Faceoff Factor

Prospect Profiles: Zach Bogosian and Alex Pietrangelo

Jesse Marshall | NHL Entry Draft

Jun 5, 01:32 PM | Hype this story!

Zach Bogosian – D – Peterborough Petes (OHL) – 6’2 – 190lbs – Shoots R – Jul. 15 1990 – Massena, NY

If you want a utility man on defense, Zach Bogosian is your guy. Bogosian can seemingly do anything, he can hit, play solid defense, and get pucks on net.

Bogosian’s work ethic launched him into the top five this season. He was a real darkhorse when the year started but he came on the scene quickly with a right attitude.

The first thing that needs mentioned when talking about Bogosian is the physicality of his game. He wants to win and he’ll lay his body on the line in order to do so. He has the right tools to become a solid defenseman in the NHL as far as physicality is concerned. He is a defenseman that forwards need to be aware of when they’re on the ice or he’ll make them pay.

A vastly underrated part of Bogosians game is how effective he is at running a power-play unit. Bogosian has the ability to control the puck on the point and get it to the net. His shot is a rocket and it consistently gets to the goal. He generates a lot of chances on the power-play via deflections. He picks his angles well and can laterally move the puck on the blueline to create space.

The biggest knock on Bogosian at this point is his decision making. This isn’t uncommon or uncharacteristic for a young defenseman, but he often seems to rush his decision making and force the puck into bad areas. This should be a correctable problem and something he’ll grow into fixing, but it’s also enough of an eyesore to slightly separate him from Luke Schenn and Drew Doughty.

2007/08 Regular Season Statistics: 60GP – 11G – 50A – 61Pts – +8 – 62PIM
2007/08 Playoff Statistics: 5GP – 0G – 3A – 3Pts – -4 – 8PIM

Alex Pietrangelo – D – Niagara Ice Dogs (OHL) – 6’3 – 192lbs – Shoot s R – Jan. 18, 1990 – King City, ONT

Pietrangelo plays with great poise and confidence. He slows the play down and painstakingly makes the correct decision with the puck.

He’s a great skater for his size. He has the ability to skate the puck away from danger and really survey the scene before making a decision.

He’s another one of these young defensemen that specialize on the power-play. Pietrangelo has a fantastic shot and makes good reads in the boards. He potted multiple game-winners from the man-advantage and might be the best special teams defender in the draft. Niagara was an offensive machine this year, and Pietrangelo was one of the parts that made it so good.

His physical game really gained steam towards the end of the year. He stuggled with taking the body early, but gradually because more comfortable with the activity in the boards and finishing his checks.

Pietrangelo’s biggest knock is that he isn’t much of a chance-taker, and when he is, he often times finds himself in trouble. If he became more aggressive in jumping into the play consistently, he’d generate even more points. That said, it’s a testament to his game within his own zone. He’s responsible enough to stay true to his responsibilities in the defensive zone before attacking the puck offensively.

The consensus on Pietrangelo is that he might not be the best defenseman in this draft class at the moment, but he has an extremely high ceiling and possess all the traits that make a good two-way defender.

2007/08 Regular Season Statistics: 60GP – 13G – 40A – 53Pts – +29 – 94PIM
2007/08 Playoff Statistics: 6GP – 5G – 4A – 9Pts – +1 – 4PIM

Ranking, Other Profiles:

1. Steven Stamkos
2. Drew Doughty
3. Luke Schenn