Boris Katchouk – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:06:59 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

The trade deadline is behind us and it certainly was eventful. Although we didn’t get a lot of trades in the leadup to the final week -- just four deals in all of February -- general managers made up for lost time with six trades on Wednesday, 10 on Thursday and 23 on the final day.

This isn’t a winners and losers column, but if it was, Vegas would naturally be at the top of the winners list. The rest of the league might be annoyed at the Golden Knights’ seemingly unending ability to make blockbusters, but as a fan of one of the other 31 franchises, I suspect a lot of that is just because we collectively wish that our general manager had a bit more of Kelly McCrimmon’s boldness and the ownership for the teams we rooted for were a bit more willing to green-light whatever it takes to win.

Vegas added forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as Noah Hanifin on Friday. Clearly, the Golden Knights are gearing up for a defence of their Stanley Cup championships -- despite some lacklustre play of late -- but these aren’t exclusively win-now moves. Hertl is signed through 2029-30 and with the Sharks retaining part of his contract, he comes at a reasonable $6.75 million annually for the Golden Knights over that span. Mantha and Hanifin are on expiring contracts, but it is possible Vegas will be able to retain Hanifin’s services long-term.

Carolina also had a pretty interesting trade season with the additions of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. Kuznetsov, who has just six goals and 17 points through 43 games this season, is definitely a risk, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start does him any good. If nothing else, the addition of Guentzel should bolster what was already a pretty solid offense.

Florida also upgraded its forward corps by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. After falling just short of the Cup last year, I’d at the very least say that the Panthers are the team to beat in the East. The only reason why I hesitate to call the Panthers the outright Cup favourites is that I love Vancouver and Colorado in the west.

The Avalanche in particular are looking strong after grabbing Casey Mittelstadt, albeit at the high price of Bowen Byram. Colorado’s offense is the best in the league at 3.70 goals per game, but the Avalanche have been extremely reliant on Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar to drive that scoring. If you were to have judged the Avalanche from their second line down, then you would have found a team that was wanting. Adding Mittelstadt does a lot to address that shortcoming, though Alexandar Georgiev’s less-than-stellar play is still a concern. The Avalanche might wish they had acquired a veteran backup come playoff time.

Of course, that’s all just scratching the surface of how the trade deadline has changed things. Let’s do a deeper dive while highlighting some of the best teams to utilize this coming week.

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

The Ducks don’t have much left to play for, but at least their upcoming schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll be on the road next week, playing in Chicago on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday and St. Louis on Sunday. The Jets are the only of those adversaries in a playoff position.

Anaheim dealt away forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton on Wednesday and acquired Ben Meyers from the Avalanche on Friday.

Meyers was in the minors before the trade, but he’s likely to remain with the Ducks for the remainder of the campaign. Don’t expect too much from him, though. He had six goals in 53 career contests over parts of three seasons with Colorado and is likely to serve primarily on the third line in Anaheim.

The loss of Henrique will be felt, though. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 60 contests with the Ducks this season, which was good for third in the team’s scoring race at the time of his trade. His departure might increase how much Mason McTavish is leaned on. We’ve also started to see a significant spike in Max Jones’ playing time recently -- logging over 15 minutes in each of his past three contests compared to his average of 11:43 over his first 44 outings -- and that’s likely to persist for the remainder of the season.

With the Ducks looking toward the future, Olen Zellweger is likely to stay in the NHL for the rest of the season. Although he has just two assists through his first eight contests with Anaheim, the 20-year-old defenseman has offensive upside and is getting power-play ice time, so he’d be an interesting pickup for the upcoming week given the competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Like Anaheim, Columbus doesn’t have any hope of making the playoffs, but next week’s schedule is still a favourable one for the Blue Jackets. They’ll play in Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the Senators on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday. While Winnipeg is having a strong campaign, those other three teams are among the worst in the league.

Columbus was somewhat quiet at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets did part ways with Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke.

Their biggest move came earlier when they acquired Alexander Nylander from Pittsburgh on Feb. 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. That wasn’t expected to be a noteworthy move, but Nylander has provided an incredible five goals and seven points in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. Nylander is likely to remain in a top-six role for the remainder of the season, so while he’s unlikely to maintain his point-per-game pace, the 26-year-old should continue to have fantasy relevance.

Roslovic was red hot too with four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games prior to the trade. He was serving primarily on the top line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, but now that he’s gone, Kirill Marchenko might be put in that role. Marchenko has 17 goals and 32 points in 60 contests this season, and the 23-year-old might see his offensive pace increase if he does lockdown that first-line assignment.

One player who didn’t move is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. There was some suggestion back in January that he would welcome a trade because he was unhappy with his workload. Maybe that issue will get resolved over the summer, but Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov are likely to share the netminding duties fairly evenly for what’s left of the season.

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Detroit will continue its fight for a wild-card berth next week. The Red Wings will start by playing in Buffalo on Tuesday before returning home to face the Coyotes on Thursday and the Sabres on Saturday. They’ll complete the week with a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. None of those opponents are in a playoff position, so it’s important that the Red Wings take advantage by picking up at least six points.

The Red Wings were quiet at the deadline, though to be fair, they made their major move back in November when they signed Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has gone on to provide 13 goals and 31 points through 31 games, so they have to be happy with that addition.

They’ll need to lean on Kane even more in the short term because Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury Monday that’s expected to cost him at least one more week. While Larkin’s unavailable, Joe Veleno might see his workload increase and consequently should have more short-term value in fantasy leagues.

This could also be a good week for David Perron, who is on a roll with a goal and four points over his past four games. He’s up to 13 goals and 32 points in 56 contests in 2023-24. Defenseman Olli Maatta has looked good recently too, supplying two goals and four points across his last four outings. Maatta typically isn’t a significant offensive contributor, though, so he would be at best a short-term pickup option.

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

The Kings hold a playoff position, but their postseason berth is far from secure. They’ll need to play next week while hosting the Islanders on Monday and then playing on the road against St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LA didn’t add anyone at the deadline, so if the Kings are going to get into the playoffs, it’ll have to be with basically the same group they’ve had for the entire year. However, injuries have made their task even harder. Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) has played just four games in 2023-24 while Mikey Anderson (upper body) and Adrian Kempe (upper body) also might not be available next week.

At least Kevin Fiala has been doing his part. The 27-year-old forward has a superb seven goals and 13 points over his last nine games. With his marker Thursday, Fiala reached the 20-goal milestone for the fifth consecutive campaign, but he’s also exceeded 25 tallies just once in his career (2021-22). In other words, don’t count on him providing goals at his recent rate for much longer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still ended up having a strong finish to the season offensively.

Drew Doughty has looked good lately too, providing three goals and 12 points over his last 11 outings. Six of those points came with the man advantage, which is noteworthy because LA’s power play has been middling this season with a 22.6 percent success rate. However, the Kings have converted on 32.0 percent of their power plays over their past 11 games, and if they can keep that up, it will do wonders for Doughty’s fantasy value.

It wouldn’t mean much to Matt Roy -- he isn’t typically used with the man advantage -- but the 29-year-old blueliner has three even-strength assists across his past three games. That has brought Roy up to 20 points (three goals) through 61 contests -- this is his third straight campaign with at least 20 points.

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Ottawa has a relatively easy start to the week with a home contest against the Penguins and then a road match versus Columbus on Thursday. Things do pick up after that, though. The Senators will play on the road against the Islanders on Saturday in a contest that matters for the Islanders in their pursuit of a wild-card spot. Ottawa will conclude the week by hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Senators made just one trade in the leadup to the deadline, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round selection. That’s a minimal return for a top-six forward, but Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause tied the Senators’ hands.

Either way, Ottawa’s offense is looking a little thinner between the loss of Tarasenko and Josh Norris potentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The top two lines going forward will be combinations of Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux. That will work fine, but the bottom six will be a collection of whatever Ottawa can cobble together.

For example, Boris Katchouk, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago on Friday, is likely to be a regular on the third unit going forward. The 25-year-old has five goals and nine points in 38 contests this season, so he’s not exactly expected to be a scoring threat in that role. Dominik Kubalik, who has averaged 12:30 of ice time this season while providing 10 goals and 14 points across 57 contests, might see his playing time increase too. Ridly Greig might round out that third unit despite recording just three goals and four points over his past 21 appearances.

For what it’s worth, Ottawa also has the option of calling up Angus Crookshank, who has 22 goals and 43 points in 47 contests with AHL Belleville this season. He was limited to a goal and an assist during a seven-game stint with Ottawa earlier in the campaign, but the 24-year-old averaged just 8:50 of ice time. He’d almost certainly get a bigger role if Ottawa promoted him now, so keep an eye out for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

Although the Penguins’ playoff hopes are all but gone, they still have an opportunity to at least make their final weeks of the campaign interesting. Pittsburgh will play in Ottawa on Tuesday before heading home to host the Sharks on Thursday, the Rangers on Saturday and the Red Wings on Sunday.

As already noted, the Penguins traded star forward Jake Guentzel on Thursday. Pittsburgh also shipped away defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, though the club did add Michael Bunting.

Bunting is an interesting option the rest of the way. He had 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games with Carolina before the trade, which is nothing special, but with Guentzel gone, Bunting might play alongside Sidney Crosby going forward. That’s an ideal assignment that should boost Bunting’s fantasy value.

John Ludvig is the other Pittsburgh player who was significantly impacted by the trade deadline. With Ruhwedel gone, there’s an opportunity for Ludvig, who was last in the lineup on Feb. 18, to play regularly for the remainder of the season. Ludvig isn’t much of an offensive threat with just a goal and an assist through 23 games, but he’s a physical force. The 23-year-old has 23 PIM and 51 hits in 2023-24, so he might have some value to certain fantasy managers now that he’s projected to remain in the lineup.

Beyond that, I’m really interested to see how Crosby performs for the remainder of the campaign. He’s been fantastic with 32 goals and 63 points in 61 outings but has supplied only one helper across his past five appearances. It’s probably just a slump that will end soon, but this is also a new position for the 36-year-old. Crosby is used to playing on a contender. Even last year when the Penguins failed to make the playoffs, they missed by just one point.

Personally, I expect Crosby to bounce back shortly and have a solid finish to the season, but we’ll have to wait and see if being out of contention impacts his motivation more than I suspect.

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Sharks will play in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but that will be their only game next week against a team in a playoff position. After that, San Jose will continue its road trip with stops in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

San Jose traded away forwards Anthony Duclair and Tomas Hertl, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. The Sharks did get Vitek Vanecek from New Jersey, but the goaltender might be done for the season due to a lower-body injury. Keep in mind, the Sharks were 15-40-7 even before those trades, so to say the squad is in a sad state now would be an understatement.

With Vanecek unavailable, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely be leaned on heavily for what’s left of the season…or at least he will be once he’s recovered from a groin injury. In the meantime, San Jose’s goaltending duo are Magnus Chrona and Devin Cooley. When Blackwood is healthy, Cooley might be sent to the minors. Regardless, none of them are good options in fantasy circles given the team in front of them.

Klim Kostin might have a little bit of value, though, to fantasy managers. The Sharks acquired him from the Red Wings on Friday. He was frequently a healthy scratch in Detroit and averaged just 8:43 when he did play, but in San Jose, Kostin might be a mainstay on the third line. That likely won’t lead to him getting much offense, but Kostin could be a good source of PIM and hits -- he has 38 and 60, respectively, through 33 appearances.

William Eklund might also be able to provide a bit of a silver lining. The 21-year-old hasn’t been as productive as hoped this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points through 60 contests, but he does have two goals and four points over his last four games, so perhaps he’ll end the season on a positive note. Certainly, the Sharks will give him plenty of opportunities at both even strength and on the power play.

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

The Jets will start the week at home, hosting the Capitals on Monday, the Predators on Wednesday and the Ducks on Friday. They’ll conclude the week with a road game versus the lowly Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Winnipeg added Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli in separate trades with New Jersey on Friday, which compliments the Jets’ addition of Sean Monahan on Feb. 2. The Jets have enjoyed an effective forward trio of Mark Scheifele (19 goals and 56 points in 56 contests), Kyle Connor (26 goals and 44 points in 46 outings) and Nikolaj Ehlers (19 goals and 44 points in 62 appearances), but the team’s scoring depth up front was lacking. With Monahan and Toffoli in the mix, Winnipeg can now roll two dangerous lines with ease.

This isn’t good news for everyone, though. Cole Perfetti has a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 61 contests this season, but the 22-year-old has been cold for a while, providing just two assists over his last 21 games. With Winnipeg’s recent upgrades, Perfetti is projected to serve strictly in a bottom-six capacity without much, if any, power-play ice time. He might even be a healthy scratch in situations where everyone is healthy.

Vladislav Namestnikov has averaged 15:04 of ice time this season, but he might see work primarily on the third line going forward. He has been effective recently, though, with two goals and five points across his last five contests while seeing time with Connor and Scheifele, so perhaps the 31-year-old will be able to avoid that demotion in the short term.

Mason Appleton has done well lately too, collecting four assists over his last three contests, but the Jets’ additions will likely push him down in the depth charts too. Although he’s averaged 16:05 in 2023-24, he might play mostly in a bottom-six capacity going forward.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 21:30:46 +0000

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 13: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones (4) controls the puck during overtime during a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks on April 13, 2023 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

Review: Going into the 2022-23 campaign, the big question surrounding the Blackhawks wasn’t if they’d make the playoffs, it was if they’d win the draft lottery, securing the rights to draft Connor Bedard. That might sound harsh, but it would be hard to make the argument that Chicago was making any effort to compete in 2022-23 after they even traded Alex DeBrincat, who was coming off a 41-goal campaign and still just 24 years old, for nothing more than draft picks. That’s the kind of trade you only make if your goal is to start almost completely from scratch. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Chicago ranked last offensively – they traded Max Domi and Patrick Kane before the deadline, preventing the team from finishing with even a 50-point player – and near the bottom of the pack defensively. The Blackhawks’ 29-49-7 record was just shy of the worst in the league, but they did end up winning the draft lottery.

What’s Changed? As expected, Chicago used the first overall pick to get Bedard, giving them a new headline player as the Blackhawks move past the Kane/Jonathan Toews era. To give Bedard a mentor and potential linemate, Chicago acquired Taylor Hall from Boston. Another veteran leader joining the Blackhawks is Corey Perry, who inked a one-year, $4 million contract.

What would success look like? A good season for Bedard by itself would be a win this year. He’s not the only Chicago prospect who could have a big season though. Lukas Reichel should serve in a top-six capacity and has a lot of potential. Philipp Kurashev doesn’t have the same level of upside as Reichel or Bedard, but Kurashev has 191 career NHL games under his belt now and might get a chance to play on the second line while surpassing his current career-high of 25 points. On defense, rookie Wyatt Kaiser could prove to be a solid top-four option down the road. Make no mistake though: This is a rebuilding season and Chicago is in no way expected to make the playoffs.

What could go wrong? So much depends on Bedard and if he’ll live up to the unreal levels of hype that have been thrust upon him. Early struggles aren’t the end of the world and even a poor rookie campaign from him wouldn’t necessarily be an indication that he’s a bust. After all, 2019 first overall pick Jack Hughes recorded just 21 points as a rookie but broke out in his fourth campaign with 43 goals and 99 points in 78 contests. However, so much of the Blackhawks hopes are resting on the idea that Bedard will be the next Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid, so it will be hard to navigate through Chicago’s anxiety if any warning signs crop up.

Top Breakout Candidate: Bedard is the obvious choice, but Reichel shouldn’t be slept on either. Reichel showed a lot of promise last season with 20 goals and 51 points in 55 AHL contests along with seven goals and 15 points in 23 games with Chicago. Reichel should be given every opportunity this year and might even play on the same line as Bedard on both even strength and the power play, further tying their fates together.

Forwards

Taylor Hall - RW

The Blackhawks needed a running mate for Connor Bedard and one fell into their laps with the Bruins trading them Taylor Hall for pennies on the dollar, the only expense for the Hawks being his $6 million AAV cap hit for the next two seasons. Hall is a great player to complement the young star because he can take a lot of pressure off him to “do everything” on his line. He loves carrying the puck and having the play go through him on the wing, which should open up some scoring opportunities for Bedard. Hall’s lines are usually a net positive when it comes to how many shots and goals they create and give up. Hall, himself, however, has been on a bit of the downswing in terms of how many goals he scores himself. His shooting has been on the decline, and he plays at a slower, methodical pace than he used to. This was perfect for the Bruins, as he injected some life into their middle-six and was one of their best forwards in the playoffs. Hall is probably a second liner now, so it will be interesting to see how he does going back to being “the guy” on another team, at least until Bedard emerges. He certainly has plenty of experience playing with first overall picks.

