Jacob Truscott – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Top 20 Prospects

Contributors – Brock Otten, Chapin Landvogt, Ethan Hetu, Zack Szweras — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 21:51:37 +0000

211021 Djurgårdens Jonathan Lekkerimäki under ishockeymatchen i SHL mellan Djurgården och Oskarshamn den 21 oktober 2021 i Stockholm.
Foto: Andreas L Eriksson / BILDBYRÅN / COP 106 / AE0062

1 - Jonathan Lekkerimaki RW

Lekkerimaki was recently selected with the 15^th pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2022 NHL draft. He is the first of three Djurgårdens teammates who played together in the J20 this year to be selected in the first round, alongside Noah Ostlund (16^th) and Liam Ohgren (19^th). Lekkerimaki’s best offensive trait is his shot. He is able to set it up with slick hands allowing him to get into shooting position. When he shoots, he has a deceiving release, which helps to fool goalies. He has a habit of firing shots near the lower half of goaltenders, either five-hole or low blocker side. On top of his goal scoring ability, Lekkerimaki has immensely improved his playmaking ability, in part due to his sly hands. This past season he split time between J20 and the SHL. In the former level, he scored 20 goals and 35 points in 26 games, enough to impress Djurgårdens to give him 26 games in the SHL, in which he contributed nine points in a larger role than most draft eligible get in the top Swedish men’s league. Lekkerimaki really shined in this past April’s U18 tournament, where he led Sweden to gold and finished the tournament with a competition-leading 10 assists and 15 points in six games. With that performance, he was named to the U18 all-star team. Lekkerimaki looks to play the entirety of next season in the Allsvenskan with Djurgårdens and to continue to carve out a top-six role. - ZS

2 - Jack Rathbone D

The former Harvard standout is well positioned to take on a permanent role with the Vancouver Canucks this season. Among defenders who played 35 games or more in the AHL last season, Rathbone was one of two (along with Jordan Gross) to average over a point per game. Simply put, he was dominant at the AHL level with Abbotsford. In his short stints at the NHL level so far, things have been a little different. He has struggled in the defensive end, and he has looked tentative with the puck; that definitely wasn’t the case in the AHL. You can likely just chalk that up to nerves and a lack of confidence because Rathbone has the skill set to be a top four NHL defender. He skates well. He is electric when leading the attack out of the defensive zone with his ability to control the puck at full speed. He shows great offensive instincts inside the opposing blueline and is aggressive in looking to pinch down low to earn scoring chances. His mobility also helps him to defend well in transition. His zone coverage needs to improve, and he needs to get stronger on attackers down low, but if he is creating offense the way that he is capable of, these types of things can be overlooked (especially if he continues to work on them). Right now, the Canucks are heading into training camp with a hole in their top four, a hole many people are expecting Rathbone to fill. If he finally gains the confidence, he could be a sneaky Calder candidate. - BO

3 - Dmitri Zlodeyev C

It is extremely easy to root for Zlodeyev, as while he isn’t that naturally gifted in terms of size or athleticism – both particularly important in playing his natural position up the middle - he has the smarts to process the game in the right way. Last season was pretty tough for him, as he was first stuck playing junior hockey in the MHL and then he was traded to the Spartak organization, which was more willing to provide him the right development opportunities. Zlodeyev didn’t disappoint his new bosses, as he played well at all the levels for them, even if his stats didn’t always reflect that assessment, and he was ultimately rewarded with a two-year contract extension. As he is highly unlikely to be NHL ready in that timespan, the new contract should not be seen to alter his likelihood of coming to North America, and the fact that his Russian team was open to releasing him to join Vancoiver’s prospect camp is another good sign in that regard. There are good reasons to be excited about Zlodeyev’s near-term future, considering his great KHL preseason and the availability of KHL opportunities with his new team. On the other hand, he displays late-blooming qualities suggesting that the best is yet to come. Stay tuned. - VF

4 - Aidan McDonough LW

Aidan McDonogh was a seventh-round pick at the 2019 draft, coming off of a productive goal-scoring season in the USHL. McDonough had gone undrafted the year prior, having played at the high school level, but the Canucks evidently saw enough from him in the USHL to deem him worth a seventh-round investment as a wait-and-see prospect who would likely spend significant time at the college level. At Northeastern, McDonough has made the Canucks’ investment look shrewd. McDonough was one of the best pure goal scorers in the NCAA last season, potting 25 goals in 38 games. He has scored double-digit goals in each college season he’s played. McDonough has a filled-out six-foot-two frame and is quicker and better on his feet than one might expect from a seventh-rounder with his size/weight profile. That doesn’t mean McDonough is particularly fast, of course, it simply means he’s shown himself to be more capable of keeping up with an up-tempo offensive pace at the college level than might have been expected of him. McDonough’s shot is his best tool, but his goal-scoring is a bit too one-dimensional. He doesn’t attack the dirty areas of the ice like other goal scorers and doesn’t deviate from reliance on his shooting talent enough for me to have confidence that he’ll find other ways to contribute when he’s having an unlucky stretch with a low shooting percentage. His shot and overall level of skill offensively gives him a chance to be something more, but whether or not he has real NHL upside will depend on if his goal-scoring can translate from the NCAA to the pro level. - EH

5 - Jett Woo D

Woo’s transition to the pro level has been quite interesting thus far. For one, the offensive prowess that he showed in the WHL has not translated at all, with Woo showing himself to be more of a potential shutdown type at the pro level. For two, Woo’s second season in the AHL saw him playing on the wing to close out the year, with the coaching staff unimpressed with his development as a defender. Obviously, his future is still on the blueline, but it is also obvious that he will need to improve in his upcoming third pro season if he wants to remain in Vancouver’s long-term plans. Even if the offensive game only improves moderately, Woo still has the capability of being a defensive specialist at the NHL level. His mobility is excellent. He hits like the truck. He has a good stick in the defensive zone. However, if his confidence with the puck does not improve, his ceiling is likely limited to being more of a depth type who can play the PK and pair with an offensive type on the third pairing. In the final year of his ELC, Woo will be looking to earn another contract with improved play this coming season. - BO

6 - Michael DiPietro

Has there been a prospect whose development has been more mishandled than DiPietro’s thus far? A once promising goaltending prospect out of the OHL, his career has been sidetracked by mismanagement. First the Canucks embarrassed him in an emergency callup, allowing him to be shelled because they did not have the necessary organizational depth to cover for injuries. Then, in his second pro season, they opted to keep him on the taxi squad all year rather than allow him to play games in the AHL. Last year, he looked lost at times, with his confidence clearly broken. As such, his agency had asked for a trade out of Vancouver, but a partner has not yet been found. DiPietro still has NHL potential. He is extremely athletic. He never quits on a play and his maturity off the ice and his practice habits were lauded by those in the know in the OHL. There was always going to be a learning curve for him. He is not a huge goaltender, and his scrambling tendencies were going to have to be replaced by a more technically advanced approach. He showed great potential in his pro season, but then it all went downhill. So what’s next for Dipietro? His relationship with the Canucks’ organization appears fractured and it would be shocking if he were still part of the team next year. Wherever he goes next, there is a strong chance that he turns things around and re-establishes himself as a quality netminding prospect. - BO

7 - Arturs Silovs G

The 6’4”, 203-pound Silovs is coming off his first complete season of professional play in North America, consisting of 10 AHL appearances and another 10 in the ECHL. He also split the goaltending duties for Latvia at the men’s World Championship in Finland where he put up an outstanding 1.22 GAA and .952 save percentage. His play for the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL – an assignment that was all about getting playing time – was promising with a solid 2.37 GAA and .920 save percentage. Those numbers were not duplicated with AHL Abbotsford, where he allowed 3.10 goals against per game while footing a sub-.900 save percentage. After Spencer Martin and Michael DiPietro assumed most of the AHL duties last season, Silovs will now have to duke things out with DiPietro and incoming veteran Collin Delia, should he not be loaned out to another club. Drafted as a player with 20 games of pro play in Latvia already under his belt, Silovs then split duties for the OHL Barrie Colts in his DY+1, before seeing very little play in the 20-21 season, meaning he's had some catching up to do. A tall goaltender with generally strong post-to-post movement, the hope is that he will take additional steps next season, ideally legitimizing his prospect status as a future NHL option. Alas, the competition within the organization is heavy and Silovs simply needs to see more action to earn continued reps. – CL

8 - Linus Karlsson C

Karlsson was selected in the third round, 87^th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL draft. His best attribute is his shooting ability. He is often able to find the holes in the offensive end and set himself up for a scoring chance. When he receives the puck, he utilizes a quick release to beat goaltenders. On top of his offensive game, Karlsson also plays a strong two-way game. He has consistently been solid in the faceoff circle and is willing to be the first forward back on every shift. Something he should look to improve is the quickness in his skating stride. Adding some more strength to his frame could improve his first step, giving him an extra boost of speed. Since he was drafted by the Canucks, he has spent majority of his time in Sweden’s second league, the Allsvenskan. His game was truly elevated during the 2020-21 season, when he produced 51 points in 52 Allsvenskan games. That year he also helped his team qualify for the SHL, finishing second on his team in points in the qualification tournament with 15 in 11 games. He carried that success into the SHL this year where he scored 26 goals and 46 points in 52 games. This production led to the Canucks signing him to an entry level contract. This upcoming season, Karlsson is expected to play for AHL Abbotsford. The hope is that he can transition smoothly to North American ice and contribute for the Canucks as soon as next season. - ZS

9 - Danila Klimovich RW

Klimovich was selected in the 2^nd round of the 2021 draft after he opened eyes at that year’s U18 Worlds with six goals in five games for his native Belarus. His 6’2”, 200-pound build was already mature and several of his goals were downright Ovechkin-esque in nature. He immediately moved to North America last season, a big jump in quality of competition to the AHL from the Belorussian league. His season with Abbotsford was statistically underwhelming, but was nonetheless quite impressive for an teenager. Physically and athletically, he did not look out of place in the AHL by season’s end. Making use of considerable lower body strength, Klimovich skates with bent knees and rather straight upper body posture. He has become adept at the forecheck and will bust his behind to get back to his own end. The speed of the AHL game has forced him to make quicker decisions with and without the puck, but his hard, accurate shot still gets released quickly and from as many angles as possible. His wrist shot, his snapshot, and his slapshot – including the one-timer – are all NHL-level and will be his calling card as a pro. Klimovich loves to shoot and although he has some moves and is willing to pass, especially in transition, his propensity for shooting is what will be his calling card as a pro. - CL

10 - Will Lockwood RW

The 64^th overall selection in the 2016 draft by the Vancouver Canucks, Lockwood has had a long journey from there to his NHL debut. He was originally drafted after showing his two-way, tenacious game playing for the USNTDP. While his offensive skill wasn’t necessarily shining, his combination of speed, grit, and ability to play a 200-foot game made him a valuable asset that the Canucks were happy to add. After his selection, Lockwood elected to take the NCAA route, committing to play for Michigan. In his first season with the Wolverines, he showed intriguing offensive skill, netting 20 points in 30 games. Through the rest of his four years at Michigan he continued to play at just under a point per game pace. Lockwood was named captain as a senior in 2019-20. After completing his time at Michigan, he signed an entry level contract with the Canucks, and has spent the majority of the past two seasons playing in the AHL, producing 36 points in 70 games. During that time, he also made his NHL debut, appearing in 2 games during 2020-21 season and an additional 13 games last season, however he is yet to record his first NHL point. With his two-way ability, Lockwood projects to be valuable depth forward for the Canucks and an option for their NHL team if needed. - ZS

11 - Arshdeep Bains

The WHL’s leading scorer from last season inked an entry level contract with the Canucks and will begin his pro journey this year. Bains is skilled and smart, but is he a strong enough skater?

12 - Filip Johansson

A former first rounder of the Minnesota Wild, they opted to let Johansson walk to get a second-round compensatory pick in 2022. The Canucks signed the mobile puck moving defender and will loan him back to Frolunda for the year.

13 - Lucas Forsell

A speedy playmaking winger, Forsell had a strong finish to last season in the SHL. Now he will try to play a larger role with Farjestad this season and become a more consistent point producer.

14 - Connor Lockhart

A recent trade to the Peterborough Petes (OHL) should do well for Lockhart’s development. Lockhart is both a strong skater and scorer, but the rest of his game is a work in progress. He will need a big year to be signed.

15 - Daimon Gardner

A McKeen’s hockey favourite heading into the 2022 draft, offers an intriguing package of size and skill from the center position. He is a long-term project. Gardner will play in the BCHL with Chilliwack this season before attending Clarkson (NCAA).

16 - Elias Pettersson

Yes, it is hilarious that the Canucks selected Pettersson in 2022, given that they already have one (terrific) Elias Pettersson. However, this Elias is a potential two-way blueliner because of his strong mobility and assertiveness.

17 - Jacob Truscott

Truscott has been good, but not great through his two seasons at Michigan. He has a well-rounded skill set but may lack a true standout quality that makes him an NHL defender.

18 - Jonathan Myrenberg

A right shot defender with good size and intriguing athleticism, Myrenberg will try to be a full-time pro defender this year in Sweden, switching to Mora in the Allsvenskan (second tier).

19 - Joni Jurmo

The big and mobile defender is coming off his best season yet in Finland as a full time Liiga player. The former third round pick is still a project whose long-term upside remains a bit of a mystery.

20 - Jackson Dorrington

One of the most physically imposing defenders available in 2022, Dorrington will head to Northeastern this year where he should be able to solidify a full-time lineup spot as a freshman.

2022 IIHF World Junior Championship Preview

Zack Szweras — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 13:26:09 +0000

World Juniors’ Preview

Group A:

There is going to be a ton of competition out of this group, between Canada, Finland and Czechia. With this tournament being held in August, there will be omissions of players attending NHL training camp with the hope of making their respective NHL rosters. It will be interesting to see which countries will benefit the most from this.

Czechia

Line Projections

Jiri Kulich – Michal Gut – Jan Mysak

Ivan Ivan – Gabriel Szturc – Petr Hauser

Martin Rysavy – Matyas Sapovaliv – Jaroslav Chmelar

Tomas Urban – Matous Mensik – Jakub Kos

Stanislav Svozil – David Jiricek

Jiri Tichacek – Stepan Nemec

Tomas Hamara – David Spacek

Jan Bednar

Tomas Suchanek

Czechia is entering this tournament with one of the more complete group of defencemen. Highlighted by Columbus Blue Jacket’s prospects David Jiricek and Stanislav Svozil, it will be tough to get around their big-bodied defence. On top of that, Tomas Hamara, David Spacek and Jiri Tichacek can provide offence from the blueline. Currently David Jiricek did not travel with the team as he tested positive for COVID.

To complement their defence, they also have NHL drafted forwards spread through their lineup. The most notable names include Jiri Kulich, who was recently selected 28th in the 2022 entry draft from the Buffalo Sabres, Jan Mysak the Canadiens prospect who produced this year for the Hamilton Bulldogs on their way to win the OHL cup and Matyas Sapovaliv, the playmaking power forward taken in the 2nd round of this year’s draft by the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Everett Silvertips’ center Michal Gut will look to provide his improved playmaking, likely playing alongside goal scorers Kulich and Mysak.

Lastly, they will be looking for solid goaltending from Detroit Red Wings’ prospect Jan Bednar. With all their skill in their top-six forwards and on their blueline, Czechia will have to hope their depth can hold up and keep up with powerhouses like Finland and Canada.

Canada

Josh Roy – Mason McTavish – Connor Bedard

Kent Johnson– Logan Stankoven – Tyson Forester

Brennan Othman – Ridley Greig – William Dufour

Will Cuylle – Elliot Desnoyers – Nathan Gaucher

Donovan Sebrango – Olen Zellweger

Ryan O’Rourke – Lukas Cormier

Ronan Seely – Jack Thompson

Dylan Garand

Brett Brochu

While the Canadian team looks drastically different from the cancelled January World Juniors, they still have a strong chance of going far in this tournament. Offensively, Canada is loaded with the likes of Mason McTavish, Kent Johnson, Logan Stankoven and of course, 2023 projected first overall pick, Connor Bedard. Mason McTavish looked dominant in the January World Juniors. Using his combination of size, speed and skill to bully opponents, he will look to continue his success. The potential pairing of Kent Johnson and Logan Stankoven should be extremely fun to watch, as Johnson has elite skill often undressing defenders and Stankoven dominated the WHL last year, winning not only the WHL but the CHL player of the year award. Lastly, who can forget the name Connor Bedard, the 17-year-old phenom is coming off a season in which he produced 100 points in 61 WHL games and don’t forget he became the second 16-year-old to score a hat trick for Canada in the cancelled January World Juniors since some guy named Wayne Gretzky.

