David Gustafsson – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – Top 20 Prospects

Contributors –Chapin Landvogt, Ethan Hetu, Zack Szweras, Viktor Fomich, — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 23:00:48 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: Jets right wing Cole Perfetti (91) makes a pass from the point during the Winnipeg Jets versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on January 18, 2022 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Cole Perfetti LW

Perfetti was selected with the 10^th overall pick by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2020 NHL draft. He can play both centre and wing and provides immense skill and hockey sense. He has the unique ability to quickly problem-solve due to his reads of the ice, finding the soft areas. He is often able to scan the ice and find the holes and exploit them. While he may not be the fastest or strongest player, Perfetti’s IQ and puck skills more than make up for it, allowing him to stand out on the ice. While he will make the smart, simple play to advance possession, he also has the ability to make creative passes that have fans salivating. His shot is another weapon, particularly his lethal wrist shot, making it difficult for opponents to decide whether to play the pass or the shot when covering Perfetti. He has had scoring success in each level he has played in. In his rookie year in the OHL, he netted 37 goals and 74 points in 63 games for the Saginaw Spirit. He then improved on that in his draft year, producing 111 points in 61 games, finishing second in points in the OHL only to fellow first rounder, Marco Rossi. The Perfetti success story continued as he was forced to play in the AHL in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the OHL, and he was still able to produce with 26 points in 32 games. This past season he split time between the AHL and NHL, with 15 points in 17 games in the AHL, and 9 points in 18 NHL games. While Perfetti could benefit from refining his skating stride, there is no question that he should spend the entirety on next season in a top-six role in the NHL. - ZS

2 - Brad Lambert C

Drafted 30^th overall this past summer, Lambert was selected much lower than anticipated earlier in the year, much like Finnish predecessor Aatu Räty in 2021. Lambert entered the season looking like a top three pick, but had a disappointing year in Finnish Liiga, unable to repeat his prior statistical exploits while giving the scouting community plenty of reason to doubt his upside. Even a mid-season switch in teams couldn’t change his scoring fortunes. Furthermore, this summer’s WJC did nothing to dissuade existing doubts, as he wasn’t even dressed for the final playoff games against Sweden and Canada. In all, he had but one goal and a -2 in five games for a team that took silver. This performance was a far cry from his goal, five points, and +6 in the two winter WJC contests in December before that event was cancelled. There is no denying how incredible a skater Lambert is and that his hands and shot are possibly enough to allow him to become a regular NHLer, if not a star, at his peak. The speedster had already spent the entire 20-21 season in the Finnish Liiga (15 points), contributed four points in seven WJC games, and was a PPG player at the U18 Worlds. Unfortunately, the kinks he had as a 16/17-year-old playing pro are still clear. Was the pressure of his high draft stock too much for him? Lambert has time and several exceptional tools. He also has bloodlines; his uncle Lane will be the head coach of the New York Islanders this season. It is currently uncertain where the mercurial Lambert will spend the upcoming season. – CL

3 - Rutger McGroarty LW

Rutger McGroarty, at least at first glance, might not look like the prototypical top-fifteen prospect for a modern NHL draft. But the fact that he was selected that high by the Winnipeg Jets at the 2022 draft didn’t surprise many, especially those who have been around McGroarty. Most prospects are best known for their on-ice talent, the things they bring to the table after the puck is dropped. The thing that most separates McGroarty, the captain of the USNTDP, the USA’s U18 World Championships side, and a potential future captain of the Michigan Wolverines, has been how his character influences his overall profile. McGroarty is an ultra-competitive, fiery winger who approaches every shift with the sort of passion that’s sure to instantly endear him to both coaches and fans. He lives in the dirty areas of the ice, consistently looking to overwhelm opponents ill-equipped to handle his physicality. He drives the net, plays in the corners, and his overall offensive game shows a lot of pro-ready habits. His raw offensive talent won’t be mistaken for being elite, but he shows an understanding of how to deceive defenders and use his speed and timing to manipulate defenses that some might not expect from him. There’s real NHL upside to his offensive game, but his overall projection rests on him addressing the biggest issue in his game: his skating. McGroarty’s stride needs some work, and he’s not efficient at maximizing the distance he covers with the energy he expends. He’s not a slow player, by any means, but his skating could be what holds his impressive production as a prospect from translating to the pro game. He has a chance to become a top-six power forward, but the likeliest outcome is as a middle-six player who quickly becomes part of the leadership core of his NHL franchise. - EH

4 - Ville Heinola D

Judging by how long Heinola has been in (and out) of Winnipeg’s plans in recent years, it’s hard to believe that he was drafted 19th overall as recently as 2019. After suiting up for eight games right after being drafted (five points, +3), he ultimately spent the season with Lukko of Liiga and was a key player on Finland’s WJC team. He got into another five NHL games a season later, with far less success, but had 13 points in 19 Liiga games and then another 11 in 19 AHL games, outings that sandwiched another fine WJC showing for his native country. This understandably left Jets fans with the belief that Heinola was on the brink of a full-time NHL job. The 21-22 season saw him suit up for more NHL action than ever, but despite five points in 12 games, the competition on the Jets’ blueline was too much to crack. His AHL production was the best of his career and was topped by five points in five playoff games. Average-sized, Heinola has long looked a tick less mobile and lacking in explosiveness than many of modern defensemen, but his skating has definitely advanced to a point where it’s no longer an impediment, but a strength. Upper body strength will continue to require improvement, but his offensive instincts and his prowess on the blueline look ready for a prolonged NHL stint. An overload on the left side of the Jets’ blueline means he may still have to wait. – CL

5 - Nikita Chibrikov RW

Nikita Chibrikov is coming off a remarkable season, producing at over one point-per-game at the age of 19 and playing against pros in the VHL, both very rare in Russian hockey. We have clear indications that he has outgrown the lower levels in Russia, and he needs to play in the KHL, yet the depth of his KHL organization means it wasn’t likely to happen still. That is, until one of the biggest blockbusters of the Russian offseason saw Chibrikov traded to Spartak Moscow. This move should be greatly beneficial to the young forward, as Spartak needs more attacking skill and Chibrikov has plenty of it. Now his goal is clearer: he needs to grab onto a KHL roster spot and show that he can hack at the top level in Russia. Although easier said than done, especially considering Chibrikov’s youth and lack of size, the glass is more than half full. Whether or not he seizes a scoring role for Spartak, this is Chibrikov’s final year of his KHL contract, and even bigger changes might follow if he isn’t given a big chance to shine this year, even if he is not yet ready for a move to North America. - VF

6 - David Gustafsson C

Gustafsson may lack in flash and excitement, but the 2018 2^nd rounder has become an effective pivot who coaches can trust for a third line role. While Winnipeg cycled through numerous fringe NHLers in that spot last season, Gustafsson quietly went about collecting 30 points over 47 AHL games, honing his craft in all situations. Much has changed since he suited up for the Jets 22 times in the 19-20 season. An impressive 17 points in 16 games for Tingsryd of the HockeyAllsvenskan in 20-21 were followed up by 19 points in 22 games with Manitoba, better production than the organization was expecting. Now 22, the 6’2” Gustafsson has a strong build and can handle himself on the ice. His play often hints at his intelligence and how well he reads plays. It feels like more can be tickled out of him and that he is the type to hold back a bit so as to play within himself and his role. That could be exactly what Winnipeg needs as of this season. Just re-signed to a two-year contract, Gustafsson isn’t necessarily getting any younger and his maturity is at a level where he would be a logical candidate as one of the two extras that remain with the big club to kick off the season, even if the team has an abundance of natural centers already on the roster. – CL

7 - Chaz Lucius C

Chaz Lucius was an interesting case at the 2021 NHL draft, as many had him projected around the top-10 prospects, including McKeen’s who had him ranked #9 overall in his class. Lucius ended up falling to 18th overall, where the Jets nabbed him. Lucius spent last season at the University of Minnesota and played well. He wasn’t the sort of overwhelming freshman talent that immediately makes waves, like Luke Hughes was at Michigan, for example, but he was an impact player on an extremely strong team and looked to be on the right path until injury issues derailed the second half of his campaign. Surprisingly, though, Lucius signed his entry-level deal this spring, and therefore won’t be eligible to continue his development in the NCAA. On the ice, there’s a lot to like about Lucius’ game. He’s a creative playmaker who has the puck skills, vision, and timing to be a strong driver of play. He’s also more tenacious than many give him credit for, and he utilizes the inside of the ice more effectively than many of his more perimeter-oriented peers. That being said, Lucius’ skating lacks the separation gear that allows many playmakers to thrive at a higher level, and he isn’t strong enough as a puck protector to create space consistently with his body. As a result, Lucius will need to find a way, either through his strength or his legs, to create space at more difficult levels of hockey. If he can develop that sort of skill, he can become a top-six player. If he can’t, he might struggle to translate his offense to the professional game. - EH

8 - Declan Chisholm D

Chisholm was selected 150^th by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2018 NHL draft. At selection, he was considered a two-way defenceman who saw the ice well, made good reads and could close gaps well. Since then, he has elevated his playmaking and continues to show solid gap control and physical pressure in his own end. On the other hand, he was seen as a limited offensive upside defenceman after only producing 20 points in 47 games. He has since improved those numbers over the next two seasons for the Peterborough Petes, finishing the 2019-20 season with 43 assists and 48 points in 67 games showing his improvement on reading plays and executing passes. He then took it to the next level the following season, putting up 69 points in 59 games. After that season came to an end due to the pandemic, his next steps were replicating his game in a tougher AHL league. In his first season as a professional, he played in 28 games, producing 13 points. Last season, it was evident that Chisholm was getting more confident and comfortable in the AHL, and he was able to scan the ice more and identify the open man. He finished the season with 30 points in 53 AHL games, enough to reward him with 2 games in the NHL. While there is nothing dynamic about Chisholm’s game, there is enough to see him carve a bottom-pairing role in the NHL one day. - ZS

9 - Morgan Barron LW

The 174^th overall pick in the 2017 NHL draft, Barron has worked his way from a late round selection to an NHL contributor. A massive centre standing at 6’4”, 220 Ibs who uses his large frame to protect the puck, Barron has a solid wrist shot that deceives goaltenders. When he was selected by the New York Rangers, he was coming off a season playing Canadian high school hockey, a rare path for NHL hopefuls. In his draft year, Barron was named captain of his team before netting 50 points in 46 games. The year after he was selected by the Rangers, Barron played at Cornell, where he produced 18 points in 33 games. He then improved his point totals over the following two seasons on campus, producing 34 points in 36 games as a sophomore, followed by 32 points in 29 games in his final season, during which he was team captain. He then signed his entry level contract with the Rangers and played the majority of the 2020-21 season for the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. In his first AHL season, Barron produced a point per game with 21 points in 21 games. This impressed the Rangers enough to give him a five game NHL cameo, where he was able to net his first NHL point. He carried his success into this past season, split between the AHL and the NHL. Barron had been producing in Hartford with 15 points in 25 games before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in the deal that brought Andrew Copp to the Rangers. Barron was given more of a role in the NHL for the Jets playing in 14 games, contributing 4 points. Going into next season, Barron looks to solidify a role on the Jets bottom-six. - ZS

10 - Dylan Samberg D

Samberg was selected 43^rd overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2017 NHL draft. A big defenceman, standing at 6’4”, 216 Ibs, he has good speed given his size. Samberg has always been considered more for his defensive game than his offensive abilities. He has good gap control, physicality, and strong ability to win puck battles in the corner. Offensively, Samberg’s game started to elevate when he played in the NCAA for the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He produced roughly 20 points in each of the two seasons he played for the Bulldogs while playing a top-four role defensively. After two seasons in college, Samberg signed his entry level contract with the Jets and played the entirety of the 2020-21 season in the AHL. His point production regressed, as expected, with seven points in 31 games, however his defence was still solid. This led to Samberg having an increased role in the AHL and playing some NHL games last season, which he finished with 12 points in 32 AHL games as well as five points over 15 NHL games. His transition game has seen improvement with more confidence in his ability to scan the ice and carry the puck through the neutral zone. Samberg will look to carve out a full-time role with the Jets in the upcoming season. - ZS

11 - Leon Gawanke

After a solid AHL season, the German two-way defender has put himself in the mix for a spot on the Jets this season and should, at the very least, be in line for an injury call up at some point.

12 - Danny Zhilkin

Zhilkin is a strong skating two-way center who can attack the net and play a variety of different roles. Winnipeg will be looking for him to improve his decision making with the puck and become a more consistent offensive player with Guelph this season.

13 - Elias Salomonsson

At one point, Salomonsson was thought to be the best 2004 born defender on the planet, but a poor draft year pushed him way down draft boards. The strong skating offensive blueliner will try to get his development back on track this year.

14 - Daniel Torgersson

A big, physical winger, Torgersson is a human torpedo on the ice, especially as he engages in puck pursuit. Just how much offensive upside he possesses will be determined over the next few years in the AHL. He will play with Manitoba this year.

15 - Dmitry Rashevsky

It was quite the breakout season for Rashevsky as he became one of the highest scoring young players in the KHL. He has one more year left on his KHL deal and should cross the pond after that.

16 -Dmitri Kuzmin

A highly skilled, puck moving defender, Kuzmin was a standout for a strong Flint team this season in the OHL. The Belarussian rearguard will return to the OHL this season.

17 - Wyatt Bongiovanni

An intelligent two-way center, Bongiovanni was solid over four seasons for Quinnipiac before signing with Winnipeg late last year. He may not be flashy or possess significant upside, but he could be a solid bottom six player for the Jets in the future.

