NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Anthony Richard

Get to Know Anthony Richard

Date of Birth: 12-20-96
Place of Birth: Trois-Rivieres, QC, CAN
Ht: 5’9” Wt: 165 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Center
Team: Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL)

Anthony Richard is a home-grown Quebec talent that began playing for Val-d’Or in the 2012-13 season. his numbers were not impressive, but he was also one of the younger boys in the league. The following season, he came back strong with 52 points (25g, 27a) in 66 regular season games. His 10 goals and 7 assists helped the Foreurs win the QMJHL Championships that year.

Richard had an even more impressive draft season in 2014-15: 91 points (43g, 48a) in 66 regular season games and 22 points (12g, 10a) in 17 playoff games. He also played on the QMJHL All-stars team in 2015.

Statistics

What Scouts See

Future Considerations

A small but highly skilled and quick offensive catalyst. Richard is a pretty good skater and is very agile. He has quick feet, which help him to change direction quickly or cut to the middle while in full speed. Because of his small frame and light weighted body, he is easily knocked around and pushed off the puck. He has pretty slick hands and can make defenders look silly when he raises his intensity and attacks them. Because of his agility and great hands, he has electrifying one-on-one skills. One of his go-to moves is to pull the puck under the defenseman’s stick then cut to the middle for a quick shot. His playmaking game is pretty effective when he does look to pass; at times he likes to keep the puck a little longer to draw defenders in. He is a pretty effective shooter and he likes to shoot it a ton, but he will need to pick corners a bit more as he can shoot into the goaltender’s crest a little too often. His physical play is not very strong due to his lack of size and when he does finish a check it’s inefficient. He shows poor body language during times when teammates failed to convert or his coach tried to talk to him on the bench. Those are major red flags and things that would cause specific NHL teams to strike his name off their draft list altogether.

McKeen’s Hockey,  Rick Springhetti

Fast skater that seems even quicker due to his constant motion .. dangles in and out of traffic areas, adding pressure that causes opponents to defensive breakdowns .. interprets game quickly in the offensive zone .. excellent puck control at top speeds .. possesses the capacity to corrals passes quickly without losing a step .. controls the puck well at top speeds .. doesn’t have a great shot but releases it so quickly with little warning that it catches opponents off-guard .. undersized forward who will have to improve his overall strength .. hesitant in his decision-making in the defensive zone .. can get in trouble when game is played tight due to his smaller size .. consistency from game to game remains a concern.

What BSN Avalanche sees

Richard is an electric offensive talent. He has a smooth stride with a powerful first step, giving him a speed that can beat just about anyone. His creativity with the puck allows him to generate plays from nothing, and he has the shot to convert on those opportunities. His vision is top-tier, making him a formidable offensive force.

Unfortunately, all of those skills comes in a small package. He’s short and lacks strength, making him easy to push off the puck. He also tends to float during plays, showing a lack of determination to stay with a play. He loses his position sometimes, preferring to follow the puck than the play as a whole. He tries to make up for his lack of size by being aggressive on the ice, though that generally translates to cheap shots and bad decisions.

Highlights (Time stamp 3:31)

NHL Potential

Much like small, quick, talented forwards before him, Richard has the potential to play a top-six role in the NHL. He’d be a good fit for the east, where skill and speed can overcome a lack of size. He’d benefit from a transition to wing, which will reduce his defensive responsibilities and allow him to be more of a playmaker.

Expected Draft Position

Richard’s size is definitely a detriment to his draft position. Still, he has enough skill to make an intriguing option come draft day. Expect him to be a middle round selection, most likely going in the third.

How Anthony Richard Fits in Avalanche Organization

The Avalanche front office most likely won’t even give Richard a cursory glance. He’s too small, and he appears to lack that “leave it all on the ice on every shift” character the team values so much.

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