Juuso Pärssinen – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW YORK RANGERS – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 18:51:49 +0000

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 18: New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) is pictured prior to the National Hockey League game between the Calgary Flames and the New York Rangers on March 18, 2025/ at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. (Photo by Joshua Sarner/Icon Sportswire)

After reaching the Eastern Conference Final in two of the previous three seasons, the Rangers dropped off to 85 points (39-36-7) last season and missed the playoffs altogether, a disappointing result that ended with them firing head coach Peter Laviolette and replacing him with former Penguins bench boss Mike Sullivan. The Blueshirts ranked 20th with a 49.0 percent Corsi and 24th with 48.2 percent expected goals percentage, so they were on the wrong side of the puck possession battle. Their power play ranked 24th, with 6.37 goals per 60 minutes during five-on-four play, and ranked 12th with 6.39 goals against per 60 minutes of four-on-five play. That’s a team that needed its goaltender to be outstanding and Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick were decent and the Rangers had a .902 save percentage.

What’s Changed?

The Rangers replaced Peter Laviolette behind the bench with Mike Sullivan, ex of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they did not go in for wholesale roster changes. The Rangers also made some big trades, sending left winger Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks and defenceman K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes, with defence prospect Scott Morrow coming to New York as part of the return for Miller. The Rangers landed defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov, who is a quality two-way defenceman, as a free agent from the Los Angeles Kings and they signed winger Taylor Raddysh, who played for the Washington Capitals last season. Defenceman Zac Jones signed with the Buffalo Sabres and right winger Arthur Kaliyev signed with the Ottawa Senators as a free agent.

What would success look like?

Returning to the playoffs would be a good start for the Rangers, and there is enough talent on the roster to make that happen, but it also doesn’t look like the team is deep enough to pose a serious threat to the top contenders. With a goaltender like Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers have a chance to punch above their statistical weight class a bit, as he gives them a chance even when they might not deserve it, but that is not the path to sustained success, so the Rangers need to figure out how they will get quality contributions from their bottom six forwards.

What could go wrong?

If the Rangers don’t get solid contributions from the lower half of their lineup, it is likely to fall apart, and they won’t make the playoffs again. Could a rookie like Gabriel Perreault and a young forward like Jusso Parssinen step up and make a difference? They could, but that uncertainty is why the Rangers are vulnerable going into the 2025-2026 season. Leading scorer Artemi Panarin is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and if he doesn’t have a contract extension signed and the Rangers fall off the playoff pace, he could be a huge trade chip, though he has a no-movement clause which typically limits what the trading team gets in return.

Top Breakout Candidate

Blue collar winger Will Cuylle made nice progress in 2024-2025, his point totals jumping from 21 to 45 points as he received nearly four more minutes of ice time per game. He is a physical winger who has proven he can play and now the Rangers have him ticketed for a role in the top six to start the season, possibly on a line with J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, so if Cuylle keeps earning his ice time with determination and a nose for the net, then his point production should keep climbing.

FORWARDS

Artemi Panarin

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	37	56	93	1.16

It says a lot about the level of Panarin’s play when he wraps up a season with 37 goals and 89 points in 80 games and it is widely viewed as a disappointment. His 1.11 points per game was his lowest since the 2018=2019 season, but 37 goals counted as the second highest total of his career. He has been a focal point for criticism when the Rangers have been bounced from the playoffs in recent seasons, but that was avoided by the Blueshirts missing the playoffs altogether in 2024-2025. For whatever shortcomings Panarin may have, he is an exceptionally creative winger, who has become more dangerous as he shoots more, and generates offense like few others in the league. Panarin has played for the Rangers for six seasons. In that time, he ranks fourth in the NHL with 550 points (186 G, 364 A) in 430 games, putting him behind only Connor McDavid (710), Leon Draisaitl (644), and Nathan MacKinnon (613). Panarin played primarily with Vincent Trocheck last season, and they outscored opponents 53-37 during five-on-five play, so it’s not like they were the ones leading to the Blueshirts’ downfall, but if the Rangers are going to get back to the postseason that will need to continue. Panarin will turn 34 early in the 2025-2026 season, but he should remain an elite offensive performer, capable of 35 goals and 90 points.

J.T. Miller

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
80	27	56	83	1.04

His time in Vancouver ended in controversy with allegations of a rift between Miller and Elias Pettersson, but a return to the Rangers did seem to reinvigorate Miller. In the past six seasons, he has accumulated 472 points (165 GG, 307 A) in 436 games, which ranks 10th in the entire league over that time. While Miller may have a reputation for being difficult, that can also translate to his on-ice performance, where he often plays with real passion. Every so often, he has had moments when his effort was clearly lacking but those moments don’t seem to creep up as often anymore. In addition to his elite point production, Miller plays a physical game, recording more than 160 hits in four straight seasons and, as he showed during the Four Nations Face-Off against Canada, Miller will drop the gloves, if necessary. Miller tends to be a high percentage finisher, scoring on 15.6 percent of his shots in more than 400 games for Vancouver, then turning full sniper in his return to the Rangers, scoring on 23.6 percent of his shots in 32 games. The upshot is that he may continue to score at a relatively high rate, but it’s unlikely that he can sustain the shooting percentage that he had with the Blueshirts last season. In 2025-2026, Miller should be a prominent part of the Rangers’ attack, and good for 25 goals and 80 points.

Mika Zibanejad

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	25	45	70	0.86

Perhaps the most maligned of Rangers players last season, Zibanejad finished with 20 goals, his lowest total since 2016-2017, and 62 points, his lowest since 2017-2018 (not counting the COVID-shortened 2020-2021 season). Considering that Zibanejad had been such a productive player over his tenure with the Rangers, the decline in goals, points, and shots on goal was clearly a disappointing outcome. His 37 even-strength points ranked sixth on the Rangers. When he is on his game, Zibanejad uses his size effectively to protect the puck and finds openings in the offensive zone to launch shots on goal. Perhaps some of last season’s struggles could be attributed to his deployment. Last season, Zibanejad’s most common linemates were Reilly Smith, Will Cuylle, and Chris Kreider. With Smith and Kreider gone, it is possible that Zibanejad will skate on right wing with Miller and Cuylle, which could offer a better chance at success because Zibanejad and Miller were relatively successful when playing together last season, controlling better than 52 percent of shot attempts and expected goals during five-on-five play. That does provide some reason for optimism, so even though Zibanejad is now 32, and bouncing back gets more difficult as a player gets older, he should be expected to contribute 25 goals and 70 points during the 2025-2026 season.

Vincent Trocheck

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	27	37	64	0.78

A veteran center who plays with the heart of an agitator, Trocheck has played more than 21 minutes per game in the past two seasons, and he is a seven-time 20-goal scorer who recorded a career-high 214 hits while winning a career-best 59.3 percent of his faceoffs last season. His all-around contributions are consistently positive. While he is decent defensively, it is the offensive side of the game that leads to Trocheck generating positive results year after year. He is also very durable, having played in every game for three straight seasons. Trocheck’s ability to drive play is enhanced by playing with a creative winger like Panarin, and their styles complement each other, with Trocheck more direct and straight line in his approach while Panarin changes pace and creates more offensively. Trocheck’s aggressive style plays well in the postseason, too, and it’s why other teams might come calling about him if the Rangers have a down season, as they did in 2024-2025. The Rangers will certainly hope to get back into the playoff mix this season, but if they can’t, Trocheck will surely be in demand. In the 2025-2026 season, it is fair to expect 20-25 goals and 60-plus points from Trocheck and, combined with his propensity for physical play, he will remain a valuable fantasy hockey contributor.

Alexis Lafreniere

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	20	32	52	0.63

After breaking through with career highs of 28 goals and 57 points in 2023-2024, Lafreniere’s production dropped to 17 goals and 45 points last season. His most common linemates are Panarin and Trocheck, so Lafreniere is getting the best possible opportunity to be productive, but his lack of power play production puts a limit on his overall contribution. Only four of his 45 points last season came with the man advantage, so he was tied for 80th with 41 even-strength points. At his best, Lafreniere uses his physicality to wreak havoc on the forecheck, and he’s comfortable going to the dirty areas to make plays. The question that still dogs Lafreniere is whether he skates well enough to get where he needs to go. It’s one thing to be willing to engage in physical battles, which he is, but sometimes, it helps just to be able to pull away from defenders and that remains an area for improvement. That Lafreniere finished with 64 fewer shots than the season before is not the most encouraging sign. He will turn 24 in October and has five years in the league, so the time for improvement may be running out. Given the quality of his linemates, Lafreniere should be expected to push 20 goals and 50 points, most of which will come at even strength.

Will Cuylle

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	23	30	54	0.66

Although some of the higher profile Rangers are catching heat for their performance, Cuylle is a positive story among the Blueshirts forwards. The 2020 second-round pick broke through in 2024-2025, his second NHL season, scoring 20 goals and 45 points. As a 6-foot-3 winger who brings a physical game along with that touch around the net, Cuylle is on his career ascent and should see an even bigger role with the Rangers in 2025-2026. Full credit to Cuylle, because his scoring doesn’t come by accident. He puts himself in position and is not afraid to get to the front of the net. Among players to play at least 500 five-on-five minutes, Cuylle ranked 18th with 1.00 expected goals per 60 minutes. On top of that, Cuylle tied for third in the league with 301 hits, so he is a player who already has value in banger leagues, but as he climbs the depth chart, he has an opportunity to have more widespread fantasy appeal. There is a realistic shot for Cuylle to have a spot in the Rangers’ top six and if he ends up skating with, say, J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, then that would be the kind of deployment that should see him continue to carve out a bigger role and make himself even more valuable. As an added bonus, he’s an effective penalty killer, too. He had the lowest shot attempts and expected goals against among Rangers forwards in four-on-five situations. Cuylle should be good for 20 goals, 40 points and in the neighborhood of 300 hits, but he could pop for more, too.

Taylor Raddysh

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	9	16	25	0.32

After playing very well in a limited role for the Washington Capitals last season, Raddysh may have an opportunity to earn a bigger role with the Rangers this season. Raddysh had a career high 20 goals and 37 points with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022-2023, though he was playing 16:34 per game that season. Last season, in Washington, that ice time had dropped to 12:22 per game, but he contributed 27 points with better-than-even possession numbers despite an offensive zone face-off percentage of just 35.2 percent. While the puck tends to move the right way with Raddysh on the ice, he has had some trouble finishing in the past couple of seasons, scoring 12 goals on 213 shots (5.6 percent). There is certainly no guarantee that a bigger role awaits Raddysh in New York, but he is certainly in the competition for a spot in the top nine and that would give Raddysh a chance to elevate his production. He is 6-foot-3, uses his size effectively to gain position to tip pucks in front of the net. With his low percentages and uncertain role, however, expectations have to be modest for the 2025-2026 season, so 25-30 points seems to be a realistic expectation.

Juuso Parssinen

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
72	9	14	23	0.32

A seventh-round pick by Nashville in 2019, Parssinen had 25 points (6 G, 19 A) in 45 games as a rookie in 2022-2023 but he has not been able to maintain that level of production in the two years since. He played with three teams last season, finishing the season with the Rangers, and scoring five points (2 G, 3 A) in 11 games for New York. He also played less than 10 minutes per game and managed just four shots on goal in those 11 games, so while he offers some potential, Parssinen needs more production to secure a regular spot in the lineup. Parssinen is a worthwhile risk for the Rangers to take because he's a 6-foot-3 center with some skill, and he has some offensive upside. He had five points (3 G, 2 A) in eight games for Finland at the World Championships, and he should be able to contribute secondary offence in the NHL. He has, however, bounced around the past couple of seasons with not very much production, so expectations are easily held in check going into 2025-2026. If Parssinen could stay in the lineup for a full season and put up 25 points, that would have to be considered reasonable progress.

Sam Carrick

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	8	14	22	0.27

A veteran fourth-line center who didn’t stick in the NHL as a regular until his age 29 season, Carrick played a career high 80 games for the Rangers last season and delivered a career high 20 points (6 G, 14 A). He also recorded 137 hits, the third time in the past four seasons that he had at least 120 hits. His offensive production is minimal, which is understandable for a center logging 12 minutes of ice time per game, but his limited role means that his hits and penalty minutes aren’t enough to overcome his lack of scoring. None of this is meant to disparage Carrick, who has played 320 NHL games in his career and is now 33 years old. His 2024-2025 season was valuable in an understated way. He played in 80 games, won 54.7 percent of his draws, and while his possession numbers were nothing special, he started 22.3 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone and was a solid penalty killer. Carrick’s contributions hold real-life value in a specific role and can offer more than whatever his fantasy upside might be. The most likely outcome for Carrick is that he provides some bite to the Rangers lineup and contributes 15-20 points.

DEFENSE

Adam Fox

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	12	53	65	0.83

One of the top handful of defencemen in the league, Fox finished 12th in Norris Trophy voting last season and that was his worst finish in the past five seasons. To be fair to Fox, he was probably underrated because the Rangers weren’t a playoff team, because his impacts at both ends of the ice were still excellent. A cerebral player, Fox is sound positionally, reads the play well, has excellent patience, and handles the puck with earned confidence. He actively joins the attack and has excellent vision to spot open teammates in transition. If there is a nitpick about his game, Fox is not the biggest blueliner and is not particularly physical in his defensive approach, so he can get outmuscled at times. He could also shoot the puck more, but these are relatively minor issues because there is no denying the immensely positive impact when Fox is on the ice. In his six NHL seasons, the Rangers have outscored opponents 360-255 during five-on-five play with Fox on the ice and he has never been worse than +9 in terms of five-on-five goal differential for a season. His possession numbers have been excellent, controlling 52.7 percent of shot attempts, with +6.6 percent in relative terms, indicating that the Rangers have been vastly better when Fox is on the ice. For the 2025-2026 season, Fox should be expected to contribute double digit goals and 65 points and, if the team results are better, he could return more seriously to the Norris Trophy discussion.

Vladislav Gavrikov

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
78	5	22	27	0.35

The veteran defenceman picked a great time to have the best season of his career, producing 30 points (5 G, 25 A) while providing the best defensive impact of his career while logging a career-high 23:05 of ice time per game for Los Angeles. Although Gavrikov is not particularly physical for his 6-foot-3, 220-pound frame, he excels in the defensive zone. He does use his size to seal off opponents, is terrific at playing stick-on-puck defence and will lay out to block passes or shots in the slot. Gavrikov is not especially graceful in his movements but is light enough on his feet to show decent agility for his size. He recorded a career-high 140 blocked shots while playing big minutes for a Kings team that was stingy defensively, ranking third in terms of five-on-five shots and expected goals against per 60 minutes for the 138 defencemen that played at least 1,000 five-on-five minutes. Gavrikov also started 40.4 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, so he was doing heavy lifting on that team, and he still delivered strong results. Going to the Rangers, Gavrikov will be of vital importance to the squad and should play big minutes again. He should be able to contribute between 25-30 points during the 2025-2026 season and is likely only appealing to fantasy managers in deeper leagues.

Braden Schneider

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
81	6	18	24	0.30

A 6-foot-4 right-shot blueliner who was a first-round pick in 2020, Schneider has been on a gradual path but did start to play a bigger role later last season, averaging 19 minutes per game over the last 20 games. His defensive play suffered, allowing his highest rate of shot attempts and expected goals against through his first four seasons. Schneider is a big hitter who steps up in neutral ice to deter his opponents and his hit and blocked shot counts are some of the reasons that he might have fantasy value. Despite playing in a relatively limited role, Schneider recorded 408 blocked shots and 460 hits in the past three seasons, making him one of 12 defencemen to surpass 400 in both categories over that time. Schneider had a career-high 21 points (5 G, 16 A) in 2024-2025, including seven points (3 G, 4 A) in the last 20 games when his ice time increased. He won’t score enough to generate widespread fantasy appeal – he might get 20-plus points – but if he plays a top four role it would be possible that Schneider adds 150 hits and 150 blocked shots and that might have enough particular category value to make him more appealing.

Will Borgen

Predicted Stats
GP	G	A	PTS	PPG
82	4	16	20	0.24

A fourth-round pick who has battled his way into a regular role in the NHL, Borgen has played 248 regular-season games across the past three seasons, which is two more than the standard maximum. Borgen made the most of the opportunity provided to him when he was picked by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. He was not a star by any means, but he was handling a regular role on the third pairing. That was enough to make him part of the trade return when the Blueshirts sent right winger Kaapo Kakko to Seattle last season and then Borgen played 18:12 per game with the Rangers, which was not only a higher average time on ice than he had in Seattle, but he also started just 35.9 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone. When it comes to fantasy value, Borgen has similar category appeal as Braden Schneider. Borgen might reasonably be expected to chip in 20 points along with 160 hits and 120 blocked shots. It says something about the Rangers’ defence that Borgen and Schneider are expected to play significant roles and neither one has great offensive accomplishments.

Goal

Igor Shesterkin

Predicted Stats
GP	W	L	OT	SO	SV%	GAA
63	30	24	6	6	.909	2.67

It wasn't particularly surprising that the New York Rangers missed the postseason this spring, particularly given the continued regression seen from star goaltender Igor Shesterkin. But despite seeing his numbers regress even closer to the league mean, the Rangers bafflingly didn't do much to spare Shesterkin the workload - seemingly operating in a way that pointed to what Henrik Lundqvist did for the club during his career and challenging anyone to criticize their attempt at repeating history. Shesterkin's game relies on crisp decision-making and strong positional foundations, though, which becomes particularly apparent when he's playing just shy of one hundred percent. He's looked like he has needed a nice hefty break for a couple of seasons now, and it's bleeding into his numbers in an increasingly hard to deny way.

Shesterkin will still have veteran voice Jonathan Quick serving as his number two next year, but Quick's consistency has been hard to come by for a number of years now -- and his performance last year looked less like an experienced former starter clocking his team some extra wins, and more like a career backup logging the minutes until his starter was able to suit up again. It's unclear what New York's strategy will be next year - they have a promising young talent in Dylan Garand waiting in the wings, and likely capable of taking on a handful of starts to help manage the workload - but it's surprising to look at the team's depth chart and realize that they're hoping last year was just a fluke.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 19:58:08 +0000

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 19: Nashville Predators center Thomas Novak (82) is shown during the NHL game between the Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers, held on December 19, 2022, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire)

Review: The Predators have rarely been listed among the main contenders for the Stanley Cup in any given year, but they have managed to stay consistently competitive, making the playoffs for eight straight campaigns from 2014-15 through 2021-22. They nearly reached nine consecutive seasons but came just short with their 42-32-8 record last year. Juuse Saros deserves most of the credit for keeping Nashville close. He’s one of the most reliable goaltenders in the world, and he stayed strong in 2022-23, posting a 33-23-7 record, 2.69 GAA and .919 save percentage in 64 contests. Consider that Nashville ranked 28th in 5-on-5 expected goals against (199.01), suggesting the Predators were among the league’s worst teams defensively and would have consequently been easy to score against if not for some stellar netminding. Saros’ role was even more important because Nashville didn’t do much offensively. None of the Predators reached the 60-point mark, though it didn’t help that Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and especially Roman Josi missed meaningful chunks of the season. The silver lining is Saros is just 28, and the Predators have two more seasons left at a team-friendly $5 million cap hit, so there’s still time to build around him.

