There’s a lot of talent to be found in the 2016 NHL Draft and most of which are bound to be selected in either the first or second round, obviously. But the real fun begins right after all the top prospects have been taken, as many teams hope to find some diamonds in the rough during the later rounds. And that being said, have a quick look below at some sleepers to watch out for.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out our 2016 NHL Mock Draft piece afterwards.
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Whichever team decides to take a gamble on Dmitri Sokolov could be receiving a very talented power forward. He has the size, the strength and enough craftiness to basically do whatever he wants on the ice. And more importantly, this kid possesses a high hockey IQ which allows him to utilize his skills in the most effective way as possible.
Sokolov’s most impressive skill would perhaps be his almost-unstoppable shot. He has a strong wrist shot along with a very fast release. He’s also very patient with the puck and consistently utilizes his vision to enable him to deliver sneaky passes and in setting up teammates.
However, defense is arguably the biggest question mark in Sokolov’s game. The 18-year-old Russian doesn’t really abandon his responsibilities on this side of the ice, but there are times when he unintentionally does so due to lack of conditioning or overall focus. Nevertheless, those things are fixable through practice.
Maxime Fortier (Right Wing)
If you’re looking for someone who knows how to find the net through traffic, Maxime Fortier is definitely one of those guys.
Fortier did more than what was expected of him during his 2015-16 campaign with the Halifax Mooseheads, collecting a total of 31 goals and 46 helpers. Yes, his scoring game is quite impressive considering how young he still is, but the biggest area that the Canadian right-winger ought to improve on would be his defense. He simply lacks the consistency in effort and overall willingness to go the extra mile at this side of the rink.
Vladimir Kuznetsov (Left Wing/Right Wing)
Another Russian by the name of Vladimir Kuznetsov could turn out to be one of the steals in this year’s draft. He has most of the tools needed to succeed in the NHL. The left-handed winger uses his bulky frame to protect the puck and in making his drives. He’s also very dangerous whenever he plays in front of the net because that’s pretty much where Kuznetsov always awaits for those tight backdoor passes and rebound goals.
