With their fourth round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft the Philadelphia Flyers have selected the big puck moving defenseman from Switzerland Brian Zanetti at 110th overall.
Ranked as the 149th best skater in Europe by NHL Central Scouting, Zanetti had his plans totally disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Drafted 35th in the CHL Import Draft, Zanetti was supposed to come to North America to play for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL. Obviously things changed, so he was forced to stay in Switzerland, playing for HC Lugano of the Under 20 Elite league.
In his 41 games with Lugano, Zanetti put up 29 points, good for the second most of his team’s defensemen. He also joined team Switzerland for the Under 18 World Juniors Championship where he managed to record an assist in his five games, as Switzerland was knocked out of the tourney in the quarterfinals.
Standing at 6’2”, Zanetti has some good reach for a defenseman, something he makes good use of. He does well in the corners, and generally provides a quality presence for his team in the defensive end. He also applies all these talents to the neutral zone as he’s able to knock opponents off the puck and get the play going the other way. His skating and vision are also commendable, seeing the ice incredibly well and being a smooth enough skater to make himself more than a threat in both ends of the ice.
The biggest issue with Zanetti seems to be the real lack of tape on the player, with his only real high profile performances being on a Switzerland team that struggled to get off the ground in the World Juniors. His numbers in Switzerland are certainly commendable, and he has shown the ability to be at the very least competent in his own zone.
Zanetti’s book is far from written, though right now his floor and ceiling for the Flyers is almost impossible to predict. When he comes to North America to join the Petes in the OHL, a much clearer picture will likely come into view for the Swiss two-way defenseman.