Declan Chisholm – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Logan Stankoven and Matt Rempe make their presence felt, Tyler Bertuzzi, Gustav Nyquist, and Scott Laughton pick up the pace and much, much more!

Scott Cullen — Sat, 02 Mar 2024 15:00:26 +0000

_{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)}

Each week, I dive into the numbers to help make decisions when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, rookies Logan Stankoven and Matt Rempe make their presence felt in different ways; Tyler Bertuzzi, Gustav Nyquist, and Scott Laughton pick up the pace and much, much more!

#1 The Dallas Stars have been patient this season, watching Logan Stankoven rip up the American Hockey League in his first pro season. The 2021 second-round pick had put up 57 points (24 G, 33 A) in 47 games for the Iowa Stars of the AHL before finally getting called up and he has not disappointed. In his first four games with the big club, Stankoven has scored three goals and added an assist, putting 12 shots on goal. He is on a line with Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn and it’s looking good. The real question is what the Stars are going to do when Tyler Seguin returns from injury because Stankoven has already shown that he belongs. Stankoven has been loaned to the Texas Stars again, but Dallas has to make room for a player of this quality.

#2 It has largely been a disappointing season for Toronto Maple Leafs left winger Tyler Bertuzzi but he is starting to turn the corner. With a goal in Thursday’s win over Arizona, he has six points (5 G, 1 A) during a four-game point streak. Skating on a line with Max Domi and William Nylander, Bertuzzi also has 15 shots on goal during that streak and the improved shot rate is an encouraging sign for his production being sustained over the rest of the season.

#3 The month of February has brought out the best in Nashville Predators right winger Gustav Nyquist. He picked up a couple of assists in Thursday’s 6-1 win against Minnesota, giving him 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 10 February games, tops among Preds forwards. He has 51 points (16 G, 35 A) in 61 games and his 0.84 points per game is challenging his 2013-2014 season, when he also had 0.84 points per game but fractionally higher, for the best points per game of his career.

#4 Philadelphia Flyers centre Scott Laughton has started to pick up his offensive production. In the past eight games, he has 10 points (4 G, 6 A) with 17 shots on goal. He has added 18 hits in that time, enhancing his value for those in banger leagues. He is centering a line with Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster. After missing a couple of weeks with a lower-body injury, Foerster has returned with a vengeance, scoring five points (4 G, 1 A) in three games.

#5 New York Rangers winger Matt Rempe has had quite the impact since arriving in the NHL. The 21-year-old is 6-foot-8 and while he has contributed a couple of points (1 G, 1 A) in his first six NHL games, he has also racked up 32 penalty minutes. He is not going to be able to keep the pace of taking on all comers with fisticuffs, but he has added a level of excitement to the Blueshirts. Rempe is not playing enough to generate fantasy interest outside of banger leagues, but the penalty minutes will hold some appeal.

#6 Now, for a New York Rangers winger who has more reliable value, look to Alexis Lafreniere. In his past dozen games, Lafreniere has nine points (6 G, 3 A) with 38 shots on goal. He is up to 2.68 shots on goal per game this season, up by more than a shot per game over last season, and that is why the fourth-year winger is a more consistent scoring threat.

#7 While he was suspended for the first half of the season, the Ottawa Senators made sure that it was known that Shane Pinto was going to be a big part of their plans. He is rewarding them for that patient approach. In his past 11 games, Pinto has 11 points (4 G, 7 A) with 38 shots on goal. He is centering a line with Brady Tkachuk and Vladimir Tarasenko. Pinto’s ice time is up, his shot rate is up, and he is turning into a legitimate scoring threat.

#8 With Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel injured, Rickard Rakell has become a more important piece for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The veteran winger is skating with Reilly Smith and Sidney Crosby on the Penguins’ top line and has seven points (3 G, 4 A) with 20 shots on goal in his past seven games. He has also played more than 19 minutes in four of those seven contests.

#9 While there has been discussion about the Nashville Predators potentially moving centre Tommy Novak before the trade deadline because he is a pending unrestricted free agent, it would be a tough move to sell for a team that has been elevated into a playoff position on the strength of a seven-game winning streak. In his past dozen games, Novak has produced 11 points (4 G, 7 A) with 22 shots on goal and he has been efficient, scoring like this while playing just 14 minutes per game.

#10 There is a changing of the guard in Washington, where 23-year-old centre Connor McMichael is starting to take on a bigger role. In his past 10 games, McMichael has nine points (5 G, 4 A) and 21 shots on goal. He is skating between wingers Aliaksei Protas and Anthony Mantha on an effective line that has played more than 300 minutes together at five-on-five, controlling 57.5% of expected goals. Protas, the 6-foot-6 left winger, has seven points (2 G, 5 A) and 10 shots on goal in his past six games while Mantha, the 6-foot-5 right winger, has eight points (2 G, 6 A) with just four shots on goal in his past seven contests.

#11 Sometimes, it’s just a matter of where a player finds himself in the lineup. Chicago Blackhawks winger Nick Foligno is 36 years old and has been a depth winger in recent seasons but with the rebuilding Blackhawks, he is getting a much bigger opportunity. In his past 10 games, Foligno has nine points (5 G, 4 A) with 18 shots on goal while a slumping Anthony Beauvillier (zero points in six games since returning from injury) is getting a chance to skate alongside Connor Bedard at even strength, Foligno does still have a spot on Chicago’s top power-play unit.

