Kyle Capobianco – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – NHL Player Profiles

Scott Cullen – Forwards and Defense, Catherine Silverman - Goaltending — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 22:27:36 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 18: Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) stickhandles across the blue line during the Winnipeg Jets versus Washington Capitals National Hockey League game on January 18, 2022 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

FORWARDS

Mark Scheifele

Winnipeg’s No.1 center has questionable defensive impacts, and that might be the kind way to put it, but he is also an elite point producer, scoring at least one point per game in each of the past six seasons. Scheifele has played more than 20 minutes per game for six straight seasons as well and even if his defensive play is not ideal, the Jets have outscored opponents by 29 goals with Scheifele on the ice during 5-on-5 play over the past six seasons, though Scheifele was outscored last season at 5-on-5 for the first time in his career. He is a high percentage finisher, scoring on 18.3% of his shots in the past six seasons, the fifth highest shooting percentage in the league among players that have appeared in at least 100 games over that time. Considering how consistently Scheifele has surpassed a point per game, that is a fair expectation for him this season. Maybe he won’t play in every game, but 75 points would be a sensible target.

Kyle Connor

One of the premier goal-scoring wingers in the league, Connor had 47 goals last season and he generated more than four shots on goal per game last season for the first time in his career. A quick and creative winger, Connor can either drift into soft spots in the zone to find openings from which to unleash a quick wrist shot, or he can dart into open space and score in transition. He is an equal opportunity finisher. In the past five seasons, Connor has accrued 176 goals, which ranks sixth in the league, so he has established that he is an elite goal-scorer. The trouble is that his offensive contributions get mitigated by subpar defensive results. For all of the goals that Connor scores, the last time the Jets outscored the opposition at 5-on-5 with Connor on the ice was in 2017-2018. Although he is lean and not physically imposing, Connor’s defensive play could be improved with better focus and commitment to positioning. He did win the Lady Byng Trophy last season, recording just four penalty minutes in 79 games. There are defensive issues when it comes to evaluating his game as a whole, but Connor is a game-breaking offensive performer, a reasonable bet to score 40 goals and 80 points this season.

Nikolaj Ehlers

A spectacular skater who drives play like few other wingers in the league, Ehlers has surpassed 20 goals for six straight seasons, and the Jets have outshot and outscored the opposition every year of Ehlers’ career. He generated a career-high 3.95 shots per game last season and while his scoring totals are not tops on the team, Ehlers is the most dangerous player on the Jets and does not pad his numbers on the power play. He scored 46 of his 55 points last season at even strength and has never had more than 13 power play points in a season. But Ehlers is dominant at evens. There are 218 forwards that have played at least 2000 5-on-5 minutes in the past three seasons. From that group, only the Boston Bruins duo of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand have a better relative Corsi percentage than Ehlers’ +6.6 CFRel%. In addition to dominant possession numbers, Ehlers should be in the range of 30 goals and 60 points this season.

Pierre-Luc Dubois

While there was some drama in the offseason relating to Dubois’ future in Winnipeg, he is still with the Jets and that gives the team a chance to be competitive this season. He just scored 28 goals and 60 points with strong possession numbers. Dubois, who scored a total of four power play goals in the previous four seasons, tallied 15 goals with the man advantage in 2021-2022. He is an impact player and could produce even more considering that his 5-on-5 shooting percentage last season was 5.6%, easily the lowest mark of his career. A 6-foot-3 center who is a strong skater and enough of a physical presence to dominate along the boards when he is on top of his game, Dubois drew 50 penalties last season, tied with Connor McDavid for most in the league. He could push 60 points again and it would be another very successful season.

Blake Wheeler

Even at 35 years old, Wheeler continues to contribute offensively. The 6-foot-5 winger had 60 points in 65 games last season, but the Jets have not outscored the opposition during 5-on-5 play with Wheeler on the ice since 2017-2018. Since 2017-2018, Wheeler has 111 power play assists, which is tied with Jonathan Huberdeau for second among forwards, behind only Connor McDavid. The challenge for the Jets would seem to be managing Wheeler’s ice time, as he played 19:32 per game last season, a higher average time on ice than he had in the prior two seasons and a possible indictment of Winnipeg’s forward depth. While Wheeler is not the impact player that he was during his peak years, he remains a productive scorer, and has scored at least 60 points in eight of his past nine seasons, with the shortened 2020-2021 season the only exception, so Wheeler could still be expected to produce points at that level this season.

Adam Lowry

At 6-foot-5, Lowry is a physically imposing checking center, who has won 54.4% of his faceoffs in the past five seasons. He uses his size effectively and has gone over 200 hits four times in his career. Lowry’s offensive contributions are limited, however, as he has never scored 30 points in an NHL season, and it might even be optimistic for the 29-year-old to hit that mark. Limited scoring and big hit totals are the expectation for Lowry, and he knows his role, so that’s what he provides.

Mason Appleton

The Jets traded to get Appleton back from the Seattle Kraken after losing him in the expansion draft and the 26-year-old winger played more than 16 minutes per game after returning to Winnipeg, though he managed just four points in 19 games. While the production wasn’t there, it might be encouraging for Appleton’s role with the Jets that he was playing that much down the stretch last season. He is a checking winger who helps to drive play and has a positive goal differential despite starting more of his shifts in the defensive zone. Appleton has enough skill to contribute secondary offense and that could mean 12-15 goals and 25-30 points.

Dominic Toninato

A 28-year-old journeyman forward, Toninato appeared in a career-high 77 games for the Jets last season, contributing a career-high seven goals and 14 points. Among the 245 players to appear in at least 75 games last season, Toninato had the lowest average time on ice (8:24). Extremely one dimensional, Toninato can hold his own defensively but contributes so little offensively that he is a prime candidate to get replaced in the Jets lineup whenever a prospect is deemed ready for the job.

Jansen Harkins

Another checking winger who can fill a defensive role but with little offensive contribution, Harkins is a high-energy player who played a career-high 77 games last season but, like Toninato, is a candidate to get replaced in the lineup unless he finds a way to offer a greater contribution. Harkins has never been a big goal scorer but has had some moments of point production with a disproportionate number of assists. In the NHL, though, he is not going to get the opportunity to play with players that will notably increase his scoring totals.

DEFENSE

Josh Morrissey

After a down season in 2020-2021, Morrissey rebounded last season with the most productive season of his career, re-establishing his place atop Winnipeg’s defensive depth chart. He had a career high 12 goals and 37 points while registering a career high 150 hits and playing a career-high 23:40 per game. It was his fourth straight season logging more than 22 minutes per game on the Winnipeg blueline. His defensive results bounced back significantly from a 2020-2021 season in which he had the worst defensive impacts of his career. Given his role on the Jets power play, where he scored 15 points with the man advantage last season, Morrissey could still be counted on for 35 total points this season.

Neal Pionk

The right-shot defenseman was surprisingly effective in his first two years with the Jets but struggled last season, his game seemingly slipping after an early December game against Toronto when Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza caught him in the head with a knee. Pionk had 16 points in 24 points at that stage of the season and then managed three assists in his next 20 games. Overall, Pionk still finished with 34 points, but his possession numbers were easily the worst of his three seasons in Winnipeg. While he is not big, listed at 6-foot, 190 pounds, Pionk plays a robust physical game, registering more than 130 hits in four consecutive seasons, including the shortened 2020-2021 campaign. If Pionk can re-group, he can still be a productive part of the Winnipeg blueline, as he has proven he can handle a significant role and a 40-point season could still be within reach for the 27-year-old blueliner.

Nate Schmidt

For the fifth straight season, Schmidt logged more than 20 minutes per game and finished with 32 points, the fourth time in the past five seasons that he scored at least 30 points. He has been moving around in recent seasons, with stops in Vegas, Vancouver, and Winnipeg after starting his career in Washington. Schmidt is very well mannered on the ice, never having exceeded 16 penalty minutes in any of his nine NHL seasons. He saw a spike in offensive zone starts with the move to Winnipeg, with 56.2% offensive zone starts for the Jets after 35.2% offensive zone starts in Vancouver the year before. That deployment naturally worked in his favor and his possession results improved even if Schmidt’s 5-on-5 goal differential (-13) was the worst of his career. The 31-year-old is a strong skater who can move the puck and, even if he has some defensive deficiencies, Schmidt should contribute 30 points this season.

Brenden Dillon

A thumper on the Jets blueline, Dillon recorded 20 points for the third time in his career, but the 6-foot-4 31-year-old defender also delivered a career-high 212 hits. That physical presence, combined with good mobility for his size makes Dillon a solid contributor on the Jets blueline. Dillon’s track record as a defender is excellent but his first season in Winnipeg brought relatively mediocre defensive results. He barely gets involved offensively – his 1.08 shots on goal per game last season was his highest per-game rate since 2017-2018 – so those defensive results need to be better, but the Jets should give Dillon a chance to bounce back and if he provides 20 points along with better defensive results, that would be of serious value to a Jets team that is still seeking stability on the blueline.

GOALTENDING

Connor Hellebuyck

The Winnipeg Jets paid a lot of lip service to the premise of a tandem in net over the first half of starter Connor Hellebuyck’s career. But with each passing year, they’ve abandoned the idea more – and by the 2021-22 season, the 29-year old Michigan native was one of the most heavily-deployed goaltenders in the entire NHL.

Part of that is a casualty of the team’s decline on paper; they’ve gone from looking like a legitimate threat to a team that doesn’t seem to be much of a surefire guarantee to make the playoffs at all, and their need to grind out points in as many games as they can has left them desperate to utilize Hellebuyck’s game-changing style as often as they possibly can. But the toll certainly seems to show up the more often the Jets rely upon Hellebuyck without giving him time to recover, and his numbers last year reflected that. For the first time since the 2016-17 season, Hellebuyck failed to finish last year among the league’s most successful performers; for just the third time since becoming a full-time NHL starter, he didn’t receive a single Vezina vote. It sees all too apparent that he plays his best when he’s able to give each game his all; he thrives on being able to utilize his unique physical build to reach shots that other goaltenders wouldn’t be able to, particularly when his defense misses the mark in front of him, and that becomes significantly more of a challenge when he’s even a beat slower or forced to play even a hair more conservatively. It still speaks volumes about him that even his ‘bad’ seasons are ones that a number of other teams around the league would covet, and his ‘bad’ games are most often the fault of the defense in front of him rather than his own unforced errors. But even so, the Jets have built their team around his game – and with an inconsistent David RIttich as his new backup for the upcoming year, it appears that Jets fans will have to hope that the off-season was long enough to give Hellebuyck a chance to get himself back to one hundred percent.

Projected starts: 65-70

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: ARIZONA COYOTES – RANK: #12 – TIER III

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 15:04:29 +0000

Arizona Coyotes

Arizona has finished with their Chayka-era punishments, and they still have four-six very interesting prospects, depending on how you define these things. Next step is improving system depth.

Dylan Guenther

Dylan Guenther - RW

The former first overall selection in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft, Guenther exploded in his second full season with the Edmonton Oil Kings. This led to him becoming the 9th overall selection by Arizona, a pick acquired from Vancouver in the Oliver Ekman-Larsson trade. Guenther was an attractive piece to Arizona because of his well-rounded offensive skill set. He skates very well; he loves to have the puck on his stick as he crosses the blueline and backs down defenders well because they must respect his speed, skill, and shot. Guenther shoots the puck extremely well, with one of the most lethal releases in this year’s draft class. Guenther also possesses the creativity and hands to create for both himself and his linemates. Already at 6’1, 181lbs, Guenther also has the kind of size that is unique in skilled wingers, and this gives him an advantage in terms of leverage in puck protection.

Moving forward, Guenther will continue to improve his strength (on and off the puck), conditioning, and two-way play in order to become a reliable top six forward for the Coyotes. Look for him to return to the WHL next season where he would be a top candidate to lead the WHL in scoring with the remarkable Connor Bedard. After a really disjointed year that saw him play in only 12 WHL games, he needs to play a full year at the junior level before being a serious candidate for an NHL roster spot. After that, the sky's the limit for him as he projects as a first line NHL winger and the type of player who could contend yearly for the Art Ross Trophy and the Maurice Richard trophy. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Victor Soderstrom - D

It was an eventful season for the 2019 first round pick of the Arizona Coyotes, one that was kicked off by playing for the tradition-filled club AIK in Sweden’s second tier Allsvenskan. Soderstrom came out of the gates like gangbusters but slowed down a little bit to the tune of six points and +2 over 12 games, which had a few in the Swedish hockey scene wondering a bit after his impressive 16-point performance in the SHL the season before. His Allsvenskan season concluded with participation in the WJC, where he wore an “A” on his jersey and collected five points (all assists) in five games for a Swedish team that was knocked out by rival Finland in the quarterfinals.

A fantastic puck retriever who is incredibly confident with the puck in all situations, Arizona had Soderstrom in North America as soon as the NHL and AHL season were set to kick off. The move across the Atlantic, the first of his career, saw him start things off with the NHL club as a member of the taxi squad. A bit overwhelmed, he only got into two games with the Coyotes before being sent to their AHL affiliate for seasoning, where he ended up playing 32 games and collecting 10 points. The stint proved to be quite the learning experience, as he registered a -16 in the process, but his season did see him get into two more games with the Coyotes, where he averaged over 18 minutes of ice time per night and collected his first NHL goal and assist. There’s little doubt that Soderstrom continues to be a player Arizona will build on sooner rather than later and a summer of further upper body strengthening should have him on the fast track, perhaps as early as this fall, for a permanent roster spot. - CL

Barrett Hayton - C

It feels as if Hayton has been around forever as an NHL prospect, even if he is only 21 years of age. The former 5th overall pick and captain of Team Canada has had a fairly disjointed journey thus far. This year was no different for him. He started the year on loan in Finland, playing for Ilves, before returning to North America, where he split the season between the NHL and the AHL. At this point, the Coyotes are still waiting for Hayton’s offensive production to carry over from the OHL; he was not even at the 0.5 point per game mark this year with the Roadrunners.

However, it is way too soon to give up on this former junior star. Hayton is still a valuable prospect because of the versatility he provides. He can play in any situation or any position. He can be a net front presence because of his hands in tight and he can be an asset in puck pursuit because of his retrieval skills and puck protection ability. While his offensive upside may not be quite as high as we initially envisioned, he should still carve out a lengthy NHL career as a middle six forward. With all the moves Arizona has made this offseason, Hayton should finally secure a permanent lineup spot with the Coyotes for the upcoming season. - BO

Jan Jenik - C

Jenik had an excellent bounce back season this past year after injuring his knee at the 2020 World Junior Championships, and subsequently missing the entire second half of that year. After starting the year in Finland (much like Hayton), Jenik joined the Roadrunners when the AHL season started and performed admirably in his first pro year. He even earned a cup of coffee with Arizona and scored in both NHL games that he played in.

Jenik is a tenacious, but well-rounded offensive player. He loves to push the pace and attack in transition, exhibiting little fear as he attacks high traffic areas to put pressure on opposing defenses. Strong on his edges, Jenik is difficult to contain East/West, and the knee injury appears to have had no ill effects on his high-end agility and elusiveness. Highly skilled with the puck, Jenik is equal parts playmaker and finisher and projects as a middle six scoring option for the Coyotes. Look for him to start the season in the AHL again, and should he play well, he would earn a mid-season call up to try to secure a permanent place in the Arizona lineup. - BO

John Farinacci - C

Like a few other drafted prospects (and a few non-drafted players as well), Farinacci couldn’t play for his Ivy League team this year, as all schools under that umbrella suspended all sports due to the pandemic, so he returned to the USHL to stay active and to develop further. It worked. He only got into seven games at the league level with Muskegon, but made them count, with eight points and an off-the-puck game that was even more impressive, as he backchecked hard and demonstrated good use of a defensive stick to break up plays in his own end.

After those seven games, Farinacci left to play for Team USA at the WJC, a team he might not have made were it not for COVID-related last-minute omissions from Michigan and Boston University, but he managed to outplay a number of more highly touted players, on his way to scoring five times for the Gold Medal winning team. His goals came in a variety of looks and styles, some with brute force, some with timing, some with slick hands. Drafted with very little high-level experience to his credit, it was assumed that Farinacci would need an abundance of patience before he was ready. What he showed on a big stage last year was that he is more developed than many of us previously thought. Top six upside is still a possibility. - RW

Matias Maccelli - LW

Originally a fourth-round selection by Arizona out of the USHL, Maccelli has returned home to Finland the last two seasons and performed extremely well in Liiga with IIlves. Back-to-back 30 plus point seasons, in addition to some strong international performances, has Maccelli clawing at a roster spot with Arizona sooner, rather than later.

Maccelli’s offensive potential is huge as the 5’11 winger is a dynamo with the puck. Already one of the top offensive weapons in Finland at a young age, he is a near complete package as an offensive player. His shooting ability, creativity, quickness, and confidence with the puck are all above average. However, his play away from the puck and his decision making are still question marks. Even with Arizona rebuilding, it seems likely that Maccelli will spend some time in the AHL to start to get used to having less space to work with (having not played in North America the last two seasons), in addition to becoming a more complete player. He may just be the ultimate boom or bust prospect. If the offensive skills translate, he could be an elite top six forward. If not, he probably ends up heading back to Europe as his game is not tailored for a bottom six role. - BO

Vladislav Kolyachonok - D

A former second round selection by the Florida Panthers, Kolyachonok was acquired by Arizona recently as part of a sweetener for taking the contract of Anton Stralman, giving Florida cap relief. With the OHL on hiatus this year, Kolyachonok returned to Belarus to play in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk, where he was an everyday player. After the KHL season ended, he jumped to the AHL and finished the season with Syracuse.

Kolyachonok profiles as a reliable and suffocating defensive defender because of his strong defensive instincts and his elite mobility. Explosive in all four directions, Kolyachonok is exceptional at denying transitional attacks and at closing off space in his own zone. The question is...does he have the offensive upside to be anything more than a solid #5 who can anchor a penalty killing unit? The hope was for Kolyachonok to take a step forward in terms of offensive production and responsibility last season in Flint, but the loan to the KHL saw a reduction in both, rather than an increase. This coming season Kolyachonok will look to establish himself as a reliable two-way defender in the AHL, and if he performs well, hopefully the Coyotes can see to it that his offensive responsibilities (such as powerplay time) are increased slowly. - BO

Ivan Prosvetov - G

A massive goaltender (6’5), Prosvetov was the breakout star of the Coyotes farm system two seasons ago after a very strong pro debut with Tucson. The former Saginaw Spirit starter (OHL) followed that up with a respectable sophomore campaign that saw him act as the starter for a very weak Tucson team (he was better than the numbers would suggest). He even parlayed that into a cup of coffee with the Coyotes.

Prosvetov has always been an exciting prospect to watch because of his terrific athleticism, penchant for the highlight reel save, and his exuberant personality. The Coyotes have been working hard to help Prosvetov become less reliant on his athleticism, improving his anticipation and positioning so that he can better utilize his natural gift of size. At this point in time, the future in the Arizona crease is up for grabs. They have a fair amount of depth, but they need someone like Ivan to grab hold of a spot and prove that they can be an NHL netminder. The back-up position behind Carter Hutton will be fierce in training camp. Prosvetov will look to earn that spot, by beating out the recently acquired Josef Korenar, and continue his development at the NHL level. – BO

Josh Doan - RW

The top re-draft candidate in the 2021 draft class, Josh Doan, the son of longtime Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan, took his game to a new level this year, becoming a legitimate NHL prospect in the process. A late bloomer physically, Doan finished third in USHL scoring this year, (behind two teammates), with 70 points including 50 at even strength. The Coyotes decided, obviously, to keep it all in the family by selecting Doan early in the second round, keeping him in his home state.

He plays an assertive game with power and touch. A lot of his improvement this year can be attributed to an ability to process the game more quickly, in addition to improving his explosiveness as a skater. He is willing to play with skill at pace, allowing him to skate the puck in deep and force the defense to try to contain him. His shot is also powerful and sudden enough to beat good goalies from anywhere in the slot, which is his preferred area of attack. Committed to Arizona State for next year, it won’t take much more for him to profile as a middle six winger, with enough off-puck capability to play on a depth line as well. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Janis Moser - D

A breakout campaign in the NL (Switzerland’s top league) with EHC Biel-Bienne saw Moser enter the 2021 draft as one of the top re-entry candidates in his final year of draft eligibility. The Arizona Coyotes were obviously impressed with his star-studded turn in Switzerland (and his performance internationally) as they selected him in the second round. His offensive production (30 points in 48 games), in combination with his impact at both ends, saw him complete one of the most impressive, if not the most impressive, U21 season in league history.

Moser combines excellent sense and vision with strong mobility to be an impact player at both ends. While there is no question that he will likely need to bulk up to be a quality NHL player (currently listed at 172lbs), Moser does have the potential to be an impact, all situations defender for the Coyotes in the relatively near future. He has already inked his ELC with Arizona and is likely to make a push for a roster spot at the Coyotes’ upcoming training camp. This is a rebuilding club, so it would be shocking to see Moser go the entire season without seeing some sort of NHL action. - McKeen’s Draft Guide 2021

Kyle Capobianco - D

Now 24, this is a make-or-break season for the smooth skating, two-way defender as he gets (presumably) his final chance to crack the Coyotes roster full time. Given the state of the team’s rebuild, it seems likely that he does, but can he prove himself worthy of a spot long term?

Ty Emberson - D

Emberson turned pro this past season after captaining the Wisconsin Badgers as a junior. His offensive game has never truly developed, but he is a right shot defender with size, mobility, and physicality. After a few AHL seasons, he could push for a spot on Arizona’s third pairing.

Aku Raty - RW

The brother of 2021 selection Aatu, Aku is a hard-working two-way winger out of the Karpat program in Finland. His development stalled a bit this past season, but he will return to Liiga this year and look to take on more offensive responsibility to prove to Arizona that he deserves an ELC.

Carson Bantle - LW

2020/21 was a year to forget for the lanky winger as he struggled in his freshman year for Michigan Tech. So much so that he has transferred to Wisconsin. Drafted as a long-term project, the Coyotes are going to need to wait a few years to see what they have in Bantle.

Liam Kirk - LW

Talk about a breakout performance! Liam Kirk was the talk of the World Championships after scoring 7 goals for Great Britain, earning him an ELC with Arizona. The former Peterborough Pete can really shoot the puck and he will try to make an impact as a rookie in the AHL this coming season.

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

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 17:09:56 +0000

These are our final prospect ranking prior to the start of the season. As a subscriber you can download the list in an excel chart and can link to the player pages in the chart found here. As always, the rankings you see below are based on our 20-80 scouting system looking at five categories for skaters (Skating, Shot, Puck Skills, Hockey Smarts, Physicality) and six for netminders (Athleticism/Quickness/Speed, Compete/Temperament, Vision/Play Reading, Technique/Style, Rebound Control, Puck Handling). Our prospect team spent large portions of their last few months pre-COVID in the rinks, watching the players below and many others, and further work on video (Instat Hockey has been a terrific resource in recent days) before passing judgement on their future projections.

The 20-80 scouting system is meant to allow players from different leagues in different parts of the world to be compared to one another, such that grades on a player in the OHL can be directly compared to grades from an AHL player, and to grades of someone playing in the MHL.

PROSPECT CRITERIA

Players under 26 years of age as of the September 15th prior (Sep. 15, 1994) to the season in question who have appeared in less than 60 NHL games (30 for goalies) and less than 35 in any one season – or 25 last year (20 for goalies, 15 last season) are considered prospects

RANK	PLAYER	NHL	POS	AGE	HT/WT	ACQUIRED
1	Alexis Lafreniere	NYR	LW	19	6-1/195	`20(1st)
2	Tim Stutzle	Ott	C	18	6-1/185	`20(3rd)
3	Quinton Byfield	LA	C	18	6-4/215	`20(2nd)
4	Trevor Zegras	Ana	C	19	6-0/170	`19(9th)
5	Kirill Kaprizov	Min	LW	23	5-10/200	`15(135th)
6	Lucas Raymond	Det	LW	18	5-11/170	`20(4th)
7	Dylan Cozens	Buf	C	19	6-3/185	`19(7th)
8	Bowen Byram	Col	D	19	6-0/195	`19(4th)
9	Peyton Krebs	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`19(17th)
10	Jake Sanderson	Ott	D	18	6-1/185	`20(5th)
11	Moritz Seider	Det	D	19	6-3/185	`19(6th)
12	Jamie Drysdale	Ana	D	18	5-11/175	`20(6th)
13	Igor Shesterkin	NYR	G	25	6-1/190	`14(118th)
14	Alexander Holtz	NJ	RW	18	6-0/190	`20(7th)
15	Cole Perfetti	Wpg	LW	19	5-10/180	`20(10th)
16	Marco Rossi	Min	C	19	5-9/185	`20(9th)
17	Vasili Podkolzin	Van	RW	19	6-1/190	`19(10th)
18	Victor Soderstrom	Ari	D	19	5-11/180	`19(11th)
19	Nick Robertson	Tor	LW	19	5-9/160	`19(53rd)
20	Cole Caufield	Mtl	RW	19	5-7/165	`19(15th)
21	Yaroslav Askarov	Nsh	G	18	6-3/175	`20(11th)
22	Spencer Knight	Fla	G	19	6-3/195	`19(13th)
23	Philip Broberg	Edm	D	19	6-3/200	`19(8th)
24	Jack Quinn	Buf	RW	19	6-0/180	`20(8th)
25	Matthew Boldy	Min	LW	19	6-1/190	`19(12th)
26	Nils Lundkvist	NYR	D	20	5-11/180	`18(28th)
27	Seth Jarvis	Car	RW	18	5-10/175	`20(13th)
28	Ty Smith	NJ	D	20	5-10/180	`18(17th)
29	Grigori Denisenko	Fla	LW	20	5-11/185	`18(15th)
30	Barrett Hayton	Ari	C	20	6-1/190	`18(5th)
31	Alex Newhook	Col	C	19	5-10/195	`19(16th)
32	Thomas Harley	Dal	D	19	6-3/190	`19(18th)
33	Alex Turcotte	LA	C	19	5-11/185	`19(5th)
34	Vitali Kravtsov	NYR	RW	21	6-3/185	`18(9th)
35	Philip Tomasino	Nsh	C	19	5-11/180	`19(24th)
36	Connor McMichael	Wsh	C	19	5-11/175	`19(25th)
37	Dawson Mercer	NJ	C	19	6-0/180	`20(18th)
38	Ilya Sorokin	NYI	G	25	6-2/180	`14(78th)
39	Gabriel Vilardi	LA	RW	21	6-3/200	`17(11th)
40	Ryan Merkley	SJ	D	20	5-11/170	`18(21st)
41	Alexander Romanov	Mtl	D	20	5-11/185	`18(38th)
42	Kaiden Guhle	Mtl	D	18	6-2/190	`20(16th)
43	Samuel Poulin	Pit	LW	19	6-1/205	`19(21st)
44	K'Andre Miller	NYR	D	20	6-3/205	`18(22nd)
45	Scott Perunovich	StL	D	22	5-10/175	`18(45th)
46	Evan Bouchard	Edm	D	21	6-2/195	`18(10th)
47	Braden Schneider	NYR	D	19	6-2/200	`20(19th)
48	Juuso Valimaki	Cgy	D	22	6-2/205	`17(16th)
49	Cam York	Phi	D	19	5-11/175	`19(14th)
50	Anton Lundell	Fla	C	19	6-1/185	`20(12th)
51	Morgan Frost	Phi	C	21	5-11/180	`17(27th)
52	Owen Tippett	Fla	RW	21	6-1/200	`17(10th)
53	Albert Johansson	Det	D	19	5-11/165	`19(60th)
54	Liam Foudy	CBJ	C	20	6-0/175	`18(18th)
55	Kieffer Bellows	NYI	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(19th)
56	Arthur Kaliyev	LA	RW	19	6-2/190	`19(33rd)
57	Oliver Wahlstrom	NYI	RW	20	6-1/205	`18(11th)
58	Nils Hoglander	Van	RW	20	5-9/185	`19(40th)
59	Matias Maccelli	Ari	LW	20	5-11/170	`19(98th)
60	Tobias Bjornfot	LA	D	19	6-0/200	`19(22nd)
61	Jacob Bernard-Docker	Ott	D	20	6-0/180	`18(26th)
62	Connor Zary	Cgy	C	19	6-0/180	`20(24th)
63	Dominik Bokk	Car	RW	20	6-1/180	T(StL-9/19)
64	Ryan Suzuki	Car	C	19	6-0/180	`19(28th)
65	Dylan Samberg	Wpg	D	21	6-3/190	`17(43rd)
66	Jake Bean	Car	D	22	6-1/175	`16(13th)
67	Josh Norris	Ott	C	21	6-1/195	T(SJ-9/18)
68	Rasmus Kupari	LA	C	20	6-1/185	`18(20th)
69	Jakob Pelletier	Cgy	LW	19	5-9/165	`19(26th)
70	Drake Batherson	Ott	RW	22	6-1/190	`17(121st)
71	Jan Jenik	Ari	RW	20	6-1/180	`18(65th)
72	John-Jason Peterka	Buf	LW	18	5-11/190	`20(34th)
73	Kirill Marchenko	CBJ	LW	20	6-3/190	`18(49th)
74	Bode Wilde	NYI	D	20	6-2/195	`18(41st)
75	John Beecher	Bos	C	19	6-3/210	`19(30th)
76	Tyler Madden	LA	C	21	5-10/155	T(Van-2/20)
77	Jack Studnicka	Bos	C	21	6-1/170	`17(53rd)
78	Jake Oettinger	Dal	G	22	6-4/210	`17(26th)
79	Alex Formenton	Ott	LW	21	6-2/165	`17(47th)
80	Matthew Robertson	NYR	D	19	6-3/200	`19(49th)
81	Calen Addison	Min	D	20	5-10/180	T(Pit-2/20)
82	Ty Dellandrea	Dal	C	20	6-0/185	`18(13th)
83	Akil Thomas	LA	C	20	5-11/170	`18(51st)
84	Mavrik Bourque	Dal	C	18	5-10/180	`20(30th)
85	Ian Mitchell	Chi	D	21	5-11/175	`17(57th)
86	Jason Robertson	Dal	LW	21	6-2/195	`17(39th)
87	Hendrix Lapierre	Wsh	C	18	5-11/180	`20(22nd)
88	Brendan Brisson	VGK	C	19	5-11/180	`20(29th)
89	Theodor Niederbach	Det	C	18	5-11/175	`20(51st)
90	Zac Jones	NYR	D	20	5-10/175	`19(68th)
91	Robert Mastrosimone	Det	LW	19	5-10/160	`19(54th)
92	Joe Veleno	Det	C	20	6-1/195	`18(30th)
93	Rodion Amirov	Tor	LW	19	6-0/170	`20(15th)
94	Jake Neighbours	StL	LW	18	5-11/195	`20(26th)
95	Julien Gauthier	NYR	RW	23	6-4/225	T(Car-2/20)
96	Justus Annunen	Col	G	20	6-4/215	`18(64th)
97	Egor Zamula	Phi	D	20	6-4/175	FA(9/18)
98	Shane Pinto	Ott	C	20	6-2/190	`19(32nd)
99	Noel Gunler	Car	RW	19	6-2/175	`20(41st)
100	Ridly Greig	Ott	C	18	5-11/165	`20(28th)
101	Jesse Ylonen	Mtl	RW	21	6-1/185	`18(35th)
102	Samuel Fagemo	LA	RW	20	6-0/195	`19(50th)
103	Mattias Norlinder	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`19(64th)
104	Olli Juolevi	Van	D	22	6-3/200	`16(5th)
105	Kristian Vesalainen	Wpg	LW	21	6-3/205	`17(24th)
106	Raphael Lavoie	Edm	RW	20	6-4/195	`19(38th)
107	Jan Mysak	Mtl	C	18	5-11/180	`20(49th)
108	Cayden Primeau	Mtl	G	21	6-3/180	`17(199th)
109	Pavel Dorofeyev	VGK	LW	20	6-1/170	`19(79th)
110	Morgan Barron	NYR	C	22	6-2/200	`17(174th)
111	Ville Heinola	Wpg	D	19	5-11/180	`19(20th)
112	Dylan Holloway	Edm	C	19	6-0/205	`20(14th)
113	Jack Dugan	VGK	RW	22	6-2/185	`17(142nd)
114	Alexander Khovanov	Min	C	20	5-11/195	`18(86th)
115	Jacob Perreault	Ana	RW	18	5-11/195	`20(27th)
116	Jake Evans	Mtl	C	24	6-0/185	`14(207th)
117	Adam Beckman	Min	LW	19	6-1/170	`19(75th)
118	Jett Woo	Van	D	20	6-0/205	`18(37th)
119	Nolan Foote	NJ	LW	20	6-3/190	T(TB-2/20)
120	Logan Brown	Ott	C	22	6-6/220	`16(11th)
121	Martin Kaut	Col	RW	21	6-1/175	`18(16th)
122	Jack Rathbone	Van	D	21	5-10/175	`17(95th)
123	Ozzy Wiesblatt	SJ	RW	18	5-10/185	`20(31st)
124	Ryan O'Rourke	Min	D	18	6-0/180	`20(39th)
125	Lukas Reichel	Chi	LW	18	6-0/170	`20(17th)
126	Jordan Harris	Mtl	D	20	5-11/180	`18(71st)
127	Lukas Dostal	Ana	G	20	6-1/170	`18(85th)
128	Egor Afanasyev	Nsh	RW	19	6-3/205	`19(45th)
129	Conor Timmins	Col	D	22	6-1/185	`17(32nd)
130	Lassi Thomson	Ott	D	20	6-0/190	`19(19th)
131	Eeli Tolvanen	Nsh	RW	21	5-10/175	`17(30th)
132	Kasper Simontaival	LA	RW	18	5-9/180	`20(66th)
133	Roni Hirvonen	Tor	C	18	5-9/165	`20(59th)
134	Thomas Bordeleau	SJ	C	18	5-9/180	`20(38th)
135	Benoit-Olivier Groulx	Ana	C	20	6-1/195	`18(54th)
136	Tyler Kleven	Ott	D	18	6-4/200	`20(44th)
137	Tyson Foerster	Phi	C	18	6-1/195	`20(23rd)
138	Helge Grans	LA	D	18	6-2/205	`20(35th)
139	Jonathan Dahlen	SJ	LW	23	5-11/185	T(Van-2/19)
140	Marat Khusnutdinov	Min	C	18	5-11/175	`20(37th)
141	Alexander Alexeyev	Wsh	D	21	6-3/200	`18(31st)
142	Pierre-Olivier Joseph	Pit	D	21	6-2/170	`17(23rd)
143	Topi Niemela	Tor	D	18	5-10/160	`20(64th)
144	Oskari Laaksonen	Buf	D	21	6-2/165	`17(89th)
145	Filip Hallander	Tor	LW	20	6-1/185	T(Pit-8/20)
146	Serron Noel	Fla	RW	20	6-5/205	`18(34th)
147	Martin Chromiak	LA	LW	18	6-0/185	`20(128th)
148	Shakir Mukhamadullin	NJ	D	18	6-3/180	`20(20th)
149	Mattias Samuelsson	Buf	D	20	6-3/215	`18(32nd)
150	Janne Kuokkanen	NJ	LW	22	6-1/190	T(Car-2/20)
151	Ryan Johnson	Buf	D	19	6-0/175	`19(31st)
152	Sean Farrell	Mtl	C	19	5-8/175	`20(124th)
153	Martin Fehervary	Wsh	D	21	6-1/190	`18(46th)
154	Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	Buf	G	21	6-4/195	`17(54th)
155	Will Lockwood	Van	RW	22	5-11/175	`16(64th)
156	Isac Lundestrom	Ana	C	21	6-0/185	`18(23rd)
157	Michael DiPietro	Van	G	21	6-0/195	`17(64th)
158	Jonatan Berggren	Det	RW	20	5-10/185	`18(33rd)
159	Kevin Bahl	NJ	D	20	6-6/230	T(Ari-12/19)
160	Aliaksei Protas	Wsh	C	19	6-5/205	`19(91st)
161	Reilly Walsh	NJ	D	21	5-11/180	`17(81st)
162	Nick Abruzzese	Tor	C	21	5-9/160	`19(124th)
163	Tyler Tucker	StL	D	20	6-1/205	`18(200th)
164	Arseni Gritsyuk	NJ	RW	19	5-10/170	`19(129th)
165	Klim Kostin	StL	C	21	6-3/195	`17(31st)
166	Brayden Tracey	Ana	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(29th)
167	Joel Hofer	StL	G	20	6-3/160	`18(107th)
168	Joey Anderson	Tor	RW	22	6-0/195	T(NJ-10/20)
169	Yegor Spiridonov	SJ	C	19	6-2/195	`19(108th)
170	Sam Colangelo	Ana	RW	19	6-1/205	`20(36th)
171	Joey Keane	Car	D	21	6-0/185	T(NYR-2/20)
172	Jared McIsaac	Det	D	20	6-1/195	`18(36th)
173	Jamieson Rees	Car	C	19	5-10/175	`19(44th)
174	Ivan Morozov	VGK	C	20	6-1/180	`18(61st)
175	Rem Pitlick	Nsh	C	23	5-11/200	`16(76th)
176	Tyce Thompson	NJ	RW	21	6-0/170	`19(96th)
177	Michael McLeod	NJ	C	22	6-2/195	`16(12th)
178	Jaret Anderson-Dolan	LA	C	21	5-11/190	`17(41st)
179	Dustin Wolf	Cgy	G	19	6-0/165	`19(214th)
180	Antti Tuomisto	Det	D	19	6-4/190	`19(35th)
181	Brett Berard	NYR	LW	18	5-9/155	`20(134th)
182	Luke Evangelista	Nsh	RW	18	5-11/170	`20(42nd)
183	Joel Blomqvist	Pit	G	18	6-1/180	`20(52nd)
184	Joni Ikonen	Mtl	C	21	5-10/170	`17(58th)
185	Olivier Rodrigue	Edm	G	20	6-1/165	`18(62nd)
186	Lucas Elvenes	VGK	RW	21	6-0/175	`17(127th)
187	Anthony Angello	Pit	RW	24	6-5/205	`14(145th)
188	Tuukka Tieksola	Car	RW	19	5-10/160	`19(121st)
189	Declan Chisholm	Wpg	D	20	6-1/190	`18(150th)
190	Cole Koepke	TB	LW	22	6-1/195	`18(183rd)
191	Valtteri Puustinen	Pit	RW	21	5-9/185	`19(203rd)
192	Ty Smilanic	Fla	C	18	6-1/175	`20(74th)
193	Patrik Puistola	Car	LW	19	6-0/175	`19(73rd)
194	Justin Barron	Col	D	19	6-2/190	`20(25th)
195	Andrew Peeke	CBJ	D	22	6-3/210	`16(34th)
196	Michael Vukojevic	NJ	D	19	6-3/210	`19(82nd)
197	Alec Regula	Chi	D	20	6-3/200	T(Det-10/19)
198	Connor Corcoran	VGK	D	20	6-1/185	`18(154th)
199	Jeremy Swayman	Bos	G	22	6-1/190	`17(111th)
200	Pyotr Kochetkov	Car	G	21	6-1/175	`19(36th)
201	Mikey Anderson	LA	D	21	6-0/195	`17(103rd)
202	Carter Savoie	Edm	LW	18	5-9/190	`20(100th)
203	Samuel Walker	TB	C	21	5-11/160	`17(200th)
204	William Wallinder	Det	D	18	6-4/190	`20(32nd)
205	Jack Drury	Car	C	20	5-11/180	`18(42nd)
206	Emil Andrae	Phi	D	18	5-9/185	`20(54th)
207	Cal Petersen	LA	G	26	6-3/190	FA(7/17)
208	Jeremie Poirier	Cgy	D	18	6-0/200	`20(72nd)
209	Tarmo Reunanen	NYR	D	22	6-0/180	`16(98th)
210	Simon Holmstrom	NYI	RW	19	6-1/185	`19(23rd)
211	Aleksi Saarela	Fla	RW	23	5-11/200	T(Chi-10/19)
212	Anton Johannesson	Wpg	D	18	5-9/155	`20(133rd)
213	Lauri Pajuniemi	NYR	RW	21	6-0/185	`18(132nd)
214	Morgan Geekie	Car	C	22	6-2/180	`17(67th)
215	Shane Bowers	Col	C	21	6-2/190	T(Ott-11/17)
216	Sasha Chmelevski	SJ	C	21	5-11/190	`17(185th)
217	Ruslan Iskhakov	NYI	C	20	5-8/155	`18(43rd)
218	Cole Schwindt	Fla	RW	19	6-2/185	`19(81st)
219	Hugo Alnefelt	TB	G	19	6-3/195	`19(71st)
220	Nikita Okhotyuk	NJ	D	20	6-1/195	`19(61st)
221	Sampo Ranta	Col	LW	20	6-2/205	`18(78th)
222	Alexander Volkov	TB	LW	23	6-1/190	`17(48th)
223	Alexander True	SJ	C	23	6-5/205	FA(7/18)
224	John Leonard	SJ	C	22	5-11/190	`18(182nd)
225	Carl Grundstrom	LA	LW	23	6-0/195	T(Tor-1/19)
226	Dmitri Semykin	TB	D	20	6-3/200	`18(90th)
227	Cal Foote	TB	D	22	6-4/215	`17(14th)
228	Jean-Luc Foudy	Col	C	18	5-11/175	`20(75th)
229	Alex Barre-Boulet	TB	C	23	5-10/165	FA(3/18)
230	Tristen Robins	SJ	RW	19	5-10/175	`20(56th)
231	Max Gildon	Fla	D	21	6-3/190	`17(66th)
232	Nikita Alexandrov	StL	C	20	6-0/180	`19(62nd)
233	Michael Benning	Fla	D	18	5-9/180	`20(95th)
234	Justin Sourdif	Fla	RW	18	5-11/175	`20(87th)
235	Tanner Laczynski	Phi	C	23	6-1/200	`16(169th)
236	Eamon Powell	TB	D	18	5-11/165	`20(116th)
237	Kaedan Korczak	VGK	D	19	6-3/190	`19(41st)
238	Drew Commesso	Chi	G	18	6-1/180	`20(47th)
239	Nikolai Kovalenko	Col	RW	21	5-10/175	`18(171st)
240	Pius Suter	Chi	C	24	5-11/170	FA(7/20)
241	Wade Allison	Phi	RW	23	6-2/205	`16(52nd)
242	Bobby Brink	Phi	RW	19	5-10/165	`19(34th)
243	Lukas Cormier	VGK	D	18	5-10/180	`20(68th)
244	David Farrance	Nsh	D	21	5-11/190	`17(92nd)
245	Roby Jarventie	Ott	RW	18	6-2/185	`20(33rd)
246	Dmitri Voronkov	CBJ	LW	20	6-4/190	`19(114th)
247	German Rubtsov	Phi	C	22	6-2/190	`16(22nd)
248	Vitaly Abramov	Ott	RW	22	5-9/175	T(CBJ-2/19)
249	Alex Laferriere	LA	RW	19	6-0/175	`20(83rd)
250	Trey Fix-Wolansky	CBJ	RW	21	5-8/185	`18(204th)
251	Isaac Ratcliffe	Phi	LW	21	6-5/200	`17(35th)
252	Kale Clague	LA	D	22	6-0/180	`16(51st)
253	Landon Slaggert	Chi	LW	18	5-11/180	`20(79th)
254	Wyatt Kalynuk	Chi	D	23	6-1/180	FA(7/20)
255	Mikko Kokkonen	Tor	D	19	5-11/200	`19(84th)
256	Kevin Mandolese	Ott	G	20	6-4/180	`18(157th)
257	Daniil Tarasov	CBJ	G	21	6-5/185	`17(86th)
258	Evan Barratt	Chi	C	21	6-0/190	`17(90th)
259	Tyler Benson	Edm	LW	22	6-0/200	`16(32nd)
260	Yegor Korshkov	Tor	RW	24	6-4/215	`16(31st)
261	Hunter Skinner	NYR	D	19	6-2/175	`19(112th)
262	Riley Damiani	Dal	C	20	5-9/165	`18(137th)
263	Ryan McLeod	Edm	C	21	6-2/205	`18(40th)
264	Ilya Konovalov	Edm	G	22	6-0/195	`19(85th)
265	Will Cuylle	NYR	LW	18	6-3/205	`20(60th)
266	Evan Vierling	NYR	C	18	6-0/165	`20(127th)
267	Emil Heineman	Fla	LW	19	6-0/180	`20(43rd)
268	Zayde Wisdom	Phi	RW	18	5-10/195	`20(94th)
269	Hunter Jones	Min	G	20	6-4/195	`19(59th)
270	Ty Tullio	Edm	RW	18	5-10/165	`20(126th)
271	Jordan Spence	LA	D	19	5-10/165	`19(95th)
272	Dmitri Zavgorodny	Cgy	LW	20	5-9/175	`18(198th)
273	Alex Beaucage	Col	RW	19	6-1/195	`19(78th)
274	Matiss Kivlenieks	CBJ	G	24	6-2/190	FA(5/17)
275	Artyom Zub	Ott	D	25	6-2/200	FA(5/20)
276	Urho Vaakanainen	Bos	D	22	6-0/185	`17(18th)
277	Dmitri Samorukov	Edm	D	21	6-2/180	`17(84th)
278	Michal Teply	Chi	LW	19	6-3/185	`19(105th)
279	Colby Ambrosio	Col	C	18	5-8/170	`20(118th)
280	Mads Sogaard	Ott	G	20	6-7/195	`19(37th)
281	Jeremy Lauzon	Bos	D	23	6-3/205	`15(52nd)
282	Dennis Gilbert	Col	D	24	6-2/200	T(Chi-10/20)
283	Trent Frederic	Bos	C	22	6-4/215	`16(29th)
284	Lucas Carlsson	Chi	D	23	6-0/190	`16(110th)
285	Zack Macewen	Van	RW	24	6-3/205	FA(3/17)
286	Brandon Hagel	Chi	LW	22	6-1/175	FA(10/18)
287	Vasily Ponomarev	Car	C	18	5-10/180	`20(53rd)
288	Jakub Zboril	Bos	D	23	6-1/200	`15(13th)
289	Garrett Pilon	Wsh	RW	22	5-11/190	`16(87th)
290	Jeremy Bracco	Car	RW	23	5-9/180	FA(10/20)
291	Dylan Sikura	VGK	RW	25	6-0/170	T(Chi-9/20)
292	Kyle Capobianco	Ari	D	23	6-1/180	`15(63rd)
293	Sami Niku	Wpg	D	24	6-0/175	`15(198th)
294	John Farinacci	Ari	C	19	5-11/185	`19(76th)
295	Jackson Lacombe	Ana	D	19	6-1/170	`19(39th)
296	David Cotton	Car	LW	23	6-3/205	`15(169th)
297	Erik Portillo	Buf	G	20	6-6/210	`19(67th)
298	Jacob Truscott	Van	D	18	6-1/170	`20(144th)
299	Mikhail Berdin	Wpg	G	22	6-2/165	`16(157th)
300	Cam Hillis	Mtl	C	20	5-10/170	`18(66th)

