John-Jason Peterka – McKeen's Hockey

CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Klingberg getting a big shot, players due for regression from high percentages last season, rising young players like J.J. Peterka, Seth Jarvis, Oliver Wahlstrom, and more

Scott Cullen — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 16:24:40 +0000

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 10: Buffalo Sabres Left Wing JJ Peterka (77) celebrates a goal during the first period of the National Hockey League game between the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers on April 10, 2023/ at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)

Each week, I dive into the numbers to help make decisions when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, John Klingberg getting a big shot, players due for regression from high percentages last season, plus rising young players like J.J. Peterka, Seth Jarvis, Oliver Wahlstrom, and more.

#1 Early returns from Maple Leafs training camp have John Klingberg working the point on Toronto’s top power play unit. This is not a huge surprise, as Klingberg has recorded 146 power play points since 2015-2016, which ranks 11th among defensemen in that time. If Klingberg stays in that spot, Morgan Rielly is the one to lose out and he has scored 48 of his 109 points in the past two seasons on the power play.

#2 Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings as part of the return in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, Gabe Vilardi is getting a look on Winnipeg’s top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. Vilardi ranked 20^th in the league last season with 1.33 goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five play, and if he is going to get reps with Winnipeg’s top playmakers, he could be primed for a big season.

#3 There may not be a player getting targeted for shooting percentage regression like Vancouver’s Andrei Kuzmenko who scored 39 goals in his first NHL season, finishing on a league-high 27.3% of his shots. From 2000-2001 through 2021-2022, there were 50 seasons in which a player scored at least 20 goals and had a shooting percentage of at least 20%. What happened the following season? Just two of those players had a higher shooting percentage the following season. The average decline in shooting percentage was 6.5 percent. If Kuzmenko’s season is the same as his rookie campaign, but he has a shooting percentage that is 6.5 percent lower, he would drop from 39 to 30 goals.

#4 In addition to Kuzmenko, Brayden Point, Pavel Buchnevich, Leon Draisaitl, Mark Scheifele, and Roope Hintz all scored at least 20 goals while scoring on more than 20 percent of their shots in 2022-2023. While they are likely to experience regression in 2023-2024, Draisaitl might be the least likely to experience a drop off – he has scored on 20.2 percent of his shots over the past five seasons.

#5 While we’re raining on parades before the season even begins, there are players that are likely to see some regression in scoring because last season’s numbers were inflated by a high on-ice shooting percentage. Kuzmenko was at 13.1 percent, slightly lower than Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn, who was also at 13.1 percent. Seattle’s Jared McCann (12.7 percent) and Vince Dunn (12.4 percent), St. Louis’ Pavel Buchnevich (12.4 percent), and Boston’s Pavel Zacha (12.2 percent) were among the full-time players with the highest on-ice shooting percentages. Players that played partial seasons like Ilya Mikheyev (13.8 percent), Alex Belzile (13.8 percent), Rafael Harvey-Pinard (13.6 percent), and Luke Evangelista (12.5 percent) also had inflated percentages in their smaller samples.

#6 On a more optimistic slant, there are also going to be players that are due for an uptick in the percentages, players with low on-ice shooting percentages last season. That group includes Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky (5.5 percent), Los Angeles’ Trevor Moore (5.7 percent) and Phillip Danault (6.4 percent), Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom (6.2 percent), Florida’s Sam Reinhart (6.6 percent), and Ottawa’s Drake Batherson (6.6 percent).

#7 Goaltenders are unpredictable, and this should not be overlooked or forgotten when it comes time to make fantasy picks. Sure, it would be great to secure the most reliable netminders in the league for your team, but it’s so hard to know who that will be from one season to the next. Two seasons ago, when Igor Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy, Jacob Markstrom was the runner up and Frederik Andersen finished fourth. Thatcher Demko, Ville Husso, and Tristan Jarry received votes. All of this is to say that there are not many sure things between the pipes.

#8 Having noted that, these goaltenders have been the most reliable options in net over the past three seasons, based on Goals Saved Above Expected per 60 Minutes (minimum 2000 minutes): Ilya Sorokin (0.49), Igor Shesterkin (0.47), Juuse Saros (0.33), Linus Ullmark (0.30), and Connor Hellebuyck (0.29). Four of them have roles as clearcut No. 1 starters on their teams while Ullmark, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, has more of a challenge for playing time from his backup, Jeremy Swayman.

#9 Obviously Connor Bedard is the headliner of the rookie class, and he is the one that is most reliably ready to contribute in standard fantasy leagues. The others are more suited for deep or dynasty leagues. Logan Cooley and Adam Fantilli look like they will have good opportunities to play prominent roles with Arizona and Columbus, respectively, but it is asking a lot for a player to jump from the NCAA after one season and immediately become a productive scorer in the NHL. Beyond them, Nashville’s Luke Evangelista is still Calder eligible after tallying 15 points (7 G, 8 A) in 24 games last season. Ottawa’s Ridly Greig picked up nine points (2 G, 7 A) in 20 games last season. There are defensemen who could have an immediate impact, though they may not score enough for standard fantasy leagues. New Jersey’s Luke Hughes did not look out of place in his late season and playoff audition with the Devils last season and could get second unit power play time this season. Hughes’ teammate, Simon Nemec was the second pick in the 2022 Draft and is probably NHL ready, too, if the Devils can find room for him. Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke got a taste of NHL action last season but should play a more significant role this time around. As intriguing as any of these rookies might be, odds are that they will not have an immediate fantasy impact.

#10 Over the past three seasons, the players that consistently generate scoring chances during five-on-five play are those with the highest ixG/60 (minimum 2000 minutes): Auston Matthews (1.27), Timo Meier (1.12), Brady Tkachuk (1.09), Anders Lee (1.08), Zach Hyman (1.07), Jeff Skinner (1.06), Michael Bunting (1.05), John Tavares (1.04), Patrice Bergeron (1.02), and then three tied at 1.00 – Matthew Tkachuk, Tage Thompson, and Sam Bennett. Not huge surprises there, but Bunting and Bennett are a couple of gritty forwards hanging in nice company.

#11 With Jack Quinn injured, there may be a little more opportunity for Buffalo Sabres sophomore winger J.J. Peterka, who finished last season with 11 points (4 G, 7 A) in his last 18 games. He then went to the World Championships, where he put up 12 points (6 G, 6 A) in 10 games for Germany, earning the award as the tournament’s top forward. There is a chance for Peterka to skate with Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt on Buffalo’s second line and that is a young skilled trio, a line that could help to elevate Peterka’s production as he begins his career ascent.

#12 While his 2022-2023 season might have been somewhat disappointing, scoring one less point in much more ice time than he had as a rookie the year before, Carolina Hurricanes right winger Seth Jarvis also saw his on-ice shooting percentage dip from 10.1 percent to 7.1 percent, so there is good reason to expect that number to bounce back in his favor. If he skates with Sebastian Aho and Michael Bunting on Carolina’s top line, there is a good chance for Jarvis’ percentages to bounce back and his scoring output can take off.

#13 As the Chicago Blackhawks attempt to provide sufficient support for Connor Bedard on their top line, it looks like Taylor Hall will be on one wing and, after Chicago returned Lukas Reichel to center, veteran Tyler Johnson could get his shot on the Blackhawks’ top line. Johnson had 32 points (12 G, 20 A) in 56 games last season when his most common linemates were Taylor Raddysh and Jason Dickinson, so there is certainly room to upgrade the quality of scoring options skating with Johnson.

#14 He was just coming into form last season, scoring 12 points in his last 17 games, when 6-foot-6 Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Rasmussen suffered a season-ending knee injury. He delivered 119 hits to go with a career-high 29 points (10 G, 19 A) in 56 games last season and while his offensive upside is going to put a limit on his fantasy appeal, 24-year-old Rasmussen is now contributing enough that he does warrant consideration in deep leagues. Keep an eye on where he is playing in Detroit, because he can move around that lineup, either in checking roles or in a supporting offensive role and obviously the latter would be more appealing for fantasy managers.

#15 With Brandon Montour and Aaron Ekblad recovering from surgeries, it appears that Oliver Ekman-Larsson is going to get a chance to quarterback the Florida Panthers power play. The 32-year-old blueliner has seen his play decline in recent seasons, but he has run many power plays in his career. From 2013-2014 through 2018-2019, while playing for the Coyotes, he tallied 122 of his 267 points on the power play. Ekman-Larsson’s declining performance should help lower his draft day value and he almost certainly will get replaced by Montour when he is healthy, but as a short-term option, Ekman-Larsson just might have a shot at a rebound season.

#16 Injuries have hampered Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan in the past three seasons, but he performed well before getting shut down last season, putting up 17 points (6 G, 11 A) in 25 games for the Habs. On a team with few established scoring threats, Monahan could have a chance to skate on the wing with Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki on Montreal’s top line and while the injuries are a concern, the opportunity that could be out there for Monahan would make him worth a late-round flier.

#17 A knee injury sidelined Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom for more than half of last season but he is an intriguing option entering this season because the 23-year-old could get a legitimate shot to play in a scoring role. Although he has 61 points (32 G, 29 A) in 161 career games, Wahlstrom has been playing just 12 minutes per game, so there is untapped offensive upside. Over the past three seasons, among players to skate in at least 1000 five-on-five minutes, Wahlstrom leads the Islanders in shots per 60 minutes (8.95) and ranks fourth in both goals (0.83) and expected goals (0.83).

#18 While scoring is a driving feature for fantasy performance, there are peripheral stats that can make a difference, too. Depending on the league, hit totals can add serious value for a player and one place to find them will be on Tampa Bay’s third line, where Tanner Jeannot and Michael Eyssimont bring a physical presence to the wings. Eyssimont bounced around to three NHL teams last season, but he had 34 hits in 15 games with Tampa Bay, while playing just 11:25 per game. Goals were hard for Jeannot to come by last season, as he scored just six times on 107 shots, but he has 608 hits in the past two seasons, most among all forwards.

#19 After trading reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson in the offseason, the San Jose Sharks may be entering the season with one of the worst defense groups ever. As a result, journeyman blueliner Jacob MacDonald could very well find his way to power play time in San Jose. MacDonald is a 30-year-old who played a career-high 58 games last season and has skated in a total of 101 career games, producing just one power play point in the NHL. However, in his past four American Hockey League seasons he has produced 60 goals and 165 points in 236 games, with 30 of those goals coming via the power play, so maybe gets a shot with the Sharks. Another consideration for the Sharks might be rookie Henry Thrun, a 22-year-old who played eight games for the Sharks last season and had produced 63 points (14 G, 49 A) in 68 games during his sophomore and junior seasons at Harvard.

#20 It is unusual for a rookie goaltender to make a major impact, but that possibility exists for Devon Levi of the Buffalo Sabres, who figures to be the No. 1 netminder right out of the gate. Other rookie goalies like Pyotr Kochetkov in Carolina, Dustin Wolf in Calgary, and Joel Hofer in St. Louis could all find their way to significant roles this season. New Jersey’s Akira Schmid is not Calder eligible, but it another up-and-coming goaltender with a shot of playing a big role in 2023-2024.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – BUFFALO SABRES – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 21:37:53 +0000

ST. PAUL, MN - JANUARY 28: Buffalo Sabres Defenceman Rasmus Dahlin (26) follows the play during a game between the Minnesota Wild and Buffalo Sabres on January 28, 2023, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)

Review: In 2022-23, the Buffalo Sabres missed the playoffs, extending their NHL-record postseason drought to 12th consecutive campaigns. As hard as it is for a fanbase to feel good after that much pain, the latest iteration of the Sabres were fun to watch and showed plenty of promise. Tage Thompson led the offense with 47 goals and 94 points in 78 contests, making GM Kevyn Adams look like a genius for locking him up in the summer of 2022 to a seven-year, $50 million contract that will begin in 2023-24. Thompson was far from their only weapon though. Jeff Skinner, Alex Tuch and Dylan Cozen each provided over 30 goals and 65 points while Rasmus Dahlin was one of the league’s top offensive defensemen, contributing 15 goals and 73 points. With that core, Buffalo ranked third offensively (3.57 goals per game), but the squad was ultimately held back by poor defense and mediocre goaltending.

What’s Changed? While it’s not technically a change, the single biggest difference from 2022-23 to 2023-24 is that Buffalo will now get a full campaign of Devon Levi after the goaltending prospect appeared in seven NHL contests last year. The 21-year-old has a lot to prove, but he has the potential to be the solution in net Buffalo sorely needs. The Sabres also inked defensemen Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton in the hopes of making life a little easier on their goaltenders.

What would success look like? At this point if the Sabres make the playoffs, that’s a win. It’s not going to be easy in the immensely competitive Atlantic Division, but it’s certainly an obtainable goal for Buffalo. That talented offense that carried them last year is still there and many of their key forwards are just now entering their prime. If Clifton and Johnson help stabilize their defense while Owen Power takes another step forward in his march towards being an elite two-way blueliner, then Buffalo will be a far more well-rounded team. Levi is by far the biggest X-Factor, but even a decent year out of him might be all the Sabres need to get over the hump.

What could go wrong? It’s just as possible that Levi might not be ready. Even with an encouraging seven-game stint with the Sabres last campaign, he’s still largely inexperienced and has yet to be tested against the grind of an 82-game season. If he’s not up to the task then that leaves Buffalo with Eric Comrie and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but both left plenty to be desired last season. The Sabres offense should be at least fine even in a worst-case scenario, but Skinner has had a rollercoaster career, so there’s no guarantee he’ll come even close to his 35-goal and 82-point 2022-23 performance.

Top Breakout Candidate: It’s got to be Levi. As much of a risk as he is, the talent and opportunity are there. If he proves that he’s capable now of holding that starting gig – and yes that’s a significant if – then he’ll have the benefit of the Sabres’ immense offensive support, making it possible for him to reach the 30-win mark as a rookie.

Forwards

Tage Thompson - C

Hard to believe there was a question about how Tage Thompson would do as a follow-up to his breakout 38-goal season in 2021-2022, but he showed it was not a one-season-wonder. Thompson piled up career-highs in goals (47), assists (47), and points (94) and led the Sabres in goals and points. It’s incredible to see his growth in production at the center spot and how he’s become one of the elite players in the NHL and a couple years after there was doubt as to whether he’d be an NHL player at all. Thompson’s explosion has spurred the Sabres out of the doldrums of a seemingly never-ending rebuild into a team that’s on the brink of making the playoffs for the first time since 2011 and possibly becoming a Stanley Cup contender. Understandably, Thompson’s shot output increased in 2022-2023 and his shot percentage improved by nearly one percent (15 to 15.9). That’s the kind of repeatable output the Sabres love to see because they’ll want him to continue ripping the puck. What’s more impressive is he doubled his goal output on the power play from 10 to 20 goals. He has an elite shot and one of the most potent one-timers in the game and it makes him someone opposing penalty kills must cover at all costs. With 53 of his 94 points coming on the power play last season, Thompson alone makes committing penalties against Buffalo a recipe for losing games.

Jeff Skinner - LW

The turnaround Jeff Skinner’s career has had under coach Don Granato continued in 2022-2023. Skinner was second on the Sabres in points with 82 and was third on the team in goals with 35. It was the first time he had 30-plus goals in consecutive seasons and his 82 points broke his previous career-high of 63 (which he’d done four times, twice each with Buffalo and Carolina). After his 40-goal season in 2018-2019, he scored 21 goals the next two seasons combined playing for Ralph Krueger and Granato. Skinner continued his career-long trait of being an outstanding even strength scorer with 27 of his 35 coming at evens and 25 at 5-on-5. While Skinner has never been a strong power play scorer, his 21 power play points last season set a new career high. While Skinner was a top-line scorer for Buffalo in his first season with the Sabres, his resurgence under Granato has had him there again playing on a line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. Although Granato tried to see what other line combinations would work last training camp, the experimentation didn’t last long and the trio was reunited quickly. Expect them to stay together this season and be one of the NHL’s top scoring lines again.

Alex Tuch - RW

Alex Tuch continued to be the power forward the Sabres always dreamed of again last season. Tuch had a career year with 36 goals and 79 points with 27 goals coming on even strength (21 of them at 5-on-5). At 6’4” 219 pounds, Tuch’s work around the net complements the high-end skill of Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner with the ability to boss his way to and around the net. Coupling that with a deceptive wrist shot and he’s proved to be an all-around offensive threat for the Sabres. On top of his offensive production, Tuch also plays a strong two-way game again incorporating his size and reach to disrupt puck carriers and ability to be physical when needed. Although Buffalo’s penalty kill hasn’t been a high point in recent years, Tuch had a shorthanded goal for the second straight season. But it’s the offensive ability that sets Tuch apart and that he scored at more than a point per game pace for the first time in his career last season at age 26 shows he’s hitting his prime at the right time for the Sabres. Although Buffalo has a load of offensive options, Tuch’s power forward play makes him unique and a necessary change-up compared to the speedy snipers and skill players elsewhere on the roster.

Dylan Cozens - C

It was only a matter of time before Dylan Cozens had a true breakout season and 2022-2023 was it. Cozens set career highs with 31 goals and 68 points in just his third season. The 22-year-old from Yukon took the lessons learned from his first two NHL seasons as well as from playing wing for Canada at the 2022 World Championships to become more of a shooter and lean into that part of his game. It paid off in a big way as his shot output jumped dramatically (160 to 211) and his shooting percentage with it (8.1 to 14.7). Cozens was a threat in all situations and scored 24 goals at even strength to go with five on the power play and two shorthanded. His tenacious forechecking and eagerness to play the body helps him stand out from the likes of Thompson, Peyton Krebs, and Casey Mittelstadt up the middle. Even though his new scoring marks set a tricky bar to meet or exceed, the growth in his game and how players like Thompson have elevated over the years indicate that being able to do just that is very possible. Cozens slots in automatically as the Sabres’ No. 2 center as well as leading their second power play unit. As he’s gotten stronger, his physical play has grown but it’s the offensive end of the ice where he’s most dangerous and he was the de facto leader on a line with rookies J.J. Peterka and Jack Quinn last season despite the three of them all being roughly the same age. It’s right to expect a bit more from Cozens this season because we’re just starting to see the best of him now.

Jack Quinn - RW

Quinn’s rookie season didn’t have the kinds of numbers that knock your hair back when compared to some of the other outstanding first-year players around the league, but a deeper look at what he accomplished shows there’s reason to believe he’d be due for a big season. Quinn had 14 goals and 37 points over 75 games in 2022-2023. That put him seventh among NHL rookies in scoring and tied for eighth in goals with Montreal’s Raphael Harvey-Pinard. Quinn’s output was similar to what Dylan Cozens had in his second NHL season but Quinn’s skill with his shot and stick handling ability indicates he’s a player that will be able to fill the net in years to come. What’s difficult for him this season is how he’ll come back from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon he sustained during offseason workouts in June. That injury will keep him out of action until December or January at the latest and will certainly affect his total offensive output. The Sabres depth at forward will prevent Quinn’s absence from being a major blow, but how it affects his further development is worth paying attention to. It’s the second time Quinn has had an injury affect his offseason. In April 2021, he needed sports hernia surgery that ended his season in the AHL, but his performance in 2021-2022 showed he had no lingering ill effects. Buffalo hopes that will repeat itself when he returns in winter.

J.J. Peterka - LW

Peterka’s first NHL season saw him ride the typical rookie roller coaster in learning what he can and can’t get away with against the best players in the world. He had 12 goals and 32 helpers for the Sabres and showed the speed and creativity in his game that has everyone in Buffalo excited to see what more he’s capable of doing. Although he’s working on improving his two-way game, it’s the offensive play that will set him apart from his peers. His ability to get in behind defenders with his speed helps him get free for chances but how he finishes plays will be something to keep an eye on going forward. He’s able to create opportunities out of nowhere and what he’s capable of doing sets him apart from his usual linemates in Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn. He and Quinn have chemistry from their year together in AHL Rochester and that helped them both during last season in Buffalo, although they would occasionally struggle while learning the ropes. But that’s nothing out of the ordinary when bringing along two 21-year-old players into their first NHL seasons. More will be expected of Peterka, of course, and with Quinn’s absence to start the season the hope is all steps he’s taken in the offseason will pay off instantly. He was outstanding for Germany during the 2023 World Championships. He tied for second in the tournament in scoring with 12 points in 10 games and was named the best forward in the tournament. Germany won silver, their first medal at Worlds since 1953.

