Adam Mascherin – McKeen's Hockey

SEATTLE KRAKEN EXPANSION DRAFT: Prospects to Target – Part Two – Forwards

Brock Otten — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 20:49:20 +0000

It has been four years since the Vegas Golden Knights joined the National Hockey League through expansion. Through the expansion draft process, the Golden Knights balanced their initial lineup by selecting both veterans and youth, with a focus on team speed and competitiveness. Masterfully constructed, Vegas ended up winning the Pacific division and reaching the Stanley Cup finals in their inaugural season (2017-18).

Later this year, the Seattle Kraken will officially become the 32nd NHL franchise when they select their team through their expansion draft. July 17 is the date set for NHL teams to submit their protected lists (with Vegas being exempt) and July 21 is the date set for the expansion draft itself. Of course, these dates could change depending on how the NHL season finishes up in the midst of a global pandemic. However, as of right now, that is when we will find out who will be wearing that Kraken jersey to start the 2021-22 season.

Naturally, Seattle general manager Ron Francis, assistant general manager Jason Botterill, and director of player personnel Norm Maciver will be aiming to replicate the success that Vegas had (and has continued to have). They have to reach the salary floor with their selections, so they will be choosing some veterans (or trading for/signing some) to lead this group. However, much like Vegas, they will be looking to swing for the fences with some selections, by opting for a few young, unestablished players. This article aims to highlight some of the prospects who could be (and are likely to be) left unprotected by their NHL teams come July. The focus is on players who have yet to truly establish themselves as NHL players. The list will be organized by position and published in two parts. This is the second feature on the forwards. Part one can be found by linking here.

FORWARDS

Rasmus Asplund - Buffalo Sabres

A strong two-way center, Asplund has had a hard time breaking through with the Sabres to become a full time NHL player. Even this year, he has seen time on the Sabres roster, on the taxi squad, and in the AHL with Rochester. He could certainly be a potential bottom six center target for the Kraken.

Morgan Geekie - Carolina Hurricanes

A big forward, Geekie has broken through as a full time NHL player to start the 2021 season after a successful cup of coffee last year. Playing on the fourth line and the powerplay, Geekie has yet to hit the score sheet this year. However, given Carolina’s forward depth, it seems unlikely that they will be able to protect him.

Kevin Stenlund - Columbus Blue Jackets

If there is one forward on this list that I see possibly being protected, it is Stenlund. He has proven himself to be a quality NHL forward after a half a season last year and a hot start this year. The question is, if Stenlund is protected, it means someone like Max Domi, Boone Jenner, or the injured Gustav Nyquist will not be. Columbus could also try to work out a deal with Seattle to make sure that they leave Stenlund be.

Henrik Borgstrom - Florida Panthers

At this point, Borgstrom is probably a candidate for a change of scenery. The former University of Denver star got off to a good start in his pro career, but he has been unable to take that next step, with last year being a clear step backwards. As such, the Panthers loaned him to HIFK for the year. A talented playmaker, Borgstrom could be a great candidate for Seattle to select in hopes of unlocking his offensive potential.

Nathan Bastian - New Jersey Devils

A heavy winger, Bastian has improved every year as a pro thus far, finally making the Devils this season. He has played extremely well in a third line role and as a penalty killer. However, the Devils have a heck of a decision ahead of them for the expansion draft. Do they sacrifice Pavel Zacha in order to protect someone like Bastian or the others on this list?

Yegor Sharangovich - New Jersey Devils

Sharangovich got off to a hot start to the NHL season playing alongside Jack Hughes. While the offensive production hasn’t been consistent, he has certainly impressed in his first NHL season after starting the year in the KHL. An explosive goal scorer, the Devils may be reluctant to let him go given the energy and pace he plays with.

Janne Kuokkanen - New Jersey Devils

Like Bastian, Kuokkanen has emerged as a legitimate NHL player in his fourth pro season, excelling in the bottom six. The former London Knights standout and the key acquisition in the Sami Vatanen deal to Carolina, Kuokkanen is certainly someone who could draw the interest of Seattle.

Nick Merkley - New Jersey Devils

Merkley, an intelligent and hard working playmaker, seems to be behind Bastian, Sharangovich, Kuokkanen, and Mikey McLeod (who I assumed the Devils would be protecting) in the pecking order. However, that does not mean that he lacks talent or NHL potential. Look for the Devils to try to rotate the above players in and out of the lineup in order to truly evaluate who they could be willing to lose.

Kieffer Bellows - New York Islanders

Keiffer, the son of former NHL’er Brian Bellows, is a former high NHL draft pick whose high end goal scoring ability has yet to truly translate to terrific results at the pro level. Playing on the fourth line this year for the Isles, Bellows has yet to score this season. Given the forward depth that the Islanders have, it seems unlikely that Bellows will be able to be protected. If New York truly believes in his potential, they may try to look at a way to convince Seattle not to select him.

Julien Gauthier - New York Rangers

In the rare one for one prospect trade, the Rangers shipped Joey Keane to Carolina for Gauthier last season. The big, quick, physical winger has been a fixture on the Rangers’ fourth line to start this season, however it seems unlikely that he gets protected given the others New York must protect. One of Brendan Lemieux, Brett Howden, or Gauthier will likely get the nod with the other two being unprotected. How they finish the year will dictate who that is.

Vitaly Abramov - Ottawa Senators

A dynamic offensive player, Abramov had a breakout season in Belleville last year that really gave management hope that his skill set could translate to the NHL level. However, it seems unlikely that Ottawa will be able to protect him and how he plays in the AHL this season will dictate whether Seattle has interest in him.

Filip Chlapik - Ottawa Senators

Chlapik split last season between Ottawa and Belleville, performing only adequately in a depth role. This season, he has bounced between the main roster, the taxi squad, and the AHL. A good sized playmaking center, Chlapik may not get his chance in Ottawa, but he could be a target of Seattle.

Logan Brown - Ottawa Senators

It is certainly possible that the Senators protect Brown. The former 11th overall pick has performed admirably in the AHL, but his play at the NHL level has been uninspiring thus far. A hulking center at 6’6, Brown needs to play more between the dots and use his size; a criticism dating back to his draft year.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel - Philadelphia Flyers

A competitive and feisty forward, Aube-Kubel is a versatile player for the Flyers with the ability to play in any situation and any forward position. He has been in the Flyers system forever and is finally getting a chance to be a full time NHL player this season. However, it is unlikely that the Flyers will be able to protect him. He could be the perfect bottom six player for Seattle.

Alex Barre Boulet - Tampa Bay Lightning

The first two seasons of Barre-Boulet’s pro career probably couldn’t have gone better considering he was an undrafted free agent acquisition by Tampa. He was the AHL rookie of the year two years ago and an AHL all star last year. But due to Tampa’s depth he remains buried in the minors again this year (where he has continued his torrid pace). The dilemma for Tampa Bay will be, do they protect a player who...as of now, has not shown an ability to translate his offensive skill set to the NHL?

Alex Volkov - Tampa Bay Lightning

Ahead of Barre-Boulet on the Tampa depth chart currently and the recipient of a roster spot thanks to the Kucherov injury, Volkov is a skilled winger that the Lightning have high hopes for. However, like many young players in their system, it is unlikely that they will be able to protect him.

Mitchell Stephens - Tampa Bay Lightning

A former high selection by the Lightning, Stephens was set to play full time this year as the Lightning’s fourth line center. However, he suffered a lower body injury early on and is sidelined for a few months. No longer waiver eligible, he likely will continue to have a spot when he returns but will it be enough for him to earn one of those valuable protection spots?

Mathieu Joseph - Tampa Bay Lightning

A high energy winger, Joseph was a standout as a rookie for the Lightning in 2018/19, however the acquisitions of players like Goodrow and Coleman pushed him to the minors for a large chunk of last season. Fast forward to this year and he has his place back in the Tampa lineup and is playing fantastic hockey. Does Tampa protect a younger player like Joseph (or others on this list) and risk a higher salaried player like Yanni Gourde, Alex Killorn, or Blake Coleman being selected?

Boris Katchouk - Tampa Bay Lightning

A star in the OHL, Katchouk’s game has not translated to the AHL level as well as Tampa would have hoped thus far. Now in his third pro season, Katchouk will have to show that he can take that next step in his development as an offensive player before the Lightning consider him for a checking line role. He is definitely a potential candidate to be lost in the expansion draft and is also waivers eligible next year.

Taylor Raddysh - Tampa Bay Lightning

Another former OHL star, Raddysh has had similar difficulties translating his game to the AHL level. He has not been terrible, but the average offensive production hasn’t yet warranted a callup for the former Erie Otter. Ultimately, his lack of dynamic skating ability may hold him back from becoming a quality NHL player. However, if he plays well in his third AHL season this year, he could certainly attract attention from Seattle.

Joey Anderson - Toronto Maple Leafs

Acquired from the New Jersey Devils last year in exchange for Andreas Johnsson, Anderson has bounced back and forth between the NHL and the AHL the last three seasons. The former U.S. captain at the World Juniors, Anderson is a high energy, two-way forward who could definitely be an attractive, cheap target for Seattle as it is unlikely that Toronto protects him.

Isac Lundestrom - Anaheim Ducks

Already in his third pro season in North America despite being only 21 years old, the former first round selection has finally cracked the Anaheim Ducks roster full time this season. The two-way forward excels in defensive situations and on the penalty kill and could be a quality checking line option for the Kraken, with a chance to still improve offensively. William Karlsson part deux anyone?

Matthew Phillips - Calgary Flames

His lack of size (5’7) is certainly a deterrent (even if the game has changed to accommodate smaller players), but Phillips is most definitely a talented offensive player. He was an AHL all star last season in his second AHL campaign. This year, he returns to the AHL with Stockton and should be among the league’s scoring leaders.

Adam Mascherin - Dallas Stars

A terrific goal scorer and former OHL standout, Mascherin is entering his third AHL season, undoubtedly a huge one for his development. Thus far, the results have been great as he is among the league’s scoring leaders. At some point this year, it is likely that Dallas gives him a look if he continues to play well, as not only do they have to decide on who to protect for the expansion draft, but Mascherin is waiver eligible next year too.

Tyler Benson - Edmonton Oilers

The former first overall selection in the WHL bantam draft by the Vancouver Giants, Benson has come a long way since then. With two strong AHL seasons under his belt, Benson enters his third year with the hope that he can play well enough to earn a longer look at the NHL level in the event of an Oilers’ injury. It does seem unlikely that the Oilers will protect him from Seattle though.

Rem Pitlick - Nashville Predators

A competitive, goal scoring center and the son of former NHL’er Lance Pitlick, Rem is expansion draft eligible even though he is only in his second professional season. This is due to the Predators burning a year of his ELC in 2019 when he signed out of Minnesota. He has started out the AHL season well and could earn a look from the Predators at some point this year to see if they will want to protect him.

Jonathan Dahlen - San Jose Sharks

Dahlen is a very interesting case. Acquired from Vancouver, Dahlen spent one year in the AHL before returning to Sweden where he has torched the Allsvenskan the last two seasons. The opinions vary about his standing as an NHL prospect, given he plays in the Swedish second league and not the SHL. Where he stands in the Sharks organization remains a mystery, but they will have to protect him from Seattle.

Alexander True - San Jose Sharks

A free agent signing by the Sharks out of the WHL, True has played well in the AHL over the last three years. The Danish forward has seen some limited action in the NHL with mixed results, however his start to this AHL season has been terrific. It seems unlikely that San Jose protects him, but would Seattle consider him as a high upside pick?

Maxim Letunov - San Jose Sharks

Widely considered as one of San Jose’s top forward prospects, Letunov is a huge center (6’4) and a former second round selection. He played very well in the AHL last season and has been on the San Jose taxi squad so far this season. At some point this year, San Jose is going to have to give him more than the three games they gave him last year, especially given their struggles as a team.

Rudolfs Balcers - San Jose Sharks

One of the players traded to Ottawa in the Erik Karlsson trade, Balcers was reacquired by the Sharks earlier this season off waivers. He has proven to be a capable offensive player in the AHL during his career but has not yet taken that step forward to become an NHL player. San Jose is going to give him a serious look this year, along with some other young forwards. It seems likely that Seattle could have more interest in the other Sharks on this list, but who knows how Balcers finishes the season.

Kole Lind - Vancouver Canucks

A former high selection of the Canucks, Lind has steadily improved in each of his AHL seasons thus far. The big, physical winger currently is among the AHL’s leading goal scorers this year and will likely earn a look from Vancouver at some point this season if he continues to play well. Do the Canucks protect him over disappointing talents like Jake Virtanen or Adam Gaudette?

*Special thanks to the capfriendly expansion draft tool which helped to identify those players who are eligible to be selected.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Dallas Stars Top 20 Prospects

Wed, 25 Nov 2020 21:52:59 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 Dallas Stars prospects for the 2020-21 season. You can read an organizational assessment prior to the draft in Ryan Wagman's article found here. Following the draft we provided a review on each teams performance based on our rankings found here.

Thomas Harley, D (18^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

A smooth, but explosive skater, Harley has such a large impact on the offensive side of things because of how he dictates the pace of play exiting the offensive zone. An aggressive puck mover, he looks to lead the rush or jump up into the play. With his size and reach, he can be difficult to separate from the puck as he cuts through the neutral zone and this makes him an elite level facilitator. Last season, he gained confidence in his shot and in his ability to use his mobility to create lanes and make better, more calculated decisions at the blueline. Improving his shot accuracy is necessary as too often his point shots are high and wide. Defensively, Harley became more aggressive in using his size down low, especially when trying to separate players from the puck along the wall, although he needs to continue increasing his intensity level. Overall, he became a much more consistent defensive player, improving his gap control and decision making in his own end, trusting his mobility. He is far from a shutdown defender, but he has progressed. He is still on track to be a top four defenseman at the NHL level. – BO

Jake Oettinger, G (26^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

At just 21 years of age, Oettinger received the lion’s share of starts with AHL Texas after three seasons of NCAA play at Boston University. With a muscular 6-5” frame, he is a menacing behemoth of a netminder before even taking into account his skill and athleticism. His lateral movement and save selection, particularly with his glove, are superb, and he holds rebounds that other goalies can’t shut down themselves. He tracks pucks well through traffic and, while his footwork is a little flawed, he has improved in getting to the right spots in the crease to see shots with his chest and pads first. Mature and composed, he plays deep in the crease and relies more on his size and smarts than pure, reactionary reflexes. With both Ben Bishop and, more recently, Anton Khudobin, signed through the 2022-23 season, Oettinger will likely get another full season (or two) of starts with Texas before forcing the NHL club’s hand into finding room for him at the top level. - TD

Ty Dellandrea, C (13^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

As an offensive player, Dellandrea looked much more confident and stronger with the puck on his stick last season, allowing him to dictate play from the middle and prolong possession in the offensive end. While his creativity and overall puck skill may not have progressed to the level that you might expect from a lottery selection, he remains a high-end offensive option because of his vision, hockey sense, and tenacity. An aggressive player, he excels playing through traffic, rather than avoiding it, and he does the majority of his damage near the crease and in the middle, where you have to excel to play in the NHL. Dellandrea is also a strong two-way presence and faceoff man. He can be counted on to excel in any situation and can play any role asked of him. For this reason, it would not be shocking to see him make Dallas next season, skipping the AHL entirely. He could play as a middle six center and kill penalties at a high level. His high-end potential remains to be seen. He could end up as either a second- or third-line center and eventually should be a member of Dallas’ leadership group. – BO

Mavrik Bourque, C (30^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

On the right day, Bourque looks like a future first line center who is transformative in the offensive zone. Once his team gains the offensive zone, he takes over. The puck is glued to his stick and he finds ways to create room for himself with great body control and edge work. He is a natural power play driver, finding options from the half wall and the far side of the faceoff dot creating scoring chances. More of a playmaker than a scorer, Bourque has a pretty lethal shot as well. He can beat goalies with his wrist shot or his slapper and he can elevate the puck from in tight. He gets pucks under control and into shooting position very quickly, or he can slow the game down as needed. A gritty player, he will take a hit to complete a play despite his small stature. So even if he isn’t scoring, he can contribute. On balance, he will present his team with a nice blend of a high skill, high compete game, bringing a consistency of effort pretty much every game. Bourque can succeed even when playing without high end linemates and can make those around him better. – RW

Jason Robertson, LW (39^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Posting numbers good for fifth in points and third in goals among AHL rookies last season, Robertson paced the struggling Texas Stars in scoring and was a dangerous option on a shift-to-shift basis. While he will never be the fastest or most agile skater, he possesses silky hands, deft one-on-one moves, and outstanding puck-protection skills. His upper-body strength, especially at his age, is incredible; he is near impossible to push off the puck and can run the cycle or brush up against the boards like a seasoned pro. Without the puck, he likes to play along the perimeter looking for open spaces to receive passes. His shot is quick and heavy, and worthy of being a triggerman on a future NHL power play unit. His skating, however, is a genuine and large concern; his feet are slow, and he shows very little spark in his acceleration. The Stars are a team desperate for help on offense, and Robertson is the team’s most dynamic scoring prospect, as well as the most ready for the NHL. - TD

Riley Damiani, C (137^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

Damiani is at his best when he keeps his feet moving in the offensive end and is tenacious in his pursuit of the puck. He has a high level of skill when in possession and can create in traffic by making defenders miss. His shot is good, but he is better classified primarily as a playmaker. He is also a competent two-way forward who works hard on the backcheck and can be an effective penalty killer. One aspect of Damiani’s game that needed to improve last season was his skating ability, in particular his first few steps, given his lack of size. While he looked more explosive, this will need continued improvement at the professional level. Additionally, he was not as consistent of a pest this past year and needs to be aggressive and fearless at all times like he had been over the past two seasons. Damiani projects as a quality third line forward at the NHL level, with the likelihood that he shifts to the wing. His skill set as a tenacious playmaker works best when he can control the half wall and work at retrievals. Additionally, he may be better in defensive situations as a winger. – BO

Antonio Stranges, LW (82^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Stranges’ potential to become an elite offensive player is still alluring to some, allowing the Stars to overlook his spotty record of OHL production to draft him in the third round. His hands are elite. He has the ability to make multiple defenders miss when playing through traffic. Additionally, his skating style, while unique (he utilizes the 10-to-2 technique), generates a ton of power and makes him difficult to contain once he gains a step on the opposition. While his shot is an area of concern, his finishing ability in tight is not. He is particularly strong on his backhand, a lost art in today’s game. Nonetheless, his game has many warts. Turnovers are a major issue currently as he attempts to go through defenses at poor times, exhibiting a lack of vision and anticipation. This got him stapled to the bench at various times last season. His play away from the puck also leaves a lot to be desired, making him fairly one dimensional. The potential is still sky high for Stranges, but he needs to play with more consistent responsibility. – BO

