Clarke Caswell – McKeen's Hockey

2024 NHL DRAFT: SCOUTING REPORT (With grades and video) – Clarke Caswell, C, Swift Current, WHL

Ben Misfeldt — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 19:59:01 +0000

Clarke Caswell

Position: C Shoots: L

H/W: 5-11, 176 pounds

Date of Birth: 2006-02-02

Clarke Caswell came into the WHL as a notable prospect and has continued to develop over his two seasons for the Swift Current Broncos. In his draft season, he has now amassed 69 points (21G/48A) in 62 games and is currently leading a talented Swift Current Broncos team in scoring. Typically, this type of draft season pedigree would garner a player consideration as a potential first-round talent. However, Caswell typically finds himself ranked as an early third-round prospect (#70 on our latest board) at this point in time.

For the McKeen’s Western Scouting Crew (myself, along with Derek Neumeier & Adam Tate), none of us have had a strong opinion on Caswell this season in comparison to other top forward prospects from the WHL. That is why I decided to take on the task of profiling Caswell– in order to better get a grasp on his abilities as a prospect. In addition, I wanted to take a look at his strengths and weaknesses and what his projection might look like at the NHL level. After going over many games of his games this season, there is nothing about Caswell that immediately pops off the page as a draft eligible prospect, so it makes sense that a deeper dive into his game was needed.

What I discovered is that Caswell is a flawed prospect and that his juicy production totals might be a little inflated from receiving prime opportunities on a talented team. The main deficiencies in his game revolve around his lack of pace and passive style of play. However, there are also a lot of positives that will prevent him from falling too far in the draft, most notably his ability to think the game and to create offence through his playmaking.

Moving forward, expect Caswell to become a top scorer in the WHL over his D+1 and D+2 seasons. However, the question of his NHL projectability may remain as he lacks pro-level attributes in a couple key areas. The best assessment for the upper-end of his potential is as a complementary playmaking winger who slots in on the second line while also earning PP1 time. How likely is he to reach that ceiling? That depends on what he is able to improve over the course of the next five seasons.

A third-round rating is fair and gambling in that range on his playmaking upside is worth the selection in that area. It is difficult to find non-small players who are producing that much as a 17-year-old, let alone in the third round and that is what makes him worth the risk in that range. Additionally, he has shown consistent improvement over these two years in the WHL indicating a positive trajectory that you always want to see out of draft eligible prospects.

Skating

Caswell’s skating ability, or lack thereof, is where he loses a lot of his excitement as a draft prospect. To put it frankly, he is not a good skater and does not stand out as above average at the WHL level. For NHL scouts, this is obviously a big concern and is the leading reason why he is hardly ranked above the third round anywhere in the public sphere.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1-CC-Skating.mp4

Above is a clip that demonstrates his typical skating ability– you can see he struggles to keep up with the advancing play and ends up behind the puck carrier upon the zone entry. Intuitively, the skating stride here is ugly to watch. He is very upright and has an inefficient stride, while also taking too long to recover from each stride.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-CC-Skating-and-Shot.mp4

In the clip above, you can see more problems with his skating. He is putting in a lot of effort to get moving towards the net but everyone else is coasting along at almost the same speed. It is a positive to see him work his way towards the net and end up with a quality scoring chance, but the speed and agility needs to be improved in order to succeed at the next level.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3-CC-Skating.mp4

Moving onto the third clip, you start to see how the lack of pace in his game affects his ability to be impactful. This sequence can be described as a squandered opportunity due to the lack of pace. Based on his position when his teammate is about to pass to him, he should have been able to create more separation for himself. In this instance, however, he simply skates in a straight line without any sort of dynamism or power. It appears that he doesn’t have the lower body strength to bear down and cut towards the net when these types of plays develop. He knows he is not a great skater and does not really attempt to get closer to the net, instead opting for an early telegraphed pass that ends up as a turnover. As will be covered later, his lack of physical engagement is also an area that needs improvement– perhaps the two areas are linked for him, since better skating and lower body strength would allow him to engage physically more frequently.

Combine his below average skating stride with his play style that lacks a lot of urgency and pace, Caswell shows as a player who is operating at a slower speed than most of his WHL peers. This can be detrimental and beneficial at the same time. His slow pace allows him to fully process plays without being rushed. He is able to do this with his top notch puck handling and puck protection abilities, whereas most players cannot. Overall, the most important takeaway about Caswell’s skating is his unwillingness to play at a high pace. In today’s extremely fast-paced NHL, this immediately stands out as a problem. Even when a player has an inefficient stride or some wonkiness in their skating ability, I always have a hard time harping on their skating when they are consistently playing with pace and using skating as a tool on the ice. There are many, many players who fall under this category in the NHL. Unfortunately, Caswell does not. At least not yet.

