Hoyt Stanley – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #21 Ottawa Senators – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:00:23 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - MARCH 26: Carter Yakemchuk #58 of the Ottawa Senators follows through on a shot during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 26, 2026, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 21st (Last year - 25th)
GM: Steve Staois Hired: December 2023
COACH: Travis Green Hired: May 2024

After reaching the postseason for the first time in eight years last season, the Ottawa Senators appear to be slowly transitioning toward contention. The challenge, however, is that the organization currently sits in an uncomfortable middle ground: competitive enough to push for the playoffs, but without a particularly deep prospect pool to drive the next wave of improvement.

The club also refrained from making significant moves at the most recent trade deadline, electing to hold onto its current assets rather than signal a clear shift in direction. Ottawa will enter the upcoming draft with the 32nd pick in this year's draft, no second-round pick, along with three third-round selections, which should help add depth to the middle tier of the prospect pool.

Leading the current pipeline is Carter Yakemchuk, a skilled and physically strong defenseman selected seventh overall in the 2024 draft. He projects as a versatile “jack-of-all-trades” defender with legitimate top-pairing upside and has already shown well as one of the AHL’s premier rookie defenders. Forward Stephen Halliday has also emerged as a promising piece within the system. The 2022 fourth-round pick led the Belleville Senators’ rookies in scoring last season with 51 points in 71 games and has begun to see NHL opportunities during the 2025–26 campaign in Ottawa. The Senators also added another long-term piece on the blue line with the selection of Logan Hensler (23rd overall) in the 2025 draft, further reinforcing a defensive pipeline that could play an important role in the team’s future.

Still, Ottawa’s desire to translate promise into sustained playoff success could ultimately shape how these assets are used. If the organization pushes more aggressively toward contention, some of those young pieces could quickly become trade currency to accelerate the process.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	2024-25 TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
Ott	1	Carter Yakemchuk	D	20	6-3/210	Belleville (AHL)	54	10	30	40	36
Ott	1	Carter Yakemchuk	D	20	6-3/210	Ottawa (NHL)	4	1	1	2	2
Ott	2	Stephen Halliday	C	23	6-4/210	Ottawa (NHL)	30	4	7	11	2
Ott	2	Stephen Halliday	C	23	6-4/210	Belleville (AHL)	29	2	27	29	16
Ott	3	Logan Hensler	D	19	6-3/195	Wisconsin (NCAA)	23	4	8	12	20
Ott	4	Jorian Donovan	D	22	6-1/180	Belleville (AHL)	61	4	17	21	89
Ott	4	Jorian Donovan	D	22	6-1/180	Ottawa (NHL)	2	0	0	0	0
Ott	5	Kevin Reidler	G	21	6-6/200	Penn State (NCAA)	18	11	7	3.31	0.901
Ott	6	Owen Beckner	C	21	6-1/175	Colorado College (NCAA)	30	8	15	23	4
Ott	7	Blake Montgomery	LW	21	6-4/195	Wisconsin (NCAA)	38	9	8	17	67
Ott	7	Blake Montgomery	LW	21	6-4/195	Belleville (AHL)	3	1	0	1	6
Ott	8	Matthew Andonovski	D	21	6-1/200	Kitchener (OHL)	24	1	13	14	43
Ott	8	Matthew Andonovski	D	21	6-1/200	Belleville (AHL)	3	0	0	0	0
Ott	9	Hoyt Stanley	D	21	6-3/200	Cornell (NCAA)	34	3	12	15	33
Ott	9	Hoyt Stanley	D	21	6-3/200	Belleville (AHL)	6	1	0	1	0
Ott	10	Lucas Beckman	G	18	6-2/180	BaC-Chi (QMJHL)	38	17	15	2.60	0.917
Ott	11	Tyler Boucher	RW	23	6-2/215	Belleville (AHL)	47	12	14	26	68
Ott	12	Xavier Bourgault	C	23	6-0/170	Belleville (AHL)	70	25	32	57	34
Ott	12	Xavier Bourgault	C	23	6-0/170	Ottawa (NHL)	2	0	0	0	0
Ott	13	Oskar Pettersson	RW	22	6-2/195	Belleville (AHL)	69	9	9	18	16
Ott	14	Javon Moore	LW	20	6-5/205	Minnesota (NCAA)	36	8	13	21	4
Ott	15	Gabriel Eliasson	D	19	6-7/220	Barrie (OHL)	61	2	6	8	122

Carter Yakemchuk, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Among rookie defenceman in the AHL, Carter Yakemchuk is currently second in points. What made him a standout player in the WHL with Calgary is certainly translating over with Belleville right away. In the offensive zone, Yakemchuk is a nightmare for opponents. He manipulates the play from the blue line so well, has incredible vision and can dangle through the defence like no other. At this point, Yakemchuk struggles to recognize that there isn’t always a play to be made. He can often get caught out trying to make a play out of nothing, which puts his team in a bad spot defensively and is a large reason he finished as a -31 for the year. Belleville is pretty bad overall this year, Yakemchuk is one of the team’s TOI leaders and hasn’t ever been known to be world-class defensively. In his own end, he has been solid but doesn’t utilize his size enough when defending. It’s evident he’s still learning what makes a defenceman at the pro level vs. the junior level. Yakemchuk is still on track to be a prolific offensive defenceman and a potential two-way player.
Stephen Halliday, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

The emergence of Stephen Halliday has deepened what was already a deep pool of Senators centers. Halliday led Belleville in points last season and is a point per game this season. He’s split his games roughly equally between Ottawa and Belleville, with 11 points in 30 games for the former. In a depth role, averaging a hair over eight minutes a game, “The Disher” has been very productive. With the puck on his stick, Halliday is able to slow the game down to put the puck on the tape of his teammates’ sticks. He uses his massive frame to hold off defenders for an extra second, which often opens a lane he can thread. Halliday is hard to move when he plants himself in front of the net, and his reach makes him an easy target for deflecting pucks. Because of Ottawa’s center depth, Halliday will be almost certainly forced into a bottom six role short term but can progress into a middle six playmaker.
Logan Hensler, D, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

Hensler has not had the breakout season in the NCAA that was hoped for this season. After a strong first season in Wisconsin, he averaged over 18 minutes per night, and was an excellent two-way piece. He was stout in his own end, with solid puck-moving abilities to allow him to push the play up the ice. While his offensive game was never a huge focal point in his game, an expanded role heading into year two was still expected. Instead, the opposite happened. He has averaged just over 16 minutes per game this season, and his game never took a step. His skating, which isn’t viewed as a negative necessarily but was an area to improve, also did not take a step. He also struggled mightily in the U20 World Juniors tournament, where the US did not medal after a disappointing run. With his game not taking a step forward, his NHL projection takes a bit of a hit. But he still projects as a reliable middle-pair defender who can get penalty kill time as well.
Jorian Donovan, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Jorian Donovan’s offensive numbers have quietly improved on a worse Belleville team compared to his first year. He's jumped from 12 to 21 points in six fewer games. Donovan’s bread and butter is still being in the right place at the right time defensively. Donovan is a very proactive defender. He reads the play before it happens and puts himself in a position to break up the play or take away an option consistently. He often acts as a safety blanket for his defence partner by being an easy and open option in the midst of forechecking pressure. Although Donovan’s scoring numbers are improving, a lot of it seems to be secondary offence. He’s not facilitating much offence himself, but he's around the play more, which is positive growth. Donovan projects as a third-pairing left-handed defenceman and will soon be able to provide valuable depth to an Ottawa team that wants to contend.
Kevin Reidler, G, Penn State University (NCAA)

Reidler, a large netminder, has certainly bounced around the last few seasons. From the Swedish junior leagues, to the USHL, to the University of Nebraska-Omaha. This year, he transferred to Penn State, where he has split starting duties. He’s a very poised goaltender, who is typically square to shots. His angles and overall mechanics are sound, and paired with his large frame, gives him enough traits to be a valued goalie prospect. However, his lateral movement and athletic ability need to improve. He tends to be very reactive, which allows shooters to get him down early with a fake shot, then make a move to beat him post-to-post. Additionally, due to his less-than-ideal lateral agility, he tends to stretch, as opposed to pushing off his strong side foot, which leaves his five-hole wide open. There are several examples from this season of players taking advantage of that mechanical flaw. He will likely get an opportunity in the NHL down the line, simply for his poise, mechanics and size, but he needs much more work to carve out a role as an NHL starter in the future.
Owen Beckner, C, Colorado College (NCAA)

Beckner, a seventh-round pick of the Ottawa Senators, was drafted out of the BCHL thanks to his high-end IQ and detail-oriented game. As a freshman with Colorado College, the biggest takeaway from his first NCAA season despite playing a smaller role, averaging 15:20 time on ice per game, he still won his minutes via underlying stats, with Colorado outscoring their opponents 39-19 with Beckner on the ice. This season, he increased his scoring and showed notable improvement in his game. His confidence grew with the puck, as he began attacking the slot with more regularity than he had shown in any of his previous seasons. Once again, Colorado outscored their opponents with him on the ice, 31-17. While Beckner’s offence doesn’t jump off the page at any of his stops, he plays such an efficient game, and his confidence grows with each passing season. He projects as more of a bottom six forward who plays a detailed game with some playmaking abilities that are beginning to unlock a bit.
Blake Montgomery, LW, University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

Montgomery, a draft selection of the Ottawa Senators, was drafted out of the USHL, before making the jump to the OHL. He performed well with the London Knights, especially in the OHL playoffs, where the magic would happen, as the Knights would go on to win the OHL and Memorial Cup Championship. This year, he made the transition to the NCAA with Wisconsin, where he has struggled a bit. When he was drafted by the Senators, he was lauded for his size and strong skating ability, paired with his solid puck skills and well-rounded play in all three zones. The biggest question mark was ultimately his ceiling, as he is more of a late bloomer, with a strange path to where he is now. But as mentioned, he has struggled, especially down the stretch this season. While Montgomery has all the raw traits, he’s never quite carved out a big role at any of his stops since joining the USHL and his upside has yet to truly take a step forward. He has the tools to be a fourth-line power forward with some depth scoring upside, but he needs to take that step in the NCAA to project as more than just a bottom six forward.
Hoyt Stanley, D, Cornell University (NCAA) (Currently with Belleville Senators, AHL)

Stanley, a big right-shot defender was drafted out of the BCHL for his puck-moving ability, in addition to his skating ability, confidence and poise with the puck, and his imposing frame. The question came down to whether those traits could translate up to the NCAA, which is a steep incline in competition. Since joining Cornell, his offensive abilities have had some difficulty translating. He has improved slightly each year from a production standpoint, but he's yet to truly find the confidence to be a true difference maker with the puck. His passing ability has improved the most, as he is looking to attack the slot area by finding teammates in those spots with more consistency. If Stanley can become a bigger impact for Cornell in the transition game, which was one of his biggest strengths coming out of the BCHL, there’s some middle-pair upside to be had. But for now, he projects as more of a bottom-pair defender, who plays a very steady game. Hoyt signed his ELC with Ottawa follow his season.
Matthew Andonovski, D, Kitchener Rangers (OHL)

Andonovski was picked in 2023 in the fifth round and has looked every bit worth the selection if you’re an Ottawa Senators fan. The 6-foot-2 physical defenceman uses his strength effectively and more efficiently than in his draft year, putting more emphasis on remaining composed in his positioning. He’s accumulated penalties at a lesser rate than the previous two years, but hasn’t lost his edge, dropping the mitts when the occasion arises and bullying opponents in front of the net. I see quite impressive strides in his overall smarts as he irons out his game and seeks a role on a pro hockey squad. He’s proven to be a nifty playmaker at times, timing his passes well to find teammates in shooting positions while under pressure. Looking back at this pick, it’s trending towards being a steal for Ottawa as they may have themselves a gritty bottom-pair defender who can make accurate reads with the puck, assisting the breakout. He’ll be a huge asset for Kitchener in the OHL playoffs, and should he impress there, I think it’s likely he’ll be playing with Belleville rather than the Allen Americans next year.
Lucas Beckman, G, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

After a very strong year last season with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, finishing the season with a save percentage of .914%, it was clear that Lucas Beckman was sought after at the draft by many teams. It was finally the Ottawa Senators, in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL draft, that drafted him. The current season started a little bit tougher for Beckman with the Drakkar, struggling to get some wins with a team much weaker than last year. That was before he was traded to Chicoutimi, one of the best teams in the league right now, where he will help them go even further in the playoffs. While average sized, Beckman tracks pucks very well thanks to his high-end vision and anticipation. He doesn't have to rely on athleticism because he's always in the right position to make saves. However, given his lack of size, there's still room for improvement in his quickness, especially in and out of the butterfly. With the right improvements, he could end up being a capable depth goaltender for the Senators in the future.
Tyler Boucher, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Injuries have really stunted his development, including, yet again this year. However, he’s actually had his best pro season and there may just be a glimmer of hope for him.
Xavier Bourgault, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Solid bounce back season for Bourgault, his second in the Ottawa organization following a trade from Edmonton. The former first rounder may be a long shot to be an NHL’er at this point, but Ottawa seems happy with his development.
Oskar Pettersson, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

The offensive upside is limited; his on puck play just hasn’t developed the way Ottawa hoped it would. However, he’s solid enough away from the puck and as a high energy guy that he could end up seeing time as a fourth liner in the future.
Javon Moore, LW, University of Minnesota (NCAA)

Drafted out of Minnesota high school hockey, Moore was always going to be a long term project. But, the big winger is having a solid freshman season at Minnesota and could still end up as an NHL player down the road.
Gabriel Eliasson, D, Barrie Colts (OHL)

Eliasson was seen as a major reach when the Sens took him early in 2024 and thus far the criticism seems fair. He’s physical and a decent athlete for his size, but he still struggles with discipline and puck management.

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #25

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:49:15 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 26: Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) takes a drink during second period National Hockey League action between the Utah Hockey Club and Ottawa Senators on January 26, 2025, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 25th (May 2025 - 24th)
GM: Steve Staois Hired: December 2023
COACH: Travis Green Hired: May 2024

The Ottawa Senators drop ever-so-slightly in our rankings, anchored by one clear-cut potential star and a handful of promising supporting pieces.

At the top is Carter Yakemchuk, a skilled and toolsy defenseman taken seventh overall in 2024. While his production dipped slightly from his draft year, he remains a “jack-of-all-trades” asset with top-pair upside. Nearly making the NHL roster out of camp last fall, Yakemchuk is poised to challenge again next season. Should he stick, he’d join a young core headlined by Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, and Brady Tkachuk, making Ottawa’s long-awaited breakout feel increasingly within reach.

Stephen Halliday, a 2022 fourth-round pick, emerged as Belleville’s AHL rookie leader with 51 points in 71 games. Up front, Blake Montgomery—the team’s highest-ranked non-AHL prospect—has impressed in his draft-plus-one campaign with London, producing 50 points in 51 games and setting the stage for another Memorial Cup push.

In net, Mads Søgaard and Leevi Meriläinen provide stability in the pipeline. Meriläinen, 22, posted an 8-3-1 record in his first extended NHL look and could be ready to step in as soon as 2025-26.

The Sens’ 2025 first-round pick, Logan Hensler (23rd overall), joins the fold as another long-term building block on the back end. Combined with the fact that most of Ottawa’s recent high selections remain in-house, the team is well-positioned to continue adding quality prospects.

Still, the organization’s hunger for immediate success could shift priorities quickly. In a push to finally move from potential to playoff presence, those same young assets might become trade chips if management opts to accelerate the process.

Ottawa Senators Top-15 Prospects

1 - Carter Yakemchuk

Some Sens fans might notice that Yakemchuk's production this season dipped compared to last year and then worry, in turn, that his actual on-ice performance has regressed. What actually happened was not so much a step backwards, but rather, an adjustment to a new head coach and a significant alteration to his role and playing style. While he's still an explosive offensive talent who can pull off highlight-reel moves that most other defenders his age could only dream of, he had fewer chances and a shorter leash to do that this season on a deeper, more balanced, and more structured team. This isn't necessarily a bad thing either, as these changes made his game more fleshed out and better suited to the professional levels, while cleaning up some of the things that had been holding him back. Yakemchuk still possesses an enormous ceiling as a do-it-all defenceman, and he will likely get another long look as a potential NHLer in Ottawa's next training camp this fall.

2 - Leevi Merilainen

Merilainen’s performance took a big step this season, taking over the starter’s crease in Belleville and having a very strong stint in the NHL. He’s a very good mover; he has good edges, strong pushes, and he’s quite flexible. He covers a lot of net and generally positions himself pretty well, which allows him to move through the crease quickly. He sometimes can let in a weaker goal with a far-side shot that he fails to get a hand on, which isn’t that concerning. He could fare to control his body better in movement when he’s put into more chaotic situations as well. But generally, he can be reliable in the crease and rather calm, which bodes well for him. He’s a goalie that is well rounded and good at many things but not necessarily elite at any or have many flaws. With his early success and runway in Ottawa, he’s likely to work out, and with his skill set, he should make for a great tandem goalie.

3 - Logan Hensler

Few draft year defencemen had a better season than Logan Hensler this past season. Slotting in at third for all Senators prospects, Hensler projects to be a very solid two-way defenceman that could make Ottawa’s roster sooner than many think. Wisconsin chucked Hensler into a lot of tough defensive situations this year, initially it challenged the previously offence-first defenceman. However, after New Years, he really blossomed as a great two-way defenceman who should only get better next season. Making the U.S. World Juniors team this past season was a big step. He will have a bigger role this year in the hopes that the Americans can three-peat. Beyond that, Hensler should get as good a chance as any player to make the Senators in two or three years from now.

4 - Stephen Halliday

Stephen Halliday had an impressive season as the top offensive contributor for the Belleville Senators. The best part about Halliday’s game is his intelligence with the puck. Even though he’s not the best skater in the world, Halliday is able to use his skill to draw in opposing defenders, which creates open seams all around the ice for his teammates. Halliday is also very strong on his skates; he’s very difficult to move when he’s around the net, he can tip pucks, and he can shield pucks away from opposing players. With these skills, Halliday projects as a top six NHL forward who can hold his own through heavy and physical play at both ends of the ice. He probably won’t become a first line player in the NHL, as his skating still needs improvement, but he should become a consistent top six or middle six option in one or two seasons for the Ottawa Senators. Halliday is a nice find for a player who had been passed over twice in the NHL draft before being selected.

5 - Blake Montgomery

Montgomery entered the OHL on a crazy hot streak, after signing with London out of the USHL. The big winger had 16 goals in his first 25 games, before cooling off considerably down the stretch. He’s an impressive physical specimen with a unique upside. His combination of size and speed makes him such a dangerous north-south attacker. When he builds a head of steam coming through the neutral zone, few defenders can handle him in transition. Montgomery is skilled too; he can beat defenders one on one and has the hands to create extra time and space for himself when his speed does get neutralized. The decision making does leave something to be desired and he can disappear for stretches. When his physical attributes are less of an advantage at higher levels, how effective will he be? The Senators should be patient with him. Let him attend Wisconsin next year and play a few seasons of college to help him refine his game. Then bring him into the fold at the pro level. Montgomery is unquestionably a project, but one with an intriguing upside as a middle six contributor.