Casey Mittelstadt - C

Patience is proving to be Casey Mittelstadt’s best quality during his time with Buffalo. The 2017 No. 8 overall pick in the NHL Draft had a career year for the Sabres last season. He had 16 goals and 59 points in a year that was a borderline make-it-or-break-it season for him. His point total was more than twice his previous career-high of 25 points back in 2018-2019 and his 15 goals were three better than his previous best also set that season. Aside from good health, what allowed Mittelstadt to break out was his versatility. He played both at center and on the wing and showed he could lift his linemates in any given situation. He also showed he can be an effective scorer on the power play and provide help shorthanded as well. As a 5-on-5 player he was above-average in shot generation and suppression and broke even in goals scored and allowed when he was on the ice. Although the light that shined on Mittlestadt in previous seasons seemed to focus on his negative outcomes, there’s no doubt he was able to turn that around last season by consistently being involved offensively and creating shots and scoring opportunities for his teammates. A devoted teammate, Mittelstadt always strives to improve his game and to do what he can to better himself for the rest of the group. That he was able to post a breakout season and still be under the radar compared to his teammates speaks volumes to the value he does have. He’s become a vital cog for the rest of the lineup and gives the Sabres depth scoring beyond the first line for sure and takes the heat off some of his younger teammates as well. That said, it was such a standout year from him that it stands to wonder what he can do to follow that up this season.

Peyton Krebs - LW

While the majority of the attention among the Sabres youngest players went to the likes of Jack Quinn, Dylan Cozens, and JJ Peterka, Peyton Krebs did a lot of the dirty work that doesn’t always get noticed, least of all in the stat columns. Krebs was an anchor up the middle on a line with Zemgus Girgensons and Kyle Okposo. While that line gets referred to as the “fourth line” often, the truth is it functioned as the Sabres’ shut down/energy line used to change the tempo of the game in their favor and regain steady puck possession. Krebs was able to do this by transforming into an irritator and a tenacious forechecker. Although he doesn’t stand out physically, he was able to use his body and his strength to his advantage to throw opponents off their games. Krebs even went so far as to get in a few fights last season, a rarity among the Sabres in general. All that said, Krebs still set career highs with nine goals and 26 points. What makes him different than a lot of forwards that play that kind of role is Krebs still has strong offensive instincts and abilities. He has an uncanny ability to read plays and to make difficult passes that would normally not come from other third-or-fourth-line forwards. Although Krebs thrives in the shutdown role, he is more than capable of sliding up the lineup to add more offense when called upon. At 22 years old, there’s a lot more to come from Krebs, the question is how much more offense will come or how much more of a shutdown forward he will turn out to be.

Victor Olofsson - RW

Every team in the league has a pariah when it comes to the fan base and unfortunately for Victor Olofsson, he was it last year. What’s wild is Olofsson had a career-high 28 goals last season, fifth most on the team, seven of which came on the power play. Of his 40 points, 12 came on the power play and his 17 goals at 5-on-5 were the most he’s had in a season in his career. The raw box car numbers seem great, assists aside, and they scream out that he’s a player who is doing what’s asked of him and is capable of more. So, what’s got fans upset with him? It’s his 5-on-5 play in general that stood out in the worst way. The majority of Olofsson’s teammates had better possession numbers away from him than with him (according to Natural Stat Trick) and at 5-on-5 he was 10th on the team in scoring but the Sabres were outscored 52-34 when he was on the ice. And while Tage Thompson’s numbers exploded on the power play, Olofsson’s have plateaued with seven power play goals in three straight seasons. There’s an opportunity for redemption this season, however. With Quinn out until December or January, it opens the chance for Olofsson to reclaim his role in the lineup by becoming a stronger 5-on-5 player and to not just rely on ripping shots from the circle to score goals and generate chances. He enters the season in the final year of his contract so there’s an abundance of motivation for him to turn it around with Buffalo and if not ultimately with them then another team to acquire him.

Defense

Rasmus Dahlin - D

Of the many players whose careers have blossomed in Buffalo under coach Don Granato, Rasmus Dahlin’s growth into one of the top point-producing defensemen in the NHL is perhaps the sweetest redemption. When he arrived as a rookie in 2018, scoring was never a problem but playing a solid all-around game was a bit difficult. For a couple of seasons, the offense waned and the worry about whether he’d live up to being a No. 1 overall draft pick began, but over the past two seasons, and especially after 2022-2023, he’s shown to be exactly who many thought he would become. He was fourth on the Sabres in scoring last season with 73 points including 15 goals, both of which set new career highs. He was fifth among NHL defensemen in scoring and had 32 points on the power play which was fourth best among blue liners. His possession and shot metrics at 5-on-5 were tops among Sabres defensemen as well and showed that it wasn’t just the points that carried his game, something noticed by the PHWA voters as he finished eighth in Norris Trophy voting. He’s Buffalo’s No. 1 defenseman by far and one of the best in the NHL and just 23 years old.

Owen Power - D

Power’s rookie season showed a lot of why he was the No. 1 overall pick in 2021. His 35 points made him the leading scorer among rookie defensemen and 26 of those points came at even strength. He was entrusted with power play duty on the second unit thanks to Rasmus Dahlin running the show most of the time, but he was apt to distribute there with eight power play points. Even though Dahlin and Mattias Samuelsson made up most of the time on the first pairing, Power was tasked with vital ice time and averaged 23:48 per game, second only to Dahlin. At 20 years old, Power was a major contributor and a vital cog to the Sabres defense corps and the maturity in his game earned him the coaching staff’s trust. What helped that out was his unflappable ability to work out of tough situations and his ice-cold demeanor to get the job done. His advanced numbers did not stand out as strongly as the anecdotes and standard statistics (his 5-on-5 expected goals percentage was under 49 percent) and his defense partners seemed to take a lot of that blame. With the additions of Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson, we’ll get to see how well Power adjusts with one of them by his side for much of the season. If nothing else, Power has shown early in his career he’s not only up to such challenges but also ready to exceed expectations as well.

Mattias Samuelsson - D

When Mattias Samuelsson signed a seven-year, $30 million extension last October, there was a lot of head-scratching going on around the league because he’s a guy who hadn’t played a lot of NHL games and wasn’t known for producing points. Then he paired up with Rasmus Dahlin and the young Swede put up career numbers and became a much better defensive player as well. Coincidence? Not according to Dahlin and the Sabres coaching staff. Samuelsson’s dogged defensive and physical play, to them, allows Dahlin to have more freedom in the offensive zone to create as well as carry the puck all over the ice. If a $4 million-plus cap hit allows for that, you can argue that it’s money very well spent. But Samuelsson does enough of his own work to justify the deal. His big size causes opponents to be weary of going into corners against him for pucks as well as dread being around the front of the net. He’s also capable enough with the puck to make a good first pass out of the zone to start a breakout. Samuelsson is a modern-day throwback defensive defenseman where 20 years ago he’d have spent a lot of time scrapping with foes, but now he’ll settle disputes during the flow of play instead. Intangibles don’t generally have a price tag, but for Samuelsson there’s a solid approximation of the value.

Connor Clifton - D

The Sabres had a few areas of weakness last season that didn’t have to do with goaltending. They weren’t very good on the penalty kill (fifth worst in the NHL) and they weren’t a physical team (last in the NHL in hits by a substantial margin). To address those needs, the Sabres signed former Boston Bruins defenseman Connor Clifton to a three-year, $10 million contract. Clifton arrives in Buffalo with a history of playing for Don Granato during his junior hockey days and a reputation for delivering physically punishing hits all over the ice while also capable of playing up-tempo hockey. Clifton had 208 hits last season, 23rd most in the league, which was 101 more hits than the Sabres leader Mattias Samuelsson (who played in 23 fewer games). The hits stand out, but Clifton also had 23 points and only had 60 PIM last season. With his style of hockey, he provides an arguably necessary change on the Sabres blue line and a player who can draw attention away from their more skilled players when the temperature rises throughout a game. He’s not there to be a goon, of course, but instead he’ll be counted on to use his solid speed to help move the puck as well as adding some physical explosiveness to the blue line group. The Sabres haven’t had a player who made opponents keep their heads on a swivel in many years and they’re expecting Clifton to change that for them and give them an element they’ll need if they’re to make the playoffs and have success therein.

Goaltending

Devon Levi - G

It might seem premature to bank on Devon Levi as an NHL starter this upcoming season for the Buffalo Sabres. But even if he only splits the net with one of the more established options the team has under contract, it’s hard to argue that he’s the most talented piece they have on the roster by a wide margin.

Buffalo finally seemed to admit defeat on the Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen experiment this past season when they signed Levi to an entry-level deal at the culmination of his second collegiate season. Luukkonen, while the starter for Buffalo over the largest volume of games, once again struggled to put up league-average numbers and lost out on nearly a third of the starts on the year to a 41-year-old Craig Anderson. And while Eric Comrie always seemed just a step away from being ready to take the reins at the NHL level, his abbreviated performance at the NHL level last year also looked like nothing more than a tweener backup option to be used as a stopgap. Buffalo desperately needs to finally take a step forward, and Levi seems like their best chance to do that. The good news, though, is that he’s got all the makings of being the next franchise number one. He’s taken top-tier tracking and fluid lower-body movements and added in cleaner transitions than initially displayed his draft year. Perhaps the best part of his game, though, is that he’s got lightning-quick hands and a willingness to stop the puck to halt play; he’s perfectly confident setting up the face-off in his own end, and he holds his depth long enough to control incoming approaches from the offense. For Buffalo, the structure he has in his game should help balance out a defensive lineup that has struggled to establish consistency over the last decade-plus, especially with young names poised to revamp the blue line in the team’s incoming era. A Sabres lineup with Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power pairing up with Devon Levi could become a team to watch for in the East. The question, ultimately, isn’t whether or not Levi is ready – it’s how many games he’ll have to play in rotation with Comrie and Luukkonen.

Projected starts: 35-40

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – BUFFALO SABRES – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 15:06:25 +0000

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power (25) holds the point on the power play during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres on April 28, 2022, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Owen Power D

The top prospect of the 2021 draft, Owen Power has met all the lofty expectations placed upon him, if not exceeded them. Power’s unorthodox choice to play an extra season in the NCAA after being drafted proved useful to his development, as he used his sophomore season at Michigan to refine his offensive toolbox and add some more polish to his game. Power’s choice to wait a bit longer to join the Sabres also allowed him to take part in the Beijing Winter Olympics, where he represented Canada and looked the part playing against some of the best players outside the NHL. By the time he stepped into the Sabres’ lineup in the spring of 2022, Power looked comfortable on NHL ice and found himself ready to weather the challenges of being a minute-eating defenseman at the game’s highest level. Power’s size is what most immediately sticks out to observers and forwards looking to score when he’s on the ice. Standing at six-foot-six, Power’s size allows him to impose himself on puck carriers and interrupt their plans in his zone. Power has exceptional reach and that reach when combined with his size and hockey IQ gives him a strong floor to work with as an NHL prospect. Even if his NCAA scoring doesn’t translate to the professional game, he should still be able to have a career as a high-end defensive defenseman. But, thankfully for the Sabres, Power has a strong chance to become a difference-maker offensively as well. Power is an extremely good skater for someone of his size, and his skating and exceptional on-ice vision help the Sabres’ transition game immediately next season. If Power can continue to grow more comfortable with the puck on his stick, he should be able to become a do-it-all top-of-the-lineup number-one defenseman. - EH

2 - Jack Quinn RW

The 8th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, Jack Quinn has emerged as one of top prospects outside of the NHL after a dominating performance in the AHL this past season. The former Ottawa 67 hasn’t had the easiest ride to prospect stardom, but not all paths to the NHL are created equally. After a breakout OHL campaign that saw him earn a spot in the top 10 of the 2020 draft, Quinn had a rough start to his pro career during the 2020-21 season, when the pandemic forced the cancellation of the OHL season, pushing him into an AHL role likely before he was ready. Inconsistent performance and a season ending hernia injury mired that season. However, just as he had done during his OHL career, Quinn made the necessary adjustments to find success and this has him positioned for a full time NHL role this coming season. Two of Quinn’s best assets are his shot and his on-ice awareness. He is fantastic at finding space inside the offensive zone, positioning himself for quality scoring chances. This, in combination with his great shot, makes him a terrific complementary player to pair with a quality playmaking center. However, Quinn proved this year that he can create his own chances at the pro level by improving his explosiveness and confidence with the puck. He was often the primary play driver for Rochester, and this should have Sabres fans excited about his potential as an offensive star. Furthermore, he is more than just a one-dimensional offensive player. He excels in all three zones and his high IQ allows him to be a terrific defensive player too. As long as he can avoid injury (a lower body injury prevented him from emerging as a full time NHL’er late last season), Quinn should be a lock to be in the NHL this year. - BO

3 - Matthew Savoie C

Savoie is one of those players that is impossible to not root for when you watch him play. He makes up for his lack of stature with an entertaining package of slick puck skill, high-end hockey IQ, an abundance of heart and an enviable fearlessness. He is difficult to defend when he has some time and space to work with, because he innately thinks the game one step ahead of his opponents and can dissect them offensively in different ways. The Winnipeg Ice successfully convinced their 1st-overall selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft to join the club, eschewing a prior verbal commitment he had made to the NCAA’s University of Denver, and after COVID-related detours to the AJHL and USHL in 2020-21 he finally made his full-time WHL debut in 2021-22, scoring a sparkling 90 points in 65 contests. For his efforts he was nabbed by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1st round, 9th overall, of the 2022 draft. He is still at least one full year away from NHL duty, which will be bad news for almost all of the WHL, as he will be reuniting on the Ice with fellow 2022 top prospect Conor Geekie and 2023-eligible phenom Zach Benson. It will also be the best-case situation for him health-wise, as it will allow him time to add on some much-needed muscle to better handle the physical challenges of the sport, which will be especially useful considering his love of attacking the net and lack of shyness about getting into the dirty areas. Savoie has plenty of upside as a possession-driving offensive forward, and since the Sabres have an abundance of talented young forwards that they can spread heavy lifting and difficult matchups between, you have to love his odds of reaching that ceiling. – DN

4 - John-Jason Peterka LW

Part of the reason why the Rochester Americans were so fun to watch last year was the dynamic duo of Jack Quinn and John-Jason Peterka. The two showed tremendous chemistry together as they tore apart the AHL. Peterka ended up leading the AHL in rookie point production (68) and goals (28). If you are a history buff, it is worth noting that Peterka’s 68 points were the third most all time by a U20 player in the AHL, and the first to top 60 points since Patrice Bergeron scored 61 in 2005 and Mikko Rantanen scored 60 in 2016. That is mighty impressive. This has caused Peterka to rocket up the rankings, making him one of the better young forwards currently outside of the NHL. That may not be for long. Many have him penciled into the Sabres lineup for the coming season, perhaps even as part of a “kid” line with Jack Quinn. Peterka has a skill set built for the modern NHL game. Not only is he a dynamic skater who can lead the attack or support it, but his development as a skilled puck carrier has been tremendous. Peterka is also someone who won’t hurt you playing limited minutes to start (increasing his odds of making the NHL this season) because he competes hard at both ends and already has an advanced understanding of how to play without the puck. The excitement over this budding German star is legitimate. - BO

5 - Devon Levi G

Despite posting an extremely good 941 save percentage in his draft season for the Carleton Place Canadians of the CCHL, Devon Levi had to wait until the seventh round of the 2020 draft to hear his name called, going 212th overall to the Florida Panthers. The main reason for that? While his,941 save percentage mark was elite (albeit against lower-tier competition) NHL teams seemingly cared far more about another number: 72. That’s how many inches Levi stands above the ground, clocking in at just six feet tall. He’s undersized by the standards modern NHL front offices apply to goalies, and as a result his future projection was cloudy. He could be an elite goalie at a lower level, sure, but would his lack of size leave him exposed at the more difficult NCAA level? In his freshman year at Northeastern University, Levi resoundingly answered that question. Levi posted a .952 save percentage and authored one of the most impressive individual seasons by any prospect this year. He already flashed that talent last year, representing Canada at the World Juniors, and now he proved it by laying waste to the college hockey landscape. Now a Buffalo Sabre, Levi’s incredible performance has solidified his place as their presumed “goalie of the future.” Levi’s game shares a lot of similarities to another legendary college performer, Jonathan Quick. Like Quick, Levi relies on his athleticism and mobility to make saves, aggressively challenging shooters and making himself look bigger than he is. Levi’s size will always bring those who question whether his game will work at the pro level, and there have been many talented junior or college goalies who flame out against more dangerous offenses. Levi’s no guarantee, but there are few goalie prospects who ooze talent like Levi does. - EH

6 - Noah Ostlund C

The 16^th overall selection in the 2022 draft, Ostlund is one of three centres the Buffalo Sabres selected in the first round this year. Buffalo has now selected a player from Sweden in back-to-back first rounds after selecting Isak Rosen last year. Ostlund should be considered a two-way centre, as he excels at both ends of the ice. He is agile and has a smooth skating stride with four-way mobility. He is strong in the faceoff circle and on both special teams. His calling card on offence is his strong playmaking ability. He is a menace in transition using his silky hands and smooth stride to weave through defenders. When he is given time and space, Ostlund will draw the opposition’s attention and wait for a passing lane to open up before rifling the puck to a teammate. The concern with Ostlund is his lack of size and strength, which could affect his ability to play down the middle over the long run. If he can add strength, Ostlund could be a staple down the middle for the Sabres in the near future. At worst, he projects to be a middle-six playmaking forward with the ability to contribute on both special team units. After dominating the J20 league last year, Ostlund will look to split time this year between the J20 and the SHL with Djurgårdens. - ZS

7 - Jiri Kulich C

The Czech forward made a huge impression at the recent World Juniors, scoring twice and adding six assists in seven matches. He was one of the main reasons for the Czechs reaching the semifinals. The Buffalo Sabres first rounder is a smart two-way forward who plays the game at a high pace. He has an absolute cannon of a shot and cannot be left unguarded. He excels at finding open spots for himself and shooting one-timers. Kulich has no notable weakness to his game; he is very good at both ends of the rink, can withstand the physical play, is very good along the boards, and he reads the game well. Kulich has proven himself at the senior level, scoring 14 points (9+5) in 49 games for Karlove Vary in Czech top tier league last year. Moreover, he absolutely tore up the last U18 World Championships, scoring 9 goals (and 2 assists) in six games as Czechia’s captain, earning an MVP title. Kulich should remain with Karlove Vary next season, although we could see him in North America at some point. He is ready to play with the pros with his well-rounded game, as he has already demonstrated. Kulich´s versality and confidence bring a lot of hope for Sabres fans that he should appear in the NHL within a few years. - MD

8 - Prokhor Poltapov LW

Selected #33 overall by Buffalo Sabres, Prokhor Poltapov continues to show steady progression. This year he has played for the Russian U-25 national team and for CSKA (KHL). Thus far, playing against men (last year and this year), Poltapov has proven to be an effective player because of his ability to work below the goal line and his high skill level. However, it is also obvious that he still needs to get stronger to perform well at higher levels. Poltapov is a proactive player with great hockey sense who can compete effectively at both ends of the ice. A competitive goal scorer, he also possesses a strong shot and scoring instincts. Poltapov battles hard for the puck, especially in the offensive zone, and is solid in the corners and behind the net. He shows great potential physically against his peers. He protects the puck extremely well and is difficult to knock off stride. While Poltapov has to be considered a mobile player with good agility, he could still stand to improve his quickness. His KHL contract ends after the 2024-25 season, which means that he will continue to develop in Russia until then. However, this will give him the chance to be a strong pro player even before coming to North America, meaning that at that time, he could step right into an NHL lineup and be an effective role player. His upside is probably that of a strong two-way middle six forward. - DB

9 - Isak Rosen RW

Rosen was selected 14^th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2021 NHL draft. He is a speedy winger who possesses a lethal shot, good puck handling skills, and strong playmaking ability. Rosen’s skating stride is textbook, as he is light on his feet with good ankle flexion and the ability to stop and pivot on a dime. He combines his skating stride with elite hands, allowing him to have plenty of success in transition. If you give Rosen enough space, he will hurt you with his scoring ability. One of the best pure scorers in last year’s draft, Rosen can beat you with a wrister or one-timer. When Rosen shoots, he has immaculate accuracy. If you give him too much time and space, he will find a way to put it in the back of the net. Last season, Rosen spent the majority of his time in the SHL in a sheltered bottom-six role where, considering the ice-time limitations, he was still able to put up 4 points in 28 games. When Rosen played in the J20 league with a larger role, he produced 4 goals and 9 points in 8 games. He recently made a strong impact for team Sweden in the August World Juniors, playing top-six minutes and contributing 4 points in 6 games. It is expected that Rosen will make the leap over to North America this upcoming season, where he will get a look from the NHL club during training camp, although he is most likely to spend majority of the season in Rochester playing for Buffalo’s AHL team. - ZS

10 - Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen G

The road to becoming an NHL netminder has not been easy thus far for the former OHL Star and Red Tilson winner (given to the league’s best player). His first pro season in 2020 was a near write-off as he attempted to return following offseason hip surgery. Then each of the last two seasons have also seen him battle various other injuries. However, last year was unquestionably his most promising as a pro. He performed extremely well in the NHL for the Sabres…before ultimately suffering a lower body injury that kept him out for a month. Upon returning to Rochester after the injury, he was not nearly as successful either. Without question, Luukkonen is talented enough to be an NHL netminder. He proved that this past year. He has the size. He has the athleticism. He reads the play well and competes for angles. There is a reason why he dominated the OHL and the World Juniors not too long ago. However, with each accumulating injury, you have to worry about Luukkonen’s long-term health and ability to succeed. First, and foremost, staying healthy will be important this season. The Sabres signed Eric Comrie from Winnipeg to split time with Craig Anderson in the Buffalo crease, putting less pressure on UPL. However, it seems likely that he sees some NHL action this year, even if only as an injury fill in. With Devon Levi knocking on the door as the Sabres goalie of the future, Luukkonen likely has a limited window to prove that he still deserves to be in that discussion. - BO

11 -Ryan Johnson

In a surprise turn of events, the former first round pick will return to Minnesota (NCAA) for his senior year, rather than turn pro. Will there be signability concerns with the smooth skating defensively oriented rearguard?

