Joshua Roy – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT: Top 200 NHL Affiliated Prospects – Biggest Risers and Fallers

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:00:37 +0000

Comparing the current ranking of prospects in our report to their previous ranking in our summer yearbook (which is a top 300), these are the affiliated prospects who have improved their stock the most this season.

Adam Jiricek

Adam Jiricek (STL)

Previous Ranking: 97, New Ranking: 24

Jiricek’s first year in North America (in the OHL) was all about adjustment and injury recovery. Now fully healthy, he’s been among the OHL’s best defenders and was named the top defenceman at this year’s WJC’s.

Harrison Brunicke (PIT)

Previous Ranking: 178, New Ranking: 25

Started the year in the NHL with Pittsburgh before being sent back to the WHL post WJC’s. Brunicke is really figuring out how to get the best out of his vast athletic potential.

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 22: Nick Lardis #76 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck during a game against the Nashville Predators on March 22, 2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)

Nick Lardis (CHI)

Previous Ranking: 102, New Ranking: 26

There was definitely some concern about how Lardis’ skill set would translate to the pro level given his frame. However, he’s been an immediate impact player and is rocketing up Chicago’s depth chart.

Alexander Zharovsky (MTL)

Previous Ranking: 222, New Ranking: 31

Talk about a breakout. Zharovsky took the KHL by storm in his draft plus one year. We knew he had among the highest upside of any forward in last year’s draft due to his creativity and skill, but we didn’t expect him to be fulfilling it so quickly.

Matvei Gridin (CGY)

Previous Ranking: 150, New Ranking: 43

Gridin was viewed as a boom or bust prospect who needed to round out his game to be a successful pro. He’s been terrific in the AHL as a rookie and has adjusted to the pro game way quicker than many expected.

Roman Kantserov (CHI)

Previous Ranking: 136, New Ranking: 47

Kantserov just continues to get better and has emerged as the best offensive player in the KHL. While the recent track record for KHL to NHL success is bleak, Kantserov has to be ranked highly because of the upside he possesses.

Will Horcoff (PIT)

Previous Ranking: 175, New Ranking: 60

Even if the offensive production decreased post World Juniors, Horcoff still had a tremendous year that saw him emerge as one of the most dangerous players in college hockey between the dots.

Vaclav Nestrasil (CHI)

Previous Ranking: 196, New Ranking: 68

Nestrasil was one of the better freshmen in the NCAA this year with UMass. He just keeps getting better and better and with his frame and IQ, he seems like a safe bet to be a quality NHL player so long as his skating continues to improve.

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 21: Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov (1) makes a save during the third period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Minnesota Wild on November 21, 2025, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

Sergei Murashov (PIT)

Previous Ranking: 181, New Ranking: 73

Murashov’s growth in his second year in North America has been prolific. He’s been lights out in the AHL and even earned a cup of coffee in the NHL. The future starter for the Penguins in all likelihood.

Stephen Halliday (OTT)

Previous Ranking: 207, New Ranking: 85

Has there been a prospect in hockey more annually underrated than Halliday? He’s the USHL all time leading scorer. He was great in college. He was great in the AHL. And he’s been great in limited NHL action.

Charlie Stramel (MIN)

Previous Ranking: 263, New Ranking: 87

We all owe Stramel an apology for writing him off so early after he initially struggled at Wisconsin. He was one of the best players in college hockey this season for Michigan State and is back on track to be a quality NHL player.

Max Plante (DET)

Previous Ranking: 197, New Ranking: 90

Plante was great as a freshman at UMD, but he was even better as a sophomore, emerging as one of the NCAA’s best forwards and this year’s Hobey Baker winner.

Dean Letourneau (BOS)

Previous Ranking: 254, New Ranking: 96

What a difference a year can make. Letourneau was always going to be a long-term project, but he was written off by many after a rough freshman year. This year, he was one of BC’s best and most consistent players.

Benjamin Rautiainen (TB)

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked, New Ranking: 97

You might be asking yourself how the Lightning keep finding these guys to help keep them relevant. Rautiainen has exploded to be the top player in Liiga, a year after being drafted in the fourth round.

Eddie Genborg (DET)

Previous Ranking: Not Ranked, New Ranking: 102

Drafted for his physical approach, Genborg has improved his on puck play significantly and was an impact player in the SHL this year.

Comparing the current ranking of prospects in our report to their previous ranking in our summer yearbook (which is a top 300), these are the affiliated prospects who have seen their stock fall the most this season.

Mikhail Gulyayev (COL)

Previous Ranking: 62, New Ranking: 147

While the KHL can be tough on young defenders, we keep waiting for Gulyayev’s breakout to happen. Instead, he’s had a regression this year and that has to be concerning to the Avalanche.

Sam Colangelo (ANA)

Previous Ranking: 84, New Ranking: Not Ranked

The only player to go from being ranked inside of our top 100 to being not ranked (outside of our top 200). Colangelo just hasn’t been able to get over the hump and establish himself as an NHL player.

Brennan Othmann (CGY)

Previous Ranking: 90, New Ranking: 177

His third pro season was supposed to be a breakout year for him, where he would finally establish himself as an NHL player. Instead, he’s had his worst year statistically and found himself in a new organization after a trade to Calgary.

Carson Rehkopf (SEA)

Previous Ranking: 106, New Ranking: Not Ranked

Rehkopf had a pretty stagnant year in the OHL last year, but there was some hope that he could turn things around as a first year pro. Instead, a lack of consistency continues to plague him.

Joshua Roy (MTL)

Previous Ranking: 108, New Ranking: 198

It’s starting to look like Roy’s NHL future may come with another organization. He’s seen himself passed by other forward prospects for a role in Montreal and his AHL production has stagnated.

