Joshua Roy - Forward - Laval Rocket - Montreal 2021 5th round, 150th overall
2003-08-06
Hey, sometimes you miss on predictions! Roy was not on my “Preliminary Top 10 AHL Rookies” heading into the season, instead naming his Laval teammate Sean Farrell as my top rookie to watch. I didn’t feel confident that Roy’s pace and skating were at a level high enough to adjust to the pace of the AHL right away. However, his skating has not appeared to be an issue at all and even though he still skates with that upright stance, his stride power seems to have increased over the summer. He’s off to a fantastic start for Laval thanks to his dual-threat offensive tools although has been in a slump recently.
Roy recorded 12 points in his first six pro games which included a hat trick and five-point night on Oct. 20th. Impressively, eleven of his twelve points have been primary points (six primary assists). He also sits second amongst rookies in shots. Laval’s powerplay has only been clicking at 13.2% (they lead the league in powerplay opportunities), however, Roy has asserted himself as a key piece on the man advantage where he sets up on his offside in the right-hand faceoff circle. He’s shown no fear in being the triggerman for the Rocket and has been utilizing his swift half-wind-up one-timer to pepper pucks on the net. His shot is a weapon, but he also possesses some nifty quick mitts to beat goalies in tight 1-on-1 which you’ll see in the video clips below.
What I’ve found most impressive so far is how quickly he’s making plays in the offensive zone and his puck handling. His hands are terrific. When you combine his quick silky-smooth hands and terrific vision, you get a player who can adapt while under pressure and quickly recognize openings in the defensive coverage to take advantage of. His puck control and stickhandling mechanics are at an above-average level where he can attack East/West to get himself in between the dots. Having intelligence with and without the puck is a key trait NHL players need to have if they want to stick and last in the show and it would appear that Roy has the offensive hockey IQ to succeed. He’s very adept with his off-puck movements in the attacking end to make himself available for his teammates.
One main area I’ve noticed that Roy needs to work on is his puck management and decision-making along the boards in the defensive zone. As he’s getting pressured, he can occasionally make soft plays on the puck that opposing defencemen can easily read and keep pucks in at the line. Roy also could take better routes on the forecheck and be more assertive in his puck pursuits to be a more effective checker. He’s got the offensive skills to produce but he has struggled to make an impact without the puck to start his pro career.
Into The Archives!
*Number 10 in all the clips*
This is where Roy has looked most dangerous in the AHL this season. In this clip, he shows his awareness shifting into the passing lane before connecting with that half-wind-up one-timer (looks like he hits his teammate in front, or else he gets a goal here). When he gets the puck back, he doesn’t stay on the wall. Instead, loads the puck as if he’s going to shoot which drags the defender to him, opening up the downlow pass to create this tally for Laval.
Here’s Roy’s first AHL goal and although it most definitely is a shot the goalie should’ve saved, it’s the lead-up before the goal that impressed me. You’ll see as he picks up the puck, he throws a little body fake that he’s going downlow but instead goes up to the blueline. He then recognizes his defenceman pinching through the middle, hits him with a pass, and continues to slide through the vacated space that the defenceman left for Roy. Unfortunately, the clip has a bit of a skip, but it looks like Roy dances around his man before taking the shot.
Watch how he avoids multiple stick checks with those quick handles. He’s got to worry about the defender in front of him and the forward checking him from behind. Roy opened up the space for his teammate to get behind the Rochester defence en route to this goal.
This is a good look at Roy’s skill 1on1 with the goalie. Maybe don’t allow him to be all alone against the goalie in quick succession.
Sells the shot which freezes the goaltender before sliding the pass over. Excellent shot-threat mechanics loading the puck up on his hip.
This is an example of where Roy needs to improve. This is a habit of his in the defensive zone. He tends to make lazy plays on the puck. In this scenario, he needs to make a smarter play like bumping the puck back to his open defenceman. Also, he didn’t help his defenceman out on the breakout with his positioning at the end of the clip.
Logan Stankoven - Texas Stars - Dallas 2021 2nd round, 47th overall
2003-02-26
I think it’s fair to say that Stankoven has earned the trust of his coaching staff considering he averages the second most ice time amongst Stars forwards with 18:06 according to InStat. He’s been held off the scoresheet only twice in his first ten games to start his pro career. He leads AHL rookies in goals (6) and points (14) in 10 games. Logan has to be close in the pecking order as a call-up for the Stars but there are a few areas of his game he still needs to develop to be a full-time NHLer.
A key area for Stankoven to work on which will be pivotal once he eventually makes the jump to the NHL is managing the puck better in the offensive zone at times and being a bit more patient. Due to how quick his instincts are, he can be prone to turning pucks over with his quick one-touch passes. He needs to find that fine line between attempting those high-danger passes and when he should hang onto the puck and make a safer play to sustain possession. He’s got plus-level edges that I would like to see him utilize to shake off pressure more when along the boards. I wonder if he has some fear of hanging onto the puck for too long considering his size, and although he’s a stocky, athletic player, he has struggled against contact in the dirty areas.
