John Ludvig – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Nashville has a steep climb, Boston makes a coaching change, Winnipeg’s scoring slows down plus much, much more

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 16:46:42 +0000

We’re a little over a quarter of the way through the season, so we’re at the point where teams that have been doing poorly should be nervous and nowhere is that truer than Nashville. The Predators made a big push over the summer with the additions of forwards Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, but the Predators are still just 7-12-6 and are tied for last offensively with 2.32 goals per game.

SUNRISE, FL - NOVEMBER 07: Nashville Predators Steven Stamkos (91) looks on during the game between the Nashville Predators and the Florida Panthers on Thursday November 07, 2024 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.(Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire)

At this point, the question isn’t if the situation is bad, it’s just how bad it is. The 2018-19 St. Louis Blues are the gold standard for hope. At their worst, they looked like a lottery team, but in the end, they won the Stanley Cup. So how was St. Louis after 25 games? 9-13-3, which amounts to nearly the same record from a points perspective.

So maybe there’s still hope for the Predators, but there’s also a reason why the Blues are such a memorable story: For every 18-19 Blues, there are countless teams that performed poorly over the first two months and simply continued to be bad for the rest of the campaign. Plus, it’s not just about rebounding, it’s the magnitude of the task ahead of Nashville.

In 2023-24, it took 98 points to get a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Let’s say for the sake of argument, 93 points will end up being good enough this year. That would amount to a 36-20-1 record the rest of the way. In terms of points percentage, that’s .640, which is a pace currently exceeded by only six teams. So doable, but it needs to start soon because the longer Nashville is even mediocre, let alone bad, the task only gets harder.

Stamkos spoke about the problem after Friday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Friday, arguing that the Predators have too many players who aren’t working hard enough to create offense.

"It's OK to be frustrated because we're not scoring. But you counter that by work ethic and getting into the game in different ways," Stamkos said, per The Tennessean. "If you're not scoring, what else are you doing out there? What else can you do to help your team win? I've just felt like, for whatever reason, in these stretches, we tend to go the other way."

Rather than use that as motivation, the Predators then suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to Minnesota on Saturday. To be fair, the Wild are a great team, it was a close game, and the Predators were playing for the third time in four days. Those are all factors to make the loss more understandable. The trouble is, Nashville isn’t in a position to be content with understandable losses.

Boston Bruins (Tue vs DET, Wed @ CHI. Sat vs PHI)

Replacing head coach Jim Montgomery with Joe Sacco hasn’t helped the Bruins so far. They’re an okay, but not great 3-2-0 with their new bench boss, giving them an 11-11-3 record overall. That might change next week, though, thanks to a favorable schedule. Boston will host the Red Wings on Tuesday, play in Chicago on Wednesday and then return home to face the Flyers on Saturday.

Whenever there’s a new coach, it’s always a good idea to look for which players have benefited from the change. In the case of the Bruins, though, it’s a bit hard to find offensive winners because the team has continued the offensive struggles that were present under Montgomery. Boston averaged just 2.40 goals per game with Montgomery, and that’s dropped to a mere 2.00 goals per game under Sacco.

Elias Lindholm does have four points across the Bruins’ past five games, which is a step up from his nine points in 20 outings before the Montgomery firing, but take that with a grain of salt because his recent success is propped up by a three-assist showing against the Islanders on Wednesday. Lindholm has also been held off the scoresheet in three of the last five contests, which isn’t exactly confidence inspiring.

Tyler Johnson has recorded his first two assists of the 2024-25 campaign under Sacco, which is interesting, but Sacco also made Johnson a healthy scratch twice across the past five games. Still, I think Johnson is worth keeping an eye on because Boston desperately needs secondary scoring, and that’s a role he can fill.

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that Boston seems to have at least tightened its game defensively under Sacco, allowing just 1.60 goals per game with the new bench boss compared to 3.45 with Montgomery.

Jeremy Swayman has had a rough campaign with a 6-9-2 record, 3.09 GAA and .892 save percentage in 17 appearances in 2024-25, but he may have turned a corner, stopping 66 of 70 shots (.943 save percentage) across his past three starts. He still won only one of those outings due to a lack of offensive support, but if he can continue to play like he has been recently, then the Bruins will be in a far better position.

Calgary Flames (Tue vs CBJ, Thu @ STL, Sun @ DAL)

The Flames have a respectable 12-9-4 record, but they’ve dropped their last four games, putting them in danger of ruining their relatively positive start to the campaign. The Flames will try to right the ship in home games against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday and the Blues on Thursday. Calgary will conclude the week with a challenging road tilt against the Stars.

Calgary’s recent losing skid has come on the road, which seems to be a theme for the Flames this year. They’re 9-3-0 at home and 3-6-4 outside of the Saddledome. It’s like looking at two different teams. In Calgary, the Flames have averaged 2.83 goals per game and have allowed 2.25 goals per game, but on the road that changes to 2.23 goals per game and 3.54 goals allowed per game.

Jonathan Huberdeau is one of the starkest examples of that home/road split. He leads the team offensively in Calgary with nine points (five goals) in 12 appearances and has just five points (three goals) in 13 road outings. Mikael Backlund is another forward who has fallen into that trap, supplying seven points (three goals) in 12 home games, but just three points (one goal) through 13 road appearances. Meanwhile, Andrei Kuzmenko has a goal and seven points at home, but just two assists on the road.

Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary are two exceptions who have done fine regardless. Kadri has a nine/eight home/road point split while Zary has supplied six points in each category. However, outside of rare cases like that, you might want to avoid using Calgary players on the road until the team shows it can travel better. Fortunately, that won’t be a concern for fantasy managers for the early stages of the upcoming week.

Colorado Avalanche (Tue @ BUF, Thu @ CAR, Sat @ DET, Sun @ NJD)

Colorado doesn’t have that stark contrast between home and away -- the Avalanche are mediocre in both cases, resulting in a 13-12-0 record. Colorado has lost its last two contests, but it will continue its quest to emerge from its early season inconsistency during a road stretch that will see the Avalanche in Buffalo on Tuesday, Carolina on Thursday, Detroit on Saturday and New Jersey on Sunday.

Injuries have been an ongoing story for the Avalanche this campaign, and I’ll discuss the latest on that front in a minute, but goaltending has also been part of the problem. Although Alexandar Georgiev has stabilized somewhat, he’s still left plenty to be desired with his 7-6-0 record, 3.33 GAA and .872 save percentage in 15 appearances in 2024-25. The problem Colorado faced was the 24-year-old Justus Annunen didn’t seem capable of stealing the job from him, posting a 6-4-0 record, 3.22 GAA and .872 save percentage across 11 outings.

As a result, Colorado packaged Annunen with a 2025 sixth-round pick Saturday to get Scott Wedgewood from Nashville. Wedgewood has a 1-2-1 record, 3.69 GAA and .878 save percentage in five appearances this year, so it’s not like anyone holds any illusion that he will enter Colorado and be its savor, but at least he’s a veteran goaltender who has been serviceable in the past in the backup role. If nothing else, Wedgewood has a bigger opportunity to get starts in Colorado behind Georgiev than he did in Nashville behind Juuse Saros.

On the injury front, Miles Wood suffered an upper-body injury recently and is now regarded as month-to-month. Meanwhile, Jonathan Drouin, who made his return from injury Nov. 15, logged just four games before coming back out of the lineup and is now regarded as week-to-week. Defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) is also week-to-week after suffering the injury Friday. The only real silver lining on the injury front is that Ross Colton (foot) has started to skate.

This isn’t the most injured Colorado has been this year, but it’s still not great that Colorado has four players on IR or LTIR (Wood, Colton, Tucker Poolman and Gabriel Landeskog) as well as three more on the sidelines (Mason, Drouin and Oliver Kylington).

John Ludvig, who has logged just five games this year, will probably start playing regularly because of Mason and Kylington’s absences on the blue line. Nikolai Kovalenko will also probably feature semi-regularly on the second line until Drouin is back. At the end of the day, though, not much should be expected of Ludvig or Kovalenko from a fantasy perspective.

Dallas Stars (Mon @ UTA, Wed @ LAK, Fri @ VGK, Sun vs CGY)

The Central Division has been dominated by Winnipeg and Minnesota, but Dallas has been strong too with a 14-8-0 record. The Stars will look to maintain that success next week. They’ll play in Utah on Monday, Los Angeles on Wednesday and Vegas on Friday before concluding the week with a home game against the Flames on Sunday.

Dallas is lucky to have Matt Duchene. After the final three campaigns of his seven-year, $56 million contract were bought out by Nashville (a team which, incidentally, could really use him right now), it made a certain amount of sense for him to ink a one-year, $3 million contract for the 2023-24 season so that he would have a chance to reestablish himself. However, after scoring 25 goals and 65 points across 80 regular-season outings with the Stars in 2023-24, he decided to ink another one-year, $3 million contract for this season.

I have a hard time believing that’s the best he could do, but Dallas is a team that’s capable of competing for the Cup, and signing that massively team-friendly contract has allowed the Stars to ice the best roster they could. For his part, Duchene is thriving in Dallas with 12 goals and 27 points through 22 outings. After registering an assist in a 5-3 win over Colorado on Friday, he’s on a four-game scoring streak (two goals, four assists).

In contrast to Duchene’s success, Roope Hintz has left something to be desired. The 28-year-old forward has nine goals and 14 points through 21 appearances in 2024-25. That puts him on pace to reach the 30-goal milestone for the fourth straight campaign, but Hintz collapse in terms of playmaking has been noticeable. That might be in part due to some bad luck, though. Hintz is on pace for 15 primary assists in 2024-25, which would actually be just a mild drop from his 17 in 2023-24. However, he has only one secondary assist this year after reaching the double digits in that category in each of the previous three campaigns.

Hintz is playing alongside Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston, so the assists should come. If his lower point total has led to fantasy managers in your league(s) undervaluing Hintz, then now would be a nice time to buy low.

Robertson is another good buy-low candidate. He has five goals and 13 points through 22 appearances, in large part because of a nine-game stretch from Oct. 26-Nov. 18 in which he had no goals and two assists. The 25-year-old has been inconsistent this campaign, but he has also supplied over 25 goals and 79 points in each of his previous three years, so I have faith that he’s going to start turning things around. One key area to monitor is his performance on the power play. He finished each of the past three campaigns with over 20 points with the man advantage, but he’s been limited to just a goal and three points in that category in 2024-25.

Keep in mind that Robertson missed a good chunk of training camp and didn’t play in the preseason because he was recovering from foot surgery. His old linemate Joe Pavelski is also gone after retiring over the summer. Those might be contributing factors for his sluggish start, but Robertson should still find his rhythm as the campaign progresses.

Florida Panthers (Tue @ PIT, Thu @ PHI, Sat vs SJS)

Florida has won its past three games decisively, outscoring the competition 17-4. The Panthers will take that momentum into Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Florida will then play in Philadelphia on Thursday and host the Sharks on Saturday.

Sam Bennett continues to be a pleasant surprise for the Panthers. He’s been a solid secondary scorer for years, but he’s found another level this season, supplying 12 goals and 23 points through 24 appearances. He’s showing no signs of slowing either, supplying three markers and four points over his past three outings. His 16.2 shooting percentage is a potential warning sign -- his career average is 10.6 -- but he’s also generating assists at a much better rate than normal, so his success might be more than just some good puck luck.

Bennett’s far from the only Panthers forward who has done well recently. Evan Rodrigues has been streaky this campaign and is going through one of his good patches, supplying a goal and three points across his past three games. That gives him six goals and 13 points through 25 outings in 2024-25.

The only major point of concern for Florida thus far has been Sergei Bobrovsky, who has a 3.04 GAA and an .890 save percentage through 17 appearances in 2024-25. While I wouldn’t write off a netminder as accomplished as Bobrovsky over a sluggish start, Spencer Knight has outperformed him thus far with a 2.31 GAA and .911 save percentage across nine outings, so it would be interesting to see if the Panthers shift to a 1A/1B arrangement. That would also help keep the 36-year-old veteran fresh for the playoffs, especially given Bobrovsky’s heavy workload in recent years due to Florida’s back-to-back trips to the finals.

New York Islanders (Tue @ MTL, Thu vs SEA, Sat vs CAR, Sun @ OTT)

The Panthers rank fifth in terms of goals per game (3.64) while the Islanders are 26th (2.56), but surprisingly, New York is the team with more players who have hit double digits in terms of goals. Sam Reinhart and Bennett have achieved that feat with the Panthers while Kyle Palmieri, Anders Lee and Brock Nelson have each provided 10 markers with the Islanders.

Will that trio be able to save the sinking Islanders, who have lost six of their past eight games? The squad will play in Montreal on Tuesday before returning home for contests against the Kraken on Thursday and the Hurricanes on Saturday. New York will round out the week with a road game in Ottawa on Sunday.

Nelson has been the Islanders’ most successful forward during the squad’s eight-game slump, providing four goals and eight points over that span. Lee and Palmieri have also held their own with six and five points, respectively -- each of them also supplied three markers during that stretch.

Still, the absence of Mathew Barzal (upper body) continues to be noticeable. He hasn’t played since Oct. 30 and isn’t expected to return this week. The other issue is Bo Horvat’s goal-scoring drought has reached 11 games (he has five assists in that span). Maybe Horvat will get better when his usual linemate, Barzal, is healthy. Either way, Horvat’s shooting percentage has dropped to 7.1, well below his career average of 13.4.

Toronto Maple Leafs (Mon vs CHI, Wed vs NAS, Fri vs WAS, Sat @ PIT)

Toronto got some good news Saturday with the return of Auston Matthews (upper body) and Matthew Knies (upper body). Both made their presence felt with Matthews supplying two assists while Knies recorded a goal and a helper. Getting Matthews back is especially big for the Maple Leafs, and the sniper will aim to make his presence felt next week with the Maple Leafs scheduled to play at home against Chicago on Monday, Nashville on Wednesday and Washington on Friday. The Maple Leafs will also face the Penguins on the road Saturday.

Getting Knies and Matthews back will likely result in a reduced role for rookie Fraser Minten. The 20-year-old averaged 15:11 of ice time, including 3:32 with the man advantage, over his first three outings from Nov. 20-27, but he dropped to 11:31 on Saturday and wasn’t deployed at all with the man advantage (though Toronto had just one power play in the match).

If Max Domi (lower body) and Bobby McMann (lower body) rejoin the lineup without any other Maple Leafs forwards going down, then Minten might find himself reassigned to the AHL where he can play a bigger role. Still, Minten has shown promise during this NHL stint, supplying a goal and three points across four appearances.

While Minten took advantage of the Maple Leafs’ stretch of injuries, Nicholas Robertson has left plenty to be desired. He did score Saturday, but it was just his second goal and point through 20 outings in 2024-25. Although Robertson reportedly requested a trade over the summer, nothing came of that, and he certainly hasn’t done anything to make himself more appealing to other clubs. He’s still just 23, so it’s too early to write him off, but even as a middle-six secondary scorer, he hasn’t looked great this year. If the Maple Leafs find themselves fully healthy, it’s not clear if there will even be a regular spot for him in the lineup anymore.

Winnipeg Jets (Tue vs STL, Thu @ BUF, Sat @ CHI, Sum vs CBJ)

Winnipeg enjoyed a stunning 15-1-0 start, but the Jets have perhaps shown some cracks lately, dropping five of their past eight games. We’ll see if they stabilize next week. They’ll play at home against the Blues on Tuesday, play in Buffalo on Thursday, and in Chicago on Saturday before hosting the Blue Jackets on Sunday.

What’s changed for the Jets recently? For starters, their stars haven’t been quite as effective. Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele and Nikolaj Ehlers each provided at least 1.25 points per game across Winnipeg’s opening 16 games and none of them have averaged a point per game since. Nikolaj Ehlers has seen the biggest decline, going from nine goals and 20 points through 16 appearances to five assists and a minus-7 rating over his past eight games.

It's not just the Jets’ top three forwards, though. Winnipeg’s offensive production has been down pretty much across the board. The Jets were averaging an unbelievable 4.56 goals per game through their first 16 games, but Winnipeg’s average has dropped to 2.50 over its past eight contests. We talked about the Jets’ success earlier this month, and at the time I briefly touched on this:

“It is worth noting that Moneypuck ranks Winnipeg 21st in xG/60 with 2.99, so there’s an argument to be made that the Jets have enjoyed good puck luck.”

