COLUMBUS, Ohio -- I've written about Jan Drozg a fair amount this season.
• The Penguins having "high hopes" for Drozg during training camp.
• Drozg carrying the Cataractes on his back.
• Anze Kopitar's thoughts on Drozg
• Drozg signs his entry-level deal.
So ... here's another look.
Drozg, No. 37, leads his Shawinigan Cataractes -- the worst team in the QMJHL's Western Conference -- with 18 goals and 31 assists through 51 games. He's been a factor in 30 percent of his team's goals this season. He added three goals in three games to his totals this week:
Drozg is currently averaging just under three shots per game this season. Not bad, considering his team doesn't exactly possess the puck very often. His 148 shots this season are pretty spread out over the ice, with the slot seeing the highest density of shots.
[caption id="attachment_782221" align="aligncenter" width="640"]
Prospect-Stats.com[/caption]
Drozg is averaging 0.35 goals per game. He's seeing 0.41 primary assists per game, and 0.20 secondary assists per game. The lack of secondary assists isn't a surprise -- the probability of the Cataractes scoring a goal while Drozg is on the ice and it not being either scored or primarily set up by Drozg isn't that high.
Drozg has seen his ice time slightly decreased recently, as he's been playing some games on the Cataractes' second line. The move isn't for any performance-based reasons, though. The players bumped up to the top line are all younger players who have a year or more remaining of junior eligibility, and will be around as the Cataractes attempt to rebuild their team.
Drozg, of course, is in his final year in the 'Q', and will be graduating to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the spring. Despite the circumstances, don't expect Drozg to develop any sort of "senioritis." He's a hard-working player who will keep pushing until his final game in a Cataractes sweater.
____________________
FORWARDS
Justin Almeida
Position: Center/Wing
Size: 5-11/160
Drafted: 2018, fifth round
Team: Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
Season totals: 54 games, 25 goals, 62 assists
Almeida scored two goals and five assists in three games this week.
He was named the No. 1 star and Warriors Player of the Game for his one-goal, two-assist performance on Feb. 22:
Justin Almeida (@justinalmeida27) had 1-2-3pts in a 4-2 Friday win in Swift Current and was the Warrior of the Game pic.twitter.com/ZgLp3y6Cya
— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) February 23, 2019
Jordy Bellerive
Position: Center
Size: 5-10/195
Drafted: Undrafted
Team: Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
Season totals: 59 games, 28 goals, 43 assists
Bellerive scored three goals and one assist in two games this week.
He also did this ... which would have been a great goal, if it weren't into his own net:
Kasper Bjorkqvist
Position: Wing
Size: 6-1/198
Drafted: 2016, second round
Team: Providence College (NCAA)
Season totals: 34 games, 14 goals, 11 assists
Bjorkqvist scored one goal in two games this week:
Jan Drozg
Position: Wing
Size: 6-0/174
Drafted: 2017, fifth round
Team: Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
Season totals: 51 games, 18 goals, 31 assists
Drozg scored three goals in three games this week.
Liam Gorman
Position: Center
Size: 6-2/188
Drafted: 2018, sixth round
Team: St. Sebastian’s School (USHS-Prep)
Season totals: ?
Gorman scored the game-winning goal for his school in a 3-2 win on Feb. 22.
He was named to the All-NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) Team East.
Filip Hallander
Position: Center/Wing
Size: 6-1/190
Drafted: 2018, second round
Team: Timrå IK (SHL)
Season totals: 38 games, 7 goals, 10 assists
Hallander was scoreless in three games this week.
Nikita Pavlychev
Position: Center
Size: 6-8/225
Drafted: 2015, seventh round
Team: Penn State (NCAA)
Season totals: 32 games, 13 goals, 14 assists
Pavlychev was scoreless in two games this week.
The Penn State Athletics website put together this feature on Pavlychev's season.
"It seems very obvious, but his physical attributes are just so overwhelming," coach Guy Gadowsky said. "We know no one likes to see him come over the boards when you're on the ice. ... It's also his mentality that is the issue (for other teams). He has the mentality that he is going to beat you, and he really takes pride in his defense."
DEFENSEMEN
Calen Addison
Size: 5-10/180
Drafted: 2018, second round
Team: Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
Season totals: 58 games, 11 goals, 47 assists
Addison scored two goals and one assist in two games this week. Both goals came on Feb. 23, his first multi-goal game in his WHL career:
Niclas Almari
Size: 6-1/167
Drafted: 2016, fifth round
Team: HPK (Liiga), HPK U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)
Season totals: 39 games, 1 goal, 4 assists with HPK; 2 games, 1 assist with HPK U20
Almari played in three games this week and was held scoreless.
Ryan Jones
Size: 6-2/186
Drafted: 2016, fourth round
Team: Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA)
Season totals: 30 games, 9 assists
Jones was scoreless in two games this week.
Zachary Lauzon
Size: 6-1/187
Drafted: 2017, second round
Team: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)
Season totals: None
Lauzon, who has been rehabbing from the neck injury he sustained last season, will not play this season. He was not able to resume skating with the team. Lauzon will remain around the team for the remainder of the season and will travel with his teammates.
If the Penguins wish to retain Lauzon’s rights, they would have to sign him this summer. That won’t happen. Lauzon’s time as a Penguins prospect is most likely over, if not his entire career.
Antti Palojarvi
Size: 6-1/176
Drafted: 2017, sixth round
Team: Lukko (Liiga), Lukko U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga), SaPKo (Mestis)
Season totals: 16 games, 2 assists with Lukko; 29 games, 4 goals, 9 assists with Lukko U20; 6 games, 1 goal, 1 assist with SaPKo
Palojarvi recorded one assist in two games with SaPKo.
Clayton Phillips
Size: 5-11/182
Drafted: 2017, third round
Team: Minnesota (NCAA)
Season totals: 29 games, 1 goal, 9 assists
Phillips did not play this week after being injured on this hit:
Last week at Ohio State, Clayton Phillips took this open ice hit. He's been questionable but practiced this week for the #Gophers. pic.twitter.com/OXUnXHmueJ
— Eric Vegoe (@evegoe) February 22, 2019
William Reilly
Size: 6-2/197
Drafted: 2017, seventh round
Team: Rensselaer Polytech (NCAA)
Season totals: 29 games, 5 goals, 11 assists
Reilly recorded one assist in two games.
GOALTENDERS
Alex D’Orio
Size: 6-2/209
Drafted: Undrafted
Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
Season totals: 41 games (15-25), 3.80 goals against average, .886 save percentage
D’Orio played in two games this week, a loss and a win.
D'Orio made 30 saves on 34 shots in a 4-3 loss in Chicoutimi. Despite being the losing goaltender, he was named the No. 2 star of the game.
Baie-Comeau dominated Sherbrooke the following game, and D'Orio didn't see much of the puck all game. He made 16 saves on 17 shots in a 7-1 win.
Baie-Comeau currently ranks second in the QMJHL's Eastern Conference with a record of 42-14-2-1, four points behind first-place Halifax.
To continue reading, log into your account:
