Matyas Sapovaliv is a two-way forward who possesses impressive physical gifts that allow him to succeed in all areas of the ice. He’s a big-bodied forward with impressive strength that give him an advantage in 50/50 puck battles. He already shows a good understanding of how to use his body to his advantage, oftentimes overpowering and boxing out opposing players, allowing him to retrieve loose pucks easier. His size allows him to effectively fill the role of the net-front presence, outmuscling opponents in the slot and putting himself in position for deflections and screens. While he doesn’t have elite puck skills, he shows the potential to be a capable playmaker, finding teammates in the slot and delivering accurate passes into their wheelhouse. His future is likely filling the role of a complimentary player, as he’s more effective working away from the puck than being the primary puck-carrier. When he does carry the puck, he can try too hard to make something out of nothing, forcing himself to attempt a low-percentage move and turn the puck over a little too frequently. His skating may cause some issues for him as he tries to adjust to the NHL, he doesn’t possess high-end speed which may make it difficult for him to keep up. While skating is easier to improve on than it once was, bigger players who don’t have high-end skating ability may struggle for their first few years in the pros. He has the skillset to turn into an excellent bottom-six forward, with his size and strength he would excel in a forechecking, puck possession type of role and with his physical gifts Sapovaliv may force his way onto a power play unit. The physical gifts will be intriguing to a lot of scouts, and he should be an early Day 2 pick.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide