Cal Foote – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – NHL Player Profiles

Scott Cullen – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 21:42:47 +0000

TORONTO, ON - MAY 10: Tampa Bay Lightning Defenceman Victor Hedman (77) celebrates his first period goal with Center Steven Stamkos (91) and Right Wing Nikita Kucherov (86) during Round 1 Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs between The Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs on May 10, 2022 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Nikita Kucherov

The twenty-nine-year-old Russian forward is one of the most offensively talented players in the NHL today. While missing the entire 2021 shortened season due to injury may have helped an already strong Tampa team win a Stanley Cup, his absence from the lineup over the last two seasons may have quieted the buzz surrounding 2019 Hart Trophy winner. Despite only playing in 47 regular season games in 2021-22, Kucherov still produced 69 points. While he is one of the best finishers in the league with a career shooting percentage of 15.0%, his ability to process the game quickly and think creatively enables him to be a stellar playmaker as well. If he stays healthy this season, we can expect over 100 points from Kucherov.

Brayden Point

When he injured himself in the seventh game of the first round series against Toronto in May, his importance to the Lightning’s Stanly Cup chances became clear. Although the strong Lightning team were able to handle Florida and New York, the Lightning desperately needed a healthy Point to stand a chance against the juggernaut Avalanche. Point is small for an NHL center at 5-foot-10, but he makes up for it through his tenacity and smarts. Given the bumper position on the Lightning’s first powerplay unit, Point helps balance the Bolts’ strength on the wings with a quick release and the ability to support his teammates. And while he doesn’t spend any time on the penalty kill, it’s worth noting he takes penalties at a very low rate compared to his peers.

Steven Stamkos

There was a point in time when Steven Stamkos was the main guy in Tampa. While the captain and former first overall pick is undoubtedly still a star, being surrounded by immense talent helps take some of the spotlight off of him. Missing only one game last season, Stamkos was able to break the 40-goal mark for the sixth time in his career as well as break the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. Perhaps most known for his one-timer on the powerplay, Stamkos is also a deadly finisher at even strength too. He was the only player in the NHL last season who scored more than 20 goals with at least a 20% shooting percentage at even strength. This should be a milestone season for Stamkos as he is 19 goals and 9 assists shy of 500 a piece, as well as only 28 points and 78 games shy of 1,000. It would be impressive if he could reach all four.

Nick Paul

Pending unrestricted free agency, Nick Paul was traded by the Ottawa Senators around the NHL’s trade deadline to the Tampa Bay Lightning. After fitting in like a circle through a circular hole, Paul extended with the Lightning long term. Despite being a rather late bloomer, getting drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 draft and not becoming an NHL regular until the 2019-20 season, Paul was thought highly of around the league. When the 6-foot-3 winger arrived in Florida, it became evident why. Paul was a dominant force on the defensive side of the game, particularly as a tenacious forechecker. While the Ontario native lacks offensive output, scoring only 80 points in 248 NHL regular season games, he helps his teammates on the ice with him as well as those who hop on the ice after him. He’s one of the better support players in the league, and the players he’s supporting are quite talented.

Brandon Hagel

The Saskatoon native went in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL draft. A few seasons later, he would make a weak Chicago Blackhawks roster at twenty-two years of age. After putting up 24 points in 52 games in his rookie season with the Blackhawks, he extended with them for three years. However, after a hot start for Hagel, and a disappointing start for the Blackhawks, the Lightning came calling. Hagel finished the season with 25 goals and 19 assists in 77 games. The winger is all forward all of the time. He’s a solid forechecker who is willing to get to the dirty areas to get things done. He does leave you wanting a bit more from him in his own end at even strength, but his skating abilities and grit keeps him as an option to kill penalties. He’ll play a much more sheltered role in Tampa than he would have in Chicago, which will be a much better fit for him.

Ross Colton

When Ross Colton scored 9 goals in 30 games in his rookie campaign, he would become one of two players. Either his scoring would settle down, or he’d be another late-round pick from Steve Yzerman’s era that would find himself as an NHL regular. After last season, it appears that the latter is correct. Colton was somewhat of a swiss army knife for the Lightning last season, playing all over the lineup. Despite only averaging just shy of 13 minutes per game, Colton still managed to bury 22 goals and added 17 assists along to it. Colton has proven that he has an above average shot while being a good player in transition and is willing to get to dirty areas. This also helps him create a large penalty differential for the Lightning, however, he hasn’t faired as much success as he’d like on the Lightning’s second powerplay unit so far in his NHL career.

Alex Killorn

At thirty-two years old, Killorn set a career-high 34 assists and 59 points while playing all 82 games for the fourth time in his career last season. However, certain parts of his game have begun to fall off a tad. We didn’t see the solid defensive side of the game that we’ve been used to seeing out of Killorn last season, and also spent a good deal of time in the box taking 33 minor penalties. Entering his eleventh, and perhaps last season as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, it appears he still has the trust of Jon Cooper in all situations. Given his commitment to his team, Killorn has spent time in the net front role and on the penalty kill regularly throughout his career. You can bet that Killorn will settle into his role and make his potential last run with the Lightning count.

Corey Perry

After losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup Finals, Corey Perry decided to join them. However, he may have just been cursed as he lost in his third straight appearance. The 2021-22 season felt a bit like a revival for Perry. He played all 82 games, coming close to a 20-goal season. Unlike his last few teams, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a tremendous forecheck which fit Perry’s game. Even at thirty-six, he was able to play the physical type of game that made him successful in Anaheim. He was getting on pucks on the wall, around the net, and sometimes the other team got the puck into the neutral zone. Perry even got a fair deal of time on the powerplay where he spent time as the net front man as well as some time in the bumper. The now rejuvenated Perry will look to give it another try this season.

Patrick Maroon

It’s been over four years now since there was a Stanley Cup Final without Patrick Maroon in it. The 6-foot-3 winger is known around the league as one of the most lovable tough guys. His big frame makes him difficult to handle low in the offensive zone. He makes his money on the forecheck, screening the goalie, retrieving rebounds, and taking the puck to the net. He doesn’t have the skating ability or puck skills to play up the lineup, but he’s become extremely effective in his role. In the 587 minutes he spent with Corey Perry and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare last season at 5-on-5, the Lightning outscored their opponents 25-9. While Maroon only put up 27 points last season, he doesn’t need to be a producer.

DEFENSE

Victor Hedman

At this point in his career, Victor Hedman isn’t a secret. The 6-foot-6 Swede blew his previous career-high of 72 points out of the water with 85 last season. It was also the first time in his career that he was able to bury 20 goals. If it weren’t for Cale Makar and Roman Josi, Hedman would’ve won the Norris Trophy for the second time in his career. For such a big man, Hedman is an incredible all-around skater. Whether it comes to gap control in the neutral zone, carrying the puck forward in transition, or keeping the puck in the offensive zone, Hedman can be depended on to get the job done. His game isn’t filled with flash as much as his consistent execution breeds success. He also heads the Lightning’s powerplay unit with his IQ, skating and passing abilities, helping with zone entries, setting up one-timers, sending shots through bodies, and keeping the puck in the zone. Unless something unfortunate happens, Hedman will continue to be a staple on the Lightning again this season.

Mikhail Sergachev

The twenty-four-year-old Russian is a smooth skating offensive-defenseman. Sergachev is an efficient passer in all three zones. He breaks the puck out well, can move the puck north on regroups, and can manage the point in the offensive zone. He’s been fairly consistent in his point production over his first five seasons, keeping a 39-point pace per 82 games. Behind Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman, Sergachev saw himself falling into a role on the third pair. As a result, he didn’t have a regular partner at even strength last season. With McDonagh being moved to Nashville, there is an opportunity for Sergachev to jump up the lineup. He’d most likely play alongside Erik Cernak, who he had a 56.8 CF% and 53.7 xGF% with in 267 minutes at 5-on-5 last season. Playing alongside a defensive-defenseman would unlock a new level to Sergachev’s game, allowing him to take more risks which would amplify the offensive skills he’s shown in his career so far.

Erik Cernak

The 6-foot-3 Slovakian is the Lightning’s go-to man to shut down opposing forwards. His impact might not show up in the box score, but Jon Cooper’s usage of Cernak tells you all you need to know. He receives a hefty dosage of defensive zone starts. He started shifts in his own end twice as much as his offensive zone shift starts last season. He also eats up a ton of shorthanded minutes. Over 14.5% of his total time-on-ice last season was on the penalty kill. Cernak isn’t the type of defensive-defenseman that sits back and plays a conservative game either. He has the skating ability to support his big frame. He will take the battle to you at the blue line or in the corner. He can also move the puck up ice once he forces the turnover, where he’s not afraid to join the rush. After signing an extension in July, and hoping for a healthy season, the twenty-five-year-old will be looking to make another jump this season and put his name alongside the likes of Jaccob Slavin as one of the top defensive-defensemen in the game.

Ian Cole

Expecting to move Mikhail Sergachev up the lineup this season, the Lightning went out and signed Ian Cole to fill his spot on the bottom pairing. The thirty-three-year-old veteran will be entering his thirteenth NHL season, offering a veteran presence to a team that’s been to the last three Stanley Cup Finals. Cole is coming off of a one season stint with the Carolina Hurricanes where he scored 2 goals and added 17 assists in 75 games. Prior to that, he spent three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild where he was put in a defensive, depth role. That’s probably what we can expect Cole to see in Tampa. He’s good at shutting plays down in transition and moving the puck back up the ice, but he lacks top-end skill to be effective in offensive zone play. He’ll kill penalties and will be able to step into a shutdown second-pair role if either Hedman or Sergachev miss time due to injury or suspension.

Cal Foote

The former first round draft pick will be entering his third season with the Lightning. Entering the league in a sheltered, bottom-pairing role has helped him adjust to the speed of the game. At times, he can be a bit weak in his own end. His 6-foot-4 frame won’t get him pushed around, but he has trouble reading the play at times – something that made him effective at the junior levels. However, he has shown flashes of what made him such a highly regarded prospect five years ago. He has the ability to retrieve pucks and move them quickly up ice when he is confident. With the exit of Jan Rutta, a spot with Victor Hedman could be up for Foote to grab. Perhaps the ability to play with one of the best defensemen in the game will help Foote take the next step in his career.

GOALTENDING

Andrei Vasilevskiy

At this point, not much needs to be said about Andrei Vasilevskiy that hasn’t already been well-established. He’s quickly become the most successful goaltender among his class, quickly surpassing other highly touted names like Matt Murray and Frederik Andersen to stand head and shoulders above the rest as the best of the 2010’s draftees.

There’s little risk that Tampa is going to see much of a change in net, barring some kind of injury or uncharacteristic regression year for Vasilevskiy. While most of the league has made a move towards operating with a goaltending tandem that splits starts and rides hot hands, the Lightning have very firmly put all their chips into Vasilevskiy’s basket – and with very little in the way of free cap space to spend on bringing in another option, they’ll most likely continue doing what’s been working for them. Vasilevskiy, who thrives on fluid movements and a healthy dose of high-end strength to bail the team out when they need it most, should be the heavily favored starter most nights – and on the nights he desperately needs a break, Brian Elliott is once again sitting second string on an incredibly team-friendly deal to fill in the gaps. There’s relief on the way in coming years, as the Lightning have smartly invested in some quality goaltending drafting and should be ready for Hugo Alnefelt to get a shot before too long. But for now, the team has been trying to maximize Vasilevskiy’s value while he’s in his prime – and by all accounts, with three Stanley Cup Finals and two cups in the last three years, their strategy seems to be working.