Tyler Johnson - C

The former “Tampa Triplet” had somewhat of a bounce-back season, scoring at his highest rate since the 2020 season, albeit with only 32 points in 56 games. Johnson’s career has been constantly interrupted by injuries over the past four years, so getting 50-something games out of him was nice to see. A good chunk of that production came on the power play, as Johnson can still be dangerous if someone sets him up. He just struggles to create on his own with only six of his goals coming at five-on-five and not having that same finish around the net he used to have. There comes a point where the rigors of the NHL do a number on even the most skilled players, and this appears to be the case for Johnson. His saving grace might be that he could thrive as a forechecker or in a defensive role, but the Hawks needed all the offense they could get and he played most of his minutes on scoring lines. With the roster in dire straits, Johnson will likely be in the Hawks top-six and power play units next season, although there is some help on the way with Bedard and Reichel.

Andreas Athanasiou - LW

Athanasiou’s speed is his one tool and it’s not a bad one to have. Still one of the fastest players in the league and coming off one of his best seasons in a while in terms of boxscore stats. Staying healthy and getting lots of opportunities for offense were the biggest factors, playing a full season after missing almost all of 2022 and potting 20 goals for the first time since he was a Detroit Red Wing. His speed is always going to make him a weapon because he can make space for himself and create quick-strike offense out of nothing plays, which is always going to play its part. Playing on a bad team helps you get more opportunities, but the Hawks need skill to work with their top picks and he formed some decent chemistry with their future star Lukas Reichel down the stretch last year. The downside is offense is pretty much all Athansiou has to offer. His value will be married to his point total and if he isn’t scoring, you’ll often ask yourself “what else is he doing?” This, along with his spotty injury history are the risks he brings.

Taylor Raddysh - RW

How many would guess that the Hawks co-leading goal-scorer was Taylor Raddysh? Granted, that’s only 20 goals but still impressive for a player who was unproven heading into the year. Raddysh was a guy the Hawks liked since they acquired him, giving him minutes with Toews and playing him on the top power play regularly. If you watch him, it’s easy to see why because he loves to shoot the puck and has a great release. Does a lot of the little things you need to do when you’re with great playmakers, always being in motion to get yourself open and recognizing where the play is going. Considering he almost never played on the Patrick Kane line, it’s impressive that he got 12 goals while primarily relying on teammates setting him up. He is an intriguing option to play with Bedard, as he has shown that he won’t get killed defensively in the top-six and the great shot is hard to ignore. Raddysh is also in that awkward spot of being in his mid-20’s on an expiring contract, so it will be interesting to see if he’s part of the Hawks plans going forward.

Nick Foligno - LW

It’s no secret that intangibles were a key factor in Chicago signing Nick Foligno, although his $4 million AAV cap hit to reach the floor also helps. Moving on from most of their leadership core in recent years, the Hawks invested in some older players to help bring some of their prospects along as they navigate their way through the rebuild. The ex-Blue Jacket captain is coming off a nice rebound campaign after a disastrous first year in Boston. He got back to double-digit goals and is always a reliable defensive player. Plays a straight-line game and plays more off the puck than he used to, as he doesn’t have that same burst he once did. Still very effective at getting to the net and capitalize on scoring chances and could see some power play time depending on how the Hawks roster looks come October. He could also play more minutes with the Hawks, as Boston had the luxury to play him in the 12-13 minute range on the deepest forward corps in the league.

Corey Perry - RW

Another veteran signed to a one-year deal, Corey Perry is coming off a couple strong years in Tampa and is still a master at getting under other players’ skin. His body can’t handle the full wear-and-tear of a normal top-sixer, but he’s made the most out of limited minutes in his last two years with the Lightning, going to the net to create chances and being a general menace to play against. This is a different situation than what he’s used to though, as he is usually brought in as a supplementary piece to a contending team. The Hawks aren’t contending this year, so Perry is there to be more of a leader and absorb some of the tougher parts of the game. Tampa rejuvenated his career a little, posting 40 points a couple years ago while giving them solid minutes on their fourth line dubbed “The School Bus Line.” Last year he was more of a power play specialist, scoring 12 of his 25 points with the man advantage and creating most of his five-on-five offense off rebounds.

Ryan Donato - RW

Skilled goal-scorers who don’t fit in the top-six sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Fortunately for Ryan Donato, he played on a Seattle team that played their skilled guys lower in the lineup and formed one of the more efficient scoring lines in the league alongside Daniel Sprong. The Harvard grad scored two points per 60 minutes at five-on-five with the Kraken, comparable with the likes of Trevor Zegras and Alex Iafallo. Possessing a fantastic set of hands, Donato can score some very creative goals out of nothing plays and made Seattle one of the deepest teams in the league last year. Whether it’s off the rush or around the net, he is great at settling down loose pucks and putting defenders in a tough spot if he gets the puck with some speed. The reason why he doesn’t play high in the lineup is that his game is pretty one-dimensional. He is not the best passer in the world and has tunnel-vision to the net most times. He is also a streaky scorer, finding the back of the net only one time in the final two months of the season (including no goals in the playoffs). Gives the Hawks another utility player to work with as they enter the year with a blank canvas.

Philipp Kurashev - LW

Out of all the Hawks forward prospects, nobody was given more of a chance to produce more than Kurashev. Playing almost 18 minutes a night in the Hawks top-six, Kurashev the Hawks wanted to see everything they had in the 23-year-old winger. He has good skills individually; great hands, uses his edges well, decent speed and plays with a high motor. In a game situation, he struggled to put it together, often throwing puck away on cycles and dumping the puck in on most of his entries unless it was off a turnover. There would be moments of greatness once every few games, but that’s just what they were, moments. That said, the Hawks liked him enough to retain him for two years, likely having him play lower in the lineup. He has the skills to be a good checking line player with some pop, as he usually takes smart routes to exit the zone and is effective at skating through traffic. Skills that make him a better fit for a counter-attack offense as opposed to a cycle game that you need from your top line. Last year was probably a good year for him and the Hawks as they know what they have in him and how they can use him better going forward.

Boris Katchouk - LW

The trade deadline opens the door for some players to step up and this was the case for Boris Katchouk. Toiling away as a healthy scratch for most of the year, Katchouk finally got some consistent playing time and linemates once some roster spots opened up. He had a nice month in March alongside Joey Anderson and Jujhar Khaira on what ended up as the Hawks first line on some nights. A high scorer both in junior and the AHL, he could translate that to the pros at times. Katchouk can use his size well to play a more skilled game, as he’s a good puck-handler and is very good at stealing pucks to setup plays from behind the net. He didn’t get much of a chance to do so while playing on the Hawks fourth line and struggled to score even when he got a bump in ice time. At 24, he’s still looking to find his role in the NHL but finds himself in a similar situation to last year where he might get lost in the shuffle.

Defense

Seth Jones - D

One year into his seven-year contract with Chicago, it took some time for Seth Jones to get acclimated to his new team. His point total took a hit, but things were a little calmer when he was on the ice. Having his skillset, it’s easy to think that you need to be the guy that does everything, especially on a bad team, and his workload was scaled back. He still logged more minutes than almost anyone else in the NHL but wasn’t pinching at every opportunity and stepped back more often when defending entries instead of meeting forwards at the red line. Ankle injuries have limited his ability to pivot and skate backwards, so Jones has to pay more attention to where the play is going rather than assuming he can shut it down on his own. It’s a new approach, but it should lead to better results once the players around Jones improve. He is showing that he can reinvent his game and still be a top-pair caliber defenseman, although not the game-breaker the Hawks were hoping for. The return of his shot being a threat was nice to see, mostly because he was likely the team’s best option more times than not. Still very good at getting pucks through traffic and was more opportunistic with creating chances than trying to score from long-distance.

Connor Murphy - D

While his game is mostly in the defensive zone, Murphy (who is now the Hawks longest-tenured player) set a career high in goals last year. He will surprise fans with the times he does jump in because it’s rare to see him outside of the defensive zone. Murphy has the mobility to be more active offensively, but he is mostly about cleaning up messes in his own end. He had his minutes reduced last year but still had big responsibilities on the penalty kill. Also played with a rotating cast of partners, sometimes he would be paired with a rookie, other times he was with Jarred Tinordi, a strictly physical defenseman. Very good at blocking shots without sacrificing his body. Takes a lot of abuse with retrieving pucks and struggles to make the first pass out of the zone, although most of that is from being under constant forecheck pressure. Needs a more mobile partner to succeed and will likely have his hands full this coming year with the Hawks blue line lacking experienced puck movers.

Nikita Zaitsev - D

Zaitsev spent most of last season as a part-time player in Ottawa before being placed on waivers and ultimately getting traded to Chicago in a deal that sent the Blackhawks a draft pick for eating the final year of his contract. Used to playing in the 20–22-minute range in his prime, Zaitsev’s game struggles to translate to the quicker pace of the league now. He plays a thankless role as a shot-blocker and a physical defenseman, but there is a limitation on how effective you can be when your puck skills are as limited as his. He is also a little redundant in Chicago’s lineup with a similar player in Murphy in the top-four and another comparable player in Jarred Tinordi also on the roster. He did score his lone goal of the season after being traded to Chicago but was only used in a depth role with a rotating cast of partners. The influx of younger players could force him out of the Hawks lineup, but it’s tough to say with so many unproven options on Chicago’s blue line.

Jarred Tinordi - D

enseman and Maryland native was claimed off waivers from the Rangers at the start of the year and was a regular in the Hawks lineup. The team likes both his size and the physical brand of hockey he plays. He proved to be effective in certain situations, most notably defending zone entries and limiting chances off the rush. Sometimes you need guys who will just play the system and do the little things to get by and this is exactly what Tinordi did. He won’t complete a lot of passes out of the zone, but he can stop the puck along the wall to free it for his partner or be in position to receive a pass to skate it out. When you’re playing 15-17 minutes a night, that’s all you need to do, and the Hawks were happy with what they got out of him. Eventually they’ll need to upgrade, but Tinordi could be a regular next year if none of the prospects from Rockford impress in training camp. It helps that he set career highs in goals and points, as modest as those totals were.

Goaltending

Petr Mrazek - G

There are few teams as obviously hitting the reset button as the Chicago Blackhawks, and there are few goaltenders entering the 2023-24 season who are as obviously cast as parts of a rebuild as Petr Mrazek. With Chicago GM Kyle Davidson openly stating that the team won’t be chasing additional goaltending depth, it’s likely that Blackhawks fans will see more Mrazek than anything for the upcoming year – whether for better or for worse.

Mrazek came to Chicago as a once-highly-touted veteran who dazzled in his league debut, then never quite lived up to the hype. He has the ability to showcase quick hands and fast skating, sliding out of screens and recovering to make last-second desperation saves when things look dire in front of him. But despite his elite-tier athleticism, his consistency has always been a sticking point – and in Chicago, with a smattering of groin issues and a very clearly deconstructed roster skating out in front of him, the Czech netminder had one of the league’s worst performances last year. The fact that he’s the team’s returnee, and not the surprisingly resilient Alex Stalock, is a testament to just how willing the team is to move away from assets that could prevent them from creating a new empire from the ground up; he’ll tandem with Arvid Söderblom in hopes that Mrazek will remain healthy and Söderblom will be able to hold down the fort when needed. It’s not all doom and gloom in Chicago’s crease, since prospect Drew Commesso is under contract and hopefully going to be ready to take over as the team’s heir apparent in a few years time. But for now, Chicago just has to hope that Mrazek is able to come back fully healthy and able to put up his best performance in nearly three years – if they want to show an ability to take a step forward this upcoming year, he’ll have to be better than he was in 2022-23.

Projected starts: 60-65

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – NHL Player Profiles

Corey Sznajder – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 22:28:52 +0000

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 24: Chicago Blackhawks Defenceman Seth Jones (4) skates in warm-ups before a Los Angeles Kings game versus the Chicago Blackhawks on March 24, 2022 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Patrick Kane

Entering the final year of his contract, the talk surrounding Kane is less about his performance and more about where he’s going to be playing by the end of the season. It’s unknown if he wants to stick around for a teardown rebuild and he will be a coveted player if the Hawks make him available. Still one of the league’s stars, Kane is one of a few players who you can bookmark for at least 90 points regardless of his team situation. He has the hands to make impossible plays happen and his passing can change the pace of the game on a dime, halting for a second to freeze the defense and finding a teammate entering the zone with speed seconds later. It papers over some of his concerns away from the puck and makes any line he’s on dangerous. This year is going to be an interesting transition year for him. Kane usually has a sidekick who can read off of him, whether that’s Artemi Panarin or Alex DeBrincat. This year will be a little different with the talent drain in Chicago. Kane has produced with the likes of Artem Anisimov and Nick Schmaltz before, but it’s hard to say if the Hawks even have players of that quality on their roster now. Elite talent always finds a way to produce, but there’s going to be more pressure on just him to carry the load, which doesn’t seem possible given he’s already averaging 22-23 minutes a night. To say this will be a challenging year for him would be an understatement.

Jonathan Toews

It was obvious that Toews wasn’t himself during the first half of the year. It took him until early December to score his first goal and he struggled to make an impact in any area of the game. This wasn’t unexpected after he missed the entire 2021 season, but it was hard to figure out what the “new normal” would be for the Hawks captain. He turned the corner a bit during the second half, not producing the same way he used to but getting back to being a solid play-driver on a line with Brandon Hagel and Dominik Kubalik. Slow starts were a running theme for Toews even before 2020, so last year wasn’t out of the ordinary. What’s a little concerning for the Hawks is that Toews needs a lot more help from his linemates now. He doesn’t carry the puck as often as he used to and is more of a support player than someone driving the bus. Hagel was a great support guy for him for that reason, a worker bee type of winger to help get the puck from Point A to Point B while Toews drove the middle or provided support on breakouts. His production next year could depend on how much the Hawks pair him with Patrick Kane. Even at their age, they still have instant chemistry and Toews will get his points with Kane by his side. It’s been more of an “in case of emergency” thing for the Hawks recently because of the team’s depth, but with so few options and Toews also on an expiring contract, it might become more of a regular fixture.

Max Domi

Three years have gone by and Max Domi has gone from Montreal’s top-line center to just another guy in Columbus. The Jackets struggled to figure out the best way to use the skilled playmaker, not fitting at the top of their lineup and struggling to find chemistry with anyone. He couldn’t play with the same pace he did in Montreal and found himself relegated a third line role on the wing. His great passing chops would appear in spurts, but more off turnovers and plays where he was standing still to find someone going to the net instead of the play-driver he was at his peak. The same can be said for his brief stint with the Hurricanes where he was just a depth player. He had a few nice games and played hard but only had moments where he was a game-breaker for them. With Chicago, he’s getting another chance to show that he can drive his own line and play in the middle. They have some decent speed on the wing to pair him with, so the door is open for him to show teams he still be a difference maker at the NHL level. A fresh start on a new team (and a year where he isn’t recovering from shoulder surgery) could help.

Andreas Athansiou

Speed to burn. That has been Athanasiou’s tagline since he started playing hockey. Putting the rest of his skillset together has been a challenge aside from one 30-goal season in Detroit. His first year with the Kings was a step in the right direction, as he was used up and down the lineup to form “skilled checking lines” with the likes of Blake Lizotte and Gabriel Vilardi, doing a better job of using his linemates instead of trying to fly for a breakaway on every shift. It earned him a spot on the Danault line before injuries kept him from being a key player in the LA lineup. When healthy, Athansiou was on-pace for one of his best NHL seasons from a point-per-game pace (granted with only 28 games played). Still, he was trusted with some good minutes, ending the regular season on a line with Kopitar and Kempe and providing a jolt of “instant offense” to whatever line he was on. Doing this over 82 games will be a challenge, but on a Chicago team in desperate need of skill, he is a welcomed addition.

