mould. He is a big and tough defenceman, who can block shots, clear the crease, and battle in corners. Middleton is a good skater for his size. There is not much offensive game to speak of. Middleton will need to work on moving the puck effectively, and avoiding costly turnovers.
#100 Carsen Twarynski, Left Wing, Calgary Hitmen 6’2″ 201 lbs
Twarynski is a solid all-around player at the junior level. He skates well. He plays physical, and wins board battles. He gets to the front of the net to pounce on rebounds and score on tips. He also has a well-developed defence game. The issue here is that while he does all of these things well, there isn’t any one aspect of Twarynski’s name that really stands out. As a result, his ultimate upside is a question mark.
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