Connor Dewar – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 11:39:17 +0000

SAINT PAUL, MN - FEBRUARY 17: Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) shoots the puck while being defended by Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) during the NHL game between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild, on February 17th, 2023, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Wild are enduring a nightmare cap situation with the decision to buy out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter leaving the Wild with roughly $12.8 million in dead space in 2022-23. It’s hard to remain competitive under those conditions, but Minnesota ended up being solid with a 46-25-11 record. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson deserves a good share of the credit. In his first season out of Ottawa, the 24-year-old (25 now) posted a 22-9-7 record, 2.10 GAA and .931 save percentage in 39 outings. Veteran Marc-Andre Fleury wasn’t as good, but he was at least solid, and the combination resulted in Minnesota allowing the sixth fewest goals per game (2.67). The Wild sorely lacked scoring depth, but Kirill Kaprizov’s 40 goals and 75 points, complemented by Mats Zuccarello, Matt Boldy and Joel Eriksson Ek each recording at least 60 points, was enough to take advantage of the expert goaltending on most nights. What it wasn’t enough for was to push the Wild forward in the playoffs, though, and they consequently were ousted in the first round by Dallas.

What’s Changed? Very little, thanks to Minnesota’s cap situation. Defenseman Matt Dumba and enforcer Ryan Reaves left as free agents. Meanwhile, the Wild acquired bottom-six forward Patrick Maroon from Tampa Bay.

What would success look like? With Suter and Parise’s cap burden swelling to a combined $14.7 million this year, the Wild will once again be at a competitive disadvantage. Still, goaltender Gustavsson and forwards Eriksson Ek, Kaprizov and Boldy are young, positioning Minnesota to have a solid core for years to come. The Wild’s awkward cap situation runs through 2024-25, but after that they’ll be able to make major additions at a time when their core is in its prime. In the meantime, this is largely the same group that got them to the playoffs last year, so a similar outcome in 2023-24 wouldn’t be absurd.

What could go wrong? Though perhaps too much is resting on Gustavsson’s shoulders. He’s only played in 66 career NHL games, and not every goaltender who looks great at first goes on to have a strong career. If he regresses, that would be a huge problem because Fleury, who will turn 39 in November, shouldn’t be counted on to start regularly at this point. As it is, there’s no guarantee he’ll even be a good backup given his age.

Top Breakout Candidate: Although Minnesota had four players last year with at least 60 points, no one else on the team reached even the 40-point milestone. The Wild desperately need secondary scoring and Marco Rossi might be able to provide that. He’s been limited to an assist in 21 career NHL games, but Rossi has a lot of offensive upside and shined in the AHL last season, scoring 16 goals and 51 points in 53 outings. He should get a long look during training camp as a middle-six option.

Forwards

Kirill Kaprizov - LW

For the Minnesota Wild to have one of the most exciting players in the NHL, it’s a rare treat for their fans and for fans around the league. In just his third season, Kirill Kaprizov dazzled by piling up goals by the bucketload. He had his second straight 40-goal season by putting 40 up on the nose. His 75-point season was a drop from the 108 he had the year before, but he also missed 15 games because of a lower-body injury. Kaprizov led the Wild in goals and points for the third consecutive year and because of his outrageous ability to create offense, he’s hands down the Wild’s most important player. Minnesota was 23rd in the NHL in goals scored and Kaprizov accounted for 16.7 percent of them and nearly a third of their total offense. The Wild had strong goaltending and defense, but they had only a few players capable of finishing with regularity (four players had 20 or more goals). Kaprizov’s regular success since entering the NHL shows he can continue to do it and it’s clear the Wild absolutely need him to keep it up. While he and Mats Zuccarello were regularly together, Ryan Hartman’s injury hurt their overall production. A healthy Hartman should help Kaprizov make a run at the century mark once again.

Joel Eriksson Ek - C

The Wild’s outstanding two-way center was having a huge season for a team that was eager to make noise in the postseason, but ultimately, Joel Eriksson Ek’s season was derailed in April because he broke his leg blocking a shot late in the regular season. Eriksson Ek had 23 goals and a career-high 61 points last season in 78 games. Eriksson Ek attempted to return in Game 3 of their first round series against Dallas but lasted 19 seconds before departing for good. He ultimately needed surgery for the broken leg and will be ready for training camp and the regular season. Eriksson Ek has built up his offensive game steadily over his career, increasing his output each season since he entered the league in 2016-2017. The bar is set high for him now after his performance last season, but he teamed up mostly with Marcus Foligno and Matt Boldy last season, the latter of whom was third on the Wild in goals and points. A healthy Eriksson Ek will be vital to them returning to the postseason and improving their success therein. He’s vital to their 5-on-5 play, of course, but also to their power play and penalty kill. Do-it-all players like Eriksson Ek are the difference makers in the playoffs.

Matt Boldy - LW

While Kirill Kaprizov gets most of the attention in Minnesota, Matt Boldy is their other young star player who gives fans the most hope of a Stanley Cup down the road. In his second season in nearly twice as many games, Boldy scored 31 goals and had 63 points. He was third on the team in both categories and eight of his goals came on the power play. The Wild believe in Boldy in a big way. They signed him to a seven-year, $49 million extension in January and based on the numbers he put up, it was a heads-up move by GM Bill Guerin because further 30-goal seasons (or more) would’ve made that price a lot more uncomfortable. At 22 years old, Boldy is the key young player for the Wild. As good as Kaprizov is, he’s 26 years old after coming over from Russia. Boldy, the 12th pick in the 2019 draft, was one of the Wild’s top performers in possession and expected goal percentage at 5-on-5. While that’s not surprising for a player that had the kind of success he did, for a player at his age it’s beyond encouraging to see that he’s already among the best on the team. His career is just getting started, but the future for him is very bright.

Ryan Hartman - RW

An upper-body injury wreaked havoc on Ryan Hartman last season. In 59 games, he had 15 goals and 37 points. After putting up 34 goals and 65 points two years ago, the injury sidetrack was a tough blow for him and the Wild alike. Hartman plays a rugged, physical game and is a menace all over the ice, particularly around the net in the offensive zone. Despite missing 23 games after getting injured in a fight, he was second on the team in penalty minutes (90) which affirms how much he’s able to get under the skin of opposing players. Hartman’s physical nature is needed as the center between Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello because those two players aren’t out there to throw the body and get nasty. Hartman handles the dirty work, and he does it well and gets rewarded for it by cashing in on points. Hartman’s become a de facto No. 1 center because he’s most found between those two players. With Marco Rossi potentially on the way to the NHL this season, things could change up the middle for Minnesota’s forward units, but after the consistent success Hartman has had, it would take significant improvement from Rossi to unseat him.

Mats Zuccarello - C

It’s hard to find players as consistently strong offensively as Mats Zuccarello. The 35-year-old Norwegian was second on the Wild with 67 points. Zuccarello is a solid even strength scorer, but he’s also dynamite on the power play. He had nine goals and 29 points on the man advantage last season, and he averaged more than 20 minutes of ice time per game playing on the Wild’s top line. His production was a bit down compared to two years ago, but considering his age and that he had a career-high 79 points then, that he was still one of the team’s top scorers and vital to their success, it says everything you need to know about him. He teamed up on a line with Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman (as well as Sam Steel in Hartman’s injury absence) and that group drove Minnesota’s offense throughout the season. While Kaprizov and Hartman do more damage scoring goals, Zuccarello excels at setting them up to score. It’s hard to think coach Dean Evason would break that trio up this season, but if Marco Rossi makes a strong case in training camp or throughout the season, things could change. That said, the chemistry those three players have is outstanding and that goes a long way to helping set the lines. This season is a contract year for Zuccarello, and he’ll be 36 once it begins. He’ll have a lot to play for every year from here on out until he retires.

Marcus Johansson - RW

A return to Minnesota was just the thing Marcus Johansson needed to rejuvenate his game. Johansson began last season with Washington, but the Wild re-acquired him around the trade deadline and in 20 games in Minnesota he posted 18 points including six goals. Overall, he had 46 points in 80 games between the Capitals and Wild, but his play to close out the season with Minnesota earned him a new two-year, $4 million contract to stay put. Johansson was last in Minnesota in 2020 after he was acquired in a trade with Buffalo. He played 36 games in the COVID-19-shortened season and put up 14 points in 36 games and later departed for Seattle in free agency. But his return to the Twin Cities lit a fire under him and he also contributed two goals in the Wild’s six-game series loss to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs. His offensive abilities are strong, and he gives the Wild key depth they’ll need to keep up with the other playoff contenders in the West. Johansson played well on a line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy and it stands to reason he’ll be back with them again when the season begins. Johansson will turn 33 this season so his veteran presence is important, but they’ll need him to help spur Boldy to more goals and help on the power play even more this year.

Marcus Foligno - LW

Although he’s not the captain of the team, there’s little doubt that one of the Wild’s strongest on-ice leaders is Marcus Foligno. “Moose” takes care of business on the ice by chipping in with the occasional well-timed goal but also by delivering punishing hits and the occasional fight to fire his teammates up. He had seven goals and 21 points in 65 games last season (lower-body injuries caused him to miss games throughout the year) but he led the Wild with 237 hits which placed him in the top-15 in the NHL in that category. He also led the team with 97 penalty minutes. While that’s not the kind of category you want a player to lead, his penalties were generally crimes of effort because of the physical nature. Two seasons ago, Foligno had a career year with 23 goals and 42 points and assuredly the Wild would love to see him return to that kind of form, but he’ll need good health to allow for that possibility. He teamed up most often with Joel Eriksson Ek last season as well as Jordan Greenway before he was traded to Buffalo. This season he may wind up on a line with Frederick Gaudreau depending on how things shake out. One thing that’s for sure is whoever he’s on a line with can reap the benefits of having one of the league’s hardest working players leading the way.

Frederick Gaudreau - C

One of Minnesota’s most pleasant stories the past two seasons has centered around Frederick Gaudreau. When the Wild signed him as a free agent in the summer of 2021, he just finished his fourth NHL season after a year in Pittsburgh and three previously in Nashville with plenty of time spent in the AHL as well. Since becoming a regular with the Wild, he’s scored 33 goals and has 82 points in 158 games. He set a career high with 19 goals last season and finished with 38 points. His first season in Minnesota saw him put up 44 points. Playing as a third line center, Gaudreau has found a home in Minnesota and a role as the ultimate versatile forward. He played most of his minutes last season with Matt Boldy but also carved up equal amounts of time with Mats Zuccarello, Kirill Kaprizov, Jordan Greenway, Brandon Duhaime, and others. Having a player like that who can step in between any two wingers and be able to be productive and not a detriment is desperately needed for any team in the league. The Wild having Gaudreau score 35-to-45 points while being that guy helps steady their lineup in general, but he particularly makes their middle-or-bottom-six more potent offensively.

Brandon Duhaime - RW

When Brandon Duhaime arrived in the NHL two seasons ago, he announced his presence with physical authority delivering hits and racking up penalty minutes. Last season, things calmed down a bit but a lot of that was due to unfortunate upper-body injuries that held him to 51 games. In that time, he had nine goals and one assist but still managed to pile up 146 hits and 42 penalty minutes. When you consider he had 122 PIM and 201 hits in 80 games in his rookie season the year before, it’s easy to identify which part of the game was missing from the Wild lineup. Duhaime’s feisty play fed Minnesota’s energy lines where he teamed up most often with Conor Dewar, Ryan Reaves, and Frederick Gaudreau. The message was clear when he took a shift: it was time to stir the game up and raise the temperature a few degrees. As he enters his third season, he’s hopeful the injury issues will be behind him so he can contribute regularly and give the Wild more of the physical element they’re looking for deeper in their lineup. Duhaime has no reluctance to get involved and it’s made him a favorite among the fan base.

Pat Maroon - LW

The Wild’s six-game ouster from the postseason to Dallas last year sent a message that was clear as day to read: They needed a spark. They were pushed around by the Stars and often outclassed despite it being a six-game series and to address that they brought in a Stanley Cup champion ringer in Pat Maroon. After winning the Cup three seasons in a row with St. Louis and twice with Tampa Bay, Maroon will try to bring that good fortune with him to St. Paul where the Wild could use a hearty injection of his gamesmanship and grit. Last season with Tampa Bay, Maroon had five goals and 14 points but led the NHL with 150 penalty minutes. He also posted 172 hits and while hits aren’t a lacking category on the Wild with the likes of Marcus Foligno and Brandon Duhaime among others, Maroon’s play helps establish the tone. The Wild didn’t trade for Maroon as a means to reinvent the wheel so to speak, but rather to give them a third- or fourth-line winger who can contribute and knows what it takes to go all the way and that’s a book full of lessons the Wild need to desperately study.

Defense

Jonas Brodin - D

When it comes to defensive defensemen, Jonas Brodin stands out among them as one of the most respected in the league. While Brodin can help with the offensive game, it’s how he handles himself and opponents when he’s on the ice that makes him special. He’s always tasked with the toughest matchups and must fend off the league’s most ferocious scorers, game in and game out. Brodin missed 22 games last season and had three goals and 14 points last season which was a down year for him. In recent years, 20-to-30 points has been a more likely outcome, but he can partially be excused thanks to injury. Still, his 0.23 points per game as his lowest output since 2018-2019. All that said, Brodin was the Wild’s best defenseman in shot attempt percentage and was second best in expected goal percentage. Steady is what teams want from defensemen and the Wild are ecstatic that Brodin is nothing but steady. He averaged the most time on-ice per game on the roster and as he goes, so does Minnesota’s defense. Being solid defensively doesn’t often make the highlight reels, but Brodin is exceptional in his ability.

Jared Spurgeon - D

The Minnesota Wild captain showed why he earned the “C” on his jersey with how he handles the blue line. His 34 points was the best among Wild defensemen as were his 11 goals. Spurgeon has always had a strong offensive game throughout his career and his point total fell in line almost perfectly with his career output. In six of the past seven seasons, he’s scored 30-or-more points and that one outlier season was the COVID-19-shortened 2020-2021 season and he still had 25 points that year. Spurgeon is the guy that once owned the power play but now he’s become their penalty killing stalwart thanks to the arrival of Calen Addison. That said, he’s still getting time on the power play just on a support unit instead of the main group. He averaged nearly 22 minutes of ice time per game last season and got Lady Byng votes because he only had 14 penalty minutes. Spurgeon’s all-around play is outstanding and even though he’s not exactly a large-sized player at 5’9” 166 pounds, he performs in a big way. The Wild count on him in a big way and that he paired up almost exclusively with Jacob Middleton last season, he’s got a partner who will do a lot of the dirty work needed to free him up to create offensively when needed.

Calen Addison - D

Trading Jason Zucker was not an easy move for the Wild back in February 2020, but that they came away with the Pittsburgh Penguins’ top prospect at the time turned out to be a big win because Calen Addison has lived up to his scouting reports. Addison got his first full-season taste of the NHL last season after splitting time between the AHL and NHL the previous two and put up 29 points including three goals in 62 games. Addison’s skill as a puck mover was well evident in his play and how he was able to conduct himself as the Wild’s No. 1 power play quarterback was strong as the Wild had the No. 15 power play in the league and scored 21.4 percent of the time. What the Wild hope to see out of Addison this season is a guy who’s grown into his skin and the roles he’ll move ahead with on the team. He showed savvy and confidence in how he handled the puck last season, but after getting the first real season under his belt, they’ll bank on him to be a lead puck mover in all situations and to improve upon his all-around numbers on the power play and ideally give the Wild a power play to be feared across the league.

Goaltending

Filip Gustavsson - G

When the Minnesota Wild traded veteran Cam Talbot to the Ottawa Senators and brought in the younger, cheaper Filip Gustavsson, it seemed like a gamble designed just to tide them over until prospect Jesper Wallstedt was ready to go pro. And instead, Gustavsson took the opportunity to prove that sometimes, all a young goaltender needs are a new environment with a little more structure; after putting up one of the worst performances of the rotating carousel of goaltenders Ottawa had trotted out the year prior, Gustavsson put up not just the best performance in Minnesota but one of the best in the entire league.

Gustavsson boasts a litany of prototypical Swedish goaltending traits, preferring to push across the crease from his knees and staying in motion rather than setting and trying to maintain good mental rhythm without physical accompaniment. But while he struggled not to show his hand too early during his stint in Ottawa, the more structured environment of Minnesota’s goaltending situation helped to give the young NHLer a chance to establish better harmony with his defense and look more at home holding his feet instead of giving himself away. He looked more in control of the space he occupied in the blue paint during his time with the Wild last year, and the reliability of his game – he doesn’t seem to try to do too much, even when things get chaotic around the net – helped elevate the team’s play in front of him, too. With Marc-Andre Fleury creeping closer to 40 and the team likely needing to limit the future Hall of Famer’s starts more in the coming year, the real test will be to see just how well Gustavsson can replicate his successes from last season as the likely de facto number one for the Central Division club.

Projected starts: 50-55

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – NHL Player Profiles

Joe Yerdon – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:58:24 +0000

ST. LOUIS, MO - APRIL 16: Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy (12) starts to turn up ice during a game between the Minnesota Wild and the St. Louis Blues on April 16, 2022, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis MO (Photo by Rick Ulreich/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Kirill Kaprizov

A lot of players after a monster rookie season will have the infamous “sophomore slump” but then again, most players aren’t Kirill Kaprizov. The 25-year-old Russian built upon his Calder-winning season by scoring 47 goals and 108 points. That point total made him fifth in the NHL and his goal total tied him with Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor for fifth best. Kaprizov set Wild team records for goals, assists (61), and points in a season and set the team record for most even strength goals (33) along with Ryan Hartman. Kaprizov was also the best forward when it comes to possession with a 53.6 CF% at 5-on-5, as only defenseman Jared Spurgeon (55.4) was better. Unsurprisingly, Kaprizov was the most dangerous player on the power play leading the team with 14 goals and 31 points. To call him a difference-maker since joining the Wild would be a vast understatement. He’s a legit top-10 player in the NHL and one of its elite scorers. The questions now are how long he can perform at this level, and can he exceed what he accomplished last season. He’s already a challenger for both the Rocket Richard and Art Ross trophies and gunning for the Hart Trophy comes naturally with those. Expect him to be in all those conversations this season.

Mats Zuccarello

It’s rare to see a player have the best season of their career after turning 30, but at 34 that’s precisely what Mats Zuccarello did. He was third on the Wild with 79 points including 24 goals. Zuccarello teamed up with Kaprizov and Hartman to have, perhaps, one of the most unexpected offensive explosions by a line in the NHL. Early in his career with the New York Rangers, Zuccarello was a steady offensive player capable of scoring 45-60 points per season. His first season with Minnesota was disappointing comparably, but the past two seasons has seen him produce at the best rates of his career (0.83 and 1.13 points per game). Teaming him up with Kaprizov likely has a lot to do with that jump, if not everything, but it’s still better than almost every other season he’s played in the NHL. That doesn’t generally happen for players past age 30, never mind their mid-30s. What benefits him most is he’s a naturally smart player on offense and has tremendous vision for passing as well as a sky-high hockey IQ. His size was something always used as a reason why he wouldn’t have success, but at 5-foot-8, 184 pounds he’s proved that size doesn’t always mean results.

