Griffin Reinhart – McKeen's Hockey

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Preview – Western Conference

Tom Dorsa — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 14:07:47 +0000

The Calder Cup Playoffs are upon us again, and in the Western Conference, we are seeing a lot of changes from the picture painted last season. The defending conference champions, the Texas Stars, failed to make the playoffs to defend their 2018 West title as one of five teams that competed in last season's Western Conference bracket that couldn't repeat as postseason teams.

Those teams are the Stars, Manitoba Moose, Rockford IceHogs, Tucson Roadrunners, and Ontario Reign. But with old teams and players out, new teams and players come in, setting up to shine under the bright lights of the Calder Cup Playoffs. The Iowa Wild, Milwaukee Admirals, San Diego Gulls, and Colorado Eagles (in their first season as an AHL team) are seeking to wreak havoc on the American Hockey League after missing out on a chance last season.

And in the case of Iowa and Colorado, this is their first postseason appearance in the history of the franchise's current setup. Fans in Des Moines and Loveland will get to see enthralling playoff hockey for the first time in the AHL.

Let's take a look at the first-round matchups in the Western Conference, as well as what to expect from the two teams in action. The playoffs begin on Wednesday, April 17.

Central Division:

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 22: Milwaukee Admirals forward Eeli Tolvanen (11) on the ice during the first period of the American Hockey League game between the Milwaukee Admirals and Cleveland Monsters on February 22, 2019, at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Chicago Wolves (44-22-6-4) vs 4. Grand Rapids Griffins (38-27-7-4)

The Wolves have the identity of a prototypical postseason club: they are a physical and experienced unit with good goaltending and even better coaching. It helps when they also have speed, skill, and depth, with four players (Daniel Carr, T.J. Tynan, Brooks Macek, and Tomas Hyka) on the active roster registering more than 0.9 points per game.

They led the Western Conference in goals for (250) and were second in fewest goals against (199). Head coach Rocky Thompson has done a marvelous job for the Vegas Golden Knights' affiliate since taking the job in the summer of 2017, after leading the Windsor Spitfires to the Memorial Cup title.

While the Wolves have some size on their blueline with Nic Hague (4th-ranked Vegas prospect), Jake Bischoff (5th) and Griffin Reinhart (16th), they lost the bulk of their offensive contribution from their rearguards when Erik Brannstrom departed for the Senators organization in the Mark Stone trade.

Grand Rapids comes in with their own set of issues, the most notable of which is their freezing cold home stretch during which the Griffins lost their last nine games of the regular season (eight in regulation). There was no real reason for this besides a plain late-season struggle, as most of their two-way players are still with the club, and there is no lack of talent.

Regardless, the Griffins have proven twice during their seven-year stretch of playoff appearances that there is a potential championship run within them. The 2013 and 2017 Calder Cup champions have the experience and depth to make a run regardless of the poor final stretch.

The Griffins will have to limit penalties due to their division-worst 78.5% penalty kill percentage, while also playing well at five-on-five, on account of their power-play being mostly ineffective during the regular season (14.2%).

Prospects to Watch:

CHI: C Cody Glass (1st): Glass has perhaps the highest hockey IQ of any 2017 NHL Draft picks, and scored twice (with a game-high six shots on goal) in his professional debut on Friday, April 5.

CHI: G Oskar Dansk (14th): The netminder had a superb regular season (26-9-4, 2.47, .911) and looks to be the goalie of choice for Thompson and crew heading into the 2019 postseason.

GRG: RW, Filip Zadina (1st): The sixth-overall pick in last June's draft made an ambitious jump to the AHL this season, and at 18, performed well (59-16-19-35). His speed and shooting will be a big part of any possible turnaround for the Griffins this postseason.

GRG: D Joe Hicketts (11th): He isn't as noticeable as other prospects on the Grand Rapids blueline, but Hicketts had a solid 2018-19 campaign (64-3-24-27). The undersized defenseman packs a punch for the Griffins and is very patient with the puck.

Prediction: Wolves in four games.

Milwaukee Admirals (36-24-14-2) vs 3. Iowa Wild (37-26-8-5)

After missing the postseason last year, the Admirals are back with a vengeance and are looking for their first Calder Cup since 2004. The Nashville Predators' primary affiliate has done most of their winning this season on the back of youthful and speedy prospects, which is often times a key to success in the playoffs.

Four of their top-five regular season scorers were on a team's top 20 prospects list in our preseason farm system rankings (Adam Helewka, Anthony Richard, Alexandre Carrier, Eeli Tolvanen). The Admirals are spearheaded by youth and electric forechecking assertiveness, which can be a lethal combination in the playoff hockey atmosphere.

It helps when you come into the first round on a red hot winning streak. In a tight Central Division postseason race, Milwaukee went 11-0-2-1 to end their season, fighting from seventh in the Central to second-place and home-ice advantage in round one.

The Wild, on the other hand, have been carried by some savvy and experienced veterans like Cal O'Reilly, Gerald Mayhew, and Kyle Rau, as well as a dynamic goaltending duo of All-Star Kaapo Kahkonen and AHL Player of the Week Andrew Hammond. But they won't have to lean on goaltending and experience all postseason long.

Head coach Tim Army has emphasized speed and hard work in the neutral zone all year long, and systemically, the Wild seem ready for the test. In addition, the Minnesota Wild re-assigned forwards Ryan Donato, Jordan Greenway, and Luke Kunin down to Iowa after the NHL season ended in St. Paul. The trio will assist in generating that speed and scoring from the top lines, pushing nominal top six forwards into middle six roles and thus providing great depth to the offensive attack.

The most intriguing matchup to watch in this first-round series is special teams, specifically the Iowa power-play versus the Milwaukee penalty kill. The Wild posted the second-best power play percentage in the league (23.8%) in the regular season, but will line up against an Admirals' penalty kill unit that erased a Western Conference-high 85% of penalties. Army and fellow first-year head coach Karl Taylor will have their hands full of each other's high-end special teams groups in this one.

Prospects to Watch:

MIL: RW Eeli Tolvanen (1st): Though the Finn didn't have the year expected from the Nashville top prospect, Tolvanen was great down the stretch. His timely scoring and playmaking will no doubt be a factor in the playoffs.

MIL: D Alexandre Carrier (8th): His offensive output has always been there, but in his third full AHL year, the 5-11" playmaker evolved as a complete d-man. His gaps and stick-quickness have taken major strides, and in a top-four role, will be essential to any long playoff run in Milwaukee.

IA: G Kaapo Kahkonen (7th): Kahkonen has had himself a splendid first season in the North American pros, and depending on his role in the playoffs (keep Hammond in mind), he could be playing for a spot with the NHL club next season.

IA: LW Jordan Greenway (3rd): Coming off a full season with Minnesota, Greenway's presence post re-assignment has already been felt (5-3-3-6) down the stretch. A massive and skilled forward, the 22-year-old plays a playoff style of hockey.

Prediction: Admirals in five games.

Pacific Division:

Bakersfield Condors (42-21-3-2) vs 4. Colorado Eagles (36-27-4-1)

The Condors made history midway through the 2018-19 season when they stormed through a 17-game winning streak, the second-longest undefeated run in the history of the AHL. They were lifted to the summit of the Pacific Division after being outside of a postseason spot before the streak, which speaks to their depth and attitude.

First-year Condors Tyler Benson (4th) and Cooper Marody (5th) have carried the club for the better part of the season, and the two leading Bakersfield scorers are extremely dangerous on the power play, where 43 of their combined 130 points have come, helping the Condors' man-advantage operate at a division-best 20.5% clip.

The Condors will have to lean on the aforementioned duo, as what they have in top-end skill, they lack in scoring depth. Bakersfield's next-leading point scorer after Benson (66) and Marody (64) is Joe Gambardella, who is 16 points shy of the top two. Along with Josh Currie, these four are the only ones on the roster with more than 40 points this season.

The Eagles, on the other hand, needed final-weekend drama and help to clinch a postseason spot. They won their final regular season game over San Jose and saw division rival Tucson lose an hour later to grab the fourth spot in the Pacific by one point.

Late-season grinds like that can inspire a team, though, and Colorado has a solid mix of veterans and young guns to generate momentum with in its first year as an AHL franchise. AHL ringers like forward Andrew Agozzino and defenseman David Warsofsky have been leaders at their respective positions and have alleviated the pressure on the Martin Kaut and Nicolas Meloche types for high-stakes moments like this: the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

They have an elite penalty kill (84.1%), accrued after a lot of practice, as they also accumulated a Western Conference-high 1,114 penalty minutes in the regular season. The club will have to remain disciplined to have a shot in the first round, as they can ill afford to line the Condors up with power play opportunities.

Prospects to Watch:

BAK: D Caleb Jones (14th): After a frustrating rookie season in 2017-18, Jones has established himself as a top-pair fixture with much-improved two-way reliability, and still has his offensive chops ready to go.

BAK: LW Tyler Benson (4th): Plagued by injuries for much of his young career, Benson has finally stayed healthy for an extended period of time and is showing everyone just how good he is this season.

COL: RW Martin Kaut (4th): Another 19-year-old in the AHL, Kaut is highly intelligent and is due to start scoring goals after an unsustainably unlucky 9.7 shooting percentage during the season. He has been solid in all three zones this season, but the Eagles might need him to take another step up.

COL: LW A.J. Greer (18th): The former second-round draft selection had the best year of his pro career after inconsistencies before 2018-19, and his combination of physicality and smarts are a sight to behold.

Prediction: Condors in four games.

San Jose Barracuda (39-22-3-4) vs 3. San Diego Gulls (36-27-4-1)

The Barracuda have a set of advantages and disadvantages coming into their matchup with their rivals down Interstate-5 in California. One pro is their higher place in seeding, which grants home-ice rights, but a major disadvantage is their NHL parent club, the San Jose Sharks, being tied up in a playoff race.

At any time, some of the Barracuda's most important contributors can be recalled and leave the AHL team flat, such as occurred with Monday's promotion of Dylan Gambrell, the Sharks' third-ranked prospect and the 'Cuda's fourth-leading scorer. However, this club is still very skilled, especially from the blue line going forward. Nick DeSimone is one of the finest offensive defensemen in the league, and Kyle Wood is a rock in his own zone.

Unheralded forward prospects like Alexander True and Francis Perron have jumped into the spotlight this season and can provide plus value as the team's top two scorers in the regular season.

After missing the playoffs on the last night of the 2017-18 season, the Gulls cleared the playoff bubble and secured a return appearance to the postseason this spring. The club has been led by several once-valued prospects that were given up on by their previous franchises (Sam Carrick, Chase De Leo, Justin Kloos), as well as emerging home-grown prospects like Sam Steel and Troy Terry.

Either way, this team is pretty young and just as exciting. Though Terry is done for the season (non-displaced leg fracture), Steel and other top prospects like Kalle Kossila and Max Jones will have to carry the water of a rather juvenile club.

