LD Sascha Boumedienne - Ohio Blue Jackets 16U AAA (2025 Draft)

[hockeyprospects9]

I have a hard time with this player, he strikes me as very sloppy with the puck, and giveaway prone.

 

[Preds666]

I have a hard time with this player, he strikes me as very sloppy with the puck, and giveaway prone.

Kind of agree. I understand why he is a top prospect with that mobility, offensive skills and hockey sense.

But he plays a risky game (at least at international level, have not seen him in the USHL) and gets overly creative or makes difficult plays. Kind of what you often saw John Klingberg and Erik Karlsson do at youth levels. Sascha's dad played a similar offensive game, although he had a real mean streak too.. at least early in his career .. to go with that offense.

I still like his upside though.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He’s the best of the players on the Swedish team. Could be a high first round pick. The defensive game is a little worrying, I agree. But he’s only 16 and it’s about being too overactive on a shift defensively than being bad when he has to make a defensive stop. Can’t teach those other tools he has.

 

[BKarchitect]

Commits to BU. Terriers reload for the future with another stud Swedish defenseman to follow in Willander’s footsteps, albeit completely different kind of player. Putting up great numbers for a 16 year-old blueliner on a loaded Youngstown defense that features the likes of Strathmann and Pitner.

https://x.com/puckpreps/status/1735085206741344531?s=46&t=oDcYecGS9JAvrdrcGi-DPw

 

[MTU34]

Just an embarrassment of riches for BU at this point. Jay Pandolfo might be the best recruiter in the country

 

[Rogie21]

Just an embarrassment of riches for BU at this point. Jay Pandolfo might be the best recruiter in the country

Much of the recruiting success at BU is due to Assoc. Head Coach Joe Pereira who won Macklin Celebrini's commitment last summer. More recently, Cole Eiserman, Charlie Trethewey, Conrad Fondrk and Jack Murtagh.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

BU has started to recruit like Michigan did a few years ago.

 

[MTU34]

Much of the recruiting success at BU is due to Assoc. Head Coach Joe Pereira who won Macklin Celebrini's commitment last summer. More recently, Cole Eiserman, Charlie Trethewey, Conrad Fondrk and Jack Murtagh.

Yeah that’s fair. Assistant/Associate coaches do a lot of the leg work

 

[Artorius Horus T]

He is currently 19th in the USHL, in d-men points. 13 in 19 games

But by u17 d-men.... there's not much of a contest.
- leads all categories, by a country mile

U17 skaters, he is 2nd in points, forward Benjamin Kevan is 1st, with 23 points.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

My review of what I've watched from him this season. Has 3+18=21 points in 37 games.

He’s going to be an early pick next year. I could see top 10, but otherwise top 20 is pretty likely. With the way he skates I think he’s almost a lock for the first round. He’s an absolutely sick skater. He’s so fluid for a player with decent size. His offensive game is decent, not great. Defending is a little behind his offensive game, but average and shows good potential. I see a good all-around hockey player with more of an offensive-leaning, and elite skating.

 

[95snipes]

It's extremely impressive what he's been doing in the USHL as a 16 year old. I think his offensive potential is enormous. He's got it all - smooth skater, rocket of a shot, great release, hands and hockey sense. NHL PP1 potential.

I think he could be the first defenseman off the board next year if he develops as you would hope. I'm more excited about Boumedienne than I am Buium or Levshunov.

 

[Mathieukferland]

I think he could be the first defenseman off the board next year if he develops as you would hope.

Over Hensler even?

 

[Hockeyville USA]

BU has started to recruit like Michigan did a few years ago.

Every big program/blue blood has their natural recruiting ground that they typically clean up on:

BU & BC: New England & New York
Michigan: Ontario, Michigan, (more recently) Illinois
Minnesota: Minnesota
North Dakota: Western Canada & Minnesota
Denver: Western Canada & California
Wisconsin: Illinois & Minnesota

NCAA hockey is the most regional niche thing out there, so guys typically have gone to the program nearest to them/most cultural connection to them, so schools going outside of their base to get guys from all over Canada, Europe, and emerging areas in the States like Illinois & California is just added bonuses.

 

[95snipes]

Over Hensler even?

Still a long way to go and players don't always develop like you hope, but in my opinion Boumedienne is more talented than Hensler and has a better chance to be a 1 in the NHL if things work out.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

 

[mattihp]

He loiks so much like his dad! Hope he speaks as many languages.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

Just an embarrassment of riches for BU at this point. Jay Pandolfo might be the best recruiter in the country

I wonder if Pandolfo has any relationship with Sascha's dad. Josef was drafted by NJ and was in the system (would have done camp with Jay twice, I believe).