6 - Jorian Donovan

Jorian Donovan played well in limited minutes as a first-year pro for the Belleville Senators. The key to Donovan’s game is his mobility, particularly with regard to his skating. He’s good on his edges and has good gap control, and these skills allow him to skate and compete with players that are older and more mature than he is in the pro game. It did take some time for Donovan to get acclimated to consistently playing against men, but he made real strides last season as a first-year pro straight out of the OHL. As of right now, Donovan looks like he projects as a number five or six NHL defenceman, but with more offence Donovan could develop into a top four defender. These next couple of seasons in Belleville will be really important for Donovan, as he should get increased opportunity on the power play and the penalty kill. With the right coaching, it’s not hard to envision a path to the NHL for Donovan in the next couple of seasons.

7 - Donovan Sebrango

Donovan Sebrango has had an up-and-down experience in the pro game, as he has seen time in the NHL, the AHL, and the ECHL over recent years. Although Sebrango has not yet been signed to an NHL contract by the Ottawa Senators, there’s a lot to like about his game. He’s a capable defensive defenceman who competes hard against opposing players for time and space, and he can be an effective member of any team’s penalty kill. Sebrango has even improved his offensive and transitional play over recent years, as he has become better at getting the puck up to his forwards out of his own zone. As of right now, Sebrango probably projects as a number six or seven NHL defenceman who can kill penalties, but his overall game is trending in the right direction. There’s a good chance he gets more games with the Ottawa Senators this upcoming season, even though he may not develop into that bona fide top four defenceman that some might have thought when he was originally drafted by Detroit.

8 - Luke Ellinas

Ellinas’ draft plus one year with the Kitchener Rangers wasn’t the smoothest; he battled a few nagging injuries that led to inconsistencies. Yet, his end to the year with a dominant playoff performance really has Ottawa fans excited for the future and what this season in the OHL will bring. Ellinas is best described as having a work-man-like mentality. He is a strong boards player. He consistently wins jousts near the crease. He is always looking to play through the middle of the ice and get pucks to the net. He competes physically in all three zones. Is his NHL upside significant? Probably not. However, as he continues to improve his skating and his confidence with the puck, there’s a real chance that Ellinas could develop into a quality bottom six option for the Senators in the future. Look for him to be a point per game player in the OHL this year before turning the pro the season after.

9 - Gabriel Eliasson

The 39th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Eliasson spent this past season playing in the OHL with the Barrie Colts after reneging on his commitment to the University of Michigan. Truthfully, his transition to the OHL was a bit of a rocky one. Yes, his massive frame and desire to assert himself physically did make him a defensive asset at times. This is especially true when you consider that Eliasson is a fairly mobile player for a defender his size. However, he struggled with his decision making, both in terms of puck management and discipline, and that held him back from being a more reliable player for the Colts. It is expected that he will return to Barrie of the OHL this coming season and that hope is that a second year in the league can help him refine his skill set further. Without significant alterations to his game, it is difficult to see him as anything more than a future depth defender in Ottawa.

10 - Lucas Beckman

Lucas Beckman is a polarizing goalie prospect who has both elite traits and significant drawbacks. Beckman has shown an incredible aptitude in reading play, positioning, and has a great stance. He also was a top goalie in the CHL as a 17-year-old, playing in 63 total games posting phenomenal numbers. His level of consistency of high-quality performances at such a young age is unprecedented, where he stole many games for Baie-Comeau. His issues, however, are concerning. His athleticism is average and not consistently displayed efficiently. Not detrimental, but not helpful. His real issue is that he isn’t a good skater yet. Skating is arguably the most important goalie skill, and notoriously difficult to improve drastically. Even though he has the anticipation and positional awareness, if his feet can’t keep up, he will struggle with faster play. If his skating didn’t improve, it would be questionable if he could be effective in the NHL. But Beckman claimed skating will be an area of focus for his development, and if he were to make serious improvements, he could unlock an incredible ceiling in the NHL.

11 - Kevin Reidler

After 27 wins in 38 starts for Dubuque of the USHL in the 2023-24 season, things were looking very promising for the extremely tall Swede as he headed to college hockey. His stats this past season for Nebraska-Omaha weren’t half bad when you consider he won 80% of his decisions, but Reidler’s development ultimately stalled by being a pure back-up who only got into 8 games of action whatsoever. He’s now heading to Penn State hoping to get a new lease on life.

12 - Matthew Andonovski

Andonovski is a player who has a good bit of snarl and takes a lot of pride in making life hard for opponents. Somewhat ironically, his wonderful stats in the 2023-24 season (including a +58) took quite a hit this past season in which he captained a strong Kitchener side that went on a very healthy playoff run (16 games). He’s now equipped with an ELC, and we’ll see if his game is one that adjusts well to the hard knocks AHL.

13 - Hoyt Stanley

A well-built RHD with solid mobility coming, Stanley continues to establish himself as a safe and determined defender slowly molding his craft as a future NHLer. There was minimal improvement pointwise vis-a-vis his freshman season, but Stanley was a go-to defender from the start racking up 19+ minutes of TOI 26 times this season. His 40 penalty minutes look like a lot but 19 came in a late January affair in which eight players collected 12 or more.

14 - Xavier Bourgault

With technical skating deficiencies holding Bourgault back from truly breaking through as a dynamic goal scorer and playmaker, his trade to the Ottawa Senators hasn’t done much to put him on path to an NHL job, much less one of scoring responsibility. We’d like to see him move away from being a perimeter player and get himself into spots where he can make better use of his lethal release, but time is running out on his prospect status.

15 - Tyler Boucher

By now, the whole scouting community is well aware that - as expected - Boucher was wildly over drafted as a top 10 pick. Injuries and suspensions have played a considerable role in his stagnation to date, and this past season was no exception. When in the line-up, a lack of AHL production hasn’t helped, but excellent forechecking and consistent physical presence mean there’s a quality checking line player here. Skill in tight and on the counterattack indicate further upside.

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #24 OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Wed, 21 May 2025 21:26:35 +0000

PARADISE, NV - JUNE 28: Carter Yakemchuk is drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round during the Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28, 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire)

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Ottawa 25 Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #24 Ottawa Senators – Organization Overview – Top 15 prospects

Player Profiles - Brock Otten, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Fri, 31 May 2024 19:05:20 +0000

The Senators and their fans were cautiously optimistic entering the 2023-24 season. They had new ownership in Michael Andlauer, after long time owner Eugene Melnyk passed away, promising calm after some tumultuous years. That did not last long, as a terrible start made it clear they were on the way to missing the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years under Pierre Dorion. His mutual departure was hastened by an error that cost the franchise a first-round pick by not disclosing a no trade list as part of a trade to another team. He was replaced by Steve Staois who had just joined as President of Hockey Operations in September, on an interim basis, but was made permanent by the new year. Staois replaced coach D.J. Smith with long time Senators stalwart Jacques Martin, also on an interim basis, to analyze the team before a coaching change was made. In May, Travis Green became the next head coach of the team.

Despite continued turmoil, and recent deadline trades, the Senators continue to boast one of the best young cores in the NHL. Graduated prospects, Tim Stutzle (22-years old), Jake Sanderson (21), and Ridly Greig (21), all from an outstanding 2020 draft, join young stars captain Brady Tkachuk (24), Drake Batherson (26), injury plagued Josh Norris (25), Thomas Chabot (27), and Jakob Chychrun (26). They have two first round picks, acquiring Boston’s first round pick in the summer trade of Alex Debrincat to Detroit. In the pipeline, the biggest hope is in goal, and great hope one of Mads Sogaard or Leevi Merilainen continue to develop as they have. Sogaard is waivers exempt next season, so his time is now to show he belongs in the NHL. We will see if they can find the Andlauer promised stability and could surprise teams this season.

1. Mads Sogaard, G, Belleville Senators (AHL)

The big Danish netminder is about to hit a crossroads in his pro career. After splitting last year between the NHL and the AHL, Sogaard has taken a back seat to veterans Korpisalo and Forsberg in Ottawa this season. The good news is that he’s played much better with Belleville. The bad news is that he’s struggled mightily in a handful of NHL appearances this year. The other bad news is that he will no longer be exempt from waivers next season. Insert the crossroads. With Korpisalo and Forsberg still on the books next year, what does Ottawa do with Sogaard? Do they move/waive one of Forsberg/Korpisalo? Do they look to sneak him through waivers or try to find a trade partner for him? The latter would be shocking because he still has significant NHL upside due to his size and athleticism, but stranger things have happened. The reality is that his play has to do the talking during training camp next year.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Mads Sogaard	G	23	6-7/195	Belleville (AHL)	`19(37th)	32	18	9	2.45	0.916
2	Zack Ostapchuk	C	20	6-3/205	Belleville (AHL)	`21(39th)	69	17	11	28	47
					Ottawa (NHL)	`21(39th)	7	0	0	0	0
3	Leevi Merilainen	G	21	6-2/160	Belleville (AHL)	`20(71st)	24	10	9	2.87	0.906
4	Tyler Kleven	D	22	6-4/200	Belleville (AHL)	`20(44th)	53	5	16	21	51
					Ottawa (NHL)	`20(44th)	9	0	1	1	2
5	Angus Crookshank	LW	24	5-10/180	Belleville (AHL)	`18(126th)	50	24	22	46	60
					Ottawa (NHL)	`18(126th)	13	2	1	3	4
6	Roby Jarventie	RW	21	6-3/195	Belleville (AHL)	`20(33rd)	22	9	11	20	22
					Ottawa (NHL)	`20(33rd)	7	0	1	1	4
7	Egor Sokolov	LW	23	6-4/235	Belleville (AHL)	`20(61st)	71	21	25	46	69
8	Stephen Halliday	C	21	6-3/210	Ohio State (B1G)	`22(104th)	38	10	26	36	30
9	Tyler Boucher	RW	21	6-1/205	Belleville (AHL)	`21(10th)	21	2	3	5	34
10	Jorian Donovan	D	20	6-1/180	Bfd-Sag (OHL)	`22(136th)	66	13	33	46	73
11	Maxence Guenette	D	23	6-1/180	Belleville (AHL)	`19(187th)	58	7	27	34	18
					Ottawa (NHL)	`19(187th)	7	0	0	0	2
12	Lassi Thomson	D	23	6-0/190	Belleville (AHL)	W(Ana-10/23)	67	6	15	21	56
13	Hoyt Stanley	D	19	6-2/185	Cornell (ECAC)	`23(108th)	35	2	8	10	22
14	Tomas Hamara	D	20	6-0/185	Kit-Bfd (OHL)	`22(87th)	44	1	19	20	22
15	Kevin Reidler	G	19	6-6/200	Dubuque (USHL)	`22(151st)	39	27	5	2.86	0.902

2. Zack Ostapchuk, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Zach Ostapchuk exploded onto the prospect scene a few years ago after a breakout postseason with the Vancouver Giants (WHL) and he hasn’t looked back since. Two WJC gold medals and a cup of coffee in the NHL later and Ostapchuk is still very much relevant as an NHL prospect. The big forward is the prototypical middle six forward in today’s NHL. He has size. He is surprisingly quick. He possesses great attention to detail as a two-way forward. He brings physicality. At this point, it’s just about increasing his confidence with the puck at the pro level and learning to adjust to the pace of the pro game. It’s not inconceivable to see Ostapchuk in a bottom six role with the Senators to open next year if he has a strong training camp, especially since he’s had a strong finish to the year in the AHL.

3. Leevi Merilainen, G, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Depth is never a bad thing, especially at the goaltending position. Due to Ottawa’s depth this year, Merilainen has had to spend a good chunk of his first pro season in North America in the ECHL. This is common; many NHL netminders have had to spend time in the East Coast Hockey League. The good news is that he has been solid in both the ECHL and in his time with Belleville (AHL). Merilainen continues to work hard to improve his positioning and puck tracking to help him with his consistency, something that he has struggled with dating back to his OHL days with Kingston. However, as the solid season in Liiga last year proved, he’s come a long way. The next step is finding a permanent spot in the AHL for him, possibly at the expense of 2018 draft pick Kevin Mandolese. Between Merilainen and Sogaard, the Senators do have a great chance of finding a quality NHL netminder.

4. Tyler Kleven, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Kleven’s first pro season has to be classified as a success. The big, physical defender has excelled in Belleville, even showing well offensively at times, which is certainly not going to be his calling card. He excels in the defensive end with his strong mobility, reach, and aggressive physical nature; simply put, Kleven can be a nightmare for opposing forwards in the defensive end. From an offensive perspective, the majority of his offense is created from his big point shot and ability to get pucks through traffic from the point. He’s not likely to be much of a point producer at the NHL level, but he is still on track to become a PK anchor and second pairing option for Ottawa in the near future. That near future could be as early as next season, depending on what happens with Jakob Chychrun.

5. Angus Crookshank, LW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

You never know how a player is going to bounce back from a serious injury. The former New Hampshire standout tore his ACL and missed the entire 2021/22 season. Last year ended up being his first full season of pro hockey and Crookshank was quite solid. However, this year, he’s really taken his game to that next level as Belleville’s leading scorer. He’s even played very well in a small sample in Ottawa, scoring his first few NHL goals. He profiles as a versatile, fan favourite whose energy in the offensive end is infectious. He excels driving the net and he’s managed to improve his speed post knee injury. He has also greatly improved his on puck play and shooting ability as a pro, which has improved his outlook and upside. He has proven this year that he is knocking on the door of a full-time spot in Ottawa.

6. Roby Jarventie, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

At this point, Roby Jarventie just needs to stay healthy. He’s battled injuries the last two seasons in Belleville and has been shut down the rest of this year after knee surgery. The good news is that the knee has apparently been the source of his issues the last two years; this could be the permanent fix, allowing him to develop uninterrupted. The big, power winger excels playing a North/South game thanks to his speed and skill when driving wide. He likely has the highest offensive upside of any forward in the Ottawa system currently as he could end up as a consistent 25 goal guy with the Senators in the future. Just when is that future? It will depend on his rehab following the knee surgery. It seems likely that Ottawa will want him in the AHL again when he returns to try to ease him back in and that delays his timeline.

7. Egor Sokolov, LW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

A few years ago, Sokolov was considered one of the top prospects in Ottawa’s system. He had been a QMJHL star, an AHL All-star, and was looking like a potential top six forward in the future. However, the big winger’s development appears to have plateaued, as he has had a tough time breaking through to the NHL level. His skating just has never gotten to the point that it needed to in order for him to be a scoring line forward. Even though he’s passed through waivers this year, he’s still producing in the AHL and has NHL upside. Will that be realized as part of the Ottawa organization? A pending RFA, Sokolov could be a non-tender candidate. He could also be a trade candidate, or even a KHL candidate. This offseason should be an interesting one for him.

8. Stephen Halliday, C, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Things didn’t exactly go as planned at Ohio State this year as the team underperformed in comparison to expectations, however Halliday did have another solid season as a sophomore. The USHL’s modern day all-time leading scorer recently signed with the Senators and is finishing out the year with Belleville. He is a big, playmaking center whose game has made huge strides over the last five years. He’s gone from being a one dimensional and inconsistent player with big skating concerns to a play driving power pivot who actually projects as a solid pro because of his mobility and engagement level improvements. Now he will need to prove that those improvements will play well at the pro level. If all goes well, Halliday is the kind of player who could move quickly through the system. He projects as a middle six center who can be a quality net front presence on the powerplay.

9. Tyler Boucher, RW, Belleville Senators (AHL)

Boucher is every draft pundits favourite joke these days because of how highly he was selected by the Senators (10th overall in 2021) and how poorly his development has gone thus far. While expectations regarding his potential need to be tempered, we believe that he has been unfairly criticized. While he was undoubtedly overdrafted, and he may never be able to shake that in the eyes of the scouting community, he remains someone with a possible NHL future. Unfortunately, injuries and suspensions have really played a large role in his stagnation. Just this year, Boucher’s start as a pro with Belleville was delayed because of a groin injury suffered during training camp. Since returning, he has been more of a role player. An excellent forechecker and a consistent physical threat, he should, at the very least, develop into a quality checking line player. He has the ability to use his speed on the counterattack, and his hands in tight are better than people think. Don’t close the book on Boucher just yet.

10. Maxence Guenette, D, Belleville Senators (AHL)

An AHL All Star this year; Max Guenette has taken another step forward in what had to be considered an integral year for his development. A third-year pro, Guenette is both a pending RFA and someone facing waivers next season. He needed another solid year and to earn NHL ice time this year to prove that he could be a part of Ottawa’s future on the back end. His calling card has always been his offensive capabilities and his ability to run the powerplay. A breakout machine thanks to quick thinking and quick feet, the big, right shot defender has always put-up numbers. However, he continues to work hard to round out his game in the defensive end and has had his best pro year in that regard. He has put himself in a position to earn a spot on Ottawa’s blueline next year and projects as a third pairing guy who can help move the puck and can quarterback the secondary powerplay unit.

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 – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #20

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 14:04:24 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 11: Ottawa Senators Center Ridly Greig (17) before a face-off during second period National Hockey League action between the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators on February 11, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Top 20 Ottawa Senators Prospects

1. Ridly Greig

Greig’s path has continued to climb upwards since he started in the WHL and that trajectory is a big reason why he’s going to be a graduate from this list in short order. The forward wrapped up a strong WHL career in 2021-22 as the captain of the Brandon Wheat Kings, putting up 63 points in only 39 games, while also helping Canada to a gold medal at the World Juniors. He’s practically the epitome of the “Pesky Sens'' as a hard-fought, gritty player who is absolutely fearless, while playing a highly competitive brand of hockey. At the same time, he brings an impressive shot, and hands that look softer and softer every time he hits the ice. Greig is already playing in the NHL after starting last season with a strong showing in the AHL and it seems that he’ll there stick as a middle-six asset and fan favorite.

2. Zach Ostapchuk

A bit of a surprising selection by the Senators when they called his name 39th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Ostapchuk has spent the last two seasons proving doubters wrong. On top of two World Juniors appearances where he won two gold medals, his WHL career has taken off. In 2021-22, he was named captain of the Vancouver Giants and showed that he’s a big-game player, taking his game to another level in the playoffs, where he contributed nearly two points-per-game. With over a point per game last season, he looks too good for the WHL now and is ready to take the next step. Ostapchuk is hard on the puck, brings a physical edge, and plays a solid two-way, slightly defensive-leaning game. He also has great speed and is capable of generating great plays. His game looks like it will translate very well as a bottom nine winger.

3. Mads Sogaard

Standing at a hulking 6-7”, Sogaard doesn’t need to do much in the net to stop the puck. Drafted 37th overall in 2019, the Danish goaltender made the interesting jump from the NAHL to the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, where he had a very good rookie season. He spent one more season in the WHL, performing well, before the pandemic hit. He started the 2020-21 season in Denmark and played very well, before jumping to the AHL at the end of the year. He spent more of 2021-22 in the AHL getting used to the pace and he split his time fairly evenly between the AHL and NHL last season. He moves well but can let through a bad goal a little more often than one would like. His path to the NHL may have been a little faster than anticipated as Sogaard is still pretty raw, but it looks like he’s now in the NHL to stay.

