Blake McLaughlin – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: ANAHEIM DUCKS – RANK: #2 – TIER 1

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 14:58:51 +0000

Anaheim Ducks

Depth and an elite top end with top ten prospects and five in the top 55. Had Zegras and Drysdale each played even one more game, the Ducks system would only drop to the second tier, a testament to the aforementioned depth.

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 10: Anaheim Ducks Left Wing Trevor Zegras (46) in action during a game against the Los Angeles Kings played on March 10, 2021 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)

Trevor Zegras - C

The top prospect in the sport, Zegras would have been ineligible for this list if he had played in even one additional game this past season for Anaheim. If his 13 points in 24 games NHL debut told us anything, it is that he can play in this league. His WJC MVP run (18 points in seven games for the Gold Medal winning Team USA) told us that he can dominate against the best of his peer group of U20 hockey players. His 21 points in 17 AHL games as a teenager also told us that he can dominate against men when he is given the freedom to be creative. You see, creativity is what Zegras does best. His playmaking game is among the best to come through recently, especially if you eliminate the McDavid types who create scoring chances mostly through sheer speed.

Zegras is a good skater, very good on occasion, but his edges are more impressive than his pure speed. Given a decent trigger man to play with, he could lead the NHL in assists for a good long while. Beyond that sublime skillset, he also grew as his own finisher last year, forcing opponents to respect his shooting abilities more, which in turn gives him more room to make the pass. Zegras is not only a future first line center, but he is a future All Star and Hart Trophy candidate. He will lead the Ducks back into contention in the near future. - RW

Jamie Drysdale- D

One of the top young defenders in the game, Drysdale took advantage of the opportunity to play in the AHL this year with the OHL on hiatus. An immediate impact player and top defender with San Diego, Drysdale lived up to the hype of being selected sixth overall a year ago. As such, it was not long before he got the call to Anaheim to play with the pro team and by season’s end, he was averaging well over 20 minutes per game and running the top powerplay for the Ducks.

An elite level skater, Drysdale uses his mobility to be an impact player at both ends of the ice. A high-level thinker and problem solver, he should have no problem in the defensive end as he bulks up. This was evident already this season as Drysdale looked stronger and more confident physically to handle larger pro players down low and near the crease. As early as next season, he should become a standout top four defender for Anaheim and have his name whispered in the same breath as the other top young defenders in the game like Cale Makar, Adam Fox, and Quinn Hughes. His upside remains as a top ten NHL defender and a potential Norris trophy winner. - BO

Mason McTavish - C

Coming into his draft year (which was filled with turmoil due to the OHL delay and subsequent cancellation), McTavish worked extremely hard to improve the areas of his game that scouts had identified as potential areas of weakness. His skating improved significantly, and McTavish learned to make better decisions with the puck in the offensive zone, displaying more patience and poise as a playmaker. He now possesses the confidence to wait out opposing defenses and dominate possession down low to draw in multiple defenders before dishing off. Of course, the highlight of McTavish’s game is most certainly his shot and scoring ability. Armed with a lightning quick wrist shot, McTavish is lethal from anywhere because of his release and precision. McTavish also profiles as a strong two-way center, a role that he seemed to thrive in at this year’s Under 18’s.

For these precise reasons, the Ducks made him the third overall selection this year. Given his size, strength, awareness, and improving stride, he has a chance to develop into a very difficult player to match up against and the kind of player who can provide serious versatility to his future coaches. He could slot in behind Trevor Zegras to give Anaheim a dynamic one/two punch at center, or he could play on Zegras’ wing to clear space and finish off plays. McTavish is someone who probably only needs another year at the OHL level before he is ready to make the jump to the NHL and he perfectly represents the kind of power center that NHL scouts are clamoring for in the modern era. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Jacob Perreault - RW

With the Sarnia Sting on hiatus this year, Perreault played for San Diego in the AHL, when he otherwise would have been sent back to the OHL by Anaheim in his post draft year. The 27th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, Perreault performed admirably as an 18/19-year-old in a men’s pro league. His goal scoring production was not quite at the level one would have expected, especially considering his elite level shot and scoring instincts. However, he did show improvements in his ability to play with pace and became a more consistently engaged two-way player.

According to various reports, the “underage” players who played 20+ games in the AHL this past season will be granted special exemptions to continue in the AHL for the upcoming season. That means that unless Anaheim decides to send him back to Sarnia, his OHL days are over. Perreault will continue to work on becoming a more consistent contributor, improving his play away from the puck and his effectiveness in playing through traffic. He projects as a top six goal scoring winger who could be a lethal triggerman on the powerplay. - BO

Lukas Dostal - G

No question, Dostal has emerged as one of the top goaltending prospects on the planet. The Czech netminder was the 2019/20 Liiga goaltender of the year as a 20-year-old and then was somehow even better this past season. He had a .941 save percentage IIlves before making the jump to the AHL with San Diego, where his .916 save percentage was top five in the league as a rookie in North America. Needless to say, the Ducks have to be pretty happy with his progress at this point and are feeling pretty comfortable with the idea of Dostal being the heir apparent to John Gibson in the Anaheim crease.

Dostal is known for his aggressiveness as a netminder as he is confident in his quickness and athletic ability. He will come way out to the top of the blue paint to cut down angles and he recovers quickly to keep himself square, following the play. Due to this aggressiveness, he can be prone to some scrambling like tendencies, but he never gives up on a puck and has enough size (6’2) to take away the upper portion even when he appears down and out. It is likely that we see Dostal play another full year in San Diego as a starter before he makes the jump to Anaheim to learn from Gibson. He has the potential to be one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. - BO

Benoit-Olivier Groulx - C

The former Halifax Mooseheads standout (although he did close out his QMJHL career with Moncton) is coming off of a very successful first pro season with San Diego. He finished third in scoring for the Gulls, showing off his strong two-way abilities and high-end awareness. The competitive forward brings serious versatility to his coaches and that could allow him to move quickly through the Ducks’ system.

Groulx is the kind of player who has few weaknesses. He competes hard in all three zones. He protects the puck well in the offensive zone and has high end vision as a playmaker. He finds his way to the net and can excel through traffic. Really, the only area of his game that he has needed to improve since being drafted is his speed and explosiveness. However, his skating has definitely improved over the past few seasons, helping to explain his solid pro debut. The Ducks are a rebuilding team and competition in training camp will be fierce. While it is likely that Groulx starts the year in the AHL again, there is a chance that he could earn a spot given his versatility. His projection remains that of a middle six forward, who probably starts his NHL career in a checking line role before building confidence. - BO

Olen Zellweger - D

One of the true breakout stars at this year’s World Under 18’s, Zellweger used that platform to help him become an early second round selection by Anaheim this year. Zellweger’s calling card is his skating ability. Armed with an effortless stride and fantastic edgework, Zellweger is an extremely difficult player for defenders to pin down. He escapes the forecheck well because he takes great routes to dump ins and spins off potential checks. There is no panic to his game, and he is able to buy time and space by turning or spinning away from pressure. With his desire to push the pace, he is always looking up ice, quickly making an outlet or using his speed to exit the zone and start the breakout. Additionally, his strength on his edges and his lateral quickness allows him to walk the blueline with ease, making him such a confident and competent powerplay QB.

Where Zellweger can sometimes struggle is in the defensive end. On the smaller side (at 5’10, 174lbs), he will need to increase his physical intensity level to make him more effective at winning battles in traffic. The progression of his play in the defensive end will definitely dictate whether Zellweger becomes more of a powerplay specialist or a top four NHL defender. He will return to the WHL this year and has a chance to be one of the league’s top scoring defenders. While he may yet be a few years away from playing for the Ducks, his potential is vast if Anaheim is patient. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Henry Thrun - D

Harvard shutdown their hockey program this past season due to the pandemic, forcing Thrun to re-evaluate his options after his exceptional freshman season. Thrun decided to return to the USHL, where he spent two seasons with the USNTDP leading up to his draft year. Of course, he couldn’t return to the program, but Dubuque held his league rights, and he spent time there, working on his game, and making sure that he was in game shape to represent his country at the WJC. His time in Dubuque shouldn’t be looked at too deeply, no matter how great he was – and he was, with almost one point per game, on top of a strong, shut-down defensive game – as he had already established himself at a higher level and was only really there for the reps.

While his knack for getting on the scoresheet was not there at the WJC, he still played a critical role for the Gold Medal winners, particularly in the realm of transitioning from defense to offense. He can skate the puck out from pressure in his own end, although he looks a tad more comfortable making the D-to-D pass out of danger. He gaps very well and knows how to use his stick to generate turnovers. Thurn’s two-way game will return to Harvard this year, and frankly, he should dominate. He has all of the tools to play in a middle pairing at the NHL level, and he could get there sooner than many expect. - RW

Jackson Lacombe - D

A little under-the-radar in his pre-draft days mostly with the Shattuck St. Mary’s program, Lacombe has made several very impressive strides in the two seasons since Anaheim tabbed him with an early second round pick. Of course, if talking about Lacombe and strides, we must delve for a moment into his skating, the clear high point of his player profile. As a North-South skater, he is fine or better, better especially when we consider his frame, which is both long and broad. But more than straight-ahead speed, we need to focus on his lateral mobility. Whether with the Golden Gophers, or with Team USA at the WJC, his ability to walk the blueline laterally, evading coverage and finding seams for high-low passes, or for him to skate the puck in deeper, Lacombe has been really impressive.

This trait, with which he has grown increasingly confident in the last year, helped Lacombe increase his points production by over 50% in more than 25% fewer games. In his own end, he positions himself well, and demonstrates that he knows how to use his big frame to successfully battle for positioning behind his net. A workhorse with Minnesota, he may not have the characteristics to be a top three defender as a pro, but it wouldn’t take much in terms of additional development for Lacombe to be worthy of such a projection. He is likely to turn pro at the end of his upcoming Junior season. - RW

Sam Colangelo - RW

Normally, a freshman season like the one Colangelo just experienced would result in the player in question facing a precipitous drop in prospect rankings. His power game, so dominant in the USHL, was simply not there. He also looked like a gifted sniper before the draft, but failed to score with Northeastern, and his only goal of the year was a point-blank one-timer he nailed against Austria in the WJC, where he otherwise was used in a pure depth role, playing fewer than eight minutes per game in four of the seven games of the event.

The challenge in judging him now, is that his time at the WJC was his first bit of hockey anywhere since prior to the pandemic, and while he failed to score for Northeastern, he was able to get his shot off, putting 26 pucks on the net in his eight collegiate games. He played a little timid, more than is suitable for his style, and between the tiny sample size and the herky-jerky roster placement, he just never was able to get comfortable. Quite frankly, Colangelo deserves a mulligan for last year. Until he proves otherwise, he still projects as a middle six, all situations power winger. We just might need to wait an extra season than we had originally anticipated. - RW

Brayden Tracey - LW

Since being drafted by the Ducks in the first round, his development has really plateaued, including posting under a point per game in the WHL this past season and putting up a goose egg in the AHL. A skilled, offensive winger, he needs to get his game back on track as a full time pro this year.

Sasha Pastujov - RW

In a surprising turn of events, this 2021 third round selection turned his back on a commitment with Notre Dame to sign with Anaheim recently. It likely means that he will head to the OHL next year (where Guelph holds his rights). Pastujov is at his best when playing near the net and will look to improve his ability to play with pace in the OHL.

Ian Moore - D

A Clark Cup champion with the Chicago Steel of the USHL this past year, Moore really improved from the start of the year to the finish. A smooth skating two-way defender, he will attend Harvard this year and should be a big part of their blueline for the next few NCAA seasons.

Axel Andersson - D

Andersson is a solid puck moving defender who split the previous year between the Allsvenskan and the AHL. Acquired from Boston in the Ondrej Kase deal, Andersson will play full time in the AHL this year and projects as a potential powerplay QB.

Blake McLaughlin - LW

A talented playmaking forward, McLaughlin has improved in each of his first three NCAA seasons for the University of Minnesota. He will return for his senior year and should still be on Anaheim’s radar to sign following the conclusion of the upcoming college season.

NCAA TOURNAMENT RECAP – Minutemen Win First NCAA Title

Jashvina Shah — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 14:32:24 +0000

The NCAA tournament featured 16 teams, but due to COVID protocols, there were some changes and eventually only 14 teams ended up playing. First St. Lawrence, the ECAC’s automatic bid and tournament champion, was removed because the coach tested positive for COVID in the hours after celebrating the team’s Conference tournament victory. In their stead, Notre Dame snuck into the tournament.

But when Notre Dame went through COVID testing at the Albany regional, they, too, were sent home because of COVID protocols. Then, on the day of their Midwest Regional game, Michigan was informed they would also not be able to play.

For COVID protocols, teams worked with local contract tracers — so those at the different regional states — to determine close contacts stemming from a positive test. A positive test does not automatically mean a team is ineligible, but teams can be deemed ineligible due to subsequent contract tracing.

Here is a recap of the weekend and the subsequent Frozen Four:

Fargo Regional

North Dakota vs. American International

In recent years, we’ve seen No. 4 seeds upsetting No. 1 seeds. We also saw American International, an actual No. 16 seed, knock off the No. 1 seed St. Cloud State in 2019. But this game was not made for upsets. North Dakota was considered one of the best teams in the country, and they skated away with a 5-1 victory.

Jasper Weatherby (SJS) struck first less than 10 minutes into the game. And about three minutes later, he scored again. North Dakota wasn’t done with scoring in the first, though, as Grant Mismash (NSH) and Collin Adams (NYI) also added tallies. American International’s lone goal came in the third period, courtney of Tobias Fladeby.

Adams added another tally in the third. Junior Adam Scheel (DAL) made 24 saves. Jacob Bernard-Docker (OTT), Tyler Kleven (OTT), Judd Caufield (PIT) Jake Sandseron (OTT) each recorded an assist. Stefano Durante started for AIC but was replaced by Jake Kucharski (CAR) after allowing four goals on nine shots. Kucharski allowed one goal while making 19 saves.

Minnesota-Duluth vs. Michigan

This game was not played as Michigan was informed the day of the game that they would not be able to play due to COVID protocols. A player had tested positive before regionals and was left on campus. A different player that traveled with the team later tested positive.

North Dakota vs. Minnesota-Duluth

The NCHC rivalry game ended up being the best of the NCAA tournament. North Dakota against the perennial, two-time defending champions.

For two periods, the game was deadlocked. Then early in the third periods the Bulldogs struck twice in 1:20 thanks to Jackson Cates (PHI) and Cole Koepke (TBL) to take the 2-0 lead. A well-coached team, the Bulldogs began to stymie the Fighting Hawks, looking like they would return to the Frozen Four.

And they were two minutes away from doing so, before Adams scored again. 50 seconds later, Jordan Kawaguchi (DAL) scored. The game went into overtime.

And overtime. And overtime. And overtime. At one point, the Bulldogs scored — or they thought they had scored, but the goal was called back. And so they kept on playing.

Finally, in the fifth overtime — officially making the contest the longest NCAA tournament game, men’s or women’s, in history, Minnesota-Duluth sent out its rested fourth line and Luke Mylymok (’01), who had barely played during the first seven (!!!) periods, scored the game winner.

Shane Pinto (OTT) netted two assists while Weatherby added one.

Loveland Regional

Minnesota State vs. Quinnipiac

The Mavericks, cursed by first-round losses, opened up this year’s NCAA tournament against the Bobcats, who made the NCAA tournament after losing in the ECAC’s three-team tournament, but whose regular season was strong enough to keep them in consideration. The forced elimination of St. Lawrence due to COVID protocols, as discussed above, further cemented their place in the tournament as the sole representative from the ECAC.

Odeen Tufto (TB) put Quinnipiac up 1-0 early in the first period. With five minutes left in the frame, Peter DiLiberatore (VGK) made it 2-0. The Mavericks cut the lead in half with the lone second-period tally.

The third frame featured the most scoring action, started by CJ McGee, who scored his first goal of the year, to bring the Bobcats back up to a two-goal lead. Nathan Smith (WIN) scored for the Mavericks and Cade Borchardt scored with a minute left in regulation to tie the game. Ryan Sandelin, the son of Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin, scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

Dryden McKay made 27 stops for the Mavericks while Keith Petruzzelli (DET) made 34 for Quinnipiac.

Minnesota vs. Nebraska-Omaha

This game ended almost as soon as it started, with Mason Nevers scoring his first collegiate goal to put Minnesota up 1-0. Minnesota reeled off three goals in the first period before Taylor Ward put the Mavericks on the board. Less than a minute into the second period, Ryan Johnson (BUF) put the Gophers back up by three. Two more tallies in the period sealed the eventual 7-2 win for Minnesota.

Jack LaFontaine (CAR) made 26 stops for the winners. Jack Perbix (ANA), Scott Reedy (SJS) and Sampo Ranta (COL) all scored. Brock Faber (LAK) recorded five assists. Blake McLaughlin (ANA), Sammy Walker (TBL), Jackson LaCombe (ANA), and Johnson each contributed a single helper. Tyler Weiss (COL) recorded two assists for Nebraska-Omaha. Isiah Saville (VGK) got the start for the losing side but was pulled after allowing five goals on 10 shots.

Minnesota vs. Minnesota State

It seemed Minnesota used up all its goals against Nebraska-Omaha because they came out flat against the purple Mavericks. Minnesota State earned a 4-0 shutout backed by 22 saves from Dryden McKay and goals from Sam Morton, Sandelin, Smith and Dallas Gerads. Minnesota’s Jack LaFontaine made 23 stops in the losing cause.

Bridgeport Regional

Wisconsin vs. Bemidji State

The Badgers returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014 and for the first time under Tony Granato, largely bolstered by decent goaltending and offensive power from Cole Caufield (MTL). On the opposite side were the Pioneers.

In the biggest upset of the first round, Bemidji State dominated Wisconsin. They scored six minutes into the game and added another goal with 16 seconds left. The Badgers took advantage of a 5-on-3 power play early in the second with power play quarterback Linus Weissbach bringing the Badgers to within one. The Pioneers struck twice more in the last five minutes — including on a shorthanded tally that got the better of Weissbach — to make it 4-1.

Another goal in the third seemed to put the game away. But none other than Cole Caufield struck twice to cut the deficit. A shorthanded empty net goal with two seconds left sealed the victory for Bemidji State.

Caufield added an assist to his aforementioned goals. Shortly after the game, he signed with Montreal. Not long afterwards, he won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s top player.

Massachusetts vs. Lake Superior State

The Lakers returned to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1995-96 after winning their first conference tournament since 1994-95. The Minutemen, meanwhile, returned after falling in the 2019 national championship game.

UMass started the scoring in the first, but Lake Superior State tied it before the frame ended. From the second period onward, it was all the Minutemen, who scored four more goals and shut out the Lakers for the remainder of the game en route to a 5-1 win.

Zac Jones (NYR) recorded three assists while Filip Lindberg (MIN) made 30 stops in the victory.

