Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The 2023 NHL Draft is finally upon us, as we move into the final part of our draft profile series. This article brings us very close to home talking about Quentin Musty of the Subury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
This name may seem familiar to some Buffalo Sabres fans, as Musty is a native of Hamburg, New York and spent time playing in the Buffalo Jr. Sabres program.
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Musty was selected first overall by Sudbury in the 2021 OHL Draft, and will be looking to become the first native of Buffalo to be selected in the first round of the draft since Patrick Kane went No. 1 overall in the 2007 NHL Draft to the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Western New Yorker has puzzled many draft experts, as he has been projected to be selected anywhere between 36th overall and 12th overall in the draft order. He was ranked 14th overall by NHL Central Scouting among North American Players.
Profile:
Musty is a big 6-foot-2, 190-pound left winger that is re-defining what it means to be a power-forward in hockey. The 17-year-old utilizes his size and strength to create offense for his team, while also using skill to create his own chances.
In the 2022-23 OHL season, Musty posted 78 points (26+52) in 53 games, and was on pace for over 100 points if he had played a full season in Sudbury.
Musty didn’t make the Team USA squad for the 2023 IIHF U-18 World Championship, but did participate in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he recorded five points (1+4) in six games for the Americans.
Positives:
Musty has a very big frame for someone in his position. While he may need to add some muscle to totally utilize his physicality, he already shows the potential to be great at winning the tough battles that come at the NHL level.
This physicality is extremely prevalent on the forecheck, which often leads to offensive chances and even goals. He can also utilize this skill while in the defensive zone to assist his team in breaking out the puck and creating odd-man chances at the other end of the ice.
Aside from being a physical forward, Musty has a very deceptive shot. He utilizes his size to muscle past defenders, and then catch the goaltender off guard and fire a quick wrist shot for a goal.
He also has a lethal one-timer that, as of now, only seems to be active on the power play, but it’s evolving into 5-on-5 play as well.
Negatives:
Musty may be very active in the defensive zone on the backcheck or when shutting down scoring chances, but he does have struggles in transitioning play back down the ice for offensive chances.
This did improve throughout this past OHL season, but it’s not exactly where it needs to be in order to make an early impact at the NHL level.
He also needs to develop another step in his skating abilities, but that sort of “negative” comes with age and playing in higher levels of the sport. Unlocking the potential of what his skating could be, though, would make him one of the best forwards in this draft class.
NHL comparison:
While Musty isn’t a center, he can easily be compared to a young budding elite center on the Sabres.
Dylan Cozens burst onto the scene this past season when he finally tied together his size and skill, becoming a great power forward for his team.
Cozens was drafted seventh overall by the Sabres in the 2019 NHL Draft, and took some time to get to the level of where he currently is. Cozens has already played 201 NHL games and recorded 119 points (48+71).
In his short career with the team, Cozens has honed his skills in the offensive zone, and paired them with an aggressive physical style of play that makes him very difficult to play against.
Where does he fit on the Sabres?
Drafting a player like Musty would give the Sabres a strong, aggressive winger they haven’t had for quite some time. He would slot in nicely as a second line winger, as other players like JJ Peterka, Jack Quinn, and Jeff Skinner progress through their careers over the next few years.
Sabres fans probably wouldn’t see Musty for 2-3 years, as he’ll most likely return to the OHL to continue his growth and fine tune his game. He would be a very exciting prospect to have coming up the pipeline to pair with players like Jiri Kulich and Matthew Savoie.
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