4. Egor Sokolov

Another prospect that fits the mould of a Senator, Sokolov made the jump from Russia to the QMJHL in 2017-18, his draft year. He had a solid rookie year but was ultimately passed over in the NHL Draft. He took a step forward with the Cape Breton Eagles the following year but was once again passed over. In his final year of draft eligibility, his game took a big leap in the right direction , with 92 points in 52 games, and the Senators took notice, calling his name 61st overall. He immediately made the jump to the AHL, emerging as one of the Belleville Senators' top players ever since. At 6- 3”, 223 pounds, he’s a big body who is so hard to knock off the puck, he knows how to get to the dangerous areas, and has a great shot. Sokolov’s skating is a little slow and rough, but he has the tools to slide in as a bottom six forward.

5. Lassi Thomson

Drafted 19th overall in 2019, it hasn’t seemed to come together for Thomson and that has to be a concern moving forward, with reasonable doubts not that he ever will live up to expectations. Making the jump from Finland to the WHL in his draft year, Thomson slid in seamlessly with the Kelowna Rockets, putting up good numbers and looking comfortable in doing so. After the draft, he headed back to Finland to play in the Liiga, looking ready to take a step forward in the first season before struggling in the second. He moved back to North America in 2020-21, and has mainly stuck in the AHL ever since. His game is more defensive leaning at this point, bringing physicality and good timing, but his processing with the puck is a real issue. He has the tools, but just hasn’t been able to put it all together and may have hit his ceiling as a call-up option.

6. Tyler Kleven

Kleven won’t be a blueliner who piles up the points, but he could very well become a consistent, top six defender. Drafted 44th overall in 2020, Kleven had just wrapped up his time with the USNTDP and was poised to make the jump to the University of North Dakota. After three seasons on campus, he signed his entry-level deal last year, and made the jump straight to the NHL. He is a big, defence-first prospect with a heavy shot and no qualms about playing a physical game. He’s a little slow and you don’t want him to hold on to the puck for too long, but his ability to play hard and break up plays should allow him sticking in the league. The hope would be that he can figure out his on-puck play while standing out in his off-puck performance.

7. Leevi Merilainen

Ever since the Senators called Merilainen’s name 71st overall in the 2020 Draft, there has been excitement around him from the Senators fanbase. He was drafted out of Karpat out of the U20 SM-sarja where he had very strong numbers and that continued into his DY+1 season. He then made the jump to the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs for a an up-and-down season, with a good record but not-so-great underlying numbers and was overall just a little inconsistent. He went back to Finland last season to play in the Liiga where he looked better - enough to earn a call back to North America to spend more time with the B-Sens and Senators. Merilainen is a very agile, athletic goaltender, but he’s not consistent enough to be considered a future No. 1. If he can figure it out, he could be a reliable No. 2 or 3.

8. Tyler Boucher

Speaking of players who surprised the industry by when they were drafted by the Senators, Ottawa called Boucher’s name 10th overall in 2021, one of the biggest first round draft shocks of the last decade. Ottawa has made some good calls recently though, so perhaps they knew something no one else did. The USNTDP forward then jumped to Boston University where he was unable to put things together before jumping to the OHL Ottawa 67’s. He’s a bit of a complicated prospect in that his physicality is what could carry him to the NHL, but his development has been repeatedly marred by injuries over the past few years, questioning his durability, especially considering his power forward role. Boucher has a great, hard shot, but there are concerns with the rest of his game. At this point, he projects as a bottom six winger - maybe. It’s not likely he lives up to the weight of lofty draft standing.

9. Stephen Halliday

The Senators are no stranger to selecting double-overage players in the Draft. First eligible in 2020, Halliday did not hear his name called until two years later, 104th overall in 2022. Spending the three years prior with the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints, Halliday popped off in 2021-22, doubling his production and being named to the First All-Star Team. He moved up to the NCAA with Ohio State last season, continuing to play very well, producing over one point-per-game as an older freshman. He has a big body and protects the puck extremely well with a pleasing level of creativity in his game. He can dish the puck out well too, but his overall ceiling, especially considering his status as a late bloomer, may be muted. He’s likely an AHL regular at this point but could earn the occasional call-up. However, he has surprised in the past.

10. Maxence Guenette

A late draft pick in the 2019 Draft, the Senators called Guenette’s name 187th overall. The QMJHL defender for the Val-d’Or Foreurs has so far been a success. After spending two more seasons in the Q, he made the jump to the AHL and has been a very consistent, reliable defender. He can play big minutes, he’s light on his feet, moves very well, and plays a solid overall defensive game. He doesn’t have a whole lot of offensive upside but there is enough for him to become a bit of a two-way rearguard as opposed to being a strictly defensive guy. Guenette is very reliable. He won’t be a top guy but has the potential to slide into a bottom pairing. For a player selected in the 7th round to be on that path has to be considered a win so far for the Senators.

11. Roby Jarventie

Jarventie showed very promising progression last year in his second AHL season, even if he missed a chunk of time due to injury. He plays a straightforward North/South game and can put the puck in the net. A dark horse to earn significant time with the Senators this year?

12. Jacob Bernard Docker

We’re just not sure why we keep seeing Bernard-Docker high up on prospect lists given how little his offensive game has translated to the pro level. He should play in some capacity, but will he ever be more than an average bottom pairing defender?

13. Angus Crookshank

Is there a more underrated prospect in the Sens system than Crookshank, who led Belleville in goal scoring last year; one season removed from a significant knee injury? He’s a hard worker who could end up being a great complementary piece in Ottawa’s middle six.

14. Phillippe Daoust

The former Memorial Cup standout missed nearly the entire 2022-23 AHL season with an upper body injury. He will be looking to bounce back healthy this season and emerge as one of Belleville’s go-to offensive players.

15. Jorian Donovan

One of the most improved players in the OHL last season, Donovan’s confidence with the puck exploded as he became more aggressive, looking to use his skating and skill to be an impact puck mover. There is still work to be done defensively but his growth thus far has been profoundly positive.

16. Tomas Hamara

Conversely, Hamara’s season in the OHL was not a positive one, as he struggled mightily in the defensive end for the Kitchener Rangers as a rookie. He will return to Kitchener this year and will be asked to play a larger role on a rebuilding team.

17. Kevin Reidler

The hulking Swedish netminder had a good season in the J20 league and will be moving to the USHL this season to play with Dubuque. He likely has his eyes set on the NCAA route.

18. Donovan Sebrango

A former standout with the Canadian WJC team, Sebrango needed a fresh start after toiling in the Detroit system. Now in Ottawa, he will look to earn a large role in Belleville and get his career back on track.

19. Hoyt Stanley

Stanley was a McKeen’s favourite for the 2023 draft and, in our opinion, the Senators got a possible steal as late as they selected him. The mobile defender is incredibly raw and is very much a long-term project. The Cornell program should be great for him.

20. Oskar Pettersson

An effective straight-line attacker, Pettersson was solid in a supporting role for Sweden at the recent World Juniors. The hope is that he can earn more ice time and responsibility at the SHL level this coming season.

2023 NHL DRAFT: A Review

Chase Rochon — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:10:53 +0000

Another long year of amazing hockey has come and passed as we oficially end the 2023 scouting season and shift from the star-studded offensive draft class to the defensive-heavy 2024 NHL draft. This year's class was super fun and had the potential to bring the big stars and deep depth that we saw in the 2015 draft. This makes it very difficult to rank the winners and losers as every team acquired some very talented athletes in their organization that should make an impact for many years to come. Some teams acquired some elite star players at draft positions they didn't think would be possible at lower picks and later rounds. Those picks make the difference between good and great drafting by ﬁnding those diamonds in the rough.

NHL hockey operations departments are made up of the best of the best in the industry and have been through more drafts and different case studies over more years than I have been alive, which creates some hesitation in handing out grades for teams that we felt drafted poorly or passed on talent or upside. It is important to remember that teams take into consideration so many intangibles and factors outside any eye test or analytics can tell us. They have considerable resources and information networks public scouting teams can only dream of.

Most importantly, people need to remember these young athletes are human beings that just had the best week of their lives and treating them disrespectfully and pre-judging a young man that has yet to fully develop mentally and physically is completely unfair. I think every fan base should be showing love and support for the future players that are going to put in blood sweat and tears for the team you cheer for and go to war against the opposition.

With all that in mind, here is how I think all 32 teams performed at the 2023 NHL Draft based on my own rankings as well as the wonderful team at McKeen’s that I have the pleasure working alongside.

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA - DECEMBER 29: Canada's Connor Bedard #16 backhands the puck while Austria's Tim Geifes #21 defends during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Centre on December 29, 2022 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/IIHF)

#1 Chicago Blackhawks (A+)

1 Connor Bedard (F)

19 Oliver Moore (F)

35 Adam Gajan (G)

44 Roman Kantserov (F)

55 Martin Misiak (F)

67 Nick Lardis (F)

93 Jiri Felcman (F)

99 Alex Pharand (F)

131 Marcel Marcel (F)

167 Milton Oscarson (F)

195 Janne Peltonen (D)

It feels very ﬁtting that the number one ranked team had the number one pick this year in the generational talent of Connor Bedard, who is expected to make an immediate impact. Kyle Davidson clearly agrees by bringing in some veteran support this summer in Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno and Corey Perry. This pick was obvious. What makes the Blackhawks stand out is what might be my favourite selection of the entire draft in Oliver Moore at 19th overall, where I, alongside Davidson, was in shock this player was still on the board—followed by selecting one of if not one of the best goaltenders in Adam Gajan. We absolutely loved Nick Lardis at McKeens, and we ﬁnd this to be amazing value in the early third round. Roman Kantserov, Martin Misiak, Alex Pharand and Marcel Marcel are other great pickups to round out the real depth of this draft class for the Blackhawks as they build the next generation in Chicago.

#2 Columbus Blue Jackets (A)

3 Adam Fantilli (F)

34 Gavin Brindley (F)

66 William Whitelaw (F)

98 Andrew Strathmann (D)

114 Luca Pinelli (F)

156 Melvin Strahl (G)

194 Oiva Keskinen (F)

224 Tyler Peddle (F)

The Blue Jackets' dreams came true when Adam Fantilli was still waiting for them at third overall, as the rookie Hobey Baker winner would have been selected ﬁrst overall in any other draft. Followed up by his Michigan teammate Gavin Brindley who we at McKeens had ranked #26. William Whitelaw ranked at #39 by McKeen’s, and Andrew Strathmann, ranked #39 by me, are amazing values. I really like Luca Pinelli at #114 and thought it was a great move to trade for the last pick in the draft and select Tyler Peddle, who was in attendance and should have been selected much higher. This will be the draft that could really put the Blue Jackets over the top to be a future contender in the Metro.

#3 Philadelphia Flyers (A)

7 Matvei Michkov (F)

22 Oliver Bonk (D)

51 Carson Bjarnason (G)

87 Yegor Zavragin (G)

95 Denver Barkey (F)

103 Cole Knuble (F)

120 Alex Ciernik (F)

135 Carter Sotheran (D)

172 Ryan MacPherson (F)

199 Matteo Mann (D)

The Flyers got a player with arguably the highest upside in the class in 7th overall in Matvei Michkov alone, which is enough to rank them this high. Aside from whether there is any truth to rumours that he somehow orchestrated his way to Philadelphia, he was genuinely excited to be drafted by the organization. The possibility that he will be coming to play in North America perhaps sooner rather than later could completely alter the landscape of the rebuild for GM Daniel Briere. They followed up by selecting Oliver Bonk, who our Ontario scouts adore at McKeens, including myself. Bonk will continue to develop in London. The Carson Bjarnson pick could age very well as a good young goaltender with a long road of development ahead. Denver Barkey and Alex Cienik are great value picks at 95th and 120th.

#4 Seattle Kraken (A-)

20 Eduard Sale (F)

50 Carson Rehkopf (F)

52 Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (F)

57 Lukas Dragicevic (D)

84 Caden Price (D)

116 Andrei Loshko (F)

148 Kaden Hammell (D)

168 Visa Vedenpää (G)

180 Zeb Forsfjäll (F)

212 Zaccharya Wisdom (F)

Seattle has been consistently one of the better drafting teams since they entered the league, and they continued that streak in Nashville. Eduard Sale is very much a gamble with questions about his compete lvel and lack of production against pros. However, he possesses elite ﬁnishing ability and was dominant against players his own age. He has a very high ceiling that I believe can be developed properly in the OHL, followed by the development team in Seattle. At the end of the day, with such a great prospect pool, you can take a swing for upside at #20 overall and can add a true top-line ﬁnisher for Shane Wright or Matty Beniers. The Kraken continues to favour the CHL and loaded up with more players in Carson Rehkopf, Lukas Dragicevic and Caden Price in the late second round. They had all been viewed as late ﬁrst/early second round talents. Oscar Fisker Mølgaard has the potential to bring some real energy to the bottom six and PK and become a really good role player for the team. I had him ranked at #30th betting on his high motor and relentless pressure with some ﬁnishing ability.

#5 Carolina Hurricanes (A-)

30 Bradly Nadeau (F)

62 Felix Unger Sörum (F)

94 Jayden Perron (F)

100 Alexander Rykov (F)

126 Stanislav Yarovoy (F)

139 Charles-Alexis Legault (D)

158 Ruslan Khazheyev (G)

163 Timur Mukhanov (F)

190 Michael Emerson (F)

222 Yegor Velmakin (G)

Bradley Nadeau was the highest player selected from the BCHL after having a monster year. He was ranked #27 by McKeens, which makes for a good pick late in the ﬁrst. Where Carolina impressed us was how well they drafted in the later rounds picking up some of the biggest steals of the draft in Jayden Perron who we ranked 34th and Timur Mukhanov ranked 98th. As they typically do, Carolina drafted great to add to the loaded prospect pool.

#6 Buffalo Sabres (A-)

13 Zach Benson (F)

39 Anton Wahlberg (F)

45 Maxim Strbak (D)

86 Gavin McCarthy (D)

109 Ethan Miedema (F)

141 Scott Ratzlaff (G)

173 Sean Keohane (D)

205 Norwin Panocha (D)

Draft after draft Buffalo ﬁnds themselves selecting some great players but I think Zach Benson could be the final elite piece they need to take them back to the playoffs and end the long drought. Benson is the smartest player in the draft after Connor Bedard. They followed up with good picks in Anton Wahlberg and Maxim Strbak. I really like the value of Ethan Miedema and Scott Ratzlaff in rounds 4 and 5.

#7 St. Louis Blues (B+)

10 Dalibor Dvorský (F)

25 Otto Stenberg (F)

29 Theo Lindstein (D)

74 Quinton Burns (D)

76 Juraj Pekarcik (F)

106 Jakub Stancl (F)

138 Paul Fischer (D)

170 Matthew Mayich (D)

202 Nikita Susuyev (F)

Dalibor Dvorský and Otto Stenberg could be an amazing one-two punch down the middle in the near future as the Blues shift towards the future and away from the team that won them the 2019 Stanley Cup. I think Dvorsky and Stenberg both have been underrated as they tend to be looked at as “safe picks” - a term that I sometimes hate because it shouldn’t discount the true skill these players have. Because they are viewed as having lower ceilings than some other top names in the class they fell at the draft, and St. Louis took full advantage and selected the best player available. The rest of the Blues draft was very average, not making any poor selections but also not taking any swings on some big names with upside.

#8 Washington Capitals (B+)

8 Ryan Leonard (F)

40 Andrew Cristall (F)

104 Patrick Thomas (F)

136 Cameron Allen (D)

200 Brett Hyland (F)

206 Antoine Keller (G)

The Capitals may not have had the luck they had hoped for in having Michkov fall to them, but they were very quick to the podium to select the NTDP gritty winger in Ryan Leonard. He brings a hard game and that’s no slight on the raw skill this kid has. After this year’s playoffs, NHL teams are looking to mold their roster after the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights and Leonard ﬁts that profile. Many, including myself, expected Andrew Cristall to fall on draft day but to 40th overall was quite surprising and Washington took full advantage, taking some risk on a junior perimeter player. Going into the draft year we expected Cameron Allen to be the ﬁrst OHL player off the board, but after a brutal season his stock plummeted. It’s hard to believe this talented young player entirely forgot how to play hockey and I think the Caps were willing to take this bet at 136.

#9 Colorado Avalanche (B)

27 Calum Ritchie (F)

31 Mikhail Gulyayev (D)

155 Nikita Ishimnikov (D)

187 Jeremy Hanzel (D)

219 Maros Jedlicka (F)

The Avalanche wouldn’t have expected to select Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev with these very late ﬁrst rounders who we ranked 19th and 24th. This is great value at these picks. I ﬁnd it very interesting that they went with a very smart player who has a low ceiling and a high ﬂoor in Ritchie but then took a bit of a gamble on Gulyayev who is the polar opposite with a high ceiling and low ﬂoor. Not having many picks, and not many high ones, they can consider it a win if Colorado can get a couple NHLers from such minimal selections.

#10 Los Angeles Kings (B)

54 Jakub Dvorak (D)

78 Koehn Ziemmer (F)

118 Hampton Slukynsky (G)

150 Matthew Mania (D)

182 Ryan Conmy (F)

Jakub Dvorak has been such an underrated player all season long because he hasn’t been playing due to injury and is not flashy and doesn’t have much of a highlight reel but he might be the best defensive defenseman to come from this draft class. Big frame players like Dvorak are rare and hard to ﬁnd and are typically viewed as underrated even in the NHL because they are never noticeable with the puck. Dvorak shut down all the top players in the U.S. NTDP top line, Dvorsky, Michkov and even Connor Bedard at international competitions. He makes life so hard for attackers and will be a nightmare for goal scorers in the NHL and people will wonder how he was selected so late. The Kings followed this up with good picks in Koehn Ziemmer and Matthew Mania.

#11 Florida Panthers (B)

63 Gracyn Sawchyn (F)

127 Albert Wikman (D)

159 Olof Glifford (G)

191 Luke Coughlin (D)

198 Stepan Zvyagin (F)

Florida was another team that capitalized on an underrated player who slid on draft day in Gracyn Sawchyn. He played on a star-studded Seattle Thunderbirds team and didn’t get the opportunity to play top minutes but that didn’t stop him from putting up over a point per game. He will continue to grow under a great development program as he gains more ice time and expect him to put up monster numbers in the WHL for the next two seasons.

#12 Dallas Stars (C+)

61 Tristan Bertucci (D)

79 Brad Gardiner (F)

125 Aram Minnetian (D)

157 Arno Tiefensee (G)

189 Angus MacDonell (F)

221 Sebastian Bradshaw (F)

Dallas had very minimal draft capital and made the absolute most of it to no one's surprise as they usually do. Amazing value in Tristan Bertucci and Aram Minnetian.

#13 Vegas Golden Knights (B-)

32 David Edstrom (F)

77 Mathieu Cataford (F)

96 Arttu Kärki (D)

192 Tuomas Uronen (F)

Vegas selecting David Edstrom almost felt destined to happen as the last pick of the first round as we expected him to be selected in the ﬁrst round. Great pick for the Stanley Cup winners. Arttu Karki was also my favorite Finnish defense this year and I think 96 is excellent value for a player of his skill.

