iain.morrell – McKeen's Hockey

Winnipeg Jets 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:36:35 +0000

Having sat at the helm of the Winnipeg Jets since a few weeks before the 2011 Entry Draft – in other words, since the team left Atlanta - Kevin Cheveldayoff is now one of the longest tenured GMs in the sport. The length and stability of his tenure, as the team rose from an absolute also-ran into one often considered among the second tier of Stanley Cup candidates is a testament to the patient team building espoused by the man known as “Chevy” and the True North Sports and Entertainment Limited ownership group.

Considering Winnipeg’s reputation as a frigid outpost with very limited entertainment options, the team had to grow organically, through the draft and player development. It was easy to build with key pieces when the team was struggling. They were not trading their picks and they tended to pick high. In Chevy’s first draft, the Jets nabbed Mark Schiefele seventh overall. In his second go round, Jacob Trouba was selected with the ninth overall pick.

It wasn’t until 2015 when they finally had to wait through the first half of the draft before making a selection, but that worked out well, too, as the Jets picked twice in round one, selecting Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic. It was really only in 2018 that the plan began to change in Manitoba.

The team had made the postseason only once in its first six seasons as the Winnipeg Jets, and had turned things on, with young Patrik Laine sniping without end and 2012 draft pick Connor Hellebuyck emerging as a high-end workhorse in net. They were suddenly one of the best teams in the league. As top teams do – but as Cheveldayoff had never had to do before – they went about supplementing that largely home grown core through trade, sending their 2018 first round pick (and a few other pieces) to St. Louis for center Paul Stastny. The Jets made it to the Western Conference Finals before bowing out.

For a team that was used to picking twice in the first round, it must have felt like years before they got to call out a name at the end of the second round.

Last season was another strong one for the Jets, although not as consistently so. Regardless, they once again traded away their first-round pick, this time sending it to the New York Rangers (again, along with some stocking stuffers) for big center Kevin Hayes, a pending free agent. It should be noted here that Stastny was also a pending free agent at the time of the 2018 trade and he had signed with Vegas in the offseason, despite Winnipeg trying to retain him. Back to the present, the Jets were knocked out in the first round this time. Hayes did not perform well.

The Jets were now looking at two years outside of the first round and knowing Hayes would not be resigned, they had nothing to show for it. So, they sent the rights of RFA Trouba (my, how time has passed) to the Rangers to get their original pick back. They had a first-round pick, but that was one of only five picks they got to make in Vancouver.

While the Winnipeg Jets lack hardware to show from the last two seasons, they proved that they could reach close to the NHL pinnacle with a pure draft and development philosophy. There are still some nice pieces in the pipeline, but the system now lacks depth. Their drafted and developed players are moving on to second and third contracts and are getting very expensive. Can they turn the trick again?

-Ryan Wagman

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Sami Niku (83) (Photo by Terrence Lee/Icon Sportswire)

1 Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) Vesalainen is a strong skater with very good speed to achieve separation from defensemen. He has good quickness in his first few strides and shows quite nimble footwork for a player of his size. Much more of a shooter than a playmaker, he has a highly accurate wrist shot with a quick release. He can also score with a slap shot or one-timer. He has decent passing skills and offensive instincts. He likes to drive the net and can gain the inside position around the net. On the downside, he can be invisible for overly long periods, mainly at 5-on-5. He needs to be more involved in the game and also show some more intensity with greater consistency. Vesalainen has the potential to develop into a solid, versatile middle-six winger who can provide offensive punch. - MB

2 Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 5) A raw high schooler when the Jets used a second-round pick on Samberg, he has done nothing except collect hardware in the two years since. Actually, that isn’t true. He has also ground down some of the rougher edges of his game to the point where he is one of the better two-way defenders in college hockey and perhaps the best of the traditional, big-man defensive prospects in the game. He reads the ice like a 10-year pro and anticipates opposing forays, allowing him to get his stick on seemingly everything. He has also developed his offensive game nicely. He moves the puck well on the power play, finding teammates down low with sharp diagonal passes against the run of play. He has a hard shot too, suggesting he can continue playing on the man advantage when he finally turns pro. I’m not saying he is the next Brent Burns/Shea Weber, but he is built in that mold and has top pairing upside. - RW

3 Ville Heinola, D (20^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Heinola is a smooth skating, offensively gifted defenseman with terrific hockey sense. He has very good offensive vision and displays remarkable poise with the puck. He has already proven that he can run the power play in the Liiga like a seasoned veteran. He gets his shots through and moves the puck with crisp passes. He is effective at carrying the puck up ice, yet also has good playmaking skills from the back end. He is calm under pressure and has swift hands to control the puck well I tight spaces. He makes plays in all areas of the ice. He is not very physical but has good gap control and understands the principles of defending. Heinola has a high ceiling and projects as a firs or second pairing NHL defenseman. - MB

4 Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 6) Standing at 6-7” tall, Stanley is a difficult guy to miss when he is out on the ice. The physical beast is one of the tallest prospects (or player of any level) in hockey, and his high-end defensive game leans heavily on his near-incomparable length. With his long and impassable gaps, active stick, and ability to take any opposing forward off the puck, his defensive game is one that seems NHL ready at just 20 years old. The former first rounder has a developing offensive game, using his booming slap shot, hockey sense, and passing skill to make something happen consistently at the other end. The main issue displayed during his first pro year with AHL Manitoba is his lack of technical skating skill, which hinders his acceleration and momentum and limits his NHL potential even if he moves well for his size. There is reason to believe he can grow on it and reach his top-four ceiling, but it will take some time. - TD

5 Sami Niku, D (198^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 4) His struggles at the NHL level last season made an elephant in the room of Sami Niku’s development, but his prospect ceiling -- and floor -- remain high as a surprisingly talented former seventh-round pick. With Winnipeg in 2018-19, he failed to have any of the success he had in the AHL the season prior, but still displayed flashes of absolute brilliance as a depth two-way defender. A splendid skater with fantastic puck-moving skills and smarts, he fits the Jets’ up-and-down style well and looked increasingly comfortable with a regular role alongside Ben Chiarot. His offensive game is well versed, but his defensive game -- most notably his initial blue line defense and discipline with moving the puck out -- will have to improve. At worst, he is a third-pair defenseman with some power-play time in the future. - TD

6 David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 8) Gustafsson has looked good in the early stages of this pre-season. He looks a bit faster and stronger and looks to earn a bigger role in the SHL while aiming to be the first line center for Sweden’s WJC run later in a few months. He is an average skater and his puck skills are similar, but he relies heavily on his high end compete level. With his size and strength, he can be a force to face. His NHL potential is more of a middle six or bottom six center than someone for the top six, but he has a good chance to reach that and will probably be an NHLer within two or three years. He scored 12 points in each of his two SHL season as but should be able to at least double that this upcoming season, his last as a teenager. - JH

7 Simon Lundmark, D (51^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A smooth skating, puck-moving defenseman. Lundmark has good size and reach but lacks elite skill and can be both sloppy and soft in his game. That said, he shows good vision and plays a calm game with poise. He played full time in the SHL over the second half of last season. He has top six NHL defenseman potential. He doesn’t really have any elite skills in his toolkit and looks more to be an effective in five-on-five play than a power play or penalty kill specialist. He needs to work on his shot to be a better point-producing defenseman and he also needs to get stronger and to compete more in the more physical aspect of the game. His skating, vision, and reach will help him be effective with his stick defensively. Next season, he is expected to play regularly in SHL from the start. - JH

8 Giovanni Vallati, D (153^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 13) Vallati progressed very well this year following an offseason trade from Kitchener to Oshawa. His size and mobility combination make him very effective at both ends of the ice. He is very difficult to beat to the outside because of his feet and reach, and he closes in on dump ins very quickly to get play started the other way. Vallati also possesses a good low point shot, which he uses to create second chance opportunities when operating the point. As an NHL prospect, his upside is that of an all situations second or third pairing defender. Without elite puck skill, there may be some concerns as to how his offensive game translates, but his mobility and size should play in the defensive end. - BO

9 Harrison Blaisdell, C (134^thoverall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Blaisdell had a very good year for the Chilliwack Chiefs in the BCHL, with 33 goals and 58 points in 51 games, and added to that with an impressive showing in the World Junior A Challenge with four goals and five points in six games. The speedy center is a strong two-way player who plays an up-tempo style and a quick transition game. He has a solid frame, really quick hands, with a really good shot and rapid release. He has been successful at every level and will continue to do just that as he heads to the University of North Dakota next season. He has great leadership qualities, along with some versatility, and projects to be a bottom six forward at his peak. - KO

10 Michael Spacek, C (108^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 9) As one of the finest defensive players in the Winnipeg system, Spacek has a clear NHL future due solely to his hard work and intensity in all three zones, but he can be better than a defensive specialist. The Czech native’s high-end two-way game has translated well from the WHL to pro hockey, as his shot, passing skill, and of course, his maturity and responsibility as a defender has impressed in the Winnipeg system. He is a decent skater, has solid stick-quickness, and features a very quick wrist shot release with enough velocity to fool defenders. His issue right now comes down to consistency, as his shot is sorely underused, he does not do much offensively without the puck on his blade, and he can go missing for long stretches. He is a very reliable player and is sure to eventually get his shot in the big leagues, but he will first need a little more seasoning. - TD

11 Jansen Harkins, C (47^th overall, 2015. Last Year: Not ranked) After a slow start to his pro career, Harkins experienced his best season yet last year (70-15-16-31) and is starting to look like the second-rounder Winnipeg drafted in 2015. The gritty, intelligent center ended up in the ECHL for a brief moment last season, and looked like a certified bust, but his 2018-19 season was an impressive one that exhibited his three-zone excellence, his nifty puck-handling skills, and his smarts as a passer and cycle player. With good speed and discipline, he can and does play all three forward spots pretty frequently and is adaptable enough to move up and down the lineup. He is still a long-term project who needs to work on assertiveness and skating, but he has finally shown up as a prospect. - TD

12 Joona Luoto, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jun. 15, 2019. Last Year: IE) Luoto is a strong, physical winger who plays with high energy and competes hard in each and every shift. He is a puck hound who wins most of his board and corner battles and is tough to play against in that sense. He does not quit on plays and is very dependable. He scored a fair bit in juniors, but he was not a point producer for Tappara in the Liiga as he was mostly deployed on the third or fourth line, without many opportunities on the power play. That said, there were occasions when he displayed fine technical skills and a goal-scoring touch. He is not a speedster, but he has good hockey sense and moves into good spots. He has a chance to be a checking line winger in the NHL. - MB

13 Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 10) Virtanen is a competitive and reliable center who has shown really well at the international stage. He plays a tenacious game without the puck, battles hard for pucks, and consistently provides puck support. He reads plays well, making himself available for passes and getting into position defensively. He is not the most skilled prospect but plays a straightforward game with the puck and can chip in offensively from time to time. Virtanen's skating is quite ordinary, and he needs to add agility, quickness and endurance. He is versatile, can play up and down the lineup and is a good penalty killer. He may not have a very high ceiling, but he could eventually develop into a third- or fourth-line center at the NHL level. - MB

14 Clinston Suess, LW (129^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 14) After tearing it up with Minnesota State-Mankato for four full seasons, Suess was expected to jump right into the AHL and carry that offensive firepower into the Manitoba Moose lineup. However, his season came to an early end when he got into a scramble in a mid-December game and he missed the rest of the season with an upper-body injury, finishing with just the 12 points (8G, 4A) he accrued before his injury. Though his health did not cooperate last season, he still brings with him a solid ceiling of depth power forward scorer, due to his high-end upper-body strength, nose for the net, and ability to sense developing plays well. At 25 and having never played a full pro season, Suess is still a question mark, but a very intriguing one. - TD

15 Declan Chisholm, D (150^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) A smooth skating offensive blueliner, Chisholm saw his production increase greatly in his first post-draft season in Peterborough. He starts the breakout very effectively by making a clean exit pass or by using his mobility to create rushing lanes that he can exploit. He has worked hard to cut down on his turnovers and improve his decision making. Defensively, he has improved his strength down low and is competing hard, but consistency is still an issue. There are still lapses of concentration. Additionally, he will need to improve his point shot if he wishes to be a powerplay QB at the NHL level. Chisholm projects as a third pairing puck mover who can line up alongside a more defensively oriented blueliner. - BO

16 Luke Green, D (79^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 17) The bad luck with injuries that Green has sustained in the last two seasons should not affect his best attribute – his skating. He is a very solid skater on his edges or in a straight line and it has been his best path to success in his career. However, a shoulder injury suffered in a prospect tournament in 2017 and a concussion last season restricted his availability to just 27 games over the last two seasons combined. Green has great hockey sense with and without the puck, a great puckhandler with an equally strong first pass; he just needs to see more of the ice to grow. He projects to be a jack-of-all-trades finesse two-way defender who can handle the middle-pair and powerplay minutes in the NHL, but he needs health and more time to marinade. - MS

17 Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 19) After a promising youth career, Kraskovsky has struggled to reach the next level, and unfortunately injuries have played a significant role in this lack of development. He may have not missed the train yet although he may need to breath some new air after being part of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl system for his whole life. He is gifted with good size and excellent two-way abilities and he may become a solid bottom-six player for the Jets, but he needs to restart his development path and play a full, injury-free season. At this point, however, Kraskovsky is just a long shot to make the NHL. His contract with Lokomotiv runs out next year and it is likely that he will try to get to Winnipeg at that time. - ASR

18 Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 18) A star at the USHL level with Sioux Falls, Berdin wasted no time getting adjusted to the higher competition of the pro-affiliated levels, posting outstanding numbers with both ECHL Jacksonville (16-8-2, .912 Sv%, 2.66 GAA) and AHL Manitoba (12-11-0, .927, 2.34) as a 21-year-old. Extremely athletic and hard-nosed, Berdin plays a fundamentally refined game that minimizes high-danger chances. He also possesses the last-resort agility to shut down anything that he can’t immediately get to. His puck-handling is incredible as well, as he can single-handedly force an opposing team to abandon a dump-and-chase scheme midway through games. He will need to improve his tool selection and anticipation, but the tools for a mid-tier NHL starter exists within the Russian stopper. - TD

19 Leon Gawanke, D (136^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Gawanke is a great result of drafting a determined player from a lesser-known international program and letting him take advantage of the international experience he is sure to get. He is expected to be a mainstay on the Team Germany blueline throughout his professional career, and has played in three world junior championships, albeit in Division 1A with his native country. Either way, that plethora of experience has paid off for Gawanke, who is more than just a booming shot. He is a risk-taking offensive defender who loves to skate with the puck and make plays. His defensive play needs work, but his raw offensive game will propel him in the pro ranks. He will need time with the Moose but could be a power play quarterback at the NHL level with his shot and his smarts. - MS

20 Henri Nikkanen, C (113^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Prior to last season, Nikkanen was considered a potential first or second round pick for the 2019 NHL Draft. Unfortunately for him – but fortunately for Winnipeg – after having a rough season and missing the WU18 championships, the skilled center fell all the way to the fourth round. He has shown flashes of high-end skill in the offensive zone, He can carry the puck into the zone displaying fast stickhandling and smooth hands. He is a decent skater with solid agility, though his top speed is average, and his balance could use some work. He plays a solid defensive game, takes away time and space from opponents and can cover his man in the defensive zone. Nikkanen has nice skill, but his game might be too bland for the NHL and there are also questions marks around his hockey sense for the time being. - MB

Washington Capitals 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:30:48 +0000

Many clubs in the Capitals’ position of always being in the hunt, always being buyers at the trade deadline, see their prospect stock stumble, mostly due to the combined effects of having fewer picks, picking later when they do make picks, and sometimes trading away still developing youth for the more reliable promise of tested veterans.

In many cases, teams supplement their prospect income with free agent signees, and Washington has been no exception, although to a lesser extent than many other teams, with only seven qualified having been brought into the organization – having been brought into professional hockey – as undrafted free agents. That said, the player’s inked by the Capitals off the free prospect market do not have the organizational impact that you see from free agents in other systems. While the two free agent collegians signed by Washington this year (Joe Snively from Yale and Bobby Nardella from Notre Dame) were considered for the top 20 list, none of the free agent signees ultimately featured in the list below.

Also incidentally not appearing anywhere in the top 20 below is a single product from the Capitals’ small draft class of 2017, when they did not select a single player prior to the fourth round.

The above factors would typically lead to a system that is among the bottom end of systems in the game, and while we have not yet scored out all systems as of this writing, and even without Chase Priskie, who would have likely been in the top six here were it not for his stated intentions to explore free agency after Washington’s right on him expire in mid-August as a college graduate, the Capitals have a decent system, buttressed by a top four who all profile to be top half of the NHL roster players.

The system, from the 30,000 foot view lacks for inspiration, but between minute munching, two-way defender Alexander Alexeyev, long-touted netminder Ilya Samsonov, who began to demonstrate the potential that had Capitals’ brass salivating for years in the second half of his season in North America, and their top two picks from the 2019 class, forward Connor McMichael and Brett Leason, there are four players here who could grow into future core pieces for a franchise that should reasonably expect to continue to contend for postseason glory.

What the system lacks, on the other hand, is the breadth and depth of the system that is also needed to ensure that a team can withstand the inevitable injuries that teams accrue over the course of a season. The AHL talent – at least those guys who will not be AHL rookies this year – has very few forwards who could be expected to play NHL roles yet, with the only young potential 2019-20 contributing players coming on the blueline. In fact, two of the following three players listed below after the aforementioned top three, and three of those in the 5-10 range are defensemen with at least one full season of AHL experience under their belts.

The moral here, if there is one, is that the Capitals have a better system than might be expected, but that the system may not be structured to help the NHL team as needed, depending on how those needs shake out. Expect their depth to be tested this year.