Rating: 50

Shot

As evidenced by his scoring total numbers (21 goals and 48 assists), Caswell is more of a playmaker than a shooter, and the video evidence and stats backs this up. With 139 shots on goal and 21 goals to show for it, Caswell is shooting at a rate of 15.1%, a perfectly respectable number. However, it is also noticeable that Caswell far prefers to pass rather than shoot and thus most shots usually end up being in higher danger situations because of it. That being said, it is better he is not taking away opportunities from his team by continually taking average shots on net. This ability to recognize his strengths and weaknesses is something I will discuss in the smarts section coming up.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/4-SHOT-CC-Shot.mp4

In many instances, Caswell’s shot is a weak wrister on net. The clip above is one example of where Caswell has a decent scoring opportunity but fails to produce a high quality shot. He cuts in quickly and remains in a dual threat position, but the release is very unthreatening for the goaltender and he handles it quite easily.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/5-CC-Shot.mp4

Conversely, I have also seen him show glimpses of excellent shooting ability such as in the clip above. What I really like here is not the release, which is nothing special on its own but the lead up to it. He takes it off the side boards and with superb patience waits out the defender to create an open lane.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/6-CC-Shot.mp4

Despite his shooting flaws, he often does a great job of putting himself in proper position to receive a puck and does end up with a few scoring chances here and there. As the above clip shows, when he gets himself into the right spot, he can bury it. He just needs to put himself in those positions more frequently.

Overall, improvements to his shooting arsenal and execution would do wonders for his NHL projection. One dimensional playmakers are few and far between in the NHL and you have to be exceptional in order to rely on producing offence in that way.

Rating: 50

Skills

Skilled and calm with the puck, Caswell scores favourably in this category. He is very skilled at protecting the puck and rarely has trouble when he is shifting around with defenders at his back. However, his ability to stick handle in traffic is limited and one would think this is why we often see Caswell playing a high position on the powerplay, where he can operate with plenty of time and space at his disposal. He is very effective from this position.

One positive about Caswell is that he remains conservative with his skill– you will rarely see him try to go one-one-one with defenders. This shows some maturity in his game, and as you will read in the next section, demonstrates his strong hockey IQ. He knows his limitations and is able to make the best use of his strengths. He does not have the speed and dynamic element to dangle defenders and flash high-end skill.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/7-SKILLS-CC-Skill.mp4

Here is an excellent example of the soft touch Caswell has. He gets his backhand on the puck in the perfect spot to chip it up and into the net for a goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/8-CC-Skill.mp4

Next, we see how Caswell’s puck handling can be an advantage in transition. This is key for a player like Caswell who often lacks the pace and dynamic skating ability.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/9-clarke_caswell_-_1st_period_6_35_-_6_46.mp4

Finally, we see just how dynamic Caswell can be when his skill is clicking, like in the clip above. Combine that with his vision, and you have an excellent scoring chance created here with Caswell’s two best attributes.

Rating: 55

Smarts

The smarts category is far and away where Caswell scores the highest as an NHL draft prospect and was the category I was most eager to write about after watching the tape. His bread and butter is using his brain as a tool to create offence and his intelligence is best demonstrated by his playmaking ability. His playmaking and vision is right behind Berkly Catton as the top for any player of this 2024 WHL crop but he lacks the physical tools to fully utilize it. The playmaking ability often looks so natural for him and he frequently is making difficult passes look incredibly easy. So, that is what I will focus on most in the smarts category. While his intelligence benefits his game in a variety of areas, it is the playmaking where it shows its greatest impact.

His poise when handling the puck instantly sticks out to me– even with a defender right on his back, he can calmly keep the puck out of reach and make a play. Something I noticed often about Caswell’s game is that he is great at slowing the game down when he enters the zone with a button hook. It usually results in some separation and allows him time to find an open teammate streaking into the zone at a higher speed.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/10-SMARTS-CC-Vision.mp4

Here is an example of where Caswell’s processing ability benefits his transition game. He makes a very strong read and executes perfectly on a bank pass off the boards to successfully exit the zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/11-CC-Playmaking.mp4

The clip above really demonstrates the type of playmaking Caswell is capable of and shows why he has 48 assists in 62 games this season. He does a great job of selling the shot and keeping his eyes and body language directed at the net before firing a pass to the open teammate.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/12-CC-Looking-Backdoor.mp4

Above is a more subtle example that did not work out but shows how Caswell is always using his vision to look for high danger north-south passes in the offensive zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/13-CC-Positioning.mp4

Outside of the playmaking and passing ability, there are other examples of Caswell being a generally heady player. This clip shows his ability to sneak behind defences and get open for a decent opportunity.

