At this point, if you are reading this article it is likely this is not your first experience with my hockey ramblings; whether that be reading my draft content, hearing my annoying voice on the Blueshirts Breakaway podcast or other Rangers-centric podcasts, seeing my tweets or putting up with my endless Moana gifs. So, most of you are probably well aware of my Ty Smith Memorial Trophy schtick and the fact that, while I do try to educate folks on hockey prospects, I also am steadfast in my belief that you need to have fun and you can’t take yourself too seriously with this stuff. I you are familiar, you can just skip down to the Others Receiving Votes section.
For those of you new to this fun little annual gimmick of mine, here is the quick background story. The Ty Smith Memorial Trophy is a fun annual article I do to acknowledge the player that I adamantly feel is being under-ranked by the prospect community at large, particularly the traditional draft analysts and pro team-affiliated hockey scouts.
The genesis of the award comes from its namesake and the 2018 NHL draft. While I’ve been a bit of a draft nerd for a long time, 2018 was the first year I began publishing my draft research. That year, I became absolutely enamored with Ty Smith, and I badgered pretty much anyone who would listen about how I firmly believed Smith was a top-10 prospect, while the majority of the prospects community had him in the mid-teens. Thus, the Ty Smith Memorial Trophy was born! Obviously, Ty Smith was the 2018 recipient, and he was followed up by Pavel Dorofeyev in 2019 and Jan Mysak in 2020.
To this day people tag me in pretty much any positive post they find about Ty Smith, Pavel Dorofeyev or Jan Mysak, and I love it. Please keep doing it!
Now, let’s get to the article shall we. First up, those that were in the running, received some votes from the esteemed and totally not made up voting panel, but did not come out on top.
Others Receiving Votes
Brent Johnson
D, 5’ 11’’, 165 lbs, Sioux Falls (USHL) | Drew Rank: 50, Bob McKenzie Rank: 68, Craig Button Rank: 35, EP Rank: 101
Brent Johnson might be the prospect that most reminds me of the namesake of the most prestigious trophy in the hobby prospect community—Ty Smith—and so that alone makes him worthy of mention in this article. He is a fantastically gifted offensive defenseman with tremendous vision and smart yet creative playmaking ability. In fact, his play style also reminds me a bit of Adam Fox in the way he can effortlessly stickhandle at the blueline and manipulate the opposing defenders into moving where he needs them to in order to open up a clean passing slot to get the puck to a forward in a scoring position. Also, similar to both Fox and Smith, he is remarkably calm under pressure and never seems to lose his composure with the puck on his stick, regardless of the situation.
Now, what I just described obviously sounds like a sure fire first round pick, so why did I only rank him 50th, and why is he ranked everywhere from the 30s to the early 100s when you look across popular lists? The answer is because while he is a very gifted offensive defenseman, he has some serious holes in his game both defensively and in transition, and he lacks the forechecking and physicality you’d like to see at any sort of consistent basis from a defenseman, even an offensive-minded one. Negatives aside, he has the skillset to make for an excellent pick for any team in the second round, and with the right coaching and development he can definitely become a reliable second pair defenseman that can drive possession in the offensive zone and spearhead a power play.
Jake Martin
D, 6’ 0’’, 190 lbs, U.S. National U18 (USDP) | Drew Rank: 58, Bob McKenzie Rank: NR, Craig Button Rank: NR, EP Rank: 81
Take everything I just said about Brent Johnson, and reverse it all, and that is Jake Martin. Jake Martin is not the best skater for a defenseman that is just barely 6 foot, and he is far to conservative in the offensive zone, and at times clearly is more concerned about ensuring he’s always in a position to retreat if there is an offensive zone turnover. However, Jake Martin is perhaps the most naturally gifted player in his own zone in this draft class outside of the obvious first rounders, and I have all the time in the world for players that can truly make an impact in this regard.
What stands out the most when you watch him is he is a phenomenal transition defenseman, and one of the best in the class at preventing clean opponent break-ins. He also is as positionally sound as they come, and plays a smothering defensive style that makes it extraordinarily difficult for opponents to get to the high danger areas of the ice. Any NHL team in the market for a defenseman in the second round can do much worse than selecting our first two prospects here, Brent Johnson and Jake Martin.