Defensively, Canada took a large blow losing both Kaiden Guhle and Owen Power, however they still have plenty of talent with Olen Zellweger, Ryan O’Rourke and Lukas Cormier. Olen Zellweger took his offensive game to another level last year producing 78 points in 55 games as an 18-year-old. He will see time running Canada’s powerplay. O’Rourke is a strong two-way defenceman who never takes a shift off, always trying to be involved, whether it’s a big hit, transition pass or a poke check to change momentum. O’Rourke will likely be paired with Lukas Cormier as Cormier is an extremely gifted offensive defenceman. While O’Rourke can bring strong defensive presence, Cormier will look for opportunities to transition the puck and join the odd man rush.

The final question for Canada is their goaltending. They are coming into the tournament with three solid options in Dylan Garand, Brett Brochu and Sebastian Cossa. All indications point to Garand and Brochu battling it out for the starting goaltending position. No matter who takes the net, Canada should be comfortable with all options available. Canada will be a team to beat this tournament.

Slovakia

Line Projections

Maros Jedlicka – Jakub Demek – Adam Sykora

Servac Petrovsky – Oleksiy Myklukha – Matej Kaslik

Samuel Honzek – Dalibor Dvorsky – Roman Faith

Oliver Stumpel – Peter Repcik – Lubomir Kupco

Rayen Petrovicky – Viliam Kmec

Adam Stripai – Maxim Strbak

Simon Groch – Boris Zabka

Tomas Bolo

Patrik Andrisik

Slovakia has taken a large hit from the tournament being held in August rather than December as top prospects Juraj Slafkovsky, Simon Nemec and Filip Mesar are not on the roster as they focus on NHL training camps. With that being said, there are still plenty of names worth watching. Looking at the forwards, Slovakia will be leaning on New York Rangers’ forward Adam Sykora to generate offence, who has made a strong impact on all international teams for Slovakia over the past year. Besides Sykora, Slovakia will be looking at Maros Jedlicka, who had a strong season in Slovakia, Minnesota Wild’s prospect Servac Petrovsky and Vegas

Golden Knights’ prospect Jakub Demek to provide support. The biggest name to watch for Slovakia, however, will be 2023 draft eligible Dalibor Dvorsky. Dvorsky as of now is seen as a top 10 talent in the upcoming draft and continues to find success internationally. The blueline is truly taking a toll with 2nd overall pick Simon Nemec opting not to participate in this tournament. Slovakia will look to rely on Rayen Petrovicky to give them top pairing minutes and solid defence from the backend. With the lack of depth, another 2023 draft eligible, Maxim Strbak, will be asked to step up to the plate. Strbak was a large piece of the Slovak team that won silver medal at the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and looks to make his name known as someone to keep an eye on during his draft year.

Finally, in net Slovakia will most likely look towards 20-year-old Tomas Bolo as the starter for the team. Bolo has consistently played for Slovakia in international play and played well for Slovakia at the start of the cancelled World Juniors this past January. Overall, Slovakia will be an exciting team to watch, but will need to overcome the lack of depth in order to compete in a strong Group A.

Finland

Line Projections

Roni Hirvonen – Aatu Raty – Joakim Kemell

Ville Koivunen – Samuel Helenius – Brad Lambert

Roby Jarventie – Juuso Maenpaa – Kasper Simontaival

Eetu Liukas – Oliver Kapanen – Kalle Vaisanen

Petteri Nurmi – Topi Niemela

Eemil Viro – Ruben Rafkin

Aleksi Heimosalmi – Kasper Puutio

Leevi Merilainen

Jani Lampinen

There is legitimate competition between Finland and Canada for the top team in this Group A. Finland is loaded with a ton of talent up front, with every player in their projected top-six being selected in the 1st or 2nd round in their NHL draft. Both Aatu Raty and Brad Lambert have a chip on their shoulder to score this tournament as they each went into their draft years as projected top three picks and ended up sliding down on draft day. Finland is also lucky to have some strong playmakers on offence as Roni Hirvonen and Ville Koivunen have both proven their ability to set teammates up in Liiga. When Finland is looking for someone to bury the puck, the first option will almost always be Joakim Kemell, the elite goal scorer started last season on an absolute tear and finished with 15 goals in 39 Liiga games while battling through injuries in his draft year.

Transitioning to defence, Finland is lucky to be anchored by the player awarded best defenceman in the 2020 World Juniors in Toronto Maple Leafs’ defenceman Topi Niemela. Niemela is likely to be paired with defensive defenceman and Montreal Canadiens’ prospect Petteri Nurmi in order to give Niemela the comfort to get involved in the offensive game. Another name to watch closely on the blue line is Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Aleksi Heimosalmi, who is an extremely strong skater that thrives in the transition game. Finland is backing it all up with Ottawa Senators’ prospect Leevi Merilainen as the projected starter. While he struggled in his first year playing for the Kingston Frontenacs, Merilainen has produced during his time with the international squad. It will be extremely exciting to see the skill of this Finnish team.

Latvia

Line Projections

Girts Silkalns – Klavs Veinbergs – Arni Ravinskis

Peteris Purmalis – Dans Locmelis – Sandis Vilmanis

Felikss Gavars – Martins Lavins – Darels Durkurs

Rainers Darzins – Raimonds Vitolins – Danils Andersons

Ralfs Bergmanis – Niks Fenenko

Harijs Brants – Rihards Simanovics

Bogdans Hodass – Gustavs Ozolins

Bruno Bruveris

Patrick Berzins

In a strong Group A, Latvia seems likely to finish in the bottom of the standings. While there are still talented players on this team, it would take a miracle for Latvia to advance to the quarterfinals. Taking a look at the forwards, Latvia will likely pair MHL teammates Girts Silkalns and Klavs Veinbergs together. Continuing the teammate trend, Dans Locmelis and Sandis Vilmanis will likely see a large amount of ice time together for Latvia coming off a strong season together playing in the J20 league producing 34 and 32 points, respectively. Both Locmelis and Vilmanis were recently drafted in the 2022 NHL draft, Locemlis was taken in the 4th round by the Boston Bruins and Vilmanis was selected in the 5th round by the Florida Panthers.

Latvia’s blueline will be anchored by 17-year-old defenceman Niks Fenenko. Fenenko went undrafted in the 2022 NHL draft despite having a fairly solid season playing the QMJHL scoring 40 points in 62 games. Projected to partner with Fenenko is University of Vermont commit, Ralfs Bergmanis. Although he is only 5’10”, Bergmanis is willing to throw his body around and disrupt play. The likely starter in net for Latvia will be 20-year-old Bruno Bruveris, who spent the past year playing with Cedar Rapids of the USHL, posting a 3.02 GAA with a .873 SV%. It would be an upset to see Latvia make the quarterfinals let alone win a game in this tough Group.

Group B:

Group B is expected to be dominated by two powerhouses in the United States and Sweden. It will be exciting to see if any of Germany, Switzerland or Austria can challenge either powerhouse and shake up the group. Even with losing players due to NHL training camps, the United States and Sweden are still positioned to make it far in this tournament.

United States

Line Projections

Matthew Knies – Logan Cooley – Matthew Coronato

Landon Slaggert – Thomas Bordeleau – Carter Mazur

Sasha Pastujov – Hunter Mckown – Brett Berard

Red Savage – Charlie Stramel – Mackie Samoskevich

Wyatt Kaiser – Sean Behrens

Tyler Kleven – Ian Moore

Jacob Truscott – Brock Faber

Remington Keopple

Andrew Oke

The United States are coming into this tournament with an extreme amount of talent on both the offensive and defensive side of the ice. While they may have one of the most talented rosters entering the August World Juniors, they have one major concern, the goaltending. No matter which goaltender starts the tournament for them, it will be an undrafted goaltender. Before we dig deeper, let us take a look at their firepower upfront. It will be extremely exciting to be able to see a line consisting of Matthew Knies, Logan Cooley and Matthew Coronato. All three have played for the USNTDP and each are considered offensive forces.

On top of that, the US finally will be able to have Thomas Bordeleau play for them as he unfortunately missed the last several World Juniors. The depth of the US forwards is something to be amazed at. Players like Sasha Pastujov and Mackie Samozkevich, each have immense skill and will provide scoring depth throughout the lineup. In addition, 2023 draft eligible Charlie Stramel looks to have made a strong impression and has carved out a role on this team. It will be interesting to see how this boosts his draft stock entering his draft year.

