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Top 20 Philadelphia Flyers Prospects
Move over Austin Powers, Matvei Michkov is the new International Man of Mystery. On talent alone, Michkov deserved to be selected inside the top five of this year’s draft. He had been hyped just as long as Bedard for the top of the 2023 class. However, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the corresponding ban on Russia from the IIHF threw a huge wrench into that narrative. His contract situation in the KHL (another three seasons, at minimum) further complicate things. However, the Flyers decided that the risk was worth the reward. An elite offensive player, Michkov is one of the most creative and gifted young players outside of the NHL. Over the next three years in the KHL, the Flyers will be looking for improved consistency away from the puck, improved utilization of his teammates, and improvements made to his explosiveness as a skater. All signs would point to Philadelphia receiving an immediate impact player once he arrives, rewarding their patience, just as the Wild were rewarded with Kirill Kaprizov.
One of the more recent additions to the Philadelphia organization, Gauthier was selected fifth overall in 2022 out of the USNTDP. He was a standout player for the program, including a strong performance at the U18s. Post-draft, he has continued that success, helping Team USA to a bronze medal at the World Juniors and contributing over one point per game as a freshman with NCAA Boston College. He plays a fearless game, driving the net, jumping into puck battles, and playing so with speed. He's a high-volume shooter who could pick his shots better, but you have to appreciate the confidence. He plays in a style that should allow him to seamlessly adjust to the NHL. He has already confirmed that he will stick in Boston for his sophomore season, but it shouldn’t be long before he’s wearing the orange, black, and white.
Selected 23rd overall in the 2020 Draft, Foerster has had some issues with a nagging shoulder injury but has always been able to find his game. He spent the pandemic with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, easily transitioning to the higher level. He spent more time in the OHL in 2021-22 but returned to the AHL last season, even seeing time in the NHL. In fact, he almost looked better in the NHL than he had at any other level. Foerster has one of the best shots not in the NHL and does extremely well at creating offense, both for himself and his teammates. He plays hard and shows promising attention to the defensive side of the puck as well. His skating was a worry in his draft year but has steadily improved since then. He looks NHL-ready and likely makes the jump in 2023-24 as a middle-six producer.
The Flyers have been patient with Brink, which has proven to be the correct path. He was selected 34th overall in 2019 from the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, where he had been named USHL Forward of the Year. Following the draft, he made the jump to the NCAA with the University of Denver, transitioning seamlessly with a strong rookie season, and was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team. After a down sophomore campaign, Brink exploded in 2021-22, leading the entire NCAA in points (57) and was named the NCHC Forward and Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He moved up to the AHL last season, continuing his upward development slope. He’s a very strong skater , who does well at getting off the wall and into the middle of the ice. He’s not far off from a middle-six role in the NHL.
Bonk, the son of former Ottawa Senator standout Radek, has a game predicated on his strong positioning, anticipation, and awareness. One would probably expect nothing less from someone who grew up around the game. One of the smartest defenders available in the 2023 draft, he is a disruptive force in the defensive end. Additionally, what makes Bonk such a defensive asset is his ability to kickstart the transition game. As mentioned, his IQ is the strongest component of his game, and this is evident when he has the puck on his stick in the defensive zone. From an offensive perspective, there may be some limitations to his game. He is not a dynamic skater, either in terms of his linear quickness or his agility. He will jump up in the play and he does a great job of getting pucks through to the net, both skills based off his high intelligence level. However, he is not incredibly creative, and that lack of quickness hurts him as a carrier. There is a fairly safe road to Bonk becoming a dependable, longtime second pairing defender at the NHL level. The London Knight’s track record at developing blueliners is another factor in his favor.
One of the most exciting defensive prospects out there, Andrae is the picture of the modern defender. He thrives jumping up into the rush and leading the transition, using his light footwork to navigate through the opposition. Drafted 54th overall in 2020, he joined SHL HV71 during a rough season which saw the team relegated. He followed with an excellent season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, helping the team jump right back to the SHL and earning the Best Junior award, leading all rookies in points. He also starred on the Swedish WJC team, leading all defenders in goals and being named to the tournament All-Star Team. He’s a strong playmaker with excellent vision and has been improving his decision-making over the past few seasons. His size may be a concern, but he has the skill of a top four defender. He made the jump to North America at the end of last season and will look to build off a strong, yet brief cameo.
Grans still has a lot of work left to do before he'll be ready to hack it at the NHL level. His play thus far in the AHL hasn't lived up to expectations, but the long-term upside that he possesses is undeniable. He checks off a lot of boxes that you want to see in a defenseman: athleticism, size, reach, mobility, and puck movement. Heck, he even shoots right-handed. Unfortunately, he still struggles to blend all these tools together. There are fair questions about his hockey sense and processing speed, and for a blueliner with his profile, you'd like to see more sandpaper and a stronger willingness to work hard to win positioning and pucks. Grans could be the type of prospect who blows up in his mid 20s, or he might never become much more than he is right now.
It was a tale of two seasons for Bjarnson in 2022-23, with a storybook start to his campaign but then a horror finish, as injuries derailed him during the back end of the regular season and again at the IIHF U18s. The good news for him now is that his long-term projection is still very promising. He is an impeccably well-rounded netminder, with plenty of natural net coverage, stoic mental composure, refined technique and stance, and clean movements in his crease. When he is at the top of his game, he can single-handedly steal wins for his team while making it look easy and routine. He has the right combination of traits to eventually become an NHL number one, and he'll get two more years’ worth of reps as a starter in the WHL to help prepare himself, while gaining valuable and transferable experience in that kind of role. Like almost all teenage goalies, he is still very much a project, with consistency concerns and the need to cut down on the number of weak goals he allows, but his foundation is solid.
A later round pick selected 135th overall in 2020, Desnoyers moved to the Halifax Mooseheads from the Moncton Wildcats in 2020-21, suiting up as an alternate captain. He took a big step forward on the ice while also taking on more of a leadership role in 2021-22, wearing the ‘C’. He made the jump to the Phantoms last season and continued to show improvement as one of the more productive players on the team. He seems able to be plugged in anywhere in the lineup and succeed, playing a hard-fought game with an underrated amount of skill. Desnoyers plays a smart game, rarely making a mistake. He’s well on his way to becoming a solid bottom six contributor who could move up in the lineup in the appropriate situation. It is already safe to call him a draft success considering where he was selected and how he has since progressed.
One of the older prospects not yet in the NHL, it’s been a long road for Attard. However, it seems like that road and the patience of Flyers’ brass with him has paid off. Selected 72nd overall in 2019 after a huge season with the USHL Tri-City Storm where he was named USHL Player and Defenseman of the Year, as well as USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year. He then jumped to the NCAA’s Western Michigan University where the success continued, being named a two-time NCHC Best Offensive Defenseman within his three years there. Last season, he continued his rise, joining the Phantoms and fitting right in. He’s an aggressive, offensive defender that performs very well in transition. He has all the tools to be a reliable bottom-four defender at the next level and isn’t far off from making it.
This is a huge year for Zamula as he is no longer exempt from waivers. The puck moving defender has a real solid shot of finally becoming a permanent fixture on the Flyers’ blueline this season, but his defensive game still needs to show growth.
A two-way defender out of the WHL, Samson has developed incredibly well since being drafted. He holds the offensive blueline extremely well and makes opposing players earn touches in the defensive end. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the pro level this year.
An outstanding athlete, Kolosov was already a starter in the KHL as a 21-year-old last year, playing for hometown Minsk. He could move up the prospect rankings pretty quickly if he plays well with Lehigh Valley this year.
Among the Q’s leading goal scorers last year, Gendron is deadly in open space. His speed can be deadly, but there are still concerns about his lack of size. He is likely returning to the Q for an overage year and is a contender to lead the league in scoring.
While the Flyers’ depth chart looks pretty crowded right now, Lycksell has to be one of the favourites to be called up in a case of a long-term injury. He is a very creative playmaker and he was great after finally crossing the pond to play in the AHL last year.
Kaplan plays such a mature, pro ready game already as a young prospect. He had a solid freshman year at Boston University, but there is a need for him to continue to become a more dynamic skater. Kaplan is a potentially elite bottom six player and penalty killer.
Thrust into NHL action last year, Ersson held his own and managed to win six games for the Flyers as a rookie. The soon to be 24-year-old finds himself as part of a crowded crease, but he has NHL upside.
A tenacious worker, Barkey does so many things well and that’s why the Flyers used a third-round selection on him this year. He is a serious 2023-24 breakout candidate with the London Knights.
After a disastrous 2021-22 season, Tuomaala appears to have gotten himself back on track with a strong season in the Finnish second league. He still has the speed. He still has the big shot. But there are still questions about his hockey sense.
Possibly still feeling the after-effects of a wonky shoulder, Wisdom’s development has stalled in a big way. He was so good in that Covid shortened AHL season and he has yet to come close to matching that. Let’s see if he can get back on track this year as an AHL regular.
]]>Philadelphia owns nine picks in the upcoming draft and four first rounders over the next three years. Look for them to add to that stockpile significantly in the coming months. They have the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft, which should net a quality prospect in a deep draft. They added Cutter Gauthier fifth overall last year. A confident player, who plays a fearless game, seems to fit the classic Flyers identity. He should be in the line-up very soon. They also have two NHL-ready prospects in Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink, so a youth injection next season seems inevitable. This should be a very transformed roster in a year’s time, with no veteran untouchables, with the possible exception of goalie Carter Hart. How deep the new regime will want to go remains to be seen. Whether to the foundations like Chicago, or something more in the middle. Stay tuned.

One of the more recent additions to the Philadelphia Flyers, Cutter Gauthier was selected fifth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft from the USNTDP. He was a standout player in the program, including a strong performance at the Under-18s. Post-draft, he’s continued that success forward, helping Team USA to a bronze medal at the World Juniors and playing over a point per game as a freshman with Boston College in the NCAA. He plays a fearless game, driving the net, jumping into puck battles, and he does so with speed. He's a high-volume shooter that could pick his shots better, but you have to appreciate the confidence. He plays a game that seems like it will adjust to the NHL seamlessly. He’s already confirmed that he’s sticking in Boston for his sophomore season, but it shouldn’t be long before he’s wearing the orange, black, and white.
