Cole Fonstad – McKeen's Hockey

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

Vince Gibbons — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 22:00:28 +0000

One of the joys of junior hockey is that the age limitations force roster turnover of top teams in 3-4-year cycles creating a new league every couple of seasons. This ensures that no team stays at the top of the league for too long. The class of the league last season was the Prince Albert Raiders. Wire to wire the top team in the WHL with three lines of scoring, three defenders with over 40 points each, and an NHL-drafted goalie prospect in Ian Scott, they ticked all the boxes of a team that was able to dominate the league.

This year they will be without three graduated top overage forwards in Dante Hannoun, Noah Gregor, and Sean Montgomery, who combined for an impressive 101 goals. Top scorer from last year Brett Leason is still in pro camp and could play in the AHL this season if he continues to show well. If he does that is another 36 goals no longer with the roster. Does this leave the door open to another team in the WHL to dominate the 2019-2020 regular season? Does Prince Albert have the staying power to remain at the top? These articles will try to answer those questions months in advance. (Teams are listed in their projected divisional rankings). Today we look at the Eastern Conference. The Western Conference article will be published tomorrow.

Peyton Krebs. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1^st)

No team has had more season-over-season change than Winnipeg. Formerly based in Kootenay, the roster looks substantially different with a plethora of scoring options up front, something they have struggled mightily with the past few seasons. The import draft provided the ICE two gifted forwards in Michal Teply (Chicago, 4^th 2019) and Nino Kinder (undrafted). Both have been impact players in the early part of the season at well over one point per game. Peyton Krebs (Vegas, 1^st 2019) will be playing with some talent this year when he returns from his off season injury and will get a chance to showcase his playmaking skills on a team with finishers on both wings. Connor McClennon is their top prospect for this year’s draft; the smallish winger is like a waterbug out on the ice with some high end offensive skills. Perhaps the most interesting player on the roster though, is 2004 born Matthew Savoie who was not granted exceptional status for this season. Rumors of him sticking with the team all season anyway are out there so it will be fascinating to watch this all unfold, regardless. There is a ton of scoring talent in Winnipeg to potentially pace them to the top of the division.

Saskatoon Blades (2^nd)

The Blades roster lost Max Gerlach’s 42 goals but for the most part remains intact up front. Kirby Dach (Chicago, 1^st 2019) remains in camp and will likely get a few games in the NHL but should return to Saskatoon, where he will lead a very strong group. Eric Florchuk (Washington 7^th 2018) and Chase Wouters will have to provide more offense especially while Dach is still in the NHL. Kyle Crnkovic had a very solid draft minus one season and look for him to produce a lot of offense on the wing of one of the top two lines. Despite his size, he could force his way into a middle round pick in the upcoming draft. The final difference maker on this roster is between the pipes, where undrafted Nolan Maier has shown the pedigree to be a top goaltender in the WHL. Last season his .910 save percentage was in the top half of the league and with the relative stability of the defensive corps, he will look to build on that.

Prince Albert Raiders (3^rd)

Despite the loss of talent already mentioned this team still boasts a strong roster. Returning import player Aliaksei Protas (Washington, 3^th 2019) has hit the ground running with five points in his first three games this season. Playing with Cole Fonstad (Montreal, 5^th, 2019) expect for Protas to have productive minutes and improve on last season’s totals. Both players will be counted on to be primary producers this year rather than the secondary roles they had previously. Two draft eligible players of note on the roster are winger Ozzy Wiesblatt, who has good speed and vision, and Kaiden Guhle, a solid two way defender. This year they should be on both special teams units because of their high hockey IQ and solid passing skills. Recently acquired Boston Bilous was brought in to stabilize the net with Ian Scott having a shot at a pro hockey this year. These players make this roster dangerous and a tough out on any given night.

Brandon Wheat Kings (4^th)

Just missing the playoffs last season, Brandon has plenty of young talent looking to take a step forward. Led by Luka Burzan (Colorado, 6^th 2019) and his impressive 40 goals last season, this team is flush with ’02 born talented players. Ty Thorpe, Nolan Ritchie, Ridly Greig and Riley Ginnel plus late ’01 birthday Jonny Hooker have all shown flashes of being quality forwards. On the back end they have one of the WHL’s top draft eligible defenders in Braden Schneider who logs a lot of minutes. In goal, they have used an overage and an import spot for Jiri Patera (Vegas, 6^th 2017) to protect the blue paint which enables them to compete every night.

Moose Jaw Warriors (5^th)

The offseason trade of Jett Woo coupled with the graduations of Justin Almeida and Josh Brook has left Moose Jaw at the start of a rebuild. Brayden Tracey has looked the part in Ducks camp, exceeding expectations, but should be back in Moose Jaw soon enough. He is the last remaining part of a lethal power play unit from last season and will be expected to continue producing despite recent graduates. In terms of this year’s NHL draft, Daemon Hunt looks to be the top prospect on the Warriors. They also have an impact players for further down the road with Ryder Korczak a late ’02 and ’03 birth year Eric Alarie who have been torching the league in preseason and are both ready to contribute regularly.

Regina Pats (6^th)

The Regina Pats are going through what most host cities of the Memorial Cup go through. After trading away futures to ensure a strong showing, the cupboard looks a little barren with no Bantam first round picks on their roster, save overager Dawson Holt. Austin Pratt, who led the team in scoring last season, returns as a 20 year old and should be a point per game player this year. He is an intriguing player that never took off the way it was expected when he came up from Minnesota. He has a huge frame and good skating but has never been consistent enough to take over a game and garner much pro hype. With the roster in Regina he should get every opportunity to be successful.

Dylan Cozens. Photo by Erica Perreaux - Lethbridge Hurricanes

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1^st)

The Hitmen possess a roster with some serious depth at every position. The acquisition of Jett Woo in the offseason makes their defense corps one of the best in the WHL. Yegor Zamula (Philadelphia, UDFA 2018) Luke Prokop, Dakota Krebs, and Jackson van de Leest can all play a tough physical brand of hockey and play the game with a real edge. At forward they have a top list of options led by overage player Mark Kastelic (Ottawa 5^th, 2019). He has great size and plays a heavy game. Fellow overager James Malm has shown good offensive skills despite being a little undersized. With drafted centerman Riley Stotts (Toronto, 3^rd 2018) and Carson Focht (Vancouver, 5^th 2019) also capable of filling the net they have as well balanced a team as anyone. Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Adam Kydd have some offensive tools and both could hear their names called on draft day in 2020.

Edmonton Oil Kings (2^nd)

Despite being without the services of Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus, 7^th 2018), one of the more dynamic offensive weapons in the WHL the past few seasons, Edmonton looks the part of a playoff team. Matthew Robertson (NY Rangers, 2^nd 2019) leads a strong, experienced blue line. Up front they boast six bantam draft former first round picks in Dylan Guether, Liam Keeler, Quinn Benjafield, Jake Neighbours, Brendan Semchuk, and Josh Williams. With Neighbours being one of the top draft eligible players in the WHL this year, he will be a large part of the offense as Edmonton battles for tops in the division. Relying on experience in overage goalie Dylan Myskiw and 2000 born Todd Scott to hold down the crease, Edmonton looks capable of pushing for top spot in the East this season.

Medicine Hat Tigers (3^rd)

Medicine Hat will be led by a couple of Danish born players (checks notes again), yes two Danish players. Jonathan Brinkman and Mads Sogaard (Ottawa, 2^nd 2019) both hail from Aalborg, Denmark. Sogaard was a revelation last season starting in both the WJC and Top Prospects Game and having a huge role in Medicine Hat sticking with Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs. Brinkman is looking to make his mark in the WHL after going undrafted last season. The Tigers also possess a team with lots of experience with James Hamblin, Bryan Lockner, Brett Kemp, and Ryan Chyzowski all in as undrafted 19 and 20 year olds. Eric Van Impe leads the team defensively and plays a nice brand of physical hockey coupled with some pretty good offensive upside which should get plenty of looks from NHL scouts this year.

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4^th)

Any team with a player as dynamic as Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, 1^st 2019) has the ability to win on any given night. This year he will do it on his own back as there as Lethbridge’s depth took a serious hit in the offseason. Likely graduated players Jordan Bellerive (Pittsburgh, UDFA 2018), Jake Elmer (NY Rangers, UDFA 2019), Nick Henry (Colorado, 4^th 2017) and Jake Leschyshyn (Vegas, 2^nd 2017) will create opportunities for younger players like Logan Barlage and recently acquired Dino Kambeitz. Calen Addison (Pittsburgh, 2^nd 2018) is still there to quarterback the powerplay and has shown he can produce as well as any forward in the WHL. The crease is a platoon style early as both guys have started a couple of games and shown well. If the goaltending is good enough they will be a playoff team in the East, however they will be in tough competing with the depth of some other teams.

Red Deer Rebels (5^th)

Last season was disappointing in Red Deer despite the Rebels making the playoffs. This year with the youth the team is ‘blooding’ expectations are pretty low. There is no dynamic scorer in any of their overage players and Brett Davies (Dallas, 6^th 2017) has been underwhelming since coming over in trade last season. It will be scoring by committee if they have any success this year. The likes of Josh Tarzwell, Cameron Hausinger, and Chris Douglas will have to up their games as none have had a 20 goal season in a Rebels’ uniform. There is reason for optimism though, particularly along the blue line, as Red Deer sports a number of young up and coming defenders. Led by Dawson Barteaux (Dallas, 6^th 2018) and draft eligible Christoffer Sedoff on the top pairing, and youngsters Blake Gustafson, Mason Ward, and Joel Sexsmith will also garner scouts attention as the season goes on. With two solid WHL goalies on the roster, both Byron Fancy and Ethan Anders are capable of carrying a young team into the season with the stability they provide in the crease. The playoffs would be a stretch for them this year, especially with the strength of the Eastern Division likely competing for both Wild Card spots.

Swift Current Broncos (6^th)

Swift Current is just two seasons removed from a Memorial Cup and have a roster that lacks experience going into this season. The highlight of their roster is a pair of draft eligible Finnish players, winger Joona Kiviniemi who returned after leading the team in goals last season, and looks to improve on his 16 goals from a season ago, and Kasper Puutio who the was the first overall pick in the latest CHL Import Draft. Pro scouts will be following the progression of these two in the North American game and they should keep fans interested as the season moves along. Ben King has also shown flashes of potential as a power forward but has not been able to put it together night in and night out as of yet. Expect another long season out in Speedy Creek.

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

Kevin Olexson — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:12:54 +0000

After another exciting season in the Dub it took one final game to finalize this year’s playoffs. The Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers finish the season tied forcing a one-game playoff, the seventh in WHL history, to move on and play the Victoria Royals.

The Blazers made up a seven-point deficit in the last week and a half of the season, going 5-0-1 to tie Kelowna and earn a home tie-breaker game. They came in riding some momentum and sported a 6-3-1 record against the visiting Rockets this season. The Blazers were led by 16-year-old rookie goaltender Dylan Garand, who put aside 27 out of 28 shots, and forwards Connor Zary, Zane Franklin, Brody Stuart, and Captain Jermaine Loewen to earn their biggest win of the season. Next year’s Memorial Cup hosts have some work to do, as this is only the second time in the Rockets tenure that they have missed the playoffs.

The Prince Albert Raiders were far and away the top team in the Dub this year finishing with a 54-10-2-2 record for a league leading 112 points. The Vancouver Giants finished with the second-best record after going on a real tear in the last quarter of the season, as they surpassed the Everett Silvertips for the best record out of the BC and US divisions erasing a 16-point deficit. The Edmonton Oil Kings finished the season as the hottest team down the stretch winning their last 10 games to edge out the Lethbridge Hurricanes by two points for the division title.

As the quest to represent the WHL in this year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup begins, the Eastern Conference matchups look like this:

Eastern Conference

Brett Leason. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL.

The top seeded Prince Albert Raiders open their playoff series against the Red Deer Rebels boasting the best overall record, and head in to the postseason with a 7-2-1 record, where the Rebels stumbled in with a 4-5-1 record down the stretch finishing with 33 wins and 72 points. These teams played four times this season, with the Raiders taking three of the four games, losing only their first meeting of the season in Red Deer. All four games were decided by one goal, including a 2-1 shootout win by the Raiders in their most recent game played in Prince Albert.

The Raiders led the league in goals scored and finished the season with the second-best goals against. They are loaded up front with Brett Leason (36-53-89), San Jose prospect Noah Gregor (43-45-88), Montreal prospect Cole Fonstad (29-44-73), Ottawa prospect Kelly Parker (35-32-67), and Dante Hounen (29-38-67) who was acquired from the Victoria Royals and put up 31 points in 28 games with the Raiders.

The Rebels are led by Buffalo pick Brandon Hagel (41-61-102), Reece Johnson (27-26-53), and a couple of acquisitions in Cameron Hausinger (21-33-54) who put 37 points in 40 games, and Dallas pick Brett Davis (20-30-50) who produced 31 points in 41 games. On the back end, the Raiders are more than solid with Brayden Pachal (15-36-51) with 51 sporting an amazing +76, his partner Zach Hayes (3-24-27) with an equally impressive +71, Sergei Sapego (10-33-43) with a +42, and Max Martin (6-35-41) showing a +45. They have Washington Capitals 2018 first round selection Alexei Alexeyev with 43 points in 49 games, who is dealing with something but should be available, and Dawson Barteaux (7-27-34) to work their blue line.

In goal, Ian Scott has had a stellar season for the Raiders, going 38-8-1-2 with a 1.83 GAA, and a save percentage of 0.932 posting eight shutouts. The Rebels are back stopped by Ethan Anders 28-22-4-1 with a 3.09 GAA and a save percentage of 0.907 and two shutouts.

The Raiders seem to have the edge in most of the categories, but every game has been extremely close, and Red Deer was a top team last year, and anything can happen in the playoffs.

Pick - Raiders in 5

Kirby Dach

The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are set to meet as the second and third seeds in the East. The Blades have dominated the Warriors this year going 5-1 against them, including a 5-3 win near the end of the season. These are two good teams meeting, with lots of talent and players to watch.

At forward the Blades are led by top prospect Kirby Dach (25-48-73) who is slated to be a top five pick in this year’s draft, Max Gerlach (42-32-74), Washington prospect Eric Florchuk (21-29-50), and acquisitions Ryan Hughes (30-39-69) who had 29 points in 25 games, and Gary Haden (31-35-66) who scored 62 points in 55 games. The Warriors are led by line mates Tristan Langan (53-60-113) who topped 50 goals and sports a +43, and Justin Almeida (33-78-111), finishing second and third respectively in league scoring. Rookie Brayden Tracey scored 36 goals and put up 81 points in his first season with the Warriors.

On defense, both clubs have some nice features, as the Blades boast Dawson Davidson (13-62-75) and Nolan Kneen (6-39-45) with 25 points in 33 games since being acquired. One of the Warriors strengths is in their D-line, with Montreal prospect Josh Brook who scored 75 points in only 59 games, and Vancouver Canucks draftee Jet Woo (12-54-66).

In goal, Nolan Maier (36-10-6) backstops the Blades with a 2.64 GAA, a 0.910 save percentage, and four shutouts. The Warriors have used more of a committee approach as goalies Adam Evanoff (19-10-2-1) with a 2.62 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage, and Brodan Salmond (21-10-4-1) with a 2.73 GAA and 0.906 save percentage have shared the crease duties all season.

This should be a very good series to watch, and these teams are similar and should put forth an entertaining series. The Blades have dominated the regular season series, and have been the better club, and are headed in to the playoffs on an 8-2 run, but the Warriors enter on a three-game winning streak and will give them trouble, and make them earn it.

Pick - Blades in 6

Matthew Roberston, Edmonton Oil Kings

The central division winning Edmonton Oil Kings will host the Medicine Hat Tigers in the next matchup, and really seem to have the edge after going 5-0-1 against the Tigers this year, although all the games were relatively close except for one game which was a 5-0 final.

The Oil Kings Trey Fix-Wolansky (37-65-102), a Columbus Blue Jackets pick has led the charge all season and is definitely a player to watch. He is supported by Vince Loschiavo (37-25-62), Quinn Benjafield (15-39-54), and then 2019 draft prospects in Josh Williams, Vladimir Alistrov, and Jake Neighbours who will carry the load. The Tigers will rely on James Hamblin (33-44-77), Ryan Jevne (32-36-68), former Edmonton player Brett Kemp (33-27-60) who scored 21 points in 24 games for MH, and Ryan Chyzowski (27-28-55) to provide the scoring.

The Oil Kings defence is led by Conner McDonald (19-31-50), and Matthew Robertson (7-26-33) who is eligible for this year’s draft. The Tigers defence is led by Florida Panthers pick Linus Nassen (7-39-46) who will log a lot of minutes in this one. In goal, the Oil Kings have Dylan Miskew (28-11-2-3) between the pipes, who finished the season strong with his 2.53 GAA and 0.914 save percentage. He will battle the Tigers rookie Mads Sogard (19-8-2-2) with a 2.64 GAA and a 0.921 save percentage.