Joel Eriksson Ek

The 25-year-old from Sweden has become one of the better defensive forwards in the league. Eriksson Ek was the Wild’s first round pick (20th) in 2015 and the improvement in his game over the past five seasons has been as impressive as it is noticeable. He set career-highs in goals (26), assists (23), and points (49) and was the smallest player on his line with Marcus Foligno and Jordan Greenway. Mind you, Eriksson Ek is 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds. He was third on the team in key advanced statistics with a 53.2 CF% and 56.9 xG%. Eriksson Ek fits in well with his linemates because, like them, he’s unafraid to throw his body around. He was fourth in hits with 138 behind Foligno (238), Brandon Duhaime (201), and Greenway (155) respectively. Physicality is contagious, but to have it come from what’s essentially the No. 2 scoring line makes them a rare team the way the NHL is played these days. Most teams will have fast-skating or overly agile lines with finishing ability, the Wild instead have a line that will punish opponents physically and drop the gloves if needed and it’s Eriksson Ek who drives the line in all those facets.

Ryan Hartman

In the seven seasons prior to last season, Ryan Hartman never scored more than 20 goals or had more than 31 points in a single season. To say that his 34-goal, 65-point season came out of nowhere is beyond true. Even in his two years previous with the Wild there was never any kind of hint this kind of outburst was possible, never mind likely. What stands out about it is that it’s the first time he played center in a full-time basis meaning, like Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, an unexpected position change turned Hartman into a goal-scoring dynamo. What helped Hartman’s scoring explode was how he shot 14.2 percent on 239 shots, career-highs in both categories as well. Is regression likely to hit hard? Probably. In his other seasons, the highest shot percentage he posted was 11.2 percent in his first full NHL season with Chicago. Normally he’s been between 8-10 percent. That said, in no other season did he play with offense drivers like Kaprizov and Zuccarello. That Hartman is a dogged forechecker with a willingness to hit, it gives him an element to his game that his linemates Kaprizov and Zuccarello lack and plenty of reasons to watch and see if he can continue to be an offensive factor.

Matthew Boldy

The anticipation that surrounded the eventual arrival of Matthew Boldy to the NHL was at a high level in the Twin Cities and when he made it to the Wild, the wait was worth it. In 47 games, Boldy posted 15 goals and 39 points and is poised to become a serious point producer from here out. The 21-year-old was the 12th overall pick in the 2019 Draft and signed with the Wild after he finished his sophomore season at Boston College in 2021. After 24 total games in the AHL in the past two seasons, his move to the NHL happened at a rapid pace, but sometimes players just need to be where they’ll flourish best. At 6-foot-2, 201 pounds, Boldy has an NHL build. He also has the kind of vision and play-making ability to improve everyone around him. He also excels at helping creating scoring chances. Boldy posted a 57 percent expected goals rate, behind only Foligno. What will be curious to watch is where Boldy factors into the lineup. It would appear their top two lines from last season are back, and Kevin Fiala–who was traded to Los Angeles–was the other winger on Boldy’s line with Frederick Gaudreau. That will put the onus on coach Dean Evason to find ways to get Boldy more involved.

Marcus Foligno

In his first 10 NHL seasons, Marcus Foligno never broke the 20-goal mark, nor had he scored 30 points in a season. Last season he was able to check off both accomplishments with a 23-goal, 42-point campaign. He also never had a season with more than 100 penalty minutes either until he had 112 last year. Through his career with Buffalo and Minnesota, 30-year-old Foligno has always been a physical player who thrives on throwing the body and wearing down opponents in the process, but he’s never been the kind of offense driver he was last season. Foligno isn’t a prolific shooter. He’s never had more than 100 shots in a season, although he came close last year with 98. All this does is make it impossible to predict how he’ll score by examining his shooting percentage. Where Foligno does a lot of damage is in close to the net cleaning up rebounds and pouncing on pucks down low. His 23.5 percent shooting last season was highest in the NHL and was down four percent from the previous season. Even with all those physical numbers, his possession numbers were still strong with a 52.5 CF%, He also led the team with a 57.8 xG% which exemplifies how he's getting scoring chances in quality areas consistently while also not being on the ice for many against him. With his play style and willingness to stand up for teammates, he’s very much the heart and soul of the Wild.

Frederick Gaudreau

The Wild were a team that thrived on players having productive seasons out of the blue. Another such player was center Frederick Gaudreau. The 29-year-old from Quebec earned a spot on the Wild out of training camp and took full advantage of it and posted a career-year with 14 goals and

44 points. It was Gaudreau’s first season playing entirely in the NHL, and he earned his way onto the third line where he teamed up with Kevin Fiala and Matthew Boldy to give the Wild a third line with equal parts skill and speed. At 6-feet tall and 179 pounds, Gaudreau is a deft skater who uses forechecking to get the puck back when his line doesn’t have it. He also carved out a consistent role with the team by being solid on special teams. Gaudreau had three points on the power play and was one of their regular players on the penalty kill. Although special teams were not one of their strongest areas, Gaudreau’s penalty kill numbers, respectively, were good. If he can build on his solid play from last year, chances are strong he’ll be able to improve his stats as well.

Jordan Greenway

As part of one of the biggest, most physical lines in the NHL that can also fill the net, Jordan Greenway casts an imposing shadow. At 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, he’s the definition of what a power forward is built like and is a tenacious forechecker as well as a physically punishing player. He hits a lot, and he hits hard. His 155 hits last season was third-best on the Wild behind Foligno and Duhaime who each had more than 200 apiece. Greenway averaged 14:34 in ice time last season and his numbers differ from his linemates Foligno and Eriksson Ek because he doesn’t get much, if any, time on special teams. Greenway is out there to wear teams down at even strength and to intimidate opponents to keep them from winning too many puck battles in corners and along the boards. Even though descriptions like that don’t sound flattering to his offensive abilities, he can add points too. He had 27 points last season, five off his career high, and his 10 goals were two shy of his career-high 12. With the way his line plays and the fact Foligno has made a living crashing the net in Minnesota, it stands to reason Greenway could scrum his way into more goals.

Tyson Jost

The 24-year-old forward and No. 10 pick from the 2016 NHL Draft was a late-season acquisition from the Colorado Avalanche which sent Nico Sturm to Denver. As a one-for-one deal it was a means of getting two players a new setting to turn things around. In 21 games with Minnesota, Jost’s first impressions were OK with two goals and four assists. In all 80 games with the Wild and Avalanche he totaled eight goals and 12 assists. His 20 points are in line with how he’s performed in his previous four-plus seasons. Unfortunately, his average ice time per game has dipped slowly since then. His 12:51 per game with the Wild wasn’t great but was nearly a minute-and-a-half more than Sturm played and two-plus minutes more than others who were regular players like Duhaime and Nick Bjugstad. With a fresh training camp with Minnesota there’s an opportunity for Jost to grab a spot on the third or fourth line and perhaps be the latest Wild player to break out. With Kevin Fiala gone to L.A., there’s a spot up for grabs next to Gaudreau and Boldy, presumably, and Jost’s junior and college career showed he has skill to fill the net. If he can reclaim that ability the Wild would be even more dangerous in the Western Conference.

DEFENSE

Jared Spurgeon

The Minnesota Wild captain thrived last season. Known best for his puck handling ability, and he used that to become their best all-around threat from the blue line. He had 40 points, with 10 of those goals, to be the top scorer on defense. He also led defensemen in key advanced statistical measures with a 55.4 CF% and a 56.4 xG% at 5-on-5. To be a player that unites both old-school and new-school types means doing a lot of everything right. Spurgeon’s 40-point season was his best since 2018-2019 when he had a career-high 43 points and by reaching 10 goals it marked the fifth time he hit double figures in the category. Spurgeon split time among two different partners on the blue line in Alex Goligoski and Jacob Middleton. With Goligoski he had a CF% of nearly 59 percent. But after Middleton was acquired from San Jose at the trade deadline the two were paired up quite often and his possession numbers were below 48 percent. Of course, Middleton’s main strength isn’t exactly puck carrying. It’s tough to believe those two would remain a pairing with those results, but the Wild offense scored almost twice as many goals as allowed at 5-on-5 (15-8) when they were together. Maintaining production and giving Spurgeon a partner that doubles as a bodyguard can be appealing.

Jonas Brodin

All Jonas Brodin does game in, and game out is play superb defense. That’s a big undersell for one of the most under-appreciated blue liners in the NHL. Brodin led the Wild in average ice time per game clocking in at 23:26 per game. He piles on the minutes because he’s their No. 1 defenseman at 5-on-5, their top defender on the penalty kill, and worked the second power play unit. It resulted in him having a career-high in points with 30, seven on the power play. At 29 years old, Brodin is as steady as can be but at a very high level. He paired up with Matt Dumba almost exclusively last season, but also had Dmitry Kulikov when Dumba missed time. His possession numbers were slightly higher with Kulikov than Dumba, but Brodin and Dumba were excellent in keeping scoring chances reduced. In general, Brodin was solid in advanced numbers. At 5-on-5 he had a 52.5 CF% (third-best among Wild defensemen) and his 55.5 xG% was second only to Jared Spurgeon on defense. A big reason for that is how well Brodin handles the puck in general as well as under pressure. Expect him to again be the rock upon which the Wild defense is built.

Matt Dumba

This will be a season to watch Matt Dumba closely because he can become an unrestricted free agent in July. Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin are already locked in long-term and the Wild have the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts causing them cap pain for the next few seasons. The Wild added defense prospect Brock Faber in the Fiala trade and Calen Addison is knocking on the door. The Wild love Dumba but it’s fair to ask if this will be his final season in Minnesota or if he’ll even finish the season there. As one of the Wild’s jack-of-all-trades defenders, the one thing that got in Matt Dumba’s way last season was injury. A trio of injuries, two upper-body and one lower, caused him to miss 23 games, but during the 59 he did suit up he did well. He put up seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points with five coming on the power play. Since he spent nearly 90 percent of his 5-on-5 time with Brodin, there was plenty of ice time and Dumba averaged 23:06 per game. It was the sixth straight season Dumba averaged 20 or more minutes a game. Dumba plays in all situations and shows consistently how his steady game can cool down excited situations in the defensive zone. His heavy shot from the point can provide an option on offense as well. If this is it for him in Minnesota, the Wild know they’d be losing someone important.

Jacob Middleton

The allure of a tough player in the NHL will always attract fans, GMs, and coaches alike and that’s what makes Jacob Middleton so popular. Standing 6-foot-3 and 219 pounds, Middleton is a certified big guy and his penchant for using it to wear opponents down and give a bit of protection for his defense partners makes him an attractive player. Minnesota acquired him at the trade deadline last season from San Jose in exchange for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and put him right to work with Jared Spurgeon. While their skill sets and sizes couldn’t be more different, he was brought in almost specifically with Spurgeon in mind.At nearly 27 years old, it took Middleton a few seasons to crack through to the NHL being stuck in what was a loaded Sharks system. But there he saw plenty of time providing a physical balance on a pairing with Erik Karlsson. Middleton isn’t a point-getter. In the AHL he maxed out at 28 points in 67 games with AHL San Jose back in 2017-2018. He’s also not even a tough guy in the classic sense because he’s never eclipsed 100 PIM in a season going back to his junior hockey days. But his strength comes in being smart about throwing hits (he had 118 between the Sharks and Wild last season) and not backing down from a fight (11 career fighting majors through 80 NHL games). Expect to hear more about Middleton as the season goes on.

GOALTENDING

Marc-Andre Fleury

It’s hard to say just what Minnesota is going to get this year – and it might be even harder, if possible, to root against them. They’ll enter the 2022-23 season with veteran Marc-Andre Fleury – who, with Mike Smith out in Edmonton, will be the second-oldest goaltender in the league – as their clear starter, fresh off a bizarre whirlwind year that saw him dealt to the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks and forced to make his case on the ice in order to earn a move to the playoff-bound Wild mid-season.

Fleury will be 38-years old by the time the season is over, and the story remains the same as it has been for the last four years. As one of the NHL’s most high-octane and reflex-driven goaltenders, his game will only thrive if he’s able to continue playing at the level he’s been at for the last eighteen years. He’s only as good as his most dynamic saves, and he can only post those when he’s able to perform at an elite level for a full sixty minutes. With every passing season, the wear and tear he’s sustained – his 939 career regular season NHL games are seventh among goaltenders all-time – make it riskier to bet on him continuing to achieve that goal from a technical standpoint. But despite that, he’s managed to defy the odds each and every passing season; he likely can’t pull off a 70-game season without hitting a lull, but he managed to even post quality numbers behind the free-falling Blackhawks until they dealt him to the Wild within the Division. He continues to have some magical level of youth that keeps him pushing smoothly through his crease and out into the slot, although he’s managed to rein in some of his tendencies to over-slide and get set out near the hashmarks. And ultimately, eighteen years in the NHL – behind lottery-worthy teams and Stanley Cup contenders alike – have gifted Fleury with incredible instincts. He knows his limitations at this point enough to know when to pull out all the stops and when to make the simpler save, and that seems to have left him capable of preserving his energy enough to keep his teams in games even when everyone expects him to finally bow out. The real question, it seems, isn’t if he’s still got life left – it’s simply if he has enough life left to get the Wild through a deep playoff run this year.

Projected starts: 60-65

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: MINNESOTA WILD – RANK: #6- TIER II

McKeen's Hockey — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 23:28:43 +0000

Minnesota Wild

#6 Minnesota - The Minnesota system thins out after the top 11, but the Wild place five in our top 100, including four first rounders from the past three drafts.

Marco Rossi of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Matthew Boldy

Another future star former member of the USNTDP class of 2019, Boldy’s slow first half of his freshman season at Boston College has since been long forgotten on the back of a stellar second half to that year and a sophomore campaign that put all doubts to rest – not only with the school, but in a star turn with Team USA at the WJC. A chameleonic winger, Boldy can play in a multitude of styles, making him able to provide his team with whatever they need in a given game situation. He can kill penalties, he can dominate on the power play, and he can take over shifts at even strength. And while he isn’t a naturally aggressive player, if the opposition wants to play rough, Boldy has the strength to handle it, and he doesn’t back down.

He has also occasionally shown that he can play up the middle, too. He can finish chances or set them up for linemates. He can plant himself in front of the opponent’s net, and still handle the puck as if he had yards of space around him. He turned pro after his collegiate season ended and put up an amazing 18 points in 14 AHL games, making it very hard for the Wild to avoid calling him up to the NHL. There should be nothing holding him back from an NHL job this year, starting in a depth role and working his way up to his rightful place on a first line. - RW

Marco Rossi

Saying that the 2020/21 season did not go according to plan for the young Austrian would be an extreme understatement. In a year where the COVID pandemic disrupted hockey leagues around the globe (including Rossi’s former playing spot, the OHL), Rossi lived firsthand through the repercussions of the deadly virus. Rossi fought for his life after contracting COVID and missed the majority of the season; his hockey career secondary to winning a different kind of battle.

Now, thankfully, on the mend, Rossi has recently returned to the ice in hopes of preparing for a return during the 2021/22 season. The 9th overall selection in the 2020 draft will be brought along extremely cautiously, likely eventually playing for Iowa or even spending the year in the Swiss NL near home. While his timeline has likely been disrupted (once thought to have been possibly the most NHL ready prospect in the 2020 draft), Rossi is still a potentially dominant two-way top six center who can be a long-time impact player for the Wild. His work ethic is legendary and if there is a prospect capable of bouncing back strong, it is Rossi. With his tenacity, IQ, and skill, it is hard to see him not becoming an NHL player in some capacity. - BO

Jesper Wallstedt

Scouts love size between the pipes, and Wallstedt is a big 6-3”. He covers a lot of the net while retaining above average athleticism and quickness. His ability to read the play and position himself accordingly is practically unheard of in a teenage goalie. He is very technically proficient, and he is good at preventing second opportunities. Even when he can’t stop the play with a save, generally steers rebounds away from trouble spots. He is calm and composed, avoiding wasted movements, which his aforementioned reading ability allows him to do. His play maintains its standard high level when the stakes are highest as well, such as when he put up a .936 save percentage as a 16-year-old helping Sweden win a U18 world Championship, and this year and his performances in this year’s WJC, helping Sweden to a Bronze.

More impressive to me than his performances in a small sample sharing the Swedish crease in international events has been his league play. It is fair to say that perhaps the only teenaged goalie in recent memory to challenge Wallstedt’s SHL performance was Jacob Markstrom back in 2008-09, although at that time, Markstrom had already been drafted. If we limit ourselves to draft eligible netminders, Wallstedt stands alone. No prospect is a sure thing, particularly in net, but Wallstedt is as close as we have seen in a long time. The Minnesota Wild will continue to monitor his progress this upcoming season, where he could stay in Sweden or head to North America to play in the AHL (or even the WHL). Due to his proficient technical abilities, he could move quickly through the system. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Calen Addison

Calen Addison is a fleet-footed defender that has some pretty dynamic offensive qualities. He looks destined to quarterback a powerplay unit at the highest level and is able to push the pace of play by using his feet. His pucks skills and passing skills support his role as an offensive contributor. His shot isn’t the most powerful, but he has improved his release and has good quickness enabling it to get past the first shot blocker.

He has surprisingly good vision and can execute a lot of difficult passes moving the puck against the flow of play. He is an excellent one timer set up man and is willing to attack with his feet if the shooting lane is taken away. His own zone is still a work in progress where his size can affect his ability to get stops. His stick check is key to managing his own zone. Additionally, rather than battle physically for loose pucks, he aims to win foot races by taking great routes to retrieve. This year at the AHL level he was remarkably productive, bolding well for future offensive success at the NHL level where he has already played his first game. - VG

Carson Lambos

Coming into the season, Lambos was billed as, potentially, the top defender available for the 2021 Draft. However, it was a trying season for the former second overall selection in the WHL bantam draft. Due to the delay of the WHL season, Lambos took his talents to Finland to start the year, playing out of the JYP program. While his production was solid (11 points in 13 games with JYP U20, in addition to two games in Liiga), his decision making left some to be desired as he struggled at times to adapt to the larger ice surface. Then, upon returning home for the start of the WHL season, Lambos was limited to only two games with the Winnipeg Ice after undergoing a heart procedure. This same medical procedure prevented him from playing at the Under 18’s. Needless to say, it was a season to forget.

