Prospect Info: Denton Mateychuk 12th Overall, 2022 NHL Draft

[LastWordArmy]

With great skating and puck control, Denton Mateychuk is quickly rising up draft boards. The Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman put up 13 goals and 51 assists for 64 points in 65 games this season. He also added one goal and seven assists for eight points in nine WHL playoff games so far. Mateychuk was also one of the standout performers at the CHL Top Prospects Game, and was captain of Team White.

Last season, Mateychuk’s season, along with most of the CHL, was delayed by COVID-19. He put up two goals and seven assists for nine points in 16 games with Moose Jaw. He also spent time in the MJHL, putting up one goal and two assists for three points in eight games with the Steinbach Pistons. The Winnipeg, Manitoba-born prospect also played for Team Canada at the Under-18 World Championships. He helped the team to a gold medal.


://lastwordonsports.com/hockey/2022/05/13/denton-mateychuk-scouting-report-2022-nhl-draft/

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[95snipes]

Great pick guys. Congrats!

Dynamic, new age, puck moving defenseman.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

 

[Columbus Jack]

Interesting someone posted the Blackbook notes and most of the scouts said he was a poor skater/wouldn't translate to the NHL. His skating looks fine? Thoughts?

 

[majormajor]

Interesting someone posted the Blackbook notes and most of the scouts said he was a poor skater/wouldn't translate to the NHL. His skating looks fine? Thoughts?

Yeah I think his skating is good. He's not super fast so he might not have separation speed at the NHL level, which will force him to change his game. But I like his intelligence, I'm betting on him figuring it out.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

So scouts saying he can't skate..

 

[tunnelvision]

Interesting someone posted the Blackbook notes and most of the scouts said he was a poor skater/wouldn't translate to the NHL. His skating looks fine? Thoughts?

I don't think he's a poor skater but his top speed doesn't look elite-level, and according to some more analytical prospect writers there are technical imperfections in backwards skating and pivots in certain situations. Overall I think his skating is going to translate. Even if he never became really fast, he's still going to find ways to be effective, coaches just need to figure out then what kind of D role would be optimal for him and for his team. I'm confident he will be a very good top-6 defender, even as #6D. We're talking about a focused, high hockey IQ dman who makes excellent reads - with and without the puck - and wants to be in the middle of action all the time.

 

[Hello Johnny]

Idk if he's some otherworldly skater or anything, but he seems to know how to find space at an elite level. I think his edgework is pretty clean. I just think he's a smart hockey player who knows how to make the right play. Has a letter on his jersey too.

 

[Youngguns1380]

It was a big reach for him at 12. He was ranked in the 20’s and a B prospect. Jarmo didnt pick BPA and picking 12OA for a 3rd pairing D when other A prospects are there is just foolish and if he liked some one better then trade the pick along with the glutton of wingers and move down and make sure you get your player. He got worked on that pick. A lot of his game won’t translate and his backwards skating is very average

 

[CBJx614]

It was a big reach for him at 12. He was ranked in the 20’s and a B prospect. Jarmo didnt pick BPA and picking 12OA for a 3rd pairing D when other A prospects are there is just foolish and if he liked some one better then trade the pick along with the glutton of wingers and move down and make sure you get your player. He got worked on that pick. A lot of his game won’t translate and his backwards skating is very average

Korchinski went what? 7th? If that was Jarmos guy there was absolutely no guarantee he wouldn't be there if he moved back, especially with how the entire draft night went. I imagine teams list this season were drastically different.

We talk about it every off season, if you've think you've got your guy then you take it.

 

[Youngguns1380]

Korchinski went what? 7th? If that was Jarmos guy there was absolutely no guarantee he wouldn't be there if he moved back, especially with how the entire draft night went. I imagine teams list this season were drastically different.

We talk about it every off season, if you've think you've got your guy then you take it.

My point he preaches BPA and Denton wasn’t BPA by a long shot

 

[CBJWerenski8]

My point he preaches BPA and Denton wasn’t BPA by a long shot

According to them he was.

I wanted Nazar too but I can see the appeal here. I’m okay with this.

