Bogdan Konyushkov – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #3

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 14:55:59 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 25:Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher (64) waits for a face-off during the New Jersey Devils versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 25, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 3rd (May 2025 - 1st)
GM: Kent Hughes Hired: January 2022
COACH: Martin St. Louis Hired: February 2022

The Ivan Demidov era has officially arrived. After posting the most points by a rookie in the KHL, McKeen’s second-ranked prospect made his NHL debut this spring and immediately captured the Bell Centre faithful with a goal and an assist. His arrival, coupled with the established presence of Lane Hutson and young NHLers Cole Caulfield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovský, signals that Kent Hughes’s rebuild is shifting into high gear—backed by one of the NHL’s deepest prospect pools.

David Reinbacher, their top prospect behind Demidov, was limited to just 10 regular-season games in his North American debut before returning for a stronger postseason showing. Still, his upside remains prevalent. Suiting up with him in Laval is a cluster of skilled forwards—Joshua Roy, Owen Beck, Luke Tuch, and Oliver Kapanen—who have all made good progress. Beck’s 44-point rookie campaign ranked ninth among all AHL freshmen, while Roy added 35 of his own. Both have seen NHL time and are close to securing full time spots.

Hughes wasn’t afraid to augment his system with established young NHLers, either. The addition of Noah Dobson gives Montreal a cornerstone defender to go alongside Hutson, even at the expense of back-to-back 2025 firsts. Meanwhile, Zachary Bolduc was acquired from St. Louis in a swap for Logan Mailloux, further deepening the forward group.

In goal, Jacob Fowler continues to emerge as one of the Habs’ biggest steals. The 2023 third rounder captured the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s top goaltender before joining Laval, where he carried over his success with a 3-3-0 playoff record. While he’s not guaranteed an NHL role in 2025-26, the battle between Fowler and Jakub Dobes—who emerged as a surprise NHL option—could provide Montreal with stability in net for years to come.

Montreal Canadiens Top-15 Prospects

1 - Ivan Demidov

Despite adversity, Demidov took advantage of every second he was given and proved why he was arguably the best prospect outside of the NHL. He is one of the most dynamic players in the world, dominating at the KHL level as he weaves through opponents with elite handiwork and impressive speed. He showed off his smarts, reading defensive schemes and setting his teammates up with highlight reel passes in situations that look impossible for a goal to be created. Defensively, he will still need to polish some timing and positioning issues, but he is a hardworking, disciplined player who will be able to hold his own against the world’s best. Ivan could have easily played on Montreal’s roster last season and immediately proved his worth, showing some flashy playmaking and even contributing in Montreal's return to the playoffs. Ivan will be a gamechanger in the Canadien’s top six for years to come and will be a perennial MVP challenger in the prime of his career.

2 - David Reinbacher

It’s unfortunate that David Reinbacher missed so much time due to injury this past season, as it may have postponed the expectation that Reinbacher would suit up for the Montreal Canadiens as a full-time defender as early as this coming season. Reinbacher was first sidelined after an awkward collision in an NHL preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, which resulted in early-season knee surgery for the talented young defenceman. Reinbacher did later return to play for the Laval Rocket, and even looked quite good in important playoff minutes, but it looks like he will start this coming season with Laval. As for his game, the tools are still there; he defends very well with his stick, he can skate with the best, and he can break up plays before they happen. It may just take a bit more time, through no fault of his own, until he becomes a full-time top four defender at the NHL level.

3 - Jacob Fowler

Fowler improved greatly upon his already phenomenal freshman season after winning the Mike Richter award as the country’s top goalie in the NCAA. He’s an elite positional goalie who has exceptional footwork, play-reading and has surprisingly great quickness and athleticism. His consistency is incredible and is rarely seen from a 20-year-old goalie, only allowing more than three goals on two occasions this year in 35 games. He can get beat cleanly high, a product of subpar tracking and inactive hands, something to be concerned about but it isn’t detrimental. He plays a very projectable game to the NHL with few gaping faults and a lot of elite strengths. Even though he has chosen to leave Boston College to turn pro, he still shouldn’t be rushed into the NHL like fellow Mike Richter Trophy-winning goalie Devon Levi. He still needs to develop his hands and tracking, he will need time in the AHL or else he will get picked apart by NHL shooters, losing confidence and stunting his growth. If done right, he could turn out to be an elite goalie.

4 - Michael Hage

Michael Hage has adapted greatly to the college game, showcasing high-end speed, awareness, and stickhandling that enable him to drive play through controlled zone entries. His offensive impact is evident in his ability to pursue open space and maintain offensive zone time. He actively engages in loose puck battles and stick checks, leading to extended offensive pressure and aiding in defensive zone breakouts. Hage has also displayed solid defensive coverage and positioning, demonstrating growth towards a complete 200-foot game. While his offensive instincts and play-driving abilities are clear strengths, he can further improve by consistently supporting breakouts in the defensive zone. His deployment on the power play indicates his offensive potential, and his commitment to backchecking and staying engaged in puck play points to a well-rounded development path. As he continues refining his defensive consistency, Hage projects as a skilled forward with the potential to be a top six contributor in all situations at the NHL level.

5 - Owen Beck

Owen Beck was a very good player at both ends of the ice last season with the Laval Rocket, and he did it while being asked to play in all situations. When Beck’s playing his game, he utilizes his skating and physicality to hound opposing players for loose pucks. He’s also extremely trustworthy at both ends of the ice - when you need a goal, or need to prevent a goal, Beck can be counted on. Beck’s compete and battle level was on full display last season with both the Laval Rocket and Montreal Canadiens, albeit for the latter while playing in a bit of a lesser role, but his overall game screams a surefire NHL player. He probably won’t develop into a first-line offensive forward at the NHL level, as he has good but not great offensive skill, but he should enjoy a long career as a trustworthy, two-way middle six forward. Beck should be battling to carve out a full-time fourth-line role this fall with the Canadiens.

6 - Oliver Kapanen

Kapanen made the Canadiens out of camp but couldn’t quite stick it for very long. Rather than go to the AHL, Kapanen went on loan to Timrå of the SHL and absolutely lit it up. He was always a step ahead of the game, reading play near-perfectly and having a well-thought-out plan before touching the puck. His stellar hockey sense and work ethic drive a lot of good results offensively and defensively. However, despite scoring almost a point per game in the SHL, his offensive upside probably won’t be that great in the NHL. He can’t drive a line, but he can work well within space and compliment teammates with more dynamic playmaking qualities. Kapanen already looks like a capable young NHLer who will only look more comfortable as he gets more games under his belt. A player with Kapanen’s toolkit is better suited for a bottom six center role in the NHL but could play higher in the Canadiens line up if need be.

7 - Jakub Dobes

Jakub Dobes has made early headway into the NHL, solidifying himself as a reliable backup for Montreal this past year. Dobes is a very strong positional goalie, often opting for the Hellebuyck style to play deeper, allowing the play to come to him in place of it dictating his movement. However, his skating isn’t amazing or fluid, he often looks clunky, and while it’s passable, his speed and athleticism are on the weaker side for NHL goalies. To offset this, he has to have good play-reading capabilities, which luckily, he possesses. This, paired with his positioning, can hide his lack of physical talents, but it puts a cap on his ceiling. It’s questionable if Dobes could become a true starting level goalie, but he’s already shown to be an NHL capable goalie regardless of role at a young age, something that most have not been able to do. To break through his current ceiling, he will have to improve upon his skating, a very difficult thing to do at this point, but not impossible.

8 - Josh Roy

Josh Roy put together another solid professional season, where he split time in a number of different roles with the Laval Rocket and the Montreal Canadiens in 2024-2025. It was expected that Roy would make the Canadiens full time out of camp at the beginning of last season, but he was a final cut and began the year with the Laval Rocket. While playing in Laval, Roy put his offensive abilities on full display, where he was a constant scoring threat each time he entered the offensive zone. Roy also worked on his defensive game last season and can be counted upon to provide energy in a bottom six role. There’s debate over what kind of player Roy can be at the NHL level, but it’s looking right now that his ceiling appears to be that of a third line forward. He does have to continue to work on his compete level, especially if he hopes to make the Canadiens this fall, but he possesses the offensive abilities of a full-time NHL player.

9 - Adam Engström

Adam Engström was arguably one of the best rookies in the AHL last season, and he did it while playing significant minutes for a very good Laval Rocket team. What’s particularly impressive about Engström’s game is his hockey awareness at both ends of the ice. He’s a great passer, but he’s also an extremely capable defender off the rush. These skills allow Engström to turn good defence into good offence, where he can break up plays in transition and turn them into quick outlet passes, creating opportunities off the rush for his forwards. There’s no question that Engström carries the potential to become a top four NHL defenceman with his unique size and athleticism, but he will need to continue working on his game in Laval to reach that projection. There’s still room for Engström to improve his offence, and his defensive game could really use some increased physicality. Look for Engström to continue to play a big role with the Rocket this upcoming season and get some games in limited minutes with the Montreal Canadiens.

10 - Alex Zharovsky

Alexander Zharovsky may become one of the steals of the draft after Montreal was able to snatch him up at the start of the second round. Zharovsky’s hands are elite and allow him to maneuver through complex situations like very few others at the junior level. He slips around defenders with ease and at times, it looks like the puck is fastened to his stick with string as he is able to maintain possession through some heavy pressure. His playmaking is also very good. He is able to plan his decisions and execute them with precision to create dangerous looks. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done if we are going to see Alex reach his potential. He lags behind other top picks in skating and shooting and will need to improve his effort on the defensive side of the puck. He looks to have a top six ceiling who could be a game breaking playmaker for the Habs.

11 - Florian Xhekaj

Xhekaj turned heads in his rookie pro season thanks to 24 goals, and a whopping 175 penalty minutes. His competitiveness in puck pursuit is a standout trait, but he also has speed and an ability to generate scoring chances that could make him an intriguing depth player in the NHL. The next step for Xhekaj will be to continue to establish himself as a reliable pro.

12 - Filip Mesar

Mesar has not yet lived up to his first-round billing, especially with a disappointing rookie season in Laval from an offensive standpoint. However, the tools are still there, as Mesar’s quickness and hands in tight remained intact. Although he might not “wow”, Mesar still profiles as a solid pro and should see some improvement in Laval this year.

13 - Sean Farrell

Farrell took a step forward offensively this season, posting 20 goals in the AHL and carving out a bit of a niche in the bumper position on the power play. Farrell has an intriguing offensive toolkit, with good passing vision and a hard shot. To take the next step, though, he’ll have to continue to add strength and speed. He will compete for an NHL job this fall, likely returning to the AHL thereafter.

14 - Bogdan Konyushkov

Konyushkov logged heavy minutes in the KHL last season, playing nearly 23 minutes a night for Torpedo. He was featured both on the power play and on the penalty kill and has an ability to get involved offensively while making a solid first pass. He is under KHL contract through the end of the 2026-27 season, where he will be able to make the jump to North America.

15 - Yevgeni Volokhin

Volokhin made the jump to the KHL this season to mostly solid results after two very impressive seasons in the MHL. Despite not possessing elite size, he has active hands in the net that help him get to difficult shots. He has plenty of runway in the KHL to continue to improve his game.

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #1 MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:17:46 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 16:Ivan Demidov (93) of the Montreal Canadiens shoots the puck during the second period of the NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens on Apr 16 2025, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

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Montreal 25 Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #2

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Derek Neumeier — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:00:12 +0000

_{PARADISE, NV - JUNE 28: Ivan Demidov is drafted by the Montreal Canadians in the first round during the Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28, 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 2nd (Previous Rank - 4th)
GM: Kent Hughes Hired: January 2022
COACH: Martin St. Louis Hired: February 2022

The Montreal Canadiens passed on Matvei Michkov in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft to select defenceman David Reinbacher. Sitting 30th in our McKeen’s rankings, Reinbacher split his draft-plus-one campaign between the Swiss league and AHL and will now take on his official rookie year in Laval.

Montreal's foresight paid off, snagging a Russian phenom of their own in Ivan Demidov at the 2024 draft podium. Ranked as our third-best prospect, Demidov is regarded by many as a more complete player than Michkov, combining strong offensive instincts with an all-around versatile game. Simply put, his services change the future trajectory of the Canadiens overnight.

Reinbacher isn’t the only defensive prospect creating a buzz in Quebec. Boston University standout Lane Hutson (40th) has signed his papers and is ready to shift his game to the NHL circuit. The 20-year-old thrived at the collegiate level, posting 97 points over 77 games from the blueline, and picked up several personal accolades along the way. He embodies the modern offensive defenceman. Similarly, Logan Mailloux (59th) has made good strides in his development and, in reality, could push for an NHL roster spot out of training camp.

Joshua Roy, who appeared in 23 games for the Canadiens last season, is also on the verge of an NHL breakthrough. Roy is poised to join the likes of Juraj Slafkovský, Jayden Struble, Kaiden Guhle, and Cole Caufield as recent McKeen’s graduates making their mark on the NHL.

In goal, 2023 third-round pick Jacob Fowler has proven to be a strong bet. Backstopping Boston College to a Hockey East Championship, Fowler posted a 32-6-1 record in his freshman year and was named a First Team All-Star. While he’s still a few years away from NHL action, we could be looking at the Habs' goaltender of the future.

Montreal's competitive roster is beginning to take shape, bolstered by a recent mid-August trade that brought Patrik Laine to the team. They now boast a forward core led by Juraj Slafkovský (20), Nick Suzuki (25), Cole Caufield (23), Alex Newhook (23), Kirby Dach (23), and Patrik Laine (26). They will soon be joined by the young prospects mentioned above. On defence, the Canadiens’ future is promising with the likes of Lane Hutson (20), David Reinbacher (19), Logan Mailloux (20), and Kaiden Guhle (22).

After four consecutive postseason misses, things are finally looking up for the devoted fans of Les Habitants. The pieces are falling into place for a promising future.

Montreal Canadiens Top-15 Prospects

1. Ivan Demidov

The Canadiens already had one of the best prospect pools in the league prior to the 2024 draft, but the one thing it needed was a game-breaking forward. That's why their decision to pick Demidov 5th overall, as opposed to some other very appealing options that were also still available at the time, made all the sense in the world. He's a dynamic talent with a deep bag of tricks, along with the confidence to utilize all of them, and the smarts and awareness to pick the right times to do so. He's the type of player who can make a goal happen out of nothing, which is both valuable and rare within the tight defensive structures seen in the NHL. He also has a big-game mentality and thrives in the spotlight, which will be incredibly useful and much appreciated by fans in a hockey-mad market like Montreal.

2. David Reinbacher

It certainly can't be easy to be Reinbacher these days, with all that noise generated by the fervent Montreal fans and media, especially the noise that’s related to his somewhat controversial draft slot. Knowing that, it says a lot about his character that he was able to quickly move past an injury-dampened and loss-filled season in Switzerland and immediately start looking comfortable with Laval in the AHL. The Habs want him to be a top-pairing, all-situations, minute-munching blueliner, and he's on a good enough trajectory with his development so far that he genuinely could reach that ceiling. He already has all of the necessary tools in his toolbox. However, he's still a long ways away from that goal as of right now, and progress won't happen overnight. If the team and the city can be patient enough they could get rewarded handsomely.

3. Lane Hutson

Never tell Hutson the odds. It’s understandable, to a degree, why teams were nervous about him in his draft year, because it’s exceedingly rare for blueliners of his small stature to become core roster players. That said, it’s always been pretty apparent that this particular pint-sized defender was special, and now there are probably a number of teams that are kicking themselves for not being believers, especially since he has grown a bit since then. When it comes to puck-rushing defencemen he is as dynamic as they come, with explosive all-direction mobility and the desire to play on his toes at all times. He also deserves full marks for his mental traits, as he is utterly fearless and endlessly driven, and he reads and reacts to the play in front of him at lightning speed with near perfect precision. He’s a truly unique kind of talent.

