Prospects Report: Vasilevskiy and DeAngelo
Mike Barrett
2015-03-07
Are Vasilevskiy and DeAngelo the Lightning’s two top prospects at the moment?
In this week’s edition of The Journey, we are going to take a closer look at a pair of electrifying prospects from the other side of the blue line from the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. The first is 2012 first-round pick Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was the last goalie worthy of a first round draft pick in the NHL Entry Draft with the exception of Malcolm Subban, who was selected after him in the same year. The second is 2014 first-round pick, OHL all-star defenseman Anthony DeAngelo.
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Team Ranking: Tampa Bay Lightning Top Goaltending Prospect
Flashback to the 2010 season, where Andrei Vasilevskey performed admirably for Toplar Ufa of the MHL in spot duty. A 9.37 save percentage accompanied by a 1.81 goal-against-average over 14 games earned him nearly double the starts the following season. In 2011-12, his draft year, the Russian played 27 games and maintained that level of play, finishing with a .931 save percentage and a 2.23 goals-against-average. What perhaps was most impressive though, was his performance for his country at the 2012 World Junior Championships. Not only did he make the team as a 17-year-old, he started five games and finished with a .953 save percentage and 2.01 goals-against-average including many huge performances and clutch saves.
As a Canadian, I will always remember Vasilevskiy first and foremost for the save he made on Jonathan Huberdeau in the waning seconds of the 2012 World Junior classic that ended in Canadian heartbreak. The super-sized tender looked down and out, just a thin red line between a black disc and lifelong glory. Until a giant padded leg comes in and crushes all those hopes and dreams with a game-winning save for his nation, and turns the heads of many important people in the hockey world.
Team Russia did however end up losing in the finals to Sweden, but a silver medal at 17 is nothing to be ashamed of. Unsurprisingly, Vasilevskiy returned for his final two years of eligibility, and did so quite successfully leading the Big Red Machine to back-to-back bronze medals.
While he may have never won the tournament’s top goaltender award, there was no better goalie over those three years. In the 15 World Junior Championship games he played in, he averaged a sparkling .945 save percentage and 1.88 goal-against. Throw in the aforementioned three consecutive medals and those are some pretty legendary numbers.
It should be noted that he spent those 18 and 19 year-old seasons competing in the KHL, playing in eight and 28 games respectively. He posted nearly identical numbers with a .924 SV% and 2.22 GAA in 2012-13, followed by a .923 SV% and 2.21 GAA last season.
Coming over to North America was big news, and he backed it up with big play. Vasilevskiy went 14-6-5 in Syracuse, sporting a .917 SV% and 2.45 GAA before being recalled by the Lightning to backup Ben Bishop following the retirement of Evgeni Nabakov. So far he has played in 11 games, with a 5-3-1 record and .921 SV% and familiar 2.21 GAA including his first career shutout.
The bottom line is, Vasilevskiy has never NOT been good. He is a consistent performer, and proves capable of raising his game in pressure situations.
Standing at 6'3" and already weighing 207 pounds, Vasilevskiy is a tall, firmly built athlete who certainly has the makeup of a franchise goaltender. He has cat-like reflexes, but plays a patient game low in his crease and makes the most of his big frame. He allows the puck to hit him first, and relies on those reflexes to make quick twitch saves in tight. Due to his physical traits and style, he is excellent in working through traffic, and remains calm and well positioned.
Anthony DeAngelo
Dobber Ranking: #34 Defenseman
Team Ranking: Tampa Bay Lightning Top Defensive Prospect
DeAngelo is the hottest defensive prospect in the world right now. His 43 points in 21 games since being traded to 28-year-old General Manager Kyle Raftis’ Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds is just ridiculous. Even if he were a forward, we would be talking about this.
DeAngelo is one I have been watching very closely. Ever since his rookie season with Sarnia in 2011-12 (the Galchenyuk-Yakupov effect), and never did I think his game could reach this level. I suppose neither did NHL scouts or else they wouldn’t have let him slip to the 19th pick where Stevie Y and the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him in 2014. That’s saying a lot because DeAngelo is actually a late birthday so scouts had a whole extra year of evaluation in the CHL before his draft year.
That season, he scored 23 points (minus-6, 46 PIMs) in 68 games. Those are solid numbers for 16-year-old defenseman on a team that was missing arguably the best player in junior hockey at the time (Galchenyuk – knee). The following year, DeAngelo broke out hard, by more than doubling his production to 58 points (60 PIMs) in 62 games played. Though he did carry a minus-13 rating alongside those pretty numbers in what is usually a player’s draft year.
At this point scouts were expecting him to take advantage of this extra year and prove his dedication to the defensive side in order to improve his draft stock. Instead, DeAngelo decided to go another route. He finished 2013-14 with an eye-popping minus-34 rating, but he did score 71 points in just 51 games, including 15 goals, and 90 penalty minutes cementing the belief that he was a high-risk high-reward type of pick.
His performance at the most recent World Junior Championships was just splendid, emerging as the top dog amongst a much bigger and very talented American blue line. His play got better every game, and was often the only defenseman on the ice for them with the goalie pulled. Not only was his offensive game on point, he was quite physical too, making an impact both on and off the score sheet.
At 5-10, 176 pounds, you better be quick on your feet as a defenseman, and he is just that. A natural puck-handler, DeAngelo compliments that talent with his sharp footwork to move exceptionally well in all directions. Throw in his strong positioning and go get em’ attitude, and you have yourself a dynamic defenseman.
Much like PK Subban, he is capable of making plays all over the ice, as evidenced by his numbers this season. Between both Sarnia and Soo, he currently sits with a grand total of 81 points in 50 games, including 22 goals, a plus-25 rating, and 105 PIMs. Those are major improvements across the board.
Everything is in line for these two prospects to flourish as soon as next season in Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy obviously has Ben Bishop to battle, but that is always to be expected when you're talking about a 20-year-old goaltender. DeAngelo really couldn’t be in a better situation regarding potential point production. The organization is built on speed and skill, and the defense desperately needs the offensive defenseman element they’ve been lacking since Dan Boyle’s best days.
If Tampa is still playing, and Sault Ste. Marie isn’t, there is always the possibility DeAngelo makes an appearance along the Lightning blue line this spring as well.
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