by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Steve Dunsmoor.
The 2023 NHL Draft will be here before you know it, and Draft 412 will preview some of the prospects who will be probable first round picks. Draft 412 will go over the strengths and weaknesses of each prospect and where they should land in the NHL Draft.
Name- Andrew Cristall
Pos- LW
Team- Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
HT/WT- 5’9” 167 lbs.
Born- 2/4/2005
Home – Vancouver, B.C.
Though Connor Bedard overshadowed everybody else in the WHL, Andrew Cristall put up strong numbers in his own right. Cristall had 39 goals and 56 assists in 54 games. His 1.75 points per game was one of the top averages in the league. Despite missing five weeks with a quad contusion, Cristall was a consistent point producer all year.
Cristall is a winger who has excellent vision of the ice. He put up 95 points last season despite limited talent around him. Part of his success is due to his creativity on the ice. He has the IQ and vision to make something out of nothing and is a threat each time he skates onto the ice.
A good transitional player, Cristall finds ways to get the puck moving toward the opponent's net. Despite being smaller, he plays well against the half boards and isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty. Has the defensive IQ to play a solid defensive game and not be a weakness. A great personality and a team leader, he is confident—but not cocky.
Cristall is not the fastest skater and can improve his skating strides. As with any other 5’9” or below player, his size will be a factor in some war rooms. He needs to shore up defensive responsibilities and he cheats at times looking for an odd man break. Past injuries will always come up on the medical side of the equation, and being smaller will always make it an exclamation point.
Watching film of Andrew Cristall, Draft 412 sees his ceiling as a Trevor Zegras type, and his floor as Matias Maccelli.
Final Analysis
Andrew Cristall has proved he can rack up points with limited resources around him. Cristall is tough to tab exactly where he will go, but Draft 412 says in the 10-15 range would be a safe bet.
Round 1- Top 20 / #14 on Draft 412 big board.
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2020-21 Kelowna Rockets WHL 14 2 3 5 0
2021-22 Kelowna Rockets WHL 61 28 41 69 32 5 0 4 4 2
2022-23 Kelowna Rockets WHL 54 39 56 95 50 4 1 0 1 2
2022-23p Kelowna Rockets WHL 4 1 0 1 2