Every year, there are players who have first or second-round level skill that see their draft stock drop considerably due to concerns about their small size. While there are a lot of times where this concern is completely valid, there’s also a real opportunity to find top-of-the-lineup players if you bet on one of these players to be the exception to the size rule.
So, for this article, we’ll take a look at nine 5-foot-10 and under players who might see their draft position plummet primarily due to size corners. The first four players will be players who appeared on our Broad Street Hockey Draft Board, while the final five will be players with late second round and onward projections.
Draft Board Players
Cullen Potter (No. 19)
5’10”, Center
Potter feels like the chalk pick of this draft to drop into the late first round, early second round range. Simultaneously, he feels like the guy that teams will regret passing on as well, as a 5-foot-10 center who might not be able to stick down the middle. The thing about Potter, though, is that he does practically everything well. High-end puck skills? He’s got that. Dynamic transition play and speed? Absolutely. Insanely high compete levels on and off the puck? He checks that box too. Potter is the full package, and after playing against men in college with Arizona State, we don’t think the doubts should be as loud with Potter as they seem to be heading into the draft. We’ll see, but he’d be a home run type of pick at No. 31 if he gets there, and a completely reasonable selection at No. 22.
Cameron Schmidt (No. 25)
5’7”, Right wing
Schmidt really has an argument to be one of the 10 most fun players in this draft class, as he just continually flashes high-end skills all over the ice. He possesses a pretty high-end shot, and although his shot selection has been a point of concern, that’s something that can be developed further in the right developmental situation. The fact is, when you have a player that scores at a rate that has only been matched in the last decade by 9 other draft year WHLers, there’s real potential here. Schmidt’s got a package of flashy moves, solid skating, and an elite shot. Those high-end skills might just be enough to compensate completely for his size, and may also buoy Schmidt into the first round on Friday.
Adam Benák (No. 41)
5’7” Center/Wing
There’s so much to like in Benák, and he’s one of my personal favorites to watch in this class in terms of pure skill. Benák really began to gain notoriety with his performance in international competitions for the Czech Republic, where he tied the Hlinka Cup’s all-time scoring record for 16-year-olds with 10 points. When he moved from the Czech league to the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms, though, Benák was shifted off of center to the wing to alleviate off-puck and play-driving concerns. In the beginning of his time with Youngstown, Benák was looking lost and unnoticeable on a lot of shifts, which has prompted real concern with Benák as a NHL hopeful. After officially moving to the wing, Benák gained his footing as a winger that regularly attacked the middle of the ice, remaining an excellent distributor of the puck (59 points in 56 games). There’s tons of high-end puck skill here and a plus skating ability, and Benák will have to continue improving on his play off the puck and in dangerous areas in order to make it in the NHL. Another very worthwhile bet in the second round, and a guy who The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler mentioned as on the Flyers radar.
LJ Mooney (No. 44)
5’7”, Center
Mooney and Benák are very much in the same tier for me, as players that have an insane amount of playmaking skill but have had legitimate questions about their playing styles (in conjunction with their size) in the past year. With Mooney, he’s more of a high-compete, playmaking forward that makes most of his money when his team is already set up in the offensive zone. He’s a dynamic skater like Benák, with perhaps even more tenacity and fearlessness already in his game. He’s the classic small forward that doesn’t have a big chance to make the NHL, but if he does? Mooney almost has to be a top-six forward with the way he plays. Some team in the late 30s, 40s, or even 50s could be walking away with a real lottery ticket in Mooney.
Some new names
Michal Svrcek
5’10”, Center
A favorite of Will Scouching (scouching.ca), he describes Svrcek in a very similar way to how he views Cullen Potter. Also a 5-foot-10 center, Svrcek has played in some SHL games with Brynas. Against grown men and tougher competition, Svrcek only registered 3 points in 17 SHL games, but all of the strong habits that he exhibited in the J20 Nationell translated over to the pros. For a small player, he’s all over the ice, applying forechecking pressure and employing positional smarts in all three zones. The skill doesn’t pop as much as it does with Potter, but Svrcek’s high pace, elite skating, and hockey IQ are a solid foundation to build from. Out of any of the names left, and perhaps even more so than Benák and Mooney, Svrcek’s chances are the highest to make it to the NHL.
Tomas Pobezal
5’9”, Center
Pobezal is one of the highest scoring Slovakians of this draft cycle, and he’s been a fixture on international junior teams for the nation for a few years now. He’s on the older end of this draft class as a September 2006 birthday, but Pobezal has an all-around game and puck skills that some team will take a chance on. Similar to a few other players on this list, Pobezal’s main concerns are surrounding his pace of play and his ability to drive play. That’s 100% a concern as he progresses into the next levels of pro hockey, as the puck skills may not be elite enough to compensate for Pobezal not being a play-driver. We’ll see, but he’s worth a flyer.
Viggo Nordlund
5’9”, Left wing
Nordlund is a high-compete, fearless player for a 5-foot-9 wing. As one of the less heralded Swedish forwards in this draft class, Nordlund played in some SHL games this year, but largely spent his time in the J20 Nationell, scoring 49 points in 40 games. He’s so dynamic on the rush, and frequently pulls off multiple low-percentage plays with regularity. With the puck, Nordlund is seen as a bit of a puck hog, raising some questions about whether he has the hockey sense to make it in the pros. The skill is certainly there though, and as Elite Prospects Draft Guide describes, Nordlund “fits the boom or bust label”, perhaps “more than arguably any other highly-rated European prospect”.
Luka Radivojevič
5’10″, Defenseman
The only defenseman on this list, Radivojevič is the son of former Flyer Branko Radivojevič. With the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, Radivojevič was a really steady presence on the blueline in a very unpredictable league. Once seen as a first round contender, Radivojevič has seen his draft stock plummet as a result of scouts questioning his once-elite puck moving abilities. He’s headed to Boston College next year, so we’ll see if he can get fully back on track in one of the premier college programs in the nation. Keep an eye on this one, namely for the past-Flyers connection.
Lev Katzin
5’8″, Center
Another name to keep an eye on in the middle and late rounds, Katzin is a really fun center from Jett Luchanko’s junior team, the Guelph Storm. With the Flyers keeping close tabs on Luchanko the last couple of years, they are likely to have seen Katzin quite a bit as a result, so they likely have done extensive work on the player as well. If the Flyers like him, Katzin feels like a quality shot to take towards the end of the draft.
On ice, Katzin was one of the few players on a poor Guelph team that could do much of anything offensively. He was one of the main offensive creators on the Storm, as the powerplay lead and as an even strength forward that was constantly engaged. The Flyers love high compete and a blend of puck skill, and Katzin is just that. He’s headed to Penn State in the fall, on a team that’s loading up with talent for the upcoming years, so Katzin will be in quite the developmental situation there as well.
