Kyle Masters – McKeen's Hockey

2021 NHL DRAFT: CENTRAL DIVISION REVIEW

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 21:33:40 +0000

2021 NHL Draft Review

Time to review the draft, in depth. As I have done in previous seasons, this review will cover the league one division at a time. For each team, we will offer a quick summary of their draft class, a deeper look at their first pick/first rounder(s), and then a look at what we think to be the best value pick of their draft class, and a final look at their worst value pick. Once the divisions have all been covered, a final article will go over some other miscellaneous trends of the draft that was (odds & ends), and the annual McKeens shadow draft class. Let’s dig in.

Central Division

Dylan Guenther. Photo by Andy Devlin

Arizona Coyotes

1 (9) Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton (WHL)

2 (37) Josh Doan, RW, Chicago (USHL)

2 (43) Ilya Fedotov, LW, Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)

2 (60) Janis Jerome Moser, D, EHC Biel-Bienne (NL)

4 (107) Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, D, Sparta Sarpsborg (Norway)

4 (122) Rasmus Korhonen, G, Assat U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

5 (139) Manix Landry, C, Gatineau (QMJHL)

6 (171) Cal Thomas, D, Maple Grove HS (USHS-MN)

7 (223) Sam Lipkin, LW, Chicago (USHL)

New General Manager Bill Armstrong’s first draft for the Coyotes (he was GM at the 2020 draft, but per the terms of his contract, was not allowed to participate in the draft) was a curious one. Looking at not being involved on Day One, he pulled off a morning of the draft blockbuster, sending Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland to Vancouver for a package including three overpriced veterans each on their final year under contract, and three draft picks, including a top ten pick in this draft, a second rounder next year, and a seventh rounders in 2023. This trade followed a similar deal made a few days prior, where Arizona picked up the dying contract of Andrew Ladd from the Islanders for a second-round selection, and picks in future drafts. The last trade on the draft floor (so to speak) saw the Coyotes leverage their extra picks in later years by sending a 2022 seventh rounder to Montreal for a late seventh rounder this year.

What made the Arizona draft curious though, were not the trades, but many the players they selected. The first pick was a chalk selection, as Dylan Guenther was a top ten talent for anyone, in any draft class. After taking that WHL star, the Coyotes focused almost exclusively on Europeans and college-bound players, with one exception in the fifth round. Furthermore, almost without exception, the players they selected after Guenther were drafted higher than expected, often by a long distance. That one QMJHL player was also the only pick they made of a player standing under 6-0” tall. The final note here goes to their first of three second rounders, Josh Doan, son of Coyotes’ legend Shane Doan, who was invited to announce the pick. A second-year eligible player, the younger Doan may be seen as a nepotism pick by some, but those people will not be familiar with the player. One of the most improved players in the USHL this year, Doan at pick 37 is maybe a touch high, but that is within range of where he belonged, if on the high end of that range. He is advanced enough to be paying dividends to the Coyotes sooner than later.

First round pick – Dylan Guenther, RW, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), 9^th overall

One of the biggest, purely offensive weapons in the draft class, there was no guarantee that Guenther would be available at pick nine, as he grades out as plus almost across the board. He has a big shot, is a talented puck handler, skates very well, and reads the game very well without shirking duties in his own end. He has the size, and the strength should come, although he is not naturally physically aggressive. That said, he is not shy and will play in the greasy areas and take punishment to make something good happen for his team. After a few years of drafting players for their maturity and two-way sensibilities, Guenther is a nice change of pace as a projected top line scoring winger.

Best value pick(s) –Manix Landry, C, Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL), 139^th overall

As mentioned above, Landry was the only player selected by Arizona this year who stands under 6-0” tall. Not by much, by 5-11” isn’t 6-0”. Already the Gatineau captain in his draft year, he doesn’t have top six projection, and none of his physical tools really sticks out, but he has always been able to maximize what he has with the hockey IQ expected of the son of an NHLer (Father Eric played briefly with Montreal and Calgary and for many years in Europe afterwards). The younger Landry also plays gritty enough and with enough energy and positive intangible qualities to be a bottom six option in a few years. Not an exciting pick, but very good value for the fifth round.

Worst value pick – Ilya Fedotov, LW, Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL), 43^rd overall

There were other options for this slot, but they were later rounders. Seventh rounder Sam Lipkin didn’t look like an NHL draft pick in my many viewings of him with Chicago. Sixth rounder Cal Thomas was maybe the third best NHL prospect on his high school team and the second-best defender after the undrafted Henry Nelson. Fourth rounder Emil Martinsen Lilleberg was playing in Norway and was in his third year of eligibility, but in fairness, Swedish teams had already taken notice and he will be in the SHL next year. So Fedotov gets the nod here as the Russian winger was taken in the middle of the second round and we don’t know that he does anything at a level high enough to profile to a top six or middle six slot. His production also doesn’t suggest a player who produces above his tools. He is a lanky young man who skates well and has some decent playmaking ability but is overly mistake prone and reactive. Arizona scouts clearly disagree but we think they could have nabbed him far later if they would have waited.

