Connor Punnett – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – DALLAS STARS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #17

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Derek Neumeier — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 18:00:42 +0000

_{DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 05: Dallas Stars Center Mavrik Bourque (22) passes the puck during the game between the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues on October 5, 2023 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. (Photo by George Walker/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 17th (Previous Rank - 10th)
GM: Jim Nill Hired: April 2013
COACH: Peter DeBoer Hired: June 2022

The Dallas Stars have consistently been praised for their drafting ability, and for good reason. Not only has their track record of hitting on picks held up, but they also manage to keep the team competitive while retaining first-round picks. It appears that GM Jim Nill follows a fire safe strategy of sticking with the high probability draft picks, while leveraging the rest. Since his hiring in 2013, Nill has only missed the first round once (in 2023) and has now carved out quite the significant list of “hits”.

Those first and second-round picks have now formed the backbone of the Stars' high-end and relatively young core, highlighted by the incredible haul in 2017 of Miro Heiskanen, Jake Oettinger, and Jason Robertson. They are now being complemented by more recent finds, including Wyatt Johnston (2021 first round) and Logan Stankoven (2021 second round), as well as Thomas Harley (2019 first round), who enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2023-24. Don’t forget about 2015 second-rounder Roope Hintz, who has also blossomed into a well-versed heavy hitter on this team’s top six installment.

Logan Stankoven, currently ranked as McKeen’s seventh overall prospect, hasn’t technically graduated yet but is expected to make the jump out of training camp full-time. Fresh off of a Rookie of the Year-worthy campaign in the AHL, scoring 57 points in 47 games, Stankoven said goodbye to his minor league career with a strong showing during the final regular season stretch and Conference Final run.

Beyond Stankoven, the Stars' top prospect group includes Mavrik Bourque (34th), who has transitioned to the AHL seamlessly, firing at nearly a point-per-game pace with 129 points in 147 games for the Texas Stars. On defence, Lian Bichsel (ranked 76th) and Christian Kyrou (ranked 170th) are developing well and look set to follow in Thomas Harley’s footsteps as key pieces of the Stars’ backend over the next few seasons.

With a young core, and a few more midrange-pedigree names on the way, the window looks wide open for the Stars to remain competitive for the foreseeable future.

Dallas Stars Top-15 Prospects

1. Logan Stankoven

From the first few shifts of his very first NHL game, it was abundantly obvious that Stankoven was never going back to the AHL ever again. As exceedingly rare as it is to see someone of his size step into the sport’s best league and immediately start making an impact, those who have closely followed “Stank” over the past few seasons weren’t surprised one bit, because there haven’t been any challenges that he’s faced where he hasn’t been fit for the task. He’s a Tasmanian Devil who never quits on plays or takes a shift off, but he combines that energy with elite hockey sense and play tracking, making him a delightfully chaotic entity who is constantly disrupting enemy possessions and creating bang-bang scoring chances. He’s a truly special kind of player, and is already quite unique from everyone else in the entire NHL.

2. Mavrik Bourque

Bourque’s full-time arrival in the NHL was delayed, understandably, by his AHL teammate Stankoven grabbing a spot within the deep Dallas forward corps first. He won’t have to wait long, however, because he’s already proven himself more than worthy of receiving that opportunity. And spending more time down on the farm with the Texas Stars allowed him to keep racking up points, which eventually led to him finishing with the distinction of being the league’s top scorer and thereby winning the corresponding John B. Sollenberger Trophy, which is one heck of a consolation prize. His game is built around blending high-end smarts, vision, playmaking ability, and character, and the fact that he is a center who looks casually comfortable in all three zones is delicious icing on the cake. How high his ceiling will reach as an NHLer will depend on how much more speed he can add to his game.

3. Lian Bichsel

In a prospect pool largely consisting of players who are on the smaller side, Bichsel stands out in a big way — literally. In fact, there aren’t many top prospects across the entire hockey world who are as physically imposing as the substantial Swiss. Making matters even more enticing, he is fully aware of how he can use his enormous size to his advantage, and clearly gets a vexatious kick out of inflicting severe punishment on opponents in ways that help his teams win games. He’s also a powerful and technically proficient skater, and once he gets some wind under his sails it can be jaw-dropping to watch him fly down the ice. His puck control and the decisions he makes with it are spotty at times, but they’re both improving nicely. It’s only a matter of time before he’s a force of nature at the NHL level.

4. Emil Hemming

The Stars said that they had Hemming higher on their draft list than where they picked him, and it's easy to understand why. His game is readily projectable to the NHL level, and he also shows occasional flashes that he can eventually become a high-end performer and difference-maker. He was dominant early on last year at the Finnish junior level, and while he didn't shine quite as much in the Liiga after getting called up full time, he still held his own and already looked like he belonged playing against men. He's a dangerous shooter, especially with his one-timer, and he can drive play forward with his physicality and straight-line speed. If he can't reach his ceiling as a scoring-line winger, his game is well-rounded enough that he should be able to find a spot or role elsewhere in the lineup.

5. Christian Kyrou

There’s no denying that Kyrou is a prospect with an enviable amount of pure skill, as evidenced by his ability to create points and highlight-reel plays during his OHL days. The challenge for him since then, however, has been adjusting his style of play in a way that is more conducive to success at the AHL level. His riverboat gambler ways of old, where he hung onto pucks for extended periods of time as he looked for ways to dance around opponents or make other fancy plays, simply don’t work as well within the structured confines of the pro leagues. He also doesn’t have the size, reach, or athleticism needed to readily help him clean up his own mistakes when they happen. The foundation of an NHL powerplay quarterback is still buried deep somewhere inside of him, but it might take an archaeologist’s patience and precision to unearth it.

6. Matej Blumel

Blumel didn’t get to see any action with the big club last season after a six-game cup of tea the year before, and getting inarguably bumped down the organization’s forward depth chart certainly has to sting, but producing a 30-goal season in the AHL as a 23-year-old is nothing to sneeze at. There will always be interest in players who have a knack for filling the back of the net, and he’s proven over the course of his young career so far, across different leagues and levels, that he’s one of those guys. The elusive part for him has been showing exactly what else he can do really well. Nothing else in his game grades out all that highly, which raises concerns about how he’d handle the workload of a full NHL season. His goal-scoring prowess can only buy him so much time if he doesn’t add something else notable with it.

7. Tristan Bertucci

It was a trying season for Bertucci, who was one of the few competent defensemen on a terrible Firebirds squad, and on top of that, also played through injury down the stretch. He was asked to do a lot of heavy lifting for his club, probably more than he was ready for. However, the Stars must have been impressed by how well he handled his challenging circumstances, because they signed him to his entry-level contract this March, a full season sooner than they needed to. The impressive tools that give him NHL potential - and led to Dallas using a 2nd-round pick on him - are still there: the reach, the fluid four-direction mobility, the smooth puck control in motion, and the vision in the offensive zone. If his difficult situation has wizened up some of the immature tendencies in his game, then it will have been worth it in the long run.

8. Antonio Stranges

The question about Stranges has always been whether or not he can become more than a one-trick-pony, and as we near the four-year mark of his draft day that question is still very much unanswered. In all fairness, his trick — the 10 & 2 or “mohawk” skating style — is pretty darn impressive, and there are still times where he can use it to make magic happen. The problem is that having to rely on it makes him more predictable, and predictable forwards are easier to defend. So, what else does he have to work with? His pucks skills can be pretty slick at times, and his wrist shot is sneakily dangerous. He blended these tools to flash more offensive pop in the OHL than has been seen so far in the AHL, so maybe there’s still more potential in here somewhere that can still be unlocked.

9. Ayrton Martino

It seems like the NCAA keeps partitioning further and further into the haves and the have-nots due to its loose recruitment rules, and that has to make things harder for prospects like Martino, who are plenty talented but don’t receive a ton of support around them. The good news for the Stars is that while Clarkson University might not be the best place for a prospect’s development, talent doesn’t usually just disappear if it isn’t nurtured in the most ideal of environments, and Martino sure has a lot of talent at his disposal. He is blazingly quick with both his hands and his feet, which allows him to create separation space for himself and then make complicated plays at his top speed. He’ll be heading back to college for his senior year, and once that’s wrapped up Dallas will surely be waiting with a contract and a pen.

10. Aram Minnetian

Minnetian is a sneakily good young blueliner. He doesn’t always get the attention or credit that he deserves because he doesn’t put up gaudy point totals or get crowds roaring by landing big hits. What he does do, however, is keep tight gaps against opposing forwards, retrieve pucks deep in his own end, evade oncoming forecheck pressure, and exit the defensive zone cleanly with possession by skating it out or passing it out. And he does all of those things with advanced precision and dependability. It’s not a coincidence that both the NTDP in 2022-23 and Boston College in 2023-24 were highly successful teams while using him as one of their go-to defenders. Minnetian will still need to find another gear in his game and evolve from being a good defender into a great defender to stand out enough to win an NHL roster spot, but things are moving in the right direction.

11. Kyle McDonald

McDonald is an interesting prospect because the strengths and weaknesses of his game are both so pronounced. First, the good: he is an excellent net-front presence. He's so big and strong that he can bully his way to the enemy crease. The bad is, well, almost everything else. His skating is slow and clunky, and he doesn't drive play. The only achievable NHL pathway for him is as a depth winger and powerplay specialist, but it’s a realistic possibility.

12. Chase Wheatcroft

Wheatcroft had a fantastic season in 2022-23, earning the contract that Dallas offered him as an undrafted free agent. However, the transition to the professional level wasn't immediately smooth. That said, during his WHL days he was a late bloomer who went through a bumpy development, so these kinds of trials aren't new to him. The key for him now will be to forge a clear identity as a two-way forward who can chip in work wherever his team needs it.

13. Justin Ertel

Ertel needed a big 2023-24 season to turn things around and earn his entry-level contract, and he delivered emphatically. He really leaned into his role on North Bay as a penalty killer, pest, and physical presence and got great results from it, especially during the playoffs. That’s an encouraging sign, because that kind of specialization, although not glamorous, is his best ticket to playing in the NHL one day.

14. Gavin White

After winning back-to-back OHL championships White had some wind under his sails coming into his first professional season. He handled the difficulty level of the AHL just fine when he played but got caught in a bit of a numbers game on the crowded Texas blueline and didn't always get to dress for games, usually through no fault of his own. He drives puck possession effectively using his feet, though it doesn't often result in producing points.

15. Connor Punnett

From his hits to his shots, everything that Punnett does is strong and heavy. And that's a good thing for him, because it set him apart from other young, undrafted defensemen so much that Dallas wanted to sign him as a free agent prospect. He's a tough customer who’s not afraid to stick up for his teammates, and that leadership trait was part of why Barrie named him their captain this season.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT – FINAL RANKINGS – TOP 224 Plus Honourable Mentions

McKeen's Scouting Team - Director of Scouting, Brock Otten — Sun, 28 May 2023 16:20:45 +0000

It’s that time! The McKeen’s scouting staff has finalized our final rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft ahead of the release of our draft guide in a few weeks. As per usual, our list runs 224 players deep to match the number of selections in the draft, but we have included over 300 players when you include our Honorable Mentions.

Much to the surprise of no one, Connor Bedard remains our top ranked player, as he has been all season long. In fact, our top three remains unchanged from our midseason rankings with Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson holding down the second and third spots, respectively. There has been one change in our top five with Will Smith leapfrogging Matvei Michkov into the fourth position following his dominant second half and U18’s.

Russian defender Dmitry Simashev remains our top ranked blueliner but has now moved into the top ten. His combination of size, mobility, physicality, and improving offensive skill set is going to be alluring to NHL teams and we feel that his upside is the highest in a weaker crop for defenders.

