Curtis Douglas – McKeen's Hockey

Dallas Stars 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:12:52 +0000

Dallas Stars’ GM Jim Nill was hired in April, 2013, and Vancouver marked his seventh draft. In other words, he has enough of a track record now at selecting amateurs that we should be able to judge him. Including the four players the team picked up this year, they have made 48 total selections under his watch. It is too early to judge that crew and, in fairness, too early to judge the fruits of the 2018 draft as well, so we will focus on the 36 players selected by Dallas between 2013 and 2017. Some would posit that it is not fair to judge him on 2013 either, as he joined the team a mere two months prior to the draft and he likely had a lot of input from the scouting staff of the previous regime. But as we will see in a moment, without 2013, the picture would be exceptionally bleak.

Year	Pick number	Name	Games played
2013	10	Valeri Nichushkin	223
2013	29	Jason Dickinson	105
2013	40	Remi Elie	106
2013	101	Nick Paul	56
2014	14	Julius Honka	87
2015	12	Denis Gurianov	22
2015	49	Roope Hintz	58
2017	3	Miro Heiskanen	82
2017	194	Dylan Ferguson	1
Total		10 players	740

Of the ten players who have played in the NHL, two never suited up for Dallas, and only three have reached the 100 games mark. As we will see as we go through the top 20 prospects currently in the system, there are also not too many others left from those years who look ready to join them, with only five of the top 20 coming from the 2013-2017 draft classes.

On the face of it, just seeing 10 who have made it to the NHL out of five drafts, is not very good. Digging in, it is worse His first pick, Nichushkin, has played more than double anyone else, but he is largely considered to be a bust and is expected to return to Russia this year after failing to score a single goal last season and spending large chunks of time in the press box as a healthy scratch, including for most of the postseason.

2014 first rounder Julius Honka will probably play in his 100^th game sometime early next year, but for a player marketed as a dynamic, offensive defenseman, his total of 13 points in 87 has been underwhelming and his defensive game has been rougher than expected.

2015 first rounder Denis Gurianov showed promising signs last season, coming within six points of the AHL team lead, despite playing in 14 fewer games than the team leader. On the other hand, he has not been able to show much of anything in the NHL, with only four points in 22 games, all but one of which were last year. We are still optimistic, but neither our nor the Stars’ patience will be limitless.

Heiskanen looks like a star, and credit to Nill and company for not blowing a lottery pick, but it isn’t enough. Outside of Heiskanen, Dickinson and Hintz are the only two Nill draft picks who should be inked into the Dallas roster for next year and the two forwards might not be anything more than nice third liners. Without a sharp uptick in NHL action from his draft picks, his performance at the head should rightfully be questioned sharply.

-Ryan Wagman

Dallas Stars left wing Denis Gurianov (34) (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

1 Ty Dellandrea, C (13^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) You would be hard pressed to find a more complete player in the OHL than Dellandrea. He skates well. He is an all situations player who has a terrific hockey IQ. He is aggressive and assertive physically. He has good hands and creativity. Unfortunately, playing in Flint, on a relatively poor team up to now, has prevented him from really establishing himself as a consistent offensive force. This has some debating what his NHL potential is. Whether he can become a legitimate top six center or is more of a 3rd line checking line anchor remains to be seen. What Dallas does with him also remains a mystery. Physically, he is likely ready to play in the NHL for the upcoming year and Dellandrea is likely to get an audition for that. However, continuing to play in the OHL would be great to develop his confidence as an offensive player. - BO

2 Thomas Harley, D (18^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Harley is one of the better skating defensive prospects on the planet at this time. His stride is effortless and he covers so much ground with long, powerful strides. This makes him a very effective player in transition as he leads the breakout. The rest of his game is best personified by the term raw. Defensively, he will need to assert himself more and learn to use his size to be more difficult to play against. This is especially true for his play in the corners and his effectiveness in winning those loose puck battles. But Harley’s potential is sky high because of his size and mobility combination. How quickly he ends up in Dallas depends on the growth and maturation of his game at both ends. - BO

3 Jason Robertson, LW (39^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3) At one point, Robertson’s skating was seen as a huge hindrance to him becoming an NHL player. He has since progressed substantially in this area to the point where it is no longer something that will hold him back. At his best, Robertson is a monster in possession who prolongs offensive zone time because of how well he protects the puck. He also possesses terrific instincts, a great release, and a high skill level with the puck that makes him a very complete offensive player. He will likely need time to adjust to the speed and strength of the pro game, in addition to working on his play in all three zones. Robertson could be a solid supporting top six winger sooner rather than later in Dallas. - BO

4 Denis Gurianov, RW (12^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 8) When Dallas spent its 2015 first-round pick on Gurianov, a winger from the Russian minor leagues, they eventually missed out on Mat Barzal, Jake DeBrusk, Kyle Connor, and Brock Boeser, among many others who were selected after the 12th overall pick. It is impossible to mention Gurianov without what came after, but the Stars are finally starting to see the first-round talent they acquired that night. An AHL All-Star last season, the 22-year-old used his world-class speed, evolving shot, and much improved hockey IQ to tear it up with AHL Texas, posting a 57-20-28-48 stat line. His straight line speed, soft and deceiving hands, and great use of his lean frame make him a lethal offensive player, and his defensive game is improving. He has come a long way from being a healthy scratch in the Calder Cup Final, and could contend for an NHL spot in training camp this season. Long term, he looks like a top-six scoring winger, as he did on draft night in 2015. - TD

5 Jake Oettinger, G (26^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 5) Not only is Oettinger one of the top prospects in the Dallas system, the 20-year-old is firmly among the elite goaltending prospects in the sport. He is a 6-5” behemoth in the crease, but with the mental composure of a veteran and the agility of an NHL starter, boasting one of the most impressive packages of netminding skill in the game today. His lateral mobility and technical refinement as a goaltender goes beyond his age, and combining that athleticism with the smarts and maturity he exhibited in college, and in his short AHL stint at the end of the season, should put a smile on the faces of Stars’ fans. His quickness and size can be relied on, but he will have to improve in tracking the development of plays. He projects to be a mid-to-upper tier NHL starting goalie, and though netminders generally take longer to develop than position players, it appears his future as an NHLer will not be far away. - TD

6 Riley Damiani, C (137^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 14) A year after being drafted by Dallas in the fifth round, Damiani’s game has improved substantially. In 2018-19, only Akil Thomas and Barrett Hayton had higher point per game averages among 2000 born players in the OHL. At the heart of his game is his high end motor. Damiani is best compared to a gnat, in the sense that he is always hovering around the puck. His improved play with the puck and confidence in creating off of the rush have made him a very dangerous two-way forward. At this point, Damiani’s high end potential is likely as a middle six energy forward who can provide versatility to an NHL lineup, but given his improvement trajectory thus far, this could be underselling him. - BO

7 Adam Mascherin, LW (100^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 10) Mascherin came to the Stars organization in unusual circumstances; a Florida Panthers draft pick in 2016, the left-shot winger did not sign, re-entered the Draft, and was taken with Dallas’s fourth-round selection in 2018. The Stars are reaping the benefits of the former 40-goal scorer with OHL Kitchener, seeing him blossom into an NHL-caliber forward with AHL Texas this past season. He 76-18-26-44 stat line is more impressive when you account for his frequent usage on the third line, and his lack of power-play time. His game features intense, albeit choppy skating speed, high-end upper-body strength despite an undersized frame, and most importantly, a heavy wrist shot that has captivated the Stars organization. His biggest issue is a hesitance to utilize that great shot, instead relying on his evolving playmaking game. In a year or two, he could make an impact as a depth scorer and energy line forward with Dallas. - TD