Allan_Nolan (2) photo by Keith Hershmiller

Chicago Blackhawks

1 (32) Nolan Allan, D, Prince Albert (WHL)

2 (62) Colton Dach, C, Saskatoon (WHL)

3 (91) Taige Harding, D, Fort McMurray (AJHL)

4 (105) Ethan Del Mastro, D, Mississauga (OHL)

4 (108) Victor Stjernborg, C, Vaxjo HC (SHL)

6 (172) Ilya Safonov, C, Ak Bars Kazan (KHL)

7 (204) Connor Kelley, D, Minnesota-Duluth (NCAA/NCHC)

7 (216) Jalen Luypen, C, Edmonton (WHL)

Like a number of other teams this year, Chicago went big at the draft. By which, I mean that they went almost exclusively for big players. Their first four selections measure in at 6-2”, 6-4”, 6-7”, 6-4”. Among the back half are two more big guys, and two at 5-10”, but even one of that latter duo weights over 200 pounds. Considering the lack of scouting opportunities this year, size doesn’t need too many looks to assess. Other notable points about the Blackhawks’ draft class include the even split between centers and blueliners, as the team did not select any goalies or wingers, and that fact that fully half of their draft class came from Western Canada, none of whom appeared in more than 28 games last year. Finally, as you may have heard, the team used their second-round pick on Saskatoon center Colton Dach, younger brother on current Blackhawks’ rising center Kirby Dach, a pick made the day after they traded for Seth Jones, teaming him up with brother Caleb, the return from another offseason trade.

I do have to wonder how, if at all, Chicago’s draft class would have differed were they not able to come to an agree with Columbus on the eve of the draft to acquire Seth Jones and the last pick of round one, in exchange for Adam Boqvist and pick 12 (a few other picks went in each direction in this trade). What direction would Chicago have headed with pick 12? Would they have taken the most powerful player available at that time, found another way to trade to do so, or even taken one of the two top goalies? We can’t know for sure, but we do know that the draft had started to overweight size and strength by the time Chicago selected Nolan Allan to end day one and can only assume that their strategy changed after the domino effect put into motion by Ottawa’s selection of Tyler Boucher at #10 overall.

First round pick – Nolan Allan, D, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL), 32^nd overall

Once upon a time a top three pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, Allan has since developed into a poised and reliable own zone defender. He makes the first pass to kickstart the transition. He can be relied upon to defend against the opposition’s best at the junior level. He played a similar role, including PK time, for Team Canada at the recent WU18s, helping his nation to a Gold. The offensive promise that he showed in AAA hockey in Saskatchewan has not yet shown up in the WHL. While not completely useless in the offensive zone, he is a fifth wheel of sorts. If Chicago is current about Allan, he is a number four in the mold of Nicklas Hjalmarsson. If not, he will be more of a number six along the lines of a different former Blackhawk, Slater Koekkoek.

Best value pick – Ethan Del Mastro, D, Mississauga Steelheads, OHL, 105^th overall

Think Nolan Allan, but two inches taller and 15 pounds heavier. Del Mastro is similarly a big, stay at home defender who was highly touted as a Bantam player, showed minimal offensive ability as a junior, although he has had far less time to prove himself at that level due to the OHL cancellation last year. He even played a similar role as Allan for Team Canada at the U18 championships, albeit Del Mastro was rustier with the puck. Del Mastro’s upside and downside are similar to those of Allan but getting the former in the fourth round makes it tremendous value.

Worst value pick – Taige Harding, D, Fort McMurray Oil Barons, AJHL, 91^st overall

A giant (6-7”, 236) in his second year of draft eligibility, Harding added a bit of offense from the blueline this year, going from six points in 46 games in his first draft year, to 13 in 16 games this year. The son of an old Hartford Whalers draft pick, the younger Harding learned to use his size to better establish positioning and succeeded as a 19-year-old in the AJHL. The problem with the pick, beyond the player not really having a clear NHL skillset, is that he likely could have been drafted far later than the third round, indicating that the Blackhawks overvalued him to a large degree.

Södertäljes Oskar Olausson under ishockeymatchen i Hockeyallsvenskan mellan Södertälje och AIK den 29 januari 2021 i Södertälje.
Foto: Kenta Jönsson / BILDBYRÅN

Colorado Avalanche

1 (20) Oskar Olausson, RW, HV 71 (SHL)

2 (47) Sean Behrens, D, USNTDP (USHL)

3 (92) Andrei Buyalsky, C, Dubuque (USHL)

7 (220) Taylor Makar, C/LW, Brooks (AJHL)

Not much to say here. Three forwards with good size and one blueliner deciding lacking in size. Of the four picks, the last three will be moving on to college hockey next season, while the first-round pick, the one drafted out of Europe, will be coming to North America to play in the OHL. It is fair to point out that the Avalanche have generally stayed clear of the CHL over the last few drafts, and Olausson is likely to be the only player in the system playing Canadian Major-Junior next season.