4. Michael Hage

The feel-good story of the 2024 draft was Montreal picking Hage, whose father, Alain, was a diehard Canadiens fan up until his sudden and tragic death in the summer of 2023. Now Michael is committed to using his dad's memory and legacy as fuel for his own growth as a player. And what a player he is, as an athletic center who moves around the ice well and can do a lot of damage as both a shooter and a playmaker. And there aren't many development paths that are better than going from the USHL's Chicago Steel to the NCAA's University of Michigan, as both organizations have produced a plethora of great prospects in recent years. He's still a little unrefined right now, but the sky's the limit for him, and his first game at the Bell Centre will surely be an emotional affair.

5. Joshua Roy

Nearly three years have now passed since the 2021 draft, and yet it’s only gotten more and more perplexing over time why Roy wasn’t picked until the 5th round, 150th overall. Sure, hindsight is always 20/20, and absolutely no one was confident that he would be quite this good by this age, but he was a former 1st-overall pick into the QMJHL who scored at a point-per-game pace that season split between two lackluster teams, and a profile like that seems like it would be worth a roll of the dice at least a round or two sooner. The Canadiens certainly aren’t complaining about how things worked out, though. He’s already putting in work and looking solid as a support scorer, and that will keep him around for a long time, even if he never becomes a primary creator.

6. Logan Mailloux

Much has already been said and written about Mailloux’s past and the highly controversial decision by the Canadiens to select him in the 1st round in the 2021 draft, and that story will be talked about again and relitigated in depth once he eventually becomes an NHL regular. For right now, though, there is another story that has emerged with him, and it’s about how well he’s managed to tune out all that chatter and channel his energy into his on-ice performance, which cannot be an easy focus to maintain. He is intensely attuned to his development and the on-ice results that stem from it, perhaps knowing that his career will always be on uniquely thinner ice than others, and he’s become one of the best defence prospects in all of hockey. If the Habs keep maintaining their long-term investment in him then he’ll win a full-time spot with the big club in short order.

7. Jacob Fowler

A popular hockey saying goes that goalies are voodoo, but thus far into his career Fowler is almost boringly, simplistically excellent. Put on the pads, stop almost all the pucks, win the game, repeat. And that's been the same song and dance for him going as far back as his stats were even recorded. His technique and positioning are impeccably fine-tuned for a goalie his age, and the quality of his mental approach is rare. He just never seems to have a bad game, and on the rare occasion that he lets in a bad goal he’s always able to shake it off and immediately refocus. He came remarkably close to winning back-to-back league championships, after leading Youngstown to a USHL title last season, but Boston College was overpowered in the final of the Frozen Four. If he keeps improving his quickness and athleticism he could become quite a solid NHL starter.

8. Owen Beck

In this past spring Beck suited up for his third OHL team in the span of three years, but he probably didn’t complain too much about it, because he was guaranteed a return trip to the Memorial Cup tournament, now as a member of the host Saginaw Spirit, after getting there the harder way the year before with the Peterborough Petes. Montreal must be pleased that he received all this high-quality experience, because it’s nothing but pure benefit for him. He’s a reliable, competitive, two-way center by nature, and after all of this it’s easy to imagine how prepared he’s going to be for playoff hockey in the NHL once he gets there. It seems like his ceiling will end up being a little lower than what was initially hoped for, but he should still be able to fit in just fine with what the Canadiens are building long-term.

9. Oliver Kapanen

Yet another member of the Kapanen clan, Oliver comes from quite a bloodline of hockey players. To say that he lived and breathed hockey growing up probably wouldn't be much of a stretch or understatement. He was also practically raised by the Kalpa organization in Finland, playing with them for so many years that they watched him grow from a boy into a man, so there must have been a lot of pride being felt when he exploded in the Liiga playoffs this spring, scoring at a point per game pace and helping them advance far into the postseason. The skill and hockey IQ have always been in place for him, and he continues to make necessary progress on his strength and conditioning, improvements that he'll need to be able to play in the NHL one day. Montreal, with all their young forward depth, can afford to be patient with Kapanen.

10. Jakub Dobes

Among all AHL goalies this season Dobes finished tied for the lead for game appearances and was solely in second place for total minutes between the pipes, which is quite a rare thing for a rookie netminder in that league to accomplish. He has a remarkable ability to step into a totally new environment and look uncharacteristically right at home, which he’s done recently with both Ohio State and now Laval as well, winning the starter’s job upon arrival each time and never relinquishing it. His play just keeps getting better and better as he continues growing into his sprawling frame and gaining more natural coordination. Making things even more enticing, he still looks like he’s not even close to reaching the limits of that progression. If a re-do for the 2020 draft were to happen tomorrow Dobes might get picked as many as 100 spots higher.

11. Filip Mesar

A longtime friend and international teammate of Juraj Slafkovský, Mesar is Montreal's other young Slovak forward, but his development hasn't begun to soar nearly as much in comparison. On the bright side, he has a knack for saving his best hockey for the biggest games, from the World Juniors to the OHL playoffs, which is never a bad sign. He’s an offense-first winger who is at his most dangerous off the rush.

12. Bogdan Konyushkov

Sometimes it makes sense to select older, previously undrafted prospects, because more is already known about them. Konyushkov was the oldest player to get drafted in 2023, but he had just played a full season in the KHL, so the Habs had enough material to inform their decision. He has the requisite determination and pacing needed for smaller blueliners, utilizing his feet to be fast and shifty on puck retrievals and breakouts, while keeping tight gaps to defend with pokechecks.

13. Sean Farrell

Farrell was a top offensive contributor in both the USHL and the NCAA, so further point production is expected of him. That might just take longer than expected, because of how much progress he still needs to make with his strength and conditioning. Few can match his ability to see the ice and anticipate the flow of play, and he pairs that with an innate touch for the puck, but he needs to get more explosive and apply pressure with more intensity.

14. Adam Engström

Engström is a bit of a sleeper in Montreal's crowded system, but he just keeps quietly getting better and better playing overseas in the SHL. He was also one of Rögle's regular defensemen in their surprise underdog run to the league finals, which is the type of experience that can really boost a young player's development. His game is all about crisp puck movement that is carried out at a brisk pace.

15. Riley Kidney

Kidney rattled off repeat 100-point seasons during his QMJHL tenure, so Habs fans shouldn't get too concerned that he had a quiet rookie campaign in the AHL. It wasn't a secret that he would need more time to get his strength and conditioning up to par, and he still possesses the same sharp offensive vision and precise playmaking that he had before. The Canadiens have enough prospect depth that they can let Kidney develop at a pace that works for him.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #4 Montreal Canadiens – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Derek Neumeier, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 15:00:05 +0000

Kent Hughes has been one of the more active and creative GM’s in the NHL in a little over two years. Two drafts under his belt, and he has shown he is going to follow his own instincts, as both first overall picks were not the consensus at the time. He has received vindication for taking Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in 2022 as he broke out this season and showed considerable ceiling as an elite power forward. There were some raised eyebrows about picking 6’2” right shot defenseman, David Reinbacher, given there were flashier options on the table at the time. He is followed by the #2 prospect, Lane Hutson, also on defense, and looking like one of the great steals from the 2022 Draft at 62nd. He also gets high marks for drafting goaltender Jacob Fowler in the second round, currently ranked as the sixth best prospect goaltender by McKeens. He will certainly add to the fourth best prospect pool with two first-round picks in 2024 and two firsts in 2025, and a slew of picks in both drafts.

Hughes, an ex-player agent, is a master of using his cap space to land prospects and picks. He took Sean Monahan off of Calgary’s hands (future considerations) for a first-round pick in the summer of 2022. Monahan had a strong 2023-24 season and recouped another first at the 2024 deadline. We do not have enough space here to cover all the wheeling and dealing but it has created a wealth of future potential, but also to add key young pieces to the core in reclamation projects in two former first round 23-year-olds in Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. They are building around forwards Nick Suzuki (24) and Cole Caufield (23), who have established themselves as stars, and are signed through 2029-30 at very reasonable, identical AAV of $7.875 million. They are a few years out from contending, there is real momentum and excitement in one of the most jaded fan bases.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	David Reinbacher	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	`23(5th)	35	1	10	11	18
					Laval (AHL)	`23(5th)	11	2	3	5	4
2	Lane Hutson	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	`22(62nd)	38	15	34	49	24
					Montreal (NHL)	`22(62nd)	2	0	2	2	0
3	Joshua Roy	RW	20	6-0/190	Laval (AHL)	`21(150th)	41	13	19	32	12
					Montreal (NHL)	`21(150th)	23	4	5	9	0
4	Logan Mailloux	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	`21(31st)	72	14	33	47	91
5	Jacob Fowler	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	`23(69th)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
6	Owen Beck	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	`22(33rd)	57	34	47	81	18
7	Sean Farrell	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	`20(124th)	47	9	19	28	10
8	Jakub Dobes	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	`20(136th)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
9	Oliver Kapanen	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	`21(64th)	51	14	20	34	32
10	Bogdan Konyushkov	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	`23(110th)	65	6	22	28	18
11	Filip Mesar	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	`22(26th)	45	19	33	52	12
12	Adam Engstrom	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	`22(92nd)	51	4	18	22	4
13	Riley Kidney	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	`21(63rd)	65	7	13	20	41
14	Emil Heineman	LW	22	6-1/185	Laval (AHL)	T(Cgy-2/22)	48	15	14	29	25
					Montreal (NHL)	T(Cgy-2/22)	4	0	0	0	0
15	William Trudeau	D	21	6-0/190	Laval (AHL)	`21(113th)	70	8	16	24	69

1. David Reinbacher, D, Kloten (NL)/Laval Rocket (AHL)

2. Lane Hutson, D, Boston University (NCAA)

Never tell Hutson the odds. It’s understandable, to a degree, why teams were nervous about him in his draft year, because it’s exceedingly rare for blueliners of his small stature to become core roster players. That said, it’s always been pretty apparent that this particular pint-sized defender was special, and now there are probably a number of teams that are kicking themselves for not being believers. When it comes to puck-rushing defensemen he is as dynamic as they come, with explosive all-direction mobility and the desire to play on his toes at all times. He also deserves full marks for his mental traits, as he is utterly fearless and endlessly driven, and he reads and reacts to the play in front of him at lightning speed with near perfect precision. Can Hutson reach a similar level to Quinn Hughes in Vancouver? Habs fans are already dreaming about it.

3. Joshua Roy, RW, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Nearly three years have now passed since the 2021 draft, and yet it’s only gotten more and more perplexing over time why Roy wasn’t picked until the 5th round and 150th overall. Sure, hindsight is always 20/20, and absolutely no one was confident that he would be quite this good by this age, but he was a former 1st-overall pick into the QMJHL who scored at a point-per-game pace that season split between two lackluster teams, and a profile like that seems like it would be worth a roll of the dice at least a round or two sooner. The Canadiens certainly aren’t complaining about how things worked out, though. He’s already putting in work and looking solid as a support scorer, and that will keep him around for a long time, even if he never becomes a primary creator.

4. Logan Mailloux, D, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Much has already been said and written about Mailloux’s past and the highly controversial decision by the Canadiens to select him in the 1st round in the 2021 draft, and that story will be talked about again and relitigated in depth once he eventually becomes an NHL regular. For right now, though, there is another story that has emerged with him, and it’s about how well he’s managed to tune out all that chatter and channel his energy into his on-ice performance, which cannot be an easy focus to maintain. He is intensely attuned to his development and the on-ice results that stem from it, perhaps knowing that his career will always be on uniquely thinner ice than others, and he’s become one of the best defense prospects in all of hockey. If the Habs keep maintaining their long-term investment in him then he’ll win a full-time spot with the big club in short order.

5. Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (NCAA)

6. Owen Beck, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Beck is now playing for his third OHL team in the span of three years, but he’s probably not complaining too much, since he’s guaranteed a return trip to the Memorial Cup tournament, this time as a member of the host Saginaw Spirit after getting there the harder way last year with the Peterborough Petes. Montreal must be pleased that he’s getting all of this high-quality experience, because it’s nothing but pure benefit for him. He’s a reliable, competitive two-way center by nature, and after all of this it’s easy to imagine how prepared he’s going to be for playoff hockey in the NHL once he gets there. It seems like his ceiling will end up being a little lower than what was initially hoped for, but he should still be able to fit in just fine with what the Canadiens are building long-term.

7. Sean Farrell, C, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Farrell proved himself to be a top-tier offensive contributor in both the USHL and the NCAA, so further point production is expected to be a part of his future. That might just take longer than Habs fans expect, though, because of the higher importance of strength and conditioning at the professional levels, and how much progress he still needs to make in these areas. Few can match his ability to see the ice in front of him and anticipate the flow of play, and he pairs that with an innate touch for the puck and a confidence for playmaking. He’s an ace at slowing things down and letting his options unfurl themselves, and that’s always a great trait to possess, but he will also need to round things out by getting more explosive with his skating and applying pressure with more intensity.

8. Jakub Dobes, G, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Among all AHL goalies this season Dobes finished in a tie for game appearances and was solely in second place for total minutes between the pipes, which is quite a rare thing for a rookie netminder in the league to accomplish. He has a remarkable ability to step into a totally new environment and look uncharacteristically right at home, which he’s done recently with both Ohio State and now Laval as well, winning the starter’s job upon arrival each time and never relinquishing it. His play just keeps getting better and better as he continues growing into his sprawling frame and gaining more natural coordination, and making things even more enticing, he still looks like he’s not even close to reaching the limits of that progression. If a re-do for the 2020 draft were to happen tomorrow Dobes might get picked as many as 100 spots higher.

9. Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga)

Yet another member of the Kapanen clap, Oliver comes from quite a bloodline of hockey players. To say that he lived and breathed hockey growing up probably wouldn't be much of a stretch or understatement. He was also practically raised by the Kalpa organization in Finland, playing with them for so many years that they watched him grow from a boy into a man, so there must have been a lot of pride being felt when he exploded in the Liiga playoffs this spring, scoring at a point per game pace and helping them make it far. The skill and hockey IQ have always been in place for him, and he continues to make necessary progress on his strength and conditioning, improvements that he'll need to be able to play in the NHL one day. Montreal, with all their young forward depth, can afford to be patient with Kapanen.

10. Bogdan Konyushkov, D, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

Sometimes it makes a lot of sense to draft older prospects, even if they've gone unpicked before, because more is already known about them, and less guess work is needed about their development. Konyushkov was the single oldest player to hear his name get called in the 2023 draft, but he had just played a full season in the KHL, so the Habs had a lot of good material to help inform their decision and must have been pretty comfortable in their assessment of him. Additionally, his coach for the past two seasons with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod was the legendary Igor “The Professor” Larionov, which was surely a nice bonus. He has the requisite determination and pacing needed for smaller blueliners, utilizing his feet to be fast and shifty on puck retrievals and breakouts, while keeping tight gaps to defend with pokechecks.

PROSPECT CRITERIA: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 games (30 for goalies) and less than 25 in one season (25 for goalies).

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 30 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:22:26 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first, this ranking, follows the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Our team of 16 scouts are based in key markets around the world, in the rinks, supported by video scouting. They utilize some terrific tools from Hudl/InStat, which can isolate so many aspects of a player’s game, along with proprietary statistics. They spend countless hours in rinks and in front of screens and are deeply familiar with these players and their progression. Our management team of Brock Otten (Director of Scouting) and Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting/Senior Western Regional Scout), along with Video Scouting Coordinator, Josh Bell, will take the teams input and finalize the list you see below. Brock, Derek and Josh are responsible for the player write-ups in the Prospect Guide.