8 Riley Tufte, LW (25^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 7) Another big man who tries to play a big man’s game, Tufte turned pro after playing a part in two consecutive NCAA titles with Minnesota-Duluth, even though Tufte’s own role in those triumphs was not always prominent. He is a decent skater, although better than that considering his outsized frame, and he works hard. He has a hard shot from the circles on in. His hands work well in board battles, protecting the puck from opponents, but they are not the type of hands that will show much creativity. There is a chance that his physically overpowering game will work better as a pro, though the rarity with which he took over as a collegian does not make me feel optimistic. He has an NHL future, but not likely as more than a third liner. - RW

9 Albin Eriksson, RW/LW (44^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 15) A big (6-4”) winger with a good shot and puck skills but with average speed. Eriksson isn’t a typical power forward in the sense that he doesn’t play a strong skating, forechecking game. He is more of a Maroon/Penner type of forward. He uses his size to his advantage as he protects the puck well and is strong in tight areas. He won’t be a driver on a line but can be a good complementary player. He had a decent first SHL with 16 points in 44 games with limited ice time (10 min/game). He will probably see more ice time this season as he continues his development in SHL. It will be interesting to see if gets a shot at the WJC as his style is kind of uncommon in Swedish hockey and his strength seems more suitable for smaller rinks. - JH

10 Tye Felhaber, RW/C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 1, 2019. Last Year: IE) Felhaber used a terrific overage season with a strong Ottawa 67’s club to earn an NHL contract from the Stars. A great skater who can put the puck in the net, he was highly coveted as a free agent throughout the previous OHL season. The big step forward this past season came because of an increased desire to attack the net and play through traffic, instead of on the periphery. If he can continue to play this way at the pro level, he has the skill set to continue to score goals. Of course, he may need to alter his game slightly to become a more well-rounded player, but the potential is there even if overage CHL free agents can be difficult to project. - BO

11 Joel L’Esperance, C/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 1, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Signed to an amateur contract at the end of the 2017-18 campaign, L’Esperance -- a Michigan Tech product -- greatly impressed the Stars brass and earned an NHL entry-level deal. He impressed with AHL Texas in 2018-19, scoring 30 goals in 54 games and earning a recall to Dallas (where he added two more goals), in the process. However, the righty does not play a goal-scorer’s game, instead the 6-2” center plays a high-energy game in all three zones, forechecks hard, and has some solid technical skating skill for a big man. He has a splendid wrist shot and a hockey IQ that is as high as his experience from the college ranks would suggest. His NHL ceiling is not the high-volume scorer he is in the AHL, but more so a bottom-six two-way physical center with some power play potential, and he is ready to jump to that level. - TD

12 Nicholas Porco, LW (142^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) It was interesting to see the Stars draft Porco this year after signing Felhaber, because Felhaber and Porco have a lot of similarities, especially at the same age. Both were high OHL selections. Both struggled with consistency in their draft years. Felhaber used to struggle fighting through checks and his speed could be contained to the outside. That is where Porco is at now. What Dallas is banking on is that Porco’s game can develop the same way, with his speed being utilized as an asset without the puck and thus being better able to score goals. He may be a long term project, but Porco is someone to keep an eye on because he can skate and he is skilled. - BO

13 Gavin Bayreuther, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 15, 2017. Last Year: 13) Another collegiate free agent signing, Bayreuther has been just what the Stars front office expected. Spending the last two seasons with AHL Texas, the left-shot defenseman has been an instrumental offensive force from the back end, doing the same in some tough minutes in 19 NHL games last season. He plays an upstart, heads-up style of puck-rushing, using his high-grade skating skill, solid hands, and nifty, creative passing tendencies to create offense from defense. The New Hampshire native possesses an absolute bomb of a slap shot and held down the fort on the second power play unit during his time with Dallas. His backwards skating and initial blue line defense make him a solid depth d-man for an NHL team, as his offensive skillset is not hindered by defensive flaws. At 25 years old, he looks ready to make the jump, but the Stars have a stacked blueline right now, and he will have to do more to impress the NHL coaching staff. - TD

14 Curtis Douglas, LW (106^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 12) Now listed at 6-9”, Douglas is one of the largest hockey prospects on the planet. Down low, he is a near immovable object as most defenders in the OHL have a difficult time keeping him away from the crease. He loves to operate behind the net too, where he can control pace and extend zone time. On the other hand, at this point, his skating is going to be a large (no pun intended) hurdle for him to climb. His start-ups are quite slow and he can find himself a step behind the play because of this. While Douglas is a long shot to become an NHL regular based on where he is right now, he does possess some intriguing potential because of his size, reach, and unique skill set. - BO

15 Oskar Back, C/RW (75^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 11) A two-way center who plays a 200ft game. He has good offensive instincts but lacks elite level tools. His skating and hockey sense are slightly above average at best, while the rest of his tools are average. Back works hard, is strong on the puck and plays a team first game. In that sense, he is a good bottom six prospect. He has good size and is strong for his age. Last season, he played his first senior season in Allsvenskan and put up a decent 20 points in 45 games. This upcoming season he will get a shot in SHL. If he makes the NHL, it will probably be in the next 2-3 years as he is a player type that most often doesn’t develop much more after that. - JH

16 Dawson Barteaux, D (168^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 20) Barteaux was a mixed bag this year. In spurts, he looked to have taken a step as a power play quarterback both with his ability to get his shot off and his ability to split defenses with his passing. Defensively, while he was the top defender on the Rebels, he could get caught chasing the play and trying to do too much. When he is on he uses his skating and footwork to outmaneuver opponents on the ice but he can also skate himself into trouble and turnover pucks. He could use an age 20 season in Junior to give himself a chance to physically dominate and gain more offensive confidence. He projects as a bottom pairing defender that could be used on a second powerplay unit, especially if they can take advantage of his right shot. - VG

17 Dillon Heatherington, D (50^th overall, 2013 [Columbus]. Last Year: 17) Acquired for dirt cheap by the Stars in March of 2017, Heatherington has been the anchor of the Texas Stars’ defense since the trade deadline deal from Columbus. A rock solid physical defenseman, the Calgary native is hard to beat at the blueline, plays hard around the boards with great control of his body, and has a solid stretch pass to create offense from his own zone. Though he moves pretty well for someone with a 6-4”, 225 frame, his lack of overall mobility limits his offensive game. Heatherington had a big opportunity to impress the Stars brass last season during his recall to Dallas, but played extremely sheltered minutes, was benched multiple times, and was beaten on the depth chart by some less experienced guys like Bayreuther and Ben Gleason. If the former Swift Current Bronco has an NHL future as a bottom-pair shutdown guy, it almost certainly will not be with Dallas. - TD

18 Nicholas Caamano, RW (146^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 18) A former teammate of top prospect Dellandrea with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds, Caamano had a rough adjustment period in his first pro season, posting 12 goals and 12 assists in 73 games with AHL Texas. However, through his overall inconsistency, he showed some glimpses of absolute mastery as a three-zone energy line player. He is a plus skater with some very effective one-on-one moves, underrated strength as a puck carrier, and a high hockey IQ as someone who plays hard on defense and in transition at all times. If the 20-year-old improves his shot a little bit, he can soon be a potent bottom-six power forward-type depth scorer with Dallas. - TD