18 - Mikhail Berdin

This could be a make-or-break year for Berdin in the Jets system. He will compete for playing time in Manitoba and needs to take a step forward to be considered the top goaltending call-up option.

19 - Arvid Holm

The big Swedish netminder was disappointing in his first pro season with Manitoba last year, so he will look to rebound nicely this year.

20 - Johnathan Kovacevic

The big, right shot former Merrimack College defender is coming off his best AHL season to date. However, age is catching up to him and the time is now for him to break through a crowded blueline and prove that he can play in the NHL.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: WINNIPEG JETS – RANK: #21 – TIER IV

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 12:22:57 +0000

Winnipeg Jets

#21 Winnipeg - The top of Winnipeg's system would cause envy in many of the systems ranked higher, but few teams are shallower. The Jets can't keep having 4-5 man draft classes.

Cole Perfetti

After a bit of a slow start in his first pro campaign (with Manitoba of the AHL), Perfetti finished exceptionally strong, and it has many in the Jets organization excited about his future. Perffeti had 18 points in his final 14 games of the AHL season and then went on to win a silver medal with Canada at the World Championships, scoring two goals at the event. The 10th overall selection in the 2020 Draft, of course, was not even supposed to play in the AHL this year, but due to the OHL hiatus, he was able to play in the league as a double underager.

Touted as one of the most intelligent forward prospects in the game, Perfetti has the ability to breakdown opposing defenses, dictating the pace with the puck on a string. He has already worked hard to improve his explosiveness as a skater, and his strength on the puck, and those improvements were noticeable in the AHL’s second half. Further improvement will be needed, but he is on his way to becoming a high-end top six forward at the NHL level. It is likely that Perfetti earns NHL time this year and is a candidate to break camp with the Jets to start the season. If he struggles, he is likely to be given an exemption to play in the AHL, yet again, rather than have to return to the OHL. - BO

Chaz Lucuis

One of, if not the, hardest North American players to scout this year, Lucius’ season began in late-February after missing the beginning of the season as he completed rehab from knee surgery, and ended approximately six weeks later with a stellar performance at the BioSteel All-America game, after which the USNTDP U18 ceased game activity to focus on the upcoming World U18 Championships, which Lucius was forced to miss due to a poorly timed COVID positive result.

Despite the late start and early ending, Lucius was still a first round selection by Winnipeg on the strength of a goal per game performance in the USHL (albeit in a small sample size). Lucius is a terrific goal scorer not because he is the most skilled player on the ice, but because he is a tireless worker who also happens to possess good instincts. He scans and reads the defense and finds their weaknesses with impressive quickness. While learning the defense, he also keeps aware of what his linemates are doing, so as to better make himself an outlet for them or find ways to make them outlets for him.

These instincts and that work rate help the University of Minnesota commit makeup for physical skills that are somewhat less impressive. As a Golden Gopher, he will firstly look to stay healthy, but secondly, look to get quicker and stronger so that he can reach his high-end potential as a first line forward. It is likely that Chaz plays at least two seasons in college, if only to be sure to be able to play with younger brother Cruz, who followed him one year later into the USNTDP program. His method of production should follow him up the ranks towards the NHL, but he must continue to improve physically. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Ville Heinola

Since the Jets selected Heinola 19^th overall in 2019 – which we admittedly thought was a bit of a reach at the time – they have given him chances to play in the NHL. Eight games immediately following his selection, and five more games last year. While the young blueliner was not able to secure full-time NHL employment in either season, he still performed admirably for a teenager in the greatest league in the world. Further giving a glimpse at his projectability, Heinola was fantastic during those same seasons in his stints in both the AHL and Liiga in his homeland of Finland, in both leagues playing far better than a U20 defender should.

If we had underrated him two years ago (and we did), it was largely due to his skating ability, which lacks the dynamism we see in many of the current crop of high-end defensive prospects. The lack of explosiveness can make Heinola look a bit static in comparison, but there are plenty of NHL defenders with similar skating ability, and like them, the prospect has developed a style of play that can function well without great speed, replying instead of positioning, patience with and without the puck, and lateral mobility, the latter a trait which is not always easy to spot. The signings of Brendan Dillon and Nate Schmidt means Heinola will have to work to make the Jets again, but even if he doesn’t this year, he is trending towards solid second pairing territory sooner than later. - RW

Dylan Samberg

While he did take a step forward last year, let’s call the season a stumble, as he was not able to maintain the trajectory he was riding as a collegian. Samberg was a rock on the blueline for Minnesota-Duluth for three years, playing an instrumental role in back-to-back Frozen Four Championships, while steadily improving his ability to provide offensive impact. That last element of his game was AWOL in Samberg’s professional debut last season, as he rarely moved up from the blueline in the offensive zone.

He has unteachable size, skates very well for his size (and in general) and has never hesitated to play a physical game, even if he has also not been the instigator as much as you might like. But even without producing offensively, Samberg’s rookie season was not a failure. He proved that he could be a workhorse at the pro level, playing in all situations, and comfortably playing close to 25 minutes per game. Winnipeg has many contenders for their bottom defensive pairing this year, and Samberg is still young enough that another year on the farm – or most of a year – would help him at least try to find an approach that allows him to contribute offensively. You can expect him to make his NHL debut this year and challenge for a permanent spot in the top six starting in 2022-23. - RW

Nikita Chibrikov

One of only two U18 players to receive extensive playing time in the KHL last year, Chibrikov demonstrated a broad array of exciting tools during his season-ending performance for Team Russia at the World U18 Championships where he was a standout.

Chibrikov excels in puck possession situations. Even though he doesn’t often break out highlight reel plays, the puck just sticks to him until he is ready to move it somewhere else. While puck skills are the highlight of Chibrikov’s package, there is much more to his game than that, as all of his tools project at above average, with the possible exception of his physical game, and that is only because he is still pretty slight. He is a fine skater, capable of dynamic burst of speed, and he is most effective playing a high-paced game, with sharp cuts and intermittent changes of pace to throw off the defense. However, with an average frame and average size overall, his lack of truly dynamic skating ability can partially explain why he fell to Winnipeg in the later second round. Chibrikov’s contract with SKA S. Petersburg has two years left to run, after which he will be ready to play in North America and begin to fulfill his top six – and maybe top line – projection. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Kristian Vesalainen

The big Finnish winger and former first round pick is coming off another indifferent season in North America, his third since crossing the pond. Splitting 2020/21 between Liiga (to start the year), Manitoba (AHL), and Winnipeg (NHL), Vesalainen continued to struggle to find the back of the net. In his three combined seasons in North America thus far, Vesalainen has scored only 17 goals combined. Granted, some of that time has been spent in the NHL, however it is impossible to argue that his development has not been disappointing thus far. Given his size, skating, and skill combination, Vesalainen has struggled to create or find scoring chances consistently, especially in the slot and near the crease, where he should be dominating.

The 2021/22 season is likely a make-or-break season for him. Anything less than making the Jets full time this season, even if it is in a checking line role, would be a disappointment. He needs to take that step forward and become a more consistent contributor. His potential remains as a middle six winger, however the odds of him reaching that potential have drastically decreased. This is Vesalainen’s final year of waiver exemption and, as such, could be his final kick at the can in the Winnipeg system before moving on to a new NHL team or returning to Finland. - BO

David Gustafsson

Even though his offensive capabilities were questioned previously, his last season proved that his upside may be higher than many gave him credit for. David Gustafsson was a PPG player in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan and he was really close to doing the same in the AHL (19 PTS in 22 games). Nevertheless, he didn´t get much NHL time (four matches with the Jets), but he should be more than ready to get a bottom-six spot in the upcoming season. Despite being only 21, Gustafsson has already played in the NHL two years in a row. Even though his total of 26 matches combined is not a lot, it's still a nice accomplishment for the young Swede. He should at least double it the next season.

Gustafsson has a good size (6-2”, 196 lbs) and is a strong and hard-working center. Although he has proven his offense is noteworthy, he´s most likely going to be used as a bottom-six forward. It´s a fitting role for the Swedish prospect – he´s a smart, two-way player. He has improved his skating over the years but should learn to play more physical for a player of his size. He probably won't be used at the scoring role at the NHL level, but a bottom-six to middle-six place should be a good fit in the next couple of years. Gustafsson´s mature game proves he is NHL ready right away. - MD

Declan Chisholm

A mobile, and talented offensive defender, Chisholm is coming off of a successful first pro season with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. One of Winnipeg’s top defensive prospects, Chisholm’s development curve over the last two years shows great promise, as nearly every part of his game has improved considerably.

Originally a slick skating puck mover in the OHL, Chisholm worked hard to improve his play in his own end, even developing a bit of a mean streak by his graduation from the Peterborough Petes. His mobility will always be his meal ticket, as will his quick decision-making ability with the puck. In the AHL this past year, Chisholm showed versatility in being asked to play a variety of different roles for the Moose. While his upside may not be as high as a defender like Ville Heinola in Winnipeg’s system, Chisholm does have a chance to be a solid two-way, #4-5 defender for the Jets. Given Winnipeg’s now great system depth at the position, he will likely have to bide his time. However, do not sleep on this talented young defender. - BO

Mikhail Berdin

Berdin came to the KHL on loan at the start of the season and left a rather shaky impression: as he frequently looked nervous and allowed some bad goals. Returning to the AHL looked like a great solution, as he got a lot of starts there, but from a statistical perspective, it was by far his worst pro season. Last year was a year to forget for Berdin.

Almost immediately upon returning to North America, Berdin agreed on an extension with the Jets, showing their commitment to him and hope that he can develop into an NHL netminder. The issue is that his development may have stagnated. He needs to show that he has outgrown the AHL level (preferably already in the Jets preseason camp) to earn the newly vacated back-up spot (with Brossoit moving on). He needs to show that his game is more than his trademark puckhandling and occasional highlight-reel saves, but that he can be a consistent and confident presence in the net. Otherwise, there is a risk of getting labeled as 'good enough for the AHL, but not good enough for the NHL' and it is very hard to get rid of that kind of label. Additionally, he would need to pass through waivers if he does not win that back-up role behind Hellebuyck. - VF

Daniel Torgersson

The COVID pandemic disrupted the Swedish junior season, limiting the league to only a handful of games. This negatively impacted Torgersson, who was not ready for full time action in the SHL. The big, physical winger skates well for his size and his power forward approach was intriguing enough for the Jets to take him with an early second round selection in 2020. At the very least he projects as a high-end bottom six forward, even if his offensive skill set fails to develop to its potential due to his penchant for the big hit and ability to use his speed on the forecheck.

However, if his goal scoring ability can find some consistency, he could play higher up in the lineup. The development of his puck skill and confidence with the puck will be critical. He will look to be a full time SHL player with Frolunda this coming season. His offensive production will likely be low as he plays a bottom six role, however consistent ice time is the most important thing for him this year. Still a longer-term project, the true potential of Torgersson may not be revealed for another few seasons. - BO

Dmitri Kuzmin

Kuzmin, a recent third round selection by the Jets, is a high-end puck moving defender who dazzles with his four way mobility and quickness. A potential powerplay QB, Kuzmin was recently signed by the Jets and there is a possibility that he plays with Flint in the OHL, rather than return home to Belarus.

Anton Johannesson

Speaking of the J20 cancellation, this also negatively impacted offensive blueliner Anton Johannesson. Still recovering from an injury, he actually did not play at all last season, as once he was healthy, the J20 season was called off. Johannesson needs to stay healthy this coming season and should see action at a variety of different levels. His upside is still extremely intriguing.

Henri Nikkanen

2020/21 was a good season for the big, playmaking center. He not only established himself as an everyday player in Liiga, but his 13 assists were the third most by a U20 player in the league last year. Nikkanen has switched Liiga teams for this coming season, joining Pelicans. Hopefully he is able to continue to progress and could be a middle six candidate for the Jets in the future.

Simon Lundmark

A former second round pick by the Jets, Lundmark finally took that next step forward as an SHL defender this past season. The 6’2, right shot defender has plus mobility, but the question is, does he do other things well enough to be more than a depth option for Winnipeg in the future? Signed by Winnipeg, Lundmark will play in the AHL this season, a big year for his development.

Johnny Kovacevic

It has been a long journey for Kovacevic, a former third round pick by Winnipeg back in 2017. However, the former Merrimack College standout had a terrific sophomore season with Manitoba last season and has put himself in contention for a spot on Winnipeg’s blueline in the future. A massive right shot defender (6’5, 220 lbs), Kovacevic may not have a high ceiling, but he could be a reliable two-way presence on the third pairing.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Winnipeg Jets Top 20 Prospects

Rachel Howard — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 19:35:16 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 Winnipeg Jets 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.

