NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Boris Katchouk

Get to Know Boris Katchouk

Date of Birth: June 18, 1998 (18)
Place of Birth: Vancouver, BC
Ht: 6’1” Wt: 179 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Left Wing
Team: Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Statistics

What Scouts See

Tyler Parchem, Elite Prospects

Katchouk is a well rounded forward with decent size and good offensive instincts. He does everything well, but not one thing great. He has a good speed and generates a good amount of offense, he is not overly physical, but will also not shy away. He had a coming out party on a young Greyhounds team and played consistently well all season long. He had a very good first round series against the Sarnia Sting, in what was a huge upset.

ISS Hockey

Katchouk is not the prettiest skater but he gets around the ice and has good quickness. Like this kid’s upside; skill and compete level are impressive. Wins majority of battles and not afraid to fight through checks. Elevated his game and was one of Greyhounds best playoff performers. Always seems to have a jump in his stride, gets in hard on the forecheck and causes turnovers. Offensively will drive the net with good hands in tight and shows good vision with good passes. Defensively showed good ability as penalty killer and commitment to blocking shots.

What BSN Avalanche sees

The first thing you notice about Boris Katchouk on the ice is his energy. Katchouk is a high energy player in every shift, and plays the game with fierce intensity. There’s no fear in Katchouk’s game and he’s always willing to play in the dirty areas of the ice. Offensively Katchouk really attacks the zone, carrying the puck in with speed or cutting hard towards the net for a pass or rebound, and while he isn’t the most agile skater in the draft, but he does have good straight line speed and can build up a good head of steam.

Katchouk plays a good physical game and can be something of a pest on the ice. He’s an aggressive forechecker who loves to stick the body to unsuspecting defenders and is relentless with his stick. While none of Katchouk’s individual tools are all that exceptional, they package together into a well rounded game which, when combined with his huge motor, makes him extremely difficult to contain.

NHL Potential

Katchouk’s strong finish and playoffs show scouts that he has the offensive gifts to play a top six role in the NHL, but it’s his universally respected work ethic, and well rounded game that make him such a safe and appealing prospect. If the offense doesn’t translate in the pros, Katchouk has the versatility, smarts, and work ethic to succeed in any number of non-scoring roles.

Expected Draft Position

After shooting up draft boards in his first full OHL season, Katchouk has established himself as a high end offensive talent and cemented his likely place as a first round selection this June.

How Prospect Fits in Avalanche Organization

The Avs’ trio of Rouyn-Noranda forwards made enormous strides this year, but the organization is still extremely thin when it comes to high end forward prospects. Should Katchouk be available in the 2nd round, his versatile game would be a good fit for an Avalanche system missing forwards like him since Conner Bleackley was traded to Arizona.