Zugan is a well-rounded player, often looking like the best player out on the ice. His hockey IQ and vision of the play is tremendous. He can find his teammates with no-look passes, or across the ice. He’ll need to work on his passing consistency though, as he is off the mark sometimes and that results in turnovers. The center has strong awareness thanks to his constant head checks. In the offensive zone, he has a nose for the open ice, always looking to be an option for his teammates. He shows up strong in puck battles, winning and then protecting the puck well with his body. He’s often there to support his team when they find themselves in battles. He’s often jumping on loose pucks, both in his end and in the offensive end. He does this both by reading the play and a powerful first step that allows him to accelerate to the puck. His skating almost looks effortless and he weaves in and out of traffic. His skating looks very good from his stride to his agility. Uses his edges well to create separation, then feeds the slot for high-danger shot attempts. When he enters the zone at full gallop he has the ability to buckle even the stoutest defensive structure. He needs to look more to get into the dot lane and create opportunities from the middle of the ice. However, without the puck, he finds the lanes in the middle well, driving to the net for a quick tip when able. He’s always quick to backcheck, even when coming from a battle behind the opponent’s goal line. When defending the cycle he does well to put pressure on the puck carrier and get his stick in the puck lanes. Is willing to block shots. Overall, Zugan has a solid  tool set and 200-foot game, and looks the part of an NHL draft pick. He just needs to iron out the details in his game and add greater consistency from shift to shift.

– FCHockey’s 2021 NHL Draft Guide