Cole Perfetti, C/LW (10^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Perfetti may not possess high end size or speed, but there are so many things to like about his game His best asset is his hockey sense. While he doesn’t possess game breaking speed, he can break down opposing defenses by being one step ahead of them. His preferred spot is the half wall, where he can survey the ice, quick hands and quick feet biding him time to make plays. He is a constant threat with the puck and turnovers are rare. He anticipates gaps, rebounds, and passes before they happen, and isn’t afraid to take a hit to make something happen. Perfetti possesses excellent edgework and lateral quickness. He is hard to contain due to his unpredictability. His wrist shot and release are terrific. He is creative in transition. There is doubt if he can stay down the middle at the next level. Perfetti also has steps to take as a two-way player, who can be relied upon in any situation. With his high-end hockey sense, he can likely improve some of his faults. He is a potential game breaking offensive forward who could one dayfind his way to the top of NHL scoring races. – BO

Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 1)

The three years since Winnipeg used a second round pick on Samberg saw the big blueliner play a key role in two WJCs for Team USA, win two NCAA championships with Minnesota-Duluth and add 25 pounds to fill out his impressive frame, without any degradation in his quickness. He is a very good skater for his size, which is especially notable in his ability to recover after the puck goes the other way. While he can be physically imposing, playing the body against all manner of opponents, his off-the-puck game is much more than just a matter of brute force. He positions himself well and has a gigantic wingspan, allowing him to use that reach to break up rushes cleanly and legally. With the puck, he is functional enough to earn some second unit power play duties. He has a strong shot with a quick release. Moreover, he moves the puck well, without ever looking fancy. Samberg, more than anything else, makes the right play to put his team in an advantageous position. Finally signed to an ELC, Samberg could see NHL ice next season. - RW

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

At 6-4” and 228, Vesalainen can be an intimidating physical force, using his size to bust his way to the goal with pure momentum and strength. He is also an elite skater. Nimble and with impressive footwork, he achieves top speed quickly and is able to get separation on defenders when motoring through open ice. More of a shooter than a passer, he is deadly with his wrist shot anywhere from the faceoff dots in and is aware enough to open up passing lanes for teammates while looking shot. Despite his impressive raw package of skills, Vesalainen is perplexingly inconsistent and lacks assertiveness. Slow to adjust to the size of North American ice, he is prone to disappearing for a string of shifts and does not put up enough shots for a player as lethal with the puck as he is. 2019-20 was his first full season in N.A. competition and if he can figure out how to put his skillset together, he can be a top-line scoring winger; at worst, he is a rugged middle-six depth contributor. - TD

Ville Heinola, D (20^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Heinola showed promise in his eight-game NHL stint, but was eventually sent to the AHL before being returned to Finland. He plays with plenty of poise and makes sound decisions with the puck. He sees the ice really well and snaps accurate, crisp passes in all zones from simple outlets to longer passes up the rink. He has swift hands and picks pucks quickly off the wall to make plays. He also works well on the power play as his vision and passing skills are assets. He has an accurate shot from the point, whether it be a slap shot or wrister. He reads the game well defensively, has a quick stick and keeps tight gaps. However, Heinola could use his size more effectively in battles. He moves pretty well, but his skating is not high end, especially considering his size. He lacks explosive initial burst and could be quicker from a standstill and smooth out his forward stride. He makes up for the lack of quickness with his situational awareness. He has top pairing NHL potential, but the middle-pair is a more realistic projection. - MB

Declan Chisholm, D (150^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

One of the better skaters out of the OHL, Chisholm is aggressive in leading the attack out of the defensive zone, using first step quickness to create separation from forecheckers, and his speed and edgework to gain the opposing blueline. A competent powerplay QB, he creates lanes with agility and lateral quickness. Finally, his gap control defensively is solid as he stays ahead of incoming attackers and has learned to trust his mobility to play more aggressively to take away space. Increased strength and improved engagement elevated his effectiveness. This will be the area that Chisholm will need to continue to work on, as well as his decision making in transition. He will likely need some time to gain the confidence necessary to play aggressively as a pro. Previously, Chisholm had trouble with turnovers, but cleaned that up this past year, and gets a better feel for when to take a risk. He will likely need several years of seasoning at the pro level before he is ready for an NHL role, but he projects as a number 4-6 defender who can also quarterback the powerplay. The key will be just how much his defensive game progresses. – BO

Anton Johannesson, D (133^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Johannesson has missed a good chunk of the last two years to injury, which, when combined with his smaller frame, allowed the Jets to draft him in the fifth round. When healthy, he has showcased why he his high-end skills. A confident and competent mover, Johannesson excels in transition, using an effortless stride, strong agility, and quick hands to lead the attack. On the power play he is a very dangerous weapon because of how well he gets his shot through to the net and his ability to walk around defenders to create gaps in coverage. With the puck on his stick, it is rare to see him commit a turnover as his vision and decision making is sound. Needless to say, his upside as an offensive defender is very high. His size has held him back from being a consistently effective player in the defensive end. He isn’t strong in front of the net or along the boards and his overall awareness is raw. There is hope that as he fills out, he can become an adequate defensive player as his offensive skill set is definitely dynamic enough to play in the NHL. – BO

Sami Niku, D (198^thoverall, 2015. Previous ranking: 5)

Three years removed from his dominant rookie AHL season, Niku has refined his craft and looks more like a future NHLer than a flash-in-the-pan. He impresses with splendid technical skating skill and inventiveness in moving the puck out and into the offensive zone. A superb puck-handler, he calls for the puck often and directs traffic through the neutral zone at even strength and the power play. His patience with the puck has improved significantly. Though he has improved defensively, he hasn’t looked entirely comfortable in his NHL stints, posting poor possession numbers and few points in transition while battling for ice time against veterans. Fighting through injuries -- including a preseason car accident with Vesalainen beside him -- Niku was not able to stamp himself into the NHL with regularity yet, with some hesitance and inconsistency in his play, but he very well could clinch a spot on their thinning blueline as soon as next season. As a seventh rounder, any NHL games played Niku registers is above market value for Winnipeg, but the 23-year-old’s story is only just beginning. - TD

Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

One of the most entertaining players at any position in the AHL, Berdin’s talent level is matched only by his swagger. A hard-nosed and fierce competitor in the crease, the Russian held up exceptionally through backstopping a Manitoba team that sat at the bottom of the Central Division all season, posting a .910 save percentage and a record near .500 in spite of a weak defense in front of him. Athletic and creative in the blue paint, his anticipation and play-reading improved mightily from his 2018-19 rookie pro season, but he mostly relies on his reflexes and impressive foot quickness. While puck-handling is not the most important skill a goaltender can have, Berdin’s talent and confidence with the puck is Brodeur-esque and capable of forcing a team to abandon any forechecking or dump-and-chase style. His selection of his tools and aggression can hurt him at times, but he can make difficult saves look easy consistently with his high-energy style. A sixth rounder in 2016, Berdin is a legit NHL prospect who could even push an NHL like Connor Hellebuyck for starts in the future. - TD

Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 7)

Time on ice is not a publicly available statistic in the AHL, but I have a feeling Logan Stanley is near the top of the boards. A 6-7”, 242lb behemoth capable of logging heavy minutes with consistency and presenting opposing forwards with long, impassable gaps and borderline unfair stick length, the 22-year-old is exactly what the Jets thought they were taking in the middle of the 2016 first round. His defensive game is one of the most polished out of any pro in his age group, but his offensive game has been fairly impressive as well, showing out during power-play deployments with his booming slap shot and improved technical skating ability -- he already moved around pretty well for a big man. What is frustrating in his game, though, are his inconsistent and confusing reads; he can pass the puck into a dangerous situation or sell out for a hit and give up inside position at times, and that will have to be coached out of him. Otherwise, Stanley plays such a simple stay-at-home game that I can’t imagine he would have much trouble playing in the NHL for a decade plus, perhaps starting with next season. – TD

Daniel Torgersson, LW (40^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A burgeoning power forward, Torgersson has shown an ability to complement skilled players extremely well in a top six role. He skates well enough to keep up with them in a straight line and has good explosiveness for his size. He can cover the puck and win battles with his reach and strength is hard to contain around the net and on the rush. A physical player, he shows well in all three zones, competing hard on the forecheck and along the wall in his own end. However, his skill set as an offensive player is only average, which suggests that his upside may be limited to the bottom six player at the NHL level, an assessment that his home club of Frolunda may agree with, as they have only sporadic time up with the senior side, regardless of his great production at the junior level. If he can improve his release and his ability to create with the puck at full speed, there may be more upside. – BO

David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

It should go without saying that the Jets rushed Gustafsson to the NHL last season. Playing 22 games for Winnipeg at age 19, he had a Shot Attempt % of 29.9%, per NHL.com, worse than any forward who played in more than four games. Were it not for a fortuitous PDO, he likely would have seen the back of the NHL much sooner. To his credit, Gustafsson was much better in his 13 game stint in the AHL and was far more impressive playing on the top line for Sweden at the WJC, helping his homeland to a Bronze Medal. It should also be said that playing up a level or two is nothing new for the center, as he played two full seasons in the SHL as a teenager before coming to North America. Gustafsson is a large-framed center with a great track record on the draw. He is quicker than he is fast, plays a very reliable two-way game and is strong on his stick. Due to always playing above his age class, his offensive upside is still a mystery, but Gustafsson has enough in his bag to make it in a bottom six role assuming he lacks the skill set to play top six. - RW

Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 9)

Virtanen plays a tenacious, purposeful two-way game. He manages well in the corners and along the boards – the physical attributes are there. He reads the game well and provides puck support. He is very strong at face-offs. More of a defensive forward, he can be utilized on the penalty kill due to his defensive reliability. He has pretty good puck handling skills and a fine shot as well. In order to be able to play in the NHL, his skating will have to improve. Not the most efficient skater, he often takes wide turns. His first few strides are clumsy. He could improve his endurance and be more agile as well. Virtanen had a very promising start to the 2019-20 season but couldn’t quite maintain that level of play for the remainder of the campaign. Next season will be very important as he will need to contribute more offensively. At this point in time, he projects as a depth forward at the NHL level. - MB

Nathan Smith, C (91^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Drafted as a 19-year-old, Smith has one of the more interesting, unique stories among all prospects in this book. In his first year of draft eligibility, Smith was playing high school hockey. That, in and of itself, is not that interesting. But he was not playing in Minnesota, or Massachusetts. No, Smith was playing high school hockey in Florida. The Tampa native was crushing all comers in the Sunshine State, but surprisingly more than held his own when he moved up a few notches to play with Cedar Rapids of the USHL. His skating was maybe a little unrefined, with more experience playing roller hockey than ice hockey growing up, but he was clever and showed a gift for playmaking. Smith is comfortable playing in the middle of the ice and has proven himself to be effectively creative with the puck after a successful freshman season at Minnesota State. His skating has also improved from what he showed in the USHL. We are still years away from knowing how Smith will turn out, but he has already come so far. - RW

Arvid Holm, G (167^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Holm is starting to look like a sneaky good pick by the Jets from 2017. He never had the big numbers playing on a bottom team in the junior league but was since picked up by Farjestad in the SHL which is a big organization with a strong program for goalies. Holm has since been a big surprise to many. He has the size that you want in a modern goalie, and he reads the play well with good vision. He now plays better positionally as well. Holm showed strong consistency and his team won 20 of his 30 starts. He is not a goalie with any standout tools, but the athleticism and his hockey sense both seem to be above average. He has recently signed with Winnipeg but will play the next season in the SHL. With the latest season in mind I would not rule out him to be a fringe starter/backup-goalie in the NHL in the future. - JH

Leon Gawanke, D (136^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

From an emerging but still, to this point, under-scouted hockey culture in Germany, Gawanke was top-ten in points and assists among rookie defensemen in the AHL in 2019-20 with Manitoba, a team starved of offense. This is an encouraging sign of things to come from a highly entertaining, risk-taking 21-year-old with little pro experience under his belt. Demonstrating a veteran-like ability to cut passes through traffic and walk the blueline on the power play, he is a very dangerous offensive defenseman, especially with his powerful slap shot. Never afraid to activate himself in transition, his powerful strides and quick acceleration allows him to jump into things with ease. Of course, he can get into trouble this way and will need to polish his anticipation and aggression, but he is still only 21 and has less than 50 pro games under his belt. With time, he can be a middle-pair puck-rusher with power play deployment. - TD

Simon Lundmark, D (51^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Smooth skating defensive prospect. Picked in the second round in 2019, Lundmark now looks more to be a depth prospect, as he did not take any big steps developmentally last season. If Lundmark reaches the NHL, it is most likely a bottom pair/7th defenseman role. He lacks the tools to be an offensively productive defenseman and is not that strong in defending his own end either. He moves the puck and his feet well and can be a solid breakout passer. He has played a bottom pair in SHL for two seasons now and will need to take a step forward in his team hierarchy to come closer to the NHL. For him to do that he will need to be more than a solid breakout passer. He sometimes complicates things and can get into trouble if he is under pressure from forecheckers. He will also need to be a stronger player in his own end when his team does not have the puck. If he does that, I can see value in a puck-moving defenseman in a third pairing role. - JH

Kristian Reichel, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jun. 15, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Undrafted out of the WHL, Reichel earned a two-year, two-way contract as one of the few bright spots on a dim Moose team in 2019-20. Signed as a fill-in depth player, the 22-year-old worked hard until earning a permanent top-six role alongside other Europeans such as Vesalainen and Gustafsson before the season was paused and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A sneaky and selective goal scorer, the Czech shoots hard and at a high percentage, thanks to an uncanny ability to locate dead spots in the ice, and he is ready for a shot before the defense can mark him. He is not much of a passer but can carry the puck low into the zone. Fast and intelligent, he can play a solid defensive game as well as flexibly play all three forward positions. Reichel proved he is a legitimate prospect after coming back from an injury early last season. Now he needs to show what his ultimate ceiling could be. – TD

Eric Comrie, G (Waivers: Dec. 19, 2019. Originally: 59^th overall, 2013 [Winnipeg]. Previous ranking: UR)