The Gulls scored the second-most goals in the division (239), are solid on special teams (20.3 PP%, 80.9 PK%), and have solid veteran goaltending with Kevin Boyle and Jeff Glass in net. This is a team without a clear, deadly weakness. They also have the same amount of wins at home as they do away from San Diego (18) which will pay off when the series shifts to Northern California.

Prospects to Watch:

SJ: LW Francis Perron (not ranked): Packaged as part of the Erik Karlsson trade, the forward has been another reason as to why the Sharks won the September transaction. On the Barracuda top line, the 22-year-old has been better than ever in the regular season.

SJ: C/LW Jayden Halbgewachs (12th): The leading scorer in the WHL last season had a major test jumping into the pros, and it all pertained to whether he will be able to score at will in the AHL, as he did in junior. While he didn't have the best regular season on offense, a big playoff run in the San Jose top-six can help his case.

SD: C Sam Steel (1st): Though Steel has not had an ideal season after making the big-league club out of training camp, he still posted solid numbers as a 21-year-old in the AHL (53-20-21-41). He can impact the game with or without the puck with his great rink sense and beautiful shot.

SD: D Josh Mahura (6th): Mahura has made monumental leaps to his defensive game after being mostly an offensive specialist in the WHL, and should pencil into the bottom-four of the San Diego postseason lineup.

Prediction: Gulls in four games.

How the Rest of the West Playoffs Will Unfold:

Western Conference Semifinals: Milwaukee Admirals over Chicago Wolves, 4-2.

Bakersfield Condors over San Diego Gulls, 4-1.

Western Conference Finals: Bakersfield Condors over Milwaukee Admirals, 4-3

Vegas Golden Knights Prospect System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 14:35:05 +0000

Building an NHL organization from the ground up is hard. As my father used to say, “Rome wasn’t built in one day.” Of course, Vegas GM George McPhee turned that way of thinking on its head last year, taking a first year team not just to the playoffs, but to the Stanley Cup Finals.

None of this is a surprise to anyone reading these pages. But as the Golden Knights built a surprisingly competitive team at the NHL level, they knew that the overall strength and depth of the organization would take some time to build up.

While selecting the bulk of the NHL roster in the Expansion Draft and beginning to build for the long-term future through the Entry Draft, the Golden Knights were forced to neglect the AHL level. In fact, knowing in advance that this would be a problem, they shared their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, with the St. Louis Blues. When the NHL team’s early season goalie curse arose, and all expected AHL goalies were hurt or in the NHL, they borrowed another netminder from the Toronto system, who had a decent one to spare.

And when we examine Vegas’ inaugural season with a more critical eye, we can see that they almost never had to call to the farm for temporary replacements, outside of the aforementioned goalie matter. In the first few weeks of the season they called up defenseman Shea Theodore and big winger Alex Tuch, both of whom were already NHLers, but who were forced to start the season in the AHL due to a contractual crunch.

Other than those two, who Vegas had intended to have in the NHL for the season, and a few other minor incidents of shuffling in the first month as the team roster congealed, the only other calls to the AHL the team made all season were for goalies, and brief opportunities for Jason Garrison, Stefan Matteau, and Tomas Hyka. Those three players played a combined 26 games.

If anyone needed a reason to expect the Vegas Golden Knights to regress next year (hint: you shouldn’t need a reason. Any team that performs this well is likely to regress, expansion club or not) this is it. No team can have so little use of its AHL reinforcements in a given season two years in a row. We should have no doubts but that Vegas will deal with a “normal” share of injuries next season and need to call up replacement players from the farm. As replacements, by definition, they are not as good as the player the NHL would rather have suiting up.

The Golden Knights, now more than one year old, have had a chance to add some pieces to their farm system. Not only to account for the scenario described in the last paragraph, but because they will no longer be sharing the staffing of the Wolves, as St. Louis has now moved to San Antonio as part of an AHL shuffle to get the league back up to one team for every NHL club.

Whether it is the signing of NCAA free agent Zach Whitecloud, or the WHL graduation of Dylan Coughlin, or a few other young players signed to AHL contracts, Vegas should have more to choose from on the farm this year. But with the bulk of their prospects of note still in their teens and playing in the CHL or Europe, don’t expect the Golden Knights to be too eager to rely on the farm yet. They will need at least another two season to have a truly deep farm system.

Cody Glass

1 Cody Glass, C (6^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1^st) The first ever draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights, Cody Glass was one of the top scorers in the WHL in his first post draft season, and yet the year could still fairly be labelled a minor disappointment. Such is the base of talent which he has to work with. A high end skater with near elite puck skills, the disappointment is all relative, as the lanky center was not selected to represent Canada at the WJC and his Portland Winterhawks were not able to get past the second round of the WHL playoffs. No matter, he still grew a fair bit as a player and the top six projections he had on draft day are starting to look more like a first line regular. He still needs to add strength, which would both make him tougher to play against as well as add more zip to his shot. His hockey IQ is another selling point, a factor that helps everything else play up. With the signing of Paul Stastny, the Golden Knights will not be tempted to bring him to the NHL prematurely, but it would be a shock if he is not on Canada’s WJC squad this year.

2 Nick Suzuki, C (13^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 2^nd) Like Cody Glass above, Nick Suzuki, Vegas’ second every draft pick, had a post draft year that was simultaneously fantastic, and disappointing. And for the very same reasons. Production amongst the best in the OHL, but without any international exposure and with team success that did not meet expectations. A smaller player with great straight ahead speed and a plethora of offensive tools, he is as dangerous shorthanded as he is at even strength, scoring five shorthanded goals for the second year in a row. Like Glass, he has first line potential, but in this case, his defensive versatility could make him a fit in a traditional concept of a middle six as well. His game is almost as well-rounded as the player above, although Suzuki has an extra layer of excitement to his style. Thanks to Vegas’ depth, Suzuki is also likely to go back to Owen Sound and should be a prime candidate to represent Canada at the 2019 WJC.

3 Erik Brannstrom, D (15^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 3^rd) Were it not for the presence of Rasmus Dahlin, Erik Brannstrom would have been the most interesting, talented teenaged defenseman in the SHL last year. A fantastic skater, with both great acceleration and top speed, as well as the ability to juke and jive out of coverage when rushing the puck up ice. His hands are as quick and skilled as his feet. He is small and always will be, but plays without fear. He is comfortable taking the body such as when trying to slow down a zone entry against. Unlike most blueliners with his offensive gifts, Brannstrom is also exceptionally responsible in his own zone. While no more ready for the North American pro game than are Glass or Suzuki, the fact that he was drafted out of Sweden instead of the CHL means he is fairly likely to spend the upcoming season in the AHL.

4 Nicolas Hague, D (34^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 5^th) At 6-6”, easily the tallest player in the organization, Hague took a few big steps forward (he knows no other kind) last year with Mississauga, coming close to doubling his offensive output on a team that was not as strong as the year before. He is not exactly a mobile defender, but he skates well enough for his extra large size. He is a classic point man with a gigantic slap shot which allowed him to score 10 more goals than the next most prolific defenseman in the OHL. He is a fine puckhandler, although he should not be expected to lead a rush, or skate the puck through the neutral zone on the regular as a professional. Hague’s defensive game is growing steadily as well, and he is getting more comfortable maintaining his positioning. Although not a mean player, he puts his frame to good use, too. He will have ample time starting next year in the AHL to work on striking a balance between being imposing and staying within the rules. He still projects as a future second pairing blueliner and power play weapon.

Jake Bischoff

5 Jake Bischoff, D (Trade: Jun. 21, 2017 [New York Islanders]. Last Year: 9^th) In order to convince Vegas to select the injured and expensive Mikhail Grabovski in the Expansion Draft, the Islanders offered them a 2018 first round pick (Brannstrom) and 2019 second rounder, and Bischoff. After four full seasons with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Bischoff fit in immediately on the AHL blueline, one of the steadier defensive presences for the Wolves on the season. He has plus foot speed, and a very quick release on a half-wound up snapshot that has been known to trick a goalie or two. His defensive game is mature, although he likes to take risks once he gets the puck back. He has average size and is willing to take a hit to make a pass, but does not often engage aggressively. If he can learn to play with more assertiveness, he could find himself among the first blueliners recalled to Vegas.

6 Tomas Hyka, RW (UFA: Jun. 1, 2017. Last Year: not ranked) Long ago a sixth round pick of the LA Kings, Hyka never signed after two years in the QMJHL and returned to Europe, spending one year in Sweden and the next three back home in the Czech Republic, growing progressively more dominant offensively. Finally moving back to North America in the Vegas system, at first it seemed as if he had reverted back to his earlier ways of struggling in his first year in a new league. He looked sluggish and confused all too often. But as the AHL season continued, Hyka gradually grew to become a dominant offensive weapon. His quick hands and fast feet made him dangerous when hunting pucks. He excels in the dirty areas, poaching loose pucks near the crease and putting them in the net. The amount of grit he brings to the game will enable him to fit in a bottom six role in the NHL, adding energy and depth scoring as soon as this season.

7 Ivan Morozov, C (61^st overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) Vegas’ first selection at the 2018 draft, Morozov turned heads with big performances for his native Russia at the World Junior A Challenge as well as a star turn at the WU18s. He also made his KHL debut last year, but spent the vast majority of his season in Russia’s junior leagues with Mamonty Yugry. A very good skater with both speed and agility he has a goal scorer’s instincts and some magic on his stick, he prefers to do his work in short bursts, letting teammates carry the puck up ice or control the cycle. He can play on both the wing and at center, and has good strength for his size. The fact that Mamonty traded him to the SKA St. Petersburg organization, one of the titans of Russian hockey, suggests that his game is appreciated in his homeland as well and he will see some pressure to stay longer than Vegas would want.

8 Lucas Elvenes, C/RW (127^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 17^th) Elevenes and the next player up on this list are the two Golden Knights’ prospects who have moved their stock upwards the most this season. Elvenes was an impressive offensive weapon in the Swedish junior leagues before Vegas made hi a fifth round pick, but the ease with which he adapted to senior hockey last year was stunning. For around half of the year, he played in Sweden’s second league, the Allsvenskan, and contributed nearly one point per game. The second half of his season was in the SHL and while he could not produce at such a rate, his 16 points in 28 games made him the second most prolific U19 scorer in the league behind only Rasmus Dahlin and the leader in that age cohort in points per game. All those accolades aside, the reason why he lasted 127 picks in 2017 is still true. Elvenes is still only average as a skater and most of his production comes in the form of assists as his shot is OK. But his offensive vision and playmaking are both plus-plus and he has turned himself into a prospect of note because of those abilities.

9 Benjamin Jones, C (187^th overall, 2017. Last Year: not ranked) An afterthought taken in the seventh round in 2017, Jones was one of the few prospect eligible players in the Vegas system not to rank in their inaugural top 20. The former top ten pick in the OHL Priority Draft, he went back to Niagara and was one of their clear-cut leadership group, wearing a “A” on his chest and being among their offensive drivers. With the possible exception of his shooting ability, which is just OK, he does everything else at an above average level. He is a very good skater who can play add a disruptive physical presence in his own zone, along with commitment and proper positioning. He is a very skilled playmaker who is not awed by clutch situations. He is still a bit of a sleeper, but he shouldn’t be for much longer.