Rating: 60

Physicality/Compete

Caswell is not a physical player, nor does he play with exceptional urgency in his game. He is not overly strong and can sometimes have problems holding onto the puck when facing a defender. It is no surprise he much prefers to cut away from defenders and keep them at his back in order to make plays. He will participate in the forecheck but it usually involves more patience and stick work rather than using the body to win a puck battle. Caswell forechecks and goes into puck battle with a stick-first mentality.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/14-PHYSICAL-CC-Physicality.mp4

Take this play in the clip above for example. A more aggressive player would try to get to the puck first and establish body position but Caswell never really is a threat to win this puck battle with his lack of physicality.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/15-CC-Physicality.mp4

Here is another example of the unwillingness to engage physically.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/16-CC-Physicality.mp4

However, the odd time you will see Caswell go in for a hit, showing he is capable of making these plays if the desire is there. You can see an example in the clip above.

In terms of his size and strength, Caswell is listed 5’11”, 176 lbs, which is very average for a player his age. However, he plays even lighter than what he is listed at and could benefit significantly from added strength. The same thing goes for his skating mentioned earlier, where increased lower body strength would improve his balance and power.

Defensively, he is trusted with some responsibility and frequently plays penalty killing minutes for Swift Current. He is a smart player, so he knows how to use his positioning and stick to cover key passing lanes. It is in situations like these, on the penalty kill when the puck is being slowly cycled and he can remain in high coverage where he excels most defensively. However, it is in other situations where he becomes less effective on defence. When it comes to having to battle along the boards or when he ends up down low, he struggles to apply meaningful pressure or come away with the puck. In addition, his transition defence is not exactly strong.

Ultimately, Caswell can become a competent two-way winger with his intelligence and abilities with his stick. As Mark Stone has proven in the NHL, you don’t necessarily need to have strong skating ability to become an effective two-way player– you just need to be excellent at making reads and using your stick to disrupt opponents.

Rating: 50

Overall OFP: 53

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scale, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

2024 NHL DRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON TOP 100 – Celebrini sits comfortably on top – Demidov and Parekh among risers in ranking – Strong defense group defines this draft class

Brock Otten — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:58:41 +0000

It’s time to update and expand our 2024 NHL Draft rankings. Since our preliminary ranking in December, we’ve passed some major events on the scouting calendar, like the World Juniors, CHL Top Prospect’s Game, World Junior A Challenge, and the USA Hockey All American Game.

Macklin Celebrini still sits comfortably at the top of our rankings. Not only has he continued to be a difference maker for Boston University, but he was also a solid contributor at the World Juniors for an underwhelming Canadian team, an impressive feat for a double underager. In our opinion, he is unquestionably the top prospect available this year and is the one player we view as a near surefire high impact player at the NHL level.

One player moving up our ranking inside the top ten is Ivan Demidov. While ice time issues have limited his impact at the KHL level, he has been an absolute monster at the MHL level and in a draft that we feel lacks high end upside, he stands out as a potential difference maker. One player falling inside of our top ten is Cole Eiserman. While the goal scoring ability is unquestionably impressive, we’ve been left wanting more from the rest of his game and feel that his development is showing signs of plateauing.

Saginaw defenseman Zayne Parekh is another big-time mover and shaker for us as he pushes his way inside the top ten. At this point, his production and offensive upside is too vast to ignore. Yes, there are questions regarding his defensive game. Yes, there are questions about how he fits into an NHL system given Saginaw’s unique modern approach. However, the skill and sense are so high end that we believe the reward outweighs the risk.

Other movers and shakers include Jett Luchanko (40th to 18th), Alfons Freij (32nd to 21st), Harrison Brunicke (HM to 25th), and Dom Badinka (58th to 28th). Luchanko is a speedy, playmaking pivot who brings consistent effort in all three zones. As he bulks up, he should be able to become a more consistent point producer. Freij has been terrific internationally this year for the Swedish U18 team and is starting to remind us of Tom Willander in regard to his steady presence on the ice at both ends. Brunicke is a very mobile, right-handed shot defender with size who remains a work in progress. He flashes high end skill and upside in the defensive end, and we believe that he is just scratching the surface of what he is capable of. Dom Badinka has a similar profile to Freij in the sense that he has a very projectable frame and skill set. He has been steadily improving in the SHL this year with Malmo and the Czech blueliner projects as an all situations top four, right shot blueliner.

