8. Maxim Cajkovic
Acquired: 2019 third-round pick
Age: 18
Position: Right Wing
Stats: 60 games, 22 goals, 24 assists, 46 points (St. John Sea Dogs, QMJHL)
On paper, Maxime Cajkovic‘s stats aren’t going to jump out at you. But keep in mind, the Sea Dogs were downright awful last season. In 62 games, they won just 13 games. Cajkovic led the Sea Dogs in goals, assists, and points last season.
He really impressed me at the WJC-18, where he was Slovakia’s best player. The best part about his game for me is his shot. Cajkovic has a powerful, quick release and he’s not afraid to pull the trigger.
The best concern for me is his work ethic. Cajkovic doesn’t try nearly as hard on defense as he does on offense. If he did, he’d be a top-five prospect in the organization, no question. The Lightning are taking a chance on Cajkovic. It’s a gamble that I believe will pay off. H
is ceiling is a top-nine forward. People say he has character concerns, but I’m skeptical. There’s a lot of weird stuff going on in St. John and Cajkovic has the pressure of being the top pick in the QMJHL. I think there’s much more to his alleged issues with his coaches than meets the eye.
7. Taylor Raddysh
Acquired: 2016 second-round pick
Age: 21
Position: Right Wing
Stats: 70 games, 18 goals, 28 assists, 46 points, 4 postseason games, 0 points (Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
Taylor Raddysh had a very nice first season in the AHL. He’s proven me wrong. I wasn’t very high on him back in 2016, but his skill has developed immensely. Raddysh isn’t just big (6-foot-3), he knows how to use his size to win battles. For being such a big forward, he’s not that physical.
My primary concern with Raddysh is what it has always been – his skating. I’ll give him credit for improving it to being average. But Raddysh doesn’t have quite enough skill to make it in the NHL if he’s just an average skater.
His ceiling is a top-nine forward, mostly because of his mediocre skating. But if he can improve there, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a top-six forward.