if you've never seen him skate, please do and you will be shocked and amazed lol. Thought KK had an awkward stride. Wait until you see his..
2020 NHL Draft: Trying to unearth hidden gems in the USHL
Blake Biondi Scouting Reports:
From
Tom Dorsa at McKeen’s Hockey:
Biondi plays with confidence and purpose as the captain of his Hermantown, Minnesota team, which is a must with his playing style. The centerman has great vision, can find open ice with the best of them, and possesses high-end anticipation of developing plays, which allows his positioning away from the puck to be his biggest asset. His skating is average at top speed, and features good balance and solid two-step acceleration, but he lacks agility and cutting skills. His shot is fast and one taken often, but his long, time-consuming windup will need to be improved upon. Decent hands in tight, but not the most skilled player. Committed to Minnesota-Duluth, it would not surprise me to see Biondi, with his skill set, scrape out a bottom-six NHL role in the long-term future.
From
Steve Kournianos at The Draft Analyst:
He has outstanding pucks skills, beginning with his deadly shot and continuing with expert stickhandling and keen vision. Dozens upon dozens of prospects pile up the points against high school competition, but few are able to incorporate physicality and a high compete level while contributing in all areas of the game like Biondi. His no-nonsense approach, clutch play, and abrasiveness towards tough opposition, especially when the importance of the game increases, are just a few of the reasons why he should excel in college and beyond.
Biondi does not require much from his teammates to generate offense, but he displays chemistry and selflessness regardless of who is on the ice with him. Naturally, a top-line player who puts up points is going to have superior puck skills and will be leaned on to provide his team a spark on offense when needed. But Biondi leads by example, not only for his scoring prowess, but also for his tireless efforts off the puck. He plays physical and will finish his checks, especially on the forecheck, and is willing to sacrifice his body for the sake of keeping pucks out of his own end. Biondi is a strong, agile skater with very good speed, excellent balance and edgework, and he protects the puck in an expert fashion when driving the net.
From
Alexander Taxman at Future Scope Hockey:
Blake Biondi is one of the USA’s premier forward prospects in this draft. Minnesota’s 2020 “Mr. Hockey” declined an invite to play with the USNTDP back in 2018. Biondi opted to stay in high school, and play sparingly in the USHL. He’s an imposing presence on the ice, combining high speed with high end scoring instincts and physicality. He’s one of the most agile North/South skaters in the draft, and has some really soft hands to go along with that. Biondi’s one of those players who always seems to be able to find the back of the net. Whether it’s from a snipe, a rebound, a wraparound, or a breakaway, Biondi just has a pure scorer’s touch. He scored at will in Minnesota’s high school circuit, with 37 goals in 25 games. He’s a natural center, but can succeed playing all three forward positions at the next level.
Out of everyone on this list, Biondi is an uncertainty to me. As you can imagine, it’s not very easy to find a lot of highlights for Minnesota high school hockey. What I can find is mostly from his games with Team USA — and against other prospects his age who are also at an elite level he does show impressive skills.
With his rankings he seems to almost be a certainty to be available when the Leafs pick int he second round, but seems more appropriate as a third round pick or later. Since the Leafs don’t have a third round pick, they can be patient in case he falls to them in the fourth round.