Joey Willis – McKeen's Hockey

OHL: One NHL Prospect to Watch on Each Team

Kyle Watson — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 14:34:05 +0000

_{Henry Mews of the Ottawa 67's. (Photo by Terry Wilson/OHL Images)}

The 2024 NHL Draft marked the return of the OHL as hockey’s premier talent producer, leading the event with nine players selected in the first round and 39 in total. Oshawa Generals' rising star Beckett Sennecke was the first OHLer off the board at third overall, with Zayne Parekh, Sam Dickinson and Jett Luchanko joining him as lottery picks. The 2025 class, led by the equally high-flying Porter Martone and Michael Misa, could be even more impressive.

The 2024-25 OHL season is in full swing; players have returned from their NHL clubs and we have a concrete idea of how teams will shape up. Massive trades have already happened - such as Owen Sound captain Colby Barlow’s move to the Generals - and barring a few uncertainties, we know what the talent pool will look like in Ontario this year.

High-profile names like Liam Greentree and Sam Dickinson have continued to grab headlines a month into the campaign, posting gaudy statlines. While writing this article, I attempted to avoid blue-chip prospects, instead examining players positioned to have ‘breakout years,’ but included a few star names with storylines worth following.

Beau Akey, RHD, Barrie Colts (Edmonton Oilers)

DOB: Feb. 11th, 2005 H/W: 6-0/183 Draft: 2023, Rd. 2, 56th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 14 GP - 4 G - 5 A - 9 PTS

The Colts loaded the stables early this season: they added a trio of Dallas Stars prospects in Emil Hemming, Brad Gardiner and Tristan Bertucci before Game #1 before adding 104-point-scorer Dalyn Wakely in early October.

Amongst the glitz and glamour of all the flashy names arriving in Barrie, it might be easy to forget about Beau Akey. The Oilers’ 2023 second-rounder suffered a season-ending injury in November 2023 and was sidelined for most of his DY+1 campaign.

Once fully healthy, Akey will remind the world of his exceptional puck-moving ability. With the talent surrounding him in Barrie this season, his production should catapult. Whether paired with Bertucci, Senators prospect Gabriel Eliasson or 2025 draft-eligible Kashawn Aitcheson, Akey has been logging big minutes this season. Expect Barrie to be a frontrunner in the Eastern Conference playoff race and their top defenceman to lead them there.

Carson Rehkopf, F, Brampton Steelheads (Seattle Kraken)

DOB: Jan. 7th, 2005 H/W: 6-2/194 Draft: 2023, Rd. 2, 50th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 70 GP - 58 G - 48 A - 106 PTS

The Kraken second-rounder enjoyed about as perfect of a DY+1 campaign as possible. In the past two seasons in Kitchener, Rehkopf saw his offensive numbers rise significantly (from 30-29-59 in 68 games to 52-43-95 in 60) and he led the league in game-winning goals (10) and powerplay goals (16) last campaign.

The 19-year-old established himself as one of the deadliest shooters in junior hockey and honed his playmaking ability. He was also one of Canada’s better players at the World Juniors.

But there’s more to come for ‘The Razor’.

As talented as the 2023-24 Kitchener Rangers were, the Steelheads have deployed an even more gifted squad in their inaugural season in Brampton. Rehkopf was acquired in August to lead an offensive unit already boasting Angus MacDonell, Luke Misa, and a top-5 prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft in Porter Martone. Backstopped by sophomore phenom Jack Ivankovic, Brampton has depth in all areas and is well-equipped to add the final touches.

Projecting Rehkopf’s totals this season is almost frightening. Centring the Steelheads' top line with Martone on his wing, he is on pace for 39 goals and 136 points through seven contests (2.0 PTS/GP). The duo have outscored opponents 24-7 at 5v5 this season (77.4 GF%) and have been on the ice for 36 of Brampton's 66 goals through 14 games (54.5%).

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Rehkopf-Martone.m4v

We know he won’t play 68 games as a returning player for Team Canada’s WJC group, but the Kraken prospect has another gear he’s starting to tap into for Brampton. Only 20 OHL players have reached the 120-point threshold in the 21st century; that mark should be within reach for Rehkopf.

Marek Vanacker, LW, Brantford Bulldogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

DOB: Apr. 12th, 2006 H/W: 6-0/179 Draft: 2024, Rd. 1, 27th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 74 GP - 39 G - 50 A - 89 PTS

The Bulldogs should be back with a bite this season and will be hungry for another OHL Championship. Their battle back to the top will be must-watch hockey for Chicago Blackhawks fans, with Vanacker (2024, 27th overall) and sniper Nick Lardis (2024, 67th overall) leading the charge.

Vanacker played most of his draft year with an injured shoulder, and Lardis was sidelined from January to the beginning of the playoffs with a wrist injury. Vanacker underwent surgery on his shoulder this summer. Upon his estimated return in December, Blackhawks fans will have their first look at the duo playing together 100 percent healthy.

In the 37 games played before Lardis’ injury on January 12th, Vanacker had 10 goals and 24 points. The Delhi, Ont. native stepped up during his teammates’ absence, scoring 19 goals and 44 points in the final 30 contests of the regular season. That’s a 226% uptick in points per game (0.65 w/ Lardis, 1.47 w/o).

I think Vanacker makes this Bulldogs team his own this season: Lardis is one of the most dangerous forwards in the league, and 2025 draft-eligible Jake O’Brien is a supreme playmaker, but Vanacker is so difficult to contain. He plays bigger than his 6-0, 174 lbs. frame: constantly getting under sticks and charging the net with an impressive blend of speed and skill.

The Hawks have some blue-chip prospects in their forward core: Oliver Moore, Lukas Reichel and Frank Nazar were all top-19 picks. In recent years, they have prioritized speed later in the draft, selecting the likes of Paul Ludwinski, AJ Spellacy, and John Mustard. I think Lardis and Vanacker fit nicely between those two tiers in Chicago’s system and both have a real chance of playing in their middle six in a few years.

Emil Pieniniemi, LHD, Kingston Frontenacs (Pittsburgh Penguins)

DOB: Mar. 2nd, 2005 H/W: 6-2/176 Draft: 2023, Rd. 3, 91st ov.

2023-24 Stats (Liiga): 38 GP - 2 G - 4 A - 6 PTS

Acquired by the Fronts in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, the Finnish defenceman arrives from the storied Kärpät organization. The 19-year-old played 48 games in Liiga last season: featuring almost entirely as the team’s seventh defenceman. Pieniniemi has also represented Finland at the U17, U18, and U20 levels, alongside new teammate Tuomas Uronen.

In his first 13 OHL games, the Penguins prospect has stepped right into the top of the Frontenacs lineup, operating as the PP1 anchor and playing on the top d-pairing alongside Quinton Burns. Pieniniemi’s playmaking ability is evident upon first-time viewing: he makes a strong first pass out of the zone and sees the ice very well from the blueline-in.

Kingston’s offence is flying on all cylinders this season, carrying them to the top of the East Division through 16 games (8-4-4-0). Their 68 goals are second only to Windsor’s 71 and their powerplay has been excellent, clicking at 27.3% - the fifth-best percentage in the league. Pieniniemi has been its quarterback, tied for the league lead with nine powerplay assists. I’m more interested in how he fares continually deployed in high-pressure defensive situations: he’ll be depended on heavily in Kingston and for Team Finland at the World Juniors.