The Flyers have been patient with Bobby Brink, and that’s proven to be the correct path. Selected 34th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft from the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers, where he was named USHL Forward of the Year. Following the draft, he made the jump to the NCAA and the University of Denver, fitting right in with a strong rookie season, and was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team. He continued that for another season and then exploded in 2021-22, leading the entire NCAA in points (57) and was named the NCHC Forward and Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. He’s moved up to the AHL this season, continuing his upward development slope. He’s a very strong skater, who does well at getting off the wall and into the middle of the ice. He’s not far off from a middle-six role in the NHL.
Selected 23rd overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Tyson Foerster has had some issues with a nagging shoulder injury but has always been able to find his game. He spent the pandemic with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, easily transitioning to the next level. He did spend some more time in the OHL in 2021-22 but is back in the AHL this season and has even seen time in the NHL, almost looking better in the NHL than any other level. He has one of the best shots not in the NHL and does extremely well at creating offense, either for himself or his teammates. He plays hard and shows promising attention to the defensive side of the puck as well. His skating was a worry in his draft year but has been steadily improving. He looks NHL-ready and likely makes the jump in 2023-24 as a middle-six producer.
One of the most exciting defensive prospects out there, Emil Andrae is the picture of the modern defender. He thrives jumping up into the rush and leading transition, using his light footwork to navigate the opposition. Drafted 54th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Andrae joined HV71 in the SHL during a rough year where they were relegated. He had an excellent season in the HockeyAllsvenskan, helping the team jump back to the SHL and earning the Best Junior award, leading all rookies in points. He also starred on the Swedish World Junior team, leading all defenders in goals and being named to the All-Star Team. He’s a strong playmaker with excellent vision and has been improving his decision-making over the past few seasons. His size may lead to concern, but he has the skill of a top-four defender. He’s already made the jump to North America, where he’s already beginning to excel.
A later draft pick at 135th overall in 2020, Elliot Desnoyers moved to the Halifax Mooseheads from the Moncton Wildcats in 2020-21 as the alternate captain. He took a big step forward before taking another big step as the captain in 2021-22. He made the jump to the Phantoms this season and has continued to improve as one of the more productive players on the team. He’s a player that seems to be able to be plugged in anywhere in the lineup and succeed, playing a hard-fought game with an underrated amount of skill. He plays a smart game, rarely making a mistake. He’s well on his way to becoming a solid bottom-six contributor that could move up in the lineup in the appropriate situation. Already with his development, it’s safe to call him a success considering where he was drafted and how he’s progressed.
One of the older prospects not yet in the NHL, it’s been a long road for Ronnie Attard. However, it seems like that road and the patience of Flyers’ brass with him has paid off. The Flyers selected him 72nd overall in the 2019 NHL Draft after a huge season in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm where he was named USHL Player and Defenseman of the Year, and USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year. He then jumped to the NCAA’s Western Michigan University where the success continued, being named a two-time NCHC Best Offensive Defenseman within his three years there. This season, he’s continued his rise, joining the Phantoms and seeming to fit right in. He’s an aggressive, offensive defender that does very well in transition. He has all the tools to be a reliable bottom-four defender at the next level and isn’t far off.
After going undrafted, the Flyers signed Egor Zamula to an entry-level deal in 2018, just after his first season in North America in the WHL. He spent two more seasons with the Calgary Hitmen as a point-per-game defender. In 2020-21, he jumped to the next level and ever since has seemed on the cusp of being an NHLer. He’s seen some time with the Flyers in each season but just hasn’t made the permanent jump yet. The Russian is a two-way defender that moves very well. He can jump up into the rush or the offensive zone when he needs to but he’s just as comfortable sitting back and defending. He relies more on his active stick rather than his physical game, which shouldn’t be a problem in his translation to the NHL. He seems ready to make the jump and could be a middle-pairing asset.
Another late selection by the Flyers, he was drafted 174th overall in 2021 from the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. He’s been steadily improving his game after being drafted and just capped off a point-per-game season in what should be his final year in the Dub. He’s a very well-rounded prospect although he doesn’t have that one asset that will carry him to the NHL. He’s likely a two-way defender when all is said and done. He has some skill in his game, but only utilizes it in bursts. He’s shown that he can produce, thanks to a big shot and some accurate passing. He defends well, not afraid to mix things up physically. Given the averageness of his game, the NHL isn’t a guarantee, and it does seem more likely that he carves out an AHL spot for himself. He could be a call-up option as well though and lock down a depth defender role.
Selected near the end of the 2022 NHL Draft, the Flyers waited until the 220th selection to call Alexis Gendron’s name. He’s had a steady progression through his three seasons in the QMJHL, seeing his production jump forward significantly each season. He has no fear in his game despite his 5-foot-9 frame, often getting into the high-danger areas and finding his way into puck battles. He has an intriguing amount of creativity on the ice and has shown that he can put the puck in the net or dish it out. He’s a bit more reactive instead of proactive, and his ceiling is quite limited. His development has been promising and he’s still young, but at this point, it seems likely that he peaks as an AHLer. Even if that is the case, that’s a good return on a seventh-round flyer.
Drafted way back in the 2017 NHL Draft, 168th overall, Olle Lycksell is another prospect in the system where patience has paid off. Drafted out the J20 SuperElit, he split the following season between the J20 SuperElit and SHL before spending the next three seasons as a regularly productive forward in the SHL. This season, he’s made the move overseas to the AHL, even seeing some time in the NHL. He’s been one of the most productive forwards for the Phantoms, exceeding expectations for a sixth-round pick. The centreman has good hands, a great level of creativity, and a very accurate snapshot. It was once thought to be a stretch for him to reach the NHL, but it now looks like just a matter of time. He looks like he could be a reliable secondary scoring option in the bottom six.
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1 - Cutter Gauthier LW
Cutter Gauthier, the fifth-overall pick at the 2022 NHL draft, was a bit of a divisive prospect in his draft cycle. His first-round merits weren’t up for debate — pretty much everyone agreed on his chops as a top-half-of-the-first-round talent — but it was his status among the draft’s very best prospects that garnered the most debate. Sources within the game, such as Bob McKenzie of TSN’s rankings based on polls of NHL scouts, ranked him as a prospect deserving of top-five consideration, and the Flyers seemed to agree, while rankings from the media held his game in less of a high regard, ranking him more around the back of the top-ten or the early teens. The split in opinion on Gauthier can be largely explained by his on-ice profile. The merits of Gauthier’s game, the best aspects of his profile, read off like a coach’s wishlist for things he or she wants in a skater. Gauthier is fearless, always looking to create chances in any way he can, even in the dirty areas of the ice. He has a high work ethic, finding ways to remain active and close to the play on every shift. He’s physical, and he regularly engages in and wins board battles. Perhaps most importantly for his pro projection, Gauthier is a disciplined prospect, always working within the structure and system his coach provides for him. Some players want to excel in the game on their own terms, while Gauthier instead looks like a player keenly interested in maximizing his effectiveness within his coach’s vision rather than his own. That’s not to say he’s without high-end tools, his shot, for example, is among the very best in his class, but that is to say that his overall profile emphasizes the high likelihood of him being an impactful NHL-er rather than him having a chance at becoming a game-breaking star. - EH
2 - Cam York D
It was a pretty solid first full pro season for York, as he split time between Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley before a foot fracture ended his season early. In Philadelphia, he was quarterbacking the top powerplay unit, a role that he is definitely being groomed for. York is a terrific distributor because of his vision and mobility. He remains composed at all times working the point because he has confidence in his ability to elude checks and consistently makes quick decisions under pressure. His composure translates to the defensive end too, where he is a breakout machine. Again, he rarely panics in the face of pressure and can either carry out or make a successful exit pass to clear the defensive zone. The highest scoring defender in the history of the U.S. NTDP, York’s offensive potential at the NHL level remains sky high. Defensively, his progression will be tied to his ability to add strength to help him win puck battles and positional battles more consistently. His positioning and reads are sound, but he was overwhelmed at times as a rookie playing on a struggling team. Even with the acquisition of Anthony DeAngelo, York figures to play the entire upcoming season with Philadelphia. DeAngelo will definitely cut into his powerplay time, but York should still play a consistent role, likely paired with a veteran such as Justin Braun, on the third pairing. Eventually, he should slide into a top four role and take over top powerplay responsibilities as one of the Flyers’ key young cornerstones. - BO
3 - Bobby Brink RW
Bobby Brink was the most productive scorer in the NCAA last season, and his success at the University of Denver is what led him to sign his NHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. An early second-round pick at the 2019 draft, Brink’s offensive talent was never in doubt. Brink’s puck skills, his stickhandling, passing, and control of the flow of play with the puck on his stick is extremely good. He has this shiftiness to him that makes him a difficult task to handle for opposing defenders, and it’s impossible to guess what Brink will do next with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. There are few players in college hockey who create offense the way Brink does, and by the end of his brilliant junior campaign he looked like he’d mastered the art of creating offense against college defenses. The issue with Brink, and the reason he didn’t go in the first round in 2019, largely lies in the way he creates offense and his most talked-about tool: his skating. To address the first point, Brink creates offense from the outside, and rarely is one to use the more difficult areas of the ice to create his chances. For many players, they can survive doing so because of their ability to separate from defenders. Brink’s skating, while more developed than it was in his draft year, is still far from being sufficient enough to give him a separation gear, and he’ll struggle to play the same style of offense against NHL defenses. If Brink can improve his skating significantly, then he can be a similar player as an NHLer to who he was in college, but massive improvements in his skating are unlikely, what’s more likely is Brink either makes the necessary stylistic and habitual adjustments to survive as a scorer in the NHL or wholly fails to live up to the hype he generated as a college star. - EH
4 - Tyson Foerster C
