Top-10 European Wingers in the 2020 NHL Draft

Oct 2, 2020

This article originally appeared on AnaheimDucks.com on September 17, 2020.

By Kyle Shohara/AnaheimDucks.com

As we get closer to the 2020 NHL Draft on Oct. 6-7, AnaheimDucks.com is looking at some of the top-ranked skaters by position. We continue with the top-ranked European wingers, in order of final draft rankings per the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau.

Check out the top-10 ranked North American wingers

Several references were used when describing each of these prospects, including The Athletic's Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler, and TSN's Craig Button and Bob McKenzie.

The Ducks currently hold two picks in the first round (6th and 27th) and three in the top-36.

Visit the Gulls Draft Hub for all of your draft information

1. Tim Stuetzle, LW

NHL.com Scouting Report: A playmaking hockey artist with a great set of tools including speed, dekes, stickhandling, shot and hockey IQ. Creates something positive on every shift.

• Final Rank: 1
• Age: 18 (1/15/02)
• Height: 6-1
• Weight: 187
• Birthplace: Viersen, Germany
• Shoots: Left

Much like Alexis Lafreniere, the chances of Stuetzle falling out of the top-3 seem slim. But, crazier things have happened. Stuetzle enters the draft as the top-ranked European skater and put up strong numbers as a 17-year-old in his rookie season playing in the DEL (Deutsche Eishockey Liga) - Germany's top professional league. Mannheim leaned on Stuetzle throughout the season, and he delivered. Equally adept at playing center or the wing, Stuetzle earned the DEL's Rookie of the Year honor after posting 34 points (7g/27a) in 41 games with Mannheim. We could go on, but we'll pare it down for brevity.

On the international stage, Stuetzle registered five points (all assists) for Germany at the 2020 World Junior Championship and had three points (1g/2a) in three games vs. Switzerland at the recent U20 European national summer camps.

"He's such a dynamic and exciting guy who commands the puck when he's on the ice. NHL Central Scouting gives him a 10 out of 10 in terms of his skating. He's an elite skater. He has elite hockey sense. He's a commanding presence. He can [play] center. He can play left wing. They will debate which he's more effective at, but he can play both. If there's a player in this draft who maybe has a more dynamic offensive ceiling or upside than Alexis Lafreniere, it's Tim Stuetzle." -- TSN's Bob McKenzie

"Tim is a dazzling and creative player with an array of skills that allows him to impact the game in a significant manner. His skating and imagination opens up so many opportunities. When he has the puck, he's immediately dangerous and threatening to opponents. I love his bold approach to playing. He doesn't tip a toe into the game. He signals he's going to take control. The last player I saw do that was Peter Forsberg. When I project him, he's an elite, creative left winger in the mold of Patrick Kane - another dazzling and creative player." -- TSN's Craig Button

"Stuetzle is a dynamic and well-rounded player. He has the skating, skill and hockey sense to be an upper half of the lineup player in the NHL. You add in his work ethic, and how well he's already shown he can play versus men and versus some of the best U20 players in the world at the world juniors, and it's reasonable to think he could become a first-line forward, maybe even a first-line center, in the NHL. I think given Stuetzle's great toolkit, his performance in a good league and leading a top team, and his performance at the highest pace of junior hockey, you can feel comfortable in using a top pick knowing he's cleared some significant hurdles, even if the profile isn't perfect. I see a player who will become an important part of his NHL team." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

2. Alexander Holtz, LW

NHL.com Scouting Report: A sniper with a good selection of shots who likes to shoot a lot. Good playmaker and passer. Excellent offensive instincts while still being aware of defensive duties.

• Final Rank: 2
• Age: 18 (1/23/02)
• Height: 6-0
• Weight: 192
• Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
• Shoots: Right

Need a dynamic goal scorer with elite hands, great vision and a strong hockey IQ? Holtz could be your man. Lauded as one of the best scorers in the draft, Holtz played the majority of the 2019-20 season with Djurgarden in Sweden's top pro league. He posted nine goals and 16 points in 35 games, ranking top 10 in the Swedish Hockey League's history in scoring by an under-18 player.

Holtz already has a wealth of experience on the international stage. He helped Sweden win bronze at the 2020 World Junior Championship with five points (3g/2a) in seven games. A year prior, Holtz helped his country win gold at the 2019 Under-18 World Championship with a pair of assists in the final, while finishing the tournament with seven points (4g/3a) in seven games. During the 2018-19 season, he led Sweden's top under-20 league with 30 goals (and 47 points) in 38 games to help Djurgarden's junior team win the league's bronze medal.

"He's a hungry and determined scorer who probes for those opportunities. When they arise, he attacks. He's always dangerous over a wide scoring area, so he's also very difficult to defend. He's got an accurate, hard shot from distance, but he has the touch in and around the net to finish, which makes him very versatile with his approach to scoring. He's going to be a premier scoring left winger in the NHL, and he reminds me of another Swede - Filip Forsberg." -- TSN's Craig Button

"Holtz got a regular shift and power play time in the SHL this past season for Djurgarden, as one of the most productive U18 players that league has seen. Holtz has been on the prospect radar a long time. He has a lot of exciting dimensions to his game, but his goal-scoring ability stands out. He has a truly elite shot. He can pick corners from any spot in the offensive zone, with a very hard and accurate wrist shot. His hands are elite, which allows him to beat defenders clean with his 1-on-1 moves and pull off the occasional highlight reel play. While he is known for his goal-scoring, Holtz is also a very good passer. He won't be a top playmaker in the NHL, but he can find the seams and has the high offensive IQ to let plays develop and find his teammates. His skating is somewhere between average to above-average for me, but I did find his game lacked pace when I watched this season. Off the puck he's fine; he competes well enough but he's not an overly physical player and can be a bit of a perimeter player due to how much he leans on his shot." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

"There's a lot about Holtz's game I believe remains a tad disrespected. Everyone agrees he has power to his game and that he's got arguably the best wrist shot in the draft (his one-timer still needs some work). But some question his small area skill or his quickness or his playmaking talent. And while he needs to continue to develop his touch in traffic and his first few steps, I would argue the third point is a lot better than he usually gets credit for. Does he need to tunnel vision a little less when he has the puck? Sometimes. But I've seen him feather backhand passes through unsuspecting seams or feign shot before hitting the backdoor guy with a hard pass across the crease or use the attention his shot gets to hit the trailer off the rush. That will give his game more dimension than people realize, I suspect. He has already shown he can make an impact at the pro level more than most others near the top of this draft, too. I was particularly impressed with the way he handled being asked to play a new role on the power play (after spending his entire junior career on the flank, Djurgardens moved him to the slot)." -- The Athletic's Scott Wheeler

3. Lucas Raymond, LW

NHL.com Scouting Report: Mobile, explosive, quick winger with speed and excellent puck control. Smart, effective in traffic, creates scoring chances with quick moves and hard work.

• Final Rank: 4
• Age: 18 (3/28/02)
• Height: 5-11
• Weight: 170
• Birthplace: Gothenburg, Sweden
• Shoots: Right

Though he might not have the same type of scoring prowess as Holtz, Raymond checks all the boxes for a high-end, elite winger. He's got great hands, tremendous vision and an extraordinary amount of creativity that allows him to make plays others can't. Raymond spent the majority of the 2019-20 season with Frolunda in the SHL, posting 10 points (4g/6a) in a sheltered role over the course of 33 games.

He was teammates with Holtz on the bronze medal-winning Swedish team at the 2020 World Junior Championship where he earned four points (2g/2a) in seven games. He had a spectacular performance in the 2019 Under-18 World Championship gold medal game, recording a hat trick including the overtime winner to lift Sweden over Russia. Raymond was a dominating presence in Sweden's junior league, earning 48 points (13g/35a) in 37 games with Frolunda.

"He has a sublime and stealth skillset, but his two and three steps ahead-of-the-play hockey sense, combined with his creativity, allows him to make so many different types of plays. There is no play that isn't possible when he has the puck. Because he's so smart, when it appears he may be trapped is actually when he may be most dangerous because he's so attuned to possibilities. I see him as a No. 1 playmaking right winger in the mold of Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner." -- TSN's Craig Button

"As an underage he dominated Sweden's junior league as a 16-year-old and helped carry Sweden's U18 team to a gold medal. With the puck on his stick he's incredibly dangerous. His hands are elite and his ability to beat defenders 1-on-1 clean in ways unlike other players can create a lot of highlight reel moments. He will be a true PP1 quarterback in the NHL because of the unique plays he can make. He has a unique way of navigating with the puck in the offensive zone, showing the patience and vision of a top NHL playmaker in how he picks apart defenses and find seams. Raymond isn't the biggest guy and isn't a guy you will tab to kill penalties, but he competes well and gets to the net. While he's more of a passer, he does have a good shot when he looks to shoot. My one concern is his just average footspeed, particularly as a 5-foot-10 forward." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

"Though Raymond never quite got his game to the same level as the other top-ranked draft prospects this year, his blend of puck-hunting when he doesn't have it and crafty playmaking when he does make him a truly unique player in this class. Raymond is a fearless puck carrier who can pick apart teams in the offensive zone at even strength with a quick stutter or a surprising pass or run a power play as the primary entry option and quarterback. He still needs to add some strength, which will improve on his mid-level straightaway speed (his footwork is already high-end) and the threat of his shot (his release is deceptive as is), but the rest is there. And while he may be a little further away from his NHL peak than some of his peers, the long-term payoff may also surpass them." -- The Athletic's Scott Wheeler

4. Rodion Amirov, LW

NHL.com Scouting Report: Speedy two-way winger with attitude, fine stickhandling, smooth hands and a good shot. Quick and mobile with a great work ethic. Reliable team player.

• Final Rank: 5
• Age: 18 (10/2/01)
• Height: 6-0
• Weight: 177
• Birthplace: Salavat, Russia
• Shoots: Left

Amirov split the 2019-20 season between UFA of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and its junior club. With the pro team, Amirov recorded two assists/points in 21 games, while averaging over a point per game with the junior squad (22 points - 10g/12a in 17 games). On the international stage, Amirov was named a tournament all-star at the 2019 Under-18 World Championship after posting nine points (6g/3a) in seven games to help Russia earn silver. Amirov says he models his game after Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov and Toronto's Auston Matthews.

"Strong winger who gets in and around the net to score. Creates space for others and establishes himself in the areas that produce rewards. He is very adept at finishing off plays." -- TSN's Craig Button

"Amirov bounced around between the pro and junior level all season. He was excellent versus his peers at the junior level, and versus men he showed flashes, including in a brief appearance late with Russia's national team. Amirov is easy to spot on the ice when he has the puck because he's very quick and skilled. He has quick-twitch hands and can inside-out defenders while skating at full speed. He can set up and finish plays well. He flashes high-end playmaking and shooting ability, but neither consistently. His game is more about his pure skill and driving play forward with a ton of clean entries. His speed isn't amazing, more just good; but his edges and cutbacks are excellent. Amirov has a slight frame, which led to struggles versus men who could knock him off pucks, but he does work hard and when he puts on muscle I could see him get inside easier." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

"The strength of Amirov's game is in his ability to protect the puck and change directions with control. This makes him particularly effective within the offensive zone because I wouldn't say his straightaway speed is all that high end. Amirov is dangerous because he takes what's given to him (he's not a pass-first player but he doesn't tunnel-vision the net as a shooter either), and he can carry the puck into the slot to draw pressure or create for himself. Though Amirov indeed struggled in spurts in limited minutes (a little under 10 per game) in the KHL this season, his age-adjusted production across each of the last two years in the MHL is impressive and it's matched by an intriguing offensive toolkit. He's got a shot at being a good second-line forward." -- The Athletic's Scott Wheeler

5. John-Jason Peterka, RW

NHL.com Scouting Report: Creative, speedy hard-working winger who likes to go to the net and shoot. His game is speed, hard work, attitude and offensive instincts.

