Ian Scott – McKeen's Hockey

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Toronto Maple Leaves Top 20 Prospects

Rachel Howard — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 22:20:07 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 New York Rangers prospects for the 2020-21 season. You can read an organizational assessment prior to the draft in Ryan Wagman's article found here. Following the draft we provided a review on each teams performance based on our rankings found here.

Nick Robertson, LW (53^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

As a draft eligible player, the physically immature Robertson had a tough time being a consistent contributor. This was especially true about his engagement level without the puck. Last year, with improved strength and conditioning, he was able to maintain that high intensity level through every shift. He has become one of the better forecheckers in the OHL, who seemed to force multiple turnovers per game due to his energy and IQ. Stronger on the puck, he also took his goal scoring ability to new heights. His shot is a weapon that can score in so many different ways. He can create his own shooting lanes with deceptive hands cutting through the middle. He can be a triggerman near the dot. His wrist shot release allows him to score from practically anywhere. Kyle Dubas has already stated that Robertson will be given every opportunity to make the Maple Leafs roster next year. However, he will need to improve his top end speed and his strength both on and off the puck in order to be able to play his game at the NHL level. He has the potential to be an impact top 6 player within a few years. – BO

Rodion Amirov, LW (15^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Amirov split his draft year between four distinct levels. The plurality of his games played were in the KHL, although his ice time there was very limited, and he had more ice time in fewer games in the MHL, Russia’s junior league, where he dominated. He demonstrates excellent skating prowess, in terms of power, lateral movement and shiftiness. He also has high end finishing ability. More than a mere offensive force, he has spent time on the penalty kill and uses his stick well defensively. Between his various levels of competition, he has played against strong competition for long enough to have a pretty good picture of who he is and what he can do. Amirov’s puck skills suggest an easy top six outcome in his prime. His hands are quick and soft. He reads the game at an advanced level, enabling him to spot avenues for scoring chances better than most. He doesn’t force plays and tries to keep things simple. He skates well, too, keeping up a healthy pace. The main concern is his underdeveloped frame. Additional muscle would give his skating stride more power while improving his stamina and assist him for puck battles. – RW

Roni Hirvonen, C (59^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

2018-19’s top U17 scorer in Finland’s top junior league and last year’s top scorer among U18 players in Liiga, where he received ample ice time, we know that Hirvonen can produce against older players. He is also a fascinating player to watch. A natural center who has spent extensive time on the wing, he is very comfortable playing up the middle in all three zones. His skating stride is inefficient, yet he gets from A-to-B quickly and plays a dynamic East-West game, spurred on by excellent edge work. On the other hand, there are no concerns about Hirvonen’s puck skills. He can cut slaloms through multiple layers of the defense with ease. Despite being undersized, he drives hard to the net when he has the puck, and when the puck is with a linemate, he installs himself on the lip of the crease creating a nuisance for the netminder. In fact, he has done well at making his presence felt in all facets of the game. I would be surprised if he does not make the Finnish WJC roster as an 18-year-old this year. He isn’t too far away from a productive middle six NHL role. – RW

Topi Niemela, D (64^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

The only 17-year-old blueliner to spend all of last season in Liiga, Niemela earned the trust of his coaches with his mature ability to read the play and his reliability off the puck. While his decision making sometimes betrayed his inexperience, he kept his head up, his feet active, and his gaps tight. A right-handed shot, his hockey IQ trails only his skating ability among his assets. He has great mobility, with a smooth and strong skating stride. He is balanced and moves very well laterally and backwards as well as his straight-ahead speed. His feet keep him in the right place at the right time. Niemela has never been a big goalscorer, but he loves to shoot the puck. He tends to sacrifice some power in order to quicken his release, but the shot are accurate and he generally gets the puck past the initial point coverage. Niemela is also a plus puck mover. His hands are quick and secure, and he is a precise passer. He has a lot of physical maturing in front of him, but projects as an all-situations middle pairing defender who can eat up a lot of minutes. – RW

Filip Hallander, LW (58^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Hallander, acquired as part of the Kasperi Kapanen trade with Pittsburgh, is coming off a season shortened due to a leg injury. He may not be that flashy, but he has good hands and is incredibly competitiveness and plays with great awareness. He can be creative on the rush, but he still needs to work on his approach when the game is standing still, as he can play impatient. Even so, he is a smart player who reads the forecheck well and seem to know where to position himself to stop an attack. Hallander is useful on both the power play and the penalty kill. On the power play, he is strong around the crease and in the slot and has been compared to Patric Hornqvist in that sense, earning significant minutes on one of the top teams in the SHL last season as a result. He is expected to spend one more season with Lulea before stepping over in 2021-22, by which time, he should be ready. He lacks elite tools but with strong poise, competitiveness, and awareness on the ice combined with the ability to play various roles he is a good bet to be impactful. – JH

Nick Abruzzese, C (124^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Abruzzese led all freshmen in scoring nationally last season. For his efforts, he was named both the ECAC and the Ivy league Rookie of the Year. He seems set to give the Maple Leafs far more value than they expended with the 2019 fourth-round pick. He has an incredibly calm demeanor, be it on the forecheck or the backcheck. He has excellent vision and can make clean passes without too many turnovers. He was often the player leading the rush although he tended to hang out around the blue line in his defensive zone and trailing on the back check, suggesting he still has work to do on his game away from the puck, although his spot on the Crimson’s first power play unit suggests that his offensive game is doing quite alright. He is a good skater and glides effortlessly up and down the ice. Abruzzese is on the smaller side, but he is not afraid to battle for the puck along the boards. While he can finish, he is fonder of dishing out the puck than of taking the shot himself. His development curve so far suggests that his game is still growing. – JS

Joey Anderson, RW (73^rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5 [New Jersey[])

Anderson has had his ups and downs where performance is concerned and adjusting properly to the pace of the NHL game, but remains a highly likely long-term NHLer. He hasn’t yet hit the mark on the little things that turn into bigger things at the higher level. Offensively, he has talent when it comes to getting to the net and finding scoring opportunities. On the other hand, his play on the backend needs to tighten up ever so slightly to be considered for a role with more dynamic players. He will also have to find more grit and an extra gear to reach his ceiling and solidify a spot in Toronto’s crowded NHL roster. Anderson is great at capitalizing on turnovers and recognizing plays before they happen and if he can keep on adding to his hockey IQ and anticipating instead of reacting more often, his path will become clearer. With the NHL experience he already has, he may be ready to stay up with Toronto, who acquired him from New Jersey for Andreas Johnsson, but a little more AHL time could also be beneficial in the long run. - SC

Mikko Kokkonen, D (84^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Although he was overshadowed by some of the other young defensemen on the Jukurit last year, Kokkonen’s play improved as the season went on. He is an effective distributor of the puck and can start offensive transitions with crisp and accurate long-range passes. He could be a bit more creative with the puck, but he shows poise and good offensive vision. He has a good wrist shot with a quick release and the ability to get pucks through traffic on a regular basis. He reads the game well and his positioning is solid in all three zones. He shows calculated movement as he rarely gets caught out of position. He plays a stable, if unspectacular two-way game, although his skating remains a concern. It is somewhat clunky and lacks explosiveness. He will have to improve his foot speed and lateral mobility as well. On a more positive note, he is sturdy and has good balance. Kokkonen is physically strong for his age and may be closer to a finished product than others of his level. He doesn’t have the highest ceiling, but he could develop into a dependable NHL defenseman on a moderate timetable. - MB

Yegor Korshkov, RW (31^st overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Korshkov is a good fit as a top Leafs prospect at the moment. Not only is he a big body but he moves well, plays with a strong drive and makes his presence known on the ice. People count his size as one of his top attributes but his ability to carry the puck is actually what allows him such success in the goal scoring department. As a player coming from the KHL, Korshkov had few adjustments to make in order to keep up at top Marlies pace and earn a call up to the Leafs, even scoring in his debut. That being said, Korshkov is a good defensive player, yet he tends to be a little too cautious in his own end and is prone to standing still too long. The only time he seems motivated is when he is breaking out or with the puck on his stick, and he needs to keep in mind that hockey is a two way game and to be a top level player he will have to be good in his own end as well. Aside from that, he is both a physically and mentally mature enough player to find himself with a spot on the Leafs and frankly it would come as little surprise to see him up as an occasional second liner. The future is bright for a player as strong and hard working as Korshkov, with size, skill and a keen eye for playmaking. The Leafs would be smart to try him up more frequently this coming season. - SC

Timothy Liljegren, D (17^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 7)

With Liljegren approaching the end of his entry level contract and his best season in the with the Toronto Marlies yet, he is hopefully proving his worth when it will come to re-signing the first rounder. Although his career has not come without struggles and inconsistencies as well as a severe ankle injury that put him out for a long stretch last season, his turbulent career has proven his durability. Liljegren has grown tremendously over last season and his offensive play has grown even more to the point where he was playing both penalty kill and powerplay. He continues to carry the puck with ease and has improved his scoring chances, and he is no longer afraid to shoot and does well at getting the puck to the net. His weak spots continue to be in his own end and defending one on one during turnovers, where he desperately needs to work on his physicality in order to compete at the next level. He also needs to keep his feet moving and his eyes off the puck. Despite not making the main camp roster, look for Liljegren to show up as a bottom four defenseman should the Leafs call him up again. – SC

Veeti Miettinen, RW (168^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Born only a few days too late to have been eligible for the 2019 draft, Miettinen spent a second full season in Finland’s junior league, once again producing at elite rates, far above one point-per-game, and this time leading the Jr. A SM-liiga altogether. He is a versatile player who proved last year that he can kill penalties in addition to his offensive exploits. Miettinen’s game is well-rounded; He is a strong skater with a dangerous shot, featuring both wrist shots and snap shots. He is a fine stickhandler who utilizes his linemates well and he plays a proactive game off the puck. His primary downside at this juncture is his size. Short and lean, he doesn’t have a physical game to speak of. He is headed to North America next season to play collegiately at St. Cloud State. Because of that path, he will have plenty of time to grow accustomed to the North American game before he turns pro, where he currently projects as a reasonable third line type. – RW

Mac Hollowell, D (118^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Hollowell has been a pleasant surprise for the organization. Sure he is on the smaller side for a defenseman, measuring up at 5-10”, 170lbs, but can he ever skate. He is a dynamic skater whose smooth strides help him keep space between himself and his opponents and his passing skills help to keep him from entering danger zones with the puck or over carrying it. Hollowell still has a lot left to learn, having just completed his rookie professional season, but with any luck he will be fit to aim for a debut with the big squad next season for a game or two. That being said, once he is physically mature, look for Hollowell to be a bottom four defenseman as he already has the skill to fit in at the NHL level. His work ethic and fearlessness alone will be what helps set him apart from the rest of his defensive cohort. - SC

Filip Kral, D (149^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Kral is a steady defensive player with limited offensive upside. Last season he has shown more confidence with the puck and better decision making overall which has led to a bit of an offensive outburst. The hard shooting Czech had his best offensive production with his 12 goals and 36 assists as an overage player. He is a good skater who manages his own zone very well. He is a first pass guy but isn’t really a rush-leading defenseman. His vision and passing skills are both fine but he doesn’t ooze offensive skill. Defensively he is sound with a good control of his gaps and spacing in his own zone. He manages the cycle well despite not being an overtly physical player. His production comes from making smart, safe, fundamental hockey plays while on the ice with some lethal offensive weapons such as he had last season with Spokane. Don’t expect him to flash big production at the next level but he could fit nicely into a bottom pairing. - VG

Joseph Woll, G (62^nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 10)

For a rookie goaltender in the AHL, Woll did fairly well considering the change of pace coming from the NCAA Boston College to the Toronto Marlies. As a younger goaltender he does tend to bite a little early when it comes to dekes but stays strong in two-on-one situations. As a big body, he moves well and his rebound control is good as he stays strong in his crease. The future is still bright though, for Woll, as he has the potential to be a starting goaltender for the Leafs in the future. He still needs to work on playing the puck better and positioning when it comes to finding ways to see past players and find the puck in scrum situations but overall he made a good adjustment to the harder shots and quicker pace of the AHL level. As far as Toronto’s system goes, Woll stands a good chance of seeing starting time in the future but as always keep in mind that goaltenders often take a longer time to develop. – SC

William Villeneuve, D (122^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

One of the top sleepers out of the QMJHL in the 2020 draft class, it may be easy to forget that he was selected second overall in the circuit’s 2018 Entry Draft. Despite his slow start to the current year, Villeneuve was the top scoring defender in the ‘Q’ last year. His game is predicated on solid decision making and finesse. A right-handed shot, he plays with poise at both ends and moves the puck soundly. He is not the most physical defender and needs to add strength in addition to his skating, which holds him back from a higher ranking as his technical efficiency is not quite matched by power or speed. The only CHL player drafted by the Leafs in 2020, He may not have the tools you look for in a power play quarterback, although his shot and puck skills will help him contribute in the offensive end. The overall game will have a chance to play at higher levels. – RW

Adam Brooks, C (92^nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

Despite being a hard worker and trying to keep a focused attitude, forward Brooks has yet to really differentiate himself from his other Toronto Marlies teammates. He plays a simple game, does well on the penalty kill and keeps attackers to the outside in his own end and there is nothing wrong with that or his skill level. It simply comes down to the fact that Brooks has a good stride, can shoot and plays in a compact way where he does not get in the way and is aggressive enough to win puck battles but the details in his game are the loose ends that he needs to tie up. He does a lot of chasing of the puck and not enough anticipating of the play where he gets sloppy and ends up responsible for turnovers. At this point, Brooks will have to fine tune his game in time for next season or run the risk of becoming a trade commodity if he wants a chance at returning with the Leafs again as a bottom six call up, to say nothing of securing a full-time role. - SC

Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C (76^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 12)

A skilled playmaker, Der-Arguchintsev had his best season to date in the OHL that saw him finish third in the league in assists with 63. Playing alongside fellow Leafs’ prospect Nick Robertson, SDA (as he is affectionately known) showed some progress physically which helped him to utilize his creativity and puck skill more consistently. However, it is important to note that while Der-Arguchintsev was near the top in total assists, the majority of those were either secondary or powerplay assists. His 18 primary assists at even strength were tied for 21st in the OHL, and his 42 total primary points were tied for 68th in the circuit. Additionally, he saw a shift to the wing later in the year, with his projection as an NHL center looking bleak. Maple Leaf fans will need to be patient with SDA as he continues to mature physically. His upside remains high, but with each passing year, it seems less likely that he reaches it. - BO

