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DRAFT PROFILE | Alex Vlasic: Size, Shot, Defensive Play

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Alex Vlasic: A Raw, Defensive, Physical  Defenceman With Size, Booming Shot, 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver

Alex Vlasic (Photo by USHL)

The Stanley Cup has been awarded, and the Blues fans have enjoyed their Stanley Cup parade. While many Canadiens’ fans are relieved that an arch rival lost, more were happy to see a long-suffering franchise finally deliver a Cup to a group of great fans.

But after watching the celebrations that followed St. Louis’ game seven win, Habs fans wondered, ‘why can’t that be us?’

Getting to a Cup final starts by drafting well. Finding success at the draft means finding players outside of the first round who can, in time, fulfill key roles. Trevor Timmins has his work cut out for him yet again this year and rebuilding organizational depth on the left side of the blue line will be a challenging task.

With multiple second round picks, the Canadiens may have an opportunity to land that type of player. One player who may fit the bill is Alex Vlasic.

Alex Vlasic, D, USNTDP            
June 5, 2001 | Wilmette, IL, USA.
6-6, 198 lbs. | Shoots Left |
2018-’19: 61 GP, 4 G, 23 A, 27 PTS

CSB: No. 38 (NA Skaters) | ISS: No. 43 | THN: No. 33 | HP: No. 37 | FC: No. 34

The Boston University commit has hockey in the blood. Alex is the cousin of San Jose Sharks defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and the younger brother of Yale grad Emma Vlasic. Unlike his older sister, the younger Vlasic towers at six-foot-six inches tall. However at 198 pounds, Alex has room to grow into his frame. Playing in the NCAA will provide him added time to work on skills and in the gym.

Vlasic’s production doesn’t jump off the page with only one assist at the U18 World Championships. A modest 27 points in 63 games playing for the US Development Program won’t help him at the draft tables either. However, his style isn’t as a top-end offensive defenseman, it is as a reliable two-way defender who can pitch in with some offence.

“Vlasic plays a game that fits the modern NHL.”

Chris Peters at ESPN holds him in high esteem stating, “[Alex] is not flashy and his numbers don’t pop, but Vlasic plays a game that fits the modern NHL. He defends at a high level, has excellent feet and sees the ice remarkably well.”

As a prospect, Vlasic is seen as a project. He is expected to play his full eligibility in the NCAA before making a jump to the professional ranks. As a potential second round choice, this shouldn’t be a surprise.

His skating isn’t as smooth as those defenders projected to go in the first round. In my view, his unorthodox-looking skating stride is not a large concern and will improve in time.

His style is similar to that of Blues defensive stalwart Colton Parayko and for good reason, Vlasic tries to model his game on the Alberta product. In time, Vlasic may be able to grow into his frame and refine his skating style to become as effective as Parayko, a solid two-way defender who plays heavy minutes.

Defensively is where Vlasic shows his value. He uses his large frame well to fill lanes, forcing attacking forwards to the outside or to dump the puck. Vlasic uses his foot speed to retrieve loose pucks and his mobility to maintain good positioning. He is also adept at using his long reach to cut off passing lanes.

Vlasic is not an aggressive player who looks for the big hit instead taking opportunities that don’t take him out of the play. He uses his frame to fill space, win board battles and to create space on the transition. Adding strength to an already imposing frame can only help him in the long term, especially against larger and stronger NHL forwards.

Offensively, Vlasic isn’t going to be a points leader. Nonetheless, he has a heavy shot from the point. For now, his job is to improve its accuracy. 

While most see Vlasic as a valuable contributor to the penalty-kill, I think that he may become a good option as a shooter on a second wave of a power-play. His mobility allows him to control the puck high in the zone and his vision identifies passing lanes.

Much like Parayko, Vlasic’s offensive strength will be in the transition game. His accurate first pass can feed a winger hitting stride out of the zone. To a lesser extent, he is able to  carry the puck out of the zone.  

As a project, Vlasic will take time and proper seasoning to develop into an impact player. In my opinion, he may become that big, all-round defenceman that contending teams crave.

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By Blain Potvin, Staff Writer.
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