Even with the Oil Kings dominance throughout the regular season against the Tigers, it has been a close series and pretty equally matched. The Oil Kings ride an 11-game winning streak into the playoffs and look they have gotten hot at the right time. I like the forward depth for the Tigers and the defensive edge for the Oil Kings, and with two strong goaltenders this should be a close series. I feel it has upset potential, and despite the regular season series results, I think that Sogard can make a big difference and possibly steal this one.

Pick - Tigers in 7

Dylan Cozens

The last of the Eastern series is a central division matchup, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes playing the Calgary Hitmen. Once again, the Hurricanes dominated the season series by a 5-1 mark and scored handily as they averaged six goals a game in the series. Lethbridge has an abundance of offence, with five players who scored over 80 points, and will be a handful for the Hitmen.

The Hurricanes acquired forward Nick Henry (29-65-94) from Regina earlier this season, and the Colorado Avalanche prospect rolled on to lead the club in scoring as he put up 54 points in 44 games. Alongside of Henry, the Hurricanes also acquired Jake Leschyshyn of the Golden Knights (40-41-81) from the Pats, and he stepped in nicely as he had 49 points in 44 games. Top prospect Dylan Cozens (34-50-84), who is expected to go very early in this year’s draft, and Hurricanes Captain and Pittsburgh Penguins property Jordy Bellerive (33-50-83) filled the net regularly against the Hitmen, as Cozens had nine points in six games, and Bellerive had 13 in six. Joining them is Jake Elmer (39-42-81), who also had a very nice season and was able to knock 10 points in 6 games against the Hitmen.

As for Calgary, they have some offence as well, with line mates Mark Kastelic (47-30-77) and James Malm (34-43-77) leading the way. Malm, acquired from the Vancouver Giants put up a point a game against Lethbridge, while Kastelic scored nine points. They will be joined by Carson Focht (26-38-64), Kaden Elder (27-33-60) who was picked up from last year’s WHL champion Swift Current Broncos, Riley Stotts (19-38-57) , and Jake Kryski (19-27-46) to try keep pace with the Hurricanes.

On defense, the Hurricanes are led by Cale Addison (11-54-65), the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect will play a major role in this series and should have a good showing. He will be joined by hulking Ukranian defender Igor Merezheko (4-31-35) who will be responsible to shut down the Hitmen forwards. For Calgary, Russian defenseman Yegor Zamula (10-46-56), who was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers, and Belarussian Vladislav Yereomenko (7-26-33) will work with Dakota Krebs (4-21-25), as they have their work cut out to try and keep the Hurricanes forwards at bay, and hopefully keep the scoring to a minimum.

This will be an even more interesting series in the net, as both teams have rookie goaltenders that will duel against one another. Both goalies have been rather impressive thus far. Carl Tetachuk of Lethbridge put up a record of 24-9-1-1, with a GAA of 2.88 and a save percentage of 0.909 and two shutouts. His counterpart in Calgary, Jack McNaughton, went 25-14-3, with a GAA of 3.25 and a save percentage of 0.888, while posting two shutouts.

The Hurricanes finished the season going 9-1 down the stretch, while Calgary comes in with a 6-4 record to finish. The strong offence and forward depth of the Hurricanes should propel them to win the series, but the real story will be which 17-year-old goaltender will outplay the other, and even though McNaughton has played well down the stretch, his numbers against Lethbridge have not been good, going 1-2 against them, with a GAA of 5.16 and a save percentage of 0.838.

If the Hitmen can keep it close, and their special teams play, which was much better than the Hurricanes this year, seem to click, then they could make a good series out of this. The Hurricanes do have the experience after losing the Eastern Conference Championship two years in a row and should be extra motivated to get going for another chance.

Pick - Hurricanes in 6

LINK TO WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW HERE

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

Kevin Olexson — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:22:04 +0000

Another exciting season is underway in the WHL, and 2018-19 should be a good one. The 2017-18 season ended with the WHL’s Regina Pats hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup, in which they were defeated 3-0 by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the final. This season, the Kelowna Rockets have been awarded the 2020 Memorial Cup, and as the host team, trying to retool and rebuild in transition, they have a bit of work to do before then.

The WHL had some great players move on, including prolific scorers, dynamic defenders, and some top goaltenders. Now the next draft class of players is developing into prominent roles with their respective clubs, and will see more of the spotlight and new opportunities as we head towards the 2019 draft in Vancouver.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks.

The WHL was dominated primarily by the US and Eastern Division, but there will be a change in the power and balance with all of the player turnover. The US division has established itself as the strongest division over the past few years and there is no reason to think that this season will be any different. It is likely that this division will boast five playoff teams as well. Along with the three seeded division teams, two other teams will battle for the conference wild card spots. The Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs should battle for the top spot in the division. The Hawks look poised to take the division, under the leadership of the Vegas Golden Knights first franchise pick Cody Glass, who will challenge for the WHL scoring title this season and be one of the best players to take the ice in the league. The Hawks lost two top defenders in Dennis Cholowski (Detroit) and Henri Jokiharju (Chicago), as well as forwards Skyler McKenzie (Winnipeg) and Kiefer Bellows (NYI). They have a solid supporting cast, and overage forward Joakim Blichfeld (SJ) and defender Brendan DeJong (Car) will flourish this season. They also boast two top draft prospects in defenders --Clay Hanus and John Ludvig who should produce on the back end.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan, photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

The Chiefs are set to push for the division title with plenty of offense even after losing Edmonton prospect and team leader Kailer Yamamoto, and graduate Hudson Elynuik (Toronto Marlies). They will be led by LA Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan (who will surely be one to watch after he returns from the NHL), Sharks prospect Jake McGrew, a nice complement of 19-year-old players, and New Jersey Devils first round selection Ty Smith who will step up his game. This season the Chiefs will also show off prospect Luke Toporowski, who will contribute with a larger role for the club.

The Seattle Thunderbirds, Tri-City Americans, and Everett Silvertips will follow up jockeying for position. The T-Birds are building and are looking to improve after a big changeover in players. The load will be shouldered by Nolan Volcan and Zach Andrusiak, who will play as 20-year- olds this season and lead the team offensively. Jared Tyszka (Montreal) will lead the blue line, and help draft eligible prospect Jake Lee. Secondary scoring will come from Noah Philp, Matthew Wedman and eligible prospect Dillon Hamaliuk. Tri-City will be anxious to get back prospects Michael Rasmussen (Detroit), and defensemen Juuso Valimaki (Calgary), but it may take some time, if they return at all. Aside from that they will have a solid set of forwards led by Kyle Olson (Anaheim), Nolan Yaremko, and top draft eligible prospect Sasha Mutala. The defence is young and could be shaky, meaning that the offence and goaltending will both have to be better. The Everett Silvertips have had the biggest turnover, losing scoring leaders Patrick Bajkov (Florida) and Matt Fonteyne, as well as elite goaltender Carter Hart (Philadelphia). They will get back forwards Riley Sutter (Washington) and Connor Dewar (Minnesota) to lead the attack. Goaltender Dustin Wolf is a top prospect and played admirably behind Hart last season. He will have his chance to be in the spotlight and shine this year. Wyatte Wylie (Philadelphia) will lead the blueliners the depth of which is a strength of this team.

Milos Roman. Photo by Chris Relke/Vancouver Giants

The B.C. division took a step back, as the powerhouse teams have slipped. Now the Vancouver Giants seemed poised to sit atop the division along with the Victoria Royals. The Giants lost forwards Tyler Benson (Edmonton) and Ty Ronning (NYR), but have a great follow up with James Malm, Brayden Watts, and prospect Milos Roman (Calgary) to lead their offence. The Giants also have a great stable of defensemen, including Alex Kannok-Leipert (Washington), Dylan Plouffe, and a definite 2019 first round selection in Bowen Byram. The goaltending is also sound with the tandem of Arizona Coyotes pick David Tendeck and highly touted prospect Trent Miner who has put up great numbers with his play between the pipes.

The Victoria Royals will also challenge for the division title, as they have a good nucleus of players, solid goaltending, and great coaching. They lost a lot of firepower in Tyler Soy (San Diego Gulls) and Matthew Phillips (Calgary), but will be led by Dante Hannoun, Dino Kambeitz, and Kaid Oliver. The back end is good with Scott Walford (Montreal), Lane Zablocki (Detroit), and Ralph Jarrett. The Royals will be backstopped by one of the top goaltenders in the league in Griffin Outhouse who will help them with their push for another division title.

Kyle Topping of the Kelowna Rockets. Photo by Marissa Baecker/Kelowna Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers, and Prince George Cougars round out the division, as they will jockey for the third spot and possibly a wild card. The Rockets, after winning the bid to host the 2020 Memorial Cup will have to step things up, as this season looks a bit rough for them. They lost a good portion of their team, and top players Cal Foote (TBL), Dillon Dube (Calgary), Kole Lind (Vancouver), Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia), have graduated and the team is in transition. They do however show five top rated prospects this season including Kyle Topping, who surprisingly went unselected in last year’s draft and will lead the team offensively this season. Top prospect and projected first rounder Nolan Foote will bear a larger role and be relied on to provide some much needed offence along with Leif Mattson. The Rockets are known for turning out defensemen, and they have top rated prospects in Kaden Korczak and Lassi Thomson in the works. In goal they have Roman Basran, another top prospect who pitched a shutout in his first ever WHL game, and will share backstop duties with James Porter.

The Kamloops Blazers are looking to take a step up after going through many changes last season. The Blazers seem like they are in rebuild mode, but they will be led by Jermaine Loewen returning from the Dallas Stars. The Blazers have some young players on their roster, and the back end will be anchored by Nolan Kneen, who should be in store for a big year. The Blazers could very well surprise a lot of teams, especially if returning goaltender Dylan Ferguson (Vegas) can put up solid numbers as he should be busy. The Cougars are also in the midst of a rebuild, as they unloaded many of their assets to finish at the bottom of the division. They have a young team without any returning NHL draftees on it, but will be led by defenders Joel Lakusta, Ryan Schoettler, Rhett Rhinehart, and forwards Ethan Browne and import Vladislav Mikhalchuk. They have a top rated goalie prospect in Taylor Gauthier between the pipes, and he looks to face a lot of shots behind a weak defence.

The battle of the Central Division should come down to the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers, followed by the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings, leaving the Kootenay Ice and Calgary Hitmen battling for the wildcard positions.

Calen Addison. Photo by Robert Murray.

The Hurricanes seemed primed and ready, as they welcome back their leaders from other camps and tryouts. The offence will certainly be dynamic with Jordy Bellerive (Pittsburgh) returning, and prospect Dylan Cozens - who will definitely be an early first round pick in next year’s draft - leading the charge as they both push for the WHL scoring title as well. The secondary scoring will be in the hands of eligible prospect Logan Barlage, Taylor Ross, and Kelti Jeri-Leon. On the back end, Calen Addison (Pittsburgh) returns to beef up this blue line and contribute from the point. The goaltending looks solid with Reece Klassen, who should have a good nucleus of defence in front of him to help him put up good numbers. Medicine Hat should also be able to keep up with Lethbridge on the offensive side of things, as they also have some firepower up front. Ryan Chyzowski and Josh Williams are one of the top tandems in the league, and Williams is a likely first round selection in the upcoming draft. Captain James Hamblin will also provide some scoring punch, as they also show a very balanced group of forwards.

The Tigers lost offensive defensemen David Queneville (NYI), meaning defenders Linus Nassen (Florida) and Dylan Macpherson will have to step into bigger roles to help fill that void. The goaltending will be fine with Jordan Hollett (Ottawa) stopping pucks on the back end, but the defence is young. The Rebels also have some nice players returning, and coach Brett Sutter will be happy with Brandon Hagel and Jeff DeWit coming back to lead the forward group. The Rebels also welcome back Alexander Alexeyev (Washington) and Dawson Barteaux (Dallas) to the group, as they should both have very productive seasons. The Rebels have two players of note for draft hounds with import center Oleg Zaytsev and goaltender Ethan Anders, who should both improve this season with expanded roles.

The Edmonton Oil Kings have also been in a rebuild mode, and are looking to take the next step of their transition. They have a young team who will be led by Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus), along with veterans Quinn Benjafield and Vince Loschiavo to play along side of draft eligible prospects David Kope, Vladimir Alistrov, and Brett Kemp. On defence, a top prospect and projected first round selection Matthew Robertson leads the blue line with fellow draft-eligibles Jacson Alexander and Conner McDonald. The Oil Kings also have some young goaltenders in their net, and could help this team move up the ranks with some solid play.

Riley Stotts. Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen.

Calgary will have forwards Jake Kryski and Riley Stotts (Toronto) back, along with defenseman Vladislav Yeryomenko (Nashville) who will all take larger roles and provide leadership for their maturing team. The Hitmen have a hulking defender on the radar as Jackson Van De Leest is a top draft-eligible prospect. The Kootenay Ice have been developing and rebuilding for a few years now, and they are showing a lot of youth, and a top end talent in Peyton Krebs (yet another definite first round selection). He will be joined by Brett Davis (Dallas) to lead the charge for the young ICE team. They will rely on Jonathan Smart to anchor and lead their group of defensemen as this team looks to improve and make a surge for a playoff spot.

The Eastern Division standings will look different. This division has been hit the hardest as the top teams from last season have had major overhauls, and return depleted rosters. After being defeated in the Memorial Cup Final, the Pats have lost forwards Sam Steel (Anaheim), Cameron Hebig (Edmonton), and Matt Bradley from their impressive lineup of scorers. They will be led this year by Jake Leshyshyn (Vegas), Nick Henry (Colorado), Austin Pratt, and eligible prospect Koby Morrisseau to carry the load. On defence, losing Josh Mahura (Anaheim), Cale Fleury (Montreal), and Libor Hajek (TBL) opens the door for Aaron Hyman to take a leadership role, and allow eligible prospects Nikita Sedov and Jonas Harkins to play larger parts and flourish on an experienced team. In goal, they have Max Paddock, who should get some consideration, as he backstopped the Pats to the Memorial Cup final as a rookie netminder and looked good in the process.

Cole Fonstad

It looks like the Prince Albert Raiders are ready to take a major leap and push for the division crown. The Raiders are loaded up front with players to watch in Cole Fonstad (Montreal), Noah Gregor (SJ), undrafted Brett Leason, and returnee Kody McDonald leading the way. They have an experienced blue line with Sergei Sapego, Max Martin, and Brayden Pachal ready to deliver in larger roles. Goaltender Ian Scott (Toronto) is ready to be one of the top tenders in the DUB this season and lead this team. They will battle with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Saskatoon Blades for the division crown in what should be an exciting division to follow. The Wheat Kings will also boast a stellar offence and solid goaltending. With last seasons leading scorer Ty Lewis (Colorado) eligible to return, which would add even more scoring punch to this already impressive lineup of forwards.

Ty Smith

Stelio Mattheos (Carolina), Connor Gutenberg, Cole Reinhart, and draft eligible Luka Burzan will lead the charge for the Wheat Kings. The defence will be led by Schael Higson and Chase Hartje, with youngsters Braden Schneider and Jonny Lambos getting increased minutes. Las Vegas prospect Jiri Patera will handle duties in net, and looks to be very solid for the Wheaties, which will also help push them to the top of the division. The Saskatoon Blades have also made enormous strides this year, and will take a step up as well. They have some great prospects on the roster that will make their way to the draft this spring. They also have a forward group that can fill the nets with Max Gerlach, Eric Florchuk, and Josh Paterson returning to support Kirby Dach. Dach will be a prolific scorer and early first round pick at the draft. He will be joined by import defensemen and fellow top prospect Emil Malysjev who will settle in to a prominent role by playing with the likes of Dawson Davidson and Jackson Caller. The Blades also feature a top goaltending tandem with top prospect Nolan Maier who will carry the load this season after a stellar rookie season, and Dorrin Luding, who has looked very impressive in his appearances.

Jett Woo

The Moose Jaw Warriors will find themselves in the mix as well with Justin Almeida (Pittsburgh) back in the fold, and leading the way as one of the top players in the Dub. Almeida will take the reigns of the offence after the loss of Jayden Halbgewachs (SJ), Brayden Burke (Arizona), and Brett Howden (NYR). He will be joined by Ryan Peckford, who looked promising last year despite being passed over in the draft. He will look to make amends for that with a good showing this year with an increased role on this club. He will be joined with fellow prospect Brayden Tracey and veteran forward Tristan Langan. The back end will miss top defender Kale Clague (LAK), but will be in good shape with a strong core as Josh Brook (Montreal) and Jett Woo (Vancouver) are back there. In net, the Warriors have Adam Evanoff who was great in a limited role in his rookie season, and will get to display his skills this year in a main role. He will share time with ex-Kelowna Rocket Broden Salmond who will add some experience.

