Moving forward on the Draft Board, we’ve arrived at Jack Hextall, a name that’s very familiar to the Flyers organization.
If you’re thinking about former Flyers goaltender and much maligned general manager Ron Hextall, well he’s Jack Hextall’s Dad’s cousin. It’s a distant relation, but it’s a relation nonetheless. If the Flyers were to select Hextall at No. 21, there would be quite the discourse about the Flyers selecting another Hextall.
That might be a bit unfair to Jack Hextall, as he’s a pretty sure bet among centers in this draft class. He might not have the highest ceiling (most public evaluators have him as a 3C at best), but there’s a chance that Hextall can fit into a team’s second line center role nicely. There’s a solid foundation to build from for Hextall, and his effective play in all three zones makes him feel like a pretty sure NHLer. So, let’s get into what there is to like about the player, and where Hextall needs to improve if he’s going to make the leap into a Top-6 projection.
Pre-draft rankings
Ranked #39 by Elite Prospects
Ranked #39 by Sportsnet (Jason Bukala)
Ranked #19 by The Athletic (Corey Pronman)
Ranked #26 by TSN (Craig Button)
Statistics
What’s there to like?
Hextall’s game is predicated primarily on his smarts, ability to anticipate where the play is headed next, and quick processing of everything that is happening in front of him. There’s all the makings of a strong play driver in Hextall, even if his overall skillset might lend himself more to a support role in the NHL. If he’s going to thrive in the NHL, he’s going to do so by being one of the smartest players on the ice.
You can see the hockey IQ in all three zones with Hextall. In the defensive zone, Hextall is completely unafraid of getting involved physically, maintains strong positioning, and consistently comes away with the puck along the boards. He’s got a knack for clogging up passing lanes and springing the rush the other way, outletting his team through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. In both the neutral zone and the defensive zone, Hextall does whatever he can to disrupt the play, whether that’s throwing his body around or keeping an active stick.
Into the offensive zone is where Hextall really makes his impact. There’s a never-say-die attitude about Hextall in the offensive zone that’s really central to his game. Whether it’s little plays along the boards, desperate plays to keep the puck in the zone, or little pokes with the stick that keep the play alive, Hextall does whatever he can to maintain possession in the offensive zone. The play below showcases this, where Hextall (No. 17 for Youngstown) receives a bad pass and barely pokes the puck to his teammate to continue the play. There’s plays like this throughout the Hextall highlight reel, and it’s central to what makes Hextall such a “safe” projection for this draft.
In the more flashy part of his game, you see Hextall as a really strong distributor at the circles and along the half wall. On Youngstown’s power play this season, Hextall was one of the key cogs in the wheel. When you watch Hextall’s minutes on the power play, he often seamlessly interchanged between both circles and the point, creating passing lanes with his movement. This is illustrated in the play below, where Hextall shifts the passing lanes really well on this 5-on-3. Hextall is also very unafraid to put the puck on net himself. It’s not his strongest attribute, but it’s certainly not something that Hextall seems to actively avoid (like a Jett Luchanko-type player).
Oh, and Hextall is headed to Michigan State next season, arguably the best college program in the country. He’s going to be in good hands for the next stage of his development, an unquestionable plus for Hextall.
What’s not to like?
While Hextall’s biggest proponents will say that he’s got the tools to become the next Nick Suzuki-type player, his detractors will just say that there’s no proof that Hextall can actually score at a top-6 level. For as much as the details and shift-to-shift consistency are there with Hextall, there’s something to be said about the fact that Hextall did not score that much. He put up just under a point per game for Youngstown, trailing well behind league leaders and not that close to what you’d expect from a potential top-6 talent. His brain is going to probably get him to the NHL, but the skills are going to need to catch up a little bit in order for the scoring to follow.
It’s not that any of the individual skills are actually bad. Hextall’s shot is average, and his skating is average too. He can struggle with pace, but that’s bound to improve as he heads to the NCAA ranks next season. So many of the question marks surrounding Hextall are about his lack of truly high-end skills, and whether they can catch up to the level that his hockey IQ is at. Considering the level of smarts, if he can improve any of his individual skills – his shot, his skating, etc. – into a plus skill, I’d bet on Hextall being able to become a second-line caliber center.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
Even though he’s a center, a position that the Flyers system’ so badly needs, we wonder if a Hextall pick would be a bit redundant. The Flyers’ last bunch of center picks – Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund, Jack Nesbitt – all have similar projections. Not that they have exactly similar skillsets and attributes, but each of the players have what seems like 3C upside. Each player needs to make a leap in their pure offensive skill, just like Hextall, in order to make it to an impact level. Purely on an organizational depth basis, I wonder if the Flyers would view taking a shot at Hextall as more of the same.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Yes. Hextall is projected to go anywhere from the late teens to the early second round, so there’s a pretty good chance that he’s available when the Flyers pick at No. 21. Guys like Hextall, forwards who have a decent chance at becoming a bottom-sixer but are lacking high-end skill, are often available in the late first round. Unless some team is ridiculously high on Hextall, he’s probably going to be one of a handful of candidates on the board at 21.
What scouts are saying
“Hextall, a Michigan State commit, looked like a pro even as a 16-year-old in the USHL last year and was owed more on the scoresheet for how consistently good and impactful he was all over the ice. His production hasn’t popped this year (around a point per game), either, but he’s still having a really solid year, he came on strong down the stretch of the regular season (though I wanted to see him produce more on the whole and in the playoffs) and he has continued to just look like a pro prospect whenever I’ve watched him.
Hextall is a very smart player who does a lot of things well. He already protects the puck and stays over it like a pro, coming out of scrums with possession and winning a ton of engagements with a strong stick and NHL contact skills/body positioning. He’s strong on his skates for a 6-foot player, which will help him stick at center up levels with all of his habits, details and that heavy stick of his. He plays in all three zones and is committed defensively as a center, never cheating the game and playing a winning brand shift to shift in his draft year. He has blown some opponents up with hits in the USHL. He likes to shoot it but also sees the ice well, and will go to the net but can also find the second or third layer. His natural skill is more good than great, but he’s a complete player; there are some teams that love him, and his proponents throw around names like David Krejci and Nick Suzuki. I also thought he was owed more than his counting stats at the Hlinka (where he was USA’s No. 1 center), and while his production doesn’t scream first-rounder and eventually you have to score more, the rest of his game is strong enough to put him in the mix at the end of the first round/start of the second.”
-Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
“Hextall had multi-point efforts in nearly all my viewings this year, both internationally and domestically, with Youngstown. He was no stranger to dominant performances, showcasing a dynamic skill set with an endless motor. That’s what I love about his game – he won’t be a high-end producer in the NHL, but he can play a variety of roles while being effective. He has a good shot, but he’s even better as a setup guy. On the power play, he doesn’t waste much time blasting shots past goalies. I also think he got better physically as the season wore on. I think he’ll be a solid support player at the next level.”
-Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff
Heading into the last 10 days before the Draft, next into the poll is Finnish defenseman Juho Piiparinen, a well-rounded, fairly unflashy defenseman that is solid in all three zones.
“Piiparinen does a lot of things effectively. He’s a mobile right-shot who can skate and pass pucks up the ice well, while also being a solid defender who breaks up a lot of plays. He’s not overly physical, but he gives a solid effort and is often relied on by coaches. His offense will be the question at the next level. Given that he doesn’t truly excel at any one thing, there will be questions about his role as well.”
-Corey Pronman, The Athletic