The organizational rankings are based on an algorithm that takes into account how many prospects are ranked within the top 200. The teams are broken down by the number of prospects in our top 1 -25, 26 - 50, 51 - 100, and 101 - 200. A weight is attached to each group and then some subjective tweaking is done based on our knowledge of the players. There can be a wider discrepancy in the top 25 group than the latter groupings that needs to be taken into account.

Here is our definition of an NHL prospect: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in one season (25 for goalies).

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft. We are releasing out top 30 NHL Prospects free to non-subscribers. If you want to learn more, link here.

Subscribers can link to the full top 200 listing here

Here is an excerpt of Brock Otten's Risers and Fallers article from the magazine to give you more perspective and a little taste of our content.

The best part of scouting is the somewhat unpredictable nature of human development. Some players improve dramatically from one year to the next…others do not. When we compare the rankings from our 2023-24 NHL Yearbook (where we did a Top 300 prospect ranking) to now, these are the players who have risen/fallen the most.

Risers

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 22: Dallas Stars center Logan Stankoven (11) reacts to a goal score during game one of the Western Conference First Round between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights on April 22, 2024 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Logan Stankoven (27 to 5) - Dallas Stars

Stankoven’s jump from one of the best players in the WHL to one of the best players in the AHL has been impressive. So has his quick start in the NHL.

Ryan Leonard (32 to 6) – Washington Capitals

Leonard is returning to Boston College after a Championship barely eluded him this year. However, he has proven to be an elite play driver to go with his strong off puck play.

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 11: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Joshua Roy (89) during warm-up before the St. Louis Blues versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 11, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Roy (63 to 35) – Montreal Canadiens

Roy continues to prove doubters wrong after a terrific AHL season with Laval. His skill set has become so well rounded since being drafted.

Conor Geekie (68 to 18) – Utah

Geekie’s power game from the middle of the ice makes him such an interesting prospect for today’s NHL. His skating continues to improve.

Mavrik Bourque (79 to 23) – Dallas Stars

Bourque emerged as one of the best players in the AHL this season as a sophomore professional. He’s ready to take that next step with the Stars.

Gabe Perreault (86 to 19) – New York Rangers

Once thought to be the third wheel on the talented Will Smith/Ryan Leonard threesome, Perreault’s progression as a play driver at Boston College this season has altered the perception that he can be a front-line NHL player.

Bradly Nadeau (109 to 34) – Carolina Hurricanes

Drafting early out of the BCHL has yielded inconsistent results, however Nadeau was exceptional as a freshman at Maine. Did he leave school too early though?

Jagger Firkus (112 to 47) – Seattle Kraken

Firkus took his game to another level this year in his final WHL season, leading the league in scoring. He’s ready to be a pro.

Gavin Brindley (122 to 66) – Columbus Blue Jackets

One of the most improved players in the NCAA this year, Brindley emerged as a star for the University of Michigan and really altered his projection as a potential top six forward.

Quentin Musty (125 to 51) – San Jose Sharks

The dynamic American winger worked hard to fine tune components of his game in Sudbury this year and deserves a bump for improving his consistency.

Jani Nyman (135 to 81) – Seattle Kraken

Nyman emerged as one of the top goal scorers in Finland this season as a U20 player. This, combined with his strong WJC performance, has helped push him up our board north.

Logan Mailloux (145 to 45) – Montreal Canadiens

Mailloux proved to be way more refined at the AHL level than previously perceived. Simply put, he was one of the best defensive prospects in the AHL this year.

Josh Doan (153 to 55) - Utah

What a terrific story to the end of the Coyotes franchise. Doan emerged as a potential star this season and finished the year strong in the NHL, scoring in his debut.

Riley Heidt (157 to 44) – Minnesota Wild

We still don’t understand how Heidt fell as far as he did in the 2023 draft, however he is proving NHL scouts wrong thus far after a remarkable year with Prince George.

Ville Koivunen (165 to 71) – Pittsburgh Penguins

The main piece of the Jake Guentzel to Carolina deal, Koivunen emerged as one of the top players in Liiga this year.

Ethan Del Mastro (169 to 73) – Chicago Blackhawks

There was little doubt that Del Mastro’s strong defensive ability would translate to the AHL level well, but he continues to improve offensively and that has altered his projection.

Theo Lindstein (185 to 91) – St. Louis Blues

Lindstein’s strong year for Brynas has helped to elevate his upside as a two-way defender. We may have ranked him too low in our 2023 Draft Rankings.

Carson Rehkopf (201 to 69) – Seattle Kraken

Consistency off the puck and a lack of engagement held Rehkopf back last year. This year marked improvement in those areas helped him emerge as a top offensive talent in the OHL.

Easton Cowan (204 to 67) – Toronto Maple Leafs

One of the surprises of the 2023 draft, Cowan set a new OHL record with a 42-game point streak. More than just a high energy guy now, he can be a difference maker offensively.

Seamus Casey (214 to 63) – New Jersey Devils

Casey continues to improve in the NCAA. He may not have elite size, but he has everything else, and it has the Devils excited about his future.

Jacob Fowler (222 to 52) – Montreal Canadiens

Fowler compiled a list of accolades as a freshman this year at Boston College, emerging as one of the top goaltending prospects in the game.

Fraser Minten (226 to 84) – Toronto Maple Leafs

After starting the year with the Leafs, Minten returned to the WHL and ended up captaining Canada at the World Juniors.

Jackson Blake (277 to 117) – Carolina Hurricanes

A finalist for the Hobey Baker this year, Blake became an NCAA star for North Dakota, and he now turns pro.

Erik Portillo (Unranked to 118) – Los Angeles Kings

Acquired by the Kings, Portillo turned pro after three years at Michigan and he was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL as a first-year pro.

Rodwin Dionicio (Unranked to 139) – Anaheim Ducks

Dionicio still plays a high risk, high reward game from the back end, but his offensive upside has become too large to ignore.

Fallers

EDM - Xavier Bourgault

Xavier Bourgault (from 48 to 113) – Edmonton Oilers

After a mediocre first professional year last season, Bourgault was even more disappointing as a sophomore with Bakersfield. The Oilers just haven’t been developing prospects well in recent years.

Eduard Sale (72 to 140) – Seattle Kraken

Sale’s first year in North America did not go according to plan as he struggled to be a consistent impact player in the OHL.

Jack Rathbone (96 to not ranked) – Pittsburgh Penguins

Perhaps we ranked Rathbone too aggressively this summer, but not only did he fail to earn a spot on Vancouver, but he’s now an NHL after thought after entering Pittsburgh’s organization via trade.

Jacob Perreault (127 to not ranked) – Montreal Canadiens

Perreault’s off puck play and skating just haven’t improved to the point where he can be a consistent pro and it caused the Ducks to move on from him, trading him to Montreal.

Jan Jenik (156 to not ranked) - Utah

Once a highly ranked prospect, Jenik continues to fall. He just hasn’t been able to take that next step and even passed through waivers this year unclaimed.

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17

2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 200 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:02:31 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first is following the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft.

Subscribers can link to the listing here

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17
31	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	20	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	64	21	34	55	38
32	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	20	6-1/185	Washington (NHL)	21	2	4	6	6
33	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Det	D	19	5-11/180	Skelleftea (SHL)	39	10	8	18	17
34	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	18	5-10/165	Maine (HE)	37	19	27	46	12
35	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	20	6-0/190	Montreal (NHL)	23	4	5	9	0
36	Denton Mateychuk	CBJ	D	19	5-11/190	Moose Jaw (WHL)	52	17	58	75	31
37	Brayden Yager	Pit	C	19	5-11/165	Moose Jaw (WHL)	57	35	60	95	20
38	Calum Ritchie	Col	C	19	6-2/185	Oshawa (OHL)	50	28	52	80	20
39	Joakim Kemell	Nsh	RW	20	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	67	16	25	41	23
40	Colby Barlow	Wpg	LW	19	6-0/195	Owen Sound (OHL)	50	40	18	58	27
41	Jimmy Snuggerud	StL	RW	19	6-1/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	21	13	34	42
42	Matthew Coronato	Cgy	RW	21	5-10/183	Calgary (NHL)	34	3	6	9	4
43	Frank Nazar	Chi	C	20	5-10/180	Michigan (B1G)	41	17	24	41	18
44	Riley Heidt	Min	C	19	5-10/180	Prince George (WHL)	66	37	80	117	42
45	Logan Mailloux	Mtl	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	72	14	33	47	91
46	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	21	6-6/229	Grand Rapids (AHL)	40	22	9	2.41	0.913
47	Jagger Firkus	Sea	RW	20	5-10/155	Moose Jaw (WHL)	63	61	65	126	30
48	Mikhail Gulyayev	Col	D	19	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	64	4	8	12	8
49	Scott Morrow	Car	D	21	6-2/195	Massachusetts (HE)	37	6	24	30	25
50	Matthew Wood	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/195	Connecticut (HE)	35	16	12	28	43
51	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	18	6-2/200	Sudbury (OHL)	53	43	59	102	72
52	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
53	Fabian Lysell	Bos	RW	21	5-11/181	Providence (AHL)	56	15	35	50	37
54	Shakir Mukhamadullin	SJ	D	22	6-3/180	San Jose (AHL)	55	7	27	34	24
55	Josh Doan	Ari	RW	22	6-1/183	Arizona (NHL)	11	5	4	9	0
56	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	22	5-9/180	San Jose (NHL)	27	6	5	11	18
57	Lian Bichsel	Dal	D	19	6-6/233	Rogle (SHL)	29	2	2	4	28
58	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	24	5-10/180	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	42	11	24	35	30
59	Aatu Raty	Van	C	21	6-2/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	72	18	34	52	18
60	Oliver Moore	Chi	C	19	5-11/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	9	24	33	8
61	Samuel Honzek	Cgy	LW	19	6-4/186	Vancouver (WHL)	33	10	21	31	18
62	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	23	5-9/170	Calgary (NHL)	13	1	2	3	2
63	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	20	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	7	38	45	14
64	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	20	6-1/195	Anaheim (NHL)	7	1	2	3	4
65	Chaz Lucius	Wpg	C	20	6-1/185	Manitoba (AHL)	17	2	11	13	6
66	Gavin Brindley	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	25	28	53	28
67	Easton Cowan	Tor	RW	18	5-10/170	London (OHL)	54	34	62	96	64
68	Zachary L'Heureux	Nsh	LW	20	5-11/195	Milwaukee (AHL)	66	19	29	48	197
69	Carson Rehkopf	Sea	LW	19	6-1/195	Kitchener (OHL)	60	52	43	95	45
70	Filip Bystedt	SJ	C	20	6-4/205	Linkopings (SHL)	47	8	9	17	2
71	Ville Koivunen	Pit	LW	20	6-0/175	Karpat (Fin-Liiga)	59	22	34	56	26
72	Noah Ostlund	Buf	C	20	5-11/163	Vaxjo Lakers (SHL)	38	12	11	23	4
73	Ethan Del Mastro	Chi	D	21	6-4/210	Rockford (AHL)	69	7	30	37	54
74	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	22	5-10/180	Henderson (AHL)	58	4	16	20	33
75	Liam Ohgren	Min	LW	20	6-1/200	Farjestads (SHL)	26	12	7	19	12
76	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	21	5-11/175	Minnesota (NHL)	16	1	3	4	6
77	Mackie Samoskevich	Fla	RW	21	5-11/190	Charlotte (AHL)	62	22	32	54	24
78	Stanislav Svozil	CBJ	D	21	6-1/180	Cleveland (AHL)	57	5	18	23	24
79	Zachary Bolduc	StL	LW	21	6-1/175	St. Louis (NHL)	25	5	4	9	6
80	Rutger McGroarty	Wpg	LW	20	6-1/200	Michigan (B1G)	36	16	36	52	6
81	Jani Nyman	Sea	RW	19	6-3/215	Ilves (Fin-Liiga)	48	26	17	43	2
82	Andrew Cristall	Wsh	LW	19	5-9/165	Kelowna (WHL)	62	40	71	111	46
83	Oliver Bonk	Phi	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	60	24	43	67	32
84	Fraser Minten	Tor	C	19	6-1/185	Kam-Sas (WHL)	43	22	26	48	25
85	Tanner Molendyk	Nsh	D	19	5-11/185	Saskatoon (WHL)	50	10	46	56	18
86	David Goyette	Sea	C	20	5-10/175	Sudbury (OHL)	68	40	77	117	29
87	David Edstrom	SJ	C	19	6-3/185	Frolunda (SHL)	44	7	12	19	8
88	Anton Wahlberg	Buf	C	18	6-3/194	Malmo (SHL)	43	5	5	10	4
89	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	22	5-9/185	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	61	5	27	32	66
90	Trey Augustine	Det	G	19	6-1/185	Michigan State (B1G)	35	23	9	2.96	0.915
91	Theo Lindstein	StL	D	19	6-0/180	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49	4	11	15	4
92	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	23	6-7/195	Belleville (AHL)	32	18	9	2.45	0.916
93	Isak Rosen	Buf	RW	21	6-0/175	Rochester (AHL)	67	20	30	50	12
94	Maveric Lamoureux	Ari	D	20	6-7/214	Drummondville (QMJHL)	39	9	24	33	53
95	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	21	6-2/180	Rockford (AHL)	38	18	16	2.65	0.906
96	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	23	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	41	10	17	27	24
97	Carter Mazur	Det	LW	22	6-0/170	Grand Rapids (AHL)	60	17	20	37	48
98	Otto Stenberg	StL	C	18	5-11/180	Frolunda (SHL)	31	3	3	6	8
99	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	LW	23	6-3/205	Milwaukee (AHL)	56	27	27	54	60
100	Nikita Chibrikov	Wpg	RW	21	5-10/170	Manitoba (AHL)	70	17	30	47	53
101	Zach Dean	StL	C	21	6-0/175	Springfield (AHL)	49	9	5	14	24
102	William Dufour	NYI	RW	22	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	55	15	10	25	35
103	Sam Rinzel	Chi	D	19	6-4/180	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	26	28	20
104	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	22	6-2/185	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	45	25	12	2.16	0.921
105	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	23	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	50	19	19	38	8
106	Corson Ceulemans	CBJ	D	20	6-2/200	Cleveland (AHL)	47	3	9	12	12
107	Michael Hrabal	Ari	G	19	6-6/209	Massachusetts (HE)	30	16	12	2.59	0.912
108	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	22	5-11/180	Vegas (NHL)	15	2	6	8	2
109	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	20	6-4/180	Swift Current (WHL)	59	7	39	46	35
110	Owen Beck	Mtl	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	57	34	47	81	18
111	William Wallinder	Det	D	21	6-4/190	Grand Rapids (AHL)	65	3	12	15	10
112	Xavier Bourgault	Edm	C	21	6-0/170	Bakersfield (AHL)	55	8	12	20	24
113	Jordan Dumais	CBJ	RW	20	5-8/165	Halifax (QMJHL)	21	16	31	47	6
114	Aleksi Heimosalmi	Car	D	20	5-11/170	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	47	2	14	16	12
115	Brandon Bussi	Bos	G	25	6-4/218	Providence (AHL)	41	23	10	2.67	0.913
116	Jackson Blake	Car	RW	20	5-10/160	North Dakota (NCHC)	40	22	38	60	26
117	Erik Portillo	LA	G	23	6-6/210	Ontario (AHL)	39	24	11	2.50	0.918
118	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	47	9	19	28	10
119	Kasper Halttunen	SJ	RW	18	6-3/205	London (OHL)	57	32	29	61	61
120	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	22	5-11/165	Toronto (AHL)	68	8	31	39	43
121	Ethan Gauthier	TB	RW	19	5-11/175	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64	36	35	71	42
122	Daniil Miromanov	Cgy	D	26	6-4/200	VGK-Cgy (NHL)	24	3	4	7	8
123	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	23	5-8/155	Bridgeport (AHL)	69	18	32	50	30
124	Shai Buium	Det	D	21	6-3/210	Denver (NCHC)	43	7	29	36	14
125	Jakub Dobes	Mtl	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
126	Oliver Kapanen	Mtl	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	51	14	20	34	32
127	Danny Nelson	NYI	C	18	6-3/200	Notre Dame (B1G)	30	9	14	23	32
128	Lenni Hameenaho	NJ	RW	19	6-0/175	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	46	14	17	31	10
129	Nick Lardis	Chi	LW	18	5-11/165	Brantford (OHL)	37	29	21	50	12
130	Ty Nelson	Sea	D	20	5-10/195	North Bay (OHL)	54	16	36	52	50
131	Isaac Howard	TB	LW	20	5-10/185	Michigan State (B1G)	36	8	28	36	10
132	Fyodor Svechkov	Nsh	C	21	6-0/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	57	16	23	39	18
133	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	21	6-1/196	Calgary (AHL)	23	3	10	13	22
134	Reid Schaefer	Nsh	LW	20	6-3/215	Milwaukee (AHL)	63	7	14	21	39
135	Zack Ostapchuk	Ott	C	20	6-3/205	Belleville (AHL)	69	17	11	28	47
136	Nathan Gaucher	Ana	C	20	6-3/207	San Diego (AHL)	72	10	15	25	68
137	Rodwin Dionicio	Ana	D	20	6-2/207	Wsr-Sag (OHL)	60	25	48	73	108
138	Eduard Sale	Sea	LW	19	6-1/170	Bar-Kit (OHL)	49	15	23	38	8
139	Danil Gushchin	SJ	RW	22	5-8/165	San Jose (AHL)	56	20	34	54	24
140	Sean Behrens	Col	D	21	5-10/175	Denver (NCHC)	44	4	27	31	53
141	Christian Kyrou	Dal	D	20	5-10/170	Texas (AHL)	57	8	15	23	22
142	Niklas Kokko	Sea	G	20	6-3/185	Pelicans (Fin-Liiga)	13	9	0	1.49	0.926
143	Vasily Ponomarev	Pit	C	22	5-10/180	Tuc-Chi-WBS (AHL)	45	9	21	30	16
144	Ryan Winterton	Sea	RW	20	6-2/190	Coachella Valley (AHL)	58	22	13	35	23
145	Dmitri Buchelnikov	Det	LW	20	5-10/165	Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)	55	13	16	29	8
146	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	Sea	C	19	6-0/165	HV 71 (SHL)	50	9	12	21	6
147	Aku Raty	Ari	RW	22	6-1/190	Tucson (AHL)	55	15	29	44	22
148	Matyas Sapovaliv	VGK	C	20	6-3/180	Saginaw (OHL)	54	19	43	62	22
149	Georgii Merkulov	Bos	C	23	5-11/175	Providence (AHL)	67	30	35	65	20
150	Topias Vilen	NJ	D	21	6-1/195	Utica (AHL)	54	2	27	29	16
151	Ryan Chesley	Wsh	D	20	6-0/200	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	6	8	19
152	Jayden Perron	Car	RW	19	5-9/165	North Dakota (NCHC)	39	11	7	18	8
153	Tristen Robins	SJ	C	22	5-10/175	San Jose (AHL)	42	7	11	18	12
154	Calle Odelius	NYI	D	19	6-0/190	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	10	0	4	4	2
155	Vincent Iorio	Wsh	D	21	6-2/190	Hershey (AHL)	60	4	10	14	30
156	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	23	6-4/215	Bakersfield (AHL)	66	28	22	50	64
157	Ronnie Attard	Phi	D	25	6-3/210	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	48	10	17	27	37
158	Niko Huuhtanen	TB	RW	20	6-2/205	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	52	19	27	46	46
159	Carson Bjarnason	Phi	G	18	6-3/185	Brandon (WHL)	46	24	17	3.01	0.907
160	Lukas Dragicevic	Sea	D	19	6-1/190	Tri-City (WHL)	66	14	36	50	52
161	Leevi Merilainen	Ott	G	21	6-2/160	Belleville (AHL)	24	10	9	2.87	0.906
162	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	22	6-4/200	Belleville (AHL)	53	5	16	21	51
163	Hunter Brzustewicz	Cgy	D	19	5-11/185	Kitchener (OHL)	67	13	79	92	24
164	Ryan Greene	Chi	C	20	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	40	12	24	36	6
165	Damian Clara	Ana	G	19	6-6/214	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	34	25	8	2.23	0.913
166	Carson Lambos	Min	D	21	6-1/200	Iowa (AHL)	69	4	10	14	64
167	Denver Barkey	Phi	C	19	5-8/160	London (OHL)	64	35	67	102	28
168	Gage Goncalves	TB	C	23	6-1/170	Syracuse (AHL)	69	13	45	58	43
169	Arshdeep Bains	Van	LW	23	6-0/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	59	16	39	55	28
170	Bogdan Konyushkov	Mtl	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	65	6	22	28	18
171	Alexei Kolosov	Phi	G	22	6-1/185	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	47	22	21	2.39	0.907
172	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	24	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	50	43	19	62	26
173	Filip Mesar	Mtl	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	45	19	33	52	12
174	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	23	6-3/200	Hartford (AHL)	68	4	17	21	49
175	Adam Engstrom	Mtl	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	51	4	18	22	4
176	Michael Buchinger	StL	D	20	5-11/185	Guelph (OHL)	52	10	37	47	37
177	Semyon Chistyakov	Nsh	D	22	5-11/180	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	59	4	20	24	16
178	John Farinacci	Bos	C	23	5-11/197	Providence (AHL)	71	12	26	38	16
179	Angus Crookshank	Ott	LW	24	5-10/180	Belleville (AHL)	50	24	22	46	60
180	Yegor Sidorov	Ana	RW	19	6-0/180	Saskatoon (WHL)	66	50	38	88	66
181	Samu Tuomaala	Phi	RW	21	5-10/175	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	69	15	28	43	12
182	Logan Morrison	Sea	C	21	6-0/180	Coachella Valley (AHL)	64	16	25	41	4
183	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	21	5-11/175	Colorado (AHL)	26	4	10	14	18
184	Adam Gajan	Chi	G	19	6-3/167	Green Bay (USHL)	43	23	12	3.35	0.893
185	Nolan Allan	Chi	D	21	6-2/195	Rockford (AHL)	60	5	12	17	47
186	Oskar Olausson	Col	RW	21	6-1/180	Colorado (AHL)	39	11	9	20	24
187	Samuel Poulin	Pit	C	23	6-1/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	41	16	15	31	35
188	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	21	5-9/165	Hartford (AHL)	71	25	23	48	62
189	Colton Dach	Chi	C	21	6-4/205	Rockford (AHL)	48	11	15	26	39
190	Jack Thompson	SJ	D	22	6-0/180	Syr-SJ (AHL)	62	6	35	41	16
191	Riley Kidney	Mtl	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	65	7	13	20	41
192	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	21	6-3/195	Belleville (AHL)	22	9	11	20	22
193	Carey Terrance	Ana	C	18	6-1/175	Erie (OHL)	56	29	23	52	25
194	Luca Del Bel Belluz	CBJ	C	20	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	58	9	22	31	12
195	Luca Pinelli	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Ottawa (OHL)	68	48	34	82	44
196	Francesco Pinelli	LA	C	21	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	67	13	7	20	24
197	Elias Salomonsson	Wpg	D	19	6-1/185	Skelleftea (SHL)	31	2	9	11	58
198	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	21	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	38	24	19	43	23
199	Sasha Pastujov	Ana	RW	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	46	10	13	23	14
200	Andrew Gibson	Det	D	19	6-3/195	Saul St. Marie (OHL)	68	12	32	44	58