12 - Erik Portillo

The 6’6 netminder was one of the best goaltenders in the NCAA last season with Michigan, his sophomore year. Now he returns to Michigan for his junior year and is a top candidate for the Mike Richter award.

13 - Alexander Kisakov

After a small step backward in the MHL last year, Kisakov has decided to turn pro and will play in Rochester of the AHL this year. The Sabres will be looking for more consistency from the skilled, but competitive winger.

14 - Josh Bloom

The Saginaw Spirit weren’t great last year, but Bloom emerged as an excellent prospect. A high IQ winger, Bloom excels as a playmaker and shows potential as a strong two-way forward.

15 - Oskari Laaksonen

A former third round pick of the Sabres, Laaksonen’s first full season in North America was a major success as he became one of Rochester’s most dependable defenders. A mobile puck mover, he could be in play as a Buffalo call up this year.

16 - Mats Lindgren

Drafted later than we anticipated he would be, Lindgren is a mobile, pucking moving defender. The focus for him will be to improve his play in the defensive zone while maintaining his strong offensive play.

17 - Viktor Neuchev

A recent third round selection by the Sabres, Neuchev has a very high offensive ceiling due to his combination of speed and skill. He will continue his development in Russia this coming season.

18 - Olivier Nadeau

The playmaking winger won a QMJHL championship with Shawinigan last season. His athletic tools are still developing, but his offensive zone awareness is a major strength that makes him the perfect complementary player on a scoring line.

19 - Topias Leinonen

The highest selected goalie in the 2022 NHL Draft, Leinonen is a massive netminder who pairs his size with improving athletic traits. Consistency is an issue he has a long time to iron out.

20 - Brett Murray

The big, power winger, formerly of Penn State, has played well the last two seasons with Rochester of the AHL. After a strong NHL audition last year, he will be looking to make the jump permanently this season.

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)

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Buffalo Sabres Top 20 Prospects

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 20:17:34 +0000

McKeen's Top 20 Buffalo Sabres 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.

Dylan Cozens, C/RW (7^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Cozens has a unique blend of size, speed, and vision, and has since grown as a 200ft player who can drive play. He can play the prototypical power forward game where he gets in on the forecheck, works hard, creates turnovers, and generates a strong cycle game. He also has the ability to make high end plays, using both his vision and his feet. His top speed is very good and enables to him to beat guys wide although he has made a point of taking the puck directly to the net more last year. From the cycle game there are few who have the vision to make the passes he can. Either from below the dots along the half wall or from the rush he can put pucks into dangerous locations. He uses his body so effectively to shield the puck that he draws a ton of penalties. His comfort level with the puck on his stick was always high in traffic but now he is more dangerous in open space and his improving shot makes him a threat all over the ice. At the WJC he was highly productive, playing a mix of wing and center. – VG

Jack Quinn, RW (8^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A late bloomer, Quinn is now pushing 6-1” and finished the season with 52 goals, good for second in the OHL. He can create his own scoring chances and fight through traffic to make plays. It has also helped him to become a fully engaged two-way player who excels just as much off the puck as he does on it. We cannot discuss Quinn without talking about his shot, one of the best shots in this draft class, particularly his powerful and accurate wrist shot, allowing him to score in many ways. He notably scored 34 even strength goals. Quinn is also a quality two-way player, excelling away from the puck. He also has terrific instincts, and this makes him a very good penalty killer. His skating stride, while improved, will continue to need work as he looks to improve his top speed. Additionally, his vision as a playmaker is not at the same level as his shooting ability. He can be such a valuable asset as an elite level goal scorer whose usage does not need to be sheltered in his own end. This will endear him to his future coaches. – BO

John-Jason Peterka, LW (34^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Without a great deal of ice time with EHC Munchen, it was internationally that Peterka shined this season. He is a dynamic offensive player blessed with high end creativity, finishing ability, and offensive instincts. His bread and butter is his one-timer from the faceoff dot, especially with the man advantage. He is excellent shooting from a standstill, able to beat goaltenders cleanly, with a high-end wrist shot as well. His hands are silky smooth, and he seldom loses the puck cheaply, in addition to great creativity. He can create his scoring chances. Even lacking strength, he navigates traffic and puts himself in position to utilize his skill set. He sees the game well enough indicating that production will continue to increase as he matures. He knows how and where to move the puck and has shown a propensity for setting up shop behind the net, in the corners, and along the hash marks. He knows how to get open and when to go to the net. As a two-way player, Peterka still has some growing to do. He also needs to improve his skating. Greater speed would open up his offensive game. - BO

Oskari Laaksonen, D (89^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Laaksonen’s puck moving abilities and vision were always there, making him an intriguing prospect with a lot of raw talent. He was lanky in his draft year, but he has gained strength and his overall game is headed in the right direction. The right-shot defenseman has a lot to offer offensively. He can make the simple first pass, stretch the ice with long passes or carry the puck from his own end. He has smooth hands and fast, poised stickhandling. He lacks a big slap shot from the point, but he has added power to it, which applies to his skating as well. He is a strong skater with good lateral movement. His first few strides are quick, and he has a good glide as well. He is smooth, mobile and athletic. He is not overly physical, and he could use his size and strength more effectively for hitting and in one-on-one battles. His second full Liiga season could have been much stronger. In the long term, Laaksonen has a good chance to develop into a middle- pairing NHL blueliner who would be useful on a second power play unit, after additional maturity and experience. - MB

Mattias Samuelsson, D (32^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Not only does Samuelsson have old-school-scout-wet-dream size, but he is also a recognized leader, having worn the ‘C’ on multiple previous teams, as well as for his school as a sophomore. After two seasons each in the spotlight for both the USNTDP and Western Michigan, we know without any doubt that Samuelsson lacks any real offensive value. Of course, he can shoot and pass the puck, but that simply is not part of his game. The strength of his game lies off the puck. Samuelsson has accepted his size and his limitations and plays within himself. He has enough mobility to be able to stick with most opposing forwards, and positions himself well while also using his stick like a pro, so that the faster forwards are forced to the outside if he has trouble keeping up with them stride for stride. He is a very good skater for his size. Even if he never gets a shift on the power play, he will be a staple on the penalty kill, and should develop into a shutdown option at even strength, capable of defending against the opposition’s top lines with regularity. - RW

Ryan Johnson, D (31^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Johnson’s freshman at the University of Minnesota was underwhelming, at best. While his slight figure didn’t hamper his effectiveness at the USHL level, it definitely was a factor as a freshman. He still flashed occasional first round skills, though. He is a fantastic skater, smooth and quick in all directions. His backtracking ability is especially impressive. His skating also is the primary cause to hope that he can regain some offensive luster, as even as he struggled this year, he still showed the ability to walk the blueline nimbly, helping to open up lanes. On the other hand, Johnson demonstrated little ability to make good on whatever lane he could open up. His puck decisions felt rushed and all too rarely led to a dangerous scoring chance. His shot especially seemed meagre as a freshman. Even with his freshman struggles, it is worth remembering that Johnson was a young freshman, with a July 2001 birthdate, and he should be expected to continue developing, both physically, and in his game. He will need more strength to maintain effectiveness defensively, especially in terms of his defensive positioning. He needs a step forward next season. - RW

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G (54^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Luukkonen is a big, athletic, and focused goaltender who has the ability, skill, and knowledge as though he was born to set foot in the crease. After surgery, he built back up the majority of his confidence in the ECHL where he performed well. Getting some time in the Liiga this season will get him prepped and ready to face the shots of the AHL where he is most likely to start sharing the role with Jonas Johansson. Luukkonen is the full package and is mature and physically built enough to play the NHL. He has a calm and mentally strong game where he tracks and sees the puck very well, is capable of playing high intensity games, and does not get easily rattled. He gets right over the puck, battles well and is not afraid to play the puck. Luukkonen will have to get better at communicating with his team and being more vocal. When the Sabres finally decide to call him up, it will most likely be his only call up. Expect him to be able to handle the pressure and to step into a role as Buffalo’s long-term starting goaltender. - SC

Erik Portillo, G (67^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Already in his second year of eligibility when the Sabres added another potential future staple in net in last year’s third round, Portillo showed that he could play on the big ice as well as he showed on the smaller rinks of his native Sweden. In his first season in North America, he was named the goaltender of the year in the USHL, with the best GAA (2.11), and the third best save percentage (.911) of any goalie with at least 20 games played. He was even named to Sweden’s WJC team as the third goalie, although he didn’t play. The gigantic 6-6” puck stopper plays a technically mature, athletic game, and is almost impossible to beat down low. Furthermore, his puck handling is near exception for a player at his level. Per InStat, the vast majority of the goals he surrendered with the Fighting Saints were from in tight, where he can sometimes go down too early. For the most part, though, he plays a calm game and forces the opposition to generate puck movement near the crease to create a hole. Portillo will tackle his next challenge at the University of Michigan. - RW

Jonas Johansson, G (61^st overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 7)

After spending some time up with the Sabres this past season, Johansson’s development has been good, and he has nearly earned the right to being a full time backup in the NHL. That being said, there is still a large ‘maybe’ hanging in the air and with the depth that Buffalo has for goaltenders in their system it is almost undeniable to say that the competition level is high for the starting role. Johansson will need more time in the AHL with Rochester to get a better grasp on reading plays and rebound control so he does not have to try so hard to make crazy second and third saves as those pucks should be held on to or deflected to the side. He is good at maintaining position and finding loose pucks; however he will need to be louder and communicate better with his team so he can gain confidence playing the puck. For now, Johansson stands a good chance at being backup option in Buffalo’s system when he earns his next call up but expect him to still get a few starts as a part timer, nonetheless. - SC

Will Borgen, D (92^nd overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 8)

Borgen brings the heat when it comes to laying the body and making sacrifices to keep the puck out of his own net. He is a solid and gritty defender who does well both with and without the puck. He does well at carrying it up and starting breakouts. He plays a well-structured two-way game; however he has the tendency to bite a little early on plays or make the wrong pinch which can catch his man flat-footed and off guard. In the future he will have to tighten his gap and ensure he is not causing so many unnecessary turnovers. Borgen needs to ensure his shots get to the net. Should he do that, then he will become an even bigger threat for the opposing team. He brings the intensity and strength with the maturity of a player already seasoned in the professional game. It will come as no surprise next season if he gets a chance to prove himself for a longer stint as a part of Buffalo’s bottom four. - SC

Casey Fitzgerald, D (86^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

Oftentimes the players coming from the NCAA program have smoother transitions into the American Hockey League and that applies to Fitzgerald. He fits into the game as a strong skater with good instincts. As an undersized defenseman, he has no choice but to redeem himself as a strong skater and play maker. He is strong defensively and keeps his head on a swivel and his stick active when defending, he is reliable on the penalty kill, and he does well at keeping opponents to the outside. His play in the attacking zone could be more aggressive at times and he still needs to work on his timing for when to pinch going into next season. Fitzgerald has the potential to reach a bottom four position as a call up for the Sabres in the near future after his confidence grows and he plays more aggressively when shooting the puck. - SC

Marcus Davidsson, C/LW (37^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

A skilled winger/center who has good tools. Davidsson skates well and is both smart and puck skilled. He lacks some competitiveness and consistency, though. I was pretty high on him during his draft year and while he was picked early in the 2nd round, his development since then has not been as expected yet. He changed SHL teams this season but did not succeed and actually produced at a lower rate. It was not only him choosing to change team as his former team had a hard time finding a top six role for him, mostly due to lack of consistency. This season, both Davidsson and his team struggled. I still see him as a player with a possible breakout year if he plays more a determined and consistent game. The NHL projection is as a middle six player if he gets everything together. At this point, soon to be 22 years old, the risk of him not becoming that player is growing higher. The next season will be important for him in that sense. - JH

Matej Pekar, C/RW (94^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 11)

A hard-nosed, high energy winger, Pekar saw himself move from Barrie to Sudbury in the OHL this season. With Sudbury, Pekar developed great chemistry with top 2020 draft prospect Quinton Byfield. Pekar was able to open up more space for the skilled Byfield with how he drives the net and with how he retrieves dump ins and applies pressure on the forecheck. For these reasons, he is a great complimentary player on a scoring line at the OHL level. However, at the next level, he does not likely possess the high-end skill, skating ability, or finishing ability to be a top six forward. He should settle into a bottom six role after a few seasons in the AHL and could carve out a long NHL career as a checking line player and penalty killer. Right now, the focus for Pekar should be on improving his explosiveness to ensure continued success at the pro level. - BO

Jacob Bryson, D (99^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

After leading all defensive in points on the AHL Rochester Americans, Bryson proved to the Sabres management that they had indeed drafted a strong defenseman despite his 5-9” stature. He is a smooth skater, a physical player, and a defenseman who makes good plays with the puck while generally staying in a good position. His passing stands out in his skillset as a threat in the way he sees the ice and reads offensive opportunities, oftentimes seeing back door passes or quick shots not visible to most. Without a doubt, if given the chance, Bryson can be tested at the NHL level, however he needs to simply touch up on the details and the smaller areas of his game like gap control, keeping his feet moving, and not getting caught flat footed. Those are all details that make a big impact on the overall game and the development of Bryson’s play. Expect him to continue his development this coming season in order to earn a bottom four spot with Buffalo in the medium-term future. - SC

Brett Murray, LW (99^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 13)

Size has a lot to do with Murray’s success in his rookie professional season in the AHL with the Americans. He uses his size well to protect the puck and has no trouble getting to the net and finding shooting lanes. He is a good attacker and often causes or capitalizes on turnovers in the neutral zone where he showcases his quick reaction time and alertness to plays, which for a big guy he does well. Murray can stand to improve his play in his own end as he tends to be a little lazier and more scattered when challenging opponents. He has the potential to be a standout power forward when it comes to the NHL but his skating and defensive play have to get faster and he needs to bring more intent and energy to certain situations to become a better two way player before he can take over a bottom six role in the NHL. – SC

Albert Lyckasen, D (193^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Passed over in his first year of draft eligibility, Lyckasen took his game to a new level as an offensive force, finishing as the second leading scorer among defensemen. He excels at both ends with his strong skating ability and does well on the powerplay with a good right-handed point shot. Although he lacks a great deal in terms of physical tools, he has a few strengths that suggest potential NHL future. He is a fine skater with alluring puck skills as well as a mature approach to the game. Lyckasen was also more of a offense driver from the blueline last season, finishing second in scoring among all Allsvenskan defenders last season. He will have to continue to add strength to allow his skills to play, as he is not a good candidate to play a shut down role. While there is tweener risk, in the seventh round, Lyckasen is a good gamble as he at least has some NHL caliber projections, even if they are faint. - RW

Arttu Ruotsalainen, C/LW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 8, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

After breaking out in 2018-19 and earning an NHL contract, Ruotsalainen returned to Ilves on loan for another season. He was one of the club’s driving forces, helping the team achieve their best ranking of the decade in the Liiga regular season. He scored important, timely goals and he was the engine of Ilves’ power play. He was always extremely industrious and relentless at the junior level – his compete level has never been an issue – but he has shown some new elements to his game at the pro level. An offensively skilled center, his play with the puck continues to improve. He is a very good playmaker and delivers quality passes to his wingers. He has great speed and can pull away from defenders. He is committed to the defensive game, plays with passion and could develop into a strong 200-foot player. His development curve is heading straight up, and he has a real chance to make the Sabres roster as soon as next season. His rise into a top Liiga player has been a great success story, yet his best hockey is ahead. - MB

Brandon Biro, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 18, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Entering his fourth season at Penn State, Biro was expected to be one of the most sought-after collegiate free agents at the conclusion of the season. While the undersized winger finished with a point-per-game campaign, the Nittany Lions captain did not live up to his early billing, which suspect was due to a mid-season injury. A crafty offensive force, when he is healthy Biro can change the pace to keep defenders on their toes. He has deft hands that work well in tight spots. Off the puck, he reads the opposition well and can pick a few pockets with a quick stick. The big question as he moves to the professional ranks is whether he can still be productive even without the size or pure dynamic skillset usually found in a scoring role. He is a young college senior, having turned 22 a few days before signing with the Sabres, so there remains the possibility of more future development we generally see with senior signs, but the clock will only tick for so long and Biro will have to prove himself to reach the highest level. – RW

Dawson DiPietro, LW (UFA: Mar. 23, 2020. Previous ranking: UR)

Over four seasons with Western Michigan, DiPietro turned himself into an off-the-beaten-path candidate to play in the NHL, despite his humble beginnings. Never drafted by a CHL or even a USHL team, and only appearing in a single game as a freshman, he showed dominant flashes on occasion during his sophomore and senior campaigns for the Broncos. If his flashes came about more consistently, DiPietro would have likely signed earlier in his collegiate career. He makes up for his good-not-great production with a solid two-way game and the ability to play in all situations. His hands are fine enough that one could see him getting occasional game higher in a top six role, adding energy to scoring lines. He will turn 25 before this annual preview is published and his one-year entry level contract is a reminder that the Sabres took a no-risk step in bringing him into the organization. He is a low-risk gamble with a few paths to providing real value in the NHL. - RW

Miska Kukkonen, D (125^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: 17)

A right-handed shooting blueliner without any offensive game of note, Kukkonen has improved his future projections since turning pro for good last year. Even though injuries limited him to 23 total games, he showed enough flashes of above average skating, a big shot and a strong physical game, to make his potential hit home, if only he can play a full season without additional injuries. Kukkonen lacks any high end characteristics to his game, and there are also questions that he could contribute heavily at the top level in a shut down role, which reminds one of his persistent struggles to add anything to the offensive attack of his team. Like a number of the players immediately above, Lyckasen has only a moderate chance to reach the NHL – and the Sabres still haven’t given him an NHL contract – but he has a few NHL tools that keep the goal within reach. We would like to see some ability to contribute to the offensive attack before moving him up the list. - RW

2020 NHL Draft Team Review: Atlantic Division

Ryan Wagman — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 16:56:12 +0000

This is the final divisional report. See the Metropolitan Division here. See the Pacific Division here. See the Central Division here. And keep reading this page for the Atlantic Division. I will complete my draft coverage with a forthcoming odds and ends column, including the annual McKeen’s Hockey Shadow Draft. Thank you for following along.