Tyler Johnson

It’s easy to forget that this is Tyler Johnson’s second year on the Blackhawks because injuries limited him to only 26 games. Between neck surgery and a concussion, the two-time Cup champion never had a chance to begin his career in Chicago. He started to find some traction late in the year on a line with Toews and Kublaik, recording four of his seven points in the month of April when the Hawks put that unit together. The veteran brings a little of everything to the table. He was a great shooter during his prime years in Tampa Bay and has the hockey sense to play off elite linemates, finding soft spots in the defense, giving them a passing option and being the guy who can carry the puck into the zone. The question is how much of that skillset is still intact after so many injuries. He’s only 32 years old, but with over 615 games to his credit, the miles and wear-and-tear on your body starts to add up. Johnson can still move well enough to be a decent support player on a checking line, but it’s tough to say if he can be a dangerous offensive player now. He should have plenty of opportunities to prove this in Chicago this year.

Sam Lafferty

Acquired in a mid-season trade for Alex Nylander, Lafferty filled some of the Hawks needs. He’s a hard-working forechecker and gave the Hawks a small jolt of energy whenever he was out there. The Hawks moved him around the lineup, including giving him time with Kane and DeBrincat and did his job as someone who will play physical with speed and recover pucks. Making plays with the same pace was a challenge, as his point total would indicate, but his lines did a nice job of at least titling the ice. This isn’t a small accomplishment on last year’s Hawks team, as even their good players got caved in from a territorial standpoint. Don’t expect much offense from Lafferty, but a guy like him is needed on a rebuilding team. There are going to be a lot of tough games and the Hawks need some guys who will at least inject some life into the lineup and can play on different lines.

Colin Blackwell

It’s rare for a player to make the NHL in his late 20’s these days, but Colin Blackwell did just that a couple of years ago. Selected by the Kraken in the expansion draft after a 12-goal season with the Rangers, the Harvard grad found a niche as a nice defensive forward on a line with Yanni Gourde and Mason Appleton. He had some scoring upside with the minors and in his brief stint in New York but excelled more with the details of the game after leaving the Rangers (and Panarin’s right wing). He has a jack of all trades type of skillset and was a fixture on Seattle’s aggressive penalty kill, being one of their leaders in shorthanded entries. It was enough to catch the attention of the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, who quickly incorporated them as part of their penally kill rotation in the playoffs. The offensive side of the game can be a struggle for Blackwell at times, but his knack for stealing pucks and playing a strong forechecking game make him a great fit on a checking line. This is the role he will likely play in Chicago with some heavy penalty killing duty added in.

Taylor Raddysh

Finally graduating from Syracuse, Raddysh was given every opportunity to succeed in a lower line role with the Lightning. He was a nice player for them and showed that he can play a strong game from the hashmarks down, but he proved to be redundant in their system and he was dealt to Chicago as part of the Brandon Hagel trade. His Hawks career got off to a great start with five goals in his first six games and after that it was tough sailing. Raddysh scored only 4 goals in his last 15 games, two of them coming in the same game, despite getting consistent second line minutes with Jonathan Toews and power play time on top of that. Attempts to make him a goal-scorer who you could setup in the bumper spot didn’t go as smoothly as planned and Raddysh was best utilized as someone who could be the first forward in on the forecheck rather than a scorer. With two years left on his deal, the Hawks have some time to figure out what they have in the former 2^nd round pick. They have plenty of grinders on the roster, so Raddysh developing a scoring touch would help him stick around.

Philipp Kurashev

Kurashev’s highlight reel from his rookie year paints a warped picture of him. He scored some absolutely beautiful goals during the 2021 season and looked like a perfect complementary player for this next chapter of Hawks hockey. Those moments were few and far between, though and Kurashev ended up getting lost in depth forward purgatory by the end of the year. This year was an interesting turn. The goal-scoring touch that he had his rookie year was gone, two of his six goals went off a defender, but there was more of an all-around element to his game. He was more willing to be the first guy into the zone on the forecheck, not trying to split defenders or carry the puck through traffic or force plays that weren’t open. The more direct approach to his game made him a more reliable player away from the puck and helped him find a niche as an energy line type of player with some playmaking upside. A nice player to have for this year, but also a guy who might get lost in the shuffle if there isn’t another level to his game.

DEFENSE

Seth Jones

When Chicago made the trade for Seth Jones and signed him under contract until 2030, the idea was he would be a franchise cornerstone defenseman who could raise the tide of their roster. Instead, they got a defenseman who could log a lot of ice-time, play solid in those minutes but not change the game as much as they hoped. In the vacuum, Jones had a typical season for his standards, and it was a major bounce-back from his final year in Columbus. Some of the warts in his game are still there. He’s a dynamic, explosive skater when the play is moving north and showed that with some of the splash plays he provided on offense. When skating backwards, however, he has trouble containing speed and will misjudge where the puck is going. There aren’t many defensemen who can do both at an elite level, but the Hawks didn’t play with the defensive structure to cover up for Jones’ weakness here. You would see him get caught in the middle while defending entries, unsure if he should protect the middle or chase to the outside. It’s the game you often get stuck in on a team that struggles to control play like the Hawks. The mistakes aren’t always the player’s fault, but they add up overtime. Interim head coach Derek King did a good job of simplifying the games for Jones, but he still carried a heavy burden and only making a major impact on the power play. Jones is stuck in a tough place with a rebuild on the horizon, but he is one of the Hawks go-to guys for now and finding him a partner to replace the departing Calvin de Haan will be a top priority.

Jake McCabe

The longtime Buffalo Sabre set a career high in points with 22 in 75 games, which is a little surprising with how long he has been around. It was a bright spot compared to some of his underlying numbers. McCabe was the victim of Chicago’s volatile defensive system, posting one of the worst Expected Goal Differentials on the team at five-on-five. Part of that is his limited offensive skills and the Hawks exposing some of his weaknesses with defending the rush. He’s a lanky defender with decent puck skills, but not the most agile player in the world and only 12 months removed from knee surgery. He had difficulty turning to retrieve pucks and containing speed, which is concerning for a player who was signed to be more of a steadying presence. Oddly enough, some of his best plays from last year came on at the other side of the rink, showing some decent vision from the left point behind the Hawks top line. Originally signed to play alongside Seth Jones, he could see more time on that pair after spending most of last season in a secondary shutdown role alongside Conor Murphy.

Connor Murphy

Prior to last season, Connor Murphy was the only true shutdown defenseman on the Hawks roster. While mobile, he spent most of his shifts in the defensive zone and was always the one putting out fires there for the Hawks while supplement it with some splash offense off the rush. Last year was another usual season for him, playing on the team’s second pair in a shutdown role with heavy penalty killing duty, but the additions of McCabe, Caleb Jones and Stillman made his skillset a little redundant. He is the most defensively sound member of that group, so his contributions were easy to get lost in the shuffle, although not so much to the Hawks who inked him to a four-year contract. It’s tough to say if Murphy will be relied on for more offense this year. He skates well and has a sneaky good wrist shot when he jumps in, but those moments are becoming once every month now instead of once every few games. It’s less about the willingness to do it and more that he burns so much energy blocking shots and chasing pucks down while defending that he has to change before even thinking about starting a rush. He is someone who could benefit from stronger play-driving in Chicago, which will be tough with the current state of their roster.

Caleb Jones

The younger brother of Seth, it took some time for the Hawks to work Caleb Jones into their lineup, missing the first month of the season with a wrist injury. He was in-and-out of the lineup for most of the season, caught in the middle of not being a trusted veteran and being too “old” to be considered a prospect. Jones had some skills the Hawks needed, as he’s very good at using his stick to disrupt entries and is a good enough skater to keep forwards to the outside. His passing was also a welcome addition to their backend which lacked puck skills, as he provided a nice safety valve for Murphy or McCabe when he got in the lineup. The caveat is that he played a sheltered role for most of the year, exiting the zone on more regroups and controlled plays than beating forechecks. Jones became more of a fixture on the second pair later in the season and is an interesting piece for the Hawks heading into next year. He doesn’t have the reputation as an impact player yet but could be someone Chicago gives more responsibility to with a real lack of mobility on their blue line and a spot on the second power play unit up for grabs.

GOALTENDING

Petr Mrazek

It’s been an up-and-down career for Petr Mrazek, and it’s hard to get overly excited about his latest stop on the league tour. He’ll be presumably taking the reins in Chicago, where a disastrous handful of seasons has left the club – so recently considered a dynasty – sitting at the bottom of the NHL’s standings with little hope of an upward path. That’s a tough fit to consider for the now 30-year-old Mrazek, who most recently struggled behind the ever-mercurial Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mrazek’s game at its best is one characterized by quick, nimble skatework and a willingness to put in the extra legwork to get to those hard-to-reach shots. But when he struggles, Mrazek’s speed can give him an almost sloppy appearance; a lack of crisp positioning leaves leaky gaps in his pads and around his hands that allows pucks to sneak by even when he gets himself into what seems like the perfect position on time. And while he showcased his best work in Carolina, staying on his toes and anticipating defensive breakdowns in time to save the day for the Hurricanes more often than not, he offered Toronto some of his most inconsistent performances in recent memory. Now, he’ll be expected to serve as a stopgap for the clearly-rebuilding Blackhawks; he’s at a point in his career where it’s nearly impossible to see him outlasting their tank efforts. The bright side for him, though, is that it’s hard to see Chicago having much use for him if he does right the ship – and there are a handful of contending teams who don’t have a lot of security in net for the coming year. So, if he sheds the inconsistencies and tightens up the gaps in his pads to kick off the 2022-23 campaign, he could buy himself a one-way ticket to fill a need in net for a playoff franchise midway through the year. The only real question mark? His health – given his propensity for injuries and the lack of much in the way of relief waiting in the wings, it’s a little unsettling trying to predict just what Chicago is going to roll out in net over the course of the year. Ultimately, though, Mrazek is a much better bet for game starts than his tandem partner Alex Stalock – so when it comes to workload, he should at the very least get himself a nice amount of volume.

Projected starts: 60-65

Alex Stalock

If you find yourself surprised that Alex Stalock is still in the NHL for the upcoming season, you aren’t alone – but he’s in for a doozy of a season, set to play a role in Chicago similar to the one Craig Anderson is playing in Buffalo. Fresh off the celebration of his 35th birthday, Stalock arrives in Chicago with just one NHL game to his name in the last two seasons combined.

The Blackhawks are shamelessly throwing their season to the wolves in hopes of building back up from the bottom in the next few seasons, so it’s unlikely they’re worried about Stalock being rusty and costing them wins. But on the bright side, despondent Chicago fans dreading the upcoming season should at the very least enjoy what Stalock has to offer from an entertainment perspective this year – and he’s a genuinely respected presence in the locker room, so there’s little worry that he’ll drag the team down from a morale perspective. He’s one of the most fun goaltenders the modern game has to offer, to boot; with a passion for cutting down angles and challenging shooters, Stalock is practically a living meme. He doesn’t exactly thrive in any one area of his game, but a remarkable level of self-confidence and a near-bottomless bag of tricks he’s willing to pull from leave Stalock operating from a position of strength as he continually keeps shooters guessing. As far as stopgaps go for a club looking to overhaul their lineup, there are few that offer the same entertainment value and feel-good vibes that Stalock does – even if he may not have the kinds of numbers most would associate with free agent acquisitions. And for a team that seems determined to lose a lot, he’s a reasonable bet not to break the tank.

Projected starts: 30-35

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Fallout from the NHL trade deadline, not just from the players that moved, like Claude Giroux, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Giordano, and Max Domi, but also those that remain with potentially new opportunities

Scott Cullen — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 13:30:46 +0000

20 FANTASY POINTS

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

In this week’s edition of 20 Fantasy Points, fallout from the NHL trade deadline, not just from the players that moved, like Claude Giroux, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Giordano, and Max Domi, but also those that remain with potentially new opportunities for the rest of the season.

MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 24: Florida Panthers right wing Claude Giroux (28) plays the puck during the Florida Panthers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on March 24, 2022 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

#1 The big ticket forward to move prior to the deadline was Claude Giroux, who has been a premier scorer in Philadelphia for a long time, surpassing 1,000 games with the Flyers just last week. Giroux is going to score. Since 2010-2011, there are three players with more points than Giroux’s 828 points (in 875 games): Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby, and Alex Ovechkin. He has moved to the right wing on Philadelphia’s top line, skating with Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe, a good opportunity to keep the points flowing. Owen Tippett went to Philadelphia in this deal, and it should give him a better opportunity to play regularly as he auditions this season for a spot with next year’s team. Tippett had 33 points (14 G, 19 A) in 94 games for Florida, averaging less than 12 minutes of ice time per game. In three games with Philadephia, Tippett has averaged 17 minutes per game.

#2 With Giroux gone to Florida and Sean Couturier out for the season with a back injury, Kevin Hayes is the No. 1 center in Philadelphia. He has nine points (4 G, 5 A) and 15 shots on goal in the past six games and has played more than 20 minutes in three of his past four games.

#3 The Toronto Maple Leafs turned to Seattle for veteran defenseman Mark Giordano and right winger Colin Blackwell. Giordano had 23 points in 55 games for the Kraken, but that included a team-leading eight power play assists. Vince Dunn, who leads Seattle defensemen with 27 points (7 G, 20 A), is the top candidate for more power play time on the point in Seattle. In Toronto, Giordano started playing with Timothy Liljegren but there is always the potential of Giordano getting reunited with T.J. Brodie, with whom he was frequently partnered when both were with the Calgary Flames. As for Blackwell, he was not playing a lot in Seattle and started on the fourth line in Toronto, but he is a depth forward with some upside. He ranked sixth among Seattle forwards with 1.70 points per 60 minutes of 5v5 play this season and had shown in spurts with the Rangers last season that he can contribute offensively.

#4 There was some doubt about whether goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury would even want to move but he gave the green light for his trade from Chicago to Minnesota and that does make Fleury more appealing than he was with a Blackhawks team that was not winning a whole lot. In Minnesota, Fleury gets to play behind a stronger team and the wins should come more easily. Fleury’s arrival in Minnesota does put a limit on the appeal of Cam Talbot, who had been the Wild starter in net but then he effectively slumped his way out of the job. Talbot will likely play more than a run-of-the-mill backup but also probably less than a standard starting goaltender, which could sewer his fantasy value. With Fleury leaving the Windy City, Kevin Lankinen should get most of the starts for Chicago the rest of the way but that’s not going to be a big help to the Blackhawks. Lankinen had a .931 save percentage in his first dozen games for Chicago last season and in 43 games since then, his save percentage is .896.

#6 With the Wild shuffling goaltenders, that left Kaapo Kahkonen as the odd man out and he was dealt to San Jose for defenseman Jacob Middleton. Kahkonen had a .907 save percentage in 54 games for the Wild across the past three seasons, but the 25-year-old might have a chance to earn a long-term role in San Jose. Veteran James Reimer is still San Jose’s starter but with Adin Hill injured, Kahkonen can establish himself and maybe get a leg up on a competition for the starting job next season, especially if Reimer gets moved.

#7 The Carolina Hurricanes brought in Max Domi from Columbus and while the idea is that he might be able to offer some secondary scoring, he started his time with the Hurricanes skating alongside Derek Stepan and Jesperi Kotkaniemi on Carolina’s fourth line. Not ideal for his fantasy value. With Domi gone, there might be more of an opportunity for wingers Yegor Chinakov and Emil Bemstrom, as well as Alexandre Texier when he returns from a finger injury.

#8 Having lost their entire third line in the offseason, the Tampa Bay Lightning were not afraid to pay a big price at the deadline to shore up those holes in the lineup. Tampa Bay made a trade with Chicago for Brandon Hagel and with Ottawa for Nick Paul. Although Paul scored in his Lightning debut and has a career-high 12 goals this season, he is not likely to have much fantasy appeal. Hagel is more interesting. The 23-year-old has erupted for 21 goals in 57 games in his second NHL season, but that goal total should come with a massive grain of salt. Hagel has scored on 22.1% of his shots this season and that is unlikely to last for even the greatest snipers and, with all due respect, Hagel is not one of the all-time greatest snipers.

#9 The wingers going to Chicago in the Hagel trade, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, will get a chance to prove that they are NHLers. Raddysh is a 24-year-old power forward who had 12 points (5 G, 7 A) in 53 games for the Lightning but has scored four points (2 G, 2 A) in his first three games with the Blackhawks. Katchouk was a part-time player for Tampa Bay, contributing six points (3 G, 3 A) in 38 games. He is still battling for a regular spot in the lineup, but that opportunity is better for him in Chicago than it was in Tampa Bay.