Stanislav Demin

10 Stanislav Demin, D (99^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) On the long list for last year’s USNTDP cohort, the Californian Demin ignored the lure of the WHL (Portland) and the USHL (Des Moines) and spent the bulk of the last two seasons in British Columbia with the Wenatchee Wild who he helped lead to the BCHL Championship and a spot in the RBC Cup last year. He has an average frame and skates well, but the highlights of his game are his hard and accurate point shot and his ability to put his size and strength to good use. His defensive game in the BCHL was promising, with the caveat that the lack of experience against a more uniformly high level of competition leaves us with a mystery about how he would hold up under greater pressure. We will find out more next year as he heads to the University of Denver and the ultra-competitive NCHC Conference.

11 Jack Dugan, LW (142^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: not ranked) A bit of a mystery, drafted in the fifth round in his second year of eligibility out of a New York State prep school, Dugan is now looking like a scouting success story. Moving to the higher profile and strong competition of the USHL, he was immediately a top scorer, finishing third on the season, for a so-so Chicago squad. He was able to show quickness, good acceleration, a finisher’s instincts as well as fine playmaking abilities. His defensive game was less refines, but improved as the year went on. Although prone to penalties, he is not an overly physical player, more someone who needs hep keeping his game in check. There is some risk in getting too enamored with a player who dominated any junior league as a 20 year-old, but there are more than enough signs that the production comes from a place of real skill and can be repeated at a higher level. The truth of that sentiment will be felt next year with Providence College.

12 Zach Whitecloud, D (UDFA: Mar. 8, 2018. Last Year: IE) One of the jewels of the 2018 NCAA free agent class, Whitecloud was also the first collegiate signing made by the Vegas organization. So his place in trivia history is assured. The big Bemidji State blueliner skates very well considering his bulk. He has a big shot, but his defensive game is arguably stronger at this point in his development. He has not yet made a point of using his size to intimidate or otherwise impose himself upon the opposition, but he is certainly a roadblock that needs to be surmounted. He is an accomplished puck mover, making up in surety what he lacks in dynamism. Although he was given a one game NHL cameo after signing, he is expected to spend the bulk of the 2018-19 season (at minimum) in the AHL.

13 Maxim Zhukov, G (96^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 11^th) And incredibly talented, yet maddeningly inconsistent puckstopper, Zhukov can look like the best netminder of his age class in one game, and like someone who could struggle in Tier 3 in another. Thankfully, he more often resembles the former than the latter. He plays in a classic butterfly, and retains calmness and composure from his knees. One of the most noteworthy facets of his game from his good nights is the absolute dearth of second chances he allows. He understands his angles and covers the net well, even when forced back in his crease. Even at his best though, he is an adventure when he has to handle the puck. After two years in the USHL, Zhukov may end his junior eligibility in the OHL with Barrie, which drafted him in the CHL Import Draft this summer.

14 Oscar Dansk, G (UFA: Jul. 3, 2017. Last Year: 16^th) Recalled early in the season after Vegas starter Marc-Andre Fleury was hurt, Dansk got into four straight games. First he came off the bench. He started the next two games, allowing two total goals. Mid-way through his fourth game, he, too, went down with injury. When he was finally healthy, so was Fleury, and so Dansk went back to the AHL. And he did well. He moves very well laterally, with quick push-offs. He is an aggressive goaltender who enjoys getting his stick in the way of opponents who stray too close and enjoys playing the puck. If he can stay healthy for a full season, something the former second rounder has struggled to do over the years, he could yet find his way into an NHL backup role.

Keegan Kolesar

15 Keegan Kolesar, RW (Trade: Jun. 24, 2017 [Columbus]. Last Year: 13^th) A big bruising power forward, Vegas traded a second round pick to Columbus for the chance to gain an AHL ready forward with upside who would not have been available to them in the Expansion Draft. As impressive as Kolesar was in his final two WHL seasons with Seattle, he came to Vegas raw and ended up spending roughly one third of his rookie pro season in the ECHL. For all his bulk, he is a decent skater who can get to a decent top speed, but needs work on his technique to improve his balance and ability to change direction without lunging. He can flash some dexterity in his hands. He plays with great energy and brings a tremendous physical presence to his shifts. By the end of the season, he was dropping hints that there may be much more in store, if we are patient enough to wait for it.

16 Griffin Reinhart, D (Expansion Draft, Edmonton. Last Year: 14^th) Six years removed from being selected by the New York Islanders with the fourth pick of the NHL entry draft, Griffin Reinhart has played a grand total of 37 NHL games and it is not too early to deem him a bust. That does not mean that he does not have any redeeming qualities that could one day land him an NHL job. He can play the puck from out of his own zone. His hands are soft and he can sense when it is best to carry the puck out or to pass it off to a teammate. When facing a rush, he keeps a solid, tight gap. He is smart and mature enough to play within his limitations. What are those limitations, you ask? He is a big, big boy, and he is not fast for his size. His feet are simply heavy, so he has to cheat for defense and he can be beaten to the outside with a modicum of speed. In a game skewing faster, he is in danger of being left behind.

17 Jonas Rondbjerg, RW (65^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 18^th) With a solid first year spent mostly in senior hockey in Sweden under his belt, Rondbjerg is still trending in the direction of a competent bottom six winger down the line in the NHL. He had previously spent two seasons playing senior hockey in Denmark prior to his draft year, but the gap between Sweden and Denmark in hockey is bigger than the body of water that separates the two Scandinavian countries. He plays a mature game, with some occasional flashes of skill in his hands as well. He is an average or so skater, but he can accelerate well with a nice change of pace to get past the first line of defense. There are questions about Rondbjerg’s ultimate offensive upside, but Vegas has to like what it has seen so far from him.

18 Jake Leschyshyn, C (62^nd overall, 2017. Last Year: 12^th) A defense-first forward, when the Golden Knights drafted Leschyshyn at the tail end of the second round of their inaugural draft, they had hoped that his nascent offensive skills would gradually evolve to the point that he could project as a two-way center. The fact that he missed a large chunk of his draft year to injury and still approached one point per game gave them added hope. Unfortunately, last season did not go according to plan. Leschyshyn was healthy, playing 17 more games than he had the year prior, but despite the added ice time, he was still limited to the same 40 point total, output more in line with a potential sixth rounder than a second rounder. He is a decent skater without any offensive tools that look to be any more than average. He can play a somewhat physical game, but he has not shown anything that could be described as dynamic.

19 Dylan Ferguson, G (Trade: Jun. 26, 2017 [Dallas]. Last Year: not ranked) Having run out of both NHL and AHL netminders last year, Vegas made a rare emergency recall, bringing Dylan Ferguson, a 19 year-old drafted in the seventh round by Dallas, up from the WHL. He spent 18 days on the NHL roster, getting a touch over nine minutes of ice time and stopping one of two shots he faced. Although his return to Kamloops was deflating, he still was able to demonstrate some of the qualities that convinced Vegas to target him when they dealt Marc Methot to Dallas. He is on the small side for a modern goalie, but makes up for it with plus athleticism, good vision, and a high compete level. He is a few years away from a return trip to the NHL, if he ever gets there, but he is part of the reason why the net is currently Vegas’ deepest position.

20 Paul Cotter, C (115^th overall, 2018. Last Year: IE) At his best, Paul Cotter can flash high end offensive abilities. Equal parts hustle and skill. He has very quick wheels and wants that puck on his stick. He will fight for it all over the ice. He even has a bit of grit, as he finishes his checks with whatever he has. At his worst, he is none of those things, reliant on teammates to get things started while he leans back in a supporting role. He has come a long way in the past 24 months. He was a decent young player in the Michigan U16 scene. Then he was the NAHL rookie of the year. Last year he made the USHL All Rookie team. Next year, grades permitting, he will play in the NCHC for Western Michigan. He is a clever player with enough offensive instincts, even if it is inconsistent brought to the fore, that he bears watching as he develops, even is he is not someone to build around.

Vegas – System Overview

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 12:05:12 +0000

Given the rare chance to build an organization from scratch, the Vegas Golden Knights could have taken many different approaches to building up. They could build for now, using the expansion draft to select veteran performers, maybe taking some salary off the books of their rivals in order to be competitive in year one.

They could have drafted with the far future in mind, selecting as bad of a roster as possible now, both as a means of losing a lot right away so as to select early in the entry draft in subsequent years. In this scenario, they would have swung deals with the other teams in the league to minimize the expansion draft’s impact on the present day collectives of the competition in exchange for higher end prospects who would not otherwise have been expansion draft eligible and as many future draft picks as possible.

They could also have drafted for the near, but not immediate, future. This scenario sees them drafting young players who could play in the NHL but are blocked at their respective positions. These players may still have some development left in store, but should be ready or almost ready to play in the NHL right away.

Vegas decided to take all three routes at once. Drafting players like Marc-Andre Fleury, David Perron, James Neal, and Jason Garrison to lend at least the veneer of present day respectability to the club.

For the far future goals, the Golden Knights were able to extort additional draft picks as part of many side deals to ensure that the newest NHL franchise would steer clear of players their incumbent owners saw as more valuable. For example, Vegas got a pick to ensure that they drafted Fleury. Minnesota, in order to protect their deep and young blueline crew, had to send former first-round pick Alex Tuch and a conditional future selection to Nevada so that Vegas would draft Erik Haula instead of Marco Scandella or Matt Dumba. The Islanders sent their first round pick to Vegas as coercion to draft the inured Mikhail Grabovski instead of Ryan Strome or Brock Nelson. Players who are on the early depth chart who fit this route include Brendan Leipsic, Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Oscar Lindberg, and Jon Merrill, among others. They are already NHLers and have a semi-reasonable chance of being able to play higher on a roster than they were able to with their previous clubs.

For the near future, look at how Vegas dealt with Anaheim’s blueline surplus. The Ducks had too many good young defensemen that needed protection. In exchange for former first rounder Shea Theodore, the Ducks ignored the talented players the Ducks had to expose and took on the anchor contract of Clayton Stoner instead. In the end, the Golden Knights were able to stockpile 12 picks in the seven rounds of their first draft, including three in the first round. Those on top of the near to NHL ready prospects they acquired as both near-term help and leverage for future trades.

The following list is both a top 20 and, considering the team has only 28 qualified players in the organization, a pretty good overview of the state of the franchise.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks

1 Cody Glass – With their first ever draft pick, the Golden Knights selected an effective two-way center with a gift for playmaking who projects as a potential top six center in the not-too-distant future. He has an extremely high hockey IQ, processing the actions on the ice rapidly. In addition to his scoring exploits, he is also a trusted penalty killer. He has a good frame, but needs to continue to add bulk to better withstand pro competition. A good player to get the ball rolling with.