Dawson Barteaux, D (168^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

Barteaux plays a simple but solid defensive game. His game revolves around his feet as he is a very smooth skater with excellent four-direction ability. His recovery speed and gap control are both very good and form the basis of his overall solid defensive game. Offensively he has some skills but as more of a puck mover than as a play maker. When he reads and makes the safe play, he is highly effective, but when he tries to be more dynamic offensively, he tends to get himself into trouble. He is an effective shooter and likes to wind up and crack one but needs to pick his spots a better. Barteaux is at his most effective generating zone exits and using his pace into the neutral zone. While his skating is smooth, he isn’t really an end to end puck rusher as he doesn’t make decisions quick enough offensively to be constantly dangerous. Physically he can hold his own although he does need to get stronger to manage his own zone at the pro level. – VG

Evgeni Oksentyuk, RW/LW (162^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

The diminutive Belarussian forward was one of the more intriguing second year eligible players available at this year’s draft after a very strong first season in North America with Flint. He may be small at 5-8”, but he is quick, and he plays a fearless game. This really helped his adjustment to the OHL where he led the upstart Firebirds in scoring. Oksentyuk is a wizard with the puck, consistently making defenders miss as he pushes the pace and attacks the middle of the ice. Equal parts playmaker and goal scorer, he possesses a very well-rounded offensive game. It is a matter of whether scouts see his offensive ability translating to the NHL level as he unlikely to be a bottom six player. Having returned to Belarus to play out the pandemic, the early reports are disappointing, as Oksentyuk has been playing in a depth role, but we still expect his combination of agility and dazzling puck skills to help him force his way up the roster in time. – BO

Daniel Ljungman, C (154^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Ljungman’s draft season got off to a great start at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where his four goals helped Sweden capture the bronze. The rest of his season was indifferent as consistency issues prevented him from being a high impact player at other tournaments and in the SuperElit league (23 points, only 21st among U18 players). He possesses a high skill level as well as a very well-developed ability to read the game, giving him a higher ceiling than his point totals suggest. He has a plus shot and release and operates best as a shot first center who can create through traffic with his quick hands. His skating will need to be upgraded if he wishes to become a true impact offensive player, especially on North American ice where he would have less room to operate. In the meantime, it seems that Ljungman is already taken steps forward, as 17 points in his first 12 games back in the junior level to start this season helped him force his way to the SHL. – BO

Adam Mascherin, LW (100^th overall, 2018 [Originally: 38^th overall, 2016 [Florida]. Previous ranking: 7)

Taken as a re-draft in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, after previously being selected by Florida in 2016’s second round, Mascherin brought one of the best shots in junior hockey to the Dallas organization. Unfortunately, his 2019-20 season gave him little opportunity to display that shot - and his evolving offensive creativity - as injuries and inconsistency plagued his sophomore pro campaign. It took him 17 games to score his first goal of the season, and only three more followed in 13 other games before a shoulder injury shut him down for the remainder of the season. When he is healthy, he is a shooter’s shooter, capable of ripping wristers with speed and accuracy from the blueline in on any goaltender. While shooting is his most valuable attribute, he has quick hands and a knack for drawing space to himself before feeding an open linemate. He is not the quickest skater but has the body strength necessary of a 5-10” forward who can’t make up for it with length. Still only 22, he will need more AHL time to fully hash out a clear future role on a big-league team, but the potential is there. - TD

Joel Kiviranta, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 31, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

An intelligent winger with a competitive mindset, Kiviranta bleeds versatility. Capable of playing, and excelling, in many roles, the Finn has become a steal for an aging Stars organization needing youth and speed at the big-league level. Signed as a 23-year-old undrafted free agent, after three consecutive seasons with double-digit goals in the Swedish Liiga, Kiviranta initially had trouble adjusting to the North American game and looked a step behind. As the season progressed with AHL Texas, the 5-10” forward dazzled with creativity on offense as a top-line winger and a reliable presence on the penalty kill. His skating improved and his understanding of the game looked as refined as a ten-year North American pro as the season hit its mid-point, and he posted 12 points in 14 games during one stretch. He is a terrific defender and played heavy PK minutes in the AHL during his rookie year. He is expected to be deployed similarly with Dallas in the near future as an energy-line speedster with the versatility of someone who can play spot top-six minutes, a-la soon-to-be UFA Mattias Janmark, as soon as next season. - TD

Nicholas Porco, LW (142^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

It certainly was a disappointing third OHL season for Porco, who saw his goal production drop from 20 in his draft year, to only nine this past season. He fell down the depth chart in Saginaw and was subsequently dealt to Barrie, and as part of a young rebuilding team, he struggled to be a consistent contributor. Porco’s strength remains his skating ability. He is an absolutely electric skater who possesses elite level explosiveness. This allows him to be extremely visible in transition. When he does not have the puck on his stick however, he has a tendency to disappear. He needs to find a way to be a more consistent player away from the puck and be someone who can use his speed to create and fill open lanes through the middle. Next season, Porco will be playing for an NHL contract. He certainly has the potential to have a big year in Barrie, where they will be counting on him to be a top six forward. Anything less than a 30 goal, point per game year should be labeled a disappointment. – BO

Joel L’Esperance, C/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 1, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Signed as a free agent out of Michigan Tech, L’Esperance joined the Dallas organization before the Texas Stars’ run to the Calder Cup Finals in 2018. He has since pushed out seasons of 30 and 25 goals (before the cancellation, he was well on his way to 30 again) and was an AHL All-Star in both of his full pro seasons. As a two-way, right-shooting centerman with size and a goal-scoring touch, he would probably be playing NHL hockey on a team with less center depth than the Stars. He is a high energy centerman who plays a game that fits someone smaller than his 6-2”, 215lb self, shooting at high volumes and playing a heavy forechecking style. He has solid technical skating skill for a relatively large forward in spite of top speed that lags. He has a splendid wrist shot and his hockey IQ has carried over nicely from his four-year run in the college ranks. Nearing his 25th birthday, L’Esperance’s game is as well-rounded as it is going to get and he will need to impress the Stars brass one way or another soon, though it is possible he sticks with another organization eventually. - TD

Oskar Back, C/RW (75^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 11)

A big center with good skating and two-way play. Back’s hands and puck skills are good, but not better than average. He is more of a bottom six talent than anything else. He plays a strong 200ft game with a team-first mentality. He can be used in all situations. He moved up to the SHL last season but did not take a big step forward as a player. He was still more of a role player at the WJC for Sweden. I would like to see him play with more poise and competitiveness and use his size and skating to be more of a force. His puck skills do not stand out and I can’t see him becoming a productive player at a high level if he does not compete harder to create and produce for his team. If not, there is not much upside in his game rather than being a reliable bottom six center. He will play next season in the SHL again. - JH

Rhett Gardner, C/LW (116^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 12)

Gardner was perhaps the most overlooked player in this system coming into last season, but the North Dakota alum made his mark on the organization in his first full pro season. When the injury bug hit the Dallas Stars in the early going of the 2019-20 season, it was Gardner’s smarts and versatility that made him a useful recall throughout an eight-game NHL trial run. A tenacious, heavy defensive center with long reach and the speed to pressure opposing defensemen on the forecheck, Gardner rarely makes mistakes and is easy for coaches to trust in all situations. He shines on the penalty kill, where his active stick and constantly moving feet at the top or center of the zone keeps the puck on the outside. Strong on faceoffs and down low in the offensive zone, Gardner can be a facilitator of sorts, but is better suited to play a shutdown depth role. - TD

Fredrik Karlstrom, C (90^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 13)

The 22-year-old center/winger had his best SHL season so far. He did that on a team that struggled partially thanks to a high shooting percentage. He finished the season on a strong note putting up at least one point in nine of his last 12 games. He saw more ice-time at the end as well. Over half of his production came in the last 12 contests of the 52-game season. Karlstrom has good size and good skating abilities. His puck skills are fine but not more than average. His all-around game is good as well. If he can keep up how he finished the season and be a more productive player more consistently, then maybe he has middle six forward potential. He does not play with a physical edge to his game though so he will really need to find offensive effectiveness to become that player. Next season, he will be loaned back to SHL for another season. - JH

Jerad Rosburg, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 9, 2020. Previous ranking: 14)

Son of long-time NFL coach Jerry Rosburg, Jerad Rosburg has a bit of the football player in his work on the ice. For starters, he has great size and plays with a very physical mentality. He uses his big frame to force opponents away from danger areas in his own zone and is known to make a few big hits. His defensive game, both in terms of physically stopping opponents as well as outthinking them, are the main keys of his game. The Maryland native is also willing to push the pace offensively, although he is unlikely to succeed in that approach as a pro. His hands are quick enough to provide some offensive utility, but Rosburg’s surest path to the NHL is as a blue-collar, hard-working part of a bottom pairing, with some penalty killing options thrown in for good measure. He might not need more than a single year in the AHL before he is ready to acclimate to the NHL. - RW

Jacob Peterson, C (132^nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 15)

A smart two-way center/winger with good speed. Peterson competes well and makes players around him better. He does not have any standout puck skills but uses his speed and competitiveness to create. He plays a smart game way from the puck and is a reliable bottom six player, with a strong forechecking element to his game. He is an efficient forechecker who relies on his smarts rather than aggression to be effective. His offensive hockey sense is not particularly high though, so long-term Peterson should be thought of as bottom six two-way forward. He produced well enough in his first SHL season in a smaller role, playing 10-11 minutes per game. Next season he is shifting from Frolunda to Farjestad and will hopefully get a bigger role. – JH

Nicholas Caamano, RW (146^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: UR)

The third player on this list with a background including the Flint Firebirds, Caamano has the least upside of anyone in this top 20, yet a floor high enough to have spent some time suiting up for the Stars in their recent run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Consider him as you might consider Kiviranta and L’Esperance, but Caamano is the third wheel in that group as he lacks Kiviranta’s skating ability, and L’Esperance’s physical tools. Caamano at least showed last season that he could be a moderate offensive contributor at the AHL level, while proving that his hands can work quickly, even if his feet are heavy. He can play a responsible game, handling defensive zone shifts as well as holding his own on the penalty kill. Barring a significant improvement in his skating, Caamano is who he is, usable depth who, in the right circumstances, can lock down a fourth line NHL role. - RW

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – DALLAS STARS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 29

Tue, 08 Sep 2020 19:29:01 +0000

Dallas Stars

If you look at the overall organizational rankings in this guide, you will see the Stars not too far from the bottom as third weakest system. Some teams near Dallas in the org rankings make intuitive sense. The last ranked St. Louis Blues traded some pieces for immediate NHL help and other prospects are already full-fledged NHL’ers. The Calgary Flames rarely have a full slate of picks and have made a few reaches over the years as well. The Sharks are in a similar boat to Calgary. Pittsburgh routinely moves their picks early.

Then we have Dallas, which doesn’t fit the stereotype for those other shallow systems. Prior to the 2019 draft, in which the Stars made only four selections, the organization had averaged a full seven picks per year over the previous five drafts. Those six draft classes include seven first round picks. Yet here we are. How do we explain this unfortunate sequence of events?

To Dallas’ credit, the past six drafts have produced three graduates, including two first rounders, in Miro Heiskanen, Denis Guryanov, and Roope Hintz. Further, the top of this system. Particularly the top three which is entirely made up of former first rounders, is quite strong. Unfortunately, the system thins out rapidly after the upper crust of Harley, Oettinger, and Dellandrea. In fact, after a second tier of three players, few of the remaining players on this list would feature at all on the top prospect lists of many other organizations.

Where did Dallas go wrong? There are two main culprits. First up, we have the entire 2014 draft class. Like 26 of the other 30 players selected in the first round in 2014, Dallas’ pick, Julius Honka, has exhausted his prospect eligibility, with 87 games played at the NHL level. Then again, if you follow the Stars, you are probably aware that the offensive blueliner has burned his bridges to the Lonestar State and possibly to the NHL as a whole, having returned last season to Finland, where he was overshadowed by his younger brother Anttoni, a Carolina prospect. Would you believe that Honka was, hands down, the best outcome Dallas had from that draft class. Not a single one of the other eight players they selected that June remain in the system, nor has a single one played a minute of NHL hockey.

The remainder of the answer to that question is tied up in a single player. That being 2016 first round pick Riley Tufte. Dallas’ 2016 draft class has already played a cumulative 20 NHL games, none of which were credited to Tufte. If Tufte continues his current trajectory, he will not reach the NHL, much less match the 20 games played by Rhett Gardner and Nicholas Caamano. Taken 25^th overall out of Blaine High School in Minnesota, the gargantuan Tufte dominated competition in high school (over three points per game) but struggled when he played more advanced competition in the USHL for Fargo, with 14 points in 27 games. Dallas bet on the physical tools.

Tufte was part of two NCAA champions with Minnesota-Duluth, but never as a top contributor or play driver. When he got to the AHL for the first time last year, he simply bombed, with a meagre total of three goals and 15 points in 53 games. He could not play at the pace required of the level, which includes both his skating and his ability to move the puck in the right direction. Through four years, he has simply not developed, and he will need to completely change his development trajectory to have a chance of playing in the NHL at any point. The 2016 draft class has had its share of disappointments, so Tufte is not alone in that measure, but if he was even still viable as an NHL prospect, the Stars would have been a few slots higher on the org rankings this year.

Thomas Harley of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Thomas Harley, D (18^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

One of the better defensemen in the OHL, Harley had a strong draft +1 year with the Mississauga Steelheads. Expectations were quite high for him this season and he was able to meet those, even if he was left off Canada’s WJC team.

A smooth, but explosive skater, Harley is able to have such a large impact on the offensive side of things because of how he dictates the pace of play exiting the offensive zone. An aggressive puck mover, he is always looking to lead the rush or jump up into the play. With his size and reach, he can be difficult to separate from the puck as he cuts through the neutral zone and this makes him an elite level facilitator.

His work as a powerplay quarterback took some nice steps forward this season as he gained confidence in his shot and in his ability to use his mobility to create lanes and make better, more calculated decisions at the blueline. Improving the accuracy of his shot is going to be a next step as too often his point shots are high and wide, when a better placed low shot would create a greater scoring chance.

As a defensive player, Harley needed to progress and he became more aggressive in using his size down low, especially when trying to separate players from the puck along the wall. However, as a net front presence, he will need to continue increasing his intensity level. Overall, he became a much more consistent defensive player, improving his gap control and decision making in his own end, trusting his mobility. He is far from a shutdown defender, but he has progressed without a doubt.

The question is, will Harley be in the NHL next year? I believe that he has the capability, depending on how Dallas wishes to fill out their third pairing. However, another year in the OHL would not be a bad thing for his development, allowing him to continue becoming a more comfortable and confident two-way defender. He is still on track to be a top four defenseman at the NHL level. - BO

Jake Oettinger, G (26^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 5)

The Dallas Stars have not had a denoted goaltender of the future since Jack Campbell was drafted 11th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. Though Campbell, now a Maple Leaf, eventually became one of the premier backup goaltenders in hockey, he was a bust of epic proportions as a Stars prospect and appeared in just one game with Dallas. Selecting a goaltender in round one of the Draft is always a risk, but this time around, it appears the risk will pay off in the form of Jake Oettinger, a future high-tier NHL starter. Drafted 26th overall in 2017, Oettinger -- at just 21 -- received the lion’s share of starts with AHL Texas after three seasons of NCAA play at Boston University.

With a muscular 6-5” frame, he is a menacing behemoth of a netminder before even taking into account his skill and athleticism. His lateral movement and save selection, particularly with his glove, are superb, and he holds rebounds that other goalies can’t shut down themselves. He tracks pucks well through traffic and, while his footwork is a little flawed, he has improved in getting to the right spots in the crease to see shots with his chest and pads first. Mature and composed, he plays deep in the crease and relies more on his size and smarts than pure, reactionary reflexes.

With Ben Bishop signed through 2023 and Anton Khudobin, the league leader in save percentage, expressing a desire to re-sign with the Stars, Oettinger will likely get another full season of starts with Texas (if there is a 2020-21 AHL season) before joining the NHL fray. - TD

FRISCO, TX - SEPTEMBER 12: Ty Dellandrea #60 of the Dallas Stars (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ty Dellandrea, C (13^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 1)

A former 13th overall selection by the Stars, Dellandrea had an excellent final year in the OHL before entering the pro level next season. He captained the Flint Firebirds to a strong season and was a key member of Team Canada’s gold medal entry at the 2020 World Junior Championships. As an offensive player, Dellandrea looked much more confident and stronger with the puck on his stick, allowing him to dictate play from the middle and prolong possession in the offensive end.

While his creativity and overall puck skill may not have progressed to the level that you might expect from a lottery selection, he remains a high end offensive option because of his vision, hockey sense, and tenacity. An aggressive player, he excels playing through traffic, rather than avoiding it and he does the majority of his damage near the crease and in the middle, where you have to excel to play in the NHL.

Dellandrea is also a strong two-way presence and faceoff man. He can be counted on to excel in any situation and can play any role asked of him. For this reason, it would not be shocking to see him make Dallas right out of the CHL next season, skipping the AHL entirely. He could play as a third- or fourth-line center and kill penalties at a high level. Dellandrea’s high end potential remains to be seen. He could end up as either a second- or third-line center and should be a member of Dallas’ leadership group eventually. - BO

Jason Robertson, LW (39^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

After leading the Ontario Hockey League, arguably the world’s best junior hockey league, in points, Robertson walked into his first pro season with lofty expectations on his shoulders. Like any other physical task, the 2017 second rounder handled it with ease. Posting numbers good for fifth in points and third in goals among AHL rookies, Robertson handily paced the restructuring, struggling Texas Stars in scoring and was a dangerous option on a consistent shift-to-shift basis.

While he will never be the fastest or most agile skater, the Michigan native possesses silky hands, deft one-on-one moves, and outstanding puck-protection skills. His upper-body strength, especially at his age (playing out the whole season at 20 years old) is incredible; he is near impossible to push off the puck and can run the cycle or brush up against the boards like a seasoned pro.

Without the puck, he likes to play at the perimeter and find open spaces of ice to receive passes, contrary to a traditional 6-2” power forward who would generally just drive the net. His shot is quick and heavy, and worthy of being a triggerman on a future NHL power play unit. His skating, however, is a genuine and large concern; his feet are slow, and he shows very little spark in his acceleration. The Stars are a team desperate for help on offense, and Robertson is the team’s most dynamic scoring prospect. His value is only increased with left wing being his most common position, one of little depth on the NHL roster. - TD

FRISCO, TX - SEPTEMBER 12: Riley Damiani #70 of the Dallas Stars. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

Riley Damiani, C (137^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

After a very strong draft +1 season with the Rangers two years ago, Damiani took a bit of a step backward this past year from a production standpoint. However, he remains a high energy offensive forward who projects as an NHL player.

Damiani is at his best when he keeps his feet moving in the offensive end and is tenacious in his pursuit of the puck. He has a high level of skill when in possession and can create in traffic by making defenders miss. While his shot is good, he is most definitely classified better as a playmaker, first and foremost. Damiani is also a competent two-way forward who works hard on the backcheck and, as such, can be an effective penalty killer.

One aspect of Damiani’s game that needed to improve this past season was his skating ability, in particular his first few steps, given his lack of size. While he did look more explosive, this will need to improve further at the professional level. Additionally, he was not as consistent of a pest this past year, so he will need to find a way to be aggressive and fearless at all times like he had been over the past two seasons.

