National Post (National Edition)
DAHLIN LIVES UP TO BILLING
SWEDISH PROSPECT WILL CLEARLY BE NO. 1 PICK IN NHL DRAFT
You can start the “Failing for Dahlin” jokes now. If there was any doubt that Rasmus Dahlin — whose surname rhymes with “spleen” — was the consensus No. 1 pick for the 2018 NHL Entry draft, the Swedish defenceman has put them to rest during the last two weeks.
With six assists in six games heading into Friday’s world junior hockey championship final, Dahlin has arguably been the best player in the tournament. And, according to several scouts, the 17-year-old is far-and-away the top draft-eligible prospect.
“I think he’s solidified his status as the best player in the draft,” said Dan Marr, chief scout for NHL Central Scouting. “I think he had a lead and he pulled away a little bit. This guy’s is a complete package on all fronts. He’s an exciting player that you could bring in your organization. He’s ready.”
Craig Button, TSN’s director of scouting, went one step further.
“I didn’t need to watch him in the tournament — he’s the best player in the draft and it’s not even close,” said Button. “There’s nobody even in the conversation. He’s a franchise-defining No. 1 defenceman.
“He has a legitimate chance at being on the Olympic team and there’s experienced defenceman for Sweden. He could play in the NHL right this minute.”
Dahlin, who played sparingly as a 16-year-old in last year’s tournament, was front and centre this time around. He led Sweden with 22 shots, had a team-best plus-9 rating, and was noticeable every time he was on the ice.
“There’s a million things I could say about him,” said Mark Seidel of North American Central Scouting, “He just does so many subtle things that other guys might not notice. He looks off guys almost like a quarterback and then goes the other way with the puck. Just stuff like that. He’s so good with the puck.
“In the last two weeks he’s just been unbelievable overall.”
Here are four other prospects who solidified their draft ranking heading into the summer NHL Entry Draft.
FILIP ZADINA, CZECH REPUBLIC
Coming out of the same junior team as Nico Hischier, the Halifax Mooseheads forward made a similar impact in this year’s tournament.
“He kind of reminds me of Nico Hischier at the world juniors last year,” said Seidel. “As the tournament went on, he got more comfortable and got better and started to dominate. That’s kind of what’s happened with Zadina. He’s a guy who’s going to score in the National Hockey League.”
Zadina headed into the bronze-medal game tied for the tournament lead with seven goals in six games. Of those, two came against Canada and two others came in a quarter-final win against Finland, proving that the Czech winger can score against the best.
“That’s the type of player he is,” said Marr. “If your team needs a goal, he’s the guy you should have on the ice.”
BRADY TKACHUK, USA
A chip off the old block, Tkachuk plays a game very similar to his father’s and older brother’s, something he showed with plenty of swagger at this year’s tournament.
“Coaches talk all the time about how the NHL is in the winning business. Well, all Brady does is help you win,” said Button. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this kid can be the second pick in the draft.”
Playing on a line with Casey Mittelstadt, Tkachuk scored three goals and eight points in six games. He was particularly dominant in a 4-3 overtime win against Canada, in which the power forward scored the tying goal and then added another in the shootout.
“He showed what he’s capable of,” said Marr. “His game will continue to mature but all the ingredients are there. He’s the type of personality and individual where he doesn’t feel pressure in a nervous way, that’s for sure. He takes it as a booster.”
ANDREI SVECHNIKOV, RUSSIA
Svechnikov made less of an impact as Zadina and Tkachuk, but scouts are quick to point out that he was given far less ice time to do so. Even so, the Barrie Colts winger had five assists in five games for Russia and showed a defensive side to his game that shouldn’t affect his standing as a top-end prospect.
“The fact that he didn’t contribute isn’t going to sway anybody,” Marr said of the 6-foot-2 winger, who has scored 15 goals and 22 points in 17 games this season.
Said Button: “He reminds me of Marian Hossa. He’s been a dynamic player, but he can play hard, can kill penalties and play defensively. I don’t know where you can find those guys.”
QUINN HUGHES, USA
The 5-foot-9 defenceman, who had two assists in six games, was used primarily as a power play specialist. In that role, Hughes flourished. But at times, his lack of size was a detriment especially against bigger and stronger competition.
“His forte is always going to be offence and handling the puck, but what this tournament exposed him at times was defensively some of the issues he has to address,” said Seidel. “At times, (U.S. head coach) Bob Motzko lost faith in him defensively.”
Listed 10th on North American Central Scouting’s pre-tournament rankings, Hughes returns to the University of Michigan, where he ha mtraikos@postmedica.com