Kevin He, LW, Niagara IceDogs (Winnipeg Jets)

DOB: Apr. 30th, 2006 H/W: 6-0/181 Draft: 2024, Rd. 4, 109th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 64 GP - 31 G - 22 A - 53 PTS

The IceDogs sit atop the Eastern Conference with 11 wins in their first 15 games, largely due to the exceptional start Kevin He is enjoying. The Jets prospect’s 23 points put him sixth in league scoring and he has a hand in 38% of Niagara’s 60 goals. Confidence has never been a problem for the speedy winger: He has been one of Niagara’s best players from the minute he stepped into the league. What’s most noticeable this season is his intensity on the ice. The shooting threat has always been there, but he has been able to generate more offence through his work on the forecheck and in the corners.

The addition of 20-year-old Kraken prospect Andrei Loshko has undoubtedly boosted the team’s offence, but it shouldn’t undermine He’s success. Incredibly, 21 of his 23 points thus far have been primary.

An electric six-point outing in early October against the powerhouse Steelheads put him on the radar as a potential fourth-round steal:

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Kevin-He-6pt-night.mp4

Ethan Procyszyn, C, North Bay Battalion (Anaheim Ducks)

DOB: July. 11th, 2005 H/W: 6-3/192 Draft: 2024, Rd. 3, 68th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 78 GP - 17 G - 25 A - 42 PTS

With the departure of overage centerman Dalyn Wakely to Barrie, Procyszyn immediately slots in on the Troops’ top unit between Owen Van Steensel and Anthony Romani. The OVS-Wakely-Romani line was one of the league’s best last season, combining for over 300 points. It’s unclear which direction North Bay is heading toward come the trade deadline, but the Ducks’ third-round pick in 2024 will get an extended look with veteran players surrounding him.

“If there is one player in this entire draft class born to be an elite fourth-line center, it’s Procyszyn.”

That’s how Director of Scouting, Brock Otten, described the Battalion’s new top pivot in McKeen’s 2024 NHL Draft guide. Procyszyn has continued to display his elite physical tools this season and I would contend his small-area puck skills have improved in the offseason. He has been very effective net-front on the PP1:

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Ethan-Procyszyn-mix.mp4

The Wasaga Beach native’s 12 goals currently lead the Battalion through 16 contests. Whether or not there are departures in North Bay before the trade deadline, Procyszyn will have ample time to develop there this season.

Luca Marrelli, RHD, Oshawa Generals (Columbus Blue Jackets)

DOB: Oct. 4th, 2005 H/W: 6-2/185 Draft: 2024, Rd. 3, 86th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 88 GP - 8 G - 62 A - 70 PTS

Oshawa struggled out the gate but Marrelli has been excellent, leading all OHL defencemen with 23 points after 16 games. His offensive tools look more refined this season and he’s visibly more confident attacking the net. The Generals have been spectacular at even strength with the 19-year-old on the ice, outscoring opponents 27-8.

The team’s trademark under Derek Laxdal was their defensive solidity around goaltender Jacob Oster. With Marrelli, Oster, Ben Danford, Luca D’Amato, and Zachary Sandu returning, that should be the case again under new bench boss Steve O’Rourke. Despite his impressive box score stats, Marrelli has always been more of a steady, well-rounded rearguard. While other players on this list have leaps and bounds left to make in their development, the Blue Jackets prospect already has a strong idea of his identity on the ice.

Colby Barlow and Beckett Sennecke are heating up, Marrelli is playing the best hockey of his career, and Cal Ritchie has returned from the Avalanche. The City of Oshawa wants their 14th OHL Championship.

Henry Mews, RHD, Ottawa 67's (Calgary Flames)

DOB: Mar. 9th, 2005 H/W: 6-0/187 Draft: 2024, Rd. 3, 74th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 75 GP - 17 G - 49 A - 66 PTS

The seventh overall selection in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Mews entered his draft season as one of the most profiled players eligible. After scoring 12 goals and 31 points as a rookie, he was a projected first-round pick on many lists entering the 2023-24 season. While the offensive side of his game continued to improve, the 67’s defenceman slid down draft boards due to inconsistencies at the other end of the ice.

It has been noted many times that Mews transitioned to defence very late in his minor hockey career, and thus has more room to grow. This may be a make-or-break season for the Flames’ third-round pick: either he rounds out his game or pops enough offensively to become a Hunter Brzustewicz-type defenseman. There is certainly value to be found here as a third-round selection.

Colin Fitzgerald, C, Peterborough Petes

DOB: Apr. 1st, 2008 H/W: 6-2/194

2023-24 Stats* (OMHA U16): 43 GP - 52 G - 33 A - 85 PTS

The Petes gambled taking Fitzgerald third overall in the 2024 OHL Priority Selection - a gamble already paying them dividends. Tendered to the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, the Minor Petes alumni decided to sign with his hometown team and was arguably their best player through 12 games before heading off to the U17s.

Standing at 6-2, 195 pounds, Fitzgerald can already match up against veteran players. He’s engaged in all areas of the ice and uses his reach effectively to protect the puck. He’s already proving a hassle beneath the hash marks:

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Peterborough doesn’t have any NHL-affiliated prospects—thus his inclusion in the list—but they possess one of the best ‘07 groups in the league. They unloaded at the trade deadline last season, acquiring 2023 first-round picks Caden Taylor (9th overall), Nico Addy (12th), and Aiden Young (16th) to join 13th-overall selection Carson Cameron.

Winless through their first 14 matchups, there’s a good chance the Petes are at the precipice of a historically bad season. What that means for Fitzgerald - and the rest of the ’08s and ’07s - is plenty of ice time and a long leash to learn from their mistakes.

Kieron Walton, F, Sudbury Wolves, (Winnipeg Jets)

DOB: Apr. 22nd, 2006 H/W: 6-6/212 Draft: 2024, Rd. 6, 187th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 74 GP - 18 G - 25 A - 43 PTS

The Jets grabbing Walton in the sixth round in Vegas was one of my favourite picks at the 2024 NHL Draft. The Wolves forward is a low-risk, high-reward selection: he possesses immense physical tools and can produce moments of brilliance, but there are massive questions surrounding his consistency. Though he was operating in a middle-six role, you never knew what version of Walton you were getting in his draft year:

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Walton-mix.m4v

With 19 points in his first 15 games, the Toronto native has started the season well. He’s looked more dangerous from a standstill - four of his six goals have come on the powerplay - and is playing on Kocha Delic’s wing on the first line. Walton is still only averaging well under a hit per game, though. If the Jets are to unlock his potential, they must help him utilize his 6-5, 211-pound frame.

Carey Terrance, C, Erie Otters (Anaheim Ducks)

DOB: May 10th, 2005 H/W: 6-1/186 Draft: 2023, Rd. 2, 59th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 62 GP - 31 G - 25 A - 56 PTS

200 games into Carey Terrance’s OHL career, we have a strong idea of his qualities as a prospect: the 2023 second-round pick possesses some of the best straight-line speed in junior hockey and it allows him to be an efficient scorer and penalty killer. He’s stood out on an Otters team that has finished 17th, 19th, and 11th since he entered the league in 2021; now there is plenty of talent around him.

Between Terrance, Gabriel Frasca, and overage forwards Pano Fimis and Martin Misiak, Erie needs to solidify a top-9. If the Otters are to compete in the Midwest Division this season, Terrance needs to help them form an elite 1-2 punch down the middle.