Mikhail Abramov, C (115^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

While Abramov’s point totals may not look totally impressive at first glance last season, his 35 goals alone nearly bested any teammate’s point totals. To say Abramov was on an island with Victoriaville last year is more or less accurate; the team took a step back from the previous season and teammate Yegor Serdyuk missed significant time. Despite this, Abramov still put on a clinic as the team’s primary option in terms of offence. He is slight of build but a great skater and confident puckhandler. At 161 pounds, he is hardly a finished product, but he has some potential as a scoring option down the line. It is a commendation to his hockey sense and skating that he can play some center at that size. However, due to his sight build, it is likely scoring lines or bust for the Russian forward. - MS

Pontus Holmberg, LW/C (156^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Holmberg has shown steady progression as a player since he was drafted in 2018. He is a puck skilled winger with good hockey sense who can make creative plays. He plays a quick-thinking game and controls the puck well. His skating is good, and while he is not the fastest player, he has strong lower body-balance and is quite agile. His production is still inconsistent, and he still takes too many nights off. He is the type of player that can have five brilliant games and then not show up on the scoreboard for ten straight games. He finished the season on a high note though, which hopefully is promising. He has a good wrist shot but has averaged fewer than one shot on goal per game. He has not earned the coaches trust to play top line minutes in the SHL, but he has signed a two-year extension with the team. His NHL projection is long-term, and the 21-year-old will need more time to develop before he can compete for a spot in the NHL. - JH

Ian Scott, G (110^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: UR)

Originally drafted after a statistically awful season in the WHL, Scott had a moderately better one to follow before everything came together in a season for the ages to finish off his junior career, leading his team to a league championship. He was expected to compete for the title of “goalie of the future” with Joseph Woll last year, but a hip problem led to surgery last December, ending his professional debut before he actually suited up in a game. There is a ton of mystery in what happens next for Scott. He is healthy, but the WCHL will not be an option next year as Toronto’s affiliate in Newfoundland will not play this season due to the pandemic, while the organization brought in Alex Stalock and Michael Hutchison to play with Woll in the AHL. Clearly, Scott needs to play. He flashed enough in 2018-19 that a return to that trajectory would make for a great feel-good story of perseverance. Flashes of excellence aside, we don’t really have a way to currently project his ultimate ceiling. - RW

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

Vince Gibbons — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 22:00:28 +0000

One of the joys of junior hockey is that the age limitations force roster turnover of top teams in 3-4-year cycles creating a new league every couple of seasons. This ensures that no team stays at the top of the league for too long. The class of the league last season was the Prince Albert Raiders. Wire to wire the top team in the WHL with three lines of scoring, three defenders with over 40 points each, and an NHL-drafted goalie prospect in Ian Scott, they ticked all the boxes of a team that was able to dominate the league.

This year they will be without three graduated top overage forwards in Dante Hannoun, Noah Gregor, and Sean Montgomery, who combined for an impressive 101 goals. Top scorer from last year Brett Leason is still in pro camp and could play in the AHL this season if he continues to show well. If he does that is another 36 goals no longer with the roster. Does this leave the door open to another team in the WHL to dominate the 2019-2020 regular season? Does Prince Albert have the staying power to remain at the top? These articles will try to answer those questions months in advance. (Teams are listed in their projected divisional rankings). Today we look at the Eastern Conference. The Western Conference article will be published tomorrow.

Peyton Krebs. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1^st)

No team has had more season-over-season change than Winnipeg. Formerly based in Kootenay, the roster looks substantially different with a plethora of scoring options up front, something they have struggled mightily with the past few seasons. The import draft provided the ICE two gifted forwards in Michal Teply (Chicago, 4^th 2019) and Nino Kinder (undrafted). Both have been impact players in the early part of the season at well over one point per game. Peyton Krebs (Vegas, 1^st 2019) will be playing with some talent this year when he returns from his off season injury and will get a chance to showcase his playmaking skills on a team with finishers on both wings. Connor McClennon is their top prospect for this year’s draft; the smallish winger is like a waterbug out on the ice with some high end offensive skills. Perhaps the most interesting player on the roster though, is 2004 born Matthew Savoie who was not granted exceptional status for this season. Rumors of him sticking with the team all season anyway are out there so it will be fascinating to watch this all unfold, regardless. There is a ton of scoring talent in Winnipeg to potentially pace them to the top of the division.

Saskatoon Blades (2^nd)

The Blades roster lost Max Gerlach’s 42 goals but for the most part remains intact up front. Kirby Dach (Chicago, 1^st 2019) remains in camp and will likely get a few games in the NHL but should return to Saskatoon, where he will lead a very strong group. Eric Florchuk (Washington 7^th 2018) and Chase Wouters will have to provide more offense especially while Dach is still in the NHL. Kyle Crnkovic had a very solid draft minus one season and look for him to produce a lot of offense on the wing of one of the top two lines. Despite his size, he could force his way into a middle round pick in the upcoming draft. The final difference maker on this roster is between the pipes, where undrafted Nolan Maier has shown the pedigree to be a top goaltender in the WHL. Last season his .910 save percentage was in the top half of the league and with the relative stability of the defensive corps, he will look to build on that.

Prince Albert Raiders (3^rd)

Despite the loss of talent already mentioned this team still boasts a strong roster. Returning import player Aliaksei Protas (Washington, 3^th 2019) has hit the ground running with five points in his first three games this season. Playing with Cole Fonstad (Montreal, 5^th, 2019) expect for Protas to have productive minutes and improve on last season’s totals. Both players will be counted on to be primary producers this year rather than the secondary roles they had previously. Two draft eligible players of note on the roster are winger Ozzy Wiesblatt, who has good speed and vision, and Kaiden Guhle, a solid two way defender. This year they should be on both special teams units because of their high hockey IQ and solid passing skills. Recently acquired Boston Bilous was brought in to stabilize the net with Ian Scott having a shot at a pro hockey this year. These players make this roster dangerous and a tough out on any given night.

Brandon Wheat Kings (4^th)

Just missing the playoffs last season, Brandon has plenty of young talent looking to take a step forward. Led by Luka Burzan (Colorado, 6^th 2019) and his impressive 40 goals last season, this team is flush with ’02 born talented players. Ty Thorpe, Nolan Ritchie, Ridly Greig and Riley Ginnel plus late ’01 birthday Jonny Hooker have all shown flashes of being quality forwards. On the back end they have one of the WHL’s top draft eligible defenders in Braden Schneider who logs a lot of minutes. In goal, they have used an overage and an import spot for Jiri Patera (Vegas, 6^th 2017) to protect the blue paint which enables them to compete every night.

Moose Jaw Warriors (5^th)

The offseason trade of Jett Woo coupled with the graduations of Justin Almeida and Josh Brook has left Moose Jaw at the start of a rebuild. Brayden Tracey has looked the part in Ducks camp, exceeding expectations, but should be back in Moose Jaw soon enough. He is the last remaining part of a lethal power play unit from last season and will be expected to continue producing despite recent graduates. In terms of this year’s NHL draft, Daemon Hunt looks to be the top prospect on the Warriors. They also have an impact players for further down the road with Ryder Korczak a late ’02 and ’03 birth year Eric Alarie who have been torching the league in preseason and are both ready to contribute regularly.

Regina Pats (6^th)

The Regina Pats are going through what most host cities of the Memorial Cup go through. After trading away futures to ensure a strong showing, the cupboard looks a little barren with no Bantam first round picks on their roster, save overager Dawson Holt. Austin Pratt, who led the team in scoring last season, returns as a 20 year old and should be a point per game player this year. He is an intriguing player that never took off the way it was expected when he came up from Minnesota. He has a huge frame and good skating but has never been consistent enough to take over a game and garner much pro hype. With the roster in Regina he should get every opportunity to be successful.

Dylan Cozens. Photo by Erica Perreaux - Lethbridge Hurricanes

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1^st)

The Hitmen possess a roster with some serious depth at every position. The acquisition of Jett Woo in the offseason makes their defense corps one of the best in the WHL. Yegor Zamula (Philadelphia, UDFA 2018) Luke Prokop, Dakota Krebs, and Jackson van de Leest can all play a tough physical brand of hockey and play the game with a real edge. At forward they have a top list of options led by overage player Mark Kastelic (Ottawa 5^th, 2019). He has great size and plays a heavy game. Fellow overager James Malm has shown good offensive skills despite being a little undersized. With drafted centerman Riley Stotts (Toronto, 3^rd 2018) and Carson Focht (Vancouver, 5^th 2019) also capable of filling the net they have as well balanced a team as anyone. Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Adam Kydd have some offensive tools and both could hear their names called on draft day in 2020.

Edmonton Oil Kings (2^nd)

Despite being without the services of Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus, 7^th 2018), one of the more dynamic offensive weapons in the WHL the past few seasons, Edmonton looks the part of a playoff team. Matthew Robertson (NY Rangers, 2^nd 2019) leads a strong, experienced blue line. Up front they boast six bantam draft former first round picks in Dylan Guether, Liam Keeler, Quinn Benjafield, Jake Neighbours, Brendan Semchuk, and Josh Williams. With Neighbours being one of the top draft eligible players in the WHL this year, he will be a large part of the offense as Edmonton battles for tops in the division. Relying on experience in overage goalie Dylan Myskiw and 2000 born Todd Scott to hold down the crease, Edmonton looks capable of pushing for top spot in the East this season.

Medicine Hat Tigers (3^rd)

Medicine Hat will be led by a couple of Danish born players (checks notes again), yes two Danish players. Jonathan Brinkman and Mads Sogaard (Ottawa, 2^nd 2019) both hail from Aalborg, Denmark. Sogaard was a revelation last season starting in both the WJC and Top Prospects Game and having a huge role in Medicine Hat sticking with Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs. Brinkman is looking to make his mark in the WHL after going undrafted last season. The Tigers also possess a team with lots of experience with James Hamblin, Bryan Lockner, Brett Kemp, and Ryan Chyzowski all in as undrafted 19 and 20 year olds. Eric Van Impe leads the team defensively and plays a nice brand of physical hockey coupled with some pretty good offensive upside which should get plenty of looks from NHL scouts this year.

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4^th)

Any team with a player as dynamic as Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, 1^st 2019) has the ability to win on any given night. This year he will do it on his own back as there as Lethbridge’s depth took a serious hit in the offseason. Likely graduated players Jordan Bellerive (Pittsburgh, UDFA 2018), Jake Elmer (NY Rangers, UDFA 2019), Nick Henry (Colorado, 4^th 2017) and Jake Leschyshyn (Vegas, 2^nd 2017) will create opportunities for younger players like Logan Barlage and recently acquired Dino Kambeitz. Calen Addison (Pittsburgh, 2^nd 2018) is still there to quarterback the powerplay and has shown he can produce as well as any forward in the WHL. The crease is a platoon style early as both guys have started a couple of games and shown well. If the goaltending is good enough they will be a playoff team in the East, however they will be in tough competing with the depth of some other teams.

Red Deer Rebels (5^th)

Last season was disappointing in Red Deer despite the Rebels making the playoffs. This year with the youth the team is ‘blooding’ expectations are pretty low. There is no dynamic scorer in any of their overage players and Brett Davies (Dallas, 6^th 2017) has been underwhelming since coming over in trade last season. It will be scoring by committee if they have any success this year. The likes of Josh Tarzwell, Cameron Hausinger, and Chris Douglas will have to up their games as none have had a 20 goal season in a Rebels’ uniform. There is reason for optimism though, particularly along the blue line, as Red Deer sports a number of young up and coming defenders. Led by Dawson Barteaux (Dallas, 6^th 2018) and draft eligible Christoffer Sedoff on the top pairing, and youngsters Blake Gustafson, Mason Ward, and Joel Sexsmith will also garner scouts attention as the season goes on. With two solid WHL goalies on the roster, both Byron Fancy and Ethan Anders are capable of carrying a young team into the season with the stability they provide in the crease. The playoffs would be a stretch for them this year, especially with the strength of the Eastern Division likely competing for both Wild Card spots.

Swift Current Broncos (6^th)

Swift Current is just two seasons removed from a Memorial Cup and have a roster that lacks experience going into this season. The highlight of their roster is a pair of draft eligible Finnish players, winger Joona Kiviniemi who returned after leading the team in goals last season, and looks to improve on his 16 goals from a season ago, and Kasper Puutio who the was the first overall pick in the latest CHL Import Draft. Pro scouts will be following the progression of these two in the North American game and they should keep fans interested as the season moves along. Ben King has also shown flashes of potential as a power forward but has not been able to put it together night in and night out as of yet. Expect another long season out in Speedy Creek.

Toronto Maple Leafs 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Sat, 14 Sep 2019 13:16:46 +0000

Although he was only hired as the General Manager of the Maple Leafs less than six weeks prior to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the 2019 draft was Dubas’ third at the helm. Some forget, but he, along with Mark Hunter served as interim GMs for a few months in 2015, a time period which included that draft.

The 2015 draft has already been a tremendously successful draft for Toronto, as the team selected current superstar Mitch Marner with the fourth overall choice. While that selection could be excused as the aforementioned Hunter had also come from the storied London Knights’ organization in the OHL, second rounder Travis Dermott has also been very impressive, racking up his 100^th NHL game late last season. The Leafs also still have high hopes for the second second rounder of that haul, Jeremy Bracco.

None of the players selected by Dubas and company in 2018 have yet to appear in the NHL and the same is obviously true for the recent 2019 haul. We have three draft classes – two of which were wholly under his philosophy for player acquisition and the third one a joint function – to understand the Dubas MO and make judgments about it.

The first thing I think about when looking at those three draft classes is the complete absence of size concerns with the players picked. In the 2015 draft, working in tandem with Hunter, Toronto blended big and small players. Marner, Dermott, and Bracco are all smaller than the average NHLer, but later picks Andrew Nielsen, Stephen Desrochers, and Nikita Korostelev are all built large. Neither of the last two draft classes, led by a singular Dubas, had that characteristic. Of the eight skaters the Maple Leafs drafted in 2018, only one stands taller than 6-0”, the 6-1” fifth rounder Filip Kral.

2019 featured more of the same. Six players were drafted. Three stand 5-11” ad the other three all stand 5-9”. Five of the six are also on the slight side. Of course every player they drafted had supporters both inside and outside of the organization, but Toronto ensured that this wave would not bring size or strength to the NHL team. That said, the team has not been completely size averse in their prospect acquisition. Shortly before the 2018 draft, Toronto gave an ELC to undrafted winger Mason Marchment, a 6-4” crasher who plays a game based on strength. This offseason, they signed Ilya Mikheyev from the KHL, whose frame is above league average in the current climate.

Mikheyev is not alone among Toronto’s top 20 who has above average size, with Lamoriello acquisitions Eemeli Rasanen and Yegor Korshkov more known for their impressive figures than they skill components of their games. But even with Rasanen’s gigantic 6-7”, 209lbs frame, the pipeline for the Leafs is full of smaller players. As more of them graduate to the NHL, we will learn a valuable lesson about how well a team can do when it skews so drastically to smaller players. Further, we will see if the team brings in (or calls up) lesser, bigger players, just for the sack of adding a different dimension. It will be fascinating to watch, even if former GM Brian Burke is rolling in his comically loose tie as he watches it.

