Grigori Denisenko – McKeen's Hockey

AHL: Hall: 11 Prospects in Make-or-Break Seasons

Dave Hall — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:57:11 +0000

_{LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 03: Los Angeles Kings Left Wing Alex Turcotte (38) celebrates a goal during a game between the New Jersey Devil and the Los Angeles Kings on March 3rd, 2024 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Rob Curtis/Icon Sportswire)}

A tale as old as time: a promising former junior star struggling to make the leap to the NHL.

Each year, some players see their dreams slip further out of reach, whether due to injuries, a failure to adapt their game, or simply falling out of favour with their team.

The pressure intensifies when a prospect reaches the ages of 24 to 26. Whether fair or not, hockey seems to have an unspoken rule: if a player hasn't solidified their spot by this age, the window to realize their potential begins to close rapidly. While a few defy the odds and break through the pattern, the margin for error narrows considerably.

Time may be on the verge of running out for these NHL hopefuls. Here’s a look at some players battling to keep their dreams alive as they approach one of their final opportunities to crack an NHL lineup.

Kole Lind, 25, Dallas Stars

Kole Lind, originally drafted 33rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks, has yet to implant his game at the NHL level. He is nearly 26, and with just 31 games on his resume, that dream is fading away by the day. Despite the lack of opportunity, his play in the AHL has steadily improved, going from a 17-point rookie campaign to subsequent seasons of 44, 35 (in just 46 games), 62, and most recently, 65 points. All of this is positive growth, but the question remains: can he translate this success to the NHL?

Now part of the Dallas Stars organization, Lind will be competing against names like Logan Stankoven and Colin Blackwell on the right side, with the likely scenario being that he remains a valuable call-up option rather than securing a permanent roster spot. Yet, given the lack of current depth on the wing in Dallas, the prospect of him seeing games doesn’t feel too far-fetched.

Valtteri Puustinen, 25, Pittsburgh Penguins

Valtteri Puustinen, a 2019 seventh-round pick, has defied expectations by becoming a consistent producer for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, highlighted by back-to-back 20-goal campaigns. Heck, he even posted 20 points in 53 NHL games during his only true audition last year (2023-24).

His play earned him a two-year extension, and at 25, Puustinen feels on the verge of becoming a fringe NHL player. However, his defensive acumen and play off the puck need polishing to establish trust with head coach Mike Sullivan. While a return to the minors seems likely, the time is now for Puustinen to make his move toward becoming a full-time NHL player.

Jett Woo, 24, Vancouver Canucks

Jett Woo, once known for his high-powered offensive ability in junior hockey, has struggled to maintain that form at the pro level. At one point, he was even utilized as a fourth-line winger. Slowly but surely, Woo has grown his game, though, posting improved point totals in consecutive seasons, including a career-high 31 points last season.

Now 24, Woo has become known more for his physical, hard-nosed style of play rather than his offensive contributions. He has placed himself in a position to be one of the Canucks’ top call-up options on the right side, but whether he can stick in the NHL remains to be seen. The reality of him becoming a full-time AHLer is becoming increasingly obvious with each season.

Alec Regula, 24, Boston Bruins

Alec Regula, a right-shot defender with a large 6-foot-4 frame, was selected in the third round of the 2018 draft. That pick was soon followed with high hopes after a career-high 60-point season with the London Knights in his draft-plus-two year. However, Regula’s career has been marred by inconsistency and injury since turning pro.

Now, after consecutive seasons focused primarily on AHL reps, Regula is trending in the right direction and could contribute at the NHL level soon. However, a recent summer surgery may derail his chances this season, but as a right-shot defender, his options will likely remain open a bit longer.

Raphaël Lavoie, 24, Edmonton Oilers

Raphaël Lavoie’s skillset puts him in a challenging spot when it comes to fitting into the Edmonton Oilers scheme. Known for his booming, NHL-caliber shot, the Quebec native has made a name for himself with his offensive contributions, scoring 71 goals across 202 AHL games.

However, his lack of foot speed and dynamic ability creates a dead-end road to evolving into a bottom-six role, which feels like his only pathway toward carving a spot within this team. At 24 years old, Lavoie may need an injury to a top-six player to get his shot at the NHL level, or perhaps a change of scenery where his offensive skills can be better utilized.

Alex Turcotte, 23, Akil Thomas, 24 & Samuel Fagemo, 24, Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings have long been lauded for their deep prospect pool, but at some point, these youngsters have to prove themselves, right? Sitting atop those expectations is Alex Turcotte, who has yet to truly establish himself since being drafted fifth overall in 2019. Injuries have played their part, but given the pedigree, his 0.67 point-per-game clip at the AHL level doesn’t necessarily scream top-5 pick. With his sights set on making the NHL team out of camp, the time for him to bring his A-game is now.

While their pedigree may not be as high, Akil Thomas and Samuel Fagemo, both 24, are also feeling the pressure to translate their AHL success to the NHL. Both players showcase two varying playing styles. With Thomas much more ready to provide bottom-six minutes, the time is ticking for both to take that next leap in development. Fagemo has proven his ability to score at the AHL level, so now it’s time to take that release to the pro level.

Adam Beckman, 23, New Jersey Devils

Adam Beckman, a third-round pick by the Minnesota Wild in 2019, had a standout junior career, including a 107-point season with the Spokane Chiefs. However, his transition to pro hockey has sung a slightly different tune, with just 108 points in 181 AHL games and only three assists in 23 NHL games.

This summer, Beckman was given a fresh start with the New Jersey Devils in a trade, but he faces stiff competition on a young and talented Devils roster. At this point, his best chance may come as a top call-up option, but at 23, time is running out for him to establish himself as a full-time NHL contributor.

Grigori Denisenko, 24, Vegas Golden Knights

Grigori Denisenko appeared to get the fresh start he needed after being plucked off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights early into the 2023-24 season. In Florida’s system, he managed just 63 points in 101 AHL games over three years and was soon on track to become a potential first-round disappointment. In Vegas, however, his game enjoyed some rejuvenation, nearly matching his previous three-season total combined, with 56 points in 65 games.

Despite his improved play, Denisenko, now 24, faces an uphill battle to crack the Golden Knights’ roster, especially given their depth. With only 32 NHL games under his belt, he’ll need to make his mark soon if he hopes to secure a spot in the league.

Trey Fix-Wolansky, 25, Columbus Blue Jackets

Trey Fix-Wolansky has everything you want in a middle-six forward: speed, work ethic, and consistent production at every level he’s played. Everything, that is, except size, since he is just 5-foot-7. At 25 years old, the window is closing for him to make a permanent jump to the NHL. Despite his size, Fix-Wolansky has proven himself to be a formidable player, and with a new coach in Columbus, he may still have a shot at breaking through. However, how many more 60-point AHL seasons will it take for him to earn that permanent role, if ever?

Playing Blue Jackets hockey is still well on his radar, and if a teetering AHL tweener is all the upside he has, then he’s not the worst player to have in that role. The problem is, with 224 AHL games under his belt, he’s trending awfully close to being considered a league veteran, which has put a long list of players without a chair in North America over recent years.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #28 Vegas Golden Knights – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Josh Bell, Organizational Overview - Robert Howard — Wed, 29 May 2024 21:00:23 +0000

Last year’s Stanley Cup Champions bowed out in the first round of the playoffs, despite adding some very high-end pieces for the playoffs. The additions came through trading youth and picks for playoff depth, but also through once again adding players off of LTIR prior to the playoffs, including captain Mark Stone. This allowed them an additional $15.9 million in cap space to utilize at the trade deadline. They took full advantage and moved their 2025 first round pick and David Edstrom (1st round 2023) for Tomas Hertl and picks. They then moved their 2026 first rounder along with Daniil Mirimanov for Noah Hanifin. Hanifin was a potential rental, but GM McCrimmon inked him to an eight-year, contract with an AAV of $7.35 million, solidifying one of the best defense groups in the NHL. Hertl was already under contract for another six seasons at a cap friendly $6.75 million. Both players are part of a core that is entirely focused on re-capturing the cup for the foreseeable future.

Given McCrimmon’s penchant for weaponizing future assets, the organization has drafted in the first round four out of the last five drafts. The only one of those picks that hasn’t subsequently been moved is Brendan Brisson. Peyton Krebs was moved to Buffalo as a piece in the huge Jack Eichel trade, while Zach Dean was moved for Ivan Barbashev. Despite these moves, there are some excellent prospects at the top of this pool. Brisson has the potential to be a star - we’ll just have to see if it’s for the Golden Knights or another organization given their track record. Defenseman Lukas Cormier continues to impress in his development, earning him the top spot in the Vegas pipeline and a spot at 74th overall on McKeen’s list. Matyas Sapovaliv is another one that continues to outperform what’s expected of him. There’s a pretty significant drop after this, but that shouldn’t be an issue for a few more years as this core is signed for another three-plus seasons.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Lukas Cormier	D	22	5-10/180	Henderson (AHL)	`20(68th)	58	4	16	20	33
					Vegas (NHL)	`20(68th)	2	0	1	1	0
2	Brendan Brisson	C	22	5-11/180	Henderson (AHL)	`20(29th)	52	19	19	38	42
					Vegas (NHL)	`20(29th)	15	2	6	8	2
3	Matyas Sapovaliv	C	20	6-3/180	Saginaw (OHL)	`22(48th)	54	19	43	62	22
4	Mathieu Cataford	C	19	5-11/185	Halifax (QMJHL)	`23(77th)	65	40	50	90	33
5	Grigori Denisenko	LW	23	5-11/185	Henderson (AHL)	W(Fla-10/23)	65	20	36	56	50
					Vegas (NHL)	W(Fla-10/23)	6	0	0	0	2
6	Kaedan Korczak	D	23	6-3/190	Vegas (NHL)	`19(41st)	26	1	8	9	8
					Henderson (AHL)	`19(41st)	26	1	8	9	28
7	Jakub Brabenec	C	20	6-1/175	Henderson (AHL)	`21(102nd)	48	6	7	13	16
8	Ben Hemmerling	RW	20	5-10/160	Everett (WHL)	`22(177th)	65	30	61	91	74
9	Arttu Karki	D	19	6-1/175	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	`23(96th)	59	21	24	45	10
10	Cameron Whitehead	G	20	6-3/170	Northeastern (HE)	`22(128th)	35	17	14	2.62	0.917
11	Jackson Hallum	LW	21	6-0/170	Michigan (B1G)	`20(91st)	9	3	5	8	0
12	Isaiah Saville	G	23	6-1/190	Henderson (AHL)	`19(135th)	22	7	12	3.27	0.893
13	Jakub Demek	C	20	6-4/195	Henderson (AHL)	`21(128th)	55	7	9	16	22
14	Carl Lindbom	G	20	6-1/165	Farjestads (SHL)	`21(222nd)	26	17	7	2.12	0.911
15	Jiri Patera	G	25	6-2/210	Henderson (AHL)	`17(161st)	25	11	10	2.99	0.903

1. Lukas Cormier, D, Henderson Silver Knights (AHL)

Despite a strong training camp showing, Lukas Cormier spent most of 2023-24 honing his skills in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights. The undersized defenseman (5’ 0”, 176 lbs) impressed with his steady defensive play. His hockey IQ and ability to avoid bad decisions in his own end were on display. His understanding of how to generate offense from the blueline is exceptional, spotting opportunities as they open up through the flow of play or activating his feet to create them himself. While not a flashy offensive producer, he chipped in with one assist in his limited NHL action (two games) and showed glimpses of offensive potential in the AHL. However, questions remain about his offensive upside. Can he translate his defensive reliability into a more complete two-way game at the NHL level? The Golden Knights likely view him as a future bottom-pairing defenseman, but further offensive development could push him towards a more prominent role.