#14 San Jose Sharks (B-)

4 Will Smith (F)

26 Quentin Musty (F)

36 Kasper Halttunen (F)

71 Brandon Svoboda (F)

123 Luca Cagnoni (D)

130 Axel Landén (D)

132 Eric Pohlkamp (D)

196 David Klee (F)

203 Yegor Rimashevsky (F)

The Sharks drafted the highly skilled forward Will Smith very high, and I know he has gained some real hype over the past few months to get into the top 5 but personally having him just outside the top 10 makes it very hard to justify so much talent and other options at pick 4. This is a take that really could come back to bite me but I just don't love what Smith and Musty bring to the table outside of the high offensive skill that they clearly both have. In terms of value picks I think Halttunen is the Sharks best pick. If he played in London last season, he would have been called on day one of the draft and still has the opportunity to come over next season and be one of the best players in the league right away. The Sharks drafted very well but 13 other teams just did better.

#15 Calgary Flames (B-)

16 Samuel Honzek (F)

48 Étienne Morin (D)

80 Aydar Suniev (F)

112 Jaden Lipinski (F)

176 Yegor Yegorov (G)

208 Axel Hurtig (D)

The Flames had a solid draft and got a player we can expect the be a safe NHLer in Samuel Honzek that was expected in this range. I think Etienne Mornin could be the steal for them. This is a player that is extremely intelligent, and I personally have a lot of faith will continue to have success in his own development each season and could be viewed as a late ﬁrst rounder in the near future. Aydar Suniev at 80th overall is also great value.

#16 Montréal Canadiens (B-)

5 David Reinbacher (D)

69 Jacob Fowler (G)

101 Florian Xhekaj (F)

110 Bogdan Konyushkov (D)

128 Quentin Miller (G)

133 Sam Harris (F)

144 Yevgeni Volokhin (G)

165 Filip Eriksson (F)

197 Luke Mittelstadt (D)

Montréal might be the most talked about team post draft for all the wrong reasons so being dead in the middle at 16 may come as a surprise to most. The dislike for me comes from picks 101-197 where they took seven guys they could have gotten in rounds 6 or 7, and unfortunately some of those picks were in rounds 4 and 5. Jacob Fowler is a good goalie that could be huge for them, with the organization having such little depth in that department. Now Reinbacher who is the talk of Twitter and unfortunately for terrible reasons. The only argument I can understand against him is that Michkov should have been the pick, but there were many question marks surrounding the Russian and his intentions, leaving the Habs in a situation with lots of uncertainty at pick #5. So, they understandably took a player with a lot of certainty in elite defenseman David Reinbacher. He has been the only player under 18 shutting down grown professional athletes and ex-NHLers for two years. If that's not impressive enough he didn't just defend, he also produced higher than anyone in their DY-2 and DY-1 ever.

David has a good head on his shoulders and will develop all the necessary skills to round out his game to become a high-end defenseman who will eat lots of minutes and make a huge impact. He may not put up great offensive numbers or make highlight reel plays. That's ok, he plays defense for a reason. Leave that for the loads of talented players you already have and let Reinbacher make the other team's life a living hell and win hockey games, because that's what it's all about.

#17 Arizona Coyotes (B-)

6 Dmitri Simashev (D)

12 Daniil But (F)

38 Michael Hrabal (G)

70 Jonathan Castagna (F)

72 Noel Nordh (F)

81 Tanner Ludtke (F)

88 Vadim Moroz (F)

102 Terrell Goldsmith (D)

134 Melker Thelin (G)

160 Justin Kipkie (D)

162 Samu Bau (F)

166 Carsen Musser (G)

Arizona may have not drafted our best player available in their slots, but they took an interesting strategy to this year's draft that might have been the best option based on the current state of the team. Dmitri Simashev was our number one ranked defenseman in the class while Danill But has displayed shades of Evgeni Malkin at times. Both played on the same team this past season. This put Arizona in a safer situation to swing on upside and internally develop them together and could very well be a big payoff. Hrabal is the pick that gives some extra value as my personal favorite goaltender in the class. Drafting all players over 6'0" is another interesting strategy that is hard to disagree with. Middle of the pack supports my mixed feelings on the drafting of the Coyotes.

#18 Winnipeg Jets (C)

18 Colby Barlow (F)

82 Zachary Nehring (F)

146 Jacob Julien (F)

151 Thomas Milic (G)

210 Connor Levis (F)

Winnipeg is facing a lot of potential turnover on their roster this season. Colby Barlow makes an excellent pick for the Jets, bringing in a character Canadian guy, on and off the ice, as a key piece to build upon. You can expect Barlow to score lots of goals in the near future. The rest of the picks are very average, so they receive an average grade.

#19 New York Rangers (C)

23 Gabe Perreault (F)

90 Drew Fortescue (D)

152 Rasmus Larsson (D)

178 Dylan Roobroeck (F)

183 Ty Henricks (F)

Gabe Perreault was good value at 23rd as I thought his production this season would lead to him going much higher than he should have and I think this was a good range for him. A smart player who can be a great complement to some high-end skill just like he did with the NTDP. The rest of the picks were not very average.

#20 Detroit Red Wings (C)

9 Nate Danielson (F)

17 Axel Sandin Pellikka (D)

41 Trey Augustine (G)

42 Andrew Gibson (D)

47 Brady Cleveland (D)

73 Noah Dower Nilsson (F)

117 Larry Keenan (D)

137 Jack Phelan (D)

147 Kevin Bicker (F)

169 Rudy Guimond (G)

201 Emmitt Finnie (F)

Detroit's draft was very interesting to me because I find it hard to criticize Steve Yzerman’s picks which have been excellent in the past with some home runs to show for it. Nate Danielson and Axel-Sandin Pellika are great players who will be NHLers and good ones. They just didn't strike me as the types of players Detroit has recently drafted with some hard nose battlers that are going to be warriors. I think it might take a while for either to become impact playoff players relative to some of the skill still left on the board, such as Oliver Moore at pick #9 and still available at #17. They pass with a C as most other picks were good, but just that they were good and not great, where teams ahead of them made some great picks.

#21 Edmonton Oilers (C)

56 Beau Akey (D)

184 Nathaniel Day (G)

216 Matt Copponi (F)

Beau Akey is a good pick that has a good path in front of him to reﬁne his offensive talents and become a threat from the point for the Colts over the next couple of seasons and get a real chance to make the Oilers. Hard to judge a team with such little options at the draft.

Leo Carlsson of Sweden at a practice session during the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on May 25, 2023 in Riga.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN /

#22 Anaheim Ducks (C-)

2 Leo Carlsson (F)

33 Nico Myatovic (F)

59 Carey Terrance (F)

60 Damian Clara (G)

65 Coulson Pitre (F)

85 Yegor Sidorov (F)

97 Konnor Smith (D)

129 Rodwin Dionicio (D)

161 Vojtech Port (D)

I think passing on Fantilli will be something that will haunt Anaheim for a long time and really hurts their grade even though they are getting a great talent in Leo Carlsson. Unfortunately, I have a hard time seeing Carlsson being the 2nd best player that comes from this class and when they are a top team in the league soon this selection might be the difference between a contender and a champion. Other than that, Myatovic, Terrance and Pitre are solid picks.

#23 Vancouver Canucks (D+)

11 Tom Willander (D)

75 Hunter Brzustewicz (C-)

89 Sawyer Mynio (D)

105 Ty Mueller (F)

107 Vilmer Alriksson (F)

119 Matthew Perkins (F)

171 Aiden Celebrini (D)

Willander was ranked 23rd by us at McKeens and is a great defenseman who happens to be in a star studded offensive heavy draft. I think the Canuks were guilty of drafting for need rather than best player available and that affected the grade. Other than that, there isn’t too much to like in the class other than Hunter Brzustewicz at 75 was a great selection.

#24 Nashville Predators (C-)

15 Matthew Wood (F)

24 Tanner Molendyk (D)

43 Felix Nilsson (F)

46 Kalan Lind (F)

68 Jesse Kiiskinen (F)

83 Dylan MacKinnon (D)

111 Joseph Willis (F)

121 Juha Jatkola (G)

143 Sutter Muzzatti (F)

175 Austin Roest

218 Aiden Fink

Nashville was the host of this year’s draft and advised by new GM Barry Trotz in an interview to take some swings on high upside to add some high-end skill to the prospect pool. Well, they just didn’t do any of that and delivered a mediocre draft outside of top prospect Matthew Wood. What makes their draft so disappointing is that after 10 consecutive picks, the next best value pick was David Poiles last pick in Aiden Fink in the 7th round. Expectations were high and far from reached.

#25 Tampa Bay Lightning (D)

37 Ethan Gauthier (F)

115 Jayson Shaugabay (F)

179 Warren Clark (D)

193 Jack Harvey (F)

211 Ethan Hay (F)

Tampa will ﬁnd a way to develop these players, especially Ethan Gauthier, because that’s what they do best within their system. I just believe they could have done it with the better options available and left talent on the table with every pick.

#26 New Jersey Devils (D+)

58 Lenni Hämeenaho (F)

122 Cam Squires (F)

154 Chase Cheslock (D)

164 Cole Brown (F)

186 Daniil Karpovich (D)

New Jersey was very inactive and didn’t take many swings this year and they are in a situation where they didn’t need to. Lenni Hameenaho was ranked 84 for us at McKeens and was a bit of a reach.

#27 Ottawa Senators (D)

108 Hoyt Stanley (D)

140 Matthew Andonovski (D)

204 Owen Beckner (F)

207 Vladimir Nikitin (G)

215 Nicholas VanTassell (F)

Ottawa did not have many picks and none very high. Hoyt Stanley is the only pick which has had some hype going into the draft and been noticeable this season. I wouldn’t expect anyone from the class to make the roster.

#28 Pittsburgh Penguins (D-)

14 Brayden Yager (F)

91 Emil Pieniniemi (D)

142 Mikhail Ye. Ilyin (F)

174 Cooper Foster (F)

217 Emil Järventie (F)

223 Kalle Kangas (D)

Another situation where good players were selected but when I look at this class, and Emil Jarventie is the best value pick in the 7th round, that is an issue for me. Yes, Brayden Yager is an excellent player with a deadly shot and a good head on his shoulders. It’s hard to give high grades when top 5-10 talents were still available where he was picked. This strikes me as more of a situation where the Penguins scouting staff were left to make the pick, more so than Dubas, and they went with the guy they targetted going into the draft rather than the best player available.

#29 Toronto Maple Leafs (D-)

28 Easton Cowan (F)

153 Hudson Malinoski (F)

185 Noah Chadwick (D)

The Easton Cowan pick is very difficult to grade because it really could go both ways. I understand the pick because you’re getting, debatably, the hardest working player in the class whose development is skyrocketing at a high pace under the teachings of the Hunters in London. You can expect this growth to continue over the next couple seasons. It woudl appear the Leafs aren’t selecting the 28th best player currently and are banking on Cowan being a ﬁrst round talent in 3-5 years, an approach I agree with. The issue I have with this pick is I really think you could have selected him later, and possibly much later. The 2nd round Is still a reach but at least you’re not leaving talent on the table in this deep draft and getting the maximum value out of each pick. I just think this was some poor asset management and the Leafs just focused on getting their guy. Time will be the true indicator.

#30 New York Islanders (D)

49 Danny Nelson (F)

113 Jesse Nurmi (F)

145 Justin Gill (F)

177 Zach Schulz (D)

209 Dennis Good Bogg (D)

Islanders drafted some good leadership in a pair of Captains in Danny Nelson and Zach Shulz. When that is the best thing to be said about the selections that is an issue.

#31 Boston Bruins (F+)

92 Christopher Pelosi (F)

124 Beckett Hendrickson (F)

188 Ryan Walsh (F)

214 Casper Nässén (F)

220 Kristian Kostadinski (D)

Beckett Hendrickson is the only reason they aren’t ranked 32nd.

#32 Minnesota Wild (F)

21 Charlie Stramel (F)

53 Rasmus Kumpulainen (F)

64 Riley Heidt (F)

149 Aaron Pionk (D)

181 Kalem Parker (D)

213 Jimmy Clark (F)

The Wild are the only team that gets an F grade. It’s not because I don't like the players in Charlie Stramel and Rasmus Kumpulainen because they are prospects I had on my personal board, but it’s very hard to justify these picks with the options still available on the board at the time of the picks. These are just too far off the board to not trade back and still get the player you want. We at McKeens ranked both these players as 3rd round talents.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT GUIDE – Two Round Mock Draft

Brock Otten — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 22:05:22 +0000

First Round

1 - Chicago Blackhawks - Connor Bedard (Regina, WHL)

Regardless of whether you believe that the Hawks deserved to win the first overall selection…it did happen. And the timing for the Chicago organization couldn’t have been better as they transition from the Patrick Kane/Jonathan Toews era to the Connor Bedard era. This is a game changer that should accelerate the Blackhawk’s rebuild.

2 - Anaheim Ducks - Adam Fantilli (Michigan, NCAA)

Talk about power down the middle. By selecting the University of Michigan star, the Ducks can now boast a one/two punch at center of Mason McTavish and Adam Fantilli. That likely pushes Trevor Zegras to the wing long term, which might not be a terrible thing considering his struggles at the faceoff circle and defensively. Fantilli is one of the most polished two-way forwards in the league and his speed and strength should allow him to jump into the NHL immediately.

3 - Columbus Blue Jackets - Leo Carlsson (Orebro, SHL)

This is where things get really interesting. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen doesn’t draft a ton out of Sweden (Finnish bias?...lol), however I believe that this would be the best pick for the organization. Carlsson is the most ready to make an immediate impact in the NHL and he would give the Jackets a potential two-way rock to build their forward group around. This is a team who wants to compete soon and turn their fortunes around.

4 - San Jose Sharks - Will Smith (USNTDP)

For the life of me, I just can’t see Mike Grier going with Michkov here. Smith would give San Jose a highly skilled playmaker to continue to build around. He could help to elevate the play of some of the team’s complementary players. He may take a few years in College with BC, but the end product should be a high-end offensive player. Question…would it be shocking to see the Sharks reach for a defender like David Reinbacher here?

5 - Montreal Canadiens - Ryan Leonard (USNTDP)

It really seems like the Canadiens would pass on Michkov should he be available to them. It could be smoke and mirrors, but all signs do point to that fact. So, who do they select? Lots of hype around Reinbacher. I think they’re happy with their defensive depth right now. IMO. I truly believe that Ryan Leonard could be their target. Here’s a forward who can make an impact in a lot of different ways and who plays the power game that Montreal really seems to want to play in the future. Obviously Dalibor Dvorsky could be an option here too.

6- Arizona Coyotes - Matvei Michkov (HK Sochi, KHL)

I just can’t see Michkov falling that far. Yes, there is inherent risk. But the reward is so great. Arizona wants to become relevant again, but they also want to have sustainability. They haven’t shied away from drafting Russians in recent years, and this is a big fish. The timing of his arrival in the NHL should be perfect for Arizona’s inevitable resurgence.

7- Philadelphia Flyers - David Reinbacher (Kloten, NL)

A big, right shot defender, it seems like a sure thing that he’ll be drafted in the top ten, even if he’s our third ranked defender. The Flyers seem like a really good fit for him. Reinbacher is a potential two-way force from the right side who could develop into an all-situations player for Philadelphia and would complement other young defenders like Cam York and Emil Andrae exceptionally well.

8 - Washington Capitals - Oliver Moore (USNTDP)

Would it be shocking to see Moore drafted ahead of Ryan Leonard? I don’t think so. NHL teams put such a premium on true centers and Moore is just that. Watching the Capitals in recent years, it’s obvious that they need to focus on upgrading the speed quotient of this team again and Moore is the best skating player available this year. The range of outcomes for him runs the gamut of Dylan Larkin to Andrew Cogliano, but Moore should play and would fit in well with this roster, perhaps better than some of the power wingers slated to go here. Nate Danielson could be an option here too, especially given Washington’s Western bias.

9 - Detroit Red Wings - Dalibor Dvorsky (AIK, Allsvenskan)

I think one thing Detroit proved at last year’s draft was that they wanted to focus on getting back to being difficult to play against in the future. There is a desire for the full rebuild to be over and it’s now time to focus on getting players who can be strong playoff performers. Dvorsky is raw, but as we have seen internationally, he is a big game player who can potentially grow into an all-situations type.

10 - St. Louis Blues - Axel Sandin Pellikka (Skelleftea, SWEJ20)

One of the top offensive defenders available this year, Sandin Pellikka proved at this year’s U18’s that he can defend too. The progression in his game over the course of the year should have teams lining up to select him given the weakness of the defense crop. St. Louis needs to inject new life into their blueline, specifically in the puck moving department.

11 - Vancouver Canucks - Nate Danielson (Brandon, WHL)

Lots to like here for the Canucks. Danielson is a strong candidate to be an all situations top six center for them in the future. And let’s face it, the center depth in the organization isn’t amazing right now. There is a need for a player like Danielson. He’s really the last player in this grouping of ranked players who is likely to stick down the center, so I’d expect all these guys to go high.

12 - Arizona Coyotes (via Ottawa) - Matthew Wood (UConn, NCAA)

Skating concerns be darned, someone is going to bite on Matthew Wood early in the first round. He’s just been too good the last few years. As we’ve seen with Jason Robertson, skating development can occur as conditioning improves. Wood has so many other good qualities and he would be the perfect complementary player for them in the future.

13 - Buffalo Sabres - Dmitri Simashev (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)

Our top ranked defender, can you imagine a future where the Sabres have both Owen Power and Dmitri Simashev? The massive defender skates well and should at least develop into a high end stay at home type. The Sabres haven’t been scared off by taking Russian players too. This seems like a great fit.

14 - Pittsburgh Penguins - Daniil But (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL)

One of the things Pittsburgh needs to do at the draft this year is focus on selecting players with upside. For far too long, the focus was on safer prospects and the combination of that, plus a lack of first round selections, has left the system in disarray. Insert Daniil But, a big winger who could end up being an Evgeni Malkin kind of player thanks to his combination of power and skill. The Penguins have had some success drafting out of Russia, so I don’t see it scaring them off.

15 - Nashville Predators - Tom Willander (Rögle, SWE J20)

One of the draft's biggest risers, Willander was so good in the second half, and it has caused many (including us) to shift their opinion of his potential. He now looks like a lock to be a top four, right shot defender. I see Nashville looking at adding a potential defender at this spot and perhaps they go more offensively oriented with Gulyayev or Dragicevic, but the well-rounded profile seems to fit them more.

16 - Calgary Flames - Zach Benson (Winnipeg, WHL)

The fall for Benson ends here with Calgary selecting him. We love Benson, but there’s definitely some concern that NHL scouts are concerned with the fact that he’s undersized and not a dynamic athlete. However, his playmaking ability would really help the Flames moving forward and I think they need to gamble on his upside. I could also see Calgary opting for an offensively oriented defender here too.

17 - Detroit Red Wings (via New York Islanders) - Mikhail Gulyayev (Avangard Omsk, KHL)

One of the top skating defenders available this year, Gulyayev would be a great fit in the Detroit system. The Red Wings have a lot of solid young defenders in their system, but none have the skating ability, shot, and powerplay quarterbacking potential that Gulyayev possesses. Getting him and Ryan Leonard in the first round would be terrific for an organization trying to take that next step and sustain it.

18 - Winnipeg Jets - Colby Barlow (Owen Sound, OHL)

Obviously, there are a lot of different routes that the Jets could take here, but Barlow makes a lot of sense. The high-end goal scorer is also very versatile and plays a powerful North/South game. Maybe there are some similarities between him and Rutger McGroarty, but this Jets team wants to have multiple players of that ilk on their roster.