MCKEEN'S HOCKEY TOP 200 NHL-AFFILIATED PROSPECTS

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Michael Misa	SJ	C	19	6-1/185	San Jose (NHL)	45	9	12	21	10
2	Porter Martone	Phi	RW	19	6-3/205	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	25	25	50	78
3	Anton Frondell	Chi	C	19	6-2/205	Djurgardens (SHL)	43	20	8	28	16
4	Caleb Desnoyers	Uta	C	19	6-2/180	Moncton (QMJHL)	45	22	56	78	36
5	Zayne Parekh	Cgy	D	20	6-0/180	Calgary (NHL)	37	4	5	9	8
6	Brady Martin	Nsh	C	19	6-0/185	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	24	8	16	24	37
7	Daniil But	Uta	LW	21	6-6/215	Utah (NHL)	29	3	4	7	8
8	Dmitri Simashev	Uta	D	21	6-5/200	Utah (NHL)	28	0	1	1	23
9	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	21	6-1/215	Laval (AHL)	27	19	7	2.23	0.916
10	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	23	6-6/230	Grand Rapids (AHL)	39	26	8	2.33	0.915
11	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	21	5-11/170	Chicago (AHL)	52	27	29	56	24
12	Jake O'Brien	Sea	C	18	6-2/175	Brantford (OHL)	53	28	65	93	28
13	Tij Iginla	Uta	C	19	6-0/190	Kelowna (WHL)	48	41	49	90	29
14	Radim Mrtka	Buf	D	18	6-6/220	Seattle (WHL)	43	1	33	34	38
15	Igor Chernyshov	SJ	LW	20	6-2/190	San Jose (NHL)	28	9	10	19	6
16	Cole Hutson	Wsh	D	19	5-10/165	Boston University (NCAA)	35	10	22	32	26
17	James Hagens	Bos	C	19	5-11/195	Boston College (NCAA)	34	23	24	47	24
18	Konsta Helenius	Buf	C	20	5-11/190	Rochester (AHL)	63	21	41	62	22
19	Michael Hage	Mtl	C	20	6-1/190	Michigan (NCAA)	39	13	39	52	14
20	Roger McQueen	Ana	C	19	6-6/195	Providence (NCAA)	36	11	16	27	45
21	Gabe Perreault	NYR	LW	21	5-11/180	NY Rangers (NHL)	49	12	15	27	10
22	Sam Rinzel	Chi	D	21	6-4/180	Chicago (NHL)	54	4	10	14	44
23	Carter Yakemchuk	Ott	D	20	6-3/210	Belleville (AHL)	54	10	30	40	36
24	Adam Jiricek	StL	D	19	6-2/180	Brantford (OHL)	55	19	40	59	33
25	Harrison Brunicke	Pit	D	20	6-3/195	Kamloops (WHL)	24	2	22	24	20
26	Nick Lardis	Chi	LW	20	5-11/165	Chicago (NHL)	41	10	5	15	10
27	Nate Danielson	Det	C	21	6-2/185	Detroit (NHL)	28	2	5	7	4
28	Yegor Surin	Nsh	C	19	6-1/190	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	57	15	22	37	43
29	Braeden Cootes	Van	C	19	6-0/185	Sea-PA (WHL)	45	24	39	63	8
30	Jackson Smith	CBJ	D	19	6-4/200	Penn State (NCAA)	35	11	15	26	40
31	Alexander Zharovsky	Mtl	RW	19	6-1/165	Salavat Yulaev Ufa (KHL)	59	16	26	42	38
32	Victor Eklund	NYI	RW	19	5-11/170	Djurgardens (SHL)	43	6	18	24	22
33	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	21	5-11/170	Abbotsford (AHL)	21	13	7	20	8
34	Scott Morrow	NYR	D	23	6-2/210	NY Rangers (NHL)	29	0	6	6	4
35	Kashawn Aitcheson	NYI	D	19	6-2/200	Barrie (OHL)	56	28	42	70	97
36	Liam Greentree	NYR	RW	20	6-3/215	Windsor (OHL)	52	38	36	74	63
37	Tanner Molendyk	Nsh	D	21	5-11/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	60	4	19	23	14
38	Justin Carbonneau	StL	RW	19	6-2/205	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	60	51	29	80	64
39	Ilya Protas	Wsh	LW	19	6-3/185	Hershey (AHL)	69	29	37	66	40
40	Cole Reschny	Cgy	C	19	5-11/185	North Dakota (NCAA)	36	6	29	35	22
41	Anton Silayev	NJ	D	20	6-7/210	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	61	1	2	3	10
42	Rutger McGroarty	Pit	LW	22	6-1/200	Pittsburgh (NHL)	24	3	3	6	4
43	Matvei Gridin	Cgy	RW	20	6-2/190	Calgary (NHL)	37	6	14	20	2
44	Isak Rosen	Wpg	RW	23	6-0/175	Buf-Wpg (NHL)	37	6	4	10	0
45	Cole Eiserman	NYI	LW	19	6-0/195	Boston University (NCAA)	32	18	10	28	14
46	Andrew Cristall	Wsh	LW	21	5-9/165	Hershey (AHL)	72	20	40	60	24
47	Roman Kantserov	Chi	RW	21	5-9/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	63	36	28	64	57
48	Jani Nyman	Sea	RW	21	6-3/215	Seattle (NHL)	28	4	3	7	6
49	Michael Brandsegg-Nygard	Det	RW	20	6-1/205	Grand Rapids (AHL)	60	20	24	44	42
50	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	20	6-2/200	San Jose (AHL)	61	21	24	45	46
51	Jett Luchanko	Phi	C	19	5-11/185	Gue-Bfd (OHL)	38	7	36	43	34
52	Cayden Lindstrom	CBJ	C	20	6-3/215	Michigan State (NCAA)	31	3	7	10	94
53	Trevor Connelly	VGK	LW	20	6-1/160	Henderson (AHL)	46	14	35	49	18
54	Jagger Firkus	Sea	RW	22	5-11/160	Coachella Valley (AHL)	63	21	35	56	18
55	Isaac Howard	Edm	LW	22	5-11/190	Bakersfield (AHL)	47	24	26	50	12
56	Lynden Lakovic	Wsh	LW	19	6-4/200	Moose Jaw (WHL)	22	18	11	29	8
57	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	21	6-2/185	Laval (AHL)	57	5	19	24	56
58	Trey Augustine	Det	G	21	6-1/195	Michigan State (NCAA)	34	24	9	2.11	0.929
59	Yegor Zavragin	Phi	G	20	6-2/185	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	12	5	7	2.63	0.919
60	Will Horcoff	Pit	C	19	6-5/200	Michigan (NCAA)	40	25	14	39	64
61	Reid Schaefer	Nsh	LW	22	6-3/215	Nashville (NHL)	47	6	2	8	17
62	Sam O'Reilly	TB	C	20	6-1/190	Ldn-Kit (OHL)	56	29	42	71	22
63	Otto Stenberg	StL	C	21	5-11/180	St. Louis (NHL)	32	3	7	10	5
64	Brayden Yager	Wpg	C	21	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	68	10	20	30	10
65	Joshua Ravensbergen	SJ	G	19	6-6/190	Prince George (WHL)	46	32	13	2.51	0.919
66	Cole Beaudoin	Uta	C	20	6-2/210	Barrie (OHL)	54	33	56	89	29
67	Michael Hrabal	Uta	G	21	6-7/215	Massachusetts (NCAA)	29	19	9	1.95	0.937
68	Vaclav Nestrasil	Chi	RW	19	6-6/185	Massachusetts (NCAA)	34	13	18	31	8
69	Stian Solberg	Ana	D	20	6-2/205	San Diego (AHL)	71	12	12	24	102
70	Maveric Lamoureux	Uta	D	22	6-7/215	Tucson (AHL)	65	5	15	20	75
71	Sascha Boumedienne	Wpg	D	19	6-2/185	Boston University (NCAA)	35	2	8	10	14
72	Adam Engstrom	Mtl	D	22	6-2/185	Laval (AHL)	45	10	24	34	18
73	Sergei Murashov	Pit	G	22	6-0/170	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	38	24	9	2.20	0.919
74	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	22	6-4/180	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	68	7	21	28	28
75	Pyotr Andreyanov	CBJ	G	19	6-0/205	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)	26	13	8	2.59	0.919
76	Elias Salomonsson	Wpg	D	21	6-1/185	Winnipeg (NHL)	32	1	4	5	12
77	Shakir Mukhamadullin	SJ	D	24	6-4/200	San Jose (NHL)	50	5	7	12	22
78	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	22	6-1/195	San Diego (AHL)	70	10	31	41	29
79	Carter Bear	Det	LW	19	6-0/180	Everett (WHL)	53	36	41	77	56
80	Filip Bystedt	SJ	C	22	6-4/205	San Jose (AHL)	65	22	38	60	22
81	Sacha Boisvert	Chi	C	20	6-3/190	Boston University (NCAA)	26	3	14	17	28
82	Julius Miettinen	Sea	C	20	6-3/200	Everett (WHL)	52	35	41	76	29
83	Theo Lindstein	StL	D	21	6-0/180	Springfield (AHL)	59	6	8	14	18
84	Cullen Potter	Cgy	C	19	5-10/170	Arizona State (NCAA)	24	12	14	26	16
85	Stephen Halliday	Ott	C	23	6-4/210	Ottawa (NHL)	30	4	7	11	2
86	Marek Vanacker	Chi	LW	20	6-0/175	Brantford (OHL)	60	47	35	82	33
87	Charlie Stramel	Min	C	21	6-3/215	Michigan State (NCAA)	37	19	25	44	32
88	Alex Bump	Phi	LW	22	6-0/195	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	36	11	15	26	22
89	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	Sea	C	21	6-0/165	Coachella Valley (AHL)	49	10	24	34	12
90	Max Plante	Det	LW	20	5-11/175	Minnesota Duluth (NCAA)	40	25	27	52	23
91	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	22	5-10/165	Utica (AHL)	29	1	18	19	13
92	Jack Nesbitt	Phi	C	19	6-5/185	Windsor (OHL)	55	25	33	58	67
93	Mikhail Yegorov	NJ	G	20	6-5/190	Boston University (NCAA)	35	16	15	2.73	0.904
94	Luca Del Bel Belluz	CBJ	C	22	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	55	22	36	58	2
95	Ilya Nabokov	Col	G	23	6-0/180	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	38	22	7	2.74	0.901
96	Dean Letourneau	Bos	C	20	6-7/215	Boston College (NCAA)	36	22	17	39	22
97	Benjamin Rautiainen	TB	C	20	6-0/175	Tappara (Fin-Liiga)	59	25	52	77	20
98	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	23	6-2/180	Rockford (AHL)	37	13	20	3.08	0.901
99	Bill Zonnon	Pit	RW	19	6-2/185	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	35	14	32	46	6
100	Riley Heidt	Min	C	21	5-10/180	Iowa (AHL)	71	8	17	25	38
101	Juraj Pekarcik	StL	LW	20	6-2/185	Springfield (AHL)	69	11	24	35	10
102	Eddie Genborg	Det	RW	19	6-2/205	Timra (SHL)	43	9	16	25	24
103	Owen Beck	Mtl	C	22	5-11/185	Laval (AHL)	58	13	20	33	28
104	Oliver Bonk	Phi	D	21	6-2/195	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	46	6	13	19	22
105	Luca Cagnoni	SJ	D	21	5-9/180	San Jose (AHL)	67	8	35	43	22
106	Cameron Reid	Nsh	D	19	6-0/190	Kitchener (OHL)	57	15	41	56	29
107	Eric Pohlkamp	SJ	D	22	5-11/205	Denver (NCAA)	43	18	21	39	33
108	Lenni Hameenaho	NJ	RW	21	6-0/175	New Jersey (NHL)	33	2	6	8	14
109	Felix Unger Sorum	Car	RW	20	5-11/170	Chicago (AHL)	72	17	49	66	20
110	Milton Gastrin	Wsh	C	18	6-1/195	MoDo Hockey (Allsvenskan)	39	10	14	24	4
111	Carter George	LA	G	20	6-1/195	OS-Soo (OHL)	46	23	17	2.73	0.907
112	Samuel Honzek	Cgy	LW	21	6-4/185	Calgary (NHL)	18	2	2	4	2
113	Dmitri Buchelnikov	StL	LW	22	5-10/170	CSKA Moskva (KHL)	44	14	11	25	10
114	Ryker Lee	Nsh	RW	19	6-1/185	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	15	15	30	26
115	Hunter Brzustewicz	Cgy	D	21	5-11/185	Calgary (NHL)	34	2	5	7	4
116	Terik Parascak	Wsh	RW	20	6-0/180	Prince George (WHL)	61	33	46	79	53
117	EJ Emery	NYR	D	20	6-3/185	North Dakota (NCAA)	38	3	10	13	32
118	Logan Hensler	Ott	D	19	6-3/195	Wisconsin (NCAA)	23	4	8	12	20
119	Emil Hemming	Dal	RW	19	6-1/205	Barrie (OHL)	46	26	37	63	22
120	Blake Fiddler	Sea	D	18	6-5/220	Edmonton (WHL)	63	11	25	36	38
121	Jakob Ihs Wozniak	VGK	RW	19	6-3/190	Bjorkloven (Allsvenskan)	36	9	14	23	12
122	Cameron Lund	SJ	C	21	6-2/195	San Jose (AHL)	37	9	16	25	12
123	Ville Koivunen	Pit	LW	22	6-0/175	Pittsburgh (NHL)	39	2	5	7	10
124	Artyom Duda	Uta	D	22	6-1/185	Tucson (AHL)	27	2	11	13	22
125	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	22	6-1/185	Hershey (AHL)	41	14	20	34	47
126	Gracyn Sawchyn	Fla	C	21	5-11/160	Charlotte (AHL)	35	6	17	23	12
127	Jack Ivankovic	Nsh	G	19	6-0/175	Michigan (NCAA)	35	25	8	2.15	0.921
128	Denver Barkey	Phi	C	21	5-8/160	Philadelphia (NHL)	43	5	12	17	16
129	Bryce Pickford	Mtl	D	20	6-1/185	Medicine Hat (WHL)	55	45	38	83	56
130	Leo Sahlin Wallenius	SJ	D	20	6-0/180	Vaxjo Lakers (SHL)	32	3	10	13	14
131	Niklas Kokko	Sea	G	22	6-3/185	Coachella Valley (AHL)	35	19	10	3.13	0.901
132	Kieron Walton	Wpg	C	20	6-6/210	Sby-Pbo (OHL)	62	40	48	88	26
133	Ryan Ufko	Nsh	D	23	5-10/180	Milwaukee (AHL)	52	11	33	44	20
134	Tarin Smith	Ana	D	20	6-1/185	Everett (WHL)	65	16	55	71	98
135	Semyon Vyazovoy	Sea	G	23	6-2/170	Salavat Yulayev Ufa (Rus)	53	27	18	2.13	0.931
136	Anton Wahlberg	Buf	C	20	6-3/195	Rochester (AHL)	68	9	29	38	20
137	Tyson Jugnauth	Sea	D	22	5-11/170	Coachella Valley (AHL)	72	9	36	45	44
138	David Edstrom	Nsh	C	21	6-3/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	53	8	14	22	28
139	David Spacek	Min	D	23	5-11/175	Iowa (AHL)	59	7	29	36	16
140	Carl Lindbom	VGK	G	23	6-1/165	Henderson (AHL)	35	24	5	2.16	0.926
141	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	22	6-0/180	Winnipeg (NHL)	25	3	3	6	6
142	Amadeus Lombardi	Det	C	22	5-10/165	Grand Rapids (AHL)	47	16	26	42	22
143	Ethan Gauthier	TB	RW	21	5-11/175	Syracuse (AHL)	56	12	15	27	10
144	Henry Mews	Cgy	D	20	6-0/190	Michigan (NCAA)	10	0	9	9	6
145	Eric Nilson	Ana	C	19	6-0/165	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	3	8	11	41
146	Ben Danford	Tor	D	20	6-1/190	Osh-Bfd (OHL)	45	3	17	20	13
147	Mikhail Gulyayev	Col	D	21	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	54	1	2	3	14
148	Henry Brzustewicz	LA	D	19	6-2/200	London (OHL)	59	19	35	54	57
149	Joakim Kemell	Nsh	RW	22	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	48	10	19	29	56
150	Danny Nelson	NYI	C	20	6-3/200	Notre Dame (NCAA)	36	13	16	29	32
151	Luca Marrelli	CBJ	D	20	6-2/185	Cleveland (AHL)	32	4	12	16	10
152	Dylan Duke	TB	LW	23	5-10/180	Syracuse (AHL)	72	32	27	59	42
153	Jack Devine	Fla	RW	22	5-11/175	Charlotte (AHL)	63	18	25	43	57
154	Daniil Prokhorov	NYI	RW	19	6-6/220	Dynamo Moskva (KHL)	23	1	0	1	2
155	William Zellers	Bos	LW	20	6-0/180	North Dakota (NCAA)	38	18	16	34	29
156	Ethan Wyttenbach	Cgy	LW	19	5-10/180	Quinnipiac (NCAA)	40	25	34	59	20
157	Eduard Sale	Sea	LW	21	6-1/170	Coachella Valley (AHL)	58	13	14	27	14
158	Dmitry Gamzin	NYI	G	23	6-3/175	CSKA Moskva (KHL)	40	22	10	1.49	0.938
159	Kasper Halttunen	SJ	RW	20	6-3/205	San Jose (AHL)	69	16	19	35	45
160	Lukas Fischer	StL	D	19	6-3/180	Sar-Soo (OHL)	65	8	36	44	88
161	Semyon Frolov	Car	G	19	6-3/200	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	7	4	1	1.83	0.929
162	Fabian Lysell	Bos	RW	23	5-11/180	Providence (AHL)	57	17	25	42	51
163	Mason West	Chi	C	18	6-7/220	Fargo (USHL)	38	10	15	25	12
164	Shane Vansaghi	Phi	RW	19	6-3/210	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	4	7	11	28
165	Dominik Badinka	Car	D	20	6-3/185	Chicago (AHL)	68	6	8	14	16
166	Lucas Pettersson	Ana	C	20	6-0/175	Brynas (SHL)	41	10	10	20	0
167	Sawyer Mynio	Van	D	21	6-1/175	Abbotsford (AHL)	58	3	18	21	42
168	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	24	5-11/190	Henderson (AHL)	49	8	39	47	32
169	Quinn Hutson	Edm	RW	24	5-10/170	Bakersfield (AHL)	67	30	33	63	84
170	Vojtech Cihar	LA	LW	19	6-1/180	Kelowna (WHL)	31	12	19	31	14
171	Heikki Ruohonen	Phi	C	19	6-1/205	Harvard (NCAA)	28	6	13	19	18
172	Tristan Broz	Pit	C	23	6-0/180	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	47	16	23	39	41
173	Maksymilian Szuber	Uta	D	23	6-3/190	Tucson (AHL)	65	11	16	27	67
174	Kirill Kudryavtsev	Van	D	22	5-11/200	Abbotsford (AHL)	44	2	18	20	4
175	Adam Gajan	Chi	G	22	6-3/185	Minnesota Duluth (NCAA)	33	19	13	2.25	0.908
176	Hampton Slukynsky	LA	G	20	6-1/180	Western Michigan (NCAA)	39	27	11	2.30	0.915
177	Brennan Othmann	Cgy	LW	23	6-0/190	Hfd-Cgy (AHL)	40	9	14	23	62
178	Lasse Boelius	Ana	D	19	6-1/190	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	40	1	7	8	8
179	Colby Barlow	Wpg	LW	21	6-0/195	Manitoba (AHL)	65	8	8	16	18
180	Charlie Cerrato	Car	C	21	6-0/190	Penn State (NCAA)	23	7	20	27	20
181	Cole McKinney	SJ	C	19	6-0/200	Michigan (NCAA)	40	8	12	20	28
182	Michal Postava	Det	G	24	6-2/205	Grand Rapids (AHL)	25	17	6	1.71	0.937
183	Justin Robidas	Car	C	23	5-8/175	Chicago (AHL)	58	23	37	60	14
184	Ty Nelson	Sea	D	22	5-10/195	Coachella Valley (AHL)	63	11	24	35	26
185	Carson Wetsch	SJ	RW	20	6-1/205	Kelowna (WHL)	65	22	50	72	80
186	Vsevolod Komarov	Buf	D	22	6-2/182	Rochester (AHL)	55	4	7	11	60
187	Dylan Roobroeck	NYR	C	21	6-6/190	Hartford (AHL)	72	11	15	26	90
188	Luca Pinelli	CBJ	C	21	5-9/165	Cleveland (AHL)	68	14	32	46	66
189	Tim Washe	Ana	C	24	6-3/215	Anaheim (NHL)	39	2	3	5	14
190	Aiden Fink	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/160	Penn State (NCAA)	30	10	28	38	20
191	Florian Xhekaj	Mtl	LW	21	6-2/175	Laval (AHL)	64	17	12	29	182
192	Carter Mazur	Det	LW	24	6-0/170	Grand Rapids (AHL)	16	11	5	16	14
193	Brodie Ziemer	Buf	RW	20	5-11/195	Minnesota (NCAA)	36	23	13	36	26
194	Nathan Behm	Chi	RW	19	6-2/200	Kamloops (WHL)	67	38	48	86	41
195	Ivan Ryabkin	Car	C	19	5-11/205	Chicago (AHL)	31	1	9	10	60
196	Jacob Quillan	Tor	C	24	6-1/205	Toronto (NHL)	23	1	2	3	2
197	Herman Traff	Ana	RW	20	6-3/215	Oskarshamn (Allsvenskan)	51	23	18	41	32
198	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	22	6-0/190	Laval (AHL)	57	23	22	45	32
199	Sandis Vilmanis	Fla	LW	22	6-1/190	Charlotte (AHL)	48	17	21	38	26
200	Miroslav Holinka	Tor	C	20	6-1/185	Edmonton (WHL)	59	37	43	80	24

2025 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: #1 MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 15 NHL Affiliated Prospects

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 12:17:46 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 16:Ivan Demidov (93) of the Montreal Canadiens shoots the puck during the second period of the NHL game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens on Apr 16 2025, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire)

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Montreal 25 Prospects

MCKEEN’S 2024-25 NHL YEARBOOK – MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 15 Prospect Profiles – Organizational Rank #2

Introduction - Dave Hall, Profiles - Derek Neumeier — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 13:00:12 +0000

_{PARADISE, NV - JUNE 28: Ivan Demidov is drafted by the Montreal Canadians in the first round during the Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28, 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Icon Sportswire)}

Prospect System Ranking – 2nd (Previous Rank - 4th)
GM: Kent Hughes Hired: January 2022
COACH: Martin St. Louis Hired: February 2022

The Montreal Canadiens passed on Matvei Michkov in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft to select defenceman David Reinbacher. Sitting 30th in our McKeen’s rankings, Reinbacher split his draft-plus-one campaign between the Swiss league and AHL and will now take on his official rookie year in Laval.

Montreal's foresight paid off, snagging a Russian phenom of their own in Ivan Demidov at the 2024 draft podium. Ranked as our third-best prospect, Demidov is regarded by many as a more complete player than Michkov, combining strong offensive instincts with an all-around versatile game. Simply put, his services change the future trajectory of the Canadiens overnight.

Reinbacher isn’t the only defensive prospect creating a buzz in Quebec. Boston University standout Lane Hutson (40th) has signed his papers and is ready to shift his game to the NHL circuit. The 20-year-old thrived at the collegiate level, posting 97 points over 77 games from the blueline, and picked up several personal accolades along the way. He embodies the modern offensive defenceman. Similarly, Logan Mailloux (59th) has made good strides in his development and, in reality, could push for an NHL roster spot out of training camp.

Joshua Roy, who appeared in 23 games for the Canadiens last season, is also on the verge of an NHL breakthrough. Roy is poised to join the likes of Juraj Slafkovský, Jayden Struble, Kaiden Guhle, and Cole Caufield as recent McKeen’s graduates making their mark on the NHL.

In goal, 2023 third-round pick Jacob Fowler has proven to be a strong bet. Backstopping Boston College to a Hockey East Championship, Fowler posted a 32-6-1 record in his freshman year and was named a First Team All-Star. While he’s still a few years away from NHL action, we could be looking at the Habs' goaltender of the future.

Montreal's competitive roster is beginning to take shape, bolstered by a recent mid-August trade that brought Patrik Laine to the team. They now boast a forward core led by Juraj Slafkovský (20), Nick Suzuki (25), Cole Caufield (23), Alex Newhook (23), Kirby Dach (23), and Patrik Laine (26). They will soon be joined by the young prospects mentioned above. On defence, the Canadiens’ future is promising with the likes of Lane Hutson (20), David Reinbacher (19), Logan Mailloux (20), and Kaiden Guhle (22).

After four consecutive postseason misses, things are finally looking up for the devoted fans of Les Habitants. The pieces are falling into place for a promising future.

Montreal Canadiens Top-15 Prospects

1. Ivan Demidov

The Canadiens already had one of the best prospect pools in the league prior to the 2024 draft, but the one thing it needed was a game-breaking forward. That's why their decision to pick Demidov 5th overall, as opposed to some other very appealing options that were also still available at the time, made all the sense in the world. He's a dynamic talent with a deep bag of tricks, along with the confidence to utilize all of them, and the smarts and awareness to pick the right times to do so. He's the type of player who can make a goal happen out of nothing, which is both valuable and rare within the tight defensive structures seen in the NHL. He also has a big-game mentality and thrives in the spotlight, which will be incredibly useful and much appreciated by fans in a hockey-mad market like Montreal.

2. David Reinbacher

It certainly can't be easy to be Reinbacher these days, with all that noise generated by the fervent Montreal fans and media, especially the noise that’s related to his somewhat controversial draft slot. Knowing that, it says a lot about his character that he was able to quickly move past an injury-dampened and loss-filled season in Switzerland and immediately start looking comfortable with Laval in the AHL. The Habs want him to be a top-pairing, all-situations, minute-munching blueliner, and he's on a good enough trajectory with his development so far that he genuinely could reach that ceiling. He already has all of the necessary tools in his toolbox. However, he's still a long ways away from that goal as of right now, and progress won't happen overnight. If the team and the city can be patient enough they could get rewarded handsomely.

