Fyodor Svechkov – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 19:15:20 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - FEBRUARY 22: Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (59) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche, held on February 22, 2025, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

After last summer's spend frenzy, the expectation for Nashville was they were going to build upon their first-round playoff exit and go a little deeper into the playoffs. Signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei were supposed to make them a tougher team to stop offensively and more difficult to get through defensively. Instead, everything that could’ve gone wrong did and they finished with 68 points, an incredible 31-point departure from the previous year when they had 99 points. At five-on-five, the Predators were middle of the pack when it came to shot attempts and scoring chance quality, but they had the fewest goals in the league at five-on-five with 130 and had second fewest overall with 212. Defensively, they allowed 190 goals at five-on-five (fifth most) and 274 in all situations (sixth most). For Juuse Saros, it was his worst season in the NHL with a .896 save percentage, the first in his career under .900 and his previous career-low was .906 the year before. The Predators also had the worst shooting luck in the league with an 8.82 shooting percentage (they shot 10.07 the previous year). Not being able to score and being unable to prevent others from scoring is how bad seasons come out of nowhere. Now GM Barry Trotz is trying to figure out where to go from here.

What’s Changed?

After splashing the cash last summer, the Predators laid low this time around. They acquired Erik Haula from New Jersey and went big for defensive help acquiring Nicolas Hague from Vegas for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons. They extended Hague, who was an RFA, with a four-year, $22 million. They further added to their defence by signing Nick Perbix to a two-year, $5.5 million contract. The subtractions they made at the deadline last season help make this a somewhat different team than a year ago, but at the top of the lineup this group is very similar with Filip Fosberg and Roman Josi leading the way with Ryan O’Reilly, Michael Bunting, and Luke Evangelista in support.

What Would Success Look Like?

If the Predators can get a return to form from goalie Juuse Saros that would go a long way to fixing things up. It’s hard to believe they’ll have the same kind of terrible shooting luck two years in a row which means goals will return naturally, but if Saros struggles again and it falls on Justus Annunen to bail them out, it’s asking a lot. For years, Saros was a Vezina Trophy candidate and with this being an Olympic year, he’s going to want to be in top form to play for Finland. If he fails to meet that standard, we’re talking about the Predators being more of a contender for Gavin McKenna than the postseason. Nashville is thin at forward and needs a lot of role players to get hot to better support Forsberg and company.

What Could Go Wrong?

Another difficult year from Saros will have the Predators looking long and hard at his eight-year, $61.92 million extension that kicks in this season at 30 years old. If Nashville struggles to score again and their veterans can’t get things going, we’re very easily going to be looking at a team that can repeat what they did last season points-wise. If that happens, talk about trading guys like O’Reilly and Marchessault will pick back up again. Even though finishing at the bottom of the standings could lead to drafting McKenna, there’s always the chance the ping pong balls won’t bounce your way either and a long season in Nashville would be tough to see after all the growth the franchise made over the years.

Top Breakout Candidate

Although Nashville could have a few young candidates to make big impressions this season, the one to keep an eye on is Fedor Svechkov. He was Nashville’s first-round pick in 2021, 19th overall, and after spending 2023-2024 in the AHL and part of last season there, he hopped into the Predators lineup and stayed. In 52 games he had eight goals and nine assists and averaged 12:53 time on-ice. After that experience last season, he could be looking at a larger role on the second line this season. If that puts him on a line with more offensively capable players, his numbers will jump.

FORWARDS

Filip Forsberg

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	38	48	86	1.05

For years, Forsberg was one of those players where you waited for the production to line up with his raw talent because when you watch him, he can do everything. He’s big, shoots the puck like a missile, controls it like a yo-yo when he’s skating through traffic and can create his chances without needing to bulldoze his way to the net or wait for a pass. It’s common for him to be the best player on the ice for both teams. His last season was a departure from the usual peaks and valleys in his career, following up a career season with one riddled by injuries and sub-par production. Wading his way through a dismal year in Nashville, Forsberg kept a high level of play. He took over most of the puck handling duties on his line and most of the offence either went through him or Roman Josi. The result was 31-goal season with Forsberg just missing the point-per-game clip, but far off from the usual valleys he’s had to deal with in his career. The best news for Nashville is that it was his second year in a row playing a full season, which has been very rare for him. The one concern with Forsberg is slow starts. Goal scorers are streaky by nature, but it’s always to an extreme degree with Forsberg, who had only nine goals at the start of January before rattling off 22 in his next 44 games to finish the year strong. There is a higher standard for Forsberg these days and it is good news for Nashville that they’re getting a healthier and more productive version as he enters his 30’s.

Steven Stamkos

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	30	28	58	0.73

In some ways, Stamkos’ first year in Nashville went as most expected. He’s a 35-year-old who had a few seasons riddled by injuries and spotty production before a brilliant three-year run to close his career in Tampa Bay. He isn’t surrounded by the lethal playmaking talent he had with the Lightning now so there was going to be an adjustment period. This is especially true for a player like Stamkos who relies so much on scoring through the one-timer, which requires chemistry, precision and timing from his linemates. This proved to be true in his first year with Nashville. While still finishing at a high rate, Stamkos struggled to create the same quality of chances he did regularly in Tampa, having to find ways to create his own shot and adapt to a revolving door of linemates. He had his moments, especially on the power play, but he faded into the background in most of Nashville’s games, chasing the play, deferring to linemates who couldn’t get the puck back to him and he had one of his worst seasons from a point production standpoint. He adapted in some ways, becoming a nice complementary piece on Nashville’s second line, but he became a piece that fit in with the group rather than one who raised the bar. There’s some hope that his second year can go better, as Nashville isn’t a wasteland for playmaking talent but right now, Stamkos looks like just another piece in a forward corps populated with slow, second line players.

Jonathan Marchessault

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
77	24	34	58	0.75

Marchessault’s first season outside of the Vegas security blanket was seen as a disappointment. It might be somewhat unfair because his production last year was more in line with his career totals as a solid middle six player rather than the 42-goal scorer he entered free agency as. How Marchessault got to that point total clouds some of that perspective. Outside of December where he exploded for 10 goals in 13 games, Marchessault struggled to score most of the season and some of the warning signs in Vegas came home to roost. He has become less of a volume shooter and one who relies more on finishing now and he is a different type of complementary player now than he used to be. He no longer has the wheels to get to every puck and zoom past defenders like he used to and has to rely more on his finesse rather than trying to get everything at the net. The silver lining for the Preds is he showed some versatility in the middle of the season and became a weapon on their power play, but as a setup guy. They used him in a variety of shooting positions and Marchessault still showed the good hands and offensive instincts that made him such a lethal player in Vegas for years. While he still got on the scoresheet, the disappointment with Marchessault was that he didn’t exactly provide much of an impact for the Preds, adding another solid middle six player to a roster that needed more.

Ryan O’Reilly

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	20	34	54	0.68

To the naked eye, you might notice the things Ryan O’Reilly can’t do anymore. You might see the slow skating stride and the lack of puck touches and think that he’s on the decline, but there is always more under the surface with him. He makes up for not being able to carry the mail out of the defensive zone by always being in the right place, or simply winning pucks down low, to make life easier for his defencemen. As a former Selke winner, O’Reilly has mastered the art of being an effective player with minimal puck touches and he still has the tank to play the top-line minutes. O’Reilly should continue to be an important piece in the Preds retool, as his ability to be a rink general in all three zones will help some of their young forwards get acclimated to the NHL game. He got a preview of this towards the end of last season, centering youngster Luke Evangelista instead of Filip Forsberg. Making the most out of your limited puck touches is what the game is about when you get slower and O’Reilly has the tools to still do that. He’s deceptively good at scoring from close range, using that low center of gravity to get more of a “swooping” one-timer that fools goalies (enroute to another 20+ goal season) and he is still one of the best in the league on his backhand, getting the puck from the wall to the middle regularly. The issue then becomes finding a replacement as O’Reilly’s production is more of a 2C and Nashville is going to continue to play him heavy minutes until they find someone else who can take the burden off their workhorse.

Michael Bunting

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	18	18	36	0.48

Unable to stick with Carolina and Pittsburgh, the former Calder Trophy finalist could be on the trade market again this year. He is a complementary piece that brings a lot of what playoff teams are looking for, being willing to get to the front of the net and act as the third wheel on a line with elite talent. He made a living doing this alongside Toronto’s Core Four and had brief success as Evgeni Malkin’s wingman after the 2024 trade deadline. His first full season in Pittsburgh didn’t go as well. He was on pace for 41 points before being dealt to Nashville where he seemingly had as many linemates as he did games played (18). Bunting didn’t get to establish much chemistry with the Preds core, but he produced well relative to his ice-time at 2.98 points per 60 minutes. Bunting is at his best when he’s being a nuisance. He spins off defenders well to get inside positioning and has the keen sense to find teammates for tap-in chances in front of the net. Away from elite linemates, Bunting is skilled enough with the puck to make the one-touch passing plays to help in transition even if he’s not leading the charge. His production just might take a hit because he gets most of his points from close range when he can set up shop in front of the net. He is an interesting piece in what looks like a do-over year for Nashville.

Luke Evangelista

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	18	33	51	0.64

Entering the year as somewhat of a breakout pick, Evangelista’s season can be viewed as a disappointment. Some of it was out of his control, as he was stuck on the third line to start the year with Marchessault and Stamkos entering the fold. Still, a sheltered third line role alongside a fellow young skilled player in Tommy Novak wasn’t the worst setup for him. Like the rest of Nashville, he stumbled out of the gate. If he puts this tough year behind him, Evangelista has a lot to offer. He was one of the few Preds forwards effective in the transition game, leading the team in five-on-five shots off the rush and he second on the team in zone entries leading to scoring chances. He is at his best when the puck is moving north, as he’s a shifty player who can get up the ice quickly and he’s very good at reading off his teammates to get himself open. He also does well in limited space, getting the puck through traffic. Learning how to use his linemates better is his next step. Playmaking is his calling card, and he was more of a volume shooter last year, which could be the result of poor line chemistry, but it played away from his strengths. Nashville still gave him a run on the top line to finish the year, and he rewarded them with a decent seven points in 10 games. His quick-strike ability makes him welcome on any line, so he could be a dark horse pick for a rebound season.

Erik Haula

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
75	14	16	30	0.40

The common theme with Erik Haula is nobody is sure what the right role for him is. He is probably your ideal third line player, but he has been bounced all over the map in his career from centering the top line to playing on the wing next to star players, manning the net-front on top power play units or being relied heavily in a secondary scoring role. It’s why teams are always interested in signing him but also why teams have moved on from him, this being his second go-around in Nashville. There are some traits that make Haula a good fit to play alongside skilled wingers, as he’s willing to go to the dirty areas and fight for positioning in front of the net. He does well when the game slows down or when he can make a quick one-touch play but struggles when the pace picks up. He has a heavy shot but doesn’t control the puck well when moving in space and it’s resulted in Haula being a stop-gap player in the top six when needed rather than someone who can stick full-time. Last year was one of his toughest seasons, which included a stretch from December into February where he didn’t score a goal. Currently occupying the vacant 3C spot in Nashville, he is properly slotted on the depth chart but might face some pressure from some of the Preds younger forwards to keep that spot.

Fyodor Svechkov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	16	26	42	0.51

Perhaps the one bright spot in a dreary season for the Predators, although the point totals might not tell you that. Svechkov didn’t look out of place after the Preds called him up, immediately taking a center spot and doing an excellent job with stripping pucks and doing small things to kill plays down low. He didn’t get on the scoresheet much but when he did, it was usually a highlight reel type of play, whether it was a great backhand pass through traffic or a bullet of a one-timer. He was usually one of Nashville’s standout players. Part of that is from how unimpressive the rest of the roster was, but the rookie played beyond his years in adapting to the NHL game. The heavy shot and his willingness to get to every puck in the offensive zone made him jump off the page if you were watching the odd Nashville game. Carving out a role outside of the fourth line will be the challenge for him. He can fill the defensive void that Colton Sissons left, but getting better offensive minutes with power play time shouldn’t be out of the question.

Michael McCarron

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
76	7	11	18	0.24

You never know when a minor trade can lead to a second chance in your NHL career, but that’s what happened with Michael McCarron. A former first round pick of Montreal, the towering forward was drafted in the first round during the era where teams were looking for the next power forward. McCarron didn’t quite pan out that way for the Canadiens and he was traded to Nashville in early 2020. Five years later, McCarron is still a regular on the Predators and last year was a career high for him in terms of ice time per game. It was also a career worst in terms of point production, but offence is typically secondary when it comes to him. He’s mainly out there for physical play and establishing a presence on the checking line. Nashville typically likes to fill out their fourth line with players like this and there was a void to fill the last couple of years with Tanner Jeannot and Yakov Trenin gone. McCarron and Cole Smith have done that for Nashville and they play more than your typical fourth line too. McCarron uses his frame well to be an effective forechecker and a guy who can win pucks in the defensive zone, but his offensive game is very one-dimensional with most of his goals coming from grabbing loose pucks around the net. You see flashes of the first-round skill there, but the fourth line is likely where his NHL niche is.

DEFENCE

Roman Josi

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
76	16	46	62	0.82

A concussion ended Roman Josi’s season early, but he is expected to be ready for training camp despite the scary news of him being diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Every update regarding his condition and progression this off-season has been positive, which is great news as the future Hall of Famer should reach the 1000 game mark this year. It was only a few years ago where Josi was the ultimate “rover” defenceman in the league, always up in the play joining the rush and roaming all around the offensive zone like a dragonfly. Since then, we’ve seen more high-level defencemen come into the league playing a similar style and Josi doesn’t seem like as much of a unicorn anymore. Still, the Preds rely on him for everything and while last year wasn’t one of his more productive years, most of it was from the forwards struggling to finish. Last year was also somewhat of an adjustment for Josi, as he lost a few of his safety valves in Mattias Ekholm, Alex Carrier and Dante Fabbro, leaving him to be the main guy retrieving pucks out of the defensive zone again. This meant he took more hits, and he couldn’t join the rush or have the same level of energy in the offensive zone as he did when someone else was doing the grunt work for him. It’s a role he can play, but his best offensive seasons have been alongside a designated “retrieval player.” We will see if Nic Hague or Nick Perbix takes on that spot.

