CHN Avalanche Prospects Watch: Sasha Mutala, Kid On A Mission

In a prospect world full of Newhook, Byram, Beaucage and Timmins, It’s easy to forget about the other guys, the prospects who aren’t lit up in neons. Mainstreams often just tell us about who they want us to know about, not what we need to know about.

It’s easy to find stats and clips of star prospects. But when people don’t take the time to dig deeper, a prospect can pass them by. Literally catching them sleeping. The result: they don’t have the time or effort to create an individual opinion; nor a profile. The follow on of this is bad for the fan and hockey consumer. They miss out on valuable info, which just isn’t bloody good enough.

I mean, who knows who Danil Zhuravylov is?

Part of my mission with CHN, is to change all of this.

So What Am I On About?

Standing 6’1″ and tipping the scales at near 200 pounds, BC native Sasha Mutala isn’t small by physical nature, more so by draft stature. He’s having quite the season in the WHL with Tri-City, not too sure I’ve heard many crikey’s going his way this season, so far. So c’mon guys, saddle ya’ camels up as we go deep into the prospect desert.

The Story So Far, Sasha Mutala

Drafted sixth-overall by Tri-City in the 2016 WHL Bantam draft, Mutala was a prolific scorer as a youngin’ especially in the BCMML (British Columbia Major Midget League).

Always heralded as a good leader in the midget ranks, he was honored by gaining the “C” for Team Canada Black at the 2017/18 Under-17 Hockey Challenge. Just 2 months into his WHL career, mind you. He topped the team with eight points, outscoring team-mates such as Kirby Dach, Jamieson Rees, and three other 2019 picks; Alex Newhook, Alex Beaucage and Bo Byram. Who would have guessed it – F O U R Avalanche draft picks on the one Canada team? Bonkers mate, bonkers.

Mutala would build off the tourney and have a good first full season in 2017/18. By season’s end, he notched 26 points over 68 games. Showcasing his elite shot, physicality and vision, it was evident that Sasha was going to be a player, and a freakin’ good one at that.

The Draft Year

Mutala came into 2018-19 with high hopes, and as he should. Considering his performance against his peers intentionally the year before and a decent output on an average Tri-City Americans team, Mutala was looking to explode like a pimple on a spotty teenager’s face.

But again, Tri-City on paper was a pretty poor team, but from the opening game, however, Mutala was hotter than a Sunday arvo at Bondi Beach. Even found himself at the back-end of some first-round projections. He’d become a much better, well rounded player.

Sasha Mutala's maturation from a one dimensional goalscorer to a complete two-way player has been a ton of fun to watch. He's a player you can trust in any situation and on any line. Easy first round selection in my eyes. #NHLDraft #WHL

— Donesh Mazloum (@DMaz16) August 7, 2018

But as the season went on, he went cold, as did Tri-City. Mutala gets a pass from me though. After his mother battled and beat breast cancer in 2017, his dad would have a major stroke in September of 2018, suffering brain damage. That is a major hurdle for anyone. Let alone a kid trying to get drafted. I can’t blame him if he was burnt out toward the second half of the season. After all, he was spending as much time as he could outside of hockey, at home, caring for his parents.

The skills were evident, but it just wasn’t all coming together at once. He was still getting GOOD recognition, but his game just wasn’t developing as quickly as some expected.

He would finish his draft year with 41 points in 65 games. Nobody was truly sure what Sasha was as a player yet, nor where he should get drafted.

“With the 140th pick, The Colorado Avalanche is proud to select”…

Well, the answer as to where he should be drafted was answered, with the Avs taking Mutala with pick No. 140 in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. At the time, I was freaking stunned he was still on the board. The raw upside alone was surely too good to pass up, but many did. As a May, 2001, birthday, he was also one of the younger eligibles available. Well worth the risk even in the second round, but the fifth? B-b-b-bargain.

Sasha Is Fierce, Indeed

Fast forward eight months and Mutala is feeeeelin’ it. I’m calling it. He’s arrived. Copy and paste it. Do it. He’s my boy!

Mutala has become the go-to guy on the team. He’s got that “A” on his sweater and is playing with more swagger than Crocodile Dundee. As of today, he has 66 points, 27 of those goals. His 66 points are good enough for 20.2 percent of his teams point total. That’s the second-best percentage IN THE LEAGUE. On a team that has just 17 wins through 59 games, he has managed to put together a 12-game point streak (18 points) and two six-game streaks. Oh, not to mention: he’s the fourth-ranked DY+1 (draft year, one seasoned removed) WHL player this season.

He has really clicked down the overdrive this season, as we can see in my chart below (download image for a better look)

His shots on net and points-per-game are now upper-tier, star-level numbers. He’s an offensive driver that is relentless. His 218 shots are ninth among all WHL skaters and 94 ahead of his closest teammate; also the biggest gap of any combo in the WHL. His shooting percentage is just at a tick over eight percent, but with next to no help and more will to win than Phar Lap, let the kid keep shooting. I mean, someone has do score at Tri-City, Right?

Watch the video I made below. He’s No. 34 in every clip. You’ll see what I see. A big, smart skilled winger who can wheel, snipe and celly. A kid who knows how to find the soft areas, has all the shots and he never stops on any shift. Skating and effort away from the puck is still a work in progress but….

I think he has middle-six potential and has a very good, almost pro-ready shot. He’s a beauty, guys. Watch his space.