Jan Drozg. -- SHAWINIGAN CATARACTES

Penguins

Prospect Watch: Drozg keeps scoring

By Taylor Haase

Feb 26, 2019 • 11:13 pm

2.8K

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- I've written about Jan Drozg a fair amount this season.

• The Penguins having "high hopes" for Drozg during training camp.

• Drozg carrying the Cataractes on his back.

• Anze Kopitar's thoughts on Drozg

• Drozg signs his entry-level deal.

So ... here's another look.

Drozg, No. 37, leads his Shawinigan Cataractes -- the worst team in the QMJHL's Western Conference -- with 18 goals and 31 assists through 51 games. He's been a factor in 30 percent of his team's goals this season. He added three goals in three games to his totals this week:

Drozg is currently averaging just under three shots per game this season. Not bad, considering his team doesn't exactly possess the puck very often. His 148 shots this season are pretty spread out over the ice, with the slot seeing the highest density of shots.

Prospect-Stats.com

Drozg is averaging 0.35 goals per game. He's seeing 0.41 primary assists per game, and 0.20 secondary assists per game. The lack of secondary assists isn't a surprise -- the probability of the Cataractes scoring a goal while Drozg is on the ice and it not being either scored or primarily set up by Drozg isn't that high.

Drozg has seen his ice time slightly decreased recently, as he's been playing some games on the Cataractes' second line. The move isn't for any performance-based reasons, though. The players bumped up to the top line are all younger players who have a year or more remaining of junior eligibility, and will be around as the Cataractes attempt to rebuild their team.

Drozg, of course, is in his final year in the 'Q', and will be graduating to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the spring. Despite the circumstances, don't expect Drozg to develop any sort of "senioritis." He's a hard-working player who will keep pushing until his final game in a Cataractes sweater.

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FORWARDS

Justin Almeida

Position: Center/Wing

Size: 5-11/160

Drafted: 2018, fifth round

Team: Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)

Season totals: 54 games, 25 goals, 62 assists

Almeida scored two goals and five assists in three games this week.

He was named the No. 1 star and Warriors Player of the Game for his one-goal, two-assist performance on Feb. 22:

Justin Almeida (@justinalmeida27) had 1-2-3pts in a 4-2 Friday win in Swift Current and was the Warrior of the Game pic.twitter.com/ZgLp3y6Cya
— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) February 23, 2019

Jordy Bellerive

Position: Center

Size: 5-10/195

Drafted: Undrafted

Team: Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

Season totals: 59 games, 28 goals, 43 assists

Bellerive scored three goals and one assist in two games this week.

He also did this ... which would have been a great goal, if it weren't into his own net:

Kasper Bjorkqvist

Position: Wing

Size: 6-1/198

Drafted: 2016, second round

Team: Providence College (NCAA)

Season totals: 34 games, 14 goals, 11 assists

Bjorkqvist scored one goal in two games this week:

Jan Drozg

Position: Wing

Size: 6-0/174

Drafted: 2017, fifth round

Team: Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)

Season totals: 51 games, 18 goals, 31 assists

Drozg scored three goals in three games this week.

Liam Gorman

Position: Center

Size: 6-2/188

Drafted: 2018, sixth round

Team: St. Sebastian’s School (USHS-Prep)

Season totals: ?

Gorman scored the game-winning goal for his school in a 3-2 win on Feb. 22.

He was named to the All-NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) Team East.

Filip Hallander

Position: Center/Wing

Size: 6-1/190

Drafted: 2018, second round

Team: Timrå IK (SHL)

Season totals: 38 games, 7 goals, 10 assists

Hallander was scoreless in three games this week.

Nikita Pavlychev

Position: Center

Size: 6-8/225

Drafted: 2015, seventh round

Team: Penn State (NCAA)

Season totals: 32 games, 13 goals, 14 assists

Pavlychev was scoreless in two games this week.

The Penn State Athletics website put together this feature on Pavlychev's season.

"It seems very obvious, but his physical attributes are just so overwhelming," coach Guy Gadowsky said. "We know no one likes to see him come over the boards when you're on the ice. ... It's also his mentality that is the issue (for other teams). He has the mentality that he is going to beat you, and he really takes pride in his defense."

DEFENSEMEN

Calen Addison

Size: 5-10/180

Drafted: 2018, second round

Team: Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

Season totals: 58 games, 11 goals, 47 assists

Addison scored two goals and one assist in two games this week. Both goals came on Feb. 23, his first multi-goal game in his WHL career:

Niclas Almari

Size: 6-1/167

Drafted: 2016, fifth round

Team: HPK (Liiga), HPK U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

Season totals: 39 games, 1 goal, 4 assists with HPK; 2 games, 1 assist with HPK U20

Almari played in three games this week and was held scoreless.

Ryan Jones

Size: 6-2/186

Drafted: 2016, fourth round

Team: Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA)

Season totals: 30 games, 9 assists

Jones was scoreless in two games this week.

Zachary Lauzon

Size: 6-1/187

Drafted: 2017, second round

Team: Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (QMJHL)

Season totals: None

Lauzon, who has been rehabbing from the neck injury he sustained last season, will not play this season. He was not able to resume skating with the team. Lauzon will remain around the team for the remainder of the season and will travel with his teammates.

If the Penguins wish to retain Lauzon’s rights, they would have to sign him this summer. That won’t happen. Lauzon’s time as a Penguins prospect is most likely over, if not his entire career.

Antti Palojarvi

Size: 6-1/176

Drafted: 2017, sixth round

Team: Lukko (Liiga), Lukko U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga), SaPKo (Mestis)

Season totals: 16 games, 2 assists with Lukko; 29 games, 4 goals, 9 assists with Lukko U20; 6 games, 1 goal, 1 assist with SaPKo

Palojarvi recorded one assist in two games with SaPKo.

Clayton Phillips

Size: 5-11/182

Drafted: 2017, third round

Team: Minnesota (NCAA)

Season totals: 29 games, 1 goal, 9 assists

Phillips did not play this week after being injured on this hit:

Last week at Ohio State, Clayton Phillips took this open ice hit. He's been questionable but practiced this week for the #Gophers. pic.twitter.com/OXUnXHmueJ
— Eric Vegoe (@evegoe) February 22, 2019