Adam Ginning – McKeen's Hockey

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

Philadelphia Flyers Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 17:44:44 +0000

The name of the game in Philadelphia is depth. Even after graduating Nolan Patrick, Travis Sanheim and Robert Hagg to the NHL last year, the Flyers’ system is still bursting at the seams with prospects of all shapes and sizes, high ceilings and high floors and every position. Were it not for severe injuries, Anthony Stolarz and Samuel Morin might also have graduated from this list last year.

The amazing thing with this system is that it may be even deeper by this time next year. Despite having many players who might be ready to contribute in the NHL, barring injuries, there is seemingly only one spot up for grabs to start the year, with one of Oskar Lindblom or Danick Martel primed to grab a bottom six job on the left wing. Sanheim and Patrick should consolidate their spots as full time NHLers and the rest will likely continue to marinate in nearby Lehigh Valley.

Unlike some teams, the Flyers do not prioritize one geographical region over another when it comes to scouting. They are truly equal opportunity for their scouting staff. Looking at where their prospect played last year, we see two in the QMJHL, five from the OHL, three in the WHL, five in the USHL, one American high schooler, six playing college hockey, eight Swedes, and three Russians. I suppose one could point out that Philadelphia lacks any players from Finnish extract. The Flyers’ Finnish scout, Juuso Riksman, must be frustrated.

Beyond sheer depth, one area where Philadelphia has focused on more than any other team over the length of the Ron Hextall regime (starting in 2013-14) is in drafting netminders. The irony of that focus is clear in that Hextall himself was the last consistently above average goalie employed by the Flyers and he hasn’t strapped on the pads since before the turn of the century. There are three netminders listed among Philly’s top 20, but each of the eight whose rights they currently control would be in contention for the top 20 with a less top-heavy organization.

Of course, a good number of the players in the Philadelphia system will not see the light of day in the NHL. Some are not high priority prospects and others could see their primes passed by as they fall victim to the numbers game. For example, the Flyers draft heavily from Europe, and are not at all averse to leaving prospects overseas to develop there, only bringing them over when it is clear the player is ready, or especially well-suited to the North American game. Lindblom fits the latter description as does Mikhail Vorobyov, who did not make the cut here (but would elsewhere). The one other European prospect who is playing in the AHL, Radel Fazleev, was actually drafted out of the WHL, so doesn’t really count there. Others, namely the 12 present and future collegians, will be given as much time as they need and/or want on campus before Philadelphia will offer them an ELC.

Whether it is star players or role players, the Flyers have it all. If the system is not as highly vaunted next year, it can only be because Hextall cashed in a few chips from his reservoirs in trade for NHL talent during the season.

Joel Farabee

1 Joel Farabee, LW (14^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) More than any other player in this system, Farabee, the first of two first round picks made by the Flyers this year, has the tools and temperament to be a force at both ends of the ice. He gets very high grades for his skating ability, puckhandling skills, and the hockey IQ needed to make it all work. Were Farabee two inches taller and/or 20 pounds heavier, he would not have been available at 14, but considering the size of his two older brothers, he may yet get up there. A stronger playmaker than a goal scorer, he has nevertheless showed a promising finishing touch at every level and every setting at which he has played. Heading to BU next year, Farabee may be one and done and should not need more than two years on campus before turning pro.

2 Carter Hart, G (48^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 9^th) Goalies are notoriously difficult to project. But there are not many goalies who put up GAAs below two for two consecutive seasons in the WHL. He also topped that benchmark leading Canada to WJC Gold last year. Carter Hart was named league MVP in his final season with Everett, which he can add to his three consecutive (a record) Del Wilson Trophies, as the top WHL netminder. Although he is on the small side for modern goalies, Hart is a phenomenal athlete, read the game like a pro, and has a daunting competitive instinct. He has a very strong technical game as well. In short, he is the type of goalie teams make room for once they are ready.

3 Morgan Frost, C/LW (27^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 8^th) His selection in the first round of the 2017 draft was fairly surprising, but 12 months later, the Flyers are laughing. Frost leapt from 62 points in 67 games in his draft year to an eye opening 112 points in the same number of games the following year. Although he is a strong skater with an NHL shot, Frost truly excels in his puck handling abilities and through a very high hockey IQ. Really, the only place where he is not at least above average is in his physical game. Even there, while he will always be on the small side, he has begun to play with more jam and there is no reason why he should not be able to hold his own. He might get an NHL opportunity to kick off the season, but another year in the OHL would suit him best.

4 Wade Allison, RW (52^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 7^th) Despite missing over one third of last season with a lower body injury, he still nearly led Western Michigan in scoring and finished sixth in the nation in points per game with 1.36. As successful as he has been through most of two seasons in NCAA and considering his mature build, he might be ready to contribute at the NHL level this year, but is expected to return to WMU, where he will wear the ‘A’ on his chest. He plays a hard-charging style, with plus speed, a good shot and a keen understanding of the game and how to be effective. He projects as a shift disturbing secondary scorer and fan favorite. Presuming a fully healthy junior season, he will likely turn pro upon its conclusion.

German Rubtsov

5 German Rubtsov, C (22^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 4^th) Although Rubtsov’s point totals in the QMHL were underwhelming, a relatively healthy season and a solid showing for Team Russia at the WJC means that we cannot be truly disappointed by the former first rounder’s development. He is also still young enough that we should put more stick in his tools than his production in his first full season in North America. Rubtsov has game breaking speed and is a pinpoint passer. While he does not generally play a very aggressive game, he knows how to use his average sized frame to good effect. The upside may not be more than middle six center, but he is still trending in that direction.

6 Isaac Ratcliffe, LW (35^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 5^th) A physical specimen at 6-6” and over 200 pounds, Ratcliffe took a promising step forward in his first post-draft season, breaching 40 goals in the process for an improving Guelph squad. A decent skater for his size, he makes his impressions in the OHL through the inability for defenders to handle him in the dangerous areas of the ice. He skates well enough for his size, but his ability to get the puck on the net – and often enough, in the net – will be his ticket to the NHL. Somewhat unfortunately, for as big as Ratcliffe is, he does not play a heavy game. He has enough finesse to make it, but learning to better use his bulk will help him.

7 Adam Ginning, D (50^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A very big young man, Ginning skates quite well for his size, and uses his big frame exceptionally in his own end. His positioning is advanced, and he can control a gap with the best of them. Not just big, he is strong and once he gets in on the hands of an opposing forward, he does well in shutting down the rush. On the other hand, Ginning offers little to his team’s offensive game. He will rush with the puck and his hands lack subtlety. The Flyers have been down this path before with Samuel Morin, although Ginning has flashed hints of offensive instincts. The floor is high here, but it isn’t far from the ceiling.

8 Jay O’Brien, C (19^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Last year, the Flyers shocked insiders with the selection of Morgan Frost in the first round. History repeated itself this year when they popped Jay O’Brien with their second first rounder. There was no doubt that O’Brien was the most talented prep player in the 2018 draft class, but few other organizations, if any, saw him as a first-round talent. He certainly has a full kit of high end offensive tools, from a lethal shooting repertoire, to some fancy puck handling moves and above average offensive instincts to go with them. He gets to a nice top speed, although his first few steps lack in bite. The challenge with scouting a player like O’Brien is that he was so much better than his competition, and rarely played at higher levels, that it is very hard to know how much it will translate. We’ll find out next season at Providence.

9 Philippe Myers, D (UDFA: Sep. 21, 2015. Last Year: 3^rd) Philippe Myers’ drop from 3^rd in the Flyers’ system to 8^th is less a sign that he has regressed than it is a matter of the Flyers drafting well and other players simply improving more. To a lesser extent, Myers did not hit the ground running in his AHL debut, although in the big picture he was fine between a few questionable decisions. The undrafted signee is a big player who skates like a much smaller one. He is generally competent with the puck and more than that off of it. He offers an imposing physical presence, even if he is not a snarling beast on the blueline. It is still amazing that he made the type of step he did immediately after going undrafted in his age 17/18 season.

Pascal Laberge

10 Pascal Laberge, C (36^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 12^th) Despite production that could best be described as disappointing, Laberge still flashes the tools that had the Flyers excited to use a second-round pick on him two years ago. Both the shot and his puck skills grade out very highly and he skates well to boot. He should be able to find a role that fits at the pro level, as he is known to receive regular shifts on the PK and plays a solid all-around 200-foot game. Assuming his concussion troubles can be a thing of the past, Laberge probably ends up as a top nine player, able to contribute to the offensive attack, but lacking the killer instinct to take advantage of all opportunities that come his way.

11 Tanner Laczynski, C (169^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 16^th) Somewhat of a late bloomer when the Flyers used a sixth-round pick on Laczynski in his second year of draft eligibility, the budding playmaker’s game has turned up a few notches in the two seasons since going to Ohio State. After finishing fifth in team scoring as a freshman, he led the Buckeyes as a sophomore, with a four-point edge on the runner-up. Through hard work, he has also turned a former weakness – his skating – into at least an average tool, without any degradation to his other tools. His puck skills are still his selling feature, but he has also taken strides as a finisher and shows an advanced understanding of the game. This is what a sleeper looks like.

12 Alex Lyon, G (UDFA: Apr. 5, 2016. Last Year: Unranked) In many other systems, Alex Lyon, who signed with the Flyers as an undrafted free agent after a dominant three year run at Yale, would be considered a likely goalie of the future candidate. With Philadelphia, he is aiming for future backup rights, as Carter Hart is one of the best goalie prospects in the sport. Lyon is an aggressive goalie, quick with a poke check and enjoys playing the puck. He is an above average athlete for the position and does a good job at preventing juicy rebounds. As part of his second pro season, he earned a callup to the 11 and held his own in an 11-game trial. With two veterans in the system with one year remaining in their contracts, his chance for a full time NHL job will arrive soon enough.

13 Oskar Lindblom, LW (138^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 6^th) To his eternal credit, Oskar Lindblom produced at a fair clip in his first full season in North America and spent 23 games in the NHL as a reward for his efforts. While we maintained faith in players like Pascal Laberge and German Rubtsov for their tools, excusing so-so production, Lindblom is almost an inverse. Outside of high end puck skills, none of his tools grade out as much above average. He is a strong player despite roughly average size and he is very comfortable playing the net front. He forechecks heavily and his overall intensity might be the key in overcoming his physical abilities. As mentioned above, there may be an NHL job in Philadelphia with his name on it this season.

14 Carsen Twarynski, LW (82^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: Unranked) Like Lindblom above, Carsen Twarynski is an intense, net-front winger who uses his brawn and willingness to take punishment as a means to rack up the goals. With 45 of those last year for Kelowna, it seems to be working. Twarynski is a solid skater, who has decent hands and clearly knows how to finish, although the offensive package does not seem like enough to profile as a top six winger in the pro ranks. He did score a goal for Lehigh Valley in a five-game run at season’s end, but needs a full season of the same to prove that last year’s number were not a stone fluke.

David Kase

15 David Kase, C (128^th overall, 2015. Last Year: Unranked) In his third year after being drafted, former fifth round pick David Kase finally left his native Czech Republic for improved competition in Sweden and impressed enough with Mora that the Flyers extended an ELC offer to the speedy center. This is not a dynamic offensive weapon, but Kase has enough puck skills to go along with his high-end skating ability to suggest a middle six role in his future. He also demonstrates enough hockey sense to overcome his slight frame. He will, of course, need to prove that he can handle the AHL first, but he is trending in the right direction.

16 Jack St. Ivany, D (112^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Like Tanner Laczynski above, St Ivany, a product of the growing Southern California youth hockey scene, was not really ready in his first season of draft eligibility. He would flash intriguing tools on the blueline, but the whole was less than the sum of the parts. In his second go-round, he added a more dynamic element to his game, improving his offensive output from 10 to 36 points in close to the same playing time. He has a big, strong frame, and moves well for his size. He can contribute at both ends of the ice and his offensive tools grade out as roughly average for a blueliner. He also uses his size well without getting into penalty trouble. Not expected to join Yale until 2019-20, St. Ivany is a longer-term project.

17 Samuel Morin, D (11^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 14^th) Morin, already rated as a disappointment for a former fairly high first round pick, suffered through a very frustrating, very painful season in 2017-18, as a series of injuries limited him to 20 games between the regular season and the postseason, including two regular season contents for the Flyers. Next season figures to be more of the same, as a torn ACL suffered in the AHL postseason is expected to keep him out of action until February. Morin will always have awe-inspiring size but serves as a reminder that a “safe” prospect is not really safe is his upside is so low that a failure to develop even a little bit will make him not good enough for a regular NHL role. Injuries don’t help either.

18 Nicolas Aube-Kubel, RW (48^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 19^th) Small, but feisty, Aube-Kubel may be a tweener. He has enough skill to play top six minutes at a solid level for the AHL but lacks the tools to do so in the NHL. To his credit, the former second rounder has upped the tenacity from a game that already was known for energy in juniors, without diminishing his productiveness at all. He skates well and seems to have a good head for the game in all situations, but lacks the creativity to be a driver of the offense at the highest level. The floor is good enough for an NHL job, but is most likely that of a fourth liner who could help on the penalty kill.

19 Mark Friedman, D (86^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 20^th) It is easy for a player like Friedman, lacking in size or in any standout tools, to be overlooked. There is always someone else with higher expectations, more highlight reel plays to his name. But Friedman has met every challenge thrown his way this far in his career, whether in the USHL, the NCAA, and now, the AHL. He is a fluid skater, who gets an edge from his first few steps, and he moves the puck at a smart clip. His reads are fairly mature and he has a good sense of when to ump in deep into the offensive zone attack. A right-handed shot, he has established himself as one to watch and a potential injury replacement in the NHL as soon as this year.

20 Anthony Stolarz, G (45^th overall, 2012. Last Year: 13^th) We have already looked at Wade Allison, Samuel Morin and Philippe Myers, critical components of the Flyers’ prospect depth, who missed large chunk of last year with injury. So, it is only right that we spare a moment’s thought for Stolarz, the former second round pick whose strong 2016-17 season had him on the verge of an NHL backup job, but was limited to only four games total, between the AHL and ECHL, last season. He still has the ideal size you look for in a modern day netminder, standing a towering 6-6”, 209 lbs., but already 24 years old, this may be his final chance to claim an NHL future, if not in Philadelphia, then elsewhere.

2018 NHL Draft Review: Metropolitan Division

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 17:09:35 +0000

The draft is over and 217 young players are newly affiliated with 31 different NHL organizations. Outside of three to six of those players, who could jump right into NHL lineups in the fall, we will not know whether the vast majority of those players are draft successes for two, three, four, or five years.