-Ryan Wagman

1 Rasmus Sandin, D (29^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 3) Sandin is a versatile defenseman capable of leading rushes and quarterbacking them as well. He is a skilled player with a good shot and great hockey sense. He sees the plays before they happen and stays one step ahead and remains focused while doing so. Last year with the Marlies was an adjustment year after he came from Sault Ste. Marie, and as the season went on, he managed to become more comfortable with the pace of the play. His only downfall, which he will hopefully grow out of, is not knowing when to let go of the puck as he tends to hold onto it for too long. With more maturity and experience he will become smarter with how and when he carries the puck to avoid giving up too many turnovers. Sandin has the potential to lead as a top pairing blueliner with the Maple Leafs at his peak. - SC

2 Nick Robertson, LW (53^rd overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) What Robertson lacks in size, he makes up for in skill. One of the youngest 2019 draft eligible players, he is one of the most creative players in the OHL. He uses great edgework and quick hands to open up space to operate; ripping off his powerful wrist shot, or a cross ice pass to an open teammate. His puck control draws defenses in to him, which opens up those lanes and space for his linemates. He is also very tenacious on the puck in the offensive end and is terrific at forcing turnovers with his quick feet and stick. Far from a finished product, he needs to mature physically to help him gain an extra step in his stride and to make him stronger playing through checks. The Leafs can afford to be patient with Robertson in hopes that he hits the growth spurt that his brother Jason did (a top Dallas prospect). The upside here is incredibly high, with Robertson possessing the skill set to be a front line player. - BO

3 Jeremy Bracco, C/RW (61^st overall, 2015. Last Year: 11) Bracco is a creative playmaker to say the least and every play holds different possibilities thanks to his level of hockey sense. He is a powerful and agile skater that can easily maneuver around opponents with his edgework, often opting to use his inside edges for turns rather than traditional crossovers. There is nothing bad to be said about his level of skill, but without the puck he will need to be more present in keeping pressure on opponents in the defensive zone. Physicality is another weak point to his game and he will have to start to play more physically next season if he wants to prove he is ready for a more intense level. Bracco has the potential to be a top six forward with Toronto and his game is certainly NHL ready. Due to the Maple Leafs’ offensive strength he may have to settle for a lower spot until he gradually works his way up. - SC

4 Ilya Mikheyev, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 6, 2019. Last Year: IE) A smooth-skating forward with a good knack for the net, Mikheyev is coming off a stellar season in the KHL, even if the campaign was ruined right at the climax as he picked up an injury during the playoffs. He still managed to earn a nod as a All-Star. The Leafs signed a forward who always plays hard no matter what, and can even be useful on the penalty killing, although in the NHL he won’t go that far on will alone. In Russia, he also scored plenty of clutch goals and showcased himself as a very talented player with great hands and an excellent shot. Mikheyev can play on any line and show great energy, will, and technique. The Leafs may have found a diamond in the rough here, and he can become a very valuable player should he manage to adapt fast to his new reality. - ASR

5 Trevor Moore, LW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Jul. 26, 2016. Last Year: Not ranked) Moore is a sparkplug of a player and he brings 100% effort every time his feet touch the ice. He never quits on a play and his angling on the forecheck is superb. His shot is nothing spectacular and his hands are alright, but he can move and he is lightning quick which makes up for his average puck skills. The major reason why he has been successful is his natural skill combined with his work ethic, as they balance each other out and make him a persistent threat capable of forcing turnovers and capitalizing on them. Moore had the opportunity to finish the season up with the Maple Leafs last year and will be starting this season up with them as well. He is a good bottom six forward at the NHL level, capable of playing on the penalty kill especially well. He will need to keep improving the speed at which he moves the puck to see his game reach new heights. - SC

6 Timothy Liljegren, D (17^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 1) When Liljegren is at his best he can be a great playmaker and a strong passer capable of making crisp, tape-to-tape passes. On the contrary, when he is not on his game, he stands still, fails to play the body, makes bad passes, and causes turnovers. He can be terribly inconsistent from one shift to the next which he will needs to improve upon if he wants to succeed at the next level. He will also have to aim for higher offensive production and more shots in the coming year, as he has paled in comparison to Sandin, whose shots per game nearly double that of Liljegren’s. Hope is not lost for Liljegren, however, as he still has potential and has managed to do well with the Marlies as a top four defenseman. With a more consistent season and an improvement in physical play, he could start as a bottom four defenseman and work his way up in the NHL. - SC

7 Joseph Woll, G (62^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 12) A large netminder with remarkable athleticism, Woll proved last season that he can also be a workhorse in the sense that he can withstand seeing a lot of rubber on any given night and still keep his team in the game. The USNTDP grad spent three years at Boston College, consistently chipping away at his save percentage, raising it each year, from a starting place of .913 to .915 and finishing off at .919. There were collegiate goalies with better numbers, but few who played as much, or against as strong a set of opponents. Woll’s technical game is also a strength, in part assisted by his ability to read the flow of the game and anticipate puck movement. The Leafs will give him time to grow accustomed to the pro schedule in the AHL, in hopes that he could be a starting option once Frederick Andersen’s contract expires after the 2020-21 season. - RW

8 Mac Hollowell, D (118^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 19) A true testament to Hollowell’s maturity is how well he handled playing in the AHL playoffs after his OHL season finished. The leading defenseman scorer in the OHL last year, he is more than an undersized offensive defender. He has the ability to play in any situation, with his lack of size at 5-9”, really the only strike against him. He is a great skater. He is aggressive and tenacious in the defensive end, willing to block shots or take a hit to make a play. He quarterbacks the powerplay well and is extremely aggressive in jumping up in the play at 5 on 5. It comes down to how effective Hollowell will be at the pro level, and how well he can defend with his diminutive stature. The Toronto Maple Leafs are very high on him and feel that he can be an NHL defender for them down the road. The best case scenario likely sees him as a Jared Spurgeon type. - BO

9 Yegor Korshkov, RW (31^st overall, 2016. Last Year: 5) A talented but fragile player, Korshkov had to pass through uncountable injuries over the last three seasons that have prevented him from showing his full potential. With a fresh start in Toronto, he may finally get the chance to play a full season as a healthy player and show all his potential. He has an NHL body with smooth skating ability and soft hands. However, he may lack the consistency and the conditioning necessary to play at a high level. Considering his age, this is nothing that can’t be resolved with some good coaching – something that he will certainly receive within the Maple Leafs system. In the KHL, Korshkov showed glimpses of elite playing, but he needs to be more consistent. - ASR

10 Eemeli Rasanen, D (59^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 8) Räsänen's past season was hampered by an injury, limiting him to only 23 games. After spending the end of the season with the Marlies, he now returns to Jokerit in an attempt to have a bigger role in the KHL. He is a massive right-shot defenseman with strong physical tools and decent puck moving abilities. He can find his teammates with simple and accurate passes. He has a hard shot. The main issue continues to be his skating. His stride is fairly powerful but he lacks in mobility and backwards skating ability. He also has work to do on his play reading and positioning without the puck, particularly in his own end. Räsänen is a long-term project whose overall game and especially skating require quite a bit of refinement. - MB

11 Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C (76^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 16) If there is one prospect who has frustrated Toronto Maple Leaf fans, it is Der-Arguchintsev, affectionately called SDA. He opened eyes at last year’s training camp, earning a long look and a contract thanks to his creativity as a playmaker. Unfortunately, his OHL season was a major disappointment as other areas of his game failed to progress. While his hands are terrific, he remains a perimeter player who lacks the strength to fight through checks or create chances consistently below the hash marks. His shot also remains very weak, which affects his effectiveness as a playmaker. It is too early to give up on SDA as a potential top six forward down the line, especially given his physical immaturity, but the coming OHL season will be a big one for his development as definitive NHL prospect. - BO

12 Mikko Kokkonen, D (84^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Kokkonen is a stable, physically mature two-way defenseman. He can start the attack with accurate long-range passes which is an asset for his team's transition game. He has a solid shot and is adept at getting his shots through bodies and on to the net. He most often prefers to make the safe play instead of taking risks. On the downside, he lacks explosiveness and has less than stellar lateral agility. He can also struggle on the breakout due to not processing the game quickly enough. Kokkonen has proved himself against high end competition for several years. He had a respectable season in the Liiga as a 17-year-old and will look to build on that in the upcoming season. That said, he does not truly excel in any areas of the game which may ultimately limit his NHL potential. - MB

13 Michael Koster, D (146^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) For both of the last two seasons, Koster has split his time between his hometown Chaska High – captaining the squad both years – and with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. While he was an offensive force from the blueline back home, with the Storm he played a more conservative, defense-first game. That being the case, he was still able to demonstrate his high end speed and flash puck skills occasionally, pushing opponents back on their heels as he rushed the offensive zone. His draft stock was helped by his USHL work, as he proved that he could hold his own and even succeed against the more uniformly bigger and more talented level of opponent he faced in that league. Koster is expected to spend all of next season in the USHL before joining the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2020-21. He is a long-term project, but has top four upside. - RW

14 Dmytro Timashov, LW (125^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 10) Timashov is a fun player whose feet never stop moving. He can play a physical game and is dynamic enough to play well on both powerplay and penalty kill. He is much weaker in the defensive zone than the offensive zone and will need to work on his defensive positioning, especially when on penalty kill as his movement seems unsure and his timing is sometimes off. Notwithstanding, he is a smart player and has enough natural skill to be considered for a bottom six roll in the future. His development in the AHL with the Marlies has been good and his last year had over 40 points, which could cause him to be a front-runner for a call-up to the NHL if he can repeat that production. Playing another year as a top forward will give him the responsibility and confidence to be able to try skating at the NHL level. - SC

15 Teemu Kivihalme, D (140^th overall, 2013 [Nashville]. Last Year: Not ranked [Not Affiliated]) The former Predators’ draft pick joined the Toronto organization after two impressive seasons with Karpat in the Liiga. Kivihalme is a high-end skater with terrific two-way mobility He gets around the ice effortlessly and has very good speed. He can carry the puck up the ice and controls the puck well at high speeds, yet he is more effective when delivering the puck quickly to the forwards. In order to become an everyday NHL defenseman, he needs to gain toughness, strength, and to round out his defensive game. His positioning and decision making in the offensive zone can be somewhat questionable at times, but with small refinements, those shortcomings can be fixed. Kivihalme’s development is trending upwards and he will challenge for a roster spot on the Leafs’ defense sooner than later. - MB

16 Ian Scott, G (110^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) Scott is a polarizing goalie as he has all the physical traits, and has met all of the statistical targets that you look for in a prospect goalie. Height (6-3”), GAA (1.93) and SV% (.932) are all fantastic and yet often he leaves you wanting just a bit more. He uses his body well and is effective at getting in front of the first shot however he can be challenged when forced to move cross ice. He makes some excellent saves off the rush and has impressive agility that enables him to make saves he shouldn’t get to. On the other hand, he does seem to let in a few that he probably shouldn’t. If he can avoid the soft goals he could project as a NHL backup after some experience in the minors. - VG

17 Pontus Holmberg, LW/C (156^th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) Holmberg is a good late round pick as he has bloomed late and a nice set of skills. He has a lot of good traits in his game that could translate well to the NHL, like the way he can cover the puck in the corners and create scoring chances from there. He has strong balance which will get stronger with more overall strength. His production hasn’t taken off yet but should with more strength and poise. He won a roster spot in the SHL last year and had an okay rookie season in a small role. He should be able to earn a bigger role this season and his game should rise accordingly. Holmberg isn’t a sure thing to make the NHL but if he can continue to take steps forward in his development, he could become a creative middle six forward. - JH

18 Jordan Schmaltz, D (25^th overall, 2012 [St. Louis]. Last Year: 15 [St. Louis]) The Leafs acquired a reclamation project in Schmaltz in an offseason trade that sent Andreas Borgman to St. Louis, and only time will tell if they win the trade. A first-round pick in 2012, the lanky right-hander has had a rocky developmental path, but can still make a future splash in the NHL as a solid skating, mature two-way defender. An intelligent playmaker, his anticipation on offense is matched only by his smarts on defense, which helps him shut down opposing forwards with tight blueline gaps. Though he is not much of a shooter, his vision and sense in transition allow him to hit friendly open sticks with relative ease. He possesses some intriguing skill, but he simply ran out of time with the Blues; with time, he could be more with Toronto, such as a decent depth blueliner at the NHL level. - TD

19 Adam Brooks, C (92^nd overall, 2016. Last Year: 17) Brooks stood out in his major junior years with the Regina Pats in the WHL and has so far had the same growth pattern at the professional level with the Marlies. His rookie year was a decent start and last season saw him double his points total to 40. He is a quick and smooth skater who likes to carry the puck and is confident in his zone entries. He can struggle to hold onto the puck the same way he did in major junior and his play in the neutral zone led to many turnovers this past season. Brooks has a good set of hands but he has less space now and he will have to be more aware while carrying the puck. He will also need to work on moving the puck quicker and being less selfish. He is natural playmaker with the potential to be a second line center if he really pushes himself, but has been building his game to also fit in a bottom six role. - SC

20 Pierre Engvall, LW (188^th overall, 2014. Last Year: 14) Engvall is a surprisingly good prospect to be occupying the last spot on this list, however he does not yet play a mature enough game to meet the NHL criteria. He is a strong skater and reads the play well, is a good team player, and can play every forward position well. He does not have a particularly quick or powerful shot but it is at least accurate. He will need to up his intensity and work on gaining momentum in the physical side game before getting to the next level, taking better advantage of his plus size. With a more high pressure attitude, he could end up being listed as valuable special teams contributor and an everyday bottom six forward in the future. Engvall will have to make sure that he starts the season working hard and carries that work ethic through the whole season. - SC

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

Kevin Olexson — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:12:54 +0000

After another exciting season in the Dub it took one final game to finalize this year’s playoffs. The Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers finish the season tied forcing a one-game playoff, the seventh in WHL history, to move on and play the Victoria Royals.

The Blazers made up a seven-point deficit in the last week and a half of the season, going 5-0-1 to tie Kelowna and earn a home tie-breaker game. They came in riding some momentum and sported a 6-3-1 record against the visiting Rockets this season. The Blazers were led by 16-year-old rookie goaltender Dylan Garand, who put aside 27 out of 28 shots, and forwards Connor Zary, Zane Franklin, Brody Stuart, and Captain Jermaine Loewen to earn their biggest win of the season. Next year’s Memorial Cup hosts have some work to do, as this is only the second time in the Rockets tenure that they have missed the playoffs.