If we look at where Winnipeg is today, its xG/60 is slightly higher at 3.08. That metric shouldn’t be taken as gospel, but it does suggest that the Jets were significantly overperforming offensively early in the campaign, which makes the fall less shocking. By the same token, Winnipeg is now underperforming, so there’s reason to believe that this will all balance out eventually, and the Jets will finish the campaign as an above average, but not phenomenal scoring team.

Which is okay because Winnipeg’s strength lies in its goaltending more than its forwards. Connor Hellebuyck did have a rough patch from Nov. 12-19 in which he allowed 11 goals on 90 shots (.878 save percentage), but he’s having a fantastic campaign overall with a 15-3-0 record, 2.11 GAA and .928 save percentage in 18 outings. The Jets offense might not be as good as initially advertised, but Hellebuyck should continue to have a season worthy of Vezina Trophy contention.

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Ryan Dadoun — Sun, 10 Mar 2024 18:06:59 +0000

_{OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 14: Ottawa Senators Right Wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) after a whistle during second period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on October 14, 2023, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)}

The trade deadline is behind us and it certainly was eventful. Although we didn’t get a lot of trades in the leadup to the final week -- just four deals in all of February -- general managers made up for lost time with six trades on Wednesday, 10 on Thursday and 23 on the final day.

This isn’t a winners and losers column, but if it was, Vegas would naturally be at the top of the winners list. The rest of the league might be annoyed at the Golden Knights’ seemingly unending ability to make blockbusters, but as a fan of one of the other 31 franchises, I suspect a lot of that is just because we collectively wish that our general manager had a bit more of Kelly McCrimmon’s boldness and the ownership for the teams we rooted for were a bit more willing to green-light whatever it takes to win.

Vegas added forwards Anthony Mantha and Tomas Hertl as well as Noah Hanifin on Friday. Clearly, the Golden Knights are gearing up for a defence of their Stanley Cup championships -- despite some lacklustre play of late -- but these aren’t exclusively win-now moves. Hertl is signed through 2029-30 and with the Sharks retaining part of his contract, he comes at a reasonable $6.75 million annually for the Golden Knights over that span. Mantha and Hanifin are on expiring contracts, but it is possible Vegas will be able to retain Hanifin’s services long-term.

Carolina also had a pretty interesting trade season with the additions of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jake Guentzel. Kuznetsov, who has just six goals and 17 points through 43 games this season, is definitely a risk, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start does him any good. If nothing else, the addition of Guentzel should bolster what was already a pretty solid offense.

Florida also upgraded its forward corps by adding Vladimir Tarasenko. After falling just short of the Cup last year, I’d at the very least say that the Panthers are the team to beat in the East. The only reason why I hesitate to call the Panthers the outright Cup favourites is that I love Vancouver and Colorado in the west.

The Avalanche in particular are looking strong after grabbing Casey Mittelstadt, albeit at the high price of Bowen Byram. Colorado’s offense is the best in the league at 3.70 goals per game, but the Avalanche have been extremely reliant on Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and defenseman Cale Makar to drive that scoring. If you were to have judged the Avalanche from their second line down, then you would have found a team that was wanting. Adding Mittelstadt does a lot to address that shortcoming, though Alexandar Georgiev’s less-than-stellar play is still a concern. The Avalanche might wish they had acquired a veteran backup come playoff time.

Of course, that’s all just scratching the surface of how the trade deadline has changed things. Let’s do a deeper dive while highlighting some of the best teams to utilize this coming week.

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

The Ducks don’t have much left to play for, but at least their upcoming schedule isn’t too bad. They’ll be on the road next week, playing in Chicago on Tuesday, Minnesota on Thursday, Winnipeg on Friday and St. Louis on Sunday. The Jets are the only of those adversaries in a playoff position.

Anaheim dealt away forwards Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to Edmonton on Wednesday and acquired Ben Meyers from the Avalanche on Friday.

Meyers was in the minors before the trade, but he’s likely to remain with the Ducks for the remainder of the campaign. Don’t expect too much from him, though. He had six goals in 53 career contests over parts of three seasons with Colorado and is likely to serve primarily on the third line in Anaheim.

The loss of Henrique will be felt, though. He had 18 goals and 42 points in 60 contests with the Ducks this season, which was good for third in the team’s scoring race at the time of his trade. His departure might increase how much Mason McTavish is leaned on. We’ve also started to see a significant spike in Max Jones’ playing time recently -- logging over 15 minutes in each of his past three contests compared to his average of 11:43 over his first 44 outings -- and that’s likely to persist for the remainder of the season.

With the Ducks looking toward the future, Olen Zellweger is likely to stay in the NHL for the rest of the season. Although he has just two assists through his first eight contests with Anaheim, the 20-year-old defenseman has offensive upside and is getting power-play ice time, so he’d be an interesting pickup for the upcoming week given the competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Like Anaheim, Columbus doesn’t have any hope of making the playoffs, but next week’s schedule is still a favourable one for the Blue Jackets. They’ll play in Montreal on Tuesday before hosting the Senators on Thursday, the Sharks on Saturday and the Jets on Sunday. While Winnipeg is having a strong campaign, those other three teams are among the worst in the league.

Columbus was somewhat quiet at the deadline, but the Blue Jackets did part ways with Jack Roslovic and Andrew Peeke.

Their biggest move came earlier when they acquired Alexander Nylander from Pittsburgh on Feb. 22 in exchange for Emil Bemstrom. That wasn’t expected to be a noteworthy move, but Nylander has provided an incredible five goals and seven points in seven contests with the Blue Jackets. Nylander is likely to remain in a top-six role for the remainder of the season, so while he’s unlikely to maintain his point-per-game pace, the 26-year-old should continue to have fantasy relevance.

Roslovic was red hot too with four goals and 13 points in his last 12 games prior to the trade. He was serving primarily on the top line with Boone Jenner and Johnny Gaudreau, but now that he’s gone, Kirill Marchenko might be put in that role. Marchenko has 17 goals and 32 points in 60 contests this season, and the 23-year-old might see his offensive pace increase if he does lockdown that first-line assignment.

One player who didn’t move is goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. There was some suggestion back in January that he would welcome a trade because he was unhappy with his workload. Maybe that issue will get resolved over the summer, but Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov are likely to share the netminding duties fairly evenly for what’s left of the season.

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Detroit will continue its fight for a wild-card berth next week. The Red Wings will start by playing in Buffalo on Tuesday before returning home to face the Coyotes on Thursday and the Sabres on Saturday. They’ll complete the week with a game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. None of those opponents are in a playoff position, so it’s important that the Red Wings take advantage by picking up at least six points.

The Red Wings were quiet at the deadline, though to be fair, they made their major move back in November when they signed Patrick Kane. The 35-year-old has gone on to provide 13 goals and 31 points through 31 games, so they have to be happy with that addition.

They’ll need to lean on Kane even more in the short term because Dylan Larkin suffered a lower-body injury Monday that’s expected to cost him at least one more week. While Larkin’s unavailable, Joe Veleno might see his workload increase and consequently should have more short-term value in fantasy leagues.

This could also be a good week for David Perron, who is on a roll with a goal and four points over his past four games. He’s up to 13 goals and 32 points in 56 contests in 2023-24. Defenseman Olli Maatta has looked good recently too, supplying two goals and four points across his last four outings. Maatta typically isn’t a significant offensive contributor, though, so he would be at best a short-term pickup option.

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

The Kings hold a playoff position, but their postseason berth is far from secure. They’ll need to play next week while hosting the Islanders on Monday and then playing on the road against St. Louis, Chicago and Dallas on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.

LA didn’t add anyone at the deadline, so if the Kings are going to get into the playoffs, it’ll have to be with basically the same group they’ve had for the entire year. However, injuries have made their task even harder. Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) has played just four games in 2023-24 while Mikey Anderson (upper body) and Adrian Kempe (upper body) also might not be available next week.

At least Kevin Fiala has been doing his part. The 27-year-old forward has a superb seven goals and 13 points over his last nine games. With his marker Thursday, Fiala reached the 20-goal milestone for the fifth consecutive campaign, but he’s also exceeded 25 tallies just once in his career (2021-22). In other words, don’t count on him providing goals at his recent rate for much longer, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he still ended up having a strong finish to the season offensively.

Drew Doughty has looked good lately too, providing three goals and 12 points over his last 11 outings. Six of those points came with the man advantage, which is noteworthy because LA’s power play has been middling this season with a 22.6 percent success rate. However, the Kings have converted on 32.0 percent of their power plays over their past 11 games, and if they can keep that up, it will do wonders for Doughty’s fantasy value.

It wouldn’t mean much to Matt Roy -- he isn’t typically used with the man advantage -- but the 29-year-old blueliner has three even-strength assists across his past three games. That has brought Roy up to 20 points (three goals) through 61 contests -- this is his third straight campaign with at least 20 points.

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Ottawa has a relatively easy start to the week with a home contest against the Penguins and then a road match versus Columbus on Thursday. Things do pick up after that, though. The Senators will play on the road against the Islanders on Saturday in a contest that matters for the Islanders in their pursuit of a wild-card spot. Ottawa will conclude the week by hosting the Hurricanes on Sunday.

The Senators made just one trade in the leadup to the deadline, shipping Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and a 2025 third-round selection. That’s a minimal return for a top-six forward, but Tarasenko’s full no-trade clause tied the Senators’ hands.

Either way, Ottawa’s offense is looking a little thinner between the loss of Tarasenko and Josh Norris potentially missing the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. The top two lines going forward will be combinations of Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux. That will work fine, but the bottom six will be a collection of whatever Ottawa can cobble together.

For example, Boris Katchouk, who was claimed off waivers from Chicago on Friday, is likely to be a regular on the third unit going forward. The 25-year-old has five goals and nine points in 38 contests this season, so he’s not exactly expected to be a scoring threat in that role. Dominik Kubalik, who has averaged 12:30 of ice time this season while providing 10 goals and 14 points across 57 contests, might see his playing time increase too. Ridly Greig might round out that third unit despite recording just three goals and four points over his past 21 appearances.

For what it’s worth, Ottawa also has the option of calling up Angus Crookshank, who has 22 goals and 43 points in 47 contests with AHL Belleville this season. He was limited to a goal and an assist during a seven-game stint with Ottawa earlier in the campaign, but the 24-year-old averaged just 8:50 of ice time. He’d almost certainly get a bigger role if Ottawa promoted him now, so keep an eye out for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

Although the Penguins’ playoff hopes are all but gone, they still have an opportunity to at least make their final weeks of the campaign interesting. Pittsburgh will play in Ottawa on Tuesday before heading home to host the Sharks on Thursday, the Rangers on Saturday and the Red Wings on Sunday.

As already noted, the Penguins traded star forward Jake Guentzel on Thursday. Pittsburgh also shipped away defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, though the club did add Michael Bunting.

Bunting is an interesting option the rest of the way. He had 13 goals and 36 points in 60 games with Carolina before the trade, which is nothing special, but with Guentzel gone, Bunting might play alongside Sidney Crosby going forward. That’s an ideal assignment that should boost Bunting’s fantasy value.

John Ludvig is the other Pittsburgh player who was significantly impacted by the trade deadline. With Ruhwedel gone, there’s an opportunity for Ludvig, who was last in the lineup on Feb. 18, to play regularly for the remainder of the season. Ludvig isn’t much of an offensive threat with just a goal and an assist through 23 games, but he’s a physical force. The 23-year-old has 23 PIM and 51 hits in 2023-24, so he might have some value to certain fantasy managers now that he’s projected to remain in the lineup.

Beyond that, I’m really interested to see how Crosby performs for the remainder of the campaign. He’s been fantastic with 32 goals and 63 points in 61 outings but has supplied only one helper across his past five appearances. It’s probably just a slump that will end soon, but this is also a new position for the 36-year-old. Crosby is used to playing on a contender. Even last year when the Penguins failed to make the playoffs, they missed by just one point.

Personally, I expect Crosby to bounce back shortly and have a solid finish to the season, but we’ll have to wait and see if being out of contention impacts his motivation more than I suspect.

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

The Sharks will play in Philadelphia on Tuesday, but that will be their only game next week against a team in a playoff position. After that, San Jose will continue its road trip with stops in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Columbus on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday.

San Jose traded away forwards Anthony Duclair and Tomas Hertl, defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen at the deadline. The Sharks did get Vitek Vanecek from New Jersey, but the goaltender might be done for the season due to a lower-body injury. Keep in mind, the Sharks were 15-40-7 even before those trades, so to say the squad is in a sad state now would be an understatement.

With Vanecek unavailable, Mackenzie Blackwood will likely be leaned on heavily for what’s left of the season…or at least he will be once he’s recovered from a groin injury. In the meantime, San Jose’s goaltending duo are Magnus Chrona and Devin Cooley. When Blackwood is healthy, Cooley might be sent to the minors. Regardless, none of them are good options in fantasy circles given the team in front of them.

Klim Kostin might have a little bit of value, though, to fantasy managers. The Sharks acquired him from the Red Wings on Friday. He was frequently a healthy scratch in Detroit and averaged just 8:43 when he did play, but in San Jose, Kostin might be a mainstay on the third line. That likely won’t lead to him getting much offense, but Kostin could be a good source of PIM and hits -- he has 38 and 60, respectively, through 33 appearances.

William Eklund might also be able to provide a bit of a silver lining. The 21-year-old hasn’t been as productive as hoped this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points through 60 contests, but he does have two goals and four points over his last four games, so perhaps he’ll end the season on a positive note. Certainly, the Sharks will give him plenty of opportunities at both even strength and on the power play.

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

The Jets will start the week at home, hosting the Capitals on Monday, the Predators on Wednesday and the Ducks on Friday. They’ll conclude the week with a road game versus the lowly Blue Jackets on Sunday.

Winnipeg added Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli in separate trades with New Jersey on Friday, which compliments the Jets’ addition of Sean Monahan on Feb. 2. The Jets have enjoyed an effective forward trio of Mark Scheifele (19 goals and 56 points in 56 contests), Kyle Connor (26 goals and 44 points in 46 outings) and Nikolaj Ehlers (19 goals and 44 points in 62 appearances), but the team’s scoring depth up front was lacking. With Monahan and Toffoli in the mix, Winnipeg can now roll two dangerous lines with ease.

This isn’t good news for everyone, though. Cole Perfetti has a respectable 14 goals and 31 points in 61 contests this season, but the 22-year-old has been cold for a while, providing just two assists over his last 21 games. With Winnipeg’s recent upgrades, Perfetti is projected to serve strictly in a bottom-six capacity without much, if any, power-play ice time. He might even be a healthy scratch in situations where everyone is healthy.

Vladislav Namestnikov has averaged 15:04 of ice time this season, but he might see work primarily on the third line going forward. He has been effective recently, though, with two goals and five points across his last five contests while seeing time with Connor and Scheifele, so perhaps the 31-year-old will be able to avoid that demotion in the short term.

Mason Appleton has done well lately too, collecting four assists over his last three contests, but the Jets’ additions will likely push him down in the depth charts too. Although he’s averaged 16:05 in 2023-24, he might play mostly in a bottom-six capacity going forward.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – FLORIDA PANTHERS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #30

Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Chapin Landvogt and Josh Bell — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:00:12 +0000

SUNRISE, FL - JANUARY 21: Grigori Denisenko #14 of the Florida Panthers skates during the game between the Florida Panthers and the Minnesota Wild at FLA Live Arean in Sunrise, FL on January 21, 2023. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire)

Top 20 Florida Panther Prospects

1. Mackie Samoskevich - RW

Selected 24th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Samoskevich has become the top prospect in the organization, thanks in part to the graduations of Anton Lundell and Spencer Knight. Samoskevich has been consistent in his development path, taking a step forward every season from his time with the Chicago Steel and throughout his NCAA career with the University of Michigan. His offensive awareness looks to be his greatest strength, from his navigation of the attacking zone to his ability to find teammates through traffic. He’s a competitive player, who has increasingly become more and more reliable at both ends of the ice. As has been the case since his draft year, he can hang on to the puck too long and get caught, but that seems to be lessening. He has the potential to be a 2C at the next level but may slide more comfortably into a 3C role.