What’s Changed? Deciding major turnover was necessary, Predators GM Barry Trotz bought out Matt Duchene’s contract and traded Ryan Johansen to Colorado. Nashville leveraged that freed cap space to ink top-six forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist. They also added defensive defenseman Luke Schenn, which might make life a little easier on Saros.

What would success look like? The Predators could absolutely make it back into the playoffs, but their push needs to start with another great campaign from Saros. Assuming they have that, an injury-free year out of Josi would do a lot to make up the rest of the gap. Meanwhile, it will be the first full NHL campaign for forwards Thomas Novak, Luke Evangelista and Juuso Parssinen, who could combine to make Nashville a significantly better team offensively than they were in 2022-23.

What could go wrong? Whenever a team relies so much on a single player, as Nashville does with Saros, the nightmare scenario is always an injury to said player. Although Nashville does have a sufficient backup in Kevin Lankinen, but being forced to rely on him for an extended period would be far from ideal. It’s also not clear how much offensive help O’Reilly and Nyquist will be. Both had up-and-down campaigns last year, so if Nashville was hoping to swap Duchene and Johansen for safer bets, they may end up disappointed.

Top Breakout Candidate: After scoring 17 goals and 43 points in 51 games last season, Novak is perhaps too easy of a choice, so instead let’s focus on one of his projected linemates, Evangelista. The 21-year-old also had an encouraging, albeit much shorter, stint with Nashville in 2022-23, contributing seven goals and 15 points in 24 contests. Evangelista also excelled in the AHL with 41 points in 49 outings and turned pro with plenty of offensive upside. He’s a big part of why Nashville has reason for optimism about the long-term outlook of its forward core.

Forwards

Filip Forsberg - LW

Looking to follow up a fantastic 42-goal season, Forsberg started off a little slow with only two goals in the first month of the season. He hit his stride over the winter, scoring at a point-per-game pace in November and December before a concussion in early February sidelined him for the rest of the season. Streaky scoring isn’t out of the ordinary for Forsberg, as he is the type of player who will run hot, and he was on-pace to match his typical season totals before getting hurt. Talent eventually shows through with most players, and he is the type you can always count on to go on a scoring tear at some point. Terrific at generating offense on his own, Forsberg is one of the most creative shooters in the league. He can test goalies despite being covered or tricking defenders by passing at the very last second to set up a breakaway or a lay-up goal for his linemates. He had fantastic chemistry with Matt Duchene in 2022 for this reason and while they struggled to repeat that last year, Forsberg still found a way to get on the scoresheet with a revolving door of linemates. His 42-goal campaign might have been an aberration, but at the end of the day the Preds will be happy with what they get out of Forsberg.

Ryan O’Reilly - C

Nashville shook up their forward corps this summer, shipping off veterans Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen and bringing in Ryan O’Reilly as their new centerpiece. Whether you’re a contending team or navigating a rebuild, O’Reilly is a good player to build your forward group around. He can handle the big minutes and the tougher matchups, which will make life easier for the Tommy Novaks of the roster. Nashville’s blue line will also benefit from him, as he acts like a third defenseman with how deep he plays in the zone and how good he is at starting breakouts. This along with his strength in making plays on his backhand are his calling cards. He has also made the most out of playing with some of the scraps in the St. Louis’ forward corps, as the more talented players were moved to more scoring lines. Last year he formed an excellent checking line with Josh Leivo and Brandon Saad. O’Reilly is the type of player whose line will usually dominate territorially even if they aren’t scoring a lot of goals, so this bodes well for what he can do in Nashville. Very high floor, but a lower ceiling than there used to be with him.

Tommy Novak - C

The former Minnesota Gopher might have been the best player in the second half of the season that you’ve never heard of (unless you’re a Nashville fan or a fantasy hockey player). Known primarily as a playmaker and a pass-first player, the 17 goals in 50 games Novak scored last year was one fewer than his career total in four years at college and more than he scored in any season in the AHL. It wasn’t the “playing out of the string” type of production either, as Nashville was fighting for a playoff spot in the second half and three of Novak’s goals were scored in overtime. He showed signs that he could be a good player during his first cup of coffee with the Preds. He has excellent hands and was very good at making safe plays to keep offensive zone shifts going. What changed last year was that he really started poaching for more offense and began shooting more. Some of that is from getting endless breakaway opportunities but he also worked his way into the slot to create his own shot instead of reverting to the point or passing it off to someone else. At 26, this was probably Novak’s last chance to prove he belongs in the NHL and to say he proved that is an understatement.

Gustav Nyquist - LW

Every team needs a player or two like Nyquist, a decent scoring forward who isn’t a top-liner but can keep up with your big dogs if you need someone to fill-in. Nyquist has that Swiss-Army Knife toolset where he can do just enough to help everyone his line without being the main driver of it, not being the first one on pucks, but usually being in the right spot to receive a pass or setup a give-and-go. Uses his stick well in the defensive zone and was a regular on Columbus’ aggressive penalty kill for years, scoring seven shorthanded goals in three years with Columbus. Had no real consistent linemates with the Jackets last year and didn’t see any action with Minnesota until the playoffs where he played on a line with Ryan Hartman. Doesn’t have the shot or the game-breaking skill to be the driver on his line, or a consistent offensive threat, but will pitch-in enough to help any line that he is on. Modern day utility player and a nice placeholder for the Preds.

Cody Glass - C

Spending all of 2021-22 in the AHL, Nashville made it a priority to fix Cody Glass’ development after getting him from Vegas. The former third overall pick had a rocky start in the NHL and his first full season with the Predators was a major step forward. Finding his way as a middle-six center, Glass seemed to find his niche as a goal-scorer and a net-front guy on the power play. Scoring six of his goals with the man advantage, Glass is more of the “goal/point vulture” mold right now, he hangs around the net most of his shifts and has slowly figured out the ins-and-outs of scoring a lot of dirty goals. He has terrific hands but slow feet, so this is a good way for him to make an NHL career. It makes him more of a secondary player on his line, as he doesn’t play with a lot of pace, or handle the puck much, but it’s also something you can work around since he will do the little things away from the puck. His defensive game was especially encouraging, always in the right spot in coverage to help generate easy exits. Great things were expected for Glass when Vegas took him with their first ever pick and a detour to Nashville seems to be just what he needed to get his career back on track.

Yakov Trenin - LW

Appropriately nicknamed “The Yak,” the Nashville winger is probably most known for being one of the only players to fight Zdeno Chara twice. What they might not know is that he’s become one of Nashville’s more reliable players since then. Scoring double-digit goals in back-to-back seasons, he found a home on what was dubbed “The Herd Line” by Preds fans. He was one of the straws that stirred the drink on that line because he is very direct in how he plays. He shoots the puck at every opportunity and will lay a shoulder into any player that is along the boards. The more skilled parts of his game showed out a little last year, carrying the puck into the zone more and surprising defenders with his puck-handling. He still doesn’t drift too far from his bread and butter, always hanging around or behind the net to set up shop in the offensive zone and being a nuisance to play against. Also, a fixture on Nashville’s penalty kill alongside Colton Sissons. Trenin should continue to be a regular middle-sixer for Nashville even with The Herd Line disassembled.

Denis Gurianov - RW

Dallas finally decided to cut bait with their former first round pick, sending him to Montreal in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov. Far removed from his 20-goal rookie campaign, Gurianov struggled to find the scoring touch after that and hasn’t found a niche in the other parts of the game. His last year in Dallas was his low point, with only two goals in 43 games. If you tuned into their games, you know it wasn’t for a lack of trying, as he averaged more shots per 60 minutes than almost any of their other forwards and the blistering one-timer is still there. Being able to get it on the net has been the issue and his game went from one-dimensional to zero-dimensional as a high-shot volume player who couldn’t score. A fresh start in Montreal helped for a pinch, scoring four goals in five games after the trade but they ultimately let him become a free agent. He brings some qualities that Nashville could use, especially as a triggerman for their second power play unit and someone who plays with a high-motor and will at least work hard in his minutes. It’s tough to say if he will get regular playing time with so many players from Milwaukee looking for full-time jobs too.

Colton Sissons - C

A hero from their 2017 Stanley Cup run, Sissons has been a mainstay in Nashville’s bottom-six for years, centering The Herd Line with Trenin and Jeannot. He was one of a few players that had their role increased last year due to injury, playing close to 19 minutes some nights and even getting some prolonged time with Filip Forsberg in the top-six at times. Sissons is typically the “next man up” for Nashville in these situations because of how reliable his game is as a defensive player and that he has the stamina to play bigger minutes if needed. Most of the time he has a pretty thankless role as the center who takes most of the defensive zone faceoffs and the main job is surviving the shift before even thinking about making a play with the puck. It’s a tough, but necessary role on most teams and you can do worse than Sissons. He usually finds a way to get to the 25–30-point range despite that, though. Last year was his highest goal total since 2019, as the extra ice-time allowed him to poach for more offense at times. He can also play the wing if needed, so should continue to be a fixture in Nashville’s lineup next year.

Phillip Tomasino - RW

After spending all of 2021-22 in the NHL, the former first round pick wasn’t called up to Nashville until February. This decision was met with the refrain of “it’s about time,” as he was a sleeper pick for some people last year. Not setting the world on fire but showing some flash as a playmaker and looking like he belonged in the NHL at the very least. His play down the stretch was more of the same, Tomasino getting more of a run in the top-six and showing some of that creativity that got him drafted so high. Why he was in the AHL for so long is tough to say. Either Nashville didn’t want to have one of their top prospects stuck as a checker or they felt his overall game needed more work. Regardless, it looks like he did enough to be on the opening night roster this year. He was a decent weapon on the second power play unit, setting up a lot of plays from the right faceoff circle and scoring a few “surprise” goals off deflections. The lack of goal-scoring and his spotty play-driving are legitimate concerns, but hopefully he will get a full-season to iron those out this time around.

Defense

Roman Josi - D

Following up a record-setting season is tough. Perhaps it’s even more difficult when someone on another team breaks your own record, which was the case for Nashville’s star defenseman. He was the first defenseman to top 90 points, something that hasn’t been done post-lockout, until Erik Karlsson scored 101-points this year. There wasn’t a lot that changed about his overall game this year except the puck went into the net less often, mainly on the power play where he had 13 fewer points. Josi was the same, roaming player he has always been, always looking to push for offense. Nashville’s forwards not scoring as many goals as they used to is what hurt his point total more than anything. The same passing plays he created in 2022 weren’t as freely available last year, so the points didn’t come as easily for him. The main difference for the Nashville captain this year was adjusting to a new partner in Ryan McDonagh, pairing him with another lefty for the first time in a while and someone who is a little tougher around the edges than Dante Fabbro. It made breakouts a little easier, as Josi didn’t have to go the full 200 feet to create offense and could get up in the play more with a steady partner back. Still projects to be the team’s best player for the upcoming season.

Tyson Barrie - D

Some players are a product of the situations they’re in and Tyson Barrie has been living his best life running the top of the umbrella of the Oilers power play. His vision and deception from the point made him a good fit for that spot, as he can do more than just distribute from the point and find the soft spots in the penalty kill. Nashville got to see glimpses of that during his audition with the team after the trade deadline. He’s also a decent goal-scoring threat for a defenseman, tallying 10 last season. He has some utility at 5-on-5 but was used primarily on the third pair during his final year with Edmonton, as he doesn’t handle forecheck pressure well and has trouble translating his strong puck-skills when the game gets quicker. Most of his value is attached to what he does on the power play, which was a lot with the Oilers. 54-percent of his points with Edmonton were with the man advantage. He could see a bigger role in Nashville but will have a tough time unseating Roman Josi as the team’s power play quarter back.

Ryan McDonagh - D

Few players deserved the “underrated” tag more than Ryan McDonagh in his prime. He did everything you want out of a top-pairing defenseman and could control 5-on-5 play better than almost anyone. As he has gotten older, he’s gotten less concerned with putting up points and more with taking care of his own zone first. He’s a strong skater still and will jump in for a splash play occasionally, but he’s not the one-man breakout he used to be. Pairing him with Josi made sense on paper, as McDonagh can still be effective with taking hits and killing the play along the boards so Josi can scoop the puck up, but there is only so much you can do as a defenseman playing this style. You’re making the first play, but everything else is out of your control, so the downside is you might have a season like McDonagh where you spend most of the time blocking shots and preventing damage in your own zone. There’s a role for these players, but it’s a taxing style on their bodies and McDonagh already has a lot of miles on his tires at 33-years old. His skating is still strong enough to keep him a viable option on the penalty kill and the top-four.

Alex Carrier - D

The young defenseman suffered two setbacks, first was having his season derailed by an injury, second was losing Mattias Ekholm, Carrier’s defense partner for most of his brief career. His game isn’t too different from top-pairing defensemen around the AHL or in other leagues, just needing a chance to finally get a chance in the AHL. He’s a good skater that uses his stick to disrupt plays without taking penalties and was a great fit for John Hynes’ system where the right defensemen step up in the neutral zone regularly. Very good with the puck even if it doesn’t translate to a lot of points, as exiting the zone with control is a strength of his. Could be in a tough roster situation this year with Nashville having four right-handed defensemen under contract and his regular partner now playing for another team. Mobility and willingness to play anywhere in the lineup should be enough to keep him a regular, although maybe with a different role depending on how the roster shakes out.

Goaltending

Juuse Saros - G

The Nashville Predators missing out on the postseason last year was hardly goaltender Juuse Saros’ fault. The undersized – but remarkably well-positioned and hard-to-shake – number one put up one of the league’s best performances last year, despite the raw numbers showcasing nothing more than an overworked (but better than average) starter on an underperforming team. No goaltender in the NHL made more saves above expected last year than he did, with the 28-year-old keeping his team not just in games, but close to the playoff hunt quite literally down to the bitter end. The Predators missed the postseason by a mere three points last year, and it’s hard to believe they would have been anywhere but the league basement without Saros’ steady presence in more than two-thirds of their games.

Of course, there’s only so long that the team can continue to trot out Saros for over sixty games a year. It’s hard to imagine they don’t want to split the workload more evenly, and there’s a chance that he’ll be able to take some breaths of relief with prospect Yaroslav Askarov looking more and more ready for regular NHL action. But ultimately. Saros is a smaller goaltender who has to rely on picture-perfect precision in his game to keep the team from backsliding; if they keep playing him with the kind of workload they’ve asked of him for the last few years, it’s hard to imagine it won’t start to show up in the form of fatigue errors before they’re ready to get Askarov into regular game action. The Predators have to find the balance between treating their current starter right and avoiding any kind of rush job for their goaltender of the future – and right now, they’re toeing that line a little too closely for comfort.

Projected starts: 60-65

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Konecny is the Hottest Player in the League – The Good and the Bad of Nashville Predators Prospects, The High-scoring Seattle Kraken – Kevin Hayes bounces back and much more.

Scott Cullen — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 15:51:27 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - NOVEMBER 05: Philadelphia Flyers Right Wing Travis Konecny (11) before a face-off during third period National Hockey League action between the Philadelphia Flyers and Ottawa Senators on November 5, 2022, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, Travis Konecny of the Philadelphia Flyers is the hottest player in the league; the good and the bad of Nashville Predators prospects, the high-scoring Seattle Kraken, Kevin Hayes bounces back and much more.

#1 Philadelphia Flyers right winger Travis Konecny is busting out with the best season of his career. He has already tied his career high with 24 goals but has done so in just 36 games. Konecny scored a hat trick in Wednesday’s win over Washington, extending his point streak to 10 games, during which he has piled up 20 points (12 G, 8 A) and 32 shots on goal. For a Flyers team that is starting to show improvement since, especially since the holiday break, Konecny has emerged as a bona fide star.

#2 Nashville has done some remodeling to their forward group on the fly, and it has included calling up Thomas Novak and Juuso Parssinen from the American Hockey League. The two centers are also getting first unit power play time. Novak, 25, had 26 points (11 G, 15 A) in 25 AHL games and has been able to produce for the Preds too. He has eight points (3 G, 5 A) and 25 shots on goal in 12 games for Nashville. Parssinen, 21, was called up sooner. He had a goal and an assist in Thursday’s loss at Montreal and now has seven points (1 G, 6 A) during a five-game point streak.

#3 Nashville’s handling of forward prospects has taken some heat, however, after they lost winger Eeli Tolvanen to Seattle on waivers. Tolvanen, 23, was a first-round pick in 2017. He scored a goal in Thursday’s win at Boston, giving him six points (4 G, 2 A) in seven games since he was grabbed off waivers by Seattle. Tolvanen has 14 shots on goal and 16 hits in those seven games, making an immediate impact in a depth role with the Kraken.

#4 Although he is not used in the role of a prime playmaking center, as might have been anticipated when he joined the Kraken via the expansion draft, Yanni Gourde is contributing. In his past 15 games, Gourde has put up 13 points (3 G, 10 A) and 27 shots on goal, and all of those points have come at even strength. The Kraken have scored 3.63 goals per 60 minutes, which ranks third, behind only the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins.

#5 One more to watch for the Kraken: defenseman Vince Dunn recorded an assist at Boston on Thursday, giving him 30 points (7 G, 23 A) in just 41 games. He is on a tear lately, producing 12 points (3 G, 9 A) and 16 shots on goal in the past eight games. Dunn tied his career high with 35 points last season, but it appears that he is well on his way to a new career high in point production this season.

#6 Although he was a healthy scratch recently, Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes has still been a productive playmaker. In the past five games, Hayes has six points (1 G, 5 A) and 17 shots on goal. The elevated shot rate is relatively new for Hayes. He has a career high 2.78 shots on goal per game, though he is scoring on just 8.8% of his shots, the second lowest shooting percentage of his career.

#7 While there are rumors about the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring a forward to play in their top six, versatile veteran Calle Jarnkrok is making the most of his chance to play up in the lineup. Jarnkrok has 14 points (5 G, 9 A) in his past 15 games, and is skating on the left side with John Tavares and Mitch Marner, a line that is effectively Toronto’s top line while Auston Matthews remains out of the lineup. Jarnkrok, who scored a career high 35 points in 68 games in 2017-2018, has 20 points (9 G, 11 A) in 36 games for the Maple Leafs.

#8 Second year New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer scored a pair of goals in Tuesday’s big comeback win at Carolina, giving him seven points (2 G, 5 A) in the past six games. Consistency has been a little more challenging for Mercer, as this production followed a seven-game drought, during which he had zero points and 14 shots on goal. His role is suspect, too. He is most appealing when he ends up on the wing with emerging superstar Jack Hughes, but Mercer has moved to right wing on the third line, without a regular spot on the Devils power play now that Ondrej Palat has returned from injury.