That being said, there’s no denying that there have been a ton of positives from his play as a first-year AHLer coming out of the CHL. He’s a dual-threat shooter and passer. As an offensive winger, Stankoven often displays his quick hands in small spaces. His hand-eye coordination is excellent as he possesses the soft touch and soft hands with the puck. He can make those short 5-10ft passes underneath sticks or through feet to move the puck out of tight situations. He’s a great puck facilitator who can dish pucks off his backhand accurately. Stankoven is an above-average playmaker when you combine his quick agility, fast twitch hands, and heads-up awareness. I think he’s going to be an even more lethal playmaker once he starts to show more patience and adds a delay game to his passing skillset.
On top of having an above-average playmakers toolkit, he also has that lightning-quick release on his snap shots that can quickly beat a goalie if they aren’t set yet. If he receives the puck in between the dots, you can bet your money that the puck is getting whistled off his stick instantly. He’s got real big upside as a 20-goal scorer in the NHL with the power and speed of his shot. He’s shown to be versatile on the powerplay for Texas thus far, being able to play the bumper position or the half wall on his offside.
Into The Archives!
*Number 11 in all the clips*
Logan was known for his quick release in the WHL and in this clip he showcases it. Right off the draw, he slings the puck off the post before later receiving the puck in the bumper position, pounding the puck home with authority for his first AHL goal.
This release on the breakaway is so deceptive and so good. Stankoven gets his hands away from his body which helps activate the flex of his stick, making it seem like he’s looking to raise the puck (also shooting five hole from the hashmarks on a breakaway is a savvy move that I love).
This is just an overall clip of what Stankoven can do. First, he delivers a perfect saucer pass onto the tape for a breakaway chance. Then he swoops in, steals the puck, and makes a nice feed under the stick to set up another scoring chance. Finally, he smartly positions himself away from the pile to be open for a tap-in to score.
Here’s an example of Stankoven’s puck facilitation ability. He helps create the first chance with a quick bump pass off his backhand along the boards. Then, he delivers a perfect rink-wide pass to set up the powerplay goal.
Plays like these have been a slight issue for Stankoven so far this season. You can see his vision here but a couple of missed passes on these rush attempts would have a coach probably unhappy. If the pass is too hard to make, maybe a shot for a rebound with your teammate going to the net is the better play here.
I’d love to see more of this from Stankoven. A big strength in his game is his edgework and shiftiness. He’s been getting swallowed up a little too frequently on the cycle but if he can use those edges to create space for himself in the corners and along the wall, he’ll become more reliable playing a cycle game.
Brad Lambert - Manitoba Moose - Winnipeg 2022 1st round, 30th overall
2003-12-19
Lambert got a taste of the AHL last year playing 14 games before heading off to represent Finland at the World Juniors and then being assigned to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL in December of 2022. This was definitely the right call for his development. After putting up three points in his first four games, he then went pointless in his next 10 and was a -11! He has definitely looked more comfortable this year thus far and is playing in the middle of the ice instead of along the wing like he did last year.
There is no question what Lambert's greatest asset is. He’s a gifted skater who can turn defenders around with his linear crossover acceleration and can swiftly shift away from a defender with his cutbacks. He’s got an explosive top gear carrying the puck through the neutral zone to operate as a fast north/south attacker. He handles the puck smoothly in full flight, possessing that deadly combination of speed and skill. I think he’s a better shooter than playmaker. The ceiling is very high for Lambert. He can drive the transition and has the ability to dominate shifts, as long as he keeps his feet moving. Creating space is much harder to do at the pro level but I think Lambert has looked effective in his space generation both off the rush and in the offensive zone.
I like to use the term “Individual Skillset” when describing a player like Lambert. What I mean is, he’s got all the tools to be a play driver. Now, these types of players can be prone to hanging onto pucks for too long or trying to be too cute (Lambert definitely can fit into this narrative), but they’re able to control the pace of play, open the ice up for either himself or teammates, and drive possession shifts. Lambert is an expert at creating space either linearly or laterally and he also can do that with or without the puck. The trick for him has been to be consistent, which I think he’s done slightly a better job with this time around in Manitoba.
He doesn’t quite have that “man-strength” yet and an issue he’s had is not being able to protect the puck using his body along the boards. Lambert relies on his puck handling and skating to protect the puck (something he’s very good with) but a lack of strength has been noticeable in battles. He’s also probably not going to be a checking forward in the NHL. Defensively he’s just okay and he very rarely comes away with takeaways either on the forecheck or in the defensive zone. He has the skill, but he needs to develop his off-puck game to be more impactful as he won’t be able to dominate every night through skill and speed alone in the NHL. I see a forward with his kind of speed and think he could be a very threatening forechecker if he chooses to be.