#10 A proven shot generator whose shooting percentage finally started to come around this season, Rickard Rakell is a major addition to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup. Since 2017-2018, Rakell has averaged 2.83 shots on goal per game, which ranks 44^th in the league. In the past three seasons, though, Rakell had trouble converting, scoring on just 8.0% of his shots, before percentages turned back in his favor this season and he had 16 goals in 51 games for the Ducks, scoring on 11.8% of his shots. The expectation is that he will ultimately have a chance to skate alongside Evgeni Malkin on the Penguins’ second line, but in his first couple of games with the Penguins, Rakell has played more with Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen, also seeing some time on Sidney Crosby’s wing. In a depleted Ducks lineup, after Rakell’s departure, Derek Grant and Dominik Simon were skating on Trevor Zegras’ wings while Zach Aston-Reese and Gerry Mayhew were on the flanks of Adam Henrique. None of those wingers are particularly appealing for fantasy purposes, even with suddenly bigger roles.

#11 The Ducks were busy, also dealing defenseman Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins. Lindholm had 22 points (5 G, 17 A) in 61 games for the Ducks, and his career high was 34 points in the 2014-2015 season, he still played a major role on the Anaheim blueline and those minutes will have to get absorbed, so Simon Benoit and Brendan Guhle are candidates for more playing time. In Boston, Lindholm has joined Charlie McAvoy on the Bruins’ top pair.

#12 The Washington Capitals dipped into their past, acquiring Marcus Johansson from the Seattle Kraken. Johansson started his career in Washington, from 2010-2011 through 2016-2017 but he has played for five more teams since. Johansson had 23 points (6 G, 17 A) in 51 games for Seattle this season but with T.J. Oshie out of the Washington lineup, Johansson landed on the right wing with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznestov. That might not last but, in the short term, it’s a pretty good place to be.

#13 With Johansson one of several departures from Seattle, there will be chances for players to prove their value as NHLers. Daniel Sprong was part of the deal going to Seattle and he has flashed talent, on his way to 41 goals in 187 career games. He scored in his first game for Seattle, recording five shots on goal in just 11:24 of ice time. Karson Kuhlman, Kole Lind, and Morgan Geekie are other Seattle forwards that should see an uptick in ice time down the stretch.

#14 Enjoying a strong season in Montreal, Artturi Lehkonen was an attractive trade candidate, and the Colorado Avalanche were willing to pay for his services, expecting Lehkonen to solidify their middle six forwards. With 29 points (13 G, 16 A) in 58 games for the Canadiens, Lehkonen is just two points off of his career high, set in 2018-2019. With Lehkonen departing there is more room for a veteran forward like Paul Byron to fit into the Montreal lineup but that does not offer much fantasy appeal.

#15 Montreal did secure the services of defenseman Justin Barron from the Avalanche in the Lehkonen trade. A first-round pick in 2020, Barron appeared in two games for the Avs earlier in the season and had 20 points (5 G, 15 A) in 43 AHL games. Barron will have a chance to become a big part of the Montreal blueline.

#16 One of the most sought-after pending free agent forwards was acquired by the New York Rangers, as they picked up Andrew Copp from the Winnipeg Jets. Copp’s offensive game started to break through last season when he put up a career-high 39 points in 55 games, but he had 35 points (13 G, 22 A) in 56 games for the Jets before the trade and then he had a couple of assists in his Rangers debut. Copp started his Rangers career on a line with Filip Chytil and Dryden Hunt but finished that first game on right wing with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The Rangers also acquired energy winger Tyler Motte from Vancouver and while Motte does not score enough to generate a bunch of fantasy interest, but he does have a very specific fantasy value tied to his hit totals, averaging 2.80 hits per game across the past four seasons.

#17 Even though the Jets decided to trade Copp, they did not give up on their playoff push, however unlikely it might be. The Jets brought back right winger Mason Appleton who was claimed by Seattle in the expansion draft, and the Jets also acquired Zach Sanford from the Ottawa Senators. Neither of these players is as valuable as Copp, but the two wingers are established NHL talent that can play in Winnipeg’s top nine.

#18 Veteran forward Derick Brassard was a low-key addition by the Edmonton Oilers from the Philadelphia Flyers. He had a modest 16 points (6 G, 10 A) in 31 games for the Flyers but might have a little more offensive upside in Edmonton as he started his Oilers career on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujarvi.

#19 The St. Louis Blues were looking to shore up their blueline and landed veteran puck mover Nick Leddy from Detroit, sending Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Walman to the Red Wings. Leddy can quarterback a power play, if necessary, and it might be necessary for the Blues as Torey Krug is injured. If Krug is out long-term, that might give Leddy an opening into a bigger role for the Blues. Sundqvist and Walman may not be stars but they are entirely capable of filling regular roles for the Red Wings.

#20 One more Detroit deal. The Red Wings sent versatile forward Vladislav Namestnikov to Dallas. Namestnikov is still going to have to battle for ice time with the Stars, but his departure does help open up ice time for younger options in the Detroit lineup. Joseph Veleno, Michael Rasmussen, and the recently promoted Taro Hirose are some candidates for bigger roles in Detroit.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – RANK: #30 – TIER VI

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 12:00:17 +0000

Tampa Bay Lightning

#30 Tampa Bay - The other systems in this tier have a few high end guys. Not Tampa. Lots of depth, but all of it is low impact.

Taylor Raddysh (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Alex Barre-Boulet

Barre Boulet is at the stage of his development where he has to prove that he's not just a great AHL player but an NHL player. Barré-Boulet has the same problem as many players: He has the talent to play in the pros, but he is not necessarily useful as a bottom six player. Does he fit into an already well-stocked squad like the Tampa Bay Lightning roster? After the team lost the better part of its bottom six this offseason, he may finally have his permanent opening.

Never drafted, his progress from junior hockey to the AHL has been better than most could hope for. Regardless, he continues to do what he's asked to do: produce offensively. There is only one step left for the young man from Montmagny. But there is no doubt that it is the highest of the steps to be taken. A consistent offensive player now, Barre Boulet has worked hard to improve his skating, as he always keeps his feet moving in the offensive zone. Obviously, he is plenty skilled and has terrific scoring instincts too. If he fails to convince the Lightning that he can be a full time NHL player, he should no doubt get a chance with another NHL organization. - BB

Samuel Walker

Perhaps the most surprising thing about Walker electing to return to Minnesota for a senior season is that the two-time captain seemed to see his progress stagnate last season, often a sign that his career would be best served by him finally turning pro, four years after Tampa took a seventh-round flyer on him out of Edina High School. He was already a late developer, spending a very rare extra year at home, playing for his local school, after being drafted, instead of taking the next step to a full season in the USHL (or even the BCHL), as most others do who are drafted out of high school and are not yet ready for NCAA hockey. Walker has certainly come a long way as a player since those days, even if his development is slowing down.

He has always been speedy with exciting playmaking chops. These days, after adding some muscle to his frame, he is more willing to play greasy, and brings two-way accountability to his team. These new(er) elements of his game will come in handy when he finally turns pro, even if he does so next summer as a free agent, as his skill game, while good, seemingly falls short of top six good. His approach to the game would fit well in a third line type role, playing with energy, giving the opposition more to worry about after the top six, and while playing some minutes on the penalty kill. - RW

Boris Katchouk

Simply put, Boris Katchouk’s first two seasons in the AHL were a disappointment. After a great final junior campaign that saw Katchouk as a first team OHL all-star, in addition to a WJC gold medallist (for Canada), many figured that he would move quickly through Tampa’s system because of his speed, strength, skill, and tenaciousness. That certainly has not been the case. However, this past season (Katchouk’s third in the AHL), he finally broke out, leading Syracuse in scoring and re-establishing himself as a high-end prospect for the Lightning.

While Katchouk’s goal scoring ability has not transferred to the pro level quite as expected, his combination of size, speed, sense has made him into a very effective AHL player, especially as he found confidence in his ability to carry the puck and lead the charge offensively this past year. No longer exempt from waivers, Katchouk will need to make the Lightning this year in a checking line role in order to avoid potentially being claimed by another organization. Considering that all three members of the Lightning’s exceptional third line have moved on, Katchouk could easily be someone targeted for filling those skates, given his similar style of play to the likes of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. - BO

Taylor Raddysh

Much like Boris Katchouk, Raddysh’s development as a pro player has not gone quite according to plan. Consistency has been an issue for the former Erie Otters (and Soo Greyhounds) star. However, again like Katchouk, he experienced a breakout AHL season in his third pro year and finished the season second in Syracuse scoring to Katchouk.

Raddysh’s best asset has always been his vision and awareness on the ice. His anticipation in the offensive zone is terrific and as such, he is the perfect complementary piece on a scoring line with how he can find soft spots in coverage or make calculated decisions with the puck. However, his lack of explosiveness as a skater has always been the one negative for Raddysh and it is what has prevented him from becoming an NHL player thus far. Additionally, Raddysh profiles as more of a scoring line forward than a checking line player as he is unquestionably more effective in the offensive end than the defensive end. Could he be a classic tweener? This upcoming NHL training camp will be a big one for Raddysh as he is no longer exempt from waivers. He will need to make a big push to earn a spot, proving that he can keep up with the pace that Tampa likes to play at. - BO

Hugo Alnefelt

For 20-year-old Hugo Alnefelt, it must be quite a relief to know he’ll be playing AHL hockey this upcoming season. The 20-21 season proved to be a bump in the road that has put a bit of a damper on his prospect status. For starters, he went from an impressive 10-7 record and 2.57 GAA in a back-up role in his rookie season in the SHL to a 5-16 record and 3.18 GAA in his second season as a 1B for HV71, which was relegated for the first time since gaining promotion to Sweden’s belle étage - in the 83-84 season!

This step back was accompanied by another as his ‘21 WJC performance paled considerably in comparison to his ‘20 performance, where he starred for Sweden with a 5-1 record, 2.12 GAA, and .924 save percentage. Ultimately, he made the dreaded hero-to-weak link transition as he managed solely a 2-2 record with a pedestrian .902 save percentage this past winter, finding himself allowing several almost unexplainable goals against at critical times. Alas, his star was too bright to this point in time to worry too much. There are still tools that are far above average, and his size is the ideal of the modern goaltender. He will now face a new challenge in the AHL, where he’ll not only need to accustom himself to a new rink and the typical adjustments that come with new angles, but also prove to the organization (and hockey world) that he won’t break mentally when it matters most. This area of his game was placed in great doubt this past season, but Tampa has more than enough time to hold his hand through the next few years of development. - CL

Jack Finley

It was a tough 2020-21 season for the huge pivot, as Finley only got into three games of action, split between the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch and the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. The pandemic and a shoulder injury combined to sideline Finley, who underwent successful surgery and expects to be ready for training camp. The Lightning signed Finley to an entry-level deal nonetheless and focused on improving his speed during various development camps.

A raw, tantalizing combination of size and skill, Finley is still understanding how to utilize his massive six-and-a-half-foot frame. He possesses excellent puck skills and remarkably mature decision-making for such a young player (Finley was one of the youngest players in his draft year). His positioning and defensive awareness is above average, but Finley is still scratching the surface of his offensive game. He is effective at creating chances off the cycle and has the requisite skills to be a force in front of the net, as he’s good at deflections, reading the play and has soft hands in tight. Finley figures to spend the next season in junior, developing his offensive game and possibly cracking the Canadian WJC team in December. - AS

Maxim Cajkovic

Due to the pandemic, Cajkovic started the season playing at home with Bratislava of the ICEHL, before returning to the QMJHL for his third season. That shows a certain respect and commitment and he fit in well on a deep Val-d’Or team. He is a dynamic threat on the offensive side with a deadly shot. Cajkovic is also a strong skater with good edges and excellent mobility in small area games. He doesn’t need much room to release his good shot. He still has work to do on his 200-foot game and his play without the puck. He is going to have to be more involved in certain phases of the game to get attention and move up the ladder in the Tampa organization.

On the other hand, his combination of size, quickness, and skill is rare. After a very strong playoff performance for the Foreurs, Cajkovic will play in the AHL this season. There may be a bit of an adjustment period for him as he realizes that he cannot overpower pro defenders the way that he has QMJHL teenagers. However, over the long haul, Cajkovic does possess the potential to be a strong middle six, goal scoring winger if the Lightning are patient with him. - BB

Gage Goncalves

It was another successful year for the late-blooming Goncalves, who posted his first professional point in a two-game AHL stint before returning to Everett of the WHL where he improved on his past breakout season by racking up 34 points in just 22 games for the Silvertips. It’s been the road less travelled for Goncalves, who was never drafted in the WHL and passed over in his initial draft year after scoring just one goal in 2018-19. Then he exploded out of nowhere for 33 goals and 71 points the following year, after which the Lightning tabbed him with a second-round selection.

Goncalves is a very smart player with an unrelenting motor and work ethic. His compete level is off the charts, and he is unafraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice. His shot has become a weapon on the powerplay, and he is responsible in his own end. His NHL upside is probably limited to a bottom-six type role, but Goncalves does have underrated offensive skills that could continue to develop, as he’s certainly beaten the odds at every level so far. Although he is technically eligible to return to junior as a 20-year-old this upcoming season, the Lightning may choose to leave him in the AHL instead to compete against men. - AS

Cole Koepke

A sixth-round pick in his third year of draft eligibility, Koepke has already far exceeded expectations and his professional career is only nine games old. He spent three seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth, winning a Frozen Four championship as a freshman, and developing as a moderate goal scorer in his latter two seasons with the Bulldogs. While his junior year was not as strong as his sophomore campaign, the main difference was in the helpers, as his goal scoring actually increased, from just under one goal every two games, to just over one per two.

Nothing in particular about Koepke’s game makes the engaged viewer sit up and take notice, but everything he does adds up slowly to an overall positive contribution in a depth role. He can play in all situations and is just as comfortable on his off wing as he is from the left side. He has good size and skates well enough to be functional as a driver of a fourth line, or a supporting wheel in a middle six role. Koepke’s most impressive tool is probably his shot, although it is not clearly head and shoulders above anything else he does, which is more a case of not having any clear weaknesses than it is about being a well-rounded threat. Slated to spend more time in the AHL, a best-case scenario sees Koepke develop along the lines of a Ross Colton type, with whom he also shares other biographical characteristics. - RW

Jack Thompson

With the OHL on hiatus, Thompson, a third-round selection in 2020, took his talents to Sweden last season to play with Surahammaers IF of the HockeyEttan (the Swedish third men’s league). While the league itself is not incredibly high end, Thompson did perform well and has set himself up for a potentially monster OHL season with Sudbury as the league returns for 2021/22.

A potentially elite level offensive defender, Thompson is at his best with the puck on his stick as he looks to be aggressive in pushing the pace with transitional attacks. A strong skater, Thompson also excels when quarterbacking the powerplay because of a strong point shot and an ability to navigate the offensive end well. The Lightning will be looking for him to continue to improve his comfort level and effectiveness in the defensive end, without sacrificing his offensive production. Thompson has good defensive instincts, but he needs to be more consistently dialed in physically to win the battles that he needs to. 2021/22 is a big year for his development, as Tampa should get a better idea of whether Thompson can be a solid two-way presence, or whether he profiles as more of a sheltered offensive defender at the next level. Look for Thompson to be one of the highest scoring defenders in the OHL this coming year. - BO

Eamon Powell

A 2020 draft selection by the Lightning out of the U.S. U18 program, Powell is coming off of a terrific freshman year for Boston College. The strong skating two-way defender was named to Hockey East’s all-rookie team and will look to build upon that as a sophomore this season.

Odeen Tufto

The undersized forward was a free agent signing by the Lightning this offseason, after four great years at Quinnipiac. He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker last season and will look to prove that he can overcome his stature (5’7) to be an impact pro with Syracuse of the AHL this season.

Dylan Duke

Duke may not be the biggest, but he has a knack for finding soft spots in coverage thanks to his quick feet and excellent anticipation in the offensive zone. A fourth rounder in 2021, Duke will head to the University of Michigan for his freshman year this fall. The program has accumulated some serious depth heading into the season. Hopefully Duke can find his way to quality ice time.

Roman Schmidt

The allure of Roman Schmidt is that he combines great size (6’6, 210) with great mobility. However, his decision making at both ends did leave some to be desired in his draft year. Schmidt had originally intended to attend Boston University in the fall, but recently signed with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL, where he will receive significant responsibility. The hope is that the OHL can help him refine his approach and develop as a potential two-way beast on the backend.

Maxim Groshev

During the 2020/21 season, Groshev practically lived out of a suitcase, playing for seven different teams (including Russia at the World Juniors and two different stops in the KHL). The 2020 third round pick loves to push the pace and attack, but he needs consistent playing time to develop. Hopefully he has a better year in Russia with SKA St. Petersburg this coming season.

