Danila Galenyuk – McKeen's Hockey

2020 NHL DRAFT: Re-Entry Candidates Part Three – Europe

Sun, 02 Feb 2020 13:09:32 +0000

Intro (repeated from Part 1 and 2) - The art of scouting is an imperfect science. For various reasons, players get missed. Maybe said player was on a bad team and was subsequently under-scouted. Maybe said player worked through injuries in their draft year and as a result could never fully show what he was capable of. Or maybe said player did not get the ice time required to shine.

On the other hand, players can be skipped over because scouts felt that they were not good enough. That said, teenagers are far from a finished product on the ice. Their games mature just as their minds and bodies do. That is why it is critical to track players as they move through their second and third years of draft eligibility. For North American players with birth dates from January 1st to September 15th, they will be eligible for three NHL drafts. For players with birth dates from September 16th to December 31st, they will be eligible for two NHL drafts. And for European players (who are still developing in European leagues), extend that eligibility by one year in both cases.

In recent years, we have had a major shift in drafting philosophy, with more teams selecting players in their second and third years of eligibility. For one, these players are finding success at the NHL level, such as Cam Atkinson, Mike Hoffman, Ryan Dzingel, Brandon Montour, and Connor Hellebuyck, to name just a few. Secondly, teams are able to draft more polished products who have shown a steep progression curve. And thirdly, in the case of draft and follow NCAA bound players, NHL teams will have a few years longer to decide whether they want to sign said players to one of their precious 50 contracts inside the limit.

Last year, eleven “re-entry” candidates went in the Top 100 alone (four more than 2018); Pyotr Kochetkov, Samuel Fagemo, Brett Leason, Mattias Norlinder, Erik Portillo, John Ludvig, Ronnie Attard, Ilya Konovalov, Viktor Lodin, Tyce Thompson, Matej Blumel. In our “second chances” article last year (LINK HERE Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 ) we wrote about six of these eleven. In total 42 were taken among the 217 total players drafted in Vancouver. While that is down from the 46 taken in 2018, it is still nearly 20% of all draft picks. Additionally, of those 42, we identified and wrote about 14 in our aforementioned second chances series. We hope to identify even more this year.

In 2020, we have some very interesting candidates. OHL goaltender Nico Daws has been one of the best goaltenders in the CHL and was a member of Team Canada at the WJC. Lethbridge defenseman Alex Cotton currently leads all WHL defenseman in scoring only a year after being passed over at the draft. Hulking Slovakian goaltender Samuel Hlavaj has been one of the best goaltenders in the QMJHL and played for team Slovakia (again) at the WJC’s. Parker Ford of Providence is among the top freshman scorers in the NCAA and played for team U.S.A. at the WJC. This series of articles intends to highlight them and many other candidates who could be part of that 20% this year. We started with the Canadian Junior Leagues - WHL, OHL, QMJHL and the BCHL and published the prospects playing in the United States in the USHL and the NCAA yesterday. Today we wrap up the series with the European prospects entering the draft for their second or third time.

Europe

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 20: Russia's Yegor Chinakhov #26 during preliminary round action at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 20, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Yegor Chinakhov - Right Wing - Omskie (MHL)

Ranked 49th by McKeens last year for the 2019 NHL Draft, Chinakhov ended up going unselected. This year he has been considerably better in the MHL, currently second among U19 players in scoring and over a point per game. The 5-11” creative offensive winger should be back on the draft radar again.

“Chinakhov is a great sniper and overall is a very skilled and creative winger, who has some top six upside.” (Viktor Fomich)

“Strong skater who has good explosiveness. Chinakhov possesses an elite wrist shot and release and is a terrific scorer. He has soft hands but his decision making can come into question at times. Additionally, he needs to continue to develop physically and away from the puck.” (Alessandro Seren Rosso, McKeens 2019)

Artyom Galimov - Center - Ak Bars (KHL)

A strong candidate for KHL rookie of the year, Galimov has really put himself on the map in his final year of NHL draft eligibility (as a 1999 born European player). He won a Bronze last year with team Russia at the WJCs, playing in more of a depth role. But with Ak Bars this year, he is excelling in a league that is usually difficult for young players to break into. His 19 points thus far are tied for best among U21 players, along with Colorado Avalanche draft pick Nikolai Kovalenko. The 5-11” winger is sure to have the attention of NHL scouts now.

“Galimov is a hard-working two-way center. He is a good skater, mobile and aggressive in front of the net. He may not exactly have huge offensive upside though.” (Viktor Fomich)

Danila Galenyuk - Defense - SKA (KHL)

A defensive rock for team Russia at this year’s WJCs, the 6-2”, 200 lbs defender has also been a strong performer in the KHL. He is one of only a handful of U20 blueliners to see regular action in the league and has outproduced top Montreal Canadiens defender Alexander Romanov by nearly double. Back in 2018, we at McKeens had Galenyuk ranked inside our top 100, only to have him go undrafted. With a little more exposure this year and improvements to his play with the puck, Galenyuk could be an NHL draft pick this year.

“Galenyuk is a very physically gifted left defender with good mobility. While he does have a good shot, he is mostly defensive minded though.” (Viktor Fomich)

Eemil Erholtz - Right Wing - Sport (Liiga)

5-11” winger (2000 born) who has broken into Liiga action full time this year after playing sparingly at the men’s level last year. Erholtz also suited up for Team Finland at the World Juniors this year, where he played a depth role for the consistently strong Finns.

“Erholtz has made the jump from the juniors to the Liiga and has averaged over 13 minutes of ice-time per game. He also played quite well at the World Juniors, although he did not get on the scoresheet as often as I had hoped. He played with Ville Petman in all of Finland's games but the other winger on the line changed from time to time. Erholtz is a solid skater who can make quick changes of direction to leave defenders in the dust. His edge work is very good, but he does not have blazing speed. He is quite well rounded as he reads the game well without the puck and when he gets the puck on his stick, he displays swift hands and some finesse moves. He had some very good scoring chances at the World Juniors, but his finishing was mediocre at best. Still, his development is trending upwards and I think he's worth a late-round pick in the NHL Draft.” (Marco Bombino)

Joonas Oden - Left Wing/Right Wing - KooKoo (Liiga)

Dual citizen (U.S. and Finland) who was one of the unsung heroes for Finland at the World Junior Championships, forming terrific chemistry with Kristian Tanus. The 6-0” forward is also playing in his first full season in Liiga after splitting last year between Liiga and the U20 league. No question his performance as a tenacious and gritty winger at the WJC’s was memorable.

“Oden has made good progress this season and performed really well at the World Juniors. Although he hasn't gotten on the score sheet a whole lot in the Liiga, he has shown that he can play at a solid level and utilize his strengths in a men's league. He is a hard-working, strong-skating winger with good offensive skills and hockey sense. He can be a dangerous shooter even from a distance and has a quick wrist shot. Oden is also a good set-up guy with impressive vision and good precision in his passing. Defensively, he backchecks really well as he possesses the speed and footwork to catch opponents. Versatile and plays with pace. He has improved his urgency and physicality from the past season which has made him a more complete player. Oden had an excellent World Juniors performance which should finally attract the attention of NHL teams.” (Marco Bombino)

Axel Rindell - Defense - Jukurit (Liiga)

One of the top rookies in Liiga action this year as Lindell finds himself as the top scoring blueliner for Jukurit, right in line with the performances of top NHL prospects Lassi Thomson and Anttoni Honka. The 6-0” blueliner led the Finnish U20 league in defenseman scoring last year, so his production and performance should not come as a complete surprise.

“Rindell had a nice season in the U20 league and has opened a lot of eyes in the Liiga this season. He averages almost 19 minutes of ice-time per game, plays on the power play and contributes in the transition game. An offensive-minded and mobile blueliner with very good puck moving abilities, he has the puck control and skating ability to escape from pressure. He makes a firm, crisp first pass and he can also carry the puck up the ice. He keeps the game simple enough. His heavy, quick slap shot is a real threat from the point and he rarely hesitates to use it. He shoots to create rebounds and gets shots past the first defender. His defensive game is improving and although he could at times be more alert and assertive in the defensive zone, he can hold his own in the Liiga. Once he gains more strength, he will be more effective in board and corner battles.” (Marco Bombino)

Kristian Tanus - Center - Jukurit (Liiga)

Most definitely undersized at 5-8”, but Tanus is an extremely talented playmaker who was one of the standouts of this year’s WJC for Team Finland. His beautiful no-look pass helped to get the Finns into the semi-finals with a defeat over Team U.S.A. His production in Liiga action has only been mediocre thus far, but what he has done Internationally has certainly been impressive.