Taking a look at the US defence, it may be one of the most talented pools of defenceman in this tournament. There are many reliable names defensively on the backend including captain Brock Faber, Tyler Kleven, Jacob Truscott and Wyatt Kaiser. Offensively, the US will lean on Sean Behrens and Ian Moore to pinch and provide odd man rushes from the blueline. It is extremely important for their defence to play up to the level that many expect them to as they are going to play behind lesser named goaltenders in Remington Keopple and Andrew Oke. Keopple, the older of the two goalies, played this past season with Des Moines of the USHL, putting up a 3.06 GAA and a .896 SV%. Oke, who is only 18, had a worse season playing for a poor Saginaw team in the OHL. He produced a 4.63 GAA with a .848 SV%. If the US can protect their goaltenders they will be in for a long run.

Switzerland

Line Projections

Simon Knak – Joshua Fahrni – Jonas Taibel

Fabian Ritzmann – Joel Henry – Marlon Graf

Attilio Biasca – Micolas Baechler – Kevin Nicolet

Joel Marchon – Mats Alge – Tim Muggli

Giancarlo Chanton – Noah Delemont

Nick Meile – Dario Sidler

Rodwin Dionicio – Arno Nussbaumer

Noah Patenaude

Andri Henauer

The battle for the third spot in Group B will be a close one to watch and Switzerland will have to rely on a mix of veteran and youth to avoid relegation. The most notable forward for Switzerland is 20-year-old Nashville Predators’ prospect Simon Knak who has split time between the WHL and the Swiss National League. Knak has a knack for forechecking, often using his skating ability to provide pressure to puck carriers hoping to pounce on loose pucks. Switzerland will also rely on the youth, with 17-year-old Jonas Taibel likely playing top line minutes. He finished the previous season with the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL, producing 21 points in 57 games.

On the backend, Switzerland will turn to 20-year-old Noah Delemont to cover significant minutes for them. Delemont is calm cool and collected on the ice, which allows him to scan theice and use his strong vision to pass the puck. Like their forwards, Switzerland will again look to the youth and 18-year-old Nick Melie, who has been a consistent part of Switzerland’s international teams, producing four points in nine games at the U18’s. Switzerland is most comfortable with their goaltending. Noah Patenaude has proven to be reliable, playing for Saint John in the QMJHL producing a 2.96 GAA and a .914 SV%. With a little luck and strong goaltending, Switzerland has the chance to steal a couple games.

Germany

Line Projections

Alexander Blank – Danjo Leonhardt – Josef Eham

Markus Schweiger – Joshua Samanski – Justin Volek

Haakon Hanlet – Bennett Rossmy – Maciej Rutkowski

Thomas Heigl – Luca Hauf – Yannick Proske

Maksymilian Szuber – Luca Munzenberger

Adrian Klein – Maximilian Glotzl

Arkadiusz Dziambor – Korbinian Geibel

Florian Bugl

Niklas Lunemann

Germany was one of the unfortunate teams that were heavily affected by having the tournament moved from January to August as they had to replace seven players from the January roster. On offence, Germany will be leaning on Alexander Blank, Danjo Leonhardt and Josef Eham. Alexander Blank was off to a hot start for Germany in January scoring 3 points in 2 games before it was cancelled. Leonhardt, on the other hand, had a strong season playing in the Alps Hockey League finishing the past season with 35 points in 32 games. Both Leonhardt and Eham are teammates for RB Hockey in the Alps Hockey League and their chemistry should be used on a line together. Eham, like Leonhardt, had a great season finishing with a 1.14 point per game.

Defensively, the go-to player for Germany will be Luca Munzenberger. The former 3rd round pick of the Edmonton Oilers played the previous season for the University of Vermont. At Vermont, Munzernberger has polished his defence working on his gap control. Projected to play across from Munzenberger is Maksymilian Szuber who spent the majority of the season in the DEL playing for EHC Munchen. Szuber, an Arizona Coyotes’ draft pick, is a large raw defenceman who uses his body to his advantage.

In net, Germany will rely on 20-year-old Florian Bugl who dominated the Alps Hockey League last season producing a 2.27 GAA and a .916 SV%. Bugl looked fairly sturdy in January in his lone game in the cancelled World Juniors. Germany will be in a strong battle to avoid relegation and make the quarterfinals.

Austria

Line Projections

Oskar Maier – Leon Wallner – Moritz Lackner

Jonas Dobnig – Ian Scherzer – Senna Peeters

Fin Vann Ee – Luca Auer – Maximilian Hengelmuller

Tim Geifes – Janick Wernicke – Nico Kramer

Tobias Sablattnig – Martin Urbanek

David Reinbacher – Christoph Tialler

Lukas Horl – Lukas Necesany

Leon Sommer

Thomas Pfarrmaier

Similar to Switzerland and Germany, Austria will be trying to avoid relegation and will fight for a spot in the quarterfinals. The majority of Austria’s offence will be ran through Oskar Maier and Leon Wallner. Maier was named captain of the RB Hockey team in the Alps hockey league last year, finishing the season with 24 points in 27 games. Wallner, on the other hand, played his season in Sweden in the J20 league, producing 37 points in 28 games. An exciting name to watch for Austria this World Juniors is 2023 draft eligible Ian Scherzer. Last season, Scherzer excelled in the Swedish J18 league scoring 15 points in 17 games. He will be using this tournament as a platform to get himself noticed by NHL scouts.

Austria’s backend will be fortified by the youth with the likes of 19-year-old Tobias Sablattnig and 17-year-old David Reinbacher. Sablattnig spent the majority of the season in the Alps Hockey League where the 6’0” defenceman was able to put up 16 points in 37 games. Reinbacher has spent the past season between the U-20 Elit league and the Swiss League. The 2023 draft eligible put up a combined 33 points in 50 games and will look to use this tournament as a platform to get drafted.

Lastly, the net will be occupied by Leon Sommer who played for a poor Steel Wings Linz of the Alps Hockey league allowing 3.16 GAA while carrying a .910 SV%. Austria will hope their youth will be able to step up and lead their team to a few victories.

Sweden

Oskar Olausson – Daniel Ljungman – Fabian Lysell

Isak Rosen – Theodor Neiderbach – Jonathan Lekkerimaki

Linus Sjodin – Ake Stakkestad – Daniel Torgersson

Oskar Magnusson – Victor Stjernborg – Albert Sjoberg

Simon Edvinsson – Helge Grans

Leo Loof – Mans Forsfjall

Emil Andrae – William Wallinder

Jesper Wallstedt

Calle Clang

The other power house in Group B, Sweden has an enormous amount of talent up front and will look to lean on their skill to bring them a medal. The projected first line of Oskar Olausson, Daniel Ljungman and Fabian Lysell will be looked upon to set the offensive tone for Sweden. Olausson and Lysell both have a combination of speed and skill, which they use to transition the puck and attack the offensive zone. Ljungman has proven to be a good two-way centre who will provide support on both sides of the ice. Sweden still has options down the line including a pair of first round picks in Buffalo Sabres’ prospect Isak Rosen and Vancouver Canucks’ prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki. Both these players spent a large chunk of the previous season in the SHL in limited roles and were still able to produce.

The backend is where Sweden will excel, anchoring it will be none other than 6’6” Detroit Red Wings’ prospect Simon Edvinsson who has a unique combination of size, physicality and speed. Opposite of Edvinsson should be Helge Grans, the two-way defender uses his speed and long reach to close gaps and attack forwards turning over possession. To show the depth on this defence, the projected bottom pairing, Emil Andrae and William Wallinder, should make a large impact for Sweden. Andrae is an extremely skilled offensive defenceman who put up 33 points in 41 games in the Hockey Allsvenkan league. His partner Wallinder is a big bruising 6’4” defenceman who will crush any player in his way.

In net is where Sweden has the largest advantage though, with Minnesota Wild’s prospect Jesper Wallstedt. Wallstedt improved on his draft year season playing 22 games in the SHL and putting up ridiculous numbers with a 1.98 GAA and a .918 SV%. It is going to be extremely difficult to score on Sweden in this tournament.

