Brett Budgell – McKeen's Hockey

2020 NHL DRAFT: Re-entry Candidates Part One – Canada (WHL, OHL, QMJHL, BCHL)

Fri, 31 Jan 2020 11:56:12 +0000

The art of scouting is an imperfect science. For various reasons, players get missed. Maybe said player was on a bad team and was subsequently under-scouted. Maybe said player worked through injuries in their draft year and as a result could never fully show what he was capable of. Or maybe said player did not get the ice time required to shine.

On the other hand, players can be skipped over because scouts felt that they were not good enough. That said, teenagers are far from a finished product on the ice. Their games mature just as their minds and bodies do. That is why it is critical to track players as they move through their second and third years of draft eligibility. For North American players with birth dates from January 1st to September 15th, they will be eligible for three NHL drafts. For players with birth dates from September 16th to December 31st, they will be eligible for two NHL drafts. And for European players (who are still developing in European leagues), extend that eligibility by one year in both cases.

In recent years, we have had a major shift in drafting philosophy, with more teams selecting players in their second and third years of eligibility. For one, these players are finding success at the NHL level, such as Cam Atkinson, Mike Hoffman, Ryan Dzingel, Brandon Montour, and Connor Hellebuyck, to name just a few. Secondly, teams are able to draft more polished products who have shown a steep progression curve. And thirdly, in the case of draft and follow NCAA bound players, NHL teams will have a few years longer to decide whether they want to sign said players to one of their precious 50 contracts inside the limit.

Last year, eleven “re-entry” candidates went in the Top 100 alone (four more than 2018); Pyotr Kochetkov, Samuel Fagemo, Brett Leason, Mattias Norlinder, Erik Portillo, John Ludvig, Ronnie Attard, Ilya Konovalov, Viktor Lodin, Tyce Thompson, Matej Blumel. In our “second chances” article last year (LINK HERE Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 ) we wrote about six of these eleven. In total 42 were taken among the 217 total players drafted in Vancouver. While that is down from the 46 taken in 2018, it is still nearly 20% of all draft picks. Additionally, of those 42, we identified and wrote about 14 in our aforementioned second chances series. We hope to identify even more this year.

In 2020, we have some very interesting candidates. OHL goaltender Nico Daws has been one of the best goaltenders in the CHL and was a member of Team Canada at the WJC. Lethbridge defenseman Alex Cotton currently leads all WHL defenseman in scoring only a year after being passed over at the draft. Hulking Slovakian goaltender Samuel Hlavaj has been one of the best goaltenders in the QMJHL and played for team Slovakia (again) at the WJC’s. Parker Ford of Providence is among the top freshman scorers in the NCAA and played for team U.S.A. at the WJC. This series of articles intends to highlight them and many other candidates who could be part of that 20% this year. We start with the Canadian Junior Leagues - WHL, OHL, QMJHL and the BCHL. Tomorrow we will publish the prospects playing in the US in the USHL and the NCAA. We will wrap up the series with the European prospects on Sunday.

Western Hockey League

Josh Williams. Photo by Andy Devlin. Courtesy of the WHL

Alex Cotton - Defenseman - Lethbridge Hurricanes

Cotton, an 18 year old (2001 born), 6-2” defender, has been an absolute revelation in the WHL this year. After scoring only 11 points in his rookie year (and first draft year) last year, he has exploded in 2019-20. He leads all WHL defenseman in scoring with 51 points (as of this writing) and is one of only two U19 defenders to be averaging over a point per game in the CHL (along with Jamie Drysdale, with Thomas Harley and Isaac Belliveau just below). This is especially impressive considering that the Hurricanes find themselves as one of the top teams in the WHL thanks in part to Cotton’s contributions.

“Cotton is a big part of a lethal powerplay unit and that has inflated his numbers a bit (5 goals and 20 assists on the powerplay), but his overall game has improved dramatically from a year ago. He is solid in his own zone and uses his size to protect the net area. He has an active stick in traffic that enables him to poke pucks out of harm’s way. He is also capable along the wall where he can pin opponents and move the puck along the wall. He was always a capable first pass defender who started zone exits but this year he is more comfortable with the puck on his stick. His confidence with the puck is a huge part of his impressive start to the season. He is a volume shooter from the point and gets his shot through with a combination of one-timers and quick release wrist shots. With teams starting to attack his shot more he has been able to open some passing lanes and has started to pile up the assists. His skating motion isn’t the most fluid but he moves around the ice fine. His offensive production this year has more than tripled that of his draft year which is an impressive progression that certainly merits him being considered for the draft this time around.” (Vince Gibbons)

Oliver Okuliar - Left Wing - Lethbridge Hurricanes

A teammate of Cotton’s in Lethbridge, Okuliar is playing in his first season in the WHL after switching CHL leagues this offseason, transferring from the QMJHL. He has been sensational for the Hurricanes, second on the team in scoring behind Dylan Cozens, and top five in the WHL in goal scoring with 28. He also recently suited up for Team Slovakia at the WJC’s, where he was a solid contributor. A 6-1” winger, Okuliar has been passed over in two straight NHL drafts, despite producing offensively. However, his new pace and the improvements made to his game may have NHL teams taking a longer look at him now.

“Oliver Okuliar has taken his game to new heights since joining the Western League this year. The physical play and tight defensive style have really brought out the best in his two-way game. What he has shown this season makes you think he looks the part of an NHL prospect. He has a good frame that he uses well in puck protection, cycling the puck, being a net front presence, and getting in on the forecheck. His production has improved dramatically in part because of opportunity but also because of consistency. He has been held pointless only six times this season and has only been held pointless in back to back games once. His skating won’t wow you, but he moves around the ice fine and has a pretty good burst, especially going after loose pucks. He processes the game very well and picks up the right man on the back check. He is on the first unit for both the power play and the penalty kill where he is still a threat to score because of his good anticipation and work ethic. His shot in terms of quality of the shots he takes and his release/accuracy are strong parts to his game. His passing skills are good and he has found strong chemistry playing with Dylan Cozens (Buf) each having already scored 20 goals before the halfway mark of the season.” (Vince Gibbons)

Josh Williams - Right Wing - Edmonton Oil Kings

Last year was a very tough season for Williams. He entered the year as a potential first round selection after a very strong performance at the Ivan Hlinka, where he led Canada in goals en route to a gold medal. However, his WHL season was a major disappointment and it saw him dealt from Medicine Hat to Edmonton. He ended up going undrafted (which was still a surprise, despite his poor season). This year, he has really turned things around. He currently leads the Oil Kings in goals, is averaging just under a point per game, and has become a much more engaged player without the puck. One would have to think that he is back on the draft radar again.

“Josh Williams has at times over the past two seasons looked like a legitimate goal scoring threat. He has also looked completely disinterested and frustrated with his game. At the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament he looked a finisher, absolutely lethal, quick on forecheck and engaged ready to push for top half of the draft but returning to Medicine Hat he struggled to find his game. He was pushed down the line up then traded, then pushed down the line up again due to a lack of consistency and production. This year he has found his stride. He is engaged on the forecheck, playing physical and working hard. This has led to a huge increase in confidence and production on the Division leading Oil Kings. He has rediscovered his scoring touch leading the team in goals, and second in points. His shot rates per game have nearly doubled as has his shooting %. This increase is from driving the net more and getting to scoring areas rather than shooting from the perimeter. His feet aren’t great but his work rate is back up this year and you can see that in his game now.” (Vince Gibbons)

Ontario Hockey League

Nico Daws of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Nico Daws - Goaltender - Guelph Storm

An OHL champion in his draft year with the Guelph Storm, Daws did not get much opportunity to show scouts what he was capable of, playing behind veteran Anthony Popovich. This year, the Storm were supposed to be a bottom feeding rebuilding team, but Daws’ performance has carried them back into playoff position. He has been one of the best goaltenders in the OHL this year, leading the league in both GAA and save percentage. And while his WJC performance may not have been terrific, he has no doubt shown enough to scouts to suggest that he could be a top 100 draft selection in June. Although the fact that he had to miss the CHL Top Prospect’s Game with an oblique injury had to be disappointing for those same scouts.

“What a difference a year can make. Last year, Guelph rode veteran Anthony Popovich hard as they could not trust Daws in critical situations in a Championship year. But Daws dedicated himself to improving his conditioning this offseason, shedding 25lbs. The difference that this has made to his game has been astounding. He is a new goaltender. He is noticeably quicker post to post, exhibiting more explosiveness in his pushes. This is allowing him to use his 6-4” frame more aggressively to challenge and square up to shooters. His confidence level has been sky high, as he is seeing pucks well and controlling his rebounds quite well for a larger goaltender. He does a terrific job of fighting through traffic to locate pucks and rarely gives up second chances. People will point to his poor showing at the WJC and discredit his NHL potential, but Daws has everything you want from a pro goalie. Those who see him regularly in the OHL know how good he has been and can look past a couple bad games at the International level (a new experience for him). He is unquestionably the top goaltender available from the OHL for this year’s draft. Guelph has struggled to start the second half though, so it will be worth watching to see how he closes out his season.” (Brock Otten)

Pavel Gogolev - Left Wing - Guelph Storm

Speaking of the Guelph Storm, another of the players heavily responsible for their surprise season is Gogolev. Two years ago, Gogolev was perhaps the most surprising undrafted player at the 2018 NHL Draft, after posting 30 goals for the Peterborough Petes. We at McKeens Hockey had him ranked 74th and multiple other scouting agencies also had him inside their top 100. However, concerns over his engagement level away from the puck scared scouts away despite the great production. Last year, he was traded to the Storm (in exchange for Ryan Merkley), but lost a good chunk of his season to a fractured ankle. This year, in his final year of NHL Draft eligibility, he has returned with a vengeance, with over 1.5 points per game and a consistent spot inside the top 10 of OHL scoring.