-Ryan Wagman

Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov (Photo by Jaylynn Nash/Icon Sportswire)

1 Alexander Alexeyev, D (31^st overall, 2018. Last Year: 3) Alexeyev is a great story wrapped in a very good player who has all the tools to be a top four defender in the NHL. He has good size, skates very well, and has more snarl in his game then most give him credit for. Couple all that with a defender who is an excellent passer both in his own zone as well as when quarterbacking a powerplay, and he shows real promise. He has had some injury trouble the past couple of seasons and had a tragic loss as his mother passed away mid-season in his draft year. Despite so many ups and downs he has been one of the top defenders in the WHL since his arrival from Russia. He projects as playing both sides of special teams although maybe on second units and he could be an very solid second pairing defender. - VG

2 Ilya Samsonov, G (22^nd overall, 2015. Last Year: 1) Having had good numbers in the KHL, Samsonov was destined to be a top goaltender in North America, however despite his cool demeanor, depending on the outcome of a play he can get easily frustrated and distracted. His playoff performance with AHL Hershey was less than desirable and he seemed to lack the maturity to keep his focus into the postseason. Samsonov is a very intense, high pressure goaltender and he has all the traits to be a starter in the NHL. It will be a matter of time and perhaps a chance at a better playoff run to build his confidence up before we see him make the leap to starting more than a game or two with Washington. There is no doubt that with his tracking abilities and poise Samsonov will see another call up to the NHL again this season and hopefully for a longer time frame in order to further his NHL experience. - SC

3 Connor McMichael, C (25^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) McMichael was one of the most consistent performers for the London Knights this past season, despite being in his NHL draft year. His hockey IQ is his best asset as he is such an intelligent player in the offensive zone. He is also a great skater, which he uses in combination with his vision and anticipation to find those soft spots in the opposing defense. As a shoot first center, McMichael’s ability to create for his linemates will need to improve should he want to stick down the middle moving forward. A lot of that comes from a need to play with more intensity, especially with the puck on his stick. He needs to attack the middle of the ice with more ferocity. While scouts are unsure as to whether McMichael is a center or wing in the future, he profiles as a strong two-way middle six forward who can provide versatility and goal scoring to the Capitals in the future. - BO

4 Brett Leason, RW (56^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Leason’s skating has improved by leaps and bounds since his first time through the draft. He is now an average skater but it is now enough to enable his many other skills to shine through now that he can keep up with play. He is an underrated passer with good instincts in the offensive zone. He is a monster on the cycle game and below the dots where he can tire out opponents forcing them to chase the game. His shot is lethal and he is an excellent net front presence as he battles and keeps his skill free to tip pucks or reach loose pucks. If the scoring doesn’t translate he can still be an effective energy guy that can tilt the ice and generate offensive zone time. At his best he could be a power forward with 20-25 goal potential. -VG

5 Martin Fehervary, D (46^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) An aggressive import from Slovakia, Fehervary played full time in the SHL last season, in his last year qualifying for junior hockey. He finished the season ranked sixth on HV71 in ice time. All told, he had a good, but not great, season. He played in his customary aggressive style, with quick skating, physicality, and good reach. His game was well suited to the SHL level and he had mostly good underlying numbers. The one area where his stats were not as strong was in his on-ice save percentage. While that rate is usually luck-related, with only a single season of data, it is hard to tell for sure. He still has NHL potential, with the look of a third pairing blueliner. His skating, reach and aggressiveness will becoming a strong defensive defender. He should be playing n North America next season, most likely in the AHL, which will go a long way in pushing his development along. - JH

6 Jonas Siegenthaler, D (57^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 12) Siegenthaler really stepped up at the end of last season and managed a good enough performance as a call up to the Capitals to earn a spot as one of their starters for this coming season. He is a strong and smooth skating defenseman who has a very high hockey IQ which makes him an asset to any team. As a bottom pairing defender with the Capitals to start this season, it will be up to Siegenthaler to work his way up the ladder a little more. An added bonus is his playoff experience from last season, having already proved himself in the most high pressure of situations. It should be a relatively easy transition from training camp into NHL mode this season with fewer nerves to worry about. It is safe to say that Siegenthaler’s time in the AHL is done if he can clock his first full season with the Capitals in 2019-20. - SC

7 Lucas Johansen, D (28^th overall, 2016, Last Year: 2) It is debatable whether Johansen is a good skater. His crossovers and edgework are fine but he lacks consistency with his speed in-game. If he can continuously maintain an urgency to his game and avoid being caught standing still then he will be on the right track to earning his first call up to the Capitals next season. For now, he will remain at the AHL level with the Bears until he finds the maturity in his game to take him to the next level. As a first rounder in 2016, Johansen has the skill to play the NHL and the potential to be a second pairing defenseman but he is still only scratching the surface with his development. Johansen will most likely be relegated to another two seasons in the AHL before being in position to gain a full time roster spot with the Capitals. - SC

8 Aliaksei Protas, C (91^stoverall, 2017. Last Year: IE) Protas is a monster on the ice. His presence is as noticeable as his shadow. He needs to work on his feet as he is slow and cumbersome as he moves around the rink. That said, he has pretty good puck skills and is a very deft passer. He is able to create from the halfwall or from behind the net where he can hold on to the puck for longer than most. He uses his size very effectively although his overall game is not especially physical. He gained more scouting notoriety as he upped his offensive game drastically in the WHL playoffs, playing a key role in pushing the Raiders to a WHL championship. If he can improve his skating stride there is some potential there. - VG

9 Riley Sutter, RW (93^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 9) Riley is the latest chapter in the Sutter family dynasty with the Capitals selecting him in the third round of the 2018 draft. He was on a good pace last year, with 41 points through 38 games, before suffering a severe lower body injury that cost him the remainder of the regular season (although he managed to return for the end of Everett’s postseason run, as well as a cameo with AHL Hershey in their playoffs). Sutter is a solid two way forward with good size and smarts. He is versatile and can play either center or on the wing, has a nose for the net, and an above average shot. He projects to be a bottom six forward at the highest level and will most likely be used in checking roles as he moves up. As he turns 20 in October, he could still return to Everett for another season, but the ods suggest he will spend next season in the AHL. - KO

10 Connor Hobbs, D (143^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 4) Hobbs is a great team player and a solid passer compiling 15 assists over the course of the season. He is not the smoothest of defensemen and may seem somewhat scrambly but he gets the job done. Although he plays a more gritty and passionate game than other defensemen on this list, his maturity on the ice is what will carry him to the next level. His positioning is good and he is dynamic and capable of playing an offensive role which only adds to his value. Hobbs plays with vibrant energy and his progression with the Capitals organization has been good and will only get better should he stay focused. That being said, expect him to play another full year in the AHL before earning a call up. The unorthodox, late blooming defenseman has the potential to be a Tory Krug type of defender, but will need another full year in the AHL to come into his own. - SC

11 Kody Clark, RW (47^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 13) One would expect the son of former NHL’er Wendell Clark to be quite the physical aggressor and that expectation happens to be a correct one. Kody Clark is an intense competitor who is very active on the forecheck and in puck pursuit. He also has great lower body strength which makes him difficult to separate from the puck as he works the wall and prolongs possession for his more skilled linemates. There are some limitations to Clark’s offensive game and subsequently his offensive ceiling. His puck skill, creativity, goal scoring instincts, hands, and vision would all have to be classified as average. Likely the key to Clark’s development moving forward will be the development of his defensive game. This will determine whether he becomes more than just a fourth line agitator and energy player. -BO

12 Colby Williams, D (173^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: Not ranked) Among defensemen in the Washington system, Williams is on the smaller end but that does not stop him from making smart plays. He plays a physical game, is strong on the boards and does well at keeping the puck on his stick. His shot production and offensive play needs to improve a little more before he can be considered for a call up to the NHL. He is a mature enough player to earn the call and he plays with enough determination and control that he would be a solid addition to the Capitals’ roster. It is hard to estimate at this point whether or not Williams will play another full year with the Hershey Bears or be sent up for a few games. If he checks off every area of development, he could emerge on a third pairing in time. - SC

13 Shane Gersich, C (134^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 5) Gersich is a high energy and entertaining forward to watch and having already won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018 he has high pressure experience with the big club under his belt already. Unfortunately however, Gersich fell short this season with Hershey as he did not quite live up to expectations. Gersich is a very fast and skilled player with a great set of hands but these skills were lost as he adjusted to the pace of his first professional season while making the jump from NCAA. Gersich had a great development camp and it is without question that he will be better adjusted and prepared this coming season when he starts with Hershey. It is well known that the Capitals have a strong forward lineup but a spot on the Capitals’ roster is not too far away for Gersich as he is certainly dynamic, aggressive and skilled enough to be a bottom six forward once he gets the call. - SC

14 Vitek Vanecek, G (39^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 14) Vanecek is a tricky case with the Washington Capitals in terms of goaltenders in their system as they have a lot of goaltending talent and it is quite a competitive system in terms of skill. On the smaller end of the standard goaltender size spectrum, Vanecek moves well, has good vision and keeps rebounds low which are all things that make him a contender for a spot on the Capitals. Last season, Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov nearly split the starts evenly. Vanecek finished in the top 20 in the AHL for his goals against average which is a testament to his athleticism. His temperament may be stable enough for an NHL club however consistency is an issue and he needs to work on being more stable in net if he wants to earn a spot as a backup goaltender in the future. - SC

15 Eric Florchuk, C (217^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Florchuk has been a mixed bag this past season but he has some offensive skills and good hockey IQ. He is a pass first player who makes smart plays in all three zones. He needs to add some strength to continue to develop into his pro-sized frame. He is a responsible two-way player who back checks hard and gets in on his forecheck well. He projects as a bottom six forward that helps on the penalty kill and contributes to an overall team game. While not the most exciting or high skilled forward in the system, he looks like great value for literally the final pick of the 2018 draft.- VG

16 Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, LW (147^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 7) When he is at his best, Jonsson-Fjallby is a highly energetic and quick player to play with and tough to keep up when paired against. His speed makes him a force to be reckoned with and his hockey IQ has improved drastically in the last year. He has become a smart and reliable two way player, whereas once his defensive game was insubstantial. His backwards skating is weak and his consistency and ability to read the play needs to drastically improve. Jonsson-Fjallby still has the potential to be a bottom six forward but first he needs to complete a full season in North America - last season did not go as planned and he returned back home to play with Djurgardens in the Swedish Hockey League - and prove that he has made a proper adjustment to the ice size and style of North American professional hockey. - SC

17 Garrett Pilon, C (87^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 17) Pilon is a hard working forward capable of winning battles, allowing for good puck possession. He is dynamic and has a good head on his shoulders where playmaking is concerned. He creates offensive opportunities and passing is certainly a strength of his with his goal/assist ratio only proving that fact. He is a clean, but physical player who gets well into the tough spots and adds notable pressure to create turnovers. However, good two way players are a valuable commodity and Pilon needs to find an extra gear and find a way to keep up the tempo in all zones and not just the offensive end to move to the next level. His level of comfort moving from the Everett Silvertips of the WHL to the AHL has been shifted somewhat and it will be up to him to manage his transition better in order to be noticed as a potential bottom six center with Washington. - SC

18 Damien Riat, LW (117^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 11) Last season, Riat left his childhood team of Geneve-Servette for NLA competitor Biel-Bienne, and there was some hope that the fresh start would allow him to take that next step in his development as a prospect. And while he had a decent season with his new team, Riat did not take any such steps. His point production barely budged (from 24 to 25 points in an equal number of games) and according to first-hand accounts, the skilled winger didn’t look any better in producing the way either. He is still an agitating winger whose feet are as quick as his hands, but with his NLA contract expiring this summer, this will be a critical year for him to show that his greasy game would be worth an ELC from the Capitals. - RW

19 Beck Malenstyn, LW (145^th overall, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Last season was rough for Malenstyn and presumably not how he expected to start off his professional career. With only a meager 16 points throughout 74 games, the regular season was disappointing. He started to pick up steam as he hit the playoffs only for Hershey to be eliminated, killing his momentum. It is optimistic to say that he will need a confidence boost next season in order for him to be able to showcase his skills better. When on his game, Malenstyn is a natural goal scorer and great at gaining puck possession, but he will have to have a much better showing in order to prove to Washington that he still has NHL upside. With his shot and natural scoring ability, he will have to find the back of the net more than just 7 times next season to reach even ensure that he can remain in the AHL long term. - SC

20 Martin Hugo Has, D (153^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The Capitals selected the towering Czech defenseman in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. Has spent the past two seasons with Tappara U20 and unless he makes the Liiga team this year, it is reasonable to think that he will stay at the U20 level. His shooting ability stands out, with a wrist shot that is hard and accurate, while his slap shot features a lot of power and a good wind up. He also has a knack for getting shots through on the net. His other attributes project to be more around average and the jury is still out on whether he has enough upside to play a significant role in the NHL at his maturation. His acceleration and overall mobility need work and although he shows promise in his defensive and physical games, there is room for improvement in those areas as well. – MB

Vegas Golden Knights 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:27:39 +0000

If you have been looking at this section throughout this guidebook, you may have noticed that most teams still have a number of players that they have been nurturing for upwards of six or seven years. Gus drafted in 2012 or 2013 and have not made it yet, but look to still retain some of the promise that had them noticed in the first place.

The Golden Knights obviously do not share that distinction. The top 20 below does have one player each who had been drafted in the 2012 and 2013 drafts, respectively, but of course neither of the two were originally drafted by Vegas. 2012 draft pick Jake Bischoff came over from the New York Islanders as part of an expansion draft trade that funneled both the player and a first round pick to Vegas in exchange for giving the Islanders a say in who the expansion team would draft off their roster. 2013 pick Valentin Zykov has had a journeyman existence in the NHL, playing in 40 games spread over three seasons and three teams (Carolina, Edmonton, and Vegas, after he never played an NHL team for the LA Kings, who had originally drafted him in the second round).

Yet even without an abundance of mature prospects in the system, we still rank the Golden Knights among the top ten prospect pipelines in the sport. Even without any additional context, that is a remarkable distinction for this still nascent organization. But it gets better. As Vegas’ NHL team has been historically strong in its first two campaigns, the team had shockingly found itself as a deadline buyer, putting it in the unexpected position of needing to trade from the future to buttress the present. And so in the last year, they traded two thirds of its first first round draft haul to beef up the roster with in-their-prime talents. Nick Suzuki, who would have been third on the list below, was traded to Montreal, along with Tomas Tatar and a 2019 second round pick, for Max Pacioretty. That second round pick, by the way, would have ranked fourth on this list.

Then we have the case of Erik Brannstrom. Another 2017 first rounder who had been destroying the AHL as a teenager and was named to the 2019 WJC All Star Team, was traded at the 2019 deadline to Ottawa for two-way powerhouse winger Mark Stone. Brannstrom would have been jockeying with Peyton Krebs for the second slot on the Vegas list.

Finally, former GM George McPhee traded the team’s 2018 first round pick to Detroit, along with another 2019 second rounder and a third round pick in 2021, for the aforementioned Tatar. That trade did not work out for the Golden Knights, and the player Detroit drafted, Joe Veleno, would be right there in Brannstrom territory on this list.

Despite missing four players who would have ranked very high on this – or any – team list, we still have the Vegas system as the sixth strongest in the NHL. What is their secret? It isn’t a liberal daily regimen of Oil of Olay. They make draft selections based on skill instead of size. They still have a few players, Bischoff included, from their expansion draft maneuverings. They are a prime destination for high end NCAA free agents, two of whom are included below. In other words, it isn’t one thing, but many things. The Golden Knights will be bringing in their second wave of talent before the first wave peters out.

-Ryan Wagman

Vegas Golden Knights forward Valentin Zykov. (Photo by Scott Grau/Icon Sportswire)

1 Cody Glass, C (6^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) The Golden Knights first ever draft pick is a highly touted prospect and should be an elite talent when ready. Glass, who should have had a dominant year, seemed to have a disappointing season as he was hampered with injuries and misfortune. The Winterhawks’ captain skated with the team for 38 games during which he compiled 69 points, before missing the majority of the second half with a leg injury. Glass also put up six points in five games for Canada at the WJC. He returned for one playoff game for Portland before being promoted to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves where he played in their last six regular season games, before he scored seven goals and 15 points in 22 playoff games adjusting seamlessly to the heightened pace and physicality of the pros, looking dynamic in the process. He should challenge for a position with Vegas this season. - KO

2 Peyton Krebs, C (17^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A player with Krebs’ combination of sublime skating ability and puck skills should not last all the way to pick 17 in the draft, but he may have been held back by one or both of his numbers suffering due to playing for one of the worst teams in the CHL and/or an Achilles injury which required surgery after his season ended. In addition to his offensive tools, Krebs can play a structured two-way game and plays stronger along the boards than his size might indicate. He is also an experienced leader, having worn the “C” as a 17 year-old with Kootenay and again at the WU18 for Team Canada. He is not necessarily small, but his physical game is not expected to be a factor at the next level. He may miss the first couple of months of this season as he continues to recover, but it should not impact his continued, long-term development. He is a clear top-six forward for the Golden Knights second wave of talent. - RW

3 Pavel Dorofeyev, LW (79^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A dynamic player with a great set of hands, Dorofeyev plays an exciting East-West game and exhibits sound technique and excellent vision of the ice. The forward had a strong 2018-19 campaign, including scoring his first KHL goal. This year, he will be called to reach new heights as he clearly outgrew the Russian junior league (31 points in 19 games), but it won’t be easy for him to find a spot on one of the top KHL teams. He is a very dangerous player one-on-one and in the open ice, but he is not a strong defensive player, both stereotypical Russian traits. His very smooth hands make him a highlight-reel player, but he will be a top-six-or-bust player only. He is still very young – a later 2000 born – and this plays to his favor. He is currently entering the last year of his contract, and barring a breakout season, he should be cautious about leaving that early. - ASR

4 Nicolas Hague, D (34^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 4) During Hague’s first full pro season last year, we found out exactly what his ceiling is. He is not the Victor Hedman-lite his junior stats suggested he could be, but instead the 2017 second-rounder has can’t-miss shutdown potential in a two-way package. His lanky, 6-6” frame makes him nearly unbeatable at the blueline, as his length and mobility give him a package that can compete with any AHL forward for space in the defensive zone. In transition, he can be a lethal passer and a capable puck-carrier who draws attention to himself without sacrificing defensive position. He has potential to lead the special teams units on both sides, and his shot has impressive carry to it and could be a difference-maker on the power play. After the trade deadline, Hague become AHL Chicago’s number-one D-man and handled the tough minutes well. Though his skating will always be a sore spot, he could be a middle-pairing shutdown blueliner with Vegas, with potential to be a top-pair guy later on. - TD

5 Ivan Morozov, C (61^st overall, 2018. Last Year: 7) The young center had a busy season, lining up for four different teams within the same year and skating at the WJC as an underaged player. Morozov – only a namesake of the former Penguins star – is a capable player with a very strong offensive game. He is a solid passer and has a crackling shot that he likes to snipe high as a true scorer. He is a candidate for a top spot in the Team Russia lineup at the upcoming WJC, and it will be interesting to check how he fares against more serious competition. He needs to pick up some pro games this year to further hone his skills and gather experience. Morozov also needs to bulk up to become a more appealing player for the North American game. - ASR

6 Zach Whitecloud, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 8, 2018. Last Year: 12) Whitecloud is not the most talented prospect in the system, but he is arguably the most complete and well-rounded, and as a strong defensive defenseman, that notion goes a long way. In his first professional season, he was able to step into a fast-paced, high-intensity role alongside Hague and not only hold his own, but excel on both sides of the ice (74-6-22-28). He has a solid frame and skates extremely well, has a blazing shot from the point, and plays one of the most hard-nosed defensive games among prospects in the sport, never hesitating to engage physically. He is an underrated puck mover and someone that can -- and often does -- control a power play unit. There are no flaws to his game that will completely hinder his chances at an NHL spot, but his ultimate role is yet to be determined. - TD

7 Valentin Zykov, C (37^th overall, 2013 [Los Angeles]. Last Year: 11 [Carolina]) A former 40-goal scorer in the QMJHL, Zykov has had a hard and long time in the North American pro system, but after being claimed off waivers last season spent the remainder of the regular season in the NHL, auditioning for a full time role this year. The rugged, shot-heavy winger has spent time in four farm systems and with three NHL teams, but has yet to establish a home in the best league in the world. He bounced around for all of 2018-19, but netted 33 goals in 63 games with AHL Charlotte in 2017-18. While his skating has never been there, his hands are mighty fast and his shot, though heavily overused, is one of the best among AHL and ”Quad-A” players. He will have to have a very impressive season to make a splash in the NHL, but the raw skill and the potential to be a bottom-six scoring winger are there. - TD

8 Jake Bischoff, D (185^th overall, 2012 [New York Islanders]. Last Year: 5) A 2012 seventh-round pick, Bischoff has developed rather slowly, although steadily enough for the Golden Knights to award him with a new three year contract this offseason. His talent has long been there, but his hockey sense and versatility on the ice have shown the most improvement. For a bigger guy, the 25-year-old is a terrific skater, with the pure speed and technical mobility to beat his opponents to the puck. His strength allows his defensive game to blossom, as he ties up opposing players in front of the net and can lay out big hits at times. He is patient and observant with the puck, but generally likes to shoot rather than pass to better offensive options, which can be an issue at times. The 25-year-old is far down the defensive depth chart, with Whitecloud, Hague, and a slew of young NHLers in front of him, but he should earn some NHL action at long last this year. - TD

9 Isaiah Saville, G (135^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Although undersized by modern goaltending ideals, Saville has done nothing but stop pucks at a high rate for the past two seasons, first with Minnesota in the NAHL and more recently with Tri-City of the USHL. In the latter stop, he was named the Goaltender of the Year for the league. The native of Anchorage, Alaska is a plus athlete, and plays the net with extreme poise. He also sticks out for his ability to make the first save cleanly, minimizing second chances. He missed a fair chunk of time in the second half last year, leading to questions about his durability. He is also technically sound, although there is room for refinement. Heading to Nebraska-Omaha, he will be in position to seize the starting role from day one as the incumbent has since graduated. Development is never linear for any player, especially so for netminders, but he has the look of a 1B type, or a high-end backup at the NHL level. - RW

