Top 30 Prospects: #10-6

Welcome back to my rankings of the Montreal Canadiens’ top 30 prospects. This is part six of seven, which will cover prospects ranked 10-6. It’s important to keep in mind that this is entirely my opinion and I am not a scout. In many cases, the difference between two prospects is minimal. The season breakdown and talent analysis for each prospect is meant to be as concise as possible, while still maintaining a high level of detail and information. Each profile will also be accompanied by a explanation ranking, in efforts to provide a fair and objective rationale behind my ranking.

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Introduction and Honourable Mentions

#30-26

#25-21

#20-16

#15-11

#10-6

#5-1

10) Magnus Nygren

Drafted: 113th, 4th, 2011

D | 6’01” 192 | Färjestad BK (SHL)

Regular Season: 25GP 12G 8A 20P Playoffs: 15GP 2G 3A 5P

Nygren joined the Hamilton Bulldogs following an excellent season in Sweden. However, 16 games into his stint with the ‘Dogs, Nygren headed back to Färjestad BK. Nygren took another step forward in his development, scoring at a torrential pace and significantly improving his defensive game. However, in the playoffs, Nygren looked like a shell of his former self.

Nygren’s shot is certainly his most talked about asset. The 104+ mph cannon has pinpoint accuracy. Nygren rarely misses the net and has a wicked one-timer. His combination of power and accuracy is deadly, and he knows it. He’s essentially a machine gun from the point, constantly hammering shots on goal. However, Nygren is more that just a big shot. The defender also has an excellent outlet pass–it’s crisp, hard, and typically on target. In the offensive zone, Nygren is an effective puck distributor and consistently makes good pinches. He reads the play extremely well offensively and understands that shooting for rebounds and redirections is just as helpful as shooting for twine.

An area that has always needed improvement is Nygren’s defensive game. It was too small of a sample size to judge in Hamilton, but in Sweden there was excellent progression. Nygren is an aggressive defender, he loves to step up on forwards and force them to move the puck or pay for it. His ability to lower the boom on players doesn’t get talked about enough and he’s quite aggressive along the boards. Additionally, Nygren’s gap control is superb. However, that aggressive defensive game is a double-edged sword. He desperately has to improve his ability to defend one-on-one, as he gets beaten too easily. Also, Nygren is prone to chasing the puck around his own zone and many times looks completely lost. However, this season there was notable improvement in that area. He played a more cautious, cerebral style of defence, while maintaining a level of aggression.

There’s still more work that must be done with Nygren, with the biggest of those being improving his skating. Nygren’s not an impressive skater. As mentioned, his aggressive style of defence sometimes hurts him. His mere average agility causes him to get beat by fast forwards and sometimes completely embarrassed in one-on-one situations. He’s a solid straight line skater, owning good speed and balance. His first few steps need work, as does his backwards skating. Like all other areas, there’s been improvement in his skating. Is it where it needs to be? Probably not, but it shouldn’t hold him back too much.

Nygren brings many offensive tools to the table. Additionally, he also brings a good physical game and improving defensive game. His future in the organization is very much in the air as he deserted the ‘Dogs early in the season, but there’s no doubt he has the tools to become a solid defenceman.

Ranking Explanation: The fact that Nygren left the ‘Dogs early and probably will not return to the AHL was not considered. Placing Nygren above Pateryn was one of the hardest decisions on this list. Pateryn’s a smarter player and better defensively, but Nygren’s closing the gap quickly. Additionally, Nygren’s offensive skill set is much more impressive–he shoots and passes better than Pateryn. Both defenders have similar upside (above-average #4 d-men), but Nygren’s more enticing skill set and ability to become a high-end powerplay producer pushes him ahead.

9) Martin Reway

Drafted: 116th, 4th, 2013

LW | 5’09” 174 | Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)

Regular Season: 43GP 20G 42A 62P Playoffs: 9GP 5G 10A 15P

Reway built upon a solid rookie season this past year and certainly made himself well-known around the hockey community with his incredible performance at the World Junior Championship. Reway’s first half of the season was fantastic, including a 22-point month of November. Reway improved his defensive game, compete level, and team play. He looked like a completely different player. However, in the second half of the year, Reway reverted back to his old ways and his production took a massive hit, with just 21 of his 62 points coming in the final 18 of his 43 games.