Appointed as captain at the beginning of the season, there is certainly pressure on his shoulders. In his final year in Erie, I’m looking for the Ducks prospect to prove himself as one of the league’s best two-way pivots.

Nathan Aspinall, LW, Flint Firebirds (New York Rangers)

DOB: Mar. 30th, 2006 H/W: 6-7/195 Draft: 2024, Rd. 5, 159th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 69 GP - 19 G - 16 A - 35 PTS

Given how much the organization prioritizes size at the draft, few were surprised when the Rangers selected 6-7, 190-pound Aspinall with the 159th pick this past June. The Firebirds winger profiles similar to many players his size: he brings a heavy shot and great reach, but lacks consistency. New York has experience working with this type of player: they can aid him as he grows into his own body and starts to take over physically in the OHL.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Aspinall-mix.m4v

Aspinall can look to the Rangers' 2023 pick Dylan Roobroeck as a model of how a big-bodied forward can develop. Also standing at 6-7, the 20-year-old exploded offensively near the tail end of last season and was one of the Generals' best players on their run to the OHL Championship Finals.

Vilmer Alriksson, LW, Guelph Storm (Vancouver Canucks)

DOB: Feb. 18th, 2005 H/W: 6-6/234 Draft: 2023, Rd. 4, 107th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 71 GP - 18 G - 16 A - 34 PTS

Alriksson’s first season in North America was just ok. There were flashes of supreme skill, but his totals of 18 goals and 16 assists across 71 regular season and playoff games do not jump off the page. The big Swede drives to the net like a freight train and has solid hands in tight. At Canucks rookie camp, Alriksson played without fear, dominating around the net and mixing it up after the whistle.

Backhand beauty from Vilmer Alriksson :pinched_fingers: pic.twitter.com/QmCbxSQLmH

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 15, 2024

Vancouver GM Patrick Alvin liked what he saw at camp enough to sign the 2023 fourth-round pick to his entry-level contract before returning him to Guelph.

“Vilmer had a solid training camp and continues to develop and improve,” said Alvin in September. “We really like his size, skating ability and skillset.”

There are rumours that 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko will be traded from Guelph. Whether or not the Flyers prospect remains with the Storm will play a large role in how this year goes for Alriksson. A move to a more competitive team - even alongside Luchanko - is also a distinct possibility.

Trent Swick, LW, Kitchener Rangers (Vegas Golden Knights)

DOB: Apr. 25th, 2004 H/W: 6-6/208 Draft: 2024, Rd. 6, 180th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 70 GP - 30 G - 37 A - 67 PTS

The Blueshirts lost a lot of firepower in the offseason, saying goodbye to their three top scorers in Rehkopf, Hunter Brzustewicz and Matthew Sop - as well as Filip Mešár and Eduard Šalé. As a result, Swick will carry a far greater offensive burden this year. The 20-year-old took a massive step in production last season - from 18 points in 33 games (0.55 PTS/G) to 62 in 63 (0.98). Much of that increase can be attributed to Swick’s improvements in overall quickness. His 6-7 frame makes him a threat driving through traffic, but he’s also become much more proficient at cutting inside and picking out corners.

Despite the summer of outgoings, the Rangers are in first place a month into this season. Swick has slotted onto the top line alongside leading scorer Adrian Misaljevic and 2025 NHL Draft-eligible Luca Romano. Since his return, Kitchener is 11-0-0-1 and his line has combined on 19 of Kitchener’s 53 goals (35.8%).

Sam O’Reilly, F, London Knights (Edmonton Oilers)

DOB: Mar. 30th, 2006 H/W: 6-1/190 Draft: 2024, Rd. 1, 32nd ov.

2023-24 Stats: 84 GP - 25 G - 43 A - 68 PTS

Every season, a player has a “breakout” year for the Knights. Buried underneath all the talent constantly coming through the pipeline in London, second and third-year players often take a massive jump in production and notoriety when given more opportunities. Easton Cowan is one example; Oliver Bonk, Luke Evangelista, Liam Foudy - the list goes on.

That wasn’t the case for Sam O’Reilly. The Oilers first-round pick enjoyed large stints of London’s championship run as a center in the top six. He and Jacob Julien were the team's top two centers during Kaleb Lawrence’s suspensions in the second and third rounds. Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey were mostly used on the wing - though Cowan played center in the Memorial Cup with O’Reilly on his flank.

It’s unclear who the Knights will deploy there this season: O’Reilly, Cowan, Barkey, Julien, William Nicholl, Evan Van Gorp, Rene Van Bommel, Landon Sim, and 2024 first-round pick Logan Hawery are all capable. Regardless of position, O’Reilly will be a fixture in the Knights’ top six this season as they defend their throne as OHL champions.

Carter George, G, Owen Sound Attack (LA Kings)

DOB: May 20th, 2006 H/W: 6-1/190 Draft: 2024, Rd. 2, 57th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 60 GP, 23-9-6-3, .907 S%, 3.30 GAA, 4 SO

It was trial by fire for George in his rookie year in the OHL: the Thunder Bay native turned aside more shots than any goaltender in North America’s four major junior leagues last season (CHL and USHL). The Attack netminder stopped 1,744 of the 1,923 attempts he faced - an average of 31 per game. On 19 occasions, he faced more than 38 shots a night.

With how things are shaping up in Owen Sound so far, the Kings prospect will continue to face a lot of rubber in his sophomore season. There is a strong chance the attack will also be sellers by the trade deadline. It’s not necessarily bad for George’s development, though: ice time is the most important thing for goaltenders and the 18-year-old tends to thrive under pressure. He is an exceptionally smart and technically sound goaltender who manages scrambles and shots through traffic well. Despite starting 60 of a possible 72 games last season, he was consistently tremendous, never giving up on a play. As long as the Attack have George in between the pipes, he gives them a chance to win every night.

Joey Willis, C, Saginaw Spirit (Nashville Predators)

DOB: Mar. 14th, 2005 H/W: 5-11/185 Draft: 2023, Rd. 4, 111th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 83 GP - 18 G - 43 A - 61 PTS

After playing up and down the lineup in the Spirit’s run to their first Memorial Cup championship in June, the Preds 2023 fourth-rounder has nailed down a spot in Saginaw’s top six this season. Willis’ game is built around his intelligence: which has served him well during his tenure in the OHL. The Spirit play a fluid 1-3-1 system when attacking, with players constantly swapping positions, and it suits the 19-year-old.

Willis is a crafty player, always popping up in dangerous areas and digging for pucks. He became more and more effective as the year progressed, coming up with timely scoring in the postseason. He does terrific work around the net for a player his size - and I think his shot, which is accurate but not powerful - will continue to improve as he matures.

Currently centring the second line behind the scorching-hot Michael Misa, Willis’ production hasn’t taken a substantial step this season, but he is on the top powerplay unit. There may not be massive signs of improvement here, but I can see his game going to the next level if the Spirit decide to take another run at it - he’s a player who rises to the occasion.

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Lukas Fischer, LHD, Sarnia Sting (St. Louis Blues)

DOB: Sep. 9th, 2006 H/W: 6-3/184 Draft: 2024, Rd. 2, 56th ov.