If a trend can be spotted out of four picks, it is a complete disregard for drafting young, first-time eligibles. Second rounder Behrens is the only 2003 born player among the quartet. Olausson is a late-birthday 2002 player, while the other two picks are not only re-drafts, but multiple re-drafts. Buyalsky was in his fourth year of eligibility and Makar was in his third year.

First round pick – Oskar Olausson, RW, HV 71 (SHL), 28^th overall

Like all junior aged players in Sweden, Olausson was forced to join the SHL once the junior leagues were cancelled around mid-season due to the pandemic. That said, Olausson was in the process of forcing his way up to the SHL anyway, with 27 points in 16 games before a stint with the Swedish WJC team and a brief period in the second tier HockeyAllsvenskan. He brings a big frame, plus skating and stickhandling and a lack of ego enabling to take on a bottom six role as needed, with the willingness to do the unheralded dirty work in his own zone. He could develop into a decent middle six player with special teams utililty.

Best value pick – Sean Behrens, D, USNTDP (USHL), 47^th overall

While lacking in the size that seemed to be all the rage at the draft this year, Behrens plays a fearless style of hockey, and you rarely notice his dimensional disadvantage on the ice. His skill set is moderate, but he always wrings every ounce of it from his body, pushing the pace and setting his team up for success in all zones. Headed to the University of Denver, the Avalanche will be keeping a close eye on Behrens, whose overall game is not too dissimilar to that of former Pioneer stalwart Ian Mitchell. I believe that he will be able to fit into an Avalanche blueline that already features the likes of Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Samuel Girard, acting as the more stable presence while the others play more dynamically.

Worst value pick – Andrei Buyalsky, C, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL), 92^nd overall

To be clear, I don’t think that Buyalsky was a bad pick at all, but the other option was a late seventh rounder, and Taylor Makar’s selection was suspiciously close to the announcement that his older brother Cale had signed a long-term contract extension with the club. Was the drafting of Taylor a quiet stipulation of his agreement to terms? Maybe. Either way, Taylor is a big winger who has demonstrated good playmaking at the AJHL level, even if he is already 20 years old, and there is scarcely such thing as a risk in the seventh round. As for Buyalsky, he is even older than Makar, turning 21 a few weeks after the draft. A speedster from Kazakhstan, he came to North America last December to play in the USHL and immediately added an exciting element to Dubuque’s attack. He is painfully thin but has decent skill to go along with his wheels. The only real element of risk in his pick is his age, which indicates less room for growth. In a draft class with more than four players, Buyalsky would be very unlikely to be featured in this spot.

Wyatt Johnston of the Windsor Spitfires. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Dallas Stars

1 (23) Wyatt Johnson, RW, Windsor (OHL)

2 (47) Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops (WHL)

2 (48) Artyom Grushnikov, D, Hamilton (OHL)

3 (73) Ayrton Martino, LW, Omaha (USHL)

3 (79) Justin Ertel, LW, Western Capitals (MJAHL)

4 (111) Conner Roulette, LW, Seattle (WHL)

5 (138) Jack Bar, D, Chicago (USHL)

5 (143) Jacob Holmes, D, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

6 (175) Francesco Arcuri, C, Steel Wings Linz (AplsHL)/Kingston (OHL)

7 (207) Albert Sjoberg, LW, Sodertalje SK J20 (J20 Nationell)

The previous few Dallas drafts prior to 2020 were marked by an abundance of lower upside, “safer” picks. They had physical gifts, but skill was lacking (Miro Heiskanen was an exception). Even 2019, with Thomas Harley, an offensive defender, as their first rounder, saw the team draft for safety with their other picks. While that approach sometimes leads to a late rounder blooming into a bottom of the lineup player, more often than not it leads to a player who doesn’t even garner an Entry-Level Contract. The 2020 draft saw Dallas go in another direction, selecting three forwards with skills to dream on. Sure, they might bust, but those low upside guys also have bust as their respective floors. Anyway, when Dallas named two-way center Wyatt Johnston as their 2021 first rounder, I immediately thought of Ty Dellandrea, a player with a similar profile at the time he was drafted. More smarts than skills, and by a mile. A solid pick for the second round, but not so much on Day One.

More on Johnston soon, but Dallas did a 180 on Day Two, stocking the system with high upside prospect after high upside prospect, giving them, all things considered, one of the draft classes I am most optimistic about in the league. Overwhelmingly North American, only one of their ten players selected don’t have some pre-existing ties to a North American league. They stayed away from goalies, a position of relative strength in the system. And even shied away from defensemen, with only three of the ten players known to patrol the blueline. Unlike many other teams, they were not too concerned with size, and Dallas was the landing spot for a few smaller players who fell further than their respective talent levels would have dictated. The 2021 draft class has the strength to be organization defining for a generation.

First round pick – Wyatt Johnston, C, Windsor Spitfires (OHL), 23^rd overall

A tremendous forechecker, Johnston, despite his pedigree as a sixth overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection two years ago, has not shown much offensive punch. Due to the cancellation of the OHL last year, his only game action in the last 12 months was a bottom six role for Team Canada at the WU18s. He was a valuable member of that Gold Medal winning team, but even there he didn’t show as a probable first round pick. He will do the little things right, paying attention to detail, and playing hard in all three zones. His stick work is good enough for a bottom six role, and he has a grinder’s mentality, but will need to improve his skating to reach that ceiling.