The Prince Albert Raiders were far and away the top team in the Dub this year finishing with a 54-10-2-2 record for a league leading 112 points. The Vancouver Giants finished with the second-best record after going on a real tear in the last quarter of the season, as they surpassed the Everett Silvertips for the best record out of the BC and US divisions erasing a 16-point deficit. The Edmonton Oil Kings finished the season as the hottest team down the stretch winning their last 10 games to edge out the Lethbridge Hurricanes by two points for the division title.

As the quest to represent the WHL in this year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup begins, the Eastern Conference matchups look like this:

Eastern Conference

Brett Leason. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL.

The top seeded Prince Albert Raiders open their playoff series against the Red Deer Rebels boasting the best overall record, and head in to the postseason with a 7-2-1 record, where the Rebels stumbled in with a 4-5-1 record down the stretch finishing with 33 wins and 72 points. These teams played four times this season, with the Raiders taking three of the four games, losing only their first meeting of the season in Red Deer. All four games were decided by one goal, including a 2-1 shootout win by the Raiders in their most recent game played in Prince Albert.

The Raiders led the league in goals scored and finished the season with the second-best goals against. They are loaded up front with Brett Leason (36-53-89), San Jose prospect Noah Gregor (43-45-88), Montreal prospect Cole Fonstad (29-44-73), Ottawa prospect Kelly Parker (35-32-67), and Dante Hounen (29-38-67) who was acquired from the Victoria Royals and put up 31 points in 28 games with the Raiders.

The Rebels are led by Buffalo pick Brandon Hagel (41-61-102), Reece Johnson (27-26-53), and a couple of acquisitions in Cameron Hausinger (21-33-54) who put 37 points in 40 games, and Dallas pick Brett Davis (20-30-50) who produced 31 points in 41 games. On the back end, the Raiders are more than solid with Brayden Pachal (15-36-51) with 51 sporting an amazing +76, his partner Zach Hayes (3-24-27) with an equally impressive +71, Sergei Sapego (10-33-43) with a +42, and Max Martin (6-35-41) showing a +45. They have Washington Capitals 2018 first round selection Alexei Alexeyev with 43 points in 49 games, who is dealing with something but should be available, and Dawson Barteaux (7-27-34) to work their blue line.

In goal, Ian Scott has had a stellar season for the Raiders, going 38-8-1-2 with a 1.83 GAA, and a save percentage of 0.932 posting eight shutouts. The Rebels are back stopped by Ethan Anders 28-22-4-1 with a 3.09 GAA and a save percentage of 0.907 and two shutouts.

The Raiders seem to have the edge in most of the categories, but every game has been extremely close, and Red Deer was a top team last year, and anything can happen in the playoffs.

Pick - Raiders in 5

Kirby Dach

The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are set to meet as the second and third seeds in the East. The Blades have dominated the Warriors this year going 5-1 against them, including a 5-3 win near the end of the season. These are two good teams meeting, with lots of talent and players to watch.

At forward the Blades are led by top prospect Kirby Dach (25-48-73) who is slated to be a top five pick in this year’s draft, Max Gerlach (42-32-74), Washington prospect Eric Florchuk (21-29-50), and acquisitions Ryan Hughes (30-39-69) who had 29 points in 25 games, and Gary Haden (31-35-66) who scored 62 points in 55 games. The Warriors are led by line mates Tristan Langan (53-60-113) who topped 50 goals and sports a +43, and Justin Almeida (33-78-111), finishing second and third respectively in league scoring. Rookie Brayden Tracey scored 36 goals and put up 81 points in his first season with the Warriors.

On defense, both clubs have some nice features, as the Blades boast Dawson Davidson (13-62-75) and Nolan Kneen (6-39-45) with 25 points in 33 games since being acquired. One of the Warriors strengths is in their D-line, with Montreal prospect Josh Brook who scored 75 points in only 59 games, and Vancouver Canucks draftee Jet Woo (12-54-66).

In goal, Nolan Maier (36-10-6) backstops the Blades with a 2.64 GAA, a 0.910 save percentage, and four shutouts. The Warriors have used more of a committee approach as goalies Adam Evanoff (19-10-2-1) with a 2.62 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage, and Brodan Salmond (21-10-4-1) with a 2.73 GAA and 0.906 save percentage have shared the crease duties all season.

This should be a very good series to watch, and these teams are similar and should put forth an entertaining series. The Blades have dominated the regular season series, and have been the better club, and are headed in to the playoffs on an 8-2 run, but the Warriors enter on a three-game winning streak and will give them trouble, and make them earn it.

Pick - Blades in 6

Matthew Roberston, Edmonton Oil Kings

The central division winning Edmonton Oil Kings will host the Medicine Hat Tigers in the next matchup, and really seem to have the edge after going 5-0-1 against the Tigers this year, although all the games were relatively close except for one game which was a 5-0 final.

The Oil Kings Trey Fix-Wolansky (37-65-102), a Columbus Blue Jackets pick has led the charge all season and is definitely a player to watch. He is supported by Vince Loschiavo (37-25-62), Quinn Benjafield (15-39-54), and then 2019 draft prospects in Josh Williams, Vladimir Alistrov, and Jake Neighbours who will carry the load. The Tigers will rely on James Hamblin (33-44-77), Ryan Jevne (32-36-68), former Edmonton player Brett Kemp (33-27-60) who scored 21 points in 24 games for MH, and Ryan Chyzowski (27-28-55) to provide the scoring.

The Oil Kings defence is led by Conner McDonald (19-31-50), and Matthew Robertson (7-26-33) who is eligible for this year’s draft. The Tigers defence is led by Florida Panthers pick Linus Nassen (7-39-46) who will log a lot of minutes in this one. In goal, the Oil Kings have Dylan Miskew (28-11-2-3) between the pipes, who finished the season strong with his 2.53 GAA and 0.914 save percentage. He will battle the Tigers rookie Mads Sogard (19-8-2-2) with a 2.64 GAA and a 0.921 save percentage.

Even with the Oil Kings dominance throughout the regular season against the Tigers, it has been a close series and pretty equally matched. The Oil Kings ride an 11-game winning streak into the playoffs and look they have gotten hot at the right time. I like the forward depth for the Tigers and the defensive edge for the Oil Kings, and with two strong goaltenders this should be a close series. I feel it has upset potential, and despite the regular season series results, I think that Sogard can make a big difference and possibly steal this one.

Pick - Tigers in 7

Dylan Cozens

The last of the Eastern series is a central division matchup, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes playing the Calgary Hitmen. Once again, the Hurricanes dominated the season series by a 5-1 mark and scored handily as they averaged six goals a game in the series. Lethbridge has an abundance of offence, with five players who scored over 80 points, and will be a handful for the Hitmen.

The Hurricanes acquired forward Nick Henry (29-65-94) from Regina earlier this season, and the Colorado Avalanche prospect rolled on to lead the club in scoring as he put up 54 points in 44 games. Alongside of Henry, the Hurricanes also acquired Jake Leschyshyn of the Golden Knights (40-41-81) from the Pats, and he stepped in nicely as he had 49 points in 44 games. Top prospect Dylan Cozens (34-50-84), who is expected to go very early in this year’s draft, and Hurricanes Captain and Pittsburgh Penguins property Jordy Bellerive (33-50-83) filled the net regularly against the Hitmen, as Cozens had nine points in six games, and Bellerive had 13 in six. Joining them is Jake Elmer (39-42-81), who also had a very nice season and was able to knock 10 points in 6 games against the Hitmen.

As for Calgary, they have some offence as well, with line mates Mark Kastelic (47-30-77) and James Malm (34-43-77) leading the way. Malm, acquired from the Vancouver Giants put up a point a game against Lethbridge, while Kastelic scored nine points. They will be joined by Carson Focht (26-38-64), Kaden Elder (27-33-60) who was picked up from last year’s WHL champion Swift Current Broncos, Riley Stotts (19-38-57) , and Jake Kryski (19-27-46) to try keep pace with the Hurricanes.

On defense, the Hurricanes are led by Cale Addison (11-54-65), the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect will play a major role in this series and should have a good showing. He will be joined by hulking Ukranian defender Igor Merezheko (4-31-35) who will be responsible to shut down the Hitmen forwards. For Calgary, Russian defenseman Yegor Zamula (10-46-56), who was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers, and Belarussian Vladislav Yereomenko (7-26-33) will work with Dakota Krebs (4-21-25), as they have their work cut out to try and keep the Hurricanes forwards at bay, and hopefully keep the scoring to a minimum.

This will be an even more interesting series in the net, as both teams have rookie goaltenders that will duel against one another. Both goalies have been rather impressive thus far. Carl Tetachuk of Lethbridge put up a record of 24-9-1-1, with a GAA of 2.88 and a save percentage of 0.909 and two shutouts. His counterpart in Calgary, Jack McNaughton, went 25-14-3, with a GAA of 3.25 and a save percentage of 0.888, while posting two shutouts.

The Hurricanes finished the season going 9-1 down the stretch, while Calgary comes in with a 6-4 record to finish. The strong offence and forward depth of the Hurricanes should propel them to win the series, but the real story will be which 17-year-old goaltender will outplay the other, and even though McNaughton has played well down the stretch, his numbers against Lethbridge have not been good, going 1-2 against them, with a GAA of 5.16 and a save percentage of 0.838.

If the Hitmen can keep it close, and their special teams play, which was much better than the Hurricanes this year, seem to click, then they could make a good series out of this. The Hurricanes do have the experience after losing the Eastern Conference Championship two years in a row and should be extra motivated to get going for another chance.

Pick - Hurricanes in 6

LINK TO WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW HERE

2019 IIHF World Junior Championship Review: Canada

Kevin Olexson — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 18:43:57 +0000

O Canada…….after winning Gold last year, and hosting the World Juniors in Vancouver and Victoria this year, the Canadians were considered favorites coming in to the 2019 World Junior Championships.

The Canadian team was built with an abundance of talent and skill with all but two players on the team drafted and property of NHL teams. The injury bug hit early with Alex Formenton (Knee), Gabriel Vilardi (back), both out for the tournament before Canada had even completed their selection camps. Jared Anderson Dolan played, but was hampered with a wrist injury, and Maxime Comtois, the only returnee from last year’s team, playing hard and leading this team with a separated shoulder. They were hoping to add forward Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues, who was part of last year’s gold medal team as well, and would be considered Canada’s best player and expected leader going in to the tournament, but the Blues would not release him from their NHL roster. Tim Hunter (Moose Jaw) took over behind the bench after serving as an assistant coach last year and was joined by Marc Andre Dumont (Cape Breton), Jim Hulton (Charlottetown), and Brett Kisio (Lethbridge). Hunter wanted a fast team that would be aggressive and play an exciting up-tempo style of hockey.

Team Canada opened round robin play with a bang, and a record setting 14-0 romp of Denmark, The offensive onslaught seemed to have almost everyone involved, as Alexis Lafreniere and Noah Dobson were the only players who failed to get on the scoresheet. Led by four goals from captain Maxime Comtois, a three-goal five-point performance from Morgan Frost, four-point games by Cody Glass and Brett Leason, three assists each from Evan Bouchard, Owen Tippett, Jack Studnicka, Barrett Hayton, Ian Mitchell, and Markus Phillips all contributing with multiple points, and then nine other players notching the scoresheet with single points including goaltender Michael DiPietro. DiPietro posted the shutout, stopping all 14 shots that he faced with ease from the Danes, as none of them were all that difficult or dangerous. Things could not have started any better for the host team as they seemed dominant and poised to defend their gold medal.

Their second game of the tournament put the Canadians up against the Swiss, who were a much improved and gritty bunch coming into this year’s tournament. Canada managed to hang on to a 3-2 victory over Switzerland, which was a much different game from their first one. Canada’s Cody Glass opened the scoring 36 seconds into the game as he ripped one by Swiss goaltender Akira Schmid on a slick pass from Nick Suzuki. The Swiss tied it up on the power play when Philipp Kurashev slid into the slot and beat Canadian goalie Ian Scott with a big one timer on a nice pass from the Swiss Captain Nicolas Muller. Almost five minutes later Canada reclaimed the lead when MacKenzie Entwistle beat Schmid from point blank range on a feed from Shane Bowers.

Canada would stretch the lead to two goals when Noah Dobson broke down the right side and fought off Swiss defender Janis Moser cutting to the net and tucking the puck past Schmid. The Canadians failed to put the game away in the third when they were unable to capitalize on three consecutive power plays. Consequently, Switzerland fought back with Kurashev’s second goal of the game when Nick Suzuki was sent off for tripping, and an extra attacker out for the Swiss with the net empty. With both teams trading minor penalties late in the game, the Canadians were able to withstand the Swiss barrage at the end of the game to hold on for the 3-2 victory.

Canada kept their record intact as they beat the Czech Republic 5-1 and have had their way with the Czechs winning 10 of the last 11. Maxime Comtois opened the scoring when he took a blindside pass from Owen Tippett as he was rounding the net and banked the puck in off the back of Czech forward Martin Kaut. Ondre Machala tied the game up after beating goaltender Michael Dipietro on a 2-on-1 taking a great pass from Jan Jenik. With the score tied at one, Czech forward Martin Kaut took a boarding penalty when he pushed Canadian defenceman Evan Bouchard into the boards from behind sending Canada to the powerplay. Brett Leason tipped the point shot by Ty Smith by Czech goaltender Jiri Patera to help Canada regain the lead. 17-year-old Alexis Lafreniere scored as he took a short pass from Jack Studnicka and rifled a hard one timer past Patera. Joe Veleno made a nice pass back to MacKenzie Entwistle, who was the trailer on a 3 on 2, and snapped a quick shot short side to go up 4-1. To cap things off in the 3rd, Czech Captain Martin Necas took a checking from behind penalty as he pasted Canadian defensemen Bouchard into the boards. Canada made quick work of that on the power play as Morgan Frost buried his 4th goal of the tournament on a sweet cross ice pass from Nick Suzuki to make things 5-1. Canada never looked back as they played a strong game, and Dipietro closed the door stopping 23 of the 24 shots that he faced for the win.

Team Canada closed out round robin play on New Year’s Eve with a battle for top spot against Team Russia, who has been dominant in their outings up until that point. This was Canada’s toughest test so far in the tournament, as they walked through Denmark and the Czechs. Canada played short a defenseman as Jared McIsaac sat out with a one-game suspension for a hit to the head during the Czech game. Canada opened the scoring early as Cody Glass poke- checked the puck loose in front of the Russian net where Owen Tippett was able to slide it back quickly to Glass who beat Russian Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov.. Russia tied the game up on the power play with Morgan Frost off for a checking from behind penalty, as Grigori Denisenko took a beautiful cross ice pass from Vitali Kravtsov on his off wing and lifted it up top corner past Dipietro to tie the game.