“I was a fan in his original draft year and was pretty shocked when he went undrafted in 2018. However, he did have some warts, in particular his vision/poise with the puck and his engagement level without it. Fast forward two years and he is a completely different player. He still has that terrific shot and ability to drive the pace of play across the blueline, but he has really cut down on his turnovers and improved his decision making. He has also increased his intensity level ten-fold, hustling for loose pucks in all three zones, battling hard in the corners, and excelling in traffic with improved strength and conditioning. What he has done for Guelph this year, putting the team on his back offensively some nights, has been really impressive. Gogolev 100% deserves to be drafted finally this year.” (Brock Otten)

Billy Constantinou - Defense - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

Like Gogolev, Constantinou is another player to have been ranked inside McKeens’ Top 100, only to go undrafted, this time in 2019. A trade to the lowly Kingston Frontenacs really killed his draft stock as it magnified his weaknesses defensively and prevented him from showcasing his offensive abilities. After a slow start, Constantinou found himself dealt again, this time to Sault Ste. Marie, and it has allowed him to blossom into the player many thought that he could become. Up close to a point per game as a defender, he is in the midst of a breakout season and at only 18 (2001 born), Constantinou should receive very heavy consideration at the draft in 2020.

“Quite frankly, he was not good in Kingston, last year or to start this year. Turnovers and engagement level were major issues to start the year. But the trade to Sault Ste. Marie has really allowed his game to blossom. He is back to being a prominent puck mover and is seeing regular time on the powerplay, where his decision making is really improving. His decision making five on five, has also improved greatly as he is making better decisions on when to be aggressive with the puck and is trusting his skating ability to help him open up breakout lanes. Defensively, improvement is still needed, but he has been way more engaged and involved with the Soo, taking more pride in his play below the hash marks, competing for space and becoming more difficult to play against. By the end of the year, he could be top 5 in defenseman scoring and given his adequate size (6-0”) and mobility, he should be a lock to be selected this time in June.” (Brock Otten)

Evgeniy Oksentyuk - Left Wing - Flint Firebirds

After an electric performance at last year’s U18s that helped Belarus make the quarterfinals, many expected that the diminutive (5-7”) Oksentyuk would draw consideration for the NHL draft. After going undrafted, he was selected by Flint in the CHL Import Draft and has been an impact player in the OHL this season. He currently sits second behind Ty Dellandrea in scoring for the Firebirds and is the 6th highest scoring 2001 born player in the league as of this writing (ahead of top NHL prospects like Jamieson Rees, Yegor Afanasyev, and Ryan Suzuki). The NHL is changing for the better when it comes to embracing undersized forwards, but his 5-7” build may still scare some scouts away. However, his skill level is undeniable.

“A tireless player who possesses an inordinate amount of skill with the puck. His motor never seems to stop running and he plays a lot bigger than his 5-7” frame. Oksentyuk certainly does not back down from physical challenges and is willing to play through the middle of the ice. He has extremely quick feet and accelerates quickly, which allows him to be a quick strike kind of player who excels in transition to create odd man rushes. What is most noticeable about Oksentyuk is his ability to handle the puck and keep possession through the moves that he makes at top speed. His edgework is terrific, as he can stop and turn on a dime. But maintaining possession of the puck, while at full speed, and while making these cuts, makes him very difficult to defend. He has left many OHL defenders looking like pylons this season. Equal parts playmaker and goal scorer, Oksentyuk has the skill level to be a pro player. Yes, he is undersized. However, he plays with the ferocity needed to overcome that lack of size, and I believe deserves to be drafted this time around.” (Brock Otten)

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Egor Sokolov. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Egor Sokolov - Right Wing - Cape Breton Eagles

Massive Russian winger who is currently in his third year in the QMJHL and his third year of draft eligibility. The 6-4”, 240lbs forward has consistently been in the top 5 of QMJHL scoring this year and recently suited up for Team Russia at the World Junior Championships. He has improved every year in the ‘Q’ and scouts are very likely to have taken notice.

“The big Russian winger is actually a slightly trimmer Russian winger from last season – with his pounds down from 241 to 231 this season – and the 6-4” mountain of a man has used that slimmer build to improve his skating speed. His stride is much improved, and that has allowed the Yekaterinberg giant to more-than-double his points-per-game from last season for the Cape Breton Eagles. His strength is a huge calling card, and one that should continue in the pro ranks, as he has excellent balance and great puck protection. He’s not afraid to go to the net and sniff out rebounds, either. His skating is still a bit of an issue for his future prospects, but his improvements in this area show a lot of promise. He has attended one NHL camp, with Columbus in 2018, and he really wants to stay in North America to continue playing. A feature role on the silver-medal-achieving Russians only further demonstrates his uses. A team will take a flyer on the beast from the far east.” (Mike Sanderson)

Samuel Hlavaj - Goaltender - Sherbrooke Phoenix

The 6-4” Hlavaj has been one of the better goaltenders in the QMJHL this year, in his first year in the league after transferring from the USHL. The Slovakian netminder was highly ranked by NHL Central Scouting for last year’s draft but was not selected. Now, the 19-year-old has posted the highest save percentage in the Q and one of the highest in the CHL. While his numbers at the WJC were not terrific, he was better than they would indicate for a weaker Slovakian team.

“Most scouts will tell you – play anywhere and if you’re good enough, they’ll find you. While that might be true, it mustn’t have felt true for Hlavaj, the rookie sensation in the nets for the top team in the QMJHL, the Sherbrooke Phoenix. While a fixture on his native Slovakian international teams, he didn’t generate much interest stateside with his pedestrian numbers with a woeful Lincoln Stars team last season. Still, the Phoenix saw enough potential in the 6-4” netminder to make him their first import selection in June and he has blown away all expectations in the QMJHL, being a large factor in their best start in franchise history. Hlavaj is a big netminder and plays like it, covering lots of cage even in desperation, but he also moves very fast, especially post-to-post. He is a very confident goalie and doesn’t get fazed by much, paired with his impressive league leading GAA and save percentage numbers. A starting nod for a second year in a row at the World Juniors doesn’t hurt the profile, either.” (Mike Sanderson)

Shawn Element - Center - Cape Breton Eagles

Element is a two-way center who was recently dealt from Acadie-Bathurst to Cape Breton, after starting the season as the Titan captain. The 2000 born, 6-0” forward has already set new career highs in both goals and points and is poised to be part of a long playoff run with Cape Breton. Element also took part in the CHL Super Series against Russia as part of team QMJHL.

“Element’s talents were never strictly to pick up points; even as a QMJHL first rounder his projection was as a useful, energy, strong two-way forechecking forward who would pick up points, but not as his calling card. The boxcar numbers would belie his true value, and this was true even in midget, with just 21 points in 32 games in his 15-year-old season. Two factors have brought Element into the conversation as an NHL prospect – playing a very important role for a rebuilding Acadie-Bathurst squad, and putting up strong boxcar numbers for the first time. Element’s 34 points in 32 games with the Titan was the first time he was over a point-a-game in his career for a significant chunk of time, and his physical play and feistiness was only amplified as captain of the floundering Titan. He has continued that hot stick with the Cape Breton Eagles after a mid-season trade. Element does all the little things well, and can play up and down the lineup, making him a sure professional, even if most only noticed a year or two later.” (Mike Sanderson)

Brett Budgell - Left Wing - Charlottetown Islanders

A former highly touted prospect once thought to be a first round candidate at the NHL Draft, Budgell had a very disappointing draft year last season and went undrafted. The 6-0”, Newfoundland native has returned to Charlottetown and is playing inspired hockey, leading the low scoring, but effective Islanders, in scoring. Like Josh Williams, mentioned earlier in this article, Budgell may have put himself back on the scouting map.

“Like many on this list, Budgell benefitted from an increased role on an Islanders team that needed scoring. Budgell fits that category, while still providing his typical full-out effort every night. His other advantage is finding chemistry with the most talented member on his team – St. Louis prospect Nikita Alexandrov. The pair have been very solid when put together, as both have low centers of gravity and work magic along the boards in the offensive zone. Budgell is a touch undersized for the pro ranks to play the role he does – grinder, energy forward who generates off the forecheck and off the rush – but he continues to show promise to put it all together. He also shows great chemistry playing with talented linemates, as not only does Alexandrov feature in his best highlights, but his midget linemate was Carolina first rounder Ryan Suzuki.” (Mike Sanderson)

BCHL

Danny Weight - Center - Penticton Vees

Last year was a tough one for Danny Weight, son of former NHL Stanley Cup Champion Doug Weight. He became buried on the depth chart of a strong U.S. U18 squad and was eventually left off of the roster for the IIHF U18’s. This demotion essentially killed his chances of being drafted. However, he has bounced back strong this year in the BCHL with Penticton (along with Flyers first round pick Jay O’Brien), finding himself near the top of league scoring. The Boston College commit was also recently named to the CJHL Top Prospect’s Game, one of the few 2001’s at the event. It would appear that his resurgence has him back on the map as an NHL draft prospect.

“After spending the past few years with the US development program, the son of NHL veteran Doug Weight brought his talents to the Penticton Vees in the BCHL. Although it’s only for this season, as he is committed to Boston College next season, it's a very good move as he can step into a much larger role after playing on a very deep USNTDP. Playing in such a deep program wasn't giving him the opportunity to play in all roles and get a good portion of ice time. Weight was one of only a handful of players from the USNTDP that didn't get drafted and needed to make a change in response to the snub. He comes from NHL bloodlines, has decent size, can play physical, has some offensive skills as he is producing at a point per game ratio, and plays a well-rounded game. Although he needs to improve in a few areas, his goal is to get drafted, but he may be more likely to do a couple more camp invites as an undrafted player.” (Kevin Olexson)

Philippe Lapointe - Right Wing/Center - Trail Smoke Eaters

A university of Michigan recruit, Lapointe is the son of former NHL’er Martin. After playing the last few years in the USHL, Lapointe switched to the BCHL this year where he has been the captain of one of the league’s best teams and has also one of the league’s best point per game averages (just behind teammate and top 2021 draft prospect Kent Johnson).