2. Brendan Brisson, C, Henderson Silver Knights (AHL)

Fresh off a standout sophomore year at Michigan, Brendan Brisson got his first taste of pro hockey with the Knights. The 2020 first rounder impressed in limited action, notching eight points in 15 games. While the sample size is small, it showcased the offensive tools that made him a high draft pick – a lethal shot and a knack for finding teammates in scoring areas. Questions remain about his physicality and defensive awareness. At 6’, 183 lbs, he'll need to add some muscle to compete consistently in the NHL. However, his hockey IQ and ability to adapt are encouraging signs. Whether Brisson starts next season in the AHL or cracks the roster will depend on his training camp performance. Regardless, his strong showing this year suggests he's on the right track to becoming a key contributor.

3. Matyas Sapovaliv, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Matyas Sapovaliv continued his ascent in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit this season. The Knights' second round pick (2022) led the team in scoring (62 points in 54 games) while showcasing his well-rounded skillset. His offensive prowess is undeniable. His hockey IQ shines below the circles, where he excels at creating scoring chances for himself and his linemates. He's not just a facilitator though, possessing a strong shot and the ability to finish in tight spaces. However, there is some worry regarding his consistency. There are stretches where he dominates, but there are also lulls in his production. Despite these questions, his overall performance is a positive sign for his future. He's on track for a potential pro debut next season, likely back in the AHL. If he can refine his consistency and continue to dominate offensively, Sapovaliv could push for a quicker NHL promotion.

4. Mathieu Cataford, C, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

Mathieu Cataford is a slick and skilled forward with a high ceiling. He boasts elite speed and agility, allowing him to dance around defenders and create scoring chances in the blink of an eye. His vision and anticipation are exceptional, consistently identifying soft spots in coverage and delivering precision passes to exploit them. His quick release and accuracy make him a threat from anywhere on the ice. Offensively aware, he possesses strong instincts when it comes to positioning in the offensive zone and an ability to find the open ice. Always working hard to create space and get open, he’s shown himself to be an extraordinarily complementary player and dependable forechecker. While he needs to add strength and physicality to his game, Cataford's upside as a top-six forward and key contributor on the Golden Knights' power play is undeniable. With continued development, he could become a dynamic and electrifying player in the NHL.

5. Grigori Denisenko, LW, Henderson Silver Knights (AHL)

Grigori Denisenko's 2023-24 campaign was a tale of two leagues – a cup of coffee in the NHL and dominance in the AHL. While he had a brief, scoreless stint with the Golden Knights (six games), He found his groove with the Henderson Silver Knights. He led the team in assists (36) and points (56) in 65 games, even earning a call-up to the AHL All-Star Classic. His offensive production is undeniable, with a blend of slick playmaking and a knack for finding the net (20 goals). However, questions remain about his NHL readiness. His defensive awareness needs refinement, and his impact at the highest level remains unproven. The future seems bright, however. Another year in the AHL could solidify his defensive game, while flashes of brilliance hint at NHL potential. The Golden Knights will be watching closely to see if Denisenko can translate his minor-league dominance into success on the big stage.

6. Kaedan Korczak, D, Henderson Silver Knights (AHL)

Kaedan Korczak is a rugged and intelligent defenseman with a well-rounded game. He excels in his own end, using his quick feet and active stick to shut down opponents' attacks and clear the zone with ease. His vision and anticipation allow him to make smart passes and spark transition play, while his physicality and competitiveness make him a difficult opponent to face in puck battles. He does a good job under forecheck pressure by being sturdy on his feet and keeping his head up to scan the play in front of him and assess his options. The challenge is figuring out whether he can be effective enough in the NHL in that kind of role. With continued development, there is the potential to become a top-four defenseman and a key contributor on the Golden Knights' blue line. He shows intriguing upside and projects as a reliable, two-way defender.

7. Jakub Brabenec, C, Henderson Silver Knights (AHL)

Jakub Brabenec is a slick and savvy playmaker with a knack for elevating his teammates' games. He boasts exceptional vision and anticipation, consistently identifying soft spots in coverage and delivering precision passes to exploit them. He is a lanky, smooth, multifaceted forward who can play wing or center, and slot up or down a lineup. He displays an impressive proficiency for transporting the puck across zones, keeping it out in front of him in stride, while also using his frame and reach to fend off backcheckers. His agility and quick feet allow him to navigate through traffic, while his soft hands and accuracy make him a threat from the slot. He's also a reliable defender, using his active stick and positioning to disrupt opponents' cycles. With continued refinement, Brabenec has the potential to become a top-six forward and a key contributor to the Golden Knights' power play as a playmaking center with a scoring touch.

8. Ben Hemmerling, RW, Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Ben Hemmerling is a skilled and tenacious winger with a relentless motor. He excels in tight spaces, using his quick hands and agility to create scoring chances in the phone booth areas. His hockey IQ is high, consistently identifying soft spots in coverage and exploiting them with precision passing or well-placed shots. When he gets the puck, his vision makes him a strong playmaker too. He works well from below the goal line and from the half wall, drawing in to help defenders before finding a streaking teammate. His speed and acceleration allow him to pressure defenders, forcing turnovers and generating offense. While he may not be the biggest player, his compete level and smarts make him a pesky opponent, and his upside as a top-six forward is considerable. With continued refinement, he could become a valuable asset.

9. Arttu Karki, D, Soo Greyhounds (OHL)

Fresh off a third-round selection by Vegas in the 2023 draft, Arttu Karki embarked on his first season in North America with the Soo Greyhounds of the OHL. The Finnish defenseman showcased his offensive potential, flashing a strong shot and impressive playmaking ability (21 goals, 44 assists in 59 games). However, his defensive consistency was a source of debate. He displayed flashes of strong positioning and physicality, but lapses in focus led to some struggles. This inconsistency is a familiar refrain for Karki. While his offensive upside is undeniable, his ability to translate his skills to the pro game remains a question mark. The Greyhounds leaned on him offensively, but a stronger showing in his own zone is crucial for his future success. The upcoming season will be pivotal. Can he tighten up his defensive game and solidify his status as a potential NHL contributor?

10. Cameron Whitehead, G, Northeastern University (NCAA)

Cameron Whitehead, the 6’ 3” goaltender, is a promising prospect with a technically sound game and a large frame. His athleticism and quick reflexes allow him to move swiftly from post to post. He had a solid season with the Lincoln Stars and has taken over the net for Northeastern. His vision keeps him engaged on every puck, and he’s shown the ability to scramble and get creative in broken-play situations. However, he needs to improve his rebound control and puck handling. A long-term project, he will need to use his size more effectively to succeed at the next level. Once a goaltending coach gets him to settle down and trust his size more, his consistency should improve. This is also true of his rebound control. Whitehead is a prospect to watch as he continues to develop his game.

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

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – FLORIDA PANTHERS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #30

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:00:12 +0000

SUNRISE, FL - JANUARY 21: Grigori Denisenko #14 of the Florida Panthers skates during the game between the Florida Panthers and the Minnesota Wild at FLA Live Arean in Sunrise, FL on January 21, 2023. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire)

Top 20 Florida Panther Prospects

1. Mackie Samoskevich - RW

Selected 24th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Samoskevich has become the top prospect in the organization, thanks in part to the graduations of Anton Lundell and Spencer Knight. Samoskevich has been consistent in his development path, taking a step forward every season from his time with the Chicago Steel and throughout his NCAA career with the University of Michigan. His offensive awareness looks to be his greatest strength, from his navigation of the attacking zone to his ability to find teammates through traffic. He’s a competitive player, who has increasingly become more and more reliable at both ends of the ice. As has been the case since his draft year, he can hang on to the puck too long and get caught, but that seems to be lessening. He has the potential to be a 2C at the next level but may slide more comfortably into a 3C role.

2. Gracyn Sawchyn - C

Sawchyn is a cerebral pass-first center. He thrives when the puck is on his stick, always knowing what his next move with it should be, whether that's continuing to carry it himself for a while longer or moving it to a better-positioned teammate. His hands are top-tier, able to make opposing defenders look foolish, and he is very accurate and responsible with his passes, rarely forcing plays or turning the puck over. While he's not the fastest or most technically adept skater he keeps his motor revved high and his feet moving, which allows him to get a step ahead when he needs to, and he doesn't have to slow himself down at all to make his next move when he's carrying the puck in motion. Those are all advantages that he will need to maintain in order to survive the speed and physicality of the NHL, and how good of a job he does in that regard will determine where he'll settle into his team's lineup. He'll be a key piece for the Thunderbirds next year, maybe even as their first-line center, as they try to pull off the rare feat of winning back-to-back WHL championships.

3. Grigori Denisenko - LW

Drafted 15th overall way back in 2018, expectations were high for Denisenko and have remained fairly high ever since. It’s been a longer path than normal for the prospect, especially one drafted as high as him. He has remained a piece that the Panthers continue to have faith in and hold out for, despite him being in his third season in North America already with little sustained success to show for it. After a slow start in years one and two, he seemed to have taken a step forward last season with the Charlotte Checkers. He still has that skill that caused excitement years ago, especially with his quick hands and sharp turns, and he’s a firecracker on the ice. His decision-making can be concerning at times but has improved during his time in the AHL. At this point, his ceiling has dropped and it’s hard to see him as more than a bottom-six, contributing winger.

4. Justin Sourdif - RW

After two successful seasons in the WHL, Sourdif was rewarded with a selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, 87th overall. He continued a very strong WHL career for three more seasons, capping it off with a WHL Championship in 2021-22. Last season, he made the jump to the AHL where he didn’t pop as he had in the Dub, but he wasn’t far off either. The forward has a never-give-up attitude mixed with excellent speed, enabling him to win most races to the puck. His puck protection and possession are very strong, never wanting to give up the puck to his opponents. He’s also effective at both ends of the ice, making him even more dynamic. He has the makings of a solid third liner and a penalty-killer in the NHL but needs to build more strength and get more comfortable in the AHL first.

5. Aleksi Heponiemi - C

The wait for Heponiemi has been a very long one. Drafted way back in 2017, the forward has yet to truly break into the NHL, despite seeing time in the top league during each of the past three seasons. Heponiemi was a very exciting prospect heading into the draft, coming over to the WHL in 2016-17 and

winning Rookie of the Year. He played one more season with the Swift Current Broncos and put up a very impressive 118-points. He followed that with a big year in the Liiga, leading all rookies in points (46) before heading to the AHL in 2019-20. Heponiemi has struggled to truly find that dominance that he had in other leagues, looking more like a bottom-six contributor versus a potential offensive catalyst. He’s still a very strong playmaker, but his size (5-10”, 154 pounds) has contributed to his struggles in carving out an NHL role for himself. This summer, he signed with EHC Biel-Bienne in the Swiss National League and he remains unsigned by the Panthers as of this writing, putting his NHL future in serious question.

6. Michael Benning - D

Another player of smaller size in the Panthers system, Benning had a dominant career in the AJHL, leading the league in points from a defender in both of his seasons and being named the Top Defender in both the AJHL and CJHL in his final year. After being drafted in 2020, 95th overall, he made the jump to the NCAA with the University of Denver. After taking the first season to get comfortable, he found his way back to his dominating ways in 2021-22, leading Denver to an NCAA Championship and earning Tournament MVP in the process. The 5-9”, 181-pound rearguard truly shines in his transition game, dictating the play and pace of his team from his own end. He’s fearless with the puck and has a level of creativity that allows him to create chances in the offensive zone. The transition to the next level will be tough with his size, but he has the tools to succeed.

7. Evan Nause - D

Nause was a polarizing prospect throughout his draft year and that hasn’t changed as a drafted prospect. His draft year was solid, earning him a nod to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team and he then took a step forward when given an expanded role in 2021-22. His progression last season wasn’t as pronounced, but the Remparts were Memorial Cup Champions and Nause’s development is still on the right track and trending up. He has good size and looks like he could develop into a solid two-way presence. He reads the play very well, anticipating passes and cutting off lanes. He plays with a very calm demeanour. That can be an issue at times as he can appear to not play with urgency. He’s still fairly raw, but he has good mobility and the tools to be effective in his own end. He could be a bottom-of-the-line-up option that bounces between the AHL and NHL.