After a fairly even first period, the Canadian squad came out and dominated the Russians in the second period, playing their best period of the tournament, outshooting Russia 13-4, but Kochetkov played great and really kept the Russians in with many magnificent saves. Russia managed to get back to their game in the third, and a great effort by Pavel Shen who he took a pass in his own end from Alexander Romanov and took it all the way up the right side of the ice powering his way by the Canadian defense, cutting his way to the net and tucking it past Dipietro to give the Russians the lead. DiPietro played well to keep Canada in this game, including stopping two breakaways late in the game to give them a chance. Canada pressed to the end, but Kochetkov shut the door on the Canadians helping his squad earn top spot in the pool.

With Canada losing to Russia, it set them second in the pool earning them a quarterfinal date with Finland, who had finished 3rd in their pool, instead of playing Slovakia, as a victory against Russia would have secured. It was a very tight close game. Finland came out with a strong performance from the start and looked really good against the Canadians. After a scoreless first period, Canada struck first as Barrett Hayton carried the puck in and lost it making a move through the slot. The puck found its way to a pinching Ian Mitchell who slid in and beat Finnish goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen high top shelf to put the host nation on top. This game seemed to be a battle of goalies, as both goaltenders played extremely well. Luukkonen was stellar in this game (and the tournament as a whole) and was the largest factor in the Finnish win.

DiPietro also played exceptionally well for Canada, and bailed them out time and time again, as they seemed to have set into defense mode and tried to preserve the one goal lead as Finland keep on coming on strong. Things went well until the last minute of the third period, when with 46 seconds left and the Finnish goal empty, Eeli Tolvanen carried the puck in and around the Canadian net when he banked the puck off the net, and then threw it in front when it came back to him, and he bankied it off Aleksi Heponiemi’s leg, after which it redirected up DiPietro’s stick and over his shoulder to tie the game. Both teams had opportunities in overtime, but Canada seemed to have had the better opportunities, none better than when defensemen Evan Bouchard poke checked Finnish Captain Tolvanen at the Canadian blue line, breaking away on his own on Luukkonen before Tolvanen slashed Bouchard’s stick out of his hands causing the referee to put up his hands indicating a penalty shot. Hunter chose Captain Maxime Comtois to take the shot. Comtois broke in, Luukkonen flashed the five hole and Comtois tried to slide the puck through but the Finnish net minder closed his legs quickly, making a great save and stoning the captain. Canada continued to press in overtime when Cody Glass broke down the right side and threaded a perfect cross ice pass to a streaking Noah Dobson who leaned in for a one timer on an empty net, only to have his stick shatter, allowing Aleksi Heponiemi to move up ice quickly to Aarne Talvitie who broke in and dropped a pass to Toni Utunen who followed up the play and let a shot go that deflected off of the stick of Cody Glass beating DiPietro to end Canada’s medal hopes.

After the overtime goal was scored by Finland, it was like the life was sucked out of Rogers arena, as the crowd and host nation were in shock. To call this disappointing would probably be an understatement, and surely the Hockey Canada brass was not pleased with the results. You can rest assured that they are already working on changing things for next year’s tournament. Maybe it was the unlucky 13, as It was the 13th time that Canada has hosted the event, and first time that they have failed to come away with a medal. It was also the second time in 21 years that they have failed to get a medal. With a team that was loaded with speed, talent and skill, there is no reason why this team could not have earned a medal on home ice. It just goes to show, no matter how good or stacked that a team may be, the games are still won on the ice, and anything can happen.

This team looked so good to start, as they destroyed Denmark, squeaked by the Swiss, and then handily defeated the Czechs. When the competition got better, things got much more difficult for them. They did manage to open the scoring in each and every game, and they just got caught playing on their heels as Russia and Finland were resilient, and they couldn't switch gears. After scoring 14 goals in their first game, and a total of 22 goals in the first three, they managed only two goals in their final two games. Maxime Comtois led the team in goals with five, and Morgan Frost led the team in points with eight. The top line of Cody Glass, Owen Tippett and Comtois dominated early. Some of the stats are a bit inflated from the Denmark game, and they seemed to fizzle at the end. Mind you they did play two of the best teams in Russia and Finland, and two goaltenders who played great in Kochetkov with a save percentage of 95.3% and goals against of 1.45, and Luukkonen with a save percentage of 93.2% and goals against of 1.80. Michael DiPietro also played great in net for Canada as he put up a save percentage of 95.2% and a goals against of 1.23. His team just didn't score enough goals for to help him out.

Special teams are another category that was not one of their strengths, and in this short tournament, if your special teams can’t capitalize, you won’t go very far. Canada’s power play was the second worst in the tournament, second only to Denmark, as they went 3 for 18 for a 16% success rate. Coach Tim Hunter was reluctant to change things up, and stuck with his unit, even though it couldn't deliver. The penalty kill, was also ranked in the lower tier of the tournament, as it performed at an 80% clip, slightly ahead of Sweden, Slovakia and Denmark. It is a good thing that they were the second least penalized team, with Morgan Frost leading the team with 12 minutes. They struggled on faceoffs and puck possession, as Cody Glass led the team in faceoffs winning 66% of them. The next best were Comtois at 56%, and Jaret Anderson-Dolan at 54%. There are some really good puck possession teams here, and since they lost most of the draws, they were chasing the puck, or allowing teams to come in on them.

Speed was another inconsistent trait of the team. Hunter wanted a fast team, and this team has lots of speed, they just seemed to get stuck on cruise control, showing glimpses here and there, but just not consistently as they were not getting to pucks first or controlling the flow. I am not sure if it was just the style of play that this team wanted, but they never really looked comfortable or confident out there in the latter part of the tournament. Perhaps it was the pressure of an inexperienced group playing in front of home crowd, or maybe they thought it would be easy after the 14-0 thumping in the Denmark game to start the tournament, or maybe they were just the recipients of some bad bounces that didn't go their way. Either way, this was a very disappointing result for Canada.

Some positive take-aways from this year’s tournament: Brett Leason played well in his first world junior with three goals and five points. He showed off his good speed, his ability to go to the net and create scoring chances, as well as his nice set of hands. As one of only two undrafted players on this team, with 29 goals and 68 points in 35 WHL games, he will surely find a taker at this year’s draft, possibly very early. The other being 17-year-old phenom Alexis Lafreniere, who got to see action in his first tournament, playing against such high end competition, and he even scored a goal. Although he played a minor role this year, the projected first overall pick in the 2020 draft will certainly be back next year, and possibly the year after, so this team will very much be his, and it will be his turn to shine. He has good speed, size and strength, and his offensive skills are top notch. Scoring 19 goals and 60 points in 36 games for Rimouski, this was a great learning curve and experience for him. With the rest of the players on this team already drafted, most will move on next year.

Canada’s defense and goaltending played fairly well throughout the tournament. Evan Bouchard has a strong showing, with the Oilers prospect displaying a good transition game, and was very big part of Team Canada. His strength, speed and mobility almost single handedly sent Canada to the semi-finals as he drew the penalty shot in overtime against Finland. Smooth skating defender Ty Smith played a strong transition game and really helped move the puck up ice. Both Ian Mitchell, and Markus Phillips played very well for Canada, and never looked out of place. Mitchell is smaller defender, a smart player who skates well with good offensive instincts and an impressive shot. Phillips is also a good skater who likes to join the rush and get involved with the play. As mentioned above, DiPietro was the best player for Canada, and also posted the best tournament stats for goaltenders. Playing in his future team’s home rink, helped lay a foundation for the youngster as the crowd adored him.

Canadian hockey fans will dissect this in and out, what could have been, what should have been, what went wrong here or there. But one thing is for sure, Hockey Canada will work hard to bring another strong team to next year’s IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships in Ostrava and Trinec of the Czech Republic, as they make another run for gold.

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

Kevin Olexson — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:22:04 +0000

Another exciting season is underway in the WHL, and 2018-19 should be a good one. The 2017-18 season ended with the WHL’s Regina Pats hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup, in which they were defeated 3-0 by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the final. This season, the Kelowna Rockets have been awarded the 2020 Memorial Cup, and as the host team, trying to retool and rebuild in transition, they have a bit of work to do before then.

The WHL had some great players move on, including prolific scorers, dynamic defenders, and some top goaltenders. Now the next draft class of players is developing into prominent roles with their respective clubs, and will see more of the spotlight and new opportunities as we head towards the 2019 draft in Vancouver.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks.

The WHL was dominated primarily by the US and Eastern Division, but there will be a change in the power and balance with all of the player turnover. The US division has established itself as the strongest division over the past few years and there is no reason to think that this season will be any different. It is likely that this division will boast five playoff teams as well. Along with the three seeded division teams, two other teams will battle for the conference wild card spots. The Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs should battle for the top spot in the division. The Hawks look poised to take the division, under the leadership of the Vegas Golden Knights first franchise pick Cody Glass, who will challenge for the WHL scoring title this season and be one of the best players to take the ice in the league. The Hawks lost two top defenders in Dennis Cholowski (Detroit) and Henri Jokiharju (Chicago), as well as forwards Skyler McKenzie (Winnipeg) and Kiefer Bellows (NYI). They have a solid supporting cast, and overage forward Joakim Blichfeld (SJ) and defender Brendan DeJong (Car) will flourish this season. They also boast two top draft prospects in defenders --Clay Hanus and John Ludvig who should produce on the back end.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan, photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

The Chiefs are set to push for the division title with plenty of offense even after losing Edmonton prospect and team leader Kailer Yamamoto, and graduate Hudson Elynuik (Toronto Marlies). They will be led by LA Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan (who will surely be one to watch after he returns from the NHL), Sharks prospect Jake McGrew, a nice complement of 19-year-old players, and New Jersey Devils first round selection Ty Smith who will step up his game. This season the Chiefs will also show off prospect Luke Toporowski, who will contribute with a larger role for the club.

The Seattle Thunderbirds, Tri-City Americans, and Everett Silvertips will follow up jockeying for position. The T-Birds are building and are looking to improve after a big changeover in players. The load will be shouldered by Nolan Volcan and Zach Andrusiak, who will play as 20-year- olds this season and lead the team offensively. Jared Tyszka (Montreal) will lead the blue line, and help draft eligible prospect Jake Lee. Secondary scoring will come from Noah Philp, Matthew Wedman and eligible prospect Dillon Hamaliuk. Tri-City will be anxious to get back prospects Michael Rasmussen (Detroit), and defensemen Juuso Valimaki (Calgary), but it may take some time, if they return at all. Aside from that they will have a solid set of forwards led by Kyle Olson (Anaheim), Nolan Yaremko, and top draft eligible prospect Sasha Mutala. The defence is young and could be shaky, meaning that the offence and goaltending will both have to be better. The Everett Silvertips have had the biggest turnover, losing scoring leaders Patrick Bajkov (Florida) and Matt Fonteyne, as well as elite goaltender Carter Hart (Philadelphia). They will get back forwards Riley Sutter (Washington) and Connor Dewar (Minnesota) to lead the attack. Goaltender Dustin Wolf is a top prospect and played admirably behind Hart last season. He will have his chance to be in the spotlight and shine this year. Wyatte Wylie (Philadelphia) will lead the blueliners the depth of which is a strength of this team.

Milos Roman. Photo by Chris Relke/Vancouver Giants

The B.C. division took a step back, as the powerhouse teams have slipped. Now the Vancouver Giants seemed poised to sit atop the division along with the Victoria Royals. The Giants lost forwards Tyler Benson (Edmonton) and Ty Ronning (NYR), but have a great follow up with James Malm, Brayden Watts, and prospect Milos Roman (Calgary) to lead their offence. The Giants also have a great stable of defensemen, including Alex Kannok-Leipert (Washington), Dylan Plouffe, and a definite 2019 first round selection in Bowen Byram. The goaltending is also sound with the tandem of Arizona Coyotes pick David Tendeck and highly touted prospect Trent Miner who has put up great numbers with his play between the pipes.

The Victoria Royals will also challenge for the division title, as they have a good nucleus of players, solid goaltending, and great coaching. They lost a lot of firepower in Tyler Soy (San Diego Gulls) and Matthew Phillips (Calgary), but will be led by Dante Hannoun, Dino Kambeitz, and Kaid Oliver. The back end is good with Scott Walford (Montreal), Lane Zablocki (Detroit), and Ralph Jarrett. The Royals will be backstopped by one of the top goaltenders in the league in Griffin Outhouse who will help them with their push for another division title.

Kyle Topping of the Kelowna Rockets. Photo by Marissa Baecker/Kelowna Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers, and Prince George Cougars round out the division, as they will jockey for the third spot and possibly a wild card. The Rockets, after winning the bid to host the 2020 Memorial Cup will have to step things up, as this season looks a bit rough for them. They lost a good portion of their team, and top players Cal Foote (TBL), Dillon Dube (Calgary), Kole Lind (Vancouver), Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia), have graduated and the team is in transition. They do however show five top rated prospects this season including Kyle Topping, who surprisingly went unselected in last year’s draft and will lead the team offensively this season. Top prospect and projected first rounder Nolan Foote will bear a larger role and be relied on to provide some much needed offence along with Leif Mattson. The Rockets are known for turning out defensemen, and they have top rated prospects in Kaden Korczak and Lassi Thomson in the works. In goal they have Roman Basran, another top prospect who pitched a shutout in his first ever WHL game, and will share backstop duties with James Porter.

The Kamloops Blazers are looking to take a step up after going through many changes last season. The Blazers seem like they are in rebuild mode, but they will be led by Jermaine Loewen returning from the Dallas Stars. The Blazers have some young players on their roster, and the back end will be anchored by Nolan Kneen, who should be in store for a big year. The Blazers could very well surprise a lot of teams, especially if returning goaltender Dylan Ferguson (Vegas) can put up solid numbers as he should be busy. The Cougars are also in the midst of a rebuild, as they unloaded many of their assets to finish at the bottom of the division. They have a young team without any returning NHL draftees on it, but will be led by defenders Joel Lakusta, Ryan Schoettler, Rhett Rhinehart, and forwards Ethan Browne and import Vladislav Mikhalchuk. They have a top rated goalie prospect in Taylor Gauthier between the pipes, and he looks to face a lot of shots behind a weak defence.

The battle of the Central Division should come down to the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers, followed by the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings, leaving the Kootenay Ice and Calgary Hitmen battling for the wildcard positions.

Calen Addison. Photo by Robert Murray.