2023-24 Stats: 68 GP - 6 G - 28 A - 34 PTS

The Sting are still a team in transition following their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 but are set up to be a real problem in years ahead. Sarnia made out of the 2024 OHL Priority Selection like bandits, walking away with two first-round talents in Alessandro Di Iorio and Beckham Edwards. After picking Di Iorio with the second overall pick, they convinced Edwards - who had tendered with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms - to commit to the program.

It’s been a trial-by-fire for both ‘08-born centermen, who’ve been thrust right into top-9 roles behind veteran Easton Wainwright. Di Iorio and Edwards have met nearly every challenge they’ve faced so far, combining for 20 points in their first 14 junior hockey games.

Earning the ‘C’ in his third season, Fischer has the chance to lead a young Sting team into a new era in Sarnia. As the indisputable 1D on a rebuilding team, the 18-year-old will have ample room to develop all areas of his game. He’s got a solid foundation of physical skills, with plenty of room to grow into his 6-3 frame, and has always been reliable in his own end. He doesn’t overhandle the puck and makes an excellent first pass. This season, Fischer looks more confident as a puck carrier, he’s joining the rush more and has even finished off a few plays in front of the net.

Andrew Gibson, RHD, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Nashville Predators)

DOB: Feb. 13th, 2005 H/W: 6-3/210 Draft: 2023, Rd. 2, 42nd ov.

2023-24 Stats: 79 GP - 12 G - 34 A - 46 PTS

The Red Wings’ 2023 second-round pick was acquired by Nashville in June, joining the Preds conveyor belt of defensive prospects. Gibson started to show the qualities that made him a top prospect more consistently last season, operating as the Greyhounds’s go-to shutdown guy. He moves his 6-3, 203-pound frame around well and is always engaged physically.

With a mass exodus of stars in the summer, Gibson leads a new-look Hounds team into a new era. Reinforcements arrived from Tuscon last week, however: Utah HC prospects Owen Allard and Noel Nordh were assigned to the Soo from the AHL’s Roadrunners. They’ve massively helped the team’s powerplay, improving from 3.1% to 9.1% in just a few games. I’d like to see Gibson improve as a puck mover as the anchor of the top unit - especially if he has World Juniors aspirations.

AJ Spellacy, F, Windsor Spitfires (Chicago Blackhawks)

DOB: Feb. 24th, 2006 H/W: 6-3/201 Draft: 2024, Rd. 3, 72nd ov.

2023-24 Stats: 67 GP - 21 G - 17 A - 38 PTS

The 2024 third-round pick was the story of the Blackhawks' training camp, outlasting all other junior players attending. Spellacy turned heads with his hard-hitting and suffocating forecheck, facilitated by his tremendous speed. The American forward is a unique case study of a prospect. As a high school football prospect with multiple offers from D1 schools, he only began focusing on hockey exclusively upon joining the Spits. He also missed out on the final 20 games of his rookie season with a knee injury.

The factors surrounding Spellacy’s development make him a fascinating player to watch. He has a tremendous athletic profile and has always stood out with his flashy skating, but he’s putting it all together in real time. The Spitfires struggled last season, which resulted in inconsistent production for the then-draft-eligible, but you’re starting to see the final product now that they lead the OHL.

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MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL DRAFT GUIDE – The McKeen’s team sleeper picks

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:47:12 +0000

One of the questions consistently asked of us on social media is “who are your favourite sleepers this year?” The concept of a draft “sleeper,” or a player currently flying under the radar is something that fascinates many draft followers. Everyone has their favourite, so we asked our scouting team to supply theirs! This article is included in our recently published McKeen's 2023 NHL Draft Guide. If you are not a subscriber check out more info here.

Brock Otten (Director of Scouting)

Joey Willis of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images

Joey Willis - Center - Saginaw Spirit

The stat line won’t wow you. The physical tools won’t wow you. Yet, this is a player who consistently passes the eye test. On a deep Saginaw team, he consistently found a way to be noticeable. He has strong two-way instincts, is creative, and is a really strong playmaker. This was Willis’ first year playing above the AAA level, so no wonder the physical tools are lagging behind. Lots of room for this player to grow with increased confidence.

Larry Keenan - Defense - Culver Academy

Keenan is a very raw defensive prospect from the prep scene. He’s going to require a ton of patience as his game adapts to playing at the higher levels. However, he may be one of the most electric skating defenders available this year and he’s 6’3. His athleticism is off the charts good, and he is headed to a program (UMass) with a great track record for developing defenders.

Eric Pohlkamp - Defense - Cedar Rapids Roughriders

For my money, one of…if not the best re-entry player available this year. The USHL’s defenseman of the year is just a really fun player to watch. He’ll need to alter a few things to adapt his game to the next level, but he has a really intriguing upside. His point shot is one of the best available this year. He skates well. He defends aggressively. The rapid progression he showed this year in his second USHL season was remarkable. He also looked great at the World Junior A Challenge playing against some pretty good other players.

Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting)

Josh Van Mulligen — Defense — Medicine Hat Tigers

A person might see Van Mulligen's minuscule point totals from this season and assume that he's not a good prospect, but that would be unwise. His value is at the other end of the ice, disrupting the offensive efforts of the opposing teams. He combines his long reach with clean footwork in all directions to close gaps and get his stick in shooting lanes. His capacity as a puck transporter is improving too, and it could make a lot more progress down the road as he adds strength and power into his lower body. He has the tools to become a true defensive specialist in the NHL one day.

Isac Hedqvist — Wing — Luleå

Hedqvist flew under the radar this season because he didn't play for Sweden internationally, but he didn't look out of place in the SHL games that he dressed for, which measured him up well against his top countrymen in this year's draft class. He's a winger who overcomes his smaller stature by being smart, tenacious, and playing with a competitive edge. He's around the puck a lot with his efforts, and when he wins them, he knows how to drive them to the opposing net. With such great pro tendencies already, it bodes well for how his game will grow over time.

Vojtech Port — Defense — Edmonton Oil Kings

It's a real shame that Port suffered a season-ending injury with a lot of hockey left to go, because he was making a real statement with his play. The rebuilding Oil Kings were an unmitigated disaster all season, but the import Czech defender was unfazed and just kept chugging away, logging big minutes in all situations and doing a lot of positive things in his shifts. He knows how to use his large frame to his advantage, he skates and handles the puck well, and he isn't afraid to be a focal point for his team. There could be a lot of untapped potential here.

Adam Tate (Western Region Scout)

Ty Halaburda - Wing - Vancouver Giants

I wrote about Ty Halaburda back in December as a notable mid-round candidate and I’m still on the Halaburda Hype Train now. His Vancouver Giants were eliminated early in the playoffs, so he was added to Canada’s roster for the U-18’s in April. He had a decent tournament, but I think he’d be the first to tell you he didn’t play as well as he would’ve hoped. As for his outlook as a pro, his ceiling is likely as a bottom six winger, but I think he’ll be able to thrive there. His skating is his best trait, but I think his hockey awareness is good as well. There is the potential to provide some secondary scoring and penalty kill utility at the bottom of a team’s forward lineup.

Matej Deraj (Central European Scout)

Maroš Jedlička – W/C – HKM Zvolen, Slovakia

Jedlička is already a double overager and may even end up not being drafted again, but his game would fit perfectly on the North American ice. He is a physical winger with solid skating, offensive skills, and more than a solid size (6´2”, 201 lbs). He likes to drive to the net and finishes his checks. He´s been a key part of Zvolen´s offense in the Slovak top tier league for two years in a row and has drawn a lot of NHL interest. He projects as a middle-six physical winger with a scoring touch who is able to play on both special teams.