Always some team’s idea of a great third goaltender, someone you are comfortable subbing in for an injured regular for a month, but he now has 211 games of professional experience under his belt already and he still hasn’t definitively stamped out a claim for a regular NHL job. Comrie is a well-coached, technically competent netminder. His physical tools are only adequate though, which tells me that he is fairly likely to be maximizing his potential. If he can prove that wrong, he wouldn’t be the first goalie to bloom in his mid-20’s or later, but it doesn’t look likely. He can be a little stiff, with chunky movements, but the aforementioned technical ability along with a composed demeanor and never-quit approach, helps Comrie not get any less than his maximum. He doesn’t have any one obvious weakness, but likewise there is little to suggest he is ready for a bigger role. – RW

Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 16)

Just as Kraskovsky seems to have lost a step from the peak of his prospectdom, he is taking a step forward as an offensive force in Russia. He was always correctly viewed as a defensive specialist, considering his career high through five full seasons in the KHL, where his career high was 18 points. Perhaps his first few months this year are portending of his turning a corner, but it isn’t likely. He has soft hands and plays the puck well, but his feel for finishing – not to mention his lengthy track record in that domain – is usually well below par. As he recently signed a two year extension with his lifelong club, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, this will be the last we report on Kraskovsky in this space, but even if he does one day come to North America, his ceiling would be as a low offense fourth liner who might be able to help out on the penalty kill. It’s not nothing, but it likely will be nothing for Winnipeg. – RW

Henri Nikkanen, C (113^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 18)

Another big, European center with a questionable offensive skill, there is a greater chance that Nikkanen has a greater ceiling than Kraskovsky, but also a greater chance that he never even reaches what Kraskovsky is capable of. Nikkanen put up impressive numbers in the Finnish junior ranks, but he doesn’t really have any big tools that provide confidence that he can continue to produce against men, when the game gets quicker. His skill with the puck, controlling in confined spaces, does give him a chance to get some action on a fourth line, with the caveat that despite his impressive size, he is not an aggressive player, which is to say that he is less likely to be supplement those bottom line minutes with time on the penalty kill. He also needs to show that he can keep up with the quicker pace physically, as his feet can seem heavy at times. What Nikkanen has working in his favor is his young age, giving him time to gain comfort in his physique. - RW

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – WINNIPEG JETS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 28

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 11:08:44 +0000

Winnipeg Jets

How the mighty have fallen. A few short years ago, the Winnipeg Jets were crowned as having the best system in hockey. Not only that, in 2015, the Hockey news went so far as to predict the Jets winning the 2019 Stanley Cup on the strength of that incredible prospect pool. This was a team that, in the previous three draft classes, had used first round picks on the likes of Josh Morrissey, Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, and Jack Roslovic. Jacob Trouba and Mark Scheifele were young NHLers looking like solid contributors and the team was well on the way to positioning themselves for another high pick (they took Patrik Laine second overall in the 2016 draft).

The Jets have made the playoffs three times in the last five years – reaching the Conference finals in 2018, but that Hockey News prediction did not come to fruition, indeed losing to Calgary in four games in the play-in portion of these very unique NHL playoffs. Netminder Connor Hellebuyck could not make a big enough difference, after a regular season with many considering him a Vezina favorite this summer.

Unfortunately, the probability of being competitive will only shrink from here on out. Those great draft picks from the mid 10’s are now deep into their second contracts, making it that much more difficult to supplement the roster with complementary talent to carry the Jets over the top. After this offseason, the young trio of Roslovic, Sami Niku, and Mason Appleton, will all be RFAs looking at second contracts. The aforementioned Trouba was already traded away, last offseason, to the Rangers for a package including a 2019 first round pick (Ville Heinola) and blueliner Neil Pionk.

If all of the previous paragraph were not enough, the Jets now find themselves with one of the shallowest prospect classes in the NHL and in the bottom five by any measure. How did we get here?

Trading away picks: The Jets did not have a first round pick in 2018, and had only 11 picks in total over the past two drafts
They missed on too many early and middle-round picks. 2016 first rounder Logan Stanley has been very slow to develop (although many might reasonably note that a slow ascension was always in the cards for the gigantic blueliner). 2017 third rounder Johnathan Kovacevic looked really rough in his AHL rookie season. Last year’s draft class, almost to a man, did not take the sought-after steps forward in their D+1 season.
The team has not supplemented its draft spoils with free agent talent. Their signing of Kristian Reichel – who had already been with the AHL Manitoba Moose for two full seasons – to an NHL Entry Level Contract in June gives the organization two prospects who joined as undrafted free agents.
The prospect pool is exceptionally heavy on the blueline, to the detriment of the players up front.

Let’s take a minute to discuss that last point. Of the 15 players we have seen fit to highlight here, seven are defenders, including four of the top five and five of the top seven (for what it’s worth, all of the defenders in the top seven are left-handed shots). Defensemen are generally tougher to scout than forwards, as their off-puck responsibilities usually take longer to learn thoroughly. That longer development time also tends to lead to more room for the player to fall short of a given developmental benchmark, and either fail to meet expectations, or flame out altogether.

This could all change again very quickly, but Winnipeg would do well to start re-stocking the shelves with skilled forwards very soon.

WINNIPEG, MB - SEPTEMBER 13: Dylan Samberg #88 of the Winnipeg Jets. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 2)

When the Jets selected Samberg in the second round of the 2017 draft, it looked like an overdraft. He was clearly physically gifted but had spent the bulk of his draft year playing high school hockey for Hermantown. High schoolers are inherently riskier than players from pretty much every other development track, as they are usually playing opponents who are younger, smaller, and less talented. Three years later, Samberg as a second rounder looks like a steal. Those three seasons saw him play a key role in two WJCs for Team USA, win two NCAA championships with Minnesota-Duluth and add 25 pounds to fill out his impressive frame, without any degradation in his quickness.

Samberg is a very good skater for his size, which is especially notable in his ability to recover after the puck goes the other way. While he can be physically imposing, playing the body against all manner of opponents, no matter their size, his off-the-puck game is much more than just a matter of using brute force to succeed. He positions himself well and has a gigantic wingspan, allowing him to use that reach to break up rushes cleanly and legally.

With the puck, he is functional enough to earn some second unit power play duties. He has a strong shot, with a quick release, although he could not match the seven goals scored as a sophomore. Moreover, he moves the puck well, without ever looking fancy. Samberg, more than anything else, makes the right play to put his team in an advantageous position. Finally signed to an ELC, Samberg is not on the list of eligible players for Winnipeg’s 2020 playoff run, but with five UFA’s on the blueline, could see NHL ice next season. - RW

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 1)

Vesalainen tore up the Finnish Liiga as an 18-year-old against grown men in his draft-plus-one year, scoring 39 points in 44 games in one of the world’s top pro leagues. His transition to the North American style of hockey has been slow, but you can feel what Winnipeg sees in the Helsinki native. At 6-4” and 228, the big Finn can be an intimidating physical force, using his size to bust his way to the goal with pure momentum and strength. But for someone that large, Vesalainen is also an elite skater. Nimble and with impressive footwork, he achieves top speed quickly and is able to get separation on defenders when motoring through open ice.

More of a shooter than a passer, the 21-year-old is deadly with his wrist shot anywhere from the faceoff dots in and is aware enough to open up pass lanes for teammates while looking shot. While few prospects in the Western Conference have the raw package of skills that Vesalainen boasts, he is a perplexingly inconsistent and lacks assertiveness. Slow to adjust to the size of North American ice, which many in hockey believes hurts more skilled players, Vesalainen is prone to disappearing for a string of shifts and does not put up enough shots for a player as lethal with the puck as he is.

2019-20 was his first full season in N.A. competition and if he can figure out how to put his skillset together, he can be a top-line scoring winger; at worst, he is a rugged middle-six depth contributor. A monster year in the AHL would help him out mentally. - TD

WINNIPEG, MB - SEPTEMBER 12: Ville Heinola #36 of the Winnipeg Jets (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

Ville Heinola, D (20^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Heinola played in three different leagues in 2019-20. He surprised many people by making the Jets roster out of training camp. He showed promise in his eight-game stint but was sent to the AHL. Eventually, he spent most of the season with Lukko in Finland. He had a surprisingly slow start to the Liiga season, but he was able to elevate his game and played very well at times.

He plays with plenty of poise and makes sound decisions with the puck. He sees the ice really well and snaps accurate, crisp passes all over the ice – can make a simple outlet or longer passes up the ice. He has swift hands and picks pucks quickly off the wall to make a play. He also works well on the power play as his vision and passing skills are assets. He has an accurate shot from the point, whether it be a slap shot or wrister.

He reads the game well defensively, has a quick stick and keeps tight gaps. However, Heinola could use his size more effectively in battles. He moves pretty well, but his skating is not high end, especially considering his size. He lacks explosive initial burst and could be quicker from a standstill. He could also smooth out his forward stride. He makes up for the lack of quickness with his situational awareness.

Overall, Heinola is an excellent playmaker and puck mover whose poise stands out. He has top pairing NHL potential, but I think he will more realistically end up as a middle-pairing defenseman. He will return to North America to try to make the NHL roster again next season. - MB

Declan Chisholm, D (150^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

The Jets left it to the last minute to sign Chisholm, a talented offensive defender out of the OHL. One of the better skating OHL defenders, he uses this mobility to influence the game in a lot of different ways.

He is aggressive in leading the attack out of the offensive zone, using his first step quickness to create separation from forecheckers, and using his speed and edgework to gain the opposing blueline. Chisholm also is a competent powerplay QB, who creates lanes with his agility and lateral quickness. Excluding Alec Regula (who plays the net front on the powerplay), only Ryan Merkley was more efficient with the man advantage this past season. Finally, his gap control defensively is solid as he stays ahead of incoming attackers and has learned to trust his mobility to play more aggressively to take away space.

Defensively, Chisholm really took some nice steps forward with the Petes in his final OHL season. He had previously struggled to win challenges consistently along the wall and in front of the net due to being too passive. However, increased strength and improved desire to engage elevated his effectiveness. Moving forward, this will be the area that Chisholm will need to continue to work on. He will likely need some time to gain the confidence necessary to play aggressively as a pro.

Another area that he will likely need to hone in on at the pro level will be his decision making in transition. Previously, Chisholm had trouble with turnovers, but cleaned that up this past year. With the speed increasing at the pro level, his effectiveness as a puck mover may be masked initially until he gains the confidence necessary to take chances. He will likely need several years of seasoning at the pro level before he is ready for an NHL role, but he projects as a number 4-6 defender who can also quarterback the powerplay. The key will be just how much his defensive game progresses. - BO

WINNIPEG, MB - SEPTEMBER 12: Sami Niku #8 of the Winnipeg Jets. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)

Sami Niku, D (198^thoverall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 5)

Now three years removed from one of the most dominant rookie seasons by a defenseman in the history of the AHL, Niku has refined his craft and looks more like a future NHLer than the flash-in-the-pan seventh-rounder he was once seen as. In 2017-18, he took home the Eddie Shore award as the AHL’s top defenseman as well as spots on the first All-Star team and all-rookie team with his offensive brilliance (74-16-38-54), dazzling onlookers with his splendid technical skating skill and his inventiveness in moving the puck out and into the offensive zone.

A superb puck-handler, the Finnish blueliner calls for the puck often and directs traffic through the center zone at even strength and on the power play. The most notable thing he has improved upon is his patience with the puck, rushing fewer passes and plays as the situation calls for it, and his periodic tastes of the NHL has likely helped him accomplish that. Though he has improved defensively, he hasn’t looked entirely comfortable in his aforementioned NHL stints, posting poor possession numbers and few points in transition while battling for ice time against some veterans.

Fighting through injuries -- including a preseason car accident with Vesalainen beside him -- Niku was not able to stamp himself onto this Jets season but could clinch a spot on their thinning blueline as soon as next season. As a seventh-rounder, any NHL games played Niku registers is above market value for Winnipeg, but the 23-year-old’s story is only just beginning. - TD

Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 18)

Athletic and creative in the blue paint, his anticipation and play-reading improved mightily from his 2018-19 rookie pro season, but he mostly relies on his reflexes and impressive foot quickness. While puck-handling is not the most important skill a goaltender can have, Berdin’s talent and confidence with the puck is Brodeur-esque and capable of forcing a team to abandon any forechecking or dump-and-chase style. His selection of his tools and aggression can hurt him at times, but he can make difficult saves look easy consistently with his high-energy style. A sixth-rounder in 2016, Berdin is a legit NHL prospect who could even push an NHL like Connor Hellebuyck for starts in the future. - TD

Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 4)

His defensive game is one of the most polished out of any pro in his age group, but his offensive game has been fairly impressive as well, showing out during power-play deployments with his booming slap shot and improved technical skating ability -- he already moved around pretty well for a big man.

What is frustrating in his game, though, are his inconsistent and confusing reads; he can pass the puck into a dangerous situation or sell out for a hit and give up inside position at times, and that will have to be coached out of him. Otherwise, Stanley plays such a simple stay-at-home game that I can’t imagine he would have much trouble playing in the NHL for a decade plus, perhaps starting with next season. - TD

David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

It should also be said that playing up a level or two is nothing new for the center, as he played two full seasons in the SHL as a teenager before coming to North America. Gustafsson is a large-framed center with a great track record on the draw. He is quicker than he is fast, plays a very reliable two-way game and is strong on his stick. Due to always playing above his age class, his offensive upside is still a mystery, but Gustafsson has enough in his bag to make it in a bottom six role assuming he lacks the skill set to play top six. - RW

Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 13)

In order to be able to play in the NHL, his skating will have to improve. Not the most efficient skater, he often takes wide turns. His first few strides are clumsy. He could improve his endurance and be more agile as well. Virtanen had a very promising start to the 2019-20 season but couldn’t quite maintain that level of play for the remainder of the campaign. Next season will be very important as he will need to contribute more offensively. At this point in time, he projects as a depth forward at the NHL level. - MB

Nathan Smith, C (91^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

His skating was maybe a little unrefined, with more experience playing roller hockey than ice hockey growing up, but he was clever and showed a gift for playmaking. Smith is comfortable playing in the middle of the ice and has proven himself to be effectively creative with the puck after a successful freshman season at Minnesota State. His skating has also improved from what he showed in the USHL. We are still years away from knowing how Smith will turn out, but he has already come so far. - RW

Michael Spacek, C (108^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

2019-20 was supposed to be a season of positive transition and progress for Spacek, but it was everything else. After posting 41 points in 2018-19, good for third on the Moose in scoring, the 23-year-old Czech played himself into a role as the first-man-up for the Jets, even getting a quick promotion in November, but went downhill from that point on, including spending time as a healthy scratch and being reassigned to the Ontario Reign on loan.