McKeen’s 20-21 Hockey Yearbook: Arizona Coyotes Top 20 Prospects

Sun, 15 Nov 2020 20:03:41 +0000

Arizona Coyotes

Victor Soderstrom, D (11^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 1)

One year later, Soderstrom still looks like a solid pick at the top of the 2019 draft. He took steps this season, showing more poise and stellar play in both the SHL and at the WJC, where he was one of Sweden’s top performers. He came back to Sweden after a good camp with Arizona and logged around 20 minutes per game, scoring almost half a point per game. Soderstrom is a smart two-way defenseman, calm and poised with the puck. He moves the puck well in all three zones and in all directions. He has impressive decision-making abilities for his age. In the offensive zone he maybe lacks a hard shot, but he has a nice wrist shot and can shoot while moving forward. Soderstrom’s mobility east-to-west in the offensive end really stands out. Defensively, he turns his head and reads the play well. He still can use some adjustments when his team does not have the puck, but his hockey IQ is high. I can see him stepping into the NHL within one or two seasons. He has the potential of being a strong top pair defenseman with a high end comparable to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. - JH

Barrett Hayton, C (5^th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 2)

Hayton had another up-and-down season riddled with injuries and inconsistencies that were not his fault. He has shown that he can absolutely dominate if given the right situation, as he did at the 2020 WJC. Starring as the captain of Team Canada, Hayton centered Alexis Lafreniere on the top line and finishing second in scoring with six goals and six assists in seven games. His offensive game has stepped up big time, but he already does so many other things at a high level. A 200-foot centerman who excels on the penalty kill, he is an extremely effective defensive forward who can pick off passes and defend at the blueline like a third defenseman. He is a serviceable offensive center whose muscle game down low and vision for difficult passes can generate a bounty of shots for teammates. He has deadly hands and the assertiveness to try more difficult passes that could make him a go-to playmaker in the NHL. His quickness has improved since being drafted, and he moves well enough to create lanes for his weighty wrist shot. He is a long-term top-six center and perhaps a future captain considering his maturity and leadership qualities. - TD

Matias Maccelli, LW (98^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 3)

Maccelli had an excellent rookie season with Ilves, earning the league’s rookie of the year award. His stickhandling is excellent, he can handle the puck at high speeds and maneuver in traffic. On the power play, he can execute a quick passing game, move the puck through traffic and create space. His first touch is very good as he can receive the puck, settle it and make a play very quickly. He plays with notable confidence. In addition to having high-end puck skills, he is very smart in possession. He has great instincts and vision, allowing him to see openings. He has quick feet and agility, but his top speed could be better. His overall game has improved quite significantly since playing in the USHL. That said, it would be hard to envision him in a defensive role. His defensive reliability was an occasional issue at the 2020 WJC. Moreover, at times he plays a too individualistic game. Maccelli signed his ELC with the Coyotes in the spring but will begin the 2020-21 season with Ilves on an indefinite loan. He has immense potential and will keep getting better as he elevates his physicality and gains additional strength. - MB

Jan Jenik, C (65^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 4)

Janik got off to an absolutely torrid start last season with Hamilton and was among the league’s leading scorers heading into the WJC. However, a knee injury suffered at the event sidelined him for the rest of the year. He is an absolute wizard in transition and gains the offensive zone with relative ease on most possessions. His top speed and explosiveness are only a little above average; however his edgework, puck skill, and vision are all very high end, allowing him to keep defenders guessing as he pushes them deep into their zone. Janik is also extremely aggressive, with pest-like qualities. He plays a high-risk offensive game, taking chances and looking to create through traffic, however if he turns the puck over, he is quick to engage to get it back. It would appear that he is now healed from his knee injury and will be ready for the 2020-21 training camp. So long as the injury has not weakened his skating ability/strength/stability, he should be able to move quickly through the Arizona system, projecting as a top nine forward who can be a versatile asset to the organization. - BO

Kyle Capobianco, D (63^rd overall, 2015. Previous Ranking: 5)

Capobianco has been a remarkable two-way defender in the AHL over the past three seasons. His 0.88 points per game with Tucson last season led all AHL defensemen. The 23-year-old so easily evades pressure from forecheckers and uses his speed and smarts to create offense through the center of the ice, as well as from the point. He is not the most skilled with his hands, but he is incredibly confident with the puck on his blade and likes to take defenders on one-on-one. He is a promising power-play quarterback with plus vision, incorporating his booming shot when he gets an opening. While his overall value is carried more by his offense than his defending, he has improved in his own zone. His stick-checking and foot movement keeps opposing forwards guessing and forces them to where he wants them, and he is increasingly willing to take the body against the boards and below the red line, although he will never be a top defensive defenseman. A middle-pair offensive guy who can chip in 30+ points a year and compete on the power play, I would expect Capobianco to win a job out of training camp next season. - TD

John Farinacci, C (76^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 6)

Farinacci played at many different programs around the country before the Coyotes called out his name at the 2019 draft. He played prep school hockey both in New Jersey and in Massachusetts. While he played mostly at Dexter in 2017-18, he also spent time with Muskegon in the USHL as well as five games with the USNTDP. The next season was much of the same for Farinacci, although he only played two games with the USNTDP U18 team this time. From there, Farinacci, a nephew of Harvard head coach Ted Donato, joined the Crimson. The true freshman was named to the ECAC All-Rookie team on the strength of his first-year performance. He is quick on the face-off and held a 50.3% advantage on the dot. He also appeared on the team’s second power play unit. The 6-0” forward is fast, especially on the breakout, because he moves his feet so quickly. He has quick hands and exhibits good puck handling skills. The talented forward needs a few more years on campus before he will be ready to turn pro. - JS

Aku Raty, RW (151^st overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 7)

Raty had a fine season with Karpat’s pro team and could more than keep up with the pace of the Liiga game. He impressed with his strong game at both ends of the ice in the World Juniors. A skilled winger with quick hands, he handles the puck well in tight spaces. He can stickhandle at full speed and he uses his quickness to generate zone entries. He works well on the cycle and values possession. He has a precise wrist shot and gets pucks on net from a distance. He has good technical skills, yet versatility is his greatest asset. He can play up and down the lineup, on a scoring line or checking line, and be equally effective in his role. He is smart and shows situational awareness. Raty has more offensive ability than he has shown in the Liiga so far. It is not easy to earn minutes on the strong Karpat team, but if he manages to do so, he could break out next season. – MB

Carson Bantle, LW (142^nd overall, 2020. Previous Ranking: N/A)

Bantle was the rare bright light in the perpetually moribund Madison franchise. If we focus solely on the tools, he has each and every one. If you wanted to design the ideal power winger from scratch, you could do a lot worse than using Bantle as your template. He certainly looks the part, 6-4” and broad-shouldered. Built solid and still filling out, he is already a very good skater, especially considering his size. Bantle’s style of play is also suitable for the power forward mold. He can accelerate and power through to his target. He is a strong presence in tight to the opposing crease. Typically, he will start an attack with a strong snap shot from the slot and then follow that puck to the crease to hunt for his own rebound. His plus hand-eye coordination is another net front asset, as he can get his stick on point shots for tips and deflections. His hands are quick and he can play the puck with some touch, but his puck game is on the simpler side. The Michigan Tech commit is still very raw, but the upside is tantalizing. - RW

Ivan Prosvetov, G (114^th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 8)

A hulking netminder with a freakish combination of size and athleticism, Prosvetov exhibited his potential in his first pro season, split between AHL Tucson and ECHL Rapid City. Placing fifth in save percentage (.909) and sixth in goals against average (2.88) among rookie AHLers, the 2018 fourth rounder was solid in a net shared primarily with Adin Hill. At 6-5” with high-grade quickness, and not just at his size, the Russian guards the lower half of the net beautifully and rarely gets beat on pad-level shots with his long, lanky body stretching out to defend. Highly active in the net, he makes multiple saves in a single sequence with ease if necessary, sliding around the crease quickly and with good positioning. Sometimes a bit too active, he is still prone to the occasional bad read or a lack of shift-to-shift focus, which is somewhat understandable from someone so young. He has the potential to be an NHL starter, but it will take time and patience. - TD

Tyler Steenbergen, C (128^th overall, 2017. Previous Ranking: 9)

A WHL offensive powerhouse in his four years with Swift Current, Steenbergen’s scoring prowess didn’t make the jump with him, scoring at under half a point per game. His defensive game, on the other hand, has evolved from decent side-value to his main attraction; he has transitioned to a shutdown center with a speedy 200-foot game who pressures opposing forwards into making mistakes and turning the puck over. An above-average skater, he can bring the puck from end to end and make plays through center coupled with his high-end vision and smarts. He can finish from mid- to long-distance pretty consistently, giving him power play value. He is not dynamic enough to create space for his own shots and defers mostly to his teammates after drawing space for them. An improving penalty killer, Steenbergen is a modern PK forward in that he uses his speed and skill, rather than size, to kill off time. He is a bit of a tweener in that his ceiling looks to be fourth-line center, but he doesn’t quite have the size for it. With more AHL seasoning, maybe his projection will be clearer. - TD

Axel Bergqvist, D (200^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 10)

