Cooper Marody – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: EDMONTON OILERS – RANK: #11 – TIER III

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:03:14 +0000

Edmonton Oilers

#11 Edmonton - Much like their NHL club, the Oilers' system is very strong up top, and thins out far too quickly.

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 11: Look on Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (75) at warm-up before the Edmonton Oilers versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 11, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Philip Broberg

The expectations are high for Philip Broberg, the 8^th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, but his last season did not scream “NHL ready.” Broberg has struggled throughout the last year with Skelleftea AIK in the SHL. His ice time dropped significantly after a promising start and his statistics were not great either. Broberg has very good offensive skills and his skating is absolutely exceptional, especially for a guy of his size (6-3”, 203 lbs). Although there are positives in his game, he did not look great with Skelleftea at all. Broberg was prone to make mistakes, mainly in his own defensive end. He finished the year with 13 points (3+10) in 44 SHL games, but also captained the Swedish U20 team at the World Junior Championships.

He is exactly a player who would benefit from coming to North America. Philip Broberg is a big (although not very physical) guy who skates extremely well; someone whose game will look a lot better on the smaller ice. He still has a lot of potential and there are things to like about his game, but the Oilers should not rush him to the NHL, even though their defense wouldn't mind some help. All in all, Broberg has the ability to become a top four defenseman if he can harness his raw abilities, even though he is a really divisive prospect. - MD

Evan Bouchard

After starting last year playing in the Allsvenskan (Swedish second tier), Bouchard returned to the NHL where his playing time was incredibly inconsistent. As an NHL Rookie, Bouchard did remain with the Oilers for the entire year, but he spent long stretches as an NHL scratch, leaving many to ponder how that was best for his development. When he did play, Bouchard saw time anchoring the Oilers’ second powerplay unit and was given some chances to showcase his puck moving ability.

The two keys to Bouchard’s development have always been his ability to improve his mobility/quickness, in addition to his ability to take away space from attackers in the defensive end. His four-way quickness and overall skating ability has definitely improved from his time with the London Knights. However, he is still working hard to bring his defensive game up to par, in addition to gaining the confidence with the puck to unlock his offensive potential. While Edmonton did resign Tyson Barrie and bring in other other veteran defenders, Bouchard still figures to be a permanent fixture in the lineup this season and will be brought along slowly, allowing him to build confidence so that he can eventually develop into a top four defender for the Oilers in the next few years. - BO

Dylan Holloway

An NHL-style North-South power winger, Holloway showed significant improvement in his second (and final) season with Wisconsin, although he looked more like his older, out-of-control, flying-by-the-seat-of-his-pants presence during his run with Team Canada at the WJC. He has since turned pro, and we have a pretty good grasp on what his ceiling and floor each look like. At his worst, he is a very strong skater, plays to (hard) contact, and is a bear to defend against. You could throw that player on an NHL third line tomorrow, and he would be effective. Maybe a little penalty prone, although he kept that issue in check last season, but he will make your attack deeper and his high motor forechecking would help to tenderize the defense. Not a superstar, but a positive contributor.

At his best, he does all of the above, but keeps to the right side of the law, and leads more cycle attacks, driving possessions with multiple scoring chances per shift, and personally scoring at a clear top six rate. Still not a superstar, but a star. Capable of playing both center and left wing, Holloway could break camp with Edmonton if they want to develop him on the wing and grow into middle six minutes this year. If the Oilers prefer his future down the middle, a year on the farm would be advisable. Used correctly, Holloway could be instrumental in helping Edmonton get to the next level as a team. - RW

Xavier Bourgault

An extremely well-rounded offensive player, Bourgault finished second to his center (and Dallas Stars first round selection) Mavrik Bourque on Shawinigan in points per game with 1.38. However, his 20 goals in 29 games did lead the team and was one of the highest goals per game rates in the QMJHL. A versatile forward who can play both center and wing, Bourgault is both highly skilled and highly intelligent. A magician with the puck, he can create scoring chances for himself or for his linemates, with the ability to beat defenders one on one and routinely come away with the puck in 50/50 battles.

A slighter forward (at 172lbs), Bourgault could definitely be more effective in his own zone with some added strength and increased physicality. Additionally, by adding more muscle, Bourgault would be harder to knock off the puck in the offensive zone too. At times, he does not secure the puck as well as he should, opting to extend his stick too far, allowing defenders to angle him off the corner. Whether you believe he is a center long term or sticks on the wing as he has played in Shawinigan later in the year, Bourgault does profile as a top six forward because of his well-rounded skill set. Depending on how his game develops further, this could be as a prime-time facilitator or as more of a complementary, support piece. His versatility was an attractive characteristic to the Oilers who look to support their star forwardS McDavid and Draisaitl. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Raphael Lavoie

After four strong QMJHL seasons and a performance for Canada at the World Junior Championships, the big winger started his pro journey in 2020/21. What a year to start that. Due to the pandemic, Lavoie actually secured a loan in Sweden with Vasby of the Allsvenskan to start the year. He performed very well in the second-tier Swedish men’s league, leading Vasby in scoring by a significant margin and his 23 goals were tied for fifth in the entire league. Following the conclusion of the Swedish season, he joined Bakersfield of the AHL with mixed results.

The key for Lavoie has always been an ability to find a consistent motor. A strong skater for a bigger winger, he has always gone through bouts of inconsistency because he stops moving his feet and his physical intensity wavers. Armed with a big shot and strong puck protection skills, he is at his best when he drives the net consistently and can get himself near the crease. Lavoie will play the entire year in the AHL this season, in all likelihood, as he tries to establish himself as a consistent top six scoring threat. From there, he could secure a top six spot on the Oilers and has the chance to be a consistent 20 goal scorer for the team down the line. - BO

Ryan McLeod

After a difficult first pro season with Bakersfield two seasons ago, McLeod was the breakout star of the Oilers’ system this past year, in his sophomore pro campaign. McLeod averaged a point per game for the Condors, earning a late season NHL call up that also saw McLeod play in Edmonton’s first round series loss to Winnipeg. While his offensive responsibilities and production were limited, McLeod did play good minutes for the Oilers on the penalty kill, bringing energy and pace to the lineup.

Entering the pro ranks from the OHL, McLeod was deemed a project. He had the combination of size and quickness that you look for in an NHL center these days. His skill and playmaking ability were never questioned. However, the consistency of his engagement level left some to be desired, preventing him from being the kind of dominant OHL player that he could have been. This past season in Bakersfield, McLeod finally figured out how to tap into his vast skill set to be an impactful player at both ends and it has made him a serious candidate to be a permanent Edmonton Oiler as early as next season. He projects as a solid two-way, middle six forward who can play in all situations. - BO

Carter Savoie

A somewhat divisive prospect in his draft year in the AJHL, Savoie was an offensive powerhouse with Sherwood Park, leading the league in goals with 10 red lights separating him from the runner-up. No one argued about his ability to put the puck in the net, but there was no shortage of skeptics who had concerns about his dedication away from the puck, and his size/speed combo. He hasn’t really grown physically in the last year, and his skating is still not exactly a strong point in his game, but his aforementioned ability of putting the puck in the net is still there, as he scored a very impressive 13 times in 24 games for the Denver Pioneers as a freshman, leading the team by five.

He is not the perfect player, but his brand of hockey is more than effective enough to have been well worth the 4^th round pick used on him by Edmonton. The Oilers should be in no rush to get him away from campus, as the more well-rounded his game becomes, the more effective he will be once he does move forward with his career. He needs to improve his play at even strength (half of his points came on the power play as a freshman) and grow more comfortable using his linemates. If everything works out, he could turn out as a Michael Cammalleri type player. - RW

Tyler Benson

It’s been a strange road for the former 1^st overall bantam pick, who took his talents to Switzerland last season for a 15-game stint amid the pandemic, before returning to North America for a third season in the AHL, where he managed a point per game. Through all of that, however, he didn’t get a sniff of the NHL. Benson is already 23 but has fought a myriad of injuries over his career thus far, leaving many to wonder exactly how much untapped upside remains for the former highly touted prospect.

The biggest concern besides durability, is his skating. Benson has sluggish feet and doesn’t move as well as one would like, but he does possess fantastic vision along with some grit and is aware defensively, which could be his ticket to eventually becoming a bottom-six player in the NHL as a late-bloomer. He signed a one-year two-way extension with the Oilers organization this summer and will have his work cut out to crack the team, which added depth up front and may not have as many available roster spots in training camp. It is certainly a make-it-or-break-it year of sorts for the winger, who is relishing the opportunity to make the jump to the NHL and show he belongs. Time will tell. - AS

Ilya Konovalov

Last season started poorly for Konovalov even before it began. During the offseason the new Lokomotiv coach brought his favorite goalie with him (former NA pro Eddie Pasquale). This left Konovalov as a backup with a rather limited number of starts. He did not play poorly during the season, however he was also never really given an actual opportunity to start the way he did the two years prior.

Given the situation last year, it was not surprising to see that Konovalov had signed with the Oilers as soon as possible after the KHL season had ended. Given the step back last season, he needs to be getting as many starts as possible this season and the Oilers' system should be good in that way. In general, in the case of Konovalov we have an effective goalie in terms of technique, however given his lack of size, his rebound control and ability to fight through traffic need to be improved. As he is a smaller goalie, he may not have the potential to be a starting netminder in the NHL, even if his performance to date has been strong. This season should tell us more about his potential. - VF

Dmitri Samorukov

A former standout with the Guelph Storm of the OHL, Samorukov is coming off of an excellent season in the KHL with CSKA Moskva after being loaned there by the Oilers for 2020/21. His +24 rating was the best in the KHL by any U22 player...and by a large margin. His offensive production tapered off towards the end of the season and he suffered a minor shoulder injury that put an early end to his season, but it was still a great year for his development.

Samorukov has always stood out because of his well-rounded, two-way skill set. He skates well. He moves the puck well. He has good defensive instincts and can play a physical game. He has a cannon of a point shot. There is a lot to like and a lot that would suggest Samorukov can develop into a quality second pairing defender for the Oilers. The question has always been about whether his offensive talent can truly stand out at the NHL level, or whether he profiles as more of a stay-at-home blueliner. With Evan Bouchard likely with the Oilers full time this season, the door should be open for Samorukov to receive top pairing ice time in the AHL, including powerplay time. This should give the Oilers a better indication of how close he is to the NHL level and how high his ceiling is. - BO

Stuart Skinner

The competition in Bakersfield is about to get intense, with Konovalov entering the fold this year. However, Skinner performed well in the AHL last season and has given himself a leg up on the previously more highly regarded Olivier Rodrigue. The former third rounder looks like he could develop to at least become a quality back-up for the Oilers in the future.

Tyler Tullio

It will be great for Tullio to return to the OHL this season, where he should be a go-to point producer for the Oshawa Generals. The competitive and determined winger needs to show that he can be more than a supportive piece; that he can create his own chances with pace and improve his play with the puck.

Cooper Marody

The time is now for Marody to secure a roster spot on the Oilers as he is out of options and will need to pass through waivers to go to the AHL this season. After three strong AHL seasons, the talented pivot will compete for a bottom six spot.

Olivier Rodrigue

The transition from the CHL to the AHL can be a difficult one for goaltenders. Shooters are more precise. The action moves quicker. Overall, Rodrigue’s first season in Bakersfield did not go extremely well. However, the athletic former second rounder is still a potential NHL netminder. Patience is a virtue when it comes to developing goalies.

William Lagesson

The blueline in Edmonton is looking pretty crowded at this point, so the 25-year-old Swedish defender has his work cut out for him to earn a spot this year. However, the physical two-way defenseman does have the ability to be a third pairing type, whether that is with Edmonton remains to be seen.

Oh, Canada: Lucic Lives (CGY), Caufield’s Limbo (MTL), McLeod Gets The Call (EDM), Norrris Catching Fire (OTT), Foligno’s Welcome (TOR), Canucks Battle Through (VAN) and Wheelers Return (WPG)

Jeff Veillette — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 15:10:55 +0000

Welcome back to Oh, Canada – your favourite weekly column covering the NHL’s North Division. To our Ontario readers, please note that we are not responsible for anything that happens should you decide to read this column at a picnic table, tennis court, golf course, or skate park. With that out of the way, let’s dig in!

Calgary Flames – Lucic Lives

While he might not be playing up to his prime years in Boston, Milan Lucic deserves a fair bit of kudos for how this season has unfolded for him. Through 45 games, the soon to be 33-year-old vet has quietly put up one of his best seasons in quite some time.

His eight goals in that time span put him on pace for about 15 in a full 82 game season – which would be his best total since 2016/17. His 1.8 points per hour at 5v5 represent his highest rate since 2015/16, and ranks him fourth among Calgary forwards, ahead of even Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau. Evolving Hockey’s Goals Above Replacement model has him as their fourth most significant contributor up front overall as well, indicating that it’s more than just points where he’s contributing.

It’s a pleasant surprise for a player who, while still not exactly shrewdly paid, is no longer in the “worst contract in hockey” hunt. He’s a player that the Flames have looked to for leadership, particularly since the coaching change, and one who had a lot of respect shown to him when he played in his 1000^th game last week. To be able to shake off a low point in one’s career and find new purpose is commendable, and all signs point to that being the direction Lucic has gone.

Edmonton Oilers – McLeod Gets The Call

When Ken Holland said at the trade deadline that the Oilers didn’t make a splash because they hoped to look within the organization for support, sharper minds in Edmonton gave the “well, we’re waiting” shrug. After all, the Bakersfield Condors have had their share of success in their Pacific Division regional bubble, going 18-10-0-1 through 29 games with a +25-goal differential, and much of that success has come from their younger talent. Their top three point-getters are all 24 or younger, and all above the point-per-game mark.

While Cooper Marody and Tyler Benson will have to wait for their opportunities, Ryan McLeod got the call up to the big club on Monday. McLeod is the youngest of the three, a 21-year-old who was drafted by Edmonton with a 2^nd round pick in 2018. The brother of Michael in New Jersey, Ryan had a similar OHL journey which was mostly spent in his hometown of Mississauga, with a late stop in Saginaw in 2019. Since then, he’s shown steady progress in the pros, producing at half a point per game in his rookie AHL season before picking up 11 points in 15 games in Switzerland to start this season, followed by 14 goals and as many assists in 28 games with the Condors this year.

For a scouting report on him, a great place to look would be our own 2020/21 Yearbook, which provides this from Tom Dorsa: “A plus skater, McLeod likes to drive through defenders or use his long reach to pass around them in tight spaces, though he lacks urgency on offense. Smart and anticipatory on defense, he intercepts passes, makes easy changes on defensive assignments, and directs traffic up top in the defensive zone like a seasoned pro.”