Spacek is a playmaker on offense who excels at opening up space for his teammates and driving play with his surprising strength for a 5-11” centerman, and while he can do too much at times, he is a fairly responsible defensive player who played penalty kill for the Moose and held his own.

Spacek is now one of several players, amid the NHL/AHL seasons being delayed, who have signed overseas contracts that include out-clauses, allowing them to return to North America; a restricted free agent at the end of this season, the 2015 fourth-rounder might have already played his final game in the Jets system. - TD

Arvid Holm, G (167^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

Holm showed strong consistency and his team won 20 of his 30 starts. He is not a goalie with any standout tools, but the athleticism and his hockey sense both seem to be above average. He has recently signed with Winnipeg but will play the next season in the SHL. With the latest season in mind I would not rule out him to be a fringe starter/backup-goalie in the NHL in the future. - JH

Leon Gawanke, D (136^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 19)

Demonstrating a veteran-like ability to cut passes through traffic and walk the blueline on the power play, he is a very dangerous offensive defenseman, especially with his powerful slap shot. Never afraid to activate himself in transition, his powerful strides and quick acceleration allows him to jump into things with ease. Of course, he can get into trouble this way and will need to polish his anticipation and aggression, but he is still only 21 and has less than 50 pro games under his belt. With time, he can be a middle-pair puck-rusher with power play deployment. - TD

Simon Lundmark, D (51^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

He moves the puck and his feet well and can be a solid breakout passer. He has played a bottom pair in SHL for two seasons now and will need to take a step forward in his team hierarchy to come closer to the NHL. For him to do that he will need to be more than a solid breakout passer. He sometimes complicates things and can get into trouble if he is under pressure from forecheckers. He will also need to be a stronger player in his own end when his team does not have the puck. If he does that, I can see value in a puck-moving defenseman in a third pairing role. - JH

Kristian Reichel, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jun. 15, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

A sneaky and selective goal scorer, the Czech shoots hard and at a high percentage, thanks to an uncanny ability to locate dead spots in the ice, and he is ready for a shot before the defense can mark him. He is not much of a passer but can carry the puck low into the zone. Fast and intelligent, he can play a solid defensive game as well as flexibly play all three forward positions. Reichel proved he is a legitimate prospect after coming back from an injury early last season. Now he needs to show what his ultimate ceiling could be. - TD

MCKEEN’S 2020 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR GUIDE: SWEDEN

Jimmy Hamrin — Sat, 21 Dec 2019 16:08:38 +0000

Lucas Raymond of Sweden during the IIHF U18 World Championship final game between Sweden and Russia on April 28 in Örnsköldsvik.
Photo: Johan Löf / BILDBYRÅN

Team Outlook/Challenges

After an underwhelming tournament last year, Sweden, with coach Tomas Montén, should be an extra hungry squad. Sweden usually plays for the medals in this tournament, but they could not muster up enough offense to get through the quarterfinal last year. This year’s team enters the tournament with the same weakness. Almost all the talent is on defense with a weak group of forwards. On paper, I can´t see this Swedish team challenging for gold. The forward group just isn´t strong enough and it did not help to have a player like Filip Hallander (PIT) injured either. I´d be a bit more optimistic if Montén would have selected players with more offensive potential like Noel Gunler (2020) or Simon Holmstrom (NYI). While perhaps they are not entirely ready yet, they have the potential to be difference makers, rather than ‘more ready’ players with limited upside.

The depth on defense on the other hand is outstanding. Nils Lundkvist (NYR) has been dominating in the SHL this fall, Tobias Bjornfot (LAK) has played in the NHL, Philip Broberg (EDM) has been electric in the SHL, Mattias Norlinder (MTL) has been a top defenseman in Allsvenskan and Victor Soderstrom (ARI) has been very good in the SHL, after he returned from training camp with Arizona. In addition, Rasmus Sandin (TOR) who also has played in the NHL this season got late clearance to join the team. It´s somewhat amazing to think that NHLers Adam Boqvist and even Rasmus Dahlin are eligible by age (but will remain in the NHL). First round draft choice Filip Johansson (MIN) is left off the team and Albert Johansson (DET) who has impressed in the SHL is another noticeable cut as well as undrafted rising defenseman Adam Wilsby who has over a point-per-game pace in Allsvenskan.

When it comes to the forwards, there is some light at the end of the tunnel though with the younger age groups. This year, two highly touted 2002-born forwards, Alexander Holtz (2020) and Lucas Raymond (2020), should be impactful players. Given the structure of the forward group, Sweden’s success will probably depend on how good Raymond and Holtz can be this year. They both were vital when Sweden won the U18 gold last spring..

From that U18-tournament, goalie Hugo Alnefelt (TBL) has had an impressive start to this season as a SHL rookie and is the favorite to win the starting job. Personally, I would count Erik Portillo (BUF) as a strong candidate as well. Portillo is a big goalie with poise, and he looked good during the summer showcase.

When Sweden won gold in 2012 most of the talent was also on defense. The top four in scoring in the Swedish team were named Friberg, Collberg, Thorell and Rensfeldt. eight years later, Friberg is the only one of those four that has played in the NHL and he has a career total of six NHL games. My point is that Sweden will need to find some players with surprising hot streaks and become game breakers for them to go far in the tournament. Forwards like Samuel Fagemo (LAK), Jonatan Berggren (DET) and Nils Hoglander (VAN) have potential to be that. Last year, Sweden did beat both USA and Finland in the group stage so the tournament was not all bad. Therefore, I would not count Sweden out of the gold discussion, but they will not be the favorites.

Ten players to watch:

Rasmus Sandin – D - Sweden’s best player entering the tournament. Sandin does almost everything well. He has offensive upside to his game as well as smart defensive play. I am quite certain that he will have a long and strong career in the NHL. For a Swedish comparison, he is more of an Oliver Ekman-Larsson than an Erik Karlsson or Victor Hedman in style and potential. I am actually a bit surprised he did not get to stay with the Leafs for the full season after a strong training camp and six NHL games. In the AHL he has 40 points in 63 career games which is very impressive for a 19-year-old two-way defenseman. He was very good at the WJC last season and will have an even bigger role this season. Sandin is a balanced defenseman who can adjust to his partner and to the situation very well. Sandin is useful on both the penalty kill as well as the top power play. He is also a strong 5-on-5 player when joining the attack and as a breakout passer or puck-mover.
Nils Lundkvist – D - It looks like the Rangers soon will have a new Lundkvist making headlines. After a quiet season last year, Lundkvist has really bloomed this season. He was not impressive by the end of last season. He did not look fast enough and played more conservatively than he had the year before, but then I thought he was the best defenseman for Sweden at the summer showcase, which changed my mind. In the SHL, he has put up an impressive 17 points in 24 games and has been the best defenseman on one of the best teams in the league. He ranks third among all defenseman in scoring. Lundkvist is a smart defenseman who rarely gets stressed. He controls the puck well and makes smart plays even though he is highly pressured. He moves the puck efficiently with both strong breakout and entries. He has the puck skills to run a power play but could work on his shot to be an even more dangerous threat. His decision-making in all situations are high-end. For this tournament, he should be the second most played defenseman after Sandin.
Philip Broberg – D - While his point totals as a senior player over the last two seasons are underwhelming, and he only has four points in 24 SHL games this season, he is a long-term prospect and has the upside to become a top pair NHL defenseman. At the junior level, he has always looked strong, he was dominant at the U18 WJC last spring, and played in the U20 WJC as 17-year-old last season. Broberg’s weapon is his extraordinary skating skills combined with nice puck skills. He can break out a play from his own zone by just skating out with the puck. He has a good first pass and is strong defensively with his skating and reach. A question mark is his offensive ceiling given he is not particularly strong on the power play. He has gotten power play time in SHL this season but has not thrived. He is just not strong when the game is standing still and needs to work on that. In this tournament, he has the potential to be a dominant force from the backend. He can shut down plays as well as deliver exits from his own end and entries into the offensive zone.
Tobias Bjornfot – D - Bjornfot surprised when he made the NHL to start the season. While the Kings defensive depth is not strong, it is rare for an 18-year-old. He played three games and has since played in the AHL, putting up nine points in 23 games. Bjornfot is a poised two-way defenseman that can combine both good offensive play with smart defensive play. He is mobile and plays to his strengths. He has underrated puck skills because he rarely makes flashy plays, but he often makes smart plays. Bjornfot also handles high pressure well. He was one of the key players on gold medal Swedish team at the U18 level. Despite moving the puck well, the ceiling to his offensive game is limited by the lack of elite skills to be a strong quarterback on a power play. Bjornfot will become a good top four defenseman in the NHL and will probably play the same role here as one of the best second pair defenseman in the tournament.
Victor Soderstrom – D - Soderstrom played the full training camp with Arizona before getting sent back to Sweden and the SHL. He has been very good since his return and produced nine points in 15 games as an 18-year-old defenseman. He has taken big steps since last season. He is a smart defenseman with some nice skills on the power play. I expect him to be on one of the two power play units even though he was not selected to the roster until the Chicago Blackhawks chose not to send Adam Boqvist to the tournament. I have a hard time understanding why he was not on the roster right away. He plays smart at both ends of the ice and a strong player if you either are chasing a goal or defending a goal.he will likely play on the third pair but with power play time. Soderstrom could be a regular NHL defenseman as early as next season with top pairing potential, and a top four defenseman as the floor for his development.
David Gustafsson – C - Gustafsson is playing in the NHL this season, perhaps too early with only one point in 22 games. On this team, he will be the top center and expected to make an impact. He´s big, strong and competes extremely well. That can make him a potential “monster” when he plays against peer competition. He lacks high-end skills though and projects to a good NHL career as a bottom six center. At the WJC level, he will be Sweden’s first center choice in every important situation. Gustafsson isn’t strong setting up a power play or being the creative player on his line so he’s best used as a strong presence in front of the net on a power play and the responsible center on a top line. If Sweden had a strong offensive center available, Gustafsson would have been the ideal second line center. He is effective on the penalty and owns a smart stick. He will be the leader both on and off the ice in this tournament.
Samuel Fagemo - RW/L - A goal scorer who could be a potential game breaker for the Swedish squad if he gets on a hot streak. He plays poised and with confidence and does not need to rely on his surroundings to create chances and score goals. He takes the puck to the net and has a dangerous wrist shot. He scored 14 goals in the SHL last season and is on the same pace this season with six goals in his first 20 games. I am still not convinced that he can become an NHL player over time though. His skating needs to be elite for him the play his style as a top six winger on an NHL team and he will need to overcome that to get there. Last WJC he created chances but was not able to capitalize on them and it will be crucial to the Swedish offense that Fagemo score goals this time around. He has been strong when he has played with the U20 national team this fall and has scored five goals in seven games. Against his peers, he looks strong and is a dangerous player in the offensive end. My bet is that he’ll score four or more goals in this tournament.
Nils Hoglander – RW/L - Hoglander keeps taking forward steps in development. Last season he scored 14 points in 50 games and was the last player to be cut from the WJC roster. This season he will be one of the top line forwards on this team and has nine points in 19 games in the SHL. If you only watch highlights, it is easy to be excited by Hoglander. He has a knack of scoring beautiful and creative goals. His all-around offensive game still needs some work though. Hoglander is an intense and elusive forward with strong balance and great hands. He will need to get better at playing at different paces. He lacks the hockey sense to drive a power play and lacks the size to be a strong checking player. The combination of aggression, intensity and highly skilled puck handling is exciting to watch and the WJC setting with high pace and high skilled hockey will suit him well.
Lucas Raymond – LW/C - Raymond is trying to find his way on a top SHL team. He has five points in 16 games so far with limited ice time. He has not taken control of games as he has done at the junior level. Raymond is at his best a scoring chance machine and a tremendous driver of offensive play. He is creative and he processes the game at a high pace. He can find open passing lanes and can pause the play and control the pace at a level that few players can. His hands are as quick as his mind. He is kind of raw in the way that he doesn’t play inside the box of how a good offensive player should play like, he can make surprise moves outside the box, sometimes it make you say wow, other times it makes you question his team play. Lucas Raymond has NHL elite forward potential and he will be a good top five pick in this upcoming draft. In this tournament, I can really see him being one of Sweden’s best forwards. He looked great at the U20 summer showcase where he created a lot of scoring chances for himself and others even if he did not score a lot.
Alexander Holtz – RW/L - Holtz adapted fast to the SHL at the beginning of the season. He has shown ability to create chances and to score goals. His production started strong but slowed down in the latter part of the first half season. He has scored five goals and eight points in 21 games as 17-year-old though, which is good. The SHL record for points in a season by an U18 player is 21 points. Holtz plays in an offensive role and looks comfortable doing so. He covers the puck well and is a threat from the circles with his shot. Holtz is, first and foremost, a goal scorer but gets underrated as a playmaker. He has the ability to be both the setup guy as well as the trigger man on a power play for example. Holtz is also a good two-way forward as he works hard all over the ice. He has elite NHL forward potential and is a strong candidate to be a top 10 pick for next year’s NHL draft. In this tournament, he will not play on the top line, but will get an offensive role on a second or third line and provide a big scoring threat against softer matchups.