So why was Lambos still a first round selection? Even if this year was trying, Lambos still possesses the talent and potential to be a top three defender at the NHL level. Firstly, Lambos is a strong skater. At 6’1, 200lbs, Lambos has quick feet, giving him solid four-way mobility. Secondly, Lambos is a reliable player in his own end. He plays with his head on a swivel and does not get overly puck focused or miss his assignments. Other than his health, the major concern is his decision making with the puck and overall vision. Under pressure, he does not always move pucks into good spots, failing to identify passing lanes quick enough. Look for his development to take a positive step forward this season in the WHL with Winnipeg, fully healthy and confident that an NHL organization has his best interests at heart. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Jack Peart

Peart split time in his draft year between his local high school – in this case, Grand Rapids High, being named Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey – and Fargo of the USHL. Peart was incredible at the USHL, both in his stint at the beginning of the season, and the end of it, which ended playing against the Chicago Steel for the Clark Cup. Without being a physical specimen or being blessed with a wide array of natural skills, Peart simply does the right thing at the right time, to push his team in the right direction. He is an all-situations defender who reads the game far better than any player whose highest level of experience is 38 total games of USHL action should have any right to. He plays with the poise of a 10-year veteran, shaking the forecheck at the last possible second, ensuring that once he gets the puck up ice for the counterattack, at least one opposing defender is far from the action.

Headed to St. Cloud State, Peart looks like a top three blueliner throughout his prime years. At St. Cloud State, he will hopefully continue to improve some of his physical tools so that they can match his innate feel for the game. Likely more of a long-term project, we at McKeen’s had Peart ranked as a first round caliber player and do feel that he can be a high quality NHL player for the Wild in 3-4 years. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Marat Khusnutdinov

Khusnutdinov's previous season can be defined as average, however it did not come without adversity. He did well while playing in various Russian leagues, but when he was trusted with a first center duty at the World Juniors, he didn't look to be fully ready for that role and could not really be a go-to leader for Team Russia’s top line wingers. To add to that, a shoulder injury late in the season did not allow Khusnutdinov to end it on a high note.

Khusnutdinov is a high-energy speedster who plays a 200-foot game who will need to continue to get stronger in order to play to his strengths at the North American pro level against men. This season he needs to answer many questions and one of them is about his position going forward, as it looks like coaches might view him as a better fit at wing. It might make sense as he is a rather small (yet athletic) player and playmaking is not exactly his strength. Also, his KHL contract ends after this season, so another question still remaining unanswered is if he is willing to further develop in the KHL or will be joining the Wild system already after that. His projection would be that of a middle six forward who can play in many different situations. - VF

Adam Beckman

After a breakout draft-plus-one season in 2019-20, Beckman got a taste of pro hockey last year, getting into nine games with the AHL’s Iowa Wild and posting three goals and five points before being returned to junior and predictably filling the net in the shortened WHL season. Beckman is a late bloomer who has quickly risen up the Wild’s prospect ranks after being a 4^th round pick in 2019.

His best tool is a dangerous release which can beat goalies from distance. An underrated playmaker, Beckman does well to get into positions to get his shot off but benefits from service and will do best paired with a playmaking center and on the powerplay half-boards. He needs to continue to round out his game and improve his skating, but his instincts are sharp, and he protects the puck well, which could help his game transition to the pro level as he adds muscle onto his frame. Beckman projects to play full-time in the AHL this upcoming season but could get into some NHL games if he continues his meteoric progression. - AS

Ryan O'Rourke

Another OHL player granted the exemption to play in the AHL due to the cancelled OHL season was defender Ryan O’Rourke. Being able to test his defensive abilities against professionals, this was a great scenario for him. There were moments where his age and experience were exposed, but for the most part, he looked like he belonged in the league. O’Rourke is a defensive defenseman who makes smart decisions with and without the puck, understanding when to use his stick or physicality to shut down a play. His gap control and defensive awareness are his best assets, making it very difficult on opponents trying to enter the offensive zone or slot, minimizing chances consistently. He will need to continue to improve offensively and become more consistent to avoid being labelled as a stay-at-home defenseman, but there were moments of him displaying greater offensive abilities by starting breakouts, joining the rush and contributing as a power play quarterback. He has great scoring instincts and a big point shot, which could play at the NHL level.

During the season, O’Rourke was given more time on ice, a role on the power play and even some time killing penalties. He did not get overwhelmed and looked confident and comfortable with the added responsibilities. He projects to be a top four defenseman who can contribute on both special teams and be relied on in defensive situations, bringing a physical presence each shift. After playing more than 20 AHL games, he is eligible to return, but he may end up going back to the OHL to work on improving offensively, to reach his full potential. - DK

Alexander Khovanov

Khovanov was loaned to his home KHL team this season by the Wild and even though the coaches there are known for trusting younger players, it wasn't the case with Khovanov. Despite scoring some fancy shootout goals in the KHL games, he was rather quickly demoted to the VHL where he spent almost the whole season. Apparently, the coaches were not satisfied with Khovanov's attitude and could not work with him. He did make the best of it during the season as he was a very consistent performer in the VHL games.

Overall Khovanov has a truly great amount of puck skills and playmaking. He can score some goals too — there is a reason why he was frequently mentioned as not much less talented than Andrei Svechnikov back in the day. A lot of time has passed since then, so it is about time he starts making his game more mature and intensive, as pro hockey can't be played without adding a more consistent physical approach. Next season he is expected to play in the AHL, and his performance will be very indicative of his NHL potential (even though the talent is undoubtedly there). - VF

Daemon Hunt

Hunt battled through injuries in his draft year, and it caused him to slip to the third round in 2020. Now fully healthy, he proved that Minnesota was correct in selecting him as he bounced back strong to be one of the best defenders in the WHL this past season with Moose Jaw. Hunt looks to be a likely bet to become a high end stay at home type in the NHL, but if his offensive development continues to trend upwards, he could play higher in the lineup.

Vladislav Firstov

A hard-working power forward, Firstov has had two solid seasons with the University of Connecticut to start his college career. He has the skill and strength to dominate down low and in traffic, but the Wild will be looking for him to finally get over the point per game mark as a junior this season.

Connor Dewar

A former standout with the Everett Silvertips of the WHL, Dewar had a breakout performance as a second year pro last season, finishing second in scoring for Iowa. A competitive, two-way forward, Dewar has worked hard to improve his skating and projects as a bottom six, high energy player for the Wild.

Marshall Warren

It is still hard to believe that the Wild were able to secure Warren’s rights in the sixth round in 2019. The competitive two-way defender has progressed very well so far in the NCAA with Boston College and will return there for his junior season in 2021/22. Minnesota will be looking for him to become a team leader and one of the better defenders in the conference.

Damien Giroux

A similar player to the aforementioned Dewar, Giroux is also a heart and soul, hardworking, two-way forward who makes up for a lack of physical tools with effort and IQ. He had a solid first pro season with Iowa and projects as a quality bottom six forward and penalty killer for the Wild.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Minnesota Wild Top 20 Prospects

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 12:25:49 +0000

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

Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 1)

Kaprizov is a dual threat with the puck. He has an excellent selection of shots and scoring touch around the net. His wrist shot release is very quick and does not give goalies much time to prepare. His one-timer is hard and accurate, with an effective weight transfer and follow-through. He can also set up his teammates for scoring chances with high end vision. Part of what makes him such a dangerous player is his ability to find soft spots. His movements are calculated in the offensive zone. He thinks the game at a very high level, creatively anticipating and taking advantage of any extra offensive zone room. His puck control in tight quarters is impressive and he has a quick stick in traffic. Kaprizov is a skilled skater with superb edge work and quickness. He can make shifty moves to evade opponents and buy time to make plays. His defensive game is also quite advanced. He uses his stick well to disrupt opponents and he works hard without the puck to regain possession, never quitting. He is a world-class talent with tremendous potential to be an impact player. – MB

Marco Rossi, C (9^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

One of the 2020 draft’s best two-way centers, Rossi has a mature understanding of his defensive responsibilities, and a high skill level, giving him both a high ceiling and a high floor. He pulverized expectations, leading the OHL in scoring before the season was cancelled. The Austrian import showcased a creative side along with explosiveness, strength on the puck, and confidence. He is at his best working the wall, either near the faceoff circle or behind the net. He is consistently first to dump-ins, gaining inside positioning. His lower body is very strong, making him very difficult to separate from the puck. He keeps those feet moving at all times, spinning off checks, while maintaining possession, creating a chance for himself or his linemates, able to make something out of nothing thanks to soft hands. Often the first man back, he leverages everything he has on puck carriers to re-establish possession, applying back pressure and forcing turnovers. His lack of size could be an issue due to his abrasive style of play. A notoriously hard worker, Rossi signed with ZSC in Switzerland and will play there until he makes the NHL roster. – BO

Matthew Boldy, LW (12^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Entering Boston College as a true freshman, Boldy was expected to be an impact player, but faltered, at least on the scoresheet, with only three points through the first half. When he returned from winter break, he went on a tear, putting up points in 15 of the final 21 games played. That stretch included three three-point games and he finished the season with 23 second-half points. Over that stretch, he was the fifth-highest scorer in the country. Because of the first-half slump, Boldy did not put up the numbers he was expected to have. But that should not take away from his attributes. The speed of college hockey can make for a difficult learning curve and it can take many talented freshmen a semester or more to adjust. While Boldy did not show up on the score sheet as much, he still played well - especially for an 18-year-old. He is a very good skater who can power up the ice. He is a great playmaker, thanks in part to his stick handling, his speed and his incredibly soft hands. He projects to be a first liner once he completes his time on campus. - JS

Calen Addison, D (53^rd overall, 2018 [Pittsburgh]. Previous ranking: 3)

Addison’s game revolves around his skating. He was one of the smoothest, and quickest skaters in the WHL last year. His footwork along the blueline is excellent, using his edges to create lanes for shooting or passing. His shot is much improved with both velocity and accuracy. He can step into a big slapshot or a solid one-timer, but his most dangerous shot is a hard wrister that will get past the first defender and onto the net, leading to frequent tips and deflections. His ability to quarterback the offense is impressive, with constant movement, a willingness to push down the wall, and crisp passing ability. Addison would rather hold onto the puck then throw it away and while he occasionally gets caught out, his recovery speed allows him to gamble more than most. Addison can still get a bit overmatched in his own zone, but improved footwork and speed enable him to clear more pucks and generate turnovers. He competes well and uses some of his strengths to manage better in his own zone than in his draft year. - VG

Alexander Khovanov, C (86^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

While Khovanov still struggles with his discipline, he also led Moncton in scoring last season. He is a strong skater, an excellent playmaker, and is willing to take the puck to the house for strong shots in tight and from distance. He is very ferocious offensively, and is willing to run players over to create, but that very fine line still needs harnessing. He currently has an effective game that would allow him to take a regular shift offensively at the NHL level today, but there are still too many ways to take him off his focus. The book on Khovanov as a defender is to nail him hard and it will take him out of the game, as he will be too focused on retribution. That has to change for him to have a strong impact on the game. He will be playing this season in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan, a solid team that can provide him with support and strong veteran leadership. His desire is to ultimately play in the NHL as soon as possible. He could be a superstar at the highest level, but feisty top-line forward is his most likely result. - MS

Adam Beckman, C (75^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Beckman took his offensive game to another level last year, ending as one of the WHL’s top performers. He has fair size and moves very well on the ice. He is quick with everything, including release, forecheck, back check, and transitioning the play out of his own zone. He is comfortable with the puck on his stick and will attack the net from anywhere. He can carry it out of the corner or lead the rush and bury a one timer. His shot is accurate with a great release, giving it enough power to beat goalies from distance and he can also finish in traffic. He is an excellent net front guy who battles while keeping his stick free to make plays. Good hand eye coordination enables him to deflect a lot of pucks when screening the goalie. He doesn’t overhandle and looks to release the puck as soon as he gets into a scoring area. His wrist shot is hard and accurate, and he consistently shoots between the pad and the blocker. There have been real strides in his game each of the past few seasons and if that continues, he could be a worthwhile top six NHL forward. – VG

Ryan O’Rourke, D (39^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A leader at every level, O’Rourke is a reliable two-way defender whose IQ, tenaciousness, and skill level make him a potential top four defender going forward. He took on more responsibility as a puck mover last year, demonstrating improved confidence with the puck and improvements to his skating and overall mobility. Of course, his largest contribution comes in the defensive end. He is an extremely smart defensively and rarely makes a mistake in his own end. He is aggressive physically, and will step up to deny zone entries, picking his spots judiciously. He is great at defending the rush, with tight gaps and angling off defenders to the wall. A great shot blocker, he stays square to shooters and shows little fear. He is quick to pucks in his own end, has a very effective breakout pass and good vision up ice. O’Rourke has a very heavy point shot and does well to sneak back door or jump into the slot to receive passes. His instincts and shooting ability give him some value as a play facilitator, even if he is not a gifted puck rusher. He can anchor a penalty killing unit and be a potential physical shutdown defender. – BO

Marat Khusnutdinov, C (37^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Khusnutdinov is a well-rounded but undersized center. His skating is his best asset, and he can beat you in transition, pushing defenders back with his speed, or using his edgework and quickness to keep plays alive down low. He avoids hits with his agility and quick feet, and is likewise an asset off the puck, chasing down loose pucks, applying pressure on the forecheck, and pushing hard on the backcheck. He can force turnovers routinely. Khusnutdinov is a pass first pivot whose playmaking ability is high end. He exhibits good vision when playing with pace and when operating the half wall. He occasionally tries to do too much with the puck and could stand to make quicker decisions, however his hands make him a force with the puck. There are some concerns about his finishing ability and some concern over his production in the MHL, as his 38 points last year were good but not exceptional. Even away from the scoresheet, he routinely was an impact player, and should have bottom six and PK value if he can’t crack the top half of the lineup. – BO

Hunter Jones, G (59^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Last year, Jones struggled with consistency in his draft eligible season. In the first half of the year, he was one of the OHL’s top goalies. In the second half, he fell apart. A year stronger, Jones was able to maintain a high level of play for the majority of the year for Peterborough, one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Jones uses his size well (6-4”) to his advantage as a butterfly goaltender and did well to improve both his rebound control and his footwork this year. In particular, his ability to fight through traffic to swallow up shots, limiting second chances, progressed. He will likely turn pro next year and still projects as an NHL goaltender long term. His ability to continue to improve his athleticism and his mental focus will be a deciding factor as to whether he can be a starter long term. - BO

Vladislav Firstov, LW (42^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Firstov, a second-round pick from Russian, played in Russia until 2018-19, when he moved to North America as a 17-year-old. He spent one season in the USHL with Waterloo, where he impressed enough to make the league’s All-Rookie team. He adapted quickly to the North American game and continued that success into college, where he led all UConn freshmen in scoring while playing in every game. A member of Hockey East’s All-Rookie team, Firstov showcased his promising abilities. He is a good skater with solid speed, and he glides smoothly. He uses his 6-0” frame well and plays a decent physical game. Along those lines, he doesn’t get pushed out of position or off the puck easily. Firstov has a long reach and a quick stick, which he uses effectively. He projects as a second line forward if he continues on the same trajectory from the past two seasons. - JS

Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 8)

Kahkonen has been the class of the American Hockey League over the past two seasons, and the Aldege Bastien Award for the league’s top netminder, as well as his spot on the AHL‘s First All-Star Team for the 2019-20 season, were well deserved. At 25-6-3 in backstopping the Iowa Wild, the 23-year-old led AHL goalies in wins and shutouts (seven) and was fourth place in save percentage (.927) and goals against average (2.07). The Finn does it with his mature technique and style, rarely falling out of position and possessing the temperament to maintain focus in hectic situations. His speed and athleticism grade as above average, as well as his ability to read developing plays and react accordingly with his high-level instincts and reflexes. Kahkonen showed well in his five-game big-league stint with Minnesota, and with Devan Dubnyk on the wrong side of 30, you can expect the 2014 fourth-rounder to not only be the Wild’s goalie of the future but also of the present. – TD

Daemon Hunt, D (63^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Despite missing around three months in his draft year due to a skate laceration on his arm, Hunt returned none the worse for wear, with four assists in his five post-recovery games. A high-end skater who can showcase promising elements on both sides of the puck, although not always at the same time, he seems to do everything at high speed, in both directions. His skating is the most consistent part of his game. He features a quick release snapshot and generally gets it off from a spot that allows it to get to the net. He is a solid puck mover as well, although he has not shown the type of dynamic characteristics which are necessary to be a legit top three blueliner at the highest level. Similar things can be said of his play off the puck. He holds his own, can shut down dangerous opponents and defend against the rush, but none of those consistently enough to envision him in a shutdown role. His career can go in multiple directions from here but most of them end up with him being a viable NHL’er. – RW

Pavel Novak, RW (146^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A longtime age-based international staple for the Czech Republic, Novak transitioned quite seamlessly to the WHL, leading Kelowna Rockets in points when the season was cancelled. Small, but hard-working, he quickly developed into an all-situations player. He does a lot of things well, without any facet of his game sticking out, suggesting a lower ceiling, but also a reasonable floor. Without being especially fast, he is a very agile skater with plus escapability and deception. He tends to prefer creating space for linemates than trying for himself. His wrist shot is strong, but he is more of a playmaker than a shooter. The overall maturity of Novak’s game provides optimism that he will continue to make adjustments and take on greater roles for his team next year, being more comfortable playing on the smaller ice surfaces of North America and with the English language, although it is less likely that his skill set takes a big leap forward. His package of skills would fit in well on a modern-day bottom six, one that still wants to see offensive production on all lines. – RW

Ivan Lodnia, RW (85^th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 9)

Honestly, hats off to Ivan Lodnia this year. Sent back to the OHL for his overage year after it was initially thought that he would start his pro career, he never pouted. Even after the IceDogs gutted their roster at the trade deadline, he continued to play strong and was a key leader on a young team. He was the Dogs offense in the second half and ended up having a solid year from a production standpoint. Lodnia’s hands are his best asset. He is a terrific player in transition because of his high-end creativity and ability to make defenders miss. He projects as a middle six winger; however, he may need several years in the AHL to get used to the speed and strength of the professional game. His skating has improved over the course of his OHL career, but further progression in this area will be needed. - BO

Damien Giroux, C (155^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

The captain of the Saginaw Spirit, Giroux is the kind of player who wears his heart on his sleeve on the ice. He will go through a wall to make a play and his energy level and tenacity make him one of the league’s best two-way forwards. Giroux is also a quality goal scorer who possesses high end scoring instincts and a quick release. He provides versatility by being able to play center or the wing, however his skating ability will need to improve further if he wishes to stay down the middle at the next level. At the NHL level, Giroux projects as a bottom six winger who can anchor a penalty killing unit and provide goals in a checking line/energy role. It is likely that he will need several years at the AHL level before he is ready to be a successful NHL player. Again, his skating ability may not be good enough to play that kind of role in the NHL today, which means that his high IQ will have to carry him. - BO