#9 The Arizona Coyotes have been giving 22-year-old center Barrett Hayton, the fifth pick in the 2018 Draft, ample opportunity to prove that he belongs in the National Hockey League. With little competition in the middle of the ice, Hayton has recently been centering Arizona’s top line, with Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz on the wings. Hayton has produced nine points (4 G, 5 A) with 21 shots on goal in the past eight games, which is taking his game to a new level and might offer some hope for his role in the future.

#10 Scoring the tying goal against Dallas in the final second of regulation on Thursday, New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller has seven points (3 G, 4 A) in the past five games, and has a career high 23 points (5 G, 18 A) in 43 games. The smooth-skating 6-foot-5 blueliner has just two points on the power play, so his 19 even-strength points puts him in a tie with Quinn Hughes, Darnell Nurse, Erik Gustafsson, and Hampus Lindholm for ninth among defensemen. His offensive ceiling is going to remain limited because Adam Fox is going to be the No. 1 power play option for the Rangers, but Miller is improving dramatically in just his third NHL season.

#11 With injuries hitting the St. Louis Blues hard, veteran left winger Brandon Saad has stepped up. Although he was held off the scoresheet in two games against the Calgary Flames, he still has eight points (6 G, 2 A) and 18 shots on goal in the past eight games and is skating on a line with Brayden Schenn and Ivan Barbashev. That is a veteran trio that plays hard and in straight lines.

#12 He is not playing enough to get a standard fantasy recommendation just yet, but Columbus Blue Jackets rookie winger Kirill Marchenko had a hat trick against Carolina last Saturday and has scored nine goals in his first 18 NHL games. Of course, he is still seeking his first assist so there is room for improvement, but the 22-year-old also had 19 points (8 G, 11 A) in 16 AHL games to earn his promotion to Columbus. The Blue Jackets are obviously rebuilding so expect Marchenko and fellow rookie Kent Johnson to see plenty of ice time in the second half of the season.

#13 Injuries in Philadelphia prompted the call-up of 23-year-old goaltender Samuel Ersson from the AHL. He had a .910 save percentage in 18 AHL games, which is solid, but he has delivered a .924 save percentage in his first five NHL games, flashing talent that might make him a legitimate long-term asset for the Flyers. For fantasy purposes, Ersson has little value when Carter Hart is healthy, but is well worth a look in long-term dynasty leagues.

#14 Los Angeles Kings right winger Gabriel Vilardi got off to a great start to the season, staying healthy for once and showing the kind of offensive chops that made him the 11^th pick in the 2017 Draft. He then went through a dry spell, a 17-game span during which he had four points (3 G, 1 A) with three of those points coming on the power play. Vilardi has rebounded, however, and has 11 points (4 G, 7 A) in his past 12 games, making the most of his opportunity to skate on a line with Kevin Fiala and Blake Lizotte, in addition to getting first unit power play time for the Kings.

#15 With No. 1 center Roope Hintz out of the lineup, veteran Tyler Seguin has moved up the depth chart in Dallas to play with Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski on the Stars’ top line. Seguin has a goal and an assist in two games since making the move and is worth adding while Hintz is out. Really, anyone getting a chance to play with Robertson and Pavelski will have some value, and Seguin is the lucky one right now.

#16 The Chicago Blackhawks have placed Patrick Kane on the injured list due to a lower-body injury. While this season has been far from vintage Kane, the Blackhawks will have to find new sources of offense. Rookie Lukas Reichel has displayed some potential with three points (1 G, 2 A) and eight shots on goal in four games since getting called up from the American Hockey League. Taylor Raddysh might have more immediate appeal, as the 24-year-old tallied his 11th goal of the season in Thursday’s win over Colorado.

#17 An injury to Jake Allen could give Montreal Canadiens goaltender Samuel Montembeault some regular starts, at least in the short term. Montembeault has a .902 save percentage in 15 games for the Habs this season, and while that might sound mediocre, he had a .892 save percentage in 63 NHL games prior to this season, so this is progress. Of course, wins are not coming easily in Montreal, but if Montembeault can continue to play at this level, he will solidify his spot in the league.

#18 New York Rangers left winger Chris Kreider is out of the lineup, dealing with an upper-body injury and that has opened the door for Alexis Lafreniere. The 2020 first overall pick was a healthy scratch recently and last scored a goal on December 7, but he played a career-high 21:21 in Thursday’s 2-1 overtime win against Dallas. He also recorded three shots on goal, something he had done just once in his previous 12 games.

#19 It is looking like 38-year-old Florida Panthers center Eric Staal still has some gas left in the tank. Since the beginning of December, Staal has contributed 13 points (6 G, 7 A) and 38 shots on goal in 20 games. He played more than 15 minutes in 13 of those 20 games, a significant role for a guy who did not play in the NHL last season. With Anton Lundell moving up the depth chart to play left wing on Aleksander Barkov’s line, Staal has stepped in to handle the third-line center role for the Panthers.

#20 Since the holiday break, Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers leads in all-situations points per 60 minutes (minimum 50 minutes played), followed by Travis Konecny, Kyle Connor, Filip Forsberg, Lucas Raymond, Matthew Tkachuk, Viktor Arvidsson, Nikita Kucherov, Connor McDavid, and Kevin Fiala. Since returning from injury, Ehlers has changed the dynamic in Winnipeg, which is not unexpected – he is an elite play-driving winger who can create a ton of scoring chances. While most of those players are rostered already, Lucas Raymond and Viktor Arvidsson are more readily available to help your fantasy team.

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

NHL:CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Slow Starters Rounding into Form, Rookies Stepping into Spotlight

Scott Cullen — Sat, 19 Nov 2022 14:03:38 +0000

20 FANTASY POINTS

Each week I dive into the numbers and offer some insights that should help when it comes time to make fantasy hockey decisions.

This week, slow starters that are rounding back into form, including Ryan O’Reilly, Logan Couture, and Tomas Tatar, plus rookies stepping into the spotlight – Jake Sanderson, Jusso Parssinen, Jonatan Berggren and more!

OTTAWA, ON - OCTOBER 22: Ottawa Senators Defenceman Jake Sanderson (85) before a face-off during third period National Hockey League action between the Arizona Coyotes and Ottawa Senators on October 22, 2022, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire)

#1 St. Louis Blues center Ryan O’Reilly is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so if the Blues are not in the playoff picture, he could be a prime trade candidate. After a miserable start to the season, during which he scored one goal and zero assists through 10 games, O’Reilly started to find his game again. Skating on a line with Brandon Saad and Josh Leivo, O’Reilly has seven points (4 G, 3 A) and 13 shots on goal in the past six games. While I don’t normally tout a player of O’Reilly’s caliber, his slow start suddenly made him available in plenty of leagues, so he now offers value on the fantasy waiver wire.

#2 After managing 35 points (17 G, 18 A) in 79 games over the past two seasons, Pittsburgh Penguins left winger Jason Zucker came into this season healthy and ready to regain a scoring role. The 30-year-old winger has put up 14 points (4 G, 10 A) and 39 shots on goal in 15 games, earning a role alongside Evgeni Malkin on Pittsburgh’s second line. A five-time 20-goal scorer, a healthy Zucker offers secondary scoring that the Penguins need if they are going to be a playoff team.

#3 San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture started slowly this season, with four points (2 G, 2 A) and 12 shots on goal in nine games, but he has picked up his production since then. In the past 10 games, Couture has contributed 10 points (6 G, 4 A) and 25 shots on goal. He now has Alexander Barabanov and Matt Nieto skating on his wings, which might limit Couture’s offensive potential, but he is also getting first unit power play time for the Sharks.

#4 An injury to Thomas Chabot has accelerated the development path for Ottawa Senators rookie defenseman Jake Sanderson. The fifth pick in the 2020 Draft, Sanderson has eight assists and 23 shots on goal in the past 12 games. In two games since Chabot was injured, Sanderson is averaging more than 25 minutes of ice time per game and has moved to Ottawa’s top power play unit.

#5 A seventh-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2019, Juuso Parssinen has developed quickly. In the past two seasons, Parssinen produced 74 points (17 G, 57 A) in 96 regular season games, adding 20 points (5 G, 15 A) in 31 playoff games for TPS in Finland. He appeared in the AHL playoffs last season and started this season with nine points (2 G, 7 A) in 10 games for the Milwaukee Admirals to earn his promotion to the NHL. Parssinen is not interested in returning to the AHL, it seems, as the 21-year-old center has three goals and one assist in his first three NHL games. He is not getting eased into the NHL, either, skating on Nashville’s top line, with Filip Forsberg and Mikael Granlund on the wings, as well as landing a spot on the Predators’ top power play unit.

#6 Drafted early in the second round of the 2018 Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Jonatan Berggren had been steadily progressing towards the NHL. He put up 45 points (12 G, 33 A) in 49 games for Skelleftea in Sweden during the 2020-2021 season and had 64 points (21 G, 43 A) as an AHL rookie last season. After starting this season with seven points (4 G, 3 A) in seven games, Berggren earned his call to the National Hockey League, and he has contributed three points (1 G, 2 A) in his first four games. Berggren does not have a huge role with the Wings, yet, but he has recently moved up the depth chart to skate with Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond, potentially a good opportunity for a rookie winger to put up some points.

#7 With Patrik Laine out of the Columbus Blue Jackets lineup due to a sprained ankle, Emil Bemstrom has stepped into Laine’s role on the first line and top power play unit. A fourth-round pick in 2017, Bemstrom had 19 goals and 17 assists in 136 career NHL games prior to this season. He has been renowned for his shot but does not have the all-around game to earn him a consistent place in the lineup. When injuries hit the Blue Jackets, though, Bemstrom’s 14 points (7 G, 7 A) in 10 AHL games had him ready for a call-up and, at least in the short term, he is in a position to score. He is apparently dealing with an injury, that left him questionable for Thursday’s win against Montreal, but opportunity is knocking for Bemstrom if he can stay in the lineup.

#8 Both Nikolaj Ehlers and Mason Appleton are injured for the Winnipeg Jets, so veteran Sam Gagner has moved up the depth chart to join Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele on the top line. Gagner has mostly been playing a depth role but has a couple of assists while averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game in the past two contests.

#9 Moving to Seattle in the expansion draft, defenseman Vince Dunn has taken on a bigger role in his second season with the Kraken. He is playing more than 23 minutes per game and has picked up his offensive pace with eight points (2 G, 6 A) and 19 shots on goal in the past 11 games. Dunn tied a career high with 35 points last season, but he is capable of scoring more and with the Kraken improving as a team, there ought to be more chances for Dunn to boost his point totals.

#10 New Jersey Devils winger Tomas Tatar opened the season with zero points in five games. He has put up 11 points (3 G, 8 A) and 25 shots on goal in 12 games since. With Ondrej Palat injured, Tatar has more security in New Jersey’s top six and, right now, has a good thing going alongside Nico Hischier and rookie Fabian Zetterlund.

#11 Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin busted out last season, scoring a career high 48 points (10 G, 38 A). He followed that up by not recording a point through his first eight games this season, but that has turned around. Not only does Hanifin have five points (1 G, 4 A) in the past seven games, but he has put 24 shots on goal and defensemen that can put more than three shots on goal per game are rare commodities. Hanifin is one of 13 defensemen averaging at least three shots on goal per game this season.

#12 Buffalo Sabres goaltender Eric Comrie is set to miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury, prompting the Sabres to recall 23-year-old goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen from Rochester of the American Hockey League. Luukkonen has a .895 save percentage in 69 career AHL games, which does not exactly jump off the page, but he also has a .913 save percentage in 13 NHL appearances. With Comrie out, the Sabres can split time between veteran Craig Anderson and Luukkonen, a decent audition to see how close he is to being ready for the NHL. Comrie had a .887 save percentage in 11 games for the Sabres, not an ideal beginning to his opportunity to be a starting goaltender.

#13 Minnesota Wild netminder Marc-Andre Fleury on the injured list due to an upper-body injury, backup Filip Gustavsson is looking at more consistent playing time for the Wild. The 24-year-old Gustavsson, who was acquired in a trade for Cam Talbot before the start of the season, has a .901 save percentage in six games this season, .904 in 33 career NHL games.

#14 The Philadelphia Flyers are dealing with a number of injuries up front and that has helped create an opportunity for 23-year-old right winger Owen Tippett to play a prominent role. Tippett is not afraid to put pucks on net and in his past six games, he has produced five points (2 G, 3 A) and 19 shots on goal, while averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time per game. A highly touted scorer coming out of junior, it never really clicked for Tippett in Florida, but the rebuilding Flyers can offer a better situation for his development and Tippett is making the most of it.

#15 Adam Ruzicka did not play in October, a healthy scratch for the Calgary Flames, and then played just 5:33 in his first game of the season. An injury to Jonathan Huberdeau opened up an opportunity for Ruzicka to play and he has made the most of it, taking the left-wing spot on the top line for the Flames. In the past five games, Ruzicka has chipped in five points (2 G, 3 A) and nine shots on goal. He is always at risk of falling out of the lineup but keep an eye on him. If he continues to produce, Ruzicka might just force his way into being a regular in the Flames lineup.

#16 Injuries have decimated the blueline for the Columbus Blue Jackets and that prompted the team to promote 24-year-old Marcus Bjork. A 6-foot-3 right shot defenseman Bjork had five points (2 G, 3 A) in 11 AHL games when he got the call. He has two points (1 G, 1 A) and five shots on goal in his first three NHL games, and he is now quarterbacking Columbus’ top power play unit.

#17 One of the stats to track when trying to predict future goal-scoring rates is how many shot attempts a player is getting. The forward leaders in five-on-five shot attempts per 60 minutes, minimum 100 minutes, are Tage Thompson (24.7), Timo Meier (23.9), David Pastrnak (23.2), Auston Matthews (21.5), and the recently injured Evander Kane (20.8). Just outside the Top 5? Denis Malgin (20.8) and Nazem Kadri (20.8). There might have been some sentiment coming into the season that Thompson was going to be a flop after his breakout season in 2021-2022, but if he is generating this many shots, the goals are going to follow. Thompson has 11 goals and 53 shots on goal in the past 10 games.

#18 When it comes to defensemen, the leaders in five-on-five shot attempts per 60 minutes are Brent Burns (21.1), Michael Stone (20.8), John Carlson (19.9), Dougie Hamilton (19.7), and Roman Josi (17.5). Stone is known for his heavy shot from the point, but he does not have quite the same offensive pedigree as the other leaders in this category.

#19 As for the defensemen that are shooting most on the power play, here are the defense leaders in shot attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-four play, minimum of 20 minutes at five-on-four: Aaron Ekblad (38.5), Miro Heiskanen (35.8), Noah Dobson (34.7), Jacob Trouba (32.0), and John Klingberg (31.9).

The defensemen that are most reluctant to shoot on the power play, or just not getting the opportunities, minimum 20 minutes of five-on-four play: Chris Wideman (7.0), Juuso Valimaki (7.5), Rasmus Sandin (8.0), Owen Power (8.3), and Mikhail Sergachev (8.4).

#20 The players that have exceeded expected goals by the widest margin early in the season (and are likely due to run into some goal-scoring regression): Erik Karlsson (+8.05), Nick Suzuki (+7.39), Connor McDavid (7.33), Bo Horvat (6.26), Mark Scheifele (5.64), and J.T. Miller (5.61).

On other end of the spectrum, these are the players with the largest deficit of goals relative to expected goals (and are probably due for more pucks to go in the net): Mathew Barzal (-5.49), Matthew Tkachuk (-5.26), Erik Haula (-4.81), Oliver Bjorkstrand (-4.41), Sam Reinhart (-3.73), and Stefan Noesen (-3.72).

*Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick.

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 18 Sep 2022 19:22:52 +0000

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - DECEMBER 26: Finland's Joakim Kemell #37 skates with the puck while Germany's Florian Elias #7 defends during preliminary round action at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship at Rogers Place on December 26, 2021 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andrea Cardin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

1 - Yaroslav Askarov G

A huge amount of the natural goaltending talent in Yaroslav Askarov is clearly still there and that is good news for Predators fans. Another bit of good news for them is that he has recently signed his NHL entry-level contract. Unfortunately, here is where the good news ends, as we have to face the fact that Askarov’s performance since being drafted with the 11th pick in 2020 has been subpar at best. He has been very inconsistent, frequently mixing good games with really bad ones, has been notably playing without confidence, not to mention that his stick usage has become a punchline. One of the biggest factors in his slide has been the way his KHL team has shuffled him between different levels of Russian hockey; all the while his callups to the Russian U20 team were an additional interruption. None of this could have been easy to the netminder psyche, but it is not enough to excuse his disappointing play. Now safely within the Nashville organization, we can expect him to receive an abundance of ice time in the AHL, and a steadier developmental track as well, although the psychological component of his game may be trickier to fix. He is still more than young enough to expect a good chunk of the elite talent he displayed in his pre-draft performances to remain, but Nashville is staring down more question marks with Askarov than they would have reasonably thought possible when they drafted him two short years ago. - VF

2 - Joakim Kemell RW

It’s been quite a year for Nashville’s 2022 1^st first rounder. Things began with a boom scoring five goals in five Hlinka Gretzky Cup games which was followed by an explosion out of the gates in Liiga play. By the 16-game mark of the season, Kemell lead the league in goals with 12 (and 18 points). Alas, a shoulder injury in November led to lost time and contributed to a statistical lull upon is return, including a 14-game scoring drought. A late season resurgence was followed by a strong U18s with 6 G, 2 A for the bronze medalists. While his production had many thinking he would be selected in the top 10, the Predators were overjoyed to get him 17^th. Kemell’s ability to score has only been fortified since draft day, as he put up a remarkable 4 G, 8 A run at the 2022 summer WJC, finishing the tournament second overall in scoring, coming home with a silver medal for his efforts. Slick, burly, opportunistic, and constantly finding ways to display his offensive prowess, he is already signed to an ELC, with the plan for the upcoming season being to loan him back out to JYP in Finnish Liiga. For a franchise that has often found itself starving for more offense up front, the front office can’t be blamed for feeling Kemell could one day make the same organizational impact as current top-scorer Filip Forsberg. - CL

3 - Luke Evangelista RW

The 42nd overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, Luke Evangelista is coming off of a breakout year and will look to stay hot going back to the AHL. The former 14th overall selection in the 2018 OHL Draft didn’t have the most successful rookie season, finishing with only two points (2A) in 27 games. During the 2019-2020 season, Evangelista took a big step forward and produced 61 points (23G,38A) in 62 games. In the 2020-2021 season, Evangelista got the opportunity like some others to play in the AHL, which was an exception made because of the OHL being shutdown. During his time in the AHL, Evangelista finished with four points (4A) in 14 games. During the 2021-2022 season, Evangelista made the return to the OHL and came back very hot, having a breakout year and producing 111 points (55G,56A) in 62 games, which was 4th in the league for points, 1st in the league for goals, 8th in the league for assists, and 1st on the team in all categories. Evangelista’s best assets are his hockey sense and playmaking. He’s so smart in all three zones, reading and anticipating plays and being able to consistently have great positioning. He understands the how to manipulate defenders with deception, making him a threat with the puck, especially one-on-one, or in open space. He’s able to find teammates through traffic with ease and is able to make plays when in-tight and when under pressure, having great poise with the puck. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Evangelista will make his return to the AHL and look to bring his confidence from last year with him. - DK