“Tanus had an excellent World Juniors tournament, playing alongside Joonas Oden and Patrik Puistola on the second line. The small center led the Finnish team in scoring with nine points in seven games and definitely boosted his draft stock. Tanus is an excellent distributor of the puck who sees the ice very well and delivers tape-to-tape passes. His playmaking skills were on full display on the power play as he can execute a quick passing game. An agile skater with a quick first step and good footwork; seems to lack separation speed, though. He is smart with the puck and doesn't force the game – he takes what is given to him. Certain times he could be more involved in the game, but overall, he shows a strong commitment to the defensive game. His quick hands help him at the face-off dot.” (Marco Bombino)

Adam Wilsby - Defense - Sodertalje SK (Allsvenskan)

A major breakout star in Sweden this year, Wilsby has become one of the top young offensive blueliners in the country. After leading the SuperElit (J20) in scoring by defenders last year, Wilsby has graduated to the second men’s league (Allsvenskan) this year and is now leading that league in points per game among defenders, in his 19/20-year-old season. He has been better than Montreal Canadiens 3rd rounder Mattias Norlinder, who was a selection as a “re-entry” last year after a strong Allsvenskan performance. The 6-0” blueliner looks like a surefire selection in 2020.

“I saw him in the junior team early this season and he totally dominated that game with his skating and puck skills. He later got a chance to play in Allsvenskan and stepped in and dominated on that level as well. Wilsby is 2000 born defenseman who has grown physically, which has meant that his skillset has become visible this season. His 23 points in 25 games as a junior defenseman in Allsvenskan is impressive. I can’t say that he has elite NHL potential in any of his assets but he’s a good bet from the third round and later in the draft. The ceiling might be as a fourth defenseman with some skill. Wilsby isn’t only an offensive defenseman, he plays responsible on both sides of the puck. He reads the game well and acts on it. He is strong on the puck and moves well in both the offensive zone as the defensive zone. In Allsvenskan he runs his teams power play from the point with strong playmaking. He moves well sideways and gives the shooter on either flank strong passes to one-time. His power play game reminds a bit of the way Victor Hedman moves on the blue line.” (Jimmy Hamrin)

190427 Albert Lyckåsen of Sweden during the ice hockey semi final game in The IIHF U18 World Championship between Canada and Sweden on April 27 in Örnsköldsvik.
Photo: Johan Löf / BILDBYRÅN / COP 230

Albert Lyckasen - Defense - Linkoping HC J20 (SuperElit)

Lyckasen was one of the highest rated European players to go undrafted last year, as we at McKeens had him ranked 121st. The 5-11” defender has really stepped up his game in the Swedish U20 league this year, currently right in line with top 2020 draft prospects like Emil Andrae, Helge Grans, and William Wallinder in league defenseman scoring.

“Lyckasen was, in my opinion, a surprise that he did not get picked in last year’s draft. He is in no way a sure thing to become an NHL player but there’s a lot with his game that I like. This season, the 2001 born defenseman, has elevated his game in SuperElit and has been the top defenseman for his team. He has nice offensive instincts which he acts on. He is also strong defensively in his own end and he moves the puck well. He has been a top 5-on-5 defenseman point producer in the league and has solid power play numbers as well. He has the most shots on goal on his team and plays big minutes. He is a good puck-mover and a good skater as well, especially his backwards skating which helps him defensively. He can carry and transport the puck with his skating and it rarely gets him in trouble. I see him as a future second or third pairing defenseman, either in the SHL or in the NHL depending how well he can exceed his development. He is a long-term prospect though and lacks elite skills, but his all-around game and smarts will help him well. Since there were some issues in his game last year, like with his instincts and poise that has improved this season, I like him as a potential late pick.” (Jimmy Hamrin)

Eric Engstrand - Left Wing - Malmo J20 (SuperElit)

Engstrand is a 19-year-old hulking winger who has had a big breakout season in the Swedish junior league. The 6-4”, 210lbs power forward is currently second in league scoring (as of this writing) and has even earned himself a cup of coffee in the SHL with his parent club in Malmo. NHL teams will obviously be intrigued by his size, power, and skill combination and playing on the same team as Helge Grans is going to get him a lot of looks.

“The 6-4” winger has been dominating the SuperElit with 37 points in 24 games as a 19-year-old. Lately he has gotten promoted to play fourth line minutes in the SHL. I like Engstrand as a bottom six prospect. He is a good skater and a strong physical presence. He forechecks well and is strong on the puck. His puck skills are average but good enough to be an effective bottom six checker that can put up points from time to time. At junior he plays the right circle on the power play and shows nice playmaking and one-time shots from there. For re-entry purposes I like players that bring something that they hadn’t in their first years of draft eligibility. Engstrand has elevated his game in most aspects this season. Even though he’s only played 2-5 minutes per game in the SHL he has made an impression when his been on the ice. He goes into the dirty areas and is hard to contain there with his size, reach and strength on the puck. If he can keep earning bigger minutes in the SHL I’d say there’s a fair chance that Engstrand gets picked late in the draft this time.” (Jimmy Hamrin)

Nils Aman - Center - Leksands IF U20 (SuperElit)

A good-sized center (6-2”) who has the second highest points per game average in the Swedish U20 league this season, Aman is garnering attention for this year’s NHL draft. The 19 year old forward has also earned a promotion to the Allsvenskan, where he has scored his first professional goal. Given his length and offensive production this year, Aman makes sense as for inclusion for this list.

“A 6-2” center with good skating and soft hands. Aman is a 2000 born still playing junior hockey but is dominating the SuperElit league with 36 points in 21 games so far. Aman also got a chance to play with the U20 national team and had 4 points in 6 games but was left out from the WJC roster. He has also played 6 games of senior hockey in Allsvenskan and scored one goal. The goal was a beautiful goal as he pulled the “Peter Forsberg” move on a breakaway. Aman’s skating is his best asset and with the physical advantage of his size and reach he’s very hard to stop at junior level. Even though his skating stands well at senior level he isn’t elite fast and had a tougher time to dominate on that level. I’m quite confident that Aman is a future SHL player with his speed and hands. As for NHL, he’s a long shot. He needs to work on his two-way game as his offensive upside isn’t strong enough to become a center for one of the top two lines. If he can become a strong penalty killer and two-way player, he stands a chance of becoming a bottom six center. I’d not be surprised if a team uses a late round pick on him this summer.” (Jimmy Hamrin)

Tom Hedberg - Defense - Modo (Allsvenskan)

Hedberg has been well traveled the last few years. He’s played in three different Swedish organizations (Leksands, HV71, and Modo), in addition to spending a year in the OHL with the Barrie Colts. Originally considered one of the better Swedish defenders in the 1999 age group, Hedberg had not yet developed into the player many expected he would. That is, until this season, where he has become one of the better defenders in the Swedish 2nd league (Allsvenskan), in addition to wearing a letter (‘A’) for Modo. In his final year of draft eligibility, there is a possibility that an NHL club uses a draft selection on the 5-11” defender.

“99 born Hedberg has had a weird career. The smart and small sized defenseman jumped into senior hockey at 16 and played regularly in Allsvenskan on a top team, won the league and got promoted to the SHL. He was at that point a highly regarded prospect going into his draft year. His potential did not take off though and played in five different teams over four seasons. This season though, the development has taken a big step forward. He stayed for a second season with his hometown team and has been one of the best defensemen in Allsvenskan. He plays a smart game with effective puck handling and few mistakes. He will never be a flashy defenseman but moves the puck well. Hedberg will surely play at a higher-level next season and the outlook for him is of a strong SHL defenseman in upcoming years. As for the NHL, the ceiling is limited. His skills do not stand out and with his 5-11” size and no wowing skating abilities, I can’t see him becoming more than a third pairing player at best. His hockey sense is borderline elite though at times. If he does not get picked in this draft, there is definitely a chance for him to be signed as a free agent in a couple of years if he can show steady development.” (Jimmy Hamrin)

Linus Andersson - Right Wing - HC Vita Hasten (Allsvenskan)

A classic late bloomer, Linus Andersson is giving himself a chance to be drafted in his final season of draft eligibility. He finds himself just outside the top 10 of goal scoring for the Allsvenskan but is second among U23 players (just behind NHL prospect Jonathan Dahlen). At 6-0”, 185lbs, Andersson should not be considered undersized for the wing positions and is someone to keep an eye on in June.

“Intense forward with a good shot. 99 born Andersson got to play games at the SHL level as a 17-year-old but still has not scored a single point at that level. Instead he has been a steady producer of points in SuperElit and this season he has clearly taken a step forward in Allsvenskan. Andersson has been able to translate his game to the senior level and has become a big weapon with his shot. He has nice puck skills and is good at creating chances for himself to prevail on. He started the season strong, but his production has dropped a bit lately. His shot makes him an interesting top 6 talent. As for being an NHL prospect, he still is a long shot. He lacks consistency still and his overall offensive game isn’t dynamic or elite. If I’m an NHL scout I’d wait and see if he can take his game to the next level and sign him as a free agent instead of using a draft choice on him.” (Jimmy Hamrin)

Benjamin Baumgartner - Center - HC Davos

A 2000 born, 5-9” center, Baumgartner has been one of the breakout stars of Europe this year. Not only did he lead Austria to a promotion to the main group at the IIHF WJC, but he has been nearly a point per game player in the NLA with HC Davos. He is on pace to produce the most points by a U20 player in the NLA since Patrik Bartschi in 2004. No doubt, he is on the draft radar.