Detroit Red Wings

1/4 Lucas Raymond, LW, Frolunda BK (SHL)

2/32 William Wallinder, D, MODO J20 (SuperElit)

2/51 Theodor Niederbach, C, Frolunda J20 (SuperElit)

2/55 Cross Hanas, LW, Portland (WHL)

3/63 Donovan Sebrango, D, Kitchener (OHL)

3/70 Eemil Viro, D, TPS U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

4/97 Sam Stange, RW, Sioux Falls (USHL)

4/107 Jan Bednar, G, HC Karlovy Vary (Czech)

5/132 Alex Cotton, D, Lethbridge (WHL)

6/156 Kyle Aucoin, D, Tri-City (USHL)

7/187 Kienan Draper, RW, St. Andrews College (HS-ON)

7/203 Chase Bradley, LW, Omaha (USHL)

The first real surprise of the draft came with the Red Wings decision to select Lucas Raymond at fourth overall, after they had long been projected to be targeting Cole Perfetti with the pick. Not that we have any problem with the selection of Raymond that high, as we had him ranked fourth. For an organization with a deep and rich recent history with Swedish players, they stayed on that trend for their next two picks as well, snatching two additional players who each had some first round buzz going into the draft in William Wallinder and Theodor Niederbach. Steve Yzerman and friends mixed things up after those early picks though, getting players from the WHL (2), OHL, Finland, Czech Republic, Ontario high school, and the USHL (3). In all, they added 12 new players to their system, which had ranked in the middle of the pack before the draft.

Detroit mixed things up positionally as well, selecting one center, five wingers, five defenders, and a goalie. Recognizing that most picks after the second round are essentially lottery tickets, it is hard to fault a team from going with its gut on middle and later round picks, there were some choices made here that were questionable even with the slot at which they were picked. Start with the aforementioned Canadian high schooler. If the name Kienan Draper sounds familiar, it is because his father, Kris, spent many years playing with the wings and is currently the Director of Amateur Scouting for the team. In other words, he was responsible for selecting his own child, even though Kienan wasn’t even the most dominating player on his team. I didn’t like their final pick of Chase Bradley either, but at least Bradley earned notice for what he did, and not for who his father is. A number of the other players in the second half of the Detroit draft were also taken earlier than we were on board for, but we do have positive impressions of their future projections.

Even if we were at times underwhelmed with some of the players drafted by Detroit, they only need their first three picks to live up to their advance billing for this draft class to be a great success. Lucas Raymond is a magical first line offensive talent. Wallinder and Niederbach also have top half of the lineup projections. One or all of Cross Hanas, Donovan Sebrango, and/or Eemil Viro also have good shots to work their way into regular, if depth, roles at the highest level. As for the longer shots taken with the final six selections, to Detroit’s credit, five of them will have lengthier timeframes attached to their developments, being allowed to remain in Europe, or head to college for a few years before the Red Wings need to make a decision on them. It will take considerable time before the final assessments of this class are ready.

Best value pick: Theodor Niederbach

Having missed the entire 2018-19 season due to injury, Niederbach entered his draft year quite a ways under the radar. He came back to action last year and consistently demonstrated great playmaking and offensive attack driving abilities, even if his skating pace still needs a fair amount of work before he is ready. His ability to read the play is also incredibly advanced for his age and circumstances. At his size, his ability to improve his skating takes on additional importance, but it won’t take much to allow his game to play on a scoring line in the NHL. And for what’s it worth, 22 points in his first 13 games this year back in Sweden’s junior ranks show his game is still on the ascent.

Worst value pick: Cross Hanas

As much as I was unimpressed by the Wings’ two seventh rounders, value there is rare to begin with. As a late second round pick, the expectations on Hanas are of necessity higher. We do appreciate his decently well-rounded game, with a touch of everything except for physicality. But while he does a lot well, there is doubt that he has any one defining trait that would allow him to pop in training camp and gain notice by coaches. It is hard to see more than a moderate third liner or fourth liner out of the Texan Hanas and I prefer going with more upside that high.

Ottawa Senators

1/3 Tim Stutzle, LW, Adler Mannheim (DEL)

1/5 Jake Sanderson, D, USNTDP (USHL)

1/28 Ridly Greig, C, Brandon (WHL)

2/33 Roby Jarventie, RW, Ilves U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

2/44 Tyler Kleven, D, USNTDP (USHL)

2/61 Egor Sokolov, LW, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

3/71 Leevi Merilainen, G, Karpat U18 (U18 SM-sarja)

5/155 Eric Engstrand, LW, Malmo J20 (SuperElit)

6/158 Philippe Daoust, LW Moncton (QMJHL)

6/181 Cole Reinhardt, LW, Brandon (WHL)

Like with the Detroit draft, recapped above, Ottawa started their potentially transformative draft class really strongly, combining skill and grit up top and on the blueline. The players they drafted ranged from around average size (5-11”, 159 Ridly Greig), to giants (Egor Sokolov, Tyler Kleven and Eric Engstrand are all 6-4” and built thick). The Senators under Pierre Dorion have had a reputation for drafting players out of obscure leagues, but their 2020 draft class was pretty straight forward in terms of player origins, with the most ‘out there’ picks being third overall Tim Stutzle, playing in Germany’s top pro league, and third round netminder Leevi Merilainen, who was still playing in Finland’s U18 league for the plurality of last season, although he has since graduated to the U20 level. If anything, I am mildly surprised that they finished their draft haul with a couple of lightly heralded wingers from the CHL.

One other intriguing strategy seemingly employed by the Senators this year was their pull towards overaged prospects, as the aforementioned Engstrand, as well as Egor Sokolov and Cole Reinhardt were all third year eligible. Sokolov was always likely to be drafted this year considering the outsized impact on the QMJHL and for Team Russia at the last WJC, but it is hard to say that the other two overagers showed new levels of play last year. Engstrand of course has the great size and he did put up very impressive numbers as a 19-year-old in the SuperElit, but his only tool that projects as markedly above average is his physical game. Through 15 career games at the SHL level, he has yet to record a single point. As for Reinhardt, that is especially head scratching. Even in his fourth season in the WHL, his offensive production was never better than fine, and now the Senators will be forced to offer him an ELC within the next season, or will be at risk of losing his rights.

That brings up a final point about the players selected this year by Ottawa. With the exceptions of Stutzle and second rounders Roby Jarventie and Sokolov, none of their picks has earned the reputation of an offensive line driver. Even first rounders like Jake Sanderson and Ridly Greig, not to mention day two picks like Tyler Kleven and Phillippe Daoust, among others already mentioned, are known as much for the character which they bring to their games, hard work, and two-way ability. There is a risk in drafting players without lofty ceilings too high, but there is an argument to be made in favor of drafting player with higher likelihoods of reaching lower ceilings than ones who have lower chances of reaching higher ceilings.

Best value pick: Tim Stutzle/Jake Sanderson/Ridly Greig

The third overall pick was a no-brainer if there ever was one. This was a draft class with a well-defined top three, and the Senators only had to take whoever was left over after the Rangers and the Kings drafted Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield, respectively. Even with his recent surgery on a broken hand, Stutzle could still easily find his way onto the Ottawa top six once NHL play resumes. Or they could let him complete his year in Germany and come over for the 2021-22 season, when we – hopefully – have more certainty with the planet and the sport. Two picks later, the Senators had been widely connected to our top-ranked defenseman in Sanderson. And they got him. With an emerging group including Thomas Chabot, Erik Brannstrom, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Lassi Thomson, the Sens are set with one of the top two or three young defensive cores in the league. Sanderson is a fantastic skater and can play a heavy role in the defensive rotation, playing in all situations and contributing on both sides of the puck.

Finally, we have the late blooming Ridly Greig. He has long had a reputation as a tough to play against agitating forward, but in the second half of his draft year he began to show that he can help put the puck in the net as well. With an August 2002 birthdate, there is a better chance than with many early picks that his offensive game has not yet finished developing. Ottawa will likely need additional patience with Grieg than they will with Stutzle and Sanderson, but Greig’s eventual impact still suggests a top half of the lineup player.

Worst value pick: Leevi Merilainen

While I didn’t like their last two picks (Daoust and Reinhardt), and we also thought that second rounder Sokolov went too high, Finnish netminder Merilainen was the biggest head scratcher of this draft class, especially considering his placement as a third rounder. To his credit, he was dominant in his half season in the Finnish U18 level, and he was another August 2002 birthdate from this draft class (along with Greig and second rounder Roby Jarventie). On the other hand, his play was far below that of fellow Karpat system netminder Joel Blomqvist, who was drafted in the second round by Pittsburgh. Merilainen may have underlying puck stopping capability, but he was far enough under the radar that the Senators could have feasibly waited until their fifth-round pick rolled around to draft him. There is a gigantic gap between where Merilainen is now and where he will need to get to in order to provide value to the Senators.

Buffalo Sabres

1/8 Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa (OHL)

2/34 John-Jason Peterka, LW/RW, EHC Munchen (DEL)

5/131 Matteo Costantini, C, Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL)

7/193 Albert Lyckasen, D, Linkoping J20 (SuperElit)

7/216 Jakub Konecny, C, HC Sparta Praha U20 (Czech U20)

In three drafts at the helm of the Sabres, Jason Botterill notably only ever drafted a single player from any of the CHL leagues. Now, with new, first time GM Kevyn Adams running the ship, and without a scouting staff of note in place, there was some thought that the Sabres would re-emerge as players in the CHL draft game. After the Sabres used their first pick of the Adams era on Ottawa 67s scorer Jack Quinn, there was some early thought that Buffalo would be turning over a new draft leaf. And then the team avoided the CHL altogether with their remaining picks. Instead, with the remainder of their five-man draft class, they selected one player each from Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and from a Junior A team playing right in the team’s backyard. Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.

I am not saying that we should draw any far-reaching reaching conclusions about how Kevin Adams’ teams will draft, especially considering the team only had two picks in the first 130 of the draft. Size was seemingly not a consideration at all here, with 6-1”, 179 lbs Quinn being their largest draftee. If anything, there was some recognition that entering the draft, only two of the Sabres’ top ten prospects were forwards, with five defensemen and three goalies making up the difference.

As the team only made five picks, and essentially skipped the middle rounds altogether, we have to admit that their last three picks are all long shots by default. Any of Costantini, Lyckasen, or Konecny playing even a single game in the NHL would be a victory. On the other hand, Quinn and Peterka, the latter taken with only the third pick of the second round, are expected to make, and play significant roles no less. Quinn has already in parts of three seasons in the OHL and will be eligible to move on to the AHL after one more season, as long as he doesn’t make the Sabres first. Peterka, coming from a season in the German men’s top flight, is a bit more of a wild card. The skills can shine through, as we got the chance to see in last year’s WJC, and as he is doing so far this season in the Ice HL, a Central European super league featuring teams from Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Slovakia. There is some uncertainty as to where he will complete his season, whether in Austria, back in Germany, or come to play for the London Knights, who drafted him in the CHL Import Draft last summer. The class has upside, but it also not without risk.

Best value pick: John-Jason Peterka

Those who like Peterka, see a hard-working, versatile forward, who gets to the scoring areas with regularity, and shows enough flashes in his shooting ability and his puck skills to have top six upside. They marvel at his relative success against men at such a young age. They also saw how much he dominated against older teenagers prior to joining the DEL last year and expect some of that production to catch up to him once he is more ensconced in a scoring role against men. Those who don’t like him as much, mostly note that his DEL production last year was below that of fellow draft eligible Tim Stutzle and Lukas Reichel, leaving some concern that his overall value will not be able to reach the sum of his parts at full maturity. For an organization like Buffalo’s which has had significant troubles developing later round picks for years now, Peterka has a nice blend of upside with the certainty of knowing that he can already play against men as an 18-year-old.

Worst value pick: Jack Quinn

We are kind of boxed into this pick here. With only five picks made, and three coming late, there isn’t any other choice. Quinn was actually a fine choice at number eight in the draft, but there was surprise among observers that he was drafted before his Ottawa teammate Marco Rossi, who was taken with the subsequent selection, to Minnesota. Quinn is a late bloomer and would have been draft eligible in 2019 is he were even five days older. Quinn took his game to an entirely new level last year though, more than quadrupling his previous career high in goals scored on a powerhouse team. His shot and puck skills both project as high end and he looks capable of reading the game in a mature way as well, making him more than just a one-dimensional skater. The main concern here, if there is a fair one at all, is that Quinn’s record of production is short-lived and there is more doubt about him being able to keep those gains than there would be with a player with a great overall track record of success. In other words, Quinn isn’t really a poor value pick at #8, but if Buffalo had drafted Rossi instead, we might have left this section blank.

Montreal Canadiens

1/16 Kaiden Guhle, D, Prince Albert (WHL)

2/47 Luke Tuch, LW, USNTDP (USHL)

2/48 Jan Mysak, C, Hamilton (OHL)

4/102 Jack Smith, C, St. Cloud Cathedral (USHS-MN)

4/109 Blake Biondi, C, Hermantown HS (USHS-MN)

4/124 Sean Farrell, LW, Chicago (USHL)

5/136 Jakub Dobes, G, Omaha (USHL)

6/171 Alexander Gordin, LW, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)

While the Montreal 2020 draft class had a few head scratchers, I also count at least three new members of the organization who can be difference makers at the NHL level in the medium-term future. Like many other teams of late, the Canadiens have leaned away from CHL picks, especially after the top of the draft. In fact, after using their second second rounder on Jan Mysak of OHL Hamilton, Montreal did not return to the CHL. For the most part, the team focused on college-bound players, as five of their eight picks will soon be playing on campus. Another interesting, twisted trend was in how the team drafted their bigger, most physical players at the top, in Kaiden Guhle and Luke Tuch, and then filled out their draft class with largely skill players whose physiques don’t stand out. Maybe with the trade for bulky Josh Anderson prior to the draft, the team will soon have the meat it has long sought under GM Marc Bergevin.

As a whole, their drafted players were forward-centric, with only one blueliner and one netminder among the eight. They had a fairly balanced prospect pipeline before the draft, so this current imbalance doesn’t overly take their system out of proportion. Perhaps more importantly, most all of the skaters chosen by Montreal at the 2020 draft share in having good hockey sense for their respective ages. That trait tends to lend itself to helping young players maximize whatever skill sets they have, while also raising their projected floors, as those types often find themselves more able to fit into lower roster roles more so than purer skilled players who struggled to read the opposition as well.

The Habs have gained a reputation over the last few years of being fairly idiosyncratic at the draft, taking players from minimally scouted leagues and countries. Unless we are now considering the Minnesota high school scene to be underscouted – an argument can be made – Montreal stuck to more well-trodden routes this year. This draft class may be lacking in game changers even if I’m not sleeping on the skilled games of Jan Mysak and Sean Farrell, but the club did an altogether solid job of picking players who have multiple possible paths to work their way up to the NHL in time, making the system that much deeper in the process.

Best value pick: Sean Farrell

Jan Mysak at pick 48 was also great value, as he contains a first-round offensive skill set, but he was not Montreal’s best value pick. One of the most surprising fallers in the draft, Sean Farrell seems to have been given short shrift by scouts who seemingly assumed that teammates Brendan Brisson and Sam Colangelo drove the attack with the Chicago Steel. A soft-spoken young man, the Harvard commit may also have failed to impress in the plethora of pre-draft interviews that most prospects of note had with a greater number of teams than had been the case in previous years. Farrell is quite small, but he has a very powerful shot, and his two years playing for the USNTDP has also given him ample experience playing in a bottom six role, indicating that he is not just a boom-or-bust offensive player. Montreal may need to allow him to spend all four years on campus before giving him an NHL contract, but the payoff has a very good chance of being worthwhile.

Worst value pick: Luke Tuch

Maybe Montreal’s scouts saw in Tuch an image of his older brother, Alex, currently a top player with the Vegas Golden Knights. Luke is pretty big, although not quite as big as his brother. He has some skill in his game, too, but he doesn’t have the phonebooth puck skills as his brother. Tuch played a bottom six role with the USNTDP and he is unlikely to find a home above that area of a roster with Boston University or in the pros either. This year’s USNTDP class didn’t lack for bigger players who can play in defensive roles, but if I was going to target one, I would have started with Dylan Peterson, who has a defensive shutdown presence that Tuch lacks, while having a similar type of potential skill set impact. Luke Tuch will be given an NHL opportunity, but I have misgivings about his ability to live up to his draft slot. On a lesser note, I also think the Habs were overrating fifth round netminder Jakub Dobes, who struggled to adapt to the USHL after mastering the NAHL, but there is less risk of whiffing on a fifth rounder and a top 50 pick.

Florida Panthers

1/12 Anton Lundell, C, HIFK (Liiga)

2/43 Emil Heinemann, LW, Leksand J20 (SuperElit)

3/74 Ty Smilanic, C, USNTDP (USHL)

3/87 Justin Sourdif, C/RW, Vancouver (WHL)

4/95 Michael Benning, D, Sherwood Park (AJHL)

4/105 Zachary Uens, D, Merrimack (NCAA/Hockey East)

5/153 Kasper Puutio, D, Everett (WHL)

7/198 Elliot Ekmark, C, Linkoping J20 (SuperElit)

7/212 Devon Levi, G, Carleton Place (CCHL)

There may not have been a team whose draft picks this year I liked so consistently as I did that of the Panthers. Whenever it would be their turn to call out a name, I would at minimum nod in appreciation of their getting another strong candidate, if not exclaim loudly something along the lines of “great pick”. Seven of their nine picks were players who were ranked either higher, or right within a few spots of where they were taken. And even the two who were not were close enough that I could still appreciate their being selected when they were.

If you look at the list above, you could see that they started off hot and heavy on forwards, using each of their first four picks on forwards. They then downshifted to the blueline, using their next three picks on defenders, before finishing off with a bonus forward and the compulsory goaltender. New GM Bill Zito’s inaugural draft was also relatively varied geographically, as the nine players included two from Sweden, one from Finland, two from the WHL, two from Canadian Junior A leagues, one already in college, and one from the USNTDP. The players were a mix of large and small. If there was a trait that unites all of the players Florida selected, it is hockey IQ. These are all players who have track records of being able to read the play well and make the right decisions with and without the puck.

It might be also worth noting that with only two CHLers in the group, Zito has given himself and his scouting team a long timeline before he will have to judge his relative drafting success. True, that long timeline is unlikely to include first rounder Anton Lundell, who has recently started his third full season in Liiga, where his play has only improved each year. He could easily find his way to the NHL by the 2021-22 season. As for the others, we are unlikely to see any of them until at least 2023-24, at the earliest. As Zito gets more and more acclimated to his new role in South Florida, his drafting tendencies will likely shift. But why mess with perfection?

Best value pick: Ty Smilanic

With all due respect to Kasper Puutio, Michael Benning and Devon Levi, each of whom was drafted by Florida well after the slot at which they were ranked, Smilanic can be the only choice here. Perhaps we were moderately high on the multi-talented, hard-working, two-way center from the USNTDP, ranking him as the last pick in our fictitious first round. He was definitely the last of our top 31 to be available. He has great wheels, and will flash top six worthy puck skills, with the primary caveat being that he doesn’t flash them often enough, leading to questions about vision and creativity. He will be heading off to play at Quinnipiac for the next few years, where he has a very good chance of quickly working his way into a top six role. If his moderate draft drop was due to the unrelated injuries and illnesses he dealt with in his draft year (high ankle sprain, wrist injury, mono), then all the more kudos to the Florida scouts who brought him into the fold.

Worst value pick: Zachary Uens

There really isn’t one. But I did mention above that two of their nine picks were selected in a round range higher from where we had them ranked. While the Panthers selected Uens in the fourth round, we had him slotted into a sixth-round range. The other competitor was second rounder Emil Heinemann, who we preferred in the third. Uens was the only overager selected by the Panthers this year. We actually had Uens ranked around 25 spots higher in his original draft year, so we can’t complain about Florida righting a wrong here. He showed a more mature puck moving game as a freshman at Merrimack than we were totally expecting. He has a decent sized frame that needs filling out and may be ready to turn pro after his junior season. Even as the “worst value pick”, we still like this pick.