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT GUIDE – The McKeen’s team sleeper picks

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:47:12 +0000

One of the questions consistently asked of us on social media is “who are your favourite sleepers this year?” The concept of a draft “sleeper,” or a player currently flying under the radar is something that fascinates many draft followers. Everyone has their favourite, so we asked our scouting team to supply theirs! This article is included in our recently published McKeen's 2023 NHL Draft Guide. If you are not a subscriber check out more info here.

Brock Otten (Director of Scouting)

Joey Willis of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

Joey Willis - Center - Saginaw Spirit

The stat line won’t wow you. The physical tools won’t wow you. Yet, this is a player who consistently passes the eye test. On a deep Saginaw team, he consistently found a way to be noticeable. He has strong two-way instincts, is creative, and is a really strong playmaker. This was Willis’ first year playing above the AAA level, so no wonder the physical tools are lagging behind. Lots of room for this player to grow with increased confidence.

Larry Keenan - Defense - Culver Academy

Keenan is a very raw defensive prospect from the prep scene. He’s going to require a ton of patience as his game adapts to playing at the higher levels. However, he may be one of the most electric skating defenders available this year and he’s 6’3. His athleticism is off the charts good, and he is headed to a program (UMass) with a great track record for developing defenders.

Eric Pohlkamp - Defense - Cedar Rapids Roughriders

For my money, one of…if not the best re-entry player available this year. The USHL’s defenseman of the year is just a really fun player to watch. He’ll need to alter a few things to adapt his game to the next level, but he has a really intriguing upside. His point shot is one of the best available this year. He skates well. He defends aggressively. The rapid progression he showed this year in his second USHL season was remarkable. He also looked great at the World Junior A Challenge playing against some pretty good other players.

Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting)

Josh Van Mulligen — Defense — Medicine Hat Tigers

A person might see Van Mulligen's minuscule point totals from this season and assume that he's not a good prospect, but that would be unwise. His value is at the other end of the ice, disrupting the offensive efforts of the opposing teams. He combines his long reach with clean footwork in all directions to close gaps and get his stick in shooting lanes. His capacity as a puck transporter is improving too, and it could make a lot more progress down the road as he adds strength and power into his lower body. He has the tools to become a true defensive specialist in the NHL one day.

Isac Hedqvist — Wing — Luleå

Hedqvist flew under the radar this season because he didn't play for Sweden internationally, but he didn't look out of place in the SHL games that he dressed for, which measured him up well against his top countrymen in this year's draft class. He's a winger who overcomes his smaller stature by being smart, tenacious, and playing with a competitive edge. He's around the puck a lot with his efforts, and when he wins them, he knows how to drive them to the opposing net. With such great pro tendencies already, it bodes well for how his game will grow over time.

Vojtech Port — Defense — Edmonton Oil Kings

It's a real shame that Port suffered a season-ending injury with a lot of hockey left to go, because he was making a real statement with his play. The rebuilding Oil Kings were an unmitigated disaster all season, but the import Czech defender was unfazed and just kept chugging away, logging big minutes in all situations and doing a lot of positive things in his shifts. He knows how to use his large frame to his advantage, he skates and handles the puck well, and he isn't afraid to be a focal point for his team. There could be a lot of untapped potential here.

Adam Tate (Western Region Scout)

Ty Halaburda - Wing - Vancouver Giants

I wrote about Ty Halaburda back in December as a notable mid-round candidate and I’m still on the Halaburda Hype Train now. His Vancouver Giants were eliminated early in the playoffs, so he was added to Canada’s roster for the U-18’s in April. He had a decent tournament, but I think he’d be the first to tell you he didn’t play as well as he would’ve hoped. As for his outlook as a pro, his ceiling is likely as a bottom six winger, but I think he’ll be able to thrive there. His skating is his best trait, but I think his hockey awareness is good as well. There is the potential to provide some secondary scoring and penalty kill utility at the bottom of a team’s forward lineup.

Matej Deraj (Central European Scout)

Maroš Jedlička – W/C – HKM Zvolen, Slovakia

Jedlička is already a double overager and may even end up not being drafted again, but his game would fit perfectly on the North American ice. He is a physical winger with solid skating, offensive skills, and more than a solid size (6´2”, 201 lbs). He likes to drive to the net and finishes his checks. He´s been a key part of Zvolen´s offense in the Slovak top tier league for two years in a row and has drawn a lot of NHL interest. He projects as a middle-six physical winger with a scoring touch who is able to play on both special teams.

Chase Rochon (Video Scout)

Aiden Fink - Wing - Brooks Bandits

Aiden Fink is a unique prospect in this year's draft class mainly because he is one of the only players on our ranking coming from the AJHL playing for the Centennial Cup champion Brooks Bandits. Fink isn't only undervalued because of his strength in the league but also because of his smaller frame of 5’9”, 152lbs. These factors do not stop Fink's dynamic offensive ability as a high-paced winger with great offensive tools, which he uses to drive the net. Fink has a real knack for scoring goals and using his awareness to find open space to take advantage of his quick release.

Chapin Landvogt (Central European Scout)

Arno Tiefensee - Goaltender - Mannheim Adler - DEL

Imagine being a 6’4”, 190-pound goaltender by the time you’re 18, heading to the WJC, and then falling into anonymity after getting shellacked in two outings on the world stage. Like a phoenix out of the ashes, you get your shot in a top European pro league with a top address atage 20 - and you run with it. We mean, you go 13-10, pitch 3 shutouts, and rack up a 2.43 GAA and .910 save percentage. Then you’re the starter in the playoffs, dialing in for a 2.07 GAA and .914 save percentage in 12 outings. You’re even in heavy consideration for an appearance at the World Championships. Well, we’ve just described the story of the calm, collective, and focused Tiefensee, who’s likely coming to an NHL franchise near you this summer.

Joely Stockl (Ontario Regional Scout)

Easton Cowan - Wing - London Knights

Easton Cowan has been an intriguing player all season long, but his playoff performance offensively alongside Denver Barkey has been something to behold. The combination of his smarts and work ethic is what makes Cowan so unique in this draft class, and these are the two driving forces in his game. Cowan translates as a 200-foot utility player at the next level who can provide secondary scoring. He is a forward that can play on both special teams units, plays with undeniable energy, and will give 110% effort on every single play. His offensive production late in the season is giving teams a reason to call Cowan’s name earlier rather than later in this year’s NHL draft.

Mark Dube (U.S. and Video Scout)

Noah Dower Nilsson - Wing/Center - Frölunda HC J20

Dower Nilsson is coming off a very impressive season in the J20 Nationell finishing 7th in the league in scoring posting 54 points in 37 games, tops among all draft eligible players. He also had a solid U18 showing although playing a limited role on a pretty strong team. Dower Nilsson possesses that raw talent that if developed properly could turn out to be a great pick up for any NHL team that selects him. He has good compete and has some scoring upside which are two attributes that every GM loves in a prospect. It is easy to see him becoming a solid middle-six player.

Viktor Fomich (Russian Scout)

Bogdan Konyushkov - Defense - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

When a player is undrafted a couple of times already and is in his last year of draft eligibility, it takes something special for him to finally get noticed. If we look at the basic stat line it looks good, but not too special for defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov, which is likely the reason there isn’t much mainstream talk about him outside of Russia, yet even just pure stats can be more interesting if we look at those closer and at the right angle. First thing that stands out in case of Konyushkov is that despite his age he made his KHL debut just this season and actually led his KHL team in average ice time, as his cerebral game on both ends convinced coach Igor Larionov to immediately give him an opportunity for a leading role on the team. And if we look at advanced stats, those are telling that this trust paid off really well, as Konyushkov is among the league’s leaders in both completed pass amount and percentage, as well as in the puck battle win percentage — quite a debut season I’d say. As a bonus Konyushkov is right handed, just in case if everything described above isn’t convincing enough yet about him potentially being a very intriguing prospect for the coming draft.