19 Joel Kiviranta, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 31, 2019. Last Year: IE) Kiviranta had a very good season with Sport in the Liiga, helping him earn a spot on the Finnish team for the World Championship tournament. He exceeded expectations on the fourth line, forechecking effectively and scoring a pair of important, timely goals. Kiviranta has always had a lot of speed but lacked in hockey IQ at the junior level. He has improved in his decision making and added poise while playing against men. His game now looks more clear and structured. He plays an energetic style and constantly competes hard away from the puck. He creates havoc on the opposing defenders with strong forechecking. He has some puck skills and a good shot as well. Kiviranta could be a decent middle-six winger if he continues to improve his overall game and adds more offense. - MB

20 Emil Djuse, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Apr. 29, 2019. Last Year: IE) An older free agent pick-up this summer by the Stars. Djuse turns 26 in October and comes over following a couple of strong SHL seasons. He took his time to develop but found his game when he came to Skelleftea in 2016. He is a mobile defenseman with strong puck-moving abilities. As a junior, his decision-making and overall hockey sense were very raw, and he tended to be more of a mistake-driven player for his team rather than a productive player. With more experience he has learned to use his assets better and is now strong on both sides of the ice, even his strengths mostly are with the puck. His time to make Stars line-up is limited due to age, but I still expect him to start the season in the AHL. - JH

Dallas Stars Prospect System Overview

Tom Dorsa — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 19:02:12 +0000

With Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and John Klingberg among many other superstar talents, the Dallas Stars are well within their competitive window. However, the Stars have missed the postseason in each of the last two seasons and eight out of ten years. Clearly, something hasn't clicked, be it coaching, injuries, or something harder to define.

Disregarding their other issues, the root of their lack of consistent winning ability has been a poor drafting and development pipeline. We all know of Ivan Vishnevskiy, Scott Glennie, and Jack Campbell, former first-rounders drafted as future stars only to flame out under the weight of the Stars' ghastly expectations. But it has extended into the later half of the decade, with guys like Valeri Nichushkin, Denis Gurianov, and Julius Honka also so far failing to live up to expectations.

Ask us about the early results from the last two drafts, and we say: General Manager Jim Nill is pretty effectively treating this issue, as the 2017 and 2018 drafts are arguably the best of his six-year Dallas tenure. Starting with super prospect Miro Heiskanen, a young Finn so talented and so promising that not even an Erik Karlsson deal could persuade Nill to trade him away, 10 of the top 20 prospects on the list come from the last two draft years.

On the Heiskanen front, the Stars have been stellar in scouting European players, a trend that has continued into this season. Two of their highest three picks this season were relatively obscure Swedish Junior players, which indicates a confidence in their European scouts. They also draft players with immense size frequently, with eight of their top-ten prospects measuring in at 6-3" or taller, which doesn’t even include 12th-ranked Curtis Douglas at 6-8".

With a third head coach in as many seasons, and the lingering concerns over a Tyler Seguin contract extension, the Dallas Stars have issues at hand that are arguably more important than prospect development. But, as this has been the most crippling struggle for Dallas over this window, and the effects of proper drafting and developing will have an instant positive impact on this squad.

Miro Heiskanen

1 Miro Heiskanen, D (3rd overall, 2017. Last year: 1st) Though Rasmus Dahlin has Calder Trophy written all over him, another young European defenseman will be in the running. At third-overall in 2017, Miro Heiskanen became the highest Stars draft pick since Mike Modano in 1988, and the immense hype surrounding the young left-hander is justified. Named the best defenseman in the Finnish Liiga with HIFK Helsinki at just 18 years old, Heiskanen is a brilliant puck-mover with impeccable hockey sense, someone who can control the game with and without the puck. A wonderful skater, Heiskanen can take the game over by asserting himself offensively with his legs and vision. He has tremendous discipline defensively and never allows many dangerous shots on goal from his side, and he is also more mature and mentally developed than basically any 18-year-old blueliner in the game, capable of playing 25+ minutes a night with ease. He dominated a men's league as a teenager last season, and will be an instant top-four defenseman with the Stars in 2018-19.

2 Ty Dellandrea, C (13th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) Ty Dellandrea was considered to be somewhat of a stretch at 13th overall this past June, a selection that sent the local Dallas crowd going home from the draft with raised eyebrows. However, what the scrappy, skilled center did with a horrendous Flint Firebirds squad deserves a first-round pick and this spot on the prospect rankings. With a 20-43-0-5 OHL team that had the league's second-worst record, Dellandrea stood out, leading the club with 27 goals in addition to his 32 helpers. He boasts exciting stickhandling abilities that can hang with nearly anyone in this draft, a concrete two-way game, and some fine edgework combined with good top skating speed. His positioning away from the puck is near elite, and most of his goals were scored by him finding open ice with his nifty vision and potting easy net-front set-ups. He is inconsistent, with his best days being spread out in time, but it is hard not to attribute that to his presence on an awful junior team. If he can stick in the pros at a consistent rate, then he looks to be a smart pick for the Stars.

3 Jason Robertson, RW (39th overall, 2017. Last year: 4th) Projected as a first-rounder in 2017, Jason Robertson slipped to the Stars on day two, as a reputation for being lazy and uninterested away from the puck affected his draft stock. Always looking to improve, he took those criticisms to heart and worked on making himself a more complete player over the past season, and early results indicate a new-and-improved Robertson is a year closer to cracking the Stars' NHL roster. With the OHL's Kingston Frotenacs, he posted 41 goals and career-bests in 46 assists and 87 points, leading the team in scoring. He has plus size that gives him a power forward element and makes him hard to push off the puck, a booming set of shots that have equal parts speed and accuracy, and nifty stickhandling moves that make him an elusive forward to cover. His defensive game has taken steps, or more so, leaps and bounds, over the past season, with an increase in d-zone physicality and a decrease in risky plays coming up the ice. Robertson's only issue is a big one, and that's his skating speed, which is well behind NHL caliber without many signs of improvement; he has great edgework and superb acceleration, but without formidable top speed, his offensive game could make him a one-trick pony.

4 Jason Dickinson, C (29th overall, 2013. Last year: 8th) A 2013 draft pick, Jason Dickinson has been around this system for awhile and has not shown any reason, at least with Dallas, for a permanent NHL spot. But, with a new coach in Dallas who encourages creativity and well-roundedness, Dickinson might be in line for the roster spot his AHL numbers indicate he deserves. One of the Texas Stars' leading goal-scorers despite playing only just over half the schedule (18 goals in 42 games), Dickinson has an understated offensive game and goal-scoring touch for a player whose main draw is two-way stability. On that, he's a splendid penalty-killer, strong and tenacious around the boards, and one who will sacrifice himself for the betterment of the team. Offensively, he is crafty and resourceful with the puck, fast enough to make plays for himself, and strong enough to sustain puck possession. He has a bullet for a wrist shot and also boasts calm, effective playmaking skills to be a solid two-way, bottom-six forward who can play all three spots. His biggest problem is a lack of offensive assertiveness. He has a myriad of offensive tools at is disposal, but needs to better utilize them to find success.

Jake Oettinger

5 Jake Oettinger, G (26th overall, 2017. Last year: 5th) The first goaltender taken in the 2017 draft, Dallas actually traded up to take the American netminder, and his stats at the NCAA level suggest that the move will eventually pay off for the Stars. Backstopping a loaded, prestigious Boston University program over the past two seasons, Oettinger has been one of college hockey's best in the crease, going 21-13-4 with a .915 save percentage and 2.45 goals against average last season, earning an NCAA tournament appearance. The denoted goaltender of the future for the Stars, he has a massive physical frame (6-4", 212 lbs), excellent play-reading abilities, and a certain maturity in the crease that allows him to make all the easy saves and rarely get beaten on inside scoring chances. His lateral movement is insanely refined, and his technical game oozes intelligence and peace of mind. His biggest issue right now is transitioning from a standing position to a low butterfly, but he is athletic enough to make ends meet in that regard over time. The Team USA World Junior starter is already a workhorse for the Terriers, and the Stars will let him marinate in the lower levels with Ben Bishop signed for five more seasons. He projects to be an upper-to-mid-tier starter at the NHL level.

