David Jiricek – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Team Preview

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 20:00:59 +0000

_{VANCOUVER, BC - JANUARY 27: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) skates with the puck during an NHL game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C. (Photo by Ethan Cairns/Icon Sportswire)}

IN MEMORIAM – JOHNNY GAUDREAU – 1993 - 2024
The hockey world was sent into shock and mourning when Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau’s lives were tragically cut short this summer at the hands of an impaired driver. Johnny Gaudreau defied the odds at every level of hockey he played at. Affectionately known as “Johnny Hockey” – the nickname was appropriate not only because of Gaudreau’s skill level, but because he was also an amazing steward of the game throughout his time in it. From the New Jersey area, to Boston, to Calgary, to Columbus, Gaudreau left a tangible, positive impact in each city he called home as evidenced by the outpouring of love and memorials outside all the arenas he’s played in. Consistently written off due to his size, Gaudreau entered the NHL in his first season and posted 64 points in 80 games, putting the world on notice that size was no longer a valid concern in analysis of his game.

Gaudreau used his speed in combination with his slick hands and puck manipulation techniques to consis- tently find open space for himself and turn that open space into high-quality scoring chances. His heads- up style of play and elite understanding of the game allowed him to consistently elevate the play of his teammates and serve them quality looks, evidenced by his average of 50 assists per season and 500 overall for his career. Aside from setting his career high in points in 2017-18, he also won the Lady Byng trophy. We join the entire hockey community in honouring the life and careers of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau and the passion and joy they brought to the game we all love.

TEAM OVERVIEW The shock and loss of their best player, for an organization that is no stranger to tragedy after losing goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks in the summer of 2021, will be a tremendous challenge for the team. New management and a new head coach in Dean Evason will have to pull together a very talented group of young players. Denton Mateychuk, Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, Yegor Chinakhov, Kirill Marchenko, Cole Sillinger, Dmitri Voronkov and David Jiricek all have tremendous promise and are currently developing in the NHL. Chinakhov, Marchenko and Voronkov all made some noise last season, at times uniting on an all-Russian line. There are some reasons for optimism, but it was going to be another year of development for their youngsters and the playoffs were not likely in the cards.

TOP BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Adam Fantilli missed 33 games last campaign with a lacerated calf. That ended what had been an encouraging rookie campaign - the 19-year-old (20 on Oct. 12) scored 12 goals and 27 points through 49 contests. He’s healthy now and primed to play on the top six and first power-play unit this season. Although Columbus probably will finish toward the bottom of the league in goals scored, Fantilli should be an offensive leader for the Blue Jackets this year.

FORWARD

Sean Monahan

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	22	35	57	0.70

Monahan arrives to the Blue Jackets via free agency having signed a five-year contract at $5.5 million AAV per year. Monahan put some of the concerns about his lengthy injury history in the rearview by playing a full season last year split between the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets and continued into the Jets brief spell into the playoffs. Monahan is still a handful in the faceoff dot, where he posted over a 55 percent win rate last year and was well into the top third of centers with regards to faceoff wins. Monahan posted modest point totals but showcased an ability to support the play in the offensive zone via rush and forecheck as well as showcase puck distribution abilities that created shot-attempts for his teammates in the offensive zone. The expectation is that Monahan will inherit the top center role alongside his former teammate Johnny Gaudreau but expect pressure through the year from the likes of Adam Fantilli to steal that spot away from him. Monahan’s shot rates in his short time with Winnipeg were good for third on the team, and the hope is his supporting play and elevation of shot rates can put Gaudreau back on the map from a goal scoring perspective. Assuming Monahan stays healthy again, he should provide a good boost to the output of his linemates.

Kirill Marchenko

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	25	21	46	0.58

Marchenko had a good bit of focus on him heading into the year coming off of a strong 21-goal campaign as a rookie. His sophomore year, usually a challenging one for forwards, didn’t feature a massive regression in any one area. In fact, Marchenko’s peripheral statistics, especially defensively, saw improvements year over year. There’s an argument to be made that his overall goal scoring was not as impactful as the prior year as he only had 23 total goals in 78 games. Marchenko’s lack of boost in goal scoring was an effect felt across the entire Blue Jacket’s top line last season. His even-strength goal scoring output was good for the 60^th percentile of NHL forwards. Marchenko did not experience a dip in shot-attempts and still put up totals that place him well within the top third of NHL forwards with regards to putting pucks on net. His passing statistics and play support statistics put him in the bottom third of NHL forwards even though he saw an increase in assists last year. Marchenko’s best work comes off of the rush where he has the ability to use his size and speed to surprise NHL defenders. With a new look top line for Columbus, the hope is that Marchenko will find himself in more of those situations in the year to come.

Adam Fantilli

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	23	30	53	0.67

Fantilli’s rookie season came with a great level of expectation that was largely unrealized, but that may be because of elements outside of his control. From a linemates perspective, Fantilli’s start to the year saw him playing deep in the bottom-six for Columbus alongside players that don’t quite think the game on the same level as him. As his ice time increased north of the 12:00 mark and he began moving up the depth chart, his performance, unsurprisingly, improved along with the increase in quality of teammate. Additionally, the Columbus power-play struggled throughout the course of the year and as a result, Fantilli never had a chance to truly make his mark on that side of the puck. Offensively speaking, he was in the top third of the league’s forward group in shots, shots off the rush, and goals-scored at even-strength. He also showed a good bit of competency at carrying the puck across the blueline with possession and creating elongated offensive possession as a result of his puck-moving ability. I think there’s room for him to continue to improve on the forecheck and in the defensive zone. Expect Fantilli to make marked improvements in his off-puck habits and ultimately pressure for a role on the Blue Jacket’s top line before the season is over. There is a lot of skill here still left to showcase.

Yegor Chinakhov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	23	19	42	0.57

Despite missing a large chunk of time to injury, Yegor Chinakhov’s 2023-24 campaign is one that you can file under him cementing himself as a verifiable scoring threat and graduated NHL talent. I don’t believe there’s anything left for him to learn at the AHL level. He tortured goaltenders with his wrist shot last year, showcasing his ability to gain significant velocity from short, hard to predict releases. By the end of the season, the only forward with a higher goal scoring rate than Chinakhov was Johnny Gaudreau. One of the biggest criticisms you can make of him is that, given the value of his shot, he doesn’t use it enough. Chinakhov was in the sixth percentile of NHL forwards regarding shot-attempts at even-strength. Something that hasn’t gotten enough discussion is the reliability he showcased off-puck last season. He was on the ice for the second lowest total of shot-attempts against per 60 minutes of even-strength ice time. His overall even-strength defensive returns put him in the 82^nd percentile of forwards. Chinakhov has the ability to develop into a serious shooting threat and could get a decent boost in goals if he sees more power-play time this season. He spent time towards the end of the season with fellow countrymen Kirill Marchenko and Dimitri Voronkov. I expect that line to get more looks in the coming season and Chinakhov to see an improvement on his 16 goals from the year prior.

Kent Johnson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
72	18	20	38	0.53

Kent Johnson’s sophomore season was a disappointment from almost any angle you view it from. Johnson was hoping to build off a solid rookie campaign that saw him end with 16 goals and 24 assists in 79 games. However, when training camp ended for the 2023-24 season, Johnson was not a part of the roster. His camp performance was sub-par, and he never re-discovered the game that put him on the map the year prior. By the end of the season, Johnson finished with just six goals and 10 assists in 42 games played. His defensive game suffered a regression and his forechecking and engagement in the battle areas of the ice left something to be desired. After moving up and down the lineup and battling healthy scratches, Johnson was eventually injured for the final weeks of the regular season, adding extra bitterness to his sophomore slump. Johnson’s goal last year was to come into camp bigger, stronger, and more influential on the puck. That same goal needs to apply to this season if Johnson is going to put any stretch of relevant time together in the Blue Jackets forward group. Johnson is coming into his final season under his Restricted Free Agency deal. This season is tantamount to him finding a permanent place in the NHL.

Dmitri Voronkov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	21	16	37	0.47

Jackets’ fans had to wait a long time for Dmitri Voronkov, four years to be exact, but the KHL regular impressed just about everyone in his first foray onto a North American ice surface this season. Voronkov did not make the team straight out of camp but was recalled late October and went on an immediate run here he piled up goals and assists through his first fifteen games and stayed relatively consistent thereafter, earning more and more ice time as the year went on, culminating in a top six performance alongside fellow Russians Yegor Chinakhov and Kirill Marchenko, forming an All-Russian line for Columbus. Voronkov’s game is predicated on using his size, reach, and physical prowess. He was a force in front of the net during his time in the KHL and that was no different in Columbus. Voronkov’s first year offensive output’s at even-strength put him in the 80^th percentile of NHL forwards, a great debut for the big talent. One area he will need to work on is his puck distribution abilities and passing in the offensive zone. He was only in the sixth percentile of NHL forwards for offensive-zone shot assists. Voronkov has the size and skating to be a continued menace in front of the net and in the battle areas of the ice. He showcased enough with puck control and puck handling that he is not a one-trick pony. It will be interesting to see how his game continues to develop in the coming years.

Boone Jenner

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
63	18	17	35	0.56

The big questions surrounding Jenner coming into this season are focused on the best suited deployment for the veteran center. It’s still evident that he can have a positive effect on the lineup given his puck-possession results and overall goal totals. While still effective, especially in the battle areas in the boards and net-front, Jenner does clash stylistically with some of the wingers in the Blue Jacket’s top six. Despite missing chunks of time to injury and personal reasons, Jenner still ended the year with 22 goals, his third straight 20+ goal campaign. Given his age and mileage, much of the discussion has shifted to his making a full switch to the bottom six forward group for Columbus. Given the signing of Sean Monahan and the rise of Adam Fantilli, that may just be where Jenner ends up. His game is still suited for a bottom-six checking role and his goal scoring rates at even-strength could provide a much needed scoring boost to the bottom-six forward group. Jenner is still an effective player on the forecheck and in front of the net but has struggled in recent years to impact transition play and assist his teammates in puck distribution efforts. Regardless of the mileage and offensive limitations, he can still score goals and remains an extremely valuable faceoff man. Expect Jenner to continue to be a force in front of the net this season and can still expect some power play time as a result

Cole Sillinger

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
79	15	19	34	0.43

Cole Sillinger’s 2023-24 season was about as rollercoaster of a performance as you can get. In fact, that truly summarizes his entire three-year journey through the NHL at this juncture. After a promising rookie season, Sillinger crashed out in a sophomore slump where he netted three goals and 11 points in 64 games. This season’s start, while bolstered by strong underlying numbers, was just as drought-like with regards to goals. Sillinger had one goal through his first 27 games in 2023-24 but burst onto the scoresheet after the drought to end his third professional season with 13 goals and 19 assists in 77 games. Sillinger was significantly snake-bit with his finishing ability last season. He posted returns in the 80^th plus percentile in raw shots, shots off of high-danger passes, and shots off of the rush. His finishing found its level a handful of times in the season, but always in short, sporadic bursts. Whatever the case, Sillinger didn’t pose a lot of risk defensively and was generally a low-event player on both sides of the puck. He saw a steady increase in ice time throughout the year and in a variety of deployments, a testament to his versatility as a center. Sillinger posted his highest faceoff percentage of his young career at just over 46%, but still has room for improvement in the circle. Overall, consistency will be the name of the game for Sillinger moving forward as he looks to play a critical role in the Bluejackets bottom six forward group.

DEFENCE

Zach Werenski

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	15	48	63	0.84

Werenski took the role of top defenceman for Columbus last year and was deployed in virtually every situation imaginable. From power-play to penalty kill to the biggest five on five minutes, Werenski put his best foot forward to impact the Blue Jackets outcomes as much as he possibly could. Unfortunately, it takes more than one solid performer to round out a defence and Columbus was not deep enough defensively to make Werenski’s statistics look attractive. Overall, he led the Blue Jackets in just about every statistical bucket and set a franchise record for points by a defenceman. The offensive side of Werenski’s work was great, but his even-strength results from a defensive perspective put him in the sixth percentile of NHL defencemen. Werenski’s best impacts are in puck movement and shot support. From the perspective of denying zone entries defensively or retrieving dumped pucks, Werenski found himself in the bottom third of the league. Despite the less-than-attractive results, he posted a goals-for percentage at even-strength that was seven percent higher than any of his defensive peers. He also paced at or near the top of the team in shot-attempt and scoring chance mitigation. Overall, expect Werenski to continue to play a variety of roles as the defensive leader of the Blue Jackets, his best work coming in shot-attempt boosts and help in gaining possession in the offensive zone.

Damon Severson

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
70	6	18	24	0.30

Severson’s first season in Columbus wasn’t poor, but it also likely failed to live up to the lofty expectation garnered by the eight-year contract he signed. Severson finished his first campaign in Columbus with nine goals and 19 assists in 67 games and actually finished the year with some decent defensive numbers and paced the Columbus blue line in a number of defensive metrics. He was the only blueliner on the Columbus roster to finish with a positive result in puck-possession metrics (plus-four percent relative to teammates) and had the highest expected-goal for percentage on the team at 49 percent. His overall defensive metrics put him in the 67^th percentile of NHL defencemen. His rate at denying possession zone entries put him in the 80^th percentile of league defencemen, an oasis in a desert of poor defensive performances in Columbus. Some of his best work came in terms of shot-support in the offensive zone and working the puck out of the defensive zone via his passing skill. This wasn’t a poor debut performance by any stretch and is head and shoulders above most of his peers on the team, but with a cap hit of over six million dollars per year, the expectations were simply a little bit higher. Severson will once again be called upon in a variety of minutes to support the team as a jack-of-all-trades defenceman.

Ivan Provorov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	5	24	29	0.35

For the second year in a row, Ivan Provorov played in every single regular season game for the Columbus Blue Jackets and posted respectable numbers in doing so. The biggest boost came to his offensive game this season. He scored five more points than the previous year, but it’s the supporting metrics around his puck support and shot contributions that increased his overall offensive output from a Wins Above Replacement perspective from the 22^nd percentile for defencemen to the 41^st percentile. Provorov’s best work this season came via retrieving pucks in the defensive zone and exiting the defensive zone with possession, both areas he graded out in the top third of NHL defencemen. His returns in defending the blueline and breaking up plays as they enter the defensive zone regressed a bit year over year. Provorov is heading into the final year of his contract. Depending on his performance there may be some trade discussions around his skill set as we get closer to the trade deadline. He has weathered the overall poor defensive presence in Columbus fairly well and is a reliable middle pairing player that plays relatively low-event hockey. While there may be a ceiling to his deployment as his statistics do suffer from elevated minutes, with the right partner in the right circumstances he can be effective.

David Jiricek

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	6	18	24	0.32

Jiricek earned valuable experience last year at both the AHL and the NHL level, experiencing a bit of a baptism by fire for his rookie campaign. While the returns were likely considered disappointing, he’s only 20 years old and still developing into a professional player. Additionally, as discussed, the environment in Columbus was volatile at best defensively. Jiricek found himself in many challenging situations throughout the course of the year. When faced with odd man breaks or one-on-one situations, Jiricek’s decision making process showed room for improvement as he continues to adapt to the pro-style game. That being said, it’s also clear why he comes with the degree of pedigree he does. He is an effortless skater, and his movement will be one of the foundational aspects of his game throughout his career. Jiricek should find himself in a more stable environment this year with less back-and-forth to the AHL and healthy scratches. There’s potential for him to see an increase in power-play minutes and more time with the Blue Jackets top forwards, who will further complement his skill set. Patience is key to the development of young defencemen and Jiricek is no exception to that rule. Expect more solid returns this year with a refined sense of decision making with the puck. Hopefully, Columbus can get him into more positions to utilize some of his offensive skillset.

GOAL

Elvis Merzlikins

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
51	16	29	6	2	0.901	3.29

Daniil Tarasov

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
22	7	13	2	1	0.904	3.38

From a raw numbers perspective, Blue Jackets starter Elvis Merzlikins - once touted as the team's heir apparent before stumbling in tandem with the team's seeming free-fall to the bottom of the standings - struggled as much last season as he had the year before. He once again failed to hit even league-average numbers in his fifth NHL season, a far cry from the rookie debut season that earned him fifth-place spots in both Vezina and Calder voting back in 2020. And from a visual perspective, the 29-year-old Latvian netminder still looks like he's lost that extra spark that gave him a competitive edge over his opponents. He still has plenty of agility and speed, his lateral movements look fluid and strong, and he's got fast hands that he's unafraid to use; his positioning always seemed just a little off, though, and he had trouble recovering from rebounds in a way that suggested he was reading the play as well as he's shown capable of doing in the past.

That being said, the advanced data for the 2023-24 campaign suggested that Merzlikins isn't a complete write-off. He pulled out of the nosedive that saw him record quality starts in just eight of his 30 games in 2022-23, putting up league average or better performances in just around half of his games last year. And in theory, the Blue Jackets should continue to take steps to improve this year - which puts him in a good position to continue to level his game back out again as well. And in even better news, his backup Daniil Tarasov showed proficiency in stopping sharp-angle shots and in avoiding being goaded into bad positioning. Both goaltenders will likely still face a barrage of shots in each game this year, but things are starting to level out; hopefully, that should give Merzlikins the confidence he needs to take the reins back and Tarasov the right environment to continue to develop and thrive.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #14

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 19:19:31 +0000

Top 20 Columbus Blue Jacket Prospects

1. Adam Fantilli - C

You couldn’t ask for a better season from an NCAA freshman. Adam Fantilli stepped onto the Michigan Wolverines roster and absolutely dominated the league last season, taking home the Hobey Baker Award - a rarity for a draft-eligible player. His 1.81 points per game was the best pace for a draft-eligible since Paul Kariya in 1990. Fantilli is an all-around, franchise-altering prospect. He plays with a confidence that obviously grew over the course of his draft year, especially after the World Juniors, finishing his collegiate season with 38 points in the final 19 games. His passing is sharp and crisp, and his shot looks ready for the NHL. He plays hard, he plays fast, and he plays smart. He can play in any situation and rise to the call. You have to really nitpick to find a flaw in his game, particularly considering where he is in his development. For that reason Columbus has already signed him away from college and he will be turning pro immediately. Expectations are sky high as he looks to secure an immediate top six role in the Columbus lineup.

2. David Jiricek - D

If the 2022 NHL Draft were to be redone today, it’s hard to imagine Jiricek not hearing his name called in the top two. The Czech defender made the transition from his homeland to the AHL immediately following the draft. He was one of the best rookies and one of the most productive defenders in the entire league last season, even getting his first taste of NHL action, appearing in two games. He takes charge in transition, leading exits and entries for his team thanks to his strong crossovers and mobility. He has an absolute cannon of a shot, can play with a physical edge, and tends to dictate play every time he hits the ice. He can get caught taking risks, but not to an extreme level considering the level that he’s playing at his age. There’s lots of time for development in front of him. Jiricek is making it very easy to project him as a top pairing defender.

3. Denton Mateychuk - D

Not long after selecting Jiricek at sixth overall, the Blue Jackets were back up to the podium to call another defender’s name, in Denton Mateychuk. The defender has since completed his second full season in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors, this time as the team’s captain. He is an excellent skater, not afraid to jump up into the rush as a fourth attacker for his team. You’ll rarely see him make a mistake or turn the puck over. He’s just so matter of fact and confident in his play. Even on the defensive side of the puck, he is incredibly difficult to beat thanks to his positioning and active stick. Like Jiricek, it’s not hard to picture Mateychuk in the NHL, considering his build and style are perfect for the modern defender. Projecting him as a top four, PP1 rearguard seems like a safe bet and the top two is very much within reach.

4. Corson Ceulemans - D

The Blue Jackets have put a large focus into drafting defenders recently, looking especially at high upside. Ceulemans is just that, a defenseman with a very high ceiling. Selected 25th overall in 2021 out of the AJHL, he made the jump to the NCAA in 2021-22, where he stepped in very well as an offensive rearguard. He especially stood out as a top player last season on a struggling Wisconsin team. Two seasons were enough for Ceulemans, who signed with the Blue Jackets and joined the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters to end 2022-23. He’s an athletic, aggressive defender who loves to get involved in the play and take risks. He can get caught often though and relies on his long stride to catch up - which likely won’t bail him out as much as he moves up. If he can pick his opportunities better, he could be a strong, offensive top four D.

5. Stanislav Svozil - D

Yet another exciting defender in this farm system, Svozil has had an up-and-down development path, including a dip in his stock during his draft year. That worked out well for the Blue Jackets, selecting him 69th overall in 2021. Since then, he joined WHL’s Regina Pats and his stock has been rising substantially. He was a top defender at the 2023 World Juniors and a large part of why Team Czechia earned a silver medal. Even while playing with Connor Bedard, Svozil has shown ability to dictate play, leading the rush from his own end. His confidence has been increasingly growing, not afraid to join the transition or jump up into the play. His defensive game and decision-making look better and better with each game, putting him in position to be a future top four NHL defender.

6. Gavin Brindley

It’s hard to miss Brindley on the ice, as he brings a highly competitive game. He plays with fierce intensity, diving into puck battles, fighting hard on the forecheck, and working to force turnovers. He’s fearless in his work despite his diminutive frame. He never takes his foot off the gas, and he gets results due to that effort. On top of this competitiveness, he brings excellent hands, allowing him to navigate traffic with ease and get the puck into the high-danger areas himself. He also has top-notch speed and deception to his game, consistently changing direction when attacking. He’s a strong playmaker too, doing very well to create offense for his teammates. He’s almost equally effective defensively as he is offensively. The biggest knocks against him are his size and strength, as he does need to put on some muscle in order to see his style of play succeed at the next level. It would also be important to see him shoot a little more, as he’s very much a pass-first player. He has the foundation in place to become a reliable middle-six winger who moves up and down the lineup as needed.

7. Dmitri Voronkov - LW

Voronkov might be one of the most NHL-ready forwards out there. At 6- 4”, 190 pounds, the Russian forward knows how to utilize his size well after already having pushed men around in the KHL for four seasons. On top of that, he has already participated in the World Juniors, World Championship, and Olympics for Team Russia. He plays hard with and without the puck, making his presence felt whenever he’s on the ice. There’s nothing spectacular about his game, as he is just a well-rounded player. And to further that, nothing is glaring that will hold him back from making the NHL. His skating isn’t the prettiest, and his overall ceiling isn’t that high, but he still seems like a safe bet. He’s not going to be a highlight-reel or top-offensive player but likely fits into a consistent bottom six role.

8. Jordan Dumais - RW

The Blue Jackets might have hit a home run in the 2022 NHL Draft when they selected Dumais 96th overall. He was coming off a 109-point sophomore season with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads. Still, there were concerns about his 5-foot-9, 174-pound frame and his skating mechanics, but Dumais continued to push forward, capping off a league-leading 140-point season last year, second behind only Connor Bedard in the entire CHL. There’s no question that the skill is there. There’s also no question that the work ethic is there, which more often than not can carry a skilled player to the NHL. He has an excellent shot, great hands, and solid vision to go with it. The skating issues in his stride can be improved with development - it’s not a deal breaker. He should be a middle-six contributor in the NHL if he doesn’t reach the top six.

9. William Whitelaw - RW

Whitelaw is a volume shooter with few peers. What's truly remarkable though, is how many of his shots are consistently high quality. He has a serpentine ability to navigate through traffic and get closer to the net, and it's almost unnatural how well he can unload dangerous shots from unfavourable angles and body positions. He can strike quickly and accurately even in the heaviest traffic. His release is truly a sight to behold, coming off his stick with lightning quickness and sending pucks to their targets at blazing speeds. Guys with smaller stature like Whitelaw’s need to work extra hard to succeed, and that's not something you'll ever have to worry about in his case. He is feisty as hell and plays with a massive chip on his shoulder. He usually doesn't go around the ice looking for trouble, but anyone bringing it to him does so at their own peril. There is a fire inside him that never stops burning, and you can tell how it also helps heat up those that he plays with. Players who can score goals with this kind of proficiency are rare, and his supporting intangibles and character strongly suggest that his net-filling talents will scale up to the NHL level.

10. Luca Del Bel Belluz - C

Del Bel Belluz has been a bit of a polarizing prospect ever since his draft year. Selected 44th overall in in the 2022 NHL Draft, there must be something that has stood out to the Blue Jackets because not only did they draft him, but they signed him to his entry-level deal not long after. Del Bel Belluz spent two and half seasons with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads (it would have been three and a half if not for the cancelled season), before being traded to the Sarnia Sting last season. He’s been a solid contributor and plays a fine game. There doesn’t seem to be that one, high-end quality to pin on him that most prospects need to excel at the higher levels. He has quick hands and shows off strong passing, but there’s a lack of flow in his game that is concerning. A ceiling of a middle-six contributor is there as a high-end might reasonable outcome.

11. James Malatesta - LW

A stocky scoring winger, Malatesta is coming off a tremendous year in the QMJHL that saw him win a Memorial Cup with Quebec. He was the MVP of both the QMJHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup. It will be interesting to see how his game translates to the pro level this year.

12. Samuel Knazko - D

Already an accomplished international player, Knazko has played for Slovakia at both the Olympics and the World Championships in recent years. Not bad for a young defender who only recently turned 21. A strong skating, two-way defender, Knazko should be close to earning a full-time spot on the Blue Jackets.

13. Guillaume Richard - D

Richard is far from a sexy prospect. He’s not the most skilled defender. However, his mature defensive approach will likely play well at the pro level, which puts him in high regard by Columbus. Richard will return to Providence for his junior season this year in hopes of improving his offensive play.

14. Andrew Strathmann - D

Strathmann, a recent fourth round pick, is expected to repeat the USHL level next year before heading to North Dakota. The talented powerplay quarterback has great mobility, but Columbus will be looking to see improvements made to his decision making at both ends.

15. Jake Christiansen - D

After signing out of the WHL as a free agent, Christiansen has put together back-to-back strong pro seasons. His offensive prowess has yet to translate to the NHL level, but he’ll likely be given another opportunity this year as he is out of options and is no longer exempt from waivers.

16. Marcus Bjork - D

A very pleasant surprise for Columbus after signing last season out of Sweden. Bjork came in and was a steady presence at both the AHL and NHL level. The crowded nature of the system may push him out, but he has shown an ability to quarterback the powerplay and provide solid depth.

17. Mikael Pyyhtia - C

Pyyhtia is a goal scoring winger who took a step backwards last season split between pro in North America and Finland. He will be playing full time in the AHL this coming season and that should give Columbus a better indication of his upside.

18. Trey Fix-Wolansky - RW

A fan favourite in the AHL and with the Columbus fan base, everyone seems to be cheering for Fix-Wolansky to earn a full-time role in the NHL. His breakout year in the AHL helped his cause and he plays a fearless game that could make him a valuable checking line player this year.

19. Kirill Dolzhenkov - RW

Dolzhenkov is a mammoth winger who loves to bring it physically, imposing his will to help create space and chances. Columbus will be hoping that he can see more time at the KHL or VHL level this season, playing against men, to help him improve his pace and skating.

20. Hunter McKown - C

After improving each of his three NCAA campaings at Colorado College, the former USNTDP member signed with Columbus late last seasons. McKown is a solid defensive center with good goal scoring potential. After getting some NHL time late last year, he likely plays out this year at the AHL level.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK: FANTASY PROSPECT RANKINGS – Top 30 Forwards – Top 20 Defense – top 10 Goalies

Peter Harling — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 19:10:17 +0000

When preparing for a fantasy draft or evaluating prospects for a trade in your fantasy league you need to understand the difference between rankings, and fantasy rankings. The difference can be subtle, or significant depending on your leagues scoring and format. Generally speaking, fantasy rankings are based on projected point production. I have found that the vast majority of readers that read and follow my work are in dynasty keeper leagues with peripheral stats, or bangers leagues. The following rankings are based on projected point production and include added value to players that can contribute other stats, such as hits, blocks, PIMs, and faceoff wins. In fantasy hockey, we have a limited number of prospect roster spots and as such I put higher value on prospects that have a quicker ETA to the NHL or have superstar upside. This will help you identify the top 30 forwards, 20 defencemen and ten goalies to target in your fantasy leagues. To be considered a prospect, skaters must be under 26-years-old, and have played in under 60 career games, or less than 35 in a single season. For goalies, less than 30 games played, or 15 in a single season.

Forwards

Connor Bedard, C – Chicago Blackhawks

Not much debate to be had here. If you put Bedard in any other draft class from the past ten years, the only time he does not go first overall is the Connor McDavid Draft. Bedard is simply a generational talent that will kick down the front door of the NHL and take the league by storm. To expect him to be a point per game player as a rookie is not out of the question, he could even push for a 90-point year. The sky is the limit.

Logan Cooley, C – Arizona Coyotes

It was looking like Cooley was returning to the NCAA for his sophomore season, but after scoring 60 points as a freshman (second overall in scoring) and little left to gain from a second season, the Coyotes signed him to his ELC. Now that he is show bound, he locks up second forward rank position as the future of the Coyotes. Cooley is a dynamic offensive and highly skilled player that should flirt with 60 points as a rookie and has the upside to be a 90-point player when he hits his prime.

Adam Fantilli, C – Columbus Blue Jackets

Fantilli lead the NCAA in scoring as a freshman which puts him in a class with Jack Eichel and Paul Kariya. He will have the opportunity to center dynamic offensive wingers like Patrik Laine or Johnny Gaudreau or both in Columbus. Fantilli brings the whole package, size, skating, skill, smarts and will deliver in fantasy leagues with points and peripheral stats as well. He could easily have landed second overall on this list.

Matvei Michkov, RW – Philadelphia Flyers

In five years when we revisit this I would not be surprised if Michkov is the second overall player ranked, but the reasons why he is only fourth have more to do with term. Signed in the KHL for three more seasons we will have to wait on Michkov, but when he comes over as a matured 21-year-old on a three-year ELC he will be the best bang for his buck in dynasty capped leagues.

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 06: Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi (23) skates with the puck during the NHL game between Minnesota Wild and Boston Bruins on January 6, 2022, at TD Garden in Boston, MA. (Photo by M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire)

Marco Rossi, C – Minnesota Wild

Rossi suffered a major setback in his development with a life-threatening bout with COVID. But he now has had two seasons of development in the AHL and after 116 games he has posted 104 points. His NHL production has not materialized through 21 games to date but count on that changing in a big way this year. Rossi is expected to take over the number one spot in Minnesota and if he develops some Chemistry between Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy, look out!

Leo Carlsson, C – Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks surprised a lot of people when they selected Carlsson over Fantilli at the second overall selection at the 2023 Draft. The fact of the matter is that Carlsson is a highly skilled and projectable player. The Ducks can be patient with his development, and he could play another year in the SHL before coming to California. With Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson as a one-two punch down the middle, the Ducks have elite center depth for a long time.

Lukas Reichel, LW/RW – Chicago Blackhawks

After two seasons of development in the AHL, Reichel is ready for prime time, and his timing couldn’t be better. While expectations are Taylor Hall will get the first crack at shot gun with Bedard, Reichel could easily win one of the wing roles on the top line and flirt with a 50–60-point season.

Matthew Knies, LW – Toronto Maple Leafs

Leaf Nation had some lofty expectations for Knies, and he did not disappoint. He quickly became a key member of the Leafs top six and offense in a playoff series with Tampa. With a cap friendly ELC contract, he is an ideal fit on a top six line in Toronto with their prolific offense. Knies brings some size and physicality in addition to his soft hands and dangerous shot. Knies will be a stud in multi-cat leagues.

Shane Wright, C – Seattle Kraken

While it was a struggle in his D+1 year with highs and lows ranging from a regular healthy scratch, to captaining Canada to WJC Gold, and returning to the OHL. When the dust settled, he gained valuable development in the NHL, AHL, OHL and internationally and now Seattle has the option to play Wright full time in the AHL. In time Wright and Beniers will be a formidable one-two punch down the middle for Seattle, but Wright likely needs one more year before he wins a top six role with the Kraken.

Dylan Guenther, LW/RW – Arizona Coyotes

Playing in only 33 NHL games last year barely allows Guenther to remain eligible for this list. His 15 points last year was good, but not enough to stay in the show. He was loaned to Canada for the WJC and posted 10 points before returning to the WHL to help Seattle to a WHL Championship. With Cooley signing it gives an additional boost to Guenther’s value.

SAINT PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 08: Dallas Stars Center Logan Stankoven (57) looks on during the NHL game between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild, on October 8th, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Logan Stankoven, C – Dallas Stars

Stankoven has dominated in the WHL and the international stage alike. He kept pace with Connor Bedard at the WJC showing he can play with elite players and pace. Stankoven will be turning pro this year and could likely skip the AHL on a lot of NHL teams, but Dallas has some depth and can be patient with this stud.

Jakob Pelletier, LW – Calgary Flames

It’s has been a long time coming for the 2019 first round pick of the Flames, but after scoring 99 points in 101 career AHL games, the time is now for Pelletier to get a real look at the NHL. The coaching change in Calgary should be another green light for Pelletier to not only make the team but crack the Flames top six.

Ryan Leonard, C/LW – Washington Capitals

The Boston College commit will likely be a one-and-done player before he signs his ELC. Drawing comparisons to the Tkachuk brothers as he plays a rambunctious game but has high end skill and hockey sense. The Capitals can be patient with their top prospect and slow cook him, but he is more instant noodle than slow cooker and can be an impact player for them next year.

William Eklund, LW – San Jose Sharks

Eklund nearly cracked the Sharks roster in his D+1 season with a strong nine game showing before he was loaned back to the SHL. Last year he made the move to North America and played mainly in the AHL posting 41 points through 54 games. He could be ready to not only win a roster spot with the Sharks to start the season but will compete for a top six role.

Frank Nazar, C/RW – Chicago Blackhawks

Nazar missed all but 13 games in his freshman year at Michigan due to injury. He had a strong showing at the World Junior Summer Showcase and is a lock for Team USA. He will return to Michigan and be a star player for the Wolverine and could even finish the year in Chicago if he signs his ELC. His fantasy stock is about to get a massive boost.

Jimmy Snuggerud, C – St. Louis Blues

It is too early to do a redraft of the 2022 draft, but if we do, Jimmy Snuggerud would likely be inside the top ten, well above where the Blues selected him 23^rd overall. A massive freshman season with the University of Minnesota where he scored 50 points in 40 games on arguably the top line in the NCAA with Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies. Cooley and Knies are now gone, can Snuggerud produce the same or better without those two?

Zach Benson, RW – Buffalo Sabres

Speaking of redrafting too soon, Benson fell to Buffalo at pick 13 because he is undersized. I think when we redraft the 2023 class, he will be inside the top ten, closer to top five. He has hands, vision and deception in his game that scream NHL ready. He plays a two-way game and is highly competitive. He is a few years away, but the upside is top six.

Cutter Gauthier, C/LW – Philadelphia Flyers

The big winger had an impressive freshman year at Boston College scoring 37 points in 32 games and ten more points at the WJ and then nine points at the World Championship. He will return to B.C. where the Eagles will add the NTDP trio of Will Smith, Ryan Leonard, and Gabe Perreault to the fold. Big things are coming with Gauthier.