 

[stevo61]

My point he preaches BPA and Denton wasn’t BPA by a long shot

To you and some people who's jobs arent on the line to get these things right. Dubois wasnt the BPA either and it turned out alright. Clearly Jarmo's list is different and drafted who he wanted.
But its easy to be a fan and it the pick works out say im happy to be wrong or if he flops yell from the rooftops you were right

 

[CBJx614]

My point he preaches BPA and Denton wasn’t BPA by a long shot

Sorry I'm going to trust the guys who do know what it takes to be an NHLer from personal experience and they clearly thought he was BPA.

 

[majormajor]

It was a big reach for him at 12. He was ranked in the 20’s and a B prospect. Jarmo didnt pick BPA and picking 12OA for a 3rd pairing D when other A prospects are there is just foolish and if he liked some one better then trade the pick along with the glutton of wingers and move down and make sure you get your player.

It is safe to say that Jarmo and his scouts think Mateychuk is going to be a lot better than a 3rd pair guy. I think #2D is closer to the mark.

Some prospects are more divisive than others. Everyone probably had Gaucher in the 20s. Mateychuk had people that had him high in the top 10 and others who didn't want him in the 1st round. If you really think this is the guy then it's your job to take him.

He got worked on that pick. A lot of his game won’t translate and his backwards skating is very average

"His game won't translate" doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be left useless. When you're dealing with one of the highest hockey IQs in the draft in Mateychuk, you might think that he'll just change his game as needed.

That he was as incredible as he was (one of the best players in all of the CHL as a 17 year old) without having any high-end tools is actually very impressive. He found a way to play that dominated his league, and maybe he'll go to the next league and figure out that one too. I'm not going to say that he strongly reminds me of Adam Fox, but that's another 5'11 D-man without any high-end tools, who dominates just by reading the game faster than everyone else. If Mateychuk is going to work in the NHL, that will be his way forward.

 

[Halberdier]

It is safe to say that Jarmo and his scouts think Mateychuk is going to be a lot better than a 3rd pair guy. I think #2D is closer to the mark.

Some prospects are more divisive than others. Everyone probably had Gaucher in the 20s. Mateychuk had people that had him high in the top 10 and others who didn't want him in the 1st round. If you really think this is the guy then it's your job to take him.



"His game won't translate" doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be left useless. When you're dealing with one of the highest hockey IQs in the draft in Mateychuk, you might think that he'll just change his game as needed.

That he was as incredible as he was (one of the best players in all of the CHL as a 17 year old) without having any high-end tools is actually very impressive. He found a way to play that dominated his league, and maybe he'll go to the next league and figure out that one too. I'm not going to say that he strongly reminds me of Adam Fox, but that's another 5'11 D-man without any high-end tools, who dominates just by reading the game faster than everyone else. If Mateychuk is going to work in the NHL, that will be his way forward.

I haven't seen Mateychuk other than some highlight videos but oh boy his smarts do impress me. His skating and stick handling somehow *looks* like he doesn't have the skill, and yet he manages to do the right thing and give a perfect pass.

There were Kemell (winger, not really needed) and Nazar available, but I am content with Mateychuk. Just let's have fingers crossed Sillinger makes it into a 1b/2a C and Johnson turns out to be a top line guy either on W or C. Future for D should be now bright, like it's on on W, but the C is still a question mark.

 

[koteka]

It was a big reach for him at 12. He was ranked in the 20’s and a B prospect. Jarmo didnt pick BPA and picking 12OA for a 3rd pairing D when other A prospects are there is just foolish and if he liked some one better then trade the pick along with the glutton of wingers and move down and make sure you get your player. He got worked on that pick. A lot of his game won’t translate and his backwards skating is very average

BPA isn’t a league wide consensus. It is what each scouting department decides.

I had Mateychuk 11th in my mock draft 3 weeks ago. There was a group of left Ds - Korchinski, Mateychuk, Mintyukov - that were rated all over the place. Some people had them high and others had them low. I personally had Mateychuk and Mintyukov higher than Korchinski. I also had Bichsel and Pickering ahead of Korchinski, but I knew that there were some people who loved Korchinski. Apparently Chicago really loved him.

Were any of the left D reaches? We‘ll know in about 7 years. I think if you asked 10 scouts who was BPA at #12 you would get at least 4 different guys.

My mock from three weeks ago. The biggest change I would have made this week would have been moving Kasper up. There was too much talk he was going to Detroit which made a lot of sense.

