Lasse Boelius – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #12 Anaheim Ducks – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Sun, 03 May 2026 18:00:59 +0000

SAN JOSE, CA - OCTOBER 01: Stian Solberg #50 of the Anaheim Ducks looks on during a preseason NHL game against the San Jose Sharks on October 1, 2025 at SAP Center at San Jose in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire)

Prospect System Ranking – 12th (Last Year - 8th)
GM: Pat Verbeek Hired: February 2022
COACH: Joel Quenneville Hired: May 2025

The 2025–26 season appears to mark a turning point for the Anaheim Ducks, shifting from a perennial lottery team — having missed the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons — to a legitimate contender.

For those who have followed the organization closely, this progression comes as little surprise. Anaheim has steadily built a strong foundation with top-10 picks in seven consecutive drafts and has now begun complementing that group with experienced additions, including veteran defenseman John Carlson at the trade deadline. With a core featuring emerging stars such as Beckett Sennecke, Cutter Gauthier, and Leo Carlsson, combined with seasoned leadership and the presence of head coach Joel Quenneville, the Ducks have positioned themselves well to take the next step.

Anaheim continued its trend of drafting high-end talent with another top-10 selection in 2025, selecting Roger McQueen. He made an immediate impact in his freshman season at Providence, recording 27 points while contributing to a team with national championship aspirations. The Ducks followed that selection by adding Eric Nilson in the second round, who is also enjoying his freshman campaign at Michigan State. On the blue line, several prospects are nearing NHL readiness. Tristan Luneau (78th) continues to impress despite a slight dip in production, building off a strong 52-point season in 59 AHL games last year. Meanwhile, Stian Solberg (69th) continues to bring a physical, defence-first presence that projects well at the NHL level.

The Ducks’ long-awaited transition from rebuilding to competing, and in 2025-26, they appear to be on the right path.

NHL	RNK	PLAYER	POS	AGE	HT/WT	2024-25 TM	GP	G(W)	A(L)	PTS(GAA)	PIM(SPCT)
Ana	1	Roger McQueen	C	19	6-6/195	Providence (NCAA)	36	11	16	27	45
Ana	1	Roger McQueen	C	19	6-6/195	San Diego (AHL)	7	1	2	3	6
Ana	2	Stian Solberg	D	20	6-2/205	San Diego (AHL)	71	12	12	24	102
Ana	3	Tristan Luneau	D	22	6-1/195	San Diego (AHL)	70	10	31	41	29
Ana	3	Tristan Luneau	D	22	6-1/195	Anaheim (NHL)	1	1	0	1	0
Ana	4	Tarin Smith	D	20	6-1/185	Everett (WHL)	65	16	55	71	98
Ana	5	Eric Nilson	C	19	6-0/165	Michigan State (NCAA)	35	3	8	11	41
Ana	6	Lucas Pettersson	C	20	6-0/175	Brynas (SHL)	41	10	10	20	0
Ana	6	Lucas Pettersson	C	20	6-0/175	San Diego (AHL)	4	0	0	0	0
Ana	7	Lasse Boelius	D	19	6-1/190	Assat (Fin-Liiga)	40	1	7	8	8
Ana	8	Tim Washe	C	24	6-3/215	Anaheim (NHL)	39	2	3	5	14
Ana	8	Tim Washe	C	24	6-3/215	San Diego (AHL)	36	14	13	27	28
Ana	9	Herman Traff	RW	20	6-3/215	Oskarshamn (Allsvenskan)	51	23	18	41	32
Ana	9	Herman Traff	RW	20	6-3/215	San Diego (AHL)	3	0	0	0	0
Ana	10	Maxim Masse	RW	20	6-3/200	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	63	51	51	102	40
Ana	11	Sam Colangelo	RW	24	6-2/205	San Diego (AHL)	49	12	24	36	25
Ana	11	Sam Colangelo	RW	24	6-2/205	Anaheim (NHL)	9	1	0	1	4
Ana	12	Calle Clang	G	24	6-2/195	San Diego (AHL)	36	18	9	2.80	0.897
Ana	13	Sasha Pastujov	RW	22	6-0/187	San Diego (AHL)	71	21	36	57	26
Ana	14	Yegor Sidorov	RW	21	6-0/180	San Diego (AHL)	68	15	14	29	36
Ana	15	Austin Burnevik	RW	21	6-4/200	St. Cloud State (NCAA)	36	20	18	38	6

Roger McQueen, C, Providence College (NCAA) (currently with San Diego Gulls, AHL)

The 10th overall pick of the 2025 draft has grown into his game as the NCAA season has progressed. There was concern regarding how well he would adapt to the tighter-checking NCAA game, but those fears appear to have been allayed. His strength, agility, and quickness have visibly improved, which is encouraging given how much time he missed in his draft year. The production is there, but McQueen has yet to truly take over games with his skill and stickhandling in college like he did in the WHL. The biggest question now is just how high his ceiling is in the NHL. Although McQueen is littered with fascinating tools, it doesn’t all come together on a regular basis, and you don’t quite see the type of game-breaking skill and playmaking that matches his reputation. That being said, he still safely profiles as a second line forward, whether that’s on the wing or at center. Given his shot, smarts, and mobility, he should be able to fit right in on a line next to Beckett Sennecke or Leo Carlsson eventually.
Stian Solberg, D, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Solberg has not lit up the scoresheet in his first pro North American season, yet the tools that made him a first round pick remain evident. He constantly seeks to initiate contact, closing gaps on his opponents to lay punishing checks. Despite the low production, Solberg’s offensive game is growing as well. San Diego uses him on the power play, where he finds himself on his off-wing at times to make use of a powerful one-timer. Pair this with frequent incursions into the offensive zone, and Solberg’s game looks to be expanding. However, this is a bit of a double-edged sword at times. Solberg can get a bit too adventurous offensively, roaming deep into the offensive zone and being a bit reckless with the puck. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. Solberg is expanding his game and testing what he can and can’t get away with at the pro level. Given his strong defensive and physical base already, if he can even add just a bit more offence, he has serious top four defenceman potential.
Tristan Luneau, D, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Luneau’s season has not gone according to plan after a standout season last year. The former second round pick’s production has nosedived after a stellar rookie season in the AHL, all while not making the jump to the NHL that he might have expected. However, the traits that made him a coveted prospect are still there. He skates well, moves the puck efficiently, has a physical side to him, and can make plays. The question now for Luneau is when he will be able to make the jump to the NHL given Anaheim’s crowded blueline. Given that Anaheim just added John Carlson, who may be back next season, that picture just got even murkier. Yet, whether it’s with Anaheim or another NHL franchise, there simply is no good reason that Luneau can’t make the leap eventually. There are times where he still precipitates his decision making, but there aren’t too many defenceman with his combination of size, skating, and right-shot. At worst, he projects as a third-pairing defenceman, he can reach much higher if things break right. On the positive, he seems to be closing out the year on a high note after that disappointing start.
Tarin Smith, D, Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Smith has been the model of consistency for the Everett Silvertips, the team that he has spent his entire WHL tenure with. Not only has he remained an effective two-way defender, he’s steadily improved his play in all areas, developing into a more dangerous threat offensively while also becoming a harder and more attuned defender off the puck. His growth and commitment have clearly been acknowledged by his teammates and coaches, as he was named Everett’s captain for the 2025-26 season. He’s a high-end skater who has a clear understanding of how to maximize that advantage, always bringing a very up-tempo approach, whether that’s driving play up the ice or aggressively taking time and space away from opponents. The Silvertips finished with the best record in the WHL last season and are currently sitting atop the league standings once again, so Smith could be the beneficiary of a long playoff run (and possible trip to the Memorial Cup) in the spring, which would be a nice boon for his long-term development.
Eric Nilson, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

Nilson has seamlessly fit into a powerhouse Michigan State University squad. His combination of size, skating, and skill have stood out in college, and continue to bolster his middle-six projection. The next step for him will be to continue to develop physically, while growing his confidence to make plays. Nilson is the prototypical top nine forward in the modern NHL. He can skate well, while having the ability to carry the puck and make plays with it. Defensively, he’s smart, filling lanes, using his stick, and quickly closing gaps. He is the kind of player that coaches love, and that would fit into any lineup. Whether he’s a center or a winger, he has all the makings of a longtime pro. The Ducks currently have a bottom six littered with older veterans, so there is a clear opportunity for Nilson to step into the lineup once he’s ready to do so. There are few truly safe NHL projections in the prospect world, but Nilson is one of them. The final questions now are how quickly he gets to the NHL, and just how high his offensive ceiling can be.
Lucas Pettersson, C, Brynas IF (SHL) (currently with San Diego Gulls, AHL)

Signing with Brynäs after his hometown team MoDo was relegated to the Hockey Allsvenskan was seen as the best thing for his development at the time, given the opportunity to learn from former NHL stars like Niklas Bäckström and Jakob Sliferberg. The results have been encouraging so far. Winning gold and scoring a point per game at the WJC doesn’t hurt either. Pettersson is a speedy, smooth skating playmaking forward with a good feel for the game. He’s got an excellent north-south offensive game and has a quick and accurate wrist shot. When Pettersson is moving his feet and handles the puck with authority, he looks like a future NHL top six playmaker. However, those moments are so far and few between. He is pushed to the outside and defers puck handling duties to his linemates far too often. He needs to gain some more muscle and deal with board play situations better. Pettersson does have a low floor, but it’s too soon to make a judgement on his NHL certainty. He is still only 19 years old, so he has time to iron out his inconsistencies. Another year in the SHL before joining the AHL may be best for his development.
Lasse Boelius, D, Assat (Liiga)

Lasse Boelius, selected 60th overall in 2025 by the Anaheim Ducks, has quietly positioned himself as one of Finland’s most credible draft-eligible defenders in a relatively thin class in 2025. After steady progression through the Ässät system, Boelius handled meaningful Liigaminutes this season while continuing to drive results internationally, including a strong showing at the World Juniors with a point-per-game performance. His calling card is mobility. A fluid, agile skater with strong edge control, Boelius escapes forecheck pressure and activates intelligently into space. His first-pass precision and poise under duress improved over the year, and he showed legitimate value running a secondary power-play unit. He supports transition well and can close gaps effectively using his feet and stick detail. The main refinement area remains defensive-zone positioning and play selection. At times, he overextends offensively or forces breakout plays, leading to turnovers. Added lower-body explosiveness and strength will also be important.Projection-wise, Boelius profiles as a potential third-pair NHL defenceman with power-play utility, with upside for more if his decision-making and defensive consistency continue to trend upward.
Tim Washe, C, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Washe has parlayed stellar production in the AHL into regular NHL duty. Washe is the prototypical small-area player. He has good hands in tight, and is a detailed battler, leveraging his frame and positioning to gain advantages. He wins big faceoffs and has earned the coaching staff’s trust by making safe, north-south type plays. Foot speed will never be a strength of his, which is an issue that will often pop up in the neutral and defensive zones. But he mostly compensates for that with his motor and sound positioning. Offensively, he’s more than willing to drive to the net, and his small-area puck control allows him to create scoring opportunities in those sequences. He won’t dazzle with his hands, but they allow him to go where he needs to when he’s in the offensive zone. He probably tops out as a fourth liner, and because he’s not the most physical, he could be replaced by a grittier type, depending on the coach’s preference. But he’s proven he can hang in the NHL and should be able to find himself on NHL teams for the foreseeable future, whether that be in Anaheim or elsewhere.
Herman Traff, RW, IF Oskarshamn (SHL) (currently with San Diego Gulls, AHL)

After a couple of up and down years with the HV71 program, Träff signed with his hometown team of Oskarshamn IK and has absolutely lit it up. I don’t know if it’s mamma Träff’s home cooking or what, but he has looked like a game changer at the HockeyAllsvenskan level. The best part is he hasn’t strayed away from the core of his game. He’s still that confident, pacey, physical winger with a good skill level and strong finishing around the net. His hockey sense can be questionable at times, especially on the decision-making front. Harmful penalties and moments of iffy puck management are not uncommon. Still, Träff has never looked more primed for a move across the pond. After a year in the AHL, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him step into a bottom six NHL role. He can supply depth scoring and heaviness to any line. Although, with the upside he’s teasing this season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him tried higher in the lineup.
Maxim Masse, RW, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)

In his third QMJHL season, Maxim Masse has emerged as the offensive catalyst for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, one of the CHL’s top clubs and finishing second in the QMJHL standings. Masse totaled 51 goals and 102 points in 63 games, leading the league and his teamsitting 26 points ahead of the next closest Saguenéensscorer.His production reflects both solid consistency and a knack for clutch scoring, as he continues to establish himself among the league’s most reliable offensive threats. With a commitment to UMass next season, he’ll have an ideal environment to round out his game ahead of turning pro. Masse is a north–south, cerebral winger who scans the ice well and anticipates plays, finding soft spots in coverage. A volume shooter with a heavy one-timer, he thrives from the high slot and as a trailing option, using his size to protect pucks and generate chances around the crease. He competes hard in all three zones and offers dependable two-way value. However, he lacks high-end dynamism and creativity, and his skating—particularly his edgework and agility—remains a concern. Nonetheless, his size, scoring touch, and responsible habits project him as a complementary,middle-six forward at the NHL level.
Sam Colangelo, RW, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

The former NCAA standout just hasn’t been able to break through as an NHL player despite a few successful cups of coffee. His clock may be running out in the Ducks’ organization.
Calle Clang, G, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

A holdover from the Rickard Rakell trade with Pittsburgh, Clang has had his best season in North America this year. Clang tracks pucks well and is finally finding consistency in the AHL.
Sasha Pastujov, RW, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

AHL production hasn’t really been the issue for Pastujov, a former high scorer from the OHL. Concerns over his skill set translating to the NHL have prevented him from truly breaking outand earning a look from the Ducks.
Yegor Sidorov, RW, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

The Belarusian winger can really rifle the puck, and his second AHL season has seen him slightly improve his production. He has to keep improving his physical tools.
Austin Burnevik, RW, St. Cloud State University (NCAA)

It has been another solid NCAA year for Burnevik as he paces St. Cloud State offensively. The big winger is detail oriented away from the puck and could be a future bottom six option for the Ducks.

NHL: Affiliated prospects who have made rapid progress this season – Europe Part Two

Matej Deraj, Marek Novotny, Liam Crouse, Chapin Landvogt, Arttu Myllymaki, — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 14:41:51 +0000

Early on in the season talent evaluators are often hyper focused on draft eligible players as they try to determine early rankings and watch lists. But what about the prospects already affiliated with NHL teams? Previously drafted (or signed) players often show off remarkable progression early in the year that is worth discussing as it elevates their projection as NHL players. This piece aims to highlight some of those players; players who have impressed our scouting staff with their improved play this season.

Here are the European-based prospects, Part Two:

Arttu Myllymaki - Finnish Regional Scout

Lasse Boelius, Defense, Assat, Liiga (Anaheim Ducks)

Lasse Boelius is a reliable two-way defenseman whose offensive instincts and overall hockey intelligence continue to stand out. With the puck on his stick, he consistently shows an advanced understanding of spacing and timing, waiting for the right lanes to open rather than forcing rushed decisions. He plays with balance, poise, and strong awareness of his options, making him a steady presence in transition and a dependable breakout initiator.

One of Boelius’ most impressive qualities is how effectively he reads developing plays without the puck. Rather than drifting too close to the action; he anticipates where the next option will be, positioning himself early to influence possession and break up threats. His scanning habits are improving rapidly, and he has begun to recognize pressure earlier and react with confidence. Defensively, he uses an active stick intelligently, closing passing lanes and disrupting cycles while maintaining strong body positioning.

Boelius also competes with consistency, showing quick reactions to loose pucks and a growing urgency in retrieval situations. His mobility supports this, he moves efficiently, covers space well, and transitions smoothly from defense to offense. Though known primarily for his offensive strengths, he has shown the ability to translate them to higher levels through smart puck movement and increasingly confident handling.

With his blend of vision, reliability, and improving detail work, Boelius projects as a steady, modern two-way defender with room to grow into a versatile professional player.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1-lasse_boelius_-_1st_period_26_10_-_26_22.mp4

#25 Red

Here’s a good example of Boelius’ ability to control the game while having the puck on his stick, keeping the head up and driving to play fast north-south hockey with a stretch pass to the middle. In this clip it also creates an odd-man rush to his team and a dangerous scoring chance.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-lasse_boelius_-_1st_period_0_19_-_0_31.mp4

#25 White/Red

Boelius has improved his game off the puck which you can see here for example by great scanning of the opponent’s next play and reacting to it even before it happens. This combined with a tight gap and an active stick in the neutral zone he can already make defensive stops even before they turn into anything even nearly dangerous and gain possession back to his team.

Chapin Landvogt - Central European Regional Scout

Ludvig Johnson, Defense - HC Fribourg-Gottéron, NL (Utah Mammoth)

The 2025 NHL draft saw a total of four German players and 2 Swiss players get drafted. As opposed to their German counterparts, both of the Swiss draftees have remained in Europe to entertain top opportunities at the pro level. Most interesting to date has been half Swiss, half Swedish defenseman Ludvig Johnson, who was noticeable at last winter’s WJC and capped off his season with some strong play for Swiss powerhouse EV Zug. He headed to Fribourg-Gotteron this season and has, with some hick-ups along the way, worked his way into roughly a top foru role with his new club, which has minutes and responsibility to entrust him with.

Now, the 10 points in 27 games to date slightly outweigh the 10 points he had in 31 games with a better offense last season, but what has us excited about the Utah Mammoth draft pick (a club that also once took Swiss overager JJ Moser and recently selected German overager Maks Szuber, both defensemen) has been the overall step from depth piece to a regular, uptempo player. His team has been relying on him in multiple scenarios and he brings plenty of aggressiveness in all 3 zones to the table. As is usually the case with developing defensemen, we’ve been wanting to see positive development in the “little things” department. And he’s been delivering.