Matt Coronato, RW/LW – Calgary Flames

After posting back-to-back 36-point seasons in the NCAA at Harvard Coronato signed and made his NHL debut last year. He may be short at 5-10, but he is not a small player. He is strong and can play physically but his game is all about scoring goals.

Alexander Holtz, LW – New Jersey Devils

The seventh overall pick from the 2020 draft is now starting to trend in the wrong direction. Holtz is a sniper and has had two full seasons of development in North America. It looked like last year was when he would breakout, but he only managed four points in 19 games with the Devils. Still only 21 years old he has time but really needs to address the skating and pace to reach an NHL top six role.

Mavrik Bourque, C – Dallas Stars

Bourque had a good AHL rookie season with 20 goals and 47 points. He has some work to do however before he can compete to crack the Stars roster with their depth.

Brennan Othmann, LW – New York Rangers

Othmann finished his junior career in the OHL on a playoff run with the Petes that ended with a Championship and a Memorial Cup run. He has size and speed and skill, and scores clutch goals. A year in the AHL is in the cards for Othmann but he has top six upside in a year or two.

Will Smith, C – San Jose Sharks

The slick and skilled center had 127 points in 60 games with the NTDP in his draft year. That was not a typo. Headed to Boston College with the entire NTDP record breaking line with Perreault and Leonard, the trio could have a ridiculous freshman year. Smith has some work to do on his defensive game but should develop into the Sharks number one center with Eklund on his wing.

Jiri Kulich, C – Buffalo Sabres

Kulich scored 24 goals and 46 points as a rookie in the AHL and had nine points for Czechia at the WJC. His game got better as the season went on and in the AHL playoffs he scored 11 points in 12 games. He will have to play another year in the AHL and wait for some contracts to expire on the Sabres roster, but he is very close.

Tyson Foerster, RW – Philadelphia Flyers

His AHL rookie season was a smashing success as he scored 20 goals and 48 points in 66 games. But what was far more impressive was his late season NHL recall where he played eight games with the Flyers and scored seven points. He is NHL ready now.

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 28: Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) skates with the puck during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Nashville Predators on March 28, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Luke Evangelista, RW – Nashville Predators

Perhaps one of the players with the biggest rise in stock this year was Evangelista. Sure, he scored 111 points in his final 62 career OHL games, but 41 points in 49 AHL games as a rookie was very impressive. Even more spectacular was he earned an NHL recall and scored there too, 15 points in 24 games. He has arrived.

Ridly Greig, C/LW – Ottawa Senators

His breakout performance at the WJC was cut short due to injury, but he picked up where he left off as a rookie in the AHL scoring 29 points in 39 games in Belleville. His play earned him an NHL recall and he did not look out of place posting nine points in 20 NHL games. He is ready.

Matthew Savoie, C – Buffalo Sabres

Savoie is a prolific scorer as he has back-to-back 90-point seasons in the WHL with Winnipeg and went on a tear in the playoffs last year scoring 11 goals and 29 points in 19 games. He is undersized but he can play.

Nick Robertson, LW – Toronto Maple Leafs

Injuries have plagued Robertson, who otherwise may have been playing out his ELC inside the Leafs top six. At 21-years-old he has missed a lot of development playing 82 games over the past three seasons. He needs to have a full, healthy year.

Brendan Brisson, LW/RW – Vegas Golden Knights

The Michigan alumni had a good AHL rookie season scoring 37 points in 58 games for the Silver Knights. He will be back in the AHL and should see marked improvement in his production. He is coming.

Defense

Luke Hughes, LD – New Jersey Devils

The youngest of the Huges brothers but the biggest at 6’ 2”, 183 pounds may have the highest upside. He produced at the NCAA, World Junior, and World Championship. He has two points in his two-game debut to end the year in the NHL and will play his rookie season in the NHL in the coming season. The only thing in his way from being the top offensive player right away is Dougie Hamilton.

Brandt Clarke, RD – Los Angeles Kings

Clark started the year in the NHL and after nine games with the Kings and five in the AHL he was loaned to Canada where he dominated the World Junior. Then he was returned to the OHL, and it was ridiculous as he scored 23 points in 12 playoff games. He is ready for the NHL.

Lane Hutson, LD – Montreal Canadiens

His 48-point freshman season was comparable to Cale Makar’s Hobey Baker winning sophomore year. Hutson also played key roles for the USA at the WJC and World Championships. He will return to Boston University to play with his brother and should sign following his sophomore year. Hutson has elite upside.

David Jiricek, RD – Columbus Blue Jackets

Jiricek had a tremendous D+1 season as an 18-year-old AHL rookie playing key minutes for the Monsters and scoring 38 points. His play at the WJC helped lead Czechia to a Silver Medal and he looks ready for the NHL now. His point upside may not be as elite, but he is 6’ 3”, mobile and great defensively. He is a franchise defenseman.

ELMONT, NY - OCTOBER 06: New Jersey Devils Defenseman Simon Nemec (5) during the first period of the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders on October 6, 2022, at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire)

Simon Nemec, RD – New Jersey Devils

Nemec is every bit as good as Jiricek, he had a superb D+1 year as an AHL rookie scoring 34 points and was a point per game player at the WJC. His path to a number one NHL defender is harder in New Jersey with Hughes and Hamilton blocking him.

Olen Zellweger, LD – Anaheim Ducks

Zellweger has dominated the WHL to the tune of 183 career points in 180 games and was named the CHL Defenseman of the Year. He has dominated the World Junior with two Gold Medals with 17 points in 14 games. He will take his game to the AHL, and chances are he will dominate there as a rookie. He is still a year or two away from being an impact defenseman in the NHL and the Ducks number one on the blueline.

Simon Edvinsson, LD – Detroit Red Wings

After a great AHL rookie campaign Edvinsson moved up to the NHL for a nine-game audition. He was poised to make the Wings roster out of camp to start the season, but an injury will delay that arrival. He may need a short tour in the AHL to get up to speed, but he will compete with Seider for top minutes in Detroit by years end.

Scott Perunovich, LD – St. Louis Blues

By all accounts the 24-year-old should have graduated from this list by now, but three injury plagued seasons and he has been limited to 19 NHL games. His 42 points in 39 career AHL games demands he gets an opportunity to play meaningful minutes in the NHL, he just needs to stay healthy.

Pavel Mintyukov, LD – Anaheim Ducks

The Russian offensive defender saw his production dip slightly after a mid-season trade to the Ottawa 67’s, but his offensive play should translate to the AHL where he will play his rookie season with the Gulls. He has Drysdale and Zellweger ahead of him for now, but his upside is tremendous.

Denton Mateychuk, LD – Columbus Blue Jackets

Mateychuk has similar offensive upside to Mintyukov, but is a little smaller, and has one more year of junior hockey before he turns pro. The 19-year-old should shootout the lights in the WHL and be a key player for Canada at the World Junior.

Kevin Korchinski, LD – Chicago Blackhawks

His stock got a big boost when the Hawks won the Draft lottery and added Connor Bedard. Korchinski is penciled in to be the Hawks powerplay quarterback in three years or so and it is lining up to be elite. The 6’ 3” defender can skate and play a physical game as well.

Alexander Nikishin, LD – Carolina Hurricanes

Perhaps no defense prospect saw their stock rise more last year than Nikishin. His 55-point breakout in 65 games in the KHL commanded the attention of fantasy owners. He has two more years remaining on his contract so we will have to wait a while for the 21-year-old, 6’ 4” Russian stud to come to North America.

Jordan Spence, RD – Los Angeles Kings

The Kings top defensive prospect is Brandt Clarke, but the gap between him and Spence is getting smaller. Spence was a force in the AHL as a rookie posting 42 points in 46 games and played in 24 NHL games. Last year he spent more time developing in the AHL and is looking ready to secure an NHL job out of training camp.

MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 17: Thomas Harley (55) of the Dallas Stars skates during the second period of the NHL game between the Dallas Stars and the Montreal Canadiens on March 17, 2022, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

Thomas Harley, LD – Dallas Stars

The OHL shutdown gave Harley early access to the AHL, and the 21-year-old now has three seasons of professional hockey development under his belt, including 40 NHL career games played. He has NHL ready size, mobility, and offensive acumen. He should be a full-time player in Dallas this year and his role with the team will continue to grow.

Ville Heinola, LD – Winnipeg Jets

The 20^th overall pick from the 2019 draft nearly made the NHL in his D+1 year playing the first eight regular season games with the Jets. Ultimately, he was loaned back to his Liiga club team and since then has split time between the Liiga, AHL, NHL and some international tournaments. His play in the AHL has slowly been improving, but Heinola still has one more year of waiver exemption that likely dictates more AHL time.

Lukas Cormier, LD – Vegas Golden Knights

Cormier was a prolific offensive defenseman in junior and his rookie year in the AHL saw his offensive skill translate to the professional level as he scored 10 goals and 35 points in 62 games for the Silver Knights. Cormier has a rocket of a shot, is a crafty and creative offensive driver but is looking at another year or two in the AHL before he is ready to push for a top pairing role in Vegas.

Henry Thrun, LD – San Jose Sharks

The Ducks 2019 fourth round pick was looking for more opportunity and is assumed was not going to sign in Anaheim as they are loaded with star prospects on defense. He was traded to the Sharks who signed him within a month. The departure of Erik Karlsson has created a massive void on the Sharks roster and Thrun will try to win the job out of training camp as the team’s powerplay quarterback.

Emil Andrae, LD – Philadelphia Flyers

The 5’ 9” defender has been flushing out his resume nicely since his draft leading the J20 in defenseman points and goals, a HockeyAllsvenskan Championship, being named best junior, most goals by a defenseman in the WJC and a Bronze Medal. Last year he had a breakout season in the SHL with 26 points and finished the year in the AHL with a strong showing of six points in 10 games with the Phantoms. He will play a full season in the AHL but is a player on the rise.

Ryker Evans, LD – Seattle Kraken

The Krakens 2021 second round pick had a strong junior career with the Regina Pats, but his stock improved significantly in his rookie AHL season as his role continued to grow all season long. His 44 points in 71 regular season games was great, and it got even better in the playoffs as he produced 26 points in 26 games to help lead Coachella to the finals in their inaugural season. Evans is a prospect on the rise and on the fast track to the NHL.

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, RD – Detroit Red Wings

ASP is a play-driving offensive defenseman with a high hockey sense that allows him to see plays two steps ahead. He is a strong skater, perhaps not a burner, but his edge work makes him very elusive. He has the ability to be a power play QB but with Seider and Edvinsson ahead of him on the depth chart, power play minutes may be hard to come by.

Goalies.

Devon Levi, Buffalo Sabres

The rise of Devon Levi has been spectacular. The seventh-round selection by the Florida Panthers has rocketed up the rankings by cracking the Canadian WJC roster, then winning the starting role. He dominated the NCAA winning the Mike Richter Award as Best Goalie in the NCAA twice. He made his NHL debut after his junior season and posted a 5-2-0 record with a 2.94 GAA and .905 SV%. Eric Comrie and Ukka-Pekka-Luukkonen are both under contract which should force Levi to the AHL as he is waiver exempt, but Levi could outplay them both and win the starting role out of camp. Buffalo is a team on the rise and Levi is on the cusp of becoming an elite goalie.

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild

His first season in the AHL showed plenty of promise as he made the adjustment to North America. After a strong rookie season in Iowa with a 18-15-5 record, he closed the year at the World Championship with Sweden winning all three games with a 0.67 GAA against some of the lesser teams. With one more year remaining on M-A Fleury’s contract, Wallstedt likely has another year of AHL time before he is a full-time NHL goalie.

VANCOUVER, BC - SEPTEMBER 25: Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) in net during their preseason NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on September 25, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames

You could easily make the argument that Wolf is the number one on this list. The two-time AHL Goalie of the Year winner has been outstanding as a pro goalie. He lacks some international experience and has both Jacob Markstrom and Dan Vladar signed for two years ahead of him in Calgary, but his performance speaks for itself. The Flames can be patient with the 22-year-old future franchise goalie as he could be one of the teams’ all-time greats.

Yaroslav Askarov, Nashville Predators

Askarov has been an elite prospect for years now, but my concern with him has been the low volume of games he was playing in Russia. Last year he came to North America and played 48 games for Milwaukee in the AHL and was outstanding as the undisputed starting goalie. His adjustment to North America and a starting goalie workload erased any potential doubt he can and will be an NHL starting goalie. Look for Askarov to get a few more cups of coffee in the NHL this year and be a full time NHL player in 2024-25.

Joel Hofer, St. Louis Blues

Hofer has rather quietly assembled a remarkable resume which includes a WHL Championship, Gold Medals at the World Championship and World Junior where he was the Best Goaltender. In his two seasons of AHL development his record is 49-36-13 with a 2.78 GAA and .912 SV%. Hofer is penciled in to start the year in the NHL as the backup to an aging and declining Jordan Binnington. It is just a matter of time before Hofer usurps him as the starting goalie.

Drew Commesso, Chicago Blackhawks

Commesso showed good development in his three years as the Boston Terriers starting goalie in the NCAA and posted a strong 24-8-0 record in his final year. His path towards an NHL starting role looks promising as he should be the starting goalie as a rookie in the AHL with Rockford and the Hawks goalie depth is very weak outside Commesso and Arvid Soderblom.

Sebastian Cossa, Detroit Red Wings

The wait time on the Wings 2021 first round pick is a little longer. After a dominant career in the WHL, he spent the majority of his rookie season as a pro in the ECHL with Toledo where he got starting minutes. The 6’ 6” netminder will graduate to the AHL and will be mentored by veteran Alex Lyon.

Justus Annunen, Colorado Avalanche

The 6’ 4” Finnish goalie had strong numbers from the Liiga but stumbled in his rookie season in the AHL. He made adjustments in his sophomore season and saw marked improvements across the board. The 23-year-old will play his third season in the AHL and be the first option for an NHL recall if injuries require relief.

Lukas Dostal, Anaheim Ducks

This will be a key year for Dostal to establish himself as an NHL goalie. The Ducks likely go with a three-headed-monster in goal with John Gibson, Alex Stalock, and Dostal to allow Calle Clang to get the starting role in the AHL. Injuries will certainly force Gibson to miss some time and Dostal could seize the starting job in Anaheim sooner than later.

Daniil Tarasov, Columbus Blue Jackets

Tarasov has struggled with injuries since coming to North America but put 28 games on the board last year between the AHL and NHL. Both teams were bottom dwellers in the standings, so his numbers were not overly impressive. Tarasov will share the NHL crease this year with Elvis Merzlikins as his backup but could see a healthy number of starts if he plays well.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK: The Top 24 Calder Trophy Candidates for 2024

Brock Otten — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 23:27:38 +0000

Connor Bedard. Photo by Keith Hershmiller.

Connor Bedard - Chicago Blackhawks

The Hawks have insulated the recent first overall pick with some veteran wingers to help his transition to the NHL. They won’t get in the way of Bedard receiving all the ice time that he can handle. For that reason, in combination with his insanely high talent level, Bedard has to be entering the season as the favourite to capture this year’s Calder trophy.

2. Logan Cooley - Arizona Coyotes

Cooley was thought to be returning to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore season despite being nominated for the Hobey Baker award. But a midsummer change of heart had him turn pro and now he’s poised to push Connor Bedard as the frontrunner for the Calder. Cooley likely steps right into Arizona’s lineup as their first line center and his rookie season should end up being pretty similar to Matty Beniers’ Calder winning performance from last year.

3. Luke Hughes - New Jersey Devils

In New Jersey’s final game of the season last year, a 3-2 loss against Carolina in the playoffs, Hughes played over 25 minutes. This was only a month after signing with the Devils. That tells you all you need to know about how New Jersey sees Hughes as an immediate piece of their roster. Even with Dougie Hamilton likely holding down the top powerplay QB spot, Hughes should still get his share of opportunity.

4. Adam Fantilli - Columbus Blue Jackets

Was there ever any doubt that the recent third overall pick and Hobey Baker winner would turn pro this season? I don’t believe so. No offence to Boone Jenner and Jack Roslovic, but there’s a very real chance that Fantilli enters the coming season as Columbus’ first line center. The opportunity is ripe for him to be among the leading Calder candidates.

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10: Buffalo Sabres Goalie Devon Levi (27) blocks a shot on goal during the National Hockey League game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers on April 10, 2023 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)

5. Devon Levi - Buffalo Sabres

All eyes were on Buffalo this offseason to see if they would bring in a veteran goaltender to help the Sabres take that next step as a playoff team. They did not. That means that the starter’s job is Devon Levi’s to lose. It was evident when he signed (and subsequently started all the important games down the stretch), but Buffalo seems content with that. We’ve had a goalie finish in the top five of Calder voting the last five seasons and Levi certainly looks to have the best chance to be that guy this season.

6. Brandt Clarke - Los Angeles Kings

Similar to Luke Hughes’ situation in New Jersey, Clarke’s powerplay time is blocked by a veteran in Drew Doughty. However, that doesn’t mean that Clarke can’t be a productive offensive player and be afforded unique opportunities to impact the game offensively. There’s still a path for him to crack the team’s top four and Clarke is talented enough to be an impact player at even strength.

7. Luke Evangelista - Nashville Predators

Even with the signings of Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist, the Predators should still have room for Evangelista in their top nine, especially given how well he played late last season. He has 15 points in 24 games, narrowly keeping his Calder eligibility. It might be shocking to see him ranked this high, but among rookies who played more than 20 games last year, only Matty Beniers, Matias Maccelli, and Lukas Reichel had more points per game.