8. John Ludvig - D

After being passed over in the 2018 NHL Draft, the Panthers bet on Ludvig in 2019, selecting him 69th overall. He was coming off an 18-point season, more than double his previous total. In 2019-20, he returned to the Portland Winterhawks as the captain and exploded for a 62-point season and was named a First Team All-Star in the league. That was all the Panthers needed to see to sign him to his entry-level deal. Unfortunately, it’s been a tough road for the defender since then with several injury setbacks. He seemed on a path to be a physical, contributing rearguard who plays a mistake-free game. With his injuries and the impact on his development, it remains to be seen where he goes from here. Last season saw him get back on track a bit, so it’s up to the Panthers how they want to continue with his development.

9. Albert Wikman - D

There will always be a place in the NHL for steady, no frills, defensive defensemen, and Wikman fits that bill perfectly. He's a new age type of defender though, foregoing the outdated priorities of pugnacity and brawn in exchange for smarts and skating ability. Being able to defend an opposing player one-on-one is much harder than it looks, but you would never know it by watching him because he does it so confidently and casually. He always seems to be in control and has a very businesslike approach about his game. Pressure doesn't seem to faze him, and he rarely panics when the ice is tilted against his team. Without the puck he is very advanced with his positioning, angling and tie-ups, and when he does get it, he is capable on breakouts, as his outlet passes are clean and he's not afraid to skate it out himself. If he were a little bigger, a little more mobile, or a little bit of both, he'd project more as a number two defender than a number four, which is how he looks now. Wikman will never put up big point totals but will still make a positive difference in the win column.

10. Mack Guzda - G

The Panthers have Spencer Knight in net for the foreseeable future, but having another goaltender or two in the system is never a bad thing. Passed over through every NHL Draft he was eligible for, the Panthers signed Guzda as a free agent in February, 2022 while he was in the midst of a strong fourth and final OHL season, putting up a .915 save percentage. He stepped into the AHL last season and performed well as a rookie, playing fairly significant minutes. He’s intelligent, twice winning the Ivan Tennant Award as the Top Academic High School Player in the OHL. He’s got the size at 6- 5”, 216 pounds, the technical ability, and the ability to track pucks, and while he’s not going to be stealing Knights’ spot any time soon, he could fit well behind him moving forward.

11. Santtu Kinnunen - D

Florida had to be very patient with Kinnunen after drafting him in the 7th round of 2018. He finally came over to North America last year and the results were great as he finished second in defensive scoring for Charlotte. As an older prospect, the window of opportunity is probably small, but his puck moving ability is impressive and he could quarterback a powerplay in the future.

12. Logan Hutsko - RW

Even though Hutsko remains an RFA as of this writing and has signed in the SHL for the coming season, he remains someone to be hopeful for. The undersized forward has the skill, he just needs to gain confidence playing against men and the SHL should be great for his development.

13. Ryan McAllister - LW

One of the most sought after NCAA free agents this year, McAllister elected to leave Western Michigan after his freshman year. His playmaking ability and vision are his best assets and he could be a real diamond in the rough for the organization.

14. Marek Alscher - D

Alscher has a solid projection as a dependable stay-at-home defender because of his combination of length, mobility, and physicality. He will return to Portland (WHL) for a final junior season with the hope of improving his confidence with the puck.

15. Ludvig Jansson - D

The surprise of the WJC last year, Jansson came out of nowhere to be one of the tournament’s best defenders. Now he needs to show it at the pro level in the SHL where he has recently joined the Lulea program.

16. Jack Devine - RW

A strong complementary winger, Devine finds success thanks to a great motor and a high IQ. He is coming off of a great sophomore campaign at the U of Denver and will look to become one of the better wingers in the NCAA this season.

17. Sandis Vilmanis - LW

Blocked behind some other talented prospects in Sarnia last year, Vilmanis is primed for a breakout campaign in the OHL this year. The talent is there for the Latvian winger. Let’s see what he does with the opportunity.

18. Josh Davies - LW

Davies is like the “little engine that could.” He’s not the biggest, but he is among the fiercest in the WHL. He never takes a shift off and has developed a pest-like reputation. This year the Panthers will need to decide whether he has earned a contract and they’ll be looking for him to improve his offe nsive production to match his high energy approach.

19. Zach Uens - D

A Merrimack College standout, Uens’ first pro year was a disappointment as he failed to stick in the AHL full time and finished the ECHL season with a mere four points in 35 games. The physical tools are still very alluring, but he needs to have a better year to stay relevant.

20. Nathan Staios - D

The Panthers signed Staios after he won the Max Kaminsky trophy, as the OHL’s top defenseman in 2022. Unfortunately, the undersized blueliner struggled in his first pro year. His mobility is a major plus, but the decision making needs to improve for Staios to stick in the AHL this year.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #30 – Florida Panthers

Josh Bell — Fri, 12 May 2023 17:15:06 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 30^th

The Panthers emerged from a season of transition, which is an unusual position for the previous season’s President’s trophy winner to find themselves. For the 2022 playoffs, they pushed all their chips in to take a run at the Stanley Cup, clearing out the prospect pipeline and leaving themselves with only four picks in the top three rounds over the next three drafts. They were eliminated in the second round, after a mid-season coaching change as Joel Quenneville was suspended and Andrew Brunette took over. Paul Maurice took over the reins in the offseason, accompanying a seismic trade to add Matthew Tkachuck for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar as the main pieces involved. They were looking out of the playoffs by January as the retool took some time to mesh.

Since then, Tkachuck has emerged as one of the best players in the league and adds an element of fire and grit. The Panthers surged in the second half, and as of this writing, currently have the Maple leafs on the ropes 3-1 as of this writing. They will remain a threat with a core in their prime of Barkov, Tkachuck, Reinhart, Bennett, Verhaege, Duclair at forward and Ekblad and Forsling on defense, all 27-years old or younger. There is not a lot of imminent help from the prospect pool. Grigori Denisenko has been highly touted for years, but his development has stagnated. This coming season will clearly be a make-or-break on whether he is a regular NHL contributor or an AHL’er. They have graduated two promising prospects in Anton Lundell and Spencer Knight, so their window is much more open with their current group to grow together.

University of Michigan Ice Hockey team victory over Michigan State University,7-2, at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, MI on Nov.5, 2021.

Mackie Samoskevich

Selected 24th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Mackie Samoskevich has become the top prospect in the organization, thanks in part to the graduation of Anton Lundell and Spencer Knight. Samoskevich has been consistent in his development path, taking a step forward every season from his time with the Chicago Steel through to his NCAA career with the University of Michigan. His offensive awareness looks to be his greatest strength, from his navigation of the attacking zone to his ability to find teammates through traffic. He’s a competitive player, who’s increasingly become more and more reliable at both ends of the ice. As has been the case since his draft year, he can hang on to the puck too long and get caught, but that seems to be lessening. He has the potential to be a 2C at the next level but may slide more comfortably into a 3C role.

2. Grigori Denisenko

Drafted 15th overall way back in 2018, expectations were high for Grigori Denisenko and have remained fairly high ever since. It’s been a longer path than normal for the prospect, especially one drafted as high as him. He’s remained a piece that the Panthers continue to have faith in and hold out for, despite him being in his third season in North America already. After a slow start in years one and two, he seems to have taken a step forward this season with the Charlotte Checkers. He still has that skill that caused excitement years ago, especially with his quick hands and sharp turns, and he’s a firecracker on the ice. His decision-making can be concerning at times but has improved during his time in the AHL. At this point, his ceiling has dropped and it’s hard to see him as more than a bottom-six contributing winger.

3. Justin Sourdif

After two successful seasons in the WHL, Justin Sourdif was rewarded with a selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, 87th overall. He continued a very strong WHL career for three more seasons, capping it off with a WHL Championship in 2021-22. This season, he’s made the jump to the AHL where he hasn’t popped as he did in the Dub, but he’s not far off either. The forward has a never-give-up attitude mixed with excellent speed meaning that he wins most races to the puck. His puck protection and possession are very strong, never wanting to give up the puck to his opponents. He’s also effective in both ends of the ice, making him even more dynamic. He has the makings of a solid third liner and a penalty-killer in the NHL but does need to build some strength and get more comfortable in the AHL first.

4. Aleksi Heponiemi

The wait for Aleksi Heponiemi has been a very long one. Draft way back in 2017, the forward has yet to truly break into the NHL, despite seeing time in each of the last three seasons. Heponiemi was a very exciting prospect heading into the draft, coming over to the WHL in 2016-17 and winning Rookie of the Year. He played one more season with the Swift Current Broncos and had an impressive 118-point season. He followed that with a big year in the Liiga, leading all rookies in points (46) before heading to the AHL in 2019-20. Heponiemi has struggled to truly find that dominance that he had in other leagues, looking more like a bottom-six contributor versus a potential offensive catalyst. He’s still a very strong playmaker, but his size (5-foot-10, 154 pounds) has contributed to his struggles in carving out an NHL role for himself.

5. Michael Benning

Another player on the smaller size in the Panthers system, Michael Benning had a dominant career in the AJHL, leading the league in points from a defender in both of his seasons and being named the Top Defender in the AJHL and CJHL in his final year. After being drafted in 2020, 95th overall, he made the jump to the NCAA and the University of Denver. After taking the first season to get comfortable, he found his way back to his dominating ways in 2021-22, leading Denver to an NCAA Championship and earning Tournament MVP in the process. The 5-foot-9, 181-pound rearguard truly shines in his transition game, dictating the play and pace of his team from his own end. He’s fearless with the puck and has a level of creativity that allows him to create chances in the offensive zone. The transition to the next level will be tough with his size, but he has the tools to succeed.

6. Evan Nause

Evan Nause was a polarizing prospect throughout his draft year and remains so as a drafted prospect. His draft year was solid, earning him a nod to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team and then given an expanded role in 2021-22, he took a step forward. His progression this season hasn’t been as pronounced, but he is still on the right track and trending up. He has good size and looks like he could develop into a solid two-way presence. He reads the play very well, anticipating passes and cutting off lanes. He plays with a very calm demeanour. That can be an issue at times as he can appear to not play with urgency. He’s still fairly raw, but he has good mobility and the tools to be effective in his own end. He could be a bottom-of-the-line-up option that bounces between the AHL and NHL.

7. John Ludvig

After being passed over in the 2018 NHL Draft, the Panthers bet on John Ludvig in 2019, selecting him 69th overall. He was coming off an 18-point season, more than double his previous total. In 2019-20, he returned to the Portland Winterhawks as the captain and exploded for a 62-point season and was named a First Team All-Star. That was all the Panthers needed to see to sign him to his entry-level deal. Unfortunately, it’s been a tough road for the defender since then with several injury setbacks. He seemed on a path to be a physical, contributing rearguard who plays a mistake-free game. With his injuries and the impact on his development, it remains to be seen where he goes from here. This season has seen him back on track a bit, so it’s up to the Panthers if they want to continue with his development.

8. Mack Guzda

The Panthers have Spencer Knight in net for the foreseeable future, but having another goaltender or two in the system is never a bad this. Passed over through every NHL Draft he was eligible for, the Panthers signed Mack Guzda as a free agent in February 2022 while he was in the midst of a strong fourth and final OHL season where he had a .915 save percentage. He’s stepped into the AHL this season and performed well as a rookie playing fairly significant minutes. He’s an intelligent prospect, twice winning the Ivan Tennant Award as the Top Academic High School Player in the OHL. He’s got the size at 6-foot-5, 216 pounds, the technical ability, and the ability to track pucks, and while he’s not going to be stealing Knights’ spot any time soon, he could fit well behind him moving forward.