A trio of Swedish players are among our biggest risers from our midseason list, with Tom Willander, Anton Wahlberg, and David Edstrom all jumping up into the first round. All three were excellent in the second half of the season, which culminated with strong performances at the U18’s. Willander, in particular, has a huge fan in our Director of Scouting, Brock Otten. “If you were to ask me who my favourite defender in the draft class is, I’d probably say Willander. He rarely makes a poor play and I believe that we are underappreciating his potential as an NHL defender because of how efficient and safe his game can be. I would be shocked if he does not become a quality second pairing guy at the NHL level and I don’t think the other defenders ranked in the first have that same assurance,” said Otten.

Another massive jumper in our list is Hamilton Bulldogs winger Nick Lardis. 98th on our midseason list, Lardis now finds himself ranked just inside of our first round. His play with Hamilton, following a trade from Peterborough has vaulted him up draft boards, including ours. His combination of quickness and scoring ability gives him a solid projection at the NHL level.

Despite having two goaltenders inside of our first round at midseason (Carson Bjarnason and Michael Hrabal), we ended the year with none. Trey Augustine is now our top ranked netminder, ranked in the mid second round. However, Augustine, Bjarnason, Hrabal, and USHL Clark Cup MVP Jacob Fowler are all closely ranked in that range.

Look for the release of our 2023 Draft Guide in the next couple weeks. It will include all of our rankings and reports, a mock draft, a preview of the 2024 NHL Draft, and much more.

