Jackson Hallum – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #27

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Josh Bell — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 18:00:41 +0000

_{NEWARK, NJ - JANUARY 22: Vegas Golden Knights center Brendan Brisson (19) looks on during a game between the Vegas Golden Knights and New Jersey Devils on January 22, 2024 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 27th (Previous Rank - 28th)
GM: Kelly McCrimmon Hired: September 2019
COACH: Bruce Cassidy Hired: June 2022

In a system that has made a reputation off shipping out youthful assets, the Vegas Golden Knights remain in the bottom half of McKeen’s prospect rankings. Drafting just four prospects in consecutive entry drafts, combined with dealing away much of their high-end talent – David Edstrom (109th ranked) being the latest victim – has left their prospect pipeline somewhat hollow.

That said, Vegas took a high-leverage swing at the podium in this year’s draft by selecting one of the more polarizing talents available in the first round (19th overall): Trevor Connelly. While there have been concerns both on and off the ice, his upside is undeniable, with a shifty profile and knack for putting up points as a dual-threat contributor. There is a reason why he’s McKeen’s 78th-ranked prospect.

Although the Knights continue to deal prospects and top-rated draft picks – no first-round picks until 2027 – they’ve held tight on notable hopefuls like Brendan Brisson (130th), as well as defencemen Kaeden Korczak (203rd) and Lukas Cormier (96th) – all of whom are primed to step onto the roster in short order, if not already.

Additionally, they’ve seen promising development from Arttu Karki, who made nice strides as a rookie on the Soo Greyhounds’ backend. Karki will return to Liiga for the 2024-25 season, but his 45 points in 59 OHL games as a third-round, 18-year-old defender suggest he’s a prospect worth watching.

Vegas does bring in Alexander Holtz, a former New Jersey Devils graduate who finally established himself as an NHL regular. Holtz is expected to slot into the team’s top nine forward group, with hopes he can build on his 28 points in 82 games from last season.

If Kelly McCrimmon has taught us anything, however, it’s that if you don’t like Vegas’ prospect pool, just wait a few months. With eyes perpetually on the Stanley Cup, this organization refuses to sit still and is always ready to trade youth for win-now assets. As long as Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson, Shea Theodore, and Alex Pietrangelo are in town, this team will continue to push for immediate success.

Vegas Golden Knights Top-15 Prospects

1. Trevor Connelly

Trevor Connelly was one of the draft’s most polarizing players, with his final selection position shrouded in mystery before his name was called. His offensive upside is undeniable—some scouts argue he may be the 2024 NHL Draft’s most talented player behind Celebrini and Demidov. However, Connelly entered draft day surrounded by concerns both on and off the ice. His past blunders and inconsistent play, especially defensively and in off-puck engagement, were red flags. His discipline was notably lacking, exemplified by a crucial penalty at the U18s. Despite these issues, Connelly’s skill set is impressive. He’s a highly creative and elusive offensive player with excellent edgework and puck handling. His quick feet and vision can be exceptional, though his decision-making and first-step quickness need improvement. Connelly’s commitment to Providence College under coach Nate Leaman could help him become a more complete player.

2. Lukas Cormier

Despite a strong training camp showing, Lukas Cormier spent most of 2023-24 honing his skills in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights. The undersized defenceman (5-foot-10, 176 pounds) impressed with his steady defensive play. His hockey IQ and ability to avoid bad decisions in his own end were on display. His understanding of how to generate offence from the blueline is exceptional, spotting opportunities as they open up through the flow of play or activating his feet to create them himself. While not a flashy offensive producer, he chipped in with one assist in his limited NHL action (two games) and showed glimpses of offensive potential in the AHL. However, questions remain about his offensive upside. Can he translate his defensive reliability into a more complete two-way game at the NHL level? The Golden Knights likely view him as a future bottom pairing defenceman, but further offensive development could push him toward a more prominent role.

3. Brendan Brisson

Brendan Brisson is an offensively gifted forward known for his elite shooting ability and high hockey IQ. Standing at 6-foot-0 and 185 pounds, Brisson has a strong, compact frame that he uses to protect the puck and create space for himself in the offensive zone. His most outstanding asset is his shot—his release is quick, deceptive, and highly accurate, making him a constant threat on the power play and in even-strength situations. Brisson is also an adept playmaker, capable of setting up teammates with crisp, timely passes. He sees the ice well and often anticipates plays before they develop, showcasing his advanced hockey sense. While his skating is above average, with good acceleration and edge work, there’s room for improvement in his top-end speed. Defensively, Brisson is responsible and shows a commitment to his two-way game, though his focus remains on driving offence. He projects as a top six forward with significant power-play potential at the professional level.

4. Matyas Sapovaliv

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

5. Kaedan Korczak

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

6. Pavel Moysevich

Pavel Moysevich is an athletic goaltender with impressive reflexes and a strong technical foundation. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he has the ideal size for a modern netminder, covering a lot of the net while still moving fluidly in the crease. Moysevich’s quickness is a key asset, particularly his lateral movement, which allows him to make sharp, reactive saves on cross-ice plays. His positioning is sound, and he does a good job of challenging shooters, playing aggressively at the top of his crease when necessary. Moysevich tracks the puck well, maintaining focus through traffic and making key saves in high-pressure situations. While he’s strong in stopping the first shot, his rebound control is an area for improvement, as he occasionally gives up second chances. Overall, Moysevich projects as a promising goaltender with the potential to develop into a reliable starter at the professional level, particularly with continued refinement of his game.

7. Mathieu Cataford

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

8. Jakub Brabenec

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

9. Ben Hemmerling

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

10. Arttu Karki

Arttu Karki is a promising defenceman with a solid all-around game. Standing at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, he offers a blend of size and skill that makes him a valuable asset on the blue line. Karki’s skating is a strong point. He moves with fluidity and can transition quickly from defence to offence, which helps him contribute to both ends of the ice. Defensively, Karki is reliable and uses his size effectively to clear the crease and win puck battles. His positioning is generally strong, and he reads the play well to anticipate and disrupt opposing attacks. Offensively, Karki has good puck-moving ability and can make precise passes to initiate breakouts. His shot from the point is a potential weapon on the power play. While he could improve his physicality and defensive consistency, Karki’s skill set and potential make him an intriguing prospect for a top four role.

11. Cameron Whitehead

Cameron Whitehead, a 6-foot-3 goaltender, is an intriguing prospect with solid technique and impressive size. His athleticism and quick reflexes enable agile movements, and he had a strong season with the Lincoln Stars before joining Northeastern. Whitehead's vision and creativity in broken-play situations stand out, but he must improve his rebound control and puck handling. As a long-term project, he needs to harness his size better for future success.

12. Jackson Hallum

Jackson Hallum is a skilled forward with excellent skating and a quick release. His offensive creativity and ability to generate scoring chances are standout features. While he could enhance his defensive game and consistency, Hallum’s dynamic play and scoring touch offer promising potential for NHL development.

13. Jakub Demek

Jakub Demek is a dynamic forward with exceptional playmaking skills and a sharp hockey sense. His ability to create scoring opportunities and read the game is impressive. While his skating could use improvement, Demek’s offensive creativity and vision make him a high-upside prospect with significant NHL potential.

14. Carl Lindbom

Carl Lindbom stands out as a reliable goaltender with impressive agility and quick reflexes. His ability to track pucks and maintain composure under pressure is notable. While he could benefit from refining his rebound control and positioning, Lindbom’s potential as a future starter is clear with continued development.

15. Daniil Chayka

Daniil Chayka is a solid defensive prospect with strong positional awareness and physicality. His skating and puck movement are reliable, contributing effectively to both ends of the ice. While he could improve his offensive instincts and decision-making under pressure, Chayka’s defensive reliability and size provide a path to the NHL.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #25

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:42:08 +0000

Top 20 Vegas Golden Knights Prospects

1. Lukas Cormier

Cormier torched the QMJHL throughout his four years with Charlottetown, and has since transitioned admirably to the AHL, including quarterbacking Henderson's top power-play unit as a rookie. His understanding of how to generate offense from the offensive blueline is exceptional, spotting opportunities as they open up through the flow of play or activating his feet to create them himself. He loves to buzz around with or without the puck, and after enough constant prodding he usually finds a weak spot. He has a knack for elevating his play at important times. Cormier's small stature is always going to be a limitation to varying degrees, and breaking up rushes or cycles going against his net will never be one of his strengths, but he's so effective offensively that coaches will shelter him if they have to, just keep his niche contributions on the roster.

2. Pavel Dorofyev

Some prospects leave their mark when they get called up to the NHL from the AHL, while others struggle to make the most of those opportunities. Dorofeyev undeniably falls into the former category. Vegas needed someone to provide a scoring spark towards the end of their regular season, and he rose to the occasion with aplomb. He has a natural knack for reading the play in the offensive zone, and when he's not anticipating scoring opportunities, he creates them himself reasonably well, both through his skating and his puck protection. He's more of a shooter than a playmaker, but he can keep opposing defenses and goalies on their toes either way. Further gains can still be made physically. Dorofeyev eventually developing into a top-line winger isn't out of the question, but it seems more likely that he will eventually settle into a comfortable middle six spot.

3. Brendan Brisson

Brisson had access to two of the best developmental programs in all of amateur hockey, first with the Chicago Steel and then the University of Michigan, so it's easy to understand why his game advanced so much over the past few seasons. That also begs the question though, whether he might have rushed things a bit by turning pro after only two collegiate seasons, as his skating, strength, and conditioning all still need to improve. He is an exceptional student of the game, and when you combine that with his elite ability to manipulate and move the puck you get a potential offensive focal point. His best work, unsurprisingly, comes on the power play. Brisson is the only first-rounder in the organization's history (prior to the 2023 draft) who hasn't been traded yet, so the need for him to pan out is high.

4. David Edstrom

Edstrom’s transformation from relative depth player and secondary offensive option to primary offensive weapon and first line center within the Swedish U18 program, all within the 2022-23 hocke calendar, was impressive and led to his first round selection by Vegas. With a strong athletic profile and a drastically improving game, Edstrom was one of our favourites heading into the draft. His skill, creativity, and overall playmaking ability improved drastically over the course of the season, which shifted the perception of his overall ceiling. At worst, with his size, improving skating ability, improving physical play, and effectiveness as a defensive forward, he could become a very good shutdown center at the NHL level even if his offensive development stagnates. On the other side of the coin, Edstrom could continue to progress and become much more than that. He has both a high ceiling and a high floor. He should continue to build up confidence playing in the SHL with Frolunda and will probably only need another year or two overseas before he is ready for AHL duty.

5. Daniil Miromanov

To say that Miromanov's career thus far has been a whirlwind would be an understatement. Not only did he bounce around North America and Eastern Europe chaotically for a number of years, but he was also originally a winger and only recently switched fulltime to defence. Despite some expected growing pains, the returns to date have been very impressive overall, and you can tell that he's still just scratching the surface of how good he can become once he fully adjusts to his new position. His heavy shot is a serious weapon, especially with the offensive instincts that carried over from his time as a forward, and he uses his strength and reach well to win defensive battles. Miromanov has an abundance of remaining unmined upside, and it's exciting to think of how good the final product could be after a few more years of stable, focused growth within the same organization.