#12 Claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Wild from the Winnipeg Jets, defenceman Declan Chisholm is making the most of his opportunity with a new team. Chisholm is playing more than 18 minutes per game for the Wild, including time on Minnesota’s second power-play unit, and has recorded four points (1 G, 3 A) in his first seven games with Minnesota. It would be the deepest of leagues for Chisholm to have fantasy appeal already, but it is worth keeping him on your radar, to see if this fresh start can continue to yield results.

#13 The goaltending situation for the Toronto Maple Leafs has been uneven, to say the least, but it should be better with Joseph Woll returning from injury. Woll started against Arizona Thursday, his first start since December 7, and he stopped 30 of 32 shots in a 4-2 victory. Woll has a .918 save percentage in 16 games this season and while that is a small sample, it makes him the best option between the pipes for the Maple Leafs, so long as he stays healthy.

#14 After a 33-save shutout against Pittsburgh on Thursday, Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer is forcing his way back into the Kraken crease. As great as Joey Daccord has played, posting a .919 save percentage in 39 games, Grubauer does have a .947 save percentage in five starts since returning from injury. With a longer track record, and bigger contract, Grubauer will likely get every opportunity to play, so that does affect the relative value of both Seattle goaltenders.

#15 It would seem like Lucy teasing Charlie Brown with the football to bubble up excitement around Alexander Nylander, the eighth pick in the 2016 Draft who has 36 points in 101 career games, but it’s at least worth keeping an eye on his development in Columbus. Acquired from Pittsburgh in exchange for Emil Bemstrom, Nylander had a goal and an assist in Thursday’s loss to Carolina, and played a career-high 19:40. He also has nine shots on goal across the past two games, so in this super small sample, he is offering some reason to keep him in mind. We will see how long it lasts.

#16 There has not been a lot to love about the San Jose Sharks this season but they do have some veterans that could be producing enough to hold interest in deeper leagues. Mikael Granlund picked up three assists in Thursday’s loss to Anaheim, giving him six points (2 G, 4 A) in his past six games. Granlund also played a season-high 25:28 against the Ducks. Anthony Duclair, who may be auditioning for a new home at the trade deadline, has five points (4 G, 1 A) and 16 shots on goal in his past five games and is skating on Granlund’s wing, at least for now.

#17 Cam Atkinson has dropped out of the Philadelphia Flyers lineup, as a healthy scratch. He has zero points and 18 shots on goal in his past 11 games and that isn’t cutting it for head coach John Tortorella. It is even more challenging for Atkinson when he is getting scratched even with leading scorer Travis Konecny injured and out of the lineup because that effectively puts Atkinson an extra step away from just getting into the lineup, let alone in a position where he might once again have fantasy value.

#18 Even though he is still skating on Seattle’s second line, left winger Jaden Schwartz is mired in a brutal slump. In his past 11 games, Schwartz had one goal, zero assists, and 22 shots on goal. The 31-year-old winger has had plenty of peaks and valleys in his career when it comes to scoring – he had 14 points (8 G, 6 A) in 15 games to start this season! – and it appears that he is deep in a valley right now.

#19 Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk had a cool moment with his father, Louie DeBrusk, before a recent game against the Edmonton Oilers. The elder DeBrusk brought out a ticket that his son had given to him many years ago, stating that he would record a goal or an assist, or do 30 pushups. That night, DeBrusk recorded both a goal and an assist, saving himself from the 30 pushup option. The unfortunate part for DeBrusk is that it is the only time in his past 14 games that he has managed to find the scoresheet. He is averaging more than 17 minutes of ice time per game over that span, which makes his slump all the more troubling. The one encouraging sign is that DeBrusk had 34 shots on goal in those 14 games, so he is getting chances, and that tends to lead to better results.

#20 Two goaltenders who have been pleasant surprises this season experienced a more challenging month of February. Connor Ingram had emerged as the starting goaltender in Arizona, posting a .919 save percentage in his first 30 games. Since January 25, though, Ingram has a 0-6-2 record with a .872 save percentage and he missed some time with an injury, too. In Washington, Charlie Lindgren had a .929 save percentage in mid-January, forcing his way into more playing time, but then his results flipped, too. In his past 11 starts, he has a 4-5-2 record with a .873 save percentage. Maybe this should have been expected from goaltenders with limited NHL track records, but this season has been difficult to find consistent and reliable goaltending from many angles, even from these two goalies who had been providing excess value for more than three months to start the season.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #13

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 15:12:09 +0000

Top 20 Winnipeg Jets Prospects

1. Colby Barlow

There are a multitude of reasons why Barlow has already been so successful as a junior, scoring 46 goals for the Owen Sound Attack last season. He plays the North/South power game to a tee. A strong forechecker, he consistently applies pressure in pursuit, and has a clear understanding for using his size and strength to get to the middle of the ice and to the net. He also has a tremendous shot, one of the better ones from the 2023 draft class. Another thing that makes Barlow so valuable is his two-way effectiveness. An excellent penalty killer and a strong board player, he is not shy in using his strength to separate players from the puck. Very few top-end goal scorers are committed two-way players like he projects as at the NHL level. On the other hand, there were reasons why some scouts were sceptical. His lack of dynamic skating can negatively impact his ability to transport the puck. Additionally, there are some limitations to his puck skill and creativity, all also limiting his play creation in transition. He is at his best when keeping the game simple and playing a complementary North/South attacking style. Advanced physically, Barlow should only need one more year in the OHL before he could be ready to take on a full-time role with the Jets.