WJ Predicitons

Group A

Canada

Finland

Czechia

Slovakia

Latvia

Group B

Sweden

USA

Germany

Switzerland

Austria

Quarterfinals

Canada over Switzerland

Finland over Germany

Czechia over USA

Sweden over Slovakia

Semifinals

Canada over Finland

Sweden over Czechia

Medals

Sweden – Gold

Canada – Silver

Finland – Bronze

Tournament MVP – Connor Bedard

Best Forward – Mason McTavish

Best Defenceman – Simon Edvinsson

Best Goaltender – Jesper Wallsted

All-Tournament team

F – Connor Bedard

F – Mason McTavish

F – Logan Cooley

D – Simon Edvinsson

D – Topi Niemela

G – Jesper Wallstedt

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: VANCOUVER CANUCKS- RANK: #27 – TIER V

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 12:14:09 +0000

Vancouver Canucks

#27 Vancouver - Too many low upside picks limit the overall upside of the Vancouver system.

PLANO, TX USA - APRIL 27: Belarus's Danila Klimovich #20 controls the puck against Switzerland's Lilian Garessus #22 in preliminary round action at the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Children’s Health StarCenter on April 27, 2021 in Plano, TX USA. (Photo by Ryan McCullough/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Vasili Podkolzin

Podkolzin had a rather uneven season last year, as he was not able to fully convince his KHL coaches that he could be a key player for the team and therefore was given a rather limited role and opportunity. He was a true leader and captain of the U20 Team Russia at the World Juniors though; however, it would be fair to say that his offensive production underwhelmed in the same way that it did in the KHL. In general, the season showed that he is still undergoing some "growing pains" and has some deficits in his attacking game, making people question his overall upside as a skill-based player.

Next season will be an interesting one for him as he begins his journey in North America with the Canucks, after signing his ELC. With some unanswered questions about his potential, he will look to earn the trust of the coaches in training camp to earn a roster spot with the Canucks to further his development at the NHL level. However, he may have to start in the AHL. Given his high energy level and strong two-way abilities, Podkolzin should have little difficulty transitioning. However, just how much he produces offensively remains to be seen. At this point, Podkolzin is beginning to look more like a high end third line center than a top six forward, but this year will tell us more. - VF

Jack Rathbone

A scouting find for the Canucks, Rathbone was a pre-school wunderkind who actually stayed at school for an extra year after being drafted, before finally moving on to Harvard. While Ivy League schools usually keep their players on campus for at least three, if not four years before they turn pro, Rathbone left after only two seasons, partially because the school wouldn’t be playing hockey this year anyway, in light of the pandemic, and partially because he had little left to learn by playing against collegians. He was very good as a freshman, but as a sophomore, Rathbone was a First-Team All-Star among his conference peers, finishing the season with over one point per game as a defender.

His rookie pro season was a little up-and-down, but the downs only meant that he spent the first chunk of the abbreviated campaign on Vancouver’s taxi squad, not seeing game action until he was sent down to the AHL in late February. He was immediately too good for the AHL and by May, he was in the NHL. Rahtbone’s speed and dynamic puck game are reminiscent of another young Vancouver defender, Quinn Hughes, although it is hard to assume that kind of upside for anyone. The additions of Ekman-Larsson, Schenn, and Poolman will have eased the pressure on Rathbone to make the NHL roster right away, but he just might get there anyway. - RW

Michael DiPietro

It was a very weird year for DiPietro’s development in 2020/21. He spent the majority of the year on Vancouver’s taxi squad, rather than getting in games with Utica to aid in his development. This brought forward a lot of criticism towards Vancouver’s development model. The reality is that the pandemic situation (coupled with the US/Canada border issue) forced the Canucks’ hand as they needed a third goalie up with them and could not risk the quarantine policy in place given possible emergency situations. What effect playing four games in his second year as a pro has on his development remains to be seen.

When he did play with Utica towards the end of the year, DiPietro performed well. His performance even earned him a spot on Team Canada at the World Championships, where he was the third goalie. Always lauded for his athleticism and professionalism, DiPietro has the work ethic and the talent to be an NHL netminder and is one of the top goalie prospects on the planet for a reason. With the Canucks’ AHL team moving North to Abbotsford this season, he will get in another full year as a starter at that level and will be ready to contribute in the NHL should Demko or Halak get injured. - BO

Jett Woo

It was a year of transition for Woo, who embarked on his pro career with a shortened season for the AHL’s Utica Comets, posting five points in 28 games. It was a solid start for the young blueliner, who brought his physical brand of hockey to the pro level and finally began to see some secondary powerplay duties towards the end of the season.

A throwback style defenseman, Woo is known most for his aggressive, physical style that gets in the face of opponents. He is an excellent skater who can move the puck effectively and likes to jump into the rush. He has good instincts offensively but needs to continue to improve positioning without the puck and gain a better understanding of when to go for the big hit. In junior, he was able to recover from these situations due to his great mobility, but the pro level doesn’t afford those mistakes to the same degree. Additionally, his shot is accurate but lacks velocity from the point. Woo projects to be a solid #4-5 at the NHL level if he can continue to develop his game in the next couple of seasons. A full AHL campaign awaits. - AS

Olli Juolevi

It is hard to believe that Juolevi still has prospect eligibility as it feels like the 23-year-old former fifth overall selection has been around forever already. However, injuries have really derailed his development. Last year, Juolevi did spend the whole year with the Canucks, but was in and out of the lineup (as a scratch). In 23 games, he played relatively sparingly as part of Vancouver’s third pairing.

A competent two-way defender, the key for Juolevi is finding that niche at the NHL level. He skates well. He shows promise as a puck mover. He can be an effective player in the defensive end with his four-way mobility and transitional strengths. However, his decision making needs to tighten up and he needs to increase his physical intensity level. A long shot to be the kind of impact player normally expected of fifth overall selections, Juolevi still has a chance to develop into a serviceable #4-5 defender for Vancouver. However, he needs to stay healthy, and he needs to re-discover his confidence as a puck mover. There is an opportunity for him to grab an everyday lineup spot this season, but without significant progression, he runs the risk of being passed by others like Jack Rathbone and Jett Woo soon. - BO

Danila Klimovich

After tearing up the Belarussian junior league last season, Klimovich went to the World U18 Championships and put himself firmly on the draft radar, with six goals in five games. An offensive machine, both his shot and puck skills stand out as high-end. While the rest of his game is raw and in need of development, his strengths are strong enough to work with him to get his weaknesses mitigated enough to play. That is why the Canucks made him an early second round pick in 2021.

Like many players with his obvious offensive tools, Klimovich’s play off the puck needs some work. He will work hard in his own zone, but he is too often in the wrong spot to be really effective. He is very much a shoot-first forward, so his decision making with the puck is also at times lacking. Playing with a more uniformly higher quality of teammate and against a more uniformly higher quality of opponent will be necessary for him to begin to eliminate those bad habits. Despite the flaws in his game, Klimovich’s upside is rare, with easy top six potential. Vancouver will need to be patient, but the payoff is possibly immense. He was drafted in the CHL Import Draft last year by Rouyn-Noranda, but the pandemic prevented most imports from coming over for the 2020-21 season. Playing in the Q is an option this year, but he does look to be playing in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Jonah Gadjovich

The Vancouver Canucks have to be really happy with the way Gadjovich has steadily improved in each of his first three pro seasons in the organization. His goals per game mark have steadily risen each season (0.09, to 0.34, to 0.79). The big power forward finally looks like he is ready for an NHL role this upcoming season, where he will compete for a bottom six role in training camp.

The key to Gadjovich’s improvement on the ice has been directly tied to his ability to become quicker. A big power forward, Gadjovich has always found his way to the net and brought a physical element, however with improvements to his explosiveness and agility, he has become a consistent scoring threat. Armed with an extremely heavy shot and great scoring instincts, the next test will come at the NHL level. Can Gadjovich keep up? Just how much has his skating improved? Vancouver will have a tough choice to make, as Gadjovich is out of options and will need to be rostered in order to avoid waivers. The hope is that he can play a consistent fourth line role this upcoming season and then slowly become more involved offensively as he gains confidence. His high-end upside is that of a middle six scoring winger and powerplay threat. - BO

Will Lockwood

With the possible exception of his junior year in Ann Arbor, Lockwood has always shown himself to be an energy winger with just enough skill to allow teams to hope for more than bottom line production at his best. The junior year was an exception (maybe), as it was the only season since his U16 days in which he even approached point-per-game production. Lockwood’s senior season with Michigan saw his numbers regress back to his normal range (23 points in 33 games) and his rookie professional season last year was even lower, although the smaller sample size may have prevented him from showing adjustments, and in fairness, he did end the year on a three-game point streak.