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

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

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

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

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

FORWARDS

Rasmus Asplund - Buffalo Sabres

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

Morgan Geekie - Carolina Hurricanes

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

Kevin Stenlund - Columbus Blue Jackets

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

Henrik Borgstrom - Florida Panthers

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

Nathan Bastian - New Jersey Devils

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

Yegor Sharangovich - New Jersey Devils

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

Janne Kuokkanen - New Jersey Devils

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

Nick Merkley - New Jersey Devils

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

Kieffer Bellows - New York Islanders

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

Julien Gauthier - New York Rangers

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

Vitaly Abramov - Ottawa Senators

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

Filip Chlapik - Ottawa Senators

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

Logan Brown - Ottawa Senators

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

Nicolas Aube-Kubel - Philadelphia Flyers

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

Alex Barre Boulet - Tampa Bay Lightning

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

Alex Volkov - Tampa Bay Lightning

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

Mitchell Stephens - Tampa Bay Lightning

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

Mathieu Joseph - Tampa Bay Lightning

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

Boris Katchouk - Tampa Bay Lightning

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

Taylor Raddysh - Tampa Bay Lightning

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

Joey Anderson - Toronto Maple Leafs

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

Isac Lundestrom - Anaheim Ducks

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

Matthew Phillips - Calgary Flames

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

Adam Mascherin - Dallas Stars

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

Tyler Benson - Edmonton Oilers

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

Rem Pitlick - Nashville Predators

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

Jonathan Dahlen - San Jose Sharks

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

Alexander True - San Jose Sharks

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

Maxim Letunov - San Jose Sharks

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

Rudolfs Balcers - San Jose Sharks

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

Kole Lind - Vancouver Canucks

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

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

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Prospects

Rachel Howard — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 22:06:07 +0000

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

Cole Koepke, LW (183^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Passed over in his first two runs through the NHL draft, Koepke overcame an injury-ravaged season to finish fifth in USHL scoring, with 28 goals in 60 games in his third year of eligibility. Couple that scoring touch with good wheels and a sixth-round pick was reasonable. The winger played a defensive-minded game with speed and showed a nice shot as a college freshman, failing to move the needle on his prospect status. However, after a near point-per-game sophomore campaign, he impressed. Koepke is still defensively responsible. He still has multiple gears to his skating stride, with fantastic acceleration. The shot is still strong. But now, he is also demonstrating very nice puck skills of the type that allow him to run the offensive game. He is expected to return to UMD for his junior campaign and I would expect Tampa Bay to make a big push to get him under contract next spring. The late bloomer might not be more than a third liner, but he looks like a good one, and not too far off into the future either. He could be playing regularly in the NHL by the 2022-23 season. - RW

Samuel Walker, C (200^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Drafted out of Minnesota powerhouse Edina in 2017, Walker took the rare step of going back to school in 2018, earning numerous accolades. He then exploded onto the scene with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, winning the Big 10 Rookie of the Year. He improved a touch as a sophomore, both in terms of his production (26 points to 30, playing 37 games both seasons) as well as in the assessment of his still developing skill set. Despite his size, Walker attacks the offensive zone through the middle, with speed that demands respect. He sees the ice tremendously well, is patient with the puck and has very skilled hands, capable of changing angles at the last instant and executing tricky passes. In addition to his speed, he has great edge work and knows how to create room for himself and time for his teammates to get open. He projects as a playmaker center who can play in a bottom six role as well for a team unconcerned with size. He has put on muscle since being drafted, but still looks slight. He will never be even average size, but he could be big enough to succeed in his style of play. - RW

Hugo Alnefelt, G (71^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

In his first post-draft season, Alnefelt earned a spot in the SHL and performed well at the WJC. On the downside, he spent more time on the bench than on the ice. He is a calm goalie with the vision and positioning to make spectacular improvised saves. He can quickly react to a surprising bounce or to recover from being out of position. His tracking ability is good, and he plays square to the puck. His edge plays can be impressive, which he demonstrated with some memorable saves in the WJC. His glove hand is good, albeit unspectacular. He works with the glove upwards, covering the hole between the leg and arm in his basic position. He has impressive composure and has stepped up in big situations. His athleticism is good if not elite. He plays deep in the crease which reduces his need for movement. Alnefelt will need to mature physically and add strength to improve his endurance. His upper body strength has increased but he still falls down a bit when tired. He is a long-term project but has all of the desired tools for an NHL outcome, if not necessarily that of a top tier starter. - JH

Alexander Volkov, RW (48^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Despite the strong forward group already in place in Tampa, Volkov looks like the right choice to fill the next opening, when it arrives. He has managed to adapt well by reaching a more mature focus with his game and working to create more time and space for himself when carrying the puck. He has learned to be more patient and has the confidence to play further up in the lineup with the improvement of his overall two-way play and his playmaking. Last season, he was given time on the powerplay as his game showed improvements and he proved himself to be an asset with the puck, making plays that would not look out of place at the next level. His hands and the ability to carry the puck with strong with intent remain the key driving factors for his individual play. While a bottom six role is most likely, it is still unsure as to where Volkov will fit in long-term in the NHL, however he should receive a look, however look to see him back up in the lineup this coming season regardless. - SC

Dmitri Semykin, D (90^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

For the team that leveraged Russian talent more than most during the Steve Yzerman regime, Semykin was the final Russian reward of that era. At the time his name was called out at the end of the third round, it was a bit of a surprise. He was a bulky defender who had only spent one season in the top junior league in Russia, had almost no international experience, did not add much offensively and spent a ton of time in the penalty box. We may have been the only public outfit to list him at all as a draft possibility, but even we only saw him as a late seventh rounder. Two years later, and Semykin is still very tough to play against, with a great physical game, but he has learned to do a much better job of staying disciplined. He likes to play the puck and will not limit himself to the blueline for doing so. His lack of international exposure may make his transition to North American hockey a bit slower, but if he can overcome his average skating and remain hard to play against, he could still develop into a solid #4. - RW

Cal Foote, D (14^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 6)

Foote may have seen one of the largest drops out of the prospects on this list, going from number one last season to number six after completing his second season in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. This past season Foote looked a little too comfortable in the minors and seemed to lose focus at times where his play was inconsistent. Yes, Syracuse sat at the bottom of the standings and climbed a little bit towards the end of the season, but Foote’s occasional sloppy play cannot be excused. This coming season Tampa Bay will be looking to suit him up, but it is hard to tell if he is ready to play at that speed or if he will simply be dead weight. Despite being slow on the puck, Foote has many things to offer Tampa Bay with his first-round play making abilities and his high hockey IQ. He will simply need to come back after the break as though he has something to prove, the ice is thin for Foote to make it and he will have to keep mistakes to a minimum in order to crack Tampa’s lineup as a bottom four defender. - SC

Alex Barre-Boulet, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 1, 2018. Previous ranking: 7)

Every organization has a dark horse prospect that comes as a pleasant surprise, which applies to Tampa Bay and Alex Barre-Boulet. Barre-Boulet has made more progress throughout his second season in the AHL finishing with nearly a point per game and leading Syracuse in scoring yet his small size may be his only limiting factor when it comes to earning a callup. He is by far the quickest and most dynamic skater in Tampa Bay’s AHL system and he has proven himself to be an asset rather than a burden. The race will be tight to see if a small, quick, well positioned forward who is diverse enough to play in many different roles will be given the chance he deserves this season with the Lightning. Barre-Boulet’s redeeming factor is his work ethic and his ability to kill penalties. That, combined with his skill and quick play will be what gets him a spot in Tampa’s bottom six. – SC

Eamon Powell, D (116^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Powell is not just fast; he is effortlessly fast. He gets blueline to blueline in a flash and has agility and edges to help him get through the defense as well. Furthermore, he churns at the same high rate when he needs to return to the defensive end. The skating may be his best tool, but the rest of his offensive toolkit is also notable. He has very soft hands and is masterful at activating from the blueline, either by stickhandling through layers of the defense into a high danger scoring chance, or by creating a seam for a pass. He doesn’t play the puck with much flash, but he is sure-handed and can handle it at top speed. The right-hander is also a threat to shoot. Powell has a strong wrist shot with a quick release that can score from the point. He is small and slight and does not play a very physical game, but he doesn’t shy away from the corners and is trustworthy in defensively critical shifts, including the penalty kill. He positions himself well and frequently uses his stick to break up plays. He is raw but has exciting upside. – RW

Jack Finley, C (57^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

The son of longtime NHL defender Jeff Finley, Jack is a behemoth playmaking center who also happened to be one of the youngest players eligible in the recent draft. Perhaps due to his NHL pedigree, he thinks the game at a high level. He is strong on his skates and willing to play a pro-style game in the hard areas of the ice, excelling as a distributor from below the hash marks. He drives the play from along the wall and is difficult to separate from the puck. He is also strong off the puck, excelling in all three zones with his reach and anticipation. His skating is still quite raw, lacking power and grace, but he is still able to control play and create with pace because of his poise with the puck. Ultimately, the allure here is a big man who thinks the game well, but who is still growing into his body. He is not a natural goal scorer, however, there really is no limit on his upside as those areas could improve considerably once he bulks up and grows into his frame. Players with his physical attributes just don’t grow on trees these days. – BO

Taylor Raddysh, RW (58^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 8)

For a team with many young forwards of moderate talent, the Syracuse Crunch have a tight race to reach the next level among their offensive prospects. Taylor Raddysh is known for his offensive play and his shot, however his tendency to relax and become lazy in his own end has made this past season rather poor in comparison to previous seasons. Raddysh is typically a strong player on the puck and a strong skater but with his ice time cut from last season his play with the puck has become shaky and costly in certain situations. He still managed to score more than create showing that he is still an high level shooter and often well positioned in the offensive end, however those plays do not come often enough. With better lines and more ice time next season he can bounce back and reclaim his reputation from major junior. The future is not sealed yet for Raddysh who would make a good third line winger and there is still hope that this season he will earn his first call up with Tampa Bay. - SC

Gabriel Fortier, C/RW (59^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Fortier saw a move to the contending Moncton Wildcats from the reeling Baie-Comeau Drakkar where he had to take a support role instead of a leading one, and he thrived. Always a favorite of fans and coaches, he was a captain with the Drakkar and never takes a shift off. He is always revving at max cylinders no matter the score or circumstance. At various times in his junior career, he has shown abilities to play as a sniper, a playmaker and an energy forward, and has succeeded at each. The best word to describe him is relentless; he has a dogged determination for the pursuit of the puck. Fortier’s feet are always moving, which keeps him in position, but it makes him look faster than he actually is. His skating is what ultimately could hold him back as an NHLer. Regardless, he has the skills and smarts to play useful NHL shifts up and down the lineup. – MS

Sean Day, D (UFA: Jul. 17, 2020. Originally: 81^st overall, 2016 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: UR [NY Rangers])

Day’s history in the game is fascinating. Famously granted “exceptional status” to join the OHL one year early, his junior career featured one stumble after another, and by the time his draft year came around, it was no surprise that he lasted until the third round before hearing his name called. Since turning pro, he has occasionally flashed the talent that earned him the heavy distinction at age 15. Despite a beefy, broad-shouldered frame, Day is an impressive skater, with impressive pace and balance. He has a strong shot when he lines it up. He also is a smart puck mover and can demonstrate a keen understand of the game. The downside is the same as it ever was. His inconsistency is maddening, making it very difficult for coaches to trust him. After two years in the Rangers’ system – split evenly between the AHL and ECHL – he saw his career petering out and asked for a release to try his luck in another system. The hope here is that new voices giving him instruction will unlock the potential that is still lurking within. Day is only 22, but time is running out. - RW

Maxim Cajkovic, RW (89^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Cajkovic has had trouble with injuries and consistency throughout his North American career, but it is clear that he is a very good offensive player when he is on full tilt. Contrary to most European players, Cajkovic is a North-South winger who loves to get dirty and bang bodies in pursuit of the puck. He possesses a very strong shot and loves to score goals, and he has the skating that will get him there. The coach that can unlock his defensive potential will be crucial in his development, as he has shown the effort defensively, but it has not led to positive results. Traded to a contending Val-d’Or team should help Cajkovic further hone his skills in a more sheltered environment. Cajkovic will need to improve his play away from the puck but has a ceiling of a middle-six goal-scorer. - MS

Ross Colton, LW (118^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

After finishing second in points for the AHL Syracuse Crunch this past season, Colton has made a lot of progress since coming over from NCAA Vermont. With Syracuse, he fits in well as a top forward, earning both power play and penalty killing opportunities giving him the proper chances and experience to bring with him to the next level. Colton will have to work hard and keep up his high intensity and strong effort. Despite Tampa Bay having just moved Mitchell Stephens up the ranks, Colton has a similar playing style so he will have to work harder to prove his worth and will have to stay better focused when emotions run high. Colton will need to maintain consistency throughout next season to earn a call up. That being said he is known to play well under pressure and is adaptable. Colton fits in well as a third line grinder for Tampa Bay capable of killing penalties more so than being reliable on the powerplay. - SC

Alex Green, D (121^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 12)

Alex Green is a defensive defenseman. The Chicago native was drafted in the fourth round and spent two seasons in the USHL before attending Cornell, where he was drafted after his freshman season, in his third year of eligibility. As a freshman he fared better than expected offensively, adding 10 points, which contributed to his draft stock. He finished his junior season netting a career high in points, while also being named the ECAC’s best defensive defenseman, a reminder of his strengths. He doesn’t have the quickest release on his shot, but he puts a lot of power behind it when he takes one. Green needs to pump his legs a bit but he skates well for his 6-2” size. There is power on his passes and he can dish it off quickly. Green won’t necessarily be able to catch up to the speediest players, but he can backcheck well. He projects as a lower-pairing defender if he continues to develop as a senior and later, as a professional. - JS

Gage Goncalves, C (62^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

One of the most improved players in the WHL last season, Goncalves’ production jumped from one goal to 33. Finishing the season as the second leading scorer for Everett, the talented two-way center put himself on the map for NHL scouts in his second year of draft eligibility. With a high IQ and a high skill level, he controls the pace of play leading the charge across the blueline, showing poise and patience as a facilitator. He also excels on the powerplay, where he is great at finding scoring lanes and getting himself in shooting position, even though he shows more talent as a playmaker than as a sniper. His 14 powerplay goals were fifth in the WHL. As he continues to upgrade his skating – currently a weakness in his game - and improve his strength on the puck, look for his production to keep improving as he receives more and more high-level experience. Because of his age, Goncalves will be eligible to turn pro after the conclusion of this upcoming season. – BO

Jack Thompson, D (93^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Thompson combines good size, mobility, puck skill, and a booming point shot from the right hand side, to have a large impact on the game offensively, and giving him higher upside than many other middle round defensive draft picks. In particular, he shows great potential as a powerplay quarterback with how well he searches out scoring lanes. His strong point shot was already mentioned, but his ability to distribute the puck is just as impressive. On the other hand, his game lacks consistency and his decision making are questionable. As a defensive player, he needs to play with greater intensity – even if playing a physically heavy game is not in the cards - in order to become less of a liability. These facets of his game can be improved, and there is hope that as he matures, his game will settle down. Even if his potential upside is high, patience will be critical as Thompson works through the holes in his game. – BO

Dominik Masin, D (35^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 14)

At 24 and ending prospect eligibility Masin has one more season to prove that he deserves a chance with Tampa Bay. With the continuing drafting of defensemen and the Lightning attempting to strengthen their blueline talent, Masin’s name has been moved quite far down the list. This past season was better than previous ones for Masin, with an improved turnover rate and few mistakes or giveaways. His control has improved as has his maturity with the puck in order to be counted on to play the power play and quarterback the play at even strength. He will have to remain disciplined and not let his developmental frustration show on the ice or impede further development. Masin still has the potential to be a bottom four defenseman in the NHL but at this late stage in the game the question has to be asked if Tampa Bay is still the right fit for him or whether a change of scenery will be more beneficial. - SC

Boris Katchouk, LW (44^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 15)

For second rounder Katchouk finding much success in the AHL has been harder to come by compared to his major junior career. That being said, with fifteen fewer games played and ten more points than last season, last year was a success for Katchouk who is managing to adjust. He does need to get stronger on the puck and win more of his puck battles. Although he works hard, at times he is just in the wrong position, whether it be body positioning or location on the ice, and in order to play at the next level he will have to win more battles and see the play better. Katchouk has the skill with his skating and stickhandling as well as the adaptability to manage at the next level; it is just his technical and positional game that needs work. With more ice time this year the competition between friend and longtime teammate Taylor Raddysh to earn the first call up will have him working harder than ever. Katchouk is not a terribly flashy player but he gets the job done at a potential third line NHL level. – SC

Declan McDonnell, RW (217^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

2020’s Mr. Irrelevant, McDonnell was noticeable for the Kitchener Rangers early in his daft year, even if he wasn't hitting the score sheet consistently. His speed, tenacity, and work as a puck hound were both evident and impressive. As the first year OHL’er became more comfortable, his production really started to come as well. In his final 23 games, he had 13 goals and 23 points. While not huge (5-10”), he is extremely versatile and sure to be a coach’s favorite moving forward. He can kill penalties. He forechecks and backchecks hard, playing with the requisite grit that will ensure he can contribute to his team even if he isn’t scoring. His ability to acclimate quickly to the OHL one season after playing in the OJHL is indicative of his ability to mentally process the game. Even though his offensive game is simple and basic, he excels North-South as an attacker and has enough skill to execute down low. McDonnell shows potential to be a bottom six forward in the NHL. - BO

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 17

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 16:16:35 +0000

Tampa Bay Lightning

When considering the analytics of scouting, the first thing that typically comes to mind is the projection of scoring from one level up the chain. In other words, draft point producers. Someone who cannot score in junior will surely not score as a professional. One need look no further than the Edmonton Oilers, who for many years used all of their picks after the first round to draft junior hockey pluggers, big ones at that, thinking that those same players could in turn be NHL pluggers. It should come as no surprise that the Oilers got very little NHL value out of players they drafted past the first round for years. 2012 second rounder Mitchell Moroz is the poster boy of that approach.