As a subscriber, link to our full ranking with links to the player pages here - McKeen's Draft Rankings - You can download the ranking as an excel file as well.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	HT/WT	DOB	NATION	TEAM	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Connor Bedard	C	5-10/185	17-Jul-05	Canada	Regina (WHL)	57-71-72-143
2	Adam Fantilli	C	6-2/195	12-Oct-04	Canada	Michigan (B1G)	36-30-35-65
3	Leo Carlsson	C	6-3/200	26-Dec-04	Sweden	Orebro (SHL)	44-10-15-25
4	Will Smith	C	6-0/175	17-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	59-51-75-126
5	Matvei Michkov	RW	5-10/170	9-Dec-04	Russia	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	30-9-11-20
6	Zach Benson	LW	5-9/160	12-May-05	Canada	Winnipeg (WHL)	60-36-62-98
7	Dalibor Dvorsky	C	6-1/200	15-Jun-05	Slovakia	AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)	38-6-8-14
8	Ryan Leonard	RW	5-11/190	21-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	56-50-43-93
9	Dmitri Simashev	D	6-4/200	4-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	33-1-11-12
10	Matthew Wood	RW	6-3/195	6-Feb-05	Canada	Connecticut (HE)	35-11-23-34
11	Oliver Moore	C	5-11/185	22-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-31-43-74
12	Colby Barlow	LW	6-0/195	14-Feb-05	Canada	Owen Sound (OHL)	59-46-33-79
13	Nate Danielson	C	6-1/185	27-Sep-04	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	68-33-45-78
14	Axel Sandin Pellikka	D	5-11/180	11-Mar-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	31-16-20-36
15	Daniil But	LW	6-5/200	15-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	32-18-14-32
16	David Reinbacher	D	6-2/185	25-Oct-04	Austria	Kloten (Sui-NL)	46-3-19-22
17	Eduard Sale	LW	6-1/170	10-Mar-05	Czech	HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)	43-7-7-14
18	Samuel Honzek	LW	6-3/185	12-Nov-04	Slovakia	Vancouver (WHL)	43-23-33-56
19	Mikhail Gulyayev	D	5-11/170	26-Apr-05	Russia	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	22-2-23-25
20	Lukas Dragicevic	D	6-1/190	25-Apr-05	Canada	Tri-City (WHL)	68-15-60-75
21	Gabe Perreault	RW	5-11/165	7-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	62-53-79-132
22	Otto Stenberg	C	5-11/180	29-May-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	29-11-15-26
23	Tom Willander	D	6-1/180	9-Feb-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	39-4-21-25
24	Calum Ritchie	C	6-2/185	21-Jan-05	Canada	Oshawa (OHL)	59-24-35-59
25	Andrew Cristall	LW	5-9/165	4-Feb-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	54-39-56-95
26	Gavin Brindley	C	5-8/165	5-Oct-04	USA	Michigan (B1G)	41-12-26-38
27	Bradly Nadeau	LW	5-10/165	5-May-05	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-45-68-113
28	Anton Wahlberg	C	6-3/195	4-Jul-05	Sweden	Malmo (Swe J20)	32-14-13-27
29	Riley Heidt	C	5-10/180	25-Mar-05	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-25-72-97
30	Brayden Yager	C	5-11/165	3-Jan-05	Canada	Moose Jaw (WHL)	67-28-50-78
31	David Edstrom	C	6-3/185	18-Feb-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	28-15-13-28
32	Nick Lardis	LW	5-10/165	8-Jul-05	Canada	Pbo-Ham (OHL)	69-37-28-65
33	Kasper Halttunen	RW	6-3/205	7-Jun-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	27-0-1-1
34	Jayden Perron	RW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Canada	Chicago (USHL)	61-24-48-72
35	Oliver Bonk	D	6-2/175	9-Jan-05	Canada	London (OHL)	67-10-30-40
36	Quentin Musty	LW	6-2/200	6-Jul-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	53-26-52-78
37	Trey Augustine	G	6-1/185	23-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	28-1, 2.14, 0.925
38	Tanner Molendyk	D	5-11/185	3-Feb-05	Canada	Saskatoon (WHL)	67-9-28-37
39	William Whitelaw	RW	5-9/170	5-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	62-36-25-61
40	Ethan Gauthier	RW	5-11/175	26-Jan-05	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	66-30-39-69
41	Gracyn Sawchyn	C	5-11/160	19-Jan-05	USA	Seattle (WHL)	58-18-40-58
42	Carson Bjarnason	G	6-3/185	30-Jun-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	21-19, 3.08, 0.900
43	Aram Minnetian	D	5-11/190	19-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-7-24-31
44	Michael Hrabal	G	6-6/210	20-Jan-05	Czech	Omaha (USHL)	9-13, 2.86, 0.908
45	Jacob Fowler	G	6-1/215	24-Nov-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	27-9, 2.28, 0.921
46	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	C	6-0/165	18-Feb-05	Denmark	HV 71 (SHL)	41-4-3-7
47	Carson Rehkopf	LW	6-1/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	68-30-29-59
48	Beau Akey	D	5-11/170	11-Feb-05	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-11-36-47
49	Danny Nelson	C	6-3/200	3-Aug-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-20-26-46
50	Etienne Morin	D	6-0/180	9-Mar-05	Canada	Moncton (QMJHL)	67-21-51-72
51	Felix Nilsson	C	6-0/175	22-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	36-19-22-41
52	Maxim Strbak	D	6-1/205	13-Apr-05	Slovakia	Sioux Falls (USHL)	46-5-13-18
53	Jakub Dvorak	D	6-5/205	25-May-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	24-0-2-2
54	Carey Terrance	C	6-0/175	10-May-05	USA	Erie (OHL)	67-30-17-47
55	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	5-11/180	23-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	31-20-23-43
56	Mathieu Cataford	C	5-11/185	1-Mar-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	68-31-44-75
57	Roman Kantserov	RW	5-9/175	20-Sep-04	Russia	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	45-27-27-54
58	Tristan Bertucci	D	6-1/170	12-Jul-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	63-11-39-50
59	Andrew Gibson	D	6-3/195	13-Feb-05	Canada	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	45-7-14-21
60	Caden Price	D	6-0/185	24-Aug-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	65-5-35-40
61	Charlie Stramel	C	6-3/215	15-Oct-04	USA	Wisconsin (B1G)	33-5-7-12
62	Coulson Pitre	RW	6-0/170	13-Dec-04	Canada	Flint (OHL)	59-25-35-60
63	Adam Gajan	G	6-2/165	6-May-04	Slovakia	Chippewa Steel (NAHL)	19-12, 2.57, 0.917
64	Hoyt Stanley	D	6-2/185	4-Feb-05	Canada	Victoria (BCHL)	53-4-34-38
65	Andrew Strathmann	D	5-10/190	27-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	56-3-35-38
66	Hunter Brzustewicz	D	5-11/185	29-Nov-04	USA	Kitchener (OHL)	68-6-51-57
67	Luca Pinelli	C	5-8/165	5-Apr-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	67-29-34-63
68	Cam Allen	D	6-0/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	62-5-20-25
69	Tanner Ludtke	C	6-0/185	27-Nov-04	USA	Lincoln (USHL)	57-32-34-66
70	Theo Lindstein	D	6-0/180	5-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (SHL)	32-1-1-2
71	Koehn Ziemmer	RW	6-0/205	8-Dec-04	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-41-48-89
72	Carter Sotheran	D	6-3/195	26-Jun-05	Canada	Portland (WHL)	68-4-19-23
73	Arttu Karki	D	6-1/175	8-Dec-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	36-13-26-39
74	Albert Wikman	D	6-0/190	10-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	43-2-10-12
75	Quinton Burns	D	6-1/180	14-Apr-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-2-27-29
76	Nico Myatovic	LW	6-2/180	1-Dec-04	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-30-30-60
77	Jeremy Hanzel	D	6-0/190	27-Feb-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	66-13-35-48
78	Easton Cowan	RW	5-10/170	20-May-05	Canada	London (OHL)	68-20-33-53
79	Juraj Pekarcik	LW	6-2/185	12-Sep-05	Slovakia	HK Nitra (Slovakia)	30-0-3-3
80	Denver Barkey	C	5-8/160	27-Apr-05	Canada	London (OHL)	61-22-37-59
81	Martin Misiak	RW	6-2/195	30-Sep-04	Slovakia	HC Nove Zamky (Slovakia)	29-1-9-10
82	Drew Fortescue	D	6-1/175	28-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-1-25-26
83	Felix Unger Sorum	RW	5-11/170	14-Sep-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-10-36-46
84	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	6-0/175	7-Nov-04	Finland	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	51-9-12-21
85	Kalan Lind	LW	6-0/160	25-Jan-05	Canada	Red Deer (WHL)	43-16-28-44
86	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	6-2/190	8-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	41-11-23-34
87	Alex Ciernik	LW	5-11/175	8-Oct-04	Slovakia	Sodertalje-Vasterviks (HockeyAllsvenskan)	25-3-9-12
88	Alexander Rykov	RW	6-0/175	14-Jul-05	Russia	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)	20-4-7-11
89	Scott Ratzlaff	G	6-0/175	9-Mar-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	25-8, 2.15, 0.918
90	Yegor Rimashevsky	RW	6-3/200	1-Feb-05	Belarus	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	29-13-13-26
91	Jesse Nurmi	LW	5-10/165	7-Mar-05	Finland	KooKoo (Fin-U20)	41-21-29-50
92	Kaden Hammell	D	6-1/175	12-Mar-05	Canada	Kam-Evt (WHL)	67-8-18-26
93	Jayson Shaugabay	RW	5-9/155	4-May-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	31-33-63-96
94	Noel Nordh	RW	6-2/195	25-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (Swe J20)	38-13-14-27
95	Gavin McCarthy	D	6-1/180	2-Jun-05	USA	Muskegon (USHL)	42-8-19-27
96	Tyler Peddle	LW	6-0/195	28-Jan-05	Canada	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64-24-17-41
97	Francesco Dell'Elce	D	6-0/165	23-Jun-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	51-20-42-62
98	Timur Mukhanov	LW	5-8/170	17-Jun-05	Russia	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	31-4-4-8
99	Larry Keenan	D	6-3/185	15-Mar-05	Russia	Culver Academy (USHS-IN)	49-11-26-37
100	Emil Jarventie	LW	5-9/165	4-Apr-05	Finland	Ilves (Fin-U20)	21-8-11-19
101	Matthew Mania	D	6-1/180	11-Jan-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	67-10-28-38
102	Juha Jatkola	G	6-1/175	12-Sep-02	Finland	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	20-11, 2.16, 0.903
103	Zach Nehring	RW	6-3/180	7-Mar-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-34-40-74
104	Austin Roest	C	5-9/175	22-Jan-04	Canada	Everett (WHL)	60-32-46-78
105	Hedqvist, Isac	C	5-10/165	22-Mar-05	Sweden	Lulea (Swe J20)	41-14-20-34
106	Stephen Peck	G	6-2/170	18-Jan-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28GP, 1.26, 0.948
107	Yegor Klimovich	RW	5-9/160	14-May-05	Russia	Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)	36-19-30-49
108	Nikita Susuyev	RW	6-0/170	6-Feb-05	Russia	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	38-11-17-28
109	Ethan Miedema	LW	6-4/205	22-Mar-05	Canada	Wsr-Kgn (OHL)	68-20-32-52
110	Luca Cagnoni	D	5-9/180	21-Dec-04	Canada	Portland (WHL)	67-17-47-64
111	Jakub Stancl	LW	6-3/200	10-Apr-05	Czech	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	35-11-6-17
112	Aydar Suniev	LW	6-1/200	16-Nov-04	Russia	Penticton (BCHL)	50-45-45-90
113	Ty Henricks	LW	6-4/205	28-Jun-05	USA	Fgo-Mus (USHL)	47-9-10-19
114	Yegor Vinogradov	C	6-2/180	17-Apr-03	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	53-7-10-17
115	Yegor Sidorov	RW	5-11/180	18-Jun-04	Belarus	Saskatoon (WHL)	53-40-36-76
116	Will Vote	RW	5-8/155	22-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-16-29-45
117	Brandon Svoboda	C	6-3/210	4-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	59-16-10-26
118	Axel Landen	D	6-1/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	44-10-6-16
119	Alexander Hellnemo	G	6-2/180	5-Jan-04	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	15-8, 2.32, 0.916
120	Nikita Nedopyokin	C	5-10/185	22-Mar-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	37-14-18-32
121	Brady Cleveland	D	6-5/210	1-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	54-0-6-6
122	Ondrej Molnar	LW	5-10/170	8-Feb-05	Slovakia	Erie (OHL)	34-4-15-19
123	Noah Dower Nilsson	LW	6-0/175	25-Apr-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	37-26-28-54
124	Jordan Tourigny	D	5-10/165	28-Feb-05	Canada	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	67-6-35-41
125	Cole Knuble	C	5-11/175	1-Jul-04	USA	Fargo (USHL)	57-30-36-66
126	Erik Pahlsson	C	6-0/170	9-Apr-04	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	46-26-37-63
127	Eric Pohlkamp	D	5-10/200	23-Mar-04	USA	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-16-35-51
128	Dylan MacKinnon	D	6-1/185	12-Jan-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	61-6-17-23
129	German Tochilkin	LW	6-2/180	24-Sep-03	Russia	Kunlun Red Star (KHL)	21-4-2-6
130	Jake Fisher	C	6-1/180	27-Mar-05	USA	Cretin-Durham Hall (USHS-MN)	29-34-29-63
131	Damian Clara	G	6-6/215	13-Jan-05	Italy	Farjestads (Swe J20)	17-17, 2.79, 0.903
132	Aiden Fink	RW	5-9/155	24-Nov-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	54-41-56-97
133	Bogdan Konyushkov	D	5-11/175	20-Dec-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-2-23-25
134	Yegor Zavragin	G	6-2/185	23-Aug-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	11-6, 2.49, 0.920
135	Ty Halaburda	C	5-11/175	22-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-21-16-37
136	Cole Burbidge	LW	6-1/160	26-Aug-05	Canada	Saint John (QMJHL)	68-19-31-50
137	Daniil Karpovich	D	6-3/210	6-Dec-04	Belarus	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	47-10-25-35
138	Andrei Loshko	C	6-1/175	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	67-22-48-70
139	Beckett Hendrickson	C	6-1/175	24-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-13-21-34
140	Alex Pharand	C	6-3/205	1-May-05	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	67-18-21-39
141	Zeb Forsfjall	C	5-9/170	16-Jan-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	34-8-14-22
142	Joe Connor	C	5-9/170	31-Mar-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28-21-23-44
143	Samuel Urban	G	6-1/195	1-May-05	Slovakia	Team Slovakia U18 (Svk2)	1-13, 4.51, 0.897
144	Mazden Leslie	D	6-0/195	15-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-12-38-50
145	Maxim Fedotov	D	5-10/170	22-Jan-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-9-17-26
146	Joey Willis	C	5-10/170	14-Mar-05	USA	Saginaw (OHL)	68-15-29-44
147	Artyom Kashtanov	C	6-6/190	9-Dec-04	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	43-15-25-40
148	Angus MacDonell	C	5-9/180	11-May-05	Canada	Sar-Mis (OHL)	64-29-12-41
149	Konstantin Volochko	D	6-0/170	19-Jun-05	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	46-8-12-20
150	Hannes Hellberg	LW	6-0/175	19-Jun-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-34-23-57
151	Carsen Musser	G	6-4/215	19-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	14-6, 3.07, 0.890
152	Yaroslav Tsulygin	D	6-0/160	19-May-05	Russia	Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)	44-0-2-2
153	Thomas Milic	G	6-0/180	14-Apr-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	27-3, 2.08, 0.928
154	Arno Tiefensee	G	6-4/190	1-May-02	Germany	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	13-10, 2.43, 0.910
155	Quinn Mantei	D	5-11/180	23-Apr-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	67-2-23-25