“He's a bit small, but a natural center who can skate decently well. His best asset is his puck protection and his instincts offensively. Really knows how to maneuver around the ice and let the play develop around him so he can create chances. His shot is good too, but it feels like he's focusing more on using linemates and making plays a lot more than scoring on his own. He was way above the rest of his World Junior cohort, and he's taken a major step since last year. I'm a fan of his, but his skating might hold him back if you're drafting him as a 20 year old in June. He's getting great results and earning them. From what I've heard from a few Swiss fans, it's legit and he could be even better. Just gotta wonder if he's just having a huge year and will go back to being just a guy next year.” (Will Scouch)

**Special thanks to the McKeen’s Hockey staff for contributing to this article (Ryan Wagman, Vince Gibbons, Mike Sanderson, Kevin Olexson, Marco Bombino, Jimmy Hamrin, Alessandro Seren Rosso, and Viktor Fomich). Additionally, thanks to Russ Cohen (@sportsology) and Will Scouch (@Scouching) for their contributions.

Russia 2019-20 Season Preview: Top Prospects to Watch

Alessandro Seren Rosso — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 14:19:13 +0000

The 2019-20 KHL season started around one month ago, but as the season is still young it is still possible to have a look at the teams and the players seeking possible surprises or confirmations of previous assessments. Who are the contenders? Who are the top prospects in the league? Are there any 2020 draft candidates getting significant time on ice? This article will focus on players who are playing in the KHL or have a good chance to play in the KHL, although it will touch on prospects from lower levels towards the end.

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - DECEMBER 16: forward Kirill Kaprizov (77) of Russia National Team celebrates the score during Euro Hockey Tour Channel One Cup ice hockey match between Russia and Finland on December 16, 2018, in VTB Ice Palace at Park of Legends, Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Anatoliy Medved/Icon Sportswire)

Western Conference

Championship contenders

CSKA Moscow - The reigning KHL champions, led by Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota) and Mikhail Grigorenko, and backstopped by Ilya Sorokin (Islanders) started the KHL season on a positive note and is now the second seed in the Tarasov Division, in a prime position to try to win back-to-back titles. Kaprizov is currently among the league’s top scorers, with Mikhail Grigorenko not so far behind. CSKA is again counting on strong production by undrafted Konstantin Okulov, whose contract is set to expire this spring. CSKA Moscow has a high number of players in a contract year and is likely to see most of them actively seeking NHL options next summer, including Okulov.

SKA St. Petersburg - A perennial contender, this summer SKA lost a few key players, the most important being Nikita Gusev, and started some kind of rebuild, focusing on a younger roster. However, the team currently sits on second place in the Western Conference. Vladimir Tkachyov is having a career year and is looking excellent on the attack for the St. Petersburg franchise. In goal, undrafted Alexei Melnichuk is posting incredible stats as he won the starting goalie position off Pyotr Kochetkov (Carolina), who didn’t look sure between the pipes. Melnichuk’s contract is set to expire next spring. Blue chip prospect Vasili Podkolzin is yet to score his first KHL points, even if he already played ten games with St. Petersburg.

Vityaz Podolsk - The main sensation of the first month of the regular season, Vityaz is now the first seed of the Western Conference, led by the former Washington Capitals star Alexander Semin. Vityaz is mostly a young, fast, and well-coached team without many superstars or hot prospects, but with solid options on both offense and defense like Semin and former NHL prospects Jakub Jerabek and Miro Aaltonen. While it’s hard to think that Vityaz will keep the pace for the whole season, it is certainly interesting to see what the underdogs can achieve.

Eastern Conference

Championship contenders

Avangard Omsk - Runners up last year, Avangard Omsk, coached by Bob Hartley, strengthened up their lineup signing former NHL prospects Sven Andrighetto and Nikita Scherbak – among others. After a strong season last year, it is expected that Artyom Manukyan (Vancouver) will make another jump forward in his progress, however he is still out with an undisclosed injury. 2019 fifth-round pick Arseni Gritsyuk (New Jersey) had a strong start in the MHL and it is expected that Hartley will call him up at least once this season.

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg - The Ural franchise made some noise this summer signing former Stanley Cup champion Pavel Datsyuk and also managing to sign to a new four-year deal with their top prospect, Anatoli Golyshev (Islanders). However, Datsyuk only played a couple of games and Golyshev is yet to debut this season as both picked up injuries in the summer. Avtomobilist was excellent in the regular season last year but failed during the playoffs – this season they will certainly want to revert the trend.

Ak Bars Kazan - After a disappointing first-round exit last time around, Ak Bars tried to shake things up hiring former Boston Bruins forward Dmitri Kvartalnov as their new bench boss. The team also got fresher blood into its lineup and is now featuring Danila Zhuravlyov (Colorado), and Dmitri Voronkov (Columbus) – both already scored their first points in the KHL. As usual, Ak Bars have one of the best lineups in the league, and among its leaders we can find Canadian forward Justin Azevedo, in his sixth season with the team, one of the longest-serving foreign players in the KHL.

Top NHL prospects to watch

Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota) - One of the best players in the league, Kaprizov is currently the KHL top scorer and one of the hottest prospects around. An offensively gifted player, Kaprizov can find the crease from multiple positions and showcases great poise.

Ilya Sorokin (Islanders) - The netminder is young, but already a veteran in the KHL and is as usual posting monster-like stats backstopping a very competitive CSKA side. Just like Kaprizov, he is set to move to the NHL after the 19-20 season as his contract will expire.

Vasili Podkolzin (Vancouver) - The 2019 first-rounder isn’t looking out of place, even if he has yet to get on the scoresheet. So far, Podkolzin has only enjoyed limited time on ice, but it might change after the WJC, especially if he has a strong performance there. Podkolzin is finding it a bit hard to translate his game to pro hockey thus far, but it is most likely just a matter of time.

Alexander Romanov (Montreal) - Last year’s WJC top defenseman started the season on a positive note with CSKA with his usual calmness and reliability in the defensive zone. He is patrolling the blue line with great poise and is growing at a good pace.

Andrei Altybarmakyan (Chicago) - Changing teams was good for Altybarmakyan, who is now enjoying top line minutes with HK Sochi and is scoring at a good rate. A technically-sound player, the St. Petersburg native with Armenian roots is poised for a strong 19-20 season and perhaps a call to the national team.

Artur Kayumov (Chicago) - Lokomotiv had a rocky start of the season, failing to find the net with consistency, but Kayumov already netted two pucks and is certainly going to get more as the season goes on. The smooth-skating forward is making good strides forward, but is still at least at a couple of years before he can have a real chance in the KHL.

Grigori Denisenko (Florida) - Denisenko was expected to take on a prominent role with Lokomotiv, and while he had some time on ice, he hasn’t delivered so far. Now the team has changed its head coach and anything can happen – but a player with his talent should start to score as soon as possible.

Danila Zhuravlyov (Colorado) - The gifted defenseman is enjoying a good role in a stacked Ak Bars lineup and this is also a great sign of trust from his coaches. Zhuravlyov is delivering with good performance on the blue line and some interesting offensive runs, but he should be less shy and play and shoot the puck more regularly. That being said, he has all the time in the world.

Dmitri Voronkov (Columbus) - Zhuravlyov’s teammate is also enjoying a good time on ice and has earned his coaches’ trust and has already scored his first KHL goal as well as had his first fight this year. Not overly physical, but a player who isn’t shy of the physical play, he can play on either center or wing and can develop into a very solid option for the bottom-six lineup spots at the NHL level. His versatility and strong play of this season can earn him a trip to the 2020 WJC.

Kirill Slepets (Carolina) - The breakaway specialist has yet to play in the KHL this year as he played only in the VHL, the Russian’s second tier league, but is expected to have his debut soon. He has some of the best wheels in Russia and it will be exciting to check how he will fare with the pros.

Pavel Dorofeyev (Vegas) - A smooth skater with soft hands, Dorofeyev is one of the few positive things for Metallurg so far in the season as the team is now sitting in one of the bottom spots in the Eastern Conference standings. Dorofeyev is developing nicely and is expected to play a leading role at the upcoming WJC.

Daniil Misyul (New Jersey) - The physical defenseman is a great competitor and a player who plays bigger than his size. He needs to cut down penalties and become more involved in the offensive play – his production mostly lies on his cannon of a shot – but he has all the tools to develop into a capable NHL defenseman.

Honourable Mentions

Nikolai Kovalenko (Colorado), Pyotr Kochetkov (Carolina), Artyom Manukyan (Vancouver), Anatoli Golyshev (Islanders), Rushan Rafikov (Calgary), Danil Savunov (Arizona).