Massachusetts vs. Bemidji State

The Minutemen put out a statement on the regional championship game, shutting out the Pioneers 4-0 to claim a second-consecutive berth to the Frozen Four. Carson Gicewicz recorded a natural hat trick in the victory. Marc Del Gaizo (NSH) recorded two assists and Matthew Kessel (STL) had one. Lindberg made 18 saves in the shutout.

Albany Regional

Boston College vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame received a positive test upon arrival in Albany for the regional and were forced to withdraw. Boston College advanced in light of the no-contest.

St. Cloud State vs. Boston University

After a scoreless first, BU opened the scoring eight seconds into the second frame. St. Cloud’s Micah Miller tied the game off a fluke play where the puck bounced high and everyone except for Nolan Walker — the player whose stick the puck landed on — lost sight of it. Nick Perbix (TBL) gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead before Jake Wise’s (CHI) first goal of the season tied it.

In the third period, the Huskies were awarded a penalty shot, which they converted to regain the lead. St. Cloud State added two more goals in the win. Drew Commesso (CHI) made 32 saves in a losing cause while David Hrenak (LAK) made 34 in the win. Veeti Miettinen (TOR) scored a goal for the winners.

St. Cloud State vs. Boston College

The Eagles struck first thanks to Matt Boldy (MIN) and retained the 1-0 lead into the intermission, but from there on out it was all St. Cloud State. The Huskies scored three goals in the third period from Luke Jaycox, Will Hammer and Nolan Walker. Micah Miller added an empty net goal in the third. Boston College’s Spencer Knight (FLA) made 32 saves in defeat. Hrenak made 26 in the victory. On a down note, St. Cloud’s leading scorer, Easton Brodziński, broke his leg in the game.

Frozen Four

The Frozen Four featured three title-less programs in UMass, St. Cloud State and Minnesota State. The Bulldogs, of course, were trying to earn their third-straight national title. This would also be Minnesota State’s first ever Frozen Four appearance.

The Minutemen started the Frozen Four without leading goal scorer Carson Gicewicz and starting goaltender Filip Lindberg, as well as two other depth players, due to COVID protocols.

Minnesota State vs. St. Cloud State

The in-state rivalry game featured offensive, fast-paced, back-and-forth play between two evenly matched teams. Precise passing on the power play led to a couple good chances. One of those chances was a rebound that bounced straight to St. Cloud’s Spencer Meier, who shot the puck into an empty net. On Minnesota State’s tying goal, the Huskies couldn’t clear and Nathan Smith won the puck battle, earning the goal. But Minnesota State’s euphoria was short lived, as the Huskies reclaimed the lead 10 seconds later. The defense allowed St. Cloud’s Nolan Walker to take the puck and he skated past a defender who was closing in on him, stickhandled around another defender and made a quick, slick pass to Kyler Kupka, who scored. The Huskies held on to the one-goal lead heading into the first intermission.

Will Hammer’s second period goal seemed to put the game further out of reach for Minnesota State, but the Mavericks did not go away quietly. They responded with control of the puck, turning up the pace of play scoring once just past the middle point of the period, and that continued persistence led to a tripping penalty on St. Cloud that, in turn, led to the Mavericks tying the game with another Nathan Smith goal. In the third period, the Mavericks took the one-goal lead early, through the stick of Dallas Gerads and kept up the pressure and followed with another onslaught.

The Huskies were without leading goal scorer Easton Brodzinski, but it was his replacement — Joe Molenaar — who tied the game in the third period. With the teams evenly matched, it looked as though the game would go into overtime. The Mavericks earned a couple of good chances very late into the game, but Hrenak made the stops. Minnesota State had an offensive zone draw, but the Huskies won the face-off and took the puck up ice. They fought to keep it in the zone with Seamus Donohue collecting the puck in the corner and sending it to Nolan Walker, who took the shot from the blue line that gave St. Cloud state the lead with 45 seconds left. It was all the Huskies needed.

In addition to Nathan Smith’s (WIN) two goals for Minnesota State, Sam Hentges (MIN) recorded an assist and David Hrenak (LAK) made 25 saves.

Minnesota-Duluth vs. UMass

The rematch of 2019’s national championship game was much closer than that title game. In 2019, the Bulldogs scored and then clamped down. This year, the Minutemen actually took the lead on a Zac Jones (NYR) goal in the first period. The Bulldogs, an exceptionally well-coached team, tied the game up a just a few minutes later and entered the first intermission tied 1-1. Cole Koepke (TBL) scored first in the second to put the Bulldogs ahead.

This time, unlike 2019, the Bulldogs were unable to put the Minutemen away. UMass — bolstered by previous Frozen Four experience — came right back with pressure and even a scoring chance, which led to a UMD icing call and was then another UMass scoring chance. Just like that, the Minutemen kept attacking. UMass set the pace in the third and kept the Bulldogs chasing. Minnesota-Duluth was able to even out the run of play eventually, but the Minutemen crashed the net midway through the third and tied the game, with Anthony Del Gaizo credited with the equalizer.

The game went into overtime. Unlike with UMD’s earlier game against North Dakota, from the time the puck dropped in overtime, this time the Bulldogs looked exhausted. The Minutemen dominated and It looked very uncharacteristic of the Bulldogs, who spent overtime on their heels. UMass attacked relentlessly. It seemed like it was only a matter of time until UMass would score. That break came late in the first overtime period, when Bobby Trivigno fought to hold on to the puck deep in the offensive zone, skated around the net and fed the puck to Garrett Wait, who was waiting at the edge of the crease. Wait had a small, empty hole of the net to shoot through. He made no mistake, putting UMass in the final again, and ending any hope of a threepeat from Minnesota-Duluth.

UMass vs. St. Cloud State

The Huskies started the final game of the collegiate 2020-21 season game strong and with energy. They even hit a crossbar early on. The Huskies kept up the pace but unfortunately for them, luck did not go their way. The Minutemen scored the first goal after a Husky lost an edge and fell into a teammate, giving the Minutemen a breakaway chance which was converted by blueliner Aaron Bohlinger, his first of the season. With just over a minute left in the period, Reed Lebster of the Minutemen scored on offsides goal that could not be reviewed for offsides based on NCAA rules.

Play at that point was still even between the two teams, and the Huskies believed they still had a chance. SCSU also had a shorthanded scoring chance early in the second. The Huskies managed to kill off the penalty and seemed to still be playing with jump and earning chances.

But things changed when the Huskies received a power play of their own.

The Huskies had regrouped in their own end and were bringing the puck back up the ice. One of the Huskies aimed to send a cross-ice pass at a teammate, but it was deflected by UMass’ Philip Lagunov, who chased it down in the neutral zone, picked up the puck, made an excellent toe drag to get around the lone remaining defender. Lagunov took it calmly to the net and quickly shot it stick side to give UMass a 3-0 lead.

It was all over for the Huskies, who were deflated by the shorthanded marker. The Minutemen won 5-0, winning the program’s first NCAA title.

In his return to net, Lindberg made 25 saves. Hrenak made 17 in the losing cause for Minnesota-Duluth.

***

Brock Faber's (LAK) five points led tournament scoring amongst drafted players. Minnesota State’s Nathan Smith (WIN) led all drafted players in goals, netting four. Wisconsin’s Cole Caufield (MIN) and North Dakota’s Jasper Weatherby (SJS) and Collin Adams (NYI) all had two-goal games. Zac Jones (NYR) recorded four points.

Lindberg (MIN) allowed just one goal in 254:30 minutes of play, good for a .986 save percentage. Hrenak (LAK) played the most minutes and posted a .895 save percentage.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Anaheim Ducks Top 20 Prospects

Sat, 14 Nov 2020 17:58:17 +0000

This article is our final top 20 ranking of the Anaheim Duck Prospects and will be included in our McKeen's 2020-21 NHL Yearbook releasing on December 4th. For an overview of the Ducks prospect system prior to the NHL Draft please refer to Ryan Wagman's article here You can also read the review of their Draft performance versus the McKeen's final rankings here

Trevor Zegras, C (9^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Trevor Zegras makes everything look effortless. The forward spent two seasons with the USNTDP, winning a gold medal with the U.S. in the U17 WHC and a bronze in the U18 as souvenirs. This season he also played in the WJC, leading the tournament in assists with nine and was named as one of the U.S.’ top three players in the event. He also earned a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team. Zegras entered Boston University as a true freshman and led the Terriers’ rookies in scoring. He is almost impossible to contain in the offensive zone and makes everything he does look easy with his excellent vision. One of his best assets is as a playmaker - he is an excellent passer and makes the puck float. He has quick hands and is always in the right place at the right time. On top of his preternatural passing ability, he is also an excellent scorer with a quick release on his shot that can fool goaltenders easily. The Ducks were suitably impressed and coaxed him off campus at the end of this first season. The NHL beckons. – JS

Jamie Drysdale, D (6^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

It was definitely a good year for the 5-11” defender from Toronto. Internationally, he captained Canada to a silver medal at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in the summer, and he played a regular role on route to gold at the WJC. With Erie in the OHL, Drysdale wore an ‘A’ and finished just under the point-per-game mark at 0.98, far and away the best mark by a U18 defender in the league. His skating ability is something to marvel at. Drysdale takes great routes to dump-ins and is able to transition from backward to forward stride so smoothly, rarely getting pinned in his own end. After retrieving, he takes only a few strides to hit full speed, dictating the pace. His mobility is also a huge asset working just inside the blueline, making forwards defending high look silly, allowing him to break down defensive coverage as others scramble to cover him. Drysdale also possesses terrific vision with the puck. In his own end, he always has his head up, looking up ice and can stretch the play with a breakout pass just as well as he can with his feet. – BO

Jacob Perreault, RW (27^th overall, 202. Previous ranking: N/A)

Perreault has hit the 30 goal mark the last two seasons, including scoring 39 this year in only 57 games. A natural center, he has played primarily on the wing during his junior career and is a gifted goal scorer. He projects as a top six goal scorer at the NHL level because of the quality of his shot; easily one of the best in the recent draft class. He loves to work down low, especially with the man advantage. When given an inch, he will take a mile and is aggressive in bringing the puck closer to the slot to create a better shot angle. He routinely beats goaltenders clean up high because of his quick and deceptive release. Perreault also looks to set up on the wing for one-time opportunities, where he can unleash a quick, powerful, and accurate slap shot. His hands and puck skills are very good overall, and he can create his own scoring chances in transition by attacking the middle, beating defenders one on one. He has yet to fully develop an ability to utilize his speed to be a consistent weapon, often slowing down to make cuts or to re-evaluate his options. - BO

Lukas Dostal, G (85^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Dostal’s first full season with Ilves was a huge success story. He started the season somewhat slowly, but eventually performed at a very high level. The Czech netminder was given the Urpo Ylonen award as the league’s best goalie. He gave Ilves a chance to win every night. He is athletic with quick reactions and the ability to make the occasional desperation save. He moves quickly and effectively post to post and can make extension pad saves. He uses his stick and blocker well to deflect rebounds into the corner. He also traps pucks well into his body. He gets set quickly for initial shot attempts and reads shooters well. On high danger shots, he is often able to even anticipate shooters’ intentions and make the saves as needed. When the puck is dumped in, Dostal will go behind the net to stop the puck. He moves the puck to his teammates with firm and simple passes. Dostal is known as a hard worker who takes time off the ice to study opposing players. In the past season, he solidified his position as one of the top European goalie prospects. - MB

Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

The best compliment to Groulx’s game is his attention to detail. He does all the little things necessary to win. A mid-season trade highlighted his value, as he took a top line role in every situation right away for the contending Moncton Wildcats. Groulx was recognized as the best defensive forward in the league, while also putting up over one point-a-game. He is an excellent face-off man, great positionally in the offensive and defensive zones, a great passer and playmaker who involves his linemates expertly. The downside for Team Canada’s last cut for the WJC roster is his skating, which is just okay, and could hold him back at the highest level, especially as a center. Even so, his smarts could carry him to a very good professional career. No matter where Groulx tops out, he will be an impactful player. He will figure in the Ducks plans going forward regardless, as he has already inked his entry-level contract. The AHL is his next challenge, a test for his pro-ready game. What is certain is that he will work hard for the opportunity. If his skating improves, he should be a strong two-way center at the NHL level. - MS

Isac Lundestrom, C/LW (23^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

While he does not possess the scoring prowess of Rickard Rakell or the polished stability of Hampus Lindholm, both previous Anaheim first rounders from Sweden, Lundestrom is the prototypical auxiliary player, providing immense value as a compliment to a more offensive forward. Responsible and smart, he is becoming just what the Ducks envisioned when they took the centerman out of the SHL. With quiet self-confidence, Lundestrom excels in a two-way role. His skating is serviceable with plus acceleration, which plays up his swift and deceptive hands and passing game. Though he could be more of a high-octane offensive forward, he has shown a great wrist shot and a desire to have the puck in transition. The high-IQ 20-year-old shines brightest on defense, where he is willing to take - and initiate - contact to keep the puck out of danger, and leads backchecks with ferocity. He was trusted with some significant time against the opposition’s primary scoring lines with AHL San Diego, earning a 15-game trial run playing the same role. He can absolutely become a second-line two-way force alongside a more offensively-oriented player in the near future. - TD

Brayden Tracey, LW (29^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Tracey had an excellent camp in Anaheim last season, where he was one of the last players cut, which typically leads to a drop off in play when returning to Junior. Despite that, he jumped out of the gate, potting an impressive eight goals and eight assists in his first eight games back, including back-to-back hat tricks. Where Tracey showed the most growth was in driving play. Where he was often a passenger in his draft year, he was carrying his line last season, especially impressive from the wing. His ability to carry the puck and to back defenders off opened up time and space for his linemates to attack, enabled his young center to find his legs. His skating allowed for zone exits, zone entries and a high pace of play through the neutral zone. When his line was on the ice he was able to handle the extra defensive attention. His playmaking skills are underrated as he has great touch on his passes and above average vision. Tracey is still a shooter at his core and has an excellent release that enables him to score from distance, off the rush, or from a deadly one-timer. – VG

Sam Colangelo, RW (36^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Colangelo has NHL size and strength and is a solid skater who demonstrates the ability to make sharp cuts and looks downright deadly curling off the wall to attack the slot. He has soft hands that work well in tight spots. He was integral to the Chicago Steel’s team-wide offensive dominance, but he was not necessarily the driver. He had points in 35 of his 44 games and only once was he held off the scoresheet twice in a row, but was on a team was so deep, the opposition often focused their shutdown defenders against the a different scoring line. Furthermore, even when Colangelo would get on the scoresheet, it was not always due to his own strong work as he could go for games at a time without doing much of notice. When he is noticed, it is because he is dominating. His North-South game is still in demand in the modern speed-skill NHL, and his game meshes well with speed-skill players. He might only need two seasons at Northeastern to prove his readiness for the pros. - RW

Jackson Lacombe, D (39^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Among the biggest risers one year out from the 2019 draft class, Lacombe made a very intriguing jump from playing for Shattuck-St. Mary’s to the University of Minnesota, finishing the year on the Big 10 All Rookie team. The thing that sticks out most for Lacombe is his composure, on or off the puck. He is a very smooth skater and has a plan when exiting his own zone. By the end of his freshman season, he had surpassed the standing of 2019 first rounder Ryan Johnson on the roster and was also receiving special teams work. I expect him to take another big step forward as a sophomore while his timeline to making an impact at the professional level has seemingly moved up from 2024 to 2023 or even 2022. Between his skating, play reading, and diverse offensive tools, Lacombe is projecting as a potential second pairing defender sooner than later. - RW

Axel Andersson, D (Trade” Feb. 21, 2020. Originally: 57^th overall, 2018 [Boston]. Previous ranking: 7)

The slick-skating defender did not see his offensive potential translate into a ton of points in his first season in North America, but it did not stop the Ducks from acquiring him from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline this season. The Bruins dealt Andersson as they are loaded on the blueline in the pipeline, and the Ducks could use another defender in the coffers. The strong Swede is a confident puck-mover and plays with an aura of control in his game. He does a great job at keeping attackers in front of him and steering them away from his goal. He hung on as an extra defenseman in the American league to start the season, which proves how his game will translate to the pros. Andersson projects as a solid positional blueliner who can chip in offensively, but more as a no-nonsense, middle-pairing, all-situations defenseman rather than a flashy star. He will be a jack-of-all-trades defender at the top level, with no true outstanding skills, but no glaring weaknesses, either. - MS

Blake McLaughlin, LW (79^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Although McLaughlin has yet to fully live up to the potential he showed in his draft year, his first two collegiate campaigns at Minnesota have been strong, if not dominant, and his sophomore season was a small step in the right direction. The play driving winger still needs to bulk up before he can be ready for the professional game, and additional consistency will also only be to his benefit. On the other hand, his play off the puck has grown more reliable, and his agility and puck handling ability have worked to make him a legit weapon offensively. He reads the play well, draws defenders to himself, and can keep opponents on their toes, dancing around them, or drawing a penalty in the attempt. There is another level that I think McLaughlin can get to as a playmaking winger, and if and when he does, he could fight for a top nine role at the highest level. Until then, we have to admit that he could be a boom-or-bust prospect. - RW

Henry Thrun, D (101^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

Thrun, an alumnus of the U.S. NTDP, joined the program after playing prep hockey. He is an offensive defenseman who held his own in his freshman year of collegiate hockey and was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team. He also earned a gold medal at the U17 WHC and bronze at the U18 WJC. Harvard’s trust in Thrun’s abilities were evident by his appearance on the team’s first penalty kill unit - a big vote of confidence for a rookie. He also runs point on the power play, another big responsibility for a rookie. He has a big frame and is physical, but he needs to pump his legs to move, but he can still join in on the rush. His speed and his laser passes help him set up his teammates and are part of what makes an offensive defenseman. Thrun is a also good stickhandler but he needs to work on staying on his feet in his own zone as he continues in his development. - JS

Ian Moore, D (67^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Right off the bat, we know that Moore will require a great deal of patience as he develops and refines his game. Four years (one in the USHL, three in college) is the likely minimum before he turns pro, much less proves ready to play in the NHL. He is a tall defender who skates very well, both in terms of speed and agility. He likes to push the pace to get the puck into the offensive end, and he shoots from the right side as well. Also of note is that his big offensive numbers notwithstanding, his game may actually be more refined off the puck. Moore positions himself well in his own end and uses a tight gap and a good stick to wedge opposing forwards towards the boards. As much as he likes to play an offensive game, he can be prone to forcing plays and playing impatiently. The bad habits from play against lesser prep school competition will have to be ironed out of his game sooner than later. This diamond is still very much in the rough. - RW

Josh Mahura, D (85^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 10)

One of the most lethal offensive defensemen during his WHL heyday, Mahura has started to find a groove with that style in the AHL. A plus skater and a high-end puck mover, he was heating up as a top-pair defender with San Diego (seven points in the last eight games) before the AHL cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season. Mahura has shown some promise in transition for Anaheim in his 28 career NHL appearances over two seasons, displaying some fearlessness with the puck. What is most important in his development is just that faith and confidence, because the skill is there. In addition to his puck-moving and skating prowess, the 22-year-old plays tight gaps with more strength in man-to-man battles than his lighter frame suggests, and he has become better at shutting down passing lanes in the defensive zone. Anaheim is likely holding him back until he can play with consistency in all three zones, and if that day comes, the 2016 third rounder would make a solid bottom-four defender with offensive upside. - TD