6 Colton Point, G (128th overall, 2016. Last year: Unranked) The thing about Oettinger's development is this: after a huge 2017-18 season, former fifth-rounder Colton Point -- a 2018 WJC gold medalist -- is not far away from where Oettinger stands as the franchise's goalie of the future. The 6-4" goaltender went ballistic with Colgate this past season, earning a Hobey Baker Award top-ten finish with a 16-12-5 record, .944 SV%, and 1.74 GAA with an undermanned, overwhelmed Raiders squad that finished at .500 on the season. In 16 of his 33 starts, Point made more than 30 saves, including a 51-save shutout over Harvard. The ECAC Player of the Year finalist has a big upper-body that is supplemented by his good positioning, and the lateral movement to track pucks all around him. He is a battler in the crease who loves to compete, and will stay at a 100% intensity level for the entirety of a game. After signing an ELC with the Stars, he is making the jump to their AHL affiliate where he will compete with Landon Bow for the job as the starter. For success in 2018-19, the 20-year-old needs to prove in the pros that his monstrous 2017-18 campaign was not a blip on the radar and was more a preview of what's to come.

7 Riley Tufte, LW (25th overall, 2016. Last year: 6th) Yet another humongous, physical NCAA star, 6-6" Riley Tufte is becoming the lethal power forward prospect he was drafted to become. He has become accustomed to the speed and skill of NCAA hockey, and with Minnesota-Duluth, scored a team-high 16 goals in his sophomore season in 2017-18. With unmatched size and physical toughness, he plays a dangerous offensive game that combines his plus playmaking and stickhandling with natural corporeal competitiveness. He can drive right to the net with his strong upper-body or draw opposing players to him against the boards to set up a teammate. With improvements in comfort and skating ability (he can move for a big guy, but can not exactly fly out there), Tufte can play the ideal power forward game, one that consists of constant pressure and physical imposition that forces defenders to react and move. Like most college players, he is a long-term project, but he has skills no coach can teach and a size advantage no common defender can come around. He will return to Duluth in 2018-19.

8 Denis Gurianov, RW (12th overall, 2015. Last year: 3rd) Everyone will agree: Denis Gurianov, at 12th overall in 2015, was the wrong pick. With Mat Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Brock Boeser among others still waiting, the Stars stretched out and grabbed a Russian minor-leaguer. Nonetheless, it's still too early to label Gurianov as a bust, even if his prospect ranking took a major hit. The 21-year-old has incredible straight-line speed, coupled with near elite acceleration and a never-give-up, high-energy motor; his frame (6-3", 200 lbs) is also at an NHL level, so at the very least, he could be a useful forechecker. His wrist shot is superb, with a quick release and the ability to fire from anywhere. Gurianov's defensive efforts are underappreciated, as he uses his speed and size to get into passing and shooting lanes well. His main problem is perhaps the biggest one you can have: a lack of hockey sense. Often looking lost out there, his positioning is terrible, his playmaking vision lags, and, as a healthy scratch for many Texas Stars playoff games in their Calder Cup Finals run, his coaches do not trust him in big moments. Without a major improvement in that aisle, he has bust potential.

9 Roope Hintz, C/LW (49th overall, 2015. Last year: 7th) Another example of quality scouting in Europe, the Stars grabbed Roope Hintz in what was considered an off-the-board second-round pick in 2015. Very mature and experienced at 21 years old - having played three full seasons in Liiga and winning the World Junior gold - he could be an NHL forward now and hold his own. His rookie AHL season was an instant success, as he led all Stars prospects in points with Texas, playing both center and wing over the year and becoming increasingly comfortable on the smaller North American ice. Hintz has insane top speed, and though his acceleration lags, he can blow right past opposing defenders with enough time and space to generate speed. His hands are swift and stellar, and though he is mostly a playmaker rather than a shooter, his wrist shot is fantastic. With one of the most well-rounded gameplay arsenals in the Dallas system, Hintz will be a useful NHL player for a while once he is ready.

Adam Mascherin

10 Adam Mascherin, LW (100th overall, 2018. Last year: 10th [Florida]) Adam Mascherin is not your typical prospect. Drafted as an early second-rounder by the Florida Panthers in 2015, the Kitchener Rangers star opted to re-enter the draft three years later after never signing with his draft team. At 100th overall, Dallas nabbed the 20-year-old in what can be called a reclamation project, and with his OHL eligibility used up, he will immediately report to AHL Texas. A former 100-point OHL player, it is clear that he has offensive skills, and he will probably transition to the pros as more of a goal-scorer than a playmaker with the high-power, tricky wrist shot he possesses. A very hard worker, he is short and stocky and uses his upper body strength well to get into dangerous scoring positions. He has sneakily good speed and great rink senses, although his two-way game is still developing. If he can be a prolific offensive force for Texas and Dallas, he will find a place high on the depth chart. If not, he was still worth the risk as a mid-round overager.

11 Oskar Back, C (75th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) A young Swedish forward who has been playing above his age level for years, Oskar Back has long had top-nine NHL potential, and the Stars grabbed the 18-year-old forward with a third-round selection in last summer's draft. With a very versatile skillset, he will soon find success at the SHL level, after tallying 32 points in 38 games in the Swedish Junior ranks. He has deadly speed that allows him to push the pace of the game, and deft hand-eye coordination and stickhandling skills that help him put the puck where it belongs, be it on a teammate's stick blade for a shot or his own. He tends to look for a pass over taking a shot, but his vision and quick decision-making lets him drop beautiful assists with ease. His plus size and strength allow his two-way game to flourish, really helping his game come to complete fruition. He isn't very strong away from the puck, and on account of that, he projects to play the wing rather than center at higher levels, but his game is otherwise formidable in most other facets.

12 Curtis Douglas, C (106th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) There is no secret as to why the Stars took a chance on Curtis Douglas with the 106th pick last summer. A 6-8" center with respectable wheels and some underappreciated playmaking skill, he is a very unique prospect whose uncommon physique is something to build upon. A decent OHL player, between the Barrie Colts and Windsor Spitfires last season, he tapped home 22 goals and assisted on 25 in his second full junior season. Obviously, his main selling point is his size, which he uses extremely well, shoving off defenders, getting inside/net-front position, and shielding the puck off well, but he can skate pretty well too. His top speed is what you would imagine at his size, but his cuts, acceleration, and backward-to-forward transitioning is reminiscent of a player a foot shorter. He also has splendid offensive vision that allows him to thread difficult passes through the slot for goals, and the attentiveness to be an effective forechecker. What Douglas will become is nearly impossible to project, but between his size and skills, Dallas might as well see where this goes.

13 Gavin Bayreuther, D (Free Agent Signing: Mar. 17, 2017. Last year: 11th) Not really an organization for big free agent prospect signings, the Stars inked undrafted NCAA defenseman Gavin Bayreuther last season and had the young lefthander anchor the AHL blueline this past year, with mixed results. The St. Lawrence University standout paced all Texas defensemen with 32 points, but displayed some growing pains, specifically in his own zone, where he looked lost with the pace and skill of the pro game. Otherwise, Bayreuther exhibited the assets that made him a hot commodity as a free agent, showing off his mobility, playmaking skills, and reliability defending zone entries. Mostly an offensive-defenseman, he has excellent foot speed, good hands, and loves to pass up the ice. A fixture on the Stars' power play, he has the prototypical offensive patience and vision of a defenseman like him. He is still a season away from an NHL roster spot, but the potential is there so long as he works on his defensive game.