Marshall Warren, D (166^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Warren is an interesting prospect because as a young, smaller defenseman, he held his own as a true freshman in college hockey. Before college, he played for the USNTDP with fellow Minnesota draft pick and current college teammate Matthew Boldy, playing in both the World U-17 and the World U-18 championships along the way. An offensive defenseman, Warren was able to contribute to Boston College’s scoring on a regular basis. As mentioned earlier, he lacks the size of most NHL defensemen at 5-11” and 163 pounds. But his skills and skating could make the sixth-round pick a steal. At 19 years old, Warren has time to develop and grow stronger. In the meantime, he is a quick skater and stickhandler who excels at crisp passes. He is effective on the rush because he can move the puck safely up the ice via passing or skating. Assuming his size can be overlooked, Warren projects to a second-pairing defenseman with power play upside. - JS

Connor Dewar, LW (92^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Dewar was an over-ager who excelled in the WHL, earning a 2018 third-round draft pick from the Wild, and then experienced an up-and-down first season in the professional ranks with AHL Iowa in 2019-20. Buried in a very deep Iowa lineup, Dewar played a fairly defensive role and wasn’t able to display his full offensive potential, scoring just six goals in 52 games following a 36-goal campaign with WHL Everett. Production aside, he exhibits great hands and passing skills, quick footwork and pivoting speed, and a highly regarded reputation as a hardworking, selfless forward. To credit Dewar, he plays an incredibly versatile game and can be relied on for heavy two-way and penalty kill minutes. If his offensive game never materializes, he can provide value and remain an intriguing prospect as a potential checking-line role player, as he does not have any large voids in his game and can play both center and wing. - TD

Louis Belpedio, D (80^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 14)

A fast and effective puck mover with a right hand shot from the blueline, Belpedio has been a serviceable AHL defenseman for two full seasons and looks primed for an NHL depth role at some point soon. The 2014 third-round pick is a plus skater with a smooth grasp for controlling the puck through the neutral zone and into the attacking side, and has done so frequently with AHL Iowa, one of the more impressive things about the 24-year-old. His awareness of the ice and his positioning has improved since his first foray into the pro ranks, but his gap control and stick discipline still leave much room to improve. While he has spent time on the penalty kill, he is not the most reliable shorthanded defender. He quarterbacks the power play with the minor league side, and he has some good stick skills and a solid ability to get the puck through traffic. If he can be a decent enough defender to make the NHL roster long-term, he would likely see time on the man-advantage on occasion. Another AHL season seems most likely for the Illinois native. - TD

Mitchell Chaffee, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 24, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Chaffee was an undrafted free-agent signee out of Massachusetts. He had just finished his junior season, where he captained the Minutemen. He recorded a career-high 18 goals and 42 points as a sophomore. That season, he led Hockey East in scoring en route to UMass’ championship game appearance. He is another great development story as he went from low offensive production during his two years of USHL hockey to becoming a prolific collegiate scorer at UMass. Chaffee is a smooth skater who turns well. He is a stocky 6-0”, 207 pounds and likes to play a physical game. He also doesn’t get pushed off the puck easily. He can score goals, but he also sets up his teammates well with beautiful feeds that make it look like the puck is floating. Chaffee also played on UMass’ power play unit. He might not project as more than a bottom six energy forward, but considering how far he has recently come, we shouldn’t discount the possibility that more is in store. – JS

Nico Sturm, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 1, 2019. Previous ranking: UR)

A big center without any clearly above average tools, Sturm held his own in his first professional season, including a cameo up with the Wild. A big scorer at the collegiate level with Clarkson, the German native has come a long, long way from his first North American campaign, which ended with three points in 21 games at the NAHL level. Considering how much he has improved when allowed to repeat a level, I would expect more production from Sturm this season, whether in the AHL or NHL. If his feet were quicker, or he had greater scoring instincts, I would be more optimistic about his upside, but he is already 25 years of age, creating a limit to potential future growth. Skilled hands, and strong work along the walls still give him an NHL floor, even if it is only in a bottom six role. This might be his last chance to assert himself as an NHL’er. - RW

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – MINNESOTA WILD– ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 6

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 17:39:27 +0000

Minnesota Wild

Through no fault of his own, Minnesota GM Bill Guerin will be entering his first draft already sitting on a stockpile rich in strong prospects. A little forward-heavy perhaps, but the system has legit depth at all positions and close to 30 players overall who could percolate up to the NHL on merit in the coming years.

A question I would generally ask of any new, first time GM is how will he conduct drafts, but with such a strong system already in place and so much about the 2020 Entry Draft up in the air, I find myself wondering more about how and when the in-place riches will be integrated into the NHL roster. Much will change in the off-season, but at present there are only two regulars facing unrestricted free agency.

One, Alex Galchenyuk, is almost certainly going to be allowed to leave. The other is a much more challenging case. Long-time captain and career-log Wild star Mikko Koivu has a contract that will end whenever this season has been deemed conclusive. While age and injuries have diminished his performance for at least the last three years, his stature in the market seems strong enough that returning will be Koivu’s decision, and not Guerin’s.

Assuming Galchenyuk leaves, it seems even more certain that his replacement on the roster will come in the form of the top prospect below, Kirill Kaprizov, whose status in the eyes of prospect watchers has grown year over year since the Wild used a fifth round pick on him in 2015, and especially in his last three years with Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow. The hope and expectation are that the talented winger will step right into a top six, scoring role.

But how do the rest of these prospects find their way to the Twin Cities? The answer to that question may be more troubling. Going back a few years, the Wild’s AHL team in Iowa has struggled mightily. They have only made the playoffs once in the last six years. More important, they have struggled developing the prospects parked there by the parent organization.

Looking at the younger players on the current Wild roster, only Luke Kunin spent any significant time on the farm, with 76 games played spread thin over three seasons before finally sticking with Minnesota this season. Other prominent youngsters including Jordan Greenway, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Matt Dumba either never played there at all, or only had a brief cameo. We could open the floor to Carson Soucy, who finally broke through this year after two full seasons in the AHL and could be a third pairing staple until he needs a new contract. After that, we have to go back to 2016-17 when first rounder Alex Tuch spent the bulk of the season in Iowa and before that, Erik Haula was there for half of 2013-14.

Suffice to say that Iowa’s developmental track record has been poor. Of the 15 players listed below, only two have already spent any time in the AHL, although a few others should hit the level in 2020-21. As good as the pipeline seems to be, if the new GM can’t figure out a way to improve infrastructure of that pipeline, many of the so-called spoils will simply spoil. - RW

Filip Hronek and Dominik Kubalik of Czech Republic against Kirill Kaprizov of Russia during the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship bronze medal game between Russia and Czech Republic on May 26, 2019 in Bratislava.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN /

Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 1)

Kaprizov can be a dual threat with the puck. He has an excellent selection of shots and scoring touch around the net. The release on his wrist shot is very quick and does not give goalies a whole lot of time to set up. His one-timer is hard and accurate, with an effective weight transfer and follow-through. He can also set up his teammates for scoring chances as his vision is high end. Part of what makes him such a dangerous player is his ability to find soft spots.

His movements are calculated in the offensive zone. He thinks the game at a very high level, being able to anticipate and take advantage of any extra room in the final third. His puck control in tight quarters is impressive and he has a quick stick in traffic. He also displays lots of creativity. Kaprizov is a skilled skater with superb edge work and quickness. He can make shifty moves to evade opponents and thus buy time to make plays.

He had an incredible season offensively, yet his defensive game is quite advanced given his young age. He uses his stick well to disrupt opponents and he works hard without the puck to gain possession for his team. There is no quit in his game. The 23-year-old Russian winger is a world-class talent with tremendous potential. Kaprizov put together several strong seasons in the KHL and after a long wait signed a contract with the Minnesota Wild in July 2020. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be an impact player in the NHL. - MB

Matthew Boldy, LW (12^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Boldy jumped from prep school to the USNTDP, where he made an immediate scoring impact as one of the key players on a stacked development class. He also represented the U.S. at the World U-18 and was on the U17 World Hockey Championship gold medal squad.

Entering Boston College as a true freshman, first rounder Boldy was expected to be an impact player, but he faltered, at least on the scoresheet. He scored the game-winning goal in his first game but went the next 10 games without scoring. Boldy netted just three points throughout the first half. When he returned from winter break, he went on a tear, putting up points in 15 of the final 21 games played. That stretch included three three-point games and he finished the season with 23 second-half points. Over that stretch, he was the fifth-highest scorer in the country.

Ultimately, because of the first-half slump, Boldy did not put up the numbers he was expected to have. But that should not take away from his attributes. The speed of college hockey can provide a difficult learning curve for players and it can take freshmen a semester – or more - to adjust.

While Boldy did not show up on the score sheet as much, he still played well - especially for an 18-year-old. He is a good skater who can power up the ice. He is a great playmaker, thanks in part to his stick handling, his speed and his incredibly soft hands. He projects to be a first liner once he completes his time on campus. - JS

Calen Addison, D (53^rd overall, 2018 [Pittsburgh]. 2019 Rank: 2 [Pittsburgh])

Calen Addison’s game revolves around his skating. He has to be one of the smoothest, quickest, and overall most impressive skaters in the WHL. His footwork along the blueline is excellent, using his edges to create lanes for both shooting and passing as well as anyone who plays in the WHL.

His shot is much improved with his velocity and accuracy making him a real threat. If given room he can really step into one, or if the pass is right he has a controlled one-timer but his most dangerous shot is a hard wrister that he can get off with minimal movement that beats the first defender heading in on net. His shot is frequently deflected which is a skill forwards get lots of credit for, but defenders should as well, for putting the puck in the right place. His ability to quarterback the offense is impressive. His constant movement, willingness to push down the wall, and crisp passing ability make him a handful for opponents.

Addison would rather hold onto the puck then throw it away and usually makes the right decision by holding on, although he does occasionally get caught out, but his recovery speed allows him to gamble more than most. He was an influential blueliner for Canada at the World Juniors as his ability with the puck was critical to pushing through the neutral zone and generating offense, especially as the checking got tighter in the medal round.

He can still get a bit overmatched in his own zone, but he uses his footwork and speed better now, enabling him to clear more pucks and generate turnovers. He competes fine and is using some of his strengths to manage his own zone better (quicker puck retrievals) than a season ago. He was a perfect fit for the Penguins when they drafted him, but it will be interesting to see if he can adjust to the style of play that Minnesota typically uses. - VG

Alexander Khovanov, C (86^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Much like last year at this time, Khovanov is still a complex puzzle to solve – he has cut down on his superfluous penalties and his discipline was better this season, but he still tied for the league lead in minor penalties with 42. The positives outweigh the negatives, as he led the Moncton Wildcats in scoring this season and was one point off the century mark, but these are clear paths to improvement for the feisty forward.

He is a strong skater, an excellent playmaker and is willing to take the puck to the house for strong shots in tight and from distance. He is a very ferocious offensive player who is willing to run players over to create offensively, but that very fine line is what needs harnessing.

Ultimately, right now Khovanov has an effective game that would allow him to take a regular shift offensively at the NHL level today, but there are still too many opportunities to take him off his focus. The book on Khovanov as a defender is to nail him hard and it will take him out of the game, as he will be too focused on retribution. That has to change for the forward to have a strong impact on the game, because his talent level is right at the cusp already.

Of note, Khovanov will be playing the next season in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan, a strong team that can provide him with support and strong veteran leadership. However, his desire, ultimately, is to play in the NHL as soon as possible, and will feature in the Wild lineup very soon. He could be a superstar at the highest level, but feisty top-line forward is his most likely result. - MS

Adam Beckman, C (75^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

Adam Beckman has taken his offensive game to another level this year. On pace to be one of the only 50 goals scorers in the WHL, he has outperformed his draft position and everyone in his draft class. His points per game production, an impressive 1.69ppg, exceeds both Dylan Cozen’s (1.66 ppg) and Peyton Krebs (1.58 ppg). Not bad for a guy taken over 60 picks after both.

Beckman has fair size and moves very well on the ice. There is quickness in all facets of his game, including release, forecheck, back check, and transitioning the play out of his own zone. He is comfortable with the puck on his stick and will attack the net from anywhere. He can carry it out of the corner or lead the rush and bury a one timer. His shot is a great weapon because of its release and overall accuracy. He has enough power to beat goalies from distance but also the strength to finish when in traffic.

He is an excellent net front guy who can battle while keeping his stick free to make plays quickly around the net. Good hand eye coordination enables him to deflect a lot of pucks when he is screening the goalie. He does not overhandle and looks to release the puck as soon as he gets into a scoring area.

His wrist shot is hard and accurate, and he consistently shoots above the pad and below the blocker. There have been real strides in his game each of the past few seasons and if that continues he could become an elite forward that bolsters a team’s top six which is certainly more than can be typically expected from the 75^th pick. - VG

Hunter Jones, G (59^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 13)

Jones uses his size well (6-4”) to his advantage as a butterfly goaltender and did well to improve both his rebound control and his footwork this year. In particular, his ability to fight through traffic to swallow up shots, limiting second chances, progressed.

He will likely turn pro next year and still projects as an NHL goaltender long term. His ability to continue to improve his athleticism and his mental focus will be a deciding factor as to whether he can be a starter long term. - BO

Vladislav Firstov, LW (42^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

A member of Hockey East’s All-Rookie team, Firstov showcased his promising abilities. He is a good skater with solid speed, and he glides smoothly. He uses his 6-0” frame well and plays a decent physical game. Along those lines, he doesn’t get pushed out of position or off the puck easily. Firstov has a long reach and a quick stick, which he uses effectively. He projects as a second line forward if he continues on the same trajectory from the past two seasons. - JS

Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109^th overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 10)

The Finn does it with his mature technique and style, rarely falling out of position and possessing the temperament to maintain focus in hectic situations. His speed and athleticism grade as above average, as well as his ability to read developing plays and react accordingly with his high-level instincts and reflexes.

Kahkonen showed well in his five-game big-league stint with Minnesota, and with Devan Dubnyk on the wrong side of 30, you can expect the 2014 fourth-rounder to not only be the Wild’s goalie of the future but also of the present. - TD

Ivan Lodnia, RW (85^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 12)

Lodnia’s hands are his best asset. He is a terrific player in transition because of his high-end creativity and ability to make defenders miss. He projects as a middle six winger; however, he may need several years in the AHL to get used to the speed and strength of the professional game. His skating has improved over the course of his OHL career, but further progression in this area will be needed. - BO

Damien Giroux, C (155^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Giroux is also a quality goal scorer who possesses high end scoring instincts and a quick release. He provides versatility by being able to play center or the wing, however his skating ability will need to improve further if he wishes to stay down the middle at the next level.

At the NHL level, Giroux projects as a bottom six winger who can anchor a penalty killing unit and provide goals in a checking line/energy role. It is likely that he will need several years at the AHL level before he is ready to be a successful NHL player. Again, his skating ability may not be good enough to play that kind of role in the NHL today, which means that his high IQ will have to carry him. - BO

Marshall Warren, D (166^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

An offensive defenseman, Warren was able to contribute to Boston College’s scoring on a regular basis. As mentioned earlier, he lacks the size of most NHL defensemen at 5-11” and 163 pounds. But his skills and skating could make the sixth-round pick a steal. At 19 years old, Warren has time to develop and grow stronger.

In the meantime, he is a quick skater and stickhandler who excels at crisp passes. He is effective on the rush because he can move the puck safely up the ice via passing or skating. Assuming his size can be overlooked, Warren projects to a second-pairing defenseman with power play upside. - JS

Brennan Menell, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Sep. 26, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

Menell joined his Wild teammates Kahkonen and Sam Anas on the AHL First All-Star Team at the conclusion of the abridged minor-league season, receiving deserved recognition for his two-way prowess in Des Moines since his 2017 professional debut.

Leading the league in assists by a defenseman, his vision and smooth, energetic skating force defenders back on their heels as Menell moves through the neutral zone and facilitates offense. He makes intelligent decisions with the puck and never fails to push the pace from the blueline forward.

His defensive game is fairly stout, given his lack of size or physicality, as his initial blue line stick-checking and tight gaps give him solid positioning to offset a size mismatch. While he will never be a high-end shooter, which might hurt his power-play potential at the NHL level, he can play a depth puck-rushing role in the WIld’s strong two-way defensive core in the mold of Matt Dumba. - TD

Connor Dewar, LW (92^nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 3)

Production aside, he exhibits great hands and passing skills, quick footwork and pivoting speed, and a highly regarded reputation as a hard-working, selfless forward. To credit Dewar, he plays an incredibly versatile game and can be relied on for heavy two-way and penalty kill minutes. If his offensive game never materializes, he can provide value and remain an intriguing prospect as a potential checking-line role player, as he does not have any large voids in his game and can play both center and wing. - TD

Simon Johansson, D (148^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Johansson had a tough season with Djurgarden in the SHL. He did not get regular minutes and had strong offensive defensemen ahead of him to take the bulk of the power play minutes. He still managed to produce seven points in 34 games playing only 10 minutes-per-game.

Johansson is a lanky defenseman with strong puck skills and a good offensive upside. He has a good shot and handles the puck well in most situations. His long-term the upside is good. I can see him as a future top pair defenseman in SHL/Europe/AHL but not in the NHL.

If he makes the NHL, he will need to develop other aspects of his game and to be more reliant defensively, using his reach and skills in other ways. He is not skilled enough to be a top pair defenseman in the NHL and will need to be able to play another role there. His skating is average, and he isn’t strong physically. - JH

Mitchell Chaffee, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed, Mar. 24, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

He is another great development story as he went from low offensive production during his two years of USHL hockey to becoming a prolific collegiate scorer at UMass. Chaffee is a smooth skater who turns well. He is a stocky 6-0”, 207 pounds and likes to play a physical game. He also doesn’t get pushed off the puck easily. He can score goals, but he also sets up his teammates well with beautiful feeds that make it look like the puck is floating. Chaffee also played on UMass’ power play unit.

He might not project as more than a bottom six energy forward, but considering how far he has recently come, we shouldn’t discount the possibility that more is in store. - JS

AHL: Central Division Prospect Report, December 2019

Tom Dorsa — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 18:05:13 +0000

AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 04: Texas Stars forward Jason Robertson looks for the puck during game against the Tucson Roadrunners on October 04, 2019 on October 04, 2019, at the HEB Center in Cedar Park, TX. (Photo by John Rivera/Icon Sportswire)

November is always an interesting month of play in the American Hockey League. You start to see which of the teams that started October red hot are contenders, and which are pretenders, and we begin to see the rebirth of talented teams that kicked off the season near the bottom of the standings.

This normalization of team results extends to players, as well. The shrewd veterans brought in to help develop prospects finally get going, while some incredible young players slow down after a scorching start and improve upon their flaws without the early butterflies and pressure to succeed.