Bergkvist had a very successful first (and only) season in the OHL, playing for the Kitchener Rangers. It took him a month or so to really adjust, but in the second half (with the Rangers surging as a team), he established himself as one of the better offensive defenders in the league. His mobility is a major asset. He is so elusive with the puck because of his ability to stop/start and uses his edges. This makes him very difficult to pin down in the defensive end and as such, a major asset to transitional play. Bergkvist also possesses excellent vision when operating the point, be it at even strength or running the powerplay. He understands how to use his quickness to jump into shooting lanes, or to create alternate passing angles. The question is, given his lack of size (5-9”), can Bergkvist defend adequately enough at even strength to be an NHL defender? He keeps a wide base and is pretty strong, however it remains to be seen just how effective he can be at the pro level against consistently bigger forwards. His projection is probably that of a third pairing offensive defender who can also work the powerplay. - BO

Ty Emberson, D (73^rd overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 11)

In a system overflowing with high skill players, Emberson is cut from a different cloth entirely. It isn’t that Emberson has nothing to contribute to the offense, but his contributions are generally in the range of carrying the puck out of his own zone and protecting it all the way into the offensive zone. He will even pinch on occasion. As nice as those things are, the Badgers’ blueliner makes this list for what he does off the puck. A shut-down defender at even strength and the penalty kill, he keeps a good gap and uses his stick well. Even more than that, though, he is absolutely punishing when he lines up an opponent for a hit. Named Wisconsin captain for the 2020-21 season, Emberson could be ready to bring his brand of physical hockey to the AHL at the campaign’s conclusion. There is still room on NHL third pairings for players of this ilk. - RW

Alexander Daryin, RW (107^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 12)

Daryin is an offensive minded winger with some nice tools to his offensive game. He competes well and is a strong balanced skater who can gain speed while changing directions and can be hard for defenders to catch. He has a low center of balance and he can skate with his legs wide and maintain his pace, which helps him cover the puck. He is a decent shooter and a decent passer. He has good puck control. He can create with his skating and has good vision offensively. I can see why Arizona picked him in the draft even though he does not have much international or high-level experience. Late in the season he got a chance to debut in the KHL and was named rookie of the week with two points in three games. He has a contract with Yaroslav for two more years. He is a long-term NHL project, and I can see him as a middle six winger if everything comes in place for him. - JH

Liam Kirk, C/LW (189^th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 13)

The forward from Great Britain has certainly developed a cult-like status among prospect watchers. After a second OHL season with Peterborough, Kirk remains unsigned by Arizona. The Coyotes certainly have a lot of options as to what to do with Kirk moving forward. They can let him play another year in the OHL (as an OA). They could have him sign an AHL PTO to test his mettle at the pro level. Or they could let him return to Europe to play in a pro league there, while retaining his rights until 2022. A talented offensive player, Kirk remains a bit of an enigma due to a lack of strength on the puck. He possesses a strong wrist shot and the scoring instincts to be a top six forward, however he is not able to consistently fight through traffic in order to be a go-to offensive threat. He also battled through some injuries this year (concussion, facial fractures from taking a puck up high, but not related to the concussion). Drafted as a project, Kirk remains very much so. However, he possesses the talent to one day be an NHL forward if Arizona is willing to remain patient. - BO

Lane Pederson, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Oct. 13, 2016. Previous Ranking: 14)

Pederson may not have been on our radar previously, but a 22-year-old scoring at .92 points per game in the world’s second-best pro league is worthy of some hype, and that’s what the Saskatoon native has done. A teammate of Steenbergen on the Swift Current Broncos earlier in his career, Pederson was signed as an undrafted free agent by Arizona in October of 2016 and has played well in the AHL since debuting one year after. His speed and skill are not high-end, but he has an absolute shotgun blast of a wrister, capable of consistently beating goaltenders from distance, and he possesses the size to create his own shots. Off the puck, he is becoming increasingly useful and consistent, helping to curb dangerous chances against his own goal before they occur with his awareness in the neutral zone. He has shown a capability of driving plays and setting up teammates, but he is more of a shooter and shoots at a high percentage. What he can be in the NHL remains to be seen but the talent is there. - TD

Danil Savunov, LW/RW (174^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 15)

Notwithstanding being shut out during his trip to North America as part of the Russian roster for the Super Series, a showing that contributed heavily to his being left off the Russian WJC roster, Savunov made big steps forward in his second season in the VHL, improving his point total from 15 to 24, in three fewer games, no less. Fast of foot and with the puck on his stick, he likes to go right to the net, often carrying the puck right up the middle to do so. He may be small, but he plays without fear, forcing the defense to react. There is some question about his game away from the puck, although he got the occasional penalty kill shift with SKA-Neva St. Petersburg. He can dance the puck through the defense, but his utility will only increase if he grows more comfortable springing his teammates with a pass instead of trying to do it all himself. The skill is there to eventually play in the NHL, but he still needs a lot of polish to get there. – RW

Hudson Fasching, RW (118^th overall, 2013 [Los Angeles]. Previous Ranking: UR)

A power forward who grew up in the USNTDP program before a three year run at the University of Minnesota, Fasching has had a hard time breaking into the Arizona lineup through two seasons in the system, after receiving NHL games in each of his three seasons in the Buffalo Sabres organization. The Coyotes still like him enough to have given him a two-year contract extension over the summer, one of the final acts of the strange John Chayka regime. Fasching has the frame of the traditional power forward and plays the game in that style as well, grinding heavily and happy to be underneath the red line in the offensive zone. He lacks the finesse to play above a bottom six role, but his hands work well enough to take advantage of the opportunities he gets. His offensive game has slowly progressed over his time in the AHL and he might be one injury away from finding himself up with the Coyotes this season. - RW

David Tendeck, G (158^th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: UR)

After struggling a touch in his first post-draft campaign, Tendeck won the 1A job with the Vancouver Giants in his final junior season, beating out Colorado draft pick Trent Miner in the process. His career best performance, topped off with an impressive .920 save percentage, helped him convince the Coyotes to give him an ELC this past April, less than two months before his rights would have expired. Tendeck isn’t the modern picture of a oversized goaltender, but he makes up for it with above average athleticism and a competitive spirit. He is also an impressive puck handler who can aid his blueliners with puck retrievals as needed. His size does hamper his ability to track the puck as much as we might like, which also can lead to the occasional poorly placed rebound. He should be ready to begin his professional career whenever this season starts, possibly in the AHL, but more likely in the ECHL at first. - RW

Valentin Nussbaumer, C (207^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: UR)

Once seen as the next big hope out of Switzerland, after the exploits of Nico Hischier, Nussbaumer’s time in the QMJHL was not nearly as successful as that of the former New Jersey first overall pick. Thankfully, he showed enough glimpses of a dynamic offensive game that Arizona selected him with one of the final picks of the 2019 draft. His follow up season was a bit better, taking a more central role for Shawinigan early and leading the Swiss side in the 2020 WJC. In fact, he was so good with Switzerland, that he decided not to return to the Q’, spending the second half with the Biel-Bienne club in the NLA. He has still not been given a central role with the men’s league team, and his development trajectory is currently suggesting a tweener. He has offensive skills, including decent top speed and quick hands, but nothing high end enough to suggest a top six role in North America. While he is not offense-only, neither does he profile in a shut-down, defensive role. It is too early to write Nussbaumer off, but it is also very possible he remains in Switzerland for good. - RW

Cameron Crotty, D (87^th overall, 2017. Previous Ranking: UR)

A big right-handed defender drafted out of the Junior A ranks in Ontario, Crotty signed an ELC with Arizona after his third season on the Boston University blueline. He is a strong skater and plays a reliable game away from the puck, which he will absolutely require to make the next step from the AHL to the NHL, as his offensive tools are minimal at best and he wasn’t counted on to produce points in his time with Brockville of the CCHA, or with BU, campus either. Also notable is that despite his plus size, he doesn’t play a very physical game, relying more on positioning and anticipation to defend. When a defender has so little offensive game, the fact that he shoots from the right side is less of a bonus and more incidental. The Coyotes have loaned Crotty to Norwegian side Sparta Sarpsborg where he will get his professional career started, at least until the AHL gets back underway. If everything works out perfectly, he could find himself playing a depth role in the NHL at his peak. - 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 – ARIZONA COYOTES– ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 11

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 20:12:34 +0000

Arizona Coyotes

As much as the story about the Coyotes surreptitiously bringing in draft eligible prospects for off-the-books workouts during the season – a scandal that cost John Chayka his job as GM (if not the final straw) and the organization a second round draft pick in 2020 and a first round pick in 2021. I would rather not spend that much time on that story here.

For one thing – perhaps the most important thing – the value of off-ice workouts in the context of drafting is nebulous at best. The ability to execute a chin up has no parallel on the ice, between the whistles. A series of interviews I conducted a few years ago with senior NHL scouts and executives made it pretty clear that the full slate of events at the Draft Combine has only a marginal impact on forming a team’s draft board. Minds have already been made up prior to the event. Scouts have seen all of the players repeatedly in game action, and the majority of the notable players have also already been interviewed by area scouts, if not also by top executives. So even if the Coyotes did illegally bring in dozens of prospects for workouts, I’m not sure that I really care.

I think a look back at the Coyotes’ 2019 draft class is far more interesting. Take a second to look at the list below. Notice anything? A full eight of the team’s top 15 prospects were drafted in their most recent class. The final cut from this list, Swiss winger Valentin Nussbaumer, was another member of this class. Looking at this nine-person draft class in another light – a class that did not have a second rounder, no less – the only pick who hasn’t exceeded expectations one year out has been sixth rounder Anthony Romano, a USHL grinder who had a rough freshman season at Clarkson. I wouldn’t give up on Romano just yet, but goodness! Not a single player from this draft class has yet to play a professional game of ice hockey in North America, but it could be a class which redefines the now complete GM tenure of John Chayka and repositions the Coyotes as a team to be feared in the near future.

Let’s look at some of the factors behind the great early returns. One thing that immediately sticks out to my eye is that a significant number of the players drafted moved up a level and still produced their accustomed numbers. First rounder Victor Soderstrom already nearly a full season in the SHL under his belt when he was drafted. He simply more than doubled his offensive output while also being one of the stars of Sweden’s Bronze Medal winning WJC side. John Farinacci jumped from prep school to Harvard, where he produced at a top six rate right from the hop. Like Soderstrom, Matias Maccelli had a star turn at the WJC, in Maccelli’s case, for Finland. Over the remainder of the season, he proved that the jump from the USHL to Liiga was manageable, to say the least, taking home the circuit’s Rookie of the Year award.

The two Russian players drafted, Danil Savunov and Alexander Daryin, both stayed in the same level as the previous year, the VHL (minor pro) and MHL (junior), respectively, but both improved their numbers considerably. Aku Raty joined Maccelli in both Liiga and Finland’s WJC squad, and while he couldn’t match Maccelli’s numbers, he was still one of the top ten U19 scorers in the league. Axel Bergqvist moved from Sweden to the OHL and finished one point out of the top ten in scoring by defensemen, in his first season in North America. Even our just missed candidate, Valentin Nussbaumer, moved back to Switzerland’s top flight after a solid first half of the year back in the QMJHL.

It is only one year removed from Arizona adding these nine players to their organizational depth chart, but you rarely see so many players from a single draft class all trending in the right direction.

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 07: Arizona Coyotes center Barrett Hayton (29) skates during the NHL hockey game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Arizona Coyotes on November 7, 2019 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire)

Victor Soderstrom, D (11^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

One year later, Soderstrom still looks like a solid pick by the Coyotes at the top of the 2019 draft. He took steps this season, showing more poise and stellar play in both the SHL and at the WJC. He came back to Sweden after a good camp with Arizona and logged around 20 minutes per game, scoring almost half a point per game. At the WJC he was solid and one of the best players on the Swedish team.

Soderstrom is a smart two-way defenseman, calm and poised with the puck. He moves the puck well in all three zones and in all directions. He has impressive decision-making abilities for his age. In the offensive zone he maybe lacks a hard shot but is able to shoot smart and found the net six times in the SHL. He has a nice wrist shot and can shoot while moving forward.

Soderstrom’s mobility east-to-west in the offensive end really stands out. When he scores, it is not uncommon to see him take the puck and move laterally across the blue line, shooting while the goalie is screened or in motion. Defensively, Soderstrom turns his head and reads the play well. He still can use some adjustments when his team does not have the puck but his hockey IQ for his age is high.

I can see him stepping into the NHL next season or at latest the year after. He has the potential of being a strong top pair defenseman with a high end comparable to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. I am not saying it is a sure thing that he reaches those heights, but at least he is a top four defenseman. - JH

Barrett Hayton, C (5^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

For the second consecutive year, Hayton - the fifth-overall pick in 2018 - had an up-and-down season riddled with injuries and inconsistencies that were not his fault. First, he struggled to crack an Arizona forward lineup that was clicking at the right time but due to the CHL-NHL player agreement was not able to accept a full AHL assignment. He then rehabbed an injury to his shoulder with Tucson, then came back up to play scarce minutes with a Coyotes team making a playoff push. Again, not his fault.

He has shown that he can absolutely dominate if given the right situation, as he did at the 2020 WJC. Starring as the captain of Team Canada, Hayton centered probable 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere on the top line and trailed only Swedish star Samuel Fagemo in scoring with six goals and six assists in seven games.

His offensive game has stepped up big time, but he already does so many other things at a high level. A 200-foot centerman who excels on the penalty kill, he is an extremely effective defensive forward who can pick off passes and defend at the blueline like a third defenseman. He is a serviceable, albeit not elite, offensive center whose muscle game down low and vision for difficult pass seams can generate a bounty of shots for teammates. He has deadly hands and the assertiveness to try more difficult passes that could make him a go-to playmaker at the NHL level. His quickness has improved since his draft season, and he moves well enough to create his own shot lanes for his weighty wrist shot.

He is a long-term top-six center and perhaps the future captain of the Coyotes with the maturity and leadership qualities he has displayed at every level. - TD

Matias Maccelli, LW (98^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

Maccelli had an excellent rookie season with Ilves in the Liiga, earning the Jarmo Wasama award as the league’s rookie of the year. The skilled and creative winger has the ability to make plays that bring fans out of their seats. His stickhandling is excellent, he can handle the puck at high speeds and maneuver in traffic.

On the power play, he can execute a quick passing game, move the puck through traffic and create space. His first touch is very good as he can receive the puck, settle it and make a play very quickly. He plays with notable confidence. In addition to having high-end puck skills, he is very smart in possession. He has great instincts and vision, allowing him to see openings. The way he sees the ice and executes plays is impressive. He has quick feet and agility, but his top speed could be better.

His overall game has improved quite significantly after spending a season and half in the USHL. That said, it would be hard to envision him in a defensive role. His defensive reliability was an occasional issue at the 2020 World Juniors. Moreover, at times he plays a too individualistic game for my liking.

Maccelli signed his entry-level contract with the Coyotes in the spring but will at least begin the 2020-21 season with Ilves on an indefinite loan contract. He could be one of the best players in the league. He has immense potential and will keep getting better as he elevates his physicality and gains additional strength. - MB

Jan Jenik, C (65^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

Janik got off to an absolutely torrid start this season with Hamilton and was among the league’s leading scorers heading into the World Junior Championships. However, a knee injury suffered at the event sidelined him for the rest of the year and ruined his chances of capturing the league’s scoring title, playing alongside the talented Arthur Kaliyev.

Janik is an absolute wizard in transition and gains the offensive zone with relative ease on almost every possession. His top speed and explosiveness are only a little above average; however, his edgework, puck skill, and vision are all very high end and this allows him to keep defenders guessing as he pushes them deep into their zone.

Janik is also extremely aggressive, demonstrating pest like qualities. He plays a high-risk offensive game by taking chances and looking to create through traffic, however if he turns the puck over, he is the first one to engage to get it back. This is the engagement level that you like to see from your top six centers who are not going to play mistake free hockey in the pursuit of generating scoring chances.

It would appear that Janik is now healed from his knee injury and will be ready for the 2020-21 training camp. So long as the injury has not weakened his skating ability/strength/stability, he should be able to move quickly through the Arizona system and projects as a top nine forward who can be a versatile asset to the Coyotes coaching staff. - BO

Kyle Capobianco, D (63^rd overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 4)

Capobianco has been a remarkable two-way defender in the AHL over the past three seasons. His 0.88 points per game with Tucson last season led all AHL defensemen, the second consecutive year he finished in the top-five in that category. The 2015 third rounder was always a solid offensive contributor in his OHL years, but never outstanding by any means, so this offensive explosion has been a pleasant surprise and one reason he has vaulted into elite prospect territory.

The 23-year-old so easily evades pressure from forecheckers and uses his speed and supreme hockey IQ to create offense through the center of the ice, as well as with offensive zone possession, from the point. He is not the most skilled with his hands, but he is incredibly confident with the puck on his blade and likes to take defenders on one-on-one. Seeing the ice and reading the defense well, he is a power-play quarterback and a good one, incorporating his booming shot into the fray when he gets an opening.

While his overall value is carried more by his offense than his defending, he has improved in his own zone. His stick-checking and foot movement keeps opposing forwards guessing and forces them to move to less opportune areas of the offensive zone, and he is more willing to take the body against the boards and below the red line than before, although he will never be a top defensive defenseman. A middle-pair offensive guy who can chip in 30+ points a year and compete on the power play, I would expect the Mississauga native to win a job out of training camp next season. - TD

John Farinacci, C (76^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 13)

The next season was much of the same for Farinacci, although he only played two games with the USNTDP U18 team this time. From there, Farinacci, a nephew of Harvard head coach Ted Donato, joined the Crimson. The true freshman was named to the ECAC All-Rookie team on the strength of his first-year performance.

He is quick on the face-off and held a 50.3% advantage on the dot. He also appeared on the team’s second power play unit. The 6-0” forward is fast, especially on the breakout, because he moves his feet so quickly. He has quick hands and exhibits good puck handling skills. The talented forward needs a few more years on campus before he will be ready to turn pro. - JS

Aku Raty, RW (151^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Raty had a fine season with Karpat’s pro team and could more than keep up with the pace of the Liiga game. He impressed with his strong game at both ends of the ice in the World Juniors.

A skilled winger with quick hands, he handles the puck well in tight spaces. He can stickhandle at full speed and he uses his quickness to generate zone entries. He works well on the cycle and values possession. He has a precise wrist shot and gets pucks on net from a distance. He has good technical skills, yet versatility is his greatest asset.

He can play up and down the lineup, on a scoring line or checking line, and be equally effective in his role. He is smart and shows situational awareness. Raty has more offensive ability than he has shown in the Liiga so far. It is not easy to earn minutes on the strong Karpat team, but if he manages to do so, he could break out next season. - MB

Ivan Prosvetov, G (114^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

At 6-5” with high-grade quickness, and not just at his size, the Russian guards the lower half of the net beautifully and rarely gets beat on pad-level shots with his long, lanky body stretching out to defend. Highly active in the net, he makes multiple saves in a single sequence with ease if necessary, sliding around the crease quickly and with good positioning. Sometimes a bit too active, he is still prone to the occasional bad read or a lack of shift-to-shift focus, which is somewhat understandable from someone so young. He has the potential to be an NHL starter, but it will take time and patience. - TD

Tyler Steenbergen, C (128^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 12)

An above-average skater, he can bring the puck from end to end and make plays through center coupled with his high-end vision and smarts. He can finish from mid- to long-distance pretty consistently, giving him power play value. He is not dynamic enough to create space for his own shots and defers mostly to his teammates after drawing space for them.