Projected starts: 65-70

SEATTLE KRAKEN EXPANSION DRAFT: Prospects to Target – Part One – Goaltenders and Defense

Brock Otten — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 16:02:06 +0000

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

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

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

GOALTENDERS

Daniel Vladar - Boston Bruins

A massive 6’5 netminder, Vladar has been terrific in the AHL since turning pro. The former third round pick led the AHL in save percentage and goals against average last season. Of course, his only NHL appearance came in last year’s bubble playoffs when he relieved Jaroslav Halak in a blowout loss to the Lightning.

Alex Nedeljkovic - Carolina Hurricanes

A former OHL Goaltender of the Year and AHL Goaltender of the Year, Nedeljkovic is a former highly touted prospect who has yet to break through as a consistent NHL goaltender, struggling in his spot starts for the Hurricanes. He passed through waivers unclaimed this year, to the surprise of many. With Petr Mrazek having thumb surgery recently, Nedeljkovic is getting another run as James Reimer’s back-up and it will serve as a great audition for him (perhaps a final one). He did recently post his first career NHL shutout against the defending Champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Michael McNiven - Montreal Canadiens

McNiven, also a former OHL Goaltender of the Year, has been buried under the goaltending depth of the Canadiens the last few seasons. He was terrific in the ECHL last year and has shown glimpses of strong play in the AHL in previous seasons. This year, he will get a chance to truly showcase himself as the platoon partner of Cayden Primeau in Laval.

Filip Gustavsson - Ottawa Senators

Acquired as part of the package for Derrick Brassard, when he was traded to Pittsburgh three years ago, Gustavsson has struggled so far in the Senators organization. A former highly touted prospect, Gustavsson has yet to play this year as Ottawa has kept him on their taxi squad. Depending on if he bounces back this year (when he does play), he could be intriguing to the Kraken.

Joey Daccord - Ottawa Senators

A former seventh round selection, Daccord signed with Ottawa after a standout junior season with Arizona State, where he was a finalist for the Mike Richter Award (top NCAA goaltender). He had a strong rookie season in the AHL last year and will be looking to mimic that with Belleville again this season.

Vitek Vanecek - Washington Capitals

After five seasons in the AHL/ECHL, the former high draft selection is finally getting his chance to be an NHL netminder with the Capitals this season. Initially serving as Ilya Samsonov’s back-up, Vanecek has taken over the reigns as the starter with Samsonov’s lingering covid symptoms. Vanecek already has seven wins on the year. Given that the Capitals are sure to protect the younger Samsonov, Vanecek is likely to be available to Seattle.

Connor Ingram - Nashville Predators

An AHL all star the last two seasons, Ingram had emerged in the conversation as one of the better goaltending prospects in the league. However, the 2020/21 season has been very difficult for the former Kamloops Blazer. He was embroiled in controversy in Sweden earlier this year when he and his teammates were accused (but cleared) of match fixing. Now, he is in the NHL’s player assistance program and has not played this year. Hopefully the talented netminder gets the help he needs and is able to return at some point this season.

Josef Korenar - San Jose Sharks

Two years ago, Korenar burst onto the scene with a strong rookie performance in the AHL, putting himself on the prospect map. However, his sophomore campaign was not as impressive as he struggled with consistency. In his third pro season, Korenar has been part of the San Jose Sharks’ taxi squad thus far.

Ville Husso - St. Louis Blues

Husso has certainly been patient, awaiting his opportunity to play in the NHL. A former highly touted prospect, Husso already has four AHL seasons under his belt and is now finally getting his chance with the Blues as Jordan Binnington’s back-up. His play thus far has been underwhelming, but there is still plenty of season left.

Mikhail Berdin - Winnipeg Jets

Easily one of the league’s most underrated goaltending prospects, Berdin has been terrific in his first two AHL seasons with Manitoba. Blessed with size (6’2), athleticism, and composure, Berdin has what it takes to be an NHL netminder. With Connor Hellebuyck blocking him, his best chance to be an NHL Netminder could be with another organization like Seattle.

DEFENSE

Jake Bean - Carolina Hurricanes

Last year’s AHL Defenseman of the Year, Bean is a legitimate NHL prospect and one of the best young players on this list. However, due to the depth of the Carolina Hurricanes, there is a chance that they won’t be able to protect him from Seattle. The former first round pick is currently in the midst of his rookie NHL season with Carolina and his confidence has been blossoming of late. Do the Canes leave Dougie Hamilton and/or Brady Skjei exposed in order to protect Bean? Do they work out a trade with Seattle to prevent them from selecting any of the high end players they will ultimately have to leave unprotected?

Riley Stillman - Florida Panthers

Stillman did a bang up job last year helping the Panthers cover for injuries, even if he wasn’t quite ready yet to be a fulltime NHL defender. This year, he is back in the AHL where he has gotten off to a strong start in his third pro season. A physically intense defender who can play in any situation, Stillman could be a top target for Seattle if they intend to build the kind of team Vegas did.

Cale Fleury - Montreal Canadiens

Much like Stillman, Fleury finds himself back in the AHL this season after playing much of last year in the NHL. The addition of Alex Romanov has pushed Fleury down the depth chart and it seems unlikely Montreal will be able to protect him at the expansion draft. A right shot defender with size, Fleury could definitely be coveted if he performs well with Laval.

Sebastian Aho - New York Islanders

No, no, not that Aho. This is the defender in the Islanders organization. Undersized, but extremely talented offensively, Aho has been an AHL All-star in all three of his professional seasons in North America. Now waiver eligible, Aho has been on the Isles roster to start this season but has not yet played a game. Would Seattle look at him as a potential powerplay QB for their roster?

Cal Foote - Tampa Bay Lightning

A former high first round pick, Foote has finally received his shot to be an NHL player after two seasons in the AHL. Playing sparingly on the third pair, Foote is proving himself a capable NHL defender thus far. However, the Lightning have an abundance of talented young players to protect and Foote could be a casualty there if Tampa feels that his upside as an NHL player is limited.

Josh Mahura - Anaheim Ducks

The former Regina Pat and Red Deer Rebel standout has bounced between the AHL and NHL during his first two pro seasons and is considered one of Anaheim’s better defensive prospects. There is still hope that he develops into a quality two-way NHL defender. However, like some other teams here, Anaheim has other young defenders they may elect to protect over him.

Ben Gleason - Dallas Stars

A free agent signing by the Stars out of the OHL, Gleason came out gangbusters in his first pro season, even getting in limited NHL action and earning his first NHL point. However, last season was a step backwards. Unlikely to be protected by Dallas due to their defensive depth, Gleason will have a shot to impress Seattle with a strong AHL season this year and he has started off hot with Texas.

Austin Strand - Los Angeles Kings

A free agent signing out of the WHL by the Kings, Strand has made the Kings this season, his third professionally. With a strong season for Los Angeles, he can certainly put himself in the conversation to be protected, but it likely comes down to him or Kale Clague and it seems unlikely that the Kings protect Strand over Clague.

Brogan Rafferty - Vancouver Canucks

Because of his age, the Canucks will have to protect Rafferty after just his second pro season after signing out of Quinnipiac. The slick skating defender was a standout in the AHL with Utica last year, where he was an all star. This season, he has been used sparingly by Vancouver, shuttling between the active roster and taxi squad. There is a chance that Vancouver elects to protect Rafferty over one of their more experienced, more expensive defenders (like Tyler Myers or Nate Schmidt), but at this point, Rafferty looks to be on the bubble.

Logan Stanley - Winnipeg Jets

Stanley, a former first round pick, has cracked the Winnipeg roster this season, playing on the team’s third pairing, and playing well. The behemoth blueliner (6’7, 230lbs) is a physical specimen and would look good as a piece on the Seattle blueline if the Jets are unable to protect him. It will probably come down to him or Dylan DeMelo, depending on how Stanley plays to finish out this NHL season.

Sami Niku - Winnipeg Jets

No longer waivers exempt, the Jets have kept the former AHL defenseman of the year on their roster all season, even if they haven’t played him a ton. Looking like the odd man out, it seems very unlikely that Niku is protected at this point and he could certainly be a target for the Kraken, hoping to unlock his upside as a top four defender.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

McKeens Hockey; Article by Ryan Wagman — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:50:55 +0000

I write these words less than 24 hours after the Dallas Stars took game one of the Stanley Cup Finals against the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning. Unlike most seasons wherein the end of the Stanley Cup marks the beginning of off-season player movement, this year teams have taken an early start to the transactional Ferris wheel as many expect the upcoming offseason (from the awarding of the Cup, through to the draft in the first week of October to the start of the 2020-21 season perhaps as soon as early December, pending COVID trends in North America) to be especially turbulent.

We have seen a few trades of NHL pieces, one deal which impacted this guidebook, as Toronto sent Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh and Swedish winger Filip Hallander was among those coming back to Toronto. Hallander was our selection for the second-best prospect in the Penguins system and now holds that title for the Maple Leafs. That trade knocked the Penguins down a few slots on our organizational rankings and allowed Toronto to go the other way accordingly.

Of course, with the draft roughly 17 days away, and with it a complete re-shuffling of the organizational rankings, this is just a snapshot in time of how every team’s system shakes up. We will re-run this list, incorporating the drafted players, in our pre-season fantasy guide, where we will expand the lists up to 20.

What you are about to dive into is a comprehensive list of all prospect eligible players on all 31 teams. To hold prospect eligibility, a player needs to 25 or younger, as of September 15, 2020. All skaters need to have played less than 60 career games, with no more than 35 of those games coming in a single season (or 25 for this past shortened season). For goalies, the age criteria remain the same, but the games played benchmark drops to 30 career games and 20 in a given season (or 15 last year). Any cutoff that does not hew exactly to the Calder Trophy award criteria is, by nature, arbitrary, but we aim to be inclusive for all players who have not yet cemented NHL jobs and/or have not had a prolonged chance to prove himself capable – or incapable.

We rank 15 per team, as depth is as important as the high end. Our goal is to identify players who could – if they have an advocate for them within the team’s braintrust – play a role in the NHL. These players were identified through our thorough vetting of each prospect across the globe, assigning scores, or grades, to five areas for skaters (skating, shot, puck skills, smarts, physicality) and six for netminders (athleticism/speed/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, positioning/technique, rebound control, and puck handling). Depending on the position, the grades are run through an algorithm to come up with an overall future projection (OFP).

The OFP, if the scout is being honest, measures the future role we anticipate the prospect being able to hold. A 50 score is the lower threshold to be a regular 4^th line forward, or bottom pairing defender. Grades over 56 are potential top line/pairing skaters. The grades in between, obviously project to the middle of the lineup.

As we are reminded every year, development is not linear. Some players take unexpected sudden leaps forward (see Marino, John), and others stagnate (see Ho-Sang, Josh), and many do exactly what we expect of them when they are given the chance. As much as I trust the analysts in our team, I can also tell you that this exercise is always humbling. There will be at least one player who we rate highly who bombs. There will be at least one player who did not feature on his team’s top 15 who becomes an NHL regular next year. We accept those errors in judgment and promise you, our faithful subscriber, that we will learn from them and refine our work for next year, as we learn just as NHL teams learn.