10 Kaedan Korczak, D (41^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Korczak was expected by many to be a first round pick, but saw his stock drop to the second round. A lot of it had to do with teammate Lassi Thomson overtaking him on the Rockets. Korczak has good size, is solid, has a nice physical element to his game and plays with an edge. He had some struggles earlier in the season, but really put his game together near the end, as his confidence rose and his play grew more consistent. He has top four billing and is a defender who can play and eat a lot of minutes, providing some secondary scoring along the way. This should be a much more defining season for him, as he will have to step up in a larger role for the Rockets, and with Kelowna hosting the Memorial Cup, he will get his chance to show off his skills with a stronger lineup. - KO

11 Jack Dugan, LW (142^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 11) One of the top skaters in Hockey East as a freshman, albeit as a 20 year-old, Dugan manages to put up gaudy point totals in spite of a skill set that doesn’t extend far beyond average. A few times per game, he will flash solid skating chops, including four way mobility that adds a layer of unpredictability to his offensive attack. He has good size and enough strength not to be overwhelmed in puck battles, but he is not an overly aggressive player. While he was more of a playmaker as a freshman, his type of game is actually stronger when he tries to put the puck in the net on his own. After finishing second in scoring for Friars last season, the other players in the top six all turned pro, leaving Dugan as the likely primary offensive source for Providence this year. He will need to spearhead the attack, although he projects as a middle six winger at the highest level. - RW

12 Benjamin Jones, C (189^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9) It is easy to see Jones being able to carve out a lengthy NHL career because of how well rounded his game is. In Niagara, he played every situation possible and also served as the team captain. He is an ultra-aggressive player who relishes the opportunity to play a pest-like role. While not overtly physical, he is very effective working through traffic, attacking the net, tracking down loose pucks, and working the wall. He likely does not possess enough innate skill with the puck to be a top six forward for Vegas in the future. Thankfully, he projects well as a steady third line option who can kill penalties and slide up the lineup if needed. - BO

13 Jake Leschyshyn, C (62^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 18) Leschyshyn finally took an offensive step is his draft plus two season. Never being a point per game player before, he improved his production to 1.19 per game, nearly double his production from the previous season. While doing so, he did not stray from the style of game that made him a second round pick in 2017. He is a very fundamentally sound hockey player in that he is always on the right side of his man, plays physical, gets to the dirty areas of the ice, blocks shots, is very solid in his own zone, a good forechecker, and is excellent in the faceoff circle. Adding a level of secondary offensive will only enhance his chances of securing a third line center role one day in the NHL. - VG

14 Ryder Donovan, C (110^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Sushi-raw, Donovan has power forward size and plays a power forward style to match. Although he spent most of his draft year playing in the Minnesota high school system, a late season stint with Dubuque in the USHL gave a better glimpse of how he stacks up against better competition. Even in very limited minutes, his game popped on the ice. He skates very well for his size, is tough to play against in the corners, and goes hard to the net. Even when he doesn’t have the puck, he has a knack for creating trouble for defenses, with a heavy stick and an agitating persona. Of course the question remains about his offensive upside as his high school production was only so-so. At his best, his shot and puck skills can look like top six weapons, but his best doesn’t show up often enough to expect more than bottom six production. Then again, he wouldn’t be the first power forward to blossom late. - RW

15 Jimmy Schuldt, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 3, 2019. Last Year: IE) A highly sought after college free agent after his junior season with St. Cloud State, Schuldt returned to school for his senior season, in which the Huskies ran the table from the beginning of the season until the first round of the NCAA tournament, falling once again to a minnow from the Atlantic Hockey conference. Too soon? In fairness to the player, there is good reason why he was so seriously pursued out of college. He plays a high IQ, two-way game, with plus reads, good feet and a quick stick. He lacks the offensive tools to man a first power play unit in the NHL, but has the size, strength, and puck moving ability to be a decent fit as a number 4/5 role, depending on team need. - RW

16 Marcus Kallionkieli, LW (139^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A rangy power forward type, Kallionkieli parlayed a solid first North American season in the USHL with Sioux City, to a late round pick by Vegas and an assignment next year with the Golden Knight’s unofficial WHL team, the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Finnish Brazilian winger has a nice blend of skating ability and hockey IQ, allowing him to play a two-way game. He has a powerful shot and is more of a goal scorer than a playmaker, but his future prospects likely depend more on him refining his off-the-puck game, in addition to improving his consistency. That latter point probably kept him from being drafted higher, as he slumped in the second half last year after a blistering start. He most likely projects in a bottom six role at his peak. - RW

17 Lucas Elvenes, C/RW (127^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 8) Elvenes is a smooth skater with soft hands. He has struggled to put together two good seasons in a row. He looked exciting the year before his draft year, but had a good but not great in his draft year which caused him to drop in the fifth round. In his draft plus one season he scored a point per game in Allsvenskan and 16 points in 28 SHL games. Last season he had 20 points in 43 SHL games scoring only three goals. He has skill, and his inconsistent scoring is a product of him being more of a perimeter player, as he likes to create from the outside and that play isn’t always there and his creativity isn’t enough in those instances. Next season, he will go to North America and will probably play in the AHL with Chicago. - JH

18 Nicolas Roy, C (96^th overall, 2015 [Carolina]. Last Year: 17 [Carolina]) If Roy were a better skater, not only would he be ranked much higher on this list, but there is no way the Hurricanes would have packaged him along with a fifth round pick for Erik Haula. Even as a below average skater, he can be an impactful player thanks to a high end hockey brain and very good hands. He also has great size, but he does not play a physical game. He reads the game very well, putting himself into the right place at the right time to make a difference. He is a trusted penalty killer, puts a lot of pressure on the opposing team when defending. Despite his pedigree (was the first overall pick in the QMJHL Entry Draft in 2013, and played for Team Canada at the 2017 WJC), he will never be an offensive force, but should produce enough to play fourth line minutes. - RW

19 Keegan Kolesar, D (69^th overall, 2015 [Columbus]. Last Year: 15) In a lot of systems around the NHL, Kolesar would be a top-ten prospect. His position at #19 is not a knock on him, but more an indication of the great depth of the Vegas farm system. With nifty, elusive hands and a bruising power-forward game, his raw talent is as entertaining as it is intriguing. He has fought with consistency issues and the inability to take on tougher minutes, but his overall package is a fascinating one. He is a magnificent skater with tight cuts and great straight-line speed, as well as the balance and momentum to compliment his size and powerful one-on-one repertoire. The 2015 third-round pick is not the most certain NHLer, but one of the most tantalizing in the system, and could eventually be an energy-line player in the vein of Ryan Reaves or a poor man’s Tom Wilson. - TD

20 Dylan Coghlan, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Sep. 20, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Since signing as a free agent to an entry-level contract, Coghlan has ramped up his game to a level that gives him an NHL-caliber ceiling. The former Tri-City star has become an impactful offensive-defenseman by virtue of his skating, his atomic bomb of a slapshot, and his vision and playmaking, which allow him to quarterback a power play unit. He is a very fast skater, though what he has in straight-line speed, he sorely lacks in momentum and edgework. His slapshot is a goal scoring weapon, but his wrist shot, which he likes to use as a trailer on the rush, is less impactful. His defensive decision-making is also heavily flawed, but that may be teachable. His ceiling is as a middle-pair puck-rusher, but we will have to see how he does with an increase in tougher minutes on a depleted AHL Chicago this season. - TD

Vancouver Canucks 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:21:23 +0000

For as much as the last four postseason-less seasons (and five of the last six) have been dismaying to Vancouver fans, there is currently a great deal of hope in the future. The rebuild has not been seamless, but a number of the high picks made by the franchise in the last few years are panning out.

2013 top ten pick Bo Horvat was given a letter to ear on his chest last year and took a step forward into being a star, if not quite a superstar, with a career high 61 points. 2015 first rounder Brock Boeser was the first gem of the current rebuild to emerge, giving the Canucks a probable 30+ goal machine after he had scored over 25 goals in each of his first two season, despite being limited to under 70 games played in each. He was followed last season by the explosive Elias Pettersson, a true game breaker who took the league by storm as a rookie, with 66 points in his way to capturing the Calder Trophy.

Other young players have also stepped forward in smaller roles, including netminder Thatcher Demko, who is healthy and ready to earn the backup job in the NHL . Beefy Jake Virtanen is also rounding out his game to be a dependable bottom six power forward, a useful player even if he never meets the expectations heaped on him as a former top ten draft pick. Later round find Adam Gaudette’s rookie season was more challenging, but his upside is still tantalizing.

Some of the players mentioned above will form the core of the next competitive Vancouver team. Others will fill in valuable, low cost roles. But if you have been paying attention, you will have noticed that something is missing from the above names. Specifically, five of the six are forwards and the other is a goalie. There were no defensemen named.

That’s about to change. Read on and you will note that eight of the Vancouver top 20 prospects are blueliners. Not only that, but there are three in the top six, including the top prospect in the system. Quinn Hughes, the aforementioned top prospect has had fans drooling ever since the Canucks called his name at the draft in Dallas. More on him below, but he got his feet wet over five games with the Canucks at the end of last season and is set to star for the team from day one this year. The number four prospect, Olli Juolevi. Was actual drafted higher in his year than Hughes. He was enjoying a great start to his North American professional career before a knee injury put an early end to his season. It might not take long for him to join Hughes in the NHL as a top four defender. Number six prospect Jett Woo is unlikely to play in the NHL this year (possible cameo notwithstanding), but he took a huge step forward with his offensive game last year and now projects as another possible top four defenseman.

The jump from these players may not be soon enough for some Vancouver fans, or those in the front office, especially after the team traded a first round pick in either 2020 or 2021 to Tampa Bay in a package for grinding/scoring winger JT Miller. Clearly, they want to be good enough very soon to avoid that pick being a lottery pick. The core is in place, but we do not yet know how long it will all take to gel.

-Ryan Wagman

Vancouver Canucks Defenceman Quinn Hughes (43) (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

1 Quinn Hughes, D (7^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) In a group with Cale Makar, Erik Brannstrom, and Bowen Byram as the best defensive prospects in hockey. Hughes is an electric skater and the ideal modern-day quarterback. His hands are as quick as his feet leading to dynamic play whenever he is on the ice. A great four-way skater, he also adds an element of unpredictability to the game, making him very tough to defend. Despite being undersized, he has learned to use his stick to come away with the puck from board battles. He will gamble occasionally when pressured at the point. Usually, thanks to his sublime skill level, he wins. When he loses, an odd-man rush will occur, although to his credit, he gets back very quickly. Hughes is ready for the NHL and can log heavy minutes and led the power play. He will have to prove that he can defend at the NHL level to avoid being protected, but he has star level talent. - RW

2 Vasili Podkolzin, RW (10^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Podkolzin had a busy season last year, playing in three leagues, two world championships, and he lined up for team Russia on more than 30 occasions. He showed phenomenal talent in most of these games, imposing his game on the opposition with his technique and skating, and of course, scoring a lot. He is a potential franchise player for the Canucks. He plays hard and with fierce determination, but at the same time he is a disciplined player who can be incredibly dangerous when the game opens up and he can use his explosive first three or four steps. A fantastic goal scorer and overall complete player, Podkolzin is expected to move overseas once his entry-level KHL deal runs out in April 2021. - ASR

3 Thatcher Demko, G (36^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 4) The former Boston College goaltender is a beast in the net and a future starting goalie with the Canucks. Demko sees the play very well and his form is structured but fluid enough to prove his agility and energetic nature in the net. At times he can tend to over push and force himself out of position but with more NHL games under his belt he will settle into the pace better. He stays focused and his tracking abilities lead him to control rebounds very well. There is not much to be said about his puck abilities as he is not a goaltender that actively strives to play the puck a lot, however Demko is very smart when he deflects pucks and can read the play very well. His composure in net and the way he faces every puck is indicative of his readiness to move up to the top level and he is set on the NHL for this season. - SC

4 Olli Juolevi, D (5^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 3) Although Juolevi has been battling injury, he is still considered to be one of Vancouver’s top prospects. He is a smart defenseman capable of reading the play and being one step ahead. He is a spot on passer and he can shoot from anywhere on the ice with speed and precision. Being back to one hundred percent will be big for Juolevi when he starts back with Utica this season. He will need to readjust to the pace of the breakouts and turnovers at the AHL pace so as to not fall behind or be dummied on any potential odd man rushes. His goal should be to keep his feet moving equally in all zones of the ice and to get back to playing a physical game. Having taken a slight detour, he still has the potential to be a top pairing blueliner with the Canucks once he is back to feeling confident and comfortable in the minor leagues. - SC

5 Will Lockwood, RW (64^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 8) Outside of the All-World skill players, Lockwood has long been one of my favorite prospects to watch, both as a junior and in college. Recovered from the injury that curtailed his sophomore campaign, he was much more involved in the offensive attack as a junior, without losing that sandpaper edge that had previously defined his game. He will barge in on the forecheck and make life very difficult for the defensemen and goalies who try to play the puck out. He has quick feet that allow him to get and maintain ideal positioning. Even though he has only recently become a top six scoring option, he is a skilled forward and has a knack for turning blasé possessions into legit scoring chances. While the Canucks were rumored to be trying to get Lockwood under contract he has elected to return to Ann Arbor for his senior year. He projects to a middle six role in the NHL within one to two years. - RW

6 Jett Woo, D (37^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 10) Woo has put the injury woes of his draft year behind him and turned in a very impressive offensive season. Scoring 66 points in 62 game has helped to stave off worry that he was destined to be a bottom pairing defender. He looks much more likely to take a top four role in the NHL someday. His physical play and compete level stand out as he battles for every loose puck, and every inch of ice in his own zone. He uses a nice combination of strength and quickness to control his own zone. Offensively, he moves the puck well and has a good shot. He isn’t scared to carry the puck in deep and trusts that his forwards will cover his position. His movement along the blue line opens up lanes to receive or send a pass through making him a valued part of the offense. - VG

7 Nils Hoglander, LW (40^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Hoglander’s puck skills, tenacity and strong balance are individual assets that had him ranked in the first round by some and a case can be made that the Canucks got a steal with him in the second round. We didn’t have him the first round and that’s more a case of his whole game. His hockey sense doesn’t suggest him to be a top six driver in the NHL. Individually, there is a lot to like with Hoglander but if we want someone to drive play for his teammates, make others better, controlling the pace, there are concerns. Even though he is small in size, he plays fearless physically and with some edge to his game. He is aggressive and intense and will always keep a defense occupied when on the ice. He will play another year in SHL, hopefully in a bigger role. - JH

8 Michael DiPietro, G (64^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9) It was a season to forget for DiPietro, a talented netminder out of the OHL. He was ripped apart by the San Jose Sharks in an emergency recall start, (which never should have happened), and he suffered an ankle injury in the OHL playoffs just as he was regaining his confidence. He is mature and determined and should bounce back and eventually become an NHL netminder. It may take patience and time as there will be an adjustment period. He is highly athletic, but one who is undersized by today’s standards. He relies on his reads and his athleticism to make saves and he can be a real game changer because of it. At the pro level, there are often growing pains for these types of goaltenders because the game moves faster, the top part of the net becomes an easier target, and confidence can wane. But DiPietro remains a very solid pro prospect and should eventually develop into an asset. - BO

9 Tyler Madden, C (68^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 13) They are not common, but once in a while you cross a prospect who had skill but could not produce a great deal in his draft year and before, but then upon moving up a level, finds a new, more exciting level of offensive production. In most of these cases, the player in question had high hockey IQ, but was either playing with lesser talents, and/or being forced to play in a more defensive-oriented role. As McKeens is blessed with smart readers, I know you have figured out that Madden is one such player. The son of Selke winner John Madden, he is smart enough to read this site, too, but also to play in any situation for his team. He plays a skilled game, with good positioning in both zones and the ability to drive possession. He is on an upward trajectory and currently looks like a future middle six option. - RW

10 Lukas Jasek, RW (174^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 12) An underdog type of player, Jasek has the ability to sneak past opponents and get into open ice without notice, giving him a leg up on his counterparts. He is a lightweight and a rather small looking player but his deceptiveness is scary when it comes to how aggressive he is on the puck. He plays with energy and passion and never gives up on a play. Due to his energetic style of play however, he can sometimes seem scattered and out of position because his work ethic is so high and strives to do so much at once. He will need to spend another season adjusting to the ice size in North America as well as the pace of the game to better know how to use his energy and where to focus most on the ice. Jasek is a hard-working, developing player with the potential to join Vancouver in a bottom six role but he will have to get bigger and strive for a more focused game. - SC

11 Kole Lind, RW (33^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 6) For a player who had a lot of success in the WHL, Lind has had a difficult adjustment to the AHL pace with Utica. He is not the quickest nor the smoothest of skaters but works hard to keep up with the play. His shot is a rocket and his release is impressive but he lacks the ability to consistently get to the net which is a problem. He has matured a lot over the course of his first professional year and his positional play has likewise gotten a lot better. Should he continue to develop his positional game at this pace, he will be mature enough to be called up to Vancouver but his skating will still need to improve a lot in order to earn a full time bottom six NHL spot. Lind brings the right attitude and skill to his game but he will need to keep up with the play and drive the net harder to get into better scoring positions next season. - SC

12 Guillaume Brisebois, D (66^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 14) Brisebois is a dynamic and energetic defender who can easily maneuver his way down the ice or weave his way from the blueline down to the slot. He has great hands and can shoot the puck from all angles. However, his adjustment to the AHL level with Utica has been a little rocky as he does not have the time that he used to have with the puck that he had in the QMJHL. Although he still likes to play the outside he will need to work to up his confidence to walk the line a little more and create more space for himself. It will not be as easy for him to walk in and get quality scoring chances as a pro and he will have to find other ways to create chances for himself. Brisebois has the skill to be a bottom four defenseman but he will have to start thinking outside the box to generate more chances. - SC

13 Ethan Keppen, LW (122^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Keppen is a power winger with good vision in the offensive end, a rarity for junior aged players. While he can drive the net using his strength on the puck, he is most effective working the cycle deep in the offensive zone, prolonging possession time and opening up passing lanes with his motor and determination. He finished second in the OHL last year among draft eligible players in even strength primary assists. He also possesses a heavy shot and the confidence to use it, something that should see him develop into a very well rounded offensive player. As he improves his skating to become a little more explosive, and as his ability to make plays at a quicker pace improves, Keppen could become a very good prospect for Vancouver. His projection is that of a middle six winger, but one who is several years away from helping the big club. - BO

14 Toni Utunen, D (130^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 17) Utunen is a reliable defenseman whose biggest asset is definitely his hockey sense. He reads the game well. Maintains good gap control and is positionally sound. He can keep opposing forward to the outside. He moves the puck with short passes and gets pucks up the ice quickly. He possesses strong leadership qualities and does not hesitate to sacrifice his body as a shot blocker. Utunen is neither flashy nor creative, but he makes very few mistakes with the puck. His skating won’t wow you, but he has the foot speed, nobility, and backwards skating ability to hold his own in the Liiga. That said, there are questions about whether he has sufficient upside to develop into more than a third pairing NHL defenseman. - MB

15 Zach MacEwen, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 3, 2017. Last Year: 20) MacEwen is a great player to watch, a strong, gritty power forward who stops at nothing to put the puck in the net. He plays a simple game all over the ice, always making sure to keep his feet moving. He is not the smoothest of skaters but he has a good jump to his stride and can go from one zone to another in just a few strides. He is an efficient player but at times over-skates his forechecks and gets caught too deep or behind the play. For a bigger forward who plays with as much intensity as MacEwen does, he will have to make sure to be more careful with how he plays and pay better attention to how deep he gets caught on plays. His speed is at par but he will need to clean up his game and work on discipline next season to secure a bottom six forward spot at the highest level. - SC

16 Jack Rathbone, D (95^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) A wild stallion from the blueline in his draft year, Rathbone was difficult to adequately scout, playing for a Massachusetts area prep school, with four games with Youngstown as a change of pace. He took the rare step of returning to his school after being drafted, keeping him firmly under the radar. Now that he has finally spent a full season playing top level competition for Harvard, we can see what Rathbone really is. He is an undersized, offensive defenseman. He gets his feet moving quickly, although his top speed is less than I would like for a blueliner his size. He has good vision and likes to load up for a long bomb pass. Considering both size and play style, he cannot play effectively in the greasy areas. He still has a long way to go before the Canucks will know what they have, but last year was a step in the right direction. - RW