Damiani projects as a quality third line forward at the NHL level, with it being highly possible that he shifts to the wing at the pro level. His skill set as a tenacious playmaker works best when he can control the half wall and work at retrievals. Additionally, he may be better in defensive situations as a winger. - BO

Dawson Barteaux, D (168^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 16)

He is an effective shooter and likes to wind up and crack one but needs to pick his spots a better. Barteaux is at his most effective generating zone exits and using his pace into the neutral zone. While his skating is smooth, he isn’t really an end to end puck rusher as he doesn’t make decisions quick enough offensively to be constantly dangerous. Physically he can hold his own although he does need to get stronger to manage his own zone at the pro level. – VG

Adam Mascherin, LW (100^th overall, 2018 [Originally: 38^th overall, 2016 [Florida]. 2019 Rank: 7)

When he is healthy, he is a shooter’s shooter, capable of ripping wristers with speed and accuracy from the blueline in on any goaltender. While shooting is his most valuable attribute, he has quick hands and a knack for drawing space to himself before feeding an open linemate. He is not the quickest skater but has the body strength necessary of a 5-10” forward who can’t make up for it with length. Still only 22, he will need more AHL time to fully hash out a clear future role on a big-league team, but the potential is there. - TD

Joel Kiviranta, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 31, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

As the season progressed with AHL Texas, the 5-10” forward dazzled with creativity on offense as a top-line winger and a reliable presence on the penalty kill. His skating improved and his understanding of the game looked as refined as a ten-year North American pro as the season hit its mid-point, and he posted 12 points in 14 games during one stretch.

He is a terrific defender and played heavy PK minutes in the AHL during his rookie year. He is expected to be deployed similarly with Dallas in the near future as an energy-line speedster with the versatility of someone who can play spot top-six minutes, a-la soon-to-be UFA Mattias Janmark, as soon as next season. - TD

Nicholas Porco, LW (142^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)

Porco’s strength remains his skating ability. He is an absolutely electric skater who possesses elite level explosiveness. This allows him to be extremely visible in transition. When he does not have the puck on his stick however, he has a tendency to disappear. He needs to find a way to be a more consistent player away from the puck and be someone who can use his speed to create and fill open lanes through the middle.

Next season, Porco will be playing for an NHL contract. He certainly has the potential to have a big year in Barrie, where they will be counting on him to be a top six forward. Anything less than a 30 goal, point-per-game year should be labeled a disappointment. - BO

Joel L’Esperance, C/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 1, 2018. 2019 Rank: 11)

As a two-way, right-shooting centerman with size and a goal-scoring touch, he would probably be playing NHL hockey on a team with less center depth than the Stars. He is a high energy centerman who plays a game that fits someone smaller than his 6-2”, 215lb self, shooting at high volumes and playing a heavy forechecking style. He has solid technical skating skill for a relatively large forward in spite of top speed that lags. He has a splendid wrist shot and his hockey IQ has carried over nicely from his four-year run in the college ranks.

Nearing his 25th birthday, L’Esperance’s game is as well-rounded as it is going to get and he will need to impress the Stars brass one way or another soon, though it is possible he sticks with another organization eventually. - TD

Oskar Back, C/RW (75^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

He moved up to the SHL last season but did not take a big step forward as a player. He was still more of a role player at the WJC for Sweden. I would like to see him play with more poise and competitiveness and use his size and skating to be more of a force.

His puck skills do not stand out and I can’t see him becoming a productive player at a high level if he does not compete harder to create and produce for his team. If not, there is not much upside in his game rather than being a reliable bottom six center. He will play next season in the SHL again. - JH

Rhett Gardner, C/LW (116^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

A tenacious, heavy defensive center with long reach and the speed to pressure opposing defensemen on the forecheck, Gardner rarely makes mistakes and is easy for coaches to trust in all situations. He shines on the penalty kill, where his active stick and constantly moving feet at the top or center of the zone keeps the puck on the outside. Strong on faceoffs and down low in the offensive zone, Gardner can be a facilitator of sorts, but is better suited to play a shutdown depth role. - TD

Fredrik Karlstrom, C (90^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

His puck skills are fine but not more than average. His all-around game is good as well. If he can keep up how he finished the season and be a more productive player more consistently, then maybe he has middle six forward potential. He does not play with a physical edge to his game though so he will really need to find offensive effectiveness to become that player. Next season, he will be loaned back to SHL for another season. - JH

Jerad Rosburg, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 9, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

The Maryland native is also willing to push the pace offensively, although he is unlikely to succeed in that approach as a pro. His hands are quick enough to provide some offensive utility, but Rosburg’s surest path to the NHL is as a blue-collar, hard-working part of a bottom pairing, with some penalty killing options thrown in for good measure. He might not need more than a single year in the AHL before he is ready to acclimate to the NHL. - RW

Jacob Peterson, C (132^nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

His offensive hockey sense is not particularly high though, so long-term Peterson should be thought of as bottom six two-way forward. He produced well enough in his first SHL season in a smaller role, playing 10-11 minutes per game. Next season he is shifting from Frolunda to Farjestad and will hopefully get a bigger role. - JH

Dallas Stars 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:12:52 +0000

Dallas Stars’ GM Jim Nill was hired in April, 2013, and Vancouver marked his seventh draft. In other words, he has enough of a track record now at selecting amateurs that we should be able to judge him. Including the four players the team picked up this year, they have made 48 total selections under his watch. It is too early to judge that crew and, in fairness, too early to judge the fruits of the 2018 draft as well, so we will focus on the 36 players selected by Dallas between 2013 and 2017. Some would posit that it is not fair to judge him on 2013 either, as he joined the team a mere two months prior to the draft and he likely had a lot of input from the scouting staff of the previous regime. But as we will see in a moment, without 2013, the picture would be exceptionally bleak.

Year	Pick number	Name	Games played
2013	10	Valeri Nichushkin	223
2013	29	Jason Dickinson	105
2013	40	Remi Elie	106
2013	101	Nick Paul	56
2014	14	Julius Honka	87
2015	12	Denis Gurianov	22
2015	49	Roope Hintz	58
2017	3	Miro Heiskanen	82
2017	194	Dylan Ferguson	1
Total		10 players	740

Of the ten players who have played in the NHL, two never suited up for Dallas, and only three have reached the 100 games mark. As we will see as we go through the top 20 prospects currently in the system, there are also not too many others left from those years who look ready to join them, with only five of the top 20 coming from the 2013-2017 draft classes.

On the face of it, just seeing 10 who have made it to the NHL out of five drafts, is not very good. Digging in, it is worse His first pick, Nichushkin, has played more than double anyone else, but he is largely considered to be a bust and is expected to return to Russia this year after failing to score a single goal last season and spending large chunks of time in the press box as a healthy scratch, including for most of the postseason.

2014 first rounder Julius Honka will probably play in his 100^th game sometime early next year, but for a player marketed as a dynamic, offensive defenseman, his total of 13 points in 87 has been underwhelming and his defensive game has been rougher than expected.

2015 first rounder Denis Gurianov showed promising signs last season, coming within six points of the AHL team lead, despite playing in 14 fewer games than the team leader. On the other hand, he has not been able to show much of anything in the NHL, with only four points in 22 games, all but one of which were last year. We are still optimistic, but neither our nor the Stars’ patience will be limitless.

Heiskanen looks like a star, and credit to Nill and company for not blowing a lottery pick, but it isn’t enough. Outside of Heiskanen, Dickinson and Hintz are the only two Nill draft picks who should be inked into the Dallas roster for next year and the two forwards might not be anything more than nice third liners. Without a sharp uptick in NHL action from his draft picks, his performance at the head should rightfully be questioned sharply.

-Ryan Wagman

Dallas Stars left wing Denis Gurianov (34) (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

1 Ty Dellandrea, C (13^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) You would be hard pressed to find a more complete player in the OHL than Dellandrea. He skates well. He is an all situations player who has a terrific hockey IQ. He is aggressive and assertive physically. He has good hands and creativity. Unfortunately, playing in Flint, on a relatively poor team up to now, has prevented him from really establishing himself as a consistent offensive force. This has some debating what his NHL potential is. Whether he can become a legitimate top six center or is more of a 3rd line checking line anchor remains to be seen. What Dallas does with him also remains a mystery. Physically, he is likely ready to play in the NHL for the upcoming year and Dellandrea is likely to get an audition for that. However, continuing to play in the OHL would be great to develop his confidence as an offensive player. - BO

2 Thomas Harley, D (18^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Harley is one of the better skating defensive prospects on the planet at this time. His stride is effortless and he covers so much ground with long, powerful strides. This makes him a very effective player in transition as he leads the breakout. The rest of his game is best personified by the term raw. Defensively, he will need to assert himself more and learn to use his size to be more difficult to play against. This is especially true for his play in the corners and his effectiveness in winning those loose puck battles. But Harley’s potential is sky high because of his size and mobility combination. How quickly he ends up in Dallas depends on the growth and maturation of his game at both ends. - BO

3 Jason Robertson, LW (39^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3) At one point, Robertson’s skating was seen as a huge hindrance to him becoming an NHL player. He has since progressed substantially in this area to the point where it is no longer something that will hold him back. At his best, Robertson is a monster in possession who prolongs offensive zone time because of how well he protects the puck. He also possesses terrific instincts, a great release, and a high skill level with the puck that makes him a very complete offensive player. He will likely need time to adjust to the speed and strength of the pro game, in addition to working on his play in all three zones. Robertson could be a solid supporting top six winger sooner rather than later in Dallas. - BO

4 Denis Gurianov, RW (12^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 8) When Dallas spent its 2015 first-round pick on Gurianov, a winger from the Russian minor leagues, they eventually missed out on Mat Barzal, Jake DeBrusk, Kyle Connor, and Brock Boeser, among many others who were selected after the 12th overall pick. It is impossible to mention Gurianov without what came after, but the Stars are finally starting to see the first-round talent they acquired that night. An AHL All-Star last season, the 22-year-old used his world-class speed, evolving shot, and much improved hockey IQ to tear it up with AHL Texas, posting a 57-20-28-48 stat line. His straight line speed, soft and deceiving hands, and great use of his lean frame make him a lethal offensive player, and his defensive game is improving. He has come a long way from being a healthy scratch in the Calder Cup Final, and could contend for an NHL spot in training camp this season. Long term, he looks like a top-six scoring winger, as he did on draft night in 2015. - TD

5 Jake Oettinger, G (26^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 5) Not only is Oettinger one of the top prospects in the Dallas system, the 20-year-old is firmly among the elite goaltending prospects in the sport. He is a 6-5” behemoth in the crease, but with the mental composure of a veteran and the agility of an NHL starter, boasting one of the most impressive packages of netminding skill in the game today. His lateral mobility and technical refinement as a goaltender goes beyond his age, and combining that athleticism with the smarts and maturity he exhibited in college, and in his short AHL stint at the end of the season, should put a smile on the faces of Stars’ fans. His quickness and size can be relied on, but he will have to improve in tracking the development of plays. He projects to be a mid-to-upper tier NHL starting goalie, and though netminders generally take longer to develop than position players, it appears his future as an NHLer will not be far away. - TD

6 Riley Damiani, C (137^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 14) A year after being drafted by Dallas in the fifth round, Damiani’s game has improved substantially. In 2018-19, only Akil Thomas and Barrett Hayton had higher point per game averages among 2000 born players in the OHL. At the heart of his game is his high end motor. Damiani is best compared to a gnat, in the sense that he is always hovering around the puck. His improved play with the puck and confidence in creating off of the rush have made him a very dangerous two-way forward. At this point, Damiani’s high end potential is likely as a middle six energy forward who can provide versatility to an NHL lineup, but given his improvement trajectory thus far, this could be underselling him. - BO

7 Adam Mascherin, LW (100^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 10) Mascherin came to the Stars organization in unusual circumstances; a Florida Panthers draft pick in 2016, the left-shot winger did not sign, re-entered the Draft, and was taken with Dallas’s fourth-round selection in 2018. The Stars are reaping the benefits of the former 40-goal scorer with OHL Kitchener, seeing him blossom into an NHL-caliber forward with AHL Texas this past season. He 76-18-26-44 stat line is more impressive when you account for his frequent usage on the third line, and his lack of power-play time. His game features intense, albeit choppy skating speed, high-end upper-body strength despite an undersized frame, and most importantly, a heavy wrist shot that has captivated the Stars organization. His biggest issue is a hesitance to utilize that great shot, instead relying on his evolving playmaking game. In a year or two, he could make an impact as a depth scorer and energy line forward with Dallas. - TD

8 Riley Tufte, LW (25^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 7) Another big man who tries to play a big man’s game, Tufte turned pro after playing a part in two consecutive NCAA titles with Minnesota-Duluth, even though Tufte’s own role in those triumphs was not always prominent. He is a decent skater, although better than that considering his outsized frame, and he works hard. He has a hard shot from the circles on in. His hands work well in board battles, protecting the puck from opponents, but they are not the type of hands that will show much creativity. There is a chance that his physically overpowering game will work better as a pro, though the rarity with which he took over as a collegian does not make me feel optimistic. He has an NHL future, but not likely as more than a third liner. - RW

9 Albin Eriksson, RW/LW (44^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 15) A big (6-4”) winger with a good shot and puck skills but with average speed. Eriksson isn’t a typical power forward in the sense that he doesn’t play a strong skating, forechecking game. He is more of a Maroon/Penner type of forward. He uses his size to his advantage as he protects the puck well and is strong in tight areas. He won’t be a driver on a line but can be a good complementary player. He had a decent first SHL with 16 points in 44 games with limited ice time (10 min/game). He will probably see more ice time this season as he continues his development in SHL. It will be interesting to see if gets a shot at the WJC as his style is kind of uncommon in Swedish hockey and his strength seems more suitable for smaller rinks. - JH

10 Tye Felhaber, RW/C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 1, 2019. Last Year: IE) Felhaber used a terrific overage season with a strong Ottawa 67’s club to earn an NHL contract from the Stars. A great skater who can put the puck in the net, he was highly coveted as a free agent throughout the previous OHL season. The big step forward this past season came because of an increased desire to attack the net and play through traffic, instead of on the periphery. If he can continue to play this way at the pro level, he has the skill set to continue to score goals. Of course, he may need to alter his game slightly to become a more well-rounded player, but the potential is there even if overage CHL free agents can be difficult to project. - BO

11 Joel L’Esperance, C/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 1, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Signed to an amateur contract at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, L’Esperance -- a Michigan Tech product -- greatly impressed the Stars brass and earned an NHL entry-level deal. He impressed with AHL Texas in 2018-19, scoring 30 goals in 54 games and earning a recall to Dallas (where he added two more goals), in the process. However, the righty does not play a goal-scorer’s game, instead the 6-2” center plays a high-energy game in all three zones, forechecks hard, and has some solid technical skating skill for a big man. He has a splendid wrist shot and a hockey IQ that is as high as his experience from the college ranks would suggest. His NHL ceiling is not the high-volume scorer he is in the AHL, but more so a bottom-six two-way physical center with some power play potential, and he is ready to jump to that level. - TD

12 Nicholas Porco, LW (142^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) It was interesting to see the Stars draft Porco this year after signing Felhaber, because Felhaber and Porco have a lot of similarities, especially at the same age. Both were high OHL selections. Both struggled with consistency in their draft years. Felhaber used to struggle fighting through checks and his speed could be contained to the outside. That is where Porco is at now. What Dallas is banking on is that Porco’s game can develop the same way, with his speed being utilized as an asset without the puck and thus being better able to score goals. He may be a long term project, but Porco is someone to keep an eye on because he can skate and he is skilled. - BO

13 Gavin Bayreuther, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 15, 2017. Last Year: 13) Another collegiate free agent signing, Bayreuther has been just what the Stars front office expected. Spending the last two seasons with AHL Texas, the left-shot defenseman has been an instrumental offensive force from the back end, doing the same in some tough minutes in 19 NHL games last season. He plays an upstart, heads-up style of puck-rushing, using his high-grade skating skill, solid hands, and nifty, creative passing tendencies to create offense from defense. The New Hampshire native possesses an absolute bomb of a slap shot and held down the fort on the second power play unit during his time with Dallas. His backwards skating and initial blue line defense make him a solid depth d-man for an NHL team, as his offensive skillset is not hindered by defensive flaws. At 25 years old, he looks ready to make the jump, but the Stars have a stacked blueline right now, and he will have to do more to impress the NHL coaching staff. - TD

14 Curtis Douglas, LW (106^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 12) Now listed at 6-9”, Douglas is one of the largest hockey prospects on the planet. Down low, he is a near immovable object as most defenders in the OHL have a difficult time keeping him away from the crease. He loves to operate behind the net too, where he can control pace and extend zone time. On the other hand, at this point, his skating is going to be a large (no pun intended) hurdle for him to climb. His start-ups are quite slow and he can find himself a step behind the play because of this. While Douglas is a long shot to become an NHL regular based on where he is right now, he does possess some intriguing potential because of his size, reach, and unique skill set. - BO

15 Oskar Back, C/RW (75^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 11) A two-way center who plays a 200ft game. He has good offensive instincts but lacks elite level tools. His skating and hockey sense are slightly above average at best, while the rest of his tools are average. Back works hard, is strong on the puck and plays a team first game. In that sense, he is a good bottom six prospect. He has good size and is strong for his age. Last season, he played his first senior season in Allsvenskan and put up a decent 20 points in 45 games. This upcoming season he will get a shot in SHL. If he makes the NHL, it will probably be in the next 2-3 years as he is a player type that most often doesn’t develop much more after that. - JH

16 Dawson Barteaux, D (168^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 20) Barteaux was a mixed bag this year. In spurts, he looked to have taken a step as a power play quarterback both with his ability to get his shot off and his ability to split defenses with his passing. Defensively, while he was the top defender on the Rebels, he could get caught chasing the play and trying to do too much. When he is on he uses his skating and footwork to outmaneuver opponents on the ice but he can also skate himself into trouble and turnover pucks. He could use an age 20 season in Junior to give himself a chance to physically dominate and gain more offensive confidence. He projects as a bottom pairing defender that could be used on a second powerplay unit, especially if they can take advantage of his right shot. - VG

17 Dillon Heatherington, D (50^th overall, 2013 [Columbus]. Last Year: 17) Acquired for dirt cheap by the Stars in March of 2017, Heatherington has been the anchor of the Texas Stars’ defense since the trade deadline deal from Columbus. A rock solid physical defenseman, the Calgary native is hard to beat at the blueline, plays hard around the boards with great control of his body, and has a solid stretch pass to create offense from his own zone. Though he moves pretty well for someone with a 6-4”, 225 frame, his lack of overall mobility limits his offensive game. Heatherington had a big opportunity to impress the Stars brass last season during his recall to Dallas, but played extremely sheltered minutes, was benched multiple times, and was beaten on the depth chart by some less experienced guys like Bayreuther and Ben Gleason. If the former Swift Current Bronco has an NHL future as a bottom-pair shutdown guy, it almost certainly will not be with Dallas. - TD

18 Nicholas Caamano, RW (146^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 18) A former teammate of top prospect Dellandrea with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds, Caamano had a rough adjustment period in his first pro season, posting 12 goals and 12 assists in 73 games with AHL Texas. However, through his overall inconsistency, he showed some glimpses of absolute mastery as a three-zone energy line player. He is a plus skater with some very effective one-on-one moves, underrated strength as a puck carrier, and a high hockey IQ as someone who plays hard on defense and in transition at all times. If the 20-year-old improves his shot a little bit, he can soon be a potent bottom-six power forward-type depth scorer with Dallas. - TD

19 Joel Kiviranta, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 31, 2019. Last Year: IE) Kiviranta had a very good season with Sport in the Liiga, helping him earn a spot on the Finnish team for the World Championship tournament. He exceeded expectations on the fourth line, forechecking effectively and scoring a pair of important, timely goals. Kiviranta has always had a lot of speed but lacked in hockey IQ at the junior level. He has improved in his decision making and added poise while playing against men. His game now looks more clear and structured. He plays an energetic style and constantly competes hard away from the puck. He creates havoc on the opposing defenders with strong forechecking. He has some puck skills and a good shot as well. Kiviranta could be a decent middle-six winger if he continues to improve his overall game and adds more offense. - MB

20 Emil Djuse, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 29, 2019. Last Year: IE) An older free agent pick-up this summer by the Stars. Djuse turns 26 in October and comes over following a couple of strong SHL seasons. He took his time to develop but found his game when he came to Skelleftea in 2016. He is a mobile defenseman with strong puck-moving abilities. As a junior, his decision-making and overall hockey sense were very raw, and he tended to be more of a mistake-driven player for his team rather than a productive player. With more experience he has learned to use his assets better and is now strong on both sides of the ice, even his strengths mostly are with the puck. His time to make Stars line-up is limited due to age, but I still expect him to start the season in the AHL. - JH

AHL Notebook: Central Division

Tom Dorsa — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 13:59:05 +0000

Welcome to the first in what should be a set of recurring AHL divisional updates that we will be publishing throughout the year. Approximately once per month for each AHL division, we will be bringing you, our faithful and amazing readers the latest and greatest about the prospects who are one injury away from the NHL.