6. Mathieu Cataford

An allrounder with exciting offensive possibilities, Cataford can rightfully be considered one of the most enticing 3rd round draft picks from the 2023 draft. After kicking off his season with Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, picking up one assist in his five games en route to a gold medal, he ended up taking on a huge role for his QMJHL club, the Halifax Mooseheads, scoring at over a PPG pace in the regular season, only to add another 13 points in 21 postseason games. Offensively aware, Cataford possesses strong instincts when it comes to positioning in the offensive zone and an ability to find the open ice. Always working hard to create space and get open, he’s shown himself to be an extraordinary complimentary player and dependable forechecker. Physicality, a strong, hard shot, and well-roundedness without the puck fill out a solid player package. Without that one outstanding trait and featuring generally average size, Cataford’s trek to the NHL will be one of hard work, which has never been a problem for him, and a need to overcome the inconsistency that was seen throughout his draft year. Continued development is key.

7. Kaeden Korczak

Korczak's game is about as simple and straightforward as it gets, and while it's not necessarily a bad thing to be a specialist, success is dependent on how good a player is at that special niche. A defensive defenseman who plays with sandpaper and makes a competent first pass out of his zone, he does a good job under forechecking pressure by being sturdy on his feet and keeping his head up to scan the play in front of him and assess his options. The challenge is figuring out whether he can be effective enough in the NHL in that kind of role. None of his physicality, reach, or mobility are especially high-end, which makes it questionable how well he will be able to shut down the biggest, strongest, and fastest players in the sport. A ceiling higher than a third-pair defender seems unlikely.

8. Matyas Sapovaliv

Sapovaliv is highly effective even though he's not particularly exciting to watch. He's strong as an ox and a sharp, methodical thinker, and it's almost funny watching him play because you can see opponents recognize his intentions but still fail miserably at trying to stop him. There is a near inevitability to how he drives pucks to the net in the offensive zone, slowly but powerfully. While he's good across all 200 feet of ice, he is most effective defensively, utilizing his best attributes to be a masterful defensive pivot and penalty killer. He can hold his own in matchups against the top opposing centers in his age group, even the ones who hold a significant skating advantage, and he should continue being able to handle that usage as he moves up levels.

9. Jiri Patera

Patera is the type of goaltender that teams draft because they like his tools, even if they know that it's going to take him a while to learn how to use them all in a cohesive way. The good parts of his game, which have always been there, include his quickness, flexibility, and bravado. The bad parts of his game are his leaky form, excessive crease movement, and frustrating inconsistency. But just like the Golden Knights hoped, those issues have been largely smoothed over and he is now on the cusp of the NHL. He even won his first two starts in the league. Vegas likely prefers that Patera cook for at least one more season in the AHL, but if they decide to promote a goalie from within their system any time soon, he is the obvious candidate.

10. Jakub Brabenec

Brabanec is one of the most underrated prospects out there. He is a lanky, smooth, multifaceted forward who can play both wing and at center, slot up or down a lineup, and fill a role on the power play as well as the penalty kill. He displays an impressive proficiency for transporting the puck across zones, keeping it out in front of him in stride while also using his frame and reach to fend off backcheckers. While he hasn't produced a ton of points anywhere, all he needs to do to be a contributor at the NHL level is to keep leaning on his tools to routinely drive pucks to the net with momentum. He projects better as a specialized support player than a true focal point.

11. Jonas Rondbjerg

The big Danish winger has been solid thus far as a pro but has yet to solidify a roster spot with the Golden Knights. If he can improve the consistency of his physical game, he could become a permanent fourth line option for Vegas this year.

12. Carl Lindbom

2022-23 was a breakout year for Lindbom as he was named the Allsvenskan’s (Sweden’s second division) goaltender of the year as a 20-year-old. This year he is moving to the SHL with Farjestad, where he will look to continue his positive development.

13. Daniil Chayka

A former high pick of the Golden Knights, Chayka’s development since being drafted appears to have stalled. His first pro year with Henderson was proof of that. Does Chayka skate well enough or think the game well enough to be an NHL defender?

14. Arttu Karki

A recent draft pick, Karki is an exciting offensive defender with significant upside. His play in the defensive end will need to improve, but he can be a difference maker as a transitional leader. Look for him to suit up for OHL Sault Ste. Marie this season.

15. Ivan Morozov

Vegas isn’t closing the book on Morozov yet. After a disappointing first year in the AHL, he’s headed back to the KHL this season to help develop his offensive tools. What the future holds remains a mystery, but it’s too early to give up on the big center.

16. Jordan Gustafson

Injury issues forced Gustafson down the lineup for a tremendous Seattle team in his post draft year. He should take on a much larger role this year, but the focus will be on improving his skating to help increase his consistency.

17. Isaiah Saville

Saville has a good chance of playing in the AHL full time this year after splitting last season between the AHL and ECHL in his first pro season. The former UNO product isn’t the biggest netminder, but his quickness gives him an edge in the crease.

18. Jackson Hallum

A highly skilled offensive player, Hallum is also tenacious and aggressive in looking to drive to the middle. Despite playing more of a depth role for Michigan as a freshman, his production was still solid. He will be an interesting player to track over his NCAA career with a strong program.

19. Cameron Whitehead

Whitehead has big shoes to fill at Northeastern this season as he sets his sights on replacing Devon Levi as the team’s starter. Whitehead is a solid play tracker who squares to shooters well. His play with USHL Lincoln last year was probably better than the stats indicate.

20. Christoffer Sedoff

One of the top undrafted free agents coming out of the WHL last year, Sedoff was signed by Vegas over the summer. A mobile puck mover, his offensive upside for the pro level is solid. The question is, can Sedoff defend well enough to be an NHL player? He’s likely a long-term project at the pro level.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #25 Vegas Golden Knights

Derek Neumeier — Sat, 13 May 2023 15:19:22 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 25^th (18^th last year)

What a remarkable record of success for a franchise that is only entering its seventh season. Last season, they set a team record for regular season points with 111 (tied for fourth). They have been to the Stanley Cup Final, Conference Finals and the Semi-Finals, while only missing the playoffs once. The consistent competitiveness has consistently led to trading, if not picks, then promising prospects for key pieces. They have picked three first round picks in the last five years, two of which they have traded. Zach Dean last year to St. Louis for Ivan Barbashev and Peyton Krebs to Buffalo for Jack Eichel (trade included Alex Tuch, a 2022 first, 2023 second – quite a package). Now, a largely veteran team now, GM Kelly McCrimmon (since 2019) will continue to leverage the future for a shot at a Stanley Cup.

The system does have three prospects that rank within the top 80 of McKeen’s overall list, Brendan Brisson (only first not to be traded) at #66, third rounders, Lukas Cormier at #68 and Pavel Dorofeyev at #80. Dorofeyev was called up at the end of the season and showed he belonged at that level, providing a spark. He may have won a spot in the line-up next season. Brisson and Cormier bring impressive offensive skills and can expect to be sheltered as they move into the line-up. They may likely end up as trading chips when the dust settles at the trade deadline next year. They still possess their first-round picks in 2023, 2024, and 2025 that will be further assets that can be leveraged.

Lukas Cormier

Brendan Brisson

Brisson had access to two of the best developmental programs in all of hockey, first with the Chicago Steel and then the University of Michigan, so it's easy to understand why his game advanced so much over the past few seasons. That also begs the question, though, whether he might have rushed things a bit by turning pro after just two seasons in college, because his skating, strength and conditioning still all need to make gains. He is an exceptional student of the game, and when you combine that with his elite ability to manipulate and move the puck you get a player who you want to be an offensive focal point. His best work, unsurprisingly, comes on the powerplay. Brisson is the only 1st-rounder in the organization's history who hasn't been traded yet, so the need for him to pan out is high.

2. Lukas Cormier

Cormier torched the QMJHL throughout his four years with Charlottetown, and has transitioned admirably to the AHL, including quarterbacking Henderson's top powerplay unit as a rookie. His understanding of how to generate offense from the attack blueline is exceptional, spotting opportunities as they open up through the flow of play or activating his feet to create them himself. He loves to buzz around with or without the puck, and after enough constant prodding he usually finds a weak spot. He has a knack for elevating his play at important times. Cormier's small stature is always going to be a limitation to varying degrees, and breaking up rushes or cycles going against his net will never be one of his strengths, but he's so effective offensively that coaches will shelter him if they have to just keep his niche contributions on their roster.

3. Pavel Dorofeyev

Some prospects leave their mark when they get called up to the NHL from the AHL, while others struggle to make the most of those opportunities. Dorofeyev undeniably falls into the former category. Vegas needed someone to provide a scoring spark in the back section of their regular season, and he rose to the occasion with aplomb. He has a natural knack for reading the play in the offensive zone, and when he's not anticipating scoring opportunities, he creates them himself reasonably well, both through his skating and his puck protection. He's more of a shooter than a playmaker, but he can keep opposing defenses and goalies on their toes both ways. Further gains can still be made physically. Him eventually developing into a top-line winger isn't out of the question, but it seems more likely that he will eventually settle into a comfortable middle six spot.

4. Daniil Miromanov

To say that Miromanov's career thus far has been a whirlwind would be an understatement. Not only did he bounce around North America and Eastern Europe chaotically for a number of years, but he was also previously a winger and only recently switched to defense. Despite some expected growing pains, the returns to date have been very impressive overall, and you can tell that he's still just scratching the surface of how good he can become once he is fully adjusted to his new position. His heavy shot is a serious weapon, especially with his carried over offensive instincts from being a forward, and he uses his strength and reach well to win battles defensively. Miromanov has an abundance of remaining unmined upside, and it's exciting to think of how good the final product could be after a few more years of stable, focused growth within the same organization.

5. Kaedan Korczak

Korczak's game is about as simple and straightforward as it gets, and while it's not necessarily a bad thing to be a specialist, success is dependent on how good a player is at that specialization. He is a defensive defenseman who plays with some sandpaper and makes a competent first pass out of his zone. He does a good job under forecheck pressure by being sturdy on his feet and keeping his head up to scan the play in front of him and assess his options. The challenge is figuring out whether he can be effective enough in the NHL in that kind of role. None of his physicality, reach and mobility are especially high-end, which makes it questionable how well he will be able to shut down the biggest, strongest and fastest players in the sport. A ceiling higher than a 3rd-pair defender seems unlikely.

6. Matyas Sapovaliv

Sapovaliv is one of those players who is highly effective even though he's not particularly exciting to watch. He's strong as an ox and a sharp, methodical thinker, and it's almost funny watching him play because you can see opponents recognize his intentions but still fail miserably at trying to stop him. There is an almost inevitability to how he drives pucks to the net in the offensive zone, slowly but powerfully. While he's good across all 200 feet of ice he is most effective defensively, utilizing his best attributes to be a masterful defensive pivot and penalty killer. He can hold his own in matchups against the top opposing centers in his age group, even the ones who hold a significant skating advantage over him, and he should continue being able to handle that usage as he moves up levels in the future.