Nick Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

2 Nick Suzuki – Outside of the physical game, Suzuki brings it all. Superb skating, a hard shot, silky puck skills, high hockey IQ, reliability. It is rare to see such a prolific scorer used with such frequency on the PK. Finished second in the OHL in shorthanded goals last year. Needs to focus more on utilizing his linemates instead of trying to create and finish plays on his own, but this is a dynamic talent who should meet the demands of both coaches and fans.

Erik Brannstrom (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

3 Erik Brannstrom – One of the most exciting talents in the 2017 draft class, Brannstrom is a puck moving, go-go-go defenseman styled after Erik Karlsson. This is not to presume a similar career path, but that he has a similar skill set. A dynamic skater who sees the ice very well and was built to move the puck. Loves to shoot and has a solid shot as well. He also has the same downsides that Karlsson had as a teen. Brannstrom is undersized and can be pushed around in his own zone. A prototype defender in the possession age.

4 Shea Theodore – For our money, the acquisition of Theodore was Vegas’ most impressive maneuver of the expansion draft. On almost any team except for Anaheim, he would be looked at as an NHL-ready blueliner who could be a building block for a future first or second pairing. An excellent skater with near-elite puck skills, he has already shown that he has little to nothing to prove in the AHL after two pro seasons and continued to produce in the NHL postseason.

5 Nicolas Hague – If Brannstrom is an Erik Karlsson starter kit, Hague is a blueline prospect built in the mold of Shea Weber or Brent Burns. The easy aspect of those comparisons is his immense size and almost as big point shot. The shot is impressive for both its power and its accuracy. He skates well enough for his size and has moderate puck skills as well. He likes to use his body to punish opponents but could stand to curb his enthusiasm a bit, if only to cut down on punishable infractions.

6 Nikita Gusev – An elite scorer in the KHL, our Russian scout compares Gusev’s reputation in Russia favorably to that of Artemi Panarin. He just signed a two-year extension to continue playing for SKA St. Petersburg, so he a future asset for Vegas. He has elite dangling skills which he combines with his plus skating to form a dynamic offensive presence. More a playmaker than a shooter, he will have to prove that his size deficiencies will not be an obstacle once he leaves for North America.

7 Alex Tuch – Surrendered by Minnesota to Vegas to prevent the latter from poaching one of their good young NHL blueliners, Tuch had a solid first professional season with Iowa, looking much like the player he was at Boston College. An average skater – although impressive with his plus sized frame – he is comfortable on the puck and has shown high end stickhandling ability in the past. Could use one more AHL season before the reins come off.

8 Brendan Leipsic – A long term injury derailed what was promising to be the best season yet of his young career, but Leipsic was very close to earning a spot on a crowded Maple Leafs roster. While he was out, other young players became more established, and then Leipsic was available in the expansion draft. Small but pugnacious, he has some of what made Brad Marchand and Brendan Gallagher successful NHLers. Very versatile forward who has scored everywhere he has gone.

9 Jake Bischoff – A smart two-way blueliner coming off a good career with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Bischoff was part of the package sent by the Islanders to Vegas to coerce the Golden Knights to draft the injured Grabovski. Bischoff has a great point shot and plays with high alertness, ready at all times to snatch a loose puck and begin the transition. A very good skater who relies on positioning more than brawn in his own zone. Needs to play with more aggressiveness.

10 Tomas Nosek – Vegas selected Nosek in the expansion draft from Detroit instead of some of the more famous and expensive names that the Red Wings dangled. He is willing to play in the dirty areas and shows promising offensive awareness. Was a top performer in Grand Rapids’ run to the Calder Cup last year with 22 points in 19 postseason games. High IQ player with moderate offensive capabilities and trustworthy in his own zone or killing penalties.

11 Maxim Zhukov – Although inconsistent, when he is on, Zhukov can absolutely steal games for his team. At his best, he allows few to no second chances and exudes calmness between the pipes. He has very good size, moves well and shows the ability to read the play, but if he lets in a bad goal early, is prone to following that up with a second, and sometimes third. More a shot blocker than a butterfly goalie, it is an open question where he will play next year.

12 Jake Leschyshyn – A sparkplug type with good wheels, Leschyshyn was in the middle of a solid draft year, scoring at a reasonable clip on a stacked Regina squad before being shut down due to injury. He has proven that he can put up big numbers playing a top six role, but will have to earn the spot in the Pats lineup. If he is over his health troubles, he could prove to be a steal at the end of the second round. Needs to prove he can withstand a physical game.

13 Keegan Kolesar – A wide-bodied power forward, Kolesar showed some offensive spark in last year’s WHL playoffs, where he was the leading scorer of the entire tournament. He plays a very hard game, and his flashes of offensive vision can put the lie to his first impression as a gritty winger. Comfortable playing in front of the net, he is a handful to defend against. His skating is powerful, if not very fast. A high floor, low ceiling player.

14 Griffin Reinhart – After three professional seasons, mostly spent in the AHL, Reinhart has little left to prove in the minors. Five years and two organizations removed from his day in the spotlight as the fourth overall draft pick, he has seen little development in the past few years. An intelligent player who can be tough to play against due to his size and positioning, his offensive contributions are not expected to be more than minimal. Foot speed is lacking and his blueline shot is not a grave threat.

15 Reid Duke – Currently best known as the first player signed by Vegas, the former Minnesota draft pick has some game as well. He plays a mature, intelligent game and is reliable in critical game situations. Basically an average skater, his hands are good and he plays with some sandpaper. He will never be a primary scoring option, but should be able to hold his own in a depth role and is not far from his realistic ceiling.

16 Oscar Dansk – After two years back in Sweden, Vegas signed former Blue Jacket Dansk to a one year deal in the offseason. Likely ticketed for third goalie/AHL starter duties, he has not developed as was hoped by Columbus who selected him in the second round of the 2012 draft. Not especially tall, he is relatively broad and a solid athlete. Can make some tricky saves. Needs to stop more shots than he did in his last AHL action.

17 Lucas Elvenes – A playmaker whose hands are better than his feet, Elvenes was over a point-per-game producer for Rogle’s U20 team in SuperElit, although he was shut out in 12 SHL games. He is very creative and is elusive due to his agility, but his skating ability and peripheral play – likely a function of his lack of muscular development thus far – will both need to show marked improvement before he will be ready to move on to the next level.

18 Jonas Rondbjerg – Not as flashy as most recent Danish NHL prospects, Rondbjerg instead plays a mature game and projects as more of a two-way forward down the line. He made the move from Denmark to Sweden last year, playing a well-rounded game in SuperElit, one of the better junior circuits outside of North America. His plus puck control is likely his best asset and suggests increased offensive output going forward.

19 T.J. Tynan – Signed by the Golden Knights as a free agent, Tynan was not re-signed by the Blue Jackets after his ELC expired. Significantly undersized, the former third rounder has proven to be able to contribute secondary scoring at the AHL level. A good skater with very quick hands, he has very good vision, but is not necessarily the most creative. Has a better chance to make an NHL impact with Vegas than he did with Columbus.

20 Nick Campoli – A very good skater who likes to carry the puck through the neutral zone and can generate offense once the offensive zone has been established, Campoli spent a large chunk of his draft year injured. Put up good numbers on an inconsistent Junior A team thanks to his vision, patience and a strong shot. Spent a lot of time outside the dots as he recovered from his injuries. He needs to bulk up to be able to compete in the corners or to create his own space in the offensive zone.

Although this system is still naturally shallow, the Golden Knights have done a marvelous job of stocking the shelves with dynamic, front-line young talent. They should not have too much difficulty in filing out the organization with lower ceiling prospects over the next year or two, but they have already done some of the hardest, heaviest lifting in getting some of the foundational pieces that will be coming into their primes as Vegas becomes competitive.

Vegas Golden Knights unveil their roster with more chips to fall.

McKeen's Hockey — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 16:19:24 +0000

The Vegas Golden Knights unveiled the first generation of a roster that will likely undergo many changes in the next few days. Rumours of pending trades abound as the NHL Draft gets underway in Chicago tomorrow night.

Marc-Andre Fleury becomes the biggest name on the roster, anchoring the team in net. James Neal brings his sniper’s touch and 238 NHL goals to lead the offense. He ranks 14^th in the NHL over the lasts six years with 165. There are other interesting acquisitions, with many likely acquired to be flipped in short order.

GM George McPhee has held all the cards so far, but the state of play remains in motion, with many chips left to fall. It is premature to analyze the Golden Knights today, so in the meantime here is their current roster.

For subscribers we have set up the team page, if you want to link to the player pages via the team page. You can also link from the tags at the bottom of the article.

Depth Chart

LEFT WING	CENTER	RIGHT WING
Jonathan Marchessault	Vadim Shipachyov	James Neal
David Perron	Cody Eakin	Reilly Smith
William Carrier	William Karlsson	Teemu Pulkkinen
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare	Oscar Lindberg	Chris Thorburn

Brendan Leipsic	Erik Haula	Alex Tuch
Connor Brickley	Tomas Nosek	Tomas Hyka
Nikita Gusev	Reid Duke	David Clarkson
	Mikhail Grabovski

LEFT DEFENSE	RIGHT DEFENSE
Marc Methot	Colin Miller
Brayden McNabb	David Schlemko
Alexei Emelin	Trevor van Riemsdyk
Jason Garrison	Deryk Engelland

Jon Merrill	Nate Schmidt
Clayton Stoner	Shea Theodore
Griffin Reinhart	Luca Sbisa
Jake Bischoff