Throughout the month of October, the American Hockey League's Central Division welcomed two big divisional shakeups. One was the introduction of the Texas Stars and San Antonio Rampage, previously from the Pacific Division ranks, to the Central.

The next was much bigger: instead of sharing affiliates with other teams, the expansion of the AHL to 31 teams gave the Vegas Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues their own farm clubs. The Blues assumed full control of the Rampage from its previously shared state, while the Knights and the Chicago Wolves -- who had select Blues prospects and various loaners on the roster last season -- fully embraced their partnership.

This has had an impact on the development of star pupils from each of the organizations, as has the aforementioned move of Texas and San Antonio to the Central Division. In the first edition of a new season-wide, monthly chronicle, we will be "emptying the notebook" on prospects and team analysis from the AHL's Central Division in this article.

Similar to our Yearbook work, the notebook will have info on prospects in the AHL from a scouting perspective.

Milwaukee

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 22: Nashville Predators right wing Eeli Tolvanen (11) skates in the first period of the NHL preseason game between the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning on September 22, 2018, at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

Exciting forward prospect Eeli Tolvanen, whom Nashville grabbed late in the 2017 first round, has shown that he is worth the buzz so far. With six assists compared to one goal early on (as of this writing in the first week of November), he is exhibiting his willingness to improve as a facilitator despite having perhaps the best wrist shot in the Nashville prospect system. One thing that helps: he is extremely poised for a 19-year-old and looks more mature than some of the vets on the team.

Emil Pettersson (13th in Predators prospect rankings), the older brother of Calder Trophy frontrunner Elias Pettersson, hasn't been too shabby either. Emil (4-5-9) is playing with more assertiveness and speed on the puck compared to last season, and maintaining the smarts that made him valuable to begin with. Recently, Pettersson began playing on the Admirals' top power play unit.

Chicago

Part of the Vegas Golden Knights' first ever draft, Erik Brannstrom (3rd) was one of the most exciting defensemen in the European leagues last season and has continued to light his competition on fire in the AHL. Brannstrom has nine points in as many games, leading a Chicago blueline with former first-rounder Griffin Reinhart (16th) and fellow 2017 pick Nic Hague (4th).

Brannstrom's game is built around his speed and fearlessness offensively, and he has effectively carried those traits into his pro career. He has maintained responsibility in his own zone as well.

Iowa

Wild "goaltender of the future" Kaapo Kahkonen was impressive in his first month of North American pro hockey. Kahkonen, the seventh-ranked prospect in the Minnesota system coming into the season, has made two starts and has allowed just four goals on 58 shots against for a 1.96 GAA thus far. Kahkonen uses his glove hand well -- always keeping it high and ready, has tremendous footwork and overall athleticism, and looks composed at all times despite occasional defensive lapses. At just 22 years old, he is well above his AHL rookie peers.

Mason Shaw, a 19-year-old rookie winger, has produced eight points in nine games by virtue of his sublime skating and sensational puck-moving/facilitating skills. The WHL product has definitely not looked like a player who tore his ACL last year.

Luke Kunin

Forward prospect Luke Kunin (third-ranked Wild prospect) exhibited his high-energy, skillful game, but had done a lot of promising physical stuff in October as well. After tearing his ACL and ending his first pro season too early last year, the former World Junior Classic gold medalist has started his season with a bang (3-4-7 in six games). Kunin is also becoming more physically assertive and using his body to win pucks; a good sign for his health.

The undersized Sam Anas (18th-ranked Wild prospect) has shown his worth as a 25-year-old former free-agent signing, using his quick, whippy wrist shot release to generate the fourth-most shots on the team thus far. The scrappy right-winger is playing top-line minutes for the Wild.

Manitoba

Mason Appleton (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

Mason Appleton (3rd) has picked right back up on his incredible scoring efforts from last season (22-44-66 in 76 games) with a team-high 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 11 games. The second-year pro transformed into an offensive catalyst coming out of Michigan State, as he continues to improve on his otherwise flawed skating abilities. Appleton's finishing touch and his shot-generation are noticeably improved this season also.

Top-ranked prospect Kristian Vesalainen has been a welcome presence in the lineup with four assists in four games after being assigned from Winnipeg in the middle of October. He has been a beast low in the zone, using his 6-4" frame to beat the AHL's beefy defensemen in the cycle game. His future NHL top-six potential has been on full display.

Rockford

Chicago Blackhawks center Dylan Sikura(Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire)

Dylan Sikura should undoubtedly be in the NHL. He has top-flight skill, speed, and hand-quickness, and is mature enough as a 23-year-old former NCAA player to hold his own in the middle or top-six with the Blackhawks. But I'm not complaining about getting to watch him play in the AHL.

The third-ranked Blackhawks’ prospect has led the team in scoring so far (4-6-10 in 12 games), throwing 44 shots on goal with a sense of urgency with the puck. He is shooting more than ever early on, and on account of that, he could be the necessary depth-scoring option in the Hawks' lineup.

Intriguing forward prospect Victor Ejdsell (7th) has been noticeable so far. He is not the best skater, but he has great size, positioning, and shooting touch. Acquired by the Predators in the Ryan Hartman trade at the deadline last season, Chicago got a solid middle-six guy and a potential power play weapon, if his AHL results are any indicator.

How Rockford will adjust from Jeremy Colliton, their former head coach who jumped into the role of the Blackhawks' bench boss, to new interim coach Derek King, remains to be seen. They might run the exact same schemes and whatnot, but the locker room culture swap might change a lot in Illinois.

Texas

Denis Gurianov (Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

Rookie centerman Joel L'Esperance has stolen the show for the Stars early on into the season. After impressing the front office and earning an NHL contract last season, the formerly undrafted forward was one of the team's top scorers in October (5-3-8). A big-bodied forward capable of playing all three spots up front, L'Esperance is a pest on the puck and hard to shove off the rubber. He exerts full effort in the defensive zone and in backchecking, exhibiting his high-quality skating skills relative to players his size, and has some untapped skills and fancy stick-handling on which to build going forward.

Top-ten prospects like Colton Point (6th in our yearbook's Stars prospect rankings), Denis Gurianov (8th), and Adam Mascherin (10th) have seen a bounty of playing time, with varying results. Gurianov (6-4-10) is the top scorer on the Stars thus far as his assertiveness and all-around maturity have taken major strides this season.

Mascherin (3-2-5) is getting there, incorporating his booming shot and creativity into the offensive attack. His skating still lags, but the former OHL star has the raw talent part down. Point (1-2-1, 3.91 GAA, .851 SV%) struggled in his first month as a pro, as he adjusts from the chaotic crease of an undermanned Colgate squad to a team with a competent defense. Right now, his biggest problem is wanting to do too much, and his upbringing with a poor NCAA team is at fault for that.

Grand Rapids

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Top prospect Filip Zadina -- the sixth-overall pick in June -- has had his ups and downs in his first pro month. With seven points in 11 games (four goals, three assists), his raw skill has been on full display at times, as his near-elite shooting and high-grade skating have helped him produce exceptionally well considering that he is 18 years old and is playing in the world's second-best league. Other times, the heralded winger has looked lost, both on offense and on defense. During games, he has gone through long stretches of complete obscurity, unnoticeable for dozens of shifts in a row. As he acclimates to the pace of pro hockey, he should be fine.

A relatively off-the-radar defenseman who has been impressive thus far in 2018-19 is Vili Saarijarvi. Heralded as an offensively-creative d-man early into his pro career, the 2015 third-rounder was anything but last season. However, he is using his legs more to create space for teammates and handling the puck up the ice more than ever. Saarijarvi was unranked in our preseason rankings.

San Antonio

The Rampage are terrible. After a month of play, they sit at 3-10-0-0 (six points) and at the bottom of the Central Division, so it is hard to buy into top St. Louis Blues prospects with underwhelming offensive numbers. Klim Kostin (2nd) has just five points (two goals, three assists), but he has been fine, incorporating his speed, playmaking, and physical gifts to his advantages.

Goaltending pupil Ville Husso (7th) has been getting his reps in behind a struggling team, but has recorded a 1-7-0-0 record, 3.17 GAA, and .890 SV%. Husso, 23, is so late into his development that a poor team might actually help him; he has the physical and mental aspects of goaltending down, but a squad like the Rampage can teach him how to stay calm, composed, and ready to fight.

Dallas Stars Prospect System Overview

Tom Dorsa — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:02:12 +0000

With Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and John Klingberg among many other superstar talents, the Dallas Stars are well within their competitive window. However, the Stars have missed the postseason in each of the last two seasons and eight out of ten years. Clearly, something hasn't clicked, be it coaching, injuries, or something harder to define.

Disregarding their other issues, the root of their lack of consistent winning ability has been a poor drafting and development pipeline. We all know of Ivan Vishnevskiy, Scott Glennie, and Jack Campbell, former first-rounders drafted as future stars only to flame out under the weight of the Stars' ghastly expectations. But it has extended into the later half of the decade, with guys like Valeri Nichushkin, Denis Gurianov, and Julius Honka also so far failing to live up to expectations.

Ask us about the early results from the last two drafts, and we say: General Manager Jim Nill is pretty effectively treating this issue, as the 2017 and 2018 drafts are arguably the best of his six-year Dallas tenure. Starting with super prospect Miro Heiskanen, a young Finn so talented and so promising that not even an Erik Karlsson deal could persuade Nill to trade him away, 10 of the top 20 prospects on the list come from the last two draft years.

On the Heiskanen front, the Stars have been stellar in scouting European players, a trend that has continued into this season. Two of their highest three picks this season were relatively obscure Swedish Junior players, which indicates a confidence in their European scouts. They also draft players with immense size frequently, with eight of their top-ten prospects measuring in at 6-3" or taller, which doesn’t even include 12th-ranked Curtis Douglas at 6-8".

With a third head coach in as many seasons, and the lingering concerns over a Tyler Seguin contract extension, the Dallas Stars have issues at hand that are arguably more important than prospect development. But, as this has been the most crippling struggle for Dallas over this window, and the effects of proper drafting and developing will have an instant positive impact on this squad.

Miro Heiskanen

1 Miro Heiskanen, D (3rd overall, 2017. Last year: 1st) Though Rasmus Dahlin has Calder Trophy written all over him, another young European defenseman will be in the running. At third-overall in 2017, Miro Heiskanen became the highest Stars draft pick since Mike Modano in 1988, and the immense hype surrounding the young left-hander is justified. Named the best defenseman in the Finnish Liiga with HIFK Helsinki at just 18 years old, Heiskanen is a brilliant puck-mover with impeccable hockey sense, someone who can control the game with and without the puck. A wonderful skater, Heiskanen can take the game over by asserting himself offensively with his legs and vision. He has tremendous discipline defensively and never allows many dangerous shots on goal from his side, and he is also more mature and mentally developed than basically any 18-year-old blueliner in the game, capable of playing 25+ minutes a night with ease. He dominated a men's league as a teenager last season, and will be an instant top-four defenseman with the Stars in 2018-19.

2 Ty Dellandrea, C (13th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) Ty Dellandrea was considered to be somewhat of a stretch at 13th overall this past June, a selection that sent the local Dallas crowd going home from the draft with raised eyebrows. However, what the scrappy, skilled center did with a horrendous Flint Firebirds squad deserves a first-round pick and this spot on the prospect rankings. With a 20-43-0-5 OHL team that had the league's second-worst record, Dellandrea stood out, leading the club with 27 goals in addition to his 32 helpers. He boasts exciting stickhandling abilities that can hang with nearly anyone in this draft, a concrete two-way game, and some fine edgework combined with good top skating speed. His positioning away from the puck is near elite, and most of his goals were scored by him finding open ice with his nifty vision and potting easy net-front set-ups. He is inconsistent, with his best days being spread out in time, but it is hard not to attribute that to his presence on an awful junior team. If he can stick in the pros at a consistent rate, then he looks to be a smart pick for the Stars.

3 Jason Robertson, RW (39th overall, 2017. Last year: 4th) Projected as a first-rounder in 2017, Jason Robertson slipped to the Stars on day two, as a reputation for being lazy and uninterested away from the puck affected his draft stock. Always looking to improve, he took those criticisms to heart and worked on making himself a more complete player over the past season, and early results indicate a new-and-improved Robertson is a year closer to cracking the Stars' NHL roster. With the OHL's Kingston Frotenacs, he posted 41 goals and career-bests in 46 assists and 87 points, leading the team in scoring. He has plus size that gives him a power forward element and makes him hard to push off the puck, a booming set of shots that have equal parts speed and accuracy, and nifty stickhandling moves that make him an elusive forward to cover. His defensive game has taken steps, or more so, leaps and bounds, over the past season, with an increase in d-zone physicality and a decrease in risky plays coming up the ice. Robertson's only issue is a big one, and that's his skating speed, which is well behind NHL caliber without many signs of improvement; he has great edgework and superb acceleration, but without formidable top speed, his offensive game could make him a one-trick pony.

4 Jason Dickinson, C (29th overall, 2013. Last year: 8th) A 2013 draft pick, Jason Dickinson has been around this system for awhile and has not shown any reason, at least with Dallas, for a permanent NHL spot. But, with a new coach in Dallas who encourages creativity and well-roundedness, Dickinson might be in line for the roster spot his AHL numbers indicate he deserves. One of the Texas Stars' leading goal-scorers despite playing only just over half the schedule (18 goals in 42 games), Dickinson has an understated offensive game and goal-scoring touch for a player whose main draw is two-way stability. On that, he's a splendid penalty-killer, strong and tenacious around the boards, and one who will sacrifice himself for the betterment of the team. Offensively, he is crafty and resourceful with the puck, fast enough to make plays for himself, and strong enough to sustain puck possession. He has a bullet for a wrist shot and also boasts calm, effective playmaking skills to be a solid two-way, bottom-six forward who can play all three spots. His biggest problem is a lack of offensive assertiveness. He has a myriad of offensive tools at is disposal, but needs to better utilize them to find success.

Jake Oettinger

5 Jake Oettinger, G (26th overall, 2017. Last year: 5th) The first goaltender taken in the 2017 draft, Dallas actually traded up to take the American netminder, and his stats at the NCAA level suggest that the move will eventually pay off for the Stars. Backstopping a loaded, prestigious Boston University program over the past two seasons, Oettinger has been one of college hockey's best in the crease, going 21-13-4 with a .915 save percentage and 2.45 goals against average last season, earning an NCAA tournament appearance. The denoted goaltender of the future for the Stars, he has a massive physical frame (6-4", 212 lbs), excellent play-reading abilities, and a certain maturity in the crease that allows him to make all the easy saves and rarely get beaten on inside scoring chances. His lateral movement is insanely refined, and his technical game oozes intelligence and peace of mind. His biggest issue right now is transitioning from a standing position to a low butterfly, but he is athletic enough to make ends meet in that regard over time. The Team USA World Junior starter is already a workhorse for the Terriers, and the Stars will let him marinate in the lower levels with Ben Bishop signed for five more seasons. He projects to be an upper-to-mid-tier starter at the NHL level.

6 Colton Point, G (128th overall, 2016. Last year: Unranked) The thing about Oettinger's development is this: after a huge 2017-18 season, former fifth-rounder Colton Point -- a 2018 WJC gold medalist -- is not far away from where Oettinger stands as the franchise's goalie of the future. The 6-4" goaltender went ballistic with Colgate this past season, earning a Hobey Baker Award top-ten finish with a 16-12-5 record, .944 SV%, and 1.74 GAA with an undermanned, overwhelmed Raiders squad that finished at .500 on the season. In 16 of his 33 starts, Point made more than 30 saves, including a 51-save shutout over Harvard. The ECAC Player of the Year finalist has a big upper-body that is supplemented by his good positioning, and the lateral movement to track pucks all around him. He is a battler in the crease who loves to compete, and will stay at a 100% intensity level for the entirety of a game. After signing an ELC with the Stars, he is making the jump to their AHL affiliate where he will compete with Landon Bow for the job as the starter. For success in 2018-19, the 20-year-old needs to prove in the pros that his monstrous 2017-18 campaign was not a blip on the radar and was more a preview of what's to come.

7 Riley Tufte, LW (25th overall, 2016. Last year: 6th) Yet another humongous, physical NCAA star, 6-6" Riley Tufte is becoming the lethal power forward prospect he was drafted to become. He has become accustomed to the speed and skill of NCAA hockey, and with Minnesota-Duluth, scored a team-high 16 goals in his sophomore season in 2017-18. With unmatched size and physical toughness, he plays a dangerous offensive game that combines his plus playmaking and stickhandling with natural corporeal competitiveness. He can drive right to the net with his strong upper-body or draw opposing players to him against the boards to set up a teammate. With improvements in comfort and skating ability (he can move for a big guy, but can not exactly fly out there), Tufte can play the ideal power forward game, one that consists of constant pressure and physical imposition that forces defenders to react and move. Like most college players, he is a long-term project, but he has skills no coach can teach and a size advantage no common defender can come around. He will return to Duluth in 2018-19.