7. Jiri Patera

Patera is the type of goaltender that teams draft because they like the tools he has, even if they know the entire time that it's going to take him a while to learn how to use them all in a collaborative way. The good parts of his game, which have ways been there, are his quickness, flexibility and bravado. The bad parts of his game were his leaky form, excessive crease movement, and frustrating inconsistency. But just like the Golden Knights hoped, those creases have been largely smoothed over and he is now on the cusp of the NHL. He even won his first two starts in the league. Vegas likely prefers that Patera cook for at least one more season in the AHL, but if they decide to promote a goalie from within their system any time soon, he is the obvious candidate.

8. Carl Lindbom

Lindbom is an incredibly easy goalie to root for. He always plays with his heart on his sleeve, he elevates his play in big games and under bright spotlights, and it's exciting to watch smaller netminders try to buck the increasingly hulking trend going on with the position. The way he can routinely take away different parts of the net at the last possible second is frustrating for opposing shooters but a lot of fun for fans. He's been successful in junior, at the Swedish pro level and in multiple international tournaments, which is a good sign that he will be able to further outplay the expectations of doubters and naysayers elsewhere in the future. He'll be in a good developmental situation if he stays in Europe for a couple more seasons, and Vegas shouldn't reach a point where they will feel the need to rush him along.

9. Daniil Chayka

The pandemic hurt some players more than others, and Chayka falls into that category. He looked fantastic at times in Guelph before the world changed, and while his decision to return home to Russia to guarantee games played made perfect sense, he hasn't been quite the same prospect ever since. His mix of positive attributes is still very appealing, as there is so much value in the NHL for rangy, mobile defensemen who can also carry the puck. On the flip side of the coin, however, his strengths can also be a double-edged sword, as he too frequently and easily glides out of position in his own zone or picks poor times and places to try going solo with the puck up ice and turns it over. Vegas will need to be a little extra hands-on with Chayka if they hope to get the best possible results out of him.

10. Jakub Brabenec

Brabanec is one of the most underrated prospects out there, though that could progressively change the further Sherbrooke advances in the CHL playoffs. He is a lanky, smooth, multifaceted forward who can play wing or center, slot up or down a lineup, and fill a role on the powerplay or the penalty kill. Displays an impressive proficiency for transporting the puck across zones, keeping it out in front of him in stride while also using his frame and reach to fend off backcheckers. While he hasn't produced a ton of points anywhere, he's played thus far all he needs to do to be a contributor at the NHL level is keep leaning on his tools to be someone who routinely drives pucks to the net with momentum. Projects better as a specialized support player than a true focal point, and there is nothing wrong with that.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 22:40:07 +0000

SAN JOSE, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) skates during a timeout during the NHL game between the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights on February 20, 2022 at SAP Center in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matt Cohen/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Brendan Brisson C

While some might recognize the Brisson name from Brendan Brisson’s father, NHL super-agent Pat Brisson, Brendan is a player of note in his own right. As another member of the Chicago Steel to Michigan Wolverines pipeline, a set of players that includes quite a few first-round picks, Brisson has for many years had the luxury of playing with top-of-the-line teammates. That might sound like a knock to some but having quality linemates has actually brought out the best in Brisson’s game. Brisson is a talented playmaker who is always reading the ice and looking to find the best way to cut through a defense. At times, Brisson can look like he’s treating his shift like a chess game, diligently considering all potential possibilities of things he can do with the puck before selecting an optimal move. At times, this really works for him. There are shifts where Brisson takes over the game, creates a few chances, and puts his teammates in positions to score in ways that defenses can hardly react to. But there are also shifts where this tendency to think through every problem he faces rather than simply react and rely on his instincts causes him to be ineffective, unable to find his way through a fast-moving, aggressive defense. If Brisson is playing with talented linemates who can get the most out of his patient, calculated offensive style, he can be an effective playmaker. He’ll likely be at his best on a power play, where he’ll have more time and space to orchestrate offensively. If he can round out the off-the-puck flaws in his game and perhaps get a bit quicker, he can be a driver of play in the NHL. The more likely outcome is Brisson finds the future as an offense-first player who sees significant time on the man advantage. - EH

2 - Pavel Dorofeyev LW

With most of his 20-21 season spent in Russia’s VHL (pro) and MHL (junior) leagues, Dorofeyev concluded the season playing for AHL Henderson and immediately opened some eyes with nine goals and 13 points in 24 games. The excitement was warranted as he spent the 21-22 season kicking down the door in the AHL, becoming Henderson’s top scorer with 27 goals and 52 points in 63 games. He also played twice for Vegas leading him to be one of the Golden Knights’ most NHL-ready prospects. One of the most impressive aspects of his development is the continued use of creative play while adjusting his game to not only withstand, but also initiate physical contact. His board work and drive through traffic have been in ascending all season long. A strong transition player, Dorofeyev can dictate the pace when given time and doesn’t need much of that to create new lines of attack and find openings in the defense. These improvements have allowed his puck skills and creativity to unfold to a greater degree. The Golden Knights have seen Dorofeyev as one of the internal assets whose progress has allowed them to pawn off higher rated prospect assets in recent deals. Cap concerns would indicate that Vegas is likely very serious about getting him into the offensive fray within the next two seasons and he should be one of the first call-ups this season should injuries occur. – CL

3 - Zach Dean C

Complete is the name of the game for Zach Dean. There are not many weaknesses to his game. His hands, his skating and the pace of his play are all very good attributes. He can play very aggressively and be very tough to play against defensively as well. His shot is no weak spot either, as he has a very quick and precise release and has no problem getting himself away from pressure, creating some space in order to shoot. His compete level is quite high, and he always has an insatiable hunger for the puck. That said, injuries continue to delay his progression. He struggled with injuries in his draft year, and he had similar issues last season. In fact, an injury also prevented him from participating at team Canada’s WJC camp this summer. Staying healthy is key for Dean, especially given the way that he needs to play to be effective. Vegas will be looking for Dean to take that next step as an offensive star for Gatineau this season. If he does, he should eventually become a quality middle six option for the Golden Knights. If injuries continue to be an issue, Vegas may become concerned that he is not durable enough to withstand the rigors of a pro career. - EB

4 - Lukas Cormier D

Lukas Cormier is an offensive-minded defenseman with his shot being his main attribute. Selected 68^th overall in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Cormier’s game shines the most in the offensive zone, where he mans the blue-line with his booming shot that he uses as much as possible as a playmaking and a scoring tool. His scoring prowess was put on display this year with Team Canada at the WJC where he had a goal and five assists in only seven games on route to a gold medal. However, no one has ever doubted Cormier’s offensive abilities. His back-to-back QMJHL defenseman of the year trophies are impressive and are evidence to the fact that he is elite with the puck on his stick. But in the defensive end, there have always been concerns that Cormier is not big, strong, or engaged enough to be a true top four defender. No question, he has made strides as a defensive player, especially in the last calendar year. His physical engagement has been much more consistent, and he has figured out how to make himself a more difficult player to match up against. As he starts his pro career this year in the AHL, all eyes will be on Cormier to see if he can defend against bigger and quicker forwards. He might still be a bit of a project who will require patience, but his offensive capabilities are unique and do give him the projection of an NHL defender in some capacity. - EB

5 - Daniil Miromanov D

Probably about the oldest and most well-travelled of the prospects detailed in this yearbook. Despite three fairly productive seasons in the QMJHL as an overager, Miromanov was never drafted and made his way through pro leagues in Russia and the Czech Republic before a strong season in the ECHL brought him to the KHL. His breakthrough came with KHL Sochi in 20-21 when he put up 10 goals and 29 points, earning him a free agent shot with the Vegas organization. This past season, his first in the AHL, he amassed 40 points in just 53 games. It led to an 11-game tryout in the big leagues and his ability to remain even-keeled and display his experience has him looking like a true option for the team heading into next season. For the Henderson Silver Knights, Miromanov’s was among the team leaders in both scoring and +/-. With an imposing 6’4”, 203-pound frame, the 25-year-old Russian can appear stiff at times yet is ultimately more mobile than expected. Very clever with the puck on his stick, there is a bit of a magician in there trying to make the best of every situation and happy to sniff out creative plays, a chief reason he was also Henderson’s point man on the power play. Ultimately, he has very heavy wrist and slapshots, and is active in attempting to shut down lanes and put pressure on opposition attackers. What you see is what you get with Miromanov, and Vegas will soon be finding out if he can be more than just a number 8 or 9 blueline option in their system. – CL

6 - Logan Thompson G

Thompson went unselected through his years of NHL draft eligibility before signing as an free agent with the Vegas Golden Knights back in 2020. The GM that signed him in 2020, Kelly McCrimmon, happened to be the former owner of Thompson’s former WHL team, the Brandon Wheat Kings. McCrimmon was around when Thompson first began playing for the Wheat Kings back in 2014. Thompson has had a peculiar path from his junior hockey days to the NHL. He had served as the back-up for Brandon from 2015-17 before taking the reins for the 2017-18 season. As a starter for the Wheat Kings, he had a consistent .908 SV% over two seasons with a GAA over 3.00. After his last year with the Wheat Kings, Thompson found his way to Brock University where he dominated play, finishing with a 2.22 GAA, and .934 SV% in 24 games. He won goaltender and rookie of the year for the Canadian university and was signed to play in the ECHL. Over the next few seasons, Thompson had success in the ECHL, eventually landing a contract with Vegas in 2020. In his first season playing for Vegas’ AHL team, the Henderson Silver Knights, he posted a 1.96 GAA and a .943 SV% in 23 games. He was awarded the AHL’s best goaltender award, alongside being named to both the All-Rookie team and the AHL All-Star team. He also played in his first NHL game that season, recording a shutout. His success continued last season splitting time between the AHL and NHL. In the NHL, Thompson posted a 2.68 GAA and .914 SV% in 19 games. With Robin Lehner facing an injury that is expected to keep him out the entire 2022-23 season, Thompson is expected to carve out a large role for the Golden Knights this season. Time will tell if his unique success story continues. - ZS

7 - Kaedan Korczak D

Korczak was selected 41^st overall in the 2019 NHL draft by the Vegas Golden Knights. Standing at 6’4”, 192 pounds, he is a large defenceman who thrives in his own end. On top of his large frame, he is also a good skater for someone his size. He has the ability to transition the puck end-to-end with his combination of size and speed. He isn’t afraid of getting physical either, often punishing defenders who challenge him. Korczak showed a glimmer of offence with his time in the WHL, posting 33 points in 68 games in his draft year as well as 49 points in 60 games the year after. His offence has dried up since transitioning to the AHL, with the Henderson Silver Knights, with whom he has spent parts of the past two seasons. His first experience with the Silver Knights came during the pandemic 2020-21 season where he played 11 games for them before going back to the WHL. This past season Korczak spent almost the entirety of the year in the AHL, playing 47 games and producing 14 points on top of his solid defence. He was also able to make his NHL debut this year appearing in one game for Vegas. Korczak’s build and play scream future NHL third pair stay-at-home defenceman, expected to provide consistent play in the defensive end and allowing for more offensively gifted defenceman to shine. While it is expected for Korczak to spend the majority of the year in the AHL again, he is only a couple of injuries away from getting a larger opportunity at carving out an NHL role. - ZS