Tampa certainly has taken its share of young skilled scorers over the years, with some notable later round successes, including Brayden Point (3^rd round, 2014), Nikita Kucherov (2^nd round, 2011) and Ondrej Palat (7^th round, 2011). There were other, more moderate success stories from the past decade as well (Cedric Paquette, Anthony Cirelli, Mathieu Joseph), but those three have helped the Lightning establish themselves as a highly skilled team, with low budget goals coming from up and down the lineup.

Another, less frequently discussed method for analytically inclined drafting is in veering away from the well-mined CHL leagues. The three branches of the CHL (WHL, OHL, QMJHL) are pored over extensively by the other 30 NHL clubs and you often have to over-draft a good player to secure his rights. Some teams have realized that better draft value can be found in the cohort of players whose development path leads through the NCAA. For the most part, those players are found in the USHL, with some holdouts still learning in the Minnesota high school ranks or the New England prep school circuit.

Not only are the college bound players still moderately under-scouted, but they come with an extra, hidden advantage. Whereas an NHL team has only two years in which to decide to offer an NHL contract to a player drafted out of the CHL, they have four years (sometimes more) with college bound players. Basically, the NHL team controls the drafted player’s rights as long as he remains in college.

The Lightning have leaned on this path lately, particularly in the last three years. Looking at their 2017-2019 drafts, they used their first picks on CHL players. Of the 17 players they picked after speaking up for the first time, only three were from the CHL ranks. six others were European based. The other eight were taking traditional college-bound paths. Furthermore, one of the Europeans was also college-bound, as it turned out.

Part of the idea of letting players take their time in college may stem from the old Detroit Red Wings’ M.O. of letting prospects spend as much time in the AHL as possible. There is merit in having that development time be somewhere else, even if the organization doesn’t have complete control of the development process, as they will still be in frequent communication with the player/s.

It is still far too early to know if this strategy will work (if it is indeed a strategy), but the top two players in the system are both honing their respective games in college and neither was taken before the sixth round. Compare that to the sole first rounder in the organization below the NHL, and that CHL-trained defender sits sixth on our list after two seasons in the AHL.

BUFFALO, NY - APRIL 13: Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Forward Cole Koepke (17) skates with the puck during the second period of the NCAA Hockey Frozen Four championship game between the Massachusetts Minutemen and the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on April 13, 2019, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)

Cole Koepke, LW (183^rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Passed over in his first two runs through the NHL draft, Koepke’s story has the makings of a real rags-to-riches tale. His first year of draft eligibility was spent tearing up the Minnesota high school league with his hometown Hermantown High where he was one class ahead of Winnipeg prospect Dylan Samberg.

His second go-round was an injury-ravaged rookie season with Sioux City of the USHL. It’s very hard for a winger to attract scouting attention scoring three times in 22 games. Healthy again in 2017-18, Koepke finished fifth in USHL scoring, with 28 goals in 60 games. Couple that scoring touch with good wheels and a sixth-round pick was reasonable.

I will admit further that Koepke didn’t do much for me as a freshman at championship Minnesota-Duluth. He played a defensive-minded game with speed and showed a nice shot. After a near point-per-game sophomore campaign, I’m impressed. He still is defensively responsible. He still has multiple gears to his skating stride, with fantastic acceleration. The shot is still strong. But now Koepke is also demonstrating very nice puck skills of the type that allow him to run the offensive game.

He is expected to return to UMD for his junior campaign and I would expect Tampa Bay to make a big push to get him under contract next spring. The late bloomer might not be more than a good third liner, but he looks like a good one, and not too far off into the future either. He could be playing regularly in the NHL by the 2022-23 season. - RW

Samuel Walker, C (200^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 5)

Even as fewer and fewer players are drafted directly out of high school, with the continued ascendance of the USHL as a pre-collegiate development league, even fewer are the players who play prep hockey after they have been drafted. Miles Wood of the New Jersey Devils is one such player. Spending an additional year at Noble & Greenough School, in Massachusetts after the Devils made him a 4^th round pick. Samuel Walker is another.

Drafted out of Minnesota powerhouse Edina in 2017, Walker went back to school in 2018, winning the state’s Mr. Hockey award and earning recognition as an All-USA Hockey First Teamer. He exploded onto the scene with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, winning the Big 10 Rookie of the Year for his efforts. I will admit to wanting to have seen more a jump forward from the undersized center as a sophomore, but I suppose that he shouldn’t be punished for improving a little bit, both in terms of his production (26 points to 30, in 37 games both seasons) as well as in the assessment of his still developing skill set.

Despite his size, Walker attacks the offensive zone through the middle, with speed that demands respect. He sees the ice tremendously well, is patient with the puck and has very skilled hands, capable of changing angles at the last instant and executing tricky passes. In addition to his speed, he has great edge work and knows how to create room for himself and time for his teammates to get open.

He projects as a playmaker center who can play in a bottom six role as well for a team not concerned with size – such as Tampa Bay. He has put on muscle since he was drafted, but still looks underdeveloped. He will never be even average size, but he could be big enough to succeed in his style of play. - RW

Hugo Alnefelt, G (71^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 8)

For a goalie, Alnefelt had a strong U19 season. He earned a spot in the SHL which is rare at that age and he had a strong performance as the starter at the WJC. He got to play 18 games – well - in SHL. If there are any negatives on his season it is that he also had 28 dressed games where he did not play in the SHL and only played four times in the junior league.

Alnefelt is a calm goalie with strong vision and positioning but he can combine that with spectacular improvised saves as well. He can quickly react to a surprising bounce or to come back from being out of position. His puck tracking is good, and he plays square to the puck. His edge plays can, at times, be impressive to see. At the WJC he had some memorable saves that way. His glove hand is good, but not spectacular. He works with the glove upwards and uses it the cover the hole between the leg and arm in his basic position.

He has many times shown mental stability and has stepped up in big situations. His athleticism is good but could be better. He plays deep in the crease which diminishes his need for movement. He will need to mature physically even more to get stronger and improve his endurance. His upper body strength has increased but he still falls down a bit when tired.

Alnefelt will play in the SHL and probably at the WJC again next season. Goalies are always long-term projects, but I can see a future NHL goalie in Alnefelt. I would not say that he has elite potential yet, but as a fringe or regular starter. What he did this season was impressive and it will be interesting to see if he can take another huge step next season. - JH

Alexander Volkov, RW (48^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Despite a small dry spell for the talented and the generally slower development track in Tampa Bay’s ranks, three year AHL veteran Alexander Volkov has managed to prove himself with the Syracuse Crunch which allowed him a nine game stint as a call up this season to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite the Bolts having a strong forward group already, Volkov looks like the right choice to fill the next spot.

He has managed to adapt well by reaching a more mature focus with his game and working to create more time and space for himself when carrying the puck. He has learned to be more patient and has the confidence to play further up in the lineup with the improvement of his overall two-way play and his playmaking.

This past season Volkov was given time on the powerplay as his game showed development and he proved himself to be an asset with the puck as the plays he makes are strong enough to fit at the next level. His hands and ability to carry the puck with strong prowess remain the key driving factors for his individual play. While a bottom six role is most likely, it is still unsure as to where Volkov will fit in Tampa Bay long-term, however look to see him up in the lineup this coming season regardless. - SC

Dmitri Semykin, D (90^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 17)

Between the drafts of 2010 and 2018 – the Steve Yzerman era in Tampa – the Lightning drafted nine Russian players. While much of the sports was wringing its hands aver the so-called “Russian factor”, Yzerman and company saw the chance to leverage the fear of others to draft talented players lower than where their talent alone would have dictated. While not every Russian prospect drafted worked out, the haul includes one Hart/Art Ross/Ted Lindsay winner (Nikita Kucherov), and one Vezina Trophy winner (Andrei Vasilevskiy), and a few other, less decorated NHLers, besides. Semykin was the final Russian reward of the Yzerman era.

At the time his name was called out at the end of the third round, it was a bit of a surprise. He was a bulky defender who had only spent one season in the top junior league in Russia, did not add much offensively and spent a ton of time in the penalty box, finishing seventh in the MHL in PIMs. Also notable, Semykin had almost zero international experience. We may have been the only public outfit to list him at all as a draft possibility, but even we only saw him as a late seventh rounder.

Two years later, and Semykin is still very tough to play against, with a great physical game, but he has learned to do a much better job of staying disciplined. He likes to play the puck and will not limit himself to the blueline for doing so. His lack of international exposure may make his transition to North American hockey (which should begin next season, as he signed an ELC in May) a bit slower, but he can overcome his average skating and remain hard to play against, he could still develop into a solid #4. - RW

Cal Foote, D (14^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 1)

This coming season Tampa Bay will be looking to suit him up, but it is hard to tell if he is ready to play at that speed or if he will simply be dead weight. Despite being slow on the puck, Foote has many things to offer Tampa Bay with his first-round play making abilities and his high hockey IQ. He will simply need to come back after the break as though he has something to prove, the ice is thin for Foote to make it and he will have to keep mistakes to a minimum in order to crack Tampa’s lineup as a bottom four defender. - SC

Alex Barre-Boulet, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 1, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

He is by far the quickest and most dynamic skater in Tampa Bay’s AHL system and he has proven himself to be an asset rather than a burden. The race will be tight to see if a small, quick, well positioned forward who is diverse enough to play in many different roles will be given the chance he deserves this season with the Lightning. Barre-Boulet’s redeeming factor is his work ethic and his ability to kill penalties. That combined with his skill and quick play will be what gets him a spot in Tampa’s bottom six. - SC

Taylor Raddysh, RW (58^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 7)

Raddysh is typically a strong player on the puck and a strong skater but with his ice time cut from last season his play with the puck has become shaky and costly in certain situations. He still managed to score more than create showing that he is still a high-level shooter and often well positioned in the offensive end, however those plays do not come often enough.

With better lines and more ice time next season he can bounce back and reclaim his reputation from major junior. The future is not sealed yet for Raddysh who would make a good third line winger and there is still hope that this season he will earn his first call up with Tampa Bay. - SC

Gabriel Fortier, C/RW (59^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 10)

At various times in his junior career, he has shown abilities to play as a sniper, a playmaker and an energy forward, and has succeeded at each. The best word to describe him is relentless; he has a dogged determination for the pursuit of the puck. Fortier’s feet are always moving, which keeps him in position, but it makes him look faster than he actually is. His skating is what ultimately could hold him back as an NHLer. Regardless, he has the skills and smarts to play useful NHL shifts up and down the lineup. - MS

Maxim Cajkovic, RW (89^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

He possesses a very strong shot and loves to score goals, and he has the skating that will get him there. The coach that can unlock his defensive potential will be crucial in his development, as he has shown the effort defensively, but it has not led to positive results.

Traded to a contending Val-d’Or team should help Cajkovic further hone his skills in a more sheltered environment. Cajkovic will need to improve his play away from the puck but has a ceiling of a middle-six goal-scorer. - MS

Ross Colton, LW (118^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Colton will have to work hard and keep up his high intensity and strong effort. Despite Tampa Bay having just moved Mitchell Stephens up the ranks, Colton has a similar playing style so he will have to work harder to prove his worth and will have to stay better focused when emotions run high. Colton will need to maintain consistency throughout next season to earn a call up.

That being said he is known to play well under pressure and is adaptable. Colton fits in well as a third line grinder for Tampa Bay capable of killing penalties more so than being reliable on the powerplay. - SC

Alex Green, D (121^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

He doesn’t have the quickest release on his shot but he puts a lot of power behind it when he takes one. Green needs to pump his legs a bit but he skates well for his 6-2” size. There is power on his passes and he can dish it off quickly. Green won’t necessarily be able to catch up to the speediest players, but he can backcheck well. He projects as a lower-pairing defender if he continues to develop as a senior and later, as a professional. - JS

Dennis Yan, LW (64^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

For a player like Dennis Yan, time is running out to make the impression needed to make Tampa Bay’s roster, however there are always players in a system who develop at a slower pace and for Yan that may be the case. In his third season with the Syracuse Crunch, on paper it may look like he has slowed down but, on the ice, and in game situations his growth is evident.

Being a reliable playing both power play and penalty kill, he does well at moving the puck and killing penalties. As a forechecker, Yan is a great skater and heavy on the puck with a good work ethic however he needs to keep his feet moving in all situations and up his creativity levels going into next season. If he finds a way to better his creativity and find different lanes on the ice his point production should amass what it was in previous seasons, hopefully earning him a call up in the second half of next season. - SC

Dominik Masin, D (35^th overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 13)

This past season was better than previous ones for Masin, with an improved turnover rate and few mistakes or giveaways. His control has improved as has his maturity with the puck in order to be counted on to play the power play and quarterback the play at even strength. He will have to remain disciplined and not let his developmental frustration show on the ice or impede further development.

Masin still has the potential to be a bottom four defenseman in the NHL but at this late stage in the game the question has to be asked if Tampa Bay is still the right fit for him or whether a change of scenery will be more beneficial. - SC

Boris Katchouk, LW (44^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 6)

He does need to get stronger on the puck and win more of his puck battles. Although he works hard, at times he is just in the wrong position, whether it be body positioning or location on the ice, and in order to play at the next level he will have to win more battles and see the play better. Katchouk has the skill with his skating and stickhandling as well as the adaptability to manage at the next level; it is just his technical and positional game that needs work.

With more ice time this year the competition between friend and longtime teammate Taylor Raddysh to earn the first call up will have him working harder than ever. Katchouk is not a terribly flashy player but he gets the job done at a potential third line NHL level. - SC

Tampa Bay Lightning 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:14:19 +0000

In a system where the best performances came from older prospects with lower NHL ceilings, while those with the highest ceiling and the most youth still to play out struggled, the Lightning might feel dismay. Of course, with an NHL roster that is among the strongest in recent history and an organizational propensity for slowly developing unheralded talent to the point where they are legitimate NHL contributors, Tampa’s braintrust is not likely all that worried. Yet.

With former GM Steve Yzerman having taken a number of his most trusted lieutenants with him to Detroit, and current GM Julien BriseBois still feeling his way through his new role, including how his staff will work in tandem, there is a distinct likelihood that the Lightning will find their scouting preferences and development patterns evolving, making this assessment moot in short order.

One notable Tampa attribute that is often called out is the way they would heavily scout the QMJHL, both for the draft and for post-draft acquisitions, including free agents Yanni Gourde, Alex Barre-Boulet and, most recently, Jimmy Huntington. Those are just the free agents. Recent Lightning draft picks from the ‘Q’ include current NHLers Mathieu Joseph and Cedric Paquette, with Dennis Yan, Gabriel Fortier, Maxim Cajkovic, and Radim Salda still percolating.

I would have included Jonathan Marchessault in that group as well, but he passed through the New York Rangers’ and Columbus Blue Jackets’ systems before he received his first extended NHL chance with Tampa.