Until then, please enjoy this snapshot view of the future of the beautiful, frozen game. Putting this together has provided at least some sense of normalcy during this crazy summer.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired
Ana	1	Trevor Zegras	C	19	6-0/170	Boston University (HE)	`19(9th)
Min	2	Kirill Kaprizov	LW	23	5-10/200	CSKA (KHL)	`15(135th)
Col	3	Bowen Byram	D	19	6-0/195	Vancouver (WHL)	`19(4th)
Buf	4	Dylan Cozens	C	19	6-3/185	Lethbridge (WHL)	`19(7th)
Fla	5	Spencer Knight	G	19	6-3/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(13th)
VGK	6	Peyton Krebs	C	19	5-11/180	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(17th)
Ari	7	Victor Soderstrom	D	19	5-11/180	Brynas (Swe)	`19(11th)
Mtl	8	Cole Caufield	RW	19	5-7/165	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(15th)
Van	9	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	19	6-1/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`19(10th)
Edm	10	Philip Broberg	D	19	6-3/200	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`19(8th)
Tor	11	Nick Robertson	LW	19	5-9/160	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(53rd)
Col	12	Alex Newhook	C	19	5-10/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(16th)
Det	13	Moritz Seider	D	19	6-3/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`19(6th)
Fla	14	Grigori Denisenko	LW	20	5-11/185	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(15th)
Min	15	Matthew Boldy	LW	19	6-1/190	Boston College (HE)	`19(12th)
NJ	16	Ty Smith	D	20	5-10/180	Spokane (WHL)	`18(17th)
LA	17	Alex Turcotte	C	19	5-11/185	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(5th)
Nsh	18	Philip Tomasino	C	19	5-11/180	Nia-Osh (OHL)	`19(24th)
Pit	19	Samuel Poulin	LW	19	6-1/205	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	`19(21st)
Wsh	20	Connor McMichael	C	19	5-11/175	London (OHL)	`19(25th)
LA	21	Gabriel Vilardi	RW	21	6-3/200	Ontario (AHL)	`17(11th)
NYR	22	Igor Shesterkin	G	24	6-1/190	Hartford (AHL)	`14(118th)
Dal	23	Thomas Harley	D	19	6-3/190	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(18th)
Ari	24	Barrett Hayton	C	20	6-1/190	Arizona (NHL)	`18(5th)
NYR	25	Nils Lundkvist	D	20	5-11/180	Lulea (Swe)	`18(28th)
LA	26	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	19	6-2/190	Hamilton (OHL)	`19(33rd)
Cgy	27	Juuso Valimaki	D	21	6-2/205	DNP - Injured	`17(16th)
Det	28	Jared McIsaac	D	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(36th)
NYR	29	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	20	6-3/185	Hartford (AHL)	`18(9th)
Edm	30	Evan Bouchard	D	20	6-2/195	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(10th)
NYR	31	K'Andre Miller	D	20	6-3/205	Wisconsin (B1G)	`18(22nd)
Edm	32	Raphael Lavoie	RW	19	6-4/195	Hal-Chi (QMJHL)	`19(38th)
NYI	33	Ilya Sorokin	G	25	6-2/180	CSKA (KHL)	`14(78th)
Det	34	Albert Johansson	D	19	5-11/165	Farjestads (Swe)	`19(60th)
Ari	35	Matias Maccelli	LW	19	5-11/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(98th)
Van	36	Nils Hoglander	RW	19	5-9/185	Rogle (Swe)	`19(40th)
Ari	37	Jan Jenik	RW	20	6-1/180	Hamilton (OHL)	`18(65th)
Phi	38	Cam York	D	19	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`19(14th)
Phi	39	Morgan Frost	C	21	5-11/180	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`17(27th)
Ana	40	Lukas Dostal	G	20	6-1/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`18(85th)
LA	41	Tobias Bjornfot	D	19	6-0/200	Ontario (AHL)	`19(22nd)
SJ	42	Ryan Merkley	D	20	5-11/170	London (OHL)	`18(21st)
NYI	43	Kieffer Bellows	LW	22	6-0/200	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(19th)
NYI	44	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	20	6-1/205	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(11th)
LA	45	Rasmus Kupari	C	20	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	`18(20th)
CBJ	46	Liam Foudy	C	20	6-0/175	London (OHL)	`18(18th)
LA	47	Tyler Madden	C	20	5-10/155	Northeastern (HE)	T(Van-2/20)
Mtl	48	Alexander Romanov	D	20	5-11/185	CSKA (KHL)	`18(38th)
NYI	49	Bode Wilde	D	20	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(41st)
Ott	50	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	20	6-0/180	North Dakota (NCHC)	`18(26th)
Cgy	51	Jakob Pelletier	LW	19	5-9/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(26th)
LA	52	Akil Thomas	C	20	5-11/170	Nia-Pbo (OHL)	`18(51st)
Wpg	53	Dylan Samberg	D	21	6-3/190	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`17(43rd)
Chi	54	Ian Mitchell	D	21	5-11/175	Denver (NCHC)	`17(57th)
Ott	55	Josh Norris	C	21	6-1/195	Belleville (AHL)	T(SJ-9/18)
NYR	56	Matthew Robertson	D	19	6-3/200	Edmonton (WHL)	`19(49th)
VGK	57	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	19	6-1/170	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	`19(79th)
Dal	58	Jake Oettinger	G	21	6-4/210	Texas (AHL)	`17(26th)
Ott	59	Drake Batherson	RW	22	6-1/190	Belleville (AHL)	`17(121st)
LA	60	Samuel Fagemo	RW	20	6-0/195	Frolunda (Swe)	`19(50th)
Col	61	Justus Annunen	G	20	6-4/215	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`18(64th)
Bos	62	John Beecher	C	19	6-3/210	Michigan (B1G)	`19(30th)
Phi	63	Egor Zamula	D	20	6-4/175	Calgary (WHL)	FA(9/18)
NYR	64	Zac Jones	D	19	5-10/175	Massachusetts (HE)	`19(68th)
CBJ	65	Kirill Marchenko	LW	20	6-3/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(49th)
VGK	66	Jack Dugan	RW	22	6-2/185	Providence (HE)	`17(142nd)
StL	67	Scott Perunovich	D	22	5-10/175	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(45th)
Bos	68	Jack Studnicka	C	21	6-1/170	Providence (AHL)	`17(53rd)
Dal	69	Ty Dellandrea	C	20	6-0/185	Flint (OHL)	`18(13th)
Min	70	Calen Addison	D	20	5-10/180	Lethbridge (WHL)	T(Pit-2/20)
NYR	71	Julien Gauthier	RW	22	6-4/225	Charlotte (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Van	72	Olli Juolevi	D	22	6-3/200	Utica (AHL)	`16(5th)
NJ	73	Nolan Foote	LW	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	T(TB-2/20)
NJ	74	Janne Kuokkanen	LW	22	6-1/190	Cha-Bng (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Ott	75	Alex Formenton	LW	21	6-2/165	Belleville (AHL)	`17(47th)
Det	76	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	19	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	`19(54th)
NYR	77	Morgan Barron	C	21	6-2/200	Cornell (ECAC)	`17(174th)
Mtl	78	Jesse Ylonen	RW	20	6-1/185	Pelicans (Fin)	`18(35th)
Car	79	Dominik Bokk	RW	20	6-1/180	Rogle (Swe)	T(StL-9/19)
Nsh	80	Egor Afanasyev	RW	19	6-3/205	Windsor (OHL)	`19(45th)
Ana	81	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(54th)
Min	82	Alexander Khovanov	C	20	5-11/195	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(86th)
Det	83	Joe Veleno	C	20	6-1/195	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`18(30th)
NJ	84	Kevin Bahl	D	20	6-6/230	Ottawa (OHL)	T(Ari-12/19)
Car	85	Ryan Suzuki	C	19	6-0/180	Bar-Sag (OHL)	`19(28th)
Van	86	Jett Woo	D	20	6-0/205	Calgary (WHL)	`18(37th)
Mtl	87	Mattias Norlinder	D	20	5-11/180	MODO (Swe 2)	`19(64th)
Min	88	Adam Beckman	LW	19	6-1/170	Spokane (WHL)	`19(75th)
Bos	89	Jeremy Swayman	G	21	6-1/190	Maine (HE)	`17(111th)
Wpg	90	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	21	6-3/205	Manitoba (AHL)	`17(24th)
Tor	91	Filip Hallander	LW	20	6-1/185	Lulea (Swe)	T(Pit-8/20)
Fla	92	Owen Tippett	RW	21	6-1/200	Springfield (AHL)	`17(10th)
Car	93	Jake Bean	D	22	6-1/175	Charlotte (AHL)	`16(13th)
Ott	94	Shane Pinto	C	19	6-2/190	North Dakota (NCHC)	`19(32nd)
Col	95	Martin Kaut	RW	20	6-1/175	Colorado (AHL)	`18(16th)
Van	96	Jack Rathbone	D	21	5-10/175	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(95th)
Tor	97	Nick Abruzzese	C	21	5-9/160	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(124th)
Bos	98	Urho Vaakanainen	D	21	6-0/185	Providence (AHL)	`17(18th)
Wsh	99	Alexander Alexeyev	D	20	6-3/200	Hershey (AHL)	`18(31st)
NYI	100	Simon Holmstrom	RW	19	6-1/185	Bridgeport (AHL)	`19(23rd)
LA	101	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	C	21	5-11/190	Ontario (AHL)	`17(41st)
Car	102	Joey Keane	D	21	6-0/185	Hfd-Cha (AHL)	T(NYR-2/20)
Wsh	103	Martin Fehervary	D	20	6-1/190	Hershey (AHL)	`18(46th)
StL	104	Tyler Tucker	D	20	6-1/205	Bar-Fnt (OHL)	`18(200th)
SJ	105	Yegor Spiridonov	C	19	6-2/195	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	`19(108th)
NJ	106	Joey Anderson	RW	22	6-0/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(73rd)
Col	107	Conor Timmins	D	21	6-1/185	Colorado (AHL)	`17(32nd)
StL	108	Klim Kostin	C	21	6-3/195	San Antonio (AHL)	`17(31st)
Mtl	109	Cayden Primeau	G	21	6-3/180	Laval (AHL)	`17(199th)
SJ	110	Jonathan Dahlen	LW	22	5-11/185	Timra IK (Swe 2)	T(Van-2/19)
NJ	111	Reilly Walsh	D	21	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(81st)
Buf	112	Oskari Laaksonen	D	21	6-2/165	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`17(89th)
NJ	113	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	19	5-10/170	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	`19(129th)
Wsh	114	Aliaksei Protas	C	19	6-5/205	Prince Albert (WHL)	`19(91st)
Cgy	115	Dustin Wolf	G	19	6-0/165	Everett (WHL)	`19(214th)
StL	116	Joel Hofer	G	20	6-3/160	Portland (WHL)	`18(107th)
VGK	117	Ivan Morozov	C	20	6-1/180	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(61st)
Mtl	118	Jake Evans	C	24	6-0/185	Laval (AHL)	`14(207th)
Nsh	119	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	21	5-10/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	`17(30th)
Wpg	120	Ville Heinola	D	19	5-11/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`19(20th)
VGK	121	Lucas Elvenes	RW	21	6-0/175	Chicago (AHL)	`17(127th)
TB	122	Cole Koepke	LW	22	6-1/195	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(183rd)
Ana	123	Isac Lundestrom	C	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	`18(23rd)
NYR	124	Tarmo Reunanen	D	22	6-0/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`16(98th)