8 - Daniil Chayka D

The 38th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, Daniil Chayka has had an interesting journey thus far and is coming off of a solid season. The former 7th overall selection in the 2018 OHL Draft had a good rookie season, finishing with 14 points (5G,9A) in 56 games. During the 2019-2020 season, Chayka took a step forward and finished with 34 points (11G,23A) in 56 games. During the 2020-2021 season while the OHL was shutdown due to Covid-19, Chayka made the decision to return back to Russia to get some ice time. In his time in Russia, he played in three different leagues, 11 games in the KHL, 10 in the VHL and 5 in the MHL. Chayka also got the opportunity to play in the U20 World Junior Championship. During the 2021-2022 season, Chayka returned to the OHL and had a great season, finishing with 39 points (7G,32A) in 53 games, which was 20th in the league for points by a defenseman, 8th on the team for points and 4th on the team in assists. Chayka’s best assets are his hockey sense and competitiveness. Chayka has a great understanding of how to best utilize his size, having a great reach to quickly take away space and make it difficult to get into the offensive zone and in the slot. His stick is consistently active, applying great pressure on opponents. He has a great motor and is rarely out of the battle, using good physicality. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Chayka will make the return to the OHL and be a leader on and off the ice for the Storm, being a strong defenseman on both sides of the puck. - DK

9 - Matyas Sapovaliv C

The 48th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, Matyas Sapovaliv was one of the best imports in the OHL last season and was a huge asset to a Saginaw Spirit team that struggled and finished 2nd last in the league with the 2nd most goals against. In the 2020-2021 season, Sapovaliv spent his time split between the Czechia U20 league, Czechia tier 2 league and the U18 World Championship. Sapovaliv made his way to the OHL in the 2021-2022 season and was able to quickly adjust to the league and was heavily relied on by the Spirit, playing a lot of minutes and being utilized on both special teams. At the end of the season Sapovaliv finished with 52 points (18G,34A) in 68 games, which was 4th on the team in points and 4th in the league for points by a rookie. Sapovaliv also spent time that year playing in the U18 World Championship and also the U20 World Junior Championship. Sapovaliv’s best assets are his playmaking and hockey sense. He has the ability to see passing lanes before they open up and connect tape to tape passes with precision at high pace. He consistently makes smart decisions with and without the puck, playing a responsible game. He uses his size very well, utilizing his reach to apply pressure and make it difficult to play against. His responsible play and strong defensive game make him an asset on the penalty kill, using an active stick and physicality to breakup and shutdown chances in the defensive zone. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Sapovaliv will continue to be a top player on a much better Spirit team, giving him more opportunity to increase his point totals and help him gain more confidence. - DK

10 - Ivan Morozov C

After two good years in the KHL, Morozov inked his ELC with Vegas late last season (allowing him to play some games with Henderson in the AHL playoffs), which means that the power center will be starting this year in North America. Morozov is a strong two-way center who can put his head down and power his way to the net. He has good speed and is difficult to knock off stride once he builds a head of steam. His size, strength, and speed does make him a possible bottom six candidate, but is he skilled enough to be a top six contributor? Consistency has always been an enemy of Morozov at the KHL level and how he adjusts to playing in North America is anyone’s guess. His upside does remain a serious question mark. Does he have the hands and creativity to be a scoring line player in North America? Do his issues with consistency point to IQ and processing issues? Already with great depth, Morozov will most likely start in the AHL with Henderson. From there, it will depend on his play. If he plays well, he probably moves to Vegas quickly as one of the team’s first injury call-ups. - BO

11 - Jakub Brabenec

A skilled playmaking center, Brabanec was terrific for Charlottetown of the QMJHL in his first season in North America. He has great offensive awareness but needs to continue adding strength.

12 - Jonas Rondbjerg

The big Danish winger split last year between Vegas and the AHL, his best season as a pro yet. Armed with a new three-year deal, he figures to be a long-term fixture in the Golden Knights’ bottom six.

13 - Jordan Gustafson

A third-round selection in 2022, Gustafson is already a terrific two-way center because of how well he processes the game. Adding quickness and speed to his game is a must moving forward.

14 - Isaiah Saville

Saville’s three-year tenure at UNO was solid, but unspectacular. However, he was terrific in a brief stint at the AHL level to finish last season. A highly athletic netminder, Vegas will be looking for Saville to maintain that strong level of play over a full season with Henderson.

15 - Jackson Hallum

Hallum is an attacking forward who knows only one speed. His year in the USHL last season was terrific and he will try to be an immediate impact player on a deep Michigan Wolverines team this season.

16 - Peter Diliberatore

An intelligent two-way defender, Diliberatore was solid as a first year pro this season with Henderson, playing big minutes in the AHL. His NHL upside may be somewhat limited, but there’s a strong chance he plays in some capacity.

17 - Connor Corcoran

Injuries wiped out Corcoran’s first pro season, so Vegas was careful with him in his first full pro year, split between the ECHL and the AHL. He was solid at both spots. Corcoran has great scoring instincts for a defender but will need to prove he can defend at the pro level.

18 - Paul Cotter

The power forward has improved in each of his first three pro seasons and was rewarded with a brief callup to Vegas last season. He is in contention to play a bottom six role for the Golden Knights this year.

19 - Jiri Patera

A former free agent signing by the Golden Knights, Patera has been all over the place in recent seasons. He likely competes with Isaiah Saville for ice time at the AHL level this season behind veteran Michael Hutchinson.

20 - Jakub Demek

The big winger was solid for Edmonton of the WHL in his first North American season, helping the Oil Kings win a WHL title. He should be in line for an even bigger role this season.

USHL: 2020-21 Playoff Preview – Expect Entertaining Hockey with Chicago a Clear Favourite

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 15:27:15 +0000

If there is an exception to the across-the-board negative impact of COVID-19 on the world of hockey, it may rest in the USHL. As north of the border, the three leagues of the CHL were in disarray – at best – the USHL, played a fairly “normal” year.

Sure, the league proceeded without the participation of the Madison Capitals (regional COVID restrictions) or the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders (a Derecho huffed and puffed and blew the arena down), but the rest of the league played (an approximately) 54 game schedule with rather few disruptions.

Not only that, but in terms of quality, the league was better than ever, as a number of players who had expected to suit up for Canadian teams – both CHL and Jr. A – were given an opportunity to play for various USHL teams as their regular leagues were delayed indefinitely, or outright cancelled. Those bonus players included some that were drafted already, including Cross Hanas, Bear Hughes, and Danil Gushchin*. Other drafted players came in from the Ivy League schools, who did not play a hockey schedule this year. In addition to the likes of Henry Thrun, Jack Malone, and Austin Wong coming to the USHL after some time in college, others like Sean Farrell and Alex Laferriere, who had intended to start collegiate life this year, were forced to stay back for one more year in the Midwest.

*Gushchin, who had played the previous two seasons with Muskegon, was expected to play in Ontario with Niagara for the 2020-21 season, but with the OHL in permanent statis, he was loaned back to the Lumberjacks, where he put up his best season yet.

And then there were the draft-eligible ringers who unexpectedly joined the league and played so well that they have legitimate first round consideration at the end of it. I am thinking, of course, of Cole Sillinger, who joined Sioux Falls, before it was known when, or if, the WHL would get going, and Ayrton Martino and Jack Bar, who had played in Ontario last year and had been planning on playing in the BCHL this year before Canadian restrictions pushed them to the USHL, with Omaha and Chicago, respectively.

Of course, there were many other unexpected players in the league this year, with those mentioned only scratching the surface of the most famous names.

So, before we preview the postseason, which begins this Friday (Apr. 30), let’s pour one out for the six teams that didn’t make, and give a word to the top 1-3 draft eligible players from those squads.

Team USA

One point behind Dubuque for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference – although far further back via points percentage (.510-.481), the USNTDP team that would have played in the USHL playoffs had they made it would have been the U17 team. The best of that group – Rutger McGroarty, Isaac Howard, Ryan Chesley, Lane Hutson, Charlie Stramel and others – are playing with the U18 team in Texas at the WU18 tournament. No draft eligibles but remember those names for next season.

Youngstown Phantoms

By points percentage, easily the weakest team in the league. The aforementioned Jack Malone, a Vancouver draft pick, was far and away the top performer on the team, which is to be expected from a player with a year at Cornell under his belt. Among first year draft eligibles, Japanese import Yusako Ando was the most notable, although his second year in the league was worse than his first. He can create for others, but he doesn’t skate well enough to make up for his slight 5-7” frame. The only other draft eligible who ever made a positive impression on me from this roster was blueliner Austen May. The Providence commit is on the small side, but he is really fleet of foot and shows decent attention to detail off the puck.

Des Moines Buccaneers

Despite the presence of three drafted players – Alex Laferriere (LA), Noah Ellis (Vgk), and Lucas Mercuri (Car), the Buccaneers struggled this year, particularly in terms of putting the puck in the net. The drafted guys were all solid, but too few of the rest of the roster could match their output. Perhaps things would have been different if Paul Davey hadn’t of left mid-season for a stint back home in Connecticut. Davey and Scout Truman were the two most notable first time draft eligible on the roster, but neither really put their stamp on the season. If there are to be any Buccaneers drafted this year, they will be among the redraft candidates. To that end, file away the names of Matt Choupani and Remington Koepple. Choupani is a forward who lacks much in the way of physical tools but can play the puck well. Koepple is a goalie who had decent numbers in his first year in the league, although he has only average size and athleticism and he chocked in the BioSteel game, hurting his standing for some.

Lincoln Stars

The Stars went heavy on the ringers partway through the season. Cross Hanas was already mentioned, but he was just one of four players brought in from the WHL Portland Winterhawks, joining Clay Hanas (no relation), Jack O’Brien, and James Stefan, as well as Charles-Alexis Legault from West Kelowna in the BCHL and Michael Mastrodomenico from AAA hockey in Quebec. Simply put, the shuffled team never gelled, and the newcomers couldn’t get into the swing of the USHL.

O’Brien was the biggest disappointment. There was some expectation that he could be a high round pick this year, but one goal and six assists in 23 games ended that sentiment. Blueliner Legault didn’t hurt his stock too much, as he still has great size and skates well and shoots from his right side. Stefan, son of former first overall pick Patrik Stefan, had enough moments to maybe convince some team to call his name in the late rounds. A kind word also to big bruising winger Gleb Veremeyev. Veremeyev isn’t an offensive threat, but one of the top PIM players in the league is a threat, nonetheless. The USHL is not a very physical league, and when a player has that size and plays with that snarl, he sometimes gets drafted, such as we saw with Nick Capone last year and Martin Pospisil in 2018.

Waterloo Black Hawks

Generally contenders, the Black Hawks find themselves out of the playoffs for the first time since 2014-15, and only the second time in 14 seasons for which there were playoffs. Fielding one of the smaller and least experienced lineups in the league, this just wasn’t their year. Their one drafted player, Toronto’s Wyatt Schingoethe, regressed heavily from his strong draft year. The team cycled through goalies, with three seeing significant minutes. Remember the name of Emmett Croteau, the best performing of their netminders, as he won’t be draft eligible until 2022.