The Hurricanes seemed primed and ready, as they welcome back their leaders from other camps and tryouts. The offence will certainly be dynamic with Jordy Bellerive (Pittsburgh) returning, and prospect Dylan Cozens - who will definitely be an early first round pick in next year’s draft - leading the charge as they both push for the WHL scoring title as well. The secondary scoring will be in the hands of eligible prospect Logan Barlage, Taylor Ross, and Kelti Jeri-Leon. On the back end, Calen Addison (Pittsburgh) returns to beef up this blue line and contribute from the point. The goaltending looks solid with Reece Klassen, who should have a good nucleus of defence in front of him to help him put up good numbers. Medicine Hat should also be able to keep up with Lethbridge on the offensive side of things, as they also have some firepower up front. Ryan Chyzowski and Josh Williams are one of the top tandems in the league, and Williams is a likely first round selection in the upcoming draft. Captain James Hamblin will also provide some scoring punch, as they also show a very balanced group of forwards.

The Tigers lost offensive defensemen David Queneville (NYI), meaning defenders Linus Nassen (Florida) and Dylan Macpherson will have to step into bigger roles to help fill that void. The goaltending will be fine with Jordan Hollett (Ottawa) stopping pucks on the back end, but the defence is young. The Rebels also have some nice players returning, and coach Brett Sutter will be happy with Brandon Hagel and Jeff DeWit coming back to lead the forward group. The Rebels also welcome back Alexander Alexeyev (Washington) and Dawson Barteaux (Dallas) to the group, as they should both have very productive seasons. The Rebels have two players of note for draft hounds with import center Oleg Zaytsev and goaltender Ethan Anders, who should both improve this season with expanded roles.

The Edmonton Oil Kings have also been in a rebuild mode, and are looking to take the next step of their transition. They have a young team who will be led by Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus), along with veterans Quinn Benjafield and Vince Loschiavo to play along side of draft eligible prospects David Kope, Vladimir Alistrov, and Brett Kemp. On defence, a top prospect and projected first round selection Matthew Robertson leads the blue line with fellow draft-eligibles Jacson Alexander and Conner McDonald. The Oil Kings also have some young goaltenders in their net, and could help this team move up the ranks with some solid play.

Riley Stotts. Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen.

Calgary will have forwards Jake Kryski and Riley Stotts (Toronto) back, along with defenseman Vladislav Yeryomenko (Nashville) who will all take larger roles and provide leadership for their maturing team. The Hitmen have a hulking defender on the radar as Jackson Van De Leest is a top draft-eligible prospect. The Kootenay Ice have been developing and rebuilding for a few years now, and they are showing a lot of youth, and a top end talent in Peyton Krebs (yet another definite first round selection). He will be joined by Brett Davis (Dallas) to lead the charge for the young ICE team. They will rely on Jonathan Smart to anchor and lead their group of defensemen as this team looks to improve and make a surge for a playoff spot.

The Eastern Division standings will look different. This division has been hit the hardest as the top teams from last season have had major overhauls, and return depleted rosters. After being defeated in the Memorial Cup Final, the Pats have lost forwards Sam Steel (Anaheim), Cameron Hebig (Edmonton), and Matt Bradley from their impressive lineup of scorers. They will be led this year by Jake Leshyshyn (Vegas), Nick Henry (Colorado), Austin Pratt, and eligible prospect Koby Morrisseau to carry the load. On defence, losing Josh Mahura (Anaheim), Cale Fleury (Montreal), and Libor Hajek (TBL) opens the door for Aaron Hyman to take a leadership role, and allow eligible prospects Nikita Sedov and Jonas Harkins to play larger parts and flourish on an experienced team. In goal, they have Max Paddock, who should get some consideration, as he backstopped the Pats to the Memorial Cup final as a rookie netminder and looked good in the process.

Cole Fonstad

It looks like the Prince Albert Raiders are ready to take a major leap and push for the division crown. The Raiders are loaded up front with players to watch in Cole Fonstad (Montreal), Noah Gregor (SJ), undrafted Brett Leason, and returnee Kody McDonald leading the way. They have an experienced blue line with Sergei Sapego, Max Martin, and Brayden Pachal ready to deliver in larger roles. Goaltender Ian Scott (Toronto) is ready to be one of the top tenders in the DUB this season and lead this team. They will battle with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Saskatoon Blades for the division crown in what should be an exciting division to follow. The Wheat Kings will also boast a stellar offence and solid goaltending. With last seasons leading scorer Ty Lewis (Colorado) eligible to return, which would add even more scoring punch to this already impressive lineup of forwards.

Ty Smith

Stelio Mattheos (Carolina), Connor Gutenberg, Cole Reinhart, and draft eligible Luka Burzan will lead the charge for the Wheat Kings. The defence will be led by Schael Higson and Chase Hartje, with youngsters Braden Schneider and Jonny Lambos getting increased minutes. Las Vegas prospect Jiri Patera will handle duties in net, and looks to be very solid for the Wheaties, which will also help push them to the top of the division. The Saskatoon Blades have also made enormous strides this year, and will take a step up as well. They have some great prospects on the roster that will make their way to the draft this spring. They also have a forward group that can fill the nets with Max Gerlach, Eric Florchuk, and Josh Paterson returning to support Kirby Dach. Dach will be a prolific scorer and early first round pick at the draft. He will be joined by import defensemen and fellow top prospect Emil Malysjev who will settle in to a prominent role by playing with the likes of Dawson Davidson and Jackson Caller. The Blades also feature a top goaltending tandem with top prospect Nolan Maier who will carry the load this season after a stellar rookie season, and Dorrin Luding, who has looked very impressive in his appearances.

Jett Woo

The Moose Jaw Warriors will find themselves in the mix as well with Justin Almeida (Pittsburgh) back in the fold, and leading the way as one of the top players in the Dub. Almeida will take the reigns of the offence after the loss of Jayden Halbgewachs (SJ), Brayden Burke (Arizona), and Brett Howden (NYR). He will be joined by Ryan Peckford, who looked promising last year despite being passed over in the draft. He will look to make amends for that with a good showing this year with an increased role on this club. He will be joined with fellow prospect Brayden Tracey and veteran forward Tristan Langan. The back end will miss top defender Kale Clague (LAK), but will be in good shape with a strong core as Josh Brook (Montreal) and Jett Woo (Vancouver) are back there. In net, the Warriors have Adam Evanoff who was great in a limited role in his rookie season, and will get to display his skills this year in a main role. He will share time with ex-Kelowna Rocket Broden Salmond who will add some experience.

Last but not least, last seasons WHL Champion Swift Current Broncos will be hit the hardest of all teams. They have lost most of their scoring, and are in a definite rebuilding mode. Gone are the likes of Glen Gawdin (Calgary), Aleksi Heponiemi (Florida), Giorgio Estephan (Buffalo), Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn (Washington), and their leader in Tyler Steenbergen (Arizona). The defence was also depleted by losing Colby Sissons (NJ), and surprisingly undrafted Artyom Minulin (who will miss lots of time with offseason surgery). This team will be led by Max Patterson, Alec Zawatsky, and defender Connor Horning. The Broncos are young, and will be in development mode for the next few seasons. Goaltender Joel Hofer (St. Louis) is the only player that has NHL labelling, and will be extremely busy throughout the year and will face a whole lot rubber. He will have to hone his skills and stop a lot of pucks, but is unlikely to steal many games for this team.

2017 NHL Draft Grades: Atlantic Division – Toronto Maple Leafs

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 17:48:08 +0000

Shortly after 1:00pm CST, on Saturday, June 24, 2017, the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins selected William Reilly, a defenseman from RPI as the 217^th player selected, bringing the 2017 Entry Draft to an end. With a few days of hindsight between me and the bowels of the United Center, the urge to spew out hot takes flushed away, it is time to analyze the strategies and selections employed by the league’s 31 teams.

The analysis will focus on the first five rounds, as it is clear to most long-time observers that the final two rounds are often taken up with long-shots, favours to regional scouts, and a myriad of other reasons. I will, of course, call out some astute late picks, but will not judge a team for the names called in the final hour. The apocryphal story of Pekka Rinne, drafted as an eighth round after-thought in 2004 based mostly on his play in game warm-ups. Few other scouts would have seen him at all, and he has had a very good career, which is not yet over. For the most part, though, those picks have little statistical likelihood of having NHL careers and teams should not be judged there.

Each draft class will be graded using the 20-80 scale that we use in our player specific scouting reports throughout the site. In this context, a 50 is essentially an average grade in light of the picks the team had on draft day. A 20 would mean the draft is an unmitigated disaster while an 80 would be the best draft class of all time. As those things can only be truly seen in retrospect, most classes will trend towards 50 at this point, so pay attention to those we see as outliers.

Finally, all grades are incomplete. Actual winners and losers in this draft class will not be known until 2023 at the earliest, after those who will have “made it” will have played out their entry-level contracts. What I am looking at here is whether, knowing what we know now, the drafting team got good value.

RD	#	CS	MCK	PLAYER	P	AGE	HT/WT	TEAM
1	17	6-E	20	Timothy LILJEGREN	D	18	6-0/190	Rogle (Swe)
2	59	32-N	58	Eemeli RASANEN	D	18	6-7/215	Kingston (OHL)
4	110	3-NG	109	Ian SCOTT	G	18	6-3/175	Prince Albert (WHL)
4	124	NR		Vladislav KARA	LW	19	6-2/190	Bars Kazan (Rus 2)
5	141	104-N	hm	Fedor GORDEEV	D	18	6-6/215	Ham-Fnt (OHL)
6	172	107-N	hm	Ryan MCGREGOR	C	18	6-0/160	Sarnia (OHL)
7	203	208-N	hm	Ryan O'CONNELL	D	18	6-1/170	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)

RD	#	PLAYER	P	TEAM	GP (W)	G (L)	A (T)	PTS (GA)	PIM (Sv%)
1	17	Timothy LILJEGREN	D	Rogle (Swe)	19	1	4	5	4
1	17			Rogle (Swe Jr)	12	5	2	7	8
1	17			Timra (Swe 2)	5	0	1	1	4
2	59	Eemeli RASANEN	D	Kingston (OHL)	66	6	33	39	41
4	110	Ian SCOTT	G	Prince Albert (WHL)	12	31	3	3.69	0.895
4	124	Vladislav KARA	LW	Bars Kazan (Rus 2)	34	3	5	8	4
4	124			Irbis (MHL)	31	11	9	20	10
5	141	Fedor GORDEEV	D	Ham-Fnt (OHL)	64	4	10	14	45
6	172	Ryan MCGREGOR	C	Sarnia (OHL)	65	14	13	27	16
7	203	Ryan O'CONNELL	D	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	47	6	27	33	18

Toronto Maple Leafs – Draft Grade: 45

After years of focusing on high end skills, compiling draft picks by the bushelful to beef up the system, the Maple Leafs have taken a more traditional approach this year, focusing their draft on the blueline, which remained underserved by the draft hauls of the past few years.

Timothy Liljegren

Their first two picks represent that yin and yang of defense types, with first rounder Timothy Liljegren a prototype of the modern, fast-faster-fastest style defender. He is a fantastic skater who plays hard in all three zones, but fell on draft boards after starting the year in the small group of players considered as top shelf picks, due to being shuffled between multiple levels of competition and a bout with mono.

Eemeli Rasanen of the Kingston Frontenacs. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Their second rounder, Eemeli Rasanen, a Finnish import playing with Kingston in the OHL, is gigantic and his skating can be called good for his size, if I am being generous. He is a physical force and has a canon from the point. He needs to be more aggressive with closing gaps if his foot speed is not to hamper his development.

After those two, the Leafs went with projects with their other five picks. Goaltender Ian Scott has fans due to his athleticism and experience seeing a lot of shots per game, but loses some of them due to being unable to stop enough of them. Fifth rounder Fedor Gordeev is a Russia-born, Toronto-area raised defencemen of Rasanen-like proportions, although without the history of offensive production.

Best value: Timothy Liljegren, D, Rogle (1/17): The one player in this draft class with the potential to make the 17^th overall slot look like a steal. If he returns to Rogle next season healthy and confident, he has elite two-way potential. Decision making also needs to improve, but that should come with added experience and consistent ice time.

Biggest head-scratcher: Vladislav Kara, C, Bars Kazan (4/124): I considered Scott for this slot, as I prefer goaltenders who stop pucks, but with Scott, at least the greater scouting community was known to be on his tail. Kara, an overager, is more of a black box. He never played in the KHL or in any official international tournament for Russia. He has produced moderately at the Russian junior level, but there was more tested players with upside still available here and no indication that Kara would not have been available with one of the Leafs’ later picks.

McKeen’s 2017 NHL Draft Rankings (Subscribers) – Top 125 – May 31st, 2017

Iain Morrell — Wed, 31 May 2017 14:16:51 +0000

MCKEEN'S 2017 NHL DRAFT GUIDE - Learn more here!

Nico Hischier will make National Hockey League history as the first name called in Chicago at the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

The New Jersey Devils hold the first overall selection having won the draft lottery, and will be looking at three prospects in particular who have risen to the top of the 2017 draft class.

Switzerland's Nico Hischier #18 leans in for the face-off during preliminary round action against the Czech Republic at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Hischier is a very attractive choice having 'checked all the boxes' during an outstanding North American debut with the Halifax Mooseheads. The native of Naters, Switzerland led all rookie scorers in the QMJHL and finished 10th in league scoring, while delivering strong performances for his country at both the U20 and U18 World Junior Championships (WJC).

A fast and dynamic skater with high-end puck skills, Hischier distinguished himself for his two-way diligence and his ability to contribute in every area of the ice and - by extension - the game. He possesses a high hockey IQ and is a very creative player combining both structure and innovation.

It will be an agonizing decision if New Jersey opts to pass on Hischier in favour of the other prime attraction - Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Winnipeg native entered the 2016-17 season as the consensus top choice after a standout season in which he tied for the league playoff scoring lead with 30 points in 21 games (13-17-30) and earned WHL Playoff MVP honours.

Nolan Patrick of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Photo by Tim Smith/Brandon Sun

Patrick was injured during that playoff run however and underwent sports hernia surgery last July. His groin/abdominal problems would re-surface after playing in Brandon's opening five games, and sideline him for 34 games and force him to miss the U20 WJC.

Returning in January, Patrick still managed to finish fifth on the Wheat Kings in scoring with 20 goals and 46 points despite playing in just 33 games.

However he suffered another health setback late in the regular season - an unspecified upper-body injury - and missed the WHL playoffs.

Nolan Patrick would be the first Manitoban selected first overall in the NHL draft - with Nico Hischier set to become the first-ever Swiss-born player.

A third option emerged for New Jersey this spring at the U18 WJC where defenceman Miro Heiskanen turned in a commanding performance for Finland and effectively threw his hat into the ring.

