2023 NHL Draft: Gavin Brindley, Brayden Yager, Calum Ritchie

It’s lightning round time.

With the number 26 pick in the draft, there are a lot of options for San Jose. Fear the Fin has highlighted two of the names that have appeared frequently for the Sharks in mock drafts: the big Russian forward Daniil But and young defenseman Oliver Bonk.

So who else is out there and dropping to number 26 for the Sharks? Today, we take a look at Gavin Brindley, Brayden Yager and Calum Ritchie.

Gavin Brindley, RW – University of Michigan

Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 157 lbs.
Age/DOB: 18, Oct. 5, 2004
Shoots: Right
University of Michigan: 41 games, 38 points (12 G, 26 A)
U.S. U20 WJC-20: 7 games, 4 points (1 G, 3 A)

The folks at Smaht Scouting are extremely high on Gavin Brindley, so high that they have him in their top 10 prospects for the NHL Draft.

“Brindley’s offensive game is centered around utilizing his speed and puck skill while being extremely aware of the play going around him to facilitate and dictate where play will go or where he needs to be to make a play,” wrote Josh Tessler. “Despite his size he’s not afraid of contact and will initiate far more contact than he receives. His motor combined with his fantastic skating makes him a constant puck retriever and once he gets the puck he is able to quickly get plays started.”

Tessler is not just hot on Brindley’s offense; he also loves the forward’s ability to affect the play on defense.

“Brindley is exceptional at suffocating space and is extremely engaged and hard on pucks defensively,” wrote Tessler.

Elite Prospects likes how Brindley plays on the defensive end of the ice.

“Brindley is a high-motor player who excels on the defensive side of the puck. He’s a tenacious forechecker and reliable in defensive zone coverage,” wrote Elite Prospects. “He’s always in motion, always attacking lanes, bouncing around defenders to find them, especially on the power play. He anticipates plays ahead of time and moves to support them.”

Meanwhile, Dobber Prospects projects Brindley as a middle six forward.

“Undersized but tenacious forward with fantastic speed and agility. Can make plays under pressure and gets to the dirty areas to pressure opposing defenses. Projects as a middle-six NHL forward,” wrote Nick Richard at Dobber Prospects.

Pluses: Brindley is fast and skilled with the puck. He’s tenacious. He’s responsible defensively.

Minuses: Brindley is not large. At the moment, he clocks in at 5-foot-9 and 157 pounds. Very few forwards of that size excel in the NHL. A player must be exceptional to make that happen.

Brayden Yager, C – Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 165 lbs.
Age/DOB: 18, Jan. 3, 2005
Shoots: Right
Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL): 67 games, 78 points (28 G, 50 A)
Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) Playoffs: 10 games, 16 points (6 G, 10 A)

Brayden Yager was high on people’s lists leading into this draft year. He could have been in the top 10, and some mock drafts still have him there. However, for other mock drafts, the forward has dropped down to a place where the Sharks may be able to snag him.

According to Elite Prospects, one of the highlights of Yager’s game is his shot.

“The puck absolutely explodes off his stick, no matter how compromised his body positioning appears to be during release. He rips it off either leg in just about way: two-touch, one-timer, and catch-and-release,” wrote Elite Prospects. “His inside leg wrister is his signature shot, tipping his weight over his outside edge while somehow keeping his chest up and exploding through the shot. He takes every single puck directly into his shooting pocket, prepared for the next play.”

Richard at Dobber Prospects believes that Yager’s skills with the puck can turn him into a top six option for the team that selects him.

“Highly skilled offensive threat with elite shooting ability and great hockey sense. Needs to add strength and quickness but should eventually grow into a top-six goal scorer who can provide solid defensive value at the NHL level,” said Richard.

However, one of the reasons that Yager has fallen down on many draft boards is that he does not use all the tools at his disposal consistently. As Last Word on Sports’ Kyle Pereira reports Yager’s “play away from the puck” isn’t always at its best either.

“Where the concerns arise are his consistency with playmaking and his play away from the puck. There can be shifts where Yager is feeling it, getting to the right spots and being open for teammates. But there are also shifts where he is purely a perimeter player and does not attack the slot with or without the puck,” wrote Pereira. “While he can score from anywhere at the WHL level, he needs to learn to attack the higher-danger areas to become an even bigger threat. It’ll also make his shot more translatable to the professional ranks.”

Dan Marr of Central Scouting thinks that Yager still has time to hone his skills.

“Explosive ability where he attacks with his feet and his skills to generate scoring chances,” NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr told TSN. “With players like that, it does take some experience to get that timing down…They learn the advantage of the risk-reward game, and he’s done that.”

Pluses: Impressive shot that’s accurate and powerful. Explosive skating when used appropriately.

Minuses: Pereira questioned Yager’s edgework. Consistency may also be an issue for the forward.

Calum Ritchie, C – Oshawa Generals (OHL)

Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 187 lbs.
Age/DOB: 18, Jan. 21, 2005
Shoots: Right
Oshawa Generals (OHL): 59 games, 59 points (24 G, 35 A)
Oshawa Generals (OHL) Playoffs: 5 games, 6 points (2 G, 4 A)
Canada U18 WJC-18: 7 games, 9 points (3 G, 6 A)

There is a reason that Calum Ritchie may fall to the mid-20s on the draft board. While he’s a skilled forward, he’s not the elite playmaker or skater that some of the higher end picks can/will be. As Last Word on Sports’ Pereira reports, with Ritchie, you have to focus on the fact that he’s “efficient.”

“He will not jump off the page in terms of dazzle and explosiveness. But he is efficient, and gets the job done well,” wrote Pereira. “Ritchie is not fast, nor is he the most agile or explosive in his first few strides. But he has power in his strides, and excellent balance against his own age group. When he has the puck, he is hard to knock off of it, and can literally skate through people.”

Pereira says that Ritchie is not the “most creative” of players, he doesn’t have the best stickhandling skills and he can struggle under pressure as a result. Ritchie can get caught chasing or puck watching, but he’s not afraid to block shots and has the “awareness and anticipation” to break up shots.

“He keeps it simple, smart, and ultimately effective,” wrote Pereira.

According to Elite Prospects, it’s the hockey sense that will make teams pick Ritchie.

“Ritchie’s hockey sense is his defining quality – his separating skill. In the offensive zone, that means supporting the puck carrier, connecting plays, anticipating gaps in coverage, identifying where to position himself off-puck, and controlling his skating to arrive in the right places at the right time,” wrote Elite Prospects. “Even when his team does lose possession, Ritchie has what it takes to win it back, leveraging himself against opponents physically, cutting through their hands, and putting his team right back on the attack.”

Joley Stockl at McKeen’s Hockey points out that Ritchie needs more confidence in his game since he’s sometimes “too safe” with his play.

“The concerns revolving around Ritchie this season are with his lack of risk-taking with the puck and explosiveness in his stride. Sometimes he plays too safe and he tries too hard to make the perfect play,” wrote Stockl. “He also passes up some golden scoring opportunities by passing off to a teammate when he actually has the better shooting opportunity. There are times when he trusts himself with the puck and makes a flashy move on the opposition, and it would be nice to see this more often.”

Richard at Dobber Prospects sums up Ritchie’s game with the following:

“Highly skilled and intelligent playmaking pivot who can play a physical game. Needs to add some quickness but he already processes the game at an elite level and has potential as a top-six NHL center who drives offense,” wrote Richard.

Pluses: Processes the game well. Blocks shots. Top six forward potential.

Minuses: His skating lacks “explosiveness.” He “struggles” under pressure. Puck handling skills are average.