Anton Johannesson – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: WINNIPEG JETS – RANK: #21 – TIER IV

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 12:22:57 +0000

Winnipeg Jets

#21 Winnipeg - The top of Winnipeg's system would cause envy in many of the systems ranked higher, but few teams are shallower. The Jets can't keep having 4-5 man draft classes.

Cole Perfetti

After a bit of a slow start in his first pro campaign (with Manitoba of the AHL), Perfetti finished exceptionally strong, and it has many in the Jets organization excited about his future. Perffeti had 18 points in his final 14 games of the AHL season and then went on to win a silver medal with Canada at the World Championships, scoring two goals at the event. The 10th overall selection in the 2020 Draft, of course, was not even supposed to play in the AHL this year, but due to the OHL hiatus, he was able to play in the league as a double underager.

Touted as one of the most intelligent forward prospects in the game, Perfetti has the ability to breakdown opposing defenses, dictating the pace with the puck on a string. He has already worked hard to improve his explosiveness as a skater, and his strength on the puck, and those improvements were noticeable in the AHL’s second half. Further improvement will be needed, but he is on his way to becoming a high-end top six forward at the NHL level. It is likely that Perfetti earns NHL time this year and is a candidate to break camp with the Jets to start the season. If he struggles, he is likely to be given an exemption to play in the AHL, yet again, rather than have to return to the OHL. - BO

Chaz Lucuis

One of, if not the, hardest North American players to scout this year, Lucius’ season began in late-February after missing the beginning of the season as he completed rehab from knee surgery, and ended approximately six weeks later with a stellar performance at the BioSteel All-America game, after which the USNTDP U18 ceased game activity to focus on the upcoming World U18 Championships, which Lucius was forced to miss due to a poorly timed COVID positive result.

Despite the late start and early ending, Lucius was still a first round selection by Winnipeg on the strength of a goal per game performance in the USHL (albeit in a small sample size). Lucius is a terrific goal scorer not because he is the most skilled player on the ice, but because he is a tireless worker who also happens to possess good instincts. He scans and reads the defense and finds their weaknesses with impressive quickness. While learning the defense, he also keeps aware of what his linemates are doing, so as to better make himself an outlet for them or find ways to make them outlets for him.

These instincts and that work rate help the University of Minnesota commit makeup for physical skills that are somewhat less impressive. As a Golden Gopher, he will firstly look to stay healthy, but secondly, look to get quicker and stronger so that he can reach his high-end potential as a first line forward. It is likely that Chaz plays at least two seasons in college, if only to be sure to be able to play with younger brother Cruz, who followed him one year later into the USNTDP program. His method of production should follow him up the ranks towards the NHL, but he must continue to improve physically. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Ville Heinola

Since the Jets selected Heinola 19^th overall in 2019 – which we admittedly thought was a bit of a reach at the time – they have given him chances to play in the NHL. Eight games immediately following his selection, and five more games last year. While the young blueliner was not able to secure full-time NHL employment in either season, he still performed admirably for a teenager in the greatest league in the world. Further giving a glimpse at his projectability, Heinola was fantastic during those same seasons in his stints in both the AHL and Liiga in his homeland of Finland, in both leagues playing far better than a U20 defender should.

If we had underrated him two years ago (and we did), it was largely due to his skating ability, which lacks the dynamism we see in many of the current crop of high-end defensive prospects. The lack of explosiveness can make Heinola look a bit static in comparison, but there are plenty of NHL defenders with similar skating ability, and like them, the prospect has developed a style of play that can function well without great speed, replying instead of positioning, patience with and without the puck, and lateral mobility, the latter a trait which is not always easy to spot. The signings of Brendan Dillon and Nate Schmidt means Heinola will have to work to make the Jets again, but even if he doesn’t this year, he is trending towards solid second pairing territory sooner than later. - RW

Dylan Samberg

While he did take a step forward last year, let’s call the season a stumble, as he was not able to maintain the trajectory he was riding as a collegian. Samberg was a rock on the blueline for Minnesota-Duluth for three years, playing an instrumental role in back-to-back Frozen Four Championships, while steadily improving his ability to provide offensive impact. That last element of his game was AWOL in Samberg’s professional debut last season, as he rarely moved up from the blueline in the offensive zone.

He has unteachable size, skates very well for his size (and in general) and has never hesitated to play a physical game, even if he has also not been the instigator as much as you might like. But even without producing offensively, Samberg’s rookie season was not a failure. He proved that he could be a workhorse at the pro level, playing in all situations, and comfortably playing close to 25 minutes per game. Winnipeg has many contenders for their bottom defensive pairing this year, and Samberg is still young enough that another year on the farm – or most of a year – would help him at least try to find an approach that allows him to contribute offensively. You can expect him to make his NHL debut this year and challenge for a permanent spot in the top six starting in 2022-23. - RW

Nikita Chibrikov

One of only two U18 players to receive extensive playing time in the KHL last year, Chibrikov demonstrated a broad array of exciting tools during his season-ending performance for Team Russia at the World U18 Championships where he was a standout.

Chibrikov excels in puck possession situations. Even though he doesn’t often break out highlight reel plays, the puck just sticks to him until he is ready to move it somewhere else. While puck skills are the highlight of Chibrikov’s package, there is much more to his game than that, as all of his tools project at above average, with the possible exception of his physical game, and that is only because he is still pretty slight. He is a fine skater, capable of dynamic burst of speed, and he is most effective playing a high-paced game, with sharp cuts and intermittent changes of pace to throw off the defense. However, with an average frame and average size overall, his lack of truly dynamic skating ability can partially explain why he fell to Winnipeg in the later second round. Chibrikov’s contract with SKA S. Petersburg has two years left to run, after which he will be ready to play in North America and begin to fulfill his top six – and maybe top line – projection. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Kristian Vesalainen

The big Finnish winger and former first round pick is coming off another indifferent season in North America, his third since crossing the pond. Splitting 2020/21 between Liiga (to start the year), Manitoba (AHL), and Winnipeg (NHL), Vesalainen continued to struggle to find the back of the net. In his three combined seasons in North America thus far, Vesalainen has scored only 17 goals combined. Granted, some of that time has been spent in the NHL, however it is impossible to argue that his development has not been disappointing thus far. Given his size, skating, and skill combination, Vesalainen has struggled to create or find scoring chances consistently, especially in the slot and near the crease, where he should be dominating.

The 2021/22 season is likely a make-or-break season for him. Anything less than making the Jets full time this season, even if it is in a checking line role, would be a disappointment. He needs to take that step forward and become a more consistent contributor. His potential remains as a middle six winger, however the odds of him reaching that potential have drastically decreased. This is Vesalainen’s final year of waiver exemption and, as such, could be his final kick at the can in the Winnipeg system before moving on to a new NHL team or returning to Finland. - BO

David Gustafsson

Even though his offensive capabilities were questioned previously, his last season proved that his upside may be higher than many gave him credit for. David Gustafsson was a PPG player in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan and he was really close to doing the same in the AHL (19 PTS in 22 games). Nevertheless, he didn´t get much NHL time (four matches with the Jets), but he should be more than ready to get a bottom-six spot in the upcoming season. Despite being only 21, Gustafsson has already played in the NHL two years in a row. Even though his total of 26 matches combined is not a lot, it's still a nice accomplishment for the young Swede. He should at least double it the next season.

Gustafsson has a good size (6-2”, 196 lbs) and is a strong and hard-working center. Although he has proven his offense is noteworthy, he´s most likely going to be used as a bottom-six forward. It´s a fitting role for the Swedish prospect – he´s a smart, two-way player. He has improved his skating over the years but should learn to play more physical for a player of his size. He probably won't be used at the scoring role at the NHL level, but a bottom-six to middle-six place should be a good fit in the next couple of years. Gustafsson´s mature game proves he is NHL ready right away. - MD

Declan Chisholm

A mobile, and talented offensive defender, Chisholm is coming off of a successful first pro season with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. One of Winnipeg’s top defensive prospects, Chisholm’s development curve over the last two years shows great promise, as nearly every part of his game has improved considerably.

Originally a slick skating puck mover in the OHL, Chisholm worked hard to improve his play in his own end, even developing a bit of a mean streak by his graduation from the Peterborough Petes. His mobility will always be his meal ticket, as will his quick decision-making ability with the puck. In the AHL this past year, Chisholm showed versatility in being asked to play a variety of different roles for the Moose. While his upside may not be as high as a defender like Ville Heinola in Winnipeg’s system, Chisholm does have a chance to be a solid two-way, #4-5 defender for the Jets. Given Winnipeg’s now great system depth at the position, he will likely have to bide his time. However, do not sleep on this talented young defender. - BO

Mikhail Berdin

Berdin came to the KHL on loan at the start of the season and left a rather shaky impression: as he frequently looked nervous and allowed some bad goals. Returning to the AHL looked like a great solution, as he got a lot of starts there, but from a statistical perspective, it was by far his worst pro season. Last year was a year to forget for Berdin.

Almost immediately upon returning to North America, Berdin agreed on an extension with the Jets, showing their commitment to him and hope that he can develop into an NHL netminder. The issue is that his development may have stagnated. He needs to show that he has outgrown the AHL level (preferably already in the Jets preseason camp) to earn the newly vacated back-up spot (with Brossoit moving on). He needs to show that his game is more than his trademark puckhandling and occasional highlight-reel saves, but that he can be a consistent and confident presence in the net. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting labeled as 'good enough for the AHL, but not good enough for the NHL' and it is very hard to get rid of that kind of label. Additionally, he would need to pass through waivers if he does not win that back-up role behind Hellebuyck. - VF

Daniel Torgersson

The COVID pandemic disrupted the Swedish junior season, limiting the league to only a handful of games. This negatively impacted Torgersson, who was not ready for full time action in the SHL. The big, physical winger skates well for his size and his power forward approach was intriguing enough for the Jets to take him with an early second round selection in 2020. At the very least he projects as a high-end bottom six forward, even if his offensive skill set fails to develop to its potential due to his penchant for the big hit and ability to use his speed on the forecheck.

However, if his goal scoring ability can find some consistency, he could play higher up in the lineup. The development of his puck skill and confidence with the puck will be critical. He will look to be a full time SHL player with Frolunda this coming season. His offensive production will likely be low as he plays a bottom six role, however consistent ice time is the most important thing for him this year. Still a longer-term project, the true potential of Torgersson may not be revealed for another few seasons. - BO

Dmitri Kuzmin

Kuzmin, a recent third round selection by the Jets, is a high-end puck moving defender who dazzles with his four way mobility and quickness. A potential powerplay QB, Kuzmin was recently signed by the Jets and there is a possibility that he plays with Flint in the OHL, rather than return home to Belarus.