“The son of ex NHLer Martin Lapointe has stepped into a big role in his first season with Trail in the BCHL. After overcoming an injury to start the season, he has settled in and looks really comfortable playing for the Smoke Eaters. Lapointe is hard working and very focused, has good leadership qualities and was rewarded for his efforts by being named the team’s Captain in his first season. He is a nice offensively gifted player, with 15 goals and 28 assists in only 24 games, he is producing at almost 2 points a game pace and is determined to become a top player. He keeps his head up, has a good shot, distributes the puck very well, and has been an impact player and difference maker. Lapointe is a smart 2-way player who competes hard, knows where to go on the ice, and leads by example. He has committed and set his sights on the University of Michigan program for next season and should continue to flourish.” (Kevin Olexson)

**Special thanks to the McKeen’s Hockey staff for contributing to this article (Ryan Wagman, Vince Gibbons, Mike Sanderson, Kevin Olexson, Marco Bombino, Jimmy Hamrin, Alessandro Seren Rosso, and Viktor Fomich). Additionally, thanks to Russ Cohen (@sportsology) and Will Scouch (@Scouching) for their contributions.

MCKEEN’S 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: Final Rankings – Top 217 Plus 100 Honourable Mention

Iain Morrell — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:52:23 +0000

MCKEEN'S RELEASES FINAL 2019 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

KOSICE, SLOVAKIA - MAY 13: USA's Jack Hughes #6 and Finland's Kaapo Kakko #24 shake hands following a 3-2 overtime win for team USA during preliminary round action of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship at Steel Arena on May 13, 2019 in Kosice, Slovakia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

American center Jack Hughes or Finnish Winger Kaapo Kakko?

That is the decision facing the New Jersey Devils who won the draft lottery for the second time in the past three seasons and hold the top pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Hughes (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) led the USA Hockey National Team Development Program under-18 team in scoring while setting the NTDP career record for assists (154) and points (228) in two seasons (110 games) with the program.

He earned the highest Overall Future Projection (OFP) score of 64.50, as per the 20/80 grading system developed by McKeen's Director of Scouting Ryan Wagman.

Skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ, physicality - these are the attributes measured for skaters using the 20/80 grading system to arrive at an Overall Future Projection (OFP) score.

Six areas are assessed for goalies: athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling.

BROADWAY KAAPO

Kakko (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) earned the next highest OFP score at 64.00.

The Turku, Finland native will go to the New York Rangers with the second pick, their highest draft position since taking Brad Park in 1966 before expansion (1967-68).

Kakko led Finland with six goals while winning gold at the 2019 World Championships at just 18 years, 102 days old to become the youngest player in IIHF history to win gold at the Under-18, Under-20, and WM (World Men) levels, supplanting Connor McDavid of Canada (19 years, 130 days) from the record books.

The Chicago Blackhawks have the number three pick with the top defenseman Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants next on the McKeen's OFP scale (63.40).

Seven players in total received OFP scores of at least 60.00 this season, up from five in 2018 - and just two in 2017 when the Devils selected Nino Hischier first overall.

The next five spots in the rankings are all centers - Kirby Dach of Saskatoon (63.20 OFP), Dylan Cozens of Lethbridge (61.40), the NTDP duo of Trevor Zegras (61.25) and Alex Turcotte (60.00), and Peyton Krebs of Kootenay (59.65).

ALL AMERICAN

Spencer Knight. Photo courtesy of the USNTDP.

Spencer Knight of the NTDP is the top-rated goaltender available (55.75 OFP) at No. 32 in the McKeen's rankings.

Knight will likely go in the opening round of what will be a record haul for the U.S. National Team Development Program as upwards of eight players could be taken in the top 31 selections.

As for past records, the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) had four players taken in the opening round of the 1979 NHL Draft - as did the Toronto Marlboros (OHA) in 1972 and the Montreal Junior Canadiens (OHA) in 1969.

Along with Hughes (1st), Zegras (6th), and Turcotte (7th), wingers Matthew Boldy and Cole Caufield are ranked at No. 12 and 13 on the McKeen's list, with defenseman Cam York at No. 17 and center John Beecher at 30th.

Caufield (5-foot-7, 165 pounds) scored 14 goals at the U18 World Junior Championship, tying Alex Ovechkin's single-tournament goals record. However, the United States lost in a shootout to Russia in the semi-finals.

There are also four others in the program ranked in the 32 to 62 range (second round) - all defensemen - Marshall Warren (35th), Alex Vlasic (54th), Henry Thrun (58th) and Drew Helleson (62nd).

In total, 16 players from the NTDP are ranked among the top 100.

SWEDE GOLD - SWEET SEIDER

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 23: Swedens Philip Broberg #4 makes a pass during preliminary round action against Russia at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 23, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Sweden won a first-ever gold medal at the U18 World Juniors.

Four blueliners on that Swedish team are first-round candidates led by Philip Broberg of AIK, named 'Top Defenceman' at the U18 tournament, and Victor Soderstrom of Brynas, ranked No. 9 and 10 respectively on McKeen's.

U18 captain Tobias Bjornfot of Djurgardens is ranked 19th and Albert Johansson of Farjestads is 26th.

Following Dominik Bokk's selection in 2018 (25th to St. Louis), Germany will produce another first-round pick this year in Adler Mannheim defenseman Moritz Seider.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound, right-shot blueliner displayed impressive skills and maturity for his age while appearing at the 2019 World Championships (5-2-0-2).

Seider earned an OFP score of 57.50 and is ranked No. 15.

He will become the highest-selected German-born player at the NHL Draft since the Edmonton Oilers took Leon Draisaitl third overall in 2014.

Here are our final 2019 NHL Draft Rankings. They are a culmination of a season’s worth of prospect analysis and coverage on mckeenshockey.com and the tremendous work put in rinks and looking at screens and numbers from our committed team. Enjoy!