17 Jack Malone, RW (180^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) After a season in a depth role for Youngstown, Malone played with far greater assertiveness in his draft year finishing second on the Phantoms, and in the top 15 leaguewide in scoring. More a playmaker than a finisher, he does play enough around the crease area to get his share of goals from in tight, but he really shines when he executes cutting paces off the rush and with pace to a steaking linemate. His skating had also shown marked improvement as his draft year progressed, to the point where he can now blow past defenders with some regularity. Malone still has a lot to work on with his game, such as not forcing plays and tightening up his own zone work. He has talent, but not enough to play on a top six, making his ability to defend more important. - RW

18 Josh Teves, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 12, 2019. Last Year: IE) Teves has a gift of getting the puck up the ice. He is not the fastest skater, but he can find the seams for getting the puck onto the offensive zone. He makes a good first pass. He is also an excellent backwards skater. He can really freeze the puck in the corners in win puck battles with impressive strength, even at 6-0”, 170 lbs. With that size, he may be able to hang in the NHL for stretches, but not necessarily as a defenseman. He played some on the wing for Princeton as a test when they needed more offense, and it is possible that Vancouver might try using him like that if they are unsatisfied with his defensive coverage. In 2017-18, when the team was at its best, he put up 33 points in 31 games, with a hefty percentage of that on the man advantage. The next season will go a long way in seeing how the Canucks want to develop him. - RC

19 Jonah Gadjovich, LW (55^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 11) Gadjovich is a difficult player to watch because his skating is so weak, but his strength on the puck, paired with his shooting ability, make up for his lack of movement. His hockey sense is good and he sees the play well from all areas of the ice. With Utica last year, many of his best shifts were spent on the powerplay in front of the net where his strength and hockey sense were best demonstrated. He is a bottom six forward at best in the NHL but his work ethic may take him further if he can improve his start up speed and work on his fluidity and being lighter and more comfortable on his skates. Gadjovich has a good attitude and work ethic and his redeeming qualities, such as his physicality and good hands, paired with his high hockey IQ, feed hope for his continued development, starting with a better season in 2019-20. - SC

20 Mitch Eliot, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Dec. 14, 2018. Last Year: IE) Eliot, a free agent signing out of Sarnia last season, is a very similar player to Jalen Chatfield, who Vancouver also signed out of the OHL a few years ago. He skates well and is a well-rounded defender who can play in all situations. Defensively, he takes away space with his mobility and his strength. Offensively, he can move the puck and attack the offensive zone, confidently handling the puck when leading the rush. The question is, can he do any of these things at an elite level? The answer would be no at this current time, but a few seasons in the AHL could elevate his skill set to the point where he could be a reliable two-way third pairing defender. - BO

Toronto Maple Leafs 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:16:46 +0000

Although he was only hired as the General Manager of the Maple Leafs less than six weeks prior to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the 2019 draft was Dubas’ third at the helm. Some forget, but he, along with Mark Hunter served as interim GMs for a few months in 2015, a time period which included that draft.

The 2015 draft has already been a tremendously successful draft for Toronto, as the team selected current superstar Mitch Marner with the fourth overall choice. While that selection could be excused as the aforementioned Hunter had also come from the storied London Knights’ organization in the OHL, second rounder Travis Dermott has also been very impressive, racking up his 100^th NHL game late last season. The Leafs also still have high hopes for the second second rounder of that haul, Jeremy Bracco.

None of the players selected by Dubas and company in 2018 have yet to appear in the NHL and the same is obviously true for the recent 2019 haul. We have three draft classes – two of which were wholly under his philosophy for player acquisition and the third one a joint function – to understand the Dubas MO and make judgments about it.

The first thing I think about when looking at those three draft classes is the complete absence of size concerns with the players picked. In the 2015 draft, working in tandem with Hunter, Toronto blended big and small players. Marner, Dermott, and Bracco are all smaller than the average NHLer, but later picks Andrew Nielsen, Stephen Desrochers, and Nikita Korostelev are all built large. Neither of the last two draft classes, led by a singular Dubas, had that characteristic. Of the eight skaters the Maple Leafs drafted in 2018, only one stands taller than 6-0”, the 6-1” fifth rounder Filip Kral.

2019 featured more of the same. Six players were drafted. Three stand 5-11” ad the other three all stand 5-9”. Five of the six are also on the slight side. Of course every player they drafted had supporters both inside and outside of the organization, but Toronto ensured that this wave would not bring size or strength to the NHL team. That said, the team has not been completely size averse in their prospect acquisition. Shortly before the 2018 draft, Toronto gave an ELC to undrafted winger Mason Marchment, a 6-4” crasher who plays a game based on strength. This offseason, they signed Ilya Mikheyev from the KHL, whose frame is above league average in the current climate.

Mikheyev is not alone among Toronto’s top 20 who has above average size, with Lamoriello acquisitions Eemeli Rasanen and Yegor Korshkov more known for their impressive figures than they skill components of their games. But even with Rasanen’s gigantic 6-7”, 209lbs frame, the pipeline for the Leafs is full of smaller players. As more of them graduate to the NHL, we will learn a valuable lesson about how well a team can do when it skews so drastically to smaller players. Further, we will see if the team brings in (or calls up) lesser, bigger players, just for the sack of adding a different dimension. It will be fascinating to watch, even if former GM Brian Burke is rolling in his comically loose tie as he watches it.

-Ryan Wagman

1 Rasmus Sandin, D (29^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 3) Sandin is a versatile defenseman capable of leading rushes and quarterbacking them as well. He is a skilled player with a good shot and great hockey sense. He sees the plays before they happen and stays one step ahead and remains focused while doing so. Last year with the Marlies was an adjustment year after he came from Sault Ste. Marie, and as the season went on, he managed to become more comfortable with the pace of the play. His only downfall, which he will hopefully grow out of, is not knowing when to let go of the puck as he tends to hold onto it for too long. With more maturity and experience he will become smarter with how and when he carries the puck to avoid giving up too many turnovers. Sandin has the potential to lead as a top pairing blueliner with the Maple Leafs at his peak. - SC

2 Nick Robertson, LW (53^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) What Robertson lacks in size, he makes up for in skill. One of the youngest 2019 draft eligible players, he is one of the most creative players in the OHL. He uses great edgework and quick hands to open up space to operate; ripping off his powerful wrist shot, or a cross ice pass to an open teammate. His puck control draws defenses in to him, which opens up those lanes and space for his linemates. He is also very tenacious on the puck in the offensive end and is terrific at forcing turnovers with his quick feet and stick. Far from a finished product, he needs to mature physically to help him gain an extra step in his stride and to make him stronger playing through checks. The Leafs can afford to be patient with Robertson in hopes that he hits the growth spurt that his brother Jason did (a top Dallas prospect). The upside here is incredibly high, with Robertson possessing the skill set to be a front line player. - BO

3 Jeremy Bracco, C/RW (61^st overall, 2015. Last Year: 11) Bracco is a creative playmaker to say the least and every play holds different possibilities thanks to his level of hockey sense. He is a powerful and agile skater that can easily maneuver around opponents with his edgework, often opting to use his inside edges for turns rather than traditional crossovers. There is nothing bad to be said about his level of skill, but without the puck he will need to be more present in keeping pressure on opponents in the defensive zone. Physicality is another weak point to his game and he will have to start to play more physically next season if he wants to prove he is ready for a more intense level. Bracco has the potential to be a top six forward with Toronto and his game is certainly NHL ready. Due to the Maple Leafs’ offensive strength he may have to settle for a lower spot until he gradually works his way up. - SC

4 Ilya Mikheyev, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 6, 2019. Last Year: IE) A smooth-skating forward with a good knack for the net, Mikheyev is coming off a stellar season in the KHL, even if the campaign was ruined right at the climax as he picked up an injury during the playoffs. He still managed to earn a nod as a All-Star. The Leafs signed a forward who always plays hard no matter what, and can even be useful on the penalty killing, although in the NHL he won’t go that far on will alone. In Russia, he also scored plenty of clutch goals and showcased himself as a very talented player with great hands and an excellent shot. Mikheyev can play on any line and show great energy, will, and technique. The Leafs may have found a diamond in the rough here, and he can become a very valuable player should he manage to adapt fast to his new reality. - ASR

5 Trevor Moore, LW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 26, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Moore is a sparkplug of a player and he brings 100% effort every time his feet touch the ice. He never quits on a play and his angling on the forecheck is superb. His shot is nothing spectacular and his hands are alright, but he can move and he is lightning quick which makes up for his average puck skills. The major reason why he has been successful is his natural skill combined with his work ethic, as they balance each other out and make him a persistent threat capable of forcing turnovers and capitalizing on them. Moore had the opportunity to finish the season up with the Maple Leafs last year and will be starting this season up with them as well. He is a good bottom six forward at the NHL level, capable of playing on the penalty kill especially well. He will need to keep improving the speed at which he moves the puck to see his game reach new heights. - SC

6 Timothy Liljegren, D (17^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) When Liljegren is at his best he can be a great playmaker and a strong passer capable of making crisp, tape-to-tape passes. On the contrary, when he is not on his game, he stands still, fails to play the body, makes bad passes, and causes turnovers. He can be terribly inconsistent from one shift to the next which he will needs to improve upon if he wants to succeed at the next level. He will also have to aim for higher offensive production and more shots in the coming year, as he has paled in comparison to Sandin, whose shots per game nearly double that of Liljegren’s. Hope is not lost for Liljegren, however, as he still has potential and has managed to do well with the Marlies as a top four defenseman. With a more consistent season and an improvement in physical play, he could start as a bottom four defenseman and work his way up in the NHL. - SC

7 Joseph Woll, G (62^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 12) A large netminder with remarkable athleticism, Woll proved last season that he can also be a workhorse in the sense that he can withstand seeing a lot of rubber on any given night and still keep his team in the game. The USNTDP grad spent three years at Boston College, consistently chipping away at his save percentage, raising it each year, from a starting place of .913 to .915 and finishing off at .919. There were collegiate goalies with better numbers, but few who played as much, or against as strong a set of opponents. Woll’s technical game is also a strength, in part assisted by his ability to read the flow of the game and anticipate puck movement. The Leafs will give him time to grow accustomed to the pro schedule in the AHL, in hopes that he could be a starting option once Frederick Andersen’s contract expires after the 2020-21 season. - RW

8 Mac Hollowell, D (118^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 19) A true testament to Hollowell’s maturity is how well he handled playing in the AHL playoffs after his OHL season finished. The leading defenseman scorer in the OHL last year, he is more than an undersized offensive defender. He has the ability to play in any situation, with his lack of size at 5-9”, really the only strike against him. He is a great skater. He is aggressive and tenacious in the defensive end, willing to block shots or take a hit to make a play. He quarterbacks the powerplay well and is extremely aggressive in jumping up in the play at 5 on 5. It comes down to how effective Hollowell will be at the pro level, and how well he can defend with his diminutive stature. The Toronto Maple Leafs are very high on him and feel that he can be an NHL defender for them down the road. The best case scenario likely sees him as a Jared Spurgeon type. - BO

9 Yegor Korshkov, RW (31^st overall, 2016. Last Year: 5) A talented but fragile player, Korshkov had to pass through uncountable injuries over the last three seasons that have prevented him from showing his full potential. With a fresh start in Toronto, he may finally get the chance to play a full season as a healthy player and show all his potential. He has an NHL body with smooth skating ability and soft hands. However, he may lack the consistency and the conditioning necessary to play at a high level. Considering his age, this is nothing that can’t be resolved with some good coaching – something that he will certainly receive within the Maple Leafs system. In the KHL, Korshkov showed glimpses of elite playing, but he needs to be more consistent. - ASR

10 Eemeli Rasanen, D (59^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 8) Räsänen's past season was hampered by an injury, limiting him to only 23 games. After spending the end of the season with the Marlies, he now returns to Jokerit in an attempt to have a bigger role in the KHL. He is a massive right-shot defenseman with strong physical tools and decent puck moving abilities. He can find his teammates with simple and accurate passes. He has a hard shot. The main issue continues to be his skating. His stride is fairly powerful but he lacks in mobility and backwards skating ability. He also has work to do on his play reading and positioning without the puck, particularly in his own end. Räsänen is a long-term project whose overall game and especially skating require quite a bit of refinement. - MB

11 Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C (76^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 16) If there is one prospect who has frustrated Toronto Maple Leaf fans, it is Der-Arguchintsev, affectionately called SDA. He opened eyes at last year’s training camp, earning a long look and a contract thanks to his creativity as a playmaker. Unfortunately, his OHL season was a major disappointment as other areas of his game failed to progress. While his hands are terrific, he remains a perimeter player who lacks the strength to fight through checks or create chances consistently below the hash marks. His shot also remains very weak, which affects his effectiveness as a playmaker. It is too early to give up on SDA as a potential top six forward down the line, especially given his physical immaturity, but the coming OHL season will be a big one for his development as definitive NHL prospect. - BO

12 Mikko Kokkonen, D (84^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Kokkonen is a stable, physically mature two-way defenseman. He can start the attack with accurate long-range passes which is an asset for his team's transition game. He has a solid shot and is adept at getting his shots through bodies and on to the net. He most often prefers to make the safe play instead of taking risks. On the downside, he lacks explosiveness and has less than stellar lateral agility. He can also struggle on the breakout due to not processing the game quickly enough. Kokkonen has proved himself against high end competition for several years. He had a respectable season in the Liiga as a 17-year-old and will look to build on that in the upcoming season. That said, he does not truly excel in any areas of the game which may ultimately limit his NHL potential. - MB

13 Michael Koster, D (146^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) For both of the last two seasons, Koster has split his time between his hometown Chaska High – captaining the squad both years – and with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. While he was an offensive force from the blueline back home, with the Storm he played a more conservative, defense-first game. That being the case, he was still able to demonstrate his high end speed and flash puck skills occasionally, pushing opponents back on their heels as he rushed the offensive zone. His draft stock was helped by his USHL work, as he proved that he could hold his own and even succeed against the more uniformly bigger and more talented level of opponent he faced in that league. Koster is expected to spend all of next season in the USHL before joining the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2020-21. He is a long-term project, but has top four upside. - RW

14 Dmytro Timashov, LW (125^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 10) Timashov is a fun player whose feet never stop moving. He can play a physical game and is dynamic enough to play well on both powerplay and penalty kill. He is much weaker in the defensive zone than the offensive zone and will need to work on his defensive positioning, especially when on penalty kill as his movement seems unsure and his timing is sometimes off. Notwithstanding, he is a smart player and has enough natural skill to be considered for a bottom six roll in the future. His development in the AHL with the Marlies has been good and his last year had over 40 points, which could cause him to be a front-runner for a call-up to the NHL if he can repeat that production. Playing another year as a top forward will give him the responsibility and confidence to be able to try skating at the NHL level. - SC

15 Teemu Kivihalme, D (140^th overall, 2013 [Nashville]. Last Year: Not ranked [Not Affiliated]) The former Predators’ draft pick joined the Toronto organization after two impressive seasons with Karpat in the Liiga. Kivihalme is a high-end skater with terrific two-way mobility He gets around the ice effortlessly and has very good speed. He can carry the puck up the ice and controls the puck well at high speeds, yet he is more effective when delivering the puck quickly to the forwards. In order to become an everyday NHL defenseman, he needs to gain toughness, strength, and to round out his defensive game. His positioning and decision making in the offensive zone can be somewhat questionable at times, but with small refinements, those shortcomings can be fixed. Kivihalme’s development is trending upwards and he will challenge for a roster spot on the Leafs’ defense sooner than later. - MB

16 Ian Scott, G (110^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Scott is a polarizing goalie as he has all the physical traits, and has met all of the statistical targets that you look for in a prospect goalie. Height (6-3”), GAA (1.93) and SV% (.932) are all fantastic and yet often he leaves you wanting just a bit more. He uses his body well and is effective at getting in front of the first shot however he can be challenged when forced to move cross ice. He makes some excellent saves off the rush and has impressive agility that enables him to make saves he shouldn’t get to. On the other hand, he does seem to let in a few that he probably shouldn’t. If he can avoid the soft goals he could project as a NHL backup after some experience in the minors. - VG

17 Pontus Holmberg, LW/C (156^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Holmberg is a good late round pick as he has bloomed late and a nice set of skills. He has a lot of good traits in his game that could translate well to the NHL, like the way he can cover the puck in the corners and create scoring chances from there. He has strong balance which will get stronger with more overall strength. His production hasn’t taken off yet but should with more strength and poise. He won a roster spot in the SHL last year and had an okay rookie season in a small role. He should be able to earn a bigger role this season and his game should rise accordingly. Holmberg isn’t a sure thing to make the NHL but if he can continue to take steps forward in his development, he could become a creative middle six forward. - JH

18 Jordan Schmaltz, D (25^th overall, 2012 [St. Louis]. Last Year: 15 [St. Louis]) The Leafs acquired a reclamation project in Schmaltz in an offseason trade that sent Andreas Borgman to St. Louis, and only time will tell if they win the trade. A first-round pick in 2012, the lanky right-hander has had a rocky developmental path, but can still make a future splash in the NHL as a solid skating, mature two-way defender. An intelligent playmaker, his anticipation on offense is matched only by his smarts on defense, which helps him shut down opposing forwards with tight blueline gaps. Though he is not much of a shooter, his vision and sense in transition allow him to hit friendly open sticks with relative ease. He possesses some intriguing skill, but he simply ran out of time with the Blues; with time, he could be more with Toronto, such as a decent depth blueliner at the NHL level. - TD

19 Adam Brooks, C (92^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 17) Brooks stood out in his major junior years with the Regina Pats in the WHL and has so far had the same growth pattern at the professional level with the Marlies. His rookie year was a decent start and last season saw him double his points total to 40. He is a quick and smooth skater who likes to carry the puck and is confident in his zone entries. He can struggle to hold onto the puck the same way he did in major junior and his play in the neutral zone led to many turnovers this past season. Brooks has a good set of hands but he has less space now and he will have to be more aware while carrying the puck. He will also need to work on moving the puck quicker and being less selfish. He is natural playmaker with the potential to be a second line center if he really pushes himself, but has been building his game to also fit in a bottom six role. - SC

20 Pierre Engvall, LW (188^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 14) Engvall is a surprisingly good prospect to be occupying the last spot on this list, however he does not yet play a mature enough game to meet the NHL criteria. He is a strong skater and reads the play well, is a good team player, and can play every forward position well. He does not have a particularly quick or powerful shot but it is at least accurate. He will need to up his intensity and work on gaining momentum in the physical side game before getting to the next level, taking better advantage of his plus size. With a more high pressure attitude, he could end up being listed as valuable special teams contributor and an everyday bottom six forward in the future. Engvall will have to make sure that he starts the season working hard and carries that work ethic through the whole season. - SC

Tampa Bay Lightning 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:14:19 +0000

In a system where the best performances came from older prospects with lower NHL ceilings, while those with the highest ceiling and the most youth still to play out struggled, the Lightning might feel dismay. Of course, with an NHL roster that is among the strongest in recent history and an organizational propensity for slowly developing unheralded talent to the point where they are legitimate NHL contributors, Tampa’s braintrust is not likely all that worried. Yet.

With former GM Steve Yzerman having taken a number of his most trusted lieutenants with him to Detroit, and current GM Julien BriseBois still feeling his way through his new role, including how his staff will work in tandem, there is a distinct likelihood that the Lightning will find their scouting preferences and development patterns evolving, making this assessment moot in short order.

One notable Tampa attribute that is often called out is the way they would heavily scout the QMJHL, both for the draft and for post-draft acquisitions, including free agents Yanni Gourde, Alex Barre-Boulet and, most recently, Jimmy Huntington. Those are just the free agents. Recent Lightning draft picks from the ‘Q’ include current NHLers Mathieu Joseph and Cedric Paquette, with Dennis Yan, Gabriel Fortier, Maxim Cajkovic, and Radim Salda still percolating.

