Prospect Info: Matyas Melovsky (C - #171 Overall - Round 6 - 2024 Draft)

[Bad Goalie]

Little consolation but Max Graham will also get signed and he is a center.

I was thinking that would be so.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Just something I found interesting regarding Melovsky's headline stats.

In 22-23, his first in the CHL, he was a point below a ppg with 58 points in 59 games. But of those 58 points, 52 were assists. In general I don't love guys who are so heavy in assists, but to be nearly an assist per game says something, in a positive way, about a players game.

His impressive 11 points in 7 games at the WJC was also very assists heavy with 10 of those points being helpers.

42 assists in 53 this past season in the CHL, so not as drastic, but the goal total jumped from 6 to 18, which is nice.

I don't really know his game, so this may be a reach, and at this point I don't really like comparing anyone to our 2016 1st round pick, but if Melovsky is a big bodied, good defensive center who creates pretty well for others but needs improvement in the shooting department it does sound pretty similar, although I will doubt he skates as well as that guy did.

I’m skeptical of anyone with that much trouble scoring goals in junior hockey.

 

[BurntToast]

Scott Gomez…

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Scott Gomez…

and Mat Barzal

 

[devilsblood]

I’m skeptical of anyone with that much trouble scoring goals in junior hockey.

Well yeah, but we are talking about a 6th rnd pick.

 

[devilsblood]

Scott Gomez…

Gomer was .5 gpg in his +1 year, and was in the NHL in his +2.

and Mat Barzal

A pretty good example in that, yes he was near a .5 gpg in his +1, he tailed off to a .25 in his +2 year.

Melovsky was a .1 in his +1 year, which is incredibly low, but .3 in his +2 year, which still not impressive it at least showed progress.

And of course as I note above, Melovsky is 6th rounder while Gomes and Barzal were 1st rounders.

But both could be good examples in that, their relative lack of goal scoring at lower levels carried over to the NHL. Gomez only cracked 20 goals once in his career. Barzal has only done it twice thus far. Yet both were/are good NHL players. No one expects Melovsky to ever reach those levels, but it's a good note that one can be a good player, and even a good offensive player, with relatively little goal scoring.

 

[evnted]

Between the World Juniors and a lot of Baie-Comeau viewings, I indirectly saw a good amount of Melovsky this past season (Melovský officially). He was never really on my radar, which was nothing against him, I don’t typically focus double overagers, and while I wouldn’t say he ever stood out to me in league play, it always felt like he was a smart, reliable presence on the ice. Of course, his international showing was much more impressive, but I never like to read too much into a handful of tournament games. Having gotten the opportunity to study his tape more closely now, I would definitely say I’m more intrigued than I initially expected.

First off, he’s a center. Let me repeat: Tom Fitzgerald drafted a center. And he’s not just any center, he’s a right shot, two-way, play-driving center. What stands out most about his game is his anticipation, particularly off-puck. Melovsky has an exceptional feel for the game and frequently finds himself in the right lane at the right time. Offensively, he’s excellent at sneaking into pockets of space for scoring chances, and he’s great at keeping himself an option for his linemates thanks to his positional instincts and ability to predict the opposition’s movement. Defensively and in transition, Melovsky seamlessly cuts off passing lanes before the puck carrier even realizes, and his timing on strip attempts is second to none.

On the puck, Melovsky’s game is one of patience and poise. This is not a player who breaks down defenses or overwhelms as a transitional threat; rather, he's very much a take what is given to him player. I want to clarify that I don’t say this negatively, he rarely makes mistakes because of it, and some of the reactions and split-second decisions he’s making are so high end, it’s not like just any player would be able to capitalize on these opportunities in the same way he does. He’s certainly capable of dangling and outskating defenders at times, but he’s way more content to let the opposition make a mistake that he can capitalize on, and he has enough confidence on the puck to hold it long enough to bait out those opportunities.

Pairing seamlessly with this, Melovsky thinks the game two-three steps ahead of the opposition. He’s deceptive to the point of basically slowing the game down for himself, allowing for quick cuts around defenders who step up, and near instantaneous puck movement away from danger. He has a great understanding of not just the available ice in front of him, but of which pockets of space will remain open as play progresses, and even in some of his greatest highlight reel plays, you’ll notice it’s all about making deliberate movements. Melovsky is about as slippery and evasive as a player can be without having high level skating or handling ability.