The last two seasons have not been kind to Foerster, the Flyers’ 23rd overall selection in 2020. Two years ago, with the OHL on a pandemic related hiatus, Foerster suffered a leg fracture that limited his playing time with Lehigh Valley in the AHL. Last year, the injury bug bit again as a shoulder injury kept him out for the majority of the season until the Flyers returned Foerster back to the OHL to help Barrie with their playoff run. In reality, he should have been returned to the OHL at the very beginning of the season to help his development. On a positive note, he looked fully healthy at the summer World Juniors playing for Canada, where he had a strong tournament. Drafted with the potential of playing center, Foerster appears locked in as a winger now. It is there that he can take advantage of his outstanding shot, especially from a stand still. He also plays a competitive game without the puck, working hard to win battles, forecheck, and force turnovers defensively. The weak spot of his game, Foerster’s explosiveness and top speed, have improved since being drafted, however it will need to continue to improve over the next few years for him to become a top six forward for the Flyers. He projects as a middle six goal scorer who can be a weapon on the powerplay. This coming season, Foerster will likely spend the full season in Lehigh Valley, hoping to finally have a healthy campaign at the AHL level. - BO
5 - Egor Zamula D
Now fully healthy following back surgery in 2020, the former free agent signing out of Calgary (WHL) is coming off of a strong year in the AHL with Lehigh Valley, where Zamula was one of the team’s best defenders. He even earned a small cup of coffee with the Flyers; a reward for his strong play in the AHL. He is a strong and mobile two-way defender with the upside to be a difference maker at both ends. An excellent athlete, he is terrific at defending pace and closing off lanes in transition. He is aggressive with his gaps, and he uses his long reach to be disruptive. He can also have a positive impact on the transition game offensively as his long strides allow him to chew up space quickly and lead the attack through the neutral zone. He is not the most naturally skilled player with the puck, but he protects it well and sees the ice well enough to make quick decisions. The key for him is to continue to add strength and bulk to his wiry frame so that he can apply physical pressure more consistently and effectively at the NHL level. This coming season, he is likely ticketed for another AHL year, although he should also be one of the top injury call-ups for the Flyers. In a year or two, he should be ready for a third pairing role with the opportunity to work higher in the lineup down the road. - BO
6 - Ronnie Attard D
A third-round pick at the 2019 draft, Ronne Attard enjoyed an extremely successful career at Western Michigan University, and by the time he was a senior he had grown into being an all-situations top-of-the-lineup force for first-year coach Pat Ferschweiler. Attard’s time in college led him to make an immediate jump to the NHL with the Flyers, and Attard’s 15-game stretch as an NHL newbie was uneven. There were moments of promise, and Attard was even given looks on both of the Flyers’ special teams units. There were also moments where Attard looked like he badly needed additional development time in the AHL, times when the extremely talented and deceptive playmakers of the NHL were able to expose Attard’s inexperience to create offense. At times, Attard looked like he could weather the storm in the NHL, but those moments were too infrequent for him to comfortably project as an NHL defenseman immediately next season. If Attard can get some time as a top defenseman at AHL Lehigh Valley, he’ll learn to grow more comfortable with the professional game in a lower pressure setting. Attard is a big defenseman who moves well and can theoretically provide value at both ends of the ice. He showed enough as a college defenseman to reasonably have AHL number-one defenseman upside, and if he can stick as an NHLer and develop a bit more he could possibly anchor a bottom-pairing as a two-way defenseman who contributes on the secondary units of both special teams’ groups. - EH
7 - Noah Cates LW
Noah Cates’ four-year progression at the University of Minnesota-Duluth might look a bit puzzling to onlookers, as he never truly became a game-breaking offensive player after his point-per-game sophomore season. But in the absence of high-end offensive development, Cates has polished his game and become a true two-way force. The 23-year-old forward was a fifth-round pick at the 2017 draft and has an inside track to remain with the Flyers’ NHL club next season after scoring five goals and nine points in his first 16 NHL games. Cates, a six-foot-one left wing, is the kind of two-way player that NHL coaches will have a difficult time leaving out of their lineup. Despite his inexperience, Cates got time on the Flyers’ penalty kill and figures to have a future in that role in the NHL. Cates is a smart player, and he often puts himself in the right place at the right time. Some might attribute players who do that often as them simply being lucky, but Cates’ offensive game is largely based on opportunism. Cates creates his own luck, always reading the play and finding ways to be in the exact places his teammates want a linemate to be in. His raw tools won’t overwhelm, and his upside as an offensive generator in the NHL is limited, but if he finds ways to remain reasonably productive at the NHL level despite not having a ton of plainly visible offensive talent, that shouldn’t surprise anybody. As a potential penalty killer who gives his team sporadic bursts of scoring, Cates can forge a solid NHL career. He doesn’t have the most upside of any Flyers prospect, but he’s a decent bet to make an NHL impact and be someone coaches always find a way to fit in their lineup. - EH
8 - Wade Allison RW
Is there a player in professional hockey with worse luck than Wade Allison the last few seasons? He was penciled into the Flyers’ lineup this past season before suffering an ankle injury. Then upon returning he suffered an MCL sprain. Just when you thought he was healthy, boom…he acquired a serious arm laceration from a skate. When healthy, Allison is a middle six NHL forward. He has proven that at the NHL level already. His combination of size, skill, and power skating is impressive, and he can be a load to handle for even NHL defenders as he drives the net. Allison has looked particularly impressive on the powerplay at the NHL level, playing as the bumper or net front presence. That said, have all these injuries stunted his development? The coming season is a huge one for him. The Flyers, once again, have some openings in their middle six that he could grab hold of. Additionally, one of his top competitors for those spots, Bobby Brink, has been lost to injury. Allison needs to come to camp healthy and stay healthy. If he does, he should be a full time NHL player this season and a likely productive one. As the Flyers continue their rebuild, there is definitely a spot for a power scorer like Allison, so long as his body can hold up. - BO
9 - Elliot Desnoyers LW
Desnoyers was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers for his simple, off-puck, defensive brand of hockey. He was a high energy, depth player for Moncton in his draft year. However, after his draft season, Desnoyers completely transformed into a whole different player following a deal to Halifax. Captain of the Mooseheads, Elliot is now a confident puck mover that excels in transition and dictates the pace of the play. His skating is excellent, and he can blow past defenders with ease. Desnoyers also played for Team Canada in the most recent 2022 World Juniors and despite not playing a lot of minutes, he was an important piece for them as they won the gold medal. The only thing holding back Desnoyers is his size and the lack of an elite shot, but given his versatility, it is easy to see him eventually finding a role at the NHL level. That could be as more of a fourth line forechecker and penalty killer, or it could be as a high-energy, playmaking middle six forward. Desnoyers will start his pro journey this season in the AHL, and it seems likely that he will start lower in the lineup to build up confidence in his offensive game while playing against men. After a few years, look for him to be knocking on the door of the Flyers. - EB
10 - Emil Andrae D
The 54th overall selection in the 2020 NHL draft by the Phillidelphia Flyers, Andrae is an undersized defenceman who exudes confidence on both sides of the ice. He plays with a ton of tenacity, never takes a shift off, and is committed to winning puck battles. Andrae has good four-way mobility, generating speed with strong crossovers and detailed footwork. He is quite gifted in the offensive zone, has a strong ability to scan the ice for open passing/shooting lanes to exploit. While undersized, he has a stocky frame, which allows him to be physical and results in him rarely losing his balance in battles. Since being drafted, Andrae has split the past few seasons between the SHL and Sweden’s second league Allsvenskan. Last season, his HV71 squad competed in the Allsvenskan, where Andrae elevated his game finishing with 33 points in 41 games. He also helped lead HV71 to the Allsvenskan championship with 11 points in 10 playoff games, helping them win promotion back to the SHL. Andrae has also had a ton of success internationally, being named Captain of both the January and August Swedish World Junior teams. At the recent tournament, he led his team in points with 8 in 7 games on his way to helping Sweden capture gold. Andrae also finished 2nd in points out of all defencemen and was named to the Media All-Star team. He is poised for another strong season for HV71 and will look to dominate the SHL as he did the Allsvenskan last season. - ZS
11 - Samu Tuomaala
A strong skating sniper, Tuomaala’s development wasn’t handled in the best way this past season. The Flyers tried to start the 18/19-year-old at the AHL level but that failed, so they loaned him back to Finland where he also played sparingly. He will try to prove that he is worthy of a larger role in Liiga this season, starting the year with Jukurit from the very beginning.
12 - Jay O'Brien
Everyone’s favourite controversial first round pick, O’Brien’s development path has been a unique one. However, he’s finally found a home at Boston University and has been trending back upwards. The Flyers will be looking for O’Brien to become one of the NCAA’s best offensive players this season.
13 - Ivan Fedotov
Unfortunately, a black cloud is hanging over Fedotov because of his arrest and detainment in Russia after signing with Philadelphia. The promising netminder could have been Philadelphia’s backup this year but his career now hangs in jeopardy. On talent alone, he probably deserves to be higher in these rankings, but the circumstances dictate him being lower.
14 - Alexei Kolosov
A highly athletic Belarussian netminder, Kolosov will need to continue to refine his technical skills while playing in the KHL. He is a longer-term project but one with great potential.
15 - Ethan Samson
One of the WHL’s breakout stars last year, Samson emerged as a two-way threat on a rebuilding Prince George team. The big defender was drafted as more of a physical shutdown type, but his confidence and abilities with the puck have improved tenfold.
16 - Owen McLaughlin
McLaughlin showed significant growth playing in the USHL last season. He helped Sioux City capture a Clark Cup and was a consistent offensive force. The talented and intelligent playmaker will have to continue to upgrade his skating to be an impactful freshman with UND this season.
17 - Zayde Wisdom
After a breakout season at the pro level during the height of the pandemic, Wisdom really raised some eyebrows. However, a shoulder injury and the rehab of it definitely negatively impacted his development as he returned to the OHL last year with mixed results. Wisdom is a hard worker with skill, but hopefully he focused on getting back his speed and quickness this offseason.
18 - Devin Kaplan
An intelligent power winger, Kaplan is the prototypical third line player for today’s NHL. He just needs to focus on improving his quickness while attending Boston University.
19 - Isaac Ratcliffe
The upcoming season will be a huge one for the big winger (no pun intended). He has struggled to adapt to the pace of play in his first three pro seasons. If he does not become a consistent offensive force at the AHL level this season, he may not be qualified by the Flyers next offseason.
20 - Alex Bump
Very much a project pick that Philadelphia will have to be patient with. Bump is a power winger with a scorer’s touch. He needs to improve his quickness and overall skating ability (a trend in Philadelphia’s system). He will likely play with Omaha (USHL) this year before going to Vermont the following season. He could be one of the better players in the USHL this year.
]]>#10 Philadelphia - Although lacking in elite level prospects, with all due respect to Cam York, the Flyers' system has a deep and impressive second tier of talent that makes the system one to be respected.