Top 2020 NHL draft prospects to watch

Yaroslav Askarov, SKA - The best goaltending prospect in Russia, at least since the times of Andrei Vasilevsky, Askarov is now playing pro hockey in the VHL and is expected to have his KHL debut soon. Will he start at the 2020 WJC?

Rodion Amirov, Salavat Yulaev - The forward has a great shot and an excellent nose for the net. A late-2001 born, he recently had his first KHL assist and certainly his first KHL goal is just a matter of time. First-round talent.

Alexander Nikishin, Spartak - A player with an NHL body and smooth hands, Nikishin is an offensive defenseman who likes to join the rush and play the puck. He is finding himself often on the ice for Spartak and this means that the late-2001 born is on the right path to become a reliable player in the future.

Shakhir Mukhamadullin, Salavat Yulaev - The defenseman is having steady ice time on a strong Salavat Yulaev lineup, and this is something that you meet rarely in the KHL. He needs to keep on working and gaining weight, but he has all the tools to become a first-round selection this year.

Alexander Pashin, Salavat Yulaev - A gifted scorer with a smallish frame, Pashin has yet to have his debut at the pro level. He started very well this season in the MHL, but he needs to gather more experience. After a strong performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, many scouts have his name on their draft list.

Marat Khusnutdinov, F, SKA
Pavel Tyutnev, F, Lokomotiv
Maxim Groshev, F, Neftekhimik
Ivan Didkovsky, F, Dynamo Moscow
Vsevolod Skotnikov, G, CSKA
Maxim Beryozkin, F, Lokomotiv
Dmitri Ovchinnikov, F, Sibir
Kirill Kirsanov, D, SKA
Ilya Rychkov, F, SKA
Maxim Motorygin, G, Dynamo Moscow

Older players

F Nikita Rtishchev

D Mikhail Gordeyev

D Danila Galenyuk

Top undrafted players who can make the jump next year

F Konstantin Okulov, CSKA

G Alexei Melnichuk, SKA

F Daniil Vovchenko, Severstal

McKeen’s 2019 NHL Shadow Draft

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:00:27 +0000

Before writing up our division by division draft reviews, I wanted to take some time to conduct the McKeen's Hockey Shadow draft and then share a few draft thoughts. As a reminder, for the shadow draft, we assume that we are picking 16^th in any given round and simply draft the top ranked player on our board at that point, with the only tweaks being that we cannot draft more than one netminder and that our shadow draft class needs at least two forwards and two defensemen.

For additional context, here are our shadow classes from the 2017 and 2018 drafts, including the slot, the player we would have chosen, where that player was actually selected (if he was selected at all), and the actual player selected at that slot.

Pick #	2017 Draft - Player	McKeens Rank	Actual Draft slot	Actual Pick
16	Kristian Vesalainen	9	24	Juuso Valimaki
47	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	32	54	Alex Formenton
78	Keith Petruzzelli	37	88	Stuart Skinner
109	Adam Ruzicka	40	109	Adam Ruzicka
140	Sasha Chmelevski	61	185	Zach Fischer
171	Kirill Slepets	74	Undrafted	D'Artagnan Joly
202	Emil Oksanen	76	Undrafted	Filip Sveningsson

The positional rules went into effect after the 2017 draft saw us pick two goalies and zero defensemen. How did we do? I think we come out ahead for 2017. Vesalainen has yet to fully breakthrough in the NHL while Valimaki split last season between the NHL and the AHL. I still believe that Vesalainen has greater upside. Formenton and Luukonen both had tremendous final seasons of junior eligibility last year, but “our” guy looks like a potential number one netminder and Formenton still seems more likely to top off as a third line forward with exceptional speed. Petruzzelli and Skinner might be a wash as it is too early to tell on either and neither has really demanded attention.

Ruzicka was nailed in the fourth round while we crushed the NHL in both the fifth and sixth rounds. The NHL picks at those slots – Zach Fischer and D’Artagnan Joly – were both left unsigned and their NHL rights were surrendered. We drafted Sasha Chmelevski, who has since blossomed into a top CHL player while Slepets went undrafted until now, but Carolina took him this year, showing that we were definitely on to something. I will give the seventh round to the NHL as Svenningson is moving up the ranks in Sweden, having a solid first senior season in the Allsvenskan. He isn’t yet signed to an ELC, but our pick Emil Oksanen was not been drafted or signed anyway and his career hasn’t really taken off.

Pick #	Player	McKeens Rank	Actual Draft slot	Actual Pick
16	Joe Veleno	10	30	Martin Kaut
47	Akil Thomas	26	51	Kody Clark
78	Blake McLaughlin	40	79	Sampo Ranta
109	Aidan Dudas	52	113	Tyler Weiss
140	Alexis Gravel	67	162	Brandon Saigeon
171	Merrick Rippon	85	Undrafted	Nikolai Kovalenko
202	Danila Galenyuk	96	Undrafted	Shamil Shmakov

It is harder to yet judge the 2018 results, but we’ll give it a shot. The real #16, Martin Kaut, went right to the AHL and more or less held his own as a teenager while also impressing at the WJC. Our pick, Joe Veleno, also made Canada’s WJC roster and finished fourth in QMJHL regular season scoring. Veleno may have had more of an eye-popping season this year, but I will not discount Kaut’s accomplishments in his D+1 season. Let’s call it a wash for now even if I may yet prefer Veleno as bias might be present.

In the second round, I prefer our pick of Akil Thomas to Colorado’s selection of Kody Clark. If we are comparing fathers, Clark wins hands down, but Thomas finished eighth in OHL scoring this year while Clark had less than half as much production. In a nice little coincidence, the third-round picks both went on to play for the University of Minnesota. McLaughlin had a slightly more effective freshman season especially looking better over the season half of the season, but the gap is not enough to overcome the confidence interval. We’ll call it even for now.

In the fourth round, neither our pick (Aidan Dudas) nor the real pick (Tyler Weiss) had especially good seasons. Dudas essentially repeated his production from his draft year while Weiss struggled to impact in his first NCAA campaign. No winner. I am prepared to give McKeens a slight edge in the fifth round, as Alexis Gravel took a big step forward last year, and was a rock in the QMJHL playoffs, taking Halifax to the Q finals and keeping up the good work in the Memorial Cup. To be honest, Saigeon had a nice season as well, but he was an onverager, so his step forward was less noteworthy. Neither of our last two picks, Merrick Rippon or Danila Galenyuk were drafted. Rippon was basically the same guy this year while Galenyuk took a modest step forward and I think we should continue to keep our eyes on him.

The NHL easily wins the sixth round, as Nikolai Kovalenko spent the year in the KHL and played in the WJC. He is still a far ways from the NHL but he is still on the radar. The NHL seventh rounder, netminder Shamil Shmakov, took a step back while failing to get out of the Russian junior ranks. I prefer Galenyuk at this stage, but will call it a tie, because Shmakov at least has his NHL rights under control for now.

Track record established (pretty solid) let’s look at how our shadow draft for 2019 played out.

Pick #	Player	McKeens Rank	Actual Draft slot	Actual Pick
16	Peyton Krebs	8	17	Alex Newhook
47	Albert Johansson	26	60	Drew Helleson
78	Pavel Dorofeyev	31	79	Alex Beaucage
109	Marshall Warren	35	166	Marc Del Gaizo
140	Yegor Chinakhov	49	Undrafted	Sasha Mutala
171	Nikola Pasic	53	189	Luka Burzan
202	Oleg Zaytsev	66	Undrafted	Trent Miner

Once again, we are going up against the Colorado Avalanche scouts this year, who had the 16^th pick, although the fourth-round pick of Del Gaizo was actually made by Nashville following a pick swap.

If you look at where we had ranked the players drafted, we are clearly excited by how our shadow draft played out. Krebs was a top ten talent and may have fallen a few slots due to an achilles injury that will delay his 2019-20 season a touch but should have zero impact on his long-term prognosis. We had our second and third rounders also slotted as first round talents. Both Johansson and Dorofeyev have dynamic offensive skills and I especially feel that Johansson will make his real draft slot look laughable (in a good way) within two years. He was a late riser and capped his season with an impressive WU18 tournament. Dorofeyev has his warts, namely lack of interest in his own zone, but I am happy to bet on the skills here.

As much as I like those picks, I love getting Marshall Warren in the fourth round. His real-life fall to the sixth was the biggest shock of the draft for me. He is a truly dynamic puck moving defender and while he can play a risky game, having seen him extensively, I always got the sense that his risks were calculated. I have inquired around with some sources about why he might have fallen and received some speculative theories, but nothing definitive. One source simply stated that he had no clue. Our bottom three round picks were long term plays with European flavor, although Zaytsev spent this past season in the WHL. They are all tools bets and I am happy to take those in any draft, but especially in the back half.

I am happy to welcome these seven young men into the McKeen’s family. We will look back at these picks again next year to track everyone’s progress.