Reway is undeniably a dynamic offensive threat, arguably the most purely skilled player in the prospect pool. Reway’s hands are absolutely filthy and he has the creativity to match. The dangles that he pulls off with the puck fool even the best defenders and goaltenders. He’s also incredibly agile, owning a short, choppy stride which allows him to turn on a dime. When he combines his agility and hands, he looks borderline impossible to stop. He’s so shifty and quick that most players in the QMJHL simply don’t know how to stop him. He’s a fantastic powerplay contributor, where he typically plays the point. It doesn’t seem to matter, whether that be off the rush, sustained pressure, special teams–Reway’s a threat on all of them.

Reway is also a tremendous passer. With nearly unrivalled vision and an excellent saucer pass he can make breathtaking feeds. However, he’s quite selfish with the puck, leading to a seemingly endless amounts of turnovers and boneheaded plays. His ability to distribute the puck is fantastic, when he decides that he wants to do it. In terms of tools alone, Reway’s shot is the weak link. He has a deceptively quick release and good accuracy; however, too often he doesn’t get enough on his shot. Reway hasn’t shown the willingness to engage around the net, which really makes me questions his goal-scoring potential at the next level. However, there is no denying Reway’s dynamic skill set.

With such an incredible skill set, it’s hard to believe that Reway is only number nine on this list, but he has his fair share of flaws. As mentioned, Reway’s incredibly selfish, and while there was progression in the first half of the year, he reverted back to his old ways. Reway’s straight line skating ability isn’t up to par with his agility. He’s not a speedster by any means, but he’s learned to mask it by being shifty and deceptive. I don’t believe Reway’s hockey IQ is on par with his incredible skill level, which has become increasingly more apparent through continually making the same mistakes, particularly defensively. He’s also tiny and quite slight, which isn’t a huge concern for me, but he doesn’t show the willingness to consistently battle that other smaller players do. Too often, Reway is completely disengaged and hurts his team just as much as he helps.

The dynamic Reway has a long way to go, and certainly wasn’t the “dominant” player in the QMJHL that many think he was. There’s a tremendous amount of skill to work with, but he has to improve the other areas of his game. Reway will join HC Praha Sparta of the Czech Extraliga next year. He hasn’t outgrown the QMJHL, but he very well could learn just as much, if not more, playing in a more structured environment of men’s professional hockey.

Ranking Explanation: I’ve been sceptical of Reway, but I can’t justify having a player of his skill level any lower. He’s clearly extremely dynamic and gifted. He’s far more dynamic than Tim Bozon or Jeremy Grégoire, giving him the edge. He’s substantially more skilled than Charles Hudon, although Hudon’s a smarter player with a more well-rounded game, but I have many questions about Hudon as well. They aren’t quite as serious, but Reway is just that much more skilled. To me, Reway’s the first player on this list with legitimate top-six upside, which pushes him into the top ten. Reway gets the edge over Nygren because of skill set, which is more high-end than Nygren’s.

8) Michael McCarron

Drafted: 25th, 1st, 2013

RW/C | 6’05” 241 | London Knights (OHL)

Regular Season: 66GP 14G 20A 34P | Playoffs: 9GP 3G 2A 5P

This past season was a difficult one for McCarron, who ended up disappointing. McCarron struggled so immensely in the first half of the season that he didn’t even look OHL-calibre. Fortunately, as the year wore on McCarron improved significantly. That’s not to say that he’s where he needs to be–he’s still very far away due to his extreme rawness. For more on McCarron’s season, check out my article: On Michael McCarron’s 2013/14 Season.

McCarron doesn’t get enough credit for his skill level. McCarron always had soft hands, especially for such a big player, but we didn’t really see them in action until the second half of the season. McCarron can beat defenders one-on-one with quick moves. Along the boards, his hands are quite good and when he comes off the wall he can look unstoppable. Despite having such long reach, his hands in tight are good, which is quite impressive. McCarron is also a crafty playmaker, owning the ability to make sneaky passes. However, he doesn’t show enough confidence in his playmaking ability and, despite owning the vision, doesn’t have the technical element of passing down. McCarron also owns a cannon of a shot. His release is sluggish and accuracy is erratic, but when he steps into a shot, he absolutely hammers it. McCarron’s wrister is well above-average, but he doesn’t properly utilize it. Instead of stepping into a shot, he will fire off a weak snapshot from long range.

