Brendan Lemieux – McKeen's Hockey

DADOUN: THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Sharks show some bite in tough season – Coyotes, Hurricanes, Avalanche, Devils, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Canucks and Golden Knights – Players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 09 Dec 2023 16:09:54 +0000

BOSTON, MA - NOVEMBER 30: San Jose Sharks left wing Fabian Zetterlund (20) takes a shot in warm up before a game between the Boston Bruins and the San Jose Sharks on November 30, 2023, at TD garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

This column was previously getting released at the start of the week, but starting today, it will come out Saturdays instead. It’ll still preview the upcoming week, but now you’ll have more time to plan your strategy. Please bear in mind that the information provided is reflective of the time of writing (in this case, the morning of Dec. 8).

That aside, I wanted to cast a light on San Jose, which has won five of its last seven games. The Sharks have been fun to watch recently with them overcoming a 4-1 deficit against the Islanders on Tuesday and a 4-0 deficit to the Red Wings on Thursday. After a 0-10-1 start to the campaign that included back-to-back games in which they surrendered 10 goals, the Sharks are now 8-17-2. Still not good, but given where they came from, that’s impressive.

Looking at their last seven games specifically, the big change for San Jose has been its offense. The Sharks have scored 4.00 goals per game over that span, compared to 1.09 over their first 11 outings. Tomas Hertl has been an important factor in their recent surge, providing five goals and nine points over his last six appearances, but the real standout performer has been Mikael Granlund, who went from recording four assists over his first 13 contests to contributing three goals and 12 points over his last seven outings.

The Sharks have gotten some support team-wide too. Seven different players have supplied at least two goals over the past seven games, including three markers from defenseman Jacob MacDonald, who had just three goals over 101 career NHL games going into this campaign.

Is this sustainable, though? Probably not. The Sharks don’t have a particularly good team. Goaltenders Mackenzie Blackwood and Kaapo Kahkonen are still struggling, so if the offense cools from its unreal pace, then the whole house of cards will likely crumble again. Plus overcoming three- or four-goal deficits is fun to watch, but not something that can be counted on to happen routinely.

It is encouraging to see youngsters William Eklund, who has two goals and five points over his last four contests, and Fabian Zetterlund, who has four goals and five points over his last seven games, do well though. They’re the future of the franchise, so strong performances from them matter much more to San Jose than whether the squad is winning or losing today.

Arizona Coyotes - MON @ BUF, TUE @ PIT (BTB), FRI VS. SJS, SAT VS. BUF (BTB)

The Coyotes enjoyed a five-game winning streak from Nov. 25-Dec. 4, bringing them up to 13-9-2 by the end of that run. After spending a few years rebuilding, Arizona has a real shot of making the playoffs this year.

Of course, the Coyotes still have a lot of work ahead of them, which they’ll continue next week with games in Buffalo on Monday and Pittsburgh on Tuesday, followed by home contests versus the Sharks on Friday and Sabres on Saturday. Those adversaries range from bad to middling this campaign, so the Coyotes should do well.

With two back-to-back sets, Karel Vejmelka should get some work for the first time since Nov. 22. He’s struggled this campaign with a 2-6-2 record, 3.45 GAA and .892 save percentage in 11 contests, so he’s not an ideal option for a situational pickup. That said, if he draws the Sharks, then it might be worth considering him (provided San Jose has cooled by that point).

If Alex Kerfoot is still available in your league, he’d be a good pickup. He’s one of the hottest players in the league with a goal and nine points over his last five contests. Part of that surge is thanks to him getting an increased role. Over his first 15 contests this campaign, he had a goal and four points while averaging 15:01 of ice time, including just 0:18 with the man advantage, but that’s jumped to 18:57 over his last 10 contests, including 2:21 on the power play. So, while he obviously can’t maintain the offensive pace of his last five games, as long as Arizona keeps deploying him like it has recently, Kerfoot should continue to be a valuable forward in most fantasy leagues.

Someone else to consider in the short-term but is less likely to have long-term success is Michael Carcone. He has five goals over his last five contests, but his shooting percentage has climbed to an unsustainable 32.4 and he serves in a bottom-six role, so expect him to crash completely once the hot streak is over.

Carolina Hurricanes – TUE @ OTT, THU @DET, FRI VS NSH (BTB), SUN VS WAS

The Hurricanes will start the week by completing their six-game road trip with games in Ottawa on Tuesday and Detroit on Thursday. They’ll then get an opportunity to defend PNC Arena when they host the Predators on Friday and the Capitals on Sunday. Detroit’s been pretty good this campaign, but Nashville is the only other opponent currently in a playoff position, and even then, just barely.

Andrei Svechnikov couldn’t play Thursday due to an upper-body injury. If it turns out he won’t be available for some or all of next week’s games, then that will have a significant impact on Carolina’s lineup. In particular, Michael Bunting could play a major role during Svechnikov’s absence. When Svechnikov missed the first eight contests of the campaign because of a knee injury, Bunting had two goals and six points in eight contests while averaging 18:12 of ice time. Since then, Bunting has dropped to 13:45 while providing four goals and 10 points over 17 games.

We also might see Brendan Lemieux playing consistently during Svechnikov’s absence. Lemieux isn’t much of a factor offensively, but if you’re in a position where you’re looking for penalty minutes, he can help you there. Through 10 appearances this season, he’s accumulated 33 PIM and the 27-year-old has 517 PIM in 285 career games.

On the power play, there might be an opportunity for Brady Skjei to assume a second-line role. He has four goals and 15 points in 29 contests this season, which is great for a defenseman who is averaging just 0:13 with the man advantage. Even a second unit power-play role would be a potentially meaningful boost for him.

Colorado Avalanche – MON VS CGY, WED VS BUG, SAT @ WPG, SUN VS SJS (BTB)

The Avalanche will play four games next week, including home contests against the Flames on Monday, the Sabes on Wednesday and the Sharks on Sunday. Sprinkled in there will also be a road outing in Winnipeg on Saturday. Of those opponents, just Winnipeg is in a playoff position. The Sharks have won five of their last seven games, though, so it’ll be interesting to see if they’re still hot by the time that contest happens.

Speaking of hot players, Nathan MacKinnon is on a 10-game scoring streak, providing four goals and 16 points over that stretch, including two goals and five points over his last two contests alone. Through Thursday’s action, MacKinnon has moved into a three-way tie for fourth in the scoring race with 36 points in 26 outings.

The Avalanche don’t have any other players who are currently excelling, though. Bowen Byram is interesting with two goals and three points over his last four contests. He might be worth some short-term consideration, but the lack of a consistent power-play role is a significant negative.

We also should see Ivan Prosvetov start this week, likely Sunday versus San Jose. He’s been decent when utilized, posting a 2-1-1 record, 2.45 GAA and .919 save percentage in six contests this season, so if you’re looking for a situational pickup in goal, then Prosvetov is a good option.

New Jersey Devils – WED VS BOS, SAT @ CBJ, SUN VS ANA (BTB)

The Devils are a borderline selection because they have just three games this week and their first contest is a home game versus the mighty Bruins on Wednesday. However, New Jersey will then face two of the worst teams in the league with matches in Columbus on Saturday and against the Ducks on Sunday.

If you look at the league leader in terms of points per game, it isn’t Nikita Kucherov, Artemi Panarin or Connor McDavid. That honor instead belongs to Jack Hughes, who has 10 goals and 33 points in just 19 contests. Hughes missed five straight games from Nov. 5-16 due to a shoulder injury but has bounced right back. In particular, he scored four goals and 10 points over a four-game stretch from Nov. 28-Dec. 5. Provided he stays healthy the rest of the way, Hughes is a good bet to surpass his career high of 99 points.

Hughes is far from New Jersey’s sole offensive threat with the team averaging 3.63 goals per game -- fourth in the NHL. However, that’s been counterbalanced by the Devils allowing 3.67 goals per contest, which is the second worst in the league. Their expected goals against per 60 is 3.27, which suggests that part of the problem is New Jersey’s defense, but its goaltending has been lacking too.

Vitek Vanecek is having a disastrous campaign with a 3.60 GAA and an .877 save percentage in 16 contests. The fact that he has a 9-5-0 record despite that is a testament to the Devils’ amazing offense, but for a team with playoff aspirations, Vanecek isn’t looking like an acceptable option. Lately, that’s led to New Jersey pivoting more toward Akira Schmid.

Schmid struggled initially with a 3.46 GAA and an .885 save percentage through his first six appearances in 2023-24, but since then he’s rebounded with a 3-2-0 record, 2.53 GAA and .920 save percentage in five outings. With the 23-year-old outplaying Vanecek, Schmid has a real opportunity to steal the No. 1 gig, which could lead to him accumulating a lot of wins given the offensive support New Jersey can provide.

New York Islanders – MON VS TOR, FRI VS ANA, SAT @BOS (BTB)

The Islanders will start the week with home games versus the Maple Leafs, Ducks and Bruins on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, respectively, before visiting Montreal on Saturday. Toronto and Boston are tough adversaries, but Anaheim and Montreal rank near the bottom of the league, and it helps that the Islanders will be playing mostly at home next week.

Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat have been playing some of the best hockey of their lives recently. Barzal has four goals and 11 points over his last four games, propelling him to nine goals and 27 points in 24 outings this year. Meanwhile, Horvat is on a five-game scoring streak in which he’s scored four goals and nine points, bringing him up to nine markers and 23 points through 24 appearances in 2023-24.

The Islanders have been getting offensive help from less common sources too. Julien Gauthier has two goals and five points in five contests this year. You can consider taking him in the short term, but keep in mind that he’s a depth forward, so once his hot streak ends, he won’t have value in anything but the absolute deepest of leagues.

Similarly, Simon Holmstrom is averaging just 13:38 of ice time this year, so he hasn’t been getting a big enough role to warrant holding him in standard fantasy leagues. However, Holmstrom is an interesting short-term option after scoring two goals and four points over his last four contests.

Toronto Maple Leafs – MON @ NYI, TUE @ NYR (BTB), THU VS CBJ, SAT VS PIT

The Maple Leafs’ schedule isn’t necessarily easy, but it is full with four games ahead of them. They’ll start the week with games in New York versus the Islanders on Monday and the Rangers on Tuesday. Afterwards, the Leafs will return home to host the Blue Jackets on Thursday and Penguins on Saturday.

Goaltender Joseph Woll sustained a leg injury during Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Ottawa and is expected to miss time. He had been serving as the Leafs’ top goaltender, but the injury will at least temporarily force Toronto to pivot back to Ilya Samsonov, who has missed the last two games due to an illness but will presumably be fine by next week. Samsonov has a 3.58 GAA and an .878 save percentage in 10 contests, so he’s been far from ideal, but he shouldn’t be dismissed after recording a 2.33 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 42 outings last season.

Martin Jones might also get a start next week depending on how long Woll is out for. Don’t expect too much out of Jones, though. He had a 3.09 GAA and an .895 save percentage in 220 NHL games from 2018-19 through 2022-23 and more recently has posted a 3.37 GAA and an .870 save percentage in five outings with AHL Toronto. Simply put, he’s not a good option. You might want to keep Dennis Hildeby in the back of your mind, though. The 22-year-old excelled in the Swedish Hockey League and has looked dominant in the AHL this campaign with a 1.89 GAA and a .925 save percentage in nine contests.

Putting the Maple Leafs’ goaltending aside, the team has been led by the usual suspects recently, which is to say that Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and William Nylander have combined for seven goals and 12 points over Toronto’s last three games. Meanwhile, Max Domi has provided a goal and an assist over his last two contests. He’s been inconsistent offensively, which is unlikely to change so long as he’s averaging just 12:54 of ice time, but he’s an interesting short-term pickup while he’s hot, especially if you’re in a position to benefit from the penalty minutes he can provide.

Vancouver Canucks – TUE VS TBL, THU VS FLA, SAT @ MIN, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Canucks will kick off the week by hosting the Lightning on Tuesday and the Panthers on Thursday. They’ll then travel to Minnesota for a contest Saturday and face the Blackhawks in Chicago on Sunday. Those later two games are of particular interest given that they’re against teams not in playoff spots.

Sam Lafferty has bounced around the lineup this campaign, but lately, he’s been playing alongside Elias Pettersson and Ilya Mikheyev. That’s a golden opportunity for the 28-year-old, who has seven goals and 13 points in 27 contests this year. He’s also doing well at the moment with two goals and three points over his last three games. Be careful not to get too excited about Lafferty, whose career high in points is just 27, but his fantasy value will increase meaningfully if his current top-six role proves to be more than just a temporary assignment.

One Canucks player who has trended in the other direction recently is Andrei Kuzmenko. After scoring 39 goals and 74 points in 81 contests last year, the 27-year-old has been limited to four goals and 15 points over 24 outings in 2023-24, including just one point (a goal) over his last eight appearances. Things got so bad that he was even a healthy scratch for two straight games from Nov. 24-25 and he logged just 12:15 of ice time Thursday, his second-lowest total of the season.

While I don’t expect Kuzmenko to repeat his 2022-23 heights, he certainly can do better than he has lately. Given his recent play and his diminished role (which I believe to be temporary), he’s a solid buy-low candidate.

Vegas Golden Knights – TUE VS CGY, FRI VS BUF, SUN VS OTT

Vegas has just three games scheduled next week, but they’re all home contests against teams not in a playoff position. Specifically, the Golden Knights will host the Flames on Tuesday, the Sabres on Friday and the Senators on Sunday.

Jack Eichel is easily the hottest member of the Golden Knights with four goals and nine points over his last four contests, pushing him up to 12 goals and 30 points in 27 contests in 2023-24. Alex Tuch has already worked out great for Buffalo while Peyton Krebs and Noah Ostlund still might be good for the Sabres in the long run, so it’d be overly simplistic to call Vegas the winners of the Eichel trade, but the Golden Knights nevertheless must be thrilled with how that move has worked out.

Ben Hutton has been a bit of a disappointment, though, at least from a fantasy perspective. With Shea Theodore (upper body) unavailable, Hutton has averaged 2:17 of power-play ice time over the last seven contests, up from an average of just 0:25 over his first 14 outings. However, Hutton has just a goal and an assist over his last seven games and neither of those points came with the man advantage. Hutton’s never been much of an offensive force anyway, but it is a shame that he hasn’t gotten any production out of that power-play role.

If Daniil Miromanov (undisclosed) returns before Theodore, then he might take that power-play spot from Hutton. In that scenario, Miromanov would have some fantasy value.

*(BTB) – Denotes the second of a back-to-back series

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – CAROLINA HURRICANES – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Sat, 23 Sep 2023 18:10:29 +0000

NEWARK, NJ - MAY 09: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns (8) looks on during Game 4 of an Eastern Conference Second Round playoff game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils on May 9, 2023, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Rod Brind'Amour coaching era continued to be a great time for Carolina in 2022-23. There were some serious issues with Andrei Svechnikov being limited to 64 games, Teuvo Teravainen scoring just 37 points and posting his lowest points-per-game (0.54) since 2016-17 and Max Pacioretty missing almost the entire campaign with a torn Achilles. However, thanks to the rise of Martin Necas and offensive defenseman Brent Burns entering another chapter in his fantastic career, the Hurricanes were able to at least be serviceable offensively and, when combined with their stellar defense, they navigated to a 52-21-9 record and third straight division title. Carolina then made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in five years before running into Florida and getting absolutely goalied by the red-hot Sergei Bobrovsky.