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
1	Jack Hughes	C	NTDP (USA)	5-10/170	14-May-01	USA
2	Kaapo Kakko	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-2/195	13-Feb-01	Finland
3	Bowen Byram	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jun-01	Canada
4	Kirby Dach	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-3/200	21-Jan-01	Canada
5	Dylan Cozens	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-3/185	9-Feb-01	Canada
6	Trevor Zegras	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/170	20-Mar-01	USA
7	Alex Turcotte	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	26-Feb-01	USA
8	Peyton Krebs	C	Kootenay (WHL)	5-11/180	26-Jan-01	Canada
9	Philip Broberg	D	AIK (Swe 2)	6-3/200	25-Jun-01	Sweden
10	Victor Soderstrom	D	Brynas (Swe)	5-11/180	26-Feb-01	Sweden
11	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	SKA-1946 St. Pete. (Rus Jr)	6-1/190	24-Jun-01	Russia
12	Matthew Boldy	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/190	5-Apr-01	USA
13	Cole Caufield	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-7/165	2-Jan-01	USA
14	Raphael Lavoie	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-4/195	25-Sep-00	Canada
15	Moritz Seider	D	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	6-3/185	6-Apr-01	Germany
16	Simon Holmstrom	RW	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	24-May-01	Sweden
17	Cam York	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/175	5-Jan-01	USA
18	Alex Newhook	C	Victoria (BCHL)	5-10/195	28-Jan-01	Canada
19	Tobias Bjornfot	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	6-0/200	6-Apr-01	Sweden
20	Philip Tomasino	C	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/180	28-Jul-01	Canada
21	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-2/190	26-Jun-01	USA
22	Ryan Suzuki	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/180	28-May-01	Canada
23	Samuel Poulin	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/205	25-Feb-01	Canada
24	Thomas Harley	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-3/190	19-Aug-01	Canada
25	Ryan Johnson	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-0/175	24-Jul-01	USA
26	Albert Johansson	D	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/165	4-Jan-01	Sweden
27	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	Chicago (USHL)	5-10/160	24-Jan-01	USA
28	Connor McMichael	C	London (OHL)	5-11/175	15-Jan-01	Canada
29	Matthew Robertson	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-3/200	9-Mar-01	Canada
30	John Beecher	C	NTDP (USA)	6-3/210	5-Apr-01	USA
31	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	6-1/170	26-Oct-00	Russia
32	Spencer Knight	G	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	19-Apr-01	USA
33	Bobby Brink	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/165	8-Jul-01	USA
34	Brett Leason	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-4/200	30-Apr-99	Canada
35	Marshall Warren	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/170	20-Apr-01	USA
36	Egor Afanasyev	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	6-3/205	23-Jan-01	Russia
37	Ville Heinola	D	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-11/180	3-Feb-01	Finland
38	Nolan Foote	LW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Nov-00	Canada
39	Samuel Fagemo	RW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-0/195	14-Mar-00	Sweden
40	Nick Robertson	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Sep-01	USA
41	Nils Hoglander	RW	Rogle (Swe)	5-9/185	20-Dec-00	Sweden
42	Jamieson Rees	C	Sarnia (OHL)	5-10/175	26-Feb-01	Canada
43	Jakob Pelletier	LW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-9/165	7-Mar-01	Canada
44	Antti Tuomisto	D	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	6-4/190	20-Jan-01	Finland
45	Lassi Thomson	D	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	24-Sep-00	Finland
46	Michal Teply	LW	Bili Tygri Liberec (Cze)	6-3/185	27-May-01	Czech
47	Brayden Tracey	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/175	28-May-01	Canada
48	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr)	5-10/170	15-Mar-01	Russia
49	Yegor Chinakhov	RW	Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr)	6-0/175	1-Feb-01	Russia
50	Mattias Norlinder	D	MoDo (Swe Jr)	5-11/180	12-Apr-00	Sweden
51	Karl Henriksson	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-9/165	5-Feb-01	Sweden
52	Vladislav Kolyachonok	D	Flint (OHL)	6-1/185	26-May-01	Belarus
53	Nikola Pasic	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	16-Oct-00	Sweden
54	Alex Vlasic	D	NTDP (USA)	6-6/200	5-Jun-01	USA
55	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	HK Ryazan (Rus 2)	6-1/175	25-Jun-99	Russia
56	Albin Grewe	RW	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/190	22-Mar-01	Sweden
57	Trevor Janicke	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-10/195	25-Dec-00	USA
58	Henry Thrun	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/190	12-Mar-01	USA
59	Yegor Spiridonov	C	Stalnye Lisy Mag. (Rus Jr)	6-2/195	22-Jan-01	Russia
60	Patrik Puistola	LW	Tappara (Fin Jr)	6-0/175	11-Jan-01	Finland
61	Ilya Nikolayev	C	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-0/190	26-Jun-01	Russia
62	Drew Helleson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	26-Mar-01	USA
63	Graeme Clarke	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/175	24-Apr-01	Canada
64	Ronnie Attard	D	Tri-City (USHL)	6-3/210	20-Mar-99	USA
65	Mads Sogaard	G	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-7/195	13-Dec-00	Denmark
66	Oleg Zaitsev	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/185	7-Jan-01	Russia
67	Isaiah Saville	G	Tri-City (USHL)	6-1/190	21-Sep-00	USA
68	Kaedan Korczak	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Jan-01	Canada
69	Adam Najman	C	Benatky nad Jizerou (Cze 2)	5-11/175	23-Jan-01	Czech
70	Mikko Kokkonen	D	Jukurit (Fin)	5-11/200	18-Jan-01	Finland
71	Michael Vukojevic	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-3/210	8-Jun-01	Canada
72	Patrick Moynihan	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	23-Jan-01	USA
73	Michael Gildon	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	21-Jun-01	USA
74	Judd Caulfield	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	19-Mar-01	USA
75	Vladislav Firstov	LW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/180	19-Jun-01	USA
76	Hugo Alnefelt	G	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-3/195	4-Jun-01	Sweden
77	Gianni Fairbrother	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/195	30-Sep-00	Canada
78	Jackson Lacombe	D	Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS-MN)	6-1/170	9-Jan-01	USA
79	Ethan Keppen	LW	Flint (OHL)	6-2/210	20-Mar-01	Canada
80	Anttoni Honka	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	5-10/180	5-Oct-00	Finland
81	Roman Bychkov	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/160	10-Feb-01	Russia
82	Ryder Donovan	C	Duluth East (USHS-MN)	6-3/185	4-Oct-00	USA
83	Nathan Legare	RW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-0/205	11-Jan-01	Canada
84	Billy Constantinou	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-0/185	25-Mar-01	Canada
85	Vojtech Strondala	C	Slavia Trebic (Cze 2)	5-7/155	17-Dec-00	Czech
86	Case McCarthy	D	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	9-Jan-01	USA
87	Simon Lundmark	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-2/200	8-Oct-00	Sweden
88	Zac Jones	D	Tri-City (USHL)	5-10/175	18-Oct-00	USA
89	Erik Portillo	G	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-6/210	3-Sep-00	Sweden
90	Daniil Misyul	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/180	20-Oct-00	Russia
91	Daniil Gutik	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/180	31-Aug-01	Russia
92	Hunter Jones	G	Peterborough (OHL)	6-4/195	21-Sep-00	Canada
93	Michael Koster	D	Chaska (USHS-MN)	5-9/175	13-Apr-01	USA
94	Aliaksei Protas	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-5/205	6-Jan-01	Belarus
95	Blake Murray	C	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/190	5-Jul-01	Canada
96	Cole MacKay	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-10/190	13-Jun-01	Canada
97	Trent Miner	G	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/185	5-Jan-01	Canada
98	Semyon Chistyakov	D	Tolpar Ufa (Rus Jr)	5-10/170	7-Aug-01	Russia
99	Leevi Aaltonen	RW	KalPa (Fin Jr)	5-9/175	24-Jan-01	Finland
100	Antti Saarela	C	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-11/185	27-Jun-01	Finland
101	John Farinacci	C	Dexter (USHS-MA)	5-11/185	14-Feb-01	USA
102	Marcus Kallionkieli	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-2/195	20-Mar-01	Finland
103	Andre Lee	LW	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-4/200	26-Jul-00	Sweden
104	Kirill Slepets	RW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-10/165	6-Apr-99	Russia
105	Shane Pinto	C	Tri-City (USHL)	6-2/190	12-Nov-00	USA
106	Jordan Spence	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/165	24-Feb-01	Canada
107	Keean Washkurak	C	Mississauga (OHL)	5-10/185	16-Aug-01	Canada
108	Owen Lindmark	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	17-May-01	USA
109	Matej Blumel	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	5-11/200	31-May-00	Czech
110	Jack Malone	RW	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/190	13-Oct-00	USA
111	Jayden Struble	D	St. Sebastian's (USHS-MA)	6-0/195	8-Sep-01	USA
112	Artemi Knyazev	D	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-11/180	4-Jan-01	Russia
113	Maxim Cajkovic	RW	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/185	3-Jan-01	Slovakia
114	Matvey Guskov	C	London (OHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-01	Russia
115	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-1/195	4-Dec-00	Russia
116	Valeri Orekhov	D	Barys Astana (KHL)	6-1/190	17-Jul-99	Kazakhstan
117	Zdenek Sedlak	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-2/205	23-Mar-00	Czech
118	Alexander Yakovenko	D	Muskegon (USHL)	5-11/175	22-Feb-98	Russia
119	Yannick Bruschweiler	C	GC Kusnacht Lions (Sui 2)	5-10/175	29-Aug-99	Switzerland
120	Ilya Mironov	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/200	15-Mar-01	Russia
121	Albert Lyckasen	D	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-10/180	29-Jul-01	Sweden
122	Keegan Stevenson	C	Guelph (OHL)	6-1/185	31-Dec-00	Canada
123	Ilya Konovalov	G	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	6-0/195	13-Jul-98	Russia
124	Cole Schwindt	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/185	25-Apr-01	Canada
125	Domenick Fensore	D	NTDP (USA)	5-7/155	7-Sep-01	USA
126	William Francis	D	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	6-5/210	16-Nov-00	USA
127	Simon Gnyp	D	Kolner (Ger Jr)	5-11/180	10-Sep-01	Germany
128	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-10/150	22-Jun-01	Finland
129	Ethan Phillips	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-9/150	7-May-01	Canada
130	Linus Pettersson	RW	MoDo (Swe)	5-7/145	11-Apr-00	Sweden
131	Matias Maccelli	LW	Dubuque (USHL)	5-11/170	14-Oct-00	Finland
132	Anthony Romano	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-11/185	7-Oct-00	Canada
133	Nikita Alexandrov	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/180	16-Sep-00	Germany
134	Arturs Silovs	G	HS Riga (Lat)	6-4/205	22-Mar-01	Latvia
135	August Hedlund	G	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-4/185	7-Jan-00	Sweden
136	Nicholas Porco	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/175	12-Mar-01	Canada
137	Joe Carroll	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-2/200	1-Feb-01	Canada
138	Alex Beaucage	RW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/195	25-Jul-01	Canada
139	Luke Toporowski	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/180	12-Apr-01	USA
140	Sasha Mutala	RW	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/200	6-May-01	Canada
141	Harrison Blaisdell	C	Chilliwack (BCHL)	5-11/180	18-Mar-01	Canada
142	Valentin Nussbaumer	C	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-11/165	25-Sep-00	Switzerland
143	Dustin Wolf	G	Everett (WHL)	6-0/155	16-Apr-01	USA
144	Ondrej Psenicka	RW	Sparta Praha (Cze Jr)	6-5/195	7-Jan-01	Czech
145	Juuso Parssinen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	6-2/205	1-Feb-01	Finland
146	Mitchell Brewer	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-0/205	20-Mar-01	Canada
147	Lukas Parik	G	Liberec (Cze Jr)	6-4/185	15-Mar-01	Czech
148	Grant Silianoff	RW	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	5-11/170	4-Jan-01	USA
149	Josh Nodler	C	Fargo (USHL)	5-11/195	27-Apr-01	USA
150	Bryce Brodzinski	RW	Blaine (USHS-MN)	6-0/195	9-Aug-00	USA
151	Colten Ellis	G	Rimouski (QMJHL)	6-1/190	5-Oct-00	Canada
152	Rhett Pitlick	LW	Chaska (USHS-MN)	5-9/160	7-Feb-01	USA
153	Dillon Hamaliuk	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-3/190	30-Oct-00	Canada
154	Aleksei Sergeev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/185	22-May-00	Russia
155	Jack York	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/190	17-Sep-00	Canada
156	Jacob LeGuerrier	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/200	22-Nov-00	Canada
157	Zach Uens	D	Wellington (OJHL)	6-1/180	13-May-01	Canada
158	Josh Williams	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-1/195	8-Mar-01	Canada
159	Elmer Soderblom	RW	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-6/220	5-Jul-01	Sweden
160	Kyle Topping	C	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/185	18-Nov-99	Canada
161	Albin Sundsvik	C	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	27-Apr-01	Sweden
162	Cameron Rowe	G	NTDP (USA)	6-2/200	1-Jun-01	USA
163	Filip Lindberg	G	Massachusetts (HE)	6-0/180	31-Jan-99	Finland
164	Liam Svensson	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr 18)	6-3/195	2-Feb-01	Sweden
165	Xavier Simoneau	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-6/170	19-May-01	Canada
166	Pavel Gogolev	RW	Guelph (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Feb-00	Russia
167	Danil Antropov	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/185	20-Dec-00	Canada
168	Daniel D'Amico	LW	Windsor (OHL)	5-9/185	26-Jan-01	Canada
169	Vladimir Alistrov	LW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-2/175	12-Feb-01	Belarus
170	Reece Newkirk	C	Portland (WHL)	5-11/175	20-Feb-01	Canada
171	Sergei Alkhimov	LW	Regina (WHL)	6-0/210	3-Jul-01	Russia
172	Adam Beckman	LW	Spokane (WHL)	6-1/170	10-May-01	Canada
173	Alexander Campbell	LW	Victoria (BCHL)	5-10/150	27-Feb-01	Canada
174	Taylor Gauthier	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/195	15-Feb-01	Canada
175	Max Crozier	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-1/195	19-Apr-00	Canada
176	Santeri Hatakka	D	Jokerit (Fin Jr)	6-0/175	15-Jan-01	Finland
177	Kalle Loponen	D	Hermes (Fin 2)	5-10/185	13-Mar-01	Finland
178	Eric Ciccolini	RW	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	5-11/160	14-Jan-01	Canada
179	Aku Raty	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-11/170	5-Jul-01	Finland
180	Arvid Costmar	C	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-11/180	7-Jul-01	Sweden
181	Matt Brown	LW	Des Moines (USHL)	5-9/180	9-Aug-99	USA
182	Sven Leuenberger	C	Zug (Sui)	5-10/185	18-Feb-99	Switzerland
183	Jasper Patrikainen	G	Pelicans (Fin)	6-0/175	1-Jul-00	Finland
184	Jack Williams	G	Springfield (NAHL)	6-3/175	21-Jun-01	USA
185	Mikhail Abramov	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/160	26-Mar-01	Russia
186	Ben Brinkman	D	Minnesota (B1G)	6-0/215	4-Oct-00	USA
187	Chris Giroday	D	Green Bay (USHL)	6-1/175	13-Dec-00	Canada
188	Petr Cajka	C	Erie (OHL)	6-0/170	11-Dec-00	Czech
189	Mark Kastelic	C	Calgary (WHL)	6-3/215	11-Mar-99	USA
190	Kevin Wall	RW	Chilliwack (BCHL)	6-0/190	1-Feb-00	USA
191	Lucas Edmonds	RW	Karlskrona (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	27-Jan-01	Sweden
192	Carter Gylander	G	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	6-5/175	5-Jun-01	Canada
193	Ethan de Jong	RW	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	5-10/170	12-Jul-99	Canada
194	Wiljami Myllyla	RW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	6-0/170	9-Apr-01	Finland
195	Yaroslav Likhachyov	RW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	5-10/170	2-Sep-01	Russia
196	Layton Ahac	D	Prince George (BCHL)	6-2/195	22-Feb-01	Canada
197	Alfred Barklund	D	Orebro (Swe Jr)	6-2/200	21-Oct-00	Sweden
198	Radek Muzik	LW	Lulea (Swe Jr)	6-3/180	25-Mar-01	Sweden
199	Marcus Pedersen	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	6-2/165	25-May-01	Sweden
200	Filip Koffer	RW	Pardubice (Cze Jr)	5-11/175	4-Mar-01	Czech
201	Henri Nikkanen	C	Jukurit (Fin Jr)	6-3/200	28-Apr-01	Finland
202	Marc Del Gaizo	D	Massachusetts (HE)	5-9/190	11-Oct-99	USA
203	Tag Bertuzzi	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-0/200	18-Feb-01	Canada
204	Martin Hugo Has	D	Tappara (Fin Jr)	6-4/190	2-Feb-01	Czech
205	Jet Greaves	G	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/165	30-Mar-01	Canada
206	Mason Millman	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/175	18-Jul-01	Canada
207	Janis Jerome Moser	D	Biel-Bienne (Sui)	6-0/160	6-Jun-00	Switzerland
208	Nick Abruzzese	C	Chicago (USHL)	5-9/160	4-Jun-99	USA
209	Logan Barlage	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-4/200	7-Jan-01	Canada
210	Carter Berger	D	Victoria (BCHL)	6-0/200	17-Sep-99	Canada
211	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/205	7-Oct-99	Switzerland
212	Tyce Thompson	RW	Providence (HE)	6-1/180	12-Jul-99	USA
213	Nolan Maier	G	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-0/175	10-Jan-01	Canada
214	Massimo Rizzo	C	Penticton (BCHL)	5-10/180	13-Jun-01	Canada
215	Matthew Steinburg	C	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	6-1/185	7-Oct-00	Canada
216	Jake Lee	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/215	13-Jul-01	Canada
217	Luke Bast	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-9/170	20-Nov-00	Canada

