Ryan Poehling (pay’-ling, you’re welcome) offers size, vision, and leadership to any NHL team willing to wait a year or three for him to add a few pounds. Lauded by scouts as a hard-working, responsible two-way power forward with an offensive touch, Poehling has climbed up NHL draft rankings over the course of a freshman year at St. Cloud marked by steady improvement.
Projected as an eventual top-six center, Poehling is expected to mature into a two-way forward, already skilled at using his size to battle for pucks in corners and creases. A smart player, gifted at finding space in the opponents’ zone and anticipating plays in his own, Poehling is a strong skater who is hard to knock off the puck, and competes and communicates effectively on the ice.