Among players eligible this year, the most impressive were second time eligible defenseman Cooper Wylie, a USHL rookie, who can play the puck and skate well enough to make his ornery game effective, if not spectacular. He could be drafted. On the other hand, David Gucciardi, acquired in an early season trade from Youngstown, will be drafted. His game is raw, and his mistakes are often critical, but he has tools, and his instincts are good enough to think he can be a good one if he relies on his instincts all the time.

Sioux Falls Stampede

The Western Conference bottom feeders are a mystery. In the last USHL playoffs, the Stampede took home the title. In addition to their usual solid team, this year they brought in the highest profile ringer in Cole Sillinger, who didn’t disappoint, with a team leading 46 points despite only playing in 31 games. He is a sniper with an NHL style game who will be back in the WHL next year. The USHL rarely sees a player of his caliber, whether talking about skill or about reading the game, yet he couldn’t drag the Stampede upwards on his own. I would be surprised if he isn’t the first player from this year’s USH: crop to play in the NHL.

Defender Brent Johnson was one of the better draft eligible defenders in the league as well. A power play specialist with good wheels and an ornery side, his season ended right before the BioSteel All American Game due to a shoulder injury, but could hear his name called in the 50-80 range of the draft if his medicals hold up.

Although not as high profile, I also have time for second time eligible, defenseman Nate Schweitzer, who can do a lot well, but nothing spectacularly, and winger Mike Citara, who can skate and shoot. I don’t expect either to be drafted, but I wouldn’t be surprised if either was.

The Playoffs

The format this year is simple. The top four teams from each conference made it in. All series are best-of-threes. Top seed plays the fourth seed, and second seed plays the third seed. All games are hosted by the higher seed. One series per weekend until one team lifts the Clark Cup. Let’s go!

Western Conference

Jack Peart. Photo Dan Hickling, Hickling Images

#1 Tri-City Storm vs #4 Fargo Force

The Western Conference was incredibly tight at the top with the playoff picture not being settled until the final weekend of the regular season. The points percentage difference between Tri-City and Fargo (32 percentage points) was less than between Fargo and fifth place Des Moines (34 percentage points).

Fargo was the third best defensive team in the league, although Tri-City was the best at keeping the puck out of its net. Neither team is known for filling their opponents’ nets either, but both had generally done enough to walk away with points more often than not. In fact, they are quite evenly matched. The difference in these three games (outside of home ice advantage) is likely to rest in special teams. Fargo was mediocre on both the power play and the penalty kill, while the Storm were strong with the man advantage and almost impregnable on the penalty kill, leading the league with a breathtaking 88.3% kill rate. To Fargo’s credit, they have played far more of their season at 5-on-5 than Tri-City. And they will have to do that again this weekend to keep their season alive.

Beyond the expected close games, another reason to watch this series is the head-to-head matchup between two very interesting and talented draft eligibles. On Fargo, that would be Tristan Broz, a two-way center with a good motor and the vision to be a power play weapon. The Minnesota commit ran away with the scoring lead on his team. His numbers would be even more impressive if he had more talented teammates to play with. On Tri-City, the man of the hour is Matthew Knies. Knies started his season painfully slow, but ended it on fire, with 20 points in his final 11 games. Knies has heavier feet, but a very mature build and at his best, can take over the game. He will join Broz with the Golden Gophers next year.

Knies and Broz are not the only intriguing draft eligible players in this series. In fact, Fargo blueliner Jack Peart has a very good chance to be the highest drafted player in this series. The St. Cloud State commit split his season between Fargo and Grand Rapids High School (Mn). He is a good skater with a very strong first few steps, who plays with preternatural poise. He controls the puck like a much older player and plays a strong 200-foot game. Had Peart spent the entire season in Fargo, the final standings may have looked very different. For Fargo, also keep an eye on Aaron Huglen, a Buffalo draft pick who returned from over a full year on the sidelines after around a third of this season was done and has played a skilled game ever since.

On Tri-City, Knies is joined by a pair of intriguing draft eligible players in Hunter Strand and Carter Mazur, the latter of whom is a second time eligible player. Strand is a USNTDP alum, whose late birthday prevented him from being drafted last year. The Alaska native is a great skater and plays a patient game with the puck. Mazur has more of an East-West style game, helped along by plus edges. He can play the pest role as well and retains utility off the puck. Strand and Mazur both outscored Knies this year, but Knies already had a big reputation through his big pre-draft year and his run to end the year keeps him top of mind.

Prediction: Fargo in three. A mild upset to be sure. The return of Peart helps Fargo just as much as the loss of top blueliner Guillaume Richard hurts Tri-City. Richard is currently representing Team Canada at the WU18s in Texas. Neither team has stellar goaltending, but Fargo’s Brennan Boynton should be able to roughly match Tri-City’s Todd Scott.

#2 Omaha Lancers vs #3 Sioux City Musketeers

Both Omaha and Sioux City put up 63 points in 53 games, but their paths to getting there could scarcely have been more different. Consider that Omaha’s goal differential was a mediocre +13, while Sioux City outscored their opponents on aggregate by 35 goals, with the league’s best – by far – defense.

The two teams are both led by high end goaltending, each starting one of the three drafted netminders in the league. For Sioux City, that man is the Swiss Akira Schmid, a New Jersey prospect, while Montreal draftee Jakob Dobes, from Czechia, mans the pipes for Omaha. Dobes was a true workhorse for the Lancers, playing in 47 of the team’s 53 games, while Schmid played roughly two-third of the time for Sioux City, as his back up was more reliable.

Schmid will need to be at his best in this series, however, as Omaha has one of the biggest offensive weapons in the league at their disposal in Ayrton Martino. Martino joined the club shortly after the calendar flipped into 2021 and took the league by storm, with the fifth best points-per-game ratio in the USHL (1.47). A great skater with a fantastic shot, Martino did not let his slight frame prevent him from dominating, and his playmaking game is just as strong as his finishing ability. If Sioux City can shut Martino down, the Lancers don’t have too many other weapons at their disposal as their secondary scoring is largely in the hands of USHL veterans like Ryan Lautenbach, Nolan Renwick and Zach Dubinsky. The Omaha roster is one of the oldest in the league.

Sioux City, on the other hand, has a few more weapons at its disposal. Detroit draft pick Chase Bradley and New Jersey pick Ethan Edwards were both in the team’s top four in scoring, while Buffalo pick Matteo Costantini showed well after joining the league mid-season. Although the Musketeers don’t have a draft eligible player the likes of Martino, don’t sleep on defenseman Shai Buium. A USHL rookie out of the Shattuck-St. Mary’s program, he combines quick hands with smooth, if not quick, feet. He plays a strong two-way game and if he were a better skater (he isn’t bad, but he isn’t great), we would be hearing more people call for him as a first round type of talent. As is, he has enough raw skill to dream on a big, late-blooming future. I am also keeping an eye on redraft candidates defenseman Daniel Laatsch and center Justin Hryckowian. Laatsch is a USNTDP alum who has great size and some burgeoning skill, but is still raw, while Hryckowian has a fun skill game, but an injury-filled history and a sub-optimal build.

Prediction: Sioux City’s depth overcomes Martino’s solo skill in three games.

Western Conference Final Prediction: Sioux City over Fargo in three games. Sioux City is just too difficult to score against and has enough offensive weapons to get the job done.

Eastern Conference

Matthew Coronato. Photo by Dan Hickling, Hickling Images

#1 Chicago Steel vs #4 Dubuque Fighting Saints

By all accounts, this should be a washout. Chicago is, by great lengths, the top team in the USHL. They enter the postseason on an eight-game undefeated streak, and won 38 of 54 games this year, often by wide margins. Their goaltending has been shoddy at times, but far more often than not, they were able to outscore their troubles and their total of 265 goals scored was 24 more than the runners-up. Dubuque, on the other hand, won only 24 of 51 games, securing the final playoff spot in the east thanks to a win in their final game coupled with a loss from the U17 USNTDP squad.

If Dubuque is to have a hope in this series, look to their defensive players. Goalie Lukas Parik, a Los Angeles draft pick, struggled since joining the team, in late-January from the Czech second division, but shut out Green Bay in his final game, reminding us of what he is capable. On the blueline, fellow LA pick Braden Doyle teams up with Anaheim draft pick Henry Thrun to give the Fighting Saints a pair of weapons. Up front, Dubuque has a balanced attack, but the man to watch is Robert Cronin. While too old to be drafted this year Cronin is a late bloomer with speed and skill who will be a good follow next year once he joins the University of New Hampshire. The boy to watch, on the other hand, is Matthew Savoie. The 17-year-old is a 2022 draft eligible, who should have been playing in the WHL, but the uncertainty in that league led him to Dubuque, where he immediately played a central, and at time dominating, role. He’s going to be really fun to watch next year.

Looking at draft eligibles for this summer, keep your eyes on Connor Kurth and Andrei Buyalsky. Buylasky is actually the same age (born three days later) as Cronin, but as he is considered a foreign player (this is his first season in North America), the Kazakhstani forward is draft eligible while the American Cronin is not. Buyalsky is an impressive skater with impressive finishing ability. Kurth, on the other hand, has no particular big attributes to his game, but he finds a way to put up good numbers. He has a very stocky build but moves well enough regardless.

Moving on to Chicago, almost every skater on the roster is worthy of mention. Start with Montreal draft pick Sean Farrell, a USNTDP alum who would have been with Harvard this season had the Crimson actually played. Instead, he put up a breathtaking 101-point season for the Steel. His playmaking ability is simply unfair to most opponents on most nights. Then there is Matthew Coronato, a likely first round pick, who scored 48 goals in 51 games. Sure, it helps to have Farrell playing on your team, but the two actually rarely played together at even strength. Coronato is an offensive dynamo, who is content to cycle on his own for multiple full loops of the offensive end before he sees a seam to exploit.

Then there is Jack Bar, a late add to the roster from the BCHL. After a brief period acclimating to the league, he began to dominate. The defenseman likes to get deep into the offensive zone but is also a physical and committed defender. He has some first round upside. Of course, I also have to mention Mackie Samoskevich, who at one time was seen as a better draft prospect than Coronato. Samoskevich struggled somewhat after a midseason injury but is another gifted playmaker and a fantastic skater to boot.

I don’t want to get into the weeds too much, but I also expect Josh Doan (son of Shane), Ryan Ufko, and Jackson Blake to be drafted this summer, and Jack Harvey being drafted wouldn’t surprise me either. Anaheim draft pick Ian Moore has been impressive in his first season in the USHL, and 2023(!!) eligible forward Adam Fantilli is a burgeoning superstar. As good as everyone else already mentioned on this roster is, Fantilli’s upside is the highest. I am talking top three in the draft upside.

Prediction: Chicago in two, barring a complete breakdown in net. Chicago in three if the goalies stumble.