While I am sure that Cam York would have appreciated an opportunity to compete for an NCAA title, that simply wasn’t an option over his two seasons with the stacked Michigan Wolverines. The tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic when he was a freshman. As a sophomore, his role was even more instrumental and the Wolverines were even better, top to bottom, but the team wasn’t allowed to compete in the postseason due to an unspecified number of positive COVID tests among the players and staff just as the tournament was about to get underway.
As a result, York left school, coming off the fifth highest scoring season (by PPG) of any Michigan defender since the turn of the century. He played big minutes, in all situations, and was a true play driver. While his offensive game was ready to roll from his pre-draft days in the USNTDP, where his game grew on campus was in being able to set the pace for the team. With the puck on his stick, York can slow the pace down, or speed it up, as he wishes. He is a masterful puck carrier, who can look dynamic rushing the puck, even though his speed is closer to fine than great. He looked ready in his brief pro debut and seems likely to open this season as part of the Flyers’ third defensive pairing, which should include some time on the second power play unit as well. Eventually though, he has #2/3 upside. - RW
Fresh off being a first round selection by the Flyers in 2020, Foerster was able to spend the most recent season in the AHL with Lehigh Valley because of the OHL’s cancellation. An elite level scorer, it was great for Foerster to be able to play in the AHL early so that he could learn to adapt to the pace and strength requirements of the pro game.
A player who endured a late growth spurt, Foerster is what you would call a late bloomer. Armed with a cannon of a wrist shot and one timer, Foerster is lethal from anywhere on the ice and has the sort of scoring instincts that cannot be taught. However, he has worked hard to add more explosiveness to his stride, in addition to more dynamism to his edgework, in the name of becoming a more consistent offensive player. The Flyers are hoping that Foerster can transform himself into more than just a triggerman and thus far the results have been good. He was not the most consistent AHL contributor as a 19-year-old, however he did show improvement in his physical tools and is on track to become a strong NHL contributor. This coming season, Foerster will be granted the opportunity to play in the AHL again, rather than return to the OHL, given that he played over 20 games as a pro last season. He is still likely a year or two away from being a Flyer. - BO
It was a year to forget for the former first round pick, as Frost required season ending shoulder surgery only a couple games into the season. This was after breaking camp with the Flyers, earning a bottom six role to start the season. Will a lost year of development have significant repercussions?
Frost has always been a player who has stood out because of his combination of skill and vision. Over the course of his OHL and pro career, he has been able to upgrade his skating to become a more elusive and dynamic player in transition. The question is, what will Frost’s role at the NHL level ultimately be? Is he a center or a wing? Has he done enough to improve his skill set to be a top six forward? Can he continue to improve his play away from the puck to make him a more versatile player? Coming off of a serious injury, Frost’s place in Philadelphia’s lineup this season is far from solidified. He will have to earn it in camp. Given that Frost is a year away from being waiver eligible, this is going to be a big year for his development. - BO
Last season may have been shortened due to the pandemic, but at least it was a relatively healthy one for Allison (outside of an ankle injury to start this year). In his rookie pro season, he split it relatively evenly between the NHL and AHL and excelled at both levels. A hard charging power forward, the former second round pick was hampered by injuries throughout the last three of his four seasons at Western Michigan, most notably a torn knee ligament. As mentioned earlier, his 2020/21 season was also slightly delayed as he was recovering from ankle surgery. The speed with which he excited as a draft eligible prospect in the USHL is a little diminished, but Allison manages to get positioning down low and forces the opponents to pay undue attention to him, helping open up more room for his linemates.
Due to turn 24 on the day before Philadelphia’s season opener, there seems to be little more development for him in the AHL, even though his complete minor league experience consists of 10 games last season. He could easily jump right into a bottom six role next season, providing energy in a moderately sheltered role to start, while working towards a more impactful role as time goes by, provided that he stays healthy. The top six upside he demonstrated before his injuries struck may still be within. - RW
From the penthouse to the outhouse and back to the penthouse, O’Brien’s nascent career has already seen more starts and stops than most, but here he is, trending back upwards when all hope seemed lost as recently as last year. A rare first rounder out of prep school, O’Brien was a perfect storm of puck skills and outlandish confidence. He went from the draft to Providence and promptly fell flat on his face, with a five-point freshman season in which his play lived down to his production.
Instead of pushing through the disappointment and trying to make it work in Rhode Island, he decamped to British Columbia, spending a season with Penticton of the BCHL as he sought a new collegiate home. He was good enough with the Vees to be a 1st Team, BCHL All Star, but not so overwhelming as to regain all of his prospect sheen. That only came this year, in a return to the NCAA, this time with Boston University, where he tied for the team lead in scoring, in a season that was even more COVID-disrupted than most. Forgetting the twisted path he took to this point, what we have now is a shifty, tricky player who has a knack for drawing penalties, and creating scoring chances in equal measure. Remembering that twisted path, we definitely want to see O’Brien build off of this year before we really begin tooting his horn, but he is very much back in the picture, and in the Flyers’ future plans. - RW
Yegor Zamula is another former WHL player that got into his first NHL game this season. After a great performance at the 2020 World Juniors, Zamula opted for neck surgery and used the early part of Covid to recover and rehab himself before taking on his next challenge at the pro level. Now at one hundred percent, the lanky Russian defender is trying to establish himself on a Philadelphia blueline teaming with talent.
He is a smooth skating big man who controls the offensive blue line. He is able to make subtle plays that big men don’t typically have in their game, such as small area passes and quick footwork. In his own zone he uses his skating to get to dump ins quickly and then he starts the exit. He is effective because of his quick decision making. He knows when to carry, when to pass and when to dump it in. He can rush the puck and has the ability to make a play or two as pressure comes to him. His shot is good although his long frame and mechanics make his slap shot release slow; his snap and wrist shot are much more effective. After going undrafted his game has grown leaps and bounds. While his offensive upside might still limit him from being a top of the rotation guy, his movement, size, and improved defensive game make him a valuable asset and potential long time NHL defender. - VG
Honestly, the 2020-21 was not a great year for Bobby Orr Brink (there is contractual obligation to spell out his complete name at least once in every article in which he appears). Things started off well enough, with three points in his first three games before he joined Team USA in preparing for the WJC, where he looked good again. The goals didn’t go in like they had in previous seasons, but not for lack of effort, not to mention his advanced ability to set up his shot with a subtle angle change to his blade right before releasing, widening his shooting lane.
Now even if they didn’t go in for him, Brink did a fine job helping to create offense for his teammates. Despite his relative lack of goals last year, scoring remains the top draw to his profile. As he is still very small and his skating, while improved, remains on the clunky side, he may be caught between a rock and hard place in terms of his NHL likelihood if he doesn’t get the goals pouring in again like he did as a freshman. His type of player profile doesn’t often get a prolonged NHL chance if they are not scoring, but if Brink has a backup plan, it is under his helmet. He has a knack for reading and reacting exceptionally quickly, and that will always help him maximize his skills. A rebound as a junior will likely mean an NHL contract is coming. - RW
Finland’s leading scorer at the WU-18s, Tuomaala brings a high level of skills along with a high energy style of play. The scouting profile on Tuomaala starts with his skating prowess. He has a powerful stride, with quick acceleration, and his movement all together seems effortless. His other offensive tools are also of impressive quality. A top goal scorer dating back to his days in U12 tournaments, he picks his shots well and can sow off a deadly release from both static positions as well as in motion. One thing to note is that he is not shy about releasing the puck from a distance. While he has scored more than his fair share from beyond the circles, a credit to the strength of his shot, those pucks are much less likely to find twine in the pros. Further, he rarely shoots from the slot. For some players, that is indicative of playing too much on the perimeter, although Tuomaala’s willingness to get into it along the walls is a good counter-indication that this is not the case for him.
After recently signing with the Flyers, Tuomaala’s playing location for this coming season is a bit of a mystery. He could return to Karpat (on loan) this coming season and look to further establish himself as a regular in Liiga. He could play in the AHL or in the OHL with Sudbury. Either way, when all is said and done, he has the makings of becoming a quality middle six goal scorer for the Flyers, not unlike other players on this list Foerster or Brink. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021
Talk about a prospect who made the most out of the OHL’s cancellation last year. A fourth-round selection by the Flyers in 2020, Wisdom played in the AHL as a U19 player for Lehigh Valley and was one of the most productive young players in the league last year. His 18 points were third most by a U19 player and his point per game mark (0.64) was higher than higher profiled fellow 2020 selections Quinton Byfield, and Jacob Perreault. The word “steal” gets thrown around way too often, but Wisdom looks like the very definition of that so far.
In his draft year, Wisdom raised eyebrows by excelling alongside the exceptional Shane Wright, and Los Angeles Kings 2020 pick Martin Chromiak, as part of a tremendous first line for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL. His compete level is off the charts, and he showed himself to be the perfect complementary scoring line player who could finish off chances, drive the net, and work hard in puck pursuit. However, at the AHL level, he showed that scouts may have underestimated his skill level and overall ceiling. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury suffered this offseason (and subsequent surgery) will keep him out of action for the foreseeable future. A mid-season return is possible, however where the Flyers assign him remains to be seen. He is eligible to play in the AHL again, but given the nature of the injury, Philadelphia could opt to return him to Kingston to ease him back into action at some point. Regardless of the injury, Wisdom is a prospect on the rise in the Flyers’ system and he profiles as a high-end middle six winger in the near future. - BO
Like Wade Allison above, Laczynski spent his full complement of four seasons in college, in this case, Ohio State. Laczynski is a very different player, though, a more cerebral playmaker to Allison’s power winger. Never blessed with great skating, Laczynski has often succeeded by slowing the game down, forcing the opposition to guess, and often enough, to guess wrong. Putting aside his five game NHL cameo at season’s end, in which he averaged under 10 minutes of ice time per game, the center showed enough in his AHL debut run – which was also limited, in this case to 14 games – to remain optimistic that his approach can succeed against pros as well.
The same age as Allison, Laczynski may not be as ready to make a full-time jump to the NHL, as his style is less conducive to playing depth minutes. While certainly capable off the puck, his strengths lie with his puck movement, and he doesn’t have much experience being forced to play a grinding game that often comes with the territory of a bottom six role. Best for his development would be a return to Lehigh Valley to work on adding a rougher edge to his game. If he can do that while still generating copious amounts of offense for his team, he will surely force his way back for a return engagement in the NHL. - RW
Andrae, a 2020 second round selection, makes up for his lack of size with skill and determination. A terrific powerplay QB because of his vision and awareness, Andrae was solid in his first full SHL season with HV71. However, the team did get relegated to the Allsvenskan for the upcoming season, which may or may not be great for his development depending on the ice time he receives.