We expect there to be growing pains but Johnson can do some bad in any given instance and still clean his plate. Here we see him (#33) aggressively entering the opposition zone and getting stumped, but he maintains puck control and allows his team to set up shop.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1-ludvig_johnson_-_2nd_period_20_24_-_20_36.mp4

In this instance we see Johnson following his assignment all the way to the blueline to then thwart a passing opportunity.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-ludvig_johnson_-_shot_blocking_-_3rd_period_20_15_-_20_22.mp4

There’s nothing flashy to see here but this clip is a prime example of how he plays an oncoming rush a dozen times a game. He’s monitoring gap control (perhaps loosely by some coaches’ standards), helps direct things into the corner, gets his stick active, gathers the puck, and starts pushing everything out of his own zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-ludvig_johnson_-_3rd_period_7_55_-_8_7.mp4

He can take hits too. In this instance (here, wearing gray), he makes sure the puck gets deep after deftly receiving a pass and sidestepping opposition. He then more than holds his own with the ensuing physicality.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/4-ludvig_johnson_-_3rd_period_20_17_-_20_29.mp4

But let there be no doubt that he’s a mobile player who most flourishes with his play along the blueline. We can watch plays like this all day long and Johnson brings them most every game.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/5-udvig_johnson_-_shooting_from_the_blue_line_-_1st_period_16_26_-_16_33.mp4

Lastly, we are liking the shot. He’s not afraid to release and he does so with slappers and wristers that, quite frankly, we’d like to see more often. There’s more here than the stats show to date. But he has gotten powerplay time and there should be more of this to come down the line, if not already later this season. Heck, we’ll be looking for it at the WJC, which Johnson is still eligible for.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/6-ludvig_johnson_-_2nd_period_27_31_-_27_41.mp4

Liam Crouse - Goaltending Scout

Love Harenstam - G, Södertälje SK, Allsvenskan (St. Louis Blues)

It hasn’t even been a year since Love Harenstam was drafted, yet the development he has seen is completely unprecedented. Jumping from a mediocre U20 Nationell to a great Allsebnekan starter on one of the worst teams in the league isn’t necessarily common. Harenstam has accomplished this feat by playing faster, with more intensity and purpose, and smarter with greatly improved tracking and anticipation. He struggled last year at times with playing with intensity and looked dejected after things didn’t go his way. However, this year, something has flipped a switch mentally for Harenstam. Because even though his new team in the Allsvenskan is worse than his junior team, he is competing much harder, stealing games where he can and giving 100% each game. He’s a smart goalie with incredible vision, but those types of goalies tend to be more laid back, whereas Harenstam is showing that he is fighting and executing his plans with speed when it calls for it, while still being able to slow it down and be calmer in the net. If he can maintain this level of play the entire season as his club continues to struggle, then there shouldn’t be much that could mentally hold him back in the future, which will help immensely in helping him deal with adversity as he makes his way to the NHL.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1-love_harenstam_-_2nd_period_1_13_-_1_27.mp4

Here he is aggressively fighting through the screen, and then recovers from the shot with a lot of speed and intensity he didn’t often show last year.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-love_harenstam_-_2nd_period_20_49_-_20_59.mp4

Here he is combining his smarts and athleticism. He deepens, begins to load for the pass he knows is coming, and pushes with a lot of speed and flexibility to make a huge save.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/3-love_harenstam_-_2nd_period_31_24_-_31_34.mp4

Every move he makes here is controlled, but with purpose and with speed as he is quickly tracking and reacting to each pass being made.

Marek Novotny - Central European Regional Scout

Vojtech Hradec - Center, BK Mladá Boleslav, Czechia (Utah Mammoth)

Vojtech Hradec has emerged this season as one of the most improved NHL affiliated prospects in the region. After being selected late in the 2024 draft by Utah, the tall center chose to continue his development in the Czech Extraliga with BK Mlada Boleslav and that decision is already paying off. He is producing at a pace slightly ahead of last year despite his team’s uneven start in an extremely tight league table.

Hradec has long been viewed as a reliable defensive forward with a big frame and a strong presence around the crease. Offense was always the question. This season he has begun to answer it. His skating looks smoother and he is far more confident carrying the puck into dangerous areas. He drives the middle of the ice with authority and shows the vision to create for his linemates rather than simply finishing plays. The improvement in his agility and decision making has made him a more dynamic two way option. He continues to show that he can lock down the defensive zone as well. His strength along the boards and his long reach allow him to close space quickly and win difficult battles. He reads opposing rotations well and rarely gets caught chasing the puck, which makes him a trusted player in key situations.

After a productive World Junior Championship and a brief look with the senior national team, he is entering a crucial year. His growth suggests that Utah’s late round gamble may develop into something much more valuable. Around the net he remains a major asset. His frame makes it almost impossible for defenders to move him once he establishes position and he has improved at finding loose pucks and finishing at the far post. His ability to hold off opponents on the wall and then cut inside with possession has become far more consistent. While his skating and puck handling once limited his ceiling, he has made visible strides in both areas this season, narrowing gaps that previously held him back.

VIDEO 1:

Shows growing confidence in transition. Accelerates smoothly through the neutral zone and stays connected to the play. Good puck reception at high speed and impressive deke in tight space. The backhand finish suggests strong puck control and improving creativity around the net.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Clip-1.mp4

VIDEO 2:

High-effort shift on the penalty kill. Shows increased skating speed and improved mechanics. Protects the puck well despite pressure, fights through multiple opponents, and finishes the play with another controlled backhand.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Clip-2.mp4

VIDEO 3:

Demonstrates strong vision on a 2-on-1. Uses a quick, intentional shot off the goalie’s pads to create a rebound opportunity, setting up his linemate for an easy tap-in.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Clip-3.mp4

VIDEO 4:

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Clip-4.mp4

Strong read of the developing play and impressive timing on the rush. Attacks space with purpose and establishes inside positioning. Hands are active and coordinated for a controlled deflection.

Matej Deraj - Central European Regional Scout

Petr Sikora, Center, HC Oceláři Třinec, Czechia (Washington Capitals)

Sikora was a sixth-round pick back in 2024, when he was selected by the Washington Capitals. He wasn´t listed on many boards, but we at McKeen´s had him listed at #150. In his second season after the draft, Sikora is a significantly better player. He´s grown into a true leader in his age group and one of the more hated players in the Czech top tier league, which is a rare occasion for such a young player.

Sikora was known as fearless and energetic, but he has added another layer to his game. He´s a premium pest, who loves to get under the skin of the opponents, playing more physical, despite being 6-foot-0. He´s added a lot more muscle and his checks are much stronger. As shown in the clip, Sikora uses his body well to battle and strip the opponent of the puck.

VIDEO 1

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1-petr_sikora_clip1.mp4

If Sikora makes the NHL, it will be in a bottom-six role, most likely. That projection hasn´t changed, but Sikora is showing more offense to his game and better overall skills. He displays solid playmaking, offensive awareness and can surprise an opponent with a decent shot, as shown in the clip. Sikora has a better offensive toolkit now and became a 0.5 ppg player in one of the most challenging leagues in Europe, again, a rare feat for such a young player. He´s still not a premium offensive threat, but he´s definitely showing there is more to his game.

VIDEO 2

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2-petr_sikora_clip2.mp4

2025 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Lasse Boelius, D, Ässät U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

Jeremy Rivet — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 12:10:52 +0000

ALLEN, TEXAS - APRIL 27: Finland's Lasse Boelius #25 and Canada's Liam Kilfoil #14 battle for the puck during Preliminary Round - Group A action at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Credit Union of Texas Event Center on April 27, 2025 in Allen, Texas, USA. (Photo by Tim Austen/IIHF)

D - Ässät U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Shoots: L

DOB: 16.03.2007 - Pori, Finlan

Entering the season, we knew that it was going to be a hard year for Finnish prospects at the NHL draft. There were no players from the Finland region that stood out in the 2025 draft class list or were expected to attract attention this season, as Konsta Helenius, Emil Hemming, Joakim Kemell and Juraj Slafkovsky attracted the spotlight in the past few years. However, one prospect that was able to slowly improve their stock was Lasse Boelius.

Lasse Boelius is a 6-foot, two-way puck-moving defenseman who has played in the Ässät program since he was 14 years old. He graduated from Ässät’s U18 team to their U20 team last year, and he was able to get some experience in the Liiga this season. His progression through Ässät’s different junior teams has been consistent as he has pushed through the different levels. On the production level, in the U20 SM-sarja, he was able to beat his production from last year, but by a thin margin (14 pts in 35 games in 2023-24 and 18 pts in 34 games in 2024-25). On the international level, Boelius was able to make a bigger impact in the different U18 competitions throughout the year. He was able to produce 18 points in 19 games (excluding U18 WJC) and 6 points in 5 games at the U18 World Junior Championship in Texas. During those games, he really emerged as the best defenseman for Finland.

Boelius' biggest strengths are his mobility and his ability to escape the pressure with poise from the back of his net to feed the transition game. The precision and the consistency of his first passes improved throughout the year, as well as his confidence to make plays with the puck, especially on the power play. When he has a chance, he likes to support the attack in transition or by pinching at the right time in the offensive zone to keep the attack alive. Lasse Boelius is not the most physical guy, but his aggressiveness and engagement to box out opponents in front of his net or to keep players on the outside is an aspect of his game that he showcased during the year. He is also intelligent with his stick to take pucks away or to cut passing lanes. Even though he is not a punishing defenseman, he is not afraid to use his body to win battles along the boards or to close the blue line.

The main thing that Boelius needs to improve is his positioning in the defensive zone. Even if this area of his game did show growth during the season, it is noticeable that he thinks a lot more about offence, and sometimes he gets caught out of position or puck watching, which causes him to lose his check. In addition, Boelius has excellent mobility and agility, but there is room to improve his explosiveness.

With that being said, Lasse Boelius has the potential to become a second or, most likely, a third-pairing defenseman with ice time as a power-play specialist. It is realistic to believe that his game has another level that it can reach. There is a real possibility that he will be the first player drafted out of Finland and could hear his name around the second or the beginning of the third round.

Skating

Lasse Boelius is a smooth and agile skater who demonstrates strong mobility and poise across all three zones. One of his standout traits is his ability to evade pressure with ease, using his edges efficiently to change direction and shake off forecheckers. His edgework allows him to be deceptive and elusive, creating space for himself in tight situations. Boelius is rarely caught off balance, even when under physical pressure. Although he lacks some explosiveness in his first few strides, he compensates with smart routes and an excellent read of the play, which frequently allows him to be the first to loose pucks. His skating mechanics are fluid and efficient, which gives him an effortless presence on the ice. He transitions smoothly between backward and forward skating, helping him maintain good gap control and react quickly to changes in pace. In defensive scenarios, his mobility allows him to stay in position and adapt well to attacking threats. Offensively, his ability to activate from the point and jump into plays is aided by his footwork and lateral mobility. While improving his initial burst could elevate his game further, Boelius’s skating is already a key component of his overall effectiveness, allowing him to contribute both in transition and in sustained zone play. His skating gives him a foundation that supports both his defensive reliability and offensive upside.

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This is an example of his overall skating agility, fluidity and poise with the puck. Boelius likes to be in motion to find open space and be an option for his teammates.

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Here we see Boelius activating from the blue line to help keep the attack alive and trying to cause confusion for the defending team. The way he can change to backward skating with ease is shown in this sequence.

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A nice play here from Boelius going all the way to the attacking net from behind his own zone using his skating agility and his good hands to maneuver through traffic. It leads to a great scoring chance.

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Another example of his skating agility to beat two Swedish players, followed by him keeping his feet moving to ultimately attacking the net with a shot.

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The only thing with Boelius’ skating that needs work is his explosiveness and top speed. In this clip, we can see that Boelius can have difficulties creating separation in a straight line from a more standing still position.

Grade: 55

Shot

Lasse Boelius primarily relies on his wrist shot, which he uses effectively from the point and high-danger areas. His shot velocity is noticeable, and when he gets a clear lane, he can generate dangerous scoring chances. He’s capable of releasing the puck quickly, which helps catch goaltenders off guard and create rebounds or deflections. His wrist shot is quite accurate and consistently on target, but it can sometimes be blocked too easily by defenders due to shot lane selection or hesitating before pulling the trigger. That said, Boelius shows strong awareness when deciding whether to shoot or pass, often opting for the best play rather than forcing pucks into traffic. His overall shot selection is mature, showing an understanding of timing, spacing, and when to prioritize puck movement. While he doesn’t have a booming slap shot, his ability to create offense through intelligent use of his wrist shot adds value to his game, especially on the power play or during extended zone time. His shots regularly generate rebounds and second-chance opportunities for teammates, reflecting his offensive instincts and ability to read the play. If he continues to work on disguising his release and improving shot lane management, he could become a more dangerous threat from the blue line. Overall, Boelius’s shot is an asset—especially when used within the flow of the offense—and complements his playmaking well.

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Boelius likes to direct pucks on net when he has a chance to create offense.

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Here, Boelius shows how good he is at walking the blue line to find the shooting lane.

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A thing that Boelius will have to work with his shot is his ability to find the net. It happens a bit too often that his shot gets blocked because he takes a bit too long to release, like in this clip.

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Two shots in this sequence that find the net. The second one shows the velocity that he is able to put in his shots from the blue line. Defenders need to respect the shot when Boelius is at the blue line.

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A great play here on the powerplay where he walks the blue line, escapes the pressure and attacks the middle of the ice to take a dangerous shot.

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In this sequence, Boelius jumps in the rush and makes a nice, hard shot, which shows the velocity of his shot.

Grade: 52.5

Skill

Boelius is a highly skilled two-way defenseman with excellent puck-moving ability. One of his strongest attributes is his precision on first passes, especially in transition and during zone exits. He consistently delivers crisp, accurate passes that help his team maintain speed through the neutral zone. Under pressure, Boelius remains composed and demonstrates great poise, rarely rushing decisions or turning pucks over. His ability to escape pressure using quick cuts and slick hands is notable; he can beat forecheckers with a deke or by slipping into open space. He also has good vision and touch on his passes, allowing him to connect with teammates in stride or through tight seams. Offensively, he’s an intelligent playmaker from the blue line, capable of finding lanes and setting up scoring chances with confidence. His gap control has improved steadily throughout the season, and he’s become more assertive in defending rushes and maintaining tight spacing against opposing forwards. In one-on-one situations, he uses an active and well-timed stick to disrupt plays without taking unnecessary risks. Overall, Boelius brings a blend of finesse and responsibility that makes him a reliable puck mover and an asset in transition. His skill set allows him to contribute in a variety of situations, whether it’s starting a breakout, controlling the puck at the point, or making smart reads under pressure.

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This is a good example of the good hands Boelius has and also his ability to beat the pressure. He is confident with the puck on his stick. Here he dekes the defender at the blue line and attacks the net to score.

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Another of Boelius’ strengths is his play in transition. In this clip, he shows poise with the puck under pressure and waits for the right moment to make a saucer pass to start the transition. He also keeps his feet moving to join the rush.

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One more great showing of his vision and skill to make a good first pass on the breakout.

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At the beginning of this clip, we see Boelius receiving the puck at the blue line, and with a quick fake and change of direction, he is able to open a passing lane and beat the pressure.

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Again, a good example of a good first pass on the transition.

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This video shows Boelius’s ability to play at a high pace and to maneuver in tight spaces.

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Boelius also has a good ability to be deceptive when distributing the puck in the offensive zone and on the power play. Here he takes a shot at first, but the second time he has the puck, he makes a head fake to sell a shot but makes a nice no-look pass.

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Defensively, Boelius has improved his gap control during the season. This clip is a good example of that. And he uses his stick to deny entry to the puck carrier.

Grade: 55

Smarts

Lasse Boelius displays strong hockey IQ, particularly in the offensive zone, where he is constantly in motion, scanning for open space and opportunities. He reads the play well and has a good sense of timing, knowing when to activate from the point or support the attack without compromising his defensive responsibilities too often. Boelius makes smart decisions with the puck, especially under pressure, often choosing the high-percentage play rather than forcing the puck. That said, there are occasional moments where he can rush decisions, particularly when trying to push the pace, leading to turnovers or missed connections. Still, his ability to execute at a high tempo and make plays in tight windows is impressive. He has shown flashes of deception in the offensive zone, occasionally using head fakes or no-look passes to manipulate defenders and open passing lanes. Boelius also demonstrates good anticipation, reading developing plays and reacting quickly on both sides of the puck. His ability to choose between shooting and passing is another strength, often opting for the option that best suits the situation. Defensively, however, there is room for improvement in his positional play. At times, he can get caught too high or drifting toward the puck, possibly due to an overly aggressive offensive mindset. With more experience and coaching, he should be able to refine this aspect of his game. Overall, Boelius’s hockey sense gives him a clear edge, especially when paired with his puck skills and vision.

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This clip is a good example of Boelius’ ability to recognize when to activate from the blue line to keep the attack alive. Here he sees the open space and sees that his teammate will be first on the puck down low with the defending team forward cheating offensively. He goes to the corner to give support, receive the puck, attract two players before giving the puck back, and it leads to a goal with a wide open lane to attack the net.

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Again, Boelius activates from the blue line at the right time to keep the attack alive. He also has a good reaction to backcheck and is the first back on the loose puck.

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Sometimes, his decision-making in defensive situations could be better. Like here, on a 3-on-1 the rush, he decides to lay down on the ice in the hope of cutting the pass, but the timing was wrong.

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Another clip of him jumping into the attack and controlling the puck in the offensive zone. Also, good puck protection while going back to the blue line and instead of forcing a pass or a shot, he puts the puck in a safe spot where his teammate can retrieve it.

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Excellent read in this sequence where he recognizes that the defenseman will try a pass to his winger for the breakout. Boelius anticipates the play and jumps in front of the winger to intercept the pass and keep the attack alive for his team.

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Boelius is good at handling pressure behind his net with poise. In this clip, Boelius receives the puck behind his net and turns to protect the puck, knowing that an opponent is coming to put pressure on him on the forecheck. Instead of precipitating a pass that could end up as a turnover, he stays patient with the puck, and it gives him time and space to start the breakout in control.

Grade: 52.5

Physical/Compete

Boelius competes with consistency and intensity across all three zones. He is engaged defensively and doesn’t shy away from physical battles, particularly along the boards and in front of his net. While not a punishing hitter, he uses his body effectively to box out opponents and deny them space, especially in high-danger areas. He’s willing to take a hit to make a play and shows a strong commitment to breaking up cycles or stopping the puck carrier's progression. In puck battles, Boelius is tenacious and fights hard to regain possession, often emerging with the puck thanks to a combination of effort and stick positioning. His compete level remains generally steady throughout the game, and he doesn't fade when the pace increases or when his team is trailing. In fact, he often steps up his offensive involvement late in games, showing a desire to make a difference when it matters most. Despite not being the most physically imposing player, Boelius plays with some aggressiveness and demonstrates a quite reliable defensive presence. His willingness to engage physically and play with urgency adds to his overall effectiveness as a defenseman. However, there are times when he can be caught playing a bit too soft in the defensive zone and allowing opponents to dictate the play. Continued physical development and confidence could make him even more impactful in heavy traffic or against stronger opponents. Still, his current level of engagement and competitiveness already gives him a solid foundation to build upon as he transitions to higher levels of play.

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Boelius is capable of playing with an edge in front of his net. Here he is aggressive with some slashes and the use of his body to box out the opponent. After that, he shows tenacity to follow the puck carrier and denies him from attacking the middle, which leads to a takeaway and a zone exit.

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This is an example of Boelius not being afraid to use his body along the board even though he is not punishing. He is also not afraid to put his body or stick in the shooting lanes.

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Again, here we see Boelius using his body to try to kill the puck along the board and how hard he can play in front of his net on the box out.

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In the video, Boelius arrives second on the dump-in but pins the opponent on the board to stop progression, which ultimately leads to the puck retrieval and the zone exit.

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This is a one-on-one situation well played by Boelius with a good stick and physical play to take the puck away.