100 HONOURABLE MENTION IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
HM	Nathan Allensen	D	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/180	3-May-01	Canada
HM	Ethan Anders	G	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/175	26-Sep-00	Canada
HM	Nicklas Andrews	D	Des Moines (USHL)	5-10/185	6-Jul-01	USA
HM	Tyler Angle	C	Windsor (OHL)	5-9/165	30-Sep-00	Canada
HM	Marcel Barinka	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/165	3-Jan-01	Czech
HM	Roman Basran	G	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/195	26-Jul-01	Canada
HM	Luke Bignell	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/170	3-Nov-00	Canada
HM	Mathieu Bizier	C	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-1/185	13-May-01	Canada
HM	Oscar Bjerselius	C	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/185	18-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Kaden Bohlsen	C	Fargo (USHL)	6-3/190	10-Jan-01	USA
HM	Samuel Bolduc	D	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-3/210	9-Dec-00	Canada
HM	Jakob Bondesson	D	Rogle (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	22-May-00	Sweden
HM	Cole Brady	G	Janesville (NAHL)	6-5/165	12-Feb-01	Canada
HM	Alex Brannstam	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	3-Jun-01	Sweden
HM	Lynden Breen	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-9/165	31-May-01	USA
HM	Jonas Brondberg	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-4/190	26-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Jeremie Bucheler	D	Victoria (BCHL)	6-4/200	31-Mar-00	Canada
HM	Brett Budgell	LW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	5-11/190	1-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Luka Burzan	RW	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/190	7-Jan-00	Canada
HM	Felix Carenfelt	LW	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	13-Feb-00	Sweden
HM	Luke Cavallin	G	Flint (OHL)	6-1/190	29-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Filip Cederqvist	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe)	6-1/185	23-Aug-00	Sweden
HM	Cole Coskey	RW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/190	1-Jun-99	USA
HM	Braden Doyle	D	Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)	5-11/170	24-Aug-01	USA
HM	Justin Ducharme	LW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-10/180	22-Feb-00	Canada
HM	Nathan Dunkley	C	London (OHL)	5-11/195	3-May-00	Canada
HM	Pontus Englund	D	Timra (Swe Jr)	6-3/205	15-Jul-00	Sweden
HM	Lucas Feuk	LW	Sodertalje (Swe Jr)	6-0/185	19-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Parker Ford	C	Sioux City (USHL)	5-8/170	20-Jul-00	USA
HM	Ethan Frisch	D	Fargo (USHL)	5-11/190	29-Oct-00	USA
HM	Maxim Golod	LW	Erie (OHL)	5-11/175	18-Aug-00	Canada
HM	Jacob Gronhagen	C	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-6/215	18-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Maxence Guenette	D	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-1/180	28-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Hugo Gustafsson	C	Sodertalje (Swe 2)	5-10/160	23-Feb-00	Sweden
HM	Mack Guzda	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-4/215	11-Jan-01	USA
HM	Aidan Harper	G	Skipjacks HC 18U (USPHL)	6-2/170	28-May-01	USA
HM	Ludvig Hedstrom	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	14-Apr-01	Sweden
HM	Konsta Hirvonen	LW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	5-11/165	1-Nov-00	Finland
HM	Eric Hjorth	D	Linkopings (Swe Jr 18)	6-3/190	8-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Samuel Hlavaj	G	Lincoln (USHL)	6-4/185	29-May-01	Slovakia
HM	Krystof Hrabik	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-4/220	24-Sep-99	Czech
HM	Rickard Hugg	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/190	18-Jan-99	Sweden
HM	Aaron Huglen	RW	Roseau (USHS-MN)	5-11/165	6-Mar-01	USA
HM	Aarne Intonen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	5-11/180	17-Jul-01	Finland
HM	Michal Ivan	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/185	18-Nov-99	Slovakia
HM	Dylan Jackson	RW	Dubuque (USHL)	5-9/175	6-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Ty Jackson	C	Dubuque (USHL)	5-7/150	6-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Taro Jentzsch	C	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/155	11-Jun-00	Germany
HM	Samuel Johannesson	D	Rogle (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	27-Dec-00	Sweden
HM	Wilson Johansson	RW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	11-Oct-00	Sweden
HM	Brooklyn Kalmikov	C	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-0/165	21-Apr-01	Canada
HM	David Karlstrom	C	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	12-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Mans Kramer	D	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-2/180	6-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Jami Krannila	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-10/160	3-Oct-00	Finland
HM	Grayson Ladd	D	Windsor (OHL)	6-1/175	1-Mar-01	Canada
HM	Martin Lang	LW	Kamloops (WHL)	5-11/170	15-Sep-01	Czech
HM	Oscar Lawner	LW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/185	13-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Jonathan Lemieux	G	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-0/185	8-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Hugo Leufvenius	LW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/230	26-Mar-99	Sweden
HM	Ethan Leyh	LW	Langley (BCHL)	6-0/190	7-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Josh Lopina	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-1/175	16-Feb-01	USA
HM	Emil Malysjev	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-3/190	1-May-01	Sweden
HM	Matias Mantykivi	C	SaiPa (Fin Jr)	5-11/160	21-Jun-01	Finland
HM	Jeremy McKenna	RW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/175	20-Apr-99	Canada
HM	Billy Moskal	C	London (OHL)	6-0/185	22-Mar-00	Canada
HM	Derek Mullahy	G	Dexter (USHS-MA)	6-0/180	20-Mar-01	USA
HM	Kim Nousiainen	D	KalPa (Fin Jr)	5-9/170	14-Nov-00	Finland
HM	Zachary Okabe	RW	Grande Prairie (AJHL)	5-8/165	4-Jan-01	Canada
HM	Oliver Okuliar	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/190	24-May-00	Slovakia
HM	Quinn Olson	LW	Okotoks (AJHL)	5-10/170	9-May-01	Canada
HM	Xavier Parent	LW	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-8/170	23-Mar-01	Canada
HM	Tommy Pasanen	D	Sioux City (USHL)	6-3/220	30-Jul-01	Germany
HM	Thomas Pelletier	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/195	23-Aug-01	Canada
HM	Andrew Perrott	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/205	24-Aug-01	USA
HM	Kari Piiroinen	G	Windsor (OHL)	6-0/175	1-Jul-01	Finland
HM	Lukas Pilo	D	Orebro (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	7-Sep-99	Sweden
HM	Garrett Pinoniemi	C	Holy Family Catholic (USHS-MN)	5-11/150	15-Jun-01	USA
HM	Mason Primeau	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-5/205	28-Jul-01	Canada
HM	Kirby Proctor	D	Des Moines (USHL)	6-3/190	19-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Liam Ross	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/195	13-May-01	Canada
HM	Henrik Rybinski	RW	Seattle (WHL)	6-0/175	26-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Nikita Sedov	D	Regina (WHL)	6-1/185	5-May-01	Russia
HM	Egor Serdyuk	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/160	3-Jun-01	Russia
HM	Nikita Shashkov	LW	Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)	5-11/180	26-Mar-99	Russia
HM	Ryan Siedem	D	Central Illinois (USHL)	6-2/190	25-Feb-01	USA
HM	Samuel Sjolund	D	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-1/175	19-May-01	Sweden
HM	Hunter Skinner	D	Muskegon (USHL)	6-2/175	29-Apr-01	USA
HM	Dominik Sojka	C	Banska Bystrica (Svk Jr)	6-5/210	16-Feb-01	Slovakia
HM	Kyen Sopa	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-9/185	30-Sep-00	Switzerland
HM	Tyler Spott	D	Green Bay (USHL)	5-10/170	17-Jun-00	Canada
HM	Matthew Struthers	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-2/210	26-Dec-99	Canada
HM	Roope Taponen	G	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	6-0/165	14-Mar-01	Finland
HM	Jacob Tortora	LW	Barrie (OHL)	5-6/165	25-Jul-99	USA
HM	Bobby Trivigno	LW	Massachusetts (HE)	5-8/155	19-Jan-99	USA
HM	Eric Uba	RW	Flint (OHL)	6-0/195	17-Dec-00	Canada
HM	Max Wahlgren	RW	MoDo (Swe)	6-1/185	9-May-01	Sweden
HM	Carl Wang	D	Sodertalje (Swe Jr)	6-2/195	28-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Matteus Ward	G	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	6-0/170	7-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Lukas Wernblom	C	MoDo (Swe 2)	5-9/170	22-Jul-00	Sweden
HM	Jonathan Yantsis	RW	Kitchener (OHL)	6-2/210	28-Apr-99	Canada