8. Shane Wright - Seattle Kraken

Part of me is skeptical that Wright should be ranked this highly given Seattle’s sudden surge as a playoff contender and the likelihood that they remain patient with his development. That said, Wright is one of the top prospects outside of the NHL for a reason. If he comes to camp and performs well, they’ll find a spot and role for him in their top nine.

9. Marco Rossi - Minnesota Wild

Rossi struggled mightily in his 19-game stint in the NHL last year, but he was an impact player in the AHL with Iowa. A notoriously hard worker, Rossi should come back hungry for a permanent spot this season and there are some forward spots, especially down the middle, up for grabs in Minnesota. Should he crack the top nine, he’ll be flanked by some pretty good wingers and would have a chance to be among the league’s rookie scoring leaders.

10. Lukas Dostal - Anaheim Ducks

Dostal’s likelihood of being a Calder contender will depend on what Anaheim decides to do with John Gibson. Do they move on from Gibson at some point this year, giving the keys to the starter’s role to Dostal, one of the team’s top prospects? He played OK in 19 games last year as Gibson’s back-up, however is Anaheim likely to be good enough to help Dostal post the kind of stats needed to be a Calder candidate?

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 27: Toronto Maple Leafs Winger Matthew Knies (23) skates with the puck during the Round 1 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 5 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 27, 2023, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire)

11. Matthew Knies - Toronto Maple Leafs

Knies probably would have been higher on this list if not for the signings of Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi. Knies was a standout in limited action late last year after signing his ELC and the thought was that he could end up playing the Michael Bunting role this year alongside Austen Matthews, however, that appears to be more of a stretch now. Still, Knies deserves mention here as someone who could still play a solid role for a good team.

12. Kevin Korchinski - Chicago Blackhawks

If Korchinki plays well in camp, he seems all but destined to crack the Chicago roster this year, a team thin on the back end. While Seth Jones is likely to swallow up a lot of powerplay time, the Blackhawks would be wise to create opportunities for him if they keep him. Korchinski is incredibly talented, so if he gets ice time, he should put up points.

13. David Jiricek - Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a tough one. On paper, there just isn’t much room for Jiricek. The Jackets brought in Damon Severson and Ivan Provorov this offseason and Zach Werenski will be returning from a shoulder injury. But the former 6th overall pick was so good in the AHL last year with Cleveland. If he comes to camp and looks ready, the Jackets are likely to make room for him.

14. Pavel Mintyukov - Anaheim Ducks

Speaking of opportunities on the back end, don’t look for the likes of Colton White or Robert Hagg to block Mintyukov if he performs well in camp. Powerplay time might be a different animal altogether with Cam Fowler and Jamie Drysdale around, but there is a clear opportunity here for Mintyukov to get significant ice time. Like some of the other defenders on this list, Mintyukov is simply too talented to ignore.

15. Tyson Foerster - Philadelphia Flyers

Foerster has a very clear opportunity to earn a spot inside the top six of the Flyers this season, especially after performing so well in a cup of coffee last year. His game has improved by leaps and bounds in the last calendar year and he is someone who could be among the league’s leading rookie scorers at season’s end.

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 03: Rochester Americans right wing Jiri Kulich (25) on the ice during the first period of the American Hockey League game between the Rochester Americans and Cleveland Monsters on December 3, 2022, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

16. Jiri Kulich - Buffalo Sabres

Is there actually a spot for Kulich on this year’s Sabres? I’m pretty skeptical. But all it takes is one injury and Kulich would be the first guy up after his tremendous AHL rookie season and Calder Cup playoff performance. If he can find a way into the top nine or on the secondary powerplay unit, he could produce some solid numbers. The likelihood is low, but the upside is so, so high.

17. Matthew Coronato - Calgary Flames

It seems very likely that one of Coronato or Jakob Pelletier will get an opportunity to play a significant role with the Flames this year. There is room and likely even that expectation. One might think Pelletier would have the leg up given his pro experience, but Coronato is the better player, in my opinion and this ranking reflects that.

18. Fabian Lysell - Boston Bruins

There is still so much uncertainty surrounding the Bruins this year as of writing this. Will Bergeron be back? How much do they expect Van Riemsdyk, Geekie, or Lucic to contribute? Lysell’s first pro season was incredibly erratic. Maybe Merkulov would have the inside track at a spot over Lysell? However, Lysell’s a hyped, high selection with a ton of talent. If he makes the team, it would be in a significant role and that would likely mean a chance at significant production.

19. Pavel Dorofeyev - Vegas Golden Knights

After scoring seven goals in 18 games last year, during a short stint, there’s no way that Dorofeyev does not crack the Vegas roster this year in some capacity. This is especially true given that he would require waivers in order to be sent to the AHL. That kind of production stretched out to a full season would be a 30-goal season. That’s obviously far-fetched, but not completely outside of the realm of possibility.

20. Ridly Greig - Ottawa Senators

Can Josh Norris bounce back and maintain his health? That’s one question bound to be prevalent at Ottawa training camp this year. One of the main beneficiaries of Norris’ injury was Greig, who had a very good first pro season split between Ottawa and Belleville. It seems very likely that Greig will make the Senators full time in some capacity, but just how much of a role he’ll have remains to be seen.

21. Jakob Pelletier - Calgary Flames

As mentioned, it seems very likely that one of Coronato or Pelletier finds themselves with a significant role in Calgary’s offense this year. Pelletier’s 24 games last year make him just barely eligible still and, at this point, he’s proven all he can at the AHL level as an offensive leader. Thus far he has struggled to make that jump, but this year could be very different.

22. Leo Carlsson - Anaheim Ducks

This ranking represents the fact that I believe it is most likely that Carlsson will return to the SHL for another season with Orebro before making the jump to Anaheim. The recent second overall pick would be much higher if it were likely that he would stick with the Ducks. However, Anaheim has no reason to rush him and allowing him to return to the SHL to become a dominant player there first seems like the best spot for his development.

23. Pyotr Kochetkov - Carolina Hurricanes

While Kochetkov is no longer eligible for our top prospect list (due to games played), he is somehow still barely eligible for the Calder. Carolina’s top young netminder will need a lot to go his way (in terms of injuries to veterans or poor play from them) to play enough to be in the conversation, however, if he does play enough…he could be a top contender.

24. Raphael Lavoie - Edmonton Oilers

The last player to make this list, look for Lavoie to push for a roster spot in Edmonton this year, likely over the more hyped Xavier Bourgault. Lavoie’s development took a very positive turn in the second half of last year’s AHL season and he could very easily find himself in Edmonton’s top nine to start the year.

Honourable Mentions: Marco Kasper (DET), Simon Nemec (NJ), Joakim Kemell (NSH), Simon Edvinsson (DET), Brock Faber (MIN), Hendrix Lapierre (WSH), Ryker Evans (SEA), Cole Guttman (CHI), Danil Gushchin (SJ), David Reinbacher (MTL), Aatu Raty (VAN), Yegor Sokolov (OTT), Dalibor Dvorsky (STL)

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #11 Columbus Blue Jackets

Josh Bell — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:43:26 +0000

Jarmo Kekäläinen celebrated his 10th anniversary as GM in February and has enjoyed some success in that time, but his team have missed the playoffs since the shortened pandemic season. They started this season with some optimism after landing the most sought-after free agent in Johnny Gaudreau. The season quickly unraveled as they were devastated by injuries, leading the league in man games lost by February by a large margin. The lost season returned another high draft pick, giving them two picks in the first round.

Kekäläinen has built his current team largely through the draft and development, including five first round picks in the last two. The reason they fell from 4^th last season to 11^th this year is because of one of the more impressive graduating classes this year and last. They saw 21-year-old Kent Johnson, their 6^th overall pick from 2021, earn a full-time role on the club. Kirill Marchenko (22) a second rounder who saw a rapid development and fired 21 goals as a rookie also made the step to the pros. They were joined by Liam Foudy (23) and Tim Bern (23). Last season saw 12th overall pick in 2021 Cole Sillinger graduate, and he now has 143 NHL games under his belt. That year also saw Yegor Chinakhov (22), picked 21^st overall, move up to the NHL. At the 2022 draft they added two blue chip defenders at 6^th and 12^th overall in David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk respectively. They are joined by fellow first rounder Corson Ceulemans and rapidly rising third round pick Stanislav Svozil on an enviable defensive pool. While that young group will still need time to gel and mature, look for Columbus to improve on the ice next season with bigger goals down the road.

CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 24: Cleveland Monsters defenceman David Jiricek (55) shoots during the second period of the American Hockey League game between the Toronto Marlies and Cleveland Monsters on March 24, 2023, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

David Jiricek

If the 2022 NHL Draft were to be re-drafted today, it’s hard to imagine David Jiricek not hearing his name called in the top two. The Czech defender made the transition from his homeland to the AHL immediately following the draft. He’s been one of the best rookies and one of the most productive defenders in the entire league this season, even getting his first taste of NHL action in two games. He takes charge in transition, leading exits and entries for his team thanks to his strong crossovers and mobility. He has an absolute cannon of a shot, can play with a physical edge, and tends to dictate play every time he hits the ice. He can get caught taking risks, but despite the level that he’s playing at, he’s still very young. There’s lots of time for development in front of him. He’s making it very easy to project him as a top-line defender.

2. Denton Mateychuk

Not long after selecting Jiricek at 6th overall, the Blue Jackets were back up to the podium to call another defender’s name, Denton Mateychuk. The defender is in his second full season in the WHL with the Moose Jaw Warriors and was named team captain to start the year. He’s an excellent skater, not afraid to jump up into the rush as a fourth attacker for his team. You’ll rarely see him make a mistake or turn the puck over. He’s just so matter-of-fact and confident in his play. Even on the defensive side of the puck, he’s incredibly difficult to beat thanks to his positioning and active stick. Like Jiricek, it’s not hard to picture Mateychuk in the NHL, he’s built as a modern defender. Projecting him as a top-four, PP1 rearguard seems like a safe bet and the top two is very much within reach.

3. Corson Ceulemans

The Blue Jackets have put a large focus into drafting defenders recently, looking especially at high upside. Corson Ceulemans is just that, a defenseman with a very high ceiling. Selected 25th overall in 2021 out of the AJHL, he made the jump to the NCAA in 2021-22, where he stepped in very well as an offensive rearguard. Especially this season on a struggling Wisconsin team, he stood out as a top player. Two seasons was enough for Ceulemans who signed with the Blue Jackets and recently joined the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. He’s an athletic, aggressive defender that loves to get involved in the play and take risks. He can get caught often though and relies on his long stride to catch up - which likely won’t bail him out as much as he moves up. If he can pick his opportunities better, he could be a strong, offensive top-four D.

4. Stanislav Svozil

Yet another defender in this farm system, Stanislav Svozil has had an up-and-down development path, including a dip in his stock during his draft year. That worked out well for the Blue Jackets, selecting him 69th overall in 2021. Since then, he joined WHL’s Regina Pats, and his stock has been rising substantially. He was a top defender at the 2023 World Juniors and a large part of why Team Czechia earned a silver medal. Even while playing with Connor Bedard, Svozil has shown that he has the ability to dictate play, leading the rush from his own end. His confidence has been increasingly growing, not afraid to join the transition or jump up into the play. His defensive game and decision-making look better and better with each game, putting him in a position to be a top-four NHL defender in the future.

5. Dmitri Voronkov

The first forward on the Blue Jackets’ list, Dmitri Voronkov might be one of the most NHL-ready forwards out there. At 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, the Russian forward knows how to utilize his size well after pushing men around in the KHL for four seasons already. On top of that, he’s already participated in the World Juniors, World Championship, and Olympics for Team Russia. He plays hard with or without the puck, making his presence felt whenever he’s on the ice. There’s nothing spectacular about his game, he’s just a well-rounded player. And to further that, nothing is glaring that will hold him back from making the NHL. His skating isn’t the prettiest, and the ceiling isn’t that high, but he still seems like a safe bet. He’s not going to be a highlight-reel or top-offensive player but likely fits into a consistent bottom-six role.

6. Jordan Dumais

The Blue Jackets might have hit a home run in the 2022 NHL Draft when they selected Jordan Dumais 96th overall. He was coming off his sophomore season with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads, and a 109-point performance. Still, there were concerns about his 5-foot-9, 174-pound frame and his skating mechanics. But Dumais continued to push forward, capping off a 140-point season this year, second behind only Connor Bedard in the entire CHL. There’s no question that the skill is there. There’s also no question that the work ethic is there, which more often than not can carry a skilled player to the NHL. He has an excellent shot, great hands, and solid vision to go with it. The skating issues in his stride can be improved with development - it’s not a deal breaker. He should be a middle-six contributor in the NHL if he doesn’t reach the top six.

7. Luca Del Bel Belluz

Luca Del Bel Belluz has been a bit of a polarizing prospect ever since his draft year. Selected in the 2022 NHL Draft, 44th overall, there must be something that has stood out to the Blue Jackets because not only did they draft him, but they signed him to his entry-level deal not long after. Del Bel Belluz spent two and half seasons with the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads (it would have been three and a half if not for the cancelled season), before being traded to the Sarnia Sting this season. He’s been a solid contributor and plays a fine game. There doesn’t seem to be that one, high-end quality to pin on him that most prospects need to excel at the higher levels. He does have quick hands and shows off some strong passing, but there’s a lack of flow in his game that is concerning. The ceiling of a middle-six contributor is there but might be high for the prospect.

8. Guillaume Richard

A Canadian that opted for the NCAA route, Guillaume Richard has now spent two seasons with Providence College, also appearing for Team Canada twice with the U17 and U18 teams. While his numbers don’t show it, he’s a strong rush defender thanks to his skating ability and his offensive awareness. He’s played better in the last two seasons than his production suggests, but it’s likely that his offensive ceiling at the next level remains relatively low. Instead, look for him to be a solid puck mover that leans a little more defensively, using his long reach and positioning to get in the right places at the right time. Especially with the other defenders in the prospect pool, that’s a good role for Richard to mould himself to excel at the next level. He needs to build strength, but there’s a bottom-two or call-up NHL defender here.

9. James Malatesta

The Blue Jackets have shown that they aren’t afraid to bet on talent over size and selecting James Malatesta 133rd overall in the 2021 NHL Draft is proof of that. Now four seasons into his QMJHL career with the Quebec Remparts, the forward has proven to be a no-quit, fearless player that plays the game at a fast pace with or without the puck on his stick. His stats through junior have been good but not eye-popping, but he does seem like a player that will just get better and better at each level. While he can make some poor decisions with the puck or in terms of his positioning, there’s a solid base of a prospect here that the Blue Jackets should be able to mould into a bottom-six NHLer, that could play up the lineup if needed. He’s already signed his entry-level deal, so look for him to stand out next season with the Cleveland Monsters.

10. Samuel Knazko

Selected in 2020, 78th overall, Samuel Knazko was coming off a strong second season in the U20 SM-liiga. He spent two more seasons there with TPS U20, before heading overseas to the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. With an impressive first season in North America checked off his list, he shifted to the AHL this season where he’s been adjusting well to the pace and speed of the game. He’s also already played in the Olympics and World Championships with Team Slovakia. With the plethora of offensive defenders in the system, don’t sleep on just how valuable Knazko could be to the team’s future. He defends the rush very well, angling out attackers and getting his stick in the lanes. He can play with a physical edge and seems comfortable with the puck on his stick as well. He could slide into a future bottom-four role, likely bottom-two, as a defence-first piece.

AHL: BELL – 10 Rookie of the Year Contenders at Midseason

Josh Bell — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 20:15:20 +0000

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 19: San Jose Sharks center Thomas Bordeleau (23) carries the puck during the NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 19, 2022 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire)

The AHL is a stepping stone for many prospects to the NHL. It’s a huge test to see how they can handle the speed, the physicality, and for some, the North American game.

This season, there’s an excellent crop of rookies in the league. Some are stepping into the league right from the 2022 NHL Draft and some have taken a very long route to get to this point. No matter how they got here, there’s a large group of rookies that have not only settled in quickly but are standouts in the league. They’re making their case for the NHL and look well on their way to getting there.

The midpoint of the season provides an excellent sample size for these first-year prospects. Here are 10 AHL skaters that look to be in contention for the 2022-23 Red Garrett Award for Rookie of the Year.

Nick Abruzzese, LW, Toronto Marlies

The long road for Nick Abruzzese to the NHL looks to be getting close. Drafted back in 2019, 124th overall, from the USHL’s Chicago Steel, the forward then took the NCAA route, playing three seasons with Harvard University, captaining the team in 2021-22 - his final season. He then made the jump to the NHL, playing nine games and potting one goal. He also dressed for Team USA at the Olympics, potting four points (one goal, three assists) in four games.

Starting this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs organization felt comfortable enough to send Abruzzese to the AHL to allow him to continue to develop. It’s turned out to be an excellent choice, as he’s been a top rookie in the league this season. He has 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 42 games, good for third among rookies and fourth on the Toronto Marlies.

Getting deeper into the numbers, he sits eighth among rookies in game score* per game (GS/G) at 0.70. His relative goals for percentage (GF%rel), meaning the difference in team goals when the skater is on the ice versus when they’re not, is 13.4%. He’s having a great season and is making a huge impact for the Marlies.

Matej Blumel, LW, Texas Stars

It’s been no secret that Matej Blumel has popped this season, much to the dismay of Edmonton Oilers fans. Blumel was selected 100th overall in 2019 by the Oilers from the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks. The following season, he went back home to Czechia where he spent the next three seasons. The Oilers chose not to sign him to an entry-level deal, leaving him a free agent. The Dallas Stars jumped on the opportunity and Blumel has run with it.