Attard is coming off a season where he established himself as one of the top defenders in the NCHC with Western Michigan. The big, physical blueliner hits hard and shoots hard. As he continues to improve his skating, he could just develop into a solid second pairing defender for the Flyers in the future. He will return to WMU for his junior season in 2021/22.
One of the breakout stars of the 2020/21 QMJHL season, Desnoyers went from 0.57 points per game in his draft year to over 1.3 this past year following an offseason trade to Halifax. The high energy winger proved that he can be a go to offensive player, suggesting that his offensive upside may be higher than scouts gave him credit for. A future third line featuring both Wisdom and Desnoyers could be unbelievably successful.
The third goaltender off the board in 2021 (behind Wallstedt and Cossa), Kolosov had quite the interesting draft year. He was supposed to be the starter for the Erie Otters of the OHL, but the cancellation forced him to stay home in Belarus...where he just happened to earn a spot with Minsk of the KHL. Kolosov is an electric athlete in the crease, but the technical components of his game will require growth.
Playing in the AHL instead of the OHL this past season, Millman did have some difficulty adjusting. However, had he played in the OHL, he would have been one of the best defenders in the league for Saginaw. Now that the intelligent and mobile blueliner knows what to expect, he should be in position to have a better second pro season as a 20-year-old.
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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) |
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 4th 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) |
Philadelphia Flyers
Chuck Fletcher was hired as the new GM of the Philadelphia Flyers on December 3, 2018 after spending nearly nine years as GM of the Minnesota Wild. The Flyers had a low-key great season in the abbreviated 2019-20, and much of that is due to the roster built by Fletcher’s predecessor, Ron Hextall, but I think it is reasonable to look at the players – particularly younger players – who have entered the system in the Fletcher era to get an idea of the impact he and his staff have made. Not that signing cornerstones like Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny to extensions wasn’t important, but as you all know, we are here to talk about prospects.
First off, considering that Hextall left him with one of the deepest organizations in the league, Fletcher did not have to go treasure hunting in the free agent market. To this point, the Fletcher-Flyers have not signed a single undrafted free agent out of the NCAA or CHL ranks. In fact, the only young, free talent the franchise has folded in was Linus Sandin, older brother to Toronto blueline wunderkind Rasmus Sandin. Sandin did not make this list, but if we had gone to 20 (we will after the draft), he would have made it. There isn’t much we can learn about how Fletcher will finish building the Flyers based on the Sandin signing. This was a player who had just finished his third year of SHL hockey. He has solid offensive tools and has solid bottom six potential, but there isn’t anything there that raises the eyebrows.
Other than Sandin, the only other “prospect” to enter the system outside of the draft has been Nathan Noel, who was acquired from Chicago in exchange for AHL veteran TJ Brennan. Brennan is an AHL All Star, but didn’t have a role in Philadelphia, whereas he might have in an injury-riddled Chicago blueline. Noel was a former fourth round pick who has not yet shown that he belongs in the AHL after three professional seasons. This was clearly the type of trade made to appease a veteran to give him a chance. Noel was merely a contract that had to be acquired in the exchange to keep Chicago roster compliant. Noel finished the year in the ECHL and, with his ELC now expired, is not expected to be re-signed by the Flyers.
So, we are left with the draft. With only one draft class so far, that isn’t a lot to go by. And Fletcher has not been opposed to trading away picks for current help, although to his credit, even with the Flyers surging, hasn’t surrendered anything weightier than a third rounder…so far.
What we can say about the Flyers 2019 draft class is that so far, there haven’t been too many players who have pushed their way to the front of the depth chart. First rounder Cam York is the top prospect in the system, which is to be expected of a top half of the first-round guy, and three others find placement in the top 15 here. The other three were OK at best. If there are any notable trends from the seven players selected by the Flyers, it is that Fletcher has followed Hextall (so far, at least) down the collegiate path, as four of their seven selections were taking that developmental route, including their top three picks.
It may also be worth pointing out the case of Wyatt Kalynuk, drafted by the Flyers in the seventh round in 2017. After three outstanding seasons at Wisconsin, he decided to turn pro. Rumor has it that the Flyers tried to sign him, but he demurred, and signed as a free agent with Chicago instead. There is likely more to the story, but there is surely some downside in turning over the faces of the franchise when trying to recruit talent. The men who scouted him and had relationships with him may have no longer been his conduits to the organization, making it easy for him to lose any sense of loyalty he once may have felt. I don’t know if that was the case, but it is certainly worth thinking about.

York’s first season of NCAA hockey had its ups and downs. On the one hand, he was the top scoring freshman defender in the Big 10 and tied for the team lead from the blueline as well, while making the American WJC squad as an 18-year-old. Both very impressive markers.
On the other hand, as an offensive defenseman, his numbers were moderate at best, barely cresting the point every-other-game mark, and his role on Team USA was as the seventh defenseman, getting only a handful of minutes per game and the occasional power play shift. Compared to fellow USNTDP grad Henry Thrun, York provided less offense as a freshman, even though he had more of a role on the power play.
Back to the positive, York was able to show more competence away from the puck than may have been expected originally. Even if he needed to keep both hands on the stick with greater consistency, he defended well against opposing rushes, and showed an understanding of how to position himself when facing down an odd-man rush. He played a regular PK shift as well, illustrating the faith placed in him by the Michigan coaching staff.
Of course, the Flyers did not draft York looking for as a two-way defender, but as a dynamic bringing of offense. Those flashes were still apparent. He was an upper echelon skater at the collegiate level and still showed the ability to carry the puck up the ice with pace, wiggling through multiple layers of the defense to enter the offensive zone. He also doesn’t play a static role once the zone is gained, regularly jumping up from the blueline to give the defense something else to think about in deep. York started off solid, but there is more in him to give and we expect we will see more next season. - RW
Frost is constantly developing and undoubtedly fits into every team he is part of but due to the competition level between the forwards in the Flyers organization, he has struggled to earn a more permanent role with the NHL club.
With Joel Farabee making quicker adjustments to the professional game, he was the first choice to lead the Flyers as the rookie forward this season with Frost right behind him. Frost, despite being a smaller, more compact forward, plays an aggressive forechecking game and has a good defensive game enabling him to deliver as a good two-way player. With his development continuing, it will be good to see him start the season with Lehigh Valley in the AHL especially after the long break in order for him to get his confidence up and his footing back with the faster game since his rookie season was cut short.
He has great potential in the Philadelphia system playing a power forward style, capable of getting to the net on his own and supplying strong passes to enable breakouts and scoring opportunities. Frost is a pretty consistent player that offers a good effort every time he is on the ice, however he sometimes struggles to find open ice and gets closed out too easily from getting to the net so he will have to battle harder to get to the net next season.
After finishing second in points with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Frost has time on his side and a good track record with Philadelphia so far leading to a bright future ahead. - SC

Zamula has grown leaps and bounds since coming to North America in his draft year. While it didn’t help him get drafted, he was able to sign an ELC with the Flyers after attending development camp. Since returning from that camp the most noticeable improvements in his game have been his puck handling and confidence with the puck. He is showing a willingness to carry the puck in from the blueline where he is a threat both to pass or shoot. He has fakes and can shift his weight but also with his wingspan he is able to protect the puck and change the passing angle to get by defenders.
He has always had good speed and had the size and a strong foundation but once he started to put some of his pucks skills to effective use he showed a dynamic quality, such as in the 2020 WJC, where he played top pairing minutes and had five points in seven games. He is a solid defender, using his size to keep defenders wide, block lanes and jump on loose puck, and he can finish his checks with the opponent pinned or off balance. He has good range and can close his gap at the blueline or jump a play as they cross the blueline to force an offside.
Zamula can physically punish his opponents by stepping up in the neutral zone or making hard physical plays along the wall. He makes his defensive partner better by setting up plays with crisp tape to tape passes. His first pass consistently starts the rush, but he is comfortable carrying the puck through the neutral zone should that be the best read. He has a cannon of a shot from the point and uses it appropriately to the situation. - VG
A lasting gift from the Hextall regime, Laczynski finished his four-year career at THE Ohio State having finished 5th, 1st, 2nd, and 1st in team scoring. All told, he finished 23rd all-time in OSU scoring, behind only currently Islanders’ farm hand Mason Jobst among 21st century players. He was already 19 when the Flyers used a sixth round pick on him, and he made such a splash in his first season with the Buckeyes that he was a member of the Gold Medal winning Team USA at the 2017 WJC.
he has not matched his incredible 47 point campaign as a sophomore, Laczynski’s college play was defined by his excellent playmaking abilities and his knack for always being in the right place at the right place for maximum impact, on both sides of the puck. In fact, as his college career progressed, his defensive game only grew, and he was a regular on the OSU PK as a senior.
In addition to his playmaking, Laczynski is also an ace stickhandler, which helps him overcome his lack of high-end skating ability. Not that he is a bad skater, in fact his skating has improved quite a bit since landing on campus, but it is still not a strength of his game and he isn’t a player you want to see racing to beat out an icing call. In addition to improving his stride in college, he also completed his physical maturity, packing on close to 30 pounds over the four seasons in Columbus, making himself harder to play against.
Between his brains and his puck skills, Laczynski could find himself playing in a middle six NHL role in the near future. - RW
Like Laczynski, Allison was a four-year collegian. Whereas Laczynski is an intellectual player, succeeding through his mind more than his physical gifts, Allison is just the opposite. When he has been physically right at Western Michigan, he was devastating, as was saw most clearly in his 30 points in 22 games sophomore campaign. A torn ACL ended that season too early and he struggled to find his rhythm when he returned as a junior.
His senior season was again hampered by an injury, this time a balky shoulder, which kept him off the ice for much of December. By the end of the season, peak Allison was back, as he finished his season – and his collegiate career – with six points in his last five games, after a 13 points in a 6-game stretch in late January/early-February. Allison has lost maybe a third of a step since his pre-draft days, but he still skates well, with a great start up getting him quickly to his top speed. His motor is always at full throttle and when he gets the jump, he can still blow past defenders.