3. Lane Hutson

Never tell Hutson the odds. It’s understandable, to a degree, why teams were nervous about him in his draft year, because it’s exceedingly rare for blueliners of his small stature to become core roster players. That said, it’s always been pretty apparent that this particular pint-sized defender was special, and now there are probably a number of teams that are kicking themselves for not being believers, especially since he has grown a bit since then. When it comes to puck-rushing defencemen he is as dynamic as they come, with explosive all-direction mobility and the desire to play on his toes at all times. He also deserves full marks for his mental traits, as he is utterly fearless and endlessly driven, and he reads and reacts to the play in front of him at lightning speed with near perfect precision. He’s a truly unique kind of talent.

4. Michael Hage

The feel-good story of the 2024 draft was Montreal picking Hage, whose father, Alain, was a diehard Canadiens fan up until his sudden and tragic death in the summer of 2023. Now Michael is committed to using his dad's memory and legacy as fuel for his own growth as a player. And what a player he is, as an athletic center who moves around the ice well and can do a lot of damage as both a shooter and a playmaker. And there aren't many development paths that are better than going from the USHL's Chicago Steel to the NCAA's University of Michigan, as both organizations have produced a plethora of great prospects in recent years. He's still a little unrefined right now, but the sky's the limit for him, and his first game at the Bell Centre will surely be an emotional affair.

5. Joshua Roy

Nearly three years have now passed since the 2021 draft, and yet it’s only gotten more and more perplexing over time why Roy wasn’t picked until the 5th round, 150th overall. Sure, hindsight is always 20/20, and absolutely no one was confident that he would be quite this good by this age, but he was a former 1st-overall pick into the QMJHL who scored at a point-per-game pace that season split between two lackluster teams, and a profile like that seems like it would be worth a roll of the dice at least a round or two sooner. The Canadiens certainly aren’t complaining about how things worked out, though. He’s already putting in work and looking solid as a support scorer, and that will keep him around for a long time, even if he never becomes a primary creator.

6. Logan Mailloux

Much has already been said and written about Mailloux’s past and the highly controversial decision by the Canadiens to select him in the 1st round in the 2021 draft, and that story will be talked about again and relitigated in depth once he eventually becomes an NHL regular. For right now, though, there is another story that has emerged with him, and it’s about how well he’s managed to tune out all that chatter and channel his energy into his on-ice performance, which cannot be an easy focus to maintain. He is intensely attuned to his development and the on-ice results that stem from it, perhaps knowing that his career will always be on uniquely thinner ice than others, and he’s become one of the best defence prospects in all of hockey. If the Habs keep maintaining their long-term investment in him then he’ll win a full-time spot with the big club in short order.

7. Jacob Fowler

A popular hockey saying goes that goalies are voodoo, but thus far into his career Fowler is almost boringly, simplistically excellent. Put on the pads, stop almost all the pucks, win the game, repeat. And that's been the same song and dance for him going as far back as his stats were even recorded. His technique and positioning are impeccably fine-tuned for a goalie his age, and the quality of his mental approach is rare. He just never seems to have a bad game, and on the rare occasion that he lets in a bad goal he’s always able to shake it off and immediately refocus. He came remarkably close to winning back-to-back league championships, after leading Youngstown to a USHL title last season, but Boston College was overpowered in the final of the Frozen Four. If he keeps improving his quickness and athleticism he could become quite a solid NHL starter.

8. Owen Beck

In this past spring Beck suited up for his third OHL team in the span of three years, but he probably didn’t complain too much about it, because he was guaranteed a return trip to the Memorial Cup tournament, now as a member of the host Saginaw Spirit, after getting there the harder way the year before with the Peterborough Petes. Montreal must be pleased that he received all this high-quality experience, because it’s nothing but pure benefit for him. He’s a reliable, competitive, two-way center by nature, and after all of this it’s easy to imagine how prepared he’s going to be for playoff hockey in the NHL once he gets there. It seems like his ceiling will end up being a little lower than what was initially hoped for, but he should still be able to fit in just fine with what the Canadiens are building long-term.

9. Oliver Kapanen

Yet another member of the Kapanen clan, Oliver comes from quite a bloodline of hockey players. To say that he lived and breathed hockey growing up probably wouldn't be much of a stretch or understatement. He was also practically raised by the Kalpa organization in Finland, playing with them for so many years that they watched him grow from a boy into a man, so there must have been a lot of pride being felt when he exploded in the Liiga playoffs this spring, scoring at a point per game pace and helping them advance far into the postseason. The skill and hockey IQ have always been in place for him, and he continues to make necessary progress on his strength and conditioning, improvements that he'll need to be able to play in the NHL one day. Montreal, with all their young forward depth, can afford to be patient with Kapanen.

10. Jakub Dobes

Among all AHL goalies this season Dobes finished tied for the lead for game appearances and was solely in second place for total minutes between the pipes, which is quite a rare thing for a rookie netminder in that league to accomplish. He has a remarkable ability to step into a totally new environment and look uncharacteristically right at home, which he’s done recently with both Ohio State and now Laval as well, winning the starter’s job upon arrival each time and never relinquishing it. His play just keeps getting better and better as he continues growing into his sprawling frame and gaining more natural coordination. Making things even more enticing, he still looks like he’s not even close to reaching the limits of that progression. If a re-do for the 2020 draft were to happen tomorrow Dobes might get picked as many as 100 spots higher.

11. Filip Mesar

A longtime friend and international teammate of Juraj Slafkovský, Mesar is Montreal's other young Slovak forward, but his development hasn't begun to soar nearly as much in comparison. On the bright side, he has a knack for saving his best hockey for the biggest games, from the World Juniors to the OHL playoffs, which is never a bad sign. He’s an offense-first winger who is at his most dangerous off the rush.

12. Bogdan Konyushkov

Sometimes it makes sense to select older, previously undrafted prospects, because more is already known about them. Konyushkov was the oldest player to get drafted in 2023, but he had just played a full season in the KHL, so the Habs had enough material to inform their decision. He has the requisite determination and pacing needed for smaller blueliners, utilizing his feet to be fast and shifty on puck retrievals and breakouts, while keeping tight gaps to defend with pokechecks.

13. Sean Farrell

Farrell was a top offensive contributor in both the USHL and the NCAA, so further point production is expected of him. That might just take longer than expected, because of how much progress he still needs to make with his strength and conditioning. Few can match his ability to see the ice and anticipate the flow of play, and he pairs that with an innate touch for the puck, but he needs to get more explosive and apply pressure with more intensity.

14. Adam Engström

Engström is a bit of a sleeper in Montreal's crowded system, but he just keeps quietly getting better and better playing overseas in the SHL. He was also one of Rögle's regular defensemen in their surprise underdog run to the league finals, which is the type of experience that can really boost a young player's development. His game is all about crisp puck movement that is carried out at a brisk pace.

15. Riley Kidney

Kidney rattled off repeat 100-point seasons during his QMJHL tenure, so Habs fans shouldn't get too concerned that he had a quiet rookie campaign in the AHL. It wasn't a secret that he would need more time to get his strength and conditioning up to par, and he still possesses the same sharp offensive vision and precise playmaking that he had before. The Canadiens have enough prospect depth that they can let Kidney develop at a pace that works for him.

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #4 Montreal Canadiens – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Player Profiles - Derek Neumeier, Team Overview - Robert Howard — Sun, 09 Jun 2024 15:00:05 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 25:Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher (64) waits for a face-off during the New Jersey Devils versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason game on September 25, 2023, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Kent Hughes has been one of the more active and creative GM’s in the NHL in a little over two years. Two drafts under his belt, and he has shown he is going to follow his own instincts, as both first overall picks were not the consensus at the time. He has received vindication for taking Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in 2022 as he broke out this season and showed considerable ceiling as an elite power forward. There were some raised eyebrows about picking 6’2” right shot defenseman, David Reinbacher, given there were flashier options on the table at the time. He is followed by the #2 prospect, Lane Hutson, also on defense, and looking like one of the great steals from the 2022 Draft at 62nd. He also gets high marks for drafting goaltender Jacob Fowler in the second round, currently ranked as the sixth best prospect goaltender by McKeens. He will certainly add to the fourth best prospect pool with two first-round picks in 2024 and two firsts in 2025, and a slew of picks in both drafts.

Hughes, an ex-player agent, is a master of using his cap space to land prospects and picks. He took Sean Monahan off of Calgary’s hands (future considerations) for a first-round pick in the summer of 2022. Monahan had a strong 2023-24 season and recouped another first at the 2024 deadline. We do not have enough space here to cover all the wheeling and dealing but it has created a wealth of future potential, but also to add key young pieces to the core in reclamation projects in two former first round 23-year-olds in Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. They are building around forwards Nick Suzuki (24) and Cole Caufield (23), who have established themselves as stars, and are signed through 2029-30 at very reasonable, identical AAV of $7.875 million. They are a few years out from contending, there is real momentum and excitement in one of the most jaded fan bases.

RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	David Reinbacher	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	`23(5th)	35	1	10	11	18
					Laval (AHL)	`23(5th)	11	2	3	5	4
2	Lane Hutson	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	`22(62nd)	38	15	34	49	24
					Montreal (NHL)	`22(62nd)	2	0	2	2	0
3	Joshua Roy	RW	20	6-0/190	Laval (AHL)	`21(150th)	41	13	19	32	12
					Montreal (NHL)	`21(150th)	23	4	5	9	0
4	Logan Mailloux	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	`21(31st)	72	14	33	47	91
5	Jacob Fowler	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	`23(69th)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
6	Owen Beck	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	`22(33rd)	57	34	47	81	18
7	Sean Farrell	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	`20(124th)	47	9	19	28	10
8	Jakub Dobes	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	`20(136th)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
9	Oliver Kapanen	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	`21(64th)	51	14	20	34	32
10	Bogdan Konyushkov	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	`23(110th)	65	6	22	28	18
11	Filip Mesar	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	`22(26th)	45	19	33	52	12
12	Adam Engstrom	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	`22(92nd)	51	4	18	22	4
13	Riley Kidney	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	`21(63rd)	65	7	13	20	41
14	Emil Heineman	LW	22	6-1/185	Laval (AHL)	T(Cgy-2/22)	48	15	14	29	25
					Montreal (NHL)	T(Cgy-2/22)	4	0	0	0	0
15	William Trudeau	D	21	6-0/190	Laval (AHL)	`21(113th)	70	8	16	24	69

1. David Reinbacher, D, Kloten (NL)/Laval Rocket (AHL)

2. Lane Hutson, D, Boston University (NCAA)

Never tell Hutson the odds. It’s understandable, to a degree, why teams were nervous about him in his draft year, because it’s exceedingly rare for blueliners of his small stature to become core roster players. That said, it’s always been pretty apparent that this particular pint-sized defender was special, and now there are probably a number of teams that are kicking themselves for not being believers. When it comes to puck-rushing defensemen he is as dynamic as they come, with explosive all-direction mobility and the desire to play on his toes at all times. He also deserves full marks for his mental traits, as he is utterly fearless and endlessly driven, and he reads and reacts to the play in front of him at lightning speed with near perfect precision. Can Hutson reach a similar level to Quinn Hughes in Vancouver? Habs fans are already dreaming about it.

3. Joshua Roy, RW, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Nearly three years have now passed since the 2021 draft, and yet it’s only gotten more and more perplexing over time why Roy wasn’t picked until the 5th round and 150th overall. Sure, hindsight is always 20/20, and absolutely no one was confident that he would be quite this good by this age, but he was a former 1st-overall pick into the QMJHL who scored at a point-per-game pace that season split between two lackluster teams, and a profile like that seems like it would be worth a roll of the dice at least a round or two sooner. The Canadiens certainly aren’t complaining about how things worked out, though. He’s already putting in work and looking solid as a support scorer, and that will keep him around for a long time, even if he never becomes a primary creator.

4. Logan Mailloux, D, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Much has already been said and written about Mailloux’s past and the highly controversial decision by the Canadiens to select him in the 1st round in the 2021 draft, and that story will be talked about again and relitigated in depth once he eventually becomes an NHL regular. For right now, though, there is another story that has emerged with him, and it’s about how well he’s managed to tune out all that chatter and channel his energy into his on-ice performance, which cannot be an easy focus to maintain. He is intensely attuned to his development and the on-ice results that stem from it, perhaps knowing that his career will always be on uniquely thinner ice than others, and he’s become one of the best defense prospects in all of hockey. If the Habs keep maintaining their long-term investment in him then he’ll win a full-time spot with the big club in short order.

5. Jacob Fowler, G, Boston College (NCAA)

6. Owen Beck, C, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

Beck is now playing for his third OHL team in the span of three years, but he’s probably not complaining too much, since he’s guaranteed a return trip to the Memorial Cup tournament, this time as a member of the host Saginaw Spirit after getting there the harder way last year with the Peterborough Petes. Montreal must be pleased that he’s getting all of this high-quality experience, because it’s nothing but pure benefit for him. He’s a reliable, competitive two-way center by nature, and after all of this it’s easy to imagine how prepared he’s going to be for playoff hockey in the NHL once he gets there. It seems like his ceiling will end up being a little lower than what was initially hoped for, but he should still be able to fit in just fine with what the Canadiens are building long-term.

7. Sean Farrell, C, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Farrell proved himself to be a top-tier offensive contributor in both the USHL and the NCAA, so further point production is expected to be a part of his future. That might just take longer than Habs fans expect, though, because of the higher importance of strength and conditioning at the professional levels, and how much progress he still needs to make in these areas. Few can match his ability to see the ice in front of him and anticipate the flow of play, and he pairs that with an innate touch for the puck and a confidence for playmaking. He’s an ace at slowing things down and letting his options unfurl themselves, and that’s always a great trait to possess, but he will also need to round things out by getting more explosive with his skating and applying pressure with more intensity.

8. Jakub Dobes, G, Laval Rocket (AHL)

Among all AHL goalies this season Dobes finished in a tie for game appearances and was solely in second place for total minutes between the pipes, which is quite a rare thing for a rookie netminder in the league to accomplish. He has a remarkable ability to step into a totally new environment and look uncharacteristically right at home, which he’s done recently with both Ohio State and now Laval as well, winning the starter’s job upon arrival each time and never relinquishing it. His play just keeps getting better and better as he continues growing into his sprawling frame and gaining more natural coordination, and making things even more enticing, he still looks like he’s not even close to reaching the limits of that progression. If a re-do for the 2020 draft were to happen tomorrow Dobes might get picked as many as 100 spots higher.

9. Oliver Kapanen, C, KalPa (Liiga)

Yet another member of the Kapanen clap, Oliver comes from quite a bloodline of hockey players. To say that he lived and breathed hockey growing up probably wouldn't be much of a stretch or understatement. He was also practically raised by the Kalpa organization in Finland, playing with them for so many years that they watched him grow from a boy into a man, so there must have been a lot of pride being felt when he exploded in the Liiga playoffs this spring, scoring at a point per game pace and helping them make it far. The skill and hockey IQ have always been in place for him, and he continues to make necessary progress on his strength and conditioning, improvements that he'll need to be able to play in the NHL one day. Montreal, with all their young forward depth, can afford to be patient with Kapanen.

10. Bogdan Konyushkov, D, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)

Sometimes it makes a lot of sense to draft older prospects, even if they've gone unpicked before, because more is already known about them, and less guess work is needed about their development. Konyushkov was the single oldest player to hear his name get called in the 2023 draft, but he had just played a full season in the KHL, so the Habs had a lot of good material to help inform their decision and must have been pretty comfortable in their assessment of him. Additionally, his coach for the past two seasons with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod was the legendary Igor “The Professor” Larionov, which was surely a nice bonus. He has the requisite determination and pacing needed for smaller blueliners, utilizing his feet to be fast and shifty on puck retrievals and breakouts, while keeping tight gaps to defend with pokechecks.