I would have included Jonathan Marchessault in that group as well, but he passed through the New York Rangers’ and Columbus Blue Jackets’ systems before he received his first extended NHL chance with Tampa.

Another trait that they have followed can also be seen in a number of the aforementioned Quebecers. Gourde, Barre-Boulet, Marchessault, Fortier, and Cajkovic all have in common the trait of below average size. Not that they play small, but they are small. There are a large number of smaller players scattered throughout the system, not particular to those who came out of Quebec, but that branch is illustrative. Perhaps we can call that the Brayden Point (5-10”, 165) effect. The modern NHL is full of smaller talents who can be among the better players in the game. Point being one example, 2018-19 Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov being another.

The Lightning have gone to some lengths to ensure that their entire is not populated by the small and/or lean. In the previous three drafts, they have used two of their first-round picks on the Foote brothers, son of 1990s tough rearguard Adam. Both Cal Foote (6-4”, 214) and Nolan (6-3”, 187) represent a complete 180 from the light brigade, and both are among the top prospects currently in the Tampa pipeline.

It is far too early to guess at how BriseBois will continue Yzerman’s legacy, and what type of players he will target, but they would do well to diversify more. As much as talent is paramount in today’s NHL, without being able to play in different styles, thereby giving their NHL roster some level of unpredictability, they run the risk of being a team that can be planned around. To sustain their success over the long haul, the Lightning should have players who play in straight North-South lines, as well as East-West puck movers. Looking at the NHL roster again, it is clear that they have already stocked up on the hard part. Now they just need to determine how to best fill out the lineup.

-Ryan Wagman

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Callan Foote (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

1 Cal Foote, D (14^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) Foote’s ranking as Tampa Bay’s number one prospect is well deserved as he is the perfect mix of a skilled offensive blueliner with a highly physical and dependable defensive defenseman. He has exceptional awareness and his hockey IQ is what makes him a great player. He has size and plays a calm, aware positional game that makes him stand out as being the most mature and dynamic prospect on this list. He has the potential to be a top pairing defender with his intelligence and his overall skill set, and if he is able to power through another year with Syracuse to fully adapt to the professional level he may find himself with the Lightning as early as the end of next season. Foote is a dream defenseman where attitude and playmaking ability are concerned, and he is exactly what Tampa Bay needs to start the ball rolling with their new wave of top prospects. - SC

2 Nolan Foote, LW (27^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The younger Foote started the season as a solid first round selection, and he lived up to his advance billing, scoring 36 goals and 63 points for the Rockets, without having much support around him. With Kelowna hosting the Memorial Cup this season, and seriously upgrading their team, he will have much more support and be able to relish in a larger role. Foote is a natural shooter with a great shot and plays with a nice blend of power and skill. He has good size, comes from strong bloodlines (see above), and is very versatile. He projects as a top six winger and a bonafide power forward, who will be able to go to the net and bury the puck. In the meantime, he will have a strong season with the Rockets and put up career best numbers. - KO

3 Alexander Volkov, RW (48^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 5) Volkov is a strong and quick skater that drives the net hard and can take the outside lanes with ease. He has good hands and can move the puck quickly through multiple players in one rush. He is a great addition to Tampa’s system and a good fit for the next level as a bottom six forward. He will need to polish up a few things in regard to his positional and two-way play. He will have to make sure to stay focused and keep his feet moving in the defensive end as well. Volkov will not be able to take any shifts off in the defensive zone especially if he is a member of any special team’s units. He will need another year in the minors to fully prepare himself for the jump to the NHL especially considering the depth of Tampa’s forwards. - SC

4 Mitchell Stephens, C (33^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 7) Although Stephens did not manage a full season this past year with Syracuse, he still finished with solid offensive totals. He is a very competitive player who likes to win and who brings such passion to the game. He wins draws, gets to the net, blocks shots and plays a strong physical game. The only thing missing is an extra gear, as he needs that extra speed to be able to make a solid impact at the next level. He may be a powerful skater, but he needs a quicker jump to his stride and better reaction time to handle stop-and-go plays. Right now, with his skating the way it is, Stephens is a fourth line centerman at best, but if he pushes to be that much faster, he may be able to reach a third to second line projection. A fully healthy season back in the AHL will of course help him better prepare him for the NHL. - SC

5 Samuel Walker, C (200^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) One of Tampa Bay’s recent smaller picks, Walker took the rare step of staying in high school the season after he was drafted. It looks like the unorthodox decision paid off. He had a stellar final season with Edina, was named Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey, and hit the ground running last season as a freshman with the University of Minnesota. Walker is very fast, plays bigger than his listed size and thrives in the greasy areas. He has gifted hands and has the makings of a zone entry machine. He has top six upside and will be expected to play a bigger role with the Golden Gophers this year, making up for graduations. One more year on this trajectory, and he will be a pro by this time next year. - RW

6 Boris Katchouk, LW (44^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 3) Katchouk had a disappointing first year in the professional ranks with Syracuse and his play was barely at par with the AHL level. An forward with average skills such as him needs to understand where he needs to be on the ice to be able to maximize his potential. His skills are not spectacular, and his skating is okay, but he knows how and where to be to make a play or put the puck in the net. He will need to play a more disciplined game next season and be more consistent with his work ethic in every shift. Katchouk has the potential to be a fourth liner at the NHL level but it will take a major turn around and some more experience and confidence building at the AHL level before even thinking about moving up to the NHL. - SC

7 Taylor Raddysh, RW (58^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 4) Raddysh is a natural goal scorer with a knack for getting to the net in even the most difficult of situations. He is a good skater and a strong shooter capable of getting shots off in tight situations. He is especially good with one timers and adapting to bad passes. He will need to up his game and play a more intense game overall in order to earn a call up and a bottom six spot with the Lightning. His creativity was prominent in his major junior years with Erie and Sault Ste. Marie, but he has since settled for playing a safer game and sticking to playing more vertical lines and the dump-and-chase. Raddysh will have to work on being more creative and being stronger on the puck in open ice situations, his level of want for the puck will have to improve next season in order to prepare for the next level. - SC

8 Hugo Alnefelt, G (71^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Tampa didn’t pick a single Swedish player in the draft for eight years after they picked Victor Hedman in 2009. And then in the last two drafts, they have gone for Swedish goalies each year, with Alnefelt being the most interesting of them. He was impressive as the gold winning goalie at the WU18 last spring. As with every goalie prospect, he is a long-term project and will need to play at least another season in the junior league in Sweden before moving on to the next level. Alnefelt is a smooth goalie with good hockey sense and has shown ability to remain calm under pressure. He needs to get stronger and more consistent in every aspect of his game. The foundation for strong development looks good so far. - JH

9 Alex Barre-Boulet, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 1, 2018. Last Year: 12) For an undrafted player, Barre-Boulet’s progress from the QMJHL up to the AHL has been better than most could hope for. Last season he tied for the team lead in goals with 34, equal to his number of assists, in 74 games with the Crunch as a rookie pro. He has a good set of hands and adapts very quickly to what is going on around him. It is no wonder that a player as adaptable and focused as he is, along with his hockey IQ and his good positioning, succeeded in the AHL so quickly. The only improvement he will need to make to his game is his level of physicality and how tough he is on the puck. Barre-Boulet will need to be more eager to get into the dirty spots and will have to stop being second to the puck and more willing to take a hit to win a battle to create a play. That being said, he certainly has the potential of being a bottom six forward with Tampa Bay. - SC

10 Gabriel Fortier, C/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 1, 2018. Last Year: 8) The first thing that strikes you about Fortier is that he makes himself noticeable on every shift. He is relentless all over the ice in pursuit of the puck and attacking those with it. He is a great example of a jack-of-all-trades forward. He is equally good with the puck as without, and on both sides of the puck as well. Having said that, he does not possess elite skill. He looks faster than he is; his legs move quick and stay moving, but his short stature at 5-10” does not lead to a long stride. He shifted his talents to playmaker this past season between Nathan Légaré and Ivan Chekhovich and did not skip a beat. Fortier’s style of play makes him a fan favorite, and he has the skills and smarts to play useful NHL shifts up and down the lineup. - MS

11 Maxim Cajkovic, RW (89^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Cajkovic loves to grab the bull by the horns and play north-south hockey. He is a small-ish power forward who needs to grow into his body but does not shy away from physical play. He boasts a great shot from anywhere in the zone and loves to fire off the rush with a quick release. His skating is solid, and he is fleet on his feet. His work away from the puck needs work, but he puts in the effort on the defensive side of the ice. Cajkovic walked into a tough situation in Saint John without a lot of offensive support and made the most of it, leading the team in scoring by 12 with 46 points. Once he fills out, his body will allow him to take more punishment and will make him better equipped to play his natural role as a sniper at the NHL level. - MS

12 Carter Verhaeghe, C (82^nd overall, 2013 [Toronto]. Last Year: 15) A veteran player in the AHL ranks, Verhaeghe has finally been coming into his own and hitting his stride. Last season was a career high season as he finished with 82 points in 76 games with Syracuse. Those are the type of numbers that Tampa Bay is looking for from a forward prospect. He is a good two-way player and a good playmaker now that he understands the importance of patience and has the maturity in his game to make the right plays. Now that he is getting older however, this next season will be a make or break season for him to see if he will be able to cut it at the NHL level. It is one thing to be able to produce in the AHL, but it is another to be able to keep up the same level of production and play at the NHL level and half the battle for Verhaeghe will be getting the chance to do so. - SC

13 Dominik Masin, D (35^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 10) Masin is a defenseman who plays much bigger than he is and who also has a good head on his shoulders. He is good at reading the play and shutting down angles and closing off two on ones. He has found himself spending a lot of time in the penalty box as an AHLer, and not as much as he should want on the ice. It would be wise for him to play with more discipline heading into next season if his aim is to get called up to the NHL. There is no doubt that he is one of the fastest defensemen on this list and that he has the skill to play at the highest level but he will need to be mindful of his attitude and discipline during his shifts. Masin is still young despite this next season being his fourth with Syracuse and there is still a lot of room for him to develop as a player. - SC

14 Max Crozier, D (120^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) After being ignored in his first draft year as a two-way defender in the BCHL, Crozier went to Sioux Falls and gained a newly appreciative audience. When he wasn’t in the penalty box, he was among the more dynamic blueliners in the USHL. He is very fleet of foot and is a commanding presence on the offensive blueline. He has a solid point shot but does his best work when hunting out passing lanes to get the puck in deeper. He can play in all situations, although I would prefer if he wasn’t so infraction prone. Crozier should jump right into the top four rotation with Providence this year and could be a two-year journey from a pro contract. If he continues to develop, he could feasibly be a top four man at the highest level. - RW

15 Nick Perbix, D (169^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Perbix is another speculative late round pick on tools that might just be panning out for Tampa. Drafted in his second year of eligibility as a high schooler, he then moves on to a year in the USHL for Omaha, followed by an eye-opening freshman season with St. Cloud State. Gifted with a pro-sized frame, he uses his body well to rub out opponents along the boards and separate them from the puck. His long reach is also an asset in his own zone. More surprising though, was his offensive impact. He plays with confidence and is generally helping ensure the puck keeps moving in the right direction. There could be more upside here than we are seeing yet, but a second season in college might unveil. He is raw but shows NHL traits. - RW

16 Danick Martel, LW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 10, 2015 [Philadelphia]. Last Year: Not ranked [Philadelphia]) Martel is an undersized forward but that does not seem to affect his play, nor impact how he forechecks. He is a grinder who brings a lot of speed and enthusiasm to each shift. His work ethic and the way his outside-the-box way of thinking allows him to set up plays is the main reason why he spent most of his healthy time last year up in the NHL. He is a quick skater and a good passer, he can win races to the puck, and contribute well to just about any play. His need to always be moving and to be present in the play can sometimes backfire as he can strive to do too much leading to turnovers. Martel has already proven that he can play at the NHL level and more than keep up with the speed of the game. If he can stay healthy, he should see more time up with the Lightning in a bottom six role this season. - SC

17 Dmitri Semykin, D (90^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 18) After moving to the SKA system, Semykin made some strides forward in his development, but he may have left some room for growth. He mostly played at the junior level, and considering his size, at this point he should play more at the pro level. He remains an interesting project due to his big frame and physical game, but he needs to improve in pretty much every aspect of his game to gain the right to play in the NHL – Even a year down the road, Tampa may have stretched things when they picked him in the third round. He still has plenty of time to improve and hone his game. He needs to play pro hockey next year to keep on progressing and earn a call to the WJC, before even thinking about North America. - ASR

18 Ryan Lohin, C (208^th overall, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Lohin, recently removed from the strong UMass-Lowell program, was a 7th round pick who seems to be a clear win for Tampa. At 6-0”, 194 pounds, he can get to the net and he is a very shifty skater who follows up his own shots. A very good passer, he has accumulated between 15-17 assists in each of his three years on campus. Last season he scored 12 goals which placed the captain third on the team in that category. After three seasons with the River Hawks, he signed his entry-level contract with Tampa last March, giving him enough time to get his professional feet wet with three games for the Syracuse Crunch. Based on Tampa’s stacked roster, he is expected to play there this season. Now 23, he needs to improve his skating to reach his ultimate ceiling as a 4^th line center in the NHL. - RC

19 Spencer Martin, G (63^rd overall, 2013 [Colorado]. Last Year: 12 [Colorado]) His development has been the rocky road expected out of goaltenders nowadays, as few are ever sure things at that position, but the big and aggressive netminder signed with Tampa this offseason and looks to get back on the right track. The 2013 third-rounder has long played with a very aggressive style that dates back to his OHL tenure with Mississauga, edging the lip of the crease and challenging slot-shooters with a fully extended array of tools. He is very calm and makes tough saves look easy at times, which is made easier by his insistence on playing high up in the blue paint at all times. General inconsistencies in the Colorado system forced Martin out, but he still has NHL backup potential, and is only 24, which is fairly young for goaltenders. - TD

20 Alexei Lipanov, C (76^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 13) Lipanov is a dedicated two way forward with limited offensive potential. The two years that he spent in the Ontario Hockey League must be classified as a disappointment after being a third-round draft pick by the Lightning. Lipanov does have some qualities that could make him a 4th line role player, such as positional versatility, strength along the wall, and hockey sense in all three zones. That all said, his skating is likely not strong enough for him to be effective in this role and will need to improve should he wish to be an NHL player. Consider Lipanov a longshot, at best, to have an NHL career. - BO

San Jose Sharks 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:10:26 +0000

As a team that is always in the midst of contention, the Sharks have long been in the habit of trading away draft picks as well as prospects in order to strengthen their current NHL roster and keep their window of contention open just that much wider. Think the recent trades for Erik Karlsson and Evander Kane and remember that there were others.

To illustrate this point further, they have not had a full complement of seven draft picks since 2015 – coincidentally their last year not in the playoff picture – and of their two first rounders in the four drafts since then, one (Josh Norris, 2017) was traded away in the Karlsson trade.

Compounding the lack of picks in the San Jose pipeline, a number of the players chosen have not panned out and while it is too early to place the bust label on many of them, it is fair to say that all too many of the Sharks’ recent picks have not trended in the right direction as far as their development has been concerned.

Even at the time of drafting a number of these players, it seemed clear that they were taking flyers on long shots, players who had aspects to their game to recommend them, but also had red flags. Think of 2018 pick Jasper Weatherby’s great numbers in the BCHL, but also his more advanced age. Or think of 2017 pick Jake McGrew’s performance as a teen in Southern California, but also that he missed his entire draft year to injury. 2018 pick Zachary Emond, a netminder, showed promise when he played, but he was a backup. Or think of 2015 second rounder Jeremy Roy. A smart and poised two-way defenseman but with a big knee injury already on his resume. More followed.

To help supplement a system lacking picks, the Sharks have scoured the free agent market for additional prospects. Of the 48 players currently defined as “prospects” in the San Jose system, an eye-catching 17 were brought into the system as free agents. Mostly of the undrafted sort, although a few had been previously selected by other teams at the draft and either never signed, or, in one case, signed but never received a second contract and is still prospect-eligible.

While free agent additions can always add depth to any system, and the hockey world is full of late bloomers who make legit careers for themselves, the downside is that these players were passed over for a reason. Sometimes similar reasons as the long shot draftees I discussed a couple of paragraphs above, and sometimes others.

Like with many of the Sharks’ long shot draft picks, many of the free agent signings will not pan out as full time NHLers. And of those that do, most will be playing on the bottom half of the lineup. Even with those caveats in mind, the gambit is thus far a positive one for this organization. Five of the 20 players listed here were acquired as free agents, including two netminders who aim to follow in current NHL starter Martin Jones’ footsteps, as he, too, entered the professional ranks as a free agent signee. -Ryan Wagman

San Jose Sharks center Antti Suomela (40) (Photo by Nick Turchiaro/Icon Sportswire)

1 Ryan Merkley, D (21^st overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) One of the most polarizing prospects on the planet, Merkley can dazzle with his skating ability and offensive talents, but can frustrate with his on ice composure and defensive commitment. Not even a trade from Guelph to Peterborough could alleviate those concerns. Merkley is competitive and plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. At times, when things do not go according to plan, his competitive nature turns to frustration that is expressed in negative ways on the ice. However, Merkley is extremely talented. His four way mobility is among the best of any defensive prospect, as he uses his agility to create both passing and shooting lanes. He is a dynamic puck carrier who can have a very large impact on the game. As such, patience is required on the part of San Jose and their development coaches. Merkley may always be a high risk, high reward defender, but in the right environment he could thrive as a primary puck mover and powerplay quarterback who can elevate the offensive play of those around him. - BO

2 Sasha Chmelevski, C (185^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 5) Chmelevski is a very pro ready prospect because of how he has been able to round out his game over the course of his OHL career. He is the type of forward who can excel in any situation and this versatility will make him an NHL player sooner rather than later. His best asset might be his shot release, which is lightning quick. But he is more than just a goal scorer, as he processes the game very well and is especially dangerous in transition with his ability to make quick decisions with the puck. His skating will probably need to continue to improve in order for him to hit his high end potential as a top six forward at the NHL level. But at the very worst, he seems like a safe bet to be a steady middle six option for San Jose, perhaps as early as the coming NHL season. - BO

3 Yegor Spiridonov, C/LW (108^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Spiridonov had a good season in Russia, scoring almost a point a game in the Russian junior league and playing more than 20 games on the international stage with the U18 national team, including at the Gretzky Hlinka Cup and the WU18. He was one of the top scorers for his team at the U18s, where he made a strong impression that most likely convinced the Sharks to take him with a relatively high pick. The Magnitogorsk native is a solid two-way center with good size and with a good knack for playing hard along the boards. He has also good hands and solid skates, that allow him to protect the puck while in the offensive zone. Spiridonov is a good passer and a decent scorer, but his top quality is his two-way ability. Hopefully, he will get some pro experience next year. - ASR

4 Dylan Gambrell, C (60^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 3) An fast and highly intelligent center, Gambrell’s versatility and playmaking make him the prototypical middle-six pivot the Sharks need for the future. He possesses the sensational top speed and plus edgework necessary to drive past defenders, and his intelligence and hockey sense make him a lethal playmaker. The accuracy of his wrist shot can be a weapon on the power play and in transition, though he is more of a facilitator. Gambrell -- with his great maturity and presence on defense -- projects more as a depth center and penalty-killing maestro than anything else, as his shot and vision are solid, but not top-six quality. That fact can be worrisome out of a former second-rounder and near point-per-game AHL player, but that is where his game is at right now. - TD

5 Ivan Chekhovich, LW (212^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9) The QMJHL’s second-leading scorer is a sniper of the highest order. His 43 goals were beaten by teammate Nathan Légaré by two, but the Russian winger has an excellent wrister with a big sweeping motion. His four playoff points tied for second-best on the Drakkar in their disappointing seven-game loss in the opening round. Chekhovich turned that into a positive, with a strong end of the season with the Barracuda. It was the second year in a row that he joined the pro squad at the end of the year, and impressed both times. Chekhovich’s skating is powerful, and he pairs it with good edgework. Like most young forwards, he needs to get bigger and stronger, and he needs work away from the puck, but if his offensive potential continues to flourish at the AHL level, he is an NHL triggerman waiting to strike in San Jose. - MS