19 - Chicago Blackhawks (via Tampa Bay) - Gabe Perreault (USNTDP)

Where Perreault goes on draft day will be really interesting. His athletic tools aren’t terrific, but you can’t argue with the success he had this year. He’s just such an intelligent and creative player. With your new team identity forming around Connor Bedard, Perreault seems like an amazing fit to play with him in the future. Plus, Perreault is a bit of a local kid, having grown up as part of the Chicago Mission program.

20 - Seattle Kraken - Samuel Honzek (Vancouver, WHL)

The Kraken wouldn’t have had to travel far to get a good look at Honzek this year. After using their top picks on centers in their first two drafts, they opt for a big, skilled winger to play with them in 2023. Honzek’s upside is excellent, and he is actually someone who could go much higher than this.

21 - Minnesota Wild - David Edstrom (Frölunda, SWE J20)

Doesn’t this just scream a Minnesota Wild selection. Edstrom was a late season riser thanks to the progression he showed over the year from an offensive perspective. He has both a solid floor and a high ceiling and given the draft’s lack of true centers, I expect him to go pretty high on draft day.

22 - Philadelphia (via Columbus, via Los Angeles) - Eduard Sale (HC Kometa Brno, Czechia)

Philly is up for the second pick of the first round, acquired in the Provorov trade. After adding a defenseman to replace him with the seventh pick, they opt for the best forward available on the board. That is a quality playmaking winger with size in Eduard Sale, currently ranked #17 by McKeen's. Sale could definitely go higher than this too, so the value is terrific.

23 - New York Rangers - Cal Ritchie (Oshawa, OHL)

Cal Ritchie grew up playing for the Oakville Rangers, so this just seems like a great story. Tons of pictures of him wearing Rangers gear at a young age! But this would be a great pick for New York for a lot of reasons. Ritchie is one of the most intelligent forwards available this year and while his OHL season wasn’t outstanding, his international performances were.

24 - Nashville Predators (via Edmonton) - Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw, WHL)

Maybe Yager goes higher than this. We’re certainly lower on him than the consensus in the scouting community. However, he seems like the kind of player that Nashville would love to add into their system; the kind of player they’ve been drafting for the last decade or so, helping them to remain consistently strong.

25 - St. Louis Blues (via Toronto) - Quentin Musty (Sudbury, OHL)

We’ve got Musty outside of the first round because of concerns over his feet and wavering compete levels, but given his size and skill package, it seems unlikely that he falls out of the first. St. Louis would be a good place for Quentin, and I could see them being quite interested in him. There’s a need to inject new skill and life into the wing group in St. Louis and Musty has one of the higher offensive ceilings in the draft.

26 - San Jose Sharks (via New Jersey) - Bradly Nadeau (Penticton, BCHL)

The Sharks have focused on drafting some pretty good playmakers in recent years and they took Will Smith fourth overall earlier in this mock. So why not take a chance on a high-end finisher like Brad Nadeau. Nadeau also brings a strong compete level and is someone with a good upside, so long as you believe that the BCHL competition was good enough to truly challenge him this year.

27 - Colorado Avalanche - Ethan Gauthier (Sherbrooke, QMJHL)

A solid complementary goal scorer, Gauthier has a good motor too. There is a need for him to get quicker and consistency was an issue at times this year. However, the Avs are going to want a player who can jump into their lineup in a few years and help them win and Gauthier has a lot of strong pro level attributes already. He scores from between the dots and Colorado missed that a bit this year with so many injuries to those types of players.

28 - Toronto Maple Leafs (via Boston) - Gavin Brindley (Michigan, NCAA)

Kyle Dubas is no longer at the helm, but for now it looks like the scouting staff will remain the same under Brad Treliving. Brindley is the type of player that the Leafs organization has been targeting lately at the draft. His compete level and skating are at the top of this draft class and his offensive upside might be a tad underrated. This is someone who is going to play through the middle six for years to come.

29 - St. Louis Blues (via Dallas) - Oliver Bonk (London, OHL)

The Blues have the luxury of three first round picks this year and that gives them a ton of flexibility. So far in our mock they’ve taken Sandin Pellikka and Musty, so grabbing a safer defender like Bonk could make a lot of sense. A highly intelligent two-way player, Bonk has the bloodlines and the work ethic to help him improve.

30 - Carolina Hurricanes - Anton Wahlberg (Malmö, SHL)

The Hurricanes always seem to align their draft ideals with the amateur scouting community, often selecting independent scout darlings in recent years. Insert Anton Wahlberg. Much like Swedish teammate David Edstrom, he improved massively over the course of the year, learning to use his size and quickness to be a very effective player inside the offensive zone. The athletic tools are going to be very intriguing to Carolina.

31 - Montreal Canadiens (via Florida) - Riley Heidt (Prince George, WHL)

Coming into the year, this pick would have been seen as a steal, but this is sort of where Heidt is projected to go now. I could see Montreal being very interested in Heidt as he possesses similar qualities to other forwards they have drafted recently. How his game ultimately comes together at the pro level remains a mystery, but he has a lot of interesting tools.

32 - Vegas Golden Knights - Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon, WHL)

Molendyk is not only one of the smarter defenders available this year, but he’s also one of the better skaters. That combination will be very intriguing to a team like Vegas. He’s way more athletic than the defenders they have been selecting the last five or so years and would give the organization a bit of a different look on the back end.

Second Round

33 - Anaheim Ducks - Michael Hrabal (Omaha, USHL)

If we don’t have a goalie taken in the first round, I would suspect that we see a huge run on them early in the second. The Ducks haven’t drafted a goalie since Lukas Dostal. He’s turned into a great prospect, but there’s a need to look further down the road. Hrabal is raw, but he might have the best upside of the goalies available.

34 - Columbus Blue Jackets - Carson Bjarnason (Brandon, WHL)

The goalie run continues with the Jackets taking Carson Bjarnason. He has number one upside as he continues to learn to harness his athleticism and he helps fill an organizational need in the future.

35 - Chicago Blackhawks - Lukas Dragicevic (Tri-City, WHL)

It could be surprising if Dragicevic drops out of the first round considering the talent he brings from the back end, but there are definitely concerns over how good he can become defensively. The Hawks are swinging for true upside here and hope that he can be a strong powerplay quarterback for them in the future.

36 - San Jose Sharks - Carson Rehkopf (Kitchener, OHL)

One thing that the Sharks really seem to be focusing on as a scouting team is drafting athletes. They’re looking for guys who can play fast, who bring size, and who have a large runway to improve. Rehkopf had a very inconsistent year, but the talent is there. With all the graduations in Kitchener this year, it’ll be his team to run moving forward.

37 - Montreal Canadiens - Trey Augustine (USNTDP)

We know how commonly the Canadiens have gone to the U.S. Development program in recent years and Augustine was the rock for that team in net, helping them capture gold at the U18’s. It seems likely that Montreal will look to draft a goalie fairly high this year because Primeau hasn’t really developed according to plan, and they let Dichow’s rights expire.

38 - Arizona Coyotes - Otto Stenberg (Frölunda, SHL)

I really like Stenberg. I think he’s a lot better than he showed in the SHL and when playing outside of international competition. Part of me doesn’t believe that he falls, but players with his profile have fallen outside of the first many times. This would be a great selection for Arizona, adding speed and skill to their forward group in the future.

39 - Buffalo Sabres (via Philadelphia) - Danny Nelson (USNTDP)

One of the most improved players in this draft class from start to finish this year, Nelson is an intriguing athlete. There’s a chance that he might not be more than an Adam Lowry type. But it will be interesting to see how his offensive game develops outside of the shadow of Smith and Moore. The Sabres system is stacked, but this type of center is something that they could focus in on.

40 - Washington Capitals - Adam Gajan (Chippewa, NAHL)

I fully expect someone to jump on Gajan pretty early. He was so good at the U20’s this year and he has the athletic tools needed to reach a high ceiling as an NHL starting netminder. The Capitals haven’t focused a ton of attention on goaltenders at the draft in recent years, but there is a need to add one into the system. Additionally, they have been an organization that does not shy away from drafting re-entry players.

41 - Detroit Red Wings - Kasper Halttunen (HIFK, Liiga)

The first of three consecutive selections for the Wings, look for variance in these selections. In Halttunen, the Wings get a high upside goal scoring winger who struggled playing against men this year, but who dominated his own age group. He could easily go higher than this.

42 - Detroit Red Wings - Maxim Strbak (Sioux Falls, USHL)

Strbak would be a great selection for the Wings in this area as a potential top four, defensively oriented defender. He is a fierce competitor, and his offensive skill set might be a tad underrated. If the feet can improve more at Michigan State, he could be quite the player.

43 - Detroit Red Wings - Charlie Stramel (Wisconsin, NCAA)

There is a significant chance that Stramel will go in the first round even after a poor year at Wisconsin. NHL teams love his profile; that big power center with middle six upside. For the Wings, I believe that this would be a no- brainer if he is still available. Stramel is a little more athletic than Rasmussen and has better physical tools than Veleno.

44 - Chicago Blackhawks (via Ottawa) - Nick Lardis (Hamilton, OHL)

One thing that the Hawks really focused on last year at the draft was adding speed and strong skaters to their prospect group. I’m sure that this was extremely intentional and there aren’t many better skaters than Nick Lardis available this year. His second half explosion has vaulted him up into this kind of territory thanks to his combination of speed and goal scoring ability.

45 - Buffalo Sabres - Andrew Cristall (Kelowna, WHL)

Quite the fall for Cristall, but there is real concern inside the NHL scouting community around his size and skating combination. He is so reliant on using his edges and lacks the linear quickness to gain separation against better skating defenders. But the upside is so significant because of his creativity, skill, and IQ. Well worth the risk in this area of the draft, especially for an organization with a deep talent pool.

46 - Nashville Predators (via Pittsburgh) - Nico Myatovic (Seattle, WHL)

This is the kind of player that the Predators have won with previously, that hardnosed, physical, strong two-way forward out of the CHL. Myatovic improved a lot in the second half with the Thunderbirds and he is the type of player that I believe NHL scouts are going to like a lot more than independent, amateur ones.

47 - Nashville Predators - Arttu Karki (Tappara U20, U20 SM-sarja)

After taking Willander in the first, the Predators take Karki, a strong puck moving defender who was excellent in Finland this past season. Lots to like about his skating ability and offensive upside. He’s almost like a more athletic version of Kulonummi, who they took last year.

48 - Calgary Flames - Beau Akey (Barrie, OHL)

After taking Zach Benson in the first round, the Flames opt for an athletic blueliner from the OHL in the second, taking Akey. He is one of the better skating defenders in the draft and is still learning how to use that mobility to his advantage at both ends. Shades of a young TJ Brodie here, waiting to be unlocked and that worked out well for the Flames in 2008.

49 - New York Islanders - Jayden Perron (Chicago, USHL)

This is the fourth straight year that the Islanders don’t have a first-round selection and their talent pool is hurting because of it. So, the focus needs to be on selecting a player with significant upside. The highest upside player remaining is probably Perron, an undersized, but skilled forward with the Chicago Steel. He excels playing with pace and would immediately become one of the better prospects in their system.

50 - Seattle Kraken (via Winnipeg) - Andrew Gibson (Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)

One of the better defensive defenders available in the draft this year, Gibson would give the Kraken a type of player that they haven’t really drafted yet in their two years of existence; a staunch, physical defender with reach. He had a really good U18’s for Canada and we know how much Seattle loves drafting from the OHL.

51 - Chicago Blackhawks (via Tampa Bay) - William Whitelaw (Youngstown, USHL)

This just seems like the type of player that Chicago scouts would really love. Again, we have the speed component. But we also have a competitive player who can score goals. There are concerns over his size and IQ, but he had a great playoff for Youngstown in helping them capture a Clark Cup.

52 - Seattle Kraken - Jacob Fowler (Youngstown, USHL)

Personally, I believe Fowler is the top goaltender in this class. But I think that because his physical/athletic tools aren’t quite as strong as the likes of Hrabal and Bjarnason, he probably ends up more in this range. His performance in the Clark Cup playoffs was a masterpiece. Yes, Seattle did draft Niklas Kokko early last year, but when you’re trying to build out a strong prospect group, you need good goaltending depth.

53 - Minnesota Wild - Coulson Pitre (Flint, OHL)

Pitre is exactly the kind of player that the Wild could use in their system; a competitive power winger who can play in all situations. Pitre is one of the most physical forwards available this year and he is that rare kind of power forward who also has good vision with the puck. He’s the perfect complementary piece.

54 - Los Angeles Kings - Oscar Fisker Mølgaard (HV71, SHL)

The second straight draft that the Kings don’t have a first-round selection and they have to be very happy to see Oscar Fisker Mølgaard still available here. The Kings love players like him. He’s a competitive two-way forward with versatility who can probably move through their system pretty quickly.

55 - Chicago Blackhawks (via New York Rangers) - Tristan Bertucci (Flint, OHL)

At this point, the Blackhawks have about half the picks in the first two rounds it seems like. Here they nab Tristan Bertucci, a player who improved substantially in the second half at both ends. He has intriguing physical and athletic tools and could project as a John Marino kind of player with the right development.

56 - Edmonton Oilers - Koehn Ziemmer (Prince George, WHL)

It seems like Edmonton has been searching for this kind of player at the draft for several seasons now. They took Reid Schaefer last year but then dealt him in the Ekholm deal. Ziemmer is a pure goal scorer, but he also brings a competitive edge. The only thing holding him back is a lack of dynamic skating ability.

57 - Seattle Kraken (via Toronto) - Carey Terrance (Erie, OHL)

Speed is the name of the game for Terrance. But versatile is a word that also fits. He showed at the U18’s with the U.S. team that won gold, that he can play a complementary role different from the play driving role that he fills in Erie. He is already a committed two-way player too. Lots to like here.

58 - New Jersey Devils - Gracyn Sawchyn (Seattle, WHL)

Definitely a bit of a fall for Sawchyn, at least compared to where a lot of independent scouting agencies have him ranked (including us). But there are concerns over his slight frame and lack of dynamic skating. That said, this is a great selection for a New Jersey team that doesn’t have a first this year. Sawchyn has great offensive upside and the Devils haven’t shied away from taking players with skating weaknesses in recent years.

59 - Anaheim Ducks (via Colorado) - Easton Cowan (London, OHL)

Have to think that there were quite a few NHL scouts impressed with Cowan’s playoff performance for London in the OHL playoffs where he transformed into a much more assertive offensive player. He has speed to burn and he’s tenacious to boot. This is a future high character, middle six guy for the Ducks.

60 - Anaheim Ducks (via Boston) - Aram Minnetian (USNTDP)

Pretty rare to see the first U.S. NTDP defender off the draft board this late, but it’s an odd group. Minnetian seems like the most likely to go in the second-round range (or Fortescue). This is a solid upside pick for the Ducks because of how well Minnetian skates. Consistency was an issue for him, especially in the defensive end, but he’ll be given time to grow.

61 - Dallas Stars - Martin Misiak (Youngstown, USHL)

It took some time for Misiak to adjust to the USHL, but as the USHL playoffs rolled around, he was firing on all cylinders along with Will Whitelaw. He was a huge piece of that Phantoms’ Clark Cup winning team. He plays a two-way power game and projects as a solid middle six option for Dallas in the future.

62 - Carolina Hurricanes - Jakub Dvorak (Bili Tygri Liberec, Czechia)

It wasn’t the easiest season for Dvorak, as he battled through injuries. However, he returned in time to play at the U18’s, giving scouts a taste of what he can bring to the table as a future top four, stay at home defender. The Hurricanes love raw, toolsy types like Dvorak and they’ve drafted players out of Czechia the last two drafts.

63 - Florida Panthers - Felix Nilsson (Rögle, SHL)

It was really unfortunate that Nilsson had to miss the U18’s due to a wrist injury. He was shooting up draft lists with his strong second half. Ain intelligent and high energy playmaking center, Nilsson fits the Florida Panthers MO at the draft and would be a great pick for a team without a first-round selection this year.

64 - Minnesota Wild (via Los Angeles) - Drew Fortescue (USNTDP)

No defender on the U.S. U18 team improved as much as Fortescue did this year. His athletic tools are through the roof and at the very least, he looks like he could be a solid #5, safe, stay at home type. But what if his game continues to improve at a rapid rate? The Wild have targeted similar kinds of defenders at the draft in recent years.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT – FINAL RANKINGS – TOP 224 Plus Honourable Mentions

McKeen's Scouting Team - Director of Scouting, Brock Otten — Sun, 28 May 2023 16:20:45 +0000

It’s that time! The McKeen’s scouting staff has finalized our final rankings for the 2023 NHL Draft ahead of the release of our draft guide in a few weeks. As per usual, our list runs 224 players deep to match the number of selections in the draft, but we have included over 300 players when you include our Honorable Mentions.

Much to the surprise of no one, Connor Bedard remains our top ranked player, as he has been all season long. In fact, our top three remains unchanged from our midseason rankings with Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson holding down the second and third spots, respectively. There has been one change in our top five with Will Smith leapfrogging Matvei Michkov into the fourth position following his dominant second half and U18’s.

Russian defender Dmitry Simashev remains our top ranked blueliner but has now moved into the top ten. His combination of size, mobility, physicality, and improving offensive skill set is going to be alluring to NHL teams and we feel that his upside is the highest in a weaker crop for defenders.

A trio of Swedish players are among our biggest risers from our midseason list, with Tom Willander, Anton Wahlberg, and David Edstrom all jumping up into the first round. All three were excellent in the second half of the season, which culminated with strong performances at the U18’s. Willander, in particular, has a huge fan in our Director of Scouting, Brock Otten. “If you were to ask me who my favourite defender in the draft class is, I’d probably say Willander. He rarely makes a poor play and I believe that we are underappreciating his potential as an NHL defender because of how efficient and safe his game can be. I would be shocked if he does not become a quality second pairing guy at the NHL level and I don’t think the other defenders ranked in the first have that same assurance,” said Otten.

Another massive jumper in our list is Hamilton Bulldogs winger Nick Lardis. 98th on our midseason list, Lardis now finds himself ranked just inside of our first round. His play with Hamilton, following a trade from Peterborough has vaulted him up draft boards, including ours. His combination of quickness and scoring ability gives him a solid projection at the NHL level.

Despite having two goaltenders inside of our first round at midseason (Carson Bjarnason and Michael Hrabal), we ended the year with none. Trey Augustine is now our top ranked netminder, ranked in the mid second round. However, Augustine, Bjarnason, Hrabal, and USHL Clark Cup MVP Jacob Fowler are all closely ranked in that range.

Look for the release of our 2023 Draft Guide in the next couple weeks. It will include all of our rankings and reports, a mock draft, a preview of the 2024 NHL Draft, and much more.

