Andrew Cristall

One of 2023's most highly debated prospects

May 31, 2023

Height: 5’10”
Weight: 167 lbs.
Shoots: Left
Position: Left Wing
Team: Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Nationality: Canada

The Draft Prospectus Ranking: #15

As the WHL is set to produce several players at the top of the 2023 NHL Draft board, Andrew Cristall has forced his name to be mentioned among the best of them.

Since the season kicked off in October, Cristall has outperformed pre-season expectations. At nearly 1.76 points per game, Crtistall trails on Connor Bedard (2023 Draft), Chaz Lucius (Winnipeg Jets), and Logan Stankoven (Dallas Stars) in WHL points-per-game - the latter two being first-rounders in 2022.

Cristall was set to surpass his 2021-22 point total (69) by mid-January, but an injury has forced him to miss more than a month of the season.

“He has a highly-imaginative offensive mind and great vision with the puck. His skill, vision and a legit shot from range make Cristall so dangerous on the power play and inside the offensive zone.” - Corey Pronman, The Athletic

Like our sixth-ranked prospect, Zach Benson, Cristall is an undersized forward with high-end offensive talent.

One of the most explosive forwards in this year's draft, whether scoring or deferring to teammates, Cristall constantly finds himself creating opportunities.

A point-producing machine, Cristall has recorded a point in all but ten of the 54 games he’s participated in this season. In nine games, he’s registered at least three points, including a season-high five on November 9 and March 25, where both times he assisted on five of the Kelowna Rockets’ goals.

A teammate of Bedard and Benson in AAA, Cristall was initially given a ‘B’ rating by NHL Central Scouting. He has since been upgraded to an ‘A’ due to his draft season success.

🥅 As mentioned, Cristall is among the most skilled players in this year's draft class. With attacking play constantly on his mind, his nose for the net is an exceptionally invaluable attribute.

There are very few shots Cristall is willing to turn down. He is inclined to take his opportunities even from bad angles hoping to sneak one past the goalie or create a rebound. With over four attempts on target a night, Cristall is shooting just under 18%. Though that might seem like a rather pedestrian number, keep in mind he is not always shooting to score. He frequently looks to play the puck off the goaltender's pads if he sees a teammate crashing toward the crease.

Though he likes to use the goaltender as a bumper, Cristall also makes pinpoint passes from the boards to teammates in high-danger areas.

Cristall creates for both himself and his teammates. His puck handling is extraordinary, as he can operate in super-tight spaces. His stick is essentially an extension of his arms as he keeps the puck close to his body.

He sometimes makes opponents look foolish, trying to get him off the puck with quick movement on his edges and mesmerizing handling.

Cristall’s one glaring weakness is his skating. An average skater at best, he has a bit of a clunky, hunched-over style of skating. While his edge work is fine, his speed sometimes fails him, as faster defenders can easily get on his tail.

Because of his lack of speed, he tends to pull up around the blue line when entering the zone to find trailing teammates, instead of attacking the zone directly.

With his size and lack of separation ability, he can be easily dislodged from the puck. His puck handling makes this a difficult task, but opponents will look to play the body on him more often than his stick.

🏒 Possibly due to his lack of speed, Cristall gets caught exiting the defensive zone early, looking to create a rush - leaving his teammates responsible for regaining possession.

When he does decide to engage in the defensive game, Cristall can be physical. He has a solid motor, but it depends on when he's willing to turn it on that it becomes an asset.

While Benson is the higher-regarded player, the two were among the WHL’s top players this season. While Cristall may have a slight advantage offensively, he is nowhere near Benson’s level defensively.

📊 Cristall is extremely difficult to project as he has such high-end talent but lacks speed, as the game has become much faster over the past decade.

His skill places him in the top ten, but his deficiencies can drop him to the mid/late first round. He's a genuine high-ceiling/low-floor prospect that drives scouts mad.

I believe one GM will be willing to take a chance on his high ceiling and select Cristall around the mid-way point of the first round. He will spend another year or two in juniors, but the reward makes him worth the risk.

He plays a similar style to Cole Caufield. In Caufield’s draft year, there were plenty of questions surrounding his defensive play and his lack of size. With a breakout year before his season-ending injury, Caufield was well worth the 15th overall pick.

If/when he makes it to the NHL, he’ll see a top-six role with time on the power play.