8 Denis Gurianov, RW (12th overall, 2015. Last year: 3rd) Everyone will agree: Denis Gurianov, at 12th overall in 2015, was the wrong pick. With Mat Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Brock Boeser among others still waiting, the Stars stretched out and grabbed a Russian minor-leaguer. Nonetheless, it's still too early to label Gurianov as a bust, even if his prospect ranking took a major hit. The 21-year-old has incredible straight-line speed, coupled with near elite acceleration and a never-give-up, high-energy motor; his frame (6-3", 200 lbs) is also at an NHL level, so at the very least, he could be a useful forechecker. His wrist shot is superb, with a quick release and the ability to fire from anywhere. Gurianov's defensive efforts are underappreciated, as he uses his speed and size to get into passing and shooting lanes well. His main problem is perhaps the biggest one you can have: a lack of hockey sense. Often looking lost out there, his positioning is terrible, his playmaking vision lags, and, as a healthy scratch for many Texas Stars playoff games in their Calder Cup Finals run, his coaches do not trust him in big moments. Without a major improvement in that aisle, he has bust potential.

9 Roope Hintz, C/LW (49th overall, 2015. Last year: 7th) Another example of quality scouting in Europe, the Stars grabbed Roope Hintz in what was considered an off-the-board second-round pick in 2015. Very mature and experienced at 21 years old - having played three full seasons in Liiga and winning the World Junior gold - he could be an NHL forward now and hold his own. His rookie AHL season was an instant success, as he led all Stars prospects in points with Texas, playing both center and wing over the year and becoming increasingly comfortable on the smaller North American ice. Hintz has insane top speed, and though his acceleration lags, he can blow right past opposing defenders with enough time and space to generate speed. His hands are swift and stellar, and though he is mostly a playmaker rather than a shooter, his wrist shot is fantastic. With one of the most well-rounded gameplay arsenals in the Dallas system, Hintz will be a useful NHL player for a while once he is ready.

Adam Mascherin

10 Adam Mascherin, LW (100th overall, 2018. Last year: 10th [Florida]) Adam Mascherin is not your typical prospect. Drafted as an early second-rounder by the Florida Panthers in 2015, the Kitchener Rangers star opted to re-enter the draft three years later after never signing with his draft team. At 100th overall, Dallas nabbed the 20-year-old in what can be called a reclamation project, and with his OHL eligibility used up, he will immediately report to AHL Texas. A former 100-point OHL player, it is clear that he has offensive skills, and he will probably transition to the pros as more of a goal-scorer than a playmaker with the high-power, tricky wrist shot he possesses. A very hard worker, he is short and stocky and uses his upper body strength well to get into dangerous scoring positions. He has sneakily good speed and great rink senses, although his two-way game is still developing. If he can be a prolific offensive force for Texas and Dallas, he will find a place high on the depth chart. If not, he was still worth the risk as a mid-round overager.

11 Oskar Back, C (75th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) A young Swedish forward who has been playing above his age level for years, Oskar Back has long had top-nine NHL potential, and the Stars grabbed the 18-year-old forward with a third-round selection in last summer's draft. With a very versatile skillset, he will soon find success at the SHL level, after tallying 32 points in 38 games in the Swedish Junior ranks. He has deadly speed that allows him to push the pace of the game, and deft hand-eye coordination and stickhandling skills that help him put the puck where it belongs, be it on a teammate's stick blade for a shot or his own. He tends to look for a pass over taking a shot, but his vision and quick decision-making lets him drop beautiful assists with ease. His plus size and strength allow his two-way game to flourish, really helping his game come to complete fruition. He isn't very strong away from the puck, and on account of that, he projects to play the wing rather than center at higher levels, but his game is otherwise formidable in most other facets.

12 Curtis Douglas, C (106th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) There is no secret as to why the Stars took a chance on Curtis Douglas with the 106th pick last summer. A 6-8" center with respectable wheels and some underappreciated playmaking skill, he is a very unique prospect whose uncommon physique is something to build upon. A decent OHL player, between the Barrie Colts and Windsor Spitfires last season, he tapped home 22 goals and assisted on 25 in his second full junior season. Obviously, his main selling point is his size, which he uses extremely well, shoving off defenders, getting inside/net-front position, and shielding the puck off well, but he can skate pretty well too. His top speed is what you would imagine at his size, but his cuts, acceleration, and backward-to-forward transitioning is reminiscent of a player a foot shorter. He also has splendid offensive vision that allows him to thread difficult passes through the slot for goals, and the attentiveness to be an effective forechecker. What Douglas will become is nearly impossible to project, but between his size and skills, Dallas might as well see where this goes.

13 Gavin Bayreuther, D (Free Agent Signing: Mar. 17, 2017. Last year: 11th) Not really an organization for big free agent prospect signings, the Stars inked undrafted NCAA defenseman Gavin Bayreuther last season and had the young lefthander anchor the AHL blueline this past year, with mixed results. The St. Lawrence University standout paced all Texas defensemen with 32 points, but displayed some growing pains, specifically in his own zone, where he looked lost with the pace and skill of the pro game. Otherwise, Bayreuther exhibited the assets that made him a hot commodity as a free agent, showing off his mobility, playmaking skills, and reliability defending zone entries. Mostly an offensive-defenseman, he has excellent foot speed, good hands, and loves to pass up the ice. A fixture on the Stars' power play, he has the prototypical offensive patience and vision of a defenseman like him. He is still a season away from an NHL roster spot, but the potential is there so long as he works on his defensive game.

14 Riley Damiani, C (137th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) An undersized center, Riley Diamiani is one of those guys that remains an offensive threat even without any single dynamic skill, just by virtue of his hockey sense and general intelligence. The Kitchener forward, who occasionally centered a line with fellow 2018 Stars pick Adam Mascherin this past season, netted 19 goals and 18 assists in 2017-18. With strong acceleration and decent top speed, he was a central part of both the defensive and offensive efforts of the OHL's Rangers when on the ice. He can join or push the offensive rush with ease, but he appears more comfortable without the puck, and he mostly camps out somewhere near the net to fire off one of his blazing wrist shots directly off a pass. His positioning is solid in all three zones and his non-stop, energetic motor is another point in his favor. As a center, Diamiani needs to become more assertive with the puck and be a more effective set-up man, especially with his swift, elusive stickhandling skills; he does not really have a winger's skillset or the size to make something happen against the boards, so it looks like his future will be down the middle, but there will be no long-term future for the 18-year-old without an improvement in that aisle.

Albin Eriksson

15 Albin Eriksson, RW (44th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) Albin Eriksson compares his game to that of future Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin, and from a purely stylistic standpoint, it is hard to disagree. Eriksson is a menacing power forward with a deadly mix of size (6-4", 207 lbs) and intensity, using that combo to score at over a point-per-game in the Swedish Junior levels (22-18-40 in 38 games). He skates well for a guy of his stature, has crazy quick hands and elusiveness to fly past defenders, and has above-average play-reading abilities. He truly is like Malkin from a style perspective: a power forward with an unpredictable, skilled, complete offensive game. So why is he ranked so low in the prospect rundown, especially as a mid second-rounder? Eriksson is a square peg in the round hole of hockey, being mostly a dud in his time in the SHL, and not often being called upon to represent Sweden in international play. He lacks the dynamic skill to be a top-six forward at high levels, but plays too fast and unstructured of a style to be a depth scoring option. He has middle-six NHL potential with the Stars if he can harness his skill into something more readily useful down the road.

16 Joseph Cecconi, D (133rd overall, 2015. Last year: 13th) When you play alongside Zach Werenski and Quinn Hughes on the Michigan blueline, the spotlight will, understandably, not be on you. Joseph Cecconi, in his senior year, will now step into the glare for the Wolverines after being named the program's captain. The former World Junior gold medalist had his best offensive season last year, scoring five goals in addition to 17 assists, helping Michigan reach the Frozen Four for the first time in seven seasons. A big and strong stay-at-home defenseman with a developing offensive game, he has great gap control and quick enough feet to mark his man throughout the defensive zone. He does not carry the puck much, but instead utilizes his fast and accurate stretch passes to spark a transition game. He projects to be a well-rounded bottom-pairing defenseman with minimal offensive upside, but his game has many facets to like.

17 Dillon Heatherington, D (Trade: Mar. 1, 2017 [Columbus]. Last year: 17th) A former second-rounder, Dillon Heatherington would have been an NHL All-Star 20 years ago, but as the game trends toward faster and smaller defensemen, keeping a major-league roster spot has been a challenge for him. One of the AHL's best and most physical d-men last season, the 6-4" lefty also made a mark with his nastiness and intensity in the Dallas locker room, accruing 26 penalty minutes and a point in his six top-flight games last season. His size and strength permits him to shove opposing forwards around and force them to the outside to limit high-danger shots; when they do get by him, he has decent enough foot speed to track them back down and cut a pass or shot off. After the 2017-18 campaign, it looked like Heatherington would have the seventh defenseman job locked down with Dallas, but it became clear that the Stars brass lacks confidence in the former Calder Cup champ after signing Roman Polak for that role.

18 Nicholas Caamano, C/RW (146th overall, 2016. Last year: 16th) One of the last cuts from the Stars' 2017 training camp roster, Nicholas Caamano has made a great first impressions on Dallas' front office personnel. After a mid-season trade from Ty Dellandrea's Flint Firebirds to the Hamilton Bulldogs, the offensive dynamo erupted for 36 points in 41 games, followed by 22 in 21 postseason matches as Hamilton took home the OHL Championship. He plays a goal-scoring offense-first game, but has made major strides in his playmaking over the past few seasons, as his smarts have let him evolve into a more complete player. His shot is electric, he can skate with the best of them, plays both sides of the special teams equation, and has some strong power forward moves despite average size. A young 20-year-old, Caamano will join the AHL Stars in 2018-19 as Dallas tries to develop him into another fifth-round steal.

19 Ondrej Vala, D (Free Agent Signing: Sep. 29, 2016. Last year: 20th) Undrafted out of the 2016 draft, Ondrej Vala joined the Stars' prospect club at the annual Traverse City tournament and signed a three-year ELC directly after. Something impressed the Stars then, and the exceptional two-way WHL defender has shown us all what he showed the Dallas brass back then. A mid-season acquisition by the Everett Silvertips, Vala was like a rock on the blueline during a stretch run, and playoff run, that concluded in a berth in the WHL Finals. He is massive (6-4", 210 lbs), with a frame that he uses well in his own zone to dislodge opposing forwards' position and scoop pucks out from the boards by using his body as a shield. He also has a cannon from the blueline, one he utilizes at every opportunity, and can skate well for a big man, covering a lot of ground in all three zones. The 20-year-old will likely transition to the AHL, where he will continue to fine-tune his raw defensive zone coverage.

20 Dawson Barteaux, D (168th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) The only defenseman the Stars drafted in 2018 and the first Stars' defensive selection since Miro Heiskanen, highly-mobile puck-moving defenseman Dawson Barteaux has all the makings of a late-round draft steal. He made huge strides in 2017-18 with the Red Deer Rebels while playing alongside Capitals first-rounder Alexander Alexeyev, recording three goals and 29 assists in 64 regular-season games. He played in all situations for Red Deer, including both special teams sides, eating up a lot of minutes as a cool, calm presence on their blue line. A possession machine and a driver of offense, Barteaux mixes riskiness with safe play, a trait that should translate well to the pros. He is a great skater and has exciting stickhandling abilities, but needs to work on his point shot a little, as well as the intricacies of defensive zone play.

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

Ryan Wagman — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:37:30 +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 Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks
1 (8) Adam Boqvist, D, Brynas J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 9th
1 (27) Nicolas Beaudin, D, Drummondville (QMJHL) - ranked 55th
3 (69) Jake Wise, C, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 62nd
3 (74) Niklas Nordgren, RW, HIFK U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - ranked 49th
4 (120) Philipp Kurashev, LW/C, Quebec (QMJHL) - ranked 80th
5 (139) Mikael Hakkarainen, C, Muskegon (USHL) - unranked
6 (162) Alexis Gravel, G, Halifax (QMJHL) - ranked 67th
7 (193) Josiah Slavin, LW, Lincoln (USHL) - unranked

With one difference of opinion, I have a lot of time for the Chicago Blackhawks draft class this year. That they selected six players in our top 100 (top 80, actually), reflects a lot of convergence in our respective scouting opinions. Doing it without a second rounder to play makes the feat even more impressive. With a rare top ten pick, the Hawks selected young Swedish dynamo Adam Boqvist eighth overall. While the pick raised the eyebrows a smidge, considering the availability of Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson, two better-rounded, potential top pairing blueliners, the gap between the three of them was minute and more down to preference than actual expected value. Boqvist is a little rawer than the other two, but his upside is truly immense.

Where the eyebrows truly shot up was when the Blackhawks selected Drummondville blueliner Nicolas Beaudin with the second first rounder. First, because between Boqvist and their first two picks in the 2017 draft (Henri Jokiharju and Ian Mitchell), they seemed to now have a pretty good core of young blueliners to plan around. Secondly, and more important, how could Beaudin be the first Voltigeur off the board with Joe Veleno still available? Beaudin has high end vision, and moves the puck fairly well, but his skating is a sore point, particularly his first few steps and his reverse. He can get up to a decent top speed, but as he so often falls behind, it is an absolute necessity. Third, as Beaudin is a marauding sort, who likes to engage deep in the offensive end, there must be the worry that his game is too similar in style to Boqvist’s.

As much as I did not like the second first rounder, I loved the Hawks’ two third rounders. Jake Wise is a very good skater who can perform some nice tricks with the puck yet can be trusted in all situations. Were it not for an early season injury that had him miss a good long stretch, he would have gone at least 30 picks higher. Five picks later, Chicago took another offensively gifted forward in Finnish winger Niklas Nordgren, who scored eight times in seven games at the WU18, but has historically been a stronger playmaker than finisher. He needs to add muscle mass and improve his explosiveness, but he can produce. Chicago took another offensively talented forward in the fifth, reminding us all that successful teams do not just grab bottom six types in the later rounds, but continue to draft for talent. Swiss import Philipp Kurashev has shown improvement year over year in his two seasons with Quebec in the Q. He reads the play well in both zones and has very soft hands. Although he lacks bulk, he is not a peripheral player.

They continued to hunt for point producers as the draft petered out, as seen with sixth rounder Mikael Hakkarainen who had 46 points in 36 games with Muskegon this year. Even after accounting for the fact that the Finnish USHL import was in his third year of draft eligibility, he has scored at every level in which he has played. He missed a chunk of the year to injury, but when he played, he was creating chances left and right. A few solid seasons with Providence, and he could be a real late round gem. Chicago was wise to snatch up a promising, if very raw, netminder in the sixth round in Alexis Gravel, both as his tools rate very highly, even if his results were sub-par in his draft year with Halifax, but also as the net is a weak spot organizationally for the Hawks and will have a chance to make an impact in time. If he can play more like he has in the postseason for the Mooseheads than he did in the regular season, more than a few teams will be kicking themselves for passing up on him for five full rounds. As for the seventh rounder, Josiah Slavin, the younger brother of Hurricanes’ blueliner Jaccob Slavin, the Blackhawks did finally take a low ceiling player who maxes out as a fourth liner, if he even gets there. He has good size and is a decent skater, but has never been a scorer all the way bac to Bantam hockey. Even though I don’t agree with every pick, the Blackhawks’ strategy of largely selecting players with aa history of offensive production and continuing to draft talent even in the middle and (most of the) later rounds, is a winning strategy.

OFP – 53.25

Colorado Avalanche
1 (16) Martin Kaut, RW, Dynamo Pardubice (Czech) - ranked 20th
3 (64) Justus Annunen, G, Karpat U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - ranked 98th
3 (78) Sampo Ranta, LW, Sioux City (USHL) - ranked 54th
4 (109) Tyler Weiss, LW/C, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 59th
5 (140) Brandon Saigeon, C, Hamilton (OHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
5 (146) Danila Zhuravlyov, D, Irbis Kazan (MHL) - ranked 131st
6 (171) Nikolai Kovalenko, RW, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) - ranked 159th
7 (202) Shamil Shamakov, G, Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL) - unranked

The Colorado Avalanche have never been the type of team to heavily scout the CHL, but to have only one pick from their seven come from the hotbed of Canadian junior hockey is a surprise even for them. Even when accounting for the fact that two additional picks were playing in the USHL, one of those was actually a Finnish import. In short, the Avalanche went the full anti-Don Cherry in their 2018 draft class, with five of seven picks coming from Europe. There was some speculation of whether their first round pick, Martin Kaut, would drop down draft boards after a disputed heart issue was discovered during medical testing at the draft combine. Thankfully, he rushed back to the Czech Republic and had the matter taken care of immediately, and received a clean bill of health before draft day. Kaut does everything at an above average level, and if the early successes of Martin Necas and Filip Chytil last year are any indication, the Czech Republic is back to being a hockey hotbed. Kaut is expected to move to the AHL next season.

In the three of the previous four drafts, the Avalanche selected a netminder from Europe, and they continued that trend with the second pick of the third round, taking Finnish WU18 hero Justus Annunen. Far from a flash in the pan, he was named the top goalie in the Finnish junior league and has the size every team covets in net, as well as above average athleticism. Half a round later, the Avs selected an early season sensation in the USHL, in Finnish import winger Sampo Ranta, who naturally elicited comparisons to former Sioux City sniper Eeli Tolvanen. Ranta is no Tolvanen, and is prone to a few bone-head reads, but he has a fine collection of offensive tools, projecting to top six potential across the board, and is going to a good program at Wisconsin starting next season.

Staying in the USHL, the first North American product Colorado drafted was North Carolina native Tyler Weiss from the USNTDP. The program often relegates talented players to a bottom six role because they are both not as good as the first line players, and they play high energy games. Both are true of Weiss. He plays with great energy and he is not as good as the top line trio of Jack Hughes, Oliver Wahlstrom, or Joel Farabee. Of course, that latter point is a very high bar for comparison. Weiss is very talented, and like a few previous USNTDP grads, I expect his offensive game to flourish in a more fluid role at Nebraska-Omaha. He is a great skater with shifty hands and great puck control. With his inherent grit, I think he is looked upon as a steal in short order.

Fifth rounder Brandon Saigeon was long written off as a disappointment in the OHL, as the former fourth overall OHL Draft pick took four seasons to really break out. Finally, in his third and final year of NHL draft eligibility, he took off with a strong Bulldogs team, at least reaching the point per game mark in the regular season, OHL playoffs, and Memorial Cup. He is eligible to go back to Hamilton for one more year, or join Kaut next year in the AHL. His future success hinges on his shot continuing to sneak past netminders.

After drafting their one and only CHL player, the Avalanche finished their draft with three picks from the Russian junior league. Defender Danila Zhuravlyov is a promising two way player with a good set of tools who needs to refine his game away from the puck. Winger Nikolai Kovalenko, is actually an Avalanche legacy pick, as his father Andrei played with the Nordiques and the Avalanche between 1992-96. Ironically enough, like Tyler Weiss, Kovalenko was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, although Kovalenko moved back to Russia as a youth. He has very high hockey intelligence and grades out very well for both skating and puck skills. If he gets more attention on the international stage, he will be looked at as a late round steal in short order. Finally, for their last selection, Colorado drafted the player with the best name in the draft, in Shamil Shmakov. In his second year of draft eligibility, the towering (6-6”) Russian netminder was a workhorse for his MHL team. He is athletic for his size and reads the play well. Between the Russians and the college bound players, the Avalanche’s 2018 draft class may take four or more years before it can be adequately judged. That said, with the talent selected, they should be optimistic.