Now for some random thoughts about the draft

I had thought that all of the USNTDP U18 class, barring Danny Weight, would be drafted. As it turns out, Michael Gildon and Cam Rowe joined him in limbo. Gildon’s not being selected was especially surprising. He plays a heavy game, but with good wheels and good hands. He can play with talented players and keep the pace. He is going to a good program at Ohio State and will have a chance to play in a top six role right away as the Buckeyes have had a lot of turnover. Rowe is a very athletic netminder, but his technical game falters way too quickly. North Dakota has a good reputation for developing goalies and he could be a redraft with a bit of refinement to his game.
As I personally cover the USHL most fervently, the late seventh round pick of McKade Webster by Tampa was odd. In his first year of eligibility, I liked him enough with Green Bay, although not enough to consider him for our draft rankings. A decent future collegian basically. He went back to Green Bay for 2018-19 but has limited to six games due to injury. What did he do in six games that he didn’t show when healthy the year before? I have no clue.
There were 41 players drafted that we didn’t have on our expanded list, slightly better than the 44 we completely whiffed on last year. A good number of the 41 we didn’t rank were redrafts we didn’t feel had improved enough. Most of the rest were deep scouting cuts from Europe. Also, there was Cade Webber, who I think we meant to have in our top 217, but somehow omitted. I will take the blame on that one. He went higher than we would have ranked him, but I will not slam Carolina for taking him in the fourth round when completed by reviews in the coming days.
I mentioned Marshall Warren in the shadow draft above as being the biggest faller. The biggest risers were a quintet of second rounders who we had as much later picks. Shane Pinto was the first pick of day two and while his numbers were great and he is a late bloomer, I never saw him as a dynamic player and would have been more comfortable with him in the third round. Artemi Knyazev was similar. Dillon Hamaliuk was ranked in the fifth-round area, but with the caveat that he could have been graded considerably higher if not for a devastating knee injury which cut his season short. We are not privy to medicals, so I will presume that San Jose was fine with what they saw there. The final two who jumped were a pair of combine stars in Jayden Struble and Samuel Bolduc. We actually had Bolduc as an honorable mention player (218-325) and probably should have ranked him closer to the 150 range. Still would have been drafted too high for our tastes, but live and learn. The combine can boost some guys into the second tier.
I didn’t count how many, but teams are more and more willing to draft second- and third-year eligible players, even pretty high. If I’m not mistaken, three were taken in the second round (Kotchetkov, Fagemo, Leason), all roughly in line with where we had them ranked.
This means nothing but a few giggles from myself on the media riser on day two, but we ranked a few guys exactly where they were drafted after the top two. Going exactly in line with our rankings were Matthew Boldy (12), John Beecher (30), Vladislav Kolyachonok (52), Gianni Fairbrother (77), Sasha Mutala (140), Elmer Soderblom (159). 24 picks were made within two slots of where we had them ranked.
92 of our top 100 were drafted, one less than last year, but roughly on par with our expectations. I’ll be satisfied when we break 95, but our misses included players from Russia, the Czech Republic, OHL, WHL, and the USHL. No real patterns to glean lessons from but we will come back better and stronger next year. Ever onwards, ever upwards.

2018 Draft in Review – Shadow Draft and Odd Thoughts

Ryan Wagman — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 11:53:38 +0000

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: The Montreal Canadians draft Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the first round of the 2018 NHL draft on June 22, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Over the next few days, we will be releasing assessments of the draft classes. As with last year, they will be rolled out division by division. Before then, I wanted to take a few minutes, of my time and yours, to run through the McKeens Hockey Shadow Draft as well as a few other odds and ends and stray thoughts about the 2018 NHL draft.

The concept of a shadow draft is not an original one by any means. Quickly, we assume that we hold the middle pick of each round and we then simply draft the top player on our board each time that pick comes up. In the era of 31 teams, the middle pick is #16.

Here is our 2017 shadow draft, showing who we picked, where we ranked him, where/if he was drafted and who was actually chosen in that slot.

Pick #	Player	MCKNS RANK	Actual Draft	Actual Pick
16	Kristian Vesalainen	9	24	Juuso Valimaki
47	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	32	54	Alex Formenton
78	Keith Petruzzelli	37	88	Stuart Skinner
109	Adam Ruzicka	40	109	Adam Ruzicka
140	Sasha Chmelevski	61	185	Zach Fischer
171	Kirill Slepets	74	Undrafted	D'Artagnan Joly
202	Emil Oksanen	76	Undrafted	Filip Sveningsson

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

Looking back, I can sense the palpable irony in that we often advise against overdrafting goaltenders and yet here we are drafting two of them, and in the second and third rounds no less. Our final two picks were not selected at all, but that is normal as draft boards are over the place towards the end. Slepets had a decent season in the Russian junior ranks this year and was under consideration for the Russian WJC squad. Oksanen came to North America anyway and had a decent season with Regina in the WHL, gaining draft consideration once more and one more going undrafted. Vesalainen would likely go higher than 24 in a redraft, the two goalies had solid draft +1 years, in the Finnish Mestis (AHL-equivalent) and NCAA respectively. Calgary and ourselves were in perfect agreement with Ruzicka and Chmelevski proved that he was a great pick late, performing admirably with Ottawa this year and earning an ELC after a promising late season stint with the San Jose AHL affiliate.

In addition to having two netminders among our seven picks, our shadow draft was also notable for its lack of blueliners. To address that concern, for 2018, I added two rules. First, no more than one goaltender. Second, at least two forwards and two defenders must be drafted. How did we do?

Pick #	Player	MCKNS RANK	Actual Pick #	Actual Pick
16	Joe Veleno	10	30	Martin Kaut
47	Akil Thomas	26	51	Kody Clark
78	Blake McLaughlin	40	79	Sampo Ranta
109	Aidan Dudas	52	113	Tyler Weiss
140	Alexis Gravel	67	162	Brandon Saigeon
171	Merrick Rippon	85	Undrafted	Nikolai Kovalenko
202	Danila Galenyuk	96	Undrafted	Shamil Shmakov

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

Upon the conclusion of the 2018 draft, I noted that 93 of our top 100 ranked players were drafted. 44 players were drafted who were not in our top 300, including one second rounder and three third rounders. In some respects, I was pleased by that outcome, but by other measures, I was dismayed.I am just as pleased to get Veleno this year as I was to get Vesalainen last year. I am even more delighted to come away with playmakers Akil Thomas, Blake McLaughlin, and Aidan in the second, third and fourth rounds. The NHL largely agreed with not letting those guys slide much further than they did in our shadow draft as, in real life, Thomas was drafted four slots after we took him, McLaughlin only lasted one more pick, and Dudas lasted but four picks. The rule mentioned about making sure we get at least some positional balance was used as we would have drafted six forwards and one goalie without it. We had the undrafted Pavel Gogolev and Patrick Giles both ranked in the 70s. The drop in perceived talent to Rippon and Galenyuk is superficial, though, and I believe in both of their futures.

These results got me to thinking about the value of our lists and the seeming lack of anything approaching “consensus” among NHL clubs, in addition to the scouting services of which McKeens is a peer.

While we ranked 217 players this year (one for every slot) and threw in an additional 83 names in our honorable mention grouping (17 of whom were drafted), many NHL teams don’t rank much more than 100. And to be honest, they don’t need to. In both of the last years, we were able to stay within our top 100 in our shadow drafts.

After the top few players, consensus falls apart rapidly. We saw it this year at pick three. In addition to our own ranking, many other services, in addition to a number of NHL scouts of my acquaintance, did not have Kotkaniemi as the third best prospect. Many had Filip Zadina, others had Brady Tkachuk. Others may have gone in a different direction entirely. In fact, if John Chayka is to be believed, I suspect the Coyotes would have taken Hayton at pick three, but knew he would be there at five, making it easy for them to decline Montreal’s rumored overtures to trade down.

Shortly after the top ten, the talent bunches up considerably, and teams do not choose so much who they think is better, as no one can really project with accuracy to that many decimal places, but rather they begin to draft players who they believe would make for better fits within their organization. It might be Philadelphia liking the almost brash confidence of Jay O’Brien, who shocked most pundits when his name was called at pick 19. Or it might be San Jose, believing in the ability of Ryan Merkley to mature on and off the ice so that his sublime skills are all anyone talks about within a few short years, while other teams clearly did not have that comfort level.

So in short, teams are not just drafting the best player on their board whenever they pick. They are drafting the best player they are comfortable with from their board. Later on, they might also be trying to give candy to various regional scouts, allowing them to feel that their efforts, and the miles driven in white out conditions, bore fruit.

As I continued to ponder the results, I came to the conclusion that this outcome does not speak poorly to our efforts and the efforts of our public domain peers. We do not have to join hands with the players and do not need to worry about organizational fit, locker room culture, or any other intangible factor. We should, can, and do focus on skills.