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

MCKEEN’S 2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 30 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 12:22:26 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first, this ranking, follows the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Our team of 16 scouts are based in key markets around the world, in the rinks, supported by video scouting. They utilize some terrific tools from Hudl/InStat, which can isolate so many aspects of a player’s game, along with proprietary statistics. They spend countless hours in rinks and in front of screens and are deeply familiar with these players and their progression. Our management team of Brock Otten (Director of Scouting) and Derek Neumeier (Assistant Director of Scouting/Senior Western Regional Scout), along with Video Scouting Coordinator, Josh Bell, will take the teams input and finalize the list you see below. Brock, Derek and Josh are responsible for the player write-ups in the Prospect Guide.

The organizational rankings are based on an algorithm that takes into account how many prospects are ranked within the top 200. The teams are broken down by the number of prospects in our top 1 -25, 26 - 50, 51 - 100, and 101 - 200. A weight is attached to each group and then some subjective tweaking is done based on our knowledge of the players. There can be a wider discrepancy in the top 25 group than the latter groupings that needs to be taken into account.

Here is our definition of an NHL prospect: Players under 26 years of age as of 9/15/2024 who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in one season (25 for goalies).

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft. We are releasing out top 30 NHL Prospects free to non-subscribers. If you want to learn more, link here.

Subscribers can link to the full top 200 listing here

Here is an excerpt of Brock Otten's Risers and Fallers article from the magazine to give you more perspective and a little taste of our content.

The best part of scouting is the somewhat unpredictable nature of human development. Some players improve dramatically from one year to the next…others do not. When we compare the rankings from our 2023-24 NHL Yearbook (where we did a Top 300 prospect ranking) to now, these are the players who have risen/fallen the most.

Risers

DALLAS, TX - APRIL 22: Dallas Stars center Logan Stankoven (11) reacts to a goal score during game one of the Western Conference First Round between the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights on April 22, 2024 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire)

Logan Stankoven (27 to 5) - Dallas Stars

Stankoven’s jump from one of the best players in the WHL to one of the best players in the AHL has been impressive. So has his quick start in the NHL.

Ryan Leonard (32 to 6) – Washington Capitals

Leonard is returning to Boston College after a Championship barely eluded him this year. However, he has proven to be an elite play driver to go with his strong off puck play.

MONTREAL, QC - FEBRUARY 11: Look on Montreal Canadiens right wing Joshua Roy (89) during warm-up before the St. Louis Blues versus the Montreal Canadiens game on February 11, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

Josh Roy (63 to 35) – Montreal Canadiens

Roy continues to prove doubters wrong after a terrific AHL season with Laval. His skill set has become so well rounded since being drafted.

Conor Geekie (68 to 18) – Utah

Geekie’s power game from the middle of the ice makes him such an interesting prospect for today’s NHL. His skating continues to improve.

Mavrik Bourque (79 to 23) – Dallas Stars

Bourque emerged as one of the best players in the AHL this season as a sophomore professional. He’s ready to take that next step with the Stars.

Gabe Perreault (86 to 19) – New York Rangers

Once thought to be the third wheel on the talented Will Smith/Ryan Leonard threesome, Perreault’s progression as a play driver at Boston College this season has altered the perception that he can be a front-line NHL player.

Bradly Nadeau (109 to 34) – Carolina Hurricanes

Drafting early out of the BCHL has yielded inconsistent results, however Nadeau was exceptional as a freshman at Maine. Did he leave school too early though?

Jagger Firkus (112 to 47) – Seattle Kraken

Firkus took his game to another level this year in his final WHL season, leading the league in scoring. He’s ready to be a pro.

Gavin Brindley (122 to 66) – Columbus Blue Jackets

One of the most improved players in the NCAA this year, Brindley emerged as a star for the University of Michigan and really altered his projection as a potential top six forward.

Quentin Musty (125 to 51) – San Jose Sharks

The dynamic American winger worked hard to fine tune components of his game in Sudbury this year and deserves a bump for improving his consistency.

Jani Nyman (135 to 81) – Seattle Kraken

Nyman emerged as one of the top goal scorers in Finland this season as a U20 player. This, combined with his strong WJC performance, has helped push him up our board north.

Logan Mailloux (145 to 45) – Montreal Canadiens

Mailloux proved to be way more refined at the AHL level than previously perceived. Simply put, he was one of the best defensive prospects in the AHL this year.

Josh Doan (153 to 55) - Utah

What a terrific story to the end of the Coyotes franchise. Doan emerged as a potential star this season and finished the year strong in the NHL, scoring in his debut.

Riley Heidt (157 to 44) – Minnesota Wild

We still don’t understand how Heidt fell as far as he did in the 2023 draft, however he is proving NHL scouts wrong thus far after a remarkable year with Prince George.

Ville Koivunen (165 to 71) – Pittsburgh Penguins

The main piece of the Jake Guentzel to Carolina deal, Koivunen emerged as one of the top players in Liiga this year.

Ethan Del Mastro (169 to 73) – Chicago Blackhawks

There was little doubt that Del Mastro’s strong defensive ability would translate to the AHL level well, but he continues to improve offensively and that has altered his projection.

Theo Lindstein (185 to 91) – St. Louis Blues

Lindstein’s strong year for Brynas has helped to elevate his upside as a two-way defender. We may have ranked him too low in our 2023 Draft Rankings.

Carson Rehkopf (201 to 69) – Seattle Kraken

Consistency off the puck and a lack of engagement held Rehkopf back last year. This year marked improvement in those areas helped him emerge as a top offensive talent in the OHL.

Easton Cowan (204 to 67) – Toronto Maple Leafs

One of the surprises of the 2023 draft, Cowan set a new OHL record with a 42-game point streak. More than just a high energy guy now, he can be a difference maker offensively.

Seamus Casey (214 to 63) – New Jersey Devils

Casey continues to improve in the NCAA. He may not have elite size, but he has everything else, and it has the Devils excited about his future.

Jacob Fowler (222 to 52) – Montreal Canadiens

Fowler compiled a list of accolades as a freshman this year at Boston College, emerging as one of the top goaltending prospects in the game.

Fraser Minten (226 to 84) – Toronto Maple Leafs

After starting the year with the Leafs, Minten returned to the WHL and ended up captaining Canada at the World Juniors.

Jackson Blake (277 to 117) – Carolina Hurricanes

A finalist for the Hobey Baker this year, Blake became an NCAA star for North Dakota, and he now turns pro.

Erik Portillo (Unranked to 118) – Los Angeles Kings

Acquired by the Kings, Portillo turned pro after three years at Michigan and he was one of the best goaltenders in the AHL as a first-year pro.

Rodwin Dionicio (Unranked to 139) – Anaheim Ducks

Dionicio still plays a high risk, high reward game from the back end, but his offensive upside has become too large to ignore.

Fallers

EDM - Xavier Bourgault

Xavier Bourgault (from 48 to 113) – Edmonton Oilers

After a mediocre first professional year last season, Bourgault was even more disappointing as a sophomore with Bakersfield. The Oilers just haven’t been developing prospects well in recent years.

Eduard Sale (72 to 140) – Seattle Kraken

Sale’s first year in North America did not go according to plan as he struggled to be a consistent impact player in the OHL.

Jack Rathbone (96 to not ranked) – Pittsburgh Penguins

Perhaps we ranked Rathbone too aggressively this summer, but not only did he fail to earn a spot on Vancouver, but he’s now an NHL after thought after entering Pittsburgh’s organization via trade.

Jacob Perreault (127 to not ranked) – Montreal Canadiens

Perreault’s off puck play and skating just haven’t improved to the point where he can be a consistent pro and it caused the Ducks to move on from him, trading him to Montreal.

Jan Jenik (156 to not ranked) - Utah

Once a highly ranked prospect, Jenik continues to fall. He just hasn’t been able to take that next step and even passed through waivers this year unclaimed.

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17

2024 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT: TOP 200 NHL PROSPECTS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:02:31 +0000

At McKeen’s Hockey we do a ranked affiliated prospect list twice a season. Our first is following the end of the regular season for most prospects but does not include the playoffs. It is a ranking of the top 200, plus the top 15 by team, prior to the NHL Draft. Once the NHL Draft is complete, we begin the process of updating the organizational ranking to a top 20, and then rank the top 300. That is completed in August, once the dust has settled on free agency, and any trades that are made in the meantime. We include that ranking in our McKeen’s NHL Yearbook, published in late August, Early September.

Check back in with us in the fall to see how things change following the draft.