Brady Skjei

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	8	22	30	0.37

The Preds were hoping to get their Ekholm replacement in Brady Skjei and in some ways, they got it. The blue-liner scored double-digit goals for the third time in his career and gave the Preds another mobile defenceman who could join the rush and be a complementary piece to the forwards. Skjei’s an aggressive player by nature and the exodus of veteran blue liner put Skjei in somewhat of an awkward spot as the safety valve alongside Nick Blankenburg, a smaller puck-moving defenceman who ended up a regular in Nashville’s top four by the end of the year. This put Skjei as the last man back for a lot of rushes against and this is usually a feast-or-famine situation for him because he likes to defend with his hands and his body rather than his stick, so he gets beat just as often as he breaks the play up. Skjei does best when he has one read to worry about and the chaotic structure in Nashville put a lot on his plate, as he would often be left covering two or three players or caught on an island whenever he got to a loose puck. The injury to Roman Josi also compounded this, making Skjei Nashville’s top defenceman by default while they were testing out some younger players from Milwaukee. He was still able to do his thing offensively and had stretches where he was a steady presence on Nashville’s blue line, the Preds are just hoping for more stability out of him and Skjei is probably thinking the same.

Nicolas Hague

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
74	4	10	14	0.19

While trading longtime defensive stalwart Colton Sissons to Vegas for towering defenceman Nicolas Hague wasn’t a shocking move, the subsequent four-year, $22 million contract left a lot hockey fans scratching their heads. Teams adding bigger defencemen was a theme this off-season and the Preds had one of the smaller blue-lines in the league so it’s understandable why they would target a player like Hague. The fit on the roster is the question, because Hague can be a great depth defenceman on a contending team. On a team finding their way like Nashville, it’s tough to see if they can cover up his weaknesses and play to his strengths as well as Vegas did. He’s good at using his long reach to kill plays off the rush and stopping cycles in transition, but he needs a lot of help with advancing the play after that. He formed an excellent third pair alongside Zach Whitecloud in Vegas’ Cup run three years ago, but they also had the forwards who could scoop up the loose pucks and turn the shot blocks into offence the other way instead of prolonged shifts. Can the Preds employ something like this with Hague on their roster? He could feasibly take some heat off Josi by being the guy eating the hits and retrieving pucks, but a strategy like this is always easier to talk about than to take into action.

Nick Perbix

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	6	16	22	0.27

The plight of the third-pair defenceman looking to climb the roster ladder is always a tricky one. You could have a guy look like a star in the making playing 14-15 minutes a night only for him to look like a different player once the minutes get higher and matchups get tougher. Perbix is in a good position to prove himself on a Nashville blue line looking for some stability on the right side. He was a great fit behind Tampa Bay’s more skilled players, as he’s an excellent puck-mover with good offensive instincts and can act as the fourth forward on the rush when he needs to. They gave him brief stints of playing higher in the lineup, supplementing Victor Hedman on the top pair and playing alongside Sergachev in his rookie season. He also fits the mold of what Nashville typically looks for in their defencemen as a mobile player who acts as a complement to the forwards, and he also brings more size than some of their in-house options on the right side. The issue with Perbix is he is prone to the odd turnover and defending one-on-one plays. He uses his stick frequently and tries to skate guys into a corner rather than engage them physically, which isn’t how some coaches want their defencemen to play. Regardless, he’s an intriguing option for the Preds as they continue to rebuild their blue-line. Possibly the biggest low-risk/high-reward signing of the off-season if he can carve out time on the power play or top pair.

GOAL

Juuse Saros

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
60	26	24	8	4	.905	2.84

Just a few seasons ago, the Nashville Predators boasted one of the NHL's most enviable tandems in net. But while they're still rolling out an all-Finnish tandem - at least, presumably - to start next season, things are looking far more bleak in the Music City at the moment.

Juuse Saros, one of the most efficient and economical movers in the NHL, is finally starting to show the wear and tear one would expect from the number of starts he's shouldered behind an aging team the last handful of seasons. He put up one of his worst statistical seasons since hitting the NHL, and not by an insignificant margin. His tandem partner, fellow Finn Justus Annunen, somehow fared even worse; whether he's struggling to reclaim his game after a tough stint in Colorado or simply failing to live up to his draft year expectations, Annunen's form looked timid, and his reads looked uncertain as he tried to find his footing and help stem the bleeding for Nashville. It felt all the more baffling when looking at former first round pick Yaroslav Askarov, who was mysteriously dealt to the San Jose Sharks at the eleventh hour last off-season, and who managed to outperform both Saros *and* Annunen on the clearly-also-rebuilding San Jose roster. Perhaps the most baffling of all, though, is that the Predators didn't bring in anyone else to help; outside of Matt Murray (the other one) and Magnus Chrona, there's little in the pipeline to help Saros should Annunen continue to flounder. The entire situation plays like a team waiting for a chance to hard reset and change the guard - but with another seven years left on Saros' contract, that's hardly the case. Hopefully, Saros and Annunen were able to utilize the offseason to work together and shake off their troubling years.

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #10

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Brock Otten — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:00:56 +0000

240824 Frölundas David Edstrom under ishockeymatchen i Strömstad Hockey Classic mellan Färjestad och Frölunda den 24 augusti 2024 i Skee.
Foto: Michael Erichsen / BILDBYRÅN / COP 89 / MI0707

Prospect System Ranking – 10th (Previous Rank - 6th)
GM: Barry Trotz Hired: July 2023
COACH: Andrew Brunette Hired: May 2023

Big things are happening in Music City, with Barry Trotz now guiding the ship. In his first full season as GM, the former bench boss made significant splashes during the 2024 free agency period, locking up big fish like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.

In a somewhat surprising move, the Predators also re-signed veteran goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract. While securing a cornerstone in net makes sense in most cases, it threw a wrench in the future plans of McKeen’s top-rated goaltending prospect, and Nashville’s top prospect, Yaroslav Askarov, resulting in a trade to San Jose. The return included 109th ranked prospect David Edstrom, who slots in at the fifth ranked prospect for the Predators. They also acquired a conditional first round pick (previously acquired from Vegas) and goaltending prospect Magnus Chrona. For Trotz it did add to potential future stock but the prospects and pick also offer trade alternatives for an organization that has gone all in to win now.

Down on the farm, the Predators boast several prospects on the verge of making the leap to the NHL. Joakim Kemell (52nd), Fyodor Svechkov (159th), and Zach L'Heureux (82nd) are all coming off respectable rookie campaigns and have shown they can handle the pro ranks. Reid Schaefer (162nd), Ryan Ufko (171st), and newly acquired Jeremy Hanzel are also set to step into full-time roles with the Milwaukee Admirals.

Further from home, the Predators continue to develop a few intriguing names. Matthew Wood, playing at the University of Connecticut, Tanner Molendyk (107th), dominating at the WHL level, and recently drafted first-rounder Yegor Surin (133rd), who tore up the MHL last year and is now set to graduate to the KHL for the 2024-25 season, all represent exciting future pieces.

With recent gradations to Philip Tomasino, Juuso Parssinen, and Luke Evangelista, the process of retooling a team which has made the postseason nine out of the last 10 years is in full effect.

Nashville Predators Top-15 Prospects

1. Joakim Kemell

It’s becoming more and more common to see U20 players in the AHL these days, and it’s also becoming even more commonplace to see them performing well. Kemell left Finland to join Milwaukee two years ago and was an immediate impact player for the Admirals during their playoff run (with 8 goals in 14 playoff games). In his first full year in North America last year, Kemell was very solid, right there with the likes of Shane Wright and Jiri Kulich among the top U20 scorers in the AHL. In December, the Predators took a lot of heat for not allowing Kemell to go to the WJC’s to play for Finland, but perhaps it was best to allow him to have an uninterrupted first full year. The results spoke for themselves. Kemell’s best two attributes would be his shot and his quickness. He is absolutely dynamic in transition and he is right at home on the flank on the powerplay where he can hammer pucks with his lethal one timer. The focus moving forward remains strength on the puck so that Kemell can be more inside driven. The gains that he can make in the strength department likely dictate whether he is a full time Predator next season or not.

2. Matthew Wood

Wood, the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, shocked the hockey world when he announced that he was heading to the transfer portal this offseason, following a rather lateral development year with UConn as a sophomore. Now headed to the University of Minnesota, Wood will try to get things back on track with the Golden Gophers. The 6-foot-4, 200 pound forward is an absolute load to handle for defenders when he’s attacking in transition because his top speed has improved and because he protects the puck so well. Wood also dominates near the crease because of his quick hands and quick release. Moving forward, the focus will continue to be on his quickness in order to be more explosive to gaps and coming off the wall. Additionally, there’s still a lot of room for Wood to improve as a two-way player. The Predators will be looking for his physical intensity level to become more consistent and that would take his game to another level. One would expect that Wood will turn pro following his junior season at Minnesota and depending on how next year goes, he could make an immediate impact in Nashville.

3. Zachary L'Heureux

Coming into the year, if someone had told you that L’Heureux would be second in the AHL in penalty minutes in his first pro season, would you have been surprised? We certainly wouldn’t have. However, it should also be noted that he finished first in the AHL playoffs in goal scoring, an extremely impressive accolade. L’Heureux is at his best when he’s playing on the edge…or even crossing it, and it’s the combination of his pest-like qualities with his skill and offensive zone awareness that makes him a bit of a unicorn these days. L’Heureux is very much on track to be a quality middle six player for Nashville and that could happen as early as next season if he can continue to learn to rein things in a bit to stay out of the box. The former Halifax Mooseheads standout and 27th overall pick is right on track developmentally and Nashville has to be happy with his performance as a first-year pro.

4. Tanner Molendyk

Molendyk’s draft plus one year went extremely well as he has emerged as one of the WHL’s top two-way defenders. He was one of six defenders to average over one point per game and his Saskatoon Blades finished the regular season with the most wins in the league. Just as was the case when he was drafted, Molendyk’s best asset is his mobility. A phenomenal and effortless four-way skater, Molendyk’s skating ability makes up the foundation of his game. He’s aggressive in attacking the offensive zone and leading the charge in transition. He quarterbacks the powerplay well by consistently beating the initial layer of pressure. His rush defense is excellent because of his terrific gap control and ability to keep the action ahead of him. Would it be shocking at all to see Molendyk copy Kevin Korchinski’s development path by making the NHL next season? Stranger things have happened, especially after Tyson Barrie was allowed to walk. However, Ryan Ufko would probably be ahead of him on the depth chart.

5. David Edstrom

There probably isn't a hockey coach in the world who wouldn't fall in love with Edstrom almost immediately. He is about as consistent, versatile, and low-maintenance as hockey players come, and there is a ton of plug-and-play value to him, especially as a center. He can play the game any way you like and fit anywhere in a team's lineup. He’s already so wise and mature as a hockey player, and as a teenager this season in the SHL he looked like someone who could have already been in the league for 10 years. He's reminiscent of another former Frolunda center in Lars Eller, in the sense that he'll likely never be a superstar, but it's easy to foresee him as someone who plays 1,000 games in the NHL and is always great to have on your roster come playoff time.

6. Yegor Surin

Can you imagine Zachary L'Heureux and Yegor Surin on the same line? The Predators sure could. Absolute chaos. That’s why the Predators used the 22nd overall pick on him this year. Surin plays the game on (or even over) the edge consistently. It’s even fair to say that his physicality knows no bounds. He is a Tasmanian devil on the ice. However, like L'Heureux, Surin is also a skilled player who can make plays with the puck and who is capable of playing alongside other skilled players in an offensive role. That’s what makes him unique. We saw how valuable he can be in this past season’s MHL playoffs, where Surin was one of the top performers. The only real question is, how well does he process the game? That’s yet to be determined. The answer will dictate his future place in an NHL lineup. For now, he’ll return to Russia and look to earn more time in the KHL this season with Lokomotiv.

7. Fyodor Svechkov

After a few tumultuous post draft years in Russia, the Predators have to be very happy with the development of Svechkov this past season in Milwaukee. Not only did he continue to be a strong defensive presence, which was part of his allure as a draft eligible player in 2021, but his offensive game translated nicely too. He was right in the mix with the other top young forwards on Milwaukee’s roster and his attention to detail and versatility are sure to make him a coaches’ favourite during his likely long NHL career. He looks like a safe bet to at least become a very good third line forward for the Predators in the near future, although at this point, he would appear to be behind Kemell and L’Heureux in the pecking order. Returning to Milwaukee next year as an AHL sophomore would actually be best for his development, especially considering the likelihood that one of those other top young forwards gets promoted, which would open up even more ice time and responsibility for him.

8. Reid Schaefer

One of the prize pieces of the Mattias Ekholm trade with Edmonton, Schaefer is a former first round selection by the Oilers, and he just completed his first pro season with AHL Milwaukee. Given the depth of Nashville’s talent pool at the pro level, Schaefer played more of a bottom six role for the Admirals. Considering his play style as a two-way, power winger, that’s been a great fit for him, easing him into the increased pace of the pro game. He wasn’t able to find his way to the net to create scoring chances with the same sort of consistency as he did in the WHL, but he proved to be sound away from the puck and brought it physically despite being a younger player. He definitely did not look overwhelmed at the AHL level. Schaefer is likely to receive more playing time and responsibility this season and that will give us a better indication of his offensive upside as an NHL player. As is, he looks like a future NHL’er in some capacity, but he’s just further behind in his development compared to the other young star forwards in the system.

9. Ryan Ufko

The captain of UMass last season, Ufko signed at the end of the college season and immediately became an impact player at the AHL level for Milwaukee. He was an integral part of their playoff run and that has Nashville fans excited about his prospects for the future. Ufko’s biggest knock has always been his size, but he’s worked hard to improve his overall skating profile and his strength away from the puck. He’s more than just a powerplay quarterback, as he is a strong, heady, two-way defender. He has proven that he could be a potential top four fixture for Nashville in the future. What’s in store for him this year? Likely a full year in Milwaukee, so that he can continue to gain confidence. However, as mentioned with Tanner Molendyk, there’s a strong chance that Ufko could see NHL time this year based on how he looked to close out the last AHL season.