GOAL
Marc-Andre Fleury

Calvin Pickard
Jean-Francois Berube

PLAYER	POS	HT/WT	AGE	2016-17 STATS	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Reid Duke	C	6-0/195	21	Brandon (WHL)	59	37	34	71	81
Cody Eakin	C	5-11/190	26	Dallas (NHL)	60	3	9	12	49
Mikhail Grabovski	C	5-10/185	33	NY Islanders (NHL) - DNP Inj
Erik Haula	C	5-11/190	26	Minnesota (NHL)	72	15	11	26	28
William Karlsson	C	6-0/190	24	Columbus (NHL)	81	6	19	25	10
Oscar Lindberg	C	6-1/190	25	NY Rangers (NHL)	65	8	12	20	32
Tomas Nosek	C	6-2/210	25	Grand Rapids (AHL)	51	15	26	41	33
Vadim Shipachyov	C	6-0/190	30	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	50	26	50	76	22
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare	LW	6-0/195	32	Philadelphia (NHL)	82	4	4	8	20
Connor Brickley	LW	6-0/205	25	Charlotte (AHL)	69	15	11	26	57
William Carrier	LW	6-1/200	22	Buffalo (NHL)	41	5	3	8	21
Nikita Gusev	LW	5-9/165	25	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	57	24	47	71	8
Brendan Leipsic	LW	5-9/170	23	Toronto (AHL)	49	18	33	51	30
Jonathan Marchessault	LW	5-9/175	26	Florida (NHL)	75	30	21	51	38
David Perron	LW	6-0/195	29	St. Louis (NHL)	82	18	28	46	54
David Clarkson	RW	6-1/205	33	Columbus (NHL) - DNP Inj
Tomas Hyka	RW	5-11/170	24	Mlada Boleslav (Cze)	48	17	21	38	18
James Neal	RW	6-2/210	30	Nashville (NHL)	70	23	18	41	35
Teemu Pulkkinen	RW	5-11/190	25	Iowa (AHL)	47	18	18	36	36
Reilly Smith	RW	6-0/185	26	Florida (NHL)	80	15	22	37	17
Chris Thorburn	RW	6-3/225	34	Winnipeg (NHL)	64	3	1	4	95
Alex Tuch	RW	6-4/220	21	Iowa (AHL)	57	18	19	37	28
Jake Bischoff	D	6-1/195	23	Minnesota (B1G)	38	5	27	32	16
Alexei Emelin	D	6-1/220	31	Montreal (NHL)	76	2	8	10	71
Deryk Engelland	D	6-2/205	35	Calgary (NHL)	81	4	12	16	85
Jason Garrison	D	6-1/220	32	Tampa Bay (NHL)	70	1	8	9	14
Brayden McNabb	D	6-4/205	26	Los Angeles (NHL)	49	2	2	4	54
Jon Merrill	D	6-3/210	25	New Jersey (NHL)	51	1	5	6	24
Marc Methot	D	6-3/225	32	Ottawa (NHL)	68	0	12	12	24
Colin Miller	D	6-0/195	24	Boston (NHL)	61	6	7	13	55
Griffin Reinhart	D	6-4/215	23	Bakersfield (AHL)	54	7	14	21	42
Luca Sbisa	D	6-2/205	27	Vancouver (NHL)	82	2	11	13	40
David Schlemko	D	6-1/195	30	San Jose (NHL)	62	2	16	18	14
Nate Schmidt	D	6-0/195	26	Washington (NHL)	60	3	14	17	16
Clayton Stoner	D	6-3/225	32	Anaheim (NHL)	14	1	2	3	28
Shea Theodore	D	6-2/185	22	Anaheim (NHL)	34	2	7	9	28
Trevor van Riemsdyk	D	6-2/185	26	Chicago (NHL)	58	5	11	16	29
				2016-17 STATS	GP	W	L	GAA	SV%
Jean-Francois Berube	G	6-1/170	26	NY Islanders (NHL)	14	3	2	3.42	0.889
Marc-Andre Fleury	G	6-2/175	32	Pittsburgh (NHL)	38	18	10	3.02	0.909
Calvin Pickard	G	6-0/195	25	Colorado (NHL)	50	15	31	2.98	0.904

2016 NHL Draft Guide: Edmonton Oilers draft strategy

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 18:21:40 +0000

Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters was the first overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers at the 2015 NHL Draft in Sunrise, Florida on Friday June 26, 2015. Photo by Aaron Bell/CHL Images

Forget what you know about the Oilers’ draft tendencies. The duo of Peter Chiarelli and Bob Green return from last year but even that set of six picks cannot be used as a template to predict their upcoming selections. For starters, Connor McDavid was as much of a “gimme” as any number one pick ever was. Four of the remaining five selections (Caleb Jones, Ethan Bear, John Marino and Ziyat Paigin) were used to stock the system with defencemen, in addition to trading a second first rounder to the Islanders for blueliner Griffin Reinhart. Outside of Reinhart, it would be fair to say that each of the four young defenders acquitted themselves very well in the past year and the Oilers seem unlikely to go with such a heavy positional bias once again.

As an organization, the Oilers’ player pool should still be considered to be in flux. They have some decent pieces in the pipeline, but most of them – the aforementioned five, plus Joey LaLeggia, Dillon Simpson, David Musil and others – are defencemen. The system is almost completely bereft of notable forward prospects, as all of their good young ones are already in the NHL. I would never advocate any NHL team focus on any position at the expense of another (except to avoid overvaluing netminders), I do feel that this team should be looking at forwards this year. With eight picks in their possession, the fourth overall selection as well as three third rounders, they should be able to get some good ones.

Further, when considering that their current young forward corps all trend to the puck wizard style of player, I would be looking at guys who impress with high hockey IQs and with a slight (very slight) lean towards wingers over centers.

While past drafts are not going to be very helpful in determining the Oilers’ current direction, on the other hand, it may be noteworthy that Green is directly responsible for finding both collegiate and European free agents, which have led to the recent signings of netminders Eetu Laurikainen and Nick Ellis as well as forwards Drake Caggiula and Patrick Russell.

Possible picks: If the Oilers prefer forwards, Matthew Tkachuk and Pierre-Luc Dubois both would fill organizational vacuums as high hockey IQ offensive wingers with more than enough positive size. If they still want to brace their defensive core, Olli Juolevi is likely to be the most talented player available at #4, with the possibility of moving back in a trade and targeting Jake Bean or Jakob Chychrun. In the later rounds, U. of Denver scorer Dylan Gambrell could be a third round target, along with Swede Jacob Cederholm, and fellow countryman Oskar Steen may also be of interest in mid to later rounds.

NHL Prospect Watch: Edmonton Oilers

Ryan Wagman — Sat, 06 Feb 2016 20:09:48 +0000

Years and years of futility in Northern Alberta have led to years and years of very high draft picks by the Oilers. With two exceptions, Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom, all of those premium draft picks have been used on forwards. For the most part, those high end forwards have worked out marvelously. (No, this is not a roast of Nail Yakupov.) On the other hand, the draft has never been only a single round long and while other NHL organizations have succeeded in filling out roster spots with decent value picks in rounds 2-7, the Oilers have tended to fail past the top of the draft. Not only that, but with the exception of the two early picks used on blueliners, their system has been painfully lacking on usable defensive prospects.

Recognizing their failures in the business of drafting and developing, the Oilers cleaned house in the front office last offseason, installing Bob Nicholson, formerly of Hockey Canada, as CEO and hiring Peter Chiarelli as GM. Instead of being run by men who had won Stanley Cups as players, Chiarelli had earned glory for his work as a GM. Considering the abundance of high end talent available to the new brain trust among the forwards, the bigger need in Edmonton, and therefore the focus of this article, will be the young men currently in a position to stake claims to spots on the blueline of the future for the Oilers.

Not counting the players who have spent more or less the full season up with the Oilers, there are 12 defensive prospects in the system who are either drafted players, or are signed to NHL/two-way deals and are under 25 years of age. With the exception of Ben Betker, a former sixth round pick who has played all but one game this season, his first as a professional, in the ECHL, this article will comment on the development of all of them. For better or worse, the majority of these prospects are further along their development path, as only five have yet to play professionally in North America.

The biggest name among that group is former New York Islanders fourth overall pick Griffin Reinhart. Although drafted as a potential two-way defender for the Isles, by now it should be clear that his game is far stronger in his own zone than up top. This is not so much a conclusion drawn from his total of two assists in 22 NHL games, but a reflection of 28 points in 76 AHL games as well as a look at the type of player he is. He can still eat a lot of minutes – notwithstanding his limited usage in the NHL (under 15 minutes per game this year in his NHL time), and help in the transition game, but it is largely a matter of beginning the transition out of his own zone, as opposed to moving it through the neutral zone. Mobility has always been a relative weak spot for the middle Reinhart brother, making it imperative that he position himself so as to be able to get back to his own end as soon as possible. He has received protected minutes in his NHL time, but I expect him to see an increase in responsibility as the year progresses, especially if the Oilers move out any NHL blueliners at the trade deadline.

Reinhart is the biggest name, but David Musil is also worth watching as a blueliner who stands a solid chance to receive significant NHL time before this season is over. Like Reinhart, Musil is large (6-4”, 207) and comes from hockey bloodlines, as father Frantisek and uncle Bobby Holik were both long-time NHLers while brother Adam was drafted last year by St. Louis. Musil will not excite Oilers’ fans, but he plays a steady game with a focus on his own zone. He has solid mobility and does well in limiting space for opposing forwards who are trying to work in his zone. He also specializes in using his long reach to break up passes and shutting down lanes. He still needs to get better at shutting down those forwards instead of just directing them further away from the slot. He focuses very intently on his man, which sometimes leads him to losing sight of the puck, allowing his mark to push the biscuit to one of his less-blanketed teammates. Musil will occasionally engage in the offensive zone, but his shot, while accurate enough, lacks muscle. Now in his third full season in the AHL, he is fairly close to being a finished product, ready to take over a slot on the third pairing.

Staying with the big guys, the Bakersfield Condors have 6-4” Slovakian Martin Gernat, who has missed around half of the season to injury. While Musil has always been a defensive defenseman, Gernat has seen his offensive production dwindle with each passing season in the AHL. After 21 points in 57 games in his first season, he dropped to nine points in 54 games last year and is at three points in 22 games this season. To his credit, he skates like the wind, all the more impressive at his size. Unfortunately, his instincts are lacking and his shot is mediocre.

Going from the giants to the smallest member of the Condors blueline crew, we have the incredibly exciting AHL rookie Joey LaLeggia. Coming off a Hobey Baker Award nomination in his senior year at the University of Denver, LaLeggia has taken well to the professional game with 19 points in his first 35 games. He is a very fast skater and will not only join rushes, but he will lead them outright, or even take on solo missions. He has great acceleration and edge work and while he does take risks, he is a clever stickhandler. He needs more time on the farm to learn to better judge when risk taking is appropriate and when the safe play is better. His shot is also a weapon and would not look out of place manning the point during NHL power plays. His defensive reads need work as well, although there have been reports of Bakersfield using him as a winger. That’s said he has the best +/- on the Bakersfield squad. His size will always be a detriment in the eyes of some, but the offensive skill set will ensure he gets his chances, an eventuality which will become even more likely if the Oilers finally give up on Justin Schultz.

The Bakersfield blueline is rounded out by a pair of low ceiling prospects in Dillon Simpson and Jordan Oesterle. The latter is a two-way blueliner who has already received an NHL callup. He is a decent skater with a high panic threshold and some puck skills. It is difficult to see him as more than a replacement defender at the next level. Simpson, whose father Craig spent six seasons with the Oilers from 87-93, plays a simple game. He can play some PK and help begin the transition, but is the least likely among the Bakersfield six to fashion an NHL career for himself.

The Oilers have one blueline prospect currently in Europe in 2015 seventh rounder Ziyat Paygin. Paygin earned attention as a very big dude with a very big slap shot at the 2015 WJC. He had already earned some KHL time before being drafted, but his numbers were mediocre with only two points in 33 games. Having since been traded to HK Sochi, he has emerged as a Russian bear. He has 25 points in his first 32 games for the Olympic city club and has even been named to this year’s KHL All Star squad. His shot was clocked at around 97mph at the KHL Skills Competition. Should he decide to come to North America, he could prove to be one of the steals of the 2015 draft.