Anton Johannesson

Speaking of the J20 cancellation, this also negatively impacted offensive blueliner Anton Johannesson. Still recovering from an injury, he actually did not play at all last season, as once he was healthy, the J20 season was called off. Johannesson needs to stay healthy this coming season and should see action at a variety of different levels. His upside is still extremely intriguing.

Henri Nikkanen

2020/21 was a good season for the big, playmaking center. He not only established himself as an everyday player in Liiga, but his 13 assists were the third most by a U20 player in the league last year. Nikkanen has switched Liiga teams for this coming season, joining Pelicans. Hopefully he is able to continue to progress and could be a middle six candidate for the Jets in the future.

Simon Lundmark

A former second round pick by the Jets, Lundmark finally took that next step forward as an SHL defender this past season. The 6’2, right shot defender has plus mobility, but the question is, does he do other things well enough to be more than a depth option for Winnipeg in the future? Signed by Winnipeg, Lundmark will play in the AHL this season, a big year for his development.

Johnny Kovacevic

It has been a long journey for Kovacevic, a former third round pick by Winnipeg back in 2017. However, the former Merrimack College standout had a terrific sophomore season with Manitoba last season and has put himself in contention for a spot on Winnipeg’s blueline in the future. A massive right shot defender (6’5, 220 lbs), Kovacevic may not have a high ceiling, but he could be a reliable two-way presence on the third pairing.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Winnipeg Jets Top 20 Prospects

Rachel Howard — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 19:35:16 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 Winnipeg Jets 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.

Cole Perfetti, C/LW (10^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Perfetti may not possess high end size or speed, but there are so many things to like about his game His best asset is his hockey sense. While he doesn’t possess game breaking speed, he can break down opposing defenses by being one step ahead of them. His preferred spot is the half wall, where he can survey the ice, quick hands and quick feet biding him time to make plays. He is a constant threat with the puck and turnovers are rare. He anticipates gaps, rebounds, and passes before they happen, and isn’t afraid to take a hit to make something happen. Perfetti possesses excellent edgework and lateral quickness. He is hard to contain due to his unpredictability. His wrist shot and release are terrific. He is creative in transition. There is doubt if he can stay down the middle at the next level. Perfetti also has steps to take as a two-way player, who can be relied upon in any situation. With his high-end hockey sense, he can likely improve some of his faults. He is a potential game breaking offensive forward who could one dayfind his way to the top of NHL scoring races. – BO

Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 1)

The three years since Winnipeg used a second round pick on Samberg saw the big blueliner play a key role in two WJCs for Team USA, win two NCAA championships with Minnesota-Duluth and add 25 pounds to fill out his impressive frame, without any degradation in his quickness. He is a very good skater for his size, which is especially notable in his ability to recover after the puck goes the other way. While he can be physically imposing, playing the body against all manner of opponents, his off-the-puck game is much more than just a matter of brute force. He positions himself well and has a gigantic wingspan, allowing him to use that reach to break up rushes cleanly and legally. With the puck, he is functional enough to earn some second unit power play duties. He has a strong shot with a quick release. Moreover, he moves the puck well, without ever looking fancy. Samberg, more than anything else, makes the right play to put his team in an advantageous position. Finally signed to an ELC, Samberg could see NHL ice next season. - RW

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

At 6-4” and 228, Vesalainen can be an intimidating physical force, using his size to bust his way to the goal with pure momentum and strength. He is also an elite skater. Nimble and with impressive footwork, he achieves top speed quickly and is able to get separation on defenders when motoring through open ice. More of a shooter than a passer, he is deadly with his wrist shot anywhere from the faceoff dots in and is aware enough to open up passing lanes for teammates while looking shot. Despite his impressive raw package of skills, Vesalainen is perplexingly inconsistent and lacks assertiveness. Slow to adjust to the size of North American ice, he is prone to disappearing for a string of shifts and does not put up enough shots for a player as lethal with the puck as he is. 2019-20 was his first full season in N.A. competition and if he can figure out how to put his skillset together, he can be a top-line scoring winger; at worst, he is a rugged middle-six depth contributor. - TD

Ville Heinola, D (20^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Heinola showed promise in his eight-game NHL stint, but was eventually sent to the AHL before being returned to Finland. He plays with plenty of poise and makes sound decisions with the puck. He sees the ice really well and snaps accurate, crisp passes in all zones from simple outlets to longer passes up the rink. He has swift hands and picks pucks quickly off the wall to make plays. He also works well on the power play as his vision and passing skills are assets. He has an accurate shot from the point, whether it be a slap shot or wrister. He reads the game well defensively, has a quick stick and keeps tight gaps. However, Heinola could use his size more effectively in battles. He moves pretty well, but his skating is not high end, especially considering his size. He lacks explosive initial burst and could be quicker from a standstill and smooth out his forward stride. He makes up for the lack of quickness with his situational awareness. He has top pairing NHL potential, but the middle-pair is a more realistic projection. - MB

Declan Chisholm, D (150^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

One of the better skaters out of the OHL, Chisholm is aggressive in leading the attack out of the defensive zone, using first step quickness to create separation from forecheckers, and his speed and edgework to gain the opposing blueline. A competent powerplay QB, he creates lanes with agility and lateral quickness. Finally, his gap control defensively is solid as he stays ahead of incoming attackers and has learned to trust his mobility to play more aggressively to take away space. Increased strength and improved engagement elevated his effectiveness. This will be the area that Chisholm will need to continue to work on, as well as his decision making in transition. He will likely need some time to gain the confidence necessary to play aggressively as a pro. Previously, Chisholm had trouble with turnovers, but cleaned that up this past year, and gets a better feel for when to take a risk. He will likely need several years of seasoning at the pro level before he is ready for an NHL role, but he projects as a number 4-6 defender who can also quarterback the powerplay. The key will be just how much his defensive game progresses. – BO

Anton Johannesson, D (133^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Johannesson has missed a good chunk of the last two years to injury, which, when combined with his smaller frame, allowed the Jets to draft him in the fifth round. When healthy, he has showcased why he his high-end skills. A confident and competent mover, Johannesson excels in transition, using an effortless stride, strong agility, and quick hands to lead the attack. On the power play he is a very dangerous weapon because of how well he gets his shot through to the net and his ability to walk around defenders to create gaps in coverage. With the puck on his stick, it is rare to see him commit a turnover as his vision and decision making is sound. Needless to say, his upside as an offensive defender is very high. His size has held him back from being a consistently effective player in the defensive end. He isn’t strong in front of the net or along the boards and his overall awareness is raw. There is hope that as he fills out, he can become an adequate defensive player as his offensive skill set is definitely dynamic enough to play in the NHL. – BO

Sami Niku, D (198^thoverall, 2015. Previous ranking: 5)

Three years removed from his dominant rookie AHL season, Niku has refined his craft and looks more like a future NHLer than a flash-in-the-pan. He impresses with splendid technical skating skill and inventiveness in moving the puck out and into the offensive zone. A superb puck-handler, he calls for the puck often and directs traffic through the neutral zone at even strength and the power play. His patience with the puck has improved significantly. Though he has improved defensively, he hasn’t looked entirely comfortable in his NHL stints, posting poor possession numbers and few points in transition while battling for ice time against veterans. Fighting through injuries -- including a preseason car accident with Vesalainen beside him -- Niku was not able to stamp himself into the NHL with regularity yet, with some hesitance and inconsistency in his play, but he very well could clinch a spot on their thinning blueline as soon as next season. As a seventh rounder, any NHL games played Niku registers is above market value for Winnipeg, but the 23-year-old’s story is only just beginning. - TD

Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

One of the most entertaining players at any position in the AHL, Berdin’s talent level is matched only by his swagger. A hard-nosed and fierce competitor in the crease, the Russian held up exceptionally through backstopping a Manitoba team that sat at the bottom of the Central Division all season, posting a .910 save percentage and a record near .500 in spite of a weak defense in front of him. Athletic and creative in the blue paint, his anticipation and play-reading improved mightily from his 2018-19 rookie pro season, but he mostly relies on his reflexes and impressive foot quickness. While puck-handling is not the most important skill a goaltender can have, Berdin’s talent and confidence with the puck is Brodeur-esque and capable of forcing a team to abandon any forechecking or dump-and-chase style. His selection of his tools and aggression can hurt him at times, but he can make difficult saves look easy consistently with his high-energy style. A sixth rounder in 2016, Berdin is a legit NHL prospect who could even push an NHL like Connor Hellebuyck for starts in the future. - TD

Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 7)

Time on ice is not a publicly available statistic in the AHL, but I have a feeling Logan Stanley is near the top of the boards. A 6-7”, 242lb behemoth capable of logging heavy minutes with consistency and presenting opposing forwards with long, impassable gaps and borderline unfair stick length, the 22-year-old is exactly what the Jets thought they were taking in the middle of the 2016 first round. His defensive game is one of the most polished out of any pro in his age group, but his offensive game has been fairly impressive as well, showing out during power-play deployments with his booming slap shot and improved technical skating ability -- he already moved around pretty well for a big man. What is frustrating in his game, though, are his inconsistent and confusing reads; he can pass the puck into a dangerous situation or sell out for a hit and give up inside position at times, and that will have to be coached out of him. Otherwise, Stanley plays such a simple stay-at-home game that I can’t imagine he would have much trouble playing in the NHL for a decade plus, perhaps starting with next season. – TD

Daniel Torgersson, LW (40^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A burgeoning power forward, Torgersson has shown an ability to complement skilled players extremely well in a top six role. He skates well enough to keep up with them in a straight line and has good explosiveness for his size. He can cover the puck and win battles with his reach and strength is hard to contain around the net and on the rush. A physical player, he shows well in all three zones, competing hard on the forecheck and along the wall in his own end. However, his skill set as an offensive player is only average, which suggests that his upside may be limited to the bottom six player at the NHL level, an assessment that his home club of Frolunda may agree with, as they have only sporadic time up with the senior side, regardless of his great production at the junior level. If he can improve his release and his ability to create with the puck at full speed, there may be more upside. – BO

David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

It should go without saying that the Jets rushed Gustafsson to the NHL last season. Playing 22 games for Winnipeg at age 19, he had a Shot Attempt % of 29.9%, per NHL.com, worse than any forward who played in more than four games. Were it not for a fortuitous PDO, he likely would have seen the back of the NHL much sooner. To his credit, Gustafsson was much better in his 13 game stint in the AHL and was far more impressive playing on the top line for Sweden at the WJC, helping his homeland to a Bronze Medal. It should also be said that playing up a level or two is nothing new for the center, as he played two full seasons in the SHL as a teenager before coming to North America. Gustafsson is a large-framed center with a great track record on the draw. He is quicker than he is fast, plays a very reliable two-way game and is strong on his stick. Due to always playing above his age class, his offensive upside is still a mystery, but Gustafsson has enough in his bag to make it in a bottom six role assuming he lacks the skill set to play top six. - RW

Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 9)

Virtanen plays a tenacious, purposeful two-way game. He manages well in the corners and along the boards – the physical attributes are there. He reads the game well and provides puck support. He is very strong at face-offs. More of a defensive forward, he can be utilized on the penalty kill due to his defensive reliability. He has pretty good puck handling skills and a fine shot as well. In order to be able to play in the NHL, his skating will have to improve. Not the most efficient skater, he often takes wide turns. His first few strides are clumsy. He could improve his endurance and be more agile as well. Virtanen had a very promising start to the 2019-20 season but couldn’t quite maintain that level of play for the remainder of the campaign. Next season will be very important as he will need to contribute more offensively. At this point in time, he projects as a depth forward at the NHL level. - MB

Nathan Smith, C (91^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Drafted as a 19-year-old, Smith has one of the more interesting, unique stories among all prospects in this book. In his first year of draft eligibility, Smith was playing high school hockey. That, in and of itself, is not that interesting. But he was not playing in Minnesota, or Massachusetts. No, Smith was playing high school hockey in Florida. The Tampa native was crushing all comers in the Sunshine State, but surprisingly more than held his own when he moved up a few notches to play with Cedar Rapids of the USHL. His skating was maybe a little unrefined, with more experience playing roller hockey than ice hockey growing up, but he was clever and showed a gift for playmaking. Smith is comfortable playing in the middle of the ice and has proven himself to be effectively creative with the puck after a successful freshman season at Minnesota State. His skating has also improved from what he showed in the USHL. We are still years away from knowing how Smith will turn out, but he has already come so far. - RW

Arvid Holm, G (167^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Holm is starting to look like a sneaky good pick by the Jets from 2017. He never had the big numbers playing on a bottom team in the junior league but was since picked up by Farjestad in the SHL which is a big organization with a strong program for goalies. Holm has since been a big surprise to many. He has the size that you want in a modern goalie, and he reads the play well with good vision. He now plays better positionally as well. Holm showed strong consistency and his team won 20 of his 30 starts. He is not a goalie with any standout tools, but the athleticism and his hockey sense both seem to be above average. He has recently signed with Winnipeg but will play the next season in the SHL. With the latest season in mind I would not rule out him to be a fringe starter/backup-goalie in the NHL in the future. - JH

Leon Gawanke, D (136^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

From an emerging but still, to this point, under-scouted hockey culture in Germany, Gawanke was top-ten in points and assists among rookie defensemen in the AHL in 2019-20 with Manitoba, a team starved of offense. This is an encouraging sign of things to come from a highly entertaining, risk-taking 21-year-old with little pro experience under his belt. Demonstrating a veteran-like ability to cut passes through traffic and walk the blueline on the power play, he is a very dangerous offensive defenseman, especially with his powerful slap shot. Never afraid to activate himself in transition, his powerful strides and quick acceleration allows him to jump into things with ease. Of course, he can get into trouble this way and will need to polish his anticipation and aggression, but he is still only 21 and has less than 50 pro games under his belt. With time, he can be a middle-pair puck-rusher with power play deployment. - TD

Simon Lundmark, D (51^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Smooth skating defensive prospect. Picked in the second round in 2019, Lundmark now looks more to be a depth prospect, as he did not take any big steps developmentally last season. If Lundmark reaches the NHL, it is most likely a bottom pair/7th defenseman role. He lacks the tools to be an offensively productive defenseman and is not that strong in defending his own end either. He moves the puck and his feet well and can be a solid breakout passer. He has played a bottom pair in SHL for two seasons now and will need to take a step forward in his team hierarchy to come closer to the NHL. For him to do that he will need to be more than a solid breakout passer. He sometimes complicates things and can get into trouble if he is under pressure from forecheckers. He will also need to be a stronger player in his own end when his team does not have the puck. If he does that, I can see value in a puck-moving defenseman in a third pairing role. - JH

Kristian Reichel, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jun. 15, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Undrafted out of the WHL, Reichel earned a two-year, two-way contract as one of the few bright spots on a dim Moose team in 2019-20. Signed as a fill-in depth player, the 22-year-old worked hard until earning a permanent top-six role alongside other Europeans such as Vesalainen and Gustafsson before the season was paused and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A sneaky and selective goal scorer, the Czech shoots hard and at a high percentage, thanks to an uncanny ability to locate dead spots in the ice, and he is ready for a shot before the defense can mark him. He is not much of a passer but can carry the puck low into the zone. Fast and intelligent, he can play a solid defensive game as well as flexibly play all three forward positions. Reichel proved he is a legitimate prospect after coming back from an injury early last season. Now he needs to show what his ultimate ceiling could be. – TD

Eric Comrie, G (Waivers: Dec. 19, 2019. Originally: 59^th overall, 2013 [Winnipeg]. Previous ranking: UR)

Always some team’s idea of a great third goaltender, someone you are comfortable subbing in for an injured regular for a month, but he now has 211 games of professional experience under his belt already and he still hasn’t definitively stamped out a claim for a regular NHL job. Comrie is a well-coached, technically competent netminder. His physical tools are only adequate though, which tells me that he is fairly likely to be maximizing his potential. If he can prove that wrong, he wouldn’t be the first goalie to bloom in his mid-20’s or later, but it doesn’t look likely. He can be a little stiff, with chunky movements, but the aforementioned technical ability along with a composed demeanor and never-quit approach, helps Comrie not get any less than his maximum. He doesn’t have any one obvious weakness, but likewise there is little to suggest he is ready for a bigger role. – RW

Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 16)

Just as Kraskovsky seems to have lost a step from the peak of his prospectdom, he is taking a step forward as an offensive force in Russia. He was always correctly viewed as a defensive specialist, considering his career high through five full seasons in the KHL, where his career high was 18 points. Perhaps his first few months this year are portending of his turning a corner, but it isn’t likely. He has soft hands and plays the puck well, but his feel for finishing – not to mention his lengthy track record in that domain – is usually well below par. As he recently signed a two year extension with his lifelong club, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, this will be the last we report on Kraskovsky in this space, but even if he does one day come to North America, his ceiling would be as a low offense fourth liner who might be able to help out on the penalty kill. It’s not nothing, but it likely will be nothing for Winnipeg. – RW

Henri Nikkanen, C (113^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 18)

Another big, European center with a questionable offensive skill, there is a greater chance that Nikkanen has a greater ceiling than Kraskovsky, but also a greater chance that he never even reaches what Kraskovsky is capable of. Nikkanen put up impressive numbers in the Finnish junior ranks, but he doesn’t really have any big tools that provide confidence that he can continue to produce against men, when the game gets quicker. His skill with the puck, controlling in confined spaces, does give him a chance to get some action on a fourth line, with the caveat that despite his impressive size, he is not an aggressive player, which is to say that he is less likely to be supplement those bottom line minutes with time on the penalty kill. He also needs to show that he can keep up with the quicker pace physically, as his feet can seem heavy at times. What Nikkanen has working in his favor is his young age, giving him time to gain comfort in his physique. - RW

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)

2020 NHL Draft: Jimmy Hamrin on Value Picks and Misses

Jimmy Hamrin — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 15:41:18 +0000

First off, I feel the need to complain about how tough it was to follow the draft this year living in Sweden. I of course get that we have many bigger issues in the world but doing the draft two weekdays in a row with the first day being from 1 am to 5 am local time, then getting up at 7 am and try to go through the day like you were a normal, functioning human being and then have the second day of the draft span begin at 5.30 pm, lasting until 2 am and then getting up at 7 am again was… tougher than usual.

Secondly, I still would like to thank the NHL for being able to do this draft in these times and all in all I get that they did it the best that they could under the circumstances.

My overall takes from the actual drafting that went on is that games played in this season played a big part in how Europeans were drafted, even if they only had played a single digit number of games. In the later rounds some teams got creative with picking off-the-board players that had got off to good starts. Even in the first round, I like to think that Detroit was more comfortable with picking Lucas Raymond at four after the strong start he has had and the same with New Jersey picking Alexander Holtz. Those forwards in the 4-10 cluster of players was a tight race all season and the fact that Raymond and Holtz actually got to show that they have taken the expected big steps in their development helped them being the first two forwards picked there, bookending a pair of blueliners. I also think that Yaroslav Askarov’s impressive first three games in the KHL did not hurt when Nashville picked him at 11 and of course the real proof of recent performance-based drafting was when Columbus picked Yegor Chinakhov at 21 after he had scored five goals in the last five KHL games heading up to the draft.

I believe that kind of thinking is a bit risky at most times but with teenage prospects there also are so many uncertainties anyway so I cannot blame the clubs for choosing what they have actually seen in development rather than what they project the development to become.

From a Swedish standpoint I also like what Detroit did, especially picking both Lucas Raymond and Theodor Niederbach who are two players that I really like. Both are player types that Detroit has had success with in the past, smallish creative forwards with strong hockey IQ. I thought there were better players available when they picked William Wallinder at 32 (even if we only look at Swedish defenseman, I would have like Helge Grans better) but Wallinder is still an intriguing prospect due to his foundations of size and speed. If he can get his whole game together, he could become a strong pick there but for me there are too many risks with his game to like the pick. I think that Detroit has a better Swedish defenseman prospect in Albert Johansson who they picked 2019.

Luleås Noel Gunler during the ice hockey match in SHL between Luleå and Malmö on October 26, 2019 in Luleå. Photo: Simon Eliasson / BILDBYRÅN /

If we keep to the subject of Swedes getting drafted, I think Carolina found smart value in picking Noel Gunler at 41 and Zion Nybeck at 115. Neither of them are certain NHLers but both have top six upside. Especially Gunler, who I think looks better this season even if his ice time is still not optimal for his development. Another team that got an interesting Swede later than his talent shows is Winnipeg, with Anton Johannesson at 133. His small size combined with injury issues makes him a risky pick but at that spot in the draft most players are risky picks and if he can get healthy, he can play at a fast pace up in the SHL and make a lot of people excited with his tremendous puck skills and mobility.

In the same 5^th round I also liked Dallas’ 154^th pick in Daniel Ljungman. He is an intelligent center with a good shot. He has started the season strong and will soon be playing in the SHL. Last season, he scored only 10 goals in 40 games and fell in the rankings. This season he has started very strong with 12 goals in 12 games. Those two 5^th rounders have potential of becoming steals.