At the end of the day, though, Vancouver will not be looking to Lockwood for more than moderate, supporting offense. They would be happy for him to be effective as a disruptor and agitator on a bottom six line, possibly supporting the penalty kill while he’s at it. He is a solid skater, plays a ‘hit first, ask questions later’ style game, and has just enough skill with the puck that the opposition can’t take him for granted. Given the Canucks’ lack of forward depth, he will likely have a chance to open the season in the NHL, but his general lack of professional experience indicates that more AHL time would be ideal. - RW

Jacob Truscott

Going from a depth role with a strong USNTDP to a depth role in a ridiculous Michigan program, Truscott has seen his chances to show what he can do limited of late. Our belief in him stems from the variety of things he showed as capable during his pre-draft year, indicative of a player with a broad skill set, if not the deepest skill set, and the creativity and quickness of thought to always be capable of surprising.

Watching him in his bottom pairing job last year, we saw a defender who was playing somewhat tentatively, overly carefully, trying to earn the trust of his coaching staff, and by extension, a greater role in the following seasons. He avoided overt displays of rugged physicality, seemingly to avoid spending time in the penalty box. To his credit, Truscott held his own in his own end, earning some regular penalty killing duties in the process, and hopefully setting the stage for an expanded role there next year. And every now and then, if you watched closely, he demonstrated that his offensive tools could work at this new level. Continued progress would mean the removal of his shackles – whether they were put on himself or placed upon him by the coaching staff – and working to expand his comfort zone. We will know more about his ultimate projection once we see him play more comfortably in college. - RW

Carson Focht

Carson Focht seemingly plateaued over his WHL career. He never reached a point per game pace even in his last season. However, Focht is a hard nose player that brings a bit of grit and sandpaper to your line up. He seems destined for a bottom-line role where he can be an effective agitator and good sized player who can lean on opponents and patrol the center of the ice. He is a pretty sound player in his own end and plays a simple and effective game. His speed is fine, and he is willing to throw his body around, especially on the forecheck. His hands are average, but he doesn’t flash high end skill when he has the puck on his stick.

Certainly, his effort and attention to details away from the puck give him a shot at carving out a bottom six role. His production in his first AHL season while not spectacular was enough to show he can translate his game to a bottom six pro style role. He will return to the AHL this year, now with the newly minted Abbotsford Canucks and will look to improve his offensive production, while also becoming an elite level shutdown forward. - VG

Karel Plasek

Drafted in 2019, the Canucks are still looking for Plasek to find greater consistency in his game. He has all the tools to become a solid middle six winger, but his performance in the Czech men’s leagues has been underwhelming thus far. He will finally make the trek to North America to play in the AHL next season and Canucks’ fans are incredibly interested to see how he performs.

Joni Jurmo

A third-round selection in 2020, Jurmo combines size and mobility on the back end and was drafted because of his projectable skill set. Most certainly a project, Jurmo will look to play full time at the Liiga level this coming season, joining the Jukurit organization.

Dmitri Zlodeyev

Injuries were a bit of a problem for the competitive two-way center this past season, but he still managed to win an MHL Championship with MHK Dynamo Moskva. Next season, the Canucks will be looking for Zlodeyev to finally get some experience at the KHL level, in addition to making the Russian World Junior’s roster.

Aidan McDonough

The first two seasons at Northeastern have gone swimmingly for McDonough as he has become a go-to offensive weapon for the program. A big winger with a goal scorer’s touch, McDonough is deadly in tight. As he returns to college for his junior season, the Canucks will be looking for him to take that next step and become one of the better offensive players in the Hockey East.

Arvid Costmar

A strong two-way forward, Costmar has performed exceptionally well at the J20 level in Sweden since being drafted. However, his offensive production at the SHL level has been underwhelming. Costmar will attempt to breakthrough this season with Linkoping and take that next step to prove to Vancouver management that he is deserving of an NHL ELC.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Vancouver Canucks Top 20 Prospects

Rachel Howard — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 22:39:00 +0000

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

Vasili Podkolzin, RW (10^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Podkolzin is a dynamic winger with a lot of good assets in his toolbox. He is a strong skater with terrific balance and is technically solid. He can get to top speed within a few strides. He is exceptionally good at puck protection and has a creative hockey mind. He works hard and plays a physical game. He still lacks a bit of consistency in his production, but he has been a teenager playing against men and he gets pushed out physically when he tries to create. He is not a typical transition player; he likes to play tight to the body and create from down low which makes a lack of physical strength a natural problem. Podkolzin also sometimes tries to be too creative instead of just making the easy play. He will always aid his team’s puck possession with elite skills and do good things with that possession. Although he did not score many points, his underlying numbers were good, and it is expected that he will receive a bigger role in the KHL this season. He has one more year with St Petersburg after which he could compete for a top six role with the Canucks. - JH

Nils Hoglander, LW (40^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

WJC star Hoglander plays intensively and is particularly strong in the corners and around the net. He will set up a power play or drive the play all over the ice. His passes to the slot were more frequent during the WJC than in the SHL as he was constantly trying to create. He is small and is not to able to break away from his opponents in the corners in the same way at the senior level as he did at the World Juniors, and that could be a concern as he prepares to transition to North America and the NHL, as his game prevails through stick handling, covering the puck and making quick turns and creative plays. That type of game will be tough for him in the NHL and he will need to vary his game. Hoglander was supposed to start the 2020-21 season with the Canucks organization, trying to earn a spot in the NHL; While he waits for the NHL to start, he has returned to the SHL, where his offensive game has begun to take off. - JH

Olli Juolevi, D (5^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

After playing his first nearly full season as a professional with AHL Utica, Juolevi seemed to be playing back to the same high level as made him the fifth overall pick in 2016. He brings a high hockey IQ and composure to any situation and as he grew more comfortable facilitating more scoring chances as well. He is a good skater, a good puck handler, and the type of player you forget is on the ice until he helps out in scoring or putting the puck in the net himself. He should certainly be making his long-awaited debut with the Canucks’ bottom pairing in 2020-21, where he will stay until he has mastered the NHL game enough to move up the lineup. Juolevi will simply have to be more physical to differentiate himself and to earn added trust from the coaching staff, learning to protect himself better in an organization that is not known for their grit. - SC

Jett Woo, D (37^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Woo has the potential to play on a second pairing but lacks the offensive toolkit that many were expecting after his eye-popping seasons in Moose Jaw. He is an effective, physical, in-your-face defender who skates well and competes hard for every inch of ice. He is tenacious in his own zone using big hits, stick checks, good reads and aggression to minimize the opponent’s ability to get to his net. His gap control is good, and opponents know he will step up if they bobble the puck or show any hesitation in the neutral zone. He is a fine passer, capable of making good plays to start the transition, however his decision making in the offensive zone is concerning. His vision is good, but he frequently tries to do too much and turns over the puck at inopportune times. While Woo is capable of recovering better than most, he is more the complementary defender than the one the dictates the offense. He plays the game the right way and has an edge and abrasiveness in handling himself. He is willing to jump into the rush and has the speed to get himself into the play as a trailer. - VG

Jack Rathbone, D (95^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

From the moment Rathbone stepped on the ice at Harvard, even as a freshman, he made an impact. While there is usually an adjustment period for rookies when transitioning to college hockey, especially for those who come straight from prep school as he did, some, like Rathbone, are exceptions. An offensive defenseman, last year he ranked fourth on the team in scoring, leading all Crimson defenders. His shot is characterized by a quick release. He appeared on the team’s second penalty kill unit and the first power play unit. He was possibly the team’s best puck mover on the power play. He is excellent at running the unit from the point. Defensively, he has a very active and quick stick and is able to poke check effectively, minimizing the negative impact of his smaller stature. Rahtbone’s offensive capabilities as well as his solid defensive skills give him a legitimate chance at making the NHL in a top half of roster role, a journey which will move to the professional ranks next season. - JS

Will Lockwood, RW (64^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

On the small side, but incredibly feisty, Lockwood spent the full four seasons at the University of Michigan, before finally signing an ELC with the Canucks shortly after COVID-19 paused play the world over. The former USNTDP grinder had an up-and-down collegiate career with the Wolverines, but his best two seasons were certainly his last two. He is a strong skater who can flash creativity with the puck in the offensive zone, can tend to play too deliberately as well, negating his inherent skill set. When he plays decisively, Lockwood has been a disruptive presence at the collegiate level. He plays a physical game, especially when he plays angry and relishes open ice checking. He is the type of player who could be ready for the NHL within one season of turning pro, but whose reasonable upside is never more than a bottom six winger, who could frustrate with the hints of more, but who can’t show it consistently enough for the possibility to be reasonable. - RW