On the flip side, I think McCarron’s size and physicality gets overstated considerably. The 241-pound forward certainly doesn’t play that big on the ice. He’s got a surprisingly thin lower body, which doesn’t just hurt his ability to win puck battles and hit, but skate as well. His top-end speed is quite impressive, but his acceleration and balance need work, which I largely attribute to his weak lower body strength. McCarron isn’t a consistent physical presence. He must improve his hitting technique as many times McCarron will have an opponent lined up and nothing will happen. When he goes use proper technique and connect with the shoulder, he absolutely destroys players. McCarron doesn’t venture to the front of the net enough, hurting his effectiveness, and he doesn’t drive the net with consistency. When he does go there, good things always happen, but he has yet to realize it.

In order for McCarron to take the massive step forward that he needs to take, he must improve his decision-making. We saw progression in his decision-making, but there’s still a long way to go. He just doesn’t make the right decision at the right time. He’s so raw that he doesn’t consistently use his tools, nor does he appear to be aware of them. Essentially every element of his game is prone to questionable decisions, ranging from shot selection to discipline. The biggest area where his decision-making improved was in his own zone. Moving to centre taught him to compete harder and be more aware of his surroundings. He’s reliable defensively now, but there’s lots of room for improvement.

Simply put, McCarron is extremely raw. He doesn’t use his tools well enough or compete on a consistent basis, but his upside is too great to pass up. McCarron possesses so many desirable tools and now, a full season after his draft, it’s now time to start putting those together. Another year like last could be disastrous for McCarron, but he has all the tools to succeed.

Ranking Explanation: It’s tough to justify having a player who struggled like McCarron did this high, but hear me out. McCarron was a divisive choice, splitting most of the fan base in two. I think that McCarron’s a high risk player, with more bust potential than most, but he’s also a high reward player. Prospects with his tools rarely come along. He has so many desirable tools, but it’s a matter of putting them together. Looking at just the forwards, McCarron is only behind Nikita Scherbak in terms of pure tools (obviously taking into account more things than puck skills) on this list. However, others bring significantly more polish and consistency. McCarron’s tools push him above Charles Hudon, giving him more upside (complementary top-six forward versus second/third line tweener). Reway is the really tricky one. Reway’s high-end, dynamic skill set is rare, but I see more bust potential in Reway. Additionally, I see McCarron’s skill set as one that would be more valuable to a team than Reway’s.

7) Zach Fucale

Drafted: 36th, 2nd, 2013

G | 6’01” 180 | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

Stats: 50GP 36W 9L 3OTL, .907 SV%, 2.26 GAA

Unlike many prospects, Fucale didn’t experience a season of notable improvement. For the most part, he stayed the same, but that’s not to say that he didn’t have a good year. For the third consecutive season, Fucale backstopped the Mooseheads to a lengthy playoff run. Unfortunately, the wheels fell off against Val-d’Or, but Fucale’s struggles were largely overblown. He represented Canada at the World Junior Championship, emerging as the starter and performing admirably.

Possibly the most impressive aspect about Fucale’s game is his poise. He’s incredibly relaxed in the goal and always seems in control. Rarely does he get dragged out of position and the rare time he does, he always recovers. Fucale does have a tendency to allow soft goals, but his mentality allows him to always rebound. He never seems phased, no matter how bad the situation is. He seemingly always follows up a poor performance with a fantastic one. His calm attitude is apparent on breakaways and odd-man rushes. He was lights out in shootouts and during breakaways this past season. He’s poised and reads the shooter incredibly well. On odd-man rushes he stops more than most goaltenders because he understands the position so well. He calmly battles through traffic and always seems able to track the puck.

Fucale is also an excellent technical goaltender. His angles are absolutely fantastic and he rarely puts himself out of position. Down low, he rarely seems to get beat. He combines his high level of flexibility and athleticism to stretch the pads out and take away the net quickly. His movements are precise and he moves laterally extremely well. His glove hand is hit or miss–some games he’s absolutely unbeatable there, while others he gets handcuffed and allows a soft goal. Blocker side has is strikingly similar in regards to the inconsistency. He does have a bit of tendency to drop down into the butterfly too early, but I wouldn’t say its a major concern. There’s no denying his technical ability. In fact, I would like to see him use his athleticism more often every now and then. When he does, he makes unreal saves, but the beauty of his game is that rarely does he has to make those saves, due to his positioning.

By no means is Fucale an above-average puckhandler. He’s fairly good at it, but he can make many questionable decisions when he ventures out. I have no doubt that element will improve, as he’s already shown progression. Perhaps Fucale’s biggest flaw is his rebound control. He has a tendency to kick pucks out into traffic, as well as keep pucks in play when he should freeze them. He excels at pulling the puck back with his stick and freezing it, especially in traffic, but he has to improve his decision-making.