Further, and perhaps more important, we must always remember that every team has scouts in every geographic region, as we do. But no one sees every single game. Our scouts pick and choose which games to focus on every week, and their scouts will have picked and chosen their games, for their own reasons. Even allowing for video scouting, no one sees every single game. So we get players that we saw at their best, or we only saw at their worst. And your favorite hockey team will also have possibly seen a given player only at his best or his worst.

To bring an example to that concept, I will touch upon my geographic home base in the USHL. I had many chances to watch the USNTDP this year and consequently became very familiar with what was a very strong draft class for the program (and it’ll be even stronger next year). I can recall a conversation I had with an NHL scout about Patrick Giles. I was scoffing at how CSS had him ranked in the top 30 in their midterm rankings.* He is a very good skater for a very big player, and he seems to have decent hands and a good sense of positioning. On the other hands, he lacks in creativity to any degree and had the worst numbers, bar none, of any forward in the development program. The scout I was talking to, on the other hand, raved about his style of play, saying that Giles could “play on my third line any time.”

*To clarify, I do not look at other rankings as rankings, per se, but I admire the breadth of coverage provided by CSS, and their lists are presented in a way that allows me to cross check my own lists to see if anything egregious was missed.

I had and have no reason not to take this scout at his word on that point. I was not completely there, but in the games I saw of the USNTDP, Giles did enough to make me see a potential NHLer inside. Bottom six maybe (bottom three, most likely), but clear NHL upside. I had no problem putting him in the 70 range. I still do not regret it, despite the fact that he was not drafted last weekend. I am positive that the organization of the scout I was talking to had him on their list, but they were never forced into a position where he was the top guy on their list.

Then we can look at Giles’ teammate Gavin Hain. I saw Hain exactly as often as I saw Giles, yet I never saw a clear NHL role for Hain. I saw a smaller player who moved around alright and had a decent knack for positioning, but nothing that screamed out at me that I would advise drafting him. We ultimately ranked him in our nebulous 218-300 range, the Honorable Mention blob. The Philadelphia Flyers scouts had seen other USNTDP games and saw Hain do things I did not see him do. They saw things that made them believe in Hain more than I could.

And we saw things in Joe Veleno that allowed us to believe in him more than close to 20 teams, which is why we ranked him 10^th. We also don’t know if most of the other teams ranked Veleno 14^th, but everyone disagreed on the players ranked in the first 13. There is the famous case of Mike Trout, the player many regard as the best currently active baseball player. He lasted until the 25^th pick of the 2009 MLB draft. Afterwards, as he quickly ran roughshod through the minor leagues and became an immediate MLB star, other GMs came out stating that Trout was actually third or fourth or fifth on their lists, but when it was their turn to draft, the player ranked second, or third or fourth, was still out there. How many teams can say that? How many teams was that true for in the case of Veleno?

It will take years before we know how much of what we saw will come to the fore at the NHL level, and that is both the beauty and the beast of scouting.

World U18 Team Preview: Russia

Alessandro Seren Rosso — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 14:18:56 +0000

After winning a bronze medal last year after a few years of deprivation, the Russians will try to at least repeat themselves this season when a talented 2000 team will have to defend home soil as the U18s will be held in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk. Sergei Golubovich moved on to coach the U16 team leaving his duties to Alexander Zybin, who coached Team Russia to a decent fourth place finish at the Hlinka Memorial Tournament. It will be interesting to see if the team will manage to deal with the extra pressure of being at home, as the home soil never brought much good luck to the Russians, at either junior or senior level.

The provisional roster features a number of interesting prospects eligible for the 2018 NHL Entry Draft in Danila Galenyuk, Kirill Marchenko, Alexander Zhabreyev, and Dmitri Zavgorodny. The two most notable snubs were Grigori Denisenko and Alexander Khovanov.

Gregori Denisenko

Even if extremely talented, Denisenko has a history of lack of discipline on ice, and it looked like a recent dirty hit which led to a 3-game ban in the MHL was the straw that broke the camel’s back and led to his exclusion from the tournament. Khovanov, on the other hand, after a rocky first season in North America did not show much in the other international tournaments and the coaches preferred not to call him up. This is somewhat a surprising decision, especially considering the lack of depth in the middle for the team.

SPISSKA NOVA VES, SLOVAKIA - APRIL 13: Russia's Andrei Svechnikov #14 celebrates at the bench with teammates at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

The star of the team will of course be Barrie Colts winger Andrei Svechnikov, however, his participation has not been officially confirmed yet. Please note that the Russians have not yet announced their final roster, so changes are possible.

Ten to watch:

Amir Miftakhov, G

A very agile goalie from Kazan, Miftakhov had a very good sophomore season in the MHL with Irbis, ending with a sub-2.00 GAA and a save percentage of .934. Both are stunning numbers for a player of his age. Miftakhov manages to blend his great agility and excellent tracking of the puck to be a very difficult goalie to beat in most situations. His play in the other big tournaments of the seasons have not been as stellar, but that is most likely not enough to prevent him from being the number one goalie for the team at the U18s. His biggest problem, considering both the upcoming tournament and his future prospects, lies on his size. He is a respectable 6-0”, but at less than 160 pounds he will have a hard time in confronting traffic in front of the crease, without considering that nowadays it is very uncommon to see goalies under 6-1” called during the Draft. Another problem that he sometimes has is that he is not always strong on rebounds or second/third attempts, although this is a problem that can be ironed out or at least improved with some coaching.

Danila Galenyuk, D

Galenyuk has approached a more defensive style growing up and is now one of the most reliable defensemen of his birth year in Russia. This season was very important for Danila, as he moved from his youth organization Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk to KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg managing to play in his first KHL games at only 18 years of age. He also played in the VHL (the KHL’s equivalent of the AHL) with SKA’s affiliate for the first time this season. Despite being only 18, Galenyuk has a good size (6-1”, 201 pounds) and a very strong lower body. He is a very reliable defenseman, who will not get out of position in search of a big hit and who likes to keep it simple, two qualities that will guarantee him big minutes on the Team Russia defense.

Nikita Okhotyuk, D

One of the top Russian defensemen for the 2000 year, Okhotyuk will be eligible only in 2019 as a late birthday. Okhotyuk had a good national and international career at home in Russia before deciding to move overseas to play in the OHL with the Ottawa 67s. He was the captain for Team Russia at the Hlinka tournament and in different occasions earlier, before moving to North America. A solid two-way defenseman with solid skating and good offensive abilities, Okhotyuk is one of the players to watch for the Russians at the tournament due to his rising stock and raw defensive skills. He has the chance to grow into a solid NHL player and the U18s will be an important step in his career’s path. Expect him to log big minutes paired with Galenyuk in the team’s top defensive pairing.

Alexander Romanov, D

Less known than other guys who play in North America or are playing in the KHL like Galenyuk, Romanov scored four goals in four games at the WJAC and could become a surprise at the NHL draft should he have a good tournament. Romanov is a solid defenseman who is not very flashy on attack, but has a good shot with a good timing and a good ability to get it directed to the net when he has a chance. He is not big, but not small either, and will need to bulk up if he intends to move to the more demanding North American environment. He should also work on his skating. He is the product of a blood line that hails from former Team Russia head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov.

Dmitri Zavgorodny, LW

The elusive Russian winger started making a name for himself at the Hlinka tournament, and he continued with a good rookie season in the QMJHL with the Rimouski Oceanic. After outscoring all the other Russian forwards at the Hlinka, Zavgorodny was unable to repeat himself at the WJAC, but that should not be of too much worry. He definitely plays bigger than his size as he is not scared to forecheck and try to win pucks in the offensive zone, but at 5-9” he is not going to be picked in the first round. His hands, skating, versatility, ability to play both center and the wing are very valuable tools that the coaches will want to exploit, especially during a short-term tournament like the U18s.

Ruslan Iskhakov, RW/LW

Another small player with a great technique, Iskhakov had a good 17-18 campaign starting with a good show at the Hlinka tournament and with consistent performance throughout the year, both with the national team and with the CSKA junior team. Iskhakov has successfully converted into a winger after playing in the middle most of his career, as a 5-7” player will have a very hard time in pro hockey playing as center. Playing as center he learned to pass the puck and to read the game well. His passing game is top notch, as well as his skating and his offensive game in general. Iskhakov is a player who can dictate the tempo in the offensive zone, find the free man or finish himself. His size will probably make it hard for him to get drafted early next June, but at the U18s he can be a force for the Russians.

Kirill Marchenko, W

A lanky winger with good hands who did not have the best season this year, Marchenko will certainly be heavily scouted at the U18s after a strong showing in both Russia and international tournaments. He has already debuted in the KHL, although he spent most of the season in the junior league. As said, he is gifted with good hands and some size at 6-3”, 170 pounds, but he will need to bulk up and more than everything work on his skating to reach the next level. He is not very explosive and nowadays skating is getting more and more important, and he will have a hard time in playing the same kind of hockey he sometimes tries to play in North Aamerica. The upcoming U18s will be a key tournament for this winger.