2. Brad Lambert

Lambert is difficult to get a confident read on, because his performances can swing wildly between highs and lows. When he reaches those highs, his performances can be thrilling. His skating is magnificent, and he can pull off some truly dazzling plays with the puck in motion at top speed. He can also be a lethal shooter when he wants to be. A midseason change of scenery to WHL Seattle last season was perfect for his development, as he turned in the longest stretch of high-level hockey in years, as he was consistently at the very top of the game, and he kept getting better as the playoffs rolled along. Opposing WHL teams simply have no answer for him when he plays like that. The challenge now for Winnipeg will be finding a way to get this version of Lambert to somehow show up on a regular basis.

3. Chaz Lucius

You have to feel for Lucius after all of the bad injury luck that he has already faced in his young career. After previously battling through hand, ankle, and knee issues, he had to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after just six games with his new team, WHL Portland. The most recent loss was surely devastating for the Winterhawks as well, as he had fit in fantastically from the get-go, putting up 15 points during those six games. When healthy, the impact he makes is undeniable. Lucius is a natural goal scorer, with excellent shot mechanics and accuracy. He can also improve his shooting opportunities by fending off defenders with his reach and strength or by making smooth dekes to pull pucks into better shooting areas. The hope is that he can stay healthy from here on out and become the star he occasionally shows signs of.

4. Ville Heinola

On many other teams in the league Heinola would have been a regular, everyday NHLer by now. Unfortunately for him, he has been predominantly stuck in the minors for multiple seasons due to Winnipeg's defensive depth. His game has improved by leaps and bounds in the AHL though, and if the Jets don't give him a full-time chance at the sport's highest level this season, then he will have every right to be frustrated. He possesses and moves the puck at a high level and has largely ironed out defensive concerns that were previously apparent, though his lack of strength and reach will always be somewhat of a detriment. He's always been more of an even strength puck-mover than an offensive specialist, but his point production saw a notable uptick in 2022-23. Heinola might not reach his top four ceiling if the Jets don't commit now to taking the training wheels off.

5. Rutger McGroarty

There are few prospects in hockey who are better within 10 feet of the opponent's net than McGroarty. He's superb in 50-50 battles and with establishing body positioning through strength and sturdy balance, and he blends those abilities with top-tier anticipation and hand-eye coordination, which makes him an expert at scoring greasy goals. If that wasn't enough, he can beat goalies clean with his shot from in tight or just outside the crease if given even just a little time and space. His heavy boots are a problem, and probably always will be to some degree, but how he is able to work around that weakness and still find success in his own way is very impressive. There are a lot of natural leadership elements here to work with as well. McGroarty knows exactly what kind of player he is and is leaning into mastering the way he plays.

6. Nikita Chibrikov

There exists a fine line between possessing a lot of pure individual skill and knowing how to use that skill within the structure of a team game. That's the dilemma facing Chibrikov, and it has persisted for years. There is no denying his abundance of talent. A fast and fluid skater, he can make flashy, confident moves with the puck. He loves to challenge defenders one-on-one and has what it takes to beat them often. The problem is that his game hits the wall because he'll try to do too much by himself and not play off his teammates enough. The lack of diversification with his attack is holding him back at the KHL level, and it will be even worse in North America. Chibrikov could become an effective top six winger after learning how to make that necessary adjustment.

7. Declan Chisholm

The Jets organization is very deep with young defenders, so the competition to stand out is fierce. Chisholm recognizes the situation very well and has been continually elevating his game accordingly. He's a play driver from the back end, excelling when he has the puck on his stick and relishing the responsibility of making sure it successfully gets up the ice. His hands, feet, and vision all work very well in conjunction, and he has a very assertive and incisive mindset about beating opposing layers of defenders. Navigating through traffic is a breeze for him. He still needs to show progress off the puck, but he'll be fine if he can focus on tightening up his gap control. If the Jets don't make roster space for Chisholm this season, with his exemption from waivers running out, don't be surprised if another team jumps at the chance to add a good, young asset for no cost.

8. Dmitry Rashevsky

From a pure entertainment standpoint, Rashevsky is exceptional and nearly impossible to take your eyes off of. His bag of puck tricks is overflowing, and he rarely passes up an opportunity to try something dramatic and exciting. He also possesses a high-end motor, so if he tries something that doesn't pan out, he'll work hard to get the puck back on the same shift and try something else. He's such a natural at pulling pucks past sticks and skates and into shooting spaces, and then picking his spots to beat goalies clean. He's a late bloomer because it took him a while to master his style of play, but now he's a legitimate star in the KHL. His skating, strength, and conditioning all need further work, but if he can show some improvement in those areas, he has real upside as an NHL scoring threat.

9. Artemi Kniazev

Kniazev hasn't really changed a whole lot since his draft year, which can be both a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. He is a play-driving defenseman who operates at a high pace and wants to be a possession conduit for his team. He jumps at every opportunity to join the rush and is always ready to follow it all the way up into prime scoring territory. There is an aggressive confidence to him, which is a mentality that can be used to his advantage. Problems arise when he plays with that kind of fire a little frequently. It would also be nice to see him expand his game to additional dimensions. Even if Kniazev remains a fairly one-dimensional, pigeonholed kind of blueliner, he could be a specialist as a play driver as he continues to master his craft.