156	Matthew Soto	RW	5-10/180	31-Aug-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-15-27-42
157	Matt Copponi	C	5-10/165	3-Jun-03	USA	Merrimack (HE)	37-14-15-29
158	Vojtech Port	D	6-2/170	3-Aug-05	Czech	RD-Edm (WHL)	48-4-13-17
159	Michael DeAngelo	LW	5-11/180	19-Nov-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	52-11-24-35
160	Matteo Mann	D	6-5/225	31-Dec-04	Canada	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	45-0-5-5
161	Paul Fischer	D	6-1/190	30-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-4-17-21
162	Hudson Malinoski	C	6-0/175	19-May-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	44-16-53-69
163	Brad Gardiner	C	6-0/180	6-Mar-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-19-20-39
164	Zaccharya Wisdom	RW	6-0/175	29-Apr-04	Canada	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-28-20-48
165	Jonathan Castagna	C	6-1/185	20-Apr-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	50-29-43-72
166	Tanner Adams	RW	5-11/185	2-Sep-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	49-12-21-33
167	Grayden Siepmann	D	5-10/185	26-May-04	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	61-9-34-43
168	Axel Hurtig	D	6-3/200	10-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	34-2-6-8
169	Ian Scherzer	C	6-0/180	3-Jul-05	Austria	Rogle (Swe J20)	30-3-4-7
170	Ryan Conmy	RW	5-9/190	23-Oct-04	USA	Sioux City (USHL)	60-33-29-62
171	Ethan Hay	C	6-1/190	15-Jan-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	64-17-11-28
172	Rodwin Dionicio	D	6-2/205	30-Mar-04	Switzerland	Nia-Wsr (OHL)	50-15-35-50
173	Josh Van Mulligen	D	6-2/180	26-Jul-05	Canada	Medicine Hat (WHL)	68-1-8-9
174	Nikita Ishimnikov	D	6-3/195	21-Apr-05	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	41-11-7-18
175	Justin Kipkie	D	6-4/190	28-Jul-05	Canada	Victoria (WHL)	67-8-25-33
176	Sawyer Mynio	D	6-1/175	30-Apr-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-5-26-31
177	Brady Stonehouse	RW	5-9/180	6-Aug-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-37-20-57
178	Hunter Anderson	LW	5-9/175	28-Apr-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-52-47-99
179	Spencer Sova	D	6-0/185	10-Jan-04	Canada	Erie (OHL)	68-16-23-39
180	Oliver Tulk	C	5-7/170	19-Jan-05	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	68-24-36-60
181	Isac Born	C	5-11/165	7-Jul-04	Sweden	Frolunda (SHL)	36-2-3-5
182	Beau Jelsma	C	5-9/175	28-Apr-04	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	67-31-30-61
183	Carmelo Crandell	RW	5-11/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	49-17-37-54
184	Stanislav Yarovoy	LW	6-2/195	26-Aug-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	45-9-7-16
185	Elliot Stahlberg	LW	6-0/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	35-9-12-21
186	Ivan Anoshko	C	5-11/170	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	53-21-32-53
187	Jake Livanavage	D	5-10/175	6-May-04	USA	Chicago (USHL)	48-6-30-36
188	Adrian Carnebo	D	6-2/185	1-May-04	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	43-7-28-35
189	Jaden Lipinski	C	6-3/205	2-Dec-04	USA	Vancouver (WHL)	66-19-32-51
190	Ian Blomquist	G	6-2/185	29-Mar-03	Sweden	Vasteras (HockeyAllsvenskan)	4-11, 2.97, 0.904
191	Emil Pieniniemi	D	6-2/170	2-Mar-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31-1-12-13
192	Oskar Asplund	D	5-11/175	18-Nov-03	Sweden	Almtuna (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49-6-24-30
193	Daniil Davydov	C	5-11/165	6-Mar-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	47-11-35-46
194	Victor Sjoholm	D	5-9/175	8-Jul-03	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	37-2-8-10
195	Aron Jessli	LW	5-11/185	29-Oct-04	Norway	Pickering (OJHL)	52-25-43-68
196	Adam Dybal	G	6-1/165	2-Sep-05	Czech	Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	29-15, 1.85, 0.942
197	Jonathan Fauchon	C	5-10/170	13-Jan-04	Canada	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	53-25-40-65
198	Luke Mittelstadt	D	5-11/175	22-Jan-03	USA	Minnesota (B1G)	38-5-16-21
199	Owen Beckner	C	6-1/175	27-Feb-05	Canada	Salmon Arm (BCHL)	53-17-33-50
200	Ilya Kanarsky	G	6-2/165	6-Dec-04	Russia	AKM-Junior Tula Region (MHL)	4-19, 3.59, 0.919
201	Braeden Bowman	RW	6-1/205	26-Jun-03	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	54-33-39-72
202	Luke Coughlin	D	5-9/170	11-Apr-05	Canada	Rimouski (QMJHL)	37-5-14-19
203	Norwin Panocha	D	6-1/185	24-Feb-05	Germany	Eisbaren Juniors Berlin (DNL U20)	34-6-16-22
204	Cole Brown	LW	6-2/180	27-Apr-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	60-17-25-42
205	Tomas Suchanek	G	6-0/180	30-Apr-03	Czech	Tri-City (WHL)	27-14, 3.05, 0.912
206	Vadim Moroz	RW	6-2/185	20-Nov-03	Belarus	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	39-5-9-14
207	Davis Burnside	RW	5-11/175	22-Sep-03	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-14-7-21
208	Maros Jedlicka	C	6-1/185	23-Oct-02	Slovakia	HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)	39-17-18-35
209	Gavyn Thoreson	RW	5-8/180	30-Oct-04	USA	Andover High (USHS-MN)	31-41-56-97
210	Austin Burnevik	RW	6-3/200	3-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	43-6-13-19
211	Elmeri Laakso	D	6-1/185	19-Jul-04	Finland	SaiPa (Fin-Liiga)	32-4-7-11
212	Frantisek Dej	C	6-4/200	28-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	24-8-13-21
213	Matvei Maximov	C	6-0/175	18-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	48-18-19-37
214	Connor Levis	RW	6-1/190	5-Oct-04	Canada	Kamloops (WHL)	68-27-40-67
215	Teddy Townsend	C	5-10/160	2-Sep-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-14-25-39
216	Petter Vesterheim	C	5-11/165	30-Sep-04	Norway	Mora (Swe J20)	41-12-27-39
217	Justin Gill	C	6-1/190	27-Jan-03	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	68-44-49-93
218	Alex Weiermair	C	6-0/190	10-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-11-15-26
219	Jan Sprynar	RW	6-1/175	26-Feb-05	Czech	Rimouski (QMJHL)	60-23-17-40
220	Ty Higgins	D	6-0/185	26-Sep-04	Canada	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	68-13-28-41
221	Tom Leppa	C	6-0/175	31-Jul-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	45-19-12-31
222	Aaron Pionk	D	6-1/175	16-Jan-03	USA	Waterloo (USHL)	60-12-24-36
223	Hampton Slukynsky	G	6-1/180	2-Jul-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	28-1, 1.47, 0.941
224	Noah Erliden	G	5-10/170	9-Sep-05	Sweden	HV71 (Swe J20)	10-8, 2.93, 0.912
HM	Matthew Andonovski	D	6-1/200	14-Mar-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	67-0-16-16
HM	Gleb Artsatbanov	G	6-2/170	2-Mar-04	Ukraine	Sparta Praha (Czechia U20)	13-10, 1.95, 0.938
HM	Cale Ashcroft	D	5-10/200	5-Aug-04	Canada	Tri-City (USHL)	62-8-29-37
HM	Alex Assadourian	LW	5-8/170	24-Jul-05	Canada	Sby-Nia (OHL)	66-12-29-41
HM	Arvid Bergstrom	D	5-11/160	12-Jun-05	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	41-2-21-23
HM	Kevin Bicker	LW	6-0/175	29-Jan-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	20-10-11-21
HM	Philippe Blais-Savoie	D	6-0/185	10-Jun-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	61-2-9-11
HM	Linus Brandl	C	5-11/185	1-Apr-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	32-25-22-47
HM	Finn Brink	LW	5-9/180	6-Apr-05	USA	Maple Grove (USHS-MN)	31-31-38-69
HM	Yaroslav Busygin	D	6-3/185	14-Feb-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	42-1-2-3
HM	Kalle Carlsson	C	6-0/175	2-Mar-05	Sweden	Orebro (Swe J20)	44-11-24-35
HM	Adam Cedzo	RW	5-10/165	23-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Ocelari Trinec (Czechia U20)	39-23-23-46
HM	Aiden Celebrini	D	6-1/185	26-Oct-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	47-5-16-21
HM	Andon Cerbone	C	5-8/150	13-Apr-04	USA	Oma-Yng (USHL)	64-24-39-63
HM	Chase Cheslock	D	6-3/210	25-Oct-04	USA	Rogers High (USHS-MN)	28-4-27-31
HM	Sam Court	D	5-10/180	7-Jan-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	52-13-59-72
HM	Adam Csabi	LW	5-10/160	17-Feb-05	Czech	SaiPa (Fin-U18)	28-16-15-31
HM	Nathaniel Davis	D	6-1/185	15-Nov-04	Canada	Burlington (OJHL)	45-10-26-36
HM	Nathan Day	G	6-2/180	4-Feb-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	17-10, 3.91, 0.874
HM	Kocha Delic	C	5-10/185	11-Mar-04	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	46-22-30-52
HM	Tyler Duke	D	5-8/180	19-Jul-04	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-4-8-12
HM	Filip Eriksson	C	6-0/170	5-Nov-04	Sweden	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	11-5-5-10
HM	Jiri Felcman	C	6-4/190	17-Apr-05	Czech	Langnau U20 (Sui-U20-Elit)	40-10-21-31
HM	Samuel Fiala	C	6-1/170	9-Apr-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20)	44-19-9-28
HM	Mans Forsfjall	D	6-0/180	30-Jul-02	Sweden	Skelleftea (SHL)	52-2-12-14
HM	Cooper Foster	C	5-11/170	4-Jun-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	63-19-17-36
HM	Salvatore Guzzo	RW	6-0/185	17-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	58-17-11-28
HM	Michael Hagens	D	5-11/170	18-Feb-05	USA	Chicago (USHL)	60-9-17-26
HM	Sam Harris	LW	5-11/190	14-Oct-03	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	56-30-26-56
HM	Jack Harvey	C	5-10/175	31-Mar-03	USA	Chicago (USHL)	62-40-34-74
HM	Bogdans Hodass	D	6-2/200	13-Apr-03	Latvia	Medicine Hat (WHL)	56-11-24-35
HM	Ryan Hopkins	D	6-1/180	15-Apr-04	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	48-10-39-49
HM	Ewan Huet	G	6-0/170	8-Feb-05	Switzerland	Lausanne (Sui U20-Elit)	14-12, 2.73
HM	Gustaf Kangas	C	6-0/175	27-Jul-05	Sweden	Vasteras (Swe J20)	27-7-13-20
HM	Sean Keohane	D	6-3/180	4-Nov-04	USA	Dexter Southfield(USHS-MA)	32-4-12-16
HM	Oiva Keskinen	C	6-0/175	28-Feb-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	38-20-21-41
HM	Ruslan Khazheyev	G	6-4/200	20-Nov-04	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	8-8, 2.38, 0.923
HM	Matteo Koci	D	6-0/165	7-Jun-05	Czech	HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	36-7-13-20
HM	Ryan Koering	D	6-3/185	11-Feb-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-6-10-16
HM	Cameron Korpi	G	6-2/150	26-May-04	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	13-4, 2.52, 0.911
HM	Sergei Kosovets	D	6-5/250	17-Jul-02	Russia	HK Sochi (KHL)	26-2-2-4
HM	Artyom Kudashov	D	6-0/160	10-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	42-2-7-9
HM	Roman Kukumberg	LW	6-0/185	21-Mar-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	33-5-6-11
HM	Emil Kuusla	LW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	36-18-17-35
HM	Jani Lampinen	G	6-2/185	14-Feb-03	Finland	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-Mestis)	15-6, 2.35, 0.902
HM	Charles-Alexis Legault	D	6-3/205	5-Sep-03	Canada	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	40-2-7-9
HM	Aiden Long	LW	6-3/190	13-Mar-05	Canada	Whitecourt (AJHL)	50-19-27-46
HM	Connor MacPherson	RW	6-0/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Leamington (GOJHL)	43-28-35-63
HM	Matthew Mayich	D	6-2/185	21-Dec-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	64-5-17-22
HM	Donovan McCoy	D	6-0/200	11-Oct-04	Canada	Peterborough (OHL)	65-2-11-13
HM	Cole Miller	C	6-4/175	4-Feb-05	Canada	Edmonton (WHL)	61-10-9-19
HM	Lucas Moore	D	5-9/180	7-Jun-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	65-3-25-28
HM	Josh Nadeau	RW	5-7/145	22-Oct-03	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-44-66-110
HM	Alexei Noskov	G	6-2/205	13-Nov-04	Russia	Taifun Primorsky Krai (MHL)	7-26, 3.86, 0.905
HM	Owen Outwater	LW	6-2/160	4-Jan-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	62-16-25-41
HM	Joe Palodichuk	D	6-0/165	26-Feb-03	USA	Fargo (USHL)	44-8-21-29
HM	Petr Pavelec	LW	6-0/200	10-Feb-05	Czech	HC Vitkovice (Czechia U20)	46-8-5-13
HM	Oliver Peer	RW	6-0/165	9-Mar-03	Canada	Windsor (OHL)	63-22-45-67
HM	Chris Pelosi	C	6-1/180	6-Mar-05	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	43-13-6-19
HM	Matthew Perkins	LW	5-11/175	21-Jan-04	Canada	Youngstown (USHL)	60-15-29-44
HM	Nico Pertuch	G	6-2/200	29-Jul-05	Germany	EV Landshut (DNL U20)	15GP, 3.57
HM	Dominik Petr	C	6-2/165	30-Apr-05	Czech	Lukko (Fin-U20)	18-1-0-1
HM	Chase Pietila	D	6-1/180	3-Mar-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	60-7-29-36
HM	Chase Pirtle	RW	6-2/185	8-Mar-05	USA	Mount St. Charles 18U AAA (USHS-RI)	47-20-24-44
HM	Benjamin Poitras	C	5-10/175	18-Jul-05	Canada	Sioux City (USHL)	61-14-24-38
HM	Connor Punnett	D	6-1/200	16-Jun-03	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-14-34-48
HM	Ivan Remezovsky	D	6-1/165	8-Feb-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	45-0-13-13
HM	Charlie Robertson	G	6-3/165	2-Apr-05	Canada	North Bay (OHL)	12-6, 3.17, 0.892
HM	Pier-Olivier Roy	D	5-9/175	5-Mar-04	Canada	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	68-6-62-68
HM	Rainers Rullers	C	6-4/195	11-Dec-04	Latvia	Zemgale (Fin-Mestis)	46-4-6-10
HM	Bennett Schimek	RW	5-11/180	15-Apr-03	USA	Providence (HE)	37-11-9-20
HM	Zach Schulz	D	6-1/195	14-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-1-9-10
HM	Magomed Sharakanov	D	6-1/200	11-Oct-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	44-7-25-32
HM	Cam Squires	RW	5-11/165	11-Apr-05	Canada	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	67-30-34-64
HM	Julius Sumpf	C	6-1/175	11-Jan-05	Germany	RB Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL)	23-9-9-18
HM	Alexander Suvorov	RW	5-9/160	30-Nov-02	Belarus	Severstal Cherepovets (KHL)	47-13-11-24
HM	Gabriel Szturc	C	5-11/185	24-Sep-03	Czech	Kelowna (WHL)	56-24-55-79
HM	Nikita Telegin	C	6-1/155	21-Jun-05	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	22-6-4-10
HM	Patrick Thomas	C	5-11/160	21-Aug-04	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	66-17-39-56
HM	Hudson Thornton	D	5-11/180	4-Nov-03	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-23-51-74
HM	Jiri Tichacek	D	5-9/170	30-Jan-03	Czech	Rytiri Kladno (Czechia)	39-0-6-6
HM	Djibril Toure	D	6-6/200	5-Jun-03	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	57-5-11-16
HM	Tuomas Uronen	RW	5-11/180	19-Mar-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-U20)	39-20-23-43
HM	Noa Vali	G	6-0/160	19-Apr-05	Finland	TPS (Fin-U20)	17-8, 2.38, 0.912
HM	Nicholas Vantassell	RW	6-4/195	18-Apr-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	62-19-18-37
HM	Visa Vedenpaa	G	6-2/170	11-May-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31GP, 0.886
HM	Evgeny Volokhin	G	6-3/170	6-Apr-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	20-6, 2.12, 0.927
HM	Declan Waddick	C	5-10/170	24-Jan-05	Canada	Niagara (OHL)	64-28-21-49
HM	Saige Weinstein	D	6-0/180	30-May-05	Canada	Spokane (WHL)	57-4-14-18
HM	Ethan Whitcomb	LW	6-4/190	13-May-04	Canada	Muskegon (USHL)	53-24-24-48
HM	Raul Yakupov	RW	6-1/180	21-Jun-04	Russia	Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (MHL)	49-32-29-61