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Boelius is always engaged in puck battles, and he shows a desire to win them. Here, he is maybe not on the right side of the puck defensively, but he stays on the puck, fights for it and comes out with it.

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This clip is a good example of some lapses in Boelius’ defensive play that can happen at times and that he will need to improve. He fumbles the puck in the corner, and, after that, he is racing for a loose puck, but the Swedish player takes out his stick too easily to retrieve the puck first.

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Another mistake from Boelius here, where he covers the front of the net, the puck goes to the Swedish player behind the net, and he decides to attack him. He gets beaten easily and flies by behind the net instead of staying in front of him to protect the net.

Grade: 52.5

OFP: 53.625

A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity.

2025 IIHF U18 World Championships – Division A – Players to Watch

Brock Otten — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 11:53:19 +0000

The 2025 IIHF U18’s commence on April 23rd, with Canada looking to repeat as Champions for the first time ever at this event. The odds don’t look terrible for Canada either, as they find themselves in the easier Division A. As is the case in any year, Canada is only as strong as the players they have available to them; those not still involved in the CHL playoffs. So, someone like Caleb Desnoyers will not be playing as he continues to push towards a QMJHL title with Moncton. Finland only has a single bronze at this event in the last five years and this year doesn’t look much more hopeful, considering that this group finished almost dead last at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. Simply put, the 2007 birth year is not a strong one for Finland. Slovakia has finished fourth in back-to-back years and will be pushing to finally reach the podium. They serve as Canada’s most likely top opponent in the group. Latvia and Norway are improving hockey nations, but they are more likely to be battling to avoid relegation than for a medal. Although, Norway did beat the United States in pre-tournament action. This article serves as a preview of Division A, with team expectations and players to watch.

Canada

KANATA, ONTARIO - DECEMBER 27: Canada's Jack Ivankovic #1 looks on during Preliminary Round - Group A action against Latvia at 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship at Canadian Tire Centre on December 27, 2024 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andr Ringuette/IIHF)

It’s always difficult to craft a preview for Canada at this event because they often receive reinforcements after the tournament begins (and this report is published). This year is no different. As of writing this, the following is up in the air: A) The participation of the currently banged up Michael Misa, who has been with the team but not playing or practicing. B) The participation of the rehabbing Matthew Schaefer, who is likely shut down for the season. C) The participation of other recently or not yet eliminated CHL standouts: Jake O Brien, Cole Reschny, Ben Kindel, Cam Reid, Jack Nesbitt, Luca Romano, Landon DuPont, Keaton Verhoeff, and others. Some of those players may not be available, but a few will be.

One of the strengths of this team will be between the pipes. A case could be made that any of Jack Ivankovic, Lucas Beckman, or Burke Hood would be the starting netminders on any team in the tournament and are the three best players at their position in Texas. It’s a great problem to have even though all three can’t play. The fact that the goaltending should be great is important because the defense is going to be the weak spot. Currently, half of Canada’s defense could be made up of underagers. And other than the aforementioned Cam Reid, the other two possible big additions (DuPont and Verhoeff) are also underagers. As the 8-3 pre-tournament drubbing from Sweden could indicate, the defense might be a bit shaky.

Players to Watch:

As mentioned, there are likely to be other key members added, but this list is based off of official additions thus far.

Jackson Smith - Defense

Team Canada is going to need a lot from this smooth skating, two-way blueliner. With a strong performance at this event, he has a chance to solidify his position as the second best blueliner available this year. Scouts will be closely monitoring his decision making, but his upside is sky high.

Jack Ivankovic - Goaltender

While any of Beckman, Hood, or Ivankovic could be Canada’s starter, the Brampton Steelheads netminder seems like the odds-on favourite to log the most minutes based off of his Hlinka/Gretzky performance. He’s not huge, but he’s lightning quick. He’s had some trouble with consistency and allowing some weaker goals this season, so that will be something to monitor.

Braeden Cootes - Center

Slated to be Canada’s top line center at the event, Cootes plays such an admirable high energy game. Yes, he's a skilled playmaker and finisher, but he also loves to push the pace and attack through the middle of the ice. The likely first round selection in 2025 is a candidate to lead Canada in scoring.

Brady Martin - Center/Wing

A natural center, it looks as though Canada will employ Martin on the wing for the U18’s. Much like Cootes, Martin is a player with limitless energy who plays that rugged three zone game. He’s going to bring physicality to every shift, but he’s also going to be counted on to create offensively and be a go-to scorer.

Ryan Roobroeck - Wing

A name that Canadians may not be completely familiar with yet because of his late birthday and the fact that he’s not eligible for the NHL draft until next year. However, Roobroeck is the real deal as a goal scorer. He can score from anywhere and he can play a power game that will be needed for this tournament.

Cameron Schmidt - Wing

At this point, Schmidt seems like one of the 2025 Draft’s biggest wildcards. He can score with the best of them. He’s also a terrific skater and a tenacious player. However, he’s also undersized and consistency from shift to shift has been an issue. He has a lot to prove in this tournament.

Alex Huang - Defense

A late addition to this team, Huang is someone who can hopefully help to stabilize the back end. He paired with Matthew Schaefer on the top pairing at the Hlinka/Gretzky and was solid. Now he’ll need to provide more offensively and play a bit of a different role.

Finland

As stated, this group of 2007 born players has yet to truly inspire confidence in their ability to perform well internationally based on their previous performances. This group finished seventh out of eighth at the past summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. Previously, they finished dead last at the 2023 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge. Consistency was an issue at both Nations tournaments. Simply put, expectations are low at this year’s Under 18’s. Are they at risk of losing to the upstart nations of Norway and Latvia? This same group lost to Germany at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup and Norway might just have a better team than Germany did at that event.

Players to Watch:

Lasse Boelius - Defense

Finland’s top blueliner at this event, Boelius is going to receive all the ice time that he can handle, in pretty much every situation. He’s a mobile two-way defender who has shown a great ability to use his quick feet to create chances inside the offensive blueline. Scouts will be keeping an eye on his physical engagement level and decision making at the event, but he’s a candidate to be the first Finnish player off the board in Los Angeles.

Jesper Kotajarvi - Defense

Kotajarvi came into the season as the top rated Finnish player in this class, but a disappointing draft season in the Tappara program has seen him tumble into the mid round range. Kotajarvi has offensive upside as a puck mover, and to his credit, he finished the season on a high note. Can a strong performance at the U18’s help him regain some of his previous clout?

Atte Joki - Center

Two-way power center who will be one of Finland’s most critical players at the event. He was one of the team’s best and most productive forwards at the Hlinka/Gretzky, and even though he hasn’t had a terrific year in the Finnish U20 league, he remains a candidate for the top 100 in 2025 thanks to his upside as a middle six pro.

Max Westergard - Wing

Few forwards in this entire tournament enter with more draft momentum and confidence than Westergard, who was sensational for Frolunda in the SHL playoffs in a depth role. The late season call-up really showcased improvement in Westergard’s off puck play. However, he’s also going to need to be excellent on the puck if Finland has a chance of making the semi finals at the U18’s.

Patrik Kerkola - Goaltender

There’s no guarantee that Kerkola starts. It’s likely that he and Jooa Sammalniemi split starts in the round robin games. However, we’d argue that Kerkola is the more talented goaltender and has a better chance of stealing games for Finland. He hasn’t had the kind of draft year expected of him, but he’s still a potential selected in 2025.

Vertti Svensk - Defense

Svensk was a standout for Finland at the most recent Nations event, emerging as one of the team’s most effective defenders. His four way mobility is excellent and he really walks the blueline well. He also plays with some jam in the defensive end and shows upside as a two-way defender. A late born 2007, Svensk isn’t eligible until the 2026 NHL Draft.

Slovakia

Luka Radivojevič

Slovakia has finished fourth in back-to-back tournaments, and while you’d love to have seen them medal, making back-to-back semifinal appearances is still an impressive feat in this tournament. Can they make it three straight semifinal appearances this year? The division is wide open and it’s not inconceivable to suggest that the Slovaks are the favourites to finish in the top two of their group. This is a very experienced Slovak team, with eight members of the team returning from last year’s tournament, including five of their top seven scorers. That is valuable in a high-pressure event like the U18’s.

Players to Watch:

Luka Radivojevic - Defense

The skilled, but undersized defender surprisingly led Slovakia in scoring at last year’s tournament as an underager. He returns this year after a season in the USHL with Muskegon, where he was a strong offensive contributor. His ranking for the draft is a hotly debated topic, with a very wide range of outcomes and is true among the members of our staff as well. His performance at the U18’s is going to be closely scrutinized.

Jan Chovan - Center

At this point, Chovan’s performance for Slovakia internationally is keeping him afloat as a potential top three round candidate because his season in the Finnish U20 league has been underwhelming. Something about playing for his country brings out the best in him and we’d expect nothing less here. The power pivot loves to get to the net and he’s a consistent two-way presence. The Slovaks will need him to be an offensive leader.

Alex Misiak - Wing

The brother of Chicago Blackhawks prospect Martin Misiak, Alex finished this past season in the USHL with Waterloo after starting the year in the Slovak pro league. Misiak is a strong skating winger with a nose for the net and the ability to be a solid support player. He’s slated to be a mid-round selection currently but could do wonders for his stock with a strong performance here.

Michal Svrcek - Wing

Svrcek is a high energy, complementary winger who is dangerous because of his elite speed. He is aggressive in his pursuit of the puck, and he may just be the best goal scoring option on this Slovak team. After a strong year in Sweden, he hopes to use this tournament to improve his stock further.

Michal Pradel - Goaltender

According to NHL Central Scouting, no goaltender did more for their draft stock in the second half of the season after he moved to the USHL with Tri-City. The massive netminder is a near lock to be the team’s starter and he’ll look to carry that momentum and strong play into this tournament.

Adam Nemec - Wing

One of a few strong 2026 NHL Draft eligible players on this Slovak roster, Nemec may just be the best of the bunch. The younger brother of New Jersey Devils defender Simon Nemec, Adam was terrific for a U18 player in the Slovak pro leagues this year. He’s aggressive, physical, and a skilled finisher.

Norway

The Norwegians make their third straight appearance in the main group of the U18’s, only this year they hope to avoid playing in the relegation round. They’ve managed to avoid relegation the last two years and they may not be so lucky the third time around if they find themselves there again. But this is a strong Norwegian team on paper. Their pre-tournament victory over the U.S. was no fluke. Norway could have as many as three or four 2025 NHL selections on this roster and a few solid candidates for 2026 too. They’ll likely have a solid powerplay and top line. It will come down to the kind of goaltending they get.

Players to Watch:

Mikkel Eriksen - Center

Likely the straw that stirs the drink for Norway at this tournament, Eriksen is an intelligent, playmaking pivot who had a great season in the Swedish J20 league this year. The nephew of Norwegian legend Espen Knutsen, Eriksen is a likely selection in the 2025 NHL Draft. He had four goals at last year’s tournament as an underager, so look for him to have a solid tournament this time around too.

Tinus Luc Koblar - Center

A favourite of our Swedish scouts, especially Felix Robbins, Luc Koblar is a strong skating, high energy forward who has been a huge draft riser through the second half of this season thanks to strong play down the stretch for Leksands J20. The big forward oozes upside thanks to great physical tools. The rest of our scouting team is very intrigued by him heading into this tournament and he’ll be watched closely.

Niklas Aaram-Olsen - Wing

A top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft and one of the top 2008 born players slated to play in this tournament, Aaram-Olsen is a winger who combines size and skill to be an effective scorer. Only potential top three pick Viggo Bjorck had more points as a U17 player in the Swedish J20 league this past season. Already named as a top three player for the Norwegians at last year’s tournament, it’ll be interesting to see how much better he is this year.

Latvia

The Latvians are working on a three year streak of making the quarterfinals at this event and they have a great chance of making it four years straight, even if they’ll be relying on underagers to be their best players. If we’ve learned anything about Latvia from recent international tournaments, it’s that they can’t be counted out. They are scrappy and they find ways to win.

Players to Watch:

Olivers Murnieks - Center

Unquestionably Latvia’s top player, even as an underager. You could make the argument that Murnieks was Latvia’s top skater at the World Juniors this year. The well-proportioned pivot was one of the highest scoring 2008 born players in the USHL this past year. While Murnieks isn’t a dynamic skater, he is equally skilled as a playmaker and finisher and has the upside to be a first round NHL selection in 2026.

Rudolfs Berzkalns - Wing

A Boston College commit, Berzkalns has played in the U.S. the last few seasons, first with the BK Selects program and in the USHL with Muskegon this past season. He played for Latvia at the WJC’s but saw very little ice time. A strong skater with good offensive instincts and advanced puck protection habits, look for him to play alongside Murnieks. This is a name to watch for the 2026 NHL Draft, as like Murnieks, Berzkalns is an underager at this event.

Karlis Flugins - Wing

Flugins came to Flint of the OHL this year with a fair amount of hype, but he really struggled with the Firebirds. It’s clear that he is a smart player, but his skating and strength need improvement if he wants to be a high-end OHL player. A late born 2007, Flugins isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2026. It will be interesting to see how he performs at this event, where he’ll receive way more ice time than he received in the OHL this season.

2025 NHL DRAFT: TOP 100 PLUS HONOURABLE MENTIONS – March edition – FOR SUBSCRIBERS

McKeen's Hockey — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 14:34:18 +0000

Porter Mantone of the Brampton Steelheads. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

It’s time for an update to our 2025 NHL draft rankings. Back in December, prior to the World Junior Championships, we released our top 64. Now, not only are we updating, but we’re expanding to a Top 100 (plus honorable mentions). This will be our final draft ranking prior to the release of our Top 300 (along with our annual draft guide).

Erie Otters defender Matthew Schaefer remains on top, despite not playing since our last release due to a collarbone injury suffered at the World Juniors. However, we have no doubt that Schaefer will return stronger than ever. He has been skating recently and is gearing up for a return for the OHL playoffs. At this point, Schaefer is our clear number one and we don’t expect that to change.

The other players in our top ten are all the same, with some minor shuffling. Michael Misa moves ahead of James Hagens based on his strong production with Saginaw, mixed with Hagen’s drop in production with Boston College post World Juniors. We feel that both players have similar projections as top six pivots, but we feel Misa’s frame gives him a greater opportunity to be a more complete pro. Caleb Desnoyers is the other big riser. While, admittedly, we do have some minimal concerns about his offensive upside, we appreciate his pro style of play and safe floor, in combination with the improvement he has shown offensively over the course of this season. Roger McQueen is the big “faller” inside our top ten due to injury and durability concerns. He has recently returned to action and we’re eager to see how he performs down the stretch.

Among the biggest risers, Bill Zonnon, Cole McKinney, and Jake O’Brien standout. O’Brien is knocking on the door of the top ten, moving from 23 to 13 thanks to his elite playmaking ability and three zone awareness. McKinney elevated his play in the second half to become the top pivot on the US NTDP, giving our scouts a better indication of his offensive upside. Zonnon is an energetic forward with a pro frame who has been a favourite of our Eastern scouts thanks to consistent production.

Among the biggest fallers are Malcolm Spence (from 13 to 23, switching with O’Brien), Luca Romano (24 to 44), Ivan Ryabkin (26 to 39), and Tomas Pobezal (from 39 to 81).

You may have caught our recent, and annual second chances series that outlined the top “re-entries” available for 2025. Kristian Epperson (49), Francesco Dell’Elce (82), Petteri Rimpinen (84), and Sam Laurila (98) cracked our Top 100. Additionally, Jamiro Reber is listed as an honorable mention.

Overall, the picture is becoming more and more clear regarding this draft class. Simply put, the majority of our scouts are not enamored with the depth of this group. “In a normal year, when we put together our March list, the debate for the first round is often charged, with the regional scouts all fighting to have their personal, regional favourites included in the top 32,” said Director of Scouting Brock Otten. “But this year, the debate was more about who actually deserved to be ranked in the first round…there was significantly less table pounding.”

“The way I see it” continues Otten, “there is a clear drop off after about the 20th position. There are unquestionably some solid players available outside this range, but few high upside players. Potential role players are the name of the game this year. As a staff, we’re really hoping some players step up in their respective league playoffs and at the U18’s to help give this draft class a little more excitement.”

