David Cotton – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: CAROLINA HURRICANES – RANK: #14 – TIER III

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:28:03 +0000

Carolina Hurricanes

#14 Carolina - Carolina has drafted for quantity as much as quality over teh last few seasons, and their system reflects that, lacking too many top flight guys, but going very long on that next tier.

Seth Jarvis. Photo by Keith Dwiggins/Portland Winterhawks

Seth Jarvis - RW

To say Jarvis’ AHL debut was a success would be an understatement. With the pandemic allowing underage players to participate in a few pro games last season, Jarvis made the most of his opportunity, posting seven goals and 11 points in just nine games for the Chicago Wolves. He led the league in scoring at the moment in time when he was sent back to Portland to finish the season in the WHL. There he added 27 more points in 24 games to close out an extremely successful draft-plus-one campaign.

Jarvis is a supremely talented player with electrifying skills. His skating and stickhandling make him a force in the neutral zone, creating turnovers and leading the rush the other way. In the offensive zone, Jarvis attacks with pace and is able to execute at top speed. He sees the ice well and is a creative playmaker but can also finish with precision in a variety of ways. He displayed a keen sense of time and space at the faster AHL pace and adapted well. Ineligible for the AHL this upcoming season, the odds are the Hurricanes will send Jarvis back to Portland for a final junior season, as they generally like to let their prospects over-ripen. However, one could argue that Jarvis has nothing left to prove at the junior level and excelled playing against men last season already. His ability to play wing or center could see him earn a spot in the NHL in 2021-22 with a strong training camp. - AS

Dominik Bokk - RW

Currently 21-years-old, Dominik Bokk is a former 1st rounder of the St. Louis Blues who was acquired by the Carolina Hurricanes in the deal that sent defenseman Justin Faulk to St. Louis. Entering the 20-21 season, Bokk had parts of three SHL seasons - including two full seasons - under his belt, having peaked to date with 23 points for Rögle BK in the 18-19 season. A strong WJC with six goals as well as an uptick in his SHL goalscoring from eight to 11 took place in the 19-20 season, but this year began in a manner that quickly had him in limbo. Surprisingly scheduled to play for DEL bottom feeder Krefeld heading into the season, the delayed DEL start led to Bokk looking for greener pastures, landing once again in Sweden and admittedly with his third SHL organization, Djurgarden.

A team desperate for offense at the time of his arrival, the Stockholmers lived through 20 games of Bokk’s most ineffective play as a professional. Known for his fantastic mitts, some shake-n-bake moves, and a strong ability to find teammates in scoring positions, Book couldn’t muster up more than his three points despite being given a prime opportunity on a scoring line upon his arrival. Carolina brought him over to the AHL once the league got going and it proved to be the breath of fresh air that Bokk so desperately needed. Suiting up for 29 games with the Chicago Wolves, Bokk's first sojourn to North America saw him rack up nine goals and 18 points, most over the second half of his AHL season, finding a real groove while learning what challenges await him as part of a Carolina system that is generally stacked with forward prospects. The key is that he has gotten acclimated and was able to make some noise. Carolina will be needing to look for some affordable, extra scoring on the wings over the next few seasons and one of those could be Bokk. - CL

Ryan Suzuki - C

All things considered; it was a very successful season for the former Hurricanes first round pick. After helping Canada win silver at the World Junior Championships, Suzuki joined the Chicago Wolves of the AHL with the OHL on hiatus. With Chicago, Suzuki was very productive and impressive in a bottom six role for the Wolves, his first taste of pro action. The younger brother of Montreal’s Nick Suzuki, Ryan appears well on track to be an NHL player.

The two areas of Ryan’s game that needed to be improved upon to find success at the pro level definitely improved this season. The first would be his assertiveness and aggressiveness with the puck, showing a willingness to attack the middle and play through contact. The second would be his confidence in using his shot and being more deliberate with the puck. By improving these two areas, Suzuki was able to be a more consistent and reliable offensive player and it improves his odds of becoming a high-end middle six forward at the NHL level. He will need to continue to get stronger and quicker, however he will get the opportunity to return to Chicago this upcoming season, where he will take on a larger role and show that he can be an offensive leader in the AHL before moving on to the next challenge at the NHL level. - BO

Noel Gunler - RW

After not getting much ice time with his hometown team Lulea HF, Gunler was traded to Brynäs IF in the first months of the 2020-21 season. His role significantly improved after the move, as he was getting more Top six and power play minutes. He was given a chance in 32 Swedish Hockey League games, and his production was alright for a 19-year-old: eight goals and five assists, a total of 13 points.

The Swedish winger is a skilled shooter, he proved his abilities in both SHL and the World Junior Championships (four goals in five matches). He still projects as a second-line forward, due to his awesome shot, size (6-2”), physicality and overall offensive abilities. His PPG was the 3^rd highest behind two Top seven 2020 NHL Draft picks, Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond, out of all D+1 SHL players. A pre-draft consensus 1^st round candidate himself, he has the potential to become one of the steals of last year's draft. He was surprisingly taken in the second round (41^st overall) by the Hurricanes. Gunler is expected to start the next season with Brynäs, which is a really good move. The 19-year-old needs to spend more time with the pros, working on his weaknesses (his play without the puck, consistency issues) and after improving his production, he should find his way to North America. - MD

Ville Koivunen - LW

A winger who has not been receiving near the amount of respect he is deserving of, Koivunen parlayed a U20 season this year into a league Rookie of the Year award and a three-year extension with Karpat’s main club. His reputation as an offensive weapon was only strengthened with a 10-point performance at the U18 championships. Koivunen brings a combination of puck skills and hockey sense that should allow him to continue performing at a top six clip as he moves into the men’s leagues on a full-time basis this year. For those reasons, he was a terrific second round selection by Carolina this year.

Equally talented in a set-up capacity or as a finisher, Koivunen plays off of his linemates well, and demonstrates very mature poise on the puck, regardless of the level of pressure being placed on him by the defense. His skating will need some real improvement before he can be considered NHL-ready, which considers technique, leg strength, and just the stamina/drive to keep his feet moving and prevent splaying throughout the entirety of the shift. All of the impact tools are here for a future top six winger, with relatively small tweaks standing in the way of success. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Jamieson Rees - C

A highly competitive, yet skilled forward, Rees’ development has gone very well since being drafted by the Hurricanes in the second round of the 2019 Draft. Even with the OHL on hiatus this past season, Rees was able to carve out a significant role on the Chicago Wolves in the AHL as an underage player (playing on an exemption). Rees (and Ryan Suzuki, for that matter), brought energy, tenaciousness, and offensive production in a checking line role on a very strong Wolves team.

Rees is most electric and dangerous in transition, where he can use his speed to push the pace. However, he loves to drive the middle and crash the net; playing the pest role is something he seems to really enjoy. While Rees has the individual puck skill and creativity to consistently create chances, he is equally adept at finishing off plays and finding open space in the slot to use his high end shot release. A well-rounded player, it seems likely that Rees should at least be able to carve out a long career as a versatile and valuable third line forward. However, he will need to learn to play with more discipline as the penalty issues that plagued him in the OHL were also an issue in his first pro season. Look for Rees to play another full season in the AHL before pushing for playing time in Carolina. - BO

Pyotr Kochetkov - G

Looking back at Kochetkov's season it started very hopefully, as he was given a full-time backup roster spot (with the possibility to prove himself as a potential starter too) at Vityaz KHL team, but unfortunately, he didn't use that opportunity very well. Additionally, at the same time, the team's third goalie had a breakout season, so it didn't take long until Kochetkov found himself not in the position to succeed anymore. A trade to the Torpedo team at the KHL deadline solved the situation a bit, as he was able to get himself some starts again, but still, that couldn't really save his season.

Kochetkov has signed with the Hurricanes but was immediately loaned back to Torpedo for the coming season. He will have to compete for his starts there again, as, judging by the roster situation in Torpedo, he won't be getting those handed to him. What he really needs to do next season to further his development (aside from winning as many starts as possible) is to work on his technique and consistency, as he is still a pretty raw goalie, which is worrying considering his age. In other words, the Canes goaltending coaching staff will need to address that and do their work to make him an NHL level goalie. - VF

Jack Drury - C

Ivy Leaguers typically stay in school for the full four years, or at least three, but the pandemic we are still living through has led to far stranger things than a talented player walking away from Harvard after only two seasons in uniform. A player who has always been able to contribute above the level of his disparate skills, Drury leveraged the global pandemic to leave school early, not to sign an NHL contract, but to sign for a season in Sweden with SHL Vaxjo, with whom he captured a league title, leading the team in scoring in the postseason to boot. Drury is the type that requires numerous viewings to truly appreciate, as none of his individual skills, on their own, stand out. He just gets the job done.

Carolina has a fairly deep organization, both at the NHL level and in the minors, so there is no reason to expect Drury to play in the NHL for any significant length of time in 2021-22. But with six of the centers either clearly above him or vying for NHL time with him looking at expiring contracts at the end of the upcoming season, Drury’s timeline to a strong NHL opportunity is relatively short. The lack of any one selling tool perhaps limits Drury to a middle six upside, but by this time, it would surprise roughly no one if he exceeded his tools yet again once he gets to the NHL. - RW

Joey Keane - D

An AHL All-Star as a rookie in 2019/20, Keane was rewarded midseason with a trade from the Rangers to the Hurricanes (in exchange for Julien Gauthier). In his first full season with the Canes organization, Keane continued to be an AHL stand out with the Checkers. This led to the reward of a cup of coffee with the Canes, allowing management to evaluate his future prospects with the organization.

The highlight of Keane’s game is his mobility. An elite level skater in all four directions, Keane always seems to be a step ahead of the competition. A tenacious physical player, Keane stands out in the defensive end, first and foremost, because of his ability to quell transitional attacks. Offensively, he will take his chances to lead and jump into the attack, given his quickness. However, his decision making is still called into question at times, leading some to believe that he may settle into more of a defensive role at the NHL level. Keane stands to receive a chance to be a full time third pairing defender next year if he has a strong camp and preseason as he will likely be competing with the recently acquired Ethan Bear for playing time. While his upside remains a bit of a question mark, his odds of becoming an NHL defender, in some capacity, seem good. - BO

Tuukka Tieksola - RW

Even though there was some disappointment over Tieksola not making the Finnish World Junior squad this year, he did experience a breakout performance in Liiga with Karpat. His 18 points in 37 games was the sixth best production by a U20 player in Liiga. The speedy and crafty winger turned this performance into a contract with the Hurricanes.

Tieksola’s game revolves around his quick feet and hands. Shifty and elusive in the offensive zone, he is great at finding soft spots in coverage. His top end speed can be an asset in transition too, and he has really dialed up his physical intensity level since being drafted to become a competent forechecker and boards player. Even with a contract in hand, the Hurricanes will be loaning Tieksola back to Finland for the year. He will rejoin Karpat and look to improve his production and establish himself as a go-to offensive player in Liiga. He projects as a middle six scoring option for Carolina but is probably still a few years off of reaching that potential. - BO

Aleksi Heimosalmi - D

A recent second round selection by Carolina, Heimosalmi was one of the breakout stars of this year’s World Under 18’s, earning the tournament’s top defender honor. Blessed with excellent skating ability, Heimosalmi is a dynamic puck mover, but he will look to improve his play in his own end as he becomes a Liiga regular this season with Assat.

Anttoni Honka - D

Since being drafted in 2019, Honka has done nothing but improve and is coming off of his best season yet in Liiga with JYP. The smooth skating offensive defender will return to Finland for another year and then should be ready to cross the pond and push for the Carolina roster.

Scott Morrow - D

Another recent second round selection, Morrow was billed as one of the 2021 draft’s best skaters. However, he has seen limited action above the prep school level and remains a long-term project, albeit one with high upside. Morrow will suit up for UMass this year, which has done a terrific job of developing defenders in recent years.

David Cotton - LW

Cotton had a very good first pro season with Charlotte after four very strong seasons at Boston College. The strong two-way center is someone who projects as a middle six forward for the Hurricanes and could see action as early as this year in Carolina.