Most striking, to me at least, is his physical play. Melovsky is by no means a traditionally physical player, i.e. in terms of being some big, heavy hitter, but he has some incredible physical instincts and is excellent at initiating proactive contact. Melovsky almost seems to enjoy leaning into defenders and playing off them as he drives lanes. He’s great at creating separation with his body while also shielding the puck in the process, and he does all of this in motion, too. Melovsky might not be a high motor player per se, but he’s always moving, and he pretty much never shies away from having to work his way through contact if need be. He’s strong on his skates, calm under pressure, and never gives up on play even as defenders hound him.

In his own zone, Melovsky’s physical play almost replicates that of a defender at times. In front of the net, he’s excellent at challenging forecheckers and using both body play and stickchecking to tie them up. Along the boards and while competing for pucks, although I wouldn’t say he’s diving head-first into battles, he’s great at boxing out opponents along the boards, be it for his linemate to come away with the puck or for his own ability to pry it free. Just like his play with the puck, everything Melovsky does is so cerebral and so calculated.

What I think starts to become a projection concern is that a lot of this great play is possible due to the space he has to work with. He’s not facing the biggest, fastest, or strongest players in the QMJHL, nor is he really going up against that many defenders with professional outlooks in any capacity, and I think that makes it easier for him to challenge these lanes, particularly for such a mentally advanced player. A lot of forwards who really try to slow the game down for themselves are still elite level talents, and that’s not quite Melovsky, so I want to see how he holds up against defenders who can catch back up to him after getting baited, or overpower him in spite of how well he positions himself under contact. Even internationally, it always felt like his most impressive plays were coming on the man advantage when he had more time and space to operate. Of course, none of this takes away from the great instincts and intent we’re seeing now, I just don’t know if we should have confidence in it scaling yet.

A lot of his offensive generation is like this, too. His passing game, while still very good and I don’t mean to imply otherwise, is typically based on targeting low-risk lanes. He can thread some pretty cross-ice passes and dish some sneaky backhand chances, but it’s important to note that he’s not typically threatening high danger opportunities or challenging when traffic is present; rather, he’s just trying to ensure the pass connects. Again, I don’t mean to say this is an outright negative, I’m just left to wonder how many of these opportunities he’ll get as the difficulty goes up. When he doesn’t have access to these lanes, he just keeps driving with the puck to find one, and this overzealousness can absolutely get him into trouble when he inevitably succumbs to pressure or is forced into a turnover.

Perhaps the greatest issue with projecting his game right now is his current identity, which, to me, is a blend of two different outlooks that might be incompatible for him at the NHL level. In some respect, he plays like a top-end, play-driving center. He loves the puck on his stick, he’s always trying to command play in the offensive zone, and he’s constantly slipping in and out of scoring chances. While his defensive coverage and ability to gap up are both typically good, he does like to play pretty high up for a center, and he’s usually threatening to be first man out of the zone. To his credit, though, Melovsky is quite good at pressuring defenders into making mistakes at the point, or at the very least forcing them to drop back and out to avoid doing so.

On the total opposite end of the spectrum, Melovsky also plays like a checking line center who loves to play into contact, is more than willing to operate along the boards, and will backcheck hard and intensely to get quick counterattacks going the other way. To me, I think Melovsky might need to lean into only one of these sides long term, and basically grow his game around it. As savvy as he is, I don’t know if he’s naturally talented enough to play that far up the lineup. While he does have some quick bursts in transition, his overall skating profile is just fine, his shot isn’t that much of a weapon beyond a reasonably quick release, and his playmaking game requires long and frequent puck touches that he probably doesn’t get alongside better talent. For a more offensively leaning outlook, I think he needs to work on quicker puck movement and greater interest in challenging high danger opportunities at the expense of deferring to efficiency all the time.

To slot in as more of a checking line option, I think he needs to up his pace a bit and, while I know I complimented his physical play a lot, still work on being more 50/50 friendly in a way. Again, so much of his play is about being cerebral and picking his spots, which is completely fine now since he’s so smart, but to land in this type of role, I think he’ll need to challenge play more directly and with a greater intensity than he currently does. Deeper defensive zone play, more times being first man in on a puck battle, a greater acceptance to just get pucks on net or send them deep rather than trying to make the perfect play every time. Of course, I’m not saying there’s no avenue for him to combine both these profiles long term, he certainly has the framework from which to do so, but that would essentially be projecting him as an all-day 2C (or better) which I’m not about to do for an overager who barely cracked a point per game rate in his D+2 season in the Q.