Best value pick – Logan Stankoven, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL), 47^th overall

While Johnston was a role playing for Team Canada, Stankoven was the team’s third highest scoring draft eligible forward. He is a fantastic stick handler, playing courageous at both ends. He recognizes opportunities in an instant and has the skills to capitalize on them. His ability to put the puck in the net is up there with anyone drafted this summer. He is also a gifted skater, with great edges and four-way mobility. So why was he still available in the middle of the second round? Because he is 5-8”. The NHL, as a group, is still deciphering the lessons of Alex DeBrincat and Cole Caufield. Stankoven will join that duo and continue to change minds about the need for size in the NHL.

Without giving profiles of them here, Dallas had quite a few high value picks this year, and I should at least mention Ayrton Martino, Jack Bar, Francesco Arcuri, Conner Roulette, and Albert Sjoberg as steals where they were selected.

Worst value pick – Justin Ertel, LW, Summerside Western Capitals (MJAHL), 79^th overall

While I had some mild concerns about Artyom Grushnikov and Jacob Holmes, neither of whom played at all last season, they had decent pre-draft year pedigrees, and both were expected to be drafted and were drafted near those expectations. Ertel is a different case. He was planning to play for St. Andrew’s the prestigious Ontario prep school, as a stepping stone to NCAA hockey at Cornell, but hockey was cancelled all over Ontario, not just in the OHL, so Ertel went to the Maritimes to play in the relatively obscure MJAHL. He showed enough skill and hockey smarts to gain notice of draft-worthiness, but there is little reason to think that he wouldn’t have still been available two rounds later than the Stars made the move for him. With a draft class of this strength, it won’t hurt Dallas, but it was a bit of a head-scratcher.

210121 Luleås målvakt Jesper Wallstedt under ishockeymatchen i SHL mellan Luleå och Växjö den 21 januari 2021 i Luleå.
Foto: Simon Eliasson / BILDBYRÅN / COP 159 / SE0026

Minnesota Wild

1 (20) Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea HF (SHL)

1 (26) Carson Lambos, D, JYP U20 (U20 SM-sarja)/Winnipeg (WHL)

2 (54) Jack Peart, D, Fargo (USHL)

3 (86) Caedan Bankier, C, Kamloops (WHL)

4 (118) Kyle Masters, D, Red Deer (WHL)

4 (127) Josh Pillar, C, Kamloops (WHL)

6 (182) Nate Benoit, D, Mount St. Charles HS (USHS-RI)

At the cost of a late third round pick, Minnesota traded up two spots in the first round, and snagged the goalie most pundits and scouts – including ourselves – rated as the top goaltender in the draft. We have historically been shy about ranking goalies as first rounders in the past, Wallstedt was an obvious first rounder, who is technically refined, experienced at high levels, and checks all of the boxes for a future NHL starter. More on him soon. The Wild had a second first rounder, and snagged a top defensive prospect in Carson Lambos, a player who might have been off the board much earlier if not for a medical concern that cropped up late in the season.

If the Minnesota draft was just those two first rounders, it would be cause for great optimism for the Wild and their fans. But they continued to pick up good upside, focusing on the blueline, where they used three of their remaining five picks, including one – second rounder Peart – who we had rated as having first round value. The other notable element of the Minnesota draft class was their clear lean towards the WHL, from where four of their seven picks emerged. Even if only Wallstedt lives up to his advanced billing, this draft will be monumental for the Wild. In that case, all other NHL contributions from the remainder of the draft class will be bonuses. And we think there will be more.

First first round pick – Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea HF (SHL), 20^th overall

We were not alone in ranking Wallstedt as the best goalie in the 2021 draft. In fact, the Detroit Red Wings may have been the only team that preferred Sebastian Cossa (probably not, but they were in the minority). Furthermore, we believe that Wallstedt is more advanced at this stage than either Yaroslav Askarov or Spencer Knight were in the past two years. His ability to read the play is especially impressive, helping him stay prepared for whatever the opposition is cooking up. His other tools all also grade out as above average and better. He has a year remaining on his SHL contract and should be competing for time in the Minnesota crease by 2022-23.

Second first round pick – Carson Lambos, D, JYP U20 (U20 SM-sarja)/Winnipeg ICE (WHL)

A smooth, fast skater with a well-rounded tool kit through the rest of his game, Lambos already had a very impressive WHL rookie campaign under his belt before the pandemic threatened his follow-up. During the enforced layoff, he had the chance to keep playing in Finland, for the JYP organization, and he excelled in their junior ranks, making a seamless adjustment from the North American game. Lambos expected to return to the WHL at the end of his Finnish experience, but two games after he got back to Winnipeg, an undisclosed medical issue emerged that forced him off the ice again. His medicals are reportedly fine now, giving Minnesota a second first rounder drafted substantially later than was expected before the year began.