2. Gracyn Sawchyn - C

Sawchyn is a cerebral pass-first center. He thrives when the puck is on his stick, always knowing what his next move with it should be, whether that's continuing to carry it himself for a while longer or moving it to a better-positioned teammate. His hands are top-tier, able to make opposing defenders look foolish, and he is very accurate and responsible with his passes, rarely forcing plays or turning the puck over. While he's not the fastest or most technically adept skater he keeps his motor revved high and his feet moving, which allows him to get a step ahead when he needs to, and he doesn't have to slow himself down at all to make his next move when he's carrying the puck in motion. Those are all advantages that he will need to maintain in order to survive the speed and physicality of the NHL, and how good of a job he does in that regard will determine where he'll settle into his team's lineup. He'll be a key piece for the Thunderbirds next year, maybe even as their first-line center, as they try to pull off the rare feat of winning back-to-back WHL championships.

3. Grigori Denisenko - LW

Drafted 15th overall way back in 2018, expectations were high for Denisenko and have remained fairly high ever since. It’s been a longer path than normal for the prospect, especially one drafted as high as him. He has remained a piece that the Panthers continue to have faith in and hold out for, despite him being in his third season in North America already with little sustained success to show for it. After a slow start in years one and two, he seemed to have taken a step forward last season with the Charlotte Checkers. He still has that skill that caused excitement years ago, especially with his quick hands and sharp turns, and he’s a firecracker on the ice. His decision-making can be concerning at times but has improved during his time in the AHL. At this point, his ceiling has dropped and it’s hard to see him as more than a bottom-six, contributing winger.

4. Justin Sourdif - RW

After two successful seasons in the WHL, Sourdif was rewarded with a selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, 87th overall. He continued a very strong WHL career for three more seasons, capping it off with a WHL Championship in 2021-22. Last season, he made the jump to the AHL where he didn’t pop as he had in the Dub, but he wasn’t far off either. The forward has a never-give-up attitude mixed with excellent speed, enabling him to win most races to the puck. His puck protection and possession are very strong, never wanting to give up the puck to his opponents. He’s also effective at both ends of the ice, making him even more dynamic. He has the makings of a solid third liner and a penalty-killer in the NHL but needs to build more strength and get more comfortable in the AHL first.

5. Aleksi Heponiemi - C

The wait for Heponiemi has been a very long one. Drafted way back in 2017, the forward has yet to truly break into the NHL, despite seeing time in the top league during each of the past three seasons. Heponiemi was a very exciting prospect heading into the draft, coming over to the WHL in 2016-17 and

winning Rookie of the Year. He played one more season with the Swift Current Broncos and put up a very impressive 118-points. He followed that with a big year in the Liiga, leading all rookies in points (46) before heading to the AHL in 2019-20. Heponiemi has struggled to truly find that dominance that he had in other leagues, looking more like a bottom-six contributor versus a potential offensive catalyst. He’s still a very strong playmaker, but his size (5-10”, 154 pounds) has contributed to his struggles in carving out an NHL role for himself. This summer, he signed with EHC Biel-Bienne in the Swiss National League and he remains unsigned by the Panthers as of this writing, putting his NHL future in serious question.

6. Michael Benning - D

Another player of smaller size in the Panthers system, Benning had a dominant career in the AJHL, leading the league in points from a defender in both of his seasons and being named the Top Defender in both the AJHL and CJHL in his final year. After being drafted in 2020, 95th overall, he made the jump to the NCAA with the University of Denver. After taking the first season to get comfortable, he found his way back to his dominating ways in 2021-22, leading Denver to an NCAA Championship and earning Tournament MVP in the process. The 5-9”, 181-pound rearguard truly shines in his transition game, dictating the play and pace of his team from his own end. He’s fearless with the puck and has a level of creativity that allows him to create chances in the offensive zone. The transition to the next level will be tough with his size, but he has the tools to succeed.

7. Evan Nause - D

Nause was a polarizing prospect throughout his draft year and that hasn’t changed as a drafted prospect. His draft year was solid, earning him a nod to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team and he then took a step forward when given an expanded role in 2021-22. His progression last season wasn’t as pronounced, but the Remparts were Memorial Cup Champions and Nause’s development is still on the right track and trending up. He has good size and looks like he could develop into a solid two-way presence. He reads the play very well, anticipating passes and cutting off lanes. He plays with a very calm demeanour. That can be an issue at times as he can appear to not play with urgency. He’s still fairly raw, but he has good mobility and the tools to be effective in his own end. He could be a bottom-of-the-line-up option that bounces between the AHL and NHL.

8. John Ludvig - D

After being passed over in the 2018 NHL Draft, the Panthers bet on Ludvig in 2019, selecting him 69th overall. He was coming off an 18-point season, more than double his previous total. In 2019-20, he returned to the Portland Winterhawks as the captain and exploded for a 62-point season and was named a First Team All-Star in the league. That was all the Panthers needed to see to sign him to his entry-level deal. Unfortunately, it’s been a tough road for the defender since then with several injury setbacks. He seemed on a path to be a physical, contributing rearguard who plays a mistake-free game. With his injuries and the impact on his development, it remains to be seen where he goes from here. Last season saw him get back on track a bit, so it’s up to the Panthers how they want to continue with his development.

9. Albert Wikman - D

There will always be a place in the NHL for steady, no frills, defensive defensemen, and Wikman fits that bill perfectly. He's a new age type of defender though, foregoing the outdated priorities of pugnacity and brawn in exchange for smarts and skating ability. Being able to defend an opposing player one-on-one is much harder than it looks, but you would never know it by watching him because he does it so confidently and casually. He always seems to be in control and has a very businesslike approach about his game. Pressure doesn't seem to faze him, and he rarely panics when the ice is tilted against his team. Without the puck he is very advanced with his positioning, angling and tie-ups, and when he does get it, he is capable on breakouts, as his outlet passes are clean and he's not afraid to skate it out himself. If he were a little bigger, a little more mobile, or a little bit of both, he'd project more as a number two defender than a number four, which is how he looks now. Wikman will never put up big point totals but will still make a positive difference in the win column.

10. Mack Guzda - G

The Panthers have Spencer Knight in net for the foreseeable future, but having another goaltender or two in the system is never a bad thing. Passed over through every NHL Draft he was eligible for, the Panthers signed Guzda as a free agent in February, 2022 while he was in the midst of a strong fourth and final OHL season, putting up a .915 save percentage. He stepped into the AHL last season and performed well as a rookie, playing fairly significant minutes. He’s intelligent, twice winning the Ivan Tennant Award as the Top Academic High School Player in the OHL. He’s got the size at 6- 5”, 216 pounds, the technical ability, and the ability to track pucks, and while he’s not going to be stealing Knights’ spot any time soon, he could fit well behind him moving forward.

11. Santtu Kinnunen - D

Florida had to be very patient with Kinnunen after drafting him in the 7th round of 2018. He finally came over to North America last year and the results were great as he finished second in defensive scoring for Charlotte. As an older prospect, the window of opportunity is probably small, but his puck moving ability is impressive and he could quarterback a powerplay in the future.

12. Logan Hutsko - RW

Even though Hutsko remains an RFA as of this writing and has signed in the SHL for the coming season, he remains someone to be hopeful for. The undersized forward has the skill, he just needs to gain confidence playing against men and the SHL should be great for his development.

13. Ryan McAllister - LW

One of the most sought after NCAA free agents this year, McAllister elected to leave Western Michigan after his freshman year. His playmaking ability and vision are his best assets and he could be a real diamond in the rough for the organization.

14. Marek Alscher - D

Alscher has a solid projection as a dependable stay-at-home defender because of his combination of length, mobility, and physicality. He will return to Portland (WHL) for a final junior season with the hope of improving his confidence with the puck.

15. Ludvig Jansson - D

The surprise of the WJC last year, Jansson came out of nowhere to be one of the tournament’s best defenders. Now he needs to show it at the pro level in the SHL where he has recently joined the Lulea program.

16. Jack Devine - RW

A strong complementary winger, Devine finds success thanks to a great motor and a high IQ. He is coming off of a great sophomore campaign at the U of Denver and will look to become one of the better wingers in the NCAA this season.

17. Sandis Vilmanis - LW

Blocked behind some other talented prospects in Sarnia last year, Vilmanis is primed for a breakout campaign in the OHL this year. The talent is there for the Latvian winger. Let’s see what he does with the opportunity.

18. Josh Davies - LW

Davies is like the “little engine that could.” He’s not the biggest, but he is among the fiercest in the WHL. He never takes a shift off and has developed a pest-like reputation. This year the Panthers will need to decide whether he has earned a contract and they’ll be looking for him to improve his offe nsive production to match his high energy approach.

19. Zach Uens - D

A Merrimack College standout, Uens’ first pro year was a disappointment as he failed to stick in the AHL full time and finished the ECHL season with a mere four points in 35 games. The physical tools are still very alluring, but he needs to have a better year to stay relevant.

20. Nathan Staios - D

The Panthers signed Staios after he won the Max Kaminsky trophy, as the OHL’s top defenseman in 2022. Unfortunately, the undersized blueliner struggled in his first pro year. His mobility is a major plus, but the decision making needs to improve for Staios to stick in the AHL this year.

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #30 – Florida Panthers

Josh Bell — Fri, 12 May 2023 17:15:06 +0000

Prospect System Ranking – 30^th

The Panthers emerged from a season of transition, which is an unusual position for the previous season’s President’s trophy winner to find themselves. For the 2022 playoffs, they pushed all their chips in to take a run at the Stanley Cup, clearing out the prospect pipeline and leaving themselves with only four picks in the top three rounds over the next three drafts. They were eliminated in the second round, after a mid-season coaching change as Joel Quenneville was suspended and Andrew Brunette took over. Paul Maurice took over the reins in the offseason, accompanying a seismic trade to add Matthew Tkachuck for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar as the main pieces involved. They were looking out of the playoffs by January as the retool took some time to mesh.

Since then, Tkachuck has emerged as one of the best players in the league and adds an element of fire and grit. The Panthers surged in the second half, and as of this writing, currently have the Maple leafs on the ropes 3-1 as of this writing. They will remain a threat with a core in their prime of Barkov, Tkachuck, Reinhart, Bennett, Verhaege, Duclair at forward and Ekblad and Forsling on defense, all 27-years old or younger. There is not a lot of imminent help from the prospect pool. Grigori Denisenko has been highly touted for years, but his development has stagnated. This coming season will clearly be a make-or-break on whether he is a regular NHL contributor or an AHL’er. They have graduated two promising prospects in Anton Lundell and Spencer Knight, so their window is much more open with their current group to grow together.

University of Michigan Ice Hockey team victory over Michigan State University,7-2, at Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, MI on Nov.5, 2021.

Mackie Samoskevich

Selected 24th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Mackie Samoskevich has become the top prospect in the organization, thanks in part to the graduation of Anton Lundell and Spencer Knight. Samoskevich has been consistent in his development path, taking a step forward every season from his time with the Chicago Steel through to his NCAA career with the University of Michigan. His offensive awareness looks to be his greatest strength, from his navigation of the attacking zone to his ability to find teammates through traffic. He’s a competitive player, who’s increasingly become more and more reliable at both ends of the ice. As has been the case since his draft year, he can hang on to the puck too long and get caught, but that seems to be lessening. He has the potential to be a 2C at the next level but may slide more comfortably into a 3C role.

2. Grigori Denisenko

Drafted 15th overall way back in 2018, expectations were high for Grigori Denisenko and have remained fairly high ever since. It’s been a longer path than normal for the prospect, especially one drafted as high as him. He’s remained a piece that the Panthers continue to have faith in and hold out for, despite him being in his third season in North America already. After a slow start in years one and two, he seems to have taken a step forward this season with the Charlotte Checkers. He still has that skill that caused excitement years ago, especially with his quick hands and sharp turns, and he’s a firecracker on the ice. His decision-making can be concerning at times but has improved during his time in the AHL. At this point, his ceiling has dropped and it’s hard to see him as more than a bottom-six contributing winger.

3. Justin Sourdif

After two successful seasons in the WHL, Justin Sourdif was rewarded with a selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, 87th overall. He continued a very strong WHL career for three more seasons, capping it off with a WHL Championship in 2021-22. This season, he’s made the jump to the AHL where he hasn’t popped as he did in the Dub, but he’s not far off either. The forward has a never-give-up attitude mixed with excellent speed meaning that he wins most races to the puck. His puck protection and possession are very strong, never wanting to give up the puck to his opponents. He’s also effective in both ends of the ice, making him even more dynamic. He has the makings of a solid third liner and a penalty-killer in the NHL but does need to build some strength and get more comfortable in the AHL first.

4. Aleksi Heponiemi

The wait for Aleksi Heponiemi has been a very long one. Draft way back in 2017, the forward has yet to truly break into the NHL, despite seeing time in each of the last three seasons. Heponiemi was a very exciting prospect heading into the draft, coming over to the WHL in 2016-17 and winning Rookie of the Year. He played one more season with the Swift Current Broncos and had an impressive 118-point season. He followed that with a big year in the Liiga, leading all rookies in points (46) before heading to the AHL in 2019-20. Heponiemi has struggled to truly find that dominance that he had in other leagues, looking more like a bottom-six contributor versus a potential offensive catalyst. He’s still a very strong playmaker, but his size (5-foot-10, 154 pounds) has contributed to his struggles in carving out an NHL role for himself.

5. Michael Benning

Another player on the smaller size in the Panthers system, Michael Benning had a dominant career in the AJHL, leading the league in points from a defender in both of his seasons and being named the Top Defender in the AJHL and CJHL in his final year. After being drafted in 2020, 95th overall, he made the jump to the NCAA and the University of Denver. After taking the first season to get comfortable, he found his way back to his dominating ways in 2021-22, leading Denver to an NCAA Championship and earning Tournament MVP in the process. The 5-foot-9, 181-pound rearguard truly shines in his transition game, dictating the play and pace of his team from his own end. He’s fearless with the puck and has a level of creativity that allows him to create chances in the offensive zone. The transition to the next level will be tough with his size, but he has the tools to succeed.

6. Evan Nause

Evan Nause was a polarizing prospect throughout his draft year and remains so as a drafted prospect. His draft year was solid, earning him a nod to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team and then given an expanded role in 2021-22, he took a step forward. His progression this season hasn’t been as pronounced, but he is still on the right track and trending up. He has good size and looks like he could develop into a solid two-way presence. He reads the play very well, anticipating passes and cutting off lanes. He plays with a very calm demeanour. That can be an issue at times as he can appear to not play with urgency. He’s still fairly raw, but he has good mobility and the tools to be effective in his own end. He could be a bottom-of-the-line-up option that bounces between the AHL and NHL.

7. John Ludvig

After being passed over in the 2018 NHL Draft, the Panthers bet on John Ludvig in 2019, selecting him 69th overall. He was coming off an 18-point season, more than double his previous total. In 2019-20, he returned to the Portland Winterhawks as the captain and exploded for a 62-point season and was named a First Team All-Star. That was all the Panthers needed to see to sign him to his entry-level deal. Unfortunately, it’s been a tough road for the defender since then with several injury setbacks. He seemed on a path to be a physical, contributing rearguard who plays a mistake-free game. With his injuries and the impact on his development, it remains to be seen where he goes from here. This season has seen him back on track a bit, so it’s up to the Panthers if they want to continue with his development.

8. Mack Guzda

The Panthers have Spencer Knight in net for the foreseeable future, but having another goaltender or two in the system is never a bad this. Passed over through every NHL Draft he was eligible for, the Panthers signed Mack Guzda as a free agent in February 2022 while he was in the midst of a strong fourth and final OHL season where he had a .915 save percentage. He’s stepped into the AHL this season and performed well as a rookie playing fairly significant minutes. He’s an intelligent prospect, twice winning the Ivan Tennant Award as the Top Academic High School Player in the OHL. He’s got the size at 6-foot-5, 216 pounds, the technical ability, and the ability to track pucks, and while he’s not going to be stealing Knights’ spot any time soon, he could fit well behind him moving forward.

9. Santtu Kinnunen

It’s not too often that seventh-round selections pan out, but it appears that Santtu Kinnunen is well on his way. Drafted 207th overall in 2018, the defender remained in Finland until this season, bouncing between the Liiga and Mestis for two seasons before carving out a full-time role for himself with a new team, Tappara, for the past two seasons. At the end of his 2022 campaign, where he helped Tappara to a league title, he signed his entry-level deal with the Panthers. In his first season in the AHL with the Checkers, he’s fit in well as a top-four defender, contributing offensively and holding his own in his own end. He’s looking more and more like a player that could play in the NHL, as a solid, two-way, bottom-four piece. At the very least, he looks to be a solid AHLer who earns the occasional call-up.