Lots to say on Melovsky. Much more than I would have anticipated coming out of the draft, but I think that’s just characteristic of how he plays. By nature, nothing Melovsky does really has that much of a wow factor to it, so I think it’s easy for him to go underappreciated. But, really diving into his game now, there’s a lot he does well. The vision, the timing, the instincts, the playmaking, the poise, the physical play, the two-way projectability, there’s just so much to his game that’s intriguing and should lend itself to giving him a lot of different avenues to hit. Now, I think there’s still plenty of work to be done here, but when you’re talking someone this confident on the puck, and this dominant of a one-on-one player without it, there has to be some sort of optimism it’ll work out. The first four selections we made were all in my pre-draft top 100, and while there’s virtually no scenario where I would have found myself ranking Graham or Louhivaara there, I do wonder if it winds up being a mistake that I didn’t originally pay enough attention to Melovsky; I think I like him more than the bottom chunk of my board and almost all of the honorable mentions.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Between the World Juniors and a lot of Baie-Comeau viewings, I indirectly saw a good amount of Melovsky this past season (Melovský officially). He was never really on my radar, which was nothing against him, I don’t typically focus double overagers, and while I wouldn’t say he ever stood out to me in league play, it always felt like he was a smart, reliable presence on the ice. Of course, his international showing was much more impressive, but I never like to read too much into a handful of tournament games. Having gotten the opportunity to study his tape more closely now, I would definitely say I’m more intrigued than I initially expected.

First off, he’s a center. Let me repeat: Tom Fitzgerald drafted a center. And he’s not just any center, he’s a right shot, two-way, play-driving center. What stands out most about his game is his anticipation, particularly off-puck. Melovsky has an exceptional feel for the game and frequently finds himself in the right lane at the right time. Offensively, he’s excellent at sneaking into pockets of space for scoring chances, and he’s great at keeping himself an option for his linemates thanks to his positional instincts and ability to predict the opposition’s movement. Defensively and in transition, Melovsky seamlessly cuts off passing lanes before the puck carrier even realizes, and his timing on strip attempts is second to none.

On the puck, Melovsky’s game is one of patience and poise. This is not a player who breaks down defenses or overwhelms as a transitional threat; rather, he's very much a take what is given to him player. I want to clarify that I don’t say this negatively, he rarely makes mistakes because of it, and some of the reactions and split-second decisions he’s making are so high end, it’s not like just any player would be able to capitalize on these opportunities in the same way he does. He’s certainly capable of dangling and outskating defenders at times, but he’s way more content to let the opposition make a mistake that he can capitalize on, and he has enough confidence on the puck to hold it long enough to bait out those opportunities.

Pairing seamlessly with this, Melovsky thinks the game two-three steps ahead of the opposition. He’s deceptive to the point of basically slowing the game down for himself, allowing for quick cuts around defenders who step up, and near instantaneous puck movement away from danger. He has a great understanding of not just the available ice in front of him, but of which pockets of space will remain open as play progresses, and even in some of his greatest highlight reel plays, you’ll notice it’s all about making deliberate movements. Melovsky is about as slippery and evasive as a player can be without having high level skating or handling ability.

Most striking, to me at least, is his physical play. Melovsky is by no means a traditionally physical player, i.e. in terms of being some big, heavy hitter, but he has some incredible physical instincts and is excellent at initiating proactive contact. Melovsky almost seems to enjoy leaning into defenders and playing off them as he drives lanes. He’s great at creating separation with his body while also shielding the puck in the process, and he does all of this in motion, too. Melovsky might not be a high motor player per se, but he’s always moving, and he pretty much never shies away from having to work his way through contact if need be. He’s strong on his skates, calm under pressure, and never gives up on play even as defenders hound him.

In his own zone, Melovsky’s physical play almost replicates that of a defender at times. In front of the net, he’s excellent at challenging forecheckers and using both body play and stickchecking to tie them up. Along the boards and while competing for pucks, although I wouldn’t say he’s diving head-first into battles, he’s great at boxing out opponents along the boards, be it for his linemate to come away with the puck or for his own ability to pry it free. Just like his play with the puck, everything Melovsky does is so cerebral and so calculated.