14 Riley Damiani, C (137th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) An undersized center, Riley Diamiani is one of those guys that remains an offensive threat even without any single dynamic skill, just by virtue of his hockey sense and general intelligence. The Kitchener forward, who occasionally centered a line with fellow 2018 Stars pick Adam Mascherin this past season, netted 19 goals and 18 assists in 2017-18. With strong acceleration and decent top speed, he was a central part of both the defensive and offensive efforts of the OHL's Rangers when on the ice. He can join or push the offensive rush with ease, but he appears more comfortable without the puck, and he mostly camps out somewhere near the net to fire off one of his blazing wrist shots directly off a pass. His positioning is solid in all three zones and his non-stop, energetic motor is another point in his favor. As a center, Diamiani needs to become more assertive with the puck and be a more effective set-up man, especially with his swift, elusive stickhandling skills; he does not really have a winger's skillset or the size to make something happen against the boards, so it looks like his future will be down the middle, but there will be no long-term future for the 18-year-old without an improvement in that aisle.

Albin Eriksson

15 Albin Eriksson, RW (44th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) Albin Eriksson compares his game to that of future Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin, and from a purely stylistic standpoint, it is hard to disagree. Eriksson is a menacing power forward with a deadly mix of size (6-4", 207 lbs) and intensity, using that combo to score at over a point-per-game in the Swedish Junior levels (22-18-40 in 38 games). He skates well for a guy of his stature, has crazy quick hands and elusiveness to fly past defenders, and has above-average play-reading abilities. He truly is like Malkin from a style perspective: a power forward with an unpredictable, skilled, complete offensive game. So why is he ranked so low in the prospect rundown, especially as a mid second-rounder? Eriksson is a square peg in the round hole of hockey, being mostly a dud in his time in the SHL, and not often being called upon to represent Sweden in international play. He lacks the dynamic skill to be a top-six forward at high levels, but plays too fast and unstructured of a style to be a depth scoring option. He has middle-six NHL potential with the Stars if he can harness his skill into something more readily useful down the road.

16 Joseph Cecconi, D (133rd overall, 2015. Last year: 13th) When you play alongside Zach Werenski and Quinn Hughes on the Michigan blueline, the spotlight will, understandably, not be on you. Joseph Cecconi, in his senior year, will now step into the glare for the Wolverines after being named the program's captain. The former World Junior gold medalist had his best offensive season last year, scoring five goals in addition to 17 assists, helping Michigan reach the Frozen Four for the first time in seven seasons. A big and strong stay-at-home defenseman with a developing offensive game, he has great gap control and quick enough feet to mark his man throughout the defensive zone. He does not carry the puck much, but instead utilizes his fast and accurate stretch passes to spark a transition game. He projects to be a well-rounded bottom-pairing defenseman with minimal offensive upside, but his game has many facets to like.

17 Dillon Heatherington, D (Trade: Mar. 1, 2017 [Columbus]. Last year: 17th) A former second-rounder, Dillon Heatherington would have been an NHL All-Star 20 years ago, but as the game trends toward faster and smaller defensemen, keeping a major-league roster spot has been a challenge for him. One of the AHL's best and most physical d-men last season, the 6-4" lefty also made a mark with his nastiness and intensity in the Dallas locker room, accruing 26 penalty minutes and a point in his six top-flight games last season. His size and strength permits him to shove opposing forwards around and force them to the outside to limit high-danger shots; when they do get by him, he has decent enough foot speed to track them back down and cut a pass or shot off. After the 2017-18 campaign, it looked like Heatherington would have the seventh defenseman job locked down with Dallas, but it became clear that the Stars brass lacks confidence in the former Calder Cup champ after signing Roman Polak for that role.

18 Nicholas Caamano, C/RW (146th overall, 2016. Last year: 16th) One of the last cuts from the Stars' 2017 training camp roster, Nicholas Caamano has made a great first impressions on Dallas' front office personnel. After a mid-season trade from Ty Dellandrea's Flint Firebirds to the Hamilton Bulldogs, the offensive dynamo erupted for 36 points in 41 games, followed by 22 in 21 postseason matches as Hamilton took home the OHL Championship. He plays a goal-scoring offense-first game, but has made major strides in his playmaking over the past few seasons, as his smarts have let him evolve into a more complete player. His shot is electric, he can skate with the best of them, plays both sides of the special teams equation, and has some strong power forward moves despite average size. A young 20-year-old, Caamano will join the AHL Stars in 2018-19 as Dallas tries to develop him into another fifth-round steal.

19 Ondrej Vala, D (Free Agent Signing: Sep. 29, 2016. Last year: 20th) Undrafted out of the 2016 draft, Ondrej Vala joined the Stars' prospect club at the annual Traverse City tournament and signed a three-year ELC directly after. Something impressed the Stars then, and the exceptional two-way WHL defender has shown us all what he showed the Dallas brass back then. A mid-season acquisition by the Everett Silvertips, Vala was like a rock on the blueline during a stretch run, and playoff run, that concluded in a berth in the WHL Finals. He is massive (6-4", 210 lbs), with a frame that he uses well in his own zone to dislodge opposing forwards' position and scoop pucks out from the boards by using his body as a shield. He also has a cannon from the blueline, one he utilizes at every opportunity, and can skate well for a big man, covering a lot of ground in all three zones. The 20-year-old will likely transition to the AHL, where he will continue to fine-tune his raw defensive zone coverage.

20 Dawson Barteaux, D (168th overall, 2018. Last year: IE) The only defenseman the Stars drafted in 2018 and the first Stars' defensive selection since Miro Heiskanen, highly-mobile puck-moving defenseman Dawson Barteaux has all the makings of a late-round draft steal. He made huge strides in 2017-18 with the Red Deer Rebels while playing alongside Capitals first-rounder Alexander Alexeyev, recording three goals and 29 assists in 64 regular-season games. He played in all situations for Red Deer, including both special teams sides, eating up a lot of minutes as a cool, calm presence on their blue line. A possession machine and a driver of offense, Barteaux mixes riskiness with safe play, a trait that should translate well to the pros. He is a great skater and has exciting stickhandling abilities, but needs to work on his point shot a little, as well as the intricacies of defensive zone play.

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

Ryan Wagman — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:37:30 +0000

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

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

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

Here is the Central Division

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 53.25

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 53.75

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 52.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 51.25

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

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

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

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

OFP – 50.75

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

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

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

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

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

OFP - 51

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 50.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OHL Playoff Preview: Greyhounds pacing the pack

Brock Otten — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 20:51:07 +0000

The 2018 Ontario Hockey League playoffs kick off this week after the regular season wrapped up this past weekend. Heading into the playoffs, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds are the clear favorites to come out of the OHL and represent the league at the Memorial Cup in Regina. They have spent the vast majority of the season as the top ranked team in the CHL, one of only two teams to chart the entire season (along with Blainville-Boisbriand of the QMJHL). But competition is always fierce and there are no sure bets in the OHL. Let us now take a look at each first round match-up.