Coaches begin to understand how to balance their two primary objectives; winning and prospect development, while lineup deployment comes together and everyone finds a way to contribute to the club as the season turns to December.

Speaking of prospect development, we are going to take a look at some of the promising pupils competing in the AHL’s Central Division. Checking in on the clubs from the American Midwest, the state of Texas, and Manitoba, you will find some useful information on notable prospects as well as some news and notes from around the division.

Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)

Record:20-4-3-2, 45 points, .776% points percentage

The Admirals might be the best team in the AHL, and if not the best, they are absolutely the scariest. After winning 13 in a row, the club sits first in the league in points (45) and points percentage (.776) with an absurd 20-4-3-2 record.

Milwaukee has scored more goals (103) than any team in the AHL, while allowing fewer goals (69) than all but three other teams. A lot has been made of how dangerous this team is from a cohesive standpoint, as the roster boasts some high-end prospects and sought-after veterans, but their success boils down to individual players as well.

Milwaukee forward Yakov Trenin was named the AHL’s Player of the Week, while Tommy Novak was given the Rookie of the Month Award in November. The two are part of a core of ten Admirals players with double-digit points through the first two months of the season. Head coach Karl Taylor and his club look better than ever before and should be just as lethal down the road.

Jeremy Davies, 6th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Predators farm system (28-2-11-13): One of the pieces that came back to Nashville in the P.K. Subban trade that occurred at the last NHL Draft, Davies was a remarkably underrated asset for the Predators to acquire, as he posted just under a point-per-game in his last two years at Northeastern. That point-scoring prowess came from his ability to skate with the best of them, with and without the puck, and helping to transition the play in the neutral zone. His shot from the point is accurate, albeit a little soft, but is adept at generating rebounds for forwards. Physically, he gives up size (5-11”, 187 lbs) for his uncanny strength and tenacity, having not looked out of place in his short pro career. The Predators have a logjam of Grade A defensemen in their system, with Davies being just another one of them, but he carries a second-pairing potential with him so long as he can progress in his play-reading capabilities, which would make the former seventh-rounder an absolute steal.

Anthony Richard, 9th (28-7-2-9): Richard is off to an uncharacteristically slow start to the 2019-20 campaign. Generally a versatile playmaking forward with lots of energy and an up-ice demeanor, the 2015 fourth-rounder has been stagnant in what was supposed to be a big developmental year for the young forward. After scoring three points in the first two games of the season, Richard -- last year’s team leader in scoring -- has just five in his last 23, mostly due to a lack of assertiveness and drive. Now demoted to the Ads’ third line, Richard is due for a breakout, and his smarts, peskiness, and somewhat-improved skating can assist in that. His deployment on both the power play and penalty kill is promising in that he can contribute even without scoring, but you would like much more offensive production from the struggling winger.

Alexandre Carrier, 13th (29-4-15-19): Last season, Carrier impressed me by developing his offensive game; the skills were always there, but a certain passivity kept him from truly exploding until last campaign, where he used his skating, puck-handling, and vision to become a menacing puck-rusher for Milwaukee. With that squared away, our eyes turned to his flawed defensive game, which has since been bolstered by an increased willingness to engage physically and trust in his legs to get the puck out of the zone. Deployed on the Admirals’ first defensive pair as of late, he has burst onto the scene as a complete d-man with loads of offensive potential, currently sitting at fifth in AHL defensemen scoring.

Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)

Record: 13-10-2-2, 30 points, .556% points percentage

As their parent club continue on an improbable ascent up the Central Division standings, with points in 14 of their last 15 games, Iowa is sitting pretty at second in the AHL’s Central classification with help from veterans acquired this past offseason as well as some emerging prospects.

Iowa set a franchise record (since their move to Des Moines from Houston before the 2013-14 season) with 37 wins last season, culminating in their first postseason appearance in the Hawkeye State. The Wild are on pace to beat that mark with a 41-win pace through 22 games this season.

It’s a remarkable job by Tim Army, who has done an excellent job mixing lines and has his club playing a solid two-way game.

Connor Dewar, 3rd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Wild farm system (16-3-1-4): Dewar came to the Minnesota system in an unusual way. Undrafted in his first year of eligibility, the WHL stalwart was picked up in the third round of the 2018 draft by the Wild with a draft selection that was not initially theirs; a Vegas draft pick that was dealt to Minnesota in exchange for Alex Tuch, during the Golden Knights’ pre-expansion draft maneuvering. Now playing in his debut pro season, Dewar has been shaky, but at times, brilliant. His wrist shot is blazing fast and well-located, and his skating, though sloppy at times, is quick and upstart. After being stapled to the bottom-line with certified goons like Mike Liambas to start the season, the 20-year-old is playing top-six center minutes thanks to his reliable, disciplined playing style down the middle. I would like to see him use his shot more instead of his default idea of ill-advised passes.

Louie Belpedio, 11th (27-1-7-8): Belpedio has not had an easy start to his second full year in the pro ranks, but there are some grounds for optimism in his developing defensive game. The right-shot, puck-moving blueliner has long been an impactful guy in transition and physically, but his play-reading and stick-readiness have improved in a more reserved role this season. Deployed in a depth role with veteran Matt Register, Belpedio has done a lot to get back onto Minnesota’s radar for a spot with the NHL club. However, it seems as though Brennan Menell (and deservedly so) has supplanted him on the depth chart, so the former American World Junior participant will have to do more to get back to the big league.

Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

Record:14-10-0-1, 29 points, .580% points percentage

Looking to bounce back after an poor 2018-19 season, the IceHogs got younger, faster, and more energetic compared to their prior season’s roster, which sputtered to a seventh-place finish in the Central Division.

Led by a pair of brothers, Dylan and Tyler Sikura, the IceHogs are helping accelerate the ongoing rebuild of their parent club. Winners of six out of their last ten, the IceHogs have fought valiantly after a slow start to get back into playoff contention.

Rockford’s roster features several of Chicago’s best and most intriguing prospects, including Adam Boqvist, Nicolas Beaudin, and MacKenzie Entwistle. Even if the Blackhawks (12-15-6, 30 points, last in NHL Central Division) lack entertainment value, Chicago fans can always drive just an hour and a half west to Rockford.

Adam Boqvist, 2nd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Blackhawks’ farm system (15-1-5-6): The 2018 first rounder has found an offensive touch in his first North American professional season after being re-assigned from the Blackhawks, whose roster he made out of training camp, early this season. Inventive and creative with the puck on his stick, Boqvist boasts the deceptive skating speed and beautiful hands to produce offensively from the neutral zone in, as well as the shooting prowess and positional awareness to be a sneaky high goal-scorer. With that said, his defensive game is still incomplete; most notably his tracking of developing plays and his lack of physicality against the boards and behind the goal.

Kevin Lankinen, Unranked (6-3-1, 2.58 GAA, .927 Sv%): What Lankinen has done to even get himself on the radar of an NHL team is nothing short of incredible, but the highly entertaining Finnish netminder is nowhere close to done. In a crowded crease featuring Collin Delia and Matt Tomkins, the 24-year-old free agent signee has starred, leading the club with a 0.927 Sv%, which is top-20 in the AHL. A pure competitor in every way, Lankinen employs a high-energy, high-octane style of netminding that lacks mental composure but oozes athletic ability. Moves from side to side well and can catch up to anything he might not initially get, using his quick feet in a low-to-the-ice style that minimizes rebounds. Lankinen’s patience and shot tracking will need to improve for the goalie to succeed in the top-flight league.

San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)

Record: 10-10-5-3, 28 points, .500% points percentage

After years of bouncing from parent club to parent club, even hosting two NHL teams at once, the San Antonio Rampage finally have two things that have plagued them over the past few seasons: organizational consistency and veteran support.

The Blues made efforts to bulk up their AHL affiliate with veteran guys with Mike Vecchione, Nathan Walker, and Derrick Pouliot, who are their three leading scorers thus far this season. The Rampage, who have finished last in their division four years running, are reaping the benefits.

A revival of a club that has not won a playoff game in eight years, the fans in the Alamo City deserve this. The postseason is not guaranteed, but to even be in the running is a nice change of pace.

Jordan Kyrou, 1st in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Blues farm system (16-9-6-15): I’ll contend that Kyrou is one of the best players in the AHL right now, and his NHL future is both certain and near, with a recall on December 9. The top-ranked prospect in a revamped St. Louis system, the 2016 third-round selection dazzled with San Antonio thanks to his speed, footwork, and improved wrist shot/shot selection. His fiery speed has always been there, but his increased aggressiveness in using his shot (he is averaging over three shots on goal per game with the Rampage this season) is a major step up to me. The fact that he can play all three forward spots, with center being his best position, is also a great positive and means that it is possible he has already played his last AHL game.

Mitch Reinke, 9th (15-2-8-10): After a 13-game absence from the San Antonio lineup due to an upper-body injury, Reinke jumped in and immediately produced two assists from the blue line in his first game back on the ice. That performance more or less exemplifies what Reinke can bring to the Blues in the near future, and as he did with San Antonio last season, earning AHL All-Rookie honors with a 76-12-33-45 season stat line. A right-handed, puck-moving, smooth-skating defenseman that went undrafted is such an absurd thought that he has to have some flaws, right? Well, his initial blue line defense is flawed, with a lack of stick activity and a too passive style defending one-on-one to make an impact in a depth NHL role. Otherwise, the 23-year-old is one of the most NHL-ready prospects in the Blues system.

Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)

Record: 14-15-0-0, 28 points, .483% points percentage

After a 1-7-0-0 start, the Moose ripped off nine wins in their next ten games. Since then, however, they have found consistency and steadiness within a lineup that features several of Winnipeg’s most heralded prospects.

Jansen Harkins (11th) is the AHL’s third-leading scorer as he continues blossoming into the second-rounder he was drafted as in 2015, while defensemen Logan Stanley and Sami Niku (though currently battling an injury) progress into NHL-caliber two-way talents and forward Kristian Vesalainen (1st) has started to implement his skill into the game.

Head coach Pascal Vincent has done a magisterial job in properly mixing his roster combinations of veterans and young guns, and the team is showing it out on the ice.

Logan Stanley, 4th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Jets farm system (15-1-4-5): Coming back in late November to play his first game since October 18, Stanley did not look rusty at all in his return to AHL action. The towering defenseman’s calm and easy-going playing style benefited him after a long absence, as he was able to re-insert himself into the lineup and play his game without making adjustments. His defensive game is stout and incredibly mature, with his length and physical size making him difficult to get inside position on while his smarts give him the ability to move the puck out to middle-ice with relative ease. His booming slapshot makes him a lethal power-play option as well, though I would like to see him use his shot more. His journey to the NHL has been hindered by his slow skating and sloppy puck-handling at times, but the 2016 first-rounder is still only 21 and has time to make it all up.

Sami Niku, 5th (16-3-9-12): Niku is one of the most confusing and enigmatic prospects in professional hockey. One day he will look like a surefire top-four NHL defenseman, the next, he can play like the seventh-round draft pick and NHL longshot he was supposed to be. The defenseman will be on the shelf for the next 2-4 weeks with an upper-body injury, but beforehand, was playing with that up-and-down style he has been noted for. If he can only find consistency, his combination of elite skating, heads-up vision, and puck-moving skills can make him a go-to option for a Jets team that needs offense from the blue line.

Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

Record: 12-15-2-0, 26 points, .448% points percentage

The Wolves’ sudden fall from the reigning conference champion to back half of the division table has been a kick in the gut for the club and for AHL fans in the Windy City. 4-5-1-0 in their last ten games, Chicago has bled goals and has not found the offensive output to compensate.

However, help has come in an unorthodox way, in the form of Valentin Zykov, after the Vegas forward failed a drug test, was suspended 20 games, and then waived and assigned to the AHL club. The 2013 second-round pick is a proven AHL scorer (33 goals in 2017-18 with Charlotte) and has already chipped in two assists in as many games.

Brandon Pirri also recently joined the fray, but nevertheless, this club will need to see the emergence of some younger players like Lucas Elvenes to have any chance at making a charge back into a postseason spot. Losing as many veterans as they did from last season (Daniel Carr, T.J. Tynan, Brooks Macek, etc) has depleted Rocky Thompson’s bench, but the season is still far from over.

Jake Bischoff, 8th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Golden Knights farm system (22-0-3-3): There are calls from Vegas fans to replace Deryk Engelland, an older and immobile defenseman, with Bischoff, an AHL regular who played well in a short stint with the Knights. While I have little familiarity with the Vegas coaching systems and what they value out of their defensemen, Bischoff could stick with the NHL club right now with little adjustment necessary. Originally a 2012 seventh-round pick of the New York Islanders, the Minnesotan has blossomed into the rugged, defensively solid blueliner the Knights envisioned when they acquired him in a swap near the 2017 expansion draft. He is a good skater for a big guy and has a rocket of a shot. Patient and observant with and without the puck, he displays intelligence in all three zones, but especially behind his own blue line, where he loves to take the body and is skilled at stealing the puck. He is probably a better defensive option than Engelland, but I don’t make the lineup decisions.

Jimmy Schuldt, 15th (28-4-9-13): After being a near point-per-game player at St. Cloud State, the undrafted defenseman was a highly sought-after prospect who ended up signing with Vegas in April of 2019. Since making his pro debut at the end of last season (a one-game cameo with the Golden Knights), Schuldt has had some on-and-off glimpses of why he was so revered coming out of college. He is exciting to watch with the puck, as he makes creativity reads, crisp passes, and has great footwork despite below-average top speed. His size (6-1”, 205 lbs) allows him to be effective in his own zone, showing some nastiness around the boards and the willingness to make open-ice hits at times. However, for all of his raw talent, he is prone to some turnovers and can have a few defensive errors. All in all, I think he can be a solid middle-pair defender, but with time.

Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)

Record: 11-14-1-2, 25 points, .446% points percentage

For fans of prospect development, the Griffins are one of the most fun teams to watch in all of pro hockey. The Red Wings, through their organizational rebuild of recent years, have more or less instituted a highly-aggressive, short-schedule development path for top prospects that places them in the AHL immediately and forces them to compete against grown men from the outset of their career.

The results have varied, from the struggles of Filip Zadina to the emergence of Moritz Seider as a future star, but nonetheless, Grand Rapids is home to one of the most entertaining teams in the league.

Three seasons removed from the Calder Cup title run of 2017, the Griffins will need a good next couple of months to get back into position to potentially charge up for another run at the hardware.

Filip Larsson, 13th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Red Wings farm system (2-5-0-0, 4.01 GAA, .843 Sv%): Larsson has gotten both sides of what can plague a goaltender’s early development. Step one, being arguably too inexperienced to jump directly into pro hockey, and step two, being hung out to dry by a very young defense in front of him. After elite performances in the USHL and NCAA in seasons past, Larsson has looked mentally lost in his five starts, allowing at least four goals in all of them, which have been mixed in with some ECHL re-assignments. At just 21, it is both reasonable and not completely unexpected for the Swede to struggle in the AHL, but his potential is still promising. His balance is elite and fueled by his high-end athleticism, which also allows him to move laterally with ease and flash quick glove and blocker hands. With time, he should figure it out.

Dominic Turgeon, 18th (27-6-7-13): As the Griffins roster becomes younger and increasingly prospect oriented, prospects with some level of experience have been turned to for top-six minutes on the struggling club. One of those guys is the 23-year-old fourth-year AHLer Turgeon, who has been commanding top-six minutes since puck drop on the season after mostly playing in a depth role throughout his first few seasons. He has done well with the increase in time, turning his offensive game from utterly useless to somewhat respectable, which could help the Red Wings see him as a future NHL player. Offense is not really his thing, and he has become one of the best defensive forwards in the league because of it; he plays a very safe, disciplined game down the middle and loves to help out in the defensive zone, directing traffic and stepping in front of shots. If he ever becomes an NHL regular, it will be because of that 200-foot game.

Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

Record: 11-14-1-2, 25 points, .446% points percentage

The monkey has finally been lifted off of the Texas Stars’ collective back. The Stars endured a franchise-record 12-game losing streak before winning a 7-6 shootout thriller against Rockford on home ice recently. The feeling in and around the Texas locker room was as though they had won the Calder Cup.

The club was destined for some growing pains, as the roster includes as many as a dozen first-year North American pros. The 12-game losing streak put the club, Western Conference champions two seasons ago, at the bottom of the AHL standings.

Sometimes a lack of pressure can be beneficial for the development of young prospects. Being able to play your game and work on your flaws without the worries of dropping matches in the process can be a blessing in disguise. That is certainly what the Dallas Stars are hoping will occur in Cedar Park for the remainder of what looks to be a lost season, even after the move of former head coach Derek Laxdal up to the NHL club after the surprise firing of Dallas head coach Jim Montgomery.

Jason Robertson, 3rd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason ranking of Stars farm system (28-11-10-21): Robertson’s trouble as a skater was destined to plague the first few months of his pro career, and anyone who watched his domination of the OHL last season (115 points in 62 games) acknowledged it. The Michigan native has managed well as a scorer on his AHL Texas roster, leading the team in goals and being tied for the highest point total in the locker room. However, his skating has absolutely hindered his development into an NHL caliber player, as his sluggish foot quickness and relatively low top speed have given him some struggles. On the flip side, he is a first-year pro who boasts a physically-commanding package of power forward tools, such as supreme balance, gorgeous hands (especially in tight areas), and a blistering wrist shot that has gotten him power-play time since the outset of the season. The reigning AHL Player of the Week will need to make his simple skating stride at least respectable, and be more reliable on the defensive end, to become the surefire NHLer scorer he can be.

Riley Tufte, 8th (25-0-4-4): Since being drafted out of the USHL before attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Tufte has had the “bust” label thrown at him many times, and in fairness to the fact that he is a first-year pro on a struggling AHL club (last in the league in points), he is not doing much to subdue the bust talk. Still seeking his first pro goal after 16 games, the two-time NCAA men’s national champion has received mostly third-line minutes and has been unimpressive in that time with the Stars this season. A big man with some quick heels for his size, he has demonstrated some glimpses of promise, using his physical advantages to set up teammates and his maturity and discipline to play very solid defensive hockey. Overall, he has gone missing for shifts -- and games -- at a time and has not played up to his first-round hype this season at all.

Minnesota Wild 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:56:15 +0000

A little over one year ago, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold decided that then GM Chuck Fletcher’s visions for building a Stanley Cup contender were out of step with his own, and let Fletcher go. The former GM was quickly snapped up by Philadelphia, after the latter had fired their GM, Ron Hextall.

In Fletcher’s place, Minnesota hired longtime Nashville Assistant GM Paul Fenton, a man known specifically for his scouting chops, in addition to being experienced by proximity to one of the more successful GMs (non-Stanley Cup winning division) in league history in David Poile. As most of you know by now, Fenton was let go this summer, making his approximately 13 month tenure at the top one of the shortest in modern NHL history.