What I think starts to become a projection concern is that a lot of this great play is possible due to the space he has to work with. He’s not facing the biggest, fastest, or strongest players in the QMJHL, nor is he really going up against that many defenders with professional outlooks in any capacity, and I think that makes it easier for him to challenge these lanes, particularly for such a mentally advanced player. A lot of forwards who really try to slow the game down for themselves are still elite level talents, and that’s not quite Melovsky, so I want to see how he holds up against defenders who can catch back up to him after getting baited, or overpower him in spite of how well he positions himself under contact. Even internationally, it always felt like his most impressive plays were coming on the man advantage when he had more time and space to operate. Of course, none of this takes away from the great instincts and intent we’re seeing now, I just don’t know if we should have confidence in it scaling yet.

A lot of his offensive generation is like this, too. His passing game, while still very good and I don’t mean to imply otherwise, is typically based on targeting low-risk lanes. He can thread some pretty cross-ice passes and dish some sneaky backhand chances, but it’s important to note that he’s not typically threatening high danger opportunities or challenging when traffic is present; rather, he’s just trying to ensure the pass connects. Again, I don’t mean to say this is an outright negative, I’m just left to wonder how many of these opportunities he’ll get as the difficulty goes up. When he doesn’t have access to these lanes, he just keeps driving with the puck to find one, and this overzealousness can absolutely get him into trouble when he inevitably succumbs to pressure or is forced into a turnover.

Perhaps the greatest issue with projecting his game right now is his current identity, which, to me, is a blend of two different outlooks that might be incompatible for him at the NHL level. In some respect, he plays like a top-end, play-driving center. He loves the puck on his stick, he’s always trying to command play in the offensive zone, and he’s constantly slipping in and out of scoring chances. While his defensive coverage and ability to gap up are both typically good, he does like to play pretty high up for a center, and he’s usually threatening to be first man out of the zone. To his credit, though, Melovsky is quite good at pressuring defenders into making mistakes at the point, or at the very least forcing them to drop back and out to avoid doing so.

On the total opposite end of the spectrum, Melovsky also plays like a checking line center who loves to play into contact, is more than willing to operate along the boards, and will backcheck hard and intensely to get quick counterattacks going the other way. To me, I think Melovsky might need to lean into only one of these sides long term, and basically grow his game around it. As savvy as he is, I don’t know if he’s naturally talented enough to play that far up the lineup. While he does have some quick bursts in transition, his overall skating profile is just fine, his shot isn’t that much of a weapon beyond a reasonably quick release, and his playmaking game requires long and frequent puck touches that he probably doesn’t get alongside better talent. For a more offensively leaning outlook, I think he needs to work on quicker puck movement and greater interest in challenging high danger opportunities at the expense of deferring to efficiency all the time.

To slot in as more of a checking line option, I think he needs to up his pace a bit and, while I know I complimented his physical play a lot, still work on being more 50/50 friendly in a way. Again, so much of his play is about being cerebral and picking his spots, which is completely fine now since he’s so smart, but to land in this type of role, I think he’ll need to challenge play more directly and with a greater intensity than he currently does. Deeper defensive zone play, more times being first man in on a puck battle, a greater acceptance to just get pucks on net or send them deep rather than trying to make the perfect play every time. Of course, I’m not saying there’s no avenue for him to combine both these profiles long term, he certainly has the framework from which to do so, but that would essentially be projecting him as an all-day 2C (or better) which I’m not about to do for an overager who barely cracked a point per game rate in his D+2 season in the Q.

Lots to say on Melovsky. Much more than I would have anticipated coming out of the draft, but I think that’s just characteristic of how he plays. By nature, nothing Melovsky does really has that much of a wow factor to it, so I think it’s easy for him to go underappreciated. But, really diving into his game now, there’s a lot he does well. The vision, the timing, the instincts, the playmaking, the poise, the physical play, the two-way projectability, there’s just so much to his game that’s intriguing and should lend itself to giving him a lot of different avenues to hit. Now, I think there’s still plenty of work to be done here, but when you’re talking someone this confident on the puck, and this dominant of a one-on-one player without it, there has to be some sort of optimism it’ll work out. The first four selections we made were all in my pre-draft top 100, and while there’s virtually no scenario where I would have found myself ranking Graham or Louhivaara there, I do wonder if it winds up being a mistake that I didn’t originally pay enough attention to Melovsky; I think I like him more than the bottom chunk of my board and almost all of the honorable mentions.