9. Santtu Kinnunen

It’s not too often that seventh-round selections pan out, but it appears that Santtu Kinnunen is well on his way. Drafted 207th overall in 2018, the defender remained in Finland until this season, bouncing between the Liiga and Mestis for two seasons before carving out a full-time role for himself with a new team, Tappara, for the past two seasons. At the end of his 2022 campaign, where he helped Tappara to a league title, he signed his entry-level deal with the Panthers. In his first season in the AHL with the Checkers, he’s fit in well as a top-four defender, contributing offensively and holding his own in his own end. He’s looking more and more like a player that could play in the NHL, as a solid, two-way, bottom-four piece. At the very least, he looks to be a solid AHLer who earns the occasional call-up.

10. Logan Hutsko

Yet another prospect coming out of the 2018 NHL Draft, the Panthers took a bit of a gamble selecting him 89th overall. From a fractured vertebra that nearly left him paralyzed to an injury to his left MCL and kneecap, he missed practically all of the 2016-17 season and wasn’t selected in the 2017 NHL Draft. He came back in 2017-18 to his first season at Boston College, where he was named Hockey East Rookie of the Year and helped lead the team to three Hockey East Championships in the next four seasons, although his final year was shortened with yet another injury. He joined the Checkers in 2021-22, where he does seem to be back on track, but the seriousness of his injuries is still a concern. If he ever gets a chance to play in the NHL, what a story that would be for the forward.

MCKEENS 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – Risers and fallers over the 22-23 season

Brock Otten — Thu, 11 May 2023 23:14:11 +0000

The last time we ranked the NHL’s top prospects was late in the summer when we published our annual Yearbook. A lot can change in a year and as such there were several significant movers and shakers in our latest rankings for this prospect guide. Here are fifteen of the biggest risers and five of the largest fallers.

You can find our most recent ranking here.

Risers

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 27: Minnesota Gophers forward Jimmy Snuggerud (81) celebrates a goal during the college hockey game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Minnesota Gophers on January 27th, 2022, at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Jimmy Snuggerud (94 to 19) - St. Louis Blues

When Snuggerud was the 23rd overall pick at last year’s draft, many were fans of his game, but there were certainly concerns that his success as part of the NTDP could be attributed to the stars he was playing with. However, early returns on this selection by St. Louis are fantastic as Snuggerud was one of the top performing freshmen in the NCAA this year with Minnesota and starred for Team USA at the WJC’s, where he helped them capture a bronze medal. Snuggerud continues to improve his skating and play with the puck, and it has improved his odds of being a long time top six player in the NHL.

Marco Kasper (79 to 24) - Detroit Red Wings

In our draft guide last year, we ranked Kasper 24th over concerns regarding his offensive upside, but the 8th overall pick has progressed nicely in his second SHL season, improving his offensive production, in addition to dominating physically at times. While there is a chance that Kasper ends up as more of a middle six type, he has deservedly moved up our list because of his unique blend of power and skill.

Alexander Nikishin (130 to 27) - Carolina Hurricanes

It has been quite a development year for Nikishin as the 21-year-old defender has emerged as one of the top defenders in the KHL. He led the KHL in scoring among defensemen with 55 points. Not only was that the highest point total by a U22 defender in the history of the league, but it was also the highest point total of any player period, breaking Kirill Kaprizov’s mark from a few years ago. The bad news? Nikishin’s contract with SKA runs until 2025.

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 18: Boston University Terriers defenseman Lane Hutson (20) carries the puck during the Hockey East Championship game between the Boston University Terriers and the Merrimack College Warriors on March 18, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Lane Hutson (158 to 38) - Montreal Canadiens

Calling a player a “steal” immediately after the conclusion of the draft can be a dangerous proposition. Players often fall for a reason. In the case of Lane Hutson, everyone in the scouting community believed that the Canadiens had obtained great value from selecting him late in the second round. As a freshman for Boston University, Hutson had a historically good year, finishing with 48 points, beating Adam Fox’s total of 40 (along with top prospect Luke Hughes) to be the highest scoring U20 defender in the NCAA this millennium. Sure, he’s still undersized. Sure, there are aspects of his game that worry us slightly. But you have to respect just how impressive this past year was.

Joshus Roy (178 to 44) - Montreal Canadiens

It has been a steady rise for Roy since being drafted in the fifth round by Montreal two years ago. The former highly touted minor hockey player had a disastrous draft year that caused his fall, but his development has been terrific since. He has improved his skating and his off-puck play, allowing him to dominate the QMJHL. However, it was electrifying performance for Canada at this year’s WJC’s that really sold us of his potential.

William Wallinder (225 to 52) - Detroit Red Wings

A strong skating, two-way defender with size, Wallinder has progressed well in Sweden with Rögle, the same team that helped nurture Moritz Seider into the star that he is today. Now he appears ready to take that next step and will play in North America next year, perhaps even with the Red Wings if his training camp performance is strong enough.

Lian Bichsel (163 to 53) - Dallas Stars

While Bichsel’s offensive production failed to improve significantly in the SHL this year, his defensive game and confidence to impose himself physically definitely has. While his true NHL upside remains a slight mystery, he is starting to look the part of a future shutdown defender…at the very least.

Filip Bystedt (239 to 69) - San Jose Sharks

Bystedt was a bit of a surprise first round pick last year, but it appears that San Jose knew exactly what they were doing. Bystedt was a breakout star this year, emerging as one of the highest scoring U20 players in the SHL, in addition to performing extremely well at the WJC’s for Sweden. The big man skates extremely well and his coordination and skill are really catching up, giving him a unique upside.

Nikolai Kovalenko (285 to 76) - Colorado Avalanche

The son of former NHL’er Andrei Kovalenko, Nikolai emerged as an offensive star in the KHL this year as a 23-year-old and now looks like a potential impact player for the Avalanche. His KHL contract expires at the end of next year, so he may be close to crossing the pond. Kovalenko would be a breath of fresh air for an Avalanche team that is facing a bit of a cap crunch.

Connor Zary (266 to 79) - Calgary Flames

Last year, Zary was one of our biggest fallers after a poor showing in the AHL as a rookie, where the increased pace appeared to overwhelm him. Kudos to Zary for making the necessary adjustments because he has been much better as a sophomore and is knocking on the door of a permanent spot on the Flames. Thanks to increased pace and strength, Zary looks like a near lock to be a middle six option for years to come.

Nikita Alexandrov (222 to 81) - St. Louis Blues

The Blues have been very patient with Alexandrov, a former QMJHL standout and WJC star. This year, that patience has paid off as his improved play in the AHL has led to his first NHL action, where he did not look out of place. Alexandrov should claim a permanent spot in the NHL next year and he looks like the versatile, middle six forward we expected he could become a few years ago.

Zach Ostapchuk (218 to 91) - Ottawa Senators

The big forward and former high second round pick’s development took an extremely positive step forward this year. He set new career highs in the WHL (splitting time between Vancouver and Winnipeg) and he played a crucial checking line role for Canada at the WJC’s, capturing consecutive gold medals. Ostapchuk has everything NHL management wants from their third liners these days. He’s big. He’s physical. He has positional versatility. He’s strong in all three zones. He skates well. His skill and finishing ability are developing well. Look for him to make a run at the Senators’ roster as early as next year.

William Dufour (192 to 95) - New York Islanders

Was Dufour’s breakout last year, when he was named the QMJHL’s most valuable player, a result of a prospect truly turning a corner, or was it the result of a large, power forward, dominating younger players physically? That was the million-dollar question coming into this year. Well, the early results in the AHL suggest the former. Dufour has been one of Bridgeport’s best players this year and he has even earned a cup of coffee with New York because of it.

Reid Schaefer (267 to 98) - Nashville Predators

Now a member of the Predators after the Mattias Ekholm trade, Schaefer has progressed well with Seattle this year in the WHL, and he looks ready to start his pro journey in the AHL next season. His true offensive upside still remains a bit of a question mark, but he was the key component of that Edmonton/Nashville blockbuster for a reason. Nashville values his power forward potential.

Carter Mazur (Unranked to 99) - Detroit Red Wings

After winning a National Championship with Denver last year as a freshman, Mazur returned for his sophomore year this year and improved his goal scoring totals, pacing the Pioneers with 22 goals. Mazur is a prototypical third line winger who should be able to become an excellent role player for the Wings over the next decade, however his offensive skills are better than many give him credit for. Mazur recently signed his ELC, has turned pro, and should move quickly up the ladder in Detroit’s system.

Fallers

SAINT PAUL, MN - APRIL 29: Colorado Avalanche Left Wing Ben Meyers (59) lines up for a faceoff during the NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild on April 29th, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Prokhor Poltapov (75 to 175) - Buffalo Sabres

Poltapov finally emerged as a KHL regular this season, even scoring five goals, which is not terrible for a U20 player. However, the power winger’s offensive potential is starting to look lower than many believed it would be. Playing in a deep Buffalo system, he may soon become an afterthought in Russia.

Grigori Denisenko (105 to 158) - Florida Panthers

Playing in his third North American season, Denisenko has still not become an NHL regular with Florida. In fact, his performance playing in the AHL continues to disappoint too. Denisenko is nearing waivers eligibility and that will put Florida in a difficult position, especially given his lackluster play. Will we find him in a different NHL uniform soon, ala Vitali Kravtsov?

Cayden Primeau (126 to Unranked) - Montreal Canadiens

Primeau has proved to be quite the enigma as a pro, something that has frustrated both Canadiens’ fans and management. The former Mike Richter winner has shown flashes of being one of the top goaltending prospects on the planet, however consistency has remained a major issue, even in his fourth pro year. He may still become a quality NHL goaltender, but other more promising prospects at the position have unquestionably passed him by.

Justin Sourdif (138 to Unranked) - Florida Panthers

A standout in the WHL last year, Sourdif has struggled to be a consistent offensive point producer in his first pro season. It’s way, way too early to give up on him as an NHL prospect and he is still valued within the Florida organization, but other prospects have leap frogged him at this point.

Ben Meyers (146 to Unranked) - Colorado Avalanche

The former Hobey Baker candidate and World Championship standout was a high profile signing by the Avs out of the University of Minnesota. Many expected him to make the immediate jump to the NHL this year, including us. However, Meyers has struggled in the NHL this year and as a 24-year-old, this may point to a limited ceiling, if/when he does crack the Colorado roster full time.

AHL: BELL – Stock Up, Stock Down – 10 Early Impressions

Josh Bell — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 12:44:16 +0000

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 09: Cleveland Monsters right wing Kirill Marchenko (86) on the ice during the first period of the American Hockey League game between Grand Rapids Griffins and Cleveland Monsters on November 9, 2022, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Stock Up, Stock Down: Early Impressions on AHL Prospects

With the puck dropping on the AHL season just over a month ago, it’s the perfect time to take an early look at how some of the prospects in the league are performing.

Some surprising names have been lighting up the league and received early call-ups to the NHL, while others came in with high hopes and haven’t exactly reached those expectations. It’s a point in the season where players can still come back down to earth or find their stride and turn their season around.

While many more are off to hot or cold starts, here are 10 prospects in the AHL that have already seen their stock rise or fall this season.

Stock Down: John Beecher, C, Providence Bruins

Boston Bruins prospect John Beecher wrapped up his NCAA career last season, jumping to the AHL at the end of the year for a taste of the next level. He played well, with five points (three goals, two assists) in nine games, followed by one assist in two playoff games.

After starting the season looking like a contender for an NHL role, he started in the AHL and just hasn’t taken that step forward in his development. It was expected that he would take on a big role in Providence, but his struggles have led to him sliding down the lineup into the bottom six and collecting just four points (two goals, two assists) in his first 15 games.

The biggest issue for Beecher right now is his processing. There seems to be a delay in his thinking and reacting. This is resulting in bad passes, trouble receiving passes, being caught out of position, and bad giveaways. He just looks to be missing a step in his game. He’s not pushing the pace or driving play. He’s not making it hard for the other team to play against him. The season is still young, and Beecher can still turn it around, but right now there is reason to be worried about the young prospect.