Finland's Miro Heiskanen #2 lets a shot go during relegation round action against Latvia at the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images)

It makes some sense for the Devils to consider adding a potential building block on the blueline given the loss of Adam Larsson in last summer's Taylor Hall deal.

Heiskanen would be the first Finnish-born player to go first overall.

CENTRE STAGE

Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires sits at No. 4 on the McKeen's Top 125 - ranking the best prospects available for the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward led Windsor with 29 goals and 61 points - in just 49 games - and then played a central role in helping the Spitfires win the Memorial Cup, highlighted by a four-assist performance in a win over the top-ranked Erie Otters.

Big, highly-skilled, and ultra competitive, Vilardi brings plenty of meat to the plate - but the skating has raised concerns about how impactful an NHLer he can be. Described as a 'knock kneed' skater, he will have to continue upgrading his quickness and explosiveness.

The Kingston, Ontario native can play on the wing but showcased at the Top Prospects Game in January that he is very effective playing in the middle.

The fifth-ranked prospect is Casey Mittelstadt, the top American-born player.

Mittelstadt ripped apart the high school circuit averaging 2.56 points per game (64 points in 25 games) and earning Minnesota’s distinguished Mr. Hockey award as the state’s top senior skater. He fell short though of leading his hometown Eden Prairie to a state championship, falling in the semi-finals.

Mittelstadt was questioned about returning for his senior year amid concerns that his development could be stunted. However, he helped allay some of those concerns with impressive stints in the USHL, wrapped around his high school season, recording 30 points in 24 games - for a 1.25 points-per-game average which was tops in the league.

Sharp-shooting winger Owen Tippett of the Mississauga Steelheads is next at No. 6.

The Peterborough, Ontario native infuriated with his inconsistent (and incomplete) defensive work habits but, at the end of the day, may be the best goal-scoring prospect in this draft class.

He finished fifth in the OHL with 44 goals and added another 10 goals in 20 playoff games.

Slick-skating defenceman Cale Makar of the Brooks Bandits is ranked seventh.

The Calgary, Alberta native was among this season's biggest risers - shooting up the draft chart and dazzling with his skating and skills while leading Brooks to the RBC Cup final.

Makar still has plenty of growing to do in terms of learning how to harness and deploy his exceptional talents. His education will be in good hands for his upcoming freshman season at the University of Massachusetts. Makar may benefit most by staying on the NCAA collegiate route for at least two years, though the lure of the NHL is all powerful.

Sorting out the rest of the top 10 has been a convoluted journey since the initial rankings were published last fall. That's not unusual - but this season the rankings seemed to be in a larger state of flux. There's not much to separate the next dozen or so players - all of whom could conceivably land a top 10 spot.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks was another big riser, moving up from 24th - in the preliminary ranking - to grab the No. 8 position.

A cerebral two-way pivot with good size and skill, the Winnipeg native led Portland and tied for seventh in WHL scoring during a spectacular breakout season - in which he more than tripled his rookie numbers from 2015-16.

Glass begins a run of centremen with seven of the next ten players being pivots; Michael Rasmussen (10th), Elias Pettersson (11th), Martin Necas (12th), Robert Thomas (15th), Nick Suzuki (16th), and Lias Andersson (17th).

KLIM PICKINGS

The wildcards for this year's draft will begin with swift-skating Swedish defenceman Timothy Liljegren

The native of Kristianstad, Sweden has been a prime name for 2017 since he was 16 years old - and was ranked No. 4 on our preliminary list. However, he was sidelined early by a bout of mononucleosis and struggled to find his game after returning.

There's no denying the physical gifts as he is a strong, fast skater with a good skill set featuring a heavy wristshot.

Klim Kostin

However, his hockey sense and overall decision making have continually come into question as the scrutiny on his game intensified. He doesn't seem to possess an innate feel for pressure and can be prone to stickchecks and turning pucks over on outlets. Can this part of his make-up develop and mature? Perhaps. It's a risk NHL teams must weigh before considering him as a top selection.

Another 'hot potato' pick will be Dynamo Moscow forward Klim Kostin who began the season at No. 5 in the rankings following a solid showing at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. The Penza native captained Russia and led his team in scoring (5-4-3-7) while flashing an intriguing mix of size, skill and creativity.

He also put in a decent showing at the Canada-Russia series in November, albeit not enough for World Junior team coach Valeri Bragin to include him on the U20 roster. However, Kostin underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in January and missed an opportunity to further convince NHL scouts at the U18 WJC in April.

Strong and skilled with the puck, Kostin can create openings with his stickhandling and 1-on-1 abilities, but must work on his skating and consistency.

Eeli Tolvanen

Eeli Tolvanen also watched his stock soften as the season progressed after beginning as a top 10 pick (8th).

The native of Vihti, Finland tied for third in the USHL with 30 goals and then helped Sioux City reach the Clark Cup Finals. Tolvanen possesses sharp offensive instincts and a lethal shot, yet there are concerns about how his slight frame and dimensional game will translate to higher levels.

No player fell further in the rankings this season than towering Russian winger Nikita Popugaev.

The Moscow native fired 19 goals in his first 25 games with Moose Jaw, however his play tailed off in December and he was dealt a month later to Prince George where he continued to sputter.

Popugaev brings great size at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds as well as a strong shooting arsenal. His skating needs to come along though, particularly his footwork and overall agility.

But the bigger concern is how badly he wants it - as his work ethic and defensive play regressed to alarming levels over the second half.

PLENTY OF FINNISH

Finland gave advance warning that they would be a big factor at the 2017 NHL Draft when they captured gold at the 2016 U18 WJC.

It was Finland's first gold medal at the event since winning the first two tournaments in 1999 and 2000 - and was accomplished with a predominantly underage blueline.

They followed up this year at the U18's with a silver medal, led by the splendid duo of Miro Heiskanen and Urho Vaakanainen.

Heiskanen's exploits were well chronicled, however Vaakanainen's play may have turned just as many NHL heads. His smooth skating, subtle skills, and innate feel for the game were on full display throughout.

Vaakanainen could turn out to be one of the best players from this draft.

Expect the Finns to be high profile at this draft - as they could place up to seven players in the opening round plus another half dozen in the second.

In all, there are 16 Finnish-born players in the McKeen's Top 125 including a number of potential sleepers such as Joni Ikonen (59th), Aleksi Heponiemi (65th), Emil Oksanen (76th) and U18 WJC captain Aarne Talvitie (77th).

Finland's Santeri Virtanen #22 carries the puck during semifinal round action at the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Gritty two-way centre Santeri Virtanen threw his name into the ring with an impressive showing at the U18 WJC after missing most of the season to injury.

His late rise wasn't a total surprise as he had initially been slotted as a potential 50-70 pick after a good showing at the Ivan Hlinka last fall.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
1	Nolan Patrick	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/200	19-Sep-98	Canada
2	Nico Hischier	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/175	4-Jan-99	Switzerland
3	Miro Heiskanen	D	HIFK Helsinki (Fin)	6-0/170	18-Jul-99	Finland
4	Gabriel Vilardi	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-3/200	16-Aug-99	Canada
5	Casey Mittelstadt	C	Eden Prairie (USHS-MN)	6-1/200	22-Nov-98	USA
6	Owen Tippett	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-1/200	16-Feb-99	Canada
7	Cale Makar	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-11/180	30-Oct-98	Canada
8	Cody Glass	C	Portland (WHL)	6-2/180	1-Apr-99	Canada
9	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-3/205	1-Jun-99	Finland
10	Michael Rasmussen	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-6/215	17-Apr-99	Canada
11	Elias Pettersson	C	Timra (Swe 2)	6-2/165	12-Nov-98	Sweden
12	Martin Necas	C	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-0/170	15-Jan-99	Czech
13	Urho Vaakanainen	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-0/185	1-Jan-99	Finland
14	Juuso Valimaki	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/205	6-Oct-98	Finland
15	Robert Thomas	C	London (OHL)	6-0/190	2-Jul-99	Canada
16	Nick Suzuki	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	10-Sep-99	Canada
17	Lias Andersson	C	HV 71 (Swe)	5-11/200	13-Oct-98	Sweden
18	Isaac Ratcliffe	LW	Guelph (OHL)	6-5/200	15-Feb-99	Canada
19	Erik Brannstrom	D	HV 71 (Swe)	5-10/175	2-Sep-99	Sweden
20	Timothy Liljegren	D	Rogle (Swe)	6-0/190	30-Apr-99	Sweden
21	Klim Kostin	C	Dynamo Moscow (Rus)	6-3/195	5-May-99	Russia
22	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/175	22-Apr-99	Finland
23	Conor Timmins	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	18-Sep-98	Canada
24	Kailer Yamamoto	RW	Spokane (WHL)	5-8/160	29-Sep-98	Canada
25	Jason Robertson	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-2/195	22-Jul-99	USA
26	Ryan Poehling	C	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	6-2/195	3-Jan-99	USA
27	Nicolas Hague	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-6/215	5-Dec-98	Canada
28	Josh Norris	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	5-May-99	USA
29	Shane Bowers	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/185	30-Jul-99	Canada
30	Cal Foote	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-4/215	13-Dec-98	USA
31	Henri Jokiharju	D	Portland (WHL)	6-0/180	17-Jun-99	Finland
32	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	HPK (Fin)	6-4/195	9-Mar-99	Finland
33	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/190	12-Sep-99	Canada
34	Kole Lind	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/180	16-Oct-98	Canada
35	Jesper Boqvist	C	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	30-Oct-98	Sweden
36	Grant Mismash	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	19-Feb-99	USA
37	Keith Petruzzelli	G	Muskegon (USHL)	6-5/180	9-Feb-99	USA
38	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-2/165	1-Jul-99	Canada
39	Maxime Comtois	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-2/200	8-Jan-99	Canada
40	Adam Ruzicka	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-4/205	11-May-99	Slovakia
41	Morgan Frost	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/170	14-May-99	Canada
42	Filip Chytil	C	Zlin (Cze)	6-0/180	5-Sep-99	Czech
43	Nikita Popugaev	LW	Prince George (WHL)	6-6/220	20-Nov-98	Russia
44	Jake Oettinger	G	Boston University (HE)	6-4/210	18-Dec-98	USA
45	Josh Brook	D	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-1/185	15-Jun-99	Canada
46	Santeri Virtanen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	6-2/195	11-May-99	Finland
47	Kyle Olson	C	Tri-City (WHL)	5-11/165	22-Mar-99	Canada
48	Evan Barratt	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/190	18-Feb-99	USA
49	Max Gildon	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/190	17-May-99	USA
50	MacKenzie Entwistle	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-3/180	14-Jul-99	Canada
51	Stelio Mattheos	RW	Brandon (WHL)	6-1/195	14-Jun-99	Canada
52	Marcus Davidsson	C	Djurgardens (Swe)	6-0/190	18-Nov-98	Sweden
53	Michael DiPietro	G	Windsor (OHL)	6-0/195	9-Jun-99	Canada
54	David Farrance	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/190	23-Jun-99	USA
55	Stuart Skinner	G	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-3/210	1-Nov-98	Canada
56	Matthew Strome	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-4/210	6-Jan-99	Canada
57	Alex Formenton	LW	London (OHL)	6-2/165	13-Sep-99	Canada
58	Eemeli Rasanen	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-7/215	6-Mar-99	Finland
59	Joni Ikonen	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-10/170	14-Apr-99	Finland
60	Scott Reedy	C	NTDP (USA)	6-1/205	4-Apr-99	USA
61	Sasha Chmelevski	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/190	9-Jun-99	USA
62	Filip Westerlund	D	Frolunda (Swe)	5-11/180	17-Apr-99	Sweden
63	Ian Mitchell	D	Spruce Grove (AJHL)	5-11/175	18-Jan-99	Canada
64	Maxim Zhukov	G	Green Bay (USHL)	6-3/190	22-Jul-99	Russia
65	Aleksi Heponiemi	C	Swift Current (WHL)	5-10/150	9-Jan-99	Finland
66	Ostap Safin	LW	Sparta Praha (Cze Jr)	6-4/200	11-Feb-99	Czech
67	Jack Studnicka	C	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/170	18-Feb-99	Canada
68	Nick Henry	RW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/190	4-Jul-99	Canada
69	Markus Phillips	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/200	21-Mar-99	Canada
70	Jarret Tyszka	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/190	15-Mar-99	Canada
71	Kirill Maksimov	RW	Niagara (OHL)	6-2/195	1-Jun-99	Russia
72	Jake Leschyshyn	C	Regina (WHL)	5-11/185	10-Mar-99	Canada
73	Alexei Toropchenko	RW	MVD Balashikha (Rus Jr)	6-3/190	25-Jun-99	Russia
74	Kirill Slepets	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-10/165	6-Apr-99	Russia
75	Olle Eriksson Ek	G	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	6-2/185	22-Jun-99	Sweden
76	Emil Oksanen	LW	Espoo United (Fin 2)	6-1/190	25-Sep-98	Finland
77	Aarne Talvitie	C	Espoo Blues (Fin Jr)	5-10/200	11-Feb-99	Finland
78	Reilly Walsh	D	Proctor Academy (USHS-NH)	5-11/180	21-Apr-99	USA
79	Ivan Lodnia	RW	Erie (OHL)	5-10/180	31-Aug-99	USA
80	Jonah Gadjovich	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-2/210	12-Oct-98	Canada
81	Ben Mirageas	D	Chicago (USHL)	6-1/180	8-May-99	USA
82	Dylan Samberg	D	Hermantown (USHS-MN)	6-3/190	24-Jan-99	USA
83	Antoine Morand	C	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	5-10/180	18-Feb-99	Canada
84	Morgan Geekie	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-2/180	20-Jul-98	Canada
85	Alexei Lipanov	C	MVD Balashikha (Rus 2)	6-0/165	17-Aug-99	Russia
86	Jack Badini	C	Chicago (USHL)	6-0/200	19-Jan-98	USA
87	Brady Lyle	D	North Bay (OHL)	6-1/205	6-Jun-99	Canada
88	Lucas Elvenes	C	Rogle (Swe Jr)	6-0/175	18-Aug-99	Sweden
89	Zach Gallant	C	Peterborough (OHL)	6-2/190	6-Mar-99	Canada
90	Lane Zablocki	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	5-11/190	27-Dec-98	Canada
91	Kevin Hancock	C	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/185	2-Mar-98	Canada
92	Alexandre Texier	C	Grenoble (Fra)	6-0/190	13-Sep-99	France
93	Noel Hoefenmayer	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/190	6-Jan-99	Canada
94	Nate Schnarr	C	Guelph (OHL)	6-3/180	15-Jun-99	Canada
95	Jonas Rondbjerg	RW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-0/175	31-Mar-99	Denmark
96	Ivan Chekhovich	LW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	5-10/180	14-Jan-99	Russia
97	Robin Salo	D	Sport (Fin)	6-1/190	13-Oct-98	Finland
98	Luke Martin	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-4/215	20-Sep-98	USA
99	Cale Fleury	D	Kootenay (WHL)	6-1/205	19-Nov-98	Canada
100	Mikey Anderson	D	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-May-99	USA
101	Mason Shaw	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	5-9/180	3-Nov-98	Canada
102	Linus Nyman	RW	Kingston (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Jul-99	Finland
103	Gustav Lindstrom	D	Almtuna (Swe 2)	6-2/190	20-Oct-98	Sweden
104	Marian Studenic	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-0/165	28-Oct-98	Slovakia
105	Jack Rathbone	D	Dexter (USHS-MA)	5-10/175	20-May-99	USA
106	Artyom Minulin	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-2/200	1-Oct-98	Russia
107	Kalle Miketinac	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-11/190	2-Apr-99	Sweden
108	Dmitri Samorukov	D	Guelph (OHL)	6-2/180	16-Jun-99	Russia
109	Ian Scott	G	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-3/175	11-Jan-99	Canada
110	Austen Keating	C	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/170	7-May-99	Canada
111	Maksim Sushko	RW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/185	10-Feb-99	Belarus
112	Tyler Inamoto	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/195	6-May-99	USA
113	Ty Lewis	LW	Brandon (WHL)	5-11/180	5-Mar-98	Canada
114	Drake Batherson	C	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-1/190	27-Apr-98	Canada
115	Rickard Hugg	C	Leksands (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	18-Jan-99	Sweden
116	Scott Walford	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-1/195	12-Jan-99	Canada
117	Jordy Bellerive	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	5-10/195	2-May-99	Canada
118	Matthew Kellenberger	D	Oakville (OJHL)	6-0/175	11-Jan-99	Canada
119	Johnathan Kovacevic	D	Merrimack (HE)	6-4/215	2-Jul-97	Canada
120	Nick Campoli	C	North York (OJHL)	5-11/190	16-Feb-99	Canada
121	Mario Ferraro	D	Des Moines (USHL)	5-11/185	17-Sep-98	Canada
122	Michael Pastujov	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	23-Aug-99	USA
123	Tyler Steenbergen	C	Swift Current (WHL)	5-10/190	7-Jan-98	Canada
124	Mark Rubinchik	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-0/180	21-Mar-99	Russia
125	Kasper Kotkansalo	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-2/200	16-Nov-98	Finland