So, my thought that he might become a decent #3 this season for the Comets?

 

[Guadana]

Between the World Juniors and a lot of Baie-Comeau viewings, I indirectly saw a good amount of Melovsky this past season (Melovský officially). He was never really on my radar, which was nothing against him, I don’t typically focus double overagers, and while I wouldn’t say he ever stood out to me in league play, it always felt like he was a smart, reliable presence on the ice. Of course, his international showing was much more impressive, but I never like to read too much into a handful of tournament games. Having gotten the opportunity to study his tape more closely now, I would definitely say I’m more intrigued than I initially expected.

First off, he’s a center. Let me repeat: Tom Fitzgerald drafted a center. And he’s not just any center, he’s a right shot, two-way, play-driving center. What stands out most about his game is his anticipation, particularly off-puck. Melovsky has an exceptional feel for the game and frequently finds himself in the right lane at the right time. Offensively, he’s excellent at sneaking into pockets of space for scoring chances, and he’s great at keeping himself an option for his linemates thanks to his positional instincts and ability to predict the opposition’s movement. Defensively and in transition, Melovsky seamlessly cuts off passing lanes before the puck carrier even realizes, and his timing on strip attempts is second to none.

On the puck, Melovsky’s game is one of patience and poise. This is not a player who breaks down defenses or overwhelms as a transitional threat; rather, he's very much a take what is given to him player. I want to clarify that I don’t say this negatively, he rarely makes mistakes because of it, and some of the reactions and split-second decisions he’s making are so high end, it’s not like just any player would be able to capitalize on these opportunities in the same way he does. He’s certainly capable of dangling and outskating defenders at times, but he’s way more content to let the opposition make a mistake that he can capitalize on, and he has enough confidence on the puck to hold it long enough to bait out those opportunities.

Pairing seamlessly with this, Melovsky thinks the game two-three steps ahead of the opposition. He’s deceptive to the point of basically slowing the game down for himself, allowing for quick cuts around defenders who step up, and near instantaneous puck movement away from danger. He has a great understanding of not just the available ice in front of him, but of which pockets of space will remain open as play progresses, and even in some of his greatest highlight reel plays, you’ll notice it’s all about making deliberate movements. Melovsky is about as slippery and evasive as a player can be without having high level skating or handling ability.

Most striking, to me at least, is his physical play. Melovsky is by no means a traditionally physical player, i.e. in terms of being some big, heavy hitter, but he has some incredible physical instincts and is excellent at initiating proactive contact. Melovsky almost seems to enjoy leaning into defenders and playing off them as he drives lanes. He’s great at creating separation with his body while also shielding the puck in the process, and he does all of this in motion, too. Melovsky might not be a high motor player per se, but he’s always moving, and he pretty much never shies away from having to work his way through contact if need be. He’s strong on his skates, calm under pressure, and never gives up on play even as defenders hound him.

In his own zone, Melovsky’s physical play almost replicates that of a defender at times. In front of the net, he’s excellent at challenging forecheckers and using both body play and stickchecking to tie them up. Along the boards and while competing for pucks, although I wouldn’t say he’s diving head-first into battles, he’s great at boxing out opponents along the boards, be it for his linemate to come away with the puck or for his own ability to pry it free. Just like his play with the puck, everything Melovsky does is so cerebral and so calculated.

What I think starts to become a projection concern is that a lot of this great play is possible due to the space he has to work with. He’s not facing the biggest, fastest, or strongest players in the QMJHL, nor is he really going up against that many defenders with professional outlooks in any capacity, and I think that makes it easier for him to challenge these lanes, particularly for such a mentally advanced player. A lot of forwards who really try to slow the game down for themselves are still elite level talents, and that’s not quite Melovsky, so I want to see how he holds up against defenders who can catch back up to him after getting baited, or overpower him in spite of how well he positions himself under contact. Even internationally, it always felt like his most impressive plays were coming on the man advantage when he had more time and space to operate. Of course, none of this takes away from the great instincts and intent we’re seeing now, I just don’t know if we should have confidence in it scaling yet.

