Filip Johansson – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #16 Vancouver Canucks – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Derek Neumeier, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:00:46 +0000

240127 Örebros Jonathan Lekkerimäki under ishockeymatchen i SHL mellan Örebro och Timrå den 27 januari 2024 i Örebro.
Foto: Aron Broman / BILDBYRÅN / COP 341 / AM0032

The first full season under Rick Tocchet was a resounding success resulting in a landslide win for the Jack Adams Award for coach of the year. While not being able to close their second series with Edmonton, despite being up three games to two, they performed admirably and had some tough luck with injuries. The Canucks outpaced the Oilers in the regular season to win the Pacific Division with 109 points, a massive improvement over last season’s 83 points. GM Patrik Allvin was a buyer at the deadline orchestrating a massive trade for Elias Lindholm, a free agent following the season. It cost the organization their first-round pick, plus Andrei Kuzmenko along with promising prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo. A bold play for a potential rental that looked like it might backfire as he acclimatized to his new surroundings, producing a disappointing 12 points in 26 games. He finished third in team scoring in the playoffs with 10 points in 13 games, including some key ones.

The prospect pool remains in the middle of the pack and actually up from 23rd to 16th. The reason is the presence of three prospects that rank in our top 60. Jonathan Lekkerimaki is ranked at #12 and had a tremendous season and developing quickly in Sweden and joining Abbotsford to end the season. A late riser in the draft last season, Tom Willander was selected at #11 overall and ranked by McKeen’s in our top 200 at #28, He transitioned seamlessly to North America at Boston College and was a dominant two-way player. Aatu Raty, a two-way center, is ranked 59th by McKeen’s and had a strong season in Abbotsford. Without their first two picks in this year’s draft, the prospect ranking is only likely to fall at this point.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	`22(15th)	46	19	12	31	10
					Abbotsford (AHL)	`22(15th)	6	1	1	2	0
2	Tom Willander	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	`23(11th)	38	4	21	25	12
3	Aatu Raty	C	21	6-2/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	T(NYI-1/23)	72	18	34	52	18
4	Arshdeep Bains	LW	23	6-0/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	FA(3/22)	59	16	39	55	28
					Vancouver (NHL)	FA(3/22)	8	0	0	0	6
5	Linus Karlsson	C	24	6-1/180	Abbotsford (AHL)	T(SJ-2/19)	60	23	37	60	30
					Vancouver (NHL)	T(SJ-2/19)	4	0	0	0	0
6	Arturs Silovs	G	23	6-4/205	Abbotsford (AHL)	`19(156th)	34	16	11	2.74	0.907
7	Sawyer Mynio	D	19	6-1/175	Seattle (WHL)	`23(89th)	63	16	37	53	66
8	Max Sasson	C	23	6-1/180	Abbotsford (AHL)	FA(3/23)	56	18	24	42	36
9	Jett Woo	D	23	6-0/205	Abbotsford (AHL)	`18(37th)	62	7	24	31	93
10	Elias Pettersson 2	D	20	6-1/185	Vasteras (HockeyAllsvenskan)	`22(80th)	34	3	11	14	8
11	Aidan McDonough	LW	24	6-3/190	Abbotsford (AHL)	`19(195th)	58	11	8	19	10
12	Cole McWard	D	22	6-1/205	Abbotsford (AHL)	FA(4/23)	57	4	13	17	16
13	Filip Johansson	D	24	6-0/175	Abbotsford (AHL)	FA(6/22)	55	5	13	18	10
14	Kirill Kudryavtsev	D	20	5-11/200	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	`22(208th)	67	5	42	47	18
15	Nikita Tolopilo	G	23	6-6/230	Abbotsford (AHL)	FA(3/23)	35	20	13	2.83	0.905

1. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Orebro HK (SHL)

Lekkerimaki really started to heat up during the 2023 HockeyAllsvenskan playoffs, and once that began happening you could see that a switch had flipped for him. He hasn’t slowed down at all since then and has firmly re-established himself as one of the most dynamic and dangerous prospects in the sport. It’s not often that a teenager leads an SHL team in both goals and points, but the young Canucks sharpshooter did that this season for Orebro, which just goes to show how good he truly was. He’s a high-end goal-scorer both with his one-timer, which he can let rip with expert power and precision, as well as his ability to burst past opposing defenders with speed before then deking the goalie out of his pads. The highlight-reel that he will accumulate by the end of his career will be quite a long one.

2. Tom Willander, D, Boston University (NCAA)

Willander was a late riser up everyone's 2023 draft boards, and his seamless transition to living in North America and playing hockey in the NCAA are great indicators that he will be able to adapt to the NHL one day and make an impact there as well. He is already a dominant two-way player with Boston University, using his powerful and flawless skating ability to tilt the ice whenever he's out there. The value he brings is less about the sheer number of points he produces, and more so the ability to control the flow of the game around him and dictate its outcomes. It's very easy to project him as someone who will be able to play in a top four role in the NHL and match up well against the most dangerous forwards the league has to offer.

3. Aatu Raty, C, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

Raty spent the entirety of his 2023-24 campaign with Abbotsford, and while he might be personally disappointed that he didn’t get to play any games for Vancouver, the argument could be made that all that consistency was important to stabilize his development, because there was a lot of moving around and mixed results for him over the past few seasons. The results were encouraging, with better production rates and him taking on a bigger role within his team. Next season will likely be a similar story, considering the competition among forwards in the organization right now, but if truly plays himself up the depth chart he’ll get rewarded for it. A two-way center with size and skill, he could be a very impactful NHLer one day if he continues to stick to the plan and takes things as they come to him.

4. Arshdeep Bains, LW, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

What an incredible story Bains continues to write for himself. In the span of a few short years, he's gone from being an undrafted longshot, to earning a contract with his favourite childhood hockey team, to establishing himself as one of their very best prospects. His success also extends well outside of the Canucks organization, providing valuable representation for the Canadian Sikh community's growing love of the sport. He thinks the game at a very high level, which has been the primary source of his ability to keep making repeated gains in a multitude of areas and consistently year over year. It’s fair to say that he’s exceeded everyone’s expectations thus far into his career. A track record like his, along with how well-rounded his game already is, signals that he won't be confined to just a single NHL pathway and could earn different roles within a roster.

5. Linus Karlsson, C, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

Karlsson has quietly emerged within the Canucks system as quite a steady point producer. That was true of his time in the Swedish professional ranks and has carried over nicely to North America. He’s a little on the older side for a prospect, at 24 years of age now, but him leading Abbotsford in scoring at a point-per-game clip should not be undervalued. He’s a real jack-of-all-trades type of center, and that will either end up being a blessing or a curse for him as he tries to make Vancouver full-time, because he’ll be at the whim of the team’s roster construction and whether they need another guy like him, versus someone who fills a more specialized role. The good news is that there should be a small number of forward spots open next fall for someone promoted internally.

6. Arturs Silovs, G, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

Silovs has turned out to be a very valuable find for the Canucks as a 6th-round draft selection. He hasn’t exactly knocked anyone’s socks off since he was picked, but he’s certainly proven himself to be a good depth goalie at the very least, with the possibility of him still becoming something more one day. He lets his large frame do most of his work while he’s between the pipes, while also doing a good job of keeping his head clear and not riding the highs and the lows of the game situations in front of him. He’s done a good enough job over the past two years in his call-ups to Vancouver, but he’ll probably need to beat out his competition and prove himself as a quality AHL starter — which hasn’t exactly happened yet — before he’ll get trusted as a proper backup at the NHL level.

7. Sawyer Mynio, D, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

It's amazing what being surrounded by elite talent can do for a player, especially when they are good learners and know how to make the most out of the opportunity. Mynio is a textbook example of what that looks like. The spotlight rarely shone on him last year as a member of the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds, with it understandably getting hogged instead by the team's surplus of stars, but Mynio was out there every game too, grinding and growing. The results of that work have been incredible to see, as he managed to improve every facet of his game, while also becoming the new face of the organization and one of its leaders on and off the ice as they look to usher in a new era. That kind of experience is hard to find and ever harder to replicate.

8. Max Sasson, C, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

Just how far has Sasson come in his development as a hockey player? To put it into perspective, in 2017 he was selected in the 19th round, 303rd overall, in the USHL Entry Draft. Three years later he was an assistant captain in the league. Three years after that he was scoring at a point-per-game pace in the NCAA. Now, at age 23, he's thriving in the AHL. With a story like that, and a proven track record of improving himself year over year and exceeding all expectations, how could you doubt his ability to reach the NHL one day, too? Even if he never becomes more than a high-character glue guy for the Canucks, someone like that is always welcome among a coaching staff and in the locker room, and they often find ways to take their careers farther than other prospects who have more skill but lack the same intangibles.

9. Jett Woo, D, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

The hype about Woo has cooled off significantly since he was picked 37th overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft, and for a while it looked like it was going to freeze completely, but give him credit: he’s dug in, battled hard, and has made himself look like a legitimate NHL prospect again. He’s a stocky, physical blueliner who developed a reputation for delivering sturdy hits, and after a bit of a warming-up period in the AHL has started to look more like his old self. The offensive side of his game has fluctuated a lot from year to year, but this season was his best one yet as a pro, and he led all defensemen on his team in scoring. With the big club set to lose four NHL defenders to free agency this summer, how much consideration will Woo get at making the team?

10. Elias Pettersson, D, Vasteras IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)

All jokes aside about the Canucks having two players in the organization with the exact same name, this Elias Pettersson is a very solid young defenseman in his own right and is on a promising course to make it to the NHL one day. He’s very well equipped as a modern-day shutdown defenseman, with a good blend of reach, mobility and poise with the puck. He also understands how to play physically and land big hits without getting himself into penalty trouble, though he will have to get his hands dirty a little more often once he starts playing in North America full-time. His being a part of Abbotsford’s AHL playoff run this spring is a good introduction to that. Adding a more of an offensive element to his game would be nice as well, but it won’t be a necessity for him.

PROSPECT CRITERIA: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 games (30 for goalies) and less than 25 in one season (25 for goalies).

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #22

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:39:11 +0000

Top 20 Vancouver Canucks Prospects

1. Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Lekkerimäki didn't have the smoothest post-draft season, but he's not the first or the last top prospect to experience that, especially among ones who still have a lot of physical development left to undergo. At his best he is an electrifying offensive winger, able to skate through or around traffic, control the puck at high speeds, and then beat a goalie with slick hands or a well-placed shot. Where he gets into trouble is in his lack of strength and resistance, as it isn’t hard right now for pro defenders to pin him to the boards, box him out of the slot, or otherwise neutralize him when they catch him. Conditioning can be a problem too, struggling to keep his engine running all game or through busy schedules. But once the training catches up to the talent, watch out. He finished his year on a high note , with postseason scoring totals that matched what he produced during the regular season.

2. Tom Willander

Willander’s rise up the draft rankings (including ours) was steady last year. Starting with a standout performance at the World Junior A Challenge and culminating with a steady showing at the U18’s, Willander made himself an attractive option to teams picking around where the Canucks ultimately selected him. One admirable element about Willander’s game is how consistent his decision making is with the puck. He has such a high panic threshold in the defensive end and he rarely gets hemmed in his own zone as he uses his feet and head-up approach to confidently clear the zone. One area of Willander’s game that really improved over the course of the season was his physical intensity level. He slowly became a defensive force and was very difficult to beat one-on-one. With a strong two-way base, good size, a right shot, and a high-end IQ, he has a chance to be a very good NHL defender. He will be taking a rather unorthodox route by attending Boston University next year and should be a standout right away at the NCAA level.

3. Aatu Raty

Räty has a reputation for swinging wildly between hot and cold, which dates back to his time in Finland's highest junior league and has now followed him all the way to British Columbia. It's a real shame too, because when he gets everything clicking in unison, he is legitimately one of the best prospects in the sport. He's at his best when the puck is on his stick and he's feeling determined and confident, maintaining possession in traffic, and making defenders look foolish by throwing them on his back, undressing them, or threading passes right through them. It remains a mystery why he has such a bad habit of taking his foot off the gas and being a passenger instead of a driver. Any coach that can light a consistent fire under him will look like a genius.