You can expect our final draft ranking to be released in late May, coinciding with the release of our annual draft guide.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP	G	A	PTS
1	Matthew Schaefer	D	Erie (OHL)	6-2/180	5-Sep-07	17	7	15	22
2	Michael Misa	C	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/185	16-Feb-07	62	59	67	126
3	James Hagens	C	Boston College (NCAA)	5-10/175	3-Nov-06	35	10	25	35
4	Porter Martone	RW	Brampton (OHL)	6-3/205	26-Oct-06	54	32	60	92
5	Jackson Smith	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-3/195	13-May-07	65	7	41	48
6	Caleb Desnoyers	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-2/180	11-Apr-07	56	35	49	84
7	Victor Eklund	LW	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	5-11/160	3-Oct-06	42	19	12	31
8	Anton Frondell	C	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	6-1/195	7-May-07	29	11	14	25
9	Roger McQueen	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-5/195	2-Oct-06	14	9	9	18
10	Lynden Lakovic	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-4/190	12-Dec-06	45	24	31	55
11	Radim Mrtka	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-6/205	9-Jun-07	41	3	31	34
12	Brady Martin	C	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-0/175	16-Mar-07	55	30	37	67
13	Jake O'Brien	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-2/170	16-Jun-07	64	32	64	96
14	Cullen Potter	C	Arizona State (NCAA)	5-10/170	10-Jan-07	34	13	9	22
15	Justin Carbonneau	RW	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-1/190	25-Nov-06	61	46	43	89
16	Kashawn Aitcheson	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-1/195	21-Sep-06	63	25	33	58
17	Cameron Reid	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-0/190	8-Apr-07	66	14	39	53
18	Ben Kindel	C	Calgary (WHL)	5-10/175	19-Apr-07	62	34	64	98
19	Braeden Cootes	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/180	9-Feb-07	58	25	36	61
20	Carter Bear	LW	Everett (WHL)	6-0/180	4-Nov-06	56	40	42	82
21	Jack Murtagh	LW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/200	22-Aug-07	42	20	24	44
22	Cameron Schmidt	RW	Vancouver (WHL)	5-7/160	19-Jan-07	59	39	37	76
23	Malcolm Spence	LW	Erie (OHL)	6-1/200	22-Sep-06	62	32	38	70
24	Joshua Ravensbergen	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-5/190	27-Nov-06	50	33	12	2.93
25	Jack Nesbitt	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-4/185	12-Jan-07	63	24	39	63
26	Cole McKinney	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/200	16-Mar-07	45	21	29	50
27	Eric Nilson	C	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	5-11/155	11-May-07	37	12	26	38
28	Logan Hensler	D	Wisconsin (NCAA)	6-2/190	14-Oct-06	32	2	10	12
29	Henry Brzustewicz	D	London (OHL)	6-2/200	9-Feb-07	65	10	29	39
30	Blake Fiddler	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-4/210	9-Jul-07	62	9	22	31
31	Shane Vansaghi	RW	Michigan State (NCAA)	6-2/210	11-Oct-06	35	6	10	16
32	Bill Zonnon	C	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/185	3-Oct-06	62	28	53	81
33	Jakob Ihs Wozniak	RW	Lulea (Swe J20)	6-2/185	1-Feb-07	40	23	34	57
34	Nathan Behm	RW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-1/190	18-Apr-07	57	31	35	66
35	Adam Benak	C	Youngstown (USHL)	5-7/160	10-Apr-07	53	16	38	54
36	Kurban Limatov	D	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-3/195	20-Mar-07	45	8	15	23
37	Carter Amico	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-5/225	15-Mar-07	13	0	3	3
38	Cole Reschny	C	Victoria (WHL)	5-10/180	6-Apr-07	60	23	63	86
39	Ivan Ryabkin	C	Muskegon (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Apr-07	18	11	8	19
40	Milton Gastrin	C	MoDo Hockey (Swe J20)	6-1/185	2-Jun-07	40	18	24	42
41	Will Moore	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-2/175	24-Mar-07	49	21	22	43
42	Sascha Boumedienne	D	Boston University (NCAA)	6-1/175	17-Jan-07	35	3	9	12
43	Conrad Fondrk	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/190	1-Jun-07	40	13	14	27
44	Luca Romano	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/175	25-Jun-07	65	25	26	51
45	Alexander Zharovsky	RW	Tolpar Ufa (MHL)	6-1/165	22-Feb-07	45	24	26	50
46	Max Psenicka	D	Portland (WHL)	6-4/175	18-Jan-07	22	1	5	6
47	Jack Ivankovic	G	Brampton (OHL)	5-11/180	22-May-07	41	23	12	3.13
48	Maxim Agafonov	D	Tolpar Ufa (MHL)	6-2/195	10-Apr-07	33	6	7	13
49	Kristian Epperson	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/180	7-May-06	55	26	51	77
50	Vaclav Nestrasil	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	6-5/185	6-Apr-07	51	14	19	33
51	Jimmy Lombardi	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/180	16-Feb-07	61	13	28	41
52	Gustav Hillstrom	C	Brynas (Swe J20)	6-1/175	20-Jan-07	43	16	22	38
53	Pyotr Andreyanov	G	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)	6-0/205	22-Jan-07	37	23	6	1.75
54	Arvid Drott	RW	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	6-0/180	11-Aug-07	40	18	18	36
55	Matthew Gard	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-5/190	7-Apr-07	63	18	17	35
56	Ethan Czata	C	Niagara (OHL)	6-1/175	29-May-07	65	20	33	53
57	Hayden Paupanekis	C	Spokane-Kelowna (WHL)	6-4/195	4-Feb-07	68	22	19	41
58	Charlie Trethewey	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/200	2-Aug-07	51	6	12	18
59	Aleksei Medvedev	G	London (OHL)	6-2/180	10-Sep-07	33	22	7	2.72
60	Daniil Prokhorov	RW	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	6-5/210	27-Apr-07	41	19	7	26
61	William Horcoff	C	Michigan (NCAA)	6-5/190	23-Jan-07	18	4	6	10
62	Tyler Hopkins	C	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/180	23-Jan-07	64	19	31	50
63	Lasse Boelius	D	Assat (Fin-U20)	6-0/180	16-Mar-07	34	4	14	18
64	Eddie Genborg	RW	Linkopings (SHL)	6-1/180	20-Apr-07	28	2	0	2
65	Semyon Frolov	G	MHK Krylia Sovetov (MHL)	6-3/200	17-Jan-07	5	2	2	2.75
66	Ben Kevan	RW	Des Moines (USHL)	6-0/180	3-Jan-07	46	12	29	41
67	Peyton Kettles	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-5/195	1-Sep-07	51	5	9	14
68	Zeb Lindgren	D	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	6-1/195	14-Apr-07	38	4	15	19
69	Everett Baldwin	D	St. George's School (USHS-RI)	5-11/175	15-Jan-07	22	10	10	20
70	Ryker Lee	RW	Madison (USHL)	5-11/180	8-Nov-06	48	27	33	60
71	Michal Svrcek	LW	Brynas (Swe J20)	5-10/175	26-Jan-07	30	14	16	30
72	Zachary Morin	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	25-Jan-07	54	16	20	36
73	Jacob Rombach	D	Lincoln (USHL)	6-6/200	1-Apr-07	50	3	15	18
74	Alex Huang	D	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-0/170	30-Jul-07	62	6	33	39
75	Tommy Lafreniere	C	Kamloops (WHL)	5-11/170	16-Jan-07	66	24	32	56
76	Haoxi (Simon) Wang	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-6/210	27-Jul-07	29	0	2	2
77	William Belle	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-3/220	14-Jan-07	50	4	11	15
78	Jan Chovan	RW	Tappara (Fin-U20)	6-3/185	9-Jan-07	39	11	12	23
79	Luka Radivojevic	D	Muskegon (USHL)	5-9/165	3-Jan-07	28	1	16	17
80	Shamar Moses	RW	North Bay (OHL)	6-1/200	6-May-07	58	12	35	47
81	Tomas Pobezal	C	HK Nitra (Svk)	5-10/180	18-Sep-06	42	15	8	23
82	Francesco Dell'Elce	D	Massachusetts (NCAA)	6-0/170	23-Jun-05	38	6	16	22
83	Vojtech Cihar	LW	Karlovy Vary (Czechia)	6-0/175	29-Mar-07	43	4	5	9
84	Petteri Rimpinen	G	Kiekko-Espoo (Fin)	6-0/175	25-Apr-06	40	16	9	2.36
85	Carlos Handel	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/170	31-Mar-07	50	3	23	26
86	Burke Hood	G	Vancouver (WHL)	6-3/195	30-Apr-07	41	18	13	3.21
87	Melvin Novotny	LW	Leksands (Swe J20)	6-1/185	3-Apr-07	41	12	26	38
88	Sean Barnhill	D	Dubuque (USHL)	6-5/205	8-Jan-07	46	4	4	8
89	Tomas Poletin	LW	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	6-1/200	30-Apr-07	25	13	7	20
90	Roman Bausov	D	MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)	6-5/180	28-Apr-07	39	2	9	11
91	Mason Moe	C	Madison (USHL)	6-1/185	26-Mar-07	41	13	24	37
92	Reese Hamilton	D	Calgary-Regina (WHL)	6-0/170	26-Mar-07	59	4	10	14
93	Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen	D	Michigan (NCAA)	6-0/180	18-Dec-06	35	3	6	9
94	Nathan Quinn	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-11/170	29-Aug-07	52	17	29	46
95	Samuel Meloche	G	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-2/190	22-Jul-07	49	29	13	2.96
96	Maceo Phillips	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-6/225	25-Feb-07	47	2	4	6
97	Eduard Bondar	D	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-5/195	31-Jan-07	52	3	9	12
98	Sam Laurila	D	Fargo (USHL)	6-1/185	2-Sep-06	50	7	28	35
99	Owen Conrad	D	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-2/210	10-Mar-07	62	7	19	26
100	Malte Vass	D	Farjestads (Swe J20)	6-2/185	28-Mar-07	40	2	9	11
HM	Karl Annborn	D	HV 71 (Swe J20)	6-1/185	6-Mar-07	39	3	21	24
HM	Lucas Beckman	G	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-1/180	23-Aug-07	51	30	18	2.68
HM	Carson Cameron	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/190	27-Jun-07	60	7	16	23
HM	Hayden Harsanyi	C	Medicine Hat-Saskatoon (WHL)	5-10/175	10-Jan-07	34	11	12	23
HM	Dmitri Isayev	LW	Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)	5-9/150	26-Jun-07	43	22	23	45
HM	Atte Joki	C	Lukko (Fin-U20)	6-1/190	21-Jul-07	40	15	17	32
HM	Viktor Klingsell	RW	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	5-10/185	10-Feb-07	43	17	22	39
HM	Nathan Lecompte	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-10/165	19-Jan-07	56	14	35	49
HM	Jeremy Loranger	C	Sherwood Park (BCHL)	5-9/160	15-Jun-07	50	37	57	94
HM	Jamiro Reber	C	HV 71 (SHL)	5-10/170	4-Sep-06	47	8	7	15
HM	Grayden Robertson-Palmer	C	Phillips Academy (USHS-MA)	5-11/195	29-Aug-07	30	16	23	39
HM	David Rozsival	RW	Bili Tygri Liberec (Czechia U20)	6-0/185	1-Jun-07	30	17	20	37
HM	Lukas Sawchyn	LW	Edmonton (WHL)	5-10/175	27-Feb-07	64	15	38	53
HM	Theo Stockselius	C	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	6-2/180	24-Jul-07	40	22	29	51
HM	Mason West	RW	Edina (USHS-MN)	6-5/205	3-Aug-07	31	27	22	49
HM	Max Westergard	RW	Frolunda (Swe J20)	5-11/160	3-Sep-07	41	19	31	50

2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 64 + Honourable Mentions – PRE-WJC

Brock Otten — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:10:07 +0000

Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters. Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Ahead of the 2025 World Junior Championships in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, we are updating our draft ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft. For this update, we’re expanding our list to a top 64.

Now sitting atop our list is Erie Otters (and Team Canada) defender Matthew Schaefer, supplanting Boston College (and Team USA) pivot James Hagens. In reality, we like both players and the decision to move Schaefer ahead was not unanimously supported by our scouting team. However, we believe that Schaefer is the complete package as a potential number one defender. Not only does he project as an all-situations minute eater, but he is a natural born leader who could captain and be the face of an NHL franchise too.

While the World Juniors are not always the best showcase for draft eligible talent; it can be tough for underagers to be impactful players. It will be interesting, nonetheless, to see Schaefer (and Porter Martone) square off against Hagens. All three should be playing key roles for potential medal favourites.

Not at the World Juniors is Saginaw center Michael Misa, our third ranked prospect. Misa’s transition back to the middle of the ice has allowed him to become one of the CHL’s most dynamic and highest scoring players. His skating ability, tenacity, and creativity allow him to impact the game in so many different ways and we see him as a potential franchise center.

The previously mentioned Porter Martone rounds out our top four, a group that we consider to have separated themselves from the pack to create a clear grouping of potential first overall candidates. Martone is a pesky power forward who is likely to develop into a first line winger who can play in all situations for his future NHL team. It’s rare to find a winger who can be on the ice whether his team is down a goal or up a goal with a minute to go.

Filling up the rest of our top ten are Brandon center Roger McQueen, Swedish winger Victor Eklund, Tri-City (WHL) defenseman Jackson Smith, Swedish forward Anton Frondell, Moncton pivot Caleb Desnoyers, and Moose Jaw power winger Lynden Lakovic. McQueen is the prototype of the modern-day top NHL pivot, with size and skill, however, injuries have disrupted his development and that is cause for concern. He is slated to return to action around February and will need a huge finish to his WHL season in order to push his way back into top four consideration. Anton Frondell is another player worth discussing as the previously hyped forward has also struggled with injuries and consistency. He has the kind of well-rounded game that makes him a potentially valuable pro player, but have we previously over projected his potential upside?

Among the highest risers on this list are Kitchener defender Cameron Reid, Barrie defender Kashawn Aitcheson, NTDP winger Jack Murtagh, Swedish pivot Eric Nilson, and Kamloops winger Nathan Behm. Reid has been one of the highest scoring defenders in the OHL this year with the surprising Kitchener Rangers; his mobility and two-way sense are very impressive. Aitcheson has really impressed us with the improvements made to his decision making and puck play, helping to elevate his potential upside as a top four, throwback defender. Murtagh has been the best player on the U.S. NTDP U18 team this year and projects as a Ryan Leonard type of top six complementary piece at the NHL level. Eric Nilson, the son of former Calgary Flame and Florida Panther pivot Marcus Nilson, is the same kind of determined two-way player that his father was, however, he’s shown positive progression offensively that has us reevaluating his upside. Lastly, Behm is the kind of intriguing athlete on the wing that NHL teams have been focusing on developing in recent years. There’s room for improvement in a lot of areas, but when he puts everything together and grows into his frame, he could be a real solid top six asset.

One of the biggest fallers on our list is Russian forward Ivan Ryabkin. He remains in our first round for now, but we would be lying if we weren’t concerned about the kind of season he has had and the lack of progression he has shown. As is, his game needs to mature a lot in order for him to be a successful NHL player. The upside is still incredibly tantalizing, but at some point, his lack of production and development needs to be held against him.

You can expect our next ranking sometime early in the new year as we expand our midseason list to a top 100, with honorable mentions.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1	Matthew Schaefer	D	Erie (OHL)	6-2/180	5-Sep-07	17	7	15	22	8
2	James Hagens	C	Boston College (NCAA)	5-10/170	3-Nov-06	16	5	15	20	4
3	Michael Misa	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/160	16-Feb-07	30	30	31	61	21
4	Porter Martone	RW	Brampton (OHL)	6-3/195	26-Oct-06	26	21	33	54	41
5	Roger McQueen	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-5/190	2-Oct-06	8	8	3	11	18
6	Victor Eklund	LW	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	5-11/160	3-Oct-06	24	8	7	15	31
7	Jackson Smith	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-3/190	13-May-07	30	2	22	24	26
8	Anton Frondell	C	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	6-0/195	7-May-07	7	1	2	3	6
9	Caleb Desnoyers	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-2/190	11-Apr-07	26	17	25	42	14
10	Lynden Lakovic	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-4/190	12-Dec-06	29	16	22	38	4
11	Radim Mrtka	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-6/200	9-Jun-07	9	2	5	7	10
12	Justin Carbonneau	RW	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-1/190	25-Nov-06	31	22	23	45	26
13	Malcolm Spence	LW	Erie (OHL)	6-2/200	22-Sep-06	29	15	22	37	20
14	Cameron Schmidt	RW	Vancouver (WHL)	5-8/150	19-Jan-07	26	24	14	38	16
15	Cullen Potter	C	Arizona State (NCAA)	5-9/160	10-Jan-07	16	4	4	8	6
16	Brady Martin	C	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-0/175	16-Mar-07	28	15	14	29	42
17	Cameron Reid	D	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/160	8-Apr-07	33	6	23	29	20
18	Kashawn Aitcheson	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-1/190	21-Sep-06	29	10	13	23	48
19	Logan Hensler	D	Wisconsin (NCAA)	6-2/185	14-Oct-06	17	0	7	7	19
20	Jack Murtagh	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/180	22-Aug-07	20	10	12	22	10
21	Joshua Ravensbergen	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-4/180	27-Nov-06	24	16	4	3.06	0.899
22	Carter Bear	C	Everett (WHL)	6-0/175	4-Nov-06	26	22	24	46	22
23	Jake O'Brien	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-2/170	16-Jun-07	33	18	23	41	8
24	Luca Romano	RW	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/170	25-Jun-07	32	14	15	29	8
25	Blake Fiddler	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-3/195	9-Jul-07	27	4	8	12	18
26	Ivan Ryabkin	C	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-0/170	25-Apr-07	15	1	11	12	26
27	Ben Kindel	C	Calgary (WHL)	5-10/165	19-Apr-07	29	19	27	46	18
28	Eric Nilson	C	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	5-11/155	11-May-07	23	8	20	28	14
29	Braeden Cootes	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/170	9-Feb-07	29	13	17	30	10
30	Nathan Behm	RW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-2/185	18-Apr-07	31	18	19	37	10
31	Kurban Limatov	D	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-4/185	20-Mar-07	26	5	11	16	16
32	Will Moore	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-2/160	24-Mar-07	29	11	11	22	2
33	Henry Brzustewicz	D	London (OHL)	6-1/195	9-Feb-07	32	5	15	20	45
34	Jack Nesbitt	C	Windsor (OHL)	6-4/175	12-Jan-07	33	13	16	29	30
35	Cole Reschny	C	Victoria (WHL)	5-9/160	6-Apr-07	29	11	27	38	28
36	Shane Vansaghi	RW	Michigan State (NCAA)	6-1/190	11-Oct-06	16	2	9	11	16
37	Arvid Drott	RW	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	6-1/180	11-Aug-07	24	13	12	25	10
38	Adam Benak	C	Youngstown (USHL)	5-7/160	10-Apr-07	26	8	16	24	20
39	Tomas Pobezal	C	HK Nitra (Svk)	5-10/170	18-Sep-06	26	12	5	17	14
40	Milton Gastrin	C	MoDo Hockey (Swe J20)	6-2/180	2-Jun-07	20	7	12	19	12
41	Jakob Ihs Wozniak	LW	Lulea (Swe J20)	6-3/180	1-Feb-07	22	7	21	28	6
42	Carter Amico	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-5/205	15-Mar-07	13	0	3	3	10
43	Cole McKinney	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/190	16-Mar-07	26	8	15	23	21
44	Ben Kevan	RW	Des Moines (USHL)	5-11/165	3-Jan-07	16	6	10	16	23
45	Conrad Fondrk	C	USN U18 (USDP)	5-11/175	1-Jun-07	28	6	12	18	2
46	Vojtech Cihar	LW	Karlovy Vary (Czechia)	6-1/170	29-Mar-07	25	3	4	7	6
47	Luka Radivojevic	D	Muskegon (USHL)	5-10/155	3-Jan-07	19	0	10	10	8
48	Alex Huang	D	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-0/160	30-Jul-07	31	1	13	14	8
49	Charlie Trethewey	D	USN U18 (USDP)	6-1/190	2-Aug-07	29	4	6	10	16
50	Dakoda Rheaume-Mullen	D	Michigan (NCAA)	6-0/170	18-Dec-06	18	1	4	5	2
51	Pyotr Andreyanov	G	Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)	6-0/205	22-Jan-07	17	10	3	1.83	0.942
52	Zeb Lindgren	D	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	6-2/175	14-Apr-07	22	2	9	11	20
53	Haoxi (Simon) Wang	D	King Rebellion (OJHL)	6-6/210	27-Jul-07	35	3	15	18	69
54	Maxim Agafonov	D	Tolpar Ufa (MHL)	6-0/180	10-Apr-07	20	4	3	7	16
55	Bill Zonnon	LW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-2/180	3-Oct-06	31	16	29	45	18
56	Ethan Czata	C	Niagara (OHL)	6-0/160	29-May-07	33	15	20	35	35
57	Sascha Boumedienne	D	Boston University (NCAA)	6-1/170	17-Jan-07	16	0	3	3	23
58	Peyton Kettles	D	Swift Current (WHL)	6-4/185	1-Sep-07	20	2	3	5	34
59	Eddie Genborg	LW	Linkopings (Swe J20)	6-2/185	20-Apr-07	22	16	13	29	22
60	Zachary Morin	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	25-Jan-07	25	10	14	24	2
61	Jimmy Lombardi	C	Flint (OHL)	6-0/180	16-Feb-07	32	5	13	18	17
62	Jack Ivankovic	G	Brampton (OHL)	5-11/180	22-May-07	21	12	7	3.49	0.898
63	Carlos Handel	D	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/160	31-Mar-07	28	2	9	11	8
64	Jan Chovan	C	Tappara (Fin-U20)	6-2/180	9-Jan-07	25	9	8	17	4
HM	William Belle	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	6-4/215	14-Jan-07	28	2	5	7	18
HM	Lasse Boelius	D	Assat (Fin-U20)	6-0/180	16-Mar-07	23	3	8	11	6
HM	Donny Bracco	D	USN U18 (USDP)	5-10/160	26-Jul-07	29	0	9	9	6
HM	Carson Cameron	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/175	27-Jun-07	33	5	9	14	14
HM	Kieren Dervin	C	Kingston (OHL)	6-1/170	31-Mar-07	1	0	0	0	0
HM	Semyon Frolov	G	MHK Spartak Moskva (MHL)	6-3/170	17-Jan-07	4	2	1	1.48	0.945
HM	Matthew Gard	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-4/190	7-Apr-07	31	8	11	19	36
HM	Emile Guite	LW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-1/165	31-May-07	30	6	5	11	8
HM	Love Harenstam	G	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	6-1/185	18-Jan-07	8	3	5	3.52	0.899
HM	Lev Katzin	C	Guelph (OHL)	5-8/170	13-May-07	8	5	10	15	0
HM	Viktor Klingsell	LW	Skelleftea (Swe J20)	5-10/170	10-Feb-07	24	7	10	17	0
HM	Ryker Lee	RW	Madison (USHL)	5-9/150	8-Nov-06	20	10	14	24	4
HM	Samuel Meloche	G	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-3/195	22-Jul-07	27	14	6	2.75	0.898
HM	L.J. Mooney	RW	USN U18 (USDP)	5-7/150	8-Mar-07	14	1	9	10	4
HM	Tomas Poletin	C	Pelicans (Fin-U20)	6-1/195	30-Apr-07	15	11	3	14	6
HM	Max Psenicka	D	HC Plzen (Czechia)	6-4/175	18-Jan-07	13	1	0	1	0
HM	Nathan Quinn	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-11/160	29-Aug-07	30	11	21	32	13
HM	Sam Spehar	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-10/170	20-Apr-07	20	8	8	16	2

2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 32 – PRE-WJC

Brock Otten — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:10:01 +0000

Matthew Schaefer of the Erie Otters. Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Ahead of the 2025 World Junior Championships in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, we are updating our draft ranking for the 2025 NHL Draft. For this update, we’re expanding our list to a top 64.