4 - Fyodor Svechkov C

Fedor Svechkov, selected No. 19 in the 2021 draft by the Nashville Predators, is showing well at the KHL level this pre-season after performing strongly in the VHL (men’s second league) last season. He was traded from SKA to Spartak after the 2021-22 season, becoming part of a big deal that included other talented players. This will absolutely increase his playing time and therefore the quickness of his progression. Svechkov is a talented forward with great promise on offense, and a highly efficient work ethic in the defensive zone. He has a great understanding of the game and vision on the ice. He constantly creates opportunities for his teammates with his accurate and intelligent passing. He's got terrific long arms, can make great passes and shots, but also very effective at recovering the puck in pursuit. Another thing that makes Svechkov dangerous is that he is a fairly quick skater who is also balanced and sturdy, allowing him to play through contact. He projects as a future middle six forward. Svechkov's contract in Russia expires after the 2022-23 season. He could play in the NHL right after that if he continues his development and consistent play. - DB

5 - Zachary L'Heureux LW

“Chaotic” is a good word to describe L’Heureux’s previous season with the Halifax Mooseheads. What made him the 27^th overall pick by the Nashville Predators at the 2021 NHL Draft is his overwhelming physicality. He always gets under the opponents' skin and sometimes his lack of discipline can hurt his team. Zach had a lot of suspensions this season and considering his prominent role on the Mooseheads, that really hurt Halifax. However, L’Heureux is still a very impactful player that knows how to produce by getting to the greasy areas of the ice and by using smart passing skills. When he gets to his top speed (despite some minor deficiencies in his skating), he can really get going. Skilled and tenacious, there is still a projection that sees him become a quality middle six player for Nashville, or at the very least, a strong bottom six player who can bring consistent energy. L’Heureux will return to Halifax again this season and expectations are quite high for him. He needs to take that next step as a skilled producer and become one of the scoring leaders in the QMJHL, all while avoiding suspension and staying out of the box. - EB

6 - Yegor Afanasyev RW

After spending the pandemic bouncing around various Russian leagues (including 16 games in the KHL), Afanasyev made his North American pro debut with Milwaukee last year playing a middle six role. The Admirals had a veteran-laden roster, which pushed him down the depth chart a bit, but he did the best with his ice time and finished third on the team in shots on goal. The big power winger can be a highly dangerous goal scorer with his heavy shot and his soft hands in tight. He also can bring an element of physicality, striving to drive the net, using his surprising explosiveness to play through contact. Coming out of the OHL, there were concerns about his two-way play and overall effectiveness away from the puck, but these two areas apparently took nice strides forward in the AHL last year. It is critical that Afanasyev learn to use his size and speed to help track down pucks and for him to earn consistent puck touches. The other areas of concern are shot selection and overall decision making in the offensive end. As such, the Predators are likely to send Afanasyev back to the AHL for another season so that he can figure prominently in their offense and work to round out his offensive profile. He has the potential to be a consistent 30 goal scorer in the NHL and may not be far off from reaching that. - BO

7 - Semyon Chistyakov D

Semyon Chistyakov is a very interesting case, as he is an undersized defenseman, yet he loves to play physically and aggressively, while seemingly having enough strength to pull it off. Aside from that he looks mobile both with and without the puck, reliable and has a very strong shot from the blue line. Positive accolades aside, it has to be noted that during the last two KHL seasons he wasn’t able to convince his coach that was ready for fulltime KHL duties. Now with a new coach, Chistyakov should have more opportunities, although he is starting at a deficit with an injury keeping him out at least through the KHL preseason. Regardless of role, getting a full-time roster spot is the goal here, especially bearing in mind that this is the final year of his KHL contract. While doubtful that Chistyakov would be ready for the NHL after this season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he will choses to join the Predators organization and spend some time in the AHL in short order. It is still not easy for the smaller blueliner to make the NHL, but Chistyakov may just be the rare one who what it takes. - VF

8 - Adam Ingram C

Adam Ingram parlayed a solid rookie USHL season into a third-round selection by the Nashville Predators at the 2022 draft, going 82nd overall. Ingram scored at just above a point-per-game rate for the Youngstown Phantoms, routinely impressing with his skill and shooting ability. Standing at six-foot-two, Ingram has some filling out to do, but that didn’t stop him from finding success in the USHL. Right now, Ingram’s best tool is his shot. He scored 26 goals for the Phantoms last season and should be a goal scoring threat next season at St. Cloud State. Ingram’s offensive game isn’t limited to his work as a shooter, though, and he has flashed upside as a playmaker. Like many goal scorers, Ingram can be a bit streaky, and he’ll need to improve his consistency in order to reach the heights he’s capable of reaching in college. Ingram’s play away from the puck wasn’t outright bad, but he didn’t show enough consistent engagement in the defensive game for me to confidently project him as a center as a pro. Additionally, Ingram’s skating is in a similar boat. It’s not bad by any means, but he lacks the quickness to project as a separator in the pro ranks. If Ingram can fill out his frame and add a more physical dimension to his game, that would do wonders to round out his pro projection and add a higher floor to his profile. If he can become more of a consistent two-way player than he showed in the USHL, he could be a solid secondary goal scorer who makes his presence felt on both ends of the ice. But in order to get there, he’ll have some growth to do at the collegiate level. - EH

9 - Kasper Kulonummi D

A defensive prospect of decent size and unassuming three-zone efficacy quietly doing just about everything right is always a fit for the Nashville Predators. That was the case with Kulonummi, who heard his name called 84^th overall this summer. The right shooting defender plays a game with a very low rate of error, covering all angles and generally refraining from taking unnecessary risks. His safe and effective play rarely results in unnecessary giveaways. His game is about minimizing mistakes and minimizing the opponent’s puck possession. Overall, Kulonummi features a package of skating, stickhandling, passing, and hockey sense that makes him very projectable as a future bottom four, defensively oriented NHL defender who can still excel on the breakout, a trait that seems to be more and more common among modern Finnish defensemen. Still slight of frame, the careful blueliner put up 29 points in 42 U20 league games with the Jokerit program but proved offensively adept in international play collecting 11 assists in 11 combined U18 Worlds and Hlinka Gretzky Cup games. He also got into three games of pro Mestis play last season, seeing little ice time, but has signed on with Tappara of Liiga for the upcoming season to continue his development. Having proven capable of logging plenty of ice time in U20 play and very economical in how he exerts his effort, Nashville can afford to take a wait-and-see approach, especially in light of how packed their system is with defensive prospects. – CL

10 - Alexander Campbell LW

Alexander Campbell was a third-round pick of the Predators back at the 2019 draft, getting chosen just outside of the second round at #65 overall. Campbell was coming off of a productive, above point-per-game season in the BCHL. Campbell had a repeat performance with the Omaha Lancers the very next year in the USHL, scoring 57 points in 46 games before beginning his collegiate career with Clarkson University. At Clarkson, Campbell’s first year showcased his upside, but wasn’t perfect. The playmaking was there, but Campbell struggled with his perimeter-oriented offensive style and scored just four goals in 22 games. This past season, Campbell showed he made the right adjustments to his style and proved that he was more than just a perimeter playmaker. He played with more fearlessness and showed more of a killer instinct that goal scorers need. He utilized the inside of the ice more often and was rewarded, smashing past his four-goal mark from year one to score 16 goals in year two. Standing at five-foot-ten, 160 pounds, Campbell’s NHL projection is challenging. He’s a talented scorer who plays with pace and a high work ethic, but he lacks the type of standout offensive tools that carry most scorers. While he could have value at the lower end of a lineup and his defensive game last season was certainly improved, he doesn’t profile as a specialist role player in the NHL. If he can continue to score in college, a long career as an AHL scorer who can help in the NHL in bursts is Campbell’s most likely long-term projection, although he has an outside shot to be a depth scorer in the NHL. - EH

11 - Juuso Parssinen

The big forward has a very versatile game, which has allowed him to be a strong scorer at the Liiga level the last two seasons. Skating isn’t a strength, but he can find his way to the net and is strong away from the puck. After finishing last year with Milwaukee of the AHL, he will spend the full season there this year.

12 - Jachym Kondelik

After four strong seasons at UConn, Kondelik is finally turning pro this upcoming season. All eyes will be on the big center to see how he handles the pace of the pro game. The talented playmaker is tough to separate from the puck but skating is not a strength.

13 - Ryan Ufko

Talk about making an immediate impact. The undersized defender was one of top scoring freshmen in the NCAA last season with UMass, even as a blueliner. His skill as a powerplay quarterback is impressive and now the focus turns to improving play in the defensive end.

14 - Luke Prokop

The big defender had a terrific final year in the WHL last season, helping Edmonton capture a WHL title. His strength in the defensive zone was instrumental during the Oil Kings’ playoff run. The 6’4 blueliner is also an incredible leader for the LGBTQ+ community and was a very worthy recipient of the CHL’s humanitarian of the year award.

15 - Marc Del Gaizo

The former UMass defender has a bit of a murky projection as an NHL defender, but he does have intriguing skills at both ends. The key for him will be the continued progression of his on puck play at the pro level.

16 - Connor Ingram

It was great to see Ingram work his way back to prospect relevance again after some dark times that saw him enter the league’s player assistance program. He will compete with Kevin Lankinen for playing time behind Juuse Saros this season.

17 - Spencer Stastney

Stastney saved his best for last, starring as a senior at Notre Dame last year. This earned him an ELC with Nashville and the undersized, puck moving defender will start his pro career with Milwaukee this coming year.

18 - Gunnarwolfe Fontaine

A late bloomer, Fontaine is a tenacious offensive forward who loves to play at a blistering pace. The results at Northeastern have been lukewarm so far, but he could be in for a big junior season this year.

19 - Jack Matier

The Predators have to be happy with the progression that Matier showed last year in the OHL with Ottawa. He’s not shy to throw his weight around in the defensive end and his offensive game still shows potential.

20 - Graham Sward

The massive improvement he showed in the WHL last year earned Sward a selection by Nashville at this year’s draft. Already a strong defensive presence, his confidence with the puck and ability to create offense from the backend was much improved. He could be one of the WHL’s top defenders this year.

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: NASHVILLE PREDATORS – RANK: #18 – TIER III

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:22:23 +0000

Nashville Predators

#18 Nashville - Long known for the development of top defensive prospects, the Nashville system is now very forward heavy after their top prospect - one of the top goalie prospects on the planet. Only two of their top ten now are blueliners.

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 27: RussiaÕs Yaroslav Askarov #1 stretches across in attempt to make the save during semifinal round action against USA at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 27, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Yaroslav Askarov

Askarov is frequently named as the most talented Russian goalie since Andrei Vasilevskiy and it is not being said without cause. He has great size, mobility, reflexes and actually pretty much every talent you want a young goalie to have. With that in mind, his most recent season was only average, playing across several Russian leagues and underwhelming at the World Juniors. Askarov still needs to polish his technique, becoming calmer in the net, which is hard to achieve with all these huge expectations pressing hard on him.

Being logjammed in his KHL team's goalie pipeline also doesn't help his confidence and unfortunately it does not look like things will get any better this coming season, as, unless something unexpected happens, he will probably continue to split time across different leagues. That is why Askarov will likely decide to sign with the Predators after this season. He needs to change his environment and playing as an AHL starter might get him on the right track. He certainly has the potential to be a perennial all-star at the goaltending position. - VF

Philip Tomasino

What a season it was for the 24th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Tomasino started last year by being a key member of the Canadian team that won silver at the World Junior Championships. Following the tournament, Tomasino went to Chicago of the AHL and was an immediate impact player, finishing the season at over a point per game and was named to the All-Rookie team.

An electric and dynamic play creator because of his quickness and high skill level, Tomasino excels because of a well-rounded offensive skill set. He evades checks in the offensive end by anticipating gaps in coverage, slipping behind defenders to establish himself as a scoring threat. Additionally, his skill and vision make him a lethal threat with the puck who can consistently drive time of possession in the offensive zone. Given his progression since being drafted, Tomasino is on the right track to become an offensive star for the Predators. After moving Arvidsson, losing Jarnkrok to Seattle, and losing Haula to free agency, Tomasino stands an excellent chance to become an NHL player as early as this coming season. Look for him and the newly acquired Cody Glass to establish themselves as top nine forwards in Smashville. - BO

Fyodor Svechkov

Svechkov’s game is all about versatility. He possesses a strong two-way game that can perform down the middle or on the wing (although we think he can be brought along as a center until he proves otherwise). He is an excellent skater, with certain deficiencies in that area that should be improvable with time and physical growth. He excels in puck protection and can dominate down low in the cycle. He puts in the effort to be a 200-foot player, working to try to regain the puck for his team instead of floating high in the zone and waiting for a teammate to force a turnover. It is likely that the Predators came away extremely impressed with his performance for Russia at the World Under 18’s.

With two years to go on his Russian contract, he will have time to take his game to that next level in a sustainable, consistent fashion. Playing in the KHL for the first time this season for SKA St. Petersburg, it will be about earning ice time and learning to play against men. In the second year of that KHL deal, he should become more comfortable offensively. At the end of his development curve, we will be looking at a potential top six NHL center, or at the very least, a really strong number three. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Zachary L’Heureux

Is getting compared to the likes of Tom Wilson and Nazem Kadri a good thing? That is what NHL scouts had to determine as they pondered over the selection of Halifax Mooseheads forward Zachary L’Heureux. An extremely talented player, L’Heureux was suspended four different times this season in the QMJHL for unsportsmanlike conduct and various other infractions. He is at his best when he can play on the edge, however restraint is something that he will definitely need to learn if he wants to have a lengthy NHL career.

The reality is...there just are not many players like L’Heureux anymore; players who can blend skill with toughness and tenacity. L’Heureux works with one of the strongest motors in the draft class. He is a joy to watch as his feet are always moving, and he is always buzzing around the puck. He plays aggressively in all zones, going for the hit when he can to jostle the puck loose anywhere on the ice. He is a tireless forechecker, attacking strongly as the first or second forward and applying intense pressure on the opposing defenders. Does his intense physical nature cause him to cross the line at times? Yes. However, his blend of skill and power could be a real asset to an NHL team if he can make better decisions and play more disciplined. His passing precision in transition can, at times, be sloppy, leading to turnovers. This may point to some limitations to his skill application at full speed. However, he will likely see two more seasons in the QMJHL before attempting to transition to the NHL with the Predators. Lots of time for his game to mature. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Egor Afanasyev

Initially Afanasyev was expected to play in the OHL last season, but with the season getting canceled, he used the opportunity to spend that time in Russia. Afanasyev's KHL loan was in some way unexpected even for his KHL team (CSKA Moscow), as it happened because they were asked by the Russian Hockey Federation to give him some game practice opportunities ahead of the World Juniors. While it was clear that CSKA weren't counting on him too much, Afanasyev was able to get some sporadic KHL opportunities and didn't look out of place at that level. His raw tools were certainly visible such as his skating power, ability to use his size as well as his great shot and willingness to use it. Additionally, the main goal for the season was achieved, as he made it to the U20 Team Russia World Juniors squad and was noticeable there too.

It is likely a much simpler situation for Afanasyev going into the next season, as hopefully the AHL season won't be delayed this time. There he will have to continue developing, working to become a more complete player before making the jump to the NHL. Likely still a few years away, Afanasyev projects as a top six goal scoring forward for the Predators. - VF

Rem Pitlick

While it might take a trade of one (or both!) of Matt Duchene or Ryan Johansen to open up an NHL spot down the middle in Nashville, an 11-game stint last season with the Predators at least proved that he could play without embarrassing himself or his teammates. Both of his NHL assists came in the same game against eventual Cup champion Tampa Bay. The tools have always been very exciting, starting with blazing skating speed and a very hard and accurate wrist shot. Both helped him score 20 goals as an AHL rookie in 2019-20, and then contribute one goal per game in a briefer AHL stint last year.

Given his age (24), it makes sense that the Predators preferred him on their taxi squad to younger, greener prospects, especially as their AHL club in Milwaukee was shuttered for the season. Pitlick has less additional growth to go through than the likes of Tomasino. Which leads to the next question, which is, what is he if his current state of play is the final product? The answer is likely an NHL’er, although perhaps not as a center. Even if Nashville jettisons Duchene and/or Johansen, the club is deep down the middle. Pitlick’s lack of strength on faceoffs suggests that center might not be his best path to an NHL career anyway. If Nashville is willing to play him on the wing, whichever side, where they are quite shallow, he could begin to establish himself this year. - RW

David Farrance

A fantastic skater with amazing offensive instincts for a blueliner, Farrance is a very exciting prospect, but not one without warts to his game. Drafted in the third round out of the USNTDP, where he was generally overshadowed by a pre-draft Quinn Hughes, his main problem was that everything that Farrance did well, Hughes just did better. He then needed a year at Boston University to acclimatize to the new level, and he has been on an upward trajectory ever since. Check out his point-per-game rates during his four-year collegiate career: 0.29, 0.54, 1.26, 1.45. That last mark came in a season limited to 11 games due to the pandemic, but his dominance was so pervasive, that he still garnered a nod as a Hobey Baker finalist given to the best player in college hockey each year.

It should be clear by now what Farrance does well. Let’s touch on the warts. He has grown since his time with the USNTDP, but despite now carrying an average-sized frame, he can be a bit soft to play against. With the puck, for all of his obvious skills, he is liable to forget about his teammates and play the puck for himself. Expected to spend this year in the AHL, he will have to re-adjust to not being the clear focal point of every attack and playing the team game once again. That includes avoiding forcing plays and getting comfortable making the safe move instead. IF he figures those things out, he has second pairing upside. - RW

Luke Evangelista

After a breakout draft year with the London Knights, the Predators made Evangelista an early second round selection in 2020. Due to the OHL hiatus, Evangelista was able to play for a very deep Chicago team last season, playing more of a bottom six depth role as he acclimated to the faster pro game.

Evangelista was hoping to use last year in the OHL as an opportunity to prove that he could be a primary play driver and that he possessed the kind of puck skill and creativity to be a future top six forward at the NHL level. Drafted as more of a complementary player due to his role on a deep London team, the true potential of Evangelista remains a bit of a mystery. Playing a depth role in Chicago certainly did not help to clarify that. Instead, Evangelista will return to London this coming season and lead another strong Knights team. In an OHL year with a lot of uncertainty (given the previous hiatus), Evangelista serves as a likely candidate to be among the league’s leading scorers. It is then that Nashville should get more clarity as to whether Evangelista has the skill to be a top six forward in the future, or whether he projects as more of the complementary middle six type that they drafted him as. - BO

Juuso Parssinen

An alternate captain with Liiga side TPS while still a teenager, Parssinen was a steal of a seventh rounder before he even signed his first contract with Nashville, which he did this May. It is still a bit of a mystery as to why he was available in the seventh round in 2019. He had great size even then, and while he has never been a great skater, he moved well enough for his size. Perhaps there were concerns that he played soft. Sure, he is not a traditional power forward, despite his size, but as has been the case with other aspects of his game, this has shown improvement over the past couple years. At this stage, he looks like a skilled playmaking center, who can also play on the wing, with hands quicker than his feet, although he is a notably better skater today than he was two years ago.