It may be unfair to look at Fenton’s first draft helming the Wild table, as he was hired with only around one month to go until draft day. But we will look anyway. The Wild had eight selections, with three third rounders and two fifth rounders making up for the fact that they lacked picks in the second and the fourth.

Their third third rounder, Connor Dewar, had a really impressive post draft season with Everett in the WHL and saw his stick rise accordingly, jumping from 12^th to 3^rd on the Minnesota list. Additionally, the second third rounder, Alexander Khovanov was fine during a healthy season, and he moved up a few spots as well, from ninth to sixth.

On the other hand, the other six picks have been disappointing to a man. First rounder Filip Johansson was seen as a reach on draft day and he had a brutal year in Sweden. Similarly, the first third rounder, Jack McBain, had a difficult transition from the OJHL to Boston College. Both players remain in our top ten for the Wild, which is a reflection of the dearth of talent in the ranks more than their present standing in the industry. As high-ish picks, the Wild will not be giving up on either anytime soon, but they have moved in the wrong direction. Finally, none of the four late round picks had done enough to make the current iteration of the Minnesota top 20, although some of them received some consideration for late slots.

Going back to the fairness issue, we should point out that we really liked the Minnesota draft haul this year, which you will note by reading on, and Paul Fenton’s long term legacy will need to take that into account, however the players eventually turn out.

Of course, scouting is only one element of a General Manager’s position, and scouting for the draft is but one element of scouting. The fact is that Fenton was fired due to reasons that were largely not connected to scouting. Whoever is selected to replace him will have a lot more time to prepare for his/her first draft and has a good chance to make a better first pick than Johansson is looking to be. But as far as scouting for the draft goes, the main reason Fenton was (apparently) hired in the first place, he leaves with a mixed, at best, record.

-Ryan Wagman

SAINT PAUL, MN - JUNE 28: Minnesota Wild Development Camp attendee Matthew Boldy (67) makes a pass during the Minnesota Wild Development Camp 3-on-3 Tournament on June 28, 2019 at TRIA Rink at Treasure Island Center in St. Paul, MN (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

1 Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 1) An elite offensive player who is already one of the top KHL talents at his young age, Kaprizov is a gifted forward with an impressive resume under his belt. Last year, he led the whole league in goals and game-winning goals, and also won the Gagarin Cup with CSKA before helping Russia to get back home with a bronze medal at the IIHF World Championship. With his size, hands, and poise, he won’t have many problems in adapting to the more demanding NHL game and it will be exciting to see what he can done there after his contract with CSKA will run out next April 30. He is a hard worker, and won’t be a defensive liability for his team, but Kaprizov is a top-six player and won’t contribute much on a bottom-six, defensive oriented role. - ASR

2 Matthew Boldy, LW (12^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Of all of the players on last year’s UNSTDP U18 class, none had come as far in their two year run with the Program as did Boldy. A true five-tool winger, he may have lacked the flash of the team’s first line with the likes of Jack Hughes and Cole Caufield, he has a sniper’s pure wrist shot and high end puck skills to boot. The latter skill was something that shone with greater and greater frequency as his draft year progressed, with few games occurring in the second half in which Boldy did not try something audacious – and usually succeed. Notwithstanding his offensive game, he earns plaudits for his attention to detail in his own end as well. He is a very good penalty killer and plays aggressively all over the ice. With his mature frame and full set of skills, he may not need more than one year at Boston College before he is ready to take on the pros. He has first line possibilities. - RW

3 Connor Dewar, LW (92^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: 12) Dewar went undrafted in his initial draft year, but improved drastically and had a real breakout season, posting 38 goals and 68 points in 68 games, earning a third round selection. He followed that up by being named Captain of the Silvertips, and putting up an impressive 36 goals and 81 points in only 59 games. He is a smaller forward with good speed and puck skills, and a relentless work ethic. He has good offensive skills, and he plays a nice two-way game. He projects to be a bottom six forward at the highest level, and should compete for a spot in Iowa this season. - KO

4 Marshall Warren, D (166^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) One of the more polarizing prospects in the 2019 draft class, we were smitten by his speed and his zest for making life difficult for opposing teams, but the NHL was not as convinced, with some seeing more of a tweener, a defender who has offensive skill, but not enough to quarterback your first power play unit, while lacking the frame or defensive mindset to handle tough shifts in his own zone. Furthermore, playing on a stacked USNTDP last year, along with the Wild’s first round pick, Boldy, it was easy to overlook Warren in favor of one or another defender who had a more well-defined role. Nevertheless, by snagging the Boston College commit in the sixth round, we feel that the Wild got the best value pick in the entire draft. If he shows growth in his reads and picks his spots a touch better, he could end up a very good second pairing, second power play defender down the line. - RW

5 Vladislav Firstov, LW (42^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) For a first time North American combatant, Firstov impressed. He clearly has a strong offensive skill game and has the ability to drive the offense. His puck skills show the occasional jaw dropping element. He also has the ability to turn on the jets and push the opposing team back on their heels. There is more than enough here to convince a team to be patient with him, and enough occasional glimpses of dominant shifts to suspect that his team won’t need to be patient. But Firstov is not a player without red flags. He tends to disappear in his own end and can demonstrate a tendency to float in either end when the puck is not within sniffing distance. Furthermore, despite a solid frame and the ability to play with strength, he too often sticks to the perimeter and avoids heavy play. He might flame out at the University of Connecticut, but he could also emerge smelling like a second line winger. - RW

6 Alexander Khovanov, C (86^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 9) Khovanov is a very strong offensive player with warts to his game. He handles the puck very well, distributes the puck expertly, can fire a great shot and controls the pace of the game with the puck on his stick. However, his weaknesses lie underneath the strong boxcar numbers of 74 points in 64 games this season, and 10 in 10 in the playoffs. He is prone to bad turnovers and taking bad penalties, as he finished fifth in minor penalties last year with 47. He suffers from inconsistent effort in the defensive zone; some shifts he is tenacious on the backcheck and others he is lackadaisical. He can take himself out of the game with frustration and lack of focus, and other teams have zeroed in on it in their game planning. He projects to be an impact offensive player, if Minnesota can keep him focused. - MS

7 Nico Sturm, C (Undrafted free agent, signed Apr. 1, 2019. Last Year: IE) When Sturm was first draft eligible, he was a decent U18 player in Germany, and barely even on the German national team radar. In his second year of eligibility, he played in the NAHL, and struggled mightily. But it got better. His second go round in the NAHL was strong and he even played for Team Germay in the WJC. He then he won a USHL championship with Tri-City before moving on to study and play at Clarkson. He was much better as a collegian than he was prior and was one of the most coveted NCAA free agents this past year. His season ended ignominiously with a game misconduct in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, but he agreed to an NHL entry level deal with the Wild three days later. He has great size and skates very well, with intriguing puck skills to boot. He is close to ready and has a third line ceiling. - RW

8 Filip Johansson, D (24^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 4) For a first-round draft choice in 2018, Johansson didn’t have a strong season in 2018-19. In his draft year he was promoted to senior hockey and showed great promise in Allsvenskan. He played a smart, solid and mature game. Last season he was a regular in Allsvenskan but struggled. He met adversity with bigger responsibility and couldn’t put up offensive numbers or strong defensive numbers. He still is only 19 years old and is a smart player with good tools, so it is far too early to write him off as a prospect. Johansson has the potential to become a solid two-way right-handed defenseman who contributes well at both ends of the ice. The upcoming season he will be a rookie in the SHL as his team earned promotion. Hopefully he can take a big step and handle the higher level well with his smarts. As for now, the NHL is a long-term project. - JH

9 Jack McBain, C (63^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) McBain comes from a hockey family and you can see that in his play. He is a smart, strong, adaptable forward who is still finding his way in college hockey. At 6-3”, 201, he went from being an OJHL All-Star to a developing player for Boston College. He showed flashes last year scoring 6 goals and 13 points in 35 games. His speed is good, but he needs to be better in his own end. He played as a third-line left winger last season, but he is capable of being a center again down the road. He will have to show improvement to get back in the middle again. He has the look of a 3^rd or 4^th line player as a pro down the road. He still has a lot of work to do between now and then. - RC

10 Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 7) What Kahkonen did in his first North American pro year, amid a decent at best defensive squad with AHL Iowa, borders on incredible. The average-sized, mature goaltender wasted no time getting accustomed to the smaller ice, earning AHL All-Star honors at just 22 years of age. His calm, composed mentality in the crease bodes well for his highly-athletic, technically-refined butterfly style, and his maturity as a young netminder was on display for all of last season in Des Moines. From a talent standpoint, he projects to be a mid-tier NHL starter in the near future, but a worrisome note for him is that veteran Andrew Hammond essentially stole the starting job in the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs. Coupled with the fact that the Wild selected goaltender Hunter Jones in the second round of the 2019 draft, and Kahkonen might have a harder road to the big leagues than expected. - TD

11 Louie Belpedio, D (80^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 5) A right-handed, puck-moving defenseman is an untouchable prospective asset to any organization, but throw in some offensive upside and a veteran level of composure, and you have a surefire future NHLer. The 2014 third-rounder finished off his first pro year -- which featured some cameos with Minnesota -- with a solid 71-6-15-21 stat line, exhibiting just what makes him an intriguing prospect moving forward: his smarts are top notch, and his speedy skating and vision make his mission of exiting the zone as fast as possible an easy one most times. While his defensive awareness and physical play below the dots have improved since the beginning of last season, his stick-readiness and gaps when defending against zone entries still need some major upgrades. Long term, Belpedio could be a bottom-pair d-man with second power-play time. - TD

12 Ivan Lodnia, RW (85^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 8) Lodnia is a change of pace winger who is always looking to attack the offensive zone. His skating has improved and it has allowed him to be effective at gaining entry to the blueline. He has also become stronger on the puck and it has made him more effective playing in the middle of the ice. He was a very effective 5-on-5 performer this past season in Niagara, even though he missed a few months with an upper body injury. As an NHL player, Lodnia projects as a middle six winger for the Wild. How fast he makes Minnesota’s lineup is going to be dictated by how quickly he is able to improve his play away from the puck as he will need to be the type to do the dirty work on a scoring line and become a little more versatile. - BO

13 Hunter Jones, G (59^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Hunter Jones has everything you are looking for in an NHL netminder, particularly size and athleticism. He was having a terrific draft season and a major breakout with Peterborough until he hit a wall in the second half due to being overworked. At this point, it is just about finding consistency for Jones, and being able to bounce back from weaker goals or performances. The upcoming OHL season will be a big one for him as he looks to be good from start to finish. With a more consistent year, he could put himself on the map as a potential starter for Canada at the World Junior Championships and is definitely a candidate for goaltender of the future in Minnesota. - BO

14 Brandon Duhaime, RW (106^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 11) Florida native Duhaime is a late bloomer who was drafted in his second year of eligibility after a decent season in the USHL. He progressed at a steadily faster pace over three years with Providence, culminating in an impressive junior campaign after which Minnesota gave him an entry level deal. Ostensibly a power forward, he can get to a nice top speed, but usually plays at a more stately pace. He is tough to handle when he forechecks and is likewise active in his own end. His offensive skills don’t seem likely to translate much as a pro, but his hockey IQ and physicality will give him a chance to play a fourth line role. - RW

15 Matvey Guskov, C (149th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Even if Guskov did not have the type of draft season some had expected of him, he was a great dice roll by the Wild in the back half of the draft. He is a really athletic player whose game is best described as being raw. He skates well. He has size. He shows flashes of being able to dominate in transition. But at this point, he is not good enough away from the puck, strong enough on the puck, or confident enough to be a consistent contributor. There are also some question marks about how well he sees the ice. That said, with patience he could develop into an impact two-way forward because of his size and skating ability. - BO

16 Brennen Menell, D (Undrafted free agent, signed Sep. 26, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Undrafted out of the WHL, Menell signed with Minnesota in the fall of 2017, and his 2018-19 season is a sign that the Wild scored big on the free agent defenseman. An inventive blueliner with the WHL club in Vancouver, and later Lethbridge, the 22-year-old showed out his junior form with Iowa last season, after earning an increase in ice time and more of a two-way role with the farm club. Last season, only one AHL defenseman had more assists than Menell (70-2-42-44), whose skating speed and creativity as a passer made him one of the most dangerous distributors in the league. His defensive game is fairly stout as well, as his technique on odd-man rushes and his physicality against zone entries stands out above the rest. Aside from his weak and often hesitant shot, Menell does not have any real big holes in his game. He could be a second-pair NHL contributor in time. - TD

17 Nick Swaney, C (209^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 15) A classic late-bloomer, Swaney did not fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump in his second year at Minnesota-Duluth, increasing his goal scoring by 250% while once again playing a key two-way role for a national champion. He is undersized and lacks any one standout skill, but Swaney’s whole is often greater than the sum of his parts. He has a hard shot which was put to use with greater frequency this year and is trustworthy in late and tight situations as well as the penalty kill. He reads the game at close to an NHL level and if we were more confident that he could win more foot races at the highest level, he would project as a solid future third line center as well as show up far higher on this list. As is, he could find himself on the fourth line, but the upside is still NHL worthy. - RW

18 Filip Lindberg, G (197^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Lindberg is only 6-0”, 187, but he is physically strong and that helps him play the position. He had a sensational year at UMass, finishing with a 1.60 goals against average and a .934 save percentage in just 17 games. He didn’t play a ton but had a fair number of shutouts and had taken over the starting job by the NCAA Tournament, backstopping the Minutemen to the Frozen Four Final where they lost 3-0. He blocks pucks and doesn’t glove them all cleanly. His fast reflexes give up a lot of directed rebounds. He covers up in the crease well. He was a no-risk seventh round pick with some possible future upside. He should be the top goalie at UMass this year, but the job won’t be handed to him. He could be a future backup goalie in the NHL someday. - RC

19 Adam Beckman, C (75^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Beckman had a nice season for Spokane, putting up 32 goals and 62 points in 68 games, followed by 12 points in 15 games in the playoffs. Selected in the 3rd round, the speedy winger possesses good offensive instincts and likes to get involved in front of the net. He has a good shot and quick release, and always finds ways to contribute. Beckman just went through a growth spurt and has been adjusting to his new physical traits, but will still need to add weight and strength to be able to deal with the physical part of the game as he moves on. He projects to be a middle six forward, and should be back in Spokane this season to hone his skills and further his development. - KO

20 Mason Shaw, C (97^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 10) After ripping the WHL to shreds as a 17-year-old with Medicine Hat, the shifty, creative center tore the ACL in his right knee before the start of the 2017-18 season and spent the entire campaign -- aside from a nondescript one-game trial with Iowa at season’s end -- on the shelf. In 2018-19, he shook off the rust with a 76-8-25-33 campaign that was solid, but shy of world-shattering, before he suffered an ACL injury on his left knee in the postseason. In short, Shaw’s development will be a test of patience for the player and the Wild organization. When healthy, he is a pretty solid technical skater with decent top speed, and his main draw -- his quick, soft hands -- can make magic happen on every shift. He has a middle-six NHL ceiling, but his undersized frame and lack of luck with health have made it difficult to imagine him in a Minnesota Wild jersey for a while. - TD

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.

Minnesota Wild Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 18:14:25 +0000

A debate in hockey analytics circles that has been circulating for some time is whether the sport is a weak-link game or a strong-link game. In other words, people question whether the best constructed rosters are those with the highest top end talent, or those with an edge on the bottom.

Another way of looking at the question is to ask whether the best team is the one that wins the battle when the third and fourth lines, or the third blueline pairing, is on the ice, or is the victor the team who can win the head-to-head matchups between strengths, when the first lines/pairings are skating?

Considering the recent Stanley Cups won by the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and other super stars, as well as the fact that those first lines, when they have the edge of play on the ice, still have to beat an NHL goalie to put their team in front, it seems the weight of the evidence is that hockey is a strong-link game.

Another point of evidence in favor of marking hockey as a strong link game is that if it were a weak-link game, the Minnesota Wild would have made it past the second round of the playoffs more than once in their existence.

New GM Paul Fenton inherits a franchise that is deep in decent players, both at the NHL level as well as up and down the system. Similarly, it is a franchise that is shallow in high-end players, in the NHL and on the farm. When former GM Chuck Fletcher went all in on free agency a few years ago, locking up the rest of the respective careers of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the thinking was that those players could lead the Wild to prolonged glory.

Now, Ryan Suter and Zach Parise are both fine players. I would go so far as to say that Suter has consistently been in the second tier of defensemen in the league. But what those two have proven, both in Minnesota and for their previous teams, is that their success comes when they are surrounded with players of a similar talent level. When they are head and shoulders above the rest of their roster, they are simply not good enough to be the strong-link of a championship team.

As we look at Minnesota’s top 20 prospects, we see that past is in danger of becoming prologue. There are a few fine players, players who could have Zach Parise-type NHL impact, and then a whole bunch more who fit as supporting players at the highest rung. The system is deep, but almost entirely lacking in players who one could safely project to be the leading lights of a championship roster. Paul Fenton has only had a few months to begin to mold the organization to his vision, but his first draft class did little to move the needle. Barring the possibility of a healthy Alexander Khovanov elevating his game by a few tiers, nobody in their 2018 draft class seems likely to force opposing teams to plan around them.

1 Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 3^rd) If this system has one potential difference maker, this is it. Only 21 years old, Kaprizov has already played for most of four seasons in the KHL – including KHL All Star Game appearances in each of the last three - and finished above 40 in both of the last two, seasons punctuated by star turns in the WJC (12 points in seven games) and the Olympics (nine points in six games) respectively. Kaprizov grades very highly as a skater, for his ability to shoot an handle the puck, and for his on ice vision, especially in the offensive zone. Kaprizov, despite being somewhat undersized and lacking any appreciable experience on smaller ice surfaces, could play in a top six role in the NHL this year, but his contract with CSKA Moscow still has two season left to run.

Luke Kunin

2 Luke Kunin, C (15^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 1^st) After captaining the Wisconsin Badgers as a sophomore, and also wearing the C for Team USA as they took home gold at the WJC, Kunin was ready to play in the NHL. He was shuttled back and forth between Minnesota and their AHL team in Iowa for most of the year, before tearing the ACL in his left knee in early March, ending his season. Despite going through other tribulations in his rookie pro season, Kunin consistently demonstrated traits to his game which will work out over the long haul, provided his skating – one of the clear strengths of his game is not impacted permanently by the knee injury. A high energy skill player for the middle six is still in Kunin’s immediate future.