#2 Muskegon Lumberjacks vs #3 Green Bay Gamblers

A testament to how tight the West is, the Muskegon-Green Bay series is the second most lopsided duel after Chicago-Dubuque, with .040 percentage points separating the Lumberjacks and the Gamblers. Muskegon plays an up-tempo, high-event game with red lights going off at both ends. Green Bay is best when they keep goals to a minimum, and actually ended the season with the fewest goals allowed in the conference.

Green Bay’s chances are led by a pair of Boston Bruins’ draft picks in defender Mason Lohrei and center Jake Schmaltz. The latter is a two-way forward, who after three seasons in the USHL, has figured out how to be a factor offensively. He does a lot of little things well but lacks any dynamic elements. Lohrei was a surprise second rounder last season but has grown his game even more this year. He is big, skates very well, has a big point shot and plays a tough game at all ends. The Gamblers will go as far as he can take them. Vancouver draft pick Jackson Kunz and Vegas pick Jackson Hallum are also on the roster, and while both have shown the ability to provide secondary offense, neither can make things happen on their own. 2022 eligible Ryan Greene is an interesting player, but if there is a wild card in Green Bay, it is Camden Thiesing. The Tennessee native combines skill with grit, finishing third in the league in PIMs. He will work to make things happen on his own, and when he stays out of the penalty box, he is dangerous.

Led by San Jose draft pick Danil Gushchin, Muskegon is incredibly entertaining. Gushchin is a dynamo, who is not the most consistent player, but when he is involved and engaged, is one of the top handful of forwards in the league. He is joined by a deep roster of talented players, a few of whom should be drafted this summer, many of those in their second year of eligibility. The best of that secondary bunch is center Cameron Berg. Berg finished last year hot after a slow start and didn’t miss a beat coming into this year. He has a high-end wrist shot and knows how to create space for himself to rip one off. Winger Quinn Hutson is another second-year eligible forward who made waves this year. The type of player to get to the right spot at the right time, he knows how to finish what his linemates create. On the blueline, there are a trio to watch. The offensive blueline is Jacob Guevin, a power play specialist, whose production overshadows his average tools. Alex Gagne and Hank Kempf are bigger, more physical blueliners who make life difficult for attacking forwards. I could see all three drafted this summer.

Prediction: Muskegon in three games.

Eastern Conference Final prediction: Chicago in three games over Muskegon. This would be an immensely entertaining series.

Clark Cup Final Prediction: Chicago over Sioux City in three games. It’s really hard to bet against the Steel this year.

2020 NHL Draft Team Reviews: Pacific Division

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 20:03:03 +0000

For an introduction to these reviews, please see the review of the draft classes of the Metropolitan Division.

San Jose Sharks

1/31 Ozzy Weisblatt, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)

2/38 Thomas Bordeleau. C, USNTDP (USHL)

2/56 Tristen Robins, C, Saskatoon (WHL)

3/76 Danil Gushchin, LW, Muskegon (USHL)

4/98 Brandon Coe, RW, North Bay (OHL)

7/196 Alex Young, C, Canmore (AJHL)

7/201 Adam Raska, RW, Rimouski (QMJHL)

7/206 Linus Oberg, C/RW, Orebro HK (SHL)

7/210 Timofey Spitserov, RW, Culver Military Academy Prep (USHS-IN)

Before the draft, the Sharks had one of the most barren systems in the league, ranking 25^th overall in our recently released Prospect Report. While the top prospect in the system at that time was a defenseman, the strength of the system, if there could be said to be a strength, was up front, with seven of the top ten all forwards. If you can’t see where this is going, take another look at the players the Sharks drafted this year, right above this paragraph. Take a moment to spot the trend. I’ll wait right after the line break. You can do it.

You did it! The Sharks had nine picks in this draft, after their wheeling and dealing, and used each of those picks on forwards. Some of these forwards are really good mind you, shaking up the look of the system and providing the Sharks and their fans with some future excitement. Especially the players they selected in the first four rounds, all of whom have both considerable ceilings and respectable floors in their projections. Also notable in this draft class is the lack of size in the players taken. Brandon Coe is the only one of the nine drafted forwards who measures in over 6-0” tall.

Another notable trend that the Sharks seem to have targeted with their 2020 picks was a history of offensive production. Most everyone selected, with the possible exception of seventh rounder Adam Raska, put up strong numbers in their respective draft seasons, and even Raska had put up the points in previous seasons, before he came over from the Czech Republic, to play in the QMJHL. Having utilized the free talent market extensively in recent seasons to augment their work at the draft table, I expect the Sharks to continue to use those channels to fill in the defensemen and the goalies that they ignored at the virtual draft. It’s an interesting and bold strategy and as of right now, there is no reason that it could not work, adding multiple pieces to the next competitive Sharks’ roster.

Best value pick: Brandon Coe

As much as we love the potential of the first four forwards drafted by the Sharks this year (all have top six upside), they were all selected right around where we had them ranked. So, they would all provide good value relative to slot. Coe, on the other hand, was taken 24 slots later than where we had him ranked. We already alluded to his size, coming in at 6-4”, 190, but didn’t mention that the size does not hamper his skating in the least and he moves tremendously well. His offensive tools also project to above average, giving him middle six upside. The former third overall pick in the 2017 OHL Draft, ahead of a few people drafted in the first round of the NHL draft last year, has been a top scorer on a middling North Bay team, and could blossom with a stronger supporting cast.

Worst value pick: Linus Oberg

Considering how much we liked the Sharks picks in the first four rounds, and they then waited until the seventh round to add additional talent to the organization, there really wasn’t any bad value in the San Jose selections. Of the four players they took in the seventh round, I have the least faith in Oberg exceeding his draft expectations. The only player currently based in Europe (not counting COVID loans), he was in his third year of draft eligibility, gaining some prominence last season as an SHL rookie and a depth forward on Sweden’s Bronze Medal winning WJC squad. He could make it, but depth is the ceiling.

Los Angeles Kings

1/2 Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury (OHL)

2/35 Helge Grans, D, Malmo J20 (SuperElit)

2/45 Brock Faber, D, USNTDP (USHL)

3/66 Kasper Simontaival, RW, Tappara U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

3/83 Alex Laferriere, RW, Des Moines (USHL)

4/112 Juho Markkanen, G, SaiPa U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

5/128 Martin Chromiak, RW, Kingston (OHL)

5/140 Ben Meehan, D, Cedar Rapids (USHL)

7/190 Aatu Jamsen, RW, Pelicans U18 (U18 SM-sarja)

As with the New York Rangers (Alexis Lafreniere) and the Ottawa Senators (Tim Stutzle), the Kings were automatic winners of the 2020 draft as soon as the lottery balls dictated that they would be picking second overall. Lafreniere would be gone, but Rob Blake and friends would have the choice of Byfield or Stutzle. In the end, they elected to select the King-sized center instead of the fleet of foot German. The Kings have been steadily building up one of the best systems in the game, and Byfield waltzes in to take his place on their proverbial prospect throne. But as with any self-respecting rebuilding club, the Kings did not stop after welcoming Byfield to the organization but added eight more players as well. And wouldn’t you know it, but they continued their recent tradition of drafting for skill and production at every opportunity.

Overall, the Kings diversified their draft class, selecting five forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender. Geographically, their picks were mostly split between Finland (3), the OHL (2), and the USHL (3), with the other pick coming out of Sweden. If there is a trend to their picks, it is in their size. Unlike division rivals San Jose, LA largely selected players who are, well, large, or at least, not small. Outside of third rounder Kasper Simontaival, all other picks measure at least 6-0” in height, although some of them still have a lot of filling out to do. For the most part, the drafted players have also all exhibited well-refined hockey IQs, a keen understanding of the flow of the game and the wherewithal to make smart choices. Even if some of the players selected lack top half of the roster upside (I am thinking here of Brock Faber), they have the total package to find their ways up to the NHL.

With so much high-end talent now in the system, the test for the Kings will be to develop their prospect bounty, refining their games and timing their ascension to the NHL carefully. Once the cream rises to the top, the team will also be tasked with finding roles for everyone. Great prospect depth does not always lead to great success at the NHL level, but drafting well is the first step in building a sustainable winner, and the Kings have performed that step rather nicely. The tear down is over. The Kings are ready to start stepping into the future.

Best value pick: Martin Chromiak

So many choices here. In some systems, Alex Laferriere would qualify for this title as a player on the rise with a high end shot and commendable work ethic taken in the third round. In most systems, getting Kasper Simontaival in the third round would be the heist of the draft, as he could easily have gone a full round higher, and has one of the best shots in the draft class. But neither Laferriere nor Simontaival can match the value the Kings fell into when they finally stopped the slide of Martin Chromiak in the fifth round. Between his skating, hands, August-02 birthdate, proven ability to play with top flight players (Zayde Wisdom and Shane Wright with Kingston) and his smooth adaptation to North American hockey, Chromiak is not only Slovakia’s greatest hope for returning to the top flight in junior hockey, but also a player with top six ceiling and an NHL floor. Chromiak should not have been available this deep into Day Two of the draft, but he was, and the Kings will reap the rewards.

Worst pick value: Juha Markkanen

While I was not a big fan of Brock Faber (I preferred four of his USNTDP defense mates in this draft class, but only two were already off the board when the Kings called on Faber), I know that many others had a different opinion and he would likely have been drafted later in the second or early in the third even if the Kings passed on him. He plays a safe, smart game, akin to Kings’ 2019 first rounder Tobias Bjornfot, albeit much further from the NHL than Bjornfot was last year. We are instead choosing Markkanen for this dubious distinction. The sone of former Oilers’ netminder Jussi Markkanen, Juha was born in Edmonton, raised in Switzerland, and moved back to Finland as a young teen, where he is currently in the SaiPa system of which his father is the GM. The young Markkanen struggled in Finland’s top junior league last year, and outside of decent mobility, does not have much to suggest that he was worth drafting at all, much less in the fourth round.

Anaheim Ducks

1/6 Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie (OHL)

1/27 Jacob Perreault, RW, Sarnia (OHL)

2/36 Sam Colangelo, RW, Chicago (USHL)

3/67 Ian Moore, D, St. Mark’s School (USHS-MA)

4/104 Thimo Nickl, D, Drummondville (QMJHL)

5/129 Artyom Galimov, LW, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)

6/160 Albin Sundsvik, C, Skelleftea (SHL)

7/207 Ethan Bowen, C, Chilliwack (BCHL)

Even with the recent prospect graduations of such talents as Sam Steel, Maxime Comtois, Max Jones, and Troy Terry, the Anaheim pipeline is still pretty strong, and still forward heavy. In our recently released Prospect Report, four of the top five prospects in the system – including the number one prospect in the game prior to the draft in Trevor Zegras – were forwards and the fifth was a goalie. Not that we ever advocate drafting for need, but it was especially fortuitous for the Ducks that the best player available when they made the sixth pick in the 2020 draft was a defenseman. Whether the Ducks would have taken Jake Sanderson instead if Ottawa went for a forward with the fifth pick is unknown, but the industry was largely split on the identity of the top blueliner in this class and an argument can be made that Anaheim drafted him with their first round pick of Jamie Drysdale.