10. Teddy Stiga

Based on his rapid improvement over the course of his draft season, Stiga entered the draft as one of our favourite targets in the late first round, early second round range. Needless to say, we feel that Nashville made a great selection at 55th overall. Stiga is one of those players who is designed to be a tremendous complement to other skilled players. He proved that this past year playing with potential 2025 first overall pick James Hagens. He’s tenacious. He’s intelligent. He’s skilled. His skating has already improved a lot and should continue to do so. Sure, he’s not huge, but neither is a guy like Jake Guentzel, and he just earned himself a lot of money this offseason for being the perfect complementary piece. Stiga will attend Boston College this coming season as a freshman, and we expect his production to be immediately solid. Look for him to slot in alongside Hagens in BC’s top six.

11. Semyon Chistyakov

The Nashville Predators have been patient with their 2019 draft pick and that patience will need to continue given that his KHL contract runs another two years. But good things come to those that wait. Chistyakov is already one of the top young defenders in the KHL and he should most definitely be NHL ready by that time. A mobile, puck mover, Chistyakov projects as a solid second or third pairing two-way defender who can help manage the puck and even quarterback the secondary powerplay unit.

12. Andrew Gibson

Acquired from the Detroit Red Wings this past offseason, Gibson is a competitive, defensively oriented defender from the OHL. The big right shot blueliner is physically assertive and he makes opposing forwards earn their touches when he’s on the ice. Gibson blocks shots, clears the crease, and is generally just a solid defensive presence. This past year, his offensive game took a nice jump with Sault Ste. Marie, but his calling card will likely be in the defensive end at the next level.

13. Felix Nilsson

Nilsson was very much a draft favourite of many members of the McKeen’s Hockey scouting staff for last year’s NHL Draft, however his post draft year wasn’t a tremendous step forward. When he plays at the J20 level, he’s a key offensive contributor. When he plays at the SHL level, like he did most of the season with Rogle, he is a non-factor due to limited ice time as well as strength deficits. Nilsson is tenacious and a strong playmaker, but there’s a need to get quicker and stronger to perform well against men.

14. Adam Ingram

Ingram will be returning to St. Cloud State for his junior season and the expectation is that he continues to improve. He’s shown growth through both of his first two NCAA years, improving his skating and strength on and off the puck. The well-rounded pivot projects as a versatile pro as long as Nashville continues to be patient with him.

15. Kalan Lind

For the second straight year, Lind battled injuries with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL as he dipped below the point per game mark. The physical winger plays an aggressive North/South game and projects as a quality bottom six player. The coming season will be a big one for him as he tries to play a full year and aims to take his goal scoring to the next level.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #6 Nashville Predators – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Brock Otten, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Sat, 08 Jun 2024 18:00:29 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 12: Yaroslav Askarov (30) of the Nashville Predators tends net during the warmup period of the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and the Montreal Canadiens on January 12, 2023, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

In their first full season in charge, GM Barry Trotz and Coach Andrew Brunette surprised everyone by qualifying for the playoffs. They lost to Vancouver in the first round, but the possibility of a quick return to relevance seems possible. They have a solid core in veterans Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi and Juuse Saros. Forsberg managed to stay healthy and fired 48 goals. Josi was once again among the best defenders in the game with 85 points in 82 games. Saros did not play up to his usual standard but has been one of the league’s best for a few years. Those are building blocks to win now. Trotz is typically cagey about his intentions, but he did move Ryan McDonagh back to Tampa Bay to clear salary space for another potential high-end player. While he added some pieces at the 2024 deadline, they were minor, and included no future capital, perhaps an indication of what to expect.

While they have hung on to their picks over the last five years, it was only last season that they gathered a lot of picks, picking eight times in the first four rounds. They own a crazy nine picks in the first four rounds of the 2024 draft and two firsts and five picks in the first three rounds in 2025. This will be Trotz first draft in which his team is responsible for the picks. While likely to stay the course, Trotz could nonetheless be very active on the trade front and in free agency. They have a deep pool of nine picks ranked within our top 200, but the only blue-chip prospect is Yaroslav Askarov in net. Juuse Saros is a free agent following the season, and Askarov is the future. Saros name has already popped up in trade rumours, and Askarov elevating his play could only intensify speculation. One of the more curious organizations in the league in which direction it could take in the coming weeks.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Yaroslav Askarov	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	`20(11th)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
2	Joakim Kemell	RW	20	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	`22(17th)	67	16	25	41	23
3	Matthew Wood	RW	19	6-3/195	Connecticut (HE)	`23(15th)	35	16	12	28	43
4	Zachary L'Heureux	LW	20	5-11/195	Milwaukee (AHL)	`21(27th)	66	19	29	48	197
5	Tanner Molendyk	D	19	5-11/185	Saskatoon (WHL)	`23(24th)	50	10	46	56	18
6	Egor Afanasyev	LW	23	6-3/205	Milwaukee (AHL)	`19(45th)	56	27	27	54	60
7	Fyodor Svechkov	C	21	6-0/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	`21(19th)	57	16	23	39	18
8	Reid Schaefer	LW	20	6-3/215	Milwaukee (AHL)	T(Edm-2/23)	63	7	14	21	39
9	Semyon Chistyakov	D	22	5-11/180	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	`19(117th)	59	4	20	24	16
10	Felix Nilsson	C	18	6-0/175	Rogle (SHL)	`23(43rd)	41	1	2	3	2
11	Ryan Ufko	D	20	5-10/180	Massachusetts (HE)	`21(115th)	37	10	16	26	14
12	Adam Ingram	C	20	6-2/165	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	`22(82nd)	38	10	18	28	18
13	Kalan Lind	LW	19	6-0/160	Red Deer (WHL)	`23(46th)	46	16	29	45	73
14	Jeremy Hanzel	D	21	6-0/190	Seattle (WHL)	T(Col-3/24)	66	17	43	60	40
15	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	18	5-11/180	Pelicans (Fin-Liiga)	`23(68th)	38	4	6	10	8

1. Yaroslav Askarov, G, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

For a bit there, it looked like the Yaroslav Askarov era in Nashville was about to begin. Juuse Saros was the subject of heavy trade rumours and the Predators were nearly playoff after thoughts. But a second half surge saved their season and Saros remains a Nashville Predator…for now. Askarov, one of the top young netminders outside of the NHL, continues to play well in the AHL and has even performed well in a few appearances in Nashville this year. He’s ready to take that next step. At the very least, he will be Saros’ likely back-up next year with Kevin Lankinen being a pending UFA. However, there’s still a chance Saros moves this offseason, and the keys get handed to Askarov, which would make him a Calder favourite next year. The 6’ 4” Russian netminder has it all; the athleticism, reaction time, technique, and play reading ability. Simply put, he has the potential to be one of the premier netminders in the NHL.

2. Joakim Kemell, RW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

It’s becoming more and more common to see U20 players in the AHL these days and becoming even more commonplace to see them performing well. Joakim Kemell left Finland to join Milwaukee late last season and was an immediate impact player for the Admirals during their playoff run (with eight goals in 14 playoff games). In his first full year in North America, he has been very solid, right there with the likes of Shane Wright and Jiri Kulich among the top U20 scorers in the AHL. His best two attributes would be his shot and his quickness. He is absolutely dynamic in transition, and he is right at home on the flank on the powerplay where he can hammer pucks with his lethal one timer. The focus moving forward remains strength on the puck so that he can be more inside driven. The gains that he can make in the strength department likely dictates whether he is a full time Predator next season or not.

3. Matthew Wood, RW, University of Minnesota (NCAA)

The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft shocked the hockey world recently when he announced that he was heading to the transfer portal this offseason, following a rather lateral development year with UConn as a sophomore. None of this has changed Wood’s projection as a top six NHL winger. The 6’ 4”, 200 lbs forward is an absolute load to handle for defenders when he’s attacking in transition because his top speed has improved and because he protects the puck so well. He also dominates near the crease because of his quick hands and quick release. Moving forward, the focus will continue to be on his quickness in order to be more explosive to gaps and coming off the wall. Additionally, there’s still a lot of room for him to improve as a two-way player. The Predators will be looking for his physical intensity level to become more consistent and that would take his game to another level.

4. Zach L'Heureux, LW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

Coming into the year, if someone had told you that Zach L’Heureux would be third in the AHL in penalty minutes in his first pro season, would you have been surprised? We certainly wouldn’t have. L’Heureux is at his best when he’s playing on the edge…or even crossing it, and it’s the combination of his pest-like qualities with his skill and offensive zone awareness that makes him a bit of a unicorn these days. He is very much on track to be a quality middle six player for Nashville and that could happen as early as next season if he can continue to learn to rein things in a bit to stay out of the box. The former Halifax Mooseheads standout and 27th overall pick is right on track developmentally and Nashville has to be happy with his performance as a first year pro.

5. Tanner Molendyk, D, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Tanner Molendyk’s draft plus one year has gone extremely well as he has emerged as one of the WHL’s top two-way defenders. He was one of six defenders to average over one point per game. Just as was the case when he was drafted, his best asset is his mobility. A phenomenal and effortless four-way skater, his skating ability makes up the foundation of his game. He’s aggressive in attacking the offensive zone and leading the charge in transition. He quarterbacks the powerplay well by consistently beating the initial layer of pressure. His rush defense is excellent because of his terrific gap control and ability to keep the action ahead of him. Would it be shocking at all to see Molendyk copy Kevin Korchinski’s development path by making the NHL next season? If the Predators move on from Tyson Barrie, a spot will open up for him to prove his worth. Either way, Molendyk looks the part of a future top four mainstay.

6. Yegor Afanasyev, LW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

Next season is shaping up to be a make-or-break year for Yegor Afanasyev. He’ll be waivers eligible after three pro seasons and Nashville will have to make a decision on the former second round pick. The good news? Afanasyev has had, by far, his best pro season to date this year. He’s been consistently dialed in physically and that has led to more consistent offensive production. He’s always been at his best when he plays that power game and is driving the net to create opportunities, in addition to being active in puck pursuit. That has been the case this year. He still has the good top gear. He still has the lethal shot release. But everything else is starting to come together and he looks ready to take that next step. He’ll have to battle some of the teams’ other top young forwards (like the aforementioned Kemell and L’Heureux) for a roster spot, but he likely has a leg up given his waiver status.

7. Fyodor Svechkov, C, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

After a few tumultuous post draft years in Russia, the Predators have to be very happy with the development of Fyodor Svechkov this year in Milwaukee. Not only has he continued to be a strong defensive presence, which was part of his allure as a draft eligible player, but his offensive game has translated nicely too. He’s been right in the mix with the other top young forwards on Milwaukee’s roster and his attention to detail and versatility are sure to make him a coaches’ favourite during his likely long NHL career. He looks like a safe bet to at least become a very good third line forward in the near future, although at this point he would appear to be behind Kemell, L’Heureux, and Afanasyev in the pecking order. Returning to Milwaukee next year as an AHL sophomore would actually be best for his development, especially considering the likelihood that a few of those other top young forwards get promoted, which would open up even more ice time and responsibility.

8. Reid Schaefer, LW, Milwaukee Admirals (AHL)

One of the prize pieces of the Mattias Ekholm trade with Edmonton, Reid Schaefer is a former first round selection by the Oilers, and in the midst of his first pro season with Milwaukee. Given the depth of Nashville’s talent pool, Schaefer has been playing more of a bottom six role for the Admirals. Given his play style as a two-way, power winger, that’s been a great fit for him, easing him into the increased pace of the pro game. He hasn’t been able to create scoring chances with the same sort of consistency as he did in the WHL, but he’s been sound away from the puck and has brought it physically despite being a younger player. Next year, he is likely to receive more playing time and responsibility and that will give a better indication of his offensive upside. As is, he looks like a future NHL’er in some capacity, but he’s just further behind in his development compared to the other young star forwards in the system.

9. Semyon Chistyakov, D, Avangard Omsk (KHL)

The Nashville Predators have been patient with their 2019 draft pick and that patience will need to continue given that his KHL contract runs another two years. If at all, Semyon Chistyakov won’t be a Nashville Predator until at least the 2026-2027 season when he is 25. But good things come to those that wait. Chistyakov is already one of the top young defenders in the KHL and he should most definitely be NHL ready by that time. A mobile puck mover, He projects as a solid second or third pairing two-way defender who can help manage the puck and even quarterback the secondary powerplay unit. Over the next two seasons in the KHL, he should continue to bulk up to make him more effective in the defensive end. As is, his strong four-way mobility gives him a defensive advantage already.

10. Felix Nilsson, C, Rogle BK (SHL)

Felix Nilsson was very much a draft favourite of many members of the McKeen’s Hockey scouting staff for last year’s NHL Draft. His post draft season can probably best be described as neutral. That’s certainly not a great thing, but it’s not a bad thing either. When he’s played at the J20 level, he’s been a key offensive contributor. When he’s played at the SHL level, he’s been a non-factor due to limited ice time and strength deficits. He is at his best when he’s able to be a hound on the puck, using his energy to earn touches so that he can best utilize his terrific vision and passing ability to make his teammates better. He’s not a burner, but he has quick feet and strong agility. However, upgrading his top speed and linear quickness will be the focus next season. The 10th spot in this deep Nashville pool could have gone to several players, but we’re big fans of Nilsson’s potential to be a solid middle six contributor.

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 2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 30 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:22:26 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first, this ranking, follows the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Our team of 16 scouts are based in key markets around the world, in the rinks, supported by video scouting. They utilize some terrific tools from Hudl/InStat, which can isolate so many aspects of a player’s game, along with proprietary statistics. They spend countless hours in rinks and in front of screens and are deeply familiar with these players and their progression. Our management team of Brock Otten (Director of Scouting) and Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting/Senior Western Regional Scout), along with Video Scouting Coordinator, Josh Bell, will take the teams input and finalize the list you see below. Brock, Derek and Josh are responsible for the player write-ups in the Prospect Guide.

The organizational rankings are based on an algorithm that takes into account how many prospects are ranked within the top 200. The teams are broken down by the number of prospects in our top 1 -25, 26 - 50, 51 - 100, and 101 - 200. A weight is attached to each group and then some subjective tweaking is done based on our knowledge of the players. There can be a wider discrepancy in the top 25 group than the latter groupings that needs to be taken into account.

Here is our definition of an NHL prospect: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in one season (25 for goalies).