4. Jack Rathbone

Rathbone lost a lot of the momentum that he had going for him in 2021-22 and his point totals took a dramatic tumble. Vancouver's early struggles and desperate lineup turnover had ripple effects throughout the organization, and some players never fully regained their balance. The good news is that the Boston native is still wildly talented and should be more than fine in the long run. He is a premier puck-moving blueliner with plus offensive instincts, and that type of player is arguably more valuable in the NHL now than ever before. He manages opposing forechecks with his escapability since he doesn't have enough bulk to help him absorb a lot of hits. Vancouver will need to be careful with Rathbone next season, because he will require waivers to go to the AHL and a lot of teams would jump at the chance to acquire him for free.

5. Aidan McDonough

Convincing McDonough to sign with the team that drafted him instead of going the free agent route after college was a top priority for Vancouver, and they accomplished their mission. Promising him NHL games straightaway was a smart carrot to dangle, and he was rewarded for his loyalty to the team by scoring his first career goal in the show. He is a strong, shoot-first winger who is difficult to box out or tie up when he really wants to get to the net front. Staying with Northeastern for four seasons was a smart decision for the player, because that extra time in the gym allowed him to fill out his frame and improve his conditioning, two necessary gains that he should be easier to maintain moving forward. McDonough might have to start next season in the AHL, but some time down at that level won't stunt his long-term development or progress.

6. Hunter Brzustewicz

Brzustewicz requires many viewings to gain a proper appreciation for. He is far from flashy, but there is real value in his heads-up puck moving ability. Thanks to quick feet, he rarely gets trapped in his own end, making him a breakout machine. He was about as consistent as can be through his first OHL season and his leadership on the backend was one of the main reasons why Kitchener improved so drastically in the second half, enabling them to upset the Windsor Spitfires in round one of the OHL playoffs. His defensive play improved in the second half, too as he learned to use his mobility to put himself in better position to make defensive plays without elite physical tools. Of course, the real concern here is that Brzustewicz tops out as a really good junior defender, without a true role at the NHL level because his game lacks dynamic qualities. However, he’ll return to the OHL this season with an eye on improving his strength and projection, although it may be part of a new OHL organization with Kitchener set to rebuild.

7. Linus Karlsson

Karlsson transitioned quite nicely to North America in his first season, immediately slotting into a top six job in the AHL and eclipsing the 20-goal mark. That was what was expected, as an older prospect who has enjoyed a lot of professional success in Sweden beforehand, but it wasn't a guarantee. He is a Jack-of-all-trades forward who can play different forward positions, do damage as a shooter or a playmaker, handle and protect the puck well, and he doesn't usually sacrifice his defensive responsibilities to cheat for offense. Karlsson has been a go-to guy at times but might be better suited as more of a supporting piece. The Canucks acquired Karlsson from San Jose in exchange for Jonathan Dahlén, and since Dahlén played only one uneventful season with the Sharks before heading back to Europe, it's safe to assume that Vancouver is happy with how that transaction has worked out.

8. Arturs Silovs

Over the past few years, Silovs has played relatively little, even going back before the pandemic, but somehow it appears to have not really hindered his development, which can't be said for a lot of netminders in his age range. He's also one of the few pro-level prospects in the organization who maintained stability amid all the turbulence, and you always want to see unflappable composure in a goaltender. He has done a very good job taking the natural foundation provided by his huge frame and then stacking improvements in all areas on top. It's still not certain whether Silovs has what it takes to become a true NHL starter, but he has played well enough that the Canucks will now commit to try grooming him for that role.

9. Joni Jurmo

Jurmo is often the epitome of firewagon hockey and while it probably drives his coaches crazy, you can't deny that he's entertaining as hell to watch. Every time the big, mobile defenseman winds up behind his own net with the puck there is an exhilarating chance that something dramatic happens, though that could either be a highlight-reel-worthy rush that leads to a goal, or an utterly brutal turnover from close to his own net that leads to an easy goal against. While his macro game is high risk, high reward, his micro game and fine details are mostly riddled with concerns. It's difficult to rely on a blueliner too heavily when their puck management is not trustworthy. Still, Jurmo is worth continually investing development resources into due to the possibility that he can further utilize his fantastic raw tools to increase the good moments while significantly reducing the bad ones.

10. Josh Bloom

Acquired for depth defender Riley Stillman, Bloom has a chance to develop into a nice piece for the Canucks moving forward. He brings such great versatility to his coaches with his well-rounded game. Thanks to his strong skating base and high IQ, his mark is left all over the ice and he can excel in a variety of different roles. He can lead the charge on the counter-attack, playing an aggressive North/South game. He finds soft spots well in coverage that he can exploit as both a shooter and passer. Over his OHL career, Bloom also developed into a tremendous penalty killer, a role that he should be able to continue to fill at the pro level. Is he the most skilled or creative player? No, and that may ultimately cap his upside as a future NHL winger. We feel that Bloom is an underrated prospect who could make an immediate impact in Abbotsford this season as a first-year pro.

11. Elias Pettersson

The second coming of Elias Pettersson in Vancouver, this one is a mobile defender with the potential to develop into a standout in the defensive end. He’ll return to Sweden this year to play with Orebro and look to continue improving his play with the puck.

12. Danila Klimovich

At first glance, Klimovich’s production in the AHL last year was disappointing, but his 17 goals were tied for second on Abbotsford. He can really shoot the puck and he works hard to use his size to his advantage in that home plate area.

13. Jett Woo

After a weak rookie year with Abbotsford, Woo was much better as a sophomore last season. He may never reach the ceiling that was once prognosticated for him, but he can still be a quality NHL defender, likely in a third pairing, PK role because of his physicality and mobility.

14. Arshdeep Bains

The Canucks signed Bains out of Red Deer after he led the WHL in scoring in 2022. He proceeded to have a solid rookie year in the AHL. A well-rounded offensive player, there is a lot of hope that Bains can develop into a solid bottom six option for the Canucks in the future.

15. Akito Hirose

Signed out of Minnesota State late last year, Hirose was a pleasant surprise as he closed out the year with the Canucks. It’s clear that his high-end hockey sense and mobility will give him a chance of being a longtime pro. The primary remaining question is how well can he defend at the pro level?

16. Filip Johansson

A former first round selection of the Minnesota Wild, the Canucks signed the strong skating defender after the Wild elected not to sign him (a rarity). There is some concern that he’ll never defend well enough to be an NHL defender, but more will be known after his upcoming first AHL season.

17. Tristen Nielsen

Playing on an AHL deal with Abbotsford the last two seasons, the Canucks signed Nielsen this offseason after a strong 2022-23 year. He is a competitive, two-way center who brings versatility to a lineup. Like Arshdeep Bains, there is some hope that he can become a quality bottom six player in the future.

18. Kirill Kudryavtsev

There wasn’t a lot of hype attached to Kudryavtsev’s year in the OHL given his late round selection and how poor the Greyhounds were, however he nonetheless took a very nice step forward. He is continuing to refine his approach, improving the picking of spots to activate, while also improving in the defensive end.

19. Cole McWard

Signed out of Ohio State late last year, McWard finished the year with Vancouver and did not look out of place on the blueline. At the very least, he projects as a quality defensive player because of his size and mobility combination. More will be known about his upside this year over a full year of pro.

20. Max Sasson

Signed out of Western Michigan late last year, Sasson is a potential future bottom six center thanks to his strong two-way commitment. The offensive upside may ultimately be limited, but he could develop into a shutdown, PK type.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #23 Vancouver Canucks

Derek Neumeier — Sun, 14 May 2023 14:48:30 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 23rd (28^th last year)

The Jim Benning era as GM came to a close December 2021, and new GM Patrik Allvin has been adding his imprint to the team since then, running last year’s draft and selecting Jonathan Lekkerimaki 15^th overall. It may be early to draw any conclusions as he inherited a complicated cap situation, that remains an issue to be resolved this offseason. Bo Horvat was moved for a 1^st from the Islanders (18^th overall) for 2023, along with prospect Aatu Raty (plus Anthony Beauvillier). He then traded that pick plus a second for Filip Hronek and a fourth from Detroit. Are they sellers or buyers? They have some foundational pieces in Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. The supporting cast is generally in their mid-20’s. Their graduated prospects are solid pieces in Nils Hoglander, Vasily Podkolzin and Quinn Hughes. However, they are forced to clear some cap space this offseason, perhaps surrendering more future pieces to get the relief they need.

They retain their first three picks for 2023,2024, and 2025 with a healthy slate of picks. Having only made the playoffs once in the last eight years, the fan base is growing impatient given the young stars are entering their prime. Rumours attached to Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, and even J.T. Miller have been rampant in a dispirited season, in which their coach, Bruce Boudreau, was left twisting in the wind for much of it. They get a fresh start this season, but Allvin has a complicated puzzle to untangle before they begin to make progress.

VANCOUVER, BC - OCTOBER 24: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Jack Rathbone (3) passes the puck during their NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Rogers Arena on October 24, 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Lekkerimäki hasn't had the smoothest post-draft season, but he's not the first or the last top prospect to experience that, especially among ones who still have a lot of physical development left to do. At his best he is an electrifying offensive winger, able to skate through or around traffic, control the puck at high speeds, and then beat a goalie with slick hands or a well-placed shot. Where he gets into trouble is due to his strength and resistance, as it isn’t hard right now for pro defenders to pin him to the boards, box him out of the slot, or otherwise neutralize him when they catch him. Conditioning can be a problem too, struggling to keep his engine running all game or through busy schedules. But once the training catches up to the talent, watch out. He is finishing his year on a high note though, with scoring totals that match what he did during the regular season.

2. Aatu Raty

Räty has a reputation for swinging wildly between hot and cold, which dates all the way back to his time in Finland's highest junior league and has now followed him all the way to British Columbia. It's a real shame too, because when he gets everything clicking in unison, he is legitimately one of the best prospects in the sport. He's at his best when the puck is on his stick and he's feeling determined and confident, maintaining possession in traffic and making defenders look foolish by throwing them on his back, undressing them or threading passes right through them. It remains a large mystery why he has such a bad habit of taking his foot off the gas and deciding that he's content being a passenger instead of a driver. Any coach that can light a consistent fire under him will look like a genius.

3. Jack Rathbone

Rathbone lost a lot of the momentum that he had going for him last season, and his point totals took a dramatic tumble. Vancouver's early struggles and desperate lineup turnover had ripple effects throughout the organization, and some players never fully regained their balance. The good news is that the Boston native is still wildly talented and should be more than fine in the long run. He is a premier puck-moving blueliner with plus offensive instincts, and that type of player is arguably more valuable in the NHL now than ever before. He manages opposing forechecks with escapability since he doesn't have enough bulk to help him absorb a lot of hits. Vancouver will need to be careful with Rathbone next season, because he will require waivers to go to the AHL and a lot of teams would jump at the chance to acquire him for free.

4. Aidan McDonough

Convincing McDonough to sign with the team that drafted him instead of going the free agent route after college was a top priority for Vancouver, and they accomplished their mission. Promising him NHL games straightaway was a smart carrot to dangle, and he was rewarded for his loyalty to the team by scoring his first career goal in the show. He is a strong, shoot-first winger who is difficult to box out or tie up when he really wants to get to the net front. Staying with Northeastern for four seasons was a smart decision, because that extra time in the gym allowed him to fill out his frame and improve his conditioning, two necessary gains that he will now have an easier time maintaining moving forward. McDonough might have to start next season in the AHL, but some time down at that level won't stunt his progress.