The lack of clear foresight aside, we should still be able to judge draft classes at least in terms of expected value. In some cases, we can look at strategy as well, although the way the board shakes out based on the picks that came before, we can rarely truly discern what a club was trying to do, but only what they were able to do.

I had hoped that we would be able to provide an average Overall Future Projection of the various draft classes, but there are a few picks from the high school ranks, the NAHL and a few European junior leagues for whom we lack enough information to give a full grade, so we will focus on where we had players ranked as we assess the draft haul of each team, as we run division-by-division through the NHL.

Here is the Metropolitan Division

Carolina Hurricanes
1 (2) Andrei Svechnikov, RW, Barrie (OHL) - ranked 2nd
2 (42) Jack Drury, C, Waterloo (USHL) - ranked 66th
4 (96) Luke Henman, C, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) - ranked 156th
4 (104) Lenni Killinen, RW, Blues U20 (Jr. A SM-Liiga) - ranked 137th
6 (166) Jesper Sellgren, D, Modo (Allsvenskan) - ranked 207th
7 (197) Jacob Kucharski, G, Des Moines (USHL) - not ranked

For starters, a heartfelt congratulations are in order to the Carolina Hurricanes, their employees and their fans, as they did not overthink the #2 selection in the draft and walked away with the best forward money couldn’t buy in Andrei Svechnikov. In his first year in North America, he scored 1.2 points per game for Muskegon of the USHL in his age 16-17 season. After that, he moved up to the OHL and put up over 1.6 points per game for the Barrie Colts, despite missing time to the WJC and assorted injuries and suspensions. I am not saying we can expect two points per game as a rookie next season for the Hurricanes, but I am saying that he will be a rookie next season for the Hurricanes, and 20 goals is my minimal projection. He can play at both ends, but I expect him to be somewhat sheltered as a rookie. He is going to be very good for a long time. Moving on to the rest of the draft class.

After Svechnikov, the Hurricanes selected three more forwards, one blueliner and a goalie. Considering that the strength of the organization is on the blueline and most of their defenders are still rather young, that was a good strategy to take. Unfortunately, while I can say good things about the rest of the players that were drafted by Carolina, I cannot say that they selected the best player on the board at any other slot. Jack Drury is a good player with deep NHL bloodlines. He does a lot of things well. The points he put up for Waterloo were spectacular. On the other hand, way too many of those points were second assists and/or power play points. He is generally not the engine that makes the offense run. Just looking at the USHL, I would have taken either Blake McLaughlin or Sampo Ranta at that spot.

The Hurricanes did not have a third round pick, but selected twice in the fourth. The first pick there was used on Luke Henman, an athletic center from Blainville-Boisbriand in the QMJHL. He is an undersized playmaker, who performed well enough as a rookie in the Q this year and then upped his stock with a very good showing at multiple stations at the Draft Combine. Staying just with forwards from the Q, I would have preferred Dmitri Zavgorodny or Anderson MacDonald. But for those last two picks, it seems like the Hurricanes, with a management team that has not yet spent much time together, heavily weighted combine performance. With their second fourth rounder, the Canes finally took a non-combine player, grabbing Lenni Killinen from their usual stomping grounds in Finland. An explosive skater with promising offensive tools, Killinen put up respectable point totals in the Finnish junior ranks, but we would have preferred one of Ville Petman, Arttu Nevasaari, or Kristian Tanus, among young Finnish forwards.

Jesper Sellgren makes for a nice story as their sixth round pick. In his third year of eligibility, he was named to the Swedish team for the WJC. He is a very good skater and exhibits very good hockey sense, but his ceiling is limited. A reasonable pick in the sixth round, no doubt, but among Swedish netminders, fellow ’98 birthdate Henrik Malmstrom, would have been our pick there. Finally, in the seventh round, the Hurricanes added another netminder to their stable. Jake Kucharski has a lot of tools and can look very good at times, such as his performance in the USHL Top Prospects Game. But he could not keep the job in Des Moines, which brought in Roman Durny from Slovakia after the WJC. Kucharski scarcely played from there on out. This was a down year for netminder in the USHL, but I would have been inclined to gamble on one of Keegan Karki or Vincent Purpura instead. Your mileage may vary. In total, I cannot truly fault the Hurricanes for their draft picks. I don’t love it, but they did under circumstances (new management group) that do not often allow for exemplary draft planning.

OFP - 53

Columbus Blue Jackets
1 (18) Liam Foudy, C, London (OHL) - ranked 25th
2 (49) Kirill Marchenko, LW, Mamonty Yugry (MHL) - ranked 34th
3 (80) Marcus Kallberg, RW/LW, Leksands IF J20 (SuperElit) - unranked
6 (159) Tim Berni, D, GC Kusnacht Lions (NLB) - unranked
6 (173) Veini Vehvilainen, G, Karpat (Liiga) - unranked
7 (204) Trey Fix-Wolansky, RW, Edmonton (OHL) - ranked Honorable Mention

As a testament to the Blue Jackets history of going away from the so-called “consensus”, the example always brought up is when they selected Pierre-Luc Dubois third overall in 2016 instead of Jesse Puljujarvi, who was ranked third by literally everyone else. It is still early, but that pick looks pretty good so far for GM Jarmo Kekalainen. That, and the relative success of other recent unheralded prospect acquisitions by Columbus such as Markus Nutivaara (7^th round, 2015) or Markus Hannikainen (UDFA, 2015), suggest that we reserve judgement after the Jackets only selected two players we had ranked in our top 217, and only one more who made our top 300. The third round pick, Marcus Karlberg, was the biggest head scratcher of the lot. He put up great numbers in the SuperElit, but he is tiny, and outside of his hockey IQ, lacks tools that project to above average.

Their first sixth rounder, Tim Berni, is an accomplished young defender from Switzerland, who did not look completely overwhelmed at the last WJC, but similarly did not show much to suggest a surefire NHL upside is within. There is some promise there, but I would want to see him do something at the top flight in Switzerland. All of his success thus far has come in the junior ranks, or in the second tier. The other sixth rounder, a rare Finnish pick by Kekalainen, is someone I can get on board with. To be completely honest, we have had Vehvilainen ranked in previous drafts, but left him out this year, his fourth of draft eligibility. Mostly, we figured if his amazing run at the WJC in 2017 was not enough to get him noticed, what else could he do. He is borderline undersized by modern netminding standards, but he dominated in the top men’s league in Finland and then led Karpat to the Liiga championship while still mourning the death of his father. He was also named the top goaltender in Liiga. Not every goalie with that hardware makes it in the NHL, but some (Tim Thomas, Kari Lehtonen, Antti Raanta, Miikka Kiprusoff, etc.) do. Trey Fix-Wolansky, the Columbus draftee we listed as an honorable mention selection, does not look like a good player, as he is short and stocky, and he is not the greatest skater, but he is very strong on the puck and has finished first or second in scoring for the woeful Edmonton Oil Kings in each of the last two seasons. So those are the picks that are off our boards. Despite not having the full-throated backing of the McKeens scouting staff, we can see good reasons for liking each of them (OK, maybe not Karlberg).

Thankfully, we really like their first two picks. Liam Foudy was a classic late riser. He began the season in a bottom six role with the London Knights, but when the perennial powerhouse decided that this was not going to be their year, a few veterans were traded away and Foudy ascended way up the depth chart. And he excelled. Over the second half of the season, he was one of the more electric players in the OHL, and backed it up with strong performances in the CHL Top Prospects Game as well as at the WU18s. He also has a strong case to be proclaimed the best athlete in the draft class. Kirill Marchenko was someone who drew mixed reviews from our Russian-based scouts, but raised his play for international events. He has a great skill set and fantastic size and could project to nearly any role down the road. The Blue Jackets are certainly an enigmatic team when it comes to scouting, but they are correct more than their fair share of the time. I wouldn’t put it past them to surprise again.

OFP – 52.25

New Jersey Devils
1 (17) Ty Smith, D, Spokane (WHL) - ranked 15th
4 (110) Xavier Bernard, D, Drummondville (QMJHL) - ranked 71st
5 (136) Akira Schmid, G, Langnau U20 (Elite Jr. A) - ranked Honorable Mention
5 (151) Yegor Sharangovich, C, Dynamo Minsk (KHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
6 (172) Mitchell Hoelscher, C, Ottawa (OHL) - ranked 134th
7 (203) Eetu Pakkila, LW, Karpat U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - unranked

One year after injecting a boat load of talent into the organization thanks not only to owning the number one pick in the draft, but making 11 total selections, this year, the Devils exhibited a magnificent turnaround and ended up trading away both their second and third round picks, as part of packages for Michael Grabner, and Sami Vatanen. Considering that the team still has the young core drafted in 2017 as well as a surprise playoff berth in their recent past, it’s a pretty good trade off. And even picking 17^th this year, in a deep draft for defenders, the Devils were able to add another high end talent to their system, a player who many had projected to be taken in the top ten. Ty Smith, while small, is an excellent puck mover and plays an advanced positional game in his own end. In league play, he has been very effective at winning the puck back for his team, although he has had his bumps in the CHL Top Prospects Game as well as at the WU18s. Still, between his skating, puck skills, and high, high hockey IQ, there is potential for a future first pairing defender.

When they finally selected a second player, 93 picks later, the Devils were fortunate to get late Xavier Bernard, a player who looks much different than Smith, but has similar attributes. He is a smooth skater, can make the basic passes, and exhibits promising hockey IQ. On the other hand, Bernard is not a natural puck mover, but has much more impressive size and knows how to utilize it. New Jersey went to Europe with both of their fifth round picks, both times taking players from smaller hockey nations who have plenty of international experience. Akira Schmid started his draft off with a bang, thanks to a stellar showing at the Ivan Hlinka tournament. He was then one of the top goalies in the Swiss junior ranks, but struggled at the WU18s to end the year. He has enough size and athleticism to be a decent gamble. Yegor Sharangovich was in his third year of eligibility and has three WJCs (one in the second tier) under his belt for his native Belarus. He played a depth role for the Dynamo Minsk KHL team this year, but has flashed impressive goal scoring ability in the past.

Sixth rounder Mitchell Hoelscher is slight, but wiry strong. His production with the Ottawa 67s was not much in his first full season in the OHL, but he is a good skater, and plays an intelligent brand of hockey. He has energy line upside. With their final 2018 selection, the Devils popped Finnish winger Eetu Pakkila, a winger with great feet and a good shot. Despite decent numbers for Karpat’s U20 team, Pakkila slipped under the radar due to rarely being considered for international duty for any age group in Finland. While one could quibble about the upside about their late round selections, with the exception of Hoelscher, the Devils did a nice job of drafting players with a history of production in their local leagues. And without exception, each player has at least one attribute that suggest NHL upside.

OFP – 52.5

New York Islanders
1 (11) Oliver Wahlstrom, RW, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 5th
1 (12) Noah Dobson, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL) - ranked 8th
2 (41) Bode Wilde, D, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 17th
2 (43) Ruslan Iskhakov, RW, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) - ranked 68th
3 (72) Jakub Skarek, G, Dukla Jihlava (Czech) - ranked 93rd
4 (103) Jacob Pivonka, C, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 182nd
5 (134) Blade Jenkins, C, Saginaw (OHL) - ranked 69th
7 (196) Christian Krygier, D, Lincoln (USHL) - unranked

Two years ago, the Islanders drafted Kieffer Bellows from the USNTDP and seem to be pretty happy with their choice. Of course, Lou Lamoriello was not there when that draft went down. He was in Toronto. His Maple Leafs drafted Auston Matthews, another (indirect) USNTDP alum, and a couple of other program graduates in the middle rounds. Prior to his time in Toronto, Lamoriello spent many years in New Jersey and his draft record there is also dotted with players who had come from the program. That history aside, it is still at least somewhat surprising that the Islanders ended up with three players from this year’s stacked USNTDP graduating class. Two of those players, right winger Oliver Wahlstrom and defensemen Bode Wilde, were widely not expected to be available at picks 11 and 41 respectively. Wahlstrom is one of the best natural goal scorers in the draft class. He is a near elite sniper, a fantastic puck player and a very strong skater as well. He can float for some stretches, but his talent suggested he should have gone up to five picks earlier were the other teams not so focused on drafting centers at the top. Wilde elicited some rumors that his stock had fallen before the draft, partially due to a poor showing at the WU18s and partly due to de-committing from Michigan. He is not the most intense defender, but looks downright pretty carrying the puck up the ice. He is a high end skater and puck handler and mostly needs refinements to his game away from the puck to be an impact player.

The third USNTDP player drafted by the Islanders this year, Jacob Pivonka is more of a grinding role player with decent hands, but plays a 200 foot game, and has NHL bloodlines, as father Michal played over 800 games in the NHL. Outside of those three, the Islanders drafted two others with USNTDP ties, although they were not in the program in their draft year. Fifth rounder Blade Jenkins left the program for Saginaw of the OHL prior to this past season. He plays a gritty game and is a gifted skater, although the latter trait does not always show up at game time. He has very good sleeper potential. In the seventh round the Islanders selected Christian Krygier, the more physical of the Krygier twins who spent this season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. Krygier has very marginal puck skills, but he skates well and plays hard.

Not every pick made by the Islanders this year was American. In fact, immediately after drafting Wahlstrom, Lamoriello and company returned to their table for a couple of minutes to work the phones (reportedly to trade the pick for immediate NHL help) but then returned to the podium and selected Noah Dobson, another player thought by some to be a potential top five pick and leading the Titan to both QMJHL and Memorial Cup championships, eating up a ton of minutes on the journey. Dobson looks like nothing so much as a future first pairing blueliner, between the wheels, the smarts, and the ability to put that bulk to work. His shot and puck playing ability also grade out as above average. He might be only twelve months from playing in the NHL. Two picks after nabbing Wilde, the Isles made an upside play in drafting pint-sized Russian winger Ruslan Iskhakov, who while not as quick as other players of his stature, has amazing hands and has been hard to catch. He has performed well both in Russian junior league play as well as on the international stage.

Finally, nothing rounds out a diverse draft class like a promising goalie. Along with four forwards and three blueliners, the Islanders selected Jakub Skarek, a highly accomplished netminder from the Czech Republic, in the third round. Although he looked bad at the most recent WJC (his second go round in the high profile tournament), he is very athletic, has prototypical size and reads the play well. He will get to test himself against more advanced competition this year as he leaves his homeland to play for Pelicans in Finland’s top circuit, Liiga. While I would have preferred them drafting the other Krygier with their seventh round pick, this is almost the perfect draft class. Two players ranked in our top ten, another ranked as a first round talent, and three more in our top 100. There are players who will be ready for professional hockey within one or two seasons, and players who will need (and due to where they were drafted from) and will receive three or four years before forcing the Islanders’ hands. Along with Mathew Barzal, Wahlstrom and Dobson should make up a big part of the team’s core for years to come.