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

delete

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Headed to BU for 2024-25 season per Divver

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

A lot of the best players who go the NCAA route are starting to play their draft year in the NCAA. Seems like a wise bet. Higher level of hockey. More risk/reward. It's the highest level of hockey any player who is playing their draft season in NA is going to be playing at. Players are betting on themselves. If it goes well, you're a top 5 pick. If not, probably a floor of a late first for someone like Boumedienne.

He's a likely top 10-15 pick for next year. Not as if he's some projected fourth rounder at this point deciding to do so. He was good in the USHL last season. Probably could've played another year, but he played on a team with a very deep defense, and he didn't get the minutes and situations he could've on another team. BU also has a lot more room on their left-side than right open for someone to take, so I could see him getting a regular shift next season.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

A lot of the best players who go the NCAA route are starting to play their draft year in the NCAA. Seems like a wise bet. Higher level of hockey. More risk/reward. It's the highest level of hockey any player who is playing their draft season in NA is going to be playing at. Players are betting on themselves. If it goes well, you're a top 5 pick. If not, probably a floor of a late first for someone like Boumedienne.

He's a likely top 10-15 pick for next year. Not as if he's some projected fourth rounder at this point deciding to do so. He was good in the USHL last season. Probably could've played another year, but he played on a team with a very deep defense, and he didn't get the minutes and situations he could've on another team. BU also has a lot more room on their left-side than right open for someone to take, so I could see him getting a regular shift next season.

The challenge for the normal birthdays & late birthday US kids is accelerating to graduate HS early.

In instances like Kent Johnson (late birthday), Owen Power (late birthday), Dylan Holloway (late birthday) Adam Fantilli (late birthday), they graduated HS after their 17 year old season since the Canadian school year grouping is January 1-December 31, so they just moved on to the NCAA since they could enter university with no acceleration needed.

Noah Hanifin, Zach Werenski, Ryan Poehling, Macklin Celebrini, Matthew Wood, Sascha Boumedienne, Cullen Potter all had to accelerate to play their 17 year old season in the NCAA.

 

[AMScouting]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811137026324058201

 

[coooldude]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811137026324058201

Thanks! One game only of course... Very smooth skater, activates pretty intelligently. Maybe a little tiny bit passive when defending in transition and in DZ, but positionally sound. Plays a little bit rover-like - almost reminds me of Levshunov with the roving, activation, stretch passing on offense, but no concerns with being a step behind the play, just with not being quite aggressive enough to get stick on stick, body on body. Will be fun to watch him next season.

 

[tunnelvision]

Thanks! One game only of course... Very smooth skater, activates pretty intelligently. Maybe a little tiny bit passive when defending in transition and in DZ, but positionally sound. Plays a little bit rover-like - almost reminds me of Levshunov with the roving, activation, stretch passing on offense, but no concerns with being a step behind the play, just with not being quite aggressive enough to get stick on stick, body on body. Will be fun to watch him next season.

In the games I've seen, he's been defensively too reliant on just putting his stick on right position to block shots, passes and dangles, I agree that he needs to be more active physically and maybe correct his body positioning in some plays as well. He seems skinny for 6'2, the lack of physical development could be a reason for that. If he's going to be anything like his dad, he will add heaviness to his game sooner or later. Hopefully he will show up thicker at the Hlinka.

His reach and quick feet allow him to take gambles in pinch plays and rush defending in general. The recovery speed looks good and he rarely looks completely drifted out of the play, but yes, the effort level could be a tad higher sometimes.

If the defensive flaws in question are mainly just easily improvable conditioning issues, we're talking about a very high upside prospect. Other 2025 dmen Schaefer and Hensler are ranked higher than him in every early list I've read so far, but I haven't got the impression their overall skating/vision/passing ability is any better than Boumedienne's.

Hensler looks well rounded and plays a more mature defensive game but the skating isn't quite as impressive as with the other two. He lacks great separation speed in breakouts and isn't able to buy much time to make more advanced plays with the puck. He's also almost a year older than Schaefer.

Schaefer is an explosive skater and fluid and smart puckhandler but so far I haven't seen so much high-end processing that Boumedienne has showed. Due to his upside I would, as of today, rank Boumedienne ahead of both Hensler and Schaefer.

 

[VictorLustig]

Watched his most recent games with the nationel team. Can’t say he stood out a ton but boy has he grown like crazy since last summer. Was tiny then but is now one of the bigger guys.