6 Noah Gregor, C (111^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 4) Playing in the WHL as a 20 year old you need to dominate the league to show you have the tools to make it to the pro game. More often than not Gregor showed that, although some nights he was inconsistent with his effort. What he excels at is a speed game where he can go at defenders with the puck. He is a very good puck handler who can shoot the puck hard and with good accuracy. He is a bit too small to be called a “power forward” but he is strong and is willing to take the puck to the net. He projects as a guy who plays bottom six minutes with some penalty kill time. - VG

7 Joachim Blichfeld, RW (210^th overall, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Blichfeld capped off his WHL career by putting up a whopping 53 goals and 114 points in 68 games for the Winterhawks. He was a real standout for Portland, and also impressed on the international stage with Denmark in two previous WJCs. Blichfeld is a natural scorer with very good offensive instincts, has a great shot, and plays a pretty good all round game. He will take his game up to the AHL as he will skate for the Barracudas this season, giving him a good taste at the professional level where he should be able to translate his game to a higher level of play. He will start as bottom six forward, and could move up to a top six role if he settles in and produces even a portion of his WHL production.- KO

8 Jonathan Dahlen, LW/C (42^nd overall, 2016 [Ottawa]. Last Year: 5 [Vancouver]) With crazy quick hands and the hockey IQ to put them to use on the attack, Dahlen has an exciting game that packs a punch in his small frame. He is an expert playmaker with a pair of scintillating hands and the lateral mobility to play up his otherwise sluggish skating speed, and is becoming more comfortable with unleashing his speedy shot. A predator on the forecheck, the 21-year-old can become a very good energy line player and depth scorer in time, but there are questions to be had on his work ethic and effort level, as he is already on his third organization, and his departure from Vancouver was an ugly one. If he shows well in training camp, he could be in contention for an NHL roster spot this fall. - TD

9 Antti Suomela, C (Undrafted free agent, signed Jun. 6, 2018. Last Year: 11) At the end of the 2017-18 NHL campaign, a small bidding war over Suomela, the Liiga scoring champion that season, was waged by a multitude of stateside organizations. The hype was justified, but as the 2018-19 season went forward, we saw how poorly the raw, fascinating skill of the 25-year-old translated to the North American game at the NHL level. His speed and skill were on display early in the season, but he ate up healthy scratches and wound up in the AHL by December. He still has the potential to be a top-six forward; a lethal skater and often deadly setup man, Suomela can contribute in many ways, even without the puck, as his anticipation for where the play is flowing is unreal. With some NHL spots up for grabs in San Jose this season, he could be the guy to count on for depth scoring. - TD

10 Josef Korenar, G (Unsigned free agent, signed Jul. 13, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Imagine being a 21-year-old unsigned free agent who effectively stole the starting job for a postseason-qualified AHL team, in spite of minimal pro experience beforehand; that is what Josef Korenar did in 2018-19, starring for the AHL San Jose Barracuda and exhibiting the potential to be the Sharks’ goaltender of the future. The AHL All-Star showed otherworldly smarts and play-reading vision in his first full year in the pros, complimenting a highly athletic and controlled style in the crease. His rebound control can be spotty, as his tool selection still needs some work, but that is a teachable quality. Expect him to get the bulk of starts with the Barracuda in 2019-20, with a non-zero chance of an NHL appearance after the troublesome years of netminders Martin Jones and Aaron Dell last season. -TD

11 Mario Ferraro, D (49^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 6) Always playing second fiddle to his superstar collegiate teammate Cale Makar, Ferraro could have returned as the big man on campus now that Makar has turned pro. Instead, Ferraro is taking his own creative, puck moving game to the pros as well. Although undersized, he plays with tremendous energy, while not neglecting his duties in his own zone. One of three Minutemen to wear the C last year, he leads by example with a strong point shot and attention to detail in his own end, allowing him to be used on both special teams’ units. There are still some raw elements to Ferraro’s game, but his strong collection of tools might allow him to play as high as the second pairing, as he is the type for whom the total package may be better than the sum of their parts. - RW

12 Artemi Knyazev, D (48^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Knyazev got the green light from Saugeneens’ coach Yanick Jean a lot in his first North American season, and he impressed offensively from the back end. His 34 points were second best among blueliners on his team, and the leader was an overager. The Chicoutimi team struggled to score at times, and Knyazev was a factor when they did put the puck in the net. He is an offence-first defender, who skates very well and covers a lot of ice for a smaller-sized player. Not only fast, he is agile and reaches top speed quickly. He can start or finish the offence, as proven by his great first pass and his 13 goals on the season. Knyazev is still a bit of a project, and will need to grow, but he has the foundation to be a solid powerplay contributor and speedy defender at the NHL level. - MS

13 Dillon Hamaliuk, LW (55^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) After starting the season very strong, Hamaliuk suffered a serious knee injury as a result of a knee on knee on hit that limited him to 31 games last season. He did put up 11 goals and 26 points in 32 games in that span, and played a very dominant physical game. He is your prototypical power forward, who also plays with a lot of speed and energy. He has a great shot, strong net presence, and plays a solid two-way game. His injury really affected his draft status, as he would have been a possible first round pick. Hamaliuk should have a career year after being moved to Kelowna in the offseason. With the Rockets hosting the Memorial Cup, he will be showcased and put in the spotlight where he should flourish. He projects to be a power forward with top six potential, if he should prove fully recovered with no loss to his skating ability. - KO

14 Andrew Shortridge, G (Undrafted free agent, signed Apr. 3, 2019. Last Year: IE) Shortridge is a 6-4” goalie who hails from Anchorage, Alaska. He just finished up a very successful three-year run with Quinnipiac University and was voted the ECAC Goaltender of the Year (Ken Dryden Award) and was also named as a Richter Award Finalist last season; he had a career-high and NCAA best .940 save percentage and a good run in the playoffs to boot. He is good at making that first save and gobbling up the puck. He is smart, he anticipates well and tracks the puck very well in traffic. Shortridge is also very athletic and can make the big saves that eventually win games. As he is thin at 185 pounds, he needs to get stronger before he can move beyond the Barracuda. - RC

15 Karlis Cukste, D (130^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 16) After four years in North America, the Latvian import seems to have grown accustomed to the style and pace of play. The high penalty minute totals of his freshman year at Quinnipiac are a thing of a past, while his offensive impact has increased. He lacks any true impact skills, but he is a fine skater and excels at skating the puck out of trouble. Cukste plays a fine two-way game, not bringing much in the way of flash, but playing steadily at both ends and keeping unforced errors to a minimum. He is expected to return to school for a final season, this time wearing the A on his chest, but the Sharks should be making clear that they will offer him a contract upon the completion of his collegiate eligibility. He has NHL upside. - RW

16 Jayden Halbgewachs, LW/C (Undrafted free agent, signed Dec. 28, 2017. Last Year: 12) Undrafted and signed by the Sharks near the midway mark of his electric, 129-point 2017-18 season with WHL Moose Jaw, the former junior scoring champion showed flashes of brilliance in his first pro year, but on the flip side, an utter lack of consistency and assertiveness. His elite positioning away from the puck, nifty wrist shot, and slippery hands make Halbgewachs a sneaky killer on offense. He loves to dangle through traffic and set up below the hash marks, where his intelligence and passing skill come into play, but his undersized, 5-8” frame, inability to beat defenders due to a lack of speed, and defensive insufficiencies make him a frustrating player to watch. He can still be a skilled depth scorer at the NHL level, but not without major upgrades in his game. - TD

17 Scott Reedy, C/RW (102^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 15) When you see Reedy at his best, he almost seems dynamic. He has great size, eye catching speed, and can be a possession machine, creating zone entries and maintaining the puck even under physical duress. The tools are certainly there for him to be a legitimate contributor at the highest level. The problem is that he has been regressing – at a slow rate, but regression all the same – since his year with the USNTDP U17 squad. At that time, he was receiving cameos with the U18 team and looking like the next big thing. But Reedy underwhelmed in his draft year and now through two seasons with the Golden Gophers, he has not surpassed seven goals in a season and his assist rate has fallen. He still has a chance to play in a bottom six role, but he needs to step it up to reach even that level. - RW

18 Jeremy Roy, D (31^st overall, 2015. Last Year: 7) Roy’s career to this point, even dating back to his junior days, has been defined by injuries. It is very difficult to get into any kind of developmental rhythm when your body is failing you, but the potential for him to be an impact NHL defenseman is still there, just with a grain of salt. His smarts and puck skills scream big-minute NHL blueliner, while his size helps sustain a solid package of three-zone reliability and potency. He is not a very good skater, but has active feet and decent agility to play up his skating. Maybe the 22-year-old who has never played in an NHL game is a bust, but consider that the 58 games Roy played with AHL San Jose are the most he has laced up for in one season since his 2013-14 season in the QMJHL. Injuries have plagued him, but he is building health and strength and could still have an NHL future. - TD

19 Nick DeSimone, D (Undrafted free agent, signed Mar. 30, 2017. Last Year: 17) In terms of raw skill, there are not many players in the Sharks farm system that would outclass DeSimone. An offensively-oriented right-handed blueliner, he is aggressive at all times, uses his lanky, 6-2” frame to get inside position on the puck, and possesses the surprisingly quick wheels capable of blowing by defenders. With his blazing shot and craftiness with the puck, the Union College product became a mainstay on the Barracuda power play over the course of the 2018-19 campaign. Of course, raw skill does not just up and make you a great player, and the 24-year-old is a case study on that. Lacking defensive discipline and good decision-making in his own zone, he can be someone that drags his defense partner down and has his team playing unnecessary minutes in the defensive zone. – TD

20 Alexander True, C (Undrafted free agent, signed Jul. 18, 2018. Last Year: not ranked) An undrafted forward signed to an entry-level contract last year, True made the Sharks’ decision to put him on the NHL books a great one with a breakout year with AHL San Jose. The lanky 22-year-old formed into somewhat of a power forward threat in the top minor league last season, posting a career high in points that dates back into his WHL days (66-24-31-55). The Danish hybrid forward plays on both sides of the special teams, drives even-strength offense at will, and creates plays for his teammates with his intense cycle game. He is a subpar skater in almost every fashion, but can play a decent forechecking/depth scoring role in the NHL if he works on his shooting and defensive discipline. - TD

St. Louis Blues 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:06:09 +0000

In 2017-18, the St. Louis did not have its own AHL club, leaving it to split most of its minor pros between the San Antonio Rampage (then belonging to Colorado) and the Chicago Wolves (ostensibly a Vegas affiliate), with some players sent further afield, most notably Jordan Binnington to Providence, and Jake Walman to Binghamton. The NHL Blues missed the postseason.

Last season, St. Louis took over the San Antonio AHL club, as Colorado opened their own, more local team in-state. All of the Blues’ top tier minor leaguers were housed together, and coached as one unit in South-Central Texas. The Blues, as we all know, won the Stanley Cup for the first time in the franchise’s 52 year history. It would be so easy to correlate the two facts. After all, the aforementioned Binnington earned his first NHL recall around mid-season and took a last place team on a run for the ages, ending only in a parade. Right?

Of course not. For every AHL success story in the organization last year (Binnington was really the only one), there was another story of a once highly-touted prospect who took a step backwards. Think about how Binnington earned the call. The St. Louis goalies were playing poorly, with backup Chad Johnson earning a trip to the waiver wire while incumbent starter Jake Allen continued to disappoint with erratic play. St. Louis had been grooming Finnish puck stopper Ville Husso as the heir apparent in between the pipes , but the latter had seemingly hit a wall last season. Repeatedly. Husso’s two previous seasons in the AHL – one with Chicago and the second with San Antonio were very impressive. But he was having trouble stopping beach balls last season.

Binnington, on the other hand, one year after being shunted to a different organization’s AHL club, had a save percentage .056 higher. Why not go with the hot hand? To be honest, it wasn’t even a case of a hot hand. Binnington’s .927 AHL save percentage was practically the same as his .926 mark with Providence from the year before. And he maintained that .927 level over the remainder of the regular season with St. Louis, finally slowing down a touch in the postseason.

If we want more success stories from St. Louis’ first season with a full time affiliate in San Antonio, we could point to Jordan Kyrou, who seemingly mastered the level in his first season as a pro, although could not impact the NHL roster and was slowed by a knee injury requiring offseason surgery in the second half. Sammy Blais was also almost as good in his second season in Texas, earning a prolonged stint in the NHL and a relatively regular role in the postseason to boot. He didn’t exactly improve his projection, but he maintained it. Mackenzie MacEachern also earned his first NHL recall and did well enough even if he never saw the ice in the playoffs. Mitch Reinke proved to be a nice NCAA free agent signing as a rookie pro.

But there is also a downside. Jake Walman was repatriated by the organization and struggled mightily. Klim Kostin continued to tease with potential but still hasn’t taken a step forward. Erik Foley missed the entire season with concussion symptoms. Most of the other prospects on the farm simply failed to do much of anything. The Blues still had their parade and should be OK with the stasis on the AHL front, but we can rest assured that the new AHL franchise had no real role on the title, even if it should be to the organization’s benefit in the long run.

-Ryan Wagman

St. Louis Blues center Jordan Kyrou (33) (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)

1 Jordan Kyrou, RW/C (35^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 3) An AHL All-Star last season, the Blues’ top-ranked prospect earned that honor as one of the most consistently dangerous players in the league. With San Antonio, the 21-year-old posted a 47-16-27-43 stat line in a season -- his first as a pro -- that featured some brief stints up in the NHL. His ferocious speed is matched by few opposing defensemen, and his acute technical footwork only plays it up. His shot is developing into a strong auxiliary weapon capable of testing netminders from mid-to-high danger areas, while his playmaking is coming along as well, though only tied to his speed. As a center, he is incredibly disciplined defensively, and his calm and composed mental game allows him to stay focused on the task at hand. Though the Blues are plenty stacked on centers at the moment, the club has an elite one-two punch of young pivots in the established Robert Thomas and the emerging Kyrou, who will have his shot at an NHL spot this training camp. - TD

2 Dominik Bokk, RW (25^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 4) Bokk had a sneaky good first full SHL season. His 23 points were third among junior-aged players. He at least showed that his progress as a player is steadily moving forward in his career. This upcoming season he will play a bigger role on a smaller SHL. He still has much to improve in his all-around game, but his pure skills are elite. His puck handling and creativity on the power play stand out. He has the offensive tools needed for a top line forward in the NHL, but he still has much to learn in how to use them effectively. His compete level needs to be higher including in his offensive game, such as going hard for his own rebounds instead of gliding out admiring his shot or learning when to make the boring, effective play rather than the pretty play with the puck. He has a high ceiling, but is a couple of years away before reaching it. - JH

3 Klim Kostin, RW (31^st overall, 2017. Last Year: 2) A top-five prospect in the St. Louis system for the third season running, Kostin was a risky pick back in 2017. But the hulking Russian has shown some flashes of downright dominance as an offensive player with San Antonio and in recent international appearances, enough to maintain a high spot on this rundown. Though he went through another underwhelming AHL season, the 6-3”, 212lbs 20-year-old impressed scouts with his body control, momentum on his skates, and his physical, power-forward game. A fast shot and nifty puck-protection skills make Kostin a fun player to watch when he gets to enter the zone with momentum, though his lack of speed and assertiveness can hold him back. He is still very young for an AHL player, and is still adjusting to the differing styles on the small ice. He may never be the player that drew comparisons to Evgeni Malkin during his draft year, but he can still be a useful NHL player within a year or two. - TD

4 Scott Perunovich, D (45^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 11) Two years of collegiate hockey, two NCAA championships. The team won thanks to efforts up and down the lineup, but Perunovich was the leading scorer as a freshman, and finished third on the team last year, leading all blueliners and only four points back of the top. He lacks the pure speed of the prototypical modern day blueliner, but he is an exceptionally shifty skater and slips past the first line of defense to pinch in deep at every opportunity. He will always need help in his own zone as he is small and lean, but if his partner can get the puck, Perunovich is the type that will ensure his team keeps it through the conclusion of a scoring chance. He has the tool set to play on a second unit in the NHL and receive power play time as well, a very valuable contributor as long as his weaknesses are kept in mind. - RW

5 Samuel Blais, LW (176^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 6) Rarely does a sixth-round pick play NHL hockey, and even more scarce are those that have the instant impact Blais had at that level. Inserted into the Blues lineup midway through their playoff run, the former QMJHL star was a spark of non-stop energy and a physical edge on every shift, playing all over the lineup and producing throughout. Aside from the hard work and grittiness that has drawn the respect of his teammates, the left-hander excels at getting into the right positions away from the puck, using his whippy, heavy shot at any opportunity. His offensive vision is not as impressive as his sizzling shot, but the 23-year-old is capable of making space for teammates by drawing defenders his way through his dominant puck-protection skills. He projects to be a depth scorer and energy line winger going forward, but his versatility and reliability can push him up into the top six if his coach needs a jolt. At 23, he is NHL ready. - TD

6 Tyler Tucker, D (200^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) A real throwback defender, Tucker is one of the most physical defenders in the OHL. He is very effective at lining up attacking forwards as they cut across the blueline or attempt to cut to the middle of the ice. There are more facets to his game than just brutality. He has proven himself to be a very capable offensive defender who can quarterback the powerplay effectively with a good low shot and improving vision. His skating has also improved greatly in the last year. While further gains need to be made, especially to his four way mobility, there is no doubt that if he had progressed as a skater like this in his draft year, he would not have been a seventh round pick. Tucker’s high end projection would be a 4th or 5th defender who can play in a variety of situations and bring some toughness. - BO

7 Keean Washkurak, C (155^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The best way to describe Washkurak’s game is that he plays much bigger than his size of 5-10”. He backs down from no challenge on the ice and is bound to be a coaches’ favorite as he moves up in levels because of this. When you combine his strong skating ability with his tenaciousness, on and off the puck, you have a terrific energy player who can provide change of pace, forechecking, and strong penalty killing to his team. It remains to be seen just how good his offensive game can become. He shows good vision when operating as a puck carrier below the hash marks and identifies passing lanes well. He will need to improve his ability to handle the puck and make plays at his top speed, in addition to his shot, if he wants to be more than a bottom six forward at the NHL level. There will always be places in the lineup for players like Washkurak. -BO

8 Nikita Alexandrov, C (62^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The German-born Russian Alexandrov turned heads last season, nearly doubling his point total from the previous year by adding mass to his frame and developing his skating ability. He was a decent skater, but refined his stride and position this season, and it paid off. He is a rock with the puck thanks to his anchored legs; he can spread out and make himself nearly impossible to knock off the puck. It has paid dividends along the wall and on the forecheck, as he is much stronger on his feet. Alexandrov is a two-way threat who is always able to jump in transition to form an offensive chance. He has the hockey sense to play low in the lineup, and the offensive ability to keep him in the top-six. - MS

9 Mitch Reinke, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 25, 2018. Last Year: 17) Not often do smooth-skating, offensively-inclined, right-handed defensemen go undrafted like Reinke, but judging by his rookie season with San Antonio, the Blues found themselves an absolute gem with the Michigan Tech product. Completing a 76-12-33-45 season with the Rampage as a rookie is a remarkable accomplishment, and one fueled by his skilled, heads-up offensive play. His speed allows him to frequently exit the defensive zone, while his vision and hockey sense give him the instincts to put the puck in the right place. He can jump into the play and let off his strong, accurate wrist shot, but he is more of a facilitator than anything. His defensive game will need to improve, especially his initial blue line defense and stick activeness, but he has shown some nastiness around the boards. Reinke, whose ceiling appears to be middle-pair puck-rusher, is arguably NHL ready, but it depends on what kind of game the Blues coaching staff wants him to play. - TD