Overall, 2024 is still holding strong as a quality draft for defenders. In fact, 14 of our first round graded players are defenseman. On the other hand, the strength of this goaltending crop remains to be seen. OHL netminders Carter George and Ryerson Leenders remain our top ranked goalies and the only ones inside of our Top 70. There are others pushing up the list (like NTDP netminder Nick Kempf and WHL re-entry Lukas Matecha), but it’s not looking like the ideal year to use a high pick on a stopper.

In the coming weeks, expect to see a podcast on our new YT channel (here), where Director of Scouting, Brock Otten, Associate Director of Scouting, Derek Neumeier, and Director of Video Scouting, Josh Bell, debate the midseason list and provide some insight into why certain players are ranked where they are.

RK	Name	POS	TEAM	GP	G/GAA	A/SV%	TP	PIM	HT/WT	DOB
1	Macklin Celebrini	C	Boston University (HE)	25	22	19	41	10	6-0/190	13-Jun-06
2	Sam Dickinson	D	London (OHL)	52	14	39	53	24	6-3/195	7-Jun-06
3	Ivan Demidov	RW	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	23	20	25	45	16	5-11/170	10-Dec-05
4	Anton Silayev	D	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	57	3	8	11	8	6-7/210	11-Apr-06
5	Cayden Lindstrom	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	32	27	19	46	66	6-4/215	3-Feb-06
6	Berkly Catton	C	Spokane (WHL)	49	38	44	82	37	5-11/170	14-Jan-06
7	Artyom Levshunov	D	Michigan State (B1G)	30	8	20	28	40	6-2/200	28-Oct-05
8	Konsta Helenius	C	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	40	12	19	31	6	5-11/180	11-May-06
9	Cole Eiserman	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	37	38	22	60	28	6-0/195	29-Aug-06
10	Zayne Parekh	D	Saginaw (OHL)	49	25	49	74	40	6-0/180	15-Feb-06
11	Carter Yakemchuk	D	Calgary (WHL)	48	24	29	53	95	6-3/190	29-Sep-05
12	Tij Iginla	C	Kelowna (WHL)	48	35	28	63	25	6-0/185	1-Aug-06
13	Liam Greentree	RW	Windsor (OHL)	46	28	41	69	25	6-2/200	1-Jan-06
14	Trevor Connelly	LW	Tri-City (USHL)	34	17	31	48	40	6-1/160	28-Feb-06
15	Zeev Buium	D	Denver (NCHC)	26	7	27	34	16	6-0/185	7-Dec-05
16	Michael Brandsegg Nygard	RW	Mora (Allsvenskan)	32	6	7	13	14	6-1/195	5-Oct-05
17	Adam Jiříček	D	HC Plzen (Czechia)	19	0	1	1	2	6-2/175	28-Jun-06
18	Jett Luchanko	C	Guelph (OHL)	50	17	37	54	32	5-11/185	21-Aug-06
19	Matvei Shuravin	D	CSKA Moskva (KHL)	22	0	7	7	26	6-2/170	22-Mar-06
20	Michael Hage	C	Chicago (USHL)	37	21	23	44	35	6-1/190	14-Apr-06
21	Alfons Freij	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	33	11	15	26	12	6-1/190	12-Feb-06
22	Emil Hemming	RW	TPS (Fin-Liiga)	35	7	4	11	0	6-1/200	27-Jun-06
23	Ryder Ritchie	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	34	13	18	31	16	6-0/175	3-Aug-06
24	Sacha Boisvert	C	Muskegon (USHL)	41	27	18	45	42	6-2/180	17-Mar-06
25	Harrison Brunicke	D	Kamloops (WHL)	46	10	11	21	45	6-3/185	8-May-06
26	Andrew Basha	LW	Medicine Hat (WHL)	47	23	44	67	32	6-0/185	8-Nov-05
27	Henry Mews	D	Ottawa (OHL)	46	8	34	42	46	6-0/185	9-Mar-06
28	Dom Badinka	D	Malmo (Swe J20)	15	2	10	12	39	6-3/185	27-Nov-05
29	Beckett Sennecke	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	46	19	26	45	53	6-2/180	28-Jan-06
30	Igor Chernyshov	LW	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	18	10	14	24	8	6-2/190	30-Nov-05
31	E.J. Emery	D	USN U18 (USDP)	41	0	10	10	51	6-3/185	30-Mar-06