Mtl	125	Jordan Harris	D	20	5-11/180	Northeastern (HE)	`18(71st)
Ana	126	Brayden Tracey	LW	19	6-0/175	MJ-Vic (WHL)	`19(29th)
Phi	127	Tanner Laczynski	C	23	6-1/200	Ohio State (B1G)	`16(169th)
Chi	128	Alec Regula	D	20	6-3/200	London (OHL)	T(Det-10/19)
Buf	129	Mattias Samuelsson	D	20	6-3/215	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(32nd)
Car	130	Jamieson Rees	C	19	5-10/175	Sarnia (OHL)	`19(44th)
Edm	131	Olivier Rodrigue	G	20	6-1/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(62nd)
Fla	132	Serron Noel	RW	20	6-5/205	Osh-Kit (OHL)	`18(34th)
Det	133	Antti Tuomisto	D	19	6-4/190	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	`19(35th)
Dal	134	Jason Robertson	LW	21	6-2/195	Texas (AHL)	`17(39th)
Mtl	135	Joni Ikonen	C	21	5-10/170	DNP - Injured	`17(58th)
Nsh	136	Rem Pitlick	C	23	5-11/200	Milwaukee (AHL)	`16(76th)
Ott	137	Logan Brown	C	22	6-6/220	Belleville (AHL)	`16(11th)
TB	138	Samuel Walker	C	21	5-11/160	Minnesota (B1G)	`17(200th)
Phi	139	Wade Allison	RW	22	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`16(52nd)
Wpg	140	Declan Chisholm	D	20	6-1/190	Peterborough (OHL)	`18(150th)
NJ	141	Tyce Thompson	RW	21	6-1/180	Providence (HE)	`19(96th)
VGK	142	Connor Corcoran	D	20	6-1/185	Windsor (OHL)	`18(154th)
Ana	143	Jackson Lacombe	D	19	6-1/170	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(39th)
NYR	144	Lauri Pajuniemi	RW	21	6-0/185	TPS Turku (Fin)	`18(132nd)
Car	145	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	19	5-10/160	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	`19(121st)
CBJ	146	Andrew Peeke	D	22	6-3/210	Cleveland (AHL)	`16(34th)
Ana	147	Axel Andersson	D	20	6-0/180	Moncton (QMJHL)	T(Bos-2/20)
Car	148	Patrik Puistola	LW	19	6-0/175	Tap-Juk-Koo (Fin)	`19(73rd)
NJ	149	Michael McLeod	C	22	6-2/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(12th)
Car	150	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	21	6-1/175	SKA-VIT (KHL)	`19(36th)
NJ	151	Michael Vukojevic	D	19	6-3/210	Kitchener (OHL)	`19(82nd)
NYI	152	Ruslan Iskhakov	C	20	5-8/155	UConn (HE)	`18(43rd)
Wpg	153	Sami Niku	D	23	6-0/175	Manitoba (AHL)	`15(198th)
TB	154	Hugo Alnefelt	G	19	6-3/195	HV 71 (Swe)	`19(71st)
NJ	155	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	19	6-1/195	Ottawa (OHL)	`19(61st)
NYR	156	Hunter Skinner	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	`19(112th)
LA	157	Mikey Anderson	D	21	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	`17(103rd)
Col	158	Shane Bowers	C	21	6-2/190	Colorado (AHL)	T(Ott-11/17)
NYI	159	Joshua Ho-Sang	RW	24	6-0/175	Bri-SA (AHL)	`14(28th)
LA	160	Cal Petersen	G	25	6-3/190	Ontario (AHL)	FA(7/17)
Col	161	Sampo Ranta	LW	20	6-2/205	Minnesota (B1G)	`18(78th)
Wpg	162	Mikhail Berdin	G	22	6-2/165	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(157th)
Bos	163	Jeremy Lauzon	D	23	6-3/205	Providence (AHL)	`15(52nd)
Nsh	164	David Farrance	D	21	5-11/190	Boston University (HE)	`17(92nd)
Van	165	Will Lockwood	RW	22	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`16(64th)
NYI	166	Sebastian Aho	D	24	5-10/175	Bridgeport (AHL)	`17(139th)
Wpg	167	Logan Stanley	D	22	6-7/225	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(18th)
Buf	168	Ryan Johnson	D	19	6-0/175	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(31st)
Van	169	Michael DiPietro	G	21	6-0/195	Utica (AHL)	`17(64th)
VGK	170	Kaedan Korczak	D	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	`19(41st)
Car	171	Jack Drury	C	20	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`18(42nd)
StL	172	Nikita Alexandrov	C	19	6-0/180	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	`19(62nd)
Col	173	Nikolai Kovalenko	RW	20	5-10/175	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(171st)
Nsh	174	Juuso Parssinen	C	19	6-2/205	TPS Turku (Fin)	`19(210th)
Chi	175	Pius Suter	C	24	5-11/170	ZSC Lions (NLA)	FA(7/20)
Fla	176	Aleksi Saarela	RW	23	5-11/200	Rfd-Spr (AHL)	T(Chi-10/19)
Bos	177	Trent Frederic	C	22	6-4/215	Providence (AHL)	`16(29th)
CBJ	178	Dmitri Voronkov	LW	20	6-4/190	Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)	`19(114th)
Ott	179	Lassi Thomson	D	19	6-0/190	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(19th)
Car	180	Morgan Geekie	C	22	6-2/180	Charlotte (AHL)	`17(67th)
CBJ	181	Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	21	5-8/185	Cleveland (AHL)	`18(204th)
Ott	182	Vitaly Abramov	RW	22	5-9/175	Belleville (AHL)	T(CBJ-2/19)
TB	183	Alexander Volkov	LW	23	6-1/190	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(48th)
Tor	184	Mikko Kokkonen	D	19	5-11/200	Jukurit (Fin)	`19(84th)
Ott	185	Kevin Mandolese	G	20	6-4/180	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	`18(157th)
CBJ	186	Daniil Tarasov	G	21	6-5/185	Assat Pori (Fin)	`17(86th)
LA	187	Carl Grundstrom	LW	22	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	T(Tor-1/19)
LA	188	Kale Clague	D	22	6-0/180	Ontario (AHL)	`16(51st)
Ott	189	Artyom Zub	D	24	6-2/200	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	FA(5/20)
Edm	190	Tyler Benson	LW	22	6-0/200	Bakersfield (AHL)	`16(32nd)
Det	191	Jonatan Berggren	RW	20	5-10/185	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`18(33rd)
Tor	192	Yegor Korshkov	RW	24	6-4/215	Toronto (AHL)	`16(31st)
Dal	193	Riley Damiani	C	20	5-9/165	Kitchener (OHL)	`18(137th)
VGK	194	Zach Whitecloud	D	23	6-2/210	Chicago (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Buf	195	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	21	6-4/195	Cincinnati (ECHL)	`17(54th)
Car	196	David Cotton	LW	23	6-3/205	Boston College (HE)	`15(169th)
Chi	197	Wyatt Kalynuk	D	23	6-1/180	Wisconsin (B1G)	FA(7/20)
Min	198	Hunter Jones	G	19	6-4/195	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(59th)
LA	199	Jordan Spence	D	19	5-10/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(95th)
Cgy	200	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	20	5-9/175	Rimouski (QMJHL)	`18(198th)
Col	201	Alex Beaucage	RW	19	6-1/195	Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)	`19(78th)
TB	202	Dmitri Semykin	D	20	6-3/200	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	`18(90th)
CBJ	203	Matiss Kivlenieks	G	24	6-2/190	Cleveland (AHL)	FA(5/17)
StL	204	Ville Husso	G	25	6-3/205	San Antonio (AHL)	`14(94th)
Phi	205	Bobby Brink	RW	19	5-10/165	Denver (NCHC)	`19(34th)
NYI	206	Otto Koivula	C	22	6-4/220	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(120th)
Car	207	Eetu Makiniemi	G	21	6-2/180	KOOVEE (Fin 2)	`17(104th)
NYI	208	Anatoli Golyshev	RW	25	5-8/180	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)	`16(95th)
Chi	209	Evan Barratt	C	21	6-0/190	Penn State (B1G)	`17(90th)
Buf	210	Erik Portillo	G	20	6-6/210	Dubuque (USHL)	`19(67th)
Fla	211	Cole Schwindt	RW	19	6-2/185	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(81st)
Chi	212	Michal Teply	LW	19	6-3/185	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(105th)
Ott	213	Mads Sogaard	G	19	6-7/195	Medicine Hat (WHL)	`19(37th)
Buf	214	Jonas Johansson	G	24	6-4/205	Rochester (AHL)	`14(61st)
TB	215	Cal Foote	D	21	6-4/215	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(14th)
StL	216	Niko Mikkola	D	24	6-5/200	San Antonio (AHL)	`15(127th)
NYI	217	Robin Salo	D	21	6-1/190	SaiPa (Fin)	`17(46th)
Bos	218	Jakub Zboril	D	23	6-1/200	Providence (AHL)	`15(13th)
Buf	219	Will Borgen	D	23	6-2/200	Rochester (AHL)	`15(92nd)
Pit	220	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	21	6-2/170	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`17(23rd)
SJ	221	Sasha Chmelevski	C	21	5-11/190	San Jose (AHL)	`17(185th)
Ari	222	Kyle Capobianco	D	23	6-1/180	Tucson (AHL)	`15(63rd)
Det	223	Keith Petruzzelli	G	21	6-5/180	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	`17(88th)
Wsh	224	Garrett Pilon	RW	22	5-11/190	Hershey (AHL)	`16(87th)
NJ	225	Nikola Pasic	RW	19	5-10/185	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	`19(189th)
TB	226	Alex Barre-Boulet	C	23	5-10/165	Syracuse (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Edm	227	Ryan McLeod	C	20	6-2/205	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(40th)
NYI	228	Samuel Bolduc	D	19	6-3/210	BLB-She (QMJHL)	`19(57th)
Ott	229	Joey Daccord	G	24	6-2/195	Belleville (AHL)	`15(199th)
StL	230	Hugh McGing	C	22	5-9/180	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(138th)
Edm	231	Cooper Marody	C	23	6-0/180	Bakersfield (AHL)	T(Phi-3/18)
Tor	232	Jeremy Bracco	RW	23	5-9/180	Toronto (AHL)	`15(61st)
Phi	233	German Rubtsov	C	22	6-2/190	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`16(22nd)
Wsh	234	Brian Pinho	C	25	6-1/195	Hershey (AHL)	`13(174th)
Col	235	Logan O'Connor	RW	24	6-0/170	Colorado (AHL)	FA(7/18)
Buf	236	Casey Fitzgerald	D	23	5-11/190	Rochester (AHL)	`16(86th)
NJ	237	Daniil Misyul	D	19	6-3/180	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`19(70th)
Ari	238	John Farinacci	C	19	5-11/185	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(76th)
Edm	239	Aapeli Rasanen	C	22	6-0/195	Boston College (HE)	`16(153rd)
Pit	240	Anthony Angello	RW	24	6-5/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`14(145th)
Mtl	241	Cam Hillis	C	20	5-10/170	Guelph (OHL)	`18(66th)
Cgy	242	Mathias Emilio Pettersen	RW	20	5-9/170	Denver (NCHC)	`18(167th)
SJ	243	Alexander True	C	23	6-5/205	San Jose (AHL)	FA(7/18)
NYI	244	Reece Newkirk	C	19	5-11/175	Portland (WHL)	`19(147th)
Dal	245	Dawson Barteaux	D	20	6-0/180	RD-Wpg (WHL)	`18(168th)
Bos	246	Jack Ahcan	D	23	5-8/185	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	FA(3/20)
Det	247	Seth Barton	D	21	6-2/175	Mass-Lowell (HE)	`18(81st)
Fla	248	Max Gildon	D	21	6-3/190	New Hampshire (HE)	`17(66th)
Ari	249	Aku Raty	RW	19	6-0/175	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`19(151st)
Wpg	250	David Gustafsson	C	20	6-1/195	Winnipeg (NHL)	`18(60th)

