DENTON MATEYCHUK

2024-07-08

Scout: Sasha Lagarde

Skating:

Impressive skater in all sense of the word. His mobility is what seperates him from other prospects in the Jacket's prospect pool as he is an elite transporter of the puck. His edgework and fluid mechanics are improved over the past 2 years as well. His confidence in this tool allows him to carry the puck with swagger.

Passing/Handling:

Above average distributor of the puck, does a really nice job finding streaking players in transition, he also possesses a very tidy first pass out of his zone. All in all, his passing will be the bread and butter of his offensive game in the NHL (he has no problem passing into space, in transition or in tight spaces). His handling is not elite but he creates division with his feet more than his hands. He needs to clean up his retrivals on his backhand but will not struggle working himself out of trouble. Just to be clear, he is not a dangler by any means.

Shooting:

I did not see too much from him in terms of his shot but when he did attempt some shots from the point, he often leaned on his wrist shot which found openings to get to the net. I think his biggets strength is getting pucks through traffic, as he is able to make small adjustsment rigth before his release to ensure they get through. As he progresses in the pro game, he will probably be known for finding guys in the slot of cross ice. Teams will have to respect the fact that he can get pucks through efficiently which will open up other options for him.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

Probably his best tool apart from his skating, Mateychuk is an extremely intelligent player. He hardly makes the wrong read offensively and has almost mastered the awareness of when to activate and when to stand his ground. He has great poise with the puck, knows how to manipulate pace and his vision is off the charts consistent. I would like for him to focus more on defrnsive position specifically during cycle plays, as he sometimes forgets to check behind him for incoming/pinching players. Overall, I am exttremely impressed with his ability to process the game at a very high level which will only lead to more offence from Mateychuk as he matures.

Forechecking:

not much here

Defense:

Above average defender through his high level scanning habits and off puck decisions. He needs to work a tiny bit on his gap at the blue line and his cycle defense but he is too smart to not adjust as he gets older. He anticipates plays well, has a very active stick and doesn't shy away from battles in front of the net. As he gets older, he will need to be more efficient in his board battles, using his body to position himself better. Right now, he defers to stick checks and poke checks instead of engaging physicality.

Best Asset:

Skating/IQ

Biggest Concern:

Physicality

Top Tier/Role Potential:

Top-4 Powerplay QB 1

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

Elite brain and skating ability mixed with a nice toolkit of top tier vision and passing.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

Middle 6 with PP upside.

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

If he doesn't develop a physical element to his game, he coudl get exploited on the forecheck in the NHL. I don't actually believe he will falter, he is just too smart.

Stylistic Comparable:

Less physical Kris Letang