What’s Changed? After Pacioretty spent most of the 2022-23 campaign on the long-term injured reserve list, the Hurricanes let him walk as an unrestricted free agent. Instead, they signed Michael Bunting to a three-year, $13.5 million contract in the hopes he’ll provide some scoring depth and grit. They also signed defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who has a checkered past, but saw success under Brind'Amour during the 2021-22 campaign and might serve a function again this year, especially on the power play after Carolina finished 20th in that regard in 2022-23 with a 19.8% conversion rate.

What would success look like? Making the playoffs is to be expected at this point, so Carolina’s success will instead by measured by how they do in the postseason. Teravainen missed a good chunk of the 2023 playoffs because of a hand injury, but given his regular season struggles, it’s not clear how helpful he would have been even if he was healthy. A strong campaign out of him would go a long way towards stabilizing the Hurricanes’ offense and putting them in a better position to power through if they run into a hot goaltender again.

What could go wrong? After failing to acquire Erik Karlsson on the trade market, the Hurricanes will still be relying heavily on Burns as their primary puck-moving blueliner, but he’s 38 years old now, so it’s hard to know how much more he’s got left in him. True, they do have DeAngelo again, but he’s usually a defensive liability and thus not a true replacement for Burns if the veteran blueliner takes a significant step back. There’s also a risk that Teravainen won’t bounce back or will once again run into injury troubles. Bunting might not pay off either. While he should provide some sandpaper at least, he also tends to get in trouble, and he’s going from a situation where he largely played alongside Auston Matthews to likely serving on the Hurricanes’ third line, so he might fail to reach even the 40-point milestone this year.

Top Breakout Candidate: If Carolina’s offense could use one more great weapon, then Seth Jarvis might be it. After scoring 31 goals and 79 points in 150 career contests, the 21-year-old forward is well positioned to take the next step. Selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Jarvis is projected to serve on the top line alongside Sebastian Aho this year and should get a decent amount of power-play ice time too.

Forwards

Sebastian Aho - C

A model of consistency for the Hurricanes, Aho scored at a 35+ goal pace for the fourth year in a row. Whether it’s scoring goals or killing penalties, he is the engine that drives the Hurricanes. The team recognized it by re-signing him to an eight-year contract with a cap hit of $9.75 million AAV. Aho has the skillset that can thrive in any system and game situation, possessing an explosive first step and great vision to create quick-strike offense off the rush. An element the Hurricanes don’t have much of. He also doesn’t need a lot of space to create chances, being able to test goaltenders from awkward angles and find loose spots in coverage. This is a crucial skillset on a forecheck-heavy team like Carolina, so the strong work he does on the penalty kill and in the defensive zone is an added bonus. They are hoping he gets a little more finishing help from his linemates this year, as Aho produced at under the point-per-game mark last year despite a 36-goal season. It’s the one thing keeping him from being considered in the elite class of the NHL.

Andrei Svechnikov - LW

Around mid-November, it looked like Svechnikov was heading for stardom. He had 11 goals and 17 points in only 14 games, culminating with a hat trick against the Edmonton Oilers on Nov. 12th. Since then, he scored only 12 goals in his next 50 games before a knee injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. Svechnikov has the complete package of an elite power forward. He can move the puck from one zone to the next without much effort and take the puck from the wall to the net better than almost anybody. The goals just haven’t followed as much as anybody hoped. He still provided a lot of value as a playmaker, especially in the left circle on the power play, but not at the superstar level the team envisioned. Being a streaky goal-scorer, he was primed to finish the season on a strong note but never got a chance. Right now, he is someone with a game-breaking skillset that hasn’t had the results to match it, but at only 23-years old he has plenty of time to break into that class. Carolina is hoping the goals come to him for the rest of the year as easily as they did in October.

Martin Necas - RW

Carolina wasn’t sure what they had in Martin Necas around this time last year. He was signed to a two-year bridge deal after a disappointing 40-point season and responded by having a true breakout season. Doubling his goal total and leading the team in points with 71 in 82 games. Carolina used him on the penalty kill, their top power play unit and extensively in overtime, scoring four game-winners. He excels in the playmaker role, as he loves to roam the perimeter and the neutral zone looking to thread the needle through defenders. That is still part of his game, but he toned it back a little this year and became more of a dual-threat with creating his own shot by getting to the slot on his own or using his linemates on quick give-and-go plays instead of settling for low-percentage passes to nobody. This resulted in more consistent production from Necas and made him one of Carolina’s more reliable players for most of the year. Keeping this up through April and May is the next step for the former first round pick.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi - C

The Hurricanes were waiting for Kotkaniemi to take that next step and in some ways he did. Jumping from the fourth line to the second line, the former third overall pick made some strides as one of the team’s rocks in their top-nine. Doing a lot of the little things and providing a steadying presence alongside Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. He posted some of the strongest defensive numbers on the team, limiting shots and scoring chances while getting the tough matchups some nights. His offensive game is still a work in progress, as he isn’t very quick with the puck and opts for the simple play more times than not. It started to come around for him in the second half, as he posted 31 points in 46 games after Jan 1^st with career highs across the board. There is always going to be the question of if he can do more and become a true game-breaker for Carolina, but he is currently poised to be their shutdown center of the future.

Michael Bunting - LW

Every top-six need complementary players and you’ll struggle to find a better one than Michael Bunting. He has spent the last two years skating on the Maple Leafs top line after a long career in the minors and parlayed it into a nice three-year deal with Carolina. He knows how to take advantage of playing with elite talent, always finding the soft spots in coverage or being a nuisance in front of the net. Last year was somewhat of a down season for him, as he was more of a pain for the officials than opposing goaltenders, but he still scored a respectable 23 goals. His skillset fits the Hurricanes needs, as they needed a jolt in their top-six and Bunting is the complementary, net front player Aho has missed in recent years. He should have plenty of rebound opportunities in Carolina.

Seth Jarvis - RW

The sophomore slump can be tough for some players, and this was true for Seth Jarvis. Not only did he struggle to get on the scoresheet, but he wasn’t creating chances or driving play at the same level he was in his rookie year. Part of it was bad luck, as his shooting percentage dropped by over 50%, the other was Jarvis struggling to create on his own. In his rookie season, he was one of the team’s better players at creating in transition, making the extra play in the neutral zone to create quick-strike offense. Last year, other players had to set him up and he was poaching more goals from in front of the net. He had a slight resurgence in the second half, but still failed to top his numbers from his rookie season. Still young, Jarvis is still finding his way in the league and the Canes are hoping he can return to being more of a consistent threat in the top-six.

Teuvo Teravainen - LW

Teravainen had a rare down season in his seven-year Hurricane career, spending various times on injured reserve and scoring at only a 44-point pace, which would be his lowest since 2016-17. Most of his best skills are away from the puck. Always in the right position to receive a pass, disrupt a cycle or make it tougher to get through the neutral zone. Those parts of Teravainen’s game were still there, but the offense was steps behind his usual pace. His hands weren’t as quick or sharp as they usually are and most of his one-timers ended up going nowhere near the target. He did what he could to pitch in, but it is tough to be a key player on a top line when you don’t get a lot of puck touches and you can’t execute at the same level as you used to. Carolina is sticking with him in the final year of his contract, and he will have some competition to keep his spot on Aho’s wing.

Jordan Staal - C

Not much happens when Jordan Staal is on the ice and that’s usually a good thing for your team’s shutdown center. The Canes don’t score a lot of goals when his line is out there but neither do their opponents. This has been his role for most of his 12-year career in Raleigh. His condor wingspan and huge frame make him a tough matchup, as he excels at playing the keep away brand of hockey the Hurricanes have made their bread and butter. The offense usually comes in bunches for him, as 11 of his 17 goals came in a 30-game span from December to February and his puck skills haven’t gotten much better as he’s gotten older. Playing a basic brand of offense where he scores most of his goals from brute force than a high level of finesse. Still, when playoff time comes, he is the one who gets the matchup minutes and it’s a big reason why the Canes re-signed him to a four-year deal.

Stefan Noesen - RW

Noesen played his way back into the NHL after an incredible season with the Chicago Wolves and a strong training camp. He didn’t relinquish this spot and became more of an important player on the Hurricanes as the year went on, playing anywhere from the top line to the fourth line. Also earning some spot duty as a net front player on the top power play unit. This was especially important in the playoffs where he was a permanent fixture in the top-six due to a barrage of injuries in Carolina’s wing depth. He possesses a Swiss-army knife skillset where he can fill in almost anywhere, playing the high-intensity game needed for a checking line role and having enough puck skill to take advantage of playing with top liners. He showed some limitations keeping up with the speed of the game, but his stint in Carolina has rejuvenated his career as a role player who can pitch in anywhere.

Defense

Brent Burns - D

While on the back nine of his career, a stop in Carolina was just what the former Norris winner needed to get his game back on track. He could play most of the game with the puck in front of him, taking advantage of Carolina’s strong possession game and got back to a level we saw in the mid-2010’s with the Sharks. With most of the Hurricane’s offense being based off point shots and deflections, this was a perfect environment for Burns to get his career back on track and he posted his highest point total since 2018. He also was a regular on their penalty kill and more than held his own at even strength, especially in the defensive zone. Provided more of a physical presence on their top pair and giving them a dynamic shooting threat at the point. The only question with Burns is how soon he starts to look like a defenseman pushing 40. He is one of the most physically gifted athletes in the league, so he has a little more rope than others, but father time is undefeated.

Jaccob Slavin - D

Regarded as one of the league’s top defensive defensemen, 2022-23 was another year at the office for Jaccob Slavin. Posting solid numbers on the Hurricanes top pair while pitching in on offense when needed. He saw a big drop in his point production, but this is secondary when considering that he spent most of his five-on-five ice time with Brent Burns, who is taking most of the shot opportunities on that pair. He is the prototype for the modern shutdown defenseman, a lanky player with a great reach and someone who takes terrific angles to disrupt even some of the best skating forwards. It has been this way since he entered the league in 2015 and his game has yet to drop off despite the massive workload he takes on, playing in all situations for the Canes. We should expect more of the same, although with even less power play time on Carolina’s stacked defense corps.

Dmitry Orlov - D

A surprising move to kick off free agency was Carolina signing Dmitry Orlov to a two-year deal, paying him $7.75 million AAV, and creating an embarrassment of riches on their blue line. Where he slots in will be interesting, but he possesses a terrific all-around skillset. He can play the skilled game, as he’s an excellent puck-mover who loves joining the rush, as well as the physical game. Stepping up on forwards at the opposing blue line is one of his trademarks. Orlov’s playing style is more about his skill with the puck, but he’s been used in more of a shutdown role for most of his career. He was always the rock in Washington’s top four that allowed John Carlson to focus more on offense in easier matchups, so it will be interesting to see how the Canes utilize him. He saw his boxcar stats blow up in his short stint with Boston alongside Charlie McAvoy, recording 17 points in 23 games (after only 19 in 43 with the Caps). The flashes were always there with Washington even if the point total never was. The only major concern with him is that he’s 32-years old and hasn’t played a full season since 2019.

Tony DeAngelo - D

The talented defenseman made the most of what was a “last chance” type of deal in Carolina two years ago. The Canes opted to walk from his RFA deal, trading him to Philadelphia, who happily paid him $5 million AAV. In a sense, they got what they expected out of DeAngelo. He scored a career high 11 goals, quarterbacked their top power play unit and he had a standard year for himself offensively. However, he was also tasked with playing a bigger role outside of the insulation he got on Carolina’s top pair alongside Jaccob Slavin, tasked with more defensive responsibility and having to play tougher minutes in general. He handled the puck-moving part of his role well, but his small frame and over-aggressive play made him a tough fit in the top-four, with the Flyers moving him down in the lineup as the season went on. They opted to buy out the last year of his contract after a trade with the Hurricanes fell through and Carolina happily signed him at a low-dollar contract hit at $1.675 million for one season. Having even more help around him now, he is in a good position to have another nice offensive season. Carolina knows how to play to his strengths and have a deep defense corps.

Brady Skjei - D

Only six defensemen have scored more than 20 goals over the past two seasons and Brady Skjei is one of them. It has been interesting to watch his career revival since being acquired from the Rangers in early 2020. He came to the team as a large, physical defenseman who could skate well but not provide much value outside of the penalty kill. As he got more acclimated to the system, the rest of his game started to come around. He became a very solid top-four defenseman who could handle the tough matchups alongside Brett Pesce and gave the Canes two pairs they can trust against anybody. The real surprise, however, was the offense. Skjei became one of the team’s best shooters, always getting room to pick a corner off the rush or on a cycle from the left faceoff circle. He doubled his career high in goals and tied a Carolina record for goals by a defenseman. It’s tough to see this carrying over, especially with Orlov in the fold now, and the goal-scoring covered up some of the high-risk parts of his game. Not enough that he should be demoted to the third pair, but the depth Carolina has on defense might force him into a more low-leverage role.

Goaltending

Frederik Andersen - G

Few goaltenders had better bounce-back years than veteran netminder Frederik Andersen upon his arrival in Carolina. He was one-half of a somewhat surprising tandem brought on board by the Hurricanes in the 2021 off-season, brought on after a disappointing end to his career in Toronto to tandem with fellow veteran Antti Raanta after the Hurricanes all but cleaned house in net. The team’s gamble paid off, with Andersen posting one of his best statistical seasons in his first full year in Raleigh – and although he wasn’t quite able to replicate that this past year, it’s still not quite time to panic for the Hurricanes as they consider one more year of Andersen at the helm.

He remains the sturdier veteran option for Carolina despite posting the worst numbers of the team’s three 2022-23 netminders. Those numbers, though, looked less like a legitimate regression and more like the result of a little bit of fatigue, a little bit of bad luck, and a pinch of expected aging slowing him down. Andersen is still a goaltender who does well making the first move, pushing out to get set for a shot in advance and recovering to his feet rather than spending the bulk of his time on his knees. But his edges have slowed a hair in the last few years, and he’s never quite been able to thrive making desperation saves through traffic – so as his game has matured over the years, he’s become less likely to steal saves when his sightlines are taken away on defensive breakdowns. Luckily, the Carolina system works well in his favor, so he should still be a good option for the Hurricanes as they transition to Pyotr Kotchetkov. But he no longer has a clear statistical advantage over Antti Raanta as the option the Hurricanes should turn to if they need to choose between one or the other; if anything, his security with the Hurricanes relies more on Raanta’s ever-questionable health than on his own performances.

Projected starts: 30-35

Antti Raanta - G

There isn’t much left to say for Antti Raanta at this point that hasn’t already been said. The Finnish netminder might be the most injury-prone workhorse in the league; he’s guaranteed to go down with at least one or two scrapes and bruises every year but is perhaps the most likely veteran in the entire NHL to maintain his good numbers whether he’s missed a week or half a season with an injury. Last season was a case in point; even though he only appeared in 27 games all year, he was still Carolina’s strongest statistical performer and put up his seventh year with at least a .910 unadjusted save percentage. He still plays a reliable, consistent style that challenges skaters to look for holes in his coverage and then utilizes quick recoveries and effective hands to close them off once the puck has left someone’s stick. And like every other year, he’s still only as reliable as his body; while Carolina almost certainly wishes they could use him as a steady presence to usher Kotchetkov into the NHL full-time, he’s failed to string together a lengthy enough healthy stretch in any season for nearly his entire decade-long career for any GM to feel comfortable keeping him as their only veteran option. He’s effective to have around, especially if the Hurricanes are worried that Andersen may be headed for another season of regression – but unless they’re confident Kotchetkov can stay in the NHL full-time and put up a 45-plus game campaign, they can’t keep Raanta as their only piece of the puzzle.

