Hockey Foreseen
A Prospect Spotlight featuring Lars Steiner
Lars Steiner, the sixteen-year-old right winger from Davos, Switzerland, has started off his initial season in North America with eleven points in his first three games for Rouyn-Noranda of the QMJHL. Playing well above his age group is nothing new for Steiner, who has throughout his young career played in leagues in which most of the players were two or three years older than him. At 12 he was playing U15 hockey, and at 14 he was playing U17 hockey. He played most of last season in Switzerland's U20 league at 16 years of age (he put up 22 points in 33 games as one of the youngest players in the league) and he was a leader on Switzerland's squad at the U18 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup last summer (he was tied for first in team scoring, albeit at just 2 points in four total games). Now, as a rookie for the Huskies, he is among the youngest players on the team.
At 5'10 and 177 pounds, Steiner already has a solid build and will likely add more height and strength over the next year and half before he is eligible for the 2026 NHL draft. He skates well, and has good speed, agility and a strong first step, and will improve both his acceleration and balance as he develops better lower-body strength.
What is more important than his skating, however, is his ability to anticipate plays and puck movement. Steiner may be young, but he plays with a wisdom and hockey intelligence that belies his age. He can often be seen taking clean routes to areas of the ice moments before the puck arrives, or getting himself into the only outlet lane an opposing player has and then easily intercepting passes.
On defense, Steiner plays a conservative, attentive positional game. As a right wing, he will patrol his side of the slot area, keeping a keen eye on the left point and monitoring play with a quick scan of the ice. He lifts sticks, drops down into the slot when necessary, and will initiate contact with a good shoulder check to try to dislodge pucks. If he or his team creates a turnover, he will make sure that possession is secured before trying to exit the defensive zone.
Steiner makes good reads with the puck, as well. He gets his stick in good spots to redirect passes with a single touch to teammates, and he his often first to loose pucks. He has a powerful wrist shot that fools goaltenders with its heat and accuracy. Steiner is opportunistic with his offense, capitalizing on chances when they appear. He is not the type of player that will create dazzling rushes with slick puckhandling and an array of moves, but when the puck is on his stick he makes the right choices and can create scoring chances.
At this point in his development, Steiner still needs work on his one-time shooting and deception with the puck. He is not yet a player that threatens a booming shot, even while playing the point on the powerplay. He also needs to get stronger on his skates, and improve his power skating to round out his mobility.
With nearly two full seasons yet to play before his draft class gets ready for the NHL to start calling their names, Steiner has plenty of time to work out the wrinkles in his game and get bigger, stronger and faster. With his hockey smarts and awareness, he has a strong foundation to build on. Projecting him as a late first-round or second round pick seems reasonable at this point. If he continues on his current development curve, he looks to be a quality second-line NHL winger.