The Ducks did not overthink their next two picks either – one later in the first round, and the next one early in the second – taking a pair of wingers who were in the discussion for the best available in their respective slots. The wingers were followed by two more defenders and the team finished their draft with three more forwards. Notably, after the first round, the Ducks followed the growing industry trend of avoiding CHL picks in the later rounds, with only fourth rounder Thimo Nickl, and Austrian import who spent last season playing for Drummondville, of the QMJHL, breaking that run. In fact, if Nickl was playing in the Q as a loaned player, or if he is counted as a European as he left Quebec for Sweden, to play with Rogle’s J20 team, then the Ducks will have only drafted the two CHLers. That trend plays right into the Ducks ongoing relationship with the Chicago Steel of the USHL. In recent years, they have drafted Jack Badini (2017), Blake McLaughlin (2018) and Jackson Lacombe (2019), all with deep Steel ties. This year, their third pick, Sam Colangelo, spent the past two seasons playing for the Steel, while their fourth pick, Ian Moore, will be playing there next season before moving on to the collegiate game.

Beyond the push to draft players for whom they will have plenty of time to bring under contract, the Ducks leaned towards their roots of size and skill, with none of the drafted players standing under 5-11”, and five of the eight coming in at 6-0” or taller. Much like their anti-CHL bias, two of the three 5-11” picks were the Ducks first rounders, indicating that when the upside is that high, size is less of a concern, but when the upside is muted in the later rounds, they would prefer a taller player to a shorter one.

Best value pick: Jamie Drysdale

The truth is that the Ducks did not draft anyone significantly later than where we had them ranked. Six of their eight picks were listed in our top 217, and they were all selected very close to where we had them listed. Without having the benefit of drafting a player below his projected outcomes, then the best value naturally comes at the top. In Drysdale, the Ducks have a world class skater, who exhibits equal measures of calmness and dynamism when transporting the puck up the ice. Without owning a bigtime point shot, he has the vision and skill set to be an offensive quarterback, directing the play and helping his team maintain possession for multi-chance offensive zone possessions. This is a future star deservedly selected at the top of the draft. That’s value.

Worst value pick: Thimo Nickl

As the majority of the Ducks’ picks were made near where we had them ranked, we can only give this spot to their one pick who didn’t make either our main or Honorable Mention lists, which combine to cover 317 players in total. A right shot defender, Nickl put up strong numbers in his first North American season last year, and played a key role in helping Austria gain promotion into the top rung of U20 hockey, but he is a subpar skater and his tools do not otherwise make us confident that his skating can be overcome in other ways.

Arizona Coyotes

2/49 – Forfeited pick

4/111 Mitchell Miller, D, Tri-City (USHL)

5/142 Carson Bantle, LW, Madison (USHL)

6/173 Filip Barklund, C/LW, Orebro J20 (SuperElit)

7/192 Elliot Ekefjard, RW, IF Bjorkloven J20 (J20 Elit)

7/204 Ben McCartney, LW, Brandon (WHL)

Mario Ferraro, Kirill Marchenko, and Matthew Robertson were the three players picked 49^th overall during the 2017, 18, and 19 drafts, respectively. The Coyotes would have had the 49^th pick of the 2020 draft had they not been busted for repeatedly violating the league’s mandate for teams not to independently have draft eligible prospects work out for them privately. For these transgressions, the Coyotes were stripped of their second-round pick from the 2020 draft and their first round pick in 2021. Their 2020 first rounder had already been traded to New Jersey in the Taylor Hall trade before the league handed down its punishment. For the record, the 49^th player drafted this year – who will forever be listed as the 50^th pick due to the prior forfeiture – was Yan Kuznetsov, to Calgary.

In addition to the lost picks in the first two rounds, the Coyotes also did not have their third round pick, which was traded to Colorado (and then on to Washington and finally, Calgary), as part of the package for Carl Soderberg. Between the Hall trade – which included some of the Coyotes top prospects in addition to the picks – and the forfeited picks, the Coyotes future is in the hole. This year’s presence in the playoffs might be the franchise’s last for a while without a gigantic turnaround under new GM Bill Armstrong. Incidentally, Armstrong was not allowed to be active in the draft room this year, a condition of his recent hire away from the St. Louis Blues.

Looking only at the picks that Arizona did make, there is the small mercy that they started strong, picking a pair of USHL studs with legit NHL upside. One of those picks had some disturbing incidents in his past that had him drop down many teams’ lists – and off the list altogether for a few teams – which gives the Coyotes some solid buy-low projection there. As for their other three picks, two were used on Swedish wingers who had been flying way below the radar, and a second time eligible winger from the WHL. The value received in their first two picks is a net positive for the franchise as it begins to dig out of their current predicament. But even so, they are not enough to get the franchise on a sustainable, positive future direction.

Best value pick: Carson Bantle

Just looking at on-ice capabilities, Miller is the best value pick the Coyotes made in this draft class. He is a right-shooting defender who is quick and has great edges and is both creative with the puck and tough without it. But, as alluded to above, there is an incident from his past which is both incredibly disturbing and damaging. If it was, as he stated, a product of immaturity, then he could easily overcome the transgression. If not, then he is only a fourth-round pick that Arizona can easily walk away from. Bantle, on the other hand, has no shadows cast over his capabilities. He is very big, skates very well, especially considering his size, has a very strong shot, and can play a power game. He will spend some time at Michigan Tech before turning pro, but he should have been long gone by the fifth round.

Worst value pick: Elliot Ekefjard

We didn’t have any real notes on sixth rounder Filip Barklund either, but Barklund at least spent a full season playing in Sweden’s top junior league and is off to a nice start this year as well. Ekefjard, in contrast, spent last year flitting between the country’s two main U18 leagues, and then the second highest U20 league. The numbers are OK, but against subpar competition. He, too, is off to a solid start in the top U20 league this year, but he has zero track record against top competition. On the other hand, he’s huge. So there’s that.

Calgary Flames

1/24 Connor Zary, C, Kamloops (WHL)

2/50 Yan Kuznetsov, D, University of Connecticut (NCAA/Hockey East)

3/72 Jeremie Poirier, D, Saint John (QMJHL)

3/80 Jake Boltmann, D, Edina HS (USHS-MN)

4/96 Daniil Chechelev, G, Russkie Vityazi Chekhov (MHL)

5/143 Ryan Francis, RW, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

6/174 Rory Kerins, C, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

7/205 Ilya Solovyov, D, Saginaw (OHL)

As the world zigs, the Flames have zagged. I am talking here about the shift of more and more teams using later picks on European and college-bound players, giving themselves more time to make a decision on a draft pick before losing the player’s rights. And here are the Flames, using five of their eight picks on CHLers. If more than one of those guys doesn’t progress enough to be offered an ELC, this draft will not look as good. Think Milos Roman, the team’s 4^th rounder in 2018, who was allowed to walk this year as he never really upped his game in the two years since he was drafted.

I can also extend the idea of going against the grain in terms of the Flames being part of the only two day one trades, as they traded down twice to get additional picks. They first sent pick 19 to the Rangers for picks 22 and 72 (3^rd round). They then flipped pick 22 to Washington for picks 24 and 80. The 19^th pick was used on Braden Schneider. The 22^nd pick was used on Hendrix Lapierre. Calgary used the 24^th pick on Connor Zary. We had Zary ranked right between Schneider and Lapierre. If Zary was a prettier skater, he would likely have been ranked higher than both of the others. As is, he still has strong top six upside. And Calgary was able to add two high upside defensemen to their system by virtue of those trades.

All told, we have mixed views on the players Calgary added to its system this year. There is a nice blend of upside, including Zary, the two players drafted with the traded for third rounders (Jeremie Poirier and Jake Boltmann) and Ryan Francis. On the other hand, the other four picks smack of safe, low upside types with little hope of future NHL impact. I would be happy to be wrong on them, and I wish them great success, but they simply weren’t inspiring picks.

Best value pick: Jeremie Poirier

We were not among those outlets that saw Poirier as a first-round type. He is incredibly talented, with among the best hands of any defenseman in this draft class, but his risk heavy game was so pronounced that at some point we have to understand it as a handicap in his ability to read and react to opponents when off the puck as opposed to being a reflection of calculated risk taking. So, there is definitely boom or bust potential with this pick, but his boom outcome is as an All Star. If you have the chance to take someone with All Star potential in the third round, even if there is an equal chance that he never make the NHL at all, you must take that chance. Kudos to Calgary for going there.

Worst value pick: Daniil Chechelev

I wasn’t a fan of second rounder Yan Kuznetsov either, but he was a clear draft pick who has already accomplished quite a bit before his 18^th birthday, playing big minutes at the collegiate level in a power conference. And with Calgary’s two defensive pickups in the third round, I can stomach the safe approach on a blueliner immediately prior. Chechelev, a truly under-the-radar Russian netminder, is now in his third season in Russia’s top junior league, the MHL. His numbers have been fine, considering the context of the level of play, but certainly not eye-popping. In fact, his current crease-mate has better numbers, which is not a great sign. I suspect there is a relation between Calgary drafting Chechelev and USHL Sioux City taking a 15^th round flier on him in the most recent USHL Entry Draft. Sioux City’s current Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations, Luke Strand, was a former amateur scout for Calgary. Could be some information sharing there. Regardless of the spy game potentially at play here, there is little to suggest that Chechelev would not have been available two or three rounds later as well.

Vancouver Canucks

3/82 Joni Jurmo, D, Jokerit U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

4/113 Jackson Kurz, C, Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep (USHS-MN)

5/144 Jacob Truscott, D, USNTDP (USHL)

6/175 Dmitri Zlodeyev, C, MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)

7/191 Viktor Persson, D, Brynas J20 (SuperElit)

Without any picks in the first two rounds, the Canucks were one of the last teams to make a pick this year (see Arizona). As most every pick after the first 100 selections is a long shot to a degree, I respect Vancouver’s using each pick on an upside play. If anyone makes it, it is a victory, and if no one makes it, well, none of them were high picks to begin with. The plan here was to get as much talent as they could, and it looks like they succeeded. Not that every scout and GM will agree with our rankings (although they really should), but the Canucks drafted two players who we had ranked higher than where they made their first selection.

They did not have enough picks to discern any trends in their approach, other than spreading things out geographically. No two players were in the same league last year, unless you count fourth rounder Jackson Kunz’ five games with the Green Bay Gamblers meaning he was in the same league as fifth rounder Jacob Truscott, a USNTDP alum. It would have been interesting to see where else they would have drawn players from had they had a few more picks to play with.

The players they did select tended to the bigger side of things, with only Dmitri Zlodeyev measured below 6-0” at present. It will likely be years before we have a clue on how the Canucks did at the 202 draft, but I sense that when the judgment is made, it will be deemed a success, with at least one of the blueliners drafted turning into an NHL regular.

Best value pick: Jacob Truscott

Not as dominant as Jake Sanderson. Not as big as Tyler Kleven. Not as fast as Eamon Powell. Not as right-handed as Brock Faber. It was too easy to overlook Truscott on this year’s USNTDP. But keep watching. Every game, he will show another element to his package that can help win a shift. He is a very good skater, if not quite a blazer. He can play in a shutdown role or help drive and extend an offensive zone possession with well-timed forays deep into the zone. He can surprise you if you pay attention. He isn’t done surprising observers. So, yeah, I’m a fan.