BROSSARD, QC - JUNE 26: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Cole Caufield (36) during the Montreal Canadiens Development Camp on June 26, 2019, at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Montreal Canadiens – Caufield’s Limbo

Habs fans are beyond excited for Cole Caufield, and if we’re being honest, it’s hard to blame them. The 20-year-old just came off an unbelievable season with the University of Wisconsin Badgers, where he scored 30 goals and 52 points in just 31 games and won the Hobey Baker Award as the nation’s best player. The Canadiens hoped to ease him up the ranks by starting him with the Laval Rocket, but after picking up four points in his first two games, including three goals, the calls for an NHL look became too loud to ignore. Last Friday, the Canadiens caved and called him up to the NHL. Sort of.

You see, Caufield is in a weird spot right now, joining the team’s taxi squad but still waiting for a full-on assignment to the main roster. The move allows him to work with the NHL staff, and get used to his soon-to-be teammates in practice, but doesn’t make him an option for games. This is due to Montreal’s proximity to the cap ceiling, and their proximity to the post deadline four-player recall limit. The team has already used three of their four call ups, and the only route to fitting Caufield under the cap would involve sending a player to the taxi squad, meaning that whoever he replaces can no longer be called up.

The Habs would have to be certain that Caufield was their guy for the rest of the regular season, and that they were content with losing whoever he replaces for that stretch. While their playoff spot remains likely, and Caufield looks like he could have an instant NHL impact, it’s a staunch risk for a team tied up at the edges. Caufield’s best hope for the time being comes in the form of an injury, which would create an opportunity for an emergency recall. In the meantime, he can continue working with the NHL staff or be sent back to Laval for more ice time – there are two opportunities for that against Belleville this weekend.

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 16: Ottawa Senators Center Josh Norris (9) skates during the second period of the NHL game between the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 16, 2021 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire)

Ottawa Senators – Norris Catching Fire

When the Senators made the infamous “six assets” trade with the San Jose Sharks to move Erik Karlsson in 2018, there was a fair bit of doubt that it would work out for them – a bet on quantity over quality, if you will. In some respects, that’s proven true – Rudolfs Balcers made his way back to San Jose, Chris Tierney has been useful but not game-breaking, and similar could be said to an extent for Dylan DeMelo, who was flipped for a third-round pick after a year and a half of time spent in the nation’s capital. But two parts of this deal have gone very right for the Sens.

The first is obvious – the Sharks have seen their window shut with force, and that led to Ottawa’s ability to draft Tim Stutzle last year. The other is a bit more of a surprise, though, and that’s Josh Norris. Drafted by the Sharks with the 19^th overall pick in 2017, Norris’ college numbers at the time were fine but not dominant. Since going pro, though, there’s been a lot more reason for optimism there. Norris had already surprised with a 61 point in 56 game season in the AHL this year, but it seems that his scoring touch has quickly translated to the big leagues as well.

Through 47 games, Norris has picked up 13 goals and 30 points, ranking him third among rookies in both categories. He’s done this while keeping in line with the rest of the team in terms of shot attempt differential and a pretty pedestrian 7.5% on-ice shooting percentage. Sens fans will also point out that these totals have been helped by a spectacular boom over the past month and change – since March 15^th, Norris has put up 8 goals and 15 points in 16 games. Needless to say, there might be some found money in this player after all.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Foligno’s Welcome

After the Maple Leafs made several big splashes at the Trade Deadline, fans in Toronto were full of excitement for what was next to come. In particular, hopes were high for Columbus forward acquisition Nick Foligno, who had to first undergo a seven-day quarantine before joining the team.

What no one expected was that Foligno’s entrance would look like Troy Barnes from Community, holding pizza as the room burns. The Leafs headed into his Blue and White debut having lost five consecutive games, including a pair to the sixth-place Canucks. Much of that came as a result of puck luck, with Toronto controlling play but not getting the goals or saves they needed, but it didn’t make the environment any less tense.

To Foligno’s credit, he made the best of it and helped turned the tide. He opened Thursday by donning one of his Dad’s old Leafs Starter hats, and he finished it with a contribution to a 5-3 slump busting victory for his new team. Foligno ended the night with a shot on goal, three hits, 16:12 of ice time, and a good first impression to make on your new teammates – opting to pass to Mitch Marner with an empty net opportunity, making his first point with the team an assist instead of a goal. What his final impact with the team remains to be seen, it’s a start that most will be happy with.

Vancouver Canucks – Battling Through

The Vancouver Canucks are in one of the most unenviable positions that I’ve ever seen a pro sports team undergo. Nearly a month after the bulk of their NHL roster was infected with COVID-19, the team returned to the ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Against all odds, figurative and literal, the team opened their return with back-to-back wins against the top team in the division.

Now, did they look like a team in control of those games? No, not really. Toronto had the obvious edges in everything from shot attempts, to scoring chances, to expected goals, to the eye test of “wow, these guys have the puck all the time”, which makes sense given both the typical roster disparity between the two teams and the health circumstances. But Braden Holtby had his best two games as a Canuck – arguably his two best of his career – and Toronto’s goaltenders weren’t as equal to the task. That’s not to say it was all luck, though. Vancouver’s players still had to believe they were in those games to get within striking distance, several of their regulars had to play huge minutes to make up for the influx of reserves, and Bo Horvat had about as determined of a first game as you’ll ever see, culminating in the OT winner.

The mix of momentum and fortune did hit a wall on Thursday, as the Canucks fell 3-0 to the Ottawa Senators in a game that they were never really in. There’s also still the question of why J.T. Miller had to essentially call out the league in a media availability to get the team’s initial return date pushed back, and there’s also the huge question of how well everyone’s bodies will hold off once the first few days of energy slip away. But for a pair of nights, the Canucks earned a lot of deserved respect from the hockey world in what has been an otherwise nightmarish season.

Winnipeg Jets – Wheeler returns

Three weeks ago, we touched on Jets captain Blake Wheeler and his potential need to take a break from the Winnipeg lineup, despite barely missing any games in the past decade or so with the organization. Wheeler had left his previous game early with an unknown injury, and it was up in the air whether he’d draw in for the Jets’ April 2^nd game against the Maple Leafs.

He did do just that, playing 15:05 against Toronto, and even played in the following game against the Senators. But late in the second period of that second game, Wheeler was hit by Senators forward Brady Tkachuk, leading to a concussion. That was enough to finally shut down Wheeler for the six games that followed. Winnipeg fared well without their leader, all things considered, closing that game with a win and going 4-2 with him out of the lineup.

The Jets would lose their Thursday night matchup against the Maple Leafs, but they did get wheeler back. The 34-year-old logged 19:43 of ice time and picked up the primary assist on Kyle Connor’s second period goal, which put the Jets within striking distance of a comeback, but ultimately was not enough. While no one hopes for a head injury of any kind, one can hope for Wheeler’s sake that the recovery time helped him catch up on some of his other ailments that have been bugging him throughout the season.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Edmonton Oilers Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 20:42:19 +0000

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

Philip Broberg, D (8^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Broberg is a lanky defenseman with an impressive skillset. He has elite speed both with and without the puck. He defends his blueline well and is tough to beat when he uses his reach. Despite lacking in point production in the SHL, his possession metrics shone, and Skelleftea was a better team when he was on the ice. He is effective at getting the puck up the ice and is hard to catch. He will need to develop his offensive game to be more effective. He needs to control the pace more and to be more composed with the puck at slower paces. He is at his best at zone exits and entries. He needs to use his strengths when the game has slowed down as well as he does on the rush. He could explode with some adjustments to his game. He was the sixth defender on the team last season and will likely get a bigger role in 2020-21. He still is one to three years from competing for an NHL spot, but Edmonton should not rush Broberg. If he can get the time to figure out his game and mature physically, he has top pair potential. - JH

Evan Bouchard, D (10^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

As a rookie pro, Bouchard led AHL Bakersfield with 29 assists on a team that struggled to generate offense. He can generate offense on any given shift, using his slick hands and refined hockey IQ to facilitate the puck and create high-danger chances out of nowhere. He skates decently despite a bulky frame, a much-improved trait once thought of as a weakness, and his shot is speedy, capable of creating rebounds, and is one used with frequency. As polished as he is offensively, he can handle challenging defensive minutes with his physical and intelligent play in his own zone; never shying away from a chance to pin someone against the boards and using his long reach to disrupt play from below the goal line. It would be nice to see someone as skilled as him playing with more pace and energy, and that might come when he reaches the faster-paced levels of the NHL, which could come next season; if it was not for the impressive young blueliners already holding down the fort in Edmonton such as Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones, Bouchard would already be a NHL anchor. - TD

Raphael Lavoie, RW/C (38^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

A talented forward with size, Lavoie proved it last season with a solid first half contribution with Halifax, and then a strong showing with a contending Chicoutimi team before last season was cancelled. He is tall and needs to fill out, but his game will only improve with more weight. He is more of a finesse forward than a power forward, but he can protect the puck very well and loves to play in traffic. Lavoie has an excellent shot and creates plenty of opportunity to use it. His stickhandling worked well at the junior level, but will need refinement, as does his skating. Adding more bulk will give him more balance, but physicality is not in his nature. The potential is there for him to become a power forward in the future, but it would involve a Blake Wheeler-like transition in his game. He could benefit from playing with more snarl and passion. It would open more space for him when his hands or legs cannot. Beyond that, Lavoie is a strong option for a scoring winger with size at the top level and is ready for his professional career to begin. – MS

Dylan Holloway, LW (14^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Holloway proved himself to be a strong NCAA regular as a true freshman, even if expectations were too high. The delta between Holloway’s best case and worst-case outcomes is pretty slim. He will be a solid NHL’er, or a good one. He does a lot of things well. He is a strong skater who moves like a freight train when he gets going, with a thick, strong frame that he likes to throw around. He likes to lay into opponents near the boards and invites opponents to try the same on him. He can also slow things down once possession is established in the offensive zone and find room to make himself an passing option. For the most part, he plays aggressively. His size and strength also work in his favor when it comes to maintaining possession of the puck. Holloway keeps his feet moving at all times. He is a good stickhandler, but when he plays with the puck at top speed, he has a tendency to make poor decisions. He needs to improve his shot release, as he often double- or triple-clutches before releasing the shot. – RW

Olivier Rodrigue, G (62^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Rodrigue is a patient goalie who plays the refined style of many of the Quebec goaltenders before him. His temperament is evident not only in his own play but how calmly teams play in front of him; he commands respect at the junior level and his record speaks for itself. His quickness was among the best in junior hockey last season. Chief among concerns for Rodrigue are the fact that he has always played on a contending team as a junior. This sounds like a strength, and it is, but it is much easier to be unflappable and confident on a great team than a bad one. As well, he is slight-of-build, weighing in last season at only 165 pounds. While playing at a smaller weight never bothered a goalie like Ryan Miller, it comes with concerns in terms of handling the wear and tear of a long season, and Rodrigue has sustained injuries during playoff runs in his junior career. His ceiling is as a strong NHL starter. – MS

Carter Savoie, LW (100^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Savoie led the AJHL in goals last year with 53 in 54 games and possesses a high upside as a top six forward because of his skill and awareness. He impresses as a goal scorer with versatility to the ways he puts the puck in the net. He creates his own scoring chances by driving down the wing and using his lateral quickness and edgework to navigate traffic, creating shooting lanes. His shot is powerful and can beat goaltenders clean, even without a screen. Savoie is also a tenacious player who will drive the net and look for tip ins or rebounds near the crease. When he is challenged physically, he responds with a blend of hard hitting forechecks, after the whistle scrums, and a general chippiness. He is also a gifted puck handler. He is also an intelligent player without the puck. However, he is inconsistent, and has a tendency to disappear for stretches. Considering his lack of size, there is also concern that his skating is not explosive enough. Patience will be required as he moves on to the NCAA, but his potential is very high. – BO

Tyler Benson, LW (32^nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Despite an overall fall in his numbers last season, Benson was the same intelligent playmaking winger/center hybrid as he long has been, and furthermore, he seems to have his injury issues behind him. His package of deft hands, smart decision-making, and crisp, accurate passing allow him to set up linemates from anywhere on the ice, and he is particularly adept at drawing defenders away from linemates to free them up for a dangerous feed. While the former Vancouver Giants star does not possess the blazing foot speed of some of his teammates and counterparts, it has not hampered his ability to change the flow of his game. What helps Benson’s chances of becoming a long-term option in the NHL ranks is that versatility and well-roundedness, and though he won’t ever put the puck in the net at a high rate, he can play a multitude of roles and create chances for teammates in high-danger areas almost at will. Expect him to be a middle-six option in the Oilers lineup in the near future and for years to come. – TD

Ryan McLeod, C (40^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

A second-round pick in the 2018 draft, McLeod fell down draft boards into the laps of Oilers management and looks to provide them some hidden value down the line. A lanky 6-3” center with a high-end defensive game and an offensive ceiling still to be determined, the OHL alum fared well in his rookie pro season as a 20-year-old playing in a variety of challenging roles. He split time between center and wing, exhibited high-grade defensive tools, and showed off some passing touch on the power play, playing up and down the lineup with a revolving door of linemates. A plus skater, McLeod likes to drive through defenders or use his long reach to pass around them in tight spaces, though he lacks urgency on offense. Smart and anticipatory on defense, he intercepts passes, makes easy changes on defensive assignments, and directs traffic up top in the defensive zone like a seasoned pro. He will have to develop into a more dangerous offensive option to be a surefire NHL weapon, but after just one pro year, he looks like -- worst case scenario -- a shutdown defensive center. – TD

Ilya Konovalov, G (85^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

As opposed to the 2018-19 season, the 19-20 campaign was slightly disappointing for Konovalov. The Oilers draftee played a significant number of games for Lokomotiv – 40 in the regular season and five in the playoffs – but failed to make the same impression that he did last year. On the international stage, he was solid with the Russian B squad, but that was in a limited amount of games and not against the strongest opposition. In the playoffs, he had also looked better last year. Sophomore slump? Maybe, but next year he will have a veteran, import goalie to compete with for the starter position (Ed Pasquale) and it is yet to be seen whether he will be able to return to his old self. With that being said, Konovalov is still an interesting prospect, with excellent agility, fast movements, and a strong competitive drive. He needs to work on his consistency and overall technique to take a further step forward. Next year will be crucial to check if the Oilers had a good idea in spending a relatively high pick on him in 2019. – ASR

