2020 Draft Profile: Ozzy Wiesblatt Could Have the Anaheim Ducks Flying High Again

OFFENSIVE GAME

What Ducks analytics fans will love is that Ozzy appears to be highly skilled at entering the offensive zone in control of the puck. Given that this season’s Anaheim Ducks dumped the puck in at near historically high volumes (over 55% on the power play alone), drafting players who can mitigate current roster flaws and push the team towards a modern style seems to be incredibly important.

Obviously, Wiesblatt won’t be expected to make an impact for another three years or so, and by then the team’s needs will be very different. However, the league has been trending towards puck possession for some time now, which is an aspect of the game that seems unlikely to change.

The Anaheim Ducks may seemingly be starting their run late, though it’s worth noting that the Ducks current roster holds a number of players who are similarly excellent in transition. From the blue line, Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm are excellent in this area.

If the Ducks select either Jamie Drysdale or Jake Sanderson with their 6th overall selection, they too are strong in transition. Upfront, both Troy Terry and Sonny Milano are very strong transition skaters. Taken together, we can see a small trend towards the younger players excelling in this aspect of the game, which may give a clue to Bob Murray‘s team-building plans moving forward.

Where the current Ducks play style falls flat, is what happens after this phase, which may be where Ozzy has the upper hand on current prospects and players. At least to the point where he can contribute to a future Ducks team playing style. Specifically, Ozzy’s production, almost in its entirety, comes directly from his transition game.

Wiesblatt is an intelligent player who uses the tools at his disposal well. Alternating his entry speed and angles, Wiesblatt is able to speed up or slow down the play giving his teammates an opportunity to get open. These variances in his game force the defense into a guessing game, dragging them out of their rhythm and allowing him and his regular linemate, Aliaksei Protas, to take advantage of momentary lapses in coverage to create precision-passing cycle plays or two-man weaves. Assuming, of course, that Ozzy doesn’t simply blow past them one-on-one, which he is perfectly capable of doing.

In combination with his superior skating ability, Ozzy is strong on the puck allowing him to maintain possession and fight through checks as he drives to the net. Almost equally adept at controlling the puck in the cycle as he is threading passes through tight areas to connect on the tape, Wiesblatt offers a playmakers skill set to be utilized with the man advantage. A skill set the Raiders used to advantage, on the way to a personal high of 10-goals and 17-assists on the power play this past season.

It’s worth noting here that according to Mitch Browns CHL tracking data Ozzy rates extremely well in shot assists (per 60 minutes of play) and more importantly, expected primary assists (per 60 minutes of play). The Raiders – according to Will Scouch – take only 28% of their shots from low danger opportunities, which is by far the lowest of those he mentions.

As a comparable, one of the draft favorites, Alexander Holtz’s team shoots 71% of their shots from low danger areas while he’s on the ice. All of this suggests that the Raiders are able to plan around Wiesblatt’s skillset to create repeatable high-danger attempts on a night-to-night basis.

However, dismissing Ozzy as purely a playmaker is a slight to the player, as one of his greatest weapons is a great release on his shot. The Ducks haven’t had a strong one-timer threat in many a year, however, Wiesblatt may have the tools to develop into that player.

Already having a strong slap shot, Ozzy is freely able to switch between his accurate wrist- or snap-shot, and occasional backhand. Not necessarily a renowned goal scorer, the underlying tools are in place to become an all-around threat in the offensive zone.

Though it is worth noting that he took just 177 shots this season for a 14.12% conversion rate, and that, like most young players, he could stand to increase his overall physical strength, which would add penetration to his shot as he moves into the pro ranks.

DEFENSIVE GAME

Defensively, Wiesblatt plays a relatively traditional defensive role since moving into the center position this past year. What is notable, is how well developed his defensive nous is, given that relatively short time between switching from the wing to the pivot.

A great deal of this acumen appears to come from his high hockey IQ – that same IQ that he uses to innovate on the offensive end – which helps him find the right spots to position himself coming back into the defensive end. His high octane motor and rapid skating allow him to get there more often than not, and his active stick then is able to knock pucks away or disrupt opposition passing lanes.

Something that both Anaheim Ducks fans and Bob Murray would like to see, is that Ozzy is very involved in the play when in the blue zone, effectively transitioning the puck from defense to offense at a high rate. Specifically, (and again hat tip to Mitch Brown CHL data) Wiesblatt tracks well for controlled exits relative%, success rate relative %,  controlled exits per 60, and exit turnover rate relative. Essentially all of the defensive zone exit statistics.