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft. We are releasing out top 30 NHL Prospects free to non-subscribers. If you want to learn more, link here.

Subscribers can link to the full top 200 listing here

Here is an excerpt of Brock Otten's Risers and Fallers article from the magazine to give you more perspective and a little taste of our content.

The best part of scouting is the somewhat unpredictable nature of human development. Some players improve dramatically from one year to the next…others do not. When we compare the rankings from our 2023-24 NHL Yearbook (where we did a Top 300 prospect ranking) to now, these are the players who have risen/fallen the most.

Risers

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 22: Dallas Stars center Logan Stankoven (11) reacts to a goal score during game one of the Western Conference First Round between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights on April 22, 2024 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Logan Stankoven (27 to 5) - Dallas Stars

Stankoven’s jump from one of the best players in the WHL to one of the best players in the AHL has been impressive. So has his quick start in the NHL.

Ryan Leonard (32 to 6) – Washington Capitals

Leonard is returning to Boston College after a Championship barely eluded him this year. However, he has proven to be an elite play driver to go with his strong off puck play.

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 11: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Joshua Roy (89) during warm-up before the St. Louis Blues versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 11, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Roy (63 to 35) – Montreal Canadiens

Roy continues to prove doubters wrong after a terrific AHL season with Laval. His skill set has become so well rounded since being drafted.

Conor Geekie (68 to 18) – Utah

Geekie’s power game from the middle of the ice makes him such an interesting prospect for today’s NHL. His skating continues to improve.

Mavrik Bourque (79 to 23) – Dallas Stars

Bourque emerged as one of the best players in the AHL this season as a sophomore professional. He’s ready to take that next step with the Stars.

Gabe Perreault (86 to 19) – New York Rangers

Once thought to be the third wheel on the talented Will Smith/Ryan Leonard threesome, Perreault’s progression as a play driver at Boston College this season has altered the perception that he can be a front-line NHL player.

Bradly Nadeau (109 to 34) – Carolina Hurricanes

Drafting early out of the BCHL has yielded inconsistent results, however Nadeau was exceptional as a freshman at Maine. Did he leave school too early though?

Jagger Firkus (112 to 47) – Seattle Kraken

Firkus took his game to another level this year in his final WHL season, leading the league in scoring. He’s ready to be a pro.

Gavin Brindley (122 to 66) – Columbus Blue Jackets

One of the most improved players in the NCAA this year, Brindley emerged as a star for the University of Michigan and really altered his projection as a potential top six forward.

Quentin Musty (125 to 51) – San Jose Sharks

The dynamic American winger worked hard to fine tune components of his game in Sudbury this year and deserves a bump for improving his consistency.

Jani Nyman (135 to 81) – Seattle Kraken

Nyman emerged as one of the top goal scorers in Finland this season as a U20 player. This, combined with his strong WJC performance, has helped push him up our board north.

Logan Mailloux (145 to 45) – Montreal Canadiens

Mailloux proved to be way more refined at the AHL level than previously perceived. Simply put, he was one of the best defensive prospects in the AHL this year.

Josh Doan (153 to 55) - Utah

What a terrific story to the end of the Coyotes franchise. Doan emerged as a potential star this season and finished the year strong in the NHL, scoring in his debut.

Riley Heidt (157 to 44) – Minnesota Wild

We still don’t understand how Heidt fell as far as he did in the 2023 draft, however he is proving NHL scouts wrong thus far after a remarkable year with Prince George.

Ville Koivunen (165 to 71) – Pittsburgh Penguins

The main piece of the Jake Guentzel to Carolina deal, Koivunen emerged as one of the top players in Liiga this year.

Ethan Del Mastro (169 to 73) – Chicago Blackhawks

There was little doubt that Del Mastro’s strong defensive ability would translate to the AHL level well, but he continues to improve offensively and that has altered his projection.

Theo Lindstein (185 to 91) – St. Louis Blues

Lindstein’s strong year for Brynas has helped to elevate his upside as a two-way defender. We may have ranked him too low in our 2023 Draft Rankings.

Carson Rehkopf (201 to 69) – Seattle Kraken

Consistency off the puck and a lack of engagement held Rehkopf back last year. This year marked improvement in those areas helped him emerge as a top offensive talent in the OHL.

Easton Cowan (204 to 67) – Toronto Maple Leafs

One of the surprises of the 2023 draft, Cowan set a new OHL record with a 42-game point streak. More than just a high energy guy now, he can be a difference maker offensively.

Seamus Casey (214 to 63) – New Jersey Devils

Casey continues to improve in the NCAA. He may not have elite size, but he has everything else, and it has the Devils excited about his future.

Jacob Fowler (222 to 52) – Montreal Canadiens

Fowler compiled a list of accolades as a freshman this year at Boston College, emerging as one of the top goaltending prospects in the game.

Fraser Minten (226 to 84) – Toronto Maple Leafs

After starting the year with the Leafs, Minten returned to the WHL and ended up captaining Canada at the World Juniors.

Jackson Blake (277 to 117) – Carolina Hurricanes

A finalist for the Hobey Baker this year, Blake became an NCAA star for North Dakota, and he now turns pro.

Erik Portillo (Unranked to 118) – Los Angeles Kings

Acquired by the Kings, Portillo turned pro after three years at Michigan and he was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL as a first-year pro.

Rodwin Dionicio (Unranked to 139) – Anaheim Ducks

Dionicio still plays a high risk, high reward game from the back end, but his offensive upside has become too large to ignore.

Fallers

EDM - Xavier Bourgault

Xavier Bourgault (from 48 to 113) – Edmonton Oilers

After a mediocre first professional year last season, Bourgault was even more disappointing as a sophomore with Bakersfield. The Oilers just haven’t been developing prospects well in recent years.

Eduard Sale (72 to 140) – Seattle Kraken

Sale’s first year in North America did not go according to plan as he struggled to be a consistent impact player in the OHL.

Jack Rathbone (96 to not ranked) – Pittsburgh Penguins

Perhaps we ranked Rathbone too aggressively this summer, but not only did he fail to earn a spot on Vancouver, but he’s now an NHL after thought after entering Pittsburgh’s organization via trade.

Jacob Perreault (127 to not ranked) – Montreal Canadiens

Perreault’s off puck play and skating just haven’t improved to the point where he can be a consistent pro and it caused the Ducks to move on from him, trading him to Montreal.

Jan Jenik (156 to not ranked) - Utah

Once a highly ranked prospect, Jenik continues to fall. He just hasn’t been able to take that next step and even passed through waivers this year unclaimed.

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17

2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 200 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:02:31 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first is following the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft.