Projected starts: 35-40

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – LOS ANGELES KINGS – NHL Player Profiles

Joe Yerdon – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:46:04 +0000

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 28: Los Angeles Kings center Adrian Kempe (9) waits for a face-off during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 28, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Anze Kopitar

Time may roll on, but Anze Kopitar continues to find ways to make it irrelevant. The 35-year-old from Slovenia led the Kings in scoring with 19 goals 48 assists (67 points) while averaging 20:46 of ice time per game. He’s been the Kings’ top point-getter for the past five seasons and as team captain, it’s one of many crowns for him to wear. He remains a fixture on both the power play and shorthanded. His 22 power play points were tops on the team and he had second-most ice time killing penalties trailing only defenseman Matt Roy. While it could be troubling that a 35-year-old has been so prominent in the team’s success, in the Kings’ case it’s not because Kopitar has been so good and so consistent for so long. Other players around Kopitar’s age have been showing signs of coming back to the pack while he’s continued to excel, and he helped the Kings return to the postseason after missing it the previous three seasons. Although the roster around him gets younger, Kopitar remains as good as he’s ever been, and he'll be invaluable to their future helping show young players like Quinton Byfield and Alex Turcotte what it takes to be an elite player in the NHL.

Adrian Kempe

Although the 26-year-old Swede has been a fixture in the Kings lineup for a few seasons, 2021-2022 was a coming out party. His 35 goals led the Kings in that category, and he was second in points behind Kopitar. He’s become a terrific two-way player and is vital to their success on the power play and penalty kill. Of those 35 goals, six came with the man advantage and three while shorthanded. Kempe also isn’t gun shy either. He led L.A. with 247 shots and that he missed four games makes it even more impressive. Considering he shot 14.2 percent with that kind of shot volume, the more shots the better. After Dustin Brown’s recent retirement, Kempe is the heir apparent to his role as a physical power forward who can pile up points. Kempe was one of five Kings players with over 100 hits (111) last season and his overall play earned him the most ice time he’s had in his career, averaging 18:35 per game. When it comes to the advanced numbers Kempe’s were middle of the pack on the Kings, but on most other NHL rosters he would’ve had some of the best with CF% and xG% well above 50 percent. If L.A. Is going to continue to be a playoff team, they’ll need Kempe to continue to take charge like he did last season.

Alex Iafallo

One key to becoming an everyday NHL player is to play consistent game in and game out and be reliable and that’s how you could best describe Alex Iafallo. He’ll play around 18 minutes per game and contribute an outstanding two-way game when at 5-on-5. Iafallo can be counted on for 30-40 points per season and 15-20 goals. Last season he tied a career high with 17 goals and his 37 points was his second-best mark to 43 he had in 2019-2020. As he heads into his sixth NHL season, the nearly 29-year-old from Western New York is excellent in all situations. He’s a fixture on the top power play unit and helps that group maintain possession and make sure the puck movement flows. He’s also a mainstay on the penalty kill and can help turn a man-down situation into one where the attacking team must be aware they could get scored on themselves. Whether he’s asked to play on the top line or to anchor the second or third line, coach Todd McLellan knows what he’ll get from Iafallo and knows that his versatility will allow him to work well with his linemates. Iafallo helps maintain and drive possession on any line and most players he plays with have better CorsiFor percentage numbers than they do without him. What doesn’t show up in the raw stats for Iafallo is there in spades with the advanced numbers.

Kevin Fiala

After returning to the playoffs after a three-year dry spell, the Kings were able to better boil down what they needed to address in the offseason and the biggest one was adding goals. To solve that, the Kings added Kevin Fiala in a trade with the Minnesota Wild and locked him up to a seven-year, $55.125 million deal. What the 26-year-old from Switzerland adds is a potent goal scorer who blew up with 33 goals and 85 points last season. Fiala has been a 20-plus goal scorer the past three seasons, but the step he took last season made it impossible for the Wild to be able to afford him as a restricted free agent. A dynamic winger, Fiala will fit in well to the Kings puck possession game (52.3 CF% last season) and his ability to help improve scoring chances (56.2 xG%) will perk up L.A.’s offense regardless. Picture putting Fiala on a line with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe and that’s a unit that will drive opposing teams mad because they can hang onto the puck and score by either crashing the net or using their skill to outmaneuver defenders. Fiala will have to maintain his scoring rate (0.8 points per game or better the past three seasons) but with the players they have and the younger players soon to make a jump of their own, Fiala is a perfect fit to help bring those generations together and keep the offense flowing.

Victor Arvidsson

When the Kings added Arvidsson from Nashville before last season, it was expected he would bring a spark to an L.A. offense that desperately needed it. Mission accomplished. In 66 games, Arvidsson had 20 goals and 29 assists making him one of three Kings to crack the 20-goal barrier. He wasn’t regularly on the top power play unit, but his eight power play points was fifth-best on the team. Like most of the Kings’ players, Arvidsson was strong on possession (56.4 CF% at 5-on-5) and contributed to creating better scoring chances while he was on the ice (56.7 xG% at 5-on-5). What makes Arvidsson different is that he doesn’t fit the prototypical build associated with the Kings. L.A. is always known for being a big team that uses physical play to soften up opponents and create space on the ice. Instead, Arvidsson–who stands at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds–takes advantage of the more physical play of his teammates and his maneuverability allows him to find space to create scoring chances. This season, Arvidsson will have a chance to reunite with former Nashville teammate Kevin Fiala to create goals. Deepening the team can allow for better matchups and for Arvidsson and his linemates that only serves to make the Kings that much more dangerous with the puck.

Phillip Danault

After so many years of flying under the radar as one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, Philip Danault now gets proper recognition for it. What’s funny now is that perhaps his offensive abilities may have been underutilized as well. In his first season with the Kings, Danault was second on the team with 27 goals and third in points with 51. His 27 goals were a seasons-best by a long shot (his previous best was 13, done two times) and he proved himself to be a more than worthy No. 2 center behind Anze Kopitar. Added to the Kings because of his defensive prowess, that he became a serious offensive threat made life a lot easier for rookie Quinton Byfield. Danault popping goals meant Byfield wasn’t leaned on heavily to produce in his first season. Danault was a top-10 in voting for the Selke Trophy for league’s best defensive forward for the fourth straight year and he was outstanding of faceoffs once again winning nearly 54 percent of his draws. Although Kopitar is also an excellent defender up the middle, Danault’s presence cut down some of the pressure of handling penalty kills for Kopitar. Danault was third on the Kings in shorthanded ice time but had the best rate of power play goals against per 60 minutes played at 7.58 among those who played most time on the kill.

QuintOn Byfield

Being a rookie in the NHL is tough. Being the new guy, particularly when you were the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft. It’s even more difficult with a broken ankle. Byfield broke his ankle in a preseason game before the start of last season and wound up missing the first three months. Trying to work off that and get caught up to a new way of hockey life was hard. He finished with five goals and five assists in 40 games and played depth minutes averaging 12:09 ice time per game. Learning the NHL on the fly as a rookie is hard enough without missing time to injury, but there’s little doubt Byfield will be relied upon more heavily and soon. With a healthy offseason and ideally a healthy training camp and preseason, Byfield is a leading candidate to have a breakout season. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and 20 years old he’s more than a handful on the ice. Center had been a weak spot for the Kings the previous few seasons, but now with Danault proving he can score as well as defend, Byfield’s time to shine is coming. The Kings’ added depth at forward and emergence of other young players, like Arthur Kaliyev, gives Byfield all the weapons he’ll need to have a strong season.

Trevor Moore

No one player came out of nowhere last season the way Trevor Moore did. Known mostly for being a solid third- or fourth-line player, Moore blew up with 48 points including 17 goals. He also tied for the league lead for most shorthanded goals with five. The 27-year-old’s play vaulted him up the line sheet to the second line next to Danault and Arvidsson and gave the Kings a second line that could both frustrate opponents defensively and generate plenty of offense. Moore’s ice time went up by more than a minute per game to 15:41, up from 14:32. Perhaps the most stunning of Moore’s statistics last season was how he became a shooter going from roughly 1.5 shots per game to 2.5. Moore’s emergence was something that got its roots in the truncated 2020-2021 season where he had 23 points in 56 games. That said, predicting Moore would’ve pushed for 20 goals and been fifth on the team in points would’ve been viewed as an optimistic hope more than a realistic happening. What’s more impressive is it may be repeatable. Moore shot 8.4 percent last season which is down from his career high mark of 11.4 last season and 10.0 the year before that.

Arthur Kaliyev

Kaliyev was able not just make the Kings roster as a rookie but became an invaluable part of the lineup because of his pure offensive abilities. In 80 games, Kaliyev had 14 goals and 13 assists and played 12:39 per game. It’s tough to make your mark with comparatively limited ice time, but Kaliyev made his mark as a weapon on the power play with six of his 14 goals coming with the man advantage, which tied him with Kempe and Kopitar for the team lead. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Kaliyev is decently sized, but it’s his shot that helps him stand out. Kaliyev can wire his shots and place them perfectly, a big reason why his output on the power play is so strong. If given any kind of space, he can make defenses pay for the lapse. When he was a second-round pick by the Kings in 2019, his two-way play was a point of concern and although he’s not exactly a candidate for penalty kill, he’s gotten a little better. That said, if he’s able to improve that part of his game more he’ll be a better fit for the top-two lines. For now, he’s an outstanding offensive threat deeper into the lineup and a unique weapon with the man advantage.

DEFENSE

Drew Doughty

It was a tough 2021-2022 season for the 2016 Norris Trophy winner. He missed weeks at the beginning of the season with a knee injury and a wrist injury in March knocked him out for the remainder of the season and playoffs. In 39 games, Doughty showed all his trademark abilities with 31 points including seven goals. He was a difference maker on the power play with four goals and 13 points total with the extra man. In all, he averaged 25:44 of ice time per game and was without a doubt their top defenseman. Although the Kings had a lot of success last season, it can’t be helped but to wonder how different it would’ve been with him in the lineup. Certainly, the seven-game exit to Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs may have gone a bit different. What will be worth paying attention to this season is how Doughty bounces back at age 33 from his injury-marred season. He’s still an elite puck possession player as he led the team at 5-on-5 with 58.8 CF% and his 55.7 xG% was second to Alexander Edler among defensemen. Provided age and ill-effects from time missed with injury don’t have an impact, the Kings will be more than pleased to have Doughty running the show on the back end again.

Matt Roy

If there’s an unsung hero on the Kings roster, Matt Roy might be the most logical selection. After being pressed into duty in 2019-2020, Roy has turned into one of the steadiest defenders on the team and a key player when it comes to defending leads and shadowing the opponents’ top forwards. Roy had two goals and 17 assists last season, but he was tops in minutes played on the penalty kill with 138:24 and his 8.24 power play goals against per 60 was one of the best marks among regular penalty killers. Incredibly, Roy got 95.3 percent of his zone starts in his team’s end of the ice. Every defense needs a guy like that who puts their every effort into making life miserable for opponents and easier on their goaltenders and Roy is L.A.’s guy. If there was an award for best defensive defenseman, Roy would likely be in that conversation because of how he’s used and how his puck possession numbers are still outstanding (55.7 CF%). It’s not a glamorous role, but he’s vital to helping the Kings win and shut down opposing teams.

Sean Durzi

As a bolt from the blue, Sean Durzi arrived on the Kings blue line and became a high-impact offensive player for Los Angeles. At 23, Durzi finally broke into the NHL last season and played 64 games for the Kings racking up three goals and 24 assists. Durzi was a second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 and, after parts of three seasons in the AHL, established himself as a very capable player at 5-on-5 but also a strong quarterback on the power play. Durzi had two goals and 13 assists–more than half his points–with the man advantage. Equal parts having solid puck possession and a good shot made him an ideal player for the power play unit, particularly in Doughty’s absence. Durzi’s mobility with the puck also allowed him to fit in seamlessly to the Kings blue line. Durzi can help move the puck out of the zone against the league’s third and fourth lines and give the Kings attack a jump up the ice. After all, the Kings will have better depth up front which means skilled players get worked in deeper to the line mix. Of Kings defensemen with more than 500 minutes at 5-on-5, Durzi was sixth of seven with a 51.6 CF% and only his most common defense partner Tobias Bjornfot was lower. A healthy blue line and better matchups should make for improvements all around for Durzi.

Alexander Edler

When the Kings signed the longtime Vancouver Canucks defenseman last season it was seen as a dart in the dark that the 36-year-old Swede could give them a little something. Turns out he did that and more but was bitten by the injury bug. Edler was tops on the Kings with a 58.3 xG% and was fourth with a 56.9 CF% with three goals and 16 assists in 41 games. He missed more than three months of action from December to March with a broken ankle but returned in time for the end of the season and playoffs. Edler’s success was something else to see as he hadn’t put up advanced numbers like he had since the heyday of the Canucks from 2010 through 2015. His CF% was the best of his career and his xG% was his best by more than five percent. It’s usually said you know what you’re going to get when you add older players to the roster but expecting what Edler had been with Vancouver in his final few seasons there and instead getting a version of him more like what he was 10 years ago is the happiest kind of surprise. If Edler’s health can hold up and he returns to this brand of play, the Kings’ depth on the blue line will look even better than it does on paper.

GOALTENDING

Jonathan Quick

At long last, the Los Angeles Kings are in the final year of their seemingly endless deal signed for starter Jonathan Quick. It appeared as if the team was going to have to cut ties early – and at times it appeared as if the team had hamstrung itself by failing to do so – but as year ten gets underway, it certainly seems as if one of the league’s 2010’s crease giants may actually get to finish out his massive deal with the club that drafted him to begin with.

It certainly seems ill-advised to make any kind of prediction regarding Quick with more than a mild degree of confidence, given how the last handful of seasons have played out. Even when the now-36-year-old veteran struggled, the team doggedly left him as their number one – and just when it seemed as if he had truly hit a permanent technical decline, he made a miraculous bounce-back last year to edge up-and-comer Cal Petersen out as the team’s number one once again. Just when you think you know what Quick is going to be, he manages to mix things up once again. He’s no longer the league’s fastest-moving skater in net, nor is he still a sure bet for a handful of impossible-looking stops every night. That impressive ability to almost separate his upper body movements from his lower-body control, giving him a dangerously wide stance that could stop on a dime while making a flashy windmill glove save, has dulled as he’s logged 700 career games and continued to climb. He still has the ability to read an offensive approach at an elite level, but the execution is just a bit too muted to still consider him in the league’s top-tier at what he does. That being said, he seemed to catch a second wind last year. It might have been due to the über-competitive nature he’s so well known for, but whatever caused it kept the Kings from taking yet another backslide as their younger netminder hit a few road bumps in the season. That bodes well for both the Kings and Petersen this year if Quick is once again able to dig deep and pull out a few more of those league-topping games – but given the performances he gave in the three seasons leading up to last year, it’s hard to truly bet on him.

Projected starts: 30-35

Cal Petersen

It’s finally Cal Petersen’s net to lose. The only problem, of course, is that he did just that last season; just when it appeared the Kings were poised to tab him as their true number one, he started to struggle and opened the door for yet another year of the Jonathan Quick show. The good news is that every young goaltender goes through growing pains, so it’s hard to look at one rough year and discount the seasons that Petersen was LA’s most reliable option. The bad news, though, is that Jonathan Quick’s ten-year deal is set to finally expire this summer – and he both has a lot of mileage on his skates and a family that could influence whether or not he wants to continue on with the team as a veteran safety net in 2023.