10. Elias Salomonsson

Salomonsson is a right-shot defenseman with slippery lateral mobility and smooth puck control, and those will always have value in the NHL. His primary job is to get pucks on retrievals, escape forecheck pressure, and help ensure the play heads successfully up the ice, whether that's by deferring with passes or through navigating the impending traffic himself. Overall, he succeeds in what he is supposed to do, and is increasingly being trusted to do it at Sweden's highest professional level. He's also relatively effective at the offensive blueline, keeping pucks in the zone and helping to find or create a multitude of scoring chances. At one point it looked like he could be a major point producer from the back end, however that hype has cooled off a lot. Concerns remain about how much bulk he can add to help withstand the rigors of a long NHL career without losing his mobility.

11. Domenic DiVincentiis

A seventh-round selection last year, DiVincentiis has rocketed up rankings thanks to his remarkable OHL season that saw him named as the league’s top netminder. He has learned to harness his athleticism to be more composed in the crease and consistency has followed.

12. Danny Zhilkin

The offensive production in the OHL never really reached the levels that Zhilkin was thought capable of, but he’s still a very intriguing prospect because of his speed and skill from the center position. How he adjusts to the pro level this year will be closely watched.

13. Dmitry Kuzmin

Terrific offensive defender who can be a difference maker in transition because of his skating ability and skill. Was a totally different player in the defensive end last year, becoming increasingly physically assertive despite his lack of size. Can that carry over to the pro level?

14. Fabian Wagner

While Wagner was fantastic offensively at the WJCs for Sweden last year, his production in Sweden probably gives a better indication of his NHL upside. He’s a pretty straight-forward player who can play a variety of different roles because of his IQ and skating ability. He could be a longtime fixture on an NHL third line in the future.

15. Daniel Torgersson

The Swedish missile, Torgersson struggled to be a consistent offensive contributor with Manitoba last year as an AHL rookie. As he gains confidence, he probably has more to give physically, too. Winnipeg will be looking for him to take a step forward as an AHL sophomore this season.

16. Oskari Salminen

There were ups and downs in Salminen’s first season in Manitoba after signing with Winnipeg last summer. He looked fantastic at times,but not so great at others. Finding that consistency will be key for him if he wishes to push for a backup spot in the NHL.

17. Zach Nehring

Drafted out of Shattuck St. Mary’s this year, Nehring is a power skating, North/South winger who can drive the net. He has great upside due to his physical tools, but he remains a long-term project. He’ll play with USHL Sioux Falls this year before going to Western Michigan in 2024-25.

18. Simon Lundmark

At this point, Lundmark may not have a ton of upside to offer for the NHL level, but he can still develop into a solid third pairing, PK type in the future. He moves well, thinks the game well, and has good reach. Just don’t expect much out of him offensively.

19. Kristian Vesalainen

The former highly touted first round pick was still qualified by the Jets as they retained his rights following a return to Finland. Is he still in their plans long term? That probably depends on how he plays in Liiga. He was good last year, but he’ll need to develop into one of the better players in Finland in order to earn another look from the Jets.

20. Thomas Milic

Milic was finally selected in the draft in his final year of eligibility despite strong play in the WHL over a few years. His gold medal performance for Canada at the WJCs last year have likely finally sealed the deal. Will the undersized netminder return to WHL Seattle for an OA year or will he turn pro? That will likely be determined at Winnipeg’s upcoming training camp.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #17 Winnipeg Jets

Derek Neumeier — Sat, 20 May 2023 12:07:09 +0000

A second season in a row saw them finish out of the playoffs. They were first in the Western Conference in January, only to collapse down the stretch. Familiar narratives arose about leadership in the dressing room and their inability to deal with adversity. One of the most promising teams in the league a couple of years ago with a very strong prospect pool, the future looked bright. Coach Rick Bowness replaced a dispirited Paul Maurice, who had walked away from the team mid-season in 2021-22, primarily because he felt he could not motivate his players properly and lost his passion. An emotional Bowness pulled no punches in a year end interview, after having made numerous emotional public appeals to the team leadership. Change is in the air on the prairies.

While they have only had one graduation from the last five drafts, there are some interesting pieces in the system. Ranking in our top 200, Chaz Lucius and Brad Lambert at #40 and #41 respectively both have tantalizing upside. Lucius has had injury issues, slowing his development, but holds much promise, even star ability. Lambert has been a polarizing prospect since his draft year, with wild swings in performance. His dominant side showed itself more in the second half of this season with a move to Seattle mid-season triggering an impressive string. Ville Heinola is ready for the NHL, but defensive depth in the organization has held him back. Winnipeg retains their first for the next three drafts but have thinned out the other rounds through trades. They only have four picks for the upcoming draft. Management has big decisions to make whether they are retooling or going for it.

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 29: Winnipeg Jets forward Brad Lambert (47) tracks the play during the Winnipeg Jets versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 29, 2022, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Chaz Lucius

You really have to feel for Lucius after all of the bad injury luck that he has already faced in his young career. After previously battling through hand, ankle and knee issues he had to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after just six games with his new team, Portland. The most recent loss was surely devastating for the Winterhawks as well, as he was an immediately fantastic fit and put up 15 points in those six games. When healthy, the impact he makes is undeniable. He is a natural goal scorer, with excellent shot mechanics and accuracy. He can also improve his shooting opportunities by fending off defenders with his reach and strength or by making smooth dekes to pull pucks into better shooting areas. The hope is that he can stay healthy from here on out and become the star player he is capable of being.