Eetu Makiniemi - G

Fresh off his first full season as a starter in Liiga, Makiniemi has signed with Carolina and will head to North America to play in the AHL this year. He will compete to be the starter in Charlotte and has the package of size and athleticism that could make him a back-up at minimum in the future.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Carolina Hurricanes Top 20 Prospects

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 21:29:15 +0000

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

Seth Jarvis, C (13^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jarvis led his team in scoring last year and finished second to Adam Beckman in the WHL with 98 points. From January on, he had 63 points in 26 games. An explosive player in transition, he is at his best when he can attack with pace. His first step quickness allows him to turn plays around in an instant. He has an uncanny ability to dart in and out of traffic, changing his angles of attack and his pace to sneak past defenders. His hands can also keep up with his feet. He maintains possession through his quick stops, starts, and turns, and is difficult to stick check because of how he manages space. Jarvis also possesses a high-end intelligence level, both with and without the puck, exceling in all three zones. Equal parts playmaker and goal scorer, he can beat you in a lot of different ways. His explosiveness, puck skill, finishing ability, tenaciousness, and high IQ make him a potential high-scoring impact first line winger. He also can provide versatility by playing multiple roles and that should endear him to coaches at the next level rather quickly. - BO

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25^th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. Previous ranking: 1)

Bokk has elite skills but displays consistency issues as well. He has an accurate and fast wrist shot and can score from almost any angle. He rarely scores outside the circles, and his shot is lethal from the rush. He also possesses strong puck control and can deke his way through traffic. He has the vision to find an open teammate as well. Bokk is a frustrating prospect in the sense that he sees the ice well, and has all the technical tools, but does not always use them. There are some concerns that he is too much of a skills player and lacks the instincts to make the right play at the right time to win a game, which also could explain his consistency issues. Without the puck, he still has a lot of work to do on his game which might be instinct-related. I would like to see him get more into open spaces, while defensively he needs to cover the ice better and be more active. All-in-all, Bokk is still a year or two away from playing in the NHL and Carolina needs to work on his all-around game if he is to reach his considerable potential. - JH

Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Suzuki projects as a premier playmaking center who has among the best vision and touch of any pivot in the OHL. That said, many parts of his game are still a work in progress. After a trade from Barrie to Saginaw, he formed instant chemistry with Cole Perfetti, and his play and commitment away from the puck really seemed to improve. At his best, Suzuki can drive the play with his strong skating ability, creativity, and penchant for working the half wall. He is especially dangerous on the powerplay with his vision and pinpoint passing ability on both his forehand and backhand. He still needs to improve his confidence in his shot, his ability to fight through traffic, the consistency of his zone entry success, offensive zone turnovers, and defensive commitment in the neutral and defensive zones. That said, he has already shown improvements. We saw him initiate challenges for the puck more consistently. And we saw him drive the middle to open up room for linemate Perfetti. As an NHLer, Suzuki certainly projects as a top six, playmaking center. Suzuki’s game is not as mature as his brother Nick (Montreal), however he does have the similar potential. - BO

Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

In addition to patience on one of the top power plays in the Eastern Conference, Bean also brings a strong defensive game when penalty killing. Despite early concerns where skating and confidence were concerned, he quickly earned top minutes providing the Checkers with stability on the back end. He continues to get better offensively, carrying the puck well, and has gotten better at reading when to rush the puck or pass. A worrisome note is that while he may have gotten better at knowing when to let go of the puck, passing the puck and making the right play is another thing. Consistency throughout the season was a struggle as a really good game with several points one day would be followed by a game where he turns the puck over multiple times. Bean will have to work on bringing the same high intensity throughout the entirety of next season and avoiding neutral zone turnovers as much. He can skate, shoot, his hands are good, he protects the puck well, and his individual skill is NHL level, but the details in puck movement need to be tightened up before he takes up an eventual top four spot in the NHL. – SC

Noel Gunler, RW (41^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Gunler has three high end elements to his profile. First off, the man can skate. Not in the elite speed sense, but he takes off quickly, is very agile, and he moves well in four directions. Gunler has skills. He is far ahead of his age-cohort in his ability to create scoring chances on his own. Gunler can shoot. He is actually more natural as a finisher with his heavy wrister than as a creator. He reads goalies well, knowing when to fire and he doesn’t need to be in tight to pick his spot either, as he has the power to connect from long range. He will let a linemate do the heavy lifting, emerging at the critical moment in a high danger spot. Unfortunately, his effort level varies not just game-to-game, but shift-to-shift, and within a given shift as well. He can be a game breaker, and he can also be a completely transparent fifth wheel. He has also rubbed a lot of people in Sweden the wrong way and has rarely played internationally for his homeland. He could be a future first line weapon, and he could fail to establish himself as a regular NHL’er. – RW

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88^th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: 4)

With the Hartford Wolfpack, Keane found his stride immediately as a professional and kept it up with Charlotte Checkers after being traded from the Rangers, earning 7 points in 9 games. Keane is a strong skater, skilled passer, creative puck handler and quick shooter. He is a threat no matter where he is on the ice and creates plays from all zones. His first games with Charlotte were shaky, but as his confidence grew, he proved that he could contribute with anyone to find the back of the net. Being so offensively driven and having been given a lot of freedom in his major junior years, Keane has slacked off on the details of his defensive game, not always being as present as he should be away from the puck. He will be starting next season back in the AHL, which means he will have to be better on the back end. He has all the tools and an opportunity to earn a top defensive spot in the NHL in the future and the changes to be made are so minute that he should grow into them within the next two seasons. - SC

Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

A competitive firecracker, Rees is an ultra-intense offensive forward who had one of the better point-per-game averages in the OHL last season. That said, his style of play, coupled with his average size, has created injury issues. He also struggles towing the line between playing hard and playing reckless, resulting in several suspensions, limiting his time on ice and hampering his development. An explosive skater, and aggressive player, he pushes the pace on the attack and will look to drive the net. He is often the first man into the offensive zone to apply pressure. He plays a physical two-way game and excels as a penalty killer because of his tempo. His decision making with the puck needs to improve as turnovers can be an issue, especially in the offensive zone. He has the skill level, but with a tendency to force the issue or overhandle the puck. This was exasperated last season on a weak Sarnia team, leading to frequent frustration. That said, Rees is a very talented prospect. He needs to stay healthy, avoid penalties, and continue to mature. He has the makings of a very reliable middle six forward who can play in a variety of situations. – BO

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Tieksola was one of the top players in the Finnish U20 league in 2019-20. There were many moments when he looked too good for the junior level – he probably should have spent more time playing against men in Finland’s second-highest league. He is a highly skilled winger with a great blend of speed, skill and vision. More of a playmaker than goal-scorer, but he is a good finisher with a precise shot. A smooth skater, Tieksola has very quick feet and uses crossovers to accelerate. He plays at a fast pace and can execute plays at high speeds. He sees the entire ice and moves the puck really well – finding lanes for cross-ice passes. He is dangerous on the power play. Slick and crafty, he plays with poise and can hold on to the puck in the final third. Not particularly physical, but he plays with good effort and intensity. An exciting prospect with lots of potential – it will be interesting to see if he can earn ice-time in the Liiga next season. - MB

Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Puistola split the 2019-20 season split between three Liiga teams. He had very limited ice-time with Tappara, was loaned to Jukurit and later on to KooKoo. He was one of the bright spots on the Finnish World Junior team. Puistola is a talented goal-scorer and extremely dangerous around the net. He is an excellent finisher and has a scorer’s touch in tight. His wrist shot is quick, and he does not need a whole lot of room to score. He has swift hands and overall, his stickhandling is very good. He has some impressive dekes in his repertoire and exhibits confidence with the puck. The main area for needed improvement is his skating. He has a bit of a choppy and ineffective stride. His balance could be much stronger as well. He is quite physical and does not shy away from contact. In fact, Puistola likes to engage physically and seems to enjoy physical confrontations. He signed a two-year contract with JYP, in Liiga, where he will try to take on a bigger role. - MB

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

After a breakout 2019 season that saw Kochetkov named the top goaltender at the year’s World Junior Championships, the Hurricanes made him a second-round selection in his third year of NHL draft eligibility. The 2020 season was much more uneven for Kochetkov, bouncing around between four different teams, in addition to failing to secure a full-time spot in the KHL. He is certainly still intriguing because of his athleticism and size combination. He is extremely quick in the crease, displaying a somewhat unorthodox, aggressive, scrambling style in the crease that may need some refinement in North America. A late season trade to Vityaz Podolsk did bring about better fortunes for Kochetkov, so perhaps the 2020-21 season will be the year he establishes himself as a full time KHL netminder. Of course, he possesses the potential to be a starter for Carolina somewhere down the line. - BO

Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Drury, nephew of former NHLer Chris Drury, just completed his sophomore season at Harvard. He spent two seasons playing for Waterloo in the USHL before joining the Crimson where he finished second on the team in scoring as a sophomore. Drury also played in the World Junior Championship in both of his collegiate seasons and he was a named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team as a freshman. Drury plays bigger than his 6-0” frame. He is a solid two-way forward who can obviously score. A mainstay on the penalty kill, he has an active defensive stick and causes turnovers. Drury is physical and will fight for the puck along the boards. He has good speed and a quick shot. He is capable of setting his teammates up but also has success scoring himself. The center also has really soft hands and makes difficult passes look effortless. He has been expected to return to Harvard as a junior, but recently rumors have spread that he might spend the 2020-21 playing in Europe as all Ivy League schools will be foregoing the Fall Sports schedules. – JS

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

As a relatively recent third round selection, Geekie seemed like a longshot to earn a spot on Carolina’s 2020 playoff roster, although he managed to play the exhibition game leading into qualifiers. He finished third in points this season with the Charlotte Checkers, managing to put his passing and shooting skills in the spotlight. He is a smart player who plays a full 200-foot game and does well at killing penalties since his forechecking positioning is so strong. Geekie will need to keep working on his physical game and keep getting bigger and stronger before he makes a full time jump to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has the potential to earn an early call up next season where this year’s postseason experience will be good for such a consistent player and he can turn into a permanent third line fixture with Carolina. Geekie is clever and an asset thanks to his persistence and work ethic department, he has the drive to make it based on motivation alone, let alone his strong skill. – SC

Vasily Ponomarev, C (53^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Ponomarev had a solid, if unspectacular, CHL debut season with Shawinigan. He is a powerful skater with strong legs and an impressive first few steps, who can play strong on the puck and win more positional battles than you might expect for a player of his stature. His other offensive tools also project well. Ponomarev has an accurate wrist shot that he releases quickly and on which he is able to change the angle before firing, giving it deception. He may be even more gifted as a playmaker. He reads space on the ice exceptionally, and is creative, helping him find elusive passing lanes. Thanks to his ability to process the game, he was also used regularly on the penalty kill. Responsible at both ends, his work ethic was appreciated by his coaching staff. Even if his skill game is not enough to project as a top six NHLer, he is versatile enough to make it work further down the lineup, keeping him out of boom-or-bust territory. He could be primed to take a big step forward in his second North American season. – RW

Jeremy Bracco, C/RW (UFA: Oct. 16, 2020. Originally: 61^st overall, 2015 [Toronto]. Previous ranking: 6^th [Toronto])

Previously the dark sheep of the Toronto organization, Bracco’s talent and hockey IQ are unquestionable but it is hard to determine where he fits in his return to play. From powerplay to odd man rushes, he takes the lead in capitalizing on breaks and has proven to be dangerous. He can skate and shoot, and he knows when to make a pass or when to hold onto it. He has enough experience to earn an NHL callup, but the adjustment may be harder in terms of physicality and space. A weak spot seems to be knowing when to let go of the puck, oftentimes he gets himself into trouble by holding onto the puck too long and getting closed out and cut off. Given the chance, Bracco could do well as a third liner but discipline on and off the ice will need to be established first. Regardless of personal matters, Bracco remains a top talent and a forward who is capable of putting up 30+ point seasons in the NHL, he will hopefully come back next season better than ever, with a new chance in a new organization, after signing with Carolina as a free agent. - SC

David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

The sixth-round draft pick spent one season in the USHL after being drafted and before joining the Eagles. Cotton stayed on campus for four full seasons, signing with Carolina (along with his brother, Jason) following the season. The Texas native played U16 hockey in Colorado before joining prep school in Massachusetts. As a high school athlete, he was named to the All-USA Hockey First Team. Cotton is a two-way forward and plays well defensively but has contributed his fair share of points as well and captained the Eagles as a senior. Cotton is an intimidating presence on the ice and can skate well with his 6-2”, 201-pound frame. He protects the puck well. He has excellent, soft hands, allowing him to corral and dish passes even under pressure and through traffic. Defensively, Cotton is pesky and aggressive. He also has a long reach, which he uses well. He will have to show what role he can play in the AHL before he earns an NHL debut. - JS

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Makiniemi was a relatively unknown prospect when the Hurricanes selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. However, that should not be the case any longer. He was named the best goalie in Finland’s second-highest league. He was stellar in many games and gave his team a chance to win almost every night. He is a hybrid goalie with very good skating ability. He is highly flexible, athletic, and has the ability to make extension pad saves. He also has strong recovery speed, and he makes big saves in key moments. He stays composed even when the stakes are high. There are two things that he has improved a great deal: consistency and rebound control. In the junior level, he occasionally let in some easy goals that he should have saved. His rebound control used to be an occasional issue but has gotten much better lately. There is no doubt in my mind that Makiniemi has NHL potential. He will likely get at least a decent amount of starts in the Liiga next season. - MB

Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Honka had a fairly good season with JYP in the Liiga. However, his World Juniors performance left me wanting more. He has very good puck skills, he handles the puck with ease and has some deception in his game. He is also a smooth skater, light on his feet, and moves well in all directions. He does not have blazing speed, but his skating is an asset, nonetheless. The main concerns are still his defensive game and decision making. He needs to defend the middle of the ice more effectively, as he gets caught out of position and does not keep his gaps tight enough. I would like to see him apply more stick pressure defensively. His style of play is quite risky, and I am not sure if that will translate to the NHL. He shows flashes of high-level skill and vision, especially on the power play, but his game is too erratic right now. I am interested to see what kind of progress he will make next season, now that he has finally re-signed with the Hurricanes. - MB

Kirill Slepets, RW (152^ndoverall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Slepets is a strong skater who plays an active game away from the puck. He has good quickness in his first few strides and can spin off pressure along the boards. However, he lacks in explosiveness and his balance could be a tad stronger. He is always in motion and does not quit on plays. He works tirelessly and constantly puts pressure on opponents. He is shifty with the puck and carries it well through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. He shows good offensive vision, and he can execute an effective passing game without much flash or dash. However, at the moment he does not play a very physical game. He needs to show more situational toughness and win puck battles at a higher rate. He has offensive skill; he moves well and plays with a good approach. Slepets is an interesting player who has potential to improve his overall game and reach an NHL ceiling. – MB

Zion Nybeck, RW (115^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

I would understand if you experience a touch of cognitive dissonance seeing Nybeck ranked near the end of the Hurricanes’ top 20, as he was the SuperElit’s leading scorer last season as a 17-year-old in a U20 league. He plays with great touch and is a high-end playmaker. His vision is advanced, and he successfully walks the fine line between playing creatively and simply. Our concerns are two-fold. First off, he is tiny (he looks up to Cole Caufield). Second, his skating is a problem. He has a low center of gravity which helps but has little power to his stride. Either one of those things could prevent him from ever reaching his full potential, but if he does, look out! The other elements of his game are incredibly impressive, particularly the aforementioned puck skills, but also his advanced IQ, most prominent in his offensive reads. He even has a strong shot for a smaller player (again, he still looks up to Caufield there). Boom or bust for sure, but few systems have players with this type of upside this far down their list. - RW

Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Coming into this past season, the focus for the 6-2” power center was on improving his footspeed, consistency, and engagement level without the puck. His goal scoring ability has never been questioned, as he put up 30 in his draft year (and 35 this year). However, it was the lack of a more well-rounded game that caused Murray to slip all the way to the sixth round. Encouragingly, those finer points definitely took a nice step forward in 2019-20. While his explosiveness could still stand to improve, his top speed and ability to cut and change direction with the puck have been upgraded. Additionally, Murray’s willingness to use his size to his advantage without the puck became more consistent. This bodes well for the future as he returns to Sudbury next year for his draft +2 season and will look to hit the 40-goal mark. Barring continued improvements to his skating, Murray projects as a middle six goal scoring forward. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to stick down the middle, but he has the size and touch to in traffic to be able to succeed at the pro level. - BO

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – CAROLINA HURRICANES – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 5

Tue, 29 Sep 2020 11:19:37 +0000

Carolina Hurricanes

“We won’t be drafting defense in the first round as long as I’m here…I’ve got to have more offense, I want to lose five to four, not two to one…If we lose five to four, I’ll at least have fun.”