A lot of his offensive generation is like this, too. His passing game, while still very good and I don’t mean to imply otherwise, is typically based on targeting low-risk lanes. He can thread some pretty cross-ice passes and dish some sneaky backhand chances, but it’s important to note that he’s not typically threatening high danger opportunities or challenging when traffic is present; rather, he’s just trying to ensure the pass connects. Again, I don’t mean to say this is an outright negative, I’m just left to wonder how many of these opportunities he’ll get as the difficulty goes up. When he doesn’t have access to these lanes, he just keeps driving with the puck to find one, and this overzealousness can absolutely get him into trouble when he inevitably succumbs to pressure or is forced into a turnover.

Perhaps the greatest issue with projecting his game right now is his current identity, which, to me, is a blend of two different outlooks that might be incompatible for him at the NHL level. In some respect, he plays like a top-end, play-driving center. He loves the puck on his stick, he’s always trying to command play in the offensive zone, and he’s constantly slipping in and out of scoring chances. While his defensive coverage and ability to gap up are both typically good, he does like to play pretty high up for a center, and he’s usually threatening to be first man out of the zone. To his credit, though, Melovsky is quite good at pressuring defenders into making mistakes at the point, or at the very least forcing them to drop back and out to avoid doing so.

On the total opposite end of the spectrum, Melovsky also plays like a checking line center who loves to play into contact, is more than willing to operate along the boards, and will backcheck hard and intensely to get quick counterattacks going the other way. To me, I think Melovsky might need to lean into only one of these sides long term, and basically grow his game around it. As savvy as he is, I don’t know if he’s naturally talented enough to play that far up the lineup. While he does have some quick bursts in transition, his overall skating profile is just fine, his shot isn’t that much of a weapon beyond a reasonably quick release, and his playmaking game requires long and frequent puck touches that he probably doesn’t get alongside better talent. For a more offensively leaning outlook, I think he needs to work on quicker puck movement and greater interest in challenging high danger opportunities at the expense of deferring to efficiency all the time.

To slot in as more of a checking line option, I think he needs to up his pace a bit and, while I know I complimented his physical play a lot, still work on being more 50/50 friendly in a way. Again, so much of his play is about being cerebral and picking his spots, which is completely fine now since he’s so smart, but to land in this type of role, I think he’ll need to challenge play more directly and with a greater intensity than he currently does. Deeper defensive zone play, more times being first man in on a puck battle, a greater acceptance to just get pucks on net or send them deep rather than trying to make the perfect play every time. Of course, I’m not saying there’s no avenue for him to combine both these profiles long term, he certainly has the framework from which to do so, but that would essentially be projecting him as an all-day 2C (or better) which I’m not about to do for an overager who barely cracked a point per game rate in his D+2 season in the Q.

Lots to say on Melovsky. Much more than I would have anticipated coming out of the draft, but I think that’s just characteristic of how he plays. By nature, nothing Melovsky does really has that much of a wow factor to it, so I think it’s easy for him to go underappreciated. But, really diving into his game now, there’s a lot he does well. The vision, the timing, the instincts, the playmaking, the poise, the physical play, the two-way projectability, there’s just so much to his game that’s intriguing and should lend itself to giving him a lot of different avenues to hit. Now, I think there’s still plenty of work to be done here, but when you’re talking someone this confident on the puck, and this dominant of a one-on-one player without it, there has to be some sort of optimism it’ll work out. The first four selections we made were all in my pre-draft top 100, and while there’s virtually no scenario where I would have found myself ranking Graham or Louhivaara there, I do wonder if it winds up being a mistake that I didn’t originally pay enough attention to Melovsky; I think I like him more than the bottom chunk of my board and almost all of the honorable mentions.

Great read! Thank you so much. Looks like a player with third line center potential. Great to have player in the system from 6th round with this quality.
As it was in a few previous drafts - looks like a better pick for his range than earlier picks.
If he will become even 4th line center - its an automatic win.

 

[evnted]

So, my thouht that he might become a decent #3 this season for the Comets?

i read an interview where he mentioned going back to drakkar again, but i dont know if that was sort of a default answer or something the teams already backed at this point. if he does make the jump then yes, i think a middle 6 type deployment with 2nd unit duties sounds good

 

[Guttersniped]

i read an interview where he mentioned going back to drakkar again, but i dont know if that was sort of a default answer or something the teams already backed at this point. if he does make the jump then yes, i think a middle 6 type deployment with 2nd unit duties sounds good

We haven’t signed him, and neither has Utica,
so he can’t really say he’s planning to play there yet.