OFP – 55

New York Rangers
1 (9) Vitali Kravtsov, RW, Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL) - ranked 16th
1 (22) K'Andre Miller, D, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 14th
1 (28) Nils Lundkvist, D, Lulea (SHL) - ranked 37th
2 (39) Olof Lindbom, G, Djurgardens J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 91st
3 (70) Jakob Ragnarsson, D, Almtuna (Allesvenskan) - ranked 152nd
3 (88) Joey Keane, D, Barrie (OHL) - ranked 99th
4 (101) Nico Gross, D, Oshawa (OHL) - ranked 82nd
5 (132) Lauri Pajuniemi, RW, TPS (Liiga) - unranked
6 (163) Simon Kjellberg, D, Rogle J20 (SuperElit) - unranked
7 (216) Riley Hughes, RW, St. Sebastian's School (USHS - MA) - ranked 208th

With three first round picks, including the drafting of my personal favorite player from the 2018 draft class, I want to be able to say nice things about the Rangers’ large draft haul. Unfortunately, I am underwhelmed. Of course, with 10 players taken, they have definitely given their organizational depth, for years an afterthought, a serious injection of talent. Further, considering the imbalance of their draft class, with six blueliners taken among the 10 picks, I know that they did not go for balance, but drafted the top player on their board. Further, with the early success of their two 2017 first rounders (Lias Andersson, and Filip Chytil), both of whom were thought to be reaches at the time, I cannot assume to know more than they do. I can note the six player drafted out of Europe, and how four of those six were already playing in men’s leagues, meaning their lead time to being ready will be shorter than others. That’s definitely a positive. Again though, I wanted to see more upside.

Starting in the first round, they took two Europeans who have already experienced impressive performances in the top leagues in their respective countries. Ninth overall pick Vitali Kravtsov had one of, if not the, best performances ever by a teenager in the KHL playoffs. He earned plus-plus grades for his skating, puck skills and shot. He might be able to come to North America after one more season with Chelyabinsk. If there is a concern here, it is due to having so little international experience, we do not have a great feel for how he would do on the smaller North American ice surface. At pick 22, the Rangers selected my personal favorite in K’Andre Miller. He is a tremendous athlete, has prototype build for a defenseman, is a terrific skater and plays with brawn and skill. If there is a downside, it is how raw he is as a defender, having only converted from forward three seasons ago. He could be a legit number one defender, but will need at least three years in college before he is ready. With the 28^th pick of the first round, the Rangers selected late rising Swedish blueliner Nils Lundkvist. He is undersized, but incredibly skilled with the puck and demonstrates very impressive hockey intelligence. He was excellent in the Swedish junior ranks, but struggled some in roughly half a season in the SHL and underwhelmed at the WU18s. There is also the question of whether he is a good enough skater to mitigate his size issues. All three first rounders could work, but none is without questions.

Similar to their second rounder, Olof Lindbom, the first netminder selected in 2018. He is a good goalie prospect, as far as that class goes, was a world beater at the WU18s, and receives especially high grades for his ability to read the play and his technique, but he is a goalie after all. He is also slightly undersized by modern goaltending standards, listed at only 6-1”. Of their remaining six picks the Rangers selected four defensemen. Jakob Ragnarsson and Simon Kjellberg were both drafted out of Sweden, and Joey Keane and Nico Gross were both selected out of the OHL. Keane is interesting as a second year eligible prospect who took big steps in his second season with the Barrie Colts. He is a very good skater, with a decent all around game. Ragnarsson’s father Marcus played for the Sharks and the Flyers around the turn of the century. He is more of a defense-first defender, who makes a sharp first pass. He has never been tested outside of Sweden’s domestic leagues.

Simon Kjellberg is another bloodlines player, as his father Patric spent time with Montreal, Nashville, and Anaheim. The younger Kjellberg has good size, and plays a muscular game, but his skating is currently very rough. He will need to improve that aspect of his game significantly to have a chance at playing in the NHL. Of the four mid round defenders, I have the most time for Nico Gross, a Swiss national who has already played at two WJCs and three WU18s. He is a solid skater, who plays with poise and energy. While not often an offensive force, he has shown enough flashes there to project for more growth in that side of his game. Of the two late round forwards, Lauri Pajuniemi could surprise. He has high end puck handling ability and held his own in his first year in Liiga. As for seventh rounder Riley Hughes, he is not bad as far as prep products go, but there is a reason why more and more future collegians are electing to play in the USHL instead of staying home. He has never really been tested against high end competition. He is likely to spend next year in the USHL (Sioux Falls has his rights) before attending Northeastern in 2019. I have no doubt but that one or two of the players drafted by the Rangers this year will exceed my expectations, but I would have been happier if I did not have to make this kind of mitigating remark.

OFP – 53.25

Philadelphia Flyers
1 (14) Joel Farabee, LW, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 12th
1 (19) Jay O'Brien, C, Thayer Academy (USHS-MA) - ranked 48th
2 (50) Adam Ginning, D, Linkoping (SHL) - ranked 42nd
4 (112) Jack St. Ivany, D, Sioux Falls (USHL) - ranked 108th
5 (127) Wyatte Wylie, D, Everett (WHL) - ranked 139th
5 (143) Samuel Ersson, G, Bryan J20 (SuperElit) - ranked Honorable Mention
6 (174) Gavin Hain, C, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
7 (205) Marcus Westfalt, C/LW, Brynas IF (SHL) - ranked 162nd

As with the Rangers above, I expected to like the Flyers’ draft class more than I did. Again, this has nothing to do with the players taken. Fine talents, all of them. The Flyers have been strong with USHL prospects over the past few years and dug deep in the top NCAA-feeder league once again, with three selections, plus another who will head to college from the pre ranks. They have also scouted Sweden heavily in recent years and took three more Swedish prospects this year. And continuing the theme of visiting familiar territory, the final Flyers’ pick not yet accounted for came from the same Everett program in the WHL where they would have been comfortable in light of top prospect Carter Hart calling it home. I like the Flyers drafting from areas where they are comfortable that they can project out. I like that the Flyers selected players of different positions, with two centers, two wingers, three defensemen and a goaltender (it wouldn’t be a Flyers draft without at least one goalie). And, as stated above, I like the players. I just see this draft class and the draft slots that the Flyers owned, and do not see many high value picks. Some players drafted roughly where they should have been selected, some taken earlier than I would have advised, and one notably higher than we believed was reasonable.

They kicked things off in fine fashion, with winger Joel Farabee, one of two players they selected out of the USNTDP system. Farabee can play up or down the lineup. He has experience in the middle, but is more natural on the wing. He is a true 200 foot player with skill, grit and heavy on the intangibles. He will need to bulk up at Boston University, but his potential is top six, both special teams and a team leader. Five picks later, Ron Hextall and friends stepped to the podium again and dropped jaws across the hockey world. Jay O’Brien is a confident young man, brash even, and he shows some high end attributes, with a fine shot and slick puck handling skills. He plays tough and he has been well coached, but he has very rarely been tested against other high caliber prospects. He was the big man on campus at Thayer, scoring closing to three points per game than two. But in 12 games of experience in Tier I hockey over the last two years, he had only three points. All draft picks are risky, but high picks out of the high school ranks are riskier than most.

Philadelphia’s first three picks on day two were all blueliners, each with good size. Adam Ginning is the stay-at-home type of the trio. Although he contributed offense at a decent clip for Sweden at the WU18s, his game is about positioning and making the first pass to clear the zone. Low upside, but high floor. After sitting out the third round, the Flyers used their fourth rounder on second year eligible Jack St. Ivany of Sioux Falls in the USHL. He was very young in his first year of eligibility and only one year removed from playing U16 hockey in the Los Angeles area. He took a few big steps forward this year for the Stampede and shows some two-way ability. I’m a fan. The Flyers rounded out their blueline haul with Wyatte Wylie, an alliterative late 99 birthdate player who not only played with Carter Hart in Everett, but is actually from Everett. He is not bursting with skill but plays hard.

Later in the fifth round, Philadelphia drafted the obligatory goalie, picking up Swede Samuel Ersson, who has been overshadowed in his homeland by Olof Lindbom and others, but was an absolute workhorse for Brynas’ U20 team and some of the best numbers in the SuperElit. He is a technically proficient goalie with a good frame. Speaking of overlooked, sixth rounder Gavin Hain was often relegated to the bottom six with the USNTDP, below players like Farabee and others, but he is not without a modicum of hockey skill and is responsible in all three zones. I haven’t seen anything to suggest he has hidden talent, but he is not a bad way to use a sixth round pick. Finally, the Flyers used their seventh rounder on big Swedish winger Marcus Westfalt. His skill set is moderate, but he uses his big frame well to create havoc in front of the net. If Jay O’Brien works out, the Flyers will be laughing for ages. If not, Farabee is safe enough that the draft class will not be a write-off, but will be looked at as a relative disappointment.

OFP – 52.5

Pittsburgh Penguins
2 (53) Calen Addison, D, Lethbridge (WHL) - ranked 30th
2 (58) Filip Hallander, C, Timra (Allsvenskan) - ranked 47th
5 (129) Justin Almeida, C/LW, Moose Jaw (WHL) - ranked 173rd
6 (177) Liam Gorman, C, St. Sebastian's School (USHS - MA) - unranked

Only four picks, but the Penguins made them count. Well, most of them anyway. Actually, they would have had a fifth pick, but traded up into the late second round when they saw value on the board. Despite not picking until 53^rd overall, the Penguins walked away with two players who had reasonable arguments to go in the first round. Their first pick, Lethbridge defender Calen Addison is a modern style blueliner, making up in speed and daring what he lacks in size or the ability to play physically. He needs a lot of work off the puck, but he proved both in the Ivan Hlinka tournament and the WHL postseason that he can step up his production in the spotlight.

The player they gave up two later picks to nab towards the close of the second was Swedish center Filip Hallander, who had a very strong draft year in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second highest men’s league. The fact that he was as productive as he was (20 points in 40 games) while dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of the WU18s. He is very physical while still playing clean, and grades out above average as a skater, shooter, and for his hockey intelligence. With Timra now in the top flight SHL, and Hallander presumably healthy, Hallander’s stock could leap forward next year. The Penguins went with production over physical maturity when they finally selected again late in the fifth round, selecting Moose Jaw’s second year eligible center, Justin Almeida. After scoring only 28 points between the Warriors and Prince George in his first year of draft eligibility, he was an afterthought entering the year, but with 43 goals and 98 points for the powerhouse Warriors, he could not be overlooked again. He is a strong skater and gifted with the puck on his stick. Finally, they took Massachusetts prepster Liam Gorman, with their final pick. Gorman was not really on our radar, and in fact was only the number three scorer with St. Sebastian’s, behind fellow draft pick Riley Hughes. He has plus size though, and is likely to spend next season in the USHL. The 2018 draft class will not alter the trajectory of the Penguins’ fortunes, but they should be pleased with the type of quality they came away with.

OFP – 52.25

Washington Capitals
1 (31) Alexander Alexeyev, D, Red Deer (WHL) - ranked 35th
2 (46) Martin Fehervary, D, Oskarshamn (Allsvenskan) - ranked 78th
2 (47) Kody Clark, RW, Ottawa (OHL) - ranked 138th
3 (93) Riley Sutter, RW, Everett (WHL) - ranked 87th
4 (124) Mitchell Gibson, G, Lone Star (NAHL) - unranked
6 (161) Alex Kannok-Leipert, D, Vancouver (WHL) - unranked
7 (217) Eric Florchuk, C, Saskatoon (WHL) - ranked 168th

If there is a team for which the draft is a serious afterthought, it would be the team that is still hungover from the release of winning their first Stanley Cup championship. That is not to imply that the Capitals did not draft some good prospects, but that they would not be focused from the top down on these players at the moment. True to the Washington drafting rulebook, they went heavy on the WHL (four players), avoided the QMJHL and Finland, and took a player from a lower level of hockey (NAHL goalie Mitchell Gibson). With three forwards, three defensemen and a goalie, they balanced themselves positionally.

Their first round pick, Alexander Alexeyev, could have been taken higher, but suffered through a trying draft year, most notably dealing with the unexpected passing of his mother in the days before the CHL Top Prospects game. He is a very big player who skates beautifully, handles the puck very well and processes the game wisely. Given a full, healthy season, he could take off. Washington buttressed the blueline with their first of two consecutive picks in the middle of the second round, taking Slovakian Martin Fehervary, who has been playing in Sweden for the last four seasons. A veteran of two WJCs and two WU18s, Fehervary is a great skater and a physical player, but has minimal offensive upside. While we think Fehervary was a slight reach at 46, the selection of Kody Clark (son of Wendel) at 47 was a massive overreach. Like Alexeyev (and his own father) Clark has been injury prone in his two OHL seasons, but has no real standout tool. His skating and shooting abilities are fine, but he looked like a better candidate for the middle rounds than the second round. Also, this is the first time the Capitals have selected a player out of the OHL since drafting Tom Wilson in the first round in 2012.

A more appropriate pick was their use of a fourth rounder on another bloodline player in Riley Sutter, the son of Ron from the famous clan. A big, beefy player, Sutter will never be mistaken for an elite skater, but he plays a responsible, heavy game and can finish. Goalie Mitchell Gibson was not very prominent on our radar, but the NAHL has a knack for producing one or two goalies of note every year, and Gibson was obviously the one for 2018. He was named the top netminder in the league and will likely spend next year in the USHL before moving on to Harvard. The Capitals will give him plenty of time.

The Capitals ended their draft with two more players from the WHL in Vancouver blueliner Alex Kannok-Leipert and Saskatoon center Eric Florchuk. Kannok-Leipert is undersized and does not have a standout attribute, although he is a decent skater and is surprisingly physical. Florchuk, on the other hand, 2018’s Mr. Irrelevant, is quote good value for the end of the draft. His trade at midseason from the competing Victoria Royals to the moribund Saskatoon Chiefs, might have pushed him off the radar for some scouts, but he scored a decent clip for both clubs. He is a fine skater and a gifted puck handler. Although the Capitals selected some interesting players here, the leap to draft safe early will hurt them within a few years when they need to integrate low salaried youth into an aging roster.

OFP – 51.5

World U18 Team Preview: Sweden

Jimmy Hamrin — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:00:55 +0000

As a big hockey country but a small country otherwise, Sweden rarely wins gold at junior level. This age group of 2000-borns has been strong, with many players doing well for themselves at elite senior level already. I haven’t done the math, but I can’t remember an age group with so many players already playing senior hockey at this age in Sweden. Eleven 2000-born players played most of their games at elite senior level (SHL or Allsvenskan) this season.

