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Drafted in the second round, 38th overall, of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers, left wing Adam Mascherin re-enters the draft after he did not sign with the team. Mascherin has had two big seasons since his draft year. In 2016-17, he scored 35 goals and 65 assists for 100 points in 65 games and was named to the OHL First All-Star Team. He finished third in assists and third in points in the league.
This past season, Mascherin was named an alternate captain for the Kitchener Rangers. He put up 40 goals and 46 assists for 86 points in 67 games. He was named to the OHL Third All-Star Team. Mascherin finished strong in the OHL playoffs. He scored nine goals and 15 assists for 24 points in 19 games, helping the Kitchener Rangers to the Western Conference Final, where they fell in seven games to Sault Ste. Marie.
Adam Mascherin Scouting Report
Left Wing — shoots Left
Born June 6th, 1998 — Maple, Ontario
Height 5’10″ — Weight 205 lbs [178 cm / 93 kg]
Drafted by the Florida Panthers in the 2nd round, #38 overall at the 2016 NHL Entry Draft (did not sign)
Skating
Prior to the 2016 draft, the biggest knock on Mascherin was his skating. Over the last two years, he has really worked to fix some issues in his skating. His stride is a bit wide. He has good, but not great speed and acceleration, but really excels in other areas. Mascherin has great agility and edge work. He can make quick cuts on a dime and uses this to his full advantage to get by defenders on the rush, or get past them and find open ice without the puck. He also has a strong lower body, and his excellent balance helps him to fight for loose pucks, or skate through checks and cut to the net. Mascherin is built like a tank.
Offensive Game
Mascherin is a pure sniper. His shot is very heavy, but it is his release that really fools goaltenders and leads to the puck finding the back of the net. Its tough to describe, and you really have to watch the highlights, but Mascherin has a very unique release that surprises the opposition. He is able to vary that release effectively. His shot is deadly accurate, and he is able to pick corners or find the tiniest of openings. Mascherin also has the ability to score goals in tight, with the hand-eye coordination to get tip-ins or pounce on rebounds.
He is also an excellent playmaker, with good vision and the ability to make a pass through the smallest of openings. Mascherin is undersized in terms of height, coming in at just 5’10” tall, but at over 200 pounds, he has a thick and powerful body. This helps him to protect the puck in the cycle game and to win battles along the boards or establish his position in front of the opponents net. He is not afraid to play a gritty game and get involved in the real tough areas of the ice.
Defensive Game
Mascherin continues to work on his defensive game. He is willing to work hard and bring his gritty style to his own zone, however, he must be careful not to get himself out of position by chasing the puck too much. Disciplined positioning is an issue from time-to-time. He must also show that he can battle down low with bigger forwards. Mascherin has spent some time at centre earlier in his OHL career but could stand to improve his face-off skills if he wants to continue in that spot. It is more likely that he remains at left wing going forward. He seems settled into that position now.
Projection and Comparison
Mascherin will be 20 years old before draft day. Given that he is a little older than most NHL draftees, and has finished his OHL time, he is closer to NHL ready than most prospects in this range. Mascherin can go straight to the AHL, and while he still needs some development time, he could be NHL ready by 2019. He could be a top-six winger in the NHL if he can overcome the lack of size. His style is reminiscent of Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes. This is a stylistic comparison only though and not one based on talent.
Highlights
The following is a compilation of some of the highlight packages and full games of Mascherin that are available on youtube.
Check back tomorrow for the next prospect on our draft board.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