3 Jordan Greenway, LW (50^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 4^th) Another ready for primetime player, Greenway was one of three collegians chosen to represent Team USA at the Winter Olympics last year, and he scored once in PyeongChang. Over the last two seasons, Greenway’s game has begun to catch up to his outsized frame. At 6-6”, 227, he is certainly physically imposing, but he also moves very well for his size and has the offensive tools to suggest a player who could peak in the 50 point per season range. Greenway also plays a physical, heavy game befitting his stature, but his NHL success will come from his ability to play a skill game first and foremost. He can add a dimension to the Wild attack that was not there in recent years.

4 Filip Johansson, D (24^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Although a surprise when he was called to the podium in the first round in June. Johansson was one of the highest IQ defenders available in the 20128 draft class. The Leksands blueliner, who split last season between the men’s team and their U20 squad, has great vision and plays a highly poised game. His reads are very mature and he moves the puck smoothly. He is strong for his size, and projects for more there as he fills out. On the other hand, Johansson will likely never be a big offensive contributor. He lacks the skating chops to lead a dangerous rush and his point shot is not the most threatening. He certainly fits the Wild prospect MO, in that he has a low ceiling, but a pretty high floor.

5 Louis Belpedio, D (80^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 8^th) Another defender whose key selling point as a prospect is his high IQ, Louie Belpedio played a full four seasons with Miami University, the last two wearing the C on his chest. As a senior, he contributed much more to the RedHawks’ attack then ever before, with a career high 30 points in 37 games. That said, his offensive tools suggest more of a two-way contributor as a pro. His point shot does not suggest much power play time in his future, but he moves the puck fairly well. Belpedio also plays a physical game for his size. The right shooting defender is likely in line to receive a NHL cameo this year, but would be best served by a full season on the farm.

Jack McBain

6 Jack McBain, C (63^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A big body with a full set of tools, McBain might have been drafted before the third round had he played in the OHL – or even in the USHL – instead of spending the last two years with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the OJHL. The leading U18 player in that circuit, McBain had the opportunity to play on the bigger stage both in the mid-year WJAC and to close out the season at the WU18 tournament. Headig to play for Boston College next year, McBain has the offensive skill set to do well, but may struggle at first to acclimate to the greater pace of play than what he had experienced so far in his career.

7 Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 6^th) An athletic netminder, the Wild finally signed Kahkonen four years after drafting him with a fourth round pick. Playing at a remarkably steady high level for the past two seasons with Luuko in Liiga, Kahkonen’s game has only improved since backstopping Finland to a Gold Medal in the 2016 WJC. He will likely report to Iowa for his first season in North America, where he will be able to work on his play reading ability and rebound control away from the bright lights of the NHL, but the only thing between him and the backup job for the Wild is Alex Stalock. In other words, not all that much.

8 Ivan Lodnia, RW (85^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9^th) After years with the likes of Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat, and Dylan Strome, the top NHL prospect on the Erie Otters last year – especially after Taylor Raddysh was traded to Sault Ste. Marie - was none other than Ivan Lodnia. A good skater with the ability to impress with the puck on his stick, he earns plaudits for his commitment to the play at both ends, with or without the puck. Expected to play a key role with a rebuilding Erie again this year, Lodnia will have the chance to answer the question of whether he can be a leading offensive creator without having superstars by his side.

9 Alexander Khovanov, C (86^th overall, 2018. Last Year; IE) There is a not unreasonable chance that in 12 months, Khovanov sits at the top of this list. I wouldn’t bet on it, but there is a chance. The second overall pick in the 2017 CHL Import Draft, he contracted Hepatitis A in an offseason trip to the Caribbean. When he was finally healthy enough to play, his fitness level was very low, but he still managed to show flashes of high end offensive skill. With a full offseason of good health and proper training, we may see an energized player who can turn those flashes into a consistent high level of play. There is also the risk that what we saw is what he is, but his illness is rare enough in hockey circles and his demonstrated skill set is high enough that he has earned the benefit of the doubt at least until the 2018-19 season begins.

10 Mason Shaw, C (97^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 10^th) After Khovanov, we have another one for whom we have to give the benefit of the doubt in Mason Shaw. After tearing up the WHL as an undersized draft eligible forward, Shaw tore the ACL in his right knee in the second game of the preseason prospects tournament in Traverse City and didn’t play again until a late season, one game cameo in the AHL for Iowa. A fine skater with sublime puck skills, he earned Minnesota’s respect with the way he rehabbed from his injury. Shaw is expected to return to Medicine Hat for one final year before fully embarking on his professional career.

11 Brandon Duhaime, RW (106^th overall, 2016. Last Year: unranked) Drafted in his second year of eligibility, after contributing to a Clark Cup Championship for the Tri-City Storm, Duhaime looked like a decent plugger, playing with aggression and energy, with a little bit of skill. After two seasons with Providence, some of the roughness around his game has been scraped off and a potential middle six winger is emerging. He has a big body and skated very well. He has also shown the hands of a decent playmaker. The Florida native may be more than an organizational depth piece although he needs to learn to walk the disciplinary line a bit better in his junior year with the Friars.

12 Connor Dewar, LW (92^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Ignored in his first year of eligibility, Connor Dewar turned heads in his second go-round, leading the generally defensive Everett Silvertips with 38 goals in the regular season, followed by 26 points in 22 games as his team went to the WHL finals. Further, he gets the puck on net a lot, such that there is minimal risk of his goals being due to luck on the percentages. Dewar is not a high end skater, and he is on the smaller side, but he thinks the game at a high level and both his shooting and puck handling skills rate as above average. He is a bit of a late bloomer, but another season like the last one could help to cement his projection as a bottom six winger at the highest level.

Dmitry Sokolov

13 Dmitry Sokolov, RW (196^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 12^th) When he was drafted, Sokolov was seen as a gamble on a player who had a very high ceiling as a scoring winger, but who was very likely to be undone by poor conditioning, subpar skating, and a complete lack of attention to the game away from the puck. He may never look like Duncan Keith, and his skating is still a likely problem, but Sokolov has started to show a recognition of the need to play across all 200 feet and earned himself a spot on Team Russia’s most recent WJC entry after being ignored by his homeland for the previous two seasons. He is also still in possession of a near-elite shot and tied for the OHL lead in goals scored with 50. He’s not there yet, but he took a step closer this year.

14 Nick Seeler, D (131^st overall, 2011. Last Year: unranked) In a system full of players with low ceilings and high floors, Nick Seeler sticks out for having the highest floor and quite probably the lowest ceiling. A bruising, stay-at-home defender, he is a bit of an anachronism in the modern game, as his mobility is only around average and his puck skills are less than that. His combined 21 points over 128 professional games is not a fluke. Neither are his 204 penalty minutes in that span. He is a big hitter, can kill penalties and knows how to clear opponents from in front of his goalie’s crease. He is expected to man the third pairing for the Wild this year.

15 Nick Swaney, C (209^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 13^th) Drafted by the Wild in his third year of eligibility, Swaney played a key supporting role with NCAA champions Minnesota-Duluth as a freshman last year. He is undersized, but knows how to drive play in the right direction with his impressive speed, vision, and smart passing ability. He needs to add bulk – without losing speed – in order to not be a liability off the puck and be more able to withstand physical defending. Swaney has scored wherever he has played so it may just be a matter of time before he begins to score at a high rate in the NCAA, but between his draft pedigree and unassuming frame, he will need to continue proving himself.

16 Justin Kloos, C/RW (UDFA: Mar. 29, 2017. Last Year: 15^th) The Wild organization have long made a habit of scouting heavily in their own backyard, and Kloos has a chance to be a mild success story. The former Minnesota Mr. Hockey and four year regular with the University of Minnesota, he was never drafted, but worked tirelessly and had the brains to make it work wherever he played. He continued his success as a pro, tying for third in scoring as a rookie with Iowa and making his NHL debut to boot. Kloos will have every opportunity to win a third line/extra forward NHL job this year.

Kyle Rau

17 Kyle Rau, C (UFA: Jul. 1, 2017. Last Year: unranked) The winner of Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey award the year before the honor went to Kloos, the two were also teammates for two years with the Golden Gophers. With 50 points last year in Iowa, the flea sized Rau is coming off his best season as a pro, and signed a two year contract extension with the Wild in June, but is likely still below Kloos on the depth chart. Between the two, Rau is the better skater and more gifted with the puck on his stick, but is also much smaller and has had more opportunities already to prove that he may not be a regular NHLer. He will also age out of consideration for this list before the end of October.

18 Sam Anas, C (UDFA: Apr. 15, 2016. Last Year: 20^th) In case you thought we had already discussed enough undersized free agent signee forwards already, this is the last one. I promise. Dante Salituro was not really considered for a spot. Anas not only could borrow most of Rau’s hockey gear, they rate similarly when looking at their various hockey attributes. Both are gifted playmakers who are more likely to pass than shoot. Both are similarly effective in their physical gifts. Rau is a slightly better skater and gets his nose dirtier, and both will age off the list before its time for the next one. Anas should get a look-see when injuries create room on the NHL roster.

19 Eric Martinsson, D (UDFA: May 2, 2018. Last Year: IE) Another free agent signing, Martinsson is neither a forward nor particularly undersized. Coming off an SHL championship and an appearance in the finals of the Hockey Champions League with Vaxjo in the SHL, he is a quick thinker with nice playmaking chops. This will not be his first experience in North America, as he has a year in the USHL under his belt. A power play point man for Vaxjo, his shot lacks the heft to play that role much in North America, but he moves the puck well and is agile if not very fast. Already 25, his window to make it in the NHL is small.

20 Carson Soucy, D (137^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 11^th) Big and rangy, the Wild had high hopes for Soucy coming off four years with Minnesota-Duluth. His first year pro results, with 15 points in 67 games, are approximately what we can expect from him moving forward. He is competent enough that the Wild did not hesitate to play Soucy in the NHL postseason when Ryan Suter went down to injury. He has refined his hockey sense over the last few years and can play a physical game, but even though he can let one rip from the blueline, don’t expect much in the way of offensive contributions going forward.

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

Ryan Wagman — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:37:30 +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 Central Division

Chicago Blackhawks
1 (8) Adam Boqvist, D, Brynas J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 9th
1 (27) Nicolas Beaudin, D, Drummondville (QMJHL) - ranked 55th
3 (69) Jake Wise, C, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 62nd
3 (74) Niklas Nordgren, RW, HIFK U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - ranked 49th
4 (120) Philipp Kurashev, LW/C, Quebec (QMJHL) - ranked 80th
5 (139) Mikael Hakkarainen, C, Muskegon (USHL) - unranked
6 (162) Alexis Gravel, G, Halifax (QMJHL) - ranked 67th
7 (193) Josiah Slavin, LW, Lincoln (USHL) - unranked

With one difference of opinion, I have a lot of time for the Chicago Blackhawks draft class this year. That they selected six players in our top 100 (top 80, actually), reflects a lot of convergence in our respective scouting opinions. Doing it without a second rounder to play makes the feat even more impressive. With a rare top ten pick, the Hawks selected young Swedish dynamo Adam Boqvist eighth overall. While the pick raised the eyebrows a smidge, considering the availability of Evan Bouchard and Noah Dobson, two better-rounded, potential top pairing blueliners, the gap between the three of them was minute and more down to preference than actual expected value. Boqvist is a little rawer than the other two, but his upside is truly immense.

Where the eyebrows truly shot up was when the Blackhawks selected Drummondville blueliner Nicolas Beaudin with the second first rounder. First, because between Boqvist and their first two picks in the 2017 draft (Henri Jokiharju and Ian Mitchell), they seemed to now have a pretty good core of young blueliners to plan around. Secondly, and more important, how could Beaudin be the first Voltigeur off the board with Joe Veleno still available? Beaudin has high end vision, and moves the puck fairly well, but his skating is a sore point, particularly his first few steps and his reverse. He can get up to a decent top speed, but as he so often falls behind, it is an absolute necessity. Third, as Beaudin is a marauding sort, who likes to engage deep in the offensive end, there must be the worry that his game is too similar in style to Boqvist’s.

As much as I did not like the second first rounder, I loved the Hawks’ two third rounders. Jake Wise is a very good skater who can perform some nice tricks with the puck yet can be trusted in all situations. Were it not for an early season injury that had him miss a good long stretch, he would have gone at least 30 picks higher. Five picks later, Chicago took another offensively gifted forward in Finnish winger Niklas Nordgren, who scored eight times in seven games at the WU18, but has historically been a stronger playmaker than finisher. He needs to add muscle mass and improve his explosiveness, but he can produce. Chicago took another offensively talented forward in the fifth, reminding us all that successful teams do not just grab bottom six types in the later rounds, but continue to draft for talent. Swiss import Philipp Kurashev has shown improvement year over year in his two seasons with Quebec in the Q. He reads the play well in both zones and has very soft hands. Although he lacks bulk, he is not a peripheral player.

They continued to hunt for point producers as the draft petered out, as seen with sixth rounder Mikael Hakkarainen who had 46 points in 36 games with Muskegon this year. Even after accounting for the fact that the Finnish USHL import was in his third year of draft eligibility, he has scored at every level in which he has played. He missed a chunk of the year to injury, but when he played, he was creating chances left and right. A few solid seasons with Providence, and he could be a real late round gem. Chicago was wise to snatch up a promising, if very raw, netminder in the sixth round in Alexis Gravel, both as his tools rate very highly, even if his results were sub-par in his draft year with Halifax, but also as the net is a weak spot organizationally for the Hawks and will have a chance to make an impact in time. If he can play more like he has in the postseason for the Mooseheads than he did in the regular season, more than a few teams will be kicking themselves for passing up on him for five full rounds. As for the seventh rounder, Josiah Slavin, the younger brother of Hurricanes’ blueliner Jaccob Slavin, the Blackhawks did finally take a low ceiling player who maxes out as a fourth liner, if he even gets there. He has good size and is a decent skater, but has never been a scorer all the way bac to Bantam hockey. Even though I don’t agree with every pick, the Blackhawks’ strategy of largely selecting players with aa history of offensive production and continuing to draft talent even in the middle and (most of the) later rounds, is a winning strategy.

OFP – 53.25

Colorado Avalanche
1 (16) Martin Kaut, RW, Dynamo Pardubice (Czech) - ranked 20th
3 (64) Justus Annunen, G, Karpat U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga) - ranked 98th
3 (78) Sampo Ranta, LW, Sioux City (USHL) - ranked 54th
4 (109) Tyler Weiss, LW/C, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 59th
5 (140) Brandon Saigeon, C, Hamilton (OHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
5 (146) Danila Zhuravlyov, D, Irbis Kazan (MHL) - ranked 131st
6 (171) Nikolai Kovalenko, RW, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL) - ranked 159th
7 (202) Shamil Shamakov, G, Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL) - unranked

The Colorado Avalanche have never been the type of team to heavily scout the CHL, but to have only one pick from their seven come from the hotbed of Canadian junior hockey is a surprise even for them. Even when accounting for the fact that two additional picks were playing in the USHL, one of those was actually a Finnish import. In short, the Avalanche went the full anti-Don Cherry in their 2018 draft class, with five of seven picks coming from Europe. There was some speculation of whether their first round pick, Martin Kaut, would drop down draft boards after a disputed heart issue was discovered during medical testing at the draft combine. Thankfully, he rushed back to the Czech Republic and had the matter taken care of immediately, and received a clean bill of health before draft day. Kaut does everything at an above average level, and if the early successes of Martin Necas and Filip Chytil last year are any indication, the Czech Republic is back to being a hockey hotbed. Kaut is expected to move to the AHL next season.

In the three of the previous four drafts, the Avalanche selected a netminder from Europe, and they continued that trend with the second pick of the third round, taking Finnish WU18 hero Justus Annunen. Far from a flash in the pan, he was named the top goalie in the Finnish junior league and has the size every team covets in net, as well as above average athleticism. Half a round later, the Avs selected an early season sensation in the USHL, in Finnish import winger Sampo Ranta, who naturally elicited comparisons to former Sioux City sniper Eeli Tolvanen. Ranta is no Tolvanen, and is prone to a few bone-head reads, but he has a fine collection of offensive tools, projecting to top six potential across the board, and is going to a good program at Wisconsin starting next season.

Staying in the USHL, the first North American product Colorado drafted was North Carolina native Tyler Weiss from the USNTDP. The program often relegates talented players to a bottom six role because they are both not as good as the first line players, and they play high energy games. Both are true of Weiss. He plays with great energy and he is not as good as the top line trio of Jack Hughes, Oliver Wahlstrom, or Joel Farabee. Of course, that latter point is a very high bar for comparison. Weiss is very talented, and like a few previous USNTDP grads, I expect his offensive game to flourish in a more fluid role at Nebraska-Omaha. He is a great skater with shifty hands and great puck control. With his inherent grit, I think he is looked upon as a steal in short order.

Fifth rounder Brandon Saigeon was long written off as a disappointment in the OHL, as the former fourth overall OHL Draft pick took four seasons to really break out. Finally, in his third and final year of NHL draft eligibility, he took off with a strong Bulldogs team, at least reaching the point per game mark in the regular season, OHL playoffs, and Memorial Cup. He is eligible to go back to Hamilton for one more year, or join Kaut next year in the AHL. His future success hinges on his shot continuing to sneak past netminders.

After drafting their one and only CHL player, the Avalanche finished their draft with three picks from the Russian junior league. Defender Danila Zhuravlyov is a promising two way player with a good set of tools who needs to refine his game away from the puck. Winger Nikolai Kovalenko, is actually an Avalanche legacy pick, as his father Andrei played with the Nordiques and the Avalanche between 1992-96. Ironically enough, like Tyler Weiss, Kovalenko was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, although Kovalenko moved back to Russia as a youth. He has very high hockey intelligence and grades out very well for both skating and puck skills. If he gets more attention on the international stage, he will be looked at as a late round steal in short order. Finally, for their last selection, Colorado drafted the player with the best name in the draft, in Shamil Shmakov. In his second year of draft eligibility, the towering (6-6”) Russian netminder was a workhorse for his MHL team. He is athletic for his size and reads the play well. Between the Russians and the college bound players, the Avalanche’s 2018 draft class may take four or more years before it can be adequately judged. That said, with the talent selected, they should be optimistic.

OFP – 53.75

Dallas Stars
1 (13) Ty Dellandrea, C, Flint (OHL) - ranked 32nd
2 (44) Albin Eriksson, RW/LW, Skelleftea J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 121st
3 (75) Oskar Back, C/RW, Frolunda J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 75th
4 (100) Adam Mascherin, LW, Kitchener (OHL) - ranked 64th
4 (106) Curtis Douglas, C, Windsor (OHL) - ranked 95th
5 (137) Riley Damiani, C, Kitchener (OHL) - ranked 107th
6 (168) Dawson Barteaux, D, Red Deer (WHL) - ranked 206th
7 (199) Jermaine Loewen, RW/LW, Kamloops (WHL) - unranked

Like some teams, the Stars have geographical hot spots that they tend to return to again and again when to comes to drafting. They love the OHL, the WHL, Sweden and Finland. They have sometimes strayed from those areas, most notably for some first rounders from Russia (Valeri Nichushkin, and Denis Guryanov) and Minnesota prep (Riley Tufte) and the NCAA (Jake Oettinger), but the majority of their picks over the years come from the four areas listed above. And low and behold, they stayed true to form this year, drafting entirely from the OHL, WHL and Sweden. Hosting the draft, no matter who they selected would be bound to receive hearty applause and the fans did not disappoint in that regard.