You can expect our next ranking sometime early in the new year as we expand our midseason list to a top 100, with honorable mentions. The top 32 are available to all in this article. Subscribers can access the top 64 plus honourable mentions by linking here.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1	Matthew Schaefer	D	Erie (OHL)	6-2/180	5-Sep-07	17	7	15	22	8
2	James Hagens	C	Boston College (NCAA)	5-10/170	3-Nov-06	16	5	15	20	4
3	Michael Misa	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/160	16-Feb-07	30	30	31	61	21
4	Porter Martone	RW	Brampton (OHL)	6-3/195	26-Oct-06	26	21	33	54	41
5	Roger McQueen	C	Brandon (WHL)	6-5/190	2-Oct-06	8	8	3	11	18
6	Victor Eklund	LW	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	5-11/160	3-Oct-06	24	8	7	15	31
7	Jackson Smith	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-3/190	13-May-07	30	2	22	24	26
8	Anton Frondell	C	Djurgardens (HockeyAllsvenskan)	6-0/195	7-May-07	7	1	2	3	6
9	Caleb Desnoyers	C	Moncton (QMJHL)	6-2/190	11-Apr-07	26	17	25	42	14
10	Lynden Lakovic	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-4/190	12-Dec-06	29	16	22	38	4
11	Radim Mrtka	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-6/200	9-Jun-07	9	2	5	7	10
12	Justin Carbonneau	RW	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-1/190	25-Nov-06	31	22	23	45	26
13	Malcolm Spence	LW	Erie (OHL)	6-2/200	22-Sep-06	29	15	22	37	20
14	Cameron Schmidt	RW	Vancouver (WHL)	5-8/150	19-Jan-07	26	24	14	38	16
15	Cullen Potter	C	Arizona State (NCAA)	5-9/160	10-Jan-07	16	4	4	8	6
16	Brady Martin	C	Soo Greyhounds (OHL)	6-0/175	16-Mar-07	28	15	14	29	42
17	Cameron Reid	D	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/160	8-Apr-07	33	6	23	29	20
18	Kashawn Aitcheson	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-1/190	21-Sep-06	29	10	13	23	48
19	Logan Hensler	D	Wisconsin (NCAA)	6-2/185	14-Oct-06	17	0	7	7	19
20	Jack Murtagh	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-0/180	22-Aug-07	20	10	12	22	10
21	Joshua Ravensbergen	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-4/180	27-Nov-06	24	16	4	3.06	0.899
22	Carter Bear	C	Everett (WHL)	6-0/175	4-Nov-06	26	22	24	46	22
23	Jake O'Brien	C	Brantford (OHL)	6-2/170	16-Jun-07	33	18	23	41	8
24	Luca Romano	RW	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/170	25-Jun-07	32	14	15	29	8
25	Blake Fiddler	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-3/195	9-Jul-07	27	4	8	12	18
26	Ivan Ryabkin	C	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-0/170	25-Apr-07	15	1	11	12	26
27	Ben Kindel	C	Calgary (WHL)	5-10/165	19-Apr-07	29	19	27	46	18
28	Eric Nilson	C	Djurgardens (Swe J20)	5-11/155	11-May-07	23	8	20	28	14
29	Braeden Cootes	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/170	9-Feb-07	29	13	17	30	10
30	Nathan Behm	RW	Kamloops (WHL)	6-2/185	18-Apr-07	31	18	19	37	10
31	Kurban Limatov	D	MHK Dynamo Moskva (MHL)	6-4/185	20-Mar-07	26	5	11	16	16
32	Will Moore	C	USN U18 (USDP)	6-2/160	24-Mar-07	29	11	11	22	2

2025 NHL DRAFT: Early Season Favourites – All Regions – Murtagh, Wang, Moe, Mrtka & More

Brock Otten — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 14:00:26 +0000

_{Carter Amico (NTDP (Team USA))}

Time for another series at McKeen’s from our scouting staff. The 2025 NHL Draft season is well underway and our scouts have been busy soaking in the action around the globe. Analyzing early season play can be difficult; perhaps even a bit of a ruse. Hot starts aren’t always sustainable and cold starts are not always indicative. However, players can still catch our attention in positive ways and that’s what this series intends to highlight.

The team has written about their regional favourites, including me. However, I felt like I should also add a piece with some of my early-season standouts from other regions.

Brock Otten - Director of Scouting & Regional Ontario Scout

Jack Murtagh - Left Wing - US NTDP

6’1, 200lbs - 08-22-07

In what is looking like a relatively down year for the U.S. U18 Development program, Murtagh is a player who has consistently stood out positively to me. He missed a good chunk of the beginning of the year with a shoulder injury, but has since returned and hasn’t missed a beat. He has been the NTDP’s most consistent scoring threat thanks to his high-end shot, strong scoring instincts, quickness, and high work rate. These attributes make him a likely candidate to be an excellent complementary piece on a scoring line at the pro level, in a similar way to the recently drafted Ryan Leonard.

A Boston University commit, Murtagh’s game is very well-rounded. He skates well. He brings effort in all three zones and plays a heavier game. He can score. He can make plays coming off the wall. He can lead the charge in transition. Due to some inconsistency in his play with the puck, his upside may have some limitations. When attacking North/South, his decision-making with the puck and vision can be inconsistent. He loves to push the pace, but the offensive zone turnovers need to be limited from taking on multiple defenders. He has good hands, but right now he lacks the strength to maintain possession through contact. However, as mentioned, his projection as a pro is a solid one and for that reason, I would expect him to climb towards the top 20 of the 2025 draft when all is said and done. He, and not William Moore, is the program’s top draft-eligible forward this year in my opinion.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/jack_murtagh_-_2nd_period_18_17_-_18_30.mp4

A quick wrister from Murtagh beats the goaltender from a distance. Murtagh has shown a consistent ability to do this thus far in his team with the NTDP.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/jack_murtagh_-_2nd_period_24_43_-_25_11.mp4

Just a tremendous shift from Murtagh that allows us to see his whole repertoire. Physical presence in puck pursuit. Strong defensive play. Great speed and skill on a rush attempt.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/jack_murtagh_-_3rd_period_13_17_-_13_29.mp4

A great stick in the defensive zone leads to what should have been a tap-in for Murtagh’s linemate.Jacob Kvasnicka.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/jack_murtagh_-_3rd_period_23_29_-_23_42.mp4

Great play on the puck by Murtagh as he escapes pressure and sets up a great scoring chance.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/jack_murtagh_-_1st_period_18_36_-_18_48.mp4

Once Murtagh upgrades his strength on the puck, he’s going to be able to take greater advantage of his speed. You can see an example like this nearly once a game.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/jack_murtagh_-_3rd_period_30_59_-_31_11.mp4

This is something that you, unfortunately, see more than once per game. Murtagh is ultra-aggressive in trying to use his speed to break through, but he has a tendency to force plays with tunnel vision and his offensive zone turnover rate is way too high.

Haoxi (Simon) Wang - Defense - King Rebellion (OJHL)

6’6, 215lbs - 07-27-07

Raw is the best word to describe Haoxi (Simon) Wang. The behemoth defender has very intriguing skills, especially for being so large at this age (and among the youngest in the draft crop). The skating ability at his size is very impressive. He generates speed well and is strong on his edges, allowing him to be aggressive offensively. He also protects the puck well and will look to get pucks to the middle of the ice, either through assertive drives or inside lane passing. Playing in all situations for King (of the OJHL), Wang has flashed an ability to be a capable powerplay quarterback and it is this upside that scouts are finding tantalizing.

Defensively, he’s mean and assertive. He can really throw his weight around. OJHL players have had a tough time escaping with possession below the goal line when Wang is on the ice. With his mobility and reach, Wang also shows terrific upside as a rush defender.

The issue lies in decision-making. As mentioned, Wang’s a raw project. He’s going to need some time to develop. He can struggle to clear the defensive zone when under duress; turnovers have been a problem. Picking the correct spots to be aggressive offensively and defensive zone reads have also been a cause for concern. When you factor in the fact that he’s playing at the Tier 2 level, Wang’s true projection and effectiveness can be a tad difficult to decipher. However, it would appear that his time in the OJHL could be nearing an end. He has recently met with both Oshawa (OHL) and Lincoln (USHL) and it looks like he’ll end up playing in one of those two locations to finish his draft year. This will really help scouts get a better understanding of this athletic big man’s true capabilities.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/simon_wang_-_2nd_period_12_7_-_12_29.mp4

Wang shows off his skill and mobility by escaping pressure to get a shot off from the slot.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/simon_wang_-_2nd_period_35_27_-_35_39.mp4

Another impressive play by Wang as he pushes his way to the net front for the goal.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/simon_wang_-_2nd_period_31_44_-_31_56.mp4

Wang can really lower the boom with his size advantage.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/simon_wang_-_3rd_period_0_58_-_1_13.mp4

Plays like this have been plaguing Wang. He needs to be way more decisive with the puck in the defensive end.

Mason Moe - Center - Madison (USHL)/US NTDP and U18

6’1, 186lbs - 03-26-07

His team designation above is likely to be confusing. No, Moe is not officially a member of the U.S. NTDP. He is the property of the Madison Capitals and has played out a large portion of his year with them. However, he has also spent a considerable amount of time with the U18 team because of the injuries that they have incurred, participating in NCAA exhibition games and at the recent Nations event. It is often normal for the program to pull in USHL (or prep/high school) players occasionally over the year, however, it has been way more pronounced this year due to Cullen Potter’s departure and the vast amount of injuries that the team has had to play through.

The big center has the potential to play a complete, pro-style, heavy game. His skating has improved dramatically over the course of the calendar year, allowing him to become a way more impactful player on and off the puck. He can put defenders on his back and drive the net; his puck protection ability is a major strength of his game. Additionally, Moe has an excellent shot and scoring instincts. He gets himself to the net and finds soft spots in coverage, allowing him to capitalize on a whippy, but quick release that generates solid velocity.

A University of Minnesota commit, Moe looks to have the upside to become a solid middle-six option at the pro level thanks to his power and scoring ability. The power component just needs to become way more consistent. He could definitely stand to be more physical in puck pursuit. It seems likely that we’ll continue to get a great look at him over the year at International events too. He’s going to suit up for the U.S. at the World Junior A Challenge in December and with how much he’s played for the NTDP this year, it seems likely that we see him added for the year-end U18 too.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mason_moe_-_2nd_period_25_30_-_25_42.mp4

Moe’s initial burst can give him some separation, but he can have trouble sustaining speed, especially with the puck. This has neutralized his effectiveness in transition at both the international and USHL levels.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mason_moe_-_1st_period_26_17_-_26_29.mp4

Good inside move from Moe to get to the middle for an open look.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mason_moe_-_1st_period_27_47_-_27_59.mp4

Look at the zip on this shot as Moe goes bar down.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mason_moe_-_3rd_period_13_22_-_13_35.mp4

Moe is Johnny on the spot for this goal, again showing a high-end shot. He had a hat trick in this game against Robert Morris, playing for the NTDP.

Radim Mrtka - Defense - Trinec (Czechia)

6’6, 207lbs - 06-09-07

The big Czech defender really burst onto the scene at the summer’s Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, helping Czechia capture a silver medal on the back of his minute-munching ability. He showed incredibly well at both ends, flashing intriguing upside thanks to plus athletic and physical tools.

The plan this year was for him to return to Czechia and play professionally with HC Oceláři Třinec, however, that decision hasn’t borne the kind of fruit that we all expected. His ice time has been inconsistent and he has found himself playing lately in the Czech U20 league. Mrtka has made headlines recently, joining Seattle of the WHL for the rest of his draft year. I would call that a positive move for his development and draft stock.

Since the Hlinka/Gretzky, Mrtka’s play would best be classified as inconsistent. We’re not seeing him be consistently physically aggressive, despite having the frame for it. We’re not seeing him consistently looking to use his skating ability and frame to be aggressive offensively. The majority of his point production this year has come from secondary assists on strong plays in the defensive end or neutral zone or shots from the point. Mrtka still possesses terrific upside as a two-way, all-situations defender. He’s flashed that and his move to the WHL will really help him unlock his potential. He’s still one of our favourite defenders in this draft class (at McKeen’s Hockey).

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/radim_mrtka_-_2nd_period_54_51_-_55_3.mp4

The story of Mrtka’s pro-league play this year. A sloppy play with the puck, followed by a strong defensive play. He’s held his own defensively, even if the physical play has lacked consistency.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/radim_mrtka_-_3rd_period_31_39_-_31_52.mp4

Mrtka was so good in the Hlinka/Gretzky final against Canada and it really was the icing on the cake of a strong tournament performance. All tournament long he was looking to attack the middle with the puck and lead the charge offensively, but it’s not something that we’ve seen consistently in Czechia this year since.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/radim_mrtka_-_2nd_period_5_39_-_5_51.mp4

Play from the recent U20 Nations tournament. This is one such example of how Mrtka has been generating points this year. Just a quick, low shot to the net that creates a tip opportunity (or a second chance opportunity in other examples).

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/radim_mrtka_-_1st_period_3_21_-_3_43.mp4

Great pinch and board play by Mrtka in Champions League play leads to a goal for HC Trinec.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/radim_mrtka_-_2nd_period_0_39_-_0_52.mp4

Another play from the recent U20 tournament. A great close-out by Mrtka, showing how disruptive his length can be when combined with his mobility. But, he follows it up with a soft play on the puck. As mentioned, his decision-making and overall effectiveness with the puck have been wildly inconsistent.

Lasse Boelius - Defense - Assat U20

6’0, 180lbs - 03-16-07

Boelius is another defender who caught our eye with strong play at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, truthfully one of the few bright spots for team Finland. Coming into the tournament, Jesper Kotajarvi was the defender being hyped, but it was Boelius who stole the show.

He’s parlayed that into some games at the Liiga level and he’s firmly on the radar as a potential top-two-round selection. Boelius’ game is modelled around his terrific overall mobility. He’s a very fluid skater who can both lead the charge or walk the line. He’s crafty in the offensive zone with how he can control the puck and draw in pressure thanks to his escapability and quick feet. Does that make him a potential powerplay quarterback?

Defensively, he certainly has the upside as a two-way blueliner. There’s definitely a need to get stronger and be more physically engaged. However, he’s shown a good stick and defensive instincts at times, even at the pro level. The mobility offers intriguing rush defence potential, so long as his reads and awareness continue to improve, along with his strength. Boelius was really strong at the recent U18 Five Nations tournament too; in my opinion one of the better defenders at the event. I have a feeling that his stock might continue to climb over the year.

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We get a glimpse of the skill Boelius possesses in two clips from the same U18 Five Nations game against Switzerland. He’s very active and aggressive inside the offensive end.

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Boelius absolutely rips this one from the slot. He’s been on a bit of a scoring spree of late.

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Power Play goal from the U18 Five Nations. Boelius draws in pressure before passing off but then one-times it quickly upon receiving the pass back

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This is the type of defensive miscue that Boelius has had this year. Just a lack of physical intensity there, allowing an easy tap-in. He’s struggled with defending near the crease this season.

Carter Amico - Defense - US NTDP

6’5, 225lbs - 03-15-07

For lack of a better comparison, Amico is this year’s version of EJ Emery on the U.S. NTDP. This is a big, athletic rearguard with an extremely intriguing defensive upside. He skates well and his reach can be extremely disruptive as he minds his gaps. Additionally, he’s a big, strong young man who should continue to gain confidence in his physical ability to dominate below the hash marks.

The question marks revolve around decision-making and offensive upside, just as they did with Emery. Offensively, Amico flashes the ability to play with the puck or use his galloping stride to lead the breakout (although he very rarely pushes past mid-ice). It’s far from consistent, but as he gains confidence, do we see his puck play improve? On the decision-making front, the entire NTDP blueline has struggled with this early on. Bad pinches. Risky passes. Defensive zone turnovers. Poor defensive reads. It’s been the whole defensive unit, not just Amico. So how do we evaluate that as scouts? The bad news is that Amico is now out for the rest of the season with a leg injury, robbing us of the ability to judge his progression. That means the answer to the above question regarding his evaluation will need to wait. Amico is heading to Boston University next year and it won’t be until then that we get a better idea of what his upside is.

Regardless, the size and physical tools are extremely intriguing from the right side. There’s a chance that he could develop into a Brandon Carlo, Erik Cernak type and that has outstanding value towards the back part of the first round. However, will NHL teams be willing to select him in that range given the small, inconsistent sample size this year?