As a national team they won the U17 WHC and won bronze at the Hlinka tournament. Obviously, they will miss their best player in Rasmus Dahlin who also did not play at the Hlinka or this tournament last year either because he played with men’s national team. They will also miss some other key players like Rasmus Sandin (OHL-playoffs) and Filip Hallander (knee injury).

POPRAD, SLOVAKIA - APRIL 22: Sweden's Jacob Olofsson #27 lets a shot go during semifinal round action against the U.S. at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Absences notwithstanding, this is still a strong team with five returning players from last year’s tournament. The big center Jacob Olofsson impressed in that tournament, especially with his highlight goal versus Canada in the quarterfinal. Adam Boqvist showed his skills that put him in the top of many early draft rankings for this years. The other returnees are big defenseman Adam Ginning and the big centers David Gustafsson and Oskar Back.

What stands out with this year’s Swedish team is the skills on their core of defenseman and the size of the centers. Those assets in the team will make Sweden a hard team to beat. I believe that Sweden will have a good chance of achieving good results at this tournament and probably are the best European team on paper.

The weakness may be in goal, where Olof Lindbom have been the only goalie to continually count on over the three years of international hockey for this age group. His development has been injury prone but he has delivered for the national team. He will most likely be the starter in this tournament. The biggest goalie talent in the roster is the late 2002 born Jesper Wallstedt who has impressed at every level he has faced. This year will probably be more of a see-and-learn experience for him, but who knows?

SPISSKA NOVA VES, SLOVAKIA - APRIL 16: Pavel Azhgirei #23 of Belarus plays the puck while Sweden's Adam Boqvist #3 defends during preliminary round action at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

The defensive core has good balance between offensive defensemen, two-way defensemen and defensive defensemen. The standouts in the categories are Boqvist and Nils Lundkvist (offensive), Filip Johansson (two-way) and Ginning (defensively).

This year’s group of forwards have a very strong core of big centremen (Olofsson, Gustafsson, Back and Marcus Westfalt). All four will probably not play center though as they all are good enough to be big contributers. The wingers are speedy and creative (standout: Jonatan Berggren) and with some good goal scorers (standout: Samuel Fagemo and Lucas Wernblom).

TOP 10 to watch:

10. Nils Hoglander FW
- A potential surprise player with his individual skills. He has great balance and puck skills. He struggles a bit with consistency and can also be a non-factor depending on which role he gets.

9. Adam Ginning D
- Big with reach and sound positioning. He needs to be effective defensively for this team to win in the big games. He has mobility and okay puck skills as well.

8. Olof Lindbom G
- Lindbom was the MVP of the J18 playoffs in Sweden but can he deliver in the big games at this stage? He is big and plays a tight game, not a spectacular goalie.

7. Marcus Westfalt C
- Big and smart. He plays responsibly and can deliver both offensively as defensively. He has been a regular for his SHL team a big portion of the season. He has developed his skating this season.

6. David Gustafsson C
- Hard working two-way player that is strong in both power play and PK. He is strong physically and is a dangerous player in front of the goal on the power play.

5. Filip Johansson D
- A very smart and mobile two-way player who is a good puck distributor. He plays well positionally and has good control of the puck. Has been a regular for Leksand in Allsvenskan.

4. Jacob Olofsson C
- Center playing both power play and penalty kill for the best team in Allsvenskan. Steps up in big situations and tries to create offense. Sometimes sloppy and needs to cover the puck better but a very interesting prospect and an important tournament for him.

3. Jonatan Berggren FW
- Speed, creativity and smooth hands. The smallish forward is a very strong junior player that has been a point producer at all junior levels this season. He is the best point producer for this national team and was the top scorer in SuperElit.

2. Nils Lundkvist D
- A very smart player with strong puck control and skills. Has been charming his way into the SHL where he has been able to be an effective puck-mover. He likes to join the attack but rarely gets caught on the wrong side of the puck.

1. Adam Boqvist D
- His lack of defensive awareness has been keeping him out of regular minutes at senior hockey. His puck skills are tremendous though and he absolutely dominates at junior level, both in the Hlnika tournament as well as in the SuperElit. Needs to perform well here to keep his status as a high first round pick. Nobody doubts the potential but how much of a long-term project will he be?

Sweden: Adam Ginning (2018 Draft Eligible)

Jimmy Hamrin — Sun, 15 Apr 2018 15:04:52 +0000

Adam Ginning brings a strong defensive game, and places solidly in the second round in our April 2018 NHL Draft projections. Jimmy Hamrin analyzes his game below, and notes some limitations that deserve attention. The 6' 3" Ginning is strong along the boards, blocks shots, and whose smarts and physicality are the strongest parts of his game.

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

Adam Ginning	2018 Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots L	H/W: 6-3", 195 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Linkoping, SHL (28-1-1-2-10)
	Linkoping, SHL Playoffs (7-0-1-1-2)
	Linkoping J20 SuperElit (17-1-5-6-22)
	Linkoping J18 Playoffs (2-0-0-0-27)
	Sweden U18, Hlinka (5-1-3-4-8)

Adam Ginning 2018 Draft Eligible

Position: D, Shoots L H/W: 6-3", 195 lbs

Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) Linkoping, SHL (28-1-1-2-10)

Linkoping, SHL Playoffs (7-0-1-1-2)

Linkoping J20 SuperElit (17-1-5-6-22)

Linkoping J18 Playoffs (2-0-0-0-27)

Sweden U18, Hlinka (5-1-3-4-8)

Skating: Skates with a long stride and good balance. Ginning moves smoothly with good control both backwards and forwards. He lacks a bit in intensity and his first steps are not super-quick. His top speed is good, and he has good control and balance when he skates at top speed. Grade: 50

Shot: Ginning can shoot hard and most often seems to hit the net. He is not a fast shooter though, and rarely gets himself in good positions to score. In juniors he had almost about two shots on goal per game and scored one goal during the whole season. He is not a strong onetime shooter and most often he shoots with a wrist shot that is easy for the goalie to save if he sees it. Not a goal scoring defenseman. Grade: 45

Skills: Ginning has a good first pass and seems comfortable with the puck. He can hold on to it and carry it when he needs to and to make the easy play just to get it out of the own end. Ginning’s puck skills in general are average, though. He rarely dekes and lacks the smoothness and quickness in his hands to do so either. He is a simple playing defenseman who is most effective when he is playing simple. Grade: 45

Smarts: His best asset is his positioning and reading the game defensively. Ginning moves smoothly backwards and is good at using his reach to shut down the offense. He plays with good gap control and is strong playing alongside a more offensively gifted defenseman and to cover up for his mistakes. He plays at the highest senior level in Sweden and was a regular for his team during the playoffs and did an excellent job in his role. He can join the attack but more rarely does so, mostly due to the fact that his speed to get back is not elite. His decision making and team game are strong. Grade: 60

Physicality: A big and strong balanced skater with a good reach. He is not afraid to use his body to shut down plays and has a good compete level to his game. He blocks shots and is strong along the boards for an 18 year old. He still looks like he could add more muscle to his big frame. Grade: 60

Summary: It is not hard to select a future role for Adam Ginning. He is a typical defensive defenseman and looks to be a safe bet to become a third pair/PK-playing NHL-defenseman as the NHL looks today. His strong IQ in his positioning and decision making makes him a safe bet. The knock on him is his lack of puck skill and quickness and his type of player seems not to be picked as high as they used to be. I saw Ginning at the Swedish J18 playoffs and against players his own age where he was a strong puck carrier and pushed the play forward but could not dominate offensively, so it is unlikely that he will develop in any other role that he plays today. For the draft, I see him as a safe second round pick with a good chance to reach the NHL but with no room for an explosive positive development in to something more dynamic that we see today.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 53

McKeen’s 2018 NHL Draft Ranking – April 2018 – Top 125

Ryan Wagman — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 14:25:48 +0000

With the CHL leagues now into the second round of their respective playoffs, the NCAA season completed (congrats to new champions Minnesota-Duluth!), European leagues beginning to wrap up and the USHL with only one more weekend remaining in their regular season, it is time for the penultimate McKeens Hockey Draft List. This list once again runs 125 players deep, with a few more names tacked on at the end to keep in mind.

Our final list will run deeper – and be more definitive – but know that the names you see below are the fruit of the combined labor of the full McKeens scouting team. Covering all of the leagues touched on in the first paragraph above, we have watched them all and players in most cases were also cross-checked by multiple team members.

While the size of our list has not changed from the previous iteration, much else is different. Yes, Rasmus Dahlin still heads the ranking (hint: barring a career-threatening tragedy in the next 10 weeks, he will lead our final list as well), but the next player who maintains the same position as last time is Joel Farabee, still sitting in 12^th. Alexander Alexeyev, at 29^th, is the only other player in the top 31 who is ranked the same today as he was in February.

Andrei Svechnikovof the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Looking at the top ten, the changes begin in the two/three slots, as we saw fit to bump Russian import Andrei Svechnikov past Czech import Filip Zadina. The latter has been strong all season long, but the two keys for us were a) he plateaued to an extent in the dying days of the regular season while Svechnikov has taken his production to a new level down the stretch. On a point per game measure, Svechnikov’s 1.64 points per game outshine Zadina’s 1.44, and the latter’s extra ten games played cannot explain away the discrepancy. The first round of the playoffs have seen this trend continue. Zadina has been very good. Svechnikov has been stellar. b) Svechnikov is four months younger than Zadina. In the grand scheme of things, that is not much. In a draft class, that is a full third of the way from one year of eligibility to the next. There is just that much greater likelihood that Svechnikov has more development potential. This factor is not destiny, but cannot be overlooked.

ANN ARBOR, MI - MARCH 03: Michigan Wolverines defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) passes the puck during the Michigan Wolverines game versus the Wisconsin Badgers in the BIG10 Hockey Tournament on March 3, 2018. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire)

Quinn Hughes and Adam Boqvist, both undersized (by traditional standards, if not by modern ones) and very mobile defenders have almost switched places. Hughes, whose game grew by leaps and bounds since playing a supporting role for the US Bronze winning WJC entry ended his season in the Frozen Four. He was the youngest player in the NCAA this year and tied for 16^th among all defensemen in scoring. Only one of the blueliners with more points is within even one year of his age. Through the second half of the year, he was consistently the best player on the ice whenever he stepped over the boards. He leaps from 9^th last time, to 4^th now. Boqvist, who dropped from 5^th to 8^th, is still an electrifying skater whose speed brings an extra dimension to his game. He is still highly coveted, but there is at least a hint of a red flag due to his dearth of production at the senior level in Sweden. He scored nearly one point per game in the SuperElit league, but has only one assist in 18 regular and post-season SHL games. The skill set is obvious, but his struggles against men highlight the greater gap between what he is and what he should become.

The one change to the previous top ten sees Spokane defender Ty Smith fall from 10 to 16. His offensive production in the WHL has been fantastic all the way through the Chiefs’ first round playoff exit. There have been some questions about his play off the puck, which were highlighted by a rough showing earlier in the year at the CHL Top Prospects Game. He should have another chance to boost his stock in the coming weeks as part of Canada’s entry to the World Under 18 Championships.

Joe Veleno (#90), player of Drummondville Voltigeurs, season 2017-18 of the QMJHL. Drummondville, Que., Dec. 30, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Ghyslain Bergeron

Taking Smith’s place in the top ten is former Exceptional Status player Joe Veleno. Huge things were expected of Veleno this year, not only due to his unique entry point into the QMJHL, but a three goal showing for Saint John at last year’s Memorial Cup certainly whetted the appetite for a huge draft season. Unfortunately, his previous team, the Saint John Sea Dogs were gutted by graduation and trades, and Veleno started off slowly, amid reports that he was taking the team’s struggles too much on his own shoulders. He scored only six goals in his 31 games in the Maritimes. A mid-season trade to Drummondville has allowed him to take off in a more competitive atmosphere, finishing the year with 48 points in 33 games for the Voltigeurs. He is also having another strong post-season, helping his team into the second round. In short, Smith has seen questions added about his projection, while Veleno has answered more of his, helping him jump up from 11^th to 9^th.

Without laboring over each change in the list, let us meditate briefly on the four subtractions (and four additions) to the top 31. Dropping into our second round are Jett Woo, B-O Groulx, Jack McBain, and Martin Kaut. Like Ty Smith above, none of these players necessarily did anything to harm their own standing, but were simply surpassed by some players who managed to end on a strong note. For each of the four, it can legitimately be said that there are open questions about their offensive upsides. Woo, Groulx, and Kaut may lack top half of the roster upside, while McBain did not score as much as his talent would suggest he should have in the OJHL. Like Smith, he is expected to play for Canada at the WU18 and his performance with CHLers should speak volumes about his draft standing.

Rasmus Sandin of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Replacing those four are a trio of small defensemen who have finished strong in Rasmus Sandin, Nils Lundkvist, and Calen Addison, and one ultra-talented German forward developing in Sweden in Dominik Bokk. These four players all carry a dynamic element to their games that the four players falling to the second round do not look to have.

The next six weeks, including the completion of the North American junior playoffs as well as the WU18 competition will see several more reputations made and others tarnished, as happens every year. We try to see the whole picture, and promise not to inordinately elevate the ranking of any player simply for getting hot at the right time. Our final list will reflect not just good or bad production at the right time, but the skill sets of the best draft-eligible talent in the hockey world, leavened by their ability and success rates of those skills in actualizing as performance.

We welcome your feedback on this list and look forward to seeing our draft list through to its completion in Dallas in late June.