The college ranks include Swedish national William Lagesson, now a freshman at U. Mass-Amherst. A two-time WJC participant, Lagesson is a solid skater who will sometimes engage in the offensive zone and can be physical in his own end, but his defensive play is very inconsistent as he has poor reads and is prone to letting the play get behind him. His shot is good enough when he can step into it, but all too often it is a loopy, lackadaisical number that serves only to get the puck to the genera area of the crease. It’s safe to say he needs more refinement in the NCAA before an ELC is even an option.

The Oilers also have three defenders at the junior levels, all of whom were drafted last year. The highest drafted among them was Caleb Jones, who had been starring with the USNTDP. A good skater with strong passing skills, he has reminded some observers of a less physically imposing version of his older brother, new Columbus Blue Jacket Seth Jones. Now playing with Portland of the WHL, he is mobile, physical, moves the puck well and gets involved in all three zones. While much development lies ahead, the tools are present for a potential future second pairing skater.

Selected seven picks later, Ethan Bear has taken steps forward in terms of responsibility this season with Seattle of the WHL as he is near one point per game for the high powered Thunderbirds. His role has changed this season, as he is trusted more often to play with the Seattle first line at even strength and the power play, which gives him plenty of ice time with NHL prospects Mathew Barzal and Ryan Gropp. As with Jones, it is too early to know for sure, but there are enough tools to suggest the Oilers picked well.

Finally, the Oilers have John Marino, who was drafted out of the USPHL and now plays with Tri-City of the USHL, and is expected to matriculate at Harvard next season. A lanky blueliner, Marino moves well and makes the safe play more often than not. He is equally comfortable beginning the transition from his own zone either by carrying the puck, or by passing it to a teammate farther along. He will need more refinement than either Jones or Bear, but it seems that the new GM has added three strong blueline prospects in his first go-round in charge of the Canadian club.

As with most prospects, many of the players written about here will never make it. Even if Darnell Nurse reaches his full potential as a number 1, shutdown blueliner and Klefbom matures into a genuine first pairing complementary player, the Oilers need four of these players to backfill the rest of the blueline squad. There is a good chance that 3-5 of these players will have genuine careers in the NHL, but the Oilers are unlikely to – and would be very unwise to – consider their defensive future secure. They should continue to stockpile talented defensive prospects until and even after, they have fully stocked their NHL defensive corps with homegrown players.

Special thanks to Hockey Prospectus writers past and present Benoit Roy and Jason Lewis respectively, for notes that contributed to the writing of this article.

Sam Reinhart owns the family business

McKeen's Staff — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 15:07:07 +0000

Three years have passed since the hype machine began taking off.

It was 2011, in Mississauga, when 15-year-old Sam Reinhart let the hockey world know he was coming. Although older brother Max was a fixture on the Kootenay Ice, who won the Ed Chynoweth Cup as Western Hockey League champions that spring, the fact young Sam was playing in the national championship sent a message he's looking to deliver in Philadelphia on Friday.

Sam Reinhart had played just 11 games through the regular season and playoffs that season as a 15-year-old but his responsibility even then spoke to how much the coaching staff trusted him at the highest stage.

Soon after, Reinhart was basically anointed the top prospect for the 2014 draft three years before it would arrive. Over the years since then, oldest brother Max has played in the National Hockey League while middle brother Griffin was the fourth pick of the 2012 draft by the New York Islanders.

However, as many predicted during the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup, the best of Paul Reinhart's three boys could very well be the youngest. Sam's hockey sense and instincts are off the charts. His vision, creativity and poise with the puck make it easy to believe he will fulfil the prophecy his talents garnered three years ago.

The exposure has been grand throughout the ensuing years and Reinhart keeps achieving the lofty expectations his hype attracted. All three Reinhart boys will likely be fixtures in the NHL for the majority of the next two decades, though Sam could reign supreme as the owner of the Reinhart family business.

Sam Reinhart (2014), C

Finished tied for fourth place in WHL regular season scoring (60-36-69-105) but took his game to another solar system in the playoffs (13-6-17-23) beating out heavily favoured Calgary and taking Medicine Hat the full seven games in the second round .. possesses the best on ice awareness of all draft eligible prospects understanding how to play and analyze all game situations .. approaches the game not unlike Ron Francis .. elite poise under pressure, exploiting his time and space intelligently .. can diffuse pressure and get out of jams by simply using his smarts as one can see the gears literally turning in his head .. always in the right position to make a play whether it be on the offensive or defensive side of the puck .. not a flashy or explosive skater, his game misses a breakaway gear .. more of a steady and functional skater with some deceptive quickness .. doesn’t seem to have a ‘killer’ passion as he can lose intensity in 1 on 1 battles .. needs to get stronger and thicker up top as he can be easily knocked over onto his knees when shoved from behind .. Reinhart has accomplished much at the international level playing in every tournament of his junior career.. a move to the NHL next season appears imminently likely.

Youngblood: 2014 Memorial Cup – Prospects to Watch

Brendan Ross — Wed, 14 May 2014 14:58:07 +0000

We are mere hours away from the puck dropping on the 2014 Mastercard Memorial Cup and the City of London is gearing up to welcome one of the most competitive fields in recent years.

Returning for their third straight Memorial Cup appearance are the tournament hosts, London Knights, after the injury-riddled squad was bounced in the second round of the OHL playoffs by the eventual OHL Champions, Guelph Storm. Joining the Guelph Storm and London Knights are the Champs of the WHL in the Edmonton Oil Kings, and QMJHL victors, Val d’Or Foreurs, both freshly off game seven wins that punched their ticket to the illustrious major junior competition.

The past three Memorial Cups have been hoisted by the QMJHL representatives after Saint John Sea Dogs (2011), Shawinigan Cataractes (2012) and Halifax Mooseheads (2013) each tasted victory.

The Edmonton Oil Kings are looking for their first Memorial Cup Championship since 1966 when they captured it as members of the Central Alberta Hockey League.

Quebec’s Val d’Or Foreurs have participated in the Memorial Cup twice (1998 and 2001) but have yet to walk away victors, coming close in 2001 when the Foreurs lost to the Red Deer Rebels in the finals.

The Knights will be participating in their fourth Memorial Cup event and the team is hoping for similar results as when they last hosted in 2005, the year the Knights skated away as Memorial Cup Champions.

With four previous attempts at winning the Memorial Cup, the Guelph Storm are rolling into their fifth tournament red hot looking to take home the 95-year-old hardware.

Regardless of which team skates off Budweiser Gardens’ ice as Champions, the 2014 Mastercard Memorial Cup is loaded with talented major junior players looking to take the next step in their development. As the electric atmosphere takes over London, Ontario, here are several players to watch throughout the tournament.

Edmonton Oil Kings

Curtis Lazar (Senators – 2013, 17^th overall) Arguably the best leader in major junior, Lazar will eat up a ton of minutes, taking important faceoffs and seeing top line offensive minutes along the way.

Tristan Jarry (Penguins – 2013, 44^th overall) Jarry’s 2.19 GAA and .925 save percentage are impressive stat lines but his ability to make the clutch save behind a strong defense core allows the Oil Kings the opportunity to play a stifling defensive game.

Griffin Reinhart (NY Islanders – 2012, 4^th overall) He’s got great draft pedigree and has slowly progressed with each passing game to become a suffocating shutdown defenseman, utilizing his large wingspan and strength against top WHLers.

Henrik Samuelsson(Coyotes – 2012, 27^th overall) Playing a gritty-in-your-face style of puck that would make his father Ulf proud, Henrik has balanced his aggressive attack and skilled offensive bursts well. Led the Oil Kings in playoff scoring with 23 points over 21 games.

Mitch Moroz (Oilers – 2012, 32^nd overall) Not the prettiest skater or the most refined skilled player, Mitch Moroz’ offers a nice blend of size and soft touch around the net to create room and offensive chances. His size could prove to be an asset against some larger Guelph Storm players when the two teams face off Saturday afternoon.

Brett Pollock(2014 NHL Draft) Industrious and versatile, Brett Pollock forced his way up a veteran laden Oil Kings’ depth chart to find a home in the top six, posting near point-per-game numbers during Edmonton’s WHL Championship run.

Dysin Mayo (2014 NHL Draft) An emerging offensive defenseman, Dysin Mayo has earned the trust of Head Coach Derek Laxdal and his game-changing rushes are only improving his draft stock.

Aaron Irving (2014 NHL Draft) Edmonton’s 9^th overall 2011 selection, Aaron Irving is one of the defensive pillars on the Oil Kings’ blue line who has made life hell for intruding forwards with his physicality and nastiness.

Cody Corbett (Signed by Avalanche, 2014) The third year defenseman played his way to a contract with Colorado after posting 61 points in 65 games from the blueline.

Mads Eller and Ashton Sautner (Re-entries for 2014 NHL Draft) – Two mobile skaters, forward Mads Eller (younger brother of Canadiens’ Lars Eller) and defenseman Ashton Sautner use their speed and edge work to force opponents into uncomfortable positions.

Val d’Or Foreurs

Anthony Mantha (Red Wings – 2013, 20^th overall) Big time sniper brings his 81 combined regular season and playoff goals, the most by any CHLer, to Bud Gardens for all to witness. He will be the focus of defences as the tournament’s most natural goal scorer. It is hard to believe that Detroit traded down to acquire this stud prospect.

Ryan Graves (NY Rangers – 2013, 110^thoverall) Brought over from Charlottetown in trade to boost their blue line, Graves has provided a stabilizing presence using his size and strength to contain opposing team’s top forwards.

Antoine Bibeau (Maple Leafs – 2013, 172^nd overall) Selected in his second attempt at the NHL Draft, it appears the selection of Antoine Bibeau has been a shrewd move after the big goaltender earned QMJHL Playoff MVP honours.

Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (2014 NHL Draft) Taken 7^th overall by Val d’Or in 2012, Aubé-Kubel’s offensive emergence has provided the team with secondary scoring and this skilled responsible forward looks to use the Memorial Cup as one final showing before heading to Philadelphia for the draft.

Louick Marcotte(Re-entry for 2014 NHL Draft) Fourth year forward, Marcotte, nearly doubled his production playing on the Foreurs’ top line and his 42 goals and 100 points may be enough to draw interest at the draft.

Guillaume Gélinas (Undrafted) Undersized overager who dominated every offensive category by a defenseman in both regular season (67GP-23G-92P) and playoffs (24GP-11G-34P) is also playing for a professional contract.

Anthony Richard (2015 NHL Draft) Diminutive speedy centerman with a case of danglitis experienced a breakout sophomore campaign after being selected 16^th overall at the 2012 QMJHL Draft.

Julien Gauthier (2016 NHL Draft) Selected 6^th overall, rookie Julien Gauthier is a budding power forward to watch heading towards the 2016 NHL Draft as he learns how to use his size and strong shot to take over the offensive zone.

Guelph Storm

Kerby Rychel (Blue Jackets – 2013, 19^th overall) Windsor GM Warren Rychel traded his own son, along with LA Kings’ prospect Nick Ebert, at the deadline to Guelph. The Storm may be forever in debt with Windsor after Kerby buried the tying goal and game winner to clinch the OHL Championship.