Chase De Leo, C (Trade: Jun. 30, 2018. Originally: 99^th overall, 2014 [Winnipeg]. Previous ranking: 11)

Growing up less than 20 miles from Anaheim’s Honda Center, De Leo cheered for the Ducks as a kid. He has suited up for his childhood team twice and led their AHL team over the past two seasons. Surely, he has some satisfaction with where he has gone in his career, but at 24, his story is not quite over. One of the most complete offensive players in the system, De Leo has very quick feet and a rapid shot that is particularly effective from in tight. The lefty is not limited in strength in spite of his 5-10” frame and can effectively run a cycle or drive the net without issue. However, De Leo is not much of an option on defense and seems to play with more energy and puck-play on the wing compared to center. He has essentially been the same player for three years and, while not impossible, is unlikely to stick in the NHL long-term as much more than an injury replacement. He can be an elite quad-A player for the next ten years, but not much else. - TD

Antoine Morand, C (60^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

After captaining the Halifax Mooseheads to a Memorial Cup appearance in his final QMJHL season, Morand struggled in his first pro campaign. His lack of size was a glaring issue and he shied away from competing physically for that reason, which is fairly concerning. But otherwise, the 21-year-old showed some offensive skill and decent potential as a middle-six center with AHL San Diego. Fast and smart, his agility and passing skill stand out most. Capable of carrying the puck and eluding defenders with it at top speed, he displays soft hands and excellent foot quickness to get a step on his opposition. He has been trusted with late faceoffs and protecting a lead in the final minutes of a game, which speaks to his quiet, mature demeanor. Admittedly, Morand is a very tough player to project; in certain games he will exhibit top-six scoring ability but then look invisible on the next five shifts. Finding some consistency in his raw, talented package could allow him to sneak into a top-nine role in the future with Anaheim, but his performance must first improve. - TD

Jack Badini, C/LW (91^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

A former third round pick, Badini recently signed with the Ducks after three years at Harvard. The Connecticut native also spent two and a half years in the USHL, where he won a championship with the Chicago Steel. A center, Badini’s scoring statistics might not look so impressive, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing his value. A former member of the ECAC All-Rookie team, he has seen playing time on both Harvard’s power play and penalty kill. His skating requires power strides, but he is a really quick skater. When he is on his game, his passes are powerful and crisp and he can thread them in difficult situations. His speed, plus his quick, direct passes make him a shorthanded scoring threat. He also moves around well in the defensive zone. At the next level, Badini projects as a defensive, power forward. - JS

Trevor Janicke, C (132^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Janicke would not have made the top 15 with many other organizations, but the Ducks thin out quickly, leaving us room to talk about one of the smaller players in the system. He has a period early in the season where he looked like a potential steal, with seven points over a four game stretch, including three games against Big 10 opponents, but could not maintain that momentum as the season dragged on and he had streaks of nine and six games without points later in the year. I fact, in the 18 games he played for the Fighting Irish after 2020 kicked in, Janicke was limited to three points. Some of the cold spell was luck-related, and he still flashed the skills that saw him drafted in the first place. He is a triggerman who can also dish and has soft hands. With half of Notre Dame’s top six turning pro, he will have a bigger chance to make an impact as a sophomore. – RW

Artyom Galimov, LW (129^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

The fourth time was the charm for Galimov, who was neglected over three consecutive drafts before the Ducks finally selected him in the fifth round this year. A hard-working, two-way winger who landed on the Russian national team radar last year, making the WJC roster, lost none of his admittedly meager scoring touch moving from the junior league (MHL) to the KHL and was named KHL rookie of the month in October. His follow up KHL campaign, now underway, is showing more of the same two-way, complimentary offense style game. Galimov is a fine skater with an impressive East-West game and good edges. His mature game, particularly his reliability on the other side of the puck and on the PK could translate well to a depth role in North America as soon as his contract expires at the end of next season. His ceiling and floor are both in bottom six roles. - RW

Bryce Kindopp, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 3, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Kindopp has a lot to like about his game. In Everett the total buy-in to team defense is the best in the WHL and Kindopp has been a big part of that. He is effective along the wall, both breaking up the opponent’s cycle and generating his own. He has a good release on his shot but is an effective scorer mainly because of how he positions himself and drives to the net. He is willing to pay the price to get to the net and has the size to stay there as the play progresses. He has a knack for sliding off pressure to give himself space to elevate and finish from in close. On the rush he can score but he isn’t a speedster. His skating has improved enough to get a look, but it is part of why he wasn’t drafted. The most impressive thing with Kindopp has been his steady progression, with minutes, goals per game, shots per game, and points per game having improved year over year. - VG

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – ANAHEIM DUCKS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 18

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 18:00:18 +0000

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks’ current NHL roster is not in a great way. Like the other California-based teams, the Ducks were pretty bad this year, finishing out of even the Play-in round, a fate reserved for only the bottom seven teams in the NHL.

For their efforts, they will pick sixth in the upcoming NHL draft, as well as whichever pick Boston ends up earning, a residual from the trade deadline maneuver that saw the Ducks acquire David Backes, prospect Axel Andersson (7^th on this list) and a 2020 first rounder in exchange for Ondrej Kase.

Fellow bottom dwellers like Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa, and Buffalo had all already been knee deep in their own rebuilds, and iced rosters among the youngest in the NHL. Detroit was unique among the seven in that their own teardown was still in the early stages, with too many bad contracts playing out the string and very few players considered among the next group of competing Red Wings not yet on the active roster. Anaheim could thus be lumped in with San Jose. Neither the Ducks nor the Sharks anticipated a losing season, both hoping, if not expecting, to compete for the postseason on the backs of their respective aging cores.

In addition to rostering one of the ten most experienced rosters in the league, the Ducks were also top ten size-wise, something which one might expect to go hand-in-hand with age.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, though. Lining up alongside the greybeards like Getzlaf, the aforementioned Backes, Ryan Miler, and four other 30-somethings, there is a new young core emerging in Orange County. Former first round pick Jacob Larsson has seemingly stuck on the blueline, and the team graduated three of our preseason top five prospects – and four from the top ten, among the forwards, in Sam Steel, Maxime Comtois, Troy Terry, and Max Jones. Perhaps trade pickups Sonny Milano and Brendan Guhle, once top prospects with Columbus and Buffalo respectively, and could regain some of his old sheen and stick with the Ducks as well.

All of the above paragraph is well and good, and a testament to the scouting and development of the organization in recent years. On the other hand, with the prominent exception of the team’s top prospect, Trevor Zegras, the system is presently quite thin. In fact, Zegras alone may be the difference between where the team is currently ranked organizationally, and a spot ten or more slots further down the list.

Another notable aspect of Anaheim’s player acquisition strategy has already been hinted at above, in noting the team’s rankings in height and weight. Of the five recent graduates listed above, three are plus sized. Of the 28 prospect-eligible players currently in the system, only four are listed as under 6-0” in height. The presence of Steel (5-11”) and Zegras (a skinny 6-0”) indicate that the team is not strictly targeting height at the draft, especially not with their early picks, but with a game trending more towards speed than ever, it may also be correct to state that the Ducks may have fallen behind.

There are some pieces here who could be instrumental to the Ducks returning to contention, but without re-focusing on drafting players who can play fast – skating and puck movement – they will likely continue to flounder.

I could also go on a mini-rant about the state of the blueline organizationally – old in the NHL and little coming up the ladder with only four of the top 15 being defensemen, but that is another topic for another essay.

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 03: Boston University Terriers forward Trevor Zegras (13) takes a shot on goal during the game between Boston College and Boston University on February 03, 2020, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mark Box/Icon Sportswire)

Trevor Zegras, C (9^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Trevor Zegras is one of the best — if not the best — prospects to come out of the East region in recent years. A No. 9 overall draft pick, Zegras is living up to his draft status and then some. He makes everything look effortless.

The forward spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development program, playing with the U-17 and U-18 teams. He won a gold medal with the U.S. in the U17 WHC and a bronze in the U18 World Junior Championship as souvenirs. This season he also played in the World Junior Championship, leading the tournament in assists with nine in five games and was named as one of the U.S.’ top three players in the event. He also earned a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

Zegras entered Boston University as a true freshman and led the Terriers in scoring amongst rookies. He is almost impossible to contain in the offensive zone and makes everything he does look easy with his excellent vision. One of Zegras’ best assets is as a playmaker - he is an excellent passer and makes his passes float. He has quick hands and is always in the right place at the right time.

On top of his preternatural passing ability, he is also an excellent scorer himself with a quick release on his shot and can fool goaltenders easily. It is no surprise that Zegras was on BU’s first power play unit. The Ducks were suitably impressed and coaxed him off campus at the end of this first season. The NHL beckons. - JS

Lukas Dostal, G (85^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 14)

He is athletic with quick reactions and the ability to make the occasional desperation save. He is a very good skater with strong edge work. He moves quickly and effectively post to post and can make extension pad saves. His rebound control is another asset. He uses his stick and blocker well to deflect pucks into the corner. He also traps pucks well into his body. He gets set quickly for initial shot attempts and reads shooters well. On high danger shots, he is often able to even anticipate shooters’ intentions and make the saves as needed. When the puck is dumped in, Dostal will go behind the net to stop the puck. He moves the puck to his teammates with firm and simple passes; nothing flashy though.

Dostal is known as a hard worker who takes time off the ice to study opposing players in order to know them inside and out. In the past season, he solidified his position as one of the top European goalie prospects. As of this writing, it is possible that Dostal will remain with Ilves for 2020-21, even though he is more than ready to bring his talents to North America. - MB

IRVINE, CA - SEPTEMBER 12: Benoit-Olivier Groulx #50 of the Anaheim Ducks (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)

Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

The best compliment to Groulx’s game is his attention to detail. He does all the little things necessary to win. A mid-season trade to Moncton highlighted his value in the QMJHL as he took a top line role in every situation right away for the contending Wildcats, after taking up the captaincy for the Mooseheads in the first half of the year. Groulx won the Guy Carbonneau trophy as the best defensive forward in the league, while also putting up over a point-a-game, and it was well deserved.

Groulx is an excellent face-off man, great positionally in the offensive and defensive zones, a great passer and playmaker who involves his linemates expertly. He was perhaps the smartest player in all of junior hockey last season. The downside for Team Canada’s last cut at the World Juniors is his skating, which is just okay. His skating could hold him back, especially as a center at the highest level. Even so, his smarts, much like Carbonneau’s game, could carry him to a very good professional career.

No matter where Groulx tops out, he will be an impactful player. He will figure in the Ducks plans going forward regardless, as he has already inked his entry-level contract. The AHL is his next challenge, where he will have instant success with his pro-ready game. What is certain is that Groulx, the son of Syracuse coach Benoît, will work hard for the opportunity. If his skating improves, he will be a strong two-way center at the NHL level. - MS

Isac Lundestrom, C/LW (23^rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

In 2018, the Ducks continued their trend of selecting Swedish players with their top pick in the NHL Draft. Following Rickard Rakell (2011), Hampus Lindholm (2012), Marcus Pettersson (2014), and Jacob Larsson (2015), Isac Lundestrom joined the fray. While he does not possess the scoring prowess of Rakell or the polished stability of Lindholm, Lundestrom is the prototypical auxiliary player; never will he be the most talented or most dangerous player on a team, but he will provide immense value as a complement to a more offensive forward.

Responsible and smart, he is becoming just what the Ducks envisioned when they took the centerman out of the SHL. With quiet self-confidence, Lundestrom excels in a two-way role. His skating is serviceable with plus acceleration, which plays up his swift and deceptive hands and passing game. Though he could be more of a high-octane offensive forward, he has shown a great wrist shot and a desire to have the puck in transition.

The high-IQ 20-year-old shines brightest on defense, where he is willing to take - and initiate - contact to keep the puck out of danger and leads backchecks with ferocity. He was trusted with some significant time against the opposition’s primary scoring lines with AHL San Diego and began a transition to the NHL in a 15-game trial run playing the same role. While his offensive ceiling is not of a top-line center, he can absolutely become a second-line two-way force alongside a more offensively oriented player in the Ducks system in the near future. - TD

IRVINE, CA - SEPTEMBER 12: Brayden Tracey #56 of the Anaheim Ducks (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)

Brayden Tracey, LW (29^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

If you look at Tracey’s numbers, we could understand concern. His +33 from the year before dropped to a combined -16 this season between Moose Jaw and Victoria. Both his goals per game and his points per game have regressed from his draft season as well. While this is all factual it does not provide anywhere close to the full picture of Tracey as a prospect.

In his draft year with Moose Jaw he was part of an elite group of five that all produced at an impressive rate, one of the most impressive in recent memory. Secondly, Tracey had an excellent camp in Anaheim where he was one of the last players cut which typically leads to a drop off in play when returning to Junior. Despite all of those things, he jumped out of the gate scoring an impressive eight goals with eight assists in his first eight games back, including back to back hat tricks.

Where Tracey showed the most growth was in driving play. Where he was oft a passenger in his draft year, he was carrying his line this season, especially impressive from the wing. His ability to carry the puck and to back defenders off opened up time and space for his linemates to attack and enabled his young center to find his legs. His skating allowed for zone exits, zone entries and a high pace of play through the neutral zone. When his line was on the ice, he was able to handle the extra defensive attention.

His playmaking skills are underrated as he has great touch on his passes and above average vision. Tracey is still a shooter at the core and has an excellent release that enables him to score from distance, off the rush, or from a deadly one-timer. - VG

Jackson Lacombe, D (39^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

The thing that sticks out most for Lacombe is his composure, on or off the puck. He is a very smooth skater and has a plan when exiting his own zone. By the end of his freshman season, he had surpassed the standing of 2019 first rounder Ryan Johnson on the roster and was also receiving special teams work.

I expect him to take another big step forward as a sophomore while his timeline to making an impact at the professional level has seemingly moved up from 2024 to 2023 or even 2022. Between his skating, play reading, and diverse offensive tools, Lacombe is projecting as a potential second pairing defender sooner than later. - RW

Axel Andersson, D (Trade” Feb. 21, 2020. Originally: 57^th overall, 2018 [Boston]. 2019 Rank: 13 [Boston])

The strong Swede is a confident puck-mover and plays with an aura of control in his game. He does a great job at keeping attackers in front of him and steering them away from his goal. He hung on as an extra defenseman in the American league to start the season, which proves how his game will translate to the pros. Andersson projects as a solid positional blueliner who can chip in offensively, but more as a no-nonsense, middle-pairing, all-situations defenseman rather than a flashy star. He will be a jack-of-all-trades defender at the top level, with no true outstanding skills, but no glaring weaknesses, either. - MS

Blake McLaughlin, LW (79^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 10)

On the other hand, his play off the puck has grown more reliable, and his agility and puck handling ability have worked to make him a legit weapon offensively. He reads the play well, draws defenders to himself, and can keep opponents on their toes, dancing around them, or drawing a penalty in the attempt.

There is another level that we think McLaughlin can get to as a playmaking winger, and if and when he does, he could fight for a top nine role at the highest level. Until then, we have to admit that he could be a boom-or-bust prospect. - RW

Henry Thrun, D (101^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)

Harvard’s trust in Thrun’s abilities were evident by his appearance on the team’s first penalty kill unit - a big vote of confidence for a rookie. He also runs point on the power play, another big responsibility for a rookie.

He has a big frame and is physical, but he needs to pump his legs to move, but he can still join in on the rush. His speed and his laser passes help him set up his teammates and are part of what makes an offensive defenseman. Thrun is also a good stickhandler but he needs to work on staying on his feet in his own zone as he continues in his development. - JS

Josh Mahura, D (85^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 9)

Mahura has shown some promise in transition for Anaheim in his 28 career NHL appearances over two seasons, displaying some fearlessness with the puck. What is most important in his development is just that faith and confidence, because the skill is there. In addition to his puck-moving and skating prowess, the 22-year-old plays tight gaps with more strength in man-to-man battles than his lighter frame suggests, and he has become better at shutting down passing lanes in the defensive zone.

Anaheim is likely holding him back until he can play with consistency in all three zones, and if that day comes, the 2016 third rounder would make a solid bottom-four defender with offensive upside. - TD

Chase De Leo, C (Trade: Jun. 30, 2018. Originally: 99^th overall, 2014 [Winnipeg]. 2019 Rank: 16)

One of the most complete offensive players in the system, De Leo has very quick feet and a rapid shot that is particularly effective from in tight. The lefty is not limited in strength in spite of his 5-10” frame and can effectively run a cycle or drive the net without issue. However, De Leo is not much of an option on defense and seems to play with more energy and puck-play on the wing compared to center.

He has essentially been the same player for three years and, while not impossible, is unlikely to stick in the NHL long-term as much more than an injury replacement. He can be an elite quad-A player for the next ten years, but not much else. - TD

Antoine Morand, C (60^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 13)

Fast and smart, his agility and passing skill stand out most. Capable of carrying the puck and eluding defenders with it at top speed, he displays soft hands and excellent foot quickness to get a step on his opposition. He has been trusted with late faceoffs and protecting a lead in the final minutes of a game, which speaks to his quiet, mature demeanor.

Admittedly, Morand is a very tough player to project; in certain games he will exhibit top-six scoring ability but then look invisible on the next five shifts. Finding some consistency in his raw, talented package could allow him to sneak into a top-nine role in the future with Anaheim, but his performance must first improve. - TD

Jack Badini, C/LW (91^st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 18)

A center, Badini’s scoring statistics might not look so impressive, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing his value. A former member of the ECAC All-Rookie team, he has seen playing time on both Harvard’s power play and penalty kill. His skating requires power strides, but he is a really quick skater.

When he is on his game, his passes are powerful and crisp, and he can thread them in difficult situations. His speed, plus his quick, direct passes make him a shorthanded scoring threat. He also moves around well in the defensive zone. At the next level, Badini projects as a defensive, power forward. - JS

Trevor Janicke, C (132^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

Janicke would not have made the top 15 with many other organizations, but the Ducks thin out quickly, leaving us room to talk about one of the smaller players in the system. He had a period early in the season where he looked like a potential steal, with seven points over a four game stretch, including three games against Big 10 opponents, but could not maintain that momentum as the season dragged on and he had streaks of nine and six games without points later in the year.

In fact, in the 18 games he played for the Fighting Irish after 2020 kicked in, Janicke was limited to three points. Some of the cold spell was luck-related, and he still flashed the skills that saw him drafted in the first place. He is a triggerman who can also dish and has soft hands. With half of Notre Dame’s top six turning pro, he will have a bigger chance to make an impact as a sophomore. - RW

Bryce Kindopp, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 3, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

Kindopp has a lot to like about his game. In Everett the total buy-in to team defense is the best in the WHL and Kindopp has been a big part of that.