10. Logan Hutsko

Yet another prospect coming out of the 2018 NHL Draft, the Panthers took a bit of a gamble selecting him 89th overall. From a fractured vertebra that nearly left him paralyzed to an injury to his left MCL and kneecap, he missed practically all of the 2016-17 season and wasn’t selected in the 2017 NHL Draft. He came back in 2017-18 to his first season at Boston College, where he was named Hockey East Rookie of the Year and helped lead the team to three Hockey East Championships in the next four seasons, although his final year was shortened with yet another injury. He joined the Checkers in 2021-22, where he does seem to be back on track, but the seriousness of his injuries is still a concern. If he ever gets a chance to play in the NHL, what a story that would be for the forward.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – FLORIDA PANTHERS – Top 20 Prospects

Contributors – Brock Otten, Chapin Landvogt, Ethan Hetu, Viktor Fomich — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 18:14:17 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 27: Florida Panthers left wing Grigori Denisenko (14) and center Aleksander Barkov (16) talk during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, held on April 27, 2021, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Mackie Samoskevich RW

As a member of the Chicago Steel in his draft season and as a Michigan Wolverine, it was easy for Samoskevich to get lost among a sea of other highly-drafted, highly-talented NHL prospects. Samoskevich's list of teammates read off as a top prospect list of their own, and Samoskevich's game has definitely benefited from playing alongside such talented players. But that being said, Samoskevich's profile still ultimately stands on its own two feet. Samoskevich is an offensive talent, a quality playmaker and someone who is always looking to drive play and put his teammates in positions to score. Samoskevich wasn't a centerpiece offensive player as a freshman at Michigan, and the night-to-night quality of his contributions fluctuated more than he likely would have liked. But when Samoskevich was at his best, he was driving play and taking over shifts. Like many offense-first prospects around his age, Samoskevich doesn't use the inside of the ice as well as he should. His offensive tendencies are in need of some refinement, and he'll need to get better at learning to accept creating some less-than-ideal offensive chances rather than holding on to the puck too long in order to find the perfect look. If he can introduce some habits in his game that will serve him well at the pro level, his path to the NHL will become much smoother. There's a talent package that should allow Samoskevich to become a capable contributor to an NHL scoring line, and even perhaps a play-driving one, but there's a good deal of development that needs to happen before Samoskevich can get there. – EH

2 - Grigori Denisenko LW

Selected 15^th overall in the 2018 draft, Denisenko’s progress has been much slower than many, ourselves included, who have expected future NHL stardom, could foresee. He has completed his second full, albeit truncated, season of play in North America. He made the jump from Russia after a full KHL season with modest production which was boosted by a strong WJC. His move the North America coincided with Covid and Denisenko found himself in no-man’s land until the NHL and then AHL started up in 20-21. That first season showed promise, but last season cast a bit of a shadow on his prospect status. Only suiting up once for a deep and high-octane Panthers team, Denisenko was left to grow in the AHL, where things were progressing along well enough until a mid-January blocked shot resulted in a broken kneecap, ending his season. Presumably fit to begin the upcoming campaign, Denisenko likely needs further AHL time to determine his ability to help the NHL squad. On the other hand, with multiple regulars having departed the club while Anthony Duclair appears to be out for perhaps the entire season, there seems to be a lower line job for the taking, should Denisenko be ready to take the next step this fall. – CL

3 - Justin Sourdif RW

It was a good final year for Sourdif in the WHL. A midseason trade saw him join the Edmonton Oil Kings where he played a key role in their WHL Championship victory. Unfortunately, a training injury kept Sourdif from suiting up for Canada again at the re-started WJC’s in August, however, he remains a key prospect for the Panthers moving forward. Sourdif has a very well-rounded game. He is extremely versatile. He can impact the game because of his speed, which he uses to be active in puck pursuit in all three zones. He can impact the game with his physicality and tenaciousness. He is skilled and can make plays at high speed. Sourdif loves to take on defenders one on one and will look to work his way into the middle of the ice. An intelligent playmaker, his confidence in his shot also improved this year, especially once he joined Edmonton and became more of a support player on a stronger team. His pro journey will begin this season with Charlotte and Sourdif should be an immediate impact player for the Checkers. Depending on how he deals with the size and strength of pro defenders, he could move quickly through Florida’s system. Sourdif projects as a middle six forward who can play a variety of different roles, likely starting out in a bottom six role before moving up. - BO

4 - Evan Nause D

Nause was an instrumental piece in Quebec’s organization last season. He plays a very effective game in all three zones of the ice and performs extremely well under pressure. Nause might not be the most skilled or flashiest player, but he’s very reliable, makes sound decisions at all times and makes everything seem effortless. The Panthers prospect will be playing once again this season with a scary Quebec Remparts team where they’ll look to make up for last season’s disappointing run by going all in with new acquisitions such as Justin Robidas to their already stacked offensive group. The focus this year for Nause will be to take yet another step forward as an offensive defender. He moves well and Florida will be looking for him to use his skating ability to be more aggressive with the puck to help create offensive opportunities for the Remparts. The former second round selection does look like a potential #4-6 defender for Florida in the future and someone who could be a fairly versatile depth defender. However, if the aforementioned offensive game continues to progress, there is a chance that his projection changes to be a more integral building block. - EB

5 - Michael Benning D

There has been a lot of conversation about the changing face of the “modern” NHL defenseman, and as speed and skill continue to be prioritized in blueliners, the idea of the prototypical defenseman being six-foot-four and ready to smash opposing forwards into the boards have begun to die out. There have been many faces of this new wave of modern NHL defensemen, and Michael Benning could be another name in the ever-expanding list of talented undersized defensemen who have impactful NHL careers. Benning, a longtime teammate of Edmonton Oilers prospect Carter Savoie, had always been a play-controlling, productive offensive defenseman. But when Benning got to the University of Denver, a team with championship aspirations, his old habits weren’t going to get him to where he needed to go. He needed to polish his game and add some more safety to a profile that was all about aggression and chance creation as a junior player. Benning’s sophomore season was a massive step up from his freshman offering, and he helped lead an extremely talented Pioneers team to an NCAA national championship. Benning’s offensive game is well-developed, and he has all the elements to his game that give him NHL upside as an offensive defenseman. He can skate and contribute in transition, he can see the offensive zone quite well and pairs poise and playmaking flair to be a strong offensive zone facilitator. Benning’s game in his own zone isn’t nearly as developed as his offensive game, and that could pose issues for his pro projection. But even if he doesn’t improve in his own zone, he should still have NHL upside as a puck-moving offensive defenseman who will work best when paired with a defense-first partner. - EH

6 - Aleksi Heponiemi C

A 2017 2^nd rounder, Heponiemi is a little engine that could. His 5’10” height has always been suboptimal, but his 155-pound body has only exacerbated the challenge of his sticking in the NHL. Nonetheless, he has continued to put up gaudy numbers. Drafted after putting up over one point per game in the WHL, he proceeded to top two PPG in his D+1 year, before returning to his native Finland as a 19-year-old, where he sported 46 points in 50 regular season outings. The past two seasons have seen Heponiemi find his level, hitting a wall in his production his first time out in the AHL, producing nicely with MoDo of the HockeyAllsvenskan in 20-21 before getting a 9-game debut with the Panthers (two points). Last season with the Charlotte Checkers, Heponiemi established himself as one of the most adept power play actors in the entire AHL. Few players could enter the opposition zone as fluently as the Finn and his puck prowess in all situations was clearly at another level. He is hitting a crossroads heading into this season, the last of his contract, as Florida is built to win and there is no indication that he is even seen as one of the first call-ups, save for a need for a power play specialist. Then again, few clubs have been able to turn players into unexpected offensive weapons in recent years better than the Panthers. – CL

7 - Vladislav Lukashevich D

The season had been pretty uneventful for Vladislav Lukashevich and not in a good way, as after being sidelined for eight months due to an undisclosed injury, he returned to game action midseason and looked rather rusty. Even though he still was able to get in a decent amount of MHL game action, he didn’t look like much of a difference maker there and it might be fair to consider his entire season a wash. 12 months after being drafted, Lukashevich is more or less in the same developmental place he was when the Panthers called his name: he has a great frame that still needs to add a good deal of muscle, solid skating and skill, but the whole is not yet equal to the sum of his parts. All signs are pointing towards another season spent mostly in the MHL junior league this season, which might be a bit disappointing, but is not unexpected after the season he had. Lukashevich will be expected to be one of the leaders of his team, which would be good for his development. It should also be added that it is the final year of his current contract and seeing how the Lokomotiv organization is strong on the blueline, it will be difficult to get opportunities there, possibly making the young player more likely to look favorably at a move to North America. - VF

8 - Max Gildon D

After a strong rookie season in the AHL in 2021, that saw Gildon named a member of the All-Rookie Team, last year was a big step backward for the former Hobey Baker candidate, thanks to a lower body injury that ended his season in December. This year, he will try to recover the momentum he had built previously as he looks to become a top defender for Charlotte. Gildon has a very intriguing athletic make-up. He skates pretty well for his size (6’3), protects the crease and defends with physicality, and shows well as a puck mover with good hands and vision. He may not be a natural powerplay quarterback or a highly creative player, but there is a good chance that he could develop into an all situations top four defender. Without question, Florida has openings in their third pairing and will be looking to promote a prospect or two to that role. Given his recovery from injury, Gildon would appear to be a long shot at one of those spots. However, if he rebounds well and performs like he did in his rookie AHL season, he could easily push his way to the top of a weaker farm system. - BO

9 - Nathan Staios D

An undersized defender, Staois is the son of former NHL defender Steve Staois. Playing for his father in Hamilton, the younger Staois was a standout in his final (overage) year in the OHL, helping the Bulldogs win an OHL Championship. His strong performance led to him being named the recipient of the Max Kaminsky trophy, awarded to the league’s top defenseman. Then following the conclusion of the Memorial Cup, the Panthers inked him to a contract as a free agent. Staois is a tremendous skater, something he relies on to be an impactful offensive defender. He gains the offensive zone with ease on most occasions at the junior level and is terrific at walking the line inside the offensive zone to keep plays alive. While undersized, he also competes hard in the defensive zone to make up for his lack of stature. However, there are some decision-making issues which could become amplified at the pro level. A high risk/high reward type of player, he will need to learn to pick his spots to activate better. Additionally, his defensive zone awareness and ability to win 50/50 battles in high traffic areas will need to improve for him to be effective at even strength in the AHL. Staois has terrific potential to be an impactful defender, but like any free agent signing, he may take time to reach it as a longer shot. - BO

10 - John Ludvig D

It was a tough year for Panthers’ defensive prospects at the AHL level last year. Max Gildon missed most of the year with a lower body injury and John Ludvig missed almost the entire season following hip surgery. He battled back to play in the last few games of Charlotte’s year, which was encouraging, but you can throw his performance in those games out the window. This coming season will be a fresh start for Ludvig to try to re-find the confidence he had as one of the WHL’s best defenders previously. The question is, how will this serious hip injury affect his skating ability and ability to improve it further? Entering the pro ranks, Ludvig’s skating was the area of his game that still needed the most work and now that might be difficult for him. However, the rest of his game is extremely solid. He has a booming point shot, putting his entire 215lbs frame behind it. He is poised with the puck and shows good vision in all three zones. He is an aggressive defender who clears the crease and makes opposing forwards work to gain touches, especially along the wall. This well-rounded game gives him an NHL projection, even if his skating never improves beyond average. Like organization-mate Gildon, Ludvig will be looking to rebound as one of Charlotte’s top defenders this season, helping to re-emerge as a top prospect in the Florida system. – BO

11 - Mack Guzda

A free agent signing by the Panthers this past season out of the OHL, Guzda showed massive growth in a year split between Owen Sound and Barrie. The big netminder has improved his quickness and agility and will get a chance to play in the AHL this year.

12 - Serron Noel

A power winger, Noel struggled to adapt to the pace of the pro game in his first full AHL season. There is some concern that his development has plateaued. However, this year should give Florida a better indication of his potential.

13 - Logan Hutsko

After four good years at Boston College, Hutsko’s first pro season was largely a success for Charlotte. An undersized scoring forward, Hutsko will have to put up numbers to be a valuable pro.

14 - Zach Uens

What Florida has in Uens remains to be seen. The athletic defender shows good potential at both ends, however finding a true role at the pro level may be difficult. More should be known after he turned pro this season.

15 - Matt Kiersted

While an older prospect, Kiersted was once a prize free agent signing out of UND. The competitive two-way defender may have limited upside, but he could be a full time NHL player in a depth role this coming season.

16 - Liam Arnsby

Drafted late in 2022, Arnsby is an aggressive, defensively oriented center. He hits like a truck and can play a variety of roles. Upgrading his skating will be key as he returns to the OHL with North Bay.

17 - Josh Davies

Like Arnsby, Davies was a late round pick in 2022 who projects as a bottom six NHL player because of his tenacity and high energy game. He will look to improve his offensive production with Swift Current this season (WHL).

18 - Marek Alscher

A suffocating defensive defender, Alscher was a solid presence for the Portland Winterhawks in his first WHL season. Is there room for him to grow as a puck carrier or is his ceiling limited?

19 - Henry Bowlby

There is not much in the way of offensive potential for the defensive minded forward out of Harvard, however he could one day play a depth role for the Panthers as a penalty killing fourth liner.

20 - Kasper Puutio

Admittedly, this list was solidified prior to the completion of the WJC’s where Puutio emerged out of nowhere to be named the tournament’s top defender. A former 5th rounder, he will look to carry over that success to the Liiga level this coming season.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: FLORIDA PANTHERS – RANK: #20 – TIER IV

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:07:50 +0000

Florida Panthers

#20 Florida - The Panthers' system has the best goalie prospect around, and three more top 100 guys, but zero depth, a residual effect of the Tallon years.

TAMPA, FL - MAY 26: Florida Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight (30) during Game 6 of the First Round of the NHL Play-offs between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning on May 26, 2021 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/Icon Sportswire)

Spencer Knight

Here is our runaway top goaltending prospect in the sport. This would have been the case even if the Panthers hadn’t shown us in the post-season that they were willing to play Knight in the net at the expense of Sergei Bobrovsky, their incumbent starter, signed to a very long-term contract, for a very big cap hit. In watching Knight over the past four seasons, it is safe to state here that he has no notable weak spots to his game. He is the embodiment of everything an NHL team hopes to see in any goalie prospect, the yardstick against which all others are measured. He fills up the net; He is very athletic; He is exceptionally square to the shooter; He steps up in the biggest moments; He avoids wasted movements; He anticipates the play masterfully; He can play the puck himself better than most NHL goalies; He avoids unforced second chances by the opposition.

We, at McKeen’s, liked him enough in his draft year to feel comfortable projecting him as a rare first round goaltender (although this is growing less rare every year, it seems), and he has only improved over two seasons with Boston College, topping a .930 save percentage each year. His brief, late-season and post-season cameos with Florida only maintained these impressions. Knight will be pushing Bobrovsky for playing time all season, and sooner than later, force Florida into a buyout. He is a star in the making. - RW

Anton Lundell

We don’t yet know whether Lundell will spend the season in the NHL, but we know that there is nothing left for him to figure out in Finland, where he finished his age 19 season as the fifth best scorer on a point-per-game basis of anyone who played at least 20 games. He also captained Team Finland to a Bronze Medal at the WJC, while tying for third overall in tournament scoring among all nations. Finally, he was Finland’s leading scorer at the World Championships. So, yeah, it’s pretty amazing that he was available at 12^th overall in last year’s draft, with all due respect to the 11 taken ahead of him.

Skating will never be his strong suit and is the primary reason why he wasn’t drafted higher, but he knows how to get himself into open space and then capitalize on any opportunities that develop once he gets there. Equal parts creator and finisher, he can seem faster with the puck on his stick than he is when empty-handed. He can seem to lack physicality, but that is a byproduct of his patience, as he prefers to wait for something to develop then to force an error with aggression. Further, he will play in the greasy areas, but lets the play come to him, rather than trying to hunt it down. Even if he doesn’t break into the NHL full time this year, Lundell has first line center upside, and it will be here sooner than later. - RW

Grigori Denisenko

Last summer Denisenko left the KHL with some believing it was too early for him to make the jump. On one hand he had a very good World Juniors that year, while on the other he really had not established himself as a full-time KHL player yet. Unable to secure a KHL loan to start the previous season, Denisenko had to wait for the NHL/AHL to start to play. Thankfully, it does not appear it had any long-term effect, as when the AHL season started he looked totally solid there, even earning a call-up to the NHL, making it to the total of seven NHL games in his debut North American season.