Four other Swedish picks who I liked were they were taken were Helge Grans (35) to the LA Kings, Emil Heineman (43) to Florida, Emil Andrae (54) to Philadelphia and Leo Lööf (88) to St. Louis. They all have strong foundations in their game at least to become NHL players and none of them went too low or too high if we factor in risk, upside, and pure talent and performance so far.

Sweden had a record strong draft with 31 players based inside the country picked. I was also glad to see some older players getting picked after being snubbed in earlier years. Adam Wilsby (101 NSH) is the one who has most upside and has the best chance of reaching the NHL, but a smart and hardworking center like Albin Sundsvik (160 ANA) who is established in the SHL, might lack elite tools but will be a good player and gives the team depth in their prospect pool. He can be a good AHL player or a useful bottom six center option. Other older, bottom six options, include Nils Åman (167 COL) and Eric Engstrand (155 OTT). Good size, good skaters, and good character with decent puck skills. Defenseman Samuel Johannesson (176 CBJ) could be a puck-moving low risk playing bottom pair defenseman too.

If we go really deep in the draft, into the 7^th round, I think the best Swedish pick there was Florida’s taking Elliot Ekmark at 198. A small sized center but with some good skills and hockey sense. He had a down year coming into the draft with injury issues and a tough time producing what you could expect from a player of that grade of pure talent. He is the kind of player who can show a fast development curve when things fall into the right places for him.

To circle back at the top of the draft I am excited about Lucas Raymond going to Detroit and Alexander Holtz to New Jersey. Raymond was the best available pick in our ranking at four and after a quite tough first whole season in the SHL with some bumps it was good to see his talent still being recognized properly. Surely, as I wrote earlier, the strong start to this season helped, but our assessment of Raymond as the fourth best player in the draft was decided in May. Detroit has a long way to go as an organization, but Raymond is going to be a mesmerizing player to watch. He will likely have a strong season with around 30 points in the SHL before stepping over next season. I can see him being able to drive a line in the NHL right away, but I do not think a start in the AHL would hurt his long-term development. Most importantly, he needs to play in a top six forward role and be given trust to drive the offense for that line.

Alexander Holtz was our best available pick at seven as well and he got picked by the best suitable team for his skillset, too. I cannot wait to see him step on the ice as the scorer on a Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier line. The Hughes/Caufield combination was amazing at the USNTDP team two seasons ago and I can see a good fit here with Holtz also being a more dynamic offensive player than Caufield. Holtz has started this season strong in the SHL and his goals seem to come even more frequently. I think he can reach 20 goals as soon as this season. He and Raymond will also be the dominant force of Sweden’s forthcoming WJC team.

My take from an organizational standpoint of the draft has Ottawa being the biggest disappointment. For a team in their position, to have so many picks and to not get more strong prospects was underwhelming. They should of course be excited about Tim Stützle and Jake Sanderson who both are going to be strong core players for the club going in the future but after that I did not think got much value. Ridly Greig, Roby Järventie and Tyler Kleven are not high reward players. I get if you want to have some safe picks and at least one of those will probably play in a smaller role at some point but why not load up your pipeline with high end skill rather than with players who have a limited ceiling even if they pan out?

Another team I thought did well in the draft was San José with Ozzy Wiessblatt, Thomas Bourdeleau and Tristen Robins. All three have high upside. I also like Minnesota getting Marco Rossi, Marat Khusnutdinov and Ryan O’Rourke with the first three picks. New Jersey getting both Alexander Holtz and Dawson Mercer stands out, too. It would have been fun if they would have gone and taken available Hendrix Lapierre or Connor Zary with their third pick in the first just to load up with offensive talent, but they went with a balanced approach and picked defensive KHL prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin instead.

From an individual aspect at the top I was kind of surprised that the LA Kings chose Quinton Byfield over Tim Stützle but when we did our mock draft for Rotoworld I had that second pick and saw risks with both picks, mostly because the next tier had many strong forwards but also because they both can be 70-90 point players at their respective peaks. You get a good player either way but neither of them has the promise that Alexis Lafreniere has of becoming a franchise player, and if you pick at number two you want to end up with at least the second best player of the draft, while this year there were not a slam dunk pick there to make. For me, Stützle should have been the pick because he has shown what he can do against players that can match his individual tools in DEL and still succeeded while Byfield has yet to show how he can adapt his game on higher stages than the OHL. To be fair to Byfield, he only has played in small sample sizes outside of OHL which makes it harder to assess.

The other thing that surprised me at the top was Buffalo choosing Jack Quinn over Marco Rossi. Two players who are born late 2001 who played for the same team with Rossi being the superior point producer of the two. It is always hard to be strongly opinionated about players who I have not seen live myself but from what I have seen on video and read Rossi looks to be the more watchable and exciting of the two.

2020 NHL Draft Team Review: Central Division

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 12:31:20 +0000

This is the third of a five part series reviewing the 2020 NHL draft. Please click here for the Metropolitan Division and here for the Pacific Division.

Chicago Blackhawks

1/17 Lukas Reichel, LW, Eisbaren Berlin (DEL)

2/46 Drew Commesso, G, USNTDP (USHL)

3/79 Landon Slaggert, C, USNTDP (USHL)

3/81 Wyatt Kaiser, D, Andover HS (USHS-MN)

4/110 Michal Krutil, D, HC Sparta Praha U20 (Czech U20)

5/141 Isaak Phillips, D, Sudbury (OHL)

6/172 Chad Yetman, RW, Erie (OHL)

7/188 Louis Crevier, D, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)

I have very mixed feelings about the Blackhawks 2020 draft class. On the one hand, we had seven of their eight picks ranked in our top 217. The only pick we didn’t rank was sixth rounder Chad Yetman, a double overager, and even he scored 43 times in an abbreviated season in the OHL. I can accept that. On the other hand, only one of their picks was selected lower than where we had him ranked, and that was their final pick, Louis Crevier, who was ranked 186^th, and was drafted 188^th. In other words, the Blackhawks added a bunch of solid prospects to their system, but none that we would generally define as being value adds for where they were drafted.

There was a good mixture of positions (one goalie, four blueliners, and three forwards) and geographies represented here. Two Europeans, three CHLers, and three on the collegiate path. Although, whereas many other teams are eschewing CHLers in the later rounds, Chicago only drafted their CHLers this year with their last three picks. The picks skewed large, with all but Yetman coming in at least 6-0” tall, but Crevier more than making up for it, at 6-8”.

The players added to the system here are a nice mixture of those who have a history of strong production (Reichel, Commesso, Kaiser, Yetman) and those who are more known for their defensive prowess (Slaggert, Krutil, Phillips, Crevier). I suspect that we underrated Reichel in our final ranking, and that two of the players selected here establish themselves as NHLers in time, but I remain unconvinced that the Blackhawks added any impact, top half of the lineup, players and the best case outcome is essentially moderate.

Best value pick: Landon Slaggert

Even though Slaggert was drafted higher than where we had him ranked, his strong two-way game will help him crack an NHL roster once he is done at Notre Dame, where his father is an assistant coach. Not only does he have the feel of an NHLer, but he has been known to flash scoring skill on occasion, even if that was not his primary role with the USNTDP. He skates well, plays a grinding, in-your-face game, and there may be more points in his mitts than he has so far shown. I can say some of the same things about fifth rounder Isaak Phillips. He has a plus-sized frame, is a tremendous skater, and has a history of producing from the point. If he can play a little more mean, his value will jump.

Worst value pick: Wyatt Kaiser

Yes, it is always hard to scout high schoolers. Kaiser put up great numbers as the captain at Andover HS in Minnesota but struggled to assert himself in his limited time in the USHL with Dubuque. He is less physically developed than most of the other Chicago picks, but played a physically strong game in high school off the puck. He is expected to spend the entirety of 2020-21 back in the USHL, and will need at least three years at Minnesota-Duluth where he will look to add muscle, additional explosiveness in his stride to see if his loose collection of tools can eventually turn him into a useful asset for the Blackhawks. There is a hope here, but I would have been far more comfortable making this selection a few rounds later on.

Minnesota Wild

1/9 Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa (OHL)

2/37 Marat Khusnutdinov, C, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)

2/39 Ryan O’Rourke, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

3/63 Daemon Hunt, D, Moose Jaw (WHL)

5/146 Pavel Novak, RW, Kelowna (WHL)

Only five picks here, but what picks! Bill Guerin, a rookie GM had a smashing draft debut for the Wild. Not only do all of the players they selected have NHL upsides, their top pick, Marco Rossi, has star upside and an outside shot of playing in the NHL from day one. There had been some thought that the Austrian talent might return to Europe this year after leading the entire CHL in scoring last year, a pretty amazing feat for an 18-year-old. At present, those plans to play in Switzerland are on pause. He is smaller, albeit stocky, and is among the older first-time eligible players, with a Sep. 23, 2001 birthdate. On the other hand, his strength on the puck, combined with his talent, make him incredibly difficult to contain in the offensive zone, and he is just as likely to attack through the middle of the ice as he is to go wide. Considering that more height is unlikely, there isn’t much more he needs to accomplish before playing for the Wild.

If there is a notable downside to this draft class – size notwithstanding – it is on short turnaround time. Four of the five picks came out of the CHL, giving the Wild only two years maximum to integrate all but Marat Khusnutdinov into the system. Again, that shouldn’t be a big issue with a class with as much high-end potential as this one, but imagine a scenario such as what occurred to third rounder Daemon Hunt last year. The skilled defender had his arm cut badly with a skate blade, causing him to miss a significant chunk of his draft year. While none of the five players are late bloomers, a serious injury could stunt their continued development, forcing that player into the professional ranks before being ready. This downside is theoretical, but it is something to keep in mind.

Another thing I noted in examining these players is that the last three picks all have worn letters in recent years. O’Rourke was a rare 17-year old captain in the OHL. Hunt was an alternate last year and Novak also wore the ‘A’, but in international competitions for his native Czech Republic, instead of in league play. All told, this has the potential to be a great drafting start for Guerin. We will see next year if this approach becomes a trend.

Best value pick: Ryan O’Rourke

In one, very important sense, Marco Rossi was the best value pick for Minnesota. While we had him ranked 9^thoverall, exactly where he was drafted, he provides such a dynamic and varied offensive approach, that we had assumed he would actually be drafted higher than that. He has first line upside. O’Rourke was only taken nine slots after our ranking of him, but there was also some talk late that he could even be selected 10 spots higher than our ranking. He is a do-everything defender who doesn’t look too dissimilar to how Ryan Suter looked in the latter’s draft year. I’m not saying that O’Rourke will have a career anything like Suter’s, but I am saying that that style of player is the projection.