They finally got around to signing Squires ,so I assume they’ll sign Melovsky too, and get him in camp.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Between the World Juniors and a lot of Baie-Comeau viewings, I indirectly saw a good amount of Melovsky this past season (Melovský officially). He was never really on my radar, which was nothing against him, I don’t typically focus double overagers, and while I wouldn’t say he ever stood out to me in league play, it always felt like he was a smart, reliable presence on the ice. Of course, his international showing was much more impressive, but I never like to read too much into a handful of tournament games. Having gotten the opportunity to study his tape more closely now, I would definitely say I’m more intrigued than I initially expected.

First off, he’s a center. Let me repeat: Tom Fitzgerald drafted a center. And he’s not just any center, he’s a right shot, two-way, play-driving center. What stands out most about his game is his anticipation, particularly off-puck. Melovsky has an exceptional feel for the game and frequently finds himself in the right lane at the right time. Offensively, he’s excellent at sneaking into pockets of space for scoring chances, and he’s great at keeping himself an option for his linemates thanks to his positional instincts and ability to predict the opposition’s movement. Defensively and in transition, Melovsky seamlessly cuts off passing lanes before the puck carrier even realizes, and his timing on strip attempts is second to none.

On the puck, Melovsky’s game is one of patience and poise. This is not a player who breaks down defenses or overwhelms as a transitional threat; rather, he's very much a take what is given to him player. I want to clarify that I don’t say this negatively, he rarely makes mistakes because of it, and some of the reactions and split-second decisions he’s making are so high end, it’s not like just any player would be able to capitalize on these opportunities in the same way he does. He’s certainly capable of dangling and outskating defenders at times, but he’s way more content to let the opposition make a mistake that he can capitalize on, and he has enough confidence on the puck to hold it long enough to bait out those opportunities.

Pairing seamlessly with this, Melovsky thinks the game two-three steps ahead of the opposition. He’s deceptive to the point of basically slowing the game down for himself, allowing for quick cuts around defenders who step up, and near instantaneous puck movement away from danger. He has a great understanding of not just the available ice in front of him, but of which pockets of space will remain open as play progresses, and even in some of his greatest highlight reel plays, you’ll notice it’s all about making deliberate movements. Melovsky is about as slippery and evasive as a player can be without having high level skating or handling ability.

Most striking, to me at least, is his physical play. Melovsky is by no means a traditionally physical player, i.e. in terms of being some big, heavy hitter, but he has some incredible physical instincts and is excellent at initiating proactive contact. Melovsky almost seems to enjoy leaning into defenders and playing off them as he drives lanes. He’s great at creating separation with his body while also shielding the puck in the process, and he does all of this in motion, too. Melovsky might not be a high motor player per se, but he’s always moving, and he pretty much never shies away from having to work his way through contact if need be. He’s strong on his skates, calm under pressure, and never gives up on play even as defenders hound him.

In his own zone, Melovsky’s physical play almost replicates that of a defender at times. In front of the net, he’s excellent at challenging forecheckers and using both body play and stickchecking to tie them up. Along the boards and while competing for pucks, although I wouldn’t say he’s diving head-first into battles, he’s great at boxing out opponents along the boards, be it for his linemate to come away with the puck or for his own ability to pry it free. Just like his play with the puck, everything Melovsky does is so cerebral and so calculated.

What I think starts to become a projection concern is that a lot of this great play is possible due to the space he has to work with. He’s not facing the biggest, fastest, or strongest players in the QMJHL, nor is he really going up against that many defenders with professional outlooks in any capacity, and I think that makes it easier for him to challenge these lanes, particularly for such a mentally advanced player. A lot of forwards who really try to slow the game down for themselves are still elite level talents, and that’s not quite Melovsky, so I want to see how he holds up against defenders who can catch back up to him after getting baited, or overpower him in spite of how well he positions himself under contact. Even internationally, it always felt like his most impressive plays were coming on the man advantage when he had more time and space to operate. Of course, none of this takes away from the great instincts and intent we’re seeing now, I just don’t know if we should have confidence in it scaling yet.