32	Leo Sahlin Wallenius	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	34	7	23	30	30	6-0/180	10-Apr-06
33	Dean Letourneau	C	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	14	14	11	25	6	6-7/210	21-Feb-06
34	Yegor Surin	C	Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)	37	19	27	46	104	6-1/190	1-Aug-06
35	Adam Jecho	C	Edmonton (WHL)	38	15	17	32	18	6-5/200	24-Mar-06
36	Maxim Massé	RW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	51	26	26	52	16	6-2/190	7-Apr-06
37	Lucas Pettersson	C	MoDo Hockey (Swe J20)	36	20	23	43	38	5-11/170	17-Apr-06
38	Charlie Elick	D	Brandon (WHL)	51	4	19	23	47	6-3/200	17-Jan-06
39	Raoul Boilard	C	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	52	21	31	52	32	6-2/190	7-Jan-06
40	Matvei Gridin	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	41	20	30	50	28	6-1/185	1-Mar-06
41	Nikita Artamonov	LW	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	48	7	15	22	12	5-11/185	17-Nov-05
42	Jesse Pulkkinen	D	JYP (Fin-U20)	18	11	17	28	47	6-6/215	27-Dec-04
43	Leon Muggli	D	Zug (Sui-NL)	4	0	2	2	4	6-0/165	9-Jul-06
44	Teddy Stiga	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	41	24	25	49	26	5-10/155	5-Apr-06
45	Aron Kiviharju	D	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	7	1	1	2	0	5-10/165	25-Jan-06
46	Miguel Marques	RW	Lethbridge (WHL)	50	22	37	59	47	5-11/170	8-Mar-06
47	John Mustard	C	Waterloo (USHL)	39	22	18	40	22	6-0/185	16-Aug-06
48	Lukas Fischer	D	Sarnia (OHL)	52	4	22	26	50	6-4/180	6-Sep-06
49	Simon Zether	C	Rogle (Swe J20)	17	11	16	27	25	6-3/185	18-Oct-05
50	Luke Misa	C	Mississauga (OHL)	51	21	46	67	8	5-10/175	25-Nov-05
51	Sebastian Soini	D	Ilves (Fin-U20)	8	0	0	0	8	6-2/195	10-Jun-06
52	Carson Wetsch	RW	Calgary (WHL)	49	19	20	39	53	6-2/185	4-May-06
53	Terik Parascak	RW	Prince George (WHL)	52	31	42	73	37	5-11/180	28-May-06
54	Christian Humphreys	C	USN U18 (USDP)	35	15	25	40	14	5-11/170	4-Feb-06
55	Cole Hutson	D	USN U18 (USDP)	41	11	26	37	44	5-10/160	28-Jun-06
56	Cole Beaudoin	C	Barrie (OHL)	48	23	25	48	23	6-2/200	24-Apr-06
57	Marek Vanacker	LW	Brantford (OHL)	51	27	34	61	41	6-0/165	12-Apr-06
58	Stian Solberg	D	Vålerenga (Nor)	34	3	9	12	12	6-2/200	29-Dec-06
59	Herman Traff	RW	HV71 (Swe J20)	22	11	7	18	69	6-3/195	31-Dec-05
60	Kamil Bednarik	C	USN U18 (USDP)	41	18	25	43	40	6-0/185	26-May-06
61	Tomáš Galvas	D	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	26	2	4	6	6	5-10/150	11-Feb-06
62	Carter George	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	41	3.09	0.914	-	-	6-0/160	20-May-06
63	Ryerson Leenders	G	Mississauga (OHL)	38	3.19	0.909	-	-	6-1/175	1-Jun-06
64	Tanner Howe	LW	Regina (WHL)	52	24	38	62	48	5-11/180	28-Nov-05
65	Colton Roberts	D	Vancouver (WHL)	50	7	17	24	45	6-4/195	8-Jun-06
66	Ben Danford	D	Oshawa (OHL)	51	1	30	31	21	6-0/175	6-Feb-06
67	Eriks Mateiko	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	40	19	19	38	18	6-4/210	18-Nov-05
68	Daniil Ustinkov	D	ZSC (Sui-NL)	18	0	1	1	0	6-0/200	26-Aug-06
69	Veeti Vaisanen	D	KooKoo (Fin-Liiga)	40	2	7	9	12	6-0/175	15-Feb-06
70	Clarke Caswell	C	Swift Current (WHL)	51	16	37	53	14	5-11/170	2-Feb-06
71	Jakub Fibigr	D	Mississauga (OHL)	44	6	20	26	33	6-0/170	22-Jul-06
72	Ondrej Kos	LW	KOOVEE (Fin-Liiga)	14	3	2	5	8	6-1/150	7-Mar-06
73	Sam O'Reilly	RW	London (OHL)	52	15	30	45	24	6-1/175	30-Mar-06
74	Jack Berglund	C	Färjestad BK (Swe J20)	37	14	18	32	18	6-3/210	10-Apr-06