OFP – 53.75

Dallas Stars
1 (13) Ty Dellandrea, C, Flint (OHL) - ranked 32nd
2 (44) Albin Eriksson, RW/LW, Skelleftea J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 121st
3 (75) Oskar Back, C/RW, Frolunda J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 75th
4 (100) Adam Mascherin, LW, Kitchener (OHL) - ranked 64th
4 (106) Curtis Douglas, C, Windsor (OHL) - ranked 95th
5 (137) Riley Damiani, C, Kitchener (OHL) - ranked 107th
6 (168) Dawson Barteaux, D, Red Deer (WHL) - ranked 206th
7 (199) Jermaine Loewen, RW/LW, Kamloops (WHL) - unranked

Like some teams, the Stars have geographical hot spots that they tend to return to again and again when to comes to drafting. They love the OHL, the WHL, Sweden and Finland. They have sometimes strayed from those areas, most notably for some first rounders from Russia (Valeri Nichushkin, and Denis Guryanov) and Minnesota prep (Riley Tufte) and the NCAA (Jake Oettinger), but the majority of their picks over the years come from the four areas listed above. And low and behold, they stayed true to form this year, drafting entirely from the OHL, WHL and Sweden. Hosting the draft, no matter who they selected would be bound to receive hearty applause and the fans did not disappoint in that regard.

Even though they went off the board with their first rounder, Ty Dellandrea, the Flint center has a few factors that suggest an upside just as high as those who had been ranked in that range of the draft class. He is very young for this draft class, he put up decent numbers despite playing for a tire fire of an OHL organization. He stepped up his game in the high profile events of the CHL Top Prospects Game and the WU18 tournament. He is a great skater with a very high hockey IQ, gets top marks for intangibles and has nice hands. I cannot truly fault Dallas for making this pick. I am less bullish on their second rounder, large Swedish winger Albin Eriksson. He has soft hands for his size and has certainly scored plenty in the SuperElit, but there are questions about his skating and his overall ability to process the game. He was held off the Swedish WU18 team as the national braintrust did not see a fit for him as a top six player, and did not think his game would translate to a bottom six role. I see a lot of risk-reward in this pick.

The Stars went right back to the SuperElit with their third rounder, for versatile forward Oskar Back. Back is not as big as Eriksson, but has more than enough size-wise. He is also a better skater, plays a more effective physical brand of hockey and showed the ability to play a variety of roles at the WU18. Dallas returned to the OHL for their two fourth round picks and their fifth rounder, bookending two picks from the Kitchener Rangers program (Adam Mascherin and Riley Damiani) with the gigantic Windsor center Curtis Douglas. Mascherin was this year’s only redraft player, as the former Florida second rounder never came to terms with the Panthers and took his chances with the league this year. He is a shorter, stockier player, lacking much explosion in his legs, but has been a prime sniper in the OHL for years (at least 35 goals in each of the last three seasons) and is ready for the AHL. His OHL teammate Damiani was selected by Dallas 37 picks later. Rather small, and not overly toolsy, he makes his hay thanks to high end hockey IQ. He has enough in the wheels department to be useful on the penalty kill as well, although he is not likely to ever be a big scorer.

In between those two picks, the Stars drafted the most physical specimen of the entire draft class in 6-8”, 247 pound behemoth center Curtis Douglas. Douglas is very strong, with unbeatable reach, but is not aggressive so much as he is imposing. He is a decent skater for his size and has reasonably fluid hands. Sixth rounder Dawson Barteaux was once a first round pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, but could not eke out a regular role in the WHL until this year, where he emerged as a reliable puck mover for Red Deer. His upside is not tremendous, but he can skate and get the puck out of his own end and could provide reasonable future value for this stage of the draft.

The Stars ended their draft with the first Jamaican born player ever selected in Kamloops’ hulking power winger Jermaine Loewen. In his third year of eligibility, Loewen went from being a bottom line bruiser to someone who could contribute in a top six role at the WHL level. His NHL prospects’ depend on being able to combine the attribute of both areas. Like Mascherin, he could jump right into the AHL next year. Generally speaking, I do not applaud drafting for size, which the Stars were clearly targeting, taking four players who are at least 6-3”, 205, but with one exception, I have no fault in where those big guys were drafted. They took enough in terms of skill and IQ that the organization should see good results from their 2018 haul, even if they are bunched among forwards.

OFP – 52.5

Minnesota Wild
1 (24) Filip Johansson, D, Leksand J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 46th
3 (63) Jack McBain, C, Toronto Jr. Canadiens (OJHL) - ranked 51st
3 (86) Alexander Khovanov, C, Moncton (QMJHL) - ranked 61st
3 (92) Connor Dewar, LW, Everett (WHL) - ranked 153rd
5 (148) Simon Johansson, D, Djurgardens J20 (SuperElit) - unranked
5 (155) Damien Giroux, C, Saginaw (OHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
6 (179) Shawn Boudrias, RW, Gatineau (QMJHL) - unranked
7 (210) Sam Hentges, C, Tri-City (USHL) - unranked

For many years, new Minnesota GM Paul Fenton was lauded as a key driving force behind Nashville’s consistent success at the draft table, where he served as assistant GM since 2006-07 and was involved in other roles with the club since 1998-99 (i.e. Day One). In his first crack at being the final voice on all personnel decisions, the eight players added to the Minnesota organization are very underwhelming. And with four of the eight picks being in their second year of draft eligibility, potential untapped upside is also lacking. In fairness to Fenton, he only took over the franchise with about one month before draft day. With a lack of clarity over how much he could have brought to the scouting meetings, I will reserve judgement on Fenton until the 2019 draft.

They had one pick on day one and used it on a low upside, high IQ defender in Swede Filip Johansson. The right shooting blueliner plays a poised game, keeping his crease clear and featuring heavily in PK rotations. While right handed defenders are always a desired commodity, without the ability to score from the point, that value is diminished. I have a hard time seeing Johansson ever playing much of a role on the power play in the NHL. He projects more as a #4/5 defender at his peak.

The best value picks made by Minnesota this year both came in the third round. With the first pick of the round, they nabbed Jack McBain, a big center who moves well for his size and has been crushing the OJHL since he arrived there two years ago. He was a first round OHL pick too, but preferred the college route. He has very good hands and a hard shot and will be tested by a big step up in competition when he joins Boston College next season. Another high upside pick was made later in the round when the Wild selected Moncton center Alexander Khovanov, who many thought could be a top half of the first round player when the Wildcats selected him very early in last year’s CHL Import Draft. Unfortunately, much of his draft year was wiped out due to a bout with Hepatitis A. When he returned after mid-season, he still showed flashes of puck magic, but his strength and stamina had yet to fully recover by year’s end. A full offseason to return to his previous form could see him take off in a big way and there is a good chance that he ends up as the Wild’s top return from this draft class.

Their third third rounder, Connor Dewar, is more of a late bloomer than the other two, as he really took a few steps forward this year, in his second year of draft eligibility. He has a big motor and can finish. Dewar lacks the upside of McBain, or Khovanov, but it is easy to see a bottom six winger at the highest level in his future. Minnesota went right back to low upside after that point, such as with the pick of Simon Johansson (no relation to Filip, although he is a cousin of Columbus center Alexander Wennberg). Simon Johnasson put up very good numbers from the blueline in his second year of eligibility in the SuperElit, mostly thanks to a strong point shot and good distribution skills. Unfortunately, his skating is rather rough, and he is not nearly as strong away from the puck.

The second fifth rounder taken by Minnesota may have some “diamond in the rough” qualities, as Damien Giroux was one of the top players on a moribund Saginaw team in the OHL. He is very undersized, but he has a good set of offensive tools and could be a solid player in the coming years. There is decent upside in Minnesota’s sixth rounder as well. Although Shawn Boudrias was in his second year of eligibility, had he been born two days later, he would have been in his first year of eligibility. He led Gatineau in scoring by 20 points, and has great size, although he lacks any true standout tools. Minnesota ended their draft with another second year eligible player in Sam Hentges, of Tri-City in the USHL. Hentges put up decent numbers when he was healthy enough to play, although injuries kept him off the ice for much of the second half. The native Minnesotan is going to St. Cloud State next season. With a very low ceiling, medium floor draft haul. Minnesota did very little to move the needle for the organization.

OFP – 51.25

Nashville Predators
4 (111) Jachym Kondelik, C, Muskegon (USHL) - ranked 110th
5 (131) Spencer Stastney, D, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 151st
5 (151) Vladislav Yeryomenko, D, Calgary (WHL) - ranked 196th
7 (213) Milan Kloucek, G, Dynamo Pardubicec (Czech) - unranked

With only four picks to be made, there is not much point in searching for trends in Nashville’s2018 draft class. With their first pick, they went with a tree in USHL center Jachym Kondelik. The 6-6” Czech pivot battled injuries this year with Muskegon, but has decent hands, enough mobility for his size, and shows the ability to play in a defensive role. If he could add more intensity to his game, he could be a real force down the line. He will take his next steps at the University of Connecticut.

With their next pick, the Predators took USNTDP blueliner Spencer Stastney, another player who had some injury trouble early in the year. Stastney is a smart, undersized puck mover, who has shown that he can play in a variety of roles and situations. He has a lot of tools and a generally high hockey IQ, but is overly prone to bonehead plays. If Notre Dame’s coaching staff can iron those out, he has pretty good upside. Later in the fifth round, the Predators drafted Belorussian blueliner Vladislav Yeryomenko, a second year eligible who has been playing in the WHL with Calgary for two seasons, putting up good numbers from the blueline all the while. He turned more heads with a strong WJC for Belarus, showing the ability to withstand a massive workload on a generally overmatched team. He has good hands and in another high IQ player for Nashville’s system.

The Predators completed their draft class with Czech netminder Milan Kloucek, drafted in his third year of eligibility. He performed well in a 10 game run in the men’s league with Dynamo Pardubice, but between never having played in a major international tournament, and moving around a lot between the top two Czech leagues and the junior ranks, he was not really on our radar. Despite not having a big presence in the draft this year, the Predators came away with three skaters who have enough upside to project as potential middle of the roster NHL contributors.

OFP – 50.75

St. Louis Blues
1 (25) Dominik Bokk, RW, Vaxjo J20 (SuperElit)
2 (45) Scott Perunovich, D, Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
4 (107) Joel Hofer, G, Swift Current (WHL)
5 (138) Hugh McGing, C, Western Michigan (NCHC)
6 (169) Mathias Laferriere, C, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
7 (200) Tyler Tucker, D, Barrie (OHL)

Four guys with youth and physical upside, and two guys who are older and smaller, but with more proof of success at higher levels. Positional balancing. The Blues’ own first round pick was traded to Philadelphia in the Brayden Schenn trade, but they got a first rounder back from Winnipeg in the Paul Stastny trade. The Blues, sensing an opportunity to get their guy, traded away a third rounder to move up a few spots and select German talent Dominik Bokk at 25^th overall. After tearing up the German U19 league as a 16 year old, Bokk moved to Sweden last year and laid the SuperElit to waste as well. He was less successful in limited time in the SHL, but he did enough last year to prove that he is far more than just a big fish in a small pond. He is a fine skater with high end offensive tools. He should get a much longer leash in the SHL next year in order to be ready to move to North America in 2019-20.

With their second rounder, the Blues went for American WJC hero, the third time eligible blueliner Scott Perunovich. He was too small and wild to be drafted in his first year of eligibility out of Hibbing/Chisholm high school in Minnesota. In his second year of eligibility, he performed alright with Cedar Rapids of the USHL, but still struggled in his own end. This year, he went to Minnesota-Duluth and was the leading scorer on the eventual NCAA champions. In the middle, he took time off to play for his country at the WJC and was electrifying with his puck rushes. He will never be a force in his own zone, but he is a very good skater and capable of brilliance with the puck.

The Blues did not get any big upside plays after that, but each of their final four picks had something to recommend themselves to scouts. Fourth rounder Joel Hofer was a backup netminder with WHL champs Swift Current. He put up the best numbers of any draft eligible netminder in the WHL and has the ideal frame for modern netminders. With Stuart Skinner graduating, he is the likely starter for the Broncos next year. In the fifth round, the Blues selected Hugh McGing, another third time eligible player, who had come off a strong sophomore campaign at Western Michigan and almost joined Perunovich on Team USA at the WJC. The undersized McGing is a playmaker and skates just well enough to evade being a target.

Of all of St. Louis picks, sixth rounder Mathias Laferriere has the least upside. He is young and has decent size, but has not lived up to his advance billing as the seventh overall pic in the QMJHL Entry draft in 2016. None of his attributes project to above average. The Blues’ final 2018 selection came in the form of Barrie blueliner Tyler Tucker. Like Laferriere, Tucker was a high pick going into junior who has been little more than OK in his time in the CHL thus far. He has an adequate game with the puck and plays with a mean streak, but needs to improve his skating in order to make it. While I would have liked to see St. Louis go for more upside in the back half of their draft class, the dynamism of their first two picks could be very impactful to the NHL roster in the near future.

OFP - 51

Winnipeg Jets
2 (60) David Gustafsson, C, HV71 (SHL) - ranked 50th
3 (91) Nathan Smith, C, Cedar Rapids (USHL) - unranked
5 (150) Declan Chisholm, D, Peterborough (OHL) - ranked 141st
5 (153) Giovanni Vallati, D, Kitchener (OHL) - ranked 79th
6 (184) Jared Moe, G, Waterloo (USHL) - ranked 192nd
7 (215) Austin Wong, C, Okotoks (AJHL) - unranked

I often consider the Winnipeg Jets among the more astute drafting teams in the league. That is why it is now hard for me to express how much I dislike their 2018 draft class. I believe that when a team trades away their first round pick, it is all the more of an imperative that they aim for upside with their next few picks, as with expectations already lowered, they can only gain. There is very little upside in this class, and relatively little value in the picks they made. This does not mean that I hate the picks or cannot see a path to the NHL for any of the players whose names they called out, but as a group, I don’t see it. If anything, they targeted physicality over skill, a tactic I have a hard time getting behind.

Second rounder David Gustafsson is a decent pick at that spot. He is not the best skater, but he is strong on the puck, demonstrates a high hockey IQ and is big and effectively powerful. He spent the bulk of his draft year in the SHL and plays a mature game. He projects to third line upside. Their next pick, Nathan Smith of Cedar Rapids, was a real head scratcher, though. A second year eligible with a late birthday, Smith is a decent playmaker who plays a somewhat gritty game, but is a mediocre skater whose reads need a lot of work. To be fair, it was only the first year the Tampa native spent outside of Florida, so he may have more upside than his performance suggests, but I have never seen it.

After sitting out the fourth round, the Jets picked up two decent blueline prospects in the fifth round in Declan Chisholm and Giovanni Vallati, both OHL products. Chisholm, from Peterborough, is a good skater and has some puck moving acumen, but was held back by injury and a poor Petes team this year. Kitchener’s Vallati is an even better skater, who flashes high end IQ and a more physical game. For my money, the Vallati pick was the best value the Jets got in Dallas. I might have been more forgiving of their draft class had they selected Vallati with their third rounder and Nathan Smith with the late fifth rounder. Both Chisholm and Vallati have decent third pairing projections. In the sixth round, Winnipeg selected second time eligible Jared Moe, a big netminder who split the crease in Waterloo with Philadelphia prospect Matej Tomek, who he outperformed. Like Nathan Smith, this was Moe’s first season out of the high school ranks. Moe should have the crease in Waterloo to himself next year before going to Minnesota.

The Jets saved their toughest pick for the end, drafting Okotoks pugilist Austin Wong. Wong had decent, but not eye-catching offensive numbers for the AJHL, but one look at the PIM column lets you know wat kind of player the Jets are adding. He is one of, if not the most, physical player in the entire draft class. Of course, there are drawbacks to that style, often leaving his team shorthanded. If he can tone it down just a bit and work on his skating, he could be OK, but he seems more like a 1980s throwback as is. After drafting high end skill for a number of years, the Jets might have taken a step in the wrong direction with these picks, even if some of them hit their best-case projections.

OFP – 50.5

OHL: Adam Mascherin (2018 Draft Eligible)

Brock Otten — Wed, 30 May 2018 13:18:41 +0000

Adam Mascherin has made the decision not to resign with the Florida Panthers. With the deadline for him to sign with Florida or any other team if traded coming June 1st and barring a last minute transaction he will be likley be picked in the second or third round. Finishing 8th in the OHL with 40 goals in 67 games his sniping is a draw but his skating needs work. Brock Otten explains below.

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 Mascherin of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Adam Mascherin	2018 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: LW, Shoots: L	H/W: 5-9", 195 lbs
Stats to Date: (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Kitchener Rangers, (67-40-46-86-20)

Skating: No doubt about it, Mascherin’s skating ability has improved over the course of his OHL career. He has improved both his top speed and first few steps to give him greater separation ability. His edgework/stops and starts have also improved, adding to that elusiveness in the offensive zone. While there have been improvements, Mascherin does not project to being more than just an average skater at the NHL level, which considering his lack of size at 5-9”, is the concerning part. That means he will need to continue to improve his explosiveness, in particular, to allow him to take advantage of his great goal scoring potential. Grade: 50

Shot: This is Mascherin’s bread and butter. He has always possessed one of the heaviest shots in his age group. But his release is also very quick and he has little conscience when it comes to deciding whether to shoot or not. Injury problems interfered with his goal scoring production the last few years, but he was healthy this year and hit the 40 goal plateau for the first time. He loves to use defenders as screens working off the wall or coming off the rush and will set up for the one timer on the powerplay. Has 30 goal potential at the NHL level. Grade: 60

Skills: Mascherin is a very skilled player with the puck. He is excellent at working the cycle game along the wall, extending possession with his hands and strong lower body. Off the rush, he can be a very effective player because he creates space for himself with quick stick movement and keeps defenders on their toes so that he can rip off a quick wrist shot. Grade: 55

Smarts: From a hockey IQ stand point, the best part of Mascherin’s game is his vision coming off the wall. As mentioned, he extends possession very well below the hash marks, working the cycle. He also identifies opens teammates well and is able to work the give and go as well as any winger in the OHL. His two-way game improved over his OHL career, but I do not anticipate that he will ever develop into a top notch defensive forward at the next level. At times, on the backcheck, he does not identify or stick with his assignment efficiently. And while he has a fantastic shot, he should be a 50 goal scorer at the OHL level instead of only a 40 goal scorer. Unfortunately, he does not seem to find openings in defensive coverage or anticipate play near the crease as well as you might like from a goal scorer. Grade: 50

Physicality: This is an area of his game that has grown a fair amount over his four years in the OHL. His physical engagement level was very inconsistent early on, but has become much more consistent the last couple years. He attacks on the forecheck and uses his strong lower half to engage in the corners and win loose puck battles. Mascherin also engages physically on the backcheck. He is not a physical player in the sense that he is out there throwing his body around. But he works the wall and fights through traffic to make plays. Grade: 50

Summary: It has already been stated that Adam Mascherin will not be signing with the Florida Panthers after being a second round pick of theirs in 2016. If he is not dealt and signed by another team, then he will re-enter the draft. As a re-entry, he likely gets drafted anywhere from the second to the fourth round. His goal scoring potential is alluring, but he will likely need a fair amount of seasoning at the AHL level before he is ready to fill a scoring line role at the NHL level due to his skating deficiencies.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 53.75

OHL Playoff Preview: Greyhounds pacing the pack

Brock Otten — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 20:51:07 +0000

The 2018 Ontario Hockey League playoffs kick off this week after the regular season wrapped up this past weekend. Heading into the playoffs, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are the clear favorites to come out of the OHL and represent the league at the Memorial Cup in Regina. They have spent the vast majority of the season as the top ranked team in the CHL, one of only two teams to chart the entire season (along with Blainville-Boisbriand of the QMJHL). But competition is always fierce and there are no sure bets in the OHL. Let us now take a look at each first round match-up.

