• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
NHL Entry Draft

Tristen Nielsen – 2018 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

By Ryan Pike June 18th, 2018

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Tristen Nielsen

2017-18 Team: Calgary Hitmen (#15)
Date of Birth: February 23, 2000
Place of Birth: Fort St. John, British Columbia
Ht: 5’10” Wt: 180 lbs
Shoots: Left
Position: Center
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2018 first-year eligible

Rankings

  • THW (Pike’s Picks): 104th (final)
  • Future Considerations: not in top 100 (final)
  • ISS: not in top 31 (final)
  • Bob McKenzie: not in top 93 (final)
  • Craig Button: not in top 100 (final)

In every draft year, there’s a player that somehow falls off the draft radar despite appearing to be a decent bet for selection. Maybe the player missed time due to injury. Maybe they’re not terribly large. Maybe their team wasn’t very good. Maybe scouts only saw part of their season. The ultimate dark horse, long-shot value pick in the 2018 NHL Draft may be Tristen Nielsen of the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen.

Tristen Nielsen of the Calgary Hitmen

Tristen Nielsen of the Calgary Hitmen (Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen)

A first round selection in the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft, Nielsen made a brief three-game appearance in 2015-16 before becoming a full-time WHLer in 2016-17. He had 7 points in 49 games as a rookie and seemed to have a ton of energy, albeit unfocused – he was the hockey equivalent of an unattended fire-hose, spraying in a thousand directions.

His 2017-18 campaign can basically be split into two: he played 23 games prior to a hand injury where he was buzzing around the net but things just didn’t go in, and then a 26 game period after his return from said injury where everything went in. He had 35 points in 49 games, with 23 of them coming in the second half of the season. The biggest question for scouts is which Nielsen is the “real” one; the answer is probably somewhere in the middle, but how much credence you give to his second half likely determines if you think he has NHL upside. Regardless, his energy was much more focused throughout the season and it helped the Hitmen immensely.

Nielsen’s not a big player, but he’s a buzzsaw. He has an average to slightly above-average level of overall skill, but his game is elevated by his skating and gas tank – he creates a lot of chances and draws penalties by beating opponents to pucks. He may not be a great finisher – he was for 26 games, but he also bobbled many grade-A chances – but he’s got enough hockey sense to always be in the right place to create chances. Physicality might be a challenge at next level and he’ll need to bulk up to survive, but he’s got the wheels and awareness for it. The biggest challenge for him is converting chances and near-misses on a more consistent basis.

Related: THW’s 2018 NHL Draft Guide

Nielsen’s undersized, but works hard and his pace is what sets him apart from the pack. The gamble for NHL clubs is whether his final 26 games of this season is indicative of his offensive upside. More and more teams are taking gambles on players with his offensive profile in the later rounds and there may be some value here. Teams with multiple picks – and the ability to take calculated risks with those picks late in the draft – may take a calculated risk with him.

Tristen Nielsen – NHL Draft Projection

Nielsen seems to be a candidate to be selected in the sixth or seventh rounds. His size may give teams pause, but his offensive output this season after his return from injury will earn him quite a bit of consideration in the waning moments of the draft.

Quotables

I just noticed that Tristen Nielsen didn't crack NHL Central Scouting's North American skater rankings. I'm baffled that a player in such a big market could get so badly missed.

Hooooo boy, is he going to prove those scouts wrong

— Derek Neumeier (@Derek_N_NHL) April 16, 2018

Strengths

  • Plays with a ton of pace and tenacity
  • Good situational awareness in all three zones
  • Great fore-checker

Under Construction (Improvements to Make)

  • Lacks size and will need to add muscle to his frame
  • Arguably doesn’t have a single high-end attribute to his game
  • Not great at burying chances consistently
  • Could stand to improve his decision-making in offensive zone

Other 2018 NHL Draft Profiles

  • Luka Burzan
  • Kristian Reichel
  • Luke Henman

NHL Potential

Nielsen projects as a bottom six energy forward at the pro level.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 1.5/5, Reward – 3/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense 8/10, Defense 8/10

Awards/Achievements

Nielsen represented Canada at the Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Interview/Profile Links

  • Dub Network
  • Future Considerations

Videos

  • Tags
  • 2018 Draft Profiles
  • 2018 NHL Draft
  • Tristen Nielsen
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 15th 6:25 PM
Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens’ Romanov Fired Up to Face Oilers’ McDavid and Draisaitl

Jan 15th 6:00 PM
San Jose Sharks

Sharks’ Second Line Shines in Season Opener

Jan 15th 5:50 PM
Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs’ Marner Looking to Add Goals to His Stats

Jan 15th 5:35 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Three Takeaways from the Sabres’ Season Opener

Jan 15th 4:50 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Oilers News and Rumors: Smith, Barrie, Forsberg, Puljujarvi, More

Jan 15th 4:40 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Have Rough Season Opener but No Need to Panic

Jan 15th 4:20 PM
Column

Jets News & Rumors: Scheifele, Laine, Hellebuyck, Lewis & Quicksand

Jan 15th 4:10 PM
New York Rangers

Rangers Bring More of the Same in 2020-21 Opening Night

Jan 15th 3:45 PM
Column

Red Wings News & Rumors: Ryan, COVID, Markstrom & More

Jan 15th 3:30 PM
Boston Bruins

2020-21 Season Openers: Flames Lose Again, Islanders & Capitals Excel

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information