Toronto Maple Leafs

1/15 Rodion Amirov, LW, Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)

2/59 Roni Hirvonen, C, Assat (Liiga)

3/64 Topi Niemela, D, Karpat (Liiga)

4/106 Artur Akhtyamov, G, Irbis Kazan (MHL)

4/122 William Villeneuve, D, Saint John (QMJHL)

5/137 Dmitri Ovchinnikov, LW, Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk (MHL)

6/168 Veeti Miettinen, RW, Kiekko-Espoo U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

6/177 Axel Rindell, D, Jukurit (Liiga)

6/180 Joe Miller, RW, Blake School (USHS-MN)

7/189 John Fusco, D, Dexter Southfield School (USHS-MA)

7/195 Wyatt Schingoethe, LW, Waterloo (USHL)

7/213 Ryan Tverberg, C, Toronto JC (OJHL)

With the exception of fourth rounder William Villeneuve, Toronto’s massive draft class started off heavy on Europeans and finished heavy on collegians. To complete the picture, they mixed up the two elements of this draft class in the sixth round, with the selection of Veeti Miettinen, who will be moving from the Finnish junior leagues to St. Cloud State as soon as pandemic conditions allow. While he has not yet begun his 2020-21 season, most of the rest of Toronto’s picks have. And many of them are now playing at a higher level – literally and figuratively – than they had last season. After two years of using the draft largely as a set of assets to use in trade for current roster players, Kyle Dubas has pivoted slightly to using the draft to replenish the system so as to continuously refurbish the roster from within.

While this Toronto draft class has 12 players, fully half of them were taken in the last two rounds, making those players longshots. Which is fine. Most draft picks are longshots, regardless of round, but the Maple Leafs helped to hedge those bets by focusing pretty heavily near the top of the draft on players who have already experienced remarkable success at the top level in their respective homelands. Think of first rounder Rodion Amirov, who played 21 games at the KHL level last year and has already added 14 more so far this year – which much improved scoring rates. Think of second rounder Roni Hirvonen, who graduated to Liiga as a 17-year-old last year, despite his under-developed frame. I could say nearly the same about third rounder Topi Niemela as I did about Hirvonen, except Niemela is a defenseman instead of a forward. Also, and this is a little odd, Niemela is back playing against juniors this year. Even fourth round netminder Artur Akhtyamov has spent the early going of the current year split between the KHL, VHL, and MHL. Finally, sixth round defender Axel Rindell, one of the few overagers Toronto drafted this year, spent most of the 2019-20 season in Liiga.

One other notable element of Toronto’s draft this year was their seeming pull to address an organizational shortcoming of right-handed defensemen. Four of their 12 picks this year were used on blueliners and all four of those defensemen shoot from their right sides. Additionally, while the NHL team has used this offseason to address the lack of muscle in the lineup, Dubas still sticks to his convictions in the draft, looking for smarts and skills. None of their drafted players is taller than William Villeneuve at 6-1”, and none tips the scales at more than Wyatt Schingoethe’s 201 lbs. The process is still very much at play.

Best value pick: Veeti Miettinen

While I strongly considered both of Roni Hirvonen and Topi Niemela in this spot, both taken up to 20 spots lower than where they could have, fellow Finn Veeti Miettien was the obvious choice. Miettinen is on the extreme old side for a first time eligible, less than a week too young to have been eligible last season. He is small, and slight, and has never played men’s hockey, staying in the Jr. A SM-liiga for the past three seasons to retain NCAA eligibility, even though he put up more than one point per game in both of the last two seasons, last year leading the league in scoring by 12 points, and winning the goal scoring crown by a remarkable 14 goals. Miettinen’s offensive tools are very diverse and while I expect some growing pains this season at St. Cloud State, I also expect hi to be a play driver by his sophomore season.

Worst value pick: John Fusco

While we admittedly also did not have fourth round goalie Artur Akhtyamov on our list, his name was well known to both scouts and prognosticators before this year, and he has already spent time this season playing in the KHL. Fusco, on the other hand well, we had nothing. Also, no one really had anything. Even for the USHL draft, he was only ever a 15^th round pick in 2019. He is a second time eligible player who has yet to leave the cocoon of his Massachusetts prep school Dexter Southfield, where he plays with his younger brother and where his uncle was a former star. Interestingly, both his father and uncle played at Harvard in the 1980s and both were Hobey Baker Award winners in the early years of the award. They both played at Harvard, where John is scheduled to begin once the new season starts.

Tampa Bay Lightning

2/57 Jack Finley, C, Spokane (WHL)

2/62 Gage Goncalves, C, Everett (WHL)

3/85 Maxim Groshev, RW, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk (KHL)

3/93 Jack Thompson, D, Sudbury (OHL)

4/116 Eamon Powell, D, USNTDP (USHL)

5/147 Jaydon Dureau, LW, Portland (WHL)

6/157 Nick Capone, RW, Tri-City (USHL)

6/186 Amir Miftakhov, G, Bars Kazan (VHL)

7/217 Declan McDonnell, RW, Kitchener (OHL)

Like many of Tampa Bay’s recent draft classes, I didn’t love this one, but neither did I hate it. Further, there were some picks that I think have real ‘click’-ability. And the Lightning have finally won the Stanley Cup after years among the top teams in the league. Considering how home-grown their core is, I hazard that Julien BriseBois and friends don’t care about our being lukewarm on their picks. But I would have said something similar about each of their previous four draft classes. And each of those four classes has had a player or three from the middle and late rounds step up since then. I think of Connor Ingram in 2016. Samuel Walker in 2017. Magnus Chrona and Cole Koepke in 2018. It’s still early for 2019, but I still expect good things from Hugo Alnefelt and Max Crozier there. Scroll down to the “Best value pick” section to see my pick from this draft class. Whoever it is this year will find a way to fit into the NHL structure, but imagine what this draft class would have looked like had they not traded away both their own pick (to San Jose in the Barclay Goodrow trade) and the pick they received from Vancouver for JT Miller (to New Jersey, along with 2019 first rounder Nolan Foote, in the trade for Blake Coleman).

The Champions went heavier on the CHL leagues this year than most, using five of their nine picks on Canadians juniors. The rest was split evenly between Russia and the USHL. Additionally, the bulk of the new Bolts play up front, as Tampa only drafted two defensemen and one goalie. Birthdate did not seem to be a significant factor with their selections, as three of the picks are in their second or third year of draft eligibility and two others had late 2001 birthdates. Another common area for trends – size – is inconclusive but has some notable exceptions. Until trading for the aforementioned Goodrow and Coleman, and a few other smaller moves this year, size was never considered to be of great importance in the team building philosophy of the Lightning. And if you only look at their 2020 draft class in aggregate, you might think the same. But once you get past 5-11” Eamon Powell, 5-11” Jaydon Dureau, and 5-10” Declan McDonnell, you might notice that their first pick, Jack Finley is a beefy 6-5”, and sixth rounder Nick Capone is a very thick 6-2” and was likely the toughest player in the USHL last year.

If there is a trait that might bind the Lightning’s selections it is how they all seem to be late bloomers who have only recently begun to experience the bloom, a defining characteristic that portends to both a continued upwards developmental trajectory and the inherent willingness of the player to continue working and growing as a player. Those were all apparent in the recent mid- to late-round picks highlighted earlier and if even one or two of this group of nine hits those heights, the Lightning will have some affordable replacements for successful players who have panned out and grown too expensive.

Best value player: Eamon Powell

It should be noted that the only other Tampa pick would was drafted notably later than where we had them ranked was Mr. Irrelevant, Declan McDonnell. Like McDonnell an undersized native of New York State, Powell was Jake Sanderson’s usual partner in last season’s USNTDP U18 class. For much of the first half of the season, Powell was entrusted to carry the puck up the ice, a task which he relished as he is one of the faster skating blueliners in this draft class. Yes, he is a faster skater than Sanderson. The Boston College commit is painfully lean and will need to bulk up significantly, but he is not about defending with all he has when the time comes and his offensive zone tools may be strong enough to allow us to overlook his physical shortcomings anyway. He will be tested at BC when he has to line up alongside a defender less talented than Sanderson, but Tampa will be patient as he develops.

Worst value pick: Gage Goncalves

Talk about your late bloomers! Never drafted into the WHL, Goncalves made it onto the Everett roster in his first draft eligible year and scored once in 67 games. Bear in mind he is a center. Naturally, no one even considered drafting him in 2019. He was a different player this year, though, coming on strong with 33 goals and 71 points in 60 games, finishing behind only Anaheim signee Bryce Kindopp for the team points lead. Goncalves is a very smart player and he has decent puck skills, but late bloomer or not, we have a hard time seeing much more than a depth forward role in his future. Now watch him lead the WHL in scoring once play resumes.

Boston Bruins

2/58 Mason Lohrei, D, Green Bay (USHL)

3/89 Trevor Kuntar, C, Youngstown (USHL)

5/151 Mason Langenbrunner, D, Eden Prairie HS (USHS-MN)

6/182 Riley Duran, C, Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)

So many scouts, so many scouts spurned. With four picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, the Bruins selected two players from the USHL on their respective way to college, and two American prepsters, also on their respective paths to college, once they get through their own USHL seasons. That’s two years in a row without making a single pick from the CHL. I feel for Boston’s Canadian-based amateur scouts. If that wasn’t enough for delayed gratification from the draft, their two USHL veterans are both over agers, having been passed over in the draft already in 2019. I should also mention that one of their “veteran” picks, second rounder Mason Lohrei, is not only an overager draft, but as of now he is scheduled to return for another season of USHL hockey before going to campus. I can respect giving their prospects ample time to reach the pros, but the more chips a GM pushes into a distant basket, the more likely he is to be making selections for his replacement.

Another similarity that extends across Boston’s four picks is that all are plus-sized. I suppose I can give the Bruins points for splitting their picks between forwards and defensemen. Third rounder Trevor Kuntar, at 6-0”, is the only pick standing under 6-2”, and even he has a rather filled out, 200+ lbs frame. Oddly though, based on our projections and notes on these players, the two drafted forwards (Kuntar and Duran) both play more physically prominent styles than their two drafted blueliners (Lohrei and Langenbrunner). Of course, the difference in each case is fairly slight. In fact, the only truly plus tool that any of these players possesses is Langenbrunner’s skating. For any of the rest to make it, it will have to be a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

In all honesty, none of the players the Bruins drafted are BAD. None of them were drafted around where we would have advocated drafting them, but these aren’t bad players, and in fact, each of them featured on our extended final list. What my big concern here boils down to is that the older players are too low upside, and the younger players are too low floor. Neither of the 19-year-olds has any truly dynamic elements to their games. Neither of the 18-year-olds has high level experience that can convincingly tell me that they will be able to handle the steps up in competition that will be required to reach the NHL. Too much risk, not enough reward.

Best value pick: Trevor Kuntar

I could have written “none”, but I am not here to be cruel. I like Kuntar and have enjoyed watching him play for the past two seasons. He has a thick frame and plays a strong game. He isn’t the fastest, but he plays with a healthy pace. He likes to shoot the puck and he shoots it quite well. His Youngstown team wasn’t very good, or deep, and Kuntar got a lot of experience playing significant minutes in all situations. If this Bruins’ draft has one player I would bet on to reach the NHL, it is the Boston College commit. Bottom six, of course, but NHL is NHL.

Worst value pick: Mason Lohrei

I half expected Lohrei, who just had his first full USHL season, to be drafted. After all, he is 6-4”, and put up really good numbers for Green Bay while regularly showing a solid game off the puck as well. But I was never convinced that I would advocate for making that pick, preferring to leave him on our Honorable Mention list instead of in the top 217. After all, he was older, with less remaining room for continued development. As good as the numbers were, I never saw him take over a game or even a shift. If any overager from the Gamblers was to be taken, I would have spring for Jesse Tucker instead. This is a longish way of saying, draft him if you like, but in the second round? I refuse to believe that he would not have still been available with the Bruins’ fifth rounder if they showed more patience.

2020 NHL Draft: Day One Recap

Ryan Wagman — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 12:01:28 +0000

It is way too early to assign grades to draft classes or draft picks, for obvious reasons, but we can assess how the knowledge and opinions we had line up with how 26 teams made scouting decisions earlier this evening.

Instead I would rather start by patting our hard-working scouting team on the collective backs, as 26 of our projected first round picks heard their names called this evening. Considering the amount of relative parity in the tier after pick 13 (Seth Jarvis to Carolina), there were 40 players would have had a projected argument to be selected in the first round. And that doesn’t even count the Hurricanes’ surprise selection of Russian overage winger Yegor Chinakhov, who we had ranked in the sixth-round range, while much of our peers didn’t have notes on at all.

Of the players we had in our top 31 who were not selected, none are overly surprising, even if we preferred them to others. John-Jason Peterka was inconsistent in league play. Noel Gunler is enigmatic and has a poor reputation vis-à-vis coachability. Jan Mysak was tough to scout having spent the 2019 portion of the schedule playing in his native Czech Republic before coming over to the OHL in the second half and succeeding despite going through some adjustments. Ryan O’Rourke was good, but not great, in a lot of areas and might be someone you like without loving. Ty Smilanic is similar, but as a forward, and there have been whispers about locker room issues. They should all go early in the second round in the morning.

We will get to the guys we didn’t foresee later on, but first a note about the top 13 being very predictable. Our top 11 ranked players were the first 11 players chosen. I had thought that the bigger tiers of players might lead to more trading, but there was next to none, with only Calgary making a pair of trades to move down twice, from 19 to 22 and then to 24. A good move for the Flames to get two extra third round picks to replenish a very shallow system. Not to mention, Connor Zary, whose average feet likely kept him from being selected 10 spots higher.

I expect the top three picks of Lafreniere to the Rangers, Byfield to the Kings, and Stutzle to the Senators, to be given every opportunity to play in the NHL right away, with an outside shot at Marco Rossi jumping right to the Wild’s lineup as well.

Lucas Raymond
Foto: Maxim Thoré / BILDBYRÅN

The next group was shaken up slightly by Detroit not selecting Cole Perfetti, to whom they had been strongly connected for months. We actually had Lucas Raymond ranked fourth overall anyway, so the pick made sense, even if it mucked up a great number of mock drafts. It seems as if more than a few other teams had also expected Detroit to take Perfetti, as he stayed on the board until Winnipeg ended the torture by selecting him tenth overall. He is not nearly the same skater, but he could eventually have a Brayden Point-type impact on the Jets.

Buffalo also gave us a bit of a surprise, although considering we had zero reason to expect anything in particular from first-time GM Kevyn Adams, we should not have had any expectations. Jack Quinn was in that next tier outside of the top three, but it was still surprising to see him selected before teammate Marco Rossi, who led the entire CHL in scoring in his draft year. The Austrian was taken with the next pick, by Minnesota. As hinted at above, don’t be surprised if Rossi is given the chance to win a job in the NHL right away.

About the Russians…we knew Askarov would be selected early, and I figured he would either go to New Jersey with their first pick, Minnesota, or Nashville. Nashville took him and we know he is the Pekka Rinne exit plan, with Saros the stop gap/future 1B. Amirov was a likely first rounder with upper level skills. He went at the high end of our anticipated range for him, but he fits the Maple Leafs’ scouting mantra of skills and smarts. We thought if there was a third first round Russian prospect, it would be strong all-around center Marat Khusnutdinov. That thought was put on its ear after the Rangers traded up to 19 to draft right-handed defender Braden Schneider.

Without proof, I am imagining that the Devils were anticipating getting the Brandon blueliner and jumped on an incredibly rangy Russian defender named Shakir Mukhamadullin, who has a mature defensive game, having spent his age 17 season in the KHL, but about whom there were questions as to his offensive upside. Being a 6-4” defenseman who can skate well will always get some people’s attention, but there were serious questions about his offensive upside. Perhaps he has benefited from the late draft, as he has six points through his first 13 games in the KHL this season.

I can accept that we were low on Mukhamadullin, ranking him as a 3^rd rounder. But then Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen stepped to the microphone and shocked the hockey world. I can’t remember ever being this surprised by a first-round pick. He drafted Russian winger Yegor Chinakhov, a 19-year-old who was passed over last year altogether, becoming the first overager taken in the first round since the Kings took Tanner Pearson in 2012. We had Chinakhov ranked 171^st, and many other scouting services didn’t have him listed at all. He has solid offensive tools and understands the game at a mature level, but he would likely have stayed on the board for another 50-60 picks if Columbus would have had a pick in the second round. Instead, their next selection will not be until 78, and that was only the result of the day’s earlier trade of Josh Anderson to Montreal for Max Domi. Chinakhov was apparently the guy they had targeted, could not find a trade for a second rounder, and could not bear to risk waiting until their third pick for him. He produced nicely in the Russian junior league last year and is off to a solid start this year in the KHL, but to say the pick was out of left field is to gravely overestimate the size of ballparks. Then again, he was our highest ranked player who was not selected last season.

Justin Barron

Of the other players we did not have as first rounders, Colorado pick Justin Barron was considered, but kept off due largely to medical concerns. The Avalanche have better access to his health records than we do. Flyers pick Tyson Foerster would likely have been on our list if it were not for his heavy skating. His other skills are first round caliber. Skating is one of the more improvable skills, though, and better physical conditioning and technical training, could improve that area of his game. Finally, we were simply too low on Lukas Reichel. We stand by ranking countryman John-Jason Peterka ahead of Reichel, but perhaps 21 spots were too much.

We were a little bit too low on Dylan Holloway and Rodion Amirov. Holloway has the tools but just needs to learn to alter his pace and not always rev at 100% in order to be more effective. The Oilers will need patience, but he can be a rare power forward if he can. Amirov is simply exceptionally talented. He struggled to establish a foothold in the KHL last year but has seemingly found his footing early this season. We might have been wise to reevaluate him based on early season results.

Beyond those who fell to Day Two, there wasn’t anybody who was taken significantly lower than we thought was their rightful range, with the possible exception of Brendan Brisson going 29^th to Vegas and Mavrik Bourque, 30^th to Dallas. Between Brisson and last year’s first rounder, Peyton Krebs, the Golden Knights are placing their future eggs in the hands of gifted playmakers. Bourque plays a shifty and skilled style that can crack open a defense and that has been lacking from the Dallas organization for a while, Stanley Cup Finals appearance or not.

I will say that there were two late first rounders who, while we had them ranked in the first round, were not convinced that they would end up being drafted this early. Jake Neighbours was drafted 26^th by St. Louis. He is not an exciting prospect, but he does so much well and plays a moderately heavy game. His ceiling is not that high, but his floor is, and he will help St. Louis continue to compete, on an affordable contract, while the league’s finances work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, Ozzy Wiesblatt, the last pick of the night, to San Jose. Smaller than Neighbours, but much more of a pain to play against, Weisblatt, he can be compared stylistically to a Brendan Gallagher. Also, do yourself a favor and check out his backstory. Google it.

Finally, a few thoughts (mostly) unrelated to who went where and who didn’t.

While I naturally prefer to attend the draft in person, and very much look forward to being in the building next June/July, the NHL largely did a very good job presented the virtual event. They cannot be held accountable for some video quality issues in some of the draft pick homes. I especially liked the visual of seeing some teams who used their home dressing room as their draft day war room. A very sharp look.

Very nice touch by Winnipeg bringing in Dale Hawerchuk’s widow, Crystal, to announce their pick. Dale Hawerchuk embodied the type of impact a great player can have on a community, and that a community can have on a great player. A very thoughtful, and emotional moment. Hawerchuk passed far too soon. F cancer.

Speaking of F’ing cancer, I am not alone in absolutely loving the Senators’ use of Alex Trebek, currently in his own battle, to announce Ottawa’s first pick, third overall selection Tim Stutzle, in the form of a Jeopardy segment. Clever, entertaining, and frankly, awesome.

Finally, congratulations to Quinton Byfield, taking second overall by Los Angeles, the highest ever drafted Black player, or (to my knowledge) any player of color. The NHL, and specifically, NHL players, showed the ability and presence of mind to pause the action this summer after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin (~45 minutes north of my home) around six weeks ago. The lack of diversity in the NHL, and the sport of hockey writ large has long been a sore point for the sport, but we can hope that the stand taken by players at the time, coupled with the organization of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and the emergence of future stars such as Byfield, can help turn the phrase “Hockey is for Everyone” into a reality, instead of mostly empty marketing.

Congratulations to the 31 young men drafted in the first round. 185 more will follow on Wednesday morning. We will continue tracking the draft, and after the dust settles, will provide complete reviews of every draft class, to finally put a bow on the 2019-20 season. Thank you for taking a part in this ride with us.

McKEENS NHL DRAFT GUIDE – FINAL MOCK DRAFT 2020 – TWO ROUNDS

Ryan Wagman and Brock Otten — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 13:48:42 +0000

I know, I know. You are not here for the preamble, so I will keep it extremely brief. For this mock, we are only looking at the part of the first round for which we know the order. That is, the top 29 picks, split amongst the teams that are no longer contending for the Stanley Cup. The 30th pick will go to the team that loses in the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Champions will pick 31st. Notably, Western Conference champs Dallas own their first round pick, while Eastern Conference champs Tampa’s pick belongs to San Jose as a result of the Barclay Goodrow trade. For the sake of timing, we are completing this mock with the presumption that the Lightning, with the better regular season pedigree, and one win away, will win.