5. Linus Karlsson

Karlsson transitioned quite nicely to North America in his first season, immediately slotting into a top six job and eclipsing the 20-goal mark. That was what was expected, since he's an older prospect and enjoyed a lot of success professionally in Sweden beforehand, but it wasn't a guarantee. He is a Jack-of-all-trades forward who can play different forward positions, do damage as a shooter or a playmaker, handles and protects the puck well, and doesn't usually sacrifice his defensive responsibilities to cheat for his offense. He has been a go-to guy at times but might be better suited in general as more of a supporting piece The Canucks acquired Karlsson from San Jose in exchange for Jonathan Dahlén, and since Dahlén played one uneventful season with the Sharks before heading to Europe it's safe to assume that Vancouver is happy with how that transaction is currently looking.

6. Arturs Silovs

Over the past few years Silovs has played a relatively sparse number of games for a goalie, even going back before the pandemic hit, but somehow it appears to have not really hindered his development, which can't be said for a lot of netminders in his age group. He's also one of the few pro-level prospects in the organization who maintained stability amid all the turbulence, and you always want to see unflappable composure in a goaltender. He has done a very good job taking the natural foundation provided by his huge frame and then stacking improvements in all areas on top. It's still not quite certain whether Silovs has what it takes to become a true NHL starter in the future, but he has played well enough that the Canucks will now commit to try grooming him for that role.

7. Joni Jurmo

Jurmo is often the epitome of firewagon hockey, and while it probably drives his coaches crazy at times you can't deny that it's entertaining as hell to watch. Every time the big, mobile defenseman winds up behind his own net with the puck there is an exhilarating chance that something dramatic happens, though that could either be a year-end highlight-reel-worthy rush that leads to a goal, or an utterly brutal turnover barely past his own net that leads to an easy goal against. And while his macro game is high risk, high reward, his micro game and fine details are mostly riddled with concerns. It's difficult to rely on a blueliner too heavily when their puck management is not trustworthy. Still, Jurmo is worth continually investing development resources into due to the possibility that he can further utilize his fantastic raw tools to increase the good moments while significantly reducing the bad ones.

8. Danila Klimovich

Klimovich has taken a genuine step forward this season compared to last season, though the question still persists about whether spending the last of his teenage years in the AHL was the right decision for his long-term development. With his combination of size, athleticism, puck skill and long skating strides he has so much growth potential, but the less a young guy plays, the harder it is to master those tools. After his breakout performance for Belarus at the 2021 IIHF U18s it wouldn't have been surprising to see him once again dominate against his age group, this time in the QMJHL, as Rouyn-Noranda held his North American rights. Luckily for him, Vancouver's shallow prospect depth puts him in a favourable position to play a prominent role and log a lot of ice time for the Canucks in the foreseeable future. However, will the finished product be as good as it could have been?

9. Elias Pettersson

No, that's not a typo: there is another Elias Pettersson in the Canucks organization. This one is nowhere near the same caliber of player as the older, 100-point-scoring forward, but don't assume that Vancouver drafted him for some kind of novel reason: the young blueline is a top-notch prospect, and that selection is already looking like one of the smartest mid-round picks from the 2022 draft. He scored at a point-per-game pace in Sweden's top under-20 league this season, but his ability to defend is his real bread and butter, and that's how he carved out a role on his SHL club that carried over into the playoffs. With a good blend of size, skating, puck control, smarts and grit, Pettersson is ideally equipped to eventually become a bottom four NHL defenseman and might even reach a top pairing with the right partner to work with.

10. Jett Woo

The hype that once followed Woo has disappeared, and it's never coming back. The big question now, however, is whether he will ever actually make the cut as an NHLer in any capacity. There are things to like about his game, such as his heavy shot from the point and his propensity to throw thunderous hits. The problem is that he just doesn't leave enough of a positive impact on a regular basis. He goes through long stretches where he is unnoticeable, but then pops into focus for an unwanted reason. Even though there aren't really any red flags to worry about he desperately needs to find another element in his game that he can really hang his hat on, whether that's puck transportation, playmaking, off-puck defending or something else. If Woo isn't careful his shot at making the NHL could dry up sooner than he might think.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Top 20 Prospects

Contributors – Brock Otten, Chapin Landvogt, Ethan Hetu, Zack Szweras — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 21:51:37 +0000

211021 Djurgårdens Jonathan Lekkerimäki under ishockeymatchen i SHL mellan Djurgården och Oskarshamn den 21 oktober 2021 i Stockholm.
Foto: Andreas L Eriksson / BILDBYRÅN / COP 106 / AE0062

1 - Jonathan Lekkerimaki RW

Lekkerimaki was recently selected with the 15^th pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022 NHL draft. He is the first of three Djurgårdens teammates who played together in the J20 this year to be selected in the first round, alongside Noah Ostlund (16^th) and Liam Ohgren (19^th). Lekkerimaki’s best offensive trait is his shot. He is able to set it up with slick hands allowing him to get into shooting position. When he shoots, he has a deceiving release, which helps to fool goalies. He has a habit of firing shots near the lower half of goaltenders, either five-hole or low blocker side. On top of his goal scoring ability, Lekkerimaki has immensely improved his playmaking ability, in part due to his sly hands. This past season he split time between J20 and the SHL. In the former level, he scored 20 goals and 35 points in 26 games, enough to impress Djurgårdens to give him 26 games in the SHL, in which he contributed nine points in a larger role than most draft eligible get in the top Swedish men’s league. Lekkerimaki really shined in this past April’s U18 tournament, where he led Sweden to gold and finished the tournament with a competition-leading 10 assists and 15 points in six games. With that performance, he was named to the U18 all-star team. Lekkerimaki looks to play the entirety of next season in the Allsvenskan with Djurgårdens and to continue to carve out a top-six role. - ZS

2 - Jack Rathbone D

The former Harvard standout is well positioned to take on a permanent role with the Vancouver Canucks this season. Among defenders who played 35 games or more in the AHL last season, Rathbone was one of two (along with Jordan Gross) to average over a point per game. Simply put, he was dominant at the AHL level with Abbotsford. In his short stints at the NHL level so far, things have been a little different. He has struggled in the defensive end, and he has looked tentative with the puck; that definitely wasn’t the case in the AHL. You can likely just chalk that up to nerves and a lack of confidence because Rathbone has the skill set to be a top four NHL defender. He skates well. He is electric when leading the attack out of the defensive zone with his ability to control the puck at full speed. He shows great offensive instincts inside the opposing blueline and is aggressive in looking to pinch down low to earn scoring chances. His mobility also helps him to defend well in transition. His zone coverage needs to improve, and he needs to get stronger on attackers down low, but if he is creating offense the way that he is capable of, these types of things can be overlooked (especially if he continues to work on them). Right now, the Canucks are heading into training camp with a hole in their top four, a hole many people are expecting Rathbone to fill. If he finally gains the confidence, he could be a sneaky Calder candidate. - BO

3 - Dmitri Zlodeyev C

It is extremely easy to root for Zlodeyev, as while he isn’t that naturally gifted in terms of size or athleticism – both particularly important in playing his natural position up the middle - he has the smarts to process the game in the right way. Last season was pretty tough for him, as he was first stuck playing junior hockey in the MHL and then he was traded to the Spartak organization, which was more willing to provide him the right development opportunities. Zlodeyev didn’t disappoint his new bosses, as he played well at all the levels for them, even if his stats didn’t always reflect that assessment, and he was ultimately rewarded with a two-year contract extension. As he is highly unlikely to be NHL ready in that timespan, the new contract should not be seen to alter his likelihood of coming to North America, and the fact that his Russian team was open to releasing him to join Vancoiver’s prospect camp is another good sign in that regard. There are good reasons to be excited about Zlodeyev’s near-term future, considering his great KHL preseason and the availability of KHL opportunities with his new team. On the other hand, he displays late-blooming qualities suggesting that the best is yet to come. Stay tuned. - VF

4 - Aidan McDonough LW

Aidan McDonogh was a seventh-round pick at the 2019 draft, coming off of a productive goal-scoring season in the USHL. McDonough had gone undrafted the year prior, having played at the high school level, but the Canucks evidently saw enough from him in the USHL to deem him worth a seventh-round investment as a wait-and-see prospect who would likely spend significant time at the college level. At Northeastern, McDonough has made the Canucks’ investment look shrewd. McDonough was one of the best pure goal scorers in the NCAA last season, potting 25 goals in 38 games. He has scored double-digit goals in each college season he’s played. McDonough has a filled-out six-foot-two frame and is quicker and better on his feet than one might expect from a seventh-rounder with his size/weight profile. That doesn’t mean McDonough is particularly fast, of course, it simply means he’s shown himself to be more capable of keeping up with an up-tempo offensive pace at the college level than might have been expected of him. McDonough’s shot is his best tool, but his goal-scoring is a bit too one-dimensional. He doesn’t attack the dirty areas of the ice like other goal scorers and doesn’t deviate from reliance on his shooting talent enough for me to have confidence that he’ll find other ways to contribute when he’s having an unlucky stretch with a low shooting percentage. His shot and overall level of skill offensively gives him a chance to be something more, but whether or not he has real NHL upside will depend on if his goal-scoring can translate from the NCAA to the pro level. - EH

5 - Jett Woo D

Woo’s transition to the pro level has been quite interesting thus far. For one, the offensive prowess that he showed in the WHL has not translated at all, with Woo showing himself to be more of a potential shutdown type at the pro level. For two, Woo’s second season in the AHL saw him playing on the wing to close out the year, with the coaching staff unimpressed with his development as a defender. Obviously, his future is still on the blueline, but it is also obvious that he will need to improve in his upcoming third pro season if he wants to remain in Vancouver’s long-term plans. Even if the offensive game only improves moderately, Woo still has the capability of being a defensive specialist at the NHL level. His mobility is excellent. He hits like the truck. He has a good stick in the defensive zone. However, if his confidence with the puck does not improve, his ceiling is likely limited to being more of a depth type who can play the PK and pair with an offensive type on the third pairing. In the final year of his ELC, Woo will be looking to earn another contract with improved play this coming season. - BO

6 - Michael DiPietro

Has there been a prospect whose development has been more mishandled than DiPietro’s thus far? A once promising goaltending prospect out of the OHL, his career has been sidetracked by mismanagement. First the Canucks embarrassed him in an emergency callup, allowing him to be shelled because they did not have the necessary organizational depth to cover for injuries. Then, in his second pro season, they opted to keep him on the taxi squad all year rather than allow him to play games in the AHL. Last year, he looked lost at times, with his confidence clearly broken. As such, his agency had asked for a trade out of Vancouver, but a partner has not yet been found. DiPietro still has NHL potential. He is extremely athletic. He never quits on a play and his maturity off the ice and his practice habits were lauded by those in the know in the OHL. There was always going to be a learning curve for him. He is not a huge goaltender, and his scrambling tendencies were going to have to be replaced by a more technically advanced approach. He showed great potential in his pro season, but then it all went downhill. So what’s next for Dipietro? His relationship with the Canucks’ organization appears fractured and it would be shocking if he were still part of the team next year. Wherever he goes next, there is a strong chance that he turns things around and re-establishes himself as a quality netminding prospect. - BO

7 - Arturs Silovs G

The 6’4”, 203-pound Silovs is coming off his first complete season of professional play in North America, consisting of 10 AHL appearances and another 10 in the ECHL. He also split the goaltending duties for Latvia at the men’s World Championship in Finland where he put up an outstanding 1.22 GAA and .952 save percentage. His play for the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL – an assignment that was all about getting playing time – was promising with a solid 2.37 GAA and .920 save percentage. Those numbers were not duplicated with AHL Abbotsford, where he allowed 3.10 goals against per game while footing a sub-.900 save percentage. After Spencer Martin and Michael DiPietro assumed most of the AHL duties last season, Silovs will now have to duke things out with DiPietro and incoming veteran Collin Delia, should he not be loaned out to another club. Drafted as a player with 20 games of pro play in Latvia already under his belt, Silovs then split duties for the OHL Barrie Colts in his DY+1, before seeing very little play in the 20-21 season, meaning he's had some catching up to do. A tall goaltender with generally strong post-to-post movement, the hope is that he will take additional steps next season, ideally legitimizing his prospect status as a future NHL option. Alas, the competition within the organization is heavy and Silovs simply needs to see more action to earn continued reps. – CL