Ethan Hetu (U.S. Regional Scout)

Will Vote - Wing - U.S. NTDP

5’7” and 159. Those are the two numbers that will hurt USNTDP forward Will Vote the most in the draft process. His height and weight, respectively, numbers that pose a real challenge to his pro projectability. The number that won’t hurt Vote one bit when scouts dig into his game in advance of the 2023 draft? 110. That’s the percentage effort Vote gives on every shift, and what makes him an intriguing sleeper candidate. He proved this year that he can thrive in a role as a complementary player, leveraging his work rate, hockey IQ, and shooting ability to elevate his linemates. Would his profile look a whole lot better if he had the type of standout skating scouts look for in players his size? Absolutely, but it’s hard to watch the kind of nightly game Vote plays and not expect him to find a way to make it work at more challenging levels of competition.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT – FINAL RANKINGS – TOP 224 Plus Honourable Mentions

McKeen's Scouting Team - Director of Scouting, Brock Otten — Sun, 28 May 2023 16:20:45 +0000

It’s that time! The McKeen’s scouting staff has finalized our final rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft ahead of the release of our draft guide in a few weeks. As per usual, our list runs 224 players deep to match the number of selections in the draft, but we have included over 300 players when you include our Honorable Mentions.

Much to the surprise of no one, Connor Bedard remains our top ranked player, as he has been all season long. In fact, our top three remains unchanged from our midseason rankings with Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson holding down the second and third spots, respectively. There has been one change in our top five with Will Smith leapfrogging Matvei Michkov into the fourth position following his dominant second half and U18’s.

Russian defender Dmitry Simashev remains our top ranked blueliner but has now moved into the top ten. His combination of size, mobility, physicality, and improving offensive skill set is going to be alluring to NHL teams and we feel that his upside is the highest in a weaker crop for defenders.

A trio of Swedish players are among our biggest risers from our midseason list, with Tom Willander, Anton Wahlberg, and David Edstrom all jumping up into the first round. All three were excellent in the second half of the season, which culminated with strong performances at the U18’s. Willander, in particular, has a huge fan in our Director of Scouting, Brock Otten. “If you were to ask me who my favourite defender in the draft class is, I’d probably say Willander. He rarely makes a poor play and I believe that we are underappreciating his potential as an NHL defender because of how efficient and safe his game can be. I would be shocked if he does not become a quality second pairing guy at the NHL level and I don’t think the other defenders ranked in the first have that same assurance,” said Otten.

Another massive jumper in our list is Hamilton Bulldogs winger Nick Lardis. 98th on our midseason list, Lardis now finds himself ranked just inside of our first round. His play with Hamilton, following a trade from Peterborough has vaulted him up draft boards, including ours. His combination of quickness and scoring ability gives him a solid projection at the NHL level.

Despite having two goaltenders inside of our first round at midseason (Carson Bjarnason and Michael Hrabal), we ended the year with none. Trey Augustine is now our top ranked netminder, ranked in the mid second round. However, Augustine, Bjarnason, Hrabal, and USHL Clark Cup MVP Jacob Fowler are all closely ranked in that range.

Look for the release of our 2023 Draft Guide in the next couple weeks. It will include all of our rankings and reports, a mock draft, a preview of the 2024 NHL Draft, and much more.