Worst value pick: No one

There is risk with every pick, every year, but in terms of expected value, the Wild did a fantastic job this year. Maybe Novak’s size and lack of physical game prevents him from maximizing his offensive instincts. Maybe Hunt’s time away from the ice this year did stint his development irretrievably. Maybe Rossi can’t handle the expectations of a first line center and only blossoms after a trade, like current Wild forward Kevin Fiala. Maybe Khusnutdinov never comes over or is held back by his slight figure. Maybe O’Rourke is never more than a replacement level seventh defender, who lacks any one elevator pitch tool to push him up the lineup. All of these things can happen, but I can also find a similar sounding statement on all 216 players selected. Value is about perception, and the Wild had a great value draft.

Winnipeg Jets

1/10 Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw (OHL)

2/40 Daniel Torgersson, LW, Frolunda J20 (SuperElit)

5/133 Anton Johannesson, D, HV 71 J20 (SuperElit)

6/164 Tyrel Bauer, D, Seattle (WHL)

Once a deep and strong system, the Winnipeg Jets have seen their prospect strength dwindle in recent years, but for good reason, as many of those one-time top prospects, are now driving things at the NHL level, such as Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor, Jack Roslovic, and others. Since then, the Jets have often had few picks to work with. Over their last three drafts, including this one, they went from having six picks in 2018, to five last year, to four this year. That is no way to keep the pipeline running smoothly. Factor in some picks which have been less than impressive, and the Jets have a much higher hit rate than the industry at large in the ones that have worked out.

So here we are, with only four new members of the organization to consider. Thankfully, the first one of those is one of the prizes of the draft class in Cole Perfetti. For months, he was almost assumed to be going fourth overall to Detroit. When Detroit took Lucas Raymond instead, it seems as if the teams picking 5-9 already had a target in mind and Perfetti may not have been considered. Their loss was Winnipeg’s gain. While small and not the fastest player, he creates scoring chances seemingly at will, both for himself and for his linemates. His ability to read the defense and then tear through them is incredibly impressive for his age. In a scenario where the OHL is delayed, or even cancelled, he might be able to hold his own in the professional ranks now. Down the road, he has star potential.

I didn’t love their second pick Daniel Torgersson at that spot, but we loved getting Anton Johannesson in the fifth. If those two picks had been reversed (I’m not saying that Torgersson would have otherwise been available in the fifth. That wasn’t going to happen), I would have understood these picks much more, but in the end, they get both, putting a lot of this draft on the shoulders of Swedish scout Kjell Dahlin.

Best value pick: Anton Johannesson

The main thing that kept Johannesson available as late as the fifth round was his size. Not only is he 5-9”, but he is really slight as well. Very few players his size make it. But those that do tend to be special types, along the lines of Samuel Girard. He doesn’t need to be fierce, but it has to be a smaller handicap. Johannesson is a wonderful skater with fantastic puck skills to boot. His record of over one point per game in the SuperElit was no fluke. Physical development will play a literal outsized role in his projections.

Worst value pick: Daniel Torgersson

As small as Johannesson is, that’s how big Torgersson. If they split the difference, there would be two average sized 18-year-olds. He has classically great size, can exert that force onto opponents and he put up numbers just as good as Johannesson did in the SuperElit. Of course, Torgersson is a forward while Johannesson is a defenseman. The real difference is our Swedish analyst sees a case of a player leveraging his size advantage against the rest of the league to dominate, as opposed to succeeding through skill. From a skill perspective, he is far more energy line than top six.

Nashville Predators

1/11 Yaroslav Askarov, G, Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)

2/42 Luke Evangelista, RW, London (OHL)

3/73 Luke Prokop, D, Calgary (WHL)

4/101 Adam Wilsby, D, Sodertalje SK (Allsvenskan)

6/166 Luke Reid, D, Chicago (USHL)

7/202 Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, LW, Chicago (USHL)

7/209 Chase McLane, C, Tri-City (USHL)

I am of two minds about this Nashville draft class. I generally require two players who go on to have legitimate NHL careers for the class to be at least average, in the big picture. I believe strongly in the Predators’ top two picks, and so that requirement should be met. My concern is with almost everything that happened after they selected Evangelista in the second, a late riser who came on in his second season with the London Knights. He has a fourth line floor and a top 25^th percentile third liner is his ceiling. And Askarov is a top 15 goaltender in the league. Maybe the most athletic goalie prospect since Vasilevsky. A goalie has more inherent risk than a skater, but if such a thing as a good goalie prospect exists, Askarov is one.

After that though, there were few picks they made that were too limited tools-wise to have much hope in an NHL outcome. There is one notable exception that I will get to later, but most of their picks were head scratchers. Among other notable traits those picks had were they were largely overagers, as three of the five later round picks were in their second or third years of eligibility. Also of note that only two of their seven picks were out of the CHL, giving them a longer horizon on which to judge the outcomes of these picks.

Perhaps we are wrong, and this otherwise well-balanced draft class brings the organization more value than two NHLers. The Predators have hit on later-round, surprise picks in the past, and if any GM has earned some benefit of the doubt, it is David Poile. That caveat aside, I can only look at this draft class as a fair amount of opportunity squandered. But we go back to the top and remind ourselves that if Evangelista and Askarov both achieve what we expect they can, this will all be a moot point.

Best value pick: Gunnarwolfe Fontaine

If there is a past player I have covered who Fontaine reminds me of, it is fellow Predators’ prospect Rem Pitlick. Like Pitlick, Fontaine is short, skates really well, has a fantastic shot, and can create for others, while also not needing to be sheltered defensively. To top it off, they were both passed over in their respective first years of eligibility and kicked it up enough to be unmissable the next time around, still in the USHL. Fontaine isn’t as stocky as Pitlick though, and he will have to work on his physique at Northeastern, but he is tough enough to play against that I think he will make it work.

Worst value pick: Luke Prokop

The positives are impossible to ignore. Prokop has a massive figure, the ideal in a defensive defenseman. He plays an intelligent game, and he does not shy away from physical play. On the other hand, the negatives are not easy to miss, either. He really has no offensive tools to speak of. There are mixed opinions on his skating as well. In the 1980s there was room for this type of blueliner, although even then it was as a sixth defenseman. Once in a while these gambles pay off, but I wouldn’t be the one making the bet.

Dallas Stars

1/30 Mavrik Bourque, C, Shawinigan (QMJHL)

4/123 Antonio Stranges, LW, London (OHL)

5/154 Daniel Ljungman, C, Linkoping J20 (SuperElit)

6/162 Evgeni Oksentyuk, RW/LW, Flint (OHL)

6/185 Remi Poirier, G, Gatineau (QMJHL)

In some ways, I view the Dallas Stars’ 2020 draft class much like I do with the Minnesota Wild’s. Few picks, but all excellent value selections. More than that, though, I see in the five players drafted here – or at least the first four, all of whom are forwards – an approach that signals an awareness on the part of GM Jim Nill and the Dallas scouting crew that the organization had been lacking in dynamic offensive skill. Anybody who paid attention to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, especially the Finals, could see how the team lacked a lock picker in their attack who could break open a tightly checking, suffocating defensive opponent. Even as we never advocate drafting for need, the lack of the lock picker is also a factor throughout Dallas’ pipeline. They simply didn’t have anyone who could play that role in the system.

All three of first rounder Mavrik Bourque, fourth rounder Antonio Stranges, and sixth rounder Evgeni Oksentyuk have high end skill elements in their games. The latter two picks are not NHL guarantees by any stretch, but they all provide that element of flash and creativity that can beat an NHL defense and that Dallas has been in short supply of for some time. Not that Bourque is a guaranteed success, but he is a special playmaker with a diverse and exciting blend of offensive talents as well as high end motor and quick-paced brain. He could easily have been off the board ten picks before the Stars had their chance. Fifth rounder Daniel Ljungman is also an offensively gifted player, even if his puck skills do not project to the level of the other three. Then again, he began the current SuperElit season scoring 12 times in 12 games, as clear an indication as any that he is ready to take his game to the next level.

Although I often prefer draft classes that are varied geographically and positionally or by player-type, I am on board with this outcome for Dallas, which not only went to the CHL for four of their five picks, but also neglected to draft a single defenseman among their five picks. The organization lacks defensive depth below the NHL level, even if their top prospect before the draft – and likely still the case after the draft – is blueliner Thomas Harley, but their NHL defenders all still retain youth, giving the organization more time to replenish that area of need later. Without having any top picks, this small draft class has a chance to change the complexion of the near-term future of the team.

Best value pick: Evgeni Oksentyuk

Oksentyuk, who spent his original draft year playing in his homeland of Belarus, playing in the local top pro league and playing for his homeland at both the WJC and the WU18s (second tier for the former and top level for the latter), was passed over in the NHL draft, but taken fifth overall in the CHL Import draft, and was full value for the Flint Firebirds. The pint-sized playmaker plays with great energy and hustle, putting himself in greasy areas with the confidence that he can finagle his way out with a juke or a sudden pass to an open teammate. His lean 5-8” stature will remain a concern, but Oksentyuk has a level of talent not often available in the late rounds of the draft.

Worst value pick: Remi Poirier

This is a default pick. We actually liked Poirier enough to consider him a draftable talent, but his selection does not bring with it anywhere near the level of potential additional value that any of their first four picks do. Poirier has average size for a goalie and put up numbers in the Q that were OK, but not really great. If they had selected fellow QMJHL netminder Samuel Hlavaj, I would have been more impressed. Poirier projects as organizational depth in net, opportunities notwithstanding. It’s not a bad pick, just uninspiring from where we sit.

Colorado Avalanche

1/25 Justin Barron, D, Halifax (QMJHL)

3/75 Jean-Luc Foudy, C, Windsor (OHL)

4/118 Colby Ambrosio, C, Tri-City (USHL)

5/139 Ryder Rolston, RW, Waterloo (USHL)

6/167 Nils Aman, C, Leksands J20 (SuperElit)

Like the plurality of teams in the Central Division, the Avalanche did not have the full complement of picks to use, and like the bulk of those teams with missing picks, Colorado made the most of what they had, hunting out value at every turn. Even though they have among the strongest young defensive cores in the game, Colorado used their first pick on another defenseman, seeing a future blueline that includes the likes of Calder Trophy winner Cale Makar, Bowen Byram, Samuel Girard, Conor Timmins, and Justin Barron. That is a hell of a high-ceilinged top five that can serve as the backbone of a Stanley Cup contender.