Eastern Conference

#1 - Hamilton Bulldogs vs. #8 - Ottawa 67’s

Season Series: Hamilton leads 5-0

Will Bitten of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Analysis: The Conference Champion Bulldogs face off against the 67’s after the Steelheads won on the final Sunday, securing the number 7 seed. Hamilton has been the cream of the crop of the Eastern Conference for the vast majority of the season. They have been extremely active in trades this year to give them the best chance of coming out of the East. The Bulldogs added Robert Thomas (St. Louis), Riley Stillman (Florida), Nic Caamano (Dallas), Ryan Moore, and Nic Mattinen (Toronto) to an already stacked lineup, giving Ottawa an extremely daunting challenge in round one. This team rolls three powerhouse offensive lines with Matthew Strome (Philadelphia), Will Bitten (Montreal), Mackenzie Entwistle (Arizona), Marian Studenic (New Jersey), and Brandon Saigeon being other top options. Forward Arthur Kaliyev (2019) is another name to watch. He is the first 16 year old to score 30 goals in the OHL since Alex Galchenyuk and he is a potential lottery pick next year as a power winger. In net, the Bulldogs boast one of the OHL’s most improved players this year in Kaden Fulcher (Detroit).

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

Ottawa, on the other hand, is a very young team. In a few years’ time, they could be Memorial Cup contenders. They could have five players drafted in the first three rounds this year (Kody Clark, Mitchell Hoelscher, Merrick Rippon, Kevin Bahl, and Carter Robertson). Offensively, they are paced by Sasha Chmelevski (San Jose), Travis Barron (Colorado), Austen Keating (2018) and Tye Felhaber. Chmelevski was a much hyped prospect who fell hard at last year’s draft (all the way to the 6th), but he has returned much stronger this season. His play away from the puck has greatly improved and it has taken his game to another level. But for all their talent offensively, the 67’s have had a very difficult time keeping the puck out of their own net this year. Overager Olivier Tremblay has not provided the stability that the team had hoped for when they brought him in early this year.

This one has all the makings of a quick series. This Ottawa team, as talented as they are young, is not yet ready for this type of challenge. The Bulldogs are one of the deepest teams in the OHL and their offensive firepower is likely to overwhelm an inexperienced defense and inconsistent netminder. One particular thing worth watching is the 67’s struggling penalty kill going up against one of the league’s best powerplay units from Hamilton. This has to be troubling for Ottawa because they also happen to be one of the league’s most undisciplined teams. And while Ottawa does have some great young offensive talent, the Bulldogs have one of the oldest defensive units in the league and are likely to limit the offensive chances of the 67’s. I look for Robert Thomas to have a big series here (and a big playoff performance overall). His points per game has taken a big dip since joining the Bulldogs, but I think he explodes this postseason.

Prediction: This Hamilton team is just too experienced and too talented for the 67’s. They have the advantage in nearly every area and should dominate. If Ottawa was getting better goaltending, I would say that they might be able to steal a game or two, but I do not even see that happening. Hamilton in 4.

#2 - Barrie Colts vs. #7 - Mississauga Steelheads

Season Series: Mississauga leads 4-2

Michael McLeod of the Mississauga Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Analysis: If I was a betting man, I would bet that this is the match-up that Barrie wanted to avoid in the opening round. In fact, it was probably the match-up every team wanted to avoid in the first round. Mississauga has underachieved all season long, but they have shown some signs of finally coming to life the last month or so. Offensive talent is not to be questioned. Their first two lines include names like Michael McLeod (New Jersey), Ryan McLeod (2018), Owen Tippett (Florida), Trent Fox, Albert Michnac (2018), and Mathieu Foget. This group of six matches up well against any top six in the Eastern Conference and it helps to explain why the Steelheads are the third highest scoring team in the Conference. And this excludes their leading scorer, defenseman Nic Hague (Vegas), who was the first OHL defender to score 30+ since Allan Rourke. But keeping the puck out has been a challenge at times. Swedish import and defensive stalwart Jacob Moverare (Los Angeles) has been injured and that has really challenged their younger defensive players to play more minutes than they are ready for. Furthermore, young netminder Jacob Ingham (2018) has had an awful sophomore season that has seen him essentially lose the starting job to Emanuel Vella.

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

This is potentially trouble because Barrie is the highest scoring team in the Conference and the 3rd highest scoring in the OHL. Their first line of Andrei Svechnikov (2018), Aaron Luchuk (Ottawa), and Dmitry Sokolov (Minnesota) has been absolutely shredding teams of late. The supporting offensive cast includes guys like Ryan Suzuki (2019), Jason Willms (2018), and Zach Magwood who work extremely hard in all three zones and bring energy that exhausts the opposition so that the first line can go to work. The Colts do not have any stars on the blueline, but they are a tight knit unit who work well with Barrie’s forwards to play a terrific team defense. In net, overager Leo Lazerev starts and while he does not necessarily win any games outright for the Colts, he is a mostly reliable presence. It should be noted that he has yet to win an OHL playoff series in his career and probably goes into this match-up with just as many question marks as Mississauga’s tenders.

There is no question that this is not your average #2 versus #7 seed match-up. This is especially true when you consider the fact that Mississauga largely dominated the season series, winning all three games in the new year by a combined score of 18-10. For whatever reason, the speed of Mississauga’s forwards gives the defense of Barrie a tough time and Lazerev has an .840 save percentage against the Fish this season. This is complicated even more by the fact that Andrei Svechnikov has been suspended for the first four games of the series for a head check. But I admit, I have a tough time picking Mississauga to win this series. I do not trust their defense to be able to handle Barrie’s depth up front. And if these games go to an offensive shootout like they did in the regular season, I think Barrie ends up coming out on top this time. Mississauga’s Mathieu Foget has also been suspended for the first four games of the series and his loss might actually be felt more because of Mississauga’s lack of depth. His acquisition really triggered the turnaround for the team. Barrie also needs to stay out of the box. In the regular season, they gave Mississauga almost double the amount of powerplays that they received and it cost them dearly with the Steelheads clicking at over 30% with the man advantage. If they can stay out of the box, and Lazerev can make a few saves, I still like Barrie to come out on top.

Prediction: The result of this series would not surprise me either way, even with the difference in seeding. But depth is critical in the playoffs and Barrie has the advantage there. I am excited to see how the Svechnikov/Luchuk/Sokolov unit handles the pressure of the playoffs. Svechnikov, in particular, can really cement himself as the #2 prospect available in the draft with a strong postseason performance once he returns from suspension (as long as Barrie does not get swept). Barrie in 7.

#3 - Kingston Frontenacs vs. #6 - North Bay Battalion

Season Series: Kingston leads 3-1

Gabriel Vilardi of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Analysis: This is an intriguing match-up because of how differently these two teams approached the OHL season. Kingston brought in Gabe Vilardi (Los Angeles), Max Jones (Anaheim), Cliff Pu (Buffalo), Sean Day (New York Rangers), and Mitchell Byrne at the deadline to bolster an already solid line-up and make them contenders to come out of the East. While they failed to secure a division banner, the results post deadline have been mostly extremely positive. A healthy and re-invigorated Vilardi has provided the biggest boost, as his 1.87 points per game in Kingston is second to only Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis) in the OHL. His strength, on and off the puck, makes him a dominant force in all three zones and the type of player who works to tire and grind out opposing defenses.

Justin Brazeau of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson /OHL Images,

The North Bay Battalion were sellers at the deadline this year, shipping out veterans Cam Dineen (Arizona), and Brett McKenzie (Vancouver). Those moves only worked to light a fire under the Battalion roster and the team actually improved their record in the New Year thanks to the play of new acquisitions Matthew Struthers (2018), and Jake Henderson, as well as veterans Justin Brazeau (2018), and Adam Thilander (2018). Brazeau, in particular, is a player to watch. The 6-5” winger finished just inside the Top 20 of league scoring and was named as the East’s most underrated player in the recent coaches poll that was released.