Last but not least, last seasons WHL Champion Swift Current Broncos will be hit the hardest of all teams. They have lost most of their scoring, and are in a definite rebuilding mode. Gone are the likes of Glen Gawdin (Calgary), Aleksi Heponiemi (Florida), Giorgio Estephan (Buffalo), Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn (Washington), and their leader in Tyler Steenbergen (Arizona). The defence was also depleted by losing Colby Sissons (NJ), and surprisingly undrafted Artyom Minulin (who will miss lots of time with offseason surgery). This team will be led by Max Patterson, Alec Zawatsky, and defender Connor Horning. The Broncos are young, and will be in development mode for the next few seasons. Goaltender Joel Hofer (St. Louis) is the only player that has NHL labelling, and will be extremely busy throughout the year and will face a whole lot rubber. He will have to hone his skills and stop a lot of pucks, but is unlikely to steal many games for this team.

Montreal Canadiens Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 18:12:12 +0000

If you have been reading my work for any length of time, whether here at McKeen's, or previously with Hockey Prospectus, you will know that one of my common refrains when it comes to the draft, right after “don’t draft goalies in the first round”, is to not draft for positional need.

Between trades, free agency, and the non-linear development paths taken by the vast majority of prospects, it is impossible to say what your NHL team will need once the players drafted today are ready for the NHL.

As only three to six players in any given draft class are ready to move directly to the NHL, it is beyond folly to presume what your weaknesses will be once they are ready. Include in the facts that most prospects never make it at all and that even the good ones generally need two or three more years of development after being drafted to have a handle on how they are trending, and the concept of drafting for need looks more and more ridiculous.

So here come the Montreal Canadiens, sour at having missed the postseason for the second time in three years, a feat of ignominy the franchise has not seen since the 2001-2003 stretch. Beyond the injuries to Carey Price (yes, he was taken with a high first round pick, and on balance, he has worked out), which prevented them from stopping goals, the team and the local media had long been harping on their lack of centers, both high end and depth, and their lack of size.

Thanks to their favorable results in the NHL Draft Lottery, the team was slated to draft third overall this past June. Everyone who had ever laced up skates knew that Rasmus Dahlin would go first overall, while everyone who had held a hockey stick in anger had pegged big Russian winger Andrei Svechnikov to go second. Pundits and other know-it-alls figured that Czech winger Filip Zadina would be the third pick, with a reasonable chance that the newest Tkachuk, Brady, could slip into the bronze spot.

Then again, rumors leading into the draft had connected Montreal with big Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who had impressed playing as a 17 year old in Liiga and then dominated at the WU18s, a talented player without doubt, albeit one with flaws. Canadiens’ brass was known to be enamored with the player who provided a solution to both of the club’s clearest weaknesses.

On the other hand, they also seemed to acknowledge that Kotkaniemi was not the best player likely to be available at third overall, as other whispers had them trying to trade down, hoping to gauge how low they could go with their favorite draft eligible player still on the board. I guess they never got a satisfactory answer, as we all know by know that the Habs kept the pick and drafted Kotkaniemi, who was signed to an ELC less than two weeks later.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi meets a need on the current Montreal roster. He is also talented enough, and physically mature enough, to have a strong case to spend the entire 2018-19 season in the NHL, likely in a third line role at least to start. By the time he hits his peak, however, the Canadiens will have different needs, and they may see other centers emerge that would make Kotkaniemi, if not superfluous, at least lead to questions about what if they had taken Zadina, or Tkachuk, or whoever is behind door #3.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi

1 Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C (3^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Between his excellent hands, fantastic ability to protect the puck and advanced hockey sense, the Canadiens see their presumptive fist line center for the foreseeable future. If they are right, he will quiet all doubts about their selection of the big Finn with the third overall pick. The other side of the coin is the unmitigated concern about his lack of foot speed. While his first few steps are powerful, his top speed is around average. As the game gets faster and faster, that deficiency could bite into his overall effectiveness. OK speed can be mitigated if all of a player’s other attributes are high end, and, to his credit, Kotkaniemi is close in that regard. He performed exceptionally against men in Liiga and was dominant for Finland at the WU18s. He is an accomplished penalty killer and has a plus physical frame and game. If the sating issue gets in his way, there is still no reason why he could not end up a very good second line center.

2 Ryan Poehling, C (25^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1^st) As a freshman, Poehling’s lack of offensive impact for St. Cloud State could be brushed away by his youth, as he was one of the youngest players in NCAA at the time. That was no longer the case as a sophomore, but he didn’t need any excuses anyway, as he was one of the offensive drivers for one of the best programs in the country. He is a very strong skater, with hands that can keep up with his feet for quickness. His two-way game was already advanced when he was drafted and has continued to impress as he can play a shutdown game in his own zone. His offensive game is not dynamic, but strong enough to be a factor and earn some power play time going forward. He projects as a middle six center on a very good team.

3 Nikita Scherbak, RW (26^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 4^th) In his third AHL season, Nikita Scherbak, Montreal’s forgotten first rounder from 2014, took a few significant steps forward in his game, proving for once and for all, that he has nothing left to gain in the minor leagues. The question remains how much he can produce in the NHL and how soon he can do it. He has good size and skates well. He has a strong shot and his puck skills show high level top end in the AHL, although he has not been as assertive in the NHL. He also plays a smart, composed game, which suggests that he will step up if given consistent ice time at the top level. Scherbak won’t be gifted a roster spot, but he has the tools to stick if he shows enough in camp.

4 Jake Evans, C (207^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 8^th) In Notre Dame’s long history on ice, the have appeared in the Frozen Four four times. The last two of those have come in Evans’ junior and senior seasons. He ends his collegiate career ranked third in scoring since the turn of the century. He will never be a dynamic skater, but has improved his pace significantly during his collegiate career. Good edgework helps his skating play up. The strength of his game is as a playmaker. The puck has a way of finding his stick and he has a way of setting up linemates with prime scoring chances with pinpoint accuracy. He has great anticipation, indicative of his ability to read what opponents are trying to do in all three zones. Almost without fail, he then makes it more difficult for them to execute. Evans might have to spend some time in Laval first, especially depending on his recovery from an offseason hernia surgery, but he has top six upside.

Jesse Ylonen

5 Jesse Ylonen, RW (35^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) With a late 1999 birthdate, Ylonen’s chance to shine internationally was in the 2017 WU18 tournament. And he shone, with nine points in seven games on the way to a Silver Medal for Finland. Born in Arizona when father Juha was playing with the Coyotes, the young Jesse spent is first season playing against men last year, and was one of the only teenagers to accomplish anything at all in Mestis, Finland’s second league. A dynamic, smooth skater with magnificent puck skills, work well together to make him a constant threat when his team is on the offensive attack. One of his bigger development sin the last 12 months has been his willingness to play in a team structure and utilize his linemates more in the attack. He still has a ways to go physically, and will be moving on up to play in Liiga, with Pelicans, as his next stop.

6 Jacob Olofsson, C (56^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) All the steak, half the sizzle. Olofsson is a mature young center drafted as part of Montreal’s concerted effort to beef up the system down the middle. A solid skater who plays with an impressive motor, he lacks dynamic puck skills, but is able to protect it from the sticks of defenders as he drives the net. Like Ylonen in Finland, Olofsson produced at a fine level in Sweden’s second division, the Allsvenskan before showing well at the WU18s. He features a tricky release on his wrist shot that allows him to generate scoring chances from the rush. As with most 17 year-olds playing senior hockey, one of his most impressive traits is his hockey sense. He reads the game very well and sticks to the team structure, with generally proper positioning in the defensive zone. With his team being promoted to the SHL, he is ready for a new challenge against better competition.

7 Noah Juulsen, D (26^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 2^nd) If only due to the 23 games he played at the NHL level last year, Juulsen is the most likely player from this list to graduate from consideration in the 2018-19 season. In his first professional season, he did not show any dynamic traits of the type that made him a first rounder and reliable source of offense from the blueline in his time n the WHL, but he was a steady presence on otherwise poor rosters in both Laval and Montreal. Juulsen is a strong skater, who has improved markedly in his game away from the puck since his draft year to the point that he could comfortably be used in defensive situations in the NHL. He still needs to fill out his frame, but he leans on his checks effectively. At this point, expectations for an offensive weapon from the blueline are diminished, but he should still be serviceable as a fourth or fifth defender.

8 Cale Fleury, D (87^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 14^th) As many had anticipated in his draft year, Fleury’s skills were being muted by playing for a bottom-feeding Kootenay club. The Ice traded their captain to Regine around mis-season and, with skilled forwards to get the puck to, his assist rate soared. He can survey the ice very well from the point, and is able to execute on passes of surprising difficulty. Fleury also has a mature frame and plays with an impressive amount of bite. He has above average mobility and it is fair to say that his horrid +/- numbers with Kootenay were more on the team than him, as that number went heavily the other way after the trade. Of the four blueliners selected by Montreal in the middle rounds in 2017, Fleury has the greatest likelihood of growing into more than a third pairing contributor.

9 Cayden Primeau, G (199^th overall, 2017. Last Year: not ranked) A goaltending project when drafted towards the end of the 2017 draft, Primeau had struggled to keep the starting job with Lincoln of the USHL, but raised eyebrows with a stellar performance at the World Junior A’s. He won a lot of believers when he stole the starting job with Hockey East side Northeastern from incumbent Ryan Ruck and proceeded to post the fourth best save percentage in the nation among starters. He stands out for his athleticism and composure and flashes high end potential in his ability to stick with the shooter. He likes to play the puck. One element he needs to show improvement in is tracking when the play is behind his net, to avoid needlessly opening up holes.

Joni Ikonen

10 Joni Ikonen, C/RW (58^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 7^th) A Finnish player drafted out of the Swedish leagues, Ikonen returned to his native land last year and finished sixth in Liiga among all U19 players. He also played a strong role for Finland at the WJC. Unfortunately, it seems highly unlikely that he will return to the WJC this year, as a knee injury suffered in a team-related practice session after the conclusion of the season is expected to keep him out of commission until December. Ikonen’s game is predicated on slipperiness with the puck on his stick, and a commitment to stay with the play across all three zones. He is strong for his size and respected for his speed, which tracks to an above average level, presuming the trait returns with health.

11 Josh Brook, D (56^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 6^th) It can be difficult to judge players on powerhouse teams, and their own contributions can be subsumed by those of their teammates. That said, it certainly does look like Brook took a step forward in his development last season, playing a smart, two-way game with a physical yet disciplined edge. He also continued to make the case that he is a very good puck distributor. After all, who is to say that Moose Jaw would have scored that much if Brook was not so adept at getting the puck to his teammates. Between his offensive production and the facets of his game that stand out well, the reason he is not ranked higher is that his mobility is middling on a good day. There is still the sense that his foot speed can be exploited at higher levels unless he adds some quickness.

12 Allan McShane, C (97^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) One of several smaller centers selected by Montreal in the 2018 draft after taking their big center at the top, McShane lacks much I the way of physical tools, but more than makes up for it with high end playmaking and a gift for processing the game. He is a sluggish skater, lacking in his first few steps and not able to get to a promising top speed. That said, his is fairy agile and has a knack for sidestepping past defenders who don’t see it coming. While not a big shooter, he does like his wrap-around attempts, and generates a good number of rebounds that way. Thanks to his understanding of game play situations, he can be used in a variety of roles. He does need to gain another half step, but his vision and style lend themselves to maintain value further up the developmental ladder.

13 Cam Hillis, C (66^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Somewhat of a late bloomer, the undersized Hillis waited until he was 17 to debut in the OHL and came in swinging, with nearly one point per game in his rookie year at the level. Between his production and his superb skating, making him a threat in one-on-one situations, he earned the attention of Team Canada, eventually suiting up for his homeland at the WU18. He is also committed to the team structure in his own zone and is an impressive playmaker. He can try to overextend himself with the puck, leading to too many turnovers. If he learns to play more within himself, including the recognition of the limitations of his stature, he could be a decent middle six forward, with the ability to contribute on special teams.

14 William Bitten, C (70^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 11^th) Although Bitten never produced the offensive numbers in the OHL that his skillset suggested he could, he has continued to improve year-over-year and he moves to the professional game as a promising two-way threat. The son of two badminton Olympians, flashes very high end abilities with the puck and skates at an above average level. Just as often as he impresses with the puck, his game away from the puck is consistently worthy of acclaim. There is an open question whether a player with his clear size deficit can establish himself in an energy role as a pro, but with a little more assertiveness on offense, Bitten can open up a selection of paths to the NHL.

Cole Fonstad

15 Cole Fonstad, C/LW (128^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Skilled without being dynamic, Fonstad earned a spot on Canada’s WU18 roster thanks to a very good season with a middling Prince Albert team which he helped return to the playoffs. A fine skater with elusive puck skills and a promising two way game, his main drawback is his complete lack of size and strength. He forechecks strong and generally plays with admirable hustle, there is reasonable doubt that his style of play will be possible at higher levels. With much of the Prince Albert roster having turned over, Fonstad will be relied upon to fill a more leadership role with the Raiders this year. It will be interesting to note how, if at all, that impacts his game.

16 Scott Walford, D (68^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 15^th) Although injuries may have played a role – he missed both rounds of Victoria’s postseason run – it is fair to call Scott Walford’s first post-draft season a disappointment. He is a smooth skater who shows a keen understanding for the nuances of the game and is reliable away from the puck. He can make the basic passes and plays with the puck, but he is not a primary puck carrier or a genuine weapon from the blueline. He has decent size and while not a physical force, is not a pushover either. In sum, Walford is a quiet, competent blueliner who could probably play at the next level, but has yet to really show why he should play over other similarly skilled players.

17 Alexander Romanov, D (38^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) In a draft full of surprise picks, perhaps no pick was as out of left field as Montreal selecting Romanov early in the second round. An undersized defenseman from the Russian junior leagues, those who like him see a teenager who is fleet of foot, who keeps a tight gap when facing a zone entry against, and packs a nice slap shot from the point. They even see a player who punches above his weight class in terms of the physical game. The difference between those who like and those who don’t is not that substantial, but to prove a point about why his selection was surprising, all of those tools mentioned above, instead of being somewhat impressive, are somewhat meh. Like Kotkaniemi, his WU18 tournament helped his draft stock, but unlike Kotkaniemi, his pre-tournament performance was not really notable at all.

18 Charlie Lindgren, G (UDFA: Mar. 30, 2016. Last Year: 17^th) With superstar Carey Price on the roster, for now and evermore, the Canadiens have de-emphasized the drafting of netminders over the past few years. In fact, since the Price pick, they have only taken five goalies in 13 draft classes. To keep padded people between the pipes at the lower levels, the organization has taken to signing free talent at the position. Lindgren has been the best such free agent find. Signed out of St. Cloud State in 2016, he has worked his way into NHL appearances in each season since, including 14 games while Price was out last season. He is highly competitive and athletic with a strong puck handling game for a netminder. On the down side, he is a bit too prone to the juicy rebound to be more than a solid backup. If Antti Niemi’s bubble bursts again, he is primed to be the permanent backup in the NHL.

19 Matthew Peca, C (UFA: Jul. 1, 2018. Last Year: not ranked [Tampa Bay]) A clever playmaker who was too small even for Tampa, Peca, a former seventh round pick, was signed as a free agent with Montreal this offseason after appearing in 20 games total for the Lightning over the past two seasons. He is a skilled offense creator, playing with pace and getting his linemates into nice scoring chances. While those traits have not yet come to fruition in the NHL, the Habs have given him a two year contract and seem committed to giving Peca his chance in the sun. He has the speed and skillset that could make him a useful bottom six forward given limited and protected minutes, but the investment in him was not so great as to prevent the team from cutting bait if he can’t manage to produce points.

20 Lukas Vejdemo, C (87^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 18^th) A tremendous skater, Vejdemo rebounded from a down year in 2016-17 to post his best season yet in the SHL, convincing both the Canadiens and himself that it was time to come play in North America. Outside of his skating, the rest of his tools grade out around average, but the left handed center gets around fast enough to perhaps help those attributes play up. He has good size too, which would probably be of use to him in the AHL, especially considering the lack thereof of some of his probable future teammates. By this point, it is unlikely that he can grow into anything above a decent fourth liner, but considering the weakness of Laval last year, he should have plenty of chances to try to prove us wrong.

2018 NHL Draft Review: Atlantic Division

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 12:35:46 +0000

The draft is over and 217 young players are newly affiliated with 31 different NHL organizations. Outside of three to six of those players, who could jump right into NHL lineups in the fall, we will not know whether the vast majority of those players are draft successes for two, three, four, or five years.

The lack of clear foresight aside, we should still be able to judge draft classes at least in terms of expected value. In some cases, we can look at strategy as well, although the way the board shakes out based on the picks that came before, we can rarely truly discern what a club was trying to do, but only what they were able to do.

I had hoped that we would be able to provide an average Overall Future Projection of the various draft classes, but there are a few picks from the high school ranks, the NAHL and a few European junior leagues for whom we lack enough information to give a full grade, so we will focus on where we had players ranked as we assess the draft haul of each team, as we run division-by-division through the NHL.