Best value pick – Jack Peart, D, Fargo Force (USHL), 54^th overall

To be honest, Minnesota’s best value picks were their two first rounders, but getting Jack Peart at #54 was a third coup for Bill Guerin and the Wild. After crushing in the Minnesota high school ranks at Grand Rapids HS, Peart went back to Fargo of the USHL where he showed zero issue adjusting to the vastly improved level of play. By the postseason, he was the Force’s number one defender, helping lead the team to the Clark Cup finals. Peart is not physically imposing, but his reads and decision making are both incredibly impressive, convincing us to give him a first round ranking in our draft guide. Peart is also the third Minnesota Mr. Hockey to have been drafted by the Wild

Worst value pick – Caiden Bankier, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL), 86^th overall

As much as we loved Minnesota’s first three picks, the remainder of their selections left us unmoved. None of the four was especially egregious, but third rounder Bankier was their first reach, so he gets the dreaded ‘Worst Value Pick’ spot here. He has good size and decent creativity with the puck, but nothing about his game suggests top size potential, and his style hasn’t fit bottom six characteristics either. In other words, he looks like a tweener. That’s totally fine in the fifth round or later but is gearing for disappointment as a third rounder.

Fyodor Svechkov. Photo by Dan Hickling/Hickling Images

Nashville Predators

1 (19) Fyodor Svechkov, C, Lada Togliatti (VHL)

1 (27) Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax (QMJHL)

3 (72) Anton Olsson, D, Malmo (SHL)

4 (115) Ryan Ufko, D, Chicago (USHL)

4 (124) Jack Matier, D, Ottawa (OHL)

6 (179) Simon Knak, RW, HC Davos (NL)

As the first round was proceeding, the Predators decided that they would rather have two first round picks than have one first and two seconds, and I can’t say that I disagree. The Carolina Hurricanes felt differently, and a trade was born, allowing Nashville to finish Day One with two new talented forwards to add to their prospect pool. To make up for the forward lean on Day One, they went heavily on defense on Day Two, using the first three of their remaining four picks on blueliners.

Curiously, the Predators returned to Carolina on Day Two for another trade up scenario, moving up 11 spots in Round Three by sacrificing their fifth-round pick. With two moves of this nature, it seems fairly clear that Nashville had specific prospects targeted and preferred to miss out on an extra lower probability player in order to secure the player they really wanted. In the end, they have added six new talents to their pool, all of whom have reasonable claims to a future in the NHL. A final, minor note, Nashville didn’t seem to get caught up in the size rush this year, with only one of their six picks measuring in with above-average size, in fourth round blueline Jack Matier.

First first round pick – Fyodor Svechkov, C, Lada Togliatti (VHL), 19^th overall

A well-rounded offensive force who plays with an exciting combination of pace and touch, Svechkov had a very strong regular season split between Russian juniors (MHL) and the nation’s second tier senior league (VHL). But he really shot into wider prominence with a thrilling performance at the WU18s, where his ability to move the puck in the offensive zone was mesmerizing. Nashville has never been shy about drafting Russian players at the top of their draft classes, and Svechkov is next in line. He could be ready for the NHL once his Russian league contract expires after the 2022-23 season.

Second first round pick – Zachary L’Heureux, LW, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

The former third overall pick in the QMJHL Entry Draft, L’Heureux solidified his status as one of the top draft talents out of the Q with a well-rounded game that emphasizes a wicked shot and a prominent aggressive nature. That latter aspect turned off a few teams and prognosticators, as it led to a pair of suspensions for the winger last year, forcing him to miss time as his team competed for postseason standings. Notably, neither suspension occurred due to a normal, run-of-play type incident, but due to behavior that was, or at least should have been avoidable. Assuming that maturity could stem those types of behaviors in the future, he profiles as a force in a middle six role.

Best value pick – Ryan Ufko, D, Chicago Steel (USHL), 115^th overall & Jack Matier, D, Ottawa 67s (OHL), 124^th overall

These two are of a pair, both defenders being selected in the fourth round by Nashville, when both could easily have been off the board a full round or more earlier than when the Predators finally announced their names around half an hour apart. Although both blueliners are right-handed shots, the rest of their respective profiles couldn’t be more different. Ufko is small, but vicious, with a pronounced aggressive streak and a huge point shot. His skating needs a little work, but he is headed to a defensive factory at UMass and big things should be in his immediate future. Matier is huge, but skates well. He missed the year due to the OHL cancellation, but looked sharp at the WU18s, showing enough puck movement skills that he can profile to at least be viable in a third pairing role if paired with a more dynamic player. Either or both of Ufko and Matier could play a role in the NHL, which is more than can be said for many fourth rounders.

Worst value pick – Anton Olsson, D, Malmo Redhawks (SHL), 72^nd overall

We were probably lower on Olsson as a draft prospect than most other venues, but on its face, a third-round pick for the Swedish defender is not bad value. The only reason he ends up here is that Nashville traded up to get him, so his cost is both the #72 pick, as well as pick #147. Olsson can look good at times, but his feel for the game offensively can also be sorely lacking, leading to questions about his upside. If Olson in the third round is a team’s worst value pick, that team had a pretty good draft.