75	Linus Eriksson	C	Djurgardens IF (Swe J20)	24	5	16	21	8	6-0/185	23-Mar-06
76	Tarin Smith	D	Everett (WHL)	54	7	30	37	45	6-1/175	24-Mar-06
77	Nick Kempf	G	USN U18 (USDP)	22	3.02	0.901			6-2/190	1-Mar-06
78	Melvin Fernstrom	RW	Örebro HK (Swe J20)	38	26	28	54	26	6-1/185	28-Feb-06
79	Alexander Zetterberg	C	Örebro HK J20	35	19	27	46	10	5-9/160	27-Apr-06
80	Spencer Gill	D	Rimouski (QMJHL)	50	9	23	32	50	6-3/180	17-Aug-06
81	Kevin He	LW	Niagara (OHL)	51	26	18	44	47	5-11/185	30-Apr-06
82	Aatos Koivu	C	TPS (Fin-U20)	23	15	14	29	28	6-0/165	22-Jun-06
83	Will Skahan	D	USN U18 (USDP)	40	2	7	9	63	6-4/210	14-May-06
84	Justin Poirier	RW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	52	40	20	60	58	5-8/185	4-Sep-06
85	Maxmilian Curran	C	Tri-City (WHL)	40	5	27	32	25	6-3/190	27-Aug-06
86	Tory Pitner	D	Youngstown (USHL)	33	7	14	21	34	6-1/185	6-Mar-06
87	Lukas Matecha	G	Tri-City (WHL)	29	3.14	0.910			6-3/195	21-Mar-05
88	Brodie Ziemer	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	41	20	22	42	14	5-10/190	22-Feb-06
89	Niilopekka Muhonen	D	KalPa (Fin U20)	25	4	6	10		6-4/185	28-Feb-06
90	Anthony Romani	D	North Bay (OHL)	51	44	40	84	16	6-0/180	12-Jul-05
91	Julius Miettinen	RW	Everett (WHL)	53	22	24	46	30	6-3/205	20-Jan-06
92	Luca Marrelli	D	Oshawa (OHL)	50	2	38	40	14	6-1/185	4-Oct-05
93	Filip Sitar	C	Malmo (Swe J20)	33	12	31	43	10	5-11/175	29-Jun-05
94	Noel Fransen	D	Färjestad BK (Swe J20)	36	17	21	38	16	6-0/185	7-Dec-05
95	William Zellers	LW	Shattuck St. Marys (USHS-Prep)	43	41	43	84	20	5-10/165	4-Apr-06
96	Gabriel Eliasson	D	HV71 J20	27	0	3	3	81	6-6/205	9-Sep-06
97	Kim Saarinen	G	HPK (Fin-U20)	22	2.34	0.918			6-4/180	22-Jul-06
98	Max Vilen	D	Malmo (Swe J20)	39	1	12	13	8	6-2/200	29-Jun-06
99	Gabriel Frasca	C	Kingston (OHL)	26	9	9	18	10	6-0/170	18-Feb-06
100	Harrison Meneghin	G	Lethbridge (WHL)	41	2.46	0.922			6-3/165	13-Sep-06
HM	Tanner Adams	RW	Providence (NCAA)	27	5	12	17	2	5-11/185	2-Sep
HM	Alexandre Blais	C	Rimouski (QMJHL)	53	18	48	66	30	5-10/155	14-Nov-05
HM	Viggo Gustavsson	D	HV71 (Swe J20)	33	1	10	11	38	6-2/195	11-Sep-06
HM	Andrei Krutov	LW	Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)	35	15	24	39	10	5-11/175	25-Apr-06
HM	Darels Uljanskis	D	AIK (Swe J20)	35	7	16	23	14	6-1/185	25-Aug-06
HM	Pavel Moysevich	G	SKA St. Petersburg (VHL)	19	2.31	0.927			6-5/175	29-Sep-04
HM	Ondrej Becher	C	Prince George (WHL)	42	19	40	59	32	6-1/175	22-Feb-04
HM	Veit Oswald	RW	EHC Munchen (DEL)	32	8	4	12	0	6-1/165	31-Aug-04
HM	Nathan Villeneuve	C	Sudbury (OHL)	47	18	21	39	52	6-0/185	13-Apr-06
HM	Petr Sikora	C	HC Ocelari Trinec (Cze U20)	27	12	21	33	26	5-11/170	2-Jan-06
HM	Oskar Vuollet	C	Skelleftea AIK (Swe J20)	32	17	24	41	6	5-10/170	3-Dec-05
HM	Kenta Isogai	F	Wenatchee (WHL)	49	25	48	73	22	5-11/155	28-Aug-04
HM	Marcus Kearsey	D	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	51	5	32	37	14	5-11/170	17-03-06
HM	Nate Misskey	D	Victoria (WHL	40	6	26	32	52	6-3/210	1-Dec-05
HM	Thomas Desruisseaux	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	52	10	34	44	16	5-11/160	10-Mar-06
HM	Jonathan Morello	C	St. Michaels (OJHL)	44	23	27	50	20	6-1/175	31-Jul-06
HM	Kieron Walton	LW	Sudbury (OHL)	47	15	19	34	12	6-5/205	22-Apr-06
HM	Adam Kleber	D	Lincoln (USHL)	33	5	13	18	20	6-5/205	24-Mar-06
HM	Riley Patterson	C	Barrie (OHL)	49	18	27	45	4	6-0/175	22-Mar-06
HM	Eemil Vinni	G	JoKP (Fin-Liiga)	27	2.5	0.9	-	-	6-2/285	18-Dec-06