To link to a player page, use the tags at the bottom of the page, or from our McKeen's Draft Ranking found here It is also downloadable to an excel file.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Rasmus Dahlin	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/185	13-Apr-00	41-7-13-20
2	Andrei Svechnikov	RW	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/185	26-Mar-00	44-40-32-72
3	Filip Zadina	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/195	27-Nov-99	57-44-38-82
4	Quinn Hughes	D	Michigan (B1G)	5-10/175	14-Oct-99	37-5-24-29
5	Brady Tkachuk	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-3/195	16-Sep-99	40-8-23-31
6	Evan Bouchard	D	London (OHL)	6-2/195	20-Oct-99	67-25-62-87
7	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	NTDP (USHL)	6-1/205	13-Jun-00	54-40-43-83
8	Adam Boqvist	D	Brynas (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	15-Aug-00	25-14-10-24
9	Joe Veleno	C	SNB-Dru (QMJHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-00	64-22-57-79
10	Noah Dobson	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-3/180	7-Jan-00	67-17-52-69
11	Isac Lundestrom	C	Lulea (Swe)	6-0/185	6-Nov-99	42-6-9-15
12	Joel Farabee	LW	NTDP (USHL)	5-11/165	25-Feb-00	54-27-37-64
13	Barrett Hayton	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/190	9-Jun-00	63-21-39-60
14	Jesperi Kotkaniemi	C	Assat Pori (Fin)	6-1/190	6-Jul-00	57-10-19-29
15	Bode Wilde	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-2/195	24-Jan-00	53-11-25-36
16	Ty Smith	D	Spokane (WHL)	5-10/180	24-Mar-00	69-14-59-73
17	K'Andre Miller	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-3/205	21-Jan-00	50-7-17-24
18	Akil Thomas	C	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/170	2-Jan-00	68-22-59-81
19	Jared McIsaac	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	27-Mar-00	65-9-38-47
20	Grigori Denisenko	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)	5-11/175	24-Jun-00	31-9-13-22
21	Serron Noel	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-5/200	8-Aug-00	62-28-25-53
22	Rasmus Kupari	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-1/185	15-Mar-00	39-6-8-14
23	Ryan McLeod	C	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/200	21-Sep-99	68-26-44-70
24	Ryan Merkley	D	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/170	14-Aug-00	63-13-54-67
25	Mattias Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-3/215	14-Mar-00	50-9-19-28
26	Rasmus Sandin	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/185	7-Mar-00	51-12-33-45
27	Nils Lundkvist	D	Lulea (Swe)	5-11/180	27-Jul-00	28-2-3-5
28	Alexander Alexeyev	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-3/200	15-Nov-99	45-7-30-37
29	Calen Addison	D	Lethbridge (WHL)	5-10/180	11-Apr-00	68-11-54-65
30	Jacob Olofsson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/190	8-Feb-00	43-10-11-21
31	Dominik Bokk	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-1/180	3-Feb-00	35-14-27-41
32	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)	6-2/170	23-Dec-99	35-4-3-7
33	Martin Kaut	RW	Dynamo Pardubice (Cze)	6-1/175	2-Oct-99	38-9-7-16
34	Jett Woo	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/205	27-Jul-00	44-9-16-25
35	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	6-Feb-00	68-28-27-55
36	Jesse Ylonen	RW	Espoo United (Fin 2)	6-0/165	3-Oct-99	48-14-13-27
37	Nicolas Beaudin	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-11/175	7-Oct-99	68-12-57-69
38	Adam Ginning	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-3/195	13-Jan-00	28-1-1-2
39	Jack McBain	C	Tor. Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	6-3/195	6-Jan-00	48-21-37-58
40	Jonny Tychonick	D	Penticton (BCHL)	6-0/175	3-Mar-00	48-9-38-47
41	Ty Emberson	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-0/195	24-May-00	53-4-18-22
42	Ty Dellandrea	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/190	21-Jul-00	67-27-32-59
43	Allan McShane	C	Oshawa (OHL)	5-11/190	14-Feb-00	67-20-45-65
44	Blake McLaughlin	LW	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/165	14-Feb-00	52-23-28-51
45	Gabriel Fortier	C	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	5-10/170	6-Feb-00	66-26-33-59
46	Kevin Bahl	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-6/230	27-Jun-00	58-1-17-18
47	Sampo Ranta	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-1/195	31-May-00	53-23-14-37
48	Filip Hallander	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-1/185	29-Jun-00	40-9-11-20
49	Jay O'Brien	C	Thayer Acad. (USHS-MA)	5-10/185	4-Nov-99	30-43-37-80
50	David Gustafsson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	6-2/195	11-Apr-00	45-6-6-12
51	Liam Foudy	C	London (OHL)	6-0/185	4-Feb-00	65-24-16-40
52	Filip Johansson	D	Leksands (Swe Jr)	6-1/175	23-Mar-00	29-4-5-9
53	Niklas Nordgren	RW	HIFK (Fin Jr)	5-9/170	4-May-00	18-8-18-26
54	Aidan Dudas	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-8/170	15-Jun-00	68-31-34-65
55	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	Okotoks (AJHL)	6-0/180	30-Jun-00	49-20-21-41
56	Xavier Bernard	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/210	6-Jan-00	66-11-24-35
57	Martin Fehervary	D	Oskarshamn (Swe 2)	6-1/190	6-Oct-99	42-1-6-7
58	Jonatan Berggren	RW	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	6-Jul-00	38-18-39-57
59	Alexis Gravel	G	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-2/225	21-Mar-00	20-11(3.38).890
60	Cole Fonstad	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	5-10/160	24-Apr-00	72-21-52-73
61	Xavier Bouchard	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-3/190	28-Feb-00	65-3-18-21
62	Cam Hillis	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-10/170	24-Jun-00	60-20-39-59
63	Marcus Westfalt	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-3/205	12-Mar-00	31-1-3-4
64	Pavel Gogolev	RW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Feb-00	66-30-17-47
65	Alexander Khovanov	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-11/195	12-Apr-00	29-9-19-28
66	Scott Perunovich	D	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	5-10/170	18-Aug-98	42-11-25-36
67	Giovanni Vallati	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/180	21-Feb-00	65-3-23-26
68	Olivier Rodrigue	G	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-0/160	6-Jul-00	31-16(2.54).903
69	Oskar Back	C	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/195	12-Mar-00	38-10-22-32
70	Riley Sutter	RW	Everett (WHL)	6-3/205	25-Oct-99	68-25-28-53
71	Stanislav Demin	D	Wenatchee (BCHL)	6-1/190	4-Apr-00	57-9-36-45
72	Lenni Killinen	RW	Blues (Fin Jr)	6-2/180	15-Jun-00	38-13-28-41
73	Tyler Weiss	LW	NTDP (USHL)	5-10/160	3-Jan-00	50-10-17-27
74	Ruslan Iskhakov	C	Krasnaya Armiya (MHL)	5-8/155	22-Jul-00	33-6-24-30
75	Kody Clark	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	6-1/180	13-Oct-99	56-18-21-39
76	Patrick Giles	RW	NTDP (USHL)	6-4/205	3-Jan-00	54-10-9-19
77	Anderson MacDonald	LW	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-2/205	16-May-00	58-27-18-45
78	Jake Wise	C	NTDP (USHL)	5-10/190	28-Feb-00	30-9-27-36
79	Jakub Lauko	C	Pirati Chomutov (Cze)	6-0/175	28-Mar-00	42-3-6-9
80	Adam Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-6/240	21-Jun-00	54-4-20-24
81	Philipp Kurashev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-0/190	12-Oct-99	59-19-41-60
82	Sean Durzi	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/195	21-Oct-98	40-15-34-49
83	Kirill Marchenko	RW	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	6-3/190	21-Jul-00	31-8-8-16
84	Jakub Skarek	G	Dukla Jihlava (Cze)	6-3/200	10-Nov-99	21GP(2.41).913
85	Milos Roman	C	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/190	6-Nov-99	39-10-22-32
86	Blade Jenkins	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/195	11-Aug-00	68-20-24-44
87	Danila Galenyuk	D	St. Petersburg (MHL)	6-1/200	10-Feb-00	20-1-5-6
88	Kyle Topping	C	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/185	18-Nov-99	66-22-43-65
89	Tyler Madden	C	CIL-TC (USHL)	5-10/155	9-Nov-99	50-15-19-34
90	Jack Drury	C	Waterloo (USHL)	5-11/180	3-Feb-00	54-23-40-63
91	Alec Regula	D	London (OHL)	6-3/200	6-Aug-00	67-7-18-25
92	Ivan Morozov	C	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	6-1/180	5-May-00	30-11-12-23
93	Jachym Kondelik	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-6/225	21-Dec-99	43-16-16-32
94	Riley Damiani	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-9/165	20-Mar-00	64-19-18-37
95	Samuel Fagemo	RW	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-11/195	14-Mar-00	37-19-11-30
96	Jack St. Ivany	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-2/200	22-Jul-99	51-6-30-36
97	David Lilja	C	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	5-11/175	23-Jan-00	37-3-5-8
98	Curtis Douglas	C	Bar-Wsr (OHL)	6-8/235	6-Mar-00	66-22-24-46
99	Luka Burzan	C	MJ-Bdn (WHL)	6-0/185	7-Jan-00	72-15-25-40
100	Linus Karlsson	C	Karlskrona (Swe Jr)	6-1/180	16-Nov-99	42-27-25-52
101	Kristian Reichel	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/170	11-Jun-98	63-34-23-57
102	Toni Utunen	D	LeKi (Fin 2)	5-11/175	27-Apr-00	28-2-10-12
103	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	Rimouski (QMJHL)	5-9/175	11-Aug-00	62-26-21-47
104	Samuel Bucek	LW	Chicago (USHL)	6-1/215	19-Dec-98	47-19-23-42
105	Nathan Dunkley	C	Kgn-Ldn (OHL)	5-11/195	3-May-00	60-21-36-57
106	Carter Robertson	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-2/180	15-Jan-00	57-5-13-18
107	Albin Eriksson	RW	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	6-4/205	20-Jul-00	38-22-18-40
108	Ryan O'Reilly	RW	Madison (USHL)	6-2/200	21-Mar-00	42-20-12-32
109	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Davos (Sui)	6-2/185	7-Oct-99	36-3-2-5
110	Tyler Tucker	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-1/205	1-Mar-00	59-3-20-23
111	Axel Andersson	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	6-0/180	10-Feb-00	42-6-25-31
112	Alexey Polodyan	LW	St. Petersburg (MHL)	5-11/165	30-Jul-98	21-5-6-11
113	Jack Perbix	RW	Elk River (USHS-MN)	6-1/175	13-Sep-00	25-19-42-61
114	Nico Gross	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/185	26-Jan-00	58-4-10-14
115	Declan Chisholm	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/185	12-Jan-00	47-3-17-20
116	Ivan Prosvetov	G	Youngstown (USHL)	6-4/175	5-Mar-99	18-9(2.87).913
117	Kevin Mandolese	G	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-3/180	22-Aug-00	15-13(3.46).884
118	Vladislav Kotkov	RW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-4/205	8-Jan-00	61-21-28-49
119	Jonathan Gruden	C	NTDP (USHL)	5-11/175	4-May-00	53-25-26-51
120	Anthony Del Gaizo	C	Muskegon (USHL)	5-11/195	31-Jan-98	58-39-32-71
121	Justus Annunen	G	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	6-4/215	11-Mar-00	26GP(2.31).907
122	Olof Lindbom	G	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	6-2/185	23-Jul-00	20GP(3.10).897
123	Matthew Struthers	C	OS-NB (OHL)	6-2/210	26-Dec-99	62-23-22-45
124	Alex Steeves	C	Dubuque (USHL)	5-11/185	10-Dec-99	53-18-36-54
125	Ben Copeland	C	Waterloo (USHL)	5-10/180	27-Apr-99	58-17-42-59

