2020 NHL Draft prospect profile: Tim Stützle scouting report

Stützle’s Tendencies

Stützle is a player that does a nice job focusing on the little things in his game, so I did my best picking up on those minor details.

For one, Stützle is a pass-first player. The only negative I can really pull from his preference being a passer over a shooter is the fact that he has a very good shot but doesn’t take advantage of it in situations where he should have.

He also relies heavily on his high-end awareness and anticipation. Stützle is very aware of how quickly he can read a play, and he knows he has better anticipation than most other players on the ice, so he takes advantage as often as possible. Another reason he does this is that he is a boy playing in a men’s league, and he can’t out-muscle players on a consistent basis in the DEL, thus he uses his head.

There’s one issue with him relying on his IQ rather than being aggressive, and it’s his lack of forechecking consistency. Now, this is a minor part of the game, and it’s something that can easily be adjusted as he adds more muscle and becomes more confident in his ability to win physical battles. However, as of now, he usually takes a back-seat to a teammate and is the second-man-in on the forecheck.

On the power play, Stützle plays along the half-wall and point area. He gets placed on his passing side there because he is an incredible quarterback from that spot. Stützle is so ridiculously good at finding teammates across the ice for one-timers.

He doesn’t play on the penalty kill, at least not much. In fact, Stützle is mainly utilized in the offensive zone. However, he is not necessarily bad in the defensive zone, as he keeps his head on a swivel. What that means is he doesn’t get caught watching or chasing the puck in an unorganized fashion, instead, keeping his eyes on the player he is supposed to cover, making sure to never lose his man.

Positives and Negatives

Before I get into the positives and negatives of Stützle’s game, I just want to point out I found a negative in his game.

First, let’s start with his skating abilities. Stützle isn’t the fastest player on the ice, but he is a speedy skater nonetheless. He also has a very good first step and incredible acceleration, which makes him dangerous when on the rush. His ability to come in slow, then turn on the jets and burn a defenseman wide gives him a massive weapon with just his feet. Not to mention, he has excellent edges, which allow him to stop on a dime as well as make sharp turns effectively.

As for some of the smaller details in his game, Stützle is strong in one-on-one battles, such as board battles and net-front battles. He is strong on skates and, despite not being overly aggressive and seemingly not being confident in his physical capabilities in a men’s league, does hold his own. There are times where Stützle does manage to out-muscle opponents in one-on-one battles. It helps that he has a strong base, as he is very difficult to knock down or knock off the puck.

Talking about knocking Stützle off the puck, he has excellent puck control. The reason for his success in hanging onto possession of the puck, even if he is being pressured, is because of his excellent puck protection. Stützle does a nice job using his body to hold off an opponent from getting to the puck while maintaining possession with one hand on his stick.

To continue with puck control, what else does Stützle have success doing? He has a solid set of hands, able to stickhandle his way out of a situation if needed. Stützle has very creative instincts, but he never goes out of his way to put on a show, usually playing a safer game than that.

On offense, Stützle is ridiculously skilled. Hands down, he is the best passer in the draft, and I feel safe saying that it isn’t close. I might be giving him a little too much credit, but he is incredible at setting up teammates.

His vision is superb, as he finds teammates that 99% of players wouldn’t be able to find. He knows how hard and where to pass the puck, as his feel for the game is at such a high level. He also works the cycle well, using his strong skating ability to manipulate teams down low, then finding a lane across the ice for an open teammate to pass to.

Although passing is Stützle’s bread and butter, he is also a gifted shooter. As stated earlier, Stützle knows his strength is in his passing ability. He does not go for a shot, even if there’s a lane. Stützle tends to hold on to the puck and occasionally force passes rather than putting a shot on net.

When he does fire a shot at the net, it features a quick release followed by very good power and accuracy. Also of note, Stützle has strong hand-eye coordination, so when he is passing through the slot or skating across the crease, he’s a threat to score with a deflection. He has the ability to score, but he needs to utilize his shot more often for a potential 20-30 goal season at the NHL level to be realized.

While his hockey IQ is extremely high. But it’s his positional awareness that sticks out. He is constantly reading the play and watching his surroundings. When he sees a player step out of position to attack the puck, he has the presence of mind to step back and fill-in for them.

Stützle also does a very good job of staying a step ahead, which is seen primarily on the powerplay. He has the patience to wait for a play to develop, making the simple plays until the pass he wants to make opens up, and then he threads the needle for a dangerous scoring opportunity.

As mentioned earlier, Stützle doesn’t always engage himself on the forecheck. However, that is not the case on the backcheck. He uses his speed and his smarts to out-skate and then out-smart the opposition, taking the puck away or forcing turnovers.

Because Stützle plays in a men’s league, as stated earlier, he doesn’t get much time in the defensive zone. However, he is still solid in that area. He supports his defense down low against the cycle, while also keeping his man in check and not allowing his man to get open for a scoring chance. That said, he plays smart on defense, but that part of his game is overlooked and likely always will be. Still, it is a valuable part of his game.

Potential, NHL Comparison, and NHL Readiness

Stützle is a great hockey player, and I feel as though he very well could compete for an NHL roster spot coming straight out of the draft. However, I feel it would be best for him to wait one more season playing in the DEL to start developing his defensive game further with more ice time there. That being said, I feel he is still about a year away from being an effective NHL player.

As for his potential, Stützle is a mouth-watering prospect for every GM. Because of his offensive prowess in both playmaking and shooting, it’s hard to pinpoint just how good he can become. I personally feel as though Stützle has the offensive capabilities to be an elite playmaker in the NHL, and if he further rounds out his defensive game, he could be one of the best players in the league in a few short years.

Even if he doesn’t pan out exactly how he’s expected to, Stutzle is still such a good prospect that it’s hard for me to see him not at least be a powerplay specialist and a third-line scorer at the worst.

It’s extremely tough to compare a prospect to an NHL player, but just keep in mind this is based solely on the style of play and in no way a reflection of how good a player will become. That said, Stutzle reminds me a little bit of Claude Giroux. The biggest reason is the powerplay specialist that Stutzle is, which allows him to find seams and set up teammates.

Giroux has been a powerplay assist machine, as he has the second-most powerplay assists since the 2010-11 season, behind only Nicklas Backstrom. You’re probably wondering why I didn’t choose Backstrom since he has the most PP assists, but here’s why. Stützle also possesses a good shot, and Giroux has more PP goals than Backstrom does in that same span.

Again, that does not mean that Stutzle will go on to become the next Giroux. He will go on to become the first Tim Stützle, and how good that will be has yet to be realized.