An improving penalty killer, Steenbergen is a modern PK forward in that he uses his speed and skill, rather than size, to kill off time. He is a bit of a tweener in that his ceiling looks to be fourth-line center, but he doesn’t quite have the size for it. With more AHL seasoning, maybe his projection will be clearer. - TD

Axel Bergqvist, D (200^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

His mobility is a major asset. He is so elusive with the puck because of his ability to stop/start and uses his edges. This makes him very difficult to pin down in the defensive end and as such, a major asset to transitional play. Bergkvist also possesses excellent vision when operating the point, be it at even strength or running the powerplay. He understands how to use his quickness to jump into shooting lanes, or to create alternate passing angles.

The question is, given his lack of size (5-9”), can Bergkvist defend adequately enough at even strength to be an NHL defender? He keeps a wide base and is pretty strong, however it remains to be seen just how effective he can be at the pro level against consistently bigger forwards. His projection is probably that of a third pairing offensive defender who can also work the powerplay. - BO

Ty Emberson, D (73^rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

As nice as those things are, the Badgers’ blueliner makes this list for what he does off the puck. A shut-down defender at even strength and the penalty kill, he keeps a good gap and uses his stick well. Even more than that, though, he is absolutely punishing when he lines up an opponent for a hit.

Named Wisconsin captain for the 2020-21 season, Emberson could be ready to bring his brand of physical hockey to the AHL at the campaign’s conclusion. There is still room on NHL third pairings for players of this ilk. - RW

Alexander Daryin, RW (107^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

I can see why Arizona picked him the draft even though he does not have much international or high-level experience. Late in the season he got a chance to debut in the KHL and was named rookie of the week with two points in three games. He has a contract with Yaroslav for two more years. He is a long-term NHL project and I can see him as a middle six winger if everything falls in place for him. - JH

Liam Kirk, C/LW (189^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 19)

A talented offensive player, Kirk remains a bit of an enigma due to a lack of strength on the puck. He possesses a strong wrist shot and the scoring instincts to be a top six forward, however he is not able to consistently fight through traffic in order to be a go-to offensive threat. He also battled through some injuries this year (concussion, facial fractures from taking a puck up high, but not related to the concussion).

Drafted as a project, Kirk remains very much so. However, he possesses the talent to one day be an NHL forward if Arizona is willing to remain patient. - BO

Lane Pederson, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Oct. 13, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

His speed and skill are not high-end, but he has an absolute shotgun blast of a wrister, capable of consistently beating goaltenders from distance, and he possesses the size to create his own shots. Off the puck, he is becoming increasingly useful and consistent, helping to curb dangerous chances against his own goal before they occur with his awareness in the neutral zone. He has shown a capability of driving plays and setting up teammates, but he is more of a shooter and shoots at a high percentage. What he can be in the NHL remains to be seen but the talent is there. - TD

Danil Savunov, LW/RW (174^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Fast of foot and with the puck on his stick, he likes to go right to the net, often carrying the puck right up the middle to do so. He may be small, but he plays without fear, forcing the defense to react. There is some question about his game away from the puck, although he got the occasional penalty kill shift with SKA-Neva St. Petersburg. He can dance the puck through the defense, but his utility will only increase if he grows more comfortable springing his teammates with a pass instead of trying to do it all himself. The skill is there to eventually play in the NHL, but he still needs a lot of polish to get there. - RW

AHL Pacific Division Report, October – Developing prospects

Tom Dorsa — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 13:10:03 +0000

October is a month of formation for minor league hockey teams. In the first month of a long regular season, you start to see the players -- most often a mix of wily veterans and first- or second-year pros -- align and adapt to one another’s unique playing styles.

For some clubs, players, and coaches, that transition can be seamless, but for some it’s a disastrous early-season experiment. Such is the beauty of the American Hockey League, wherein young prospects are given chances to succeed not only in spite of, but because of, their early-season mistakes.

As mentioned above, development is a work in progress. Some young players can adjust with relative ease, while the unlucky struggle to acclimatize themselves to the speed, skill, and physicality of the hockey world’s second-best professional sanctioning body.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the teams and notable prospects in the AHL’s Pacific Division. The teams on the West Coast, desert, and Rocky Mountains have all made strides and adjustments in the early portion of the campaign, and this article will take you through some of the news and notes from each of the Pacific Division’s seven member teams.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

Record: 7-1-1-1, 16 points, .800 points percentage

The Heat are absolutely on fire (pun intended) to start the 2019-20 AHL campaign. Exploding offensively, the youthful club has scored the most goals in the Western Conference (39) thus far and had four players averaging a point per game.

The job Cail MacLean has done with a team missing the two-way contributions of top-ranked prospect Jusso Valimaki cannot be overstated. Since moving from Glen Falls, New York to Stockton as part of the AHL’s California expansion four years ago, the Heat have never won a playoff series.

Their chances to do so look better than ever before in this season’s early parts. Unfortunately for the fans in San Joaquin county, looming concerns over an arena lease have clouded the much-deserved celebration of the club’s early success.

Calgary Flames Dillon Dube

Dillon Dube, 3rd in McKeen’s Yearbook preseason rankings of Flames farm system (7GP-1G-6A-7P): Though it was a disappointment for the 21-year-old to not crack the Flames’ opening night roster after a decent NHL showing last season, he was arguably the Heat’s best player in October. A playmaker and forechecker extraordinaire heading into the season, he is starting to display heightened awareness and patience on offense as well as an increased defensive presence and responsibility. With exceptional penalty kill work, the former Team Canada World Junior captain is one of the first guys going up to Calgary if needed and can easily find a way to contribute to the big-league team.

Eetu Tuulola, 14th (8-4-1-5): Skating was the biggest concern surrounding the first-year winger from Finland, and while his acceleration and balance can still lag at times, his straight-line speed looks solid. Adding some quickness to his massive 6-3”, 220lbs frame makes the 21-year-old Tuulola a scary player, as his body control, shooting ability, and versatile usefulness on the power play have already impressed scouts around the game.

Glenn Gawdin, 18th (8-2-6-8): Gawdin, a second-year pro, has long had an incredible offensive game, but like Tuulola, his skating had held him back from becoming a go-to option for offense in the pro ranks. His acceleration looks a little better, and he has displayed more energy out on the ice than in his 2018-19 rookie season. His point-per-game pace to this point is a direct reflection of that assertiveness, but I still see Gawdin as more of a two-way bottom-six center with some offensive potential. His smarts and discipline have always been his biggest draw to me, and his skating is too big of a concern for him to pan out as a top-six offensive option.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Record:8-3-0-0, 16 points, .727% points percentage

After injuries decimated their young club late into the 2018-19 season, the Roadrunners appear to be reaching the potential they missed out on due to ailments last campaign. Head coach Jay Varady’s club was briefly in first place in the Pacific Division in October.

While the club has been top heavy in terms of point-scoring, they have been carried mightily by a pair of young netminders, Adin Hill and Ivan Provsetov, who have combined to allow just 25 goals, the fewest in the AHL’s Western Conference.

After missing the playoffs last year, we expected the team to come back with a vengeance and contend for the top spot in the seven-team division, which they won in 2017-18. Their first 11 games, a solid 16 percent of their season schedule, confirms those beliefs.

Lane Pederson, Unranked in McKeen’s Yearbook preseason rankings of Coyotes farm system (11-9-5-14): Although the former WHLer is not the most intriguing prospect in the game, or the most well-known, Pederson has inarguably been the best skater on the Roadrunners roster this season. Third in the league in both goals and points, his offensive contributions are no coincidence if you remember his efforts in Coyotes training camp, through which he almost broke the NHL roster. His skating has improved from his WHL days, and while his passing game/vision are still to be developed, his shot is a force. He is reliable defensively and kills penalties for Tucson. He went undrafted, but if there was a second or third-round pick attached to his name, hype would be building fast for the potential middle-six center.

Ivan Prosvetov, 6th (3-1-0-0, 1.98 GAA, .944 Sv% in four starts): We knew that Prosvetov was a beast in the goal and would eventually turn into a high-end pro, but it’s somewhat surprising to see how quickly he has transformed into a mature, disciplined netminder. He was a hot head in the OHL, once receiving a five-game suspension for batting a puck into spectators during a stoppage of play. It looks like he has harnessed that competitive fire, boosting his package of 6-5” length and athletic ability with an energized demeanor on the ice. At 20 years old, younger than the large majority of AHL netminders, he is a step ahead of the competition.

Kyle Capobianco, 4th (3-0-2-2): Capobianco looks like, and is to a degree, an NHL player. He made the Coyotes’ opening night roster and has appeared in nine big-league contests so far, after his 2018-19 campaign came to a disastrous end due to a season-ending leg injury in February. So this prospect blurb acts like more of a check-up on a prospect than an actual scouting piece, in this case: he’s fine. He does not look a step slow due to his injury, his playmaking and skating are still capable of contributing in all three zones, and his potential as a power-play quarterback is still there. He will be a full-time NHLer in short order.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

Record: 6-2-2-0, 14 points, .700% points percentage

Last season, Ontario finished seventh out of seven Pacific Division teams, had a .441 points percentage, and recorded a -61 goal differential. Their struggles were a direct reflection of a Kings farm system that had become depleted due to their NHL parent club’s sustained success and desire for more.

The Kings of that era valued size and defensive strength over anything else, and now, as the game of hockey has progressed, so has the L.A. system. The revamped Reign roster is beginning to see the effects of the newly-implemented Rob Blake system, and have used that speed and skill to ascend back to the top of the division table.

Of course, a healthy chunk of the credit for the Reign’s turnaround has to go to head coach Mike Stothers, as well as many of their young players. If October is any indicator, the Reign could be playing postseason hockey again this season.

Los Angeles Kings Goalie Cal Petersen e)

Cal Petersen, 11th in McKeen’s Yearbook preseason rankings of Kings farm system (6-2-2-0, 2.55 GAA, .929 Sv% in ten starts): Since his pro debut in 2017-18, Petersen has been one of the AHL’s top goaltenders. Last season was grim, as his GAA floated over four due mostly to a horrid club in front of him, but he looks to have bounced back big time. The 25-year-old plays a wild, entertaining style of highly-athletic goaltending, and rarely cracks mentally. His hulking physical size and ability to read plays as they develop helps him compensate for a lack of decisive tool-selection and overall refinement. His contract goes from a two-way deal this year to one-way the next year and beyond, meaning he is essentially auditioning for an NHL job this season.

Carl Grundstrom, 8th (4-5-2-7): Along with a 2019 first round pick (used on Tobias Bjornfot), Grundstrom was the return from Toronto in the Jake Muzzin trade, and the young forward has added some instant value to the Kings system. In dominating the AHL in the early parts of the season, he has earned some appearances with L.A. and can only get better from here. He is a hard-working player who competes in all three zones, never slows down out there, and can flash a surprising goal-scoring touch. A hard forechecker to escape, that effort translates to the other end of the ice, where he has become an impactful penalty killer. He can be prone to mistakes, but Grundstrom’s relentless motor and two-way reliability give him a solid ceiling of a middle-six winger with some offensive upside that has not even been tapped into.

Matt Luff, 20th (9-3-4-7): The undrafted 22-year-old was one of Ontario’s best players (and a bright spot in his short Kings stint) last season, and he looks to have carried that promise and excellence into 2019-20. One thing that helps accumulate NHL-worthy stats is just how much the winger loves to shoot, leading the club with 34 shots through nine AHL games so far, in addition to being third on the team in shots (153) despite just 33 games with the AHL team has year. Luff has good reason to be a volume shooter, with a heavy, spinning wrist shot that has menacing velocity and tremendous accuracy, but his toughness and puck skills are also elements to watch out of the depth forward.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

Record: 5-5-1-0, 11 points, .500% points percentage

While Edmonton’s two superstar talents, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisiatl, have ripped the NHL to shreds in the early going of the 2019-20 season, some of the club’s top prospects are continuing the trend in the AHL.

Oilers’ CEO Bob Nicholson’s laid-out plan of allowing prospects to “over-ripen” seems to be the organization’s modus operandi, and the Condors are reaping the benefits of having more experienced, longer-tenured players on the roster this season.

For head coach Jay Woodcroft, it’s mostly the same players that dominated during their historic 2018-19 run that have been at the forefront of their 2019-20 operations. You can’t bank on Bakersfield having the same 17-game winning streak as the division champs did last season, but they will compete to bring playoff hockey to Kern County, California for the second time after relocating from Oklahoma City in 2015.

Tyler Benson, 4th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Oilers farm system (11-2-7-9): His maturity, hockey IQ, and vision make it easy to forget, but Benson is only 21 years old and has just one full pro season under his belt. After pacing the Condors in points last season, his heads-up rushing action and high-end playmaking skills have put him out front early this year. A speedy skater with beautiful acceleration and swift pivots, his ability to draw space to himself and pass the puck off is reminiscent of the NHL’s preeminent puck-movers. His only flaw is his shot, which lacks speed and accuracy. His early-career development was plagued by injuries, but with full health, he looks downright scary good and could soon be a top-six facilitator for the Oilers.

Kailer Yamamoto, 6th (11-4-3-7): Sent down to Bakersfield as part of a rehab schedule for his wrist injury from last season, Yamamato has had a pretty decent start to his AHL season. The former first-round pick has been so-so on offense, and you would like to see him use his slippery skating, speedy hands, and creativity to drive offense more. But his penalty kill and overall defensive game have been exceptional, and it is impressive to see the way he has rounded out his game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 21-year-old get a recall to Edmonton soon, especially as the Oilers’ bottom six is starved for skill.

Evan Bouchard, 2nd (11-3-4-7): The reigning Max Kaminsky trophy winner as the Ontario Hockey League’s best blueliner, Bouchard has been playing up to that billing since joining the AHL ranks at the start of the season. With his creativity, vision, and booming shot, the 10th overall pick in 2018 has excelled with Bakersfield thus far. Two of the defenseman’s three goals have come on the man-advantage, which speaks to his effectiveness on the power play. His skating is not as big of an issue as it was in his draft season, but can still improve.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

Record:4-4-0-1, 9 points, .500% points percentage

San Jose has so few certified “veteran” players on the roster that it is genuinely impressive that they have posted a .500 record so far this season. Kudos to Roy Sommer, the club’s head coach, but also, the team’s European scouting group for plucking legitimate talent from some obscure areas.

Swedish winger Joel Kellman, German forward Lean Bergmann, and Danish forwards Alexander True and Joachim Blichfeld are the club’s top-four scorers through nine games. All four of the Barracuda stars were either undrafted signees or seventh-round draft selections.

Their top goaltender, Josef Korenar, was also an undrafted signee who has emerged as one of the AHL’s top goalies at just 21. Hopefully the team can be carried by these otherwise-unheard of players to the club’s fifth consecutive postseason appearance since relocating from Worcester, Massachusetts.

Sasha Chmelevski, 2nd in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Sharks farm system (6-0-1-1): Both things can be true: Chmelevski has had a hard time adjusting to the pro ranks, and he has been battling injuries since the beginning of the season, having missed the last few Barracuda games with a lower-body ailment. So, you have to take his early-season results with a grain of salt. He has flashed some of that quick, precise passing and smart decision making early on in his pro career, especially on the San Jose power play, where he is playing first-unit minutes. His injuries have hampered his skating some, and you would like to see him use his heavy, accurate wrist shot more. He almost made the Sharks roster out of training camp, which means there is something special about the 21-year-old, but we just have to wait and see a fully healthy version of him.

Joachim Blichfeld, 7th (8-3-3-6): Whereas Chmelevski has had a troublesome professional hockey adjustment process, Blichfeld has been excellent since puck drop on opening night. While his offensive numbers don’t equal that of his godly WHL totals a year ago (68-53-61-114), he has been exceptional at what he does best; drive play with speed and creativity, fire the puck at will, and get into dirty areas without the puck. He has been a pest in front of the goal and seeks out crease-front rebounds at every chance. A power-play staple, the right-hander has played a variety of roles on the man-advantage. However, the Danish winger can be prone to frequent turnovers, and needs to amp up his three-zone awareness to prevent getting the puck stick-checked away.

Josef Korenar, 10th (3-2-1-2, 1.82, .932): An AHL All-Star last season, the 21-year-old Czech has only stepped his game up from there. Most importantly, the former undrafted signee has provided the Sharks with one thing they arguably didn’t have: a denoted goaltender of the future. His tool selection can still be a little spotty, and he plays an inconsistent positional game (when to come out and challenge, when to guard posts, etc), but his raw package is that of a future NHL stud. Korenar displays otherworldly smarts, vision, and anticipation while playing a calm and composed style in the crease. He is highly athletic and can scramble to make saves, and his rebound control has improved since last season.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

Record: 4-5-0-0, 8 points, .444% points percentage

Whereas some teams have benefited from an influx of their organization’s brightest young stars, the Eagles have stagnated with a bunch of veteran guys with low ceilings. I don’t believe their slow start to the season is a coincidence; they just don’t really have that pure, youthful skill to mesh with the aged, seasoned pros on the club.

It is not like Colorado has no high-end prospects on the roster, as the club sports names like Shane Bowers, Conor Timmins, or Martin Kaut, but moreso that these young players are having trouble finding a rhythm or just coming into their own as prospects.

Luckily, they are through just nine games of the Pacific Division’s 68-game schedule. Head coach Greg Cronin and the club have time on their side and a group of experienced players who know what it takes to make it through the tough and tiresome winter months. With that, the goal is to bring playoff hockey to Loveland, CO, in just their second year in the AHL.

Conor Timmins, 6th in McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Avalanche farm system (7-1-2-3): We all knew Timmins could play, but how quickly he has jumped back into action and found a way to contribute after missing the entirety of the 2018-19 season is nothing short of amazing. The right-shot defenseman who made the Avs roster out of camp has not missed a beat, and has emerged as the versatile, three-zone defender he was picked as in the second-round of the 2017 draft. His physical strength makes him capable of outmuscling anyone in a puck battle, and his vision to get the puck out of the zone — via his solid outlet pass or his skating — makes him a threat joining the rush. He has the potential to be a top-four minute-munching defender at the highest level of the game.

Nick Henry, 11th (9-1-2-3): An assist machine in his final year with WHL Lethbridge, Henry’s main asset — playmaking and transitional play — has translated well in his first full professional season. Although he is not racking up points at an insane pace, the 20-year-old has been instrumental in driving play for the Eagles’ fourth line. His skating is not great, but good enough to get through the neutral zone, where his vision and high hockey IQ can take over a rush. He is solid defensively, with decent strength for an undersized winger, and his energy and tenacity on the forecheck has been noticeable. His main issue is his hesitance to shoot, mainly defaulting to passing; he will need to improve upon his shot assertiveness to succeed long-term in the pros.

