Cristall defies reports, expectations to raise profile for 2023 NHL Draft

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 28-29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The first round will be June 28 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 are June 29 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at left wing Andrew Cristall of Kelowna of the Western Hockey League. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Andrew Cristall has read all the scouting reports. About how he's too small, doesn't skate well enough, doesn't care defensively.

The 18-year-old forward just smiles and tucks them away in his personal file.

"It doesn't really affect me too bad," Cristall said. "Obviously if you see it, it's definitely a little bit of fuel to the fire, adds some extra motivation for sure. But I don't really get too mad about or upset or anything. It's just kind of one person's opinion. I'll just keep doing my thing and to try and get better."

Cristall defied a lot of the reports on him this season, finishing sixth in the Western Hockey League with 95 points (39 goals, 56 assists) in 54 games; his average of 1.76 points per game was third among skaters who played at least 10 games, behind Regina center Connor Bedard (2.51), the expected No. 1 pick in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft, and Kamloops forward and Dallas Stars prospect Logan Stankoven (2.02).

He's No. 15 among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings presented by BioSteel.

"He's very creative, very elusive, one of those guys that just seemingly appears out of nowhere and the puck is in the net," Central Scouting's John Williams said. "He has shown he can score from anywhere when there's an opening. He has great vision and he's basically a cheat code on the power play."

Cristall understands he's not the perfect player and knows there is truth to some of the knocks on him. He believes his skating is better than people realize but works with renowned power skating coach Barb Aidelbaum to add a bit more top-end speed.

"I think I have really good skating and my edges and my turns and my deception in it," Cristall said. "So there's that part of it where I feel really confident and I'm great at that.

"A little bit more extension and kind of snap of that knee and that toe to get a little bit more power. And that'll come with just kind of getting that man strength in your legs and stuff like that and working in the gym, but also comes on the ice for sure."

The size issue is something Cristall (5-foot-9, 175 pounds) has little control over, and much like the skating, it's something he's used to hearing and is defying expectations.

"I've been told I've been too small at each rank and saying I wouldn't be able to play hitting hockey or I wouldn't be able to play junior, or now the NHL or whatever it is," he said. "I think it just adds an extra chip on my shoulder. I go out there and I want to prove people wrong that say that because obviously I am a little bit smaller, but I think I hold the puck pretty well, I don't really get knocked off of it too much. And I definitely hold my weight, so I doesn't really affect me too much."

Kelowna coach Kris Mallette hasn't seen any issues there the past three seasons.

"He came back this year 25 pounds heavier," Mallette said. "Guys are always questioning his strength and his potential. Is he timid? Is he able to stand up for himself? Can he take a hit? All these things he's answered them time and time again. He's got a nastiness to him when he needs to, to create a little bit more space."

Mallette also said Cristall is far from a one-way player.

"His defensive game doesn't get enough credit because of where he sets himself up," he said. "He's very intelligent defensively ... he likes to think a couple plays ahead. Sometimes you tend to think that he is cheating the game a little bit but what he's actually doing is anticipating a change of possession for a potential odd man rush or whatever it may be.

"His play makes him look better and better each and every time he's out there. He's a special one for sure."

It wasn't just the scouting reports that got Cristall fired up this season. He was fifth among WHL forwards in Central Scouting's final ranking, behind Bedard (No. 1), Zach Benson of Winnipeg (No. 6), Brandon's Nate Danielson (No. 7), Vancouver's Samuel Honzek (No. 9) and Moose Jaw's Brayden Yager (No. 11). Behind him was Riley Heidt (No. 21) and Koehn Ziemmer (No. 25) of Prince George, and Gracyn Sawchyn (No. 24) and Nico Myatovic (No. 26) of Seattle.

"He's played some of the best hockey when other draft eligibles are in the game," Mallette said. "Zach Benson, Brayden Yager, obviously Connor Bedard. The night that he was here (Nov. 29), childhood friend, lose 6-5 in overtime and Andrew's two and two (two goals, two assists), Connor doesn't get a point until overtime, an assist late. He was like, 'Oh, big hype on Connor Bedard, I'll come out and do my thing.' And if you were to talk to anybody in the building that night, he was the best player on the ice."

Cristall and Bedard grew up in the Vancouver area and still play on the same summer inline hockey team. But Cristall had no problem attacking his friend the same way he attacks anyone who doubts his chances of reaching the NHL.

"If somebody says something you want to obviously go out there and prove them wrong and have that anger a little bit and that definitely kind of fuels me," he said. "I'm a pretty competitive guy and whenever I step on the ice no matter if it's like a random game or a playoff game or whatever it is, I kind of want to go out there and compete and win the game. So I think once I kind of get into that mindset, it's kind of from there I just take over a little bit.

"It's obviously good to prove people wrong, but I think the main thing is kind of proving myself. I definitely have a lot of self-belief and confidence in myself."

Photos: Brian Liesse; Steve Dunsmoor

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