His style of game is mostly that of a power forward, but he has touch as well, with soft hands helping him create from in tight. His lower body strength also makes him hard to dislodge from the net front, especially on the power play. His missed time has certainly set him back, without which he could have turned pro at least one year ago but continued return to full strength could make him a valuable weapon up and down the lineup in the coming seasons. - RW
Stylistically, there is a lot to compare Brink with Tanner Laczynski above. Both forwards rack up points like nobody’s business yet lack the foot speed we often look for in the so-called “modern game.” Brink, too, seems to have gained a step since moving from the USHL to college, but is still only around average or so. The two main differences between the players are that Brink is quite small, while Laczynski has an average frame, and that the OSU grad is a playmaker while the Denver freshman is a triggerman.
Brink makes up for his middling skating speed through solid agility and a preternatural knack for showing up in the right place at exactly the right time to catch the defense flat-footed. He won’t be the one to generate the zone entry, but he is the one you look for to finish off the play. More than half of his freshman offense was compiled on the power play and Brink still needs to prove he can produce at a high level at even strength to strengthen his claim on a top six spot in the future. - RW
After a shaky second season in the American Hockey League, Rubtsov remains a skilled skater and a prospect with a lot to offer for Lehigh Valley. It will be a test of time to see if he has what it takes to offer the Philadelphia Flyers anything at the next level.
Rubtsov plays a well-positioned defensive game and continues to be a good passer and playmaker both at even strength and power play situations. He will have to continue to work on the physical aspects of his game some more and work on moving the puck a little quicker at times but overall, there is nothing of grave concern heading into next season skills-wise.
Being a first rounder there is extra pressure to perform now for Rubtsov who will need to find an extra gear heading into next season in order to maintain his Flyer system status and earn another call up as a bottom six for now. - SC
For a big body, Ratcliffe skates well although he does not have the most finesse and isn’t the prettiest to watch but he gets the job done and protects the puck well. He was a very strong major junior captain with the Guelph Storm of the OHL but the move to the pros in the AHL has not been nearly as kind to him. He will need to clean up his play in the neutral zone and lessen the number of turnovers he gives up in order to even be considered for a call up to the Flyers.
Ratcliffe uses his size well, however this past season has been more a testament of frustration and overcompensation which has led to many unnecessary penalties and too many minutes spent in the box. He will need to be more disciplined next season in order to show more of the skill that got him drafted, and not just the size that got him noticed if he wants to crack a bottom six role in the Philadelphia lineup. - SC
A classic late-bloomer, Attard exploded offensively in his third year of draft eligibility, winning the USHL Player of the Year award on the back of a 30-goal season, one of the best marks ever for a defenseman in the league. While his first collegiate campaign was good enough to be named to the NCHC All-Rookie team, there were also signs that his incredible age 19 season with Tri-City was a fluke.
On the positive side, he has great size and his feet work quite well. Attard likes to jump off the blueline and pinch deep. He has a very hard shot (you saw those goal totals, right?) and can beat good NCAA goalies from the point – even with a backhand. He can pass the puck around nicely, as well. Where he struggled most last year was in his own end. The game seemed to come at him too fast at times, catching him flatfooted and/or out-of-position.
The tools are all strong and make him worth gambling on and tracking. But without improving his reads and instincts, bust potential is still there. - RW
At the end of his prospect eligibility age-wise, Friedman has finished with a better season under his belt despite having to cut his time with Lehigh short at the break. He continues to play a thought-provoking methodical game, allowing for strong passes and well put-together plays when it comes to breakouts and regroups.
However, Friedman still needs to find ways to be a more present offensive defenseman and contribute with shot opportunities from the point. He needs to carry the puck and rush it in order to not only start the plays behind his own net but also to learn to quarterback from the hash marks and higher when exiting the zone.
Friedman needs to give next season all he has in order to get what seems likely to be his last chance at a call up with the Philadelphia Flyers and a bottom four role and a chance at cracking the power play rotation. - SC
O’Brien’s game is defined by his skating. He is very smooth with a great top speed and incredible edge work. He is not just quick skater, but he plays the game with an up-tempo style, engaging in 50/50 battles for the puck all over the ice.
He is a shoot first player although his style of play has expanded with a bit more of a playmaking side this year in Victoria. His puck handling is very good as he can weave in and out of traffic with the puck and looks very comfortable playing with the puck on his forehand and backhand. He has a full array of shot types (back hand, in tight, distance wrist shot, and one timer) that are effective, each with good accuracy with decent velocity.
His offense is not lacking although other than his skating there isn’t any skill that really stands out in a dynamic sense. O’Brien is going to a school in Boston University where he will be able to challenge for a top six spot right away but will need a few years of college to round out his overall game after his aborted year in Providence. - VG
At 6-3”, St. Ivany is a towering defenseman. Drafted in the fourth round by the Flyers, he has shown improvement over the past few years. He played near his hometown in Los Angeles before a two year stint in the USHL. As a freshman, the defender was a quick contributor for Yale while taking time out to help the US win a silver medal at the World Junior Championship.
There is not a lot of weight on his frame as he has room to fill out. He is an offensive defenseman who can move quite well and is balanced for his size. He was Yale’s highest-scoring defender this season. His laser-focused passes make him an asset on breakouts. He is capable of joining the rush, but at times this puts him out of defensive position, and he can then struggle on the backcheck. He played on both the penalty kill and power play as well. St. Ivany has an active defensive stick and causes turnovers.
As a sophomore there was still room to improve, and his speed will be a primary factor in what level St. Ivany ends up next. - JS
Under the leadership of Ron Hextall, the Philadelphia Flyers drafted six netminders in five years. We are all familiar with budding superstar Carter Hart, but the other five have mostly failed to live up to expectations (thus far). Of that latter group though, Fedotov is the one closest to looking like he might still have impact potential at the highest level.
He may be a late bloomer, but at 6-8”, at least a couple of inches taller than he was when he was drafted, he has certainly bloomed. Last year Fedotov finally earned a full time KHL role, after spending the bulk of the previous three seasons in the VHL (Russia’s second highest league), and he put up top ten numbers leaguewide.
He moves pretty well for his size, and competes for every puck, an area when his size works to his obvious advantage. His ability to get down on a shot is remarkable at his size and he didn’t show any particular weak spot as a KHL rookie. He recently signed a two-year extension with Traktor Chelyabinsk, so Flyers fans will have to continue waiting to see if Fedotov can one day back up Hart in Philadelphia. - RW
One player who really improved over the course of this past OHL season was Millman. It seemed like with each passing month, his game and confidence reached a new level. By season’s end, he had established himself as one of the better offensive defenders in the OHL.
He impacts the game from an offensive standpoint because of how well he skates and how well he distributes. A breakout machine, he has that explosiveness to really turn around possession. Heading into next season, the expectations on him will be even higher as he looks to become a more well-rounded defender, and one of the best overall blueliners in the Ontario Hockey League.
At this point, a projection is difficult because Millman’s game is still growing and improving. At worst, he looks like a potential mobile third pairing defender who can see time on the powerplay. And at best, he could be an all situations second pairing defender. This is a prospect trending upwards. - BO
After an NCAA championship and WJC Silver Medal as a freshman, and a near point-per-game performance as a sophomore, Cates will enter his junior season with Minnesota-Duluth as the team captain. A skinny player when drafted, he has filled out very nicely over two seasons on campus and is now very tough to play against physically, a trait that pairs well with his high hockey IQ.
Cates is reliable in all three zones, and has an impactful presence, even if his offensive skills are closer to average than to elite. With world class point man Scott Perunovich having turned pro with St. Louis, there is some question as to how much Cates will be able to produce going forward, especially on the power play, but his NHL future is more tied to his two-way play anyway.
If he can maintain some semblance of his offensive rates on a team that is expected to be weaker next year, Cates will be a lot closer to confirming his future as a fourth line energy winger to can chip in 8-12 goals per year as well. - RW
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Typically, the Russian team enters the World Junior Tournament as one of the contenders, and the 2020 squad is no exception. The Russians have never failed to medal two years in a row, and will feature coach Valeri Bragin, who appearance on the big screens has almost become Christmas tradition, and will be looking for gold this time. In the 2019 tournament, the deep 2000-born class had several representatives on the roster, and that experience will make the Russians among the teams to beat.
If last year the team lacked a bit in size, this year, the defense looks very tight and has more experience than ever. The leader of the backend will be Alexander Romanov (MTL). Last year, the blueliner was awarded best defenseman honors, and this year he can be an even bigger difference-maker for the Russians after a further season of development playing on a stacked CSKA Moscow lineup. While the team isn’t as big up front, the skills and skating should make up for it. While experience will be a wild card for Bragin when making his picks, considering that several of the forwards have already played – and scored – at the KHL level.
Gone are the days when the Russians had their achilles’ heel between the pipes. Nowadays, even in the NHL, the Russians are among the best in goal, and the music isn’t going to change in the Czech Republic. With a super talent as Yaroslav Askarov (born in 2002!) and two experienced options in Amir Miftakhov and Daniil Isayev – who have already played pro hockey in the KHL.
The Russians will bring to the Czech Republic several talented players from the domestic league, like last year’s first-rounder Vasili Podkolzin (VAN), Grigori Denisenko (FLA) – who made the tournament’s All-Star team last year – Pavel Dorofeyev (VGK), and Kirill Marchenko (CBJ). They will be interestingly mixed with some of the CHL top talents as Alexander Khovanov (MIN) and Egor Zamula (PHI). Unfortunately for Bragin, the flamboyant forward Dmitry Zavgorodny is injured and won’t take part in the tournament.

Everyone knows that Bragin values experience over raw talent, and all things considered, Askarov is going to make the roster as the third-string goalie for the Russians. However, if things don’t go well with goaltending, Askarov can be Bragin’s trump card, and there are little doubts that he can cope with the competition. The Omsk, Russia native, is considered the best goalie to come out from the Russian goalie factory since Andrei Vasilevsky. Last year, he was awarded Best Goalie honors at the U18s and is expected to be picked in the first round of the upcoming 2020 NHL Draft.
Undrafted in the NHL, Zamula was signed by the Flyers in Fall 2018 – and after Philadelphia signed him, his production in the WHL skyrocketed and is at about a point per game for the second straight season. Zamula’s development is confirming the Flyers’ great intuition after he went surprisingly undrafted in the 2018 draft. Considering Zamula’s play in the WHL, it’s expected that he will play a leading role for the Russians on the blueline, further cementing his position as one of the top prospects for a franchise, which already showed a great eye on young Russian defensemen when they selected Ivan Provorov.
