Breaking down the top prospects moved at the NHL Trade Deadline

Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

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The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and, depending on how much you care about the actual deadline day itself, it was easily one to remember.

There weren’t many high-end prospects moved ahead of March 3’s deadline, but it didn’t lack in quality. Full credit to teams like Toronto, Boston, New Jersey and the New York Rangers for holding on to their coveted young guns while still landing impact pieces.

Today, we’re looking at some of the most notable names moved ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. We’ll focus on the players moved in February and March, and specifically, prospects that could have a positive impact in the NHL in the near future:

Erik Portillo, G, 22 (Los Angeles Kings)

Goaltending has been a hot topic for the Kings this season, with the highlight being the trade that sent Jonathan Quick to Columbus (and later, Vegas) for Joonas Korpisalo. But they also acquired Portillo on Wednesday in a deal that gave GM Rob Blake some extra depth to work with once Portillo turns pro later this year.

The 22-year-old stands tall at 6-foot-6, using his size to his advantage during his three-year run with the University of Michigan. He has a 54-21-3 record with three shutouts and a .919 save percentage during his time there, which has featured some significant highs and lows. There are some games where Portillo is completely unbeatable. There are others where he falls apart at the worst time. His size alone should give him some leeway, but scouts are concerned about how he overreacts to shots at times.

It’s unlikely he becomes a starter in the NHL, but he could end up being a solid backup. Buffalo already has Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi isn’t far away – perhaps Buffalo’s loss becomes Los Angeles’ gain. As an NCAA prospect, he can’t sign until the college season is over.

Zach Dean, C, 20 (St. Louis Blues)

As the Blues sold off some considerable assets this year, it was good to see them land a high-impact prospect like Dean. The 20-year-old has had a solid season with Gatineau, showing off his blend of speed, skill and physicality on a nightly basis. He’s the type of player that would thrive as a third-line center in the NHL.

Dean instantly becomes one of St. Louis’ best prospects and does so while riding the high of a gold medal win at the world juniors with Canada. Scouts love his work ethic and his approach to the game – he’s a pure student. The QMJHL playoffs will be a good test for Dean after putting up just solid, yet unspectacular numbers for a player his age.

Shakir Mukhamadullin, D, 21 (San Jose Sharks)

The Sharks are starting to build a formidable defensive prospect pool right now, and Mukhamadullin is going to be a central piece of that. The 21-year-old stands tall at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, but he has taken some big steps toward being much more than just a big body.

For starters, Mukhamadullin’s offense jumped from 18 points in his first three seasons to 25 this year as he earned more ice time with Ufa. His 17:05 in average ice time was good for fourth and he led all Ufa blueliners with 2:42 of average power-play time, too. Ice time is often hard to come by for young KHL defensemen – there’s a reason why no other NHL-affiliated blueliners had as many points as Mukhamadullin did this year.

Mukhamadullin is expected to make his way over to North America this year, where he’ll challenge for and likely land a bottom-pairing role with the Sharks to start. Moving over to North America is a whole other animal, especially for defensemen that have more space to cover. But Mukhamadullin, from the start, looked like someone who could handle the North American game quite well. A lot of the concerns ahead of the 2020 draft – such as poor decision-making – have been eased in recent years. Look for him to be an important part of San Jose’s future.

Henry Thrun, D, 21 (San Jose Sharks)

With a stacked defensive prospect pool in Anaheim, Thrun – a coveted college defenseman – told the team recently that he wasn’t going to sign with the club and would instead look to play elsewhere. That worked out for San Jose, who didn’t have a high-impact defensive prospect before the Mukhamadullin deal. A senior at Harvard, Thrun will turn pro this year with a shot to make the Sharks next season.

Thrun is a defensive-first blueliner that moves the puck well and has good top speed. He isn’t flashy, and likely won’t put up huge numbers in the NHL, but he can start plays and pinch in effectively. Stability is the name of his game here – he rarely makes a mistake in his own zone and never tries to play outside of his comfort zone. While the ceiling might not be too high for Thrun, he’ll have a much better chance at making an impact in San Jose and will be an inexpensive addition to the blueline.

Josh Bloom, LW, 19 (Vancouver Canucks)

It was surprising to see the Sabres move Bloom, who many hold in high regard. One scout said “every team needs a guy like Josh Bloom… someone who can hit, score, has skill, and lays it on the line for his teammates.”