Carolina Hurricanes’ owner Tom Dundon, as told to Lauren Ohnesorge, Senior Staff Writer, Triangle Business Journal, Dec. 12, 2018

Dundon took over as majority owner of the Hurricanes on January 11, 2018. It has only been two drafts since he famously uttered the words above, but the Hurricanes have not drafted a blueliner in either of the first two rounds in either draft class. In fact, in their 2018 draft class, they only selected one defender in six picks, that coming in the sixth round. The ‘Canes made more picks last year, and three of their 12 picks (all of which taken in the third and fourth rounds) were used on defensemen.

The veracity of his statement aside, it leads me to question the wisdom of such an approach. The Hurricanes have nine defensemen on their roster approaching the play-in round. The crew members are all still within their respective primes, with 30-year-old Jake Gardiner standing as the only one whose age begins with a ‘3’.

As much as that approach would not have made a difference in the team’s acquisitions of stars Brett Pesce and Jaccob Slavin, drafted in the third and fourth rounds respectively, Gardiner, Dougie Hamilton, Brady Skjei, and Haydn Fleury were all first rounders, even if only the latter was drafted directly by Carolina.

Perhaps Dundon’s thinking is to avoid drafting defensemen early because he can trade for former first rounders or sign them as free agents instead, like three of the four above were. In which case, the approach would seem to entail a leveraging of the forces in the player market. On the other hand, the ‘Canes have also recently experienced the reverse, as last February, they traded a former first round pick, winger Julien Gauthier, who had yet to fully establish himself as a full-time NHLer, to the Rangers for blueliner Joey Keane, who had been drafted in the third round 20 months previously. So, what is the difference between drafting a defenseman in the first round and trading your first rounder for a different defenseman?

If Dundon’s thinking is to draft for skill and foster a high scoring environment, that is clearly not yet the case. Over the last two seasons the Hurricanes have averaged 3.07 goals for per game (14^th overall) and surrendered 2.76 per game (8^th). The combined total of 5.83 goals (both sides) per Hurricanes game over the last two seasons ranks 21^st in the NHL. In other words, Dundon’s teams haven’t played in many 5-4 games.

Of course, we would be remiss if we did not look at how much more and more top end young defensemen contribute to the offensive game. We need look no further than two of the finalists for this year’s Calder Trophy, in Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. Both were top ten picks in their respective drafts and bring dynamic skill to the game, generating offensive chances better than most forwards, much less other defenders. I will not fault Carolina for drafting Andrei Svechnikov second overall in 2018, leaving Hughes on the board, and there does not seem to have been any defenders available when Carolina chose Ryan Suzuki 28^th overall last summer that would currently have the team regretting its choice, but at some point soon – maybe even this year – they might want to rethink such a blanket approach to drafting. No team should go too long with only three of its top 15 prospects lining up on the blueline.

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 10: Boston University Terriers forward Jake Wise (17) spins around to take a shot on goal during Beanpot Tournament Championship game between the Northeastern Huskies and Boston University Terriers on February 10, 2020, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Mark Box/Icon Sportswire)

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25^th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. 2019 Rank: 2 [St. Louis])

Bokk has elite skills but displays consistency issues as well. He started last season with only two points in his first 19 SHL games. He received ice-time and power play shifts all year, so it was not a usage issue which is often the case with young talents. After a good showing at the WJC he started to really pick up his game. He scored in his first five games back and had 10 goals in a span of 13 games before hitting another slump without hitting the net in his last nine games before the pandemic ended the season.

Scoring 10 goals in 13 SHL games is rare as a junior player. He has an accurate and fast wrist shot and can score from almost any angle. He rarely scores outside the circles; his shot is lethal from the rush. He also possesses strong puck control and can deke his way through traffic. He has the vision to find an open teammate as well.

Bokk is a frustrating prospect in the sense that he sees the ice well, and has all the technical tools, but does not always use them. There are some concerns that he is more of a skill-product and lacks the instincts to make the right play at the right time to win a hockey game, which also could explain his consistency issues.

Without the puck, he still has a lot of work to do on his game which also can be an instinct issue. Offensively I would like to see him get more into open spaces and defensively he needs to cover the ice better and be more active. All-in-all, Bokk is still a year or two away from playing in the NHL and Carolina needs to work on his all-around game if he is to reach his considerable potential. - JH

Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

In Ryan Suzuki, the Carolina Hurricanes have a premier playmaking center who has among the best vision and touch of any pivot in the OHL. The issue is that many parts of his game are still a work in progress. A trade from the Barrie Colts to the Saginaw Spirit was certainly great for Suzuki and his development. He formed instant chemistry with top 2020 NHL draft talent Cole Perfetti, and under coach Chris Lazary, his play and commitment away from the puck really seemed to improve.

At his best, Suzuki can drive the play with his strong skating ability, creativity, and penchant for working the half wall. He is especially dangerous on the powerplay with his vision and pinpoint passing ability on both his forehand and backhand.

The aforementioned issues that still need to be ironed out include his confidence in his shot, his ability to fight through traffic, the consistency of his zone entry success, offensive zone turnovers, and defensive commitment in the neutral and defensive zones. But, as stated, his overall game really started to make strides once he got to Saginaw. We saw him initiate challenges for the puck more consistently. And we saw him drive the middle to open up room for linemate Perfetti.

As an NHL player, Suzuki certainly projects as a top six, playmaking center. The Hurricanes are likely going to need to be patient with Ryan. His game is not as mature as his brother Nick (of Montreal), however he does have the same potential. - BO

Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 8)

After making the roster as an extra for the Carolina Hurricanes playoff run in 2020, Bean’s future seems to have brightened even more. Although he was without a callup last season, he managed to lead the AHL Charlotte Checkers for points as a defenseman. Not only bringing patience to one of the top power plays in the Eastern Conference, he also brings a strong defensive game when penalty killing.

Despite getting off to a slow start where skating and confidence were concerned, Bean soon earned top minutes providing the Checkers with stability on the back end. He only continues to get better where his offensive play is concerned and continues to carry the puck well and has gotten better at reading when to rush the puck or pass. A worrisome thing to note is the fact that while he may have gotten better at knowing when to let go of the puck, passing the puck and making the right play is another thing. Consistency throughout the season was a struggle for Bean who would have a really good game with several points one day and the next would falter and turn the puck over multiple times in a game.

He will certainly have to work on bringing the same high intensity game throughout the entirety of next season and avoiding turning the puck over in the neutral zone as much. He can skate, he can shoot, his hands are good and he protects the puck well, his individual skill is NHL level but the details in the way he moves the puck need to be tightened up before he takes up an eventual top four spot with the Hurricanes. - SC

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88^th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. 2019 Rank: 10 [NY Rangers])

After being traded from the Rangers at the deadline, Keane added another solid blueline piece to the Carolina Hurricanes’ growing collection. With the Hartford Wolfpack he found his stride nearly immediately upon stepping on the ice for his rookie professional year and did the exact same thing with the Charlotte Checkers after the trade, earning seven points in nine games.

Keane embodies the idea of the new age of offensive defensemen as a strong skater, skilled passer, creative puck handler and quick shooter. He is a threat no matter where he is on the ice and creates plays from all zones. His first games with Charlotte were shaky as they tried to find appropriate partners for him but as his confidence built, he found a way to prove that he can contribute to finding the back of the net with all teammates.

Being so offensively driven and having been given a lot of freedom in his major junior years, Keane has since slacked off on the details of his defensive game, at times being on for goals scored and not being as present as he should be away from the puck. Keane will be starting next season in the AHL with the Checkers again which means he will have to be better on the back end. Keane has all the tools and an opportunity to earn a top defensive spot on Carolina’s roster in the future and the changes to be made are so minute that he should grow into them within the next two seasons. - SC

Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

A competitive firecracker, Rees is an ultra-intense offensive forward who had one of the better point-per-game averages in the OHL last season. The issue is that Rees’ style of play, coupled with his average size, has created injury issues. He has also had a difficult time towing the line between playing hard and playing reckless. This has resulted in several suspensions. Over the last two seasons in the OHL, Rees has played less than 40 games both times. Moving forward, staying on the ice will be necessary for his development.

An explosive skater, Rees brings aggressiveness to all facets to his game. He pushes the pace on the attack and will look to drive the net to create scoring chances. He is often the first man into the offensive zone to apply pressure on the forecheck. He uses physicality to play a two-way game and excels as a penalty killer because of the tempo that he plays at.

Rees’ decision making with the puck will definitely need to improve as turnovers can be an issue, especially in the offensive zone. He has the skill level, but he has a tendency to try to force the issue or overhandle the puck. This was exasperated this season on a weak Sarnia team, as on many nights there was an element of frustration to his game.

That said, Rees is a very talented prospect. He just needs to stay healthy, stay out of the box, and continue to mature. He has the makings of a very reliable middle six forward who can play in a variety of situations. - BO

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

He is a highly skilled winger with a great blend of speed, skill and vision. More of a playmaker than goal-scorer, but he is a good finisher with a precise shot. A smooth skater, Tieksola has very quick feet and uses crossovers to accelerate. He plays at a fast pace and can execute plays at high speeds. He sees the entire ice and moves the puck really well – finding lanes for cross-ice passes.

He is dangerous on the power play. Slick and crafty, he plays with poise and can hold on to the puck in the final third. Not particularly physical, but he plays with good effort and intensity. An exciting prospect with lots of potential – it will be interesting to see if he can earn ice-time in the Liiga next season. - MB

Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

Puistola is a talented goal-scorer and extremely dangerous around the net. He is an excellent finisher and has a scorer’s touch in tight. His wrist shot is quick, and he does not need a whole lot of room to score. He has swift hands and overall, his stickhandling is very good. He has some impressive dekes in his repertoire and exhibits confidence with the puck.

The main area for needed improvement is his skating. He has a bit of a choppy and ineffective stride. His balance could be much stronger as well. He is quite physical and does not shy away from contact. In fact, Puistola likes to engage physically and seems to enjoy physical confrontations. He signed a two-year contract with JYP, in Liiga, where he will try to take on a bigger role. - MB

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

He is certainly still intriguing because of his athleticism and size combination. He is extremely quick in the crease, displaying a somewhat unorthodox, aggressive, scrambling style in the crease that may need some refinement in North America.

A late season trade to Vityaz Podolsk did bring about better fortunes for Kochetkov, so perhaps the 2020-21 season will be the year he establishes himself as a full time KHL netminder. Of course, he possesses the potential to be a starter for Carolina somewhere down the line. - BO

Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 12)

Drury plays bigger than his 6-0” frame. He is a solid two-way forward who can obviously score. A mainstay on the penalty kill, he has an active defensive stick and causes turnovers. Drury is physical and will fight for the puck along the boards. He has good speed and a quick shot. He is capable of setting his teammates up but also has success scoring himself. The center also has really soft hands and makes difficult passes look effortless.

He has been expected to return to Harvard as a junior, but recently rumors have spread that he might spend the 2020-21 playing in Europe as all Ivy League schools will be foregoing the Fall Sports schedules. - JS

David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

Cotton is a two-way forward and plays well defensively but has contributed his fair share of points as well and captained the Eagles as a senior. Cotton is an intimidating presence on the ice and can skate well with his 6-2”, 201-pound frame. He protects the puck well. He has excellent, soft hands, allowing him to corral and dish passes even under pressure and through traffic. Defensively, Cotton is pesky and aggressive. He also has a long reach, which he uses well. He will have to show what role he can play in the AHL before he earns an NHL debut. - JS

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

He is a hybrid goalie with very good skating ability. He is highly flexible, athletic, and has the ability to make extension pad saves. He also has strong recovery speed and he makes big saves in key moments. He stays composed even when the stakes are high. There are two things that he has improved a great deal: consistency and rebound control. In the junior level, he occasionally let in some easy goals that he should have saved. His rebound control used to be an occasional issue but has gotten much better lately.

There is no doubt in my mind that Makiniemi has NHL potential. He will likely get at least a decent amount of starts in the Liiga next season. - MB

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

He is a smart player who plays a full 200-foot game and does well at killing penalties since his forechecking positioning is so strong. Geekie will need to keep working on his physical game and keep getting bigger and stronger before he makes a full time jump to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has the potential to earn an early call up next season where this year’s postseason experience will be good for such a consistent player and he can turn into a permanent third line fixture with Carolina.

Geekie is clever and an asset thanks to his persistence and work ethic department, he has the drive to make it based on motivation alone, let alone his strong skill. - SC

Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

The main concerns are still his defensive game and decision making. He needs to defend the middle of the ice more effectively, as he gets caught out of position and does not keep his gaps tight enough. I would like to see him apply more stick pressure defensively.

