A prospect that should be a priority for USHL squads come draft day is Poul Andersen of Benilde St. Margaret’s. The 6’1, 180-pound prospect has shown his immense talent and steady progression over the past nine months and is on the verge of a major breakout.
What makes Anderson such an intriguing prospect is that he possesses a nice mix of grit and skill. Watching Anderson muck it up in the corners and then make a smooth 1v1 move to beat a defender is a thing of beauty. Poul has a nice set of hands as he’s demonstrated slick stickwork to create scoring opportunities and the ability work in tight areas. He can absorb hits without much interference of his intended course of action and creates space by using his large frame to box out opponents.
While Andersen’s 4 goals and 4 assists in 16 games last season does not jump off the page, he was playing limited minutes on a stacked Benilde team that had a lot of mouths to feed. With Wes Berg and Ryan Baird moving on due to graduation, there should be a top 6 spot that Andersen should slide into, and he should also get his fair shar of powerplay minutes as well this season.
For Andersen the tools are there, he’s just waiting for the opportunity.