Vasili Podkolzin, RW

One of the two 2001-born players in the long roster for the tournament (the other is highly-hyped prospect Artemi Knyazev, who did not have the best season), Podkolzin is a player with plenty of energy who plays a strong two-way game and can kill penalties – at least at junior level – thanks to his strength and ability to play in traffic at both ends of the ice. Podkolzin is a player with an average size at 5-11”, 165 pounds, but he plays bigger than he is and has a good shot. Playmaking ability and hockey IQ are at a good level, he will surely not look lost even if playing with and against players older than him, a feat that at this age is not easy to attain. However, he needs to take fewer penalties and this may limit his role in the team a bit.

Alexander Zhabreev, C

Considered one of the top 2000-born players in Russia a few years ago, Zhabreev did not progress as expected in the last couple of seasons, also because of his small size at 5-7”, 152 pounds. He has smooth hands, a good stride and a great view for the open partner, but will likely be unable to play in the middle in pro hockey considering his body. At this point in his career, it would probably be better for him to convert to playing on the flank, where he will face less physical pressure and will also be able to be more elusive with his fine skating and good sense for the game. The Chelyabinsk native had a good season in Russia and played well at the Hlinka Tournament, his offensive abilities can be very valuable for the team in a short-time tournament.

Ivan Morozov, C/W

One of the most interesting, yet underrated player of his class, Morozov is a forward who plays solidly all around the ice and reads the game very well. He plays a solid two-way game and can play in any situation. He can pass the puck to the free player or finish himself thanks to his quick release, even if his shot lacks a bit of power. He is also a very good skater and can make plays at full speed. He’s not big at 6-1”, 197 pounds, but he is not small either and has a lot of time to bulk up. He will probably start the tournament on a line with his teammate Kirill Marchenko as the coaches will try to maximize their chemistry. Morozov spent most of the season in the MHL, but he also played his first game in the KHL with Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk.

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

Russia: Danila Galenyuk (2018 Draft Eligible)

Viktor Fomich — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 11:24:24 +0000

Viktor Fomich provides a detailed scouting report on Russian Prospect Danila Galenyuk. Ranked towards the end of the third round in our mid-season rankings, Fomich describes Galenyuk as a 'classic stay at home defenseman'.

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity

Danila Galenyuk	2018 Draft Eligible
Position D, Shoots L	H/W: 6-1" 200 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-P-PIM)	SKA St. Petersburg, KHL (3-0-0-0-0)
	SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, VHL (4-0-0-0-2)
	Mamonty Yugry/SKA-Neva St. Petersburg, MHL (20-1-5-6-10)
	Russia U18, WJAC (4-0-2-2-2)

Skating: Despite his skating stride being not very refined, Galenyuk is pretty mobile for his size and role. Very good in terms of balance, no problem with lateral movement and backwards skating. Overall his mobility allows him not to worry too much about opponents trying to skate past him and also is good enough to make occasional rushes into attacking zone. Rank: 50

Shot: Galenyuk rarely scores goals, yet from time to time is able to place a really powerful and heavy slapper from the blue line and due to his physical strength it is reasonable to think that he should be able to further develop it into something dangerous. As a stay-at-home guy, he actually does not need anything more than that. Rank: 50

Skills: Nothing flashy here, but for a defender playing in a stay-at-home role, Galenyuk has a decent skillset; he is not uncomfortable at all when he has to carry the puck and is also a very accurate wide-range passer. As a bonus, he is also good at redirecting shots from the blue line when he is used as a net-front presence PP guy. Rank: 45

Smarts: One of the secrets why Galenyuk already made his KHL debut at such an early age is that his playing style is very calm and overall reliable; no panicking under pressure, just selecting a safer option and doing his stuff. Has some issues with positioning and also overall defensive instincts need to be polished, but those things usually come with experience. Rank: 55

Physicality: Galenyuk has just turned 18, yet he is full of muscles and already over 200 lbs (and it is reasonable to expect that he will add some more strength with natural physical growth). He enjoys physical play, is good at board battles, yet he is not a highlight reel hitting type of player - just a calm disconnecting of the attacker from the puck with a check and finishing it when applicable. Rank: 60

Summary: Danila Galenyuk is a classic, physical stay-at-home defenseman; nothing fancy, just "meat-and-potatoes" and play-it-safe stuff. At the age of 18 he already is physically mature and in that way he has no issues with playing vs. pros in both the KHL and VHL, yet it is hard to predict how he will be able to adapt to the NHL playing style, as it is currently trending towards requiring even the most defensive guys to have the ability to move the puck at a good level.

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 52.25

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2018 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Mid-Season Rankings

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 15:53:52 +0000

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

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

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

Here is our mid-season top 31 ranking for the 2018 NHL Draft. For subscribers the full list of 100 plus honourable mentions can be found here - Top 100 2018 NHL Draft - Mid Season. If you are interested in a subscription, you can learn more here - $9.99 for three months access, plus any downloads we release. We publish a 2018 NHL Draft Guide on June 1st, 2018 and our 24th anniversary of the McKeen's Hockey Pool Yearbook on September 1st, 2018.

RK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Rasmus Dahlin	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/185	13-Apr-00	35-6-11-17
2	Filip Zadina	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/200	27-Nov-99	44-35-28-63
3	Andrei Svechnikov	RW	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/185	26-Mar-00	32-30-18-48
4	Brady Tkachuk	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-3/195	16-Sep-99	29-7-16-23
5	Adam Boqvist	D	Brynas (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	15-Aug-00	23-14-7-21
6	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	13-Jun-00	38-31-22-53
7	Evan Bouchard	D	London (OHL)	6-2/195	20-Oct-99	52-18-48-66
8	Noah Dobson	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-3/180	7-Jan-00	53-13-42-55
9	Quinn Hughes	D	Michigan (B1G)	5-10/175	14-Oct-99	27-3-15-18
10	Ty Smith	D	Spokane (WHL)	5-10/180	24-Mar-00	53-9-47-56
11	Joe Veleno	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-00	49-14-48-62
12	Joel Farabee	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/165	25-Feb-00	38-19-25-44
13	Bode Wilde	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/195	24-Jan-00	38-7-17-24
14	Isac Lundestrom	C	Lulea (Swe)	6-0/185	6-Nov-99	35-6-9-15
15	Grigori Denisenko	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/165	24-Jun-00	23-4-10-14
16	K'Andre Miller	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	21-Jan-00	38-6-12-18
17	Barrett Hayton	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/190	9-Jun-00	52-18-31-49
18	Jared McIsaac	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	27-Mar-00	53-7-30-37
19	Akil Thomas	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/170	2-Jan-00	53-15-47-62
20	Ryan McLeod	C	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/200	21-Sep-99	52-18-36-54
21	Jesperi Kotkaniemi	C	Assat Pori (Fin)	6-1/190	6-Jul-00	52-8-17-25
22	Serron Noel	RW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-5/200	8-Aug-00	48-21-19-40
23	Rasmus Kupari	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-1/185	15-Mar-00	31-5-5-10
24	Jacob Olofsson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/190	8-Feb-00	38-9-11-20
25	Ryan Merkley	D	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/170	14-Aug-00	50-12-44-56
26	Jett Woo	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/205	27-Jul-00	30-8-15-23
27	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/195	6-Feb-00	55-21-20-41
28	Alexander Alexeyev	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-3/200	15-Nov-99	37-6-25-31
29	Mattias Samuelsson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/215	14-Mar-00	34-6-13-19
30	Jack McBain	C	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	6-3/195	6-Jan-00	44-19-33-52
31	Martin Kaut	RW	Pardubice (Cze)	6-1/175	2-Oct-99	35-5-6-11

Ivan Hlinka tournament – Scouting notes

Dennis Schellenberg — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 13:54:08 +0000

Ivan Hlinka - Barrett Hayton - Canada - Matthew Verboon - Sweden, photo by Jan Sukup

The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup is an annually-held tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. After losing the gold medal to the Czechs last year, Canada took back the cup this year, beating the hosts in the final game with a score of 4-1. McKeens was in the stands for the games held in Bratislava, Slovakia. Find below a list of players who impressed us:

Russia:

Russia had some undersized, but highly-skilled forwards on their roster. They lost top prospects Grigori Denisenko and Danila Galenyuk early in the tournament to injuries, which gave other players the chance to shine.

Goaltender Amir Miftakhof impressed me in all his starts, especially in the first game against Canada, where his strong saves took Russia into overtime. With a strong glove and rebound control, he gave his teammates a safe feeling throughout the tournament.

Although Nikita Okhotyuk (2019 NHL Draft) will not be available until the 2019 NHL Draft, he captained the Russian national team at the Hlinka Memorial. Big and strong, Okhotyuk impressed with a strong physical game and dominated older players in this department. Was extremely calm and composed with the puck and when under pressure. Offensively, he contributed most notably on the powerplay, where he used his heavy shot. While not yet the most enhanced two-way defenseman, Okhotyuk could be a first-round pick in 2019.