He is effective along the wall, both breaking up the opponent’s cycle and generating his own. He has a good release on his shot but is an effective scorer mainly because of how he positions himself and drives to the net. He is willing to pay the price to get to the net and has the size to stay there as the play progresses. He has a knack for sliding off pressure to give himself space to elevate and finish from in close.

On the rush he can score but he isn’t a speedster. His skating has improved enough to get a look, but it is part of why he wasn’t drafted. The most impressive thing with Kindopp has been his steady progression, with minutes, goals per game, shots per game, and points per game having improved year over year. - VG

NCAA: Big Ten Conference Tournament Preview and Predictions

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 15:46:41 +0000

The NCAA tournament is selected through a mathematical formula called the Pairwise. The top 16 seeds make it, but six seeds are reserved for the tournament winners from each DI conference. Once those six tournament berths are awarded, the remaining 10 slots are awarded to the teams in order of their Pairwise ranking.

ANN ARBOR, MI - JANUARY 31: Ohio State Buckeyes forward Matthew Jennings (19) moves the puck away from Michigan Wolverines forward Jimmy Lambert (23) during the Michigan Wolverines game versus the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday January 31, 2020 at Yost Ice Arena Center in Ann Arbor, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire)

***

At the conclusion of a remarkably tight Big Ten schedule, the postseason is upon us. Inappropriately named, the Big Ten has but seven teams competing in Men’s Hockey (the talk of the University of Illinois making it eight has quieted down of late). Seven competitors requires some creativity in setting up a playoff, and the conference has risen to that challenge with a structure that gives the top seeded team a bye week while the runners-up play the basement dwellers, the three seed plays the six and the fourth and fifth seeded teams square off in best of three series in the home arenas of the higher ranked teams. Those short sets all take place this weekend, Friday, Saturday, and, as needed, on Sunday.

I mentioned above that the conference this year has played remarkably tight. Penn State come away as the regular season champions, but only one victory (three points) ahead of runners-up Ohio State. The same three-point gap between Penn State and Ohio State is the gap between OSU and sixth seed Michigan State. If Wisconsin could only keep the puck out of their own net once in a while – they surrendered 124 goals in 34 games, a full 30 goals more than the next most porous team – the parity in the conference could have been historic. Alas.

Before we get into the matchups, we should discuss another notable aspect of the Big Ten in 2019-20. I had written above about how Wisconsin couldn’t stop the puck and further how their inability in that domain was significantly worse than the rest. This is notable less due to Wisconsin’s own ineptitude in net, but due to the other six teams all featuring goaltenders who could be the objects of NHL teams’ attentions once their seasons are over. This is even more remarkable as only Minnesota has a drafted netminder (two, in fact). As for Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Michigan State, they all field starting goalies who were overlooked at the draft but are legitimate candidates to be offered Entry Level Contracts as undrafted free agents after this season or in the near future. As I write about each team in their first-round matchup, I will spend extra time introducing you to the goalies of record.

Regular Season Champ (First Round Bye): Penn State (20-10-4, 12-8-4-1 Big Ten)

The regular season champs play an exciting brand of high-event hockey. They scored 79 goals in conference play and 121 overall both marks that topped their peers. On the other hand, only Wisconsin allowed more than their 70 goals against in conference play. They took 64 shots on net more than the runners up and their shots allowed total was closer (albeit marginally) to the bottom than the top of the conference. They had the best power play, and the best penalty kill, although the latter unit got a ton of practice, as the Nittany Lions were among the most penalized teams in the conference.

One might think that a team like this is all offense, and they wouldn’t be half wrong. Penn State had six players reach the 25-point mark, with three scoring at a point-per-game clip. Those six top scorers were a savvy, veteran crew, which included the team’s top five scorers from last season (Nate Sucese, Evan Barratt, Alex Limoges, Liam Folkes, and Brandon Biro), joined by blueliner Cole Hults. Of that group, Barratt most has the look of a future NHLer, albeit unlikely to be more than a third liner. That said any of them could reasonably find their ways up the pro ranks.

In net, we have Peyton Jones, whose brother Nolan plays baseball in the Cleveland system. Peyton has near idea; size at 6-4” and over 200 pounds. He is impressively mobile for his size. The senior has been a workhorse throughout his collegiate career, with this year’s 30 starts (s0 far) being his fewest in a full season. He saved his best season for last though, improving his save percentage from barely over .900 to a lofty .919. Between his size, athleticism and ability to stop pucks, he should find his way to the AHL next season, likely on an NHL deal.

Drafted players: Kevin Wall (CAR), Clayton Phillips (PIT), Evan Barratt (CHI), Denis Smirnov (COL), Cole Hults (LA)

2 Ohio State (18-11-5, 11-9-4-1 Big Ten) vs 7 Wisconsin (14-18-2, 7-15-2-2 Big Ten)

Like Penn State, Ohio State can score with the best, but occasionally has had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net. In fact, in conference play, they have surrendered exactly as many goals as they have scored, 62 apiece. They tied for 2^nd in the conference on points with Michigan and Minnesota but win the tie breaker as they have more victories. If goal-differential was the tie breaker instead, the Buckeyes would have finished in fourth. The funny thing is, when they won the conference last year, their goals allowed metrics were practically the same as this year. The difference between 2018-19 and now is that they have scored significantly less this year.

Despite the presence of the gifted playmaker Tanner Laczynski and a rapidly improving Quinn Preston on the roster, among others, they have not made up for the graduation of top line current pros Mason Jobst and Dakota Joshua. In fact, there is a pretty big dropoff in production after OSU’s top four scorers – Laczynski, Preston, Carson Meyer, and Gustaf Westlund – and the rest of the roster. With two of those four graduating after the season, this may be the end of a window of contention for Ohio State that saw them make the tournament four years in a row, including one appearance in the Frozen Four, after not getting out of the conference for seven straight years.

Manning the crease for OSU is big Tommy Nappier. In the last two years as a full-time starter, his save percentage has been between .929-.934. He is tall and broad-shouldered. Some would consider him portly. (Some scouts have used less-polite terms). But he doesn’t just rely on his frame to block pucks. He plays an aggressive, athletic game. He challenges the shooters, can scramble back to the goal line in a pinch. His reactions are quick, and I would recommend slightly toning down the aggressiveness, as he can get caught out on occasion being too far from the goal mouth, but his track record is phenomenal. Nappier has been one of the better goalies in the NCAA over the last two years and I would be somewhat surprised if he isn’t offered an NHL contract in the next month or so.

Then we have Wisconsin. Rarely does a team with so much talent on the surface play so poorly. Among Big Ten schools, only Minnesota (14) has more than Wisconsin’s 12 drafted players. And none of the other schools have more than the Badgers three first rounders. And I am not even considering Dylan Holloway here, who is widely expected (including by us) to be a first round pick this June.

The Badgers can score with the best of teams in the NCAA. Their 110 goals are behind only Penn State in the conference and are tied for 13^th nationally. The problems is that despite icing a blueline which includes five drafted players, they cannot keep pucks out. Their total of 3.65 goals allowed per game ranks third last nationally. That is partially a function of giving up too many prime scoring chances, as they rank 51/60 in shots allowed per game. That also underscores how poorly they have done in stopping the shots that they have faced. Starting netminder Daniel Lebedeff has an ugly .894 save percentage, the worst among all netminders in NCAA who have played in at least 25 games. If I lower the threshold to 20 games, two others slip below. The Finnish sophomore was no better as a freshman, nor really in his pre-collegiate days. His feet are all over the place, he is too often not square to the shooters. He is the only starting netminder in the conference that I would unequivocally state has no professional future in North America.

Of course, I wouldn’t say that about some of the skaters in front of him. Cole Caufield has flashed the elite goal scoring prowess that made him a first rounder last year, although he has slowed down in the second half of the year. Fellow first rounder Alex Turcotte also shows flashes of greatness albeit not as consistently game to game as one would prefer. The third first rounder on the roster, K’Andre Miller has shown more of a nasty side this year, although not always well timed nastiness. He still has first pairing potential for the NHL, but seems to have regressed some this year. For me, the Badger who has improved the most this year has been blueliner Ty Emberson. Always a very strong physical defensive presence, he has shown a bit more willingness to get involved at the offensive end. Wisconsin can be a really fun, but extremely frustrating team to watch. Even though most of the Badgers’ high-end players are underclassmen, Wisconsin may be hard pressed to keep players like those mentioned in this paragraph on campus for another year, considering how this year has gone.

Ohio State drafted players: Carson Meyer (CBJ), Tanner Laczynski (PHI), Ryan O’Connell (TOR), Layton Ahac (VGK)

Wisconsin drafted players: Ty Emberson (ARI), Linus Weissbach (BUF), Max Zimmer (CAR), Josh Ess (CHI), Tyler Inamoto (FLA), Jack Gorniak (MON), K’Andre Miller (NYR), Wyatt Kalynuk (PHI), Owen Lindmark (FLA), Alex Turcotte (LA), Cole Caufield (MON), Ryder Donovan (VGK)

Prediction: Ohio State in three, with the final being a nail biter.

3 Michigan (16-14-4, 11-10-3-2 Big Ten) vs 6 Michigan State (15-17-2, 11-11-2-0 Big Ten)

The first year of the post-Quinn Hughes era in Michigan has been underwhelming, but altogether not bad. The team offense was middle of the pack nationally, down around one-third of a goal from 2018-19. Thankfully for the Wolverines, they have more than made up for the set back by hacking over a full goal per game off of their goals allowed. Their 2.12 mark ranks eighth nationally and tops among Big Ten schools. They actually play a fairly well controlled team game and tend to control the possession, generating shot totals near the national lead.

The main challenge is that Michigan struggles to turn those shots into goals. Senior Jake Slaker was the only skater with more than eight goals on the year, and he was also the only one with more than 21 points. The two heralded freshman from the USNTDP class of 2019, first rounders Cam York and John Beecher, had solid debuts, but neither really dominated. I expect both to take over the team next year, especially Beecher, whose physical tools are rarely seen, but they aren’t there just yet. Not helping things is the step back from team captain William Lockwood, whose point production was cut by one third compared to last season.

As discussed above, Michigan’s defense has been the key to the team staying in games all year. As promising as Cam York is, and as solid as the likes of Jack Summers, Keaton Pehrson, and Luke Martin are, the lynchpin to that defense stood between the pipes, as it so often has for Big Ten teams this year. For the Wolverines, the player generally between the pipes has been Strauss Mann, who has become s the workhorse this year after splitting time in the net as a freshman last year. Listed at only 6-0”, Mann was never looked at as a top prospect, but maybe he should have been. Prior to going to school, he spent a year with Fargo of the USHL. He put up a .932 save percentage and led the Force to a championship. This was not a team loaded with NHL caliber talent, either, with only one skater who appeared in the playoffs who had been, or would be, drafted. Mann wasn’t great as a freshman for the Wolverines, but sits on a .936 save percentage now, sixth in the nation. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with positioning, staying square to the shooter, a good glove hand, and strong lateral mobility. Another season like this one and NHL teams will be more willing to overlook his stature.

Michigan State are a long way removed from their 2007 championship, but this season, as mediocre as it has seemed on the surface, was a big step in the right direction. Their 15 victories are their top mark since 2014-15. The Spartans still lack the offensive firepower to truly be a national contender, and their goals per game mark of 2.35 was only 48^th nationally and worst in the Big Ten. The team has two drafted forwards, but they combined for only nine points on the season – equal to the contributions of the team’s two drafted defensemen.

Clearly, Michigan State lacks in high end NHL talent, but there are a few players here who have earned the attention of NHL scouts. Big center Patrick Khodorenko, a senior, was not drafted out of the USNTDP, but has been at or close to a point per game since his sophomore season. His skating is a bit on the rough side, but his hockey IQ, great hands and sheer presence, should earn him an ELC. And still only 21 years old, he is quite young for a college senior. Big blueliner Jerad Rosburg, the son of an NFL coach, plays with a football mentality, as a physical and imposing stopper. The senior also is proving capable with the puck. Winger Mitch Lewandowski and defender Dennis Cesana still have eligibility after this year and lack the size of Khodorenko or Rosburg, but they have ensured that MSU should not be taken lightly.

Those four aside, the key to Michigan State’s hopes of winning the Big Ten for the first time and getting back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012, rest in the form of another senior in netminder John Lethemon. After a rough freshman season, Lethemon was OK for the Spartans as a sophomore and as a junior, with .903 and .905 save percentages, respectively. Which is to say that he .937 mark this year was somewhat unexpected. He is a 6-3” butterfly netminder with a good glove and a conservative style that keeps him in the paint. He is very calm and tries to minimize the room an opponent has to shoot. He can scramble if needed, but his success has been a function of being ready for the first shot.

Michigan drafted players: Jack Becker (BOS), Luke Martin (CAR), Nick Pastujov (NYI), William Lockwood (VAN), John Beecher (BOS), Eric Ciccolini (NYR), Cam York (PHI)

Michigan State drafted players: Mitchell Mattson (CGY), Cole Krygier (FLA), Christian Krygier (NYI), Josh Nodler (CGY)

Prediction: Michigan State with the upset in three games. No more than five goals in any one game.

4 Minnesota (14-13-7, 9-8-7-4 Big Ten) vs 5 Notre Dame (14-13-7, 9-9-6-4 Big Ten)

Finally, we have our matchup of the mediocre. With all due respect to the two stories programs of Minnesota and Notre Dame – the former is a five time champion and the latter has reached the Frozen Four four times since 2008 – 2019-20 has simply not been their year for either school. In fact, neither school is likely to make the NCAA tournament barring a lengthy run in the Big Ten tournament. In Big Ten, Minnesota was the slightest bit better, as both teams won nine conference games, but Notre Dame has one extra loss while the Golden Gophers have an extra win. Minnesota scored four more times than they allowed while Notre Dame was dead even. Stepping outside of conference play, the two teams were even tighter, with identical 14-13-7 records, with goal differentials within two goals of one another. Even in head-to-head play, they were evenly matched up. Each team won once, and tied twice. The biggest differences in the teams are that Minnesota attempts fewer shots, but counters that with a better penalty kill and a better propensity for drawing penalties.

While they do a poorer job of controlling possession, I would say that Minnesota has better talent up and down its lineup, and not just because they have way more drafted players to draw from. The Golden Gophers get relatively little offense from their blueliners, but have a few talented forwards who can dazzle if not as consistently as one might wish. Samuel Walker is an undersized dynamo, with great speed and playmaking chops. Sampo Ranta, when he is at his best, is a very dangerous scoring threat, assertive and possessing a great wrist shot. I should also mention Brannon McManus and Blake McLaughlin, former teammates with the Chicago Steel, who have been strong secondary sources of offense this year.

Notre Dame’s offense is more evenly distributed, partially out of necessity as they lack any real dynamic threats, Senior Cam Morrison was the team’s leading scorer. Even though he has not lived up to his promise as a second round pick, he has a knack for winning puck battles and a quick shot. Undrafted Alex Steeves has been more impressive, nearly tripling his freshman year production thanks to his puck skills and strong shot, which help him overcome his skating limitations (he isn’t a bad skater, but that is what kept him from being drafted). Notre Dame does have the upper hand when it comes to offensive contributions from the blueline, with both Matthew Hellickson and Spencer Stastney strong puck movers. The former as a passer and the latter with his legs.

But we really just want to talk about goalies, don’t we? Minnesota not only has the only drafted goalie in the conference, they have the only two drafted goalies in the Big Ten. Jack Lafontaine and Jared Moe split the crease relatively evenly this year and both had equal .915 save percentages, although Moe’s GAA was approximately 0.25 lower. LaFontaine is the more experienced netminder and in my views he has been the steadier of the two. I would imagine he will get the first game and Minnesota will play the hot hand as they can. Ironically, even as the only two drafted netminders in the conference, I would out five others from within the conference ahead of them in terms of pro potential at this point in their respective careers.

One of those five is Notre Dame’s fourth year starter, Cale Morris. While he dealt with some injuries this year, and his .917 save percentage is his worst mark since his one game freshman campaign, scouts I have spoken with still unanimously mention him as a good goalie, one who they were surprised returned to Notre Dame for his senior season. He was already named the Mike Richter Award winner in his sophomore season, his first as a starter, considering his amazing .944 save percentage. He may be on the smaller side at 6-1”, but his has plus mobility, anticipates the play well and has a quick glove. He will be in demand once his season ends.

Minnesota drafted players: Ben Brinkman (DAL), Blake McLaughlin (ANA), Sampo Ranta (COL), Robbie Stucker (CLB), Tyler Nanne (NYR), Scott Reedy (SJ), Samuel Walker (TB), Ryan Zuhlsdorf (TB), Jack Perbix (ANA), Jackson Lacombe (ANA), Ryan Johnson (BUF), Jack LaFontaine (CAR), Bryce Brodzinski (PHI), Jared Moe (WIN)

Notre Dame drafted players: Nathan Clurman (COL), Nicky Leivermann (COL), Cameron Morrison (COL), Jacob Pivonka (NYI), Spencer Stastney (NAS), Matthew Hellickson (NJ), Trevor Janicke (ANA)

Prediction – Notre Dame in a road sweep. Low scoring games both.

Predicting the rest of the tournament

After the opening round, the teams are re-seeded with single game elimination deciding things the rest of the way. If the predictions above play out, we will see the following:

1 Penn State vs 6 Michigan State

2 Ohio State vs 5 Notre Dame

Call me crazy, but I like Michigan State in front of John Lethemon over Peyton Jones and Penn State in an upset. The teams each went 2-2 in head-to-head matchups during the season. I think Khodorenko and Lewandowski can crack the often porous Penn State defense

Ohio State takes down Notre Dame in the other contest, although, again, the two teams are pretty evenly matched.

Finally, I will go with Ohio State winning the tournament over Michigan State because Cinderalla doesn’t always go all the way

NCAA 2019-20 Season Preview: Big Ten

Ryan Wagman — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 17:01:14 +0000

With seven schools participating, the Big Ten is inappropriately named. Even if/when the University of Illinois is granted a Division I team and joins the conference to which their other intramural athletics belong, there will only be eight schools in the Big Ten. Once upon a time, there were only ten schools in the historic conference, but it has been 20 years since that was last the case, as Penn State – then without a Division I hockey program – was granted entry to give the conference a round 11 teams.

Until that fateful day arrives when the Fighting Illini grow the sport, the Big Ten will be stuck on seven teams. And they are good teams, with rich histories (except for Penn State, which doesn’t yet have a history). Four different current Big Ten schools have made the Frozen Four championship game in the past decade, but somehow none have walked away with a title. The situation was almost comical in 2018, when the Frozen Four featured three squads from the Big Ten, plus one from the NCHC. The lone NCHC squad naturally ran the table for the title. The most recent Big Ten school to win the National Championship was Michigan State, which won all the marbles in 2007, capping off a run of four titles by three Big Ten schools in six years.

As always though, there is hope in the Midwest that the Big Ten will find a new champion this year. The seven schools have all recruited well and the schools are well coached, with one school in particular bringing in a veritable murderer’s row of high-end talent to supplement an already strong core. But we’ll get to that below. Let’s walk through the schools.