Look for Petersen to shake off some stretches of bad reads this year if he hopes to put up the kind of numbers fans expected after his league debut. When he plays well, he’s got all the lower-body agility that Jonathan Quick possesses, but a little bit of a more aggressive initial positioning to his game and a bit of a stronger grasp on how to work his angles. He just needs to make sure he isn’t putting himself in a position where he has to rely on his dazzling saves every night; while it’s valuable that he’s capable of show-stopping pad reaches and glove saves, it shouldn’t be his go-to move.

Projected starts: 50-55

Winnipeg Jets Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 14:21:29 +0000

For prospect hounds such as ourselves, and presumably you, the Winnipeg Jets of the last few years were a model organization. Not only were they building from within, but they were focusing on high upside talent at the draft. Whether they were drafting early (as they often did) or late, they drafted skill.

There were, of course, exceptions such as the somewhat perplexing decision to select the towering Logan Stanley with the 18^th overall pick in 2016, leaving players like Kieffer Bellows, Henrik Borgstrom, Sam Steel, and Alex DeBrincat on the board. But their other first round pick, Patrik Laine, was so good, it was easy to hand-wave away the Stanley selection.

Winnipeg’s 2017 draft followed that trend again, taking a super high upside forward in Kristian Vesalainen in the first round and following it up with a toolsy, yet very raw defender in Dylan Samberg with their second pick.

Coming into this past season, the Jets still seemed to have a loaded organization when it came to high end prospects. Of that crew, only one player, albeit their best one, Kyle Connor, graduated to the NHL. And he certainly lived up to expectations as well, with 57 points in 75 games. A few other rookies got some time in the NHL, but only Connor graduated from prospect status.

Between the loss (in a good way) of their top prospect, in addition to the trade top 10 challenger Erik Foley to St. Louis along with their first round pick in this year’s draft (again, in a good way for those two -Stastny was very good in his brief stay in Manitoba) and the generally late choices they got by virtue of a successful season at the NHL level, one would have expected a mild drop off in the overall strength of the system. Instead, the system seems to have cratered.

On the one hand, there are still some very talented players at the top. Vesalainen’s stock is as high as ever after a fantastic rookie season in Liiga and Jack Roslovic was only four NHL games away from graduating and should capture a regular NHL job out of training camp this year.

Other than those two though, and perhaps a few other more tangential depth pieces, Winnipeg saw way too many young players regress in 2017-18. The above-mentioned Stanley was healthy but ends his OHL career having never dominated the league over a lengthy stretch. Poolman dealt with injuries and struggled in his first, seemingly rushed, NHL looks.

And those were among the better performers in the Winnipeg system. Most of the other prospects of note were lucky to tread water. Some were not as lucky. Spare a thought to Jansen Harkins, a former second round pick who was ranked s their number seven prospect last summer. He was entering his rookie season as a pro but had had cameos in both last two seasons after his WHL was eliminated and looked good. Not this time. He struggled to assert himself with the Moose and ended up spending time in the ECHL.

Harkins, and all the others, are still young enough to be given every opportunity to recover, but the Jets have surrendered the model development organization mantle.

1 Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3^rd) After inexplicably falling to the 24^th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Vesalainen had as good a year as he possibly could have, returning to his native Finland for the full season, scoring close to a point per game for HPK, and then helping Karpat to a Liiga championship after switching teams on loan. He was, by 10 points, the leading U20 player in Finland. As good as the numbers were, the skills are even better. All of his offensive tools grade out as high end, and the puck skills are near elite. He has a strong, 6-4”, NHL-ready frame, although it is possible that he spends another year in Europe before getting his NHL shot, as he has yet to sign an ELC. Either way, he is a future top six winger.

Jack Roslovic

2 Jack Roslovic, C/RW (25^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 2^nd) As mentioned above, Roslovic was only a few more NHL games away from losing his eligibility for this list (we don’t count playoff games for this purpose). He topped the point per game mark in his second go round in the AHL. He was a bit tentative in the NHL and his possession numbers underwhelmed, the skill set to play a regular middle six role, whether up the middle or in the wing, is still there. He is a strong skater with a very good shot and puck skills. Additional experience should allow him to play a more assertive style, much like he jumped into the AHL as a 19-year-old and dominated like few teenagers do. Considering the Jet’s depth at center, expect Roslovic to mostly play right wing for now.

3 Mason Appleton, C/RW (168^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 10^th) A prime example of how the Jets built one of the previously best and deepest systems in the NHL, Appleton was not a great skater in his draft year, but had always shown puck skills and vision, whether it was in his one year in the USHL, or prior to that as a Wisconsin prepster. He hit the ground running with Michigan State as a freshman and never looked back, turning pro after his sophomore campaign. His AHL rookie season was sensational, as he finished fourth in the league in scoring. His skating is much improved from his amateur days and he has also upped his finishing ability. Once an afterthought, now Appleton should be first in line when the Jets need to call up a forward.

4 Sami Niku, D (198^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 9^th) The number two scoring defenseman in his AHL rookie campaign Niku, drafted one round after Appleton, is another poster example of the benefits of drafting for skill in all rounds. He even scored a goal in his one game NHL cameo. A solid skater with fantastic puck moving and puck protection skills, he fits the modern game to a ‘T’. He is on the lean side and does not project to be a force in his own end or along the boards, but when his tea has the puck, he won’t need to be. If he can show more subtlety when shooting, he could be a near perfect power play weapon. Numbers might keep him in the AHL for another year, but his time should come soon enough.

5 Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 8^th) Although Samberg has yet to demonstrate that he could be an offensive factor from the blueline, he has all of the tools you want to see in a defender whose priority is to drive the transition from defense to offense. He generally makes the simple play instead of trying for flash. He reads game situations at a surprisingly advanced level, considering how he only had 14 games above high school level before joining Minnesota-Duluth this year, where he helped spearhead a young blueline into a surprise national championship. Samberg is probably more of a #4/5 than a #2/3 going forward, but he looks like a future contributor, even if it will be a quiet contributor.

Logan Stanley

6 Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 4^th) As mentioned above, Logan Stanley is big. At 6-7”, 227, he is easily among the biggest prospects – in fact, players of any stripe - in the sport. Stanley is more than just a Coke-Machine on ice, though. He moves very well for his size, and pretty well for any size, and can flash some offensive instinct. He knows how to use his size for good effect, and his reach in particular is elite. His 42-point season with the Kitchener Rangers was a fitting high on which to end his junior career, but his 16 points in 19 postseason games really hinted at the best case scenario. The Jets will be patient with Stanley as he explores his upside, but at worst, he will play in a bottom pairing role in the NHL.

7 Tucker Poolman, D (127^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 5^th) Although Poolman was given the opportunity to make the Jets out of camp last year, he was caught in a numbers game, dressing for only three of the team’s first 11 games before being sent back down to the Moose. He was up and down between the AHL and NHL throughout the year, but never really got settled in either league and only appeared in 43 games combined. Although given only limited and sheltered minutes with the Jets, to Poolman’s credit, he put up strong possession numbers. He still flashed some of the two-way abilities that made him such a coveted, if late-blooming NCAA prospect. He skates well for a bigger player and has some puck moving ability. Already 25 years old, this is Poolman’s last year on this list, one way or another.

8 David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) The first name called out by the Winnipeg brass in the 2018 draft, Gustafsson is a broad-shouldered pivot who has already shown the ability to hold his own against men with a solid age 17 season in the SHL. More smart than anything else, his general lack of speed ensured that he was still available through most of two rounds. He projects as more of a shooter than a playmaker, which is more due to lack of creativity than inability to create plays for his teammates. Between his reads, size, strength, and temperament, he will be a handful no matter where he stands. He is signed for three more years with HV71 but expect the Jets to try to buy him out of that pact before it expires.

9 Michael Spacek, C (108^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 13^th) After a strong junior career both in the WHL and representing his native Czech Republic (he played in three WJCs and two WU18s) Spacek had a fine, if understated start to his pro career with the Moose. He demonstrated that his slightly undersized frame could withstand the rigors of playing against men and he provided secondary scoring to boot with 17 goals. Although not the toolsiest of players, he showed a nice shot, with the one-timer being a legitimate weapon from the slot. His skills play up somewhat thanks to good hockey sense, although the overall package speaks to a bottom six upside. One of many such prospects in this system, Spacek is closer than most of the others to being able to slot into the NHL lineup.

Santeri Virtanen

10 Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 6^th) A gamble on tools, the Jets selected Virtanen with a fourth-round pick in 2017 despite being limited to 25 games at all levels in his draft year after a very impressive showing at the WU18s. It is too early to curse a player with the “injury-prone” label, nut after playing only 37 games at all levels this year, he is trending that way. Virtanen is an excellent skater with impressive hockey IQ, and enough puck skills to project as a two-way forward, but he needs to stat on the ice much more. He will be returning to Finland this year after a year in the USHL. Until he plays more regularly, he is a wild card.

11 Eric Comrie, G (59^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 12^th) There was a time not all that long ago, that Eric Comrie was ahead of Connor Hellebuyck in the Winnipeg pipeline. He had higher draft pedigree and some international experience. That ship has long since sailed. It is hard to blame Comrie for that though. He is an adequate all-around goalie whose best attributes are his glove hand and his ability to read the play, but goalie development is rarely linear. At least, it wasn’t for Hellebuyck. Comrie, on the other hand, has been inching his way forward over the last three seasons in the AHL, with a career best .916 save percentage last year. As his reward, he will be slightly favored to win the NHL backup job this year.

12 Brendan Lemieux, LW (Trade: Feb. 11, 2015. Last Year: 19^th) Playing more like his father Claude every year, Brendan Lemieux is a beefy player with good speed and a mean streak that burns hot over the long Manitoba winters. It is not a boast to note his second in the AHL 170 penalty minutes, but they do give a good indication of the type of player that he is. To his credit, he also more than doubled his previous AHL point totals, in ten fewer games than the previous year. If he can contain his temper just a touch more, he could have an NHL future as a pest. So far, that proposition is not a sure thing.

13 Giovanni Vallati, D (153^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) While we were less than impressed on the whole with the Jets’ 2018 draft class, we applauded their selection of Vallati in the fifth round. Once a first-round pick in the OHL entry draft, he has quietly put up two solid seasons for Kitchener since then. A smooth skating blueliner, he has flashed high end smarts and a burgeoning physical game, although none of those traits has been all that consistent, or all at the same time, thus far. He has upside as a defensive defenseman who is not a liability on the puck, but he is still young enough to hope for more in time.

14 Clinston (C.J.) Suess, LW (129^th overall, 2014. Last Year: unranked) Suess, formerly known as C.J. Franklin, ended his NCAA eligibility on a high note, with career highs in both goals and assists, and being named a Hobey Baker award finalist, after leading Minnesota Stake-Mankato to their first NCAA tournament in three seasons. Although Suess is not blessed with a full glowing tool set, he plays a gritty, team-first game and shows a good understanding of the game, enabling what tools he does have to play up. He is likely no more than a fourth line winger at the highest level, but he is a good example of why teams are wise to take late round chances on college bound players in the draft.

15 Laurent Brossoit, G (UFA: Jul. 1, 2018. Last Year: 6^th (Edmonton)) Brossoit had appeared in NHL games for four straight years for the Edmonton Oilers, with last year’s 14 games representing a career high. His .883 save percentage in that span was not, unfortunately for him, a career low. The Oilers had been hoping that he could be a reliable backup to Cam Talbot in the NHL, but the former Calgary sixth round pick was clearly not up to the task. Perhaps with the Jets, his third organization – all Central Canadian clubs – will be the place for him to shine. He will have a chance to compete against Eric Comrie for the backup job for the Jets, but for all of his technical competence and rebound control, his struggles reading the play make him the underdog in this race.

16 Skyler McKenzie, C (198^th overall, 2018. Last Year: unranked) Around 11 inches shorter and close to 60 pounds lighter than Logan Stanley, McKenzie finished his WHL career with two near identical seasons of 84 and 87 points, topping 40 goals both times. Although he lacks any one standout tool, all of them – barring physicality, of course – grade out as above average. He played in all situations for Portland but will most likely be sheltered as a pro until he proves that he can withstand the tighter game of the AHL. Even as the game is growing less averse to smaller, skilled players, when you are small as McKenzie, you have to keep proving yourself before the caveats are removed from your point totals.

Luke Green

17 Luke Green, D (79^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 14^th) The number one overall pick of the 2014 QMJHL entry draft, Green struggled to actuate his tools through most of his junior career. While his production was far stronger in his last year on a per-game basis, injuries limited him to only 14 regular season games with Sherbrooke. He is a solid skater with above average hockey sense, but his offensive tools have not yet convinced that they can play at a high level as a pro. As he enters his rookie season in the AHL, he will also have to prove that the whispers of attitude problems that followed him in junior will not be an impediment to his ability to actuate his skills.

18 Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. Last Year: unranked) Originally drafted out of the Russian 18U program, Berdin came to North America and excelled in the USHL over two seasons, even earning the third string role for the Russian WJC squad last year. Although he has yet to be truly tested at an advanced level, Berdin displays a lot of attributes that suggest that good things are in his future. He is athletic and hard-nosed. He is also perhaps the most skilled and definitely the most daring puck handling goalie among all affiliated prospects. He will play pucks that other goalies don’t even think about. So it isn’t so surprising that he scored an empty net goal last season with Sioux Falls.

19 Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 15^th) Now a three-year KHL veteran, Kraskovsky has settled in as a 200-foot player who makes up in own zone responsibility what he lacks in offensive skills. He actually has solid puck skills but has not yet figured out how to turn that into offensive production. For the most part, Kraskovsky is a high IQ player who understands the game and knows how to make the safe, coaching friendly plays. Big and rangy, he has yet to fully fill out his 6-4” frame. The Jets are in no rush to bring him to North America and considering that he just signed a two year contract extension with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Kraskovsky isn’t in a rush either.

20 JC Lipon, RW (91^st overall, 2013. Last Year: 17^th) A bruising winger who has seemingly plateaued at around 30 points a year in the AHL, Lipon has the skating and hockey IQ to play a role in the NHL, but he will never play as more than a fourth liner. His offensive limitations may prevent him from getting back to the NHL, which he experienced in a nine-game trial in the 2015-16 season, but his impressive physical game, with big hits at open ice and along the boards, along with the wheels and responsibility to help out on the PK, could lead to a long career as an unheralded energy line player.

Winnipeg – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 12:14:37 +0000

The goaltender paradox is one of the last and most difficult-to-overcome issues remaining in hockey. On the one hand, some of the best goaltenders of all time were lightly regarded as amateurs – or not regarded at all – while many netminders that were highly touted as amateurs, never establish themselves in the NHL. On the other hand, an NHL team could be talented and deep from first line to fourth, first pairing to third, and be sunk by mediocre goaltending while some mediocre teams are lifted to great heights by a talented netminder playing at the top of his game at the right time.

The modern-era Winnipeg Jets understand that before they moved back to Winnipeg, in their time as the Atlanta Thrashers, the organization used the second-overall pick of the 2002 draft on a big, athletic netminder from Finland named Kari Lehtonen. Lehtonen was – and still is – not a horrible goalie by NHL standards, but hindsight tells us that they would have been better off selecting Jay Bouwmeester (who went third).

*In fairness to Lehtonen, 2002 was a poor draft year in retrospect. As at times frustrating is his career has been, the number of players selected in 2002 after him who were clearly more valuable over their careers can be counted on one hand – Bouwmeester, Duncan Keith, Alex Steen, Valtteri Filpulla, Frans Nielsen.