Zachary Bolduc. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

St. Louis Blues

1 (17) Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski (QMJHL)

3 (71) Simon Robertsson, RW, Skelleftea AIK (SHL)

5 (145) Tyson Galloway, D, Calgary (WHL)

7 (198) Ivan Vorobyov, RW, Mamonty Yugry (MHL)

One of the smallest draft classes this year, the Blues will benefit from also snapping up perhaps the best value pick in the entire draft. Not much else to state about their draft, as there was no other clear trend in their selections. The four players are all from different geographical locations and range from undersized (Vorobyov) to supersized (Galloway). If their top two picks pan out, this draft class will be deemed a success. If not, it will be a failure. With smaller draft classes, there is no room for error.

First round pick – Zachary Bolduc, C, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL), 17^th overall

A playmaking, two-way center, Bolduc’s production in his draft year was a mild disappointment, with point-per-game rates very similar to what he put up in the previous season, albeit with a vastly different shape. Whereas he scored almost three goals for every assist in 2019-20, last year the ratio was practically flipped, with nearly two assists for every goal scored. At times, his play seemed passive, which could impact his effectiveness, but a touch of added confidence should help him grow in all three zones, into a solid middle six center projection.

Best value pick – Simon Robertsson, RW, Skelleftea AIK (SHL), 71^st overall

Granted, we had Robertsson ranked too high for the draft. We focused too much on his discrete tools – which are all individually very impressive – and less on his overall game and how those tools all work together. The son of former NHL defender Bert Robertsson, young Simon split his draft year between the Swedish junior ranks, which he dominated before the league was cancelled half-way through, and the SHL, where his ice time and impact were both severely limited. He wore a letter for Sweden at the U18s, and performed fine, if not exceptionally. Robertsson has easy top six upside if he can put it all together, and bottom six value if he doesn’t. Getting that in the middle of the third round is a heist, and the Blues knew it, trading up with San Jose to get this pick, at the cost of a later third rounder and a sixth-round pick.

Worst value pick – Ivan Vorobyov, RW, Mamonty Yugry (MHL), 198^th overall

A seventh-round pick would rarely be chosen for this dishonor, but the Blues didn’t give us much to choose from. Their first three picks ranged from solid to exceptional vis-à-vis draft value. Vorobyov is a second time eligible winger who still hasn’t filled out a severely underdeveloped frame. He put up good numbers in the MHL last year (6^th leading scorer among the U19 set, with more stress on playmaking than finishing. Four games over the last two years in the VHL, Russia’s second men’s league constitute his sole experiences above junior hockey, and he has never been selected to represent Russia internationally, even for exhibition games. He is no more a gamble than any player picked in the seventh round, but for St. Louis, he is the biggest gamble of their 2021 draft class.

Chaz Lucius. Photo courtesy of USA Hockey/Rena Laverty

Winnipeg Jets

1 (18) Chaz Lucius, C, USNTDP (USHL)

2 (50) Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)

3 (82) Dmitri Kuzmin, D, Dinamo Molodechno (Belarus)

5 (146) Dmitri Rashevsky, RW, Dynamo St. Petersburg (VHL)

I can simply repeat much of what was written in this section about the St. Louis draft class. Winnipeg drafted only four players, and at least three of them already look like great value selections. Also like the Blues, the Jets selected three forwards and one defender. If four is enough of a sample size to detect any trends (it usually isn’t), we can at least note that three of Winnipeg’s four picks were out of Russia/former Soviet Union states, although one of those players is expected to move to North America as soon as next season, with third rounder, defender Dmitri Kuzmin signing his Entry Level Contract. His most likely next destination is in the OHL, where Flint controls his CHL player rights.

The above paragraph notwithstanding, Winnipeg hasn’t drafted seven or more players in a single year since 2017, and they had not even drafted six players in a season since 2018. It is exceedingly difficult to maintain a competitive organization when your team has only four or five picks every year while other teams are selecting seven or more. It will be interesting to see if GM Kevin Cheveldayoff continues to trade picks for present help or finally starts to hold onto those assets.

First round pick – Chaz Lucius, C, USNTDP (USHL), 18^th overall

Although his draft year was impacted at both beginning and end by injury, Lucius showed more than enough when he was healthy enough to take the ice that the first half projections placed on him previously were accurate. He was expected to go even higher in fact, but his foot speed was seemingly impacted by his pre-season knee surgery and that may have caused him to slide a few spots to Winnipeg. Skating aside, Lucius is a special offensive talent. His sense of timing and positioning lead to the bulk of his goals – helped along by a quick shot, of course – but he can also contribute as a playmaker thanks to his great ability to read the defense and exploit the smallest of gaps. He could explode with a fully healthy freshman season at Minnesota.

Best value pick – Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL), 50^th overall

Like St. Louis, Winnipeg managed to grab a player on Day Two who we had ranked as a first round talent. In this case, Chibrikov is small, but very feisty, and in possession of an exceptional offensive skill set. A creative player with high-energy, his development can go in a number of ways, and his ultimate projection will follow accordingly. Greater offensive consistency is all that stands in his way for a top six outcome, but the energy, reads, and overall mobility would also fit in a bottom six, disruptor role. A full year playing against men in Russia will go a ways towards unveiling his continued path.