Next season will be quite critical for him in terms of his development as an NHL player. He has the skating ability, a great right-handed shot and the overall attacking skillset. He needs to put everything together consistently and live up to his potential as a top line NHL player. Not easy to predict if he will succeed, but the star potential is certainly there, which should make the Panthers organization and fans really hopeful that he does. - VF

Mackie Samoskevich

Michigan commit Mackie Samoskevich had a season of two halves. He had 10 points within four games, and after a three-point night on January 2nd, giving him 21 points in 14 games, things changed. He was held off the scoresheet for two games, and then was held out of the lineup due to injury for six weeks. When he returned, he still had his moments, but the frequency of his magic was gone, finishing the regular season with 16 more points in 20 games. While some of these inconsistencies can be chalked up to injury recovery, it does make Samoskevich a bit of a gamble as a first round selection.

His best two characteristics are his skating ability and playmaking sense. When healthy, he flies. His ability to get from his own to the offensive end is high-end, regularly forcing the defenses into mistakes. He can maintain that speed over longer distances, but also has the short-area quickness to win races for loose pucks within a zone, and the edges to turn those wins into news playmaking lanes. These are not player comparisons, per se, but you can see some elements of what has made players like Mathew Barzal and Jonathan Huberdeau so successful as NHLers when watching Samoskevich. He will attend the University of Michigan next season and will look to carve out a significant role on that incredibly deep team. Hopefully he is able to improve his consistency, add some muscle, and improve his play away from the puck in his time at Ann Arbor. - RW

Ty Smilanic

One of the biggest 2020 draft day fallers, Florida scooped Smilanic up in the 3^rd round, and the young forward is already making the Panthers feel good about the pick thanks to a very strong freshman campaign with Quinnipiac, tying for the team lead in goals. Perhaps if his draft year had not been inundated with multiple injuries, his potential would have been easier to spot. As is, he is a swift skater, has a well-rounded offensive game – even if he trended much more towards goals this year – and can be utilized in all situations, as his average of over 2.5 minutes of shorthanded ice time per game for the Bobcats indicates.

Currently utilized as a center, there is a school of thought that he would eventually have more value on the wing. There are also questions about how he will hold up when the going gets rougher, as he could seem to shy away from contact at times. Still filling out a lanky 6-1” frame, perhaps added bulk would give him additional assertiveness in the corners. Whatever the case, Florida has no reason to rush Smilanic in his development. He looks to have a middle six upside now, but we will be a lot smarter about his projection after a normal collegiate season next year, instead of playing the same three teams over and over again. Time is still needed, but he is facing the right direction. - RW

Max Gildon

One of the lesser-reported, funky side effects of COVID on the world of North American hockey was that three AHL franchises elected to keep their rinks shut throughout the season. One of those AHL teams was the Florida affiliate in Charlotte. As a result, the Panthers had to find contingency solutions to keep their not-ready-for-primetime prospects on the ice this year. The bulk of them played with Tampa’s affiliate in Syracuse, but a few required third or fourth options for ice time. Gildon was one of those whose solution required creativity, and he ended up spending the season with Edmonton’s farm club in Bakersfield.

Coming fresh out of the University of New Hampshire, his rookie pro season did not go according to plan but was nonetheless very successful. He was Bakersfield’s leading scorer among defenders, and by the season’s second half, was regularly playing upwards of 22 minutes per game, including a few games above 25 minutes of ice time. As an amateur, Gildon always demonstrated a raw, but tantalizing skill set, with an ideal frame, good mobility, solid puck skills, and a sort of intuition that would lead to excitement – at one end of the rink or the other. He still needs at least one more full AHL campaign before we begin to worry about finding him an NHL job, but his development has remained on the right trajectory since draft day. - RW

Serron Noel

It seems as though the last two years of Noel’s development have really plateaued after a promising start to his career as a prospect in the OHL. Under a point per game in his final season in the OHL, Noel was used sparingly on a deep Syracuse team in his first pro season last year in the AHL. The 6’5, 215lbs winger has an intriguing package of size and skill, but a lack of production (or at least a positive step forward) can often be alarming.

Noel skates well for a big player, especially linearly. Due to the power he generates North/South, Noel excels driving the net where he has the skill to finish off plays in tight. However, he still needs to add more dynamic layers to his stride to make him more effective moving through traffic, when he is not able to drive through defenders. Additionally, his play away from the puck needs to become more consistent, especially if he wants to carve out a career as a high end third line winger, which appears to be his likely high-end potential at this point. This coming season Noel will look to establish himself as a consistently productive AHL player who can stay in the lineup for the Crunch. Positive progression is a must this year after two relatively stagnant years. - BO

Evan Nause

An extremely well-rounded defender, Nause may not be flashy, but he is highly effective. After playing with Sioux Falls of the USHL two seasons ago (where he made the USHL All Rookie Team), Nause joined Quebec of the QMJHL this past year. Interestingly enough, he was drafted in the top ten twice in the QMJHL. First by Val-d’or in 2019 (sixth overall), then by Quebec in 2020 (fifth overall). This past year, there was a transition period at the beginning, but as the QMJHL season progressed, he seemed to look more comfortable with each passing month.

A strong skating defender, Nause uses his strong agility and four-way mobility to impact the game at both ends of the ice. He is comfortable and smooth moving backwards and laterally, allowing him to maintain a close gap when defending in transition. He is quick and fluid moving forward allowing him to escape forecheckers in order to create space for clean exits. Nause is also a highly intelligent defender. His exit passes always seem to hit the mark and it is rare to see him turn the puck over, even when he is trying to play with pace. One might wonder, then, why a 6’2 defender with such a well-rounded skill set would be drafted in the late second round. The answer is that Nause’s NHL potential may be limited to more of a secondary role (perhaps a #4-5) due to the fact that his puck skills are average, and his game is simplistic. If Nause’s offensive capabilities improve, he could look like a steal at the draft. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Cole Schwindt

This past year was supposed to be Cole Schwindt’s swan song in the OHL. He likely would have taken another step forward offensively, while leading the Mississauga Steelheads to a solid position in the standings. However, the OHL season was canceled due to the pandemic. Thankfully the Panthers found a place for Schwindt to play in the AHL with Syracuse, even if he played sparingly. Not exactly the banner year he would have likely had, but better than nothing.

Drafted as a potentially elite shutdown defensive forward, Schwindt’s confidence as an offensive player and playmaker has blossomed. He still has the qualities that you look for in a great shutdown forward (size, reach, awareness, skating ability), however Florida must have been really happy to see his play with the puck take such a positive step forward previously. In the AHL, Schwindt played the exact kind of role you would have expected, killing penalties, excelling in the defensive end, and engaging on the forecheck. However, offensively he struggled. This year, in his second AHL season, Schwindt should be an AHL regular, and the Panthers will likely get a better indication of whether he can develop into that elite third line forward, or whether he profiles as more of a depth piece. - BO

Justin Sourdif

After being selected in the third round by the Florida Panthers, Sourdif was returned to Vancouver (WHL) to resume his junior career as an 18-year-old, where he dominated in posting 34 points in just 22 games, showing another level of offensive upside that may not have been as apparent in his draft year. An athletic player with great skating abilities, Sourdif is able to blow by or bulldoze through opponents with equal ease thanks to his lower center of gravity. His release is powerful and can beat goalies from distance or from in front with a deft set of hands. His puck control is excellent, and he excels at going to the correct areas on the ice in order for the puck to find him – traits that should translate well to the pro level.

His awareness in all three zones is generally reminiscent of older players, which should endear him to coaches. He thinks the game well and can play center or wing and contribute on the powerplay or penalty kill. He struggles with consistency and needs to bulk up in order to withstand the rigours of the pro game. He will likely play one final season of junior as a 19-year-old in 2021-22, where he figures to be among the top scorers in the league. - AS

Aleksi Heponiemi

A former standout in the WHL, Heponiemi’s transition to pro hockey has not been seamless. The ultra-quick and creative playmaker has had some trouble adjusting to the strength requirements of the pro game. However, he remains a potential middle six forward for the Panthers and will get an opportunity to be a full time NHL player this season.

Matt Kiersted

One of the top prizes of the college free agent crop this past season, Kiersted has been a winner wherever he has played. After four solid seasons with UND, the strong skating, two-way defender has turned pro. He got into a few games with Florida last year and will look to crack the roster again this season in a third pairing role. However, some time at the AHL level may not be terrible for him either.

John Ludvig

A former standout for Portland of the WHL, the big, physical two-way blueliner had a very good first pro season with Syracuse last year. While the roster crunch (no pun intended) limited his game action, he proved that he could develop into a potential top four defender for the Panthers within the next few seasons, with a profile similar to the Maple Leafs’ Jake Muzzin.

Samuel Montembeault

The 2020/21 season was unquestionably a step backwards for the former third round selection, as he struggled in the AHL after getting a long look in the NHL the year prior. He will continue to serve as Florida’s top injury call-up and still has the chance to become Spencer Knight’s back-up in the future.

Michael Benning

A fourth-round pick in 2020, Benning may not be large (5’8, 180lbs) but he is an extremely talented offensive defender. He was an immediate impact player for the University of Denver as a freshman last season and will look to become one of the top offensive blueliners in college this season as a sophomore.

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – FLORIDA PANTHERS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 4

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:33:33 +0000

Florida Panthers

One of the fun things about writing these little team essays to kick off each top 15 is that I get to discuss whatever interests me about a given team. Maybe they scout heavily from a particular geographic area, or they ignore an area altogether. Maybe the system is well-balanced, or particularly unbalanced.

The Florida Panthers have an excellent system. They have made some seriously funky selections over the years to raise the odd eyebrow. Some have worked out splendidly, or are in the course of doing so, like #11 Justin Schutz below, drafted out of the Red Bull Akademie playing in the Czech U18 league. Sometimes they don’t work out, like the majority of players they have selected in recent years who have taken the collegiate route. This clearly doesn’t apply to the likes of Spencer Knight, Max Gildon, or Logan Hutsko, all on this list, but too many of their collegiate prospects are in grave danger of not being worth an ELC once they exhaust their NCAA eligibility.

But these are not the points I wish to make about the exceptionally strong and deep Florida system. I also won’t spend too much time noting that the depth was significantly juiced through three trade acquisitions in the last 12 months which brought in top 15 prospects Aleksi Saarela, Eetu Luostarinen, and Chase Priskie, all three of whom have at one point belonged to the Carolina Hurricanes, but not all of whom were acquired directly from the Hurricanes.

The future is bright, Panthers fans. Enjoy it!

I want to instead talk about a Florida mistake. In recent years, many teams have been loading up on CHL prospects in the early rounds and using their middle/late round picks on collegians or Europeans. The CHL players are generally easier to scout accurately, while the others avenues can lead to more sleepers and late bloomers and the drafting team has more time to decide on offering a contract to a college-bound player or someone drafted out of Europe.

There are exceptions to the above paragraph of course. On the one hand, a team should absolutely draft top-level Europeans and college-bound players early. The Panthers do this regularly. Look on the list below. Their top two prospects, also known as their first-round picks in the two previous drafts, include a USNTDP alum who is now playing at Boston College, and a Russian playing at home. The team will reap the rewards of those picks for much of the next decade barring something truly unfortunate.

The other exception is drafting CHL players late if they are in their second or third year of draft eligibility. While the other developmental tracks tend to have more late bloomers, once in a while an 18 or 19 year old playing junior hockey in Canada makes a big leap and becomes worthy of draft consideration when he was an afterthought after his age-17 season. Whereas late rounders are generally lottery tickets and it makes sense to give organization as much lead time as possible before making a decision on a 17 year old headed to Michigan State, or Frolunda, if you feel an 18- or 19- year old from Kamloops or Rouyn-Noranda is a good bet to contribute at the professional level, than you should definitely use a pick on him, especially as you can sign him immediately (or within one year) and put him to work under your own coaches.

Not signing an overager draft pick is a massive failure at the draft table. Last year, the Panthers used their sixth and seventh round picks on two such 20-year-old players, in Greg Meireles of Kitchener and Matthew Wedman of Seattle. One COVID-19 interrupted season later, and the Panthers did not sign either of them. I am absolutely nit-picking about a system this deep, but what an avoidable waste of two draft picks.

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 10: Boston College Eagles goaltender Spencer Knight (30) makes a glove save during the Beanpot consolation game between the Harvard Crimson and the Boston College Eagles on February 10, 2020, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Spencer Knight, G (13^th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 3)

The Florida Panthers took a big gamble in using their first-round pick on a goaltender. Goaltenders are very rarely drafted in the first round because they can be very difficult to project. Knight spent two seasons with the USNTDP and also recorded the best save percentage in the tournament while earning a U18 World Junior Championship bronze medal. Knight also earned a World U-17 gold medal and suited up again with the U.S. in the World Juniors this past year. At the WJC, he was named one of the U.S.’ top three players.

He was hailed as the top goaltending prospect heading into college hockey, a big expectation for a freshman goaltender. But Knight has only solidified the hype, leading Boston College to a regular-season Hockey East championship and earning a spot on Hockey East’s All-Rookie team thanks to a solid save percentage.

He can clear the puck quickly and tracks it very well. He possesses a quick stick when clearing the crease and he has quick reflexes. Knight won’t make “wow” saves, but that is a good thing - it means he isn’t being caught out of position.

While there are many qualities of Knight’s game to like, there are two that indicate his likelihood of becoming an NHL goaltender - his size and speed in the net. He is 6-3” and fills the net nicely. The game gets quicker at each level and his ability to keep up as a freshman is a good sign. While he is expected to return to school for another season, he is already not far from being ready for the next step. - JS

Grigori Denisenko, LW (15^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 1)

There is a reason why many consider Denisenko to be one of the top forward prospects on the planet; he is the complete package offensively and has the potential to be one of the highest scoring players in the NHL. After lighting up the last two World Junior Championships, Denisenko signed his NHL contract with Florida and will be heading to North America next season.

Some may point to Denisenko’s lackluster stats in the KHL and question why he is so highly regarded. It is important to remember that it is hard for young Russian players to earn quality ice time in the KHL, regardless of player skill or production, and that was the case for Denisenko, who found himself in a bottom six role most nights with Lokomotiv.

Denisenko is an exciting prospect because of the intensity he plays with, in combination with his high-end skill level. He plays the game hard, brings a physical element, and loves to get under the skin of the opposition as a pest. While discipline can be an issue at times, his ferocity is an integral part of his game as he looks to push the pace and attack the offensive zone. He has the speed, the hands, and finishing ability, and the creativity to be one of the best players on the planet.

The knock on Denisenko, outside of penalty issues, is his consistency. However, his potential remains sky high. It is highly likely that Dale Tallon and the Panthers are planning on Denisenko being a part of their lineup for the 2020-21 season. Given how hard he plays, he could easily start in a checking line role and still find success. However, eventually, he should be able to work his way up the lineup. - BO

Owen Tippett, RW/LW (10^th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 2)

For the Panthers organization which boasts one of the lower fan attendance marks in the NHL, drafting and choosing the right fresh faces is everything. Tippett is by far one of the strongest draft picks Florida has made, and he is an ideal candidate to grow into a top six forward for the team, and as a member of their core group and one of the faces of the organization. The skilled winger has an exemplary attitude both on and off the ice and boasts a skill set and maturity level that even many seasoned players do not have.

Tippett was on the cusp of making the Panthers’ roster this past season as he was leading the AHL Springfield Thunderbirds in points as well as ice time among forwards. He has made one of the smoother transitions from the OHL to the AHL last season, with only Providence Bruins forward Jack Studnicka at his level in terms of performance and impact.

His work ethic and offensive shooting ability are both impressive, and his drive to make plays during special teams’ situations makes him an asset to have on the ice. The only thing that needs slight work is Tippett’s defensive positioning but that will come with more time spent on professional level ice.

Overall, he is a fabulous forward and makes his presence felt every shift. The hope is that he stays healthy and continues to develop and by next season he should be making his NHL debut. - SC

Serron Noel, RW/LW (34^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 4)

After such a strong draft +1 season with the Generals in 2018/19, the expectations placed on Noel heading into this season were quite high. However, the year was a disappointment for him and his development. Not only did his offensive game and consistency regress (with both Oshawa and Kitchener), but he failed to earn an invite to the Canadian World Junior camp too, something that looked like a lock after his strong performance at the team’s summer showcase prior to the start of the season.