PROSPECTS: BELL – 20 Prospect Points – Gauthier, Firkus, Connelly, Hage and More

Josh Bell — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 13:54:58 +0000

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 06: Boston College Eagles forward Cutter Gauthier (19) skates with the puck during a Dunkin' Beanpot semifinal game between the Boston College Eagles and the Harvard Crimson on February 6, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)

Welcome to 20 Prospect Points, a bi-weekly column where I dive into the trending prospects - drafted and draft-eligible - from around the globe.

This edition dives into the biggest news in the prospect world as of late, Cutter Gauthier’s trade to the Anaheim Ducks, as well as the return of Canadians from the World Juniors, some standout netminders in the AHL, the impressive rise of Trevor Connelly, and much more.

Drafted Prospects

#1 Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the biggest recent prospect news is Cutter Gauthier being traded to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Reports have revealed that he didn’t want to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers, sparking the move. Gauthier joins a very exciting, young group in California with Trevor Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintuykov. The future is looking extremely bright.

#2 Drafted 19th overall back in 2016 by the New York Islanders, it’s been a long, tough road for Kieffer Bellows. But could he finally be putting it all together? He joined the Toronto Marlies on a PTO and impressed with 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) in 26 games. Now, he’s signed to an AHL deal with the team. Could the NHL be next? This is very much a story to keep an eye on.

#3 It seems that Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus took exception to not making the Team Canada World Juniors roster right out of the gate (he was added for two games filling in for injury). Back in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, he’s been absolutely on fire, with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in just four games. He’s up to 75 points (!) in 36 games with no signs of slowing down.

#4 Another Warrior and Team Canada returnee, Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Matt Savoie returned to the WHL to make his debut for Moose Jaw. You could say it went well, with Savoie racking up five points (two goals, three assists) after only collecting one assist throughout the World Juniors. Savoie is playing at a 2.42 point-per-game pace this season through just 12 games.

#5 Some disappointing news for Halifax Mooseheads superstar and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais, who will be out for some extended time due to requiring double hip surgery and a sports hernia repair. It’s expected that he’ll miss about six weeks, which could put him back on the ice at the end of the regular season.

#6 Alright, one more Team Canada returnee to talk about - Oliver Bonk. It seems to be a pattern that some of these Canadians have returned to their regular teams with a chip on their shoulder after failing to medal at the World Juniors. The Flyers prospect has returned to the OHL’s London Knights and has been on absolute fire. The defender has put up 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in just five games back - his most productive stretch this season. Keep an eye on him moving forward.

#7 Once thought to be in the conversion for the top pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, the Winnipeg Jets’ called Brad Lambert’s name 30th overall. Making the jump to the AHL this season - the Jets absolutely made the right call and potentially got a steal in the young Finn. Lambert was named to the AHL All-Star Classic to represent the Manitoba Moose, after collecting 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) in 29 games. He may have slid down the draft board, but Lambert is proving to be the skilled player that many thought he could be.