Stock Up: Samuel Bolduc, D, Bridgeport Islanders

The 2021-22 season was rough for Samuel Bolduc, his second in the AHL. After putting up 14 points in 24 games in his rookie season, he started the season injured and just could bounce back, collecting just seven in 57 games.

So far this season, Bolduc has taken a big step forward, already recording 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 14 games. This is largely thanks to a seven-game point streak he had, including one three-assist performance. He’s been playing significant power-play minutes and has been given increasing time on the penalty kill.

This step forward began last season when Bolduc really started taking strides in the back half, showing improvement in his reading of the play and his ability to utilize his body to control opponents. His defensive game has continued to impress this season, while his offensive game appears to continuously trend upwards. He’s making quick decisions with the puck, showing off great passing, and getting pucks on net at the right moments. Expect the 6-foot-4, 220-pound defender to make the jump to New York at some point this season for his first NHL game.

Stock Up: Matej Blumel, W, Texas Stars

Arguably the AHL prospect that has raised their draft stock most this season, Matej Blumel came back to North America after three seasons playing in the top professional league in Czechia. Originally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2019 (100th overall), the team opted not to sign him and lost his rights on June 1, 2021.

Just over a year later, the Dallas Stars signed the former USHL player to a two-year, entry-level contract, a decision that’s looking like a brilliant one at this point. He started his season with a seven-game point streak, with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in that time. He was called up to the NHL, where he had one goal through four games, before being sent back to Texas.

When Blumel’s on the ice, you need to be worried. He’s averaging 0.44 expected goals per game and a 62% Corsi for percentage. He’s driving the net, hunting down rebounds, moving the puck around well, utilizing a big one-timer, and showing off impressive patience. He’s creating offense in a number of different ways and is a dangerous player every time he hits the ice. It looks like the Oilers will be regretting the decision not to sign the winger.

Stock Down: Grigori Denisenko, LW, Charlotte Checkers

When the Florida Panthers drafted Grigori Denisenko 15th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, they were hoping they were drafting a future top-six offensive talent. It looked promising to start, spending the majority of the next two seasons in the KHL, leading the 2019 World Juniors in points, and captaining Russia at the 2020 World Juniors.

Since over from Russia in the 2020-21 season, the winger just hasn’t been able to find his groove. This has been further complicated by the pandemic and a broken kneecap, but this season, he’s healthy and still struggling to put up points. Through 15 games, he has just four points (one goal, three assists).

The forward looks to lack confidence in his game. Looking at his shot maps from his draft year to this season, his shots are coming from further and further out. This season, he rarely shoots from inside the house, navigating the perimeter instead. He’s rushing his decisions, throwing the puck away into traffic. He needs to take a step back, slow his game down, and start to regain confidence. He’s playing on the power play regularly, so it could come. Don’t completely write him off yet, but he’s going to need to turn it around fast.

Stock Up: Ruslan Iskhakov, C, Bridgeport Islanders

Right there with Blumel as one of the most impressive AHL prospects to start the season, Ruslan Iskhakov is taking the league by storm. When we talk about interesting paths to the NHL, Iskhakov might just take the cake. He’s played in the MHL, Slovakia U18, NCAA, Liiga, and the DEL before coming to the AHL this season.

Entering his rookie season, expectations weren’t overly high for the 2018 draft pick. Yet, he exploded out of the gate, collecting 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in his first nine games. He was named AHL Rookie of the Month for his efforts. He’s playing on the top line and the top power-play unit, and it looks like the sky is the limit for the forward.

Iskhakov is showing off his talent in a number of ways. He’s forcing turnovers in the offensive zone, he’s making some pinpoint-accurate passes, and just as accurate shots. He’s remarkably quick on loose pucks and he’s showing off great vision. If he keeps this up, it won’t be long before he hits the NHL ice.

Stock Up: Kole Lind, RW, Coachella Valley Firebirds

Drafted all the way back in 2017 by the Vancouver Canucks, it’s been a long ride for Kole Lind. Now with the Seattle Kraken organization, he has had a taste of NHL action, playing 23 games last season, and now it looks like he wants to get back there as soon as he can.

In the Coachella Valley Firebirds’ first season in the AHL, Lind collected the first goal and later the first hattrick in franchise history. He’s collected 14 points (six goals, eight assists) through 13 games so far, second on the team behind 2021-22 league points leader Andrew Poturalski.

Lind has been showing off a hard, accurate shot this season, and a powerful one-timer on the power play. He drives the net hard, with or without the puck, battling for position and getting his stick on pucks. He moves the puck around well, both in assisting transition and around the offensive zone. Don’t be surprised to see him called up soon.

Stock Up: Kirill Marchenko, RW/LW, Cleveland Monsters

The wait for Kirill Marchenko is just about over for Columbus Blue Jackets fans. Drafted back in 2018, 49th overall, the Russian forward is finally spending his first season in North America - and it’s been going very well.

The 22-year-old has already racked up 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 12 games. While he didn’t exactly pop in the pre-season, it looks like this was his time to get settled as he hasn’t slowed down since the AHL season started, recording a point in all but two games.

His offensive awareness is sky-high and with his impressive start to the season, he’s oozing confidence. He shows a great deal of patience with the puck, drawing defenders in and creating space for his teammates. He has a full arsenal of ways to put the puck in the net from a net-front tip, a quick wrist shot, or a pass to a teammate. He’s not far off from breaking into the NHL.

Stock Down: Jan Mysak, LW, Laval Rocket

There were a lot of expectations coming into the season for Jan Mysak. After a 64-point season in the OHL, helping the Hamilton Bulldogs to an OHL Championship, a strong performance at the World Juniors where he was named to the All-Star Team, and a strong NHL pre-season, he was expected to pop. That hasn’t happened.

Adding to these expectations, Mysak actually already spent time in the AHL in the 2020-21 season when the OHL season was shut down, playing in 22 games and potting two goals. That’s more than he has this season, with just one goal in 15 games.

He’s averaging just 12:21 minutes per game, among the lowest on the team. He’s playing on the fourth line, has even been scratched, and he hasn’t seen significant power play time. While he hasn’t been in a position to succeed, he’s also not knocking down the door for a bigger role. He can get caught out of position, losing his mark and giving up opportunities, and he just hasn’t produced offensively yet, granted there are flashes of chances. Mysak needs more opportunity, but he needs to take advantage of the ice he does have, which hasn’t happened yet.

Stock Down: Victor Soderstrom, D, Tucson Roadrunners

When the Arizona Coyotes drafted up in the 2019 NHL Draft to the 11th overall pick and selected Victor Soderstrom, expectations were set. Trading up, especially at that point in the draft, these expectations are unavoidable to justify the transaction. For Soderstrom, those expectations have yet to be met.

Now in his third season in North America, the hope was that the defender could take the step forward and make the jump to the NHL. Not only has that not been the case, but even within the AHL, he seems to have taken a step back. After collecting 19 points in 32 games last season (0.59 points per game) he’s recorded just five assists in 13 games this year (0.38 points per game).

On top of not producing (despite significant power play time), the defender’s possession and defensive game has struggled throughout the season. The most glaring concern is the turnovers that he produces, especially in his own zone. The defender tends to panic when under pressure, throwing the puck away. He’s been burned this season with turnovers leading to goals against, but his teammates have bailed him out on other occasions. The ceiling of Soderstrom is very much in question at this point in his development.

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 12: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Jordan Spence (53) carries the puck during the NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings on March 12, 2022 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire)

Stock Up: Jordan Spence, D, Ontario Reign

The resumes that Jordan Spence has built through his young career is truly impressive, from QMJHL Rookie of the Year to QMJHL Defender of the Year, to AHL All-Star and All-Rookie Team nods last season, it’s safe to say that the bar was high for the defender. And he hasn’t disappointed.

Spence started his season going a point-per-game, with 12 assists through 12 games. He sits second on the Ontario Reign in points and second in the league for assists from a defender. Both Spence and Brandt Clarke look ready for the NHL, but there just aren’t any spots for them to fill right now.

The defender’s passing has definitely stood out throughout his time in the AHL from his outlet passes to his puck movement in the offensive zone. He’s getting pucks through traffic and on net, creating rebounds that his forwards can bury. He’s not afraid to step up to get a closer shot or to pull defenders out of position. He’s ready for the NHL.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – FLORIDA PANTHERS – Top 20 Prospects

Contributors – Brock Otten, Chapin Landvogt, Ethan Hetu, Viktor Fomich — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 18:14:17 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 27: Florida Panthers left wing Grigori Denisenko (14) and center Aleksander Barkov (16) talk during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, held on April 27, 2021, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Mackie Samoskevich RW

As a member of the Chicago Steel in his draft season and as a Michigan Wolverine, it was easy for Samoskevich to get lost among a sea of other highly-drafted, highly-talented NHL prospects. Samoskevich's list of teammates read off as a top prospect list of their own, and Samoskevich's game has definitely benefited from playing alongside such talented players. But that being said, Samoskevich's profile still ultimately stands on its own two feet. Samoskevich is an offensive talent, a quality playmaker and someone who is always looking to drive play and put his teammates in positions to score. Samoskevich wasn't a centerpiece offensive player as a freshman at Michigan, and the night-to-night quality of his contributions fluctuated more than he likely would have liked. But when Samoskevich was at his best, he was driving play and taking over shifts. Like many offense-first prospects around his age, Samoskevich doesn't use the inside of the ice as well as he should. His offensive tendencies are in need of some refinement, and he'll need to get better at learning to accept creating some less-than-ideal offensive chances rather than holding on to the puck too long in order to find the perfect look. If he can introduce some habits in his game that will serve him well at the pro level, his path to the NHL will become much smoother. There's a talent package that should allow Samoskevich to become a capable contributor to an NHL scoring line, and even perhaps a play-driving one, but there's a good deal of development that needs to happen before Samoskevich can get there. – EH

2 - Grigori Denisenko LW

Selected 15^th overall in the 2018 draft, Denisenko’s progress has been much slower than many, ourselves included, who have expected future NHL stardom, could foresee. He has completed his second full, albeit truncated, season of play in North America. He made the jump from Russia after a full KHL season with modest production which was boosted by a strong WJC. His move the North America coincided with Covid and Denisenko found himself in no-man’s land until the NHL and then AHL started up in 20-21. That first season showed promise, but last season cast a bit of a shadow on his prospect status. Only suiting up once for a deep and high-octane Panthers team, Denisenko was left to grow in the AHL, where things were progressing along well enough until a mid-January blocked shot resulted in a broken kneecap, ending his season. Presumably fit to begin the upcoming campaign, Denisenko likely needs further AHL time to determine his ability to help the NHL squad. On the other hand, with multiple regulars having departed the club while Anthony Duclair appears to be out for perhaps the entire season, there seems to be a lower line job for the taking, should Denisenko be ready to take the next step this fall. – CL

3 - Justin Sourdif RW

It was a good final year for Sourdif in the WHL. A midseason trade saw him join the Edmonton Oil Kings where he played a key role in their WHL Championship victory. Unfortunately, a training injury kept Sourdif from suiting up for Canada again at the re-started WJC’s in August, however, he remains a key prospect for the Panthers moving forward. Sourdif has a very well-rounded game. He is extremely versatile. He can impact the game because of his speed, which he uses to be active in puck pursuit in all three zones. He can impact the game with his physicality and tenaciousness. He is skilled and can make plays at high speed. Sourdif loves to take on defenders one on one and will look to work his way into the middle of the ice. An intelligent playmaker, his confidence in his shot also improved this year, especially once he joined Edmonton and became more of a support player on a stronger team. His pro journey will begin this season with Charlotte and Sourdif should be an immediate impact player for the Checkers. Depending on how he deals with the size and strength of pro defenders, he could move quickly through Florida’s system. Sourdif projects as a middle six forward who can play a variety of different roles, likely starting out in a bottom six role before moving up. - BO