• Final Rank: 7
• Age: 18 (1/14/02)
• Height: 5-11
• Weight: 192
• Birthplace: Munich, Germany
• Shoots: Left

Peterka got his first taste of pro hockey in Germany last season with München of the DEL where he recorded 11 points (7g/4a) in 42 games. This comes a year after absolutely dominating the Czech Under-18 league with 94 points (45g/49a) in just 48 games with RB Hockey Akademia in 2018-19. Peterka had a strong showing at the 2020 World Junior Championship for Germany, finishing second on the club with six points (4g/2a) in seven appearances.

"J.J. is smart, can skate and has the skill to produce offence. He seems to always be in the right spot at the right time and he fits seamlessly in multiple situations with different players." -- TSN's Craig Button

"Peterka was a tough player to evaluate this season, as he played very limited minutes on the top team in the DEL. I've seen him at other levels over the years, so I believe in the talent, but the lack of playing time in his draft season makes his projection more uncertain in both directions. I see a great toolkit. I see a player with quick twitch hands and ability to beat pro defenders. He's a strong skater who can make highly skilled plays at a quick pace. He moves the puck well, although Peterka's 60 IQ comes more from how creative he is offensively, as opposed to being a truly great playmaker. He's not that big and I wouldn't call him a great two-way forward, but he does work to win puck battles, and he's not a perimeter forward." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

"Peterka's one of those players that just screams 'complementary third-line forward.' Early on this season, he was one of my favorite prospects in the draft for his ability to play with strength and pace all over the ice. He's a middle-lane driver who shoots a lot and works to get to the front of the net to finish off plays. He's just naturally athletic and it fits well with his up-tempo, north-south game. As the season progressed, though, he never really showed me he had the tools to be more than that. There are times when I want to see him slow down, or he needs to survey the ice and use his teammates better. His play, role and minutes all went cold late in the season. It can look like he's playing on instinct out there. That works for some players. It works for J.J. too but it may limit his upside." -- The Athletic's Scott Wheeler

6. Noel Gunler, RW

NHL.com Scouting Report: Tall wing with good offensive instincts. Has a good, quick shot. Creates scoring chances with smart, surprising moves in the offensive zone.

• Final Rank: 9
• Age: 18 (10/7/01)
• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 176
• Birthplace: Lulea, Sweden
• Shoots: Right

Gunler spent the bulk of the 2019-20 season playing for his hometown team (Lulea) in the Swedish Hockey League where he posted 13 points (4g/9a) in 45 games. He also appeared in four games with Lulea's junior team, earning six points (4g/2a) in four games. Gunler had a strong 2018-19 season with Lulea Jr., ranking third in goals (27) and seventh in points (46) among all players in Sweden's top junior league.

"Gunler played all season up in the SHL, getting limited minutes for one of the top teams in that league. He excited folks when he scored 27 goals in 31 junior games last season. Gunler is a high-end passer and shooter. He shows great vision and patience, holding pucks and finding teammates through seams. He shows good creativity on his entries with flashes of top-end skill. He has a very hard shot and projects as a legit mid-distance shooter. The combination of his shot and vision makes him a threat inside the offensive zone and on the power play. Off the puck, his game is just OK. He is a physical player who regularly throws his weight around and can win battles versus men, however, scouts criticize his compete level and discipline at times. Gunler's skating is average as well. His stride looks good but lacks any real power." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

"One of the more polarizing players in this draft, Gunler is an unquestionably talented creator who has drawn criticism internally and externally (as well as from Team Sweden) for his shift-to-shift consistency, skating and commitment off the puck. And while I won't dispute some of those concerns (though I would say they're all various degrees of overstated), he also shows regular flashes of high-end skill with the puck, he's got more room to fill out, he contributed as a teenager in a top pro league, he has always dominated his peers and his defensive results were pretty impressive this season. I would argue his straight-line skating is actually an asset. It looks a little weird. Like some others his age, he picks up his stick and pitchforks more than you would like. You'd prefer to see him extending his stick forward in one smooth north-south motion. His stride can look stunted, with his feet dragging through as well. Gunler could have real value if he falls (a lot like Arthur Kaliyev did) because his reputation gets away from him." -- The Athletic's Scott Wheeler

7. Lukas Reichel, LW

NHL.com Scouting Report: Talented playmaker. Excellent skater who likes to go to the net. Good work ethic and attitude. Effective checker. Smart passer with good puck skills.