Subscribers can link to the listing here

RNK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
1	Will Smith	SJ	C	19	6-0/175	Boston College (HE)	41	25	46	71	14
2	Matvei Michkov	Phi	RW	19	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg-HK Sochi (KHL)	48	19	22	41	26
3	Brandt Clarke	LA	D	21	6-2/185	Los Angeles (NHL)	16	2	4	6	10
4	Cutter Gauthier	Ana	LW	20	6-2/190	Boston College (HE)	41	38	27	65	18
5	Logan Stankoven	Dal	C	21	5-8/170	Dallas (NHL)	24	6	8	14	4
6	Ryan Leonard	Wsh	RW	19	5-11/190	Boston College (HE)	41	31	29	60	38
7	Alexander Nikishin	Car	D	22	6-3/195	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	67	17	39	56	39
8	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	21	6-3/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	44	30	13	2.39	0.911
9	Jesper Wallstedt	Min	G	21	6-3/215	Iowa (AHL)	45	22	19	2.70	0.910
10	Matthew Savoie	Buf	C	20	5-9/179	Wen-MJ (WHL)	34	30	41	71	10
11	Simon Edvinsson	Det	D	21	6-6/215	Detroit (NHL)	16	1	1	2	4
12	Jonathan Lekkerimaki	Van	RW	19	5-11/170	Orebro (SHL)	46	19	12	31	10
13	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	23	6-0/166	Calgary (AHL)	36	20	12	2.45	0.922
14	Devon Levi	Buf	G	21	6-0/192	Rochester (AHL)	26	16	6	2.42	0.927
15	Olen Zellweger	Ana	D	20	5-9/180	Anaheim (NHL)	26	2	7	9	4
16	Dmitri Simashev	Ari	D	19	6-4/198	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	63	4	6	10	18
17	David Reinbacher	Mtl	D	19	6-2/185	Kloten (Sui-NL)	35	1	10	11	18
18	Conor Geekie	Ari	C	19	6-3/193	Wen-SC (WHL)	55	43	56	99	66
19	Gabe Perreault	NYR	RW	18	5-11/165	Boston College (HE)	36	19	41	60	29
20	Daniil But	Ari	LW	19	6-5/203	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	55	10	11	21	10
21	Shane Wright	Sea	C	20	6-0/200	Coachella Valley (AHL)	59	22	25	47	18
22	Jiri Kulich	Buf	C	20	6-1/186	Rochester (AHL)	57	27	18	45	26
23	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	22	5-10/190	Texas (AHL)	71	26	51	77	32
24	Nate Danielson	Det	C	19	6-2/185	Bdn-Por (WHL)	54	24	43	67	42
25	Danila Yurov	Min	RW	19	6-1/175	Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)	62	21	28	49	35
26	Brennan Othmann	NYR	LW	21	6-0/175	Hartford (AHL)	67	21	28	49	65
27	Lane Hutson	Mtl	D	20	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	38	15	34	49	24
28	Tom Willander	Van	D	19	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	38	4	21	25	12
29	Marco Kasper	Det	C	20	6-1/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	71	14	21	35	30
30	Dalibor Dvorsky	StL	C	18	6-1/200	Sudbury (OHL)	52	45	43	88	17
31	Brad Lambert	Wpg	C	20	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	64	21	34	55	38
32	Ivan Miroshnichenko	Wsh	LW	20	6-1/185	Washington (NHL)	21	2	4	6	6
33	Axel Sandin Pellikka	Det	D	19	5-11/180	Skelleftea (SHL)	39	10	8	18	17
34	Bradly Nadeau	Car	LW	18	5-10/165	Maine (HE)	37	19	27	46	12
35	Joshua Roy	Mtl	RW	20	6-0/190	Montreal (NHL)	23	4	5	9	0
36	Denton Mateychuk	CBJ	D	19	5-11/190	Moose Jaw (WHL)	52	17	58	75	31
37	Brayden Yager	Pit	C	19	5-11/165	Moose Jaw (WHL)	57	35	60	95	20
38	Calum Ritchie	Col	C	19	6-2/185	Oshawa (OHL)	50	28	52	80	20
39	Joakim Kemell	Nsh	RW	20	5-10/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	67	16	25	41	23
40	Colby Barlow	Wpg	LW	19	6-0/195	Owen Sound (OHL)	50	40	18	58	27
41	Jimmy Snuggerud	StL	RW	19	6-1/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	21	13	34	42
42	Matthew Coronato	Cgy	RW	21	5-10/183	Calgary (NHL)	34	3	6	9	4
43	Frank Nazar	Chi	C	20	5-10/180	Michigan (B1G)	41	17	24	41	18
44	Riley Heidt	Min	C	19	5-10/180	Prince George (WHL)	66	37	80	117	42
45	Logan Mailloux	Mtl	D	21	6-3/215	Laval (AHL)	72	14	33	47	91
46	Sebastian Cossa	Det	G	21	6-6/229	Grand Rapids (AHL)	40	22	9	2.41	0.913
47	Jagger Firkus	Sea	RW	20	5-10/155	Moose Jaw (WHL)	63	61	65	126	30
48	Mikhail Gulyayev	Col	D	19	5-11/170	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	64	4	8	12	8
49	Scott Morrow	Car	D	21	6-2/195	Massachusetts (HE)	37	6	24	30	25
50	Matthew Wood	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/195	Connecticut (HE)	35	16	12	28	43
51	Quentin Musty	SJ	LW	18	6-2/200	Sudbury (OHL)	53	43	59	102	72
52	Jacob Fowler	Mtl	G	19	6-1/215	Boston College (HE)	39	32	6	2.14	0.926
53	Fabian Lysell	Bos	RW	21	5-11/181	Providence (AHL)	56	15	35	50	37
54	Shakir Mukhamadullin	SJ	D	22	6-3/180	San Jose (AHL)	55	7	27	34	24
55	Josh Doan	Ari	RW	22	6-1/183	Arizona (NHL)	11	5	4	9	0
56	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	22	5-9/180	San Jose (NHL)	27	6	5	11	18
57	Lian Bichsel	Dal	D	19	6-6/233	Rogle (SHL)	29	2	2	4	28
58	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	24	5-10/180	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	42	11	24	35	30
59	Aatu Raty	Van	C	21	6-2/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	72	18	34	52	18
60	Oliver Moore	Chi	C	19	5-11/185	Minnesota (B1G)	39	9	24	33	8
61	Samuel Honzek	Cgy	LW	19	6-4/186	Vancouver (WHL)	33	10	21	31	18
62	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	23	5-9/170	Calgary (NHL)	13	1	2	3	2
63	Seamus Casey	NJ	D	20	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	7	38	45	14
64	Tristan Luneau	Ana	D	20	6-1/195	Anaheim (NHL)	7	1	2	3	4
65	Chaz Lucius	Wpg	C	20	6-1/185	Manitoba (AHL)	17	2	11	13	6
66	Gavin Brindley	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Michigan (B1G)	40	25	28	53	28
67	Easton Cowan	Tor	RW	18	5-10/170	London (OHL)	54	34	62	96	64
68	Zachary L'Heureux	Nsh	LW	20	5-11/195	Milwaukee (AHL)	66	19	29	48	197
69	Carson Rehkopf	Sea	LW	19	6-1/195	Kitchener (OHL)	60	52	43	95	45
70	Filip Bystedt	SJ	C	20	6-4/205	Linkopings (SHL)	47	8	9	17	2
71	Ville Koivunen	Pit	LW	20	6-0/175	Karpat (Fin-Liiga)	59	22	34	56	26
72	Noah Ostlund	Buf	C	20	5-11/163	Vaxjo Lakers (SHL)	38	12	11	23	4
73	Ethan Del Mastro	Chi	D	21	6-4/210	Rockford (AHL)	69	7	30	37	54
74	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	22	5-10/180	Henderson (AHL)	58	4	16	20	33
75	Liam Ohgren	Min	LW	20	6-1/200	Farjestads (SHL)	26	12	7	19	12
76	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	21	5-11/175	Minnesota (NHL)	16	1	3	4	6
77	Mackie Samoskevich	Fla	RW	21	5-11/190	Charlotte (AHL)	62	22	32	54	24
78	Stanislav Svozil	CBJ	D	21	6-1/180	Cleveland (AHL)	57	5	18	23	24
79	Zachary Bolduc	StL	LW	21	6-1/175	St. Louis (NHL)	25	5	4	9	6
80	Rutger McGroarty	Wpg	LW	20	6-1/200	Michigan (B1G)	36	16	36	52	6
81	Jani Nyman	Sea	RW	19	6-3/215	Ilves (Fin-Liiga)	48	26	17	43	2
82	Andrew Cristall	Wsh	LW	19	5-9/165	Kelowna (WHL)	62	40	71	111	46
83	Oliver Bonk	Phi	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	60	24	43	67	32
84	Fraser Minten	Tor	C	19	6-1/185	Kam-Sas (WHL)	43	22	26	48	25
85	Tanner Molendyk	Nsh	D	19	5-11/185	Saskatoon (WHL)	50	10	46	56	18
86	David Goyette	Sea	C	20	5-10/175	Sudbury (OHL)	68	40	77	117	29
87	David Edstrom	SJ	C	19	6-3/185	Frolunda (SHL)	44	7	12	19	8
88	Anton Wahlberg	Buf	C	18	6-3/194	Malmo (SHL)	43	5	5	10	4
89	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	22	5-9/185	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	61	5	27	32	66
90	Trey Augustine	Det	G	19	6-1/185	Michigan State (B1G)	35	23	9	2.96	0.915
91	Theo Lindstein	StL	D	19	6-0/180	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	49	4	11	15	4
92	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	23	6-7/195	Belleville (AHL)	32	18	9	2.45	0.916
93	Isak Rosen	Buf	RW	21	6-0/175	Rochester (AHL)	67	20	30	50	12
94	Maveric Lamoureux	Ari	D	20	6-7/214	Drummondville (QMJHL)	39	9	24	33	53
95	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	21	6-2/180	Rockford (AHL)	38	18	16	2.65	0.906
96	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	23	6-0/180	Manitoba (AHL)	41	10	17	27	24
97	Carter Mazur	Det	LW	22	6-0/170	Grand Rapids (AHL)	60	17	20	37	48
98	Otto Stenberg	StL	C	18	5-11/180	Frolunda (SHL)	31	3	3	6	8
99	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	LW	23	6-3/205	Milwaukee (AHL)	56	27	27	54	60
100	Nikita Chibrikov	Wpg	RW	21	5-10/170	Manitoba (AHL)	70	17	30	47	53
101	Zach Dean	StL	C	21	6-0/175	Springfield (AHL)	49	9	5	14	24
102	William Dufour	NYI	RW	22	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	55	15	10	25	35
103	Sam Rinzel	Chi	D	19	6-4/180	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	26	28	20
104	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	22	6-2/185	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	45	25	12	2.16	0.921
105	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	23	5-10/170	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	50	19	19	38	8
106	Corson Ceulemans	CBJ	D	20	6-2/200	Cleveland (AHL)	47	3	9	12	12
107	Michael Hrabal	Ari	G	19	6-6/209	Massachusetts (HE)	30	16	12	2.59	0.912
108	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	22	5-11/180	Vegas (NHL)	15	2	6	8	2
109	Owen Pickering	Pit	D	20	6-4/180	Swift Current (WHL)	59	7	39	46	35
110	Owen Beck	Mtl	C	20	5-11/185	Pbo-Sag (OHL)	57	34	47	81	18
111	William Wallinder	Det	D	21	6-4/190	Grand Rapids (AHL)	65	3	12	15	10
112	Xavier Bourgault	Edm	C	21	6-0/170	Bakersfield (AHL)	55	8	12	20	24
113	Jordan Dumais	CBJ	RW	20	5-8/165	Halifax (QMJHL)	21	16	31	47	6
114	Aleksi Heimosalmi	Car	D	20	5-11/170	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	47	2	14	16	12
115	Brandon Bussi	Bos	G	25	6-4/218	Providence (AHL)	41	23	10	2.67	0.913
116	Jackson Blake	Car	RW	20	5-10/160	North Dakota (NCHC)	40	22	38	60	26
117	Erik Portillo	LA	G	23	6-6/210	Ontario (AHL)	39	24	11	2.50	0.918
118	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	22	5-8/175	Laval (AHL)	47	9	19	28	10
119	Kasper Halttunen	SJ	RW	18	6-3/205	London (OHL)	57	32	29	61	61
120	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	22	5-11/165	Toronto (AHL)	68	8	31	39	43
121	Ethan Gauthier	TB	RW	19	5-11/175	Drummondville (QMJHL)	64	36	35	71	42
122	Daniil Miromanov	Cgy	D	26	6-4/200	VGK-Cgy (NHL)	24	3	4	7	8
123	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	23	5-8/155	Bridgeport (AHL)	69	18	32	50	30
124	Shai Buium	Det	D	21	6-3/210	Denver (NCHC)	43	7	29	36	14
125	Jakub Dobes	Mtl	G	22	6-3/200	Laval (AHL)	51	24	18	2.93	0.906
126	Oliver Kapanen	Mtl	C	20	6-0/170	KalPa (Fin-Liiga)	51	14	20	34	32
127	Danny Nelson	NYI	C	18	6-3/200	Notre Dame (B1G)	30	9	14	23	32
128	Lenni Hameenaho	NJ	RW	19	6-0/175	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	46	14	17	31	10
129	Nick Lardis	Chi	LW	18	5-11/165	Brantford (OHL)	37	29	21	50	12
130	Ty Nelson	Sea	D	20	5-10/195	North Bay (OHL)	54	16	36	52	50
131	Isaac Howard	TB	LW	20	5-10/185	Michigan State (B1G)	36	8	28	36	10
132	Fyodor Svechkov	Nsh	C	21	6-0/185	Milwaukee (AHL)	57	16	23	39	18
133	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	21	6-1/196	Calgary (AHL)	23	3	10	13	22
134	Reid Schaefer	Nsh	LW	20	6-3/215	Milwaukee (AHL)	63	7	14	21	39
135	Zack Ostapchuk	Ott	C	20	6-3/205	Belleville (AHL)	69	17	11	28	47
136	Nathan Gaucher	Ana	C	20	6-3/207	San Diego (AHL)	72	10	15	25	68
137	Rodwin Dionicio	Ana	D	20	6-2/207	Wsr-Sag (OHL)	60	25	48	73	108
138	Eduard Sale	Sea	LW	19	6-1/170	Bar-Kit (OHL)	49	15	23	38	8
139	Danil Gushchin	SJ	RW	22	5-8/165	San Jose (AHL)	56	20	34	54	24
140	Sean Behrens	Col	D	21	5-10/175	Denver (NCHC)	44	4	27	31	53
141	Christian Kyrou	Dal	D	20	5-10/170	Texas (AHL)	57	8	15	23	22
142	Niklas Kokko	Sea	G	20	6-3/185	Pelicans (Fin-Liiga)	13	9	0	1.49	0.926
143	Vasily Ponomarev	Pit	C	22	5-10/180	Tuc-Chi-WBS (AHL)	45	9	21	30	16
144	Ryan Winterton	Sea	RW	20	6-2/190	Coachella Valley (AHL)	58	22	13	35	23
145	Dmitri Buchelnikov	Det	LW	20	5-10/165	Admiral Vladivostok (KHL)	55	13	16	29	8
146	Oscar Fisker Molgaard	Sea	C	19	6-0/165	HV 71 (SHL)	50	9	12	21	6
147	Aku Raty	Ari	RW	22	6-1/190	Tucson (AHL)	55	15	29	44	22
148	Matyas Sapovaliv	VGK	C	20	6-3/180	Saginaw (OHL)	54	19	43	62	22
149	Georgii Merkulov	Bos	C	23	5-11/175	Providence (AHL)	67	30	35	65	20
150	Topias Vilen	NJ	D	21	6-1/195	Utica (AHL)	54	2	27	29	16
151	Ryan Chesley	Wsh	D	20	6-0/200	Minnesota (B1G)	39	2	6	8	19
152	Jayden Perron	Car	RW	19	5-9/165	North Dakota (NCHC)	39	11	7	18	8
153	Tristen Robins	SJ	C	22	5-10/175	San Jose (AHL)	42	7	11	18	12
154	Calle Odelius	NYI	D	19	6-0/190	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	10	0	4	4	2
155	Vincent Iorio	Wsh	D	21	6-2/190	Hershey (AHL)	60	4	10	14	30
156	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	23	6-4/215	Bakersfield (AHL)	66	28	22	50	64
157	Ronnie Attard	Phi	D	25	6-3/210	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	48	10	17	27	37
158	Niko Huuhtanen	TB	RW	20	6-2/205	Jukurit (Fin-Liiga)	52	19	27	46	46
159	Carson Bjarnason	Phi	G	18	6-3/185	Brandon (WHL)	46	24	17	3.01	0.907
160	Lukas Dragicevic	Sea	D	19	6-1/190	Tri-City (WHL)	66	14	36	50	52
161	Leevi Merilainen	Ott	G	21	6-2/160	Belleville (AHL)	24	10	9	2.87	0.906
162	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	22	6-4/200	Belleville (AHL)	53	5	16	21	51
163	Hunter Brzustewicz	Cgy	D	19	5-11/185	Kitchener (OHL)	67	13	79	92	24
164	Ryan Greene	Chi	C	20	6-1/180	Boston University (HE)	40	12	24	36	6
165	Damian Clara	Ana	G	19	6-6/214	Brynas (HockeyAllsvenskan)	34	25	8	2.23	0.913
166	Carson Lambos	Min	D	21	6-1/200	Iowa (AHL)	69	4	10	14	64
167	Denver Barkey	Phi	C	19	5-8/160	London (OHL)	64	35	67	102	28
168	Gage Goncalves	TB	C	23	6-1/170	Syracuse (AHL)	69	13	45	58	43
169	Arshdeep Bains	Van	LW	23	6-0/185	Abbotsford (AHL)	59	16	39	55	28
170	Bogdan Konyushkov	Mtl	D	21	5-11/175	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)	65	6	22	28	18
171	Alexei Kolosov	Phi	G	22	6-1/185	Dinamo Minsk (KHL)	47	22	21	2.39	0.907
172	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	24	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	50	43	19	62	26
173	Filip Mesar	Mtl	C	20	5-9/175	Kitchener (OHL)	45	19	33	52	12
174	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	23	6-3/200	Hartford (AHL)	68	4	17	21	49
175	Adam Engstrom	Mtl	D	20	6-2/185	Rogle (SHL)	51	4	18	22	4
176	Michael Buchinger	StL	D	20	5-11/185	Guelph (OHL)	52	10	37	47	37
177	Semyon Chistyakov	Nsh	D	22	5-11/180	Avangard Omsk (KHL)	59	4	20	24	16
178	John Farinacci	Bos	C	23	5-11/197	Providence (AHL)	71	12	26	38	16
179	Angus Crookshank	Ott	LW	24	5-10/180	Belleville (AHL)	50	24	22	46	60
180	Yegor Sidorov	Ana	RW	19	6-0/180	Saskatoon (WHL)	66	50	38	88	66
181	Samu Tuomaala	Phi	RW	21	5-10/175	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	69	15	28	43	12
182	Logan Morrison	Sea	C	21	6-0/180	Coachella Valley (AHL)	64	16	25	41	4
183	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	21	5-11/175	Colorado (AHL)	26	4	10	14	18
184	Adam Gajan	Chi	G	19	6-3/167	Green Bay (USHL)	43	23	12	3.35	0.893
185	Nolan Allan	Chi	D	21	6-2/195	Rockford (AHL)	60	5	12	17	47
186	Oskar Olausson	Col	RW	21	6-1/180	Colorado (AHL)	39	11	9	20	24
187	Samuel Poulin	Pit	C	23	6-1/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	41	16	15	31	35
188	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	21	5-9/165	Hartford (AHL)	71	25	23	48	62
189	Colton Dach	Chi	C	21	6-4/205	Rockford (AHL)	48	11	15	26	39
190	Jack Thompson	SJ	D	22	6-0/180	Syr-SJ (AHL)	62	6	35	41	16
191	Riley Kidney	Mtl	C	21	5-11/170	Laval (AHL)	65	7	13	20	41
192	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	21	6-3/195	Belleville (AHL)	22	9	11	20	22
193	Carey Terrance	Ana	C	18	6-1/175	Erie (OHL)	56	29	23	52	25
194	Luca Del Bel Belluz	CBJ	C	20	6-1/185	Cleveland (AHL)	58	9	22	31	12
195	Luca Pinelli	CBJ	C	19	5-9/165	Ottawa (OHL)	68	48	34	82	44
196	Francesco Pinelli	LA	C	21	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	67	13	7	20	24
197	Elias Salomonsson	Wpg	D	19	6-1/185	Skelleftea (SHL)	31	2	9	11	58
198	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	21	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	38	24	19	43	23
199	Sasha Pastujov	Ana	RW	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	46	10	13	23	14
200	Andrew Gibson	Det	D	19	6-3/195	Saul St. Marie (OHL)	68	12	32	44	58

AHL: Early Standout Forward Rookies – Joshua Roy, Logan Stankoven, Brad Lambert, John Farinacci with video analysis

Jared Brown — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 13:51:34 +0000

BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 29: Boston Bruins center John Farinacci (32) on the penalty kill during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers on September 29, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Joshua Roy - Forward - Laval Rocket - Montreal 2021 5th round, 150th overall

2003-08-06

Hey, sometimes you miss on predictions! Roy was not on my “Preliminary Top 10 AHL Rookies” heading into the season, instead naming his Laval teammate Sean Farrell as my top rookie to watch. I didn’t feel confident that Roy’s pace and skating were at a level high enough to adjust to the pace of the AHL right away. However, his skating has not appeared to be an issue at all and even though he still skates with that upright stance, his stride power seems to have increased over the summer. He’s off to a fantastic start for Laval thanks to his dual-threat offensive tools although has been in a slump recently.

Roy recorded 12 points in his first six pro games which included a hat trick and five-point night on Oct. 20th. Impressively, eleven of his twelve points have been primary points (six primary assists). He also sits second amongst rookies in shots. Laval’s powerplay has only been clicking at 13.2% (they lead the league in powerplay opportunities), however, Roy has asserted himself as a key piece on the man advantage where he sets up on his offside in the right-hand faceoff circle. He’s shown no fear in being the triggerman for the Rocket and has been utilizing his swift half-wind-up one-timer to pepper pucks on the net. His shot is a weapon, but he also possesses some nifty quick mitts to beat goalies in tight 1-on-1 which you’ll see in the video clips below.

What I’ve found most impressive so far is how quickly he’s making plays in the offensive zone and his puck handling. His hands are terrific. When you combine his quick silky-smooth hands and terrific vision, you get a player who can adapt while under pressure and quickly recognize openings in the defensive coverage to take advantage of. His puck control and stickhandling mechanics are at an above-average level where he can attack East/West to get himself in between the dots. Having intelligence with and without the puck is a key trait NHL players need to have if they want to stick and last in the show and it would appear that Roy has the offensive hockey IQ to succeed. He’s very adept with his off-puck movements in the attacking end to make himself available for his teammates.