Something which, in my view, increases the chances of the Colorado picks eventually clicking, is that they mostly have at least one element to their games which is high end. Foudy and Rolston are both fantastic, potentially elite, skaters. Ambrosio has great hands. Barron has a remarkably well-rounded game, and his IQ and skating were both very advanced before he missed a large chunk of his draft year with a blood clot. Even sixth rounder Nils Aman, a double overaged pick, skates very well and has above average puck skills. It is often said that a player who does one thing great will get more chances to find a role than a player who does many things fine or slightly better. Whether hockey is a strong link, or a weak link sport is often debated, when it comes to scouting, the game is pointing in the direction of being a strong link activity.

Even noting that we are pretty impressed with what the Avalanche managed to do with only five picks, it has to be noted that a lot of this assessment depends on the assumption that they had full access to the recent medical reports of Barron. Before his medical condition came to light last year, he was largely considered as a candidate for a top 10 pick, not far removed from Jamie Drysdale and probably ahead of Jake Sanderson, who value as a prospect went up in the second half of last season – right while Barron was on the shelf. Barron also had a follow up surgical procedure in the week or so prior to the draft, which was reported as expected and planned. I can only presume, with this pick, the Colorado is comfortable that the issue is behind him and unlikely to recur.

Best value pick: Jean-Luc Foudy

The brother of former Columbus first rounder Liam Foudy, Jean-Luc had some first round buzz earlier in the season thanks to his elite skating, and hints of burgeoning playmaking which stemmed from a very impressive age 16 season with Windsor in the OHL. His draft year fell short of those expectations though and his contributions were more sporadic than had been hoped. The younger Foudy still flashes intriguing offensive tools and world-class athleticism (in addition to his NHLer older brother, their mother was an Olympic athlete and their father played in the CFL) improved consistency, will go a long way to pushing him up the depth chart. At minimum, the blazing speed will help him carve out a role on the penalty kill. Incidentally, much the same can be said about fifth rounder Ryder Rolston, son of longtime NHLer Brian Rolston. Ryder, a late-birthday 2001 born who played in the vaunted 2019 USNTDP class before spending last season with Waterloo, is a great skater who flashes impressive offensive tools, particularly his shot, but can be very inconsistent.

Worst value pick: Nils Aman

In one way, Barron is a winner here. We had him ranked as a mid-late second round pick, but that was largely based on uncertainly about his health. Colorado will know more on that front than we do. And considering his press coming into the 2019-20 season, there is still an argument that getting him 25^th overall was great value. On the other hand, we have Aman, a 20-year-old who has almost never played internationally for Sweden, and hasn’t shown the ability to regularly contribute against the best Sweden has to offer in the SHL. His SuperElit numbers last year were breathtaking – tied for second league-wide in points per game among players who have played at least 20 games – but he was also older than most of his competition. He skates well and has good puck skills, but nothing to the extent that an NHL future would be a good bet.

St. Louis Blues

1/26 Jake Neighbours, LW, Edmonton (WHL)

3/86 Dylan Peterson, C, USNTDP (USHL)

3/88 Leo Loof, D, Farjestad J20 (SuperElit)

4/119 Tanner Dickinson, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

5/150 Matthew Kessel, D, U.Mass (Amherst) (NCAA/Hockey East)

6/163 Will Cranley, G, Ottawa (OHL)

7/194 Noah Beck, D, Fargo (USHL)

Like the Chicago Blackhawks, whose draft class is discussed at length above, the Blues had a full draft class, with seven picks, and generally picked decent players with reasonable chances at an NHL career, but also sacrificed ceiling for floor more often than I like to see. Even getting two of the better defensive forwards in the draft with their first two picks, they still failed to add any dynamic talents to an organization that has had a light pipeline for some time. Blues fans might point to Ryan O’Reilly being both a top defensive forward, and a team leader, but players like that are rarely recognized as such at the draft and only emerge like a butterfly after the fact. Not that it stood in the way of the franchise’s first ever title in 2019, but this approach will make it harder for that type of success to be sustained.

If you disagree with the above, you might have more faith in rawer talents like Leo Loof – one of our Swedish analyst’s favorite sleepers from Sweden in this draft class – or Tanner Dickinson, who moved from Tier 1 hockey in the Detroit area to the OHL and was holding his own by year’s end, regularly displaying his great speed as the main driver of his success. You might like sixth round netminder Will Cranley for his size and decent work backstopping a successful OHL club, seeing a potential reprise of the Joel Hofer experience, who didn’t become the netminder for Canada’s Gold Medal winning U20 team until he was in his final junior season.

I will give St. Louis credit for getting a good mix of players on short and long timelines. Three CHLers will have short windows, which of course includes their top pick, Jake Neighbours. Neighbours might have more offensive upside than we have seen from him so far, as he does have very good puck playing skills, but he is a solid skater, with a stocky frame and a very good head for the game. He is the type of player for whom a short window is all that’s needed. The two OHLers (Dickinson, Cranley) might be harder to gauge, but I would expect to see some growth in their games over the next two seasons. As for the collegians (present and future), Peterson is closer to Neighbours in impact and timeline, collegiate eligibility or not, but Matthew Kessell’s and Noah Beck’s future professional prospects are likely to depend at least as much on system need at the time of their NCAA graduation than it does on their continued development.

Best value pick: Jake Neighbours

I considered putting down Will Cranley here, because he has a lot of raw potential, and could blossom with a greater share of the load in net, but his numbers were measurably worse than the 67s’ regular starter, Cedric Andree. There is risk in every goalie selection, but Cranley is very big, decently athletic, and shows good compete level. His selection is exactly how I would recommend teams target goalies. That said, Neighbours is clearly the best value pick for the Blues, because he plays an NHL-ready game. Every tool meets the requirements of a middle six scoring role, with the ability to play on both special teams’ units as well. There may be some questions about his ultimate offensive upside, but we believe that there is more to come.

Worst value pick: Matthew Kessel

In fairness, this is a sixth-round pick, so value is all relative. I considered Leo Loof for a moment, but we may have underrated him. Kessel is a very late bloomer. He has always had very good size, but didn’t show even a hint of two way capability at any stage of his career until his final USHL season in 2018-19, when he was a key contributor to Sioux Falls’ Clark Cup winning team. He kept some of those gains last year, as a fresh at UMass (Amherst), but even then, was in a depth role. I guess being a right-handed shot is a bonus, but I have never seen NHL-level assets in Kessel, and don’t see why his rights should have been locked in for three years now, instead of continuing to monitor his progress for a potential ELC offer down the road.

2020 NHL Draft: Analysts Choice for Top Sleepers Around the World

Brock Otten — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 11:24:10 +0000

While the status of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft remains unclear in the current world climate, we at McKeen’s Hockey continue to bring you detailed and engrossing features that focus on the players available.

By now, most draft followers and fans are familiar with the top end players available. The names of Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Lucas Raymond, and many other potential first round selections have received significant attention, including in-depth scouting reports on this platform. But what about potential sleepers; the players available who could go relatively high but are failing to receive serious hype?

We have polled our various analysts around the world and asked them to provide us with their favorite personal “sleeper.” The definition applied here being, “a player said analyst feels is being underrated right now, but who could end up as a fairly high NHL draft selection.” In other words, our analysts feel that the players highlighted in this article deserve more of your attention.

Karri Aho - Defense – 6-1”, 180lbs - Ilves U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

Analyst: Marco Bombino

One of the younger players available due to a September 6 birth date, Aho played for three different teams this year. He bounced between the U18 and U20 programs with Ilves, in addition to a cup of coffee with KOOVEE in the Mestis league.

Perhaps due to him not playing at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup for Finland, Aho has certainly flown under the radar among draft eligible Finnish defenders this year. With 5 points in 8 games with KOOVEE in a men’s league (the Finnish second division), Aho really caught the attention of some scouts. Although a small sample size, his production there compares favorably to other young strong Finnish defenders like Olli Maatta and Sami Niku.

“Aho is a smooth-skating defenseman with good four-way mobility. Light and nimble on his skates, he has strong edges and pivots well. Love his poise and confidence with the puck as he remains unrattled no matter what situation he's in. A firm, strong passer who can move pucks quickly to the forwards. His defensive game loses nothing, as he uses an active stick and keeps tight gaps, making him an effective defender in the neutral zone and defensive zone. Made significant strides this past season and will continue to get better once his physicality catches up with the rest of his game. The ceiling isn't the highest and he may not play in the NHL for several years, but I think this is a gamble worth taking.” (Bombino)

The Czech Republic Goalkeeper Jan Bednar and Swedens Karl Henriksson during the ice hockey quarter final game in The IIHF U18 World Championship between Sweden and The Czech Republic on April 25 in Örnsköldsvik.
Photo: Jonas Forsberg / BILDBYRÅN

Jan Bednar - Goaltender – 6-4”, 195lbs - HC Banik Sokolov (Czech2)

Analyst: Derek O’Brien

Bednar, along with Soo Greyhounds (OHL) netminder Nick Malik, has been on the scouting map for a few years now. The two had very high expectations coming into the year, but both struggled, despite taking different routes. Malik missed the preseason Hlinka/Gretzky because of injury, giving Bednar the opportunity to be the lone starter. Unfortunately, he struggled at the event and that really set the tone for the rest of his season.

Splitting the year between the Czech Extraliga and the Czech second division, the hulking netminder failed to replicate the strong performance he had in the Extraliga last year. And with the IIHF U18’s cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Bednar did not get an opportunity to show scouts that he can play up to his potential. As such, he has seen his draft ranking suffer.

“One of the more curious Czechs available at this year’s draft is goaltender Jan Bednar. As a 16-year-old, Bednar burst onto the scene, winning the Extraliga’s Rookie-of-the-Year award. Positionally sound, mobile, 6-foot-4 and 196 lbs, he was pegged as a future impact goaltender. However, Bednar’s 2019-20 campaign was a disappointment. He only played 13 games in Karlovy Vary, spending most of the year in the second-tier Chance Liga. It’s a shame Bednar didn’t get the chance to redeem himself at the cancelled U18 Worlds. Heading into the season, Bednar was projected to be a second- to fourth-round pick, but that’s dropped a bit as scouts now question his mindset a bit. However, if a team figures he’s still got all the physical tools to be a starting NHL goaltender down the line and he just needs a change of scenery to get him back on the right path, they may take a chance on Bednar.” (O’Brien)

Valentin Demchenko - Right Wing – 6-0”, 175lbs - Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)

Analyst: Benoit Belanger

While his production certainly doesn’t jump off the page at you, the Belarussian winger has done well to open some eyes in his first CHL season. Like a lot of first year imports, Demchenko struggled initially, but by season’s end he was looking quite comfortable in the QMJHL with the Drakkar. His high-end puck skills give him a high offensive upside, which is why NHL teams should have him on their radar heading into the NHL Draft.