As a subscriber, link to our full ranking with links to the player pages here - McKeen's Draft Rankings - You can download the ranking as an excel file as well.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	HT/WT	DOB	NATION	TEAM	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Connor Bedard	C	5-10/185	17-Jul-05	Canada	Regina (WHL)	57-71-72-143
2	Adam Fantilli	C	6-2/195	12-Oct-04	Canada	Michigan (B1G)	36-30-35-65
3	Leo Carlsson	C	6-3/200	26-Dec-04	Sweden	Orebro (SHL)	44-10-15-25
4	Will Smith	C	6-0/175	17-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	59-51-75-126
5	Matvei Michkov	RW	5-10/170	9-Dec-04	Russia	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	30-9-11-20
6	Zach Benson	LW	5-9/160	12-May-05	Canada	Winnipeg (WHL)	60-36-62-98
7	Dalibor Dvorsky	C	6-1/200	15-Jun-05	Slovakia	AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)	38-6-8-14
8	Ryan Leonard	RW	5-11/190	21-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	56-50-43-93
9	Dmitri Simashev	D	6-4/200	4-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	33-1-11-12
10	Matthew Wood	RW	6-3/195	6-Feb-05	Canada	Connecticut (HE)	35-11-23-34
11	Oliver Moore	C	5-11/185	22-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-31-43-74
12	Colby Barlow	LW	6-0/195	14-Feb-05	Canada	Owen Sound (OHL)	59-46-33-79
13	Nate Danielson	C	6-1/185	27-Sep-04	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	68-33-45-78
14	Axel Sandin Pellikka	D	5-11/180	11-Mar-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	31-16-20-36
15	Daniil But	LW	6-5/200	15-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	32-18-14-32
16	David Reinbacher	D	6-2/185	25-Oct-04	Austria	Kloten (Sui-NL)	46-3-19-22
17	Eduard Sale	LW	6-1/170	10-Mar-05	Czech	HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)	43-7-7-14
18	Samuel Honzek	LW	6-3/185	12-Nov-04	Slovakia	Vancouver (WHL)	43-23-33-56
19	Mikhail Gulyayev	D	5-11/170	26-Apr-05	Russia	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	22-2-23-25
20	Lukas Dragicevic	D	6-1/190	25-Apr-05	Canada	Tri-City (WHL)	68-15-60-75
21	Gabe Perreault	RW	5-11/165	7-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	62-53-79-132
22	Otto Stenberg	C	5-11/180	29-May-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	29-11-15-26
23	Tom Willander	D	6-1/180	9-Feb-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	39-4-21-25
24	Calum Ritchie	C	6-2/185	21-Jan-05	Canada	Oshawa (OHL)	59-24-35-59
25	Andrew Cristall	LW	5-9/165	4-Feb-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	54-39-56-95
26	Gavin Brindley	C	5-8/165	5-Oct-04	USA	Michigan (B1G)	41-12-26-38
27	Bradly Nadeau	LW	5-10/165	5-May-05	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-45-68-113
28	Anton Wahlberg	C	6-3/195	4-Jul-05	Sweden	Malmo (Swe J20)	32-14-13-27
29	Riley Heidt	C	5-10/180	25-Mar-05	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-25-72-97
30	Brayden Yager	C	5-11/165	3-Jan-05	Canada	Moose Jaw (WHL)	67-28-50-78
31	David Edstrom	C	6-3/185	18-Feb-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	28-15-13-28
32	Nick Lardis	LW	5-10/165	8-Jul-05	Canada	Pbo-Ham (OHL)	69-37-28-65
33	Kasper Halttunen	RW	6-3/205	7-Jun-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	27-0-1-1
34	Jayden Perron	RW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Canada	Chicago (USHL)	61-24-48-72
35	Oliver Bonk	D	6-2/175	9-Jan-05	Canada	London (OHL)	67-10-30-40
36	Quentin Musty	LW	6-2/200	6-Jul-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	53-26-52-78
37	Trey Augustine	G	6-1/185	23-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	28-1, 2.14, 0.925
38	Tanner Molendyk	D	5-11/185	3-Feb-05	Canada	Saskatoon (WHL)	67-9-28-37
39	William Whitelaw	RW	5-9/170	5-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	62-36-25-61
40	Ethan Gauthier	RW	5-11/175	26-Jan-05	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	66-30-39-69
41	Gracyn Sawchyn	C	5-11/160	19-Jan-05	USA	Seattle (WHL)	58-18-40-58
42	Carson Bjarnason	G	6-3/185	30-Jun-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	21-19, 3.08, 0.900
43	Aram Minnetian	D	5-11/190	19-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-7-24-31
44	Michael Hrabal	G	6-6/210	20-Jan-05	Czech	Omaha (USHL)	9-13, 2.86, 0.908
45	Jacob Fowler	G	6-1/215	24-Nov-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	27-9, 2.28, 0.921
46	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	C	6-0/165	18-Feb-05	Denmark	HV 71 (SHL)	41-4-3-7
47	Carson Rehkopf	LW	6-1/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	68-30-29-59
48	Beau Akey	D	5-11/170	11-Feb-05	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-11-36-47
49	Danny Nelson	C	6-3/200	3-Aug-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-20-26-46
50	Etienne Morin	D	6-0/180	9-Mar-05	Canada	Moncton (QMJHL)	67-21-51-72
51	Felix Nilsson	C	6-0/175	22-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	36-19-22-41
52	Maxim Strbak	D	6-1/205	13-Apr-05	Slovakia	Sioux Falls (USHL)	46-5-13-18
53	Jakub Dvorak	D	6-5/205	25-May-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	24-0-2-2
54	Carey Terrance	C	6-0/175	10-May-05	USA	Erie (OHL)	67-30-17-47
55	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	5-11/180	23-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	31-20-23-43
56	Mathieu Cataford	C	5-11/185	1-Mar-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	68-31-44-75
57	Roman Kantserov	RW	5-9/175	20-Sep-04	Russia	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	45-27-27-54
58	Tristan Bertucci	D	6-1/170	12-Jul-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	63-11-39-50
59	Andrew Gibson	D	6-3/195	13-Feb-05	Canada	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	45-7-14-21
60	Caden Price	D	6-0/185	24-Aug-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	65-5-35-40
61	Charlie Stramel	C	6-3/215	15-Oct-04	USA	Wisconsin (B1G)	33-5-7-12
62	Coulson Pitre	RW	6-0/170	13-Dec-04	Canada	Flint (OHL)	59-25-35-60
63	Adam Gajan	G	6-2/165	6-May-04	Slovakia	Chippewa Steel (NAHL)	19-12, 2.57, 0.917
64	Hoyt Stanley	D	6-2/185	4-Feb-05	Canada	Victoria (BCHL)	53-4-34-38
65	Andrew Strathmann	D	5-10/190	27-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	56-3-35-38
66	Hunter Brzustewicz	D	5-11/185	29-Nov-04	USA	Kitchener (OHL)	68-6-51-57
67	Luca Pinelli	C	5-8/165	5-Apr-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	67-29-34-63
68	Cam Allen	D	6-0/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	62-5-20-25
69	Tanner Ludtke	C	6-0/185	27-Nov-04	USA	Lincoln (USHL)	57-32-34-66
70	Theo Lindstein	D	6-0/180	5-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (SHL)	32-1-1-2
71	Koehn Ziemmer	RW	6-0/205	8-Dec-04	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-41-48-89
72	Carter Sotheran	D	6-3/195	26-Jun-05	Canada	Portland (WHL)	68-4-19-23
73	Arttu Karki	D	6-1/175	8-Dec-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	36-13-26-39
74	Albert Wikman	D	6-0/190	10-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	43-2-10-12
75	Quinton Burns	D	6-1/180	14-Apr-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-2-27-29
76	Nico Myatovic	LW	6-2/180	1-Dec-04	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-30-30-60
77	Jeremy Hanzel	D	6-0/190	27-Feb-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	66-13-35-48
78	Easton Cowan	RW	5-10/170	20-May-05	Canada	London (OHL)	68-20-33-53
79	Juraj Pekarcik	LW	6-2/185	12-Sep-05	Slovakia	HK Nitra (Slovakia)	30-0-3-3
80	Denver Barkey	C	5-8/160	27-Apr-05	Canada	London (OHL)	61-22-37-59
81	Martin Misiak	RW	6-2/195	30-Sep-04	Slovakia	HC Nove Zamky (Slovakia)	29-1-9-10
82	Drew Fortescue	D	6-1/175	28-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-1-25-26
83	Felix Unger Sorum	RW	5-11/170	14-Sep-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-10-36-46
84	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	6-0/175	7-Nov-04	Finland	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	51-9-12-21
85	Kalan Lind	LW	6-0/160	25-Jan-05	Canada	Red Deer (WHL)	43-16-28-44
86	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	6-2/190	8-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	41-11-23-34
87	Alex Ciernik	LW	5-11/175	8-Oct-04	Slovakia	Sodertalje-Vasterviks (HockeyAllsvenskan)	25-3-9-12
88	Alexander Rykov	RW	6-0/175	14-Jul-05	Russia	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)	20-4-7-11
89	Scott Ratzlaff	G	6-0/175	9-Mar-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	25-8, 2.15, 0.918
90	Yegor Rimashevsky	RW	6-3/200	1-Feb-05	Belarus	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	29-13-13-26
91	Jesse Nurmi	LW	5-10/165	7-Mar-05	Finland	KooKoo (Fin-U20)	41-21-29-50
92	Kaden Hammell	D	6-1/175	12-Mar-05	Canada	Kam-Evt (WHL)	67-8-18-26
93	Jayson Shaugabay	RW	5-9/155	4-May-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	31-33-63-96
94	Noel Nordh	RW	6-2/195	25-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (Swe J20)	38-13-14-27
95	Gavin McCarthy	D	6-1/180	2-Jun-05	USA	Muskegon (USHL)	42-8-19-27
96	Tyler Peddle	LW	6-0/195	28-Jan-05	Canada	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64-24-17-41
97	Francesco Dell'Elce	D	6-0/165	23-Jun-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	51-20-42-62
98	Timur Mukhanov	LW	5-8/170	17-Jun-05	Russia	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	31-4-4-8
99	Larry Keenan	D	6-3/185	15-Mar-05	Russia	Culver Academy (USHS-IN)	49-11-26-37
100	Emil Jarventie	LW	5-9/165	4-Apr-05	Finland	Ilves (Fin-U20)	21-8-11-19
101	Matthew Mania	D	6-1/180	11-Jan-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	67-10-28-38
102	Juha Jatkola	G	6-1/175	12-Sep-02	Finland	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	20-11, 2.16, 0.903
103	Zach Nehring	RW	6-3/180	7-Mar-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-34-40-74
104	Austin Roest	C	5-9/175	22-Jan-04	Canada	Everett (WHL)	60-32-46-78
105	Hedqvist, Isac	C	5-10/165	22-Mar-05	Sweden	Lulea (Swe J20)	41-14-20-34
106	Stephen Peck	G	6-2/170	18-Jan-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28GP, 1.26, 0.948
107	Yegor Klimovich	RW	5-9/160	14-May-05	Russia	Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)	36-19-30-49
108	Nikita Susuyev	RW	6-0/170	6-Feb-05	Russia	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	38-11-17-28
109	Ethan Miedema	LW	6-4/205	22-Mar-05	Canada	Wsr-Kgn (OHL)	68-20-32-52
110	Luca Cagnoni	D	5-9/180	21-Dec-04	Canada	Portland (WHL)	67-17-47-64
111	Jakub Stancl	LW	6-3/200	10-Apr-05	Czech	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	35-11-6-17
112	Aydar Suniev	LW	6-1/200	16-Nov-04	Russia	Penticton (BCHL)	50-45-45-90
113	Ty Henricks	LW	6-4/205	28-Jun-05	USA	Fgo-Mus (USHL)	47-9-10-19
114	Yegor Vinogradov	C	6-2/180	17-Apr-03	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	53-7-10-17
115	Yegor Sidorov	RW	5-11/180	18-Jun-04	Belarus	Saskatoon (WHL)	53-40-36-76
116	Will Vote	RW	5-8/155	22-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-16-29-45
117	Brandon Svoboda	C	6-3/210	4-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	59-16-10-26
118	Axel Landen	D	6-1/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	44-10-6-16
119	Alexander Hellnemo	G	6-2/180	5-Jan-04	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	15-8, 2.32, 0.916
120	Nikita Nedopyokin	C	5-10/185	22-Mar-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	37-14-18-32
121	Brady Cleveland	D	6-5/210	1-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	54-0-6-6
122	Ondrej Molnar	LW	5-10/170	8-Feb-05	Slovakia	Erie (OHL)	34-4-15-19
123	Noah Dower Nilsson	LW	6-0/175	25-Apr-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	37-26-28-54
124	Jordan Tourigny	D	5-10/165	28-Feb-05	Canada	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	67-6-35-41
125	Cole Knuble	C	5-11/175	1-Jul-04	USA	Fargo (USHL)	57-30-36-66
126	Erik Pahlsson	C	6-0/170	9-Apr-04	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	46-26-37-63
127	Eric Pohlkamp	D	5-10/200	23-Mar-04	USA	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-16-35-51
128	Dylan MacKinnon	D	6-1/185	12-Jan-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	61-6-17-23
129	German Tochilkin	LW	6-2/180	24-Sep-03	Russia	Kunlun Red Star (KHL)	21-4-2-6
130	Jake Fisher	C	6-1/180	27-Mar-05	USA	Cretin-Durham Hall (USHS-MN)	29-34-29-63
131	Damian Clara	G	6-6/215	13-Jan-05	Italy	Farjestads (Swe J20)	17-17, 2.79, 0.903
132	Aiden Fink	RW	5-9/155	24-Nov-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	54-41-56-97
133	Bogdan Konyushkov	D	5-11/175	20-Dec-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-2-23-25
134	Yegor Zavragin	G	6-2/185	23-Aug-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	11-6, 2.49, 0.920
135	Ty Halaburda	C	5-11/175	22-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-21-16-37
136	Cole Burbidge	LW	6-1/160	26-Aug-05	Canada	Saint John (QMJHL)	68-19-31-50
137	Daniil Karpovich	D	6-3/210	6-Dec-04	Belarus	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	47-10-25-35
138	Andrei Loshko	C	6-1/175	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	67-22-48-70
139	Beckett Hendrickson	C	6-1/175	24-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-13-21-34
140	Alex Pharand	C	6-3/205	1-May-05	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	67-18-21-39
141	Zeb Forsfjall	C	5-9/170	16-Jan-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	34-8-14-22
142	Joe Connor	C	5-9/170	31-Mar-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28-21-23-44
143	Samuel Urban	G	6-1/195	1-May-05	Slovakia	Team Slovakia U18 (Svk2)	1-13, 4.51, 0.897
144	Mazden Leslie	D	6-0/195	15-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-12-38-50
145	Maxim Fedotov	D	5-10/170	22-Jan-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-9-17-26
146	Joey Willis	C	5-10/170	14-Mar-05	USA	Saginaw (OHL)	68-15-29-44
147	Artyom Kashtanov	C	6-6/190	9-Dec-04	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	43-15-25-40
148	Angus MacDonell	C	5-9/180	11-May-05	Canada	Sar-Mis (OHL)	64-29-12-41
149	Konstantin Volochko	D	6-0/170	19-Jun-05	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	46-8-12-20
150	Hannes Hellberg	LW	6-0/175	19-Jun-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-34-23-57
151	Carsen Musser	G	6-4/215	19-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	14-6, 3.07, 0.890
152	Yaroslav Tsulygin	D	6-0/160	19-May-05	Russia	Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)	44-0-2-2
153	Thomas Milic	G	6-0/180	14-Apr-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	27-3, 2.08, 0.928
154	Arno Tiefensee	G	6-4/190	1-May-02	Germany	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	13-10, 2.43, 0.910
155	Quinn Mantei	D	5-11/180	23-Apr-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	67-2-23-25
156	Matthew Soto	RW	5-10/180	31-Aug-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-15-27-42
157	Matt Copponi	C	5-10/165	3-Jun-03	USA	Merrimack (HE)	37-14-15-29
158	Vojtech Port	D	6-2/170	3-Aug-05	Czech	RD-Edm (WHL)	48-4-13-17
159	Michael DeAngelo	LW	5-11/180	19-Nov-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	52-11-24-35
160	Matteo Mann	D	6-5/225	31-Dec-04	Canada	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	45-0-5-5
161	Paul Fischer	D	6-1/190	30-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-4-17-21
162	Hudson Malinoski	C	6-0/175	19-May-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	44-16-53-69
163	Brad Gardiner	C	6-0/180	6-Mar-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-19-20-39
164	Zaccharya Wisdom	RW	6-0/175	29-Apr-04	Canada	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-28-20-48
165	Jonathan Castagna	C	6-1/185	20-Apr-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	50-29-43-72
166	Tanner Adams	RW	5-11/185	2-Sep-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	49-12-21-33
167	Grayden Siepmann	D	5-10/185	26-May-04	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	61-9-34-43
168	Axel Hurtig	D	6-3/200	10-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	34-2-6-8
169	Ian Scherzer	C	6-0/180	3-Jul-05	Austria	Rogle (Swe J20)	30-3-4-7
170	Ryan Conmy	RW	5-9/190	23-Oct-04	USA	Sioux City (USHL)	60-33-29-62
171	Ethan Hay	C	6-1/190	15-Jan-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	64-17-11-28
172	Rodwin Dionicio	D	6-2/205	30-Mar-04	Switzerland	Nia-Wsr (OHL)	50-15-35-50
173	Josh Van Mulligen	D	6-2/180	26-Jul-05	Canada	Medicine Hat (WHL)	68-1-8-9
174	Nikita Ishimnikov	D	6-3/195	21-Apr-05	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	41-11-7-18
175	Justin Kipkie	D	6-4/190	28-Jul-05	Canada	Victoria (WHL)	67-8-25-33
176	Sawyer Mynio	D	6-1/175	30-Apr-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-5-26-31
177	Brady Stonehouse	RW	5-9/180	6-Aug-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-37-20-57
178	Hunter Anderson	LW	5-9/175	28-Apr-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-52-47-99
179	Spencer Sova	D	6-0/185	10-Jan-04	Canada	Erie (OHL)	68-16-23-39
180	Oliver Tulk	C	5-7/170	19-Jan-05	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	68-24-36-60
181	Isac Born	C	5-11/165	7-Jul-04	Sweden	Frolunda (SHL)	36-2-3-5
182	Beau Jelsma	C	5-9/175	28-Apr-04	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	67-31-30-61
183	Carmelo Crandell	RW	5-11/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	49-17-37-54
184	Stanislav Yarovoy	LW	6-2/195	26-Aug-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	45-9-7-16
185	Elliot Stahlberg	LW	6-0/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	35-9-12-21
186	Ivan Anoshko	C	5-11/170	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	53-21-32-53
187	Jake Livanavage	D	5-10/175	6-May-04	USA	Chicago (USHL)	48-6-30-36
188	Adrian Carnebo	D	6-2/185	1-May-04	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	43-7-28-35
189	Jaden Lipinski	C	6-3/205	2-Dec-04	USA	Vancouver (WHL)	66-19-32-51
190	Ian Blomquist	G	6-2/185	29-Mar-03	Sweden	Vasteras (HockeyAllsvenskan)	4-11, 2.97, 0.904
191	Emil Pieniniemi	D	6-2/170	2-Mar-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31-1-12-13
192	Oskar Asplund	D	5-11/175	18-Nov-03	Sweden	Almtuna (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49-6-24-30
193	Daniil Davydov	C	5-11/165	6-Mar-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	47-11-35-46
194	Victor Sjoholm	D	5-9/175	8-Jul-03	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	37-2-8-10
195	Aron Jessli	LW	5-11/185	29-Oct-04	Norway	Pickering (OJHL)	52-25-43-68
196	Adam Dybal	G	6-1/165	2-Sep-05	Czech	Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	29-15, 1.85, 0.942
197	Jonathan Fauchon	C	5-10/170	13-Jan-04	Canada	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	53-25-40-65
198	Luke Mittelstadt	D	5-11/175	22-Jan-03	USA	Minnesota (B1G)	38-5-16-21
199	Owen Beckner	C	6-1/175	27-Feb-05	Canada	Salmon Arm (BCHL)	53-17-33-50
200	Ilya Kanarsky	G	6-2/165	6-Dec-04	Russia	AKM-Junior Tula Region (MHL)	4-19, 3.59, 0.919
201	Braeden Bowman	RW	6-1/205	26-Jun-03	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	54-33-39-72
202	Luke Coughlin	D	5-9/170	11-Apr-05	Canada	Rimouski (QMJHL)	37-5-14-19
203	Norwin Panocha	D	6-1/185	24-Feb-05	Germany	Eisbaren Juniors Berlin (DNL U20)	34-6-16-22
204	Cole Brown	LW	6-2/180	27-Apr-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	60-17-25-42
205	Tomas Suchanek	G	6-0/180	30-Apr-03	Czech	Tri-City (WHL)	27-14, 3.05, 0.912
206	Vadim Moroz	RW	6-2/185	20-Nov-03	Belarus	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	39-5-9-14
207	Davis Burnside	RW	5-11/175	22-Sep-03	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-14-7-21
208	Maros Jedlicka	C	6-1/185	23-Oct-02	Slovakia	HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)	39-17-18-35
209	Gavyn Thoreson	RW	5-8/180	30-Oct-04	USA	Andover High (USHS-MN)	31-41-56-97
210	Austin Burnevik	RW	6-3/200	3-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	43-6-13-19
211	Elmeri Laakso	D	6-1/185	19-Jul-04	Finland	SaiPa (Fin-Liiga)	32-4-7-11
212	Frantisek Dej	C	6-4/200	28-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	24-8-13-21
213	Matvei Maximov	C	6-0/175	18-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	48-18-19-37
214	Connor Levis	RW	6-1/190	5-Oct-04	Canada	Kamloops (WHL)	68-27-40-67
215	Teddy Townsend	C	5-10/160	2-Sep-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-14-25-39
216	Petter Vesterheim	C	5-11/165	30-Sep-04	Norway	Mora (Swe J20)	41-12-27-39
217	Justin Gill	C	6-1/190	27-Jan-03	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	68-44-49-93
218	Alex Weiermair	C	6-0/190	10-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-11-15-26
219	Jan Sprynar	RW	6-1/175	26-Feb-05	Czech	Rimouski (QMJHL)	60-23-17-40
220	Ty Higgins	D	6-0/185	26-Sep-04	Canada	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	68-13-28-41
221	Tom Leppa	C	6-0/175	31-Jul-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	45-19-12-31
222	Aaron Pionk	D	6-1/175	16-Jan-03	USA	Waterloo (USHL)	60-12-24-36
223	Hampton Slukynsky	G	6-1/180	2-Jul-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	28-1, 1.47, 0.941
224	Noah Erliden	G	5-10/170	9-Sep-05	Sweden	HV71 (Swe J20)	10-8, 2.93, 0.912
HM	Matthew Andonovski	D	6-1/200	14-Mar-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	67-0-16-16
HM	Gleb Artsatbanov	G	6-2/170	2-Mar-04	Ukraine	Sparta Praha (Czechia U20)	13-10, 1.95, 0.938
HM	Cale Ashcroft	D	5-10/200	5-Aug-04	Canada	Tri-City (USHL)	62-8-29-37
HM	Alex Assadourian	LW	5-8/170	24-Jul-05	Canada	Sby-Nia (OHL)	66-12-29-41
HM	Arvid Bergstrom	D	5-11/160	12-Jun-05	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	41-2-21-23
HM	Kevin Bicker	LW	6-0/175	29-Jan-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	20-10-11-21
HM	Philippe Blais-Savoie	D	6-0/185	10-Jun-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	61-2-9-11
HM	Linus Brandl	C	5-11/185	1-Apr-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	32-25-22-47
HM	Finn Brink	LW	5-9/180	6-Apr-05	USA	Maple Grove (USHS-MN)	31-31-38-69
HM	Yaroslav Busygin	D	6-3/185	14-Feb-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	42-1-2-3
HM	Kalle Carlsson	C	6-0/175	2-Mar-05	Sweden	Orebro (Swe J20)	44-11-24-35
HM	Adam Cedzo	RW	5-10/165	23-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Ocelari Trinec (Czechia U20)	39-23-23-46
HM	Aiden Celebrini	D	6-1/185	26-Oct-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	47-5-16-21
HM	Andon Cerbone	C	5-8/150	13-Apr-04	USA	Oma-Yng (USHL)	64-24-39-63
HM	Chase Cheslock	D	6-3/210	25-Oct-04	USA	Rogers High (USHS-MN)	28-4-27-31
HM	Sam Court	D	5-10/180	7-Jan-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	52-13-59-72
HM	Adam Csabi	LW	5-10/160	17-Feb-05	Czech	SaiPa (Fin-U18)	28-16-15-31
HM	Nathaniel Davis	D	6-1/185	15-Nov-04	Canada	Burlington (OJHL)	45-10-26-36
HM	Nathan Day	G	6-2/180	4-Feb-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	17-10, 3.91, 0.874
HM	Kocha Delic	C	5-10/185	11-Mar-04	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	46-22-30-52
HM	Tyler Duke	D	5-8/180	19-Jul-04	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-4-8-12
HM	Filip Eriksson	C	6-0/170	5-Nov-04	Sweden	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	11-5-5-10
HM	Jiri Felcman	C	6-4/190	17-Apr-05	Czech	Langnau U20 (Sui-U20-Elit)	40-10-21-31
HM	Samuel Fiala	C	6-1/170	9-Apr-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20)	44-19-9-28
HM	Mans Forsfjall	D	6-0/180	30-Jul-02	Sweden	Skelleftea (SHL)	52-2-12-14
HM	Cooper Foster	C	5-11/170	4-Jun-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	63-19-17-36
HM	Salvatore Guzzo	RW	6-0/185	17-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	58-17-11-28
HM	Michael Hagens	D	5-11/170	18-Feb-05	USA	Chicago (USHL)	60-9-17-26
HM	Sam Harris	LW	5-11/190	14-Oct-03	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	56-30-26-56
HM	Jack Harvey	C	5-10/175	31-Mar-03	USA	Chicago (USHL)	62-40-34-74
HM	Bogdans Hodass	D	6-2/200	13-Apr-03	Latvia	Medicine Hat (WHL)	56-11-24-35
HM	Ryan Hopkins	D	6-1/180	15-Apr-04	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	48-10-39-49
HM	Ewan Huet	G	6-0/170	8-Feb-05	Switzerland	Lausanne (Sui U20-Elit)	14-12, 2.73
HM	Gustaf Kangas	C	6-0/175	27-Jul-05	Sweden	Vasteras (Swe J20)	27-7-13-20
HM	Sean Keohane	D	6-3/180	4-Nov-04	USA	Dexter Southfield(USHS-MA)	32-4-12-16
HM	Oiva Keskinen	C	6-0/175	28-Feb-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	38-20-21-41
HM	Ruslan Khazheyev	G	6-4/200	20-Nov-04	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	8-8, 2.38, 0.923
HM	Matteo Koci	D	6-0/165	7-Jun-05	Czech	HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	36-7-13-20
HM	Ryan Koering	D	6-3/185	11-Feb-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-6-10-16
HM	Cameron Korpi	G	6-2/150	26-May-04	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	13-4, 2.52, 0.911
HM	Sergei Kosovets	D	6-5/250	17-Jul-02	Russia	HK Sochi (KHL)	26-2-2-4
HM	Artyom Kudashov	D	6-0/160	10-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	42-2-7-9
HM	Roman Kukumberg	LW	6-0/185	21-Mar-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	33-5-6-11
HM	Emil Kuusla	LW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	36-18-17-35
HM	Jani Lampinen	G	6-2/185	14-Feb-03	Finland	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-Mestis)	15-6, 2.35, 0.902
HM	Charles-Alexis Legault	D	6-3/205	5-Sep-03	Canada	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	40-2-7-9
HM	Aiden Long	LW	6-3/190	13-Mar-05	Canada	Whitecourt (AJHL)	50-19-27-46
HM	Connor MacPherson	RW	6-0/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Leamington (GOJHL)	43-28-35-63
HM	Matthew Mayich	D	6-2/185	21-Dec-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	64-5-17-22
HM	Donovan McCoy	D	6-0/200	11-Oct-04	Canada	Peterborough (OHL)	65-2-11-13
HM	Cole Miller	C	6-4/175	4-Feb-05	Canada	Edmonton (WHL)	61-10-9-19
HM	Lucas Moore	D	5-9/180	7-Jun-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	65-3-25-28
HM	Josh Nadeau	RW	5-7/145	22-Oct-03	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-44-66-110
HM	Alexei Noskov	G	6-2/205	13-Nov-04	Russia	Taifun Primorsky Krai (MHL)	7-26, 3.86, 0.905
HM	Owen Outwater	LW	6-2/160	4-Jan-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	62-16-25-41
HM	Joe Palodichuk	D	6-0/165	26-Feb-03	USA	Fargo (USHL)	44-8-21-29
HM	Petr Pavelec	LW	6-0/200	10-Feb-05	Czech	HC Vitkovice (Czechia U20)	46-8-5-13
HM	Oliver Peer	RW	6-0/165	9-Mar-03	Canada	Windsor (OHL)	63-22-45-67
HM	Chris Pelosi	C	6-1/180	6-Mar-05	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	43-13-6-19
HM	Matthew Perkins	LW	5-11/175	21-Jan-04	Canada	Youngstown (USHL)	60-15-29-44
HM	Nico Pertuch	G	6-2/200	29-Jul-05	Germany	EV Landshut (DNL U20)	15GP, 3.57
HM	Dominik Petr	C	6-2/165	30-Apr-05	Czech	Lukko (Fin-U20)	18-1-0-1
HM	Chase Pietila	D	6-1/180	3-Mar-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	60-7-29-36
HM	Chase Pirtle	RW	6-2/185	8-Mar-05	USA	Mount St. Charles 18U AAA (USHS-RI)	47-20-24-44
HM	Benjamin Poitras	C	5-10/175	18-Jul-05	Canada	Sioux City (USHL)	61-14-24-38
HM	Connor Punnett	D	6-1/200	16-Jun-03	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-14-34-48
HM	Ivan Remezovsky	D	6-1/165	8-Feb-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	45-0-13-13
HM	Charlie Robertson	G	6-3/165	2-Apr-05	Canada	North Bay (OHL)	12-6, 3.17, 0.892
HM	Pier-Olivier Roy	D	5-9/175	5-Mar-04	Canada	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	68-6-62-68
HM	Rainers Rullers	C	6-4/195	11-Dec-04	Latvia	Zemgale (Fin-Mestis)	46-4-6-10
HM	Bennett Schimek	RW	5-11/180	15-Apr-03	USA	Providence (HE)	37-11-9-20
HM	Zach Schulz	D	6-1/195	14-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-1-9-10
HM	Magomed Sharakanov	D	6-1/200	11-Oct-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	44-7-25-32
HM	Cam Squires	RW	5-11/165	11-Apr-05	Canada	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	67-30-34-64
HM	Julius Sumpf	C	6-1/175	11-Jan-05	Germany	RB Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL)	23-9-9-18
HM	Alexander Suvorov	RW	5-9/160	30-Nov-02	Belarus	Severstal Cherepovets (KHL)	47-13-11-24
HM	Gabriel Szturc	C	5-11/185	24-Sep-03	Czech	Kelowna (WHL)	56-24-55-79
HM	Nikita Telegin	C	6-1/155	21-Jun-05	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	22-6-4-10
HM	Patrick Thomas	C	5-11/160	21-Aug-04	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	66-17-39-56
HM	Hudson Thornton	D	5-11/180	4-Nov-03	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-23-51-74
HM	Jiri Tichacek	D	5-9/170	30-Jan-03	Czech	Rytiri Kladno (Czechia)	39-0-6-6
HM	Djibril Toure	D	6-6/200	5-Jun-03	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	57-5-11-16
HM	Tuomas Uronen	RW	5-11/180	19-Mar-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-U20)	39-20-23-43
HM	Noa Vali	G	6-0/160	19-Apr-05	Finland	TPS (Fin-U20)	17-8, 2.38, 0.912
HM	Nicholas Vantassell	RW	6-4/195	18-Apr-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	62-19-18-37
HM	Visa Vedenpaa	G	6-2/170	11-May-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31GP, 0.886
HM	Evgeny Volokhin	G	6-3/170	6-Apr-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	20-6, 2.12, 0.927
HM	Declan Waddick	C	5-10/170	24-Jan-05	Canada	Niagara (OHL)	64-28-21-49
HM	Saige Weinstein	D	6-0/180	30-May-05	Canada	Spokane (WHL)	57-4-14-18
HM	Ethan Whitcomb	LW	6-4/190	13-May-04	Canada	Muskegon (USHL)	53-24-24-48
HM	Raul Yakupov	RW	6-1/180	21-Jun-04	Russia	Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (MHL)	49-32-29-61