We had to wait out a pandemic and two stages of a draft lottery to get here. In the first stage, we saw the third pick going to Ottawa, the pick they received from the currently hapless San Jose Sharks in the Erik Karlsson trade. The second pick was secured by the Los Angeles Kings. The first pick was reserved for a placeholder team, one of the eight teams who appeared in the play-in round but could not break through to the official first round of the postseason.

Those eight teams all had equal 12.5% (1 in 8) chances of winning the top pick, the lottery for which was held a few weeks ago. The New York Rangers won the honors. After the top three picks, the rest of the 4-15 set is set by regular season record. Picks 16-28 were also be decided by regular season record, including all teams who were knocked out in the first or second rounds of the postseason.

The picks made here are not based on insider intelligence, but through an understanding of the players available, and our knowledge of team tendencies and needs.

Let’s Draft!

1. New York Rangers - Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

There is a very reasonable argument to be made that the highest upside among the 2020 draft class actually belongs to Quinton Byfield. I have time for that argument, considering positional value (Byfield is a center and Lafreniere is a let winger), age (Lafreniere is a late ’01 born, while Byfield has an August 2002 birthdate, giving Byfield 10 extra month of physical development to come), and size (Lafreniere has good size, Byfield is a physical specimen). That said, I would not hesitate in the slightest to select Lafreniere here.
Lafreniere is ready to step right into an NHL roster and play a top six role on day one. The six years of team control that the Rangers would have would all be valuable years and they would be starting immediately. Byfield, on the other hand, may be ready to play in the NHL right now, but he would likely need a season or so before he can start to impose himself on the game. This is basically a parallel to the two players’ respective roles on the Canadian WJC roster. Both made the team, but Lafreniere was the tournament MVP, while Byfield barely saw the ice by the end. Although a winger, Lafreniere will soon be making his linemates better, much like John Tavares used to do across town in Long Island. RW

2. Los Angeles Kings – Tim Stutzle, LW, Adler Mannheim (DEL)

After Lafreniere, the gap in expected value between Stutzle and Byfield is slight at best. The Kings organization has a vested interest in German hockey, holding ownership over the Eisbaren Berlin franchise. At minimum, that should give them added comfort in terms of what they would be getting in Stutzle, likely more so than any other team. Stutzle’s game works at top pace, and he has enough elements to be plugged in anywhere in the lineup right away and work his way into a top line role in due time. As an added bonus, Stutzle will be able to maintain game shape in Germany until the NHL is up and running once again. RW

3. Ottawa Senators (from San Jose Sharks) - Quinton Byfield, C, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

We know that Lafreniere will not be available at this slot, giving Ottawa the easiest selection of the draft here. They simply take whoever is left on the board between Lafreniere, Stutze and Quinton Byfield. There is a pretty clear drop off in expected future value after these three in this first round. In this scenario, Byfield falls in Ottawa’s lap, and they will not be complaining to get a player they could begin grooming to be their future top line center. Physically overwhelming at the junior level, Byfield has the tools to continue dominating at the NHL level, although many believe that he needs to process the game a gear quicker to allow for all of his tools to play to their capacity at the top level. Ottawa will need more patience with Byfield than the Rangers or Kings would need with Lafreniere or Stutzle, but the payoff will be worth it. RW

4. Detroit Red Wings – Cole Perfetti, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

The Red Wings are the biggest losers with the draft lottery outcomes. After one of the worst seasons by any team this century, they certainly had to be hoping for a shot at one of the top three, even if the top pick was out of reach. Even though there is a drop off after the top three, the Red Wings will still get a high-end player at #4. There have been numerous rumors connecting the Wings with Perfetti, who has been playing just up the road from Detroit in Saginaw. There are good arguments to be had for Detroit to pick one of the big Swedes in this draft class, but Perfetti offers a better organizational fit for Detroit as the top center outside of Byfield. There is also something to the comp between Perfetti and Brayden Point, one of Detroit GM Steve Yzerman’s biggest draft prizes from his time atop the Tampa Bay organization. Patience will be important for Detroit with Perfetti – as it would be for anyone available at this point in this scenario – but he has first line center upside. RW

5. Ottawa Senators - Jake Sanderson, D, USNTDP (USHL)

The inclination here is to connect the Senators with one of the big Swedes considering the team’s history with drafting franchise changers from Sweden (Erik Karlsson, Daniel Alfredsson) and both Raymond and Alexander Holtz would be good fits at this stage of the draft. But before making the easy choice, I should point out that the Senators’ scouting staff is not at all the same as the staff that picked Karlsson and Alfredsson. The team has only drafted two players out of Sweden in the previous four drafts. If the Senators go to Sweden it wouldn’t be crazy, and they would more than likely draft Raymond in that case. But with Byfield already a Senator in this scenario, I like them drafting the top defenseman in the draft class. Sanderson and Drysdale are very close in our rankings, a matter of taste, really, and I think Sanderson is more likely here as the Senators under Pierre Dorion tend to go with bigger, more physical players. Sanderson has a clear physical edge on Drysdale at this stage in their respective careers. Sanderson is moving on to North Dakota next season, where he will be playing alongside former Sens’ first rounder Jacob Bernard-Docker. That could be the start of a long-term relationship between the two high end blueline prospects. RW

6. Anaheim Ducks - Jamie Drysdale, D, Erie Otters (OHL)

Drysdale is both arguably the best player available in this scenario, and fits a clear need for the Ducks, who have seen their once vaunted blueline depth dwindle in recent years due to some trades that didn’t exactly work out. The Ducks haven’t used a top pick on an OHL’er since drafting Max Jones in the 2016 first round, but Drysdale would bring a new dimension to their transition game, generally helping make Anaheim a faster paced team. He could reasonably be ready for the NHL by 2021-22. RW

7. New Jersey Devils – Lucas Raymond, LW, Frolunda HC (SHL)

A very good outcome for the Devils, Raymond would give the young team a third potential game breaking talent to go along with their two recent first overall picks Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Raymond is a truly dynamic puck player who can make things happen on any given shift and has excelled playing against youth, even if he has struggled to assert himself playing against men in the SHL. There are scenarios where Raymond is already off the board a few picks before New Jersey gets the chance, so they will take this if things play out like this. If Raymond is gone, I see them going to the other Swede, Alexander Holtz over one of the defensemen taken fifth and sixth. RW

8. Buffalo Sabres - Marco Rossi, C, Ottawa 67s (OHL)

The Sabres are once again entering a new regime. The Jason Botterill anti-CHL drafting is a thing of the past. New GM Kevyn Adams has no track record to look to for speculation about how the team might draft. There is a general sense though that metrics will play a deeper role in their selections, especially considering the mass layoffs among the Buffalo scouting staff. So the player who le the OHL in assists and points would be a good fit in that regards. Rossi’s overall hustle and grit would also help make Buffalo tougher to play against, giving opponents a second line after Eichel’s to worry about. RW

9. Minnesota Wild – Yaroslav Askarov, G, Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)

While not as much of a wild card at the draft as the new-look Sabres, this will also be the first draft for new Minnesota GM Bill Guerin, who had been an assistant GM with Pittsburgh for the five seasons prior to this one. He would certainly have seen the value of drafting goalies, but the Penguins had only one first round pick in his time as AGM. The Wild also have new Co-Directors of Amateur Scouting in P.J. Fenton and Darren Yopyk. Had the Penguins given their 2020 first rounder to Minnesota instead of deferring to their 2021 pick, I might have gone in a different direction here, but given the choice between a potential franchise goaltender (Askarov), and a few wingers who project as top six (Anton Lundell, Alexander Holtz, Jack Quinn), I see Guerin and company going with the one who can help define a franchise. RW

10. Winnipeg Jets – Alexander Holtz, RW, Djurgardens IF (SHL)

I get the sense that the Jets would sign off on this scenario in a heartbeat. It would not be hard to imagine an alternate scenario wherein Holtz is off the board at pick 5/6. Three years ago, the Jets drafted a big, skilled winger playing in Sweden named Kristian Vesalainen. Vesalainen has been jerked around since being drafted, spending time in the NHL, AHL, KHL and Liiga. Holtz is not the physical specimen that Vesalainen was, but his offensive instincts are more refined, and his draft year production put Vesalainen’s to shame. Holtz’ toolkit is robust and deep such that even though he is best known for his finishing skills, he can contribute in all facets. He may not be far at all from the NHL. RW

11. Nashville Predators – Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa 67s (OHL)

With the level of talent still available levelling off, I see Poile and company looking for a player who can help sooner than later. While there aren’t any immediate contributors available, Quinn may be pretty close. The Predators showed no compunction in going to the OHL for their first rounder last year, and Philip Tomasino has taken huge steps forward in his first post draft year. Adding Quinn to a collection of prospects up front including Tomasino, Eeli Tolvanen, Egor Afanasyev, Rem Pitlick and others would give the Predators more offensive skill on the way than perhaps at any other time in franchise history. RW

12. Florida Panthers – Braden Schneider, D, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Dale Tallon is on the way out in South Florida and TBD is taking his place. With that much uncertainty surrounding the organization, I would generally proceed with a strict “Best Player Available” mantra. There are three forwards and two defenders who are all pretty close in terms of expected future value. In this case, I don’t mind going heavy on positional need, as most of the Panthers’ top prospects after 20191 first rounder, goaltender Spencer Knight are forwards, while the system is very shallow on the blueline. The organization is especially shallow on the right side of the blue line, so I will give the edge to Braden Schneider here over lefty Kaiden Guhle. But in truth, either would be a solid fit. RW

13. Carolina Hurricanes (from Toronto Maple Leafs) – Anton Lundell, C, HIFK (Liiga)

If the Hurricanes, under own Tom Dundon, are adamantly opposed to drafting a defenseman in the first round, I have a hard time imaging them springing for a goalie either. With three forwards of note to consider, I see them drafting the Finn Anton Lundell over either of Seth Jarvis or Dawson Mercer as the Hurricanes and Finnish prospects have been de rigueur for quite some time now. Also, Lundell is very good, plays a mature, NHL near-ready game, and has the versatility to play anywhere in the lineup, up or down the lines, at center or on the wing. I could also see the Hurricanes being the high team on Russian forward Rodion Amirov, but Lundell’s overall game, predicated on skills and smarts, would be hard to resist here. RW

14. Edmonton Oilers – Seth Jarvis, C, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Look for the Oilers to continue to build organizational depth up front, as the team has long had a hard time putting the puck in the net without one or both of McDavid or Draisaitl on the ice. The German connection could be a thing if the Oilers were interested in JJ Peterka but recall that Draisaitl was drafted out of the WHL. Instead, I see them staying closer to home. Both Portland’s Seth Jarvis and Kamloops’ Connor Zary could be good fits here. While Zary could be a good fit in the way he can help control a slower tempo, with a speedy star like McDavid on the roster, the faster option is a better fit. Jarvis could be moved to the wing to play in the top six, or kept up the middle, allowing Edmonton to eventually move Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to a permanent top six wing position. Either way, Jarvis will make the Oilers that much more dangerous game in and game out. RW

15. Toronto Maple Leafs (from Pittsburgh Penguins) – Rodion Amirov, LW, Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)

Given Toronto’s stated preference for speed, skill, and smarts in their prospects, some of the available options at this point are not great fits, such as defender Kaiden Guhle, or forwards Connor Zary or Dawson Mercer. The Leafs could really go in many different directions here, including trading down a ew spots to gain additional assets, but if I am keeping the pick, the best fits Toronto’s profile is Russian forward Amirov. He is physically underdeveloped, but his skill game is top six worthy, he reads the ice at a very mature level and can play at a good clip as well. Considering Toronto’s recent run of free agent signings from the KHL (Ozhiganov, Mikheyev, Barabanov), we know they are comfortable with bets on Russian talent. RW

16. Montreal Canadiens – Hendrix Lapierre, C, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

One of the reasons I have respected how Montreal has drafted in the Bergevin era, is that they are willing to place bets on players from leagues outside the norm. Last year alone, they drafted players playing in Denmark and AAA in Alberta. This pick would not meet that definition, but it is a home run swing, nonetheless. Once Lapierre’s injury was reported to have been a neck injury and not a second concussion, some worries over his future were alleviated. There is also the slow start to his year to be considered, but coming into the season, many had assumed that the skilled playmaker would be long gone by this point. If Lapierre recovers his previous trajectory, this would be a big win. RW

17. Chicago Blackhawks – John-Jason Peterka, LW/RW, EHC Munchen (DEL)

Chicago would jump on Askarov if the Russian netminder somehow fell this far. Seeing as how he is not, and the strength of the system is defensemen – 7 of the club’s top 15 prospects is a blueliner, and that count doesn’t include Boqvist – look for the Blackhawks to add scoring depth. Two years ago, they signed Dominik Kahun as a free agent out of EHC Munchen in Germany. That worked out pretty well. Peterka is more of a scorer than the playmaking Kahun, but he also has a very reasonable top six projection. RW

18. New Jersey Devils (from Arizona Coyotes) – Kaiden Guhle, D, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

With Lucas Raymond already under wraps, and another first rounder coming up, the Devils can afford to diversify their approach, hearken back to the drafting of Ty Smith, and draft another defenseman from the WHL in the middle of the first round. Guhle is a much different style of defender than Smith but could be a compliment to him as the other left handed defender in the top four. Guhle skates well and is one of the more physical defenders in this draft class. RW

19. Calgary Flames – Connor Zary, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

The Flames need offensive talent for a second wave, especially if Johnny Gaudreau’s days are getting shorter in Calgary. Other than 2019 first rounder Jakob Pelletier, the cupboard is conspicuously empty. They could be opportunistic in this scenario and grab a future top six center in Connor Zary. His footspeed prevents him from being taken higher, but he reads the game very well and plays a positioning and puck skill game that doesn’t rely on being faster than opponents. Winger Dawson Mercer would also be a very worthy possibility here. RW

20. New Jersey Devils (from Vancouver Canucks) – Dawson Mercer, RW, Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL)

In this scenario, the Devils have already stocked up their system with Lucas Raymond and Kaiden Guhle. In adding Mercer to their group, they get another talented winger who could team up in a few years with recent high-end picks like Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Michael McLeod. Mercer isn’t as flashy as Raymond – or as the centers – but he has excellent touch with the puck, and a highly advanced sense of where to be in the offensive zone to generate the most positive impact for his team. The WJC gold medalist from the 2020 event, he could be ready for the NHL faster than most other players still available. RW

21. Columbus Blue Jackets – Mavrik Bourque, C, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)

If Columbus, which has not had their full complement of picks in recent years, as they have pushed to be a competitive playoff team, can be said to have a type, it is for instinctive forwards who play versatile games that could fit up and down the lineup. If there is a player available right now who could follow in the footsteps of Alexandre Texier and Liam Foudy, Bourque fits the bill. He has high end puck skills and instincts and plays a gritty game that maximizes his tools. The system is currently weaker on the blueline, but the draft class is forward heavy and those who should be considered in this range are already off the board (Schneider, Guhle). The dropoff in forward talent between this pick and when Columbus picks again (4th round) is far steeper than the dropoff among blueline prospects. RW

22. New York Rangers (from Carolina Hurricanes) – Jan Mysak, C, Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL)

Contrary to popular belief, the New York Rangers 2020 draft class will be judged on more than just what they get out of presumptive first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere. I often advocate for a diversified portfolio when teams make multiple picks in the first round, but four of the top 6 prospects in the Rangers’ system prior to the draft were defensemen, and the forwards available here are better anyway. Mysak fits in the Rangers’ worldview, considering their heavy lean towards European talents in the first round of late. While the skilled Czech pivot spent the second half of the season in the OHL with Hamilton, the first half of his draft year was played out against men in his homeland. The relative success of Filip Chytil should give the Rangers’ brass comfort in the Czech option and Mysak has outproduced his strong skill set for a while now. RW

23. Philadelphia Flyers – Dylan Holloway, RW, Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA/Big 10)

Both the Ron Hextall and Chuck Fletcher regimes have been very comfortable scouting the college bound talents and seven of the club’s top 15 prospects heading into the draft spent last year playing NCAA hockey. As such, the club would have had many extra opportunities to scout Holloway, who spent his first year of eligibility playing for the Badgers, occasionally outshining recent first round picks like Alex Turcotte (LA), Cole Caufield (Mtl), and K’Andre Miller (NYR). Holloway plays a powerful North-South game with speed and skill. When he remembers to slow the game down, his non-stop motor helps his tools play up. He can fit in an energy role if top six spots are unavailable. RW

24. Washington Capitals – Lukas Reichel, LW, Eisbaren Berlin (DEL)

Outside of 2019 first rounder Connor McMichael, the Capitals have a pretty downtrodden system, with a clear lack in offensive talent. Never a team to shy away from European prospects, Reichel is one of the players that could benefit from the late draft. The German dynamo has started his 2020-21 season very strong in international play, continuing on his upward trajectory in his “natural” draft year. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts with Reichel, and he might be no more than one year away from pushing for an NHL job. RW

25. Colorado Avalanche – Noel Gunler, RW, Lulea (SHL)

The Avalanche have done well in recent drafts by just seeing where the chips fall in front of them and then taking advantage of the best talent available. Thinking back to how Alex Newhook had some doubters at the time because of his being prominently left off some Canadian teams in international competition. Perhaps a similar bit of context will make it easier for the Avalanche to pull the trigger on Noel Gunler, who is seemingly always a late cut on various Team Sweden rosters. Gunler’s offensive tools are all high end and with a bit of glue to pull it all together over the next few years as part of an increased role with Lulea in the SHL, could turn out to be one of the best value picks of the entire 2020 draft class. RW

26. St. Louis Blues – Brendan Brisson, C, Chicago Steel (USHL)

St. Louis has spread the love in terms of where they have drafted from in recent years, although they have seemed to shy away from Finland in recent years. That said, the system is altogether lacking in high end talent at this time, with many of their best having graduated to the NHL. Brisson offers an exciting, point-producing talent who will require patience as he heads of the play for the Michigan Wolverines as soon as Big 10 hockey picks back up. Brisson has line driving capabilities but will need time to mature physically. RW

27. Anaheim Ducks (from Boston Bruins) – Sam Colangelo, RW, Chicago Steel (USHL)

The Ducks already have a defenseman in this scenario, in Jamie Drysdale. If they take Colangelo now, it is because they suspect he might not be around for their next pick (#36) as the Chicago winger is one of the few power forwards in this draft class. Further, the Ducks always take players with connections to the Steel (Jack Badini in 2017, Blake McLaughlin in 2018, and Jackson Lacombe in 2019). The Ducks still value players who play heavy games as in the golden days of the Pacific Division and Colangelo has enough skill with his sandpaper to fit in the more modern game. RW

28. Ottawa Senators (from New York Islanders) – Ridly Greig, C, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

In our scenario here, the Senators have already drafted Quinton Byfield and Jake Sanderson. Anything else is gravy, really. On poutine. The Senators under Pierre Dorion like players who are hard to play against. I can’t say that I disagree with that preference, even in the first round, where upside is king. At the very least, a skilled player who is tough to play against can find a home down the lineup if he doesn’t reach his perceived ceiling. A late bloomer, in the sense that he needed a few months into his draft year to find his stride, Greig is certainly tough to play against, despite his still growing frame. Greig is among those who have moved over to Europe (in his case, Sweden) to stay in game shape during the COVID-delays. RW

29. Vegas Golden Knights (from New York Islanders) – Helge Grans, D, Malmo J20 (SuperElit)

The Golden Knights may be among the top half dozen teams in the NHL, but their organizational depth betrays their expansion team status. Only three years into their existence, they were so good so soon that they have already traded away the bulk of the future advantage that similar teams tend to receive. A big right-handed shooter who could have given his draft stock a tangible boost with a good U18 performance, Grans plays a tight two way game, although his off puck play is currently more advanced than his offensive ability. If he can meld all of his tools together, he profiles as a strong option for the second pairing at maturity. RW