On top of playing for Baie-Comeau this year, Demchenko has also suited up for Belarus at the International level. As an underager, Demchenko was part of that U18 team that was able to stay in the main group last year (along with the likes of Vladislav Kolyachonok and Yegeni Oksentyuk). And as a double underager, he was part of the U20 squad that competed at the lower division World Juniors this year (although Belarus failed to advance to the main draw).

“For the choice of a sleeper player in the later rounds, I had a few names in mind. However, the one that came back to me was more "sexy" because of his origin: Belarus. It is not so common to see players from Belarus landing in the QMJHL. The 44th player selected during the last CHL import draft came to Baie-Comeau as a total unknown. It was a season of adaptation for the young winger but the more the season progressed, the more he looked comfortable on the QMJHL ice rinks. He produced 25 of his 34 pts after Christmas and 30% of his shots were generated in the month of February. Demchenko has excellent puck skills, probably his strongest attribute. He has shown his soft hands on multiple occasions, whether by coming alone in front of the goalkeeper or for making a superbly accurate pass. His shot, clapper or wrister, is excellent. He is deceptive and precise. In terms of skating, I like his mobility and the way he uses his edges. He is not the strongest physically, but he has fairly good balance, which allows him to be solid on his skates. He has a good hockey sense and understanding of the game. I would like to see him improve his passing game. Not because he is not a good passer, it's more about the vision. Sure, he still has to mature his entire game. He also needs to start gaining weight, strength and power to his body. If he can add grit and bulk up his game, I remain convinced that he is the kind of player who will have a good progression in the junior ranks. He showed me that he was smart enough to improve his weaknesses and work on those aspects. I would not hesitate to make him one of my choices in the late rounds of the draft.” (Belanger)

Riley Duran - C/RW – 6-1”, 175lbs - Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)

Analyst: Tom Dorsa

Almost all players drafted out of high school are longer term projects, with NHL teams operating under the assumption that they will need to be patient with them. Duran is exactly that. One of the largest risers in the final NHL Central Scouting rankings (breaking inside the top 100 of North America), the lanky pivot is enticing because of his skating ability and size combination and is tracking towards a potential top 100 selection in 2020. In recent drafts, the Massachusetts prep scene has done very well with the likes of Jayden Struble, John Farinacci, and Jay O’Brien all being selected high. This year, Duran and defender Ian Moore could follow the pattern.

Originally a second-round selection of the Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL Draft, Duran has spent the last two seasons at Lawrence Academy (which has alumni such as former Boston Bruin Steve Heinze). He recently signed a tender with Youngstown of the USHL to play there next year before heading to Providence the following season.

“Riley Duran elevated himself 47 spots on the NHL Central Scouting board from the mid-term rankings to the final rankings revealed just weeks ago. Prep school players will generally have a harder time getting on a pro scout’s radar, but Duran has made his presence known over the last few months. The Lawrence Academy forward plays a complete 200-foot game and has the skating ability and physical attributes to carry that kind of playing style into the college ranks, where he will suit up for Providence. His hands are not elite, but his lanky frame gives him solid puck-protection skill with which he can bulldoze to the net for scoring chances. The American prep school ranks are not generally where elite junior players will come from, and so, his game should be taken with a grain of salt. Added to that, he does play a fairly careless, wide open game, and that could be an issue for some coaches. I was expecting a respectable sixth- or seventh-round selection for Duran, but now I would not be surprised to hear his name called in the third or fourth rounds.” (Dorsa)

Max Glotzl - Defense – 6-2”, 200lbs - Kolner EC U20 (DNL U20)

Analyst: Chapin Landvogt

A good sized, left-handed shot defender, Glotzl has emerged as one of the top young defenders in Germany, which has greatly improved their country’s status of a development hotspot as of late. Perhaps overshadowed by the trio of potential first round forwards (Stutzle, Reichel, Peterka), Glotzl is a quality player in his own right.

As an underager, he was a member of the U18 squad that captured the Division A title at last year’s IIHF U18s. This would have allowed Germany to play in the main draw of this year’s now defunct tournament. He played four games against men this year at the DEL and DEL2 levels, and was top 5 in defenseman scoring in the U20 league, in addition to being one of the highest scoring U18 players overall.

“No single player in the German ice hockey scene would have benefited more from the U18 Worlds than Max Glotzl. Blessed with size, athleticism, and a powerful - though not yet particularly quick - stride, Max has been a man among boys for Cologne in Germany's U20 DNL junior league. The highest scoring U18 defenseman in the league, his ability to read the game, maintain a physical presence, and take on a major offensive role for one of the better junior programs in Germany earned him a 2-game look with the big boys in the DEL and another couple of outings with Bad Nauheim in Germany's DEL2.” (Landvogt)

James Hardie of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

James Hardie - Left Wing – 5-11”, 180lbs - Mississauga (OHL)

Analyst: Michael Rand

If you eliminate a stretch of 14 games from mid-October to the end of November, where Hardie struggled (1 goal and 2 assists), his numbers hold up with some of the best in this year’s OHL draft class; 33 goals and 60 points in 45 games. That type of production is similar to the likes of Tyson Foerster and Jacob Perreault, two players widely considered as potential first round selections.

Originally a first-round selection of the Steelheads in the OHL Priority Selection, Hardie improved greatly in his second year in the OHL. The Mississauga Steelheads, a quality young team led by 2019 NHL draft picks Thomas Harley, Cole Schwindt, and Keean Washkurak, had a very strong showing in the second half of the OHL season and Hardie was one of the main reasons for that. He ended up finishing the year as the team’s leader in goals, shots, powerplay goals, game winning goals, and was second in points. Yet, we don’t hear his name very regularly as a potential selection in the first three rounds.

“James Hardie of the Mississauga Steelheads is a super intriguing prospect. Hardie is a player that a few years down the road, could quite possibly look like a steal in the mid to later rounds of the draft. He is a very strong skater and a player that handles the puck quite well. He adds that “bite” component to his game as well, as he does not shy away from engaging in physical contact. With a continuation of honing in on this defensive zone coverage and his play away from the puck, we could be talking about a completely different player come next season. Hardie was a 30-goal scorer and over one point-per-game with the Steelheads this past season and if he continues his offensive abilities and tidies up those details in his game, he could be a force to be reckoned with next season.” (Rand)

Leksand's Emil Heineman during the ice hockey match in SHL between Brynäs and Leksand on March 7, 2020 in Gävle.
Photo: Daniel Eriksson / BILDBYRÅN

Emil Heineman - Left Wing – 6-1”, 185lbs - Leksands IF J20 (SuperElit)

Analyst: Will Scouch

The exhilarating thing about covering junior hockey, prospects, and the draft, is the unpredictability of a player’s development. Look no further than Swedish winger Emil Heineman. The late born 2001 forward was not on the radar at all at this point last year. He was coming off of a season in the SuperElit league where he had a single goal and had not played for Sweden Internationally...ever. Yet here we are discussing Heineman because of the steps forward that he took this year.

In 29 SuperElit games this year, Heineman had 26 goals, by far the best goals per game rate of any player in the league, including some highly ranked prospects like Zion Nybeck. This of course led to a call up to the SHL where he played 11 games and did not look out of place playing against men.

“My work allows me to view and track games almost anywhere in the world, and I can’t just talk about Marat Khusnutdinov forever, so I thought I’d dig for someone still not getting the attention they deserve. Heineman came out of absolutely nowhere this season to become a near goal-per-game player at the Under-20 level for Leksands, earning a callup to the SHL club to play 11 games. Heineman didn’t look out of place in the SHL playing decent minutes and finishing the year as an average possession player on the team, with a -0.83 SAT% relative to Leksands without him on the ice. The question with Heineman is both “What happened” and “Is this just the best year of his career?” Heineman has scored 29 goals in any level of competition over the course of the last five seasons yet scored 26 this year alone. From what I’ve been told, there’s a positional awareness and shot quality that people had not seen prior to this year, and while I’m still somewhat skeptical considering his track record, the data speaks for itself. All of his points at even strength were primary points, he had primary points on 71% of the goals scored with him on the ice at the U20 level, he relinquished under 0.6 even strength goals against all season, a measure 60% better than his team without him on the ice, and he was a clear power play threat on top of everything. He’s a quick and agile scoring winger who is still a bit lanky and could fill out his frame more over time, but I’m of the belief that the guy is legit. He had two points in SHL competition, but in my viewings he could’ve been even better, and I’m fascinated at where his name will be called and by whom at the 2020 NHL Draft.”

Sweden's Anton Johannesson during the ice hockey match in the U16 4-nation tournament between Sweden and Russia on April 15, 2018 in Umeå.
Photo: JOHAN LÖF / BILDBYRÅN

Anton Johannesson - Defense – 5-9”, 155lbs - HV71 J20 (SuperElit)

Analyst: Jimmy Hamrin

Injuries can be a tough thing for players in their draft year, let alone their draft year and the year prior. That was the case for Johannesson who has missed a good chunk of the last two years, including the previous summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. When you combine injury issues with a smaller frame, this can cause a lower ranking among the scouting community.

However, upon Johannesson’s return towards the end of the 2019 calendar year, fully healthy, he was able to showcase why he has long been considered one of the most skilled blueliners in Sweden among his age group. His 1.20 points per game (across 20 games) in the SuperElit league was considerably better than more hyped Swedish blueliners like Helge Grans (1.00 ppg), Emil Andrae (0.95 ppg), and William Wallinder (0.65 ppg). It would appear that Johannesson would have had a lot to gain from playing at the World U18s, had they actually occurred. Instead, he is a prospect currently flying under the radar.

"Anton Johannesson was under the radar early due to injury issues. After he got back in November, he dominated in the SuperElit scoring 24 points in only 20 games, including 8 goals. Johannesson surely has some red flags in his defensive game and his physicality, but in my opinion, he is the most skilled Swedish defenseman in the draft. He has elite puck skills, a good shot and his offensive hockey IQ is elite. He can control the pace of the game and shows awareness under pressure. He also skates fast with ease and can move around coast-to-coast with the puck. He isn’t ranked particularly high and I can see teams hitting a jackpot picking him as early as late in the first round. His upside is that good." (Hamrin)

Mitchell Miller. Photo by Dan Hickling. Hickling Images

Mitchell Miller - Defense – 5-11”, 195lbs - Tri-City (USHL)

Analyst: Ryan Wagman

Not only was Miller the highest scoring defender at the 2018 Hlinka/Gretzky Cup (for Team USA), but he was also the highest scoring defender at the most recent World Junior A Challenge. The later born 2001 left shot defender uses his strong skating ability to impact the game in all three zones yet finds himself outside of the first two rounds on most scouting lists.