Chase Rochon (Video Scout)

Aiden Fink - Wing - Brooks Bandits

Aiden Fink is a unique prospect in this year's draft class mainly because he is one of the only players on our ranking coming from the AJHL playing for the Centennial Cup champion Brooks Bandits. Fink isn't only undervalued because of his strength in the league but also because of his smaller frame of 5’9”, 152lbs. These factors do not stop Fink's dynamic offensive ability as a high-paced winger with great offensive tools, which he uses to drive the net. Fink has a real knack for scoring goals and using his awareness to find open space to take advantage of his quick release.

Chapin Landvogt (Central European Scout)

Arno Tiefensee - Goaltender - Mannheim Adler - DEL

Imagine being a 6’4”, 190-pound goaltender by the time you’re 18, heading to the WJC, and then falling into anonymity after getting shellacked in two outings on the world stage. Like a phoenix out of the ashes, you get your shot in a top European pro league with a top address atage 20 - and you run with it. We mean, you go 13-10, pitch 3 shutouts, and rack up a 2.43 GAA and .910 save percentage. Then you’re the starter in the playoffs, dialing in for a 2.07 GAA and .914 save percentage in 12 outings. You’re even in heavy consideration for an appearance at the World Championships. Well, we’ve just described the story of the calm, collective, and focused Tiefensee, who’s likely coming to an NHL franchise near you this summer.

Joely Stockl (Ontario Regional Scout)

Easton Cowan - Wing - London Knights

Easton Cowan has been an intriguing player all season long, but his playoff performance offensively alongside Denver Barkey has been something to behold. The combination of his smarts and work ethic is what makes Cowan so unique in this draft class, and these are the two driving forces in his game. Cowan translates as a 200-foot utility player at the next level who can provide secondary scoring. He is a forward that can play on both special teams units, plays with undeniable energy, and will give 110% effort on every single play. His offensive production late in the season is giving teams a reason to call Cowan’s name earlier rather than later in this year’s NHL draft.

Mark Dube (U.S. and Video Scout)

Noah Dower Nilsson - Wing/Center - Frölunda HC J20

Dower Nilsson is coming off a very impressive season in the J20 Nationell finishing 7th in the league in scoring posting 54 points in 37 games, tops among all draft eligible players. He also had a solid U18 showing although playing a limited role on a pretty strong team. Dower Nilsson possesses that raw talent that if developed properly could turn out to be a great pick up for any NHL team that selects him. He has good compete and has some scoring upside which are two attributes that every GM loves in a prospect. It is easy to see him becoming a solid middle-six player.

Viktor Fomich (Russian Scout)

Bogdan Konyushkov - Defense - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

When a player is undrafted a couple of times already and is in his last year of draft eligibility, it takes something special for him to finally get noticed. If we look at the basic stat line it looks good, but not too special for defenseman Bogdan Konyushkov, which is likely the reason there isn’t much mainstream talk about him outside of Russia, yet even just pure stats can be more interesting if we look at those closer and at the right angle. First thing that stands out in case of Konyushkov is that despite his age he made his KHL debut just this season and actually led his KHL team in average ice time, as his cerebral game on both ends convinced coach Igor Larionov to immediately give him an opportunity for a leading role on the team. And if we look at advanced stats, those are telling that this trust paid off really well, as Konyushkov is among the league’s leaders in both completed pass amount and percentage, as well as in the puck battle win percentage — quite a debut season I’d say. As a bonus Konyushkov is right handed, just in case if everything described above isn’t convincing enough yet about him potentially being a very intriguing prospect for the coming draft.

Ethan Hetu (U.S. Regional Scout)

Will Vote - Wing - U.S. NTDP

5’7” and 159. Those are the two numbers that will hurt USNTDP forward Will Vote the most in the draft process. His height and weight, respectively, numbers that pose a real challenge to his pro projectability. The number that won’t hurt Vote one bit when scouts dig into his game in advance of the 2023 draft? 110. That’s the percentage effort Vote gives on every shift, and what makes him an intriguing sleeper candidate. He proved this year that he can thrive in a role as a complementary player, leveraging his work rate, hockey IQ, and shooting ability to elevate his linemates. Would his profile look a whole lot better if he had the type of standout skating scouts look for in players his size? Absolutely, but it’s hard to watch the kind of nightly game Vote plays and not expect him to find a way to make it work at more challenging levels of competition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2023 NHL DRAFT: MCKEEN’S MID-SEASON TOP 100 RANKING (SUBSCRIBERS)

Brock Otten — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 18:05:54 +0000

Connor Bedard. Photo by Candice Ward.

Many important scouting events have come and gone, such as the World Junior Championships, the World Junior A Challenge, the Biosteel All American game, and the CHL Top Prospect’s Game. That means it is time for McKeen’s Hockey to update our draft rankings for the 2023 NHL draft. Back in November, we released our preliminary top 50 (found here). This time around, we have expanded our ranking to a top 100 (plus 20 honorable mentions).

The first round of this list continues to be dominated by the Western Hockey League. Four of our top ten and nine of our top 32 (first round graded) are WHL players. The United States has a very strong presence in our first round ranking too, with eight players playing south of the Canadian border.

Positionally, forwards continue to dominate the vast majority of our first-round spots, with only six defenders and two goaltenders bucking that trend. Of particular interest, we do not have a defender ranked inside of our Top 13. Is it possible that no defender is drafted inside of the top 10 in Nashville this June? According to our scouts…yes. However, it is also important to note that this is exceptionally rare. The last time no defender was taken inside of the Top 10 was 1983 (Bobby Dollas at 14th overall to Winnipeg)!

Several players made huge leaps upward in our midseason rankings. Among them are Ryan Leonard, Oliver Moore, Dmitri Simashev, Oliver Bonk, David Reinbacher, and Quentin Musty. Leonard is a strong two-way goal scoring winger with an athletic skill set. Oliver Moore is one of the best skating forwards available this year and also plays a mature two-way game. Both have stood out positively of late for the U.S. NTDP. Dmitri Simashev is a massive defender who brings physicality and mobility, but who is also gaining confidence in his offensive abilities. Oliver Bonk has emerged as one of the top defensive defenders in the OHL; a fact that was on display at this year’s Top Prospect’s Game. David Reinbacher continues to perform well in Switzerland and was a standout for an overmatched Austrian squad at the WJC’s. All three defenders are surging up our rankings and could finish the year even higher with continued strong play. Meanwhile, Quentin Musty has played very well in Sudbury post coaching change and his upside remains extremely intriguing.