He shot out of the gate with a seven-game point streak, amassing 11 points (five goals, six assists) in that time. His play earned him a November call-up to Dallas for six games, where he scored his first NHL goal. Being sent back to the AHL, he’s now up to 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 30 games played. He sits fifth among AHL rookies in points per game (Pt/G) at 0.83 and despite his absence during his call-up, still sits tied for tenth among rookie scorers.

He has a GS/G of 0.83, good for third among all rookies, and his GF%rel is 5.9%. Blumel has already had a look at the NHL level and while the AHL looks like the place for him to stay this season, the Stars have to be happy with how this free agent signing gamble has paid off so far. A roster spot on the NHL roster in 2023-24 looks to be within his sights.

Thomas Bordeleau, C, San Jose Barracuda

The San Jose Sharks have had an excellent run drafting in recent years, starting with the 2020 class. With their second selection, 38th overall, they landed Thomas Bordeleau from the USNTDP. After two extremely successful years with the University of Michigan in the NCAA, he signed with the Sharks in 2022, getting his first two AHL games and eight NHL games under his belt - looking comfortable at both levels.

After nearly making the opening lineup this season, the Sharks put development first and sent the highly touted prospect to the AHL, along with another top prospect, William Eklund. Bordeleau has played 42 games this season, collecting 29 points (18 goals, 11 assists) over that time. That point total is eighth among rookies and third on the San Jose Barracuda. His goal totals are first among rookies though and tied for 10th among all skaters. His performance this season earned him a spot in the AHL All-Star Game.

Bordeleau and Eklund have had very similar stat lines this season. Eklund has 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists). Bordeleau, however, has 0.6 primary points per game (P1/G) (fifth among rookies) versus Eklund with 0.48 (16th). Even down to the analytics, these two are strangely close. Bordeleau just takes the edge in GS/G with 0.69 (ninth among rookies) over Eklund’s 0.65 (13th). Eklund comes out on top in GF%rel at 24.1% (fourth among rookies) to Bordeleau’s 16.3% (14th). Both have been extremely impressive this season and the Sharks have a bright future, but Bordeleau gets the nod here.

Lukas Cormier, D, Henderson Silver Knights

The first of just two defenders on this list, Lukas Cormier is quietly putting together a very impressive season. Selected by the Vegas Golden Knights 68th overall in 2020, Cormier followed that up with two Defender of the Year awards in the QMJHL while leading all defenders in points in both years. Jumping to the AHL in 2022-23, expectations were high.

The defender has met those expectations and then some though, putting together a stat line of 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) in 38 games. The Henderson Silver Knights have struggled this season, but Cormier has been a bright spot on the team. He sits fourth on the team in points. Among rookie defenders he leads in goals, is third in assists, and sits second in points. He’s tied for 15th in points for all rookie skaters.

His P1/G (0.42) is second for all rookie defenders. Cormier has a GS/G of 0.59, 19th on the all-rookie list, and third versus rookie defensemen. His 16.7% GF%rel is 11th for all rookies and sixth for rookie defenders. On a team that is 16-25-3 on the season, Cormier has truly been standing out.

Luke Evangelista, RW, Milwaukee Admirals

Another 2020 draftee, Luke Evangelista was selected 42nd overall by the Nashville Predators from the London Knights in the OHL. Due to the COVID-19 shutdown of the OHL in 2020-21, Evangelista jumped the development line and played 14 AHL games for the Chicago Wolves, getting four assists and a taste for the league. He went back to the O in 2021-22, putting up 111 points (55 goals, 56 assists) in 62 games, and setting the stage for a return to the AHL in 2022-23.

After that 111-point performance, it’s safe to say that expectations were high. The forward has met those expectations, recording 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) in 39 games for the Milwaukee Admirals. His assist total leads all rookies and his points are fifth. He’s also tied for the team lead in points and is leading in assists there as well. His performance has been noticed, as he was named as a replacement player for the AHL All-Star Game for the Admirals.

Among all rookies, Evangelista sits seventh in Pt/G at 0.77 and 10th in P1/G with 0.54. His GS/G is near the top of the list, at 0.74, good for fourth. His GF%rel stands out as well, at 21.1%, fifth on the rookie list. Looking at who the top rookie for the Admirals is, you need to include Yaroslav Askarov in that discussion, but among skaters, Evangelista is the clear-cut leader.

Ethen Frank, RW, Hershey Bears

A name you may not have heard of and therefore expected on this list, Ethen Frank might just be the leading forward candidate for the Red Garrett Award at this point in the season. Frank is an undrafted prospect without an NHL contract. The Hersey Bears signed him as a free agent in 2022 as the NCAA top goal scorer (26 goals) from Western Michigan University. He played five AHL games last season, potting his first goal and setting the tone for 2022-23.

Frank sits second among all rookies in points with 31, is tied for first in goals with Bordeleau at 18 and is third in Pt/G (0.94). Looking at P1/G, he’s second on the rookie list at 0.73. With Bordeleau, he’s tied for 10th with all skaters in goals. The undrafted prospect has earned a nod in the AHL All-Star Game this season.

The USHL’s Lincoln Stars alum is leading all rookies in both GS/G (0.98) and GF%rel (29.2%). His GS/G is 14th and GF%rel is 11th among all skaters in the league. Frank’s contract is a one-year AHL deal for 2022-23, but with his play this season, it’s hard to imagine the Washington Capitals not gambling on his with an NHL deal.

David Jiricek, D, Cleveland Monsters

The second and last defender on the list, David Jiricek is very much in consideration for Rookie of the Year as well and might be the frontrunner. After just being selected sixth overall this past summer by the Columbus Blue Jackets, the rearguard jumped overseas from Czechia and has immediately made a huge impact. After spending the past two seasons in the top men’s Czech league, Jiricek was ready for the challenge of the AHL.

Jiricek has collected 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in just 25 games this season. His 0.80 Pt/G is fifth all-time and all-time per season, putting him in the company of Erik Karlsson, John Carlson, and Shea Theodore. It’s no surprise that he was honoured as AHL Rookie of the Month in December and to the AHL All-Star Game. He’s also earned a brief call-up to the Blue Jackets, playing in two games.

Among all rookies, the defender is tied with Evangelista for fourth in GS/G (0.74) and third in GF%rel (25.2%). He leads all rookie defenders in both categories as well as Pts/G and P1/G (0.48). He’s equally impressive compared to all defenders in the league, sitting third in GS/G, GF%rel, Pt/G, and fifth in P1/G. The Blue Jackets landed a truly special player in Jiricek and his rookie season in the AHL is proof of that.

Jiri Kulich, RW, Rochester Americans

Drafted in the same class as Jiricek - and the third Czech on this list - Jiri Kulich was selected by the Buffalo Sabres 28th overall last summer. While he may not be among the rookie league leaders in many stats, what’s impressive for both him and Jiricek is their ability to jump to the AHL and succeed in their DY+1 season and their first season in North America. This is no small feat and can’t be overlooked.

Kulich has collected 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 31 games this season with the Rochester Americans. It’s also worth noting that he took a three-week break from the AHL to lead Czechia to a World Junior silver medal where he was named to the All-Star Team. His point totals put him 19th among all rookies, but Kulich is doing it as a U19 player. There have only been three other U19 players in the league this season. Two were sent to the CHL (Shane Wright and Filip Mesar) and Simon Nemec for the Utica Comets. Nemec was the second overall pick in 2022.

Despite his young age, Kulich has created a positive impact every time he hits the ice for the Amerks. He has a 0.58 GS/G, good for 20th in the rookie leaderboard. His GF%rel is 10.2%, putting him at 34th among rookies. Again, as a U19 player, this is extremely impressive. His 0.61 Pt/G currently matches Kevin Fiala’s total from his U19 season, which is promising company to be in.

Fabian Lysell, RW, Providence Bruins

Fabian Lysell is one of the younger players on this list, being drafted only in 2021, 21st overall by the Boston Bruins. After playing in Sweden before that in both the SHL and J20 Nationell, the forward made the jump to North America, spending a season excelling with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. After getting comfortable, he made the jump this season to the AHL.

Casual fans might be a little disappointed in Lysell after putting up zero points in seven World Junior games and walking away without a medal, but his time in the AHL should outweigh that greatly. With the Providence Bruins, the rookie has amassed 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 26 games. His point total puts him 22nd among rookies and fifth on the P-Bruins.

But don’t let that 22nd rank fool you. His Pt/G of 0.81 is fifth among rookies. Of his 21 points, 18 of them are primary and his P1/G rate of 0.69 is third among rookies. Lysell’s impact on the ice has been evident. He has a 0.71 GS/G, sixth on the rookie list, and his GF%rel is 11.0%, tied for 30th. Despite the World Juniors performance, Lysell has been raising his stock this season.

Sammy Walker, C/W Iowa Wild

Last but certainly not least, the Sammy Walker show in Iowa is real. Up there with Frank and Jiricek for Rookie of the Year consideration, Walker’s path to this point has been a long one. Drafted way back in 2017, 200th overall by the Tampa Bay Lighting, Walker was a top Minnesota high school prospect. He was even named Mr. Hockey that year. He went on to have a very successful NCAA career with the University of Minnesota but the Lightning never signed him.

The Minnesota Wild decided to keep him local and took a chance, signing him in 2022. That bet has paid off in a big way. Walker leads all rookies in points with 33 (15 goals, 18 assists), sits third in goals, and leads the Iowa Wild in points and goals. League-wide, he’s tied for 12th in points and 10th for primary points (26). Like Jiricek, he earned Rookie of the Month honours (November) and a nod to the AHL All-Star Game. He’s also earned two looks at the NHL level this season, potting one goal in six games.

Walker is second among rookies in both GS/G (0.92) and GF%rel (26.8%). He also sits second in Pt/G at 1.00, and first in P1/G at 0.79. Walker’s performance this season is a testament to the fact that hard work and patience pays off. The Wild have to be happy with how he’s responded to his signing and the chance to play professionally.

*Game score is a metric that takes into account goals, primary assists, secondary assists, shots, penalties, faceoffs, on-ice goals for, and on-ice goals against.

With data from AHLTracker.com

2023 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: MEDAL ROUND RECAP

Will Scouch — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 18:15:21 +0000

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA - JANUARY 5: Czechia vs Canada Gold Medal Game action at 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on January 5, 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

2023 World Juniors Medal Round Recap

Ok now we can all exhale together, eh? What a tournament that was. The unpredictability of the round robin stage continues to upend expectations, leading to some remarkable quarterfinal matchups, exemplifying why performing at that early stage can help you immensely when elimination is on the line. To say we were spoiled with the quality of most of these matches is an understatement. As someone with many years of experience watching this tournament, this is as standard as seatbelts, but even I was on the edge of my seat watching this all go down all the way through the medal round.

Yes, some games were lopsided, and I do think that there are divides showing in junior hockey at the lower end of the current crop of teams in this tournament, but I’ll throw out that the Norwegian team probably should’ve been here, and we should be excited to see an exciting crop of young players from that country that dominated the Division 1A tournament with 16 eligible returnees. At the same time, I also have to commend the Swiss. They may have lost their quarterfinal 9-1 but winning three times in overtime in the round robin and dethroning great teams like Finland and Slovakia is no small feat. That team certainly outperformed my expectations and came together well. As always, this tournament was a heck of a meal, and the medal round was an excellent dessert to send us home happy about the whole experience.

Quarterfinal #1 - Finland 2 - Sweden 3

This game was a treat. I came in expecting a bit more output from Sweden, but the game, like a few others in this medal round, seemed to be a war of attrition until push came to shove in the 3rd period of the game. There were strong performances from Jani Lampinen and Carl Lindbom to keep the game close, with play that seemed to alternate between sloppy and tight. Leo Carlsson was a standout in this game, landing two goals, but I felt Ludvig Jansson and Filip Bystedt were pivotal for keeping Sweden in the game and driving offense. Originally, my expectation was to see a lot more out of the Djurgarden boys in Ostlund, Lekkerimaki and Ohgren as well as Fabian Lysell, who may have had the best (and at times not so best) zero-point tournament I’ve seen in a long, long time, but the physical skill that the previous names bring helped gain an advantage of the tight, physical play of the Finns.

The events of the last four minutes of the game were simply heartbreaking for one side, and completely unbelievable for the other. Heartbreak is nothing new in this tournament, and like the tying goal, it can come from absolutely nothing but a good player in Leo Carlsson being in the right place at the right time. The go-ahead that sealed it was an uncharacteristic bobble at the offensive blueline for Aleksi Heimosalmi and his feet just couldn’t challenge Victor Stjernborg enough, and just like that, with some late heroics from Lindbom, the Swedes pulled off the stunning victory to land in the semis. This game was largely the story of the Bystedt/Carlsson connection and Carl Lindbom continuing to do the thing he does, but to say the first couple periods were surprisingly underwhelming shouldn’t be a shock. The way it ended though? One for the long Finnish/Swedish sagas for sure.

Quarterfinal #2 - Czechia 9 - Switzerland 1

The Swiss showed that they could play as a unit and counterattack effectively to punch above their weight class in the round robin, but the mana seemingly completely depleted in this game against a top-class Czech team once the Swiss took the lead 20 seconds in. Louis Robin was a surprise for me in this tournament with his speed and hands in tight, and for a moment there, there were thoughts crossing my mind after what I had seen from the Swiss previously. Just a few minutes later however, the game was largely out of control with three goals in the next nine minutes from Jiri Kulich, Marcel Marcel, and Petr Hauser. The Czechs played physical hockey throughout the tournament, but their big players like Marcel, Hauser, David Jiricek, and others are all players that can really move as well with some strong finishing ability, and they all showed those traits off early and often.

As the 2nd period went on, my notes got a little less interesting as the Czechs continued to blast pucks into the net, but I did want to highlight Eduard Sale’s play a little bit, as I felt he’s been maligned in this tournament. He’s a player where his weaknesses were certainly exposed here, but his two points in the 2nd period really exemplified what he does bring to the game in the offensive zone. Simple, but excellent reads on play that draw himself into a bit more space or catch opponents a little off guard. He spotted his seam pass on the assist, executed quickly, and in it goes. On the goal, he showed great patience to create a clean look at the goaltender between him and Maximilan Streule, and there’s a great shot he can place well that landed the Czechs their 7th of the game. Perhaps he’s a player who you don’t notice much until he’s got two points on the night, and he didn’t have the best tournament, but I felt that there were good moments in this game that illustrate what makes him a high-end prospect, even if he doesn’t carry the same flash as other eligibles. The Czechs just kept overwhelming the Swiss with physical play, getting hard pucks on net from talented perimeter shooters, and they’re off to the semifinals.

Quarterfinal #3 - United States 11 - Germany 1

Well, the Germans were at least better than the Austrians, right? Like the Swiss quarterfinal matchup, within 10 minutes the game was out of hand as the US finished the period up 3-0. The Germans played hard and tried to keep up, but there’s only so much you can do when the States brought so many skilled players, some of whom specialize in shooting and others with passing and vision. It was a relentless onslaught driven by the usual suspects in Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud, Chaz Lucius and their bunch of merry men. I thought Nikita Quapp had a decent tournament, and then this game happened, but there’s only so much you can say on this one. The States scored 8 goals in 20 minutes which is a heck of an achievement in and of itself, especially when they all came at 5v5, save Red Savage’s shorthanded goal.

The States certainly could take away how much they gelled and came together as a team, attacking the net, supporting teammates in transition, pushing pace as much as they can, and bringing the physical edge they may need in the future against teams like Canada. I’ll also take this chance to throw some respect on Gavin Brindley’s name, who while he only landed a single point in this game, looked excellent all tournament and surpassed my expectations with his 200-foot energy level and transition skill to create for his linemates at high pace. The Germans? Well at least they haven’t been relegated and will be back next year?

Quarterfinal #4 - Canada 4 - Slovakia 3 (OT)

After this game I’m pretty sure I need to see a cardiologist. I honestly was thinking this game could be close, but not this close. The Slovak team brought a number of young players who are eligible to return that all bring a ton of size, skill, and intensity to the game and I knew they wouldn’t go into a game against Canada afraid or lying down. Adam Gajan was simply spectacular in what was most certainly the biggest game of his young career. I felt that Martin Misiak, an injury replacement, was out there every shift at some points and just laying the body on Canada at every juncture, exemplifying just how tightly the Slovaks wanted to squeeze the Canadians into submission and knock them off their game. An old late-round favourite of mine in Libor Nemec had a great performance in this tournament chipping in with his big frame and skill combination in the net area, and while overtime didn’t go his way, and Adam Sykora brought the physical edge I was hoping to see coming into the tournament.

The biggest story of this game with a few great stories was Connor Bedard. Slovakia was coming at him all night, and through it all, he found a way to sneak through defenses and magically string together passing and shooting sequences, culminating in one of the most spectacular overtime winners I can remember in this tournament. Even Connor Bedard’s ability to get under your skin with a few “yeah I’m Connor Bedard and you are not sir and do not forget” moments is always fun to see. He was simply sublime at times, even if a bit of a botched giveaway due to overhandling and terrible defensive play directly lead to Slovakia building some momentum going into the 3rd.

The tide seemed to shift a little bit as Adam Gajan continued to stand on his head and Slovakia landed themselves some great chances on Thomas Milic, culminating in a brutal positional mistake from Brandt Clarke left Libor Nemec in front for the tying goal. Going into overtime and leading up to Bedard’s winner, that game could’ve gone either way with Bedard nearly putting Canada up in regulation a few times, and Slovakia very nearly ending it with 10 seconds left. With some heroics from Thomas Milic, the stage was set, and Bedard danced the Canadians into the semifinals. This damn Canadian team at this damn tournament just cannot stop clawing their way through tough games, but they don’t ask how, they ask how many, and off Canada goes, leaving even broken hearts in their wake.