Worst value pick – Dmitri Rashevsky, RW, Dynamo St. Petersburg (VHL), 146^th overall

This is once more not truly a low value pick. Rashevsky led the top Russian league, the MHL, in goals scored in 2019-20, his second year of draft eligibility, but went undrafted. Now 20 years old, and still exceptionally thin, he made his senior hockey debut last year and was pretty solid, especially in his time in the second tier VHL, where he put up 22 points in 30 games split between two teams. Rashevsky is not currently under contract in Russia, although there has yet to be any indication that Winnipeg wants to lock him in place just yet. If there is a low value element to this pick, it is the question of what is different about Rashevsky now than in the previous two years where he wasn’t selected? Even if there is no difference, perhaps the true answer is that he simply should have been drafted last year.

2021 NHL DRAFT: MINNESOTA WILD REVIEW

Ryan Wagman — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 20:58:20 +0000

210121 Luleås målvakt Jesper Wallstedt under ishockeymatchen i SHL mellan Luleå och Växjö den 21 januari 2021 i Luleå.
Foto: Simon Eliasson / BILDBYRÅN / COP 159 / SE0026

Minnesota Wild

1 (20) Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea HF (SHL)

1 (26) Carson Lambos, D, JYP U20 (U20 SM-sarja)/Winnipeg (WHL)

2 (54) Jack Peart, D, Fargo (USHL)

3 (86) Caedan Bankier, C, Kamloops (WHL)

4 (118) Kyle Masters, D, Red Deer (WHL)

4 (127) Josh Pillar, C, Kamloops (WHL)

6 (182) Nate Benoit, D, Mount St. Charles HS (USHS-RI)

First first round pick – Jesper Wallstedt, G, Lulea HF (SHL), 20^th overall

Second first round pick – Carson Lambos, D, JYP U20 (U20 SM-sarja)/Winnipeg ICE (WHL)

Best value pick – Jack Peart, D, Fargo Force (USHL), 54^th overall

Worst value pick – Caiden Bankier, C, Kamloops Blazers (WHL), 86^th overall

2021 NHL DRAFT: McKeen’s April Rankings – Pre-U18 World Championship – Top 32

Brock Otten — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 21:43:22 +0000

Scouting the draft certainly has not been easy this year. We could go on at length about that. Delays to the WHL season. The (recent) cancelation of the OHL season. Shortened junior seasons in Europe. Constant disruptions due to covid protocols. Rink restrictions. A greater reliance on video. These are the struggles that independent scouting agencies like ourselves have had to endure in order to evaluate and rank the best the 2021 NHL Draft has to offer. But the show must go on. Just because scouting has been different this year does not mean that our scouts have not been putting in the work. That work just looks a little different.

It has been over two months since the release of our preliminary Top 32 ranking. This time around, for our mid-season ranking, we will be increasing the length of our list to 64, along with some honorable mentions.

While the top 5 remains unchanged from our previous list (Beniers, Power, Hughes, Wallstedt, Edvinsson), there have been some pretty significant changes to the way we have ranked the players inside the Top 15. Chaz Lucius, Matthew Coronato, and Sebastian Cossa have made significant jumps, while Carson Lambos, Zachary L’Heureux, and Corson Ceulemans have seen large drops.

Lucius, of the U.S. National Development Team, was injured early on in the season, severely limiting our views of him. Now fully healthy, he is playing exceptional hockey (averaging over a goal per game in the USHL) and has moved up into our Top 10. Coronato has sustained his high level of play from earlier in the USHL season, leading the USHL in goal scoring. While Sebastian Cossa has been sensational to start the WHL season in Edmonton, currently leading the ‘Dub” in save percentage. His 6’6 frame and stopping ability are going to make him very attractive to NHL scouts inside the lottery range. The last time we had two goalies taken inside the Top 15 was 2006 when Jonathan Bernier (11th) and Riku Helenius (15th) were selected. There is a very real possibility of that happening again in 2021.

Carson Lambos is definitely a widely debated prospect these days. His play in Finland (on loan) was indifferent and, unfortunately, his season was ended early due to a medical procedure which halted his WHL season two games in and has prevented him from playing at the World Under 18’s in Texas. Ultimately, our scouts are less sure of his high-end offensive potential than they were a year ago, or even several months ago. Zachary L’Heureux is a talented player, no doubt, but his inability to stay in the Halifax lineup due to suspensions has become a concerning trend. And Ceulemans’ play since the AJHL returned has not been at the same level as it was before the stoppage. His play at the U18’s in support of Brandt Clarke on Team Canada will go a long way in determining his value for the draft.

In total, there are seven new faces ranked inside of our first round compared to last time. Those would be the aforementioned Chaz Lucius, Logan Stankoven, Aidan Hreschuk, Jack Bar, Ayrton Martino, Simon Robertsson, and Ville Koivunen.