4 - Evan Nause D

Nause was an instrumental piece in Quebec’s organization last season. He plays a very effective game in all three zones of the ice and performs extremely well under pressure. Nause might not be the most skilled or flashiest player, but he’s very reliable, makes sound decisions at all times and makes everything seem effortless. The Panthers prospect will be playing once again this season with a scary Quebec Remparts team where they’ll look to make up for last season’s disappointing run by going all in with new acquisitions such as Justin Robidas to their already stacked offensive group. The focus this year for Nause will be to take yet another step forward as an offensive defender. He moves well and Florida will be looking for him to use his skating ability to be more aggressive with the puck to help create offensive opportunities for the Remparts. The former second round selection does look like a potential #4-6 defender for Florida in the future and someone who could be a fairly versatile depth defender. However, if the aforementioned offensive game continues to progress, there is a chance that his projection changes to be a more integral building block. - EB

5 - Michael Benning D

There has been a lot of conversation about the changing face of the “modern” NHL defenseman, and as speed and skill continue to be prioritized in blueliners, the idea of the prototypical defenseman being six-foot-four and ready to smash opposing forwards into the boards have begun to die out. There have been many faces of this new wave of modern NHL defensemen, and Michael Benning could be another name in the ever-expanding list of talented undersized defensemen who have impactful NHL careers. Benning, a longtime teammate of Edmonton Oilers prospect Carter Savoie, had always been a play-controlling, productive offensive defenseman. But when Benning got to the University of Denver, a team with championship aspirations, his old habits weren’t going to get him to where he needed to go. He needed to polish his game and add some more safety to a profile that was all about aggression and chance creation as a junior player. Benning’s sophomore season was a massive step up from his freshman offering, and he helped lead an extremely talented Pioneers team to an NCAA national championship. Benning’s offensive game is well-developed, and he has all the elements to his game that give him NHL upside as an offensive defenseman. He can skate and contribute in transition, he can see the offensive zone quite well and pairs poise and playmaking flair to be a strong offensive zone facilitator. Benning’s game in his own zone isn’t nearly as developed as his offensive game, and that could pose issues for his pro projection. But even if he doesn’t improve in his own zone, he should still have NHL upside as a puck-moving offensive defenseman who will work best when paired with a defense-first partner. - EH

6 - Aleksi Heponiemi C

A 2017 2^nd rounder, Heponiemi is a little engine that could. His 5’10” height has always been suboptimal, but his 155-pound body has only exacerbated the challenge of his sticking in the NHL. Nonetheless, he has continued to put up gaudy numbers. Drafted after putting up over one point per game in the WHL, he proceeded to top two PPG in his D+1 year, before returning to his native Finland as a 19-year-old, where he sported 46 points in 50 regular season outings. The past two seasons have seen Heponiemi find his level, hitting a wall in his production his first time out in the AHL, producing nicely with MoDo of the HockeyAllsvenskan in 20-21 before getting a 9-game debut with the Panthers (two points). Last season with the Charlotte Checkers, Heponiemi established himself as one of the most adept power play actors in the entire AHL. Few players could enter the opposition zone as fluently as the Finn and his puck prowess in all situations was clearly at another level. He is hitting a crossroads heading into this season, the last of his contract, as Florida is built to win and there is no indication that he is even seen as one of the first call-ups, save for a need for a power play specialist. Then again, few clubs have been able to turn players into unexpected offensive weapons in recent years better than the Panthers. – CL

7 - Vladislav Lukashevich D

The season had been pretty uneventful for Vladislav Lukashevich and not in a good way, as after being sidelined for eight months due to an undisclosed injury, he returned to game action midseason and looked rather rusty. Even though he still was able to get in a decent amount of MHL game action, he didn’t look like much of a difference maker there and it might be fair to consider his entire season a wash. 12 months after being drafted, Lukashevich is more or less in the same developmental place he was when the Panthers called his name: he has a great frame that still needs to add a good deal of muscle, solid skating and skill, but the whole is not yet equal to the sum of his parts. All signs are pointing towards another season spent mostly in the MHL junior league this season, which might be a bit disappointing, but is not unexpected after the season he had. Lukashevich will be expected to be one of the leaders of his team, which would be good for his development. It should also be added that it is the final year of his current contract and seeing how the Lokomotiv organization is strong on the blueline, it will be difficult to get opportunities there, possibly making the young player more likely to look favorably at a move to North America. - VF

8 - Max Gildon D

After a strong rookie season in the AHL in 2021, that saw Gildon named a member of the All-Rookie Team, last year was a big step backward for the former Hobey Baker candidate, thanks to a lower body injury that ended his season in December. This year, he will try to recover the momentum he had built previously as he looks to become a top defender for Charlotte. Gildon has a very intriguing athletic make-up. He skates pretty well for his size (6’3), protects the crease and defends with physicality, and shows well as a puck mover with good hands and vision. He may not be a natural powerplay quarterback or a highly creative player, but there is a good chance that he could develop into an all situations top four defender. Without question, Florida has openings in their third pairing and will be looking to promote a prospect or two to that role. Given his recovery from injury, Gildon would appear to be a long shot at one of those spots. However, if he rebounds well and performs like he did in his rookie AHL season, he could easily push his way to the top of a weaker farm system. - BO

9 - Nathan Staios D

An undersized defender, Staois is the son of former NHL defender Steve Staois. Playing for his father in Hamilton, the younger Staois was a standout in his final (overage) year in the OHL, helping the Bulldogs win an OHL Championship. His strong performance led to him being named the recipient of the Max Kaminsky trophy, awarded to the league’s top defenseman. Then following the conclusion of the Memorial Cup, the Panthers inked him to a contract as a free agent. Staois is a tremendous skater, something he relies on to be an impactful offensive defender. He gains the offensive zone with ease on most occasions at the junior level and is terrific at walking the line inside the offensive zone to keep plays alive. While undersized, he also competes hard in the defensive zone to make up for his lack of stature. However, there are some decision-making issues which could become amplified at the pro level. A high risk/high reward type of player, he will need to learn to pick his spots to activate better. Additionally, his defensive zone awareness and ability to win 50/50 battles in high traffic areas will need to improve for him to be effective at even strength in the AHL. Staois has terrific potential to be an impactful defender, but like any free agent signing, he may take time to reach it as a longer shot. - BO

10 - John Ludvig D

It was a tough year for Panthers’ defensive prospects at the AHL level last year. Max Gildon missed most of the year with a lower body injury and John Ludvig missed almost the entire season following hip surgery. He battled back to play in the last few games of Charlotte’s year, which was encouraging, but you can throw his performance in those games out the window. This coming season will be a fresh start for Ludvig to try to re-find the confidence he had as one of the WHL’s best defenders previously. The question is, how will this serious hip injury affect his skating ability and ability to improve it further? Entering the pro ranks, Ludvig’s skating was the area of his game that still needed the most work and now that might be difficult for him. However, the rest of his game is extremely solid. He has a booming point shot, putting his entire 215lbs frame behind it. He is poised with the puck and shows good vision in all three zones. He is an aggressive defender who clears the crease and makes opposing forwards work to gain touches, especially along the wall. This well-rounded game gives him an NHL projection, even if his skating never improves beyond average. Like organization-mate Gildon, Ludvig will be looking to rebound as one of Charlotte’s top defenders this season, helping to re-emerge as a top prospect in the Florida system. – BO

11 - Mack Guzda

A free agent signing by the Panthers this past season out of the OHL, Guzda showed massive growth in a year split between Owen Sound and Barrie. The big netminder has improved his quickness and agility and will get a chance to play in the AHL this year.

12 - Serron Noel

A power winger, Noel struggled to adapt to the pace of the pro game in his first full AHL season. There is some concern that his development has plateaued. However, this year should give Florida a better indication of his potential.

13 - Logan Hutsko

After four good years at Boston College, Hutsko’s first pro season was largely a success for Charlotte. An undersized scoring forward, Hutsko will have to put up numbers to be a valuable pro.

14 - Zach Uens

What Florida has in Uens remains to be seen. The athletic defender shows good potential at both ends, however finding a true role at the pro level may be difficult. More should be known after he turned pro this season.

15 - Matt Kiersted

While an older prospect, Kiersted was once a prize free agent signing out of UND. The competitive two-way defender may have limited upside, but he could be a full time NHL player in a depth role this coming season.

16 - Liam Arnsby

Drafted late in 2022, Arnsby is an aggressive, defensively oriented center. He hits like a truck and can play a variety of roles. Upgrading his skating will be key as he returns to the OHL with North Bay.

17 - Josh Davies

Like Arnsby, Davies was a late round pick in 2022 who projects as a bottom six NHL player because of his tenacity and high energy game. He will look to improve his offensive production with Swift Current this season (WHL).

18 - Marek Alscher

A suffocating defensive defender, Alscher was a solid presence for the Portland Winterhawks in his first WHL season. Is there room for him to grow as a puck carrier or is his ceiling limited?

19 - Henry Bowlby

There is not much in the way of offensive potential for the defensive minded forward out of Harvard, however he could one day play a depth role for the Panthers as a penalty killing fourth liner.

20 - Kasper Puutio

Admittedly, this list was solidified prior to the completion of the WJC’s where Puutio emerged out of nowhere to be named the tournament’s top defender. A former 5th rounder, he will look to carry over that success to the Liiga level this coming season.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: FLORIDA PANTHERS – RANK: #20 – TIER IV

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:07:50 +0000

Florida Panthers

#20 Florida - The Panthers' system has the best goalie prospect around, and three more top 100 guys, but zero depth, a residual effect of the Tallon years.

TAMPA, FL - MAY 26: Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight (30) during Game 6 of the First Round of the NHL Play-offs between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning on May 26, 2021 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

Spencer Knight

Here is our runaway top goaltending prospect in the sport. This would have been the case even if the Panthers hadn’t shown us in the post-season that they were willing to play Knight in the net at the expense of Sergei Bobrovsky, their incumbent starter, signed to a very long-term contract, for a very big cap hit. In watching Knight over the past four seasons, it is safe to state here that he has no notable weak spots to his game. He is the embodiment of everything an NHL team hopes to see in any goalie prospect, the yardstick against which all others are measured. He fills up the net; He is very athletic; He is exceptionally square to the shooter; He steps up in the biggest moments; He avoids wasted movements; He anticipates the play masterfully; He can play the puck himself better than most NHL goalies; He avoids unforced second chances by the opposition.

We, at McKeen’s, liked him enough in his draft year to feel comfortable projecting him as a rare first round goaltender (although this is growing less rare every year, it seems), and he has only improved over two seasons with Boston College, topping a .930 save percentage each year. His brief, late-season and post-season cameos with Florida only maintained these impressions. Knight will be pushing Bobrovsky for playing time all season, and sooner than later, force Florida into a buyout. He is a star in the making. - RW

Anton Lundell

We don’t yet know whether Lundell will spend the season in the NHL, but we know that there is nothing left for him to figure out in Finland, where he finished his age 19 season as the fifth best scorer on a point-per-game basis of anyone who played at least 20 games. He also captained Team Finland to a Bronze Medal at the WJC, while tying for third overall in tournament scoring among all nations. Finally, he was Finland’s leading scorer at the World Championships. So, yeah, it’s pretty amazing that he was available at 12^th overall in last year’s draft, with all due respect to the 11 taken ahead of him.

Skating will never be his strong suit and is the primary reason why he wasn’t drafted higher, but he knows how to get himself into open space and then capitalize on any opportunities that develop once he gets there. Equal parts creator and finisher, he can seem faster with the puck on his stick than he is when empty-handed. He can seem to lack physicality, but that is a byproduct of his patience, as he prefers to wait for something to develop then to force an error with aggression. Further, he will play in the greasy areas, but lets the play come to him, rather than trying to hunt it down. Even if he doesn’t break into the NHL full time this year, Lundell has first line center upside, and it will be here sooner than later. - RW

Grigori Denisenko

Last summer Denisenko left the KHL with some believing it was too early for him to make the jump. On one hand he had a very good World Juniors that year, while on the other he really had not established himself as a full-time KHL player yet. Unable to secure a KHL loan to start the previous season, Denisenko had to wait for the NHL/AHL to start to play. Thankfully, it does not appear it had any long-term effect, as when the AHL season started he looked totally solid there, even earning a call-up to the NHL, making it to the total of seven NHL games in his debut North American season.