Since that time, the combined Thrashers/Jets franchise has been much more conservative with the goaltending position at the draft. In 15 subsequent drafts, they have twice used second round picks on goalies, and never higher. Of course, that does not mean that they have solved goaltending. Like the rest of us, they have long known the pain of inconsistency between the pipes. To understand that pain, it is sufficient to know that the only goaltender in franchise history with more starts than Lehtonen has been Ondrej Pavelec, who finally played his last eight games in a Jets uniform last season.

Moving back to the premise of the first paragraph above, the Jets have tended to draft very well. Two years ago, Hockey Prospectus ranked their system as the best in hockey and last year, they still ranked sixth. They rarely are in contention for high-end free agents and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff tends to be very shy when it comes to trades, so their roster is largely home grown.

Thankfully, the roster is good. Very good. Forwards like Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, and Patrik Laine are legit superstars. The next wave, featuring Nikolaj Ehlers, Bryan Little, and Matheiu Perrault, is similarly inspiring. On the blueline, they feature diverse talents like Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, and Josh Morrissey. And the Jets currently have an abundance of very talented young players ready to reinforce what is already on-hand. There are good arguments for four of the top five listed below to spend this coming season in the NHL.

Not the perfect roster, but they have been good. They took more shots at even strength than their opponents in two of the last three years. Yet only once in that span did they make the playoffs, a minimalist appearance in which they were swept in the first round by Anaheim. And for all of that, their success will be predicated on the work of the goalies. They have not been able to develop front end goalies, and unless Steve Mason proves the answer, that mystery will continue to haunt this franchise.

Jets Kyle Connor (81) (Photo by Terrence Lee/Icon Sportswire)

1 Kyle Connor – One of the best players in NCAA as a freshman, Connor was not physically ready for the NHL even if his skill set was (and remains) high end. He struggled over 20 games with the Jets, but after going back to the AHL, emerged as one of the best players in the circuit by year’s end. Owns an incredibly quick release which scarcely needs one touch before firing. Will never be a physically dominant player, but cannot fault his effort. Should form a great 1-2 scoring punch with Patrik Laine for years to come.

2 Jack Roslovic – The top under-20 scorer in the AHL last season, Roslovic justified the decision to leave Miami (Ohio) after only one season. The former first round pick (taken the same year as Connor) plays a very mature game with great vision and puck skills. A solid-average skater, his offensive output is more meat-and-potatoes than creative, but still very effective. Plays with a very high work rate and is strong for his size. Has second line upside.

Jack Roslovic

Kristian Vesalainen (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

3 Kristian Vesalainen – Shuffled between teams in SHL, Liiga and SuperElit, it should be little wonder that Vesalainen struggled to produce offense with any consistency during the regular season. Finally playing amongst his peers at the WU18 tournament, he took off, with 13 points in seven games for the Silver medal winners. He is a big power forward with an excellent shot and a mature all-around game. Should be able to use his size to his advantage against men next year.

4 Logan Stanley – Drafted as a gamble on elite height with good hockey intelligence, Stanley’s post draft season was blighted by injuries, but when he played, he was beginning to show some of the promise that the Jets saw in him when they used the 18th overall selection in 2016 on him. An incredible skater for his height, he is extremely difficult to skate around. He is very strong on the puck and has a cannon for a point shot. Given better health, his point totals should take off.

5 Tucker Poolman – Dynamic and intelligent, Poolman can do a little bit of everything on the ice. Strong in his own zone, he rarely made the wrong decision in his collegiate career. Likes to pinch in with the knowledge that his skating prowess will allow him to get to his own zone in plenty of time. Has a strong, lanky body and will occasionally lay out bigger bodies with thunderous checks. Has a decent point shot, but is more effective at moving the puck smartly to teammates.

6 Santeri Virtanen – After spending the vast majority of his draft season injured, Virtanen exploded in the last five games of the season for TPS U20 and was one of the top players on Finland’s U18 team. He is a high end skater who has a rare extra gear. A very dangerous penalty killer. Plays with bravery, getting into lanes late to block shots or using his aggressive stick to create turnovers. Very high hockey IQ. Excited to see what he can do when fully healthy.

7 Jansen Harkins – A highly intelligent two-way forward, his offense in the WHL had stalled at plus, but not dominant levels. More a playmaker than a shooter, he exhibits very good vision and passing chops. He has a good frame for the pro game, but is not an overly physical player, relying on positioning and anticipation more than intimidation in his own end. Projecting as a middle six center, he is the type of player for whom his AHL stay could be brief.

8 Dylan Samberg – Raw, but incredibly toolsy, Samberg was a smart, calculated gamble in the second round this year. He combines plus size with great mobility and a strong point shot. Likes to pinch in deep, he is able to get back in time if the offensive charge does not go as planned. Patient with the puck and capable of executing long passes, he will not likely dazzle with his carrying ability. His strength is functional, but projects for more. Off to Minnesota-Duluth this year.

9 Sami Niku – A slightly undersized offensive defenseman, Niku will be making his North American debut this year. He is a smooth skater who hits top speed quickly and has an accurate, if not very hard, point shot. His real strength is his high end puck play. He can deliver crisp, long passes, that are easy to handle by his teammates. Also strong carrying the puck with speed up the ice. He will not be a quick AHL study, but has eventual top four upside.

10 Mason Appleton – Another example of the Jets drafting talented, skilled players in the late rounds, Appleton was by far the best player on a moribund Michigan State squad last year, and arguably as a freshman as well. The Jets seemed to agree, coaxing him out of school with an ELC this offseason. Strong on the half-wall, he plays the puck with patience and great vision. Not the fastest, but very agile. Responsible in his own end. Hands are quicker than his feet.

11 Erik Foley – An athletic winger with plus wheels, Foley can both produce offense at a respectable clip, while looking like a passenger, led along by better players. He has finishing ability and good net drive, featuring plus acceleration, but his hands often look stiff. He can protect the puck, leveraging his core strength and positioning against the wall, but struggles more when trying to stickhandle in tight. Can succeed if he plays a physical, power game.

12 Eric Comrie – Currently the top goaltending prospect in the Jets’ system, through two seasons in the AHL, Comrie has proven that he can handle a pro workload but not that he can be better than average between the pipes. He is athletic and minimizes second chances, but is prone to the snowballing effect, where one bad goal quickly leads to another. Small by modern netminding standards, he relies on lateral agility and scrambling to cover the net.

13 Michael Spacek – A strong scorer at both the international and junior levels, Spacek has all of the offensive tools, including skating prowess, a hard arsenal of shots, and slick hands that allow him to project as a potential middle six contributor at the highest level. Although he is a hard worker, and puts forth a commendable effort at backchecking and taking care of things in his own end, his lack of size or strength will hamper his speed of ascent.

14 Luke Green – An above average skater, Green has struggled to keep his career on the path he seemed to be on when Saint John made him the number one choice in the 2014 QMJHL Entry draft. He has the talent, and the all-zones awareness to project onto a future second pairing, but has also shown a disappointing propensity to wilt as the pressure mounts. Forced his way out of Saint John last year as he was being asked to play more at forward in deference to Thomas Chabot and Jakub Zboril. Has a chance to end his junior career on a high note.

15 Pavel Kraskovsky – The tall and lanky Russian pivot took a big step forward this season, his second full season in the KHL. A two-way player, he has good hands and playmaking instincts in the offensive zone, and is positionally mature in his own zone. More of a support player than one who can lead a top six line, he is currently on a one year deal with his hometown Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Another year of progress like last year and the Jets should be working to entice him to cross the pond.

16 Chase De Leo – Pesky, undersized De Leo took a step back offensively in his second go-round in the AHL. Partially, it was a function of regression in his percentages and partially from being less involved offensively. He has enough slippery skating ability and quickness in his hands to be able to provide offense from a bottom six role in the NHL in the near future. He could probably contribute this season without embarrassing himself if the opportunity arose.

17 JC Lipon – AHL vet Lipon plays a physical game that is much bigger than his average size. After scoring at a nice clip in 2015-16, his offensive game fell off last year, while he still continued to rack up loyalty rewards for frequent use of the penalty box. A strong two-way forward, he might be more highly considered by Jets’ brass if he could only reign in his aggression on the ice. Could produce more offense with his shot and surprisingly nimble hands if he could stay out of the box.

18 Johnathan Kovacevic – Drafted this year in his third year of eligibility, Kovacevic exploded onto the prospect map this year, his freshman season with Merrimack. He is a big, calm puckmoving defenseman. A good skater for his size, he generally opts for the safe, simple play instead of risking something more flashy. Has great reach and leverages his large frame well at both ends. Already 20 years old and as big as he will get, the question is how much more development is in there?

19 Brendan Lemieux – The son of super-agitating Claude Lemieux, as a junior, Brendan Lemieux was the spitting image of his old man. He could contribute second line offensive numbers and was hell to play against. As a first year pro, only the latter half of that equation remained in place. He is a good skater with nice puck playing ability, but he got so caught up in the agitation, that he rarely had time to contribute to the offense. Also, spending that much time in the penalty box is no longer fashionable.

20 Nelson Nogier – Literally as unexciting as a prospect can be while still being a prospect, Nogier had a quietly steady first full pro season, spent mostly in the AHL, but also including 10 games up with the Jets. A modern-day defensive defenseman, he specializes in retrieving the puck in his own end and getting it moving again towards the offensive. Once the puck is out, he has little involvement although he is a good skater, and his point shot, when he takes one, is hard enough.

With many young players already starring in the NHL, the Jets system is not as strong as it recently was, but through continuing their approach of drafting high end skill whenever possible – ensuring that a high proportion of their picks have at least one skill that grades out as well above average – they are in a position to continue filling out the NHL roster from within. They recognize the inherent limitations they face from a player procurement perspective and continue to maximize the routes open to them.

NHL Prospect Watch: A Leipsic of faith

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 22:11:11 +0000

Feb. 25, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Brendan Leipsic (49) moves toward the net as Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Noah Hanifin (5) defends in the second period at the Air Canada Centre. (Photo by Dan Hamilton/Icon Sportswire)

Through games on November 27, 2016, the leading scorer in the AHL is Marlies’ winger Brendan Leipsic (Toronto, 89/2012 – originally drafted by Nashville), LW, Toronto (AHL)). Should Leipsic hold on and finish the year with the scoring title, it would mark a break from the normal AHL points champ, more often than not an AHL veteran, instead of a legitimate NHL prospect of note. The last one of consequence was Brandon Pirri, who won the John B. Sollenberger Trophy with nearly one point per game in 2011-12 as a member of the Rockford IceHogs before his peripatetic NHL career took hold.

In the 2016-17 Hockey Prospectus Prospect Guidebook, we wrote that Leipsic is “hitting the make or break time for prospects.” Presumably, the Winnipeg native did not read the guide book, but he is nonetheless making it. He had always scored reasonably well in the categories of skating, shooting, stick handling and hockey IQ, with higher end grades for his physical game – he has a similar stature to, and plays a similar style as Brad Marchand. In his third year at the AHL level, Leipsic has earned a higher grade for his hockey IQ, as he seems to read the game better – in all zones, but especially in the offensive end – than your standard AHL forward stock. He keeps his stick in the right places to be disruptive and when he has the puck, he generally has a good idea of what to do with it. In short, his hockey IQ should now be considered as on-par with his physicality.

While some may be somewhat surprised at his upsurge on offensive production, upon deeper inspection, it should not be too surprising. He had moderate offensive totals in the WHL when the Predators made him a third round selection in 2012. His final two junior season with the Portland Winterhawks were stellar with 211 points in 133 regular season games in addition to 57 points in 41 postseason contests. Between Milwaukee and the Marlies in his first pro season (he was the highlight of the Leafs’ return for Cody Franson and Mike Santorelli), he put up 54 points in 74 games (0.73 PPG), second behind only Charles Hudon among 1994 born players that year. Last year, his numbers increased to 54 points in 65 games (0.83 PPG), gain among the league leaders in 1994-borns. As mentioned above, his current production places him atop the league leaderboard without any caveats needed.

He presently profiles as a solid middle six winger although the improvements to his skating, and puck skills hint that he may yet solidify a role in a good second line. Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock is known to be very loyal to his players, and rookie Zach Hyman is one current beneficiary of his largesse, receiving second line minutes in spite of tepid production. There is reason to believe that Leipsic could outproduce Hyman right now. Reason including his three points in six NHL games cameo last year. I believe that Leipsic has enough versatility to contribute on either wing in a variety of roles, including both special teams units. He should be the first (next) callup on the Leafs in the case of an injury to any winger.

Kasperi Kapanen (Toronto, 22/2014 – originally drafted by Pittsburgh), RW, Toronto (AHL)

Kapanen, the primary return from Pittsburgh in the big Phil Kessel deal, has always been long on tools but lacking the tie that could bind it all together. He would show flashes against older opponents – he was already playing regularly against adults in Finland in his age 17 season – but has not really dominated at any level since completed in the WU18s. Last year, his first full season in North America, was solid, with 25 points in 44 games for a loaded Marlies team. Part of the reason for the low games played total was due to his inclusion in the roster for the WJC championship entry from Finland. Kapanen earned himself more than a few fans from that tournament by dint of scoring the gold medal winning goal in overtime.

In any case, he had been more notable for holding his own as an under-ager than for what he actually produced on the ice. That may be starting to change.

Previously, Kapanen’s best grades were in his skating and his puck skills. He also had a strong shot, but his instincts and physical game were both below average. While he still does not display much of a physical nature, his reads are vastly improved. He is receiving and earning time on the penalty kill for the Marlies and has shown a propensity in the first quarter of the season to make strong reads in his own zone, enabling the third generation professional hockey player to break up plays and boost the transition game. He is also driving play much more. Through 17 games, he has already fired 58 shots on net. This, after only registering 65 shots in 44 games for the Marlies last season.

While Leipsic is likely ready to contribute in the NHL now, Kapanen could still use more time with the Marlies to prove that his early season advances are for real. If he can keep this level of play up for a few more months, the Maple Leafs will have to find a way to make room for him on the NHL roster. At the very least, his new-found utility in defensive situations should provide some relief for the Toronto braintrust in that Kapanen does not need to be considered a top six or bust player any more.

Brett Lernout (Montreal, 73/2014), D, St. John’s (AHL)

A former third round pick out of Swift Current in the WHL, Lernout did not do much in his first full pro season to gain notice outside of standing around. He sure looks the part, at 6-4”, 205. That alone may have been enough to be Johnny-on-the-spot when the Habs were in an emergency situation late in the year, giving Lernout his NHL debut in a one game cameo. Until his final year of junior eligibility, Lernout was mostly a stay-at-home guy, spending roughly five minutes in the penalty box for every point he accrued. Not a great ratio.

His first year in the AHL was more of the same, but increased to six penalty minutes per point (73:12). In preparing the Hockey Prospectus Prospect Guidebook, we noted a physical player who had reasonable hockey IQ, but was below average in all areas that lead to puck possession and a positive goal differential. His puck skills, in particular, were pretty rough.

The Winnipeg native has seemingly taken his game to a new level early in the year. With seven assists in his first 20 games, and a team high +7, he is showing that we had either underrated him, or he has in fact made some much needed adjustments. While his physical game will remain his calling card, in a recent viewing, he showed better skating than he had last year, with plus acceleration through the neutral zone indicating that he could work out as a puck carrier in addition to making the simple first passes. His puck play is also now closer to average than previously. While we previously considered Lernout to be a basic injury replacement candidate, I now see a player who could fill in admirably as a decent #5 on the blueline.

Tom Parisi (Montreal, UDFA/2016), D, St. John’s (AHL)

Signed last spring as an undrafted free agent out of Providence College, the former NCAA champion was seen as a quiet defender who brought high hockey IQ to the table but little in the way of pizzazz. In his first 14 AHL games, nine coming this year, that assessment has played out reasonably well.

