Rinkside Roundup: Šimon Nemec finding his offensive touch in the AHL

Entering the back half of the 2024-25 season, prospects are gaining steam and looking to make an impression.
This past week saw multiple dominant offensive displays, highlighted by hat-trick performances from Berkly Catton, Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, and Ryker Lee. In Liiga, Jesse Kiiskinen continues to impress with point-per-game production as a 19-year-old following a standout World Junior Championship performance.
To kick us off, however, we’ll turn to the blueline, as the 2022 second-overall pick, Šimon Nemec, had himself a five-point outing against Hartford on Wednesday night.
Šimon Nemec, RD, Utica Comets (New Jersey Devils)
Season Stats: 5G, 14A, 19PTS (AHL/NHL)
Last Week Stats: 2G, 5A, 7PTS
Following a 60-game rookie campaign last season – in which Šimon Nemec produced three goals and 19 points – Nemec may not have expected to find himself primarily back in the AHL this year. However, the offseason veteran acquisitions of Brett Pesce and Johnathan Kovacevic pushed him out of the lineup.
In recent weeks, Nemec has begun taking over individual games for Utica. He’s still searching for consistency in his offensive creation from night to night, as he’s scored in bursts this season, surrounding multiple pointless outings with a multi-point showing.
Still, his offensive habits have matured throughout the season. Nemec was cunningly selective with his activations in the 7-3 win hosting Hartford, jumping into the rush and offering an extra option in space without crowding the carrier. Perhaps most notably: Nemec displayed composure and restraint when he lacked cover to pinch, improving on a key struggle he encountered in the NHL.
While Nemec’s future in New Jersey isn’t guaranteed, with many veterans on long-term deals sitting ahead of him on the right side of depth chart, his recent performances displaying both his situational awareness and offensive support game should help him find NHL minutes in the medium-term future.
Berkly Catton, C, Spokane Chiefs (Seattle Kraken)
Season Stats: 20G, 42A, 62PTS
Last Week Stats: 5G, 3A, 8PTS
Already having sported the top power play in the WHL, the Spokane Chiefs doubled down on offence with the acquisition of Andrew Cristall, who has given Berkly Catton an elite thinker of the game with game-breaking skill to combine with offensively. Catton has more than benefitted from his creative counterpart’s arrival, scoring 15 points – just one less than Cristall – in the five games since the trade.
Catton has increasingly explored his dual-threat offence while also carrying less individual pressure to create dangerous chances with arrival of the WHL’s best set-up man. Cristall has also benefited massively from Catton’s strengths and style of play, exploiting the gaps created in defensive coverage by Catton's dynamic feet and pace off the rush.
It’s not only Catton’s production that has improved in this recent scintillating form. He’s exploring the outer reaches of his skillset and improvising alongside a player who can match his intelligence, creativity, and deceptive skill for the first time in his WHL career.
The 2024 eighth-overall pick will not be driving the entire offence in the NHL as he had in Spokane until the trade. His combination play with Cristall offers crucial learning opportunities in elevating skilled linemates and should ease aspects of his transition to the professional ranks when the time comes.
Jesse Kiiskinen, RW, HPK (Detroit Red Wings)
Season Stats: 9G, 19A, 28PTS
Last Week Stats: 1G, 3A, 4PTS
Following a fantastic World Junior Championship performance for Finland – which saw him score a goal in six consecutive games and finished joint-second in tournament goals – Jesse Kiiskinen has picked up where he left off in Liiga. The HPK winger has six points in his first three games back, and has dictated the play against senior competition.
The Detroit Red Wings prospect is a natural goalscorer with excellent off-puck instincts and a potent array of releases. This season, Kiiskinen has leveraged this scoring threat to open significant playmaking opportunities. He deceives defenders with his eyes, hips, and feet, and is exploring higher-end offensive plays including no-look and hook passes to beat layers of defence.
Sitting first in Liiga points-per-game among U22 players (min. 10 GP) with 0.97 – and leading HPK in scoring outright – Kiiskinen has found ways to be impactful offensively all season long. While he still struggles to play through contact against heavy opponents, and will need to continue developing his defensive habits and engagement, Kiiskinen’s progression bodes well for his middle-six scoring upside.
Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, RW, Luleå HF (2025 Draft)
Season Stats: 13G, 27A, 40 PTS (J20/SHL)
Last Week Stats: 4G, 2A, 6PTS
A potent offensive winger, Jakob Ihs-Wozniak has dominated the scoresheets in J20 Nationell this season. While he was a can’t-miss first-round talent heading into the season, his inconsistent motor and pace have led to some questions of projectability to the NHL game. Elite Prospects’ Director of European Scouting, Lassi Alanen, who has covered Ihs-Wozniak’s progression all season long, encapsulated these questions in a January 11th game report.
The 6-foot-2 forward has yet to gain a foothold in Luleå’s SHL squad – playing less than 23 minutes across the ten games he’s dressed for – but his recent stretch of junior play has been his best of the season.
On Sunday, the Swedish-Australian scored three and assisted one against Västerås IK J20, in one of his stronger displays of the season. Ihs-Wozniak’s heavy release is a true power play threat, and while it took centre stage with the hat trick, his playmaking and connective habits proved even more impactful in the past weeks. Baiting defenders to bite on the shot and changing the angle of release on his passes and shots alike to circumvent coverage, Ihs-Wozniak flashed advanced habits in his on-puck play this weekend.
His consistency and ability to get involved physically will be central in determining his draft stock come June. Expanding his off-puck involvement and ramping up his pace of play – as he showed he is capable of this week – will help his chances of entrenching himself back among first-round candidates.
Ryker Lee, RW, Madison Capitols (2025 Draft)
Season Stats: 15G, 20A, 35PTS
Last Week Stats: 3G, 1 A, 4PTS
One of the most unique draft-eligible prospects in the USA, Ryker Lee has had a season to remember, sitting at or near the top of first-time draft-eligible scoring in the USHL all season long and coming in third in league point-per-game with 1.25. Lee is a true triple-threat scorer, sporting fluid handling, creative playmaking, and potent goalscoring. His skating represents a true hurdle in projection, however, as his hunched and inefficient stride mechanics paired with subpar agility limit both his speed and adaptability.
A hat-trick performance against the Chicago Steel saw Lee at his very best, compensating for his skating very well by anticipating the play ahead of his opponents and employing clever off-puck movement. His ease in deceptively blending his handling and shooting skill repeatedly created dangerous scoring chances, including a highlight reel dissection of the defence for his first goal.
Few players in his age group combine triple-threat skill, processing speed, and vision as well as Lee. His skating and engagement habits represent key areas to develop for whichever team selects him. While Lee will be more home run swing than high-likelihood NHLer on draft day, his versatile flair and growing confidence in his toolkit led to dominant performances last week and highlight his special offensive potential.
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