One main area I’ve noticed that Roy needs to work on is his puck management and decision-making along the boards in the defensive zone. As he’s getting pressured, he can occasionally make soft plays on the puck that opposing defencemen can easily read and keep pucks in at the line. Roy also could take better routes on the forecheck and be more assertive in his puck pursuits to be a more effective checker. He’s got the offensive skills to produce but he has struggled to make an impact without the puck to start his pro career.

Into The Archives!

*Number 10 in all the clips*

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-1-Shooting-Passing-Threat-Example-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

This is where Roy has looked most dangerous in the AHL this season. In this clip, he shows his awareness shifting into the passing lane before connecting with that half-wind-up one-timer (looks like he hits his teammate in front, or else he gets a goal here). When he gets the puck back, he doesn’t stay on the wall. Instead, loads the puck as if he’s going to shoot which drags the defender to him, opening up the downlow pass to create this tally for Laval.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-2-J.-Roy-1st-AHL-Goal.mp4

Here’s Roy’s first AHL goal and although it most definitely is a shot the goalie should’ve saved, it’s the lead-up before the goal that impressed me. You’ll see as he picks up the puck, he throws a little body fake that he’s going downlow but instead goes up to the blueline. He then recognizes his defenceman pinching through the middle, hits him with a pass, and continues to slide through the vacated space that the defenceman left for Roy. Unfortunately, the clip has a bit of a skip, but it looks like Roy dances around his man before taking the shot.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-3-Slick-Puck-Handling-through-the-Middle-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Watch how he avoids multiple stick checks with those quick handles. He’s got to worry about the defender in front of him and the forward checking him from behind. Roy opened up the space for his teammate to get behind the Rochester defence en route to this goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-4-B2B-Goals-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

This is a good look at Roy’s skill 1on1 with the goalie. Maybe don’t allow him to be all alone against the goalie in quick succession.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-5-Fake-Shot-Pass-Assist-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Sells the shot which freezes the goaltender before sliding the pass over. Excellent shot-threat mechanics loading the puck up on his hip.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-6-Weak-Play-Along-The-Boards-in-DZ-and-Poor-Breakout-Positioning-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

This is an example of where Roy needs to improve. This is a habit of his in the defensive zone. He tends to make lazy plays on the puck. In this scenario, he needs to make a smarter play like bumping the puck back to his open defenceman. Also, he didn’t help his defenceman out on the breakout with his positioning at the end of the clip.

Logan Stankoven - Texas Stars - Dallas 2021 2nd round, 47th overall

2003-02-26

I think it’s fair to say that Stankoven has earned the trust of his coaching staff considering he averages the second most ice time amongst Stars forwards with 18:06 according to InStat. He’s been held off the scoresheet only twice in his first ten games to start his pro career. He leads AHL rookies in goals (6) and points (14) in 10 games. Logan has to be close in the pecking order as a call-up for the Stars but there are a few areas of his game he still needs to develop to be a full-time NHLer.

A key area for Stankoven to work on which will be pivotal once he eventually makes the jump to the NHL is managing the puck better in the offensive zone at times and being a bit more patient. Due to how quick his instincts are, he can be prone to turning pucks over with his quick one-touch passes. He needs to find that fine line between attempting those high-danger passes and when he should hang onto the puck and make a safer play to sustain possession. He’s got plus-level edges that I would like to see him utilize to shake off pressure more when along the boards. I wonder if he has some fear of hanging onto the puck for too long considering his size, and although he’s a stocky, athletic player, he has struggled against contact in the dirty areas.

That being said, there’s no denying that there have been a ton of positives from his play as a first-year AHLer coming out of the CHL. He’s a dual-threat shooter and passer. As an offensive winger, Stankoven often displays his quick hands in small spaces. His hand-eye coordination is excellent as he possesses the soft touch and soft hands with the puck. He can make those short 5-10ft passes underneath sticks or through feet to move the puck out of tight situations. He’s a great puck facilitator who can dish pucks off his backhand accurately. Stankoven is an above-average playmaker when you combine his quick agility, fast twitch hands, and heads-up awareness. I think he’s going to be an even more lethal playmaker once he starts to show more patience and adds a delay game to his passing skillset.

On top of having an above-average playmakers toolkit, he also has that lightning-quick release on his snap shots that can quickly beat a goalie if they aren’t set yet. If he receives the puck in between the dots, you can bet your money that the puck is getting whistled off his stick instantly. He’s got real big upside as a 20-goal scorer in the NHL with the power and speed of his shot. He’s shown to be versatile on the powerplay for Texas thus far, being able to play the bumper position or the half wall on his offside.

Into The Archives!

*Number 11 in all the clips*

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-1-L.-Stankoven-Hits-Post-Then-Scores-1st-AHL-Goal-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Logan was known for his quick release in the WHL and in this clip he showcases it. Right off the draw, he slings the puck off the post before later receiving the puck in the bumper position, pounding the puck home with authority for his first AHL goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-2-Quick-Hands-Fivehole-BRKAWAY-Goal-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

This release on the breakaway is so deceptive and so good. Stankoven gets his hands away from his body which helps activate the flex of his stick, making it seem like he’s looking to raise the puck (also shooting five hole from the hashmarks on a breakaway is a savvy move that I love).

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-3-Creates-BRKAWAY-Chance-Then-Later-Scores-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

This is just an overall clip of what Stankoven can do. First, he delivers a perfect saucer pass onto the tape for a breakaway chance. Then he swoops in, steals the puck, and makes a nice feed under the stick to set up another scoring chance. Finally, he smartly positions himself away from the pile to be open for a tap-in to score.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-4-Stankovens-Playmaking-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Here’s an example of Stankoven’s puck facilitation ability. He helps create the first chance with a quick bump pass off his backhand along the boards. Then, he delivers a perfect rink-wide pass to set up the powerplay goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-5-Missed-Passes-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Plays like these have been a slight issue for Stankoven so far this season. You can see his vision here but a couple of missed passes on these rush attempts would have a coach probably unhappy. If the pass is too hard to make, maybe a shot for a rebound with your teammate going to the net is the better play here.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-6-Edgework-Along-The-Wall-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

I’d love to see more of this from Stankoven. A big strength in his game is his edgework and shiftiness. He’s been getting swallowed up a little too frequently on the cycle but if he can use those edges to create space for himself in the corners and along the wall, he’ll become more reliable playing a cycle game.

Brad Lambert - Manitoba Moose - Winnipeg 2022 1st round, 30th overall

2003-12-19

Lambert got a taste of the AHL last year playing 14 games before heading off to represent Finland at the World Juniors and then being assigned to the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL in December of 2022. This was definitely the right call for his development. After putting up three points in his first four games, he then went pointless in his next 10 and was a -11! He has definitely looked more comfortable this year thus far and is playing in the middle of the ice instead of along the wing like he did last year.

There is no question what Lambert's greatest asset is. He’s a gifted skater who can turn defenders around with his linear crossover acceleration and can swiftly shift away from a defender with his cutbacks. He’s got an explosive top gear carrying the puck through the neutral zone to operate as a fast north/south attacker. He handles the puck smoothly in full flight, possessing that deadly combination of speed and skill. I think he’s a better shooter than playmaker. The ceiling is very high for Lambert. He can drive the transition and has the ability to dominate shifts, as long as he keeps his feet moving. Creating space is much harder to do at the pro level but I think Lambert has looked effective in his space generation both off the rush and in the offensive zone.

I like to use the term “Individual Skillset” when describing a player like Lambert. What I mean is, he’s got all the tools to be a play driver. Now, these types of players can be prone to hanging onto pucks for too long or trying to be too cute (Lambert definitely can fit into this narrative), but they’re able to control the pace of play, open the ice up for either himself or teammates, and drive possession shifts. Lambert is an expert at creating space either linearly or laterally and he also can do that with or without the puck. The trick for him has been to be consistent, which I think he’s done slightly a better job with this time around in Manitoba.

He doesn’t quite have that “man-strength” yet and an issue he’s had is not being able to protect the puck using his body along the boards. Lambert relies on his puck handling and skating to protect the puck (something he’s very good with) but a lack of strength has been noticeable in battles. He’s also probably not going to be a checking forward in the NHL. Defensively he’s just okay and he very rarely comes away with takeaways either on the forecheck or in the defensive zone. He has the skill, but he needs to develop his off-puck game to be more impactful as he won’t be able to dominate every night through skill and speed alone in the NHL. I see a forward with his kind of speed and think he could be a very threatening forechecker if he chooses to be.

Into The Archives!

*Number 13 in all the clips*

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-1-B.-Lamberts-Skating-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

For those who don’t know how gifted of a skater Lambert is, here you go.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-2-Speed-Through-NZ-But-Kills-The-Play-In-The-Corner-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Here are some of the good and bad with Lambert. I like his support down the dot lane for the breakout, accelerating to gain entry into Calgary’s end. However, he kills the play as he hits the corner and can’t steal the puck back. This was at the 50-second mark of his shift too.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-3-Breaking-The-Zone-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Two clips from the same game. Lambert tends to fly the zone if he isn’t the low-supporting forward. This is a reason for him being better suited as a winger than a centre. Look at how much room he creates through the neutral zone in both clips. His transitional skillset with or without the puck is at a high level.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-4-Crafty-BRKAWAY-Goal-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Lambert makes a good read to jump behind the defence at the start of the clip and finishes with a crafty chip shot going the other way as he’s getting his feet taken out.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-5-Creating-Space-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Here we go, creating space with his feet. The puck is on a string for him in this clip and he creates a scoring chance.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Clip-6-OZ-Sequence-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4

Again, Lambert creating space and displaying good offensive awareness. He’s looking to make a pass after coming out of the board battle (#6 should’ve activated), but he doesn’t force a play, creates some space coming out from below the goal line, recognizes he’s got a screen in front, and throws the puck on net.

John Farinacci - Providence Bruins - Arizona 2019 3rd round, 76th overall (Signed with Boston in August 2023)

2001-02-14

The Boston Bruins organization has potentially found two NHL-caliber players out of the second round of the NHL Draft in Mason Lohrei and Matthew Poitras. Although they didn’t draft John Farinacci, whoever made the call to sign him deserves some recognition as I believe they have another future NHL-caliber player here in Farinacci.

While Farinacci is a completely different player from the other three players in this article, it can’t be understated how efficient his play has been this season, particularly his play without the puck. He does a lot of the little things that go unnoticed and he’s been solid on both the powerplay and penalty kill this season for Providence. It’s fitting to see how intelligent of a hockey player he is considering he’s coming out of Harvard, where he spent three seasons. His best asset is his ability to read the play. He puts himself in good spots to support his teammates, has good poise to make intelligent passes, and avoids forcing and killing plays. Defensively, he hasn’t been perfect as a 22-year-old rookie as he at times does lose his assignment. However, he does a solid job at protecting the middle of the ice and being the low-support forward. He appears to use a longer stick but that helps him direct play away from the middle and break up possession along the perimeter with quick pokes at the puck.

He’s not big by any means, but he’s unafraid of the dirty areas. Once he makes a play from the boards, he’ll usually go straight to the crease or find an opening in between the hash marks to slide into. He battles through stick checks in front of the net to get his stick available. Most of his goals are going to come from the hash marks and lower. Farinacci is also an astute passer along the perimeter and that’s partly thanks to his quick shoulder checks and constant scanning. In summary, he’s a very slot-oriented player. Whether that’s him playing inside it or making plays to it, he can create offence in small spaces which makes up for his lack of dynamic skill.

Now, his lack of creativity along with his average skating is what limits his ceiling. It will be hard for Farinacci to become a top-six forward in the NHL since he doesn’t push the offence but instead makes supporting plays. He tends to go into a glide when possessing the puck in the offensive zone where he could be generating more space if he kept moving his feet. The transition game isn’t an area he shines. His foot speed is average, so his north/south acceleration isn’t strong enough to be a threat through the neutral zone, plus he doesn’t add in many crossovers. He’s a versatile 200ft centreman with the hockey intelligence to impact games without being flashy but improving the quickness in his boots would do him wonders.

Into The Archives!

*Number 26 in all the clips*

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Two great plays with his stick on the penalty kill here from Farinacci. First, the poke at the blueline, then the steal, and a nice backhand finish on the breakaway. I’m a big fan of how he uses his stick defensively.

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Farinacci takes advantage of the turnover and showcases solid patience going around the net and hitting his teammate in the slot. If you noticed though, here’s that gliding with the puck I was talking about. Now it doesn’t hurt him in this clip, but I’m not a fan of him constantly entering that A-stance when handling the puck.

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A couple of examples of his ability to make plays off the perimeter into the middle of the ice. In both clips, he shoulder checks to identify his target.

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There are a lot of small things he does on this powerplay shift that helps prolong possession. Great pressure after losing the draw to help nullify the clearing attempt and then gets a scoring chance for his efforts. He makes 3-4 plays to keep pucks alive, rotating in his positioning to fill in gaps, making himself available at the net front while changing his body position for either a tap-in or redirect play, and lastly, he makes a great feed at the end of the clip to set up the goal. He knows where to position himself and what his responsibilities are. That’s IQ.

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Here he is involving himself in the slot and getting rewarded with a tally.

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He’s shown to have decent quick side-to-side hands in college but those hands haven’t been on display too much this season. Here was a nice example though. Pulls the puck off the wall cleanly in motion and evades the stick check while making the in-tight pass.

MCKEENS 2023 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – Risers and fallers over the 22-23 season

Brock Otten — Thu, 11 May 2023 23:14:11 +0000

The last time we ranked the NHL’s top prospects was late in the summer when we published our annual Yearbook. A lot can change in a year and as such there were several significant movers and shakers in our latest rankings for this prospect guide. Here are fifteen of the biggest risers and five of the largest fallers.

You can find our most recent ranking here.

Risers

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 27: Minnesota Gophers forward Jimmy Snuggerud (81) celebrates a goal during the college hockey game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Minnesota Gophers on January 27th, 2022, at 3M Arena at Mariucci in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Jimmy Snuggerud (94 to 19) - St. Louis Blues

When Snuggerud was the 23rd overall pick at last year’s draft, many were fans of his game, but there were certainly concerns that his success as part of the NTDP could be attributed to the stars he was playing with. However, early returns on this selection by St. Louis are fantastic as Snuggerud was one of the top performing freshmen in the NCAA this year with Minnesota and starred for Team USA at the WJC’s, where he helped them capture a bronze medal. Snuggerud continues to improve his skating and play with the puck, and it has improved his odds of being a long time top six player in the NHL.

Marco Kasper (79 to 24) - Detroit Red Wings

In our draft guide last year, we ranked Kasper 24th over concerns regarding his offensive upside, but the 8th overall pick has progressed nicely in his second SHL season, improving his offensive production, in addition to dominating physically at times. While there is a chance that Kasper ends up as more of a middle six type, he has deservedly moved up our list because of his unique blend of power and skill.

Alexander Nikishin (130 to 27) - Carolina Hurricanes

It has been quite a development year for Nikishin as the 21-year-old defender has emerged as one of the top defenders in the KHL. He led the KHL in scoring among defensemen with 55 points. Not only was that the highest point total by a U22 defender in the history of the league, but it was also the highest point total of any player period, breaking Kirill Kaprizov’s mark from a few years ago. The bad news? Nikishin’s contract with SKA runs until 2025.

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 18: Boston University Terriers defenseman Lane Hutson (20) carries the puck during the Hockey East Championship game between the Boston University Terriers and the Merrimack College Warriors on March 18, 2023, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Lane Hutson (158 to 38) - Montreal Canadiens

Calling a player a “steal” immediately after the conclusion of the draft can be a dangerous proposition. Players often fall for a reason. In the case of Lane Hutson, everyone in the scouting community believed that the Canadiens had obtained great value from selecting him late in the second round. As a freshman for Boston University, Hutson had a historically good year, finishing with 48 points, beating Adam Fox’s total of 40 (along with top prospect Luke Hughes) to be the highest scoring U20 defender in the NCAA this millennium. Sure, he’s still undersized. Sure, there are aspects of his game that worry us slightly. But you have to respect just how impressive this past year was.