8 - Linus Karlsson C

Karlsson was selected in the third round, 87^th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL draft. His best attribute is his shooting ability. He is often able to find the holes in the offensive end and set himself up for a scoring chance. When he receives the puck, he utilizes a quick release to beat goaltenders. On top of his offensive game, Karlsson also plays a strong two-way game. He has consistently been solid in the faceoff circle and is willing to be the first forward back on every shift. Something he should look to improve is the quickness in his skating stride. Adding some more strength to his frame could improve his first step, giving him an extra boost of speed. Since he was drafted by the Canucks, he has spent majority of his time in Sweden’s second league, the Allsvenskan. His game was truly elevated during the 2020-21 season, when he produced 51 points in 52 Allsvenskan games. That year he also helped his team qualify for the SHL, finishing second on his team in points in the qualification tournament with 15 in 11 games. He carried that success into the SHL this year where he scored 26 goals and 46 points in 52 games. This production led to the Canucks signing him to an entry level contract. This upcoming season, Karlsson is expected to play for AHL Abbotsford. The hope is that he can transition smoothly to North American ice and contribute for the Canucks as soon as next season. - ZS

9 - Danila Klimovich RW

Klimovich was selected in the 2^nd round of the 2021 draft after he opened eyes at that year’s U18 Worlds with six goals in five games for his native Belarus. His 6’2”, 200-pound build was already mature and several of his goals were downright Ovechkin-esque in nature. He immediately moved to North America last season, a big jump in quality of competition to the AHL from the Belorussian league. His season with Abbotsford was statistically underwhelming, but was nonetheless quite impressive for an teenager. Physically and athletically, he did not look out of place in the AHL by season’s end. Making use of considerable lower body strength, Klimovich skates with bent knees and rather straight upper body posture. He has become adept at the forecheck and will bust his behind to get back to his own end. The speed of the AHL game has forced him to make quicker decisions with and without the puck, but his hard, accurate shot still gets released quickly and from as many angles as possible. His wrist shot, his snapshot, and his slapshot – including the one-timer – are all NHL-level and will be his calling card as a pro. Klimovich loves to shoot and although he has some moves and is willing to pass, especially in transition, his propensity for shooting is what will be his calling card as a pro. - CL

10 - Will Lockwood RW

The 64^th overall selection in the 2016 draft by the Vancouver Canucks, Lockwood has had a long journey from there to his NHL debut. He was originally drafted after showing his two-way, tenacious game playing for the USNTDP. While his offensive skill wasn’t necessarily shining, his combination of speed, grit, and ability to play a 200-foot game made him a valuable asset that the Canucks were happy to add. After his selection, Lockwood elected to take the NCAA route, committing to play for Michigan. In his first season with the Wolverines, he showed intriguing offensive skill, netting 20 points in 30 games. Through the rest of his four years at Michigan he continued to play at just under a point per game pace. Lockwood was named captain as a senior in 2019-20. After completing his time at Michigan, he signed an entry level contract with the Canucks, and has spent the majority of the past two seasons playing in the AHL, producing 36 points in 70 games. During that time, he also made his NHL debut, appearing in 2 games during 2020-21 season and an additional 13 games last season, however he is yet to record his first NHL point. With his two-way ability, Lockwood projects to be valuable depth forward for the Canucks and an option for their NHL team if needed. - ZS

11 - Arshdeep Bains

The WHL’s leading scorer from last season inked an entry level contract with the Canucks and will begin his pro journey this year. Bains is skilled and smart, but is he a strong enough skater?

12 - Filip Johansson

A former first rounder of the Minnesota Wild, they opted to let Johansson walk to get a second-round compensatory pick in 2022. The Canucks signed the mobile puck moving defender and will loan him back to Frolunda for the year.

13 - Lucas Forsell

A speedy playmaking winger, Forsell had a strong finish to last season in the SHL. Now he will try to play a larger role with Farjestad this season and become a more consistent point producer.

14 - Connor Lockhart

A recent trade to the Peterborough Petes (OHL) should do well for Lockhart’s development. Lockhart is both a strong skater and scorer, but the rest of his game is a work in progress. He will need a big year to be signed.

15 - Daimon Gardner

A McKeen’s hockey favourite heading into the 2022 draft, offers an intriguing package of size and skill from the center position. He is a long-term project. Gardner will play in the BCHL with Chilliwack this season before attending Clarkson (NCAA).

16 - Elias Pettersson

Yes, it is hilarious that the Canucks selected Pettersson in 2022, given that they already have one (terrific) Elias Pettersson. However, this Elias is a potential two-way blueliner because of his strong mobility and assertiveness.

17 - Jacob Truscott

Truscott has been good, but not great through his two seasons at Michigan. He has a well-rounded skill set but may lack a true standout quality that makes him an NHL defender.

18 - Jonathan Myrenberg

A right shot defender with good size and intriguing athleticism, Myrenberg will try to be a full-time pro defender this year in Sweden, switching to Mora in the Allsvenskan (second tier).

19 - Joni Jurmo

The big and mobile defender is coming off his best season yet in Finland as a full time Liiga player. The former third round pick is still a project whose long-term upside remains a bit of a mystery.

20 - Jackson Dorrington

One of the most physically imposing defenders available in 2022, Dorrington will head to Northeastern this year where he should be able to solidify a full-time lineup spot as a freshman.

Minnesota Wild 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:56:15 +0000

A little over one year ago, Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold decided that then GM Chuck Fletcher’s visions for building a Stanley Cup contender were out of step with his own, and let Fletcher go. The former GM was quickly snapped up by Philadelphia, after the latter had fired their GM, Ron Hextall.

In Fletcher’s place, Minnesota hired longtime Nashville Assistant GM Paul Fenton, a man known specifically for his scouting chops, in addition to being experienced by proximity to one of the more successful GMs (non-Stanley Cup winning division) in league history in David Poile. As most of you know by now, Fenton was let go this summer, making his approximately 13 month tenure at the top one of the shortest in modern NHL history.

It may be unfair to look at Fenton’s first draft helming the Wild table, as he was hired with only around one month to go until draft day. But we will look anyway. The Wild had eight selections, with three third rounders and two fifth rounders making up for the fact that they lacked picks in the second and the fourth.

Their third third rounder, Connor Dewar, had a really impressive post draft season with Everett in the WHL and saw his stick rise accordingly, jumping from 12^th to 3^rd on the Minnesota list. Additionally, the second third rounder, Alexander Khovanov was fine during a healthy season, and he moved up a few spots as well, from ninth to sixth.

On the other hand, the other six picks have been disappointing to a man. First rounder Filip Johansson was seen as a reach on draft day and he had a brutal year in Sweden. Similarly, the first third rounder, Jack McBain, had a difficult transition from the OJHL to Boston College. Both players remain in our top ten for the Wild, which is a reflection of the dearth of talent in the ranks more than their present standing in the industry. As high-ish picks, the Wild will not be giving up on either anytime soon, but they have moved in the wrong direction. Finally, none of the four late round picks had done enough to make the current iteration of the Minnesota top 20, although some of them received some consideration for late slots.

Going back to the fairness issue, we should point out that we really liked the Minnesota draft haul this year, which you will note by reading on, and Paul Fenton’s long term legacy will need to take that into account, however the players eventually turn out.

Of course, scouting is only one element of a General Manager’s position, and scouting for the draft is but one element of scouting. The fact is that Fenton was fired due to reasons that were largely not connected to scouting. Whoever is selected to replace him will have a lot more time to prepare for his/her first draft and has a good chance to make a better first pick than Johansson is looking to be. But as far as scouting for the draft goes, the main reason Fenton was (apparently) hired in the first place, he leaves with a mixed, at best, record.

-Ryan Wagman

SAINT PAUL, MN - JUNE 28: Minnesota Wild Development Camp attendee Matthew Boldy (67) makes a pass during the Minnesota Wild Development Camp 3-on-3 Tournament on June 28, 2019 at TRIA Rink at Treasure Island Center in St. Paul, MN (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

1 Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 1) An elite offensive player who is already one of the top KHL talents at his young age, Kaprizov is a gifted forward with an impressive resume under his belt. Last year, he led the whole league in goals and game-winning goals, and also won the Gagarin Cup with CSKA before helping Russia to get back home with a bronze medal at the IIHF World Championship. With his size, hands, and poise, he won’t have many problems in adapting to the more demanding NHL game and it will be exciting to see what he can done there after his contract with CSKA will run out next April 30. He is a hard worker, and won’t be a defensive liability for his team, but Kaprizov is a top-six player and won’t contribute much on a bottom-six, defensive oriented role. - ASR

2 Matthew Boldy, LW (12^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Of all of the players on last year’s UNSTDP U18 class, none had come as far in their two year run with the Program as did Boldy. A true five-tool winger, he may have lacked the flash of the team’s first line with the likes of Jack Hughes and Cole Caufield, he has a sniper’s pure wrist shot and high end puck skills to boot. The latter skill was something that shone with greater and greater frequency as his draft year progressed, with few games occurring in the second half in which Boldy did not try something audacious – and usually succeed. Notwithstanding his offensive game, he earns plaudits for his attention to detail in his own end as well. He is a very good penalty killer and plays aggressively all over the ice. With his mature frame and full set of skills, he may not need more than one year at Boston College before he is ready to take on the pros. He has first line possibilities. - RW

3 Connor Dewar, LW (92^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: 12) Dewar went undrafted in his initial draft year, but improved drastically and had a real breakout season, posting 38 goals and 68 points in 68 games, earning a third round selection. He followed that up by being named Captain of the Silvertips, and putting up an impressive 36 goals and 81 points in only 59 games. He is a smaller forward with good speed and puck skills, and a relentless work ethic. He has good offensive skills, and he plays a nice two-way game. He projects to be a bottom six forward at the highest level, and should compete for a spot in Iowa this season. - KO

4 Marshall Warren, D (166^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) One of the more polarizing prospects in the 2019 draft class, we were smitten by his speed and his zest for making life difficult for opposing teams, but the NHL was not as convinced, with some seeing more of a tweener, a defender who has offensive skill, but not enough to quarterback your first power play unit, while lacking the frame or defensive mindset to handle tough shifts in his own zone. Furthermore, playing on a stacked USNTDP last year, along with the Wild’s first round pick, Boldy, it was easy to overlook Warren in favor of one or another defender who had a more well-defined role. Nevertheless, by snagging the Boston College commit in the sixth round, we feel that the Wild got the best value pick in the entire draft. If he shows growth in his reads and picks his spots a touch better, he could end up a very good second pairing, second power play defender down the line. - RW

5 Vladislav Firstov, LW (42^nd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) For a first time North American combatant, Firstov impressed. He clearly has a strong offensive skill game and has the ability to drive the offense. His puck skills show the occasional jaw dropping element. He also has the ability to turn on the jets and push the opposing team back on their heels. There is more than enough here to convince a team to be patient with him, and enough occasional glimpses of dominant shifts to suspect that his team won’t need to be patient. But Firstov is not a player without red flags. He tends to disappear in his own end and can demonstrate a tendency to float in either end when the puck is not within sniffing distance. Furthermore, despite a solid frame and the ability to play with strength, he too often sticks to the perimeter and avoids heavy play. He might flame out at the University of Connecticut, but he could also emerge smelling like a second line winger. - RW

6 Alexander Khovanov, C (86^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 9) Khovanov is a very strong offensive player with warts to his game. He handles the puck very well, distributes the puck expertly, can fire a great shot and controls the pace of the game with the puck on his stick. However, his weaknesses lie underneath the strong boxcar numbers of 74 points in 64 games this season, and 10 in 10 in the playoffs. He is prone to bad turnovers and taking bad penalties, as he finished fifth in minor penalties last year with 47. He suffers from inconsistent effort in the defensive zone; some shifts he is tenacious on the backcheck and others he is lackadaisical. He can take himself out of the game with frustration and lack of focus, and other teams have zeroed in on it in their game planning. He projects to be an impact offensive player, if Minnesota can keep him focused. - MS

