With the conclusion of the 2021 WJC, and the recent start of the NHL, here are the 2020-21 Austrian Midterm Prospect Rankings, again by tier.
S Tier
Marco Rossi: he’s Austria’s biggest prospect and most recent first round pick since Michael Grabner in 2006. He captained the Austrian team in the World Junior Championship and showed off a lot of his skills and abilities, as well as his leadership qualities. At times he used his speed to get in shots on the goal, and made passes to his teammates which set up chances for them as well. He will participate in the Minnesota Wild training camp and then play from there either in the NHL with the Wild, or in the NLA with his childhood club ZSC.
Thimo Nickl: he unfortunately missed the WJC due to a COVID infection, but has been practicing with the SHL men’s side in Rogle, and made his SHL debut against Leksands, tallying 3 shots on goal and a hit. Austria’s second draft pick in the 2020 draft, taken by the Anaheim Ducks in the 4th round, Nickl is an impressive defenseman who boasts a rather sophisticated offensive game. His participation with the Senior side may also offer him some playing and practice opportunities that he would not have after the cancellation of the Swedish junior seasons.
Senna Peeters: had an impressive 7 goals and 8 points in 6 games in the Swedish Junior Elite league, whilst also putting in solid defensive performances. Scored a goal in the World Junior Championships, where he also showed his defensive improvements and increasing defensive prowess. He has good top speed, and the natural ability to score goals, particularly at the front of the net. He now heads to Halifax to continue his 2020-21 season.
Sebastian Wraneschitz: He opened many eyes in the 2021 WJC with his impressive performances in net. Despite routinely facing over 60 shots, he showed great composure, tracking the puck well from side to side and showing great hands and minimal acrobatics. It may be a long shot that teams take a late flyer on him, but it is certainly something to hope for, and certainly something he has earned.
A Tier
Tim Harnisch: Harnisch has elite speed. He’s always been able to pick the pockets of defensemen on the outside and then rush the opposing goal with the puck on the other end. That’s never been the problem. And during the World Junior Championships, there were times when he genuinely showed very few problems at all. His defensive play was sound, at times even valiant. His speed and offensive abilities were not diminished. If he could play with such well-roundedness and consistency as he did at times in the World Juniors, he certainly be able to assert himself in the IceHL for Salzburg, where he recently scored his first goal.
Leon Waller: he’s a very intelligent player with the puck, goes into the dirty areas to make plays. Is definitely capable of driving a line. He doesn’t employ some of the same fancy stick work that others in the Austrian junior system do, and he would probably be better off if he did. He can process and play the game at the much higher speed than many of his teammates at the world juniors could, and his decision-making was generally better. Still has room to grow physically. He still has a year left in juniors, and could become a very solid player.
Kilian Zundel: he’s an extremely mobile and extremely powerful defenseman for being of such small stature. His agility is probably unparalleled currently in the Austrian junior system, his top speed is rather good, and he can activate to blow up opponents even at the senior level. He has been adjusting to the IceHL game, and has taken big strides in many smaller, technical areas. However, his lack of size is always noticeable, and it has hurt him on the block at the senior level. He tallied his first assist, a beautiful steal off of the half boards leading to a centering pass, against Bratislava.
Fabian Hochegger: He’s not a big forward but there’s a power in his stride and an enthusiasm in his game. No one can question his effort. He gets into the dirty areas and fights for pucks. He can shoot, play in front of the net, get open and apply pressure to the defense. He has the occasional dangle, but by and large his play with the puck is much simpler than that of many of his teammates on the Austrian junior side.
Mathias Bohm: He has a powerful stride, a nose for the puck, and relatively good hockey IQ. He pressures the puck well on the forecheck. His mind conceives of things that his hands cannot yet do, and a few more kilometers per hour would never hurt. The best power forward to come out of Austria in a couple classes, deserves some attention.