Into The Archives!
*Number 13 in all the clips*
For those who don’t know how gifted of a skater Lambert is, here you go.
Here are some of the good and bad with Lambert. I like his support down the dot lane for the breakout, accelerating to gain entry into Calgary’s end. However, he kills the play as he hits the corner and can’t steal the puck back. This was at the 50-second mark of his shift too.
Two clips from the same game. Lambert tends to fly the zone if he isn’t the low-supporting forward. This is a reason for him being better suited as a winger than a centre. Look at how much room he creates through the neutral zone in both clips. His transitional skillset with or without the puck is at a high level.
Lambert makes a good read to jump behind the defence at the start of the clip and finishes with a crafty chip shot going the other way as he’s getting his feet taken out.
Here we go, creating space with his feet. The puck is on a string for him in this clip and he creates a scoring chance.
Again, Lambert creating space and displaying good offensive awareness. He’s looking to make a pass after coming out of the board battle (#6 should’ve activated), but he doesn’t force a play, creates some space coming out from below the goal line, recognizes he’s got a screen in front, and throws the puck on net.
John Farinacci - Providence Bruins - Arizona 2019 3rd round, 76th overall (Signed with Boston in August 2023)
2001-02-14
The Boston Bruins organization has potentially found two NHL-caliber players out of the second round of the NHL Draft in Mason Lohrei and Matthew Poitras. Although they didn’t draft John Farinacci, whoever made the call to sign him deserves some recognition as I believe they have another future NHL-caliber player here in Farinacci.
While Farinacci is a completely different player from the other three players in this article, it can’t be understated how efficient his play has been this season, particularly his play without the puck. He does a lot of the little things that go unnoticed and he’s been solid on both the powerplay and penalty kill this season for Providence. It’s fitting to see how intelligent of a hockey player he is considering he’s coming out of Harvard, where he spent three seasons. His best asset is his ability to read the play. He puts himself in good spots to support his teammates, has good poise to make intelligent passes, and avoids forcing and killing plays. Defensively, he hasn’t been perfect as a 22-year-old rookie as he at times does lose his assignment. However, he does a solid job at protecting the middle of the ice and being the low-support forward. He appears to use a longer stick but that helps him direct play away from the middle and break up possession along the perimeter with quick pokes at the puck.
He’s not big by any means, but he’s unafraid of the dirty areas. Once he makes a play from the boards, he’ll usually go straight to the crease or find an opening in between the hash marks to slide into. He battles through stick checks in front of the net to get his stick available. Most of his goals are going to come from the hash marks and lower. Farinacci is also an astute passer along the perimeter and that’s partly thanks to his quick shoulder checks and constant scanning. In summary, he’s a very slot-oriented player. Whether that’s him playing inside it or making plays to it, he can create offence in small spaces which makes up for his lack of dynamic skill.
Now, his lack of creativity along with his average skating is what limits his ceiling. It will be hard for Farinacci to become a top-six forward in the NHL since he doesn’t push the offence but instead makes supporting plays. He tends to go into a glide when possessing the puck in the offensive zone where he could be generating more space if he kept moving his feet. The transition game isn’t an area he shines. His foot speed is average, so his north/south acceleration isn’t strong enough to be a threat through the neutral zone, plus he doesn’t add in many crossovers. He’s a versatile 200ft centreman with the hockey intelligence to impact games without being flashy but improving the quickness in his boots would do him wonders.
Into The Archives!
*Number 26 in all the clips*
Two great plays with his stick on the penalty kill here from Farinacci. First, the poke at the blueline, then the steal, and a nice backhand finish on the breakaway. I’m a big fan of how he uses his stick defensively.
Farinacci takes advantage of the turnover and showcases solid patience going around the net and hitting his teammate in the slot. If you noticed though, here’s that gliding with the puck I was talking about. Now it doesn’t hurt him in this clip, but I’m not a fan of him constantly entering that A-stance when handling the puck.
A couple of examples of his ability to make plays off the perimeter into the middle of the ice. In both clips, he shoulder checks to identify his target.
There are a lot of small things he does on this powerplay shift that helps prolong possession. Great pressure after losing the draw to help nullify the clearing attempt and then gets a scoring chance for his efforts. He makes 3-4 plays to keep pucks alive, rotating in his positioning to fill in gaps, making himself available at the net front while changing his body position for either a tap-in or redirect play, and lastly, he makes a great feed at the end of the clip to set up the goal. He knows where to position himself and what his responsibilities are. That’s IQ.
Here he is involving himself in the slot and getting rewarded with a tally.
He’s shown to have decent quick side-to-side hands in college but those hands haven’t been on display too much this season. Here was a nice example though. Pulls the puck off the wall cleanly in motion and evades the stick check while making the in-tight pass.