His style of play is quite risky, and I am not sure if that will translate to the NHL. He shows flashes of high-level skill and vision, especially on the power play, but his game is too erratic right now. I am interested to see what kind of progress he will make next season. - MB

Kirill Slepets, RW (152^ndoverall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

He is shifty with the puck and carries it well through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. He shows good offensive vision and he can execute an effective passing game without much flash or dash. However, at the moment he does not play a very physical game. He needs to show more situational toughness and win puck battles at a higher rate.

He has offensive skill; he moves well and plays with a good approach. Slepets is an interesting player who has potential to improve his overall game and reach an NHL ceiling. - MB

Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

Encouragingly, those finer points definitely took a nice step forward in 2019-20. While his explosiveness could still stand to improve, his top speed and ability to cut and change direction with the puck have been upgraded. Additionally, Murray’s willingness to use his size to his advantage without the puck became more consistent.

This bodes well for the future as he returns to Sudbury next year for his draft +2 season and will look to hit the 40-goal mark. Barring continued improvements to his skating, Murray projects as a middle six goal scoring forward. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to stick down the middle, but he has the size and touch to in traffic to be able to succeed at the pro level. - BO

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NCAA East Region 2019-20 Season Preview: Hockey East and ECAC

Jashvina Shah — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 13:58:42 +0000

NCAA East Region Preview

While Hockey East and the ECAC are different leagues with different tendencies, both conferences see a gap between the top-tier teams and the bottom ones. The factors that separates the elite from the not-so elite are either excellent coaching or top-end talent. Primarily, teams need excellent coaching. Because you need a lot of top-end talent if you’re going to win on talent. As Herb Brooks said, “you don’t have enough talent to win on talent alone!”

There shouldn’t be too many surprises in the east this year, and teams that succeeded last year will mostly repeat this year.

MANCHESTER, NH - MARCH 29: Clarkson University Golden Knights forward Haralds Egle (18) breaks in on Notre Dame Fighting Irish goaltender Cale Morris (32) during a Northeast Regional semi-final between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Clarkson Golden Knights on March 29, 2019, at SNHU Arena in Manchester, NH. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

ECAC

Brown: The Bears have hovered in the ECAC basement of a while now. They finished eighth in the regular season but got hot in the playoffs, beating Princeton and then knocking off top-seeded Quinnipiac in the quarterfinals. Brown fell to Cornell in the ECAC semifinals 6-0, but that was a case of them being bested by the better team. A trip to the ECAC tournament marked it a wildly successful season for Brown. The roster is more or less the same, ensuring a similar regular-season finish.

Clarkson: The Golden Knights were one of the strongest teams in the ECAC thanks to balanced offense and defense. It helped Clarkson take the short trip to Lake Placid, where it won the ECAC championship in overtime. The Golden Knights lost two key pieces in Nico Sturm, who potted 45 points, and Jake Kielly, who posted a .929 save percentage. Clarkson should be able to replace Sturm’s scoring output, especially with 40-point scorer Haralds Egle returning. While goaltending will be a question mark, the Golden Knights will still be one of the strongest teams in the league.

Drafted players: Nick Campoli (VGK), Dustyn McFaul (BOS), Kris Oldham (TBL), Anthony Romano (ARI)

Colgate: The Raiders slipped last season, their win total decreasing from 17 to 10. They finished 10th in the league and were swept by Union in the first round of the playoffs. The good news is, Colgate returns nearly the entire roster, and the experience should benefit them. The bad news is, the Raiders don’t have much to build on.

Cornell: The Big Red dropped the ECAC championship game in overtime after the referees failed to blow the whistle when the net dropped on goaltender Matthew Galajda. He was injured, so Austin McGrath took over for the rest of the game and throughout the postseason. McGrath helped Cornell to a regional win over Northeastern. Aside from losing a couple seniors, the Big Red will return their leading scorer, Morgan Barron, along with Galadja, making them one of the league favorites.

Drafted players: Matt Cairns (EDM), Matthew Stienburg (COL), Alex Green (TBL), Morgan Barron (NYR), Jack Malone (VAN), Misha Song (NYI)

Dartmouth: After finishing T-5th last year, the Big Green knocked off 12th-place St. Lawrence in the first round of the playoffs. With much of their roster returning, the Big Green should finish in roughly the same place, especially if Adrian Clark can build off his .910 save percentage from at last season.

Harvard: Adam Fox’s departure is unfortunate for the Crimson, since he not only led the team with 48 points but was also one of the best defensemen in the country. Harvard still has its offensive leaders, including Reilly Walsh and Casey Dornbach. Goaltender Michael Lackey also graduated, but he missed some of last season with an injury, opening up the net for Cameron Gornet. Gornet filled in well, and can put the Crimson in a prime spot for another top-four ECAC finish.

Drafted players: Jack Drury (CAR), Jack Badini (ANA), John Farinacci (ARI), Reilly Walsh (NJD), Nick Abruzzese (TOR), Mitchell Gibson (WSH), Jack Rathbone (VAN), Henry Thrun (ANA), Austin Wong (WPG)

Princeton: Just one season after winning the ECAC tournament, the Tigers struggled to repeat their success. Princeton’s top line of Ryan Kuffner, Max Veronneau and Alex Riche -- which combined for 107 points last season -- couldn’t bring the team past its lackluster goaltending hurdle. The trio, along with top defenseman Josh Teves, graduated, making the Tigers much weaker on both ends of the ice. Princeton’s success, or lack thereof, lies solely on goaltending. But most likely the Tigers will finish in the bottom half of the league.

Drafted players: Liam Gorman (PIT)

Quinnipiac: The Bobcats usually finish in the top half of the league and usually make the ECAC tournament. They finished first last year but were upset in the playoffs by Brown. Chase Priskie, another one of the top defensemen in the league, is gone. So is Andrew Shortridge and his .940 save percentage. The Bobcats are well-coached, though, and Odeen Tufto, who put up 42 points, will be back.

Drafted players: Keith Petruzzelli (DET), Karlis Cukste (SJS), Skylar Brind’Amour (EDM), Peter DiLiberatore (VGK)

RPI: The Engineers finished in 11th, just ahead of St. Lawrence and two points behind Princeton. RPI has struggled over the last few seasons, and most likely will this year as well. The team’s top five scorers are returning, although they didn’t score much to begin with. The goaltenders who played the most, Owen Savory and Linden Marshall, are also returning.

Drafted players: Todd Burgess (OTT), Simon Kjellberg (NYR), Will Reilly (PIT)

St. Lawrence: The Saints have struggled since Greg Carvel left for UMass. After earning just six overall wins and three conference wins, the school parted ways with Mark Morris and hired Brent Brekke. With a new coach, lack of elite talent and just a program-wide mess (the rink renovations are not finished, so the Saints are shifting their first few home games to a different rink.) Unless Brekke has magic powers, it seems likely the Saints will stay in the basement for the third-straight year.

Union: Union’s top two scorers graduated and the third, Liam Morgan, left after his sophomore season. Just one of the team’s top seven scorers is returning. On the other hand, Darion Hanson did have a .919 save percentage last season and, if he can replicate that, should keep Union in the middle third of the league.

Drafted players: Parker Foo (CHI), Jack Adams (DET)

Yale: Yale’s biggest loss was Joe Snively, who had 36 points last season, double that of the team’s second-place scorer. Corbin Kaczperski is the team’s sole returning goaltender. Like Quinnipiac, the Bulldogs are well coached and don’t often finish in the bottom third.

Drafted players: Curtis Hall (BOS), Jack St. Ivany (PHI), Luke Stevens (CAR), Phil Kemp (EDM)

Five Undrafted Free Agents to Watch from the ECAC

Haralds Egle, Clarkson
Odeen Tufto, Quinnipiac
Matthew Galajda, Cornell
Casey Dornbach, Harvard
Devin Brosseau, Clarkson

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 22: Massachusetts Minutemen forward Mitchell Chaffee (21) tries to put the puck past Boston College Eagles goaltender Joseph Woll (31). During the University of Massachusetts Minutemen game against the Boston College Eagles on March 22, 2019 at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by Michael Tureski/Icon Sportswire)

Hockey East:

Boston College: Despite winning just 10 conference games and finishing seventh in Hockey East, the Eagles surged late last season for a trip to the Hockey East tournament. Now the Eagles have that momentum plus an excellent incoming class that includes Spencer Knight, who’s expected to become a top goaltender. Alex Newhook and Matt Boldy will also be joining the team. It’s hard to predict how any freshman goaltender will fare, but Knight has the potential to boost BC back to the top.

Drafted players: Matt Boldy (MIN), Spencer Knight (FLA), Alex Newhook (COL), Drew Helleson (COL), Logan Hutsko (FLA), Jack McBain (MIN), Michael Karow (ARI), Graham McPhee (EDM), David Cotton (CAR), Aapeli Rasanen (EDM), Marshall Warren (MIN), Ben Finkelstein (FLA)

Boston University: Despite struggling last year the Terriers still managed to finish 5th in the league, but they will probably drop from that place. BU has struggled since David Quinn left for the NHL, and now they’ll be facing several additional critical departures including goaltender Jake Oettinger and the team’s leading scorers, Joel Farabee and Dante Fabbro. BU’s success, or lack thereof, will depend mostly on coaching, and then on contributions from the incoming freshman class and someone shining in net.

Drafted players: Trevor Zegras (ANA), Robert Mastrosimone (DET), Alex Vlasic (CHI), Cam Crotty (ARI), David Farrance (NSH), Domenick Fensore (CAR), Kasper Kotkansalo (DET), Jake Wise (CHI), Case McCarthy (NJD), Ethan Phillips (DET), Patrick Harper (NSH), Logan Cockerill (NYI)

Connecticut: Since joining Hockey East, the Huskies have fluctuated in the standings, taking advantage of years when the league has been weak. Though they finished ninth last year, they will benefit from having two of their top three scorers returning. Goaltender Tomas Vomacka, who took over the net with a .922 save percentage, will also be back.

Drafted players: Vladislav Firstov (MIN), Ruslan Iskhakov (NYI), Carter Berger (FLA), Jachym Kondelik (NSH), Kale Howarth (CLB), Tomas Vomacka (NSH)

Maine: Maine, far from its former glory, was able to finish sixth in the league. It is returning Mitchell Fossier, the leading scorer from last year with 36 points. But the Black Bears had a slew of early departures - including sophomore defensemen Alexis Binner and Brady Keeper. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who posted a respectable .919 save percentage, will be back, though.

Drafted players: JD Greenway (TOR), Jeremy Swayman (BOS), Patrick Shea (FLA), Matthew Thiessen (VAN)

UMass-Lowell: The River Hawks have been one of Hockey East’s most consistent teams in the last decade or so, and they finished fourth last year. UMass-Lowell’s offense lost its top two scorers, but the back end has usually been the team’s strength. Goaltender Tyler Wall, who is returning, carries a .921 save percentage into the season.

Drafted players: Seth Barton (DET), Logan Neaton (WPG), Tyler Wall (NYR), Andre Lee (LAK)

Massachusetts: After its most successful season in program history and a national championship appearance, the Minutemen were extremely lucky to only lose Cale Makar and Mario Ferraro early. Those are big names, but usually teams with surprising successful runs lose more players in the offseason. Yet UMass retained Mitchell Chaffee and John Leonard, who combined for 82 points. They also still have Marc Del Gaizo, who was the leading freshman defenseman in scoring with 29 points. That said, goaltender Filip Lindberg is the player to watch. His play was key in edging out Denver in the national semifinal and he limited Minnesota-Duluth to three goals, which is an accomplishment. If he repeats his .934 save percentage performance, the Minutemen should take a top spot in Hockey East.

Drafted players: Zac Jones (NYR), Marc Del Gaizo (NSH), John Leonard (SJS), Filip Lindberg (MIN)

Merrimack: With 16 freshman, Merrimack will have the largest rookie class in the country. The Warriors won just seven games last year, but it was Scott Borek’s first season in charge and it typically takes coaches around three-four years to settle in, start their own systems and recruit their own players.. The incoming class signals a roster changeover, so this will be one of those “rebuilding” years.

Drafted players: Patrick Holway (DET)

New Hampshire: It’s Mike Souza’s second year as head coach of the Wildcats, who are still transitioning to life without Dick Umile. They didn’t lose much and have two of their leading scorers as well as goaltender Mike Robinson, who posted a .913 save percentage, returning. While it isn’t fair to say the Wildcats are rebuilding, they’re stuck in stasis.

Drafted players: Max Gildon (FLA), Mike Robinson (SJS), Angus Crookshank (OTT), Benton Mass (WSH), Ty Tailor (TBL)

Northeastern: The Huskies have surged at times over the past five seasons. Last year they took advantage of BU and BC’s struggles, finishing second in the conference with 15 wins. But part of Northeastern’s success came from good defense and goaltending, which will suffer with the early departures by Jeremy Davies and goaltender Cayden Primeau. Since Primeau was a big part of Northeastern’s rise, it’s tough to see the Huskies repeating last year’s success.

Drafted players: Jayden Struble (MTL), Matt Filipe (CAR), Jordan Harris (MTL), Tyler Madden (VAN), Ryan Shea (CHI), Mike Kesselring (EDM), Riley Hughes (NYR), Aidan McDonough (VAN)

Providence: Following its second Frozen Four appearance in four years, the Friars also got hit with key offseason departures. Kasper Bjorkqvist, Jacob Bryson, Brandon Duhaime and Josh Wilkins all left early. Additionally, Hayden Hawkey, who posted a .920 save percentage, graduated. But Providence is always a well-coached, tough defensive team to play against, and the Friars will finish at the top of the league again.

Drafted players: Ben Mirageas (NYI), Max Crozier (TBL), Tyce Thompson (NJD), Michael Callahan (ARI), Jack Dugan (VGK), Patrick Moynihan (NJD), Jake Kucharski (CAR)

Vermont: The Catamounts finished 10th last year and probably won’t rise, unless goaltender Stefanos Lekkas can put up more than his .930 save percentage from last season, but that’s a lot to ask of a goaltender. Vermont saw a couple departures with Jake Massie and Liam Coughlin, but most of its players are returning.