2021 NHL DRAFT: Unheralded Draft Worthy OHL Players – Goalies and Defense

Brock Otten — Sun, 30 May 2021 17:08:37 +0000

The level of frustration among Ontario based hockey players has to be extremely high after the difficult decision was made to cancel the 2021 OHL season due to the covid pandemic. This decision affects many groups of players equally. Overagers lose their final year of eligibility and a huge chapter of their life is closed abruptly. Rookies lose out on the opportunity to adjust to a higher level and learn what it takes to be an OHL player (a year before their NHL draft seasons). Second and third year eligible NHL draft prospects are deprived of the chance to showcase improvements made to their games in hopes of being drafted or signed this time around. Finally, first year eligible draft prospects now have to hope that NHL scouts like what they saw from them last year in the OHL (or Tier 2), or for a fortunate few, what they saw at the World Under 17’s. At this point in time, previous notes and video scouting are the only way to determine the value and ranking of Ontario based players.

There was hope that the CHL and Hockey Canada would work together to host a top prospect style tournament in a protected environment sometime before the NHL Draft. However, that appears to be dead in the water now. As an alternative, a group of OHL players have organized a tournament in Erie to showcase their talents to NHL scouts (PBHH Invitational). That is set to occur soon (June 1-June 13). It will be a great opportunity for those participating to showcase any potential improvements made to their games.

As we prepare for the home stretch in our NHL draft coverage (the NHL Draft is set for July 23-24), I am going to look at some of the more unheralded OHL prospects available in a three part series. This series is not going to focus on the Brandt Clarke’s or Mason McTavish’s; not even the Wyatt Johnson’s or Ryan Winterton’s. It is going to provide a closer look at the OHL’ers who are candidates for the latter half of the draft. In total, 31 players will actually be featured. Previous editions in this series stated 29, but two additional defenders were added later to make this as comprehensive as possible

It should be noted that this series will not look at the Import players because those were already profiled by me in an earlier series. Here is part one (featuring the likes of Artyom Grushnikov and Daniil Sobolev):. Here is part two (featuring the likes of Matvei Petrov and Vsevolod Gaidamak)

This final part in the series looks at goaltenders and defense.

THE GOALIES

Joe Vrbetic - North Bay Battalion

6’6, 181lbs

2019-20 Stats: 14 wins, 4.23 GAA, .881 SV%

Vrbetic will be one of two goaltenders mentioned in this series, along with Tristan Lennox (Ben Gaudreau will be featured more prominently in a scouting report for McKeen’s). A late October 2002 birthday, Vrbetic is certainly a little more seasoned than some of the others on this list. He has a full season in the NOJHL and a full season in the OHL under his belt. Last year playing for North Bay, Vrbetic had his ups and downs as the starter for a young, rebuilding team. There were some really poor performances and some really strong ones. It seemed like he was playing his best hockey when the league shutdown due to the pandemic, which is unfortunate. He would have definitely been on the radar for the World Under 18’s, had they occurred last year.

Obviously, Vrbetic’s huge build is something that scouts are going to be highly interested in. At 6’6, he takes up a lot of the net. Vrbetic also plays a bit of a hybrid style that utilizes his size advantage well and that is a little unorthodox for goaltenders today. I believe a lot of that has to do with the fact that Vrbetic is still working to be quicker in the net, improving his up/down speed from his butterfly and his lateral quickness. So, he will stand up to attackers longer than most before committing to the butterfly. Although over the course of last year, he became more comfortable dropping down, so it is clear that he put in the work. It also means that he has a tendency to play a little deeper in his net than most, again, so that he limits his movement in the crease.

But Vrbetic is a really slight kid (think Matt Murray). There are a lot of similarities in their games at a young age, with Murray committing to becoming quicker and stronger in order to hold his post more effectively and to allow him to challenge shooters more efficiently. Vrbetic has that similar projection as he matures physically. What he does do well is track the play and it keeps him in a lot of flurries, making sure he is one step ahead of the play to square to shooters. His rebound control is also quite good for a larger goaltender. More of a “stopper,” at this point, Vrbetic’s upside is alluring. Especially when you factor in how much better he looked at the end of last year compared to the beginning.

Videos

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/joe_vrbetic-1.mp4

In this first montage, we get a good idea of some of Vrbetic’s strengths and weaknesses. In the first play, he does not have that explosive push to get across to try to disrupt the Mississauga shooter and gets lucky that he fans on the shot attempt. In the second play, he makes a fantastic save on a similar play by stretching out. Again, there is a lack of a big push, but he’s long enough to take away the shot and reads the play well to make sure the Guelph player’s options are limited.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/joe_vrbetic-2_-_3rd_period_5_32_-_5_44.mp4

As Vrbetic improves his quickness and his confidence in his athletic abilities, he will be able to challenge shooters more aggressively and more consistently. In this clip, we see him caught too deep in the blue paint as he is unable to take away more of the shooting angle. When he is “on,” Vrbetic is further out in the crease and more aggressive, but when he is not (like this game, which was not a strong performance for Vrbetic), he becomes more passive and reverts into more of a shell to protect.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Joe-Vrbetic-3.mp4

I think what this montage of clips shows us is that Vrbetic can be a very effective puck stopper when he is aggressive in his crease. When he plays near the top of the blue paint, with his size, he can be difficult to beat. However, as is the case in the previous clips and in other poor performances, Vrbetic becomes too complacent at times and does have a tendency to get caught deep. The other thing that these clips show is that, again, for a larger netminder, Vrbetic’s rebound control is solid.

Grades: Athleticism/Quickness/Speed: 50 Compete/Temperament: 55 Vision/Play Reading: 55 Technique/Style: 50 Rebound Control: 55 Puck Handling: 50

OFP: 52.75

Tristan Lennox - Saginaw Spirit

6’4, 190lbs

2019-20 Stats: 20 wins, 3.63 GAA, .876 SV%

The 2019/20 season started off great for Lennox. He was stealing the show at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup as the starter for team Canada (with a miniscule 0.95 GAA and a .951 save percentage). Then, it all came crashing down. Lennox suffered an injury in the shootout portion of the semifinals against Sweden (which he won despite being in obvious pain). This kept him out of the Gold Medal game (which Canada lost), and while he did not miss any OHL time because of it, he just did not look like the same goaltender that we saw as a rookie in 2018/19 or the star stopper he was at the Hlinka/Gretzky. It is clear to me that the injury really derailed him, both physically and mentally. Coming into the year, he was a favourite for the OHL goaltender of the Year award on a strong Spirit team, but instead he spent most of the year fighting the puck and ended up splitting games with Marshall Frappier in a platoon role as Saginaw searched for someone who could give them what they needed between the pipes.

It is really too bad as I believe that Lennox is a very good goaltender who would have bounced back strong and put himself in contention with Gaudreau and Cossa as the second-best goaltender available behind Wallstedt. Instead, the most recent memories we have of Lennox are not overwhelmingly positive. He did sign an ATO with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL in February but was released a few weeks later and did not play a game.

When he is at his best, Lennox is a wall. He is 6’4, but he is very athletic and aggressive in his crease, which means he challenges shooters at the top of the blue paint, but also possesses the quickness to recover and track the puck effectively. He is just solid across the board in almost all areas and truly possesses the potential to be a number one netminder at the NHL level. His rebound control on low shots is definitely something that he will need to work on, as he can tend to kick pucks back into the slot from his pads.

However, last year, he just seemed unsure in the net; his confidence was shot. He was not covering his posts well. He was leaving holes while moving and had a tough time squeezing and securing shots cleanly. Again, though, I do truly believe that he just never completely recovered from that early season injury, physically or mentally. The fact that he is still earning the respect of scouts, as he appears high on many lists for 2021, tells you all you need to know about whether they think Lennox can bounce back.

Videos

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tristan-Lennox-1-Hlinka.mp4

First some great clips of Lennox at the 2019 Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. He was truly dialed in and focused. He was fighting through traffic to make saves. He was corralling shots to the body and limiting his rebounds. He was challenging shooters and holding his posts well. His positioning was overall excellent.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tristan-Lennox-2-Bad.mp4

Now some goals against from last season in the OHL with Saginaw. Notice the difference. Lennox fought to contain and secure pucks, especially when it came to finding shots through traffic. He just was not tracking the play as well as he did previously and his confidence in the crease really seemed quite low. As a comparison, according to InStat, in his rookie OHL season in 2018/19, Lennox had a save percentage of 99 on shots from the half wall area. Last year, it dropped to 94. His save percentage from in tight, that home plate area? Dropped from 80 percent to 76 percent. A lot of that had to do with how many second chance opportunities he was giving up.

Grades: Athleticism/Quickness/Speed: 55 Compete/Temperament: 55 Vision/Play Reading: 55 Technique/Style: 55 Rebound Control: 50 Puck Handling: 50

OFP: 53.75

THE DEFENSE

Paul Christopoulous - North Bay Battalion

5’10, 187lbs

2019-20 Stats: 53 games, 4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points, 31 PIM, -41

Christopoulous, a smaller, yet mobile two-way defender, was part of the juggernaut Don Mills Flyers team that won the 2019 OHL Cup (along with the likes of Shane Wright, Brennan Othmann, and Brandt Clarke). Christopoulous actually often paired with either Clarke or Roman Schmidt, who now plays for the USDP and is a potential top three round selection. He was a standout on that team and one of the better defenders in the GTHL during his OHL draft year. Last season, his rookie year in the OHL, was certainly a learning experience for Christopoulous given that he played for a younger team (as mentioned with Vrbetic). His -41 was actually second worst in the entire OHL, however I do not believe that it was indicative of his play. Despite modest stats and that ugly +/-, he was named to the second all-rookie team. This season, expectations would have been high for Christopoulous, as he would have been given more ice time and likely even greater responsibility as a powerplay QB.

One of the driving forces of his success as a player is his mobility. Christopoulous is a very strong skater in all four directions. While his explosiveness and first few strides could stand to improve due to his lack of size and shorter stride, his overall mobility and agility are impressive. He can walk the line and maintain possession using strong edgework and pivots. He moves well backwards and laterally and minds his gaps well from a defensive perspective. All good things in his game come from his feet. There is a Ryan Merkley feel to his technique and effectiveness and it would have been interesting to see what he could do this year and whether his quickness would have improved. Christopoulous is also an efficient puck mover. He sees the ice well and identifies passing lanes, even in the face of pressure.

In U16 with Don Mills, he showcased a terrific point shot, among the best in his age group on the back end, but that was something we did not see enough of as an OHL rookie due to a lack of confidence. In the defensive end, he defended well in transition in one-on-one situations because of his advantages as a skater, but he struggled in coverage through the middle of the ice and had a tendency to get pinned in his own zone a lot due to a lack of strength to win those 50/50 battles. He is not a soft player, but he had trouble tying up forwards in that slot and crease area. Over the course of the season, Christopoulous’ offensive game slowed down a bit so that he could focus on improving in the defensive end, with that area of his game improving over the course of the season. I do believe he projects as a strong two-way defender.

Videos

- Christopoulous wears #4 for the Battalion

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Paul-Christopoulous-1-defense.mp4

The clips in this montage show how Christopoulous can struggle defending the slot and net front because he gets outmuscled or is too passive. The majority of the goals in his (-41) profile last season came as a result of either losing a battle near the net, or failing to be aggressive with his stick or body to take away a scoring opportunity from a shooter or attacker.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/paul_christopoulos-2_-_1st_period_6_1_-_6_14.mp4

While Christopoulous can struggle a bit with his decision making and assertiveness when defending in transition, over the course of the season his one on one stopping abilities greatly improved. Two clips here from the same game that show Christopoulous angling off the attackers and separating them from the puck, then making a clean pass to help initiate the breakout. In larger groups (three on three, two on two, overall zone coverage), he becomes too passive, but in these types of situations, he often neutralizes attacks well.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Paul-Christopoulous-3-Offense.mp4

This montage of Christopoulous shows his strong transitional attacking skills and his overall offensive profile. In the first two clips you will notice that he just does not yet have the strength to extend his attacks deep, as he can still be easily pushed off the puck. With added strength and awareness, I would expect that he is able to gain the offensive blueline and maintain possession, becoming a major asset to the Battalion because of his ability to enter the zone with control. We see glimpses of that in the primary assist that he picks up in the third clip. Notice that in all four clips, however, Christopoulous is aggressive in transition and will look to push and attack, applying pressure to opposing defenses and flipping the script quickly.

Grades: Skating: 55 Shot: 50 Skills: 50 Smarts: 55 Physicality: 45

OFP: 51.75

Ranvir Gill Shane - Ottawa 67’s

6’3, 185lbs

2019-20 Stats (OTT): 9 games, 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 points, 4 PIM, +3

2019-20 Stats (CCHL): 51 games, 8 goals, 19 assists, 27 points, 16 PIM

Originally a fourth-round selection by the Ottawa 67’s, the big right shot defender spent the majority of last season in the CCHL (split between Ottawa and Kenata). There, he was a standout earning all-rookie team honours and establishing himself as one of the best young defenders not in the OHL. When he did play for the 67’s, as a call-up, he performed very admirably on a strong Ottawa 67’s team in a limited role. This season he would have competed with the likes of Jack Matier (Canadian U18 team) and Teddy Sawyer (2022 eligible) for consistent ice time and a permanent role.