Here is the Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins
2 (57) Axel Andersson, D, Djurgarden J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 88th
3 (77) Jakub Lauko, C/LW, Pirati Chomutov (Czech) - ranked 83rd
4 (119) Curtis Hall, C Youngstown (USHL) - ranked 158th
6 (181) Dustin McFaul, D, Pickering (OJHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
7 (212) Pavel Shen, C, Mamonty Yugry (MHL) - ranked Honorable Mention

While the Boston Bruins 2018 draft class will not go down in infamy like their 2015 first round which saw them draft Jakub Zboril, Jake DeBrusk, and Zach Senyshyn with consecutive picks, leaving players like Mathew Barzal and Kyle Connor on the board for others, that is only because the Bruins only had five picks all told this year, and none in the first round. In other words, if none of these five guys pan out, don’t expect to hear/read too much bad press about it. Now, I am not saying that none of these guys will pan out, but even if they do, none will have top half of roster roles. Second rounder Axel Andersson is mostly a stay-at-home type. He positions himself well and can kickstart the transition with smart and precise passes. A solid asset, but a #4 at best. The Bruins have already signed him to an ELC, but have seemingly loaned him back to Djurgarden for another year.

Third rounder Jakub Lauko turned some heads with an energetic performance for the Czechs at the WJC, and was productive for his country at the WU18, but was a bit player for most of the year among men in the Czech ExtraLiga. He is a fine skater and plays bigger than his measurables, at least when playing against peers. If he can continue to play a strong forechecking game and grow his offense just a touch, he could be a good fourth line fit. Fourth rounder Curtis Hall has a similar projection, but as a more natural center. Hall is big, can skate, and seems to understand the game, but his hands are very stiff. There are enough parts that he could find a niche role killing penalties and playing 7-9 minutes of 5-on-5 per game, but his offensive upside is pretty minimal. As he is heading to Yale, it is probably four years until the Bruins have to make a decision on him.

Sixth rounder Dustyn McFaul is more of a project, having performed admirably in his first year in the OJHL with Pickering. He has solid puck skills for a blueliner and no obvious glaring holes in his game. He might spend a season in the USHL before going to Clarkson. Finally, the Bruins picked up Russian forward Pavel Shen in his second year of draft eligibility with one of the last selections of the draft. He has been just shy of one point per game in the past two season in the MHL, Russia’s top junior level, although was ineffective in his first taste of the KHL last year. He has some playmaking skills, but needs to prove himself at higher levels first. With a system as stacked as the Bruins’ is, they can stomach a low upside draft haul such as this. Not too many of those, but one won’t hurt them too badly.

OFP - 52

Buffalo Sabres
1 (1) Rasmus Dahlin, D, Frolunda (SHL) - ranked 1st
2 (32) Mattias Samuelsson, D, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 39th
4 (94) Matej Pekar, C/RW, Muskegon (USHL) - ranked 106th
4 (117) Linus Lindstrand Kronholm, D, Malmo J20 (SuperElit) - unranked
5 (125) Miska Kukkonen, D, Ilves U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - unranked
7 (187) William Worge Kreu, D, Linkoping J20 (SuperElit) - unranked

The Buffalo Sabres won the draft well before the teams congregated in Dallas. They won it when the bouncing balls came up in their favor. By winning the lottery, they got to draft a defenseman in Rasmus Dahlin who is not only a future star in the mold of a Drew Doughty, who is not only ready to play a critical role right now, but who also happens to fit a need on this team that would not otherwise be filled. Dahlin will be among the favorites to win the Calder Trophy this year, and among the favorites to win many Norris Trophies down the line. Defensemen who can skate and stickhandle like Dahlin are few and far between. Those who also have high end hockey IQ are basically unicorns.

With the first pick of day two, the Sabres drafted another NHL defender in Mattias Samuelsson, son of Kjell and a monster on the ice. While he will never be fleet of foot, Samuelsson moves well enough for his size, and uses his size very effectively, whether to box out opponents, or to scare the hell out of them in the corners. He is not offensively gifted, but can add enough to the attack to not be a pure stay-at-home type. He is heading to Western Michigan, but I would expect his stay on campus to max out at two years. After sitting out the third round, the Sabres kicked off the fourth with Muskegon center Matej Pekar a Czech native who has been playing in the US since he was 15. Pekar is a versatile forward – which is good as he was the forward chosen by Buffalo in the draft this year – who skates well and creates nicely for others. He is heading to Miami (Ohio) this season.

With their last three picks, the Sabres went off the board to pick up three projectable young Scandinavian defenders who have mostly snuck under the radar due to injury and/or lack of international experience. Fourth rounder Linus Lindstrand Kronholm impresses with his hockey IQ, but does not for any physical attributes. He skates well enough and holds his own in the corners, but lack of skill with the puck gives him a low ceiling. Finnish defender Miska Kukkonen was limited to 12 games this year due to injury, but also has solid hockey sense and plays a simple, yet effective game with the puck. William Worge Kreu similarly lacks much in the way of hockey skills, but understands the game well enough and is a gigantic physical presence. He is taller, yet much, much slighter (6-6”, 172) than Mattias Samuelsson. Between Lindstrand Kronholm, Kukkonen, and Worge Kreu, the Sabres would be lucky to get one player who gets 200 games in the NHL in a third pairing role. Even if all three meet expectations though, none projects above that level, so there would be some redundancy. Then again, Rasmus Dahlin, so who cares what else happens, right?

OFP – 54

Detroit Red Wings
1 (6) Filip Zadina, LW, Halifax (QMJHL) - ranked 3rd
1 (30) Joe Veleno, C, Drummondville (QMJHL) - ranked 10th
2 (33) Jonatan Berggren, LW/RW, Skelleftea J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 28th
2 (36) Jared McIsaac, D, Halifax (QMJHL) - ranked 24th
3 (67) Alec Regula, D, London (OHL) - ranked 102nd
3 (81) Seth Barton, D, Trail (BCHL) - ranked 147th
3 (84) Jesper Eliasson, G, Troja-Ljungby J20 (J20 Elit)
4 (98) Ryan O'Reilly, C/RW, Madison (USHL) - ranked 84th
6 (160) Victor Brattstrom, G, Timra (Allsvenskan)
7 (191) Otto Kivenmaki, C, Assat U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - ranked 211th

For many years, the Red Wings were known for having a Midas touch with the draft, regularly picking gems in the late round that grew up to be pivotal players on Stanley Cup championship teams. Think Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, and more. And then the Wings fell into a stretch where they seemingly believed that they were magical and anyone they drafted would turn up a winner. They were wrong. In the last 12 years, they have only drafted three players in the fifth round or later who have racked up 100 NHL games: Petr Mrazek, Nick Jensen and Alexei Marchenko. While it is too early to judge their last three draft classes, the other years in this time span seem very unlikely to add to that total. I can’t promise that either of the Wings’ last two picks here will break that trend, but I would be very surprised if this group as a whole does not have at least five players eclipsing 200 NHL games when all is said and done.

Common thought had the Red Wings focusing on Quinn Hughes with their first pick, a very talented blueliner who played under Detroit head coach Jeff Blashill at the World Championships prior to the draft. But when high scoring winger Filip Zadina was passed over by the Canadiens, Senators and Coyotes, the Red Wings did not hesitate to add a potential 35 goal winger. He grades out as high end for his skating, shooting (near elite there), puck skills, and hockey IQ. He is no shrinking violet, either, always up to battle for loose pucks and giving as good as he gets. Zadina is likely ready to play in the NHL this year, although he may get some brief interludes in the AHL first. He has clear star potential. It’s hard to get value in the top six, but the Wings did it. And then they did it again with their second first rounder, acquired from Vegas in the Tomas Tatar trade. Joe Veleno, the first and thus far the only player granted exceptional player status in the QMJHL was widely thought of as a mid-first round caliber player. Even more inexplicably then Zadina falling to #6, Veleno was still on the board at #30. The Red Wings were there to ensure that he would not fall to #31. A gifted skater with strong playmaking skills and high hockey IQ, he will be competing for a middle six within 12 months. Two first round picks, two speedy players with a knack for generating offense. Why not add a third? With the second pick of the second round, the Red Wings gobbled up Jonatan Berggren, a late riser up draft boards thanks to his electric wheels and goal scoring exploits in the SuperElit, but mostly due to a scintillating performance at the WU18s, as he put up five goals and 10 points in 7 games. He needs to bulk up and gain more experience playing against men, but his upside is clear top six.

Finally ready to draft a blueliner, the Red Wings once again struck gold, grabbing Zadina’s teammate with the Mooseheads, Jared McIsaac, once thought of as a sure-fire first rounder. Like the forwards taken, McIsaac is a very strong skater and all of his other attributes also project as above average. He can sometimes blend in, but he plays a strong 200 foot game and projects as high as a number three defender. Finally, the Red Wings were done taking top half of the lineup players, but they were not taken picking up talented players. With their first of three third rounders, they took another blueliner in Alec Regula, who helped the Chicago Steel win a USHL title in 2016-17, and moved to the OHL for his draft year, earning a regular role with the London Knights. He lacks a single stand-out trait, but does everything at a solid level, playing a quiet, poised game.

Finally, with the second of three third rounders, the Red Wings took a flier on a prospect, in the form of Seth Barton, a puck moving defender from Trail in the BCHL, in his second year of draft eligibility. He was easy to ignore in his first go-round, as he was still playing in Major Midget in BC. His instincts need to be honed, but there are some raw tools here in the UMass-Lowell commit. Detroit gambled again with their final third rounder, taking goaltender Jesper Eliasson, who was player in a second tier U18 league in Sweden. That league can be hard to scout due to the generally lower level of competition, but he has ideal size, and seems to read the play at an above average level.

The Red Wings found fantastic value again in the fourth round, with Ryan O’Reilly, a true Texan who showed high end goal scoring ability with Madison of the USHL. He is a strong skater with an NHL shot, but needs to smooth out the rougher spots in his game, such as eliminating the brain freezes that prevent him from fully earning the trust of his coaches. From a player in his first year out of Tier 1 hockey in Dallas, he was come a very long way and it looks like there is plenty more to come. The Wings added another goalie in the sixth, also the sixth netminder added to the organization in the last 24 months in fourth time eligible Swedish pro Victor Brattstrom. A towering figure in the crease, Brattstrom was near unbeatable in his first extended action in Swedish men’s hockey, helping Timra gain re-entry to the SHL. He lacks any true standout tools, but is gigantic and does most things (puck handling excluded) fairly well. With their tenth and final pick, the Red Wings selected Finnish forward Otto Kivenmaki. Raw like sushi and untested at the international level, Kivenmaki showed solid playmaking skills in the Finnish junior leagues and is a very good skater. In fact, taken as a whole, not only did the Red Wings obtain fantastic value up and down the draft class, but they also mostly drafted above average (or better) skaters, indicating that the franchise understands the direction the game is heading and is embracing the need for speed. Top to bottom, this is about as ideal a draft outcome as I could imagine in the 2018 draft class.

OFP - 55

Florida Panthers
1 (15) Grigori Denisenko, LW, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) - ranked 27th
2 (34) Serron Noel, RW/LW, Oshawa (OHL) - ranked 22nd
3 (89) Logan Hutsko, C/RW, Boston College (Hockey East) - ranked 116th
6 (170) Justin Schutz, LW, Red Bull Hockey Akademie (Czech U18) - unranked
7 (201) Cole Krygier, D, Lincoln (USHL) - ranked 190th
7 (207) Santtu Kinnunen, D, Pelicans U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - unranked

Not only did the Florida Panthers not take anything other than forwards until the seventh round – where they used both of their final round picks on blueliners – but all four of their earlier picks were used on wingers. Organizationally, this may hurt, as the system is not deep in centers after Henrik Borgstrom. That said, I do not, as a rule, advocate for drafting for positional need, but for talent, and on that front, the Panthers did alright considering the picks they had. Grigori Denisenko’s draft stock fluctuated a fair bit over the course of the year, but between his high end speed, and his near elite puck skills, he seemed a pretty safe bet to be selected in the back half of the first round at worst. At 15^th overall, he made sense. Although he was not always chosen by the Russian brain trust to represent his country at high-profile international events, much of that is down to politics. He can play a bit out of control and spend too much time in the box as a result, but his offensive tools are electrifying. He is expected to spend more time this year at the KHL level, but may not be too far removed from a chance to play in the NHL, presuming he bulks up a bit.

Bulking up a bit will not be a problem for the Panthers’ second rounder, OHL winger Serron Noel, who already measures in at 6-5”, 205 lbs. He would be nearly a prototypical power forward, but he has very soft hands and is unselfish with the puck, preferring to set up a linemate than to take a speculative shot himself. Looking at recent early round power forwards in the draft, he fits closer to Alex Tuch’s mold at this stage of his development than any other. He could easily have been gone on day one. Florida’s third rounder, Logan Hutsko, is one of the feel-good stories of the draft. After missing the bulk of his first draft eligible year due to a broken neck, he played with Boston College as a true freshman and led the team in scoring. He is slight, but has a lot of talent, and a full year removed from rehab, there should be more in store. Of the four forwards drafted by the Panthers, Hutsko is the only one with significant experience in the middle.

Sixth rounder Justin Schutz was mostly under the radar, playing with Red Bull Hockey Akademie in Austria, although competing in the Czech U20 league. Schutz, a German native, was their second leading scorer and tied for tenth in the league. He was drafted by Sioux Falls in the USHL, but at present is expected to spend next season playing for Salzburg in the Alps Hockey League, which combines organizations from Austria, Italy and Slovenia. Although twin brother Christian was selected a few slots higher, it says here that Cole is the more talented Krygier brother. He combines above average projections for hockey IQ and physicality with moderate mobility, although like his brother, his expected offensive output is minimal. The Panthers completed their draft class with the selection of Santtu Kinnunen, a rail-thin defender from the Finnish junior ranks. He moves the puck very well for a blueliner and projects for above average smarts as well but there is a question about how well his averagish mobility will hold up once he puts on much-needed weight. While the back half of their draft class comes with its share of question marks, the Panthers drafted enough upside in the first three rounds to ensure that they come away with a few NHL contributors out of their trip to Dallas.

OFP – 52.75

Montreal Canadiens
1 (3) Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Assat (Liiga) - ranked 13th
2 (35) Jesse Ylonen, RW, Espoo United (Mestis) - ranked 36th
2 (38) Alexander Romanov, D, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL) - unranked
3 (56) Jacob Olofsson, C, Timra (Allsvenskan) - ranked 33rd
3 (66) Cameron Hillis, C, Guelph (OHL) - ranked 73rd
3 (71) Jordan Harris, D, Kimball Union Academy (USHS - CT) - ranked 123rd
4 (97) Allan McShane, C, Oshawa (OHL) - ranked 43rd
4 (123) Jack Gorniak, LW, West Salem HS (USHS - WI) - ranked 144th
5 (128) Cole Fonstad, C/LW, Prince Albert (WHL) - ranked 89th
5 (133) Samuel Houde, C, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) - unranked
7 (190) Brett Stapley, C/RW, Vernon (BCHL) - unranked

One of the benefits of having 11 picks, as the Canadiens did this year, is that you have the luxury of blending your approach, going with your gut for some picks and selecting conservatively on others. The Canadiens did just that, and while I do not support every pick, on balance, this draft class has the potential to be a direction changer for the franchise. Let’s start with picks that combined both talent and draft value. Of their three second rounders, the first one, Jesse Ylonen put up very impressive numbers in the second men’s league in Finland. Equipped with high end skating and puck handling ability, and an above average shot, he projects as a top six scoring winger. Their third of three second rounder, Swedish center Jacob Olofsson, has a very advanced hockey IQ and is strong enough as skater, shooter or literally, in terms of effective hockey strength, that he could play anywhere in the middle six. His high motor will also make him a fan favorite in Montreal.

After taking European based players with each of their four picks in the first two rounds, Montreal’s first North American selection was Guelph center Cameron Hillis. Although undersized, Hillis is an excellent skater and a burgeoning playmaker. In terms of pure value, the best pick Montreal made at the draft was the fourth round pickup of Oshawa center Allan McShane. More a playmaker than a shooter, McShane is a 200 foot player and can be effective in all three zones. With even a half-grade improvement on his skating projections, he could be a real solid professional. After a solid performance for Team Canada at the WU18s (stronger than teammate Hillis managed), it is somewhat surprising he lasted until the fourth round. Finally, I like the thinking that went into taking Cole Fonstad, another CHL center, with an early fifth round pick. Fonstad fills a similar role as Hillis and McShane, as a slightly undersized center who excels at setting up linemates for scoring opportunities. His skating, puck skills and hockey IQ are all very good for his age peers, but he lacks any one standout skill. Still, he is great value in the fifth round.