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Really strong work by Amico defending the slot on the penalty kill. Active stick disrupts, then he bodies the Fargo player off the puck and gets the puck out, leading to a shorthanded goal.

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Amico is one mean dude.

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Amico is one mean dude part two. This might be one of the most impressive physical defensive plays that I’ve seen this year from a draft prospect. Strong gap control, quick stick, then absolutely erase in the corner. Possession over for Sweden.

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Just not a strong read here by Amico as he tries for the stretch pass that is intercepted, allowing Sweden to quickly act on the counter. Lucky for Amico and the U.S., they go offside.

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We rarely see Amico push deep with the puck and there’s a reason for that. He doesn’t have the creativity or skill to beat other defenders one-on-one. In one of his zone entry attempts this season, he coughs up the puck leading to a goal. This poor play causes us to forget the quality defensive read he makes to start this clip.

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An extended look at the strong defensive read to start the previous clip. Great anticipation by Amico.

Mateo Nobert - Center - Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)

6’0, 166lbs - 08-12-07

The Armada have been flying high so far this season; a fun team to watch. Talented winger Justin Carbonneau has been a favourite of the McKeen’s team early on, but what about his center Mateo Nobert? He’s also been terrific. The former third overall selection in the QMJHL draft has been the third-highest-scoring 2007-born player in the league to start the year (as of writing this) and that deserves praise.

Nobert is an interesting draft case. On one hand, the physical tools don’t wow you. He’s not the most explosive player on the ice and he’s certainly not the biggest. Nobert is one of the draft’s youngest players and there’s likely lots of room for physical maturation still. Nobert isn’t the flashiest player either. You could probably argue that there is room for his pace to be quicker. Yet, he’s producing at an elite clip for a young first-time draft eligible. Why?

For Nobert, it’s all about the IQ. This is a well-rounded and intelligent hockey player. He’s producing in a multitude of ways this year. He’s working the wall well and making strong reads to create scoring chances. He’s getting to the net. He’s finding soft spots in coverage to earn quality looks. He’s showing an active stick defensively. He’s taking care of the puck and showing a great passing touch and anticipation. Yes, he’s playing with a great player in Justin Carbonneau (and often another great player in likely NHL signing and current OA UFA Jonathan Fauchon), but he’s finding success with other great players because he’s one of those players who does all the little things right. In a lot of ways, there’s a resemblance to how Riley Kidney looked as a draft-eligible and he developed into a good NHL prospect for the Canadiens. That said, Kidney has struggled at the pro level thus far and the concern for Nobert would be that the lack of dynamism in his game could hinder his effectiveness at the higher levels. I wouldn’t advocate for him high, but this is the kind of player that I’d happily look at in the mid-rounds to see how his game develops around his hockey sense as his physical tools mature.

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As you can see, Nobert lacks the explosiveness to escape defensive pressure here and the result is a neutral zone turnover.

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That said, Nobert can build up to a solid top speed that allows him to win races to the puck or get behind defences from time to time. When he’s able to go in straight lines, he wins races. When he’s forced to try to build speed with the puck while navigating traffic, he can struggle to escape pressure. There’s a need for him to become more dynamic.

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Lots of goals like this from Nobert this year. Strong read to draw out wide before taking the inside lane once his teammate takes out the lead defender. Nobert also has a quick release that has allowed him to score his share of goals this year.

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Perhaps my favourite part of Nobert’s game is his boardplay. He’s very crafty and excellent at keeping plays alive. He’s made some really strong passes coming off the wall or from behind the net this year, escaping the cycle. This is a really great read.

Teddy Mutryn - Wing/Center - Chicago (USHL)

6’1, 200lbs - 02-16-07

While Teddy’s younger brother Casey is getting a bit more hype as part of the U.S. NTDP (U17’s), he’s a terrific player in his own right that I believe is flying under the radar currently. The Chicago Steel haven’t been very good this year, but Mutryn has quietly been one of their most effective players. The power winger (or center, which is his natural position) is very inside-driven. He drives the net hard and puts defenders on his back. He shows upside as a goal scorer thanks to a powerful and quick release. He brings a physical element in puck pursuit. The Boston College commit looks every bit the part of a future middle-six contributor at the pro level.

As the season goes on, the key for Mutryn will be consistency. That can be difficult playing for a poor team. However, Mutryn will need to prove that he can drive play, that he can be an effective three-zone player, and that he can elevate the play of his linemates by making better reads with the puck. Additionally, there’s a need for Mutryn to improve his skating. He’s a bit sluggish; his first-step quickness needs to improve to help him be a more dynamic player with the puck on his stick. If so, there’s a good chance that he’s a top 100 pick in June.

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Good work by Mutryn in the defensive zone here. If not for the blatant interference (that somehow wasn’t called), Mutryn would have created an excellent odd-man opportunity with that play.

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This clip gives us a really good look at Mutryn as he is currently. Shows some good hands. Shows great hustle in puck pursuit. However, we see the limitations in his stride. He just doesn’t generate much power or speed.

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As mentioned, Mutryn is a physical player.

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Mutryn has been scoring goals that look just like this one fairly consistently this year (his seven goals, as of writing this, are second on the Steel). He’s taking up residence near the crease and finishing his chances.

2025 NHL DRAFT: Summer of 25′ – Introducing Finland

Brock Otten, Steven Graves, Josh Bell, Jeremy Rivet — Sat, 24 Aug 2024 15:31:56 +0000

Rasmus Kämäräinen, Lasse Boelius, Atte Joki
Photo: Michael Campanella / BILDBYRÅN

It has only been a month or so since the 2024 NHL Draft in Vegas. However, that hasn’t stopped us from thinking about the 2025 Draft.

Welcome to a series at McKeen’s Hockey that aims to introduce you to some of the top prospects from each region for 2025. The disclaimer is that…it’s early. The names on these lists are not likely to be the exact same as the ones you see next June. However, we thought it was important for you to know some of the top players heading into the season.

Next up is the region of Finland. For this, we have included some non Finnish players who played out of Finland last season (including two Czechs and a Slovak). Overall, this is looking like a major down year for the region. This ‘07 group of Finns finished last at last year’s World Under 17 Hockey Challenge and then second last at the recent Hlinka/Gretzky. If not for the included imports, this list would appear even weaker. But, as mentioned, it is still extremely early.

#1 - Jesper Kotajarvi - Defenseman - Tappara - Liiga (profile by Steven Graves)

Jesper Kotajarvi is as of now, the best prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft out of Finland. Kotajarvi, a left-shot defenseman, played with Tappara's U20 team last season and has several promising facets to his game that could get NHL teams excited come draft day. Kotajarvi has consistently played up age groups - at 15 he played in the Finnish second tier men’s league where he got in 5 games. Although not the biggest in stature, he makes up for it with his offensive game.

Kotajarvi's offensive skills are what really impresses in his game. He demonstrates a modern approach to defense, employing pace, tempo, and deception effectively in the offensive zone. Kotajarvi loves to activate from the blue line - it reflects a proactive mindset rather than a passive one at the blue line. This approach can sometimes result in mistakes, but Kotajarvi’s resilience and ability to quickly recover from errors are of note.

Kotajarvi's skating and puck-handling skills are the two attributes I think best highlight his potential. As of late, we are seeing more defenders focus on these attributes with their games growing up and Kotajarvi is no exception. He effectively leads breakouts, drives the puck up the ice, and uses his edgework to maneuver through opponents. His agility and footwork allow him to maintain speed and handle the puck smoothly under pressure. Kotajarvi’s puck skills at the blue line are modern and fluid. He uses head fakes, deception, and lateral movements to create opportunities, showing a high level of creativity and awareness. His stats reflect consistent production at various levels, which is a good indicator of future success. Although he might not be an immediate top producer in Liiga, his offensive and defensive skills offer a solid foundation

While Kotajarvi’s defensive game still has areas for growth, particularly in box-outs and stickwork, his lateral agility and ability to close gaps using his feet are promising. His ability to sidestep and catch up to opponents with his skating is a significant asset in the defensive zone. As Kotajarvi matures, there is hope for not only physical growth, but the continued improvement of his defensive game.

Overall, Kotajarvi has the potential to become a top-four NHL defender. Although it looks to be a weaker crop from Finland, and their performance at the Hlinka is a testament to that - Kotajarvi is one to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

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This shows Kotajarvi’s abilities in transition and how he can single handedly get zone entries even when he is pressured. He makes a few stick moves as he is skating up ice and the US defender bites and it allows him to attack open ice for the clean zone entry.

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Here is Kotajarvi making a smart play in the offensive zone. The puck pops out to him at the point after a scramble in front of the net - everyone on the ice including the goalie is expecting a shot because of how the goalie is out of posituion, but Kotajarvi defies expectations and moves the puck over to his winger on the left sidewall for an easy goal.

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Here is Kotajarvi doing something he doesn’t do very often - He lays his body on a forward not expecting it and gets the best of him. If he can continue his physical growth and we see more of this in the future, I like Kotajarvi’s potential!

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Here shows Kotajarvi’s understanding in the offensive zone, he sees a lane for a shot, and gets a good chance as his teammate is screening the goalie, barely missing wide. He then repositions himself and sees a turnover is taking place - he pivots and lurks his way behind the defence for a quick release after a nice cross ice pass from his teammate.

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This play really shows off Kotajarvi’s speed, and transitional ability. The goalie does a terrible job in tracking this puck, but Kotajarvi was smart with how he shoves the puck in the feet of the defender so the goalie would have difficulty tracking it.

#2 - Lasse Boelius - Defenseman - Ässät U20 (profile by Jeremy Rivet)

Lasse Boelius is a 6-foot, two-way puck moving defenseman that has played in the Ässät program since he was 14 years old. He graduated from Ässät’s U18 team to their U20 team last year and he might be able to play some games in Liiga for them this year. His progression through Ässät’s different junior teams has been consistent as he has pushed through the different levels. As of now, his production level has always risen from about 0.5 points per game in the first year to about a point per game season in the second season, which shows that he is able to adapt quickly to the higher level. Recently, he was playing top three defenseman minutes for Finland in the recent Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, and he was probably their most effective defenseman.

Boelius is the type of player that is not exceptional at anything but quite good in a lot of areas. His biggest strengths are his mobility and his ability to escape the pressure from the back of his net to start the breakout or the transition. His first passes are generally good and his vision as a powerplay general could be something to watch this year as the year goes on and his confidence increases. When he has a chance, he likes to support the attack in transition or by pinching at the right time in the offensive zone to keep the attack alive. Lasse Boelius is not the most physical guy, if not physical at all, but he is intelligent with his stick to take pucks away or to cut passing lanes. Even though he is not a punishing defenseman, he is not afraid to use his body to win battles along the boards or to close the blue line.

The main thing that he needs to improve is his positioning in the defensive zone. We can see that he thinks a lot more about offense and sometimes he gets caught out of position or puck watching which causes him to lose his check. He will also need to clean up the precision of his passes and to be less risky in his play. Sometimes he makes sloppy passes or imprecise passes that lead to interceptions and counter attacks from the opponent. So, he will have to be careful with his puck management and be more conscious of the context of the game. Another area of his game that he should improve is his gap control. I mainly think that this is a part of his game that will get better by getting more used to the pace of the game at a higher level.

This season, Lasse’s goal will be to show that he can continue his offensive progression by raising his production, while also improving the different areas of his defensive game. Additionally, it would be great for him to play some games in Liiga to gain valuable experience at pro level.

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Here we can see a good example of Boelius’ mobility and capacity to break the pressure to start the transition. He used his speed and his hands to beat three Czech players followed by a pass that led to an odd man rush. Yes, dangling the puck in front of the net against three opponents is not the best thing to do usually, but in that case it worked.

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Being the general on the powerplay might be what he likes the most. We can see in this sequence the confidence he has distributing the puck and directing pucks to the net from the point. A great no look pass also which is something he does often.

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A couple defensive miscues are highlighted here. First of all, he decided to pinch for no reason, which almost led to a 2 on 1 on the other side. Additionally, in the defensive zone, he looks soft in the battles along the boards, and he is caught watching the puck instead of quickly identifying the player he needs to mark.

#3 - Eetu Orpana - Centre - Tappara U20 (Profile by Josh Bell)

Eetu Orpana is a centreman who has drawn attention with his well-rounded game and impressive hockey IQ. Standing at 6-foot, 194 pounds, Orpana has a solid frame that he uses effectively in all three zones. His skating is fluid and powerful, allowing him to keep up with the pace of the game and make quick transitions from defence to offense.

Offensively, Orpana is a playmaker first and foremost. He has excellent vision and the ability to find open teammates in tight spaces. His passing is crisp and accurate, often threading the needle through defenders to set up high-danger scoring chances. While not primarily a goal-scorer, Orpana is quick on rebounds and does well at getting to the net front to jump on pucks. How this will transition to higher levels may be a question mark though. His ability to read the play and anticipate the movement of both his teammates and opponents makes him a constant threat in the offensive zone.

Defensively, Orpana is reliable and responsible. He understands the importance of positioning and is often seen supporting his defencemen down low. His active stick and ability to disrupt passing lanes make him effective on the penalty kill, and he’s not afraid to engage physically when necessary. Orpana’s two-way game is complemented by his work ethic; he’s a player who consistently puts in the effort on both ends of the ice.

One area for improvement is Orpana’s consistency in using his physicality. While he has the size to be more dominant in puck battles, he sometimes relies too much on his stick rather than using his body to separate opponents from the puck. Developing a more aggressive edge could make him an even more dominant player.

Overall, Orpana is a smart, versatile forward with the potential to develop into a reliable middle-six forward at the professional level. His combination of playmaking, hockey sense, and defensive responsibility makes him a valuable asset in any lineup. Unfortunately, rather mysteriously, he never played at the recent Hlinka/Gretzky, despite making Finland’s roster with the expectation that he would be a go-to player for them. Thus, we haven’t gotten a glimpse of his progression this season like we have others on this list.

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Here, you can see Orpana’s playmaking ability as he works below the red line on the Finnish power play. Despite his teammate being between three defenders, he one-touches the pass perfectly to set up the one-time, go-ahead goal.

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This clip gives a good example of both Orpana’s strengths and weaknesses in puck protection. Passing the first defender, he cuts in front to take away their access to the puck, using his stick to create separation. After circling the net though, you can see he’s too reliant on his stick and doesn’t position his body between the defender and puck. On this play, it works out though as he dishes the puck to a teammate and then hunts down the rebound for the goal.

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Orpana shows off his commitment to defence here, racing back to disrupt the transition, and rubbing the opponent off the puck. Seeing him do this more would go a long way in improving his draft stock. This clip also shows his skating stride, which isn’t perfect as he doesn’t get full extensions.

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The Finn’s goals seem to come in very similar ways: rebounds or from standing in front of the net. While the quick adjustment here to find open net is good, it does beg the question of whether he’ll be able to do this at the next level against tougher competition. This season will be very telling.

#4 - Tomas Poletin - Left Winger - Pelicans U20 (profile by Jeremy Rivet)

Tomas Poletin is a 6-foot-1 power forward type of player that plays on the wing, but he was also taking some faceoffs, mainly on the penalty kill and on the power play, during the most recent Hlinka-Gretzky tournament for Czechia. Poletin was the captain of the team during the tournament and was one of the best players of the Czech side that went all the way to the final before losing the gold medal game against Canada. He spent the last season in Finland in the Pelicans’ program, sharing his time between the U18 and the U20 teams. Before going to Finland, the Czech was playing in Czechia for HC Slavia Praha U17 where he dominated the league by averaging more than a point per game (53 pts in 36 games).

The parts of Poletin’s game that really stand out are his ability to protect the puck using his strength and his penchant for finding his way to the net. He really has a presence around the crease and that’s where he has scored most of his goals. He is tenacious in front of the net, and he is always fighting for rebounds. His strength makes him hard to contain for the opponent. Another area of his game that Poletin was able to show during the tournament was his decent playmaking ability. Even if he looked more like a complement on a line than the one driving it, he was good at creating space for his teammates and distributing the puck in the offensive zone. Even then, after dishing off, he finds a way to take the middle lane to the net; he has a clear understanding of his strengths. On the physical side, he competes at a high level along the boards, he is tenacious on the forecheck, and he completes most of his checks. I said “most” because it’s true that he could be more consistent physically given his size.

Something to not underestimate about Tomas Poletin is that he can be versatile and be used in all situations. That is what he showed at the Hlinka-Gretzky by being the man his coach trusted for defensive missions like on the penalty kill and when protecting a lead at the end of a game.

With all the positive stuff being said, there are some areas in Poletin’s game that will need to improve for him to take another step next season. One of them is his agility and explosivity. He possesses quite good speed once he gets going but his first few steps will need to be better for him to be able to translate his game at the pro level. He will also need to improve his capacity to execute plays at a higher pace. It is not bad, but I think all of that is linked with his ability to get quicker and being used to higher game pace at the upper levels.

From what I have seen from him, I do think that Tomas Poletin has all the tools (the size, the skating, the hands and the versatility) to be a good player in the NHL and especially the type of player that will help a team to win in the playoffs. Whether or not he will reach his potential will be decided by how he can translate his offensive game at the pro level this year with hopefully some games in the Liiga.

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This sequence highlights the presence he has in front of the net and his intensity to retrieve rebounds.

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Excellent forecheck here from Poletin. He makes his run to cut the D-to-D pass behind the net, completes his check to create a turnover, then drives the net to receive the pass and scores in an open net.

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We can see here that he has decent playmaking ability, and he is able to read the play and locate his teammates. He receives the puck from the blue line, attacks the net and makes a great backhand pass to his teammates in front of the net for a great scoring chance.

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As mentioned, even if he has good straight-line speed, his agility and explosivity need to improve. Here we see Poletin on the forecheck getting beat twice by a quick change of direction that put Poletin completely out of play.

#5 - Dominik Pavlik - Center - Kärpät U20 (profile by Brock Otten)

One of Czechia’s top players at the recent Hlinka/Gretzky Cup (where the Czechs captured silver), Pavlik is composed, two-way power center. While he was technically the team’s third line center, he anchored both special teams’ units and was one of the team’s most utilized forwards overall. Last season, Pavlik made the move to Finland in the Karpat program, playing out most of the year as part of their U18 team, finishing as their leading scorer by a significant margin. This year, Pavlik was drafted by Moose Jaw (of the WHL) in the CHL Import draft, but he is apparently going to return to Finland instead and try to earn a significant role with the Karpat U20 team, or even the main club.

The major allure here is Pavlik’s mature, complete game. He’s a player without any real deficiencies in his game. He plays that power center game to a tee. Pavlik competes hard at both ends and shows an advanced understanding of off puck positioning, which is why he’s so versatile. He is most successful offensively deep in the offensive zone, winning battles below the goal line to earn/maintain possession or getting to the net front to screen or earn second chance opportunities. With possession of the puck, he drives the center lane and looks to get to the net. Pavlik also flashes a high end shot and scoring potential. He has quick hands and is able to finish on a large portion of the chances that his hard work and determination earn him.