The top scoring teenager in Liiga last year, Parssinen will spend one more year there, on loan, before embarking on the North American phase of his career. Considering what he has already shown repeatedly in Finland, as well as internationally – especially at the WJC, although that wasn’t his first big tournament in the national colors – he has top nine upside, especially if his recent skating gains hold up once he crosses the water. - RW

Marc Del Gaizo

Marc Del Gaizo is one of many amateur (or in his case, a recent former amateur) defenders who would be considered far higher if only he wasn’t so small. Drafted in his second year of eligibility out of the USHL, he was lauded for his mobility and commanding presence from the point. At the time, he also played with enough jam to almost, but not quite, make you overlook his slight frame. In his first collegiate campaign, he put up remarkable numbers, or they would have been remarkable if his contributions were not completely obscured by the All-World presence of Cale Makar on the same blueline. In his second season, with Makar having turned pro, Del Gaizo’s numbers sank, and this time were outshone by Rangers’ prospect Zac Jones.

Finally last year, Del Gaizo’s numbers regressed even more, surpassed by Jones as well as St. Louis draft pick Matthew Kessel, but this time no one cares, as UMass’ blueline-led group took home the school’s first ever NCAA championship. Despite his slumping production numbers, Del Gaizo played workhorse minutes, contributing in every situation for the champs, and also got off to a quick professional start in a late-season nine-game cameo in the AHL. Nashville will have no need to rush his progression, and we will know more about his ceiling after a full season in the AHL anyway, considering the changes to his style during his time with the Minutemen. - RW

Semyon Chistyakov

The mobile and steady blueliner won a KHL championship in his first full season with Omsk. He recently re-upped with Omsk for two more seasons, but at the conclusion of that contract, he may be ready to make an immediate jump to the NHL if his development continues to trend upwards.

Tanner Jeannot

The road for the former Moose Jaw Warriors standout has been long and winding. However, the gritty power forward was a standout in the AHL and the NHL this past season, forcing the Predators to protect him from Seattle in the expansion draft. He will look to solidify his NHL role this season, proving that he is more than just a flash in the pan.

Jachym Kondelik

A massive power center, the Czech native will return to the University of Connecticut for his senior season this year. A beast down low, Kondelik can control and drive time of possession. However, he must continue to get quicker.

Ryan Ufko

A breakout star with the Chicago Steel this past season, Ufko is a terrific puck mover and powerplay QB because of his quickness and vision. A fourth-round selection by Nashville this year, he will start his NCAA career this season with UMass.

Jeremy Davies

A former standout at Northeastern, Davies has continued to perform well as a pro the last two seasons. Last year was split between Chicago (AHL) and Nashville and this year, the puck mover will look to secure a full-time role with the Predators. However, he will need to beat out a few veterans to do so.

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP – FINLAND: Well Balanced Team with Medal Aspirations

Marco Bombino — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 15:28:16 +0000

Team Outlook

Finland has a team with all the elements to achieve a very good result at the World Juniors. Their defense is versatile with different types of players, they have enough offensive firepower to compete against the toughest opponents, and goaltending shouldn't be an issue either.

Joel Blomqvist is the favorite for the starter's role in net. The Pittsburgh Penguins second round pick has split this season between Finland’s top two leagues, the Liiga and Mestis. He is a technically sound netminder who displays a calm demeanour. A very good skater, he moves quickly post to post and across the crease. His rebound control is also an asset.

The other two goalies are Kari Piiroinen and Roope Taponen, both of whom have spent the season in Mestis. Piiroinen, who played against Kazakhstan at the 2020 World Juniors, has improved steadily over the course of the season. Taponen has posted very good numbers, albeit behind a strong defense. He is a consistent goalie with athleticism and quick reactions.

On defense, I would expect Ville Heinola and Topi Niemela to form the first pairing, just like at the national team camp in July. They were really good in the two intrasquad games. Both should get a lot of power play time at the World Juniors. In that July event, I also thought that Santeri Hatakka and Eemil Viro played very well on the same pairing. Viro particularly stood out due to his physicality and puck moving abilities.

Additionally, I would not be surprised if Kasper Puutio ends up being a top four defenseman on the Finnish squad. The Florida Panthers prospect has the good mobility and versatility to play in any situation. He makes accurate outlet passes, facilitates zone exits, and shows a smart head for the game.

Mikko Kokkonen, Ruben Rafkin and Matias Rajaniemi complete the defense. I think they are more defensive minded than the other five defensemen discussed above. All three should be able to handle their defensive responsibilities. Rafkin, who surprisingly went undrafted this year, has played quite well for TPS in the Liiga. He likely won't have a very big role on the Finnish team, but he is available to take part in the 2022 World Juniors as well.

At forward, there are a lot of interesting players, yet not much previous World Juniors experience. Aku Raty is the only returning forward, with Antti Saarela being sidelined due to injury and Patrik Puistola and Aatu Raty surprisingly left off the roster.

There are a lot of options at center. Captain Anton Lundell, who played in the 2019 WJC but missed last year’s tournament due to an untimely injury, will likely center the first line. Juuso Parssinen, Samuel Helenius, Roni Hirvonen and Henri Nikkanen have also been playing center this season, but one of them will have to move to the wing for the tournament. My bet would be Hirvonen, as he has played the majority of the 2019-20 season on the wing.

On the wing, Roby Jarventie, Kasper Simontaival and Aku Raty are the ones with the best offensive abilities. That being said, Mikael Pyyhtia could surprise some people due to his versatility. Undrafted Petteri Puhakka has speed, skill and could be effective in middle-six role. Boston Bruins prospect Matias Mantykivi is a very skilled player and has smarts but lacks in skating speed. Mikko Petman is a very physical player with a heavy shot and brings sandpaper and grit to the team.

The Finnish team, coached by Antti Pennanen, will play in Group A which also includes Canada, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland. Canada is the clear-cut favorite to win the group, that goes without saying. The Finns shouldn't underestimate the other three opponents either. Germany has some very talented, high-end forwards, Switzerland usually has a speedy and very hard-working team, and the Slovaks have a better team than last year on paper. The Finns do have a great opportunity to finish at least second in the group which would put them in a good position for the quarterfinals.

Ville Heinola, Aku Räty of Finland during the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship game between Finland and Slovakia on December 28, 2019 in Trinec.
Photo: Simon Hastegård / BILDBYRÅN

Players to Watch (in no particular order)

Ville Heinola

Heinola is a poised and skilled defenseman who excels on the power play. He processes the game quickly, he is an excellent problem solver and reads the game really well. He is calm with the puck and has the patience to look for a good passing lane – he moves the puck in a timely manner. He can deceive opponents with head fakes and subtle moves. He is not a high-end skater or the most dynamic player, but he is smart, cunning and makes a lot of plays. He keeps tight gaps and defends well with his stick. The Winnipeg Jets prospect is the lone player on the Finnish team with NHL experience, having played in eight games for the Jets in 2019. After a strong start to the 2019-20 season and a short stint in the AHL, he returned to Lukko in Finland, and didn't live up to the expectations in the second half. But he has been excellent this season, racking up assists and playing with greater consistency than ever.

Topi Niemela

Niemela is a mobile offensive defenseman who shows impressive maturity for his age. He is smooth with the puck and can start the play up the ice by carrying it or giving crisp, accurate passes to the forwards. His skating is high end. He has a quick first step, strong balance and he moves well laterally. He is eager to shoot and gets shots past the first defender regularly. His shot isn't a cannon, but he can pick his spots well. Defensively, he keeps tight gaps and actively uses his stick to break up plays. He plays with his head on a swivel and shows awareness of his surroundings. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has great tools and as he improves his physicality in the coming years and gains more experience at the pro level, we will see an even more complete player. As for the World Juniors, it wouldn't surprise me if he already were the top Finnish defenseman.

Roni Hirvonen

Hirvonen has been very good offensively in the Liiga this season. The Assat center is dangerous with the puck and creates a lot of trouble for defensemen. He is creative and crafty, has quick hands, and the ability to stickhandle in small spaces. He can dangle opponents and create space for himself and his teammates. He is a good finisher with a quick and accurate shot. Another thing that makes him valuable to his team is defensive reliability. He shows a lot of effort without the puck, regularly skates hard back to his own end, and is committed to playing for the team. He reads the game really well and makes the right decisions. The Toronto Maple Leafs second round pick has been playing consistently well for the national teams over the last few years and given how well he has started the season, I expect a strong performance from him at the World Juniors.

Roby Jarventie

Jarventie has been one of the top rookies in the Liiga this season. His chemistry with Arizona Coyotes prospect Matias Maccelli has been quite seamless as they are dangerous in offensive transitions and complement each other's skill sets well. Jarventie is a very skilled goal-scorer who can finish from close range or further out. The winger is cunning in the offensive zone and gets to spots where he can be a scoring threat. He has a lot of puck skill and his hands are quick and smooth. His skating features a great combination of agility and fluidity, and his top speed is very good. In order to become a more complete player, he will need to be more involved defensively and more consistent, not only game to game, but also within a game. Despite those shortcomings, the Ottawa Senators prospect should have a big role on the Finnish team at the World Juniors. His shooting ability is a real asset that should be utilized on the power play.

Juuso Parssinen

Parssinen is a skilled and intelligent center who battles responsibly in all three zones. He shows awareness, has good vision and quality passing skills, enabling him to make flashy plays quite often. He has good playmaking skills, as well as a potent, accurate wrist shot. His skating is not holding him back, but I wouldn't call it an asset either. He needs to improve both acceleration and top speed. However, he reads the game well and knows where to go, compensating for a lack of explosiveness and initial burst. He was very impressive in the Liiga last season after being promoted from the U20 league. However, this season hasn't been as encouraging. His confidence seems to be lost which is concerning. On a more positive note, he has been putting up points and improving at face-offs. The World Juniors will be very important for the Nashville Predators prospect – if he manages to play a strong tournament, it could give him much needed confidence for the remainder of the season.

Santeri Hatakka

Hatakka is one of the five returning Finnish players from the 2020 World Juniors, where he played a steady defensive game and did his job well. I have been impressed with his development in the Liiga this season. His assertiveness and willingness to battle stand out. The San Jose Sharks prospect defends well in tight areas and uses his physical attributes to his advantage. He is a great skater, he moves well in all directions, and can skate with the puck up the ice. Furthermore, his decision making with the puck has improved. He does not rack up points often, but he doesn't necessarily have to, because he is so strong defensively. Hatakka will be a big part of the Finnish defense at the World Juniors. I expect him to play a lot on the penalty kill and manage well in battle situations.

Brad Lambert

Lambert is considered one of the most talented players in his age-group and is already discussed as the potential first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, alongside Canadians Shane Wright and Matthew Savoie. Lambert is a dynamic and highly skilled forward. He has a quick first step, explosive speed, and he accelerates well with his crossovers. At times he looks faster with the puck than without it. He has an accurate wrist shot with a quick release, and he can shoot in stride and beat goalies cleanly even from a distance – a scoring threat whenever he is on the ice. Lambert has been quite impressive as a rookie in the Liiga. I think he has progressed defensively and become stronger in board and corner battles, where he can hold his own and won't give up the puck easily. I hope he will be given power play opportunities at the World Juniors as he has a terrific shot and exceptional puck skills.

Eemil Viro

Viro is a mobile defenseman with a strong blend of puck skill and physicality. A steady and reliable puck mover, he makes accurate passes that are easy to receive. He is a powerful skater with good acceleration and can carry the puck from his own end. He is agile, he can make quick changes of direction to shake off forecheckers, giving him more space to make a play. He also displays very good edge work. In his own end, he is strong physically. He battles hard and doesn’t give up an inch. He is willing to pay the price to win one-on-one battles and he recognizes when to pressure and when to contain opponents. He has performed well with TPS in the Liiga this season, contributing offensively, and his ice time has gone up more than three minutes per game from the past campaign. Keep an eye on this Detroit Red Wings third rounder.

Anton Lundell

Lundell has been excellent in the Liiga this season, scoring goals at an remarkable pace and continuing his impressive two-way game. He has been generating plenty of offensive opportunities and he has capitalized on his scoring chances at a good rate. His confidence level has been very high throughout the season. In addition to his offensive abilities, he has demonstrated the ability to play responsibly without the puck. Not only does he read the game very well, but he is also able to anticipate from time to time and take advantage of it. Additionally, his skating, which has required work, has improved since the past season. The Florida Panthers prospect has smoothed out his stride and he looks quicker as well. After missing last year's World Juniors due to injury, he will captain the Finnish team at the event this year.

Aku Raty

Raty has appeared in only two Liiga games this season after returning from an injury that occurred in September. Despite not playing a whole lot, I think it would have been surprising if he had been left off the World Juniors team. He was very good in last year's tournament, playing an energetic, dependable game and recording three points in a fourth-line role. The Arizona Coyotes prospect is a hard-working, relentless winger with speed and skill. He causes opponents trouble as he is active away from the puck and keeps his feet moving. He takes away time and space and his checking game is effective. Offensively, he sees the ice well, moves pucks into good spots, and makes plays. He uses cutbacks well while protecting the puck along the boards, changing direction on a dime. Raty is the kind of a player that can be trusted in any game situation.

Surprise Player – Mikael Pyyhtia

Pyyhtia has only two pro games under his belt, but he has been one of the top players for TPS U20 over the last two seasons. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect is an all-around forward with smarts, skill, and poise. He sees the ice well, reads the game and rarely makes a bad decision – reliable with and without the puck. He has a fluid stride, quick feet, and reaches a good top speed. Even if his ice-time is limited at the World Juniors, I think he could turn some heads. I don't think he has any one attribute that stands out the most, but he is versatile and good in all areas of the game.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Nashville Predators Top 20 Prospects

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 15:44:25 +0000

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

Yaroslav Askarov, G (11^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Askarov is best known for his show-stopping international play. Beyond those intermittent two week runs, his play last year in the VHL was among the best for any teenaged netminder in the league’s history. More importantly, he has the skills to back up his gaudy stats. Starting off with unparalleled athleticism, his post-to-post movement is explosive, and his skating ability also allows him to play aggressively, telescoping out of his crease to cut down angles from long range shots. His athleticism also shows when forced to scramble when the play gets too hairy near his crease. Unlike some other recent highly athletic goalie prospects (e.g. Tyler Parsons), Askarov’s game is also technically sound. He plays a classic butterfly style and can cover both the upper and lower quadrants of the net. He sometimes takes a half second or so too long to get his feet set, giving quick shooting opponents a chance to catch him unprepared, but that should be coachable with time. He also excels in his reads and anticipation and is in position before the shot is made. He is calm and poised, handles traffic well, and never seems to lose the puck, avoiding big, juicy rebounds. – RW

Philip Tomasino, C (24^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Tomasino’s biggest strength remains his play in transition. His explosiveness and ability to protect the puck and process at full speed make him so difficult to stop as he gains speed through the neutral zone. This dominance as an attacker was flashed as a draft eligible player, but an increase in confidence and strength made him a more consistent player. With that added strength came an increased ability to maintain possession through contact and to prolong possession deep in the offensive zone. His effort and engagement level without the puck really improved. When you add it all up, you have a pretty dominant offensive player. Moving forward, Tomasino will look to continue to improve his play as a defensive forward, using his speed to be a difference maker as a forechecker and backchecker. While another year in the OHL is likely, Tomasino has an outside chance of cracking the Predators. He projects as a top six forward who can be a go-to contributor for Nashville and one of the team’s highest scoring players. – BO

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

While consistency is an issue at times, and his game is far from perfect, Afanasyev demonstrates a high level of skill and confidence as a goal scorer. He is an extremely aggressive shooter, who is always looking to get the puck, or himself, to the net. He generates considerable velocity on his wrist shot and the ability to beat goalies clean, even from distance. He shoots while in full stride, with the ability to generate his own scoring chances by driving wide. With quick hands, Afanasyev does well in the offensive zone to protect the puck and will challenge defenders for open space. Outside of his goal scoring ability and shot generation tendencies, he needs to round off his game. His decision making with the puck requires fine tuning as turnovers can be an issue when he takes his time. Additionally, he struggles as a three-zone player and can have a tendency to float. He is not currently a play driver and is rarely used for zone entries. Afanasyev has the size and skill set to be a goal scoring, top six forward at the NHL level, if he can play with greater consistency. – BO

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Tolvanen has been somewhat of a disappointment since coming to the AHL two seasons ago. Expected to jump directly to Nashville upon coming stateside, his goal-scoring has instead flattened out. That said, he still has quite a bit of promise and has improved in many aspects other than scoring, that are suggestive of his ability to provide value in the future. Having lost 10 pounds, he has greatly increased his top speed and acceleration, becoming more dynamic with the puck on his stick. His play away from the puck has gotten better as well, with more shot blocks and better play against the boards on defense. He has rounded out his game to where he is not entirely useless without scoring, which will help earn his spot in the lineup, even in a bottom six role. The youngest player on a stacked Milwaukee team last year, Tolvanen might not be a superstar at the highest level, but he can be a high-octane second-line scorer and first-power play triggerman if he finds confidence in the AHL next season, even if the hype has worn off. - TD

Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 4)

Pitlick made a big splash in his inaugural professional season with his energy, pacing, and shooting ability allowing him to shine. A terrific puck-pursuit hybrid forward, the 23-year-old boasts high-grade speed that complements his aggressive, relentless forechecking without the puck. He can also be a dynamic puck-handler with his agility and hand speed. More of a shooter than a facilitator, he likes to set up in the slot or faceoff circle to let loose a quickly-released slap shot or an accurate, hard wrister, but he can also slow down the game in the offensive zone and find his teammates at a respectable level. Responsible in his own zone, he has displayed the maturity and mistake-free defensive game that would help his potential to play a three-zone game. The only genuine knock on him is his size, and at 5-10”, he has shown a lack of strength around the boards. His future role as middle six forechecker with scoring potential is fast approaching, and he is arguably NHL-ready at this point. – TD

Luke Evangelista, RW (42^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Evangelista broke out in a big way last year. Utilized as a support winger in London’s top six, he showed that he can be versatile while complementing some of the Knights’ older skilled players like Connor McMichael and Liam Foudy. Evangelista excels playing down low, outworking larger defenders to win puck battles, but also possessing the hands, creativity, and vision to generate scoring chances coming off the wall. He protects the puck well and works equally well in transition as he does grinding it out, attacking the middle of the ice. He has also proven an ability to be the primary puck carrier. It is highly likely that he is a much more skilled player than he was able to show last year, which he flashed when given the responsibility. A well-rounded player who does everything well, Evangelist may be the next London forward, after the likes of the aforementioned McMichael, as well as Alex Formenton and Christian Dvorak, who explodes in his first post-draft season. – BO