Without further ado, here is our Top 100 (with 20 honorable mentions):

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Connor Bedard	C	Regina (WHL)	5-10/185	17-Jul-05	34-42-43-85
2	Adam Fantilli	C	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/195	12-Oct-04	22-16-24-40
3	Leo Carlsson	C	Orebro (SHL)	6-3/200	26-Dec-04	31-5-13-18
4	Matvei Michkov	RW	HK Sochi (KHL)	5-10/170	9-Dec-04	14-4-2-6
5	Will Smith	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/175	17-Mar-05	36-28-41-69
6	Andrew Cristall	LW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-9/165	4-Feb-05	36-26-36-62
7	Zach Benson	LW	Winnipeg (WHL)	5-9/160	12-May-05	41-25-41-66
8	Nate Danielson	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-1/185	27-Sep-04	45-23-33-56
9	Eduard Sale	LW	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-2/175	10-Mar-05	34-3-5-8
10	Dalibor Dvorsky	C	AIK (Allsvenskan)	6-1/200	15-Jun-05	27-4-7-11
11	Ryan Leonard	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/190	21-Jan-05	34-25-27-52
12	Oliver Moore	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/185	22-Jan-05	37-21-26-47
13	Brayden Yager	C	Moose Jaw (WHL)	5-11/165	3-Jan-05	48-20-35-55
14	Dmitri Simashev	D	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	6-4/200	4-Feb-05	15-0-0-0
15	Colby Barlow	LW	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/195	14-Feb-05	42-36-27-63
16	Lukas Dragicevic	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Apr-05	44-13-42-55
17	Axel Sandin Pellikka	D	Skelleftea (SHL)	5-11/180	11-Mar-05	19-2-3-5
18	Mikhail Gulyayev	D	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	5-11/170	26-Apr-05	12-0-1-1
19	Daniil But	LW	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	6-5/200	15-Feb-05	12-1-0-1
20	Carson Bjarnason	G	Brandon (WHL)	6-3/185	30-Jun-05	17-14-2, 2.90, .911
21	Calum Ritchie	C	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/185	21-Jan-05	43-19-25-44
22	Gavin Brindley	C	Michigan (B1G)	5-8/165	5-Oct-04	26-3-14-17
23	Gabe Perreault	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/165	7-May-05	39-35-41-76
24	Matthew Wood	RW	UConn (HE)	6-3/195	6-Feb-05	27-9-16-25
25	Riley Heidt	C	Prince George (WHL)	5-10/180	25-Mar-05	44-19-41-60
26	David Reinbacher	D	Kloten (Sui-NL)	6-2/185	25-Oct-04	36-2-17-19
27	Caden Price	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-0/185	24-Aug-05	44-5-19-24
28	Ethan Gauthier	RW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	5-11/175	26-Jan-05	45-17-32-49
29	Quentin Musty	LW	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/200	6-Jul-05	32-12-36-48
30	Kasper Halttunen	LW	HIFK (Fin-Liiga)	6-3/205	7-Jun-05	24-0-1-1
31	Otto Stenberg	C	Frolunda (Swe J20)	5-11/180	29-May-05	23-8-12-20
32	Michael Hrabal	G	Omaha (USHL)	6-6/210	20-Jan-05	6-9-3, 3.18, .899
33	Samuel Honzek	LW	Vancouver (WHL)	6-3/185	12-Nov-04	31-17-26-43
34	Jayden Perron	RW	Chicago (USHL)	5-9/165	11-Jan-05	37-16-18-34
35	Carson Rehkopf	LW	Kitchener (OHL)	6-1/195	7-Jan-05	42-19-18-37
36	Roman Kantserov	RW	Stalnye Lisy (MHL)	5-9/175	20-Sep-04	38-21-22-43
37	Oliver Bonk	D	London (OHL)	6-2/175	9-Jan-05	43-9-19-28
38	Beau Akey	D	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/170	11-Feb-05	42-7-29-36
39	Timur Mukhanov	C	Omskie Krylia (VHL)	5-8/170	17-Jun-05	28-3-4-7
40	Koehn Ziemmer	RW	Prince George (WHL)	6-0/205	8-Dec-04	44-26-36-62
41	Bradly Nadeau	LW	Penticton (BCHL)	5-10/165	5-May-05	37-31-42-73
42	Tom Willander	D	Rogle (Swe J20)	6-1/180	9-Feb-05	30-4-15-19
43	Luca Pinelli	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-8/165	5-Apr-05	44-20-27-47
44	William Whitelaw	RW	Youngstown (USHL)	5-9/170	5-Feb-05	35-20-15-35
45	Trey Augustine	G	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/185	23-Feb-05	14-0-2, 2.29, .925
46	Theo Lindstein	D	Brynas (SHL)	6-0/180	5-Jan-05	19-1-1-2
47	Mathieu Cataford	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-11/185	1-Mar-05	45-22-31-53
48	Charlie Stramel	C	Wisconsin (B1G)	6-3/215	15-Oct-04	23-5-4-9
49	Kaden Hammell	D	Kam-Evt (WHL)	6-1/175	12-Mar-05	45-6-10-16
50	Alexander Rykov	RW	Chelmet Chelyabinsk (VHL)	5-11/170	14-Jul-05	20-4-7-11
51	Maxim Strbak	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-1/205	13-Apr-05	29-5-10-15
52	Tanner Molendyk	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	5-11/185	3-Feb-05	43-6-19-25
53	Anton Wahlberg	C	Malmo (Swe J20)	6-3/195	4-Jul-05	32-14-13-27
54	Carey Terrance	C	Erie (OHL)	6-0/175	10-May-05	43-20-11-31
55	Cam Allen	D	Guelph (OHL)	6-0/195	7-Jan-05	39-4-15-19
56	Tyler Peddle	LW	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-0/195	28-Jan-05	45-18-13-31
57	Gracyn Sawchyn	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/160	19-Jan-05	43-15-32-47
58	Jesse Nurmi	LW	KooKoo (Fin-U20)	5-10/165	7-Mar-05	35-19-27-46
59	Carter Sotheran	D	Portland (WHL)	6-3/195	26-Jun-05	45-3-16-19
60	Nikita Susuyev	RW	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	6-0/170	6-Feb-05	34-9-16-25
61	Aram Minnetian	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/190	19-Mar-05	38-5-18-23
62	Arttu Karki	D	Tappara (Fin-U20)	6-1/175	8-Dec-04	30-12-22-34
63	Noah Dower Nilsson	LW	Frolunda (Swe J20)	6-0/175	25-Apr-05	26-24-21-45
64	Scott Ratzlaff	G	Seattle (WHL)	6-0/175	9-Mar-05	17-5-0, 2.26, .917
65	Andrew Strathmann	D	Youngstown (USHL)	5-10/190	27-Feb-05	29-2-23-25
66	Kalan Lind	LW	Red Deer (WHL)	6-0/160	25-Jan-05	41-15-27-42
67	Jesse Kiiskinen	RW	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	5-11/180	23-Aug-05	27-17-21-38
68	Etienne Morin	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-0/180	9-Mar-05	43-15-31-46
69	Coulson Pitre	RW	Flint (OHL)	6-0/170	13-Dec-04	41-19-22-41
70	Felix Nilsson	C	Rogle (Swe J20)	6-0/176	22-Jun-05	26-16-17-33
71	Hunter Brzustewicz	D	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/185	29-Nov-04	42-3-30-33
72	Jakub Dvorak	D	Bili Tygri Liberec (Cze)	6-5/205	25-May-05	24-0-2-2
73	Andrew Gibson	D	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-3/195	13-Feb-05	38-7-11-18
74	Ondrej Molnar	LW	Erie (OHL)	5-10/170	8-Feb-05	16-2-7-9
75	Martin Misiak	RW	Nove Zamky (Svk)	6-2/195	30-Sep-04	29-1-9-10
76	Luca Cagnoni	D	Portland (WHL)	5-9/180	21-Dec-04	44-12-34-46
77	Lenni Hameenaho	RW	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	6-0/175	7-Nov-04	35-5-10-15
78	Alex Ciernik	LW	Sodertalje (Swe J20)	5-11/175	8-Oct-04	11-7-7-14
79	Denver Barkey	C	London (OHL)	5-8/160	27-Apr-05	43-12-28-40
80	Oliver Tulk	C	Calgary (WHL)	5-7/170	19-Jan-05	46-19-22-41
81	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	C	HV 71 (SHL)	6-0/165	18-Feb-05	28-4-1-5
82	Matthew Mania	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-1/180	11-Jan-05	43-7-18-25
83	Gavin McCarthy	D	Muskegon (USHL)	6-1/180	2-Jun-05	20-4-14-18
84	Noel Nordh	RW	Brynas (SHL)	6-3/195	25-Jan-05	10-1-0-1
85	Jacob Fowler	G	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/215	24-Nov-04	13-6-3, 2.63, .914
86	Aydar Suniev	LW	Penticton (BCHL)	6-1/200	16-Nov-04	33-26-31-57
87	Emil Jarventie	LW	Ilves (Fin-U20)	5-9/165	4-Apr-05	21-8-11-19
88	Danny Nelson	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/200	3-Aug-05	38-12-16-28
89	Yegor Klimovich	RW	Sibirskie Snaipery (MHL)	5-9/160	14-May-05	28-9-21-30
90	Adam Gajan	G	Green Bay (USHL)	6-2/165	6-May-04	5-1-0, 2.48, .906
91	Quinton Burns	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/180	14-Apr-05	36-1-20-21
92	Grayden Siepmann	D	Calgary (WHL)	5-10/185	26-May-04	45-8-27-35
93	Yegor Zavragin	G	Mamonty Yugry (MHL)	6-2/185	23-Aug-05	9-6-1, 2.55, .919
94	Owen Beckner	C	Salmon Arm (BCHL)	6-1/175	27-Feb-05	36-12-21-33
95	Aiden Fink	RW	Brooks (AJHL)	5-9/155	24-Nov-04	43-30-50-80
96	Matthew Soto	RW	Kingston (OHL)	5-10/180	31-Aug-05	44-13-22-35
97	Eric Pohlkamp	D	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	5-10/200	23-Mar-04	31-12-20-32
98	Nick Lardis	LW	Pbo-Ham (OHL)	5-10/165	8-Jul-05	41-21-16-35
99	Jayson Shaugabay	RW	Warroad (USHS-MN)	5-9/155	4-May-05	18-22-39-61
100	Brad Gardiner	C	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/180	6-Mar-05	45-17-11-28
HM	Ethan Miedema	LW	Wsr-Kgn (OHL)	6-4/205	22-Mar-05	45-12-22-35
HM	Brady Cleveland	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-5/210	1-Apr-05	34-0-5-5
HM	Joey Willis	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-10/170	14-Mar-05	44-9-17-26
HM	Juraj Pekarcik	LW	Nitra (Svk)	6-1/185	12-Sep-05	26-0-3-3
HM	Spencer Sova	D	Erie (OHL)	6-0/185	10-Jan-04	44-14-17-31
HM	Zeb Forsfjall	C	Skelleftea (SHL)	5-9/170	16-Jan-05	10-1-0-1
HM	Kalle Carlsson	C	Orebro (Swe J20)	6-0/175	2-Mar-05	34-6-21-27
HM	David Edstrom	C	Frolunda (Swe J20)	6-3/185	18-Feb-05	22-10-12-22
HM	Felix Unger Sorum	RW	Leksands (Swe J20)	5-11/170	14-Sep-05	32-9-30-39
HM	Alex Pharand	C	Sudbury (OHL)	6-3/205	1-May-05	44-16-14-30
HM	Tuomas Uronen	RW	HIFK (Fin-U20)	5-11/180	19-Mar-05	31-13-19-32
HM	Tanner Adams	RW	Tri-City (USHL)	5-11/185	2-Sep-05	27-8-10-18
HM	Mazden Leslie	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/195	15-Apr-05	45-8-25-33
HM	Juha Jatkola	G	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	6-1/175	12-Sep-02	16-10-6, 2.14, .909
HM	Connor Levis	RW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-1/190	5-Oct-04	43-11-25-36
HM	Owen Outwater	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-2/160	4-Jan-05	39-10-18-28
HM	Easton Cowan	RW	London (OHL)	5-10/170	20-May-05	44-12-17-29
HM	Rasmus Kumpulainen	C	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	6-2/190	8-Aug-05	36-11-20-31
HM	Emil Pieniniemi	D	Karpat (Fin-U20)	6-2/170	2-Mar-05	26-0-10-10
HM	Austin Roest	C	Everett (WHL)	5-9/175	22-Jan-04	46-26-35-61