10 Dakota Joshua, C (128^th overall, 2014 [Toronto]. Last Year: 18 [Toronto]) Drafted in the fifth round by Toronto in the pre-Kyle Dubas days, the current Maple Leafs regime is more about speed and skill than size and muscle and traded the graduating Joshua to St. Louis for future considerations before his rights were set to expire. All of which is not to say that he is not a player without skill. He protects the puck well with a long reach and has good enough hands to play in tight quarters. His shot is also an effective weapon. Joshua plays in a style that accentuates his size and strength, with his offensive game generally of secondary importance. He is a moderate skater, but it plays up thanks to his smarts and size. His ceiling isn’t much above the fourth line, but he is pretty close to being there now and could be an NHL contributor sooner than later. - RW

11 Erik Foley, LW (78^th overall, 2015 [Winnipeg]. Last Year: 9) Once in a while, we have a previously highly touted prospect who misses a full season to reasons out of his control. Foley is one of two in these pages (see also Timmins, Conor from Colorado) who missed a critical season of development due to post concussion symptoms. The skilled forward who averaged close to one point per game over both his sophomore and junior seasons at Providence is still in there, but without playing in game situations for now over 12 months, the rust has accumulated. As of this writing, there is no news regarding his status for the upcoming season, or at all. Consider this a place-holder then. Should he return to full health, there is no reason that his ability to drive the net with speed and protect the puck could not play on a middle six. - RW

12 Ville Husso, G (94^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 7) All while the previously unheralded Jordan Binnington stole the show in the crease, Husso had a horrendous season that further damaged his falling prospect stock. After a strong 2017-18 campaign, the Finn went 6-18-0 with a 3.67 GAA and .871 Sv% in 2018-19, eventually losing the clear-cut starting job to a slew of random cast-offs that featured Binnington and Jared Coreau. Husso still has the raw skill to make a name for himself, including his athleticism, size (and more importantly, the way he uses it), and his ability to read plays as they develop and position himself accordingly. He is an incredibly mature and calm netminder, even in epic defeats, maintaining a soft composure in the crease. He may never be better than an “okay” goalie after previously showing starter-potential; regardless, he will need another year or two. - TD

13 Colten Ellis, G (93^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Ellis is a goaltender with a ton of talent. He is very quick, especially with his feet, and can track the puck with the best junior goalies in Canada. His biggest issue is one that can be solved with time and coaching from goalie coach David Alexander as he is raw. His movements are quick and his anticipation is top-notch, but he has a lot of wasted movement that could be refined. His fundamentals are solid, and he has the confidence to make it, but he needs to further refine his skills. His puckhandling is adequate, but simple. On a team where Jordan Binnington came out of nowhere to win a Cup, the Blues of all teams are fine with letting Ellis marinade a bit until he is ready, but he definitely has star goaltender potential. - MS

14 Alexei Toropchenko, RW (113^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 16) One of those players who passes the eye test quite often, but who just has not translated that to consistent production in the OHL. His playoff and Memorial Cup performance this year aside, Toropchenko continues to be an enigma offensively. He has the toolbox, be it long powerful strides that allow him to work effectively driving the puck to the net, or a quick wrist shot that has the ability to beat goaltenders clean. His lack of production could possibly be attributed to a limited hockey IQ and vision. With his size and skill advantage, he should be way more of a consistent threat, both with and without the puck on his stick. Patience will be required as the high end potential is quite alluring. If his playoff performance in this year’s OHL playoffs was his breakthrough moment, then the Blues could have a good one. - BO

15 Hugh McGing, C (138^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Drafted in his third year of eligibility, the undersized McGing has been quietly producing at fine levels since his age 18 year with Cedar Rapids of the USHL. One might consider his first post draft year to have been a mild disappointment, as he only equalized his point accumulation from the previous year, and in one additional game, to boot. On the other hand, the shape of his production shifted, as he went from a player who put up two assists for every goal over his underclassmen years to getting over half of his production from finishing as a junior. McGing is a shifty skater with plus hands but lacks the high end speed we would like to see in a player of his stature (5-9”, 174). He will finish his eligibility at Western Michigan before the Blues decide whether or not to offer him an ELC. At this point, I would consider a contract to be likely for the two-way forward. - RW

16 Jake Walman, D (82^nd overall, 2014. Last Year: 5) With limited offensive upside at this level, Walman instead plays the type of game that has made fellow Blues defensemen some of the toughest in the game to play against; he is physical, plays tight to his opposition, and is very aggressive with his stick. The 2014 third-rounder had a borderline awful 2018-19 season. He is smart and composed, lulling opponents to the outside of the lanes and playing assertively with his body and stick to force tough shot angles. A solid skater, he is one who can shut down rushes the other way with his foot speed, rarely losing inside position on an opposing forward. He has a good shot from the point and decent setup skills, but does not play forcefully enough on offense. He was a sleeper pick to make the Blues’ NHL roster last season, but failed, and it looks like Walman -- who now appears to be a depth d-man at best -- will simmer in the AHL again in 2019-20. - TD

17 Nolan Stevens, C (125^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 8) Standing 6-3”, Stevens reinforces the Blues’ stress on developing players with overwhelming size to succeed in their physical, possession-oriented lineup. Although his numbers with San Antonio (57-9-9-18 last season) are not turning any heads, his play as one of the Rampage’s most consistent two-way threats is inspiring. He is a very reliable two-way centerman who plays deep in his own zone, has the wheels to exit the zone with the puck, and can be a beast on the cycle with the playmaking vision and skill to make something happen out of the set behind the net. He is hard on the puck and can force it away from others with his long reach. However, his straight-line speed is horrid, and he has little in terms of shooting prowess. Before turning pro, there were concerns that Stevens was being carried by offensive catalysts like Dylan Sikura (CHI) and Adam Gaudette (VAN) with Northeastern. His first year in the AHL did little to combat that theory, and he looks like a career AHLer or up-and-down guy right now. - TD

18 Mackenzie MacEachern, LW (67^th overall, 2012. Last Year: Not ranked) One of the biggest surprises among Blues prospects last season was the onset of MacEachern, whose physical scoring game from his days at Michigan State looked to be around again with San Antonio and St. Louis last year. At 25, he has been knocking on the door of a full-time NHL depth winger role in spite of being an afterthought for most of his pro career. His combination of size and hand quickness/puck-handling proficiency is very intriguing, while his high-end work ethic and maturity make him an impactful penalty killer at both levels. Whether he is a long-term option in the Cup champs’ 12-man forward unit is an open question, but it is one that would not have been entertained as recently as last offseason. At 25, he is NHL ready as he is basically finished developing. - TD

19 Nathan Walker, LW (89^th overall, 2014 [Washington]. Last Year: 16 [Washington]) Despite his lack of size, Walker does well to make up for that in the speed and playmaking departments. He is quick and aggressive and plays with determination and the right amount of grit in his game to prove himself at the next level. Having already been present during the Washington Capitals recent Stanley Cup win, Walker knows a thing or two about playing at the NHL level, however consistency is key and that is something he will need to work on more next season. His last season with the Hershey Bears was his strongest year yet as a pro but he is still failing to prove himself to be better than a bottom six forward. He will need to work on finding more ways of getting to the net and staying cool and consistent throughout the season to prove to the St. Louis Blues that he is worthy of earning a spot on their roster. - SC

20 Joel Hofer, G (107^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Hofer has what teams look for in goaltenders these days. He is over 6-3”. Within that frame he is very athletic and quick. In his draft year he had firmly established himself as a backup ready to take a starter’s role, however Swift Current wasn’t the same team when he got a chance to start and his numbers dropped off playing on a team that struggled in all aspects of the game. He had a nice little uptick in performance after being traded to Portland but hasn’t shown much statistical progression year over year. When he is on he has a lot of poise and agility where he can make highlight reel saves and keep composed while under siege. He battles hard even when his team is overmatched, outshot and caved it. He endured a lot mentally this year and he seems to have come out the other side well. This strong mental side is key to becoming a very effective back-up goalie which is what Hofer projects to in the NHL. - VG

Pittsburgh Penguins 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:03:53 +0000

The worst systems in the game usually are handicapped by a combination of a shortage of picks and a pronounced shortage of high end picks. Those teams are often perennial contenders and had traded those picks – and sometimes players who still retain the sheen of youthful promise – in exchange for players that are more able to assist in the present need to fortify a contender. In other words, they abide by the maxim that a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.

The Penguins most definitely meet both problems head on. The last time they had their full complement of seven picks was back in 2012. In the seven ensuing drafts, they have only made a pick on day one twice. One of those first rounders was made just this year, as the Penguins added a big-bodied, mature power winger in Samuel Poulin. The other first round pick Pittsburgh made in that span, Kasperi Kapanen, selected with the 22^nd pick in 2014, was traded to Toronto in the Phil Kessel trade, before he ever suited up in Pittsburgh.

Outside of those two first rounders, likely the most skilled player selected by Pittsburgh in the past seven drafts was the Dutch Dangler, Daniel Sprong. The skilled winger did play in 42 NHL games for the Penguins, before he, too, was sent away, shipped to Anaheim in a one for one deal for blueliner Marcus Pettersson. In fairness to GM Jim Rutherford and company, Sprong wasn’t traded so much for a veteran, as Pettersson was also very young, as much as they deemed Pettersson to be a better fit on the main squad than Sprong. Pettersson actually equaled Sprong’s rest of season point totals, albeit in ten additional games. For a defenseman deemed a stay-at-home type though, neither the Penguins not their supporters should be dismayed by the sell off of one of their top young talents.

Other Penguins’ draft picks of recent vintage who have played at least 100 NHL games, but are long out of the Pittsburgh system include Derrick Pouliot, and Stanley Cup champ Oscar Sundqvist. On the other hand, in the past seven drafts, the only current NHL Penguins are Jake Guentzel and Dominik Simon. Even on a winning team, you would expect a better hit rate than that.

One other way that the Penguins may be hampering their draft and development efforts is by how limited their selection pool is. The draft (and sign) extensively from the QMJHL, the WHL, the college bound ranks and Finland, but ignore Russia – the only player drafted out of Russia since the selection of Malkin was netminder Alexander Pechursky in 2008, and the OHL – only two Ontario based picks in the last seven years, neither of whom was ever offered an ELC.

For as heavily as the Penguins supplement their prospect base with undrafted free agents, four of whom grace the list below, there is a distinct lack of upside in any of them, and in fact, in the system as a whole. Even if the team hopes to remain a top competitor in perpetuity, they will need to change their approach to player acquisition to continue to surround Crosby and Malkin with suitable teammates.

-Ryan Wagman

CRANBERRY, PA - JUNE 28: Pittsburgh Penguins Prospect Forward Samuel Poulin (18) during the Pittsburgh Penguins Development Camp 3-on-3 Tournament on June 28, 2019 at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, PA. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire)

1 Samuel Poulin, RW (21^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) One of the more complete players in the draft this past June, and one of the more pro-ready players, Poulin has many qualities NHL coaches will love right out of the box. Poulin is the son of former NHLer Patrick, and his hockey sense proves that. His ability to shoot or pass with equal aplomb and his abilities to use his teammates are all at a high level. His defensive play on the backcheck and in transition is noteworthy. His skating is strong, especially his balance, as he can anchor himself along the wall under pressure. He plays a two-way game, does not skip on the details and can carry a team on his back, like his Sherbrooke team in the playoffs with 14 points in 10 games. Poulin will be a strong winger who can play all situations and be a reliable two-way threat for a long time. - MS

2 Calen Addison, D (53^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) Addison is a dynamic offensive weapon from the back end. He has a great ability to generate offense and push the pace of play with his skating and knack for jumping into the rush. Back-to-back 65 point seasons have shown that he has the puck skills and vision to make key offensive plays. Defensively he gets in trouble once the puck is in his own zone. He rarely kills penalties, or is on for key defensive zone draws, he can be physically overmatched and struggles to protect the front of the net or break up the cycle game. If the Penguins are patient with him he could develop like Tory Krug, a powerplay specialist and on a 3rd pairing at even strength until he is better prepared to handle tougher assignments. - VG

3 Pierre-Olivier Joseph, D (23^rd overall, 2017 [Arizona]. Last Year: 4 [Arizona]) The former Charlottetown Islanders captain has seen his game grow leaps and bounds since he joined the QMJHL in 2015-16. Joseph’s best two assets are his work ethic and his hockey sense. He rarely makes a bad decision and, most importantly, knows his limitations. He has blossomed into a leader by both his words and his example, and his effort is contagious for other players. He is slight for the pro game at 168 pounds, but he is as adept at defending positionally as he is physically, and has figured out how to read many schemes with the puck to best attack from the back end. He is poised and strong at moving the puck and patient to allow the defense to open up to his benefit. While he may not have any truly elite traits, he does not have many weaknesses. He is a future solid, dependable, middle-pair blueliner. - MS

4 Filip Hallander, C (58^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 3) Hallander is starting to look like a good second round pick, not Jake Guentzel-in-the-third good, but good. The 18 year-old played his first season in the SHL and was one of the best forwards on his team. He is a smart power forward with nice hands and skills. He works hard in all three zones and reads a forecheck very well. When he creates scoring chances, he often does so through winning the puck over for his team and going hard to the net. The knock on him so far is that he hasn’t got any tools that are elite other than his compete level and forechecking. The skating, shot, and puck skills are slightly above average, but non are elite. As a future NHLer he isn’t an elite producer, but he can play and contribute in various roles. He is strong on the PK and around the net on a power play. Next season he will play in SHL again. - JH

5 Nathan Legare, RW (74^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Légaré has the shot to become a sniper at the NHL level. 45 goals as a draft-eligible player in any league is impressive, and the fact that his goal totals jumped from 10 to 45 made it even more impressive. He was a triggerman on a strong Baie-Comeau powerplay and can hammer a one-timer swiftly to the net. Having said that, many of his goals are scored in front of the net off rebounds or small set-ups, using his superior size and strength at the QMJHL level. His hockey sense and physicality is strong, but his skating holds him back. He knows where to go, but often gets there late, and is more effective in zone set-plays rather than off the rush. His agility, edgework and acceleration all need work. For this reason, it is hard to project his impact going forward, but his shot is impossible to deny. - MS

6 Jordy Bellerive, C (Undrafted free agent, signed Sep. 16, 2017. Last Year: 11) Bellerive is a player who can play the game in any style. He is happy to drive the net and work hard to create his offense but he has a shot that can beat goalies cleanly from distance. He works his tail off in both zones and often generates additional chances from chasing down the play. He makes good passes both in transition and below the dots. He camps out around the net and will take a beating to make a play. He has good puck skills in tight where he makes subtle plays that catch defenses off-guard. He may never reach beyond a third line player at the pro level but his effort is consistent enough that he could excel in that role. - VG

7 Emil Larmi, G (Undrafted free agent, signed Jun. 2, 2019. Last Year: IE) Larmi put together three strong seasons for HPK in the Liiga including a championship win in 2019 before signing an entry-level contract with the Penguins. He is a competitive goalie with great reflexes and the ability to make highly athletic saves. He plays an aggressive and intense style in net. He likes to challenge shooters to cut down angles and he is very effective in doing so. He is mentally strong, remains unrattled even when allowing a soft goal and can bounce back quickly. Larmi's positioning can be a slight issue at times, but his athleticism and quickness help him quite a bit on those occasions. It remains to be seen how he adapts to the North American game, but the 1996 born netminder has definitely shown NHL potential. -MB

8 Kasper Bjorkqvist, RW (61^st overall, 2016. Last Year: 6) While Bjorkqvist has progressed nicely in his three years in North America, increasing his point totals from 9 to 23 to 30 with NCAA Providence, the versatile Finnish winger enters the pro ranks with rawness and inconsistency still running through his game. He uses his solid size to play near the opposing crease and has a plan for the puck when he gets it, resulting in quick touches and quickly released shots. At his best, he has a nice shot an can play or pass the puck well, but he can go for prolonged stretches at less than his best, effectively becoming a non-factor in the play. He is also not as aggressive as his strength would allow. He will need some time to continue developing in the AHL, but if he can play a more steady game, he could find a home as a bottom six winger in the NHL within two years. - RW

9 Judd Caulfield, RW (145^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The fact that their fifth round pick from the most recent draft ranks ninth in this system – and no one has claimed him to a steal, either on draft day or in the weeks since – is another point of concern for the Pittsburgh system. Caulfield is a heart and soul player, a big winger with good speed and surprisingly deft hands, although lacking in the overall game or creativity to turn those hands into weapons with any frequency. He has a heavy side and can be a penalty kill asset, but is definitely more of a supporting piece than the type who can drive a line or force an opposing team to game plan around him. Heading to play for his home town University of North Dakota, he has a ways to go to reach his third line upside. - RW

10 Justin Almeida, C/LW (129^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 12) Almeida is an undersized forward with excellent playmaking skills. He is a pass first player that can hold onto the puck for an extra second, creating spacing for his teammates and his passes. His skating is OK, but for a smaller guy you would like him to have better breakaway speed. Where his speed is noticeable is in how quickly he can process what to do with the puck. His shot is very accurate even though it lacks in power. He often seems like he will have a long, successful offensive career at the AHL level, and in the right situation could find top six minutes in the NHL one day. - VG

11 Anthony Angello, C (145^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 4) In his first professional season, Angello fared well applying his NCAA experience to the AHL. He is a massive forward who plays an equally strong and physical game. By managing 29 points last season, he proved that he was a good fit for Wilkes-Barre and also ensured he would not be looked over in the Penguins ranks. Angello has the hands to match his size which makes him a difficult opponent, however he would be even more threatening if he were that much faster. His general speed is not what is hurting his chances but rather his reaction time and the missing jump to his game. Saying that his large frame is the cause for the missing spark in his stride is not good enough when a player comparable in size such as Colton Parayko seems to have little problem with speed. Angello will have to push harder and find a higher gear if he wants a chance at cracking the bottom six. - SC

12 Teddy Blugers, C (52^nd overall, 2012. Last Year: 7) Blugers is set to start his next professional season up with the Pittsburgh Penguins which is well deserved. He is a naturally skilled forward whose game is nothing special but fast paced and efficient enough to get the job done. His shot and quick release make him especially deadly when given the puck in a scoring position as he can adapt quickly to get quality scoring chances. Blugers needs to make sure to keep his feet moving in the corners and not rely so much on teammates to do his dirty work below the goal line. If he can up the pace of his aggressive play in all areas of the ice to match the NHL pace then he will stand a better chance at earning a bottom six roll with the Penguins next season and into the future. - SC

13 Jan Drozg, LW/RW (152^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 15) Drozg is more ready-now than most on this list in terms of joining the pro ranks. He isn’t that physical but he has great balance and is not afraid to carry the puck into danger zones and take abuse. He can be a buzz saw in pursuit of the puck, and can pass quickly and accurately, including cross-zone and stretch passing. His playmaking skills are very strong, as is his hockey sense offensively. His defensive game is adequate, and his skating is fine, but both will need to improve to have an effect at the NHL level. Drozg’s play elevates with the stature of the game, and he will be a feature for Team Slovenia as long as he wants to be, but his deficiencies will need to improve to become a secondary scoring option at the NHL level. - MS

14 Niclas Almari, D (151^st overall, 2016. Last Year: 9) Almari was part of the gold-winning HPK team in the Liiga and showed stable improvement in many aspects of the game this past season. The Penguins fifth round pick is mobile and skates well backwards. He can move the puck well and start offensive transitions with long-range passes. He has good offensive vision and puck skills. That all said, there are some question marks around his game. In juniors, Almari displayed decent offensive abilities and potential but he hasn't been able to make a similar impact at the pro level. He plays a solid, yet unspectacular game at both ends of the ice, without much flash or physicality. He could end up being a third-pairing NHL defenseman at best, unless he makes major strides in his game in the coming years. - MB

