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Vancouver Canucks 2017 NHL Draft Profile: RW Wojtek Stachowiak

By Janik Beichler

Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Brock Boeser walks to the stage after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Brock Boeser walks to the stage after being selected as the number twenty-three overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Vancouver Canucks are preparing for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft — and so are we.

Once again the Vancouver Canucks failed to secure a spot in the NHL playoffs. So, instead of competing for the Stanley Cup, Canucks GM Jim Benning and his staff will use the upcoming months to prepare next season’s roster. Now that the organisation is officially in a ‘transition period’, the 2017 NHL Entry Draft will be of utmost importance.

A four-game winning streak to start the 2016-17 season gave fans hope for the playoffs. But — blame the coach, the roster, injuries or anything else — unfortunately, the team was unable to play competitively for an entire season. With that, they are guaranteed another high draft pick this year.

Here at The Canuck Way, we will do our best to prepare you for the upcoming draft by profiling as many eligible players as we possibly can. Keep in mind that we are not saying these are players the Canucks are targeting. Instead, these are players that we think the Canucks could or should have interest in.

This year’s draft seems wide-open, with no real consensus in any of the seven rounds. So, it will certainly be interesting to see who will put on a Vancouver Canucks jersey come June.

Next up is German forward Wojtek Stachowiak of Jungadler Mannheim, who could be a late-round option in the draft.

Name: Wojtek Stachowiak

Position: Right wing, center

Shoots: Left

Birthdate: 1999-07-03

Height, weight: 6’1”, 187 lbs

Team, league: Jungadler Mannheim, DNL

Stats (from eliteprospects.com): 

G

A

P

PIM

+/-

331934531231

Rankings: –

Risk, Reward: 1/5, 3/5

NHL-potential: Bottom-six forward

Draft Range: Seventh round

Scouting report

"A relentless forward who fights for the whole 60 minutes plus OT. Plays a grinder’s game but is very skilled with good hockey sense. An excellent skater who can go end-to-end and finish plays. Aggressive on forecheck and backcheck, frequently forces early turnovers. Displays good hockey sense but can be too selfish at times. Needs to improve his shot, but finds ways to score thanks to his smarts. A great skater with good smarts who isn’t bothered by physical play."

Strengths

Wojtek Stachowiak, a Polish-born forward who now plays for Germany, easily stands out every time he steps on the ice because of his work ethic and speed. He plays a strong 200-foot game and constantly buzzes around the ice, trying to get the puck and create offense. Stachowiak possesses excellent edge work and agility, allowing him to turn on a dime or cut to the middle without losing speed.

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He is extremely aggressive on the forecheck and uses his stick to knock pucks loose. Stachowiak is a relentless worker who doesn’t quit until he gets the puck on his stick. He is equally quick and aggressive on the backcheck and frequently forces early turnovers with stick-lifts and by closing down passing lanes. A great two-way player who never slows down and never quits.

Stachowiak can play all three forward positions and create offense multiple ways. He can go end-to-end and rush by opponents with speed before driving to the net, or find open teammates to set up for scoring chances. Stachowiak is an excellent stickhandler in traffic and tight spaces who stays calm under pressure and has a strong grip on his stick, making him incredibly tough to knock off the puck.

Weaknesses

Stachowiak works extremely hard and possesses great puck skills, allowing him to be a point producer in Germany, but it is difficult to project what he could do at a higher level. Especially his shot strength and accuracy in stride could be improved.

In addition, Stachowiak sometimes seems to struggle with tunnel vision. Does he not see his teammates? Is he too selfish? Or does he simply know his line mates aren’t as talented and therefore wants to try to score himself? It’s tough to say at this level of play.

Lastly, Stachowiak likely projects as a two-way player who grinds out goals at the next level. Many players of that type get drafted into the NHL every year, especially in the later rounds, but teams don’t go to Germany to find the next great grinder.

Final Thoughts

Chances are, Stachowiak hasn’t gotten much exposure in his draft year. He wasn’t listed by NHL Central Scouting because even they don’t regularly watch DNL hockey, so NHL scouts probably haven’t gotten lost in German junior rinks either. Plus, Stachowiak wasn’t eligible to represent Germany at the U18 worlds yet, so that didn’t help either.

If we assume Stachowiak did somehow find his way onto the radar of NHL scouts, he is certainly an interesting option. If he didn’t, he might have better chances as an overager next year, as he is a strong candidate for the CHL Import Draft who has drawn interest from more than one team.

Next: 2017 NHL Draft Profile Overview

This year, the Canucks could look at him with their seventh-round, 188th-overall selection. At that point, there is literally no risk involved. If Stachowiak makes his way to the CHL and becomes a candidate next year, you might need a higher pick than a seventh-rounder to get him, so making the move this year would not be a terrible decision.

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