Michigan Wolverines

One the one hand, superstar Quinn Hughes is gone, off to the NHL to quarterback the building Vancouver Canucks’ power play. Fellow blueline stalwarts Joseph Cecconi and Nick Boka have also moved on. The only other significant departure is center Josh Norris, who missed the second half of last season to injury, who turned pro to sign with Ottawa. On the other hand, literally the rest of the team has returned, including captain Will Lockwood, passing on the chance to join Hughes in the Vancouver season to play out his senior year in Ann Arbor.

Besides Lockwood, the star attraction on the Wolverines’ roster this year will be Hughes’ direct replacement, highly touted freshman defender Cam York, like Hughes an alumnus of the USNTDP program, and likewise a first-round pick, having been selected last June by Philadelphia. He is expected to drive the offensive attack from day one. Another USNTDP first rounder joining the team along with York is big center John Beecher, who played a depth role with the UNSTDP last year, but is a fantastic skater and has enough in his hands to expect him to play a two-way top six role with Michigan. After Lockwood and Beecher, the offense features a number of upperclassmen who can contribute to the attack in Jake Slaker, Nick and Michael Pastujov, and Jake Becker. I would also keep an eye on sophomore Nolan Moyle, graduate transfer Jacob Hayhurst, who comes over from RPI, and incoming freshman Eric Ciccolini, who starred in Junior A in Ontario, who all have sleeper potential.

If Michigan is to be a successful team and not just a collection of talented players, they will need one or both of their returning netminders, Strauss Mann, and Hayden Lavigne to step up and stop more than 90% of shots faced, which neither managed last season.

Drafted Players: D Luke Martin (Car, 2^nd round, 2017), D Cam York (Phi, 1^st round, 2019), C Jack Becker (Bos, 7^th round, 2015), C John Beecher (Bos, 1^st round, 2019), RW Eric Ciccolini (NYR, 7^th round, 2019), RW Will Lockwood (Van, 3^rd round, 2016), LW Nick Pastujov (NYI, 7^th round, 2016)

Michigan State Spartans

After three consecutive last place finishes in the conference and having not finished above fifth since 2013-14, the Spartans return with an experienced roster with no lack of skilled players, attempting to turn around the school’s on-ice fortunes. Veteran Head Coach Danton Cole is only his third year in East Lansing, and to his credit, the number of players of interest on the squad has continued to rise, although perhaps not to the extent promised through his years coaching the USNTDP, as precious few of his former charges have followed Cole to MSU.

One who has been able to experience Cole in both location is bis center Patrick Khodorenko, who along with winger Mitchell Lewandowski, is expected to lead the attack, helping supporters move on from, if not outright forget, Taro Hirose, a 2018-19 Hobey Baker Finalist and the Big Ten player of the year, but skipped his senior year to sign with the Detroit Red Wings. At least he will be close by. Candidates to replace Hirose on the first line include seniors Logan Lambdin and Sam Saliba, or star recruit Josh Nodler, although in the latter scenario, either Nodler or Khodorenko would have to move to the wing, as both are natural centers. Nodler at least is a gifted play maker and could fill a similar function on the top line. The other big recruit to the Spartans is Switzerland native Nicolas Muller, who has a long international history for his mother land as well as a history of offensive production in the Swedish junior leagues.

Whichever wingman Cole chooses for his two big returning forwards, the team will not improve in the standings until they tighten up their defensive core. Twin blueliners Cole and Christian Krygier were both passable as freshmen, and Christian looked good in the national colors at the mid-summer World Junior Summer Showcase event. Tommy Miller and Jerad Rosburg round out a reasonable, if unspectacular top four. Similar compliments could be laid upon the returning netminders, Drew DeRidder and John Lethemon. Both stopped a touch better than 90% of the shots they faced last year, although they faced far too many shots for that to be enough. Their brand of high event hockey will be fun to watch, but without a tightening up in the back, they will fall short all too often.

Drafted players: D Christian Krygier (NYI, 7^th round, 2018), D Cole Krygier (Fla, 7^th round, 2018), C Mitchell Mattson (Cgy, 5^th round, 2016), C Josh Nodler (Cgy, 5^th round, 2019)

Minnesota Golden Gophers

When Big Ten Hockey got going, the Golden Gophers were the clear team to beat, winning the regular season title for the first four seasons of the conference’s existence, before a precipitous fall from grace in 2017-18, when they found themselves in the unfamiliar and uncomfortable position of fifth in a seven team conference. Minnesota rebounded to third last year, but it is now clear that their days of homogeneous rule of the roost are over. Hockey in Minnesota still takes on religious fervor and the university team is still an institution, usually getting the pick of local stars, which they have supplemented with the occasional import from another state or nation. But really, this team is, per usual, mostly homegrown, with only eight of 27 roster players with a listed birthplace from out of state.

The top three scorers from last season are all gone, as well as some key blueliners, but the depth of talent in Minneapolis will make the team a threat once again. Speedster Sammy Walker between gifted wingers Blake McLaughlin and Sampo Ranta, all of whom are entering their sophomore seasons, are primed to grow into high end collegiate threats on their way to pro careers. Versatile forward Brannon McMannus took that step forward last year, and an additional step forward on his part could have him firmly in the cross hairs of NHL scouts. Incoming freshmen Ben Meyers, Bryce Brodzinski (the reining Minnesota Mr. Hockey), and Jack Perbix all have a history of offensive production and could challenge for top six roles from the get-go.

The blueline is similarly pro aspiring, with six drafted defenders among them. Tyler Nanne may be the grizzled veteran who will be relied upon to quarterback the power play, but freshmen Ryan Johnson and Jackson LaCombe could both be stars in short order. Both primary goalies from last year are gone, but the two primary incoming tenders are both NHL draft picks in Jack LaFontaine, who previously spent two years at Michigan, and was fantastic in the BCHL last year, and Jared Moe, who was steady, if unspectacular over two seasons with Waterloo of the USHL. If the Golden Gophers can harness the collective talents of the players to play as a cohesive unit under decorated head coach Bob Motzko, they could credibly challenge for the top of the conference once again.

Drafted players: G Jack LaFontaine (Car, 3^rd round, 2016), G Jared Moe (Wpg, 6^th round, 2018), D Ben Brinkman, (Dal, 6^th round, 2019), D Ryan Johnson (Buf, 1^st round, 2019), D Jackson LaCombe (Ana, 2^nd round, 2019), D Tyler Nanne (NYR, 5^th round, 2014), D Robbie Stucker (Clb, 7^th round, 2017), D Ryan Zuhlsdorf (TB, 5^th round, 2015), RW Bryce Brodzinski (Phi, 7^th round, 2019), LW Blake McLaughlin (Ana, 3^rd round, 2018), RW Jack Perbix (Ana, 4^th round, 2018), LW Sampo Ranta (Col, 3^rd round, 2018), C Scott Reedy (SJ, 4^th round, 2017), C Samuel Walker (TB, 7^th round, 2017)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Another program with exceptional coaching, Jeff Jackson enters his 15^th year behind the bench at South Bend, and his 21^st season altogether as a head coach at the NCAA level. The Fighting Irish have a deep veteran roster, augmented by a number of talented recruits. While the squad may not be at the level as the ones which went to the Frozen Four in back to back years, they still will be competitive on a nightly basis and could compete for supremacy in the Big Ten.

The main challenge for the team will be overcoming the graduation of Bobby Nardella, and the early exit of Andrew Peeke, both players going on to NHL contracts. Thankfully, the defensive core still has more than their fair share of pro prospects, with senior Tory Dello hoping a big deal gets him a similar free agent contract as it did for former teammate Nardella. He is joined by four drafted players, with New Jersey pick Matthew Hellickson the likely quarterback. I also expect to see a big jump forward from Nashville pick Spencer Stastney. The blueline will be protecting the net of Cole Morris, whose .930 save percentage last season was actually a letdown after an incredible .944 mark, and accompanying Mike Richter Award, in 2017-18.

Pushing the pace on offense will be a squad that does not look to have one or two central figures, but figures to attack in waves. Captain Cal Burke, a senior, will be looking to earn an NHL contract offer after being among the team’s offensive leaders as a junior. Colorado draft pick Cam Morrison has disappointed since a strong freshman campaign, and he will have ample motivation to finish his collegiate career with a bang. Sophomore Alex Steeves will also want to step forward to put his name back in the crosshairs of NHL scouts, after being overlooked at the draft despite a very strong draft year in the USHL. Trevor Janicke is the most highly touted new recruit, but I wouldn’t sleep on Max Ellis also doing well in his rookie collegiate season.

Drafted players: D Nate Clurman (Col, 6^th round, 2016), D Matthew Hellickson (NJ, 7^th round, 2017), D Nick Leivermann, (Col, 7^th round, 2017), D Spencer Stastney (Nas, 5^th round,, 2018), C Trevor Janicke (Ana, 5^th round, 2019), LW Cam Morrison (Col, 2^nd round, 2016), C Jacob Pivonka (NYI, 4^th round, 2018).

The Ohio State Buckeyes

On the one hand, all of the schools in the Big Ten (with the possible exception of Minnesota) are more known for the exploits on the gridiron than on the ice sheet. That is especially true with THE Ohio State. Between appearances in the Frozen Four in 1997-98 and their triumphant return in 2017-18, the Buckeyes only even reached the year end tournament six times over 20 years, never getting past the first round. In that same time span, the Buckeyes’ football time won 10 Big Ten titles, and two national championships. Now they enter the 2019-20 season coming off three consecutive Tournament appearances, only the second time in school history they have achieved such a run of success. It says here, they could set a new record this year with a fourth consecutive showing, even though their roster has less drafted talent than most others.

With two of the top three scorers last season gone, the offensive drive will be centered on Hobey Baker candidate Tanner Laczynski, whose skills and overall game have improved year over year through three years in Columbus. His skating has gotten more fluid and he has always been an exquisite puck handler and playmaker. He should be ably assisted by Carson Meyer, who acclimatized quickly after transferring from Miami to OSU. I also expect Swedish center Gustaf Westlund to take a big step forward in his sophomore season. As far as newcomers to the squad, look out for Michael Gildon, the only regular skater from last season’s elite USNTDP squad who wasn’t drafted, but capably demonstrated a knack for playing with top end talent and creating space for them. He could grow into a third wheel role on a top six line.

Forwards aside, OSU’s chances for success will once again lie squarely with the defensive half of the team. That include the blueline squad’s ability to keep their own end clean while kick-starting the counterattack with regularity. Matt Miller is the most common defenseman to remain active in the offensive zone, but I expect to see more contributions on the scoresheet from Wyatt Ege this year. Newcomer Layton Ahac could also help give the transition game more of a push. Behind that deep blueline squats one of the more underappreciated netminders in the college game in Tommy Nappier. He has ideal pro size at 6-3”, 194 and took over a regular role as a sophomore last year with sparkling numbers including a 1.86 GAA and a .934 save percentage. A follow up performance that even approaches last year’s will make OSU a tough out no matter how much their offense produces.

Drafted Players: D Layton Ahac (Vgk, 3^rd round, 2019), D Ryan O’Connell (Tor, 7^th round, 2017), LW Miguel Fidler (Fla, 5^th round, 2014), C Tanner Laczynski (Phi, 6^th round, 2016), RW Carson Meyer (Clb, 6^th round, 2017).

Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State’s rise to a legitimately strong hockey school in only seven years as an NCAA accredited program has been nothing short of spectacular. They were close to a .500 team in their debut in 2012-13 and then fell hard in their follow up, finishing with a record of 8-26-2. In the five years since, their cumulative record has been 104-70-17, which included two seasons which finished I the NCAA tournament. On the strength of those finishes, the Nittany Lions have been able to recruit a number of high-end players to further the school’s on-ice exploits, while paving the way for subsequent NCAA entry Arizona State to reach the tournament in a similarly quick period of time. Their quick ascension was also said to be a driving factor in the push for the University of Illinois to seek NCAA status for their Ice Hockey team.

Penn State is well positioned for a strong eighth season, with eight of their top ten-point getters from 2018-19 returning, as well as their starting netminder. And while he wasn’t in their top ten in points last season, Aarne Talvitie would easily have made the cut were he not injured during the 2019 WJC as he had been one of Finland’s best players prior to the injury. Talvitie is also returning. Augmenting the likes of veterans Brandon Biro, Evan Barrett, Liam Fowlkes, and Alex Limoges up front, the Nittany Lions are bringing in a few solid recruits from the USHL in Connor MacEachern and Connor McMenamin, as well as Kevin Wall from the BCHL. If Denis Smirnov can rebound and produce like he did as a freshman, the attack will be exceptionally difficult to contain.

The blueline is similarly deep, led by veterans Cole Hults, Kris Myllari, and Paul DeNaples. Joining them this year are a pair of BCHL recruits in Kenny Johnson (brother of Pittsburgh Penguin, Jack) and Mason Snell, as well as a high-profile transfer from fellow Big Ten program Minnesota in Clayton Phillips. The Penguins draft pick was granted a transfer exemption and will not need to sit out for a season before suiting up, as would almost always be the case with a transferring junior.

Drafted Players: D Cole Hults (LA, 5^th round, 2017), D Clayton Phillips (Pit, 3^rd round, 2017), C Evan Barratt (Chi, 3^rd round, 2017), C Nikita Pavlychev (Pit, 7^th round, 2015), RW Denis Smirnov (Col, 6^th round, 2017), C Aarne Talvitie (NJ, 6^th round, 2017), RW Kevin Wall (Car, 6^th round, 2019)

Wisconsin Badgers

If we look at talent in a vacuum, Wisconsin may be not only the best team in the Big Ten, but in the discussion for the best team in the nation. This is nothing new, and yet the Badgers have not made it to the NCAA tournament since 2013-14, and have only had a record above .500 once in the five subsequent seasons. The lack of team-wide success has been buffluding to the six time nation champions, but head coach Tony Granato has recruited very well and the program continues to add top end players to its ranks on an annual basis, with the most recent freshman class considered by many to be the finest in NCAA hockey. Those players, some of whom we will discuss momentarily, supplement a core which lost only one of its top ten scorers. Despite their previous inconsistency, there was a lot of talent among that holdover bunch as well.

Very little has changed between the goaltending or the defensive crew from last year. Every goalie who appeared in a game is back, and incumbent starter Daniel Lebedeff will be expected to play more steady, reliable brand of hockey between the pipes as the presumptive starter once again. The only regular blueliner to depart was team captain Peter Tischke, who graduated. The five returnees are all NHL drafted and K’Andre Miller still has the look of a future star at the highest levels. If he can stay healthy and in line with team rules, that ascent can begin now. Wyatt Kalynuk and Josh Ess are both smart puck movers, while Tyler Inamoto and Ty Emberson are both more renowned for strong play in their own ends.

With all due respect to holdover forwards like Sean Dhooghe and Linus Weissbach, all eyes this year will be on Wisconsin’s A-rated recruits among the forwards. They include a pair of top half of the first round NHL draft picks from the USNTDP in Alex Turcotte (5^th overall) and Cole Caufield (15^th overall), in addition to their teammate with the USNTDP Owen Lindmark an another mid-round pick in Ryder Donovan. There are also some who think that the true top recruit to Madison is 2020 draft eligible forward Dylan Holloway, who spent last year tearing up the AJHL, and has already represented Canada at last year’s WU18 tournament and this past Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Holloway could be a lottery pick this year if he proves able to produce at the NCAA level as a true freshman. It can be very difficult for so many top talents to gel as a team, but if they can manage it, the Badgers can push for a seventh title. It might be now or never as some of their more prominent drafted players could be turning pro as soon as the 2019-20 comes to a close.

Drafted Players: D Ty Emberson (Ari, 3^rd round, 2018), D Joshua Ess (Chi, 7^th round, 2017), D Tyler Inamoto (Fla, 5^th round, 2017), D Wyatt Kalynuk (Phi, 7^th round, 2017), D K’Andre Miller (NYR, 1^st round, 2018), RW Cole Caufield (Mtl, 1^st round, 2019), C Ryder Donovan (Vgk, 4^th round, 2019), C/LW Jack Gorniak (Mtl, 4^th round, 2018), C Owen Lindmark (Fla, 5^th round, 2019), C Alex Turcotte (LA, 1^st round, 2019), LW Linus Weissbach (Buf, 7^th round, 2017), LW Max Zimmer (Car, 4^th round, 2016).

Big Ten Top Draft Eligible Players

Dylan Holloway, C, Wisconsin
Michael Gildon, LW, Ohio State

Holloway is the only first-time draft prospect of note in the conference, and likely the first collegiate drafted in 2020. I think Gildon should have been selected last season and a solid freshman campaign for the Buckeyes could see him selected in his go-round.

Big Ten Top Free Agents

Brandon Biro, Penn State
Tommy Nappier, Ohio State
Mitchell Lewandowski, Michigan State
Patrick Khodorenko, Michigan State
Cale Morris, Notre Dame

The Big Ten is the conference to be for NCAA free agents this year and I would add names like Alex Limoges (Penn State), Nate Sucese (Penn State), and Brannon McManus (Minnesota) as players to watch.

Anaheim Ducks 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 18:32:11 +0000

I have long been fascinated by the player development system in place in Anaheim. Actually, that isn’t quite fair, as I have long been fascinated by the entirety of hockey operations in Anaheim, what with the Ducks being possibly the last public holdout to the analytics revolution.

It would be easy to attribute their recent fall from grace to their insistence on playing checkers while the rest of the league plays chess, but that isn’t wholly accurate either. You see, if they were so far behind the times, the Ducks would not have been consistent contenders for so long. Not only did last year’s playoff miss signify the first early vacation for the Ducks since 2011-12, but it was just their third playoff miss since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007.

It would be pretty easy to look at last year as not only a result of anti-analytics, but doubling down on the anti-analytics style, what with Randy Carlyle spending the bulk of the season behind the bench before GM Bo Murray finally pulled the plug and installed himself as the interim bench boss over the last few months of the season.

While the above was a contributing factor, the Ducks fell from their regular postseason perch due to a combination of an aging core (with the associated injuries that also come in tandem) with a young next wave that was not quite ready.

One of the things that has most fascinated me about the Ducks player development system (including their scouting/drafting) is how they see to consistently find skilled forwards at the draft, which they had supplemented with just enough of a blueline corps to maintain their edge. Trades and the expansion draft (Sami Vaatanen and Marcus Pettersen for the former and Shea Theodore for the latter) made that blueline weaker than they had hoped and they team simply lacked the horses to replace them.

We can see that below, as the Ducks current top 20 has only four defensemen, two of whom were just brought into the system at this year’s draft. None of those four defenders are ranked higher than ninth in the system. That top defender, Josh Mahura, was given a change last year, in his first professional season, and held his own in a 17 game NHL trial, but did not do enough at either the AHL or NHL levels to indicate that he was ready for a full time NHL role.

The same is not true for the team’s forwards. With the Anaheim forward unit aging, and in some case, excised from the roster, there will be a few chances for one or more of the team’s top prospects to step up. The Ducks are expected to offer extended opportunities to Sam Steel, Troy Terry, and Max Jones to make the NHL roster on a full-time basis, especially now that former AHL San Diego coach Dallas Eakins has been named the Anaheim head coach. All will be given a chance to become part of the new Anaheim core.