15 Sam Miletic, LW/C (Undrafted free agent, signed Sep. 25, 2017. Last Year: 10) Miletic had a good transition into the AHL with 35 points in 49 games and only 14 penalty minutes. He is a good offensive player whose speed helps him stand out from other players. His strong skating helps propel him to the net and with his strength he drives the net with ease and can easily lead a breakout. Whereas he was able to regroup with time and space to quarterback breakouts at the major junior level, at the professional level breakout execution time is a lot more limited, leading to more turnovers, and he will need to adapt to the fast pace better in order to not fall behind the play. Miletic will most likely settle into a top six spot next season with Wilkes-Barre and that should improve his play enough to get to a similar role with the Pens down the line. - SC

16 Adam Johnson, LW (Undrafted free agent, signed Jul. 6, 2017. Last Year: 20) Johnson is a nifty offensive player with slick hands and nasty pickpocketing ability. He is skilled and can adapt to playing with various lines. As his scoring pedigree in both the NCAA and USHL show, his ability to read the play and alternate between being the shooter or the playmaker has improved greatly. The only somewhat underdeveloped part of his game is his two-way play and defensive end coverage. In the meantime, Johnson will have to touch up his play in the defensive end and work on his awareness in his own zone. He has what it takes to make the NHL squad and to play at the highest level but he may not yet be ready for a permanent spot in the bottom six. The Penguins have tough competition for their forward roster and he will have to continue to put up points and work hard to cement his spot. - SC

17 Sam Lafferty, C (113^th overall, 2014. Last Year: Not ranked) Lafferty is an enjoyable player to watch, especially as he never takes a shift off and wins a fair percentage of the draws he takes. Last season with Wilkes-Barre he did well putting up 49 points in 70 games and stepping up to stand out amongst a rather average team. He is a good playmaker and a good passer, and his creativity will certainly be a contributing factor to his success at a higher level. Although Lafferty is a great passer he could do well at shooting more and being a little more selfish with the puck to prove himself as an even greater offensive threat. He has a lot of potential at clocking a bottom six spot in the NHL and even growing from there, as his work ethic and his outside the box way of thinking will certainly get him to the next level. - SC

18 Santeri Airola, D (211^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Airola had an impressive season for SaiPa U20 and showed promise with the U19 national team as well. The smallish right0-shot defenseman is offensively gifted and skates very well. He can travel with the puck through the neutral zone as his hands enable him to keep up with his quick feet. He is agile, shifty on his skates, and can accelerate quickly from a standstill. Airola has many attributes that make him a good power play quarterback for a junior player: poise, mobility, and distribution skills. He is not afraid to take responsibility on the ice either. He needs to work on his defensive game, particularly to become more assertive in his own zone and improve his angling. He is a late bloomer whose development is trending upwards, yet he is still, at this point, a long shot to make it to the NHL. - MB

19 John Marino, D (154^th overall, 2015 [Edmonton]. Last Year: 10 [Edmonton]) Four years after the Edmonton Oilers took Marino in the sixth round, Pittsburgh sent a future sixth rounder to Central Alberta for his rights, and immediately signed him to an ELC. While Marino was a two way threat in his junior level days, he has evolved into more of an own-zone specialist over three years at Harvard. He has decent size, but is rather strong and rangy and plays a physical game. He reads the play well and plays instinctively. He lacks the offensive elements to his game to profile as more than a third pairing defender who could get some time on the PK, but that’s pretty good value for the sixth round. - RW

20 Ryan Jones, D (121^st overall, 2016. Last Year: 18) Drafted in his third year of draft eligibility, Jones had parlayed a strong second season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL to a spot on the NHL radar. While he hasn’t been that bad with Nebraska-Omaha over three seasons, he is strongly suggesting that his draft year performance was more a matter of an older player beating up on younger kids than a true breakthrough. He is a tough blueliner with some capability of nullifying opponents in his own zone, but his offensive contributions are somewhat meagre, leaving his upside as a sixth or seventh defender at the highest level. Barring a last minute change of heart by Pittsburgh, he will be returning to Omaha for his senior season, and his last chance of earning an NHL contract. - RW

Philadelphia Flyers 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 12:59:25 +0000

When Chuck Fletcher took over from Ron Hextall as General Manager of the Flyers last December, he was taking over a franchise that had amassed an impressive array of talent at all positions. Former GM Ron Hextall had a keen scouting eye. Further, he had been in the habit of stockpiling draft picks. In his five drafts at the helm of the Flyers, the team only once had fewer than eight picks, and that was in his first draft.

The Flyers had picked players from almost every part of the hockey playing world, too (oddly, Hextall never selected a player from the Finnish ranks). Even when the team strayed from a consensus-type pick, more often than not, the player exceeded public expectations and turned himself into a valuable asset for Philadelphia. On the other hand, as with every team, there were some drafting misses. Beyond the sixth and seventh rounders who rarely pan out for anyone, you could look at someone like Slovakian netminder Matej Tomek, drafted late in the third round in 2015 out of the NAHL. Tomek was actually the second goalie taken by the Flyers in that round. Tomek dealt with injuries and got in only two games in two seasons at North Dakota and then five games as a junior at Nebraska-Omaha after transferring. While Philadelphia still has his rights, Tomek has returned home for this season to play with HK Dukla Trencin.

2016 second rounder Pascal Laberge has also been injury riddled since he was drafted, and only managed to play in 15 games with Lehigh Valley last year, his first “full” season as a pro. But when Tomek is leavened with Carter Hart, and Laberge with Oskar Lindblom, not to mention the deep system in place now, Flyers’ fans can sleep soundly, knowing their previous GM had the big picture in mind.

There is one glaring exception though, a player we saw as a potential mid-second rounder who Hextall called out in the middle third of the first round. A player who showed skill in a vacuum but had never really performed against top level competition for his age group. That exception goes by the name of Jay O’Brien.

These days, even youngsters from the State of Hockey try to spend the first month or two of their draft years in the USHL before going back home to play for their high school. They get the best of both worlds, challenging themselves against high end college-bound competition for a stretch, and then going home to spend a few more months with their friends, like “normal” teenagers.

O’Brien paid lip service to that idea He played in five games for the Youngstown Phantoms in the two years leading up to his draft, as well as seven games with the UNSTDP program. IN those 12 games, O’Brien garnered three points. He destroyed the New England prep school competition with Thayer Academy. Despite is lack of high-level success, Hextall bet on the tools.

So far, no good. O’Brien struggled mightily as a freshman with Providence, failing to earn top six minutes. His skill set earned him a ticket to the WJC, but he failed to record a single point in seven games. He dealt with injuries in the second half of his season and left school in a huff. O'Brien dealt with failure by running from it. We are gambling on his tools by having him in our top 20, but to stay there for another year, he will have to earn it.

-Ryan Wagman

Philadelphia Flyers forward Morgan Frost (68) (Photo by John McCreary/Icon Sportswire)

1 Joel Farabee, LW (14^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 1) I might as well start with the negative. I would not have advised Farabee to turn pro after only one season at Boston University, as he is still slight and would have a harder time gaining muscle mass under the pro schedule than he would as a weekend warrior on campus. The upside is he could probably play in the top six for the Flyers right away and has the two-way game to mature into a rare Selke candidate from the wing within a few short years. Despite his lack of mass, he is strong. His offensive tools are high end. He was close to a point per game player as a freshman on a mediocre team and performed well as an 18-year-old in the WJC. A cerebral player, Farabee is a possession monster who can control the pace of the game better than many centers. He is an impact player even when he doesn’t score, but there is no reason why he shouldn’t score at a top six level in the NHL. - RW

2 Cam York, D (14^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) One of the top puck handling defensemen of the 2019 draft class, York was earmarked relatively early as a hot commodity when he jumped to play with the USNTDP U18 team in his U17 year and was a key player immediately. He is a very good skater, although his agility and edgework surpass his pure speed as differentiators. He sees the ice like a pro, allowing him to always make the right decisions about when to hold the line, or when to circle back. He is preternaturally calm and will take a hit to make a play. Despite lacking much size, he has the strength to hold the blueline with brute force, if needed. His shot is good enough to play the point on the power play, although he is stronger as a creator of chances for others. York profiles as a first pairing defender in the NHL. - RW

3 Morgan Frost, C/LW (27^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3) With another 100-point season under his belt, one that saw him lead the OHL in assists, Frost is ready for the next challenge in his young career. The talented playmaking center has improved his skating and strength on the puck over his OHL career and those should allow for an easy transition to pro hockey. He generates well off the rush, using a variety of different attacks which speaks volumes to his creativity with the puck. His improved strength has also allowed him to be more effective along the wall, where he can prolong possession and keep plays alive to ensure more passing lanes open up for him. As one of the top prospects in the OHL last year, Frost is a potential first or second line center for Philadelphia and should be ready to take a regular shift by 2020-21. - BO

4 Isaac Ratcliffe, LW (35^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 6) Ratcliffe is a hulking power winger with massive goal scoring potential at the next level. He has an extremely powerful shot that sees him use his size well to shield defenders before releasing the puck quickly. His skating continues to improve, especially his ability to cut and maintain possession through to the net. His defensive game and commitment level in all three zones have really improved too, as he is able to use that long reach to break up passes and disrupt flow. As he turns pro this year, the Flyers will be looking for Ratcliffe to use his size even more efficiently to dominate down low, in addition to improving his decision making with the puck; making quicker decisions with his passes and adjusting to the speed of the pro game. He could easily develop into a 30-goal scorer in the NHL within a few seasons. - BO

5 Bobby Brink, RW (34^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) He is very small and his skating can charitably be described as OK, but all Bobby Orr Brink does is score. Despite missing some time to a broken bone in his ankle sustained at the WJAC, he finished fourth in league scoring, with a point per game average higher than all but top five picks Jack Hughes and Alex Turcotte. He has a special ability to find seams and soft spots in coverage and fill those gaps as he creates scoring chances almost at will. He has a very powerful wrist shot and has great possession ability. He can be prone to conserving his energy in his own zone, but for the most part, is conscientious off the puck as well. Despite his lack of size, he does not shy away from playing the greasy areas if his internal GPS points there for chances, but he will need to add some zip in his legs to reach his ceiling as a top line scoring winger. - RW

6 Philippe Myers, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Sep. 21, 2015. Last Year: 9) Myers is a beast of a defenseman, with a big body, powerful skating, a strong shot, and great hockey sense. He is an all-around defensive package, especially after proving himself this past year Lehigh Valley. He had 33 points in 53 games, proving that he is capable of not just playing a solid defensive game, but also of contributing offensively. His passing is good, but his shot is his primary offensive weapon, and he can shoot from just about anywhere, but his slapshots from long range are his main draws as they are especially powerful. He is surprisingly fast for a player of his size, with a long stride, and his transitional skating is very good, leaving us with no doubts about his ability to keep up with the NHL pace. Next time Myers hits the ice with the Flyers he will be more than ready to prove himself as a potential top two pairing defenseman. - SC

7 German Rubtsov, C (22^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 5) Rubtsov unfortunately suffered a severe injury in his first professional season with Lehigh Valley but is set to start back with them this season. He is a fast skating, quick shooting, high tempo player who plays with a lot of intensity and drive. He is a promising forward with much offensive potential and enough speed that he can get back on the backcheck as well. He will need to play out at least another half season in the AHL before he will be considered as a call up to the Flyers. Rubtsov has the hands, the shot and the speed to be a standout forward with Philadelphia in the future and, if he can stay healthy, his ceiling can only go up to a top six role based on his skillset alone. His ability to be a star playmaker rests in his progression this season. - SC

8 Samuel Ersson, G (143^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Goalie Ersson had an amazing season in Sweden last year. He excelled advancing from a strong junior season to be the best goalie among men in Allsvenskan. He played for a low ranked team and was the unofficial MVP for that team, finishing third among league voters as well. He also had a strong showing at the WJC in the middle. His .933 save percentage in 36 regular season games was followed by .938 in 5 playoff games. Ersson is a calm goalie with strong hockey sense and good puck control. He is not big for a goalie but has okay size (6-2”). The way he reads the game makes him look calm and secure. Next season, he will play in the SHL and will have a good chance to take his game to next level there. - JH

9 Ronnie Attard, D (72^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) One of the top late bloomers of the 2019 draft class, Attard jumped from five points in his first year of draft eligibility, to 15 in his second, and finally hit 64 points in his third and final year of eligibility last season. More than just a bigger player beating up on smaller and younger talents, he has a full set of tools to help him succeed at the next level and beyond. He has great size at a beefy 6-3” and is a fine skater, not just for his size, but for any size. He owns a big slapshot and is a fine, if unexceptional distributor from the point. As exciting as his offensive game might be, Attard may be even better in his own end. His reads are refined, and he has a knack for filling in passing and shooting lanes, with his big body and extra long reach. He should have a chance to play in an offensive role at Western Michigan and has top four NHL upside. - RW

10 Tanner Laczynski, C (169^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 11) One of several examples on this list of Philadelphia mining the USHL for unheralded talent, Laczynski has been a key driver of Ohio State’s success of late, making the NCAA tournament three years running, after not making the dance since 2009. Only Islanders’ prospect Mason Jobst has outscored Laczynski since the latter made it to campus. He has remarkably quick hands and is a thrilling playmaker, even when facing heavy defensive pressure. His skating has also come on nicely as a collegian, to the point where he can keep up as a pro, once he moves on to the next level. He needs to show that he can handle tougher defensive assignments to ensure that he is not a top six or bust player after he completes his eligibility next spring. - RW

11 Mark Friedman, D (86^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 19) For an undersized defenseman, Friedman moves well and protects the puck from opponents. He is a good skater and a strong passer capable of making good stretch passes and backdoor passes. His hockey sense is good and the way he gets into position makes him an offensive asset. He will have to work on being more consistently engaged in defensive play and harder on the puck in his own end as it is important that his defensive play and the nature of his position come first. Friedman has the potential to be a bottom four defenseman in the NHL, but he will have to keep up with the pace and have a better showing next time round with the Flyers. His goal for this coming season with Lehigh Valley will be to simply be stronger in his own end and to work on his awareness and gap control when he doesn’t have the puck. - SC

12 Wade Allison, RW (52^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 4) Through the mid-way point of his sophomore campaign at Western Michigan, Allison seemed on the straight and narrow path to the NHL. Then he tore his ACL. He returned to play a partial season as a junior, but his conditioning never got back to speed, and his effectiveness dropped precipitously. He is apparently back to full health now and if he gets back to where he was in the first half of 2017-18 – even to 90% of that – the Flyers will have a very intriguing power forward on their hands. At his best, he played with plus speed and the hands to keep up with his legs. He was a solid player even at his worst, so there is some leeway in his recovery before we write him off as a prospect, but clearly the healthier Allison is the more enticing player. Of course, as he is entering his senior season, he will also have the opportunity to test the free agent market after graduation, if he chooses. -RW

13 Wyatt Kalynuk, D (196^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Drafted in his third year of eligibility, Kalynuk has been a late round revelation in the two years since the Flyers called out his name. Even as Wisconsin’s team game has ebbed and waned in his underclassman years, Kalynuk has been a steady offense generating presence from the blueline, staving off a number of more highly touted defenders on the depth chart. He is a fantastic skater and specializes in starting the transition by carrying the puck out of his own zone. He reads the play well and has been known to find teammates far up ice with long bomb passes. Once the offensive zone has been gained, he is composed and stealthy from the blueline, walking the line and showing off a nice slap shot to keep goalies honest. Once a Flyer flyer, Kalynuk has evolved into a prime prospect, with second pairing – and second power play unit – upside. - RW

14 Samuel Morin, D (11^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 17) Morin is a massive defenseman who moves very well despite his size. He is more of a stay at home blueliner who contributes best to the offence by forcing high turnovers or ensuring a solid pass to start the breakout. He is a potential contender for a top two defensive pairing with the Flyers. He will be starting up in the NHL this season as a defensive defenseman responsible for stopping plays before they develop and keeping players to the outside. It would be nice if he can up his offensive numbers in the future but not nearly as important as staying healthy, considering injuries have limited him to a combined 24 games over the previous two seasons. It will be key for Morin to assert his aggressiveness and presence early this season and to not second guess his decisions allowing him to start gaining momentum early. - SC

15 Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW (48^th overall, 2019. Last Year: 18) For a player who is now heading into his fourth professional season in the AHL, Aube-Kubel still only sits at about an average ranking. He is a good, simple player, with a decent skillset, capable of getting to the net and understanding the pace and play of the AHL. He plays a gritty game and at times certainly loses focus a little too much, which can lead to spending a little too much time in the penalty box. He will need to have a career year next season in order to be considered back in the race and prove himself worthy of getting a chance as a bottom six forward with the Flyers. Aube-Kubel will need to play a more structured game and bring more energy to every shift to convince the right people that he can be trusted to move up to the next level. - SC

16 Jay O’Brien, C (19^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 8) The tools that convinced the Flyers to use a first-round pick on O’Brien are still there. He is a slick skater, capable of high-end puck play, including crisp passes and a nice wrist shot that he keeps low, generating rebounds. He also works well in the corners, belying his as yet immature frame. Once in a while, he can execute an instinctive bit of brilliance that can leave onlookers nodding their heads, as if to say, “I get it.” But those moments were few and far between as a freshman with Providence, as well as in his role as the extra forward for the American WJC team. Injuries played a role, but so, too, did his inability to think the game at the pace required. Most of his past successes have come against lesser competition. Unfortunately, O’Brien responded to the poor year by leaving school. He will spend a pivotal season with Penticton of the BCHL before returning to school, this time at Boston University. - RW

17 Jack St. Ivany, D (112^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 16) Passed over in his first year of draft eligibility, St. Ivany found a new level in a return engagement with Sioux Falls and earned the call in his second go-round. He then began his collegiate career at Yale earlier than originally expected, where his strong skater and his drive for self-improvement helped him play a regular role on a rebuilding system, leading team blueliners in scoring along the way. His performance also earned him a surprise engagement with the American WJC squad, playing as the extra defender. His offensive game sticks out more than his defensive duties as in addition to the wheels, he has a nice snapshot and moves the puck well from the point, generally not forcing plays. If he continues to trend upward, St. Ivany has the look of a future third pairing defender at the highest level. - RW

18 Noah Cates, LW (137^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) An exceptionally raw high school point producer when the Flyers used a fifth-round pick on him two years ago, Cates’ game has evolved and grown substantially in the time passed. First came a year with Omaha of the USHL in which he was fine but lacked pop. When he moved on last year to Minnesota-Duluth, his game added new dimensions. His offensive game now relies mostly on effort and grit. He gets to the net, can flash nice acceleration and a good shot release. He is effective when he plays a simple game, with strength on his stick and perseverance. He has also taken his physical game to a new level, in line with his mature frame. He tries to make life difficult for opponents, and at the collegiate level at least, he succeeds. Cates projects as a bottom six winger, with enough offense in his game to also be a fan favorite. - RW

19 Adam Ginning, D (50^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 7) Ginning is an aggressive defensive defenseman with good skating and okay puck handling. He plays with poise and shows leadership abilities, competing well. He played a full season in the SHL last season in his first post-draft campaign. He is big (6-4”) and uses his size as a weapon along the boards and in front of the net. To have his game translate at the NHL level, he will need to be more consistent with his decision-making and not force the play, which has sometimes been the case for him. He was the sixth defenseman in Linkoping in terms of usage and saw a lot of PK-time as an SHL rookie. He didn’t have strong underlying numbers and was not yet strong enough in his game to push the play up the ice for his team, even if he defended well. For next season he will stay with the same team but with a bigger role. - JH

20 Linus Hogberg, D (139^th overall, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Hogberg is a modern type of defensive defenseman. He has decent size (6-1”) and mobility. He can use his reach and skating to shut down plays. He makes a good breakout pass and has good control with the puck on his stick. His offensive abilities aren’t strong enough to be an offensive contributor, but he has a smart third pairing potential and, in that role, he has a legit NHL ceiling. His underlying numbers in the SHL have been strong and he helps his team shut down plays and move the puck up the ice. 21-year-old Hogberg still hasn’t gotten a bigger role in SHL and was only fifth among blueliners in ice-time with Vaxjo and will play there for another year. He should at least be a top three defenseman and see more PK time as well before he can go over to North America as a legit option for the Flyers’ bottom pair. - JH