Tyler Tullio, RW (126^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Without great size, quickness, or dynamic puck skills, Tullio is an effective player in the offensive zone because of his awareness and intelligence level. While he is not often responsible for zone entries, he is extremely effective as a forechecker and in puck retrieval. Despite his size, he is terrific working the wall, using quick hands and feet to be elusive. His vision is terrific, anticipating breakdowns in coverage and routinely feeding his linemates around the slot for scoring chances. Tullio is also a great finisher, possessing a lightning quick release and the instincts to find openings and space near the crease. There is some concern about his ability to play with pace, especially when you consider his lack of size. His time will eventually come to showcase his offensive potential when he is dominating touches and leading his line. Tullio projects as a complementary skilled player who brings versatility, but who could actually have more game breaking ability than he has yet had a chance to show with any regularity. – BO

Dmitri Samorukov, D (84^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

According to expectations around the hockey world, Samorukov had an underwhelming first pro year. The big Russian was projected to be a two-way force and capable of controlling the pace of games, as he was in his final OHL season leading Guelph to a league title, but instead struggled to play with the assertiveness that makes him such an intriguing pupil. While raw and (reasonably) inconsistent, Samorukov’s package screams NHL potential. After signing a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, he’ll spend the 2020-21 season playing in a top-tier pro league and hopefully work out his flaws overseas. At 6-3” and fairly strong, Samorukov wrestles pucks away at entry and can end plays before they happen against the boards and below the goal line. He is a very strong skater relative to his size, capable of carrying the puck out of the zone solo. He remains highly regarded in the organization and could shoot right back into the NHL conversation if his KHL stint goes well, but he must play with confidence to succeed. - TD

Cooper Marody, RW (158^th overall, 2015 [Philadelphia]. Previous ranking: 7)

Marody is perhaps the most polarizing prospect in the Oilers organization. Full of skill and offensive creativity, the University of Michigan product is a dangerous cycle player with a muscular build and instinctual passing. However, he is a step slow and probably fits more in the NHL as a winger, a position made deeper and faster by new Oilers general manager Ken Holland, who acquired Tyler Ennis and Andreas Anthanasiou before the pause of the NHL season. A tough 2019-20 season slowed Marody’s development; he got sick in November and lost 10 pounds and was barely back into the thick of things before an upper-body injury ended his campaign in January. What the 23-year-old does well, he does exceptionally, notably his possession play and physical toughness in all three zones. While he is not a fast skater, he can hold his own and likes to carry the puck in transition with his quick and deceptive hands in spite of his lack of speed. He might be on his way to an NHL job if his health complies next season, and he is best suited as a winger on one of Edmonton’s two scoring lines if he can earn that job. - TD

Aapeli Rasanen, C (153^rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 8)

The Finnish forward was drafted in the sixth round in 2016. He had previously played in Finland before jumping across the ocean to play in the USHL, where he went to further his career after being drafted. He had already represented Finland in international competition at the WU18s by that point. After one season with the Sioux City Musketeers, he joined Boston College. Rasanen recently finished his third season with the Eagles and signed with KalPa in Liiga. Rasanen led BC in face-offs with a 56.3% success rate. He also represented Finland in the World Junior championship twice during his collegiate career, recording the best face-off percentage in both tournaments. At 22 years of age, Rasanen plays a mature game. He is a solid forward who just recorded a career high in points. He has incredibly soft hands, especially while passing. While he can set teammates up, he can also score. Rasanen projects to be a top-nine forward once he returns to North America. - JS

Kirill Maksimov, RW (146^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 11)

After a 40-goal season in the OHL and graduating to the pros, Maksimov brought with him some expectations as a potential future triggerman in the top-six of the Oilers forward depth chart. While the 21-year-old still has time to find his touch in that aspect, his rookie pro season (five goals in 53 games) doesn’t put him on the right track. However, the bruising, 6-3” Russian winger has a head start over his exclusively-offensive contemporaries: his penalty kill work and defensive game are impressive and deserving of recognition. He was used in a lot of defensive-zone draw and late-lead situations as someone who can hold shooters out of dangerous areas and change the pace of the opposition’s attack with stick checks and wonderful positioning. His speed is a concern, as is his inability to create shots for himself to let off his lethal wrister as he can make mistakes on offense, but his NHL future, unlike others in the system, is not solely predicated on offensive production. - TD

William Lagesson, D (91^st overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 12)

In the same boat as Bouchard, Lagesson would already be a solid contributor to an NHL defensive core if not for other young defensemen in the pipeline who can bring something similar to the table. That isn’t a knock on the Swede, more so a credit to how well the Oilers have fielded a young defensive lineup of late. Lagesson is an NHL-ready 24-year-old who has played the same scrappy, solid defensive hockey everywhere he has gone, and has proven he can do just that in the NHL after an eight-game trial in 2019-20. The best compliment you can give to a stay-at-home defenseman is that they are hard to notice, and he deserves that honor. He is smooth in his one-on-one defense, with tight gaps, an active stick, and the size to disrupt a forward’s stride. He is physical and competitive but not prone to taking excessive penalties, which boosts his value as a one-way guy. His ceiling is depth defensive role player, and he is more than ready to take it on. - TD

Philip Kemp, D (208^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

Kemp jumped from two years at prep school to two seasons with the USNTDP, representing the U.S. in international play during that time. From the program, he entered Yale and totaled only eight points in both his first and second seasons, in the latter of which he was invited to the World Junior Championship. Kemp isn’t an offensive defenseman, but he can still occasionally contribute offensively. His selling point as a defender his is skating, which allows him to backcheck well - pivotal for any defender who wants to play pro hockey. He has a big frame at 6-3” and a long reach that he uses well. He also uses his speed to jump up in the rush. A seventh-round draft pick, he is performing above his draft value, but there is room for Kent - who just finished his junior season and will captain Yale - to improve. - JS

Markus Niemelainen, D (63^rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 14)

Niemelainen had a good season with Assat in Finland's top league. He logged the second-most ice-time on the team and improved his overall game. He started to play more physically and his play with the puck also got better. A reliable and assertive defenseman with long reach, he primarily takes care of his own end. He is mobile with good acceleration and can reach a good top speed. The biggest knock against him continues to be a lack of offense. His play with the puck is no longer as cautious as it used to be, but he has never been a big point producer and that is unlikely to change. That said, the recent improvement in his game is a reason for some optimism. Niemelainen has a chance to carve out a career in the NHL as a depth defenseman. However, when he goes across the pond, he will very likely need a significant amount of development time first in the AHL. - MB

Maxim Denezhkin, C (193^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

The small-framed center had a strong season in the MHL with Loko Yaroslavl, but once again he had limited time in pro hockey, playing only one contest in the KHL and two in the VHL. It is clear that he has a rich arsenal of moves and creativity to generate attacks, but he needs to bulk up. Moreover, small players need to be flashy to be effective, and while he isn’t a slow skater, his agility and his style still leave some question marks on his game – especially so at the pro level. With that being said, Denezhkin is a hard-working, competitive forward who gives good effort at both ends of the ice and can be useful in any situation, even in penalty killing. He has good hockey sense and a strong passing game; therefore, he can still develop into a good player with the right coaching and some seasoning at home. With this type of player, patience is a must. – ASR

Maxim Berezkin, LW (138^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A goal scoring power winger with great size (6-4” and over 200lbs) who has been utilized in all situations in the MHL. He owns a good shot and is a half wall threat on the powerplay. A late-2001 born, Berezkin is a project and his skating needs plenty of work before he can be deemed ready to play in the faster paced rinks of North America. His feet are currently heavy, and it prevents him from consistently playing with pace. If he is to make up for his lack of pace, it will have to come from what he can do once the puck is already settled in the offensive zone. His strong shot has already been mentioned, but his ability to control and maneuver the puck is just as impressive. He also reads situations maturely and can be relied upon to make the correct decisions. Even if he maximizes those other traits, his below average skating will likely limit him to a bottom-line role, where his coaches will hope that he can put his giant frame to good use. – Brock Otten

Patrik Siikanen, LW (195^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 16)

A bit of a sleeper to end this list, Siikanen has steadily risen up the ranks in Finland, playing a regular role in Liiga before his 20^th birthday, despite never playing in a major tournament for Finland. Of only he could produce, though, as he has only two assists through his first 33 Liiga games. In all honesty, he was never a big scorer in the Finnish junior ranks either, but he still has some elements to recommend him for a possible NHL future. Despite his lack of numbers, he has a pretty good shot and should be expected to start finding the net as he gains experience and the confidence that should tag along. Second, he has good size – not like Berezkin, but lanky and strong. He uses his size well and knows how to make himself tough to line up against. As should be pretty obvious from this write-up, Siikanen does not project as any more than a fourth line grinder who can bring energy. - RW

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – EDMONTON OILERS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 21

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 14:17:46 +0000

Edmonton Oilers

The 2018-19 Bakersfield Condors were a dominant outfit at the minor league level. They were the top team in both the Pacific Division and the Western Conference as a whole. Shane Starrett was a rock between the pipes. The defensive core, starring Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, and Logan Day, was unbeatable. The offensive attack was led by talented stalwarts including Tyler Benson, Cooper Marody, Joe Gambardella, Josh Currie, and Patrick Russell.

This year’s Condors have been bad. They entered the COVID-19 suspension of play with a points percentage of .446, sixth out of seven in the division. Only three teams in the 31-team league have surrendered more goals, and each of those teams has played at least five more games than Bakersfield has.

Minor pro teams at all levels can see their overall quality fluctuate wildly from season to season as the parent club’s needs change. Players develop and graduate, and veteran players leave for greater opportunities. As we will see with the Oiler’s top minor league affiliate, it was all of the above as well as plain old regression and injury that led to the change in fortunes.

Let’s start with the blueline. Outside of winger Kailer Yamamoto, who played roughly one third of the 2018-19 season in the AHL, the only two NHL graduations from the farm to the Show were defenders Ethan Bear, who spent the entire season in the NHL, and Caleb Jones, who was recalled to Edmonton in November and spent all but six days of the rest of the schedule in the NHL. Logan Day was an interesting scouting find as a free agent out of an NCAA DIII who scored an entry level deal after a strong first professional season on an AHL contract, but he backslid at both ends of the ice. The new look D, including top ten pick Evan Bouchard, could not keep the puck out of danger.

That impacted the play of the netminders. Starrett saw his save percentage drop from a very good .918 to an execrable .874 in only 14 games as he dealt with a long-term groin injury that kept him on the shelf for nearly two months. Stuart Skinner assumed the mantle as starter and didn’t fare much better, with a .892 save percentage. A big goalie, he had been a highly touted junior, but his lack of athleticism didn’t help at all.

And what of the forwards, who contributed to a division trailing 162 goals scored? Of the players listed above, Patrick Russell spent the year in Edmonton, not that many noticed his five assists (no goals). I did not list him as a graduate above, as the 27-year old had already aged out of prospectdom. The other veteran of that bunch, Josh Currie, was fine, practically replicating his 2018-19 performance in a losing cause. He might have earned NHL time were the Oilers not finally ascendant. There other three were not so hot. Tyler Benson was perhaps passable, dropping from just shy of point-per-game status to a hair over .75 points-per-game, while shoehorning his first NHL recall. Cooper Marody was injured during the 2019 AHL Playoffs and was never at full strength this year, playing only 30 games and unable to find the handle, scoring only five times. I am prepared to extend him a mulligan, but he is already 23 and next season might be his last real chance to catch on at the highest level. Joe Gambardella, on the other hand, is already 26. He was highly touted as a collegiate free agent, but it looks like his window has closed after his scoring rate fell nearly in half, from 48 points in 50 games down to 28 points in the same playing time.

Perhaps better health, improvement from some of the first-year players this year, and new talent like incoming prospects Olivier Rodrigue in net and Markus Niemelainen on the blueline can swing Bakersfield’s fortunes back on the upswing.

200819 Skellefteå's Philip Broberg during the training match in ice hockey between Skellefteå and Modo on 19 August 2020 in Skellefteå.
Photo: Ola Westerberg / BILDBYRÅN

Philip Broberg, D (8^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

A high-end prospect with a strong long-term projection. Philip Broberg is a lanky defenseman with an impressive toolbox of skills. He has elite speed which he can use both with and without the puck. He defends his blueline well and is tough to beat when he uses his reach.

Broberg still has not excelled at point production but as an 18-year-old rookie in the SHL he played the part of a sixth defenseman well. He had strong underlying numbers and had the highest CF% and FF% among Skelleftea defenseman. Skelleftea were a better team with him on the ice than without him. He is effective at getting the puck up the ice and is hard to catch. Broberg isn’t just unlucky in production though, he will need to develop his offensive game to be more effective. He needs to be able to be control the pace more and to be more composed with the puck in lower pace situations.

His WJC performance was also a bit underwhelming due to inconsistent play. He is at his best at the zone exits and entries. When the game is standing still in either zone, he needs to learn how to use his strengths as well as he does on the rush. He is the type of prospect that could explode with some adjustments to his game. He was the sixth defender on the team this season and will likely get a bigger role next season.

He still is a year or two or maybe even three from competing for an NHL spot but Broberg is a player you would not want to rush. If he can get the time to figure out his game and get physically stronger, he can step right into the NHL and be effective right away. He has top pair potential. - JH

Evan Bouchard, D (10^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

With 2019-20 being the much-anticipated rookie pro season of the reigning Max Kaminsky Trophy winner (top defenseman in the OHL), Bouchard certainly lived up to expectations. One of the top puck-moving defensive prospects on the planet, the 10th overall pick in the 2018 draft led the AHL Bakersfield Condors with 29 assists in just his age-19 season on a team that struggled to generate offense and finished with the fewest goals scored in the AHL Pacific Division (162).

He can and will generate offense on any given shift, using his magical hands and brilliant, mature hockey IQ to facilitate the puck and create high-danger chances out of nowhere. He skates decently for someone with a bulky 6-3” body, a much improved trait once thought of as a weakness, and his shot is speedy, capable of creating rebounds, and one used with frequency and confidence as he was top-ten among AHL defenders in shots on goal last season.

As polished as he is offensively, he can handle challenging defensive minutes with his physical and intelligent play in his own zone; never shying away from a chance to pin someone against the boards and use his long reach to disrupt play from below the goal line. It would be nice to see someone as skilled as him playing with more pace and energy, and that might come when he reaches the faster-paced levels of the NHL, which could come next season; if it was not for the impressive young blueliners already holding down the fort in Edmonton such as Ethan Bear and Caleb Jones, Bouchard would already be a NHL anchor. - TD

EDMONTON, AB - SEPTEMBER 14: Raphael Lavoie of the Edmonton Oilers (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Raphael Lavoie, RW/C (38^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Lavoie may have dropped to the Oilers’ laps in the second round in 2019, but he is still a talented forward with size. He proved it last season with a solid contribution in the first half with a lame-duck, Memorial Cup-hangover Halifax squad, and then a strong showing with a contending Chicoutimi team before the season was cancelled.