Worst value pick: Jackson Kunz

I get the appeal. He has an August 2002 birthdate and is already a physical specimen. He played a key role on a prep hockey hotbed in Minnesota that allowed him to play a ton and against a varied level of competition. On the other hand, he struggled to adapt in a limited stint in the USHL with Green Bay. He is heavy-footed and is likely to struggle to keep up when the game quickens. I expect him to learn to hold his own in a full season in the USHL, but what will happen after that, when he plays at the University of North Dakota? The Canucks may have to wait the full five years (one in the USHL, four in NCAA) on Kunz before he might be ready for pro hockey.

Edmonton Oilers

1/14 Dylan Holloway, LW, University of Wisconsin (NCAA/Big 10)

4/100 Carter Savoie, LW, Sherwood Park (AJHL)

5/126 Tyler Tullio, RW, Oshawa (OHL)

5/138 Maxim Berezkin, LW, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)

6/169 Filip Engaras, C, University of New Hampshire (NCAA/Hockey East)

7/200 Jeremias Lindewall, LW, MODO J20 (SuperElit)

Slowly, slowly, without bringing much attention to themselves, the Edmonton Oilers are moving away from the CHL for their draft picks. After CHL heavy draft classes from 2015-18, in each of their last two draft classes, the Oilers have used only one pick each time on a CHL-based prospect. Last year that was second rounder Raphael Lavoie, this time the honors go to fourth rounder Tyler Tullio. I would like to think that it marks a further move away from their common practice during the pre-McDavid years of rushing prospects to the NHL. The bulk of the players they are drafting now are years away from turning pro, much less pulling on an NHL sweater. Also, and this may in fact be nothing, but the Oilers neglected to draft a goaltender after drafting at least one every year for the previous six drafts.

As for what they did draft, well, each of their six picks were used on forwards, and all but one is listed as wingers. If there is really anything that unites these six picks as prospects, it may well be that all of them have some intriguing tools, but these are raw players, whose wholes have not yet equaled the sum of their collective parts. All draft picks are diamonds in the rough, but this group is especially undefined.

Considering the lack of international experience from their back half picks, all three of whom are European, we have less of a read on those players, but there is at least enough upside with the Oilers’ first three picks – Holloway, Savoie, and Tullio – to be optimistic that these young men will be able to contribute to a successful organization down the line. And while this is at least two seasons premature, stylistically, Holloway could be a good fit on a line with Connor McDavid. He has the speed and the brawn to keep up with the superstar and help him find space to operate in the offensive zone.

Best value pick: Carter Savoie

We were, admittedly, very high on Savoie from the get-go, even keeping his name in consideration for the first round of our rankings. Ultimately, we were aware that his type – smaller guys who have a ton of offensive skill but lacking great skating chops – rarely go that high and so we left him just outside of the top 31. Literally. We ranked Savoie 32^nd on our final list. A holistic view of his skill set brings to mind Bobby Brink, who was selected in the second-round last year. Brink was more of a pure shooter, while Savoie is more exciting as a puck handler, but the type of role he would play on a team is largely similar. In fact, Savoie will be joining Brink at the University of Denver this season.

Forget the fact that the Oilers would have been more familiar with Savoie due to the winger’s playing in their backyard for Sherwood Park. There was not a single player with his upside available after the second round ended. Picking him at 100^th overall is pure larceny. Honorable mention as well to fifth rounder Tullio. He is great value that late and would not have looked out of place in the least going two rounds higher.

Worst value pick: Filip Engaras

First, a note about Dylan Holloway, who went around 10 picks before we would have been ready to sign off on it. Provided he remains healthy, he will play in the NHL. We are less convinced that he could be a top six contributor due to his inability or unwillingness to vary his motor and slow the game down. As mentioned above, he could be a great stylistic fit with a McDavid type, and he was a no-doubt first rounder for what he already is. He might end up providing less than a few others who went after him in the first, but he will provide solid value. And if he does learn more subtlety, it could be great value. We are going with sixth rounder Engaras here because he was so completely off the radar as a 1999 born collegian at New Hampshire who was not a top performer in his junior days back in Sweden and was basically a depth forward on a middling Wildcats. We will have to pay more attention to him going forward, but his selection was certainly a head-scratcher.

Vegas Golden Knights

1/29 Brendan Brisson, C, Chicago (USHL)

3/68 Lukas Cormier, D, Charlottetown (QMJHL)

3/91 Jackson Hallum, C, St. Thomas Academy HS (USHS-MN)

5/125 Jesper Vikman, G, AIK J20 (SuperElit)

6/184 Noah Ellis, D, Des Moines (USHL)

7/215 Maxim Marushev, C, Bars Kazan (VHL)

While the amateur draft has not been the key driver of Vegas’ success since their debut three seasons ago, it has been a key contributor. The Golden Knights don’t get Tomas Tatar if they did not draft Nick Suzuki. They don’t get Mark Stone without first drafting Erik Brannstrom. And this doesn’t include their use of future picks to secure present-day assets. For as much love as their drafting has received, Cody Glass and Nicolas Hague are their only drafted players who played enough in the NHL for Vegas to lose their prospect eligibility. Every year we are provided with more evidence of their drafting prowess and it’s really been more hit and miss since that first draft than an unmitigated success. We are still a ways away from being able to accurately judge the Golden Knights’ drafting record, and we have reservations about the players selected this year, even if we are fully on board with their first two picks.

This draft class does follow some trends that have been prevalent in previous Vegas drafts. For one thing, the Golden Knights have never been shy about drafting Russians. Perhaps that is a remnant of former GM and current President of Hockey Operations George McPhee’s success with Russians from his previous gig as the GM of Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals. Prior to this draft, two of the Golden Knights’ top four prospects – Ivan Morozov and Pavel Dorofeyev – were Russian. 2020 seventh rounder Maxim Marushev will not ascend to the top of the organization’s prospect ranking anytime soon, but the 21 year old put up very impressive numbers in the VHL (Russia’s second best men’s league) where he was second among all players with at least 30 games in points-per-game.

Another Vegas trend is the drafting of prep players. This started with their first draft with Jack Dugan, who is right up there with Morozov and Dorofeyev as a top prospect in the system. Peter Diliberatore was a prep product when Vegas selected him in 2018 and that honor fell to Ryder Donovan in 2019. This year, Vegas’ high schooler of the year is Jackson Hallum from Minnesota powerhouse St. Thomas Academy.

Best value pick: Brendan Brisson

While we also think very highly of third rounder Lukas Cormier, we felt that Brisson was the top option of the players in the fourth tier of draft eligible (essentially picks 22-40). Some considered him challenging to scout, playing on a powerhouse Chicago Steel team last year, which laid waste to the USHL. He was often playing with fellow draft eligibles like Sam Colangelo, Sean Farrell, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, as well as USHL leading scorer Mathieu De St. Phalle. But Brisson also destroyed all comers at the WJAC tournament. And when he was away, Chicago’s offense ran dry.

Close watching of their team (which I was able to do) showed a player who can drive a line and lead the pace in the attack. His ability to make his linemates more effective is only partially reflected in his own numbers. If there is a downside with Brisson, it is that he is heading to Michigan this year to play for the Wolverines and looks like a three-year collegian. Vegas has shown the willingness to be patient, and they will have to be patient again.

Worst value pick: Jackson Hallum

We had questions aplenty about the Golden Knights’ final four picks. Swedish goalie Vikman and Russian overage forward Marushev make sense, even if they would not have been our picks. Noah Ellis was a bit out of left field as he didn’t show very much at all as a USHL rookie with Des Moines. Perhaps the Golden Knights see more untapped potential from the native Iowan, as he would not have been exposed to much high caliber talent in his youth hockey career. Perhaps they placed more weight in his impressive showing at the preseason Hlinka Gretzky Cup. And at pick 184, all that’s left are projects anyway. Hallum, on the other hand, was third rounder. His senior high school season was solid, but he had no real history of high-level production prior to that. He wasn’t even drafted into the USHL until this offseason, as the Green Bay Gamblers used a fifth-round pick on him. In other words, even knowing that he isn’t committed to a university (Michigan, with Brisson) until 2022-23, he was drafted higher in the NHL draft than he was in the USHL draft. I’ll all for drafting with your convictions, but it is likely that he would have remained available at least to Vegas’ next pick.

Jackson Hallum – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #27

Vegas Golden Knights Top-15 Prospects

1. Trevor Connelly

2. Lukas Cormier

3. Brendan Brisson

4. Matyas Sapovaliv

5. Kaedan Korczak

6. Pavel Moysevich

7. Mathieu Cataford

8. Jakub Brabenec

9. Ben Hemmerling

10. Arttu Karki

11. Cameron Whitehead

12. Jackson Hallum

13. Jakub Demek

14. Carl Lindbom

15. Daniil Chayka

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #25

Top 20 Vegas Golden Knights Prospects

1. Lukas Cormier

2. Pavel Dorofyev

3. Brendan Brisson

4. David Edstrom

5. Daniil Miromanov

6. Mathieu Cataford

7. Kaeden Korczak

8. Matyas Sapovaliv

9. Jiri Patera

10. Jakub Brabenec

11. Jonas Rondbjerg

12. Carl Lindbom

13. Daniil Chayka

14. Arttu Karki

15. Ivan Morozov

16. Jordan Gustafson

17. Isaiah Saville

18. Jackson Hallum

19. Cameron Whitehead

20. Christoffer Sedoff

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #25 Vegas Golden Knights

Prospect System Ranking – 25th (18th last year)

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS – Top 20 Prospects

USHL: 2020-21 Playoff Preview – Expect Entertaining Hockey with Chicago a Clear Favourite

Team USA

Youngstown Phantoms

Des Moines Buccaneers

Lincoln Stars

Waterloo Black Hawks

Sioux Falls Stampede

Western Conference

#1 Tri-City Storm vs #4 Fargo Force

#2 Omaha Lancers vs #3 Sioux City Musketeers

Eastern Conference

#2 Muskegon Lumberjacks vs #3 Green Bay Gamblers

2020 NHL Draft Team Reviews: Pacific Division

San Jose Sharks

1/31 Ozzy Weisblatt, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)

2/38 Thomas Bordeleau. C, USNTDP (USHL)

2/56 Tristen Robins, C, Saskatoon (WHL)

3/76 Danil Gushchin, LW, Muskegon (USHL)

4/98 Brandon Coe, RW, North Bay (OHL)

7/196 Alex Young, C, Canmore (AJHL)

7/201 Adam Raska, RW, Rimouski (QMJHL)

7/206 Linus Oberg, C/RW, Orebro HK (SHL)

7/210 Timofey Spitserov, RW, Culver Military Academy Prep (USHS-IN)

Best value pick: Brandon Coe

Worst value pick: Linus Oberg

Los Angeles Kings

Prospect System Ranking – 25^th (18^th last year)