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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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Frank Nazar feels underrated among this year's National Hockey League draft class and he thinks he knows why. 

"Towards the end of the season, I was going through an injury, and I wasn't able to play as well as I probably could've," the U.S. National Team Development Program centre explained. 

Issues with both his shoulder and groin hampered Nazar's play at the under-18 world championship in Germany where the United States took home the silver medal. 

"I didn't really get to showcase what I could [do]," said Nazar. "I talked to [volunteer assistant coach] Ryan Kesler about it, and he helped a lot with just pushing through the adversity and being able to play. I just wanted to help the team win and I couldn't miss that for anything. It's something I had to be there to do. There was just no way that was going to stop me."

Days after the gold-medal loss to Sweden, NHL Central Scouting posted its final rankings. Nazar fell from 17 to 21 on the list of North American skaters. 

"I was looking at those and I was like, I can't say low, because thankfully I'm pretty high up there, but I just feel like I know that I'm better than a few of the guys above me," the 18-year-old said. 

Nazar came in No. 15 on the final list of prospects compiled by TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie, which was down just one spot from the mid-season rankings. 

Nazar got hurt when he crashed hard into the boards following a breakaway. He tends to find open space quite a lot during games, thanks to his blazing speed. 

In a conversation with TSN, Nazar outlined how he became such a fast skater and why a move to the centre position helped him. The 5-foot-10 Michigan native also revealed why he refused to talk about the draft rankings with his family during the season. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. 

TSN: How did Kesler help you through the injury? 

Nazar: "He was at the rink one day when I was doing some physical therapy and we were talking about the time when they [Vancouver Canucks] went to the Stanley Cup Final and he was going through the same thing. It's something we connected on." 

TSN: How would you describe your style of play? 

Nazar: "I'm a high-pace, competitive, two-way centre, who likes to score goals. And, as well as scoring goals, I like to make plays." 

TSN: Where does your speed come from? 

Nazar: "Honestly, I think it's more of a natural thing. I don't want to say it came easy, because it's something I worked at, but it was natural." 

TSN: So, what work did you do to develop that natural talent? 

Nazar: "It was more about figuring out how to use it to my advantage. It was about moving lateral as well as vertical and being able to go across the ice and turn defenders. So, that's something I had to work a lot on."

TSN: How did you work on that? 

Nazar: "Talking with our skills coach and figuring out how to manipulate defenders and their feet and read off of them."

TSN: Do you watch anyone in the NHL to learn that sort of thing? 

Nazar: "A guy like Brayden Point is really good at it. He's able to do a quick start and stop or get across the ice to open up other spots. He's someone I like to watch." 

TSN: What's it like adjusting to your linemates and making sure they can keep up with you? 

Nazar: "This year wasn't a big problem. Isaac Howard is a pretty fast skater, so he kept up pretty well. When I was playing AAA, it was a problem every now and then." 

TSN: How did you deal with it? 

Nazar: "I had to focus on stopping when I got to the offensive zone and maybe, like, pulling up and trying to find somebody coming in or slowing down so they could catch up. It worked out because I would always have the defenders thinking, 'What’s he going to do?'"

TSN: How would you describe what it feels like to be the fastest guy on the ice in most games? 

Nazar: "Well, honestly, I don't know. Some days I don't feel that fast. But it's cool to know I always have a chance to beat a guy to a puck race and it's something I use to my advantage." 

TSN: You started playing centre about a year and a half ago. How did that move help you?

Nazar: "I really like it. It's almost like being a quarterback and that kind of matches my game. I'm able to lead the rush and lead the plays and be able to set things up. I think that helps with my high-pace game. It suits me well."  

TSN: You didn't talk to your family at all about the draft rankings during the season. Why? 

Nazar: "I felt it was something I didn't really need to focus on until after the season. I wanted to focus on the year and getting better because at that moment it didn't mean anything. It was about keeping an even mindset about what I'm here to do at that moment."

TSN: How much did that help you? 

Nazar: "It helped a lot. Just always keeping a steady ego and not focusing too much on myself, but more on the team."

TSN: How did your family deal with that? 

Nazar: "They were a little mad about it, but what are they going to do, right? It's something they respected and I'm thankful for them doing that. They were really good about it." 

TSN: Let's end with a little word association on your teammates. What's the first thing that pops into your head when you think of Logan Cooley? 

Nazar: "Skill. He's so skillful with the puck. He's a great player and so smart."

TSN: Cutter Gauthier?

Nazar: "Tough. He's a tough guy. Along the boards, it's hard to go against him." 

TSN: Rutger McGroarty? 

Nazar: "Great shot. He's just a pure goal scorer. It's funny." 

TSN: Funny? 

Nazar: "Yeah, because growing up and playing against him I wasn't expecting it and then, boom, he's scoring left and right." 

TSN: Isaac Howard? 

Nazar: "Ah, man, I don't even know what to say. I'm going blank right now. For some reason I'm thinking 'wild.' That's what comes up on and off the ice, but in a good way. You never know what to expect off the ice from him. Like, sometimes he's saying something super funny and then on the ice he's just great. I loved playing with him." 

TSN: Lane Hutson? 

Nazar: "Extremely competitive and hard working." 

TSN: Charlie Leddy?

Nazar: "He goes all out for the team. All the pucks he eats, that's something I think about."