7 Nico Sturm, C (Undrafted free agent, signed Apr. 1, 2019. Last Year: IE) When Sturm was first draft eligible, he was a decent U18 player in Germany, and barely even on the German national team radar. In his second year of eligibility, he played in the NAHL, and struggled mightily. But it got better. His second go round in the NAHL was strong and he even played for Team Germay in the WJC. He then he won a USHL championship with Tri-City before moving on to study and play at Clarkson. He was much better as a collegian than he was prior and was one of the most coveted NCAA free agents this past year. His season ended ignominiously with a game misconduct in the first round of the NCAA playoffs, but he agreed to an NHL entry level deal with the Wild three days later. He has great size and skates very well, with intriguing puck skills to boot. He is close to ready and has a third line ceiling. - RW

8 Filip Johansson, D (24^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 4) For a first-round draft choice in 2018, Johansson didn’t have a strong season in 2018-19. In his draft year he was promoted to senior hockey and showed great promise in Allsvenskan. He played a smart, solid and mature game. Last season he was a regular in Allsvenskan but struggled. He met adversity with bigger responsibility and couldn’t put up offensive numbers or strong defensive numbers. He still is only 19 years old and is a smart player with good tools, so it is far too early to write him off as a prospect. Johansson has the potential to become a solid two-way right-handed defenseman who contributes well at both ends of the ice. The upcoming season he will be a rookie in the SHL as his team earned promotion. Hopefully he can take a big step and handle the higher level well with his smarts. As for now, the NHL is a long-term project. - JH

9 Jack McBain, C (63^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) McBain comes from a hockey family and you can see that in his play. He is a smart, strong, adaptable forward who is still finding his way in college hockey. At 6-3”, 201, he went from being an OJHL All-Star to a developing player for Boston College. He showed flashes last year scoring 6 goals and 13 points in 35 games. His speed is good, but he needs to be better in his own end. He played as a third-line left winger last season, but he is capable of being a center again down the road. He will have to show improvement to get back in the middle again. He has the look of a 3^rd or 4^th line player as a pro down the road. He still has a lot of work to do between now and then. - RC

10 Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 7) What Kahkonen did in his first North American pro year, amid a decent at best defensive squad with AHL Iowa, borders on incredible. The average-sized, mature goaltender wasted no time getting accustomed to the smaller ice, earning AHL All-Star honors at just 22 years of age. His calm, composed mentality in the crease bodes well for his highly-athletic, technically-refined butterfly style, and his maturity as a young netminder was on display for all of last season in Des Moines. From a talent standpoint, he projects to be a mid-tier NHL starter in the near future, but a worrisome note for him is that veteran Andrew Hammond essentially stole the starting job in the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs. Coupled with the fact that the Wild selected goaltender Hunter Jones in the second round of the 2019 draft, and Kahkonen might have a harder road to the big leagues than expected. - TD

11 Louie Belpedio, D (80^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 5) A right-handed, puck-moving defenseman is an untouchable prospective asset to any organization, but throw in some offensive upside and a veteran level of composure, and you have a surefire future NHLer. The 2014 third-rounder finished off his first pro year -- which featured some cameos with Minnesota -- with a solid 71-6-15-21 stat line, exhibiting just what makes him an intriguing prospect moving forward: his smarts are top notch, and his speedy skating and vision make his mission of exiting the zone as fast as possible an easy one most times. While his defensive awareness and physical play below the dots have improved since the beginning of last season, his stick-readiness and gaps when defending against zone entries still need some major upgrades. Long term, Belpedio could be a bottom-pair d-man with second power-play time. - TD

12 Ivan Lodnia, RW (85^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 8) Lodnia is a change of pace winger who is always looking to attack the offensive zone. His skating has improved and it has allowed him to be effective at gaining entry to the blueline. He has also become stronger on the puck and it has made him more effective playing in the middle of the ice. He was a very effective 5-on-5 performer this past season in Niagara, even though he missed a few months with an upper body injury. As an NHL player, Lodnia projects as a middle six winger for the Wild. How fast he makes Minnesota’s lineup is going to be dictated by how quickly he is able to improve his play away from the puck as he will need to be the type to do the dirty work on a scoring line and become a little more versatile. - BO

13 Hunter Jones, G (59^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Hunter Jones has everything you are looking for in an NHL netminder, particularly size and athleticism. He was having a terrific draft season and a major breakout with Peterborough until he hit a wall in the second half due to being overworked. At this point, it is just about finding consistency for Jones, and being able to bounce back from weaker goals or performances. The upcoming OHL season will be a big one for him as he looks to be good from start to finish. With a more consistent year, he could put himself on the map as a potential starter for Canada at the World Junior Championships and is definitely a candidate for goaltender of the future in Minnesota. - BO

14 Brandon Duhaime, RW (106^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 11) Florida native Duhaime is a late bloomer who was drafted in his second year of eligibility after a decent season in the USHL. He progressed at a steadily faster pace over three years with Providence, culminating in an impressive junior campaign after which Minnesota gave him an entry level deal. Ostensibly a power forward, he can get to a nice top speed, but usually plays at a more stately pace. He is tough to handle when he forechecks and is likewise active in his own end. His offensive skills don’t seem likely to translate much as a pro, but his hockey IQ and physicality will give him a chance to play a fourth line role. - RW

15 Matvey Guskov, C (149th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Even if Guskov did not have the type of draft season some had expected of him, he was a great dice roll by the Wild in the back half of the draft. He is a really athletic player whose game is best described as being raw. He skates well. He has size. He shows flashes of being able to dominate in transition. But at this point, he is not good enough away from the puck, strong enough on the puck, or confident enough to be a consistent contributor. There are also some question marks about how well he sees the ice. That said, with patience he could develop into an impact two-way forward because of his size and skating ability. - BO

16 Brennen Menell, D (Undrafted free agent, signed Sep. 26, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Undrafted out of the WHL, Menell signed with Minnesota in the fall of 2017, and his 2018-19 season is a sign that the Wild scored big on the free agent defenseman. An inventive blueliner with the WHL club in Vancouver, and later Lethbridge, the 22-year-old showed out his junior form with Iowa last season, after earning an increase in ice time and more of a two-way role with the farm club. Last season, only one AHL defenseman had more assists than Menell (70-2-42-44), whose skating speed and creativity as a passer made him one of the most dangerous distributors in the league. His defensive game is fairly stout as well, as his technique on odd-man rushes and his physicality against zone entries stands out above the rest. Aside from his weak and often hesitant shot, Menell does not have any real big holes in his game. He could be a second-pair NHL contributor in time. - TD

17 Nick Swaney, C (209^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 15) A classic late-bloomer, Swaney did not fall victim to the dreaded sophomore slump in his second year at Minnesota-Duluth, increasing his goal scoring by 250% while once again playing a key two-way role for a national champion. He is undersized and lacks any one standout skill, but Swaney’s whole is often greater than the sum of his parts. He has a hard shot which was put to use with greater frequency this year and is trustworthy in late and tight situations as well as the penalty kill. He reads the game at close to an NHL level and if we were more confident that he could win more foot races at the highest level, he would project as a solid future third line center as well as show up far higher on this list. As is, he could find himself on the fourth line, but the upside is still NHL worthy. - RW

18 Filip Lindberg, G (197^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Lindberg is only 6-0”, 187, but he is physically strong and that helps him play the position. He had a sensational year at UMass, finishing with a 1.60 goals against average and a .934 save percentage in just 17 games. He didn’t play a ton but had a fair number of shutouts and had taken over the starting job by the NCAA Tournament, backstopping the Minutemen to the Frozen Four Final where they lost 3-0. He blocks pucks and doesn’t glove them all cleanly. His fast reflexes give up a lot of directed rebounds. He covers up in the crease well. He was a no-risk seventh round pick with some possible future upside. He should be the top goalie at UMass this year, but the job won’t be handed to him. He could be a future backup goalie in the NHL someday. - RC

19 Adam Beckman, C (75^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Beckman had a nice season for Spokane, putting up 32 goals and 62 points in 68 games, followed by 12 points in 15 games in the playoffs. Selected in the 3rd round, the speedy winger possesses good offensive instincts and likes to get involved in front of the net. He has a good shot and quick release, and always finds ways to contribute. Beckman just went through a growth spurt and has been adjusting to his new physical traits, but will still need to add weight and strength to be able to deal with the physical part of the game as he moves on. He projects to be a middle six forward, and should be back in Spokane this season to hone his skills and further his development. - KO

20 Mason Shaw, C (97^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 10) After ripping the WHL to shreds as a 17-year-old with Medicine Hat, the shifty, creative center tore the ACL in his right knee before the start of the 2017-18 season and spent the entire campaign -- aside from a nondescript one-game trial with Iowa at season’s end -- on the shelf. In 2018-19, he shook off the rust with a 76-8-25-33 campaign that was solid, but shy of world-shattering, before he suffered an ACL injury on his left knee in the postseason. In short, Shaw’s development will be a test of patience for the player and the Wild organization. When healthy, he is a pretty solid technical skater with decent top speed, and his main draw -- his quick, soft hands -- can make magic happen on every shift. He has a middle-six NHL ceiling, but his undersized frame and lack of luck with health have made it difficult to imagine him in a Minnesota Wild jersey for a while. - TD

Minnesota Wild Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 18:14:25 +0000

A debate in hockey analytics circles that has been circulating for some time is whether the sport is a weak-link game or a strong-link game. In other words, people question whether the best constructed rosters are those with the highest top end talent, or those with an edge on the bottom.

Another way of looking at the question is to ask whether the best team is the one that wins the battle when the third and fourth lines, or the third blueline pairing, is on the ice, or is the victor the team who can win the head-to-head matchups between strengths, when the first lines/pairings are skating?

Considering the recent Stanley Cups won by the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and other super stars, as well as the fact that those first lines, when they have the edge of play on the ice, still have to beat an NHL goalie to put their team in front, it seems the weight of the evidence is that hockey is a strong-link game.

Another point of evidence in favor of marking hockey as a strong link game is that if it were a weak-link game, the Minnesota Wild would have made it past the second round of the playoffs more than once in their existence.

New GM Paul Fenton inherits a franchise that is deep in decent players, both at the NHL level as well as up and down the system. Similarly, it is a franchise that is shallow in high-end players, in the NHL and on the farm. When former GM Chuck Fletcher went all in on free agency a few years ago, locking up the rest of the respective careers of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the thinking was that those players could lead the Wild to prolonged glory.

Now, Ryan Suter and Zach Parise are both fine players. I would go so far as to say that Suter has consistently been in the second tier of defensemen in the league. But what those two have proven, both in Minnesota and for their previous teams, is that their success comes when they are surrounded with players of a similar talent level. When they are head and shoulders above the rest of their roster, they are simply not good enough to be the strong-link of a championship team.

As we look at Minnesota’s top 20 prospects, we see that past is in danger of becoming prologue. There are a few fine players, players who could have Zach Parise-type NHL impact, and then a whole bunch more who fit as supporting players at the highest rung. The system is deep, but almost entirely lacking in players who one could safely project to be the leading lights of a championship roster. Paul Fenton has only had a few months to begin to mold the organization to his vision, but his first draft class did little to move the needle. Barring the possibility of a healthy Alexander Khovanov elevating his game by a few tiers, nobody in their 2018 draft class seems likely to force opposing teams to plan around them.

1 Kirill Kaprizov, LW (135^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 3^rd) If this system has one potential difference maker, this is it. Only 21 years old, Kaprizov has already played for most of four seasons in the KHL – including KHL All Star Game appearances in each of the last three - and finished above 40 in both of the last two, seasons punctuated by star turns in the WJC (12 points in seven games) and the Olympics (nine points in six games) respectively. Kaprizov grades very highly as a skater, for his ability to shoot an handle the puck, and for his on ice vision, especially in the offensive zone. Kaprizov, despite being somewhat undersized and lacking any appreciable experience on smaller ice surfaces, could play in a top six role in the NHL this year, but his contract with CSKA Moscow still has two season left to run.