2023 NHL DRAFT: SECOND CHANCES PART THREE – EUROPE – 2nd and 3rd year NHL draft re-entry candidates

Brock Otten, Chapin Landvogt, Matej Deraj, Viktor Fomich, Chase Rochon — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 20:07:13 +0000

In a normal year, scouting hockey is marred by imperfection. Every year high end players get skipped over at the NHL draft for various reasons. Maybe they suffered through injuries. Maybe their team struggled, and it prevented scouts from getting a good read on them. Maybe their team was too good, forcing them down the depth chart with limited minutes and exposure opportunities. Or...maybe they just were not good enough. But thankfully human development is nonlinear and therefore unpredictable. Teenage hockey players are far from a finished product on the ice as their games mature just as the rest of their body and mind does. That is why it is critical to track players as they move through their second and third years of draft eligibility (or fourth years of eligibility for some European players).

The million-dollar question is…are we still playing catch-up as a scouting community following the resumption of play post pandemic? Last year, this was definitely the case as leagues returned to full seasons. But are certain players still growing exponentially as they try to recover lost development time? This is particularly true of players in the CHL and in Europe, where most junior leagues halted.

For those unfamiliar, North American players with birth dates from January 1st to September 15th, will be eligible for three NHL drafts. Players with birth dates from September 16th to December 31st, will be eligible for two NHL drafts. And for European players (in European leagues), extend that eligibility by one year in both cases. Recently, NHL scouts have increased the rate with which they are selecting “re-entry” candidates, or players previously passed over. Contract limits have made it critical for teams to spread out where they select players from, in addition to their age. This has made second- and third-year eligible U.S. and European based players especially attractive. However, these players have had a lot of success in recent years too. Look around the league and you see these players everywhere. For example, Calgary Flames standout defender Mackenzie Weegar was one. Ottawa Senators standout forward Drake Batherson was one. So too was Winnipeg Jets starter Connor Hellebuyck. Standout Tampa Bay Lightning rookie defender Nick Perbix was one.

Last year, four “re-entry” candidates went in the Top 100; Dmitri Buchelnikov, Lucas Edmonds, Mikey Milne, and Aidan Thompson. In our “second chances” article last year (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) we wrote about three of those four. In total there were 42 taken, right around the trend of other recent drafts (roughly about 20% of all players selected). Additionally, of those 42, we identified and wrote about 25 (over half of them) in our aforementioned second chances series. Just like in previous editions of this annual report, we aim to identify more.

In 2023, we have some very interesting candidates. Adam Gajan stole the show at this year’s WJC’s for Slovakia and has been a standout in the NAHL and USHL this year. Eric Pohlkamp was one of the MVPs of the WJAC and has been at the top of the USHL defenseman scoring race all year. Austin Roest has been top ten in WHL scoring all year long and has taken huge strides forward. This article intends to highlight them and many other candidates who could be part of that 20% this year.

Sweden

230203Västerås goalkeeper Ian Blomquist during the ice hockey match in the Hockeyallsvenskan between AIK and Västerås on February 3, 2023 in Stockholm.
Photo: Andreas L Eriksson / BILDBYRÅN

Ian Blomquist - Goaltender - Västerås IK (Hockey Allsvenskan)

We actually listed Blomquist last year in this piece and ranked him #193 in our draft guide after his breakout campaign in the J20 league. A 6 '2 netminder with a rare right handed catching glove, Blomquist ended up going undrafted (for a second time), but has returned this year even stronger. Playing with Vasteras IK in the Swedish second league, he has been the team’s best netminder this year and this earned him a spot as the third goalie on team Sweden at the WJC’s. Blomquist is athletic and aggressive in the crease and has worked hard to improve his body control, positioning, and rebound control this season now that he is playing pro. Consistency and mental focus will be the key moving forward. (Brock Otten)

Alexander Hellnemo - Goaltender - Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

A classic late bloomer, Hellnemo has emerged as one of the top young goaltenders in Sweden a year after being passed over at the draft following a disappointing year at the J20 and J18 levels. He has won five games in the SHL as a U19 player and has been arguably one of the best goalies at the J20 level when he has played there. Hellnemo is a pure stopper. His movements are very refined for a young netminder and he’s got a great glove hand that helps him protect the upper portion of the net. Rebound control is a bit of an issue at this current time, but with his play tracking ability, he has the potential to be a netminder across the pond. (Brock Otten)

Sebastian Hagen Aarsund - Goaltender - Frölunda HC J20 (J20 Nationell)

A Norwegian netminder, Hagen Aarsund has emerged as the starter for the Frolunda program’s J20 team this season. As of writing this, he sits third in the league in wins and even earned a call-up to be Fredrik Dichow’s back-up for a game in the SHL. Hagen Aarsund is an ultra-aggressive, hyper athletic butterfly netminder who really covers his crease well. He’s not huge at 6’1, but he combats that by playing far out of the blue paint, tracking the play well. The second half of his season hasn’t been as strong and he’s had some trouble with consistency, but his progression this season could put him on the scouting radar. (Brock Otten)

Måns Forsfjäll - Defense - Skellefteå AIK (SHL)

Måns Forsfjäll has an effective two-way game, but his defensive game is where he succeeds. In the 2021-22 and 22-23 seasons, he leaped to the SHL, and Fjorsfäll didn’t look out of place while defending the higher competition. Strength and skating are two areas where Forsfjäll excels. His effort and positioning on defence make him an excellent penalty killer with the speed and smooth skating required to drive offence off the rush. Forsfjäll has the potential to be a shutdown defender who plays a depth role as the sixth or seventh defender on an NHL team who can be counted on in important moments as well as on the penalty kill. I don’t expect him to put up many points in the NHL, but he has the skills to succeed as a defensive defenseman. Forsfjäll will be ready to take a step next season if he can find a role in the AHL. (Chase Rochon)

Victor Sjöholm - Defense - Luleå HF (SHL)

Sjöholm is a smooth skater with good acceleration and top-end speed. He can pivot and change directions quickly, making him effective in transition and in his defensive zone. Sjöholm is a reliable defender who uses his body and sticks well to separate opponents from the puck. He has good positioning and can anticipate plays, making him effective in both man-to-man coverage and zone defence. Sjöholm is not a particularly physical player, but he is willing to engage in battles along the boards and in front of the net. He has a hard and accurate shot from the point and can contribute to the power play. Sjöholm is an intelligent player who reads the game well and makes good decisions with the puck. Sjöholm is a reliable, two-way defenseman with good skating and defensive abilities. While he may not be a significant offensive contributor, he can play a valuable role on any team and should be a solid addition to any team's prospect pool. (Chase Rochon)

Oskar Asplund - Forward - Färjestad BK (SHL)

Asplund is an excellent skater with great speed, agility, and balance. He has a quick first step and can accelerate well, which allows him to beat defenders and create scoring chances. His ability to change directions and maneuver in tight spaces is also impressive. Asplund has a good wrist shot and can score from various areas on the ice. He has a quick release and can get his shot off in tight spaces. Asplund is a skilled puck-handler who can stickhandle through traffic and make creative plays with the puck. He has good hands and can make saucer passes and dekes to create scoring opportunities. His ability to protect the puck and win battles along the boards is also noteworthy. Asplund is not a particularly physical player but is fearless in engaging in battles along the boards or in front of the net. He has good balance and can hold his own against bigger opponents. However, he could benefit from adding more strength to his frame. Asplund is also a skilled forward with excellent skating ability and puck skills. He has the potential to be a dynamic offensive player at the next level and has shown an ability to play a responsible two-way game. He could become a valuable player in any team's lineup with continued development and added strength. (Chase Rochon)

Erik Påhlsson - Defence - HV71 (SHL)

Erik Påhlsson is a skilled and versatile defenseman with excellent skating ability and a high hockey IQ. He has a powerful stride that allows him to cover a lot of ground quickly, and he can change direction on a dime. He has excellent agility and balance, enabling him to evade forecheckers and promptly move the puck up the ice. Påhlsson has a fantastic offensive game, thanks to his incredible vision and ability to move the puck effectively. He also possesses good offensive instincts and is unafraid to join the rush to create scoring opportunities. Påhlsson is a reliable and responsible defender who uses his mobility and positioning to defend effectively. He is not a physical player, but he makes up for it by playing smart. He is also a solid penalty killer, demonstrating his ability to shut down opponents' power plays. Erik Påhlsson is a talented defenseman who has the potential to become a valuable asset to any team. His excellent skating ability, offensive skills, and responsible defensive play make him a well-rounded player who can contribute in all situations. (Chase Rochon)

Hannes Hellberg - Forward - Leksands IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

Hellberg's skating is one of his biggest strengths. He has excellent acceleration and top-end speed, which allows him to create separation from defenders and generate scoring opportunities. He also has good agility and balance, enabling him to change direction quickly and maintain control of the puck. Hellberg is an offensive-minded player who excels at creating scoring chances for himself and his teammates. He has good hands and can handle the puck in tight spaces, which makes him difficult to defend. He has a quick release and a hard, accurate shot, which he can use to beat goaltenders from any angle. He is also an influential playmaker who can set up his teammates with well-timed passes. Hellberg is a responsible two-way player who understands the importance of solid defence. He is unafraid to backcheck and uses his size and reach to disrupt opponents' offensive plays. He is also an effective penalty killer, using his speed to pressure the puck carrier and block passing lanes. His size, speed, and skill make him a dynamic offensive threat, while his defensive awareness and work ethic make him a well-rounded player. (Chase Rochon)

Adrian Carnebo - Defense - Djurgårdens IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

Carnebo has excellent skating abilities and can maneuver around the ice with great speed and agility. Carnebo has a natural ability to find the back of the net. He has a quick release on his shot and can pick his spots well. He also has a good sense of where his teammates are on the ice, which allows him to create scoring chances for them. Despite being a smaller player, Carnebo is fearless in getting physical on the ice. He is willing to battle in the corners and in front of the net and is not afraid to throw his body around to make a play. While Carnebo's offensive abilities are impressive, his defensive play could improve. He tends to focus more on the offensive side of the game, which can lead to him being caught out of position defensively. As mentioned earlier, Carnebo is a smaller player and could benefit from adding strength to his frame. This would help him better battle against larger and more physical players. (Chase Rochon)

Hampus Malm - Defense - Leksands IF J20 (J20 Nationell)

Malm is a smooth skater who can quickly move around the ice. He has good speed and agility, which helps him keep up with opposing forwards and make plays in transition. Malm is an intelligent player who understands his defensive responsibilities well. He is able to read the space well and make quick decisions to shut down opposing forwards despite not being the biggest player on the ice. Like many young players, Malm can be inconsistent at times. He needs to bring his best game every night and avoid lapses in his play. Hampus Malm is a reliable defenseman who can shut down opposing forwards and play a physical game. While he may provide little offence at this point in his career, he has the potential to improve in that area with more experience and development. If he can work on his puck skills and consistency, he could become a valuable asset for his team at the next level. (Chase Rochon)