30. Dallas Stars – Kasper Simontaival, RW, Tappara U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

Edmonton Oil Kings’ center Jake Neighbours feels like a Dallas type pick, but this team really needs some dynamic players in their lineup. Someone who can dangle through some opponents and has a knack for scoring. This team has long honed in on Finland and Simontaival certainly knows how to put the puck in the net, owning one of the most lethal shots in the draft class. He would offer a different look to anything currently in the system. RW

31. San Jose Sharks (from Tampa Bay Lightning) – Justin Barron, D, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

After pick 20 or so, the talent level of available prospects starts to flatten out considerably. So, you go with a player that makes you comfortable. Barron’s fans suspect he would have been long off the board by this point had he not missed a large chunk of the season to a scary blood clot issue. Now recovered, he could bring the Sharks a well-rounded, right-handed shot from the blueline who can take care of things in both ends. San Jose has heavily scouted the QMJHL in recent years, too, so they will surely have a good read on Barron. RW

32. Detroit Red Wings - Jacob Perreault, RW, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

It would certainly be a bit of a surprise if Perreault falls outside of the first round, but scouts are definitely concerned about the consistency of his effort level at both ends of the rink and the ability to get the most out of his skill set. One of the best goal scorers available, his upside is quite high and it’s why he could easily slot inside the top 20 too. The Wings snag him with the first pick of the second round, envisioning a potential powerplay set up that includes Perreault as the triggerman alongside the likes of Perfetti and Zadina. BO

33. Ottawa Senators - Ryan O’Rourke, D, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)

O’Rourke is best described as a throwback style defender, whose game would have fit in well during the 1980’s-90’s. He plays the game hard and makes the opposition earn every inch of ice against him. However, his offensive upside may have been hidden given his role with the Greyhounds last year. His decision making with the puck is high end and he projects as a top four two-way defender in the future. Between the selection of Jake Sanderson in the first round and O’Rourke in the second, Ottawa is set to become a very difficult team to play against in a few years. BO

34. San Jose Sharks - Luke Evangelista, RW, London Knights (OHL)

Might be a bit of a shock to see Evangelista drafted ahead of a few other higher ranked OHL players, but don’t sleep on this breakout star for the London Knights. There are certainly NHL teams who see him as a potential first round selection and put a ton of stock into the London and Dale Hunter development program. San Jose would have seen a lot of Luke last year while checking in on the progress of Ryan Merkley and are likely to have been impressed with what they saw. A well-rounded winger, Evangelista’s potential as a playmaker could be higher than currently envisioned. BO

35. Los Angeles Kings - Dylan Peterson, C, USNTDP (USHL)

Peterson is the kind of player who NHL teams love a lot more than the independent scouting community. A big center who skates extremely well, Peterson profiles as both a potential playmaker and shutdown center, depending on how his development in college goes. No doubt, scouts would have taken notice of his improvement over the course of last year; the cancellation of the World U18’s likely hurt his chance of creeping into the first round with a strong performance. However, looking at the make-up of their division and conference rivals in the West, the Kings know that they will eventually need big forwards who can skate like Peterson. BO

36. Anaheim Ducks - Tyson Foerster, RW, Barrie Colts (OHL)

After taking Jamie Drysdale in round one, the Ducks turned their attention to goal scoring in the second round by selecting Barrie winger Tyson Foerster. Armed with one of the best shots in the draft, Foerster is lethal on the powerplay. His lack of a dynamic skating stride keeps him out of the first round, but his potential is too much to turn down in the early second. As he works to improve his pace and round out his game, Foerster could easily become a top six forward at the NHL level. BO

37. Nashville Predators (from New Jersey Devils) - Tyler Kleven, D, USNTDP (USHL)

No question, Tyler Kleven is another defender who NHL scouts are bound to like more than scouting agencies or independent scouts. While his offensive upside may be limited, the combination of his size, skating ability, and physicality, makes him a good candidate to develop into a modern-day shutdown defender. Nashville seeks to re-emerge as a tough team to play against again, a moniker that they held firmly a decade ago, but have lost touch with in recent years. This has caused a slide down the standings. Kleven, along with Dante Fabbro, can give the Preds those rocks on the back end that can allow players like Josi space to roam. BO

38. Buffalo Sabres - William Wallinder, D, Modo J20 (SuperElit)

Definitely a polarizing player for this year’s draft, Wallinder has physical tools in spades. A high-end mover from the back-end, he can dazzle at times and this has some scouts wondering about his high end potential if they are patient. The word patient is used because Wallinder is still learning to utilize his skill set, a fact that has other scouts questioning his IQ and vision on the ice. Whether you like him or not, defenders like Wallinder always go high in the draft because all it takes is for one franchise to believe in his potential. Buffalo, hoping to hit the jackpot, rolls the dice on the big Swede. BO

39. Minnesota Wild - Luke Tuch, LW, USNTDP (USHL)

When his brother Alex was draft eligible, and subsequently a first round selection, he was universally ranked in that first round range. While Luke does not appear to have the offensive upside of his brother, he is ranked as a possible second round selection by many publications (even if we have him well outside that range). Given Alex’s strong playoff performance this year and that bubble hockey proved that size, skill, and toughness still wins in the playoffs, look for Luke to be drafted earlier rather than later. After rolling the dice on Askarov in round one, Minnesota looks to secure a sure-fire NHL player here. BO

40. Winnipeg Jets - Jack Finley, C, Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

One of the biggest players in the draft and also one of the youngest available, Finley’s raw potential is most certainly alluring. A potentially dominant playmaker down low once he fills out, Finley is a player who was starting to trend upwards before the WHL season was halted. Jack Finley’s father, long time NHL defender Jeff Finley, is a scout with Winnipeg, so there are obvious connections to the organization on top of him being a high upside selection. BO

41. Carolina Hurricanes (from New York Rangers) - Ty Smilanic, LW, USNTDP (USHL)

Smilanic is best described as an enigma because depending on what night you see him on, he could be one of the best or one of the worst players on the ice. If he can iron out some of those consistency issues, he could develop into a high-end offensive producer at the NHL level; no one doubts his skill level with the puck. Carolina, looking to add another skilled winger to their prospect pool, takes a chance on Smilanic. BO

42. Nashville Predators - Topi Niemela, D, Karpat (Liiga)

After taking Tyler Kleven with their first second round selection, the Predators took a different approach with their second pick in the round, selecting Finnish offensive defender Topi Niemela. A skilled playmaker from the back-end, Niemela may be lacking in the physical tools that Kleven possesses, but his high IQ and safe game allows him to move the puck effectively and it is easy to see his game translating well to the NHL level. BO

43. Florida Panthers - Marat Khusnutdinov, C, St. Petersburg (MHL)

Looking for a potentially elite two-way center, the Panthers select Russian forward Marat Khusnutdinov with their second-round pick. A powerful skater, Khusnutdinov is both a talented playmaker and a hard-working defensive center. There are some who question his upside as a top six forward, and because of that, the lure of the KHL is a real concern. However, there is no doubting that he deserves to be a top 50 selection and Florida makes a great pick here. BO

44. Toronto Maple Leafs - Jean Luc Foudy, RW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

It is definitely possible that the Leafs opt for a forward with a little more size who skates well (like Torgersson or Jarventie) at this position, however Foudy may be too alluring for Leafs’ management to pass up. After playing against his brother Liam in this year’s playoffs and seeing his speed make him one of Columbus’ most effective players, the Leafs opt for Jean Luc. Adding speed to the current lineup (and system) has to be a priority and JL Foudy is one of the draft’s quickest. He has time to iron out some of the concerns about his game (perimeter play, defensive consistency, shot confidence), and if Toronto is patient, he could turn out to be a steal. BO

45. Detroit Red Wings (from Edmonton Oilers) - Drew Commesso, G, USNTDP (USHL)

Askarov is very clearly the top goaltender available this year, but the second goalie off the board is much more of a mystery. There are a lot of players in contention for that honor. One of them is Drew Commesso, the starter for the U.S. U18 team. Commesso was consistently a standout in the USHL this year and has all the tools that teams are looking for in a potential starter. Looking to improve the team’s prospect depth at the position, Detroit takes the Boston University commit in hopes that he can be their goalie of the future. BO

46. Chicago Blackhawks (from Pittsburgh Penguins) - Nico Daws, G, Guelph Storm (OHL)

It is very possible that goaltenders go back to back at this spot in the second round, given the lack of goaltending depth in both Detroit and Chicago’s system. Looking for a goalie who is closer to the show, Chicago selects Nico Daws, an OHL netminder in his final year of eligibility. The OHL goaltender of the year, Daws improved his conditioning last offseason and the results were incredible. A massive netminder at 6’4, 200lbs, Daws looks and plays the part of a future standout for the Hawks and a possible replacement for Corey Crawford. BO

47. Montreal Canadiens - Jake Neighbours, LW, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

Neighbours, ranked inside or near the first round by nearly every publication (including us) takes a bit of a tumble at the draft due to a perceived lack of upside. However, he plays the kind of heavy game that the Canadiens are looking to inject into their system and lineup. Even if he only tops out as a high end third line winger, he could provide value to Montreal in that role. BO

48. Montreal Canadiens (from Chicago Blackhawks) - Ian Moore, D, St. Marks (USHS)

Montreal has taken two high end prep school defenders in recent drafts (Struble and Harris), so why not make it a trifecta? With so many selections this year, Montreal is most definitely going to select some players who will require patience (and also not require a contract offer for several years). Moore fits the bill. A high-end skater from the back-end, it remains unknown how Moore’s skill set will translate to a higher level. However, he is set to play for Chicago (USHL) this year and then attend Harvard the following year; two fantastic programs. This is the kind of high upside selection that teams with many picks always make. BO

49. Arizona Coyotes - Pick Forfeited

This selection was forfeited by Arizona as punishment for breaking league rules surrounding the individual testing of draft eligible players.

50. Calgary Flames - Daniel Torgersson, LW, Frolunda J20 (SuperElit)

Playing out of the West, and with some great power forward type prospects available in this range, it is very possible that the Flames try to inject size and skill into the organization with this selection. Will Cuylle could be a possibility, but Calgary opts for a better skater in Torgersson. Like any potential young power forward, consistency is an issue but the potential reward here is high. BO

51. Los Angeles Kings (from Vancouver Canucks) - Jeremie Poirier, D, Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

No question, someone could take a chance on Poirier a heck of a lot earlier than this. He is one of the draft’s top offensive defender prospects. His ability to QB the powerplay and jump up into the rush is elite. However, concerns over his defensive commitment and four-way mobility could push him down the board on draft day. The Kings have one of the NHL’s best farm systems so they can afford to take the chance that Poirier can eventually put his skills to use at the NHL level. BO

52. Ottawa Senators (from Columbus Blue Jackets) - Thomas Bordeleau, C, USNTDP (USHL)

Bordeleau, the son of former NHL’er Sebastien, is an undersized, but well-rounded offensive center out of the U.S. Development program. The University of Michigan commit has one of the quickest releases in the draft class and his play through traffic really improved over the course of the last USHL season. The concern that his skating is not dynamic enough, given his lack of size, pushes him down the draft board slightly, but he ends up as a great selection for the Senators. BO

53. Carolina Hurricanes - Tristen Robins, C/RW, Saskatoon Blades (WHL)

Some draft publications have Robins in the first round. Some have him in the fourth round. Where will he truly fall come draft day? Our second-round ranking seems like a more likely reality. What is unquestionably true, however, is that Robins was one of the best players in the WHL in the second half of last season before the stoppage. If an organization is convinced that he can stick down the middle and that his offensive upside places him as a top six forward, he could go higher. Carolina is known to put a premium on hockey sense, over physical tools (at times) and it is very possible that they are the team that selects him. BO

54. Philadelphia Flyers - Will Cuylle, LW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

They may not be the Broadstreet Bullies anymore, but the Flyers will always be a team that looks to assert themselves physically. That said, this is also a team that finds themselves in the bottom half of the league in hits over the last three seasons. Adding a physical power forward like Will Cuylle would make a lot of sense. Cuylle may not have had the kind of offensive season that was expected of him, but he still possesses the upside to be a high-end middle six winger and is a better goal scorer than the numbers would indicate. BO

55. San Jose Sharks (from Colorado Avalanche) - Danil Gushchin, W, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

One of the NHL’s weakest farm systems, compounded by the fact that they gave up the third overall selection this year, San Jose will look to swing for the fences on a few selections this draft. Enter Danil Gushchin. A highly skilled offensive player, Gushchin is the definition of a boom or bust pick. When he is on, he is electric. When he is off, he is invisible. He will suit up with Niagara of the OHL this year and will look to develop more consistency in helping a young team make the playoffs. For San Jose, he can be a possible difference maker if his development goes according to plan. BO

56. Detroit Red Wings (from Washington Capitals) - Brock Faber, D, USNTDP (USHL)

Even with the selection of Moritz Seider last year, and a few good young defenders in the system, the Wings are likely to continue to add quality blueliners to the organization at this year’s draft. Faber is a favourite in the analytics community because of his offensive efficiency. An intelligent two-way defender, Faber’s high IQ is likely to interest Detroit due to the decision-making issues some of their current young defenders have. BO

57. Montreal Canadiens (from St. Louis Blues) - Shakir Mukhamadullin, D, Ufa (MHL)

The whipping boy of the internet scouting community, Mukhamadullin certainly has his detractors. Many believe that he will never be able to properly utilize his physical tools because he does not think the game well enough. However, he remains...a defender with high end physical tools and that alone will draw the interest of NHL scouts. His strong start to the KHL season does not hurt either. A few years ago, Montreal rolled the dice on another raw Russian defender (Romanov) and that has worked out pretty well so far. Seeing them do it again is not farfetched. BO

58. Boston Bruins - Ozzy Wiesblatt, RW, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

A high energy winger who excels on the forecheck and in pushing the pace, it is not hard to see why the Boston Bruins could have interest in Wiesblatt. Universally ranked higher by scouts, Wiesblatt falls a bit in a similar way to Jake Neighbours, because of a perceived lack of upside. However, Boston has never been shy to select highly probable NHL players over those with higher upside but higher bust potential. BO

59. OTT (via NYI) - Martin Chromiak, W, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

After coming over to the OHL at the mid-way point of last season, Chromiak really found his game alongside the talented Shane Wright and fellow 2020 draft eligible prospect Zayde Wisdom. A terrific support player due to his vision and ability to control the wall, Chromiak has even more to show us as a potential offensive leader. As he gains confidence, look for his goal scoring ability to become a highlight of his skills package. Ottawa would have likely seen a lot of Chromiak this year, given the close proximity and his skill set would fit in well with the team’s current young core. BO

60. Los Angeles Kings (from Vegas Golden Knights) - Pavel Gogolev, LW, Guelph Storm (OHL)

If there is a team in the NHL who loves to take a chance on second- and third-year eligible players it is the Los Angeles Kings. One of the best available this year is Guelph Storm winger Pavel Gogolev, who emerged as one of the top offensive players in the OHL last year. Once a one-dimensional goal scorer, Gogolev has worked hard to add other layers to his game and it should make him an attractive top 100 selection this October. He could move quickly through LA’s system too, even if it is incredibly strong and deep. BO

61. Ottawa Senators (from Dallas Stars) - Zayde Wisdom, RW, Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)

After taking Chromiak a few picks earlier, the Senators opt for his teammate and linemate in Zayde Wisdom with this pick. Wisdom is a hard-working complementary piece who plays a very well rounded game. This is a kid who is highly motivated and continues to work hard to improve his game. It is not hard to see him becoming an NHL player. The question is, will the Senators still be bad enough to earn a shot at Shane Wright in 2022? BO

62. Tampa Bay Lightning - Roby Jarventie, LW, Koovee (Mestis)

While Tampa Bay may opt for a high upside defender here such as Wyatt Kaiser, Emil Andrae, or Anton Johanesson, they instead take the enigmatic Jarventie. Jarventie is the kind of winger that all NHL teams are looking for these days; big, quick, and a skilled scorer. Yet, he disappears for stretches and his international performances have left some to be desired. However, Tampa, without a first rounder, sees the upside here and hopes that he can help to offset that loss by developing into a high-end NHL scorer. BO

SCOUCHING #20: John-Jason Peterka – LW – EHC München – Video/Analytics Breakdown

Will Scouch — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 18:07:00 +0000

John-Jason Peterka - LW - EHC München - NHL CSS EU7

42GP - 7G+4A - 4.98% G% 7.83%INV - 6.43 NHLeScore

John Jason Peterka of Red Bull Munich during the CHL game between Djurgården and Red Bull Munich on December 3, 2019 in Stockholm.
Photo: Jesper Zerman / BILDBYRÅN /

I was extremely excited to see what I’ve begun to affectionately call the DEL Trio at the World Juniors and they certainly didn’t disappoint. It’s clear that Tim Stützle is a top prospect with excellent playmaking skill and skating ability, and I was pleasantly surprised with Lukas Reichel’s quiet effectiveness offensively. John-Jason Peterka caught my eye last year in the Czech junior league, but his production didn’t quite translate to the DEL in his first professional league. My experience tracking and analyzing him led me with a completely different impression than I expected going in, and he left me absolutely fascinated with what his projection to the NHL could be.

If you haven’t read the background on my work and approach, please read the embedded article before continuing below.

Once you have read the article, or are familiar with Scouching, here is the full video

Think - 1C

It is immediately apparent that Peterka is a hard-working two-way player with excellent intelligence away from the puck. He can read and anticipate play well and is perfectly willing to get physical along the boards. He defends well positionally, getting his body between forecheckers and the puck, with enough explosivity to get moving at any time. Another indicator of his maturity is how unselfish he is with the puck in transition, making little plays that maintain possession using teammates effectively. Peterka can absolutely explode on the ice and constantly be on the go looking for loose pucks and open ice.

In offensive transition away from the puck, he is extremely smart with his routes and gap management from opposing defenders. This part of the game is something really special with Peterka and could make him a great potential scoring option in a rush offense. He’s an admirable player on and off the puck that will get plenty of leeway with any coach.

Overall, Peterka is a straightforward north-south player willing to play hard along the boards, but with a great ability to anticipate play in transition and away from the puck. I don’t believe he’ll have any problem translating to North American hockey, but the only thing that may hold him back is a bit too much simplicity to him. He’s a straight line hard worker who can get physical, cover ice well, get up the ice well, find open space in offensive rushes well, but he can be hasty when good opportunities present themselves, and he can chase play a bit too much, opening space for opponents.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Think-1.mp4

Think Move

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ThinkMove.mp4

Think Get Move

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ThinkGetMove.mp4

Move - 2A

While he may not be the most skilled player available, he’s one of the more explosive players in this year’s draft. Peterka is an exceptionally hard worker on his feet, able to quickly separate himself from opponents and create space to go with his no-nonsense positional game. There are times when he can lose control of the puck when push comes to shove, and his best talents were his straight-line explosiveness and motor, but his four-way mobility and dynamic ability on his feet seems a bit limited.

Funnily enough, Peterka was actually better than Stützle at generating controlled offensive transitions/60 by 50% across both bluelines. He maintained control over the puck in all offensive transitions 13% more often than Stützle. There were indications that his hands may be a bit of a step behind his feet sometimes, but this was more of an inconsistency, and usually occurred when under pressure. At the same time, there were nice flashes of skill even under pressure to create space and defuse pressure deep in the offensive end. Peterka is able to keep defenders on their heels with his skill and pure speed and can and does push deep into the offensive zone to create dangerous chances.

Overall, the only thing I can critique is the lack of dynamism. Seems to have one gear, but it’s a good gear and almost constantly evident. There’s good skill, but more development in that area could make him a dangerous player under high defensive pressure. A bit of time to train and build strength could turn him into an excellent power winger that could fit in any NHL franchise, but there are a lot of legitimately interesting routes his career could go with the talent he shows in this category.

Move Pass

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MovePass.mp4

Get - 1C

Peterka’s overall motor makes him an excellent energy player, but he’s also no slouch with his stick. He immediately challenges opponents with the puck and doesn’t give them a chance to think. All over the ice, he shadows and sticks to opponents extremely well, and engages physically a ton to separate opponents from the puck. When he strikes, he strikes hard and often with plenty of power, which should translate well, even if his offensive upside doesn’t reach its potential. I get the feeling this is a player that will get lots of leeway with coaches in North America. His lack of dynamic ability on his feet can cause him to lose track of agile opponents, and he could be caught flat-footed defensively without moving his feet to cut down gaps quickly enough, but when he’s going, he goes.