OTHER DRAFT CANDIDATES
Jett Alexander	G	North York (OJHL)	6-4/190	8-Nov-99
Yaroslav Alexeyev	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	5-9/160	17-Jan-99
Justin Almeida	C	Moose Jaw (WHL)	5-9/160	6-Feb-99
Seth Barton	D	Trail (BCHL)	6-2/175	18-Aug-99
Justin Bergeron	D	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-0/180	14-Sep-00
Erik Betzold	RW	Koln (Ger)	5-11/165	18-Jan-00
Brandon Biro	RW	Penn State (B1G)	5-11/165	11-Mar-98
Mikhail Bitsadze	C	Dynamo Moscow (Rus)	5-11/170	18-Nov-99
Shawn Boudrias	RW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-4/195	14-Sep-99
Jakob Brahaney	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/185	26-Mar-99
Justin Brazeau	RW	North Bay (OHL)	6-5/220	2-Feb-98
Dennis Busby	D	Flint (OHL)	5-10/190	6-Jan-00
Michael Callahan	D	Central Illinois (USHL)	6-2/195	23-Sep-99
Ryan Chyzowski	LW	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-0/190	14-May-00
Powell Connor	D	Chilliwack (BCHL)	6-1/175	4-May-00
Connor Corcoran	D	Windsor (OHL)	6-1/185	7-Aug-00
Paul Cotter	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-0/190	16-Nov-99
Angus Crookshank	LW	Langley (BCHL)	5-11/185	2-Oct-99
Max Crozier	D	Nanaimo (BCHL)	6-1/185	19-Apr-00
Ethan de Jong	RW	Prince George (BCHL)	5-10/170	12-Jul-99
Jack DeBoer	C	NTDP (USA)	6-2/190	17-Aug-00
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev	C	Peterborough (OHL)	5-10/160	15-Sep-00
Lukas Dostal	G	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-1/165	22-Jun-00
Grigori Dronov	D	Magnitogorsk (Rus)	6-2/205	10-Jan-98
Justin Ducharme	LW	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	5-11/180	22-Feb-00
Daniel Dvorak	G	Hradec Kralove (Cze)	6-3/160	9-Jan-00
Jesper Eliasson	G	Troja/Ljungby (Swe)	6-3/200	21-Mar-00
Caleb Everett	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/185	20-Jan-00
Christian Felton	D	Kimball Union (USHS-NH)	6-0/190	4-Feb-00
Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	5-8/185	26-May-99
Eric Florchuk	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-1/175	10-Jan-00
Carson Focht	C	Calgary (WHL)	6-0/180	4-Feb-00
Adam Gajarsky	RW	Kometa Brno (Cze)	5-10/175	4-Mar-00
Jeremi Gerber	RW	Bern (Sui)	6-1/185	1-Mar-00
Damien Giroux	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-10/175	3-Mar-00
Jack Gorniak	LW	West Salem High (USHS-WI)	5-11/180	15-Sep-99
Matthew Grouchy	RW	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-1/190	19-Nov-99
Glenn Gustafsson	C	Orebro (Swe)	5-10/200	4-Sep-98
Curtis Hall	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-2/195	26-Apr-00
Kevin Hancock	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	2-Mar-98
Jordan Harris	D	Kimball Union (USHS-NH)	5-11/180	7-Jul-00
Reece Harsch	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-3/195	7-Jan-99
Brady Hinz	C	Peterborough (OHL)	5-9/150	3-May-00
Mitchell Hoelscher	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/160	27-Jan-00
Mac Hollowell	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-9/170	26-Sep-98
Krystof Hrabik	C	Bili Tygri Liberec (Cze)	6-4/210	24-Sep-99
David Hrenak	G	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	6-2/190	5-May-98
Riley Hughes	RW	St. Sebastian's (USHS-MA)	6-1/175	27-Jun-00
Jere Huhtamaa	G	Blues (Fin)	6-2/190	10-Apr-00
Logan Hutsko	RW	Boston College (HE)	5-10/175	11-Feb-99
Jacob Ingham	G	Mississauga (OHL)	6-3/185	10-Jun-00
Jere Innala	LW	HPK (Fin)	5-9/175	17-Mar-98
Michal Ivan	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-1/185	18-Nov-99
Georgi Ivanov	C	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Rus)	6-0/190	25-Sep-98
Jan Jenik	RW	Benatky nad Jizerou (Cze)	6-1/165	15-Sep-00
Jack Jensen	C	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	6-0/195	31-Aug-00
Joey Keane	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/185	2-Jul-99
Brett Kemp	C	Edmonton (WHL)	6-0/165	23-Mar-00
Michael Kesselring	D	New Hampton School (USHS-NH)	6-4/185	13-Jan-00
Juuso Ketola	D	Assat Pori (Fin)	5-11/210	18-Mar-00
Patrick Khodorenko	C	Michigan State (B1G)	6-0/205	13-Oct-98
Liam Kirk	C	Sheffield (EIHL)	6-2/160	3-Jan-00
Semyon Kizimov	RW	Lada Togliatti (Rus)	6-0/175	19-Jan-00
Jordan Kooy	G	London (OHL)	6-2/185	30-Apr-00
Ivan Kosorenkov	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/185	22-Jan-98
Demetrios Koumontzis	LW	Edina (USHS-MN)	5-10/185	24-Mar-00
Nikolai Kovalenko	RW	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Rus)	5-10/175	17-Oct-99
Filip Kral	D	Spokane (WHL)	6-1/170	20-Oct-99
Renars Krastenbergs	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	5-11/185	16-Dec-98
Cole Krygier	D	Lincoln (USHL)	6-3/195	5-May-00
Daniel Kurovsky	LW	Vitkovice (Cze)	6-4/215	4-Mar-98
Michal Kvasnica	RW	Frydek-Mistek (Cze)	6-1/190	7-Apr-00
Owen Lalonde	D	Guelph (OHL)	6-0/180	1-Feb-00
Jackson Leppard	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/200	18-Jan-00
David Levin	C	Sudbury (OHL)	5-10/180	16-Sep-99
Mitchell Lewandowski	RW	Michigan State (B1G)	5-9/175	17-Apr-98
Adam Liska	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/185	14-Oct-99
John Ludvig	D	Portland (WHL)	6-0/185	2-Aug-00
Brady Lyle	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-1/205	6-Jun-99
Guillaume Maillard	C	Geneve-Servette (Sui)	6-0/200	11-Oct-98
James Malm	C	Vancouver (WHL)	5-9/180	25-Jun-99
Anton Malyshev	D	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Rus)	6-0/180	27-Feb-00
Riley McCourt	D	Flint (OHL)	5-11/170	26-Jun-00
Aidan McDonough	LW	Thayer Academy (USHS-MA)	6-1/175	6-Nov-99
Nolan McElhaney	D	Cushing Academy (USHS-MA)	6-3/175	22-Apr-99
Jeremy McKenna	RW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/175	20-Apr-99
Albert Michnac	LW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-0/180	18-Oct-98
Amir Miftakhov	G	Irbis Kazan (Rus)	6-0/160	26-Apr-00
Artyom Minulin	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-2/200	1-Oct-98
Travis Mitchell	D	Muskegon (USHL)	6-2/195	25-Nov-99
Billy Moskal	C	London (OHL)	6-0/185	22-Mar-00
Nolan Moyle	RW	Green Bay (USHL)	6-1/185	13-Apr-99
Arttu Nevasaari	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	5-11/180	23-Jan-00
Tristen Nielsen	C	Calgary (WHL)	5-9/180	23-Feb-00
Kirill Nizhnikov	RW	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/190	29-Mar-00
Linus Nyman	RW	Kingston (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Jul-99
Andrei Pavlenko	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-1/175	4-Apr-00
Radovan Pavlik	RW	Hradec Kralove (Cze)	5-9/175	18-Feb-98
Ryan Peckford	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/190	4-Mar-99
Matej Pekar	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-0/170	10-Feb-00
Ville Petman	C	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-10/180	18-Jan-00
Mathias Emilio Pettersen	C	Muskegon (USHL)	5-10/170	3-Apr-00
Jacob Pivonka	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/200	28-Feb-00
Karel Plasek	RW	Kometa Brno (Cze)	5-10/155	28-Jul-00
Dylan Plouffe	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/195	27-Apr-99
Martin Pospisil	C	Sioux City (USHL)	6-2/180	19-Nov-99
Josh Prokop	C	Vernon (BCHL)	5-10/175	30-Jan-00
Cole Purboo	RW	Windsor (OHL)	6-3/205	18-Jun-99
Vincent Purpura	G	Omaha (USHL)	6-3/195	29-Oct-98
Jacob Ragnarsson	D	Almtuna (Swe)	5-11/170	23-Sep-99
Jack Randl	LW	Omaha (USHL)	5-11/180	7-May-00
Connor Roberts	C	Flint (OHL)	6-4/210	22-Feb-00
Alexander Romanov	D	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (Rus)	5-11/185	6-Jan-00
Nikita Rtishchev	RW	CSKA Moscow (Rus)	6-1/195	23-May-00
Merrick Rippon	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/190	27-Apr-00
Radim Salda	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/185	18-Feb-99
Santeri Salmela	D	KOOKOO (Fin)	6-1/195	10-Jun-00
Akira Schmid	G	Langnau (Sui)	6-4/165	12-May-00
Phillip Schultz	C	Rodovre (Den)	6-0/195	24-Jul-00
Zdenek Sedlak	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-2/205	23-Mar-00
Peetro Seppala	D	KOOKOO (Fin)	6-1/175	17-Aug-00
Bulat Shafigullin	LW	Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (Rus)	6-1/165	29-Dec-99
Yegor Sharangovich	C	Dinamo Minsk (Rus)	6-2/195	6-Jun-98
Alexander Shepelev	D	Chelyabinsk (Rus)	6-2/185	17-Mar-98
Marsel Sholokhov	RW	Chelyabinsk (Rus)	5-10/170	12-Jan-98
Graham Slaggert	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	6-Apr-99
Egor Sokolov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-3/225	7-Jun-00
Zach Solow	RW	Northeastern (HE)	5-9/185	6-Nov-98
Riley Stotts	C	Calgary (WHL)	6-0/175	5-Jan-00
Vladislav Syomin	D	SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (Rus)	6-3/215	17-Feb-98
Matt Thiessen	G	Steinbach (MJHL)	6-2/190	9-Jun-00
Michael Vorlicky	D	Edina (USHS-MN)	6-1/165	17-Jul-00
Pavel Vorobey	D	Kunlun Red Star (Rus)	6-3/195	10-Sep-97
Lukas Wernblom	C	MoDo (Swe)	5-9/170	22-Jul-00
Chase Wouters	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	5-11/180	8-Feb-00
Wyatte Wylie	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/190	2-Nov-99
Vladislav Yeryomenko	D	Calgary (WHL)	6-0/185	23-Apr-99
Libor Zabransky	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/190	26-May-00
Egor Zamula	D	Calgary (WHL)	6-3/170	30-Mar-00
Danila Zhuravlyov	D	Irbis Kazan (Rus)	6-0/165	8-Apr-00

Scouting the U-18 Five Nations Tournament, Plymouth, Michigan

Ryan Wagman — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 13:50:07 +0000

Five Nations USA 2018 Champions

I had the privilege last week to attend the final day of the Five Nations tournament located in Plymouth, Michigan, home of the USNTDP. The tournament, won by the host nation, featured national U18 teams from Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the Czech Republic, including the American side.

While this event does not have quite the scouting cache of the year-ending World U18 championships, or the season opening Ivan Hlinka, it does serve as a useful benchmark for some of the talent, and the arena was generally full of scouts and hockey executives, including more than a few General Managers.

Noting that many of the scouts in attendance were European ones, I got to thinking that the tournament was a good opportunity for those in attendance to cross check their viewings with those from their organizational compatriots scouting in different lands. A way for the Moscow-based scout to compare notes with his colleague from Prague, and Helsinki and Minneapolis. Helping them all to see how the talent they have been watching regularly all season stacks up against the talent in other nations, giving them a way of comparing draft boards before the big team meetings in the spring.

During intermissions, I made it a point to ask a few in attendance what benefit they saw from packing their bags to cross an ocean and spend a week in Michigan in February. One North American-based scout essentially supported my hypothesis, noting it as an opportunity to watch players that he was not able to see with any regularity while also comparing notes with others from his organization. Another scout basically shrugged at the question, grinned and noted that there was not that much point really. As travel from one European nation to another is not as difficult as it may sometime seem from North America, he had already seen many of the players live on trips to the other nations, but conceded that it was a good opportunity to talk to others from his organization with more time on their hands.

The most interesting feedback I received was from an NHL General Manager, who, after noting that his scouts had already done plenty of cross checking throughout the first two-thirds of the season, particularly for the higher-rated players, there was value in the international events in weeding through the second and third tier of draft eligible prospects to see which ones were worth using a middle or late-round pick on. Without revealing an identity, this GM presides over a notedly deep system, which allowed me to take his comment at face-value (you may be surprised to found out how little face value one should usually give to scouts and executives when it comes to amateur player valuations). This is a GM who has practiced what he was now preaching.

He emphasized his comment by noting that talent is not only available at the top of the draft and that plenty of high end NHL players come from the tail ends of the draft, long after the TV crews had vacated the premises. This all made sense. It is not hard to watch these games and see how a pair of likely top 10 picks like Andrei Svechnikov (Rus) and Oliver Wahlstrom (USA) tied for the tournament lead in scoring with eight points in four games each. Fellow likely first rounders Bode Wilde (USA) and Jesperi Kotkaniemi (Fin) also featured prominently in the scoring charts, as did the likely front-runner for the 2019 draft in American phenom Jack Hughes.

In that light, the best way to review this tournament is to look at each of the five teams and mention a few of the lesser heralded players who may have helped push their names into an area where they now look draft worthy.

Czech Republic

The Czechs managed to upset the Americans by a 5-2 score in front of their backup netminder, but were otherwise clearly outmanned over the remainder of the event, especially in a 9-2 drubbing at the hands of Russia. Their star of the Five Nations was clearly Matej Blumel, who regularly plays for Waterloo of the USHL. He was unstoppable in the US game, scoring an incredible four times. Not a one-hit wonder, he added three assists over the other three games. Considering that he has only 12 points in 39 USHL games, needless to say that this output was unexpected. Fellow USHL player Matej Pekar, who is producing in league play, was less impressive, with only two assists on the week.

While not as impactful as Blumel, forwards Adam Gajarsky and Michal Kvasnicka represented themselves ably. Although none of the Czech blueliners particularly helped their stock, it was interesting to see their second string goalie, Daniel Dvorak, stop 44 of 46 shots taken by the US, while the presumptive starter, Lukas Dostal had an .846 save percentage over the other three games.

Russia

Team Russia was expected to be led by their first line, starring Andrei Svechnikov, ranked third in the McKeens Midseason Draft list, and ably supported by Grigori Denisenko (ranked 15^th) and Alexander Khovanov (ranked 64^th). The first two obliged, with four and three goals, respectively, but Khovanov, still recovering from the illness which kept him off the ice for much of the first half of the season, could only contribute a pair of assists. His play at the WU18 will carry more weight for him than for most.

The player who did the most to boost his draft stock was defender Danila Zhuravlev. Forget for a moment the four points at the event. Zhuravlev was just as strong in his own zone. A very good skater with strong edges and plus transitional ability, he played with poise, patience and advanced positioning. Linemates Ivan Morozov and Kirill Marchenko both stood out as well. Morozov, the center, scored four times, on the back of an impressive puck game and a hard, accurate wrist shot. Marchenko has more pace to his game, but probably also more puck handling skill. His 12 shots on goal on the week were second only to Svechnikov on the team.

Finland

Although they beat both the Czech Republic and Sweden, Finland was toothless in the games against Russia and the US. Justus Annunen, one of the top ranked European goaltenders, was a disappointment with a .883 save percentage in three games. While he reads the puck handler well, the rest of his game was rather raw. Without Rasmus Kupari on the roster, the star was expected to be Jesperi Kotkaniemi (ranked 21^st) and he tied for the team lead with four points. USHL sniper Sampo Ranta (ranked 50^th) was expected to supplement with Finnish attack, but despite being one of the team leaders in shots, he managed only two assists, although showed that he could be used to kill penalties.

One of the pleasant surprises for the Finns was left winger Niklas Nordgren (ranked 49^th), who barely qualifies as a surprise. A very good skater with plus skills, he is undersized but his playmaker game does not rely on physicality. Lenni Killinen (ranked 80^th) did not have any one carrying trait, but showed a little bit of everything. He plays with promising pace, sees the ice well and makes generally good decision. Another player who stood out was Ville Petman, whose younger brother Mikko will be one to watch next year. The elder Petman played a persistent game with good hands and skating that suggest a future bottom six two way forward. Linemate Arttu Nevasaari was similarly trustworthy in all situations, with maybe a touch more offensive upside than Petman.

Sweden

This year’s Swedish crop is deep and wide. Two of the three Swedish based Swedish nations in McKeens top 31 (Adam Boqvist – 5^th, and Jacob Olofsson – 24^th were in attendance. While neither dominated in Plymouth, both flashed their high end potential. Boqvist is an elite skater with a very mature game and high end puckhandling ability, while Olofsson is a prototype middle six, 200 foot forward. Swedish netminding was a bit hit and miss, with both Olof Lindblom and Jesper Eliasson, who split the tournament evenly, showing flashes of potential, even as their numbers underwhelmed.

The Swedish player who likely did the most to help his draft stock was right winger Jonathan Berggren (ranked 52^nd), who showed plus skating, along with fine puck skills and advanced hockey IQ. He is the type of player who can amass an impressive highlight reel clip. Undersized left winger Lukas Wernblom showed both creativity and responsibility. Blueliner Adam Ginning (ranked 42^nd) has a solid point shot and has a good stick game, making him tough to attack against. Adding to a solid blueline crew Nils Lundqvist and Filip Johnasson (ranked 66^th). Johansson was the stronger skater of the two, while Lundqvist experienced more success on the scoresheet and plays a more physical brand of hockey.

USA

The host American squad has as many as five first rounders, incuding the aforementioned Wahlstrom (ranked 6^th), Joel Farabee (12^th), Bode Wilde (13^th), K’Andre Miller (16^th) and Matthias Samuelsson (29^th). In all honestly, coming into this tournament, there were only one or two skaters who I did not think were worth at least a late-round draft pick. The goaltending is another matter, as Jonathan Mor has trouble stopping pucks while Drew DeRidder is very small and does not stop enough pucks to help me overlook that.

Among skaters who stood out aside from the Fab Five, Jake Wise (ranked 75^th) had a strong tournament, continuing a comeback from a lot of missed time over the first half. He is a gifted puckhandler who excels at setting up teammates. Tyler Weiss (Honorable Mention) also showed that he was a cut above in most aspect, getting to top speed very quickly, and showcasing some offensive dynamism. Although very small, he is willing to take a hit to make a play. Jacob Pivonka also showed more skating ability and physicality than I had previously seen from him. Patrick Giles (74^th) continued to show very good skating for a big man, able to create chances regularly, but lacks the creativity or puck skills to finish too many of them.

