The focus of the 2020 NHL Draft is on Rimouski Oceanic forward Alexis Lafreniere. But thanks to Tim Stutzle, Germany may find themselves back inside the top-five for the first time since Leon Draisaitl went third to the Edmonton Oilers in 2014.
Tim Stutzle should start the year as a projected top-ten player for the 2020 NHL Draft, but if he is given the right opportunities in 2019-20 he could find himself inside the top-five. He has dominated every league he’s played in and isn’t a one-dimensional scoring forward. Stutzle can set up plays as successfully as he scores himself.
Heading into his draft season, he’s essentially decided to bet on himself. Rather than come to North America, Stutzle is staying home in Germany for his draft year. He had committed to play with the University of New Hampshire (2020-21), and there was forethought that he would play in the USHL for the 2019-20 season.
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His path to the NHL changed in June when he signed a three-year contract with Adler Mannheim in DEL, a German professional league. This move will help him reach “NHL-ready” status faster. It certainly won’t hurt his development either, considering how much better he has been than his peers.
Stutzle has been very dominant in Germany. Last season, with Jungadler Mannheim U20, despite playing up a league (he’s under 18), he still had 23 goals and 32 assists for 55 points in just 21 games.
His dominance would have been lessened had he switched to the USHL, but there’s nothing to suggest he would be anything short of an impact player. Had Stutzle not received a firm contract offer from a DEL team he likely would have continued on his original path and make the trip across the pond.
How he fares in DEL for Adler Mannheim will determine his future in a big way. Stutzle traded higher-visibility leagues in the USHL and NCAA to stay in Europe and play professionally. You only make that decision if you believe you can have success big enough to make waves.
It really doesn’t matter where you play (especially when you’re as skilled as Stutzle), scouts will find you. That being said, it’s obviously easier to get noticed if you are in North America playing against strong competition. In Stutzle’s case, none of this matters because he’s already on radar’s around the league as a first-round talent.
Regardless of his location, Stutzle gives Germany yet another quality young player as they continue to build their development program. Germany has been making great strides, just as Switzerland has, in closing the gap on teams like Slovakia and the Czech Republic. It shouldn’t take long into the 2019-20 season to begin seeing Stutzle’s name in draft preview headlines.