A player who gets awarded Best Defenseman honors as a one-year underage needs no introduction. In spite of his age, Alexander Romanov is a lock on CSKA’s lineup in the KHL. His average time on ice increased, and he plays more physically and generally safer in his own zone. He doesn’t often get on the scoresheet, but that’s not his role – however, considering his level, it’s expected that he will appear more often in the stats, last year he scored 8 (1+7) points in seven games. Romanov is one of the best d-men of the world of his age group, and he is expected to patrol the blueline for the Motherland in most of the key situations.
A returnee from last year’s squad, Zhuravlyov, is having a strong rookie season in the KHL, with eight (1+7) points in 30 games playing a hair less than fourteen minutes a night. The Avalanche prospect is progressing nicely with Ak Bars Kazan and is reaching new heights that will help him to be a leading defenseman in the upcoming tournament. Zhuravlyov needs to improve in several areas of his game – he needs to bulk up and improve his skating – but he’s headed in the right direction. Zhuravlyov can be a good weapon for Bragin during powerplay stints and to provide a good backup plan should things not go as expected with Zamula and Romanov.
The New Jersey Devils prospect didn’t make the team last year, but this time around he is expected to make an impact thanks to his physical play and energy. Misyul is very strong, plays bigger than his size, and can be physically dominant at the junior level. Paired with interesting puck skills, Misyul is one of the reasons why the Russians are expected to have one of the tightest defenses of the tournament. If he keeps his cool and focuses on clearing the crease without exaggerating, Bragin will have a real shutdown machine at his disposal.
After last year’s accolades, Podkolzin struggled a bit this season, failing to score at the KHL level and gathering only one point at the recent Canada – Russia Series. However, last year’s first rounder is a complete player who plays and competes hard, and if he gets onto the right path early in the tournament, he can quickly become unstoppable. With his spectacular acceleration and strong puck skills, Podkolzin can be a force for the Russians, especially if he finds his scoring touch again. Bragin needs Podkolzin to score in the Czech Republic, but he will also have other options when it comes to creating offensive chances.
Due to a lack of high-quality center, Khovanov is going to be the most important man on the roster for Bragin as he is the only true number one center the Russians will have at their disposal right now. The Moncton Wildcats forward is having a spectacular season in the QMJHL and was nothing short of great at the recent Russia – Canada series. Unfortunately for Bragin, however, he will not be playing side by side with Dmitry Zavgorodny in the Czech Republic. Khovanov is expected to be the first-line center for the team and eat up many minutes.
One of the top talents for his year of birth, Dorofeyev, is already amassing points in the KHL and is expected to play a significant role for the Russians as one of the go-to guys who can take the game on himself and creating scoring chances on his own. The Vegas prospect is developing nicely in the KHL and has already made the highlight reels more than once. Dorofeyev can be a real virtuoso with the puck and on the right day he can be a threat for any team, Canada and the USA included. He is an excellent skater who can be very dangerous when the game opens up but needs to be more consistent.
After a stellar performance last year – Denisenko was included in the tournament’s All-Star team – the Panthers prospect is expected to be even stronger this year with more experience under his belt. Denisenko is expected to play on the first line with Alexander Khovanov and Nikita Alexandrov. Of course, much of the Russian offense will depend on how Denisenko will play with the puck. Moreover, he needs to focus and play a disciplined game – recently, in the KHL, he picked up a two-game suspension for an illegal hit. Having said that, Denisenko is certainly one of the most talented players in the tournament, and he has all the tools to repeat – if not improve – last year’s accomplishments.
A returnee from last year’s squad, Marchenko will have a whole another role on the team this time around. He will most likely play with his teammates Ivan Morozov (VGK) and Vasili Podkolzin, trying to take advantage of their chemistry, which is responsible for Marchenko’s great play of late in the KHL. The 2018 second-round pick is playing pro hockey exclusively this year, and he showed that he can score and play a technique-sound game even against established professional players. If Marchenko, Morozov, and Podkolzin find some chemistry and the right groove, expect them to find twine with regularity, even in the most important games.
Sleeper
Egor Sokolov, W
The big-sized winger made huge strides forward in the latest few seasons when he moved to the CHL, scoring an impressive 51 points in 31 regular-season games for Cape Breton in the QMJHL. He also played very well at the recent Canada – Russia series and it was quite strange to see him passed over last season, even if he didn’t post astonishing numbers. However, the Russian winger is expected to add size to the lineup and find place on the second or third line of the team, maybe with Dorofeyev and Dmitry Voronkov (CBJ). If things go well for him at the WJC, considering the kind of numbers he is amassing in the QMJHL, he’ll sign with an NHL franchise next year.
]]>Moose Jaw and Swift Current have taken the league by storm this year as they battle for home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Their division also boasts a Brandon Wheat Kings team that has been in and out of the CHL top 10 standing all year as well as the 100th Memorial Cup hosts Regina Pats so game in and game out there has been highly competitive hockey, for critical points in the standings. Out in the West things are as competitive as ever with Everett, Portland, Kelowna and Victoria all within 4 points of each other at the top of the Western Conference. Everett continues to impress league-wide, with a sound defensive game and high end goaltending and solid team game. The other top teams of the East are sporting high end offensive talents like Cody Glass (Por), Skyler McKenzie (Por), Matthew Phillips (Vic), Kole Lind (Kel), and Dillion Dube (Kel) who are all having excellent seasons having been previously drafted into the NHL.

Moose Jaw has been an offensive dynamo all season and at the trade deadline were able to add pieces that will help stabilize the back end and the defensive game. The scoring is being led by two 20 year olds in Brayden Burke (Unsigned) and Jayden Halbgewach (signed SJS) who are sitting one and two in the WHL in scoring. These two might not even be the most offensive players on the team as Brett Howden missed 24 games and has only lately seemed to be hitting his stride. At the deadline Moose Jaw addressed their biggest needs by grabbing a big stay out home defenseman in Brandon Schuldhaus from Red Deer as well as top scoring defenseman and recent World Juniors Gold Medalist Kale Clague (LAK 2016) from Brandon. His dynamic puck moving skills should only enhance this team’s offensive prowess. The largest contribution from a draft eligible player has to have come from Jett Woo. He has been a consistent defender in all situations showing a strong competitive fire in his own zone. He isn’t a dynamic player but more of a jack of all trades defender who can chip in offensively while playing steady responsible minutes. This team has set themselves up to come out of the East as they have the top offensive numbers averaging nearly 0.75 of a goal per game more than anyone else in the league. That coupled with the roughly 3.00 overall goals against average is a strong indicator of future success for this win-now franchise.

Swift Current possess the most dynamic duo in the league this year and it really hasn’t even been that close. Tyler Steenbergen (Ari) is averaging over one goal per game with 36 in 34 games while averaging an assist per game at 35 assists in 34 games. Even more impressive is Aleksi Heponiemi (Fla) who has 89 points in just 37 games (2.41ppg). Throw in an amazing overage year for Glenn Gawdin (Cgy) and they were a one line team who were impressing night after night. Over the course of the season a number of key additions have been made to balance out the scoring and ensure the team kept rolling with a few key members at the WJC. Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn, and Giorgio Estephan now lead a more than capable supporting cast of forwards who will help the offense. On the defensive side Colby Sissons (NJ) has taken a big step offensively while maintaining his strong defensive play. Finally the addition of Stuart Skinner (Edm) as a true #1 has been a great add as they push for a seemingly inevitable clash with Moose Jaw in the Eastern Final. Riley Stotts (2018) had been their best draft eligible prospect but was moved out to add Gennaro and Malenstyn so they look pretty thin for 2000’s on the roster.

You can assess what Brandon thought of their chances of coming out of the East this year by what they did at the deadline. After being in and out of the CHL top 10 most of the season Brandon traded away their MVP and perhaps the top defenseman in the league this year to a divisional rival in Moose Jaw. Brandon had been paced by Ty Lewis and Stelio Mattheos up front both on pace for 40 goals seasons but that didn’t look to be enough to get past one let alone both of Moose Jaw and Swift Current. Brandon has a lot of young talent to build around going forward with Chase Hartje (2018) and Luka Burzan (2018) coming over in the deal for Clague, as well as the home grown Cole Reinhardt (2018). The nicest future piece could be the speedy play in Jonny Hooker (2020) who has not looked out of place in a his 31 games.
As the Host of this year’s Memorial Cup Regina has a spot already booked in the tournament but has been adding veteran players throughout the season to ensure a strong showing. The team has been built around an impressive top pairing for Josh Mahura and Cale Fleury. Both log big minutes in all situations creating offense while shutting the door on some of the top forwards in the WHL. Mahura has taken another step this year and his offensive production has been amongst the league leaders from the back end. Cameron Hebig has adjusted quickly to add some 20 year old offense after a slow offensive starts to the season for Nick Henry (Col) and Jake Leschyshyn (VGK). Sam Steel (Ana) is really the straw that stirs the drink for this team offensively as he averages over 1.3 ppg heading into the last 20 games of the season. This team is poised to be the top wild card which is a pretty favorable outcome heading out of the division and avoiding the top three teams in the conference. Despite trading away a lot of youth to keep the team strong for a host season the club have managed to keep Emil Oksanen (2018) on the roster through the deadline. He is a fast, offensive minded right shot winger who is averaging just under a point per game while looking to be drafted in his second year of eligibility.
Saskatoon will likely make the playoffs as the Central Division is really struggling to produce anything that resembles a challenge for the Wild card. Saskatoon has to be pleased with the development of Eric Florchuk (2018) and Chase Wouters (2018) who have both been solid contributors. While neither looks to be a high end offensive talent at the pro level both have shown themselves to be effective secondary producers in junior. Throw in the development of Kirby Dach (2019) and Saskatoon looks ready to take over the division as some of these teams start to age out of their current rosters.
As the division basement dwellers standing suggests they are weaker than all the previously mentioned teams. That said they likely would make the playoffs as a 2 or 3 seed in the Central division. The team plays a structured game and while there aren’t big name drafted players Vojtech Budik (Buf) has acquitted himself well on the back end. The real jewel of Prince Albert’s roster is Cole Fonstand (2018) who leads all WHL draft eligible players in primary points with 34 in 47 games. Overall he averages .98 points per game and is able to drive offense despite being undersized on a team that doesn’t have a ton of high end support for him.