Luke Kunin

2 Luke Kunin, C (15^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 1^st) After captaining the Wisconsin Badgers as a sophomore, and also wearing the C for Team USA as they took home gold at the WJC, Kunin was ready to play in the NHL. He was shuttled back and forth between Minnesota and their AHL team in Iowa for most of the year, before tearing the ACL in his left knee in early March, ending his season. Despite going through other tribulations in his rookie pro season, Kunin consistently demonstrated traits to his game which will work out over the long haul, provided his skating – one of the clear strengths of his game is not impacted permanently by the knee injury. A high energy skill player for the middle six is still in Kunin’s immediate future.

3 Jordan Greenway, LW (50^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 4^th) Another ready for primetime player, Greenway was one of three collegians chosen to represent Team USA at the Winter Olympics last year, and he scored once in PyeongChang. Over the last two seasons, Greenway’s game has begun to catch up to his outsized frame. At 6-6”, 227, he is certainly physically imposing, but he also moves very well for his size and has the offensive tools to suggest a player who could peak in the 50 point per season range. Greenway also plays a physical, heavy game befitting his stature, but his NHL success will come from his ability to play a skill game first and foremost. He can add a dimension to the Wild attack that was not there in recent years.

4 Filip Johansson, D (24^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Although a surprise when he was called to the podium in the first round in June. Johansson was one of the highest IQ defenders available in the 20128 draft class. The Leksands blueliner, who split last season between the men’s team and their U20 squad, has great vision and plays a highly poised game. His reads are very mature and he moves the puck smoothly. He is strong for his size, and projects for more there as he fills out. On the other hand, Johansson will likely never be a big offensive contributor. He lacks the skating chops to lead a dangerous rush and his point shot is not the most threatening. He certainly fits the Wild prospect MO, in that he has a low ceiling, but a pretty high floor.

5 Louis Belpedio, D (80^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 8^th) Another defender whose key selling point as a prospect is his high IQ, Louie Belpedio played a full four seasons with Miami University, the last two wearing the C on his chest. As a senior, he contributed much more to the RedHawks’ attack then ever before, with a career high 30 points in 37 games. That said, his offensive tools suggest more of a two-way contributor as a pro. His point shot does not suggest much power play time in his future, but he moves the puck fairly well. Belpedio also plays a physical game for his size. The right shooting defender is likely in line to receive a NHL cameo this year, but would be best served by a full season on the farm.

Jack McBain

6 Jack McBain, C (63^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) A big body with a full set of tools, McBain might have been drafted before the third round had he played in the OHL – or even in the USHL – instead of spending the last two years with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens of the OJHL. The leading U18 player in that circuit, McBain had the opportunity to play on the bigger stage both in the mid-year WJAC and to close out the season at the WU18 tournament. Headig to play for Boston College next year, McBain has the offensive skill set to do well, but may struggle at first to acclimate to the greater pace of play than what he had experienced so far in his career.

7 Kaapo Kahkonen, G (109^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 6^th) An athletic netminder, the Wild finally signed Kahkonen four years after drafting him with a fourth round pick. Playing at a remarkably steady high level for the past two seasons with Luuko in Liiga, Kahkonen’s game has only improved since backstopping Finland to a Gold Medal in the 2016 WJC. He will likely report to Iowa for his first season in North America, where he will be able to work on his play reading ability and rebound control away from the bright lights of the NHL, but the only thing between him and the backup job for the Wild is Alex Stalock. In other words, not all that much.

8 Ivan Lodnia, RW (85^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9^th) After years with the likes of Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat, and Dylan Strome, the top NHL prospect on the Erie Otters last year – especially after Taylor Raddysh was traded to Sault Ste. Marie - was none other than Ivan Lodnia. A good skater with the ability to impress with the puck on his stick, he earns plaudits for his commitment to the play at both ends, with or without the puck. Expected to play a key role with a rebuilding Erie again this year, Lodnia will have the chance to answer the question of whether he can be a leading offensive creator without having superstars by his side.

9 Alexander Khovanov, C (86^th overall, 2018. Last Year; IE) There is a not unreasonable chance that in 12 months, Khovanov sits at the top of this list. I wouldn’t bet on it, but there is a chance. The second overall pick in the 2017 CHL Import Draft, he contracted Hepatitis A in an offseason trip to the Caribbean. When he was finally healthy enough to play, his fitness level was very low, but he still managed to show flashes of high end offensive skill. With a full offseason of good health and proper training, we may see an energized player who can turn those flashes into a consistent high level of play. There is also the risk that what we saw is what he is, but his illness is rare enough in hockey circles and his demonstrated skill set is high enough that he has earned the benefit of the doubt at least until the 2018-19 season begins.

10 Mason Shaw, C (97^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 10^th) After Khovanov, we have another one for whom we have to give the benefit of the doubt in Mason Shaw. After tearing up the WHL as an undersized draft eligible forward, Shaw tore the ACL in his right knee in the second game of the preseason prospects tournament in Traverse City and didn’t play again until a late season, one game cameo in the AHL for Iowa. A fine skater with sublime puck skills, he earned Minnesota’s respect with the way he rehabbed from his injury. Shaw is expected to return to Medicine Hat for one final year before fully embarking on his professional career.

11 Brandon Duhaime, RW (106^th overall, 2016. Last Year: unranked) Drafted in his second year of eligibility, after contributing to a Clark Cup Championship for the Tri-City Storm, Duhaime looked like a decent plugger, playing with aggression and energy, with a little bit of skill. After two seasons with Providence, some of the roughness around his game has been scraped off and a potential middle six winger is emerging. He has a big body and skated very well. He has also shown the hands of a decent playmaker. The Florida native may be more than an organizational depth piece although he needs to learn to walk the disciplinary line a bit better in his junior year with the Friars.

12 Connor Dewar, LW (92^nd overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Ignored in his first year of eligibility, Connor Dewar turned heads in his second go-round, leading the generally defensive Everett Silvertips with 38 goals in the regular season, followed by 26 points in 22 games as his team went to the WHL finals. Further, he gets the puck on net a lot, such that there is minimal risk of his goals being due to luck on the percentages. Dewar is not a high end skater, and he is on the smaller side, but he thinks the game at a high level and both his shooting and puck handling skills rate as above average. He is a bit of a late bloomer, but another season like the last one could help to cement his projection as a bottom six winger at the highest level.

Dmitry Sokolov

13 Dmitry Sokolov, RW (196^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 12^th) When he was drafted, Sokolov was seen as a gamble on a player who had a very high ceiling as a scoring winger, but who was very likely to be undone by poor conditioning, subpar skating, and a complete lack of attention to the game away from the puck. He may never look like Duncan Keith, and his skating is still a likely problem, but Sokolov has started to show a recognition of the need to play across all 200 feet and earned himself a spot on Team Russia’s most recent WJC entry after being ignored by his homeland for the previous two seasons. He is also still in possession of a near-elite shot and tied for the OHL lead in goals scored with 50. He’s not there yet, but he took a step closer this year.

14 Nick Seeler, D (131^st overall, 2011. Last Year: unranked) In a system full of players with low ceilings and high floors, Nick Seeler sticks out for having the highest floor and quite probably the lowest ceiling. A bruising, stay-at-home defender, he is a bit of an anachronism in the modern game, as his mobility is only around average and his puck skills are less than that. His combined 21 points over 128 professional games is not a fluke. Neither are his 204 penalty minutes in that span. He is a big hitter, can kill penalties and knows how to clear opponents from in front of his goalie’s crease. He is expected to man the third pairing for the Wild this year.

15 Nick Swaney, C (209^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 13^th) Drafted by the Wild in his third year of eligibility, Swaney played a key supporting role with NCAA champions Minnesota-Duluth as a freshman last year. He is undersized, but knows how to drive play in the right direction with his impressive speed, vision, and smart passing ability. He needs to add bulk – without losing speed – in order to not be a liability off the puck and be more able to withstand physical defending. Swaney has scored wherever he has played so it may just be a matter of time before he begins to score at a high rate in the NCAA, but between his draft pedigree and unassuming frame, he will need to continue proving himself.

16 Justin Kloos, C/RW (UDFA: Mar. 29, 2017. Last Year: 15^th) The Wild organization have long made a habit of scouting heavily in their own backyard, and Kloos has a chance to be a mild success story. The former Minnesota Mr. Hockey and four year regular with the University of Minnesota, he was never drafted, but worked tirelessly and had the brains to make it work wherever he played. He continued his success as a pro, tying for third in scoring as a rookie with Iowa and making his NHL debut to boot. Kloos will have every opportunity to win a third line/extra forward NHL job this year.

Kyle Rau

17 Kyle Rau, C (UFA: Jul. 1, 2017. Last Year: unranked) The winner of Minnesota’s Mr. Hockey award the year before the honor went to Kloos, the two were also teammates for two years with the Golden Gophers. With 50 points last year in Iowa, the flea sized Rau is coming off his best season as a pro, and signed a two year contract extension with the Wild in June, but is likely still below Kloos on the depth chart. Between the two, Rau is the better skater and more gifted with the puck on his stick, but is also much smaller and has had more opportunities already to prove that he may not be a regular NHLer. He will also age out of consideration for this list before the end of October.

18 Sam Anas, C (UDFA: Apr. 15, 2016. Last Year: 20^th) In case you thought we had already discussed enough undersized free agent signee forwards already, this is the last one. I promise. Dante Salituro was not really considered for a spot. Anas not only could borrow most of Rau’s hockey gear, they rate similarly when looking at their various hockey attributes. Both are gifted playmakers who are more likely to pass than shoot. Both are similarly effective in their physical gifts. Rau is a slightly better skater and gets his nose dirtier, and both will age off the list before its time for the next one. Anas should get a look-see when injuries create room on the NHL roster.

19 Eric Martinsson, D (UDFA: May 2, 2018. Last Year: IE) Another free agent signing, Martinsson is neither a forward nor particularly undersized. Coming off an SHL championship and an appearance in the finals of the Hockey Champions League with Vaxjo in the SHL, he is a quick thinker with nice playmaking chops. This will not be his first experience in North America, as he has a year in the USHL under his belt. A power play point man for Vaxjo, his shot lacks the heft to play that role much in North America, but he moves the puck well and is agile if not very fast. Already 25, his window to make it in the NHL is small.

20 Carson Soucy, D (137^th overall, 2013. Last Year: 11^th) Big and rangy, the Wild had high hopes for Soucy coming off four years with Minnesota-Duluth. His first year pro results, with 15 points in 67 games, are approximately what we can expect from him moving forward. He is competent enough that the Wild did not hesitate to play Soucy in the NHL postseason when Ryan Suter went down to injury. He has refined his hockey sense over the last few years and can play a physical game, but even though he can let one rip from the blueline, don’t expect much in the way of offensive contributions going forward.

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

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

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

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

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

Here is the Central Division

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 53.25

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 53.75

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 52.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 51.25

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

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

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

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

OFP – 50.75

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

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

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

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

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

OFP - 51

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

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

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

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

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

OFP – 50.5

2018 NHL Draft First Round Recap

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 12:22:21 +0000

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Everything started much as was expected, with Buffalo taking Rasmus Dahlin with the first pick and then Carolina keeping their pick and selecting Andrei Svechnikov.

Then came the third pick. Montreal was the first big question mark. Would they trade? Were the Kotkaniemi rumors true? Would they take Tkachuk? Zadina? Hughes? The mystery behind door C? No trades. The rumors on the big center from Finland were true. Montreal drafted a player they expect to be their first line center in Jesperi Kotkaniemi. There are parts of his game that suggest first line potential, but we had him slotted around ten spots later, mostly as a reflection of his relative lack of foot speed. While it was not what we would have done, it was not surprising or unexpected.