QMJHL: Brett Budgell, LW, Charlottetown

Michael Sanderson — Thu, 11 Apr 2019 11:07:29 +0000

Brett Budgell did not see the growth in his game many had hoped for this year. His points improved, but his points-per-game regressed on a team with less depth at forward this season, and he struggled to get on the scoresheet at times, including wrapping up the regular season with just one point in his last 14 games.

In January, coach Hulton tried him out at center, and he has been decent at faceoffs for the career winger. Having said that, Budgell brings much more than just points to the lineup. His will is stronger than his skills. He is an effective two-way player who creates space for his linemates and does not back down from a challenger. He has experience playing effectively with talented linemates; he played much of his 2016-17 minor midget season in London, Ontario with Ryan Suzuki, and they finished one-two in team scoring with well over a point-a-game.

Budgell projects as a solid grinder who can chip in at the next level, and a potential power forward at the top end, but he is still a project to get him to that level of play. He will be a very adequate foot soldier in the professional ranks, at the very least. He does not have a glaring weakness to his game, and that gives him an advantage over some other prospects. He could see a jump in his numbers with more confidence with the puck, a big summer, and an increased role with the Islanders, which he should see next year.

Brett Budgell	Eligible 2019 Draft
Position: LW, Shoots L	H/W: 6-0", 192 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Charlottetown Islanders, QMJHL (67-18-15-33-51)

Brett Budgell of the Charlottetown Islanders. Photo courtesy of Steven Cadovius/QMJHL.

Skating: Budgell has seen his skating improve since he joined the QMJHL, though it is around average at this level. His top speed keeps up with the play and puts him where he needs to be. To compensate, Budgell plays at 100-miles-an-hour every shift, and that makes him a fan favourite. He also uses his awareness to avoid wasting strides and going to the wrong part of the ice. He can cover a lot of ice by maximizing his speed and using good edgework to keep his speed when need-be. He is more of a north-south player. Grade: 50

Shot: Budgell takes a majority of his shots from close to the net, so a read on his shots is a tougher one to make. He can get his shot up quickly, and bang in rebounds effectively. His quick release helps him in tight, as well. He is more likely to be the player screening the goalie than taking the shot, but he can pick a corner more than he has in the past at this level. He is at his most effective offensively from within ten feet of the net and has scored a majority of his goals in the QMJHL from this space. Grade: 45

Skills: Budgell has decent hands against the goalie, but he is more of a dump-and-chase forward than a dangler. His passing skills are underrated at this level. A lot of the reason Budgell is at home with more talented linemates is because he can keep the puck moving with his passing and hitting his teammates in optimal spots. He is a very solid cycle player, using his body to protect the puck and his passing to keep the cycle going. Grade: 50

Smarts: Offensively, Budgell is all about getting to the net and creating havoc when there. He can effectively get to the net using a combination of brains and brawn. Budgell is a very responsible player in all zones, which is why head coach Jim Hulton decided to try him out at center in the last half of the year. He is a strong play-reader and good at assessing the best plan of attack in the moment. Budgell does not need the puck to be effective. His anticipation in front of the net is solid, being able to beat the defender to pucks in front is an asset. He has the defensive acumen to be able to play the center position defensively and rely on his positioning and skills along the boards to be an effective two-way center, even though his skating better projects as a winger going forward. Grade: 55

Physicality: Budgell does not back down, and despite his smaller frame for a grinder, he can bang bodies and work the boards with the best of them. He is very effective at wearing down the opposition along the boards and creating space for his teammates. He is strong on his skates and knows how to properly take contact, allowing him to stay on his feet against bigger opponents. This is where he will have the most success going forward – as a power forward/grinder type who can put pucks to the net and fight for rebounds. He is willing to put in the work to make that happen, and he will have to pack on some strength to be most effective in that role. Grade: 55

Overall Future Projection (OFP):50

QMJHL Playoff Preview: Huskies leaders of the pack in the President’s Cup playoff

Michael Sanderson — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 13:23:49 +0000

The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are looking to complete what they could not in 2016: win a Memorial Cup.

They may just have the team to do it, but first they need to lay waste to the rest of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

That’s what they did in the regular season. Boasting three players from that 2016 Memorial Cup squad in league-leading scorer Peter Abbandonato, minute-eating defender Jacob Neveu and record-setting netminder Samuel Harvey, the Huskies set the record for most wins in a single season with 59 wins in 2018-19. Raphael Harvey-Pinard played five games for that 2016 Huskie crew in the regular season and was the team’s second leading scorer this year.

The Huskies are a very strong defensive unit that moves the puck fast and plays with intensity. They lost just one game in the 2019 portion of the schedule.

Noah Dobson, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Rouyn-Noranda made it count in the mid-season trading period as well, trading all of their picks in the first-through-fourth rounds in the next three seasons to acquire three players – Joel Teasdale from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Louis-Filip Côté from the Québec Remparts, and Noah Dobson from the defending Memorial Cup champion Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Teasdale boasts 42 points in 29 games, and Dobson added 36 in 28.

The Titan will not be defending their crown, as they missed the playoffs this season, allowing for a new champion that could be wearing red and black. The Huskies have another piece from last year’s champs: head coach Mario Pouliot joined the team, taking over as head coach and GM.

Joe Veleno, Drummondville Voltiguers

Another team in red and black, the Drummondville Voltigeurs, are the yin to the Huskies yang in terms of contending combatants. While the Huskies dominate with defensive play and timely scoring, the Voltigeurs try to outscore the opposition, and were very successful at it, especially in the second half. The Volts led the league in goals with 338 on the strength of Detroit pick Joe Veleno’s 104 points and Maxime Comtois’s 48 points in just 25 games.

They have the forward depth to put most teams to shame. Nicolas Guay has been an excellent winger with 40 goals. Gregor MacLeod was picked up at the beginning of the season from Québec and put up 84 points. Félix Lauzon’s two-way play was magnified by his 80 points, and Dawson Mercer, not draft-eligible until 2020, had 64 points with his blazing speed and great defensive instincts. This playoff season could be Mercer’s breakout party with the responsibility Steve Hartley and the Volts coaching staff put on his shoulders.

The Huskies, not to be outdone, outscored every team but Drummondville in the regular campaign.

Drummondville and Rouyn-Noranda both benefit from a different playoff format this year, as well. Due to travel issues, the league decided to toss out the previous 1-vs-16, 2-vs-15 format for a conference set-up, putting the league’s 12 Quebec-based teams in three divisions of four, and the Maritimes all in a single division of six. The two western-most divisions were shuffled into the Western Conference, while the East Division and the Maritime teams were linked into the Eastern Conference.

