Canadian winger Koehn Ziemmer probably won’t be available where Dallas is picking, but like a lot of projected second round picks: he’s kind of all over the place. What’s not all over the place is his profile. Ziemmer is a shooter above all else. For a Stars system that lacks pure shooters, there’s a lot to like.
Overview
Date of Birth: Dec. 8, 2004
Age: 18
Height: 6′
Weight: 202lbs
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Right
Team: Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Ranked #41 by CONSOLIDATED RANKING
Ranked #40 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
Ranked #46 by FCHOCKEY
Ranked #50 by FLOHOCKEY/CHRIS PETERS
Ranked #48 by DAILY FACEOFF
Ranked #31 by TSN/BOB McKENZIE
Ranked #71 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
Ranked #32 by TSN/CRAIG BUTTON
Ranked #25 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #46 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
Ranked #35 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
Ranked #24 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
Ranked #75 by SMAHT SCOUTING
Need-O-Meter?
Dallas might seem set at right wing, but are they? The Stars have a lot of prospects who can play right wing, but Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque are natural centers. Ziemmer could be what Dallas needs at right wing, but maybe he’s just exactly what Dallas needs at forward, period. Stankoven, Bourque, Johnston, Seminoff, Stranges, etc — the Stars have plenty of undersized playmakers at this point. I don’t say that as a criticism. I just mean it goes without saying that Dallas has plenty of sports cars but not a lot of old American muscle (or Canadien in this case). Ziemmer isn’t a power forward in the classic sense, but he’s a big-bodied winger who can ideally complement Dallas’ endless center talents.
There’s nothing subtle about his game. He plays to shoot. Whether on his forehand or backend, Ziemmer can chamber a puck with the best of his 2023 peers. When you look at the way he shoots, it’s less about raw mechanics, and more about timing. With space, he’s good at managing the dynamic between delaying and releasing. A confident puck handler, he’s able to test a netminder’s patience, and thus keep them guessing.
Of course, just because his game is obvious doesn’t mean he’s less efficient. At his best, he forces defenders to beat him by punching first, barreling forward with as much momentum as possible to play through the opposition. The most gifted shooters have some element of playmaking. Ziemmer doesn’t have a ton of that, but he can keep the play moving up ice, whether along the interior or exterior of the ice.
BPA-O-Meter
Adam Fantilli is a consensus top three pick. Pay attention to the shooting, shot location, and shot creation tabs.
That’s pretty darn encouraging. What’s the catch?
His skating, for one. Let’s go back to Jason Robertson. Because “skating” is often used too broadly, it’s worth revisiting the actual component of Robertson’s skating that held him back: namely his top speed. Ziemmer lacks a top speed plus everything else. He strides with a significant hunch, preventing his legs from fully extending, and is completely empty of edgework.
David St-Louis, now at EPRinkside, wrote a great analysis of Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s skating when he was in Montreal that is applicable to Ziemmer’s skating, and also just really good piece for any layfan who wants a better understanding of skating in general.
I’m also not a fan of how often he tries to beat players one-on-one. The aggression is nice, but he doesn’t have an off-switch for it, and it frequently kills transitions. Beyond that, his center was the highly creative Riley Heidt, who will end up going much higher and for good reason. While these “but player X was with player Y” criticisms are usually lazy, there might be something to that given how insular the rest of his game is. As much as I have a bias against picking on a forward’s defense, he can coast a little too much for my liking, but beyond that, his defensive reads have looked suspect too. For an older player, these are the nuances you don’t want to see lacking.
Good Pick – Bad Pick?
Ziemmer is highly unlikely to be available where Dallas is picking. He’s not a good or bad pick so much as a boom or bust type. If Ziemmer is available, and Dallas picks him, I think it’ll say a lot about their active believe in him. Sure, Ziemmer would be considered a major faller at 61, but the Stars have Stankoven, Bourque, and Dellandrea as the heir apperants to Joe Pavelski (even if at least one or two of them should be playing center). Meanwhile, left wing will be a wasteland in four years; that Nill and his scouting staff would potential be willing to ignore the left wing need would say a lot about how all-in they are for him.