Subscribers can link to the listing here

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17
31	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	20	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	64	21	34	55	38
32	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	20	6-1/185	Washington (NHL)	21	2	4	6	6
33	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Det	D	19	5-11/180	Skelleftea (SHL)	39	10	8	18	17
34	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	18	5-10/165	Maine (HE)	37	19	27	46	12
35	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	20	6-0/190	Montreal (NHL)	23	4	5	9	0
36	Denton Mateychuk	CBJ	D	19	5-11/190	Moose Jaw (WHL)	52	17	58	75	31
37	Brayden Yager	Pit	C	19	5-11/165	Moose Jaw (WHL)	57	35	60	95	20
38	Calum Ritchie	Col	C	19	6-2/185	Oshawa (OHL)	50	28	52	80	20
39	Joakim Kemell	Nsh	RW	20	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	67	16	25	41	23
40	Colby Barlow	Wpg	LW	19	6-0/195	Owen Sound (OHL)	50	40	18	58	27
41	Jimmy Snuggerud	StL	RW	19	6-1/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	21	13	34	42
42	Matthew Coronato	Cgy	RW	21	5-10/183	Calgary (NHL)	34	3	6	9	4
43	Frank Nazar	Chi	C	20	5-10/180	Michigan (B1G)	41	17	24	41	18
44	Riley Heidt	Min	C	19	5-10/180	Prince George (WHL)	66	37	80	117	42
45	Logan Mailloux	Mtl	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	72	14	33	47	91
46	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	21	6-6/229	Grand Rapids (AHL)	40	22	9	2.41	0.913
47	Jagger Firkus	Sea	RW	20	5-10/155	Moose Jaw (WHL)	63	61	65	126	30
48	Mikhail Gulyayev	Col	D	19	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	64	4	8	12	8
49	Scott Morrow	Car	D	21	6-2/195	Massachusetts (HE)	37	6	24	30	25
50	Matthew Wood	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/195	Connecticut (HE)	35	16	12	28	43
51	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	18	6-2/200	Sudbury (OHL)	53	43	59	102	72
52	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
53	Fabian Lysell	Bos	RW	21	5-11/181	Providence (AHL)	56	15	35	50	37
54	Shakir Mukhamadullin	SJ	D	22	6-3/180	San Jose (AHL)	55	7	27	34	24
55	Josh Doan	Ari	RW	22	6-1/183	Arizona (NHL)	11	5	4	9	0
56	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	22	5-9/180	San Jose (NHL)	27	6	5	11	18
57	Lian Bichsel	Dal	D	19	6-6/233	Rogle (SHL)	29	2	2	4	28
58	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	24	5-10/180	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	42	11	24	35	30
59	Aatu Raty	Van	C	21	6-2/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	72	18	34	52	18
60	Oliver Moore	Chi	C	19	5-11/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	9	24	33	8
61	Samuel Honzek	Cgy	LW	19	6-4/186	Vancouver (WHL)	33	10	21	31	18
62	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	23	5-9/170	Calgary (NHL)	13	1	2	3	2
63	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	20	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	7	38	45	14
64	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	20	6-1/195	Anaheim (NHL)	7	1	2	3	4
65	Chaz Lucius	Wpg	C	20	6-1/185	Manitoba (AHL)	17	2	11	13	6
66	Gavin Brindley	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	25	28	53	28
67	Easton Cowan	Tor	RW	18	5-10/170	London (OHL)	54	34	62	96	64
68	Zachary L'Heureux	Nsh	LW	20	5-11/195	Milwaukee (AHL)	66	19	29	48	197
69	Carson Rehkopf	Sea	LW	19	6-1/195	Kitchener (OHL)	60	52	43	95	45
70	Filip Bystedt	SJ	C	20	6-4/205	Linkopings (SHL)	47	8	9	17	2
71	Ville Koivunen	Pit	LW	20	6-0/175	Karpat (Fin-Liiga)	59	22	34	56	26
72	Noah Ostlund	Buf	C	20	5-11/163	Vaxjo Lakers (SHL)	38	12	11	23	4
73	Ethan Del Mastro	Chi	D	21	6-4/210	Rockford (AHL)	69	7	30	37	54
74	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	22	5-10/180	Henderson (AHL)	58	4	16	20	33
75	Liam Ohgren	Min	LW	20	6-1/200	Farjestads (SHL)	26	12	7	19	12
76	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	21	5-11/175	Minnesota (NHL)	16	1	3	4	6
77	Mackie Samoskevich	Fla	RW	21	5-11/190	Charlotte (AHL)	62	22	32	54	24
78	Stanislav Svozil	CBJ	D	21	6-1/180	Cleveland (AHL)	57	5	18	23	24
79	Zachary Bolduc	StL	LW	21	6-1/175	St. Louis (NHL)	25	5	4	9	6
80	Rutger McGroarty	Wpg	LW	20	6-1/200	Michigan (B1G)	36	16	36	52	6
81	Jani Nyman	Sea	RW	19	6-3/215	Ilves (Fin-Liiga)	48	26	17	43	2
82	Andrew Cristall	Wsh	LW	19	5-9/165	Kelowna (WHL)	62	40	71	111	46
83	Oliver Bonk	Phi	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	60	24	43	67	32
84	Fraser Minten	Tor	C	19	6-1/185	Kam-Sas (WHL)	43	22	26	48	25
85	Tanner Molendyk	Nsh	D	19	5-11/185	Saskatoon (WHL)	50	10	46	56	18
86	David Goyette	Sea	C	20	5-10/175	Sudbury (OHL)	68	40	77	117	29
87	David Edstrom	SJ	C	19	6-3/185	Frolunda (SHL)	44	7	12	19	8
88	Anton Wahlberg	Buf	C	18	6-3/194	Malmo (SHL)	43	5	5	10	4
89	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	22	5-9/185	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	61	5	27	32	66
90	Trey Augustine	Det	G	19	6-1/185	Michigan State (B1G)	35	23	9	2.96	0.915
91	Theo Lindstein	StL	D	19	6-0/180	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49	4	11	15	4
92	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	23	6-7/195	Belleville (AHL)	32	18	9	2.45	0.916
93	Isak Rosen	Buf	RW	21	6-0/175	Rochester (AHL)	67	20	30	50	12
94	Maveric Lamoureux	Ari	D	20	6-7/214	Drummondville (QMJHL)	39	9	24	33	53
95	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	21	6-2/180	Rockford (AHL)	38	18	16	2.65	0.906
96	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	23	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	41	10	17	27	24
97	Carter Mazur	Det	LW	22	6-0/170	Grand Rapids (AHL)	60	17	20	37	48
98	Otto Stenberg	StL	C	18	5-11/180	Frolunda (SHL)	31	3	3	6	8
99	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	LW	23	6-3/205	Milwaukee (AHL)	56	27	27	54	60
100	Nikita Chibrikov	Wpg	RW	21	5-10/170	Manitoba (AHL)	70	17	30	47	53
101	Zach Dean	StL	C	21	6-0/175	Springfield (AHL)	49	9	5	14	24
102	William Dufour	NYI	RW	22	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	55	15	10	25	35
103	Sam Rinzel	Chi	D	19	6-4/180	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	26	28	20
104	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	22	6-2/185	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	45	25	12	2.16	0.921
105	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	23	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	50	19	19	38	8
106	Corson Ceulemans	CBJ	D	20	6-2/200	Cleveland (AHL)	47	3	9	12	12
107	Michael Hrabal	Ari	G	19	6-6/209	Massachusetts (HE)	30	16	12	2.59	0.912
108	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	22	5-11/180	Vegas (NHL)	15	2	6	8	2
109	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	20	6-4/180	Swift Current (WHL)	59	7	39	46	35
110	Owen Beck	Mtl	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	57	34	47	81	18
111	William Wallinder	Det	D	21	6-4/190	Grand Rapids (AHL)	65	3	12	15	10
112	Xavier Bourgault	Edm	C	21	6-0/170	Bakersfield (AHL)	55	8	12	20	24
113	Jordan Dumais	CBJ	RW	20	5-8/165	Halifax (QMJHL)	21	16	31	47	6
114	Aleksi Heimosalmi	Car	D	20	5-11/170	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	47	2	14	16	12
115	Brandon Bussi	Bos	G	25	6-4/218	Providence (AHL)	41	23	10	2.67	0.913
116	Jackson Blake	Car	RW	20	5-10/160	North Dakota (NCHC)	40	22	38	60	26
117	Erik Portillo	LA	G	23	6-6/210	Ontario (AHL)	39	24	11	2.50	0.918
118	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	47	9	19	28	10
119	Kasper Halttunen	SJ	RW	18	6-3/205	London (OHL)	57	32	29	61	61
120	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	22	5-11/165	Toronto (AHL)	68	8	31	39	43
121	Ethan Gauthier	TB	RW	19	5-11/175	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64	36	35	71	42
122	Daniil Miromanov	Cgy	D	26	6-4/200	VGK-Cgy (NHL)	24	3	4	7	8
123	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	23	5-8/155	Bridgeport (AHL)	69	18	32	50	30
124	Shai Buium	Det	D	21	6-3/210	Denver (NCHC)	43	7	29	36	14
125	Jakub Dobes	Mtl	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
126	Oliver Kapanen	Mtl	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	51	14	20	34	32
127	Danny Nelson	NYI	C	18	6-3/200	Notre Dame (B1G)	30	9	14	23	32
128	Lenni Hameenaho	NJ	RW	19	6-0/175	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	46	14	17	31	10
129	Nick Lardis	Chi	LW	18	5-11/165	Brantford (OHL)	37	29	21	50	12
130	Ty Nelson	Sea	D	20	5-10/195	North Bay (OHL)	54	16	36	52	50
131	Isaac Howard	TB	LW	20	5-10/185	Michigan State (B1G)	36	8	28	36	10
132	Fyodor Svechkov	Nsh	C	21	6-0/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	57	16	23	39	18
133	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	21	6-1/196	Calgary (AHL)	23	3	10	13	22
134	Reid Schaefer	Nsh	LW	20	6-3/215	Milwaukee (AHL)	63	7	14	21	39
135	Zack Ostapchuk	Ott	C	20	6-3/205	Belleville (AHL)	69	17	11	28	47
136	Nathan Gaucher	Ana	C	20	6-3/207	San Diego (AHL)	72	10	15	25	68
137	Rodwin Dionicio	Ana	D	20	6-2/207	Wsr-Sag (OHL)	60	25	48	73	108
138	Eduard Sale	Sea	LW	19	6-1/170	Bar-Kit (OHL)	49	15	23	38	8
139	Danil Gushchin	SJ	RW	22	5-8/165	San Jose (AHL)	56	20	34	54	24
140	Sean Behrens	Col	D	21	5-10/175	Denver (NCHC)	44	4	27	31	53
141	Christian Kyrou	Dal	D	20	5-10/170	Texas (AHL)	57	8	15	23	22
142	Niklas Kokko	Sea	G	20	6-3/185	Pelicans (Fin-Liiga)	13	9	0	1.49	0.926
143	Vasily Ponomarev	Pit	C	22	5-10/180	Tuc-Chi-WBS (AHL)	45	9	21	30	16
144	Ryan Winterton	Sea	RW	20	6-2/190	Coachella Valley (AHL)	58	22	13	35	23
145	Dmitri Buchelnikov	Det	LW	20	5-10/165	Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)	55	13	16	29	8
146	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	Sea	C	19	6-0/165	HV 71 (SHL)	50	9	12	21	6
147	Aku Raty	Ari	RW	22	6-1/190	Tucson (AHL)	55	15	29	44	22
148	Matyas Sapovaliv	VGK	C	20	6-3/180	Saginaw (OHL)	54	19	43	62	22
149	Georgii Merkulov	Bos	C	23	5-11/175	Providence (AHL)	67	30	35	65	20
150	Topias Vilen	NJ	D	21	6-1/195	Utica (AHL)	54	2	27	29	16
151	Ryan Chesley	Wsh	D	20	6-0/200	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	6	8	19
152	Jayden Perron	Car	RW	19	5-9/165	North Dakota (NCHC)	39	11	7	18	8
153	Tristen Robins	SJ	C	22	5-10/175	San Jose (AHL)	42	7	11	18	12
154	Calle Odelius	NYI	D	19	6-0/190	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	10	0	4	4	2
155	Vincent Iorio	Wsh	D	21	6-2/190	Hershey (AHL)	60	4	10	14	30
156	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	23	6-4/215	Bakersfield (AHL)	66	28	22	50	64
157	Ronnie Attard	Phi	D	25	6-3/210	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	48	10	17	27	37
158	Niko Huuhtanen	TB	RW	20	6-2/205	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	52	19	27	46	46
159	Carson Bjarnason	Phi	G	18	6-3/185	Brandon (WHL)	46	24	17	3.01	0.907
160	Lukas Dragicevic	Sea	D	19	6-1/190	Tri-City (WHL)	66	14	36	50	52
161	Leevi Merilainen	Ott	G	21	6-2/160	Belleville (AHL)	24	10	9	2.87	0.906
162	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	22	6-4/200	Belleville (AHL)	53	5	16	21	51
163	Hunter Brzustewicz	Cgy	D	19	5-11/185	Kitchener (OHL)	67	13	79	92	24
164	Ryan Greene	Chi	C	20	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	40	12	24	36	6
165	Damian Clara	Ana	G	19	6-6/214	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	34	25	8	2.23	0.913
166	Carson Lambos	Min	D	21	6-1/200	Iowa (AHL)	69	4	10	14	64
167	Denver Barkey	Phi	C	19	5-8/160	London (OHL)	64	35	67	102	28
168	Gage Goncalves	TB	C	23	6-1/170	Syracuse (AHL)	69	13	45	58	43
169	Arshdeep Bains	Van	LW	23	6-0/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	59	16	39	55	28
170	Bogdan Konyushkov	Mtl	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	65	6	22	28	18
171	Alexei Kolosov	Phi	G	22	6-1/185	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	47	22	21	2.39	0.907
172	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	24	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	50	43	19	62	26
173	Filip Mesar	Mtl	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	45	19	33	52	12
174	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	23	6-3/200	Hartford (AHL)	68	4	17	21	49
175	Adam Engstrom	Mtl	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	51	4	18	22	4
176	Michael Buchinger	StL	D	20	5-11/185	Guelph (OHL)	52	10	37	47	37
177	Semyon Chistyakov	Nsh	D	22	5-11/180	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	59	4	20	24	16
178	John Farinacci	Bos	C	23	5-11/197	Providence (AHL)	71	12	26	38	16
179	Angus Crookshank	Ott	LW	24	5-10/180	Belleville (AHL)	50	24	22	46	60
180	Yegor Sidorov	Ana	RW	19	6-0/180	Saskatoon (WHL)	66	50	38	88	66
181	Samu Tuomaala	Phi	RW	21	5-10/175	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	69	15	28	43	12
182	Logan Morrison	Sea	C	21	6-0/180	Coachella Valley (AHL)	64	16	25	41	4
183	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	21	5-11/175	Colorado (AHL)	26	4	10	14	18
184	Adam Gajan	Chi	G	19	6-3/167	Green Bay (USHL)	43	23	12	3.35	0.893
185	Nolan Allan	Chi	D	21	6-2/195	Rockford (AHL)	60	5	12	17	47
186	Oskar Olausson	Col	RW	21	6-1/180	Colorado (AHL)	39	11	9	20	24
187	Samuel Poulin	Pit	C	23	6-1/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	41	16	15	31	35
188	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	21	5-9/165	Hartford (AHL)	71	25	23	48	62
189	Colton Dach	Chi	C	21	6-4/205	Rockford (AHL)	48	11	15	26	39
190	Jack Thompson	SJ	D	22	6-0/180	Syr-SJ (AHL)	62	6	35	41	16
191	Riley Kidney	Mtl	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	65	7	13	20	41
192	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	21	6-3/195	Belleville (AHL)	22	9	11	20	22
193	Carey Terrance	Ana	C	18	6-1/175	Erie (OHL)	56	29	23	52	25
194	Luca Del Bel Belluz	CBJ	C	20	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	58	9	22	31	12
195	Luca Pinelli	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Ottawa (OHL)	68	48	34	82	44
196	Francesco Pinelli	LA	C	21	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	67	13	7	20	24
197	Elias Salomonsson	Wpg	D	19	6-1/185	Skelleftea (SHL)	31	2	9	11	58
198	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	21	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	38	24	19	43	23
199	Sasha Pastujov	Ana	RW	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	46	10	13	23	14
200	Andrew Gibson	Det	D	19	6-3/195	Saul St. Marie (OHL)	68	12	32	44	58

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #6

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 20:00:45 +0000

Top 20 Nashville Predators Top Prospects

1. Yaroslav Askarov - G

Askarov is a goalie who loves to ride on his emotions, and when he is really feeling it between the pipes it's nearly impossible to get pucks past him. His reflexes and reaction time are freakishly impressive, his crease movements are lightning quick, and he makes seemingly impossible saves on a routine basis. On the flip side, when he is feeling rattled, he becomes chaos personified and can't stop anything. His international performances have generally oscillated between generationally heroic and utterly nightmarish, with seemingly nothing in between. Regardless, when you have a goalie who can single-handedly steal games, and maybe even an entire playoff series, that's worth investing in. Juuse Saros still has a lot of stellar hockey left in him, but Askarov will be nipping at his heels soon as the unquestioned heir apparent in the Nashville crease.

2. Luke Evangelista - RW

The London Knights have a well-deserved reputation for being a prospect development factory, and Evangelista is the latest of their success stories. He made tremendous progress from the start of his OHL tenure to the end, finishing his final season in the league as its leading goal scorer. Last year, he played so well as an AHL rookie that Nashville couldn't help but call him up down the stretch, and he rewarded them with crucial depth scoring in their chase for a playoff spot that came up just short. Suffice to say, don't expect to see him in the minors ever again. He is an exceptionally smart forward who never seems to be far from the puck, skates very well, and leaves a positive mark in all three zones. Evangelista is an NHL pro through and through, and his versatility should lead to a long career.

3. Matthew Wood - RW

Wood is an accomplished young winger with a unique offensive package. He boasts a heavy, accurate shot that he can get off from anywhere on the ice. He already has NHL size and shows some ability to use it to his advantage. He protects the puck well, using his body to create separation between it and defenders as he plays keep-away. His hands are strong too, showing off excellent puckhandling at times, although occasionally getting caught by trying to do too much on his own. This should improve as he gets more comfortable at each level, as he’s used to doing wherever he wants against his peers. On the downside, his feet are quite heavy, resulting in a slow stride and even slower acceleration. That problem is especially noticeable in transition, where he often gets stuck without room to move and dwindling options. His two-way game is improving, as the effort is there, but don't expect much in the way of results due to his feet. He needs to show a stronger commitment in his own end, and more nastiness behind that frame would be welcome. With his style, size, shot, and hands there’s very intriguing upside here.

4. Joakim Kemell - RW

Kemell's red-hot stick cooled off a bit from 2021-22 to last season, possibly because the teen sniper lost the element of surprise against opponents in Finland's top pro league. Thankfully, he was given the chance to test his mettle against AHL competition this past spring and the results were quite encouraging, scoring at just under a point-per-game pace at the end of the regular season and priming him nicely for the playoffs. His shot is a nuclear-grade weapon, both his wrister and one-timer, and he can still beat goalies clean from both medium-danger and low-danger areas. There is a bit of shiftiness to his skating, but less acceleration and a lower top speed than you'd like to see. When he gets bottled up, he has a lot of trouble escaping. Kemell's focus moving forward should be on finding more ways to get into prime scoring positions.

5. Zach L'Heureux - LW

L'Heureux has been suspended nine separate times for a total of 37 missed games across his four years in the QMJHL and that's a damn shame because he's one hell of a hockey player when he's actually out on the ice. He moves around the offensive zone like a bowling ball, whether making hits trying to win the puck back, or driving hard to the net when the puck is on his stick. He's so strong and compact that defenders often bounce off him when they try to slow him down. He can make slick plays with the puck, pass tape to tape from his forehand or backhand, and isn't shy about unloading shots on net. Those discipline issues must drive the Predators crazy though, especially since they just haven't stopped and he has not yet learned his lesson. If L'Heureux isn't careful he could flush his entire NHL career down the toilet before it even begins.

6. Reid Schaefer - LW

Schaefer's breakout 2021-22 season saw him surprisingly rocket all the way into the first round of the draft, and Edmonton surely thought long and hard about agreeing to include their shiny new prospect in the Mattias Ekholm trade. Even though he doesn't put up flashy point totals right now he nevertheless still projects as someone who can score a lot in the NHL as a power forward. He is downright scary sometimes shooting off the rush. His greatest asset is how versatile his game is, as he can win pucks back on the forecheck or in 50-50 battles, he can create space for himself or his teammates with his speed and strength, he can play a punishing physical game, and he can shut down the best opponents as a top penalty killer. His extensive playoff experience with WHL Seattle could help make him a real killer in NHL postseasons.

7. Fyodor Svechkov - C

It's normal these days for Russian prospects to play at the MHL, VHL, and KHL levels all in the same season, but Svechkov playing for eight different club teams in just three years might be some kind of record. It's certainly an unconventional path, and there are valid questions about whether that much change was the best thing for him, but the good news is that he found success in all three of Lada, SKA and Spartak's systems. He was also good enough last year to play the majority of his games in the KHL, which was a step in the right direction from previous seasons. He is a well-balanced, two-way centre who has the necessary blend of tools to remain down the middle as his career advances. There are occasional flashes of high-end talent, though it seems unlikely that he will ever be a huge point producer.