As a subscriber, link to our full ranking with links to the player pages here - McKeen's Draft Rankings - You can download the ranking as an excel file as well.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	HT/WT	DOB	NATION	TEAM	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Connor Bedard	C	5-10/185	17-Jul-05	Canada	Regina (WHL)	57-71-72-143
2	Adam Fantilli	C	6-2/195	12-Oct-04	Canada	Michigan (B1G)	36-30-35-65
3	Leo Carlsson	C	6-3/200	26-Dec-04	Sweden	Orebro (SHL)	44-10-15-25
4	Will Smith	C	6-0/175	17-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	59-51-75-126
5	Matvei Michkov	RW	5-10/170	9-Dec-04	Russia	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	30-9-11-20
6	Zach Benson	LW	5-9/160	12-May-05	Canada	Winnipeg (WHL)	60-36-62-98
7	Dalibor Dvorsky	C	6-1/200	15-Jun-05	Slovakia	AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)	38-6-8-14
8	Ryan Leonard	RW	5-11/190	21-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	56-50-43-93
9	Dmitri Simashev	D	6-4/200	4-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	33-1-11-12
10	Matthew Wood	RW	6-3/195	6-Feb-05	Canada	Connecticut (HE)	35-11-23-34
11	Oliver Moore	C	5-11/185	22-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-31-43-74
12	Colby Barlow	LW	6-0/195	14-Feb-05	Canada	Owen Sound (OHL)	59-46-33-79
13	Nate Danielson	C	6-1/185	27-Sep-04	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	68-33-45-78
14	Axel Sandin Pellikka	D	5-11/180	11-Mar-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	31-16-20-36
15	Daniil But	LW	6-5/200	15-Feb-05	Russia	Loko Yaroslavl-Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)	32-18-14-32
16	David Reinbacher	D	6-2/185	25-Oct-04	Austria	Kloten (Sui-NL)	46-3-19-22
17	Eduard Sale	LW	6-1/170	10-Mar-05	Czech	HC Kometa Brno (Czechia)	43-7-7-14
18	Samuel Honzek	LW	6-3/185	12-Nov-04	Slovakia	Vancouver (WHL)	43-23-33-56
19	Mikhail Gulyayev	D	5-11/170	26-Apr-05	Russia	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	22-2-23-25
20	Lukas Dragicevic	D	6-1/190	25-Apr-05	Canada	Tri-City (WHL)	68-15-60-75
21	Gabe Perreault	RW	5-11/165	7-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	62-53-79-132
22	Otto Stenberg	C	5-11/180	29-May-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	29-11-15-26
23	Tom Willander	D	6-1/180	9-Feb-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	39-4-21-25
24	Calum Ritchie	C	6-2/185	21-Jan-05	Canada	Oshawa (OHL)	59-24-35-59
25	Andrew Cristall	LW	5-9/165	4-Feb-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	54-39-56-95
26	Gavin Brindley	C	5-8/165	5-Oct-04	USA	Michigan (B1G)	41-12-26-38
27	Bradly Nadeau	LW	5-10/165	5-May-05	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-45-68-113
28	Anton Wahlberg	C	6-3/195	4-Jul-05	Sweden	Malmo (Swe J20)	32-14-13-27
29	Riley Heidt	C	5-10/180	25-Mar-05	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-25-72-97
30	Brayden Yager	C	5-11/165	3-Jan-05	Canada	Moose Jaw (WHL)	67-28-50-78
31	David Edstrom	C	6-3/185	18-Feb-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	28-15-13-28
32	Nick Lardis	LW	5-10/165	8-Jul-05	Canada	Pbo-Ham (OHL)	69-37-28-65
33	Kasper Halttunen	RW	6-3/205	7-Jun-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	27-0-1-1
34	Jayden Perron	RW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Canada	Chicago (USHL)	61-24-48-72
35	Oliver Bonk	D	6-2/175	9-Jan-05	Canada	London (OHL)	67-10-30-40
36	Quentin Musty	LW	6-2/200	6-Jul-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	53-26-52-78
37	Trey Augustine	G	6-1/185	23-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	28-1, 2.14, 0.925
38	Tanner Molendyk	D	5-11/185	3-Feb-05	Canada	Saskatoon (WHL)	67-9-28-37
39	William Whitelaw	RW	5-9/170	5-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	62-36-25-61
40	Ethan Gauthier	RW	5-11/175	26-Jan-05	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	66-30-39-69
41	Gracyn Sawchyn	C	5-11/160	19-Jan-05	USA	Seattle (WHL)	58-18-40-58
42	Carson Bjarnason	G	6-3/185	30-Jun-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	21-19, 3.08, 0.900
43	Aram Minnetian	D	5-11/190	19-Mar-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-7-24-31
44	Michael Hrabal	G	6-6/210	20-Jan-05	Czech	Omaha (USHL)	9-13, 2.86, 0.908
45	Jacob Fowler	G	6-1/215	24-Nov-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	27-9, 2.28, 0.921
46	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	C	6-0/165	18-Feb-05	Denmark	HV 71 (SHL)	41-4-3-7
47	Carson Rehkopf	LW	6-1/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	68-30-29-59
48	Beau Akey	D	5-11/170	11-Feb-05	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-11-36-47
49	Danny Nelson	C	6-3/200	3-Aug-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-20-26-46
50	Etienne Morin	D	6-0/180	9-Mar-05	Canada	Moncton (QMJHL)	67-21-51-72
51	Felix Nilsson	C	6-0/175	22-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	36-19-22-41
52	Maxim Strbak	D	6-1/205	13-Apr-05	Slovakia	Sioux Falls (USHL)	46-5-13-18
53	Jakub Dvorak	D	6-5/205	25-May-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia)	24-0-2-2
54	Carey Terrance	C	6-0/175	10-May-05	USA	Erie (OHL)	67-30-17-47
55	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	5-11/180	23-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	31-20-23-43
56	Mathieu Cataford	C	5-11/185	1-Mar-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	68-31-44-75
57	Roman Kantserov	RW	5-9/175	20-Sep-04	Russia	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	45-27-27-54
58	Tristan Bertucci	D	6-1/170	12-Jul-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	63-11-39-50
59	Andrew Gibson	D	6-3/195	13-Feb-05	Canada	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	45-7-14-21
60	Caden Price	D	6-0/185	24-Aug-05	Canada	Kelowna (WHL)	65-5-35-40
61	Charlie Stramel	C	6-3/215	15-Oct-04	USA	Wisconsin (B1G)	33-5-7-12
62	Coulson Pitre	RW	6-0/170	13-Dec-04	Canada	Flint (OHL)	59-25-35-60
63	Adam Gajan	G	6-2/165	6-May-04	Slovakia	Chippewa Steel (NAHL)	19-12, 2.57, 0.917
64	Hoyt Stanley	D	6-2/185	4-Feb-05	Canada	Victoria (BCHL)	53-4-34-38
65	Andrew Strathmann	D	5-10/190	27-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	56-3-35-38
66	Hunter Brzustewicz	D	5-11/185	29-Nov-04	USA	Kitchener (OHL)	68-6-51-57
67	Luca Pinelli	C	5-8/165	5-Apr-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	67-29-34-63
68	Cam Allen	D	6-0/195	7-Jan-05	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	62-5-20-25
69	Tanner Ludtke	C	6-0/185	27-Nov-04	USA	Lincoln (USHL)	57-32-34-66
70	Theo Lindstein	D	6-0/180	5-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (SHL)	32-1-1-2
71	Koehn Ziemmer	RW	6-0/205	8-Dec-04	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-41-48-89
72	Carter Sotheran	D	6-3/195	26-Jun-05	Canada	Portland (WHL)	68-4-19-23
73	Arttu Karki	D	6-1/175	8-Dec-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	36-13-26-39
74	Albert Wikman	D	6-0/190	10-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	43-2-10-12
75	Quinton Burns	D	6-1/180	14-Apr-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-2-27-29
76	Nico Myatovic	LW	6-2/180	1-Dec-04	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-30-30-60
77	Jeremy Hanzel	D	6-0/190	27-Feb-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	66-13-35-48
78	Easton Cowan	RW	5-10/170	20-May-05	Canada	London (OHL)	68-20-33-53
79	Juraj Pekarcik	LW	6-2/185	12-Sep-05	Slovakia	HK Nitra (Slovakia)	30-0-3-3
80	Denver Barkey	C	5-8/160	27-Apr-05	Canada	London (OHL)	61-22-37-59
81	Martin Misiak	RW	6-2/195	30-Sep-04	Slovakia	HC Nove Zamky (Slovakia)	29-1-9-10
82	Drew Fortescue	D	6-1/175	28-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	61-1-25-26
83	Felix Unger Sorum	RW	5-11/170	14-Sep-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-10-36-46
84	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	6-0/175	7-Nov-04	Finland	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	51-9-12-21
85	Kalan Lind	LW	6-0/160	25-Jan-05	Canada	Red Deer (WHL)	43-16-28-44
86	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	6-2/190	8-Aug-05	Finland	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	41-11-23-34
87	Alex Ciernik	LW	5-11/175	8-Oct-04	Slovakia	Sodertalje-Vasterviks (HockeyAllsvenskan)	25-3-9-12
88	Alexander Rykov	RW	6-0/175	14-Jul-05	Russia	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)	20-4-7-11
89	Scott Ratzlaff	G	6-0/175	9-Mar-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	25-8, 2.15, 0.918
90	Yegor Rimashevsky	RW	6-3/200	1-Feb-05	Belarus	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	29-13-13-26
91	Jesse Nurmi	LW	5-10/165	7-Mar-05	Finland	KooKoo (Fin-U20)	41-21-29-50
92	Kaden Hammell	D	6-1/175	12-Mar-05	Canada	Kam-Evt (WHL)	67-8-18-26
93	Jayson Shaugabay	RW	5-9/155	4-May-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	31-33-63-96
94	Noel Nordh	RW	6-2/195	25-Jan-05	Sweden	Brynas (Swe J20)	38-13-14-27
95	Gavin McCarthy	D	6-1/180	2-Jun-05	USA	Muskegon (USHL)	42-8-19-27
96	Tyler Peddle	LW	6-0/195	28-Jan-05	Canada	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64-24-17-41
97	Francesco Dell'Elce	D	6-0/165	23-Jun-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	51-20-42-62
98	Timur Mukhanov	LW	5-8/170	17-Jun-05	Russia	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	31-4-4-8
99	Larry Keenan	D	6-3/185	15-Mar-05	Russia	Culver Academy (USHS-IN)	49-11-26-37
100	Emil Jarventie	LW	5-9/165	4-Apr-05	Finland	Ilves (Fin-U20)	21-8-11-19
101	Matthew Mania	D	6-1/180	11-Jan-05	USA	Sudbury (OHL)	67-10-28-38
102	Juha Jatkola	G	6-1/175	12-Sep-02	Finland	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	20-11, 2.16, 0.903
103	Zach Nehring	RW	6-3/180	7-Mar-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-34-40-74
104	Austin Roest	C	5-9/175	22-Jan-04	Canada	Everett (WHL)	60-32-46-78
105	Hedqvist, Isac	C	5-10/165	22-Mar-05	Sweden	Lulea (Swe J20)	41-14-20-34
106	Stephen Peck	G	6-2/170	18-Jan-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28GP, 1.26, 0.948
107	Yegor Klimovich	RW	5-9/160	14-May-05	Russia	Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)	36-19-30-49
108	Nikita Susuyev	RW	6-0/170	6-Feb-05	Russia	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	38-11-17-28
109	Ethan Miedema	LW	6-4/205	22-Mar-05	Canada	Wsr-Kgn (OHL)	68-20-32-52
110	Luca Cagnoni	D	5-9/180	21-Dec-04	Canada	Portland (WHL)	67-17-47-64
111	Jakub Stancl	LW	6-3/200	10-Apr-05	Czech	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	35-11-6-17
112	Aydar Suniev	LW	6-1/200	16-Nov-04	Russia	Penticton (BCHL)	50-45-45-90
113	Ty Henricks	LW	6-4/205	28-Jun-05	USA	Fgo-Mus (USHL)	47-9-10-19
114	Yegor Vinogradov	C	6-2/180	17-Apr-03	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	53-7-10-17
115	Yegor Sidorov	RW	5-11/180	18-Jun-04	Belarus	Saskatoon (WHL)	53-40-36-76
116	Will Vote	RW	5-8/155	22-Feb-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	60-16-29-45
117	Brandon Svoboda	C	6-3/210	4-Feb-05	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	59-16-10-26
118	Axel Landen	D	6-1/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	44-10-6-16
119	Alexander Hellnemo	G	6-2/180	5-Jan-04	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	15-8, 2.32, 0.916
120	Nikita Nedopyokin	C	5-10/185	22-Mar-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	37-14-18-32
121	Brady Cleveland	D	6-5/210	1-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	54-0-6-6
122	Ondrej Molnar	LW	5-10/170	8-Feb-05	Slovakia	Erie (OHL)	34-4-15-19
123	Noah Dower Nilsson	LW	6-0/175	25-Apr-05	Sweden	Frolunda (Swe J20)	37-26-28-54
124	Jordan Tourigny	D	5-10/165	28-Feb-05	Canada	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	67-6-35-41
125	Cole Knuble	C	5-11/175	1-Jul-04	USA	Fargo (USHL)	57-30-36-66
126	Erik Pahlsson	C	6-0/170	9-Apr-04	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	46-26-37-63
127	Eric Pohlkamp	D	5-10/200	23-Mar-04	USA	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-16-35-51
128	Dylan MacKinnon	D	6-1/185	12-Jan-05	Canada	Halifax (QMJHL)	61-6-17-23
129	German Tochilkin	LW	6-2/180	24-Sep-03	Russia	Kunlun Red Star (KHL)	21-4-2-6
130	Jake Fisher	C	6-1/180	27-Mar-05	USA	Cretin-Durham Hall (USHS-MN)	29-34-29-63
131	Damian Clara	G	6-6/215	13-Jan-05	Italy	Farjestads (Swe J20)	17-17, 2.79, 0.903
132	Aiden Fink	RW	5-9/155	24-Nov-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	54-41-56-97
133	Bogdan Konyushkov	D	5-11/175	20-Dec-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-2-23-25
134	Yegor Zavragin	G	6-2/185	23-Aug-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	11-6, 2.49, 0.920
135	Ty Halaburda	C	5-11/175	22-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-21-16-37
136	Cole Burbidge	LW	6-1/160	26-Aug-05	Canada	Saint John (QMJHL)	68-19-31-50
137	Daniil Karpovich	D	6-3/210	6-Dec-04	Belarus	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	47-10-25-35
138	Andrei Loshko	C	6-1/175	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	67-22-48-70
139	Beckett Hendrickson	C	6-1/175	24-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-13-21-34
140	Alex Pharand	C	6-3/205	1-May-05	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	67-18-21-39
141	Zeb Forsfjall	C	5-9/170	16-Jan-05	Sweden	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	34-8-14-22
142	Joe Connor	C	5-9/170	31-Mar-05	USA	Avon Old Farms (USHS-CT)	28-21-23-44
143	Samuel Urban	G	6-1/195	1-May-05	Slovakia	Team Slovakia U18 (Svk2)	1-13, 4.51, 0.897
144	Mazden Leslie	D	6-0/195	15-Apr-05	Canada	Vancouver (WHL)	66-12-38-50
145	Maxim Fedotov	D	5-10/170	22-Jan-02	Russia	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	64-9-17-26
146	Joey Willis	C	5-10/170	14-Mar-05	USA	Saginaw (OHL)	68-15-29-44
147	Artyom Kashtanov	C	6-6/190	9-Dec-04	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	43-15-25-40
148	Angus MacDonell	C	5-9/180	11-May-05	Canada	Sar-Mis (OHL)	64-29-12-41
149	Konstantin Volochko	D	6-0/170	19-Jun-05	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	46-8-12-20
150	Hannes Hellberg	LW	6-0/175	19-Jun-05	Sweden	Leksands (Swe J20)	42-34-23-57
151	Carsen Musser	G	6-4/215	19-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	14-6, 3.07, 0.890
152	Yaroslav Tsulygin	D	6-0/160	19-May-05	Russia	Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)	44-0-2-2
153	Thomas Milic	G	6-0/180	14-Apr-03	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	27-3, 2.08, 0.928
154	Arno Tiefensee	G	6-4/190	1-May-02	Germany	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	13-10, 2.43, 0.910
155	Quinn Mantei	D	5-11/180	23-Apr-05	Canada	Brandon (WHL)	67-2-23-25
156	Matthew Soto	RW	5-10/180	31-Aug-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	54-15-27-42
157	Matt Copponi	C	5-10/165	3-Jun-03	USA	Merrimack (HE)	37-14-15-29
158	Vojtech Port	D	6-2/170	3-Aug-05	Czech	RD-Edm (WHL)	48-4-13-17
159	Michael DeAngelo	LW	5-11/180	19-Nov-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	52-11-24-35
160	Matteo Mann	D	6-5/225	31-Dec-04	Canada	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	45-0-5-5
161	Paul Fischer	D	6-1/190	30-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-4-17-21
162	Hudson Malinoski	C	6-0/175	19-May-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	44-16-53-69
163	Brad Gardiner	C	6-0/180	6-Mar-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-19-20-39
164	Zaccharya Wisdom	RW	6-0/175	29-Apr-04	Canada	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	59-28-20-48
165	Jonathan Castagna	C	6-1/185	20-Apr-05	Canada	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	50-29-43-72
166	Tanner Adams	RW	5-11/185	2-Sep-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	49-12-21-33
167	Grayden Siepmann	D	5-10/185	26-May-04	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	61-9-34-43
168	Axel Hurtig	D	6-3/200	10-Jun-05	Sweden	Rogle (Swe J20)	34-2-6-8
169	Ian Scherzer	C	6-0/180	3-Jul-05	Austria	Rogle (Swe J20)	30-3-4-7
170	Ryan Conmy	RW	5-9/190	23-Oct-04	USA	Sioux City (USHL)	60-33-29-62
171	Ethan Hay	C	6-1/190	15-Jan-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	64-17-11-28
172	Rodwin Dionicio	D	6-2/205	30-Mar-04	Switzerland	Nia-Wsr (OHL)	50-15-35-50
173	Josh Van Mulligen	D	6-2/180	26-Jul-05	Canada	Medicine Hat (WHL)	68-1-8-9
174	Nikita Ishimnikov	D	6-3/195	21-Apr-05	Russia	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	41-11-7-18
175	Justin Kipkie	D	6-4/190	28-Jul-05	Canada	Victoria (WHL)	67-8-25-33
176	Sawyer Mynio	D	6-1/175	30-Apr-05	Canada	Seattle (WHL)	68-5-26-31
177	Brady Stonehouse	RW	5-9/180	6-Aug-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	68-37-20-57
178	Hunter Anderson	LW	5-9/175	28-Apr-05	USA	Shattuck-SM (USHS-MN)	48-52-47-99
179	Spencer Sova	D	6-0/185	10-Jan-04	Canada	Erie (OHL)	68-16-23-39
180	Oliver Tulk	C	5-7/170	19-Jan-05	Canada	Calgary (WHL)	68-24-36-60
181	Isac Born	C	5-11/165	7-Jul-04	Sweden	Frolunda (SHL)	36-2-3-5
182	Beau Jelsma	C	5-9/175	28-Apr-04	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	67-31-30-61
183	Carmelo Crandell	RW	5-11/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	49-17-37-54
184	Stanislav Yarovoy	LW	6-2/195	26-Aug-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	45-9-7-16
185	Elliot Stahlberg	LW	6-0/185	29-Mar-05	Sweden	Farjestads (Swe J20)	35-9-12-21
186	Ivan Anoshko	C	5-11/170	7-Oct-04	Belarus	Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)	53-21-32-53
187	Jake Livanavage	D	5-10/175	6-May-04	USA	Chicago (USHL)	48-6-30-36
188	Adrian Carnebo	D	6-2/185	1-May-04	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	43-7-28-35
189	Jaden Lipinski	C	6-3/205	2-Dec-04	USA	Vancouver (WHL)	66-19-32-51
190	Ian Blomquist	G	6-2/185	29-Mar-03	Sweden	Vasteras (HockeyAllsvenskan)	4-11, 2.97, 0.904
191	Emil Pieniniemi	D	6-2/170	2-Mar-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31-1-12-13
192	Oskar Asplund	D	5-11/175	18-Nov-03	Sweden	Almtuna (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49-6-24-30
193	Daniil Davydov	C	5-11/165	6-Mar-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	47-11-35-46
194	Victor Sjoholm	D	5-9/175	8-Jul-03	Sweden	HV 71 (Swe J20)	37-2-8-10
195	Aron Jessli	LW	5-11/185	29-Oct-04	Norway	Pickering (OJHL)	52-25-43-68
196	Adam Dybal	G	6-1/165	2-Sep-05	Czech	Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	29-15, 1.85, 0.942
197	Jonathan Fauchon	C	5-10/170	13-Jan-04	Canada	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	53-25-40-65
198	Luke Mittelstadt	D	5-11/175	22-Jan-03	USA	Minnesota (B1G)	38-5-16-21
199	Owen Beckner	C	6-1/175	27-Feb-05	Canada	Salmon Arm (BCHL)	53-17-33-50
200	Ilya Kanarsky	G	6-2/165	6-Dec-04	Russia	AKM-Junior Tula Region (MHL)	4-19, 3.59, 0.919
201	Braeden Bowman	RW	6-1/205	26-Jun-03	Canada	Guelph (OHL)	54-33-39-72
202	Luke Coughlin	D	5-9/170	11-Apr-05	Canada	Rimouski (QMJHL)	37-5-14-19
203	Norwin Panocha	D	6-1/185	24-Feb-05	Germany	Eisbaren Juniors Berlin (DNL U20)	34-6-16-22
204	Cole Brown	LW	6-2/180	27-Apr-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	60-17-25-42
205	Tomas Suchanek	G	6-0/180	30-Apr-03	Czech	Tri-City (WHL)	27-14, 3.05, 0.912
206	Vadim Moroz	RW	6-2/185	20-Nov-03	Belarus	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	39-5-9-14
207	Davis Burnside	RW	5-11/175	22-Sep-03	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-14-7-21
208	Maros Jedlicka	C	6-1/185	23-Oct-02	Slovakia	HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)	39-17-18-35
209	Gavyn Thoreson	RW	5-8/180	30-Oct-04	USA	Andover High (USHS-MN)	31-41-56-97
210	Austin Burnevik	RW	6-3/200	3-Jan-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	43-6-13-19
211	Elmeri Laakso	D	6-1/185	19-Jul-04	Finland	SaiPa (Fin-Liiga)	32-4-7-11
212	Frantisek Dej	C	6-4/200	28-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	24-8-13-21
213	Matvei Maximov	C	6-0/175	18-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	48-18-19-37
214	Connor Levis	RW	6-1/190	5-Oct-04	Canada	Kamloops (WHL)	68-27-40-67
215	Teddy Townsend	C	5-10/160	2-Sep-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-14-25-39
216	Petter Vesterheim	C	5-11/165	30-Sep-04	Norway	Mora (Swe J20)	41-12-27-39
217	Justin Gill	C	6-1/190	27-Jan-03	Canada	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	68-44-49-93
218	Alex Weiermair	C	6-0/190	10-May-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	55-11-15-26
219	Jan Sprynar	RW	6-1/175	26-Feb-05	Czech	Rimouski (QMJHL)	60-23-17-40
220	Ty Higgins	D	6-0/185	26-Sep-04	Canada	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	68-13-28-41
221	Tom Leppa	C	6-0/175	31-Jul-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	45-19-12-31
222	Aaron Pionk	D	6-1/175	16-Jan-03	USA	Waterloo (USHL)	60-12-24-36
223	Hampton Slukynsky	G	6-1/180	2-Jul-05	USA	Warroad (USHS-MN)	28-1, 1.47, 0.941
224	Noah Erliden	G	5-10/170	9-Sep-05	Sweden	HV71 (Swe J20)	10-8, 2.93, 0.912
HM	Matthew Andonovski	D	6-1/200	14-Mar-05	Canada	Kitchener (OHL)	67-0-16-16
HM	Gleb Artsatbanov	G	6-2/170	2-Mar-04	Ukraine	Sparta Praha (Czechia U20)	13-10, 1.95, 0.938
HM	Cale Ashcroft	D	5-10/200	5-Aug-04	Canada	Tri-City (USHL)	62-8-29-37
HM	Alex Assadourian	LW	5-8/170	24-Jul-05	Canada	Sby-Nia (OHL)	66-12-29-41
HM	Arvid Bergstrom	D	5-11/160	12-Jun-05	Sweden	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	41-2-21-23
HM	Kevin Bicker	LW	6-0/175	29-Jan-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	20-10-11-21
HM	Philippe Blais-Savoie	D	6-0/185	10-Jun-05	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	61-2-9-11
HM	Linus Brandl	C	5-11/185	1-Apr-05	Germany	Jungadler Mannheim (DNL U20)	32-25-22-47
HM	Finn Brink	LW	5-9/180	6-Apr-05	USA	Maple Grove (USHS-MN)	31-31-38-69
HM	Yaroslav Busygin	D	6-3/185	14-Feb-03	Russia	Vityaz Moscow Region (KHL)	42-1-2-3
HM	Kalle Carlsson	C	6-0/175	2-Mar-05	Sweden	Orebro (Swe J20)	44-11-24-35
HM	Adam Cedzo	RW	5-10/165	23-Feb-05	Slovakia	HC Ocelari Trinec (Czechia U20)	39-23-23-46
HM	Aiden Celebrini	D	6-1/185	26-Oct-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	47-5-16-21
HM	Andon Cerbone	C	5-8/150	13-Apr-04	USA	Oma-Yng (USHL)	64-24-39-63
HM	Chase Cheslock	D	6-3/210	25-Oct-04	USA	Rogers High (USHS-MN)	28-4-27-31
HM	Sam Court	D	5-10/180	7-Jan-04	Canada	Brooks (AJHL)	52-13-59-72
HM	Adam Csabi	LW	5-10/160	17-Feb-05	Czech	SaiPa (Fin-U18)	28-16-15-31
HM	Nathaniel Davis	D	6-1/185	15-Nov-04	Canada	Burlington (OJHL)	45-10-26-36
HM	Nathan Day	G	6-2/180	4-Feb-05	Canada	Flint (OHL)	17-10, 3.91, 0.874
HM	Kocha Delic	C	5-10/185	11-Mar-04	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	46-22-30-52
HM	Tyler Duke	D	5-8/180	19-Jul-04	USA	Ohio State (B1G)	40-4-8-12
HM	Filip Eriksson	C	6-0/170	5-Nov-04	Sweden	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe J20)	11-5-5-10
HM	Jiri Felcman	C	6-4/190	17-Apr-05	Czech	Langnau U20 (Sui-U20-Elit)	40-10-21-31
HM	Samuel Fiala	C	6-1/170	9-Apr-05	Czech	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20)	44-19-9-28
HM	Mans Forsfjall	D	6-0/180	30-Jul-02	Sweden	Skelleftea (SHL)	52-2-12-14
HM	Cooper Foster	C	5-11/170	4-Jun-05	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	63-19-17-36
HM	Salvatore Guzzo	RW	6-0/185	17-Apr-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	58-17-11-28
HM	Michael Hagens	D	5-11/170	18-Feb-05	USA	Chicago (USHL)	60-9-17-26
HM	Sam Harris	LW	5-11/190	14-Oct-03	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	56-30-26-56
HM	Jack Harvey	C	5-10/175	31-Mar-03	USA	Chicago (USHL)	62-40-34-74
HM	Bogdans Hodass	D	6-2/200	13-Apr-03	Latvia	Medicine Hat (WHL)	56-11-24-35
HM	Ryan Hopkins	D	6-1/180	15-Apr-04	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	48-10-39-49
HM	Ewan Huet	G	6-0/170	8-Feb-05	Switzerland	Lausanne (Sui U20-Elit)	14-12, 2.73
HM	Gustaf Kangas	C	6-0/175	27-Jul-05	Sweden	Vasteras (Swe J20)	27-7-13-20
HM	Sean Keohane	D	6-3/180	4-Nov-04	USA	Dexter Southfield(USHS-MA)	32-4-12-16
HM	Oiva Keskinen	C	6-0/175	28-Feb-04	Finland	Tappara (Fin-U20)	38-20-21-41
HM	Ruslan Khazheyev	G	6-4/200	20-Nov-04	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	8-8, 2.38, 0.923
HM	Matteo Koci	D	6-0/165	7-Jun-05	Czech	HC Energie Karlovy Vary (Czechia U20)	36-7-13-20
HM	Ryan Koering	D	6-3/185	11-Feb-05	USA	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	27-6-10-16
HM	Cameron Korpi	G	6-2/150	26-May-04	USA	Tri-City (USHL)	13-4, 2.52, 0.911
HM	Sergei Kosovets	D	6-5/250	17-Jul-02	Russia	HK Sochi (KHL)	26-2-2-4
HM	Artyom Kudashov	D	6-0/160	10-Jan-05	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	42-2-7-9
HM	Roman Kukumberg	LW	6-0/185	21-Mar-05	Slovakia	HC Modre Kridla Slovan (Slovakia2)	33-5-6-11
HM	Emil Kuusla	LW	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	Finland	Jokerit (Fin-U20)	36-18-17-35
HM	Jani Lampinen	G	6-2/185	14-Feb-03	Finland	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin-Mestis)	15-6, 2.35, 0.902
HM	Charles-Alexis Legault	D	6-3/205	5-Sep-03	Canada	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	40-2-7-9
HM	Aiden Long	LW	6-3/190	13-Mar-05	Canada	Whitecourt (AJHL)	50-19-27-46
HM	Connor MacPherson	RW	6-0/170	2-Mar-05	Canada	Leamington (GOJHL)	43-28-35-63
HM	Matthew Mayich	D	6-2/185	21-Dec-04	Canada	Ottawa (OHL)	64-5-17-22
HM	Donovan McCoy	D	6-0/200	11-Oct-04	Canada	Peterborough (OHL)	65-2-11-13
HM	Cole Miller	C	6-4/175	4-Feb-05	Canada	Edmonton (WHL)	61-10-9-19
HM	Lucas Moore	D	5-9/180	7-Jun-05	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	65-3-25-28
HM	Josh Nadeau	RW	5-7/145	22-Oct-03	Canada	Penticton (BCHL)	54-44-66-110
HM	Alexei Noskov	G	6-2/205	13-Nov-04	Russia	Taifun Primorsky Krai (MHL)	7-26, 3.86, 0.905
HM	Owen Outwater	LW	6-2/160	4-Jan-05	Canada	Kingston (OHL)	62-16-25-41
HM	Joe Palodichuk	D	6-0/165	26-Feb-03	USA	Fargo (USHL)	44-8-21-29
HM	Petr Pavelec	LW	6-0/200	10-Feb-05	Czech	HC Vitkovice (Czechia U20)	46-8-5-13
HM	Oliver Peer	RW	6-0/165	9-Mar-03	Canada	Windsor (OHL)	63-22-45-67
HM	Chris Pelosi	C	6-1/180	6-Mar-05	USA	Sioux Falls (USHL)	43-13-6-19
HM	Matthew Perkins	LW	5-11/175	21-Jan-04	Canada	Youngstown (USHL)	60-15-29-44
HM	Nico Pertuch	G	6-2/200	29-Jul-05	Germany	EV Landshut (DNL U20)	15GP, 3.57
HM	Dominik Petr	C	6-2/165	30-Apr-05	Czech	Lukko (Fin-U20)	18-1-0-1
HM	Chase Pietila	D	6-1/180	3-Mar-04	USA	Youngstown (USHL)	60-7-29-36
HM	Chase Pirtle	RW	6-2/185	8-Mar-05	USA	Mount St. Charles 18U AAA (USHS-RI)	47-20-24-44
HM	Benjamin Poitras	C	5-10/175	18-Jul-05	Canada	Sioux City (USHL)	61-14-24-38
HM	Connor Punnett	D	6-1/200	16-Jun-03	Canada	Barrie (OHL)	66-14-34-48
HM	Ivan Remezovsky	D	6-1/165	8-Feb-05	Russia	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	45-0-13-13
HM	Charlie Robertson	G	6-3/165	2-Apr-05	Canada	North Bay (OHL)	12-6, 3.17, 0.892
HM	Pier-Olivier Roy	D	5-9/175	5-Mar-04	Canada	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	68-6-62-68
HM	Rainers Rullers	C	6-4/195	11-Dec-04	Latvia	Zemgale (Fin-Mestis)	46-4-6-10
HM	Bennett Schimek	RW	5-11/180	15-Apr-03	USA	Providence (HE)	37-11-9-20
HM	Zach Schulz	D	6-1/195	14-Jun-05	USA	USN U18 (USDP)	51-1-9-10
HM	Magomed Sharakanov	D	6-1/200	11-Oct-04	Russia	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	44-7-25-32
HM	Cam Squires	RW	5-11/165	11-Apr-05	Canada	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	67-30-34-64
HM	Julius Sumpf	C	6-1/175	11-Jan-05	Germany	RB Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL)	23-9-9-18
HM	Alexander Suvorov	RW	5-9/160	30-Nov-02	Belarus	Severstal Cherepovets (KHL)	47-13-11-24
HM	Gabriel Szturc	C	5-11/185	24-Sep-03	Czech	Kelowna (WHL)	56-24-55-79
HM	Nikita Telegin	C	6-1/155	21-Jun-05	Russia	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)	22-6-4-10
HM	Patrick Thomas	C	5-11/160	21-Aug-04	Canada	Hamilton (OHL)	66-17-39-56
HM	Hudson Thornton	D	5-11/180	4-Nov-03	Canada	Prince George (WHL)	68-23-51-74
HM	Jiri Tichacek	D	5-9/170	30-Jan-03	Czech	Rytiri Kladno (Czechia)	39-0-6-6
HM	Djibril Toure	D	6-6/200	5-Jun-03	Canada	Sudbury (OHL)	57-5-11-16
HM	Tuomas Uronen	RW	5-11/180	19-Mar-05	Finland	HIFK (Fin-U20)	39-20-23-43
HM	Noa Vali	G	6-0/160	19-Apr-05	Finland	TPS (Fin-U20)	17-8, 2.38, 0.912
HM	Nicholas Vantassell	RW	6-4/195	18-Apr-04	USA	Green Bay (USHL)	62-19-18-37
HM	Visa Vedenpaa	G	6-2/170	11-May-05	Finland	Karpat (Fin-U20)	31GP, 0.886
HM	Evgeny Volokhin	G	6-3/170	6-Apr-05	Russia	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	20-6, 2.12, 0.927
HM	Declan Waddick	C	5-10/170	24-Jan-05	Canada	Niagara (OHL)	64-28-21-49
HM	Saige Weinstein	D	6-0/180	30-May-05	Canada	Spokane (WHL)	57-4-14-18
HM	Ethan Whitcomb	LW	6-4/190	13-May-04	Canada	Muskegon (USHL)	53-24-24-48
HM	Raul Yakupov	RW	6-1/180	21-Jun-04	Russia	Reaktor Nizhnekamsk (MHL)	49-32-29-61