Zack Mitchell (Signed by Wild, 2014) The Guelph Storm journeyman has bled maroon and grey in his five years of service and after being rewarded with an NHL contract back in March, Mitchell is keen on capping off his OHL career with a Memorial Cup Championship.

Scott Kosmachuk(Jets – 2012, 70^th overall) Among the OHL playoff scoring leaders, Kosmachuk was one of only three players to clear the century mark in points during the regular season and is called upon when the team needs a goal or a big hit.

Brock McGinn (Hurricanes – 2012, 47^th overall) After returning from an eight game suspension, Brock McGinn scored points in all but two playoff games while playing his usual irritating brand of hockey.

Jason Dickinson (Stars – 2013, 29^th overall) Drafted in the opening round in 2013 as a unfinished lanky prospect, the third year Dickinson has really came into his own learning how to use his size as a skilled power forward. Dickinson is one of five Storm players who recorded over a point-per-game in the post-season.

Matt Finn (Maple Leafs – 2012, 35^th overall) Awarded the Mickey Renaud Trophy as the league’s most dedicated and passionate captain on and off the ice, Matt Finn is a true leader and a stabilizing presence on the blue line.

Tyler Bertuzzi (Red Wings – 2013, 58^th overall) Ironically, the Red Wings traded down at the 2013 draft to select Anthony Mantha and received the 58^th pick as a result. That pick was used to select agitating forward Tyler Bertuzzi. Now, Foreurs’ Mantha and Storm’s Bertuzzi will be competing, at all costs, to take home the Memorial Cup. Mark it, Bertuzzi will be a thorn in the side of opposing defenses.

Nick Ebert (Kings – 2012, 211^th overall) Nick Ebert wasn’t the centrepiece of the trade that brought Kerby Rychel to Guelph but he’s been, arguably, the most crucial piece. Leading the team in playoff scoring from the backend, Ebert elevated his game as a member of the Storm.

Zac Leslie (Kings – 2013, 178^th overall) Drafted into the Ontario league in the middle rounds from the Ottawa Jr. 67’s, Leslie has improved on his production with each passing season giving the Storm depth on the blueline and a dangerous powerplay option.

Ben Harpur (Senators – 2013, 108^th overall) The towering 6-foot-6 blue liner will wreak havoc on attacking forwards as he wields his active stick and staples trespassers to the boards.

Robby Fabbri (2014 NHL Draft) No player has experienced a larger potential draft rise than Robby Fabbri, who is coming off OHL Playoff MVP Honours. The undersized yet competitive and skilled forward refuses to lose and his draft rise is reminiscent of former Kitchener Rangers’ forward Jeff Skinner after his 2010 standout playoff performance.

Phil Baltisberger (2014 NHL Draft) Another player exceeding expectations in his draft year, Swiss import Phil Baltisberger displays a strong two-way game with an ability to push the pace with his smooth skating stride. Eats up big minutes on the blue line.

Justin Nichols (Undrafted)and Matt Mancini (2014 NHL Draft) Acquired from Sault Ste Marie prior to the season, Justin Nichols’ game hasn’t been perfect every night but this undersized goaltender has had some of the most electrifying performances in the league. He’s getting noticed just as his understudy, Matt Mancini, is. Mancini is a highly touted young goaltender who continues to learn the intricacies of the game

London Knights

Max Domi (Coyotes – 2013, 12^th overall) Coming off a disappointing post-draft season, albeit by Domi’s standards, the Knights’ leading scorer was medically cleared to play after injuring his shoulder in the post-season. Look for the refreshed Domi to put on an offensive clinic as London attempts to prove their team is deserving of the Memorial Cup host spot.

Bo Horvat (Canucks – 2013, 9^th overall) The astute two-way forward with underrated offensive skills may be playing in his final OHL season and would love to add the elusive Memorial Cup title to his resume. With a history of scoring big goals, Horvat will be leaned upon in every possible situation.

Chris Tierney(Sharks – 2012, 55^th overall) Living up to his 2^nd round NHL Draft status after many questioned San Jose’s thought process, Chris Tierney went on an absolute tear during the playoffs ringing off 17 points in just nine games attempting to single-handedly advance the Knights.

Josh Anderson (Blue Jackets – 2012, 95^th overall) Anderson is a big bodied winger who won’t always fill up the game sheet but his heavy, physical approach and strong cycle game could tire out opposing defenses in a long intense tournament.

Ryan Rupert (Maple Leafs – 2012, 157^th overall) A skilled agitator in every sense of the word, Ryan Rupert, along with twin brother Matt (Undrafted), provide the Knights with outstanding depth as they make an impact by crawling under opponents’ skin or by crashing the net for a goal. The home fans will enjoy them but the road teams certainly will not.

Gemel Smith (Stars – 2012, 104^th overall) A true sniper who relies on his shot and blazing speed, Gemel Smith has had an okay transition to the Knights after coming aboard mid-season but he’s eager to pick up where he left off after a better OHL playoffs (12 points in nine games).

Michael McCarron (Canadiens – 2013, 25^th overall) The big power forward experienced a rather slow transition to OHL life but Michael McCarron has stepped up his game over the final few months showing the skill set that gave Montreal reason to draft him in the first round.

Mitch Marner (2015 NHL Draft) In a similar mold as Guelph’s Robby Fabbri, Marner is a sneaky player who makes an impact on every shift. No player does more with limited playing minutes as Marner and his ability to dance around defenders and find open teammates is only one reason he’s considered a top 2015 NHL Draft prospect. He’s been London’s best player, as a rookie, on most nights.

Christian Dvorak(2014 NHL Draft) One of several Knights returning from the infirmary, Dvorak is hoping to suit up for the first time since December 14^th when he injured his knee. His draft season viewings were limited but positive before being sidelined.

Nikita Zadorov (Sabres – 2013, 16^th overall) The only NHL drafted player on the Knights with NHL experience (seven games), Nikita Zadorov is undoubtedly the most crucial defender on their blueline. His offensive game has progressed to new heights and he’s still capable of intimidating with his bone-crushing open-ice hits.

Brady Austin (Sabres – 2012, 193^rd overall) Cleared to play after battling mononucleosis, overage defenseman Brady Austin is a huge returnee to what was a spotty blue line. After dealing with his illness and the passing of his father, Austin and his teammates will be playing inspired hockey.

Zach Bell (Undrafted) Bell is a bruising defenseman that has his own feel-good story after quickly recovering from a broken leg and his presence will be felt defensively.

Brett Welychka (Undrafted) It wouldn’t be a stretch to consider Welychka one of the most versatile players in the league, after the forward logged big minutes on the blue line when injury struck the Knights’ backend. Look for Welychka to return to the front lines adding to London’s incredible offensive depth.

Anthony Stolarz (Flyers – 2012, 45^th overall) Flying under the radar somewhat is the fact that Anthony Stolarz’ eight-game suspension for his slashing incident was reduced to six, after the Knights were knocked out of the playoffs early. Whether right or wrong, London’s biggest returnee for the Memorial Cup is between the pipes in Stolarz because he is capable of stealing games.

The 2014 Mastercard Memorial Cup action begins Friday evening with the London Knights taking on Val d’Or Foreurs.

Follow @RossyYoungblood for all the #MemorialCup action.

2014 IIHF World Juniors Fantasy Hockey Future Watch: Canada

Peter Harling — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 16:28:21 +0000

After failing to medal in 2013 Canada will look to reclaim hockey supremacy at the World Juniors. Canada had an impressive run of five straight Gold Medals from 2005 to 2009 and a 14 year streak of a medal that ended last year.

A perennial contender, Canada will be led by Tampa Bay Lightning 2012 first round (third overall) pick Jonathan Drouin and 2015 NHL draft eligible Connor McDavid of the Erie Otters in the OHL. Last year Drouin was part of a lethal combination with former teammate Nathan MacKinnon with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. Together the duo won the Quebec League Championship and the Memorial Cup, but Drouin has some unfinished business at the World Juniors.

Connor McDavid has fantasy owners planning on tanking next year so they can draft the next Sidney Crosby. McDavid is being labeled by NHL scouts as a generational talent and TSN’s Bob McKenzie said that Scouts have said if McDavid were eligible for NHL entry draft as a 15 year old, he would have gone first overall ahead of Nathan MacKinnon. There is no question he will go first overall in 2015. McDavid was granted exceptional status as a 15 year old and early acceptance to the OHL where he was drafted first by the Erie Otters. After leading the league in rookie scoring, he is among league overall leaders in his sophomore season with 50 points in 31 games. Traditionally the World Juniors are dominated by 19 year olds, but look for McDavid to use this tournament as his breakout performance. Everyone has heard of McDavid, but now on the worlds stage everyone will be watching and he will be the topic of discussion at the water cooler over the next few weeks as everyone sees what all the hype is about. The last Canadian player to play for Canada as a 16 year old was Sidney Crosby.

Anthony Mantha will be counted on to score some big goals. Perhaps the most natural goal scorer for Canada since Jordan Eberle, Mantha scored 50 goals last season in the QMJHL and already has 35 goals in 32 games this season. Mantha was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2013 draft in the first round with the 20^th pick. His future fantasy upside is tremendous, but the Red Wings have a tendency to be patient with prospects and take their time developing them in junior and the minors for several seasons. Nicolas Petan is another highly skilled offensive player who was drafted in the second round in 2013 by the Winnipeg Jets. Petan is a playmaker but his diminutive size is a concern for his NHL fantasy upside. If Petan can add some size and muscle to his slight 5’9” 165 pound frame he could have significant upside

Sam Reinhart is draft eligible for the upcoming 2014 NHL entry draft and is projected to picked first overall by McKeens. Reinhart is an experienced member of Canada’s National team as he captained the U18 team as an underage as well as the 2012 Ivan Hlinka where Canada won Gold.

Scott Laughton was the consensus choice as team Captain who is a solid two-way talent selected by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 2012 draft. He is a future NHL captain. Bo Horvat is another excellent two-way talent that Coach Sutter will love as he plays a Sutter style of hockey. Horvat was drafted in 2013 by the Vancouver Canucks with the first round pick acquired in the Corey Schneider trade. Curtis Lazar is a high energy, fore-checking two-way forward who challenged to make the NHL this season with an impressive training camp with the Ottawa Senators. Lazar has a bright NHL future as he plays a Shane Doan style of game.

Josh Morrissey will anchor the offense from the blue line for Canada. The offensive defenceman was a first round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2013. With Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien, Zach Bogosian and Jacob Trouba ahead of Morrissey, his NHL debut may be a year or two away, but he will have a fantasy impact when he arrives.

Aaron Ekblad is another 2014 draft eligible player who is projected to be drafted second overall by McKeens. Ekblad was also granted exceptional status to join the OHL as a 15 year old. He is a 17 year old man in every sense as his size, skill and smarts are all mature beyond his years. He even sported the best playoff beard in Barrie’s playoff drive in last year’s OHL playoffs where the Colts fell short to London. His fantasy upside may be limited as his offense is not his forte. He is a smart, solid all-around defender who can log big minutes.