Another trait that they have followed can also be seen in a number of the aforementioned Quebecers. Gourde, Barre-Boulet, Marchessault, Fortier, and Cajkovic all have in common the trait of below average size. Not that they play small, but they are small. There are a large number of smaller players scattered throughout the system, not particular to those who came out of Quebec, but that branch is illustrative. Perhaps we can call that the Brayden Point (5-10”, 165) effect. The modern NHL is full of smaller talents who can be among the better players in the game. Point being one example, 2018-19 Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov being another.

The Lightning have gone to some lengths to ensure that their entire is not populated by the small and/or lean. In the previous three drafts, they have used two of their first-round picks on the Foote brothers, son of 1990s tough rearguard Adam. Both Cal Foote (6-4”, 214) and Nolan (6-3”, 187) represent a complete 180 from the light brigade, and both are among the top prospects currently in the Tampa pipeline.

It is far too early to guess at how BriseBois will continue Yzerman’s legacy, and what type of players he will target, but they would do well to diversify more. As much as talent is paramount in today’s NHL, without being able to play in different styles, thereby giving their NHL roster some level of unpredictability, they run the risk of being a team that can be planned around. To sustain their success over the long haul, the Lightning should have players who play in straight North-South lines, as well as East-West puck movers. Looking at the NHL roster again, it is clear that they have already stocked up on the hard part. Now they just need to determine how to best fill out the lineup.

-Ryan Wagman

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Callan Foote (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

1 Cal Foote, D (14^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) Foote’s ranking as Tampa Bay’s number one prospect is well deserved as he is the perfect mix of a skilled offensive blueliner with a highly physical and dependable defensive defenseman. He has exceptional awareness and his hockey IQ is what makes him a great player. He has size and plays a calm, aware positional game that makes him stand out as being the most mature and dynamic prospect on this list. He has the potential to be a top pairing defender with his intelligence and his overall skill set, and if he is able to power through another year with Syracuse to fully adapt to the professional level he may find himself with the Lightning as early as the end of next season. Foote is a dream defenseman where attitude and playmaking ability are concerned, and he is exactly what Tampa Bay needs to start the ball rolling with their new wave of top prospects. - SC

2 Nolan Foote, LW (27^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The younger Foote started the season as a solid first round selection, and he lived up to his advance billing, scoring 36 goals and 63 points for the Rockets, without having much support around him. With Kelowna hosting the Memorial Cup this season, and seriously upgrading their team, he will have much more support and be able to relish in a larger role. Foote is a natural shooter with a great shot and plays with a nice blend of power and skill. He has good size, comes from strong bloodlines (see above), and is very versatile. He projects as a top six winger and a bonafide power forward, who will be able to go to the net and bury the puck. In the meantime, he will have a strong season with the Rockets and put up career best numbers. - KO

3 Alexander Volkov, RW (48^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 5) Volkov is a strong and quick skater that drives the net hard and can take the outside lanes with ease. He has good hands and can move the puck quickly through multiple players in one rush. He is a great addition to Tampa’s system and a good fit for the next level as a bottom six forward. He will need to polish up a few things in regard to his positional and two-way play. He will have to make sure to stay focused and keep his feet moving in the defensive end as well. Volkov will not be able to take any shifts off in the defensive zone especially if he is a member of any special team’s units. He will need another year in the minors to fully prepare himself for the jump to the NHL especially considering the depth of Tampa’s forwards. - SC

4 Mitchell Stephens, C (33^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 7) Although Stephens did not manage a full season this past year with Syracuse, he still finished with solid offensive totals. He is a very competitive player who likes to win and who brings such passion to the game. He wins draws, gets to the net, blocks shots and plays a strong physical game. The only thing missing is an extra gear, as he needs that extra speed to be able to make a solid impact at the next level. He may be a powerful skater, but he needs a quicker jump to his stride and better reaction time to handle stop-and-go plays. Right now, with his skating the way it is, Stephens is a fourth line centerman at best, but if he pushes to be that much faster, he may be able to reach a third to second line projection. A fully healthy season back in the AHL will of course help him better prepare him for the NHL. - SC

5 Samuel Walker, C (200^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) One of Tampa Bay’s recent smaller picks, Walker took the rare step of staying in high school the season after he was drafted. It looks like the unorthodox decision paid off. He had a stellar final season with Edina, was named Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey, and hit the ground running last season as a freshman with the University of Minnesota. Walker is very fast, plays bigger than his listed size and thrives in the greasy areas. He has gifted hands and has the makings of a zone entry machine. He has top six upside and will be expected to play a bigger role with the Golden Gophers this year, making up for graduations. One more year on this trajectory, and he will be a pro by this time next year. - RW

6 Boris Katchouk, LW (44^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 3) Katchouk had a disappointing first year in the professional ranks with Syracuse and his play was barely at par with the AHL level. An forward with average skills such as him needs to understand where he needs to be on the ice to be able to maximize his potential. His skills are not spectacular, and his skating is okay, but he knows how and where to be to make a play or put the puck in the net. He will need to play a more disciplined game next season and be more consistent with his work ethic in every shift. Katchouk has the potential to be a fourth liner at the NHL level but it will take a major turn around and some more experience and confidence building at the AHL level before even thinking about moving up to the NHL. - SC

7 Taylor Raddysh, RW (58^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 4) Raddysh is a natural goal scorer with a knack for getting to the net in even the most difficult of situations. He is a good skater and a strong shooter capable of getting shots off in tight situations. He is especially good with one timers and adapting to bad passes. He will need to up his game and play a more intense game overall in order to earn a call up and a bottom six spot with the Lightning. His creativity was prominent in his major junior years with Erie and Sault Ste. Marie, but he has since settled for playing a safer game and sticking to playing more vertical lines and the dump-and-chase. Raddysh will have to work on being more creative and being stronger on the puck in open ice situations, his level of want for the puck will have to improve next season in order to prepare for the next level. - SC

8 Hugo Alnefelt, G (71^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Tampa didn’t pick a single Swedish player in the draft for eight years after they picked Victor Hedman in 2009. And then in the last two drafts, they have gone for Swedish goalies each year, with Alnefelt being the most interesting of them. He was impressive as the gold winning goalie at the WU18 last spring. As with every goalie prospect, he is a long-term project and will need to play at least another season in the junior league in Sweden before moving on to the next level. Alnefelt is a smooth goalie with good hockey sense and has shown ability to remain calm under pressure. He needs to get stronger and more consistent in every aspect of his game. The foundation for strong development looks good so far. - JH

9 Alex Barre-Boulet, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 1, 2018. Last Year: 12) For an undrafted player, Barre-Boulet’s progress from the QMJHL up to the AHL has been better than most could hope for. Last season he tied for the team lead in goals with 34, equal to his number of assists, in 74 games with the Crunch as a rookie pro. He has a good set of hands and adapts very quickly to what is going on around him. It is no wonder that a player as adaptable and focused as he is, along with his hockey IQ and his good positioning, succeeded in the AHL so quickly. The only improvement he will need to make to his game is his level of physicality and how tough he is on the puck. Barre-Boulet will need to be more eager to get into the dirty spots and will have to stop being second to the puck and more willing to take a hit to win a battle to create a play. That being said, he certainly has the potential of being a bottom six forward with Tampa Bay. - SC

10 Gabriel Fortier, C/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 1, 2018. Last Year: 8) The first thing that strikes you about Fortier is that he makes himself noticeable on every shift. He is relentless all over the ice in pursuit of the puck and attacking those with it. He is a great example of a jack-of-all-trades forward. He is equally good with the puck as without, and on both sides of the puck as well. Having said that, he does not possess elite skill. He looks faster than he is; his legs move quick and stay moving, but his short stature at 5-10” does not lead to a long stride. He shifted his talents to playmaker this past season between Nathan Légaré and Ivan Chekhovich and did not skip a beat. Fortier’s style of play makes him a fan favorite, and he has the skills and smarts to play useful NHL shifts up and down the lineup. - MS

11 Maxim Cajkovic, RW (89^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Cajkovic loves to grab the bull by the horns and play north-south hockey. He is a small-ish power forward who needs to grow into his body but does not shy away from physical play. He boasts a great shot from anywhere in the zone and loves to fire off the rush with a quick release. His skating is solid, and he is fleet on his feet. His work away from the puck needs work, but he puts in the effort on the defensive side of the ice. Cajkovic walked into a tough situation in Saint John without a lot of offensive support and made the most of it, leading the team in scoring by 12 with 46 points. Once he fills out, his body will allow him to take more punishment and will make him better equipped to play his natural role as a sniper at the NHL level. - MS

12 Carter Verhaeghe, C (82^nd overall, 2013 [Toronto]. Last Year: 15) A veteran player in the AHL ranks, Verhaeghe has finally been coming into his own and hitting his stride. Last season was a career high season as he finished with 82 points in 76 games with Syracuse. Those are the type of numbers that Tampa Bay is looking for from a forward prospect. He is a good two-way player and a good playmaker now that he understands the importance of patience and has the maturity in his game to make the right plays. Now that he is getting older however, this next season will be a make or break season for him to see if he will be able to cut it at the NHL level. It is one thing to be able to produce in the AHL, but it is another to be able to keep up the same level of production and play at the NHL level and half the battle for Verhaeghe will be getting the chance to do so. - SC

13 Dominik Masin, D (35^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 10) Masin is a defenseman who plays much bigger than he is and who also has a good head on his shoulders. He is good at reading the play and shutting down angles and closing off two on ones. He has found himself spending a lot of time in the penalty box as an AHLer, and not as much as he should want on the ice. It would be wise for him to play with more discipline heading into next season if his aim is to get called up to the NHL. There is no doubt that he is one of the fastest defensemen on this list and that he has the skill to play at the highest level but he will need to be mindful of his attitude and discipline during his shifts. Masin is still young despite this next season being his fourth with Syracuse and there is still a lot of room for him to develop as a player. - SC

14 Max Crozier, D (120^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) After being ignored in his first draft year as a two-way defender in the BCHL, Crozier went to Sioux Falls and gained a newly appreciative audience. When he wasn’t in the penalty box, he was among the more dynamic blueliners in the USHL. He is very fleet of foot and is a commanding presence on the offensive blueline. He has a solid point shot but does his best work when hunting out passing lanes to get the puck in deeper. He can play in all situations, although I would prefer if he wasn’t so infraction prone. Crozier should jump right into the top four rotation with Providence this year and could be a two-year journey from a pro contract. If he continues to develop, he could feasibly be a top four man at the highest level. - RW

15 Nick Perbix, D (169^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Perbix is another speculative late round pick on tools that might just be panning out for Tampa. Drafted in his second year of eligibility as a high schooler, he then moves on to a year in the USHL for Omaha, followed by an eye-opening freshman season with St. Cloud State. Gifted with a pro-sized frame, he uses his body well to rub out opponents along the boards and separate them from the puck. His long reach is also an asset in his own zone. More surprising though, was his offensive impact. He plays with confidence and is generally helping ensure the puck keeps moving in the right direction. There could be more upside here than we are seeing yet, but a second season in college might unveil. He is raw but shows NHL traits. - RW

16 Danick Martel, LW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 10, 2015 [Philadelphia]. Last Year: Not ranked [Philadelphia]) Martel is an undersized forward but that does not seem to affect his play, nor impact how he forechecks. He is a grinder who brings a lot of speed and enthusiasm to each shift. His work ethic and the way his outside-the-box way of thinking allows him to set up plays is the main reason why he spent most of his healthy time last year up in the NHL. He is a quick skater and a good passer, he can win races to the puck, and contribute well to just about any play. His need to always be moving and to be present in the play can sometimes backfire as he can strive to do too much leading to turnovers. Martel has already proven that he can play at the NHL level and more than keep up with the speed of the game. If he can stay healthy, he should see more time up with the Lightning in a bottom six role this season. - SC

17 Dmitri Semykin, D (90^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 18) After moving to the SKA system, Semykin made some strides forward in his development, but he may have left some room for growth. He mostly played at the junior level, and considering his size, at this point he should play more at the pro level. He remains an interesting project due to his big frame and physical game, but he needs to improve in pretty much every aspect of his game to gain the right to play in the NHL – Even a year down the road, Tampa may have stretched things when they picked him in the third round. He still has plenty of time to improve and hone his game. He needs to play pro hockey next year to keep on progressing and earn a call to the WJC, before even thinking about North America. - ASR

18 Ryan Lohin, C (208^th overall, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Lohin, recently removed from the strong UMass-Lowell program, was a 7th round pick who seems to be a clear win for Tampa. At 6-0”, 194 pounds, he can get to the net and he is a very shifty skater who follows up his own shots. A very good passer, he has accumulated between 15-17 assists in each of his three years on campus. Last season he scored 12 goals which placed the captain third on the team in that category. After three seasons with the River Hawks, he signed his entry-level contract with Tampa last March, giving him enough time to get his professional feet wet with three games for the Syracuse Crunch. Based on Tampa’s stacked roster, he is expected to play there this season. Now 23, he needs to improve his skating to reach his ultimate ceiling as a 4^th line center in the NHL. - RC

19 Spencer Martin, G (63^rd overall, 2013 [Colorado]. Last Year: 12 [Colorado]) His development has been the rocky road expected out of goaltenders nowadays, as few are ever sure things at that position, but the big and aggressive netminder signed with Tampa this offseason and looks to get back on the right track. The 2013 third-rounder has long played with a very aggressive style that dates back to his OHL tenure with Mississauga, edging the lip of the crease and challenging slot-shooters with a fully extended array of tools. He is very calm and makes tough saves look easy at times, which is made easier by his insistence on playing high up in the blue paint at all times. General inconsistencies in the Colorado system forced Martin out, but he still has NHL backup potential, and is only 24, which is fairly young for goaltenders. - TD

20 Alexei Lipanov, C (76^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 13) Lipanov is a dedicated two way forward with limited offensive potential. The two years that he spent in the Ontario Hockey League must be classified as a disappointment after being a third-round draft pick by the Lightning. Lipanov does have some qualities that could make him a 4th line role player, such as positional versatility, strength along the wall, and hockey sense in all three zones. That all said, his skating is likely not strong enough for him to be effective in this role and will need to improve should he wish to be an NHL player. Consider Lipanov a longshot, at best, to have an NHL career. - BO

Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 15:20:25 +0000

Even the worst teams generally hit on their first-round picks, especially if the first rounder was near the top of the board. The great scouting teams get their edge through success in the later rounds.

For many years, the Detroit Red Wings were one of those teams. They were successful. They set an incredible record of making the playoffs for 25 years in a row, from 1990-91 through 2015-16, a period which included four Stanley Cup Championships.

They drafted exceptionally well. Two drafts prior to the start of their mythical run, they selected an astonishing four players who would all go on to play over 1,000 games in the NHL before hanging up their skates. A fifth, Vladimir Konstantinov, could also have challenged for the milestone were he not tragically severely injured in a limousine accident after the first championship of that run in 1996-97.

Despite the pratfalls of low draft position due to their success, subsequent drafts included both first round hits such as Martin Lapointe, Jiri Fischer, and Niklas Kronwall as well as late round gems including Mike Knuble, Tomas Holmstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, and Henrik Zetterberg. Not every draft class worked out – witness the stretch from 1995-97 in which none of the 27 drafted played more than 136 games in the NHL, but they were able to supplement the acquired superstars with depth from within.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, who General Manager Steve Yzerman was part of Detroit’s success, first on the ice and then off, through the first 20 of the Red Wings’ 25-year run, have also shown some of Detroit’s past hallmarks of success and astute drafting.

While they have only made the postseason in five of the eight seasons in which Yzerman ran the show, they made it at least to the Conference finals in four of those five seasons. Further, in last three seasons, they were consistently thought of as one of the elite teams in the NHL, both for their on ice success, as well as for their success on draft day.

In addition to successful first rounders like Vladislav Namestnikov, Andrei Vasilevsky, and Jonathan Drouin, they also picked right later on, with players like Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat, and Brayden Point all coming through day two picks. Other highly touted youngsters in the system were also later round picks, including most of the players discussed below.

Of course, 19 of the 20 players here were selected after the first round, as the Lightning have only made two round one picks in the last four years, and one of those was traded last season in the Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller trade.

So far only one player drafted in the past four years has received so much as a cup of coffee in the NHL. More are sure to follow, but our projections are bearish on most of them growing into highly impactful NHL players. Despite the pedigree of Yzerman, coming from a team that had focused on drafting skill for years and often reaping the benefits of that mantra, all too many of the picks made by Tampa in the last few drafts have been of players with limited skill game and the attendant low ceilings that came with that type of prospect. Even the more skilled players are noted for their two-way games at least as much as they are for their pure skills.