Joshus Roy (178 to 44) - Montreal Canadiens

It has been a steady rise for Roy since being drafted in the fifth round by Montreal two years ago. The former highly touted minor hockey player had a disastrous draft year that caused his fall, but his development has been terrific since. He has improved his skating and his off-puck play, allowing him to dominate the QMJHL. However, it was electrifying performance for Canada at this year’s WJC’s that really sold us of his potential.

William Wallinder (225 to 52) - Detroit Red Wings

A strong skating, two-way defender with size, Wallinder has progressed well in Sweden with Rögle, the same team that helped nurture Moritz Seider into the star that he is today. Now he appears ready to take that next step and will play in North America next year, perhaps even with the Red Wings if his training camp performance is strong enough.

Lian Bichsel (163 to 53) - Dallas Stars

While Bichsel’s offensive production failed to improve significantly in the SHL this year, his defensive game and confidence to impose himself physically definitely has. While his true NHL upside remains a slight mystery, he is starting to look the part of a future shutdown defender…at the very least.

Filip Bystedt (239 to 69) - San Jose Sharks

Bystedt was a bit of a surprise first round pick last year, but it appears that San Jose knew exactly what they were doing. Bystedt was a breakout star this year, emerging as one of the highest scoring U20 players in the SHL, in addition to performing extremely well at the WJC’s for Sweden. The big man skates extremely well and his coordination and skill are really catching up, giving him a unique upside.

Nikolai Kovalenko (285 to 76) - Colorado Avalanche

The son of former NHL’er Andrei Kovalenko, Nikolai emerged as an offensive star in the KHL this year as a 23-year-old and now looks like a potential impact player for the Avalanche. His KHL contract expires at the end of next year, so he may be close to crossing the pond. Kovalenko would be a breath of fresh air for an Avalanche team that is facing a bit of a cap crunch.

Connor Zary (266 to 79) - Calgary Flames

Last year, Zary was one of our biggest fallers after a poor showing in the AHL as a rookie, where the increased pace appeared to overwhelm him. Kudos to Zary for making the necessary adjustments because he has been much better as a sophomore and is knocking on the door of a permanent spot on the Flames. Thanks to increased pace and strength, Zary looks like a near lock to be a middle six option for years to come.

Nikita Alexandrov (222 to 81) - St. Louis Blues

The Blues have been very patient with Alexandrov, a former QMJHL standout and WJC star. This year, that patience has paid off as his improved play in the AHL has led to his first NHL action, where he did not look out of place. Alexandrov should claim a permanent spot in the NHL next year and he looks like the versatile, middle six forward we expected he could become a few years ago.

Zach Ostapchuk (218 to 91) - Ottawa Senators

The big forward and former high second round pick’s development took an extremely positive step forward this year. He set new career highs in the WHL (splitting time between Vancouver and Winnipeg) and he played a crucial checking line role for Canada at the WJC’s, capturing consecutive gold medals. Ostapchuk has everything NHL management wants from their third liners these days. He’s big. He’s physical. He has positional versatility. He’s strong in all three zones. He skates well. His skill and finishing ability are developing well. Look for him to make a run at the Senators’ roster as early as next year.

William Dufour (192 to 95) - New York Islanders

Was Dufour’s breakout last year, when he was named the QMJHL’s most valuable player, a result of a prospect truly turning a corner, or was it the result of a large, power forward, dominating younger players physically? That was the million-dollar question coming into this year. Well, the early results in the AHL suggest the former. Dufour has been one of Bridgeport’s best players this year and he has even earned a cup of coffee with New York because of it.

Reid Schaefer (267 to 98) - Nashville Predators

Now a member of the Predators after the Mattias Ekholm trade, Schaefer has progressed well with Seattle this year in the WHL, and he looks ready to start his pro journey in the AHL next season. His true offensive upside still remains a bit of a question mark, but he was the key component of that Edmonton/Nashville blockbuster for a reason. Nashville values his power forward potential.

Carter Mazur (Unranked to 99) - Detroit Red Wings

After winning a National Championship with Denver last year as a freshman, Mazur returned for his sophomore year this year and improved his goal scoring totals, pacing the Pioneers with 22 goals. Mazur is a prototypical third line winger who should be able to become an excellent role player for the Wings over the next decade, however his offensive skills are better than many give him credit for. Mazur recently signed his ELC, has turned pro, and should move quickly up the ladder in Detroit’s system.

Fallers

SAINT PAUL, MN - APRIL 29: Colorado Avalanche Left Wing Ben Meyers (59) lines up for a faceoff during the NHL game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Minnesota Wild on April 29th, 2022, at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire)

Prokhor Poltapov (75 to 175) - Buffalo Sabres

Poltapov finally emerged as a KHL regular this season, even scoring five goals, which is not terrible for a U20 player. However, the power winger’s offensive potential is starting to look lower than many believed it would be. Playing in a deep Buffalo system, he may soon become an afterthought in Russia.

Grigori Denisenko (105 to 158) - Florida Panthers

Playing in his third North American season, Denisenko has still not become an NHL regular with Florida. In fact, his performance playing in the AHL continues to disappoint too. Denisenko is nearing waivers eligibility and that will put Florida in a difficult position, especially given his lackluster play. Will we find him in a different NHL uniform soon, ala Vitali Kravtsov?

Cayden Primeau (126 to Unranked) - Montreal Canadiens

Primeau has proved to be quite the enigma as a pro, something that has frustrated both Canadiens’ fans and management. The former Mike Richter winner has shown flashes of being one of the top goaltending prospects on the planet, however consistency has remained a major issue, even in his fourth pro year. He may still become a quality NHL goaltender, but other more promising prospects at the position have unquestionably passed him by.

Justin Sourdif (138 to Unranked) - Florida Panthers

A standout in the WHL last year, Sourdif has struggled to be a consistent offensive point producer in his first pro season. It’s way, way too early to give up on him as an NHL prospect and he is still valued within the Florida organization, but other prospects have leap frogged him at this point.

Ben Meyers (146 to Unranked) - Colorado Avalanche

The former Hobey Baker candidate and World Championship standout was a high profile signing by the Avs out of the University of Minnesota. Many expected him to make the immediate jump to the NHL this year, including us. However, Meyers has struggled in the NHL this year and as a 24-year-old, this may point to a limited ceiling, if/when he does crack the Colorado roster full time.

2023 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP – TEAM PREVIEW – CANADA

Derek Neumeier — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 15:27:19 +0000

220819 Mason McTavish, Logan Stankoven, Kent Johnson, Connor Bedard and Olen Zellweger of Canada celebrate the 3-0 goal during the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship semifinal game between Canada and Czech Republic on August 19, 2022 in Edmonton.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN / kod JM / JM0366

Team Canada Preview

According to the record books, Canada will go down in history as having won the gold medal at the 2022 World Juniors.

However, it's fair to assume that the feelings of triumph and the emotional rewards for the players might not have been entirely what they normally are for the teens who win this prestigious junior hockey tournament.

Last year's event had barely gotten airborne in December before it was quickly and abruptly grounded due to COVID-19 outbreaks on multiple teams. Even though it eventually resumed, the August schedule and ongoing scandals with Hockey Canada put a damper on the affair, with weaker crowds and subdued enthusiasm overall.

On one hand, World Juniors gold is still World Juniors gold. But on the other, you know that this Canadian roster — especially the returning players — will be fired up to experience the real thing.

As usual, this Canadian team will be absolutely loaded at forward and on defense, with a wealth of talent that spans a variety of playing styles. They will be equally dangerous with speed and skill in transition as they will with strength grit in the cycle, and just as able to create offense as they're able to stymie it for their opponents. Yet also as we are used to seeing at the World Juniors, there are question marks in net that could realistically evolve into problems if the group of skaters outside the crease stumbles.

This squad will have the unique advantage of boasting not one, but three players who have already suited up for NHL games: Shane Wright, Brandt Clarke and Dylan Guenther. Interestingly, none of them are returnees from last summer's gold-winning roster, for differing reasons. Could those absences create a little extra enthusiasm for the professionally experienced trio?

Canada's biggest strength will undeniably be down the middle. If they so choose, they could run Wright and 2023 top prospects Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli as centers on different lines, an eye-popping level of talent at that position that couldn't be matched by any of the other nations. They'll also have at their disposal returnee Nathan Gaucher, who doesn't have the same flash, but excels as a shutdown pivot. Add in players like Logan Stankoven, Zack Ostapchuk, Colton Dach and Caedan Bankier, who play center on their respective junior teams and could also do so here, and it's a great problem to have for head coach Dennis Williams and his staff.

Beyond Clarke, the blueline will be highlighted by a pair of returnees who were regulars last time, in Olen Zellweger and Ethan Del Mastro, as well as 1st-round picks Kevin Korchinski and Nolan Allan. Expect big things out of Zellweger, who previously led the tournament in defenseman scoring and finished third in points overall, thanks primarily to his masterful work quarterbacking the Canadian powerplay. Jack Matier and Tyson Hinds round out a blueline that certainly won't be lacking for size and will be sure to challenge the scorers on other teams.

Between the pipes Canada will turn to the same duo from their 2021 IIHF U18 championship in Ben Gaudreau and Thomas Milic, who got the job done without necessarily having to steal the show. However, whoever takes primary control of the crease here is still very much up in the air. Gaudreau, a 2021 San Jose 3rd-rounder, has the higher long-term upside of the two, but has been struggling this year in Sarnia, with a troubling .862 save percentage. Milic has been passed over in two straight drafts, though he does have better numbers on the season, and steadily helped guide his Seattle Thunderbirds to the 2022 WHL finals.

10 Players to Watch

Shane Wright, (SEA) C

Wright passed up on attending this past summer's World Juniors restart because he wanted to focus his attention on making the Seattle Kraken, only to then find himself headed to the Maritimes for this tournament because he hasn't been able to crack the Kraken roster on a consistent basis thus far. That's bad news for all of Canada's opponents, however, as Wright will certainly be playing with a chip on his shoulder, a fire in his belly and something to prove to his NHL club. An elite shooter, he buried four goals in a five-game AHL stint with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and then potted his first NHL marker in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on December 6. If his last full international tournament is any indication (nine goals and five assists in just five games at the 2021 IIHF U18s), he should challenge for the event's top scorer.

Brandt Clarke, (LAK) D

Speaking of players with chips on their shoulders, this will be Clarke's first time appearing at the World Juniors after not even receiving a camp invites for either iteration of the 2022 tournament. That said, he has more than proven himself as a player since then, logging nine appearances with the Los Angeles Kings and then five more with their AHL affiliate. He's one of just two right-hand shots on the back end for Canada, which will likely be a contributing factor for the amount of ice time he receives, and you can expect it to be a lot. With so many good defense-first defenders on the team and likely lining up alongside him, Clarke should be given the regular green light to unleash his dynamic offensive abilities.

Dylan Guenther, (ARI) RW

Edmontonians would have undoubtedly loved to have seen the hometown hero and local Oil Kings product Guenther win gold in his familiar barn, but the combination of rehabbing a knee injury suffered in the 2022 WHL finals and the impending Arizona Coyotes training camp gave him different priorities over the summer. Nevertheless, now he'll get to make up for lost time. That knee seems perfectly fine now, as evidenced by the 21 NHL games and 11 NHL points that he has accumulated since October, both of which more than double Wright and Clarke combined in both categories. He'll be relied upon heavily here for that professional experience, getting plenty of trust and important minutes from his coaches in all situations.

Logan Stankoven, (DAL) C

The reigning CHL Player of the Year, Stankoven rarely has trouble filling the net, and he will be expected to be one of Canada's go-to offensive weapons, especially as a returning player. Possibly even more important than the point production that he will bring is his unparalleled and indomitably high motor, which both keeps enemies on their toes at all times and sets a loud and clear example that his teammates feel impassioned to follow. Even though he already has both U18 and World Juniors gold medals on his mantle, anyone who knows Stankoven well will tell you that the burning desire to win again will undoubtedly be obvious, and that should make him an easy fan favourite for the raucous home crowds.

Olen Zellweger, (ANA) D

Zellweger has a history of standout performances while donning the sweaters of his home nation. He's also the reigning WHL Top Defenseman, and probably could have been holding his own in the NHL right now if the Anaheim Ducks hadn't gone the safe route with his long-term development. His hockey sense, vision, skating and puck skills are all top notch, which allows the assertive defender to drive play and dissect opposing fortifications, both at even strength and with the man advantage. His short size doesn't hurt him defensively either, as his smarts and quickness allow him to flow in position with the play and then create the time and space necessary to break pucks out of his zone once they land on his stick.

220819 Connor Bedard of Canada celebrates after scoring 2-0 during the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship semifinal game between Canada and Czech Republic on August 19, 2022 in Edmonton.
Photo: Joel Marklund / BILDBYRÅN / kod JM / JM0366

Connor Bedard, (2023) C

Make no mistake: the 17-year-old Bedard is going to be the player to watch in this year's World Juniors. The projected 1^st overall pick in the 2023 draft has been ruthlessly torching the WHL for the past two seasons, packing arenas full of excited onlookers everywhere he goes, and will be primed to outdo his eight-point performance from the August tournament. The spotlight on him will be bright, but he has a knack for playing his best hockey when pressures are high and he is the focal point of the action. WHL defenders are at a collective loss for how to stop his bonkers drag-and-release wrist shot, and that's after three seasons in the league, so any opposing blueliners who haven't played against him yet are in for a terrifying awakening.

Adam Fantilli, (2023) C

Bedard entered the 2023 draft race as the front runner and will almost certainly end it that way, but Fantilli sure is making things interesting in between. The versatile power forward is the most dominant draft-eligible prospect in the NCAA since Jack Eichel, and there might even be an NHL team or two that prefers him over Bedard because of the enticing overall package. He is difficult to defend because he is dangerous from medium range as a shooter or a passer, and he has the tenacity, strength and puck skill to drive the net with possession and score from in tight. This will easily be the biggest and highest stage of his career thus far, and fans and scouts alike will be watching him intently to see just what he can do.

Joshua Roy, (MTL) RW

What Roy might lack in flash and highlight-reel skill he more than makes up for with consistency. Everywhere he goes the production just seems to follow him, whether that's the QMJHL-leading 119 points that he scored in 66 games during the 2021-22 season and the 23 more that he followed in 11 playoff contests, or the eight points in seven games for Canada this past summer in Edmonton. There is a certain magic to his touch on the puck that looks natural to him, and his shot accuracy when given too much time and space is top notch. The former 1^st overall pick in his league slid all the way down to the 5^th round in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, and a lot of teams are probably kicking themselves now for not believing in Roy more strongly back then.

Brennan Othmann, (NYR) LW

Othmann's history and friendship with former minor midget and IIHF U18 teammates Wright and Clarke are well publicized by now, and this tournament might be the last time that the trio get to play together, creating both a feel-good storyline and a little extra urgency for the players. While Wright and Clarke already have NHL experience under their belt, the hard-nosed power winger Othmann is a top prospect in his own right, with a 50-goal OHL season under his belt to prove it, and he is the only one of three who currently knows what it's like to win World Juniors gold. Putting him back on a line with Wright might not be a creative decision, but the proof is in the pudding that it works.

Ethan Del Mastro, (CHI) D

Being a shutdown defender isn't a glamorous job, killing a lot of penalties and defending leads late in games, but someone has to do it, and that includes at the World Juniors. That will be Del Mastro's primary job in this tournament, and luckily for the Canadian coaches, he's pretty darn good at it. He'll also bring composure and leadership to the table, not just as a returnee and longtime staple for Canada at international events, but also as the captain of the OHL's Mississauga Steelheads since the fall of 2021. Don't be surprised if he fins ways to chip in offensively too, as his puck movement and understanding of that side of the ice are far from a weakness for him.