Eastern Conference

#1 - Hamilton Bulldogs vs. #8 - Ottawa 67’s

Season Series: Hamilton leads 5-0

Will Bitten of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Analysis: The Conference Champion Bulldogs face off against the 67’s after the Steelheads won on the final Sunday, securing the number 7 seed. Hamilton has been the cream of the crop of the Eastern Conference for the vast majority of the season. They have been extremely active in trades this year to give them the best chance of coming out of the East. The Bulldogs added Robert Thomas (St. Louis), Riley Stillman (Florida), Nic Caamano (Dallas), Ryan Moore, and Nic Mattinen (Toronto) to an already stacked lineup, giving Ottawa an extremely daunting challenge in round one. This team rolls three powerhouse offensive lines with Matthew Strome (Philadelphia), Will Bitten (Montreal), Mackenzie Entwistle (Arizona), Marian Studenic (New Jersey), and Brandon Saigeon being other top options. Forward Arthur Kaliyev (2019) is another name to watch. He is the first 16 year old to score 30 goals in the OHL since Alex Galchenyuk and he is a potential lottery pick next year as a power winger. In net, the Bulldogs boast one of the OHL’s most improved players this year in Kaden Fulcher (Detroit).

Kevin Bahl of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Ottawa, on the other hand, is a very young team. In a few years’ time, they could be Memorial Cup contenders. They could have five players drafted in the first three rounds this year (Kody Clark, Mitchell Hoelscher, Merrick Rippon, Kevin Bahl, and Carter Robertson). Offensively, they are paced by Sasha Chmelevski (San Jose), Travis Barron (Colorado), Austen Keating (2018) and Tye Felhaber. Chmelevski was a much hyped prospect who fell hard at last year’s draft (all the way to the 6th), but he has returned much stronger this season. His play away from the puck has greatly improved and it has taken his game to another level. But for all their talent offensively, the 67’s have had a very difficult time keeping the puck out of their own net this year. Overager Olivier Tremblay has not provided the stability that the team had hoped for when they brought him in early this year.

This one has all the makings of a quick series. This Ottawa team, as talented as they are young, is not yet ready for this type of challenge. The Bulldogs are one of the deepest teams in the OHL and their offensive firepower is likely to overwhelm an inexperienced defense and inconsistent netminder. One particular thing worth watching is the 67’s struggling penalty kill going up against one of the league’s best powerplay units from Hamilton. This has to be troubling for Ottawa because they also happen to be one of the league’s most undisciplined teams. And while Ottawa does have some great young offensive talent, the Bulldogs have one of the oldest defensive units in the league and are likely to limit the offensive chances of the 67’s. I look for Robert Thomas to have a big series here (and a big playoff performance overall). His points per game has taken a big dip since joining the Bulldogs, but I think he explodes this postseason.

Prediction: This Hamilton team is just too experienced and too talented for the 67’s. They have the advantage in nearly every area and should dominate. If Ottawa was getting better goaltending, I would say that they might be able to steal a game or two, but I do not even see that happening. Hamilton in 4.

#2 - Barrie Colts vs. #7 - Mississauga Steelheads

Season Series: Mississauga leads 4-2

Michael McLeod of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Analysis: If I was a betting man, I would bet that this is the match-up that Barrie wanted to avoid in the opening round. In fact, it was probably the match-up every team wanted to avoid in the first round. Mississauga has underachieved all season long, but they have shown some signs of finally coming to life the last month or so. Offensive talent is not to be questioned. Their first two lines include names like Michael McLeod (New Jersey), Ryan McLeod (2018), Owen Tippett (Florida), Trent Fox, Albert Michnac (2018), and Mathieu Foget. This group of six matches up well against any top six in the Eastern Conference and it helps to explain why the Steelheads are the third highest scoring team in the Conference. And this excludes their leading scorer, defenseman Nic Hague (Vegas), who was the first OHL defender to score 30+ since Allan Rourke. But keeping the puck out has been a challenge at times. Swedish import and defensive stalwart Jacob Moverare (Los Angeles) has been injured and that has really challenged their younger defensive players to play more minutes than they are ready for. Furthermore, young netminder Jacob Ingham (2018) has had an awful sophomore season that has seen him essentially lose the starting job to Emanuel Vella.

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

This is potentially trouble because Barrie is the highest scoring team in the Conference and the 3rd highest scoring in the OHL. Their first line of Andrei Svechnikov (2018), Aaron Luchuk (Ottawa), and Dmitry Sokolov (Minnesota) has been absolutely shredding teams of late. The supporting offensive cast includes guys like Ryan Suzuki (2019), Jason Willms (2018), and Zach Magwood who work extremely hard in all three zones and bring energy that exhausts the opposition so that the first line can go to work. The Colts do not have any stars on the blueline, but they are a tight knit unit who work well with Barrie’s forwards to play a terrific team defense. In net, overager Leo Lazerev starts and while he does not necessarily win any games outright for the Colts, he is a mostly reliable presence. It should be noted that he has yet to win an OHL playoff series in his career and probably goes into this match-up with just as many question marks as Mississauga’s tenders.

There is no question that this is not your average #2 versus #7 seed match-up. This is especially true when you consider the fact that Mississauga largely dominated the season series, winning all three games in the new year by a combined score of 18-10. For whatever reason, the speed of Mississauga’s forwards gives the defense of Barrie a tough time and Lazerev has an .840 save percentage against the Fish this season. This is complicated even more by the fact that Andrei Svechnikov has been suspended for the first four games of the series for a head check. But I admit, I have a tough time picking Mississauga to win this series. I do not trust their defense to be able to handle Barrie’s depth up front. And if these games go to an offensive shootout like they did in the regular season, I think Barrie ends up coming out on top this time. Mississauga’s Mathieu Foget has also been suspended for the first four games of the series and his loss might actually be felt more because of Mississauga’s lack of depth. His acquisition really triggered the turnaround for the team. Barrie also needs to stay out of the box. In the regular season, they gave Mississauga almost double the amount of powerplays that they received and it cost them dearly with the Steelheads clicking at over 30% with the man advantage. If they can stay out of the box, and Lazerev can make a few saves, I still like Barrie to come out on top.

Prediction: The result of this series would not surprise me either way, even with the difference in seeding. But depth is critical in the playoffs and Barrie has the advantage there. I am excited to see how the Svechnikov/Luchuk/Sokolov unit handles the pressure of the playoffs. Svechnikov, in particular, can really cement himself as the #2 prospect available in the draft with a strong postseason performance once he returns from suspension (as long as Barrie does not get swept). Barrie in 7.

#3 - Kingston Frontenacs vs. #6 - North Bay Battalion

Season Series: Kingston leads 3-1

Gabriel Vilardi of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Analysis: This is an intriguing match-up because of how differently these two teams approached the OHL season. Kingston brought in Gabe Vilardi (Los Angeles), Max Jones (Anaheim), Cliff Pu (Buffalo), Sean Day (New York Rangers), and Mitchell Byrne at the deadline to bolster an already solid line-up and make them contenders to come out of the East. While they failed to secure a division banner, the results post deadline have been mostly extremely positive. A healthy and re-invigorated Vilardi has provided the biggest boost, as his 1.87 points per game in Kingston is second to only Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis) in the OHL. His strength, on and off the puck, makes him a dominant force in all three zones and the type of player who works to tire and grind out opposing defenses.

Justin Brazeau of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson /OHL Images,

The North Bay Battalion were sellers at the deadline this year, shipping out veterans Cam Dineen (Arizona), and Brett McKenzie (Vancouver). Those moves only worked to light a fire under the Battalion roster and the team actually improved their record in the New Year thanks to the play of new acquisitions Matthew Struthers (2018), and Jake Henderson, as well as veterans Justin Brazeau (2018), and Adam Thilander (2018). Brazeau, in particular, is a player to watch. The 6-5” winger finished just inside the Top 20 of league scoring and was named as the East’s most underrated player in the recent coaches poll that was released.

If we are measuring up these two teams, we need to give the edge to Kingston in nearly every area. The Fronts lead the season series 3-1, winning the three most recent games (February on). The biggest advantage Kingston has is in net with Jeremy Helvig (Carolina) manning the crease. The overager and veteran netminder has 19 OHL playoff games under his belt and is unquestionably one of the league’s top netminders. Meanwhile, the Battalion will rely on either Christian Propp (2018) or Julian Sime, who have a combined zero OHL playoff appearances. Kingston also has a heavy advantage on special teams, with their powerplay and penalty killing units operating at a higher level. With Robertson and Vilardi operating down low on the powerplay, North Bay is going to need to stay out of the box to have any chance in this series. One wild card to keep an eye on is the health of Max Jones. Jones has been out since the end of January after undergoing surgery on a broken finger. It is likely he returns at some point in these playoffs and he can be a major x-factor.

Prediction: Ultimately, Kingston’s experience and leadership should carry them to a relatively easy victory in this match-up. Gabe Vilardi and Sean Day won a Memorial Cup together last year. Mitchell Byrne won an OHL Championship last year. And Cliff Pu and Max Jones won an OHL Title and Memorial Cup in 2016. Kingston in 5.

#4 - Niagara IceDogs vs. #5 - Oshawa Generals

Season Series: Tied at 1 game apiece

Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Analysis: Two teams that do not see a ton of each other match-up in round one. Niagara and Oshawa also happen to be two of the hotter teams in the OHL heading into the playoffs. The IceDogs are a team that rely on speed and energy to play an up tempo and offensively oriented style of game. They get after it on the forecheck and have a powerplay that has been much improved since the acquisition of overager Sam Miletic (Pittsburgh) from London. On top of Miletic, Niagara has a trio of offensive weapons that they rely on in Kirill Maksimov (Edmonton), Akil Thomas (2018), and Ben Jones (Vegas).

Jack Studnicka of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Oshawa, on the other hand, prefers to slow things down and grind it out in the offensive end. Their fearless leader is Jack Studnicka (Boston), an excellent two-way center who makes an impact in so many different ways. A pair of first time draft eligible forwards support Studnicka; Serron Noel (2018), and Allan McShane (2018). Defenseman Matt Brassard (Vancouver) is also critical to their offensive success. He was one of the highest scoring defenders in the league in the second half and finished the year 7th in defensive scoring.

If we are truly comparing these two teams, it is difficult to determine who has a clear advantage. In goal, the nod should be given to Oshawa and their starter Kyle Keyser (Boston). Keyser has been a stable presence in net this year, definitely more so than Stephen Dhillon who has struggled for Niagara this year, or the inexperienced Colton Incze. Up front, I give the slight edge to Niagara because of their explosiveness and depth. On defense, the two teams boast slightly inexperienced units who are mobile, but can be mistake prone. Ultimately, I see two things possibly tipping the favor in Niagara’s direction. The first is special teams play. As mentioned, Niagara’s powerplay has been performing at a high level lately and Oshawa has one of the league’s worst penalty killing units. The second is home ice advantage, which Niagara owns after finishing the regular season on a 7 game winning streak.

Prediction: With home ice advantage, better special teams play, and a slightly more explosive offense, I like Niagara to win this series. Their goaltending concerns me slightly, but between Dhillon or Incze, they should be able to make enough big saves to at least get the IceDogs into the second round. But this one will be close. Niagara in 7.

Western Conference

#1 - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. #8 - Saginaw Spirit

Season Series: SSM leads 7-1

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. Photo by Terry Wilson

Analysis: The juggernaut Greyhounds kick off their Memorial Cup push against the Saginaw Spirit, whose five game losing streak to end the season forced them down the standings and into this first round match-up. Sault Ste. Marie has nine NHL draft picks on their roster and two more potential first rounders for 2018. Up front, Boris Katchouk (Tampa Bay), Taylor Raddysh (Tampa Bay), Jack Kopacka (Anaheim), Tim Gettinger (New York Rangers), Barrett Hayton (2018), and the underrated Hayden Verbeek pace the attack. But the real star is OHL 2nd leading scorer Morgan Frost (Philadelphia), one of the breakout stars of this season. On the backend, the Hounds are equally strong, led by Conor Timmins (Colorado), and Rasmus Sandin (2018). Neither seem to make a mistake with the puck and both are just as good in their own end as they are offensively. In net, Matthew Villalta (Los Angeles) has been a steady presence who makes the saves when he needs to.

Evan Cormier of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Saginaw’s strength actually starts in net where overager Evan Cormier (New Jersey) keeps the Spirit in a lot of games that they do not deserve to be in. This is important because the Spirit struggle to score goals. They were only one of three teams in the OHL to not score 200 goals on the season and the other two finished dead last in their conferences (Flint and Sudbury). Furthermore, their powerplay was a league worst 14.7%. There is definitely some offensive talent on this team, but the team’s best days are ahead of them as guys like Blade Jenkins (2018), Nicholas Porco (2019), Ryan Stepien (2020), Aidan Prueter (2020), and Damien Giroux (2018) gain experience. In fact, the team’s only NHL drafted forward, Brady Gilmour (Detroit) finished 9th in team scoring.

In all honesty, this series should not be close and is not likely to be close. The Spirit have a talented young roster, but they are not currently an equal to the Greyhounds. Sault Ste. Marie has the advantage in nearly every area except maybe goaltending. Even then, Evan Cormier can only do so much. Heck, we might see the Greyhounds score more shorthanded goals than the Spirit score powerplay goals in the series.

Prediction: I want to say that Evan Cormier can do enough to steal a game for the Spirit in this series, but I cannot even see the Spirit winning a game. The Greyhounds are just too strong. SSM in 4.

#2 - Kitchener Rangers vs. #7 - Guelph Storm

Season Series: Kitchener leads 5-3

Logan Brown of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Analysis: This is an interesting first round match-up between two teams that did not end the regular season the way they wanted to. Kitchener, a strong team all season, struggled down the stretch, although managed to hang on to their Division crown. Meanwhile, the Guelph Storm were one of the league’s worst teams in the last few months that saw them lose their grip on the #6 spot in the West. Kitchener loaded up at the deadline by bringing in Logan Brown (Ottawa), Givani Smith (Detroit), Mario Culina, and Austin McEneny. I think it would be fair to say that Kitchener is still waiting to see the best out of three of those four, with Culina playing well so far as a starter. It has been the guys around all season like Adam Mascherin (Florida), Kole Sherwood (Columbus), Joseph Gareffa, Logan Stanley (Winnipeg), and Riley Damiani (2018) that have been driving the team’s success. Moving into the playoffs, it will be about whether the newer faces can finally find chemistry or not. The health of defensive stalwart Connor Hall (Pittsburgh) could also impact the series.

Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Guelph, as mentioned, has also struggled down the stretch, especially when it comes to preventing goals. Goaltender Anthony Popovich (2018) appeared to tire of late after seeing a huge jump in workload this season. The defensive group, led by Ryan Merkley (2018), and Dmitri Samorukov (Edmonton) also struggled, to the point where Merkley was a healthy scratch at times down the stretch. The Storm do have a hard working forward group who is capable of icing multiple scoring lines. The offensive leaders are unquestionably Isaac Ratcliffe (Philadelphia) and Cam Hillis (2018), who along with Alexei Toropchenko (St. Louis) form a quality first line.

Looking at this series a little more under the microscope, it is probably closer than people are making it out to be. The special teams match-up pretty well. Neither team has a dominant goaltender that one would qualify as a game-changer (no offense meant to Culina or Popovich). Both teams struggled down the stretch with team chemistry issues. The tipping point for me is experience. The Rangers have the clear advantage there, especially on the defensive end. Guys like Logan Stanley and Austin McEneny, who won a Memorial Cup together with Windsor last year, should really help to stabilize things, even without Connor Hall. I also look for longtime Rangers like Mascherin or Connor Bunnaman (Philadelphia) to really step up offensively to get this team over the first round hump.

Prediction: As mentioned, I feel like Kitchener’s experience advantage will help them come out on top in this series. I also feel that they have a much better team defense approach that likely plays out better for success in the playoffs. Guelph has talent, but they play a very high risk game that, without a ton of playoff experience, could be their undoing. It will be close, but Kitchener in 6.

#3 - Sarnia Sting vs. #6 - Windsor Spitfires

Season Series: Sarnia leads 5-1

Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Analysis: No offense meant to the rest of the Windsor Spitfires, but this match-up is about two things. The Sarnia offense (2nd best in the OHL) versus the goaltending of Michael DiPietro (Vancouver). The dynamic DiPietro is one of the few goaltenders in the OHL who is capable of stealing a series victory for his team. The Spitfires rebuilt, dealing off the majority of their veterans held over from their Memorial Cup victory last year, but decided to hang on to their star netminder for this reason. They battle hard in the offensive end behind the likes of Curtis Douglas (2018), Cole Purboo (2018), Cody Morgan (2019), Luke Boka, and Matthew MacDougall (2018). And they play smart in their own end thanks to Connor Corcoran (2018), Nathan Staios (2019), Grayson Ladd (2019), and Zach Shankar. But this team has zero NHL drafted players outside of DiPietro and are incredibly inexperienced.

Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

The Sting, conversely, were one of the biggest buyers throughout this OHL season, bringing in talented veterans like Cam Dineen (Arizona), Jonathan Ang (Florida), and Michael Pezzetta (Montreal). The lifeblood of the team is Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis), the league’s leader in points per game this year and possibly the best offensive player in the OHL. He is currently zero for three in first round appearances and is likely to do everything in his power to finally reach the second round (and beyond). You could likely argue that overager Justin Fazio is the team’s second most important player in the series, especially considering that he has to match-up against DiPietro. The margin for error is slim.

One of Sarnia’s biggest strengths is on the powerplay where Kyrou, Adam Ruzicka (Calgary), and Drake Rymsha (Los Angeles) have a combined 34 powerplay goals this year. Problem is, Windsor takes among the least amount of penalties in the OHL so as long as Windsor can continue to stay out of the box, Sarnia is going to need to beat DiPietro 5 on 5. The question I have is, how will Windsor manage to score goals, at least enough goals to win this 7 game series? It will not be with the man advantage either (likely) as the Sting have the league’s top penalty killing unit. I am slightly worried about Sarnia’s inexperienced defense though, but that concern is more directed towards round two or three (if the Sting advance that far). Sarnia will need big guys like Ruzicka, Pezzetta, Jordan Ernst, and Hugo Leufvenius (2018) to crowd DiPietro’s space as much as possible and really make him uncomfortable. Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. Windsor fans can tell you, sometimes the best way to beat Michael DiPietro is through sheer luck and bad bounces.