Next season will be quite critical for him in terms of his development as an NHL player. He has the skating ability, a great right-handed shot and the overall attacking skillset. He needs to put everything together consistently and live up to his potential as a top line NHL player. Not easy to predict if he will succeed, but the star potential is certainly there, which should make the Panthers organization and fans really hopeful that he does. - VF

Mackie Samoskevich

Michigan commit Mackie Samoskevich had a season of two halves. He had 10 points within four games, and after a three-point night on January 2nd, giving him 21 points in 14 games, things changed. He was held off the scoresheet for two games, and then was held out of the lineup due to injury for six weeks. When he returned, he still had his moments, but the frequency of his magic was gone, finishing the regular season with 16 more points in 20 games. While some of these inconsistencies can be chalked up to injury recovery, it does make Samoskevich a bit of a gamble as a first round selection.

His best two characteristics are his skating ability and playmaking sense. When healthy, he flies. His ability to get from his own to the offensive end is high-end, regularly forcing the defenses into mistakes. He can maintain that speed over longer distances, but also has the short-area quickness to win races for loose pucks within a zone, and the edges to turn those wins into news playmaking lanes. These are not player comparisons, per se, but you can see some elements of what has made players like Mathew Barzal and Jonathan Huberdeau so successful as NHLers when watching Samoskevich. He will attend the University of Michigan next season and will look to carve out a significant role on that incredibly deep team. Hopefully he is able to improve his consistency, add some muscle, and improve his play away from the puck in his time at Ann Arbor. - RW

Ty Smilanic

One of the biggest 2020 draft day fallers, Florida scooped Smilanic up in the 3^rd round, and the young forward is already making the Panthers feel good about the pick thanks to a very strong freshman campaign with Quinnipiac, tying for the team lead in goals. Perhaps if his draft year had not been inundated with multiple injuries, his potential would have been easier to spot. As is, he is a swift skater, has a well-rounded offensive game – even if he trended much more towards goals this year – and can be utilized in all situations, as his average of over 2.5 minutes of shorthanded ice time per game for the Bobcats indicates.

Currently utilized as a center, there is a school of thought that he would eventually have more value on the wing. There are also questions about how he will hold up when the going gets rougher, as he could seem to shy away from contact at times. Still filling out a lanky 6-1” frame, perhaps added bulk would give him additional assertiveness in the corners. Whatever the case, Florida has no reason to rush Smilanic in his development. He looks to have a middle six upside now, but we will be a lot smarter about his projection after a normal collegiate season next year, instead of playing the same three teams over and over again. Time is still needed, but he is facing the right direction. - RW

Max Gildon

One of the lesser-reported, funky side effects of COVID on the world of North American hockey was that three AHL franchises elected to keep their rinks shut throughout the season. One of those AHL teams was the Florida affiliate in Charlotte. As a result, the Panthers had to find contingency solutions to keep their not-ready-for-primetime prospects on the ice this year. The bulk of them played with Tampa’s affiliate in Syracuse, but a few required third or fourth options for ice time. Gildon was one of those whose solution required creativity, and he ended up spending the season with Edmonton’s farm club in Bakersfield.

Coming fresh out of the University of New Hampshire, his rookie pro season did not go according to plan but was nonetheless very successful. He was Bakersfield’s leading scorer among defenders, and by the season’s second half, was regularly playing upwards of 22 minutes per game, including a few games above 25 minutes of ice time. As an amateur, Gildon always demonstrated a raw, but tantalizing skill set, with an ideal frame, good mobility, solid puck skills, and a sort of intuition that would lead to excitement – at one end of the rink or the other. He still needs at least one more full AHL campaign before we begin to worry about finding him an NHL job, but his development has remained on the right trajectory since draft day. - RW

Serron Noel

It seems as though the last two years of Noel’s development have really plateaued after a promising start to his career as a prospect in the OHL. Under a point per game in his final season in the OHL, Noel was used sparingly on a deep Syracuse team in his first pro season last year in the AHL. The 6’5, 215lbs winger has an intriguing package of size and skill, but a lack of production (or at least a positive step forward) can often be alarming.

Noel skates well for a big player, especially linearly. Due to the power he generates North/South, Noel excels driving the net where he has the skill to finish off plays in tight. However, he still needs to add more dynamic layers to his stride to make him more effective moving through traffic, when he is not able to drive through defenders. Additionally, his play away from the puck needs to become more consistent, especially if he wants to carve out a career as a high end third line winger, which appears to be his likely high-end potential at this point. This coming season Noel will look to establish himself as a consistently productive AHL player who can stay in the lineup for the Crunch. Positive progression is a must this year after two relatively stagnant years. - BO

Evan Nause

An extremely well-rounded defender, Nause may not be flashy, but he is highly effective. After playing with Sioux Falls of the USHL two seasons ago (where he made the USHL All Rookie Team), Nause joined Quebec of the QMJHL this past year. Interestingly enough, he was drafted in the top ten twice in the QMJHL. First by Val-d’or in 2019 (sixth overall), then by Quebec in 2020 (fifth overall). This past year, there was a transition period at the beginning, but as the QMJHL season progressed, he seemed to look more comfortable with each passing month.

A strong skating defender, Nause uses his strong agility and four-way mobility to impact the game at both ends of the ice. He is comfortable and smooth moving backwards and laterally, allowing him to maintain a close gap when defending in transition. He is quick and fluid moving forward allowing him to escape forecheckers in order to create space for clean exits. Nause is also a highly intelligent defender. His exit passes always seem to hit the mark and it is rare to see him turn the puck over, even when he is trying to play with pace. One might wonder, then, why a 6’2 defender with such a well-rounded skill set would be drafted in the late second round. The answer is that Nause’s NHL potential may be limited to more of a secondary role (perhaps a #4-5) due to the fact that his puck skills are average, and his game is simplistic. If Nause’s offensive capabilities improve, he could look like a steal at the draft. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Cole Schwindt

This past year was supposed to be Cole Schwindt’s swan song in the OHL. He likely would have taken another step forward offensively, while leading the Mississauga Steelheads to a solid position in the standings. However, the OHL season was canceled due to the pandemic. Thankfully the Panthers found a place for Schwindt to play in the AHL with Syracuse, even if he played sparingly. Not exactly the banner year he would have likely had, but better than nothing.

Drafted as a potentially elite shutdown defensive forward, Schwindt’s confidence as an offensive player and playmaker has blossomed. He still has the qualities that you look for in a great shutdown forward (size, reach, awareness, skating ability), however Florida must have been really happy to see his play with the puck take such a positive step forward previously. In the AHL, Schwindt played the exact kind of role you would have expected, killing penalties, excelling in the defensive end, and engaging on the forecheck. However, offensively he struggled. This year, in his second AHL season, Schwindt should be an AHL regular, and the Panthers will likely get a better indication of whether he can develop into that elite third line forward, or whether he profiles as more of a depth piece. - BO

Justin Sourdif

After being selected in the third round by the Florida Panthers, Sourdif was returned to Vancouver (WHL) to resume his junior career as an 18-year-old, where he dominated in posting 34 points in just 22 games, showing another level of offensive upside that may not have been as apparent in his draft year. An athletic player with great skating abilities, Sourdif is able to blow by or bulldoze through opponents with equal ease thanks to his lower center of gravity. His release is powerful and can beat goalies from distance or from in front with a deft set of hands. His puck control is excellent, and he excels at going to the correct areas on the ice in order for the puck to find him – traits that should translate well to the pro level.

His awareness in all three zones is generally reminiscent of older players, which should endear him to coaches. He thinks the game well and can play center or wing and contribute on the powerplay or penalty kill. He struggles with consistency and needs to bulk up in order to withstand the rigours of the pro game. He will likely play one final season of junior as a 19-year-old in 2021-22, where he figures to be among the top scorers in the league. - AS

Aleksi Heponiemi

A former standout in the WHL, Heponiemi’s transition to pro hockey has not been seamless. The ultra-quick and creative playmaker has had some trouble adjusting to the strength requirements of the pro game. However, he remains a potential middle six forward for the Panthers and will get an opportunity to be a full time NHL player this season.

Matt Kiersted

One of the top prizes of the college free agent crop this past season, Kiersted has been a winner wherever he has played. After four solid seasons with UND, the strong skating, two-way defender has turned pro. He got into a few games with Florida last year and will look to crack the roster again this season in a third pairing role. However, some time at the AHL level may not be terrible for him either.

John Ludvig

A former standout for Portland of the WHL, the big, physical two-way blueliner had a very good first pro season with Syracuse last year. While the roster crunch (no pun intended) limited his game action, he proved that he could develop into a potential top four defender for the Panthers within the next few seasons, with a profile similar to the Maple Leafs’ Jake Muzzin.

Samuel Montembeault

The 2020/21 season was unquestionably a step backwards for the former third round selection, as he struggled in the AHL after getting a long look in the NHL the year prior. He will continue to serve as Florida’s top injury call-up and still has the chance to become Spencer Knight’s back-up in the future.

Michael Benning

A fourth-round pick in 2020, Benning may not be large (5’8, 180lbs) but he is an extremely talented offensive defender. He was an immediate impact player for the University of Denver as a freshman last season and will look to become one of the top offensive blueliners in college this season as a sophomore.

McKeen’s Fantasy Prospects Rankings

Peter Harling — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 18:44:56 +0000

Ranking prospects can be difficult. There are many factors to consider. Adding another layer as impactful as fantasy hockey value can make a big impact on rankings.

As a fantasy GM, it can be difficult to distinguish between NHL value and fantasy value. What a NHL team values and ranks high on their depth chart, may not resonate with your needs as a fantasy GM trying to build a dynasty.

To help you rank prospects for your fantasy league, I have ranked the top 30 forwards, 20 defenders and ten goalies.

For the skaters, I only considered players under 25-years-old and with less the 50 career regular season games played. For goalies, under 25-years-old and less than 25 career games played.

There are many scoring categories in fantasy hockey, but for purposes of this list, I am only considering goals and assists, and keeper dynasty leagues.

Some of the factors that I took into consideration for the rankings include a wide range. Some examples are draft pedigree, age, production at the pro level to date (NHL, AHL, Europe) and opportunity to make the roster. The last one is a big one as I place a lot of value in two factors.

What are the players long term upside, or potential or offensive ceiling?

What is the expected arrival date for the player to break into the NHL?

I have also broken this list of the top 60 prospects up positionally as all fantasy leagues have positional requirements. Depending on your league the positional value may increase or decrease based on scoring.

For goalies, I rank them based on how soon I expect them to arrive in the NHL and score them on win expectations.

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 10: Anaheim Ducks Left Wing Trevor Zegras (46) in action during a game against the Los Angeles Kings played on March 10, 2021 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)

Forward Rankings

1. Cole Caufield, RW - Montreal Canadiens

The Hobey Baker Award winner made his debut in the playoffs and is the early favorite for the Calder. He will become a 50-goal scorer.

2. Trevor Zegras, C - Anaheim Ducks

The WJC MVP dominated the AHL and is ready to become the Ducks number one center.

3. Alex Newhook, C - Colorado Avalanche

Turned pro and made his NHL debut including some playoff games. He’s too good for the AHL already and will force his way into a top six role.

4. Marco Rossi, C - Minnesota Wild

A lost season to injury and sickness will be difficult to overcome. But not impossible. Look for Rossi to challenge for the first line center position out of training camp.

5. Philip Tomasino, C - Nashville Predators

Tomasino has dominated at every level he has played, OHL, WJC, AHL. He will make his NHL debut this season and could quickly earn a top six role.