Parisi is a safe player, solid in his own zone and capable of boxing out opponents. He uses his stick well to defend and has decent puck management skills. When in the offensive zone, he can maintain possession, even when hounded, doing enough in one recent viewing to draw a penalty from a frustrated opponent. His shot is not a strength, something the Habs scouts no doubt understood when signing him, as he only scored 12 collegiate goals in four full seasons. When he wrists it in from the point, the best that can be said is that the puck will reach the destination. His slap shot has more oomph, but is still shy of being a weapon. Although older than Lernout by two years, Parisi is further away from being ready to contribute at the NHL level. Further, his ceiling is lower. There are signs that he could peak as a #6/7, but 23 years of age, his window to prove he can make it is smaller. Further hampering his aspirations is the relatively deep depth chart Montreal has among blueliners. With only Andrei Markov slated to become a UFA this summer, he must be hoping that Las Vegas selects a defenseman when they scour through the Montreal list in the spring.

Jack Roslovic (Winnipeg, 25/2015), C, Manitoba (AHL)

Color me convinced. Roslovic was taken towards the end of the first round in the 2015 draft, a selection that raised some eyebrows on the draft floor. Although he was one of the top producers on a stacked USNTDP squad in 2014-15, many viewed him as more of a two-way center, getting points due to the skills of his teammates more than his own contributions. He followed up his draft year with an impressive freshman season at Miami University, putting up 26 points in 36 games, tying for the team lead in points with Blackhawks’ prospect Anthony Louis.

Despite that, he was not offered a spot on the American entry to last year’s WJC. To top off his season, Roslovic decided that the collegiate route wasn’t for him, after all. Although he was eligible to play in the OHL and the London Knights had traded for his rights in anticipation of adding a premium talent to their as always stacked roster, Roslovic was also eligible to be the rare teenager afforded the chance to spend a full season developing in the AHL. With an ELC signed, that is just what the Jets did, preferring the flexibility of the AHL (and the ability to recall Roslovic on demand) to the rigidity of an OHL assignment that would see Roslovic ineligible to play professionally unless and until the Knights’ season was over.

So far, the Columbus native’s early exposure to the AHL shows that he is more than up to the task of playing with and against experienced players seven years and more his senior. Through 18 games, Roslovic is the leading scorer with the Manitoba Moose while tied with Buffalo phenom for the leading scorer among the few teenagers in the league. The pace of play in the AHL is certainly not too fast for him. He shows good vision and puck skills in all three zones. In a recent viewing, he took control of the puck on the half-wall in the offensive end, curled in to the hashmarks on his backhand and in a single, fluid motion, switched to his forehand and snapped a quick shot past the opposing goalies stick. The half-wall seems to be his preferred place of residence in the offensive end.

If added confidence allows more creativity to come to fruition, Roslovic profiles as a nice asset for a second line role in the near future who could move to the wing in a pinch. To be clear, I would be impressed if he was doing this at 21 instead of 19. Also, the Americans would be incredibly foolish to overlook Roslovic again when putting together their roster for the 2017 WJC.

Brendan Lemieux (Winnipeg, 31/2014 – originally drafted by Buffalo), LW, Manitoba (AHL)

I want to believe. As a junior with the Barrie Colts and then the Windsor Spitfires, Lemieux was the spitting image of his father, Claude. A feisty grinder who would put a hurting on anyone within spitting distance, but sometimes also hamper his own team due to extraneous penalties taken. He was also a decent scorer in the junior ranks, with his shot and puck skills both grading out as plus.

Unlike teammate Roslovic, Lemieux is finding the transition to the AHL to be more challenging. He can still skate, but the pace of the game seems to be too much for the first year pro. It is too early to say that he is overmatched at this level, but he is simply not yet involved enough in the game, playing a more peripheral role – which is odd to say for such an aggressive player. He still racks up the minor penalties, but he has not yet been able to disrupt the game like he did so often in the OHL.

Friedman’s Five

Daniel Friedman — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 20:41:35 +0000

This was an extremely (not) boring week around the NHL, and there's a lot to get to. So on that note, here are my five key notes and anecdotes on the week that was:

EVANDER KANE TRADE A GRAND SLAM FOR THE JETS

When looking at it from Winnipeg’s perspective, you must first consider the fact that there was no scenario where Kane was staying with the organization.

What he becomes from this point forward is almost irrelevant to whether or not they win this trade. Now, once you’ve taken that into account, consider that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff found a way to take a horrible, difficult situation and turn it into a potential watershed moment for the franchise.

Forget, for a minute here, about the prospects going to Winnipeg in the deal. Tyler Myers is 25-years-old. That’s it. He’s still pretty young. If the change of scenery was all he needed and he gets back to playing defense at a higher level, you’re looking at a blueline that consists of Myers, Jacob Trouba, Dustin Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom. That’s not just very good; it’s enviable.

Shift your focus back to youngins Joel Armia and Brendan Lemieux, and the haul looks even better. And don’t forget about Drew Stafford, who’s almost the “throw-in” of this trade. Twice a 20-goal man and once a 31-goal scorer, Stafford’s a quality second or third liner who can certainly chip in offensively.

Everyone and their mother-in-law figured that Kane, while certainly still worth something, would go at a discounted rate because of recent events and that no one was trading for him now while he was injured. Kudos to Cheveldayoff for pulling off one heck of a trade here.

DON’T COUNT OUT THE CATS JUST YET

We’ve had our fair share of surprises this season, but nobody seems to be talking about the Florida Panthers and the job they’ve done so far. This team is just four points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Wild Card spot in the East, and they deserve your attention.

Have they been overachieving? Is their playoff contention simply a byproduct of the slow start Boston got off to? I would say no, because even still there are other teams below them that they’ve had to beat out for their current position. And besides, good teams don’t just take matters into their own hands; they also take advantage of the circumstances and pounce on opportunities they’re handed. The Panthers have done both of those things.

How are they doing it? For one thing, they’re getting excellent goaltending from Roberto Luongo and, for another, they’re developing some offensive depth and it’s showing on the ice. Nick Bjugstad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Brandon Pirri, Jussi Jokinen and Jimmy Hayes are all contributing, and even Vinny Trocheck’s had his moments. Additionally, you can’t give enough credit to Aaron Ekblad who, in his rookie year, is already morphing into one of the best defensemen in the entire NHL and, no, I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.

STUBBORN PREDATORS REFUSE TO FALL DOWN NHL LEADERBOARD

After Pekka Rinne went down, I figured that Nashville’s time atop its own division (and surely, atop the league standings) would come to an end. How wrong I was.

The Preds weathered the storm and, now that they’ve got Rinne back, they’re still winning hockey games and they’re still on top of the NHL. These days, there’s a large emphasis on speed and offense, which is what Peter Laviolette has instilled from behind the bench. And it’s not like Rinne and that defense, which includes the likes of Shea Weber, Seth Jones and Roman Josi, suddenly forgot how to excel at the other end of the rink. To have everything clicking simultaneously, that’s a scary proposition for the rest of the league.

KINGS HEATING UP AT THE RIGHT TIME

No less than a week ago, there was a legitimate concern that the LA Kings might actually miss the playoffs this season. And you know what? They still might. They may very well have woken up to late.

That having been said, they’ve rattled off three-straight wins and are now just three points behind Calgary for a Wild Card spot. We know they’re talented enough, and as much as I like the Jets’ future, I think it’s more likely that they fall out of the race and LA gets in than it is that the Flames burn out (I’ll be here all week).

I think the Kings’ odds of making it have increased exponentially, and in the blink of an eye no less.

DEVAN DUBNYK, LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE?

Let me preface by saying that I like Devan Dubnyk, both as a player and a person. He’s a good guy and, once he got out of Edmonton, he showed that he’s definitely got some game. I think he’s a reliable backup goaltender, a quality goaltender. But, do I think that he’s the heir apparent in Minnesota (or anywhere else for that matter)? No, I don’t. I think he’ll turn back into a pumpkin one of these days, albeit a more ripe pumpkin than the one he was with the Oilers.

Stylistically and talent-wise, I’m just not convinced he has what it takes to live up to his recent performances over an 82-game stretch. Crazier things have happened before, but for now, I’m gonna go ahead and say he’s a textbook example of lightning in a bottle.

Follow Daniel Friedman on Twitter @DFriedmanOnNYI

Youngblood: Top 20 OHLers Primed for a Breakout

Brendan Ross — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 22:18:04 +0000

Mere hours remain until the puck drops on the long anticipated 2014-15 Ontario Hockey League season and like every other season start, the league’s young players are eager to prove that an off-season of hard work and dedication will pay off on the ice. The following outlines several players who could see a substantial rise in production and be considered potential OHL breakout candidates. While it’s expected that high-scoring OHLers from last season (Connor McDavid, Michael Dal Colle, Sam Bennett, etc.) take the next step offensively, this list is reserved for some of the less obvious names.

*All players have skated in the OHL leaving no rookies or first-year imports eligible for this list*

**Players are not ranked based on offensive output but rather a combination of their projected production and overall expected game impact**

20. Ryan Moore, LC (Windsor Spitfires; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

American Ryan Moore netted only five goals and 10 points in his first season with the Spitfires but his impact was felt in many other ways last season. The tenacious forward is an exceptional competitor and with his combination of speed, puck skills and playmaking ability, it won’t be shocking to see this 5-foot-7 dynamo surge up the draft rankings in his second season. With Islanders pick Josh Ho-Sang and rookies Luke Kirwan, Logan Brown and Markus Soberg expected to take up offensive minutes, Moore will need to prove that he’s worthy of top-six minutes. He’s a player I wouldn’t bet against breaking out this season…and if not, 2015 might be his coming out party.

2014-15 Projection: 65-19-20-49

19. Pius Suter, LC (Guelph Storm)

The Swiss import was used mostly in a defensive role with the Storm during their Championship season but with Scott Kosmachuk, Brock McGinn and Zack Mitchell moving on, Suter will adopt more offensive minutes and could thrive in a secondary scoring role.

2014-15 Projection: 66-18-33-51

18. Brycen Cianfrone, LC (Mississauga Steelheads)

Undersized centre, Bryson Cianfrone, looked great in pre-season action and it’s expected that he will elevate his play and set new careers as the Steelheads look to improve their offensive outputs. Under the right circumstances, Cianfrone could certainly flirt with 75 points.

2014-15 Projection: 68-26-43-69

17. Mitchell Vande Sompel, LD (Oshawa Generals; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

Few rookie defensemen had the impact that Generals’ blueliner Mitch Vande Sompel had last season after the offensive rearguard forced his way up the lineup with his stellar play. His coaches trust him in all situations and he should vastly improve on his 20 points in his draft year, approaching 40-50 points.

2014-15 Projection: 65-13-32-45

16. Dante Salituro, RC (Ottawa 67’s; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

All eyes were on OHL Rookie of the Year, Travis Konecny , last season but Salituro quietly enjoyed an outstanding sophomore year potting 22 goals and 59 points. The undersized offensive catalyst is an underrated prospect for the 2015 draft but he can change that quickly with another offensive surge. Look for Salituro to land in the 70-plus territory this season.

2014-15 Projection: 68-29-47-76

15. Kevin Lebanc, RW (Barrie Colts)

Zach Hall and Andreas Athanasiou are no longer with the club and that leaves an opportunity for Kevin Lebanc to assume a more prominent scoring role after posting 11 goals and 35 points as a mature rookie. Passed over in his first go-round with the NHL Draft, Lebanc will attempt to draw interest with his gritty yet rather skilled two-way game. He’s a very good defensive forward who could find himself as a serviceable bottom six checker at the next level.

2014-15 Projection: 67-20-33-53

14. Mitchell Stephens, RC (Saginaw Spirit; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

It’s been a good year for Mitchell Stephens after the young scoring pivot got his feet wet at the OHL level (57-9-12-21) and also represented Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Challenge registering a pair of assists. Stephens will adopt a larger role with Saginaw and his blazing speed and natural scoring instincts are surely to become a dangerous elements of the Spirits’ offense.

2014-15 Projection: 65-27-32-59

13. Graham Knott, LW (Niagara IceDogs; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

Selected in the 3^rd round of the 2013 OHL Priority Selection Draft, Graham Knott flashed his promising upside as soon as he took the ice in last year’s rookie season. Lined up alongside Leafs’ Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony DiFruscia, Knott scored in his first OHL game and didn’t look back adding another 22 points in his first campaign. After winning gold at the recent Ivan Hlinka Tournament, where he picked up four assists in five games, Knott enters his NHL draft year full of confidence as a potential first round selection. The 6-foot-3 winger owns a fluid skating stride that features great length but also possesses some slick puck skills for a big man.

2014-15 Projection: 67-23-37-60

12. Hayden Hodgson, RW (Sarnia Sting)

It was a trade that sent Hayden Hodgson to the Sarnia Sting that has opened up an opportunity for the former Erie Otters’ fourth liner. Slated to become a key fixture on Sarnia’s offensive lines, Hodgson is could experience one of the more notable breakout seasons after a modest nine goal, 18-point season has many unaware of his potential talents. In Sarnia, Hodgson stands a good chance to lineup alongside one of (or both) Nikita Korostelev or import stud Pavel Zacha and the points should begin to add up flanked by these talented youngsters. Hodgson recently attended the Detroit Red Wings’ prospect tournament in Traverse City and impressed them enough to earn a spot on their main camp roster. When he returns to Sarnia he will be full of confidence and should help spark the Sting’s frontlines.

2014-15 Projection: 68-30-30-60

11. Nick Paul, LW (North Bay Battalion; Dallas Stars, 2013 - 101^st overall)

Credit the Dallas Stars for stepping up and selecting power winger, Nick Paul, in the 2013 draft after the young forward posted a dozen goals and 28 points in his rookie season. The Stars invested in Paul’s raw potential knowing that he may take few years to fully blossom but all indications are pointing towards it being a shrewd investment. Unfortunately for Dallas, Nick Paul is now turning heads in the Ottawa Senators organization after he was dealt to Canada’s Capital in the Jason Spezza trade on the nation’s birthday. After doubling his goal production and nearly posting a point-per-game in the Battalion’s long playoff run to the OHL Championship series, Paul is ready to launch himself onto the OHL’s scoring race leaderboard.

2014-15 Projection: 68-36-36-72

10. Nikita Korostelev, RW (Sarnia Sting; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

It’s a bit of an understatement but the Sarnia Sting have a youth movement emerging and it’s likely going to benefit Nikita Korostelev, Sarnia’s 2013 1^st round selection. Pencilled in for top line duties in his sophomore season, Korostelev is ready for the added responsibility and will be looking to use the youthful enthusiasm that surrounds the Sting to his advantage. Known for his scoring prowess and ability to strike quickly, Korostelev put up four points (two goals, two assists) against the London Knights in preseason action on September 6^th and looked to be developing dangerous chemistry with 1^st overall import pick, Pavel Zacha. Both Korostelev and Zacha are preparing for their draft seasons and if Nikolay Goldobin doesn’t return from San Jose Sharks, these two offensive talents will be counted on to carry the Sting’s offense.

2014-15 Projection: 64-34-28-62

9. Jesse Barwell, LC (Mississauga Steelheads; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

Dating back to his Oakville Rangers minor midget days, Jesse Barwell has always been a player who has caught my eye. Blessed with an intelligent hockey mind and slick offensive hands, Barwell is a player who can make teams pay if allowed too much time or space. He was a bit inconsistent in his rookie campaign but with the Steelheads looking to add offense, Barwell should earn more offensive minutes, specifically on the powerplay where he thrives, and that should inflate his totals. Mississauga is a squad that I expect to surprise as they ride the electrifying talent of 1st round pick Mikey McLeod and sneaky-good sophomore Jesse Barwell. It’s bold but I could see Barwell experience a similar breakout as Robby Fabbri experienced last year, when he quadrupled his goal totals and nearly tripled his point production.