2023 NHL DRAFT: EARLY SEASON FAVOURITES SERIES WITH VIDEO – ONTARIO – Colby Barlow, Beau Akey and Joey Willis

Brock Otten — Sun, 06 Nov 2022 18:39:30 +0000

Ontario Region

Colby Barlow of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Luke Durda/OHL Images

First Round Favourite: Colby Barlow, W, Owen Sound Attack

As an OHL rookie last season, Barlow exploded by popping 30 goals for the Attack, establishing himself as one of the top young goal scorers in the CHL. However, he has shown that his game has so many more levels to it in the first few months of his draft season. This started with a strong performance at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup for Canada, where he excelled as a transitional attacker, shutdown two-way forward, and as a penalty killer. Since then, he has been named the captain of Owen Sound as a 17-year-old (turning 18). This speaks volumes about his maturity and character. He has also started hot offensively, averaging over a point per game while taking over play when on the ice.

The reality is players like Barlow transition extremely well to the NHL level. This is why they always become favourites of NHL scouting staffs come draft time. Barlow has size. He has speed. He can rifle the puck. He competes hard in all three zones. He can be used to protect a lead or gain one. His zone starts do not need to be sheltered. Few goal scoring wingers are complete players like Barlow. We saw a similar player in Cutter Gauthier (albeit one with the potential to play center) go very high in the NHL draft last year and I believe Barlow will push his way up lists in similar fashion.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/1-colby_barlow_-_3rd_period_25_27_-_25_39.mp4

The first thing to like about Barlow is his shot. This clip really demonstrates it. This was from last year’s OHL playoffs. A few things are very impressive about this goal. Firstly, he understands how to slide into open space off this faceoff, pushing off to slide into a gap on the flank. Secondly, this one timer is an absolute rocket, however even more impressive is how he times it up perfectly while still moving backwards. This was not a one timer from a stand still. In reality, Barlow can score in a multitude of ways. He can blast it on the one timer like in this clip. He can beat goaltenders clean with his wrist shot, which he disguises well and requires little space to generate whip and elevation. He fights for space near the crease and scores on redirects (most of his goals this year have come in this fashion). He earns breakaways and clean looks in transition because of his speed and can beat defenders and goaltenders with dekes in front, on either hand. He is a goal scorer, through and through.

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Look at how quickly Barlow builds speed in this clip, freezing the defense to gain the zone. Notice the quick stutter to keep them on their heels, before the directional change. The thing about Barlow that is so impressive is how he uses his speed to attack the middle, rather than the outside. This will help him in the future during his transition to the pro level. As he continues to fill out physically, defenders are going to have a real difficult time preventing him from getting to the net.