A 6-5” power forward, Noel still possesses the potential to be an impactful player in the NHL. He skates well for a bigger player, showing the ability to drive through defenders on the way to the net. His hands and finishing ability in tight are excellent. When he is on his game, he also makes a large impact physically, using his size, reach, and skating ability to close in on opposing players quickly to force turnovers.

Unfortunately, this season certainly brought to light some current limitations to his game. Noel can struggle to create his own scoring chances because his puck skill and overall agility are still areas that require development. Additionally, this year we saw his physical game take a step back, as the consistency of his engagement level without the puck was not present.

Many believed that a midseason deal to Kitchener would reignite his game, but it actually caused further regression. Florida will have to be patient with Noel as he moves to the professional level this season. He still projects as a middle six power forward who can score, however he may need more time in the AHL than originally thought. - BO

Aleksi Saarela, D (Trade: Oct. 23, 2019. Originally: 89^th overall, 2015 [NY Rangers]. Pre-season: 4 [Chicago])

For such a talented player, it has been a rather frustrating start to Saarela’s career in North America, constantly being good enough to earn call ups to the NHL but still not quite having what it takes to fully stay up with a club. The former third round New York Rangers draft pick was traded first to the Carolina Hurricanes, before stopping in the Chicago Blackhawks’ organization and now with the Panthers, spanning the last three of those teams in a single season.

Saarela is a force when it comes to pure strength and stability on the ice as he is an all-round skilled hockey player. Despite being moved many times, he has done well at making the necessary adjustments needed to succeed with the Panthers with their AHL affiliate in Springfield. Last season he finished second in forward points with Springfield and managed to be a consistent member of their special teams as well.

Next season he will have to do better at being present and not turning the puck over in the neutral zone. He is a good two-way player but he needs to make sure to not develop any lazy habits in his own end or cheating and leaving too early when exiting the zone. Saarela deserves a break and has what it takes to be given a proper chance, where his skating, puck possession, and overall hockey sense can be put on show. He would make a decent addition to Florida’s roster as part of their bottom six. - SC

Cole Schwindt, C (81^st overall, 2019. Pre-season: 9)

It was a breakout season for the Mississauga Steelhead center, who finished the year exceptionally well and has positioned himself for an even larger breakout next year. Schwindt has the body and make-up of a terrific third line center.

He plays and excels in all situations. He protects the puck well through traffic, using his wide base and reach to keep defenders at bay. He plays with intensity in all three zones and has become one of the better two-way forwards in the OHL. Additionally, his skating has improved further, giving him more of an extra gear to aid in his ability to generate offense in transition, and to help him be more effective away from the puck.

Next year, Schwindt should continue to improve and has to be considered one of the more underrated prospects currently playing in the Ontario Hockey League. The offensive upside may be somewhat limited, but his game is so well rounded that it is difficult to see him failing to become an NHL player in the future. - BO

Max Gildon, D (66^th overall, 2017. Pre-season: UR)

A Texas product, Gildon spent his youth playing locally until he went to the USNTDP. He played in the WU-18 tournament, where he won a gold medal while scoring the most goals by a defenseman and being named to the tournament’s all-star team. The third-round pick signed with the Panthers after three years with the UNH Wildcats.

Gildon has always been able to contribute offensively, and he led New Hampshire in scoring this season. He is a smooth skater with good stick handling skills. He is physical and isn’t afraid of taking a hit to play the puck, but because of his good defensive stick, he doesn’t need physicality to dislodge the puck from opponents.

He appeared on the first power play unit and quarterbacked it well thanks to his vision and ability to cycle. He can weave through his opponents smoothly. He is gifted, but still raw, and needs a season or two in the AHL before hitting the NHL. - JS

Vladislav Kolyachonok, D (52^nd overall, 2019. Pre-season: 6)

Kolyachonok has everything you would look for in a future shutdown defender at the NHL level. He has good size. He skates extremely well, showing an explosive first few strides and fluid lateral movement. This helps him to not only shutdown the transition game of opponents, but he is so quick to close in on attackers and loose pucks that teams have trouble setting up in the defensive zone when Kolyachonok is on the ice.

Offensively, he has a big point shot and he makes a strong outlet pass. On the other hand, he is not a creative player or someone that should be expected to put up large offensive numbers at the next level. Playing a smart, composed, and safe game, Kolyachonok projects as a possible second pairing, defensively oriented defender at the NHL level.

He returns to Flint next year where he will look to continue to evolve as a two-way defender, perhaps gaining confidence in his ability to use his strengths as a skater to help lead the breakout. - BO

Aleksi Heponiemi, C (40^th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 5)

Heponiemi, who had a lot of success playing major junior and in the less gritty Liiga, had a very unkind season as he transitioned into the AHL this past season. As one of the lightest players in the AHL, he seemed to have difficulty holding onto the puck, often getting separated from it too easily and not winning his battles enough.

Although still nifty and creative on the ice, there were certainly more limitations apparent as he took on a new league and level of play, with a lack of weight or the strength needed to be a strong puck carrier and offensive threat in the AHL.

Of course there are always exceptions and players like Elias Pettersson who are exceptionally skilled, work hard, and who weigh under 180lbs, but those players are rare and for Heponiemi to prove himself as a great, he will have to get much stronger and dominant on the puck in another go-round in the AHL, to earn a callup as a bottom six forward. - SC

Eetu Luostarinen, C (Trade: Feb. 24, 2020. Originally: 42^nd overall, 2017 [Carolina]. Pre-season: 6 [Carolina])

After playing top minutes with the Carolina Hurricanes feeder team in Charlotte and earning top power play ice time as well, the smooth skating forward was traded to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline. Although he only managed to fit in five games before the COVID-19 break, Luostarinen brings starting line experience and strong skating and puck handling skills.

He is not a terribly showy player, but his technical skills stand out when the puck is on his stick. He has the potential to make plays happen at the NHL level with the Florida Panthers as part of their quiet but deadly bottom six, however he needs to be better without the puck and more aggressive and physical when forechecking and battling.

Luostarinen will start the season back in his native Finland with KalPa in the Liiga as European leagues are getting underway even while the game in North America is in wait-and-see mode, but expect to see him earn his first call up to the Florida Panthers later in the season. - SC

Justin Schutz, KW (170^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: UR)

The young forward wrapped up the 19-20 season, his first as a full-time pro, with DEL regular season champion Red Bulls Munich, where he joined the slightly younger JJ Peterka on an all-kid line. Were it not for the names on the back of the jerseys, you would hardly be able to tell the two players apart on the ice. Their skating and style of play is that similar in the grand scheme of things.

Of average height, but solidly built, Schutz reads the game very well and plays as if he's doing exactly what his coach is telling him to do, leading one to believe that he wasn't allowed to demonstrate his full abilities.

Solid hands and puck decisions are accompanied by strong skating attributes and a very solid work ethic. He proved to be very adept in 1-on-1 situations, often those along the boards, against men at the pro level. He will return to the Munich club for another season next year. - CL

Logan Hutsko, C/RW (89^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: UR)

There is a lot to like about Hutsko, a former third-round draft pick. He went from Shattuck St. Mary’s to a key role in the middle of the USNTDP lineup. He also appeared in the World Hockey Classic U-17. As a freshman, he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and was awarded the Hockey East Rookie of the Year.

He is a fast skater and makes his skating look effortless. He also drives the net hard. Hutsko has good stick handling abilities and played a regular role on BC’s power play. He is definitely more on the underrated side, however there is one big question mark surrounding his game that has seeing held him back— injuries. Hutsko has been injury prone throughout his career and missed nearly the entire 2016-17 season. He has had some bad luck, and whether or not he can stay healthy will decide ultimately what, if any, NHL career he can have. - JS

Samuel Montembeault, G (77^th overall, 2015. Pre-season: 8)

Often times goaltenders need more time to come into their own and develop than do skaters and this may be just the case for Montembeault, who has spent exactly 25 games up with the Panthers over the years, and has experienced moderate success. It just does not feel like he is ready to make the full time jump to the NHL and still has more room to develop.

He is agile, quick, and tracks the puck well but he is still missing aspects of his game where it comes to reading how quickly NHL plays develop. He has the potential to start more games in the NHL, but for now it is up in the air as to whether he is capable of being a starter or not, depending on his continued development.

Let it be known that Montembeault certainly has the compete level and spirit to do so but the rest is up to his physical performance in net. - SC

Chase Priskie, D (Trade: Feb. 20, 2020. Originally: 177^thoverall, 2016 [Washington]. Pre-season: 13 [Carolina])

After finishing second overall for defensive points on the Charlotte Checkers, Priskie was traded at the deadline to the Panthers, after which he immediately recorded four points in five games with the Thunder, getting off to a good start with his new organization. Priskie never got an NHL chance with the Carolina Hurricanes, but if he continues next season the way he started with Springfield there is no doubt that he will be one of the first defensemen called up to the Panthers.

He is smart with the puck, physical, and a good playmaker, which makes him deadly on the attack. He would fit well into Florida’s bottom four when he earns his chance, and it would be interesting to see how his smarts adapt to the NHL game. Priskie plays with such passion and fearlessness that his first call up should go well helping the Panthers look good for picking him up. - SC

John Ludvig, D (69^th overall, 2019. Pre-season: UR)

Ludvig had an explosion of offense this year playing with a high paced, dynamic offensive group that boasted numerous highly talented players. His point per game pace is a sign there is some offensive tools in there but do not mistake that for the bread and butter of his game.

He is a heavy player with a stocky frame that he uses to control his own zone. He is a physical, bruising defender that has an eye to make the responsible play, with and without the puck. He fits the mold of a bottom pairing guy that could play up a pairing with a more dynamic partner.

He can move the puck and makes sound decisions in his own zone. His gap control in the neutral zone is excellent and he can push players to the outside by taking good angles and taking away space. He will jump into the rush but is always a trailer and is not an end to end rusher as his point totals may indicate. At the blueline he is a cautious decision maker who keeps pucks active and moving, rather than making a cross-seam back door pass that can be picked off. - VG

WHL: Revisiting the 2019 NHL Draft prospects from the west

Vince Gibbons — Tue, 07 Jan 2020 20:51:51 +0000

We are about halfway through the 2019-20 season for hockey across most leagues and most players have had time to settle into their team situation. Players have had a hot streak, a cold streak or established themselves as the consistent players that teams need them to be at this point. With that being said I took a look at production of last year’s NHL drafted players from the WHL and compared it to the early results of this season. The hope was to see a number of players who have taken a big step year over year in terms of production. A couple of players have moved on to men’s leagues which makes for a fairly drastic drop off in the year over year production but I left them in anyways.

I will supplement what the chart says below with some context for each player based what we have seen so far this season both team wise and individual player wise so don’t panic as of yet. The progression column shows the improvement in scoring rate for Goals, Assists, and Points with green being a very positive progression over last year’s totals, red being lower production, and white being closer to equal production year over year.

The likes of Kirby Dach (NHL), Lassi Thomson (SM-Liiga), and Brett Leason (AHL) have all started competing against men this season. While all three have started in three different leagues I have grouped them together as a drop in production is expected even by the most talented of prospects as they adjust to the pro game. Lassi Thomson’s goal production in Finland is more or less equivalent to his scoring rate in the WHL which is very impressive considering the talent and defensive mindedness of that league. He is another talented puck moving blueline that the Senators were ahead of the curve on last year and are seeing the rewards this season. Dach and Leason have both scored their first goals in the pros and have been reasonably productive as they transition to full time pro hockey even though neither has firmly established themselves as a top six player on their respective rosters. Dach is on pace for 13 goals in his rookie season in the NHL which is a very respectable total considering his limited minutes. He is a high end player and surely would have been a top forward at the World Juniors had Chicago released him for the tournament.

In terms of progression year over year two players really stand out, in John Ludvig for Portland, who is scoring goals at nearly 3 times the rate he did last year while nearly doubling his point production, and Aliaksei Protas, who has taken over the top line duties in Prince Albert and is scoring goals at over double the rate of last season. Protas’ skating has improved this year and while it is not ever going to be a strength it certainly has improved enough that he can keep up with the play. With his size, ability to protect the puck, and his deceptively good hands he could be a gem of a prospect taken only 91^st overall. Ludvig showed a strong defensive side to his game, and that he was a very intelligent player but never stood out with the puck on his stick during his draft year. This year he has been carrying the puck with more confidence and making plays that a season ago seemed to elude him. He has 13 power play points already including 5 goals compared to only 2 power play assists last season. He still has a long path to the NHL but has looked like good value for Florida at the 69^th pick.

Another defender that has really taken a step forward in production this year is Kaedan Korczak. He has a 71% improvement in his point rate from last season and is on pace to double his goal total from last season. His team isn’t massively improved although Lassi Thomson’s departure to Finland opened up some premium offensive minutes that he has been able to take advantage of. He is a very good skater that plays a tough physical brand of hockey that makes him a solid two way defender that can help a team in any situation.

There are a group of later round forward picks that have all had impressive spikes in production year over year. Adam Beckman, taken 75^th overall, is the top scorer in the WHL at the time of writing, first in goals and 5^th in assists. He has a very developed offensive game and is a high volume shooter (currently first in the league in shots). He finds soft spots in the defense and has a lightning quick release that enables him to be as productive as he has been over the past two seasons. Sasha Mutala had a disappointing season in some regards during his draft year. A key piece of the Hlinka-Gretzky winning Team Canada he was never able to put it together night in and night out. This year he has found his stride and been a much more consistent player. He is on pace to nearly double his point production over last season. Reese Newkirk was taken with the 147^th pick in the draft and has certainly outperformed his draft position this season. A 25% improvement in goal production coupled with a 55% increase in assists has made him a strong center on a top end Portland team. He has excellent pace and is relentless on the forecheck or when pursuing the puck. He is a player that derives his offense from playing the right way without the puck.

I have avoided discussing the top end guys until now because in terms of the stats they aren’t the most eye catching. Most of the top players had very strong seasons in 2019 which makes it more challenging to massively improve those numbers, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t stand out. The first round picks like Dylan Cozens (7), Peyton Krebs (17), Nolan Foote (27), and Brayden Tracey (29) have all shown upticks of at least 15% in overall production with Nolan Foote’s 38% the most impressive rise. That sort of predicable growth is what made all of them first round targets in the first place.

Cozens has done more this season with less as Lethbridge has aged out a good portion of its roster. Everything is driven from his play with the puck. His skating, passing and finishing ability are all high end skills that coupled with his size make him a highly coveted forward prospect.

Krebs has shown no ill effects from the unlucky Achilles injury he suffered in the offseason and continues to show that he is an elite play maker. He is the only player on the list averaging over one assist per game this season. His vision and responsible two way game continue to be stand out traits for a player that likely dropped a few picks after the injury.

Nolan Foote has always been a lethal shooter and that continues to be the case but he has really shown growth in his game as a playmaker. While he is never going to be an elite passer like Krebs or Cozens, Foote has shown he can move the puck when the defense tries to close down his shooting lane. A 76% increase in assist rate over last season is not just guys tapping in rebounds from his elite shot.

Finally we look at Brayden Tracey, a player about whom I was wrong last season. I often thought he was a passenger on a high end line with two 20-year-olds but his production this season has still grown by 15% despite losing his top two linemates. Tracey is still getting his goals at about the same rate as last season but his assist production this year is second among all the 2019 NHL Drafted players in the WHL - up 28% over last season. For a guy that almost made the Ducks out of camp to come back to Junior and perform at such a high level is impressive.

4^th overall pick Bowen Byram has had a real drop off in goals this season, down 71%. It is alarming but it doesn’t tell the entire story. Firstly, his overall game has grown as he is now relied on for all the hard matchup minutes. Byram shot rate is down slightly over last season from 2.88 per game to 2.62 and his shooting percentage is half of what it was last season but his 13% last season was not unsustainable so his goal scoring at this point looks like a bit unlucky rather than as some lost part of his game. I expect him to rebound in the second half of year. After being a late cut in Colorado he took a bit of time to get his legs under him at the junior level and I expect him to hit the ground running after a successful World Juniors.

Obviously this data doesn’t show the entire story about the progression of the 2019 draft class from the WHL but there were some interesting trends. The most noticeable was that all the forwards taken in the first round showed a solid steady growth rate of at least 15% in terms of production. While it isn’t as staggering as some of the others it is that steady growth over the next few seasons that make them all more probable NHL players. Players who underachieved last season that met expectations this year show the biggest growth, a guy like Sasha Mutala or the undrafted Josh Williams are prime examples of this.

