12. LW Matthew Puempel – Peterborough (OHL)

DOB: Jan. 24/93 | Shoots: L | Height: 6.00 | Weight: 190lbs  

Midterm Rank: 5 | League Rank: 6th OHL | Country Rank: 8th Canada

     It seems as if every year there is a top prospect whose draft year is riddled by injury. Last season Brett Connolly (Tampa Bay) struggled with hip injuries that limited the right winger to just 16 games. This year’s version of Connolly seems to be Peterborough Petes’ left wing Matt Puempel who was hampered with a back injury just before the season and a bone chip on his hip that required surgery and ended his season prematurely.

     It seems as if Puempel has always been in the spotlight for his goal scoring ability and this year was no different. The 6’0” forward had a great first season in the OHL, leading all rookies in goals with 33 and earned the Rookie of the Year award. He was able to match last year’s goal total in four less games this season for the Petes. Puempel has an incredibly accurate wrist shot and an impressive slap shot in his repertoire as well. There is little doubt that Puempel’s scoring ability will not hold the forward back at the next level.

     When watching Puempel early in the season, one can see that he does a great job at setting up his teammates, but it seems as if he might have tried to carry Peterborough more and more with his shot as the season went on. Part of this may have been the trade that sent the team’s top center Ryan Spooner (Boston) to Kingston two months into the season. With this being said, Puempel did play a fair amount with Austin Watson (Nashville) and 2011 draft eligible Alan Quine. It will be interesting to see how Puempel plays next season on a Petes team that has nearly all of their forwards returning.

     Many scouts also see concerns in his -33 plus/minus that ranked him tied for fourth worst on a team that had the second worst record in the OHL this season. Puempel did not seem to be a defensive liability in his own end but it also did not seem to be one of his strong suits. Bringing the same level of intensity from game to game is also something the left winger needs to work on. There would be games he would take over for the Petes this season and others where he struggled to stand out.

     Come draft day, Puempel will be hoping for Connolly-like success and definitely could with what he brings to the table. Unlike Connolly’s injury, Puempel’s hip injury is not considered a long-term concern; another plus for the Essex, Ont. native. Look for Puempel to hear his name called in the first round if not in the top 20 selections come June 24 in St. Paul.

Pros: Slap and wrist shot, accuracy, NHL release
Cons: Trust in teammates, consistency
Skill-set Comparison: Simon Gagne

Tags: 2011 nhl draft prospects, Matt Puempel, Scouting

About the Author: Andrew Weiss

Weiss, 19, started working for TSR in May 2011 and has been following junior hockey for the last three years. The Fort Wayne, Ind. native just completed his freshman year at Indiana University in Bloomington and would like to major in Marketing and Management with a minor in Journalism. He currently works for the Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University's award winning paper. Weiss also plays hockey for Indiana University (ACHA) and in addition to playing is also the president of the team.