Until the NHL Entry Draft, the following six articles will be published on swisshockeynews.ch:
1) Midterm Draft Rankings
2) Final Draft Rankings
3) A-Level prospect: Timo Meier
4) B-Level prospects: Denis Malgin & Jonas Siegenthaler (today)
5) Mid-to-late rounders: Fora, Suter & more (tomorrow)
6) 2015 NHL Entry Draft - McEichel and beyond (Friday)
Jonas Siegenthaler (Defenseman, ZSC Lions)
The steady Swiss defender is our best blueliner in this year’s draft class. His solid first complete pro season and an impressive showing at the World Juniors helped him solidify his spot as a high mid-round prospect in the range between 35 and 65. The NHL's Central Scouting has him ranked 12th among European skaters.
Siegenthaler was a great player at the junior ranks with two titles and managed to translate his successful play to the pro level. After a short stint with the big club in 2013-14, he played his first full season with the Lions in 2014-15 and reached three helpers in 41 games. He also had a ten-game stint with the GCK Lions where he accumulated a goal and seven assists and two international tournament appearances at the U18 and U20 level. He was elected to the U18 World Junior Championship All-Star team after an impressive tournament and four assists in seven games. At the U20 level, he was an impressive plus-9 in six games despite playing on a Swiss team that had a 2-3-1 record and didn't make the playoff round (as a 17-year-old playing against mainly 18- or 19-year-olds).
His biggest assets are his almost NHL-ready size (6'3", 220 pounds), his one-on-one play and his good mobility. If he puts on a few pounds, his frame is good even for NHL standards and gives him an edge with his defensive, shutdown-focused style of play. While not dishing out big hits, his play on the boards is very mature due to his good positioning. Siegenthaler has good defensive instincts, reads the play well and anticipates where attackers are going with the puck.
He is a very good skater for a defenseman of his size and possesses good speed and mobility due to his smooth stride. He doesn't like to carry the puck up the ice though and settles for a safe and precise breakout pass while staying in his own zone like a true stay-at-home defender. His biggest flaw therefore lies in his offensive game: his slap-, snap- and wrist-shot are accurate, but lack power. He is able to generate some assists, but still has an extremely small offensive impact.
If Siegenthaler can reach his ceiling - negating the opponents top lines, block shots, prevent goals, while upping his offensive game - he projects as a shutdown defender at NHL level with a game similar to Karl Alzner or Jonathan Ericsson - solid, big defenders with a limited offensive game.
Possibly interested teams:
San Jose Sharks (39th overall pick; need a shutdown defenseman), Calgary Flames (45th, 52nd, 53rd picks; need mobile defensemen), Detroit Red Wings (no 2nd round pick; need defensive depth in the prospect ranks)
Denis Malgin (Center, ZSC Lions)
Incredible hockey sense, above-average vision, smooth hands - if it wasn't for Denis Malgin's smallish size and lack of physical attributes, he could be a borderline first-rounder. A prediction about his draft position is especially difficult with the combination of his upside and flaws, but he most probably will go off the board in the third round, maybe the fourth.
Denis Malgin has always been flashy with the national team in recent years be it the U16-level (nine games played, ten goals, eleven assists, 21 points), the U17 (3-1-0-1) or the U18 (8-3-3-6) in 2012-13. He played his first full NLB season the following year and finished with six goals and thirteen assists for 19 points in 38 games and followed up that performance with 16 points (6-10-16) in 18 games for the U18 national team. His second year at professional level was a halfway split between the GCK Lions and the ZSC Lions. He racked up six goals and six assists in 24 games in the NLB, while scoring a total of two goals and six assists in 23 NLA regular season games. He became a regular in the Lions' lineup for the NLA playoffs and nearly equalled his regular season totals with four goals and two helpers in 18 games.
The small center impressed scouts with his superb vision and playmaking skills at a high speed due to his strong skating. They like how Malgin competes against bigger opponents and guides his team's power play. His weakness, however, is his frame and his shot that lacks power.
Malgin's chances of playing at the NHL level are extremely dependent on his growth both size- and muscle-wise. If he grows another few inches, puts on a few pounds and shows the determination and skill to compete against bigger opponents, he may get a chance to prove himself in North America a few years down the road. While his favorite NHL player is Russian superstar Pavel Datsyuk, Malgin's style of play more resembles Montreal Canadiens center David Desharnais - a skilled playmaker with diminutive size. If he gets switched to the wing, his game may get similar to that of New York Rangers winger Marty St. Louis.
Possibly interested teams:
Toronto Maple Leafs (weak center depth), Los Angeles Kings (shallow center-pool with lack of upside), St. Louis Blues (need center prospects)