Despite only playing nine OHL games last season (and playing sparingly at that), Gill-Shane is going to draw interest from NHL scouts because of his size and skating combination. He is a very fluid mover, who changes direction very well and this allows him to cover a ton of ice with his reach and long strides. He is also explosive moving forward and has significant potential as a puck moving defender because of his ability to carve up space.

At the OHL level, he largely played a very safe game. We did not get a real shot to see his capability as an attacker. He mostly deferred to his defensive partner or his supporting forwards to lead the exit. However, at the CCHL level and in the HEO previously (in his OHL draft year), Gill-Shane showed a real impressive ability to push the pace given his powerful stride. Defensively, he looked good at the OHL level in a limited role too. He had some trouble with the forecheck at times and a few bad turnovers resulted. However, one could argue that as he gains confidence at the OHL level, he would be able to use his skating ability better to create time and space for himself to make cleaner exit passes. Ultimately, these are the types of players NHL scouts are going to make their salary on this season; raw, athletic defenders with a real projectable skill set.

Videos

- Gill-Shane wears #5 for the 67’s

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ranvir-Gill-Shane-1-OHL-2.mp4

Let us start off with some clips of Gill-Shane from his OHL draft year when he played with the Ottawa Jr. Senators in the HEO. Here we see how Gill-Shane can negotiate space and attack using his speed. That package of size and quickness is very impressive.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ranvir-Gill-Shane-2-OHL-1.mp4

This montage serves as a look at how Gill-Shane can use his quickness, mobility, and reach to make a positive impact as a defensive player. Notice the play he makes against Serron Noel at the end of the montage. Noel is one of the most difficult players in the OHL to stop one on one because of his size and power and Gill-Shane stops him with ease. Again, Gill-Shane oozes potential in the defensive end.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ranvir-Gill-Shane-3-U18.mp4

As mentioned, there were not a lot of instances in his nine games in the OHL last year where Gill-Shane was confident enough to lead the attack or even take liberties from an offensive perspective. Here were two. The first shows Gill-Shane gaining the offensive zone (with the help of a good pick). The second shows a bad turnover that results in a three on one. Ultimately, the million-dollar question is, does Gill-Shane have the vision and awareness to be a consistent offensive contributor (using his skating ability)? I don’t think we can answer that, at this time. What we can say, for certain, is that Gill-Shane does possess the physical tools to be an asset in the defensive end at the very least.

Grades: Skating: 55 Shot: 50 Skills: 55 Smarts: 50 Physicality: 50

OFP: 52

Jacob Holmes - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds

6’1, 185lbs

2019-20 Stats: 57 games, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, 12 PIM, +9

Long considered one of the better defenders in this age group in Ontario, Jacob Holmes saw limited ice time for the Greyhounds last year in a third pairing role as an OHL rookie. The club’s first round pick in 2019, Holmes was one of Team Ontario’s most integral defenders at the 2019 Canada Winter Games (ahead of the likes of Roman Schmidt and Ethan Del Mastro on the depth chart). He also suited up for Canada Red at the 2019 World Under 17’s. Needless to say, there is a pedigree here. The Soo Greyhounds are notorious for bringing their defenders along slowly and given the team’s outstanding defensive depth, there is no guarantee that his role would have been significantly greater this season had it occurred. However, there is also no doubting Holmes’ potential as a two-way defender.

At various parts of last season, Holmes did see significant responsibility on Sault Ste. Marie’s powerplay, and he did the same on Canada Red at the U17’s. This is because of his big point shot, his best weapon as an offensive player. Holmes does a good job using his feet to create shooting lanes, either to use a quick wrister while in motion, or off the puck so that he can get set up for the one timer. He definitely has the potential to be a triggerman on the powerplay at the next level too.

The rest of his game offensively is pretty raw. Holmes struggled with his exits and turnovers over the course of his first OHL season. His decision making with the puck definitely needs to improve, especially in the face of pressure. Defensively, though, Holmes was solid and reliable. His positioning and anticipation is good and he uses both his strong agility and his stick to neutralize attackers and defend the middle of the ice. As said, the potential is there for him to develop into a two-way defender. The question is, how will scouts view Holmes’ vision and his potential as an offensive player outside of his big point shot?

Videos

- Holmes wears #6 for the Greyhounds

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Holmes-shot-1.mp4

As mentioned, Holmes is a heck of a triggerman. His point shot is a major asset. Here we see evidence of that. A couple big one timers for goals. A couple of great plays with his feet to open up a lane for his wrist shot. He utilizes both shots pretty equally and is a multi faceted scorer from the point. This is why he projects as someone who can play regularly on the powerplay, although likely paired with a more traditional powerplay QB.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Holmes-turnovers-2.mp4

Where Holmes tends to struggle is with the puck in the defensive end. Too many of his exits fail to find the mark. Turnovers are an issue in the face of a forecheck. He will need to clean that up and learn to make quicker decisions. He will also need to learn when to take chances and when to play it safe. This is not an uncommon problem for 16 year old defenders in the OHL, as they adjust to the pace of play in the OHL. Would he have improved this part of his game this year?

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Holmes-3-jacob_holmes_-_2nd_period_8_53_-_9_6.mp4

This play is the type of play NHL scouts probably would have liked to see more from Holmes last season. Great cross ice pass here to find Dickinson for the goal. In my views of Holmes, it was also one of the only times that he rotated down closer to the hash marks. This season, the main focus would have been on whether Holmes could improve his playmaking ability and play a little more aggressively offensively to make plays in other ways besides shooting from just inside the blueline.

Grades: Skating: 55 Shot: 55 Skills: 50 Smarts: 50 Physicality: 50

OFP: 51.75

Isaac Enright - Niagara IceDogs

6’0, 170lbs

2019-20 Stats: 53 games, 1 goals, 8 assists, 9 points, 34 PIM, -23

Enright, much like Jacob Holmes, was an OHL first round pick and a highly touted defender coming into the league. He too played at the Canadian Winter Games (for Team Ontario) and at the World Under 17’s (for Canada White). However, unlike Holmes, Enright got pretty significant ice time for Niagara due to the fact that they were a rebuilding team. This definitely led to a steeper learning curve as he was asked to play in all situations and was not sheltered in the least.

Like some of the other defenders mentioned, Enright is on the NHL draft radar because he is a fluid skater and has a projection as an all situations, two-way defender. He definitely plays with some sandpaper and was a lot more physically assertive than your average 16/17-year-old defender. He will finish his checks along the wall, he will lead with his body to separate his man from the puck, and he will stand up forwards at the blueline. He is stronger than his slight frame would indicate, and I would imagine that as he becomes more confident, the physical side of his game would only become more prominent.

However, he does have some bad tendencies as a defensive player that were magnified playing on a poor Niagara team. He gets caught puck watching too much and seems to lose communication or get lost in the defensive zone at times. Additionally, he has a tendency to reach with his stick and stop moving his feet when defending in transition, which totally negates his strengths as a mover. These two things led to the majority of his errors that led to goals last season.

Offensively, Enright is a safe player. That means he made less mistakes than your average rookie defender with the puck, but it also meant that he was not able to create as much either. Lots of chip or dump outs. He certainly has the ability to lead the attack and did so at times, especially when working the powerplay. However, his shot is not a strength, and I am not confident he possesses the puck skill or creativity to be a top end playmaker. So, with Enright, the projection looks stronger on the defensive side of things.

Videos

- Enright wears #4 for the IceDogs

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Isaac-Enright-1-Bad-defense.mp4

Here we see a collection of some of Enright’s defensive miscues this season. As mentioned, he does not utilize his mobility as well as he could when defending transitional attacks because he has a tendency to get caught standing still. Additionally, this extends to his coverage in the defensive zone, as he gets caught watching the puck or miscommunicates with his defensive partner. It is important to note that these mistakes do get amplified because of Niagara’s struggles, especially on the defensive side of things.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Isaac-Enright-2-good-offense.mp4

This montage gives you a pretty good idea of what Enright brings to the table as an offensive player at this current moment. He holds the line and is able to make quick decisions with the puck or use his feet to give himself room. He can make a quick outlet or lead the attack. Generally speaking, he is not flashy and he could stand to be a little more patient with the puck given his skating ability, but he also limits his mistakes.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/isaac_enright_3-_3rd_period_23_6_-_23_28.mp4

As mentioned, Enright is a tough kid who plays a lot bigger than his size and frame would indicate. Here is one of a couple fights that he got into last season. He stands up fellow 2021 draft eligible OHL’er Mason McTavish and then the two square off in a lopsided game. Not much of a fight, but it shows that Enright is a more than willing physical combatant.

Grades: Skating: 55 Shot: 45 Skills: 50 Smarts: 50 Physicality: 55

OFP: 51.75

Braden Haché - Kingston Frontenacs

6’2, 187lbs

2019-20 Stats: 29 games, 0 goals, 5 assists, 5 points, 15 PIM, +1

A physically imposing, stay at home defender, Haché is someone who started last year seeing minimal ice time, but by February and March, he had earned a regular spot in the lineup and had nearly doubled his ice time. A U16 teammate of fellow defensive listee Jacob Holmes, Haché is also a noted humanitarian and was the only U17 player nominated for the Dan Snyder Humanitarian of the year award in the OHL last season. His work with Hockey Fights Cancer and Hockey Gives Blood should be noted as his character is something that will unquestionably impress NHL scouts. This is a future captain.

On the ice, Haché is at his best and his most comfortable in the defensive end. He is a suffocating one on one defender who is as strong as an ox and is an absolutely imposing and dominant physical player. Haché revels in the chance to finish his checks and he makes his presence felt along the wall. Not only does he find success winning those 50/50 battles and separating attackers from the puck, but he also forces players into rash, quick decisions because they fear Haché’s thunder.

Haché also has a pretty good stick, which combined with his reach, makes him someone who usually can combat transitional attacks and net drives. There are some flaws in his skating that prevent him from being a more dominant defensive force at this time. His functional agility and four-way mobility have room for improvement. He can have trouble with his transitions or in keeping up with forwards who use their edges well to change direction or pace. Haché skates well in a straight line, so he is able to help track down loose pucks or play catch up but improving the fluidity of his stride will be a priority moving forward. Overall though, I do think that he has a chance to be an average skater considering his size and strength.

Offensively, Haché’s game has limitations currently. He shows flashes of an ability to carry the puck, which given his ability to physically dominate down low, would be a huge asset if he could gain confidence in this area. Ditto for his exit pass. When he does try to push forward or take chances with the puck, he seems to struggle with making quick decisions and turnovers can be the result. However, he does do a good job of holding the line and getting pucks on net with a quick wrist shot.

Ultimately, the question is, can Haché’s skating ability and his offensive effectiveness improve to at least average, making him a potentially elite stay at home defender? Without question, there are some similarities here between Kevin Bahl and Braden Haché at the same age.

Videos

- Haché wears #5 for the Frontenacs

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Braden-Hache-1-physicality.mp4

What more is there to say here? Haché hits hard. Keep in mind that this is a 16 year old kid. Imagine the physical potential he possesses as he gets even bigger and stronger? The other thing I love about Haché is that his hits fit well within the game flow. He does not simply skate around looking for the big hit like some physically assertive young CHL players have a tendency to do. Rarely do Haché’s hits take him out of position and they are well timed. This is a kid who understands when to play the body and when to use his reach or mind his gap.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Braden-Hache-2-defensive-miscues.mp4

That said, as mentioned, there are some things currently holding Hache back from being a more dominant defensive player. Again, keep in mind his age. You do not come into the OHL at 16 and become a dominant defensive player. As you can see from these clips, Haché can struggle with quicker forwards or players who can change direction quickly. He also needs to improve his awareness when covering the slot or trying to defend the crease. As he gains confidence and experience, I do expect him to develop into one of the OHL’s elite stay at home defenders.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Braden-Hache-3-offense.mp4

There were certainly moments last year where we saw Haché make positive plays with the puck. Be it an effective rush and entry, a great stretch pass, or a strong hold of the blueline. However, there were other times where he struggled under pressure, especially when trying to make pushes past his own blueline. In his rookie OHL season, he was at his best when he kept things simple. But, do those flashes offer a glimpse of greater offensive potential as Haché’s confidence with the puck grows, or is his upside limited by a lack of creativity and puck skill?