-Ryan Wagman

Anaheim Ducks Center Sam Steel (34) . (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire)

1 Trevor Zegras, C (9^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) With all of the hoopla surrounding teammate and occasional linemate Jack Hughes, it was relatively easy to miss the fact that Trevor Zegras was also among the handful of the most dynamic forwards available in the 2019 draft class. Part of his ability to fly under the radar was due to not being a natural goalscorer, preferring, like current Anaheim legend Ryan Getzlaf, to create opportunities for others. The other part of it is the fact that near elite hockey IQ is one of the driving factors in his game, as opposed to say skating ability (although he is a tremendous skater) or puck skills (he has fantastic hands). With Hughes clearly the number one center for the USNTDP last year, Zegras alternated between playing as the second line center, or on either of the two wings. He can do it all and may not need to do it all at Boston University for more than a single season before he is ready for the pro game. - RW

2 Sam Steel, C (30^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 1) Steel’s first pro season was a solid one, as his dependable smarts and diverse offensive skill set were all on display in a season split between Anaheim and AHL San Diego. A playmaker at heart, he possesses incredible patience and natural hockey sense, but can beat you with a wicked wrist shot from the slot as well. He took on some tough defensive matchups in his rookie season in the pro ranks, showing exemplary maturity and discipline at a young age. Though his playmaking traits revolve around slowing the game down, he could stand to play with more pace. The door is wide open for the former first-rounder to secure a full-time spot on the center depth chart in the NHL. Expect him to play a top-six role with the Ducks in the future. - TD

3 Maxime Comtois, C/LW (50^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 4) Comtois secured a taste of the NHL level this season with seven points in 10 games, and later spent another four games at the AHL level. This experience is a sign pointing to how close he is to making the show. Comtois added the captaincy along with six points in five games for Team Canada at the World Juniors while playing through a separated shoulder. He also had an impressive second half of 48 points in 25 games with Drummondville showing great resiliency in returning strong after receiving unwarranted criticism from some fans after his Team Canada performance. Comtois is NHL ready; he has the size, the skills, the smarts and the drive. His skating is not special but it should be enough, and his game evolved from pure offensive power forward to a two-way force at the junior level. His 2018-19 was a big step towards reaching his potential as a responsible and dependable physical top-six winger with offensive upside. -MS

4 Isac Lundestrom, C/LW (23^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) Lundestrom has already seen NHL action as a teenager and will be an NHLer in the long run as well. He has a chance to emerge as a good center for Anaheim as soon as this upcoming season. His potential is not top line elite but as a middle six center he could thrive. He has strong foundations when it comes to his skating, skills, smarts and physicality. He could show more of an attack mentality in the offensive end though. His wrist shot is good, but he doesn’t use it enough. He is a strong puck carrier and excels at zone entries. He can be used in various roles, offensively as well as defensively, and do well at both ends, but isn’t all-in-all good enough to become the best player for your team. Lundestrom plays a balanced game and takes responsibility in all three zones. He can also support the offensive game and has puck skills to become a 40/50-point player in the NHL at his peak. - JH

5 Troy Terry, C (148^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 3) Terry is not the best or most complete prospect in the Anaheim system, but he might be the one with the most raw, unadulterated skill. The center is yet another pro rookie who dazzled in 2018-19, as the former World Junior Championship hero put up a point per game with AHL San Diego and 13 points in 32 games with Anaheim last year. His quick hands, whippy, dangerous wrist shot, offensive vision, and deceptive skating give him a neat package to build on, as long as he can remain confident and start to help out on defense more than he currently does. Has a solid chance to break the Ducks’ Opening Night roster, if his health (broken leg late last season) coincides with his gameplay. - TD

6 Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 5) Coaches love smart players, and Groulx is certainly that. He showed a lot of growth on a deep Halifax team this season, with a 25-point improvement from the previous year. He was injured and missed some time in the playoffs, and was not himself until the Memorial Cup, where he contributed at a point-per-game pace. Groulx’s skating is only so-so, and could make him a better winger than center in the pros, but he has the hockey sense and the intelligence to overcome average skating speed and succeed. He can play all situations and has been one of the smartest players in the Q. Pair that with a greatly improved shot, and Groulx has a solid opportunity to move along in the pro ranks. He is shaping up to be a solid middle-six option who can play all situations, and can hang around with his hockey sense above all of his other well-rounded skills. - MS

7 Brayden Tracey, LW (29^th overall, 2019) What will get Tracey to the NHL is his ability to shoot the puck. He has a great wrist shot as well as a lethal one-timer that he can get off in limited space. He has the ability to find soft spaces in the defensive zone coverage that enable him good shooting opportunities. He was fortunate this year to be the fifth player in one of the top 5 man units in the WHL and I remain a bit skeptical about his ability to drive offense without such a dominant supporting cast around him. His skating is above average and he moves around the ice well with and without the puck, including some nice feigns and dekes that allow him to beat guys one on one. He projects as a middle six winger who is a viable offensive option on a second power play unit. - VG

8 Max Jones, LW (24^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 8) Another former first-rounder who made his pro debut last season, Jones boasts a menacing power-forward repertoire and the intense, mature game to grow into it. He struggled to establish himself in limited NHL minutes last season (30-2-3-5), but looked dominant at times with AHL San Diego, using his elite skating, combining balance and stride power to finesse by defenders and make something happen. His skating speed is at a high level for someone of his size and playing style, and his sturdiness with the puck on his stick makes him a difficult player to wrap up. His feisty, angry demeanor on the ice can backfire (penalty minute accumulation, lack of focus on defense), but will be a factor if he can harness it for good. Even if he does not live up to his draft billing, he should establish himself on a bottom six slot in short order. - TD

9 Josh Mahura, D (85^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 6) As part of a long line of high-end defensemen drafted in later rounds and developed by the Ducks, Mahura shows top-four upside and the potential to be a lethal power-play quarterback in the future. A crisp, accurate, and heads-up passer, the 2016 third-rounder is a beast in transitional play, and is never afraid to start -- or join -- an offensive rush. Solid vision of up-ice development is aided by his tight gaps, which can force turnovers at the blue line and spark a chance the other way. An average skater, Mahura needs to work on his technical footwork (pivots, start/stops, acceleration) to command a lot of minutes in his NHL future. He could also be a shooter, but his game is more tailored to his skill at facilitating chances for others. - TD

10 Blake McLaughlin, LW (79^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 7) After a strong performance in his draft year with USHL Chicago, McLaughlin was one of several high end newcomers at the University of Minnesota. In a disappointing season for the Golden Gophers, the former third rounder was part of the general malaise around the program during the first half of the season, but he made the necessary adjustments from the Junior A level and performed at an admirable NCAA level in the second half of his freshman year. By year’s end, he was showcasing a promising two-way game, using his skilled hands to force turnovers in his own end and then to create chances for his linemates in the offensive end. His solid first few steps also help him be a disruptive force throughout the rink. If his trajectory continues, he still has a good chance of fulfilling his middle six NHL upside. - RW

11 Trevor Janicke, C (132^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Like Trevor Zegras above, this Trevor is also experienced at being overshadowed by Jack Hughes. A USNTDP member during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, he was never draft eligible as a late birthday, but even so, Hughes helped keep him in the bottom six during his second year with the program. Spending his draft year with lowly, and now defunct Central Illinois of the USHL, Janicke was easy to forget, but he has often the only real offensive driver for the Flying Aces. Heading to Notre Dame next year, Janicke has refined hockey sense and is a strong skater (two endemic traits among USNTDP alums) but his shot is a separator. The wrist shot, in particular, can beat good goalies (at the USHL level) from a distance. While he may not score as often from the blueline, he will still be deadly from the circles on in. With continued development with the Fighting Irish, he has middle six upside, although more likely as a winger than up the middle. -RW

12 Henry Thrun, D (101^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Lacking the flair of fellow USNTDP blueliners Cam York and Domenick Fensore, or the size and brawn of teammates like Alex Vlasic or Case McCarthy, Thrun did a little bit of everything for the program. He plays a quiet, hyper-efficient game at both ends. He was a regular on the penalty kill and shows the type of on-ice IQ that you could expect from someone heading to Harvard. He is not a blazer, but has enough mobility to move the puck out of his own zone. His work in the offensive end lacks panache, but he is an excellent passer, particularly with his backhand. He has good size, but he wins battles defensively through positioning instead of brute force. His upside is not likely to be better than a solid number four, but in this system, that makes him one of the best defenders.

13 Antoine Morand, C (60^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9) A teammate of Groulx’s and a close friend of Comtois, Antoine Morand is well connected with his fellow Anaheim-drafted Q prospect teammates. Much like them, Morand knows where to be on the ice. He is a creator who distributes very well and can run an offence. For the third year in a row, he broke the 70-point barrier, this time with the Halifax Mooseheads, where he was named captain. In his second Memorial Cup appearance, he doubled his point output at the tournament from two to four. He is a solid skater with great agility and strong edgework, but his size is a question mark going forward. Morand will have to bulk up to have extended success at the NHL level, as he is a top-6 offensive player or bust prospect as an undersized forward. - MS

14 Lukas Dostal, G (85^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 12) Although small by modern goaltending standards, Czech netminder Lukas Dostal is blessed with high end athleticism. Along with his glove hand and his ability to track the puck, he can keep his team in games, as he demonstrated time and again at the junior level, and against men at various European stops. In addition to a star turn with the Czech U20 team at the WJC (he was named one of the three best players on the team and led all netminders at the tournament with a stellar .957 save percentage), he also more than held his own at the Czech second division and in Finland’s top level with Ilves. He likes to challenge shooters and shows a plus ability to prevent second chances. His limbs move quickly, and he can cover more of the net than his bulk would suggest. Heading back to Ilves for another year, he profiles as a future backup at the highest level. - RW

15 Brendan Guhle, D (51^st overall, 2015 [Buffalo]. Last Year: 3 [Buffalo]) Packaged in the February trade that sent Brandon Montour to Buffalo, Guhle wasted no time getting acclimated to the Ducks system and showing his NHL potential in the process. The former second-rounder has the size and fundamental defensive smarts to be reliable in his own zone, as well as the speed and playmaking abilities to carry the puck out and make some noise. At the tail end of the 2018-19 campaign, the former second-round pick was quarterbacking the Ducks’ second power-play unit, as his fantastic technical skating ability and shot made for a nifty man-advantage package at the top of the zone. Mature and physical, there are no real, debilitating flaws to his game, and he could be on the Ducks’ blueline come to the start of the 2019-20 season although his true upside is more number four or five than defensive linchpin. - TD

16 Chase De Leo, C (99^th overall, 2014 [Winnipeg]. Last Year: Unranked) An undersized forward, De Leo has absolutely dominated in the AHL over the past few seasons, including a career-best 66-20-35-55 stat line with San Diego last year, adding five playoff goals in the process. His combination of energy, skill, playmaking, and shooting prowess make him one of the most intriguing presences in a prospect system -- one De Leo joined following a trade from Winnipeg in June 2018 -- deep in scoring centers. So why hasn’t he seen an extended shot in the NHL? His 5-9” stature doesn’t help, and his inability to help much on defense -- even in his draft +4 year -- is not a step in the right direction. Jumping into a re-tooling organization like the Ducks could help his case for an NHL spot, however, although he would need to prove he can take on a bottom six role. - TD

17 Jackson Lacombe, D (39^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) As Lacombe spent the overwhelming majority of his draft year playing with the Shattuck St. Mary’s Midget Prep program, kicking butt and taking names, it was fairly clear that he was too good for the level he was at. His outrageous point totals (89 points in 54 games as a defenseman) need to be taken with a few shakers of salt. That said, when he did play in the USHL for a few scattered games with the Chicago Steel, he showed a different side of his game, one seemingly more indicative of what he could develop into. Tall and lanky, with room to gain mass, he is a plus skater and shows the ability to move the ability at a solid level, similar to what he demonstrated in the pre-season at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Most notable to these eyes, he was able to read the play at a higher level than was necessary in the prep ranks. He has higher upside than some ranked above him on this list, but is further from reaching that level. -RW

18 Jack Badini, C/LW (91^st overall, 2017. Last Year: 13) Along with Blake McLaughlin and Jackson Lacombe, Jack Badini is one of three former Chicago Steel players in the Anaheim system. Drafted in his second year of eligibility after leading the Steel to a USHL crown in 2017, his first two years at Harvard have been solid, but not spectacular. He is still fleet of foot and a dangerous penalty killer. Since being drafted, Badini has grown more into his frame over two years at Harvard and can be a tougher player to get past in his own end. He has not been given an extended opportunity playing special teams, but has still managed to contribute at a nice secondary pace. Badini still has the makings of a solid bottom six forward, possibly at center, but it would be good to see him gain additional responsibilities with the Crimson before turning pro. - RW

19 Anthony Stolarz, G (45^th overall, 2012 [Philadelphia]. Last Year: 13 [Philadelphia]) As an injury-prone netminder who has been through multiple NHL systems, you might be asking what Stolarz is even doing on a prospects rundown. Keep in mind that the massive, surprisingly athletic American still has quite a bit of upside and has even showed it in his brief NHL stints to this point. A deep-playing netminder, Stolarz is calm, shuts down the posts well, moves from side to side efficiently, and has a very composed game that limits scrambling. With John Gibson atop the goaltending totem pole, what the Ducks will do with the 25-year-old is an open question, but he projects to be a high-end backup goalie at the NHL level if given the role over an extended trial. - TD

20 Andrew Poturalski, C (UFA: Mar. 8, 2016 [Carolina]. Last Year: 14 [Carolina]) Everywhere he has gone in his career, Poturalski has scored at incredible rates. A star at the USHL and NCAA levels, the undrafted forward has torn up the AHL as well, most recently with a 72-23-47-70 regular season, Calder Cup title, and the Butterfield Trophy (AHL postseason MVP) with Charlotte in 2018-19. A decisive, speedy playmaker with quick hands and high-end vision, the 25-year-old possesses a ceiling of a depth scoring forward with potential to have a ton of success on the power play. The lack of a quick first step has limited his ability to attack on the fly, while his undersized frame makes him nearly non-existent around the boards and might be the primary reason why he only received a two game NHL cameo across his three full season in the Carolina organization. With a rebuilding Anaheim team, he may finally get his chance. - TD

McKeen’s 2019 NHL Shadow Draft

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:00:27 +0000

Before writing up our division by division draft reviews, I wanted to take some time to conduct the McKeen's Hockey Shadow draft and then share a few draft thoughts. As a reminder, for the shadow draft, we assume that we are picking 16^th in any given round and simply draft the top ranked player on our board at that point, with the only tweaks being that we cannot draft more than one netminder and that our shadow draft class needs at least two forwards and two defensemen.

For additional context, here are our shadow classes from the 2017 and 2018 drafts, including the slot, the player we would have chosen, where that player was actually selected (if he was selected at all), and the actual player selected at that slot.

Pick #	2017 Draft - Player	McKeens Rank	Actual Draft slot	Actual Pick
16	Kristian Vesalainen	9	24	Juuso Valimaki
47	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	32	54	Alex Formenton
78	Keith Petruzzelli	37	88	Stuart Skinner
109	Adam Ruzicka	40	109	Adam Ruzicka
140	Sasha Chmelevski	61	185	Zach Fischer
171	Kirill Slepets	74	Undrafted	D'Artagnan Joly
202	Emil Oksanen	76	Undrafted	Filip Sveningsson

The positional rules went into effect after the 2017 draft saw us pick two goalies and zero defensemen. How did we do? I think we come out ahead for 2017. Vesalainen has yet to fully breakthrough in the NHL while Valimaki split last season between the NHL and the AHL. I still believe that Vesalainen has greater upside. Formenton and Luukonen both had tremendous final seasons of junior eligibility last year, but “our” guy looks like a potential number one netminder and Formenton still seems more likely to top off as a third line forward with exceptional speed. Petruzzelli and Skinner might be a wash as it is too early to tell on either and neither has really demanded attention.

Ruzicka was nailed in the fourth round while we crushed the NHL in both the fifth and sixth rounds. The NHL picks at those slots – Zach Fischer and D’Artagnan Joly – were both left unsigned and their NHL rights were surrendered. We drafted Sasha Chmelevski, who has since blossomed into a top CHL player while Slepets went undrafted until now, but Carolina took him this year, showing that we were definitely on to something. I will give the seventh round to the NHL as Svenningson is moving up the ranks in Sweden, having a solid first senior season in the Allsvenskan. He isn’t yet signed to an ELC, but our pick Emil Oksanen was not been drafted or signed anyway and his career hasn’t really taken off.

Pick #	Player	McKeens Rank	Actual Draft slot	Actual Pick
16	Joe Veleno	10	30	Martin Kaut
47	Akil Thomas	26	51	Kody Clark
78	Blake McLaughlin	40	79	Sampo Ranta
109	Aidan Dudas	52	113	Tyler Weiss
140	Alexis Gravel	67	162	Brandon Saigeon
171	Merrick Rippon	85	Undrafted	Nikolai Kovalenko
202	Danila Galenyuk	96	Undrafted	Shamil Shmakov

It is harder to yet judge the 2018 results, but we’ll give it a shot. The real #16, Martin Kaut, went right to the AHL and more or less held his own as a teenager while also impressing at the WJC. Our pick, Joe Veleno, also made Canada’s WJC roster and finished fourth in QMJHL regular season scoring. Veleno may have had more of an eye-popping season this year, but I will not discount Kaut’s accomplishments in his D+1 season. Let’s call it a wash for now even if I may yet prefer Veleno as bias might be present.

In the second round, I prefer our pick of Akil Thomas to Colorado’s selection of Kody Clark. If we are comparing fathers, Clark wins hands down, but Thomas finished eighth in OHL scoring this year while Clark had less than half as much production. In a nice little coincidence, the third-round picks both went on to play for the University of Minnesota. McLaughlin had a slightly more effective freshman season especially looking better over the season half of the season, but the gap is not enough to overcome the confidence interval. We’ll call it even for now.

In the fourth round, neither our pick (Aidan Dudas) nor the real pick (Tyler Weiss) had especially good seasons. Dudas essentially repeated his production from his draft year while Weiss struggled to impact in his first NCAA campaign. No winner. I am prepared to give McKeens a slight edge in the fifth round, as Alexis Gravel took a big step forward last year, and was a rock in the QMJHL playoffs, taking Halifax to the Q finals and keeping up the good work in the Memorial Cup. To be honest, Saigeon had a nice season as well, but he was an onverager, so his step forward was less noteworthy. Neither of our last two picks, Merrick Rippon or Danila Galenyuk were drafted. Rippon was basically the same guy this year while Galenyuk took a modest step forward and I think we should continue to keep our eyes on him.