2017 NHL Draft: Cody Glass raises ceiling on bumper WHL crop

Grant McCagg — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:03:31 +0000

Portland's Cody Glass has been one of the draft's big risers, already surpassing his point total of last season and being among the WHL's top scorers since Week One. A rangy center with good puck protections skills and decent hands, Glass creates many of his opportunities with his smarts and vision. He has been handed the top offensive center role in Portland and embraced the responsibility, generating multiple scoring chances on a nightly basis. Just 5-9 140 pounds when he was drafted 19th overall, he is still adjusting to his rapid growth spurt, and will need to continue to develop his lower body, which should result in an improvement in his skating speed.

Stelio Matheos has never quite lived up to his billing as the number one selection in the 2014 WHL Bantam draft, however his point-per-game pace this season in Brandon as the top center while Patrick recovers from injury has put him into the mix as a late first-round possibility after disappointing scouts at the Ivan Hlinka tournament in August. One thing scouts have discovered is perhaps he doesn't possess as much offensive skill as he displayed in Bantam. He put in an honest effort most nights though, and is projected to be a future third-line pivot who can provide some offensive punch.

Portland often has multiple players to consider for the top 50, and this year is no exception for the west coast prospect factory as Henri Jokiharju is arguably the club's best defenceman just 23 games into his WHL career. While he has yet to post big numbers offensively, it should only be a matter of time before the Finnish import is lighting the lamp on a consistent basis as he possesses high-end instincts and a decent shot. Jokiharju rarely makes a big gaffe and has a propensity for making a terrific first pass right on the tape. It's not inconceivable that the blueliner is a first-round pick come draft day even if he's a shade under 6-0.

Kailer Yamamoto rarely disappoints, whether it be last season in the WHL and U-18's, this past summer at the Ivan Hlinka or thus far this season as one of the WHL's top point producers and goal scorers. The swift, elusive and crafty winger has been compared to Johnny Gaudreau as an undersized prospect who will prove the doubters wrong and excel at the NHL level despite his size concerns. Trouble is...even Gaudreau wasn't 5-7.5. Alex DeBrincat was a prime example of NHL teams' reluctance to use a first-round pick on a player under 5-8 despite scoring 50 goals and 100 points in each of his first two junior seasons. Perhaps Yamamoto defies the odds and wins over an NHL head scout and organization, but even though he is one of the most skilled players in this draft, a player his size has never been chosen in the first round...ever.

Kelowna's other highly-regarded prospect is Kole Lind, who also happens to be the club's leading scorer with 25 points in 23 games, showing scouts that he has some offensive potential in addition to bringing decent size and work ethic to the mix. Lind gives an honest effort, protects the puck well, has a good shot and uses his teammates well. His smarts and character will endear him to scouts and make him a solid candidate to be chosen late in the first round or early in the second.

Regina has three draft eligible forwards all producing and making an argument to be looked at in the top two rounds if not the top 50 in Jake Leschyshyn, Lane Zablocki and Nick Henry. Leshyshyn's production has dropped somewhat since Adam Brooks returned to supplant him as a top-two center on the Pats. He started the season with 13 points in his first nine games, but has only three points in his past seven contests. He will have to keep producing to be considered in the top 50-60 given that he's under 5-11 even if he brings a nice skill/skating combination. His linemate Zablocki has also cooled off in the past seven games with four points, but he brings more size and grit to the mix. Henry has worked his way onto Regina's first power-play unit, an impressive feat for a draft-eligible rookie considering how stacked the club is up front. Neither big nor particularly fast, Henry is a smart winger who protects the puck and sees the ice well.

Swift Current is the other WHL club with two productive draft eligible prospects in Alexsi Heponiemi and Artyon Minulin, and while the 5-10 Finn isn't expected at this time to be chosen in the top two rounds, there's no doubt that he has first-round skill and skating ability and is one of the more talented players in this draft. Heponiemi is the top scoring rookie in the league and sits 16th overall in points. Minulin doesn't have great hands or speed, but he sees the ice well, has a hard shot and gets tons of ice time on the Swift Current blueline. Hard to ignore the metrics of being a 6-2 defenceman scoring a point per game in his draft year...some teams may look seriously at him later in the second round.

Ian Scott and Stuart Skinner are the top-rated goalies out west, and in the running to be taken in the top 50 even though their stats are less than stellar playing on struggling teams in Prince Albert and Lethbridge. Both are taller than 6-3, were highly touted as 16-year-olds, have above-average athletic ability and sport saves percentages under 91 per cent....a stat which will likely have to improve if either is to challenge for a spot in the top 40 in the draft.

Ivan Hlinka Report: Team Canada

Grant McCagg — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:29:18 +0000

Expectations are always high for Team Canada especially having won eight consecutive gold medals at the Ivan Hlinka - and looking for a 20th overall title in the event's 25-year history.

At the start of the tournament I felt there may be six or seven solid first-round forwards, but as the tournament went on Canada looked more and more underwhelming... most didn't produce or stand out.

As for the blueline, this was perhaps the least impressive group of defencemen Canada has ever sent to the IH. Is there a top 60 prospect among them? Maybe not. Not sure any one player stood out above any of the others - all being pretty close in vanilla-ness... with average size and skills at best.

FORWARDS

Jordy Bellerive (2017), C, Lethbridge (WHL) - Least impressive forward... didnt play much, wasn't very noticeable. (4-0-0-0, GP-G-A-PTS)

Shane Bowers (2017), C, Waterloo (USHL) - Responsible..worked okay..more of a puck manager than an offensive guy...decent puck protection and okay on the cycle..not sure about his creativity. He produces in the USHL, then could go late first or 2nd. (4-1-0-1)

Maxime Comtois

Maxime Comtois (2017), LW, Victoriaville (QMJHL) - Needs a half step - but very smart, competitive. Looked real good. He played hard...he looked tired at the end, but make plays and can finish.. good puck skill Has a shot at the top ten. (4-4-1-5)

Mackenzie Entwhistle

MacKenzie Entwistle (2017), RW, Hamilton (OHL) - Skating is good north south, plenty of speed for his size, need work on his agility... Not much offensive potential shown. Physical dimensions are there, work ethic was fine. 25-40 potential if he can show some offence. (4-0-1-1)

Stelio Mattheos (2017), C, Brandon (WHL) - Played his role...scouts like that he stuck to it. Work ethic is there..finishes checks. Would like to have seen him in a more offensive role, but did what was asked of him. Let's see if he scores. (4-1-0-1)

Ryan McLeod (2018), C, Mississauga (OHL) - He didn't have a noteworthy performance at the Hlinka... but he'll have another 18 months to reach his enormous potential. (4-0-0-0)

Greg Meireles (2017), RW, Kitchener (OHL) - Limited skill..bottom line role. Competed okay. (4-0-0-0)

Michael Rasmussen

Michael Rasmussen (2017), C, Tri-City (WHL) - He went to the net...a bit more jam than Entwistle when comparing two similar sized-guys. Decent two-way center, has some playmaking abilities and puck skills..still needs to work on his quickness. 10-20 range most likely. (4-1-3-4)

Matthew Strome

Matthew Strome (2017), LW, Hamilton (OHL) - Needs work on his skating, inconsistent...like to see him compete harder, good skill and shot for his size. 1st round talent...likely top 15. (4-1-0-1)

Jack Studnicka (2017), C, Oshawa (OHL) - Didn't get a whole lot from him. Big kid, keep an eye on him. (4-0-0-0)

Nick Suzuki (2017), C, Owen Sound (OHL) - A responsible player, made some plays later in the tournament, smart, competes pretty well, size is the main drawback. Came in to center Comtois as the tournament went on and performed well. (4-1-2-3).

Owen Tippett (2017), RW, Mississauga (OHL) - He's got it all except perhaps vision...does not look for teammates as often as one would like. A good cycler, strong, can skate, good shot..needs to pass more. May be a top ten but looked 10-20. Will need to step up his team play. (4-1-1-2)

Joe Veleno (2018), C, Saint John (QMJHL) - Started to see some of the talent that made him an exceptional status player a couple of years ago...he'll be a dangerous offensive player by the end of next season. (4-0-4-4)

DEFENCE

Evan Bouchard (2018), D, London (OHL) - Lots of refining needed still on his defensive game..showed some indications that he may be capable puck rusher with decent size and skills. (4-0-0-0)

Josh Brook (2017), D, Moose Jaw (WHL) - Didnt play very much...one of those guys where suddenly he does something and you look down at the roster to see who he is as most of the tournament he was invisible. (4-0-0-0)

Antoine Crete-Belzile (2017), D, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) - Not very big, not great offensively or defensively. He'll get lots of opportunity in BLB, but doesn't bring a lot of dimensions...best attribute is his mobility..but not very big or physical, didn't see any offence. 50-70 perhaps because he can skate and has some poise. (4-0-1-1)

Ian Mitchell (2017), D, Spruce Grove (AJHL) - He had one good game where he scored a couple of goals, defensively he was in and out. Worth keeping an eye on...has some off. skills. Maybe a 3rd rounder? Worth viewing. (4-2-1-3)

Markus Phillips (2017), D, Owen Sound (OHL) - Very average skater, average mobility. Smart, competes okay. Got beat one-on-one too often. Overrated by Hockey Canada, IMO. (4-0-1-1)

Elijah Roberts (2017), D, Kitchener (OHL) - Small...thinks he's a rover. Can carry the puck, tries...that's about it. Not a draft. (4-0-1-1)

Jonathan Smart (2017), D, Kelowna (WHL) - Not very smart. At times he looked okay..other times he had some struggles...some poor puck decisions at times. (4-0-1-1)

Michael DiPietro (2017), G, Windsor (OHL) - Okay junior goalie..inconsistent..small. (3GP, 2.01, .923)

Ian Scott (2017), G, Prince Albert (WHL) - Don't know about him yet, didn't play enough. Fulfills the size requisite. (1GP, 1.88, .920)

Ian Scott – McKeen's Hockey

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Toronto Maple Leaves Top 20 Prospects

Nick Robertson, LW (53rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Rodion Amirov, LW (15th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Roni Hirvonen, C (59th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Topi Niemela, D (64th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Filip Hallander, LW (58th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Nick Abruzzese, C (124th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Joey Anderson, RW (73rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5 [New Jersey[])

Mikko Kokkonen, D (84th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Yegor Korshkov, RW (31st overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Timothy Liljegren, D (17th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 7)

Veeti Miettinen, RW (168th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Mac Hollowell, D (118th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Filip Kral, D (149th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Joseph Woll, G (62nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 10)

William Villeneuve, D (122nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Adam Brooks, C (92nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C (76th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 12)

Mikhail Abramov, C (115th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Pontus Holmberg, LW/C (156th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Ian Scott, G (110th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: UR)

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1st)

Saskatoon Blades (2nd)

Prince Albert Raiders (3rd)

Brandon Wheat Kings (4th)

Moose Jaw Warriors (5th)

Regina Pats (6th)

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1st)

Edmonton Oil Kings (2nd)

Medicine Hat Tigers (3rd)

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4th)

Red Deer Rebels (5th)

Swift Current Broncos (6th)

Toronto Maple Leafs 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

2019 IIHF World Junior Championship Review: Canada

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

2017 NHL Draft Grades: Atlantic Division – Toronto Maple Leafs

McKeen’s 2017 NHL Draft Rankings (Subscribers) – Top 125 – May 31st, 2017

2017 NHL Draft: Cody Glass raises ceiling on bumper WHL crop

Ivan Hlinka Report: Team Canada

Nick Robertson, LW (53^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Rodion Amirov, LW (15^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Roni Hirvonen, C (59^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Topi Niemela, D (64^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Filip Hallander, LW (58^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 2)

Nick Abruzzese, C (124^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 3)

Joey Anderson, RW (73^rd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5 [New Jersey[])

Mikko Kokkonen, D (84^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Yegor Korshkov, RW (31^st overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 5)

Timothy Liljegren, D (17^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 7)

Veeti Miettinen, RW (168^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Mac Hollowell, D (118^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 8)

Filip Kral, D (149^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Joseph Woll, G (62^nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 10)

William Villeneuve, D (122^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Adam Brooks, C (92^nd overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 11)

Semyon Der-Arguchintsev, C (76^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 12)

Mikhail Abramov, C (115^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 13)

Pontus Holmberg, LW/C (156^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Ian Scott, G (110^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: UR)