Drafted players: Bryce Misley (MIN)

Five Undrafted Free Agents to Watch from Hockey East

Mitchell Chaffee, Massachusetts
Stephanos Lekkas, Vermont
Spenser Young, Providence
Mitchell Fossier, Maine
Patrick Curry, Boston University

Carolina Hurricanes 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 10:43:12 +0000

In 2010, the Hershey Bears, long the Washington Capitals’ AHL farm club, won the Calder Cup for the second year in a row and the third time in five seasons. The NHL Capitals had won the President’s Trophy, but were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The following season, the Capitals, whose NHL roster was fortified by AHL champs including John Carlson, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, Michal Neuvirth, and Braden Holtby, finished the season with 14 fewer points, but at least made the second round.

In 2011, the Calder Cup was won by the Binghamton Senators. The NHL Sens were not a playoff team. The following year, they increased their tally by 18 points and made the playoffs. Erik Condra, Colin Greening, Bobby Butler, Kaspars Daugavins, and others made the leap.

The 2012 AHL champ was the Norfolk Admirals, then the Tampa affiliate. The following year, the Lightning promoted Norfolk head coach Jon Cooper to the NHL. The Lightning did not make the playoffs either in the Calder Cup year, or the following year, but have been among the top handful of teams in the league ever since. Among the Admirals who have been regular NHL contributors in the ensuing years include Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Alex Killorn.

We could go on looking at the remainder of the Calder Cup champs of the past seven season. While not every NHL team saw their fortunes improve by picking up the tail winds of an AHL championship affiliate, the impact is generally positive. The Red Wings are a notable exception. Their affiliate in Grand Rapids has taken home two titles in the last decade (2013 and 2017), even as the Red Wings have gone from a perennial powerhouse organization to an NHL afterthought as their NHL core aged out of the league.

The Dallas Stars were a playoff team when their AHL affiliate won the Calder Cup, but the NHL team missed the postseason in the following year. The LA Kings saw their affiliate win the AHL title the year following a Stanley Cup championship. The NHL Kings missed the playoffs when they were trying to defend their title. But they returned the playoffs in the year after the Calder Cup. The Columbus Blue Jackets were another success story. Their AHL team, the Lake Erie Monsters, won the Calder Cup in 2016 as the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons. But the Jackets made the postseason in 2017 and in the two seasons since. Finally, the Toronto Maple Leafs had basically the same results the year after their AHL club won the title as they had during the Calder Cup run.

The baton has now been passed to the Carolina Hurricanes, after their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, won last year’s Calder Cup. The Checkers played with a young lineup, full of potential future NHLers, including a few who feature prominently below and, hopefully, in the Hurricanes’ future. Maybe starting goalie Alex Nedeljkovic wins the backup job this year. Maybe 2017 first rounder Martin Necas, or 2016 first rounder Jake Bean can make the leap. Or it could be the less heralded Morgan Geekie, who uses a point per game postseason run to springboard his career. Whether the Hurricanes can cement themselves as postseason contenders now, after years of futility, remains to be seen, but the future of this franchise will bear the stamp of the 2018-19 Calder Cup titlists.

-Ryan Wagman

Carolina Hurricanes Martin Necas (88) (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire)

1 Martin Necas, C (12^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 2) No need to hide the lede here. Necas was fantastic in his age 19/20 season in the AHL- his first full season in North America – and is ready for an NHL job. He is a fantastic skater with high end agility who is able to skate into traffic and avoid taking on big hits. A quick dynamic playmaker, he has scintillating puck skill which he combines with the aforementioned feet to help him create room for himself in the offensive zone. He is not an aggressive player, but he uses his mature frame well to help walk out of the corners with the puck on his stick. For all of his offensive ability, Necas also works hard off the puck and can play in a two-way role if he doesn’t reach his first line upside. Charlotte would not have won the Calder Cup without him, and the Hurricanes will soon be leaning on him to succeed as well. - RW

2 Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) The brother of OHL champion and Montreal Canadiens prospect, Nick Suzuki, Ryan is a playmaker cut from a similar cloth. His puck skill, creativity, and vision with the puck are all well above average. He also skates better than his older brother. That said, his game lacks consistency due to a current inability to be effective through the middle of the ice and in traffic, both largely functions of his still immature frame. He can be kept to the perimeter and relies too much on his passing ability. As he learns to be more assertive, gains strength, and improves his confidence in his shot, Suzuki could develop into a terrific top six center prospect. While patience may be required here, the wait may be worth it for Carolina. - BO

3 Janne Kuokkanen, LW (43^rd overall, 2016. Last Year: 4) Although Kuokkanen did not play a part in Charlotte’s Calder Cup run, as his season ended in mid-March due to an injury requiring surgery, he was one of the team’s most consistently impressive forwards during the regular season. Gifted with fantastic hands, the playmaker has the full complement of tools available to him. His skating and shot are both above average tools, while his keen hockey brain helps it all coalesce. The former second round pick even has an NHL frame, even if he does not play a very physical game. He is a hard worker who gives his all in all three zones. On an organization that is known for scouting Finland heavily, Kuokkanen has the highest upside of the bunch. Assuming a return to good health, he is ready to play a lot more than the seven NHL games he received last year, although that is dependent on more than him. He has top six upside and is very close to being there. - RW

4 Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Rees is a ball of energy on the ice with a non-stop motor. He uses his high end skating ability to put consistent pressure on puck carriers and is always buzzing around looking to force a turnover. He is also a very physical player, given his lack of size. As an offensive player, he possesses skill and finishing ability in tight. On the downside, his decision making with the puck will need to improve. His game can become a little erratic as he tries to force the tempo with the puck. Additionally, there is some concern about his durability, given his lack of size, style of play, and injury history. If he manages to stay healthy, he has the makings of a reliable middle six forward who can provide versatility to a lineup. - BO

5 Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) In this year's draft, the Hurricanes selected a highly skilled winger in Puistola. He had a significant impact in Finland's second-highest league and played well in the Liiga despite limited ice-time. He has great poise with the puck, can weave in and out of traffic and he sees the ice very well. He has an accurate wrist shot, one-timer and backhander, making for a strong variety in his shot selection to help accentuate his goal-scorer's blade. When you combine his quality passing skills with strong offensive instincts, you have a player that can be a dual threat in the offensive zone. His main areas for improvement are his quickness, agility and strength. Puistola has the potential to be a consistent point producer in the NHL. - MB

6 Eetu Luostarinen, C (42^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 7) Luostarinen was considered a surprise pick in the second round of the 2017 draft, however the 6-3” center has made significant strides and had an excellent season in the Liiga last year to help prove the Hurricanes point. He is a prototypical KalPa product in the sense that he has plenty of finesse and poise and he stickhandles well in tight spaces. His skating was fairly good in his draft year but he has since added explosiveness, quickness, and improved his endurance. Moreover, he has added power to his game, not only strength-wise but his shot is also more powerful than it used to be. Luostarinen is dependable without the puck and can play in a more defensive role if needed. Considering the upward trend in his development, it is reasonable to think that he will only continue to improve his play on both sides of the puck. - MB

7 Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Even if he was snubbed for two straight drafts – and in fairness, he lacked the exposure to receive real consideration – Kochetkov had a breakout season in 2018-19, being awarded Best Goalie honors at the 2019 WJC and playing the whole year at the pro level, even getting to stop pucks in two KHL games. He is tall and athletic, with great ability in challenging forwards and being very aggressive in his lateral movements without overdoing it. He showed poise and calm – both qualities that allow him to thrive when there are many shots and traffic in front of the crease. This offseason, Kochetkov moved to SKA St. Petersburg. On the one hand, this means that he will be part of a quality system, but on the other hand, he will also have much more competition for minutes. - ASR

8 Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 8) Drafted as a potential high end puck moving defenseman, Bean has not seen his game take off like some other recent prospect blueliners, but he has seen his game mature steadily and his introduction to the pro game last year was pretty painless. He has a very high panic threshold, allowing him to remain calm with the puck in the face of opposing pressure. He can walk the blueline nicely, but his best work comes in his ability to exit his own zone with total control. Whether he skates the puck out or finds a passing option, he can be relied on to kickstart the transition to offense. He is a solid skater more so than a blazer, but his ability to read the opposition helps his feet play up as well. Bean has second pairing upside, with added utility on a second power play unit. - RW

9 Julien Gauthier, RW (21^st overall, 2016. Last Year: 6) An absolute unit, Gauthier has not yet lived up to his former first rounder billing, but his game did make several positive strides in his second AHL campaign. In addition to his bouncer’s size, he is a high end athlete and skates very well. His shot can be a beast when he gets into proper shooting position as well. An avid forechecker, his North-South game is advanced, but he has rather little East-West element to his play, which may limit his upside. His hands are just soft enough to give him the possibility of playing as a puck retrieval specialist on a top six line, helping to create space for more gifted linemates as he does play a modern, physical game, putting his frame to good use. He still needs to read the game at a quicker pace to reach that ceiling, but his floor is still a solid bottom six NHL winger. -RW

10 David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. Last Year: Not ranked) Cotton is an impressive first line forward from Boston College. Until last year he had combined for 19 goals over two seasons, but he broke out last year with a 23 goal, 36-point season. Left wing could be his calling even though he is capable of playing the center position. He has a solid 200-foot game and in big games he was their most dominant offensive player. He could be covered for a few periods but he would eventually break through. At 6-3”, 204 pounds, he is a beast in the crease, and he can lose defenders along the wall. He is an excellent passer and he has fast hands. He could be a bottom six forward for someone in the future. Carolina hopes it will them after his senior season ends. - RC

11 Stelio Mattheos, C (73^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 16) Mattheos is a player who has shown that he can elevate his game to the opportunity. He progressed steadily year over year in all aspects of his game, and has gradually moved his points per game from .88 to 1.32 and finally to 1.45. He is a shoot first player who produced over four shots per game last season. He plays a power forward style but moves quick enough to be very effective in open ice. He has improved his faceoff skills and is more than capable in his own zone where can separate his man from the puck and transition play forward. In the offensive zone he goes to the front of the net with or without the puck and is an excellent cycle player maintaining possession along the wall. He has strong potential as a middle six forward however he is going through a round of cancer treatment and is obviously focused on bigger things than hockey right now. - VG

12 Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: 12) Drury comes from a hockey family and he currently plays for Harvard University. In his freshman season he had nine goals and 24 points in 32 games. He had the WJC spring in his skating in the second half of the season. He played with confidence. He didn’t get any points in the tournament, but it was great experience for him, and he took home a silver medal. He was very good on draws this season. He was able to produce some offense from them as well. He is not elite in any area of the game and he has to work on his man strength, but the speed and hockey sense are there and those are only going to get better over time. At 6-0”, 185 his frame will allow him to play the center position when he turns pro. He could be a second- or third-line center in the NHL someday for the Carolina Hurricanes. - RC

13 Chase Priskie, D (177^th overall, 2016 [Washington]. Last Year: 118 [Washington]) Priskie was a top-pairing D-man for the Quinnipiac Bobcats and had had been doing it well for the last four years, really blossoming as a senior. The Washington Capitals had drafted him in the sixth-round back in 2016. In his second year as team captain, the blueliner had 17 goals and 39 points in 36 games. He also had a good run in the playoffs eventually losing in the Regionals to Minnesota Duluth, so no shame there. His college eligibility exhausted, he decided to not sign with the Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes jumped at the chance of getting him. He can handle the power play. He has good speed and a solid one-timer and wrist shot. Bringing the puck up the ice is innate. He will probably be on Charlotte’s penalty kill too. He could be a third pairing call up this season. - RC

14 Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Honka is a skilled skater with agility, quickness, and strong foot speed. He can stop and start on a dime and he is highly shifty on his skates. He can start the attack with crisp passes, has a soft touch on the puck and some slick moves in his repertoire. His shot isn't the hardest, but he is adept at getting shots on net from the point. He lacks much of a physical element to his game and does not engage in battles as often as he should. Also, oftentimes his decision making and defensive game leave a lot to be desired, as he can be out of position and give too much room for the opposing forward to operate with. Given his great skating and puck skills, there is no doubt that Honka has immense talent, yet he has ways to go before reaching the NHL level. - MB

15 Saku Maenelanen, LW/RW (125^th overall, 2013 [Nashville]. Last Year: 13) If this list was about upside only, Maenelanen probably gets left on the cutting room floor. Unsigned at press time, the RFA split last season pretty evenly between the NHL and the AHL, coming one NHL game short (we don’t include postseason play) of losing his prospect eligibility. The concern is that his well-rounded offensive game that enticed Nashville to draft him as a teen and Carolina to sign him as a free agent after the 2017-18 season. He is a fine skater who seems able to follow the pace of the North American game, but he rarely was able to get himself in position to show off what he can do in the offensive zone. His big frame also went underutilized. Already 25 years old, there is little room for improvement, but at the very least, he has shown he can play a role on the small ice. - RW

16 Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 19) A bit of a late bloomer, Geekie took a huge step forward in his second year of draft eligibility and was full value for the early third round slot in which Carolina drafted him. After one final WHL campaign, which included a blistering postseason, he stepped into the professional game without a hitch, once again peaking during the postseason. He has plus size, moves well for a big man and has quietly effective offensive instincts which help him to outproduce his tools. He has the strength to protect the puck, and the quickness of hands to capitalize on a broken play and make something happen. If playoff Geekie can show up with more regularity in the regular season, he could quickly find himself playing top nine minutes in the NHL. He might not be far removed from his first opportunity. - RW