Aatu Räty
C, 6’ 1’’, 181 lbs, Kärpät (Liiga) | Drew Rank: 13, Bob McKenzie Rank: 28, Craig Button Rank: 23, EP Rank: 20
The prospect that was once considered the clear and obvious choice for the #1 pick in this class has recently become one of the more polarizing players in this class, and can be seen ranked anywhere from 10 to outside of the first round as you peruse various lists. He has had a very disappointing last two seasons, and there are very legitimate reasons for why he largely is not considered a top-10 prospect in this class anymore. However, I strongly encourage you to read this excellent piece by Scott Wheeler, which provides some phenomenal context to a lot of the mental hurdles Räty has dealt with the past two years, and how it seems he is rounding a corner and returning to the person he once was in his younger years.
The long story short on my views of Aato Räty are this. Despite his disappointing previous two seasons and his lack of production, his underlying analytics are still strong, and his tape shows that he is working his ass off and battling in all areas of the ice. I think Wheeler’s piece uncovered some very valid reasons for perhaps why Räty disappointed of late, and while that cannot be just written off, I personally think Räty, if drafted by the right team and developed properly, will turn out to be closer to the player everyone thought he might become a few years back, then the player that some feel is hardly worthy of a first round selection. I personally project him to be a strong, two-way, possession-driving second line C at the NHL level that can contribute in all areas of the ice and across all situations. If the Rangers select him at 15 in this draft class, I will be perfectly happy with that.
Red Savage
C/LW, 5’ 11’’, 181 lbs, U.S. National U18 (USDP) | Drew Rank: 64, Bob McKenzie Rank: 82, Craig Button Rank: 61, EP Rank: 74
His name is Red Fucking Savage, need I say more?
Fine, here you go. I love Red Savage, and I would bet a lot of money the Rangers love his too. He actually reminds me a fair bit of Ryan Callahan in the way he plays, which I know will appeal to both Ranger fans and Chris Drury. He is everything that Drury keeps saying the Rangers need, a skilled yet “tough to play against” winger that will be a nightmare for the opposition but that can also contribute offensively.
He certainly has some holes in his game, hence why public lists rank him everywhere from about 50 to 100. His skating can certainly be improved, sometimes he tries to do too much with his passes, and he has a fairly weak shot from distance. That said, Red Savage has a non-stop motor, a good hockey sense, has a fearless approach to the game, is a great defender and is fantastic in front of the goal and in other “dirty areas” of the ice. He’s a guy I have highlighted as someone I would love the Rangers to get their hands on with the 64th pick in the draft (thank you Jimmy Vesey trade).
Cole Sillinger
C, 6’ 0’’, 201 lbs, Medicine Hat (WHL) | Drew Rank: 11, Bob McKenzie Rank: 11, Craig Button Rank: 13, EP Rank: 12
Cole Sillinger might be my favorite prospect in this draft class, and to be totally candid, the main reason why he is not the winner of the 2021 Ty Smith Memorial Trophy is because, despite my love for him as a prospect, apparently most of the scouting community feels similar to me, so I’m only marginally higher on him than most in my rankings.
I’ve written about Sillinger a few times to this point, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. He has the best snapshot in this draft class and is among a very short list that can be considered for the most gifted goal scorer in this draft class. He has a better two-way game than I think he generally gets credit for, and for that reason I am confident he will translate to center in the NHL. The only thing that keeps him out of the top-10 is he is an average skater (at best), and any team that drafts him should immediately get him with a top-tier skating coach to see if they can improve that a bit. If Sillinger can become even just an average NHL skater—which I believe he can—he can be a perennial 30+ goal scorer at the NHL level.
Fyodor Svechkov
C, 6’ 0’’, 179 lbs, Togliatti (VHL) | Drew Rank: 15, Bob McKenzie Rank: 17, Craig Button Rank: 6, EP Rank: 13
Like Sillinger, I love Svechkov, and a big reason he is not the winner of the Ty Smith Memorial Trophy is because many in the community have skyrocketed him up their ranks of late, and now I’m actually lower on Svechkov in my ranks that a good number of public lists.