Semifinal #1 - Czechia 2 - Sweden 1 (OT)

In Swedish fashion at this tournament, this game was a big snoozer with just 29 total shots on goal through two periods, until the Czechs remembered what they were here to do, outshooting the Swedes 14-3 in the final 20 minutes, getting themselves back into the game in the last minute of the game. Carl Lindbom once again played well in a losing effort facing almost 50% more shots than Tomas Suchanek. Once again, Fabian Lysell had a game of ups and downs, and if “almost points” were a thing, he would probably have led the team in that regard. Could they have used a single 3v3 shift from Lysell? Perhaps, but hindsight is 20/20 and his performance throughout the tournament wasn’t exactly confidence-inspiring in a tenuous game scenario. David Jiricek certainly showed his skill and shooting ability, culminating in the tying goal to send things to overtime. As is usual, this overtime could’ve gone either way. A tremendous zone entry from the Carlsson-Bystedt connection and a great chance from the Djurgarden boys nearly ended things relatively quickly, but the feisty Czechs came right back before a potential shootout as Jiri Kulich absolutely pilfered Fabian Wagner’s lunch money and did what he does best to get the Czechs through to their first gold medal game since 2001 and guaranteeing their first medal since 2005. A deserving and worthy result for this Czech team, and the Swedes go home with plenty of questions for next year in my opinion.

Semifinal #2 - United States 2 - Canada 6

This may have been the closest 6-2 game I’ve seen in a while. The story completely transformed on the disallowed goal from Jackson Blake and the game seemed to get away from the Americans as Canada relentlessly capitalized on multiple chances through the middle of the 3rd period. I was hoping for a heroic performance from Trey Augustine, but for a 17-year-old there’s often only so much you can ask for, and a tough outing had him pulled in the 3rd for Kaidan Mberenko which frankly surprised me a bit. Logan Cooley once again had a strong game, getting things started early capitalizing on a weird rebound, and once again Gavin Brindley did his thing with trademark pace and speed to create the 2-0 goal. Brindley exemplified a ton of traits even on that one play of what is necessary to deal with these Canadian teams. Push them around and counter attack well, and if you can’t push them around, push them back on their heels so their big physical defenders can’t touch you. I love Gavin Brindley’s game, in case you haven’t picked up on that.

The rest of the show was pretty much all Canada though, as Ryan Ufko couldn’t handle the Bedard Bot, Logan Stankoven got Stanky, Tyler Boucher and Luke Mittelstadt completely forgetting Adam Fantilli exists, Josh Roy being a coach’s dream going to the net and getting a lovely setup from Stankoven, and a mystifying giveaway from Luke Hughes leading to another belated Christmas gift for Josh Roy. It was another one for the ages, and I have to commend the States for how they played largely through this game. They were getting chances, and got penalized for being a bit too aggressive in the net area which will always be touchy in this tournament. The Canadian engine just kept rolling though, and off they went to yet another gold medal game.

Bronze Medal - United States 8 - Sweden 7 (OT)

What even is this Swedish team? Where was this offense all game long? Why did the last two games completely annihilate Trey Augustine’s solid performance in the round robin? Why!? How!? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game where 9 goals were scored in 20 minutes, let alone an 8-7 overtime game. Again, I felt Sweden came out lacking the pace and intensity that the States matched up with but settled into tactical mode and started chipping away at the American lead. Fabian Lysell again did not do himself any favours getting thrown out 8 minutes into the game, capping off a very, very frustrating few weeks I think he’ll want to forget quickly. I felt that the Djurgarden boys were better this game, with some great chances from Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Liam Ohgren, but sometimes when you’re good, your opponents are better, with Chaz Lucius, Cutter Gauthier and Rutger McGroarty creating and burying chances over and over again. Sweden did push the softer defenses of the United States onto their heels more and more as the game went on, leading to some of the absolutely insane lead changes and comebacks, but the States also did the same on a few occasions to keep the game close. Leo Carlsson and Filip Bystedt continued their great tournaments against a faltering Trey Augustine, whose brutal misplay with less than a minute left in the 2nd gave the Swedes life with a tie going into the third period.

There is just so much that happened in this game that either was a sudden ignition of the Swedish scoring forwards, or they massively regressed positively in a single game, but the trouble is that it came against a very talented US Team. A great resilient play from Luke Hughes helped make up for the brutal Josh Roy giveaway, together they are also an indicator of the confidence of Luke Hughes, almost to his detriment. He had a strange tournament of ups and downs, but those ups sure are something. I was stunned when Filip Bystedt buried a gift of a drifting puck on Kaidan Mbereko, and honestly just wanted the game to end because my aorta was poking out of both my ears at this point. Chaz Lucius ices it on a beautiful backhand that went completely unchallenged on a chance created by one Lane Hutson, and the States find a way to go home with some metalware. I hoped for more out of the Swedes, as they have the capability of playing with pace, they have the goaltending, and they have the skill, but struggling to meet expectations and drive consistent modern offense seems to be a bit of a worrying trend internationally over the last few years, and we’ll have to see if things change moving forward.

Gold Medal - Czechia 2 - Canada 3 (OT)

And so, we arrive at the gold medal game. La creme de la creme, as they say. The Czechs earned their way here through hard work, hard shots, and teamwork where the Canadians earned their way by having the best young scorer in the world and a loaded roster full of pure, raw talent that can drive results physically or with skill depending on who is on the ice. I definitely anticipated a close one so long as Tomas Suchanek kept the door closed, and well, he did. When he got hurt, I thought this might be it for the Czechs, but he hung in there and finished the game in excellent fashion in a losing effort turning away 35 of 38. A performance in line with his time with the Tri-City Americans, capping a remarkable tournament.

The Czechs did what they could to neutralize Connor Bedard, holding him off the scoreboard for just the second time this season outside of the first game of the year with Regina. Bonkers. A few silly penalties from the Czechs trying to pound Canada into submission breaks the cardinal rule of “do not take penalties against the 2023 Canadian junior team”, and they made them pay going up one before the period ended. Brennan Othmann definitely showed why the Rangers drafted him as high as they did with his combination of deep offensive zone playmaking and punishing physical ability. Shane Wright did a Shane Wright thing to put Canada up two with a beautiful skill play under double coverage burying one on a wonderful backhand. That’s the Shane Wright I remember seeing here and there over the years, and I’m hoping he gains a bit of confidence from this tournament as he heads back to the OHL to an unnamed team.

Tomas Suchanek continued to stand on his head, and the Czechs chipped away at the Canadian lead in the third period, and very nearly pulled off the upset as the clock wound down which I’m sure would have gone over extremely well considering the proximity of multiple hungry central European athletes slapping at a hockey puck to a Canadian goaltender sprawled out on the ice. As is tradition, Canada can’t just win this tournament. They have to take us to the brink of extinction and then give us moments we’ll see on highlights and have produced segments about until I’m 65 years old. This time? A wonderful sense of patience and good skill from Josh Roy added the extra play that gave Dylan Guenther the green light to etch his name into the history of this tournament with his second of the game. It was a phenomenal game, the Czechs deserve every ounce of metal in their medals, and my heart breaks for both them and the Slovaks based on the efforts they gave to the Canadians and just how close they came to turning this entire tournament upside down. The Canadians? Well, they were heavily favoured on paper as usual, and as usual, they accomplished the goal in the most painful way imaginable. Well done! I can finally breathe.

Biggest Surprises and Performers

I had high expectations for the Czechs and Slovaks, and they blew me away with how well they played against opponents that were heavily favoured against them. The Czechs won their group and the Slovaks scored more than enough to make Adam Gajan’s effort worth it. I still think Tomas Suchanek takes home my best goalie award, but if you want to talk about making a name for yourself, look no further than Adam Gajan. David Spacek and Marcel Marcel were nice surprises on the Czech side and seeing a growing role for Martin Misiak made me happy. Gavin Brindley, Axel Sandin Pellikka, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and Charlie Stramel all showed well to me for draft eligibles and I liked what Dalibor Dvorsky and Alex Ciernik brought to the table, but the biggest story was Connor Bedard. He surprised me with just how absolutely overwhelming he was in this tournament. Granted, Germany and Austria are meaningless opponents for him, but even still, he would well surpass scoring totals for all other draft eligibles this year for good reason. I thought Adam Fantilli played great, and there are things he does better, but Bedard has cemented himself as the top player available this year now that I’ve seen more of him outside of Regina. He’s a spectacular shooter with tremendous skill and confidence and I hope his NHL career keeps rolling along like his junior career has.

Biggest Disappointments

I have to say I expected better from Finland and Sweden. Sweden was too quiet for too long until their backs were against the wall. Finland was skilled without speed and agility, and tried to play slow, heavy hockey that just couldn’t match up against teams that should have been beneath them. I expected Fabian Lysell to lead the Swedes, and while he had moments where he felt like the only one willing to push opponents on their heels, he’d waste too many of those moments with overhandling and overthinking, and when he had bad moments, they were very very bad. I don’t think it’s that hot of a take to suggest that we may just need to lump the Czechs and Slovaks in with the Swedes and Finns at this level until we see a reason not to do so.

2023 World Junior Championship: Group A Round-Robin Recap

Josh Bell — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 19:42:06 +0000

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA - DECEMBER 29: Canada's Connor Bedard #16 backhands the puck while Austria's Tim Geifes #21 defends during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on December 29, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

2023 World Juniors: Group A Round-Robin Roundup

Part of the excitement of the World Junior Championships is that there are always going to be surprises and upsets. Group A, consisting of Austria, Canada, Czechia, Germany, and Sweden, wasted no time in that aspect, with Czechia upsetting Canada 5-2 on the first day of the tournament. The Czechs went on to win the pool thanks to their offense clicking, standout defenders, and one of the best goaltenders in the tournament. Their team top-down has arguably played the best all-around tournament of any team in the pool so far. Their only loss came against Team Sweden, 3-2, the lone overtime game in Group A.

Reeling from the loss to Czechia, Canada bounced back in a big way on the back of Connor Bedard, who’s re-writing the Canadian history books at the World Juniors. After scoring just twice in the first game, the team put up 11 against both the Germans and Austrians, closing out the Preliminary round with another five against Team Sweden to secure second place heading into the Quarterfinals.

The loss was Sweden’s only one in the tournament but due to their overtime win over Czechia, they finished the round-robin in third place. Goaltender Carl Lindbom and defender Ludvig Jansson have been the biggest bright spots for the Swedes and will be relied upon heavily if the team is going to challenge for a medal.

Goaltender Nikita Quapp stood on his head for Team Germany while they earned the fourth and final Quarterfinal spot, thanks to a 4-2 win over Austria. Austria on the other hand will be heading to the relegation game after going winless in the tournament, failing to score a goal in their first three games.

Group A Standings (W-OTW-OTL-L)

Czechia - 3-0-1-0
Canada - 3-0-0-1
Sweden - 2-1-0-1
Germany - 1-0-0-3
Austria - 0-0-0-4

Czechia

Top-Five Scorers (G-A-Pts)

Stanislav Svozil - 1-5-6
David Spacek - 3-3-6
Matyas Sapovaliv - 0-5-5
Jaroslav Chmelar - 3-2-5
Gabriel Szturc - 3-2-5

Top Three Performers

Stanislav Svozil

While Stanislav Svozil has always been a solid defender, he wasn’t expected to be a top defender at the World Juniors. Even on his own team, the Columbus Blue Jackets prospect was believed to be the second-best d-man behind David Jiricek. But Svozil surprised, looks to be a strong contender for Top Defender in this event and could even earn some MVP consideration. On top of leading his team in points, the defender played big minutes, including 21:50 in the Czechia shocking win over Canada - a game where he had a goal and an assist. Svozil’s play offensively and his ability to not only break up plays in his end but suppress shots against have been truly dominant throughout the tournament so far. His play will need to continue if the Czechs are going to earn a medal.

Tomas Suchanek

One of only three goaltenders in the tournament to play all four of their team’s Preliminary games, Tomas Suchanek was huge for Czechia. Starting off the tournament against the juggernaut Canadians, the netminder started his tournament with a statement game, stopping 36 shots for a .947 save percentage (SV%). He finished the preliminary round with a .933 SV%. He kept his team in every single game, coming up with huge saves night in and night out. There’s absolutely something to be said for the confidence a team can have when their goaltender plays as he has so far. Eligible for the 2023 NHL Draft as a double overager, Suchanek also impressed in the tournament for his playmaking, picking up three assists - a World Juniors record. Like Svozil, if Czechia wins a medal, it will likely be on the back of Suchanek.

David Jiricek

While it’s been Svozil stealing the show so far on the Czech blue line, Jiricek is right behind him, and not by much. A fellow Blue Jackets prospect, Jiricek has been so reliable with the puck, rarely making a mistake. Picking up an assist in each of the first two games, he truly turned it on in the third game against Sweden, recording a goal and an assist, nearly adding a couple of other goals on truly impressive individual efforts. When he’s on his game and determined, he’s practically unstoppable and that’s shown throughout the round-robin. While there are some solid forwards for the Czechia group in this event that have been having great tournaments, the play of Svozil, Suchanek, and Jiricek is a huge reason for their upset over Canada and the team’s success heading into the medal rounds.

Biggest Surprise

Eduard Sale

While there have been several bright spots on this team, Jiri Kulich deserves a mention on top of the three above and the dominant win over Canada, the biggest surprise has been the play of Eduard Sale. Coming into the season, Sale was a top-10 prospect in this class. He’s been dominant in international events, so the same was expected here. Yet he’s been fairly quiet (three assists) and has seen his minutes dwindle from over 20 minutes in the game against Canada to just 3:47 in the final game where he didn’t hit the ice through the first two periods Sale has the skill to be a top prospect, but his defensive game and his competitiveness without the puck have been less than desired. It will be worth keeping an eye on him in the elimination rounds to see if he can turn it around.

Canada

Top-Five Scorers (G-A-Pts)

Connor Bedard - 6-12-18
2. Logan Stankoven - 2-6-8
3. Dylan Guenther - 4-2-6
4. Shane Wright - 3-3-6
5. Joshua Roy - 3-3-6

Top Three Performers

Connor Bedard

Expectations were high coming into the tournament for Connor Bedard, after putting up eight points in his first time in the event last year. He’s been exceeding those expectations through the first four games though, collecting 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in that time. He has 10 points over the next-highest total in the tournament (Logan Stankoven) and has simply been on another level in terms of both talent and production. He’s entering the elimination rounds ready to put his name on top of the history books for Canada, as he’s already tied Jordan Eberle for goals by a Canadian in the event (14) and in the final game, tied Eric Lindros for most points (31), tied Jaromir Jagr for most points for a U18 player, and tied the single-tournament record for a Canadian. With potentially three more games to play, is Peter Forsberg’s 31-point single tournament record within reach?

Logan Stankoven

Outside of Bedard, it’s been Logan Stankoven standing out the most on the Canadian roster. The Dallas Stars prospect is the only player in the tournament (again, outside of Bedard) with at least two points per game, and he’s done that thanks to his relentless motor and competitiveness. He never takes his foot off the gas and has the skill to put up points as well. Playing with Bedard has certainly helped Stankoven and frankly put him in quite the shadow, but Stakoven has been standing out all on his own as well. On top of his tenacious play, he’s been dominant in the faceoff circle, leading the tournament in faceoff percentage. His passing and awareness have been remarkable. Every time he hits the ice, his presence has been felt. As the pressure of the games grows, expect Stankoven to only get better and better.

Dylan Guenther

Many players could be in this third spot, including Joshua Roy, Olen Zellweger, Brandt Clarke, and Thomas Milic. But Dylan Guenther has been excellent for the Canadians. He’s played with Bedard and with Shane Wright and Brennan Othmann, being a play-driver or a supporter depending on what the situation calls for. He’s tied in second in the tournament in goals (four) with USA’s Jimmy Snuggerud. His finishing has been stellar for the Canadians, often capitalizing on the team’s impressive passing. He’s also shown off some great playmaking though, gaining a couple of assists through the event as well. Guenther has been playing in the NHL this season and looks very much like a man among boys at times. He’ll be depended on as a leader down the stretch.

Biggest Surprise

Canada upset in opener by Czechia

There are lots of positives to look at for this Canadian team, but it didn’t start that way. In the opening game of the event against Czechia, the team was too focused on individual efforts and struggled defensively, resulting in them getting shut down by the Czechs. Goaltender Benjamin Gaudreau struggled, letting in five goals in just under half of the game. For the Czechs, Tomas Suchanek stood on his head, putting together a standout performance to hold the Canadians to their lowest goal total of the tournament. Even Bedard was held to just one goal and point in the game - his next lowest total was four points. The Canadians figured it out as the tournament rolled on, putting their best performance together against Sweden in the final Preliminary game. But that game versus Czechia put the team up against a hot goaltender and the Slovaks in the Quarterfinals, instead of the Swiss.

Sweden

Top-Five Scorers (G-A-Pts)

Ludvig Jansson - 3-3-6
2. Filip Bystedt - 2-3-5
3. Fabian Wagner - 2-2-4
4. Isak Rosen - 2-2-4
5. Adam Engstrom - 1-2-3

Top Three Performers

Ludvig Jansson

The World Juniors often have some surprises throughout the tournament every year, but this year the biggest may be the play of Ludvig Jansson. In the last World Juniors, he played four games, failing to record a point. In 25 HockeyAllsvenskan games this season, he has six points. In this tournament’s four games, he’s matched that total with three goals and three assists. The Florida Panthers prospect is leading the team in points and is tied for the lead in points by a defenseman. Jansson’s come up big when he needs to as well, highlighted by his performance in the game versus Czechia. In that game, he potted a regulation goal and ended the match in overtime with an excellent drive to the net and a nifty backhand. He’s been one of the best players in the tournament so far, let alone on Team Sweden.