17 Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) It is pretty rare to see big, power centers with goal scoring prowess fall to the back half of the draft, but that happened with Murray in June. Part of the reason for his relative fall is that scouts have concerns over his wavering intensity level in the offensive end as well as how his skill set will translate to the next level. Even with those warts, his goal scoring ability and potential as a driving force down the middle cannot be ignored. As he fills out and learns to use his size more consistently, he possesses a high ceiling as a goal scoring center. - BO

18 Alex Nedeljkovic, G (37^th overall, 2014. Last Year: Not ranked) Generously listed at 6-0”, Nedeljkovic is far from the modern day ideal for stature in a goalie. But he makes it work. He was a star in the OHL, capping off his draft year by backstopping Team USA to a WU18 gold medal. He was later one of the best goalies at the 2016 WJC, helping America to a Bronze medal. And of course, he played the lion’s share in net for the Checkers’ AHL title last season. He makes up for his size deficiency with quick, agile legs and very good lateral mobility. He has also long carried a reputation as a masterful puck handler for a goalie. He is also surprisingly adept at tracking the puck through the mass of bodies near the crease, yet he rarely plays above the paint like Juuse Saros, another small goalie of note. Like Saros, Nedeljkovic could be a pretty good NHL backup in short order. - RW

19 Kirill Slepets, LW (152^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A technically-sound forward with speed to burn, Slepets makes things happen with his excellent acceleration and top speed. He is gifted with smooth hands and showed at the 2019 WJC that he is hard to contain when the game opens up and he has the chance for a breakaway. He is not only a speedster, but he also reading of the game at a high level and can sniff out scoring chances around the crease. An underrated aspect of his game is his passing ability. He is not a playmaker, but he can find his partner during an odd man rush or sacrifice a shot for a better positioned linemate. Slepets only played in 10 games at the KHL level last year and he is poised for a jump forward. He will be 22 when his KHL contract runs out in 2021 – the ideal age to move overseas if he will have more pro games under his belt. - ASR

20 Domenick Fensore D (90^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) This list finishes off with a third straight little player. At 5-7”, 150, Fensore is the smallest of them all. He might also be the purest, most unadulterated fun player to watch in this system. His feet are constantly moving and despite his small size, he loves to blow up opponents with open ice hits. More than that though, he loves to rush the puck. He will take chances, get in deep in the offensive zone and will gladly put himself in harm’s way to make something happen. Once in a while, he gets caught and the opponent will have an odd-man rush going the other way, but so far, he has succeeded more often than he has failed. There are so many extremes to Fensore’s game that he has boom-or-bust written all over him. Whichever direction he goes, he will be a joy to watch him get there. - RW

NCAA: Hockey East Playoff Preview – Plenty of intrigue, top prospects, proud seniors and anything possible with slumping perennial powerhouses

Russ Cohen — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 13:36:55 +0000

This tournament started in 1984 when most of the current teams left the ECAC. For a time, the Hockey East Conference was a veritable powerhouse, particularly with Boston University and Boston College winning six titles between them between 1995-2012. Unfortunately for the teams here, the only national title out of Hockey East since that time was when Providence went the distance as an unlikely fourth seed in 2015.

In fact, the so-called powerhouses of BU and BC have both slumped horribly this year, finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, in the conference. Neither would be likely to make the nationwide tournament without winning the HE tournament.

Last year in this tournament Boston University pulled off that trick, beating Providence to take it all. That outcome seems unlikely this season but that’s why they play the games and TD Garden will provide a great atmosphere for the tournament finale.

The first round runs this weekend, with the top eight teams playing in best-of-three rounds, all at the home rink of the higher ranked team. The conference bottom feeders (Connecticut, Vermont, and Merrimack), have already ended their respective seasons.

1 UMass (Amherst) vs. 8 New Hampshire

UMass is the top team in the tournament for a few good reasons, namely all -world defenseman Cale Makar everywhere and goaltender Matt Murray in the net to stymie the opposition. Makar, the fourth overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2017 is “the man” for this team. He has 13 goals and 42 points in 34 games. He is the leading scorer on the team while undrafted sophomore right wing Mitchell Chaffee is second on the squad with 40 points while potting 16 goals. Murray has played in 26 games to the tune of a 2.04 GAA and a .922 save percentage.

The University of New Hampshire features goaltender Mike Robinson, who is a draft pick of the San Jose Sharks. This season he played in 29 games and posted a 2.32 GAA and a .920 save percentage, after barely getting ice time as a freshman. His last game of the season was a 4-0 loss but hopefully, that was just a tune-up. They may struggle for goals. Only senior forward Ara Nazarin and junior Liam Blackburn reached double-digits in goals. Sophomore defenseman Max Gildon could chip in some much-needed offense as well. This should be his last postseason with the team as he is expected to turn pro after his season ends.

The Minutemen swept the two games played between these teams in season and dominated all comers throughout the year, generally ranking in the top three nationally for much of the season. They were better at even strength and on both special teams, most notably the power play, with a success rate that was more than double that of UNH. The all due respect to the Wildcats, this series is a mismatch.

Prediction: UMass with the sweep.

2 Providence vs. 7 Boston College

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 17: Boston University Terriers forward Shane Bowers (15) stopped by Providence Friars goaltender Hayden Hawkey (31) on the doorstep during the Hockey East championship game between the Boston University Terriers and the Providence College Friars on March 18, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Terriers defeated the Friars 2-0. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

The Providence Friars, led by senior goalie Hayden Hawkey, beat BC for the regular season finale. Hawkey only gave up one goal and that could give him extra confidence rolling into this series. The Montreal Canadiens draft pick played in 35 games and posted a .923 save percentage. Penguins draft pick Kasper Bjorkqvist, a junior, led the team with 15 goals and he should pace the team. Edmonton Oilers senior prospect defenseman Vincent Desharnais could provide some surprising additional offense.

BC has the kind of defense that gives up too many shots. Junior goalie and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, Joseph Woll, has to be near perfect to win this. He had 32 starts this year with a .917 save percentage. Carolina prospect David Cotton led this team in goals with 20 and points 31. Oliver Wahlstrom (New York Islanders) and Logan Hutsko (Florida) could provide the offense they need but they have sputtered over much of the season. Minnesota Wild draftee Jack McBain could provide some extra offense, but that is a lot to ask of a freshman center. This may be too big of a task for BC this season, even though they won the season series 2-1.

Both teams have reasonably strong power plays, but BC had a porous PK, whereas Providence had easily the best shutdown penalty kill in the conference. Further, the Friars have the much deeper offense attack, even if BC’s top players have greater NHL pedigree. Providence had seven skaters end the year with over 20 points to their credit, while only Cotton surpassed that bar for the Eagles. BC’s hope require its top players to play for one weekend how they had been unable to play with any consistency throughout the year.

Prediction: Providence in a sweep.

3 Northeastern vs. 6 Maine

The Northeastern Huskies won their last six in a row including their second consecutive Beanpot. They are a well-coached, dangerous team starring sophomore, all-world goalie Cayden Primeau, crushing dreams on a regular basis. The Montreal Canadiens draft pick had a 2.12 GAA and .932 save percentage in 31 games on the season. Jeremy Davies, a New Jersey Devils draft pick, is an excellent offensive defenseman who led the team in scoring with eight goals and 33 points in 32 games.

Undrafted right winger Zach Solow has been hot and ended the season with 14 goals. Freshman center Tyler Madden (Vancouver), has been excellent all season with 10 goals and 26 points in 31 games. He will also be a factor for sure. Of course, those were only three of the seven Huskies to eclipse 20 points on the year.

The Maine Black Bears coasted into the postseason with a 6-0 blanking of BU. Jeremy Swayman, the Boston Bruins draft pick, will be the man to beat between the pipes. In 33 games he had a .919 save percentage and he will need to play his best hockey of the season to send Northeastern packing. Red Wings prospect Chase Pearson was among the leaders of the UM offense with 16 goals and 29 points in 32 games. He trailed only junior left winger Mitchell Fossier, while sophomore defenseman Brady Keeper supports the attack from the blueline.

Although this series should not be as lopsided as the two profiled above, but Northeastern won both games between these two during the season and we see no reason for that streak to end now.

Prediction: Northeastern won’t need a third game to win.

4 UMass Lowell vs. 5 Boston University

The River Hawks tied Vermont in the season finale. Christoffer Hernberg, an undrafted Finn, has played well but Tyler Wall, the New York Rangers draft pick, has playoff experience too, meaning coach Norm Bazin has a tough call to see who gets the nod between the pipes. Wall is the likely favorite though, as he had a nice 2.06 GAA with a .922 save percentage on the year. This team has reached the Hockey East Championship game in five of the last six years, winning three of them.

Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick Ryan Lohin led the team with 26 points and was tied for the team lead in goals with 12. The junior center is hugely important to their offensive attack. Senior Ryan Dmowski had 12 goals as well. Sophomore forward Connor Sodergren has also been an offensive catalyst for them while blueliner Chase Blackmun could provide some clutch offense. This is a solid team. A terrific unit that will continue to be hard to beat once the playoffs begin.

Jake Oettinger, a former Dallas Stars first round pick, should get the nod in net for the Terriers. He started 32 games this year with a .927 save percentage but he hasn’t been the savior this team needs to have any hopes of moving on. The junior goalie has a lot of pressure on him. Patrick Harper (Nashville) has been disappointing, and the same goes for Shane Bowers (Colorado). David Farrance and Dante Fabbro, both Nashville prospects, with the latter being a former first rounder, will have to have great offensive games and Fabbro in particular will have to be a two-way beast, logging heavy minutes once again. Flyers first-round pick, freshman Joel Farabee, had 13 goals and 31 points in 32 games thanks to a strong second half but after him and Fabbro, the offense attack was pretty dry this year for the usual powerhouse squad.

Although BU has a number of players that are inherently more talented than any one player with UMass-Lowell, the River Hawks play a much more cohesive team game, especially as it concerns the back end.

Prediction: UMass Lowell wins and it may take three to do it.

This is one of the best tournaments in college hockey. There are a lot of top prospects and proud seniors who will lay it all on the line knowing they may not be back next season. Fans will see a lot of these players leave it all out on the ice and that makes for some very exciting games. If the first round goes according to our predictions, we can expect UMass (Amherst) to win the Massachusetts state battle in the semifinals, while Providence’s possession game will knock out Northeastern in the other semi. Look for the favorites to finish off Providence in the Conference final as well.

Digesting the 2019 Beanpot Consolation Game and Finals

Russ Cohen — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 12:37:02 +0000

The consolation game was well attended by scouts at TD Garden watching Boston University play against Harvard. There were some fans in attendance, but the game was played at 4:30 PM and most people in Boston are working at that time. There was still plenty to report and here is what I saw:

Northeastern Wins the 2019 Beanpot Tournament.

Starting off with Harvard:

The most unlikely star for Harvard was Frederic Gregoire. He is an undrafted, 5-11”, center, and coming into that game he had six goals in 52 career games at the collegiate level. 22 years of age, and abot to have the game of his life. He potted two goals, one of which was the game-winner. Both showed off a very strong wrist shot. BU never tried to put a stick to it, so it was easy but still, both goals were goal scorers’ goals. Does this mean this fourth liner is a late-bloomer? It could, but most likely he will be headed to the ECHL to start his pro career someday. Would it be terribly surprising if he had a breakout senior season? No, and we will be keeping an eye out for just that.

Reilly Walsh, a Devils draft pick, had two assists. His passing is pro quality. One assist was made from his knees to set up a goal. He created a lot of offensive chances throughout the game. He is having a good season with 28 points in 27 games and he is a +3 to boot with three game-winning goals. At 6-0”, 185, his ability is close to pro ready. Whether he is going yet to is another question entirely, but the New Jersey Devils could use him, and I believe that he would have an excellent chance of making the team. It is all up to him. We will find out more this summer.

Jack Rathbone, a Canucks draft pick, had an assist in the game and his zone entries were good and safe. He is a solid defenseman and at 5-11”, his size is not a hindrance. He walked the line well and showed improved skating compared with his ability from earlier this season.

Adam Fox was really good in this game on both ends. The 5-11” junior defenseman is ready for the next step. The belief is he will turn pro and sign with the Carolina Hurricanes this summer.

Jack Drury, a well-traveled Hurricanes draft pick, had an assist, but his passing was very accurate from long distance. His skating was also among the best in this game. This 6-0” freshman center is ahead of the curve in his development so far. He can be a point-per-game player next year for sure.

One player to watch down the road is 20-year-old R.J. Murphy who scored a goal in the consolation game. He is a freshman left winger who has some tools at 6-2”, 190. He got a goal and showed good puck possession. Next year could be a big year for him after previously impressing with a solid U18 season back in 2015-16.

Boston University:

They looked awful. They are not a great team, especially considering the storied history of the school. They lost the game but there were a few bright spots in the 5-2 loss.

Joel Farabee, a Flyers first-round pick, was good and his line as a whole was ok. Shane Bowers (Colorado) and Logan Cockerill (N.Y. Islanders) didn’t do much for him. The right winger had some nice shots from the slot. Some pucks never got to him while he was in position to do something with them. He made a nice pass to set up a goal. His zone entries were clean and fast. He was clearly the best player on the losing side. Considering the slow start that he – and the team - had, the fact that he is almost at a point-per-game clip on the season is very impressive for the 6-1” freshman right winger.

David Farrance, a Nashville draft pick, was the best defenseman for BU. His skating is top-notch and his puck moving is excellent. His 17 points in 30 games aren’t indicative how good this defenseman can be. At 5-11”, 180, he looks like he is on track to play in the NHL someday.

Northeastern

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 11: Boston College Eagles forward Christopher Brown (10) rips a shot on Northeastern goalie Cayden Primeau (31) during the 2019 Beanpot Championship Game between the Boston College Eagles and the Northeastern University Huskies on February 11, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

In the big game, Northeastern won their second-consecutive Beanpot. A lot went into that but no one player had more of an impact than 6-3” sophomore goalie Cayden Primeau. This Montreal Canadiens draft pick will not be rushed and will want to become the first goalie in Northeastern history to win a third consecutive Beanpot. He was calm under pressure and gave up very few rebounds. His glove was quick and his toughness obvious, best seen when there was a collision in the crease and he didn’t come out of the game. I counted three great leg saves that helped them win the final game 4-2. To reward him for his performance, Primeau was named the top NCAA hockey star of the week.