2023 NHL DRAFT: Top “Tier 2” players available for the draft this year (AJHL, BCHL, CAHS, CJHL, OJHL, USHS) with video – Part Two – Goaltending and Defense

Brock Otten — Sun, 26 Mar 2023 12:31:57 +0000

McKeen's Director of Scouting, Brock Otten, provides a close examination of all the top "Tier 2" players available for the draft this year (USHS, CJHL, etc). The second in the series highlights the goaltenders and defense.

Goaltenders

MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK - DECEMBER 28: Adam Gajan #30 of Slovakia stretches to make a save against USA in Preliminary Round - Group B action at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship at Avenir Centre on December 28, 2022 in Moncton, New Brunswick. (Photo by Chris Tanouye/IIHF)

Adam Gajan

Goaltender - Chippewa (NAHL)/Green Bay (USHL)

6’4, 176lbs

Grades: Athleticism: 55, Compete/Temperament: 60, Play Reading: 55, Technique: 50, Rebound Control: 50, Puck Handling: 50

OFP: 53.75

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/adam_gajan_-_3rd_period_30_50_-_31_2.mp4

Notes: Gajan exploded onto the draft radar with his performance at the World Junior Championships for Slovakia, capturing the tournament’s top goaltender award. In his second year of draft eligibility, the move to North America has done wonders for Gajan’s confidence and development and it has put him in contention to be one of the first netminders off the board in June. He has mostly played with Chippewa in the NAHL (along with a cup of coffee with Green Bay in the USHL) and recently committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth for next year. Gajan’s combination of size, athleticism, and compete makes him incredibly intriguing. He battles for sight lines. He is aggressive in challenging shooters. He never gives up on a play and routinely makes second and third chance saves. He covers post to post very well for a larger netminder and is able to play more of a hybrid style because of how well he moves in and out of the butterfly. The focus of his development moving forward should be on his body control. He has a tendency to overcommit or overslide, taking him out of position. This means that his angles are not always perfect. Additionally, because he can get a bit “scrambly,” his rebound control can be inconsistent. The College route is actually a great one for Gajan to take. It will allow him to focus on adding more strength to his frame to improve his control. It will allow him time to iron out some technical inconsistencies over potentially four years with UMD. History has shown it can be a bit dangerous to overrank or overrate goaltenders based purely on their WJC performances, but Gajan looks to be different.

Stephen Peck

Goaltender - Avon Old Farms (USHS-Prep)

6’2, 175lbs

Grades: Athleticism: 50, Compete/Temperament: 55, Play Reading: 55, Technique: 55, Rebound Control: 55, Puck Handling: 45

OFP: 53

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/stephen_peck_-_2nd_period_17_17_-_17_30.mp4

Notes: Avon Old Farms was an absolute wagon this year and were rarely beaten in the prep loop. One of the main reasons for that was the play of netminder Stephen Peck. Calm and composed in the crease, Peck already exhibits advanced technical traits. His movement is very refined in the crease and he covers his angles well, ensuring that he does not over slide or overcommit. His rebound control is especially impressive. He controls shots to his chest well and has a good glove hand, swallowing up perimeter shots without giving up second chance opportunities. Peck battles for sight lines and is consistently aggressive in coming out to the top of his crease to challenge shooters. There’s definitely some room for improvement in his agility and quickness post to post. This would give him a better chance of making those second and third chance saves. However, he limits those currently and at the prep level, this does not hurt his performance. A draft pick of the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL, one has to figure that the currently uncommitted Peck will suit up in the USHL next year before deciding on an NCAA program. The last time a netminder was drafted solely out of the prep scene was 2015 (unless you count Dominic Basse in 2019 out of South Kent Selects) when Mike Robinson was taken by San Jose (3rd round), Joey Daccord was taken by Ottawa (7th round), yet Peck seems to be firmly on the draft radar and with good reason. Let’s not forget that a netminder by the name of Jonathan Quick was taken out of Avon Old Farms back in 2005.