Logan O’Connor, 12th (9-1-2-3): The former University of Denver captain continued his emergence as a top-notch prospect in the Avs system in October. Boosted onto the top line for the Eagles (mostly playing with veterans T.J. Tynan and Erik Condra), O’Connor’s well-rounded, mature game has provided plus value for Colorado thus far. He has the acceleration and top speed of an NHL top-six winger, along with the hockey IQ and smarts to make an impact in all three zones. He can play any role, at any forward position, against any competition, and that kind of versatility is what makes him a surefire future NHLer.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

Record: 2-6-0-0, 4 points, .250% points percentage

The diagnosis for their slow start is a simple one: the Gulls have suffered from a transitioning, transformative roster in Anaheim depleting the AHL club, which made the Western Conference Finals last season.

Head coach Kevin Dineen has his work cut out for him with a roster that has lost his stars from last campaign, such as former first-round picks Sam Steel and Max Jones as well as Team U.S.A. World Junior hero Troy Terry, all of whom are on the Ducks’ active roster.

There still shine some bright lights amid a dark and frightening tunnel however, as a Ducks farm system with a decent amount of talent steps on the ice in San Diego.

Isac Lundestrom, 4th in the McKeen’s yearbook preseason rankings of Ducks farm system (6-2-1-3): After starting the season eating healthy scratches with the Ducks, the 2018 first-rounder returned to the AHL and has fared well centering the Gulls’ third line, scoring his first career AHL goal just a few games ago. His ability as a puck carrier has received a well-deserved spotlight on the power play, and his versatility and maturity (it’s easy to forget that he is just 19-years-old) has received abundant penalty kill time thus far. The youthful Swede is such a multi-faceted player and thinks the game at such a high level that he will not need much more improving to do before being a solid, consistent NHL player. He just needs to improve upon his offensive assertiveness, most importantly how underused his wrist shot is.

Joshua Mahura, 9th (6-0-0-0): Mahura was recently recalled to the NHL roster (where he promptly recorded three assists in his season debut), and it was a well-deserved promotion. The scoresheet won’t prove it to you, but he had quietly been one of the Gulls’ better players in the young season. Playing on both special teams, the defender exhibited his high-end two-way versatility and desire to play up at most times. He is a highly dangerous option to start or join a rush at any opportunity, and that same mentality is paying off in the NHL, with his 3.9 CF% Rel. It’s early, and both the Ducks and Gulls are undergoing a lot of changes, but perhaps he has already played his last regular season AHL game.

AHL Western Conference 2019-20 Season Preview

Tom Dorsa — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 19:20:02 +0000

The new hockey season is finally upon us, and with it, comes the return of the American Hockey League, which serves as the primary development league of all 31 National Hockey League franchises.

As the AHL’s 31 teams prepare to clash over the long winter stretch, hoping to lift the Calder Cup in June, their NHL parent clubs are bulking up their farm team’s rosters with some of their best and brightest prospects.

With the NHL season up and running, the rosters for the AHL teams in each organization are coming to fruition. The solid mix of veterans with familiar faces alongside some exciting, exuberant youthful prospects of many teams are giving fans in the AHL’s member cities hope for the present and the future, while giving NHL fans faces to look for as potential replacements for the parent clubs, if and when the need arises.

Let’s take a team-by-team look at the competitors in the AHL’s Western Conference, beginning with last season’s conference champions.

(Team rundown is listed by 2018-19 point totals, and are not a projection of 2019-20 conference standings.)

Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

The Wolves, who paced the Western Conference with a 44-22-6-4 record in the regular season, lost their two leading scorers from last season over the summer. Daniel Carr, whose 71 points in 52 games led the AHL in points per game (1.37) last season, departed for the Nashville Predators system, while T.J. Tynan (led the league with 59 assists) joined the Colorado Avalanche organization.

Head coach Rocky Thompson might have trouble finding the same scoring, but will not have any issue on the blue line, with a defensive corps headlined by some top prospects like Nic Hague (4th in McKeen’s Vegas farm system rankings), Zach Whitecloud (6th), and Jake Bischoff (8th) all manning the defensive zone. Hague and Bischoff are presently up with Vegas, but both should spend significant time on the farm this year.

Chicago should maintain a spot near the summit of the Central Division standings, bolstered by all-world defense and solid goaltending.

Prospects to watch (quotes from the 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Nicolas Hague

“[T]he 2017 second-rounder has can’t-miss shutdown potential in a two-way package. His lanky, 6-6” frame makes him nearly unbeatable at the blueline, as his length and mobility give him a package that can compete with any AHL forward for space in the defensive zone.”

Lucas Elvenes

“[A] smooth skater with soft hands. He has skill, and his inconsistent scoring is a product of him being more of a perimeter player, as he likes to create from the outside and that play isn’t always there and his creativity isn’t enough in those instances.”

Dylan Coghlan

“[A]n impactful offensive-defenseman by virtue of his skating, his atomic bomb of a slapshot, and his vision and playmaking, which allow him to quarterback a power play unit. His ceiling is as a middle-pair puck-rusher, but we will have to see how he does with an increase in tougher minutes on a depleted AHL Chicago this season.”

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

The Condors made American Hockey League history last season with a stretch of 17 consecutive wins between January 12 and March 1. The win streak is tied for the second-longest in the 83-year history of the AHL, and allowed the Condors to soar (pun intended) to the Pacific Division regular season title.

Though they fell to the San Diego Gulls in the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, Bakersfield enjoyed its most successful season since the Oilers moved its primary development affiliate from Oklahoma City to Kern County, California, scoring more goals (242) and allowing fewer (182) than ever before.

With a solid group of top prospects from a deep Edmonton farm system, the Condors can be expected to contend alongside their California rivals for another Pacific Division crown.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Tyler Benson

“A speedy and creative forward, the former second-rounder’s natural playmaking ability — driven by top-notch vision, decision-making, and very crisp and accurate passes — can carry play from both the left wing and from the center position.”

Kailer Yamamoto

“A highly creative, smooth-skating winger, the former first-rounder creates plays out of thin air and is intense on the puck at all times. The quick-handed forward possesses strong hockey sense and the ability to drive play and carry a line from his position with his speed and vision.”

Cameron Hebig

“The undersized center plays a solid 200-foot game, exhibits mature offensive anticipation, has lightning-fast hands, and possesses a pro-level wrist shot, albeit a criminally underused one.”

Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)

After failing to make the playoffs in 2017-18, the Admirals returned to the postseason scene, losing to the Iowa Wild 3-2 in a five-game set. Riding a 14-game point streak through a hard Spring schedule, the Admirals made an improbable climb from seventh to second in the Central Division to end the season.

Milwaukee, celebrating their 50th season in the North American pro scene, look to rebound with an influx of solid Nashville prospects. Though AHL staples Adam Helewka and Dustin Siemens departed in the offseason, the introduction of prospects Rem Pitlick and Jeremy Davies (a New Jersey prospect traded in the P.K. Subban deal) will boost the offense.

Goaltender Troy Grosenick, one of the AHL’s best, will be back in the Admirals crease with a deeper team in front of him and head coach Karl Taylor.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Eeli Tolvanen

“His shot is mesmerizing, with speed, a wicked and deceptive release, and insane accuracy, while his skating has improved to compliment has lethal shooting. His excellent touch for the puck gives him an underrated playmaking game as well, as his hands can create space for himself and teammates while his elite stick skills enable him to dish passes over with ease.”

Rem Pitlick

“As solid as his shot is, Pitlick is also a clever playmaker, with good vision as he flies down the wing towards the net. While he will take risks to create offense, he is responsible in his own end, and has been a trusted penalty college for the University of Minnesota.”

Frederic Allard

“A former point-per-game blueliner in the QMJHL, his speed, shot, and offensive vision all grade out as average or better. He sees the ice and anticipates plays at a very mature level, and he has legitimate top-four potential if he can work on his defensive game, with his puck-moving and skating playing big roles in his projected big-league value.”

Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)

For the first time since the team formerly known as the Houston Aeros moved to Iowa, fans in Des Moines were treated to postseason hockey from an Iowa Wild team that won more games (37) and scored more goals (242) than in any past season.

The offense was paced by usual suspects like team captain Cal O’Reilly, but goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen carried the defensive efforts of the club with poise and consistency. First-year head coach Tim Army’s group knocked off Milwaukee in the first-round of the Western Conference playoffs.

Although the AHL club made few big-name acquisitions in the offseason, their returning players should keep them afloat in their search for a postseason spot in the Spring of 2020.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Nico Sturm

“He has great size and skates very well, with intriguing puck skills to boot. He is close to ready and has a third line ceiling.”

Kaapo Kahkonen

“His calm, composed mentality in the crease bodes well for his highly-athletic, technically-refined butterfly style, and his maturity as a young netminder was on display for all of last season in Des Moines. From a talent standpoint, he projects to be a midtier NHL starter in the near future.”

Louie Belpedio

“A right-handed, puck-moving defenseman is an untouchable prospective asset to any organization, but throw in some offensive upside and a veteran level of composure, and you have a surefire future NHLer. His smarts are top notch, and his speedy skating and vision make his mission of exiting the zone as fast as possible an easy one most times.”

Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)

The Griffins are a team that benefits mightily from the Red Wings’ aggressive style of prospect development. A year after the debut of Filip Zadina -- the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft -- Grand Rapids will say hello to Joe Veleno and Moritz Sieder, two more first-round picks.

Add in Michael Rasmussen and Evgeny Svechnikov, you can argue that the Griffins have the most young, raw talent in the game, and head coach Ben Simon is prepared to put it all to use. Only three years removed from a Calder Cup championship (2016-17), the Griffins look primed for another run at the AHL equivalent of the Stanley Cup.

The Griffins fell victim to Chicago, the eventual conference champions, in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Filip Zadina

“His intense skating speed, technical footwork skill, and elite shooting prowess [are] capable of changing the game on every shift. Furthermore, even if the numbers don’t pop, the fact that he did it all as a teenager is incredibly impressive.”

Moritz Sieder

“Big, mobile right-shot defenseman who oozes confidence and has great hockey sense. He has the quickness to join the rush and he does so in a timely manner. The German blueliner is very gifted offensively, possessing high-level passing skills and a strong shot selection.”

Evgeny Svechnikov

“He is a beast with the puck, able to get inside position on anyone and his control and balance are incredible for his size. He doesn’t shy from playing hard defensively. We will have to see if his injuries continue to hold him back when he returns this season, but if his health holds -- and his consistency improves -- he can be a middle-six scoring wing in the NHL.”

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

In their four years at SAP Center (after formerly playing in Worcester, MA), the Barracuda have never missed the playoffs. A beacon of consistency in the minor leagues in spite of an NHL club that is a perennial contender, there is no reason San Jose shouldn’t be hosting postseason games next Spring.

With the additions of Noah Gregor, Sasha Chmelevski, and Ivan Chekhovich -- along with a formidable returning core of players -- the Sharks boast a reinvigorated prospect pool ready to make things happen at the AHL level.

The Barracuda led the Pacific Division for much of the season before the Condors went on an incredible 17-game winning streak; San Jose finished second, four points behind Bakersfield. San Jose fell three games to one to San Diego in the first round of the playoffs.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Joachim Blichfeld

“[I]s a natural scorer with very good offensive instincts, has a great shot, and plays a pretty good all round game. He should be able to translate his game to a higher level of play. He will start as a bottom six forward, and could move up to a top six role if he settles in and produces even a portion of his WHL production.”

Sasha Chmelevski

“He is the type of forward who can excel in any situation and this versatility will make him an NHL player sooner rather than later. His best asset might be his shot release, which is lightning quick. But he is more than just a goal scorer, as he processes the game very well and is especially dangerous in transition with his ability to make quick decisions with the puck.”

Antti Suomela

“He still has the potential to be a top-six forward; a lethal skater and often deadly setup man, Suomela can contribute in many ways, even without the puck, as his anticipation for where the play is flowing is unreal. He still has the potential to be a top-six forward; a lethal skater and often deadly setup man, Suomela can contribute in many ways, even without the puck, as his anticipation for where the play is flowing is unreal.”

Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)

In their four years in Winnipeg, the Moose have played in the playoffs just once, missing the postseason last year with a very young and inexperienced team. With some of their younger players expected to make a leap this season, the Moose should be much improved.

Getting Sami Niku back to the AHL club is a major boost. Last season, Niku made the Jets roster but was a healthy scratch for the majority of the NHL campaign, and instead the mobile, smart defender will get some valuable reps instead of wasting away in the press box.

Youthful goalie Mikhail Berdin is anticipated as the club’s number-one goalie, and seems capable of the job after success in a somewhat-limited role last year. Head coach Pascal Vincent, the winner of the 2018 Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding coach, is back behind the bench of the Jets’ affiliate.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Logan Stanley

“The physical beast is one of the tallest prospects (or player of any level) in hockey, and his high-end defensive game leans heavily on his near-incomparable length. With his long and impassable gaps, active stick, and ability to take any opposing forward off the puck, his defensive game is one that seems NHL ready at just 20 years old.”

Michael Spacek

“As one of the finest defensive players in the Winnipeg system, Spacek has a clear NHL future due solely to his hard work and intensity in all three zones, but he can be better than a defensive specialist. The Czech native’s high-end two-way game has translated well from the WHL to pro hockey, as his shot, passing skill, and of course, his maturity and responsibility as a defender has impressed in the Winnipeg system.”

Mikhail Berdin

“Extremely athletic and hard-nosed, Berdin plays a fundamentally refined game that minimizes high-danger chances. He also possesses the last-resort agility to shut down anything that he can’t immediately get to.”

Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

A year removed from winning the Western Conference and coming just a game away from taking home the franchise’s second Calder Cup, the Stars missed the postseason last year amid injuries and recalls toward the end of the season.

In addition, Texas has bid farewell to their two longest tenured players this offseason. Travis Morin, the 2014 AHL Most Valuable Player, retired from pro hockey while Justin Dowling, the team’s captain last season, made the Dallas roster out of training camp and seems primed to stick in the NHL.

With that transition brings youth and excitement into head coach Derek Laxdal’s lineup, as 11 first-year pros will compete in their rookie season with the Stars, including goaltender Jake Oettinger and forward Riley Tufte, both former first-round picks.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Jason Robertson

“At his best, Robertson is a monster in possession who prolongs offensive zone time because of how well he protects the puck. He also possesses terrific instincts, a great release, and a high skill level with the puck that makes him a very complete offensive player.”

Jake Oettinger

“Not only is Oettinger one of the top prospects in the Dallas system, the 20-year-old is firmly among the elite goaltending prospects in the sport. He is a 6-5” behemoth in the crease, but with the mental composure of a veteran and the agility of an NHL starter, boasting one of the most impressive packages of netminding skill in the game today.”

Joel L’Esperance

“The 6-2” center plays a high-energy game in all three zones, forechecks hard, and has some solid technical skating skill for a big man. He has a splendid wrist shot and a hockey IQ that is as high as his experience from the college ranks would suggest.”

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

After a somewhat surprising run to the Western Conference Finals that ended with a loss to Chicago, head coach Dallas Eakins was given a promotion to the Anaheim Ducks and now serves as the bench boss of the Gull’s NHL parent club.

What that means is, like with Texas, a lot of transition and a lot of unknown. Kevin Dineen was hired as the head coach in the offseason and now oversees a team with a lot of turnover from the year prior. Prospects like Hunter Drew and Andrew Morand will lead the club from the side of youth, while AHL scoring phenom Andrew Poturalski joins the fray after a Calder Cup championship with Charlotte.

The 2019-20 Ducks sure look like the 2018-19 Gulls, and San Diego will have to rediscover an identity to be in contention for a postseason spot as the winter turns to spring again.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Joshua Mahura

“A crisp, accurate, and heads-up passer, the 2016 third-rounder is a beast in transitional play, and is never afraid to start -- or join -- an offensive rush. Solid vision of up-ice development is aided by his tight gaps, which can force turnovers at the blue line and spark a chance the other way.”

Antoine Morand

“Knows where to be on the ice. He is a creator who distributes very well and can run an offense. He is a solid skater with great agility and strong edgework, but his size is a question mark going forward. Morand will have to bulk up to have extended success at the NHL level.”

Andrew Poturalski

“A decisive, speedy playmaker with quick hands and high-end vision, the 25-year-old possesses a ceiling of a depth scoring forward with potential to have a ton of success on the power play.”

Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

The IceHogs failed to qualify for the postseason in a transformative 2018-19 campaign that saw their NHL parent club make many internal moves that trickled down to Rockford. Most notably, Jeremy Colliton getting a midseason promotion from AHL bench boss to NHL headman, leaving Derek King and crew without much time to implement their voices on the room.

Now, King will get a full season as head coach and an influx of well-regarded prospects at his disposal. Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin, two 2018 first-round picks, will man the blue line, while returning goaltenders Collin Delia and IIHF World Championships winner Kevin Lankinen can hold down the fort in the crease.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Aleksi Saarela

“Saarela is a hard-working, dynamic player who wins battles and moves so efficiently that his energy stays high throughout the entirety of each game. He is a great shooter and his accuracy is impressive which makes him a tough opponent to stop. He is an all-around fun and creative player to watch and with his hockey sense and skill, he has the potential to be a top six forward and lead a team despite his size.”

Adam Boqvist

“An elite offensive defender, Boqvist has the requisite tools to be a high scorer in the NHL. His skating stride is not only smooth, it is powerful, and it allows him to take risks by jumping up into the rush quite frequently. He also possesses fantastic scoring instincts for a defender, sliding down into the slot or using his agility to open up shooting lanes for himself at the blueline.”

Dylan Sikura

“From the standpoint of raw skating, he was one of the best in the AHL and in this very deep farm system. His playmaking has long been his calling card, and he loves to make space for teammates with his speed only to pass it off. He is a smaller center, but does not shy away from doing the dirty work on both ends of the rink.”

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

After winning two straight Kelly Cups in their final two years of action in the ECHL, the Eagles wasted no time bringing Calder Cup playoff action to Loveland, Colorado in their first season of AHL play. Finishing fourth in the Pacific Division before losing to Bakersfield in round one, it was a terrific start for an AHL expansion team.

Eagles head coach Greg Cronin has arguably a deeper team in the dressing room this season, and the Eagles can be expected to not only reach the postseason again, but perhaps go even deeper. Losing top scorer Andrew Agozzino and starting goaltender Pavel Francouz is a pain, but the addition of veterans T.J. Tynan and Erik Condra, as well as prospect Calle Rosen and the health of Conor Timmins bring balance to the club.

Like the Avalanche above them, they’re a team that preaches chaos and excitement over anything else. They’re incredibly fun.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Martin Kaut

“Although his offensive game was stagnant, his defensive game -- where his value is most apparent -- needed no adjustment from Europe to the North American style. His incredible rink sense make him a pest on the puck, and his willingness to play deep in the defensive zone is an unteachable, immeasurable talent.”