The NHL easily wins the sixth round, as Nikolai Kovalenko spent the year in the KHL and played in the WJC. He is still a far ways from the NHL but he is still on the radar. The NHL seventh rounder, netminder Shamil Shmakov, took a step back while failing to get out of the Russian junior ranks. I prefer Galenyuk at this stage, but will call it a tie, because Shmakov at least has his NHL rights under control for now.

Track record established (pretty solid) let’s look at how our shadow draft for 2019 played out.

Pick #	Player	McKeens Rank	Actual Draft slot	Actual Pick
16	Peyton Krebs	8	17	Alex Newhook
47	Albert Johansson	26	60	Drew Helleson
78	Pavel Dorofeyev	31	79	Alex Beaucage
109	Marshall Warren	35	166	Marc Del Gaizo
140	Yegor Chinakhov	49	Undrafted	Sasha Mutala
171	Nikola Pasic	53	189	Luka Burzan
202	Oleg Zaytsev	66	Undrafted	Trent Miner

Once again, we are going up against the Colorado Avalanche scouts this year, who had the 16^th pick, although the fourth-round pick of Del Gaizo was actually made by Nashville following a pick swap.

If you look at where we had ranked the players drafted, we are clearly excited by how our shadow draft played out. Krebs was a top ten talent and may have fallen a few slots due to an achilles injury that will delay his 2019-20 season a touch but should have zero impact on his long-term prognosis. We had our second and third rounders also slotted as first round talents. Both Johansson and Dorofeyev have dynamic offensive skills and I especially feel that Johansson will make his real draft slot look laughable (in a good way) within two years. He was a late riser and capped his season with an impressive WU18 tournament. Dorofeyev has his warts, namely lack of interest in his own zone, but I am happy to bet on the skills here.

As much as I like those picks, I love getting Marshall Warren in the fourth round. His real-life fall to the sixth was the biggest shock of the draft for me. He is a truly dynamic puck moving defender and while he can play a risky game, having seen him extensively, I always got the sense that his risks were calculated. I have inquired around with some sources about why he might have fallen and received some speculative theories, but nothing definitive. One source simply stated that he had no clue. Our bottom three round picks were long term plays with European flavor, although Zaytsev spent this past season in the WHL. They are all tools bets and I am happy to take those in any draft, but especially in the back half.

I am happy to welcome these seven young men into the McKeen’s family. We will look back at these picks again next year to track everyone’s progress.

Now for some random thoughts about the draft

I had thought that all of the USNTDP U18 class, barring Danny Weight, would be drafted. As it turns out, Michael Gildon and Cam Rowe joined him in limbo. Gildon’s not being selected was especially surprising. He plays a heavy game, but with good wheels and good hands. He can play with talented players and keep the pace. He is going to a good program at Ohio State and will have a chance to play in a top six role right away as the Buckeyes have had a lot of turnover. Rowe is a very athletic netminder, but his technical game falters way too quickly. North Dakota has a good reputation for developing goalies and he could be a redraft with a bit of refinement to his game.
As I personally cover the USHL most fervently, the late seventh round pick of McKade Webster by Tampa was odd. In his first year of eligibility, I liked him enough with Green Bay, although not enough to consider him for our draft rankings. A decent future collegian basically. He went back to Green Bay for 2018-19 but has limited to six games due to injury. What did he do in six games that he didn’t show when healthy the year before? I have no clue.
There were 41 players drafted that we didn’t have on our expanded list, slightly better than the 44 we completely whiffed on last year. A good number of the 41 we didn’t rank were redrafts we didn’t feel had improved enough. Most of the rest were deep scouting cuts from Europe. Also, there was Cade Webber, who I think we meant to have in our top 217, but somehow omitted. I will take the blame on that one. He went higher than we would have ranked him, but I will not slam Carolina for taking him in the fourth round when completed by reviews in the coming days.
I mentioned Marshall Warren in the shadow draft above as being the biggest faller. The biggest risers were a quintet of second rounders who we had as much later picks. Shane Pinto was the first pick of day two and while his numbers were great and he is a late bloomer, I never saw him as a dynamic player and would have been more comfortable with him in the third round. Artemi Knyazev was similar. Dillon Hamaliuk was ranked in the fifth-round area, but with the caveat that he could have been graded considerably higher if not for a devastating knee injury which cut his season short. We are not privy to medicals, so I will presume that San Jose was fine with what they saw there. The final two who jumped were a pair of combine stars in Jayden Struble and Samuel Bolduc. We actually had Bolduc as an honorable mention player (218-325) and probably should have ranked him closer to the 150 range. Still would have been drafted too high for our tastes, but live and learn. The combine can boost some guys into the second tier.
I didn’t count how many, but teams are more and more willing to draft second- and third-year eligible players, even pretty high. If I’m not mistaken, three were taken in the second round (Kotchetkov, Fagemo, Leason), all roughly in line with where we had them ranked.
This means nothing but a few giggles from myself on the media riser on day two, but we ranked a few guys exactly where they were drafted after the top two. Going exactly in line with our rankings were Matthew Boldy (12), John Beecher (30), Vladislav Kolyachonok (52), Gianni Fairbrother (77), Sasha Mutala (140), Elmer Soderblom (159). 24 picks were made within two slots of where we had them ranked.
92 of our top 100 were drafted, one less than last year, but roughly on par with our expectations. I’ll be satisfied when we break 95, but our misses included players from Russia, the Czech Republic, OHL, WHL, and the USHL. No real patterns to glean lessons from but we will come back better and stronger next year. Ever onwards, ever upwards.

Big10 Playoff Preview – Dominant Ohio State with the bye, Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State favored in opening round

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 13:24:03 +0000

With only seven teams Big10 hockey is a bit of a misnomer. The conference will likely sprout to eight in the next handful of years as the University of Illinois joins ranks, but the current conference setup means playoff seedings must be formulated creatively.

The top ranked team throughout the regular season gets a first round bye, while the second seed plays the basement dwellers, the three seed is matched up against the sixes, and in the middle we have the fourth and fifth seeds.

For the 2018-19 Big10 conference, there happened to be a large gap in results between regular season champions Ohio State, returning much of the Frozen Four roster from 2017-18, and the rest of the conference. While the Buckeyes put up 46 in-conference points, the remaining six teams all ranged between 30-37 points in Big10 play.

Let’s take a look at what is in store in the Big10 playoffs, which begins this weekend (Mar. 8-10) with three best-of-three rounds.

#2 Notre Dame vs #7 Michigan State

ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 05: Michigan Wolverines forward Michael Pastujov (21) beats Notre Dame Fighting Irish goaltender Cale Morris (32) late in the 3rd period to tie the game during a Frozen Four Semifinal between the University of Michigan and Notre Dame on April 5, 2018. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

In four previous games this year, the Fighting Irish have yet to drop a match to the Spartans, winning three and tying once. Both teams have been up and down of late, splitting most of their season-ending weekend series. Both teams can put pucks in nets, with similar goals scored totals (ND – 101; MSU – 99), but the Irish have a clear edge in defending, having surrendered 37 fewer goals across 34 games. Much of that edge is tied to the man between the pipes in Cale Morris, whose .925 save percentage as a junior is actually a marked step down from his .944 mark as a sophomore. Meanwhile, Michigan State has rotated between Drew DeRidder and John Lethemon, wo put up save percentages of .906 and .903 respectively.

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 16: Michigan State Spartans forward Patrick Khodorenko (55) and Ohio State Buckeyes forward Mason Jobst (26)- Big 10 Men's Ice Hockey Tournament quarterfinal game between Michigan State and Ohio State on March 16, 2017 (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire)

If MSU is to have a hope of advancing, they will need to find a way to score a lot. Their top line of Taro Hirose, Patrick Khodorenko, and Mitchell Lewandowski, undrafted all, each scored more than Notre Dame’s leading scorer. In fact, Hirose led all NCAA players in points with 50, five more than the runner-up. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of depth behind the big three at MSU, while Notre Dame’s roster is littered with NHL draft picks, even if they are on the young end for the most part. I expect to see at least one of the MSU top line signed by an NHL team before the completion of the Frozen Four. All three signing would not be out of the realm of comprehension either.

Prediction: Notre Dame in three

#3 Minnesota vs #6 Michigan

In the season series between the two clubs, Minnesota won twice, Michigan once, and the clubs tied the other time. Considering that the gap between them in the standings is a meagre two points, the series should be closer than it appears at first blush. In conference play both teams scored 76 times and both surrendered 75 goals against. Michigan is coming off of a Frozen Four appearance while the Golden Gophers last made the tournament in 2013-14.

ANN ARBOR, MI - MARCH 03: Michigan Wolverines defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) in the BIG10 Hockey Tournament on March 3, 2018, a (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire)

This series should come down to health. Minnesota is deep and talented with 13 drafted players dotting the lineup. With nine drafted players, Michigan is no slouch, but the most talented forward among that group, and the team as whole, Josh Norris, will be unavailable due to surgery he underwent after his appearance for Team USA at the last WJC. Michigan’s success will rest on the shoulders of a pair of Vancouver prospects in Quinn Hughes and William Lockwood. With a quick exit, it is not unreasonable to suggest that both could be suiting up in Vancouver within ten days. As neither of their top two goalies (Strauss Mann and Hayden Lavigne) could stop even 90% of shots faced, they will have to drive possession in addition to pacing the offense. Jake Slaker, the Nick and Michael Pastujov brothers (the latter an Islanders draft pick) and blueliner Joseph Cecconi (a Dallas draft pick) provide most of the offensive support.

Minnesota received strong netminder from Mat Robson, a sophomore who stopped for a star turn in the BCHL after leaving Ontario and before landing on campus. The offensive leader is speedy forward Rem Pitlick, a Nashville prospect. He is ably supported by Tyler Sheehy, Brent Gates (Anaheim) and Brannon McManus. The latter is a candidate to be drafted as a third year eligible player as his USHL scoring exploits have finally caught up to him as a sophomore. A trio of drafted freshmen in Sammy Walker (TB), Blake McLaughlin (Ana) and Sampo Ranta (Col) should also be able to spread the attack around. What Minnesota lacks is a game breaking blueliner like Hughes, although to be honest, there is not another like him anywhere in the NCAA. The point remains, though that the Gophers’ offense is led by their forwards.

The biggest edge either team has on the other is on special teams. Minnesota was far superior on both the power play (24.2% vs 16.3% and the PK (83.2% vs 78.2%). If they can draw a few penalties, that should be enough to tip the scales in their favor.

Prediction: Minnesota in two

#4 Penn State vs #5 Wisconsin

Interestingly, the 4/5 matchup is less evenly paired than either of the other two first round pairings. Although only one point separates them in Conference play, Penn State’s goal differential was +5, while Wisconsin was outscored by 12 goals in Big10 play on the year. On the other hand, Wisconsin won the season series, 2-1-1. Neither team was very good at killing penalties, although the Badgers’ 74.1% kill rate ranked 59^th out of 60 D1 programs. They were better on the power play (44^th nationwide), but Penn State’s power play was best in the conference and fourth overall, which is a big edge to the Nittany Lions in this best of three.

Wisconsin had a deep with 17 players reaching double digits in points, although no one ahead of Philadelphia draft pick Wyatt Kalynuk’s 23 points from the blueline. He was one of five with at least 20 points, although one of those five was K’Andre Miller, a Rangers’ first rounder from last year, who missed the last two weeks of the regular season with a lower body injury and his status for the weekend is up in the air as of Tuesday evening.

Penn State also has a significant player missing due to injury in Aarne Talvitie, who sustained a serious knee injury playing for Finland at the WJC and has since underwent surgery. No matter, as the team still has 11 players who put up at least 20 points, eight of whom topped the leading scoring from Wisconsin. Much of Penn State’s offense comes from their forwards, although Cole Hults (Los Angeles) and Kris Myllari are capable collegiate point men. But with five forwards at or near point per game status, Penn State should be able to score their way out of trouble.

Prediction: Penn State in two if Miller misses the weekend. In three if he plays

No matter how the quarterfinals shake out, all of the teams would be hard pressed to knock out Ohio State, who attack in waves, with speed and skill. The Buckeyes don’t have an abundance of drafted players, although Philadelphia draft pick Tanner Laczynski could have been a strong contender for the Hobey Baker trophy if he had not missed nine games, while free agent Mason Jobst is small of stature but plays an out-sized role in the attack, topping the point per game mark for the third straight year. He is already 25 years old, but has earned a pro contract. Ohio State netminder Tommy Nappier has outperformed incumbent starter Sean Romeo and his broad, 6-3” frame and sparkling .937 save percentage, second in the NCAA, are sure to have NHL scouts lurking. It would be a massive upset if Ohio State does not win the Big10 title.

Dropping the puck on the 2018-19 NCAA season – Part 2 – Hockey East, NCHC, Big 10

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 17:54:50 +0000

In yesterday’s look at the NCAA season that is slowly cracking open. We touched upon the Atlantic 10, WCHA, and ECAC conferences. While national champions have come from the latter two conferences in recent years, there is no doubting that the strength of the collegiate game lies in the three conferences discussed here.

Hockey East

While some of the more well-known traditional powerhouses are based in the northeast, the vaunted Hockey east conference had a down year last season and seem to be in line for a repeat (in relative terms) this year. There are teams that were also-rans last year and who will likely continue to be league doormats this year. Chief among those is Vermont. Outside of leading scorer, who left school early to sign an ELC with Tampa, the majority of last year’s roster has returned, but the roster was not a strong one. There are three players who have been drafted by NHL clubs on the roster, but none has yet made a strong case that they are worthy of high-level professional careers after leaving the Catamounts. If there is a player to watch, it is junior captain Matt Alvaro, the leading returning scorer. Despite their conference schedule opener, in which they shut out Boston University by a 4-0 total, Merrimack will be in tough to be a factor as the year draws out. Defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic, a Winnipeg draft pick, plays a strong two-way game, but each of the top four point getters from last year have moved on and the team will need younger players to step up and contribute in ways they never have. The early season results are promising, but it is far too early to assume the growth is real. That said, netminder Craig Pantano was strong in partial duty last year and may be the type of unsung hero the Warriors need to stay competitive. New Hampshire used to be a staple at the NCAA conference, but they have been on the outside looking in for each of the last five years. Unlike the other bottom feeding systems, the Wildcats have a few impressive players available to them. Sharks’ pick Mike Robinson barely played last year as a freshman, but he seems to have a grip on the job early on and has performed well so far. Athletic Panthers’ prospect Max Gildon leads the blueline, and senior captain Marcus Vela (San Jose) is the center-piece of the offensive attack. Joining the attack will be veterans Ara Nazarian, Liam Blackburn, and Charlie Kelleher.

In the next rung of teams in Hockey East, we can look at UConn. Still a relative neophyte to the upper rungs, the Huskies are only in their fifth season in the conference, after migrating from the Atlantic. They are an interesting team in that the majority of their players of note are European-raised players, including their top two netminders, Adam Huska (NYR) and Tomas Vomacka (Nsh), blueliner Philip Nyberg (Buf), and forwards Ruslan Iskhakov (NYI) and Jachym Kondelik (Nsh). A few scoring forwards of note who have not been drafted include a pair of juniors in big Benjamin Freeman and Alexandre Payusov. A seeming concussion sustained by Iskhakov in the season’s second game could be a big setback to the team if he is unable to recover in a speedy fashion. The Maine Black Bears were seemingly ready to get back on the upswing, if not quite reach the heights that the program has in the past thirty years, which has seen them crowned NCAA champs twice, and reach seven other Frozen Fours. Unfortunately, days before the opening game, defender Patrick Holway, a Detroit pick, left the team due to unstated personal issues. In his absence, the team will lean more heavily on senior Rob Michel, the team captain, and sophomore Brady Keeper, both of whom have two-way bonafides. Up front, the team will rely on Detroit pick Chase Pearson to generate offense, and he will be joined by freshman Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup, one of the top scorers in the USHL last year. More than anything, though, Maine’s hopes will rest on the crease work on Boston pick Jeremy Swayman, who was stellar as a freshman, earning Hockey East All-Rookie team honors and playing for Team USA in the WJC. He needs to be at least as good again for the school to have designs on a Tournament berth.

Next up are a couple of Massachusetts schools in UMass and UMass-Lowell. The UMass-Lowell River Hawks have been a solid contender ever since Norm Bazin took over the head coaching duties of a floundering program in 2011-12. They rarely get the press they deserve as they tend to lack in high profile, drafted players. With only four drafted players at present – only one of whom was taken before the sixth round, expect the team to be a sleeper again. Most of their top scorers return, led by Kenneth Hausinger, Ryan Dmowski, and Ryan Lohin (TB). The team has seen more turnover at the blueline, but Croix Evingson (Wpg) is slated to take a step forward, while Detroit pick Seth Barton has gotten his collegiate career off to a good start. Swedish puck mover Mattias Goransson could also garner NHL looks. Also, while Christoffer Hernberg had the lion’s share of the goaltending workload last year, Rangers pick Tyler Wall seems to have the coaches’ trust this time around. UMass Amherst does not have the recent success of Lowell to look back to, but they do have one of the top prospects in the collegiate game on the roster in Cale Makar (Col). The talented blueliner was strong last year, both as a freshman for the Minutemen as well as for Team Canada in the WJC, and should be even better this year, in what is likely his final season on campus. He is joined on the blueline by Mario Ferraro (SJ) and Marc Del Gaizo, both skilled puck movers. The forwards are less imposing as a group, but most of the big producers return from last year, led by Mitchell Chaffee, John Leonard (SJ), and Oliver Chau, who has missed the start of the season due to illness. A couple of exciting freshmen in Bobby Trivigno and Anthony Del Gaizo (Marc’s older brother), coming off strong USHL campaigns, make the team more of a scoring threat. Incumbent starting netminder Matt Murray returns, and he will be challenged by Finnish freshman Filip Lindberg.

Staying in the state of Massachusetts, powerhouses BC and BU have both gotten off to lousy starts to their respective seasons, but both have far too much talent up and down the roster not to expect brighter days ahead. Boston College may have the most deserved pessimism among the two, having scored only five goals in their first three games. Toronto pick Joseph Woll has as much talent as any collegiate netminder and he should keep the Eagles in most games, but he will need help. The most likely offensive presence is in the form of freshman Oliver Wahlstrom, a top draft pick of the Islanders and a pure sniper if such a beast exists. Another freshman with the burden of great expectations is Minnesota pick Jack McBain. Among returning forwards, Logan Hutsko (Fla), David Cotton (Car) and Graham McPhee (Edm) are the most consistent offensive threats. The talented and undersized Jacob Tortora could also take a step forward. The blueline lacks a true dynamic two-way threat, but Michael Karow (Ari) and Casey Fitzgerald (Buf) can both hold their own and Michael Kim is a good college player. Boston University also has a star between the pipes in Jake Oettinger, a former Dallas first rounder, who has been inconsistent, but with high end flashes in his collegiate career. The Terriers are deepest along the blueline, with five drafted players, all of whom deserve their high press. They are led by co-captain Dante Fabbro (Nsh), and supplemented by skill in David Farrance (Nsh) and Chad Krys (Chi), and more defensively centered defensemen, such as Cam Crotty (Ari) and Kasper Kotkansalo (Det). Up front, there are former first rounders including Shane Bowers (Col) and Joel Farabee (Phi) and later picks who are almost as talented in Patrick Harper (Nsh) and Jake Wise (Chi). Co-Captain Bobo Carpenter, a senior, has long been rumored to be a free agent contract beneficiary after graduation. While they have not done so yet, this team is chock full of players who can beat you on any given night.