2018 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Mid Season Rankings – Top 100 plus Honourable Mentions

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:00:33 +0000

One of the first lessons I learned when I began scouting a number of years ago was that draft eligible prospects generally start to make their marks after Christmas of their draft year.

Around two months ago (Dec. 8), we released a snapshot of the 2018 draft class, walking through the 62 strongest prospects at the time. Since then, all of the 62 have had plenty of chances to make their marks. In addition to the weeks and weeks of regular season action they all had, some were also afforded the showcase of appearing in the World Junior Championships, while others fought to be included in the CHL and USHL Top Prospect Games or the World Junior A Challenge.

Some of the WJC combatants were already considered to be at or around the top of the draft class, including each of the top four of our Mid-Season ranking. Others found themselves in the spotlight by virtue of holding nationalities that do not have the depth of talent in their age 19 class as we found with the Gold Medal winners from Canada, from which the entire roster consisted of previously drafted players.

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JANUARY 4: Sweden's Axel Fjallby Jonsson #22 and Isac Lundestrom #20 have words during semifinal round action against the U.S. at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

While an appearance at the WJC will only go so far for most of the prospects of Denmark, Switzerland, or Belarus, for players like the Czech Republic’s Martin Kaut (#31) and Kristian Reichel (#83), Slovakia’s Milos Roman (#57), Sweden’s Isac Lundestrom (#14), and others, players who came into the tournament with some expectations and managed to exceed them, they were able to ensure that they will be front of mind for scouting staffs through the end of the season. In fact, three of those players have seen their respective places in our rankings rise between December and now. The fourth, Milos Roman, did not fall all that much, and that can be explained largely with an injury that has limited him to a single game played since the tournament ended.

Speaking of movement in the lists, we can report that each member of the previous version of this list, which went 62 deep, is still in the mid-season top 100. Only four of those 62, Nando Eggenberger (#76), Olivier Rodrigue (#78), Marcus Westfalt (#86), and Adam Samuelsson (#95) are now lower than 75. Even though Eggenberger had a poor WJC and Rodrigue failed to impress in the CHL’s Top Prospect game, the midseason marquee event of Canadian Junior hockey, the current rankings of those four is more a reflection of other players making bigger moves than they have. All still profile as draftable prospects of note. If anything, they still have more to prove before late June in Dallas.

Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.

One of the two biggest jumps in the past two months belong to the aforementioned Kaut, who was fantastic at the WJC, showing a wide range of skills, plus hockey IQ and even a bit of a physical game to boot. He jumped up from 55 in December to 31 now and some in our scouting team felt that we may still be underrating him. Climbing only 21 spots, but more impressive as he started off at a higher level in December than Kaut is now, is London blueliner Evan Bouchard (#7). At the time, there were some concerns about his foot speed. Not only has he put those concerns to rest with steady displays of solid top end velocity, showing his ability to defend against rushes from some of the players long considered to be among the quickest in the OHL, but between his plus shot, advanced hockey brain and quarterbacking style, it is no real surprise that he is currently seven points clear as the highest scoring blueliner in the OHL.

The highest ranked newcomer to the list is Swedish defenseman Nils Lundkvist (#40), who had a scouting report from our own Jimmy Hamrin posted just last week. Although undersized, Lundkvist is mobile, moves the puck ably and has exceptional hockey IQ. Others debuting in the top 50 include Jakub Lauko (#44) a teammate of Kaut’s from the Czech WJC squad, Stanislav Demin (#45) a blueliner from the BCHL who impressed in the WJAC, and Niklas Nordgren (#49) an undersized, yet silky skilled winger who has been tearing up the Finnish junior ranks.

When I mentioned above that draft eligible prospects begin to make their marks after Christmas, that does not mean to suggest that we feel this present snapshot will be an accurate representation of how things ultimately shake out in June. There are some players who start the year hot and then slowly peter out. We may think we are viewing a rough mid-season patch and for some, they will never recover. Eggenberger is one. Xavier Bouchard (#62), who looked like a strong second tier draft prospect from the QMJHL two months ago, has contributed only two points since the calendar flipped to 2018. He is not an offensive blueliner, but more is expected.

Liam Foudy of the London Knights. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Other players started off very slowly and have been hot of late, getting themselves some mid-season recognition. One such player we debated at length was Liam Foudy (#82). When we released our December rankings, he had played 27 games and had put up a mere five points. Since then, in 23 games, he has 19 points, a period highlit by a strong showing at the CHL Top Prospect Game. In his case, it seems that London’s decision to sell off a large number of their regular top six forward options has given Foudy the chance to play in an offensive role and he has thus far flourished, to the extent that he was just named the OHL Player of the Week on the morning of this writing. He is a great skater and if he can keep this level of offensive production up for a few more weeks, showing that his recent play has not just been a flash in the pan, he will likely rocket up the list.

As we continue to scout the junior aged prospects of the world, this draft list will change again and again. In addition to extending our list to 100 as we pass the mid-season point for all leagues, we have also included a group of 25 others who had some fans about the McKeens scouting squad. As the intensity of the season rises with many teams and players jockeying for a post-season berth, some of the 125 players listed here will see their respective stocks go up and others will go down. Players who we may have skipped over in November and January will force us to pay attention in March and April. From now until draft weekend, we will continue to post scouting reports of the players you need to know about for the 2018 draft. We welcome your questions and comments and hope you enjoy the ride with us.

To link to a player page, use the tags at the bottom of the page, or from our McKeen's Draft Ranking found here It is also downloadable to an excel file.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	Rasmus Dahlin	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/185	13-Apr-00
2	Filip Zadina	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/200	27-Nov-99
3	Andrei Svechnikov	RW	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/185	26-Mar-00
4	Brady Tkachuk	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-3/195	16-Sep-99
5	Adam Boqvist	D	Brynas (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	15-Aug-00
6	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	13-Jun-00
7	Evan Bouchard	D	London (OHL)	6-2/195	20-Oct-99
8	Noah Dobson	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-3/180	7-Jan-00
9	Quinn Hughes	D	Michigan (B1G)	5-10/175	14-Oct-99
10	Ty Smith	D	Spokane (WHL)	5-10/180	24-Mar-00
11	Joe Veleno	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-00
12	Joel Farabee	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/165	25-Feb-00
13	Bode Wilde	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/195	24-Jan-00
14	Isac Lundestrom	C	Lulea (Swe)	6-0/185	6-Nov-99
15	Grigori Denisenko	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/165	24-Jun-00
16	K'Andre Miller	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	21-Jan-00
17	Barrett Hayton	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/190	9-Jun-00
18	Jared McIsaac	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	27-Mar-00
19	Akil Thomas	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/170	2-Jan-00
20	Ryan McLeod	C	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/200	21-Sep-99
21	Jesperi Kotkaniemi	C	Assat Pori (Fin)	6-1/190	6-Jul-00
22	Serron Noel	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-5/200	8-Aug-00
23	Rasmus Kupari	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-1/185	15-Mar-00
24	Jacob Olofsson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/190	8-Feb-00
25	Ryan Merkley	D	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/170	14-Aug-00
26	Jett Woo	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/205	27-Jul-00
27	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	6-Feb-00
28	Alexander Alexeyev	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-3/200	15-Nov-99
29	Mattias Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/215	14-Mar-00
30	Jack McBain	C	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	6-3/195	6-Jan-00
31	Martin Kaut	RW	Pardubice (Cze)	6-1/175	2-Oct-99
32	Calen Addison	D	Lethbridge (WHL)	5-10/180	11-Apr-00
33	Jonny Tychonick	D	Penticton (BCHL)	5-11/175	3-Mar-00
34	Jesse Ylonen	RW	Espoo United (Fin 2)	6-0/165	3-Oct-99
35	Dominik Bokk	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-1/180	3-Feb-00
36	Blake McLaughlin	LW	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/165	14-Feb-00
37	Kevin Bahl	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-6/230	27-Jun-00
38	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	Traktor Chelyabinsk (Rus)	6-2/170	23-Dec-99
39	Ty Dellandrea	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/190	21-Jul-00
40	Nils Lundkvist	D	Lulea (Swe)	5-11/180	27-Jul-00
41	Rasmus Sandin	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/190	7-Mar-00
42	Adam Ginning	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-3/195	13-Jan-00
43	Allan McShane	C	Oshawa (OHL)	5-11/190	14-Feb-00
44	Jakub Lauko	C	Chomutov (Cze)	6-0/175	28-Mar-00
45	Stanislav Demin	D	Wenatchee (BCHL)	6-1/190	4-Apr-00
46	Filip Hallander	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-1/185	29-Jun-00
47	Xavier Bernard	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/210	6-Jan-00
48	Ty Emberson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	24-May-00
49	Niklas Nordgren	RW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	5-9/170	4-May-00
50	Sampo Ranta	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-1/195	31-May-00
51	Jay O'Brien	C	Thayer Academy (USHS-MA)	5-10/185	4-Nov-99
52	Jonatan Berggren	C	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	6-Jul-00
53	Kody Clark	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	6-1/180	13-Oct-99
54	David Gustafsson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	6-1/195	11-Apr-00
55	Nicolas Beaudin	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-11/175	7-Oct-99
56	Cam Hillis	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-10/170	24-Jun-00
57	Milos Roman	C	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/190	6-Nov-99
58	Gabriel Fortier	C	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	5-10/190	6-Feb-00
59	Riley Sutter	C	Everett (WHL)	6-3/205	25-Oct-99
60	Martin Fehervary	D	Oskarshamn (Swe 2)	6-1/190	6-Oct-99
61	Philipp Kurashev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-0/190	12-Oct-99
62	Xavier Bouchard	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-3/190	28-Feb-00
63	Giovanni Vallati	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-00
64	Alexander Khovanov	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-11/190	12-Apr-00
65	Blade Jenkins	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/195	11-Aug-00
66	Filip Johansson	D	Leksands (Swe 2)	6-1/185	23-Mar-00
67	Alec Regula	D	London (OHL)	6-3/200	6-Aug-00
68	Jakub Skarek	G	Dukla Jihlava (Cze)	6-3/200	10-Nov-99
69	Nico Gross	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/185	26-Jan-00
70	Anderson MacDonald	LW	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-2/205	16-May-00
71	Kyle Topping	C	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/185	18-Nov-99
72	Oskar Back	C	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/200	12-Mar-00
73	Nathan Dunkley	C	London (OHL)	5-11/195	3-May-00
74	Patrick Giles	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-4/205	3-Jan-00
75	Jake Wise	C	NTDP (USA)	5-10/190	28-Feb-00
76	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Davos (Sui)	6-2/185	7-Oct-99
77	Alexis Gravel	G	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-2/225	21-Mar-00
78	Olivier Rodrigue	G	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-0/160	6-Jul-00
79	Tyler Madden	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-10/155	9-Nov-99
80	Lenni Killinen	LW	Blues (Fin Jr)	6-2/185	15-Jun-00
81	Filip Kral	D	Spokane (WHL)	6-0/170	20-Oct-99
82	Liam Foudy	C	London (OHL)	6-1/185	4-Feb-00
83	Kristian Reichel	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/170	11-Jun-98
84	Danila Galenyuk	D	Mamonty Yurgy (Rus Jr)	6-1/200	10-Feb-00
85	Aidan Dudas	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-8/170	15-Jun-00
86	Marcus Westfalt	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-3/205	12-Mar-00
87	Jachym Kondelik	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-6/225	21-Dec-99
88	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	Okotoks (AJHL)	6-0/180	30-Jun-00
89	Carter Robertson	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-2/180	15-Jan-00
90	Kevin Mandolese	G	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-3/180	22-Aug-00
91	Ryan O'Reilly (2000)	RW	Madison (USHL)	6-1/205	21-Mar-00
92	Merrick Rippon	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/190	27-Apr-00
93	David Lilja	C	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	5-11/175	23-Jan-00
94	Alex Steeves	C	Dubuque (USHL)	6-0/185	10-Dec-99
95	Adam Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-6/240	21-Jun-00
96	Linus Karlsson	C	Karlskrona (Swe Jr)	6-1/180	16-Nov-99
97	Jack Drury	C	Waterloo (USHL)	5-11/180	3-Feb-00
98	Albin Eriksson	LW	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	6-4/205	20-Jul-00
99	Sean Durzi	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/195	21-Oct-98
100	Jacob Ingham	G	Mississauga (OHL)	6-3/185	10-Jun-00
HM	Curtis Hall	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-2/195	26-Apr-00
HM	Toni Utunen	D	LeKi (Fin 2)	5-11/175	27-Apr-00
HM	Riley Damiani	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-10/165	20-Mar-00
HM	Cole Fonstad	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	5-10/160	24-Apr-00
HM	Pavel Gogolev	RW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Feb-00
HM	Jan Jenik	RW	Benatky nad Jizerou (Cze 2)	6-1/165	15-Sep-00
HM	Daniel Kurovsky	LW	Vitkovice (Cze)	6-4/200	4-Mar-98
HM	Luka Burzan	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/185	7-Jan-00
HM	Eric Florchuk	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-1/175	10-Jan-00
HM	David Levin	C	Sudbury (OHL)	5-10/180	16-Sep-99
HM	Chase Wouters	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	5-11/180	8-Feb-00
HM	Justus Annunen	G	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	6-4/215	11-Mar-00
HM	Seth Barton	D	Trail (BCHL)	6-2/175	18-Aug-99
HM	Declan Chisholm	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/185	12-Jan-00
HM	Paul Cotter	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-0/190	16-Nov-99
HM	Caleb Everett	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-2/185	20-Jan-00
HM	Johnny Gruden	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/175	4-May-00
HM	Jordan Harris	D	Kimball Union (USHS-NH)	5-11/175	7-Jul-00
HM	Michael Kesselring	D	New Hampton School (USHS-NH)	6-4/185	13-Jan-00
HM	Juuso Ketola	D	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	5-11/210	18-Mar-00
HM	Jackson Leppard	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/200	18-Jan-00
HM	Scott Perunovich	D	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	5-10/170	18-Aug-98
HM	Ivan Prosvetov	G	Youngstown (USHL)	6-4/175	5-Mar-99
HM	Tyler Weiss	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-10/160	3-Jan-00
HM	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	Rimouski (QMJHL)	5-9/175	11-Aug-00

2018 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Mid-Season Rankings

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 15:53:52 +0000

One of the first lessons I learned when I began scouting a number of years ago was that draft eligible prospects generally start to make their marks after Christmas of their draft year.

Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.

Liam Foudy of the London Knights. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Here is our mid-season top 31 ranking for the 2018 NHL Draft. For subscribers the full list of 100 plus honourable mentions can be found here - Top 100 2018 NHL Draft - Mid Season. If you are interested in a subscription, you can learn more here - $9.99 for three months access, plus any downloads we release. We publish a 2018 NHL Draft Guide on June 1st, 2018 and our 24th anniversary of the McKeen's Hockey Pool Yearbook on September 1st, 2018.

RK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Rasmus Dahlin	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/185	13-Apr-00	35-6-11-17
2	Filip Zadina	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/200	27-Nov-99	44-35-28-63
3	Andrei Svechnikov	RW	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/185	26-Mar-00	32-30-18-48
4	Brady Tkachuk	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-3/195	16-Sep-99	29-7-16-23
5	Adam Boqvist	D	Brynas (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	15-Aug-00	23-14-7-21
6	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	13-Jun-00	38-31-22-53
7	Evan Bouchard	D	London (OHL)	6-2/195	20-Oct-99	52-18-48-66
8	Noah Dobson	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-3/180	7-Jan-00	53-13-42-55
9	Quinn Hughes	D	Michigan (B1G)	5-10/175	14-Oct-99	27-3-15-18
10	Ty Smith	D	Spokane (WHL)	5-10/180	24-Mar-00	53-9-47-56
11	Joe Veleno	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-00	49-14-48-62
12	Joel Farabee	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/165	25-Feb-00	38-19-25-44
13	Bode Wilde	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/195	24-Jan-00	38-7-17-24
14	Isac Lundestrom	C	Lulea (Swe)	6-0/185	6-Nov-99	35-6-9-15
15	Grigori Denisenko	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/165	24-Jun-00	23-4-10-14
16	K'Andre Miller	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	21-Jan-00	38-6-12-18
17	Barrett Hayton	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/190	9-Jun-00	52-18-31-49
18	Jared McIsaac	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	27-Mar-00	53-7-30-37
19	Akil Thomas	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/170	2-Jan-00	53-15-47-62
20	Ryan McLeod	C	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/200	21-Sep-99	52-18-36-54
21	Jesperi Kotkaniemi	C	Assat Pori (Fin)	6-1/190	6-Jul-00	52-8-17-25
22	Serron Noel	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-5/200	8-Aug-00	48-21-19-40
23	Rasmus Kupari	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-1/185	15-Mar-00	31-5-5-10
24	Jacob Olofsson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/190	8-Feb-00	38-9-11-20
25	Ryan Merkley	D	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/170	14-Aug-00	50-12-44-56
26	Jett Woo	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/205	27-Jul-00	30-8-15-23
27	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	6-Feb-00	55-21-20-41
28	Alexander Alexeyev	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-3/200	15-Nov-99	37-6-25-31
29	Mattias Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/215	14-Mar-00	34-6-13-19
30	Jack McBain	C	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	6-3/195	6-Jan-00	44-19-33-52
31	Martin Kaut	RW	Pardubice (Cze)	6-1/175	2-Oct-99	35-5-6-11

McKeen’s 2018 NHL Draft Rankings: December 2017 – Top 62

Ryan Wagman/McKeen's Scouting Team — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:56:18 +0000

For the second time this season, and the last time before the annual prospect bonanza that is the World Junior Championship, McKeens Hockey is pleased to present an update to the 2018 draft list.

With more hockey under our belts – and more pertinently, the belts of the players – we are expanding our list this month. We have watched a lot more and they have played even more than that. This list now goes to 62, showing the players that our team of scouts envisions as being worthy of selection in the top two rounds next June in Dallas.

The list will grow and change over the remaining months of the season, but this is where we see things today. You can consider the ordinal ranking below to be our view of things should the prospect season end now and this is all that NHL teams had to go on.

For example, Russian import Alexander Khovanov has yet to suit up with the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) – or anywhere else for that matter – after contracting Hepatitis A before the season began. He is incredibly talented, but his illness is more serious than the common bouts with mononucleosis that many teenagers (not just hockey prospects) contract. Should Khovanov return to full health in the near future, he could not just reach this list, but has hinted at first round potential in the past.

Andrei Svechnikovof the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Unlike him, fellow Russian CHL import Andrei Svechnikov has played enough this year before breaking his hand that we are still comfortable ranking him second overall. The fact that he jumped from Muskegon off the USHL to what had been a struggling squad in Barrie and shown zero degradation of his scoring talents, has remained prominent in our minds. The additional note that his injury is not extreme and that he is expected to return shortly (perhaps for the WJC) allows us to make the choice of slotting him at #2 without too much hesitation.

If there was any hesitation at all, it was due to the continued excellence of another European import to the CHL, in Filip Zadina, a Czech star who has been ripping up the QMJHL for Halifax. While we have all been immensely impressed by Zadina’s exploits in the Maritimes, we ultimately chose to keep Svechnikov on the silver medal winner’s podium due to a combination of his longer track record in North America, his rangier, more projectible frame, and his four additional months of youth. Nevertheless, we are happy to bump Zadina up two spots from fifth on last month’s list to third. Zadina’s ascent and the associated downward shuffle was the only change in the top seven from our initial ranking.

Joe Veleno, Saint John Sea Dogs, photo courtesy of the QMJHL

The next change of note goes to Joe Veleno, the former “Exceptional Status” in Saint John. Veleno is still very talented and having a fine season for the Sea Dogs, but the fact that he has not taken a noticeable step forward between last year and today causes us to question his upside more audibly. He was dropped down from eighth to 13^th. Ty Smith is the big beneficiary, as the undersized Spokane blueliner leapfrogged both Veleno and Jared McIsaac to the eight slot. There was some debate between those two among our scouts, but for now, the Westerner’s dynamic offensive game gives him the temporary edge.

Noah Dobson on Acadie-Bathurst. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

To avoid the risk of getting caught up in every player who moved up or down one or two spots, we will move ahead to highlight the ascendance of Noah Dobson, who has leapt from 20 to 14 in the past month. His continued strong play with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan has assured our scouts that his hot start has not been a flash in the pan. He is the real deal, as well as being one of the few likely first round blueliners to have prototypical size.

With Dobson moving up, Ryan McLeod dropped by four spots (13 to 17). He is still playing well, but there is some speculation that some of his production may be the result of playing with a star-studded Mississauga squad in the OHL.

Before jumping into the second round, it is somewhat notable that each of the bottom five players in last month’s list (Adam Ginning, Ty Dellandrea, Jesse Ylonen, Allan McShane, and Rasmus Sandin) have dropped into the second round, making way for some new faces. Joining the tail end of the first round this month are K’Andre Miller, a highly athletic defender with the USNTDP, Evan Bouchard, a pure offensive defensemen with London, Jonny Tychonik, this year’s start from the BCHL, who is about to get a showcase at the WJAC, Grigori Denisenko, who some scouts suspect has top ten upside, and Alexander Alexeyev, a Russian defenseman playing a strong two-way game with Red Deer.

The most striking note about our second round projections is the extreme depth of the 2018 Swedish class. In addition to front runner Rasmus Dahlin, fellow top five prospect Adam Boqvist and mid-round pick Isac Lundestrom, the projected second round includes no fewer than nine players currently in Sweden.

The rest of Europe is not as intriguing this year, with only three Finnish players, two Russians, two Czechs, and one Swiss national projected in the top 62.

The North American class suggests that this is the year for teams to shore up their blueline depth with solid, if not dynamic prospects available from all corners of the hockey globe. The dynamic ones tend to be smaller and first round prospects (Boqvist, Quinn Hughes, Ty Smith, Ryan Merkley, Jett Woo, Calen Addison) while more rounded players, albeit ones without the same degree of carrying tools, will populate the second round.

For a change, the WHL seems to be the weak sister among the CHL leagues, lacking both high end talent (only four projected in the first round) as well as depth, with only two more western names called in round two. In other words, the QMJHL will nearly match the WHL without going outside of Halifax (three projected first rounders).

The USHL should show strong again. Most of that is due to a stellar group with the USNTDP, including four projected first rounders (Oliver Wahlstrom, Joel Farabee, Bode Wilde, and K’Andre Miller), but with depth in the second round as well, including Mattias Samuelsson, Adam Samuelsson (not related), and Ty Emberson. Outside of the hothouse program, Chicago’s Blake McLaughlin and Sioux City’s Sampo Ranta both also project as strong second round selections.

Finally, we expect to see the first few goalies come off the board in the back half of the second round. There were a few candidates for the honors, but at this stage, the strongest candidate is Czech wunderkind Jakub Skarek, who has been solid in a starter role with Dukla Jihlava in the Czech men’s league and should be the starter for the second year in a row for the Czech entry at the WJC. Also worthy of a second round pick is Olivier Rodrigue, who is somewhat undersized, but already a proven workhorse with Drummondville, of the QMJHL. He was stellar at the pre-season Ivan Hlinka Memorial.

We expect to dig deeper into the depths after the WJC, but we can at least let on that among the players considered, but not selected, for the top 62, many of the names in the discussion were CHL-based players. Some of those players will have some time to shine higher up their respective lineups over the coming weeks as many of the leagues’ elite talents will be in Buffalo trying to gain national glory. Although relatively few draft eligible players will be playing in the WJC, many will be given more rope with which to demonstrate their abilities as the elder statesmens’ minutes will need to be carried.

Expect even more movement in our next installation and then for the rankings to gradually crystalize. Until then, this list should give you plenty to discuss.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Rasmus Dahlin	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/185	13-Apr-00	25-5-6-11
2	Andrei Svechnikov	RW	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/185	26-Mar-00	10-10-4-14
3	Filip Zadina	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/200	27-Nov-99	30-23-21-44
4	Adam Boqvist	D	Brynas (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	15-Aug-00	16-10-7-17
5	Quinn Hughes	D	Michigan (B1G)	5-10/175	14-Oct-99	15-1-9-10
6	Brady Tkachuk	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-3/195	16-Sep-99	17-2-10-12
7	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	13-Jun-00	23-16-15-31
8	Ty Smith	D	Spokane (WHL)	5-10/180	24-Mar-00	28-5-23-28
9	Jared McIsaac	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	27-Mar-00	29-2-14-16
10	Ryan Merkley	D	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/170	14-Aug-00	28-7-28-35
11	Akil Thomas	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/170	2-Jan-00	28-8-22-30
12	Joel Farabee	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/165	25-Feb-00	23-12-12-24
13	Joe Veleno	C	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-00	31-6-25-31
14	Noah Dobson	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-3/180	7-Jan-00	30-3-25-28
15	Isac Lundestrom	C	Lulea (Swe)	6-0/185	6-Nov-99	23-3-7-10
16	Rasmus Kupari	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-1/185	15-Mar-00	19-3-1-4
17	Ryan McLeod	C	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/200	21-Sep-99	29-7-23-30
18	Barrett Hayton	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/190	9-Jun-00	28-11-14-25
19	Serron Noel	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-5/200	8-Aug-00	24-14-8-22
20	Jett Woo	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/205	27-Jul-00	18-6-11-17
21	Bode Wilde	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/195	24-Jan-00	23-4-11-15
22	Jesperi Kotkaniemi	C	Assat Pori (Fin)	6-1/190	6-Jul-00	30-6-8-14
23	Jacob Olofsson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/190	8-Feb-00	23-5-4-9
24	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	6-Feb-00	30-15-9-24
25	Jack McBain	C	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	6-3/195	6-Jan-00	31-12-26-38
26	Calen Addison	D	Lethbridge (WHL)	5-10/180	11-Apr-00	28-6-26-32
27	K'Andre Miller	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	21-Jan-00	23-2-6-8
28	Evan Bouchard	D	London (OHL)	6-2/195	20-Oct-99	28-9-25-34
29	Jonny Tychonick	D	Penticton (BCHL)	5-11/175	3-Mar-00	25-5-18-23
30	Grigori Denisenko	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/165	24-Jun-00	19-3-8-11
31	Alexander Alexeyev	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-3/200	15-Nov-99	21-1-13-14
32	Jesse Ylonen	RW	Espoo United (Fin 2)	6-0/165	03-Oct-99	20-6-6-12
33	Mattias Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/215	14-Mar-00	22-4-7-11
34	Allan McShane	C	Oshawa (OHL)	5-11/190	14-Feb-00	29-10-18-28
35	Adam Ginning	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-3/195	13-Jan-00	15-0-0-0
36	Rasmus Sandin	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/190	07-Mar-00	16-2-11-13
37	Kevin Bahl	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-6/230	27-Jun-00	29-1-10-11
38	Blake McLaughlin	LW	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/165	14-Feb-00	17-8-13-21
39	Filip Hallander	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-1/185	29-Jun-00	23-5-8-13
40	Dominik Bokk	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe)	6-1/180	03-Feb-00	19-9-18-27
41	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Davos (Sui)	6-2/185	07-Oct-99	23-2-2-4
42	Ty Dellandrea	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/190	21-Jul-00	28-8-11-19
43	Philipp Kurashev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-0/190	12-Oct-99	32-8-22-30
44	Filip Johansson	D	Leksands (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	23-Mar-00	24-4-1-5
45	David Gustafsson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	6-1/195	11-Apr-00	24-2-1-3
46	Xavier Bouchard	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-3/190	28-Feb-00	28-1-8-9
47	Adam Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-6/240	21-Jun-00	23-4-10-14
48	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	Traktor Chelyabinsk (Rus)	6-2/170	23-Dec-99	24-3-3-6
49	Milos Roman	C	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/190	06-Nov-99	30-8-20-28
50	Alec Regula	D	London (OHL)	6-3/200	06-Aug-00	28-2-5-7
51	Sampo Ranta	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-1/195	31-May-00	17-7-4-11
52	Jonatan Berggren	C	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	06-Jul-00	23-9-20-29
53	Riley Sutter	C	Everett (WHL)	6-3/205	25-Oct-99	30-9-10-19
54	Giovanni Vallati	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-00	28-2-10-12
55	Martin Kaut	RW	Pardubice (Cze)	6-1/175	02-Oct-99	22-3-3-6
56	Ty Emberson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	24-May-00	23-1-6-7
57	Martin Fehervary	D	Oskarshamn (Swe 2)	6-1/190	06-Oct-99	22-0-4-4
58	Oskar Back	C	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/200	12-Mar-00	22-4-13-17
59	Jakub Skarek	G	Dukla Jihlava (Cze)	6-3/200	10-Nov-99	7-10,2.60,.900
60	Xavier Bernard	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/210	06-Jan-00	29-6-10-16
61	Marcus Westfalt	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-3/205	12-Mar-00	18-0-2-2
62	Olivier Rodrigue	G	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-0/160	06-Jul-00	15-6,2.53,.902