The Tigers lead the Central division by a pretty wide margin in what could be the worst division in the CHL this season. The team is led in all respects by David Quenneville (NYI) who drives play with his excellent transition game and is leading the WHL in defensive scoring this year with 53 points. Medicine Hat has a pretty young team that is gaining confidence with each victory this year. That youth is led by 2018 draft eligible Ryan Chyzowski, who has good size and can play in all three zones. He has earned power play time in the second half of the season which should help improve his production (15G, 17A) as we close out the season.
Lethbridge has been a team in flux. Earlier in the season they seemed to be making a push acquiring Lane Zablocki (Det) from Red Deer but then at the deadline shipped him to Victoria to help them make a push. Once the decision to move out some veterans had been made they moved major assets in Stuart Skinner (Edm) and Giorgio Estephan to bring back some youth and draft picks. In a division where a win one lose one record pulls you ahead for a playoff spot the team is not a serious contender to oust any of the power house teams in the Eastern division. Through all this transition one thing has been a constant; undersized defender Calen Addison (2018) has been driving offensive chances and using his great vision and playmaking to produce points at a very high level (G-7-A-33-PTS-40).
Kooteney has been in the basement of this division since the departure of Sam Reinhart (Buf) to the NHL. This current incarnation’s place in the standings is more the rest of the division getting worse than it is of team gaining legitimacy as a force in the Central. The most impressive piece on this roster is 16 year old Peyton Krebs (2019) who looks every bit the part of a first overall pick from the 2016 Bantam Draft. He is near a point per game playing in all situations and is second on the team scoring in his Draft -1 year, very impressive.
The Calgary Hitman had a fire sale this season and while most of the assets collected came back in draft picks a good number of draft eligible players remain part of the roster. With Jake Bean (Car) moved out Vladislav Yeryomenko (2018) has become the number one defender for this team. He is aggressive and skates very well with and without the puck and is starting to show better playmaking skills. In addition a rookie in Jackson Van De Leest (2019) has shown he is capable of helping shoulder more minutes on the back end. Those kids coupled with the a nice collection of 17 year olds in Riley Stotts (2018), Carson Focht (2018), Tristen Nielsen (2018), and Egor Zamula (2018) are all getting valuable minutes for the remainder of the season.
The Rebels have under achieved throughout the early part of the season forcing management’s hand to start rebuilding. Two key pieces in the rebuild look to be Kristian Reichel (2018) and Alex Alexeyev (2018). While playing in the Czech league Reichel was overlooked but this year in Red Deer coupled with a strong showing at the WJC have him moving up draft boards. His skating is very strong which has helped him establish himself as a 200 foot player capable of producing and defending. Alexeyev has been impressive this year and he has dynamic skating and excellent vision and passing skills. He needs to work on his game in his own zone and can have mental lapses in his own zone but he has a ton of potential. They have also been running a 2019 eligible goalie as a starter for most of this season. Ethan Anders‘ (2019) numbers have been respectable despite a number of breakdowns defensively in front of him.
Edmonton’s Memorial Cup victory seems a long time ago as the organization has had another tough season after building back to back Memorial Cup teams just a few years ago. The offense comes from the stick of Trey Fix-Wolansky (Unsigned) who is a very dangerous undersized player. Brett Kemp (2018) may be a late round pick this year despite the team’s struggles overall. The real developmental progression for the Oil Kings is in the 2001’s where Matthew Robertson and Liam Keeler both have shown some real promise.
Everett seems to be built for playoff hockey. Carter Hart (Phi), after being afflicted with mono to start the season, has rebounded to put up some ridiculous numbers. His sparkling 1.51 GAA in 24 games is leaps and bounds better than anyone else in the league. By comparison only three other goalies have a GAA under 3.00 (at least 20 games played) and the best of them is at a 2.77. His save % of .953 is 40 points higher than the next goalie who has played at least 20 games. The scoring is well distributed on this team but the real punch comes from two overage players that have produced while still buying into the defense first system of head coach Dennis Williams. Both Matt Fonteyne and Patrick Bajkov have really shown something this year as they both average well over 1.00 ppg. 2018 draft eligible Riley Sutter has shown that he too can generate offense while playing a sound defensive game. He has good size and speed that sets him apart from other draft eligible forwards in this year’s draft.
Portland boasts some of the most offensively gifted players in the league. Undersized Skyler McKenzie (Wpg) has a shot at eclipsing 100pts this year and is still targeting a 50 goal season. He likely is the third best forward on his line as he skates with Cody Glass (VGK) and Kieffer Bellows (NYI) on a nightly basis. On the back end they are led by Henri Jokiharju (Chi) and the recently added Dennis Cholowski (Det). Both of these defenders can carry the puck and distribute it at a high level. John Ludvig is the most likely 2018 prospect for this team. He is a pretty effective defensive defenseman capable of making a good first pass while playing a strong physical game.
After losing Matt Barzal (NYI), Ryan Gropp (NYR), and Ethan Bear (Edm) a by-committee approach has led to solid season in the US Division for Seattle. The team sports five players in Nolan Volcan (Unsigned), Donovan Neuls (Unsigned), Zack Andrusiak (Unsigned), Austin Strand (LAK) and Sami Moilanen (Unsigned) who all average right around 1.00 ppg. Seattle has been looking for a stabilizing force in net as three goalies have played over ten games each already this season. The duo of Dorrin Luding (Unsigned) and Liam Hughes (Unsigned) will be asked to deliver solid performances down the stretch if they have any hopes of catching either Portland or Everett.

A highly competitive team that relies on the strength of their back end and strong overage goaltending to compete in a challenging division. The deadline acquisition of Jake Bean (Car) from the Calgary Hitmen really sets the expectations for the group heading into the last 20 games. Dylan Coghlan (Vgk) , Bean and Juuso Valimaki (Cgy) all put up excellent offensive numbers. Up front Morgan Geekie (Car) has been very consistent this year averaging the 1.25 ppg he did in his draft season. Isaac Johnson leads the charge for 2018 potential draft picks as he has a big frame and some decent offensive skills for an overage player. Highly touted Michael Rasmussen (Det) has continued to show his goal scoring prowess this season dispute struggling to stay in the lineup.

The optics of being last in the division do not reflect the strength of this team and their potential to win a round as a wild card in the playoffs. Jaret Anderson-Dolan (LAK) has been a consistent and steady force for this team as it started without one of the most dynamic players in the league in Kailer Yamomoto (Edm). Now 20 games in Yamamoto has rounded back into form and is averaging 1.48 PPG. Add in the early season trade the brought in Zach Fischer (Cgy) the team has a nice balanced group of forwards. On the back end they boast Ty Smith (2018) who has a real shot at going in the top 10 of this year’s NHL entry draft. Despite his stature he projects to be a dynamic playmaker that can carry the puck with speed, while displaying excellent vision and playmaking ability.

Kelowna’s roster is loaded to bear and despite a lot of injury trouble with key players have been able to battle to the top of the B.C. Division. Kelowna was able to provide the captain for team Canada in Dillon Dube (Cgy), while also providing minute munching defender Cal Foote (TBL). Foote brings the gritty toughness you love in a top pairing defenseman while still being a good playmaker and shooter. Kole Lind (Van) has been pacing the offense this year along with Carsen Twarynski (Phi) as both are on pace to hit 40 goals this season. While being loaded with current draft picks the team still has a number of pieces NHL teams will covet over the next few drafts, Kyle Topping (2018), Libor Zabransky (2018), and Nolan Foote (2019) have all been large contributors to the team’s success this year which bodes well over the next few seasons.
Matthew Phillips (Cgy) has been one of the top goal scorers in the entire WHL over the past three seasons and with him signing his ELC in December will very likely be gone after this year. With a goal scoring talent like that leaving town Victoria has a gone all in this year adding Tanner Kaspick (StL), Noah Gregor (SJS), Lane Zablocki (Det), Andrei Grishakov, and Jeff De Wit, showing a real commitment to making their way out of the Western Conference. Tyler Soy (Ana) who early in the season was recognized as the CHL player of the week has had points in 13 of his last 15 games while the new players have since established some chemistry with their new team. In net Griffen Outhouse leads the league in shots faced and saves giving him a very respectable .912 Sv% this season which puts him 3rd in the league for goalies who have played in over 20 games. If he can stay hot into the playoffs Victoria has a real chance at making the Western Final.
Ty Ronning (NYR) paces Vancouver’s offense with his impressive 42 goals in just 49 games this season. This is even more impressive given that Tyler Benson (Edm) has continued to be plagued by injury problems, missing 13 games already this year after having missed 39 in 2017 and 42 in 2016. Milos Roman (2018) has taken advantage of this and has been providing a playmaking presence on the team with his 21 assists with many projecting him to be a top 60 pick this year.
Kamloops shipped out a number of their top guys at the deadline with key personnel Garrett Pilon and Ondrej Vala both leaving for Everett. The strength of the U.S. division means that a team stuck in neutral in the B.C. division is a long shot to make the playoffs and Kamloops would have to play lights out down the stretch to even catch a Wild Card spot.
With Dennis Cholowski (Det) joining the Cougars this summer rather than continue along the college route there was a heightened expectation that was never reached this year. He was impressive scoring 13 goals and 26 assists prior to the trade deadline but could not carry the team. A major hole in the team this season has been scoring with just one player (Josh Maser) with over 20 goals. Nikita Popugaev (NJD), a promising Russian import was expected to lead the line offensively however his commitment to a total team game was lacking, as was his commitment to play in North America as he jumped ship back to Russian after only 13 games. There are a couple of promising youngsters that could hear their names called at the 2018 NHL Entry draft this year including Ilijah Colina, and Jackson Leppard. Leppard is a power forward with a big body and frame that can really shoot the puck, while Colina is a small speedy winger who was in the bottom six in Portland until heading north of the border. Since joining Prince George he has scored 6pts in 9 games in an expanded role with his new team.
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This season the WHL has two highly competitive divisions and five elite teams in Moose Jaw, Swift Current, Everett, Portland and Kelowna all with a real shot at making the Championship series. The wildcard format is very practical this year, as without it a quality team would be left out of the playoff picture in each Conference. While it is a much debated structure in hockey this season in particular shows the practicality of having potential divisional cross over teams as it ensures that the best 16 teams in the WHL get a shot to go for the Ed Chynoweth Cup, which would not have been the case in a pure divisional playoff structure.
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