Finland

Jani Lampinen - Goaltender - Kiekko-Espoo (Mestis)

Interestingly enough, Lampinen was better in Mestis (the Finnish second league) last year, but it was his performance at this year’s World Junior Championship that really caught the eye of scouts. Lampinen outplayed Canucks draft pick Aku Koskenvuo by a significant margin and finished the tournament with a .933 save percentage. He’s not huge (at pushing 6’2), but he has plus athleticism and is an excellent play tracker. This gives him great upside as he fine tunes some of the technical components of his game. (Brock Otten)

Juha Jatkola - Goaltender - KalPa (Liiga)

In his final year of draft eligibility, the last calendar year has been a whirlwind for Jatkola. It started this summer at the make-up WJC’s, where he stole the Finnish starter’s role from Ottawa prospect Leevi Merilainen. It has since carried over to Liiga, where Jatkola has become a dependable starter at the age of 20 (he turns 21 later this September). Much like Lampinen, Jatkola relies on his quickness and athleticism because he doesn’t have a massive frame (listed at 6 '1). His improvement over the last few years has been phenomenal and as long as he continues to be aggressive in the crease, he could have a bright future. (Brock Otten)

Nestor Noiva - Wing - Jokerit U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

Last season Nestor Noiva did not hear his name called in Montreal, despite a great season in U18 SM-sarja, where he scored 32 goals and 60 points in 35 games. He played a very aggressive game with his high motor, physicality and strength, making it very hard for defenders to take the puck as he evaded pressure with the combination of his puck protection skills and his acceleration. He often cuts at the top of the circle to create high-danger chances. I felt last season, Nestor's shot was holding him back from his true potential. This season has changed, and Noiva has a cannon. He still sticks to lots of slap shots and one-timers from the top of the circle like last season but now has grown with adding accuracy to his power and adapted to diversify his shot by taking more wrist and snapshots. Overall, Noiva has strong enough smarts to advance to the next level and has above-average puck skills and passing ability. Skating is the main area that will need to be progressed for Nestor to make an impact at the next level with below-average mobility and edges that force him to play a very north/south style. I think many scouts will value Novias physicality and shooting, which will translate much better in North America with his capability in tight. Teams should take a chance on him in the later rounds in hopes of eventually adding an energy-depth player into their system. (Chase Rochon)

Elmeri Laakso - Defense - Saipa (Liiga)

Elmeri Laakso is not a player that will blow anyone away with flashy plays or big hits. You probably wouldn't notice him just watching a full game. This is not meant as a criticism about Laakso’s game but actually a positive component. Laakso makes minimal to no mistakes, which makes him a very reliable defenseman. The reason he wasn't chosen last year, I think, came down to his lack of aggressiveness defensively as he missed coverage in the slot from time to time, as well as his inefficiency in puck battles. These issues have been cleaned up this season, and if anything, they have become staples to Laakso’s game, showing how much he has grown and is driven by self-improvement. He plays a game that is super team-friendly, making safe, poised plays and taking the ice his opponents give. What makes Laakso really stand out for me is his shot. He can shoot from any location, at any range, and manages to always get the puck through traffic and on the net. A quick release that holds lots of power that always manages to find the net like a magnet is very impressive. Putting this all together with strong mobility, built around quick feet and tight edges, Laakso makes a great case to be selected this year. He has experience on both the PK and PP and has shown he is effective at both. Again, Elmeri Laakso will not blow anyone away with elite talent, but when he has the puck on his stick, his efficiency is impressive. (Chase Rochon)

Oiva Keskinen - Center - Tappara U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

Oiva Keskinen is a defence-first center who plays a very passive game with minimal risk. Keskinen has the most important skill a hockey player can possess, that is his smarts and awareness, which benefit him greatly. Most of Oiva’s points come from the right place, right time situations, as he always puts himself in the best position to be an option. Keskinen is most valuable in his own zone by playing as the third defenseman by taking away passing lanes and tying up attackers in the slot. You rarely catch him out of position, which shows his defence-first style of play, making him a trusted player on the ice in most situations by his coaches. Oiva is an above-average skater that I think he could use more to his advantage on the attack and when pressuring attackers. Due to his passive playstyle, the speed he is capable of isn't used to its highest potential. For Keskinen to take the next step to pro, he will need to work on his overall physical hockey skills. Hockey is a mental game but very hard to play at the next level if you do not have any elite skill level. It comes down to matter if his smarts and development continues to grow over the next few seasons. I can see Keskinen being on NHL scout’s radar this year, but I'm not sure I see him being selected. (Chase Rochon)

Russia

Yaroslav Tsulygin - Defense - Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)

Yaroslav Tsulygin is a right-handed defenseman, who is mobile, competent in terms of puck skills, has a solid 6’2” frame and isn’t afraid to put it to use even though he still needs to properly fill it out. Last season, even though he showed some flashes of what he can do in the MHL, he still was a bit in a process of putting these tools into a proper toolbox, so that, combined with the COVID-limited exposure and reemergence of the Russian factor, resulted in him getting undrafted on draft day even though those raw talents likely were noticed by scouts in some way. This season he is getting regular time at the KHL level (should be mentioned that it helps that his father is the assistant coach on the team) and looks competent there at the age of just 18, which isn’t a frequent thing to see. Although some injuries slightly spoiled his season and even taking into account that there’s still a lot of progress to be made, I think this year it will be hard to ignore him, as he is clearly just getting started and his development is expected to continue. (Viktor Fomich)

Bogdan Konyushkov - Defense - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

This KHL season is a bit unusual as due to all the recent political events the number of KHL foreigners was basically cut to half of the usual amount. This resulted in some roster spot openings and a lot of KHL managers rightly decided those should be used as a chance for younger players to succeed in these roles. Probably the brightest example of that kind of case is right-handed defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov, as coming into his second year of draft eligibility he had yet to play in the KHL nor in the MHL, so had as little exposure as possible. That didn’t stop the new Torpedo head coach Igor Larionov from noticing him and making him a top pairing defenseman on his KHL team. Even though he isn’t extremely flashy or athletic, Konyushkov’s main asset is his hockey sense, as he is very competent at defensive positioning and puck battles. This also makes him creative in the attacking zone and it should be mentioned that he has got great hands, which allows him to be an extremely precise passer as well as an effective powerplay orchestrator. Obviously, I can’t tell you about the NHL managers and scouts, but to me this sounds like the case of a potential solid mid-to-late round investment. (Viktor Fomich)

Stanislav Yarovoi - Wing - Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)

In some ways Stanislav Yarovoi’s name was likely already familiar, after a shootout goal in the MHL earned almost two million views on youtube. However, aside from that, his performance on the junior level wasn’t remarkable to say it mildly, as the consistency just wasn’t there and he failed to convince the coaches that he deserved a proper role even at that level. Things just somehow turned around this offseason, as Yarovoi came to his KHL team’s camp much stronger and more confident than before and when he was given an opportunity in the preseason games, he just held onto it. He has taken off and is currently sitting among the top U20 scorers in the KHL. In terms of the assets aside from the aforementioned fascinating puck skills, Yarovoi is dynamic, possesses a strong and precise right-handed shot and looks to be at least not useless in terms of the two-way game. That said, there is still some inherent risk in selecting players like him who suddenly come out of nowhere to break out, but the upside here is likely significant. (Viktor Fomich)

German Tochilkin - Wing - Kunlun Red Star (KHL)

Observations show that when a skilled young player looks comfortable playing in Russian pro leagues it is a sign that there are enough reasons to consider him a legit NHL draft candidate. However, despite looking good in the VHL in his initial draft season, winger German Tochilkin wasn’t selected in the last draft – might be because of the lack of exposure or due to the Russian factor, although him being relatively raw in terms of the all-around game also certainly contributed to that. This year he made progress in that way and not only has he looked like an offensive leader at the VHL level, but also has translated some of it to the KHL level too, as he has been loaned to Kunlun team (coached by a former AHL coach Greg Ireland) and is using his opportunities (limited, but still) there well. Tochilkin is a smooth skater with advanced puck skills, definitely knows how to put the puck into the net and also doesn’t look like a liability on his own end. A lot of progress still needs to be made, as he definitely needs to become much stronger, but his skill set looks really intriguing enough to me. (Viktor Fomich)

Czechia

Jiri Tichacek.

Jiří Ticháček – Defense – Rytíři Kladno (Czechia)

Passed on twice mainly due to his size (5´9”), Ticháček is a smaller and mobile defenseman whose numbers don´t scream of great potential, but his play does. He is an exceptionally smart two-way defenseman who likes to join the attack, yet doesn't forget about defense. He has shown his abilities at the last World Juniors, playing on the first pair alongside David Jiříček as one of the crucial players of the silver Czech squad. Ticháček´s best quality is probably his skating; he´s shifty, agile and has a terrific top speed. He uses his stick well and excels at both ends of the ice. However, he's not having a great season in the Czech Extraliga with Rytíři Kladno, the team Jaromír Jágr still plays on. There are still not many NHL defensemen of the said size, but Ticháček could be worth a gamble in the later rounds.

Slovakia

Maroš Jedlička – Wing/Center – HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)

Jedlička had an impressive last year with Zvolen, finishing the season as the leading scorer on a pretty stacked team in Slovak top tier league. An injury stripped him of representing Slovakia at the Men´s World Championship and possibly improving his draft stock. The 20-year-old forward is now in his final year of eligibility. Although he had a slower start to the season, he’s now playing his best hockey. Jedlička has decent size (6´2”, 200 lbs), plays hard, physical and creates a lot of offense. He has a dangerous wrist shot and likes to shoot from various different areas around the ice. Furthermore, he´s a capable penalty killer and brings a lot of energy and grit. It's very hard not to see Jedlička moving to North America after the season. He has the potential to be an effective bottom-six, or even a middle-six winger, if he continues on the same path. (Matej Deraj)

Germany

Florian Bugl - Goaltender - Straubing Tigers (DEL)

In the past, we’ve talked about Bugl’s feats at the WJC, where he had a 4-2 record and 2.99 GAA over two tournaments. We’ve also mentioned his feats as the starter for the RB Junior’s pro team in the AlpsHL over the past two years, sporting records of 12-12 and then 13-7. None of that got him drafted, so he’s simply grabbed every opportunity he’s gotten this season as one of two back-ups for the DEL’s Straubing Tigers. And the results have been mighty impressive. After initially seeing action in six games with Straubing’s DEL2 affiliate Landshut, where he shined with a 4-2 record, 2.35 GAA, and .921 save percentage, he was then forced into DEL action when American starter Hunter Miska went down with an injury. What then ensued, Bugl has taken the whole league by storm. Hel has racked up a 15-7 record to date, often baffling opponents with a 2.36 GAA and .907 save percentage. Now we’ll have to see if one of those teams with a healthy supply of late-round picks is ready to bet on him as much as he’s continued betting on himself. Straubing quickly re-upped him for next season this past month. (Chapin Landvogt)

Arno Tiefensee - Goaltender - Mannheim Adler (DEL)

As opposed to Bugl, Tiefensee didn’t have anything to write home about after several hapless WJC appearances, which likely affected what was a good reputation coming out of juniors, where he unfortunately already didn’t get as many outings as you’d like to see from a market’s premiere goaltender aged 16 and 17. By the time he was 18, he was a regular back-up goalie for Heilbronn in the DEL2 (while junior leagues were shut down due to the pandemic), which exposed him to strong competition, but also a lot of time on the bench. Fast forward to the 22-23 season, where he too found himself in goal for powerhouse Mannheim while the first string goaltender was out injured. Simply put, the numbers have been fantastic. The 6’4”, 190-pound behemoth has gone 10-5 in 15 contests, sporting a top-flight 2.17 GAA (third in the DEL) and a .919 SV%. Included among his losses were scores of 1-0, 3-2, and 3-0, a game in which the opponent scored two empty-netters. He’s pitched two shutouts as well. The long and short of it is that Tiefensee is showing very good schooling and strong athleticism for a young man his size. His outings have consistently come with poise and confidence. Like Bugl, it’s difficult to imagine that he’s not garnering NHL attention just now. (Chapin Landvogt)

Danjo Leonhardt - Center - Nuremberg Ice Tigers (DEL)

In recent years, we’ve been a bit of fan about Leonhardt’s often fluid game and the wherewithal he’s shown in a number of situations and scenarios. This past summer, he got into his first WJC action and promptly contributed three assists. That came on the heels of a minimal lower line role for ICEHL champs Salzburg, for whom he scored the championship-deciding goal in the playoffs. On the whole, his 17 points in 52 games were very yeomen-like, but in a situation where established veterans dominated the top 9 forward corps. The season before, he had led the RB Juniors in scoring with 35 points in 32 games in what was his initial draft year. This season, he’s moved up the totem pole again and is taking a regular shift on an all-kid line for a low-budget Nuremberg club and has five goals and 12 points in 44 games, several of those points coming in a highlight reel manner. For those who watch the league intensely, he’s noticeably had little in the way of adjustment issues and looks to be taking the same steps many of the league’s top-scoring German players took when they were his age. If by any chance selected next summer, he’d be a pick the team could likely plant in the AHL right off the bat. (Chapin Landvogt)

Bennet Rossmy - Center/Wing - Eisbären Berlin (DEL)

While leading Germany in scoring with four goals and five points at the summer WJC, TSN analysts did not hold back in praising Rossmy’s combination of size, leadership, and net-front presence, coming just short of guaranteeing he’d be drafted in 2023, but the regular season for the former U18 outfit captain hasn’t been nearly what was expected of him. He’s been mired in a 4th-line role - sometimes not even suiting up - for a very disappointing returning DEL champion in Berlin, a team that has spent the bulk of the winter fighting to stay clear of a relegation spot. Rossmy’s one goal this season was scored on November 1st, and it’s been very quiet for him all season, only having accumulated four points. The team has a DEL2 affiliate, but he’s played all of one game there, so they’re keeping him around for a reason. There are surely more than a few pundits of this scene who feel he’s been in the wrong situation for his development all season, but his performance when he was getting 10-15 minutes a game (6 games long in OCT and NOV) didn’t exactly scream “Give me more opportunity!” An assistant captain at the WJC, he missed the first two games, then only had one assist in three matchups, that coming in the nation’s one do-or-die contest against Austria, a game the team came just short of giving away over the final 10 minutes of play. And yet, he’s got all the tools and size to boot. Was his WJC performance last summer combined with mere potential enough to garner the interest necessary to be a late-round draft pick? (Chapin Landvogt)

Philip Krening - Center/Wing - Red Bull Juniors (AlpsHL)

We spent parts of last season trying to figure out who exactly the six-foot Krening really is and if there’s a diamond in the rough here. He was injured quite a bit and ended up with 10 points in 16 AlpsHL games, which is a very decent scoring pace for a first-year draft-eligible player in a pro league. He then finished the season with three assists in four games at the U18 Worlds for a very offensively challenged Team Germany. We suspected he’d be right back in the AlpsHL this season, but RB Munich of the DEL (where Julian Lutz and Maks Szuber play) needed some assistance to start the season and Krening ended up with a goal and assist in the season’s first six games. He then saw minimal ice time in a pointless seven-game debut for affiliate Salzburg in the ICEHL before landing with the Red Bull Juniors again, for whom he once again has 10 points, this time in 12 games thus far. In between, he was part of the WJC outfit, for which he collected a goal and three points over five games. Again, not too shabby all things considered. He won’t turn 19 until April and he’s had some sick leave this season as well, so it’s been hard to get a real read on just what Krening’s possibilities are. Clear is that he seems to find a way onto the scoresheet just about wherever he plays but has been without the calm of a one-team season for several years now. Of the young skipped-over men first eligible last summer, he’s definitely the player with the most potential and intrigue. He’s a lock for next winter’s WJC as well. (Chapin Landvogt)