8. Yegor Afanasyev - RW

There was a time when Afanasyev looked like he had big-time offensive upside. That unfortunately hasn't really come to fruition yet, even though other players around him on AHL Milwaukee have recently taken off like that. On the plus side, you can still make hay in the NHL as a burly, possession-driving forward, and at minimum he projects well as one of those. He is very hard to strip the puck from, and when he gets going in the cycle, he can really wear opponents down, which can lead to immediate scoring chances or ones that develop gradually through sustained pressure. His shot is nice and heavy, though he will need to improve his hands, his feet, or some combination of the two to help him open enough room to get it uncorked more often. Can Afanasyev still take his game to another level?

9. Tanner Molendyk - D

Molendyk is an exceptional skater and an effortless mover in all directions. That virtuoso skating ability allows him to be a dynamic game manager, able to open up space and help his team seize better territory on the ice, while denying that privilege from opposing teams. He's an instrumental player in transition with the frequency and ease of his zone exits and entries. He's one of those rare models of smaller blueliners who can succeed by using his feet to overcome his size off the puck, by forcing dump-ins with his gap control, getting to pucks first on retrieval, and then scooting them out of trouble before getting trapped by forechecking pressure. His point totals are modest right now because he hasn't fully realized how to utilize his tools to crack those last lines of the enemy defence and he lacks the power to get pucks through by brute force alone. He will have to figure out this part of his game in time considering how much he likes to drives the play. Despite some limitations with reach and strength that can't be corrected, Molendyk will be well-suited to the speed and pace of the modern NHL.

10. Jack Matier - D

Matier is one of those prospects that teams are going to kick themselves in the future for passing over at the draft, if they aren’t already. His wingspan is enormous, his footwork is surprisingly clean for such a big guy, and the more he grows into his body the more of a nightmare he is for opposing forwards. He was recently voted by a poll of OHL coaches as one of the best defensive defenders, shot blockers, and penalty killers in the league, and he has the right physical tools, positional understanding, and willingness to get his hands dirty to eventually excel in those same areas in the NHL as well. He also significantly upped his offensive contributions this past season, rounding out his game in an important way. Players like Matier are wildly underrated, especially come playoff time.

11. Felix Nilsson - C

The Predators should consider themselves lucky that Nilsson got hurt and could not participate at this year’s U18’s. His stock had been skyrocketing thanks to strong second half performances and had he played at the tournament, he might not have been available at pick 43. Nilsson is a high IQ pivot that has top six upside.

12. Semyon Chistyakov - D

A breakout campaign in the KHL has established Chistyakov as one of the top young defenders in Russia. The question is…will he ever come over to Nashville? He recently signed a three-year extension with Omsk, which pushes a potential arrival way into the future.

13. Jesse Kiiskanen - RW

A hard working, complementary winger, Kiiskanen was a recent third round selection of the Predators. He will be given ample time to develop in Finland. The hope is that he can be a Liiga regular next year, given his well-rounded profile.

14. Kalan Lind - LW

Lind is a power forward who had trouble with injuries in his NHL draft year. A better skater than his brother Kole was at the same age, there’s still a need to improve in this area to help unlock his true potential.

15. Kasper Kulonummi - D

A third round pick last year, Kulonummi is a smooth skating puck mover who failed to break into Liiga full time this year. Improving his strength off the puck will be necessary for him to take that next step with the Tappara program.

16. Ryan Ufko - D

Ufko has been an immediate impact player at the college level with UMass, establishing himself as one of the top offensive defenders in college hockey. He was also excellent at the WJC, helping the U.S. capture a bronze medal. He returns to UMass for a junior season this fall.

17. Adam Ingram - C

Ingram was drafted as a long-term project, knowing that he’d probably need three or four years at college. There were already a lot of positives to take away from his freshman year at St. Cloud State. The need for him to improve his skating is still evident.

18. Marc Del Gaizo - D

A former standout at UMass, Del Gaizo has shown great progression as a pro so far and was one of Milwaukee’s most reliable defenders last season. His play in the Calder Cup playoffs in particular, showed that he might be close to pushing for an NHL roster spot.

19. Jachym Kondelik - C

The big center’s first pro season left a lot to be desired as Kondelik struggled to keep pace with the pro game. However, he still has the upside to become a fixture in Nashville’s future bottom six.

20. Spencer Stastney - D

Stastney didn’t look out of place in his brief NHL call up last year; it’s clear that his high-end processing ability gives him a chance to play a permanent role in the future. Ideally, he returns to the AHL this year in hopes of improving his confidence with the puck as well as his offensive production.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #6 Nashville Predators

Derek Neumeier — Wed, 24 May 2023 12:34:00 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 6^th (15^th last year)

The Nashville Predators have only had one General Manager in their existence in David Poile. He is retiring and longtime Nashville coach Barry Trotz is taking his place effective July 1^st, 2023. Poile, in the meantime, is setting the table for Trotz by moving veterans for prospects and picks. By the ranking above, they already have a very robust prospect pool (nine players in our top 200) with some potential future stars. Poile has since made a couple of rich trades for picks, most notably picking up a first, second, third, fourth and fifth round picks along with Cal Foote for Tanner Jeannot fromTampa Bay. He then acquired a first and fourth, and exciting prospect Reid Schaefer (former first round pick) and veteran Tyson Barrie for Mattias Ekholm and a sixth. Nino Neiderreiter was moved for a second. As it stands as of this writing, and likely not done yet, Poile has accumulated five first round picks in the next three years. He has 13 picks for 2023, and 22 picks in the first four rounds for the next three drafts.

In the system, they have elite goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (#13 McKeen’s rank), as the future heir to Juuse Saros. They have two prospects ready to graduate in Luke Evangelista and Yegor Afanasyev. They join a core of Philip Tomasino (21-years-old) and Cody Glass (24) and Juuso Parssinen (22) who all emerged following the trade deadline and subsequent ice time. Nashville was surprisingly competitive down the stretch. Last season was the first time in nine years that Nashville missed the playoffs, and there seems to be a path to a quick turnaround for this Franchise. They will host the draft this year, so expect more moving and shaking by Poile for a memorable send off to a remarkable career.

Yaroslav Askarov

Askarov is a goalie who loves to ride on his emotions, and when he is really feeling it between the pipes it's nearly impossible to get pucks past him. His reflexes and reaction time are freakishly impressive, his crease movements are lightning quick, and he makes seemingly impossible saves on a routine basis. On the flip side of the coin, though, when he is feeling rattled, he becomes chaos personified and can't stop anything. His international performances oscillate between generationally heroic and utterly nightmarish, and nowhere in between. Regardless, when you have a goalie who can single-handedly steal games, and maybe even an entire playoff series, that's worth investing in. Juuse Saros still has a lot of stellar hockey left in him, but Askarov will be nipping at his heels soon as the unquestioned heir apparent in the Nashville crease.

2. Luke Evangelista

The London Knights have a well-deserved reputation for being a prospect development factory, and Evangelista is the latest of their success stories. He made tremendous progress from the start of his OHL tenure to the end, finishing his final season in the league as its top goal scorer. This year he played so well as an AHL rookie that Nashville couldn't help but call him up down the stretch, and he rewarded them with crucial depth scoring in their chase for a playoff spot that came up just short. Suffice to say, don't expect to see him in the minors ever again. He is an exceptionally smart forward who never seems to be far from the puck, skates very well, and leaves a positive mark in all three zones. Evangelista is an NHL pro through and through, and his versatility should lead to a long career.

3. Joakim Kemell

Kemell's red-hot stick cooled off a bit from last season to this season, possibly because the teen sniper lost the element of surprise against opponents in Finland's top pro league. However, he has been given the chance to test his mettle against AHL competition this spring and the results have been quite encouraging, scoring at just under a point-per-game pace at the end of the regular season and priming him nicely for the playoffs. His shot is a nuclear-grade weapon, both as a wrister and a one-timer, and he can still beat goalies clean from medium-danger and low-danger areas. There is a bit of shiftiness to his skating, but less acceleration and top speed than you'd like to see. When he gets bottled up, he has a lot of trouble escaping. Kemell's focus moving forward should be on finding more ways to get into prime scoring positions.

4. Zachary L'Heureux

L'Heureux has been suspended nine separate times for a total of 37 missed games across his four years in the QMJHL, and that's a damn shame because he's one hell of a hockey player when he's actually out on the ice. He moves around the offensive zone like a bowling ball, either making hits to try winning the puck back, or driving hard to the net when it's on his stick. He's so strong and compact that defenders often bounce off of him when they try to slow him down. He can make slick plays with the puck, pass tape to tape from his forehand or backhand, and isn't shy about unloading shots on net. Those discipline issues must drive the Predators crazy, though, especially since they just haven't stopped, and he seemingly hasn't learned his lesson. If L'Heureux isn't careful he could flush his entire NHL career down the toilet before it even begins.

5. Reid Schaefer

Schaefer's breakout 2021-22 season saw him surprisingly rocket all the way into the 1st round of the draft, and Edmonton surely thought long and hard about agreeing to include their shiny new prospect in the Mattias Ekholm trade. Even though he doesn't put up flashy point totals right now he nevertheless still projects as someone who can score a lot in the NHL as a power forward. He is downright scary sometimes shooting off the rush. His biggest value, however, is how versatile his game is, as he can win pucks back on the forecheck or in 50-50 battles, he can create space for himself or his teammates with his speed and strength, he can play a punishing physical game, and he can shut down the best opponents as a top penalty killer. His extensive playoff experience with Seattle could help make him a real killer in NHL postseasons.

6. Fyodor Svechkov

It's normal these days for Russian prospects to play at the MHL, VHL and KHL levels all in the same season, but Svechkov playing for eight different club teams in just three years might be some kind of record. It's certainly an unconventional path, and there are valid questions about whether that much change was the best thing for him, but the good news is that he found success in all three of Lada, SKA and Spartak's systems. He was also good enough this past year to play the majority of his games in the KHL, which was a first. He is a well-balanced, two-way center who has the necessary amalgamation of tools to remain down the middle moving forward in his career. There are occasional flashes of high-end talent, though it seems unlikely that he will ever be a huge point producer.

7. Yegor Afanasyev

There was a time when Afanasyev looked like he had big-time offensive upside. That hasn't really come to fruition yet, unfortunately, even though other players around him on Milwaukee have recently taken off like that. On the plus side, you can still make hay in the NHL as a burly, possession-driving forward, and at minimum he projects well as one of those. He is very hard to strip the puck from, and when he gets going in the cycle, he can really wear opponents down, which can lead to immediate scoring chances or ones that come later after enough sustained pressure. His shot is nice and heavy, though he will need to improve his hands, his feet, or some combination of the two in order to open some room to get it uncorked more often. Can Afanasyev still take his game to another level?

8. Jack Matier

Matier is one of those prospects that teams are going to kick themselves in the future for passing over at the draft, if they haven't started already. His wingspan is enormous, and his footwork is surprisingly clean for such a big guy, and the more he grows into his body the more of a nightmare he is for opposing forwards. He was recently voted by a poll of OHL coaches as one of the best defensive defenders, shot blockers and penalty killers in the league, and he has the right physical tools, positional understanding, and willingness to get his hands dirty to excel in those same areas in the NHL one day as well. He also significantly upped his offensive contributions this past season, rounding out his game in an important way. Players like Matier are wildly underrated, especially come playoff time.

9. Semyon Chistakov

Chistyakov has been honing his craft over in the KHL for a few seasons now, and he seemed to take a huge leap forward in 2022-23, seeing his average ice time increase by four minutes per game. He also ended up as his team's highest-scoring defenseman, which comes as quite a shocker because he's never been much of an offensive contributor, even going back to his junior days. His calling card has always been his intense, in-your-face style of defending, so it's nice for him to add more depth and variety to what he can offer. He overcomes his small stature with active feet that are always churning to help him stick close to the man he is supposed to be covering. Nashville is surely interested in bringing Chistyakov over to North America sooner rather than later but convincing him to actually make that change could be a tall task.

10. Kasper Kulonummi

Kulonummi accomplished a lot in his first season post-draft. He got to ply his trade in Finland's top professional league for a handful of games, he scored at well over a point-per-game at the under-20 level, and in the spring helped his junior club win the league championship. He is a smooth, almost serpentine defensemen who easily slinks through traffic without getting caught. His hands and feet are both active and work equally well independently and in conjunction, making him a great option for breakouts and rush transportation. He is awfully skinny and light, though, and despite having a fair amount of height it's difficult to foresee him ever filling out his frame. If Kulonummi can keep fine-tuning his skill and awareness while getting whatever gains he can out of the gym, then there could be a lot of runway left for his development.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:22:52 +0000

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 26: Finland's Joakim Kemell #37 skates with the puck while Germany's Florian Elias #7 defends during preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 26, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

1 - Yaroslav Askarov G

A huge amount of the natural goaltending talent in Yaroslav Askarov is clearly still there and that is good news for Predators fans. Another bit of good news for them is that he has recently signed his NHL entry-level contract. Unfortunately, here is where the good news ends, as we have to face the fact that Askarov’s performance since being drafted with the 11th pick in 2020 has been subpar at best. He has been very inconsistent, frequently mixing good games with really bad ones, has been notably playing without confidence, not to mention that his stick usage has become a punchline. One of the biggest factors in his slide has been the way his KHL team has shuffled him between different levels of Russian hockey; all the while his callups to the Russian U20 team were an additional interruption. None of this could have been easy to the netminder psyche, but it is not enough to excuse his disappointing play. Now safely within the Nashville organization, we can expect him to receive an abundance of ice time in the AHL, and a steadier developmental track as well, although the psychological component of his game may be trickier to fix. He is still more than young enough to expect a good chunk of the elite talent he displayed in his pre-draft performances to remain, but Nashville is staring down more question marks with Askarov than they would have reasonably thought possible when they drafted him two short years ago. - VF

2 - Joakim Kemell RW

It’s been quite a year for Nashville’s 2022 1^st first rounder. Things began with a boom scoring five goals in five Hlinka Gretzky Cup games which was followed by an explosion out of the gates in Liiga play. By the 16-game mark of the season, Kemell lead the league in goals with 12 (and 18 points). Alas, a shoulder injury in November led to lost time and contributed to a statistical lull upon is return, including a 14-game scoring drought. A late season resurgence was followed by a strong U18s with 6 G, 2 A for the bronze medalists. While his production had many thinking he would be selected in the top 10, the Predators were overjoyed to get him 17^th. Kemell’s ability to score has only been fortified since draft day, as he put up a remarkable 4 G, 8 A run at the 2022 summer WJC, finishing the tournament second overall in scoring, coming home with a silver medal for his efforts. Slick, burly, opportunistic, and constantly finding ways to display his offensive prowess, he is already signed to an ELC, with the plan for the upcoming season being to loan him back out to JYP in Finnish Liiga. For a franchise that has often found itself starving for more offense up front, the front office can’t be blamed for feeling Kemell could one day make the same organizational impact as current top-scorer Filip Forsberg. - CL