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

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

Tampa Bay Lightning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AHL 2019-20 Preview: Eastern Division

Shaiyena Cote — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 19:24:06 +0000

LAVAL, QC - MARCH 06: Toronto Marlies right wing Jeremy Bracco (27) tries to maintain control of the puck while under pressure from Laval Rocket center Hayden Verbeek (17) during the Toronto Marlies versus the Laval Rocket game on March 06, 2019, at Place Bell in Laval, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

The 2019-20 AHL season marks the start of the professional careers for many of the top prospects representing each of the 31 NHL teams.

Although some of the AHL teams are located in smaller cities or far from their parent clubs (for example Utica and Vancouver) the start of the AHL season marks the start of a game of chess and musical chairs for NHL and AHL clubs and their internal player dealings as they work with their prospects and shift lines around to allow for injuries and call ups throughout the season.

Below is a brief segment on every team in the East as well as a glimpse at their three top prospects. Team run down is presented alphabetically by division and not as a prediction for the upcoming 2019-2020 AHL season.

Note: All quotes have been taken from the 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook.

Atlantic Division

The AHL’s Atlantic Division plays host to teams all over the eastern US coastline from Rhode Island to North Carolina. The Atlantic encompasses eight teams, some states play host to multiple teams such as Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Last season the Charlotte Checkers were able to bring the Calder Cup back to the Atlantic and this season the same will presumably be expected.

Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders)

Even though Bridgeport was able to clinch a playoff spot last season, they were no match for the defending Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers. Bridgeport finished second in the Atlantic division and second also in penalty minutes. Despite having a mass of talent on Bridgeport, they did not play as a group and therefore could not achieve the desired playoff goal.

The Islanders organization are not as progressive with getting their prospects in the NHL lineup as say the Montreal Canadiens or New York Rangers. Losing Michael Dal Colle and Oliver Wahlstrom to the Islanders this season may have lessened Bridgeport’s offence somewhat but with Sebastian Aho back down and coming off a career year last season their defence is stronger than ever and may be just what Bridgeport needs to “bridge” their offensive gap.

Players to Watch

Sebastian Aho

“The Swedish born Aho is a smooth skating and smart playing defenseman. Although not known for his shooting ability, he is accurate and his shots from the point are of quality. He is a strong passer and a creative playmaker which was notable in his second AHL season.”

Otto Koivula

“Koivula is a massive forward and a very handy player to have in front of the net as his positioning is generally very good in all areas of the ice. He sees the play very well and has a good eye for making difficult passes in tight spots and from behind the net. Overall, he is a very clean and skilled player.”

Kieffer Bellows

“Bellows is a strong, dominant force on the ice with physical prowess and a highly competitive attitude. He plays to win and with an impressive amount of passion to compliment his natural scoring ability and skill set. He will need to have better control of his game next season and step up his play a bit to earn a spot at the next level.”

Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)

Charlotte is the Southern-most team in the Atlantic division and boasts some of the hottest weather for an Atlantic division team. The defending 2019 Calder Cup Champion Checkers who posted a record of 51-17-7-1 last season and had an impressive playoff run to say the least, but have not had the best start to the 2019-20 season. Upon losing their two top forwards with Aleksi Saarela being traded (to Chicago, since moved to Florida) and Martin Necas graduating to the Hurricanes, Charlotte has had to rebuild their offensive core one draft pick at a time and with many of their high end prospects still playing major junior or overseas, the Checkers will have to devise a plan to do so.

Just over ten games into the season Charlotte is sitting second from the bottom and with not a lot of goals scored. Many of their shots last year came from guys like Saarela and Necas but now without them, they’ll be turning to the players who flew under the radar last season such as Morgan Geekie and Eetu Luostarinen to create offensive opportunities in hopes of repeating Charlotte’s Calder Cup success.

Players to Watch

Morgan Geekie

“He has plus size, moves well for a big man and has quietly effective offensive instincts which help him to outproduce his tools. He has the strength to protect the puck, and the quickness of hands to capitalize on a broken play and make something happen.”

Eetu Luostarinen

“His skating was fairly good in his draft year but he has since added explosiveness, quickness, and improved his endurance. Moreover, he has added power to his game, not only strength-wise but his shot is also more powerful than it used to be. Luostarinen is dependable without the puck and can play in a more defensive role if needed.”

Jake Bean

“He has a very high panic threshold, allowing him to remain calm with the puck in the face of opposing pressure. He can walk the blueline nicely, but his best work comes in his ability to exit his own zone with total control. Whether he skates the puck out or finds a passing option, he can be relied on to kickstart the transition to offense.”

Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers)Now to move on to from one of the bottom placed teams with the Charlotte Checkers to the top team in the Atlantic; the Hartford Wolfpack feeder team to the original six New York Rangers have gotten off to an electric start this season. So far Hartford has spun things around 180 degrees on the poor outcome the Wolf Pack had last season with only 29 wins and no real chance at qualifying for the playoffs. Their disappointing 2018-19 was a bi-product of their ever-changing rosters as the Rangers frequently called players up and as a result Hartford’s lines were constantly changing and their play was inconsistent and messy. They also boasted the highest goals against number and the lowest goals for on the season.

With the positive start, the Wolf Pack sit atop the Atlantic Division rolling into the start of November and over the hump of new teams and settling into new line combinations. With key acquisitions and veteran experience added during the offseason, Hartford will be a hard opponent to knock off the top. Although heading into his last season of prospect status, Vinni Lettieri can offer just the right amount of knowledge and offensive talent to make up for the recent temporary loss of top Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov, who departed the Wolf Pack for a year long loan deal back to his KHL club Traktor Chelyabinsk.

Players to Watch

Vinni Lettieri

“Often overlooked due to his stature, Lettieri’s speed and tenacity make up for any doubts his size may have caused. If given the chance, he could carry a role on the top penalty kill unit with his speed and overall forechecking knowledge.”

Igor Shestyorkin

“The 23-year old goalie has accumulated enough experience in the KHL and on the international stage and is more ready than your average rookie netminder. Shestyorkin is an agile goaltender, a bit on the small side for today’s trends, but won’t going to suffer from it.”

Joey Keane

“An elite skater, Keane is built for the modern NHL age. With his mobility, he is incredibly difficult to pin deep in his own zone, because he takes such good routes to dump ins and is able to transition to offense in a flash. As he moves to the pro level, he will need to keep the game simple, using his mobility to aid in his learning curve.”

Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)

Despite Hershey Pennsylvania being the home of the Hershey Chocolate World, the Bears could certainly argue that the end of their 2018-19 season could have been a little sweeter. Not only did the Bears manage to end the season third from the bottom in goal production but they were also swept by Charlotte in the second round of playoffs.

With Hershey being the feeder team for the offensive powerhouse Washington Capitals it would seem the club has big shoes to fill. This season is looking somewhat different and the team is off to a better start offensively, already doubling the number of goals they had at the tail end of last season. Their back end is loaded with new talent, many of whom are responsible for quarterbacking their offensive play. With Jonas Siegenthaler now a permanent Capitals fixture the Bears look to have their rookie defensemen, namely; 2018 first rounder Alex Alexeyev and speedy 2^nd rounder Martin Fehervary, taking over in the back. Look for the Bears to be playoff hopefuls once again.

Prospects to Watch

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby

“When he is at his best, Jonsson-Fjallby is a highly energetic and quick player to play with and tough to keep up when paired against. His speed makes him a force to be reckoned with and his hockey IQ has improved drastically in the last year. He has become a smart and reliable two way player, whereas once his defensive game was insubstantial.”

Martin Fehervary

“An aggressive import from Slovakia, Fehervary played full time in the SHL last season, in his last year qualifying for junior hockey. He played in his customary aggressive style, with quick skating, physicality, and good reach. He still has NHL potential, with the look of a third pairing blueliner. His skating, reach and aggressiveness will becoming a strong defensive defender.”

Alex Alexeyev

“Alexeyev is a very good player who has all the tools to be a top four defender in the NHL. He has good size, skates very well, and has more snarl in his game then most give him credit for. Couple all that with a defender who is an excellent passer both in his own zone as well as when quarterbacking a powerplay, and he shows real promise. He has been one of the top defenders in the WHL since his arrival from Russia.”

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)

Last season the Phantoms missed playoffs by two points, finishing fifth in the Atlantic Division. For an AHL team that seems to fly under the radar and whose parent team of Philadelphia seems to be known more for their mascot antics than their play, so far their success in the opening part of the season has not gone unnoticed. With rookie Morgan Frost leading the way and riding a seven game point streak as of this writing and carrying the team with nine points through the opening ten games, Lehigh’s young blood has been off to a strong start.

However, one point streak is not enough to create a winning team and with the departures of defenceman Phillippe Meyers and goaltender Carter Hart to the Flyers, their offence will surely have to be a strong point. This year Lehigh Valley welcomes many new faces to their roster which could be a turning point in the Flyers system due to their struggles with team cohesiveness in the past. The Phantoms look to have a promising amount of offensive rookie talent, many of whom bring energy to a slow to start returning AHL group.

Players to Watch

Morgan Frost

“Frost is ready for the next challenge in his young career. The talented playmaking center has improved his skating and strength on the puck over his OHL career and those should allow for an easy transition to pro hockey. He generates well off the rush, using a variety of dif- ferent attacks which speaks volumes to his creativity with the puck.”

Isaac Ratcliffe

“Ratcliffe is a hulking power winger with massive goal scoring potential at the next level. He has an extremely powerful shot that sees him use his size well to shield defenders before releasing the puck quickly. His skating continues to improve, especially his ability to cut and maintain possession through to the net.”

German Rubtsov

“He is a fast skating, quick shooting, high tempo player who plays with a lot of intensity and drive. He is a promising forward with much offensive potential and enough speed that he can get back on the backcheck as well. Rubtsov has the hands, the shot and the speed to be a standout forward with Philadelphia in the future if he can stay healthy.”

Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)

One of the most controversial and most talked about clubs in the NHL is the Boston Bruins who seem to be Stanley Cup contenders every year, but can the same be said for the Bruins’ American Hockey league team? Last season the Providence Bruins managed to clinch the last playoff spot in the Atlantic division but were eliminated in the first round by the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. With the third lowest goals against average in the league and many other stats ranking somewhere in the middle of the pack, for Providence they were the quintessential “average” team. They played a safe, controlled and structured breakout, regroup and forecheck game but there seemed to be a missing spark in their 2018-19 season.

The team has had a firecracker of a start and from the very first game it was evident that Providence would be a much faster and more skilled team than they were last year. With speedy rookies like Jack Studnicka and Oskar Steen added to the lineup, Providence’s offensive zone time has been rising. Should Providence stay healthy, they will be playoff contenders for sure.

Players to Watch

Urho Vaakanainen

“Vaakanainen is a smooth skating, dynamic defenseman who had
a good transition from SaiPa in the Liiga to the Providence Bruins. He is not known for any particular offensive abilities but his neutral zone play and puck movement are still amongst the top on this list. He makes precise passes and knows when to skate the puck and when to dump it.”

Trent Frederic

“He is a fine skater with enough puck skill and offensive instinct to earn middle six minutes at maturity. His grinder, to the net style also bodes well for that role. Boston will be looking for more consistent production before giving an NHL look.”

Jack Studnicka

“It could probably be argued that Studnicka is one of the more well-rounded forward prospects in hockey. There is no role that he cannot play on the ice for his team. Given how pro ready his game is, he could be much closer to making an impact in Boston than some think.”

Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida Panthers)

Although the Florida Panthers continue to struggle with their attendance, their feeder team in Springfield, MA seems to do fine and will continue to do so this season with a start as hot as the one they’re having now. The Thunderbirds have soared to second place in the Atlantic division after just over ten games played and currently lead in goals for.