2. Brad Lambert

Lambert is difficult player to get a confident read on, because his performances can swing wildly between highs and lows. However, when he reaches those highs, his performances can be a real sight to behold. His skating is magnificent, and he can make some truly dazzling plays with the puck in motion and at top speed. He can also be a lethal shooter when he wants to be. A midseason change of scenery to Seattle is looking brilliant right now, because this is the longest stretch of hockey in years where he has been consistently at the very top of the game, and he kept getting better as the playoffs rolled along. Opposing WHL teams simply have no answer for him when he is playing like this. The challenge now for Winnipeg will be finding a way to get this version of Lambert to somehow show up on a regular basis.

3. Ville Heinola

On many other teams in the league Heinola would have been a regular, everyday NHLer by now. Unfortunately for him, he has been predominantly stuck in the minors for a few seasons due to Winnipeg's defensive depth. His game has improved by leaps and bounds in the AHL, though, and if the Jets don't give him a full-time chance at the sport's highest level by next year, then he will have every right to be frustrated. He possesses and moves the puck at a high level and has largely ironed out defensive concerns that existed previously, though his lack of strength and reach will always be somewhat of a detriment. He's always been more of an even strength puck-mover than an offensive specialist, but his point production did see a notable uptick in 2022-23. Heinola might not reach his top four ceiling if the Jets don't commit now to taking the training wheels off.

4. Rutger McGroarty

There are few prospects in hockey who are better within 10 feet of the opponent's net than McGroarty is. He's superbly good in 50-50 battles and with establishing body positioning through strength and sturdy balance, and he blends those abilities with top-tier anticipation and hand-eye coordination, which makes him an expert at scoring greasy goals. If that wasn't enough, he can beat goalies clean with his shot from in tight or just outside the crease if given a little time and space. His heavy boots are a problem, and probably always will be to some degree, but it's very impressive how he is able to work around that weakness and still find success in his specializations. There are a lot of natural leadership elements here to work with as well. McGroarty knows exactly what kind of player he is and is really leaning into mastering the way he plays.

5. Nikita Chibrikov

There exists a fine line between possessing a lot of pure individual skill and knowing how to use that skill within the structure of a team game. That's the dilemma that Chibrikov is facing, and it has persisted for years. There is no denying that he is a prospect with a lot of talent. He's a fast and fluid skater, and he can make flashy, confident moves with the puck. He loves to challenge defenders one-on-one and has what it takes to beat them often. The problem is that his game hits the wall because he'll try to do too much himself and not play off his teammates enough. The lack of diversification with his attack is holding him back at the KHL level, and it will be even worse in North America. Chibrikov could become an effective top six winger after learning that necessary adjustment.

6. Declan Chisholm

The Jets organization is very deep with young defenders, so the completion to stand out is fierce. Chisholm recognizes the situation very well and has been continually elevating his game accordingly. He's a true play driver from the back end, excelling when he has the puck on his stick and relishing the responsibility of making sure it successfully gets up the ice. His hands, feet and vision all work very well in conjunction, and he has a very assertive and incisive mindset about beating opposing layers of defenders. Navigating through traffic is a breeze for him. There is still progress that he will need to make off the puck, but he'll be fine if he can focus on tightening up his gap control. If the Jets don't make roster space for Chisholm next season, when his exemption from waivers runs out, don't be surprised if another team jumps at the chance to add a good, young asset for no cost.

7. Dmitry Rashevsky

From a purely entertainment standpoint, Rashevsky is exceptional and nearly impossible to take your eyes off of. His bag of puck tricks is overflowing, and he rarely passes up an opportunity to try something dramatic and exciting. He also possesses a high-end motor, so if he tries something that doesn't pan out, he'll work hard to get the puck back on the same shift and try something else. He's such a natural at pulling pucks past sticks and skates and into shooting spaces, and then picking his spots to beat goalies clean. He's a late bloomer because it took him a while to master how he plays, but now he's a legitimate star in the KHL. His skating, strength and conditioning all need further work, but if he can improve those areas, he has real upside as an NHL scoring threat.

8. Elias Salomonsson

Salomonsson is right-shot defenseman with slippery lateral mobility and smooth puck control, and those will always have value in the eyes of NHL teams. His primary job is to get pucks on retrievals, escape forecheck pressure, and help ensure the play heads successfully up the ice, whether that's by deferring with passes or navigating the impending traffic himself. Overall, he succeeds in what he is supposed to do, and is increasingly being trusted to do it at Sweden's highest professional level. He's also relatively effective at the offensive blueline, keeping pucks in the zone and helping to find or create scoring chances. At one point it looked like he could be a major point producer from the back end, however, that hype has cooled off a lot. Concerns exist about how much bulk he can add to help withstand the rigors of a long NHL career.

9. Danny Zhilkin

Zhilkin is a blue-collar center who always puts forth an honest effort. Everything about his game grades out as good, albeit not spectacular. While he doesn't really excel in any one area or have one true standout trait, he also won't be a liability for his team in any scenario. He projects nicely as someone who can carve out a long career in a middle six role, acting as a duct tape option that his coaches can use to patch up a variety of different problems. Most successful teams have a versatile player like that on their roster, and they are especially valuable in the playoffs when injuries start to add up and roles have to shift. It's a pretty safe bet that Zhilkin will work his way into the NHL at some point, but he might not be someone that you'd ever want on your fantasy team.

10. Leon Gawanke

Similar to Chisholm, Gawanke has done a good job of handling the competition among young defenseman in Winnipeg's system. He is lower on the depth chart, though, and also might be an eventual waiver target for a different team that is willing to actually make room for him. He shoots right, and boy, does he like to shoot. He's a genuine goal-scoring threat from the blueline, which isn't as common as it used to be but still holds value. The rest of his game grades out as capably average. He is a staple for Germany in international events, and while those teams rarely win games the tournaments still provide valuable playing experience that most other mid-level prospects don't have access to.