3 - Luke Evangelista RW

The 42nd overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, Luke Evangelista is coming off of a breakout year and will look to stay hot going back to the AHL. The former 14th overall selection in the 2018 OHL Draft didn’t have the most successful rookie season, finishing with only two points (2A) in 27 games. During the 2019-2020 season, Evangelista took a big step forward and produced 61 points (23G,38A) in 62 games. In the 2020-2021 season, Evangelista got the opportunity like some others to play in the AHL, which was an exception made because of the OHL being shutdown. During his time in the AHL, Evangelista finished with four points (4A) in 14 games. During the 2021-2022 season, Evangelista made the return to the OHL and came back very hot, having a breakout year and producing 111 points (55G,56A) in 62 games, which was 4th in the league for points, 1st in the league for goals, 8th in the league for assists, and 1st on the team in all categories. Evangelista’s best assets are his hockey sense and playmaking. He’s so smart in all three zones, reading and anticipating plays and being able to consistently have great positioning. He understands the how to manipulate defenders with deception, making him a threat with the puck, especially one-on-one, or in open space. He’s able to find teammates through traffic with ease and is able to make plays when in-tight and when under pressure, having great poise with the puck. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Evangelista will make his return to the AHL and look to bring his confidence from last year with him. - DK

4 - Fyodor Svechkov C

Fedor Svechkov, selected No. 19 in the 2021 draft by the Nashville Predators, is showing well at the KHL level this pre-season after performing strongly in the VHL (men’s second league) last season. He was traded from SKA to Spartak after the 2021-22 season, becoming part of a big deal that included other talented players. This will absolutely increase his playing time and therefore the quickness of his progression. Svechkov is a talented forward with great promise on offense, and a highly efficient work ethic in the defensive zone. He has a great understanding of the game and vision on the ice. He constantly creates opportunities for his teammates with his accurate and intelligent passing. He's got terrific long arms, can make great passes and shots, but also very effective at recovering the puck in pursuit. Another thing that makes Svechkov dangerous is that he is a fairly quick skater who is also balanced and sturdy, allowing him to play through contact. He projects as a future middle six forward. Svechkov's contract in Russia expires after the 2022-23 season. He could play in the NHL right after that if he continues his development and consistent play. - DB

5 - Zachary L'Heureux LW

“Chaotic” is a good word to describe L’Heureux’s previous season with the Halifax Mooseheads. What made him the 27^th overall pick by the Nashville Predators at the 2021 NHL Draft is his overwhelming physicality. He always gets under the opponents' skin and sometimes his lack of discipline can hurt his team. Zach had a lot of suspensions this season and considering his prominent role on the Mooseheads, that really hurt Halifax. However, L’Heureux is still a very impactful player that knows how to produce by getting to the greasy areas of the ice and by using smart passing skills. When he gets to his top speed (despite some minor deficiencies in his skating), he can really get going. Skilled and tenacious, there is still a projection that sees him become a quality middle six player for Nashville, or at the very least, a strong bottom six player who can bring consistent energy. L’Heureux will return to Halifax again this season and expectations are quite high for him. He needs to take that next step as a skilled producer and become one of the scoring leaders in the QMJHL, all while avoiding suspension and staying out of the box. - EB

6 - Yegor Afanasyev RW

After spending the pandemic bouncing around various Russian leagues (including 16 games in the KHL), Afanasyev made his North American pro debut with Milwaukee last year playing a middle six role. The Admirals had a veteran-laden roster, which pushed him down the depth chart a bit, but he did the best with his ice time and finished third on the team in shots on goal. The big power winger can be a highly dangerous goal scorer with his heavy shot and his soft hands in tight. He also can bring an element of physicality, striving to drive the net, using his surprising explosiveness to play through contact. Coming out of the OHL, there were concerns about his two-way play and overall effectiveness away from the puck, but these two areas apparently took nice strides forward in the AHL last year. It is critical that Afanasyev learn to use his size and speed to help track down pucks and for him to earn consistent puck touches. The other areas of concern are shot selection and overall decision making in the offensive end. As such, the Predators are likely to send Afanasyev back to the AHL for another season so that he can figure prominently in their offense and work to round out his offensive profile. He has the potential to be a consistent 30 goal scorer in the NHL and may not be far off from reaching that. - BO

7 - Semyon Chistyakov D

Semyon Chistyakov is a very interesting case, as he is an undersized defenseman, yet he loves to play physically and aggressively, while seemingly having enough strength to pull it off. Aside from that he looks mobile both with and without the puck, reliable and has a very strong shot from the blue line. Positive accolades aside, it has to be noted that during the last two KHL seasons he wasn’t able to convince his coach that was ready for fulltime KHL duties. Now with a new coach, Chistyakov should have more opportunities, although he is starting at a deficit with an injury keeping him out at least through the KHL preseason. Regardless of role, getting a full-time roster spot is the goal here, especially bearing in mind that this is the final year of his KHL contract. While doubtful that Chistyakov would be ready for the NHL after this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he will choses to join the Predators organization and spend some time in the AHL in short order. It is still not easy for the smaller blueliner to make the NHL, but Chistyakov may just be the rare one who what it takes. - VF

8 - Adam Ingram C

Adam Ingram parlayed a solid rookie USHL season into a third-round selection by the Nashville Predators at the 2022 draft, going 82nd overall. Ingram scored at just above a point-per-game rate for the Youngstown Phantoms, routinely impressing with his skill and shooting ability. Standing at six-foot-two, Ingram has some filling out to do, but that didn’t stop him from finding success in the USHL. Right now, Ingram’s best tool is his shot. He scored 26 goals for the Phantoms last season and should be a goal scoring threat next season at St. Cloud State. Ingram’s offensive game isn’t limited to his work as a shooter, though, and he has flashed upside as a playmaker. Like many goal scorers, Ingram can be a bit streaky, and he’ll need to improve his consistency in order to reach the heights he’s capable of reaching in college. Ingram’s play away from the puck wasn’t outright bad, but he didn’t show enough consistent engagement in the defensive game for me to confidently project him as a center as a pro. Additionally, Ingram’s skating is in a similar boat. It’s not bad by any means, but he lacks the quickness to project as a separator in the pro ranks. If Ingram can fill out his frame and add a more physical dimension to his game, that would do wonders to round out his pro projection and add a higher floor to his profile. If he can become more of a consistent two-way player than he showed in the USHL, he could be a solid secondary goal scorer who makes his presence felt on both ends of the ice. But in order to get there, he’ll have some growth to do at the collegiate level. - EH

9 - Kasper Kulonummi D

A defensive prospect of decent size and unassuming three-zone efficacy quietly doing just about everything right is always a fit for the Nashville Predators. That was the case with Kulonummi, who heard his name called 84^th overall this summer. The right shooting defender plays a game with a very low rate of error, covering all angles and generally refraining from taking unnecessary risks. His safe and effective play rarely results in unnecessary giveaways. His game is about minimizing mistakes and minimizing the opponent’s puck possession. Overall, Kulonummi features a package of skating, stickhandling, passing, and hockey sense that makes him very projectable as a future bottom four, defensively oriented NHL defender who can still excel on the breakout, a trait that seems to be more and more common among modern Finnish defensemen. Still slight of frame, the careful blueliner put up 29 points in 42 U20 league games with the Jokerit program but proved offensively adept in international play collecting 11 assists in 11 combined U18 Worlds and Hlinka Gretzky Cup games. He also got into three games of pro Mestis play last season, seeing little ice time, but has signed on with Tappara of Liiga for the upcoming season to continue his development. Having proven capable of logging plenty of ice time in U20 play and very economical in how he exerts his effort, Nashville can afford to take a wait-and-see approach, especially in light of how packed their system is with defensive prospects. – CL

10 - Alexander Campbell LW

Alexander Campbell was a third-round pick of the Predators back at the 2019 draft, getting chosen just outside of the second round at #65 overall. Campbell was coming off of a productive, above point-per-game season in the BCHL. Campbell had a repeat performance with the Omaha Lancers the very next year in the USHL, scoring 57 points in 46 games before beginning his collegiate career with Clarkson University. At Clarkson, Campbell’s first year showcased his upside, but wasn’t perfect. The playmaking was there, but Campbell struggled with his perimeter-oriented offensive style and scored just four goals in 22 games. This past season, Campbell showed he made the right adjustments to his style and proved that he was more than just a perimeter playmaker. He played with more fearlessness and showed more of a killer instinct that goal scorers need. He utilized the inside of the ice more often and was rewarded, smashing past his four-goal mark from year one to score 16 goals in year two. Standing at five-foot-ten, 160 pounds, Campbell’s NHL projection is challenging. He’s a talented scorer who plays with pace and a high work ethic, but he lacks the type of standout offensive tools that carry most scorers. While he could have value at the lower end of a lineup and his defensive game last season was certainly improved, he doesn’t profile as a specialist role player in the NHL. If he can continue to score in college, a long career as an AHL scorer who can help in the NHL in bursts is Campbell’s most likely long-term projection, although he has an outside shot to be a depth scorer in the NHL. - EH

11 - Juuso Parssinen

The big forward has a very versatile game, which has allowed him to be a strong scorer at the Liiga level the last two seasons. Skating isn’t a strength, but he can find his way to the net and is strong away from the puck. After finishing last year with Milwaukee of the AHL, he will spend the full season there this year.

12 - Jachym Kondelik

After four strong seasons at UConn, Kondelik is finally turning pro this upcoming season. All eyes will be on the big center to see how he handles the pace of the pro game. The talented playmaker is tough to separate from the puck but skating is not a strength.

13 - Ryan Ufko

Talk about making an immediate impact. The undersized defender was one of top scoring freshmen in the NCAA last season with UMass, even as a blueliner. His skill as a powerplay quarterback is impressive and now the focus turns to improving play in the defensive end.

14 - Luke Prokop

The big defender had a terrific final year in the WHL last season, helping Edmonton capture a WHL title. His strength in the defensive zone was instrumental during the Oil Kings’ playoff run. The 6’4 blueliner is also an incredible leader for the LGBTQ+ community and was a very worthy recipient of the CHL’s humanitarian of the year award.

15 - Marc Del Gaizo

The former UMass defender has a bit of a murky projection as an NHL defender, but he does have intriguing skills at both ends. The key for him will be the continued progression of his on puck play at the pro level.

16 - Connor Ingram

It was great to see Ingram work his way back to prospect relevance again after some dark times that saw him enter the league’s player assistance program. He will compete with Kevin Lankinen for playing time behind Juuse Saros this season.

17 - Spencer Stastney

Stastney saved his best for last, starring as a senior at Notre Dame last year. This earned him an ELC with Nashville and the undersized, puck moving defender will start his pro career with Milwaukee this coming year.

18 - Gunnarwolfe Fontaine

A late bloomer, Fontaine is a tenacious offensive forward who loves to play at a blistering pace. The results at Northeastern have been lukewarm so far, but he could be in for a big junior season this year.

19 - Jack Matier

The Predators have to be happy with the progression that Matier showed last year in the OHL with Ottawa. He’s not shy to throw his weight around in the defensive end and his offensive game still shows potential.

20 - Graham Sward

The massive improvement he showed in the WHL last year earned Sward a selection by Nashville at this year’s draft. Already a strong defensive presence, his confidence with the puck and ability to create offense from the backend was much improved. He could be one of the WHL’s top defenders this year.

2022 World Junior Championship: Team Russia – Last Minute Coaching Change Creates Uncertainty on Eve of Tournament

Viktor Fomich — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 21:28:24 +0000

Team Russia finds itself in a very interesting and unusual situation for the first time, after a rare coaching change made pretty much at the last moment before the start of the preparations for the World Juniors: Igor Larionov was replaced by another Russian hockey legend Sergei Zubov. Zubov brings plenty of experience coaching in the KHL (not to mention his hockey experience as such), yet he has never coached a junior team and that has its own unique elements. To add to the difficulty of this challenge, he has to implement his tactical system in an extremely short time frame. All of this is making up quite a test for him as a coach. I think even in the pre-tournament interviews so far you could tell that he isn't exactly oozing with confidence. It also was reflected by the roster selections. At the last moment it was decided to go to the tournament without the North-American based players, not to mention a rather arguable decision to not have any of right-handed shooters on the roster.

Let's move on from the complicated coaching situation and look at the roster. One thing that immediately stands out is that there are five guys on the roster with World Juniors experience — Askarov, Khusnutdinov, Ponomaryov, Kirsanov and Mukhamadullin. This is very important, as they are fully motivated to get what they missed last time, know what to expect from this level of hockey and should get a bonus of psychological readiness, which is a big deal at the junior level even for a top contender. Even more importantly, two of these players are defensemen and that is where Team Russia does not have a lot of high-quality depth, so their experience will be crucial. There is more than enough depth throughout the forward line-up though, with a lot of skill and firepower. We fully expect the coaching staff to utilize this effectively. Even though there is a notable deficit in size as well as in terms of number of right-handed shooters, I think it would be fair to say that this year the fans will be willing to forgive the defensive issues, but not the lack of goal scoring. In goal there's highly touted prospect Askarov. It is obvious that he is expected to be the clear starter, however, even though it will be his third World Juniors, he still remains a big unknown in terms of what to expect from him.