Carl Lindbom

Arguably the top player for Sweden so far, goaltender Carl Lindom came into the tournament as the likely Top Goaltender winner and hasn’t disappointed. The Vegas Golden Knights netminder has played all four of Sweden’s games, repping a very impressive .942 SV%. He started the tournament off with back-to-back shutouts versus Austria and Germany, making 28 saves in the latter, a tight 1-0 win for Sweden. In the game against the Czechs, he made another 33 saves followed by 39 in the loss to the Canadians. Even in that lone loss though, he still played well, being left out to dry on multiple occasions by his defenders. He’s very much in consideration for the best goaltender of the tournament still but will need to bounce back from the five goals let in against Canada.

Filip Bystedt

Through the Preliminary round, Filip Bystedt has been the top forward for the Swedes. The San Jose Sharks prospect has shown off tremendous skating and puck control throughout the Preliminary round, from going coast to coast to driving the net. He’s leading the team’s forwards in points, largely thanks to his scoring chance generation. He’s been peppering goaltenders with shots and should have more goals than his total shows. He’s been robbed on multiple occasions, and you can bet heading into the elimination rounds he’ll be looking to change that. He’s shown some impressive two-way ability at times as well, stealing pucks and being reliable in his own zone. Unless some other forwards step up, he’ll be relied on heavily moving forward.

Biggest Surprise

Ludvig Jansson outproducing big-name forwards

Jansson’s performance deserves more attention. The Swedes are always a contender in this event, thanks to their highly offensive forwards. On a roster with Bystedt, Isak Rosen, Fabian Lysell, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Simon Robertsson, Noah Ostlund, Leo Carlsson, and Liam Ohgren, there wouldn’t be a single person that would have bet on Jansson leading the team in points at this point in the tournament. So, while Jansson’s play has stood out, the lack of offensive production (outside of the 11-0 win over Austria) from some of the big names is alarming heading into the Quarterfinals. Lysell is still looking for his first point in the tournament, Ohgren has just one point, while Robertsson, Carlsson, and Ostlund together have as many points as Jansson. They’ll need some bounces to go their way moving forward.

Germany

Top-Five Scorers (G-A-Pts)

Roman Kechter - 2-1-3
2. Phillipp Krening - 1-2-3
3. Phillip Sinn - 1-2-3
4. Julian Lutz - 0-2-2
5. Quirin Bader - 0-2-2

Top Three Performers

Nikita Quapp

He may have only played two and a half games in the Preliminary round, but Nikita Quapp has been the star for Team Germany. A top-three player on the World Junior team last year as well, the Carolina Hurricanes prospect has stepped his game up in a big way. His first game came against the strong Swedish lineup, where he made 43 saves, only letting one goal in, for a .977 SV%. He followed that up with his first and only win so far versus Austria, before playing just half that game against Team Czechia where he let in two of the eight total goals against. He finished with a .952 SV%, one of the best stats in the tournament. His technique has been on point throughout the tournament, standing on his head at times to give his team a fighting chance. Expect more of that through the elimination rounds.

Julian Lutz

To be honest, after Quapp, there’s a big gap with the rest of the team in terms of stand-out performances throughout the tournament. Julian Lutz is in that second tier of standouts though. There are times when he shows off his high level of skill that can see him walk through a team, and there are other times when he seems to fade into the background. If he can gain some consistency in the medal rounds, then watch out. The Arizona Coyotes prospect has proven to be the most skilled player on the German team, showing off remarkable hands and an ability to create space for himself en route to the opposing net. He may not have found the back of the net yet in the tournament, but he’s been extremely close at times. It looks like he’s getting closer, which should bode well for the Germans heading into the Quarterfinals.

Philipp Krening

There are a number of players that could probably fill in this third spot, but Phillipp Krening’s performance versus Austria gives him the edge. Not only was his performance one of the best of the game, but of the day at the World Juniors. He was creating chances, was excellent in possession, and contributed well in his own end. His goal was a rebound to open the scoring in the game versus Austria, adding a great assist on the fourth goal in the game as well. His other assist came in the game against Canada on a German power play, the team’s second goal of the game. Even when his team was down, Krening never gave up in a game, always looking to keep the spark alive for his team.

Biggest Surprise

Nikita Quapp and Germany’s performance versus Sweden

While the pool was always going to be a three-horse race with Canada, Czechia, and Sweden, no one seemed to tell Quapp and the Germans that. Their performance versus Sweden was truly remarkable, with Quapp the saving grace to keep the game close. Of his 43 saves in the game, many of them came in quick bunches. He remained sharp throughout the match, with his impressive technique never seeming to waiver. There were many times when the game could have gotten out of hand, but Quapp stood tall. While he just has one win and two and a half games played, he’s looked like one of the best netminders in the event to this point. He has a tough Quarterfinal matchup against Team USA but look for Quapp to keep it close for his team.

Austria

Top-Five Scorers (G-A-Pts)

Ian Scherzer - 1-0-1
2. Jonas Dobnig - 1-0-1
3. Vinzenz Rohrer - 0-1-1
4. Luca Auer - 0-1-1
5. Finn van Ee - 0-1-1

Top Three Performers

David Reinbacher

While the Austrian team struggled to get their footing in this event, the play of defenseman David Reinbacher was a true bright spot for the group. The 2023 NHL Draft-eligible stood out as the best player on this team every game, highlighted by a standout performance in the final match versus Germany, doing everything in his power to get his team to the Quarterfinal. The defender put the team on his back every time he was on the ice, producing scoring chances, leading the transition game, and shutting plays down defensively. He’s a big body that plays with a physical edge and has great mobility. He might be leaving the event without a point, but he’s still the top player for this Austrian team.

Ian Scherzer

After Reinbacher, the Austrian team did quite struggle in this event. However, in the fourth and final game of the Preliminary round, 2023 NHL Draft-eligible Ian Scherzer potted the first goal for Austria in the event, after being shut out in their first three games. It was a great shot where he took advantage of the space in front of him and fired it through the netminder. Scherzer was one of the more consistent players throughout the tournament for the team, despite being relied upon heavily as a younger player in this event. He was the team’s 1C and did well in the role, playing heavy minutes.

Vinzenz Rohrer

After missing the first game with an illness, Austrian captain Vinzenz Rohrer returned to the lineup and played the remaining games. While he didn’t collect a point until his primary assist on Scherzer’s goal in the fourth game, he was the heart and soul of this team. Every time he was on the ice, he never took his foot off the gas and battled hard to make something happen for his team. When it didn’t happen on the ice, the Montreal Canadiens prospect showed maturity and poise night in and night out as he faced the media after games. He was giving speeches to the team, trying to get them going, and never seemed to give up faith in himself or the team.

Biggest Surprise

The outstanding play of David Reinbacher

Coming into the tournament, Reinbacher already had first-round attention for the 2023 NHL Draft. However, on a team that was expected to be playing in the relegation game, expectations for the defender were low. But he stood out in every single game, impressing with his ability to stick with his man defensively, get in the lanes to break up plays, and use his feet and vision to lead the transition to the offensive zone. Especially in the final round-robin game versus Germany, where he played over 26 minutes, Reinbacher was a man on a mission and had one of the best performances from a defender in this event. While you can’t put too much stock in one event for the NHL Draft, this has definitely given him a bump further up the first round. He was absolutely one of the most impressive defensemen in the Preliminary round.

2023 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP – TEAM PREVIEW – CZECHIA

Matej Deraj — Sat, 24 Dec 2022 17:33:39 +0000

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - AUGUST 14: Czechia's David Jiricek #5 passes the puck during Preliminary Round - Group A action against Latvia at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on August 14, 2022 in Edmonton, Alberta. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

TEAM CZECHIA GROUP A

Czechia is bringing an experienced roster to Canada. Many players have at least one World Juniors appearance under their belt, which can certainly help the Czech team. They had a great summer tournament; beating USA 4-2 in the quarterfinals, which earned them a chance to medal. Despite losing both semifinals (5-2 vs. Canada) and the bronze medal game (3-1 vs. Sweden), the young Czech team was one of the most positive surprises of the tournament. With many returning players on the team (the most in the tournament), they want to build on the recent success and fight for a medal.

The two biggest names on the Czech team are first round picks from the last NHL Draft. David Jiříček (#6) was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets. He´s playing in the AHL with the Blue Jackets´ affiliate the Cleveland Monsters and he´s been heavily praised for his mature game. He even managed to earn his NHL debut. The other expected star player is center Jiří Kulich, who´s part of the Buffalo Sabres´ prospect system. Kulich is also playing in the AHL. Both players have previous professional experience from the Czech top league and they´ll certainly play a big role.

Forward Eduard Šalé is the youngest player on the team, being the only one born in 2005. He´s the most notable Czech prospect for the upcoming draft; it´ll be interesting to watch how big of a role he´ll earn on an older team. He hasn´t thrived in the Czech league recently, but the World Juniors could be a nice opportunity to turn things around.

The Czech are bringing a strong defensive core this year. Apart from Jiříček, they can rely on Stanislav Svozil, Jiří Ticháček, David Špaček or Tomáš Hamara. They have a lot of international experience and will make sure scoring on the Czech goalie won´t be an easy job. The offensive power seems a bit limited, but two Golden Knights´ prospects Jakub Brabenec and Matyáš Šapovaliv should help with scoring goals. Indubitably, Czechia will be a tough opponent even for the strongest teams on the tournament.

10 TO WATCH

DAVID JIŘÍČEK, D

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 HC Plzeň (Cze) 29 5 6 11 49

2022-23 Cleveland (AHL) 15 4 9 13 8

Jiříček has been producing well in the AHL, he´s almost a PPG player (13 points in 15 games), which is a fantastic start for a 19-year-old European prospect. Jiříček is a big-bodied (6´3”) punishing defenseman, who plays an aggressive style and loves to throw a big hit. He´s offensively gifted and has a great shot, making him a threat even in the offensive zone. His play in his own zone might be a bit shaky, but his overall potential is high. Jiříček will be the key player for Czechia and an absolute leader. He started last year´s winter tournament really well, but he got injured in an initial game causing him to miss a couple of months. However, he did return for the summer tournament, helping the Czechs earn a fourth place finish. It will be a bit of a revenge tournament for Jiříček, who wants to succeed at his last World Juniors.

JIŘÍ KULICH, C

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Karlovy Vary (Cze) 49 9 5 14 4

2022-23 Rochester (AHL) 22 5 9 14 2

Kulich is a smart two-way center who has adjusted to the North American ice in a great way. He´s played well with the Rochester Americans, scoring a respectable number of points (14) in 22 games. Kulich possesses a strong shot and he´s able to find an ideal spot to receive a pass from teammates. He is definitely a dangerous powerplay option, but he also has great speed, can escape opponents even in tight spaces. He also plays an intelligent game. The Sabres´ first round pick (#28) had an excellent WJC-18 tournament last year, scoring nine goals in six matches and earning an MVP title. He also played really well at the summer World Juniors, scoring over a PPG rate (2+6 in 7 games).

FRISCO, TX USA - MAY 1: The Czech Republic's Stanislav Svozil #14 skates with the puck while Russia's Prokhor Poltapov #13 chases him down during preliminary round action at the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on May 1, 2021 in Frisco, TX USA. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/HHOF-IIHF Images)

STANISLAV SVOZIL, D

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Regina (WHL) 59 10 31 41 23

2022-23 Regina (WHL) 28 5 32 37 16

Playing with Connor Bedard definitely helps your points total, but it´s not just about the future superstar when it comes to Stanislav Svozil´s production. The Czech defenseman is having a great year in the WHL; he averages over a one assist a game (32 helpers in 28 matches). Svozil is a second round pick from the 2021 draft and another Blue Jackets prospect. It´d be nice to see him on the same pairing as David Jiříček, two potential future Columbus defensemen. Svozil is one of the most experienced players on the Czech roster, he´s going to play at his third World Juniors. He´s a mobile two-way defenseman who likes to join the attack, but doesn´t lack defensive awareness. He plays a physical game, but doesn´t go over the edge.

JAKUB BRABENEC, C/LW

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Charlottetown (QMJHL) 58 17 47 64 8

2022-23 Charlottetown (QMJHL) 28 8 17 25 16

Brabenec singed an entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights two weeks before the tournament, so he´s coming to the World Juniors with a fresh motivation. He´s the leading scorer of the Charlottetown Islanders with slightly under a PPG average (25 points in 28 games). Brabenec is an intelligent player and a gifted playmaker, he likes to find an open teammate and plays a passing-first game. He managed to get 47 helpers in 58 QMJHL games last year too. Brabenec sees the ice well and his vision helps him to make his teammates better. His game is mainly about offence; he should be one of the main scoring threats on the Czech team.

MATYÁŠ ŠAPOVALIV, C

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Saginaw (OHL) 68 18 34 52 26

2022-23 Saginaw (OHL) 30 11 19 30 18

Šapovaliv is another great playmaker drafted by the Golden Knights. He was a second round pick in the last draft, the 48^th pick overall. Šapovaliv is playing in his second season in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit. He´s currently a PPG player. The Czech center has a great size (6´3”) that allows him to protect the puck well and win board battles. He´s creative and can surprise defenders with his skill. His weakness is his skating, which is somehow understandable for such a big junior player. He usually doesn´t play the game in a high speed, rather slows it down, but his skating also seems to have improved a bit.

EDUARD ŠALÉ, RW

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Brno (Cze Jr.) 39 42 47 89 56

2022-23 Brno (Cze) 26 3 3 6 0

After a great start to the season, Šalé has been struggling in the Czech top tier league. He hasn´t earned a single point in two months and his time on ice has started to drop as well. The World Juniors could be a refreshing change for the most talented Czech for the upcoming draft. Šalé has been a top 10 candidate since the beginning of the season, but his scoring drought certainly doesn't help his case. Šalé is a quick and skilled forward who is always a scoring threat. He likes to create chances for himself and drives to the net very often, making him a solid prospect with a translatable skill set. His usage on the Czech team is still not certain, but it´s quite likely he´ll earn a top-six, even a top line role.

JIŘÍ TICHÁČEK, D

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Kladno (Cze) 41 2 6 8 14

2022-23 Kladno (Cze) 27 0 3 3 10

Ticháček was considered an interesting prospect in his draft year, but as an undersized defenseman (5´9”), he was in an extremely tough position. He´d never been drafted and likely won´t ever be. Ticháček is a very mobile, quick and offensively gifted defenseman who likes to distribute the puck. He has a high hockey IQ, good passing game and is also a solid powerplay option. His main weakness is obviously his size and lack of physicality. Moreover, his 2022-23 season hasn´t been great in terms of points – he has only managed to collect three assists in 27 Czech top tier league games while being -17 in plus/minus, but his whole team has been struggling. The World Juniors will bring a welcoming change of atmosphere.

TOMÁŠ SUCHÁNEK, G

YEAR TEAM GP W L GAA SV%

2021-22 Tri-City (WHL) 42 12 24 3.87 0.901

2022-23 Tri-City (WHL) 23 13 9 3.61 0.901

Suchánek earned a starter role at the last tournament and now he is expected to continue at the same position. He had a great game against Canada in the group stage, he managed to get 52 saves against the clear favorite in a 5-1 loss. Suchánek helped his team to beat USA in the quarterfinals (4-2), but the Czechs lost the next two games and ended up being 4^th. Suchánek has the needed experience at the U20 level and he was one of the best players on Team Czechia the last time, so it´s no surprise he should be the #1 goalie this time as well. On a club level, he plays for the Tri-City Americans in his second year in the WHL.

DAVID ŠPAČEK, D

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Sherbrooke (QMJHL) 57 12 38 50 44

2022-23 Sherbrooke (QMJHL) 29 6 20 26 18

Špaček was awarded as the best Czech defenseman at the summer World Juniors. Despite not scoring a lot of points (he only had one assist in seven games) for such an offensively minded D-man, he had the highest time on ice and played in most crucial situations for Czechia. Špaček was drafted by the Minnesota Wild as an overager after a successful season in the QMJHL. He is a smart offensive defenseman who likes to shoot the puck, goes deep into the offensive zone and joins the attack. He has a dangerous shot and enjoys to hold the puck on his stick. Špaček is a son of a former NHL defensive defenseman Jaroslav Špaček who seems to have taught him a thing or two; despite being offensively minded, David Špaček is also very solid at defending in his own zone and doesn´t lose one-on-one battles very often.

GABRIEL SZTURC, C

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Kelowna (WHL) 67 16 25 41 6

2022-23 Kelowna (WHL) 26 10 27 37 18

Szturc is a dangerous offensive forward who´s having a great year in the WHL; he´s almost matched his last season´s point total in spite of playing less than half games. He´s progressed in many areas of his game since the last year. He´s comfortable with the puck on his stick and also has a great shot. Szturc is a bit undersized (5´10”) and not overly physical, but he plays a smart two-way game. Although he wasn´t selected in the last NHL Draft by any team, he could hear his name this time if he continues to play the same way.