Tyler Madden (Vancouver draft pick) took a while to get rolling. The 5-11” center did eventually get an assist in the game. His speed was evident, and he was engaged in all zones. BC was keying on him, and the freshman had to figure out how to overcome that.

Patrick Schule out of Queens, New York had a good game. The 5-8” senior had two goals. One of them was a tough corner shot. With only 13 points on the season the 25 year old might go and play hockey overseas if he is to make a career out of the sport.

Jeremy Davies (Devils draft pick) was the top pairing left defenseman and was engaged for the entire game. He showed that his shot was very accurate, almost always hitting the net on the power play. He has a lot of offensive upside for sure, scoring five goals and 22 points in 29 games heading into the tournament. He also set up the game-winning OT goal for Tyler Madden in the first round of the Beanpot. He is a decent shot blocker and fearless for a 5-11” player. He was a Hockey East first-team All-Star last season. As for this season, he won Hockey East Player of the Month Award for February and is a Hobey Baker Candidate as a junior.

Lincoln Griffin had a goal and two assists and was a +3 as part of a great game for the second line right winger. The 5-10”, 175-pound senior scored a very difficult corner goal. I don’t think he will be signed by an NHL team when the season ends and am not sure he will be more than an ECHL player but he certainly showed well on this high stakes game.

Zach Solow is an undrafted 5-9” center who is playing in his sophomore season. He came into this game with a career-high in goals with 12 in 26 games. He was in good position to score early in the game. He is a solid player who finished off the game with an empty net goal. He played important minutes but never really stood out in this contest. He could be a player worth signing in a few more years.

Boston College

Joseph Woll, Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick, was terrific in a losing cause. He may not have won the game, but Boston College could have lost that game by a few more goals if it wasn’t for him. I’m not sure that he can be an elite goaltender at the highest level, but he is on his way to becoming an NHL goalie, with a 6-4”, 202 frame that teams want. In the first period, he made three great saves. That wasn’t the end of it, as he made a few more to keep his team in it as long as possible. His glove hand is really good and his anticipation, flexibility and added core strength from the time he was drafted, is terrific. I can see him turning pro with the Leafs as early as this summer.

David Cotton, a Hurricanes draft pick, made some big passes off the wall and he shook off defenders there. He banged in a goal off a great power move to give his team some hope. He was keyed on early and then worked his way around Northeastern defenders during the third period. He may turn pro after this season. That decision is still up in the air but at almost a point-per-game the 6-3” center doesn’t have much more to prove in college.

Oliver Wahlstrom (N.Y. Islanders) struggles with his 200-foot game. When he has that figured out, more points will come for the true freshman. He is not having a bad season, but he clearly needs to round out his game. Next season could be a big one for the right winger. Just being 6-2”, 209 with a heavy shot isn’t enough at this level.

The Beanpot is a great tournament for fans and media alike. The bands were there, and the Blue Man Group was there performing in-between periods and later playing with the BC band at one point. The finale had a lot of intensity and the crowd was very vocal for the entire game. Now we will wait until next year to see if Northeastern can win three in a row, something the program has never accomplished.

Dropping the puck on the 2018-19 NCAA season – Part 2 – Hockey East, NCHC, Big 10

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 17:54:50 +0000

In yesterday’s look at the NCAA season that is slowly cracking open. We touched upon the Atlantic 10, WCHA, and ECAC conferences. While national champions have come from the latter two conferences in recent years, there is no doubting that the strength of the collegiate game lies in the three conferences discussed here.

Hockey East

While some of the more well-known traditional powerhouses are based in the northeast, the vaunted Hockey east conference had a down year last season and seem to be in line for a repeat (in relative terms) this year. There are teams that were also-rans last year and who will likely continue to be league doormats this year. Chief among those is Vermont. Outside of leading scorer, who left school early to sign an ELC with Tampa, the majority of last year’s roster has returned, but the roster was not a strong one. There are three players who have been drafted by NHL clubs on the roster, but none has yet made a strong case that they are worthy of high-level professional careers after leaving the Catamounts. If there is a player to watch, it is junior captain Matt Alvaro, the leading returning scorer. Despite their conference schedule opener, in which they shut out Boston University by a 4-0 total, Merrimack will be in tough to be a factor as the year draws out. Defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic, a Winnipeg draft pick, plays a strong two-way game, but each of the top four point getters from last year have moved on and the team will need younger players to step up and contribute in ways they never have. The early season results are promising, but it is far too early to assume the growth is real. That said, netminder Craig Pantano was strong in partial duty last year and may be the type of unsung hero the Warriors need to stay competitive. New Hampshire used to be a staple at the NCAA conference, but they have been on the outside looking in for each of the last five years. Unlike the other bottom feeding systems, the Wildcats have a few impressive players available to them. Sharks’ pick Mike Robinson barely played last year as a freshman, but he seems to have a grip on the job early on and has performed well so far. Athletic Panthers’ prospect Max Gildon leads the blueline, and senior captain Marcus Vela (San Jose) is the center-piece of the offensive attack. Joining the attack will be veterans Ara Nazarian, Liam Blackburn, and Charlie Kelleher.

In the next rung of teams in Hockey East, we can look at UConn. Still a relative neophyte to the upper rungs, the Huskies are only in their fifth season in the conference, after migrating from the Atlantic. They are an interesting team in that the majority of their players of note are European-raised players, including their top two netminders, Adam Huska (NYR) and Tomas Vomacka (Nsh), blueliner Philip Nyberg (Buf), and forwards Ruslan Iskhakov (NYI) and Jachym Kondelik (Nsh). A few scoring forwards of note who have not been drafted include a pair of juniors in big Benjamin Freeman and Alexandre Payusov. A seeming concussion sustained by Iskhakov in the season’s second game could be a big setback to the team if he is unable to recover in a speedy fashion. The Maine Black Bears were seemingly ready to get back on the upswing, if not quite reach the heights that the program has in the past thirty years, which has seen them crowned NCAA champs twice, and reach seven other Frozen Fours. Unfortunately, days before the opening game, defender Patrick Holway, a Detroit pick, left the team due to unstated personal issues. In his absence, the team will lean more heavily on senior Rob Michel, the team captain, and sophomore Brady Keeper, both of whom have two-way bonafides. Up front, the team will rely on Detroit pick Chase Pearson to generate offense, and he will be joined by freshman Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup, one of the top scorers in the USHL last year. More than anything, though, Maine’s hopes will rest on the crease work on Boston pick Jeremy Swayman, who was stellar as a freshman, earning Hockey East All-Rookie team honors and playing for Team USA in the WJC. He needs to be at least as good again for the school to have designs on a Tournament berth.

Next up are a couple of Massachusetts schools in UMass and UMass-Lowell. The UMass-Lowell River Hawks have been a solid contender ever since Norm Bazin took over the head coaching duties of a floundering program in 2011-12. They rarely get the press they deserve as they tend to lack in high profile, drafted players. With only four drafted players at present – only one of whom was taken before the sixth round, expect the team to be a sleeper again. Most of their top scorers return, led by Kenneth Hausinger, Ryan Dmowski, and Ryan Lohin (TB). The team has seen more turnover at the blueline, but Croix Evingson (Wpg) is slated to take a step forward, while Detroit pick Seth Barton has gotten his collegiate career off to a good start. Swedish puck mover Mattias Goransson could also garner NHL looks. Also, while Christoffer Hernberg had the lion’s share of the goaltending workload last year, Rangers pick Tyler Wall seems to have the coaches’ trust this time around. UMass Amherst does not have the recent success of Lowell to look back to, but they do have one of the top prospects in the collegiate game on the roster in Cale Makar (Col). The talented blueliner was strong last year, both as a freshman for the Minutemen as well as for Team Canada in the WJC, and should be even better this year, in what is likely his final season on campus. He is joined on the blueline by Mario Ferraro (SJ) and Marc Del Gaizo, both skilled puck movers. The forwards are less imposing as a group, but most of the big producers return from last year, led by Mitchell Chaffee, John Leonard (SJ), and Oliver Chau, who has missed the start of the season due to illness. A couple of exciting freshmen in Bobby Trivigno and Anthony Del Gaizo (Marc’s older brother), coming off strong USHL campaigns, make the team more of a scoring threat. Incumbent starting netminder Matt Murray returns, and he will be challenged by Finnish freshman Filip Lindberg.

Staying in the state of Massachusetts, powerhouses BC and BU have both gotten off to lousy starts to their respective seasons, but both have far too much talent up and down the roster not to expect brighter days ahead. Boston College may have the most deserved pessimism among the two, having scored only five goals in their first three games. Toronto pick Joseph Woll has as much talent as any collegiate netminder and he should keep the Eagles in most games, but he will need help. The most likely offensive presence is in the form of freshman Oliver Wahlstrom, a top draft pick of the Islanders and a pure sniper if such a beast exists. Another freshman with the burden of great expectations is Minnesota pick Jack McBain. Among returning forwards, Logan Hutsko (Fla), David Cotton (Car) and Graham McPhee (Edm) are the most consistent offensive threats. The talented and undersized Jacob Tortora could also take a step forward. The blueline lacks a true dynamic two-way threat, but Michael Karow (Ari) and Casey Fitzgerald (Buf) can both hold their own and Michael Kim is a good college player. Boston University also has a star between the pipes in Jake Oettinger, a former Dallas first rounder, who has been inconsistent, but with high end flashes in his collegiate career. The Terriers are deepest along the blueline, with five drafted players, all of whom deserve their high press. They are led by co-captain Dante Fabbro (Nsh), and supplemented by skill in David Farrance (Nsh) and Chad Krys (Chi), and more defensively centered defensemen, such as Cam Crotty (Ari) and Kasper Kotkansalo (Det). Up front, there are former first rounders including Shane Bowers (Col) and Joel Farabee (Phi) and later picks who are almost as talented in Patrick Harper (Nsh) and Jake Wise (Chi). Co-Captain Bobo Carpenter, a senior, has long been rumored to be a free agent contract beneficiary after graduation. While they have not done so yet, this team is chock full of players who can beat you on any given night.

Although Northeastern will no longer be able to rely on NCAA superstars Dylan Sikura or Adam Gaudette, they are still loaded with talent up and down the lineup and feature a stud netminder in Cayden Primeau (Mtl). An offensively inclined team, the attack includes assistance from the blueline in the form of Jeremy Davies (NJ), Ryan Shea (Chi), Eric Williams, and freshman Jordan Harris (Mtl). Even absent Gaudette and Sikura, the Huskies feature freshman Tyler Madden (Vancouver) and Matt Filipe (Car) up front, in addition to proven producers including Zach Solow, Brandon Hawkins, Grant Jozefek, and many more. In a conference full of outstanding goaltenders, it should be no surprise that our top ranked team, Providence, has one of their own in Hayden Hawkey (Edm), who is more than just a fantastic hockey name. Like with Northeastern, the Friars get a lot of offense from the blueline, led in their case by Jacob Bryson (Buf), Ben Mirageas (NYI) and Spenser Young. The Friars can also roll three solid scoring lines if everyone performs up to expectations. Philadelphia first rounder Jay O’Brien has been slow to start, but he should acclimate from the prep ranks to Hockey East in short order to take a place of prominence alongside player including Kasper Bjorkqvist (Pit), Brandon Duhaime (Min), Jack Dugan (Veg), Josh Wilkins, and Scott Conway. Any of the last four teams mentioned could feasibly end the year as Hockey East champions and pose legitimate title hopes. But if the last two seasons are any indication, they will have to prove they can hang with the titans from the Midwest.

National Collegiate Hockey Conference

For each of the past three seasons, when it came time to crown a national champion, the last team standing was a member of the NCHC conference. To give an idea at the depth of strength in this conference, the threepeat of sorts was accomplished by three different schools. One of those schools was not Miami University, although RedHawks were a finalist in 2009, their best ever finish. After three losing seasons, for them to threaten the powerhouses atop the conference once league play begins would be a shocker. Florida prospect Karch Bachman, one of the speedier players in the college ranks, may finally be ready to be a legitimate offensive contributor if his first few games are an indication. The team has some talent from the blueline as well, namely Grant Hutton, who is expected to have a few NHL options to choose from at the end of his senior season, and freshman Derek Daschke. The top new recruit though, and Miami’s big hope for the future, is Johnny Gruden, a top line player with the USNTDP last year and a fourth round pick by Ottawa. The team has a number of other solid players dotting the roster, but lacks much in the way of dynamic skill. A team with more higher end talent on the roster but a less cohesive team game is Nebraska-Omaha. Up front, there are offensively inclined forwards sch as Frederik Olofsson (Chicago), Steven Spinner (Washington) and Zach Jordan (watch out for this guy). Colorado pick Tyler Weiss should also be fun to watch, as he was often pigeon-holed into a bottom six role last year in the USNTDP, but his inherent skills suggest a higher ceiling. Pittsburgh draft pick Ryan Jones and Arizona pick Dean Stewart lead the blueline. Incumbent netminder Evan Weninger returns, but his position is not entrenched and Philadelphia prospect Matej Tomek will challenge after leaving North Dakota, where he never got a chance to play.

