BSH 2021 Community Draft Board, No. 22: Logan Stankoven

Small goal boy 2.0.

It was a short draft year for Logan Stankoven, as he got in just seven games in an extremely shortened WHL season with Kamloops. That doesn’t give us a whole lot to work with, but as always, we’re doing our best out here. Anyway.

There’s a lot to like about Stankoven’s skillset, on the whole. A quick forward who can score in droves, he’s impressed at both the Junior and international levels, and despite some concerns about his size, Stankoven has just continued to be an effective scorer, and making a name for himself as a sneaky exciting prospect.

BSH 2021 Community Draft Board, No. 22: Logan Stankoven

2020-21 Season:

Team: Kamloops (WHL)

Stats: 7 G, 3 A, in 6 GP

Pre-Draft Rankings

No. 31 by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)

No. 23 by Dobber Prospects

No. 20 by FC Hockey

No. 18 by Scott Wheeler/The Athletic

What’s there to like?

We alluded to it in the introduction, so there’s no sense burying the lede here—Stankoven can flat out score. He had himself a very solid 2019-20 season with 29 goals in 59 games in his first full season in the WHL, and then went on to score at over a goal per game pace this season. It was a small sample, sure, but there’s also some really evident skill that helped him have this impact.

The immediate standout, of course, is his shot. He has an incredibly quick release to beat goalies from the top of the faceoff circles, but he can create chances just about anywhere in the offensive zone, and on top of boasting that stellar wrist shot, he has the hands to close on chances in tight as well. He’s quite strong on pucks for his size, and combining that with some good edgework and quick cuts, he can be very elusive from defenders, and keep a lot of chances alive.

But he isn’t just a one-note player with that scoring touch, there’s a lot to like elsewhere in his game as well. We do see him able to create a good bit of offense for his teammates through his playmaking as well. His vision really stands out in his ability to make a drop pass right on the tape of a teammate, or make a breakout pass from the defensive zone to start up a breakout. He plays the game with pretty tremendous pace, bringing a distinct intensity to his play. He’s a really strong forechecker and can put a lot of pressure on opponents, and can also create even more chances through that and his ability to force turnovers. His game still needs a bit of polish (more on that later) but there’s a whole lot in this toolkit to like.

What’s not to like?

Sigh. We’ll get this one out of the way quickly. For some (though not all), Stankoven’s size is a concern. He’s listed at 5’8” and 170 pounds, so that would certainly qualify him as a diminutive player. Now, this hasn’t really be an issue for him so far in his playing career, and we also continue to see more undersized players finding success in the NHL, with the way the game is trending. Concerns about his size may well be overblown, but there are still pockets of folks who are more fussed about it, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention it.

But beyond that, there are just a few smaller areas where Stankoven’s game could use some work. Even after we said that we’re not too fussed about his size, generally, we would still like to see him get a bit stronger. We’d also like to see him continue to develop his skating—he’s already a good skater, but his stride could use a bit of polishing, and that’s something we can reasonably expect to come along with time and a bit more work. And finally, some of his passing could use a bit of cleaning up. As we mentioned, he’s a particularly strong drop passer, but sometimes his cross-ice passing can be a little risky and get him into trouble, so he’ll just have to work on some of his reads, getting better at choosing his spots and managing the risk in his game. But nothing too major here.

How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?

To start on the surface level, there certainly would be a positional fit here. Stankoven is a natural center, which the Flyers could certainly use, though it’s worth noting that he has also played a good bit of wing, and it may well be more reasonable to expect that this is where he lands when he breaks into the professional game. But, hey, if nothing else, there’s some flexibility there, and that hardly seems like a bad thing.

But as for the stylistic fit, well, it’s pretty easy to see. We’ve talked a lot this season about how the Flyers could use an extra scoring boost in their lineup (and how it’s also something of an area of need in their pipeline), and Stankoven would certainly offer that. There are always questions about how a scoring game will translate to the professional level, but there’s a lot in Stankoven’s offensive toolkit that suggests that he’ll still be able to find a good deal of success as he moves up the levels. This pick wouldn’t be without some risk, but a player who can score like Stankoven can, well, that would be hard to pass up.

Could the Flyers actually get him?

Stankoven would almost certainly be available when the Flyers are set to pick a t 13th, but he would also be a reach at that spot. That said, if they were to trade back to pick later in the first round, that would be a more reasonable spot to grab Stankoven, if they decide he’s their guy.

We’ll also make one addition to the poll:

Zachary L’Heureux — LW, Halifax (QMJHL)

L’Heureux is hard to miss when he’s on the ice. He’s a little fireball who is full of skill. He is a very imaginative puckhandler, with some of the best hands in the draft who can beat most defenders with his dekes. If he can’t get through someone with his skill, he shows no fear to lower his shoulder and barrel towards the net. He’s also quite physical off the puck and competes at a high level. – Corey Pronman, The Athletic

2021 BSH Community Draft Board

1. Owen Power — D, University of Michigan (NCAA)
2. Matthew Beniers — C, University of Michigan (NCAA)
3. Brandt Clarke — D, Nove Zamky (Slovakia)
4. Dylan Guenther — LW/RW, Edmonton (WHL)
5. William Eklund — C/LW, Djurgårdens IF (SHL)
6. Luke Hughes — D, US NTDP (USHL) and US National U18 (USDP)
7. Simon Edvinsson — D, Frölunda HC J20 / J20 Nationell – 21/22
8. Kent Johnson — D, University of Michigan (NCAA)
9. Aatu Räty — C, Kärpät U20 and Kärpät (Liiga)
10. Jesper Wallstedt — G, Luleå (SHL)
11. Mason McTavish — C, EHC Olten (SL)
12. Cole Sillinger — C/LW, Sioux (USHL)
13. Chaz Lucius — C, US NTDP (USHL) and US National U18 (USDP)
14. Fabian Lysell — LW/RW, Luleå HF (SHL)
15. Carson Lambos — D, JYP U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
16. Matthew Coronato — F, Chicago Steel (USHL)
17. Nikita Chibrikov — LW/RW, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL), SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL), SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
18. Sasha Pastujov — LW, US NTDP (USHL) and US National U18 (USDP)
19. Corson Ceulemans — D, Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
20. Oskar Olausson — LW/RW, HV71 (SHL)
21. Brennan Othmann — LW, EHC Olten (SL)
22. Logan Stankoven — C/W, Kamloops (WHL)
23. ???