Lavoie is tall and needs to fill out, but his game will only improve with more weight. He is more of a finesse forward than a power forward, but he can protect the puck very well and loves to play in traffic. He has an excellent shot and creates plenty of opportunity to use it, as his 106 career Q goals suggest. His stickhandling works well at the Q level, but will need refinement, as does his skating. Adding more bulk will give him more balance and help him in the long run, but he is not a physical player.

The potential is there for him to become a power forward in the future, but it would involve a Blake Wheeler-like transition in his game. Much like Wheeler when he was drafted, he could benefit from playing with more snarl and passion. It would open more space for him when his hands or legs cannot at the higher levels. Beyond that, Lavoie is a strong option for a scoring winger with size at the top level and will debut with Bakersfield next season. He projects as a good up-and-down the roster scoring winger at the NHL level. - MS

Olivier Rodrigue, G (62^nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

Rodrigue was poised to cap off a very successful QMJHL career with a deep playoff run in Moncton before the season was terminated. He had gotten the attention of Team Canada and was their third goaltender for the World Juniors this past holiday season, and a strong campaign with his new Wildcats teammates was underway. Showing his value to the Oilers, Rodrigue was invited to the Edmonton playoff camp to get more experience and one-on-one time with goalie coach Dustin Schwartz.

He is a patient goalie who plays the refined style of many of the Quebec goaltenders before him. His temperament is evident not only in his own play but how calmly teams play in front of him; he is a goaltender that commands respect at the Q level and his record speaks for itself. His quickness is among the best in junior hockey, and his acceptance of his role as a third goalie with Team Canada is to be commended. He has seen reps at other international tournaments previous to this season, as well.

Chief among concerns for Rodrigue are the fact that he has always played on a contending team in junior hockey. This sounds like a strength, and it is, but it is much easier to be unflappable and confident on a great team than a bad one. As well, he is slight-of-build, weighing in this season at 165 pounds. While playing at a smaller weight never bothered a goalie like Ryan Miller, it comes with concerns in terms of handling the wear and tear of a long season, and Rodrigue has sustained injuries during playoff runs in his junior career. He is also in a dogfight with several other netminders in the organization for playing time. His ceiling is a strong NHL starter. - MS

EDMONTON, AB - SEPTEMBER 6: Tyler Benson of the Edmonton Oilers (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Tyler Benson, LW (32^nd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 4)

In his sophomore professional season, Benson fell victim to a team-wide regression as a member of the Condors, which finished sixth out of seven Pacific Division teams after winning the division title just a year prior. His scoring total dropped by 30 points from the 2018-19 season (albeit in 21 fewer games) and he struggled on defense to the tune of a -10 plus/minus rating.

However individually speaking, Benson was the same intelligent playmaking winger/center hybrid as he long has been, and he seems to have his injury issues behind him. Though he was fairly ineffective in his seven-game NHL trial run, that kind of depth facilitating forward would be a godsend for an Oilers team that struggles to generate much offense without its superstars on the ice. Benson’s package of deft hands, decision-making, and crisp, accurate passing allow him to set up linemates from anywhere on the ice, and he is particularly adept at drawing defenders away from linemates to free them up for a dangerous feed.

While the former Vancouver Giants star does not possess the blazing foot speed of some of his teammates and counterparts, it has not hampered his ability to change the flow of his game. What helps Benson’s chances of becoming a long-term option in the NHL ranks is that versatility and well-roundedness, and though he won’t ever put the puck in the net at a high rate, he can play a multitude of roles and set his teammates up for high-danger shots at will. Expect him to be a middle-six option in the Oilers lineup for years to come. - TD

Cooper Marody, RW (158^th overall, 2015 [Philadelphia]. 2019 Rank: 8)

A tough 2019-20 season slowed Marody’s development; he got sick in November and lost 10 pounds and was barely back into the thick of things before an upper-body injury ended his campaign in January. What the 23-year-old does well, he does exceptionally, notably his possession play and physical toughness in all three zones. While he is not a fast skater, he can hold his own and likes to carry the puck in transition with his quick and deceptive hands in spite of his lack of speed. He might be on his way to an NHL job if his health complies next season, and he is best suited as a winger on one of Edmonton’s two scoring lines if he can earn that job. - TD

Ryan McLeod, C (40^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 7)

A plus skater, McLeod likes to drive through defenders or use his long reach to pass around them in tight spaces, though he lacks urgency on offense. Smart and anticipatory on defense, he intercepts passes, makes easy changes on defensive assignments, and directs traffic up top in the defensive zone like a seasoned pro. He will have to develop into a more dangerous offensive option to be a surefire NHL weapon, but after just one pro year, he looks like -- worst case scenario -- a shutdown defensive center. - TD

Aapeli Rasanen, C (153^rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Rasanen recently finished his third season with the Eagles and signed with KalPa in Liiga. Rasanen led BC in face-offs with a 56.3% success rate. He also represented Finland in the World Junior championship twice during his collegiate career, recording the best face-off percentage in both tournaments. At 22 years of age, Rasanen plays a mature game. He is a solid forward who just recorded a career high in points. He has incredibly soft hands, especially while passing. While he can set teammates up, he can also score. Rasanen projects to be a top-nine forward once he returns to North America. - JS

Ilya Konovalov, G (85^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 15)

Sophomore slump? Maybe, but next year he will have a veteran, import goalie to compete with for the starter position (Ed Pasquale) and it is yet to be seen whether he will be able to return to his old self. With that being said, Konovalov is still an interesting prospect, with excellent agility, fast movements, and a strong competitive drive. He needs to work on his consistency and overall technique to take a further step forward. Next year will be crucial to check if the Oilers had a good idea in spending a relatively high pick on him in 2019. - ASR

Dmitri Samorukov, D (84^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 5)

While raw and (reasonably) inconsistent, Samorukov’s package screams NHL potential. After signing a one-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, he’ll spend the 2020-21 season playing in a top-tier pro league and hopefully work out his flaws overseas. At 6-3” and fairly strong, Samorukov wrestles pucks away at entry and can end plays before they happen against the boards and below the goal line.

He is a very strong skater relative to his size, capable of carrying the puck out of the zone solo. He remains highly regarded in the organization and could shoot right back into the NHL conversation if his KHL stint goes well, but he must play with confidence to succeed. - TD

Kirill Maksimov, RW (146^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 11)

However, the bruising, 6-3” Russian winger has a head start over his exclusively-offensive contemporaries: his penalty kill work and defensive game are impressive and deserving of recognition. He was used in a lot of defensive-zone draw and late-lead situations as someone who can hold shooters out of dangerous areas and change the pace of the opposition’s attack with stick checks and wonderful positioning.

His speed is a concern, as is his inability to create shots for himself to let off his lethal wrister as he can make mistakes on offense, but his NHL future, unlike others in the system, is not solely predicated on offensive production. - TD

William Lagesson, D (91^st overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 20)

Lagesson is an NHL-ready 24-year-old who has played the same scrappy, solid defensive hockey everywhere he has gone, and has proven he can do just that in the NHL after an eight-game trial in 2019-20. The best compliment you can give to a stay-at-home defenseman is that they are hard to notice, and he deserves that honor. He is smooth in his one-on-one defense, with tight gaps, an active stick, and the size to disrupt a forward’s stride.

He is physical and competitive but not prone to taking excessive penalties, which boosts his value as a one-way guy. His ceiling is depth defensive role player, and he is more than ready to take it on. - TD

Philip Kemp, D (208^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 14)

His selling point as a defender his is skating, which allows him to backcheck well - pivotal for any defender who wants to play pro hockey. He has a big frame at 6-3” and a long reach that he uses well. He also uses his speed to jump up in the rush. A seventh-round draft pick, he is performing above his draft value, but there is room for Kent - who just finished his junior season and will captain Yale - to improve. - JS

Markus Niemelainen, D (63^rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

The biggest knock against him continues to be a lack of offense. His play with the puck is no longer as cautious as it used to be, but he has never been a big point producer and that is unlikely to change. That said, the recent improvement in his game is a reason for some optimism. Niemelainen has a chance to carve out a career in the NHL as a depth defenseman. However, when he goes across the pond, he will very likely need a significant amount of development time first in the AHL. - MB

Maxim Denezhkin, C (193^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Moreover, small players need to be flashy to be effective, and while he isn’t a slow skater, his agility and his style still leave some question marks on his game – especially so at the pro level. With that being said, Denezhkin is a hard-working, competitive forward who gives good effort at both ends of the ice and can be useful in any situation, even in penalty killing. He has good hockey sense and a strong passing game; therefore he can still develop into a good player with the right coaching and some seasoning at home. With this type of player, patience is a must. - ASR

Edmonton Oilers 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:22:34 +0000

With no shortage of first overall picks on the Edmonton roster, supplemented by a number of other one-time top ten selections, the hockey world was, in turns, amused and dismayed by the fact that the Oilers have been unable to rise above league also-rans. Even with the rarely disputed best player in the game, Connor McDavid on the team, and producing like a perennial Hart Trophy candidate, the Oilers have only reached the postseason once since 2006-07.

Embarrassing recent history aside, there is reason to believe that Edmonton is turning the page. The era of legacy management hires (Kevin Lowe, Craig MacTavish, etc) is over. Peter Chiarelli’s ill-fated run has also come to an end. Taking over is former long-time Detroit big boss Kenny Holland. Joining him are several other high ranking former Red Wings’ executives.

Change at the top, for a franchise so rooted in mediocrity as Edmonton (ironic, considering the city is still referred to in some circles as the City of Champions, harkening back to the days of Gretzky and company) is both necessary and welcomed. But does Holland have the horses necessary to back McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins and the few other high end players back to the postseason?

Maybe. At the time of this writing (near the end of July, 2019) the Oilers look to be icing a very young roster, one of the youngest in the league. In fact, of the five players with contracts over the age of 30, two are the team’s presumptive netminders, Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith. With so much youth on the roster, there comes uncertainty. Players have smaller track records from which to extrapolate accurate projections. Players are still pushing the envelopes on their potential. Yes, that even extends to McDavid and Draisaitl.

It is often said that a team should have youth up front and experience at the back, but the Oilers have more gray at forward than on defense. The only blueliner over the age of 26 is Kris Russell. There are five forwards older than that cutoff. A look at the players listed below suggests that the blueline will continue to get younger before it gains the experience behind the aforementioned cliché. Both of the top two prospects in the system, as well as three in the top five and four of the top ten are defensemen.

Considering how the root of much of the struggles in Edmonton over the last few years has been porous team defense, there is no question that turnover should be considered. But we should keep in mind that not only will not all of the team’s top defensive prospects pan out, they will need to supplement that youth with some experience on their rise up the standings.

-Ryan Wagman

Edmonton Oilers Defenceman Evan Bouchard (75) (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)

1 Philip Broberg, D (8^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) In our opinion a solid choice inthe top ten of the draft, even if his statistical record left some fans wanting. Broberg’s skating alone and how he uses it is a lethal weapon to have on any team. His other assets include above average but not elite hockey IQ. Combined with his reach and speed he will be a strong top four or maybe even a top pairing defenseman. When he played in Allsvenskan, he showed strong flashes but didn’t get the trust to play a role where he could play out his full game, which is not uncommon for a 17-year-old defenseman in the Swedish pro ranks. He truly shined on the international stage and is a player that can take charge of a game and shift the momentum on one shift. He has some defensive flaws that he needs to correct and should continue work on his power play game. Next season, he will play with Skelleftea in the SHL and will have good opportunity to step up his development to be ready for the NHL within one or two seasons. - JH

2 Evan Bouchard, D (10^thoverall, 2018. Last Year: 1) The reigning Max Kaminsky trophy winner as the OHL’s top defender, Bouchard is one of the top puck moving blueline prospects on the planet. His vision is his best asset, as it is rare to see him turn the puck over. This, in combination with a booming point shot, make him an elite powerplay quarterback. His skating, once thought to be a weakness, has improved over his OHL career to the point that it should not be an issue at the NHL level. Where there is more concern is his defensive play and intensity level in traffic. In order to live up to his lofty potential as a top 3 defender for the Oilers, he will need to work harder in his own end and be more difficult to play against. With Edmonton’s blueline issues, the expectation is that Bouchard is thrust into a full time NHL role this year, whether he is truly ready or not. -BO

3 Raphael Lavoie, RW/C (38^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Lavoie’s drop in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft was one of the most surprising events of that occasion, but it allowed the Oilers to snag a top prospect in the second round. Lavoie is a tantalizing combination of size and skill, with a great shot, great north-south skating and a 6-4” frame. Despite that size, he is more of a finesse player than a power forward, and he has never shown the penchant to want to bang bodies. His 32 points in the playoffs this past season with the Halifax Mooseheads were huge for a team that ended up needing the help. Lavoie carried the Mooseheads at times in the playoffs, but was invisible for some games in the regular season. His consistency is an issue, like many prospects, but he is trending towards a strong second-line scoring option for the Oilers. - MS

4 Tyler Benson, LW (32^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 4) Appearing to finally be fully healthy, Benson enjoyed a magisterial rookie pro season with AHL Bakersfield in 2018-19. A speedy and creative forward, the former second-rounder’s natural playmaking ability — driven by top-notch vision, decision-making, and very crisp and accurate passes — can carry play from both the left wing and from the center position. After putting some debilitating hip injuries past him, he has seemingly gained an extra half step in his acceleration, making him a dangerous skating option. His shot is severely underused, and not much a weapon to begin with. He has potential to eventually become a top-six facilitating winger at the NHL level, something the Oilers need. - TD

5 Dmitri Samorukov, D (84^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9) Without question, Samorukov has seen his stock rise more than any other OHL prospect this past season. His meteoric rise up the system is thanks to his strong play at the World Junior Championships, and for Guelph in the second half, leading them to an OHL Championship. In the second half of the OHL season, he was, quite arguably, the best defender in the league. Samorukov is a solid two-way defender who can impact the game at both ends of the ice. Offensively, he pushes the pace with his strong skating ability and puck skill, while defensively his physicality and intensity level make him a difficult player to match up against. He profiles as a top four defender with his new found confidence. It remains to be seen how quick Samorukov can climb through the Oilers’ system, but he is held in high regard by management and should be in the NHL sooner rather than later if he performs well at the AHL level. - BO