Even though they went off the board with their first rounder, Ty Dellandrea, the Flint center has a few factors that suggest an upside just as high as those who had been ranked in that range of the draft class. He is very young for this draft class, he put up decent numbers despite playing for a tire fire of an OHL organization. He stepped up his game in the high profile events of the CHL Top Prospects Game and the WU18 tournament. He is a great skater with a very high hockey IQ, gets top marks for intangibles and has nice hands. I cannot truly fault Dallas for making this pick. I am less bullish on their second rounder, large Swedish winger Albin Eriksson. He has soft hands for his size and has certainly scored plenty in the SuperElit, but there are questions about his skating and his overall ability to process the game. He was held off the Swedish WU18 team as the national braintrust did not see a fit for him as a top six player, and did not think his game would translate to a bottom six role. I see a lot of risk-reward in this pick.

The Stars went right back to the SuperElit with their third rounder, for versatile forward Oskar Back. Back is not as big as Eriksson, but has more than enough size-wise. He is also a better skater, plays a more effective physical brand of hockey and showed the ability to play a variety of roles at the WU18. Dallas returned to the OHL for their two fourth round picks and their fifth rounder, bookending two picks from the Kitchener Rangers program (Adam Mascherin and Riley Damiani) with the gigantic Windsor center Curtis Douglas. Mascherin was this year’s only redraft player, as the former Florida second rounder never came to terms with the Panthers and took his chances with the league this year. He is a shorter, stockier player, lacking much explosion in his legs, but has been a prime sniper in the OHL for years (at least 35 goals in each of the last three seasons) and is ready for the AHL. His OHL teammate Damiani was selected by Dallas 37 picks later. Rather small, and not overly toolsy, he makes his hay thanks to high end hockey IQ. He has enough in the wheels department to be useful on the penalty kill as well, although he is not likely to ever be a big scorer.

In between those two picks, the Stars drafted the most physical specimen of the entire draft class in 6-8”, 247 pound behemoth center Curtis Douglas. Douglas is very strong, with unbeatable reach, but is not aggressive so much as he is imposing. He is a decent skater for his size and has reasonably fluid hands. Sixth rounder Dawson Barteaux was once a first round pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, but could not eke out a regular role in the WHL until this year, where he emerged as a reliable puck mover for Red Deer. His upside is not tremendous, but he can skate and get the puck out of his own end and could provide reasonable future value for this stage of the draft.

The Stars ended their draft with the first Jamaican born player ever selected in Kamloops’ hulking power winger Jermaine Loewen. In his third year of eligibility, Loewen went from being a bottom line bruiser to someone who could contribute in a top six role at the WHL level. His NHL prospects’ depend on being able to combine the attribute of both areas. Like Mascherin, he could jump right into the AHL next year. Generally speaking, I do not applaud drafting for size, which the Stars were clearly targeting, taking four players who are at least 6-3”, 205, but with one exception, I have no fault in where those big guys were drafted. They took enough in terms of skill and IQ that the organization should see good results from their 2018 haul, even if they are bunched among forwards.

OFP – 52.5

Minnesota Wild
1 (24) Filip Johansson, D, Leksand J20 (SuperElit) - ranked 46th
3 (63) Jack McBain, C, Toronto Jr. Canadiens (OJHL) - ranked 51st
3 (86) Alexander Khovanov, C, Moncton (QMJHL) - ranked 61st
3 (92) Connor Dewar, LW, Everett (WHL) - ranked 153rd
5 (148) Simon Johansson, D, Djurgardens J20 (SuperElit) - unranked
5 (155) Damien Giroux, C, Saginaw (OHL) - ranked Honorable Mention
6 (179) Shawn Boudrias, RW, Gatineau (QMJHL) - unranked
7 (210) Sam Hentges, C, Tri-City (USHL) - unranked

For many years, new Minnesota GM Paul Fenton was lauded as a key driving force behind Nashville’s consistent success at the draft table, where he served as assistant GM since 2006-07 and was involved in other roles with the club since 1998-99 (i.e. Day One). In his first crack at being the final voice on all personnel decisions, the eight players added to the Minnesota organization are very underwhelming. And with four of the eight picks being in their second year of draft eligibility, potential untapped upside is also lacking. In fairness to Fenton, he only took over the franchise with about one month before draft day. With a lack of clarity over how much he could have brought to the scouting meetings, I will reserve judgement on Fenton until the 2019 draft.

They had one pick on day one and used it on a low upside, high IQ defender in Swede Filip Johansson. The right shooting blueliner plays a poised game, keeping his crease clear and featuring heavily in PK rotations. While right handed defenders are always a desired commodity, without the ability to score from the point, that value is diminished. I have a hard time seeing Johansson ever playing much of a role on the power play in the NHL. He projects more as a #4/5 defender at his peak.

The best value picks made by Minnesota this year both came in the third round. With the first pick of the round, they nabbed Jack McBain, a big center who moves well for his size and has been crushing the OJHL since he arrived there two years ago. He was a first round OHL pick too, but preferred the college route. He has very good hands and a hard shot and will be tested by a big step up in competition when he joins Boston College next season. Another high upside pick was made later in the round when the Wild selected Moncton center Alexander Khovanov, who many thought could be a top half of the first round player when the Wildcats selected him very early in last year’s CHL Import Draft. Unfortunately, much of his draft year was wiped out due to a bout with Hepatitis A. When he returned after mid-season, he still showed flashes of puck magic, but his strength and stamina had yet to fully recover by year’s end. A full offseason to return to his previous form could see him take off in a big way and there is a good chance that he ends up as the Wild’s top return from this draft class.

Their third third rounder, Connor Dewar, is more of a late bloomer than the other two, as he really took a few steps forward this year, in his second year of draft eligibility. He has a big motor and can finish. Dewar lacks the upside of McBain, or Khovanov, but it is easy to see a bottom six winger at the highest level in his future. Minnesota went right back to low upside after that point, such as with the pick of Simon Johansson (no relation to Filip, although he is a cousin of Columbus center Alexander Wennberg). Simon Johnasson put up very good numbers from the blueline in his second year of eligibility in the SuperElit, mostly thanks to a strong point shot and good distribution skills. Unfortunately, his skating is rather rough, and he is not nearly as strong away from the puck.

The second fifth rounder taken by Minnesota may have some “diamond in the rough” qualities, as Damien Giroux was one of the top players on a moribund Saginaw team in the OHL. He is very undersized, but he has a good set of offensive tools and could be a solid player in the coming years. There is decent upside in Minnesota’s sixth rounder as well. Although Shawn Boudrias was in his second year of eligibility, had he been born two days later, he would have been in his first year of eligibility. He led Gatineau in scoring by 20 points, and has great size, although he lacks any true standout tools. Minnesota ended their draft with another second year eligible player in Sam Hentges, of Tri-City in the USHL. Hentges put up decent numbers when he was healthy enough to play, although injuries kept him off the ice for much of the second half. The native Minnesotan is going to St. Cloud State next season. With a very low ceiling, medium floor draft haul. Minnesota did very little to move the needle for the organization.

OFP – 51.25

Nashville Predators
4 (111) Jachym Kondelik, C, Muskegon (USHL) - ranked 110th
5 (131) Spencer Stastney, D, USNTDP (USHL) - ranked 151st
5 (151) Vladislav Yeryomenko, D, Calgary (WHL) - ranked 196th
7 (213) Milan Kloucek, G, Dynamo Pardubicec (Czech) - unranked

With only four picks to be made, there is not much point in searching for trends in Nashville’s2018 draft class. With their first pick, they went with a tree in USHL center Jachym Kondelik. The 6-6” Czech pivot battled injuries this year with Muskegon, but has decent hands, enough mobility for his size, and shows the ability to play in a defensive role. If he could add more intensity to his game, he could be a real force down the line. He will take his next steps at the University of Connecticut.

With their next pick, the Predators took USNTDP blueliner Spencer Stastney, another player who had some injury trouble early in the year. Stastney is a smart, undersized puck mover, who has shown that he can play in a variety of roles and situations. He has a lot of tools and a generally high hockey IQ, but is overly prone to bonehead plays. If Notre Dame’s coaching staff can iron those out, he has pretty good upside. Later in the fifth round, the Predators drafted Belorussian blueliner Vladislav Yeryomenko, a second year eligible who has been playing in the WHL with Calgary for two seasons, putting up good numbers from the blueline all the while. He turned more heads with a strong WJC for Belarus, showing the ability to withstand a massive workload on a generally overmatched team. He has good hands and in another high IQ player for Nashville’s system.

The Predators completed their draft class with Czech netminder Milan Kloucek, drafted in his third year of eligibility. He performed well in a 10 game run in the men’s league with Dynamo Pardubice, but between never having played in a major international tournament, and moving around a lot between the top two Czech leagues and the junior ranks, he was not really on our radar. Despite not having a big presence in the draft this year, the Predators came away with three skaters who have enough upside to project as potential middle of the roster NHL contributors.

OFP – 50.75

St. Louis Blues
1 (25) Dominik Bokk, RW, Vaxjo J20 (SuperElit)
2 (45) Scott Perunovich, D, Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC)
4 (107) Joel Hofer, G, Swift Current (WHL)
5 (138) Hugh McGing, C, Western Michigan (NCHC)
6 (169) Mathias Laferriere, C, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
7 (200) Tyler Tucker, D, Barrie (OHL)

Four guys with youth and physical upside, and two guys who are older and smaller, but with more proof of success at higher levels. Positional balancing. The Blues’ own first round pick was traded to Philadelphia in the Brayden Schenn trade, but they got a first rounder back from Winnipeg in the Paul Stastny trade. The Blues, sensing an opportunity to get their guy, traded away a third rounder to move up a few spots and select German talent Dominik Bokk at 25^th overall. After tearing up the German U19 league as a 16 year old, Bokk moved to Sweden last year and laid the SuperElit to waste as well. He was less successful in limited time in the SHL, but he did enough last year to prove that he is far more than just a big fish in a small pond. He is a fine skater with high end offensive tools. He should get a much longer leash in the SHL next year in order to be ready to move to North America in 2019-20.

With their second rounder, the Blues went for American WJC hero, the third time eligible blueliner Scott Perunovich. He was too small and wild to be drafted in his first year of eligibility out of Hibbing/Chisholm high school in Minnesota. In his second year of eligibility, he performed alright with Cedar Rapids of the USHL, but still struggled in his own end. This year, he went to Minnesota-Duluth and was the leading scorer on the eventual NCAA champions. In the middle, he took time off to play for his country at the WJC and was electrifying with his puck rushes. He will never be a force in his own zone, but he is a very good skater and capable of brilliance with the puck.

The Blues did not get any big upside plays after that, but each of their final four picks had something to recommend themselves to scouts. Fourth rounder Joel Hofer was a backup netminder with WHL champs Swift Current. He put up the best numbers of any draft eligible netminder in the WHL and has the ideal frame for modern netminders. With Stuart Skinner graduating, he is the likely starter for the Broncos next year. In the fifth round, the Blues selected Hugh McGing, another third time eligible player, who had come off a strong sophomore campaign at Western Michigan and almost joined Perunovich on Team USA at the WJC. The undersized McGing is a playmaker and skates just well enough to evade being a target.

Of all of St. Louis picks, sixth rounder Mathias Laferriere has the least upside. He is young and has decent size, but has not lived up to his advance billing as the seventh overall pic in the QMJHL Entry draft in 2016. None of his attributes project to above average. The Blues’ final 2018 selection came in the form of Barrie blueliner Tyler Tucker. Like Laferriere, Tucker was a high pick going into junior who has been little more than OK in his time in the CHL thus far. He has an adequate game with the puck and plays with a mean streak, but needs to improve his skating in order to make it. While I would have liked to see St. Louis go for more upside in the back half of their draft class, the dynamism of their first two picks could be very impactful to the NHL roster in the near future.

OFP - 51

Winnipeg Jets
2 (60) David Gustafsson, C, HV71 (SHL) - ranked 50th
3 (91) Nathan Smith, C, Cedar Rapids (USHL) - unranked
5 (150) Declan Chisholm, D, Peterborough (OHL) - ranked 141st
5 (153) Giovanni Vallati, D, Kitchener (OHL) - ranked 79th
6 (184) Jared Moe, G, Waterloo (USHL) - ranked 192nd
7 (215) Austin Wong, C, Okotoks (AJHL) - unranked

I often consider the Winnipeg Jets among the more astute drafting teams in the league. That is why it is now hard for me to express how much I dislike their 2018 draft class. I believe that when a team trades away their first round pick, it is all the more of an imperative that they aim for upside with their next few picks, as with expectations already lowered, they can only gain. There is very little upside in this class, and relatively little value in the picks they made. This does not mean that I hate the picks or cannot see a path to the NHL for any of the players whose names they called out, but as a group, I don’t see it. If anything, they targeted physicality over skill, a tactic I have a hard time getting behind.

Second rounder David Gustafsson is a decent pick at that spot. He is not the best skater, but he is strong on the puck, demonstrates a high hockey IQ and is big and effectively powerful. He spent the bulk of his draft year in the SHL and plays a mature game. He projects to third line upside. Their next pick, Nathan Smith of Cedar Rapids, was a real head scratcher, though. A second year eligible with a late birthday, Smith is a decent playmaker who plays a somewhat gritty game, but is a mediocre skater whose reads need a lot of work. To be fair, it was only the first year the Tampa native spent outside of Florida, so he may have more upside than his performance suggests, but I have never seen it.

After sitting out the fourth round, the Jets picked up two decent blueline prospects in the fifth round in Declan Chisholm and Giovanni Vallati, both OHL products. Chisholm, from Peterborough, is a good skater and has some puck moving acumen, but was held back by injury and a poor Petes team this year. Kitchener’s Vallati is an even better skater, who flashes high end IQ and a more physical game. For my money, the Vallati pick was the best value the Jets got in Dallas. I might have been more forgiving of their draft class had they selected Vallati with their third rounder and Nathan Smith with the late fifth rounder. Both Chisholm and Vallati have decent third pairing projections. In the sixth round, Winnipeg selected second time eligible Jared Moe, a big netminder who split the crease in Waterloo with Philadelphia prospect Matej Tomek, who he outperformed. Like Nathan Smith, this was Moe’s first season out of the high school ranks. Moe should have the crease in Waterloo to himself next year before going to Minnesota.

The Jets saved their toughest pick for the end, drafting Okotoks pugilist Austin Wong. Wong had decent, but not eye-catching offensive numbers for the AJHL, but one look at the PIM column lets you know wat kind of player the Jets are adding. He is one of, if not the most, physical player in the entire draft class. Of course, there are drawbacks to that style, often leaving his team shorthanded. If he can tone it down just a bit and work on his skating, he could be OK, but he seems more like a 1980s throwback as is. After drafting high end skill for a number of years, the Jets might have taken a step in the wrong direction with these picks, even if some of them hit their best-case projections.

OFP – 50.5

Connor Dewar – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Forwards

Kirill Kaprizov - LW

Joel Eriksson Ek - C

Matt Boldy - LW

Ryan Hartman - RW

Mats Zuccarello - C

Marcus Johansson - RW

Marcus Foligno - LW

Frederick Gaudreau - C

Brandon Duhaime - RW

Pat Maroon - LW

Defense

Jonas Brodin - D

Jared Spurgeon - D

Calen Addison - D

Goaltending

Filip Gustavsson - G

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – MINNESOTA WILD – NHL Player Profiles

DEFENSE

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: MINNESOTA WILD – RANK: #6- TIER II

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Minnesota Wild Top 20 Prospects

Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 1)

Marco Rossi, C (9th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Matthew Boldy, LW (12th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Calen Addison, D (53rd overall, 2018 [Pittsburgh]. Previous ranking: 3)

Alexander Khovanov, C (86th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Adam Beckman, C (75th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Ryan O’Rourke, D (39th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Marat Khusnutdinov, C (37th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Hunter Jones, G (59th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Vladislav Firstov, LW (42nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 8)

Daemon Hunt, D (63rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Pavel Novak, RW (146th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Ivan Lodnia, RW (85th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 9)

Damien Giroux, C (155th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Marshall Warren, D (166th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Connor Dewar, LW (92nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Louis Belpedio, D (80th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 14)

Mitchell Chaffee, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 24, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Nico Sturm, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 1, 2019. Previous ranking: UR)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – MINNESOTA WILD– ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 6

Minnesota Wild

Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 1)

Matthew Boldy, LW (12th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Calen Addison, D (53rd overall, 2018 [Pittsburgh]. 2019 Rank: 2 [Pittsburgh])

Alexander Khovanov, C (86th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Adam Beckman, C (75th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

Hunter Jones, G (59th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 13)

Vladislav Firstov, LW (42nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109th overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 10)

Ivan Lodnia, RW (85th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 12)

Damien Giroux, C (155th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Marshall Warren, D (166th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Brennan Menell, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Sep. 26, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

Connor Dewar, LW (92nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 3)

Simon Johansson, D (148th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Mitchell Chaffee, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed, Mar. 24, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

AHL: Central Division Prospect Report, December 2019

Minnesota Wild 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

Minnesota Wild Prospect System Overview

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 1)

Marco Rossi, C (9^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Matthew Boldy, LW (12^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Calen Addison, D (53^rd overall, 2018 [Pittsburgh]. Previous ranking: 3)

Alexander Khovanov, C (86^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Adam Beckman, C (75^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Ryan O’Rourke, D (39^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Marat Khusnutdinov, C (37^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Hunter Jones, G (59^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Vladislav Firstov, LW (42^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 8)

Daemon Hunt, D (63^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Pavel Novak, RW (146^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Ivan Lodnia, RW (85^th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 9)

Damien Giroux, C (155^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Marshall Warren, D (166^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Connor Dewar, LW (92^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Louis Belpedio, D (80^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 14)

Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 1)

Matthew Boldy, LW (12^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Calen Addison, D (53^rd overall, 2018 [Pittsburgh]. 2019 Rank: 2 [Pittsburgh])

Alexander Khovanov, C (86^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Adam Beckman, C (75^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

Hunter Jones, G (59^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 13)

Vladislav Firstov, LW (42^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109^th overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 10)

Ivan Lodnia, RW (85^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 12)

Damien Giroux, C (155^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Marshall Warren, D (166^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Connor Dewar, LW (92^nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 3)

Simon Johansson, D (148^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)