With the recent additions of rookies Owen Tippett and Aleksi Heponiemi to the regular roster it is no wonder they are on the fast track to success. Tippett is a scoring machine and can shoot from anywhere on the ice while Heponiemi had unbeatable major junior years in the WHL as a playmaker and only continues to shine in the AHL. With young players like these only continuing to gain momentum, look for Springfield to maintain their top four Atlantic division status throughout the season.

Players to Watch

Owen Tippett

“While his ability to put the puck in the net will be his ticket to an NHL career, he has improved his play away from the puck and his patience with it to become a player who can make an impact even when he is not scoring. With good size and skating ability, Tippett is at his best when he is attacking North/South, hunting for opportunities to unleash his terrific wrist shot.”

Aleksi Heponiemi

“A nifty stickhandler with excellent vision and offensive awareness, he is a natural playmaker who can finish, too. His shot has improved quite a bit, he has the ability to pick his spots and be a dual threat in the final third. While not fast, Heponiemi is highly agile on his skates and can make shifty moves to evade defenders.”

Jonathan Ang

“A brilliant skater, Ang’s hands are almost as quick as his legs. The question he has always been asked about is his offensive ceiling. For as much as his speed allows hi to be one step ahead of the play and very difficult to contain, his numbers have never really stood out. He flashes the tools that got him drafted, but not consistently and he struggles to finish what he starts.”

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)

It is no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins are in trouble when it comes to their prospect system, however after just one draft that can be turned around and with a trade a team can be bolstered dramatically. Not to say that the Penguins prospect system needs a revamp but if they continue to draft the way they have, their feeder team in Wilkes-Barre will remain average, at best. For the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins momentum is hard to find, not only is the arena an older venue but there is just is not enough talent on the back end to drive offensive plays. To boot, the average age of Wilkes-Barre is 25 which means very few prospects are seeing ice time at the AHL level and the team lacks in youthful energy.

For the Pittsburgh Penguins the next few years will be a tipping point for their prospects and current players. That said, there is hope with defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph paving the way for a hardworking, play making defencemen, W-B/S may be able to generate enough offence to up their scoring chances. As the season progresses, look for forward Kasper Bjorkqvist to earn top mention and top minutes with the Baby Penguins on the front end.

Players to Watch

Pierre-Olivier Joseph

“Joseph’s best two assets are his work eth- ic and his hockey sense. He rarely makes a bad decision and, most importantly, knows his limitations. He is slight for the pro game at 168 pounds, but he is as adept at defending positionally as he is physically, and has figured out how to read many schemes with the puck to best attack from the back end.”

Jordy Bellerive

“Bellerive is a player who can play the game in any style. He is happy to drive the net and work hard to create his offense but he has a shot that can beat goalies cleanly from distance. He works his tail off in both zones and often generates additional chances from chasing down the play. He makes good passes both in transition and below the dots.”

Kasper Bjorkqvist

“He uses his solid size to play near the opposing crease and has a plan for the puck when he gets it, resulting in quick touches and quickly released shots. At his best, he has a nice shot an can play or pass the puck well, but he can go for prolonged stretches at less than his best, effectively becoming a non-factor in the play.”

North Division

The North Division is home to three out of the four Canadian teams in the AHL and some of the coldest climates, ranging from Binghamton, NY up to Laval, QC. Two seasons ago the Calder Cup was hoisted by the Toronto Marlies in dramatic fashion against the Texas Stars, and we should look to the North to be hungry for the Cup once again.

Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators)

As one of the newest teams in the AHL with one of the smaller arenas, the Belleville Senators had a reasonable season last year but failed to qualify for the last playoff spot in the North Division. Belleville is still capable of packing an offensive punch and holding their own. Making up for the absence of Rudolfs Balcers who has earned a spot on Ottawa, will be rookie Josh Norris and Drake Batherson, the latter of whom earned the AHL All-Star MVP last season.

Although Belleville looks to be offensively equipped it will be interesting to see how they fare defensively this season after losing Erik Brannstrom and Christian Wolanin to Ottawa. Both were responsible for much of Belleville’s offensive play last season, particularly after Brannstrom joined the club in the Mark Stone trade from Vegas.

Prospects to Watch

Drake Batherson

“He is an elusive player that slips under the radar and is quiet on the ice until the puck is found in the net as a result of his strong playmaking ability. He is a highly adaptable and entertaining player to watch in both even strength and special team situations, his adjustment to the AHL level has been tremendous.”

Josh Norris

“A high IQ center with a standout two-way game, the former USNTDP standout is a strong play driver, with a fantastic shot and strong playmaking abilities. He was the hockey wherewith- al to play a bottom six role right away, but he projects as a clear top six center at his best.

Alex Formenton

“The foundation of Formenton’s game is his elite skating ability. He has an effortless, yet powerful stride that allows him to be such an effective high-energy winger. Additionally, Formen- ton is a physical player who is aggressive on the forecheck, making him a terrific penalty killer. As an offensive player, his best asset is a quick release.”

Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils)

Although the Binghamton Devils finished last in the North Division last season, their big sister club New Jersey made some key trades as well as draft acquisitions during the off season in hopes of deepening their system. Despite their place in the standings, that did not stop the Devils from having a successful development year for many of their prospects who received the chance to play up with New Jersey.

With a plethora of prospects to choose from Binghamton will be expected to move further up the ranks in the 2019-20 season standings. With additions like 2019 first overall pick Jack Hughes and Swedish prospect Jesper Boqvist to New Jersey’s forward lineup, look to Michael McLeod, Joey Anderson, Nathan Bastian, Mikhail Maltsev and Marian Studenic to pad up Binghamton’s offence. There is an abundance of top level prospects in New Jersey’s system and after the 2019 draft, look to the Devils to potentially have one of the best systems on paper.

Prospects to Watch

Michael McLeod

“Although not the smoothest of skaters to watch, he is strong and good both with and without the puck. McLeod’s defensive game has grown a lot this season making him a better two way player. He is a talented and smart playmaker and with a good start in the AHL and given more confidence he will definitely be in the right shape again to be shipped back up to the Devils.”

Marian Studenic

“Studenic had a solid start to his professional career this year with Binghamton and his natural skill and skating ability helped him to stand out amongst fellow rookie forwards. He is a deadly player when he gets to the net and is quick to capitalize on turnovers.”

Mikhail Maltsev

“He is a two-way forward with excellent size and good physical abilities, smooth hands and a solid positional game. Maltsev is a great choice for the third or fourth line considering his mass, defensive skills, and great reading of the ice in any situation at both ends of the rink.”

Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Bluejackets)

With an average height of 6-2” the name “Monsters” fits the tallest team in the AHL perfectly. Ironically enough Cleveland’s parent club, the Columbus Bluejackets, is home to one of the shortest and most skilled forwards in the NHL in 5-8” Cam Atkinson. Last season, Cleveland got off to a good start but faded quickly after the January All-Star break, barely making the playoffs. This coming year Cleveland once again seems to be hugging the fourth place spot in the North Division but perhaps they are still acclimatizing and pacing themselves, especially after seeing Sonny Milano and Kole Sherwood move up to the parent club.

With offence hanging in the brink for Cleveland, look to their firecracker of a forward Trey Fix-Wolansky to fire things up offensively and to Kevin Stenlund to add a physical punch to the Monsters’ offence. With 2018 first round pick Liam Foudy not quite ready to make the jump to the AHL yet, the Monsters will also have to rely on good goaltending from Finnish product Veini Vehvilainen to keep them in the game. Expect a decent back half of the season playoff run from the Monsters once they get settled.

Players to Watch

Veini Vehvilainen

“He is a very quick goalie. His lateral quickness and post-to-post movement are both high end and he can recover loose pucks quickly. He is also highly athletic and flexible. He rarely allows a soft goal and if he does, he is able to bounce back quickly.”

Trey Fix-Wolansky

“Fix-Wolansky is a player that has really grown over the past couple of seasons. That has improved substantially in this regard as has his foot speed. His playmaking and shooting skills have always been there but now he has the pace and the drive to impact every play. He has a real shot at being a success story as his offensive tools are very good.”

Kevin Stenlund

“Stenlund plays a gritty and hard on the puck type of game, he wins battles and uses his size to his advantage. Stenlund may have used his size as an advantage but his size is also what made him stand out despite being one of the slower players on the ice. He is strong on the puck but it sometimes appears to be an effort for Stenlund to maneuver easily in tight spots.”

Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)

There is only one team in the league who conducts most of their business in a language other than English and that would be the Montreal Canadiens who have been a staple original six team as well as a symbol of French Canadian culture for decades. Now fast forward to the Laval Rocket who play in one of the nicest arenas in the AHL, La Place Bell, which housed one of the poorest performing teams in the North Division last season. Laval had a less than desirable year finishing second last in the standings having managed to score only 195 times through the whole season while every other team in their division surpassing the 200 goal mark.

Montreal has had some major prospect developments and a few small turnarounds from where they were sitting last season with Nick Suzuki, Victor Mete and Ryan Poehling all pulling their weight in the big leagues. That being said, it’s an exciting time for the Canadiens who have prospect momentum heading into the next year year with NCAA product Jake Evans in his sophomore season with Laval and Noah Juulsen, an unexpected cut from Montreal, returning to the lineup. Laval will be a dark horse this season and only time will tell where they will finish in the standings.

Players to Watch

Jake Evans

“Evans is an elite level passer who can make crisp on-the-tape passes in the most difficult of situations. He is a really solid player and has good jump to his stride and energy to his game. Evans has the full package, and he just needs to muster up more grit and stay consistent with his play and he will be set to dawn a Canadiens jersey soon.”

Noah Juulsen

“For a smooth skating defenseman who can shoot from just about anywhere on the ice, Juulsen has not had the same amount of success in the pro ranks as he had during his major junior days with Everett in the WHL. He is not the most mobile defender and his actions seem even more stiff and mechanical when he begins to think too much.”

Otto Leskinen

“A mobile defenseman, he skates well both backwards and laterally. He is light on his skates and there is little wasted motion in his stride. Leskinen has the abilities to be an impactful player offensively. He can make a crisp first pass or carry the puck up into the zone. He has a hard slap shot and a wrister with a very quick release.”

Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)

For the past few seasons the Buffalo Sabres have been the team that starts out strong and finishes in last place but the opposite can be said about their feeder team, the Rochester Americans. Last season, Rochester duked it out with the Syracuse Crunch all season long for top spot in the North Division with only a three point margin separating the two teams. Rochester was led by veteran defenceman Zach Redmond and rookie forward Victor Olofsson, the latter of whom has since moved up to clinch a well-deserved spot with the Sabres.

Although Olofsson is no longer on the farm, his Swedish line mate Rasmus Asplund continues to gain momentum and acclimatize to North American play. Asplund is off to a much better start this season and his linemate C.J. Smith also looks to add to Rochester’s offensive depth. Netminder Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen remains a dark horse, soon set to return from rehab for surgery he had during the offseason. With Luukkonen, who is arguably one of the top goaltending prospects - and a future starting netminder in the NHL- joining Rochester it will be safe to say that should Rochester make playoffs their back end composure will be more than okay.

Players to Watch

Rasmus Asplund

“He is a smaller forward but a great forechecker working well to fill a spot as a grinder. Always keeping his feet moving, many of his 41 points this year came from rebounds and net scrambles. At times he is a little bit sloppy with his positioning which may be the reason why he has yet to earn a call up to the Sabres.”

Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen

“He is the complete package as a goaltender with his size and athleticism. Luukkonen moves so well in his crease, but with his size is able to square up to shooters still and take away all angles. He also reads and reacts to the play around him as he is rarely caught out of position. His composure in the crease this year was one of his more impressive features.”