Michael DiPietro, G (64^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 7)

DiPietro brings a new definition to the word ‘focus’ with an ultra-dialed-in and intense personality. He performs reliably well every game and gives maximum effort, no matter the opponent. He has a good track record for performing well under pressure and for keeping a good attitude, going above and beyond when it comes to athleticism, which he must due to his smaller size. He reads plays well and does well in one on one situations however he will have to battle harder to get to his position in net scrambles, as he works towards a permanent NHL role. The future is bright for DiPietro, who is so naturally gifted with the right instincts, attitude, and athleticism needed to be a top level goaltender, look for him to have a go at an NHL job within the next season should he start off the upcoming season the same way with Utica. - SC

Zack MacEwen, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 3, 2017. Previous ranking: 8)

MacEwen is not a cookie cutter smooth-skating type. Instead he is the hard working, crash and bang guy that brings a lot of energy to a roster. He is not the most graceful of skaters and does not stand out for skill either, but he does well at completing the little things. He is a steady net front presence, forces turnovers, and plays the body at the right times. A little clumsy at times, he has learned to be a good backchecker and defend well in his own zone, however he still needs to work on his passing in order to avoid turnovers and better contribute to the breakout. It is no surprise that MacEwen has earned a spot on the Vancouver Canucks 2020 playoff roster as he brings the right energy and can get the job done in a way that the other players cannot, which is why he is an asset to their bottom six, and should continue to play at the highest level as long as his cap hit remains low. – SC

Jacob Truscott, D (144^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

In every game with the USNDTP, there will be one or two moments where Truscott authors a play that makes you take notice. And each of those moments were substantially different. Those good plays would not be at all possible if he were not an above average skater, with impressive acceleration, very good edges and pivots and top speed, and mostly incredible backwards skating. The package plays into his heads-up game. He reads and processes the game fast and is very decisive when the situation calls for action. He can react correctly to a broken play. He can also excel in driving the play, as he can set and alternately vary the pace. He plays with mature composure. On the other hand, Truscott lacks flash. He has a decent wrist shot from the point, but not a power play quarterback rocket. He can skate with the puck but doesn’t often execute high level trickery. He can time the odd big hit but lacks the big frame to play that style with regularity. At the end of the day, he can leverage what he has into a long and successful career on a good team’s second pairing. – RW

Joni Jurmo, D (82^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking NA)

Jurmo is a big-risk/big-reward player. The physical tools are impossible to miss. He skates beautifully, with a fast and powerful stride. His edges are solid and his has four-way mobility, and the speed is remarkable. His carries out of his own end are thrilling. On the other hand, he is still incredibly raw. He has not often shown the ability to slow the game down, regroup and let the play come to him. He has shown significant improvement in his own zone work this year, to his credit, reading the play better and forcing opposing forwards to the outside, but he still has a way to go in this regard. There could also be some concern that he lacks experience at high levels, or at prestigious age-group tournaments. Jurmo recently moved from the Jokerit system to JyP, where he is expected to play in Liiga this season. If Vancouver can be patient, he represents a potential play on a future top four defender with dynamic qualities. He has come a long way in the last two seasons and still has room for added development. He might not get there, but it was a gamble worth taking. – RW

Kole Lind, RW (33^rd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 9)

Lind has finally had the breakout confidence-replenishing year that staff and writers were hoping for. He is a good shooter and good at making quick plays and reacting to what is going on around him. He can be relied upon to play special teams, however he is not the smoothest of skaters, but he makes up for it in the way he gets to the net and his work ethic on the forecheck. Lind will certainly have to get faster and more agile on his blades, but his hands and his passing are good and lead him oftentimes to contributing to good scoring opportunities or assisting on plays. He will most likely earn his chance to crack the Canucks lineup this coming season as a potential third liner alternating in the bottom six if he finds another gear for his skating and on ice agility while continuing to work on his two way play. - SC

Brogan Rafferty, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed 1, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

After leading the AHL Utica Comets in points for defensemen it is safe to say that Rafferty is a strong and dependable defenseman in the Vancouver pipeline. All of his skills are good, and his positioning and hockey IQ are what lead him to stand out, earning points in nearly every game. He will need to get a bit tougher when it comes to physicality and taking the body, but aside from that there is nothing of concern. He brings a great two-way game and is nearly always in the right position which could be an asset for the Canucks looking into next season, despite this past season only being Rafferty’s rookie year. A late bloomer, his potential may be surprisingly high because of the progression he has had so far, however when he gets the call up look to see him as part of the bottom four to start proving himself. - SC

Aidan McDonough, LW (195^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 12)

McDonough’s value may turn out to be higher than his seventh-round draft pick status. After graduating from prep school at Thayer Academy, McDonough spent one season in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders before entering the collegiate ranks. As a freshman, he was one of the highest-scoring players for Northeastern and the highest-scoring freshman by a mile and earned the team’s rookie of the year award. He has a big frame but could be stronger on the puck, although he is not afraid to engage in puck battles. While he needs to pump his legs on his strides, he is very hard to contain in the offensive zone as he glides around. McDonough is a sharp passer and can score from multiple spots but buzzes frequently around the net. While he certainly held his own as a freshman, he is still raw and needs to refine his game more before turning pro. - JS

Marc Michaelis, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 19, 2020. Previous ranking: 13)

The NCAA’s top scorer over the past four seasons, Michaelis was a First Team WCHA All American through each of his four seasons at Minnesota State. The slight German winger already had a lengthy history of high-level international play, including two appearances at the World Championships for his homeland before signing as a free agent with Vancouver a few days into the COVID-19 lockdown. Michaelis makes himself seen through high end skating ability, which allowed him to skate laps around the WCHA competition, as well as very interesting playmaking potential, with vision and creativity. The skating will have to be his ticket to the NHL though, as his playmaking ability has been more a function of brains than pure skill, leaving in question how much those brains will allow him to play up as a pro. If Michaelis makes the adjustment to the pro pace and continues to make his presence felt in the offensive end, he could push himself up to the highest level for a lengthy stay. – RW

Dmitri Zlodeyev, C (175^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Zlodeyev is a strong two-way center who shows extremely well off the puck. He uses his strong skating to apply pressure on the forecheck and was one of the anchors of Russia’s penalty killing unit at the U18 level. Additionally, he excels at the faceoff dot. As an offensive player, he is at his best working the half wall, where he can use his quick feet to elude checks and create lanes to attack. He is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer but is willing to drive the net and can finish from in tight with a quick release. The remaining question is his upside. Zlodeyev is a skill player, but it is not clearly enough yet to project to a scoring line role in North America, and without the strength to play in a bottom six role, he may be stuck as a tweener. His early work this year in the VHL (Russia’s second men’s league) is promising enough that he might just make it work, even if he is only in the early stages of his journey. – BO

Linus Karlsson, C (Trade: Feb. 25, 2019. Originally: 87^thoverall, 2018 [San Jose]. Previous ranking: 14)

A big center with nice hands who was acquired in a pure Swedish prospect trade, as Jonathan Dahlen was sent the other way to San Jose. Karlsson is not as a big name in Sweden as Dahlen is but Karlsson is a decent prospect in his own right, and he scored 40 points in Allsvenskan as a 20-year-old. He is an offensive minded center with an above average shot and above average hands. He is not elite an any way but a decent depth prospect, and if everything goes well, he could be a good third line option in the future. He needs to work on his skating and play at a faster pace to reach the highest level. He will have a couple more years of development before he can be ready to compete for a spot. I would be surprised if he has a long NHL career, but I can definitely see him being a good SHL player in near future. – JH

Guillaume Brisebois, D (66^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

The last three seasons with the Utica Comets for Brisebois have not gone as originally hoped since his near fifty-point final season in the QMJHL. Brisebois has struggled to produce a similar offensive output and anywhere near the success he had in major junior. He plays with grit and passion and brings a focus to every game that is admirable as he is always ready to make a play. The downside to his game is the fact that he has not been able to find the same confidence as he once had, and he has struggled to even get his passing game going. The hope is that next season Brisebois will finally find the extra gear he once seemed to have and reach his potential before it is too late. He will most likely be able to qualify for one more crack at a roster spot on the Canucks, hoping to find a home at the bottom of the defensive rotation. - SC

