Rinkside Roundup: Nick Lardis scoring at will in Brantford

From KHL youngsters thriving in a new environment to CHLers furthering their progress, the prospect world has seen its fair share of interesting performances over the past week.

Nick Lardis made his opponents see double over the weekend, posting eerily similar stat sheets on Saturday and Sunday. On the other side of the pond, Dmitri Buchelnikov’s move to Vityaz Moscow has been paying major dividends so far, as the 21-year-old continues to leverage his offensive skill against men.

In other news, Sam Dickinson is posting out-of-this-world numbers in London, fellow 2024 first-rounder Terik Parascak is leading the charge in Prince George, and Tomas Mrsic has been showing why we had him ranked almost 70 slots higher than he went on draft day. Finally, a seldom-discussed 2025 draft-eligible QMJHLer, Philippe Veilleux, is finding his footing in Val-d’Or. 

We’ll delve into all of their standout games in this week’s edition of the Rinkside Roundup.

Nick Lardis, LW, Brantford Bulldogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

Season stats: 20G, 9A, 29PTS 

Last Week Stats: 6G, 3A, 9PTS

When the Chicago Blackhawks wagered a third-round pick on Nick Lardis in 2023, the winger had come off a disappointing start with the Peterborough Petes which was quickly overshadowed by his offensive explosion once he was dealt to the Bulldogs. Now, Lardis has become the offensive focal point of his team. His two hat tricks over the weekend only further cemented that fact.

Averaging over 20 minutes a night, he slices across the neutral zone with quick acceleration and changes of pace, sets up in his hip pocket, and delivers deadly blow after deadly blow. He gets off the wall, finds offensive space brilliantly, and displays ever-improving handling flashes in those scenarios. His shooting versatility has only gotten better, too — catch-and-release shots, toe-drag releases, one-timers, it’s all there.

With 20 goals and only nine assists on the season, it’s clear Lardis hasn’t been refining his playmaking skill to the level anticipated. He still lacks consistency in his reads, and often fails to identify just how much space his skating creates for his teammates. That’ll need to improve, but regardless, Lardis’ goal-scoring skill is undeniable — and near-unstoppable.

Dmitri Buchelnikov, LW, Vityaz Moscow Region (Detroit Red Wings)

Season stats: 8G, 18A, 26PTS 

Last Week Stats: 1G, 4A, 5PTS

Jumping from one lower-ranked KHL team in Admiral Vladivostok to another in Vityaz Moscow Region seemed like a lateral move at best for Dmitri Buchelnikov, but he has made the most of it.

With his recent five-point week, the Detroit Red Wings’ second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has brought his season totals to eight goals and 26 points in 27 games played, good for third in the entire KHL. The 21-year-old has been combining high-end rush plays with incredibly quick offensive processing to produce, mainly through his playmaking — an interesting development given how much of his offence previously flowed through his powerful and versatile release.

Buchelnikov’s passing refinement has been a treat to watch — off the rush, he catches pucks in full stride, draws defenders out, and exploits the space they leave behind them. Off the cycle, he catches passes on the backhand and quickly zips them to open teammates in the slot. With these improvements, Buchelnikov is well on his way to becoming a true dual-threat scorer.

Sam Dickinson, LD, London Knights (San Jose Sharks)

Season stats: 11G, 19A, 30PTS 

Last Week Stats: 0G, 5A, 5PTS

Since his return to the London Knights, Sam Dickinson has been on a mission.

The San Jose Sharks’ 11th-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft has been racking up points at nearly unprecedented levels so far. Through 17 matches, his 1.76 points per game sit second among all OHL defencemen since the turn of the century with more than 10 games played, only trailing Brandt Clarke’s draft-plus-two season.

Dickinson has been averaging 30 minutes a night for London, which certainly plays in the favour of those high point totals, but he has also earned those minutes. His physical tools, on-puck confidence, and defensive skills allow him to eat up minutes comfortably, seemingly barely affected by playing half the game. He jumps up in every rush, carries pucks out of his zone, defends aggressively and with constant effort — even late in those 30-minute games.

If he can clean up his decision-making woes on both sides of the puck — which could also be chalked up to simply playing too often and inevitably having lapses in processing — the Sharks have a star on their hands.

Terik Parascak, RW/C, Prince George Cougars (Washington Capitals)

Season stats: 11G, 19A, 30PTS 

Last Week Stats: 0G, 5A, 5PTS

After racking up 105 points in 68 games last season — in his rookie WHL campaign, no less — Terik Parascak was going to have to go back and live up to that standard, along with that of a 17th-overall pick.

So far, the Washington Capitals first-rounder has done just that.

With his five assists over the weekend in a back-to-back against the Kelowna Rockets, Parascak has started showing interesting improvements. Previously over-reliant on his teammates to create in transition due to his lack of agility and foot speed, the winger has started showing flashes of rush creation. 

He manipulates and dekes through a layer before gaining the neutral zone, and from there, he either slows down and delegates, or drives in and starts the cycle. Off the puck, Parascak is still as phenomenal as he was last year — a refined sense for timing and space lands him in great spots offensively, and he regularly gets first to loose pucks on retrievals. His physical game has improved, too — he has legitimate puck-protection tools and regularly shows a willingness to engage defenders early, spin off checks and get inside.

If these improvements are any sign of what’s to come, Parascak will prove the Caps right for taking the swing on him early.

Tomas Mrsic, LW/C, Prince Albert Raiders (St. Louis Blues)

Season stats: 13G, 12A, 25PTS 

Last Week Stats: 5G, 2A, 7PTS

In our final 2024 NHL Draft rankings, we had Tomas Mrsic as a legitimate B prospect, sitting at 46th among his peers.

Mainly, it was the shot that drew our team in. A legitimate weapon from mid-range, Mrsic’s release explodes off his stick and finds corners with frightening ease. The issue was that Mrsic was hiding in the shadows of a deep Medicine Hat Tigers team, and only truly started to shine when the likes of Cayden Lindstrom and Gavin McKenna were out of the lineup.

Now, Mrsic finds himself on the Prince Albert Raiders, and he’s been running the show — especially this past week.

Mrsic's release remains as lethal as it was last year, but the St. Louis Blues’ fourth-rounder has started incorporating more complete sequences. He hunts opponents down low, supports his defencemen on breakouts, and builds speed under the puck. From there, he dekes a layer, deceives another, and attacks the last layer head-on before using him as a screen for his shot.

Rounding out his game is exactly what Mrsic needed to do in order to prove doubters wrong, and he is certainly on the right track.

Philippe Veilleux, LW, Val-d’Or Foreurs (2025 NHL Draft)

Season stats: 12G, 13A, 25PTS 

Last Week Stats: 2G, 2A, 4PTS

With seven points in his first 12 games, Philippe Veilleux wasn’t living up to the standards he had set last year as a 16-year-old when he finished the season as the struggling Val-d’Or Foreurs’ top scorer.

Since then, however, Veilleux has amassed 18 points in 10 games, while displaying impressive offensive details. The 2025 draft-eligible forward has been especially impressive in his processing, play selection, and cohesive puck skills.

While his lack of physical tools prevents him from being a legitimate top-50 contender in the upcoming draft, a team could spot the hockey sense, playmaking and goal-scoring skill and see Veilleux as a valuable piece down the line. His offensive tools, his improved skating, and his high-end reads blend together seamlessly. With a refined catch-and-release shot, deft handling skill and subtle playmaking details, Veilleux could set himself up for a pick as high as the late second round this summer — especially if he keeps playing the way he has as of late.