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Casey Mittelstadt, considered by most to be a top-three North American prospect in this year's NHL Draft, didn't do himself any favors over the weekend at the NHL Combine.
Obviously the combine is used as a baseline for player evaluations rather than an end-all-be-all, but Mittelstadt was unable to do a single pull-up and managed only one rep on the bench press of 160 pounds.
Here's photographic evidence of Mittelstadt's struggles.
The 6-foot-1, 199-pound Mittelstadt is widely regarded as a speed prospect rather than any type of bruiser, but in a league that has the size that the NHLdoes, these results could cause teams to think twice about him.
There are, of course, other factors at play here. Being only an 18-year-old, Mittelstadt has incredible room for growth and strengthening. He is a player that will be cultivated by a team. However, compared to other ridiculously young prospects such as Connor McDavid, the results could be worrisome. McDavid did nine bench reps and six pull-ups which, while far from world-beating, will at least flat-line a player's stock. It's also worth noting that McDavid was considered a generational talent and a consensus No. 1 pick.
Ultimately, Mittelstadt will have to weather a storm of comments about him being too small, but his age should stymie this issue a bit. It may make teams re-evaluate him being a top-three pick, but someone will certainly have a spot for Mittelstadt on their roster early in the draft due to his play-making potential.
Obviously the combine is used as a baseline for player evaluations rather than an end-all-be-all, but Mittelstadt was unable to do a single pull-up and managed only one rep on the bench press of 160 pounds.
Here's photographic evidence of Mittelstadt's struggles.
The 6-foot-1, 199-pound Mittelstadt is widely regarded as a speed prospect rather than any type of bruiser, but in a league that has the size that the NHLdoes, these results could cause teams to think twice about him.
There are, of course, other factors at play here. Being only an 18-year-old, Mittelstadt has incredible room for growth and strengthening. He is a player that will be cultivated by a team. However, compared to other ridiculously young prospects such as Connor McDavid, the results could be worrisome. McDavid did nine bench reps and six pull-ups which, while far from world-beating, will at least flat-line a player's stock. It's also worth noting that McDavid was considered a generational talent and a consensus No. 1 pick.
Ultimately, Mittelstadt will have to weather a storm of comments about him being too small, but his age should stymie this issue a bit. It may make teams re-evaluate him being a top-three pick, but someone will certainly have a spot for Mittelstadt on their roster early in the draft due to his play-making potential.