At this point, Western Michigan is probably also an underdog. Flyers’ prospect Wade Allison has dynamic scoring potential, and is one of, if not my absolute favorite player to watch in the college game, but he has not played since last January due to a lower body injury, and there are only rumors about the imminence of his eventual return. In his absence, St. Louis pick Hugh McGing will play a prominent role in the attack along with free agent Dawson DiPietro and Vegas pick Paul Cotter. Senior Colt Conrad is also auditioning for an NHL contract, after scoring at a point per game pace last year. From the blueline, the player to watch is Mattias Samuelsson, recently a second round pick of Buffalo’s. As he is more of a defensive defenseman, watch for smaller Cam Lee to add to the offense from behind. The squad will need more steadiness in net than they have received of late to launch a strong challenge for postseason play. Colorado College is a team on the rise, but it may be a year too soon to put them near the top. After four seasons with no more than eight victories, they took off with 15 wins last year, and should breach a .500 record this year with continued development from some of their key contributors. Netminder Alex Leclerc is too small to garner NHL interest, but is a very good collegiate goalie. Up front, Florida pick Chris Wilkie is ready to contribute after sitting out last season as a transfer. He joins a quarter of talented upperclassmen in Nicholas Halloran, Mason Bergh, Trey Bradley, and Westin Michaud. I also have my eyes on freshmen Benjamin Copeland and Erik Middendorf, both of whom were overlooked at the draft last year after strong seasons in the USHL. Although the forwards drive the Tigers’ attack, the defensive corps is not without talent, particularly in the forms of Kristian Blumenschein, and Benjamin Israel.

Three years removed from a championship, the North Dakota team that takes the ice today bears little resemblance to the title team. The only players of note with ties to the title are Dallas pick Rhett Gardner, a beefy two-way forward, and Hayden Shaw, a smaller, reliable and non-flashy defender. Hope and indeed expectations for continued contention is drawn from the Fighting Hawks’ recent recruiting classes. The blueline is receiving a talent injection from freshmen Jacob Bernard-Docker and Jonny Tychonick, who were ironically both drafted early by Ottawa last June. They join Colton Poolman, whose game is very reminiscent of brother Tucker’s. Versatile forward Grant Mismash, a Nashville pick, is expected to take his game up a notch up front. The team also needs to figure out which of Adam Scheel or Peter Thome (Clb) will take over as the starter from the departed Cam Johnson. Denver has more connections to their recent title, but now that Dylan Gambrell and Henrik Borgstrom have both turned pro, the core has changed. The team still has the makings of a contender though, with dynamic defender Ian Mitchell (Chi) set to be the main attraction. He is joined by a couple of freshmen blueliners of whom greatness is expected in Slava Demin (Veg) and Sean Comrie. Up front, the team will have to take a committee approach to scoring, as there is skill, but little of it is truly high end. There is a trio of drafted freshmen who could be better than anticipated in Cole Guttman (TB), Mathias Emilio Pettersen (Cgy), and Brett Stapley (Mtl). They join big game hero Jarid Lukosevicius. As with North Dakota, the Pioneers have to answers questions in net, as heralded recruit Filip Larsson is out indefinitely and Devin Cooley, who has taken the reins to start the season, is largely unproven.

The best hope for a fourth different NCHC championship in four seasons is St. Cloud State, which was actually the top ranked team in the country heading into the playoffs last year. There are teams in this conference with more NHL-bound talent than at St. Cloud State, but the Huskies do not lack in that regards either, while they fill in at the edges with a high caliber of support player. Former Montreal first rounder Ryan Poehling is ready to take the next step offensively and breach one point per game. Helping him to fill the nets are Patrick Newell, Robby Jackson, Blake Lizotte, and Easton Brodzinski. The blueline is similarly deep and skilled, led by tiny Jack Ahcan, Nick Perbix (TB), Jon Lizotte (no relation to Blake) and Jimmy Schuldt, who surprised many by ignoring the lure of the NHL after his junior season. Finally, in net, the team is equally comfortable going with David Hrenak (LA) or Jeffrey Smith, both of whom have displayed the ability to stop pucks at an above average rate in the NCAA. Of course, the NCHC could easily claim another title from a repeat champion. Last year’s champions, Minnesota-Duluth, were not expected to make a strong push, as they had a very young roster and were widely thought to be a season or two way from their “window”. Amazingly, only three of their top ten scorers from last year are gone. The blueline returns three sophomores who both spent time on the American WJC squad in Scott Perunovich (StL), Mikey Anderson (LA), and Dylan Samberg (Wpg). Netminder Hunter Shepard is still anonymous, despite his workhorse status on last year’s title run. Up front, former Dallas first rounder Riley Tufte is overdue to breakthrough, as he has been slowly refining his game to the point where he is nearly unstoppable down low. Helping out with the attack will be Peter Krieger, Nick Swaney (Min), and freshman Noah Cates (Phi). This year’s Bulldogs may be even better than last year’s champs.

Big 10

While last season saw the NCHC claim the crown for the third year in a row, it should not be forgotten that each of the other three teams in the Frozen Four came out of the Big 10. Of course, Michigan State was not one of those teams. The Spartans are now 11 years removed from their most recent title. They should see their wins total grow for the third year running, but are still not quite a challenger. They return nine of their top ten scorers from last year and Taro Hirose, Mitch Lewandowski, and Patrick Khodorenko are expected to lead the team once again. As promising as that trio is, it is unclear where the secondary scoring will come from. Starting netminder John Lethemon is good enough to keep MSU in games, but should not be expected to steal too many. After the Spartans, any team could reasonably reach the NCAA tournament, but some are less likely than others. Next up would probably have to be Penn State. It is easy to forget that the Nittany Lions have only been back in the NCAA for six seasons. Most of their top scorers from last year are returning, but the talent level is still something short of dynamic. Chicago pick Evan Barratt could be ready for the next step and Colorado pick Denis Smirnov is probably the most talented of the bunch. Upperclassmen Chase Berger, Brandon Biro, and Nathan Sucese are auditioning for NHL scouts and are productive, if not necessarily exciting players. The blueline is a relative weakspot, led as it is by Cole Hults (LA) and Kris Myllari. In net, Peyton Jones has had a nice career thus far, but it is unclear that he can be anything more than adequate at this level.

Since a pair of Frozen Four appearances earlier in the decade, Minnesota has been a bit of a hit-or-miss team. Last year saw a bit of both, but without second leading scorer Casey Mittelstadt on the team, the Golden Gophers could struggle once again to get back to the top. As always, they are exceptional recruiters, with this year’s star freshmen including Blake McLaughlin (Ana), Sampo Ranta (Col), and the draft eligible blueliner Benjamin Brinkman. Some of the returning players who could be critical include forwards Rem Pitlick (Nsh), Scott Reedy (SJ), Thomas Novak (Nsh), Brent Gates (Ana), and Tyler Sheehy along with blueliners Clayton Phillips (Pit), Ryan Zuhlsdorf (TB), and Tyler Nanne (NYR). In the early going it seems that last year’s backup netminder, Mat Robson, has surpassed former starter Eric Schierhorn. If Robson can maintain his performance over the full season such as he has in a part time role, the Gophers could be better than expected. The talent is here, but it needs to come together. Put anther way, Minnesota’s talent with Penn State’s structure could be a front runner. Wisconsin won 20 games in 2016-17 after combining for 12 victories in the two seasons prior, eliciting visions of grandeur. Unfortunately, the team sunk back down to 14 wins last year, prompting a rethink of the team’s standing. The Badgers are a team whose strength is on the blueline with five drafted players – all underclassmen - taking charge. Returning from last year are the physical Tyler Inamoto (Fla), the quiet puck mover Josh Ess (Chi), and offensively inclined puck rusher Wyatt Kalynuk (Phi). Joining them this season are a pair of USNTDP grads in checker Ty Emberson (Ari) and the dynamic K’Andre Miller (NYR), who has superstar potential. Veteran Peter Tischke rounds out the blueline corps. Up front, Wisconsin is not as exciting, but Sean Dhooghe, among the smallest high level players I have ever watched is a joy. Linus Weissbach (Buf) and Max Zimmer (Car) look like they will contribute and I have reasonably optimistic expectations of Tarek Baker as well. Like much of the conference, the Badgers are unsettled in net.

Notre Dame has been to the Frozen Four for both of the last two seasons, but the graduation of Jake Evans, the school’s number three scorer since the turn of the century, will have an impact. That said, the Fighting Irish are constantly restocking, so the team should be a strong competitor once more. Cale Morris was exception in net last year, winning the Mike Richter Award as the top goalie in the nation and will still be very good even if he takes a step back. Big Andrew Peeke (Clb) and mobile Matthew Hellickson (NJ) make a strong start to the blueline while veteran Bobby Nardella along with new recruit Spencer Stastney (Nsh) look like a good second pairing with two way capability. The top players up front include Callahan Burke, Cam Morrison (Col), and Dylan Malmquist. Even big Joe Wegwerth can overcome his stiff hands by being a tank in the opposing crease. Freshmen Jacob Pivonka (NYI), Graham Slaggert, and Alex Steeves could also go a long way to giving the Irish attack the needed depth to succeed. Ohio State does not have the flashy names that dot the rosters of most of the rest of the Big 10, but they have talent up and down the team and can win in many ways. They seem to be using a rotation in net, with both incumbent starter Sean Romeo and the younger Tommy Nappier in line to play a good amount. None of their key blueliners have been drafted, but any of Wyatt Ege, Grant Gabriele, Matt Miller, Gordi Myer, or Sasha Larocque can hurt you. There is a smattering of NHL interest up front, such as power forward Dakota Joshua (Tor), playmaker Carson Meyer (Clb) who transferred from Miami, smaller dynamo Mason Jobst and Hobey Baker candidate Tanner Taczynski (Phi). I could go on, but that might be enough to get back to the Frozen Four.

As good as Notre Dame and Ohio State are, not to mention Wisconsin, Minnesota, or Penn State, if the Michigan Wolverines get even halfway decent work in net, they could be the best team in the country. Quinn Hughes was a top ten pick last year by Vancouver and is as dynamic as blueliners get. This will be his last tune-up before moving to the NHL. First line center Josh Norris had a fine freshman season and then was one of the main pieces moving from San Jose to Ottawa in the Erik Karlsson trade. Will Lockwood (Van) is healthy again and provides an agitating, skilled presence. The Pastujov brothers, Nick (NYI) and Michael, provide strength and skill up front. Minnesota pick Nicholas Boka is a talented puck mover from the blueliner who can get the puck moving in the right direction when Hughes is catching his breath. Luke Martin (Car) and Joseph Cecconi (Dal) has shutdown qualities. Brendan Warren (Phi) can contribute offense while playing the tough minutes up front. Moving down the lineup there are other surprises in store as well. Ohio State may be a safer bet, but Michigan has the best chance among any team in the nation, to dominate any given night.

David Cotton – McKeen's Hockey

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: CAROLINA HURRICANES – RANK: #14 – TIER III

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Top 300 Prospect Rankings

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Carolina Hurricanes Top 20 Prospects

Seth Jarvis, C (13th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. Previous ranking: 1)

Ryan Suzuki, C (28th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Jake Bean, D (13th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

Noel Gunler, RW (41st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: 4)

Jamieson Rees, C (44th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Patrik Puistola, RW (73rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Jack Drury, C (42nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

Vasily Ponomarev, C (53rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jeremy Bracco, C/RW (UFA: Oct. 16, 2020. Originally: 61st overall, 2015 [Toronto]. Previous ranking: 6th [Toronto])

David Cotton, C (169th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Anttoni Honka, D (83rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Kirill Slepets, RW (152nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Zion Nybeck, RW (115th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Blake Murray, C (183rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – CAROLINA HURRICANES – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 5

Carolina Hurricanes

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. 2019 Rank: 2 [St. Louis])

Ryan Suzuki, C (28th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Jake Bean, D (13th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 8)

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. 2019 Rank: 10 [NY Rangers])

Jamieson Rees, C (44th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrik Puistola, RW (73rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Jack Drury, C (42nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 12)

David Cotton, C (169th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

Anttoni Honka, D (83rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

Kirill Slepets, RW (152nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

Blake Murray, C (183rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

NCAA East Region 2019-20 Season Preview: Hockey East and ECAC

NCAA East Region Preview

ECAC

Hockey East:

Carolina Hurricanes 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

NCAA: Hockey East Playoff Preview – Plenty of intrigue, top prospects, proud seniors and anything possible with slumping perennial powerhouses

1 UMass (Amherst) vs. 8 New Hampshire

2 Providence vs. 7 Boston College

3 Northeastern vs. 6 Maine

4 UMass Lowell vs. 5 Boston University

Digesting the 2019 Beanpot Consolation Game and Finals

Starting off with Harvard:

Boston University:

Northeastern

Boston College

Dropping the puck on the 2018-19 NCAA season – Part 2 – Hockey East, NCHC, Big 10

Seth Jarvis, C (13^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25^th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. Previous ranking: 1)

Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

Noel Gunler, RW (41^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88^th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. Previous ranking: 4)

Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 8)

Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

Vasily Ponomarev, C (53^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jeremy Bracco, C/RW (UFA: Oct. 16, 2020. Originally: 61^st overall, 2015 [Toronto]. Previous ranking: 6^th [Toronto])

David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Kirill Slepets, RW (152^ndoverall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Zion Nybeck, RW (115^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Dominik Bokk, RW (Trade: Sep. 24, 2019. Originally: 25^th overall, 2018 [St. Louis]. 2019 Rank: 2 [St. Louis])

Ryan Suzuki, C (28^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 2)

Jake Bean, D (13^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 8)

Joey Keane, D (Trade: Feb. 18, 2020. Originally: 88^th overall, 2018 [NY Rangers]. 2019 Rank: 10 [NY Rangers])

Jamieson Rees, C (44^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Tuukka Tieksola, RW (121^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrik Puistola, RW (73^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 5)

Pyotr Kochetkov, G (36^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Jack Drury, C (42^nd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 12)

David Cotton, C (169^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

Eetu Makiniemi, G (104^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

Morgan Geekie, C/RW (67^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

Anttoni Honka, D (83^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

Kirill Slepets, RW (152^ndoverall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 19)

Blake Murray, C (183^rd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)