Ranked 91st in our consolidated rankings is BCHL defenceman Stanislav Demin, a player that has some upside and should benefit from going the NCAA route.

Demin is a smart puck-moving defenceman that projects to be a top 4 defenceman in the NHL. He was the only player to represent the BCHL to play at the All-American Top Prospects Game and played well, putting up an assist.

The Cypress born Demin will be a mid-round pick that teams hope can round out his game at the well-regarded program at the University of Denver.

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Bio

Age/Birthdate: 17.45/ April 4, 2000

17.45/ April 4, 2000 Birthplace: Cypress, CA, USA

Cypress, CA, USA Frame: 6-foot-1/ 187 lbs

6-foot-1/ 187 lbs Position: Defence

Defence Handedness: Left

Left Draft Year Team: Wenatchee Wild(BCHL)

Wenatchee Wild(BCHL) Accomplishments/Awards:

BCHL Champion BCHL Second Team All-Star



Stats

Career

2017-18 Season

GP G A P SEAL INV% 5v5 Pr INV% 5v5 eP160 Sh/Gp Sh% GF% GF%rel GD60rel XLS% XPR xVAL 57 9 36 45 0.00 23.1% 11.8% 0.00 0.00 0% 50.0% -8.0% -0.85 17% 39.9 1.8

Consistent production throughout the entire season with a decent mix of 5 v 5 play and powerplay points. He did tail off at the end of the season but still really good to see consistent production for a defenceman who many regards as being safe with the puck.

Cohort Based

Demin’s cohorts produced limited matches with Justin Schultz being the only successful player. As always with the small sample sizes with pGPS, it’s just another layer of analysis to add to the eye test. Demin produced very well at that level but the real test comes next year in the NCAA.

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Our Take

Demin is generally regarded as a defensive defenceman who makes the safe play with his puck movements and reads. Generally not willing to take a risk to make a play. He still finished fourth in the BCHL in points, trailing fellow draft prospect Johnny Tychonick by two points. But Demin did play nine more games.

The Wenatchee defender is responsible in all three zones and does really well in his own zone. He’s smart with his movements – easily closing gaps while defending and then adept at skating the puck out to allow his team to attack with speed. With that being said, he needs to improve that area of his game as well.

Ideally, you would see more offensive risks and shots from Demin but with that note in mind, not at the expense of his defensive positioning. Sometimes he turns down a chance to jump up in the rush and create an odd-man rush to ensure that his team is not outnumbered in back. This likely limits his offensive production a bit but will be something that coaches will love about his game.

As with a lot of prospects in this range, taking a player that will head to the NCAA and round out there game is what makes them attractive. They won’t be rushed into professional hockey and will still face high levels of competition throughout their formative years. In Demin’s case, it means that he will get a chance to round out his offensive game and fine tune his play in the defensive zone.

There is a lot to like about the raw skillset of Demin – if nothing else, he reads the game well which should help him through the hockey ranks.

Further Reading

Consolidated Average Future Considerations Hockey Prospect.com ISS Hockey McKeen’s The Athletic TSN Bob McKenzie TSN Craig Button The Hockey News Sportsnet ESPN Dobber Prospects 55 64.4 46 $$ $$ $$ 47 62 55 92

From Bill Placzek, The Draft Site:

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A solid defensive defenseman whos offensive side is starting to blossom. A strong skater with a wide base and good pivots that allows him to take an aggressive line of defence as he closes the gap to contact. Very instinctive and smart in his reads and understanding of his position. Has an active stick always in the passing lanes to disrupt passes. Positions himself so he always seems to have leverage on the competition to take them off the biscuit. Transitions out of his end well, and also passes the puck out well. He can carry out in transition and enter the attack zone due to his wide skating base that helps him protect the puck strongly. A work in progress, but lots of good thinks there including one of the better skating strides backwards. Committed to Denver University

CanucksArmy’s 2018 NHL Draft Rankings





