Nation Network Prospect Profiles: #44 Dennis Yan
By Garret Hohl
8 years agoDennis Yan is not the best draft eligible player. Heck, he’s not even the best on his team (that would be Anthony Beauvillier). Still, Yan is a pretty damn good player.
While his average ranking of the major third party draft resources have him sitting in the low-fifties, the numbers hint that their may be some under appreciated value with Yan.
As an American born player who carries a dual citizenship and a Russian passport, Yan may be one of the most interesting players many slate to go in the late second round.
Bio:
(The video doesn’t display much of Yan but the slow motion audio is the best)
- Age: 17.42 years old at start of season. Born April 14, 1997.
- Birthplace: Portland, Oregon
- Frame: 6’1, 187 lbs
- Draft Year Team: Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
- Accomplishments: U17 WHC Gold Medal, Hlinka Memorial Bronze Medal, Member in CHL Top Prospects Game
Stats:
| GP | ES G | ES A1 | ES A2 | ES Pts | ES Pts/GP | ES GF% | ES GF% Rel | TmG% | TmPts% | AA Pts/GP | EA Pts/GP | Adj Pts/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 23 | 11 | 7 | 41 | 0.69 | N/A | N/A | 15.00% | 29.09% | 0.99 | 1.16 | 1.06 |
- TmG% = Percentage of team goals a player scored in that player’s games played
- TmPts% = Percentage of team goals a player registered points on in that player’s games played
- AA Pts/GP = Age adjusted points per game
- EA Pts/GP = Era and league adjusted points per game
- Adj Pts/GP = Age, era, and league adjusted points per game
| PCS% 2014 | PCS Pts/82 2014 | PCS% 2015 | PCS Pts/82 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16.0% | 37.8 | 21.3% | 39.2 |
| PCS Most NHL GP | PCS Highest Pts/GP |
|---|---|
| Gary Roberts | Corey Perry |
| Adam Graves | Ray Sheppard |
| Scott Hartnell | Jordan Eberle |
- PCS = Our Player Cohort Success model. Click here for more information about PCS.
Scouts:
Draft rank:
| NHL CSS | ISS | FutureConsiderations | HockeyProspect | Pronman | McKeen’s | McKenzie | Button |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 (NA) | 48 | 90 | 40 | 62 | N/R | 38 | 58 |
…It’s all about upside with Yan, as he’s big, with a ton of offensive ability. He looks like a first-round player when he has the puck… Yan’s hands allow him to put away chances around the net well, and he also features an above-average wrist shot. His physical game, skating and off-puck reads could use some work.
Yan is a very skilled player who shows signs of being a real high end talent who can impact the game in a significant fashion. At times, it appears he doesn’t know how good he can be and how he could dominate. If he improves and finds consistent purpose and intensity, he could be very good.
From a strictly offensive standpoint, Yan has to be considered one of the most dynamic players in the age group as a result of his exceptional skating, vision, and sheer sniper’s mentality.
Our Take:
If you are looking for potential bargain players that are likely to slide into the late second or later areas, look no further.
Yan knows how to put the puck in the net. He sits 10th in the QMJHL for 17-year-olds in both points per game, age adjusted points per game, and percentage of team points. He also ranks 7th for even strength points per game and percentage of team’s goals created. Finally, he ranks 6th in goals created per game.
The kid can produce offense.
Even as a young sixteen year old, Yan was looked at very highly due to his offensive trifecta of shooting, vision, and puck handling.
At 6’1 he is no shrimp. He still has room to grow, but he has already covered his frame with a bit of mass at 187 pounds.
Looking at the top 100 consensus draft eligible players, PCS% ranks his size, age, and scoring cohorts as the 35th safest bet. His cohorts who made the NHL ranked 35th in points per game of all forwards. This coming from a where the average third part scouting resource places him around 52nd overall.
The issue is of course the passport. While Yan was born American and has played for a while here, he carries Russian citizenship as well and spent much of his minor hockey life in Russia. While the Russian factor is likely not as strong for Yan, it still exists and should be taken into account.
This post is part of our 2015 Draft Prospect Profiles series. From now until June 26th – the day of the draft – Rhys Jessop, MoneyPuck, myself, and others will be counting down and profiling our consensus top-45 draft eligible prospects. We hope you enjoy the series!
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