Grades: Skating: 50, Shot: 45, Skills: 45, Smarts: 50 Physicality: 65

OFP: 51.75

Bryce Montgomery - London Knights

6’5, 220lbs

2019-20 Stats: 33 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, 9 PIM, +3

Surface level, Montgomery probably does not look like an NHL draft pick. To the naked eye, you see a late born 2002 who played sparingly for the London Knights last season as an OHL rookie. Of the 33 games he played last season for London, Montgomery only played over 12 minutes in five of those, even seeing some action at forward. But this had more to do with London’s depth and not with Montgomery’s ability and potential. This is a kid who gave up on a scholarship with Providence to join London and who would have likely been a part of London’s top four on defense had the OHL season been played this year. In classic London fashion, he likely would have been a breakout candidate in his draft year.

From my understanding with chatting with those who cover the Prep school scene, Montgomery is a kid who has improved drastically over the last couple of years, putting in the work to improve all facets of his game to land on the NHL draft radar. The profile here is similar to Sudbury’s Isaak Phillips last year, in that Montgomery may be older than some of the players eligible, but he is also far from a polished product as a projectable defender with size and mobility. Montgomery moves quite well forward, especially once he gets a few strides in. His top speed is impressive for a big defender and as such, he can really chew up a lot of ice in a short period of time. However, he also turns and pivots well, giving him some elusiveness and potential as a puck carrier.

The ice time was not consistent, and the confidence is not always there, but he flashes an ability to be someone who can have a real positive impact with the puck on his stick. Montgomery also shows the potential to be a solid triggerman. He has good shooting mechanics and gets a lot of power behind a one timer which he keeps low (both of his assists on the year were from similar one timed point shots). I do not believe that he is a natural goal scorer from the point, but if he can continue to get pucks quickly to the net and keep them low, he can generate scoring chances from it.

From a defensive perspective, Montgomery has a ton of potential because of his size and mobility. You might expect a player of his size to be extremely mean, but that would not be the case at this current moment. That is not to say that Montgomery is soft; far from it. However, he is more of a stick on puck defender who tries to stay ahead of the attack and will look to use his reach to break up plays or flip possession along the wall. Think along the same lines as the way we describe Owen Power’s game in the defensive end. If he can add a little more of a physical element to his game, he would be that much more effective.

Ultimately the key word when describing Montgomery is potential. With his raw, physical tools, there is a lot for the London Knights and an NHL development staff to work with.

Videos

- Montgomery wears #58 for the Knights

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Bryce-Montgomery-1-Offense.mp4

This is a nice collection of some real positive work by Montgomery offensively. Two nice rushes and entries by Montgomery that showcases not only his power but agility too. Then we get an offensive sequence where Montgomery sets up Antonio Stranges with a great cross ice pass, making a quick decision to thread the needle back to him. Finally we see his only two assists on the year, both coming from one timed point shots, as I alluded to earlier. Considering how little Montgomery played and how conservative he looked at times, these instances show some serious potential. Stick tap to Billy Sullivan for helping me locate some hard to find clips too.

Bryce Montgomery 2 Screen Recording 2021-04-27 at 5.14.19 PM

Yes...this shift is at the end of a game that is already decided. But, it still demonstrates some of Montgomery’s strength and it is a real positive shift for him. Hustle back to the defensive zone after missing on the one timer then some good footwork to evade the forecheck and start the breakout. This is followed later by another strong offensive zone entry that results in a scoring chance. And it culminated with a nice defensive play on the backcheck to negate a two on one. We see the full spectrum of his skill set here.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Bryce-Montgomery-3-bad.mp4

A lot of the miscues that Montgomery made last season stemmed from indecisiveness. A lot of that probably had to do with the fact that he was playing to not make mistakes, rather than more aggressively. With his reach and above average mobility, he is often able to negate these mistakes, especially when defending in transition. However, you would love to see him close gaps a little faster and take more chances to break up plays in the neutral zone, given his reach and ability to recover. Dictate the play and take charge. I feel like as he gains confidence, we will likely see him develop into that kind of defender.

Grades: Skating: 55 Shot: 52.5 Skills: 50 Smarts: 52.5 Physicality: 55

OFP: 53.25

Connor Punnett - Barrie Colts

6’1, 176lbs

2019-20 Stats: 51 games, 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points, 28 PIM, +3

Acquired by Barrie last season as part of the transaction that sent Ryan Suzuki to Saginaw, Punnett split last season between the Colts and Spirit. A first round pick by Saginaw in 2019, Punnett also suited up for Canada Red at the U17’s (along with his defensive partner at the event, Jacob Holmes) and has long been considered one of the better defenders in this Ontario age crop. In a likelihood, he would have had a chance to be a top four defender for the Colts this season, after receiving inconsistent ice time last year (which actually dwindled in the second half).

Punnett’s rookie OHL season had its ups and downs. His ice time fluctuated heavily with both Saginaw and Barrie, so it felt like he never truly got comfortable. That said, I thought he was one of Canada’s (across all three teams) best defenseman at the U17’s. At that event he showed multiple layers to his game at both ends of the ice, with his playmaking ability standing out way more against his peers than it did in the OHL. At the OHL level, the majority of Punnett’s created chances were from him firing shots from the point. He showed flashes of being able to lead the attack and gain the zone, even pinching aggressively to follow his dump ins, but not much was ever created. Additionally, his exit pass definitely needs improvement as too many missed their mark, especially when Punnett was in movement. However, as you can see from some of the clips, he skates well and he does show potential as a puck mover. He just needs to clean things up a bit.

One area of Punnett’s game that definitely stood out as an OHL rookie was his physicality. Right from the get-go, he showed a penchant for the big hit, catching attackers with their heads down or angling them to the wall and finishing strong. This physicality needs to translate more to net front coverage though, if he truly wants to be a difficult defender to match up against. However, defensive miscues were largely kept to a minimum. Most stemmed from a lack of aggressiveness or from puck watching in coverage. But given his mobility, his physicality, and the fact that he showed growth over the year, Punnett does project as someone who can be a lockdown defender. NHL scouts would probably prefer he was a little bigger with a longer reach, but he makes up for it with aggressiveness and determination. I suppose the question I have is, does Punnett have good enough vision with the puck to be a two-way NHL defender?

Videos

- Punnett wore #5, 62, and 2 at different points last year for the Colts and Spirit

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Connor-Punnett-1-Physicality.mp4

As mentioned, Punnett revels in the opportunity to lay a big hit. He is especially physical in the neutral zone and along the wall. This gives him a competitive edge when tracking down loose pucks, as forwards have a tendency to rush their decisions even if they beat him to it, because they fear Punnett’s thunder.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Connor-Punnet-2-2-on-1.mp4

I think this is an incredible sequence and it speaks to Punnett’s ability to learn from previous mistakes. We have three 2 on 1’s that Punnett was forced to defend last year. It goes in order from oldest to newest (so earlier in the season to later in the season). The first one he plays horribly, as he is just way too passive, taking away neither the pass or the shot. The second one he plays too aggressively, committing to the shooter too early. The third one, he plays perfectly, forcing the puck carrier to show his hand and make the first move, then he takes away the pass with a sliding block.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Connor-Punnett-3-offense.mp4

Here we have a mash-up of some of Punnett’s best offensive plays from the past calendar year. You see the potential here. He skates well moving forward and has some explosiveness in his stride that allows him to push through the neutral zone. As mentioned though, given the struggles he had with his exit last year and that many of his extended rushes ended with dump ins and not set ups for his teammates, it makes me wonder about whether he sees the ice well enough to be a consistent point producer.

Grades: Skating: 55 Shot: 50 Skills: 50 Smarts: 50 Physicality: 57.5

OFP: 52.75

Ryan Mast - Sarnia Sting

6’4, 190lbs

2019-20 Stats: 58 games, 1 goals, 10 assists, 11 points, 31 PIM, -15

I think that there was a fair amount of surprise in the OHL scouting community when the Sting were able to sign Mast last season, after he was a 9th round selection by Sarnia. A standout with the Detroit Compuware program, getting a commitment from him was huge for the organization, especially given their struggles defensively. He lived up to the hype too, playing an immediate top four role for the Sting as a 16/17 year old. Sure, Sarnia struggled mightily as a team defensively last season, but Mast showed moments of being an impact defender in this league. In my opinion, he would have been a member of Team USA at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, had it occurred this past summer.

Given his size, Mast has immense potential as a defensive player first, and foremost. He is not an innately skilled defender; flashy is not the word you would use to describe him. You are not likely to see Mast blast his way through the neutral zone or lead the charge from an offensive perspective. His explosiveness and forward speed would only be considered average. However, his ability to start the breakout with heads up passes and quick decision making was very noticeable in his rookie season. It is clear that Mast is an intelligent kid and has a great understanding of how to play at an up tempo pace. In watching games for this piece, Mast navigates the forecheck extremely well and has that high panic threshold that you look for from more stay at home oriented defenders.

His meal ticket as a potential NHL defender will definitely be in the defensive end. While Mast’s explosiveness in all four directions could use improvement, the fluidity of his stride laterally and backwards, and his overall agility, are good for a 6’4 defender. This really makes him an asset in defending transitional attacks, as he can use his size and reach to angle attackers to the wall and strip them of the puck. He is also aggressive when defending, bringing the attack to the opposition, showing way more confidence than the usual rookie defender when it comes to stepping up in the neutral zone or early in the defensive zone to disrupt puck carriers.

Overall, his decision making, just as it does with the puck, stands out positively as a defensive player. He has such an active stick and he anticipates passes and movement well to be a disruptive force. I am sure NHL scouts would love to see him use his 6’4 frame to be more of a consistent physical force, especially when it comes to playing the net front, but that may come with added experience and confidence. Ultimately, what we have in Mast is a 6’4, right shot defender who profiles as a strong defensive presence, but who may also have some untapped offensive potential because of a high IQ.

Videos

- Mast wears #3 for the Sting

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ryan-Mast-1-skating.mp4

As you can see from these clips, Mast does struggle to generate power and speed in those first few strides. He does not have the same recovery ability as some other defenders might have, meaning his margin for error is greater. This prevents him from being more a consistent factor offensively in transition for two reasons. The first is the fear that if he does make a mistake, he is not able to chew up ice and recover the way a guy like Thomas Harley could. The second, is that he lacks that explosiveness to allow him to cover a lot of ground quickly when carrying the puck, so he often takes a more methodical approach. This is why it is so critical that his exit pass is as strong as it is.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ryan-Mast-2-passing.mp4

Mast is a kid who just seems to make very few mistakes with the puck, even if he is not blessed with the kind of “silky mitts” you might expect from an offensive defender. He can be successful because of how quickly and how well he processes the game and because of the precision of his passes. In these last few clips as part of this montage, we also see how his transitional defense can lead to transitional offense extremely quickly because of how aggressive he is with his stick.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ryan-Mast-3-defense.mp4

The final two clips (as mentioned) in the previous collection segway nicely into this collection. Mast has such great reach and his gap control is consistently excellent. Additionally, he takes such great routes to collect pucks or cut off lanes from attackers, allowing him to initiate the breakout quicker. With greater defensive support from his teammates (an issue in Sarnia), Mast should eventually become one of the better stay at home defenders in the OHL.