6 Kailer Yamamoto, LW/C (22^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 2) A highly creative, smooth-skating winger, the former first-rounder creates plays out of thin air and is intense on the puck at all times. The quick-handed forward possesses strong hockey sense and the ability to drive play and carry a line from his position with his speed and vision. Though undersized, he packs a punch with plus upper-body strength and the tenacity to play low in the zone. He does not contribute much defensively, which makes him relatively useless if he is not putting up high-end offensive numbers. The organization hopes Yamamoto will soon line up with Connor McDavid on the Oilers’ top line, and while his development has been delayed by inconsistencies and injuries, his ceiling remains that of a first line staple. - TD

7 Ryan McLeod, D (40^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 3) Splitting the year between Mississauga and Saginaw, McLeod was able to get another playoff run under his belt, making the Conference Finals for the second time in his OHL career. He is a playmaking center with size and strong skating ability that allows him to dictate the pace of play in the offensive end. He excels on the man advantage with the way he controls the puck below the hash marks. McLeod’s two-way game made nice strides over his OHL career, but he is likely the type that will need to be a top 6 forward or fail to take that next step. His game lacks urgency at times and his intensity level and drive to play through traffic lacks consistency. There is likely to be a learning curve for McLeod at the pro level, even if his skating ability looks impressive at first glance. With patience, he could develop into a playmaking second line center, although one wonders where he will fit in with Edmonton’s depth down the middle. - BO

8 Cooper Marody, RW (158^th overall, 2015 [Philadelphia]. Last Year: 5) Like Benson, Marody made his presence known in his first full professional season, posting high-grade numbers with AHL Bakersfield (58-19-45-64) in 2018-19. The stocky, high-energy centerman has long possessed talent to achieve high point totals, but again, like Benson, had not had the health that complied with his NHL potential. He is a very smart player who reads the ice quickly and intelligently, likes to slow down the pace, and never hesitates to shoot from the slot. His stocky, muscular build makes him dangerous down low in the offensive zone, especially as a cycle player who generates shots for his linemates. The University of Michigan product is not very creative and does not have high-end speed or technical skating skill, but has depth scoring potential based off his shooting skill and vision. - TD

9 Olivier Rodrigue, G (62^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) The best goalie prospect in the QMJHL right now, Rodrigue is on Hockey Canada’s radar for international duty as one of the best goaltenders of his age group. Rodrigue deserves the honors; his quickness side-to-side and ability to seal the bottom of the net are top notch, and he is a main reason why the Drummondville Voltigeurs were contenders the last two seasons. What hurts Rodrigue is literal: injuries slowed his growth this season and he barely played in the playoffs. However, his 35-9-1 record this season is nothing to knock. Rodrigue was traded at the QMJHL draft, and will ply his trade with the Moncton Wildcats this season, who are also preparing for a title-contending season. As one of the best goalies in Canadian junior hockey, Rodrigue has NHL starter potential. - MS

10 Ethan Bear, D (124^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 7) An undersized, offensively-oriented d-man with speed to burn, Bear is looking like a solid hit by Oilers scouting on a fifth-round pick back in 2015. With short, powerful strides that generate a lot of speed, and with a low center of gravity that allows him to stay balanced when cutting or getting shoved from his sides. An electric shot from the blue line was a staple of the Condors’ power play units, as well as his vision and playmaking from the top of the zone. Furthermore, he looked as solid in his own zone as any Bakersfield rearguard. Bear played the best hockey of his pro career last season (52-6-25-31), improving upon an already impressive package of offensive skills that will allow him to have a long career as a depth defenseman with power play time. - TD

11 Kirill Maksimov, RW (146^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 13) Oilers’ management and fans alike have been searching for a triggerman for Connor McDavid. The John LeClair to his Eric Lindros. That’s where Maksimov comes in and why he has become an intriguing prospect for the organization. Armed with one of the best shot releases in the OHL, Maksimov is a true goal scorer. He also plays a high intensity game that sees him assert himself physically. That said, he is far from a polished product. Maksimov struggles with his decision making with the puck and can be turnover prone. He also had difficulty staying out of the box in the second half, something that infuriated Niagara Ice Dogs fans. A PCL injury suffered in the playoffs may hinder his ability to perform to his best at training camp. However, Edmonton may have to wait for him to adjust to the speed of the pro game and to work on keeping things simple. At his best, he could be first or second line goal scorer. - BO

12 Joel Persson, D (Undrafted free agent, signed May 18, 2018. Last Year: 12) Joel Persson is a good story. He played at lower levels until he was 23 years old without getting picked up by a club in either of Sweden's top two leagues. He finally had an opportunity in 2017 to play with SHL top club Vaxjo and took it with both hands. He quarterbacked a power play with rising star Elias Pettersson and excelled. He stayed in Vaxjo for an extra year and repeated his success without the Calder winner. Persson is an offensive defenseman with excellent stick work, poise and hockey sense. He is at his best on the power play and needs an offensive role to succeed. His NHL trajectory is probably going through the AHL. As a 25-year-old he will need to show good numbers in the AHL from the get go. As a right-handed puck-moving defenseman there could probably be an opening on the Oilers within the next season or so. - JH

13 Matej Blumel, RW (100^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Whenever a player is passed over at his first draft, for good reason, there is a black mark next to his name. When he cranks up the offense as an older player, skepticism is warranted. So why should we believe in Matej Blumel, who made his North American debut with a meagre 18 points in full season with Waterloo of the USHL and then exploded in his second year of draft eligibility with a 60 point season? First off, there were signs that his age 17 year exploits were simply a matter of a player getting used to a new brand of hockey in a new league in a new country as he was one of the Czech Republic’s better players at the WU18 that year. As for his scoring last year, he backs it up with serious foot speed, tantalizing puck skills, and evident hockey IQ. Heading to the NCAA’s European embassy in Connecticut next season, Blumel could fit as a bottom six forward if his offense regresses. - RW

14 Philip Kemp, D (208^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Kemp is a sturdy 6-3”, 200-pound defenseman. A forgotten NTDP player, he is a slick skater and a precise passer. The blueliner will play another year at Yale and continue to marinate. Now that Ken Holland is the GM for the Oilers, they won’t dare rush him. He can improve on the eight points he had last season, as he has more puck moving skill to develop. The hope is Kemp can me more than a simple puck transporter. He has to show that to earn a contract from Edmonton. He can be physical and has the frame and strength to do so, winning puck battles as a result, helping him earn a role at the NHL level. He has worn a letter in the past and probably will again for Yale this season. - RC

15 Ilya Konovalov, G (85^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The young Russian had a tremendous season at home, winning the KHL Rookie of the Year award and making his debut for the Russian senior national team. Konovalov flew a bit under the radar, as he didn’t enjoy much exposure in spite of always posting good numbers in the Russian junior leagues. This season, however, was a turning point in his career, as he became the undisputed starting goalie for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, backstopping the team to the second round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs. Konovalov isn’t gifted with a huge frame, but he is very good at tracking the puck and challenging the forwards, relying on his athleticism and great reflexes to stop the puck after a scoring chance. He can improve his rebound control, but agility, lateral movement, and competitiveness are all at a very high level. After such a strong season in the KHL, he may be ready to cross the pond, but is under contract in Yaroslavl for two more years. -ASR

16 Shane Starrett, G (Undrafted free agent, signed Apr. 10, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) In a system as deep in goaltending prospects as ever, Starrett can still stand out, thanks to imposing size, mature mental composure, and a unique, deep-in-the-crease style for goalies of his size. After spending most of the 2017-18 season in the ECHL, the 25-year-old effectively stole the AHL starting job and had great success in the process (27-12-2, .912). A technically refined netminder, he shuts down holes along the posts well, tracks developing plays with laser focus, and can even go out and handle the puck to limit forechecking effectiveness. Though his size can bail him out at times, his tool selection can be sloppy and he would benefit from using his glove more. He has NHL size and discipline, and could be a big-league backup in the near future. - TD

17 Caleb Jones, D (117^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 14) A weighty, strong defenseman with some untapped speed in his game, Jones really found what works for him with AHL Bakersfield last year. The versatile blueliner with quick hands played high minutes and took on tough opponents, displaying a physical edge as well as a great stretch pass to get out of the zone. Most importantly, his mental discipline and overall patience improved from last season, though his speed still lags behind. Jones’ 2018-19 campaign was significantly better than his disastrous efforts a year prior, and he displayed his potential as a depth puck-moving defenseman, even earning an NHL cameo in that role near the end of the season. - TD

18 Cameron Hebig, LW (Undrafted free agent, signed Dec. 28, 2017. Last Year: 18) Signed as a free agent at the end of the 2017 calendar year, Hebig has been steadily rising among the Oilers’ prospect ranks. As a depth center with Bakersfield last year, the former WHL star put up solid stats (64-11-18-29) with five power play goals on the Condors’ second man-advantage group. The undersized center plays a solid 200-foot game, exhibits mature offensive anticipation, has lightning-fast hands, and possesses a pro-level wrist shot, albeit a criminally underused one. Hebig is not the best or fastest skater, but could be an intense and scrappy depth playmaker at the NHL level with an improvement in his acceleration and stop/start speed. - RW

19 Ostap Safin, RW (115^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 17) Injuries ground Safin to a halt this season; he hurt his hip with the Czech Republic U20 team in the summer and never fully recovered. He missed all of training camp, was traded to Halifax, suffered a setback and missed much of the season. In the playoffs, Safin was a shadow of his former self, recording two points in 23 games, and was scoreless in four Memorial Cup games. His injuries this season set his development back a year, and it makes him an unknown going forward. At his best, the 6-5” winger blazes down the right side and wires a strong shot. He is smart and can create with a pass or a shot, and uses his frame to create space. If he is fully recovered, Safin could be a middle-six winger who can provide much needed secondary scoring and responsible defensive play, and will be ready sooner rather than later. - MS

20 William Lagesson, D (91^st overall, 2014. Last Year: Not ranked) The biggest compliment you can give a depth defenseman is that they are hard to notice, and Lagesson deserves that honor. A very methodical blueliner with a beautiful simplicity to his game, he is a reliable one-on-one defender with solid gaps, an active stick, and the size to effect an opposing forward’s stride. The 2014 fourth-round selection moves the puck well and put up very respectable offensive numbers last season in the process (67-8-19-27). The best thing about him is how he does not have any noticeable flaws. Even his skating, which is a weak point, is masked by a gameplay style that does not require elite speed. He could contend for the bottom-pairing depth spot his ceiling suggests as soon as this upcoming season. - TD

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Preview – Western Conference

Tom Dorsa — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 14:07:47 +0000

The Calder Cup Playoffs are upon us again, and in the Western Conference, we are seeing a lot of changes from the picture painted last season. The defending conference champions, the Texas Stars, failed to make the playoffs to defend their 2018 West title as one of five teams that competed in last season's Western Conference bracket that couldn't repeat as postseason teams.

Those teams are the Stars, Manitoba Moose, Rockford IceHogs, Tucson Roadrunners, and Ontario Reign. But with old teams and players out, new teams and players come in, setting up to shine under the bright lights of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Iowa Wild, Milwaukee Admirals, San Diego Gulls, and Colorado Eagles (in their first season as an AHL team) are seeking to wreak havoc on the American Hockey League after missing out on a chance last season.

And in the case of Iowa and Colorado, this is their first postseason appearance in the history of the franchise's current setup. Fans in Des Moines and Loveland will get to see enthralling playoff hockey for the first time in the AHL.

Let's take a look at the first-round matchups in the Western Conference, as well as what to expect from the two teams in action. The playoffs begin on Wednesday, April 17.

Central Division:

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 22: Milwaukee Admirals forward Eeli Tolvanen (11) on the ice during the first period of the American Hockey League game between the Milwaukee Admirals and Cleveland Monsters on February 22, 2019, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Chicago Wolves (44-22-6-4) vs 4. Grand Rapids Griffins (38-27-7-4)

The Wolves have the identity of a prototypical postseason club: they are a physical and experienced unit with good goaltending and even better coaching. It helps when they also have speed, skill, and depth, with four players (Daniel Carr, T.J. Tynan, Brooks Macek, and Tomas Hyka) on the active roster registering more than 0.9 points per game.

They led the Western Conference in goals for (250) and were second in fewest goals against (199). Head coach Rocky Thompson has done a marvelous job for the Vegas Golden Knights' affiliate since taking the job in the summer of 2017, after leading the Windsor Spitfires to the Memorial Cup title.

While the Wolves have some size on their blueline with Nic Hague (4th-ranked Vegas prospect), Jake Bischoff (5th) and Griffin Reinhart (16th), they lost the bulk of their offensive contribution from their rearguards when Erik Brannstrom departed for the Senators organization in the Mark Stone trade.

Grand Rapids comes in with their own set of issues, the most notable of which is their freezing cold home stretch during which the Griffins lost their last nine games of the regular season (eight in regulation). There was no real reason for this besides a plain late-season struggle, as most of their two-way players are still with the club, and there is no lack of talent.

Regardless, the Griffins have proven twice during their seven-year stretch of playoff appearances that there is a potential championship run within them. The 2013 and 2017 Calder Cup champions have the experience and depth to make a run regardless of the poor final stretch.

The Griffins will have to limit penalties due to their division-worst 78.5% penalty kill percentage, while also playing well at five-on-five, on account of their power-play being mostly ineffective during the regular season (14.2%).

Prospects to Watch:

CHI: C Cody Glass (1st): Glass has perhaps the highest hockey IQ of any 2017 NHL Draft picks, and scored twice (with a game-high six shots on goal) in his professional debut on Friday, April 5.

CHI: G Oskar Dansk (14th): The netminder had a superb regular season (26-9-4, 2.47, .911) and looks to be the goalie of choice for Thompson and crew heading into the 2019 postseason.

GRG: RW, Filip Zadina (1st): The sixth-overall pick in last June's draft made an ambitious jump to the AHL this season, and at 18, performed well (59-16-19-35). His speed and shooting will be a big part of any possible turnaround for the Griffins this postseason.

GRG: D Joe Hicketts (11th): He isn't as noticeable as other prospects on the Grand Rapids blueline, but Hicketts had a solid 2018-19 campaign (64-3-24-27). The undersized defenseman packs a punch for the Griffins and is very patient with the puck.

Prediction: Wolves in four games.

Milwaukee Admirals (36-24-14-2) vs 3. Iowa Wild (37-26-8-5)

After missing the postseason last year, the Admirals are back with a vengeance and are looking for their first Calder Cup since 2004. The Nashville Predators' primary affiliate has done most of their winning this season on the back of youthful and speedy prospects, which is often times a key to success in the playoffs.