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

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

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

1 - Cole Perfetti LW

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

2 - Brad Lambert C

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

3 - Rutger McGroarty LW

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

4 - Ville Heinola D

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

5 - Nikita Chibrikov RW

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

6 - David Gustafsson C

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

7 - Chaz Lucius C

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

8 - Declan Chisholm D

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

9 - Morgan Barron LW

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

10 - Dylan Samberg D

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

11 - Leon Gawanke

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

12 - Danny Zhilkin

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

13 - Elias Salomonsson

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

14 - Daniel Torgersson

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

15 - Dmitry Rashevsky

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

16 -Dmitri Kuzmin

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

17 - Wyatt Bongiovanni

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

18 - Mikhail Berdin

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

19 - Arvid Holm

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

20 - Johnathan Kovacevic

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

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

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

Winnipeg Jets

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

Cole Perfetti

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

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

Chaz Lucuis

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

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

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

Ville Heinola

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

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

Dylan Samberg

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

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

Nikita Chibrikov

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

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

Kristian Vesalainen

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

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

David Gustafsson

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

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

Declan Chisholm

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

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

Mikhail Berdin

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

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

Daniel Torgersson

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

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

Dmitri Kuzmin

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

Anton Johannesson

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

Henri Nikkanen

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

Simon Lundmark

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

Johnny Kovacevic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PROSPECT CRITERIA

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

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

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winnipeg Jets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2019-20 OHL Preview

Brock Otten — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 01:03:50 +0000

The 2019/20 OHL season is already underway, but it is not too late to preview some of the top teams and top players in the league this year. Who are the Championship contenders? Who are the top NHL prospects playing in the league this year? Who are the top NHL draft prospects for 2020? Keep reading to find out.

Graeme Clarke of the Ottawa 67''s. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Eastern Conference

Championship Contenders

Ottawa 67’s

While there have been some losses up front for the 67’s (Sasha Chmelevski, Tye Felhaber, Kody Clark, Kyle Maksimovich, Lucas Chiodo all graduated), the defending Eastern Conference Champions do return their entire blueline and one of their starting goaltenders. Kevin Bahl (Arizona), Noel Hoefenmayer (UFA), Merrick Rippon (2020), Nikita Okhotyuk (New Jersey), Hudson Wilson (UFA), and Alec Belanger (2020) all return and should give the 67’s a chance to repeat as the top defensive team in the Ontario Hockey League (the 67’s led the league in goals against in 2018/19). Additionally, Cedrick Andree (2020) mans the crease again, a year after finishing fourth in the OHL in wins, despite splitting time late in the year with Michael Dipietro after the latter’s acquisition from Windsor. While the club’s secondary scoring remains a bit of a mystery, the top line of Austen Keating (UFA), Marco Rossi (2020), and Graeme Clarke (New Jersey) should score a ton. Management also has a boatload of draft picks (five 2nd rounders and five 3rd rounders over the next three seasons) to make moves should they require upgrades.

Sudbury Wolves

This is the Quinton Byfield (2020) show. Last year, the Wolves were led by one of the best goaltending performances that the league has ever seen from Buffalo prospect Ukka-Pekka Luukkonen. But this year, top 2020 NHL draft prospect Byfield is ready to be the catalyst and one of the best players in the OHL. Sudbury has surrounded him with enough veteran talent too, that includes Carolina draft pick Blake Murray (Carolina). But preventing goals may be the Achilles Heel of this team heading into the year. The defense is on the younger side, and neither Christian Purboo (2020) nor Mitchell Weeks (2020) have proven to be strong starting netminders. Keep an eye on two 2020 draft prospects in Jack Thompson (2020) and Isaak Phillips (2020) here, as they will be seeing a ton of minutes and could rocket up draft boards with strong performances. In a slightly weaker division, look for Sudbury to overcome some holes and earn home ice in the first round.

Peterborough Petes

Unfortunately for Peterborough, they play in the same division as the 67’s, which means one of these teams will finish third in the Conference. But Peterborough should be considered the second-best team in the East right now, even with the Ryan Merkley (San Jose) conundrum surrounding the team. The Sharks first rounder awaits a trade from the Petes after the club decided to go in a different direction. This could no doubt be a distraction, but Peterborough is a very talented team. Nick Robertson (Toronto) leads the way and is a serious candidate to lead the league in scoring and win the Red Tilson as the league’s most outstanding player. Hunter Jones (Minnesota) is a candidate to win the newly named Jim Rutherford award as the league’s top goaltender. Declan Chisholm (Winnipeg) is a top candidate to win the Max Kaminski as the league’s top defender. There is star power at every position, in addition to depth. This team is going to score a lot, and like Ottawa, they have a bevy of draft picks in the cupboard that they could use to improve further.

Oshawa Generals

While there are some serious questions surrounding the quality of goaltending Oshawa could receive this year, there are no questions about the talent level playing in front of said goaltender(s). The Generals return nearly their entire defense from a year ago, led by two NHL draft picks, Gio Vallati (Winnipeg), Nico Gross (NY Rangers), in addition to top 2020 draft prospect Lleyton Moore (2020). At forward, Serron Noel (Florida), and Allan McShane (Montreal) are the stars, but a strong supporting cast surrounds them. Look for Noel to have an absolutely monster year from an offensive perspective. His size and skill combination is so difficult for some of the league’s smaller defenders to handle. If the Generals do falter and find themselves in the middle of the pack, look for them to trade away some of their graduating players like Noel, McShane, and Vallati, in order retool for next year when the team’s goaltending could be addressed more definitively.