C.J. Smith

“Smith is a great example of this as he is an entertaining player to watch and brings energy and drive to each game. His natural skill and scoring ability made him a stand out forward for the Americans last year, and are what will hopefully push him to work hard to gain a top six spot.

Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Recapping the post season for the Tampa Bay Lightning franchise in the 2018-2019 season is simply depressing, as not only did Tampa fail to impress in their playoffs despite running away with the regular season, but Syracuse followed the exact same pattern. The Crunch led the North Division all season long but were swept in the first round of playoffs by the fourth place Cleveland Monsters. Truly disappointing but nonetheless a wakeup call to a franchise that may have gotten a little overconfident.

After the humbling events of last season, Syracuse has started off in a very modest middle of the pack spot with the departure of Alexander Volkov and Erik Cernak from the Crunch to the Lightning. It has been up to many of the guys heading into their sophomore seasons like Boris Katchouk, Taylor Raddysh and Cal Foote to make up for the absences on the blueline as well as on the offensive attack. Syracuse will have to work much harder with their young squad if they want to achieve the same results as they achieved in 2018-19.

Players to Watch

Cal Foote

“Foote’s ranking as Tampa Bay’s number one prospect is well deserved as he is the perfect mix of a skilled offensive blueliner with a highly physical and dependable defensive defenseman. He has exceptional awareness and his hockey IQ is what makes him a great player. He has size and plays a calm, aware positional game that makes him stand out as being the most mature and dynamic prospect on this list.”

Taylor Raddysh

“Raddysh is a natural goal scorer with a knack for getting to the net in even the most difficult of situations. He is a good skater and a strong shooter capable of getting shots off in tight situations. He is especially good with one timers and adapting to bad passes. Raddysh will have to work on being more creative and being stronger on the puck in open ice situations, his level of want for the puck will have to improve.”

Mitchell Stephens

“He is a very competitive player who likes to win and who brings such passion to the game. He wins draws, gets to the net, blocks shots and plays a strong physical game. The only thing missing is an extra gear, as he needs that extra speed to be able to make a solid impact at the next level.”

Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most iconic teams in the league, boasting some of the most loyal fans around. That being said, they are also one of the younger player systems in the NHL with a core group of high end young players, and theirs is not a system like Boston or Washington which are reliant on veteran talent. That also means that for the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs’ AHL affiliate, it may be harder to make the opening night lineup than ever with very few retiring and new talent being drafted every year- the only thing mixing things up being the cap hit. However, despite monetary constrictions and trades all around, the Marlies have managed to not only win a Calder Cup in 2018 but also qualify for playoffs again the following year.

This season seems a little different and so far with so many changes, the core group consisting of Jeremy Bracco, Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, Pierre Engvall and Adam Brooks have all adjusted well and have continued to put up a North Division leading 7-0-3 record through their first ten games of the season. Look to see the Marlies either on top of the divisional race or just below in second by the time the 2019-20 season draws to a close.

Players to Watch

Jeremy Bracco

“Bracco is a creative playmaker to say the least and every play holds different possibilities thanks to his level of hockey sense. He is a powerful and agile skater that can easily maneuver around opponents with his edgework, often opting to use his inside edges for turns rather than traditional crossovers.”

Rasmus Sandin

“Sandin is a versatile defenseman capable of leading rushes and quar- terbacking them as well. He is a skilled player with a good shot and great hockey sense. He sees the plays before they happen and stays one step ahead and remains focused while doing so.”

Yegor Korshkov

“He has a lot of good traits in his game that could translate well to the NHL, like the way he can cover the puck in the corners and create scoring chances from there. He has strong balance which will get stronger with more overall strength.”

Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks)

Having played host to the 2019 World Juniors in Vancouver as well as the 2019 NHL Draft, Vancouver has been quite the hockey destination within the past months. However, for many fans who do not reside on the west coast, it may be easier to catch a Utica Comets game instead. Utica has had quite the roster turn around from last season offering a better start to the season as well.

With the addition of former Team Canada goaltender and top prospect Michael DiPietro, Utica now can rest assured that the net is covered as DiPietro moves like no other goaltender and possesses ultimate composure and focus while in the net. Another key addition is 2016 fifth overall pick Olli Juolevi who has come back from injury and is padding up the defensive end for the Comets. Utica is battling with Toronto back and forth for first spot in the North, which should be the race all season long should Utica not move any players. Note that former Canucks regular Nikolay Goldobin is still down with Utica and only adds to their offensive talent.

Players to Watch

Michael DiPietro

“He relies on his reads and his athleticism to make saves and he can be a real game changer because of it. At the pro level, there are often growing pains for these types of goaltenders because the game moves faster, the top part of the net becomes an easier target, and confidence can wane. But DiPietro remains a very solid pro prospect and should eventually develop into an asset.”

Olli Juolevi

He is a smart defenseman capable of reading the play and being one step ahead. He is a spot on passer and he can shoot from anywhere on the ice with speed and precision. His goal should be to keep his feet moving equally in all zones of the ice and to get back to playing a physical game.

Lukas Jasek

“An underdog type of player, Jasek has the ability to sneak past opponents and get into open ice without notice, giving him a leg up on his counterparts. He is a lightweight and a rather small looking player but his deceptiveness is scary when it comes to how aggressive he is on the puck. He plays with energy and passion and never gives up on a play.”

Tampa Bay Lightning 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Ryan Wagman

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect System Overview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cal Foote

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

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

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

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

Alexander Volkov

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

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

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

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

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

Dominik Masin

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

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

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

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

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

Carter Verhaeghe

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHL Playoff Preview: An Eastern Conference arms race and a wide open West.

Vince Gibbons — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 15:40:00 +0000

The WHL season has been highly competitive with some excellent individual stories wrapped in with some incredible team play. There was Jayden Halbgewachs’ (SJS) chase of 70 goals which he accomplished on the last weekend of the season, Nick Schneider’s (CGY) leading the league in minutes played by a goaltender, or any of a number of the impressive rookie seasons that have kept fans engaged all season. The duel between Swift Current and Moose Jaw has been captivating all season and heated up even more at the trade deadline. The arms race to get out of the Eastern Division has to be the top story across the league.

With Regina hosting the 100^th Memorial Cup in a few months, all eyes have been on the Prairie Province to see how competitive they would be this season while hosting junior hockey’s premier event. Entering into the first round of the playoffs Saskatchewan will be sending four teams into the fray, which is great news, however based on seeding they have all ended up head to head. Regina looks to be in tough to get to the Memorial Cup in the honest way as a first round trip down Highway 1 to Swift Current looms. This year’s host team could have a month without competitive hockey before the start of the Memorial Cup.

*Note Team stats (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS), Player Stats (GP-G-A-PTS-PIM)

Eastern Conference:

1E Vs WC 2 Moose Jaw (72-52-15-2-3-109) vs Prince Albert (72-32-27-9-4)

Prediction: Moose Jaw in five

Moose Jaw has been a dominant team wire to wire this year. They have been ranked in the top 10 for 23 weeks of the season and are the only team in the WHL to eclipse 50 wins. They are an offensive juggernaut averaging an impressive 4.5 goal per game, they have the league’s top scoring forward in the aforementioned Halbgewachs (SJS) (72-70-57-125-12) surpassing expectations with the first 70 goal season in the league since 1998-99 (Pavel Brendl). The team boasts several offensively dangerous forwards in Brayden Burke (ARZ) (61-31-82-113-45), Justin Almeida (72-43-55-98-10), and Brett Howden (NYR) (49-24-51-75-42) who can balance the attack and keep the pressure on all the way down the lineup. Defensively they added the most productive blueliner in Kale Clague (LAK) (54-11-60-71-43) to help anchor them for a long playoff run. Moose Jaw has been the class of the league for most of the season but down the stretch have lost games to Regina, Red Deer and Prince Albert making them more vulnerable for upset than at any point in the season.

Prince Albert will be riding high into the playoffs after a 9-0-1 stretch enabled them to nip a playoff spot from Saskatoon. During that stretch they took three points of a possible four from Moose Jaw as well as solid divisional wins over Swift Current and Brandon. Prince Albert has been playing playoff-like hockey for over a month just to get to in, so the pressure will be off with nothing to lose against a powerhouse team like Moose Jaw.

Cole Fonstad. Photo courtesy of Prince Albert Raiders

Cole Fonstad (72-21-52-73-6) has had a great second half of the season and will end the season as one of the most productive draft eligible forwards in the WHL this year. Jordy Stallard (WPG) (72-44-47-91-26) has been an exceptional player this year, and Winnipeg may have found another late round gem. A couple of mid-season additions in Regan Nagy (57-25-20-45-53) and Kody McDonald (68-34-32-66-139) have chipped in some nice secondary scoring but they will have to be at their best to give the Raiders a chance of getting through this tough first round match up.

2E Vs 3E Swift Current (72-48-17-5-2-103) vs Regina (72-40-25-6-1-87)

Prediction: Swift Current in five Games

Tyler Steenbergen. Photo courtesy of Swift Current Broncos

Swift Current poses matchup problems for any team they play against. Like Moose Jaw they have elite scoring with the likes of Glen Gawdin (CGY), (67-56-69-125-101), Aleksi Heponiemi (Fla), (57-28-90-118-28)), and WJC game winning goal scorer Tyler Steenbergen (ARZ) (56-47-55-102-44) leading the way. There is a great supporting cast and what may be a difference maker in net in the form of Stuart Skinner (EDM). In 23 games since joining Swift Current has put has put up a stellar .917 Sv% and a 2.60 GAA. The team’s defensive corps is led by Colby Sissons (NJD) (72-13-58-71-69) and Artyom Minulin (64-13-30-43-26) who both play a physical and abrasive style of game that can get under the skin of opponents. This team is built to compete against any style of team in the league and has the best shot of taking down Moose Jaw in the East.

Regina has been on fire down the stretch which is great for momentum but tough for the match up. Holding down the top wild card would have seen them ship out of such a tough division and play Medicine Hat who has struggled down the stretch and looks ripe for an upset. It was not to be however and Regina’s strong play down the stretch has earned them a tough match up with Swift Current. Regina has a highly competitive team and in other seasons would have had a chance to get to the Memorial Cup the hard way but with the strength against them they will be in tough to escape the first round. What would it look like for Regina to upset Swift Current?

Sam Steel

Sam Steel (ANA) (54-33-50-83-18) would have to play lights out controlling the tempo and dictating the play like his line did at the World Juniors. Perhaps even more important would be the play of Josh Mahura (ANA) (60-22-47-69-42) and Cale Fleury (MTL) (68-12-39-51-58) who, when together on the blueline, give the Pats one of the top pairings in the league. Even when split up 5 on 5 to help defend against a deep team like they face in the first round they will need to maintain their balanced play for the team to have any success. Rookie Max Paddock will also need to get on a roll in between the pipes as his strong play down the stretch has made him the probable starter in this first round series. Finally 20 year old Cameron Hebig (EDM) (66-41-49-90-44) will have to deliver a complete game every night.

1C Vs WC2 Medicine Hat (72-36-28-8-0-80) vs Brandon (72-40-27-3-2-85)

Prediction: Brandon In six

Medicine Hat has had the benefit of playing in one of the weakest divisions across the CHL this season. Despite leading their division they trail both Wild Card teams in terms of point production. Even with having home ice advantage the Tigers are in tough against Brandon but they do have enough weapons to make this series a coin flip. Mark Rassell (70-50-30-80-23) is having a great overage season scoring 50 goals for the first time in his career. That coupled with the impressive offensive production of undersized defender David Quenneville (NYI) (70-26-54-80-58) who leads all WHL defenseman in goals and points will have to take their games to another level to push Medicine Hat through this first round match up. Draft eligible Ryan Chyzowski (72-21-31-52-28) has also had a strong season while playing on the second line.

