Image credit: Steve Dunsmore
As we head into the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, we continue to evaluate the players the Washington Capitals could select with the eighth overall pick. Today we will look at the future Andrew Crystal.
previous profiles
Colby Barlow
Dalibor Dvorsky
Matvey Michkov
David Reinbacher
Oliver Moore
Dalibor Dvorsky
Andrew Crystal – (18) – 5’10” – 165 lbs, LW, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Crystal is another player where there is no real consensus on his cap. It’s a shady name because he’s in the same league as Conor Bedard, the projected No. 1 pick.
Cristall is ranked 6th all the way up to 35th by major prospective evaluators. The left winger had a very strong drawing season with 95 points (39 goals, 56 assists) in 54 games, he led the Kelowna Rockets and was sixth in the WHL. The Vancouver native also finished fourth in the league with 1.76 points per game, but trailed only Bédard in that category among 2,023 recruits. He also missed 14 games due to injury.
Before playing junior hockey, Crystal played for St. George’s Preparatory School. He was named captain of the U15 team his sophomore year and led the team with 80 points (43 goals, 37 assists) in just 27 games.
“He always had the puck, and if he didn’t have the puck, he found a way to find it and go to it. And when the game was on the line, I just knew he was going to try to find a way to win the hockey game for us. He just had that tenacity and ferocity to go get the puck.” He was a fierce competitor.” Crystal coach Todd Harkins said.
The 5-foot-10 winger is one of the best passers in the draft. His incredibly high hockey IQ is how he can find passing lanes and thread a needle. Another thing that stands out about Cristall is its outstanding work. He is one of the trickiest recruiting skateboarders with exceptional hands.
📽️ REEL HIGHLIGHTS 📽️
One thing is Crystal clear. Andrew has hands.@employee | # I grow pic.twitter.com/KxS64SqkzA
– The WHL (@TheWHL) June 14, 2023
Cristal’s shot is good in terms of power, but it’s also very accurate. He is excellent at shooting into traffic and outwitting goalkeepers.
While the 18-year-old is very flexible in his edges, his straight skating is the biggest area that needs improvement. He didn’t have that explosive move to him, which makes him struggle to check back and when breaking away. However, that will only get better as he continues to get stronger.
The other area Crystal lacks is his defensive game. He is kept off pucks frequently while in the D zone and can sometimes be lazy on a backcheck, in large part due to his skating.
While there’s no denying that Cristall is one of the best playmakers in the draft, it seems unlikely that the Capitals would pick him with the eighth pick. Washington’s primary focus should be finding pure-goal scoring players, such as Colby Barlow And Matvey Michkov.
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Cristall is one of the better playmakers in this category, as he is highly creative, elusive and possesses a well-developed offensive IQ. He is very deceptive and cunning in his movements as he maintains great control of the puck, handles it confidently in high traffic areas and even knocks out defenders one-on-one. Whether that’s throwing the puck through a defender’s stick or his foot, he’s always a great play. His soft hands allow him to make controlled movements over the net to deceive goalkeepers and leave them in the dust.
A dynamic player through and through, Cristall adds the extra flash to every game. He outsmarts defenders with head fakery, tackling skills, and slick edges before cutting inside or finding a teammate in the slot. He initiates plays, builds them, and then finalizes them. He’s an inventive playmaker, able to turn the ordinary into fantastic, smashing opponents with trickery and deception before sending perfectly weighted passes to his teammates to do the rest.
Cristal is very talented in attack. He has a kind of crooked hand and routinely outsmarts defenders with his fights. He has a highly imaginative offensive mind and very good vision with the puck. Cristall is very dangerous for power play because of his skill and also his amazing shot, having scored a lot of goals from set this season. The concerns stemmed from his frame, particularly his skating. He lacks the foot speed for higher levels and has awkward skating mechanics related to his NHL projection where he often defaults in a 10-2 skating style, relying excessively on his sharp action.
Other ratings
Craig Button/TSN: 35
Daily confrontation: 16
Elite Horizons: 19
Hockey News: 6
By Jacob Shires