This plan creates an imbalance in the conferences, so the possibility of a crossover exists; if the ninth-best Eastern Conference team has more points than the eighth-best Western Conference team, the Eastern team joins the west for the playoffs, and the eighth-best Western team misses the playoffs. The tenth-based team in the east, if they too have more points than the remaining team in the west, could also cross over.

This possibility nearly happened, with the Saint John Sea Dogs tied in points and holding the tiebreaker over the Shawinigan Cataractes on the league’s final day of the regular season. The Sea Dogs lost in regulation, while the Cataractes lost in overtime, putting them one point ahead of the Dogs and into the final playoff spot. Shawinigan, who made the playoffs despite a 0-14-1-0 record in their final 15 games, will take on the Huskies, a team that has only lost eight times all season.

The first round will be 1-vs-8, 2-vs-7 and the second round will pit the four winners, highest remaining seed playing lowest remaining seed. The third round will be a free-for-all, with the team’s left over ranked by record and seeded one-through-four regardless of conference, and lastly the winners of the third round will meet in the league final.

The possibility of the best two teams meeting in the final is still there, and the two best teams in terms of points, Rouyn-Noranda and Drummondville, will have an easier ride than most one- and two-seeds.

The talent disparity between the Eastern and Western Conferences this year was a sight to behold, perfectly demonstrated by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. The Phoenix, with 77 points, finished third in the west and will have home ice against the Armada. Given the same results, if Sherbrooke was in the east, they would have finished in eighth place, and would be playing the Conference-leading and Memorial Cup hosting Halifax Mooseheads. Quite a jump in competition, and on the road, no less.

The Mooseheads overtook the Baie-Comeau Drakkar to win the East crown on the final day, and they will have home-ice assured for the first two rounds. While they received some criticism for potentially not doing enough during the mid-season trading period, making the fewest trades of any team, the Mooseheads are coming in with a very strong outfit that had a better 2019 than 2018. Head coach Eric Veilleux and the personnel struggled at times in terms of game-plan; Veilleux is a more defensive coach and the players he is directing are more offensive-minded, but he does his best coaching in the playoffs, and has a league final in 2013 and a Memorial Cup championship in 2012 to his credit.

Jared McIssaac

Samuel Asselin, acquired from the Titan in the season’s first week, had an excellent campaign and was the most consistent Moosehead over the 68 games, firing a league-topping 48 goals and 86 points for Halifax. Anaheim prospects Benoît-Olivier Groulx and Antoine Morand both shone in the regular season as well, with 80 and 70 points, respectively. Arnaud Durandeau kept pace as well, as the Islanders hopeful had 73 points of his own. Detroit prospect Jared McIsaac was second in defenceman points with 62 in 53 games. Having Edmonton prospect Ostap Safin back in the lineup in March after missing several months with recurring hip issues is a major boost to the scoring touch of the team.

Fans will keep a close eye on Raphael Lavoie, projected as potentially the league’s biggest draft prospect for this June’s NHL draft. Lavoie had a very hot February with 24 points in the month, and while he was kept off the scoresheet in his last three games, needs a big playoff and Memorial Cup to keep himself above the competition, namely Moncton’s Jakob Pelletier and Sherbrooke’s Samuel Poulin.

Ivan Chekhovich

The Drakkar are the Mooseheads’ biggest challengers in the east, and they held the title until the league’s final games. Much like the Huskies, the Volts and the Mooseheads, the Drakkar boast major scoring in their lineup. San Jose prospect Ivan Chekhovich was six points off the league leader in Abbandonato with 105 points, and Nathan Légaré, a 2019 draft hopeful, was tied for eighth in league scoring with 87 points and tied for second in the league with 45 goals. Their top four scorers all scored at least 35 goals, and they beefed up the back end with additions of Keenan MacIsaac from the Titan and Pascal Corbeil of the Armada.

The team did not sit pat with their goaltending either, as GM Steve Ahern acquired three capable goaltenders in Alex D’Orio from Saint John, Dereck Baribeau from Québec and Lucas Fitzpatrick from Shawinigan. Due to Baribeau’s injury in early January sidelining him for the rest of the regular season, D’Orio has been the team’s starting goaltender, and the Penguins’ signee has shown that with a contending team, he is a very good starting goaltender who can handle a lot of shots. The Drakkar do not give up a lot of shots, though, being fourth in the league in shots against at just 26-and-a-half.

Alexis Lafreniere

The Eastern Conference is the side to watch in the first two rounds, as they had seven teams breach the 85-point barrier to the west’s two. The Rimouski Oceanic, upset in last year’s first round by the Moncton Wildcats, bring in Alexis Lafrenière for his second playoff run, and they added big muscle in Calgary prospect D’Artignan Joly to a lineup that already boasted high-flying Tampa signee Jimmy Huntington and defensive leading scorer and Charles-Edouard D’Astous. Lafrenière’s 105 points already secures him as a top prospect for 2020, but he will want to get further than the opening round this time around. The Oceanic will go as far as 2019 prospect Colten Ellis can take them from the red line.

While Charlottetown traded away Arizona first rounder Pierre-Olivier Joseph to Drummondville, they were able to get New Jersey prospect Xavier Bernard in the deal. Matt Welsh is capable of stealing a series in net and would be talked about more in NHL circles if he was taller than 5-11”. A team could still take a flyer on him and be well-off; he never quits on a play and excels in making saves however necessary. Anaheim prospect Hunter Drew has made more great strides in his game, and 2019 potential picks Nikita Alexandrov and Brett Budgell are joined by sharpshooter Daniel Hardie and former Titan forward Jordan Maher for experience. Jim Hulton is a very good coach and an excellent motivator, and he has a group he can mold for a playoff run, despite selling off his best asset.

The Islanders’ first round opponents will be the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, who acquired Derek Gentille and Minnesota prospect Shawn Boudrias at the deadline. Ottawa pick Kevin Mandolese will have to earn his keep in the net against the Isles, and former Titan forward Mitch Balmas, two-time 40-goal scorer, will hope to improve upon his five goals in last year’s playoff run. The Eagles may be a year away, but this would be a very pivotal moment in the growth of this year’s core going forward, and they are more than capable of pulling off an upset.

Chicoutimi was a player in the Noah Dobson sweepstakes; as part of a handshake agreement, Dobson was sent to Rouyn-Noranda, but with mostly Chicoutimi draft picks. Those picks were sent to the Huskies by Chicoutimi for facilitation and the ability to acquire William Dufour. The trade was a part of the Titan’s deal for Olivier Galipeau last season; the Sags wanted the ability to re-acquire Dobson next year if faced with the possibility, but also take in Dufour as a potential core piece for the future. If Dobson went through Chicoutimi directly, the Saguenéens would not be able to re-acquire him for three years.

Chicoutimi under Yanick Jean have been rebuilding for a couple of years, but they have three of the first seven picks from last year’s first round on the team in Dufour, Hendrix Lapierre and Théo Rochette. All three have received international attention and will be important building blocks for the team in future years, and this team will gain valuable experience in the post-season, with the potential of netminder Alexis Shank stealing a game or two against Rimouski.

Jakob Pelletier is a player whose game gets better as the chips are down, and he is potentially the Wildcats’ most important player in their playoff push. Jeremy McKenna’s 97 points does not hurt either, but the Wildcats changed coaches in January and struggled to find their game at times this season. They made moves to get better at Christmas but saw a team that sold off players in Charlottetown and a team that more or less stood pat in Chicoutimi, adding just William Dufour and shuffling in Liam Murphy for Jesse Sutton, surpass them in the standings. The team is playing better under the watchful eye of John Torchetti, but the playoffs are a different animal.

Samuel Poulin is also a player who benefits when the checking gets close. He is big, fast and smart, and he can play physical as well as contribute offensively. The Phoenix scored more goals this year than any other year in their history, but do not have a scorer who jumps off the page; Poulin’s 29 goals tied for the team lead, matched by Alex-Olivier Voyer. Poulin will be relied upon heavily in the post-season, but the Phoenix have eight players with 42 points or more in the regular campaign.

The Eastern Conference is a wide-open group with good teams set to pack after the first round, while the West feature the two top teams in the league in the Huskies and the Voltigeurs. One would expect those latter two teams to make it to the final four, but any of the top seven teams in the east could make a run for the President’s Cup.

Who will meet the Mooseheads in Halifax at the 2019 Memorial Cup in May? The Huskies have recent history on their side, and the league’s wins record to boot. 16 more wins to their 59 they have already amassed seems most likely.

Predictions

First Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Shawinigan in 4

Drummondville over Gatineau in 4

Blainville-Boisbriand over Sherbrooke in 7 (with goaltending leading to the mild upset)

Victoriaville over Val d’Or in 6

Halifax over Quebec in 5

Baie-Comeau over Moncton in 5

Rimouski over Chicoutimi in 7

Charlottetown over Cape Breton in 6

Second Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Blainville-Boisbriand in 4

Drummondville over Victoriaville in 6

Halifax over Charlottetown in 7

Baie-Comeau over Rimouski in 6

Third Round

Rouyn-Noranda over Baie-Comeau in 6

Drummondville over Halifax in 7

League Championship

Rouyn-Noranda over Drummondville in 6

State of the CHL: Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Michael Sanderson — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 16:11:08 +0000

Wide open Q marches towards the playoffs

As the season began in September, the QMJHL looked as wide-open as ever. Each team coming into the campaign had a weakness or an issue that needed to be addressed.