I have four centers on the second tier of my rankings that I think could potentially be available when the Rangers pick at 15 (note – I have McTavish on this tier as well, but all indications are he’s going in the top-10)—Cole Sillinger, Chaz Lucius, Aatu Räty and Fyodor Svechkov. If all four are available at 15 (they won’t be), I would bet you that based on everything we’ve heard out of the Rangers organization since Chris Drury took over, Fyodor Svechkov would be their pick.
Svechkov is easily in the argument for the best two-way center in this draft class. He has fantastic gap control and is a nightmare in his own end; when he’s on the ice, good luck to opposing forwards trying to make their way to the slot or the center of the ice. He also has a tremendous motor and hockey sense, which allow Svechkov to be a threat in transition and in the offensive zone. He is among the better players in this class off the puck, and has an insane ability to always find ways to find open space in the offensive zone that allow his teammates to get him the puck. He has a good shot and is a plus playmaker, but he is just an average skater and does not really have any true dynamic offensive abilities, which are the primary reasons why he’s largely ranked in the 10-20 range as opposed to the top-10. That said, he’s another player I’d be very happy with the Rangers taking at 15.
Sean Tschigerl
LW, 6’ 0’’, 181 lbs, Calgary (WHL) | Drew Rank: 57, Bob McKenzie Rank: Honorable Mention (97-100), Craig Button Rank: NR, EP Rank: NR
Sean Tschigerl is the winner of the not as prestigious of the Ty Smith Memorial Trophy award for the player where the biggest divide exists between what traditional draft pundits and NHL scouts (reportedly) think, and what the hobby/independent scouting community thinks. He was not ranked by either Bob McKenzie or Craig Button in their most recent lists (as of me writing this on July 16), which go 100 and 75, respectively. He also was selected 154th in Corey Pronman’s recent seven round mock draft, and Corey spends considerable time speaking with NHL scouts to help inform his analysis and selections in his mock draft. On the flip side, Tschigerl is routinely ranked in the top-60 on independent site ranks, including 32 by ISS Hockey, 53by DobberProspects and 58 by Smaht Scouting.
Tschigerl is in the mold of Red Savage in that I think he is EXACTLY the type of player the Rangers would love—both skilled and physical—and also may be available for the Rangers to nab in the third round. Personally, I would be very happy if the Rangers take Tschigerl with at 64, and I don’t have a strong preference between him and Red Savage.
Tschigerl is a relentless forechecker, smothering defender and strong, aggressive penalty killer. He is a good overall skater with plus acceleration and edgework, but only has average top-end speed. He’s a good transitional player—both offensively and defensively—and loves to lead the rush or serve as the primary defenseman against the rush. Offensively he is good in front of the net and has a well-rounded skill set, but doesn’t do anything great. His passing is fine, he has good puck skills, his offensive IQ seems about average and he has a good but not great shot.
For Tschigerl to hit his ceiling in the NHL he will need to add some more strength in order to continue his style of play at the pro level, and he could afford to improve upon his situational awareness in the offensive zone, which often comes with more experience. I project Tschigerl to be a do-it-all middle-6 wing who is probably best suited in a grinding third line role that can contribute some nice depth scoring, but who can play higher if needed.
And Your Winner of the 2021 Ty Smith Memorial Trophy…
Ville Koivunen
Prospect Profile:
- Position – Right Wing/Left Wing
- Team (League) – Kärpät (Liiga)
- Nation – Finland
- Birth Date – June 13, 2003
- Handedness – Left
- Height & Weight – 6’ 0’’, 165 lbs
Ranking Summary:
- My Ranking – 31, tier 4
- Bob McKenzie – 79
- Craig Button – 68
- EliteProspects – 34
Skills Profile:
- Shooting: B
- Playmaking: A-
- Hands: A-
- Skating: C
- Defensive Play: B
- Transitional Play: B+
- Physicality: C
- Hockey Sense: A
Congratulations Ville Koivunen, you are the winner of the most important (fake) award an NHL prospect can ever dream of winning, the Ty Smith Memorial Trophy!
