Avalanche Draft Profile: Grant Mismash

Get to Know Grant Mismash

Date of Birth: Feb. 9, 1999
Place of Birth: Edina, Minn.
Ht: 6’0” Wt: 183 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: C
Team (League): USNTDP

Statistics

What Scouts See

Mismash is ranked anywhere from 24-49 on most scouts’ prospect rankings.

From eliteprospects.com:

A talented and gritty forward that embraces the physical side of the game. With the puck, Mismash displays great offensive instincts and can be quite intuitive. Needs to work on his play in his own end and off the puck. Not an explosive skater, but mobile enough to get around the ice with haste. Positionally sound and has a knack for going to the dirty areas and making things worse for the opposition in their own end. All-in-all, a physical offensive presence that can be a really hard player to defend against.

From thehockeywriters.com:

Described as a gritty forward, Scouts have witnessed Mismash grapple with defenders for position in front of the net and battle for the puck in corners. He also stood out earlier this season at the USHL Fall Classic East and CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game.Over the past two seasons with NTDP, Mismash collected 49 goals among 105 points in 123 games. He was also called for 192 penalty minutes. Improving his play in the defensive zone will be a high priority for Mismash when he moves on to play with the University of North Dakota next season.

From sbncollegehockey.com:

Mismash has great one-on-one stickhandling ability. He’s not likely to beat a defender with his speed, but he’s got really quick hands that can help him move a puck through a defender. This makes him effective on zone entries and can help him create opportunities in heavy traffic situations.

What BSN Avalanche sees

There is a lot to like about the future North Dakota Fighting Hawk. His name is perfect for his game as he isn’t afraid to mash in the corners and in front of the net. He loves the physical side of the game but his offensive game is underrated. Mismash has some silky mitts and isn’t afraid to utilize them in open ice as seen here:

And when he’s in the offensive zone, he utilizes his strength and hands to hold onto the puck and find his teammates. Look at the way he protects the puck behind the net and then finds his teammate for a scoring opportunity:

It is no fluke that Mismash averaged almost a point per game against college and USHL competition this past season. Mismash will most likely be another one of those USNTDP players that we look back on in a couple of years and say that he fell too far in the draft.

Highlights

NHL Potential

Mismash will most likely fit in somewhere as a 2nd or 3rd line center in the NHL. He can play on the penalty kill and power play and should make an NHL team very happy with their 2nd round pick.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

This is a player that the Avs should be targeting in the 2nd round. It might take Mismash a few years to development but he should be able to jump right into the NHL and it won’t be required that he plays a top 6 role for the hockey club.