David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Farrance is an explosive offensive defenseman who has already proven to be a draft day steal before even setting foot on professional ice. After a slow start to his collegiate career, he ended up leading the country in scoring by defensemen in his junior season. For his efforts, he was named to the All-American first team, New England’s best defenseman, and was a Hobey Baker finalist. Farrance is an extreme offensive threat. His speed is blistering, and he can blow past defenders easily, one aspect that makes him so dangerous. He played on his team’s first power play unit and is an excellent asset on the man-advantage because of his ability to cycle the puck. He is almost impossible to contain in the offensive zone. He sees the ice very well and is capable of making good plays in difficult situations. He isn’t exactly small but is more of a finesse player than a physical player, even if he is not afraid to use his body. He also has really soft hands and the puck seems to float on his stick. He projects to be at least on a second line pairing at the highest level. - JS

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Parssinen had an excellent season with TPS in both the U20 league and in Liiga. He was promoted to the Liiga team in December. He was one of the few bright spots on a poor TPS team that missed the playoffs. He seemingly gained confidence and made strides as the season progressed. He is a competitive, sizeable center who plays a strong two-way game. He is dependable on both sides of the puck, has good vision and displays awareness. A good playmaker with quality passing skills and swift hands to carry the puck up the ice, he can make flashy plays and has an accurate wrist shot. He can be utilized on special teams. While he does not have blazing speed, he reads the game well and knows where to go to be effective. Parssinen fell all the way to the late seventh round in the 2019 draft, possibly due to injury concerns. Since the draft, his progress has made the Predators look very smart. He could be a steal of a draft pick when all is said and done. - MB

Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 7)

A second-round pick in the stacked 2015 NHL Draft, Trenin’s development up until the most recent pro season had been largely disappointing. The Chelyabinsk native dazzled in the QMJHL in his draft year, but failed to equal that production in with AHL Milwaukee, until his transformative 2019-20 campaign. The toolkit has always been interesting: power forward with blazing fast hands and creative ways of finding angles for shots, he also found confidence and assertiveness for the first time as a top-six centerman with the Admirals last season. Excelling in breaking down defenses and making plays within and when entering the offensive zone, he is deadly at even strength as an independent contractor who consistently creates offensive chances for himself and by himself. Physically, he is difficult to take off the puck and has superb momentum with his body. While he is not particularly quick, he is a decent enough skater to be a depth scorer in the NHL, although he doesn’t seem to be a factor defensively. He will need to back last season up with another in the AHL, especially as he was not all too effective in his NHL run, but he has made a name for himself. - TD

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88^th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 8)

The Predators have not needed a transition in goal for more than a decade, but Pekka Rinne’s decline and aging curve, as well as Juuse Saros’ struggles as the primary netminder, have led to questions about who is ready to contribute from the Predators’ prospect pipeline, and Ingram has entered the discussion as the most likely answer. Picked up for a mere seventh-round pick in 2021 after a publicized fallout with Tampa Bay, Ingram shined in his first season in the Nashville farm system, representing Milwaukee in the AHL All-Star Game and placing third among qualified goalies in GAA and save percentage. What the 6-1” netminder lacks in size and utility, he more than makes up for in technical refinement and athleticism. The highly skilled goalie has quick feet, guards post-to-post well, and leverages his lack of size by playing primarily at the lip of the crease to maximize coverage. He does not often overplay pucks or overreact to defensive breakdowns in front of him and makes the saves he needs to. I wouldn’t expect Ingram to immediately overtake Rinne, a fan favorite deserving of loyalty from the franchise, but the time will come soon with more seasoning in the AHL. – TD

Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 9)

In an organization with less blueline depth than the Predators, Carrier would already be a consistent presence on the NHL depth chart. This is a credit to Nashville’s incredible two-way forces on defense rather than a knock on Carrier, who himself is a serviceable depth blueline prospect with an improving offensive game. On pace to set a career high in points before the AHL’s pause and eventual cancellation, Carrier was the most lethal offensive defenseman on the Admirals, the team with the best record in the league in 2019-20. An impressive puck-mover who has started to use his improving skating speed more to impact things offensively, the 23-year-old is an intelligent passer and a reliable option to move the puck out of the defensive zone and through center. Smart and with a long stick, his gaps close fast, and he generally plays opposing forwards against the boards rather than letting them get inside position. A power play quarterback, he can stand to improve his shot and his ability to pass through traffic. He is a near fully ready bottom-four blueliner who can contribute in a multitude of ways. - TD

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Del Gaizo is an offensive defenseman who spent two years in the USHL and in 2017-18 led all league defensemen in goals scored. He then joined UMass, where he helped send the Minutemen to a national championship game — literally, as he led all freshman on the team in scoring and he potted the game-winning goal in the 2019 national semifinal game. Del Gaizo was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team for his efforts. He has a quick and accurate shot and his slapshot is especially hard. His passes are direct, and he handles the puck well. Not only can he contribute offensively, but he has a calm demeanor on the backcheck. He is still raw but has the tools to become a lower-pairing defenseman at this highest level, but if anything holds him back, it is his combination of below average size and average, at best, skating. He will need to prove that he is more than a tweener. - JS

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192^nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Previous ranking: 11)

Acquired in the offseason’s big-news P.K. Subban trade, Davies brings to the Nashville system a game stylistically similar to the 2013 Norris Trophy winner. Highly aggressive with the puck and capable of pushing offense from the blueline out, he shows flashes of elite-level vision and passing at times and was one of the best puck-movers in the NCAA for three years. His 5-11” frame should be a detriment for someone as physical as he is, but his upper-body strength and willingness to engage with his body compensates for a lack of size. His hockey sense on offense also allows him to be a useful defender, anticipating the movement of opposing forwards and keeping them in front of him most times. He can be prone to a turnover, a side effect of a risky offensive defenseman, but his puck play is generally good. His skating looks poor against AHL competition though, and at 23 with years of high-level hockey already behind him, we can’t be confident his speed and overall mobility will improve. Regardless, he is a solid depth defense prospect with some promising offensive skill. – TD

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, LW (202^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Passed over in his first draft year, when he was a feisty energy player with a strong shot, Fontaine went back to the USHL and turned up the skill. His path to a successful career is still likely to be trying to mold his game after Brad Marchand (small pest with skill), but this year he showed more and more that the skill was there in abundance. The Northeastern commit is a solid puck handler who can skate the puck through a crowd towards the danger zone. Additionally, his shot was among the best in the USHL, giving him the ability to score from anywhere in the offensive zone. His energy level is evident on both sides of the puck as well. He reads the game well and can be used in all roles and situations, with his chippiness rarely crossing the line to callable infractions. A fun, fun player to watch, Fontaine ability to adapt to the NCAA will tell us how much of his improvements from last year are sustainable. – RW

Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

In the introduction to the Nashville section, I mentioned players with diminished expectations without exactly being busts. I had Mismash in mind when crafting that sentence. Three years after being drafted, all spent in a top collegiate program in North Dakota and Mismash is seemingly no closer to realizing his potential today than he was with the USNTDP, lighting up the WU18 tournament before being drafted. The versatile forward has seen his point totals fluctuate from 22 to 10 to 20 in three years with the Fighting Hawks. If you catch him on the right day, he plays with positive, disruptive energy. He can demonstrate soft hands and still flashes the ability to take over a shift with skill and decisiveness. He simply doesn’t do that often enough. As of this writing, Mismash is expected to return to North Dakota for a senior season, before he forces Nashville to offer him a contract or lose his rights. He still has the potential to be a bottom-line contributor. - RW

Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Kondelik played his youth hockey in the Czech Republic before heading to the U.S. to play in the USHL. He represented his country in international play in five of the last six years, including in the 2020 World Junior Championship. Kondelik was on the Ivan Hlinka Memorial championship team in 2015-16 and named a top three Czech player in the 2017 U-18 World Junior Championship. He has made an impact at UConn over the past two years, contributing offensively and defensively. Kondelik isn’t a prolific scorer, but he is a solid power forward. He is a good skater especially considering his size (6-7”) and can motor up the ice. He sees the ice well and makes direct passes and feeds in difficult positions and through traffic. He is not the shiftiest, but he can still buy time and space for himself. Kondelik is also good at protecting the puck. He has bottom six upside, and his size will win him multiple chances to achieve it. - JS

Spencer Stastney, D (131^stoverall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Often overshadowed on his USNTDP blueline, competing with the likes of K’Andre Miller, Mattias Samuelsson, and Bode Wilde, Stastney has nevertheless impressed scouts with his development through two seasons with Notre Dame. There is not a lot of flash in his game, but he is a fantastic skater and managed to up his scoring from four points as a freshman to 20 in a truncated sophomore season, while also representing the US at the WJC. As impressive as his added offensive punch was, the key to Stastney’s game is continuing to defend well without any real semblance of a physical game. Small and slight, he comes by the lack of physicality honestly, but he has thus far made up for it with tight coverage, good one-on-one tracking ability and heady clock management. Stastney might be able to contribute to a second power play unit at a higher level but represents a good organizational asset even if he just maxes out as a safe third pairing defender with only even strength duties. - RW

Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 15)

Over the years, Harper has emerged as a steady and consistent player. While playing prep school hockey at Avon Old Farms, he filled in for a few games with the USNTDP U-17 team, and later with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. He burst onto the scene at Boston University as a freshman, wowing with his scoring ability. He was injured in his sophomore year and missed nearly half the season but had rebounded by his senior year. Harper represented the U.S. in the World Junior Championship in both his freshman and sophomore season, before his injury troubles, and was a part of the gold medal squad in the former season. Harper is very fast, which is a boon offensively but also defensively as he has no issues backchecking. He also appeared on the team’s first power play unit. At 5-7” he is small but is still able to effectively avoid opponents. He also has good hockey sense. The fifth-round pick opted to sign with Nashville despite an option to become a free agent following graduation and will face his next challenge next season, in the AHL. – JS

Adam Wilsby, D (101^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A late bloomer, Wilsby finally did enough in his third year of draft eligibility after spending the bulk of his season playing senior hockey in Sweden’s second tier, putting up fantastic offensive numbers (tied for fourth in points among blueliners). He has an average build and is a strong four-way skater, more now than when he first became eligible, thanks to an improved physique. He is also a solid puck mover and has proven more than competent at quarterbacking the power play, although he does not have a big point shot. He has shown to be reliable in all facets of the game thanks to good play reading and defensive awareness and may continue to improve off the puck as he grows accustomed to his matured build. Because of the well-rounded nature of his overall game, Wilsby might have more of a chance to avoid the “tweener” tag than some of the other blueliners on the back half of this list. – RW

Semyon Chistyakov, D (117^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 16)

In his first post draft campaign, Chistyakov played a considerably more assertive game when his team had the puck, imposing his will far more often in the offensive zone. He has the requisite skating ability, puck moving instincts, all tied together by a sound hockey brain, helping him make the most of what he has. His undersized frame may yet hold him back, but it has not done so yet, and he has been known to play aggressively from time to time. He also tries to overcome the size disadvantage by using a quick defensive stick to push pucks away before the pay gets too hairy for him. If the early goings of this season are anything to judge by, Chistyakov seems to have skipped the VHL, going right from the MHL (Russian juniors) to the KHL, playing on a bottom pairing with a bit of power play time thrown in. His outlook is still shrouded in mystery, but Chistyakov is heading in the right direction. - RW

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

McKeens Hockey; Article by Ryan Wagman — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:50:55 +0000

I write these words less than 24 hours after the Dallas Stars took game one of the Stanley Cup Finals against the heavily favored Tampa Bay Lightning. Unlike most seasons wherein the end of the Stanley Cup marks the beginning of off-season player movement, this year teams have taken an early start to the transactional Ferris wheel as many expect the upcoming offseason (from the awarding of the Cup, through to the draft in the first week of October to the start of the 2020-21 season perhaps as soon as early December, pending COVID trends in North America) to be especially turbulent.

We have seen a few trades of NHL pieces, one deal which impacted this guidebook, as Toronto sent Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh and Swedish winger Filip Hallander was among those coming back to Toronto. Hallander was our selection for the second-best prospect in the Penguins system and now holds that title for the Maple Leafs. That trade knocked the Penguins down a few slots on our organizational rankings and allowed Toronto to go the other way accordingly.

Of course, with the draft roughly 17 days away, and with it a complete re-shuffling of the organizational rankings, this is just a snapshot in time of how every team’s system shakes up. We will re-run this list, incorporating the drafted players, in our pre-season fantasy guide, where we will expand the lists up to 20.

What you are about to dive into is a comprehensive list of all prospect eligible players on all 31 teams. To hold prospect eligibility, a player needs to 25 or younger, as of September 15, 2020. All skaters need to have played less than 60 career games, with no more than 35 of those games coming in a single season (or 25 for this past shortened season). For goalies, the age criteria remain the same, but the games played benchmark drops to 30 career games and 20 in a given season (or 15 last year). Any cutoff that does not hew exactly to the Calder Trophy award criteria is, by nature, arbitrary, but we aim to be inclusive for all players who have not yet cemented NHL jobs and/or have not had a prolonged chance to prove himself capable – or incapable.

We rank 15 per team, as depth is as important as the high end. Our goal is to identify players who could – if they have an advocate for them within the team’s braintrust – play a role in the NHL. These players were identified through our thorough vetting of each prospect across the globe, assigning scores, or grades, to five areas for skaters (skating, shot, puck skills, smarts, physicality) and six for netminders (athleticism/speed/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, positioning/technique, rebound control, and puck handling). Depending on the position, the grades are run through an algorithm to come up with an overall future projection (OFP).

The OFP, if the scout is being honest, measures the future role we anticipate the prospect being able to hold. A 50 score is the lower threshold to be a regular 4^th line forward, or bottom pairing defender. Grades over 56 are potential top line/pairing skaters. The grades in between, obviously project to the middle of the lineup.

As we are reminded every year, development is not linear. Some players take unexpected sudden leaps forward (see Marino, John), and others stagnate (see Ho-Sang, Josh), and many do exactly what we expect of them when they are given the chance. As much as I trust the analysts in our team, I can also tell you that this exercise is always humbling. There will be at least one player who we rate highly who bombs. There will be at least one player who did not feature on his team’s top 15 who becomes an NHL regular next year. We accept those errors in judgment and promise you, our faithful subscriber, that we will learn from them and refine our work for next year, as we learn just as NHL teams learn.

Until then, please enjoy this snapshot view of the future of the beautiful, frozen game. Putting this together has provided at least some sense of normalcy during this crazy summer.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	TM	Acquired
Ana	1	Trevor Zegras	C	19	6-0/170	Boston University (HE)	`19(9th)
Min	2	Kirill Kaprizov	LW	23	5-10/200	CSKA (KHL)	`15(135th)
Col	3	Bowen Byram	D	19	6-0/195	Vancouver (WHL)	`19(4th)
Buf	4	Dylan Cozens	C	19	6-3/185	Lethbridge (WHL)	`19(7th)
Fla	5	Spencer Knight	G	19	6-3/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(13th)
VGK	6	Peyton Krebs	C	19	5-11/180	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(17th)
Ari	7	Victor Soderstrom	D	19	5-11/180	Brynas (Swe)	`19(11th)
Mtl	8	Cole Caufield	RW	19	5-7/165	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(15th)
Van	9	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	19	6-1/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`19(10th)
Edm	10	Philip Broberg	D	19	6-3/200	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`19(8th)
Tor	11	Nick Robertson	LW	19	5-9/160	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(53rd)
Col	12	Alex Newhook	C	19	5-10/195	Boston College (HE)	`19(16th)
Det	13	Moritz Seider	D	19	6-3/185	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`19(6th)
Fla	14	Grigori Denisenko	LW	20	5-11/185	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(15th)
Min	15	Matthew Boldy	LW	19	6-1/190	Boston College (HE)	`19(12th)
NJ	16	Ty Smith	D	20	5-10/180	Spokane (WHL)	`18(17th)
LA	17	Alex Turcotte	C	19	5-11/185	Wisconsin (B1G)	`19(5th)
Nsh	18	Philip Tomasino	C	19	5-11/180	Nia-Osh (OHL)	`19(24th)
Pit	19	Samuel Poulin	LW	19	6-1/205	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	`19(21st)
Wsh	20	Connor McMichael	C	19	5-11/175	London (OHL)	`19(25th)
LA	21	Gabriel Vilardi	RW	21	6-3/200	Ontario (AHL)	`17(11th)
NYR	22	Igor Shesterkin	G	24	6-1/190	Hartford (AHL)	`14(118th)
Dal	23	Thomas Harley	D	19	6-3/190	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(18th)
Ari	24	Barrett Hayton	C	20	6-1/190	Arizona (NHL)	`18(5th)
NYR	25	Nils Lundkvist	D	20	5-11/180	Lulea (Swe)	`18(28th)
LA	26	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	19	6-2/190	Hamilton (OHL)	`19(33rd)
Cgy	27	Juuso Valimaki	D	21	6-2/205	DNP - Injured	`17(16th)
Det	28	Jared McIsaac	D	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(36th)
NYR	29	Vitali Kravtsov	RW	20	6-3/185	Hartford (AHL)	`18(9th)
Edm	30	Evan Bouchard	D	20	6-2/195	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(10th)
NYR	31	K'Andre Miller	D	20	6-3/205	Wisconsin (B1G)	`18(22nd)
Edm	32	Raphael Lavoie	RW	19	6-4/195	Hal-Chi (QMJHL)	`19(38th)
NYI	33	Ilya Sorokin	G	25	6-2/180	CSKA (KHL)	`14(78th)
Det	34	Albert Johansson	D	19	5-11/165	Farjestads (Swe)	`19(60th)
Ari	35	Matias Maccelli	LW	19	5-11/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(98th)
Van	36	Nils Hoglander	RW	19	5-9/185	Rogle (Swe)	`19(40th)
Ari	37	Jan Jenik	RW	20	6-1/180	Hamilton (OHL)	`18(65th)
Phi	38	Cam York	D	19	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`19(14th)
Phi	39	Morgan Frost	C	21	5-11/180	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`17(27th)
Ana	40	Lukas Dostal	G	20	6-1/170	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`18(85th)
LA	41	Tobias Bjornfot	D	19	6-0/200	Ontario (AHL)	`19(22nd)
SJ	42	Ryan Merkley	D	20	5-11/170	London (OHL)	`18(21st)
NYI	43	Kieffer Bellows	LW	22	6-0/200	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(19th)
NYI	44	Oliver Wahlstrom	RW	20	6-1/205	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(11th)
LA	45	Rasmus Kupari	C	20	6-1/185	Ontario (AHL)	`18(20th)
CBJ	46	Liam Foudy	C	20	6-0/175	London (OHL)	`18(18th)
LA	47	Tyler Madden	C	20	5-10/155	Northeastern (HE)	T(Van-2/20)
Mtl	48	Alexander Romanov	D	20	5-11/185	CSKA (KHL)	`18(38th)
NYI	49	Bode Wilde	D	20	6-2/195	Bridgeport (AHL)	`18(41st)
Ott	50	Jacob Bernard-Docker	D	20	6-0/180	North Dakota (NCHC)	`18(26th)
Cgy	51	Jakob Pelletier	LW	19	5-9/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(26th)
LA	52	Akil Thomas	C	20	5-11/170	Nia-Pbo (OHL)	`18(51st)
Wpg	53	Dylan Samberg	D	21	6-3/190	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`17(43rd)
Chi	54	Ian Mitchell	D	21	5-11/175	Denver (NCHC)	`17(57th)
Ott	55	Josh Norris	C	21	6-1/195	Belleville (AHL)	T(SJ-9/18)
NYR	56	Matthew Robertson	D	19	6-3/200	Edmonton (WHL)	`19(49th)
VGK	57	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	19	6-1/170	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	`19(79th)
Dal	58	Jake Oettinger	G	21	6-4/210	Texas (AHL)	`17(26th)
Ott	59	Drake Batherson	RW	22	6-1/190	Belleville (AHL)	`17(121st)
LA	60	Samuel Fagemo	RW	20	6-0/195	Frolunda (Swe)	`19(50th)
Col	61	Justus Annunen	G	20	6-4/215	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`18(64th)
Bos	62	John Beecher	C	19	6-3/210	Michigan (B1G)	`19(30th)
Phi	63	Egor Zamula	D	20	6-4/175	Calgary (WHL)	FA(9/18)
NYR	64	Zac Jones	D	19	5-10/175	Massachusetts (HE)	`19(68th)
CBJ	65	Kirill Marchenko	LW	20	6-3/190	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(49th)
VGK	66	Jack Dugan	RW	22	6-2/185	Providence (HE)	`17(142nd)
StL	67	Scott Perunovich	D	22	5-10/175	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(45th)
Bos	68	Jack Studnicka	C	21	6-1/170	Providence (AHL)	`17(53rd)
Dal	69	Ty Dellandrea	C	20	6-0/185	Flint (OHL)	`18(13th)
Min	70	Calen Addison	D	20	5-10/180	Lethbridge (WHL)	T(Pit-2/20)
NYR	71	Julien Gauthier	RW	22	6-4/225	Charlotte (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Van	72	Olli Juolevi	D	22	6-3/200	Utica (AHL)	`16(5th)
NJ	73	Nolan Foote	LW	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	T(TB-2/20)
NJ	74	Janne Kuokkanen	LW	22	6-1/190	Cha-Bng (AHL)	T(Car-2/20)
Ott	75	Alex Formenton	LW	21	6-2/165	Belleville (AHL)	`17(47th)
Det	76	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	19	5-10/160	Boston University (HE)	`19(54th)
NYR	77	Morgan Barron	C	21	6-2/200	Cornell (ECAC)	`17(174th)
Mtl	78	Jesse Ylonen	RW	20	6-1/185	Pelicans (Fin)	`18(35th)
Car	79	Dominik Bokk	RW	20	6-1/180	Rogle (Swe)	T(StL-9/19)
Nsh	80	Egor Afanasyev	RW	19	6-3/205	Windsor (OHL)	`19(45th)
Ana	81	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	C	20	6-1/195	Hal-Mon (QMJHL)	`18(54th)
Min	82	Alexander Khovanov	C	20	5-11/195	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(86th)
Det	83	Joe Veleno	C	20	6-1/195	Grand Rapids (AHL)	`18(30th)
NJ	84	Kevin Bahl	D	20	6-6/230	Ottawa (OHL)	T(Ari-12/19)
Car	85	Ryan Suzuki	C	19	6-0/180	Bar-Sag (OHL)	`19(28th)
Van	86	Jett Woo	D	20	6-0/205	Calgary (WHL)	`18(37th)
Mtl	87	Mattias Norlinder	D	20	5-11/180	MODO (Swe 2)	`19(64th)
Min	88	Adam Beckman	LW	19	6-1/170	Spokane (WHL)	`19(75th)
Bos	89	Jeremy Swayman	G	21	6-1/190	Maine (HE)	`17(111th)
Wpg	90	Kristian Vesalainen	LW	21	6-3/205	Manitoba (AHL)	`17(24th)
Tor	91	Filip Hallander	LW	20	6-1/185	Lulea (Swe)	T(Pit-8/20)
Fla	92	Owen Tippett	RW	21	6-1/200	Springfield (AHL)	`17(10th)
Car	93	Jake Bean	D	22	6-1/175	Charlotte (AHL)	`16(13th)
Ott	94	Shane Pinto	C	19	6-2/190	North Dakota (NCHC)	`19(32nd)
Col	95	Martin Kaut	RW	20	6-1/175	Colorado (AHL)	`18(16th)
Van	96	Jack Rathbone	D	21	5-10/175	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(95th)
Tor	97	Nick Abruzzese	C	21	5-9/160	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(124th)
Bos	98	Urho Vaakanainen	D	21	6-0/185	Providence (AHL)	`17(18th)
Wsh	99	Alexander Alexeyev	D	20	6-3/200	Hershey (AHL)	`18(31st)
NYI	100	Simon Holmstrom	RW	19	6-1/185	Bridgeport (AHL)	`19(23rd)
LA	101	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	C	21	5-11/190	Ontario (AHL)	`17(41st)
Car	102	Joey Keane	D	21	6-0/185	Hfd-Cha (AHL)	T(NYR-2/20)
Wsh	103	Martin Fehervary	D	20	6-1/190	Hershey (AHL)	`18(46th)
StL	104	Tyler Tucker	D	20	6-1/205	Bar-Fnt (OHL)	`18(200th)
SJ	105	Yegor Spiridonov	C	19	6-2/195	Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)	`19(108th)
NJ	106	Joey Anderson	RW	22	6-0/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(73rd)
Col	107	Conor Timmins	D	21	6-1/185	Colorado (AHL)	`17(32nd)
StL	108	Klim Kostin	C	21	6-3/195	San Antonio (AHL)	`17(31st)
Mtl	109	Cayden Primeau	G	21	6-3/180	Laval (AHL)	`17(199th)
SJ	110	Jonathan Dahlen	LW	22	5-11/185	Timra IK (Swe 2)	T(Van-2/19)
NJ	111	Reilly Walsh	D	21	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`17(81st)
Buf	112	Oskari Laaksonen	D	21	6-2/165	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`17(89th)
NJ	113	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	19	5-10/170	Omskie Yastreby (MHL)	`19(129th)
Wsh	114	Aliaksei Protas	C	19	6-5/205	Prince Albert (WHL)	`19(91st)
Cgy	115	Dustin Wolf	G	19	6-0/165	Everett (WHL)	`19(214th)
StL	116	Joel Hofer	G	20	6-3/160	Portland (WHL)	`18(107th)
VGK	117	Ivan Morozov	C	20	6-1/180	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	`18(61st)
Mtl	118	Jake Evans	C	24	6-0/185	Laval (AHL)	`14(207th)
Nsh	119	Eeli Tolvanen	RW	21	5-10/175	Milwaukee (AHL)	`17(30th)
Wpg	120	Ville Heinola	D	19	5-11/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`19(20th)
VGK	121	Lucas Elvenes	RW	21	6-0/175	Chicago (AHL)	`17(127th)
TB	122	Cole Koepke	LW	22	6-1/195	Minn-Duluth (NCHC)	`18(183rd)
Ana	123	Isac Lundestrom	C	20	6-0/185	San Diego (AHL)	`18(23rd)
NYR	124	Tarmo Reunanen	D	22	6-0/180	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	`16(98th)
Mtl	125	Jordan Harris	D	20	5-11/180	Northeastern (HE)	`18(71st)
Ana	126	Brayden Tracey	LW	19	6-0/175	MJ-Vic (WHL)	`19(29th)
Phi	127	Tanner Laczynski	C	23	6-1/200	Ohio State (B1G)	`16(169th)
Chi	128	Alec Regula	D	20	6-3/200	London (OHL)	T(Det-10/19)
Buf	129	Mattias Samuelsson	D	20	6-3/215	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(32nd)
Car	130	Jamieson Rees	C	19	5-10/175	Sarnia (OHL)	`19(44th)
Edm	131	Olivier Rodrigue	G	20	6-1/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`18(62nd)
Fla	132	Serron Noel	RW	20	6-5/205	Osh-Kit (OHL)	`18(34th)
Det	133	Antti Tuomisto	D	19	6-4/190	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	`19(35th)
Dal	134	Jason Robertson	LW	21	6-2/195	Texas (AHL)	`17(39th)
Mtl	135	Joni Ikonen	C	21	5-10/170	DNP - Injured	`17(58th)
Nsh	136	Rem Pitlick	C	23	5-11/200	Milwaukee (AHL)	`16(76th)
Ott	137	Logan Brown	C	22	6-6/220	Belleville (AHL)	`16(11th)
TB	138	Samuel Walker	C	21	5-11/160	Minnesota (B1G)	`17(200th)
Phi	139	Wade Allison	RW	22	6-2/205	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`16(52nd)
Wpg	140	Declan Chisholm	D	20	6-1/190	Peterborough (OHL)	`18(150th)
NJ	141	Tyce Thompson	RW	21	6-1/180	Providence (HE)	`19(96th)
VGK	142	Connor Corcoran	D	20	6-1/185	Windsor (OHL)	`18(154th)
Ana	143	Jackson Lacombe	D	19	6-1/170	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(39th)
NYR	144	Lauri Pajuniemi	RW	21	6-0/185	TPS Turku (Fin)	`18(132nd)
Car	145	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	19	5-10/160	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	`19(121st)
CBJ	146	Andrew Peeke	D	22	6-3/210	Cleveland (AHL)	`16(34th)
Ana	147	Axel Andersson	D	20	6-0/180	Moncton (QMJHL)	T(Bos-2/20)
Car	148	Patrik Puistola	LW	19	6-0/175	Tap-Juk-Koo (Fin)	`19(73rd)
NJ	149	Michael McLeod	C	22	6-2/195	Binghamton (AHL)	`16(12th)
Car	150	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	21	6-1/175	SKA-VIT (KHL)	`19(36th)
NJ	151	Michael Vukojevic	D	19	6-3/210	Kitchener (OHL)	`19(82nd)
NYI	152	Ruslan Iskhakov	C	20	5-8/155	UConn (HE)	`18(43rd)
Wpg	153	Sami Niku	D	23	6-0/175	Manitoba (AHL)	`15(198th)
TB	154	Hugo Alnefelt	G	19	6-3/195	HV 71 (Swe)	`19(71st)
NJ	155	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	19	6-1/195	Ottawa (OHL)	`19(61st)
NYR	156	Hunter Skinner	D	19	6-2/175	London (OHL)	`19(112th)
LA	157	Mikey Anderson	D	21	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	`17(103rd)
Col	158	Shane Bowers	C	21	6-2/190	Colorado (AHL)	T(Ott-11/17)
NYI	159	Joshua Ho-Sang	RW	24	6-0/175	Bri-SA (AHL)	`14(28th)
LA	160	Cal Petersen	G	25	6-3/190	Ontario (AHL)	FA(7/17)
Col	161	Sampo Ranta	LW	20	6-2/205	Minnesota (B1G)	`18(78th)
Wpg	162	Mikhail Berdin	G	22	6-2/165	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(157th)
Bos	163	Jeremy Lauzon	D	23	6-3/205	Providence (AHL)	`15(52nd)
Nsh	164	David Farrance	D	21	5-11/190	Boston University (HE)	`17(92nd)
Van	165	Will Lockwood	RW	22	5-11/175	Michigan (B1G)	`16(64th)
NYI	166	Sebastian Aho	D	24	5-10/175	Bridgeport (AHL)	`17(139th)
Wpg	167	Logan Stanley	D	22	6-7/225	Manitoba (AHL)	`16(18th)
Buf	168	Ryan Johnson	D	19	6-0/175	Minnesota (B1G)	`19(31st)
Van	169	Michael DiPietro	G	21	6-0/195	Utica (AHL)	`17(64th)
VGK	170	Kaedan Korczak	D	19	6-3/190	Kelowna (WHL)	`19(41st)
Car	171	Jack Drury	C	20	5-11/180	Harvard (ECAC)	`18(42nd)
StL	172	Nikita Alexandrov	C	19	6-0/180	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	`19(62nd)
Col	173	Nikolai Kovalenko	RW	20	5-10/175	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`18(171st)
Nsh	174	Juuso Parssinen	C	19	6-2/205	TPS Turku (Fin)	`19(210th)
Chi	175	Pius Suter	C	24	5-11/170	ZSC Lions (NLA)	FA(7/20)
Fla	176	Aleksi Saarela	RW	23	5-11/200	Rfd-Spr (AHL)	T(Chi-10/19)
Bos	177	Trent Frederic	C	22	6-4/215	Providence (AHL)	`16(29th)
CBJ	178	Dmitri Voronkov	LW	20	6-4/190	Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)	`19(114th)
Ott	179	Lassi Thomson	D	19	6-0/190	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	`19(19th)
Car	180	Morgan Geekie	C	22	6-2/180	Charlotte (AHL)	`17(67th)
CBJ	181	Trey Fix-Wolansky	RW	21	5-8/185	Cleveland (AHL)	`18(204th)
Ott	182	Vitaly Abramov	RW	22	5-9/175	Belleville (AHL)	T(CBJ-2/19)
TB	183	Alexander Volkov	LW	23	6-1/190	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(48th)
Tor	184	Mikko Kokkonen	D	19	5-11/200	Jukurit (Fin)	`19(84th)
Ott	185	Kevin Mandolese	G	20	6-4/180	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	`18(157th)
CBJ	186	Daniil Tarasov	G	21	6-5/185	Assat Pori (Fin)	`17(86th)
LA	187	Carl Grundstrom	LW	22	6-0/195	Ontario (AHL)	T(Tor-1/19)
LA	188	Kale Clague	D	22	6-0/180	Ontario (AHL)	`16(51st)
Ott	189	Artyom Zub	D	24	6-2/200	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	FA(5/20)
Edm	190	Tyler Benson	LW	22	6-0/200	Bakersfield (AHL)	`16(32nd)
Det	191	Jonatan Berggren	RW	20	5-10/185	Skelleftea AIK (Swe)	`18(33rd)
Tor	192	Yegor Korshkov	RW	24	6-4/215	Toronto (AHL)	`16(31st)
Dal	193	Riley Damiani	C	20	5-9/165	Kitchener (OHL)	`18(137th)
VGK	194	Zach Whitecloud	D	23	6-2/210	Chicago (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Buf	195	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	G	21	6-4/195	Cincinnati (ECHL)	`17(54th)
Car	196	David Cotton	LW	23	6-3/205	Boston College (HE)	`15(169th)
Chi	197	Wyatt Kalynuk	D	23	6-1/180	Wisconsin (B1G)	FA(7/20)
Min	198	Hunter Jones	G	19	6-4/195	Peterborough (OHL)	`19(59th)
LA	199	Jordan Spence	D	19	5-10/165	Moncton (QMJHL)	`19(95th)
Cgy	200	Dmitri Zavgorodny	LW	20	5-9/175	Rimouski (QMJHL)	`18(198th)
Col	201	Alex Beaucage	RW	19	6-1/195	Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)	`19(78th)
TB	202	Dmitri Semykin	D	20	6-3/200	SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)	`18(90th)
CBJ	203	Matiss Kivlenieks	G	24	6-2/190	Cleveland (AHL)	FA(5/17)
StL	204	Ville Husso	G	25	6-3/205	San Antonio (AHL)	`14(94th)
Phi	205	Bobby Brink	RW	19	5-10/165	Denver (NCHC)	`19(34th)
NYI	206	Otto Koivula	C	22	6-4/220	Bridgeport (AHL)	`16(120th)
Car	207	Eetu Makiniemi	G	21	6-2/180	KOOVEE (Fin 2)	`17(104th)
NYI	208	Anatoli Golyshev	RW	25	5-8/180	Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL)	`16(95th)
Chi	209	Evan Barratt	C	21	6-0/190	Penn State (B1G)	`17(90th)
Buf	210	Erik Portillo	G	20	6-6/210	Dubuque (USHL)	`19(67th)
Fla	211	Cole Schwindt	RW	19	6-2/185	Mississauga (OHL)	`19(81st)
Chi	212	Michal Teply	LW	19	6-3/185	Winnipeg (WHL)	`19(105th)
Ott	213	Mads Sogaard	G	19	6-7/195	Medicine Hat (WHL)	`19(37th)
Buf	214	Jonas Johansson	G	24	6-4/205	Rochester (AHL)	`14(61st)
TB	215	Cal Foote	D	21	6-4/215	Syracuse (AHL)	`17(14th)
StL	216	Niko Mikkola	D	24	6-5/200	San Antonio (AHL)	`15(127th)
NYI	217	Robin Salo	D	21	6-1/190	SaiPa (Fin)	`17(46th)
Bos	218	Jakub Zboril	D	23	6-1/200	Providence (AHL)	`15(13th)
Buf	219	Will Borgen	D	23	6-2/200	Rochester (AHL)	`15(92nd)
Pit	220	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	D	21	6-2/170	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`17(23rd)
SJ	221	Sasha Chmelevski	C	21	5-11/190	San Jose (AHL)	`17(185th)
Ari	222	Kyle Capobianco	D	23	6-1/180	Tucson (AHL)	`15(63rd)
Det	223	Keith Petruzzelli	G	21	6-5/180	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	`17(88th)
Wsh	224	Garrett Pilon	RW	22	5-11/190	Hershey (AHL)	`16(87th)
NJ	225	Nikola Pasic	RW	19	5-10/185	Karlskoga (Swe 2)	`19(189th)
TB	226	Alex Barre-Boulet	C	23	5-10/165	Syracuse (AHL)	FA(3/18)
Edm	227	Ryan McLeod	C	20	6-2/205	Bakersfield (AHL)	`18(40th)
NYI	228	Samuel Bolduc	D	19	6-3/210	BLB-She (QMJHL)	`19(57th)
Ott	229	Joey Daccord	G	24	6-2/195	Belleville (AHL)	`15(199th)
StL	230	Hugh McGing	C	22	5-9/180	Western Michigan (NCHC)	`18(138th)
Edm	231	Cooper Marody	C	23	6-0/180	Bakersfield (AHL)	T(Phi-3/18)
Tor	232	Jeremy Bracco	RW	23	5-9/180	Toronto (AHL)	`15(61st)
Phi	233	German Rubtsov	C	22	6-2/190	Lehigh Valley (AHL)	`16(22nd)
Wsh	234	Brian Pinho	C	25	6-1/195	Hershey (AHL)	`13(174th)
Col	235	Logan O'Connor	RW	24	6-0/170	Colorado (AHL)	FA(7/18)
Buf	236	Casey Fitzgerald	D	23	5-11/190	Rochester (AHL)	`16(86th)
NJ	237	Daniil Misyul	D	19	6-3/180	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	`19(70th)
Ari	238	John Farinacci	C	19	5-11/185	Harvard (ECAC)	`19(76th)
Edm	239	Aapeli Rasanen	C	22	6-0/195	Boston College (HE)	`16(153rd)
Pit	240	Anthony Angello	RW	24	6-5/205	Wilkes-Barre (AHL)	`14(145th)
Mtl	241	Cam Hillis	C	20	5-10/170	Guelph (OHL)	`18(66th)
Cgy	242	Mathias Emilio Pettersen	RW	20	5-9/170	Denver (NCHC)	`18(167th)
SJ	243	Alexander True	C	23	6-5/205	San Jose (AHL)	FA(7/18)
NYI	244	Reece Newkirk	C	19	5-11/175	Portland (WHL)	`19(147th)
Dal	245	Dawson Barteaux	D	20	6-0/180	RD-Wpg (WHL)	`18(168th)
Bos	246	Jack Ahcan	D	23	5-8/185	St. Cloud State (NCHC)	FA(3/20)
Det	247	Seth Barton	D	21	6-2/175	Mass-Lowell (HE)	`18(81st)
Fla	248	Max Gildon	D	21	6-3/190	New Hampshire (HE)	`17(66th)
Ari	249	Aku Raty	RW	19	6-0/175	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	`19(151st)
Wpg	250	David Gustafsson	C	20	6-1/195	Winnipeg (NHL)	`18(60th)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 23

Sun, 13 Sep 2020 18:20:12 +0000

Nashville Predators

Always a strong team, but rarely a world beater, Nashville’s window may be closing. In the three years previous to the current one, the Predators made it to a Stanley Cup Final, won the President’s Trophy, and won the Central Division, respectively. The Stanley Cup Final year was the first, and still the only, time the team has gotten past the second round of the playoffs. This year they missed the first round entirley, losing to Arizona in the play-in round three games to one

Thankfully, even through a run in which they made the playoffs in eight of the past ten seasons, the team generally kept a hold of its draft picks. A confluence of trades in 2018 prevented David Poile and company from calling out a name until the fourth round, but that was the first year that Nashville did not have a first round pick since 2015. In that time, the reputation they had for drafting well was maintained well. Even still early in the observational phase, we don’t see any picks in the first half of the draft who seem trending towards ‘bust’ status. Sure, a few players are not exactly living up to expectations, but even they have simply downgraded their projections from middle-of-roster to bottom-of-roster.