Overall, Peterka isn’t much of a complex player away from the puck. He plays hard, he can hit, he can strike with his stick, and he can turn play around quickly. There’s a real meat-and-potatoes approach here that I always love to see. The NHL thrives on hard forechecks and minimizing decision making time all over the ice, and Peterka plays with a great motor that checks a lot of boxes away from the puck. There may be a level of inconsistency with his physical involvement and slow defensive reads, and the choice between keeping his feet moving for physical aggression, and using his stick can be incorrect at times, but his best tools are physical and with his feet. Relying on his physical play and speed more often could refine and focus his game to being a much more effective defensive player.

Get

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Get-1.mp4

Bad Get

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BadGet-1.mp4

Pass - 1C

Of the three big DEL players, Peterka led in pass completion percentage, but was third in dangerous pass attempt percentage. He blew Lucas Reichel out of the water in attempted, dangerous and completed passes/60, but trailed Stützle. Peterka is a smart transitional player, but 17% dangerous passing for a player with such limited production indicates that better linemates and more ice time may unlock more potential for him. He’s clever under pressure, but an extremely creative and dynamic passing ability was hard to spot. There weren’t a ton of bad passing decisions, but he can spot teammates well in all zones.

Overall, he’s a reliable passer, rarely making poor decisions, and perfectly able to keep up and surpass his talented DEL cohort, even if he played the least. 11.02 dangerous passes/60 is an excellent measure in a men’s league, but I found this to be a tough area to dig into based on his linemates. That being said, completing more than ¾ of his passes, and continuing to refine his offensive game against men could improve his production.

Shoot

While Peterka takes “only” 64.5% of his shot attempts from dangerous areas, good for 3rd among the DEL trio, he lands 35% from high danger, over double Stutzle’s rate and barely trailing Lukas Reichel. On that note, he only generated dangerous shot attempts at 45% the rate of Reichel, and his Off.Threat metric was 3rd among the DEL trio. He did seem to have a great nose for open space away from the puck, and his ability to navigate under pressure and push towards the net helped generate danger. He uses his explosiveness to apply offensive pressure consistently and rarely gives up on plays if he loses control of the puck.

I am a bit unsure of his goal scoring potential, as I wasn’t blown away with his shooting ability at 5v5, but he’s good with his instincts away from the puck, and his skill and feet can take him a long way towards generating danger, which is a key ingredient for scoring goals. Overall, his shot is quick, but nothing spectacular, but he likely will score more off the rush, working hard to battle pucks to dangerous areas and cleaning up garbage around the net, especially if he gets stronger on his feet and even more resilient than he already is.

Shot Get

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ShotGet.mp4

The Best Part

John-Jason Peterka’s nonstop motor is really promising. He uses it to generate offensive transitions and stifle defensive ones extremely well. He plays physically with his speed, and if he can capture that more often, he could be a scary player to handle, especially away from the puck. There’s good separation skill to go with it, especially under pressure in flashes, but developing this further could make him a nightmare to stop with the puck. He can be a really an exciting player to watch when he gets moving. His explosivity and intensity allows him to close gaps and constantly apply pressure to opponents at all areas of the ice. At the very worst, you’re looking at a great energy winger, but there’s potential for more.

The Good Part

He seems to play the game simply in a very good way. He’s a straight-line player, he plays hard, and when away from the puck makes little cuts that make finding open space much easier. He can be a pain defensively down the middle, and refining that over time will help him develop into an even better power forward. If he spots a passing opportunity, he rarely avoids it. He’s unselfish and intelligent with really nice potential considering his age and career trajectory. You know what you’re getting with him almost every shift, and it’s a valuable piece of any line, even if he may not be a primary point producer in the NHL.

The Not-So Good Part

At times his game I felt his game was a bit too simple. Rounding out his mobility in all directions will help immensely, and if he can fill out his frame to be even stronger, even more resilient, and even more skilled with his hands, he could diversify what he’s capable of and unlock his potential that would go hand in hand with his overall approach to the game. He’s a player I believe is a bit easy to scout and counter right now, but he’s still a tough player to contain. If he can bring a more dynamic ability to control pace and manage his hands and feet a bit better in conjunction, he could be a terrific offensive talent.

Overall

It’s hard to find serious flaws in Peterka’s game. He’s a high percentile player in almost every metric I track that isn’t team based. When he was on the ice, he bled shot attempts against, but I can’t place too much blame on him considering how good his transitional, passing, and shooting data was. He’s quick in a straight line, he plays hard, he prevents breakouts at a rate comparable to Stützle, and he generated more offensive transitions than Stützle did. At the very least, Peterka should be an NHL player with great energy capabilities and could become a fan favorite for his quickness and ability to play physically. Further building his skill and strength, with complementary gains in his overall mobility could make Peterka a real scary two-way player who can chip in offensively. At his best, Peterka was a generator of dangerous offence and underrated defense in a men’s league coming out of the Czech junior league last year. He’s a promising high energy power forward that should be gone on the first day of the draft but would be an extremely easy high floor pick to make on day 2.

NOTES

Data tracked includes controlled and uncontrolled zone entries and exits the player is involved in, as well as shot attempts, their location, the player's pass attempts, and the percentage of those pass attempts that are directed to high or medium danger areas. The grades referred to in the video are assigned with a number and a letter grade. The number from one through four indicates the general tier of talent, with one being highest, and the letter indicating the consistency around that tier of talent.

Final Rankings: Think - 1C, Move - 2A, Get - 1C, Pass - 1C, Shoot - 2A, Overall - 1C

Click here for all tracked data from every Scouching Report!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y6dAnYsYQg5f5Zrt0ilo9gR1hfFNIPXl3PuKpubFbrc/edit#gid=664929841

McKEEN’S FINAL 2020 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 22 May 2020 15:38:28 +0000

As it sit at my laptop to write this introduction to the Final 2020 McKeens Hockey Draft Rankings, I cannot but think on the strange circumstances that played out in the last few months that has forced us all – McKeens analysts, competing scouting services and of course NHL teams, to make decisions based off a condensed data set.

Every other year, we in the “draft community” are treated to a season culminating in playoff races, title chases, Cup runs and the cherry-on-top that is the World Under 18 tournament. On a personal level, the last event of that list was set to take place only a few hours from my home, meaning I could cross one more highlight event off my bucket list. In any case, along came COVID-19 and put the kibosh on all of it. On March 6th, I attended my last game of the year, watching the USNTDP lose a surprising game in Madison against the Capitols. Carson Bantle of Madison, who we ranked 75^th on our final list had a five-assist night, three of which were primary helpers. Ryan Kirwan (#194) had a goal and two assists. 13 total players in our top 217 played that night.

I had games on my agenda booked for the remainder of the months, after which I would re-evaluate based on playoff matchups. We all know what happened. The last USHL game of the year (my home territory) took place on March 11. All CHL leagues also placed a complete halt on games after the 11^th. What was originally a pause very quickly becoming a cancellation.

It should go without saying that the loss of conclusions of these (and many other) seasons pales in comparison to the staggering loss of lives, and loss of livelihoods, experienced across the world. But it should be said, even if only to remind ourselves, and one another, that no matter how inconvenient the sacrifices we have and will continue to make are, for many of us it has been much worse.

Hockey remains our respite, and for the bulk of those listed below, and many others besides, it remains a beacon. A hope for brighter days and the reward for years – entire childhoods – of hard work. A reminder of the sacrifices made that most of us could not imagine having made in our own lives.

At some point after the world of hockey was put on hold and/or cancelled, we at McKeens realized we would have to proceed with what we have. As much as we would have relished the premium events that mark the end of our collective scouting seasons, we had already spent close to six months watching and tracking the players who would make up the 2020 draft class. There were no more looks to be had. We would not be faced with the chimera of a clutch performance in any one postseason matchup or WU18 game that could coerce us to change a ranking that is based on a slow buildup of development from the first preseason game of 2019-20 to the seasons’ untimely end. On the other hand, it didn’t help that the NHL could not (and still hasn’t) set a date for the draft, for myriad reasons that won’t be recounted here.

With those realizations came the reminder that our system for grading players is not reliant on cross-scouting, however much cross-scouting can aid in ensuring that our individual rankings are in sync with one another. Further, as much as it hurt that there would not be a draft to attend for some of us, it did not really matter when the draft would occur, as long as it happened before the 2020-21 season gets underway, assuming that we are so lucky. Because until that happens, nothing will occur, short of freak non-hockey-related injury/illness befalling a player that damages their hopes of an athletic career, that could change our present opinion of them.

Whether the draft was going to take place on the weekend of June 5-7, or later in June, or July, or August or September, we might as well get things ready. And so, we got to work.

The list below is the summary of that work, but not its totality, and not even its plurality.

So far, we have written 172 detailed scouting reports of most of the top eligible players. That includes 94 of the top 100. We will complete the full set of the top 100 in the coming weeks, and add in a few more stragglers besides, as our mission is to provide you, our faithful and intelligent reader, with the most in-depth draft coverage available outside of an NHL boardroom.

As a reminder, the list gets its start through our regional analysts watching countless games all season and looking to judge the players on their component parts. For skaters, that means skating, shot, puck skills hockey smarts, and physicality. For goalies, that includes athleticism/speed/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control, and puck handling. Each skill is then projected and graded. The projection is imaging how what we see now will look like through the prime of the player’s career. The grade is a five-point scale ranging from 20 (beer league bum) to 80 (GOAT). A 50 score is approximately NHL replacement level, someone who could play for a stretch without embarrassing themselves or significantly harming their team.

Depending on the player’s position, the component 20-80 grades are put through one of our formulae to get an Overall Future Projection (OFP), the sum of the parts. That OFP gives us an idea of the role we can expect of the player if he develops to his reasonably optimistic outcome. For blueliners, an OFP between 50-52 is roughly third pairing upside. 52-55 is second pairing. 55-57 is first pairing. 57 and up is a potential #1 stud. For forwards the scale is similar. 50-52 for fourth line. 52-54 for third line. 54-56 is second line. Higher than 56 is first line with 58 and up being an All Star. For goalies, we can truncate the grades, such that 50-55 could be a backup and higher than 55 could start. The higher a player is within a given range is the more certain we are that he can reach that range. Anyone with a 60 OFP or higher is looked at as a player who will be invited to the postseason awards ceremony regularly.

When we had compiled all of the grades from all of our regional analysts, we had 575 total names. The grades ranged from 43.5 (sorry, Viljami Nieminen) to 65 (Alexis Lafreniere). Of course, we did not take the OFPs and sort from highest to lowest and walk away. Sorting is a first editorial step, but others are made before we get to our final list. There can be dissenting opinions on players. There are many cases of players whose grades are based on play at lower levels (ie. High schoolers) or Europeans playing against men, where we take extra looks if possible and look at additional contextual aspects that might sway us one way or another. Also, the OFP is not a hard and fast rule. The gap between Lafreniere at 65 and runner-up Tim Stutzle at 61 is significant. The gap between one player at 52.25 and another at 52 and a third at 52.5 is very minute. Sometimes a regional analyst will feel more strongly about the lower ranked player in those cases as the grades are not accounting for some uncovered intangible. So we continue to refine the list until we get to a place where if we, in our infinite wisdom, were tasked with making every pick for every team, we would be satisfied in our ability to do everyone justice.

I don’t expect you to agree with every player ranked here. I expect you to find someone too high and someone too low. Someone who you think shouldn’t be drafted at all and someone missing from the list who you would love if your team selected in the third round. For that last group, our final Draft Guide, coming out very soon, will also include a list of 100 players who we considered for our Big Board, but who, for one reason or another, we could not make space for. The difference in quality between that group of 100 and the 100 directly above them is not very big in our eyes, but we have to pick someone. Before you pore over the list, please allow me to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the McKeens scouting team for their hard work this year, watching all of the games – so that you don’t have to. Not counting occasional forays into cross-scouting, we have, in alphabetical order:

Benoit Belanger – QMJHL (@BenoitGBelanger)

Marco Bombino – Finland (@marco_bombino)

Tom Dorsa – USHS (@TomDorsa)

Vince Gibbons – WHL, Eastern Conference/AJHL (@the_vincanity)

Jimmy Hamrin – Sweden (@jimmyhamrin)

Chapin Landvogt – Germany (@Csomichapin)

Derek O’Brien – Czech Republic (@Derek_J_OBrien)

Kevin Olexson – BCHL (@MrKOMan)

Brock Otten – OHL/OJHL (@BrockOtten)

Michael Rand – OHL (@MRand9)

Mike Sanderson – QMJHL (@MikeRSanderson)

Arlo Schulz – WHL, Western Conference (actually not on twitter. Good for him. Really)

Alessandro Seren Rosso – Russia (@AlexSerenRosso)

Jashvina Shah – NCAA, Eastern region (@icehockeystick)

Ryan Wagman, your humble scribe – USHL/NCAA, Western region (@rawagman)

If you don’t agree, hit us up on twitter and state your case.

Enjoy!

You can read all of the scouting reports with a link to the players page in our full rankings found here

If you are not a subscriber to McKeen's you can learn more here

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
1	Alexis Lafreniere	LW	Rimouski (QMJHL)	6-1/195	11-Oct-01	Canada
2	Tim Stutzle	C	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	6-1/185	15-Jan-02	Germany
3	Quinton Byfield	C	Sudbury (OHL)	6-4/215	19-Aug-02	Canada
4	Lucas Raymond	LW	Frolunda (Swe)	5-11/170	28-Mar-02	Sweden
5	Jake Sanderson	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/185	8-Jul-02	USA
6	Jamie Drysdale	D	Erie (OHL)	5-11/175	8-Apr-02	Canada
7	Alexander Holtz	RW	Djurgardens (Swe)	6-0/190	23-Jan-02	Sweden
8	Cole Perfetti	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	5-10/180	1-Jan-02	Canada
9	Marco Rossi	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-9/185	23-Sep-01	Austria
10	Jack Quinn	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/180	19-Sep-01	Canada
11	Yaroslav Askarov	G	SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)	6-3/175	16-Jun-02	Russia
12	Seth Jarvis	RW	Portland (WHL)	5-10/175	1-Feb-02	Canada
13	Dawson Mercer	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-0/180	27-Oct-01	Canada
14	Kaiden Guhle	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/190	18-Jan-02	Canada
15	Braden Schneider	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/200	20-Sep-01	Canada
16	Anton Lundell	C	HIFK (Fin)	6-1/185	3-Oct-01	Finland
17	John-Jason Peterka	LW	EHC Munchen (DEL)	5-11/190	14-Jan-02	Germany
18	Connor Zary	C	Kamloops (WHL)	6-0/180	25-Sep-01	Canada
19	Noel Gunler	RW	Lulea (Swe)	6-2/175	7-Oct-01	Sweden
20	Hendrix Lapierre	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-11/180	9-Feb-02	Canada
21	Brendan Brisson	C	Chicago (USHL)	5-11/180	22-Oct-01	USA
22	Mavrik Bourque	C	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-10/180	8-Jan-02	Canada
23	Jake Neighbours	LW	Edmonton (WHL)	5-11/195	29-Mar-02	Canada
24	Ridly Greig	C	Brandon (WHL)	5-11/165	8-Aug-02	Canada
25	Rodion Amirov	LW	Salavat Yulayev Ufa (KHL)	6-0/170	2-Oct-01	Russia
26	Dylan Holloway	C	Wisconsin (B1G)	6-0/205	23-Sep-01	Canada
27	Jan Mysak	C	Hamilton (OHL)	5-11/180	24-Jun-02	Czech
28	Jacob Perreault	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	5-11/195	15-Apr-02	Canada
29	Ozzy Wiesblatt	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	5-10/185	9-Mar-02	Canada
30	Ryan O'Rourke	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-0/180	16-May-02	Canada
31	Ty Smilanic	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/175	20-Jan-02	USA

John-Jason Peterka – McKeen's Hockey

CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Klingberg getting a big shot, players due for regression from high percentages last season, rising young players like J.J. Peterka, Seth Jarvis, Oliver Wahlstrom, and more

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – BUFFALO SABRES – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Tage Thompson - C

Jeff Skinner - LW

Alex Tuch - RW

Dylan Cozens - C

Jack Quinn - RW

J.J. Peterka - LW

Casey Mittelstadt - C

Peyton Krebs - LW

Victor Olofsson - RW

Defense

Rasmus Dahlin - D

Owen Power - D

Mattias Samuelsson - D

Connor Clifton - D

Goaltending

Devon Levi - G

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – BUFFALO SABRES – Top 20 Prospects

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

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Buffalo Sabres Top 20 Prospects

Dylan Cozens, C/RW (7th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Jack Quinn, RW (8th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

John-Jason Peterka, LW (34th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Oskari Laaksonen, D (89th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Mattias Samuelsson, D (32nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Ryan Johnson, D (31st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G (54th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Erik Portillo, G (67th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Jonas Johansson, G (61st overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 7)

Will Borgen, D (92nd overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 8)

Casey Fitzgerald, D (86th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

Marcus Davidsson, C/LW (37th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

Matej Pekar, C/RW (94th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 11)

Jacob Bryson, D (99th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Brett Murray, LW (99th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 13)

Albert Lyckasen, D (193rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Arttu Ruotsalainen, C/LW (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 8, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Brandon Biro, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Mar. 18, 2020. Previous ranking: 15)

Dawson DiPietro, LW (UFA: Mar. 23, 2020. Previous ranking: UR)

Miska Kukkonen, D (125th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: 17)

2020 NHL Draft Team Review: Atlantic Division

Detroit Red Wings

1/4 Lucas Raymond, LW, Frolunda BK (SHL)

2/32 William Wallinder, D, MODO J20 (SuperElit)

2/51 Theodor Niederbach, C, Frolunda J20 (SuperElit)

2/55 Cross Hanas, LW, Portland (WHL)

3/63 Donovan Sebrango, D, Kitchener (OHL)

3/70 Eemil Viro, D, TPS U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

4/97 Sam Stange, RW, Sioux Falls (USHL)

4/107 Jan Bednar, G, HC Karlovy Vary (Czech)

5/132 Alex Cotton, D, Lethbridge (WHL)

6/156 Kyle Aucoin, D, Tri-City (USHL)

7/187 Kienan Draper, RW, St. Andrews College (HS-ON)

7/203 Chase Bradley, LW, Omaha (USHL)

Best value pick: Theodor Niederbach

Worst value pick: Cross Hanas

Ottawa Senators

1/3 Tim Stutzle, LW, Adler Mannheim (DEL)

1/5 Jake Sanderson, D, USNTDP (USHL)

1/28 Ridly Greig, C, Brandon (WHL)

2/33 Roby Jarventie, RW, Ilves U20 (Jr. A SM-liiga)

2/44 Tyler Kleven, D, USNTDP (USHL)

2/61 Egor Sokolov, LW, Cape Breton (QMJHL)

3/71 Leevi Merilainen, G, Karpat U18 (U18 SM-sarja)

5/155 Eric Engstrand, LW, Malmo J20 (SuperElit)

6/158 Philippe Daoust, LW Moncton (QMJHL)

6/181 Cole Reinhardt, LW, Brandon (WHL)

Best value pick: Tim Stutzle/Jake Sanderson/Ridly Greig

Worst value pick: Leevi Merilainen

Buffalo Sabres

1/8 Jack Quinn, RW, Ottawa (OHL)

2/34 John-Jason Peterka, LW/RW, EHC Munchen (DEL)

5/131 Matteo Costantini, C, Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL)

7/193 Albert Lyckasen, D, Linkoping J20 (SuperElit)

7/216 Jakub Konecny, C, HC Sparta Praha U20 (Czech U20)

Best value pick: John-Jason Peterka

Worst value pick: Jack Quinn

Montreal Canadiens

Dylan Cozens, C/RW (7^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Jack Quinn, RW (8^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

John-Jason Peterka, LW (34^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Oskari Laaksonen, D (89^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 2)

Mattias Samuelsson, D (32^nd overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 3)

Ryan Johnson, D (31^st overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 4)

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, G (54^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Erik Portillo, G (67^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Jonas Johansson, G (61^st overall, 2014. Previous ranking: 7)

Will Borgen, D (92^nd overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 8)

Casey Fitzgerald, D (86^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 9)

Marcus Davidsson, C/LW (37^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 10)

Matej Pekar, C/RW (94^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 11)

Jacob Bryson, D (99^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Brett Murray, LW (99^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 13)

Albert Lyckasen, D (193^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Miska Kukkonen, D (125^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: 17)