• Final Rank: 11
• Age: 18 (5/17/02)
• Height: 6-0
• Weight: 170
• Birthplace: Nurnberg, Germany
• Shoots: Left

Another talented German-born winger finds himself among the top-ranked players in the upcoming draft. Reichel comes from a strong hockey lineage. His father, Martin, is a German hockey hall-of-famer who was drafted 37th overall by Edmonton in 1992 and went on the play 20 season of pro hockey in Germany. Lukas' uncle, Robert, played in 830 career NHL games and won a gold medal for the Czech Republic at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Like fellow draft-eligible prospects Stuetzle and Peterka, Reichel spent the 2019-20 season in the DEL where he posted 24 points (12g/12a) in 42 games with Eisbaren Berlin. He led all under-20 players in the DEL in goals, with the runner-up being none other than Stuetzle of Mannheim (12). Reichel also made an impact with Germany at the 2020 World Junior Championship, earning five points (3g/2a) in seven games.

"Skilled, smart winger who can skate and make plays. In the offensive zone, he can create opportunities with his quickness and is equally good at making a pass for a goal or shooting for the net." -- TSN's Craig Button

"Reichel had an impressive season playing versus men and getting regular minutes in the DEL for a good club in Eisbaren Berlin. I always saw some skill and speed in his game, but this season I saw a high level of creativity with the puck, making difficult plays through defenders and to his teammates. He has the skill and the pace to score in the NHL. I wouldn't call him the true playmaker you want running a power play, but he sees the ice well and gets a high IQ grade due to how well he creates in small areas. The last time he recorded a penalty was two seasons ago in junior club play, but I don't think he's soft. I've seen him be hard on his puck pursuits, drive the net frequently and win battles versus bigger players. But it would be fair to say he's not a very physical or edgy player." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

"Early on this season, I was more impressed in my first DEL viewings of countryman J.J. Peterka than I was of Reichel. But as the year progressed, Reichel just continued to progress while Peterka's game plateaued. Peterka plays a heavier, more net-driven game, while Reichel has a finesse and touch to his game that makes him more dangerous both off the rush and from the offensive zone in. The more I watched him, the more I appreciated the way his heads-up style allows him to impact the game as both a scoring threat and a creator for his linemates. There's a comfort level about his game that I admire. He doesn't rush plays under pressure. To have that assertiveness on the ice against professionals this early in his career is impressive. Add in standout skating (especially through his crossovers), a May birthday and room to add some muscle and there are a lot of reasons to believe he will continue to progress." -- The Athletic's Scott Wheeler

8. Daniel Torgersson, LW

NHL.com Scouting Report: Big, tough and strong power forward with mobility and speed. Never stops skating. A workhorse with a great winning attitude and a good skill-set.

• Final Rank: 13
• Age: 18 (1/26/02)
• Height: 6-3
• Weight: 199
• Birthplace: Hono, Sweden
• Shoots: Left

Standing 6-foot-3 and tipping the scales at nearly 200 points, Torgersson finished the 2019-20 season ranked tied for fourth in goals (26) in 39 games with Frolunda in Sweden's top junior league. He also ranked third in the league (Sweden-Jr.) in plus/minus (+38) and finished the season with 44 points. Torgersson is a two-time medalist on the international stage, earning bronze with Team Sweden at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

"Finds his way to the net and doesn't get pushed away from there. Finds the right times to uncheck himself and take advantage of opportunities. Uses size to advantage and is difficult to displace." -- TSN's Craig Button

"Torgersson had a great season at the junior level and was a top player for Sweden's U18 team. He is great around the net at knocking in second chances and deflecting passes toward the goal. I'm skeptical that he's a power play type at the higher levels, but if he is it will be as a net-front player. He did play half-wall for Frolunda's power play at the junior level, showing flashes of top-end vision, but I'm not convinced that's his game. He has some skill and can make plays, and showed this season he can score at a significant level. Torgersson's skating is OK. The stride breaks down a bit more than I'd like, but I've seen him pull away from enough checks to think it can be pro-average. His ability to score, play in the tough areas and PK gives him versatility that will endear him to coaches." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