This tracks well current Ducks like Troy Terry upfront and Hampus Lindholm on the blue line, and would easily fit into the play style that the Ducks appear to the pursuing with their younger players. Though like many players who excel in transitioning defense to offense, Wiesblatt can sometimes get caught cheating, or rather, can find himself slightly out of position as he mentally plans the breakout. Spending it before he gets it, so to speak.

It’s worth noting here that Ozzy didn’t receive a lot of penalty kill time these past few seasons. This is in part due to the success of the Raiders PK units, and thus no need to expand Wiesblatt’s role outside of the offensive responsibilities. Keeping in mind that while he was tasked with being a big part of the Raiders team this season after losing eight of the stronger players after their championship win last season, he was already shouldering a large burden by moving into the first-line center’s role. Expect to see him receive more ice time short-handed in his Draft +1 season next year.

“An underrated aspect of Wiesblatt’s game is his ability to impact the game off the puck. He is a tenacious forechecker and will deliver big hits; plus position himself properly in the defensive zone after busting it on the backcheck.” –Steve Kournianos

For a smaller player, Ozzy is also is not afraid to throw his weight around and get right up in his oppositions grill. I wouldn’t consider him a “pest” in the way that Sean Avery was, but he’s certainly fiery and shows no hesitation in mixing it up with other players. Detractors may suggest that this part of his game may subside in the NHL where everyone is bigger, stronger, or faster than junior hockey, however, it’s worth noting that the WHL is a physical league in its own right and many prospects – in my opinion – are overrated because they play in that environment.

With that said, while Ozzy will need to put on some serious muscle before he’s an NHL regular, he has the time to do so. Thus I don’t think his game will require too much tweaking. If players like Brayden Point can have the success that he has had, then there’s no reason that Wiesblatt can’t fashion an NHL career in his own right.

As an aside, and because I have nowhere else to put it, it’s worth considering that Wiesblatt had a lot of success in the faceoff circle. This is somewhat remarkable for a first-year pivot and fits right into Bob Murray’s wheelhouse. The Anaheim Ducks have long been a strong proponent of the faceoff and acquiring another player who can have significant success in this aspect of the game may go a long way towards their structure and planning for the future.

WEAKNESSES

I feel that up until here, I’ve been hyping this player up like I would a potential first-rounder, so why isn’t Wiesblatt considered in this rarified air? Firstly, the elephant in the room is, as always, the player’s size. Wiesblatt isn’t the smallest player in the draft, however, the NHL is an archaic beast and size still matters to an extent.

Secondly, and from what I can see, the bulk of the criticism comes from Wiesblatt’s poor showing in tournament play. Way back in January (2020), Ozzy was unable to leave his mark in the CHL Top Prospects game. Specifically, he had no shots on net, was unable to pick up an assist, and ended up a minus two (if you’re into those sorts of things). While only a single game, it somewhat reflected a sub-par Hlinka tournament in which he scored only a single point across five games.

“He also was nearly invisible at the Top Prospects’ Game in Jan. 2020, scoring no points, taking zero shots, and ending the contest a minus-two, which revealed a significant gap between his skill level and the rest of the 2020 draft class.” –Dayton Riemer, The Hockey Writers

The playoffs would have been a great opportunity for Ozzy to clap back at his detractors, though, unfortunately he won’t get that opportunity this season. It’s worth noting that he did score 10 points (5 goals, 5 assists) in 23 playoff games last season, in his supporting role on the Raiders championship team. Nonetheless, some worries remain that Wiesblatt is a tier below his “Top Prospect” peer group.

Thirdly and finally, the only further criticism that I can find is that Wiesblatt is somewhat one-dimensional in the offensive zone. As stated above, his point production primarily comes off of the rush. Adding versatility to his game should round out his skill set. Should he add some strings to his bow in this area, it’s likely that his tournament scoring and play against stronger competition, will improve.

As an NHL comparison, how often do we see scoring off the rush in playoff hockey as opposed to sustained offensive zone time? The stronger Wiesblatt can become at maintaining a strong in-zone cycle, the more effective he should become as an overall offensive threat.

