By Canadian Press

Svechnikov, Zadina looking to impress at CHL Top Prospects game

Jan 24, 2018 | 8:19 AM

Andrei Svechnikov is looking to show scouts his hand is fully healed when he takes the ice at the CHL Top Prospects game in Guelph, Ont., on Thursday.

The 17-year-old native of Barnaul, Russia missed 17 games with the injury before the world juniors and appeared to still be recovering at tournament, registering just five assists in five games.

The 23rd annual showcase of the top NHL Draft-eligible skaters playing in the CHL will see Svechnikov go head-to-head with Filip Zadina. The two were named the top ranked players among North American skaters on NHL Central Scouting’s midterm list released earlier this week.

ISS Hockey has Svechnikov ranked third behind Swedish defenceman Rasmus Dahlin and Boston University centre Brady Tkachuk while Zadina is fourth in its January rankings of the Top 31 players eligible for June’s draft in Dallas.

Svechnikov and Zadina faced one another in the preliminary round of the world juniors with Zadina scoring a goal and an assist in the Czech Republic’s 5-4 over Russia.

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“They’re both elite goal-scorers. Svechnikov, you never got to see it so much at the world juniors,” said ISS Hockey scouting director Dennis MacInnis. “Some of it had to do with, well he had limited ice time for one thing, but some of it had to do with the fact he was coming off that hand injury. He didn’t have any goals (and) this guy is a pure sniper.

“Zadina is more of a plant and shoot guy, he gets to the open areas, has that one-timer. He’s got great puck skills. Obviously he doesn’t have the size of Svechnikov and he probably doesn’t have the speed either.”

Svechnikov, who tries to model his game after Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, said it’s been a difficult first season in the Ontario Hockey League.

He scored a team-leading 29 goals and 58 points with the Muskegon Lumberjacks while being named the USHL’s rookie of the year last season before joining the Barrie Colts through the CHL import draft.

“Season is going kind of bad, (had) surgery. I’m disappointed, but I try to play my best game,” said Svechnikov, who is third in OHL rookie scoring with 19 goals and 32 points in 24 games. “After surgery I played a few games, it was hard, but now it’s (better).”

Svechnikov has five goals and six assists in eight games since returning from the world juniors.

As the six-foot-two, the 186-pound winger looks to take the next step in his hockey career and turn pro next season. Colts coach Dale Hawerchuk says Svechnikov will need to learn to play at a higher pace.

“You want to get faster, you want to get stronger, you want to make your reads quicker and just do everything quicker,” said Hawerchuk. “That’s the challenge: every day to make yourself that much quicker.”

Zadina joined the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads after being selected in the 2017 CHL import draft. The 18-year-old leads all QMJHL rookies with 27 goals and 53 points in 38 games.

The six-foot, 196-pound forward left his hometown of Pardubice in the Czech Republic, where he played professionally against men, with the intention of playing in the NHL next season.

“When I played in the Czech Republic it was bigger ice, now it’s smaller,” he said. “Everything on the ice happens so much faster, but I really like it. The NHL is playing on the same size rink that I’m playing on right now, and I want to play next year in the NHL so this is good for me that I’m playing in this league and on the small rink.”

Zadina said he doesn’t pay much attention to the draft rankings, but is looking forward to another meeting with Svechnikov.

“I think it’s going to be fun for me and I will try my best,” Zadina said. “We will see what is going to happen. It’s going to be a big game, a big experience for us. It’s going to be a tough game, but I’m excited to play there, I will show them my best and we will see.”

Dhiren Mahiban, The Canadian Press