SURPRISE PLAYER

TOMÁŠ HAMARA, D

YEAR TEAM GP G A PTS PIM

2021-22 Tappara (Fin Jr.) 32 6 19 25 16

2022-23 Kitchener (OHL) 24 2 9 11 11

Hamara is one of the youngest players on the stacked Czech defence, but he could end up as one of their crucial defensemen. The Ottawa Senators´ third round pick (#87) from the last draft is a smart D-man who plays a two-way game. He protects the net and defends well in his own zone, but he also likes to join his team on the rush and displays great puckhandling skills. He was important for Czechia even at the last tournament in summer, but this could be the year Hamara takes a bigger step forward. He´s used to the North American ice from playing in the OHL and could earn a role on the Czech first two pairings.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 16:30:54 +0000

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 29: Columbus Blue Jackets Left Wing Kent Johnson (13) looks on during the third period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 29, 2022, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Kent Johnson C

There are some prospects where when you watch them either live or on film, you really need to look at the details of their game to find why they’re highly touted. Some prospects don’t make it easy, some prospects only show their upside in very small snippets of game action. Kent Johnson is not one of those prospects. It might only take watching a shift or two to fully understand why the Blue Jackets took Johnson with the fifth-overall selection at the 2021 NHL draft. On the ice, Johnson plays like a machine, a sort of machine that takes any in-game situation and spits out the play that’s most likely to end up on a highlight reel. If there’s one word to define Johnson’s game, it’s flash. He’ll spin around a defender in one moment and then attempt a lacrosse-style goal in the next. There are few prospects who ooze as much raw offensive talent as Johnson, few prospects who can match his puck skills, creativity, or ability to quickly break down a defence at a high speed. Johnson also doesn’t play like one of those all-flash, no-substance players either, the sort that sits atop top prospect lists but never quite pans out as an effective NHL-er. There is a foundation to Johnson’s game, pro-ready habits, and a high hockey IQ that will allow him to translate his immense talent to more difficult levels of competition. There will be an adjustment period, undoubtedly, but if he can continue his development, he has a strong chance to become a dynamic offensive star in Columbus, joining a Blue Jackets team that is, at least on paper, among the most offensively gifted rosters in franchise history. - EH

2 - David Jiricek D

The 6^th overall pick in the last NHL Draft had a strong World Juniors. Even though he wasn´t as dominant and flashy as one might have expected, he was a key defenseman for Czechia and a force at the blueline. Jiříček has shown offensive skills, solid puck-moving, and a strong shot. His defensive game was a pleasant surprise; he was great at using his stick and closing the gaps. Jiříček is a very aggressive, physical player who can lay massive hits. On the other hand, he sometimes makes poor decisions, chases the opposition pointlessly, or allows opponents to easily get past him. Those types of mistakes were kept to a minimum at the World Juniors. Having played two years in the Czech top tier league, Jiříček has established himself in men´s hockey. He even played a couple of games with the Men´s National Team at the last World Championship. There is talk he might be ready for the opening night lineup spot with the Blue Jackets; however, that seems doubtful. Jiříček will likely start the season in the AHL, but he has a chance to play some games in the NHL even this year. He is physically ready for the big stage and has shown progress in important areas of his game. Although he may be a boom-or-bust type, his potential is tremendous despite the risks. If everything goes right, the Blue Jackets will have a legit first-pairing defenseman. - MD

3 - Denton Mateychuk D

Watching Mateychuk play, there are times when it's easy to forget that he is a defenseman, because he spends so much time in the offensive zone — and he does a lot of damage up there. He has top-pairing upside and backs it up with obvious leadership attributes, so it makes sense that Columbus was willing to snag him as high as 12th overall in 2022. He plays his best hockey from the offensive blueline onward, and it's rare to see a defender so comfortable and effective anywhere in the attacking third of the rink. He possesses the vision and playmaking ability to move the puck around the zone and set up his teammates, but he is equally adept at firing shots from the point or getting right into the home plate area to score from in tight. He has an uncanny ability to get himself open in dangerous spaces. While his offensive efforts often leave him less energized for - and less focused on - his defensive assignments, Moose Jaw wants to run-and-gun right now by design, so he essentially plays how they ask him to. He thinks the game quite well and has a competitively high work rate, so improvements from him on the defensive side of the puck are expected to manifest. His skating isn't a weakness by any means, but it's not at the same level as NHL offensive defensemen like Cale Makar, Adam Fox or Quinn Hughes. The young Warriors wrote a nice underdog story last season and are primed to take a big leap this year, and Mateychuk will be an integral cog in their system. - DN

4 - Kirill Marchenko LW

The Blue Jackets have waited patiently for the big winger to cross the pond. His status as a prospect has risen considerably in recent seasons, especially following a strong performance at the 2020 WJC’s. Now he has finally signed and has a great shot of stepping right into Columbus’ lineup as a top nine winger. There is a reason he is listed as a Calder Trophy candidate by us. Marchenko is at his best when he can drive the net and work his way to the net. At 6’3, his puck protection ability is terrific, even when playing with pace. This is because his hands are solid. Marchenko also has a good shot and scoring instincts, something that should help him earn an immediate role in the NHL. There is room for his physical intensity level to be more consistent. The same could be said for his two-way play and his vision as a passer. However, Marchenko has great potential as a top six winger at the NHL level and he could even begin to realize that potential this season in Columbus. Thanks to spending several years in the KHL, he is ready to compete against men. - BO

5 - Corson Ceulemans D

The 25th pick at the 2021 NHL draft, Corson Ceulemans went to the University of Wisconsin and authored an impressive freshman season, displaying clear progress as he got more comfortable on college ice and more confident in his abilities. Ceulemans checks all the boxes of traits scouts want to see in a modern defenseman, and Ceulemans presents those traits with this rambunctious, passionate style that adds some extra spice to his game and presents its own challenges. Ceulemans is big, physical, and willing to do whatever it takes to improve his team’s chances to win a game. If that means diving in front of a howitzer of a slap shot to protect an out-of-position goalie, Ceulemans will do that. If that means engaging in the corners with a physical forward in order to disrupt his possession of the puck, Ceulemans will be there. If that means taking the puck up the ice, securing the offensive zone, and helping his team create scoring chances, Ceulemans will find a way to get the job done. He’s well-rounded, and he’s good at most of the things that he does, which makes his projection easy, at least tools-wise. The issue with Ceulemans sometimes is how he approaches the game. There can sometimes be too much aggression in how he plays, too strong of a desire to achieve every one of his team’s goals on each and every shift. Too often, Ceulemans will get caught attempting to make a play that could end up helping his team greatly but has a very low chance of actually paying dividends. If Ceulemans can learn to add some patience and balance to his game, he can become a strong top-four defenseman at the NHL level. - EH

6 - Dmitri Voronkov LW

Voronkov has s true fighter’s competitive mentality, as he is always in the thick of the battle, where the dirty work needs to be done: hitting hard, getting under opponents’ skin, making the net-front area his office and not being shy about dropping the gloves if an opponent crosses the line. His attacking potential is still a great unknown, as after a great 2021 KHL playoffs, there was no continuation of that success the season after that, which can only be partially explained by his team’s overall offensive struggles, but at least some of the blame needs to fall squarely on Voronkov’s shoulders. This season his team has been revitalized with big names like Alexander Radulov, Vadim Shipachyov, and Vyacheslav Voynov, so they are clearly aiming at becoming the KHL champions, which might affect Voronkov both in good and bad ways: while it might make it harder for him to earn a big role on the team, if he does get sufficient ice time, it might really give his attacking game the right kind of boost and confidence that he needs. Regardless of how things go, there is still ample reason to believe in his NHL potential thanks to his style of play, and with a more advanced attacking game, he can be viewed as a potential versatile middle-six forward. He has two more years on his KHL contract to show what he can do. - VF

7 - Luca Del Bel Belluz C

The 44^th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, Luca Del Bel Belluz is one of the most exciting prospects drafted because of his high-end offensive tools and creativity. As a late 03’ birthday, Del Bel Belluz was eligible to play in the OHL during the 2019-2020 season. During that season he was only able to produce 6 points (1G,5A) in 58 games. After the shutdown year, expectations weren’t high, and Del Bel Belluz was able to come into a new season with added weight and strength. Quickly becoming a top producer on his team, the Steelheads and many scouts were shocked with the amount of improvement that was made in Del Bel Belluz’s game. Finishing the season second in points on his team with 76 points (30G,46A) in 68 games, which also was 24^th in the OHL in points. Del Bel Belluz’s best assets and his playmaking and puck handling. He’s able to make such creative plays with both his vision and ability to see plays before they happen. He has great timing and rarely ever misses an opportunity to create a high-danger scoring chance happen. Whether it be along the boards or in-tight in the slot, he’s able to fight through traffic and keep the puck on his stick like a magnet. Going into the 2022-2023 season, expectations will be high for Del Bel Belluz as he will be one of the top offensive players in the league with a hungry Steelheads team that will be pushing in the playoffs once again. There’s a real possibility that Del Bel Belluz could crack the top 10 in OHL points next season. - DK

8 - Nick Blankenburg D

If one just looks at his age, height and the fact that he went undrafted in every year of his draft eligibility, Nick Blankenburg might not look very relevant to NHL teams. But that view of Blankenburg’s game would be misguided, as there’s a lot to like in the package of tools he offers, despite those realities. Blankenburg, the captain of the Michigan Wolverines in his senior season, signed an entry-level deal with the Blue Jackets and immediately impressed. Blankenburg was fearless, racking up 19 hits in just seven games of action. Despite standing at just five feet and nine inches tall, Blankenburg invites physical contact, and readily engages with forwards in physical battles in order to interrupt play. Oftentimes Blankenburg’s first means of dealing with an incoming offensive rush is to play the body, and that approach has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, Blankenburg’s rough-and-tumble physical game can be effective defensively and has the added benefit of being “hard to play against,” a quality NHL coaches and executives highly value. But on the other hand, sometimes the best defensive play can be made with a stick or just through adept positioning, rather than just physical aggression, and Blankenburg hasn’t shown himself to be at a top level in those areas to this point. Offensively, Blankenburg shouldn’t be mistaken for a gifted player, but he does have some chops there. The Blue Jackets gave him a few looks on the power play, and he found ways to fire pucks through traffic and not look out of place. He may not stick as a power-play defenseman long-term, but he was decently productive in college and should get a few more chances there. When taking the full picture of Blankenburg’s game into account, he looks like he can be a sort of “heart-and-soul” bottom-pairing defenseman who brings physicality, leadership, and occasional spurts of offensive ability. - EH

9 - Liam Foudy RW

Is this the year that Foudy finally breaks into the NHL full time? Back in 2020, when Foudy burst onto the scene by playing great hockey for Columbus in the NHL playoffs, it seemed like he would never even see the AHL. Two seasons later and Foudy has yet to rediscover the magic he showed during that playoff run, bouncing between the NHL and the AHL. Foudy is of course known for his blistering speed. The former track star is an absolutely dynamic mover who can cause havoc on the forecheck and penalty kill. As an offensive player, he is still finding his way as his hands and decision-making attempt to catch up to the pace he is capable of playing at. This is why Columbus has continued to send him down to the AHL, in hopes that they can make him more than just a high energy bottom six player. Now Foudy is no longer exempt from waivers meaning that if he does not make the Jackets, he would need to clear to be sent to Cleveland. As such, it would be shocking if he did not make the NHL roster full time this season. This probably includes significant responsibility on the penalty kill, but likely limited playing time at even strength. Even if the offensive game never comes around at the NHL level, Foudy will still provide value as a change of pace, high energy attacker and penalty killer and should have a lengthy NHL career as a fourth liner. - BO

10 - Stanislav Svozil D

A Czech defender who played with the Regina Pats of the WHL this past season, Svozil is a mobile puck mover and a former third round selection of the Blue Jackets. A veteran of the Czech National team program, Svozil also competed for Czechia at the recent World Junior Championships, wearing an “A” and helping them to a solid fourth place finish. Svozil’s best quality is his four-way mobility. An effortless mover in any direction, he is terrific at holding the offensive blueline, using lateral quickness to evade defenders and open up lanes. This mobility also comes in handy in the defensive end as he can be difficult to beat one on one; Svozil defends pace quite well by being aggressive to close off attackers. His overall defensive abilities remain slightly inconsistent. A lot of this has to do with inconsistent physical engagement. At the pro level, he is going to need to be more difficult to play against in order to be considered a true two-way defender. Additionally, his decision making when leading transitional attacks is also inconsistent. This coming season it appears that Columbus is going to have Svozil play at the AHL level as an “underager.” This could actually be good for his development to help him adjust to the pace of play, in addition to forcing him to improve his strength down low. If all goes well, he could project as a second or third pairing defender for the Jackets in a few years. – BO

11 - Daniil Tarasov

The big netminder’s first pro season in North America didn’t exactly go according to plan after he had to undergo surgery on his hip, ending his season prematurely. Expected to make a full recovery, Tarasov will be Cleveland’s starter this season.

12 - Mikael Pyyhtia

A speedy and skilled winger, Pyyhtia was among the leading goal scorers in Liiga last season, a massive step forward for him. Now signed by Columbus, he will likely start his AHL journey this year, although could still be loaned back to Finland so that he can continue to bulk up.

13 - Samuel Knazko

The mobile, two-way defender played for a bunch of different teams last season but finished out the year with Seattle in the WHL. A part of that Slovak team that captured a bronze medal at the Olympics, Knazko will play with Cleveland (AHL) this year.

14 - Jake Christiansen

One of the highest scoring defenders in the AHL last season, Christiansen has emerged as a legitimate candidate to make the Blue Jackets roster this season.

15 - Tyler Angle

While Angle’s second pro season was not as impressive as his debut, he remains a potential NHL contributor in the future because of how well he works the wall and tires out opposing defenders.

16 - Trey Fix-Wolansky

Now fully healed from knee surgery, Fix-Wolansky had his best pro year yet after completing his rehab. Rewarded with an NHL audition, he also scored his first NHL goal. The undersized winger is a cannonball on the ice and now requires waivers to be sent down, giving him good odds to make the NHL roster in a fourth line role this season.

17 - Guillaume Richard

Richard is built to be a potential shutdown defender in today’s NHL, but his freshman season at Providence showed that he might even have some offensive potential.

18 - Kirill Dolzhenkov

A Russian tank, Dolzhenkov is a hulking, power winger who plays through defenders and not around them. He is a long-term project, but one with middle six upside.

19 - Jordan Dumais

One of the draft’s most polarizing players, there is no denying Dumais’ offensive talents and awareness. For a smaller player, he just needs to get quicker to be a pro top six forward.

20 - Aidan Hreschuk

A competitive two-way defender, Hreschuk had a solid freshman season at Boston College. He will return as a sophomore and attempt to improve his offensive production.

David Jiricek – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Team Preview

FORWARD

DEFENCE

GOAL

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #14

Top 20 Columbus Blue Jacket Prospects

2. David Jiricek - D

3. Denton Mateychuk - D

4. Corson Ceulemans - D

5. Stanislav Svozil - D

6. Gavin Brindley

7. Dmitri Voronkov - LW

8. Jordan Dumais - RW

9. William Whitelaw - RW

10. Luca Del Bel Belluz - C

11. James Malatesta - LW

12. Samuel Knazko - D

13. Guillaume Richard - D

14. Andrew Strathmann - D

15. Jake Christiansen - D

16. Marcus Bjork - D

17. Mikael Pyyhtia - C

18. Trey Fix-Wolansky - RW

19. Kirill Dolzhenkov - RW

20. Hunter McKown - C

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK: FANTASY PROSPECT RANKINGS – Top 30 Forwards – Top 20 Defense – top 10 Goalies

Forwards

Connor Bedard, C – Chicago Blackhawks

Logan Cooley, C – Arizona Coyotes

Matvei Michkov, RW – Philadelphia Flyers

Marco Rossi, C – Minnesota Wild

Leo Carlsson, C – Anaheim Ducks

Lukas Reichel, LW/RW – Chicago Blackhawks

Shane Wright, C – Seattle Kraken

Dylan Guenther, LW/RW – Arizona Coyotes

Logan Stankoven, C – Dallas Stars

Jakob Pelletier, LW – Calgary Flames

Ryan Leonard, C/LW – Washington Capitals

William Eklund, LW – San Jose Sharks

Frank Nazar, C/RW – Chicago Blackhawks

Jimmy Snuggerud, C – St. Louis Blues

Zach Benson, RW – Buffalo Sabres

Cutter Gauthier, C/LW – Philadelphia Flyers

Matt Coronato, RW/LW – Calgary Flames

Alexander Holtz, LW – New Jersey Devils

Mavrik Bourque, C – Dallas Stars

Brennan Othmann, LW – New York Rangers

Will Smith, C – San Jose Sharks

Jiri Kulich, C – Buffalo Sabres

Tyson Foerster, RW – Philadelphia Flyers

Luke Evangelista, RW – Nashville Predators

Ridly Greig, C/LW – Ottawa Senators

Matthew Savoie, C – Buffalo Sabres

Nick Robertson, LW – Toronto Maple Leafs

Luke Hughes, LD – New Jersey Devils

Brandt Clarke, RD – Los Angeles Kings

Lane Hutson, LD – Montreal Canadiens

David Jiricek, RD – Columbus Blue Jackets

Simon Nemec, RD – New Jersey Devils

Olen Zellweger, LD – Anaheim Ducks

Simon Edvinsson, LD – Detroit Red Wings

Scott Perunovich, LD – St. Louis Blues

Pavel Mintyukov, LD – Anaheim Ducks

Denton Mateychuk, LD – Columbus Blue Jackets

Kevin Korchinski, LD – Chicago Blackhawks

Alexander Nikishin, LD – Carolina Hurricanes

Jordan Spence, RD – Los Angeles Kings

Thomas Harley, LD – Dallas Stars

Ville Heinola, LD – Winnipeg Jets

Lukas Cormier, LD – Vegas Golden Knights

Henry Thrun, LD – San Jose Sharks

Emil Andrae, LD – Philadelphia Flyers

Ryker Evans, LD – Seattle Kraken

Axel Sandin-Pellikka, RD – Detroit Red Wings

Devon Levi, Buffalo Sabres

Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota Wild

Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames

Yaroslav Askarov, Nashville Predators

Joel Hofer, St. Louis Blues