QUOTABLES

“He’s a dynamic game-breaker who hid in plain sight for a stacked Prince Albert team last season but is poised to be a go-to offensive figure in his draft year. He’s a dynamic skilled forward who can pull the trigger and skate with the best of them, he should be a factor anywhere up or down the lineup on this team and is certainly underrated going in.” – Justin Froese, Future Considerations

“Terrific hands, nice edging, and a strong offensive zone cycle… all around skill and all the attributes that point to advancement to the higher levels of play… quick stride and drives play into the attacking zone” –Bill Placzek, Draftsite

“Wiesblatt is a good skater who plays an up-tempo game with a bit of ferocity. He is an excellent skater who excels in the offensive zone when given the freedom to be creative. His vision allows him to create for opponents and his IQ allows him to find quiet spots in the offensive zone to set up for a scoring chance. In transition, Wiesblatt is shifty and smooth through the neutral zone and carries the puck into the offensive zone before attacking the front of the net. He likes to funnel the puck below the dots and into the net-front area. His game offensively is predicated on his speed and agility as well as his willingness to fight through traffic to find soft spots in coverage.” –Tony Ferrari, Dobber Prospects

“He has a never-quit mentality, bringing a high-energy pace to every shift and both ends of the ice. He’s not afraid to get under the skin of his opponents, sometimes reminding me of the Tkachuk brothers in his play. He’s a good skater, evident in his transition play where he also shows off his great puck handling. He has a high hockey IQ, allowing him to make great plays on a regular basis. I see him as a middle-six player that could play up and down the lineup and on any special teams. As I said, for the team that drafts him, he’ll be a fan favourite.” –Josh Bell, The Hockey Writers

THE VERDICT

The Amajeo, Ducks are well renowned amongst fans for attempting to draft role players in the many rounds after the first. In some cases this has worked out, for instance, John Gibson was highly touted, yet who expected him to be an All-World goalie? If the consensus was strong, Toronto would never have made the trade to gift the Ducks Gibson and Rickard Rakell by allowing Murray to trade back into those two draft selections.

Ozzy Wiesblatt is slated to go somewhere in the second round, however, we all know that the NHL draft seldom goes to script. Even should that hypothesis come to pass, there’s no reason to think that such a smart and skilled player can’t go on to have an incredibly successful career. Even under a Ducks management team group that emphasizes defense more than offense. A management group that bat’s itself off doing cartwheels over the much-vaunted “two-way” player.

Unlike the once-traded Bobby Ryan (perception only, Bobby rocks!), Wiesblatt will involve himself in the backcheck. Unlike Kyle “he’ll score too many goals” Palmieri, Ozzy can dish the puck from the pivot position. Unlike the once hyped Daniel Sprong, Wiesblatt puts a lot of effort into his defensive plays. He puts forth a lot of effort into every shift and is willing to play physical in both open ice and along the boards.

Given, and in addition to, all of the above, PNHLe pegs Ozzy as a potential 1st liner, which is an incredible reward for a player who is likely destined for a second-round draft selection. Most likely, should he reach the NHL, it will be as a versatile middle-6 type who plays the wing and can shift into the middle for key draws. Though on this note, it’s worth noting that Dobber Prospects rates him only as a 3.5/10 chance of making the NHL.

Much of this perceived “risk” appears to come from Ozzy only having a single season of “dominant” junior hockey under his belt. With that said, top prospect Tim Stutzle only has one year of relevant data as well, so in my opinion, the downside is already priced into the Wiesblatt’s predicted second-round draft status. If Wiesblatt moves onto the penalty kill next season as is expected and puts up another similar scoring season, would a second-round pick this season seem cheap?

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I personally believe that Ozzy Wiesblatt should be a strong consideration for an Anaheim Ducks draft selection. I love fiery players who puts in the effort. I love annoying agitators who stir up the opposition – don’t lie, you all loved Corey Perry too. I really love players who show improvement year-to-year and can score with the puck.

If he’s still available with the #36 I would almost consider locking him in. Depending on who is available at the back end of the first round, I would actually consider taking him with the Boston selection at #27. With two first-round selections and three within the first 36, the Ducks are playing with house money.

With Tampa Bay showing the way this year, it may be time for the Anaheim Ducks to mimic their lead and draft a player that would seemingly slot right into their team.

**Data courtesy of whl.com, mitch brown, and elite prospects unless otherwise stated.

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