Of course, this list is far from being set in stone. The IIHF World Under 18’s in Texas, which commence at the end of April, will be highly scrutinized. With the cancellation of events like the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, the World Junior A Challenge, and the Five Nations, this will be the first time scouts will have an opportunity to compare the top talent against one another. While it is important to not use a single tournament as the basis of your evaluation on a player, there is no doubt that the results of the U18’s will have wide sweeping effects on the year end lists of NHL scouts. Of our ranked top 64, 32 (exactly half) are scheduled to play at the U18’s.

While tempering projections based on the U18’s will be one challenge, the other main one is the cancellation of the OHL season. Typically, nearly 20% of all players drafted come from the Ontario Hockey League. While some of the top players have played in Europe (like Brandt Clarke and Mason McTavish) or will be participating in the Under 18’s (like Ben Gaudreau and Wyatt Johnson), others will have their evaluations and grades based upon their performances last season. That is unless the CHL and Hockey Canada can successfully stage a prospect tournament in a bubble setting sometime before the draft (which is apparently being discussed and on the table). Where to slot OHL based players inside our final rankings will be a challenge.

As mentioned, this time around we have ranked the Top 64. Of course, there were several players who just missed this list. Our ‘Honorable Mentions’ for midseason were as follows (alphabetically): Eric Alarie, William von Barnekow, Josh Doan, Liam Gilmartin, David Gucciardi, Jayden Grubbe, Samuel Helenius, Brent Johnson, Tristan Lennox, Robert Orr, Kyle Masters, Connor Roulette, Joshua Roy, Ryan Winterton, and Trevor Wong.

Without further ado...the McKeen’s April top 32 rankings for the 2021 NHL Draft. Subcribers can access the top 64 by linking here.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP-G-A-PTS
1	Matthew Beniers	C	Michigan (B1G)	6-1/175	5-Nov-02	24-10-14-24
2	Owen Power	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-6/215	22-Nov-02	26-3-13-16
3	Luke Hughes	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-2/175	9-Sep-03	38-6-28-34
4	Jesper Wallstedt	G	Lulea (SHL)	6-3/200	14-Nov-02	12-10, 2.23, .908
5	Simon Edvinsson	D	Vasteras (Swe 2)	6-4/200	5-Feb-03	14-0-5-5
6	Chaz Lucius	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/175	2-May-03	12-13-5-18
7	Dylan Guenther	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-0/170	3-Apr-03	12-12-12-24
8	Brandt Clarke	D	Nove Zamky (Svk)	6-1/180	9-Feb-03	26-5-10-15
9	Fabian Lysell	RW	Lulea (SHL)	5-10/175	19-Jan-03	26-2-1-3
10	William Eklund	LW	Djurgardens (SHL)	5-10/175	10-Dec-02	40-11-12-23
11	Kent Johnson	C	Michigan (B1G)	6-1/170	18-Oct-02	26-9-18-27
12	Aatu Raty	C	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-2/185	14-Nov-02	35-3-3-6
13	Matthew Coronato	LW	Chicago (USHL)	5-9/180	14-Nov-02	50-46-37-83
14	Cole Sillinger	LW	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-0/195	16-May-03	31-24-22-46
15	Sebastian Cossa	G	Edmonton (WHL)	6-6/210	21-Nov-02	12-0, 1.61, .939
16	Mason McTavish	C	Olten (Sui 2)	6-0/200	30-Jan-03	13-9-2-11
17	Francesco Pinelli	C	Acroni Jesenice (Slv)	6-0/185	11-Apr-03	13-5-6-11
18	Logan Stankoven	C	Kamloops (WHL)	5-8/170	26-Feb-03	6-7-3-10
19	Oskar Olausson	RW	HV 71 (SHL)	6-1/180	10-Nov-02	16-3-1-4
20	Ryder Korczak	C	Moose Jaw (WHL)	5-10/170	23-Sep-02	13-3-11-14
21	William Stromgren	LW	MODO Hockey (Swe 2)	6-3/175	7-Jun-03	27-3-6-9
22	Isak Rosen	RW	Leksands (SHL)	5-11/155	15-Mar-03	22-0-1-1
23	Aidan Hreschuk	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/180	19-Feb-03	43-5-28-33
24	Jack Bar	D	Chicago (USHL)	6-2/190	24-Oct-02	32-5-10-15
25	Corson Ceulemans	D	Brooks (AJHL)	6-1/190	5-May-03	8-4-7-11
26	Simon Robertsson	RW	Skelleftea (SHL)	6-0/190	5-Feb-03	22-1-1-2
27	Ayrton Martino	LW	Omaha (USHL)	5-10/170	28-Sep-02	36-18-36-54
28	Zachary L'Heureux	LW	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-11/195	15-May-03	33-19-20-39
29	Xavier Bourgault	C	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	6-0/170	22-Oct-02	29-20-20-40
30	Stanislav Svozil	D	Kometa Brno (Cze)	6-1/180	17-Jan-03	30-1-2-3
31	Ville Koivunen	LW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-11/160	13-Jun-03	38-23-26-49
32	Brennan Othmann	LW	Olten (Sui 2)	5-11/170	5-Jan-03	34-7-9-16