If there is much hope of extending the contention window, it largely rests in what the Predators have developing on the farm with Milwaukee. It is rarely exciting in this day and age to have your best and brightest so close to the NHL, as the AHL is often the testing ground for players bound for the back end of a roster, but the depth and breadth of skilled players honing their respective games with the Admirals in 2019-20 definitely bodes well for the immediate future. When the AHL season was suspended, the Admirals had a league best .714 points percentage, over 50 percentage points better than the next best squad.

Under the guise of head coach Karl Taylor, in only his second season as a bench boss in the AHL, the Admirals lost only 14 times in regulation through 63 games, outscoring their opponents by 70 goals. Although the lineup was led by two high scoring veterans, in Daniel Carr and Cole Schneider, what was most impressive was the depth of scoring. Prospects in whom the Predators organization maintains high hopes include players like Eeli Tolvanen, Rem Pitlick, Alexandre Carrier and Yakov Trenin, all featured below, but also one with a pretty neat backstory, who just missed this list, in Tommy Novak.

A Nashville third round pick in 2015, Novak moved from Waterloo of the USHL to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. The center was OK over his four-year run with the famed Big Ten program, parlaying fine skating ability and hockey IQ into a solid two-way game for the collegiate game. That last clause is important, as the Predators would not offer a forward who never scored more than six goals in a season, and combined for seven goals over his final two seasons, an NHL Entry Level deal, dangling only an AHL contract to Novak.

Not only did Novak exceed expectations moving to the AHL but proved to be more dangerous a scorer in the AHL than he ever was at the NCAA level. His 11 goals as an AHL rookie were one short of his total from his final three years with the Golden Gophers and he finished the season third in scoring for the Admirals. More importantly though, the Predators finally saw enough to give Novak the ELC he had been waiting for, inking him to a two-year deal on March 25, less than two weeks after the season was originally postponed.

Even if Nashville’s so-called window may be closing, there is no reason this team cannot keep competing into the foreseeable future.

Philip Tomasino of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Philip Tomasino, C (24^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

One of only four players in the OHL this year to hit the 100-point plateau, Tomasino had a fantastic draft +1 year, which was split between the Niagara IceDogs and Oshawa Generals. His biggest strength remains his play in transition. His explosiveness and ability to protect the puck and process at full speed make him so difficult to stop as he gains speed through the neutral zone. Without question, Tomasino is one of the best forwards in the OHL at gaining the offensive zone. This dominance as an attacker was flashed as a draft eligible player, but an increase in confidence and strength made him a more consistent player.

Where Tomasino really improved this year was his ability to play and succeed without pace. With that added strength came an increased ability to play and maintain possession through contact and consequently, a greater ability to prolong possession deep in the offensive zone. He was winning significantly more challenges deep, and his effort and engagement level without the puck really improved. When you add it all up, you have a pretty dominant offensive player.

Moving forward, Tomasino will look to continue to improve his play as a defensive forward, using his speed to be a difference maker as a forechecker and backchecker. These areas did improve this year, but for him to stick down the middle, it is likely that further growth will be required. While another year in the OHL is likely, Tomasino does have an outside chance of cracking the Predators roster next season. He projects as a top six forward who can be a go-to contributor for Nashville and one of the team’s highest scoring players. - BO

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Transferring from the USHL (where he starred with Muskegon in his draft year), Afanasyev’s first year in the OHL with Windsor has to be considered a success. While consistency was an issue at times, and his game is far from perfect, he demonstrates a high level of skill and confidence as a goal scorer and finished as the leading goal scorer for the Spitfires.

Afanasyev is an extremely aggressive shooter, who is always looking to get the puck to the net or get himself there. He generates considerable velocity on his wrist shot and possesses the ability to beat goalies clean, even from a distance. He also shows well shooting while in full stride and is more than just a trigger man or stand-still shooter. As such, he possesses the ability to generate his own scoring chances by driving wide. With quick hands, Afanasyev does well in the offensive zone to protect the puck and will challenge defenders for open space.

Outside of his goal scoring ability and shot generation tendencies, Afanasyev needs to grow more as a player. His decision making with the puck requires fine tuning as turnovers can be an issue as defenders force him into the middle of the ice. Additionally, he struggles as a three-zone player and can have a tendency to float. He is not currently the type of player who drives the attack, as his zone entry tendencies are among the lowest of any top six forward in the OHL. He relies on the speed of his linemates to push the pace. No question, Afanasyev has the size and skill set to be a goal scoring, top six forward at the NHL level. But he will need to further round out his game to be a more consistent difference maker. - BO

NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 13: Eeli Tolvanen #11 of the Nashville Predators poses for his official headshot on September 13, 2018 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Eeli Tolvanen

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Not long ago, Tolvanen was the crown jewel of a deep Predators farm system. Starring as a rookie in the KHL, a league some consider to be the second-best in the world, his scoring prowess was on full display and hype for an eventual North American return (he spent his final amateur years in the USHL) built across the hockey world. However, the Finnish winger has been somewhat of a disappointment since coming to the AHL two seasons ago. Expected to jump directly to Nashville upon coming stateside, he has instead posted under .3 goals per game in 121 AHL contests.

With all that said, the former Jokerit standout still has quite a bit of promise. Still only 21, an age at which most young players are still seeking to crack an AHL lineup, Tolvanen has improved in many aspects other than scoring that are encouraging of his ability to provide value in the future. 10 pounds lighter than when he first came to the AHL, he has greatly increased his top speed and acceleration, becoming more dynamic with the puck on his stick. His play away from the puck has gotten better as well, with more shot blocks and better play against the boards on defense. He has rounded out his game to where he is not entirely useless without scoring, which will help win him over an NHL coaching staff.

The youngest player on a stacked Milwaukee team last year, Tolvanen might not be a superstar at the highest level, but he can be a high-octane second-line scorer and first-power play triggerman if he finds confidence in the AHL next season, even if the hype has worn off. - TD

Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

After finishing in the top ten among all NCAA players in scoring during his senior year at Minnesota, Pitlick made a big splash in his inaugural professional season with the AHL-best Milwaukee Admirals, placing fifth among all league rookies in goals (20). His energy, pacing, and shooting ability allowed him to keep a spot in the top five of all prospects in the Predators system for the third straight year.

A terrific puck-pursuit hybrid forward, the 23-year-old boasts high-grade speed that compliments his aggressive, relentless forechecking style without the puck, but with it, he can be a dynamic puck-handler with his agility and hand speed. More of a shooter than a facilitator, he likes to set up in the slot or faceoff circle to let loose a quickly-released slap shot or accurate, hard wrister, but he can also slow down the game in the offensive zone and find his teammates at a respectable level.

Responsible in his own zone, he has displayed the maturity and mistake-free defensive game that would help his potential to play center, rather than wing, at the NHL level. The only genuine knock on him is his size, and at 5-10”, he has shown a lack of strength around the boards; however, Nashville has made useful players out of 5-9” Viktor Arvidsson and 5-6” Rocco Grimaldi, so this might be the best organization for him. His future role as either a top-six scoring option or a third-line forechecker will be further examined down the line, but at 23, he is arguably NHL-ready at this point. - TD

David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 8)

A third-round draft pick, Farrance is an explosive offensive defenseman who has proven to be a draft day steal before even setting foot on professional ice. After playing in the USPHL in New York – where he was named the USPHL U-16 defenseman of the year twice and the most valuable player once, he joined the USNTDP, and represented the US at both the U-17 World Hockey Championship and the U-18 World Junior Championship.

As a freshman at Boston University, Farrance scored just nine points. But he stayed in college, and the development opportunities paid off. By his third year, he led the country in scoring by defensemen. He was named to the All-American first team, New England’s best defenseman and was a Hobey Baker finalist.

Farrance is an extreme offensive threat. His speed is blistering and he can blow past defenders easily, one aspect that makes him such a threat. He played on his team’s first power play unit, and is an excellent asset on the man-advantage because of his ability to cycle the puck. He is almost impossible to contain in the offensive zone. He sees the ice very well and is capable of making good plays in difficult situations.

He isn’t exactly small but is more of a finesse player than a physical player, although he is not afraid to use his body. Farrance also has really soft hands and the puck seems to float on his stick. He projects to be at least on a second-line pairing at the highest level. - JS

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

He is a competitive, sizeable center who plays a strong two-way game. He is dependable on both sides of the puck, has good vision and displays awareness. A good playmaker with quality passing skills and swift hands to carry the puck up the ice, he can make flashy plays and has an accurate wrist shot. He can be utilized on special teams. While he does not have blazing speed, he reads the game well and knows where to go to be effective.

Parssinen fell all the way to the late seventh round in the 2019 draft, possibly due to injury concerns. Since the draft, his progress has made the Predators look very smart. He could be a steal of a draft pick when all is said and done. - MB

Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 13)

An impressive puck-mover who has started to use his improving skating speed more to impact things offensively, the 23-year-old is an intelligent passer and a reliable option to move the puck out of the defensive zone and through center. Smart and with a long stick, his gaps close fast, and he generally plays opposing forwards against the boards rather than letting them get inside position.

A power play quarterback, he can stand to improve his shot and his ability to pass through traffic. He is a near fully ready bottom-four blueliner who can contribute in a multitude of ways. - TD

Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

The toolkit has always been interesting: a 6-2” power forward with blazing fast hands and creative ways of finding angles for shots, he also found confidence and assertiveness for the first time as a top-six centerman with the Admirals last season.

Excelling in breaking down defenses and making plays within and when entering the offensive zone, he is deadly at even strength as an independent contractor who consistently creates offensive chances for himself and by himself.

Physically, he is difficult to take off the puck and has superb momentum with his body. While he is not particularly quick, he is a decent enough skater to be a depth scorer in the NHL, although he doesn’t seem to be a factor defensively. He will need to back this season up with another in the AHL, especially as he was not all too effective in his NHL run, but he has made a name for himself. - TD

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88^th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Pre-season: UR)

Picked up for a mere seventh-round pick in 2021 after a publicized fallout with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ingram shined in his first season in the Nashville farm system, representing Milwaukee in the AHL All-Star Game and placing third among qualified goalies in GAA and save percentage. What the 6-1” netminder lacks in size and utility, he more than makes up for in technical refinement and athleticism. The highly skilled goalie has quick feet, guards post-to-post well, and leverages his lack of size by playing primarily at the lip of the crease to maximize coverage. He does not often overplay pucks or overreact to defensive breakdowns in front of him and makes the saves he needs to.

I wouldn’t expect Ingram to immediately overtake Rinne, a fan favorite deserving of loyalty from the franchise, but the time will come soon with more seasoning in the AHL. - TD

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109^th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 12)

Del Gaizo, a fourth-round draft pick, is an offensive defenseman. He spent two years in the USHL and in 2017-18 led all league defensemen in goals scored. He then joined UMass, where he helped send the Minutemen to a national championship game — literally, as he led all freshman on the team in scoring and he potted the game-winning goal in the 2019 national semifinal game. Del Gaizo was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team for his efforts.

He has a quick and accurate shot and his slapshot is especially hard. His passes are direct, and he handles the puck well. Not only can he contribute offensively, but he has a calm demeanor on the backcheck. He is still raw but has the tools to become a lower-pairing defenseman at this highest level. - JS

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192^nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Pre-season: 6)

His 5-11” frame should be a detriment for someone as physical as he is, but his upper-body strength and willingness to engage with his body compensates for a lack of size. His hockey sense on offense also allows him to be a useful defender, anticipating the movement of opposing forwards and keeping them in front of him most times. He can be prone to a turnover, a side effect of a risky offensive defenseman, but his puck play is generally good.

His skating looks poor against AHL competition though, and at 23 with years of high-level hockey already behind him, we can’t be confident his speed and overall mobility will improve. Regardless, he is a solid depth defense prospect with some promising offensive skill. - TD

Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

The versatile forward has seen his point totals fluctuate from 22 to 10 to 20 in three years with the Fighting Hawks. If you catch him on the right day, he plays with positive, disruptive energy. He can demonstrate soft hands and still flashes the ability to take over a shift with skill and decisiveness. He simply doesn’t do that often enough.

As of this writing, Mismash is expected to return to North Dakota for a senior season, before he forces Nashville to offer him a contract or lose his rights. He still has the potential to be a bottom-line contributor. - RW

Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

Kondelik isn’t a prolific scorer, but he is a solid power forward. He is a good skater especially considering his size (6-7”) and can motor up the ice. He sees the ice well and makes direct passes and feeds in difficult positions and through traffic. He is not the shiftiest, but he can still buy time and space for himself. Kondelik is also good at protecting the puck. He has bottom six upside and his size will win him multiple chances to achieve it. - JS

Spencer Stastney, D (131^stoverall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

As impressive as his added offensive punch was, the key to Stastney’s game is continuing to defend well without any real semblance of a physical game. Small and slight, he comes by the lack of physicality honestly, but he has thus far made up for it with tight coverage, good one-on-one tracking ability and heady clock management.

Stastney might be able to contribute to a second power play unit at a higher level but represents a good organizational asset even if he just maxes out as a safe third pairing defender with only even strength duties. - RW

Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 10)

Harper represented the U.S. in the World Junior Championship in both his freshman and sophomore season, before his injury troubles, and was a part of the gold medal squad in the former season. Harper is very fast, which is a boon offensively but also defensively as he has no issues backchecking. He also appeared on the team’s first power play unit. At 5-7” he is small but is still able to effectively avoid opponents. He also has good hockey sense.

The fifth-round pick opted to sign with Nashville despite an option to become a free agent following graduation and will face his next challenge next season, in the AHL. - JS

Juuso Pärssinen – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2025-26 NHL YEARBOOK – NEW YORK RANGERS – Team Preview/Player Profiles/Predictions

FORWARDS

DEFENSE

Goal

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Forwards

Filip Forsberg - LW

Ryan O’Reilly - C

Tommy Novak - C

Gustav Nyquist - LW

Cody Glass - C

Yakov Trenin - LW

Denis Gurianov - RW

Colton Sissons - C

Phillip Tomasino - RW

Defense

Roman Josi - D

Tyson Barrie - D

Ryan McDonagh - D

Alex Carrier - D

Goaltending

Juuse Saros - G

NHL: CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Konecny is the Hottest Player in the League – The Good and the Bad of Nashville Predators Prospects, The High-scoring Seattle Kraken – Kevin Hayes bounces back and much more.

NHL:CULLEN – 20 FANTASY POINTS – Slow Starters Rounding into Form, Rookies Stepping into Spotlight

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – Top 20 Prospects

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: NASHVILLE PREDATORS – RANK: #18 – TIER III

WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP – FINLAND: Well Balanced Team with Medal Aspirations

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Nashville Predators Top 20 Prospects

Yaroslav Askarov, G (11th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Philip Tomasino, C (24th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Rem Pitlick, C (76th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 4)

Luke Evangelista, RW (42nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

David Farrance, D (92nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Yakov Trenin, LW (55th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 7)

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 8)

Alexandre Carrier, D (115th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 9)

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Previous ranking: 11)

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, LW (202nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Grant Mismash, C (61st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Jachym Kondelik, C (111th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Spencer Stastney, D (131st overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Patrick Harper, C (138th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 15)

Adam Wilsby, D (101st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – NASHVILLE PREDATORS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 23

Nashville Predators

Philip Tomasino, C (24th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Rem Pitlick, C (76th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

David Farrance, D (92nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 8)

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

Alexandre Carrier, D (115th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 13)

Yakov Trenin, LW (55th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Pre-season: UR)

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 12)

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Pre-season: 6)

Grant Mismash, C (61st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

Jachym Kondelik, C (111th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)

Spencer Stastney, D (131st overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrick Harper, C (138th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 10)

Yaroslav Askarov, G (11^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Philip Tomasino, C (24^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 1)

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 2)

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 4)

Luke Evangelista, RW (42^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 5)

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 6)

Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 7)

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88^th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Previous ranking: 8)

Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 9)

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 10)

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192^nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Previous ranking: 11)

Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, LW (202^nd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 12)

Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 13)

Spencer Stastney, D (131^stoverall, 2018. Previous ranking: 14)

Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 15)

Adam Wilsby, D (101^st overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Philip Tomasino, C (24^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Egor Afanasyev, RW/C (45^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 4)

Eeli Tolvanen, LW (30^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Rem Pitlick, C (76^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

David Farrance, D (92^nd overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 8)

Juuso Parssinen, LW (210^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 14)

Alexandre Carrier, D (115^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 13)

Yakov Trenin, LW (55^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: UR)

Connor Ingram, G (Trade: Jun. 14, 2019. Originally: 88^th overall, 2016 [Tampa Bay]. Pre-season: UR)

Marc Del Gaizo, D (109^th overall, 2019. Pre-season: 12)

Jeremy Davies, D (Trade: Jun 22, 2019. Originally: 192^nd overall, 2016 [New Jersey]. Pre-season: 6)

Grant Mismash, C (61^st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 16)

**Jachym Kondelik, C (111^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 15)**

Spencer Stastney, D (131^stoverall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Patrick Harper, C (138^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 10)