Barrie Colts

The Colts are a real wild card heading into the year. They underachieved last year, but a lot of that had to do with some injuries. Additionally, coach Dale Hawerchuk had to step away during training camp due to health concerns, so management brought in veteran Warren Rychel to steer the ship. Despite the turmoil, this is a very talented team. Ryan Suzuki (Carolina) should be better equipped to handle the pressure of being a top offensive option, and Matej Pekar (Buffalo) is healthy and off to a great start. On defense, Tyler Tucker (St. Louis) should be one of the better defenders in the league. Look out for rookie Brandt Clarke (2021), who is an immediate impact player and is the favorite to take home the league’s Emms Family Trophy as the top rookie after leading the OHL in preseason scoring...as a blueliner. Barrie may also have the best goaltending tandem in the OHL with Jet Greaves (2020) and Arturs Silovs (Vancouver) manning the crease. Don’t be surprised if Barrie pushes Sudbury for the Central Division.

Standings Prediction:

Ottawa
Sudbury
Peterborough
Oshawa
Barrie
Mississauga
Hamilton
North Bay
Niagara
Kingston

Western Conference

Championship Contenders

Saginaw Spirit

Cole Coskey of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Make no bones about it, this year’s Saginaw Spirit are one strong team. At the heart of the Spirit is Red Tilson contender and top 2020 draft prospect Cole Perfetti (2020). He could be a candidate to lead the league in scoring and is such an electric player in the offensive end. There is also a strong supporting cast of characters including NHL draft picks Damien Giroux (Minnesota), Blade Jenkins (NY Islanders), Nicholas Porco (Dallas), Cole Coskey (NY Islanders), and Mason Millman (Philadelphia). The real wild card here is whether the New York Islanders send star defender Bode Wilde back to the OHL for another year, even though he is eligible to play in the AHL. Another name to watch is goaltender Tristan Lennox (2021), who was a standout at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup this summer, but is not eligible for the NHL draft until 2021 because of an October birth date. This year’s Spirit team has to be considered the favorite in the West because of their depth and star power.

Kitchener Rangers

It has become abundantly clear that the Kitchener Rangers intend to compete for an OHL Championship this year because of how aggressive they have been already in making key additions to the club. This summer they brought in Axel Bergkvist (Arizona) and Ville Ottavainen (2020) through the Import Draft, and goaltender Jacob Ingham (Los Angeles) through trade. All three figure to be key components. In particular, those imports will help the Rangers defense move the puck more efficiently, an area that they struggled with last year. Recently, Kitchener also traded for OA Liam Hawel (UFA), who is a big upgrade to their top six forward group. Up front, Riley Damiani (Dallas), Greg Meireles (Florida), and Jonathan Yantsis (UFA) will be star players and all three have a chance to be near the top of the OHL scoring race. This is a very well constructed group with no glaring weakness.

London Knights

There was a lot of discussion in OHL circles last week when the London Knights were named the top team in the CHL in the preseason rankings heading into the year. Many, myself included, felt that this was not warranted. This is a London team with a completely rebuilt defense that outside of Alec Regula (Detroit), has almost no OHL experience (save Gerard Keane (2020) and his limited playing time last year). Additionally, Regula is out with a concussion and star forward Liam Foudy (Columbus) is set to miss 4-6 weeks with an upper body injury. That is not a recipe for early season success. That said, this is a talented group. Connor McMichael (Washington) should be in for a big year and will look to carry the load and help this team through some opening season challenges.

Flint Firebirds

They could not be in the OHL basement forever, right? As Flint’s high end draft selections gain more experience, this could be a very dangerous team that should break out in a big way. The team brought in veteran Anthony Popovich (UFA) to man the crease, fresh off winning an OHL Championship with Guelph last year and his veteran presence should help. Ty Dellandrea (Dallas), assuming he is returned from the Stars, will be one of the OHL’s top players and a leader at both ends of the ice. Look for Vladislav Kolyachonok (Florida) and Dennis Busby (Arizona) to really break out on the back-end, too, and have terrific seasons. Another unheralded player is Jake Durham (UFA), who returns as an OA after a breakout season last year. He has already started strong and could be among the league leaders in goal scoring. This is another well rounded team.

Erie Otters

Much like Barrie in the Eastern Conference, the Otters are being underrated in many preseason polls up to this point. This is a team that is near the top in goals returning from the previous year, and while they may not have the star power up front of other teams in the Conference, they are a very efficient unit. On the back-end though, they most definitely have a star in Jamie Drysdale (2020), who is a potential top 10 selection for this year’s NHL draft. He is an electric skater and is my preseason selection for the Max Kaminski, given to the league’s top defender. At forward, look for Hayden Fowler (2020) and Maxim Golod (2020) to breakout in a big way, too. Do not sleep on this team.

Standings Prediction

Saginaw
Kitchener
London
Flint
Erie
Windsor
Sault Ste. Marie
Owen Sound
Sarnia
Guelph

Ty Dellandrea of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Top NHL Prospects to Watch

Ty Dellandrea, Flint (Dallas)

Seems likely to stick around for a few games in Dallas, but has the captaincy in Flint waiting for him upon his return. Strong two-way center who will be able to better showcase his offensive abilities this year.

Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton (Los Angeles)

Fell at the draft to the second round, but is one of the best goal scorers in the OHL. Will look to show scouts that he can play with more pace this year and improve his engagement level without the puck.

Philip Tomasino, Niagara (Nashville)

With a rebuild in Niagara likely, one has to wonder if he finishes the year with the IceDogs. Tomasino should see a nice increase in production this year with more powerplay time and another year of added strength.

Thomas Harley, Mississauga (Dallas)

Has had a very strong training camp with Dallas, but will return to Mississauga where he will look to improve his play in the defensive zone to match his dynamic offensive ability and skating stride.

Ryan Suzuki, Barrie (Carolina)

While his brother Nick starts his pro career, possibly even in the NHL, Ryan will look to lead the Barrie Colts to a division title. Ryan is an exceptional playmaker, but he will look to play more between the dots this year and increase his intensity level.

Serron Noel, Oshawa (Florida)

Noel is a physical specimen who can dominate because of his size and skill combination. The power winger drives play through the middle of the ice.

Liam Foudy, London (Columbus)

Speed is the name of Foudy’s game. He will miss the start of the year with an injury, but will look to become a more consistent offensive player upon his return.

Akil Thomas, Niagara (Los Angeles)

Like Tomasino, it seems unlikely that Thomas finishes the year in Niagara. He will be a highly coveted player because of his playmaking ability.

Nick Robertson, Peterborough (Toronto)

Because of his skill level with the puck and his tenacity without it, Robertson is one of the most exciting players to watch in the OHL. If he can stay healthy, he should have a monster season.

Connor McMichael, London (Washington)

McMichael is a versatile forward who profiles best as a goal scorer. The Washington Capitals first rounder will likely need to do a lot of heavy lifting early in the year for London.

Wild Card #1 - Barrett Hayton, Sault Ste. Marie (Arizona)

It seems very likely that Hayton spends the year in Arizona as a checking line player. Should he return to Sault Ste. Marie on the other hand, he will be one of the top players in the OHL and the top NHL prospect.

Wild Card #2 - Bode Wilde, Saginaw (NY Islanders)

With the option to keep Wilde in the AHL for the season because he was drafted out of the USDP, it seems likely that that occurs. However, should he return to the OHL, Wilde will be able to play with an incredibly talented offensive group in Saginaw and would be a favorite to lead the league in defensive scoring.

Wild Card #3 - Ryan Merkley, Peterborough (San Jose)

The Merkley trade watch is still on. Still in San Jose’s camp as he awaits a new OHL team, Merkley’s talent level is undeniable. But his attitude has him about to play for his third OHL team in as many years.

Quinton Byfield on the Sudbury Wolves. Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Top 2020 NHL Draft Prospects to Watch

Quinton Byfield, Sudbury

The name Eric Lindros has been thrown around recently because of how dominant Byfield can be below the hashmarks. His skating ability is tremendous for such a big player.

Jamie Drysdale, Erie

Drysdale is a beautiful skater himself and he uses this to impact the game both offensively and defensively. So hard to pin down in his own end, he is a breakout machine.

Cole Perfetti, Saginaw

“Goal” Perfetti, as TSN’s Craig Button calls him, is an offensive dynamo because of how well he processes the game with and without the puck.

Marco Rossi, Ottawa

Rossi is as slippery as an eel in the offensive end. He is undersized, but he plays with a lot of jam and has the skill set to match.

Jacob Perreault, Sarnia

A surprise cut from the Canadian Hlinka/Gretzky team, Perreault, the son of former NHL’er Yanic, is a terrific goal scorer who understands how to play without the puck in the offensive zone.

Antonio Stranges, London

Armed with an elusive 10 to 2 skating stride, dynamic puck skill, and a wicked backhand, Stranges is a human highlight reel. What kind of progress can other parts of his game make this year?

Jean Luc Foudy, Windsor

Brother to London’s Liam, Jean Luc is an equally gifted skater. As dangerous as he is as a playmaker in transition, Foudy will need to show that he can play through traffic more effectively.

Will Cuylle, Windsor

Power winger with a nice goal scorer’s touch. Cuylle has drawn comparisons to NHL’er James Van Riemsdyk for that reason. Needs to find a way to impact the game when he is not scoring.

Jaromir Pytlik, Sault Ste. Marie

With Hayton in Arizona, at least to start the year, the pressure will be on Pytlik to carry the offensive load in the Soo. After only playing half of last year, scouts will get a better look at him this year.

Ryan O’Rourke, Sault Ste. Marie

Hard-nosed defensive stalwart who will be looking to prove that he can be a two-way defender and possesses the offensive upside to be a high NHL draft pick.

Declan Chisholm – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Logan Stankoven and Matt Rempe make their presence felt, Tyler Bertuzzi, Gustav Nyquist, and Scott Laughton pick up the pace and much, much more!

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #13

1. Colby Barlow

2. Brad Lambert

3. Chaz Lucius

4. Ville Heinola

5. Rutger McGroarty

6. Nikita Chibrikov

7. Declan Chisholm

8. Dmitry Rashevsky

9. Artemi Kniazev

10. Elias Salomonsson

11. Domenic DiVincentiis

12. Danny Zhilkin

13. Dmitry Kuzmin

14. Fabian Wagner

15. Daniel Torgersson

16. Oskari Salminen

17. Zach Nehring

18. Simon Lundmark

19. Kristian Vesalainen

20. Thomas Milic

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #17 Winnipeg Jets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

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

Winnipeg Jets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2019-20 OHL Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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