If we are measuring up these two teams, we need to give the edge to Kingston in nearly every area. The Fronts lead the season series 3-1, winning the three most recent games (February on). The biggest advantage Kingston has is in net with Jeremy Helvig (Carolina) manning the crease. The overager and veteran netminder has 19 OHL playoff games under his belt and is unquestionably one of the league’s top netminders. Meanwhile, the Battalion will rely on either Christian Propp (2018) or Julian Sime, who have a combined zero OHL playoff appearances. Kingston also has a heavy advantage on special teams, with their powerplay and penalty killing units operating at a higher level. With Robertson and Vilardi operating down low on the powerplay, North Bay is going to need to stay out of the box to have any chance in this series. One wild card to keep an eye on is the health of Max Jones. Jones has been out since the end of January after undergoing surgery on a broken finger. It is likely he returns at some point in these playoffs and he can be a major x-factor.

Prediction: Ultimately, Kingston’s experience and leadership should carry them to a relatively easy victory in this match-up. Gabe Vilardi and Sean Day won a Memorial Cup together last year. Mitchell Byrne won an OHL Championship last year. And Cliff Pu and Max Jones won an OHL Title and Memorial Cup in 2016. Kingston in 5.

#4 - Niagara IceDogs vs. #5 - Oshawa Generals

Season Series: Tied at 1 game apiece

Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Analysis: Two teams that do not see a ton of each other match-up in round one. Niagara and Oshawa also happen to be two of the hotter teams in the OHL heading into the playoffs. The IceDogs are a team that rely on speed and energy to play an up tempo and offensively oriented style of game. They get after it on the forecheck and have a powerplay that has been much improved since the acquisition of overager Sam Miletic (Pittsburgh) from London. On top of Miletic, Niagara has a trio of offensive weapons that they rely on in Kirill Maksimov (Edmonton), Akil Thomas (2018), and Ben Jones (Vegas).

Jack Studnicka of the Oshawa Generals. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Oshawa, on the other hand, prefers to slow things down and grind it out in the offensive end. Their fearless leader is Jack Studnicka (Boston), an excellent two-way center who makes an impact in so many different ways. A pair of first time draft eligible forwards support Studnicka; Serron Noel (2018), and Allan McShane (2018). Defenseman Matt Brassard (Vancouver) is also critical to their offensive success. He was one of the highest scoring defenders in the league in the second half and finished the year 7th in defensive scoring.

If we are truly comparing these two teams, it is difficult to determine who has a clear advantage. In goal, the nod should be given to Oshawa and their starter Kyle Keyser (Boston). Keyser has been a stable presence in net this year, definitely more so than Stephen Dhillon who has struggled for Niagara this year, or the inexperienced Colton Incze. Up front, I give the slight edge to Niagara because of their explosiveness and depth. On defense, the two teams boast slightly inexperienced units who are mobile, but can be mistake prone. Ultimately, I see two things possibly tipping the favor in Niagara’s direction. The first is special teams play. As mentioned, Niagara’s powerplay has been performing at a high level lately and Oshawa has one of the league’s worst penalty killing units. The second is home ice advantage, which Niagara owns after finishing the regular season on a 7 game winning streak.

Prediction: With home ice advantage, better special teams play, and a slightly more explosive offense, I like Niagara to win this series. Their goaltending concerns me slightly, but between Dhillon or Incze, they should be able to make enough big saves to at least get the IceDogs into the second round. But this one will be close. Niagara in 7.

Western Conference

#1 - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds vs. #8 - Saginaw Spirit

Season Series: SSM leads 7-1

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. Photo by Terry Wilson

Analysis: The juggernaut Greyhounds kick off their Memorial Cup push against the Saginaw Spirit, whose five game losing streak to end the season forced them down the standings and into this first round match-up. Sault Ste. Marie has nine NHL draft picks on their roster and two more potential first rounders for 2018. Up front, Boris Katchouk (Tampa Bay), Taylor Raddysh (Tampa Bay), Jack Kopacka (Anaheim), Tim Gettinger (New York Rangers), Barrett Hayton (2018), and the underrated Hayden Verbeek pace the attack. But the real star is OHL 2nd leading scorer Morgan Frost (Philadelphia), one of the breakout stars of this season. On the backend, the Hounds are equally strong, led by Conor Timmins (Colorado), and Rasmus Sandin (2018). Neither seem to make a mistake with the puck and both are just as good in their own end as they are offensively. In net, Matthew Villalta (Los Angeles) has been a steady presence who makes the saves when he needs to.

Evan Cormier of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Saginaw’s strength actually starts in net where overager Evan Cormier (New Jersey) keeps the Spirit in a lot of games that they do not deserve to be in. This is important because the Spirit struggle to score goals. They were only one of three teams in the OHL to not score 200 goals on the season and the other two finished dead last in their conferences (Flint and Sudbury). Furthermore, their powerplay was a league worst 14.7%. There is definitely some offensive talent on this team, but the team’s best days are ahead of them as guys like Blade Jenkins (2018), Nicholas Porco (2019), Ryan Stepien (2020), Aidan Prueter (2020), and Damien Giroux (2018) gain experience. In fact, the team’s only NHL drafted forward, Brady Gilmour (Detroit) finished 9th in team scoring.

In all honesty, this series should not be close and is not likely to be close. The Spirit have a talented young roster, but they are not currently an equal to the Greyhounds. Sault Ste. Marie has the advantage in nearly every area except maybe goaltending. Even then, Evan Cormier can only do so much. Heck, we might see the Greyhounds score more shorthanded goals than the Spirit score powerplay goals in the series.

Prediction: I want to say that Evan Cormier can do enough to steal a game for the Spirit in this series, but I cannot even see the Spirit winning a game. The Greyhounds are just too strong. SSM in 4.

#2 - Kitchener Rangers vs. #7 - Guelph Storm

Season Series: Kitchener leads 5-3

Logan Brown of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Analysis: This is an interesting first round match-up between two teams that did not end the regular season the way they wanted to. Kitchener, a strong team all season, struggled down the stretch, although managed to hang on to their Division crown. Meanwhile, the Guelph Storm were one of the league’s worst teams in the last few months that saw them lose their grip on the #6 spot in the West. Kitchener loaded up at the deadline by bringing in Logan Brown (Ottawa), Givani Smith (Detroit), Mario Culina, and Austin McEneny. I think it would be fair to say that Kitchener is still waiting to see the best out of three of those four, with Culina playing well so far as a starter. It has been the guys around all season like Adam Mascherin (Florida), Kole Sherwood (Columbus), Joseph Gareffa, Logan Stanley (Winnipeg), and Riley Damiani (2018) that have been driving the team’s success. Moving into the playoffs, it will be about whether the newer faces can finally find chemistry or not. The health of defensive stalwart Connor Hall (Pittsburgh) could also impact the series.

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

Guelph, as mentioned, has also struggled down the stretch, especially when it comes to preventing goals. Goaltender Anthony Popovich (2018) appeared to tire of late after seeing a huge jump in workload this season. The defensive group, led by Ryan Merkley (2018), and Dmitri Samorukov (Edmonton) also struggled, to the point where Merkley was a healthy scratch at times down the stretch. The Storm do have a hard working forward group who is capable of icing multiple scoring lines. The offensive leaders are unquestionably Isaac Ratcliffe (Philadelphia) and Cam Hillis (2018), who along with Alexei Toropchenko (St. Louis) form a quality first line.