Vancouver, though, is getting a solid bottom-six quality forward that, had it not been for the COVID-cancelled 2020-21 season, would have earned a lot more hype heading into the draft. What Bloom lacks in high-end scoring ability, he makes up for it in hockey sense and his strong skating. Bloom should end with close to 70 points at the end of the year with North Bay and is already signed to an entry-level contract – it’ll be interesting to see what happens next. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bloom is given a long look at training camp in September.

Patrik Puistola, LW, 22 (Edmonton Oilers)

The verdict is out as to where Puistola will ever make it over to the NHL, but he’s definitely intriguing. Puistola is the primary play driver for Jukurit, a mid-pack offensive team. He was more of a one-trick pony in his early days, focusing more on shooting and perhaps leaving a lot to be desired defensively. But he’s using his teammates more than he used to and his numbers have improved significantly as a result.

I see some middle-six potential there – someone who can score, but also get himself and others into a scoring position. In bursts, I like his ability to drive plays and it’s something he has done so well in Liiga action this year. It’s not uncommon for wingers to start succeeding offensively at this stage in their European-based careers. Don’t write him off just because of who you gave up, Oilers fans.

Reid Schaefer, LW, 19 (Nashville Predators)

Schaefer’s season has been fascinating to me, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. He started off with 12 goals in his first 10 games and was looking like one of the most dominant offensive forces in major junior. But then he scored just twice in the next 12 games before playing a very minor role with Canada’s world junior team. He’s looking good again with seven goals in his past five outings but had just four in the first 19 games after returning from Halifax.

So, when Schaefer’s hot, he can dominate. But that’s not the type of inconsistency you like to see from a goal-scorer. Luckily, he has excellent size at 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds and he’s still one of the best power forwards in the WHL, which would give him more of a leash over a smaller goal-scoring winger. Still, I like this for Nashville, especially after losing Eeli Tolvanen this year. Tyson Barrie and a first-round pick was already a decent enough pickup for a Preds team that’s in retool mode, but Schaefer gives the team another potential middle-six scoring option in the stable. Let’s just hope he pans out.

Mikhail Abramov, C, 21 (St. Louis Blues)

After falling down Toronto’s depth chart, Abramov, a fourth-round pick in 2019, gets a fresh start with a Springfield team that should give him ample opportunity to find his offense. A training camp injury resulted in a slow start with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, but he still produced just under .50 points per game through 34 games. He already has five games under his belt with the Thunderbirds and has a goal and an assist, with both points coming in victories.

Abramov’s strongest trait is his playmaking ability. He has a nice mix of heads-up vision and overall puck skills, rarely making a mistake when starting a rush. At 5-foot-11, he’s a bit small and doesn’t have the offensive ceiling to warrant a bigger role in St. Louis’ lineup. But as a depth piece, he has enough speed and skill to get the job done.

Vitali Kravtsov, RW, 23 (New York Rangers)

I did a deep dive on Kravtsov’s career last week and how this opportunity in Vancouver could benefit him greatly, so give it a read. Through three games, Kravtsov has had a bit of a slow start with just one assist in three games, but he’s still playing bottom-six minutes as he adjusts to the team’s style. He saw some time on Vancouver’s second power-play unit and he looks more confident handling the puck up the ice.

In subtle doses, he’s been good, and I still believe Kravtsov has a high ceiling. But I want to see the ice time and the subsequent point totals start to flourish. He’s a pending RFA, so if there has ever been a time to get everything going, it’s now.

Nikita Nesterenko, C/LW, 21 (Anaheim Ducks)

Arguably the only real prospect moved on the actual March 3 deadline day, Nesterenko is an underrated forward out of Boston College. The 21-year-old was taken in the sixth round in 2019 after playing prep hockey, but has been a solid offensive producer in school ever since. He’s been clicking away at just under a point per game through 34 games this season, with his goal-scoring ability starting to catch up to his strong playmaking skills.

Nesterenko wasn’t high in the Wild’s prospect pool, but I could see him potentially becoming somewhat of a gem for the Ducks. He’ll need some AHL seasoning, but he’s a skilled forward that can unleash fury with his wrist shot. As the Ducks continue to rebuild, I think Nesterenko could end up being an excellent pickup.

Breaking down the top prospects moved at the NHL Trade Deadline

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