Surprise players

Mattias Norlinder –D -One of the best skaters in the tournament, Norlinder has great speed and moves the puck well. He is very effective and a useful piece to play, and I believe he can be a regular NHL defenseman in a couple of years. He has scored 0.50 points per game in Allsvenskan this season and his offense has a limited ceiling. He is good with the puck and handles pressure well, but he does not have the power play skillset needed to be a top pair defenseman. The asset that will take him to the big leagues is the combination of elite skating and good puck moving. He is a strong breakout defenseman who can be dangerous joining the rush. With the strong d-core Sweden has, Norlinder will raise some eyebrows at this tournament as a future NHL defenseman on this team.

Nikola Pasic – RW/C - Sweden will need a couple of forwards to step up and outperform their status. Devils late pick, Pasic could be that guy. At McKeen’s we had him ranked much higher than he got drafted and one of the knocks on him was that he hadn’t shown as much at senior level as he had at a junior level. This season Pasic has been playing in Allsvenskan and he has not disappointed. 24 points in 28 games is very strong for a junior player in his first full junior season. Pasic is a speedy winger with strong hands. He can create chances on his own and can drive offensive plays. On this team he will play a middle six role and can be a strong point getter and make some teams regret that they did not draft him earlier.

Winnipeg Jets 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:36:35 +0000

Having sat at the helm of the Winnipeg Jets since a few weeks before the 2011 Entry Draft – in other words, since the team left Atlanta - Kevin Cheveldayoff is now one of the longest tenured GMs in the sport. The length and stability of his tenure, as the team rose from an absolute also-ran into one often considered among the second tier of Stanley Cup candidates is a testament to the patient team building espoused by the man known as “Chevy” and the True North Sports and Entertainment Limited ownership group.

Considering Winnipeg’s reputation as a frigid outpost with very limited entertainment options, the team had to grow organically, through the draft and player development. It was easy to build with key pieces when the team was struggling. They were not trading their picks and they tended to pick high. In Chevy’s first draft, the Jets nabbed Mark Schiefele seventh overall. In his second go round, Jacob Trouba was selected with the ninth overall pick.

It wasn’t until 2015 when they finally had to wait through the first half of the draft before making a selection, but that worked out well, too, as the Jets picked twice in round one, selecting Kyle Connor and Jack Roslovic. It was really only in 2018 that the plan began to change in Manitoba.

The team had made the postseason only once in its first six seasons as the Winnipeg Jets, and had turned things on, with young Patrik Laine sniping without end and 2012 draft pick Connor Hellebuyck emerging as a high-end workhorse in net. They were suddenly one of the best teams in the league. As top teams do – but as Cheveldayoff had never had to do before – they went about supplementing that largely home grown core through trade, sending their 2018 first round pick (and a few other pieces) to St. Louis for center Paul Stastny. The Jets made it to the Western Conference Finals before bowing out.

For a team that was used to picking twice in the first round, it must have felt like years before they got to call out a name at the end of the second round.

Last season was another strong one for the Jets, although not as consistently so. Regardless, they once again traded away their first-round pick, this time sending it to the New York Rangers (again, along with some stocking stuffers) for big center Kevin Hayes, a pending free agent. It should be noted here that Stastny was also a pending free agent at the time of the 2018 trade and he had signed with Vegas in the offseason, despite Winnipeg trying to retain him. Back to the present, the Jets were knocked out in the first round this time. Hayes did not perform well.

The Jets were now looking at two years outside of the first round and knowing Hayes would not be resigned, they had nothing to show for it. So, they sent the rights of RFA Trouba (my, how time has passed) to the Rangers to get their original pick back. They had a first-round pick, but that was one of only five picks they got to make in Vancouver.

While the Winnipeg Jets lack hardware to show from the last two seasons, they proved that they could reach close to the NHL pinnacle with a pure draft and development philosophy. There are still some nice pieces in the pipeline, but the system now lacks depth. Their drafted and developed players are moving on to second and third contracts and are getting very expensive. Can they turn the trick again?

-Ryan Wagman

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Sami Niku (83) (Photo by Terrence Lee/Icon Sportswire)

1 Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) Vesalainen is a strong skater with very good speed to achieve separation from defensemen. He has good quickness in his first few strides and shows quite nimble footwork for a player of his size. Much more of a shooter than a playmaker, he has a highly accurate wrist shot with a quick release. He can also score with a slap shot or one-timer. He has decent passing skills and offensive instincts. He likes to drive the net and can gain the inside position around the net. On the downside, he can be invisible for overly long periods, mainly at 5-on-5. He needs to be more involved in the game and also show some more intensity with greater consistency. Vesalainen has the potential to develop into a solid, versatile middle-six winger who can provide offensive punch. - MB

2 Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 5) A raw high schooler when the Jets used a second-round pick on Samberg, he has done nothing except collect hardware in the two years since. Actually, that isn’t true. He has also ground down some of the rougher edges of his game to the point where he is one of the better two-way defenders in college hockey and perhaps the best of the traditional, big-man defensive prospects in the game. He reads the ice like a 10-year pro and anticipates opposing forays, allowing him to get his stick on seemingly everything. He has also developed his offensive game nicely. He moves the puck well on the power play, finding teammates down low with sharp diagonal passes against the run of play. He has a hard shot too, suggesting he can continue playing on the man advantage when he finally turns pro. I’m not saying he is the next Brent Burns/Shea Weber, but he is built in that mold and has top pairing upside. - RW

3 Ville Heinola, D (20^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Heinola is a smooth skating, offensively gifted defenseman with terrific hockey sense. He has very good offensive vision and displays remarkable poise with the puck. He has already proven that he can run the power play in the Liiga like a seasoned veteran. He gets his shots through and moves the puck with crisp passes. He is effective at carrying the puck up ice, yet also has good playmaking skills from the back end. He is calm under pressure and has swift hands to control the puck well I tight spaces. He makes plays in all areas of the ice. He is not very physical but has good gap control and understands the principles of defending. Heinola has a high ceiling and projects as a firs or second pairing NHL defenseman. - MB

4 Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 6) Standing at 6-7” tall, Stanley is a difficult guy to miss when he is out on the ice. The physical beast is one of the tallest prospects (or player of any level) in hockey, and his high-end defensive game leans heavily on his near-incomparable length. With his long and impassable gaps, active stick, and ability to take any opposing forward off the puck, his defensive game is one that seems NHL ready at just 20 years old. The former first rounder has a developing offensive game, using his booming slap shot, hockey sense, and passing skill to make something happen consistently at the other end. The main issue displayed during his first pro year with AHL Manitoba is his lack of technical skating skill, which hinders his acceleration and momentum and limits his NHL potential even if he moves well for his size. There is reason to believe he can grow on it and reach his top-four ceiling, but it will take some time. - TD

5 Sami Niku, D (198^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 4) His struggles at the NHL level last season made an elephant in the room of Sami Niku’s development, but his prospect ceiling -- and floor -- remain high as a surprisingly talented former seventh-round pick. With Winnipeg in 2018-19, he failed to have any of the success he had in the AHL the season prior, but still displayed flashes of absolute brilliance as a depth two-way defender. A splendid skater with fantastic puck-moving skills and smarts, he fits the Jets’ up-and-down style well and looked increasingly comfortable with a regular role alongside Ben Chiarot. His offensive game is well versed, but his defensive game -- most notably his initial blue line defense and discipline with moving the puck out -- will have to improve. At worst, he is a third-pair defenseman with some power-play time in the future. - TD

6 David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 8) Gustafsson has looked good in the early stages of this pre-season. He looks a bit faster and stronger and looks to earn a bigger role in the SHL while aiming to be the first line center for Sweden’s WJC run later in a few months. He is an average skater and his puck skills are similar, but he relies heavily on his high end compete level. With his size and strength, he can be a force to face. His NHL potential is more of a middle six or bottom six center than someone for the top six, but he has a good chance to reach that and will probably be an NHLer within two or three years. He scored 12 points in each of his two SHL season as but should be able to at least double that this upcoming season, his last as a teenager. - JH

7 Simon Lundmark, D (51^st overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) A smooth skating, puck-moving defenseman. Lundmark has good size and reach but lacks elite skill and can be both sloppy and soft in his game. That said, he shows good vision and plays a calm game with poise. He played full time in the SHL over the second half of last season. He has top six NHL defenseman potential. He doesn’t really have any elite skills in his toolkit and looks more to be an effective in five-on-five play than a power play or penalty kill specialist. He needs to work on his shot to be a better point-producing defenseman and he also needs to get stronger and to compete more in the more physical aspect of the game. His skating, vision, and reach will help him be effective with his stick defensively. Next season, he is expected to play regularly in SHL from the start. - JH

8 Giovanni Vallati, D (153^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 13) Vallati progressed very well this year following an offseason trade from Kitchener to Oshawa. His size and mobility combination make him very effective at both ends of the ice. He is very difficult to beat to the outside because of his feet and reach, and he closes in on dump ins very quickly to get play started the other way. Vallati also possesses a good low point shot, which he uses to create second chance opportunities when operating the point. As an NHL prospect, his upside is that of an all situations second or third pairing defender. Without elite puck skill, there may be some concerns as to how his offensive game translates, but his mobility and size should play in the defensive end. - BO

9 Harrison Blaisdell, C (134^thoverall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Blaisdell had a very good year for the Chilliwack Chiefs in the BCHL, with 33 goals and 58 points in 51 games, and added to that with an impressive showing in the World Junior A Challenge with four goals and five points in six games. The speedy center is a strong two-way player who plays an up-tempo style and a quick transition game. He has a solid frame, really quick hands, with a really good shot and rapid release. He has been successful at every level and will continue to do just that as he heads to the University of North Dakota next season. He has great leadership qualities, along with some versatility, and projects to be a bottom six forward at his peak. - KO

10 Michael Spacek, C (108^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 9) As one of the finest defensive players in the Winnipeg system, Spacek has a clear NHL future due solely to his hard work and intensity in all three zones, but he can be better than a defensive specialist. The Czech native’s high-end two-way game has translated well from the WHL to pro hockey, as his shot, passing skill, and of course, his maturity and responsibility as a defender has impressed in the Winnipeg system. He is a decent skater, has solid stick-quickness, and features a very quick wrist shot release with enough velocity to fool defenders. His issue right now comes down to consistency, as his shot is sorely underused, he does not do much offensively without the puck on his blade, and he can go missing for long stretches. He is a very reliable player and is sure to eventually get his shot in the big leagues, but he will first need a little more seasoning. - TD

11 Jansen Harkins, C (47^th overall, 2015. Last Year: Not ranked) After a slow start to his pro career, Harkins experienced his best season yet last year (70-15-16-31) and is starting to look like the second-rounder Winnipeg drafted in 2015. The gritty, intelligent center ended up in the ECHL for a brief moment last season, and looked like a certified bust, but his 2018-19 season was an impressive one that exhibited his three-zone excellence, his nifty puck-handling skills, and his smarts as a passer and cycle player. With good speed and discipline, he can and does play all three forward spots pretty frequently and is adaptable enough to move up and down the lineup. He is still a long-term project who needs to work on assertiveness and skating, but he has finally shown up as a prospect. - TD

12 Joona Luoto, LW/RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jun. 15, 2019. Last Year: IE) Luoto is a strong, physical winger who plays with high energy and competes hard in each and every shift. He is a puck hound who wins most of his board and corner battles and is tough to play against in that sense. He does not quit on plays and is very dependable. He scored a fair bit in juniors, but he was not a point producer for Tappara in the Liiga as he was mostly deployed on the third or fourth line, without many opportunities on the power play. That said, there were occasions when he displayed fine technical skills and a goal-scoring touch. He is not a speedster, but he has good hockey sense and moves into good spots. He has a chance to be a checking line winger in the NHL. - MB

13 Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 10) Virtanen is a competitive and reliable center who has shown really well at the international stage. He plays a tenacious game without the puck, battles hard for pucks, and consistently provides puck support. He reads plays well, making himself available for passes and getting into position defensively. He is not the most skilled prospect but plays a straightforward game with the puck and can chip in offensively from time to time. Virtanen's skating is quite ordinary, and he needs to add agility, quickness and endurance. He is versatile, can play up and down the lineup and is a good penalty killer. He may not have a very high ceiling, but he could eventually develop into a third- or fourth-line center at the NHL level. - MB

14 Clinston Suess, LW (129^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 14) After tearing it up with Minnesota State-Mankato for four full seasons, Suess was expected to jump right into the AHL and carry that offensive firepower into the Manitoba Moose lineup. However, his season came to an early end when he got into a scramble in a mid-December game and he missed the rest of the season with an upper-body injury, finishing with just the 12 points (8G, 4A) he accrued before his injury. Though his health did not cooperate last season, he still brings with him a solid ceiling of depth power forward scorer, due to his high-end upper-body strength, nose for the net, and ability to sense developing plays well. At 25 and having never played a full pro season, Suess is still a question mark, but a very intriguing one. - TD