With the value picks taken care of, let’s now look at picks where the Habs picked up good talent, but perhaps took them higher than their core talent suggested. With that, we start right at the top. With the third overall pick, Montreal ended the most suspenseful moment of the draft by selecting Jesperi Kotkaniemi, a big center who has near elite hockey IQ and excellent hands. He already has man strength and a strong shot to boot. Those who like him a lot (i.e. Montreal’s head scouts) see a first line center. Those who, like us, are more lukewarm, see a second line center. Where we see daylight between Kotkaniemi and a first line outcome is in his middling pace. He can get started well enough, but his top speed is only average at best. You can be a first line center with average speed, but for every Joe Thornton, there are countless AHLers. Kotkaniemi will probably be ready to play in the NHL by 2019-20, but I could say the same about more than a few players that Montreal passed over.

Jordan Harris is a talented, yet undersized, puck moving defender. He skated at a strong level and plays a much more physical game than his size suggests. He showed good reads at the prep school level, but his lack of high level experience adds some risk to his profile. He is expected to play at Northeastern next year, where he will be tested. Montreal took a second prepster one round later in Jack Gorniak from Wisconsin. The Wisconsin commit was one of the top scorers in the state, but like Harris, he has very limited experience (two games at the USHL level) at a higher level.

So far we have covered eight picks, a decent draft class in and of itself, but Montreal made three more picks, one in an early round, that we simply did not and do not think will provide any value to the organization, or at least as much value as they are hoping for. With the 38^th overall pick, Montreal selected Russian blueliner Alexander Romanov. He is small, but skates well and has a solid point shot. But there is nothing here better than solid, and many facets of his game fail to reach that moderate height. Montreal will give him chances to play, but he will be hard-pressed to be more than a third pairing defender at the highest level. The other two “contentious” picks were, at least, late rounders of less consequence. Fifth rounder Samuel Houde was a top pick as a bantam player, but never really met expectations with Chicoutimi, topping out at 32 points last year. He is an OK skater, and understands the game well enough, but lacks much in the way of tools. With their final selection, the Canadiens went to the BCHL for second year eligible forward Brett Stapley, who has been around or above one point per game for the past two seasons, increasing his output by close to 20% this year. He will be headed to Denver next season. Montreal does not everyone from this class to pan out to call the 2018 class a huge success, but they do need Kotkaniemi to be, at minimum, a very good second line center. They have baked in some redundancy among their picks, such as the similar styles played by Hillis, McShane and Fonstad, or even between Romanov and Harris. So even if they are successful, there will not be room for all of them down the line.

OFP – 52.75

Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senators
1 (4) Brady Tkachuk, LW, Boston University (Hockey East) - ranked 4th
1 (26) Jacob Bernard-Docker, D, Okotoks (AJHL) - ranked 56th
2 (48) Jonny Tychonick, D, Penticton (BCHL) - ranked 44th
4 (95) Johnny Gruden, LW, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 53rd
5 (126) Angus Crookshank, LW, Langley (BCHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
6 (157) Kevin Mandolese, G, Cape Breton (QMJHL) - ranked 115th
7 (188) Jacob Novak, LW/C, Janesville (NAHL) - unranked
7 (194) Luke Loheit, RW, Minnetonka HS (USHS - MN) - unranked

You would be hard pressed to find a prospect analyst more sympathetic to the NCAA route than this author. For those young players who are later bloomers, especially in the physical sense, the collegiate path can be extremely beneficial. So I am understanding of the fact that of the Senators eight draft picks this year, only one came from the traditional CHL path. For their other seven picks, including both first rounders, they drafted players from the AJHL, BCHL, USHL, NAHL, Minnesota High School hockey and one prominent player who has already spent a season in the NCAA. The Senators draft class strayed so far from the beaten path, they must have been pandering only to the prospect hipsters.

With the fourth overall pick, the Senators could have surrendered to the Colorado Avalanche, to close off the Matt Duchene trade. Instead the Sens wisely chose to hold on to it, and surrender next year’s instead (it will probably be a high pick again, but odds are a few slots lower than 4^th). After Montreal selected Jesperi Kotkaniemi, the Senators could have taken the high end scorer in Filip Zadina, but I cannot fault them for taking Brady Tkachuk instead. Tkachuk is basically NHL ready and a touch more advanced now than his brother Matthew was in his draft year – and Matthew went right to the NHL as well. He is a strong skater for his size, and his offensive gifts and hockey IQ are all high end. His physical game is even better. Tkachuk should be able to take on a middle six role with the Senators right away and only continue to grow from there.

After this pick, things got funky for Ottawa. With a later first round pick, they selected Jacob Bernard-Docker, from Okotoks in the AJHL. After the success of Cale Makar and Ian Mitchell from the AJHL last year, that historically undervalued league has hit the spotlight. Bernard-Docker made himself the clear top dog in that league, particularly after a star turn in the WJAC for Canada West. He does everything well and profiles as a solid second pairing blueliner down the road. An overdraft, in our esteem, but a talented player nonetheless. So for an encore, the Senators drafted Bernard-Docker’s blueline partner from that WJAC tournament, Jonny Tychonick from Penticton in the BCHL. Tychonick is a better skater than Bernard-Docker, and maybe less of a threat from the point, but he is very skilled when his team has the puck. Tychonick also needs more beef on his bones than the more solidly built Bernard-Docker. Funny enough, both young blueliners will be heading to North Dakota in the fall, to get a head start on developing chemistry.

In the fourth round, Ottawa went to a more ell-worn path to the NCAA by drafting a player out of the hothouse USNTDP program in Johnny Gruden, whose father had recently coached the Hamilton Bulldogs to the OHL championship. Gruden has decent offensive tools, but plays a very smart, quick and energetic game and seems primed for a future middle six role after spending some time at Miami. When it came time for their fifth round pick, it seemed that Ottawa wanted to return to that fertile ground of the Canada West WJAC team, and drafted Angus Crookshank of Langley in the BCHL. A speedy winger with smooth hands and a quick release, Crookshank will play at the University of New Hampshire. The sole CHLer among Senators’ draft picks came next in the form of Cape Breton netminder Kevin Mandolese. He has great size and competes hard, but the results have not been there yet. If the performance can match the tools, he could be a keeper.

The NAHL is generally seen as a feeder league to the USHL and lower tier NCAA schools. Every year, one or two goalies of note are selected from that league and this year was no exception, but once in a while, an NAHL position player is also picked up. And that is just what the Senators did with their first of two seventh rounders, drafting NAHL leading scorer and MVP Jakov Novak from Janesville. Heading to the college coldbed of Bentley, he is a long shot, but he is big and gritty. Finally, the Sens ended their draft with a pick from the Minnesota high school ranks in Luke Loheit from Minnetonka. Although his name was bandied about in deep draft world, his numbers were not very impressive for a prepster and he was not a prioritized watch. He is expected to spend next season in Penticton in the BCHL before going to Minnesota-Duluth. A can applaud Ottawa for taking the slow road prospects over the more immediate gratification that usually comes from CHL picks, but a draft class so full of long(er) shots, after Tkachuk may end up hampering the organization’s future goals.

OFP – 52.75

Tampa Bay Lightning
2 (59) Gabriel Fortier, LW, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) - ranked 81st
3 (90) Dmitri Semykin, D, Kapitan Stupino (MHL) - ranked 215th
4 (121) Alex Green, D, Cornell (ECAC) - ranked Honorable Mention
5 (152) Magnus Chrona, G, Nacka J18 (J18 Elit) - unranked
6 (183) Cole Koepke, LW, Sioux City (USHL) - unranked
7 (206) Radim Salda, D, Saint John (QMJHL) - unranked
7 (214) Ty Taylor, G, Vernon (BCHL) - unranked

Earlier, in discussing the Detroit Red Wings draft class, I mentioned a period where the team believed that they were magical and saw very little success outside of the top half of the draft for a prolonged stretch. The Tampa Bay Lightning, a team with deep ties to the Red Wings organization, may be following that path. For a few years, the Lightning added high end, talented players deep into the draft. Think Brayden Point or Anthony Cirelli in the third round, Ondrej Palat in the seventh, and a number of others whose profiles are not as high. Between the last draft and this one, the Lightning have made a number of odd picks. It doesn’t help that the Lightning did not have a first round pick, but the picks that they did have did not move the needle much.

At the back end of the second round, Tampa drafted Gabriel Fortier of Baie-Comeau. He is a very good skater with some finishing touch and good energy, but he is small and his best case scenario is as a third line winger. Next up was two way Russian (can play on the blueline or the wing) Dmitri Semykin. If you like him, you see a solid shot, a good hockey mind, and a very physical game. Basically, you see a poor man’s Russian Brent Burns. If you are not a fan, you see a player without the skills to play either position. In the fourth round, Tampa drafted third year eligible collegian defender Alex Green, from Cornell. After two nondescript USHL seasons, Green was an afterthought, but showed a mature game as a freshman in Ithaca and what he lacks in ceiling, he makes up for in floor.

I am not sure I can make that claim for any of Tampa’s final four picks. Magnus Chrona is a very big and very young Swedish netminder who was playing at a fairly low level. He has a sound technical game, but has never really been tested against top flight competition. Cole Koepke is another third time eligible pick, who led the mediocre Sioux City team in scoring this year. He is a decent finisher, but is very much a bottom six player at best. Seventh rounder Radim Salda has a lot of international experience for the Czech Republic, but has never stood out at that level. He offers a solid work rate and some positional attributes, but has little in the way of tools and suffers from untimely lapses in concentration. Finally, in Ty Taylor, they took a second goalie, one who led the BCHL in GAA in the regular season, and led in save percentage in the postseason, in his second year of draft eligibility. He has solid size and is committed to play at the University of New Hampshire. Organizational depth is important, especially after trading away a number of their best prospects for Ryan McDonagh and JT Miller, but I would hope to get more than good soldiers in the draft.

OFP - 50

Toronto Maple Leafs
1 (29) Rasmus Sandin, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) - ranked 23rd
2 (52) Sean Durzi, D, Owen Sound (OHL) - ranked 57th
3 (76) Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C, Peterborough (OHL) - ranked 90th
3 (83) Riley Stotts, C, Calgary (WHL) - ranked 170th
4 (118 ) Mac Hollowell, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) - ranked 172nd
5 (149) Filip Kral, D, Spokane (WHL) - ranked 216th
6 (156) Pontus Holmberg, LW/C, VIK Vasteras (Swe. Div. 1) - ranked 154th
7 (209) Zachary Bouthillier, G, Chicoutimi (QMJHL) - ranked 175th
7 (211) Semyon Kizimov, RW, Lada Togliatti (MHL) - ranked Honorable Mention

The question going into the draft for Toronto was how much would be different with Lou Lamoriello gone and Kyle Dubas finally in charge. Based on the nine players taken, it looks like upside is the order of the day. They took some players who were very young and others in their second year of eligibility. Size was absolutely not a factor with no skaters listed above 6-1”. Also, as many expected, Dubas would not hesitate to trade down to get an additional pick. In fact, that was his first order of business, trading the 25^th pick for the 29^th pick and an extra third rounder. When they finally stepped to podium towards the end of day one, Dubas called out the name of Rasmus Sandin, the third Rasmus of the day and one he would have been very familiar with his roots in Sault Ste. Marie much discussed. Although not big, he is a bit stocky and excels in the role of puck mover. He plays a very mature game and can execute very tricky passes to set up teammates for scoring chances. As he was on loan with the Greyhounds, the Leafs can assign him to the AHL, or more likely, back to Sweden for a year.

In the second round, the Leafs drafted another puck moving blueliner from the OHL in Owen Sound’s Sean Durzi. The second year eligible defender battled injuries in two of his last three years with the Attack, but puts up a lot of points from the blueline. He sees the ice well and tends to make the right decision. Third rounder Semyon Der-Arguchintsev is the youngest player (tied with Jan Jenik) eligible for the draft, one day too old to be a 2019 draft pick. He is a very strong skater and a fantastic puck handler but needs to gain in mass and in consistency before he would be ready to turn pro. Seven picks later, the Leafs finally selected someone from outside of the OHL, going west for Calgary Hitman Riley Stotts. A former top ten bantam draft player, Stotts struggled to get out of a depth role with Moose Jaw, but took on a central offensive role after being traded to Calgary around midseason and produced close to a point per game the rest of the way. He skates well, and is a good playmaker with plus vision.

In the fourth round, Toronto went back to the Soo for another blueliner, taking Sandin’s teammate Mac Hollowell. Whereas Sandin was undersized, Hollowell is flat out small. But he is an excellent skater and has a fairly high hockey IQ. Like Sandin, his best role is as a puck mover. Toronto drafted a fourth defender in the fifth round in Filip Kral, from the Czech Republic, by way of Spokane in the WHL. Another plus skater, Kral has decent offensive tools, although or near the level of Sandin or Durzi. At present, he is better with the puck than without, although he is not a liability in his own zone at the junior level. With their seventh pick, the Leafs finally drafted a player from a non-North American league, taking Swedish winger Pontus Holmberg. A second year eligible skater who spent most of last year playing against me in Sweden’s third tier, he is another plus skater with above average puck skills. Moved to Vaxjo in the offseason, he will have the chance to play in the SHL next year.

Considering the long running success the Maple Leafs have had drafting out of Sweden, I would keep an eye on Holmberg. With two seventh rounder, the Leafs went back to the CHL, this time to Quebec, to add a goalie to the system. Zachary Bouthillier split the crease with Alexis Shank in Chicoutimi this year, but took over in the postseason and had a nice run before the Sagueneens were eliminated. He is a bit of a long shot, but he reads the ice well and moves decently. With their final selection, the Maple Leafs added a Russian prospect in winger Semyon Kizimov, yet another plus skater who also brings a fine shooting game to the ice. He is signed for two more years with the Togliatti franchise, so it will be a while before we can decide on his future in the North America game. If there are two things we can learn from the first year of the Dubas regime, it is that the Maple Leafs will scout the CHL heavily and slower players need not apply. There are a lot of pieces here with middle of the lineup upside and if even a few pan out, this draft will be a success.

OFP – 52.75

World U18 Team Preview: Canada

Scott Crawford — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 20:13:27 +0000

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) 2018 U18 World Championship Tournament is taking place in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, Russia. This tournament presents a unique opportunity for players Hockey Canada has chosen from across the CHL and CJHL to make one last impression before the 2018 NHL Draft. It is also an early opportunity for younger Canadian players chosen by Hockey Canada not eligible in this year’s NHL Draft to make a strong first impression in front of scouts and fans.

With Canada’s first game coming against their neighbors to the south, several questions are being asked regarding how far this Team Canada squad will go. Canada has not won a gold medal in this tournament since 2013 and people are wondering whether the cast that Hockey Canada management has put together is good enough to end that streak. The other unknown is whether this cast be able to adapt to the Olympic sized ice rinks in Russia. With these players still only being 16-18 years of age, they are not likely to adapt to the wider ice surface quick enough replicate the feats of the 2014 Canada Men’s Olympic Team that played in Sochi, Russia. With all the questions asked, the roster put together by the Hockey Canada brass seems to show this might be a different year compared to past teams that attempted to end the gold medal drought.

Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Players entering the 2018 draft each have made their own impacts on their respective team’s thanks in large part to their quick development that was noticeable amongst numerous NHL amateur scouts. Several players that took part in the CHL Top Prospects Game were added to the Canada roster such as Ryan Merkley, Serron Noel, Ty Dellandrea, Allan McShane, Cameron Hillis and Liam Foudy. I personally watched Noel, Dellandrea and Merkley steal the show with their individual efforts and display what they can really do against higher competition. Merkley is known for his elite stick handling capabilities and will be a great quarterback on Team Canada’s powerplay, while both Noel and Dellandrea will set the tone with their physical play and strong offensive capabilities in front of their opponent’s net, especially Dellandrea who scored the fastest two goals in the CHL Top Prospects Game’s history. McShane, Hillis and Foudy will be a strong support cast for Canada’s roster. They may not have the flash or physique, but they are three of smartest players to come out of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Kevin Bahl of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Other players on this roster who dressed for the CHL Top Prospects Game were Ty Smith and Kevin Bahl. Both defenders are important roster players for Team Canada, and both carry very different styles of play. Bahl, who was named CHL Top Prospects player of the game is a big bruiser who can patrol the blue line. He does not like letting opposing players into his own zone while Smith is a more tactical offensive minded defenseman who likes to score more rather than throw the body around most of the game. Kevin Mandolese was the only goaltender from the CHL Top Prospects Game joining Team Canada and they could not have chosen a better goaltender. His natural athleticism was on display at the Top Prospects Game, as he was able to move comfortably around without jeopardizing his positioning. A hybrid goaltender Mandolese was taking shots left, right and center and using his quick reaction time to stop more shots on net than any other goaltender in the game.