The trading period has come and gone, and two teams have addressed their weaknesses the best and are the most poised for a deep run in the QMJHL President’s Cup playoffs – The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Drake Batherson of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The Armada added the best player available on the market in Drake Batherson (Ottawa), and the Titan acquired the best defenceman on the market in Olivier Galipeau, one of the top goal scorers in Mitch Balmas, great center depth in Samuel Asselin, and a goalie with a ton of potential in Evan Fitzpatrick.

Blainville-Boisbriand made the final last season where they were quickly dispatched by a strong Saint John Sea Dog squad after upsetting a great Charlottetown Islanders unit, but they addressed some lack of offence by acquiring Batherson, who led the Q in scoring earlier in the year before being overtaken by surging-hot now-teammate Alex Barré-Boulet and his 25-game point-streak.

Barré-Boulet’s 57 points over that two-months-plus stretch sees him towering over the competition in the scoring race. He still has a more-than-20-point cushion over his competition, and is currently the only player in the league past the 40-goal mark.

Alex Barré-Boulet of Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Batherson, Barré-Boulet and Alexandre Alain form one of the most dangerous potential trios in the league in Joel Bouchard’s arsenal, and adding Batherson can make the Armada one line deeper, as he makes every player around him better.

Acadie-Bathurst was one team on the outset of the season that had to make a run for it this year with the veterans on their team, and they made the right decision to make a strong push to become a true contender in the league.

Antoine Morand of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Daniel Doucet/DD Sports Photo

Adding the sharpshooter in Balmas from the Gatineau Olympiques, despite his early scoring struggles since joining the team, gives them a powerful counter-point on the opposite wing to Anaheim prospect center Antoine Morand on the powerplay, and a great flank for Morand or Philadelphia Flyer first rounder German Rubtsov at even strength. Samuel Asselin is a do-it-all player much in the mold of Titan captain Jeff Truchon-Viel – an aggressive forechecker, relentless in pursuit and great hands, and he gives Bathurst an excellent one-two punch of killer faceoff men with Samuel L’Italien.

Noah Dobson of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The Titan are very deep up front, and maybe even deeper on the back end, with defensive leading scorer Galipeau added to strong pivot Adam Holwell and top prospect Noah Dobson (2018), who both feature on the top end of defenceman scoring. No other team has more than one defender in the top-20 of blueliner scoring.

Incumbent Reilly Pickard was swapped for Evan Fitzpatrick in goal, and this is a make-or-break stretch for the St. Louis second rounder. He must show his potential and his abilities for the Titan to make a great run, and he is well insulated with this defending corps.

A dark horse among the contenders may be the Victoriaville Tigres. They made a surprising trade, shipping out Philadelphia second rounder Pascal Laberge to Quebec, but also picked up goaltender Etienne Montpetit and Columbus Blue Jacket prospect Vitalii Abramov. The Tigres expected to be among the top teams in the league and they struggled out of the gate, but they have the lineup to do some damage and cause an upset or two. Abramov, with his great speed and hands, has been a great addition up front.

Speaking of upsets, there are a few teams with younger cores that could make deep runs, namely the Halifax Mooseheads, the Rimouski Oceanic and the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Jared McIsaac of the Halifax Mooseheads. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The Mooseheads boast a handful of potential top picks in this June’s entry draft in Dallas – forwards Filip Zadina and Benoît-Olivier Groulx, defender Jared McIsaac and goaltender Alexis Gravel. They have a very potent offence with captain and Columbus Blue Jacket Maxime Fortier and resurgent Finn and Tampa Bay Lightning pick Otto Somppi to add to the young players, and New Jersey Devils blueliner Jocktan Chainey on the back end.

Benoit-Olivier Groulx.

All but Fortier of the core group can return next season, though it is very possible that Zadina could stick around professionally wherever he is taken this summer.

The Oceanic have been led by two excellent young players in their rookie seasons in the Q. Alexis Lafrenière has been every bit as advertised and then some. This past June’s first overall pick is scoring at over a point-a-game this season, leading his Rimouski mates in scoring as a 16-year-old, and a late-2001 birth date at that. He is only eligible for the 2020 NHL draft, and is already making waves.

Alexis Lafrenière, Rimouski Oceanic. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The other, more unexpected contributor is 17-year-old goaltender Colten Ellis. The Telus Cup-winning goaltender from last season has taken the starter’s job and ran with it since the start of the season after being acquired in a draft day trade with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

His performance this season allowed Rimouski to be more active on the trade market and pursue some immediate help for the upcoming playoff run, rather than conservatively stay the course for later seasons. The Oceanic have only three 19-year-olds in their lineup, but they are the top defensive team in the league.

The Voltigeurs made a huge splash as the trading period opened in December by acquiring star forward Joe Veleno from the Sea Dogs. They paid a massive price in doing so, giving up five picks in the top two rounds over the next three seasons, but the former Sea Dogs captain has provided a further spark to the league’s best offense.

Joe Veleno (#90), player of Drummondville Voltigeurs, season 2017-18 of the QMJHL. Drummondville, Que., Dec. 30, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Ghyslain Bergeron

At 17 years old, Veleno fits right in with the strong young core for the Volts, with Nicolas Guay, Dawson Mercer, Cédric Desruisseaux, Pavel Koltygin (Nashville) and Xavier Simoneau up front, and Nicolas Beaudin and Xavier Bernard on the back end. Olivier Rodrigue is the back-stop in goal and all those players are 18 or younger and will return next season.

Drummondville could score their way to a long playoff run, and have the defenders and goaltender to hang tight when the going gets tough. Two of their top scorers – veterans Bobby Lynch and Morgan Adams-Moisan – played in checking roles last season and can certainly provide protection as well as scoring.

Two teams are in the hangover years of their team-building cycle, but could still do some damage in the playoffs: the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies and the Charlottetown Islanders.

The Huskies stormed out of the gate with an excellent performance from netminder Samuel Harvey in the early-going, and boast a very deep blueline, much like the President’s Cup-winning team in 2016.

The scoring on paper isn’t very strong, but Peter Abbandonato, Félix Bibeau, Mathieu Boucher, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard have proven the doubters wrong with strong performances up front. William Cyr has been a revelation offensively, running the point on the blueline, with a veteran corps led by strong defensive defender in Jacob Neveu.

Pierre-Olivier Joseph of the Charlottetown Islanders. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

The Islanders really struggled to open the campaign but caught fire with the play of goaltender Matt Welsh and top pair Pierre-Olivier Joseph (Arizona) and Saku Vesterinen. Coach and GM Jim Hulton smartly added over Christmas, acquiring scorers Cam Askew, Dan Hardie and Derek Gentile without giving up much in futures, as well as getting top prospect Brett Budgell to report to the team. The result is a good contender with the pieces left from the strong team last season.

The parity of the league has been impressive to watch this season. The top teams in the league are all separated by just a handful of points. The difference between top seed and losing home-ice is 14 points, and earlier in January it was just eight.

Contrast that to last season, when the Saint John Sea Dogs and the Charlottetown Islanders were the two top contenders, this season’s top foes are very much undetermined at this point. It is the first year in a long time where there are not a couple of teams above the rest. There will be upsets in the opening round this season, and many of the teams at the top of the table are winning despite a lack of true veterans.

The 19-year-old crop in the QMJHL is just not very good. Acadie-Bathurst and Blainville-Boisbriand are the only two teams that built the core of their team around the 1998-born players in the league. Most other teams at the top of the standings have much of their key contributors as either 20-year-old overagers or younger players. The 18-year-olds and 17-year-olds are already leading contending teams, like Halifax, Rimouski and Drummondville.

Looking ahead, the league could have as many as six first-round picks this upcoming draft, and Halifax has been appointment viewing in that regard, with as many as four of those six potential first rounders.

Filip Zadina and his shifty offence leads the pack and should have his name called early in the first round, likely in the top five. His offensive game is extremely well developed at this stage in his career, with a deceptive wrist shot from either circle to use the screen and a great ability to perform at top speed with the puck, weaving in and out of traffic easily. He doesn’t slouch on the back check either, showing his skating ability is not just for the attack.

On the back end, Jared McIsaac is a solid option for a top-pairing defender. He has excellent skating ability as well as great hockey sense, and he can man the point on a power play. The Mooseheads top powerplay unit features Zadina, McIsaac, Fortier, Groulx, and Arnaud Durandeau (NY Islanders) – a lot of talent on the ice at once.

Groulx has a great handle on the two-way game from the center position. His ability to do many of the little things well, like faceoffs, positioning in all three zones, and an active stick on the back check, will keep him in the lineup, and his offensive game could develop into a top-line threat.

Alexis Gravel is one of the top goaltenders available, with his big frame and his quick movement. If a team takes a flyer on a goaltender in the opening round, Gravel is as good as any netminder in this draft class.

Acadie-Bathurst’s Noah Dobson will also go high in June. He does so many things well, along with ideal size at 6-3” – skating, positioning, manning the point, gap control, puck control, breakouts – that he could be a cornerstone blueliner for a team for years to come. His play continues to rise and he continues to find another gear to bring up his game as the draft comes closer. His poise and ability to play in tough and long minutes endears him to many scouts.

Drummondville’s Joe Veleno will be a first-rounder in the upcoming draft, though he may be looked at as a bit of a disappointment to some. He has not put up the huge offensive numbers expected from an exceptional status draft pick in the Q to date, though his offensive game is refined and he has many tools with the puck on his stick. His 200-foot game rounds out the package and is his calling card. He is a dynamo on the back check, and is a great positional defender in the defensive zone. His points have jumped up since joining the high-scoring Voltigeurs, and being coached by Dominique Ducharme will help his development. Veleno is a sure-fire NHLer, although it is unclear what his role will be in the pros. He could fill many of them going forward.

All those players could benefit from deep playoff runs, and Halifax, Drummondville and Acadie-Bathurst may all play deep into May depending on where the chips fall. The President’s Cup is truly up for grabs this season, and it will take a hot team with all facets of the game clicking to take it home.