Nor was it especially surprising that Ottawa kept the number four pick, thereby consigning their 2019 first rounder to Colorado – even if it is the first overall pick. With Filip Zadina on the board, they shunned the natural goal scorer and took the muscle, a player we had connected them to in the official McKeens mock draft, in Brady Tkachuk. To their credit, he could contribute in the NHL right away, increasing the likelihood that the pick going to Colorado is not a lottery selection.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

So surely the analytically inclined Arizona Coyotes would take Zadina, right? He scores goals and they like players who can score goals? Perhaps the trade for Galchenyuk led them to looking for a more complimentary, versatile talent? Perhaps they have their own rankings? The obviously have their own scouts, and their own rankings. Arizona gave us the first big surprise of the day, selecting Sault Ste. Marie center Barrett Hayton, a player whose numbers were deflated due to playing on the most talent-laden team in the CHL. Due to the plethora of NHL-drafted talent on the Greyhounds, he mostly played third line minutes showing some signs of high end offensive talent as well as playing a strong 200 foot game with very impressive hockey IQ. For all the talk about Arizona and analytics, they also trust the looks of their scouting staff, projecting what the player will do given a bigger role.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Detroit then were the lucky team that allowed the draft to come to them and snatched Filip Zadina, one of the best scorers in the draft class with the third pick, getting a player who could play in the NHL right away if Detroit were the type of team that would play an 18 year old. Generally speaking, they are not. But he could and that is what counts in this assessment. Skipping ahead 24 picks and a few hours, they would do the same thing again, but we will tackle that as it comes. In any case, the Red Wings started their 2018 draft class on the right foot.

We had been connecting Vancouver with Acadie-Bathurst blueliner Noah Dobson, dreaming of a future first pairing of Olli Juolevi on the left and Dobson on the right. But with the dynamic and similarly trending upwards Quinn Hughes still on the board, they have added a supremely talented player who, like Juolevi, plays on the left. Kudos for not following the herd with strict adherence to handedness, although there was no wrong answer between the two.

But maybe there was with Chicago’s pick at eight. Between the four defenders after Dahlin (Hughes, Dobson, Bouchard, Boqvist), Boqvist had been trending down, with some concerned about his strength, some about a late-season concussion, some about his lack of interest in playing away from the puck. Chicago did not share those concerns, and drafted Boqvist with Bouchard and Dobson both on the board. If it works out, Stan Bowman and friends will be rightly applauded. If it doesn’t, the Hawks are in trouble.

The Rangers let last impression rule the day with their first of three picks, taking Russian winger Vitali Kravtsov, who turned good reports into great ones with his playoff performance with Chelyabinsk in the KHL. He is expected to play at least one more season in the KHL, but he has all of the tools to be a top six winger on Broadway within a few years.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

The next three picks, belonging to Edmonton (10^th) and the New York Islanders (11^th and 12^th) helped to correct our board, with London defensive quarterback Evan Bouchard going to the Oilers and the Islanders cleaning house with Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson back-to-back. There was a pause between the Islanders’ two picks, and GM Lou Lamoriello discussed the fact that he was looking at trading one (or both?) for an NHL roster player, but did not get an offer that worked for him. The three players discussed in this paragraph all project as first line/first pairing players and incredible value in this range.

The hometown Dallas Stars had the next pick and the partisan Dallas audience transitioned seamlessly from lustily booing NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to passionately cheering hometown heroes Mike Modano and Jamie Benn, the latter of whom called out Flint center Ty Dellandrea after hamming it up with digs between him and Modano. In a draft called out for lacking high end centers, four were drafted in the first 13 picks. We had Dellandrea ranked 32^nd, but hindsight (not just where he was selected) suggests that we should have ranked him around 8-10 spots higher. He has shown off a dynamic offensive streak in high-profile events, including the CHL Top Prospects Game and the WU18s. The pick was on the high side, but within reason. It was not as ugly as our ranking of Dellandrea suggests.

In the spirit of tomorrow’s second through seventh rounds going faster than you can blink, the next few picks were all around where we had them ranked with Philadelphia drafting USNTDP winger Joel Farabee, Florida selecting Russian talent Grigori Denisenko, Colorado proving that the hockey world was not letting the heart condition identified at the combine from sinking Martin Kaut’s stock and the Devils drafting Ty Smith, the talented puck mover from Spokane. All four of those picks are good value for the draft slot and project as middle of the roster talent in the NHL with some potential for more.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

I would say the same about Liam Foudy, taken 18^th by Columbus. A late riser in the draft class, he was a depth player with London at the start of the season and then took off in an advanced role after midseason, when the Knights traded away much of their top six. Over the second half of the season, he was one of the more riveting players in the OHL and his athleticism is off the charts, which he demonstrated in testing both at the CHL prospect game (on-ice testing) and the NHL combine (off ice testing). Given a full year in a top six role next season, his numbers could explode much like Morgan Frost’s did this year in the Soo.

18 picks in, and there were a few weird moments. I could quibble with a few others, but Hayton at five and Dellandrea at 13 really stood out as being selected much higher than we had reason to believe. As we were soon to find out, that was just a small taste of the weirdness to come. For with the 19^th pick, the Flyers added to their prospect pool with another college bound player. Was it K’Andre Miller, who would have provided excellent upside and value? Maybe the safer Mattias Samuelsson? The sleeper Jake Wise? Nothing so obvious. They went to the high school ranks and selected Jay O’Brien. I, and many others, were shocked by the selection. O’Brien, asked for comment later in the evening was not. A confident young man, he absolutely believed that he would be going in the first round, in his head and his gut.

Before I get back to the weirdness. Let’s take a moment or two to mention some picks in the last dozen that fit roughly where we had them ranked. The Kings selected fast Finish center Rasmus Kupari with the 20^th pick, hoping the speed of his hands will catch up to his feet. If it doesn’t, he is still a fantastic skater. There is also Anaheim drafting Isac Lundestrom at pick 23. A jack of all trades forward, he can play up the middle, and if you are the optimistic type, you see a center with speed, good puck skills and the ability to process the game mentally.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

The Maple Leafs, seemingly keyed in on Sault Ste. Marie defender Rasmus Sandin early and, sensing he would last longer than their original pick at 25, traded down, giving the pick to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for pick 29 and a third rounder. They get a smart blueliner who can create offensive chances with his puck skills and needs to fill out more before playing professionally in North America. He is supposed to return to play in Sweden this year, but that might change.

With the third of three picks, the Rangers selected Swedish defender Nils Lundkvist, an offensive talent whose last name and destination suggests that his nickname must be “The Prince”. With the last pick of the round, the Capitals combined their love of the WHL and their extreme comfort with Russian players to select Alexander Alexeyev, who between family tragedy and a knee injury, had a strong season at Red Deer. His going in the first round allows him to put a sweet ending on a sour year. We had both Lundkvist and Alexeyev ranked just outside the top 31, but they both fit there.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

As for the rest, some players surprised by how far they have fallen while others shocked with how high they were taken. First though, Ryan Merkley. On talent alone, he could have been taken in the top ten. On the red flags related to his personality and off-ice maturity-centric concerns, more than a few teams would not have taken him in the first round. We gave more credit to his talent than his mental maturity, and assumed that a team with multiple picks would go for the home run towards the end of the draft. San Jose jumped the shark a little bit and took him 21^st overall. Considering that he has publicly shown some realization that his behavior must change, if he works out, that is a fantastic new prospect for the team. If he doesn’t grow up, he simply won’t make it.

Now for the other guys who really surprised a lot of onlookers, ourselves included:

First, note that we liked all of the next group of picks, but felt that they provided much better value in the middle or late second round than they did in the first round.

At 24, Minnesota selected Swedish defenseman Filip Johansson. He processes the game at a high level, but none of his physical tools grade out as more than a bit above average. I don’t mind the pick all that much, but it turned a lot of heads and seems to fit more the “safe” style espoused by Minnesota under Chuck Fletcher than the upside plays that new Wild GM Paul Fenton would have signed off on when he worked under David Poile in Nashville.

At 26, Ottawa made a speculative play to draft AJHL defender Jacob Bernard-Docker, from the Okotoks Oilers. JBD was fine in the AJHL, in fact he was their defenseman of the year, but is he better than Ian Mitchell was last year, who was taken in the second round? He does a lot of things well, but may not be more than a #4, and is at least three years from the professional game. I guess, to Ottawa’s credit, they also got an extra second round pick from the Rangers for the pleasure of trading down four spots to pick here. On the other hand, the player the Rangers selected at 22 is, for my money, more valuable than Bernard-Docker plus pick 48. So there’s that.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

The Blackhawks also continued their run of drafting defensemen very high by taking Drummondville blueliner Nicolas Beaudin. There were a number of rumors connecting the Hawks to Beaudin, but we thought he fit more close to 30 picks later. He moves the puck well, but his start up speed lacks to the point where it could hurt.

For every player who unexpectedly rises, there is one who drops just as surprisingly. Remember how I talked about the value of the player the Rangers took at 22. They traded up with the Senators to ensure that they could get to K’Andre Miller. New to the blueline, Miller improved every single week with the USNTDP and, assuming patience to let him get three years of development at Wisconsin, he could be an easy first liner down the road.

Another second half riser up the draft boards was German winger Dominik Bokk. Some consider his puck skills to be top 10 worthy. Perhaps due to limited high level hockey experience, he slipped until pick 25, where he was selected by St. Louis. He could return to continue his development in Sweden or come to North America. The Blues traded up from pick 29 to 25 – sending a third rounder this year for the privilege – to get him.

Images from the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas, Texas on Friday June 22, 2018. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Finally, and most shockingly, there is the case of Joe Veleno. Once good enough to become the first player granted “exceptional status” by the QMJHL, a lackluster first half with Saint John before being traded to Drummondille, seemed to have scared people off. Even as other teams were reaching for centers, Veleno fell. He was not even the first Voltigeur drafted, as teammate Nicolas Beaudin went at 27. The Red Wings finally stopped Veleno’s fall with the 30^th pick in the draft, the pick they received from Vegas as part of the return for Tomas Tatar. Veleno is a high end skater with plenty of experience in the spotlight who immediately brings current Arizona Coyote Jakob Chychrun to mind. If teams focused on what he was instead of what he was not, he would have gone much earlier.

It is around four years too early to pick winners and losers, but I can state that I like the approaches taken by Detroit and the New York Islanders the best, while I question the selections made by Chicago and Ottawa. To a lesser extent, Philadelphia will be scrutinized – and fairly so – for the selection of O’Brien at 19. Among the teams who had only a single pick, Edmonton and New Jersey got great value, while Minnesota and Dallas were both more questionable in that regards.

Heading into the rapid fire round two, our top ten players still on the board, in order, are: Bode Wilde, Serron Noel, Jared McIsaac, Akil Thomas, Jonatan Berggren, Ryan McLeod, Calen Addison, Jacob Olofsson, Kirill Marchenko, and Jesse Ylonen.