Sleeper - Nathan Gaucher, (ANA) C

Despite the glut of exciting, high-profile options that Canada could play down the middle in this tournament, you can pretty safely pencil Gaucher into the team's 4C slot. He's a prototypical Bottom 6 defensive center: he's big, he's physical, he's defensively stout, and he's great in the faceoff circle, with the added perk of him being right-hand shot. While none of that sounds exciting, what makes Gaucher special is that he's one of the best prospects in the sport in that role, which is why Anaheim selected him 22^nd overall in 2022, and he's one of the key reasons why the Quebec Remparts are one of the best teams in all of junior hockey. Expect Gaucher to kill a lot of penalties and log a lot of ice time when Canada is defending leads late in games.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – MONTREAL CANADIENS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:11:53 +0000

MONTREAL, QC - JULY 07: Montreal Canadiens pick Juraj Slafkovsky stands between management during the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft on July 07, 2022 at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Juraj Slafkovsky LW

What a year it has been for the 2022 1^st overall pick. A big, powerful skater who has already proven himself at the men’s level like no other player in his draft, Slafkovsky is believed by many to be ready to step straight into Montreal’s line-up. His incredibly long 21-22 season saw Slafkovsky kick things off with nine points in seven Hlinka Gretzky Cup on his way to a silver medal. The powerful winger then spent the season with Finnish Liiga club TPS, where he put up seven goals and 17 points in 49 total games. In the middle of all that, he enjoyed a transformative Olympics to remember, where he represented his bronze-medal winning country by leading the whole tournament with seven goals in 7 games. His season concluded in the quarterfinals of the men’s World Championship, where he contributed an astounding three goals and nine points in eight games. In between, he represented his country in qualifying for the Olympics and at the cancelled WJC this past winter. Measuring 6’4” and 220 pounds, Slafkovsky is a multifaceted physical specimen who has the size and physical demeanor most teams only dream of, which he combines with some of the best skill and goal-scoring prowess this draft class had to offer. Charming, amicable, and brimming with confidence, Slafkovsky has all the makings of a fan favorite and has immediately become the symbol of hope for a well-informed and very demanding Canadians fanbase. With expectations sky high, look for him to begin making an NHL impact already this season. – CL

2 - Kaiden Guhle D

Guhle won a WHL title with the Prince Albert Raiders in 2020 as a 16-year-old rookie, playing mostly in a depth role. That experience surely came in handy for him in 2022, as he joined the Edmonton Oil Kings midseason, immediately became their top defenseman and helped lead them to a league championship. In addition to his second WHL title, he was also named playoff MVP, showcasing just how much of an impact he had. It doesn't take much time watching Guhle to see how he leaves his mark or why the Canadiens selected him 16th overall in 2020. He is an excellent skater who blends speed, agility and power to carry himself around the ice, and he is fiercely dedicated to using his skating to help his team. There are few blueliners who can defend off the puck as well as he can, as he utilizes tight gaps, physical snarl, laser focus, and an unending reserve of competitiveness to stifle opposing chances. He has all the tools that a team would want in a modern-day shutdown defender, and he should become an elite penalty killer by the time he is fully developed. He does run into some trouble when he has to actually transport and distribute the puck himself, but he is effective enough when he keeps things simple, and he is able to chip in points mainly because he gets himself involved in the play so regularly. Guhle is now entering the pro ranks, and don't be surprised if he manages to make the Canadiens out of training camp and skips the AHL altogether. - DN

3 - Filip Mesar C

Mešár joined his childhood friend Juraj Slafkovský in the Canadiens´ prospect pool after being the third Slovak selected in the first round of the last NHL Draft. The Spišská Belá native made a name for himself at prospect camp in Montréal, but he still remains in shadows of the #1 overall pick. It is yet unclear where Mešár will spend the upcoming season; the AHL and the OHL are the primary candidates as of this writing. Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes said that Mešár could earn a spot with the AHL Laval Rocket, however the junior path seems a bit more reasonable for now. Mešár is a smallish, offensive winger with several notable skills. He is an excellent skater who plays the game at a high speed. His hockey IQ stands out, as he is a very smart player with great vision. He also has a sneaky good shot and skilled hands. His main weaknesses are his size and lack of physical play. Mešár was a bit of a risky pick, but his upside is enormous. He can easily become a top-six winger or center in the NHL if he can improve his upon physicality and translate his game to the North American ice. The Kitchener Rangers of the OHL control his CHL rights, where adaption to the North American game should be easier. - MD

4 - Sean Farrell C

Five-foot-nine winger Sean Farrell looked like a solid, fair-value selection in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft, getting picked 124th overall after a solid above-point-per-game season on an absolutely stacked USHL Chicago Steel team. Some may have believed that Farrell’s success came in large part thanks to the talent level of his teammates, but he proved that wasn’t the case almost immediately after stepping onto the ice for his second USHL season, also showing the fourth-round investment to be a shrewd bit of business by the Canadiens’ scouting staff. Farrell was extremely prolific in his second USHL season, leading the league with 101 points in 53 games. Alongside 2021 first-round pick Matt Coronato, Farrell took the USHL by storm, having his way with defenses that often looked powerless to stop the Steel’s overwhelming offensive attack. After that successful USHL season, Farrell began his collegiate career with Harvard University, and he had a great year, scoring at above a point-per-game rate and even registering six points in four games while representing his country at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Farrell is a small winger who plays with great creativity and offensive aggression. He’s always looking to have the puck on his stick and find ways to expose weaknesses in defenses. He’ll fire stretch passes through the neutral zone, use his superb skating and strong puck skills to deceive and manipulate defenders in the offensive zone, and be a line-driving offensive creator who can be the centerpiece of a scoring line. Farrell may need to round out his 200-foot game and refine his offensive habits in order to fully translate his game to professional hockey, but even with that in mind, Farrell has the potential to be a deadly top-six winger if he can continue his development. - EH

5 - Jordan Harris D

Jordan Harris is one of the last members of the Canadiens’ 11-player 2018 draft class, and his development over the course of his four-year NCAA career at Northeastern University has been largely positive. Harris entered his collegiate career as a freshly minted third-round pick who had largely played at the high school level, with a short five-game cup of tea with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms under his belt as well. Harris ended his collegiate career as Northeastern’s captain, a World Junior Championships selection, and one of the Canadiens’ top defensive prospects. He stepped right into the NHL after finishing his career as a Husky, and although the Canadiens in general struggled Harris himself showed he was close to, if not already at the point of NHL readiness. Harris is an extremely well-rounded defenseman, and while he’s definitely not perfect there isn’t really any glaring flaw in his game that would keep him from being an NHL defenseman. On offense, he uses his smooth skating to help his team move the puck up the ice, and as a passer, he’s shown the ability to facilitate puck movement within the offensive zone and fire stretch passes through the neutral zone. Defensively, Harris is detail-oriented, using his skating to quickly close out on pucks and his strong awareness to quickly neutralize plays as they’re developing and help his team exit the zone. Harris might not pile on points, but he could definitely help on a secondary power-play unit and not look out of place if pressed into an increased offensive role. The flip side to Harris’ detail-oriented, well-rounded style is there isn’t a lot of risk-taking or flash to his game, the sort of flash that many fans want to see from their modern defensemen. But that’s more of a style preference that some would impose on Harris rather than an inherent flaw to his game, and his overall package of tools makes him safely project as an NHL defenseman, either on a bottom-pairing or on a second pairing if he really excels. - EH

6 - Cayden Primeau G

For the former Mike Richter award winner (given to the NCAA’s top netminder), consistency has been an issue at the pro level thus far. He has shown flashes of brilliance, even sustained over longer stretches, however those have often been followed up by other stretches where he struggles mightily to make routine saves. This is especially true of his play at the NHL level, where he has largely struggled (albeit playing behind a rebuilding team). Look no further than his performance to close out last year, leading Laval to the Calder Cup finals in a dominant performance during the playoffs. Was this the turning point in his career? The 6’3 netminder, son of former NHL’er Keith Primeau, has the skill set to be an NHL starter. He’s athletic. He tracks pucks well. He has shown an ability to steal games at every level but the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens current goaltending situation is best described as complicated. Carey Price likely heads to the LTIR. Jake Allen is apparently on the trade block. Samuel Montembeault was a former waiver claim that is not guaranteed a spot. In other words, Primeau could absolutely steal a spot in training camp if he proves that he is finally ready. Montreal still sees him as their goaltender of the future and at some point, in the near future, he is going to have to take that next step. - BO

7 - Owen Beck C

The 33^rd overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, Owen Beck was one of the top eligible players from the OHL this year because of his strong 200ft game and skating ability. He plays a pro-style game already, making smart decisions with and without the puck consistently, bringing great energy and physicality when needed. The Mississauga Steelheads centre was drafted 29^th overall in the 2020 OHL Draft but has emerged as one of the best from the draft. After missing the 2020-2021 season due to the Covid-19 shutdown, Beck took advantage of the time away from the ice and his skating improved dramatically. Going into the 2021-2022 season, Beck made the adjustment easily because of his added strength and strong two-way game, quickly becoming the Steelheads 2^nd line centre. Despite not getting first line minutes, Beck was able to finish the season with 51 points (21G,30A) in 68 games, which was 3^rd on the team in points. Although his points were inconsistent at times, so were his teammates, getting paired with different linemates throughout the season, but Beck adjusted well and was able to be effective with anyone. Beck’s best assets are his skating and competitiveness. Beck is an elite skater who was able to keep up with anyone in the OHL last season. As he continues to improve, Beck will be very effective with his speed, especially in transition. Beck’s competitiveness is on display every shift as he is always seen battling hard for every puck. He was also one of the most successful centres in the faceoff circle, winning 60.6% in the regular season. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Beck will once again be one of the most responsible players in the league and will likely see an increase in points. - DK

8 - Lane Hutson D

Lane Hutson was the 2022 winner of the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence, which is an award that, given annually, is presented to the NHL Draft-eligible player who “best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism.” If there was ever a prospect deserving of winning that award, it’s Hutson. Standing at just five-foot-eight inches and weighing around 150 pounds, the odds, at least on paper, are stacked against Hutson having a long, impactful NHL career as a blueliner. The sobering reality of the barrier his size plays on his NHL projection became clear at the NHL draft, where Hutson fell all the way to the back of the second round, getting chosen 62nd overall by the Montreal Canadiens. Lane Hutson’s on-ice profile and NHL projection are essentially shaping up as a case study for just how much size matters in building an NHL defenseman. Because in the aspects of the game Hutson himself can control, he’s extremely talented. Hutson is the sort of defenseman that wants to take over a shift, he’ll take the puck at the offensive blueline and fake his way around defenders, using his strong edgework to create separation from opposing players. Hutson is an incredible passer, matching both great vision with an ability to make the sort of difficult passes many of his peer defenders cannot make. There’s a lot of manipulation and deception to his offensive game, the sort of “I’m going to be the one to force the issue” style that isn’t often seen from young defensemen. And defensively, Hutson’s issues aren’t due to any lack of effort. He’ll hound puck carriers, relentlessly attacking them in order to interrupt their possession. His skating allows him to, at the very least, keep pace with incoming forwards, and despite his size, he’s no stranger to the physical side of the game. But unfortunately, his size makes surviving Hutson’s defensive pressure all too possible for opposing players, and that limits his defensive upside sharply. Additionally, Hutson’s skating, while good in the sense of his edges and stop-start ability, lacks the top-end speed you’d want to see out of a defenseman his size, which, next to his size, could be the greatest threat to his NHL projection. But even with those issues laid out, Hutson is an extremely difficult prospect to bet against, and he’ll bring his fire and his flash to Boston University next season with the goal of continuing to chart a path to the NHL for similarly sized defensemen in future NHL drafts. - EH

9 - Justin Barron D

Barron was recently acquired by Montreal as part of the Artturi Lehkonen to Colorado trade. The former first round pick by the Avalanche hasn’t had the easiest road the past few years. He missed significant time while a member of the Halifax Mooseheads due to blood clots, which certainly hindered his development. Just when you thought he was able to stay healthy this past season, he suffered a season ending ankle injury shortly after being acquired by Montreal. The 6’2, right shot defender has the potential to be a top four NHL defender, he just needs to stay healthy. Without question, Barron’s best quality is his skating ability. An effortless mover, his game is built around his mobility. He excels as a puck transporter because of his ability to carve up the neutral zone, often gaining the offensive blue line with ease. He also defends well in transition with his ability to mind gaps and stay ahead of attackers. In his five-game stint with Montreal before his injury, Barron looked good at both ends of the ice and appeared ready for a permanent NHL gig. Looking at Montreal’s depth on the blueline, it would appear that only another injury will keep Barron out of their lineup. There is lots of ice time up for grabs and he may even be given significant powerplay responsibility, as he was during his brief audition last year. - BO

10 - Joshua Roy RW

Picked in the 5^th round of the 2021 draft by the Montreal Canadiens, Roy completely exploded this season with monstrous offensive numbers: 119 points in 66 games. Roy has been, since debuting in the QMJHL, a very polarizing player amongst scouts. The St-Georges-de-Beauce native has always possessed significant talent and has long been hyped in the Quebec minor hockey scene. This led to him being picked 1^st overall in his QMJHL draft year. However, his work ethic has been put into question a lot. This season, however, Roy took a big step forward in nearly all areas and it has really helped elevate his stock as a prospect. Joshua was mainly a sniper in his draft season, but he diversified his game and now is a much more versatile player as he’s been creating a lot of passing plays and showed improvement in his work ethic and motor. Can he become a top six player in the NHL? The jury is still out. He will need to continue to improve his athletic tools, such as his explosiveness and strength on the puck. Roy will return to Sherbrooke again this season and will look to repeat as the QMJHL’s scoring leader. He should also serve as a primary offensive player on the Canadian WJC team after already playing a strong supporting role on the gold medal winning 2002 team this past summer. - EB

11 - Mattias Norlinder

Norlinder’s first season in North America ended up being a relative failure last year, as he struggled with both Montreal and Laval before being assigned back to the SHL. He will attempt to play in the AHL yet again this year, likely ticketed for a full season in the minors to help him develop his confidence.

12 - Logan Mailloux

The highly debated first round selection missed most of last year due to his suspension and a season ending shoulder injury. The big blueliner continues to ooze athletic talent but will also need to continue to make strides on and off the ice.

13 - Jakub Dobes

There were not many goaltenders better than Dobes in the NCAA last season, his first at Ohio State. The big netminder could push his way to the top of goaltending prospect rankings with another dominant performance as a sophomore.

14 - Jesse Ylonen

Montreal has had to be very patient with Ylonen’s development so far. The former second rounder appears to have finally come into his own after a strong pro year split between Montreal and Laval. Likely has a career path similar to Kasperi Kapanen.

15 - Arber Xhekaj

The former free agent signing out of Hamilton in the OHL, Xhekaj has emerged as a legitimate prospect for Canadiens. He is one of the meanest defensive prospects on the planet and his skating has improved considerably in recent years. Decision making will need to be cleaned up, but he could move quickly through the system.

16 - Jayden Struble

With Struble electing to return to Northeastern for his senior year, there has been lots of chatter about whether he intends to sign in Montreal. Struble is a highly athletic, but physically aggressive defender who should take steps forward offensively this season.

17 - Riley Kidney

After a breakout draft +1 season in the QMJHL, Montreal fans should be excited about Kidney. His IQ and awareness are off the charts. He just needs to continue to get stronger and quicker to help strengthen his pro potential.

18 - Oliver Kapanen

A potentially impactful two-way center, Kapanen has a relatively safe projection as an NHL player. Montreal just wants to see him become a little more consistent offensively playing against men after a mediocre year.

19 - Emil Heineman

Acquired in the Tyler Toffoli to Calgary deal, Heineman is a big winger with great wheels and scoring potential. He has signed and will be playing in Laval this coming season.

20 - Rafael Harvey-Pinard

The former QMJHL standout and Memorial Cup champion has put together two strong seasons in the AHL consecutively. He may not be huge, but he competes and has skill. Is he an underrated prospect in the system with a real chance of being a quality middle six option for Montreal?