Grades: Skating: 50 Shot: 50 Skills: 50 Smarts: 57.5 Physicality: 55

OFP: 53.25

Simon Motew - Kitchener Rangers

5’11, 172lbs

2019-20 Stats (OHL): 34 games, 1 goals, 10 assists, 11 points, 21 PIM, +11

2020-21 Stats (USPHL): 21 games, 16 goals, 29 assists, 45 points, 28 PIM

Motew, a highly talented offensive defenseman and former Chicago Mission defender, was a top recruit by the Rangers two years ago. In 2019/20, he rotated in and out of the lineup, playing third pairing minutes when he did get into game action. However, he made the most of his opportunities and often stood out in a positive way despite limited ice time and sheltered responsibilities. This year, he stayed home to play in the USPHL, a lower level College Hockey feeder league. It's not really the highest quality, but Motew torched the league with 2.14 points per game, one of the best seasons in league history from the back-end. We have two comparisons that we can make, Pittsburgh Penguins defender John Marino and current Toronto Maple Leafs defense prospect Joseph Duszak. Marino was drafted out of the USPHL with South Shore when he was well under a point per game. Duszak was just over a point per game in his U18 year with the P.A.L. Junior Islanders.

At the heart of Motew’s game is his skating ability. For my money, Motew has the potential to be the best skating defender available from the OHL this year. His top speed and ability to generate speed quickly is only a little above average, however I think the potential is there for him to really become more powerful as he gains lower body strength and learns to utilize those lateral crossovers more effectively and consistently. However, he is dynamic and fluid on his edges. This allows him to vary pace and avoid stick checks cutting through the neutral zone. It also allows him to keep the puck on a string when patrolling the point just inside the blueline. He routinely makes the first defender miss, which contributes to breakdowns in defensive coverage and opens up passing/shooting lanes for him.

He didn’t really get any powerplay time with the Rangers, but if he did, his production would have been even more impressive. Of course, given Motew’s skating, skill, and creativity, he plays a higher risk game. He is consistently looking for opportunities to jump up into the play or pinch. Sometimes this leads to an odd man rush the other way. Sometimes he tries to force a play at the line and fails to get a puck in deep, resulting in a turnover and an odd man rush the other way. As he gains experience, it will be interesting to see how he balances this and picks his spots, hopefully cutting down on some of those turnovers. At the USPHL level, it seemed like he was able to do whatever he wanted with the puck and was not quite challenged enough, leading to the odd complacent play.

Defensively, I thought he was actually better as a rookie with Kitchener than he looked in the USPHL with Chicago this year. This year, there were plays where he looked completely disinterested from playing in his own end. Whereas as an OHL rookie two years ago, Motew actually was fairly sturdy in his own end, showing good awareness in the slot specifically to intercept or break up passes, and obviously his mobility gives him an advantage when it comes to defending transitional attacks. I kind of got the vibe from watching some games with Chicago this year, that Motew was just out there having fun and, perhaps, didn’t take his three zone responsibilities quite as seriously. Either way, as an average sized defender, Motew will need to prove that he can defend net front and consistently win those battles in the corner by increasing his physical intensity and getting stronger. It is cliched, but it is definitely true in this case. Any way you slice it, Motew has to be considered one of the highest ceiling offensive defenders available from the OHL this year.

Videos

- Motew wears #46 for the Rangers & #11 for Chicago (USPHL)

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Simon-Motew-1-Good-HSPHL.mp4

As you can see, Motew had a lot of fun playing in the USPHL this year. He consistently walked around defenders and created scoring chances, playing a high tempo...although higher risk kind of offensive game. This is an extremely skilled kid. Hopefully he can carry over this level of confidence to the OHL when it returns to play.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Simon-Motew-2-Bad-USPHL.mp4

Sometimes creative and confident puck handlers turn the puck over. It is the nature of hockey. They won’t beat defenders one on one every shift. This is the case for Motew as you can see from the first two clips in this collection. Defensively though, his effort was pretty inconsistent in the USPHL. You see from one clip as he defends a transitional attack by doing the opposite of closing his gap, essentially giving the attacker free reign. In another clip, you see Motew completely ignore the forward in front of his net, instead of tying him up as he taps one in. Again though, in watching him in the OHL, these issues were not that prevalent, so I believe this to be a case of a player not being challenged enough and falling into some bad habits because of it.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Simon-Motew-3-Good-OHL.mp4

Here we see some positive offensive plays by Motew in his rookie year with Kitchener. As you can see, he is capable of doing the sort of things he did in the USPHL, in the OHL too. His first OHL goal against Erie was an absolute beauty and is included here, as he went end to end, walked a defender and scored. It will be very interesting to see what he is capable of with more confidence and perhaps a little more power. The upside is tremendous.

Grades: Skating: 55 Shot: 55 Skills: 60 Smarts: 50 Physicality: 45

OFP: 52.25

Ben Roger - London Knights

6’4, 194lbs

2019-20 Stats (OHL): 35 games, 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points, 6 PIM, -2

Much like Bryce Montgomery, Roger is a late born 2002 who was an OHL rookie the last time the league took the ice. And like Montgomery, Roger was used in a third pairing role, cycling in and out of London’s lineup due to their depth. Given his age, you would have liked to have seen him play more for evaluation purposes, but such is the hand that we have been dealt. At 6’4 and nearly 200lbs, Roger is going to entice scouts because of his size, right shot, and his strong mobility. In a lot of ways, Roger has the same sort of profile as a few of the defenders on this list, like his teammate Montgomery, or Ryan Mast, or Ranvir Gill Shane. The physical tools are there, but a lack of true responsibility and ice time may prevent true assessment of potential.

As mentioned, Roger’s best asset, without a doubt, is his feet. Even at 6’4, he has to be considered one of the smoothest skaters among this Ontario draft class. That is most certainly why NHL Central Scouting has him as high as they do. He generates speed quickly with his long, powerful strides and this allows him to be quick to loose pucks and aid in the exit out of London’s zone. Interestingly enough, the majority of the instances of Roger using his quickness to lead the attack or jump up in the play occurred earlier in the season, with him playing much more conservatively later on. It would have been very interesting to see how his confidence would have improved materializing into potentially more created scoring chances this season. There is certainly offensive potential there.

From a defensive perspective, Roger uses his feet to play aggressively when defending in transition, minding a close gap and using his stick to force turnovers. He occasionally flashes an ability to play the body, so like his offensive potential, it will be interesting to see if he becomes more physically assertive with age, experience, and confidence. Much like some of the other defenders on this list, Roger played very conservatively in the offensive zone, which makes it difficult to ascertain just how skilled and creative he can be. He holds the offensive blueline well, however, he often settles for low percentage quick wrist or snap shots when pressured, rather than using his feet to create space or lanes. He definitely looks a bit stiff and rigid, similar to some of my concerns with Daniil Chayka. He did score two goals on the season, but his shot did seem to find the wall or shin pads more often than it found the net.

Ultimately, with Roger, what you are looking at is a big right shot defender with the potential to develop into a strong two-way player. His mobility is a big asset and he is certainly in the right spot to develop with London (look at what London did with a similar player in Alec Regula). If NHL scouts are convinced that his skill and vision with the puck are high end, he could come off the board early, just like a few of the other similarly profiled defenders mentioned in this article.

Videos

- Roger wears #74 for the Knights

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ben-Roger-1-offense.mp4

In this collection, we see some of the offensive potential Roger possesses. Couple quick wrist shots that find their way through traffic for goals. But most importantly, we see how explosive he is moving forward with the puck and how that could perhaps lead to him taking a larger offensive role in the future with London.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Ben-Roger-2-Defense.mp4

Three similar defensive plays by Roger, defending attackers with pace. Three similar outcomes. He is just so difficult to maneuver around because of his mobility and reach. Really like how early he closed off the lane in the first clip against the Steelheads, stepping up just inside the blueline to stop the attacker. I watched a lot of clips of him defending pace, and I didn’t see anyone beat him to the outside.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ben_roger-3_-_2nd_period_10_1_-_10_16.mp4

This was from relatively early on in the season in 2019/20. A really poor decision to pinch by Roger leads to an odd man rush the other way, but thankfully not a goal. As the season went on, we saw him fall into a shell a little bit as an offensive player and I wonder if it was because of plays like this causing his confidence to drop. When you play for a team as deep as London, there is a pressure to play mistake free as a young player so that you stay in the lineup.

Grades: Skating: 57.5 Shot: 45 Skills: 50 Smarts: 50 Physicality: 55

OFP: 52.375

Artem Guryev - Peterborough Petes

6’3, 198lbs

2019-20 Stats (OTT): 14 games, 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, 4 PIM, +3

2019-20 Stats (OJHL): 20 games, 3 goals, 3 assists, 6 points, 66 PIM

Coming out of U16 with the Toronto Marlboros, Guryev was billed as one of the most physically intense players available, in addition to possessing some untapped offensive potential due to a big point shot and adequate puck skill. In 2019/20, he split the year between Peterbrough and Lindsay of the OJHL, although played a relatively limited role with the Petes. Like some of the other defenders on this list, it has made it tough to get a read on him.

With the Marlboros in his U16 (OHL Draft) year, and with Lindsay, Guryev showed an ability to be one of the most physically feared players in this age group. It is something that can get him in penalty trouble, as discipline can be an issue, however he hits hard, and he hits with authority. However, at the OHL level, he seemed hesitant to really throw some of those big hits that he is known for, fearing that he would mistime it or take himself out of the play, so he kept things simple, minding his gaps, using his stick, and rarely leaving the net front area in the defensive end. While this conservative approach did limit his mistakes as a defensive player, it also limited his impact on the game.

Guryev is actually a pretty mobile defender, especially for a guy his size. So, he has the ability to challenge opposing players more consistently, ranging out to the corners and roving more to apply both physical and stick pressure. Offensively, with Lindsay he showed more than he did with Peterborough. The big point shot showed well in the OJHL, with Guryev even showing the ability to use his feet to create shooting lanes for himself. However, at the OHL level, again, his conservative approach prevented him from seeking those shooting opportunities.

With the puck in the defensive end, he struggled with his breakout passes when he did attempt them, and seemed to get himself bottled up a lot. This comes from him not trusting his skating ability to create that space he is capable of earning. But I don't believe we have seen the best of Guryev, not even close. Defensively, he has the potential to be a real asset because of his physical approach, size, and mobility. Even if the offensive side of things never progresses, NHL teams are likely to take a chance on him hoping that he can at least be a serviceable third pairing defender who can keep things simple and be an intimidating presence.

Videos

- Guryev wears #24 for the Petes and #27 for Lindsay (OJHL)

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/artem_guryev-1_-_Big-Hit.mp4

Ironically, the largest hit we saw Guryev throw in the OHL last year was actually on the attack offensively. He just plows through Swiss Import Kyen Sopa and exits the zone. Again, this is a kid who is known as a punishing body checker, but we did not see that at the OHL level last year.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Artem-Guryev-2-GB.mp4

Two clips here, one bad and one good. First is the bad. I spoke of Guryev’s hesitancy to use his size and play a physical game at the OHL and we see that in the first clip. In the OJHL or in U16, Guryev is throwing a huge hit there in order to secure that dump in. But here, he is too passive and Peterborough ends up losing that 50/50 battle and Oshawa sets up in their zone. The second clip is a terrific defensive play by Guryev, defending the two on one perfectly. In open ice and when defending the slot area, I found Guryev to be very successful as a defensive player. When forced to venture out, he looked hesitant and did not find near the same amount of success.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Artem-Guryev-2-GB.mp4

Here we have a collection of Guryev turnovers from a year ago, both at the OHL and OJHL level. As mentioned, his exit pass will need work and he does seem to struggle when trying to make quick decisions to get the puck up ice.

Grades: Skating: 55 Shot: 50 Skills: 45 Smarts: 50 Physicality: 57.5

OFP: 52