It is not too late for most of them to prove us wrong, but if we are correct, the Lightning will be hard-pressed to create a history like that of the Red Wings.

Cal Foote

1 Cal Foote, D (14^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 6^th) In a game where teams are exceedingly going for smaller, faster blueliners, Foote is almost an anachronism. More in the mold of his father, hard hitting Colorado defender Adam Foote, Cal is big, plays mean, and skates better for his size than he does in a vacuum. In addition to his inherent size, and the impact that has on his game, the young Foote has exceptionally high hockey IQ, and has great puck skills for a blueliner. His passes from the blueline are to the tape, no matter how tricky and he can unleash on a bomb of a point shot. Already too good for the CHL, he will have to return to Kelowna if – as expected – he does not make the Lightning roster out of camp.

2 Mathieu Joseph, RW (120^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 5^th) After a stellar rookie pro season, wherein he led the Syracuse Crunch in scoring with 53 points, a total good for third in scoring among all 21 and under players in the AHL, Joseph also demonstrated that his near elite speed is good enough for the pro game. As much as he has proven to be a bonafide offensive contributor, if you spend any time watching him play, it is easy to see how his two-way game makes him more valuable than his point totals. He is a frequent penalty killer, strong in the neutral zone, and finishes his checks. He could stand to put on more weight, but Joseph has gone from an unheralded fourth round pick, to a reasonable second line upside and might be ready for an NHL role.

3 Boris Katchouk, LW (44^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 19^th) After 85 points in the regular season and another 37 postseason points as Sault Ste. Marie made it to the OHL finals, Boris Katchouk has nothing left to prove in the OHL. It is good then, that he does not have to return to the junior ranks, his four years being up. The type of player who gets good grades everywhere, he should be able to fill whatever role is needed in Tampa when given the chance. Katchouk is a puck fiend, excelling in the possession game, whether carrying it through danger himself, or getting it to the right linemate to pass the next line of defense. As much a goalscorer as he is a playmaker, he is ready to follow in Joseph’s footsteps in Syracuse.

4 Taylor Raddysh, RW (58^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 2^nd) Between Joseph, Katchouk, and Raddysh, the future of Tampa’s offensive attack will be coming down the flanks. Whereas Joseph is the speedy rover, and Katchouk brings more to the puck battles and intensity, Raddysh is the quieter finisher among the trio. He has improved his skating ability since he was drafted, and has always had a knack for showing up in the right place at the right time. He offers a fantastic net front presence and his hands are soft and skilled, able to maneuver the puck around in tight. He has the tools to grow into a James van Riemsdyk type of winger, deadly on the power play and able to create havoc for goalies just by being there.

Alexander Volkov

5 Alexander Volkov, RW (48^th overall, 2017. Last Year: unranked) Another winger with middle six upside, Volkov went right from the draft to the AHL, as the 20-year-old was not beholden to any CHL club and was had no contractual obligations to stay in Russia either. He has quick hands and a powerful shot with a tricky release. His offensive gifts quickly came to the fore in the AHL, although he did struggle at times to give consistent shifts over the course of a full game. He has the tools to succeed at the highest levels, particularly in his puck skills, but in addition to the consistency, has yet to undeniably prove that his game can succeed in the smaller ice surfaces. That last point includes showing more commitment away from the puck and lessening his propensity to take needless penalties.

6 Anthony Cirelli, C (72^nd overall, 2015. Last Year: 4^th) The most likely player on this list to spend all of next year in the NHL, Cirelli is a big game player who makes up in hockey intelligence what he lacks (in a relative sense) in offensive tools. He is a good skater, but neither his shot nor his puck skills grade out as much above average. He plays a strong game, commendable in light of his somewhat slight frame, but his understanding of the game and advanced reads allow him to always be in the optimal place and to proceed to make the smart decision with where to go (or move the puck) next. As impressive as his rookie AHL season was, he was even more impactful in his 18 game NHL trial by fire. He is ready to play full-time on a bottom six energy line in the NHL.

7 Mitchell Stephens, C (33^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 8^th) Imagine Anthony Cirelli, but with a 2% discount, and you basically get Stephens. Whereas Cirelli has earned a reputation as a clutch performer with a history of timely production, Stephens is a notorious leader, having worn the “C” for both the Canadian U18 squad at the 2015 WU18 and for Saginaw in the first half of the 2016-17 OHL campaign. A good skater with average or better grades across the board, his top offensive tool is a strong shot which works from distance enough to be used on the point for Syracuse power plays. He sees the game well, and makes positive decisions, but his overall tool set lacks the dynamism needed to reach a top six upside.

8 Gabriel Fortier, LW (59^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) An undersized winger who skates very well and has a knack for putting the puck in the net, Fortier meets a lot of the benchmarks of the forwards ranked higher up on this list. Tampa’s top pick in the most recent draft, he plays the game with a two-way mentality and brings more of a physical nature to his game than many of his size do. He is an energetic player who can lead by example. With those plaudits out of the way, Fortier, again like those above, lacks the dynamic tools expected for top six forwards. He seems likely to maximize his talents, such as they are, but Tampa is not going to be in a position to build around him.

9 Dennis Yan, LW (64^th overall. Last Year: 11^th) You guessed it. Dennis Yan is another strong skater winger with good puck skills. Although he could not bring his high offensive production from the QMJHL to the AHL in his rookie pro season, he showed flashes of the ability to create chances on his own when he was healthy enough to play. He can be trusted to give good effort and his work rate will often pay off in a couple of good chances per game. He needs a fully healthy follow-up campaign for Syracuse next year so we can see what he can truly bring as a professional.

Dominik Masin

10 Dominik Masin, D (35^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 12^th) Proof that past is not always prologue, Masin followed up an underwhelming rookie AHL campaign with a much stronger, more well-rounded second effort. Whereas he focused almost exclusively on acclimating in his own zone as a rookie, Masin last year showed more of the puck moving attributes that initially made him an intriguing prospect in the Czech Republic and then Peterborough of the OHL. He keeps good, tight gaps, handles himself well in one-on-one situations can play a heavy game as needed. Not the highest ceiling, but he is looking more and more like an NHLer. I suspect he will see his first callup to Tampa in the coming season.

11 Adam Erne, LW (33^rd overall, 2013. Last Year: 15^th) An ornery power forward, Erne will graduate from prospectdom with 11 more NHL games. A bruising, scoring force in junior, he has not brought all of his production to the pros, although he did contribute decent secondary numbers in Syracuse. He has a mature, muscular frame and is a very good skater for his size, but needs to begin showing more than just strength to earn more than fourth line minutes. On the positive side, those fourth line minutes are there for the taking. Considering that Tampa only gave him a one-year extension coming off his ELC, it is safe to say they want to see more from him before committing to him for the long haul.

12 Alex Barre-Boulet, C (UDFA: Mar. 1, 2018. Last Year: IE) After leading the QMJHL in postseason goals in 2016-17, he led the league in regular season scoring last year, earning both an MVP award as well as an ELC from the Lightning as an undrafted free agent. Barre-Boulet may be a dying breed in that he was overlooked on draft day three times, largely due to his small stature. Considering his top tier production, he should have been snatched up two years ago. He is an excellent playmaker, with vision and decent speed. Mike Sanderson, our QMJHL analyst, has noted that Barre-Boulet is more advanced than Yanni Gourde was at the same stage. He will have to prove he can keep up at the AHL level first, but the Lightning have made this profile work many times over in the past.

13 Alexei Lipanov, C (76^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 20^th) Immediately after being drafted by the Lightning last year, Lipanov pooh-poohed the Russian factor by moving to North America to play for Barrie of the OHL, often alongside countryman Andrei Svechnikov. He seemed to have a soft landing with the Colts, producing at a respectable rate, but when his scoring dropped by nearly half after a midseason trade to Sudbury, doubts were naturally raised about his ability to drive scoring. To his credit, he has good hands and a quick shot release and does not ignore the game in his own end. He needs to show more to remain a high priority for Tampa.

14 Ross Colton, LW (118^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 18^th) A late bloomer, Colton took off in his third year of draft eligibility, his second season in the USHL. Moving to a struggling University of Vermont, he kept up his scoring pace, finishing second and first, respectively in his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Catamounts. More of a one-way, offense-only player than the other forwards higher up this list, Colton will have the chance to round out his game in Syracuse, after the Lightning signed away from his remaining years of college eligibility in late June. The shot and the puck skills are good enough to cause some damage, but he still has a long way to go to prove himself.

Carter Verhaeghe

15 Carter Verhaeghe, C (Trade: Jul. 1, 2017. Last Year: unranked) A minor league journeyman before the age of 22, Verhaeghe’s third AHL season, with his third organization, was his best – by far – yet. A skilled player in junior, he finally showcased the ability to produce scoring chances as a pro as well. He has a good sense for the flow of the game in the offensive end, and seems to play with good vision. He has a good frame, although does not really play a very physical game. He still needs to show that he can impose on the game away from the puck as well, but the former third round pick has at least earned a chance to keep fighting to play in the NHL, something that was not apparent as recently as 12 months ago.

16 Otto Somppi, C (206^th overall, 2016. Last Year: unranked) Somppi went backwards in his first post draft season in Halifax but made up for it with two steps forward in his final year of junior eligibility, earning an ELC from Tampa towards the end of the season and then a short trial run for the Crunch in the AHL postseason. His skating will never be a strength of his game, but he is skilled with the puck, and shows above average hockey sense. If he can get his stride to at least average, he will have a reasonable chance at an NHL career. If he can’t, well, most seventh rounders don’t make it to the Show anyway. Somppi, in a sense, has already exceeded expectations.

17 Erik Cernak, D (Trade: Feb. 26, 2017. Last Year: 9^th) Acquired by Tampa as part of the return from LA in the Ben Bishop trade, Cernak had an underwhelming first pro season in the AHL. Unlike Masin, whose AHL rookie season was notable for its lack of offensive production, Cernak showed a deficit of tools. In a game growing smaller and faster (see: Barre-Boulet) Cernak is bigger and slower. He plays a heavy game and is trust-worthy in his own zone. Unfortunately, his bow-legged stride is very inefficient, and he is very vulnerable to the rush. He shows hockey intelligence and moves the puck well enough, but he needs to be able to move his feet better to take the next step in his career.

18 Dmitri Semykin, D (90^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A two-way player in the Russian junior ranks, by which I mean he played both defense and on the wing. Semykin is not blessed with an extravagant set of hockey skills, but he is very big and heavy, skates well enough for his size and is exceptionally hard-nosed. He actually has some goal-scoring touch, although at this point, it looks like his future prospects are based on his ability to shut down opponents without being a liability at the other end. Semykin is certainly not a typical Lightning pick, but they do like to leaven their collection of smaller, quick wingers with outsized players on the backend (see Sosunov below)

19 Alex Green, D (121^st overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Ignored at the draft twice as a low producing defenseman in the USHL, Green raised more eyebrows as a freshman with Cornell, earning himself a shout out in the fourth round. He is a strong skater, reads situations in his own zone well and knows how to clear the puck from his zone. He plays a bit light, although he has a decent-sized frame. Although Cornell has used him on the power play, that is not yet reflected in his production, as third assists are not tracked. In short, Green is not an exciting prospect, but his understated, quiet game can go a long way as long as he continues to minimize mistakes.

20 Oleg Sosunov, D (178^th overall, 2016. Last Year: unranked) Standing at 6-8”, and weighing a solid 225 pounds, Sosunov was drafted late as a physical specimen more than a talented hockey player. His D+1 year was brutal as well, without a single point in 40 games across two levels of Russian junior hockey. Undaunted, the Lightning signed him to an ELC and he moved to the WHL for his age 20 season, putting up the best offensive numbers of his life. His skating, like that of most players of his size, is a bit on the awkward side, but he is starting to show some ability to move the puck, and he naturally has a promising physical game, while encouraging with the reduction of time spent in the penalty box. Sosunov is still a long shot, but he is long, and he will get a shot.

Boris Katchouk – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Forwards

Taylor Hall - RW

Tyler Johnson - C

Andreas Athanasiou - LW

Taylor Raddysh - RW

Nick Foligno - LW

Corey Perry - RW

Ryan Donato - RW

Philipp Kurashev - LW

Boris Katchouk - LW

Defense

Seth Jones - D

Connor Murphy - D

Nikita Zaitsev - D

Jarred Tinordi - D

Goaltending

Petr Mrazek - G

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS – NHL Player Profiles

CULLEN: 20 FANTASY POINTS – Fallout from the NHL trade deadline, not just from the players that moved, like Claude Giroux, Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Giordano, and Max Domi, but also those that remain with potentially new opportunities

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – RANK: #30 – TIER VI

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

Rasmus Asplund - Buffalo Sabres

Morgan Geekie - Carolina Hurricanes

Kevin Stenlund - Columbus Blue Jackets

Henrik Borgstrom - Florida Panthers

Nathan Bastian - New Jersey Devils

Yegor Sharangovich - New Jersey Devils

Janne Kuokkanen - New Jersey Devils

Nick Merkley - New Jersey Devils

Kieffer Bellows - New York Islanders

Julien Gauthier - New York Rangers

Vitaly Abramov - Ottawa Senators

Filip Chlapik - Ottawa Senators

Logan Brown - Ottawa Senators

Nicolas Aube-Kubel - Philadelphia Flyers

Alex Barre Boulet - Tampa Bay Lightning

Alex Volkov - Tampa Bay Lightning

Mitchell Stephens - Tampa Bay Lightning

Mathieu Joseph - Tampa Bay Lightning

Boris Katchouk - Tampa Bay Lightning

Taylor Raddysh - Tampa Bay Lightning

Joey Anderson - Toronto Maple Leafs

Isac Lundestrom - Anaheim Ducks

Matthew Phillips - Calgary Flames

Adam Mascherin - Dallas Stars

Tyler Benson - Edmonton Oilers

Rem Pitlick - Nashville Predators

Jonathan Dahlen - San Jose Sharks

Alexander True - San Jose Sharks

Maxim Letunov - San Jose Sharks

Rudolfs Balcers - San Jose Sharks

Kole Lind - Vancouver Canucks

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Tampa Bay Lightning Top 20 Prospects

Cole Koepke, LW (183rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Samuel Walker, C (200th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Hugo Alnefelt, G (71st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Alexander Volkov, RW (48th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Dmitri Semykin, D (90th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

Cal Foote, D (14th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 6)

Alex Barre-Boulet, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 1, 2018. Previous ranking: 7)

Eamon Powell, D (116th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jack Finley, C (57th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Taylor Raddysh, RW (58th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 8)

Gabriel Fortier, C/RW (59th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Sean Day, D (UFA: Jul. 17, 2020. Originally: 81st overall, 2016 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: UR [NY Rangers])

Maxim Cajkovic, RW (89th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Ross Colton, LW (118th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

Alex Green, D (121st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 12)

Gage Goncalves, C (62nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Cole Koepke, LW (183^rd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Samuel Walker, C (200^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Hugo Alnefelt, G (71^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Alexander Volkov, RW (48^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Dmitri Semykin, D (90^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 5)

Cal Foote, D (14^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 6)

Eamon Powell, D (116^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jack Finley, C (57^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Taylor Raddysh, RW (58^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 8)

Gabriel Fortier, C/RW (59^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Sean Day, D (UFA: Jul. 17, 2020. Originally: 81^st overall, 2016 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: UR [NY Rangers])

Maxim Cajkovic, RW (89^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Ross Colton, LW (118^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

Alex Green, D (121^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 12)

Gage Goncalves, C (62^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jack Thompson, D (93^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dominik Masin, D (35^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 14)

Boris Katchouk, LW (44^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 15)

Declan McDonnell, RW (217^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Cole Koepke, LW (183^rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Samuel Walker, C (200^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 5)

Hugo Alnefelt, G (71^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 8)

Alexander Volkov, RW (48^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Dmitri Semykin, D (90^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 17)

Cal Foote, D (14^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 1)

Taylor Raddysh, RW (58^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 7)

Gabriel Fortier, C/RW (59^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 10)

Maxim Cajkovic, RW (89^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

Ross Colton, LW (118^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Alex Green, D (121^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Dennis Yan, LW (64^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

Dominik Masin, D (35^th overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 13)

Boris Katchouk, LW (44^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 6)