2014-15 Projection: 66-21-42-63

8. Lawson Crouse, LW (Kingston Frontenacs; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

Under the watchful eye of NHL scouts, potential top 10 candidate, Lawson Crouse, will certainly be playing under pressure but his industrious work ethic will help him persevere through the demands of his draft season. Not only did Crouse step into an OHL lineup as a rookie and pot 15 goals and 27 points but he also accomplished this while taking on more responsibility in the defensive zone. As the season progressed, Crouse flourished and actually finished the regular season on a three game point streak (which included a four-point game) before helping Canada to Hlinka gold with a pair of goals and assists in August. Crouse may not “explode” offensively but I do expect him to approach point-per-game production and continue to garner more defensive responsibilities. Those added duties along with his bourgeoning offensive game should make him an irreplaceable member of the contending Kingston Frontenacs.

2014-15 Projection: 68-31-33-64

7. Andrew Mangiapane, LW/C (Barrie Colts; re-entry for 2015 NHL Draft)

Despite being passed over at the 2014 NHL Draft, Colts’ buzz-saw forward Andrew Mangiapane was still invited to the Arizona Coyotes camp and that experience will serve him well as he prepares for a huge sophomore season. The undersized Mangiapane was a shrewd free agent signing by the Colts and on most nights last season, he was the team’s best player. He’s an ultra-competitive two-way forward with the speed and puck skills to create offensive chances at ease. Like the other two Colts who made this list, this member of the 2013-14 OHL First All-Rookie Team (along with Lebanc and Lemieux) will be looking to carry the offense in Barrie this season and he should see his numbers rise considerably.

2014-15 Projection: 68-35-40-75

7. Brendan Lemieux, LW (Barrie Colts; Buffalo Sabres, 2014 – 31^st overall)

After graduating the talents of Andreas Athanasiou, Zach Hall and defenseman Aaron Ekblad, it’s safe to say that the times are changing in Barrie and opportunity knocks for Brendan Lemieux, who finished tied for third in team scoring with Ekblad (65-27-26-53). Competing in a competitive Eastern Conference will require the third year forward to ramp up his offensive output and lead the charge for the Colts. His aggressive in-your-face game will need to be balanced perfectly in order to stay out of the box and on the ice scoring goals. That might mean that Lemieux will need to pull back his desire to play like his super-pest father Claude Lemieux at times. Expect Lemieux to draw top powerplay duties where he has the opportunity to thrive as a net-front presence and a combatant in the cycle game.

2014-15 Projection: 65-35-40-75

6. Justin Bailey, RW (Kitchener Rangers; Buffalo Sabres, 2013 – 52^nd overall)

Coming off an outstanding Sabres training camp, Rangers winger Justin Bailey is starting to fill out his enviable 6-foot-3 frame and his scoring game appears to have reached the next level as well. In two years of injury riddled seasons, Bailey has yet to find the consistency and momentum needed to crack the point-per-game mark but assuming he can avoid landing on the sidelines, expect this sharp shooter to approach 40 goals and clear 75 points. With the Kitchener Rangers icing a young squad, Bailey will be expected to assume a leadership role and could become a viable trade target for OHL contenders looking to add some scoring punch for a playoff run.

2014-15 Projection: 62-42-33-75

5. Ryan Kujawinski, LC (Kingston Frontenacs; New Jersey Devils – 2013, 73^rd overall)

Hampered by hand and knee injuries in 2013-14, Ryan Kujawinski is looking to rebound onto the scene in a similar fashion as he did in his rookie season following a trade to Kingston from Sarnia. Due to the limited games he played, many forget that Kujawinski posted nearly a point-per-game last season scoring 23 times and gathering 41 points in 45 games. Armed with a good shooting arsenal and savvy playmaking skills, look for Kujawinski to approach 80 points in his fourth OHL campaign.

Projection: 64-34-43-77

4. Jason Dickinson, LW (Guelph Storm; Dallas Stars, 2013 - 29^th overall)

Some might contend that Guelph’s Jason Dickinson actually broke out last year with his 26-goal, 78-point outburst and to some extent, he did. However, as Jason Dickinson enters the 2014-15 season without the likes of Scott Kosmachuk, Brock McGinn and Zack Mitchell ahead of him on the depth chart, I fully expect Dickinson to solidify himself as a standout individual talent. The big skilled winger has been somewhat underrated playing alongside a star-studded cast but his soft hands and offensive creativity will surely take him to another level as the Dallas 1^st rounder chases a 100-point OHL campaign.

2014-15 Projection: 68-35-57-92

3. Vince Dunn, LD (Niagara IceDogs; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

Peterborough native, Vince Dunn, had a remarkable rookie campaign posting 33 points to finishing as the top scoring first year defenseman. Heading into his draft season, Vince Dunn is set up to explode in his encore performance as he looks to lead his IceDogs in defensive scoring, alongside fellow draft eligible blueliner Luke Mercer. Expectations are high in Niagara as the ‘Dogs look to become a contender in the East and much of that success will depend on how much offense can be generated from the backend. Dunn is an exceptional skater with an ability to jump into the rush and create offensive scoring chances as well as any forward. His rare offensive skillset isn’t compromised by a poor defensive game either as he shows to be more than capable in his own zone. Vince Dunn is my pick to have a huge breakout season and be one of Anthony DeAngelo’s lead challengers for the OHL’s defensive scoring title.

2014-15 Projection: 67-13-43-56

2. Mitch Marner, LC (London Knights; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

Playing in the shadows of a slew of NHL-draftees, Mitch Marner put in his time and excelled on a London Knights squad loaded with veterans. With Marner slated to receive more offensive minutes and increased responsibility it is expected that this dynamic pivot take over as the face of the rebuilding Knights. Several potential key returnees await their fate at NHL camps but even if Bo Horvat, Max Domi or Ryan Rupert return to London, Marner proved last year that he’s ready for top-line action and he won’t be held back. Entering his NHL draft season, Marner will be hungry to prove that he belongs as a Top 10 skater and should explode onto the OHL scene in a big way after leading Team Canada in scoring at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

2014-15 Projection: 66-26-65-91

1. Dylan Strome, LC (Erie Otters; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

Sophomore players aren’t normally expected to take on a huge offensive workload but Otters’ forward Dylan Strome isn’t your “normal” sophomore. Drafted 2^nd overall in the strong 2013 OHL Priority Selection Draft, Strome will be looking to solidify a Top 10 slot and unseat other top ranked OHL eligibles in Travis Konecny and Lawson Crouse. Riding shut-gun alongside expected 1^st overall pick Connor McDavid certainly won’t hurt Strome’s offensive production but he will be attempting to show scouts that his own individual talent isn’t reliant on his superstar linemate. Primed with elite playmaking sense, Strome should experience a substantial improvement on his 10 goals and 39 points from his rookie season.

2014-15 Projection: 65-27-55-82

Honourable Mentions:

CJ Garcia, D (Barrie Colts)

A hole has been left on the Colts blueline by 2014 top NHL pick, Aaron Ekblad, and CJ Garcia may have the pedigree to help fill that void. He's a smooth skating two-way defenseman capable of spearheading the rush with a great first pass and he has shown that he can be a trusted defender.

Nick Betz, RW (Erie Otters)

The Mount Clemens native has improved slightly on his production in each of his first two seasons but coming into year three, Nick Betz could be playing alongside superstar Connor McDavid and that will expedite his offensive production.

Adam Craievich, RW (Guelph Storm; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

As a member of the OHL Champion Storm squad, Adam Craievich didn’t see a whole lot of action but he will certainly be provided with more chances to improve upon his six goals and 10 points.

Francesco Vilardi, LC (Plymouth Whalers)

Another prospect who will re-enter the draft, Franky Vilardi could find himself playing alongside incoming winger Sonny Milano and if that’s the case, his totals will rise significantly as the two build chemistry.

Blake Siebenaler, RD (Niagara IceDogs; Columbus Blue Jackets, 2014 – 77^th overall)

Siebenaler was a standout at his position last year considering the first year defender transitioned into a new league but he’s capable of more points and that should come as early as this season.

Matt Mistele, LW (Plymouth Whalers; Los Angeles Kings, 2014 – 180^th overall)

After a disappointing sophomore campaign that witnessed Mistele regress from his 34 goals and 60 points as a rookie to 18 goals and 37 points last season, he will be looking to rebound to his freshman self and he’s shown an extra jump in preseason action.

Jordan Subban, RD (Belleville Bulls; Vancouver Canucks, 2013 – 115^th overall)

There’s nothing wrong with Subban’s 42-point campaign last season but the smooth puck rushing defenseman has another level and he will be looking to launch himself into the defensive scoring charts in his fourth season with Belleville.

Zach Bratina, LW (North Bay Battalion)

Arriving midseason in the Blake Clarke trade, Zach Bratina maintained his 0.50 points-per-game pace with the Battalion. After an invite to the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect camp, it’s time for Bratina to use the positive momentum and emerge as a consistent scoring threat in North Bay.

Thomas Schemitsch, RD (Owen Sound Attack; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

The Owen Sound Attack don’t have a ton of high-end scoring punch but second year 6-foot-3 defenseman Thomas Schemitsch will become a well-known name in the league and rise up the draft boards with his evolving offensive potential.

Kyle Capobianco, LD (Sudbury Wolves; eligible for 2015 NHL Draft)

The Wolves 7^th overall pick in 2013 wasn’t able to find the back of the net in his first year of action but he did add 11 assists and, most recently, was a standout in preseason action tallying one goal and six points in preseason action. Yup, he looks ready to breakout.

Trevor Murphy, LD (Windsor Spitfires)

Far from a polished defender, the slick skating offensive defenseman will look to improve on his eight goals and 29 points as the Spitfires main PP quarterback after the graduation of Lightning prospect Slater Koekkoek.

The 2014-15 OHL season commences on Wednesday, September 24th. Be sure to follow the McKeen’s Hockey Youngblood series as Brendan Ross (@RossyYoungblood) continues to break down the happenings inside the hockey prospect world.

Youngblood: Family Ties at the NHL Draft

Brendan Ross — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 17:49:46 +0000

The scouting process can be complex. Thousands of miles are travelled and countless nights are spent in cold rinks spanning the globe searching for the next critical piece in a puzzle that hopefully will develop into a Stanley Cup winning masterpiece. As notepads begin to fill up analyzing technical aspects of players’ games, intangible qualities that each possess and the statistical trends of the young competitors, there are certainly some outlaying factors that won’t hurt a player’s chances of donning an NHL jersey either. The 2014 NHL Draft class is littered with NHL family ties and hockey bloodlines. When it comes to talking hockey bloodlines, look no further than the Youngblood series to link the fathers, uncles and cousins to our future hockey talents.

Starting at the top of the draft, Sam Reinhart from the Kootenay Ice may have the most decorated family tree with father, Paul, playing over 700 NHL games spanning 11 seasons for two franchises (Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks). Sam’s older brothers Max and Griffin both found their way onto NHL clubs. The Calgary Flames used their 64^th selection in 2010 to pick up Max Reinhart, who also competed for the Kootenay Ice. After two full AHL seasons in Abbotsford, the eldest draftee is closing in on full time NHL action. In 2012, Garth Snow of the New York Islanders selected Griffin Reinhart with the 4^th overall pick, adding a stabilizing defensive prospect with promising upside. Coming off a WHL Championship MVP performance, Griffin Reinhart captained his Edmonton Oil Kings to a CHL Memorial Cup Championship as well and looked every bit the stud defenseman that New York believed he could be. Projected as a top three player, Sam Reinhart stands a great chance of being the highest drafted Reinhart family member. The Reinharts appear to be a bloodline ready to take the NHL by storm.

There has been no shortage of discussion about talented Swede William Nylander and his dazzling skill set. Nylander is the next big ticket prospect with family ties to the NHL after his father Michael was drafted by the Hartford Whalers and played 967 regular season and playoff games. During his NHL journey, Michael Nylander skated for Hartford, Calgary, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Washington, Boston and the New York Rangers before retiring with the Capitals and returning to Sweden to play on home soil. Finishing with 221 goals and over 700 points, Nylander had an exceptional NHL career and William has certainly taken notice. Much debate surrounds the youthful William Nylander as to where he will land come draft day but his offensive talent, hunger for scoring and game breaking abilities are arguably unmatched in this draft class. With the Flames holding onto the 4^th overall selection, William Nylander could end up donning the same NHL jersey that his father once wore for four of his 15 seasons.

After playing with his speedster father Sami Kapanen in Finland’s top professional league, Kasperi is ready to follow in his father’s path and take his game to the National Hockey League. Like his dad, Kasperi is a skilled forward who flashes tremendous playmaking abilities showing excellent creativity and vision. Playing with the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers, Kapanen had a long NHL career that lasted a dozen years and witnessed him tally 202 goals and 493 points. The father-son duo ended their 2013-14 season with KalPa with seven goals each but it was Kasperi who bested his old man’s 13 points after finishing with 14 of his own in his first full Liiga season. With aspirations to reach the NHL, Kasperi is expected to be taken in the opening round which should give him bragging rights after the Kapanen elder statesman was selected 87^th overall 19 years ago by the Hartford Whalers. In less than two weeks’ time, Kasperi may hold the superior draft pedigree but as the owner of the KalPa franchise Sami remains the boss both on and off the ice and it will be him who will be signing his son’s pay cheques.

One of the most talked about NHL sons heading towards the 2014 NHL Draft is Barrie Colts’ forward Brendan Lemieux, who not only shares the last name with his father Claude Lemieux but also a similar agitating style of play. With Brendan projected as a late 1^st or early 2^nd round selection, he has a chance to be drafted higher than Claude was back in 1983 when the Montreal Canadiens selected him 26^th overall in the second round. Montreal is slated to pick in that exact 26^th slot so the stage is set to repeat with a potential Lemieux selection 31 years later. In his playing days, Claude Lemieux was an NHL journey man and an ultra-competitive “winner” taking home an amazing four Stanley Cup Championships in a career that expanded two decades. Skating for five franchises that included Montreal, New Jersey, Colorado, Phoenix and Dallas, Claude epitomized the antagonistic skilled forward and much of his personal and team successes can be attributed to his effective agitating playing style. He scored 449 goals, 944 points and accumulated 2306 penalty minutes over 1449 games. Lemieux earned a living being a pest and spent much of his time on the ice working in the trenches. With a father as a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Brendan’s natural tendencies are to resemble his playing style and it is a true compliment to his biggest supporter. With a projectable frame and a toolbox full of offensive weaponry, Brendan Lemieux’s future looks bright and his ability to make an impact in a number of ways will definitely be coveted early in the draft.

Al MacInnis was a seven time NHL All-Star who owned a legendary and feared slap shot. Ryan MacInnis didn’t inherit his father’s defensive position or his booming shot but his competitiveness and hockey sense certainly don’t fall too far from the family tree. Playing in the same major junior town as his old man, Ryan MacInnis showed promising progression in his first OHL season with the Kitchener Rangers. With the final months coming to a close, MacInnis was earning top line minutes and leaned on heavily allowing him to gain confidence with each successful challenge met. Blessed with good vision and a great set of mitts, especially in tight quarters, Ryan MacInnis projected to be a second round selection. He remains a prospect with a promising upside and a long-range development curve but the end result could be very rewarding for the team that decides to draft him. His father’s years of NHL service that included stops in two cities (Calgary and St. Louis) will surely help to prepare Ryan for the next level and if he can assemble any sort of similar career path as his old man, he (and his NHL team) would be ecstatic.

