LW/C Sam Anas
If the Canucks are looking to add some scoring power from the NCAA, Sam Anas of Quinnipiac University could be their guy.
Aged 18, Anas joined the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. In his first season there, he recorded 17 goals and 34 points in 51 games. Those numbers improved to 37 goals and 63 points in 64 games the year after. But for a 19-year-old high school player who turned 20 shortly after the 2012-13 season, that was obviously not enough to ever be considered an NHL prospect.
Then came his first NCAA campaign at Quinnipiac. Already older than most freshmen, Anas needed no adaption time and continued to score at a point-per-game pace. He had 22 goals and 43 points in the first 40 games of his NCAA career. Now a junior and alternate captain of his team, Anas has 68 goals and 130 points in 117 career NCAA games.
The big question mark is his size. Anas is listed at 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds — far away from an NHL frame. What makes Anas interesting for NHL scouts nevertheless is his skill-set.
Per The Hockey News Future Watch: “Undersized dynamo has outstanding puck control and is as clever as they come. Not speedy but very deceptive and willing to try things most other players would not.”
Anas attended development camps of the Washington Capitals (2013) and the New York Islanders (2015).
Next: LW Drake Caggiula