Noel Gunler is one of the most unique forwards in the 2020 NHL Draft. Here’s a look at Gunler, who should hear his name early at the draft.
The 2020 NHL Draft appears to be a very deep draft. It’s full of talented forwards and players across the board. But few of those players are more fascinating than Swedish forward Noel Gunler. I’ve previously written deep-dives on Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Lucas Raymond, Cole Perfetti, Anton Lundell, Alexander Holtz, and Tim Stützle.
Before I begin, for those that don’t know, here’s how these scouting reports go. First, I will begin with some general background information and statistics from that player. Then, I will break down that players’ tendencies, habits and roles on special teams.
Following that up, I will break down the positives and negatives in the prospects’ game. Finally, I will look at what I feel is the potential of that player, as well as his NHL-readiness.
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Background
Gunler, born October 7th, 2001 in Lulea, Sweden, is a winger for Lulea HF in the SHL. The 18-year-old winger stands at 6’2″ and 174 pounds, which tells us he has a good frame, but still needs to fill it out by adding more muscle.
He has been ranked 10th by HockeyProspect.com, 12th by Future Considerations, 15th by ISS Hockey, 14th by McKeen’s Hockey, and 11th by Elite Prospects.
In 2018-19, Gunler got his first crack at the SHL. He did so by dominating at the U-20 SuperElit league level, where he played for Lulea HF. He played 31 games, scoring 27 goals and 46 points. Thus, his SHL opportunity was granted, as he played in 15 games, scoring 2 goals and picking up 5 points.
This season, he went back to the SuperElit league for a two-game stint, recording 2 goals and 3 total points. However, he has been used mainly in the SHL, scoring twice and adding 7 assists for 9 points in 34 games.
Gunler’s Tendencies
Gunler shows a pass-first mentality when in the offensive zone. He displays patience and keeps his head up, scanning the ice for a passing lane to open up. However, if there is a lane to shoot, he is not afraid to throw one on the net.
Gunler does not play on the penalty kill. The reasons behind that are he is a boy playing amongst men in the SHL, and as seen with several other players in men’s leagues, those coaches do not show a willingness to play those young kids on the penalty kill.
That said, Gunler does get playing time on special teams, in the form of power play time. On the power play, he plays the high-slot area, putting him smack in the middle of the umbrella formation.
He has several bad tendencies. Without possession, it seems as though Gunler doesn’t know where to go. He often floats around, waiting for something to happen while never moving his feet to get open for a pass.
Another bad habit Gunler has is found in the physical aspect of the game. He makes mistakes when teams put pressure on him. In other cases, when he sees someone coming down the ice, Gunler leaves the puck behind to avoid a hit, completely shying away from that contact. This needs to be erased from his game, and hopefully, for him, some growth can help.
On a positive note, he does a nice job keeping his head on a swivel and watching his man in the defensive zone. Some young forwards have a tendency to chase the puck in the defensive zone, but Gunler is smart and reliable.
Positives and Negatives
To start with Gunler’s positives and negatives, let’s look at his skating ability. He is a fast skater with strong edgework, allowing him to stop on a dime, make sharp turns, and change speeds while on the attack. This makes him very difficult to defend against on the rush. Gunler also possesses a good first step and good acceleration, which allows him to reach his top speed rather quickly.
However, Gunler doesn’t have great balance, making him easier to knock down or off the puck. He also has low stamina, which is obvious because most of his shifts are shockingly short, even for a teenager.
Gunler has a high hockey IQ and impressive positional awareness. However, he tends to overcomplicate things for himself when he tries too hard to make a play work. Gunler often misses a simple pass or play. He seems to find himself always overskating the puck and missing simple plays.
His overthinking is shown most clearly in his playmaking abilities. Gunler forces a lot of passes that aren’t always open. He also tries to extend plays by deking past defenders when all he had to do was make a simple pass.
Regardless of his issues overcomplicating things, Gunler is still good at stickhandling and protecting the puck. Despite being easily knocked off the puck, he exhibits strong puck control. Also, he is a strong passer. Gunler shows good vision and the ability to flash elite passing skills, though he does force passes from time to time.
Gunler doesn’t have a stand-out shot, though he isn’t necessarily bad, either. He can get shots off quickly, with decent power and accuracy. Gunler doesn’t lean on his shooting abilities often, as he passes more.
He is a strong forechecker, as he combines pursuit and anticipation to force turnovers. However, Gunler isn’t consistent in that area. He often sits back and doesn’t always forecheck. On the backcheck, he has the basic necessities to succeed. However, I found him more often than not heading for a line change than engaging on the backcheck. He has the speed and acceleration that is necessary when chasing the opposition, so he has the foundation to be effective in that area.
In the defensive end, Gunler is solid and reliable. He has great defensive zone positioning, not allowing himself to get sucked out of a play and into a puck battle. Gunler also does a nice job supporting the defense down low when the puck is on his side, which is something a lot of teams are looking for.
He also utilizes an active stick when attacking the opposition at the point. He races towards them and waves his stick out in front of his body, forcing the opposition to make a play quickly, often resulting in turnovers. Gunler has the makeup to become a solid 200-foot player.
Potential, NHL Comparison, and NHL Readiness
Gunler is a prospect in a long line of high-end young stars. To me, he is a bit of a project compared to that of other prospects in this draft. However, if grown correctly and according to plan, he has elite potential.
However, I’m concerned that Gunler is ranked too high for his own good. Any team picking within the top 15 must have the patience to wait for Gunler to be ready.
There really isn’t much of a comparison for Gunler that would make the most sense, but here’s my best shot. Now, before I get into detail, remember that these are stylistic comparisons, not a comparison of skills and potential. To me, Gunler is the store-brand Mark Stone, as he has offensive upside and a strong defensive game. However, he isn’t the goal-scorer that Stone is, and likely never will be.
Finally, as mentioned earlier, Gunler is a project. I’m not entirely sure how long it will be before he will be ready for NHL action. I’m afraid that if a team takes him within the top-15, they will rush him up in 2 to 3 years, and unless he takes a monumental step forward in his development following the draft, won’t be ready by then. I feel Gunler may need 4 or possibly more years to be truly ready to go.