Four of their top-five regular season scorers were on a team's top 20 prospects list in our preseason farm system rankings (Adam Helewka, Anthony Richard, Alexandre Carrier, Eeli Tolvanen). The Admirals are spearheaded by youth and electric forechecking assertiveness, which can be a lethal combination in the playoff hockey atmosphere.

It helps when you come into the first round on a red hot winning streak. In a tight Central Division postseason race, Milwaukee went 11-0-2-1 to end their season, fighting from seventh in the Central to second-place and home-ice advantage in round one.

The Wild, on the other hand, have been carried by some savvy and experienced veterans like Cal O'Reilly, Gerald Mayhew, and Kyle Rau, as well as a dynamic goaltending duo of All-Star Kaapo Kahkonen and AHL Player of the Week Andrew Hammond. But they won't have to lean on goaltending and experience all postseason long.

Head coach Tim Army has emphasized speed and hard work in the neutral zone all year long, and systemically, the Wild seem ready for the test. In addition, the Minnesota Wild re-assigned forwards Ryan Donato, Jordan Greenway, and Luke Kunin down to Iowa after the NHL season ended in St. Paul. The trio will assist in generating that speed and scoring from the top lines, pushing nominal top six forwards into middle six roles and thus providing great depth to the offensive attack.

The most intriguing matchup to watch in this first-round series is special teams, specifically the Iowa power-play versus the Milwaukee penalty kill. The Wild posted the second-best power play percentage in the league (23.8%) in the regular season, but will line up against an Admirals' penalty kill unit that erased a Western Conference-high 85% of penalties. Army and fellow first-year head coach Karl Taylor will have their hands full of each other's high-end special teams groups in this one.

Prospects to Watch:

MIL: RW Eeli Tolvanen (1st): Though the Finn didn't have the year expected from the Nashville top prospect, Tolvanen was great down the stretch. His timely scoring and playmaking will no doubt be a factor in the playoffs.

MIL: D Alexandre Carrier (8th): His offensive output has always been there, but in his third full AHL year, the 5-11" playmaker evolved as a complete d-man. His gaps and stick-quickness have taken major strides, and in a top-four role, will be essential to any long playoff run in Milwaukee.

IA: G Kaapo Kahkonen (7th): Kahkonen has had himself a splendid first season in the North American pros, and depending on his role in the playoffs (keep Hammond in mind), he could be playing for a spot with the NHL club next season.

IA: LW Jordan Greenway (3rd): Coming off a full season with Minnesota, Greenway's presence post re-assignment has already been felt (5-3-3-6) down the stretch. A massive and skilled forward, the 22-year-old plays a playoff style of hockey.

Prediction: Admirals in five games.

Pacific Division:

Bakersfield Condors (42-21-3-2) vs 4. Colorado Eagles (36-27-4-1)

The Condors made history midway through the 2018-19 season when they stormed through a 17-game winning streak, the second-longest undefeated run in the history of the AHL. They were lifted to the summit of the Pacific Division after being outside of a postseason spot before the streak, which speaks to their depth and attitude.

First-year Condors Tyler Benson (4th) and Cooper Marody (5th) have carried the club for the better part of the season, and the two leading Bakersfield scorers are extremely dangerous on the power play, where 43 of their combined 130 points have come, helping the Condors' man-advantage operate at a division-best 20.5% clip.

The Condors will have to lean on the aforementioned duo, as what they have in top-end skill, they lack in scoring depth. Bakersfield's next-leading point scorer after Benson (66) and Marody (64) is Joe Gambardella, who is 16 points shy of the top two. Along with Josh Currie, these four are the only ones on the roster with more than 40 points this season.

The Eagles, on the other hand, needed final-weekend drama and help to clinch a postseason spot. They won their final regular season game over San Jose and saw division rival Tucson lose an hour later to grab the fourth spot in the Pacific by one point.

Late-season grinds like that can inspire a team, though, and Colorado has a solid mix of veterans and young guns to generate momentum with in its first year as an AHL franchise. AHL ringers like forward Andrew Agozzino and defenseman David Warsofsky have been leaders at their respective positions and have alleviated the pressure on the Martin Kaut and Nicolas Meloche types for high-stakes moments like this: the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

They have an elite penalty kill (84.1%), accrued after a lot of practice, as they also accumulated a Western Conference-high 1,114 penalty minutes in the regular season. The club will have to remain disciplined to have a shot in the first round, as they can ill afford to line the Condors up with power play opportunities.

Prospects to Watch:

BAK: D Caleb Jones (14th): After a frustrating rookie season in 2017-18, Jones has established himself as a top-pair fixture with much-improved two-way reliability, and still has his offensive chops ready to go.

BAK: LW Tyler Benson (4th): Plagued by injuries for much of his young career, Benson has finally stayed healthy for an extended period of time and is showing everyone just how good he is this season.

COL: RW Martin Kaut (4th): Another 19-year-old in the AHL, Kaut is highly intelligent and is due to start scoring goals after an unsustainably unlucky 9.7 shooting percentage during the season. He has been solid in all three zones this season, but the Eagles might need him to take another step up.

COL: LW A.J. Greer (18th): The former second-round draft selection had the best year of his pro career after inconsistencies before 2018-19, and his combination of physicality and smarts are a sight to behold.

Prediction: Condors in four games.

San Jose Barracuda (39-22-3-4) vs 3. San Diego Gulls (36-27-4-1)

The Barracuda have a set of advantages and disadvantages coming into their matchup with their rivals down Interstate-5 in California. One pro is their higher place in seeding, which grants home-ice rights, but a major disadvantage is their NHL parent club, the San Jose Sharks, being tied up in a playoff race.

At any time, some of the Barracuda's most important contributors can be recalled and leave the AHL team flat, such as occurred with Monday's promotion of Dylan Gambrell, the Sharks' third-ranked prospect and the 'Cuda's fourth-leading scorer. However, this club is still very skilled, especially from the blue line going forward. Nick DeSimone is one of the finest offensive defensemen in the league, and Kyle Wood is a rock in his own zone.

Unheralded forward prospects like Alexander True and Francis Perron have jumped into the spotlight this season and can provide plus value as the team's top two scorers in the regular season.

After missing the playoffs on the last night of the 2017-18 season, the Gulls cleared the playoff bubble and secured a return appearance to the postseason this spring. The club has been led by several once-valued prospects that were given up on by their previous franchises (Sam Carrick, Chase De Leo, Justin Kloos), as well as emerging home-grown prospects like Sam Steel and Troy Terry.

Either way, this team is pretty young and just as exciting. Though Terry is done for the season (non-displaced leg fracture), Steel and other top prospects like Kalle Kossila and Max Jones will have to carry the water of a rather juvenile club.

The Gulls scored the second-most goals in the division (239), are solid on special teams (20.3 PP%, 80.9 PK%), and have solid veteran goaltending with Kevin Boyle and Jeff Glass in net. This is a team without a clear, deadly weakness. They also have the same amount of wins at home as they do away from San Diego (18) which will pay off when the series shifts to Northern California.

Prospects to Watch:

SJ: LW Francis Perron (not ranked): Packaged as part of the Erik Karlsson trade, the forward has been another reason as to why the Sharks won the September transaction. On the Barracuda top line, the 22-year-old has been better than ever in the regular season.

SJ: C/LW Jayden Halbgewachs (12th): The leading scorer in the WHL last season had a major test jumping into the pros, and it all pertained to whether he will be able to score at will in the AHL, as he did in junior. While he didn't have the best regular season on offense, a big playoff run in the San Jose top-six can help his case.

SD: C Sam Steel (1st): Though Steel has not had an ideal season after making the big-league club out of training camp, he still posted solid numbers as a 21-year-old in the AHL (53-20-21-41). He can impact the game with or without the puck with his great rink sense and beautiful shot.

SD: D Josh Mahura (6th): Mahura has made monumental leaps to his defensive game after being mostly an offensive specialist in the WHL, and should pencil into the bottom-four of the San Diego postseason lineup.

Prediction: Gulls in four games.

How the Rest of the West Playoffs Will Unfold:

Western Conference Semifinals: Milwaukee Admirals over Chicago Wolves, 4-2.

Bakersfield Condors over San Diego Gulls, 4-1.

Western Conference Finals: Bakersfield Condors over Milwaukee Admirals, 4-3

AHL Pacific Report: Disparity rules, Benson and Marody explode in winning streak, trade deadline additions Dahlen, Kloos, and Petterson make impact

Tom Dorsa — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:43:02 +0000

The Pacific Division is the hardest division in the American Hockey League to come to conclusions upon. Out of the league's four sub-classes, the Pacific Division consists of the fewest teams, with seven, rather than the customary eight, they play the fewest games (68), and have different travel guidelines and restrictions that limit the array of teams to schedule games against.

In addition, the division features perhaps the largest disparity between the talent level of the clubs. You have a team like Bakersfield that will casually reel off a 17-game winning streak, and teams like Ontario, who have already effectively been eliminated from postseason contention with more than a dozen games left on the calendar. 26 points separate the Condors and the Reign in the standings.

However, the prospects involved still have the same job to do, and in a sense, their efforts are amplified because of the frequency of common opponents and the aspect of there being fewer games from which to impress your organization. With that, let's take a look at the Pacific Division's brightest young guns from February.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

VANCOUVER, BC - SEPTEMBER 18: Edmonton Oilers center Cooper Marody (65) skates up ice during their NHL preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on September 18, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Edmonton won 4-2. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

The Condors are a killing machine, a club that has won 19 out of their last 21 games and are being led by a couple of top Edmonton Oilers prospects. Tyler Benson (4th in Oilers' preseason prospect rankings) and Cooper Marody (5th) are the team's two leading scorers and have been absolute dynamite over a historically hot streak.

Benson's (9-37-46) first pro season has been an exhibition on what he can do when his health cooperates, as the play-making left wing's creativity, hockey IQ, and discipline have all been on full display. The 20-year-old drives play and carries his own line with his intellect and vision and looks like a surefire middle-six NHL assist machine, even if he severely lacks a finishing touch to his team-leading shot totals (141, 6.3%).

Marody (13-30-43), since coming over from the Philadelphia Flyers last year, has had an equally impressive rookie pro season. The stocky, muscular centerman has displayed his wicked wrist shot -- while improving his hands down low in the zone and his specialty moves in one-on-one situations -- in the process of earning a short, albeit scoreless, recall to Edmonton.

The two have similar ceilings, as versatile middle-sixers. However, if I were an Oilers fan, I would be a little worried about the front office's supposed plan to let their top prospects become "overripe" in the AHL, which might stunt the development of these two forwards. They look like NHL-ready players already, especially in Marody's case, because he is already 22 years old.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

As a first-year pro who needed to prove himself capable of scoring in the pros -- something he did at will in the WHL -- Jayden Halbgewachs has to be pretty satisfied with himself this season. Despite a pretty concrete third-line role with less power play time than he probably should be getting, Halbgewachs (12th) has shown flashes of offensive brilliance at times in 2018-19.

With 26 points (10-16-26), the former Moose Jaw Warriors star has proved to be a worthy free agent signing for the Sharks organization, who inked the undrafted Halbgewachs to a contract in December of 2017. He exhibits quick hands whether passing or stickhandling, and is a very fast decision-maker, which translates well to the NHL. Though he is undersized and is not the fastest skater, his agility and technical skating skill plays up his otherwise average skating.

San Jose got a very intriguing prospect at the trade deadline in 21-year-old Swede Jonathan Dahlen, who entered his third farm system in as many years in the deal that sent him from Vancouver to the Sharks organization. Dahlen (5th in Canucks' preseason prospect rankings) has been a solid addition to the Barracuda top-six, totaling four assists in four games since the trade.

Dahlen possesses silky-smooth hands and a top-tier hockey IQ, while his improved skating speed has made him a dangerous offensive player. He could stand to shoot more, especially on the rush, but coaches love pass-first wingers who can carry their own line like this. Also, of interest, Dahlen told hockeynews.se that his offensive game was being stifled while playing for the Utica Comets, the Canucks' AHL affiliate. A change of scenery will likely suit the left-hander well going forward.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

The Gulls received some help via trade for the last fourth of the AHL schedule, in the form of former Iowa Wild forward Justin Kloos, an undrafted 25-year-old with some quiet NHL potential. What the future holds for Kloos remains to be seen, but for short-term assistance in the AHL, the Ducks got a steal.

Kloos (16th in Minnesota's preseason prospect rankings) is a hard-working middle-six checking forward with the touch and offensive senses of a depth scorer. His shot is a legitimate weapon in the attacking zone, and something he is very willing to let loose, but he also possesses solid vision and stick skills. His presence has already made a difference for the San Diego offense (1-7-8 in 11 games).

In a tight postseason race, the addition of Kloos comes at the right time, due to the absences of Sam Steel (1st), Isac Lundestrom (2nd), Troy Terry (3rd) and Max Jones (8th), all of whom made a massive mark on the Gulls' offense earlier this season. Steel, Terry, and Jones are kicking it with the lowly Ducks in the NHL, while Lundestrom plays out his assignment in Sweden.

Gulls faithful will hope Kalle Kossila (15th) can step up, as the 25-year-old center has been a near point-per-game player in the AHL this season and has what it takes to carry a line and a team, at least at the AHL level. Though his stints in the NHL to this point have been less than promising, Kossila (13-17-30) is a mature, skilled playmaker who consistently gets everyone involved in plays.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

The Eagles remain a very intriguing team with their depth in scoring, and a sizable amount of that depth scoring is coming from an interesting bunch of prospects in the Avalanche system. The impressively resurgent A.J. Greer (18th) and solid rookie, 2018 first-rounder Martin Kaut (4th) are a start, but it extends beyond those two.

Defenseman Nicolas Meloche (15th), a former high second-rounder whose development path to this point has been very rocky, is back on the right track. The 6-3", 205 lb rearguard is leveraging his great size more, using his bulk to pester opposing forwards down low in his zone, and pinching more against the boards in the offensive zone.

What Meloche (6-14-20) needs to work on more is his willingness to shoot, rather than over pass (which is his fallback move). His shot can be a weapon at even strength and on the power play, and to use it more consistently and more frequently should be a point of emphasis for the 21-year-old right-hander. He isn't the most fleet-of-foot skater, though he is pretty quick for a big man, and will need to find a way to contribute offensively somehow.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Tucson's lineup got a facelift with the addition of former Milwaukee Admirals forward Emil Pettersson, who was acquired via trade with the Nashville Predators organization. Pettersson (13th in Nashville rankings) might be past his realistic NHL chances, but can provide a boost to a stagnant offense.

Pettersson (0-5-5 since the trade) is a smart and reliable two-way center whose hustle and competitiveness can be infectious, and a decently skilled offensive threat who appears on the power play. With the Coyotes in the thick of the playoff race in the NHL's Western Conference, it won't be now that they give the Swede a try, but his play this season could earn him a recall and an NHL debut eventually.

