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

[majormajor]

I thought he had a good NHL debut. Decent all around, I particularly liked his defensive positioning. Seemed he was adapting to the system seamlessly.

However, he most definitely didn't look like a clear cut 2nd/3rd best D on the team. Frankly, puck handling under pressure still needs to be better. I guess it could look passable for a 6'3 2/3D but not good enough for a type of 5'11 defender I'm hoping him to turn into. I'd also want his speed and balance to improve more before making him a lineup regular here.

I don't mind if he plays another or two games so that they get a better assessment of his development but based on first game I'll expect him to be AHL bound for the rest of the season.

His balance is already exceptional.

He didn't hold on to pucks much last game but you're not likely to see that kind of comfort level until you let the player play - exactly what you won't get if you're insisting on only one or two game glimpses before immediately sending them down. That's not something that gets solved at the AHL level where he is already super comfortable.

 

[tunnelvision]

He didn't hold on to pucks much last game but you're not likely to see that kind of comfort level until you let the player play - exactly what you won't get if you're insisting on only one or two game glimpses before immediately sending them down. That's not something that gets solved at the AHL level where he is already super comfortable.

The puck handling issue I was referring to has less to do with him having possession of the puck only for brief moments, and more with the instances (especially in breakouts) where he failed to corral or receive the puck efficiently and quick enough, and follow that up with a clean pass to a teammate. Sometimes it gets pretty scrambly for him if the first touch on the puck isn't perfect. I'm hopeful his technique will get better by doing more reps in specific skill training, but it might be hard to find much time for that in the midst of a season if you're playing for an NHL club.