Prediction: As much as I want to predict a Windsor victory, I do not see it in the cards. DiPietro will steal a few games and he will make Sarnia sweat. But the offensive firepower of Sarnia, combined with the inexperience of Windsor’s defense is likely to give the Sting too many scoring chances for the Spitfires’ star netminder to handle. Sarnia in 6.

#4 - Owen Sound Attack vs. #5 - London Knights

Season Series: London leads 4-2

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

Analysis: As is usually the case, the 4/5 matchup in the Western Conference looks to be the closest match-up of the first round, and subsequently the most difficult to prognosticate. London traded off the vast majority of their big guns to retool to fight another day. Instead, the team played inspired hockey down the stretch led by a host of younger players eager to make their mark. When talking about London, we have to start with defenseman Evan Bouchard (2018), the lifeblood of the Knights. His 87 points are the highest by a blueliner since Ryan Ellis hit the 100 point mark in 2011. The speedy Alex Formenton (Ottawa) is also playing the best hockey of his OHL career thus far with 12 goals in 14 games to close out the regular season. And you cannot talk about London without mentioning how good the “kid” line of Liam Foudy (2018), Billy Moskal (2018), and Nathan Dunkley (2018) has been since the trade deadline. This trio was challenged to step up their games with increased ice time and they all responded accordingly.

Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Owen Sound, on the other hand, was expected to be one of the top teams in the OHL this year but struggled to keep their star players healthy all year and subsequently struggled to perform consistently. That is, until the last few months when they have been, arguably, the OHL’s best. This team is scary good when healthy and they are now finally healthy. They roll three outstanding scoring lines, including a top unit of Jonah Gadjovich (Vancouver), Kevin Hancock (2018), and Nick Suzuki (Vegas) that has been one of the OHL’s best over the last two seasons. They also have one of the OHL’s top offensive blueliners in Sean Durzi (2018), who if he did not get injured, likely could have challenged Bouchard for the defenceman scoring title. It is in net where Owen Sound has struggled this season as Olivier Lafreniere and Mack Guzda (2019) have battled to find consistency. No question, Owen Sound has to have their offense rolling to win because they are not going to win many 2-1 games.

So who has the advantage going into this match-up? Experience wise, the nod has to be given to Owen Sound...and by a wide margin. The Attack are returning the vast majority of a roster that lost in the Conference finals last season. The Knights are an extremely well coached team, but they are relying on a lot of rookies and sophomores in key roles and that can often prove to be a recipe for disaster in the postseason. The deciding factor in this series probably comes down to the goaltending. So long as Owen Sound can get at least adequate goaltending from one of Lafreniere or Guzda, they should win this series. But if their goaltending struggles and team is forced to constantly play catch-up, the series tips in London’s favor, a team with nothing to lose.

Prediction: I have to give the nod to Owen Sound here because now that they are fully healthy, they look like a tough team to stop. This is especially true for a team as inexperienced as London; even if they are extremely talented. The Attack can get the saves they need to win this one, even if London pushes them and makes them sweat. Owen Sound in 6

OHL Finals Prediction

When the field is finally narrowed down to two teams who battle it out for OHL supremacy, I expect those two teams to be the Kingston Frontenacs and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

From the East I like Kingston for a couple reasons. The first is experience. As I already alluded to, they have a lot of players on that roster who have already won a Memorial Cup or OHL Championship (or both). That type of leadership goes a long way in the playoffs. The second is special teams play. The great Scotty Bowman always said combined special teams play was a great indicator of postseason success. Well the Fronts have the best powerplay in the league and the second best penalty kill. The third is goaltending. Jeremy Helvig is a veteran netminder who is about as consistent as they come. I have a ton of confidence in his ability to make saves when he needs to.

From the West, I like the Soo Greyhounds as they have looked about as dominant as anyone in the OHL has over the last few years. Their 116 points is the most since Barrie put up 116 in 2010. This team has it all. Special teams success. Good goaltending. Speed. Physicality. But most of all...depth. Drew Bannister’s players rarely seem to take a shift off and they rarely make mistakes with the puck. That composure at both ends of the ice makes them the favorite.

For the OHL Title, I am taking the Soo Greyhounds to win their first J. Ross Robertson Cup since they won back to back championships in the early 90ś.

Florida – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 16:25:35 +0000

The Florida Panthers organization has a few bright lights to crow about, but taken as a whole, is a shallow system, reflecting both failures to identify talent over the past half-decade as well as failures for prospects to develop. An example of failure of talent to develop is the case of Steven Hodges. Drafted in the third round in 2012, he had once been a top ten WHL Bantam Draft selection. His draft year numbers were OK, although falling far short of the magic one point-per-game mark that generally indicates a top six NHL contributor down the road. His numbers never really improved over his final two junior seasons and he entered the pro ranks as a depleted stock. Between injuries and ineffectiveness, his pro career never took off either and following the closure of his initial ELC, he was not tendered a new contract and has reportedly retired.

Looking at the failure to identify talent, the Panthers currently own the rights to my favorite prospect punching bag, Joe Wegwerth, a massive winger currently skating for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The fourth round pick in 2014, Wegwerth was a role player with the USNTDP, with size being his only real skill. Despite a regular role with Notre Dame, he has only 15 points through his first two seasons of collegiate hockey. With the game moving more and more toward a speed and skill sport, there is no room left at the inn for players of Wegwerth’s ilk. Even in 2014, the game was trending in that direction. On the one hand, fourth round picks are not expected to make it more than half the time. On the other hand, Wegwerth should have been expected to never pan out.

To their credit, the Panthers have done relatively well with their first rounders, many of whom were high first rounders. Aaron Ekblad was taken first overall. Aleksander Barkov was a #2. Jonathan Huberdeau was a third overall pick. Lawson Crouse, a wedge-issue prospect made it quickly to the NHL, although his overall future impact potential is still not expected to be great. Michael Matheson, a later first round pick, had a promising rookie season. The problem has been that the team got very, very little after the first round. Since 2010, the only players drafted by the Panthers who have received more than token call ups have been Vincent Trocheck, Denis Malgin, Iiro Pakarinen, and Logan Shaw. The latter two have mostly made their marks with other organizations.

Thankfully, two years ago, the Panthers made waves through moving to the forefront of the analytical revolution, and even let the so-called “Computer Boys” handle their draft list in 2016. It is still far too early to judge their work but it is only fair to point out that fully ten of their current top twenty are products of those two drafts, including the top two, both expected to be high-impact players in the near future.

While it now looks like veteran “hockey man” Dale Tallon is back running the team’s scouting staff, we do not know how their approach will change (again) in coming seasons, but it is more than fair to say that what went on before the Computer Boys ascended was not working.

June 24, 2016: Henrik Borstrom looks on after being picked by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, NY (Photo by John Crouch/Icon Sportswire.)

1 Henrik Borgstrom – A surprise first round pick as a second year eligible in 2016, Borgstrom moved from Finland to the University of Denver and was immediately one of the most exciting and talented offensive players in the NCAA. He scored over one point per game as a freshman, helping secure an NCAA championship for the Pioneers. He is a strong skater, with a very good shot and magic in his stick. His impressive patience brings all of his skills together. He could play in the NHL this year, but has decided to go back to Denver for another year first.

Owen Tippett

2 Owen Tippett – Although his detractors can fairly point to Tippett’s lack of commitment away from the puck, and his relatively soft style, not taking full advantage of a pro-sized frame, what Tippett does bring to his team more than makes up for the blemishes. He has plus acceleration, getting to top speed in two steps, allowing to skate clear of most defenders. Once he is clear, he has a near-elite shot. Tippett was easily among the best shooters in the 2017 draft class.

3 Samuel Montembeault – In the two years since being drafted in the third round, Montembeault’s save percentage was steadily rose. Last year’s .907 mark was third among starting netminders in the QMJHL. He is a fundamentally strong netminder, who excels at controlling rebounds and preventing second chances. Above average athleticism also helps his game play up. He is clearly the front-runner for goalie of the future status in the Panthers’ organization.

4 Ian McCoshen – A big, physical blueliner who has solid tools, but is not expected to ever be a big point producer. In his first year as a professional, McCoshen succeeded in taming his previously over-aggressive style. He has enough of a point shot to maintain hope of getting second unit power play duty, but will make his career on being reliable in his own zone. Won’t be a fantasy hockey stud, but is maybe one year away from starting a lengthy NHL career.

5 Henrik Haapala – Last year’s leading scoring in Liiga, Finland’s top league, Haapala signed as a free agent with the Panthers. He is a highly skilled forward who can handle the puck at top speed thanks to his great hands. His vision and acceleration are both high end. Although quite undersized, he does not shy away from physical play. He will have to prove he can withstand the increased physicality of the North American game, and is likely to get his chance in the NHL this year.

6 Jayce Hawryluk – Hawryluk fell off the radar somewhat in his first pro season, one that was delayed by injury and then took some time to get going in earnest. False start notwithstanding, this is still a player with plus vision in the offensive zone. He is a player that can dictate the flow of the game, create offense and find his way to the puck. Despite being somewhat undersized, he can play with a chip on his shoulder as well. Expect him to take a sizeable step forward this year.

Max Gildon

7 Max Gildon – A product of the burgeoning Texas hockey scene, Gildon came a long way over the course of his draft year in the USNTDP. While the tools were always there, as he combines strong skating with decent puck skills and cannon from the point, he could not always put it all together and was prone to embarrassing mental gaffes. By year’s end, he was more reliable in his own end and capable of big offensive contributions, such as his hat trick at the WU18 tournament.

8 Jonathan Ang – A speed demon with some goal scoring skills, Ang may never be a top six forward at the NHL level, but he has a strong enough all-around game that he should be able to carve out a steady roll on a third or fourth line. Has a decent shot and passable puck skills. He even plays a solid physical game despite being on the slighter side. He will need to pack on more muscle to be able to play his style of game at the higher levels.

9 Aleksi Heponiemi – Yet another undersized forward in the Panthers’ system, Heponiemi came over from Finland and was immediately one of the better playmakers in the WHL with Swift Current, finishing second in the league in assists among draft eligible players. He also has enough speed and agility to beat defenders on his own. On the downside, weighing only 150 pounds, he is physically a long ways from being ready for the pros.

Adam Mascherin of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

10 Adam Mascherin – Short but stocky, Mascherin very quietly reached 100 points this year for the Kitchener Rangers. With a developing two-way game, he should be limited to an offensive-role once he turns pro. In spite of his gaudy assist totals, Mascherin’s shot is more dangerous than his playmaking. His skating is also sneakily impressive. Although he shies from physical play, he is a hard worker.

11 MacKenzie Weegar – With another year like his last, Weegar can turn into the best Panthers’ late round pick since Filip Kuba. The late bloomer is solid in his own zone, closes gaps aggressively and looks good manning the point as well. He moves the puck around well and has a passable point shot. His success is a product of smarts and instincts more than tangible tools. The tools are good enough, but the mind allows them all to play up a notch.

12 Maxim Mamin – At this point in the system, upside starts to dwindle. With Mamin, we are looking at a hard-working grinding winger, who will fight for a bottom line role with the Panthers in his first season coming over from the KHL. He has solid passing skills, but is unlikely to ever be a big offensive producer.

13 Tyler Inamoto – Another player with limited offensive projections, Inamoto was the most punishingly physical defender in the US National program this year, earning himself a nod in the fifth round. He is a strong skater with at least rudimentary puck handling ability, but his future projections lie with his physical play away from the puck. The next step for him to take as he heads off to college is to cut down on unnecessary penalties.

14 Riley Stillman – A decent skater although better over distance than in small-space maneuvering, Stillman shows the type of hockey brain that is expected from one whose father (Cory) had a long NHL career. Has a modicum of offensive skill, but is stronger off the puck.

15 Dryden Hunt – A non-descript WHLer until his final season, when the undrafted winger earned an NHL contract on the strength of a 116 point campaign, Hunt found the going much tougher in his first pro season. He is a hard worker with a good enough shot that he should at least develop into a decent scorer at the AHL level. If he gets that far, he will also have earned an NHL opportunity or two.

16 Juho Lammikko – The jump from junior hockey to the pros is a daunting one, and Lammikko found the transition especially difficult last year. He has a good frame, and decent puck skills, but his points production never crested one point per game in the OHL, and was practically non-existent as an AHL apprentice. He is smart and reliable and the Panthers will not write him off just yet.

17 Mike Downing – Drafted out of the USHL as a promising offensive defenseman, Downing plateaued as a sophomore at Michigan, and struggled to get going as a rookie in the AHL. His instincts are stronger in the offensive zone than in his own end, but his puck skills and shot are underwhelming. For now, he is a tweener.

18 Sebastian Repo – A 21 year old drafted in the sixth round this year after two promising seasons in Liiga, Repo was given an ELC almost immediately after the draft. He played a depth role in Finland’s 2016 WJC title and spent half a season in the USHL before that, to middling results, but took a big step forward this year with Tappara. He is a bit of a mystery, but there are enough present signs to suggest an eye be kept on his progress.

19 Thomas Schemitsch – A promising two-way blueliner with great size and the ability to help the offense from the point, Schemitsch had a rough landing in his first full pro season, splitting the season between the AHL and ECHL. He was good enough in the latter league to have earned a longer AHL look this year.

20 Chase Balisy – At the end of the season, Balisy, who led Florida’s AHL affiliate in scoring, was not offered a qualified contract. The Panthers subsequently gave the former sixth rounder a one year deal. He has decent vision and some playmaking ability, but not enough to be an impact NHLer. There is enough there for him to get some chances filling in temporarily in a fourth line role.

If the Panthers show more commitment to drafting players with skill ad hockey IQ over brawn and grit, they could begin to populate their system with more than the filler that we have here past the top 12-15 players.

Then again, if the top two players listed here reach their potential, the lack of system depth may be glossed over, but that would be a mistake. Strong teams always have supplemental depth that is cost-controlled, allowing them to spend more on the premium players. The Panthers need to do a better job at drafting and development (how often was it mentioned above that a rookie pro struggled mightily) to get to that level.

Adam Mascherin – McKeen's Hockey

SEATTLE KRAKEN EXPANSION DRAFT: Prospects to Target – Part Two – Forwards

Rasmus Asplund - Buffalo Sabres

Morgan Geekie - Carolina Hurricanes

Kevin Stenlund - Columbus Blue Jackets

Henrik Borgstrom - Florida Panthers

Nathan Bastian - New Jersey Devils

Yegor Sharangovich - New Jersey Devils

Janne Kuokkanen - New Jersey Devils

Nick Merkley - New Jersey Devils

Kieffer Bellows - New York Islanders

Julien Gauthier - New York Rangers

Vitaly Abramov - Ottawa Senators

Filip Chlapik - Ottawa Senators

Logan Brown - Ottawa Senators

Nicolas Aube-Kubel - Philadelphia Flyers

Alex Barre Boulet - Tampa Bay Lightning

Alex Volkov - Tampa Bay Lightning

Mitchell Stephens - Tampa Bay Lightning

Mathieu Joseph - Tampa Bay Lightning

Boris Katchouk - Tampa Bay Lightning

Taylor Raddysh - Tampa Bay Lightning

Joey Anderson - Toronto Maple Leafs

Isac Lundestrom - Anaheim Ducks

Matthew Phillips - Calgary Flames

Adam Mascherin - Dallas Stars

Tyler Benson - Edmonton Oilers

Rem Pitlick - Nashville Predators

Jonathan Dahlen - San Jose Sharks

Alexander True - San Jose Sharks

Maxim Letunov - San Jose Sharks

Rudolfs Balcers - San Jose Sharks

Kole Lind - Vancouver Canucks

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Dallas Stars Top 20 Prospects

Thomas Harley, D (18th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Jake Oettinger, G (26th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Ty Dellandrea, C (13th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Mavrik Bourque, C (30th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jason Robertson, LW (39th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Riley Damiani, C (137th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

Antonio Stranges, LW (82nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dawson Barteaux, D (168th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

Evgeni Oksentyuk, RW/LW (162nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Daniel Ljungman, C (154th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Adam Mascherin, LW (100th overall, 2018 [Originally: 38th overall, 2016 [Florida]. Previous ranking: 7)

Joel Kiviranta, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 31, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Nicholas Porco, LW (142nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

Joel L’Esperance, C/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 1, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Oskar Back, C/RW (75th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 11)

Rhett Gardner, C/LW (116th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 12)

Fredrik Karlstrom, C (90th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 13)

Jerad Rosburg, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 9, 2020. Previous ranking: 14)

Jacob Peterson, C (132nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 15)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – DALLAS STARS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 29

Dallas Stars

Thomas Harley, D (18th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Jake Oettinger, G (26th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 5)

Ty Dellandrea, C (13th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 1)

Jason Robertson, LW (39th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Riley Damiani, C (137th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Dawson Barteaux, D (168th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 16)

Adam Mascherin, LW (100th overall, 2018 [Originally: 38th overall, 2016 [Florida]. 2019 Rank: 7)

Joel Kiviranta, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 31, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

Nicholas Porco, LW (142nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)

Joel L’Esperance, C/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 1, 2018. 2019 Rank: 11)

Oskar Back, C/RW (75th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

Rhett Gardner, C/LW (116th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Fredrik Karlstrom, C (90th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Jerad Rosburg, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 9, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

Jacob Peterson, C (132nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

Dallas Stars 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

AHL Notebook: Central Division

Dallas Stars Prospect System Overview

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

OHL: Adam Mascherin (2018 Draft Eligible)

OHL Playoff Preview: Greyhounds pacing the pack

Florida – System Overview

Thomas Harley, D (18^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Jake Oettinger, G (26^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Ty Dellandrea, C (13^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Mavrik Bourque, C (30^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jason Robertson, LW (39^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Riley Damiani, C (137^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

Antonio Stranges, LW (82^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dawson Barteaux, D (168^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

Evgeni Oksentyuk, RW/LW (162^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Daniel Ljungman, C (154^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Adam Mascherin, LW (100^th overall, 2018 [Originally: 38^th overall, 2016 [Florida]. Previous ranking: 7)

Nicholas Porco, LW (142^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

Oskar Back, C/RW (75^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 11)

Rhett Gardner, C/LW (116^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 12)

Fredrik Karlstrom, C (90^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 13)

Jacob Peterson, C (132^nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 15)

Thomas Harley, D (18^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Jake Oettinger, G (26^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 5)

Ty Dellandrea, C (13^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 1)

Jason Robertson, LW (39^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Riley Damiani, C (137^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Dawson Barteaux, D (168^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 16)

Adam Mascherin, LW (100^th overall, 2018 [Originally: 38^th overall, 2016 [Florida]. 2019 Rank: 7)

Nicholas Porco, LW (142^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)

Oskar Back, C/RW (75^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

Rhett Gardner, C/LW (116^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Fredrik Karlstrom, C (90^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Jacob Peterson, C (132^nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)