6. Anton Lundell, C - Florida Panthers

Signed his ELC this summer and will be coming to North America after developing his offensive game in the Liiga. Viewd as a two-way player in his draft year he may have been underrated for fantasy purposes.

7. Nick Robertson, LW - Toronto Maple Leafs

Breaking into the Leafs top six is a tall order, but Robertson is a proven goal scorer that has earned the opportunity.

8. Quinton Byfield, C - Los Angeles Kings

Byfield still has a year of OHL eligibility, his playing options are either in the OHL or with the Kings. If the OHL played last year he would have been there but took full advantage of the opportunity in the AHL and looks NHL ready.

9. Morgan Frost, C - Philadelphia Flyers

A gifted offensive producer has done so in the AHL but has yet to translate that to the NHL. This year should be the 22-year-olds breakout season

10. Peyton Krebs, C - Vegas Golden Knights

The Knights are thin down the middle opening the door wide for Krebs to step into the number one pivot role. He may need one more year of seasoning.

11. Matt Boldy, LW - Minnesota Wild

After a solid sophomore season and outstanding WJC, Boldy signed his ELC and produced over a point-per-game in the AHL. The Wild could have multiple Calder candidates.

12. Dylan Cozens, C/RW - Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres may not have a good track record of developing prospects but Cozens already has 41 games of NHL experience and will be a top six player for a long time.

13. Alex Turcotte, C - Los Angeles Kings

A full season of pro hockey in the AHL, but has yet to play a NHL game. The Kings are taking their time in developing Turcotte which will pay off in the long run.

14. Lucas Raymond, LW - Detroit Red Wings

The Wings fourth overall pick is coming to North America but knowing how the Wings like to over ripen players, look for Raymond to spend a full season in the AHL before he is inserted into the first line.

15. Eeli Tolvanen, LW - Nashville Predators

The expectations for Tolvanen have gone up and down, and the Preds have been patient. Now is the time for the sniper to show offensive consistency.

16. Grigori Denisenko, LW - Florida Panthers

Split time between the NHL and AHL in his first season in North America, and may require a little more development in the AHL

17. Connor McMichael, C - Washington Capitals

Benefited from the Pandemic cancelling the OHL, which allowed him to play in the AHL where he showed he was ready for the next level.

18. Alexander Holtz, RW - New Jersey Devils

Goal scoring winger will require more seasoning before he is NHL ready but riding shotgun for either Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier has a lot of upside potential.

19. Cole Perfetti, C - Winnipeg Jets

Saw action in the AHL, WJC and World Championship. Where will he play next year? His options are back to the OHL or make the jump to the NHL. He may be a year or two away, but “Goal” Perfetti will have an impact when he arrives.

20. Barrett Hayton, LW - Arizona Coyotes

Hayton has bounced between the AHL, NHL and even Liiga in the past two years, not to mention some international tournament play as well. Wherever he plays, AHL or NHL next year, it would be good for his development to play on one team and get a big role.

21. Samuel Poulin, LW - Pittsburgh Penguins

Almost made the cut last year but was returned to junior as the QMJHL was open for business. Poulin will turn pro next year, and the Penguins desperately need some youth.

22. Seth Jarvis, C Carolina Hurricanes

Jarvis began the year in the AHL and was doing great. Then the WHL resumed play and he was returned and will likely payout his final season in the WHL before returning to pro full time.

23. Vitali Kravtsov, RW - New York Rangers

Bouncing back-and-forth from Russia to North America is cause for concern, but Kravtsov rebound nicely in the KHL. Expectations are he is an NHL player now but will need to produce to hold that position.

24. Vasili Podkolzin, RW - Vancouver Canucks

Canucks fans are excited for the Russian winger, but this may be a case where his NHL value exceeds his fantasy value.

25. Joe Veleno, C - Detroit Red Wings

The wings are developing Veleno slowly but steadily. The big question is what will his upside be? Is he a good second line center, or a great third line guy?

26. Arthur Kaliyev, LW - Los Angeles Kings

Arguably a boom or bust fantasy player. Kaliyev is a goal scorer, and a very good one. But he needs to score to contribute and make the NHL.

27. Alex Barre-Boulet, C- Tampa Bay Lightning

With the two-time Stanley Cup Champions forced to make some offseason roster moves for salary cap compliance, Barre-Boulet could be the benefactor of a vacated top six position.

28. Ryan Poehling, LW - Montreal Canadiens

After his incredible NHL debut, Poehling has been developing in the AHL and is close to NHL ready. Don’t count on too many more three goal games, but his AHL time is coming to an end.

29. Jack Studnicka, C - Boston Bruins

Studnicka played in 20 regular season games with the Bruins and if the Bruins lose David Krejci in the offseason look for Studnicka to fill the void.

30. Riley Damiani, C - Dallas Stars

Wrapping up the top 30 with a sleeper. Damiani had a monster AHL rookie season with 36 points in as many games and was named the AHL Rookie of The Year. He has some players to leap over to get an NHL roster spot, but Don’t think he can’t do just that.

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 14: Anaheim Ducks Defenceman Jamie Drysdale (34) skates with the puck during the NHL hockey game between the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks on April 14, 2021 at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire)

Defense Rankings

Jamie Drysdale - Anaheim Ducks

Made the NHL out of his draft year and is poised to take the reigns as the Ducks top defender. He could be a Calder candidate

2. Evan Bouchard - Edmonton Oilers

Bouchard could be lethal on the power play with McDavid and Draisaitl. Barrie signed until 2024, but the Oilers will be looking to Bouchard to quarterback their powerplay in the future.

3. Bowen Byram - Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche have a deep blueline, but Byram has number one defender upside. Look for Byram and Makar to be 1A and 1B

4. Moritz Seider - Detroit Red Wings

Seider is making GM Steve Yzerman look pretty good for drafting him when he did. There was some surprise the draft floor when his name was called sixth overall.

5. Jake Bean - Columbus Blue Jackets

His 44 NHL games played is almost enough to disqualify him from the list, almost. Now in a new home in Columbus and new opportunity.

6. Scott Perunovich - St. Louis Blues

Perunovich lost the season to injury, but at this time last year I was predicting him to make the Blues to start the season and end it as a top four player and PP quarterback.

7. Rasmus Sandin - Toronto Maple Leafs

With three Leaf defenders making over $5 million, there is only one opening for a top four in Toronto. Sandin is poised to secure that job

8. Nils Lundkvist - New York Rangers

The exile of Anthony DeAngelo opened the door for Lundkvist. After leading the SHL in defense scoring and being named the top defender in the SHL, it is time for him to debut on Broadway.

9. Caled Addison - Minnesota Wild

Addison had a great rookie year in the AHL posting 22 points. Look for the Wild to embrace their youth next year and Addison will be in their mix with Rossi and Boldy.

10. Cam York - Philadelphia Flyers

York has been a dominant player for USA and at the NCAA level with Michigan. He is ready to take his game to the pro level and should dominate for a season in the AHL before making an impact in the NHL.

11. Victor Soderstrom - Arizona Coyotes

Soderstrom played all over the map last year, seeing games in Allsvenksen, the WJC, AHL and making his NHL debut. The departure of OEL opens the door for Soderstrom and Chychrun to inherit the top pairing duties

12. Pierre-Olivier Joseph - Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins will soon need to turn to their young players as the Crosby-Malkin era winds down. Joseph is by far their top prospect in defense

13. Ryan Merkley - San Jose Sharks

The former first overall OHL Draft pick has tremendous fantasy and offensive upside. The concern is he could be more like other recent OHL grads Sean Day due to poor defensive decision making, or Tony DeAngelo with off ice problems. A boom-or-bust prospect.

14. Thomas Harley - Dallas Stars

The Ryan Suter signing will block Harley out of the top four for now, but he will play his way into it in a year or two.

15. Conor Timmins - Arizona Coyotes

After losing a development season in 2018-19 to injury, he was surpassed on the Av’s depth chart by Cale Makar and Bowen Byram. A fresh start on a rebuilding team with less roster blockers increases his fantasy value tremendously.

16. Jake Sanderson - Ottawa Senators

One of the biggest 2020 draft risers, Sanderson fantasy stock has cooled off during his freshman season in the NCAA where he scored two goals and 15 points in 22 games at the University of North Dakota. It was a solid freshman season, but his sophomore year should be more impressive.

17. Ville Heinola - Winnipeg Jets

Heinola has spent the past two years bouncing between the NHL, the AHL, the WJC and Liiga. Odds are he is a full time Jet this year competing for top four minutes

18. Alex Alexeyev - Washington Capitals

The big Russian defenseman has spent the past five years in North America (minus 55 KHL games due to COVID). He may have one more year of AHL development ahead of him, but like the Penguins, the Caps will be looking to some of the kids to make an impact soon.

19. Braden Schneider - New York Rangers

It was a great season for Schneider producing over a point-per-game in his final junior campaign, he was impressive for Canada at the WJC and made the Men’s World Championship Team Canada as well. A full AHL season is likely next before he breaks the Rangers roster.

20. Wyatt Kalynuk - Chicago Blackhawks

Seth Jones will get all the minutes he can handle as the Hawks top defender, but don’t sleep on Kalynuk who posted nine points in 21 games with the Hawks last year, and another ten in only eight AHL games. He’s a player.

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 16: Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman (1) stares down a shot during a game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders on April 16, 2021 at TD garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Goalie Rankings

1. Spencer Knight - Florida Panthers

After a dominant NCAA sophomore season highlighted with a Team USA WJC Gold Medal, and a Hobey Baker nomination, Knight made his NHL debut and was getting playoff starts over Bobrovsky. It’s simply a matter of time (immediately or next season) before he is an NHL All-Star

2. Yaroslav Askarov - Nashville Predators

Pump the brakes if you think the Pekka Rinne retirement means Askarov instantly becomes a NHL starting goalie. He needs more development time for that, but it will happen soon enough.

3. Cayden Primeau - Montreal Canadiens

One could argue that a large part of why Montreal chose to expose Carey Price and his contract in the expansion draft is because they know what they have coming down the pipe with Cayden Primeau. That is the next franchise goalie.

4. Justus Annunen - Colorado Avalanche

With both Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz in the final years of their contracts, Annunen could inherit the crease to a Stanley Cup contending team if he has a strong full season in the AHL. His resume to-date suggests this is highly probable.

5. Jeremy Swayman - Boston Bruins

Swayman fantasy hockey stock is soaring after his sparkling NHL debut posting a 7-3-0 record with a 1.5 GAA and .945 SV%. The fact that the future of Tuukka Rask is in limbo doesn’t hurt either.

6. Pyotr Kochetkov - Carolina Hurricanes

The Canes crease had a complete makeover this summer with the additions of Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta on two-year contracts. This buys the 22-year-old Kochetkov some extra development time before he becomes the team’s starting goalie.

7. Lukas Dostal - Anaheim Ducks

The 2020 Liiga Best Goalie Award winner was too dominant in the Liiga and when the AHL resumed, he was brought over to North America. He quickly became the Gulls top goalie. The 21-year-old should get a full season of development in the AHL with John Gibson as the Ducks starting goalie, for now.

8. Daniil Tarasov - Columbus Blue Jackets

The 6-5 Russian goalie has posted impressive stats in the Liiga and the KHL before making his AHL debut last season. His 4-2 record in the AHL was a good indication that he can play in North America as well.

9. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen - Buffalo Sabres

At the time this was written, the Buffalo goalies under contract are Craig Anderson and Aaron Dell. One can only assume they will add a legit starting goalie, or they are chasing the Shane Wright lottery. Either way, don’t expect to see much of UPL in the crease this season as he would be best served playing top minutes in the AHL

10. Joel Hofer - St. Louis Blues

The Blues have invested for a long time with Binnington in the crease. This gives Hofer all the time he needs to develop in the AHL.

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

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

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

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

PROSPECT CRITERIA

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

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