1 Montreal Wright
2 NJ Slafkovsky
3 Arizona Cooley
4 Seattle Jiricek
5 Philadelphia Gauthier
6 CBJ Nemec
7 Ottawa Geekie
8 Detroit Savoie
9 Buffalo Kemell
10 Anaheim Nazar
11 San Jose Mateychuk
12 CBJ Mintyukov

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

I haven't seen Mateychuk other than some highlight videos but oh boy his smarts do impress me. His skating and stick handling somehow *looks* like he doesn't have the skill, and yet he manages to do the right thing and give a perfect pass.

There were Kemell (winger, not really needed) and Nazar available, but I am content with Mateychuk. Just let's have fingers crossed Sillinger makes it into a 1b/2a C and Johnson turns out to be a top line guy either on W or C. Future for D should be now bright, like it's on on W, but the C is still a question mark.

There's still next year to find the center, and it should be a strong draft. No trades done for immediate help and Metro still being strong means cbj is likely to draft around 10 mark again.

 

[stevo61]

Im not comparing them as players because I dont know Mateychuk well enough but incredibly high IQ, good not great skating... kind of sounds like Norris winner Adam Fox

 

[tunnelvision]

I haven't seen Mateychuk other than some highlight videos but oh boy his smarts do impress me. His skating and stick handling somehow *looks* like he doesn't have the skill, and yet he manages to do the right thing and give a perfect pass.

I think Goodbye Bread put it well by saying he's elite at finding space. Finds open space very quickly and uses it wisely. The "problems" (or signs of lacking elite stickhandling) might sometimes start to occur when he's cornered and forced to do a tight-space pass or shot.

Here's one example at 16:34->:



He's surrounded by two forecheckers and tries to do a saucer pass to the player on the right wall but hits shin pads of the opponent. I think Mintyukov for example has been a bit more deceptive and skilled under heavy pressure situations like that, but he isn't perfect either even though his stickhandling is more versatile imo. But still I don't see non-elite stickhandling as a major flaw if you're smart enough to stay away from those type of difficulties most of the time, thanks to elite hockey IQ combined with above average skating and puck handling skills.

The list of weaknesses doesn't end there. Much like with other top LDs this year (Mintyukov, Korchinski), Mateychuk doesn't very have quick release on his shot. At 5'11 he obviously doesn't have ideal frame for dman. Does not play a very physical game. Rush defense could be improved, he isn't too great at blocking passing lanes. Has kind of awkward skating posture with low centre of gravity, he might make himself vulnerable in the NHL if he's going to keep his head on an angle like that. Some people also believe he won't be able to polish his skating skills to the level required for smaller NHL defenders.

I could go on with all the concerns but maybe it's better to wait for the development camp and WJC to arrive so those who haven't seen him as much can take a look and share their opinions on him, and then tell us if he really is a "B prospect" who "can't skate". Just saying that in my 30+ viewings of Mateychuk this year I saw enough reasons to rank him 3rd best dman behind Nemec and Jiricek, and place him #6 overall on my list.

 

[Halberdier]

Thanks @tunnelvision for a great scouting report. 30+ viewings is really admirable.

For me these drafts are like day before the Christmas for kids: can't wait for the presents and yet that is what we need to do. Lunatic inside me would like to see at least a couple of NHL games already upcoming season from Jiricek. For Mateychuk I don't think there is any chance for that to happen but sometimes miracles do happen.

 

[Xoggz22]

My point he preaches BPA and Denton wasn’t BPA by a long shot

In your opinion. Let's see where we are in 2-3 years with this. His projection was anywhere from top 3 defenseman in the draft to top 5 defenseman in this draft - which is considered a deep draft for defensemen.

He wasn't on my list for draft options at 12 but he is very highly thought of in many publications, scouts and clearly CBJ brass. Maybe you're right but I think it's bold to say clearly wasn't BPA.

 

[Hello Johnny]

I could go on with all the concerns but maybe it's better to wait for the development camp and WJC to arrive so those who haven't seen him as much can take a look and share their opinions on him, and then tell us if he really is a "B prospect" who "can't skate". Just saying that in my 30+ viewings of Mateychuk this year I saw enough reasons to rank him 3rd best dman behind Nemec and Jiricek, and place him #6 overall on my list.

Yeah I think it's odd to describe him as a guy who can't skate, considering his mother is a figure skating coach. He's absolutely an NHL caliber skater.

 

[Cowumbus]

is this good?