As he begins his draft year, the focus for scouts will be on determining his offensive upside as a pro. A good skater who shows power on net drives, Pavlik protects the puck well and is strong along the wall, but in open ice, he can lack the creativity or agility to consistently evade pressure. Additionally, I have questions about his overall playmaking ability as a pivot, as he can skate himself into trouble. That can definitely be improved, but he currently looks more like a quality third line option ala Lars Eller, Brandon Sutter, or Radek Faksa, than a future scoring line player.

It will be interesting to see what happens with Pavlik this season. Can he earn time with Karpat in Liiga or will he play out most of the year in the U20 league? Will he decide to come over to play in the WHL with Moose Jaw? His game would translate really well to the WHL and he would likely get top six ice time with some talented players (even if Moose Jaw doesn’t project to be quite as good as they were last season).

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A beautiful goal scored by Pavlik against Germany at the Hlinka/Gretzky. Great power and finish here as he cuts to the net and buries it.

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As mentioned, Pavlik is so effective driving the net and for that reason, he has been able to draw a ton of penalties during his international appearances for Czechia over the last year or so.

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One of those situations where Pavlik skates himself into trouble, he commits a terrible turnover at the opposing blueline. But the hustle on the backcheck to neutralize the scoring chance was impressive. Pavlik was extremely effective in his own end at the Hlinka/Gretzky.

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Another tough offensive zone turnover high in the zone. These seem to be too commonplace in his game currently.

#6 - Patrik Kerkola - Goaltender - KalPa (Profile by Josh Bell)

Patrik Kerkola is a young goaltender who has shown significant promise with his athleticism and composure in the crease, earning one call up to the Liiga already and two games in the Mestis playoffs. Standing at 6-foot-1, 194 pounds, Kerkola has a prototypical goalie frame that allows him to cover a lot of the net, but it’s his quick reflexes and lateral movement that truly set him apart.

Kerkola’s athleticism is one of his standout qualities. He has excellent footwork, which enables him to move quickly across the crease and make difficult saves look routine. His ability to track the puck is impressive, and he rarely seems out of position, even during chaotic sequences in front of the net. Kerkola’s glove hand is particularly strong, often snatching pucks out of the air with ease, and he’s adept at controlling rebounds, directing them to safe areas or covering them up to prevent second-chance opportunities.

In terms of technique, Kerkola plays a hybrid style, effectively combining the butterfly and stand-up approaches depending on the situation. He is calm under pressure and rarely overcommits, which helps him maintain his positioning and make smart decisions, even when facing high-danger scoring chances. His ability to stay square to the shooter and his patience in not biting on dekes or fakes make him tough to beat one-on-one.

However, like many young goaltenders, Kerkola has areas that could benefit from further development. One aspect is his puck-handling skills. While not a significant weakness, becoming more confident and effective with the puck would enhance his overall game and help his team transition quickly from defence to offense. Additionally, knowing when to stand tall and protect the top of the net would be beneficial, as would extra work on the blocker side, just above the pad. These areas are where he seems to let more pucks in so far in his career.

Overall, Patrik Kerkola has the tools to develop into a reliable starting goaltender at the professional level. His combination of size, athleticism, and composure in the net makes him a player with significant upside, and with continued development, he could become a key piece for any team looking for stability between the pipes. It would appear that Kerkola will be joining the Barrie Colts of the OHL this season, where he will have a chance to backstop a potentially solid junior team.

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After his defender turns it over at his own blue line, Kerkola does an excellent job of challenging the shooter, cutting down the angle, while sticking with the shooter as he cuts across, making an excellent pad stop.

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Here, Kerkola makes this save look easy. But, he needs to find the puck through traffic and then react to the deflection in front of the net. You can notice his quick adjustment to ensure he not only stops the puck but swallows up the rebound.

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Kerkola tracks this puck very well, especially considering his team left the attacker wide-open in front of the net. The netminder needs to push to the left and then quickly to the right to stick with the puck carrier and then needs to reach out with that quick glove to bail his defence out. This shows off some precision in his footwork, his positioning, and his glove.

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This is an example of a high goal that Kerkola likely should have had. He crouches down too far, not preparing himself for a potentially high backhand shot.

#7 - Jasu Mensonen - Center - Lukko U20 (profile by Jeremy Rivet)

Jasu Mensonen is an average size two-way player that played on the wing last season (at times) in Finland but played center in the last Hlinka-Gretzky tournament. Even though he ended the tournament with only one point in the four games Finland played, he was one of the most heavily utilized forwards. Mensonen is the property of the Lukko team in Finland and he spent the last three seasons in their junior program. He graduated from the U16 to the U18 after he registered an over point per game season in the U16, and at his first season at the U18 level, he was able to once again produce at a point per game pace at 16 years old. Last year, he split his time between the U18 and U20 levels and continued to produce at a high rate.

Mensonen is a player that has a very complete game already at a young age. He competes hard despite his smaller size; he likes to go into traffic, he possesses a good vision to make plays that often leads to scoring chances, and he is very responsible with his play without the puck. One of the things we can notice in Mensonen’s play is that he is always in movement to be an option to his teammates, and he is well aware of his surroundings. His capacity to process what is happening on the ice is excellent and he often knows what play he is going to do before getting the puck. Also, a skill that is important in today’s hockey is skating and Jasu Mensonen possesses that skill. He is fast and he has excellent edge work which helps him to beat opponents when he carries the puck or plays down low in the offensive zone.

The defensive part of the game of Jasu Mensonen was impressive for a 17-year-old during the Hlinka-Gretzky. He was very responsible in all three zones, and he had great positioning all over the ice. He used his speed to backcheck and take away the puck from the opponent a couple of times. He had an active stick to cut passing lanes and intercept the puck in the defensive zone. On the forecheck, he is tenacious and intense, and he is not afraid to finish checks, although he is not a physical guy. During the tournament, he did not play a lot of penalty kill minutes but given the quality of his play without the puck, I could see him as a good penalty killer in the future.

There are not a lot of holes in Mensonen’s game, but it will be interesting to see if he will be able to translate the offensive production he had in the last few years to the U20 level and eventually at the pro level. He looks to still have room to grow to become stronger and even taller by a couple of inches maybe. If all those things go well, I think he can be a useful player that can play up and down the lineup and that can be trusted by his coach on the defensive side.

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On this shift, we can see the speed and the agility of Mensonen. He retrieves the puck in the neutral zone, quickly dangles to beat the opponent and attacks the offensive zone. A bit later, he fights for the puck behind the net and protects the puck well as he keeps moving.

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This sequence shows his good playmaking ability. He seems to be everywhere on that shift because he keeps his feet moving, controls the puck, and uses his vision to find his teammates in open spaces for scoring chances.

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In this video, we see Mensonen completing his check on the forecheck, then backcheck, block the shot, before starting to transition the other way. Later, he makes a good backcheck to deny a potential 2-on-1 situation by using his speed and by properly identifying the player to mark and cutting the passing lane. Those are all small details that make a difference in a game.

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One thing that he needs to be careful of is not trying to do too much and having better puck management. Here, he turns the puck over twice because he tries to dangle an opponent in the defensive zone and because he tries to precipitate a pass when he has two players on him.

#8 - Jan Chovan - Center - Tappara U20 (profile by Brock Otten)

Unlike Czechia center Dominik Pavlik, who only came to Finland a year ago as an import, Slovak center Jan Chovan has been playing out of Finland for several years now as part of the Tappara program. The son of former national team netminder Jan Chovan (of the same name), junior has been a fixture of the Slovak U17 and U18 teams the last few seasons, leading Slovakia in scoring at the recent Hlinka/Gretzky Cup. Interestingly enough, Jan was drafted by Sudbury (OHL) in this year’s Import Draft, but it remains to be seen whether he will be staying in Finland, rather than playing in the Ontario Hockey League as his father did back in the day (with Belleville and London).

Chovan commands attention in the offensive zone. He’s difficult to separate from the puck and he has the skill to evade pressure and keep plays alive down low. His line with Andreas Straka and Michal Svrcek dominated the Hlinka/Gretzky at times and were easily Slovakia’s most consistent unit at the event. He shows strong vision and anticipation in the offensive zone; his patience and poise with the puck makes him an effective playmaker. However, he also shows strong instincts away from the puck, using his size to play near the net and impact the game as a forechecker/backchecker. There’s definitely a strong two-way upside here.

For Chovan, it’s all about consistency. Consistency in his two-way play. Consistency in his physical assertiveness and engagement. Being more driven to earn puck touches, rather than float as a passing option. If that improves, he could be a dominant two-way center and someone who could find himself a top two round pick in June. Additionally, there’s room for him to improve his explosiveness and overall skating profile to help him create time and space for himself more consistently.

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Tremendous pass by Chovan as he sets up Slovakia’s second goal in the 5th place game at the recent Hlinka/Gretzky.

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There are times where Chovan seems to struggle playing with pace. He’s at his best working as a complement, but when tasked with gaining the zone or leading the charge, he can struggle to maintain possession at full speed.

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This is a poor defensive play by Chovan as he fails to tie up his man as he cuts to the net front, allowing him to score.

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Conversely, here’s a great defensive play by Chovan that leads to a turnover and the eventual game winner in overtime against Switzerland. This is the physical intensity he needs to bring to every shift/game.

#9 - Atte Joki - Center - Lukko U20 (Profile by Steven Graves)

Joki - like the rest of his Finnish teammates was having himself a forgettable tournament at the Hlinka, that was until the game against Switzerland for 7th place where Joki exploded for four points in the game. Joki, a center out of Lukko’s development system is a guy that may lack high end upside, but is someone who can be valuable as a role player for the teams he plays on. He isn’t the most fleet of foot and has trouble creating offense for himself but he loves going to battle for pucks in corners and in front of the net. Players like this, NHL teams love, so although he has some warts to his game, NHL scouts will be paying attention to Joki this year.

Joki’s skating lacks the explosiveness and agility that NHL teams drool over nowadays. His strides are somewhat labored, and his top-end speed is not particularly impressive. This limitation affects his ability to create by himself in transition and he can struggle with zone entries because of it. Joki’s skating issues can be especially apparent when he's pressured by quicker opponents or when he needs to chase down pucks in the defensive zone. His mobility, while it gets the job done, doesn’t allow him to consistently create separation or cover ground as effectively as other players.

Joki loves to use his physical presence to his advantage, particularly in front of the net. Joki’s ability to establish and maintain position in the crease is a key element of his game and one that will bring him the most attention from scouts. His strength and body positioning make him a challenging opponent for defenders and goalies alike. Joki is not shy about using his size to his advantage, and his willingness to battle for space in the high-traffic areas of the ice often results in scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Joki has a keen sense for where pucks are likely to land after a save - his ability to position himself effectively allows him to capitalize on these second-chance opportunities. Joki’s size and strength play a role here, as he can use his frame to shield the puck and fend off defenders while maintaining control while fighting for pucks.

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In this clip, Joki quickly picks the puck up with momentum on an odd man rush, and before the defender has a chance to close off his shooting lane, Joki gets off a quick, well placed snap shot for the goal.

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This clip showcases two things - it shows how poor of a skater Joki is and it shows his tenacity and determination. He has all the open ice in the world and has a massive head start on the breakaway after stripping the puck, but the defender on the opposite side of the ice is able to close the gap quick after being multiple strides behind Joki, and catches up to him by the time they’re at the faceoff dots. Joki falls and scores a real nice goal while sliding along the ice, showcasing how he doesn’t give up on plays and how he has a knack of sneaking pucks past the goalie in front of the net.

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Here is a nice assist from Joki from the Hlinka - he attacks 4 defenders head on, and is able to leverage his size and balance to get through contact. He makes his way past the defense and makes a nice pass over to his teammate for a nice cross ice pass that leads to a goal. I love his physicality here and his ability to use it to his advantage.

#10 - Jooa Sammalniemi - Goaltender - Lukko U20

Finland’s back-up internationally at the U18 level right now (behind Kerkola), Sammalniemi looks like a decent prospect in his own right. Over the last decade or so, Finland has been averaging 2-3 netminders selected in the NHL draft per class, so it’s likely he ends up receiving draft attention with a strong year in the U20 league (and internationally).

As you might expect given his lack of ideal size (listed at 6’0 currently), Jooa Sammalniemi is a traditional butterfly netminder who relies on quickness and reaction time to make saves. He shows well covering his posts and can be aggressive in challenging shooters to make up for his lack of stature. While he wasn’t really able to show a lot at the recent Hlinka/Gretzky Cup (due to Kerkola starting most games), Sammalniemi has shown a great compete level at previous international tournaments, like the U17’s, battling to make second and third chance saves. In 2023, he was named the best goaltender in the FInnish U16 league and that accolade has been bestowed upon some pretty good goalies in the past, such as Juuse Saros Kaapo Kahkonen.

However, Sammalniemi has a lot to work on. He can struggle to save shots to the upper part of the net, given his lack of size. His glove hand needs to improve, and he needs to get even quicker to get to the top of the blue paint to challenge shooters so that he doesn’t get caught too deep. Additionally, he needs to do a better job of fighting through screens/traffic to find sight lines, again, pointing to a need to be more aggressive in his movement. Sammalniemi can also struggle positionally. He drops down to the butterfly too early and does not always have his angles covered, again giving up too much of the upper portion of the net. At times, it seems like his play tracking ability is a tad slow, leaving him late to react.

How he performs full time at the U20 level in Finland will dictate whether he ends up being a serious draft prospect this season. With Kerkola in Barrie this year (unconfirmed, but…a done deal), Sammalniemi should also get the bulk of playing time at tournaments like the Four and Five Nations, ahead of another likely role at the IIHF U18’s to end the year. Interestingly enough, he was a draft pick of the Fargo Force of the USHL, which leads me to believe that Sammalniemi is leaning towards taking the NCAA route, something several Finnish netminders have been doing recently with success.

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We see Sammalniemi’s athleticism on display here in his only Hlinka/Gretzky start. Gets out quick to challenge the Czech shooter and makes a great save.

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Great push and body control from Sammalniemi here as he gets across to make the save at last year’s World Under 17’s.

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Look at how deep Sammalniemi gets trapped in his net here, when he should be out at the top of the blue paint to get a better sight line and to cut down the angle. Instead, it’s in the back of the net.

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A goal against in that Hlinka start. Lots of similar goals against across his highlight package, calling attention to the need for Sammalniemi to improve his glove hand.

2024 HLINKA GRETZKY CUP: Three standout performances by country

Adam Tate — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 20:14:30 +0000

The unofficial start of the scouting season, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup is a summer tournament that gives scouts and teams their first looks at the players to see how they’ve improved with a summer of training. This year’s tournament took place from August 5th to 10th in Edmonton, Alberta, and McKeen’s Hockey was there to take in the action and get some early impressions of the players.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup is an international tournament for U-18 players looking to jump start their seasons, represent their countries, and show off their current level of play. Though not sanctioned by the IIHF, it’s still a prominent event for NHL clubs, and is well attended by scouts and team management. The participating players are generally in their draft eligible seasons. Some teams may bring 16-year-olds to the tournament if there is room on the roster and their play warrants inclusion.

This year’s tournament was won by Canada, with Czechia taking the silver medal. They were the two best teams of the tournament, with both squads going undefeated in the group stage. Sweden won the bronze medal game over the USA. Slovakia had a good tournament only losing to Canada and Sweden (in overtime). Finland posted a disappointing result, only winning their last game of the tournament. Germany only won one game as well, but it was against Finland, and the Germans seemed like they were on the cusp of better things. Finally, Switzerland struggled at the tournament and didn’t have the talent level to match the other teams, only scoring five goals in four games.

Here are our three Standouts from each team. Included with each is a video highlight from their play at the tournament.

Canada

This year’s squad from Canada was loaded with talent, as is usually the case. Led by Captain Matthew Schaefer, the team rarely struggled and deserved the Gold Medal. The team was loaded with upwards of six possible first round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft (not to mention Gavin McKenna, who’s only eligible to be drafted in 2026), was well balanced, and most players saw their fair share of ice in front of the scouts. It’s almost unfair to only pick three standouts.

Matthew Schaefer - Defense

Schaefer turned this tournament into his coming out party to the world. The smooth skating, two-way defender was everything for Canada. He played in all situations, frequently double shifted, and was one point off the team scoring lead. He was dynamic on the ice, using his skating to play in all parts of the offensive zone. He was a force defensively, showing some physicality to go along with excellent positioning and stick disruption. He may have played his way into a top three pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

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This clip shows a little of everything that makes Schaefer (#5 in red) so great. From helping win the faceoff in his own zone, to taking advantage of a mistake by his opponent to create a zone exit and leading the rush for Canada, to the nice drop pass in the offensive zone, to getting back into position to have an effective pinch to keep the puck in the offensive zone for longer. All while killing 20 seconds of a Czechia power play.

Gavin McKenna - Forward

By the already lofty standards that he’s set, McKenna had a good, but not great, tournament. He was tied for Canada’s goal scoring lead, and shared second place in the team’s points race with Schaefer. He was dynamic with the puck, often playing a game of keep away with his opponents. He used his skating and puck handling skills to circle the offensive zone, looking for weaknesses. His shot was hard and accurate, often picking top corners of the net. He flashed his next level talent, but didn’t dominate as perhaps expected, even as a 16-year-old.

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This is an otherworldly shot from McKenna on the power play for Canada. Picking the top short side top corner on a shot from that distance is not a skill that every player possesses.

Caleb Desnoyers - Forward

While not the most offensively talented forward on Team Canada, Desnoyers was relied upon in all situations, and was often used as its top Center. He was a jack of all trades for Canada, and it suited his skill set. That being said, he was still dangerous on the ice and produced at a point per game pace, with a goal and four assists. He was strong on the puck and hard to play against in all three zones. Desnoyers should hear his name called in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft and will likely be the first player from the QMJHL taken.

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This clip shows Desnoyers operating on the power play, taking the puck down below the goal line and then taking advantage of the defender’s opened up triangle.

Czechia

Team Czechia’s goal this year was to win the tournament, after coming in second place to Canada last summer. The players made it a point to let people know that they wanted “revenge” on Canada for last year’s loss. They brought a top-heavy roster loaded with offensive talent with the likes of Adam Benak, Vit Zahejsky, Adam Novotny (2026 draft eligible), and Tomas Poletin. Unfortunately, they were unable to win the big prize and settled for Silver for the second year in a row.

Adam Benak - Forward

Easily one of the most gifted offensive players in this year’s tournament, Benak led the Czechs in scoring and was second in overall tournament scoring. Benak’s footspeed and shot were outstanding in this tournament, and he was difficult to contain at all times. You could see the determination in his play every game, and he led the Czechs by example. Despite being a smaller player, it wouldn't surprise to see him selected in the first round of the 2025 Draft due to his offensive talent. He’s going to play in the USHL with Youngstown this year, and a good season will help his draft stock.

