Andrew Cristall – 2023 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

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Andrew Cristall

2022-23 Team: Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Date of Birth: Feb. 04, 2005
Place of Birth: Vancouver, BC, CAN
Ht: 5-foot-10 Wt: 165 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: LW
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2023 first-year eligible

Rankings

While many prospects in the Western Hockey League are being overshadowed by phenom Connor Bedard, the class remains strong with high-end talent. One of those players is Kelowna Rockets left wing, Andrew Cristall. He has been on a torrid scoring pace all season with 84 points in 49 games, a 1.71 per game average. Even though there was a bump in the road with a lower body injury, he has continued to pick up where he left off as he’s continuing to dominate. 

Andrew Cristall Kelowna Rockets
Andrew Cristall, Kelowna Rockets (Steve Dunsmoor/Kelowna Rockets)

Cristall is one of the top playmakers in this class, as he’s very creative and evasive possessing high-end offensive IQ. He’s very deceptive and shifty with his movements as he maintains great control of the puck, handling it confidently in high traffic areas and even beating defenders one-on-one. Whether it’s feathering a puck through a defender’s stick or his feet, he’s always making slick plays and dekes. His soft hands allow him to make moves in tight on the net to fool goaltenders and leave them in the dust.

Cristall is very smart at identifying and spotting the cross seams and passing lanes as he’s able to confidently execute a passing play to his teammates. He does a great job to lead the rush as he’s great drawing in opponents to open space up and connect with crisp passes or making a quick give-and-go. He’s always finding the open ice and when he does that’s when he goes into attack mode, letting his skill and creativity do the rest of the work.

Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide

Even when there’s nothing to be done, Cristall always finds a way to make something happen and keep the play alive. When facing a lot of pressure and despite being smaller in stature, he maintains excellent control and body positioning. He’s effective at shielding and protecting the puck coming out of the corners and taking it to the middle of the ice. Even though he could add more muscle, he’s always battling to get to that area. When he displays his patience, he can get a quality shot on net as he has great accuracy and power.

Although he doesn’t have the best skating mechanics, he still possesses decent speed but can improve on it. He does a great job utilizing the whole surface in order to maintain offensive zone time. What stands out the most is his edgework, as he’s able to be elusive upon entering the offensive or on the cycle. When his feet are at the 10 and two position, he’s extremely deceptive with his movements, throwing the opponents off as to what he will do next.

Defensively, he does a good job to apply pressure and hunt and chase loose pucks. There are moments where he does exit the zone a little early and that puts his team at a disadvantage. Like any young prospect, the defensive game will come. He’s determined to excel and try to be a more complete player.

Other THW Draft Profiles

Andrew Cristall- NHL Draft Projection

It’s difficult to get a read on where Cristall may end up. Many scouting outlets rave about his IQ, creativity and ceiling as a playmaker that could warrant top-10 consideration. Others feel that he could still be a top-20 pick. The size factor could affect his positioning and may fall come draft day, despite the production and skillset he possesses. Could this be a situation where Cristall falls similar to Logan Stankoven? We all know how that turned out as teams shouldn’t pass on that opportunity.

Quotables

“He’s consistently leading his forwards into areas of the ice that they may not have been going or putting pucks into open spaces that allow his other forwards to change their route and find themselves with the puck and space.” – Austin Garret, SMAHT Scouting 

“He may be undersized, but he is truly one of the most talented playmakers in junior hockey already. There are passing lanes that most players would never see developing, and Cristall has the passing precision to pick them apart. Cristall is cerebral in his approach, looking for lanes to exploit as a skater through the offensive zone to attack the center lane.” – Tony Ferrari, The Hockey News

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“Despite his smaller stature, he frequently displays good competitiveness along the half wall and slot when loose pucks are up for grabs. It is very unlikely that he will ever develop into a player with even average levels of physicality, but Cristall’s high-end hockey IQ in all three zones leaves him with legitimate above-average defensive upside when projecting his game at the next level.” – Chris Horvat, Dobber Prospects

Strengths 

  • High-end IQ
  • Soft Hands and play making abilities
  • Extremely Creative
  • Excellent puck control
  • Strong Transitional play

Under Construction- Improvements to Make

  • Improve skating stride
  • Add muscle to improve strength
  • Try not to cheat on defense

NHL Potential

Cristall definitely has a strong and excellent offensive skillset that’ll make him a dangerous offensive playmaking threat at the next level. He is easily a top-six forward with the potential of being a top-line player. He can excel in any situation offensively and if he continues to develop defensively, he could be a reliable transitional player on the penalty kill.

Risk- Reward Analysis

Risk- 2/5, Reward 4.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense- 8/10, Defense 6.5/10

Awards/ Achievements

Cristall was a part of Team Canada’s gold medal team at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he finished the tournament with a goal and five assists in five games.

Andrew Cristall Stats

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