Ville Koivunen is just a joy to watch play the game of hockey. He is a highly intelligent, efficient, shifty player with great offensive skill and awareness. Few in this draft class—and probably none outside of the top tier of players—have a better combination of hockey sense, hands a relentless attacking mentality in the manner that Koivunen does. Koivunen is nearly impossible to get the puck from once he establishes possession, and he can stick handle through traffic with the best of them. While not necessarily the most purely skilled passer, his combination of high-end decision making and vision allows him to be a great playmaker.
Tony Ferrari’s tweet below (Tony is excellent, highly recommend you follow him if you aren’t already) includes a nice, short clip that showcases Koivunen’s hands. A commenter on the post mentioned that the shootout move is reminiscent of the great Mikko Koivu, and I do have to agree. Just pure silk.
Josh Tessler (another phenomenal follow) posted this brief clip that also shows off Koivunen’s puck skills.
Koivunen also possesses a good array of shooting skills, which combined with his hockey sense, playmaking and puck skills helped him to lead his team in scoring this year and placing third in the Finnish U20 league, earning him rookie of the year honors in the league. His shot can certainly afford to gain some power, but his release is quick and his shot is accurate. There is some question about whether his shot is good enough to beat NHL goalies from distance; however, he is the type of player that seems very self-aware of his own strengths and weaknesses, and I have no doubt he’ll adjust his game and continue to find a way to produce at the NHL level.
What will help tremendously is the fact that despite having a lean build and not being a very physical player, Koivunen is not afraid to crash the net, and many of his highlights are him cleaning up rebounds and putting them home for the goal. What’s the best way to make up for having a mediocre shot from distance? Shoot from close range of course!
He is excellent both on and off the puck, and consistently shows phenomenal situational awareness across all areas of the ice. He is a very adept transitional player, despite his lack of high-end skating, and has among the best transitional advanced metrics of the players in this class according to the manually tracked data by EliteProspects, which they make available within their NHL Draft Guide. Further, according to Will Scouch’s data tracking, Koivunen is 11th in the entire class at entering the offensive zone with control. He also is a positive contributor to transitional defense, and uses his strong positioning, quick thinking and efficient movements to force opponents to the outside during transition. It cannot be stressed enough just how noteworthy his hockey sense is; in my opinion it’s among the top tier in this class, and it helps to greatly mitigate his primary areas for improvement (skating and physicality).
Defensively, Koivunen does have some room for improvement—much of which is tied to his skating and lack of strength—but he does show strong awareness and defensive instincts that I believe can (and will) translate to him being a reliable player in the defensive zone at the NHL level. He particularly stands out on defense with respect to his ability to position himself and his stick well to take away the passing lanes and either pressure the opponent into making a perimeter play or causing a turnover. He also is constantly working off of teammates to aide in board battles and, while he typically isn’t the one engaged in the battle, he often is the one that comes away with the puck and quickly transitions play up the ice.
Obviously he has some flaws to his game, which I’ve hinted at above, or else he’d be a clear lottery pick based on his hockey sense, playmaking, hands and abilities across all three zones. First, he needs to add more strength, especially if he wants to continue to drive possession and at times play a net-front role at the pro level. He also could afford to be a more willing forechecker, although this is less of an issue compared to his strength.
Far and away his biggest issue is his skating. He has poor top-end speed for a prospect of his caliber and also has a relatively weak stride and very poor skating posture. His edgework is average at best, and his agility could also afford some improvement. If he wants to truly make an impact at the NHL level—and he absolutely has the hockey sense and skill to do so—we will absolutely need a lot of time with strength and skating coaches over the next couple of years as he continues to develop.
All in all, Ville Koivunen is the type of player that checks both the analytical boxes and the eye test, and I implore everyone to check out both. He is a remarkably fun player to watch if you enjoy the finer details of the game, and I truly believe he is being vastly underrated by many in the traditional scouting realm. If Koivunen can improve his skating to the point where its close the NHL average, I think he can project to be a possession-driving top-6 winger that could effectively complement just about any linemate you give him. I believe Ville Koivunen will prove to be an absolute steal for any team that picks him outside of the top-25 or so, and I would love nothing more than the Rangers to find a way to come away with him in this draft.