Another interesting note is overage players like Kastelic, Focht, and Burzan have all seemingly plateaued despite having similar teams to the season before. Overager Matthew Wedman has had a big drop off in production as well. I am not against drafting overage players at all but it is an interesting outcome that I will follow over the next few seasons to see if that continues. Other players like Matthew Robertson, Cole Moberg and Gianni Fairbrother have fairly stable scoring year over year but are not expected to be big scorers at the next level so measuring them on statistical progression can be a bit misleading in terms of their value.

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Western Conference

Vince Gibbons — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 15:58:20 +0000

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

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

Nolan Foote #29 of the Kelowna Rockets (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Shoot the Breeze

B.C. Division

Vancouver Giants (1^st)

Having come within an overtime goal of a trip to the Memorial Cup, the Giants are fortunate to return some outstanding players including top defender Bowen Byram (Colorado, 1^st 2019). He can handle all the minutes he is given and is able to generate offense as well as anyone from the back end. Tristen Nielsen and Milos Roman (Calgary, 4^th 2018) give them experienced center play while draft eligible Justin Sourdif has picked up where he left off last season and might be their most productive forward this season. Another 2020 potential draft pick is Lukas Svejkovsky, a talented right shot winger with very good playmaking skills. That balance of youthful skill and solid veterans can be seen across their lineup and is a big part of why they are favorites to win the division this season. Returning 20 year old David Tendeck (Arizona 6^th, 2018), along with the younger Trent Miner (Colorado, 7^th 2019) certainly helps their cause as a team looking to come out of the West.

Kelowna Rockets (2^nd)

Hosting the Memorial Cup comes with enormous pressure to have an outstanding season. Both Regina and Red Deer have been good but not the elite teams in the league in their respective host years and Kelowna will be trying to break the WHL curse of late at the Memorial Cup. Defensively, the roster is pretty strong with Kaedan Korczak (Vegas, 2^nd 2019) and Jake Lee leading the way. Up front they have a couple of elite wingers in Nolan Foote (Tampa Bay, 1^st 2019), and Dillon Hamaliuk (San Jose, 2^nd 2019) that play a bruising power forward style of game. Draft eligible Pavel Novak showed great hands in the preseason but will have to continue that play once the games start to matter to hear his name mentioned at this season’s draft. A lot of their offense is going to come from overage players Kyle Topping and Leif Mattson, both of whom were near the 1 point per game pace last season and both look like they can shoulder even more of the heavy lifting in the early part of this season.

Kamloops Blazers (3^rd)

Last season the Blazers made the playoffs without winning half their regular season games. This year’s team has a load of potential but are likely one more season away from challenging for the top of the division. Not many teams are able to return the top three scorers from last season but the Blazers are able to do so this year. Offensively, this team has Zane Franklin who has nearly doubled his point production season over season each of the past three seasons. That steady improvement bodes well for the 20 year old who will lead a team with a number of young dynamic offensive players. Connor Zary was over one point per game last season but as a late 2001 was not eligible for last season’s NHL Entry draft. expect him to be even more prolific this year. Orrin Centazzo was the third member of that trio with 51 points last year. Add in ’03 born Logan Stankoven and Kamloops is developing some excellent forward depth that should sustain them the next couple of seasons. Defensively they possess a number of puck movers although none really appear to have the dynamic quality of a number one defender. Dylan Garand had a strong season last year and the starting job is his to lose. There is a lot of quality within this roster and they could surprise this season but it may be one year too early. Look for them to emerge as a strong contender over the next few seasons.

Victoria Royals (4^th)

The Royals have seen years of stable playoff hockey and this year looks to be a bit of a struggle. They have been battling with Vancouver the past few seasons at the top of the division but it will be tough for them to compete against the top teams now. They have less scoring than last season and a review of their roster doesn’t breed a ton of confidence. Keanu Derungs, their recent import selection, will be relied upon to generate offense playing on the wing with established center Kaid Oliver upon the latter’s return from injury. The rest of the Victoria roster is really made up of depth players that will struggle against top lines across the league. There is a lot of experience in the crease for this team with 120 WHL games between Brock Gould and Shane Farkas, which should keep the team competitive but likely is not enough to ensure them a playoff spot.

Prince George Cougars (5^th)

The Cougars have struggled the past couple of seasons and don’t look like a team that will be turning the corner this year either. Josh Maser led the team in goals last season with 30 and will be counted on as their top producing forward. Goal scoring will be an issue again for them as import player Matej Toman has not found his offensive game since coming over from the Czech Republic. Tyson Upper is the top draft eligible forward on the roster but the best draft prospect might be Rhett Rhinehart who is a towering 6-4” defender with a bit of an old school ruggedness to his game. Taylor Gauthier has the pedigree of a top goalie but with the team in front of him has put up pretty pedestrian numbers. With goalie of the future Tyler Brennan on the roster expect this to be a 1A and 1B scenario unless they are able to move Gauthier to a contender as the season moves along.

Ty Smith

U.S. Division

Portland Winterhawks (1^st)

Portland has to be the model franchise in terms of drafting players, developing them and producing the highest quality product on the ice. This year again speaks volumes about the organization. Both of the import players selected provide instant offensive talent to help replace the losses of Cody Glass, Joachim Blichfeld up front, and Jared Freadrich on the back end. This year Simon Knak and Jonas Brondberg (both 2020 draft eligible) step in and have both shown they are excellent playmakers. Cross Hanas looks ready to take a step up in responsibility after playing in the bottom six for most of last season. This year he plays the wing for Seth Jarvis who is also working his way up draft boards early. John Ludvig (Florida, 3^rd 2019) sets the tone in the defensive zone with his physical, no non-sense approach to defending. This team consistently rebuilds on the fly and look to have successfully backfilled roles with a combination of internal progression and astute import draft selections. The crease is held down by Joel Hofer (St. Louis, 4^th 2018), a behemoth of a man at 6-5” brought in last year to solidify the only perceived weakness on the roster. He may start 60 games this year and should finally start piling up some wins after his first 70 starts in the league.

Spokane Chiefs (2^nd)

In a division where goaltending dictates so much, the addition of import Lukas Parik (Los Angeles, 3^rd 2019) could be enough to push Spokane to a clear top two finish in the division but more importantly, it provides a chance to get out of the US division in the playoffs. In front of him they have a strong group of defenders led by Filip Kral (Toronto, 5^th 2018). He has a good shot and has more offensive potential than most late round picks. Up front, scoring will be by committee but Adam Beckman (Minnesota, 3^rd 2019) will be counted on to improve his 32 goal season from a year ago. Somewhat surprisingly undrafted winger Luke Toporowski has something to prove this season and will be a big part of any team success that Spokane has. Jack Finley had solid numbers in a depth role last season but the 2020 draft eligible player should be able to carve out a top six role this season. Spokane’s biggest “X” factor comes from diminutive defender Ty Smith (New Jersey, 1^st 2018) and how he responds to not making the Devils’ opening day roster. At his best, he is a dynamic puck mover and playmaker that can dictate the pace of play like few others can in this league.

Everett Silvertips (3^rd)

Defensively, Everett is consistently a top team in terms of goals against. Since 2016 they have given up the fewest goals and it hasn’t even been close. In 2016-17, they led in that department by 29 goals, by 46 in 2017-18, and by 26 in 2018-19. That is domination. It is also coaching. Dennis Williams has consistently brought something to the league that other coaches have struggled to contend with and that is a tenacious, physical team defense. It hasn’t hurt that the crease has been held down very well by Carter Hart (Philadelphia, 2^nd 2016), and now Dustin Wolf (Calgary, 7^th 2019). Everett relies on overage and import scoring talent and Bryce Kindopp and Michal Gut will be looking to provide that this season.

Seattle Thunderbirds (4^th)

Five of the top dozen teams in the entire WHL usually come from this division and it is entirely possible that all five of these teams again make the playoffs. Top scorer from last year Matthew Wedman (Florida, 7^th 2019) is back in the fold targeting another career year after reaching 40 goals last season. He will have to do so with new linemates this year. Henrik Rybinski (Florida, 5^th 2019), Payton Mount, and Michael Horon will all take more prominent roles within the offense this season which should give NHL scouts plenty to ponder. Defensively they will be anchored by Simon Kubicek a late ’01 who is much more than a big frame on the back end. Between the pipes they have Roddy Ross (Philadelphia, 6^th 2019) perhaps the best named player in the league. He has the pro frame that NHL teams covet and has been solid in his first 25 WHL games.

Tri-City Americans (5^th)

Tri-City is a difficult team to bet against. Each year they seem to find a way to be more than the sum of their parts. Sasha Mutala (Colorado 5^th, 2019) has grown up in this organization and carries the expectations forward with this younger roster. He and Samuel Huo will lead the next generation of Tri-City players through the 2019-20 season. The difference may come in the form of Beck Warm, a 20 year old netminder who played a league high 61 games last year with a well earned 2.94 GAA and a .916 save percentage. He led the league in shots and saves last year and that will have to continue along that path if Tri-Cities are expected to compete for the Wild Card.

***

This year the US division is again the most competitive in the WHL with the possibility of all five teams making the playoffs. Out East, the rebranded Winnipeg ICE have done a lot to reinvent the club after several struggling seasons in Cranbrook and have started strong. Saskatchewan has two teams in Saskatoon and Prince Albert that met in 2^nd round of last season’s playoffs and it could easily play out that way again this season. The Central Division boils down to a Battle of Highway 2, as both Calgary and Edmonton have mature and deep rosters that can match up against anyone. There are always a few surprises as the season chugs along and it could be a Medicine Hat or an Everett who ride top end goaltending right through the playoffs. Perhaps an upstart Kamloops team is ready to compete this year. Regardless of how it all plays out, it is an exciting time to get into the local barns and watch these young players develop into future pros. Below is a top 10 of draft eligible players

Top 10 (Alphabetical Order)

Braden Schneider, Brandon

Connor McClennon, Winnipeg

Connor Zary, Kamloops

Jake Neighbours, Edmonton

Justin Sourdif, Vancouver

Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert

Kyle Crnkovic, Saskatoon

Kasper Puutio, Swift Current

Seth Jarvis, Portland

Honorable Mentions:

Ben King, Swift Current

Carter Savoie, Sherwood Park (AJHL)

Christoffer Sedoff, Red Deer

Cross Hanas, Portland

Michael Benning, Sherwood Park (AJHL)

Pavel Novak, Kelowna

Ridly Greig, Brandon

Simon Knak, Portland

2019 NHL Draft Reviews: Atlantic Division Part 1 – Boston, Buffalo, Detroit and Florida

Ryan Wagman — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 11:28:08 +0000

With the 2019 draft in the books, it is time to come to grips with the 217 players that were selected and the hundreds of hopefuls who were not (some of whom made the trip to Vancouver) and give some thoughts to what it all means. I don’t like the concept of grading the draft one year out, and definitely not three days out, so I will not be pronouncing winners and losers in this series, but I will assess each teams draft class, division by division, looking at some trends and comparing the real outcome against our scouting profiles for the players. And I will give each team a draft score.

The score will consist of 1 point per first round player taken, .85 for second rounders, .75 for third rounders, .65 or fourth rounders and .5 points for players taken in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. Add to that the drafted player’s OFP, divided by 100. So first overall pick Jack Hughes would be worth 1.645 points to the Devils, while Massimo Rizzo, taken with second to last pick, would be worth 1.025. Players for whom we don’t have OFPs available will be assigned an OFP 48.5.

2019 NHL Draft Review Scores	Atlantic
Detroit Red Wings	13.24
Montreal Canadiens	11.56
Florida Panthers	11.01
Tampa Bay Lightning	8.46
Buffalo Sabres	7.64
Ottawa Senators	7.51
Toronto Maple Leafs	7.09
Boston Bruins	5.81

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins

The Bruins’ draft class consisted of five players, taken in the first, third, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. As has often been the case under GM Don Sweeney, the Bruins like to draft players who are college bound. Their first, second and fifth picks are all college bound, with the first and last picks both having spent this past season in the USHL and the second pick coming from the AJHL, the only skater to be drafted from that circuit this year. The other two picks came from the junior leagues in Russia and Finland, in order. There were four forwards and one defender drafted. Draft classes are small samples from which to try to derive trends, and the Bruins’ 2019 draft class was smaller than usual.

Other than first rounder, a literal Bruin in size, John Beecher, the other picks were all either undersized, or, like seventh rounder Jake Schmaltz, tall but very thin. All of their picks were on the younger side, with no re-drafts or even late 2000-borns picked. One notable trend to this draft class is that outside of Beecher, all of the players picked are long-term projects. Beecher could be ready within two years at Michigan, as he has tremendous size and strength already and is an above-average skater, even by NHL standards. He needs to round out his skill game and could and should get a shot on the Wolverines top six to work on his offensive game. To their credit, the players drafted all share the characteristic of having advanced hockey smarts and I can expect them to maximize their physical skill sets in time.

First Round Pick: John Beecher, C, 1/30, USNTDP, USHL

The biggest legitimate criticism I can make of Beecher’s prospectdom is that he isn’t as skilled as Jack Hughes, Alex Turcotte, or Trevor Zegras, all three of which were also centers with the USNTDP U18 team, relegating Beecher to a bottom six role. He rarely saw time on the power play and generally played fewer than 15 minutes per game. He is a wonderful skater, has very high hockey IQ and can get mean in an effective way. His offensive upside is higher than he has been allowed to show thus far in his career, but it is very unlikely to be more than a decent second liner in terms of points production.

Best Later Value Selection: Roman Bychkov, D, 5/154, Yaroslavl 2, MHL

We liked Bychkov’s game enough to rank him as a potential third round pick, as in addition to hockey sense, he is an above average skater with good puck moving ability. He played well at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cupand the WJAC and had a solid season in the Russian junior leagues.

Biggest Head Scratcher: Jake Schmaltz, C, 7/192, Chicago, USHL

Living in the Chicago area, I saw Schmaltz play at least a dozen games this year. Not once did Schmaltz do anything to suggest that he has pro upside. The Bruins’ brass complimented his skating and hockey IQ, and those aren’t bad, but they aren’t good enough to make up for his inability to drive play even against USHL bottom six lines.

Also selected: Quinn Olson, LW, 3/92, Okotoks, AJHL; Matias Mantykivi, C, 6/185, SaiPa U20, Jr. A SM-liiga

Draft Score: 5.81

Buffalo Sabres

Well, we can no longer say about Sabres’ GM Jason Botterill that he will not draft a player from the CHL. He disabused us of that notion pretty early on, drafting the big center from Whitehorse (which would be a fantastic nickname, by the way) Dylan Cozens out of Lethbridge of the WHL seventh overall. And then Botterill went right back to type, spending the rest of his draft searching elsewhere for talent. So we can’t say “never”, but we can say “rarely”. Of the other five Sabres picks, two were from the USHL, two from Sweden and one from the Czech Republic.

One notable pick was the selection of massive Swedish netminder Erik Portillo in the third round. Despite the great steps taken by 2017 second rounder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen this year in Sudbury, the rest of the system is bare of goalie prospects. After Portillo and second first rounder Ryan Johnson, the other Sabres’ picks were all forwards. There were no overriding characteristics that seem to have been sought out. The first rounders had both high-end tools and had multiples of them. Fourth rounder Aaron Huglen is hands over feet at the moment. Fifth rounder Filip Cederqvist is feet over hands. One interesting aspect of the Buffalo draft class is that fully half of their six picks were re-drafts. Potillo and Cederqvist were both in their second years of eligiblity, while sixth rounder and third year eligible Lukas Rousek is already in his 20s.

First First Round Pick: Dylan Cozens, C/RW, 1/7, Lethbridge, WHL

Outside of the shock value of Botterill taking a player out of the CHL, there is no surprise to see Cozens go in this range of the draft and we had him ranked fifth. A dominant junior level player from the minute he reached Lethbridge, Cozens capped off his pre-draft life with a star turn for Team Canada at the WU18. More of a playmaker than a scorer, he moves very well for his size and can bring the physical attack. He could use another year of junior hockey to fill out his frame and perhaps strut his stuff at the WJC, but he has top line upside, whether at center or on the wing.

Second First Round Pick: Ryan Johnson, D, 1/31, Sioux Falls, USHL

Son of longtime NHLer Craig, Ryan Johnson started the year, his first in the USHL, on all watch lists mostly due to his exceptionally smooth skating. By years’ end, he had proven himself to be a true shutdown defender, even if he is painfully slight. He melts opposing rushes with a great stick and a mature sense of positioning. His offensive game is still in development, but I suspect there is enough there to fit on a second pairing down the road. He will need more development time than Cozens.