As we usually do, let's pick our top ten players to watch and I must admit that it was extremely hard for me to limit myself to only ten guys this time, as there are so many interesting and intriguing players on the roster. Still, I tried to somehow pick the ones who will be both very exciting to follow and will be expected to have a big impact in the potential success of the team even though I'm totally guilty of excluding some really interesting and important guys too. So, here's what I got:

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 27: Russia's Yaroslav Askarov #1 stretches across in attempt to make the save during semifinal round action against USA at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 27, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

GK Yaroslav Askarov

It might not be obvious why I'm putting Askarov as the top player to watch, with all the attacking talent on the roster, but putting emotions aside it makes perfect sense to me. Barring any negative surprises Askarov will be an undisputed starter and from the team's point of view this position will likely be even more important than usual, as the defense doesn't look to be too reliable this year. As for Askarov himself, he is coming into his third World Juniors tournament, and he well knows that a player of his talent level will be expected to deliver the result. The issue is that coming into the tournament there's a big question mark on his ability to do that, as his recent performances left much to be desired. He is seemingly struggling to get his confidence back which is sometimes just painful to watch, as the elite talent is still clearly there. Still the successful World Juniors can be a turning point to get his career back on track, he will get a lot of trust from the coaches here and likely will get quite a workload on the ice too (just like he likes it) — that is just exactly what he needs now. To add to all that there is a good chance he signs with the Predators after this season, so might be reasonable for the fans to follow him close here.

RW Matvei Michkov

I'm ready for having some rotten tomatoes thrown at me for leaving Michkov at the second position here, as the Michkov hype train is steadily picking up the speed (and better make sure you make it on board in time). Seriously though, there are legitimate reasons for this hype, as the talent level is obviously extremely high here, not to mention amazing skill and hockey instincts — he can make things happen that another player won't even think of in that situation. So far, what he has done at every level he has played can only be described with one word: "Amazing!", but the potential usage of Michkov in this year's World Juniors is still a mystery, as there are enough of more experienced guys, who might be more suitable for the leader roles. Although as I write that I can't get rid of the thought that Michkov has been in the situations like that a number of times already and was able to succeed each time, which is a legitimate reason to stay excited. And I don't even want to go into discussing the potential rivalry with Connor Bedard... but I think I can express the consensus opinion on that: the 2023 NHL draft can't come soon enough.

190428 Lucas Raymond of Sweden and Marat Khusnutdinov of Russia during the IIHF U18 World Championship final game between Sweden and Russia on April 28 in Örnsköldsvik.
Photo: Johan Löf / BILDBYRÅN / COP 230

3.C/W Marat Khusnutdinov

Last year's World Juniors left some questions lingering about the Minnesota Wild prospect Marat Khusnutdinov's abilities, so it's about time for him to answer those. For example, while last year he spent most of the time centering the first line, there was talk that it wasn't the most effective way to utilize his talents. The talent is definitely there though: the high speed, equally high work rate and intensity, versatility and some solid skills which have also started to translate to the KHL level. It should also be mentioned that, while it hasn't been announced yet, he is expected to be the team's captain this year. Judging by the line combos at camp Khusnutdinov is likely to play at wing this year, but still the question about his usage should be one of the most important for the coaches right now. So far in the preparation tournaments it hasn’t appeared very successful. Sounds like the default option for the start of the tournament will be playing him on the opposite wing to Michkov, which sounds intriguing. However, even if that doesn’t work out I'm pretty sure that his versatility will allow him to be useful in every position in the line-up, although I think everyone would want to see a bit more than just that.

210105 Kirill Kirsanov of Russia skates during the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship semifinal between Canada and Russia on January 4, 2021 in Edmonton.
Photo: Andy Devlin / BILDBYRÅN / COP 306 / AD0008

D Kirill Kirsanov

At the beginning of the KHL season when I saw Kirsanov on his team's first pairing I must admit I didn't think it would last for too long, but he showed that not only he can survive that type of workload at the KHL level (it isn't easy for a 19-year-old kid) but can do it game in and game out without losing his reliability as well as physical impact. As it has been mentioned, this year's team might have issues on the defensive end and that's why Kirsanov's role could be instrumental, as he will be needed at the most important moments of the game. The defensive game isn't everything Kirsanov can bring, as he also is a pretty skilled, effective passer and can unload quite a powerful shot. I think he should be able to showcase his attacking abilities at this level much better than in the KHL so far, especially considering that he already has the World Juniors experience from last year, which should earn him some extra trust from the coaches. In other words, having a deep prospect pool isn't an excuse for Kings fans to not to be following Kirsanov too.

D Shakir Mukhamadullin

Mukhamadullin recently broke the news of his signing an entry level contract with the Devils, yet staying on loan in the KHL for the time being. As for the season itself, it has been rather uneven for him: some good games in the KHL where he has shown solid offensive skills, some not very good ones, where the question about his defensive abilities were raised once again. All that might be because he had to enter the KHL season after missing a lot of pre-season time due to recovering following shoulder surgery, so hopefully the World Juniors could be a completely different scenario. At the tournament he is expected to be the default powerplay point man (which is an awful news for the goalies, considering his powerful shot) and the main puck moving defenseman, as he proved his ability to support the offense in last year's tournament, so this year it makes sense to think that he will have every opportunity to showcase his attacking potential. His reliability in his own zone is a factor that remains, but let's hope the coaches can figure out what to do with that. One has to think coach Zubov might have some understanding about good two-way defense and how it should be played.

C Vasily Ponomaryov

If I'd have to find one word to describe Ponomaryov as a player I'd choose "complicated" — both in a good and a bad way. On the good side he is a high-level playmaker with great vision, being able to make some amazing passes in a high-tempo game, but on the downside there is that feeling when you see him trying to make those plays, that sometimes making things a bit more simple would be much more effective. This season the Hurricanes have decided to loan him to the KHL, yet he actually couldn't crack the KHL roster full time after failing to find a common ground with the coach. Hence, he is spending most of his time in the VHL, but it might be even better for him, as he is getting much bigger role there than he would be getting in the KHL. Also because of that situation I'm pretty sure Ponomaryov is extremely motivated to prove he deserves much better than that. He has some experience from the last year's World Juniors, where he was used mostly as an utility player, but this year the top six center role is almost guaranteed to him — hard to even imagine better conditions to show what he has actually got.

Fyodor Svechkov

C/W Fyodor Svechkov

Svechkov's current accomplishments might not seem too impressive compared to what might be expected from a stereotypical first round draft pick, but I don't think that's something that should be looked into too much. Performing like he does against pro players in the VHL is more than satisfactory for a player his age, especially since Svechkov is not an overly physically gifted prospect, so I don't think the Predators fans have anything to worry about. Actually, getting to the Team Russia World Juniors roster as an 18-year-old center, considering all the forward depth, is already an accomplishment as such. At the tournament itself it is very likely that he will be used as a center for Michkov, which might mean that a lot of two-way workload will be on Svechkov as well as a lot of the dirty work. On the other hand, if their line clicks there aren't many doubts that the points will come too, as it will likely be the team's top line. There are some questions apart from the rosy outlook above. There is a concern about Svechkov's ability to be a top line center for this tournament, not only due to being just 18, but also due to having not much practice playing at center this season, as he was used much more frequently at left wing. That is something that Svechkov will have to answer right from the start of the tournament.

W Nikita Chibrikov

Chibrikov is a case of the type of interesting player who, while not doing any of the "wow" highlight stuff, is always getting a good share of points. As we enter the World Juniors tournament, is sitting at over the point-per-game level in the pro VHL league while being just 18-years old. One of the reasons for that is that he is basically a jack of all trades in terms of the attacking game: he can start the attack and finish it, can make setups and carry the puck by himself, while possessing both the high-end skill and willingness to go to the dirty areas. He is also rather versatile and easily finds good chemistry with his linemates, that's a quality every coach likes and that's why I don't have a lot of worries about the possible role on this year's team, even though I must admit it is rather unclear at the moment. Long story short: I don't understand how the Jets were able to get him at the end of the second round of the last draft and I don't really know why there's no hype surrounding him, but I certainly don't think there is a reason why we should overlook him.

W Danila Yurov

And here we finally have a top 2022 NHL draft prospect, which is Danila Yurov, only at 9th on our list, which isn't a knock on his abilities, but rather another indication of the forward roster depth that this team has. Yurov might not have a huge role on his KHL team, but even in the rather limited minutes it has been clearly noticeable that he plays a very cerebral and creative type of game, provides a good all-around game, works hard on every inch of the ice and can play at any position he is told by the coach. Another feature of Yurov is that he is extremely consistent for someone his age — I seriously can't remember any bad games by him at all even though I have watched a good amount of them. At the recent 4 Nations Tournament Yurov was very impressive in the middle-six winger role, generated a solid number of offensive chances, so something similar will be expected from him at the World Juniors too. And, of course, this tournament will likely also pretty much define his position at the coming NHL draft, so far, I'd say he has a real chance to go in the Top 10.

D Vladimir Grudinin

Might be a bit of a wildcard from me, but if looking at the players, who are exciting to follow, 2022 NHL draft eligible defenseman Vladimir Grudinin is among the top of that group. He is undersized, which is the main reason he isn't mentioned among the top draft prospects, also has a bit of issues at the defensive game due to that, but his skillset quickly makes you forget about it. Grudinin is a natural puckmover with great skating and puck skills, always eager to join the attack and very aimed at delivering the puck to the net in every way possible including, of course, his shot, which is a dangerous weapon. Not easy to predict his role at the coming tournament, as being only 18-years old and not too physically developed yet might really matter here (although he looked totally fine playing against pros in the VHL), but if he is given a chance I think he could be right there after Mukhamadullin in terms of providing the support for the offense, which also should place him onto many more draft radars than it has been so far.

Sleeper: RW Alexander Pashin

For the first time ever, I should point out that it was very easy to choose the sleeper pick for this list, as it is hard to even think of a more perfect candidate for that than Pashin: 7th round pick, undersized, also no hype surrounding him, as he isn't playing in the KHL. Yet he is a clinical finisher and believe me, if he will get the puck and just a bit of time and space in the slot or in the right circle area, he won't miss his chance. His VHL numbers prove exactly that, as he is currently among the league leaders both in goals and in shooting percentage, which is a great achievement considering that at the start of the season there was a lot of skepticism surrounding his ability to play against the big VHL guys at all. So that's what is also expected from him in this tournament — to score goals without wasting many opportunities, as very frequently it is something that is really hard to do. By the way, his current contract also ends this season and while the Hurricanes fans are likely not expecting him to come over any time soon you can never know.

2022 World Junior Championship: Team Russia facing many uncertainties heading into training camp

Viktor Fomich — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 14:12:30 +0000

As the Team Russia World Juniors training camp is just starting, it is very hard to define the expectations for the team, yet it is rather easy to notice the challenges the team is facing. One of them is related to the last moment coaching change, as Igor Larionov has been replaced by Sergei Zubov. Zubov aready has plenty of experience coaching in the KHL already, yet has never worked with junior teams and is now facing the challenge of implementing his tactical model for this team in a very short time frame. Adding some more uncertainties, it still hasn't been decided and announced which NA-based players will be called up to the camp when the team arrives in Canada and if any will be at all. With all that being said, we still can look at the camp roster names and analyze a bit, so let's do exactly that.

Omissions

Since every year when the camp roster gets announced you hear a lot of questions of the "Where is *insert_prospect's_name_here*?" type, let's quickly run through the most notable omissions from the roster. As every year, there are some injury troubles and apparently this year the Canadiens prospect Dmitri Kostenko has fallen in this category, although, while Team Russia could use a right-handed defenseman, he was far from being granted a roster spot anyway. Sabres prospect Alexander Kisakov isn't on the roster for a much simpler reason — he is having a bad season, likely due to being hopelessly stuck in the MHL due to his organization's VHL affiliation troubles and therefore is lacking motivation. Maple Leafs prospect Dmitri Ovchinnikov is in the KHL but is spending much more time on the bench than on the ice and that doesn't give you a WJC roster spot. Another Sabres prospect Prokhor Poltapov is doing fine at developing, but just not good enough yet to overcome the forward roster depth of the Team Russia, he will have his chance next year. Those are the most notable Russian-based names not on the roster, as for the NA-based players it is impossible to tell at this point for the reasons mentioned before.

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 28: RussiaÕs Marat Khusnutdinov #28 shoots the puck during gold medal game action against Sweden at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 28, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Returnees

The special category are the players, who already have the WJC experience under the belt, as they know a thing or two about playing in the tournament and are psychologically more ready, which really matters at this level. Yaroslav Askarov is heading to the tournament with tons of experience, but also tons of expectations as he should be the undisputed starter. We will see if he can get his confidence back, he will need it. Marat Khusnutdinov is the most likely candidate for the role of team's captain, but as for the role on the ice it is something still to be determined. Vasili Ponomaryov was used in a rather simple role last year, but this time much more of his trademark creativity will be required from him. Then there is Kirill Kirsanov, who had just a sensational first half of the KHL season eating up first-pairing minutes there like it is no big deal, he could be a real stalwart for the defense this year. Recent Devils signing Shakir Mukhamadullin might haven't developed a high level of reliability yet, but his attacking skills have started to transfer to the KHL level. To add to those two more players with the tournament experience might join the team later — Daniil Chayka and Yan Kuznetsov.

FRISCO, TX USA - MAY 6: Russia's Fyodor Svechkov #9 skates with the puck while Canada's Corson Ceulemans #4 looks on during gold medal game action at the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Comerica Center on May 6, 2021 in Frisco, TX USA. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Young Guns

Even though Team Russia has the stereotype surrounding it about preferring older and more experienced players, there is just too much younger talent this year to ignore. As usually in the recent times all eyes in the camp will be on the young sensation Matvei Michkov (eligible for the 2023 draft), as he is doing amazing things at every level he plays. In the recent MHL games he was playing on a line with Fyodor Svechkov and Nikita Chibrikov and the resulting concentration of skill was enormous there. One of the most important questions that should be answered in the camp is if this line is good to go for the tournament, as obviously the skill alone won't be enough. Another youngster and this year's top draft-eligible prospect Danila Yurov has been very consistent when playing for the team in the recent 4 Nations Tournament and likely will be named on the final roster too. Things aren't looking as good for another top draft prospect Ivan Miroshnichenko, but he still has every chance to prove that he belongs there, as the team could use his power and right-handed shot. Speaking of the draft-eligible prospects, Vladimir Grudinin and Arseni Koromyslov are also legit candidates for the roster spots on the defense and they shouldn't be overlooked.

As I write this article the Team Russia World Juniors camp has just started, players are in self-isolation due to the Covid protocols, so everything might seem calm there, but the players are definitely full of motivation and just can't wait to hit the ice and prove what they are worth. In about a month time we will find that out, but for now their big journey is just about to begin.