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Another player with a next level shot, this top corner short side goal by Benak is almost impossible to stop.

Radim Mrtka - Defense

The large (6’6” / 198 lbs) right-handed defenseman got better with every game and was a solid two-way defender. While he didn’t score much, his zone transition work with his skating and passing was really good. He was strong in his own end, using his positioning, size, and length to disrupt passing lanes. In the offensive zone, he activated from the blue line often and created chaos for opposing defenses. Already in consideration for a mid-round pick in the 2025 Draft, Mrtka may move into the first round if he continues to play this well in the regular season. Mrkta may also jump over to the WHL and join the Seattle Thunderbirds this season if he’s not playing in the men’s league in Czechia.

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This clip is from the first minute of the Gold Medal game against Canada. Mrtka (#5 in white) helps lead the rush, something he got more and more comfortable doing as the tournament went along, and then sets the tone by absolutely crushing a Canadian player in their own zone.

Vit Zahejsky - Forward

Another Czech player that improved during the tournament, Zahejsky was promoted to the top line after the group stage and posted 7 points (3g - 4a) in 5 games. A slick offensive player that was used on the power play and 4 on 4 situations, Zahejsky showed good offensive awareness with both his passing and his shooting. Another potential mid-round pick who could move up if this level of play continues, Zahejsky will play for Kamloops in the WHL this season. He should see plenty of ice time and opportunity there.

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Czechia’s power play was lethal in this tournament, and it’s goals like this one from Zahejsky that made it so.

Sweden

While it would be hard to call Sweden’s Bronze medal a disappointment, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the team felt that way. It’s still a step in the right direction for a program that didn’t medal in last year’s tournament, but with talent up front and in goal, more could’ve been possible. Anton Frondell, Sweden’s best prospect for the 2025 NHL Draft, was unable to take part due to injury, and top prospects Sascha Boumedienne and Jakob Ihs-Wozniak had disappointing tournaments compared to what was expected of them. Despite all of that, Sweden only lost to Canada in the group stage and Czechia in the semi-final.

Viktor Klingsell - Forward

With Frondell unable to play, Klingsell took it upon himself to help lead the team, and was the top scoring forward in the tournament. His 12 points (4g - 8a) were one point better than Czechia’s Adam Benak. Klingsell was a constant at both even strength and on the power play, and had points in all but one of Sweden’s games. His game shined in the offensive zone where he was able to use his hockey sense to create for his teammates.

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Klingsell’s (#25 in yellow) vision and offensive awareness are the highlights in this clip as he makes a nice pass over to Ivar Stenberg for an easy goal.

Ivar Stenberg - Forward

Another consistently good offensive player for Sweden, Stenberg was tied for third in scoring for the tournament with Milton Gastrin. A late 2007 birthday, Stenberg isn’t eligible for the NHL Draft until 2026, but his age didn’t stop him from standing out on a line with Klingsell and Gastrin. Stenberg will likely start his regular season in Sweden’s J20 league and is expected to be a high level prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft.

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This is a really nice goal from Stenberg (#15 in yellow). He identifies time and space for himself in the offensive zone, and then loads up a hard and accurate wrist shot that goes into the top corner.

Milton Gastrin - Forward

The center of the line with Klingsell and Stenberg, Gastrin was still a factor despite being a bit less heralded than his linemates. He, perhaps more so than his linemates, took advantage of their big game versus Switzerland to add to his point total. That being said, he was still one of the team’s better playmakers in this tournament.

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This is a great pass from Gastrin (#22 in yellow) to a streaking Klingsell for a goal.

USA

Ending the tournament just outside of the medals, it’s hard to consider the result a failure by Team USA as they generally don’t bring their best prospects to this event. The USNTDP players don’t play here, so it can be hard for them to compete against nations that bring their best of the best, like Canada and Czechia. Despite that, they were still in a tier above nations like Slovakia and Finland.

Matthew Lansing - Forward

Lansing was USA’s top center and one of, if not their best, forwards. He was used in all situations by the coaching staff and was usually one of the first players over the boards for power plays and penalty kills. As good a playmaker as a goal scorer, he used his skating to slash into the offensive zone with the puck and get defenses to commit to him to open up passing lanes. He was equally as creative taking the puck to the net for his own scoring chances where he had a bit more success. Not considered a top draft prospect currently, this tournament along with a strong season in the USHL might make teams take more notice.

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Lansing’s (#22 in blue) display of deft pucking handling along with some good skating allow him to keep this puck all the way to Sweden’s goal where he takes advantage of their goaltender committing first.

Blake Fiddler - Defense

The Captain of this US team, Fiddler was asked to play a defensive defenseman role by the coaching staff, and he played the role very well. The right handed defender snuffed out plays with good gap control, stick work, and physicality throughout the tournament. He showed he’s capable of defending at a higher level than seen in his first season in the WHL, and it bodes well for his draft stock. He even found opportunities to rush the puck from his own end and scored a nice goal. There were rumblings from the media that this tournament may have raised his stock to the first round of the NHL Draft.

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The aforementioned nice goal. Fiddler (#3 in white) creates a zone exit and a zone entry with the puck on his stick, dangles a German defender, and then makes a power forward type move to the net to score.

Ben Kevan - Forward

This spot could’ve easily belonged to Sam Spehar or Alexander Donovan, but Ben Kevan’s consistently high compete level makes the selection easier. Kevan was used in all situations by the US coaching staff, and was noticeable every game they played. He played with pace and was always looking to be on the right side of the puck. His skating ability was one of his better traits. He had a couple of multi point games as well. Kevan is expected to be a mid-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but a season where he plays like he did in this tournament might see his stock rise.

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This clip is a little longer but is a good example of Kevan’s (#7 in white) overall game. He was always looking to disrupt opposition puck carriers while getting himself into advantageous positions in the offensive zone.

Slovakia

Winners of the fifth place game in this year’s tournament, Slovakia didn’t have as many players with 2025 NHL Draft pedigree as the nations that finished ahead of it. That being said, they do have some standout players such as Jan Chovan, as well as some that could rise in the draft rankings over the course of the season such as Andreas Straka and Tobias Tomik. They have some dark horse players eligible for the draft as well that stood out in this tournament.

Jan Chovan - Forward

Easily Slovakia’s best forward in the tournament, and likely its best player, Chovan was their top line center and played in all situations. He had points in all of Slovakia’s games and used good footspeed to get up and down the ice. He possesses good size and skating ability. He showed good playmaking skills in the offensive zone, and some defensive play in the neutral and defensive zones where he got himself into passing lanes regularly. He plays in Finland during the regular season, and will either start his season with Tappara’s U20 team or join the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL. If he has a good season, it’s possible to see him picked in the second or third round of the 2025 Draft.

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This is a really nice pass from Chovan (#26 in blue) on Slovakia’s power play. It displays really nice vision and awareness on Chovan’s part. The goal scorer may never score an easier goal in his life.

Michal Svrcek - Forward

Playing on Jan Chovan’s wing, Svrcek was the recipient of much of Chovan’s playmaking, and scored goals in three of Slovakia’s four games. He scored the overtime game winner in the fifth place game. He has really nice puck skills and can get creative in the offensive zone. He’s played his regular season games in Sweden the last two years, moving up Brynas’s system, and he’ll likely start with their J20 team this year.

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This clip is a good example of Svrcek’s (#10 in blue) ability to score goals. Leading the rush and starting the give and go on a two on one is a good way to get the lone defender moving and the goaltender scrambling.

Michal Pradel - Goaltender

It might seem a bit unusual to list a fifth place team goaltender as a standout, but Pradel was really good for a Slovakian squad that was underwhelming defensively. He was very good in two of the three games he played in, but was pulled in the game against Canada. He battles hard, covers the bottom of the net well, and has good lateral movement. He has great size for a goaltender at 6’4” / 194 lbs. It will be interesting to see how he develops over the year in Europe and see if he can play his way into a mid to late round 2025 NHL Draft selection.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/michal_pradel_-_1st_period_12_30_-_12_52.mp4

This video of Pradel making some saves using good positioning only tells half the story here. With Sweden already up by a goal mid-way through the first period, Pradel needs to shut the door to keep Slovakia from falling too far behind in the game, and in this series of chances, he’s able to do that.

Germany

Starting the tournament with an overtime win over Finland, Germany must’ve been thrilled with the win knowing that they had to face Czechia and the USA in the group stage. The win got them into the fifth place game where they were downed by Slovakia, but it proved to be a worthwhile tournament for the Germans overall. Some of their more hyped prospects like David Lewandowski and Max Bleicher had decent tournaments, but the best Germans were some of their lesser regarded players. If they can continue to improve, this year’s class of German players could see a few more players picked in the NHL Draft.

Carlos Handel - Defense

Handel was Germany’s best two-way defender and his transition play from zone to zone either by carrying or passing the puck was a highlight for this year’s team. A good skater with and without the puck, he was able to activate offensively by using his speed. His puck skills are a plus as well. His defensive play will need to be an area of focus moving forward. Handel was drafted by Moncton of the QMJHL in this summer’s Import Draft, and it’s expected he will play there. A good season in the Q will help his draft stock.

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Perhaps the best play of Handel’s (#7 in black) tournament, his ability to transition the puck while leading the rush, is something scouts saw often from him. The goal at the end is really nice as well as he loads up a wrist shot to pick a top corner.

Dustin Willhoft - Forward

Willhoft was one of the smaller players at the tournament this year, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in skill and desire. He skates very well and uses his foot speed and pace to slash into the offensive zone with the puck where he looks to make plays or take the puck to the net. He’s not a perimeter player and will go to the slot with and without the puck. His play in his own zone isn’t as polished as his offensive play and he struggles a bit with a lack of length due to his height. He’s a notable prospect for the Germans, but it would likely take a massive breakout season to put him on the NHL’s radar for the Draft.

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This is one of Willhoft’s nicer goals and he’s able to elevate the puck even with the Czech defender harassing him.

Gustavs & Rihards Griva - Forwards

Is it a cheat to include the twins together as one standout player? Yes, probably, but these two were attached at the hip and were tied for the scoring lead for Germany in the tournament. They finished with four points each (both had 2g - 2a) and they bookended Germany’s goal scoring with the first and last goals of the tournament. They also combined for the game winning goal against Finland, and in this case, that’s enough to be a combined standout for this squad. They will likely continue to play together in Germany this upcoming season as they try to raise their draft profiles.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/gustavs_griva_-_3rd_period_26_54_-_27_7.mp4

This play has Gustavs (#28 in white) using his hockey sense to steal the pass from the goaltender and get the puck to Rihards (#27) in the slot. Rihard’s shot is good and finds the top corner of the net. Any goal a twin scored, the other had an assist.

Finland

A bit of a disappointing tournament for Finland this year, only managing a seventh place finish. There was a lack of high end offense and star power on this year’s team and they averaged only a goal per game in the group stage of the tournament. They broke the seventh place game open, scoring five goals against Switzerland, but by then the tournament had gotten away from them. Jesper Kotajarvi, their best prospect heading into the tournament, struggled and wasn’t the effective mobile, puck moving defenseman that was expected for the most part.

Patrik Kerkola - Goaltender

Just on statistics alone, Kerkola was one of the better goaltenders of the tournament, despite his team’s record and overall play. He had the third best save % (.913) and third best goals against (2.31) of the goaltenders who started most of their team’s games. More so, behind a less than stellar Finnish defense, Kerkola’s steady play stood out and he gave his team a chance to win all of the games he started. The netminder has strong fundamentals and could start his season with Barrie in the OHL, who took him 75th in this summer’s CHL Import Draft.

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This is a good breakaway save by Kerkola, especially given that the puck was turned over in his zone, not giving him much time to prepare.

Max Westergard - Forward

One of the best Finnish skaters at this year’s tournament, Westergard led the team in goal scoring with three, scoring in all of their games but one. A strong skater with good pace, Westergard is able to get up and down the ice quickly with or without the puck. He’s skilled with the puck and can flash in the offensive zone when he has some room to make a play. He played in Sweden last year and was very good in their J18 league. With a birthday close to the cutoff for the 2025 NHL Draft, it’ll be interesting to see how he fairs if he continues to play with Frolunda’s J20 team.

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This is the easiest, but also nicest, goal Westergard scored in the tournament this year.

Lasse Boelius - Defense

The best overall defender for Finland in the tournament, Boelius was able to use his skating to be an effective transitional defenseman. He was noticeable for all the right reasons when bringing the puck out of his own end, either with his skating or passing. He was used on the power play and showed good passing touch. His play in his own zone needs improvement as he struggled with puck battles along the boards and wasn’t very physical anywhere in the zone.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/lasse_boelius_-_1st_period_32_29_-_33_1.mp4

This is a good zone exit clip from Boelius (#9 in white). His patience, vision, and skating allow him to find space to skate the puck out of the defensive zone with ease.

Switzerland

The last place team in the tournament, Switzerland lacked the overall talent that the other teams had, and it showed. They gave Slovakia a scare before losing in overtime, this after losing to Canada and Sweden by 10+ goals in their games. Switzerland was another team that lacked 2025 NHL Draft pedigree, but a few of their players may have made an early impression on NHL scouts.

Mike Aeschlimann - Forward

Their leading scorer and goal scorer, Aeschlimann scored two of Switzerland’s five goals in the tournament. He scored both of his goals in the seventh place game against Finland and one was a very nice backhand shot that found the back of the net. A decent skater who flashed some offensive skill, Aeschlimann will return to Langnau’s U20 team this upcoming season.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/mike_aeschlimann_-_1st_period_31_38_-_31_51.mp4

This is a great goal from Aeschlimann (#11 in white), from the steal at the defensive blue line to create his own breakaway to the backhand shot that finds the top of the net, it’s a high quality play at each step.

Florian Schenk - Forward

Their top center, Schenk was used in all situations by the Swiss coaching staff. He added a goal and an assist to Switzerland’s scoring totals in the tournament, but his real value was in being as good defensively as he was offensively. He had a good hit on Gavin McKenna early in the game against Canada, and he was committed to good two way play. Schenk will have an opportunity to improve this season as he has committed to the St. John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, who selected him seventh overall in this summer’s CHL Import Draft.

https://www.mckeenshockey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/florian_schenk_-_3rd_period_26_19_-_26_32.mp4

For a team that didn’t score very many goals, this is a pretty good one from Schenk (#21 in white). Good positioning in the middle of the neutral zone helps to force the Slovakian puck carrier to make a poor passing decision. From there Schenk goes to the net and scores off the rebound. Solid play in both zones from Schenk.

Lars Steiner - Forward

Steiner played with Schenk on Switzerland’s top line and contributed with a goal and an assist during the tournament, with both of his points coming in the game against Slovakia. His goal was a nice shot from the right wing that found the top corner of the net. Another Swiss player drafted to the QMJHL in the CHL Import Draft, Steiner will play for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies this upcoming season. A late 2007 birthday, Steiner is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.

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The aforementioned goal from Steiner (#15 in white). He starts the play by looking for an outlet to pass to but he decides to keep the puck and place a hard wrist shot into the back of the net.

Lasse Boelius – McKeen's Hockey

MCKEEN’S 2026 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – #12 Anaheim Ducks – Organization Overview – Top 15 Prospects

Prospect System Ranking – 12th (Last Year - 8th) GM: Pat Verbeek Hired: February 2022 COACH: Joel Quenneville Hired: May 2025

Roger McQueen, C, Providence College (NCAA) (currently with San Diego Gulls, AHL)

Stian Solberg, D, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Tristan Luneau, D, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Tarin Smith, D, Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Eric Nilson, C, Michigan State University (NCAA)

Lucas Pettersson, C, Brynas IF (SHL) (currently with San Diego Gulls, AHL)

Lasse Boelius, D, Assat (Liiga)

Tim Washe, C, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Herman Traff, RW, IF Oskarshamn (SHL) (currently with San Diego Gulls, AHL)

Maxim Masse, RW, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)

Sam Colangelo, RW, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Calle Clang, G, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Sasha Pastujov, RW, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Yegor Sidorov, RW, San Diego Gulls (AHL)

Austin Burnevik, RW, St. Cloud State University (NCAA)

NHL: Affiliated prospects who have made rapid progress this season – Europe Part Two

Arttu Myllymaki - Finnish Regional Scout

Lasse Boelius, Defense, Assat, Liiga (Anaheim Ducks)

Chapin Landvogt - Central European Regional Scout

Ludvig Johnson, Defense - HC Fribourg-Gottéron, NL (Utah Mammoth)

Liam Crouse - Goaltending Scout

Love Harenstam - G, Södertälje SK, Allsvenskan (St. Louis Blues)

Marek Novotny - Central European Regional Scout

Vojtech Hradec - Center, BK Mladá Boleslav, Czechia (Utah Mammoth)

Matej Deraj - Central European Regional Scout

Petr Sikora, Center, HC Oceláři Třinec, Czechia (Washington Capitals)

2025 NHL SCOUTING REPORT (VIDEO + GRADES): Lasse Boelius, D, Ässät U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

D - Ässät U20 (U20 SM-sarja)

6-foot-1, 190 pounds, Shoots: L

DOB: 16.03.2007 - Pori, Finlan

Skating

Shot

Skill

Smarts

Physical/Compete

OFP: 53.625

2025 IIHF U18 World Championships – Division A – Players to Watch

Canada

Players to Watch:

Jackson Smith - Defense

Jack Ivankovic - Goaltender

Braeden Cootes - Center

Brady Martin - Center/Wing

Ryan Roobroeck - Wing

Cameron Schmidt - Wing

Alex Huang - Defense

Finland

Players to Watch:

Lasse Boelius - Defense

Jesper Kotajarvi - Defense

Atte Joki - Center

Max Westergard - Wing

Patrik Kerkola - Goaltender

Vertti Svensk - Defense

Slovakia

Players to Watch:

Luka Radivojevic - Defense

Jan Chovan - Center

Alex Misiak - Wing

Michal Svrcek - Wing

Michal Pradel - Goaltender

Adam Nemec - Wing

Norway

Players to Watch:

Mikkel Eriksen - Center

Tinus Luc Koblar - Center

Niklas Aaram-Olsen - Wing

Latvia

Olivers Murnieks - Center

Rudolfs Berzkalns - Wing

Karlis Flugins - Wing

2025 NHL DRAFT: TOP 100 PLUS HONOURABLE MENTIONS – March edition – FOR SUBSCRIBERS

2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 64 + Honourable Mentions – PRE-WJC

2025 NHL DRAFT: DECEMBER RANKING – TOP 32 – PRE-WJC

2025 NHL DRAFT: Early Season Favourites – All Regions – Murtagh, Wang, Moe, Mrtka & More

Jack Murtagh - Left Wing - US NTDP

Haoxi (Simon) Wang - Defense - King Rebellion (OJHL)

Prospect System Ranking – 12th (Last Year - 8th)
GM: Pat Verbeek Hired: February 2022
COACH: Joel Quenneville Hired: May 2025