15 Declan Chisholm, D (150^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) A smooth skating offensive blueliner, Chisholm saw his production increase greatly in his first post-draft season in Peterborough. He starts the breakout very effectively by making a clean exit pass or by using his mobility to create rushing lanes that he can exploit. He has worked hard to cut down on his turnovers and improve his decision making. Defensively, he has improved his strength down low and is competing hard, but consistency is still an issue. There are still lapses of concentration. Additionally, he will need to improve his point shot if he wishes to be a powerplay QB at the NHL level. Chisholm projects as a third pairing puck mover who can line up alongside a more defensively oriented blueliner. - BO

16 Luke Green, D (79^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 17) The bad luck with injuries that Green has sustained in the last two seasons should not affect his best attribute – his skating. He is a very solid skater on his edges or in a straight line and it has been his best path to success in his career. However, a shoulder injury suffered in a prospect tournament in 2017 and a concussion last season restricted his availability to just 27 games over the last two seasons combined. Green has great hockey sense with and without the puck, a great puckhandler with an equally strong first pass; he just needs to see more of the ice to grow. He projects to be a jack-of-all-trades finesse two-way defender who can handle the middle-pair and powerplay minutes in the NHL, but he needs health and more time to marinade. - MS

17 Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 19) After a promising youth career, Kraskovsky has struggled to reach the next level, and unfortunately injuries have played a significant role in this lack of development. He may have not missed the train yet although he may need to breath some new air after being part of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl system for his whole life. He is gifted with good size and excellent two-way abilities and he may become a solid bottom-six player for the Jets, but he needs to restart his development path and play a full, injury-free season. At this point, however, Kraskovsky is just a long shot to make the NHL. His contract with Lokomotiv runs out next year and it is likely that he will try to get to Winnipeg at that time. - ASR

18 Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 18) A star at the USHL level with Sioux Falls, Berdin wasted no time getting adjusted to the higher competition of the pro-affiliated levels, posting outstanding numbers with both ECHL Jacksonville (16-8-2, .912 Sv%, 2.66 GAA) and AHL Manitoba (12-11-0, .927, 2.34) as a 21-year-old. Extremely athletic and hard-nosed, Berdin plays a fundamentally refined game that minimizes high-danger chances. He also possesses the last-resort agility to shut down anything that he can’t immediately get to. His puck-handling is incredible as well, as he can single-handedly force an opposing team to abandon a dump-and-chase scheme midway through games. He will need to improve his tool selection and anticipation, but the tools for a mid-tier NHL starter exists within the Russian stopper. - TD

19 Leon Gawanke, D (136^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Gawanke is a great result of drafting a determined player from a lesser-known international program and letting him take advantage of the international experience he is sure to get. He is expected to be a mainstay on the Team Germany blueline throughout his professional career, and has played in three world junior championships, albeit in Division 1A with his native country. Either way, that plethora of experience has paid off for Gawanke, who is more than just a booming shot. He is a risk-taking offensive defender who loves to skate with the puck and make plays. His defensive play needs work, but his raw offensive game will propel him in the pro ranks. He will need time with the Moose but could be a power play quarterback at the NHL level with his shot and his smarts. - MS

20 Henri Nikkanen, C (113^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Prior to last season, Nikkanen was considered a potential first or second round pick for the 2019 NHL Draft. Unfortunately for him – but fortunately for Winnipeg – after having a rough season and missing the WU18 championships, the skilled center fell all the way to the fourth round. He has shown flashes of high-end skill in the offensive zone, He can carry the puck into the zone displaying fast stickhandling and smooth hands. He is a decent skater with solid agility, though his top speed is average, and his balance could use some work. He plays a solid defensive game, takes away time and space from opponents and can cover his man in the defensive zone. Nikkanen has nice skill, but his game might be too bland for the NHL and there are also questions marks around his hockey sense for the time being. - MB

2019 IIHF World Junior Tournament Review: Sweden

Jimmy Hamrin — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 16:18:44 +0000

Ah, what a disappointing finish to a promising start! Sweden started the tournament, like they always seem to do, by winning all preliminary games. This year they had both Finland and USA, later shown to be the two teams in the final, in their group and beat them both with impressive performances. Sweden were clearly the better team in both those games. Maybe there was some evidence of weakness when they drop a 4-0 lead to a 4-4 tie late in the third period versus USA after having outplayed the Americans for almost two and a half periods. Or, that’s just junior hockey being junior hockey.

After the win over USA, Sweden got in trouble when five players were hit by a stomach flu and needed to be quarantined, including some team leaders. In the last group game Sweden had an unimpressive win over Kazakhstan playing with only three lines. It set them back prior to the quarterfinal and they played poorly against Switzerland. The underdog Swiss didn’t just win with a heroic defense and goalie, they also created the best scoring chances and even led the shot clock after two periods. Sweden played better in the third but could not score, losing 2 – 0 in their first quarterfinal loss since 2006, which also happens to be the last time the tournament was held in Vancouver. In my preview, I was concerned for the offensive chemistry given that the defensemen are much more skilled than the forward group. That proved to be the case and that may be a more telling answer than the stomach flu. Swedish forwards only scored seven goals in five games and four of those goals were scored by Emil Bemstrom. In the deciding game against Switzerland it certainly showed in the third period when Sweden got desperate in their attack being down by two goals. The Swedes just couldn’t create enough down low and almost every good attack came through the top defensemen. When defensemen are in on the attack often all ten players are in one end of the rink which makes it harder to score with shots high from d-men having a lower percentage of success. The forwards simply did not show enough creativity or skill. That said, 19 shots on goal in just the third period surely could have bounced better, but with more skill and creativity from forwards the quality of those shots would have been better. Individually over the five games (four wins) there were obviously some good performances. I’ll slide the players into three different categories, the good, the okay and the poor (good, bad and ugly didn’t seem fair to use). Let’s start with…

The poor

As I mention, there were many forwards that did not provide enough on the scoreboard. Jacob Olofsson (MTL), Rickard Hugg (undrafted), Fabian Zetterlund (NJD) and Pontus Holmberg (TOR) were the biggest disappointments. Olofsson hasn’t had a good season so far and it did not get better by putting him on the wing while also playing defense(!) against Kazakhstan. He is a natural center and clearly showed that he isn’t strong enough in his board play and needs to improve his ability to cover the puck and to use his frame. His skating is looking better this season though and his best performance came when he played defense, which shows that the hockey sense is there. Skating is an issue with Zetterlund. He is a goal scorer that didn’t score and couldn’t create enough on his own due to his skating not being strong. To his defense, he just came back from a tough knee injury. Hugg isn’t a flashy player by any means but he produced well in the summer showcase and has been a leading player for this age group and was given a big role but wasn’t a difference maker at all in this tournament. Holmberg was supposed to be a creative force with smart plays, but he didn’t put up a single point in the tournament getting more and more invisible offensively over the course of the tournament. He has had a good season in Vaxjo though, and still looks like a promising late round pick by Toronto.

The okay

Samuel Fagemo (undrafted) has had a good season in Frolunda and looks like a player that is a sure bet to be drafted this summer, in his second year of eligibility. In this WJC he showed flashes and created chances with offensive drive but didn’t score. Isac Lundestrom (ANA) was okay in his 200-foot game and put up four points but he wasn’t as dominant as a player that has played in the NHL should be at this level. In the quarterfinal, he was no-show. Lucas Elvenes also scored four points and actually showed creativity with the puck but needs to play less on the outside and to shoot more, always seeming to seek a pass. The forwards who were deployed in defense-first roles were also okay. David Gustafsson (WPG) had the most impact, the big center worked hard at both ends of the ice and won big faceoffs among his contributions as a defensive role player in the making. Filip Hallander (PIT) also performed his role well, although I didn’t agree with the way he was deployed. He had about 80% defensive zone starts and played all the penalty kills and none of the power plays. As one of the top junior scorers in the SHL he should have been used more offensively, being strong on the puck and around the net. Other defensive role forwards were Johan Sodergran (LAK), Filip Svenningsson (CGY) and Oskar Back (DAL). None of those three stood out, neither for good nor bad. Philip Broberg (2019 eligible) was the seventh defenseman but got ice time in every game. He played well but couldn’t shine in that role. Nils Lundkvist (NYR) was a bit up-and-down in his performance. He was given a defensive role and played on the penalty kill although his strongest game is making smart plays with the puck. He was over-shadowed by the bigger names on the blueline. Adam Ginning (PHI) is a defensive defenseman and he was also inconsistent in his performance. He is big, strong and poised but was not as strong with the puck as expected - like he can be at his best. Filip Westerlund (ARI) had a somewhat quiet tournament but played simple and well.

The good

The best point producer on the Swedish team was Emil Bemstrom (CBJ) with six points. He showed that his success in SHL this season and his strong development is real. He was the best forward on the Swedish team. Bemstrom had better puck skills that I had previously given him credit for. His shot has always been strong but the way he controls the puck in tight areas is impressive. He looks like a solid top six prospect. Erik Brannstrom (VGK) is a very good hockey player. When he played, he tilted the ice for Sweden, pushing and driving the play. He had one of the more dominant performances I have seen in the first game against Finland. In total he scored four goals and got picked to the All-Star Team. Rasmus Sandin (TOR) is also starting to look like an NHL player already. Not as flashy as Brannstrom but very smart with the puck. He also drives the play well and doesn’t tend to over create. Adam Boqvist (CHI) was a stud in the game against USA. He is playing smarter both with and without the puck this year. He is an offensive force who also can tilt the ice for his team. His performances weren’t as strong after the USA game though. In the quarterfinal he got a bit over creative. Samuel Ersson (PHI) was my pick for net and he got the chance and took it. He had an all-over strong effort and couldn’t be blamed for those four quick goals by USA. He showed calmness, good hockey sense and puck control. He actually kept the Swiss lead down in the quarterfinal during the first two periods of that game to give Sweden a chance.

Winnipeg Jets Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 14:21:29 +0000

For prospect hounds such as ourselves, and presumably you, the Winnipeg Jets of the last few years were a model organization. Not only were they building from within, but they were focusing on high upside talent at the draft. Whether they were drafting early (as they often did) or late, they drafted skill.

There were, of course, exceptions such as the somewhat perplexing decision to select the towering Logan Stanley with the 18^th overall pick in 2016, leaving players like Kieffer Bellows, Henrik Borgstrom, Sam Steel, and Alex DeBrincat on the board. But their other first round pick, Patrik Laine, was so good, it was easy to hand-wave away the Stanley selection.

Winnipeg’s 2017 draft followed that trend again, taking a super high upside forward in Kristian Vesalainen in the first round and following it up with a toolsy, yet very raw defender in Dylan Samberg with their second pick.

Coming into this past season, the Jets still seemed to have a loaded organization when it came to high end prospects. Of that crew, only one player, albeit their best one, Kyle Connor, graduated to the NHL. And he certainly lived up to expectations as well, with 57 points in 75 games. A few other rookies got some time in the NHL, but only Connor graduated from prospect status.

Between the loss (in a good way) of their top prospect, in addition to the trade top 10 challenger Erik Foley to St. Louis along with their first round pick in this year’s draft (again, in a good way for those two -Stastny was very good in his brief stay in Manitoba) and the generally late choices they got by virtue of a successful season at the NHL level, one would have expected a mild drop off in the overall strength of the system. Instead, the system seems to have cratered.

On the one hand, there are still some very talented players at the top. Vesalainen’s stock is as high as ever after a fantastic rookie season in Liiga and Jack Roslovic was only four NHL games away from graduating and should capture a regular NHL job out of training camp this year.

Other than those two though, and perhaps a few other more tangential depth pieces, Winnipeg saw way too many young players regress in 2017-18. The above-mentioned Stanley was healthy but ends his OHL career having never dominated the league over a lengthy stretch. Poolman dealt with injuries and struggled in his first, seemingly rushed, NHL looks.

And those were among the better performers in the Winnipeg system. Most of the other prospects of note were lucky to tread water. Some were not as lucky. Spare a thought to Jansen Harkins, a former second round pick who was ranked s their number seven prospect last summer. He was entering his rookie season as a pro but had had cameos in both last two seasons after his WHL was eliminated and looked good. Not this time. He struggled to assert himself with the Moose and ended up spending time in the ECHL.

Harkins, and all the others, are still young enough to be given every opportunity to recover, but the Jets have surrendered the model development organization mantle.

1 Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3^rd) After inexplicably falling to the 24^th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Vesalainen had as good a year as he possibly could have, returning to his native Finland for the full season, scoring close to a point per game for HPK, and then helping Karpat to a Liiga championship after switching teams on loan. He was, by 10 points, the leading U20 player in Finland. As good as the numbers were, the skills are even better. All of his offensive tools grade out as high end, and the puck skills are near elite. He has a strong, 6-4”, NHL-ready frame, although it is possible that he spends another year in Europe before getting his NHL shot, as he has yet to sign an ELC. Either way, he is a future top six winger.

Jack Roslovic

2 Jack Roslovic, C/RW (25^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 2^nd) As mentioned above, Roslovic was only a few more NHL games away from losing his eligibility for this list (we don’t count playoff games for this purpose). He topped the point per game mark in his second go round in the AHL. He was a bit tentative in the NHL and his possession numbers underwhelmed, the skill set to play a regular middle six role, whether up the middle or in the wing, is still there. He is a strong skater with a very good shot and puck skills. Additional experience should allow him to play a more assertive style, much like he jumped into the AHL as a 19-year-old and dominated like few teenagers do. Considering the Jet’s depth at center, expect Roslovic to mostly play right wing for now.