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This is a play from the gold medal game of the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. As mentioned, Barlow was such an effective penalty killer at that event. Here we see Denver Barkey make a nice play to force the turnover and then Barlow uses his speed and skill to create a terrific scoring chance. There are times at the OHL level where Barlow can overskate pucks when he tries to attack at full speed, however I believe plays like this show that he is skilled enough to create his own chances more consistently as his game matures.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/4-colby_barlow_-_3rd_period_22_40_-_22_52.mp4

To highlight Barlow’s defensive prowess, I had my pick of many clips. Not only is he highly intelligent and understands how to position himself without the puck, but Barlow is also a physical presence who competes hard to force turnovers and win puck battles. In this clip, we don’t see the physical component highlighted. What we do see is his excellent anticipation in the defensive end. Rather than attack the Swiss player physically, he jumps the pass back to the point, identifying this as the player’s only option. Then he creates another great scoring chance with his speed.

Pushing for the Top 50: Beau Akey, D, Barrie Colts

With Brandt Clarke up with the Los Angeles Kings to start the season (perhaps the entire season), Akey has emerged as the number one defender on the Colts. He sees a ton of ice time and plays in all situations for Barrie. It is my belief that he would have made the Canadian Hlinka/Gretzky Cup team had he not gotten injured at the very start of the selection camp. He made tremendous strides to close out last year as an OHL rookie and has shown real positive growth in all areas to start this season.

The standout quality of Akey’s is his tremendous four way mobility. An effortless mover, he can have a really profound impact on the game as a puck carrier and transitional attacker. He also rarely gets beat to dump ins and can be tough to beat to the outside. He shows improving skill when quarterbacking the powerplay and holding the offensive blueline, blending his lateral quickness and ability to pivot with quick hands and an ability to miss sticks. All of this gives him intriguing potential as a two-way defender in the modern era. Three questions remain and should be answered over the course of the rest of the year. The first is how can Akey learn to use his quickness and mobility to impact the game offensively at a more consistent rate? The second is can Akey learn to become a more physically intense defender who can win battles along the wall and near the crease with more consistency? Can he maintain tighter gaps when defending transitional attacks and work to be a suffocating presence? The answers to these questions will dictate whether Akey can push further up draft boards or whether he ends up as more of a 50-100 candidate.

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Akey’s small area skill consistently impresses as he can make something out of nothing. Here we see his poise in holding the line as he evades an over aggressive Niagara penalty killer. His skill level is part of what makes him such a threat in the offensive zone.

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This play really encapsulates a lot of the great things about Akey’s game. He’s often aggressive in defending the neutral zone, stepping up early to jump passes or to disrupt breakouts. He definitely has a good stick and good defensive instincts. Here we see him cut off a chip out at center ice before using that strong small area skill to escape three Mississauga players. From there, he makes a hard push into the offensive zone, which eventually leads to a Barrie goal.

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Here we see Akey’s strong skating ability being put to use. He casually carries the puck up ice, but uses change of pace extremely well to get behind the Oshawa defense for a glorious chance in tight. The best puck movers are ones that are deceiving and unpredictable. It’s one thing to be a great skater. It’s another to understand how to use that to your advantage. Delays, stutters, and change of pace attacks are a huge part of Akey’s game as he operates as a carrier.

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The one thing holding me back from valuing Akey as a first round prospect right now is his wavering physical intensity in the defensive end. He needs to be way better and more aggressive in taking away space. This is a great example. His casualness behind the net allows Owen Sound to set up a goal.

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Another example of said lack of physical intensity. While Akey is unquestionably a strong skater, he is not always strong in defending transitional attacks because his footwork can get sloppy and because his gap control needs to be significantly tighter. He gives the Battalion attacker way too much room here as he pushes into the slot to fire home the game winner.

Notable Mid Round Candidate: Joey Willis, C/W, Saginaw Spirit

Playing in his first year above the AAA level, Willis has been a standout early on for the Saginaw Spirit. A product of the Chicago Mission program, Willis was once the third overall pick in the USHL Draft, however he was convinced to make the jump to the OHL by Saginaw’s recruitment team. The jump from the HPHL loop (the premier U.S. AAA league) is an extremely large one, but Willis has handled it extremely well, establishing himself as a top six player for the Spirit already. Playing mainly center early on, Willis has been seeing minutes in all situations, excelling as both a playmaker and a consistent two-way presence.

When you watch Willis play, his strong processing ability and consistent motor immediately jump out at you. With the puck on his stick, he is already so poised in the offensive end and seems to always make the right decision. His vision is a real stand out quality for him. He also has the puck skill to prolong possession long enough for him to find a passing lane, fighting through checks to navigate open space. Willis is also a highly intelligent defensive player. I have been very impressed with his attention to detail and effort on the backcheck and in the defensive end as he forces turnovers with a good stick, anticipation, and positioning. Given some strength deficits currently, it is a real testament to Willis’ IQ that he has come into the league and become an immediate impact two-way center. The concern that I have is that Willis’ physical tools are only average. He’s not the biggest guy at 5’10, 170lbs, and his stride and overall skating ability lacks power and dynamic qualities. He is far from a poor skater, but for an “undersized” center I do wish he was a little more explosive. How these physical tools develop over the course of the season will likely dictate whether Willis ends up as a later round pick or a Top 100 pick. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of watching Riley Kidney in his draft year.

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How about this play by Willis as he embarrasses Alec Leonard behind the London net? As mentioned, he is so good at manipulating defenders to create the space he needs to operate despite not being the quickest or strongest. Of course, the finishing pass is great too as he slides it into the slot for the goal. Willis makes these types of plays on the regular.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/11-joseph_willis_-_2nd_period_23_48_-_24_0.mp4

Here we see Willis in his office below the goal line again. He outworks the Windsor defender to come away with the puck and makes a quick read to get the puck to the slot for the goal. As mentioned, Willis’ motor is strong and he consistently forces turnovers on the forecheck because his anticipation and hustle are on point.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/12-joseph_willis_-_3rd_period_8_30_-_8_47.mp4

Also mentioned, Willis is already such a strong defensive presence, an impressive feat for a young center playing their first year of junior hockey. I could have selected one of his many strong plays on the backcheck this year as a clip to show his defensive prowess, but I chose this one instead. First Willis makes a great play with his stick to knock the puck off the Guelph forward trying to curl into the slot. Then he stays with the 6’2, 190lbs Payton Robinson and eliminates him along the wall, stripping him of the puck. As he gets stronger, Willis has the potential to become one of the OHL’s elite defensive forwards.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/13-Joey-Willis-skating.mp4

The only thing holding Willis back from being a more consistent offensive threat are some rather immature physical tools. He can struggle to maintain possession of the puck when at full speed as he is easily knocked off stride. He can struggle to build speed quickly with the puck, which limits his ability to utilize his offensive gifts as a transitional playmaker. His overall stride lacks dynamic qualities as he can struggle to change direction quickly or use linear crossovers to build speed and keep defenders guessing. Willis’ top speed is good and he is quicker without the puck than he is with it, which does allow him to be a factor in puck pursuit and on the backcheck. However, like many OHL rookies, he will need to put in the work to become quicker and stronger. Without that high end escapability, he might struggle to transition to the next level in the future. All that said, it is still so early in the year and he is playing his first year at a higher level. Let’s see how the Saginaw Spirit trainers can improve some of these things over the course of the year.