Luka Burzan. Photo by Brandi Pollock/Brandon Wheat Kings.

Despite trading Kyle Clague (LAK) to Moose Jaw at the deadline there is still plenty of production in this line up to be dangerous. Undrafted Ty Lewis (COL as a UFA) (70-44-56-100-60) and Stelio Mattheos (CAR) (68-43-47-90-81) have had great seasons and can do some real damage in the postseason. With two draft eligible forwards adding some secondary scoring in Luka Burzan (72-15-25-40-20) and Cole Reinhardt (68-19-15-34-40) they should be deep enough to compete with Medicine Hat. Defensively there was a big hole with Clague out but a couple of rookies have stepped in and had a positive impact. Chase Hartje (58-3-22-25-18) has seen an increased role since coming over from Moose Jaw while 2001 born Braden Schneider (66-1-21-22-16) has been quietly impressive helping Brandon to a 7-3 record over their last 10 games as they head into the playoffs.

2C Vs 3C Lethbridge (72-33-33-6-0-72) Vs Red Deer (72-27-32-10-3-67)

Prediction: Red Deer in six

Calen Addison. Photo by Robert Murray.

Lethbridge boasts some highly talented youngsters who continue to develop nicely while gaining valuable experience. Calen Addison (68-11-54-65-53) is dynamic young skater who is on the cusp of being a first round pick this year. Dylan Cozens (57-22-31-53-20) has been a solid player at both ends of the ice especially considering the fact that as a 2001 born rookie he is lining up against guys two and three years his senior. But the real straw that stirs the drink for Lethbridge is Jordy Bellerive (PIT) (71-46-46-92-82). He plays a physical, hard-working style of game that creates plenty of offensive zone time where he is a clinical finisher. To have success this time of year they need one or two depth players contribute at a higher level, perhaps Jake Elmer (70-18-19-37-46) could be that guy for Lethbridge this year.

Kristian Reichel. Photo by Dave Brunner/Red Deer Rebels.

Red Deer has united the three best forwards they have giving them a formidable top line that can compete with most teams. Centered by Kristian Reichel (63-34-23-57-32), with wingers Mason McCarty (69-38-36-74-82) and Brandon Hagel (BUF) (56-18-41-59-45), the top line has been stellar since Christmas. Defensively two players stand out and both are eligible for this year’s draft. Alexander Alexeyev (45-7-30-37-29) is a big, strong defender who skates well and has nice vision and puck handling skills that makes him a first round candidate. Dawson Barteaux (64-3-29-32-22) is a good skater who passes the puck well and looks to go in the back half of the draft. Early into the New Year Red Deer trailed Edmonton, Calgary, and Kootenay, and was well out of any playoff conversation but winning 10 of 15 down the stretch, including a four game sweep through BC, has ensured that they will be there and in good form upon arrival.

Predictions Second round and beyond:

If things unfold as expected Moose Jaw and Swift Current will play one another in the second round which could very well be the best series in all the CHL playoffs let alone the WHL. I expect Swift Current to beat Moose Jaw based on their incredible depth, overall defensive game and higher end goaltending. In the Central division it seems likely that Brandon makes short work of both of their Central opponents, but they will be overmatched in the conference final, a Swift Current victory.

Western Conference:

1US Vs WC 2 Everett (72-47-20-2-3-99) Vs Seattle (71-34-27-8-2-78)

Prediction: Everett in five

Riley Sutter (Photo by Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire)

Everett boasts the largest X-factor player in the entire league, in netminder Carter Hart (PHI). He leads the league in most statistical categories including save percentage (.947), Goals against average (1.60), and shutouts (7). Even on the rare occasion that his team does not play well in front of him he can still steal a game. Hart is not the only reason for team success though as Patrick Bajkov (FLA) (72-33-67-100-56) recently signed an entry level contract after an impressive season. Also contributing offensively is Riley Sutter (68-25-28-53-70) who is draft eligible this year, Garrett Pilon (WSH) (69-34-46-80-48), and Matt Fonteyne (72-35-53-88-22) who could well find himself with a pro deal by the end of the summer. With a team that plays a sound defensive game and has so many steady offensive contributors expect them to go far.

Seattle has played Everett tough this year despite only getting two wins in seven attempts. In only one game did they lose by more than a goal, and only once did Everett get four goals in seven games head to head. That sort of effort will be required to hang tight game to game. In a series of one goal games a little puck luck could help beat the top team in the Western Conference. Veteran players like Nolan Volcan (70-32-44-76), Neuls Donovan (71-22-54-76-48), and Zack Andrusiak (71-35-38-73-20) will have to find a way to score while Austin Strand (LAK) (68-25-38-63-75) will be relied on heavily on the back end as his 25 goals was second in the league by defenseman. Seattle’s magic number is three. If they can get three goals past Hart they are 2-0 this season.

1BC Vs WC1 Kelowna (72-43-22-5-2-93) Vs Tri-City (71-37-25-8-1-83)

Prediction: Kelowna is six

Kyle Topping. Photo by Marissa Baecker/Kelowna Rockets.

Kelowna has an impressive roster from top to bottom with some of their talent that is not even draft eligible until 2019. Kole Lind (VAN) (58-39-56-95-65), Dillon Dube (CGY) (53-38-46-84-52), and Cal Foote (TBL) (60-19-51-70-46) start off an impressive cast of players each more than capable of creating offense while keeping pucks out at the same time. Kyle Topping (66-22-43-65-56), draft eligible in 2018, is another forward who stands out with his near 1.0 point per game production. Cal’s younger brother Nolan Foote (50-13-27-40-31) is yet another offensive weapon and he will not be eligible until the 2019 draft but he has shown some high end offensive tools.

Juuso Valimaki of the Tri-City Americans.

Tri-City has had some struggles with injuries to top players this year. Michael Rasmussen (DET) (47-31-28-59-40) missed nearly 1/3 of the season while Juuso Valimaki (CGY) (42-14-29-43-32) has managed to get into just 42 games. Regardless, both look healthy as they enter the playoffs. Tri-City has a dynamic blueline with three of their top eight scorers coming from their back end. Jake Bean (CAR) (56-11-35-46-22), who was added at the deadline, Dylan Coghlan (VGK) (69-17-46-63-65), and the aforementioned Valimaki are all big time contributors to the Americans success. If the likes of Morgan Geekie (CAR) (67-30-53-83-32), and overage player Jordan Topping (71-38-41-79-56) are able to keep up their scoring rates from regular season they will have more than a puncher’s chance against Kelowna.

2BC Vs 3BC Victoria (72-39-27-4-2-84) Vs Vancouver (72-36-27-6-3-81)

Prediction: Victoria in six

Tyler Benson. Photo by Chris Relke/Vancouver Giants.

A short ferry ride is all that separates these two team geographically and even less separates them on the ice. Both have diminutive but dynamic goal scorers. Victoria boasts Matthew Phillips (CGY) (71-48-64-112-36) while Vancouver sports Ty Ronning (NYR) (70-61-23-84-47). Both teams have solid offensive depth although the Victoria looks to run a little bit deeper there. Between the pipes each team has a veteran goalie with a save percentage above 0.910 and a goal’s against right around 3.00. Tyler Benson (EDM) (58-27-42-69-39) has been excellent when healthy for Vancouver but the deciding factor in the match up could be the play of 20 year olds. If Tyler Soy (ANA) (66-36-56-92-42) and Chaz Reddekopp (LAK) (46-7-24-31-42) are able to out produce Ronning and Brennan Riddle (67-1-11-12-48) then Victoria looks to make it out of this closely contested first round match up.

2US Vs 3US Portland (71-44-22-1-4-93) Vs Spokane (71-40-25-3-3-86)

Prediction: Portland in seven

Henri Jokiharju of the Portland Winterhawks. Photo credit: Chad Baker/Portland Winterhawks

Portland’s offence is not quite as deep as the top teams from the East but having six players averaging right around a point per game or better is a tough match up for anyone. Cody Glass (VGK) (63-37-64-101-24) has paced the offense all year bringing his consistent effort and excellent playmaking skills to a team with plenty of finishers. Skyler McKenzie (WPG) (71-46-40-86-54), Kieffer Bellows (NYI) (55-40-33-73-63) and Joachim Blichfeld (SJS) (55-24-32-56-51) have all produced at a high level this season on his wings at different times of the year. Their back end boasts two elite level puck movers in Henri Jokiharju (CHI) (62-12-59-71-14) and Dennis Cholowski (DET) (68-14-52-66-32). These two help them transition the puck quickly and make their offense even more explosive.

Ty Smith of the Spokane Chiefs. Photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

Spokane looks like the banana peel that everyone treads lightly around in the first round. Elite skating and dynamic playmaking defender Ty Smith (69-14-59-73-30) has led this team offensively all season and is a lock to be the top player taken from the WHL in this year’s draft. Since the WJC Kailer Yamamoto (EDM) (40-21-43-64-18) has elevated his game and the entire team has benefited. Both Jaret Anderson-Dolan (LAK) (69-40-51-91-25) and Hudson Elynuik (CAR) (71-31-55-86-78) have been the most rewarded as they sit one and two in team goals. In addition to that, they have four other players with 20 or more goals across the team giving them balance and depth for a long series. If there was a team in the US division that could score with Portland over a seven game series it would be Spokane. While they lost the first five regular season match ups against Portland they have won the last two, both in convincing fashion, 6-3 and a 9-3 performances.

Predictions Second round and beyond:

The Western Conference is more wide open than the East where Swift Current and Moose Jaw stand out well above the rest. Everett’s total team commitment to defense has them as my favorite to come out of the West as their stingy goaltending has the potential to shut down any high scoring offense they may face. I see Kelowna handling either of Victoria or Vancouver but as long as Carter Hart is healthy they would be hard pressed to beat Everett in the Western Final.

A WHL final with Everett and Swift Current has a number of interesting storylines as both clubs have not been traditional WHL powerhouses but have recruited and drafted well over the past few years. Two of the top goalies in the WHL going head to head, a chance to test the old adage that defense wins championships, and the story book ending as Tyler Steenbergen scores the winning goal in another big Championship game would really round out what has been an excellent 2017-2018 WHL season.

Cal Foote – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING – NHL Player Profiles

SEATTLE KRAKEN EXPANSION DRAFT: Prospects to Target – Part One – Goaltenders and Defense

Daniel Vladar - Boston Bruins

Alex Nedeljkovic - Carolina Hurricanes

Michael McNiven - Montreal Canadiens

Filip Gustavsson - Ottawa Senators

Joey Daccord - Ottawa Senators

Vitek Vanecek - Washington Capitals

Connor Ingram - Nashville Predators

Josef Korenar - San Jose Sharks

Ville Husso - St. Louis Blues

Mikhail Berdin - Winnipeg Jets

Jake Bean - Carolina Hurricanes

Riley Stillman - Florida Panthers

Cale Fleury - Montreal Canadiens

Sebastian Aho - New York Islanders

Cal Foote - Tampa Bay Lightning

Josh Mahura - Anaheim Ducks

Ben Gleason - Dallas Stars

Austin Strand - Los Angeles Kings

Brogan Rafferty - Vancouver Canucks

Logan Stanley - Winnipeg Jets

Sami Niku - Winnipeg Jets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

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

Tampa Bay Lightning

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AHL 2019-20 Preview: Eastern Division

Tampa Bay Lightning 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Tampa Bay Lightning Prospect System Overview

WHL Playoff Preview: An Eastern Conference arms race and a wide open West.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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