PICK	TM	MCK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	BUF	1	Rasmus Dahlin	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/185	13-Apr-00
2	CAR	2	Andrei Svechnikov	RW	Barrie (OHL)	6-2/190	26-Mar-00
3	MTL	13	Jesperi Kotkaniemi	C	Assat Pori (Fin)	6-1/190	6-Jul-00
4	OTT	4	Brady Tkachuk	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-3/195	16-Sep-99
5	ARI	11	Barrett Hayton	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/190	9-Jun-00
6	DET	3	Filip Zadina	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/195	27-Nov-99
7	VAN	6	Quinn Hughes	D	Michigan (B1G)	5-10/175	14-Oct-99
8	CHI	9	Adam Boqvist	D	Brynas (Swe)	5-11/170	15-Aug-00
9	NYR	16	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	Traktor Chelyabinsk (Rus)	6-2/170	23-Dec-99
10	EDM	7	Evan Bouchard	D	London (OHL)	6-2/195	20-Oct-99
11	NYI	5	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	13-Jun-00
12	NYI	8	Noah Dobson	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-3/180	7-Jan-00
13	DAL	32	Ty Dellandrea	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/185	21-Jul-00
14	PHI	12	Joel Farabee	LW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/165	25-Feb-00
15	FLA	27	Grigori Denisenko	LW	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Rus)	5-11/175	24-Jun-00
16	COL	20	Martin Kaut	RW	Pardubice (Cze)	6-1/175	2-Oct-99
17	NJD	15	Ty Smith	D	Spokane (WHL)	5-10/180	24-Mar-00
18	CBJ	25	Liam Foudy	C	London (OHL)	6-0/175	4-Feb-00
19	PHI	48	Jay O'Brien	C	Thayer Academy (USHS-MA)	5-10/185	4-Nov-99
20	LAK	21	Rasmus Kupari	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-1/185	15-Mar-00
21	SJS	31	Ryan Merkley	D	Guelph (OHL)	5-11/170	14-Aug-00
22	NYR	14	K'Andre Miller	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	21-Jan-00
23	ANA	19	Isac Lundestrom	C	Lulea (Swe)	6-0/185	6-Nov-99
24	MIN	46	Filip Johansson	D	Leksands (Swe)	6-0/175	23-Mar-00
25	STL	18	Dominik Bokk	RW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe)	6-1/180	3-Feb-00
26	OTT	56	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	Okotoks (AJHL)	6-0/180	30-Jun-00
27	CHI	55	Nicolas Beaudin	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-11/175	7-Oct-99
28	NYR	37	Nils Lundkvist	D	Lulea (Swe)	5-11/180	27-Jul-00
29	TOR	23	Rasmus Sandin	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/185	7-Mar-00
30	DET	10	Joe Veleno	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-00
31	WAS	35	Alexander Alexeyev	D	Red Deer (WHL)	6-3/200	15-Nov-99

Sweden: Filip Johansson (2018 Eligible)

Jimmy Hamrin — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 12:59:46 +0000

In a recent preview of the World U18 tournament Jimmy Hamrin described Filip Johansson as "A very smart and mobile two-way player who is a good puck distributor. He plays well positionally and has good control of the puck. Has been a regular for Leksand in Allsvenskan." A full scouting report follows.

A note on the 20-80 scale used below. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

Filip Johansson	2018 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots R	H/W: 6-1", 185 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	Leksands IF, Allsvenskan (23-1-0-1-4)
	Leksands IF, SHL qualification (8-1-2-3-4)
	Leksands J20, SuperElit (29-4-5-9-12)
	Leksands J18, J18 Allsvenskan (2-1-1-2-4)
	Leksands J18, J18 Elit (4-2-3-5-4)
	Sweden U18, Hlinka (5-1-3-4-4)

Filip Johansson 2018 NHL Draft Eligible

Position: D, Shoots R H/W: 6-1", 185 lbs

Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) Leksands IF, Allsvenskan (23-1-0-1-4)

Leksands IF, SHL qualification (8-1-2-3-4)

Leksands J20, SuperElit (29-4-5-9-12)

Leksands J18, J18 Allsvenskan (2-1-1-2-4)

Leksands J18, J18 Elit (4-2-3-5-4)

Sweden U18, Hlinka (5-1-3-4-4)

Skating: Skates smoothly. He moves well sideways and backwards with good control. His speed is good although not elite fast. He has a good stride and skates economically. He rarely gets caught with his skating, but that is also due to his smarts and being in the right position and reading the play well. He can travel with his skating, but he is not fast enough to skate away from his opponents from the backend when he gets checked. Grade: 50

Shot: Johansson is not a big goal scorer from the blueline. He has a decent shot but needs to develop this asset even more. He is more dangerous with his wrist shot than slap shot and is good at getting the puck through traffic. He also times his shots well and choses opportunities well. Johansson is strong on the point on the power play and with a harder and faster shot he could become more of a threat. Grade: 50

Skills: Johansson has good puck control and is a good passer. He sees the ice well and plays responsibly with the puck. He has a good “split vision” when he controls the puck. He is at his most effective in his game when he moves the puck forward fast, in those games he is a terrific puck driver. He can find open teammates with both long and short passes. Grade: 55

Smarts: A very smart player and this is without a doubt his best asset. He has such great vision and calm to his game. He reads the situations and takes the right lanes and gets to where the play happens and not the other way around. Johansson almost seem to play better at the more structured senior level than at the junior level. In his own end, he is good at detecting danger and plays with poise. In the offensive side of the game, he moves the puck smart and is strong across the blueline. When his team loses the puck in the offensive end, his decision making is strong. He rarely gets caught but is not shy from pinching when he has the chance to do so either. Grade: 65

Physicality: Strong balance and can hit effectively to shut down a play. Johansson plays with some aggression and sometimes takes unnecessary penalties but most often he plays for the puck and not to take down a body. He is quite tall and when he bulks up he should be able to handle the physical aspect of the top level well. Grade: 55

Summary: Filip Johansson’s smarts make him a very interesting prospect for the upcoming draft. He dominated some games at the Hlinka tournament but his development this season did not take off early on in Sweden. In the second half of the season he took a spot in Leksand’s senior team in Allsvenskan and his game has gotten better and better. Now playing in the SHL qualification round, he is one of Leksand’s top players against SHL competition. I see him growing into a top 4-6 defenseman in the NHL in the future. He lacks the elite skillset for a top pair role but he is smart enough to become a regular NHL player in the future. He is a modern type of defenseman that takes good responsibility as well as he moves the puck well. He is probably more effective in the 5 vs 5 game than in a special team role, but if he can develop his shot he will have good enough smarts and skill to play on the power play. When he bulks up he will have smarts and the reach to be effective on the PK as well. His late success this season has shown me that Johansson has late first round, high second round potential for this draft. Overall Future Projection (OFP): 56

World U18 Team Preview: Sweden

Jimmy Hamrin — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:00:55 +0000

As a big hockey country but a small country otherwise, Sweden rarely wins gold at junior level. This age group of 2000-borns has been strong, with many players doing well for themselves at elite senior level already. I haven’t done the math, but I can’t remember an age group with so many players already playing senior hockey at this age in Sweden. Eleven 2000-born players played most of their games at elite senior level (SHL or Allsvenskan) this season.

As a national team they won the U17 WHC and won bronze at the Hlinka tournament. Obviously, they will miss their best player in Rasmus Dahlin who also did not play at the Hlinka or this tournament last year either because he played with men’s national team. They will also miss some other key players like Rasmus Sandin (OHL-playoffs) and Filip Hallander (knee injury).

POPRAD, SLOVAKIA - APRIL 22: Sweden's Jacob Olofsson #27 lets a shot go during semifinal round action against the U.S. at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Absences notwithstanding, this is still a strong team with five returning players from last year’s tournament. The big center Jacob Olofsson impressed in that tournament, especially with his highlight goal versus Canada in the quarterfinal. Adam Boqvist showed his skills that put him in the top of many early draft rankings for this years. The other returnees are big defenseman Adam Ginning and the big centers David Gustafsson and Oskar Back.

What stands out with this year’s Swedish team is the skills on their core of defenseman and the size of the centers. Those assets in the team will make Sweden a hard team to beat. I believe that Sweden will have a good chance of achieving good results at this tournament and probably are the best European team on paper.

The weakness may be in goal, where Olof Lindbom have been the only goalie to continually count on over the three years of international hockey for this age group. His development has been injury prone but he has delivered for the national team. He will most likely be the starter in this tournament. The biggest goalie talent in the roster is the late 2002 born Jesper Wallstedt who has impressed at every level he has faced. This year will probably be more of a see-and-learn experience for him, but who knows?

SPISSKA NOVA VES, SLOVAKIA - APRIL 16: Pavel Azhgirei #23 of Belarus plays the puck while Sweden's Adam Boqvist #3 defends during preliminary round action at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

The defensive core has good balance between offensive defensemen, two-way defensemen and defensive defensemen. The standouts in the categories are Boqvist and Nils Lundkvist (offensive), Filip Johansson (two-way) and Ginning (defensively).

This year’s group of forwards have a very strong core of big centremen (Olofsson, Gustafsson, Back and Marcus Westfalt). All four will probably not play center though as they all are good enough to be big contributers. The wingers are speedy and creative (standout: Jonatan Berggren) and with some good goal scorers (standout: Samuel Fagemo and Lucas Wernblom).

TOP 10 to watch:

10. Nils Hoglander FW
- A potential surprise player with his individual skills. He has great balance and puck skills. He struggles a bit with consistency and can also be a non-factor depending on which role he gets.

9. Adam Ginning D
- Big with reach and sound positioning. He needs to be effective defensively for this team to win in the big games. He has mobility and okay puck skills as well.

8. Olof Lindbom G
- Lindbom was the MVP of the J18 playoffs in Sweden but can he deliver in the big games at this stage? He is big and plays a tight game, not a spectacular goalie.

7. Marcus Westfalt C
- Big and smart. He plays responsibly and can deliver both offensively as defensively. He has been a regular for his SHL team a big portion of the season. He has developed his skating this season.

6. David Gustafsson C
- Hard working two-way player that is strong in both power play and PK. He is strong physically and is a dangerous player in front of the goal on the power play.

5. Filip Johansson D
- A very smart and mobile two-way player who is a good puck distributor. He plays well positionally and has good control of the puck. Has been a regular for Leksand in Allsvenskan.

4. Jacob Olofsson C
- Center playing both power play and penalty kill for the best team in Allsvenskan. Steps up in big situations and tries to create offense. Sometimes sloppy and needs to cover the puck better but a very interesting prospect and an important tournament for him.

3. Jonatan Berggren FW
- Speed, creativity and smooth hands. The smallish forward is a very strong junior player that has been a point producer at all junior levels this season. He is the best point producer for this national team and was the top scorer in SuperElit.

2. Nils Lundkvist D
- A very smart player with strong puck control and skills. Has been charming his way into the SHL where he has been able to be an effective puck-mover. He likes to join the attack but rarely gets caught on the wrong side of the puck.

1. Adam Boqvist D
- His lack of defensive awareness has been keeping him out of regular minutes at senior hockey. His puck skills are tremendous though and he absolutely dominates at junior level, both in the Hlnika tournament as well as in the SuperElit. Needs to perform well here to keep his status as a high first round pick. Nobody doubts the potential but how much of a long-term project will he be?

Filip Johansson – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #16 Vancouver Canucks – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

1. Jonathan Lekkerimaki, RW, Orebro HK (SHL)

2. Tom Willander, D, Boston University (NCAA)

3. Aatu Raty, C, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

4. Arshdeep Bains, LW, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

5. Linus Karlsson, C, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

6. Arturs Silovs, G, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

7. Sawyer Mynio, D, Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)

8. Max Sasson, C, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

9. Jett Woo, D, Abbotsford Canucks (AHL)

10. Elias Pettersson, D, Vasteras IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #22

Top 20 Vancouver Canucks Prospects

1. Jonathan Lekkerimaki

2. Tom Willander

3. Aatu Raty

4. Jack Rathbone

5. Aidan McDonough

6. Hunter Brzustewicz

7. Linus Karlsson

8. Arturs Silovs

9. Joni Jurmo

10. Josh Bloom

11. Elias Pettersson

12. Danila Klimovich

13. Jett Woo

14. Arshdeep Bains

15. Akito Hirose

16. Filip Johansson

17. Tristen Nielsen

18. Kirill Kudryavtsev

19. Cole McWard

20. Max Sasson

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #23 Vancouver Canucks

Prospect System Ranking – 23rd (28th last year)

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Top 20 Prospects

Minnesota Wild 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Minnesota Wild Prospect System Overview

2018 NHL Draft Review: Central Division

2018 NHL Draft First Round Recap

Sweden: Filip Johansson (2018 Eligible)

World U18 Team Preview: Sweden

TOP 10 to watch:

Prospect System Ranking – 23rd (28^th last year)