Shane Bowers

“Bowers is the type of player that specializes in performing the little things, doing the grunt work while his linemates hog the glory. He can accelerate the cycle game, bringing the puck in from the perimeter and putting a scoring chance in motion. He plays with energy and can be used in all situations.”

Logan O’Connor

“He is a wonderful skater with the acceleration of a top-line scorer, and possesses the smarts and discipline to consistently make a major impact in all three zones. His versatility is his strongest weapon, as he can play all three forward spots -- up and down the lineup -- with surprising effectiveness.”

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Injuries bit the Roadrunners hard near the end of the 2018-19 season, and the team narrowly missed the playoffs directly because of it. In particular, the losses of defenseman Kyle Capobianco and forwards Michael Bunting and Nick Merkley all hit head coach Jay Varady hard, but the team is full of depth and excitement if their health cooperates.

This team won the Pacific Division title in 2018, with several of those players still suiting up in Tucson brick red and black. In their fourth year in Arizona, they should be expected to contend for the Pacific crown once again, so long as heavily-revered goaltending prospect Adin Hill can play up to his level.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Nick Merkley

“Agile and athletic, he has the edgework and plus acceleration to make up for his small, albeit stocky, stature. His creativity with the puck is fueled by his elite hands, and his shot is an ever-evolving weapon. It is difficult to tell what kind of player Merkley is going to be, but if he can finally stay healthy, the 22-year-old has the skill and potential to be a future top-six winger.”

Adin Hill

“At 6-6”, Hill’s size is the first thing that jumps out about the 2015 third-rounder, but his incredible technical refinement and immeasurable mental composure are major bright spots in the development of the Coyotes’ goaltender of the future. With both AHL Tucson and the NHL club, Hill displayed his excellent total package as a near-term big-leaguer.”

Tyler Steenbergen

“His 200-foot game, defensive responsibility, and effectiveness as a bottom-six, penalty-killing guy who can play all three forward spots reliably gives him something many players of his ilk have not: a surefire NHL ceiling.”

San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)

While no St. Louis Blues fan will trade their first and only Stanley Cup last season for a better prospect pool, the Blues are certainly lacking in terms of a competitive AHL team. Their 2018-19 season started about as poorly as their parent club’s, and the Rampage never got above a .500 winning percentage at any point of the season.

But a new year always brings promise and hope. Prospect winger Klim Kostin, a 2017 first-round pick, had a solid preseason with St. Louis and brings to his third season in the AHL a quest to be more disciplined and consistent, while goaltender Ville Husso looks for redemption after a disastrous season in 2018-19.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Ville Husso

“Husso had a horrendous season that further damaged his falling prospect stock. After a strong 2017-18 campaign, the Finn went 6-18-0 with a 3.67 GAA and .871 Sv% in 2018-19, eventually losing the clear-cut starting job to a slew of random cast-offs that featured Binnington and Jared Coreau. Husso still has the raw skill to make a name for himself, including his athleticism, size (and more importantly, the way he uses it), and his ability to read plays as they develop and position himself accordingly.”

Klim Kostin

“Though he went through another underwhelming AHL season, the 6-3”, 212lbs 20-year-old impressed scouts with his body control, momentum on his skates, and his physical, power-forward game. A fast shot and nifty puck-protection skills make Kostin a fun player to watch when he gets to enter the zone with momentum, though his lack of speed and assertiveness can hold him back.”

Mitch Reinke

“His speed allows him to frequently exit the defensive zone, while his vision and hockey sense give him the instincts to put the puck in the right place. He can jump into the play and let off his strong, accurate wrist shot, but he is more of a facilitator than anything.”

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

Since moving to Stockton from Glens Fall, New York, the Flames have not won a single playoff series. With their NHL parent club in a “win now” window, it has obviously been difficult for Stockton to establish a consistent winner in the AHL.

And with Calgary bulking up the big-league club for another potential run at the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs, Stockton head coach Cail MacLean has his work cut out for him again. Especially without Jusso Valimaki, who tore his ACL in offseason training and is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 season, several others with the AHL Flames will need to step their games up this year.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Dillon Dube

“Shifty and quick on his feet, the former captain of Team Canada at the World Junior Championship exhibited plus value as a playmaking passer while also playing as a forceful, self-assured shooting option. His undersized frame is not a hindrance to his highend rough-and-tumble, forechecking game, as his play in the cycle is where he really shines as a passer and in-tight puck-handler.”

Matthew Phillips

“Grading out as an above-average skater and shooter, the Calgary native can impact games with his slippery skating, tricky shot release, and plus vision to create lanes for his linemates. At just 5-7” and 155 pounds, his physical game obviously lags, but he can be effective enough at separating himself from opposing defenders against the boards.”

Tyler Parsons

“A master scrambler, Parsons lacks technical refinement but more than makes up for it with competitiveness, play-tracking, and the reflexes to complement his all-out style of goaltending. The 2017 WJC gold medalist needs nothing more than a clean bill of health to continue his ascent up the ranks of NHL goaltending prospects, as the 2016 second-rounder projects to be a mid-tier NHL starter, but with more room to grow.”

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

The Reign suffered through a dreadful 2018-19 season, one that became increasingly hard as the campaign continued, with the Kings recalling many Ontario’s best players.

Matt Luff, Carl Grundstrom, and Austin Wagner joined L.A.’s forward group, Sean Walker and Matt Roy saw time on the blue line, and Cal Petersen played in the crease at some points in the year. Using a core of inexperienced defensemen, ineffective forwards, and whoever else the Reign could snag from ECHL Manchester was not a recipe for success.

New additions Jaret Anderson-Dolan (2017 second-rounder) and Rasmus Kupari (2018 first-rounder) hope to turn the tide, to say nothing of the possible return to help of 2017 first rounder Gabriel Vilardi, bringing excitement to San Bernardino county. The Reign could be a sneaky playoff team, or just die out early like last season, but unpredictability can be entertaining, at least.

Prospects to Watch (quotes from 2019-20 McKeen’s Hockey Yearbook):

Rasmus Kupari

“His greatest asset is, without doubt, his skating. Highly agile on his skates, he can make tight turns and cuts and he possesses strong edge control. He stops and starts well and has excellent top-end speed. He can maneuver with the puck in tight spaces and has a lot of puck skill as well.”

Gabriel Vilardi

“He possesses a great size and skill package down the middle and is a terrific playmaker who thinks the game at a high level and really can dominate possession down low. He is just so strong and difficult to separate from the puck. Vilardi played only four games for Ontario last year because of a lingering back injury that appears to be threatening his promising career.”

Jaret Anderson-Dolan

“Anderson-Dolan had a tough season last year battling injuries, but managed to finish the season strong. He finished the season by putting up 20 goals and 43 points in 32 games for the [Spokane] Chiefs, and 15 in 13 games in the playoffs, demonstrating that his multi-tool impact was still there.”

Arizona Coyotes 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 20:24:22 +0000

I have to admit to being impressed with the Arizona Coyotes’ current standing in the organizational strength rankings. As of this writing, those rankings aren’t yet complete, but they stack up around the middle of the teams for whom we already have graded out and their overall score seems geared to stay up the middle once all is said and done.

On the one hand, for a team that has struggled to such a great extent to make the postseason in recent years – seven years in a row with an early start to the offseason – which would indicate that the team has been hoarding top picks and should be in the upper third of teams as opposed to the middle. But instead of looking at why Arizona isn’t ranked more highly, I think their current standing is a positive, after we consider what has changed since the last time we did these rankings.

We can look at last season’s top 20 and note that the number 12 and 18 prospects, Ilya Lyubushkin and Conor Garland, respectively, have both graduated from consideration. That isn’t a big deal, and neither is the trade of last year’s #14, Laurent Dauphin, to the Nashville system. That latter move at least brought in the current #15, Emil Pettersson.

What is most impressive is how the team traded their top prospect, Dylan Strome, and their number four, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, as part of packages to bring in top six forward talent to the NHL. Strome was a big part of the Nick Schmaltz trade while Joseph was a key return to get Phil Kessel to the desert.

This serves as a great reminder that the object of stockpiling quality prospects is not so as to appear high on our or other publication’s pre-season lists, but to fortify the NHL roster. In some cases, the fortification is done through player graduations and in others, the use of those prospects as trade capital to convince other teams to part with their NHLers.

Another angle from which we could be impressed by the Arizona system as it stands today is that a lot of the players ranked below took positive steps forward last season. For every Tyler Steenbergen (#12) type who struggled in his first taste of the pro game, we have players still trending in the right direction such as the pair of highly touted netminders Adin Hill (#3) and Ivan Prosvetov (#6), who each jumped from their spots last year, gaining three and nine spots respectively.

For a Cam Dineen, whose season was curtailed by injury, we counter with Nathan Schnarr and Jan Jenik, who took big steps forward in the OHL. With two of the five 2019 draftees to jump right onto the list being college-bound, and number two prospect Barrett Hayton the only top prospect whose name is even penciled into the NHL roster, the organization will have a good chance to see their ranking rise this time next year, even if improved play on the ice results in a lower draft spot.

-Ryan Wagman

Arizona Coyotes goalie Adin Hill (31) (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)

1 Victor Soderstrom, D (11^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) This year’s first-round draft pick, Soderstrom will go over to North America to try to earn a spot on the Coyotes’ blue line. If he doesn’t succeed, he will get back to play in SHL for another year. Both are good opportunities for the smart defenseman. I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays games in the NHL already this season. He started last season in the junior league and when he got promoted to the SHL, he played the same game against men. His hockey-IQ is at an elite level and that helps him adjust quickly to new situations. His offensive production is good, but not at a superstar level. His contribution mostly comes from strong mobility and smart decisions with the puck. On the power play, he moves and reads the play well and has quite a good wrist shot. The potential for offense is there as well, but he doesn’t need to produce points to be effective. - JH

2 Barrett Hayton, C (5^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 2) It was kind of a disjointed season for Hayton, who played in only 39 regular season games for the Soo Greyhounds (OHL). He got a late start to the year after being returned from Arizona, then missed time for the WJC, followed by a month-long absence due to a lower body injury. But Hayton is a top prospect who does a lot of things well on the ice. He can be used in nearly any situation and plays a very pro ready game. He is a very committed two-way player who excels on the penalty kill. He is extremely effective down low and in tight to the crease where his great hands, quick release, and ability to read the play are on display. He also moves well and has improved his power and quickness since being drafted. His future – perhaps starting as soon as this year - likely lies on the second line in Arizona and could be a future captain for the franchise. - BO

3 Adin Hill, G (76^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 8) At 6-6”, Hill’s size is the first thing that jumps out about the 2015 third-rounder, but his incredible technical refinement and immeasurable mental composure are major bright spots in the development of the Coyotes’ goaltender of the future. With both AHL Tucson and the NHL club, Hill displayed his excellent total package as a near-term big-leaguer. He uses his size well, limiting holes and utilizing each of his tools with athletic ease, as well as getting up and down in the crease effectively. His compete level is as high as any goalie at his level and age. He could be better at handling rebounds and controlling the puck, but neither will hinder his immediate NHL future. - TD

4 Kyle Capobianco, D (63^rd overall, 2015. Last Year: 7) If a late-season injury from 2018-19 does not hold him back, Capobianco is a guy who can crack the NHL roster out of training camp this September. His dynamic two-way play and multi-faceted offensive game give him a very solid chance to achieve a full-time NHL role in 2019-20. Before fracturing his leg on a hit against the boards in a February game against the Blue Jackets, Capobianco had wowed many at the AHL and NHL levels. A shifty and fast skater, he is someone who can and will lead the charge into the offensive zone at any opportunity. His shot from the line is superb and complements his insane vision and anticipation. His active stick and tight gaps when skating backwards make him a versatile two-way guy. The 21-year-old could be more physical when trying to retrieve the puck in his own end, but it’s a small price to pay for a future top-four blueliner. - TD

5 Nick Merkley, RW/C (30^th overall, 2015. Last Year: 3) The early portion of Merkley’s career has been more or less defined by the injuries that have kept him from emerging as an NHL forward, but in spite of those ailments, the 2015 first-rounder has shown immense future value for the Coyotes down with AHL Tucson. He missed a large chunk of the season after rebounding from knee surgery in 2018-19, and was rusty upon his return, but still contributed 10 goals and 24 assists. Agile and athletic, he has the edgework and plus acceleration to make up for his small, albeit stocky, stature. His creativity with the puck is fueled by his elite hands, and his shot is an ever-evolving weapon. It is difficult to tell what kind of player Merkley is going to be, but if he can finally stay healthy, the 22-year-old has the skill and potential to be a future top-six winger. - TD

6 Ivan Prosvetov, G (114^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 15) Prosvetov is a hulking netminder who has a rare combination of athleticism and size. He is 6-5”, but he moves so quickly in his crease, taking away the bottom of the net with strong pushes. He is also quite the character and made a name for himself in the OHL this past season for his antics on the ice. Unfortunately, that also saw him suspended during a pivotal playoff series that Saginaw ultimately lost. Moving forward, like any goaltending prospect, Prosvetov will require patience. His positioning and reads will need improvement at the pro level, where he is likely to begin this year. Some time in the ECHL may even be required, but that is common for goaltending prospects. In time, Prosvetov has the skill set to become an NHL netminder; it may just take time. - BO

7 Kevin Bahl, D (55^th overall, 2018, Last Year: 10) A behemoth defender, Bahl has progressed well since being drafted in the second round by Arizona. At 6-6”, he just swallows up space in the defensive zone with his reach and his solid mobility for a bigger blueliner. Playing for the first place Ottawa 67’s this year, he was one of their most important players, seeing a ton of ice time and matching up against the opposition’s best forwards. Bahl’s offensive game likely won’t transfer over exceptionally well to the pro level, but he has made nice strides with his decision making and play with the puck. Limiting his turnovers and improving his breakout passes will be areas of focus moving forward. In the next couple of years, Bahl could develop into a top four shutdown defender for the Coyotes and be utilized similarly to the way the Boston Bruins use young defender Brandon Carlo. - BO

8 Nathan Schnarr, C (75^th overall, 2017. Last Year: Not ranked) After a breakout season with the OHL Champion Guelph Storm, Schnarr has put himself on the prospect map. He finished the year with over 100 points, way more than he had accumulated in his previous two years of OHL action. Schnarr is a big bodied center who is at his best when he can use his size and reach down low in the offensive zone. He controls the wall very well and is able to drive possession and open up passing lanes. His skating has improved a fair amount over the last three OHL seasons and he is now able to be effective in puck pursuit and in transition. He projects as a middle six forward at the NHL level who will need some time to adjust to the speed of the pro game. His playmaking ability and size are definite assets but it remains to be seen whether he has enough puck skill to be an offensive contributor for the Coyotes. - BO

9 Ty Emberson, D (73^rd overall, 2018. Last Year: 6) Playing on a disappointing Wisconsin team as a freshman, Emberson requires a few viewings to truly appreciate what he brings to the rink. He doesn’t play with a great deal of flash and his offensive contributions will never be of the type to have fans clamoring to see him quarterback a power play, but he does have some burgeoning offensive instincts which started to come out as his first collegiate season progressed. He knows how to read the defense in front of him and make himself into a useful attacking option for his team. His defensive zone reads need work, but he is committed to playing strong in his own end and he is a big open ice hitter, while rarely crossing the line that leads to time in the penalty box. I expect him to take a big step in his offensive game next year and a second pairing blueliner at the highest level is not out of the question. - RW

10 Jan Jenik, C (65^th overall, 2018. Last Year: 13) Jenik is an aggressive, attacking, North/South style forward who really uses his strong skating stride to push the pace and attack the offensive zone. He also possesses very good hands and has the capability to make defenders miss as he cuts through traffic on his way to the net. He is also a tenacious player who excelled in his half season in the OHL by relishing in the opportunity to take the body and playing a general pest role. As Jenik gains strength and is able to have more success driving the net and maintaining possession in the offensive zone, look for him to really breakout in a big way. He could have a big offensive season playing alongside Arthur Kaliyev in Hamilton. - BO

11 Filip Westerlund, D (44^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 5) The second-round draft pick from 2017 hasn’t stepped up his development yet. He has had a tough time earning a big role for top SHL club Frolunda. His offense hasn’t stood out as much for him to get power play time and his defensive play isn’t aggressive enough for him to play on the PK. The potential is still there for him though, but he will need to find a fit with a team that can give him top pairing minutes. He had that last season when he got picked up by Timra, but just four promising games (and two goals) in he suffered a season ending shoulder injury and the team was later relegated. He has since rehabilitated and is still in search for a fit with a new SHL team. Westerlund is a mobile puck-moving defenseman with good hockey sense, a quiet and smart potential top four defenseman with some puck skills, but he is still a long-term project. - JH

12 Tyler Steenbergen, C (128^th overall, 2017. Last Year: 9) An offensive juggernaut with Swift Current of the WHL for four years, Steenbergen was drafted as a no-risk overager in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Draft. In contrast to many high-scoring junior players with some flaws, the former World Junior hero has developed into somewhat of a safe, conservative player. His 200-foot game, defensive responsibility, and effectiveness as a bottom-six, penalty-killing guy who can play all three forward spots reliably gives him something many players of his ilk have not: a surefire NHL ceiling. His speed as a skater and his blistering shot give him some high-end offensive capabilities, and that will be more on display this upcoming season as he takes a step up with Tucson. How far away he is from cracking the Coyotes roster is an open question, but he is a fairly simple prospect with solid NHL tools. - TD

13 John Farinacci, C (76^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) As hard as it can be to properly assess talent playing in the American high school system, Farinacci was good enough during his brief stints with Muskegon of the USHL, or wearing the American colors during last year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup that he was firmly on the radar throughout his draft year. He is loaded with plus offensive tools, most notably his blistering shot, but his skating and puck skills also both work in his favor. Headed to Harvard in the Fall, there is a good chance that the Coyotes will have to wait through all four years to get him signed, but the raw ingredients are there for the team to feel justifiably excited to track his development. - RW

14 Hudson Fasching, RW (118^th overall, 2013 [Los Angeles]. Last Year: 16) At 24 years old, Fasching -- on his third pro organization since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 draft -- only has so many chances to impress an NHL team. With Arizona inking him to a two-year, two-way deal this offseason, it’s clear that the Coyotes’ brass has confidence in what he can become, even this late in his development. The hulking, powerful winger is a solid skater for a forward of his size and weight and has the ability to prolong offensive possession with his patience and physical moves. His skill (hands, passing, technical skating) are all sufficient, though he lacks consistency and one-on-one moves. He did see a recall to the Coyotes last season and has a chance to crack the roster this year, but he is starting to slip out of prospect status and will need to make his mark soon. - TD