#8 On to the goalies! One of the best goaltending prospects in the world, Nashville Predators’ prospect Yaroslav Askarov has been tremendous in the AHL for the Milwaukee Admirals, earning a call-up to the Preds where he was perfect in relief for 16:40 and then started a game, earning his first NHL win thanks to a .923 save percentage. It seems to have boosted his confidence in returning to the Admirals, where he’s won four straight including three shutouts. Get ready Preds’ fans - he’s coming.

#9 Speaking of excellent goaltending prospects, Minnesota Wild rearguard Jesper Wallstedt earned his first call-up and start in the NHL, granted he let in seven goals in a 7-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. He’s had a tough stretch in the AHL lately, but he still has impressive numbers through 20 games with a .917 save percentage. It won’t be long before he gets the promotion again.

#10 Askarov, Wallstedt… Damian Clara? The Italian netminder and Anaheim Ducks prospect has been tremendous in his first full season in the HockeyAllsvenskan for Brynas IF, going 15-3-0 and sporting a .907 save percentage. The 19-year-old is on a seven-game winning streak, including one shutout. The goaltender is an under-the-radar prospect despite being drafted 60th overall. Keep an eye on him.

Draft-Eligible Prospects

#11 One of the hottest draft-eligible prospects out there right now, Trevor Connelly seemingly can’t be stopped. After helping Team USA to a World Junior A Challenge bronze medal last month (and being named to the All-Star Team thanks to his 11 points in six games), he’s returned to the USHL’s Tri-City Storm on fire with nine points (three goals, six assists) in five games. He’s a player on the rise at the mid-point of the year.

#12 Speaking of prospects that are exploding right now, Zayne Parekh may need a permanent place on this list. The OHL’s Saginaw Spirit defender is seemingly unstoppable right now, on pace for the second-best OHL season for a draft-year eligible prospect all time. At this point, he’s a must-watch prospect and is almost sure to stand out in every game.

#13 Over in the WHL, a prospect that hasn’t been earning the discussion that he perhaps deserves, Clarke Caswell has been commanding attention as of late with points in nine of his last 10 games and is up to 47 points (12 goals, 35 assists) in 41 points. If you’re looking for prospects to watch in the back half of the season, be sure to check out Caswell.

#14 While he started off fairly slow (due to limited minutes in the KHL), Ivan Demidov is very much here. Now playing consistent minutes in the MHL with SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, he’s producing at an impressive rate. He has 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) in his last nine games, playing over two points per game. Crazy what can happen if a player actually plays!

#15 Ondrej Becher was a standout performer at the World Juniors for Team Czechia, en route to a bronze medal for his team. He was instrumental in that bronze medal game, putting up five points (three goals, two assists) in the exciting final game. This should come as no surprise though given his season with the Prince George Cougars, as the Czech prospect has been excellent with 48 points (17 goals, 31 assists) in 32 games.

#16 Another WHL prospect who has been excellent this season is Medicine Hat Tigers’ Cayden Lindstrom. Unfortunately, he’ll be on the sideline for four to six weeks following surgery for an upper-body injury. Lindstrom has 46 points (27 goals, 19 assists) in 32 games and should be back to the WHL playoffs and potentially the World Under 18 Championships. Don’t expect his draft stock to be hit because of this.

#17 Konsta Helenius didn’t have a great World Juniors tournament production-wise with just two points through seven games, but he’s now back in the Liiga with Jukurit and back to putting up the points with two assists in two games (ok, the two assists came in one game). While he wasn’t a standout at the World Juniors, his draft stock remains high and being the youngest player on Team Finland, the tournament shouldn’t impact his ranking.

#18 Another prospect that should have a regular spot on this list, Macklin Celebrini has returned to Boston University on a mission with four points through his two games back. He was arguably Canada’s top forward at the World Juniors, with eight points in five games, and has continued that production back in the NCAA. His No. 1 overall ranking remains extremely firm.

#19 Michael Hage is a prospect that is very much under the radar in this draft class. The 17-year-old is currently leading the USHL’s Chicago Steel in points with 31 (14 goals, 17 assists) in 28 games and was strong in the All-American Game. He’s a player who’s on the cusp of the first round in many public rankings but should be a solid first-rounder by the time the draft rolls around.

#20 We’re looking way out with this one. Gavin McKenna, eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft and the cousin of Connor Bedard, is absolutely dominating the WHL as a 16-year-old. His 1.40 points-per-game ranks sixth all-time for a U17 player in the league, with half of the season still to go. He’s up to 49 points (16 goals, 33 assists) in 35 games and shows no signs of slowing down. It’s a long road to the 2026 NHL Draft, but it’s worth starting to follow the path of this young player.