Hampton Slukynsky

Goaltender - Warroad High (USHS-MN)

6’1, 170lbs

Grades: Athleticism: 50, Compete/Temperament: 60, Play Reading: 55, Technique: 50, Rebound Control: 45, Puck Handling: 45

OFP: 51.5

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/hampton_slukynsky_-_2nd_period_15_34_-_15_46.mp4

Notes: One of the top netminders in the U.S. high school loop, Slukynsky also happens to play for one of the best teams in Warroad High. He doesn’t see a ton of rubber, but his composure and consistency in the crease are integral components of Warroad High’s success this year. Slukynsky was also one of the U.S.’ goaltenders at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup this summer, where he played well. He has a penchant for the highlight reel save because of his play reading ability and because he never quits on a save, always competing for sight lines and to push to make those second/third chance saves. A classic butterfly netminder, Slukynsky does have a tendency to scramble in his crease and can be taken out of position. He will need to improve his rebound control to limit those second/third chance opportunities. For a “smaller” netminder, he could also stand to improve his quickness post to post, as sometimes he doesn’t get enough power on his pushes to cover his angles completely, or quick enough. However, Slukynsky is fairly young for the draft (July birth date) and fairly physically immature. As he fills out and further improves his conditioning, his skating should improve further. Next season he will play in the USHL with Fargo before heading to Northern Michigan the following year. NHL teams may wait to see how he plays in the USHL before opting to use a draft selection on him. However, NHL teams may also be incredibly impressed with his mind and maturity in the crease and be eager to work with him to improve other areas. Slukynsky has great upside and should definitely be considered a sleeper for this year’s draft.

Defenseman

Francesco Dell’Elce

Defense - St. Andrew’s College (CAHS)

6’0, 160lbs

Grades: Skating: 55, Shot: 50, Skills: 50, Smarts: 55, Physicality/Compete: 50

OFP: 52.5

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/francesco_dell_elce_-_1st_period_0_38_-_0_50.mp4

Notes: Dell’Elce, a UMass commit, is an intelligent and smooth skating puck moving defender. He is an effortless four way mover and a strong linear attacker, something that he uses exceptionally well to create space for himself on the attack. His agility is extremely impressive, and with his ability to stop and start on a dime, he evades forecheckers easily at the prep level. Dell’Elce also does a great job of varying his pace. This allows him to survey the ice to locate passing lanes. By attacking both North/South and East/West, he becomes a very tough cover as he slices up the neutral zone. Dell’Elce also looks comfortable running the point of the powerplay. He uses his mobility to his advantage to work his way in tight, often beating the top layer of pressure. His point shot is good, but it is his scoring instincts and ability to get to the inside that have led to his high scoring totals this year. As a defender, Dell’Elce defends pace well. He often neutralizes transitional attacks and has a good stick and gap control. He will occasionally assert himself physically, but he seems much more comfortable as a stick on puck defender at this time. This brings us to Dell’Elce’s weakest area, which is defending the net front. He can struggle to tie up opposing forwards near the crease and he will need to add strength to his frame to consistently win positional battles at higher levels. It looks like Dell’Elce will play in the BCHL (with Penticton) or in the USHL next year before going to UMass in 2024, which is a smart play on his part to allow him to mature physically before such a large step in a tough conference. Overall, I’m not entirely convinced that his puck skill and creativity are strong enough to be a true offensive standout at the NCAA and NHL levels, but his mobility and vision are real assets. There’s definitely a chance that he could develop into a Calvin de Haan type of player with patience.

Hoyt Stanley

Defense - Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)

6’2, 196lbs

Grades: Skating: 55, Shot: 50, Skills: 55, Smarts: 50, Physicality/Compete: 50

OFP: 52.25

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/hoyt_stanley_-_2nd_period_15_40_-_16_10.mp4

Notes: After missing most of last year with a concussion, Stanley has returned this year as, essentially, a BCHL rookie. He possesses an intriguing blend of size, skill, and mobility from the back end (in addition to playing the right side). He has long, powerful strides that help him chew up ground quickly and he blends puck skill with his speed to be an effective puck carrier. Stanley routinely leads the charge up ice in transition and often gains the offensive blueline with ease. However, his impressive rushes often fail to create significant scoring chances and he can miss open teammates and good passing options when attacking, leading one to wonder how well he sees the ice. Does that impact his offensive upside and ability to utilize his tools as he progresses up the hockey ladder?

Defensively, he defends pace quite well with his length and mobility. He also takes good routes to pucks in pursuit and wins the majority of his 50/50 battles by applying himself physically. He is not an overtly physical player, per say, but he does engage to gain leverage. However, much like his play with the puck, Stanley can have lapses of judgment in the defensive end and can play with too much complacency when defending the middle of the ice. He could stand to be more aggressive given his length and quickness, but instead, can let opponents dictate the play and pace. Additionally, Stanley has a big point shot and he does well to open up shooting lanes with his feet. However, too often his shot gets blocked or fired wide. He needs to do a much better job of hitting the net, keeping point shots low. All that said, are these limitations in his game currently a result of his inexperience? Or do they point to a lack of awareness/IQ? Stanley is headed to Cornell, a program that will do well to help him be more assertive defensively. The tools are impressive, and the upside is high if you believe Stanley can make large strides in his decision making as he plays more at the higher levels.

Larry Keenan

Defense - Culver Military Academy (USHS-Prep)

6’3, 185lbs

Grades: Skating: 57.5, Shot: 55, Skills: 55, Smarts: 45, Physicality/Compete: 50

OFP: 52.125

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/larry_keenan_-_1st_period_17_16_-_17_33.mp4

Notes: Yes, Keenan is related to the St. Louis Blues legend of the same name; he’s his grandson. Raw would be the best word to describe this powerful defender with a commitment to UMass. His upside is through the roof. Keenan is both an effortless and powerful skater from the back end. Given his 6’3 frame, he covers so much ground with his movement capabilities. He’s always looking to lead or jump up into the attack and he can strike quickly with how powerful he is coming off the line. Keenan also has a big point shot which is a primary weapon for him to create offense. He one times pucks cleanly and has great shooting mechanics, squaring himself to his target and getting pucks to the net. His hands are also good, allowing him to control the puck at full speed as he attacks the offensive zone. Blending his quickness, puck protection ability (thanks to his frame), and silky hands, Keenan can be a difficult player to stop from gaining the line. Due to the combination of the aforementioned, Keenan’s upside as an offensive defender is significant. However, as mentioned, his game is very raw.

He’s very much a project (although what prep player isn’t?). His decision making currently leaves a lot to be desired. A riverboat gambler of sorts, he needs to pick his spots better to activate or attempt to challenge opposing defenders. Considering his level of skill, you can live with the odd turnover if he is creating scoring chances, however he may get eaten alive at the NCAA level (and above) without refinement in his approach.

The same could be said about his defensive play. He flashes ability in his own end thanks to his mobility affording him the ability to play aggressively. However, he is currently too passive at times and is simply not consistently tough enough to play against below the hash marks. With his roving tendencies, he can get himself taken out of position and, at times, can be too complacent in returning to coverage. With his frame, he should eventually develop into a more consistent physical player, but it may take time. Without question, Keenan deserves to be an NHL selection and is very likely to be one. He has the bloodlines. He’s headed to a great program that has had success developing defenders recently. His upside is significant. He’s just a ways away and will require patience.

Ryan Koering

Defense - Eden Prairie High (USHS-MN)

6’3, 175lbs

Grades: Skating: 55, Shot: 45, Skills: 50, Smarts: 50, Physicality/Compete: 55

OFP: 51.75

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ryan_koering_-_3rd_period_23_11_-_23_23.mp4

Notes: The allure of Koering will unquestionably be his combination of mobility and size. An excellent athlete, Koering covers ground quickly and efficiently with strong, powerful strides in all four directions. While he doesn’t possess the kind of skill needed to be a consistent puck mover, he can lead the attack with his feet alone, exploding across the opposing blueline by driving wide and beating flat footed defenders. In the defensive end, his mobility helps him to defend aggressively. He consistently steps up early on attackers, squashing plays in the neutral zone before they develop, and he will play the body in open ice, especially near his own blueline. With his length, mobility, and physical potential, his upside as a defensive defender is very high. Koering does quarterback the Eden Prairie powerplay and his feet do help him move the puck efficiently. His point shot does not appear to be a significant weapon for him, as he often opts for a quick snap shot under pressure that rarely finds the target.

A Mr. Hockey finalist, Koering is effective as an offensive defender at the high school level, but one does wonder what his offensive upside would be. He can get bottled up in his own end and turnovers can result. He does not seem to possess the hands to escape heavy forecheckers and his breakout pass efficiency is inconsistent under duress. Additionally, as a defensive player, he can have lapses of concentration, where his aggressive approach backfires on him as he fails to recover to defend down low or near the net front. His net front coverage will need to improve, and he will need to become more consistently physical below the hash marks to truly reach his excellent potential as a Drew Helleson stay at home type. Koering is slated to attend Colorado College.

Nathaniel Davis

Defense - Burlington (OJHL)

6’2, 185lbs

Grades: Skating: 55, Shot: 50, Skills: 50, Smarts: 47.5, Physicality/Compete: 55

OFP: 51.625

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/1-nathaniel_davis_-_2nd_period_4_37_-_4_49.mp4

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2-nathaniel_davis_-_2nd_period_99_2_-_99_14.mp4

Notes: Davis, a right shot defender with size, is an intriguing athlete with the potential to impact play at both ends as he continues to improve. He was a third pairing defender for Canada East at the World Junior A Challenge and played reasonably well in a limited role. Since being drafted by the Soo Greyhounds out of the Toronto Titans of the GTHL, Davis has both filled out and grown, making him a pretty solid and reliable player in his own end for Burlington, improving significantly from last year. He skates quite well, especially laterally and linearly, which allows him to have a positive impact on the transition game. His confidence has really grown over the course of the year as a carrier and transporter, and he is now jumping up in the play consistently to try to create. His hands are good, but not great. He can make players miss when in motion, blending skill and speed well, but when static, his hands become a little more rigid and he can get bottled in at both ends.

From a defensive perspective, he’s definitely a physical player and that’s an asset. He shows flashes of being a really good transitional defender, but his backwards footwork can get sloppy at times, and he also can struggle to be decisive about his aggressiveness, causing his gaps to be poor. Sometimes he can get himself all turned around in the defensive end too, from chasing hits, chasing the puck, or simply missing assignments by puck watching. Other times, he looks the part of a crease clearer and someone who is very tough to win one on one battles against below the hash marks. At the end of the day, you have to view Davis as what he is, a very raw, but intriguing athlete who is still trying to figure out what kind of defenseman he wants to be and can be. With the right development program and under the right tutelage, he has upside as a pro defender.

The million-dollar question is…what is his next step? He could sign with the Greyhounds and play in the OHL. However, I think that route is far-fetched. He would have done that already, especially given the rebuilding nature of the Soo’s roster currently. More likely he heads south of the border to the NCAA, but he does not have a commitment currently. Would he be interested in going to play in the USHL next year to possibly open up more opportunities for him before deciding on a program? If I’m an NHL team with an extra late round pick or two, I’d definitely look at throwing one Davis’ way and then helping him with his next steps. This is a player who oozes athleticism and whose development trajectory has been steep thus far.

Aiden Celebrini

Defense - Brooks Bandits (AJHL)

6’1, 190lbs

Grades: Skating: 50, Shot: 45, Skills: 50, Smarts: 50, Physicality/Compete: 60

OFP: 51.5

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/aiden_celebrini_-_2nd_period_15_45_-_16_3.mp4

Notes: Yes, Aiden is the older brother of 2024 top prospect Macklin Celebrini. He is a hard-nosed and aggressive defender with a commitment to Boston University, much like his brother. He relishes the opportunity to play the body and consistently makes life difficult by taking away time and space from the opposition. He moves fairly well in all four directions and is strong on his edges to make him difficult to maneuver around. He will occasionally lead the attack out of the offensive zone and does show some potential as a puck mover, but generally plays a simpler game. Overall, his game needs refinement. He has a tendency to chase the play and the big hit, which can take him out of position in the defensive end. He also can get bottled up with the puck in the defensive end, either from poor scanning habits or because he’s not making quick enough decisions with his breakouts. With decent size, mobility, physicality, all from the right side, there is some potential for Celebrini to develop into a usable defensive defender at the next level. It seems likely that Aiden will join Macklin with Chicago of the USHL next year before going to Boston University, as they own his rights. There was actually some thought he would play with Chicago this year, but he ended up being released from training camp due to Chicago’s depth. Under the right tutelage, there are some workable physical traits. However, don’t expect Aiden to have anywhere close to the kind of upside that his brother possesses.

Ryan Hopkins

Defense - Penticton Vees (BCHL)

6’1, 183lbs

Grades: Skating: 50, Shot: 50, Skills: 45, Smarts: 55, Physicality/Compete: 55

OFP: 51.25

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ryan_hopkins_-_1st_period_1_35_-_1_47.mp4

Notes: Hopkins was ranked as a 7th rounder by us at McKeens last year after a strong rookie year with Penticton, but he ultimately went unselected. He has returned to Penticton this year, improving on his offensive production and confidence with the puck. The University of Maine commit is the defensive anchor for the first place Vees, playing 22 minutes a night and in all situations. He has greatly improved his point shot this year, giving him an offensive weapon that can project to the next level. He one times pucks cleanly and does a great job getting pucks on net with a hard, low point shot. The majority of his offensive production this year has been generated from his shot or the threat of his shot. Hopkins remains an aggressive defender too, someone who loves to lean on opposing forwards, making them earn every inch of ice. He steps up early on attackers and he defends well below the hash marks. Unfortunately, his skating hasn’t really improved much from a year ago. His transitional footwork still needs improving and he could still stand to be a little more explosive out of the gate to help him get to pucks first. This was likely one of the main reasons why Hopkins was not selected last year. His puck skill remains below average too, as he elects to keep plays simple most of the time. Quick, clean exits are a strength, but don’t expect him to lead the rush or consistently beat layers of pressure to keep pucks in. That said, there are still some pro level attributes wrapped up in Hopkins’ game. His upside may not be significant, but there is a path for him to develop into a Riley Stillman level third pairing defender should his skating improve over his years at Maine. Scouts would have surely been flocking to Penticton this year and it’s possible that he hears his name called late this time around.

Sam Court

Defense - Brooks Bandits (AJHL)

5’10, 190lbs

Grades: Skating: 50, Shot: 50, Skills: 55, Smarts: 50, Physicality/Compete: 50

OFP: 51

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/sam_court_-_2nd_period_1_21_-_1_33.mp4

Notes: In more ways than one Court reminds one of Zach Bookman, who shredded the AJHL in his final year of draft eligibility last year. They have similar size, similar strengths/weaknesses, and both spent the previous year playing in the U.S. prep scene. Unfortunately, Bookman went unselected (but has since had a terrific freshman year at Merrimack), but hopefully Court can hear his name called. Court’s biggest strength are his hands. Even without high end linear quickness and speed, he manages to carve up open ice with his ability to miss sticks and make quick cuts. His lateral quickness and confidence on his edges gives him escapability when holding the offensive blueline and this, in combination with his vision and passing precision, makes him a terrific powerplay quarterback. His offensive skill set was on full display at this year’s World Junior A Challenge where he was one of the better defenders at the event. Defensively, he is aggressive to try to overcome his size and skating disadvantages. This leads to him being out of position at times, but with development and strong coaching he could become an asset at both ends. Headed to the University of New Hampshire next year, Court is a long-term project…like any player on this list. With some improvements to his athleticism and refinements to his playing style, he should develop into a quality offensive blueliner at the NCAA level, at the very least.

Sean Keohane

Defense - Dexter Southfield (USHS-Prep)

6’4, 194lbs

Grades: Skating: 55, Shot: 45, Skills: 50, Smarts: 50, Physicality/Compete: 50

OFP: 50.75

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/sean_keohane_-_2nd_period_25_21_-_25_38.mp4

Notes: A Harvard commit, Keohane is a massive defender with an intriguing athletic skill set. He’s a solid skater for such a big, young defender and his mobility serves as the foundation for his game and success on the ice. More of a stick on puck defender, Keohane has a good stick in the defensive end and his reach can be very disruptive. He’s a solid transition player who can make a good breakout pass to clear the zone quickly or use his feet to aid in the exit. This season he has become more assertive offensively and is using his quickness to jump up into the play more. He will activate off the blueline to hold pucks in and he will work the give and go to get into the slot. Once he gets moving and escapes his own zone, stopping him with the puck in the neutral zone can be a difficult task for prep players due to how strong he is on the puck and how well he skates for his size. I’m not entirely sure the offensive ceiling is extremely high. His point shot is hard, but he can struggle with his release and his accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. He’s not likely to be much of a scorer from the point at the higher levels. Additionally, his vision and creativity with the puck in the offensive zone is somewhat limited. As a defensive player, I’d love to see him use his size to be more of a physically dominant player. Again, his reach and mobility combination is impressive at stopping transitional attacks, but he has the potential to be a real defensive stalwart if he can get stronger off the puck and be tougher to play against. Harvard is a really interesting landing spot for him. Ian Moore, perhaps a similar kind of projectable player to Keohane, has had success recently coming out of the Prep loop. NHL teams will be intrigued by the athletic tools, but he is very much a long-term project.

Warren Clark

Defense - Steinbach (MJHL)

6’5, 185lbs

Grades: Skating: 50, Shot: 50, Skills: 55, Smarts: 45, Physicality/Compete: 50

OFP: 49.75

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/warren_clark_-_2nd_period_13_20_-_13_32.mp4

Notes: Clark is a really interesting case because of his late growth spurt and the somewhat non-traditional market he currently plays in. The MJHL hasn’t had an NHL draft pick since 2018 (Matthew Thiessen). Yet, Clark is bound to generate some NHL interest because of his profile. He has jumped from around 5’11 to 6' 5 the last few years, he has some really intriguing athletic tools, and he plays the right side. Clark gallops up the ice and chews up ground quickly, blending skilled control and pace well. This allows him to be a difference maker as a transitional leader. In a lot of ways, Clark bears some resemblance to Montreal Canadiens defender Logan Mailloux in that regard. Clark also shows nice skill working the point and when holding the offensive blueline, often beating the initial layer of pressure to help get pucks on net or work the puck down low. The rest of his game is a major work in progress. His four-way mobility is awkward and his backward skating mechanics need work. He can have trouble defending pace because of his tendency to get caught flat footed. He also needs to be more decisive in the defensive end. His gap control is inconsistent, and he doesn’t win enough puck battles down low for a player of his size. As a puck carrier, his decision making leaves some to be desired. He can have some very impressive rushes, but they can result in turnovers as he tries to attack defenders head on, rather than alter his pace or utilize his teammates. All that said, I could easily see an NHL team using a late round selection on Clark. He has already improved massively (no pun intended) over the last few years, has intriguing athletic potential, and is headed to a good program at St. Cloud State. Most definitely a long term project, the NCAA route will allow him to slowly grow into his frame.