Arvid Costmar, C (215^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

The 215th pick in 2019 took good steps during the season. He was a steady top line center for the junior team and played big minutes. His production went up and he doubled his goal total last season despite playing 15 games less than the year before. He received some cups of tea at the senior level as well, but without success. In Allsvenskan he had a more diminished role when he played. His skating speed needs to improve but is a skilled offensive-minded player with good hands. His puck skills excel well on the power play as he likes to set up the play. He is also skilled one-on-one and can make nice dekes. For next season, I would like to see him earn a top six role on an Allsvenskan team and compete for a WJC roster spot. To do so he will need to work on his all-around game and play at a higher pace. – JH

Petrus Palmu, LW/RW (181^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 16)

One of the smallest drafted prospects around, Palmu tore up the OHL as an Import player, but has spent the bulk of the past three seasons back in Finland. At every stop, he has left little doubt but that he is a dynamic, productive offensive player, with only the mild exception of his 12-game stint in the AHL in 2018-19. Just from a tools perspective, he isn’t the most impressive. He skates well, but questionably whether he is fleet enough to overcome his size concern. He has fast hands, and reads the game well, but neither approaching elite. He is not a sniper. But somehow, he has made it all work well together to give him an overall package that has been greater than the sum of his parts. Like all players of his stature, even ones who play with his courage, Palmu will need to prove himself anew at every new level, and next up is the AHL, to which he is expected to play this year. - RW

Carson Focht, C (133^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 17)

Drafted as a moderately offensive second year eligible, Focht’s post draft performance was somewhat disappointing, as he failed to take his game to another level in the WHL. Not meeting expectations is not new for Focht, the one-time seventh overall pick in the WHL Bantam Draft. This is not to imply that his professional prospects are dead, as his game has elements that could fit in a bottom six role. He has decent size, and he can play with some grit up and down the ice. When his team has possession, he some smooth hands and the wherewithal to keep the play moving in the right direction. On the right day, he can even look like a sniper, with a very quick release on his snapshot. He just doesn’t do it all at once, or consistently. Still unsigned, it is unclear where he will play this year, as he turns 21 in early February. - RW

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

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

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

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

PROSPECT CRITERIA

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

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

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.

USHL: Jacob Truscott, D, USNTDP (2020)

Ryan Wagman — Thu, 28 May 2020 11:28:55 +0000

There are easily three defenders on this year’s USNTDP-U18 squad that are better NHL prospects than Jacob Truscott. Maybe even four. And yet there is not a team in the league that shouldn’t be pinching themselves if they can draft the Michigan commit anywhere from the third round on down.

The reason he gets somewhat lost in the shuffle on his team is that he lacks any one defining physical characteristic. Sanderson and Powell are both blazing skaters. Kleven is a physical specimen. Truscott is unassuming. He is a good skater, but more impressive in reverse than rushing forward. His shot is solid, but its strength is more about timing than sheer power. He moves the puck well, but it is more poise than flash. He has a physical game, but, well, it’s nothing special.

What sets Truscott up for success is that he can help beat you in so many ways. A USNTDP viewing never went by for me this year where I didn’t marvel at an unexpected choice Truscott made. And it was always a different type of choice. His ability to read the game is great. He has second pairing upside if given the opportunity.

Jacob Truscott	2020 NHL Draft Eligible
Position: D, Shoots L	H/W: 6-0", 172 lbs
Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS)	U.S. National U18 Team, USDP (47-5-16-21-36)
	USNTDP Juniors, USHL (19-4-7-11-6)

Jacob Truscott. Photo by Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

Skating – Without approaching the skating chops of blueline crew-mates Jake Sanderson or Eamon Powell, Truscott is a very good skater. He accelerates very well, shows good pivots, and edges, especially in his backwards skating as he works to angle opposing rushers towards the boards. He also has a nice spin move that he can use to evade the forecheck from deep in his own zone. In fact, I find his backwards skating to be more interesting than his forwards gear. His first two steps in reverse are very quick. On the other hand, he gets to a good head of steam going forwards as well and has enough speed to turn around an opposing defender when he enters the offensive zone on a rush. Grade: 55

Shot – Truscott has a nice, accurate wrist shot from the point that he likes to use regularly. It isn’t a heavy shot, but he keeps it low and it is conducive to generating rebounds for his teammates. He will also step up and deliver a one-timer when playing the power play. He is a calm presence from the point, without tunnel vision for shooting, but nonetheless one of the more frequent shooters from the USNTDP blueline this year, averaging a touch more than two shots on net per game during USHL play. Grade: 50

Skills – A poised puck mover, what Truscott lacks in flash, he makes up for with steadiness. He can make plays when in motion in the offensive zone, setting up teammates for quality scoring chances. If given time on the power play, he can control the zone from the point with his vision and passing game. He has soft hands and makes himself into an appealing target for passes. He doesn’t go on solo rushes often, but has the ability to cut loose here and there. Grade: 50

Smarts – His combination of instincts, vision, quick reactions, and focus all speak to Truscott’s highly advanced hockey mind. Every time I watch the USNTDP play, he does something different to effect a shift in a positive way for his team that tells me that he sees all of the options and has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Every action he takes is with intent and forcefulness. Despite lacking a ton of muscle, his defensive positioning is an asset and enables him to play in all situations, including when his team needs a shut-down. He keeps tight gaps, and uses his stick aggressively, although I have seen him burned by that aggressiveness, biting on a deke and losing his positioning. More often than not, though, he reads the opponent correctly. Grade: 60

Physicality – A lot of players entering their draft year are still underdeveloped physically. In many cases, you can look at their frame and make an assumption about the amount of additional muscle that the player should be able to pack on with a few more years of physical maturity. Others are harder to project. Truscott falls in the second camp. He is lean from shoulder to shoulder. He does try to play a physical game, to an extent, leaning on people and giving some pushback. He can time hits nicely for a respectable impact. Then again, he get be too easily overpowered along the boards facing bigger players (and most players are – and will continue to be – bigger). Grade: 45

Overall Future Projection (OFP): 53.5

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

Jacob Truscott – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – VANCOUVER CANUCKS – Top 20 Prospects

2022 IIHF World Junior Championship Preview

World Juniors’ Preview

Group A:

Czechia

Canada

Slovakia

Finland

Latvia

Group B:

United States

Switzerland

Germany

Austria

Sweden

WJ Predicitons

Group A

Group B

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Medals

Tournament MVP – Connor Bedard

Best Forward – Mason McTavish

Best Defenceman – Simon Edvinsson

Best Goaltender – Jesper Wallsted

All-Tournament team

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: VANCOUVER CANUCKS- RANK: #27 – TIER V

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Vancouver Canucks Top 20 Prospects

Vasili Podkolzin, RW (10th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Nils Hoglander, LW (40th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Olli Juolevi, D (5th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

Jett Woo, D (37th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Jack Rathbone, D (95th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Will Lockwood, RW (64th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

Michael DiPietro, G (64th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 7)

Zack MacEwen, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 3, 2017. Previous ranking: 8)

Jacob Truscott, D (144th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Joni Jurmo, D (82nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking NA)

Kole Lind, RW (33rd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 9)

Brogan Rafferty, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed 1, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Aidan McDonough, LW (195th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 12)

Marc Michaelis, RW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 19, 2020. Previous ranking: 13)

Dmitri Zlodeyev, C (175th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Linus Karlsson, C (Trade: Feb. 25, 2019. Originally: 87th overall, 2018 [San Jose]. Previous ranking: 14)

Guillaume Brisebois, D (66th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

Arvid Costmar, C (215th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Petrus Palmu, LW/RW (181st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 16)

Carson Focht, C (133rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 17)

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

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

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)

Best value pick: Martin Chromiak

Worst pick value: Juha Markkanen

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)

Vasili Podkolzin, RW (10^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Nils Hoglander, LW (40^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Olli Juolevi, D (5^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 3)

Jett Woo, D (37^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 4)

Jack Rathbone, D (95^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Will Lockwood, RW (64^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

Michael DiPietro, G (64^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 7)

Jacob Truscott, D (144^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Joni Jurmo, D (82^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking NA)

Kole Lind, RW (33^rd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 9)

Aidan McDonough, LW (195^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 12)

Dmitri Zlodeyev, C (175^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Linus Karlsson, C (Trade: Feb. 25, 2019. Originally: 87^thoverall, 2018 [San Jose]. Previous ranking: 14)

Guillaume Brisebois, D (66^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 11)

Arvid Costmar, C (215^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Petrus Palmu, LW/RW (181^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 16)

Carson Focht, C (133^rd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 17)