A North Dakota commit, Miller was a standout for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm this year, helping them to finish 4th in the Western Conference. His 33 points helped him finish third in USHL defenseman scoring.

“At this point, I believe that Miller is the top draft eligible defender among the non-USNTDP USHLers, and no one else is particularly close. A true modern-era defender, Miller has great edges, enabling him to stop and change direction on a dime, breaking ankles along the way and his high-end acceleration leads to Miller leading his share of rushes from end to end. A very composed puck mover, Miller combines his puck skills with his skating to present dynamic elements fairly regularly. He has very good vision and is a creative passer. His puck control is high end. He can dangle at top speed to evade the defense as he prepares to attack the home plate area. Between his high-end skating and puck skills and refined hockey sense and instincts, he looks like a potential second pairing defender with some power play time thrown in. He would not look out of place in the second round.” (Wagman)

Tristan Robins. Photo by Steve Hiscock/Saskatoon Blades.

Tristen Robins - Center – 5-10”, 173lbs - Saskatoon (WHL)

Analyst: Vince Gibbons

Robins, a late born 2001 center, used a terrific second half to the WHL season to propel himself up the draft board. He ended up leading the Saskatoon Blades in scoring with 73 points in 62 games this year. However, if you dissect those numbers, you’ll see how good he was in the 2020 calendar year. During that span (27 games), Robins had 22 goals and 23 assists. Those points per game (1.66) and goals per game (0.81) numbers would put him right near the top of the WHL, not just among draft eligible players, but all players.

Buried behind a strong group of centers and forwards (Kirby Dach, Max Gerlach, Gary Haden, Eric Florchuk, Ryan Hughes, Chase Wouters) on a terrific Blades team last year, Robins was given a much larger role this year and flourished. This was especially true after Florchuk was dealt to Vancouver at the beginning of January. Even though the expectation was that Saskatoon would be in a rebuilding year after dealing off veteran players, the one two punch down the middle of captain Chase Wouters and Robins helped the Blades finish the season strong and end the year as a playoff team.

“Tristan Robins is a player that fully embodies the old adage “greater than the sum of his parts.” He doesn't have size, but he isn't small. He is a jack of all trades, master of none sort of player that contributes at both ends of the ice. He has great hockey sense and good offensive instincts. He supports his defense well down low and really excels at carrying the puck out of his own zone. His uptick in production coincides with his move back to Center where he handles his defensive responsibility well despite occasionally being physically overmatched. One of his most notable attributes is his willingness to pass the puck. Seems backwards for a ‘shooter’ but he trusts he will get it back. His game consists of a lot of quick one-two passes or give-and-goes where he creates a couple more inches of space to then release his very good shot. He has a quick release and consistently hits the net. He is a volume shooter who ranks ahead of several first round picks at 3.76 shots per game. His even strength production is also comparable to guys like Zary, Sourdif, Neighbours & McClennon with Jarvis the only one who has created any real separation and yet most of those players are ranked 30-60 spots higher than him.” (Gibbons)

Evan Vierling of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images

Evan Vierling - Center – 6-0”, 165lbs - Barrie (OHL)

Analyst: Brock Otten

A former second overall selection in the OHL Priority Draft, Vierling’s draft season could be termed unsteady. He started the year in Flint but left the team in November for personal reasons. Sitting out nearly two months, Vierling was traded to Barrie where his game flourished closer to home.

Developing terrific chemistry with fellow 2020 draft eligible Tyson Foerster, Vierling put up 34 points in 28 games with the Colts. That is a production clip of 1.21 points per game, which would place him right near Sarnia’s Jacob Perreault, who is universally considered a potential first round selection.

“Towards the end of the season, we really got a glimpse of the real Evan Vierling in Barrie. He had become an impact player, night in and night out. He is a very complete player. He plays the game with power despite needing to bulk up and is very effective in traffic because he shields the puck well, has a high IQ, and possesses high quality hands. Vierling competes hard in all three zones and projects as a middle six, all situations, playmaking center. Once a slight knock on him, his skating has improved considerably this year and is no longer an issue. Had the U18’s occurred, I believe that Vierling would have been an integral part of the team (alongside Foerster) and raised his draft stock above where it currently is. He is definitely someone who closed out the (abrupt) OHL season well.” (Otten)

William Villeneuve - Defense – 6-1”, 165lbs - Saint John (QMJHL)

Analyst: Mike Sanderson

When discussing the top QMJHL players available for the 2020, Villeneuve seems to fall through the cracks despite being a former second overall QMJHL selection, an assistant captain in Saint John, and the leader in defenseman scoring in the QMJHL this year.

His defensive partner Jeremie Poirier receives much more attention. Perhaps that’s due to the fact that Villeneuve is not quite as flashy. Additionally, his skating and strength level are areas that will require improvement. However, his quiet effectiveness and elite IQ should have him closer to his teammate than scouting rankings currently do.

“Honestly, I don't get the wide gap separation between Poirier and Villeneuve, and I've seen them both 40+ times in their junior careers. To me, Villeneuve will be just about as good offensively and won't be that far off defensively. I see Villeneuve, with more experience, as a finesse defender with great positioning and solid stick off the rush consistently. Currently holding Villeneuve back a bit is the need to put on a bit more muscle. From this, his stride will be more powerful and it'll help him out. He's very agile and fleet on his feet, maybe a better technical skater than Poirier. Additionally, he is more calm and mature with the puck than Poirier. He works the line really well, but I'd like to see him play with more confidence, generally. He doesn't take charge that much offensively, but does put up points. Adding more weight would also aid him defensively, as his reads are decent, but he can be beaten wide and lose some physical battles.” (Sanderson)

SWEDEN: Anton Johannesson, D, HV71 J20, SuperElit (2020)

Jimmy Hamrin — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 12:02:02 +0000

Anton Johannesson has been under the radar for this draft due to injury issues. He played only 11 regular season games last season and didn’t play until November this season. After he came back though, he has impressed me more than every time I have seen him. He earned the spot on the first power play in the last U18 national team tournament and has been dominating in the SuperElit, scoring over a point-per-game so far.

Johannesson is rising on my personal rankings and is the most skilled Swedish defenseman in this year’s draft. For the draft he could sneak his way into the bottom of the first round or early second round. He has elite puck skills and is very smart with the puck. He skates with ease and can move around coast-to-coast with the puck. He is also a strong first pass defenseman and plays with confidence in tight situations. He processes the game well and has strong awareness.

This season, he looks both more mobile on his skates and his shot has seen improvements. He is scoring goals at a good rate as well. He has some obvious weaknesses in his game as well. He lacks physical tools and is quite soft in his own end. He is a weak player when his team is under pressure in his own end where his awareness and strength will need to improve for him to be able to play at higher levels.

Overall, I will always bet on a skilled smart player and Johannesson is that. I see the potential of him being a good top four puck-moving defenseman with calm, poise, mobility, strong passing, and power play assets.

Anton Johannesson	2020 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots L	H/W: 5-9", 154 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	HV71 J20, SuperElit (18-7-15-22-8)
	HV71 J18, J18 Elit (5-3-3-6-25)

Sweden's Anton Johannesson during the ice hockey match in the U16 4-nation tournament between Sweden and Russia on April 15, 2018 in Umeå.
Photo: JOHAN LÖF / BILDBYRÅN

Skating: Johannesson is a very smooth skater. He walks up the ice with ease. He can travel seemingly effortlessly with the puck. He has an economical skating style which means that he remains at high speed without using much energy. His acceleration isn’t great, but his technique compensates that well. Johannesson also has tremendous agility which makes him a dangerous in the offensive zone where he can walk around opponents similar to Rasmus Dahlin before shooting or making a nice play. He lacks a bit in lower-body strength and isn’t strong enough to skate away with opponents on his back but that also gets well compensated by his agility in the way that he is hard to catch. Grade: 60

Shot: Johannesson has a dangerous wrist shot. He likes to move around in the offensive zone seeking a good opportunity to shoot. He shoots both hard and with precision with excellent technique. On the power play he is a very dangerous weapon even though he doesn’t have a big one-time bomb to use because of his skilled wrist shots. He has also scored 8 goals in the 20 games he has played this season. Grade: 55

Skills: Fantastic first passer. He can use both a long or a short pass to get out of his own end. He sees the ice very well and delivers precise passes at the right time to start an attack. He is also a very skilled in deking with the puck and is a great offensive weapon and a playmaker. He can walk around opponents in the offensive zone and deliver a crucial pass or a quick shot. He has tremendous split vision and always has his head up when playing the puck. Grade: 60

Smarts: When his team has the puck, Johannesson has excellent vision and awareness. He is offensive-minded and plays with calm and poise. The game looks easy for him. He is also good at getting open for a pass and finding open spaces when he joins an attack. He can control the pace with the puck and vary both a simple play with a more creative one. He rarely makes silly mistakes either, even if he is stressed, he will usually makes a good play with the puck. When his team is without the puck, he needs to learn to play with better awareness in his own end. He tends to get passive in front of his own net rather than reading and pushing to win over the puck when the game is cycled in his own end. He rarely makes a bad pinch, but he can miss a threat in front of the net. All in all, a strong power play and even strength offensive defenseman but on the PK, you would want to use someone else than Johannesson. Grade: 55

Physicality: Johannesson is a small defenseman that plays a soft game. He isn’t strong in front of the net or along the boards. He will need to get much stronger to be able to play in those areas. He is still thinly built and will probably be able to add around 30 lbs when he is fully grown which of course would help. He has been injury prone early in his career and has shown tenacity in coming back strong from those injuries. Grade: 35

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 54

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. 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.

Anton Johannesson – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: WINNIPEG JETS – RANK: #21 – TIER IV

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Winnipeg Jets Top 20 Prospects

Cole Perfetti, C/LW (10th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dylan Samberg, D (43rd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 1)

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Ville Heinola, D (20th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Declan Chisholm, D (150th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Anton Johannesson, D (133rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Sami Niku, D (198th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 5)

Mikhail Berdin, G (157th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

Logan Stanley, D (18th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 7)

Daniel Torgersson, LW (40th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

David Gustafsson, C (60th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Santeri Virtanen, C (105th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 9)

Nathan Smith, C (91st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Arvid Holm, G (167th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Leon Gawanke, D (136th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

Simon Lundmark, D (51st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Kristian Reichel, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jun. 15, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Eric Comrie, G (Waivers: Dec. 19, 2019. Originally: 59th overall, 2013 [Winnipeg]. Previous ranking: UR)

Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 16)

Henri Nikkanen, C (113th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 18)