Although Northeastern will no longer be able to rely on NCAA superstars Dylan Sikura or Adam Gaudette, they are still loaded with talent up and down the lineup and feature a stud netminder in Cayden Primeau (Mtl). An offensively inclined team, the attack includes assistance from the blueline in the form of Jeremy Davies (NJ), Ryan Shea (Chi), Eric Williams, and freshman Jordan Harris (Mtl). Even absent Gaudette and Sikura, the Huskies feature freshman Tyler Madden (Vancouver) and Matt Filipe (Car) up front, in addition to proven producers including Zach Solow, Brandon Hawkins, Grant Jozefek, and many more. In a conference full of outstanding goaltenders, it should be no surprise that our top ranked team, Providence, has one of their own in Hayden Hawkey (Edm), who is more than just a fantastic hockey name. Like with Northeastern, the Friars get a lot of offense from the blueline, led in their case by Jacob Bryson (Buf), Ben Mirageas (NYI) and Spenser Young. The Friars can also roll three solid scoring lines if everyone performs up to expectations. Philadelphia first rounder Jay O’Brien has been slow to start, but he should acclimate from the prep ranks to Hockey East in short order to take a place of prominence alongside player including Kasper Bjorkqvist (Pit), Brandon Duhaime (Min), Jack Dugan (Veg), Josh Wilkins, and Scott Conway. Any of the last four teams mentioned could feasibly end the year as Hockey East champions and pose legitimate title hopes. But if the last two seasons are any indication, they will have to prove they can hang with the titans from the Midwest.

National Collegiate Hockey Conference

For each of the past three seasons, when it came time to crown a national champion, the last team standing was a member of the NCHC conference. To give an idea at the depth of strength in this conference, the threepeat of sorts was accomplished by three different schools. One of those schools was not Miami University, although RedHawks were a finalist in 2009, their best ever finish. After three losing seasons, for them to threaten the powerhouses atop the conference once league play begins would be a shocker. Florida prospect Karch Bachman, one of the speedier players in the college ranks, may finally be ready to be a legitimate offensive contributor if his first few games are an indication. The team has some talent from the blueline as well, namely Grant Hutton, who is expected to have a few NHL options to choose from at the end of his senior season, and freshman Derek Daschke. The top new recruit though, and Miami’s big hope for the future, is Johnny Gruden, a top line player with the USNTDP last year and a fourth round pick by Ottawa. The team has a number of other solid players dotting the roster, but lacks much in the way of dynamic skill. A team with more higher end talent on the roster but a less cohesive team game is Nebraska-Omaha. Up front, there are offensively inclined forwards sch as Frederik Olofsson (Chicago), Steven Spinner (Washington) and Zach Jordan (watch out for this guy). Colorado pick Tyler Weiss should also be fun to watch, as he was often pigeon-holed into a bottom six role last year in the USNTDP, but his inherent skills suggest a higher ceiling. Pittsburgh draft pick Ryan Jones and Arizona pick Dean Stewart lead the blueline. Incumbent netminder Evan Weninger returns, but his position is not entrenched and Philadelphia prospect Matej Tomek will challenge after leaving North Dakota, where he never got a chance to play.

At this point, Western Michigan is probably also an underdog. Flyers’ prospect Wade Allison has dynamic scoring potential, and is one of, if not my absolute favorite player to watch in the college game, but he has not played since last January due to a lower body injury, and there are only rumors about the imminence of his eventual return. In his absence, St. Louis pick Hugh McGing will play a prominent role in the attack along with free agent Dawson DiPietro and Vegas pick Paul Cotter. Senior Colt Conrad is also auditioning for an NHL contract, after scoring at a point per game pace last year. From the blueline, the player to watch is Mattias Samuelsson, recently a second round pick of Buffalo’s. As he is more of a defensive defenseman, watch for smaller Cam Lee to add to the offense from behind. The squad will need more steadiness in net than they have received of late to launch a strong challenge for postseason play. Colorado College is a team on the rise, but it may be a year too soon to put them near the top. After four seasons with no more than eight victories, they took off with 15 wins last year, and should breach a .500 record this year with continued development from some of their key contributors. Netminder Alex Leclerc is too small to garner NHL interest, but is a very good collegiate goalie. Up front, Florida pick Chris Wilkie is ready to contribute after sitting out last season as a transfer. He joins a quarter of talented upperclassmen in Nicholas Halloran, Mason Bergh, Trey Bradley, and Westin Michaud. I also have my eyes on freshmen Benjamin Copeland and Erik Middendorf, both of whom were overlooked at the draft last year after strong seasons in the USHL. Although the forwards drive the Tigers’ attack, the defensive corps is not without talent, particularly in the forms of Kristian Blumenschein, and Benjamin Israel.

Three years removed from a championship, the North Dakota team that takes the ice today bears little resemblance to the title team. The only players of note with ties to the title are Dallas pick Rhett Gardner, a beefy two-way forward, and Hayden Shaw, a smaller, reliable and non-flashy defender. Hope and indeed expectations for continued contention is drawn from the Fighting Hawks’ recent recruiting classes. The blueline is receiving a talent injection from freshmen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jonny Tychonick, who were ironically both drafted early by Ottawa last June. They join Colton Poolman, whose game is very reminiscent of brother Tucker’s. Versatile forward Grant Mismash, a Nashville pick, is expected to take his game up a notch up front. The team also needs to figure out which of Adam Scheel or Peter Thome (Clb) will take over as the starter from the departed Cam Johnson. Denver has more connections to their recent title, but now that Dylan Gambrell and Henrik Borgstrom have both turned pro, the core has changed. The team still has the makings of a contender though, with dynamic defender Ian Mitchell (Chi) set to be the main attraction. He is joined by a couple of freshmen blueliners of whom greatness is expected in Slava Demin (Veg) and Sean Comrie. Up front, the team will have to take a committee approach to scoring, as there is skill, but little of it is truly high end. There is a trio of drafted freshmen who could be better than anticipated in Cole Guttman (TB), Mathias Emilio Pettersen (Cgy), and Brett Stapley (Mtl). They join big game hero Jarid Lukosevicius. As with North Dakota, the Pioneers have to answers questions in net, as heralded recruit Filip Larsson is out indefinitely and Devin Cooley, who has taken the reins to start the season, is largely unproven.

The best hope for a fourth different NCHC championship in four seasons is St. Cloud State, which was actually the top ranked team in the country heading into the playoffs last year. There are teams in this conference with more NHL-bound talent than at St. Cloud State, but the Huskies do not lack in that regards either, while they fill in at the edges with a high caliber of support player. Former Montreal first rounder Ryan Poehling is ready to take the next step offensively and breach one point per game. Helping him to fill the nets are Patrick Newell, Robby Jackson, Blake Lizotte, and Easton Brodzinski. The blueline is similarly deep and skilled, led by tiny Jack Ahcan, Nick Perbix (TB), Jon Lizotte (no relation to Blake) and Jimmy Schuldt, who surprised many by ignoring the lure of the NHL after his junior season. Finally, in net, the team is equally comfortable going with David Hrenak (LA) or Jeffrey Smith, both of whom have displayed the ability to stop pucks at an above average rate in the NCAA. Of course, the NCHC could easily claim another title from a repeat champion. Last year’s champions, Minnesota-Duluth, were not expected to make a strong push, as they had a very young roster and were widely thought to be a season or two way from their “window”. Amazingly, only three of their top ten scorers from last year are gone. The blueline returns three sophomores who both spent time on the American WJC squad in Scott Perunovich (StL), Mikey Anderson (LA), and Dylan Samberg (Wpg). Netminder Hunter Shepard is still anonymous, despite his workhorse status on last year’s title run. Up front, former Dallas first rounder Riley Tufte is overdue to breakthrough, as he has been slowly refining his game to the point where he is nearly unstoppable down low. Helping out with the attack will be Peter Krieger, Nick Swaney (Min), and freshman Noah Cates (Phi). This year’s Bulldogs may be even better than last year’s champs.

Big 10

While last season saw the NCHC claim the crown for the third year in a row, it should not be forgotten that each of the other three teams in the Frozen Four came out of the Big 10. Of course, Michigan State was not one of those teams. The Spartans are now 11 years removed from their most recent title. They should see their wins total grow for the third year running, but are still not quite a challenger. They return nine of their top ten scorers from last year and Taro Hirose, Mitch Lewandowski, and Patrick Khodorenko are expected to lead the team once again. As promising as that trio is, it is unclear where the secondary scoring will come from. Starting netminder John Lethemon is good enough to keep MSU in games, but should not be expected to steal too many. After the Spartans, any team could reasonably reach the NCAA tournament, but some are less likely than others. Next up would probably have to be Penn State. It is easy to forget that the Nittany Lions have only been back in the NCAA for six seasons. Most of their top scorers from last year are returning, but the talent level is still something short of dynamic. Chicago pick Evan Barratt could be ready for the next step and Colorado pick Denis Smirnov is probably the most talented of the bunch. Upperclassmen Chase Berger, Brandon Biro, and Nathan Sucese are auditioning for NHL scouts and are productive, if not necessarily exciting players. The blueline is a relative weakspot, led as it is by Cole Hults (LA) and Kris Myllari. In net, Peyton Jones has had a nice career thus far, but it is unclear that he can be anything more than adequate at this level.

Since a pair of Frozen Four appearances earlier in the decade, Minnesota has been a bit of a hit-or-miss team. Last year saw a bit of both, but without second leading scorer Casey Mittelstadt on the team, the Golden Gophers could struggle once again to get back to the top. As always, they are exceptional recruiters, with this year’s star freshmen including Blake McLaughlin (Ana), Sampo Ranta (Col), and the draft eligible blueliner Benjamin Brinkman. Some of the returning players who could be critical include forwards Rem Pitlick (Nsh), Scott Reedy (SJ), Thomas Novak (Nsh), Brent Gates (Ana), and Tyler Sheehy along with blueliners Clayton Phillips (Pit), Ryan Zuhlsdorf (TB), and Tyler Nanne (NYR). In the early going it seems that last year’s backup netminder, Mat Robson, has surpassed former starter Eric Schierhorn. If Robson can maintain his performance over the full season such as he has in a part time role, the Gophers could be better than expected. The talent is here, but it needs to come together. Put anther way, Minnesota’s talent with Penn State’s structure could be a front runner. Wisconsin won 20 games in 2016-17 after combining for 12 victories in the two seasons prior, eliciting visions of grandeur. Unfortunately, the team sunk back down to 14 wins last year, prompting a rethink of the team’s standing. The Badgers are a team whose strength is on the blueline with five drafted players – all underclassmen - taking charge. Returning from last year are the physical Tyler Inamoto (Fla), the quiet puck mover Josh Ess (Chi), and offensively inclined puck rusher Wyatt Kalynuk (Phi). Joining them this season are a pair of USNTDP grads in checker Ty Emberson (Ari) and the dynamic K’Andre Miller (NYR), who has superstar potential. Veteran Peter Tischke rounds out the blueline corps. Up front, Wisconsin is not as exciting, but Sean Dhooghe, among the smallest high level players I have ever watched is a joy. Linus Weissbach (Buf) and Max Zimmer (Car) look like they will contribute and I have reasonably optimistic expectations of Tarek Baker as well. Like much of the conference, the Badgers are unsettled in net.

Notre Dame has been to the Frozen Four for both of the last two seasons, but the graduation of Jake Evans, the school’s number three scorer since the turn of the century, will have an impact. That said, the Fighting Irish are constantly restocking, so the team should be a strong competitor once more. Cale Morris was exception in net last year, winning the Mike Richter Award as the top goalie in the nation and will still be very good even if he takes a step back. Big Andrew Peeke (Clb) and mobile Matthew Hellickson (NJ) make a strong start to the blueline while veteran Bobby Nardella along with new recruit Spencer Stastney (Nsh) look like a good second pairing with two way capability. The top players up front include Callahan Burke, Cam Morrison (Col), and Dylan Malmquist. Even big Joe Wegwerth can overcome his stiff hands by being a tank in the opposing crease. Freshmen Jacob Pivonka (NYI), Graham Slaggert, and Alex Steeves could also go a long way to giving the Irish attack the needed depth to succeed. Ohio State does not have the flashy names that dot the rosters of most of the rest of the Big 10, but they have talent up and down the team and can win in many ways. They seem to be using a rotation in net, with both incumbent starter Sean Romeo and the younger Tommy Nappier in line to play a good amount. None of their key blueliners have been drafted, but any of Wyatt Ege, Grant Gabriele, Matt Miller, Gordi Myer, or Sasha Larocque can hurt you. There is a smattering of NHL interest up front, such as power forward Dakota Joshua (Tor), playmaker Carson Meyer (Clb) who transferred from Miami, smaller dynamo Mason Jobst and Hobey Baker candidate Tanner Taczynski (Phi). I could go on, but that might be enough to get back to the Frozen Four.

As good as Notre Dame and Ohio State are, not to mention Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Penn State, if the Michigan Wolverines get even halfway decent work in net, they could be the best team in the country. Quinn Hughes was a top ten pick last year by Vancouver and is as dynamic as blueliners get. This will be his last tune-up before moving to the NHL. First line center Josh Norris had a fine freshman season and then was one of the main pieces moving from San Jose to Ottawa in the Erik Karlsson trade. Will Lockwood (Van) is healthy again and provides an agitating, skilled presence. The Pastujov brothers, Nick (NYI) and Michael, provide strength and skill up front. Minnesota pick Nicholas Boka is a talented puck mover from the blueliner who can get the puck moving in the right direction when Hughes is catching his breath. Luke Martin (Car) and Joseph Cecconi (Dal) has shutdown qualities. Brendan Warren (Phi) can contribute offense while playing the tough minutes up front. Moving down the lineup there are other surprises in store as well. Ohio State may be a safer bet, but Michigan has the best chance among any team in the nation, to dominate any given night.

Blake McLaughlin – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: ANAHEIM DUCKS – RANK: #2 – TIER 1

NCAA TOURNAMENT RECAP – Minutemen Win First NCAA Title

Fargo Regional

North Dakota vs. American International

Minnesota-Duluth vs. Michigan

North Dakota vs. Minnesota-Duluth

Loveland Regional

Minnesota State vs. Quinnipiac

Minnesota vs. Nebraska-Omaha

Minnesota vs. Minnesota State

Bridgeport Regional

Wisconsin vs. Bemidji State

Massachusetts vs. Lake Superior State

Massachusetts vs. Bemidji State

Albany Regional

Boston College vs. Notre Dame

St. Cloud State vs. Boston University

St. Cloud State vs. Boston College

Frozen Four

Minnesota State vs. St. Cloud State

Minnesota-Duluth vs. UMass

UMass vs. St. Cloud State

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Anaheim Ducks Top 20 Prospects

Trevor Zegras, C (9th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Jamie Drysdale, D (6th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Jacob Perreault, RW (27th overall, 202. Previous ranking: N/A)

Lukas Dostal, G (85th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Isac Lundestrom, C/LW (23rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Brayden Tracey, LW (29th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Sam Colangelo, RW (36th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Jackson Lacombe, D (39th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Axel Andersson, D (Trade” Feb. 21, 2020. Originally: 57th overall, 2018 [Boston]. Previous ranking: 7)

Blake McLaughlin, LW (79th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Henry Thrun, D (101st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

Ian Moore, D (67th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Josh Mahura, D (85th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 10)

Chase De Leo, C (Trade: Jun. 30, 2018. Originally: 99th overall, 2014 [Winnipeg]. Previous ranking: 11)

Antoine Morand, C (60th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Jack Badini, C/LW (91st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

Trevor Janicke, C (132nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Artyom Galimov, LW (129th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Bryce Kindopp, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 3, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – ANAHEIM DUCKS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 18

Anaheim Ducks

Trevor Zegras, C (9th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Lukas Dostal, G (85th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 14)

Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Isac Lundestrom, C/LW (23rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

Brayden Tracey, LW (29th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Jackson Lacombe, D (39th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

Axel Andersson, D (Trade” Feb. 21, 2020. Originally: 57th overall, 2018 [Boston]. 2019 Rank: 13 [Boston])

Blake McLaughlin, LW (79th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 10)

Henry Thrun, D (101st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)

Josh Mahura, D (85th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 9)

Chase De Leo, C (Trade: Jun. 30, 2018. Originally: 99th overall, 2014 [Winnipeg]. 2019 Rank: 16)

Antoine Morand, C (60th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 13)

Jack Badini, C/LW (91st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 18)

Trevor Janicke, C (132nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

Bryce Kindopp, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 3, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

NCAA: Big Ten Conference Tournament Preview and Predictions

NCAA 2019-20 Season Preview: Big Ten

Big Ten Top Draft Eligible Players

Big Ten Top Free Agents

Anaheim Ducks 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

McKeen’s 2019 NHL Shadow Draft

Big10 Playoff Preview – Dominant Ohio State with the bye, Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State favored in opening round

Dropping the puck on the 2018-19 NCAA season – Part 2 – Hockey East, NCHC, Big 10

Trevor Zegras, C (9^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Jamie Drysdale, D (6^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Jacob Perreault, RW (27^th overall, 202. Previous ranking: N/A)

Lukas Dostal, G (85^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Isac Lundestrom, C/LW (23^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Brayden Tracey, LW (29^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Sam Colangelo, RW (36^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Jackson Lacombe, D (39^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Axel Andersson, D (Trade” Feb. 21, 2020. Originally: 57^th overall, 2018 [Boston]. Previous ranking: 7)

Blake McLaughlin, LW (79^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Henry Thrun, D (101^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

Ian Moore, D (67^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Josh Mahura, D (85^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 10)

Chase De Leo, C (Trade: Jun. 30, 2018. Originally: 99^th overall, 2014 [Winnipeg]. Previous ranking: 11)

Antoine Morand, C (60^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Jack Badini, C/LW (91^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

Trevor Janicke, C (132^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Artyom Galimov, LW (129^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: N/A)

Trevor Zegras, C (9^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Lukas Dostal, G (85^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 14)

Benoit-Olivier Groulx, C (54^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Isac Lundestrom, C/LW (23^rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

Brayden Tracey, LW (29^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Jackson Lacombe, D (39^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

Axel Andersson, D (Trade” Feb. 21, 2020. Originally: 57^th overall, 2018 [Boston]. 2019 Rank: 13 [Boston])

Blake McLaughlin, LW (79^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 10)

Henry Thrun, D (101^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 12)

Josh Mahura, D (85^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 9)

Chase De Leo, C (Trade: Jun. 30, 2018. Originally: 99^th overall, 2014 [Winnipeg]. 2019 Rank: 16)

Antoine Morand, C (60^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 13)

Jack Badini, C/LW (91^st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 18)

Trevor Janicke, C (132^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)