There’s no doubt that Fucale has all the tools to become a starter in the NHL. He combines high-end athleticism and smarts with an abnormal amount of poise for any goaltender, let alone an 18-year old. He will return to the Mooseheads next season, where he will be the starter for the fourth straight year.

Ranking Explanation: I’ve been consistent with my goaltender rankings on this list. I don’t value them too highly because I see much more variance in their projections. Fucale, despite having his flaws, is a player I could see becoming an NHL starter. Will he be an elite one? I don’t think so; however, his upside is enough to push him this high, including over the more accomplished Dustin Tokarski. Although goaltenders vary wildly, I don’t see Fucale as being any less likely to make the NHL than Michael McCarron, which when combined with his superior upside (starting goatlender versus complementary top-six forward), pushes Fucale ahead.

6) Sven Andrighetto

Drafted: 86th, 3rd, 2013

RW | 5’09” 186 | Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)

Regular Season: 64GP 17G 27A 44P

Andrighetto was arguably the biggest surprise in this year’s prospect pool. He took a tremendous step forward in all areas and emerged as the ‘Dogs best forward. The dynamic player combined his high-end smarts and skill to become an excellent player against men.

Andrighetto possesses essentially every desirable trait in forward other than size. He excels at both goal-scoring and playmaking. He’s a lethal shooter, owning an absolute rocket of a shot with pinpoint accuracy. His slapshot is a cannon and his wrister is equally as good, thanks to an excellent release and the rare combination of power and accuracy. He has an excellent backhand shot as well. Andrighetto also shows no fear getting involved in the crease, where he’s shown the ability to fight through traffic and score garbage goals. As mentioned, he’s every bit as good at puck distribution as he is at goal-scoring. He owns fantastic vision, showing the ability to connect passes of high difficulty like no one else below him on this list. A high level of creativity allows Andrighetto to create chances off the rush that most players could only dream of. On the powerplay, his vision really shines. He has the ability to play anywhere on the ice and always finds a way to create chances. Andrighetto’s also an excellent stickhandler, owning extremely quick hands. He uses them to create space for himself and draw traffic toward himself, only to fire off a beautiful pass to an open man. He also owns fantastic one-on-one moves. However, he turns the puck over too often, sometimes in key situations.

On top of being a high-end shooter and playmaker, Andrighetto is an excellent skater and competitor. The undersized forward can flat out fly. He possesses an explosive stride and breakaway speed. He’s fantastic off the rush due to his incredible straight-line skating ability. Andrighetto is also an agile player, owning fantastic edge work and quick stops and starts. Andrighetto using his speed to engage on the forecheck. Over the season, he evolved into a fantastic forechecker, combining speed, smarts, and a relentless motor. The speedy forward excels at creating turnovers by any means possible, even if that means throwing a hard hit. He wants the puck constantly and will do what is needed to get it back. He’s a warrior, especially down low, where he shows no fear. He works the cycle with dedication and engages physically.

The biggest flaw in Andrighetto’s game is defensively. The good news is that it’s certainly not for a lack of trying. Instead, he simply doesn’t know how to adequately position himself in all situations. His aggressiveness leads him to exit the zone too early and chase the puck carrier, but noticeable improvements were made. His positioning can sometimes be quite baffling too, taking himself out of the play entirely. He is an above-average backchecker and has a knack for disrupting the opposition’s scoring chances. Andrighetto also has a tendency to turn the puck over, especially while gaining the zone. He must improve his decision-making with the puck in order to limit the turnovers and become more effective. Additionally, Andrighetto doesn’t shoot enough. He passes up key opportunities to pass the puck, but that’s not out of the ordinary for a rookie forward.

Andrighetto is a fantastic offensive player. Obviously, there’s a still work to do. He has cut down on the turnovers and improve defensively, but his progression is encouraging. His combination of high-end skill and hockey sense is rare. He’s a highly dynamic player, who I could see playing in the NHL as early as next season.

Ranking Explanation: Andrighetto is significantly more dynamic than Charles Hudon and has accomplished much more. Compared to Michael McCarron, Andrighetto has the higher ceiling, as a true offensive contributor in the top-six. Andrighetto gets the edge over Martin Reway for a few reasons: Andrighetto’s faster, smarter, stronger, further along in his development, has accomplished just as much, and is every bit as dynamic. I think Andrighetto has a good shot at becoming a top-six forward, which is good enough to propel him over Zach Fucale, in my opinion.

Check back on soon for the top 5 prospects!