3 Mason Appleton, C/RW (168^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 10^th) A prime example of how the Jets built one of the previously best and deepest systems in the NHL, Appleton was not a great skater in his draft year, but had always shown puck skills and vision, whether it was in his one year in the USHL, or prior to that as a Wisconsin prepster. He hit the ground running with Michigan State as a freshman and never looked back, turning pro after his sophomore campaign. His AHL rookie season was sensational, as he finished fourth in the league in scoring. His skating is much improved from his amateur days and he has also upped his finishing ability. Once an afterthought, now Appleton should be first in line when the Jets need to call up a forward.

4 Sami Niku, D (198^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 9^th) The number two scoring defenseman in his AHL rookie campaign Niku, drafted one round after Appleton, is another poster example of the benefits of drafting for skill in all rounds. He even scored a goal in his one game NHL cameo. A solid skater with fantastic puck moving and puck protection skills, he fits the modern game to a ‘T’. He is on the lean side and does not project to be a force in his own end or along the boards, but when his tea has the puck, he won’t need to be. If he can show more subtlety when shooting, he could be a near perfect power play weapon. Numbers might keep him in the AHL for another year, but his time should come soon enough.

5 Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. Last Year: 8^th) Although Samberg has yet to demonstrate that he could be an offensive factor from the blueline, he has all of the tools you want to see in a defender whose priority is to drive the transition from defense to offense. He generally makes the simple play instead of trying for flash. He reads game situations at a surprisingly advanced level, considering how he only had 14 games above high school level before joining Minnesota-Duluth this year, where he helped spearhead a young blueline into a surprise national championship. Samberg is probably more of a #4/5 than a #2/3 going forward, but he looks like a future contributor, even if it will be a quiet contributor.

Logan Stanley

6 Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 4^th) As mentioned above, Logan Stanley is big. At 6-7”, 227, he is easily among the biggest prospects – in fact, players of any stripe - in the sport. Stanley is more than just a Coke-Machine on ice, though. He moves very well for his size, and pretty well for any size, and can flash some offensive instinct. He knows how to use his size for good effect, and his reach in particular is elite. His 42-point season with the Kitchener Rangers was a fitting high on which to end his junior career, but his 16 points in 19 postseason games really hinted at the best case scenario. The Jets will be patient with Stanley as he explores his upside, but at worst, he will play in a bottom pairing role in the NHL.

7 Tucker Poolman, D (127^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 5^th) Although Poolman was given the opportunity to make the Jets out of camp last year, he was caught in a numbers game, dressing for only three of the team’s first 11 games before being sent back down to the Moose. He was up and down between the AHL and NHL throughout the year, but never really got settled in either league and only appeared in 43 games combined. Although given only limited and sheltered minutes with the Jets, to Poolman’s credit, he put up strong possession numbers. He still flashed some of the two-way abilities that made him such a coveted, if late-blooming NCAA prospect. He skates well for a bigger player and has some puck moving ability. Already 25 years old, this is Poolman’s last year on this list, one way or another.

8 David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) The first name called out by the Winnipeg brass in the 2018 draft, Gustafsson is a broad-shouldered pivot who has already shown the ability to hold his own against men with a solid age 17 season in the SHL. More smart than anything else, his general lack of speed ensured that he was still available through most of two rounds. He projects as more of a shooter than a playmaker, which is more due to lack of creativity than inability to create plays for his teammates. Between his reads, size, strength, and temperament, he will be a handful no matter where he stands. He is signed for three more years with HV71 but expect the Jets to try to buy him out of that pact before it expires.

9 Michael Spacek, C (108^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 13^th) After a strong junior career both in the WHL and representing his native Czech Republic (he played in three WJCs and two WU18s) Spacek had a fine, if understated start to his pro career with the Moose. He demonstrated that his slightly undersized frame could withstand the rigors of playing against men and he provided secondary scoring to boot with 17 goals. Although not the toolsiest of players, he showed a nice shot, with the one-timer being a legitimate weapon from the slot. His skills play up somewhat thanks to good hockey sense, although the overall package speaks to a bottom six upside. One of many such prospects in this system, Spacek is closer than most of the others to being able to slot into the NHL lineup.

Santeri Virtanen

10 Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 6^th) A gamble on tools, the Jets selected Virtanen with a fourth-round pick in 2017 despite being limited to 25 games at all levels in his draft year after a very impressive showing at the WU18s. It is too early to curse a player with the “injury-prone” label, nut after playing only 37 games at all levels this year, he is trending that way. Virtanen is an excellent skater with impressive hockey IQ, and enough puck skills to project as a two-way forward, but he needs to stat on the ice much more. He will be returning to Finland this year after a year in the USHL. Until he plays more regularly, he is a wild card.

11 Eric Comrie, G (59^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 12^th) There was a time not all that long ago, that Eric Comrie was ahead of Connor Hellebuyck in the Winnipeg pipeline. He had higher draft pedigree and some international experience. That ship has long since sailed. It is hard to blame Comrie for that though. He is an adequate all-around goalie whose best attributes are his glove hand and his ability to read the play, but goalie development is rarely linear. At least, it wasn’t for Hellebuyck. Comrie, on the other hand, has been inching his way forward over the last three seasons in the AHL, with a career best .916 save percentage last year. As his reward, he will be slightly favored to win the NHL backup job this year.

12 Brendan Lemieux, LW (Trade: Feb. 11, 2015. Last Year: 19^th) Playing more like his father Claude every year, Brendan Lemieux is a beefy player with good speed and a mean streak that burns hot over the long Manitoba winters. It is not a boast to note his second in the AHL 170 penalty minutes, but they do give a good indication of the type of player that he is. To his credit, he also more than doubled his previous AHL point totals, in ten fewer games than the previous year. If he can contain his temper just a touch more, he could have an NHL future as a pest. So far, that proposition is not a sure thing.

13 Giovanni Vallati, D (153^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) While we were less than impressed on the whole with the Jets’ 2018 draft class, we applauded their selection of Vallati in the fifth round. Once a first-round pick in the OHL entry draft, he has quietly put up two solid seasons for Kitchener since then. A smooth skating blueliner, he has flashed high end smarts and a burgeoning physical game, although none of those traits has been all that consistent, or all at the same time, thus far. He has upside as a defensive defenseman who is not a liability on the puck, but he is still young enough to hope for more in time.

14 Clinston (C.J.) Suess, LW (129^th overall, 2014. Last Year: unranked) Suess, formerly known as C.J. Franklin, ended his NCAA eligibility on a high note, with career highs in both goals and assists, and being named a Hobey Baker award finalist, after leading Minnesota Stake-Mankato to their first NCAA tournament in three seasons. Although Suess is not blessed with a full glowing tool set, he plays a gritty, team-first game and shows a good understanding of the game, enabling what tools he does have to play up. He is likely no more than a fourth line winger at the highest level, but he is a good example of why teams are wise to take late round chances on college bound players in the draft.

15 Laurent Brossoit, G (UFA: Jul. 1, 2018. Last Year: 6^th (Edmonton)) Brossoit had appeared in NHL games for four straight years for the Edmonton Oilers, with last year’s 14 games representing a career high. His .883 save percentage in that span was not, unfortunately for him, a career low. The Oilers had been hoping that he could be a reliable backup to Cam Talbot in the NHL, but the former Calgary sixth round pick was clearly not up to the task. Perhaps with the Jets, his third organization – all Central Canadian clubs – will be the place for him to shine. He will have a chance to compete against Eric Comrie for the backup job for the Jets, but for all of his technical competence and rebound control, his struggles reading the play make him the underdog in this race.

16 Skyler McKenzie, C (198^th overall, 2018. Last Year: unranked) Around 11 inches shorter and close to 60 pounds lighter than Logan Stanley, McKenzie finished his WHL career with two near identical seasons of 84 and 87 points, topping 40 goals both times. Although he lacks any one standout tool, all of them – barring physicality, of course – grade out as above average. He played in all situations for Portland but will most likely be sheltered as a pro until he proves that he can withstand the tighter game of the AHL. Even as the game is growing less averse to smaller, skilled players, when you are small as McKenzie, you have to keep proving yourself before the caveats are removed from your point totals.

Luke Green

17 Luke Green, D (79^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 14^th) The number one overall pick of the 2014 QMJHL entry draft, Green struggled to actuate his tools through most of his junior career. While his production was far stronger in his last year on a per-game basis, injuries limited him to only 14 regular season games with Sherbrooke. He is a solid skater with above average hockey sense, but his offensive tools have not yet convinced that they can play at a high level as a pro. As he enters his rookie season in the AHL, he will also have to prove that the whispers of attitude problems that followed him in junior will not be an impediment to his ability to actuate his skills.

18 Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. Last Year: unranked) Originally drafted out of the Russian 18U program, Berdin came to North America and excelled in the USHL over two seasons, even earning the third string role for the Russian WJC squad last year. Although he has yet to be truly tested at an advanced level, Berdin displays a lot of attributes that suggest that good things are in his future. He is athletic and hard-nosed. He is also perhaps the most skilled and definitely the most daring puck handling goalie among all affiliated prospects. He will play pucks that other goalies don’t even think about. So it isn’t so surprising that he scored an empty net goal last season with Sioux Falls.

19 Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 15^th) Now a three-year KHL veteran, Kraskovsky has settled in as a 200-foot player who makes up in own zone responsibility what he lacks in offensive skills. He actually has solid puck skills but has not yet figured out how to turn that into offensive production. For the most part, Kraskovsky is a high IQ player who understands the game and knows how to make the safe, coaching friendly plays. Big and rangy, he has yet to fully fill out his 6-4” frame. The Jets are in no rush to bring him to North America and considering that he just signed a two year contract extension with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, Kraskovsky isn’t in a rush either.

20 JC Lipon, RW (91^st overall, 2013. Last Year: 17^th) A bruising winger who has seemingly plateaued at around 30 points a year in the AHL, Lipon has the skating and hockey IQ to play a role in the NHL, but he will never play as more than a fourth liner. His offensive limitations may prevent him from getting back to the NHL, which he experienced in a nine-game trial in the 2015-16 season, but his impressive physical game, with big hits at open ice and along the boards, along with the wheels and responsibility to help out on the PK, could lead to a long career as an unheralded energy line player.

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

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

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

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

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

Here is the Central Division

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 53.25

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 53.75

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 52.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 51.25

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

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

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

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

OFP – 50.75

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

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

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

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

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

OFP - 51

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 50.5

David Gustafsson – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – Top 20 Prospects

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: WINNIPEG JETS – RANK: #21 – TIER IV

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Winnipeg Jets Top 20 Prospects

Cole Perfetti, C/LW (10th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dylan Samberg, D (43rd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 1)

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Ville Heinola, D (20th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Declan Chisholm, D (150th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Anton Johannesson, D (133rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Sami Niku, D (198th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 5)

Mikhail Berdin, G (157th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

Logan Stanley, D (18th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 7)

Daniel Torgersson, LW (40th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

David Gustafsson, C (60th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Santeri Virtanen, C (105th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 9)

Nathan Smith, C (91st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Arvid Holm, G (167th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Leon Gawanke, D (136th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

Simon Lundmark, D (51st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Kristian Reichel, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jun. 15, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Eric Comrie, G (Waivers: Dec. 19, 2019. Originally: 59th overall, 2013 [Winnipeg]. Previous ranking: UR)

Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 16)

Henri Nikkanen, C (113th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 18)

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – WINNIPEG JETS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 28

Winnipeg Jets

Dylan Samberg, D (43rd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 2)

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 1)

Ville Heinola, D (20th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Declan Chisholm, D (150th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

Sami Niku, D (198th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 5)

Mikhail Berdin, G (157th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 18)

Logan Stanley, D (18th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 4)

David Gustafsson, C (60th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Santeri Virtanen, C (105th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 13)

Nathan Smith, C (91st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Michael Spacek, C (108th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

Arvid Holm, G (167th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

Leon Gawanke, D (136th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 19)

Simon Lundmark, D (51st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Kristian Reichel, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jun. 15, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

MCKEEN’S 2020 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR GUIDE: SWEDEN

Winnipeg Jets 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

2019 IIHF World Junior Tournament Review: Sweden

Winnipeg Jets Prospect System Overview

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

Cole Perfetti, C/LW (10^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 1)

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Ville Heinola, D (20^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Declan Chisholm, D (150^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Anton Johannesson, D (133^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Sami Niku, D (198^thoverall, 2015. Previous ranking: 5)

Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 7)

Daniel Torgersson, LW (40^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 9)

Nathan Smith, C (91^st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 10)

Arvid Holm, G (167^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Leon Gawanke, D (136^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 13)

Simon Lundmark, D (51^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Eric Comrie, G (Waivers: Dec. 19, 2019. Originally: 59^th overall, 2013 [Winnipeg]. Previous ranking: UR)

Pavel Kraskovsky, C (164^th overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 16)

Henri Nikkanen, C (113^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 18)

Dylan Samberg, D (43^rd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 2)

Kristian Vesalainen, LW/RW (24^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 1)

Ville Heinola, D (20^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 3)

Declan Chisholm, D (150^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

Sami Niku, D (198^thoverall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 5)

Mikhail Berdin, G (157^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 18)

Logan Stanley, D (18^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 4)

David Gustafsson, C (60^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Santeri Virtanen, C (105^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 13)

Nathan Smith, C (91^st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Michael Spacek, C (108^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 10)

Arvid Holm, G (167^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: UR)

Leon Gawanke, D (136^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 19)

Simon Lundmark, D (51^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)