One of those undersized-yet-skilled forwards was Ruslan Iskhakov. Iskhakov played in Slovakia and was tearing down the league last season with impressive numbers. A strong puckhandler who possesses quick hands, which he uses to set up plays and dance through opposing defensemen. Always played with his head up and possesses strong vision, he is a real offensive catalyst. Size and physical play will be an issue and playing in the Slovak junior league will not help his development.

One of my favorite prospects to watch was Russia’s Nikita Rtichev. A very smart player who uses his hockey IQ to make plays. He showed great game awareness and distributed the puck calmly. His vision and understanding of game situations made up for his average skating. Rtichev is capable of playing a strong two-way game and is aware of his defensive responsibilities. Big, smart and owning strong puck skills, Rtichev will draw attention at the upcoming draft.

Dmitri Zavgorodny led the entire tournament in points, with 10 points in 5 games and was probably the player that stood out the most, raising his draft status like no other. He was a treat to watch in nearly every game, with strong puck and skating skills. Always created offence in his shifts and kept opposing defensemen on their heels. Real good in 1-1 situations, Zavgorodny is an above-average puckhandler and was nearly impossible to stop. Size might be an issue as well for him, but he has showed that he can be productive against the top defenders of the tournament.

Canada:

Traditionally, Canada sends a very strong team to the Czech Republic and Slovakia to compete for the Ivan Hlinka Memorial title. So it was this year as well and Canada won the cup back from the Czechs.

Goaltender Alexis Gravel got the first start, but did not convince and in the course of the tournament Olivier Rodrigue took over the starter position playing with much more consistency in his game. He played composed, moved around quickly and showed good speed in his pads. He also took away angles from the shooters and positioned himself effectively in the crease making it hard for shooters to find gaps.

Canada had a very stacked defense, one of the best in years with several first round projected defenders. The one that stood out most was Ryan Merkley, who showed his offensive talent, especially on the powerplay. So gifted when carrying the puck up ice with mobility, quick hands and speed, Merkley can jump rushes and play the long outlet pass. He sees the ice extremely well and can maneuver the puck in tight, always seem to know what to do with it.

Similar to Merkley, fellow puckmoving defenseman Ty Smith convinced and had a strong tournament. He orchestrated the second powerplay unit and displayed his strong puck skills playing long outlet passes. He is a fine puckhandler and great skater and played an important role in Canada’s offensive game as he kept joining rushes.

One forward that surprised was Barrett Hayton, who was dominant in the opponent’s offensive zone, mostly in a top-6 forward role. Impressed with tenaciousness in puck battles and played with a decent overall competitiveness. Strong on the stick, Hayton was hard to win battles and displayed fine puckhandling skills as he did not require a lot of space, and bought himself time with smart moves and toe-drags.

Two very competitive forwards on Canada’s forward group were Akil Thomas and captain Joe Veleno. Thomas, who is very strong on his skates and with his stick, won a lot of battles. With his rather big frame and strength on his feet, he can take the puck directly to the net and was effective around the crease. Was good in digging out pucks and can create havoc with good skating, strength and his good shooting tools.

Veleno is a similar type of player. Showed that he is a top 10 talent in back-to-back Hlinka tourneys. Plays with an above-average compete level, very strong on the puck and excellent when cycling in the offensive zone as he was hard to separate from the puck with his strength and speed. Equipped with a good work ethic and a powerful shot, Veleno was hard to control for opponent teams and had an impact in most shifts.

Some honorable mentions go to Jack McBain, Gabriel Fortier and Calen Addison.

Finland:

Captain of the Finnish team, defenseman Toni Utunen was by far the best defenseman for his nation. He often calmed the game for Finland with his composed playing style and not committing any mistakes. He did not contribute big time offensively, however possesses a strong shot from the point. Utunen is a reliable and mature defender, who really knows how to use an active stick and was hard to surpass.

The other defenseman of note was Santeri Salmela. Similar to Utunen, big blueliner Salmela plays composed in his own zone and is reliable in defending. Offensively, not the biggest contributor, but possesses a hard shot. He is hard to pass by as he has good positioning and he can break up plays with an active stick and his long reach.

The most eye-catching Finnish forward was Rasmus Kupari, without doubt. Especially when weaker opponents gave him more space and time, he played a dominant offensive game. Had 5 of his 7 points against Slovakia where he set up plays as well as finished them off, some in a highlight-reel style. Big in size, quick and equipped with smooth hands, Kupari can do damage in multiple ways. Was not as dominant against bigger nations, though. Still one of the more exciting players to watch.

Next to Kupari, it was not Jesperi Kotkaniemi, but 19-eligible and undersized Matias Maccelli who caught my eyes with his very smart offensive game. Quick and possessing above-average puckhandling skills, Maccelli used his smarts and mature understanding of the game to set up nice plays.

Sampo Ranta spent last season in the USHL and that was noticed in his game as he played a North American type of game. Used his size well to protect the puck, was hard to knock off the puck and circled nicely in the offensive zone. Played physical and finished checks, also displayed decent skating skills.

Honorable mentions to Anttoni Honka, Kim Nousiainen and Juuso Ketola.

Switzerland:

Based on the group constellation, I was limited to only one game of the Swiss, therefore all notes in this section are from that game only. I had heard that Nico Gross had a decent tournament, after playing a weak summer so far, but that was not in evidence in the game in question.

Goaltender Akira Schmid somehow always convinced me in my viewings and so he did again at this year’s Hlinka Memorial. Big in size, Schmid is a modern goaltender who played a composed game.

A big forward who played a power forward type of game, Jeremi Gerber played physical and had multiple open-ice hits. Although he is decent in size, he possesses decent hands and puckhandling skills, was able to dangle through high traffic areas.

The player who played one level above everyone on the Swiss team was Valentin Nussbaumer. A very smooth puckhandler, Nussbaumer can cut breaches into defenses with his ability to go to the net and gritty areas. He was by far the most dangerous Swiss throughout the tournament and created offence in most of his shifts. Not eligible until 2019, I have him as the top Swiss prospect in that class.

Slovakia:

On a weak Slovak team, big-sized defenseman Matej Ilencik seem to be the most promising player in terms of making it to the NHL. Ilencik played a composed and calm game, did not commit mistakes and was able to play long outlet passes. Given his size, he plays solid physically and possesses decent puck skills and soft hands.

Smallish forward Martin Fasko-Rudas convinced me with his work ethic and high compete level. Skates quickly and with determination, he competes hard in every shift and did not shy away from contact, although he is not the biggest. I liked his active game and that he tried to get things going, one of the only Slovak players who tried something even when down by some goals.

Another forward who I enjoyed watching was Oliver Okuliar. He went into dirty areas and did not shy away from throwing around his body. Okuliar possesses powerful strides but lacks a blazing top speed. However, he was able to create things on his own and was one of the most active Slovak forwards.

Honorable mentions to Oliver Turan, Jan Sarvas and Robert Dzugan.

Sweden:

Adam Boqvist - Sweden Ty Dellandrea - Canada, photo by Jan Sukup

Unfortunately, I was only able to see the Swede’s once, but lucky enough to at least get a glance at Adam Boqvist, a projected first rounder. Boqvist was one of the shining stars at the Hlinka Memorial and did not disappoint. So gifted and quick with the puck, he is a real strong puckmover and can dance through opposing defensemen with ease. Equipped with high hockey IQ, he is an exciting talent and very strong offensive defenseman. Possesses a good shot, outstanding skating skills and overall competitiveness.

In the shadow of Boqvist, Filip Johansson was another who impressed. He made smart decisions with the puck, possesses a powerful shot and good overall smarts and understanding of the game.

Undersized but gritty forward Lukas Wernblom was a tough challenger and was in opponents’ face all the time with his net drive and feisty playing style. Loves to battle and is present in post-whistle scrums, he is also gifted with the puck and displayed quick skating, and strong acceleration. I enjoyed watching his game away from the puck as he opened up ice for line mates with his net drive and active movement in the offensive zone.

Danila Galenyuk – McKeen's Hockey

2020 NHL DRAFT: Re-Entry Candidates Part Three – Europe

Europe

Russia 2019-20 Season Preview: Top Prospects to Watch

Western Conference

Championship contenders

Eastern Conference

Championship contenders

Top NHL prospects to watch

Honourable Mentions

Top 2020 NHL draft prospects to watch

Older players

Top undrafted players who can make the jump next year

McKeen’s 2019 NHL Shadow Draft

2018 Draft in Review – Shadow Draft and Odd Thoughts

World U18 Team Preview: Russia

Alexander Zhabreev, C

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

Russia: Danila Galenyuk (2018 Draft Eligible)

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

2018 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Mid-Season Rankings

Ivan Hlinka tournament – Scouting notes