A lot of his offensive generation is like this, too. His passing game, while still very good and I don’t mean to imply otherwise, is typically based on targeting low-risk lanes. He can thread some pretty cross-ice passes and dish some sneaky backhand chances, but it’s important to note that he’s not typically threatening high danger opportunities or challenging when traffic is present; rather, he’s just trying to ensure the pass connects. Again, I don’t mean to say this is an outright negative, I’m just left to wonder how many of these opportunities he’ll get as the difficulty goes up. When he doesn’t have access to these lanes, he just keeps driving with the puck to find one, and this overzealousness can absolutely get him into trouble when he inevitably succumbs to pressure or is forced into a turnover.

Perhaps the greatest issue with projecting his game right now is his current identity, which, to me, is a blend of two different outlooks that might be incompatible for him at the NHL level. In some respect, he plays like a top-end, play-driving center. He loves the puck on his stick, he’s always trying to command play in the offensive zone, and he’s constantly slipping in and out of scoring chances. While his defensive coverage and ability to gap up are both typically good, he does like to play pretty high up for a center, and he’s usually threatening to be first man out of the zone. To his credit, though, Melovsky is quite good at pressuring defenders into making mistakes at the point, or at the very least forcing them to drop back and out to avoid doing so.

On the total opposite end of the spectrum, Melovsky also plays like a checking line center who loves to play into contact, is more than willing to operate along the boards, and will backcheck hard and intensely to get quick counterattacks going the other way. To me, I think Melovsky might need to lean into only one of these sides long term, and basically grow his game around it. As savvy as he is, I don’t know if he’s naturally talented enough to play that far up the lineup. While he does have some quick bursts in transition, his overall skating profile is just fine, his shot isn’t that much of a weapon beyond a reasonably quick release, and his playmaking game requires long and frequent puck touches that he probably doesn’t get alongside better talent. For a more offensively leaning outlook, I think he needs to work on quicker puck movement and greater interest in challenging high danger opportunities at the expense of deferring to efficiency all the time.

To slot in as more of a checking line option, I think he needs to up his pace a bit and, while I know I complimented his physical play a lot, still work on being more 50/50 friendly in a way. Again, so much of his play is about being cerebral and picking his spots, which is completely fine now since he’s so smart, but to land in this type of role, I think he’ll need to challenge play more directly and with a greater intensity than he currently does. Deeper defensive zone play, more times being first man in on a puck battle, a greater acceptance to just get pucks on net or send them deep rather than trying to make the perfect play every time. Of course, I’m not saying there’s no avenue for him to combine both these profiles long term, he certainly has the framework from which to do so, but that would essentially be projecting him as an all-day 2C (or better) which I’m not about to do for an overager who barely cracked a point per game rate in his D+2 season in the Q.

Lots to say on Melovsky. Much more than I would have anticipated coming out of the draft, but I think that’s just characteristic of how he plays. By nature, nothing Melovsky does really has that much of a wow factor to it, so I think it’s easy for him to go underappreciated. But, really diving into his game now, there’s a lot he does well. The vision, the timing, the instincts, the playmaking, the poise, the physical play, the two-way projectability, there’s just so much to his game that’s intriguing and should lend itself to giving him a lot of different avenues to hit. Now, I think there’s still plenty of work to be done here, but when you’re talking someone this confident on the puck, and this dominant of a one-on-one player without it, there has to be some sort of optimism it’ll work out. The first four selections we made were all in my pre-draft top 100, and while there’s virtually no scenario where I would have found myself ranking Graham or Louhivaara there, I do wonder if it winds up being a mistake that I didn’t originally pay enough attention to Melovsky; I think I like him more than the bottom chunk of my board and almost all of the honorable mentions.

This is an absolutely outstanding write up and take on Melovsky. Thanks as always, Evan.

Since you pretty much covered everything, I'm just going to add the obvious that if Melovsky develops into a pretty good 4C for the Devils, this will be considered a home run pick for the 6th round. And since by all accounts this is a distinct possibility, we should all be behind the pick and behind Melovsky 100%.

 

[forceten]

I'm looking forward to seeing him in camp. The comments post-draft add to the intrigue - how he was surprised it was the Devils, and that he'd had more conversations with other teams. So the Devils were probably correct to draft him, since it appears there was interest and he would have been drafted.