Griffin Reinhart is the only returning player for Canada on the blue line this year. He joins his brother Sam to form the first brother due for Canada since Freddie and Dougie Hamilton. Reinhart will miss the first three games due to a carryover suspension from the 2013 tournament. Reinhart is a New York Islanders first round pick from 2012 who is similar to Ekblad but perhaps with slightly better offensive upside and fantasy value. Adam Pelech is another 2012 Islanders draft pick who has had his stock rise this season on a vastly improved Erie Otters. Pelech anchors their blue line and logs big minutes in every situation. He is another all-around type who plays a strong physical game adding extra value in multi-category stat leagues.

Zach Fucale and Jake Paterson will vie for the starting goalie position. Fucale was part of last years dominant Halifax team winning the QMJHL Championship as well as the memorial Cup, and a Gold for Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Tournament. Fucale was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013 draft and has the potential to be a future NHL starting goalie. Paterson started the first two games for Canada and gave way to Fucale for game three. Look for Fucale to get the start for the remainder of the tournament.

Canada’s Gold Medal hopes will rely on the offensive contributions from Drouin, McDavid and Mantha as well as the hard hitting Canadian Sutter brand of hockey from Laughton, Horvat and Lazar. The new look Defense will need to be better than last years and Fucale will have to be clutch to win the only missing trophy from his cabinet so far in his career.

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

Gus Katsaros — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 20:22:56 +0000

A short post with the focus on participating players dressing for their respective countries in the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships and their member clubs in the CHL playing overseas in Sweden.

I broke away from the traditional goals-assists-points statistics and focused on the breakdown of ON-ICE even strength goals for/against as well as on the percentage basis for their respective teams. The legend is located just before the table.

Some additional details break down the draft year, team that drafted the player (none of these players have been traded to another NHL team). There are very few undrafted players as this tournament is drafted prospect heavy, but there are many European exceptions – along with some draft-eligible players for 2014 (and two notable 2015 draft eligible players in Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel – as a late birthday).

ESGF - Even Strength Goals For (On-Ice)

ESGA - Even Strength Goals Against (On-Ice)

%TmESGF - Percentage of On-Ice Even Strength Goals For

%TmESGA - Percentage of On-Ice Even Strength Goals Against

Draft Team - Team that drafted this player

Draft Yr - Draft Year

DOB - Date of Birth

Country	Team	Pos	ESGF	ESGA	%Tm ESGF	%Tm ESGA	Draft Team	Draft Yr	DOB
Canada
Josh Anderson	London Knights	C	29	13	20.28	25.00	CBJ	2012	1994/05/07
Chris Bigras	Owen Sound Attack	D	26	30	27.08	27.78	Col	2013	1995/02/22
Jonathan Drouin	Halifax Mooseheads	C	36	19	25.71	19.00	TBL	2013	1995/03/28
Aaron Ekblad	Barrie Colts	D	25	24	22.12	25.53	--	--	1996/02/07
Zachary Fucale	Halifax Mooseheads	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	MTL	2013	1995/05/28
Frederik Gauthier	Rimouski Oceanic	C	25	24	22.12	60.00	Tor	2013	1995/04/26
Bo Horvat	London Knights	LW	37	19	25.87	36.54	Van	2013	1995/04/05
Charles Hudon	Chicoutimi Sagueneens	LW	27	29	26.21	26.36	MTL	2012	1994/06/23
Scott Laughton	Oshawa Generals	C	36	27	30.00	33.75	Phi	2012	1994/05/30
Curtis Lazar	Edmonton Oil Kings	C	41	18	32.80	30.00	Ott	2013	1995/02/02
Taylor Leier	Portland Winterhawks	LW	39	20	23.93	18.02	Phi	2012	1994/02/15
Anthony Mantha	Val-d’Or Foreurs	LW	50	33	29.07	37.50	DET	2013	1994/09/16
Connor McDavid	Erie Otters	C	42	20	24.85	42.55	--	--	1997/01/13
Josh Morrissey	Prince Albert Raiders	C	40	29	34.48	42.65	Wpg	2013	1995/03/28
Jake Paterson	Saginaw Spirit	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	Det	2012	1994/05/03
Adam Pelech	Erie Otters	D	44	21	26.04	44.68	NYI	2012	1994/08/16
Nicolas Petan	Portland Winterhawks	C	52	27	31.90	24.32	WPG	2013	1995/03/22
Derrick Pouliot	Portland Winterhawks	D	51	37	31.29	33.33	Pit	2012	1994/01/16
Griffin Reinhart	Edmonton Oil Kings	D	15	11	12.00	18.33	NYI	2012	1994/01/24
Sam Reinhart	Kootenay Ice	C	32	28	31.37	31.82	--	--	1995/11/06
Kerby Rychel	Guelph Storm/Windsor Spitfires	LW	32	19	26.67	19.19	CBJ	2013	1994/10/07
Czech Republic
Radek Faksa	Kitchener Rangers	C	23	33	24.21	28.70	Dal	2012	1994/01/09
Jan Kostalek	Rimouski Oceanic	D	24	26	21.24	65.00	Wpg	2013	1995/02/17
Marek Langhamer	Medicine Hat Tigers	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	PHX	2012	1994/07/22
David Nemecek	Saskatoon Blades	D	23	28	21.30	20.00	--	--	1995/06/29
Michal Plutnar	Tri-City Americans	D	6	11	6.67	11.58	--	--	1994/02/21
Petr Sidlik	Victoriaville Tigres	D	24	32	24.24	25.20	--	--	1994/01/18
Dominik Volek	Red Deer Rebels	RW	23	20	23.47	26.32	--	--	1994/01/12
Patrik Zdrahal	Rimouski Oceanic	RW	12	16	15.00	30.19	--	--	1995/04/09
Finland
Julius Honka	Swift Current Broncos	D	42	33	35.59	32.04	--	--	1995/12/03
Henri Ikonen	Kingston Frontenacs	LW	40	25	32.00	21.93	TB	2013	1994/04/17
Mikko Vainonen	Kingston Frontenacs	D	36	22	28.80	19.30	Nsh	2012	1994/04/11
Germany
Tim Bender	London Knights	C	16	4	11.19	7.69	--	--	--
Marvin Cupper	Shawinigan Cataractes	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	--	--	--
Leon Draisaitl	Prince Albert Raiders	C	31	30	26.72	44.12	--	--	1995/10/27
Markus Eisenschmid	Medicine Hat Tigers	C	13	20	11.50	21.05	--	--	1995/01/22
Dominik Kahun	Sudbury Wolves	C	10	15	7.94	12.10	--	--	1995/07/02
Maximilian Kammerer	Regina Pats	C	1	5	0.91	6.41	--	--	--
Norway
Jorgen Karterud	SSM Greyhounds	RW	14	16	10.22	31.37	--	--	1994/05/06
Russia
Ivan Barbashev	Moncton Wildcats	C	31	33	30.39	34.74	--	--	1995/12/14
Nikita Zadorov	London Knights	C	12	4	8.39	7.69	Buf	2013	1995/04/16
Valentin Zykov	Baie-Comeau Drakkar	RW	22	9	16.30	10.11	LAK	2013	1995/05/15
Slovakia
Martin Reway	Gatineau Olympiques	LW	31	21	27.93	18.75	Mtl	2013	1995/01/24
Sweden
Andre Burakovsky	Erie Otters	LW	35	16	20.71	34.04	WSH	2013	1995/02/09
Oscar Dansk	Erie Otters	G	0	0	0.00	0.00	CBJ	2012	1994/02/28
Nick Sorensen	Quebec Remparts	RW	22	12	18.49	13.79	Ana	2013	1994/10/23
Switzerland
Phil Baltisberger	Guelph Storm	D	34	15	20.12	28.30	--	--	1995/11/13
Jason Fuchs	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies	LW	23	20	16.79	30.77	--	--	1995/09/14
Fabrice Herzog	Quebec Remparts	RW	30	28	25.21	32.18	TOR	2013	1994/12/09
Mirco Mueller	Everett Silvertips	D	21	20	19.09	27.03	SJ	2013	1995/03/21
Vincent Praplan	North Bay Battalion	LW	22	21	24.44	60.00	--	--	1994/06/10
Yannick Rathgeb	Plymouth Whalers	D	19	27	22.89	27.55	--	--	1995/10/24
United States
Adam Erne	Quebec Remparts	LW	30	27	25.21	31.03	TBL	2013	1995/04/20
Ryan Hartman	Plymouth Whalers	C	21	37	25.30	37.76	Chi	2013	1994/09/20
Anthony Stolarz	London Knights	G	--	--	--	--	Phi	2012	1994/01/20

**********

Griffin Reinhart – McKeen's Hockey

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Preview – Western Conference

Central Division:

Chicago Wolves (44-22-6-4) vs 4. Grand Rapids Griffins (38-27-7-4)

Milwaukee Admirals (36-24-14-2) vs 3. Iowa Wild (37-26-8-5)

Pacific Division:

Bakersfield Condors (42-21-3-2) vs 4. Colorado Eagles (36-27-4-1)

San Jose Barracuda (39-22-3-4) vs 3. San Diego Gulls (36-27-4-1)

Vegas Golden Knights Prospect System Overview

Vegas – System Overview

Vegas Golden Knights unveil their roster with more chips to fall.

2016 NHL Draft Guide: Edmonton Oilers draft strategy

NHL Prospect Watch: Edmonton Oilers

Sam Reinhart owns the family business

Youngblood: 2014 Memorial Cup – Prospects to Watch

2014 IIHF World Juniors Fantasy Hockey Future Watch: Canada

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

Follow the McKeen's team on Twitter:

@mckeenshockey
@KatsHockey

Griffin Reinhart – McKeen's Hockey

AHL Calder Cup Playoff Preview – Western Conference

Central Division:

Chicago Wolves (44-22-6-4) vs 4. Grand Rapids Griffins (38-27-7-4)

Milwaukee Admirals (36-24-14-2) vs 3. Iowa Wild (37-26-8-5)

Pacific Division:

Bakersfield Condors (42-21-3-2) vs 4. Colorado Eagles (36-27-4-1)

San Jose Barracuda (39-22-3-4) vs 3. San Diego Gulls (36-27-4-1)

Vegas Golden Knights Prospect System Overview

Vegas – System Overview

Vegas Golden Knights unveil their roster with more chips to fall.

2016 NHL Draft Guide: Edmonton Oilers draft strategy

NHL Prospect Watch: Edmonton Oilers

Sam Reinhart owns the family business

Youngblood: 2014 Memorial Cup – Prospects to Watch

2014 IIHF World Juniors Fantasy Hockey Future Watch: Canada

CHL 2014 IIHF WJHC Participants On-Ice Stats

Follow the McKeen's team on Twitter:

@mckeenshockey@KatsHockey

@mckeenshockey
@KatsHockey