Christoph Tialler: He’s a good skater by Austrian U18 standards, though not necessarily by AlpsHL standards, and good skaters in Austrian hockey are typically safe bets to become good players outright. He can make up for his lack of muscle around the net by his effort level and his willingness to engage, but as the competition level increases he will need to pack on muscle. Could also be more proactive getting on top of the puck.
Lukas Horl: An extremely intelligent defenseman away from the puck, anticipates the movement of the puck well and is always in position to make defensive plays. Physically capable of anchoring the back end and identifies good passes well. Does not like having the puck on his stick for extended periods of time and can struggle then. His overall maturity in the back end makes him a solid prospect moving forward.
Lukas Necesany: Probably the opposite of Horl, a much flashier defenseman. Can and will make big plays, be it moves or hits, and plays well with the puck. Effective employment of crossovers. However, has a lot of work to do to become a solid presence in his own end, and can get pinned there for long periods of time. Could also work on establishing his presence in front of the net.
Luis Lindner: he’s no longer a forward who sits near the blue line. Lindner has developed a complete defensive kit, and in the process perhaps lost the will to embark on some of his former end to end adventures, likely for the better. He’s also developed a certain bite to his game that will only improve as he continues to fill out. He will never be a big defenseman, but he is developing well and could become a solid prospect for Austria.
B Tier
Lucas Thaler: Thaler has become a solid passer. He plays the game with great pace, constantly being on the move, and this helps him carry play and be competitive at higher levels. However, he is still frailer than most players his age. He cannot protect the puck particularly well, or compete for it. Sometimes he can compensate for this by making moves, of which he has a fairly sized arsenal, but it’s not a reliable substitute.
Finn Van Ee: He generally makes intelligent decisions with the puck. He gives you shift to shift effort, and plays the game at a relatively good pace. However, in addition to being on the small end, at least weight wise, he really lacks the burst speed to compensate for his lack of physical power on the puck. Needs to improve those two aspects of his game to succeed at the senior level.
Maximilian Preiml: Most of the things that he does appear to be the right things. Good, precise passes come off his stick, he can also use it aptly to make defensive plays. His biggest weakness is his lack of mobility. His skating, in every way, needs improvement, from power to speed, and in all directions. I believe he has a lot of promise if his skating could improve significantly, but that in itself is a massive project.
Maximilian Theirich: The explosive speed is still there. However, skaters at the AlpsHL level are usually fast enough not to get completely burnt, at which point other tools become necessary. He certainly can develop them, and has the time. But, for now, he tends to run out of options with the puck when the rush fails.
Philipp Wimmer: Wimmer has improved certain aspects of his game. His skating has improved, to some extent, and this has allowed him to amp up his physicality. His hands and his elusiveness are still there, they’ve never been in question, and if he could develop of holistic game one could imagine him becoming a very good defenseman. However, he must continue to make strides, perhaps even larger strides, in his skating in order to avoid being constantly pinned in his own zone because he lacks the speed to contest pucks in the perimeter.
Jacob Pfeffer: he’s an extremely tough defenseman. He will block shots, fight in front of the net, and do a lot of good things. He’s not a bad skater for an Austrian defenseman of his height and age, but will probably need to continue improving in that department as he gets older. He’s also never overwhelmed with offensive flash, but improvements in that area would be useful as well.
Marlon Tschofen: he’s a fairly powerful forward and forechecker, creates a surprising number of chances merely be being active in pursuing the puck and forcing mistakes. However, he doesn’t typically have the skills with the puck to follow it up, at least at the elite level. He certainly still has time to develop his game, and he’s shown some good activity at the U20 level, but it’s a long term project.
Bonus Profile
Marco Kasper: a dynamic playmaker in every sense of the word. Tallied an assist on Austria’s only goal in the 2021 WJC. He is, I believe, unquestionably Austria’s next big prospect. His passing is excellent, his skating is very good, his reads opponents well and has good hands to make space. He’s not as muscular as his older opponents, and that can pose a problem at times, but that is easily fixed and once it is fixed, his potential is boundless.
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