“I hope I’m going to play in the NHL this season, that’s 100% my goal and I will work very hard for that,” Stuetzle told reporters in Edmonton following Germany’s elimination in the quarterfinals.
Stuetzle finished the World Juniors with five goals and 10 points in five games. The third-overall pick, who signed his entry-level deal last week, is likely going to play wing for the Senators this season.
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Tim possesses an exceptional blend of both speed and skill and a playmaking ability that our fans are going to enjoy watching for several years to come. He’s a dynamic forward who we expect to become a key piece of our roster as we continue trending towards icing an eventual elite-level team.
The 18-year-old was the third-overall selection following a strong season with Mannheim of the DEL that saw him collect seven goals and 27 assists in just 41 games, impressive production for a teenager in a men’s league where he was the youngest player. The plan was for him to play there to start this season as well but a hand injury that required surgery put an end to those plans. Stuetzle also had a good showing at the World Juniors with five helpers in as many contests and currently finds himself there again as the 2021 event is now underway.
Once that tournament comes to an end, Stuetzle will report to training camp with Ottawa and should make a push to crack their lineup right away. Even with a slew of additions up front (including Derek Stepan, Evgenii Dadonov, Alex Galchenyuk, and Austin Watson), Stuetzle could force his way into the lineup fairly quickly and will be competing with the likes of Drake Batherson and Joshua Norris to earn one of the spots that is likely going to be earmarked for a young player. He’ll be eligible to play in six games before burning the first year of his entry-level deal (it’s usually nine but that has been prorated for the shortened season). The Sens believe that he can be a centerpiece of their rebuild and if he’s able to step in and play right away, he should become a core player for them in the not too distant future.
]]>The scribe writes that the Sabres could look to find a taker for either Colin Miller or Brandon Montour for a draft pick, which would open up a spot for 23-year-old William Borgen, a highly touted St. Cloud State player who has played just four NHL games so far after two years in the AHL.
Tanev is in the final season of a five-year, $22.25MM contract signed in 2015, but is finally having a relatively healthy campaign. After averaging just 54 games played in each of the first four years, Tanev has already suited up 47 times in 2019-20 and is averaging nearly 20 minutes a night for the Canucks. The defensive defenseman is also on track to set a career-high in points, and leads the club in short-handed ice time. That’s a big piece of the team to let walk if the Canucks decide not to re-sign the 30-year old, though it is obvious he wants to stay.
Stuetzle plays for Mannheim in the German DEL and has been flying up draft boards all season. The 6’1″ left-shot forward is nearly a point-per-game player at the professional level despite being just 17 (he’ll turn 18 later this week), with five goals and 23 points in 26 games. Add in an outstanding performance at the World Juniors tournament where he seemed to create offense at will for one of the strongest German teams we’ve ever seen, and his ranking at the top is deserved.
Behind Stuetzle are Raymond, Holtz and Anton Lundell, the latter of which was unable to attend the World Juniors and show what he could do against the best players of his age group in the world. Lundell is having a great season for HIFK in Finland however, and is another name to consider near the top of the draft.
The North American rankings don’t carry much surprise, as Lafreniere is followed by Quinton Byfield, Jamie Drysdale and Cole Perfetti as expected. Though there are several players who could move up the board by season’s end, those four are all expected to challenge for top-10 status when June’s selection process gets underway.
Among goaltenders—who are ranked separately—Nico Daws leads the North American list after winning gold with the Canadian World Junior team. Yaroslav Askarov, who won silver with the Russians, is tops on the International list and should be a first-round selection.
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