An under-the-radar guy with NHL specs is Michael Bunting, who is seemingly getting better by the game. Though the AHL All-Star, not ranked in our preseason Coyotes prospect rankings, lacks any skill that ranks above the average tier, he is a consistent producer and plays with a physical edge on the Roadrunners' top two lines. Bunting (11-17-28), a fourth-round selection in 2014, made his NHL debut this season, and has since played with the competitive drive and leadership qualities of a future major-league star.

Tucson's other league All-Star, Kyle Capobianco (7th), will be out for the remainder of the season with a leg injury suffered shortly after a well-deserved promotion to the NHL. The Roadrunners will miss his smooth skating, passing skills, and three-zone awareness, things that they really can't replace. Capobianco (7-25-32) had been the team's leading scorer for a good portion of the season.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

This season, the Heat have been a team of redemption for a lot of players. Once high-profile prospects who flamed out under their initial draft teams, like Alan Quine (ineligible), Kerby Rychel (17th), and Curtis Lazar (ineligible) have taken refuge in the Stockton locker room, providing a veteran boost to an otherwise pretty young team.

The Flames system doesn't quite benefit from the presence of this type of player, though. For example, Lazar was summoned by the parent club in mid-February but has yet to appear in a game. Calgary and Stockton alike must see contributions from their top prospects before anyone else.

Guys such as Dillon Dube, for instance. Dube (2nd) has been dynamite for the Heat since being assigned by the Flames after being held to just five points in 23 NHL games. The two-time World Junior Championship competitor for Canada has improving rink sense that are helping him round out an otherwise electric offensive game that features above average ranks in shot tools, energy/hustle, puck skills, and acceleration/footwork.

Matthew Phillips (6th) has proven, despite his 5-7" size and how he fell to the sixth round of the 2016 draft, that he can be a pro-caliber player with the right opportunity. Having torn up the WHL with Victoria for four seasons, his last a 112-point campaign, his offensive skills are obvious.

He is a quick, head-down skater with lightning-like top speed and sick hands, especially in tight. His shot is as fast as that of someone six inches taller and has been used on the power play as a legitimate weapon in the slot. Phillips (11-18-29) is an absolute pest on and off the puck in all three zones, as well. He will probably need another year to develop, but his size and skillset, from a style standpoint, make him kind of like a Diet Johnny Gaudreau.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

A quick stick tap for defenseman Matt Roy. The first time I took his game in, I didn't think anything of him, but he kept improving and become a leader -- on and off the ice -- of a thin Ontario team, and earned a recall to Los Angeles, where he has spent the last ten games. Roy (not ranked), a right-handed Michigan Tech alum, is a true shutdown defenseman whose stick positioning, physicality down low, and shot-blocking, make him a penalty kill staple anywhere he goes.

The 24-year-old started the season behind guys like Alex Lintuniemi (16th) and Sean Walker (20th) on the depth chart, as well as on the pecking order for potential NHL promotion/staying power. Roy (8-21-29) has arguably surpassed both of them.

Another person who has impressed greatly in spite of the circumstances is rookie winger Carl Grundstrom, who was acquired by the Kings in a late-January trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs that sent Jake Muzzin to The Six. Grundstrom (4th in Toronto's preseason prospect rankings) is a rugged but speedy forward with excellent hands and purposeful passing, earning a recent recall to the NHL with that versatile skillset and overall creativity.

Grundstrom (3-7-10) is only 21 and will assist the rebuilding Kings in getting back to the top of the mountain. L.A.'s farm system was ranked 16th out of 31 in our preseason farm system rankings, and the middling prospect core became significantly better with the presence of Grundstrom.

AHL Report: Pacific – All Star Break Edition

Tom Dorsa — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 16:21:29 +0000

The seven teams in the AHL's Pacific Division have a far harder time evaluating their players, their team system, and anything else than the 24 clubs in the three other divisions.

Firstly, Pacific Division teams only play 68 games, as opposed to the typical 76 games played by every other team, and can only formulate their schedule around the geographic hardships of traveling from the West Coast and back.

Secondly, the smaller sample sizes of fewer games played -- and fewer common opponents -- can make an organization's front office scratch their head. In this regard, coaches and prospects with a high hockey IQ have more of an impact in the Pacific Division than in other divisions because of the way they must create innovative strategies to beat a team they have seen seven or more times in the season.

In addition, during the National Hockey League's annual All-Star Game break, a good amount of two-way players on the NHL roster are sent down for conditioning. On account of this, we can see how the top prospects playing in the AHL mesh with solidified NHLers, and how it effects their usage within a team's lineup.

In this piece, we will be emptying the notebook on prospects playing in the AHL's Pacific Division, with a focus on league All-Stars competing in this year's AHL All-Star Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

The Barracuda were represented by three players on the Pacific Division's All-Star roster, forward Francis Perron, defenseman Jacob Middleton, and goaltender Josef Korenar, all high-quality and youthful prospects.

Perron (unranked in Ottawa's preseason prospect rankings) is an exclamation point on the parent club's acquisition of Erik Karlsson, as the Senators threw the 22-year-old into the package mostly to help even out the contracts changing hands. Perron (14-17-31) has blossomed into a potential NHLer, overcoming his slight frame and poor acceleration to become an impact player in the AHL. He is extremely creative on offense, both in finding Grade A passing lanes and designing shooting lanes for himself and others.

Middleton (20th) is acting as found gold for San Jose in his third season with the organization. The big and bulky defenseman earned a brief recall to the Sharks in the midst of his All-Star season, as his smarts, maturity, and decent mobility for a 6-3" blueliner have turned a reclamation project into an eventual success. With solid gaps, intelligent playmaking, and penalty-killing skills, Middleton (2-10-12) screams NHLer.

Korenar (unranked) is only 21 years old and has been one of the AHL's top goaltenders. In 20 games, he has posted a 16-3-1 record, 2.20 GAA, and .922 Sv%. Highly athletic, Korenar is able to mask his lack of size (6-1", 185lbs) by frequently challenging shooters and playing at the lip of his crease, but maintains the ability to move from side to side and cover gaps with his insane foot quickness. He needs to work on rebound control and composure.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

TUCSON, AZ - DECEMBER 12: Tucson Roadrunners defenseman Kyle Capobianco (23) controls the puck (Photo by Jacob Snow/Icon Sportswire)

Tucson's lone All-Star Classic representative was defenseman Kyle Capobianco, a wonderfully talented puck-rushing blueliner who isn't far away from a permanent NHL roster spot. Capobianco (7th) is a playmaker by every definition, a skilled skater with beautiful acceleration, edgework, and pivots who controls play every time he takes the ice.

A passing specialist before this season, Capobianco (7-25-32) has an improving shot and has been more willing to let it rip on the power play, on which he is the quarterback for the Roadrunners; the 21-year-old has three power-play tallies and a team-high 93 shots. He could be better in his own zone, specifically with forcing shots to the outside and being more active with his stick.

Adam Helewka (17th) has been a solid offensive contributor with a developing two-way game, but his skating is still a huge issue for him. The offseason trade acquisition from the Sharks system could be a useful NHL fourth-liner, but it feels like he has already reached his once projected ceiling.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

San Diego sent Troy Terry to the All-Star Game as a well-deserved nod to the rookie forward. After all, Terry (3rd) has been a revelation for the Gulls this season, with his ridiculously quick and deceptive hands as well as his innovation with the puck being key factors in the former fifth-round pick driving the play for San Diego.

Up in Anaheim and in the AHL, Terry (16-23-39) has been a forceful player on the physical side, being able to absorb hits and keep the play moving, which had been a major impediment for him in the past. However, his defensive game (and his skating, though that will never be a strong suit for him), will need to take a step forward.

Terry's usual centerman, Sam Steel (1st), has been less impressive, but solid in his own right. Though Steel, a 2016 first-rounder and prolific scorer in the WHL and the World Junior Championships, made the Ducks roster out of training camp, he was sent down after 13 games and has been refining his craft in the AHL.

Steel's lack of assertiveness is his biggest flaw so far in his young pro career. He has all the tools -- grading as an above-average skater, shooter, playmaker, and physical player -- but hasn't shown the foot-on-your-neck attitude seen out of him in Regina. He has put up some reliable offense in a middle-six role (12-16-28) but is being far too patient and passive out there.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

The Condors had two league All-Stars in forwards Joe Gambardella and Cooper Marody, both getting the nod as top-line dynamos in a pretty consistent Bakersfield lineup. While three years and a few distinctions separate the two (Marody was drafted and traded for while Gambardella signed with Edmonton as a non-drafted free agent out of college) , they have had somewhat similar career paths.

Both are relatively short and stocky players with a lot of toughness and reliability, both have made their NHL debut in a depleted Oilers lineup this season, and both have lit up the AHL in 2018-19. Gambardella (unranked) is doing it as an incredibly accurate and lethal shooter who gets into tough places and never hesitates to fire the puck on goal, boasting a team-high 21 goals (21-14-35).

Marody (4th) is more of a playmaker, but is an overall dynamic offensive asset in the Condors' lineup. The former Flyers prospect has a gift in his patience and ability to control pace on the ice, using his vision and quick stick to tally up an impressive point total (9-24-33). Marody is quite slow on his feet and his shot isn't the same weapon it was at Michigan, but he can carve out a bottom-six NHL role eventually.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

The Eagles sent two players to the AHL All-Star Classic, veteran forward Andrew Agozzino and 28-year-old rookie goaltender Pavel Francouz. This is Agozzino's eighth AHL season and only Francouz' first, and while neither of the two qualify as legitimate prospects, Francouz has an inside track to jumping up to the NHL and helping the parent club out.

The team signed the former KHLer after he made a show at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Russia for the Czech Republic, and he has been solid for the Eagles this season, posting a 15-10-1 record, 2.84 GAA, and .915 Sv%.

As far as prospects go, A.J. Greer (18th) is experiencing a resurgence of sorts, putting behind him the inconsistencies that had plagued his development to this point. Greer (13-16-29) plays such a simple offensive game, but is now using his physical strength and size to get inside position on defenders and make them pay.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

Stockton sent former first-rounder Curtis Lazar to the AHL All-Star Game, as the 24-year-old is experiencing the highest-scoring season in his pro career (15-20-35), six years after the Ottawa Senators used the 17th overall selection in the draft to obtain him. He has always exhibited a mature and responsible game, but has taken a step as a pure playmaker this season, displaying deft vision and passing skills. His success also brings in question Ottawa’s urge to push him straight from the WHL to the NHL, where he his game had steadily wilted over the years.

Another mainstay in the Heat top-six is Spencer Foo (7th), but the Union College alum has had his struggles in his second AHL season. Foo (12-10-22) is a stellar playmaker and possesses great two-way instincts, but hasn't shown the willingness to help out defensively and needs to make better reads. With his skillset, he should be a point-compiler, rather than a middle-of-the-pack, somewhat forgettable prospect.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

The Reign had two All-Star Game representatives, rookie forward Sheldon Rempal and second-year pro defenseman Sean Walker, both of whom are quality prospects in a rebuilding Los Angeles Kings prospect pipeline.

Rempal (12th) has had some troubles in his own zone and with transitioning the puck, but has been a force in the offensive zone since the start of the 2018-19 campaign. He never is afraid to take defenders on in one-on-one situations, and is dangerous as a pull-up shooter and a skater. Rempal (11-19-30) made his NHL debut in a very small role earlier this season but didn't stay in L.A. long.

Walker (20th) is a hard-nosed defensive defenseman with a lot of physical snarl for a 5-10" blueliner, and has used that to his advantage as an all-situations anchor in the Reign lineup. Walker (6-11-17) is good against the boards and is nearly unbeatable at initial blueline defense. However, he could stand to use his blazing shot more, especially on the power play, and often settles for ill-advised passes or dumps.

The Reign lineup got some help for a potential playoff push when, as a trickle-down effect of the Kings trading defenseman Jake Muzzin to the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Marlies forward Carl Grundstrom joined the Ontario roster. Grundstrom has 13 goals and 17 assists in 44 games, two of which come in recent days with the Reign.

AHL West prospects ready to have an NHL impact

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 15:48:08 +0000

Although there are some exceptions – and this article will touch on a few – the majority of top prospects in the current age of hockey tend to go straight from junior/collegiate/European hockey and into the NHL.

Barring lockout situations, players who make big rookie waves who spent time in the AHL before their NHL debuts are few and far between. To that point, the last Calder Trophy winner who spent time in the AHL in their rookie year – or before – was 2009 recipient Steve Mason. He spent a whopping three games with the Syracuse Crunch. He was rehabbing in the AHL actually, after missing the first month of that season to injury, before the Blue Jackets had a need in the NHL roster. He finally got back to the AHL last year, on his way (seemingly) out of the league.

We have to go back to 2004 and Andrew Raycroft to get a Calder Trophy winner with significant time in the AHL under his belt. He spent the majority of two full seasons in the AHL before making his NHL mark.

That cold streak will continue this year, as even the best AHL callups are extremely unlikely to top the likes of Elias Pettersen, Rasmus Dahlin, Brady Tkachuk, and the rest of this year’s stacked rookie class.

That said, each NHL team has a player or two or more down on the farm who is ready and positioned to fill in some minutes for the parent club if and when the need arises. This article will look at one player from each AHL West team that looks to be ready for the opportunity.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

High scoring winger Cooper Marody is currently up with the Oilers, angling to get on the score sheet for the first time, the Condors’ highest scoring defender, Caleb Jones, looks to be ready for his NHL debut. Jones struggled in his first AHL campaign last year, at both ends of the ice. This year, he has been a two-way contributor and he should be the first candidate for a promotion to the NHL when the Oilers need blueline fortification for the third pairing.

Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

Keegan Kolesar

Czech winger Tomas Hyka has the best combination of skill and readiness for the NHL, he has already played 17 games with the Golden Knights. So that is a boring answer. First year AHLer Erik Brannstrom is by far the most talented player on the Wolves and promises to have the brightest future among their second squad, but he is still a teenager and would be best served by more seasoning on the farm. If not a full season, at least another couple of months. So, let me give a shout out to big rangy winger Keegan Kolesar. He is not the most dynamic talent, but he has enough in his hands to contribute on a fourth line. If and when Ryan Reaves goes too far as a banger, Kolear can step in, deliver some hits, and has the juice to threaten double digit goals in a full NHL season at his peak.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

Long-term, the only reasonable answer here is Martin Kaut. But, like Brannstrom above, he is a teenager and has yet to blow the doors off the AHL. He has enough talent that the Avalanche would be wiser to let him start to dominate in the AHL before he makes the move. Netminder Pavel Francouz has been solid as a North American debutant, but he is already 28 years old and thus not exactly a prospect. So, we will go with third year pro A.J. Greer instead. After struggling through an injury-plagued year last season, he is at a point per game through his first 20 this year, indicating that he has finally figured out the level. He can provide size and some offensive ability to the bottom line for the Avalanche. As good as their first line has been, the scoring thins out rapidly after that trio. Greer has spent time in the NHL this year and in each of the last two, but only one game this year. He should receive a more extended callup in the near future.

Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 23: Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

Filip Zadina, the sixth overall pick in the most recent draft is the rare player drafted out of the CHL leagues who is eligible to play in the AHL immediately. The Red Wings were wise to assign him to Grand Rapids, as there was little benefit to be had with him returning to Halifax to dominate the QMJHL once more, going back to Europe would not have helped him get ready for what should be a stellar NHL career, and he was not needed on a rebuilding Detroit roster, at least not right away. He started a little slow this year, with only four points in his first eight games. Since then, he has put up 11 points in his last 15 games. Instead of trying to earn a callup on every shift, he is letting the game come to him and his pro caliber offensive tools. He was recently named to the Czech Republic’s selection camp for the upcoming WJC and is expected to be released by the Red Wings to participate. Depending on how Detroit maneuvers through the trade deadline, expect Zadina to get his feet, knees and hips wet at the NHL level during the season’s second half.

Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)

I was all prepared to name Luke Kunin as being ready to be recalled. He may not have been ready during his 19-game trial last year, but his offensive game has come to the fore more often this year. Alas, Minnesota agreed with me and recalled him on the 10^th. Mason Shaw has been a very pleasant surprise as a rookie, but after a season lost in its entirety, spending more time on the farm is to his benefit. No need to rush him. Finnish import Kaapo Kahkonen has also been a revelation, being extremely hard to beat. But barring an injury to the rotation of Devyn Dubnyk and Alex Stalock, he will not make the leap this year. So, we will use this space instead to throw a few kind words on blueliner Brennan Menell. Signed as an undrafted free agent shortly before the beginning of last season, he found the transition to the AHL to be within his grasp, at least offensively. This year, he is contributing at both ends, skates well, has the strength to help himself in puck battles and moves the puck effectively. He could easily slip into the back half of the Minnesota blueline corps.

Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)

Kristian Vesalainen looked fine in an eight-game trial, before being sent back to Jokerit. Mason Appleton once again leads the scoring chart for the Moose, but that may be temporary, as he was called up to the NHL two weeks ago and has picked up one assist in his first five games. I have a soft spot for rugged winger JC Lipon, but he is 25 years old already and his ceiling is appropriately lower. CJ Suess is not much younger at 24 but is only in his first pro season after four years at Minnesota State. He has scored eight goals already, half of which came on the power play. He is not the biggest player but plays a responsible game with plenty of energy and a touch of skill. He is also versatile, giving him a few paths to NHL time.

Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 22: Nashville Predators right wing Eeli Tolvanen. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

All eyes this year have been on Eeli Tolvanen in Milwaukee and despite some uneven performances, showed enough to be recalled recently. With apologies to Anthony Richard, who combines hustle with skill and grit and who recently made his NHL debut, the biggest steps forward taken by an Admiral thus far in 2018-19 have been made by Frederic Allard. A skilled puck mover and power play quarterback, he leads the Admirals in shots on goal and has been seeing time on both special teams’ units. He is adept at keeping his point shot low to the ice, inviting tips and deflections. For a player that was sent for a stretch to the ECHL last year, he may be knocking on the door to the NHL.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

College free agent signee Sheldon Rempal has been fantastic for the struggling Reign, with 20 points in 16 games. He has earned his NHL recall, but his ineffective first seven games at the top ensured that he would marinate for a bit longer. A more circumspect collegiate free agent signing, Sean Walker actually played for the Reign last year on an AHL-only contract, signing an ELC in the off-season. The former Bowling Green State captain has proven himself to be a very competent defender in any situation for Ontario and like Rempal, has earned some NHL time. He is aggressive attacking an opposing puck carrier and similarly aggressive attacking the opposing offensive zone with the puck. If LA begins to sell off anyone not locked down (ie. Anyone other than Kopitar or Doughty) Walker is a prime candidate to receive a lengthy NHL audition.

Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

Chicago Blackhawks center Dylan Sikura(Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire)

Like the Kings profiled above, Chicago has struggled mightily this year. They have also fired the head coach. In Chicago’s case, they have brought in their former AHL coach to lead the NHL charges. In other words, when they call up a prospect from the farm, the bench boss will already know exactly what he can and cannot do. So it stands to reason that Rockford’s leading scorer Dylan Sikura, who we had ranked third in the system in the offseason, should be in line for a promotion in the near future. Already 23 years of age, he is not in the AHL for the weight room. He is a very good skater with an NHL shot release. He may not score like he did in college, but he has the tools and overall game to find a spot in the middle six in the NHL. The only question is why has he not been given that opportunity yet? It isn’t as if the Blackhawks already up have proven that they all deserve their jobs.

San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)

Now that all of their AHL players are under one roof, it should be easier – in theory – for the floundering St. Louis Blues to determine which of their second-tier prospects are ready to impact the team at the top. For example, netminder Jordan Binnington, now in his sixth season as a professional, surprisingly outperformed the more highly touted Ville Huuso this year, after spending last year on loan with Boston’s AHL club. As the Blues gave up on NHL veteran Chad Johnson, it was in part due to Binnington’s performance. Another player who has exceeded expectations is rookie pro Mitch Reinke, signed as a free agent last spring out of Michigan Tech. He is not flashy, but is a smart puck mover, and has been racking up man advantage points. He would need protection defensively but could provide a positive impact in limited minutes.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

A forgotten man in a young and talented Winnipeg organization, sparkplug Chase De Leo had seemingly plateaued with three very similar AHL seasons and only a brief two game NHL trial in his rookie season to show for it. Swapped in a minor deal with Anaheim in the offseason, he seems to have a new lease on life and a potentially smoother track to NHL time with an older organization. On pace for a career year in the AHL, De Leo, who actually grew up around a 30-minute drive from the Honda Center, should be in line for a stint with his hometown club in the very near future. He can play at center or on the wing and has been functional on both special teams’ units for the Gulls. Most eyes on San Diego will focus on higher profile prospects like Troy Terry or Sam Steel, or former first rounders Max Jones or Jacob Larsson, all four of whom have spent some time with the big club already this season. De Leo might be best positioned to find a steady role with the Ducks once he gets up though, even if his ultimate ceiling is dwarfed by the others.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

When Francis Perron was included with Erik Karlsson in the off-season’s biggest trade, the general assumption was that he was a contractual makeweight, helping the Senators keep the right amount of controlled players in the system. A big scorer in the QMJHL, his first two pro seasons were disappointments and he was in danger of not being offered a second contract. So much for that idea. Perron is currently the leading scorer on the Barracuda at a touch over one point per game and has been a terror on the power play as well. In a season full of negative news from Ottawa, the surrendering of Perron might be another, albeit quieter one. If it were not for the Sharks’ depth at left wing, he might have already been recalled. Another player worthy of mention here is Jeremy Roy, who has been limited by knee injuries to 30 games combined over the last two seasons. Finally healthy, he has been productive as well for the Barracuda. There are naturally still questions about his pace after his leg injuries, but the fact that he can still perform around the level expected when the Sharks used a second-round pick on him in 2015 is heartening.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

CALGARY, CANADA – JULY 4: Andrew Mangiapane of the Calgary Flames (Photo by Brad Watson/NHLI via Getty Images)

One day, Andrew Mangiapane will earn an extended NHL run. He was a top scorer in the OHL and in the AHL yet has not produced in his abbreviated NHL turns and is now up to 15 NHL games across two seasons with zero points to his name. Both Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington seem to be parts of the NHL rotation now on the blueline. Perhaps the next man up with be the well-travelled Kerby Rychel. Originally a Columbus first rounder, Calgary is his fourth organization, having also seen time in the Toronto and Montreal systems. His early run with Stockton seems to have revitalized his NHL prospects, as he is playing more assertively in the offensive end, showing the ability to score as well as set up linemates. He could add some truculent strength and skill to the bottom six in short order.

Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

There are two forwards in the Dallas minor league ranks who have exceeded expectations thus far, with two very different paths to this point. Former first rounder Denis Guryanov had been relatively disappointing in his first two AHL seasons, even bearing in mind that he was 19 and 20 years old in those seasons. He clearly had all the physical tools needed to excel, but he could not keep up with the pace of the game. Now 21, he looks to have made the much needed adjustments, and after only 22 games, he is a mere eight points shy of his career high at the level. He also scored his first NHL goal in a two game call up. On the other end of the prospect spectrum is Joel L’Esperance. A free agent signee out of Michigan Tech, he spent some time with the team on a trial in last year’s run to the Calder Cup final, providing size and grit, if not much offensive flash. While his point per game production in the first quarter of the season is likely unsustainable (he has scored on 18.5% of his shots) he has proven that he can be a productive two-way player at this level. If his feet can keep up, he has the makings of a fine fourth line center in short order.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

As good as Adin Hill has been thus far with the Coyotes, he was actually struggling in the AHL this year prior to the recall, although his pedigree suggested that his true talent is better that that, if not quite as high as he has showed in the NHL. With two of Tucson’s four leading scorers, Michael Bunting and Conor Garland, both given their first NHL recalls in the past few days, the other number producers should similarly be on alert. Winger Adam Helewka is in his third season in the AHL and has taken the next step in terms of production. He can finish and has a knack for finding dead space to make himself an inviting target for teammates to hit with a pass. Often enough, the man making those passes is defender Kyle Capobianco, who currently has 16 assists through 22 games. He is not afraid to get deep in the offensive zone on the cycle and has been deadly at both even strength and the power play. He earned a one game call up last year and should see much more time this year.

Cooper Marody – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: EDMONTON OILERS – RANK: #11 – TIER III

Oh, Canada: Lucic Lives (CGY), Caufield’s Limbo (MTL), McLeod Gets The Call (EDM), Norrris Catching Fire (OTT), Foligno’s Welcome (TOR), Canucks Battle Through (VAN) and Wheelers Return (WPG)

Calgary Flames – Lucic Lives

Edmonton Oilers – McLeod Gets The Call

Montreal Canadiens – Caufield’s Limbo

Ottawa Senators – Norris Catching Fire

Toronto Maple Leafs – Foligno’s Welcome

Vancouver Canucks – Battling Through

Winnipeg Jets – Wheeler returns

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Edmonton Oilers Top 20 Prospects

Philip Broberg, D (8th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Evan Bouchard, D (10th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Raphael Lavoie, RW/C (38th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Dylan Holloway, LW (14th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Olivier Rodrigue, G (62nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Carter Savoie, LW (100th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Tyler Benson, LW (32nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Ryan McLeod, C (40th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

Ilya Konovalov, G (85th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

Tyler Tullio, RW (126th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dmitri Samorukov, D (84th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

Cooper Marody, RW (158th overall, 2015 [Philadelphia]. Previous ranking: 7)

Aapeli Rasanen, C (153rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 8)

Kirill Maksimov, RW (146th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 11)

William Lagesson, D (91st overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 12)

Philip Kemp, D (208th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

Markus Niemelainen, D (63rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 14)

Maxim Denezhkin, C (193rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Maxim Berezkin, LW (138th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Patrik Siikanen, LW (195th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 16)

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – EDMONTON OILERS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 21

Edmonton Oilers

Philip Broberg, D (8th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Evan Bouchard, D (10th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

Raphael Lavoie, RW/C (38th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Olivier Rodrigue, G (62nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

Tyler Benson, LW (32nd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 4)

Cooper Marody, RW (158th overall, 2015 [Philadelphia]. 2019 Rank: 8)

Ryan McLeod, C (40th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 7)

Aapeli Rasanen, C (153rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Ilya Konovalov, G (85th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 15)

Dmitri Samorukov, D (84th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 5)

Kirill Maksimov, RW (146th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 11)

William Lagesson, D (91st overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 20)

Philip Kemp, D (208th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 14)

Markus Niemelainen, D (63rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Maxim Denezhkin, C (193rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Edmonton Oilers 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Preview – Western Conference

Central Division:

Chicago Wolves (44-22-6-4) vs 4. Grand Rapids Griffins (38-27-7-4)

Milwaukee Admirals (36-24-14-2) vs 3. Iowa Wild (37-26-8-5)

Pacific Division:

Bakersfield Condors (42-21-3-2) vs 4. Colorado Eagles (36-27-4-1)

San Jose Barracuda (39-22-3-4) vs 3. San Diego Gulls (36-27-4-1)

AHL Pacific Report: Disparity rules, Benson and Marody explode in winning streak, trade deadline additions Dahlen, Kloos, and Petterson make impact

AHL Report: Pacific – All Star Break Edition

AHL West prospects ready to have an NHL impact

Philip Broberg, D (8^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Evan Bouchard, D (10^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Raphael Lavoie, RW/C (38^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Dylan Holloway, LW (14^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Olivier Rodrigue, G (62^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Carter Savoie, LW (100^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Tyler Benson, LW (32^nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Ryan McLeod, C (40^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 6)

Ilya Konovalov, G (85^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 9)

Tyler Tullio, RW (126^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dmitri Samorukov, D (84^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

Cooper Marody, RW (158^th overall, 2015 [Philadelphia]. Previous ranking: 7)

Aapeli Rasanen, C (153^rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 8)

Kirill Maksimov, RW (146^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 11)

William Lagesson, D (91^st overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 12)

Philip Kemp, D (208^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

Markus Niemelainen, D (63^rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 14)

Maxim Denezhkin, C (193^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Maxim Berezkin, LW (138^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Patrik Siikanen, LW (195^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 16)

Philip Broberg, D (8^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Evan Bouchard, D (10^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

Raphael Lavoie, RW/C (38^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Olivier Rodrigue, G (62^nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

Tyler Benson, LW (32^nd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 4)

Cooper Marody, RW (158^th overall, 2015 [Philadelphia]. 2019 Rank: 8)

Ryan McLeod, C (40^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 7)

Aapeli Rasanen, C (153^rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Ilya Konovalov, G (85^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 15)

Dmitri Samorukov, D (84^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 5)

Kirill Maksimov, RW (146^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 11)

William Lagesson, D (91^st overall, 2014. 2019 Rank: 20)

Philip Kemp, D (208^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 14)

Markus Niemelainen, D (63^rd overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Maxim Denezhkin, C (193^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)