15 Emil Pettersson, C (155^th overall, 2013 [Nashville]. Last Year: 13 [Nashville]) The 2013 sixth-round selection may never be more than Elias’ less-talented brother, but the Coyotes are holding out hope for him. Although he is already 25, the decision to retain his North American rights as he heads back to Sweden could pay off in the long term. Pettersson is a gifted playmaking center with loads of defensive responsibility and effectiveness, as his pure intelligence and hockey sense make him a high-level player at the AHL level. He can handle the puck well at full stride, as well as play the cycle game better than most. His skating is mushy at best, and his shot, though very accurate and whippy, is on the slower side, making him a difficult guy to see fitting on an NHL roster. If he ever returns to the states, it will be as a Coyote, as the qualifying offer extended to him before he signed with Vaxjo of the SHL allowed Arizona to retain his rights. - TD

16 Cam Dineen, D (68^th overall, 2016. Last Year: 11) Still a long-term project, Dineen struggled to get comfortable with the pro side of the sport in his first season in the AHL. The 2016 third-rounder dominated the OHL over four seasons with his mobility and power-play potency, but had his fair share of issues in translating his game to Tucson, where his offensive output slumped (57-3-9-12) and his efforts on the power play (just two man-advantage points) were nearly nonexistent. He can add to his impressive package of offensive skills (his smooth skating and deceptively quick shot being the highlights) by adding strength to his smaller-statured body and becoming more confident in his ability to move the puck up the ice. He is a very solid defensive defenseman for someone who does not fit the conventional mold of one, and so he only needs to mature his transitional game. He could be a bottom-four NHL guy with power-play time in the near future. - TD

17 Matias Maccelli, LW (98^th overall, 2016. Last Year: IE) It has been some time since the Coyotes had a prospect to follow in Finnish hockey. With Maccelli, in a roundabout way, they now have one. Selected out of Dubuque in the USHL, the Finnish import is expected to return home after two stateside seasons to continue his development in the Liiga with Ilves. For as good as his production was with the Fighting Saints, Maccelli lacks the high-end tools that would increase his odds of success at the highest rungs. While capable of brief moments of speed, his normal skating pace is dawdling. He is a gifted passer with fine vision and a nice shot to boot, but his lack of size or a physical nature will put more onus on his feet. If he can gain a step or two, he could be a solid middle six option in a few years, but bust potential exists. - RW

18 Anthony Romano, C (176^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Despite middling numbers during the regular season, and being a frequent no-show during Sioux Falls’ run to the Clark Cup title last season, Romano’s 2018-19 campaign must be seen as a success, as he was able to play the same two-way disruptive game in the USHL as he had previously in the OJHL. Romano is a fine skater with a hard enough shot that suggests some future utility in a middle six and even some power play minutes from the half wall. He reads the game at an advanced level and provides the type of energy most coaches like to see in their bottom six. Heading to Clarkson to continue his development, the Coyotes will take a patient approach with their recent sixth round pick. Even without the high upside, Romano is a good bet to maximize the talent that he does have. - RW

19 Liam Kirk, C/LW (189th overall, 2018. Last Year: Not ranked) The pride of Great Britain’s fledgling hockey program, Kirk took some time adjusting to North American hockey in the OHL this past season. He was terrific in the second half of the year, looking much more confident and comfortable. Kirk has very good hands in tight and possesses an excellent wrist shot, qualities that make him a potential goal scorer at the NHL level. He also skates well and has begun to gain confidence in his ability to lead the charge into the offensive zone. The rest of his game remains a work in progress, with a lot of that attributing to a lack of strength. As such, he is very much a long-term project. But if the Coyotes are patient, Kirk could eventually develop into a top 6 scoring winger. – BO

20 Valentin Nussbaumer, C (207^th overall, 2019. Last Year: IE) Nussbaumer had a tough first year in North America, but not entirely due to his own play. His team, the Shawinigan Cataractes, battled through some tough stretches at times in 2018-19, but ultimately were able to make the playoffs and take a pair of games off the Memorial Cup champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He also struggled at times early in the season with spacing, as moving from big ice to smaller ice is always an adjustment. He eventually adapted well and put up four points in six playoff games. Nussbaumer is a major offensive threat with the puck because of his creativity and his quickness. His hands are lightning quick, and his feet keep pace; his footwork and agility may be the best in the QMJHL. He is a project, especially without the puck, but he will have an offensive impact on his teams, whether in the NHL or elsewhere. - MS

AHL Pacific Report: Disparity rules, Benson and Marody explode in winning streak, trade deadline additions Dahlen, Kloos, and Petterson make impact

Tom Dorsa — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 12:43:02 +0000

The Pacific Division is the hardest division in the American Hockey League to come to conclusions upon. Out of the league's four sub-classes, the Pacific Division consists of the fewest teams, with seven, rather than the customary eight, they play the fewest games (68), and have different travel guidelines and restrictions that limit the array of teams to schedule games against.

In addition, the division features perhaps the largest disparity between the talent level of the clubs. You have a team like Bakersfield that will casually reel off a 17-game winning streak, and teams like Ontario, who have already effectively been eliminated from postseason contention with more than a dozen games left on the calendar. 26 points separate the Condors and the Reign in the standings.

However, the prospects involved still have the same job to do, and in a sense, their efforts are amplified because of the frequency of common opponents and the aspect of there being fewer games from which to impress your organization. With that, let's take a look at the Pacific Division's brightest young guns from February.

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

VANCOUVER, BC - SEPTEMBER 18: Edmonton Oilers center Cooper Marody (65) skates up ice during their NHL preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on September 18, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Edmonton won 4-2. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

The Condors are a killing machine, a club that has won 19 out of their last 21 games and are being led by a couple of top Edmonton Oilers prospects. Tyler Benson (4th in Oilers' preseason prospect rankings) and Cooper Marody (5th) are the team's two leading scorers and have been absolute dynamite over a historically hot streak.

Benson's (9-37-46) first pro season has been an exhibition on what he can do when his health cooperates, as the play-making left wing's creativity, hockey IQ, and discipline have all been on full display. The 20-year-old drives play and carries his own line with his intellect and vision and looks like a surefire middle-six NHL assist machine, even if he severely lacks a finishing touch to his team-leading shot totals (141, 6.3%).

Marody (13-30-43), since coming over from the Philadelphia Flyers last year, has had an equally impressive rookie pro season. The stocky, muscular centerman has displayed his wicked wrist shot -- while improving his hands down low in the zone and his specialty moves in one-on-one situations -- in the process of earning a short, albeit scoreless, recall to Edmonton.

The two have similar ceilings, as versatile middle-sixers. However, if I were an Oilers fan, I would be a little worried about the front office's supposed plan to let their top prospects become "overripe" in the AHL, which might stunt the development of these two forwards. They look like NHL-ready players already, especially in Marody's case, because he is already 22 years old.

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

As a first-year pro who needed to prove himself capable of scoring in the pros -- something he did at will in the WHL -- Jayden Halbgewachs has to be pretty satisfied with himself this season. Despite a pretty concrete third-line role with less power play time than he probably should be getting, Halbgewachs (12th) has shown flashes of offensive brilliance at times in 2018-19.

With 26 points (10-16-26), the former Moose Jaw Warriors star has proved to be a worthy free agent signing for the Sharks organization, who inked the undrafted Halbgewachs to a contract in December of 2017. He exhibits quick hands whether passing or stickhandling, and is a very fast decision-maker, which translates well to the NHL. Though he is undersized and is not the fastest skater, his agility and technical skating skill plays up his otherwise average skating.

San Jose got a very intriguing prospect at the trade deadline in 21-year-old Swede Jonathan Dahlen, who entered his third farm system in as many years in the deal that sent him from Vancouver to the Sharks organization. Dahlen (5th in Canucks' preseason prospect rankings) has been a solid addition to the Barracuda top-six, totaling four assists in four games since the trade.

Dahlen possesses silky-smooth hands and a top-tier hockey IQ, while his improved skating speed has made him a dangerous offensive player. He could stand to shoot more, especially on the rush, but coaches love pass-first wingers who can carry their own line like this. Also, of interest, Dahlen told hockeynews.se that his offensive game was being stifled while playing for the Utica Comets, the Canucks' AHL affiliate. A change of scenery will likely suit the left-hander well going forward.

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

The Gulls received some help via trade for the last fourth of the AHL schedule, in the form of former Iowa Wild forward Justin Kloos, an undrafted 25-year-old with some quiet NHL potential. What the future holds for Kloos remains to be seen, but for short-term assistance in the AHL, the Ducks got a steal.

Kloos (16th in Minnesota's preseason prospect rankings) is a hard-working middle-six checking forward with the touch and offensive senses of a depth scorer. His shot is a legitimate weapon in the attacking zone, and something he is very willing to let loose, but he also possesses solid vision and stick skills. His presence has already made a difference for the San Diego offense (1-7-8 in 11 games).

In a tight postseason race, the addition of Kloos comes at the right time, due to the absences of Sam Steel (1st), Isac Lundestrom (2nd), Troy Terry (3rd) and Max Jones (8th), all of whom made a massive mark on the Gulls' offense earlier this season. Steel, Terry, and Jones are kicking it with the lowly Ducks in the NHL, while Lundestrom plays out his assignment in Sweden.

Gulls faithful will hope Kalle Kossila (15th) can step up, as the 25-year-old center has been a near point-per-game player in the AHL this season and has what it takes to carry a line and a team, at least at the AHL level. Though his stints in the NHL to this point have been less than promising, Kossila (13-17-30) is a mature, skilled playmaker who consistently gets everyone involved in plays.

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

The Eagles remain a very intriguing team with their depth in scoring, and a sizable amount of that depth scoring is coming from an interesting bunch of prospects in the Avalanche system. The impressively resurgent A.J. Greer (18th) and solid rookie, 2018 first-rounder Martin Kaut (4th) are a start, but it extends beyond those two.

Defenseman Nicolas Meloche (15th), a former high second-rounder whose development path to this point has been very rocky, is back on the right track. The 6-3", 205 lb rearguard is leveraging his great size more, using his bulk to pester opposing forwards down low in his zone, and pinching more against the boards in the offensive zone.

What Meloche (6-14-20) needs to work on more is his willingness to shoot, rather than over pass (which is his fallback move). His shot can be a weapon at even strength and on the power play, and to use it more consistently and more frequently should be a point of emphasis for the 21-year-old right-hander. He isn't the most fleet-of-foot skater, though he is pretty quick for a big man, and will need to find a way to contribute offensively somehow.

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

Tucson's lineup got a facelift with the addition of former Milwaukee Admirals forward Emil Pettersson, who was acquired via trade with the Nashville Predators organization. Pettersson (13th in Nashville rankings) might be past his realistic NHL chances, but can provide a boost to a stagnant offense.

Pettersson (0-5-5 since the trade) is a smart and reliable two-way center whose hustle and competitiveness can be infectious, and a decently skilled offensive threat who appears on the power play. With the Coyotes in the thick of the playoff race in the NHL's Western Conference, it won't be now that they give the Swede a try, but his play this season could earn him a recall and an NHL debut eventually.

An under-the-radar guy with NHL specs is Michael Bunting, who is seemingly getting better by the game. Though the AHL All-Star, not ranked in our preseason Coyotes prospect rankings, lacks any skill that ranks above the average tier, he is a consistent producer and plays with a physical edge on the Roadrunners' top two lines. Bunting (11-17-28), a fourth-round selection in 2014, made his NHL debut this season, and has since played with the competitive drive and leadership qualities of a future major-league star.

Tucson's other league All-Star, Kyle Capobianco (7th), will be out for the remainder of the season with a leg injury suffered shortly after a well-deserved promotion to the NHL. The Roadrunners will miss his smooth skating, passing skills, and three-zone awareness, things that they really can't replace. Capobianco (7-25-32) had been the team's leading scorer for a good portion of the season.

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

This season, the Heat have been a team of redemption for a lot of players. Once high-profile prospects who flamed out under their initial draft teams, like Alan Quine (ineligible), Kerby Rychel (17th), and Curtis Lazar (ineligible) have taken refuge in the Stockton locker room, providing a veteran boost to an otherwise pretty young team.

The Flames system doesn't quite benefit from the presence of this type of player, though. For example, Lazar was summoned by the parent club in mid-February but has yet to appear in a game. Calgary and Stockton alike must see contributions from their top prospects before anyone else.

Guys such as Dillon Dube, for instance. Dube (2nd) has been dynamite for the Heat since being assigned by the Flames after being held to just five points in 23 NHL games. The two-time World Junior Championship competitor for Canada has improving rink sense that are helping him round out an otherwise electric offensive game that features above average ranks in shot tools, energy/hustle, puck skills, and acceleration/footwork.

Matthew Phillips (6th) has proven, despite his 5-7" size and how he fell to the sixth round of the 2016 draft, that he can be a pro-caliber player with the right opportunity. Having torn up the WHL with Victoria for four seasons, his last a 112-point campaign, his offensive skills are obvious.

He is a quick, head-down skater with lightning-like top speed and sick hands, especially in tight. His shot is as fast as that of someone six inches taller and has been used on the power play as a legitimate weapon in the slot. Phillips (11-18-29) is an absolute pest on and off the puck in all three zones, as well. He will probably need another year to develop, but his size and skillset, from a style standpoint, make him kind of like a Diet Johnny Gaudreau.

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

A quick stick tap for defenseman Matt Roy. The first time I took his game in, I didn't think anything of him, but he kept improving and become a leader -- on and off the ice -- of a thin Ontario team, and earned a recall to Los Angeles, where he has spent the last ten games. Roy (not ranked), a right-handed Michigan Tech alum, is a true shutdown defenseman whose stick positioning, physicality down low, and shot-blocking, make him a penalty kill staple anywhere he goes.

The 24-year-old started the season behind guys like Alex Lintuniemi (16th) and Sean Walker (20th) on the depth chart, as well as on the pecking order for potential NHL promotion/staying power. Roy (8-21-29) has arguably surpassed both of them.

Another person who has impressed greatly in spite of the circumstances is rookie winger Carl Grundstrom, who was acquired by the Kings in a late-January trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs that sent Jake Muzzin to The Six. Grundstrom (4th in Toronto's preseason prospect rankings) is a rugged but speedy forward with excellent hands and purposeful passing, earning a recent recall to the NHL with that versatile skillset and overall creativity.

Grundstrom (3-7-10) is only 21 and will assist the rebuilding Kings in getting back to the top of the mountain. L.A.'s farm system was ranked 16th out of 31 in our preseason farm system rankings, and the middling prospect core became significantly better with the presence of Grundstrom.

Kyle Capobianco – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – WINNIPEG JETS – NHL Player Profiles

FORWARDS

DEFENSE

GOALTENDING

2021-22 TOP 15 PROSPECTS: ARIZONA COYOTES – RANK: #12 – TIER III

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

McKeen’s 20-21 Hockey Yearbook: Arizona Coyotes Top 20 Prospects

Arizona Coyotes

Victor Soderstrom, D (11th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 1)

Barrett Hayton, C (5th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 2)

Matias Maccelli, LW (98th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 3)

Jan Jenik, C (65th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 4)

Kyle Capobianco, D (63rd overall, 2015. Previous Ranking: 5)

John Farinacci, C (76th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 6)

Aku Raty, RW (151st overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 7)

Carson Bantle, LW (142nd overall, 2020. Previous Ranking: N/A)

Ivan Prosvetov, G (114th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 8)

Tyler Steenbergen, C (128th overall, 2017. Previous Ranking: 9)

Axel Bergqvist, D (200th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 10)

Ty Emberson, D (73rd overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 11)

Alexander Daryin, RW (107th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 12)

Liam Kirk, C/LW (189th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 13)

Lane Pederson, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Oct. 13, 2016. Previous Ranking: 14)

Danil Savunov, LW/RW (174th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 15)

Hudson Fasching, RW (118th overall, 2013 [Los Angeles]. Previous Ranking: UR)

David Tendeck, G (158th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: UR)

Valentin Nussbaumer, C (207th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: UR)

Cameron Crotty, D (87th overall, 2017. Previous Ranking: UR)

MCKEENS 2020 NHL PROSPECTS REPORT – TOP 250 PROSPECTS

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – ARIZONA COYOTES– ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 11

Arizona Coyotes

Victor Soderstrom, D (11th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Barrett Hayton, C (5th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

Matias Maccelli, LW (98th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

Jan Jenik, C (65th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

Kyle Capobianco, D (63rd overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 4)

John Farinacci, C (76th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 13)

Aku Raty, RW (151st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Ivan Prosvetov, G (114th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Tyler Steenbergen, C (128th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 12)

Axel Bergqvist, D (200th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Ty Emberson, D (73rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

Alexander Daryin, RW (107th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Liam Kirk, C/LW (189th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 19)

Lane Pederson, C (Undrafted Free Agent, signed Oct. 13, 2016. 2019 Rank: UR)

Danil Savunov, LW/RW (174th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

AHL Pacific Division Report, October – Developing prospects

AHL Western Conference 2019-20 Season Preview

Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)

Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)

Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)

Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)

Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)

San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)

Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)

Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)

San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)

Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)

Colorado Eagles (Colorado Avalanche)

Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)

San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)

Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)

Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)

Arizona Coyotes 2019-20 Prospect Review: Top 20

AHL Pacific Report: Disparity rules, Benson and Marody explode in winning streak, trade deadline additions Dahlen, Kloos, and Petterson make impact

Victor Soderstrom, D (11^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 1)

Barrett Hayton, C (5^th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 2)

Matias Maccelli, LW (98^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 3)

Jan Jenik, C (65^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 4)

Kyle Capobianco, D (63^rd overall, 2015. Previous Ranking: 5)

John Farinacci, C (76^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 6)

Aku Raty, RW (151^st overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 7)

Carson Bantle, LW (142^nd overall, 2020. Previous Ranking: N/A)

Ivan Prosvetov, G (114^th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 8)

Tyler Steenbergen, C (128^th overall, 2017. Previous Ranking: 9)

Axel Bergqvist, D (200^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 10)

Ty Emberson, D (73^rd overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 11)

Alexander Daryin, RW (107^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 12)

Liam Kirk, C/LW (189^th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: 13)

Danil Savunov, LW/RW (174^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: 15)

Hudson Fasching, RW (118^th overall, 2013 [Los Angeles]. Previous Ranking: UR)

David Tendeck, G (158^th overall, 2018. Previous Ranking: UR)

Valentin Nussbaumer, C (207^th overall, 2019. Previous Ranking: UR)

Cameron Crotty, D (87^th overall, 2017. Previous Ranking: UR)

Victor Soderstrom, D (11^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 1)

Barrett Hayton, C (5^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 2)

Matias Maccelli, LW (98^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 17)

Jan Jenik, C (65^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

Kyle Capobianco, D (63^rd overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 4)

John Farinacci, C (76^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 13)

Aku Raty, RW (151^st overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Ivan Prosvetov, G (114^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 6)

Tyler Steenbergen, C (128^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 12)

Axel Bergqvist, D (200^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Ty Emberson, D (73^rd overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 9)

Alexander Daryin, RW (107^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Liam Kirk, C/LW (189^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 19)

Danil Savunov, LW/RW (174^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)