Cole Fonstad. Photo courtesy of Prince Albert Raiders

Also joining Team Canada are draft eligible forwards Cole Fonstad and Chase Wouters. Fonstad, a reliable scorer who has good hands and works hard will be able to contribute top line minutes as he has been the go-to-guy for his current team in the WHL. Wouters is an interesting prospect as he comes from an unstable franchise, but he has been able to make the most of his opportunities. Being able to play both the center and wing position will make him a valuable player for Team Canada’s secondary offense.

Jonny Tychonick.

Hockey Canada went outside the CHL to include Jack McBain and Jonny Tychonick, both NCAA commits from the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), a cross-nation parent league for Tier 2 Junior A players quickly developing a reputation for breeding high-end NHL caliber talent. Both McBain and Tychonick are considered low first round to high second round draft picks that have scouts raving about their abilities to lead their teams’ offensive attack. McBain, a forward with raw offensive abilities, is a quick decision maker with the puck and carries the ability to score while also creating offensive chances for his teammates. Tychonick is a defenseman with an offensive scoring touch. He led defensemen on his team in scoring and he was a headache for most opposing team due to his combination of quick skating and puck handling skills.

The 2019 NHL Draft is a year away, but Hockey Canada decided to go for a few up and coming players that took big leaps in their CHL rookie seasons. Leading the WHL pool are notable names like Kirby Dach, Peyton Krebs, Bowen Byram, Matthew Robertson and Nolan Maier. Dach, who plays on the same line with Cole Fonstad, made the most of his opportunities with his struggling franchise. His passing abilities were on display this season and his quick thinking of the game in an offensive capacity will help Team Canada. Krebs, another forward who had a strong season, showed scouts why he is another top prospect for the 2019 Draft. His work ethic to get to the net along with his strong shot accuracy make him a prime offensive weapon for Team Canada to use. Byram is a steady defenseman who plays with extreme confidence. He is calm with the puck and he can play in all situations on the ice. He just finished a strong playoff run offensively scoring seven points in seven games. Robertson is another big blue liner for Team Canada standing at 6-3” and 194 lbs. His WHL team did not make the playoffs, but it did not slow down his offensive production nor did it stop him from playing an aggressive game. He and Bahl, if put together, will make a strong defensive duo. Maier plays on the same team as Dach and Fonstad, but he was the main reason his team was in a playoff spot for a majority of the season. He was given season MVP by his team because of his hustle to stop the puck and his calm and mature mentality towards game pressure. He will be a good option to have for Team Canada. Graeme Clarke is the only player representing the OHL from the 2019 Draft class for Team Canada. He is also one of the smartest and most offensively creative players on the team. His rookie season was a share of highlight real plays and a smart 200-foot game that will give Team Canada another strong two-way forward to play on the second line. The lone QMJHL player for the 2019 Draft playing for Team Canada is another stud goaltender, Colten Ellis. His strong play led his team to the top of the QMJHL and helped them solidify home ice advantage going into the playoffs.

Alexis Lafrenière

As for the lone player from the 2020 NHL Draft class on the squad, Alexis Lafrenière, it comes as no surprise as to why Hockey Canada gave him a roster spot. Chosen first overall in the 2017 QMJHL Priority Draft, he tore up the league in his first season scoring an incredible 80 points and he is only 16. He is a quick decision maker that can dominate the game in any area on the ice. He can handle pressure situations and score at will. Projected to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft don’t be surprised to hear Lafrenière’s name at the World Juniors next season.

Going into this tournament, Team Canada faces a strong degree of talent from every country that is participating and a different size ice surface to complicate matters. With the talent they have selected to be on their roster this year. they may have a strong chance of ending their goal drought and becoming U18 world champions in 2018.

McKeen’s 2018 NHL Draft Ranking – April 2018 – Top 125

Ryan Wagman — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 14:25:48 +0000

With the CHL leagues now into the second round of their respective playoffs, the NCAA season completed (congrats to new champions Minnesota-Duluth!), European leagues beginning to wrap up and the USHL with only one more weekend remaining in their regular season, it is time for the penultimate McKeens Hockey Draft List. This list once again runs 125 players deep, with a few more names tacked on at the end to keep in mind.

Our final list will run deeper – and be more definitive – but know that the names you see below are the fruit of the combined labor of the full McKeens scouting team. Covering all of the leagues touched on in the first paragraph above, we have watched them all and players in most cases were also cross-checked by multiple team members.

While the size of our list has not changed from the previous iteration, much else is different. Yes, Rasmus Dahlin still heads the ranking (hint: barring a career-threatening tragedy in the next 10 weeks, he will lead our final list as well), but the next player who maintains the same position as last time is Joel Farabee, still sitting in 12^th. Alexander Alexeyev, at 29^th, is the only other player in the top 31 who is ranked the same today as he was in February.

Andrei Svechnikovof the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Looking at the top ten, the changes begin in the two/three slots, as we saw fit to bump Russian import Andrei Svechnikov past Czech import Filip Zadina. The latter has been strong all season long, but the two keys for us were a) he plateaued to an extent in the dying days of the regular season while Svechnikov has taken his production to a new level down the stretch. On a point per game measure, Svechnikov’s 1.64 points per game outshine Zadina’s 1.44, and the latter’s extra ten games played cannot explain away the discrepancy. The first round of the playoffs have seen this trend continue. Zadina has been very good. Svechnikov has been stellar. b) Svechnikov is four months younger than Zadina. In the grand scheme of things, that is not much. In a draft class, that is a full third of the way from one year of eligibility to the next. There is just that much greater likelihood that Svechnikov has more development potential. This factor is not destiny, but cannot be overlooked.

ANN ARBOR, MI - MARCH 03: Michigan Wolverines defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) passes the puck during the Michigan Wolverines game versus the Wisconsin Badgers in the BIG10 Hockey Tournament on March 3, 2018. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire)

Quinn Hughes and Adam Boqvist, both undersized (by traditional standards, if not by modern ones) and very mobile defenders have almost switched places. Hughes, whose game grew by leaps and bounds since playing a supporting role for the US Bronze winning WJC entry ended his season in the Frozen Four. He was the youngest player in the NCAA this year and tied for 16^th among all defensemen in scoring. Only one of the blueliners with more points is within even one year of his age. Through the second half of the year, he was consistently the best player on the ice whenever he stepped over the boards. He leaps from 9^th last time, to 4^th now. Boqvist, who dropped from 5^th to 8^th, is still an electrifying skater whose speed brings an extra dimension to his game. He is still highly coveted, but there is at least a hint of a red flag due to his dearth of production at the senior level in Sweden. He scored nearly one point per game in the SuperElit league, but has only one assist in 18 regular and post-season SHL games. The skill set is obvious, but his struggles against men highlight the greater gap between what he is and what he should become.

The one change to the previous top ten sees Spokane defender Ty Smith fall from 10 to 16. His offensive production in the WHL has been fantastic all the way through the Chiefs’ first round playoff exit. There have been some questions about his play off the puck, which were highlighted by a rough showing earlier in the year at the CHL Top Prospects Game. He should have another chance to boost his stock in the coming weeks as part of Canada’s entry to the World Under 18 Championships.

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

Taking Smith’s place in the top ten is former Exceptional Status player Joe Veleno. Huge things were expected of Veleno this year, not only due to his unique entry point into the QMJHL, but a three goal showing for Saint John at last year’s Memorial Cup certainly whetted the appetite for a huge draft season. Unfortunately, his previous team, the Saint John Sea Dogs were gutted by graduation and trades, and Veleno started off slowly, amid reports that he was taking the team’s struggles too much on his own shoulders. He scored only six goals in his 31 games in the Maritimes. A mid-season trade to Drummondville has allowed him to take off in a more competitive atmosphere, finishing the year with 48 points in 33 games for the Voltigeurs. He is also having another strong post-season, helping his team into the second round. In short, Smith has seen questions added about his projection, while Veleno has answered more of his, helping him jump up from 11^th to 9^th.

Without laboring over each change in the list, let us meditate briefly on the four subtractions (and four additions) to the top 31. Dropping into our second round are Jett Woo, B-O Groulx, Jack McBain, and Martin Kaut. Like Ty Smith above, none of these players necessarily did anything to harm their own standing, but were simply surpassed by some players who managed to end on a strong note. For each of the four, it can legitimately be said that there are open questions about their offensive upsides. Woo, Groulx, and Kaut may lack top half of the roster upside, while McBain did not score as much as his talent would suggest he should have in the OJHL. Like Smith, he is expected to play for Canada at the WU18 and his performance with CHLers should speak volumes about his draft standing.

Rasmus Sandin of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Replacing those four are a trio of small defensemen who have finished strong in Rasmus Sandin, Nils Lundkvist, and Calen Addison, and one ultra-talented German forward developing in Sweden in Dominik Bokk. These four players all carry a dynamic element to their games that the four players falling to the second round do not look to have.

The next six weeks, including the completion of the North American junior playoffs as well as the WU18 competition will see several more reputations made and others tarnished, as happens every year. We try to see the whole picture, and promise not to inordinately elevate the ranking of any player simply for getting hot at the right time. Our final list will reflect not just good or bad production at the right time, but the skill sets of the best draft-eligible talent in the hockey world, leavened by their ability and success rates of those skills in actualizing as performance.

We welcome your feedback on this list and look forward to seeing our draft list through to its completion in Dallas in late June.

To link to a player page, use the tags at the bottom of the page, or from our McKeen's Draft Ranking found here It is also downloadable to an excel file.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Rasmus Dahlin	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/185	13-Apr-00	41-7-13-20
2	Andrei Svechnikov	RW	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/185	26-Mar-00	44-40-32-72
3	Filip Zadina	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/195	27-Nov-99	57-44-38-82
4	Quinn Hughes	D	Michigan (B1G)	5-10/175	14-Oct-99	37-5-24-29
5	Brady Tkachuk	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-3/195	16-Sep-99	40-8-23-31
6	Evan Bouchard	D	London (OHL)	6-2/195	20-Oct-99	67-25-62-87
7	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	NTDP (USHL)	6-1/205	13-Jun-00	54-40-43-83
8	Adam Boqvist	D	Brynas (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	15-Aug-00	25-14-10-24
9	Joe Veleno	C	SNB-Dru (QMJHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-00	64-22-57-79
10	Noah Dobson	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-3/180	7-Jan-00	67-17-52-69
11	Isac Lundestrom	C	Lulea (Swe)	6-0/185	6-Nov-99	42-6-9-15
12	Joel Farabee	LW	NTDP (USHL)	5-11/165	25-Feb-00	54-27-37-64
13	Barrett Hayton	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/190	9-Jun-00	63-21-39-60
14	Jesperi Kotkaniemi	C	Assat Pori (Fin)	6-1/190	6-Jul-00	57-10-19-29
15	Bode Wilde	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-2/195	24-Jan-00	53-11-25-36
16	Ty Smith	D	Spokane (WHL)	5-10/180	24-Mar-00	69-14-59-73
17	K'Andre Miller	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-3/205	21-Jan-00	50-7-17-24
18	Akil Thomas	C	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/170	2-Jan-00	68-22-59-81
19	Jared McIsaac	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	27-Mar-00	65-9-38-47
20	Grigori Denisenko	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)	5-11/175	24-Jun-00	31-9-13-22
21	Serron Noel	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-5/200	8-Aug-00	62-28-25-53
22	Rasmus Kupari	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-1/185	15-Mar-00	39-6-8-14
23	Ryan McLeod	C	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/200	21-Sep-99	68-26-44-70
24	Ryan Merkley	D	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/170	14-Aug-00	63-13-54-67
25	Mattias Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-3/215	14-Mar-00	50-9-19-28
26	Rasmus Sandin	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/185	7-Mar-00	51-12-33-45
27	Nils Lundkvist	D	Lulea (Swe)	5-11/180	27-Jul-00	28-2-3-5
28	Alexander Alexeyev	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-3/200	15-Nov-99	45-7-30-37
29	Calen Addison	D	Lethbridge (WHL)	5-10/180	11-Apr-00	68-11-54-65
30	Jacob Olofsson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/190	8-Feb-00	43-10-11-21
31	Dominik Bokk	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-1/180	3-Feb-00	35-14-27-41
32	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL)	6-2/170	23-Dec-99	35-4-3-7
33	Martin Kaut	RW	Dynamo Pardubice (Cze)	6-1/175	2-Oct-99	38-9-7-16
34	Jett Woo	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/205	27-Jul-00	44-9-16-25
35	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	6-Feb-00	68-28-27-55
36	Jesse Ylonen	RW	Espoo United (Fin 2)	6-0/165	3-Oct-99	48-14-13-27
37	Nicolas Beaudin	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-11/175	7-Oct-99	68-12-57-69
38	Adam Ginning	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-3/195	13-Jan-00	28-1-1-2
39	Jack McBain	C	Tor. Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	6-3/195	6-Jan-00	48-21-37-58
40	Jonny Tychonick	D	Penticton (BCHL)	6-0/175	3-Mar-00	48-9-38-47
41	Ty Emberson	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-0/195	24-May-00	53-4-18-22
42	Ty Dellandrea	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/190	21-Jul-00	67-27-32-59
43	Allan McShane	C	Oshawa (OHL)	5-11/190	14-Feb-00	67-20-45-65
44	Blake McLaughlin	LW	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/165	14-Feb-00	52-23-28-51
45	Gabriel Fortier	C	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	5-10/170	6-Feb-00	66-26-33-59
46	Kevin Bahl	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-6/230	27-Jun-00	58-1-17-18
47	Sampo Ranta	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-1/195	31-May-00	53-23-14-37
48	Filip Hallander	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-1/185	29-Jun-00	40-9-11-20
49	Jay O'Brien	C	Thayer Acad. (USHS-MA)	5-10/185	4-Nov-99	30-43-37-80
50	David Gustafsson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	6-2/195	11-Apr-00	45-6-6-12
51	Liam Foudy	C	London (OHL)	6-0/185	4-Feb-00	65-24-16-40
52	Filip Johansson	D	Leksands (Swe Jr)	6-1/175	23-Mar-00	29-4-5-9
53	Niklas Nordgren	RW	HIFK (Fin Jr)	5-9/170	4-May-00	18-8-18-26
54	Aidan Dudas	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-8/170	15-Jun-00	68-31-34-65
55	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	Okotoks (AJHL)	6-0/180	30-Jun-00	49-20-21-41
56	Xavier Bernard	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/210	6-Jan-00	66-11-24-35
57	Martin Fehervary	D	Oskarshamn (Swe 2)	6-1/190	6-Oct-99	42-1-6-7
58	Jonatan Berggren	RW	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	6-Jul-00	38-18-39-57
59	Alexis Gravel	G	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-2/225	21-Mar-00	20-11(3.38).890
60	Cole Fonstad	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	5-10/160	24-Apr-00	72-21-52-73
61	Xavier Bouchard	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-3/190	28-Feb-00	65-3-18-21
62	Cam Hillis	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-10/170	24-Jun-00	60-20-39-59
63	Marcus Westfalt	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-3/205	12-Mar-00	31-1-3-4
64	Pavel Gogolev	RW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Feb-00	66-30-17-47
65	Alexander Khovanov	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-11/195	12-Apr-00	29-9-19-28
66	Scott Perunovich	D	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	5-10/170	18-Aug-98	42-11-25-36
67	Giovanni Vallati	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/180	21-Feb-00	65-3-23-26
68	Olivier Rodrigue	G	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-0/160	6-Jul-00	31-16(2.54).903
69	Oskar Back	C	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/195	12-Mar-00	38-10-22-32
70	Riley Sutter	RW	Everett (WHL)	6-3/205	25-Oct-99	68-25-28-53
71	Stanislav Demin	D	Wenatchee (BCHL)	6-1/190	4-Apr-00	57-9-36-45
72	Lenni Killinen	RW	Blues (Fin Jr)	6-2/180	15-Jun-00	38-13-28-41
73	Tyler Weiss	LW	NTDP (USHL)	5-10/160	3-Jan-00	50-10-17-27
74	Ruslan Iskhakov	C	Krasnaya Armiya (MHL)	5-8/155	22-Jul-00	33-6-24-30
75	Kody Clark	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	6-1/180	13-Oct-99	56-18-21-39
76	Patrick Giles	RW	NTDP (USHL)	6-4/205	3-Jan-00	54-10-9-19
77	Anderson MacDonald	LW	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-2/205	16-May-00	58-27-18-45
78	Jake Wise	C	NTDP (USHL)	5-10/190	28-Feb-00	30-9-27-36
79	Jakub Lauko	C	Pirati Chomutov (Cze)	6-0/175	28-Mar-00	42-3-6-9
80	Adam Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USHL)	6-6/240	21-Jun-00	54-4-20-24
81	Philipp Kurashev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-0/190	12-Oct-99	59-19-41-60
82	Sean Durzi	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/195	21-Oct-98	40-15-34-49
83	Kirill Marchenko	RW	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	6-3/190	21-Jul-00	31-8-8-16
84	Jakub Skarek	G	Dukla Jihlava (Cze)	6-3/200	10-Nov-99	21GP(2.41).913
85	Milos Roman	C	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/190	6-Nov-99	39-10-22-32
86	Blade Jenkins	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/195	11-Aug-00	68-20-24-44
87	Danila Galenyuk	D	St. Petersburg (MHL)	6-1/200	10-Feb-00	20-1-5-6
88	Kyle Topping	C	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/185	18-Nov-99	66-22-43-65
89	Tyler Madden	C	CIL-TC (USHL)	5-10/155	9-Nov-99	50-15-19-34
90	Jack Drury	C	Waterloo (USHL)	5-11/180	3-Feb-00	54-23-40-63
91	Alec Regula	D	London (OHL)	6-3/200	6-Aug-00	67-7-18-25
92	Ivan Morozov	C	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	6-1/180	5-May-00	30-11-12-23
93	Jachym Kondelik	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-6/225	21-Dec-99	43-16-16-32
94	Riley Damiani	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-9/165	20-Mar-00	64-19-18-37
95	Samuel Fagemo	RW	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-11/195	14-Mar-00	37-19-11-30
96	Jack St. Ivany	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-2/200	22-Jul-99	51-6-30-36
97	David Lilja	C	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	5-11/175	23-Jan-00	37-3-5-8
98	Curtis Douglas	C	Bar-Wsr (OHL)	6-8/235	6-Mar-00	66-22-24-46
99	Luka Burzan	C	MJ-Bdn (WHL)	6-0/185	7-Jan-00	72-15-25-40
100	Linus Karlsson	C	Karlskrona (Swe Jr)	6-1/180	16-Nov-99	42-27-25-52
101	Kristian Reichel	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/170	11-Jun-98	63-34-23-57
102	Toni Utunen	D	LeKi (Fin 2)	5-11/175	27-Apr-00	28-2-10-12
103	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	Rimouski (QMJHL)	5-9/175	11-Aug-00	62-26-21-47
104	Samuel Bucek	LW	Chicago (USHL)	6-1/215	19-Dec-98	47-19-23-42
105	Nathan Dunkley	C	Kgn-Ldn (OHL)	5-11/195	3-May-00	60-21-36-57
106	Carter Robertson	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-2/180	15-Jan-00	57-5-13-18
107	Albin Eriksson	RW	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	6-4/205	20-Jul-00	38-22-18-40
108	Ryan O'Reilly	RW	Madison (USHL)	6-2/200	21-Mar-00	42-20-12-32
109	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Davos (Sui)	6-2/185	7-Oct-99	36-3-2-5
110	Tyler Tucker	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-1/205	1-Mar-00	59-3-20-23
111	Axel Andersson	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	6-0/180	10-Feb-00	42-6-25-31
112	Alexey Polodyan	LW	St. Petersburg (MHL)	5-11/165	30-Jul-98	21-5-6-11
113	Jack Perbix	RW	Elk River (USHS-MN)	6-1/175	13-Sep-00	25-19-42-61
114	Nico Gross	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/185	26-Jan-00	58-4-10-14
115	Declan Chisholm	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/185	12-Jan-00	47-3-17-20
116	Ivan Prosvetov	G	Youngstown (USHL)	6-4/175	5-Mar-99	18-9(2.87).913
117	Kevin Mandolese	G	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-3/180	22-Aug-00	15-13(3.46).884
118	Vladislav Kotkov	RW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-4/205	8-Jan-00	61-21-28-49
119	Jonathan Gruden	C	NTDP (USHL)	5-11/175	4-May-00	53-25-26-51
120	Anthony Del Gaizo	C	Muskegon (USHL)	5-11/195	31-Jan-98	58-39-32-71
121	Justus Annunen	G	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	6-4/215	11-Mar-00	26GP(2.31).907
122	Olof Lindbom	G	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	6-2/185	23-Jul-00	20GP(3.10).897
123	Matthew Struthers	C	OS-NB (OHL)	6-2/210	26-Dec-99	62-23-22-45
124	Alex Steeves	C	Dubuque (USHL)	5-11/185	10-Dec-99	53-18-36-54
125	Ben Copeland	C	Waterloo (USHL)	5-10/180	27-Apr-99	58-17-42-59