9. Roby Jarventie, LW

• Final Rank: 18
• Age: 18 (8/8/02)
• Height: 6-2
• Weight: 184
• Birthplace: Tampere, Finland
• Shoots: Right

Jarventie did well in Finland's second division (Finland-2/Mestis), tallying 23 goals and 38 points in 36 games with Koovee. He ranked tied for fourth in scoring with his 23 goals, and was named to the Second All-Star Team in the division last season. On the international stage, Jarventie has represented Finland on several occasions, including the 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and 2019 and 2020 5 Nations Tournaments.

"Terrific improvement in his game. Skates well with speed and power and has become more imposing with his size and skill. Challenging opponents to handle him and is proving difficult to deter." -- TSN's Craig Button

"Jarventie had a strong season at the second division pro level in Finland with 23 goals in 36 games. At the international level he was up and down, with a good November U18 tournament, but he had indifferent appearances at the Hlinka Gretzky and February U18 tournament. Jarventie has size, and he uses it to his advantage. He has a good shot but got a lot of goals by going to the crease and making skilled plays around the net. He's a very good passer, although I found he didn't make many tough plays at pace, only really making tough distributions when the play slowed down. Speed is his main issue, as his skating is mediocre and is the reason some scouts are skeptical he'll be able to produce at higher levels." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman

10. Kasper Simontaival, RW

• Final Rank: 21
• Age: 18 (1/11/02)
• Height: 5-9
• Weight: 177
• Birthplace: Tampere, Finland
• Shoots: Left

Simontaival spent the majority of the 2019-20 season with Tappara Jr. in Finland's Junior A league, earning 57 points (25g/32a) in 48 games. Among league leaders, the 5-9, 177-pound right wing ranked tied for fifth in points, ranked seventh in goals and 11th in assists, while co-leading his team in scoring. He also appeared in four games with Tappara in Finland's top professional league (Liiga) and six games with Koovee in Finland's second-highest men's division (Finland-2/Mestis). Though he's one of the smaller players in the draft, Simontaival didn't shy away from taking the puck into the hard areas in and around the crease. TSN's Craig Button wonders if Columbus' Cam Atkinson (5-8, 175) is an NHL comparable, while Dobber Prospects' Head of European Scouting Jokke Nevalainen compares him to Vegas' Jonathan Marchessault (5-9, 180). Neither are bad comparisons.

"Simontaival's one of the prospects in this draft I'm most comfortable sticking my neck out to defend. After wowing me late last season and into the beginning of his draft year, I started to nitpick Simontaival's game in the middle section of the season because he didn't make the jump to Liiga. But he was so dominant down the stretch and into Finland's Jr. A playoffs that I still think he's a first-round talent in this class - or at the very least an early second. That isn't an opinion that's widely shared, though, and he's quite likely to fall further than he should. The risk with Simontaival is that he doesn't have that extra straight-line gear you'd hope for in a smaller winger. The rest of his skill set is too high-end to ignore, though. I'm particularly fond of his game along the wall and his low center of gravity through the base of his stride, both of which help him absorb contact and make plays off the wall to the interior." -- The Athletic's Scott Wheeler

"Simontaival's star has faded a bit from where he was around midseason a year ago when he looked like a true top prospect in his age group. But he remains a very quality player with a lot of intriguing offensive attributes. He's got a very quick stick and can beat defenders with his skill. I wouldn't call him a top playmaker, but he can find the seams on the ice well and flash high-end vision. His shot is more impressive to me than his passing, although I think both are certainly strong points. The main areas of concern for Simontaival are his small frame and just fine skating. I think his edgework is good and he's shifty in small spaces, but he lacks any real speed and his stride breaks down more than you'd like for a small forward. He does compete well and is good around the net, but he isn't that strong in puck battles or defensively." -- The Athletic's Corey Pronman