Looking at this series a little more under the microscope, it is probably closer than people are making it out to be. The special teams match-up pretty well. Neither team has a dominant goaltender that one would qualify as a game-changer (no offense meant to Culina or Popovich). Both teams struggled down the stretch with team chemistry issues. The tipping point for me is experience. The Rangers have the clear advantage there, especially on the defensive end. Guys like Logan Stanley and Austin McEneny, who won a Memorial Cup together with Windsor last year, should really help to stabilize things, even without Connor Hall. I also look for longtime Rangers like Mascherin or Connor Bunnaman (Philadelphia) to really step up offensively to get this team over the first round hump.

Prediction: As mentioned, I feel like Kitchener’s experience advantage will help them come out on top in this series. I also feel that they have a much better team defense approach that likely plays out better for success in the playoffs. Guelph has talent, but they play a very high risk game that, without a ton of playoff experience, could be their undoing. It will be close, but Kitchener in 6.

#3 - Sarnia Sting vs. #6 - Windsor Spitfires

Season Series: Sarnia leads 5-1

Michael DiPietro of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Analysis: No offense meant to the rest of the Windsor Spitfires, but this match-up is about two things. The Sarnia offense (2nd best in the OHL) versus the goaltending of Michael DiPietro (Vancouver). The dynamic DiPietro is one of the few goaltenders in the OHL who is capable of stealing a series victory for his team. The Spitfires rebuilt, dealing off the majority of their veterans held over from their Memorial Cup victory last year, but decided to hang on to their star netminder for this reason. They battle hard in the offensive end behind the likes of Curtis Douglas (2018), Cole Purboo (2018), Cody Morgan (2019), Luke Boka, and Matthew MacDougall (2018). And they play smart in their own end thanks to Connor Corcoran (2018), Nathan Staios (2019), Grayson Ladd (2019), and Zach Shankar. But this team has zero NHL drafted players outside of DiPietro and are incredibly inexperienced.

Jordan Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

The Sting, conversely, were one of the biggest buyers throughout this OHL season, bringing in talented veterans like Cam Dineen (Arizona), Jonathan Ang (Florida), and Michael Pezzetta (Montreal). The lifeblood of the team is Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis), the league’s leader in points per game this year and possibly the best offensive player in the OHL. He is currently zero for three in first round appearances and is likely to do everything in his power to finally reach the second round (and beyond). You could likely argue that overager Justin Fazio is the team’s second most important player in the series, especially considering that he has to match-up against DiPietro. The margin for error is slim.

One of Sarnia’s biggest strengths is on the powerplay where Kyrou, Adam Ruzicka (Calgary), and Drake Rymsha (Los Angeles) have a combined 34 powerplay goals this year. Problem is, Windsor takes among the least amount of penalties in the OHL so as long as Windsor can continue to stay out of the box, Sarnia is going to need to beat DiPietro 5 on 5. The question I have is, how will Windsor manage to score goals, at least enough goals to win this 7 game series? It will not be with the man advantage either (likely) as the Sting have the league’s top penalty killing unit. I am slightly worried about Sarnia’s inexperienced defense though, but that concern is more directed towards round two or three (if the Sting advance that far). Sarnia will need big guys like Ruzicka, Pezzetta, Jordan Ernst, and Hugo Leufvenius (2018) to crowd DiPietro’s space as much as possible and really make him uncomfortable. Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. Windsor fans can tell you, sometimes the best way to beat Michael DiPietro is through sheer luck and bad bounces.

Prediction: As much as I want to predict a Windsor victory, I do not see it in the cards. DiPietro will steal a few games and he will make Sarnia sweat. But the offensive firepower of Sarnia, combined with the inexperience of Windsor’s defense is likely to give the Sting too many scoring chances for the Spitfires’ star netminder to handle. Sarnia in 6.

#4 - Owen Sound Attack vs. #5 - London Knights

Season Series: London leads 4-2

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

Analysis: As is usually the case, the 4/5 matchup in the Western Conference looks to be the closest match-up of the first round, and subsequently the most difficult to prognosticate. London traded off the vast majority of their big guns to retool to fight another day. Instead, the team played inspired hockey down the stretch led by a host of younger players eager to make their mark. When talking about London, we have to start with defenseman Evan Bouchard (2018), the lifeblood of the Knights. His 87 points are the highest by a blueliner since Ryan Ellis hit the 100 point mark in 2011. The speedy Alex Formenton (Ottawa) is also playing the best hockey of his OHL career thus far with 12 goals in 14 games to close out the regular season. And you cannot talk about London without mentioning how good the “kid” line of Liam Foudy (2018), Billy Moskal (2018), and Nathan Dunkley (2018) has been since the trade deadline. This trio was challenged to step up their games with increased ice time and they all responded accordingly.

Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Owen Sound, on the other hand, was expected to be one of the top teams in the OHL this year but struggled to keep their star players healthy all year and subsequently struggled to perform consistently. That is, until the last few months when they have been, arguably, the OHL’s best. This team is scary good when healthy and they are now finally healthy. They roll three outstanding scoring lines, including a top unit of Jonah Gadjovich (Vancouver), Kevin Hancock (2018), and Nick Suzuki (Vegas) that has been one of the OHL’s best over the last two seasons. They also have one of the OHL’s top offensive blueliners in Sean Durzi (2018), who if he did not get injured, likely could have challenged Bouchard for the defenceman scoring title. It is in net where Owen Sound has struggled this season as Olivier Lafreniere and Mack Guzda (2019) have battled to find consistency. No question, Owen Sound has to have their offense rolling to win because they are not going to win many 2-1 games.

So who has the advantage going into this match-up? Experience wise, the nod has to be given to Owen Sound...and by a wide margin. The Attack are returning the vast majority of a roster that lost in the Conference finals last season. The Knights are an extremely well coached team, but they are relying on a lot of rookies and sophomores in key roles and that can often prove to be a recipe for disaster in the postseason. The deciding factor in this series probably comes down to the goaltending. So long as Owen Sound can get at least adequate goaltending from one of Lafreniere or Guzda, they should win this series. But if their goaltending struggles and team is forced to constantly play catch-up, the series tips in London’s favor, a team with nothing to lose.

Prediction: I have to give the nod to Owen Sound here because now that they are fully healthy, they look like a tough team to stop. This is especially true for a team as inexperienced as London; even if they are extremely talented. The Attack can get the saves they need to win this one, even if London pushes them and makes them sweat. Owen Sound in 6

OHL Finals Prediction

When the field is finally narrowed down to two teams who battle it out for OHL supremacy, I expect those two teams to be the Kingston Frontenacs and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

From the East I like Kingston for a couple reasons. The first is experience. As I already alluded to, they have a lot of players on that roster who have already won a Memorial Cup or OHL Championship (or both). That type of leadership goes a long way in the playoffs. The second is special teams play. The great Scotty Bowman always said combined special teams play was a great indicator of postseason success. Well the Fronts have the best powerplay in the league and the second best penalty kill. The third is goaltending. Jeremy Helvig is a veteran netminder who is about as consistent as they come. I have a ton of confidence in his ability to make saves when he needs to.

From the West, I like the Soo Greyhounds as they have looked about as dominant as anyone in the OHL has over the last few years. Their 116 points is the most since Barrie put up 116 in 2010. This team has it all. Special teams success. Good goaltending. Speed. Physicality. But most of all...depth. Drew Bannister’s players rarely seem to take a shift off and they rarely make mistakes with the puck. That composure at both ends of the ice makes them the favorite.

For the OHL Title, I am taking the Soo Greyhounds to win their first J. Ross Robertson Cup since they won back to back championships in the early 90ś.