The next three draft eligible prospects all share a similar bloodlines from the Buffalo Sabres organization. Sherbrooke’s leading scorer Daniel Audette’s father, Donald, carved out a long and prosperous NHL career as an undersized forward, exactly the path that his son is looking to replicate. With ties to Montreal as an amateur scout, Donald Audette knows his sons game better than anyone so keep a close eye on the Canadiens’ draft board.

Next in line with connections is big Portland Winterhawks centerman Dominic Turgeon, the son of Buffalo fan favourite Pierre Turgeon and nephew of former 2^nd overall pick Sylvain Turgeon. Dominic is projected as a middle-to-late round prospect but scouts love his intelligence, possession skills, size and his attention to both ends of the rink.

Lastly, Luc Snuggerud recently took home the Reed Larson award as Minnesota’s top defenseman and the young rearguard also calls former Sabres winger Dave Snuggerud uncle. Dave played four season in the NHL for Buffalo, San Jose and Philadelphia before retiring. Luc is an extremely gifted offensive defenseman who displays a great feel for defending and if everything goes as anticipated, he should hear his named called inside the opening three rounds.

Other names to note with family ties include Josh Wesley (defenseman and son of former NHL stalwart Glen Wesley), Ryan Donato (promising offensive forward and son of former Bruins forward Ted Donato), Ivan Nikolishin (undersized offensive winger and son of former Capitals forward Andrei Nikolishin), Nick Ritchie (burly skilled winger and brother of Dallas Stars prospect forward Brett Ritchie), Nick Schmaltz (dazzling skilled forward and brother of St. Louis Blues prospect defenseman Jordan Schmaltz), Alex Peters (defensive stud and brother of Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Justin Peters), Anton Karlsson (agitating forward and brother of Norris Trophy winning Erik Karlsson) and John Quenneville (intelligent two-way forward, cousin of Chicago Blackhawks’ coach Joel Quenneville, nephew of Boston Bruins Johnny Boychuk and brother of Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Peter Quenneville). In addition, speedster and projected Top 15 pick Nikolaj Ehlers’ father was drafted in 1984 by the New York Rangers in the 9^th round but choose to play out a successful career in Europe’s top professional leagues. Fred Perlini, father of sniper Brendan Perlini, was an 8^th round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1980 and skated in eight NHL games with the big club. With the Maple Leafs slated to pick 8^th overall, the NHL landscape could possibly see another Perlini wearing the blue and white.

Of course, there are no guarantees that hockey bloodlines dictate success but many of the traits, characteristics and values of former NHL players do have a direct impact on their family members and that can be enough of an influence to give these prospects an edge. Playing in the shadows of accomplished NHL battle-tested family members can be a daunting task for these young developing hockey talents so it’s important to understand that the sons and nephews of NHL bloodlines are simply looking to sculpt their own hockey legacies rather than attempting to duplicate their families’ successes. The triumphs of any prospering athlete are best celebrated with families and there will be plenty celebrating to come for these prospects come June 27^th and 28^th in Philadelphia.

Follow @RossyYoungblood on Twitter for prospect and NHLDraft updates

Youngblood: The fab five – Ontario strong

Brendan Ross — Wed, 07 May 2014 12:15:02 +0000

Ontario hockey is as strong as ever with the long line of NHL stars emerging from the Ontario Hockey League. Each of the OHL’s 20 franchises contributed to the NHL landscape in some way or another. The London Knights have sent first round selections Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Patrick Kane, Sam Gagner and Nazem Kadri onto successful NHL careers. The Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds are best known for contributing Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey but have also added current stars Joe Thornton and Jeff Carter. Sarnia Sting gun slinger Steven Stamkos has relocated his ability of sniping goals to warm Tampa Bay. Windsor Spitfires’ alum Taylor Hall is electrifying fans in Edmonton with his blazing speed. On Long Island, former Oshawa Generals star John Tavares has emerged as one of the NHL’s newest superstars.

The OHL has routinely churned out all-star prospects and it’s a trend that won’t disappear anytime soon. The 2013 NHL Entry Draft featured a league high eight first round selections from the OHL, highlighted by the Calgary Flames’ 6^th overall selection of Ottawa 67’s pivot Sean Monahan. In total, 37 players were chosen in seven rounds at the 2013 draft, the most from any league. As players flock to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, it’s expected that even more OHL players will hear their names called in the opening round. With 20 of the 40 invitees, the OHL dominated the 2014 BMO CHL/NHL Top Prospect Game in Calgary in January. NHL Central Scouting lists 14 skaters from the OHL among its top 30 North American ranked players. The OHL bloodlines are as strong as ever in the National Hockey League.

As all eyes set on the draft eligible prospects from the Ontario League, let’s break down its top treasures starting with the top five and ending with some honourable mentions.

Ekblad defining exceptional

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Capping off a strong freshman season by winning the Emms Family Award as the OHL Rookie of the Year, Ekblad displayed considerable improvements in his skating and began to silence criticisms of his oft-debated “offensive limitations”.

Fast forward two seasons.

As his draft season draws to a close, Ekblad filled his trophy case with Ivan Hlinka gold and the 2013-14 Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenseman. He’s the unanimous top defenseman in the 2014 draft in a class lacking top-end star defensemen and exemplifies leadership, poise and maturity. Offensively, Ekblad has launched his game to new levels showing improved confidence and puck skills that top-pairing defensemen require. He doesn’t possess the puck rushing ability of an Erik Karlsson or the intimidating physicality of Shea Weber but he’s proven to be above average in almost every facet of the game.

The gem of the OHL class is Barrie Colts’ defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who has exceeded expectations in each of his three seasons dating back to his rookie year as a 15-year-old underage player. The Belle River native was the second player, and first defenseman, to be granted “exceptional status” by Hockey Canada and he has been on an upward trajectory ever since. It was Ekblad’s efficient point shot that has served as his offensive launching pad displaying an ability to get pucks through traffic on net, resulting in a league-leading 23 goals from the blueline. Ekblad also topped the OHL in power play goals (16) showing that his offensive game has some serious upside. Besides growing an caveman-like beard that grown men are envious of, Ekblad possesses the exceptional hockey sense, size and two-way skill set to draw interest right out of the gates at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He’s a potential cornerstone defender and a player who should be ready to step right into an NHL lineup.

The accomplished Ekblad doesn’t stand alone at the top of the OHL class, as pivot Sam Bennett has assembled loads of praise from the scouting community and will serve as Ekblad’s biggest challenger from the OHL.

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Indicative by the sweater number 93 he wears, Sam Bennett grew up as a Maple Leafs’ fan idolizing Dougie Gilmour for the way he played the game with skill, grit and passion. Now as a young man, Sam Bennett is realizing a dream playing for Gilmour’s Kingston Frontenacs team as its star forward, in a similar mold as his idol. Although blessed with a dazzling offensive skillset featuring soft hands and an innate scoring ability, Sam Bennett receives the most praise for his intangibles that include an unmatched compete level, leadership services and in-game adaptability. He mixes it up in all four corners whether he’s attacking or defending and the big-game pivot will unquestionably be on the ice during the final minutes of close games after earning a reputation as a clutch player.

Bennett’s game starts with an exceptional skating stride that keeps opponents on their heels and uses his advanced hockey sense to gain ideal positioning in the attacking areas of the rink. He is a player who has become unpredictable, either unleashing a quick shot or utilizing creative vision and playmaking gifts as a setup man. In just his second season, Bennett was arguably the OHL’s most consistent player and his 25-game point streak that witnessed him tally 17 goals and 46 points was the second longest in the league. With a scrappy-in-your-face competitive style, the skilled Sam Bennett may be the most complete forward available, making him a worthy first overall selection.

Finding sophomore stardom

Common dialogue in hockey circles suggest the top pick from the OHL is a two horse race with Ekblad and Bennett as the heavy favourites but don’t overlook Oshawa Generals’ forward Michael Dal Colle. After an unexpected breakout rookie campaign that watched him collect an impressive 48 points, Dal Colle’s encore performance in his sophomore season was scoring a remarkable 39 goals and 95 points to lead all draft eligible skaters and finish top five in league scoring.

His game receives mixed reviews from analysts but he remains high on Youngblood’s list. Knocked for his effort at times in a similar way that Joe Thornton receives criticism, Dal Colle’s analytical and calculated approach often portrays his effort as lackadaisical but do not mistake that for him lacking a competitive drive because that would be drastically incorrect. Possessing creative vision and patience with the puck, Dal Colle’s playmaking skills are often understated. Particularly strong on the powerplay, Dal Colle dissects opposing defences quickly with creative back door blind passes for easy tap-ins. Equally impressive is the young man’s shooting arsenal as he possesses one of the best shots in the league. He has not perfected how to use his size and physicality efficiently but it’s an element that can easily be worked on. If he can add some snarl and pushback to his game, Dal Colle stands a good chance to tap into his star potential.

An old school prospect

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Next on the rankings is Peterborough’s intimidating power forward Nick Ritchie, the one OHL skater with the size, strength, skill set and pedigree to develop into a true superstar. Ritchie is far from a sure bet to reach superstar status but he’s got a chance. He is a massive physical presence who moves with ease hunting down pucks using great stick skills and crushing body checks. Willing to drop the mitts to defend a teammate, Ritchie plays on the edge, as evident by his 136 penalty minutes (5^th in the OHL), and it’s this bull-in-a-china-shop approach that is so appealing to NHL scouts. Questioned for his wavering effort, Ritchie hasn’t exactly performed with ideal consistency but he has also been on a struggling franchise his entire OHL career so stagnant periods can be normal.

The tide is turning in Peterborough as the future looks bright and the same can be said for Nick Ritchie. His brother, Brett, was a second round selection of the Dallas Stars and hit his stride later in his junior career. The potential is high for Nick Ritchie and when he’s on his game, few can dominate a game like this Orangeville native. That domination alone may be worth the high investment. He is cut from the same cloth as Milan Lucic and what NHL team wouldn’t want that throwback style of power forward.

A 'dog that lacks bite

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Rounding out the top five wasn’t an easy process as several OHLers received considering including Sault Ste. Marie’s Jared McCann, Guelph’s Robby Fabbri and Sarnia’s Nikolay Goldobin. In the end, Niagara’s Brendan Perlini’s size, intelligence and skating abilities edged out his draft mates. Stamping his place inside the Top 10 early in the season after coming out of the gates hot, Brendan Perlini impressed with a well-balanced puck possession game. He made a living shielding opponents from pucks along the boards and walking off the wall to unleash a deadly shot. Perlini uses his combination of speed and puck skills to back up defenders, and his net drive and hunger for the loose puck speaks volumes of his love for scoring goals. And boy, can this kid score goals. Perlini scored 16 goals with the man advantage tying Aaron Ekblad for the lead among draft eligible skaters in the Ontario league.

Had Perlini showed scouts that he can play a more consistent physical game, he may have moved up the rankings into the top 5. For teams looking to add a sizeable winger with poise and natural scoring instincts, Brendan Perlini will be a hot target.

The abovementioned five OHL prospects are great players with appealing upsides but the pool of talent doesn’t end there. The 2014 NHL Draft class has been deemed average by most analysts and it’s an accurate assessment given the lack of a sure-fire stud prospect. However, some of the drafts most talented prospects are those that have grown accustomed to being critiqued, for varying reasons. Opting to go outside of the box to select these prospects may prove worthwhile gambles down the road given that their offensive ceilings are similar to those previously mentioned.

Building a captain

Jared McCann is one of the safest OHL skaters in terms of eventually playing in the NHL as this mature two-way forward packs both skill and intelligence into a competitive personality. McCann’s best weapon is his shot but he’s become a desired commodity because of his projectable intangibles. McCann slowed down as the season progressed finishing just shy of point-per-game numbers but scouts are more infatuated with his overall two-way presence and contributions behind the scenes.

Fabbri-ulous finish

Enjoying a long successful playoff run to cap off a fantastic season has been the perfect scenario for undersized skilled forward Robby Fabbri. A Youngblood favourite dating back to his OHL draft season, Robby Fabbri is a tremendously gifted offensive talent that uses his elite hockey intelligence, poise and competitive drive to get the job done. He’s a big game player rising to the occasion and despite critics trying to knock him down because of his size, he continues to push on…rising higher, and higher with each passing game. Sure, Fabbri plays on a star-studded Guelph Storm roster and his 45 goals (leading all draft eligible) may have been inflated slightly but this youngster knows how to exploit the goal scoring areas. Despite playing in a smaller frame, Fabbri thrives around the blue paint using his creative passing abilities to feed quick tricky passes to waiting teammates. Adding strength will be a priority but it’s the only attribute that is keeping Robby Fabbri from being a sure-fire top 10 selection. Fabbri’s doing his best Jeff Skinner impersonation heading down the playoff stretch and don’t count out this hungry forward in his quest to exceed everyone’s expectations.

Gold’n hands

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Carrying a Russian passport never helps your case but Nikolay Goldobin has done all he could to abolish the traditional fleeing Russian stereotype. Finishing one point shy with 94 points of leading all draft eligible skaters in the OHL, Nikolay Goldobin was a dynamic offensive threat on every night for the Sarnia Sting. He enjoyed a 22-point game streak posting 21 goals and 43 games.

He’s the most creative and gifted puck handler in the OHL and is capable of highlight reel action every time he hits the ice. Defensively, Goldobin will require more coaching and while his work ethic gets questioned because he’s not an in-your-face attacker, he does play hard in traffic by using a strategical approach. Goldobin thrived on the OHL’s last place team but it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was a true standout among his CHL draft peers at the Top Prospect game. Teams will weigh the risk-reward factors of selecting a fairly one-dimensional Russian in Nikolay Goldobin but his offensive talents are considered top 5 worthy and he is looking like he could be a steal if he slides outside of the top 20.

The fire of passion

Staying in Sarnia, Anthony DeAngelo led the OHL in points (71) and his 15 goals (3^rd), 56 assists (1^st among draft eligible skaters) and 30 powerplay assists (3^rd) were among the top. No one doubts DeAngelo’s offensive production as this undersized smooth-skating defenseman controls the game with ease from the back end. Tricky puck handling skills, creative vision and precise passing allows DeAngelo to push the pace with utmost confidence. He’s a passionate competitor who loves to win but his short temper and volatile attitude has been well documented, and resulted in several team and league induced suspensions. Based on talent alone, Anthony DeAngelo would be snatched up inside the top 15 but some teams have crossed him off their lists entirely. Look for the interview process at the NHL Combine to be an important element in determining DeAngelo’s ultimate draft fate as teams look for answers from this skilled defenseman.

Opening round curtain call

The dynamic skating Josh Ho-Sang, mobile two-way defender Roland McKeown, developing power forward Ryan MacInnis, raw skilled pivot Eric Cornel, athletic netminder Alex Nedeljkovic and skilled agitator Brendan Lemieux are just a few players to keep tabs on as potential first round selections.

Two months remain until the 2014 NHL Entry Draft commences on June 27^th at the Wells Fargo Center and it marks an event full of unpredictability but one thing is for certain, the Ontario Hockey League will be well represented on day one of the draft.

Be sure to follow the McKeen’s Hockey (@mckeenshockey) Youngblood series as Brendan Ross (@RossyYoungblood) continues to break down the happenings inside the hockey prospect world.