OTHER DRAFT CANDIDATES
Jett Alexander	G	North York (OJHL)	6-4/190	8-Nov-99
Yaroslav Alexeyev	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	5-9/160	17-Jan-99
Justin Almeida	C	Moose Jaw (WHL)	5-9/160	6-Feb-99
Seth Barton	D	Trail (BCHL)	6-2/175	18-Aug-99
Justin Bergeron	D	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-0/180	14-Sep-00
Erik Betzold	RW	Koln (Ger)	5-11/165	18-Jan-00
Brandon Biro	RW	Penn State (B1G)	5-11/165	11-Mar-98
Mikhail Bitsadze	C	Dynamo Moscow (Rus)	5-11/170	18-Nov-99
Shawn Boudrias	RW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-4/195	14-Sep-99
Jakob Brahaney	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/185	26-Mar-99
Justin Brazeau	RW	North Bay (OHL)	6-5/220	2-Feb-98
Dennis Busby	D	Flint (OHL)	5-10/190	6-Jan-00
Michael Callahan	D	Central Illinois (USHL)	6-2/195	23-Sep-99
Ryan Chyzowski	LW	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-0/190	14-May-00
Powell Connor	D	Chilliwack (BCHL)	6-1/175	4-May-00
Connor Corcoran	D	Windsor (OHL)	6-1/185	7-Aug-00
Paul Cotter	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-0/190	16-Nov-99
Angus Crookshank	LW	Langley (BCHL)	5-11/185	2-Oct-99
Max Crozier	D	Nanaimo (BCHL)	6-1/185	19-Apr-00
Ethan de Jong	RW	Prince George (BCHL)	5-10/170	12-Jul-99
Jack DeBoer	C	NTDP (USA)	6-2/190	17-Aug-00
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev	C	Peterborough (OHL)	5-10/160	15-Sep-00
Lukas Dostal	G	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-1/165	22-Jun-00
Grigori Dronov	D	Magnitogorsk (Rus)	6-2/205	10-Jan-98
Justin Ducharme	LW	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	5-11/180	22-Feb-00
Daniel Dvorak	G	Hradec Kralove (Cze)	6-3/160	9-Jan-00
Jesper Eliasson	G	Troja/Ljungby (Swe)	6-3/200	21-Mar-00
Caleb Everett	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/185	20-Jan-00
Christian Felton	D	Kimball Union (USHS-NH)	6-0/190	4-Feb-00
Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	5-8/185	26-May-99
Eric Florchuk	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-1/175	10-Jan-00
Carson Focht	C	Calgary (WHL)	6-0/180	4-Feb-00
Adam Gajarsky	RW	Kometa Brno (Cze)	5-10/175	4-Mar-00
Jeremi Gerber	RW	Bern (Sui)	6-1/185	1-Mar-00
Damien Giroux	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-10/175	3-Mar-00
Jack Gorniak	LW	West Salem High (USHS-WI)	5-11/180	15-Sep-99
Matthew Grouchy	RW	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-1/190	19-Nov-99
Glenn Gustafsson	C	Orebro (Swe)	5-10/200	4-Sep-98
Curtis Hall	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-2/195	26-Apr-00
Kevin Hancock	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	2-Mar-98
Jordan Harris	D	Kimball Union (USHS-NH)	5-11/180	7-Jul-00
Reece Harsch	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-3/195	7-Jan-99
Brady Hinz	C	Peterborough (OHL)	5-9/150	3-May-00
Mitchell Hoelscher	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/160	27-Jan-00
Mac Hollowell	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-9/170	26-Sep-98
Krystof Hrabik	C	Bili Tygri Liberec (Cze)	6-4/210	24-Sep-99
David Hrenak	G	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	6-2/190	5-May-98
Riley Hughes	RW	St. Sebastian's (USHS-MA)	6-1/175	27-Jun-00
Jere Huhtamaa	G	Blues (Fin)	6-2/190	10-Apr-00
Logan Hutsko	RW	Boston College (HE)	5-10/175	11-Feb-99
Jacob Ingham	G	Mississauga (OHL)	6-3/185	10-Jun-00
Jere Innala	LW	HPK (Fin)	5-9/175	17-Mar-98
Michal Ivan	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-1/185	18-Nov-99
Georgi Ivanov	C	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Rus)	6-0/190	25-Sep-98
Jan Jenik	RW	Benatky nad Jizerou (Cze)	6-1/165	15-Sep-00
Jack Jensen	C	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	6-0/195	31-Aug-00
Joey Keane	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/185	2-Jul-99
Brett Kemp	C	Edmonton (WHL)	6-0/165	23-Mar-00
Michael Kesselring	D	New Hampton School (USHS-NH)	6-4/185	13-Jan-00
Juuso Ketola	D	Assat Pori (Fin)	5-11/210	18-Mar-00
Patrick Khodorenko	C	Michigan State (B1G)	6-0/205	13-Oct-98
Liam Kirk	C	Sheffield (EIHL)	6-2/160	3-Jan-00
Semyon Kizimov	RW	Lada Togliatti (Rus)	6-0/175	19-Jan-00
Jordan Kooy	G	London (OHL)	6-2/185	30-Apr-00
Ivan Kosorenkov	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/185	22-Jan-98
Demetrios Koumontzis	LW	Edina (USHS-MN)	5-10/185	24-Mar-00
Nikolai Kovalenko	RW	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Rus)	5-10/175	17-Oct-99
Filip Kral	D	Spokane (WHL)	6-1/170	20-Oct-99
Renars Krastenbergs	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	5-11/185	16-Dec-98
Cole Krygier	D	Lincoln (USHL)	6-3/195	5-May-00
Daniel Kurovsky	LW	Vitkovice (Cze)	6-4/215	4-Mar-98
Michal Kvasnica	RW	Frydek-Mistek (Cze)	6-1/190	7-Apr-00
Owen Lalonde	D	Guelph (OHL)	6-0/180	1-Feb-00
Jackson Leppard	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/200	18-Jan-00
David Levin	C	Sudbury (OHL)	5-10/180	16-Sep-99
Mitchell Lewandowski	RW	Michigan State (B1G)	5-9/175	17-Apr-98
Adam Liska	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/185	14-Oct-99
John Ludvig	D	Portland (WHL)	6-0/185	2-Aug-00
Brady Lyle	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-1/205	6-Jun-99
Guillaume Maillard	C	Geneve-Servette (Sui)	6-0/200	11-Oct-98
James Malm	C	Vancouver (WHL)	5-9/180	25-Jun-99
Anton Malyshev	D	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Rus)	6-0/180	27-Feb-00
Riley McCourt	D	Flint (OHL)	5-11/170	26-Jun-00
Aidan McDonough	LW	Thayer Academy (USHS-MA)	6-1/175	6-Nov-99
Nolan McElhaney	D	Cushing Academy (USHS-MA)	6-3/175	22-Apr-99
Jeremy McKenna	RW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/175	20-Apr-99
Albert Michnac	LW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-0/180	18-Oct-98
Amir Miftakhov	G	Irbis Kazan (Rus)	6-0/160	26-Apr-00
Artyom Minulin	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-2/200	1-Oct-98
Travis Mitchell	D	Muskegon (USHL)	6-2/195	25-Nov-99
Billy Moskal	C	London (OHL)	6-0/185	22-Mar-00
Nolan Moyle	RW	Green Bay (USHL)	6-1/185	13-Apr-99
Arttu Nevasaari	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	5-11/180	23-Jan-00
Tristen Nielsen	C	Calgary (WHL)	5-9/180	23-Feb-00
Kirill Nizhnikov	RW	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/190	29-Mar-00
Linus Nyman	RW	Kingston (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Jul-99
Andrei Pavlenko	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-1/175	4-Apr-00
Radovan Pavlik	RW	Hradec Kralove (Cze)	5-9/175	18-Feb-98
Ryan Peckford	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/190	4-Mar-99
Matej Pekar	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-0/170	10-Feb-00
Ville Petman	C	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-10/180	18-Jan-00
Mathias Emilio Pettersen	C	Muskegon (USHL)	5-10/170	3-Apr-00
Jacob Pivonka	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/200	28-Feb-00
Karel Plasek	RW	Kometa Brno (Cze)	5-10/155	28-Jul-00
Dylan Plouffe	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/195	27-Apr-99
Martin Pospisil	C	Sioux City (USHL)	6-2/180	19-Nov-99
Josh Prokop	C	Vernon (BCHL)	5-10/175	30-Jan-00
Cole Purboo	RW	Windsor (OHL)	6-3/205	18-Jun-99
Vincent Purpura	G	Omaha (USHL)	6-3/195	29-Oct-98
Jacob Ragnarsson	D	Almtuna (Swe)	5-11/170	23-Sep-99
Jack Randl	LW	Omaha (USHL)	5-11/180	7-May-00
Connor Roberts	C	Flint (OHL)	6-4/210	22-Feb-00
Alexander Romanov	D	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (Rus)	5-11/185	6-Jan-00
Nikita Rtishchev	RW	CSKA Moscow (Rus)	6-1/195	23-May-00
Merrick Rippon	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/190	27-Apr-00
Radim Salda	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/185	18-Feb-99
Santeri Salmela	D	KOOKOO (Fin)	6-1/195	10-Jun-00
Akira Schmid	G	Langnau (Sui)	6-4/165	12-May-00
Phillip Schultz	C	Rodovre (Den)	6-0/195	24-Jul-00
Zdenek Sedlak	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-2/205	23-Mar-00
Peetro Seppala	D	KOOKOO (Fin)	6-1/175	17-Aug-00
Bulat Shafigullin	LW	Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (Rus)	6-1/165	29-Dec-99
Yegor Sharangovich	C	Dinamo Minsk (Rus)	6-2/195	6-Jun-98
Alexander Shepelev	D	Chelyabinsk (Rus)	6-2/185	17-Mar-98
Marsel Sholokhov	RW	Chelyabinsk (Rus)	5-10/170	12-Jan-98
Graham Slaggert	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	6-Apr-99
Egor Sokolov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-3/225	7-Jun-00
Zach Solow	RW	Northeastern (HE)	5-9/185	6-Nov-98
Riley Stotts	C	Calgary (WHL)	6-0/175	5-Jan-00
Vladislav Syomin	D	SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (Rus)	6-3/215	17-Feb-98
Matt Thiessen	G	Steinbach (MJHL)	6-2/190	9-Jun-00
Michael Vorlicky	D	Edina (USHS-MN)	6-1/165	17-Jul-00
Pavel Vorobey	D	Kunlun Red Star (Rus)	6-3/195	10-Sep-97
Lukas Wernblom	C	MoDo (Swe)	5-9/170	22-Jul-00
Chase Wouters	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	5-11/180	8-Feb-00
Wyatte Wylie	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/190	2-Nov-99
Vladislav Yeryomenko	D	Calgary (WHL)	6-0/185	23-Apr-99
Libor Zabransky	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/190	26-May-00
Egor Zamula	D	Calgary (WHL)	6-3/170	30-Mar-00
Danila Zhuravlyov	D	Irbis Kazan (Rus)	6-0/165	8-Apr-00

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.

WHL: Cole Fonstad (2018 Draft Eligible)

Vince Gibbons — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 12:33:13 +0000

Cole Fonstad is second in scoring on the resurgent Prince Albert Raiders, currently fighting for a playoff spot. He was name an Honourable Mention in our mid-season rankings putting him in the middle rounds of the draft. Vince Gibbons provides a detailed report below.