Best Later Value Selection: Aaron Huglen, C, 4/102, Fargo, USHL

While we did not have Huglen ranked in our top 217, he was on our honorable mention list and we may have been too consumed by his play in snippets in the USHL, instead of his visions of grandeur with Roseau in the Minnesota high school ranks or his appearances in the highlight reels from the pre-season Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Not many could have pulled off the lacrosse goal he did against a strong Canada team. He is definitely a gamble, but the upside is worth the risk, even if I think he might have still been on the board in the fifth round.

Biggest Head Scratcher: Lukas Rousek, LW, 6/160, HC Sparta Praha, Czech

To Rousek’s credit, he spent much of this past season playing in the Czech Republic’s top league and was selected by his national team for two WJAC tournaments. On the other hand, he didn’t do much in either international tournament, and was never selected to represent his county at either the WU18 or the WJC, even though he led the Czech U18 league in scoring in his first draft eligible season. Still physically underdeveloped at 20 years of age, he doesn’t make sense as a long-term project and hasn’t accomplished enough yet to see him as a quick turnaround either.

Also selected: Erik Portillo, G, 3/67, Frolunda J20, SuperElit; Filip Cederqvist, LW, 5/143, Vaxjo, SHL

Draft Score: 7.6425

Detroit Red Wings

Speaking purely subjectively, I really like how the Red Wings approached their first draft under Steve Yzerman’s leadership. Their use of the sixth overall pick on towering German defender Moritz Seider drew gasps throughout the Rogers Arena, as many, if not most other teams and media saw him as more of a 10-15 pick than six. Despite the uncertainties in Seider’s projection, largely stemming from his unorthodox development path, never having played outside of his native Germany, he absolutely has the tools and hockey IQ to be a first pairing blueliner in the NHL in the near future. At the time of this writing, the CHL Import Draft has not yet occurred, but many expect Seider to play – somewhere – in North America next season.

Into the middle rounds, the Wings made their picks count, swinging for the fences time after time. We had two of their three second rounders, Robert Mastrosimone and Albert Johansson, ranked as first rounders. The other second, third and fourth rounders, Antti Tuomisto, Albin Grewe, and Ethan Phillips respectively, combine high floors and high ceilings in a way that suggests a big future impact on the organization. They drafted big players (Seider and Tuomisto are both 6-4”, while sixth round center Elmer Soderblom is 6-7”) and small ones (both fourth rounder Phillips and seventh rounder Kirill Tyutyayev are listed at 5-9”, 146). The Wings mixed things up positionally, drafting five defensemen and five forwards before ending their draft with a project netminder in Carter Gylander from the AJHL.

The Red Wings also scouted from everywhere, although it is notable that not a single one of their 11 picks were drafted from a CHL league. They drafted four players from Sweden and one each from Germany, Russia and Finland. Their other four picks are all NCAA bound, covering two players from the USHL, one New England prep schooler and one from the AJHL. Yzerman has injected a ton of talent into the Red Wings system that had wasted more than a few picks in recent years, and he has given himself more time to let those young players develop before he will be forced to make a decision on them.

First Round Pick: Moritz Seider, D, 1/6, Adler Mannheim, DEL

Between his high-end hockey IQ and his great size, Seider can reach his floor as a bottom pairing NHL defender as soon as 2020-21. Based on what he showed during international tournaments, including the second tier of the WJC, the Men’s World Championships, and the German league playoffs, he has shown enough skating and puck moving ability and leadership beyond his years, he could be the understated member of a top pairing. I’m not convinced that he was great value at #6, but I appreciate the arguments.

Best Later Value Selections: Robert Mastrosimone, LW, 2/54, Chicago, USHL; Albert Johansson, D, 2/60, Farjestad J20 SuperElit

I have to include both of these players here as we had them both ranked as first round talent and are very impressed that the Red Wings snagged both with late second round picks. Mastrosimone is a smaller, feisty winger with a high end, dynamic element to his game. The first forward selected by Detroit this year, he has good speed, but his overall skating needs some refinement. He is heading to Boston University in the fall. Johansson is a high-end skater with great puck moving ability and impressive hockey IQ to boot. He still has a lot of physical development ahead of him, but his game took major strides this year and he adapted fantastically to every new challenge thrown his way.

Biggest Head Scratcher: Cooper Moore, D, 5/128, Brunswick School, USHS-CT

I might be a bit biased here, but players with purely prep experience are longer long shots than most. Moore was fine as far as prep school defenders, and has impressed others enough such that he has a scholarship in the queue from North Dakota and was selected fourth overall in the USHL draft by Lincoln, although he is currently expected to play for Chilliwack in the BCHL next season. He earned notice early in the season in a multi-team prep tournament, but it is difficult not to think that he would have been available one or two rounds later.

Also selected: Antti Tuomisto, D, 2/35, Assat U20, Jr. A SM-liiga; Albin Grewe, RW, 3/66, Djurgarden J20, SuperElit; Ethan Phillips, RW/C, 4/97, Sioux Falls, USHL; Elmer Soderblom, LW/C, 6/159, Frolunda J20, SuperElit; Gustav Berglund, D, 6/177, Frolunda J18, J18 Elit; Kirill Tyutyayev, LW, 7/190, Avto Yekaterinburg, MHL; Carter Gylander, G, 7/191, Sherwood Park, AJHL

Draft Score: 13.2375

Florida Panthers

Scouting is tremendously hard, and I am loathe to criticize a scouting staff at any level, much less an NHL scouting staff with as much bonafides as the Panthers have. And yet, I find myself compelled to speak up here. Philosophically, if for no other reason. For starters, the Panthers began their draft committing what I consider to be a cardinal sin of drafting a goaltender in the first round.

Yes, a good goalie is the most valuable asset a team can have, and yes, Spencer Knight is the best draft eligible goaltending prospect in years, but to put your first round eggs in the basket of a player who has never played in 40 games in a single season, no matter how stupendous of an athlete he is and no matter how well refined his technique is. It is just so risky. I accept that if the Panthers didn’t take Knight where they did, he may not have been available four picks later, much less for Florida’s second round pick, but the level of risk is more than I would willingly accept.

There is a second philosophical difference that I have with Florida’s draft class. I preach the value in drafting for upside. We have all seen how well things turned out for Edmonton during their interminable bottom line picks. A top line player in junior could lose some skill advantage as he climbs the ranks and still be a decent bottom sixer if he adapts his game. A lower skilled player who falls off his pace is no longer even a fourth line plugger, but a player who is struggling to make good in the AHL, much less the NHL.

Even though Florida is proof positive that some second-year eligible players still contain great dynamic talents (think Henrik Borgstrom), I would say they took that approach too far this year. Of their nine draft picks, four were players in their second or third year of eligibility. So that makes five players with whom I have philosophical concerns. And I would hazard that only one of the four overagers (Carter Berger) really took a huge step forward this year, indicating the possibility of being a late bloomer.

Other than those items, it is notable that all nine of the Panthers’ picks were domestic players, with two members of the USNTDP and one from the BCHL and three picks each from the OHL and the WHL. The Panthers drafted three defensemen and five forwards, although only one of the team’s first five picks plays up front. If Knight becomes the top flight starting goalie in the NHL that many expect (and such an outcome would not surprise me) then this draft class will be looked upon at least relatively fondly. But if he is anything less than a top 15 netminder on the NHL, there may not be enough among the other eight players to overcome it.

First Round Pick: Spencer Knight, G, 1/13, USNTDP, USHL

The only real weakness I have noticed in Knight’s game this year, across at least ten viewings, is that he can be prone to giving up a goal in the first few seconds that an opponent is in his zone. Once he gets his bearings and begins to track the play, he is incredibly difficult to beat cleanly. He was one of the stars of the NHL Draft Combine, showcasing amazing athleticism, particularly in the leg exercises. He is headed to Boston College next year and should not need more than two seasons on campus before being ready for his professional reveal. He could even be a one and done candidate.

Best Later Value Selection: Owen Lindmark, C, 5/137, USNTDP, USHL

Lindmark was one of the least distinguished members of last year’s star-studded USNTDP class, but he has a number of attributes that suggest that he may have more game in him than he has thus far let on. He skates well enough to make himself a threat and is an accomplished penalty killer. He thinks the game well and if given a spot higher up the lineup at his next stop in Wisconsin, he could surprise a few people. The upside isn’t tremendous, but he has enough in the way of tools to make it anyway. An honorable mention to blueliner Carter Berger, who nearly doubled his offensive output in the BCHL from his first draft eligible year to this year. If he were two days older, he would have been a third year eligible, but he is good enough in the offensive zone and a fine enough skater to hold out hope that he will be one of the better members of this draft class.

Biggest Head Scratcher: John Ludvig, D, 3/69, Portland, WHL

Ludvig has a solid frame and is tough to play against without necessarily being a dirty player, but he offers very little outside of his own zone. Another one of the second-year eligible players selected, he very much fits into the mold of the copycat pick, one of several tougher defensemen picked higher than anticipated in light of the Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues style of play. He has been injury prone in his two years of WHL action and last year’s 18 points in 58 games was more than double his previous mark, as meagre as that is. I would have understood this pick in the seventh round, even if I could not be enthused about it. But early in the third round? Pass.

Also selected: Vladislav Kolyachonok, D, 2/52, Flint, OHL; Cole Schwindt, C/RW, 3/81, Mississauga, OHL; Carter Berger, D, 4/106, Victoria, BCHL; Henrik Rybinski, RW, 5/136, Seattle, WHL; Greg Meireles, C, 6/168, Kitchener, OHL; Matthew Wedman, C, 7/199, Seattle, WHL

Draft Score: 11.005

John Ludvig – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – FANTASY WEEK AHEAD – Nashville has a steep climb, Boston makes a coaching change, Winnipeg’s scoring slows down plus much, much more

Boston Bruins (Tue vs DET, Wed @ CHI. Sat vs PHI)

Calgary Flames (Tue vs CBJ, Thu @ STL, Sun @ DAL)

Colorado Avalanche (Tue @ BUF, Thu @ CAR, Sat @ DET, Sun @ NJD)

Dallas Stars (Mon @ UTA, Wed @ LAK, Fri @ VGK, Sun vs CGY)

Florida Panthers (Tue @ PIT, Thu @ PHI, Sat vs SJS)

New York Islanders (Tue @ MTL, Thu vs SEA, Sat vs CAR, Sun @ OTT)

Toronto Maple Leafs (Mon vs CHI, Wed vs NAS, Fri vs WAS, Sat @ PIT)

Winnipeg Jets (Tue vs STL, Thu @ BUF, Sat @ CHI, Sum vs CBJ)

NHL: DADOUN – THE FANTASY WEEK AHEAD (March 11th to 17th) – Post-NHL Trade Deadline Impact – Favourable schedules and players to target

Anaheim Ducks - TUE @ CHI, THU @ MIN, FRI @ WPG (BTB), SUN @ STL

Columbus Blue Jackets - TUE @ MTL, THU VS OTT, SAT VS SJS, SUN VS WPG (BTB)

Detroit Red Wings - TUE @ BUF, THU VS ARI, SAT VS BUF, SUN @ PIT (BTB)

Los Angeles Kings - MON VS NYI, WED @ STL, FRI @ CHI, SAT @ DAL (BTB)

Ottawa Senators - TUE VS PIT, THUS @ CBJ, SAT @ NYI, SUN VS CAR (BTB)

Pittsburgh Penguins - TUE @ OTT, THU VS SJS, SAT VS NYR, SUN VS DET (BTB)

San Jose Sharks - TUE @ PHI, THUS @ PIT, SAT @ CBJ, SUN @ CHI (BTB)

Winnipeg Jets - MON VS WSH, WED VS NSH, FRI VS ANA, SUN @ CBJ

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – FLORIDA PANTHERS – Top 20 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #30

1. Mackie Samoskevich - RW

2. Gracyn Sawchyn - C

3. Grigori Denisenko - LW

4. Justin Sourdif - RW

5. Aleksi Heponiemi - C

6. Michael Benning - D

7. Evan Nause - D

8. John Ludvig - D

9. Albert Wikman - D

10. Mack Guzda - G

11. Santtu Kinnunen - D

12. Logan Hutsko - RW

13. Ryan McAllister - LW

14. Marek Alscher - D

15. Ludvig Jansson - D

16. Jack Devine - RW

17. Sandis Vilmanis - LW

18. Josh Davies - LW

19. Zach Uens - D

20. Nathan Staios - D

MCKEEN’S 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #30 – Florida Panthers

Prospect System Ranking – 30th

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – FLORIDA PANTHERS – Top 20 Prospects

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: FLORIDA PANTHERS – RANK: #20 – TIER IV

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – FLORIDA PANTHERS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 4

Florida Panthers

Spencer Knight, G (13th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 3)

Grigori Denisenko, LW (15th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 1)

Owen Tippett, RW/LW (10th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 2)

Serron Noel, RW/LW (34th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 4)

Aleksi Saarela, D (Trade: Oct. 23, 2019. Originally: 89th overall, 2015 [NY Rangers]. Pre-season: 4 [Chicago])

Cole Schwindt, C (81st overall, 2019. Pre-season: 9)

Max Gildon, D (66th overall, 2017. Pre-season: UR)

Vladislav Kolyachonok, D (52nd overall, 2019. Pre-season: 6)

Aleksi Heponiemi, C (40th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 5)

Eetu Luostarinen, C (Trade: Feb. 24, 2020. Originally: 42nd overall, 2017 [Carolina]. Pre-season: 6 [Carolina])

Justin Schutz, KW (170th overall, 2018. Pre-season: UR)

Logan Hutsko, C/RW (89th overall, 2018. Pre-season: UR)

Samuel Montembeault, G (77th overall, 2015. Pre-season: 8)

Chase Priskie, D (Trade: Feb. 20, 2020. Originally: 177th overall, 2016 [Washington]. Pre-season: 13 [Carolina])

John Ludvig, D (69th overall, 2019. Pre-season: UR)

WHL: Revisiting the 2019 NHL Draft prospects from the west

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Western Conference

B.C. Division

Vancouver Giants (1st)

Kelowna Rockets (2nd)

Kamloops Blazers (3rd)

Victoria Royals (4th)

Prince George Cougars (5th)

U.S. Division

Portland Winterhawks (1st)

Spokane Chiefs (2nd)

Everett Silvertips (3rd)

Seattle Thunderbirds (4th)

Tri-City Americans (5th)

2019 NHL Draft Reviews: Atlantic Division Part 1 – Boston, Buffalo, Detroit and Florida

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins

Buffalo Sabres

Detroit Red Wings

Prospect System Ranking – 30^th

Spencer Knight, G (13^th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 3)

Grigori Denisenko, LW (15^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 1)

Owen Tippett, RW/LW (10^th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 2)

Serron Noel, RW/LW (34^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: 4)

Aleksi Saarela, D (Trade: Oct. 23, 2019. Originally: 89^th overall, 2015 [NY Rangers]. Pre-season: 4 [Chicago])

Cole Schwindt, C (81^st overall, 2019. Pre-season: 9)

Max Gildon, D (66^th overall, 2017. Pre-season: UR)

Vladislav Kolyachonok, D (52^nd overall, 2019. Pre-season: 6)

Aleksi Heponiemi, C (40^th overall, 2017. Pre-season: 5)

Eetu Luostarinen, C (Trade: Feb. 24, 2020. Originally: 42^nd overall, 2017 [Carolina]. Pre-season: 6 [Carolina])

Justin Schutz, KW (170^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: UR)

Logan Hutsko, C/RW (89^th overall, 2018. Pre-season: UR)

Samuel Montembeault, G (77^th overall, 2015. Pre-season: 8)

Chase Priskie, D (Trade: Feb. 20, 2020. Originally: 177^thoverall, 2016 [Washington]. Pre-season: 13 [Carolina])

John Ludvig, D (69^th overall, 2019. Pre-season: UR)

Vancouver Giants (1^st)

Kelowna Rockets (2^nd)

Kamloops Blazers (3^rd)

Victoria Royals (4^th)

Prince George Cougars (5^th)

Portland Winterhawks (1^st)

Spokane Chiefs (2^nd)

Everett Silvertips (3^rd)

Seattle Thunderbirds (4^th)

Tri-City Americans (5^th)