NHL Scouts’ Quotes – Lundell/Gunler
April 21, 2020
By Grant McCagg
Anton Lundell C HIFK FHL 2001-10-03 6-1 185
2019-20 Stats – 44 10 18 28 18 Shoots Left
Crossover scout Feb. 2020 – If you had to take a guy out of the first round, it would be him. He’s a safe pick to be a third-line center. I don’t see top-two talent, especially with his skating concerns. Maybe he’s a second power-play guy who goes to the net. I didn’t see him much more than a third-line guy. Short stride, poor edges and no quickness.
Crossover scout April 2020 – I like him, but I just don’t like his feet. It’s almost looks like it’s a fatal flaw. He’s got no edges, no quickness, his change of direction is not very good. But obviously, I like the other parts of his game. That’s a guy that I worry about this feet for sure. That’s a big risk for me in the first round…whoa. And he’s been considered a first-round guy forever because of his underage year. I’m more comfortable taking (Tyson) Foerster than Lundell.
Crossover scout April 2020 – Really short stride, doesn’t turn well. He’s very direct. On the bigger ice you think it would be a detriment, but on the bigger ice he just seemed to be able to keep in motion better. It did show up a lot. I didn’t like the games where he had no answer to when he was stopped. He couldn’t get to loose pucks, couldn’t get away from anybody because of that lack of quickness. That will be an even larger issue on smaller rinks. He’s more of a guy floating around, and when he got chances he could make plays. His head and his talent is pretty good. He’s a good thinker, he’s a hard worker, gets away with a lot. If you want to draft a fourth-line guy in the first round, go ahead. That’s what he’ll likely end up being on a good team. When you skate like that…unless I am really underestimating the upside of his skating…I don’t see it. He does get a lot of opportunity in Finland with the men. Power play, he’s on the first line…it’s unbelievable, so they certainly love him in Finland. He’s not a good enough skater with the way the game is going.
Crossover scout April 2020 – He’s always been a good hockey player; that’s what makes it scary moving him down too far. Brandon Saad dropped to the second round and then boom, good player. He’s a quality pick like Holloway or Neighbours; they’re gonna play; are they gonna be elite and drive offence? No; but they are going to play and be good two-way guys.
Noel Gunler RW Lulea SHL 07-Oct-2001-10-07 6-2 176
2019-20 Stats – 45 4 9 13 16 Shoots Right
Crossover scout Feb. 2020 – He is skilled. A little light but smart. Skill guy. He’s skilled, smart, not really assertive, not real hard, and he’s a late birthday. The good thing is he’s playing in Sweden and has time to develop. When he’s going, you really notice the skill and the smarts. He’s got a lot of potential, he’s just gotta get a little more involved. He looks like a reacher with skill. Not going to go through you by any means.
Crossover scout April 2020 – I’d probably have Gunler just ahead of Foerster – he doesn’t get me excited, but when I look at Roope Hintz now I go “fu**!” He was one soft, soft motherf***er. But he could skate and make some plays. Somehow, he grew some balls and he’s not bad now. I’m not saying that’s what will happen with Gunler, but you think about that. He’s a good player, he just needs to get more involved. Sometimes these young guys play with the men, and they defer a lot to the men, they don’t want to rock the boat. There’s too much respect sometimes.
Crossover scout April 2020 – He’s 6-2, speed, can skate, he can handle the puck…a little bit careful out there; he’s not a warrior. He never plays for any teams on the Swedes, and you have to be worried about that. He didn’t get considered for their world junior team and there were some guys on that team that were average. I’m going to assume there’s some sort of character issue. They always take tons of underageers to the U-18s and he never played there last year. He’s not a hard guy. Roope Hintz was like that too…so you don’t want to drop him too far is he ever figures things out. The talent level looks good at 25 in the draft.