Cole Fonstad of the Prince Albert Raiders. Photo by courtesy of Prince Albert Raiders

Cole Fonstad	2018 Draft Eligible
Position: C/LW, Shoots L	H/W: 5-10", 160 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Prince Albert Raiders, WHL (62-18-43-61-6)

Skating: Fonstad has the high agility and acceleration that is required for undersized players to be successful on the ice. His feet move quickly and light on the ice which makes him very elusive while carrying the puck. His top end speed is only average which is a bit concerning but as he adds more strength there is room for that to improve as well as his overall explosiveness. Grade: 55

Shot: He does not generate shots at an elite level although for the playmaking style of game he generally plays his 2.09 shots per game is respectable. There is good accuracy in his shot however there is not a lot of power. His release can be quick, particularly in close which helps him get pucks elevated quickly. As he adds strength he will improve his power but it will never be his primary offensive weapon. Grade: 50

Skills: Fonstad has a nice array of skills that stem from his elusive skating ability. He is able to change speeds while attacking which enables him to generate good spacing for his passing skills. He is a tape-to-tape passer as good as anyone in the draft class. His passing is used on the point of the power play where his quick decision making is on full display. He moves the puck quickly, letting it do most of the work in the offensive zone. He is the top draft eligible producer of primary points in the WHL this season, per prospect-stats.com. He can carry the puck in traffic with his head up although he tends to stay to the perimeter. He is hard for defenders to put a body on as he adjusts his angles and speed to keep opponents guessing. He has an active stick and good hand eye for knocking down passes and errant pucks. Grade: 55

Smarts: Fonstad has carved out a role in Prince Albert’s top six by creating space and opportunity for his teammates. His offensive reads and adjustments at speed enable him to hold the puck and keep the defense off balance. He creates lanes to pass the puck with his intelligent movement. Defensively he is in the right positions to break out the puck, however he can get overmatched physically which creates problems. He is more effective when he is moving his feet than holding a spot on the wall. He has some work to do in his own zone as he tends to receive protected starts, and no penalty kill time. As the power play quarterback he is very good at reading the zone and setting up opportunities for his other teammates. Grade: 55

Physicality: This area is a weakness at this point in his career path, although it is not all negative. He has pretty effective a “soft” fore-check in which he stays on the opponent’s back shoulder and just puts a slight lean on his opponent, leaving his own stick and vision to move the puck quickly. He is a bit timid to head to the net and loops around rather than drive to the blue paint. He is outmatched along the wall and loses battles to get the puck out of his own zone often. On 50/50 pucks he seems to always try to make the stick play over the body contact play. He has a slight frame that will gain mass but he will always be an undersized player. Grade: 45

Summary: Cole Fonstad has been one of the more intriguing forwards in the WHL for his age group. His production has been among the best of any draft eligible player in the WHL this season however he is not a high end offensive player. He is a nice complementary player that can help a powerplay with his ability to make crisp passes and feed the hot shooters the puck on a platter. He has some work to do in other parts of his game particularly his own zone but he does see the game well. His skill set reminds me of Kris Versteeg but without the fiery ultra-competitive personality.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 53

2018 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Mid Season Rankings – Top 100 plus Honourable Mentions

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:00:33 +0000

One of the first lessons I learned when I began scouting a number of years ago was that draft eligible prospects generally start to make their marks after Christmas of their draft year.

Around two months ago (Dec. 8), we released a snapshot of the 2018 draft class, walking through the 62 strongest prospects at the time. Since then, all of the 62 have had plenty of chances to make their marks. In addition to the weeks and weeks of regular season action they all had, some were also afforded the showcase of appearing in the World Junior Championships, while others fought to be included in the CHL and USHL Top Prospect Games or the World Junior A Challenge.

Some of the WJC combatants were already considered to be at or around the top of the draft class, including each of the top four of our Mid-Season ranking. Others found themselves in the spotlight by virtue of holding nationalities that do not have the depth of talent in their age 19 class as we found with the Gold Medal winners from Canada, from which the entire roster consisted of previously drafted players.

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JANUARY 4: Sweden's Axel Fjallby Jonsson #22 and Isac Lundestrom #20 have words during semifinal round action against the U.S. at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

While an appearance at the WJC will only go so far for most of the prospects of Denmark, Switzerland, or Belarus, for players like the Czech Republic’s Martin Kaut (#31) and Kristian Reichel (#83), Slovakia’s Milos Roman (#57), Sweden’s Isac Lundestrom (#14), and others, players who came into the tournament with some expectations and managed to exceed them, they were able to ensure that they will be front of mind for scouting staffs through the end of the season. In fact, three of those players have seen their respective places in our rankings rise between December and now. The fourth, Milos Roman, did not fall all that much, and that can be explained largely with an injury that has limited him to a single game played since the tournament ended.

Speaking of movement in the lists, we can report that each member of the previous version of this list, which went 62 deep, is still in the mid-season top 100. Only four of those 62, Nando Eggenberger (#76), Olivier Rodrigue (#78), Marcus Westfalt (#86), and Adam Samuelsson (#95) are now lower than 75. Even though Eggenberger had a poor WJC and Rodrigue failed to impress in the CHL’s Top Prospect game, the midseason marquee event of Canadian Junior hockey, the current rankings of those four is more a reflection of other players making bigger moves than they have. All still profile as draftable prospects of note. If anything, they still have more to prove before late June in Dallas.

Evan Bouchard of the London Knights. Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images.

One of the two biggest jumps in the past two months belong to the aforementioned Kaut, who was fantastic at the WJC, showing a wide range of skills, plus hockey IQ and even a bit of a physical game to boot. He jumped up from 55 in December to 31 now and some in our scouting team felt that we may still be underrating him. Climbing only 21 spots, but more impressive as he started off at a higher level in December than Kaut is now, is London blueliner Evan Bouchard (#7). At the time, there were some concerns about his foot speed. Not only has he put those concerns to rest with steady displays of solid top end velocity, showing his ability to defend against rushes from some of the players long considered to be among the quickest in the OHL, but between his plus shot, advanced hockey brain and quarterbacking style, it is no real surprise that he is currently seven points clear as the highest scoring blueliner in the OHL.

The highest ranked newcomer to the list is Swedish defenseman Nils Lundkvist (#40), who had a scouting report from our own Jimmy Hamrin posted just last week. Although undersized, Lundkvist is mobile, moves the puck ably and has exceptional hockey IQ. Others debuting in the top 50 include Jakub Lauko (#44) a teammate of Kaut’s from the Czech WJC squad, Stanislav Demin (#45) a blueliner from the BCHL who impressed in the WJAC, and Niklas Nordgren (#49) an undersized, yet silky skilled winger who has been tearing up the Finnish junior ranks.

When I mentioned above that draft eligible prospects begin to make their marks after Christmas, that does not mean to suggest that we feel this present snapshot will be an accurate representation of how things ultimately shake out in June. There are some players who start the year hot and then slowly peter out. We may think we are viewing a rough mid-season patch and for some, they will never recover. Eggenberger is one. Xavier Bouchard (#62), who looked like a strong second tier draft prospect from the QMJHL two months ago, has contributed only two points since the calendar flipped to 2018. He is not an offensive blueliner, but more is expected.

Liam Foudy of the London Knights. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Other players started off very slowly and have been hot of late, getting themselves some mid-season recognition. One such player we debated at length was Liam Foudy (#82). When we released our December rankings, he had played 27 games and had put up a mere five points. Since then, in 23 games, he has 19 points, a period highlit by a strong showing at the CHL Top Prospect Game. In his case, it seems that London’s decision to sell off a large number of their regular top six forward options has given Foudy the chance to play in an offensive role and he has thus far flourished, to the extent that he was just named the OHL Player of the Week on the morning of this writing. He is a great skater and if he can keep this level of offensive production up for a few more weeks, showing that his recent play has not just been a flash in the pan, he will likely rocket up the list.

As we continue to scout the junior aged prospects of the world, this draft list will change again and again. In addition to extending our list to 100 as we pass the mid-season point for all leagues, we have also included a group of 25 others who had some fans about the McKeens scouting squad. As the intensity of the season rises with many teams and players jockeying for a post-season berth, some of the 125 players listed here will see their respective stocks go up and others will go down. Players who we may have skipped over in November and January will force us to pay attention in March and April. From now until draft weekend, we will continue to post scouting reports of the players you need to know about for the 2018 draft. We welcome your questions and comments and hope you enjoy the ride with us.

To link to a player page, use the tags at the bottom of the page, or from our McKeen's Draft Ranking found here It is also downloadable to an excel file.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	Rasmus Dahlin	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/185	13-Apr-00
2	Filip Zadina	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/200	27-Nov-99
3	Andrei Svechnikov	RW	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/185	26-Mar-00
4	Brady Tkachuk	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-3/195	16-Sep-99
5	Adam Boqvist	D	Brynas (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	15-Aug-00
6	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	13-Jun-00
7	Evan Bouchard	D	London (OHL)	6-2/195	20-Oct-99
8	Noah Dobson	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-3/180	7-Jan-00
9	Quinn Hughes	D	Michigan (B1G)	5-10/175	14-Oct-99
10	Ty Smith	D	Spokane (WHL)	5-10/180	24-Mar-00
11	Joe Veleno	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-00
12	Joel Farabee	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/165	25-Feb-00
13	Bode Wilde	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/195	24-Jan-00
14	Isac Lundestrom	C	Lulea (Swe)	6-0/185	6-Nov-99
15	Grigori Denisenko	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/165	24-Jun-00
16	K'Andre Miller	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	21-Jan-00
17	Barrett Hayton	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/190	9-Jun-00
18	Jared McIsaac	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	27-Mar-00
19	Akil Thomas	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/170	2-Jan-00
20	Ryan McLeod	C	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/200	21-Sep-99
21	Jesperi Kotkaniemi	C	Assat Pori (Fin)	6-1/190	6-Jul-00
22	Serron Noel	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-5/200	8-Aug-00
23	Rasmus Kupari	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-1/185	15-Mar-00
24	Jacob Olofsson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/190	8-Feb-00
25	Ryan Merkley	D	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/170	14-Aug-00
26	Jett Woo	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/205	27-Jul-00
27	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	6-Feb-00
28	Alexander Alexeyev	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-3/200	15-Nov-99
29	Mattias Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/215	14-Mar-00
30	Jack McBain	C	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	6-3/195	6-Jan-00
31	Martin Kaut	RW	Pardubice (Cze)	6-1/175	2-Oct-99
32	Calen Addison	D	Lethbridge (WHL)	5-10/180	11-Apr-00
33	Jonny Tychonick	D	Penticton (BCHL)	5-11/175	3-Mar-00
34	Jesse Ylonen	RW	Espoo United (Fin 2)	6-0/165	3-Oct-99
35	Dominik Bokk	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-1/180	3-Feb-00
36	Blake McLaughlin	LW	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/165	14-Feb-00
37	Kevin Bahl	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-6/230	27-Jun-00
38	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	Traktor Chelyabinsk (Rus)	6-2/170	23-Dec-99
39	Ty Dellandrea	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/190	21-Jul-00
40	Nils Lundkvist	D	Lulea (Swe)	5-11/180	27-Jul-00
41	Rasmus Sandin	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/190	7-Mar-00
42	Adam Ginning	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-3/195	13-Jan-00
43	Allan McShane	C	Oshawa (OHL)	5-11/190	14-Feb-00
44	Jakub Lauko	C	Chomutov (Cze)	6-0/175	28-Mar-00
45	Stanislav Demin	D	Wenatchee (BCHL)	6-1/190	4-Apr-00
46	Filip Hallander	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-1/185	29-Jun-00
47	Xavier Bernard	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/210	6-Jan-00
48	Ty Emberson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	24-May-00
49	Niklas Nordgren	RW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	5-9/170	4-May-00
50	Sampo Ranta	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-1/195	31-May-00
51	Jay O'Brien	C	Thayer Academy (USHS-MA)	5-10/185	4-Nov-99
52	Jonatan Berggren	C	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	6-Jul-00
53	Kody Clark	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	6-1/180	13-Oct-99
54	David Gustafsson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	6-1/195	11-Apr-00
55	Nicolas Beaudin	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-11/175	7-Oct-99
56	Cam Hillis	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-10/170	24-Jun-00
57	Milos Roman	C	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/190	6-Nov-99
58	Gabriel Fortier	C	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	5-10/190	6-Feb-00
59	Riley Sutter	C	Everett (WHL)	6-3/205	25-Oct-99
60	Martin Fehervary	D	Oskarshamn (Swe 2)	6-1/190	6-Oct-99
61	Philipp Kurashev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-0/190	12-Oct-99
62	Xavier Bouchard	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-3/190	28-Feb-00
63	Giovanni Vallati	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-00
64	Alexander Khovanov	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-11/190	12-Apr-00
65	Blade Jenkins	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/195	11-Aug-00
66	Filip Johansson	D	Leksands (Swe 2)	6-1/185	23-Mar-00
67	Alec Regula	D	London (OHL)	6-3/200	6-Aug-00
68	Jakub Skarek	G	Dukla Jihlava (Cze)	6-3/200	10-Nov-99
69	Nico Gross	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/185	26-Jan-00
70	Anderson MacDonald	LW	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-2/205	16-May-00
71	Kyle Topping	C	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/185	18-Nov-99
72	Oskar Back	C	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/200	12-Mar-00
73	Nathan Dunkley	C	London (OHL)	5-11/195	3-May-00
74	Patrick Giles	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-4/205	3-Jan-00
75	Jake Wise	C	NTDP (USA)	5-10/190	28-Feb-00
76	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Davos (Sui)	6-2/185	7-Oct-99
77	Alexis Gravel	G	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-2/225	21-Mar-00
78	Olivier Rodrigue	G	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-0/160	6-Jul-00
79	Tyler Madden	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-10/155	9-Nov-99
80	Lenni Killinen	LW	Blues (Fin Jr)	6-2/185	15-Jun-00
81	Filip Kral	D	Spokane (WHL)	6-0/170	20-Oct-99
82	Liam Foudy	C	London (OHL)	6-1/185	4-Feb-00
83	Kristian Reichel	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/170	11-Jun-98
84	Danila Galenyuk	D	Mamonty Yurgy (Rus Jr)	6-1/200	10-Feb-00
85	Aidan Dudas	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-8/170	15-Jun-00
86	Marcus Westfalt	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-3/205	12-Mar-00
87	Jachym Kondelik	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-6/225	21-Dec-99
88	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	Okotoks (AJHL)	6-0/180	30-Jun-00
89	Carter Robertson	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-2/180	15-Jan-00
90	Kevin Mandolese	G	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-3/180	22-Aug-00
91	Ryan O'Reilly (2000)	RW	Madison (USHL)	6-1/205	21-Mar-00
92	Merrick Rippon	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/190	27-Apr-00
93	David Lilja	C	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	5-11/175	23-Jan-00
94	Alex Steeves	C	Dubuque (USHL)	6-0/185	10-Dec-99
95	Adam Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-6/240	21-Jun-00
96	Linus Karlsson	C	Karlskrona (Swe Jr)	6-1/180	16-Nov-99
97	Jack Drury	C	Waterloo (USHL)	5-11/180	3-Feb-00
98	Albin Eriksson	LW	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	6-4/205	20-Jul-00
99	Sean Durzi	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/195	21-Oct-98
100	Jacob Ingham	G	Mississauga (OHL)	6-3/185	10-Jun-00
HM	Curtis Hall	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-2/195	26-Apr-00
HM	Toni Utunen	D	LeKi (Fin 2)	5-11/175	27-Apr-00
HM	Riley Damiani	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-10/165	20-Mar-00
HM	Cole Fonstad	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	5-10/160	24-Apr-00
HM	Pavel Gogolev	RW	Peterborough (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Feb-00
HM	Jan Jenik	RW	Benatky nad Jizerou (Cze 2)	6-1/165	15-Sep-00
HM	Daniel Kurovsky	LW	Vitkovice (Cze)	6-4/200	4-Mar-98
HM	Luka Burzan	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/185	7-Jan-00
HM	Eric Florchuk	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-1/175	10-Jan-00
HM	David Levin	C	Sudbury (OHL)	5-10/180	16-Sep-99
HM	Chase Wouters	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	5-11/180	8-Feb-00
HM	Justus Annunen	G	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	6-4/215	11-Mar-00
HM	Seth Barton	D	Trail (BCHL)	6-2/175	18-Aug-99
HM	Declan Chisholm	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/185	12-Jan-00
HM	Paul Cotter	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-0/190	16-Nov-99
HM	Caleb Everett	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-2/185	20-Jan-00
HM	Johnny Gruden	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/175	4-May-00
HM	Jordan Harris	D	Kimball Union (USHS-NH)	5-11/175	7-Jul-00
HM	Michael Kesselring	D	New Hampton School (USHS-NH)	6-4/185	13-Jan-00
HM	Juuso Ketola	D	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	5-11/210	18-Mar-00
HM	Jackson Leppard	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/200	18-Jan-00
HM	Scott Perunovich	D	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	5-10/170	18-Aug-98
HM	Ivan Prosvetov	G	Youngstown (USHL)	6-4/175	5-Mar-99
HM	Tyler Weiss	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-10/160	3-Jan-00
HM	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	Rimouski (QMJHL)	5-9/175	11-Aug-00

Cole Fonstad – McKeen's Hockey

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1st)

Saskatoon Blades (2nd)

Prince Albert Raiders (3rd)

Brandon Wheat Kings (4th)

Moose Jaw Warriors (5th)

Regina Pats (6th)

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1st)

Edmonton Oil Kings (2nd)

Medicine Hat Tigers (3rd)

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4th)

Red Deer Rebels (5th)

Swift Current Broncos (6th)

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

Montreal Canadiens Prospect System Overview

2018 NHL Draft Review: Atlantic Division

World U18 Team Preview: Canada

McKeen’s 2018 NHL Draft Ranking – April 2018 – Top 125

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

WHL: Cole Fonstad (2018 Draft Eligible)

2018 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Mid Season Rankings – Top 100 plus Honourable Mentions

Winnipeg ICE (1^st)

Saskatoon Blades (2^nd)

Prince Albert Raiders (3^rd)

Brandon Wheat Kings (4^th)

Moose Jaw Warriors (5^th)

Regina Pats (6^th)

Calgary Hitmen (1^st)

Edmonton Oil Kings (2^nd)

Medicine Hat Tigers (3^rd)

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4^th)

Red Deer Rebels (5^th)

Swift Current Broncos (6^th)