Mark Kastelic – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – TRADE DEADLINE ROUND UP – What we can expect from some of the bigger players now?

Ryan Dadoun — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 18:58:23 +0000

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 27: Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) during a game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders on February 27, 2025, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Friday’s trade deadline has to stand out as one of the best in recent memory. Over the last week, 45 trades occurred with almost $170 million worth of cap hit changing hands, per PuckPedia. More than just the quantity, though, was the quality.

Brock Nelson, a man who has breached the 30-goal milestone in each of the previous three campaigns was added by Colorado, while Seth Jones, a top four defenseman signed through 2029-30, was acquired by Florida in the leadup to deadline day, and yet neither of them ended up being the headline additions of this trade season. Jones didn’t even end up being the biggest name to join the Panthers.

Instead, Florida shocked the hockey world with its last-minute addition of Brad Marchand. Granted, Marchand is 36, in the final season of his contract and dealing with an upper-body injury, so there are some big caveats to consider when assessing his impact, but still, it’s Brad Marchand. There aren’t many active players out there who are so heavily linked to the team they play for than he is. To see him with the Panthers will be weird, to say the least.

Of course, he might just be a rental, so we’ll see what happens this summer. One star player who opted not to go to free agency, though, is Mikko Rantanen. The Hurricanes were clearly hoping to lock him up long term -- it's fair to say they wouldn’t have acquired him from Colorado if they didn’t think they had a shot -- but in the end, terms weren’t agreed upon, so Carolina cut its losses by sending Rantanen to Dallas, which promptly signed him to an eight-year, $96 million contract.

It's a huge payout, but a justified one with the cap going up. Rantanen recorded over 40 goals and 100 points in each of the previous two seasons and has 27 goals and 70 points in 62 appearances this campaign. Dallas has now set itself up to enjoy a duo of Rantanen and Jason Robertson for years to come, which should make the Stars one of hockey’s best teams in the medium term.

That’s just scratching the surface of what happened today, so let’s start digging deeper. Typically, I highlight teams based on what their upcoming schedule is like with a bias towards teams that will be playing a lot or facing favorable opponents in the week to come. This week, I’ll be highlighting the squads I feel had the most interesting trade deadline -- including the days leading up to it -- so that I can discuss what’s changed and how this might impact various players for the remainder of the campaign.

Boston Bruins

It’s not overly dramatic to suggest that trading Marchand to Florida marked the end of an era for the Bruins. Sure, they still have David Pastrnak, but if you look back at the 2018 Bruins who made it to the Stanley Cup Final, Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy are the only ones remaining.

No more Marchand. No more Patrice Bergeron. No more David Krejci. Torey Krug is gone. So are Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask. Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle were members of the Bruins’ 2018-19 squad, but they were traded to Toronto and Colorado, respectively, on Friday.

Of course, the Bruins of old have been fading away for a while. Boston was able to maneuver with a series of trades and signings to extend their dominance for a long time, but if you look at the Bruins’ recent drafting history, you can see why this decline happened. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman, despite his struggles this campaign (18-21-6 record, 3.00 GAA and .896 save percentage in 45 appearances) has proven to be a steal for a fourth-round pick, but he was taken back in 2017. From 2018 to the present, no Bruins draft pick has logged 150 or more games, and the only players over the past four drafts to even make it to the NHL among Boston’s picks are Matthew Poitras and Fabian Lysell -- the latter of which has played in just one game.

Of course, part of that was the Bruins suffering from success, which led to late draft picks, but it is nevertheless at the heart of why Boston couldn’t replenish fast enough as its old guard left.

Still, the Bruins’ moves suggest they’re looking to retool rather than rebuild. While Boston did stock up on draft picks, including a conditional first-round pick from Toronto and a conditional second rounder from Florida, the Bruins also picked up Fraser Minten, who is a 20-year-old prospect who might factor into Boston’s roster on a regular basis next year, and Casey Mittelstadt, who is in the first season of a three-year, $17.25 million contract and is a solid option up the middle.

Boston also has to keep in mind that it’ll get Hampus Lindholm (kneecap) back next season after the top four blueliner was limited to just 17 appearances in 2024-25, and there’s also the likelihood that Swayman will do better next campaign. In other words, Boston fans might not have to go long between playoff appearances.

In the meantime, though, Cole Koepke and Mark Kastelic might get top six minutes, even though neither is particularly suited for the role. We also might see them get ice time on the second power-play unit, and Nikita Zadorov could feature there as well. Boston still has one strong line in Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha and Pastrnak, but the team’s offense overall figures to be dreary, and as a result, Boston might slip even further than its current 28th rank in goals per game (2.69).

Carolina Hurricanes

Losing Rantanen hurts, especially after Carolina gave up a package that included Martin Necas to pry him from Colorado. At least the return from Dallas was strong: The Hurricanes got Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and two third-round selections. It’ll be years before we know how good or bad those draft picks are for the Hurricanes, but Stankoven is an interesting piece to get in the meantime.

The 22-year-old is playing in his sophomore campaign and had 29 points (nine goals) in 59 appearances with Dallas before the trade. He didn’t have consistent linemates, which might have made the task of adapting to the NHL a little more challenging. Stankoven did show a ton of potential in the minors, though, supplying 24 goals and 57 points in 47 outings with AHL Texas in 2023-24.

Stankoven figures to get a top six role with Carolina as well as power-play time. The tricky thing is that the Hurricanes don’t have any high-end forwards outside of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis and Andrei Svechnikov, who might end up spending a fair amount of time together on the top line. When Carolina opts to take that path, that would leave Stankoven on a rather barren second unit. It’s a similar situation to the one Taylor Hall finds himself in. Since joining the Hurricanes from Chicago, Hall has just a goal and three points in 13 outings while averaging 14:32 of ice time. Part of that’s because the 33-year-old Hall has declined in recent years, but he’s also finding himself alongside Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jackson Blake, neither of whom have reached the 15-goal or 30-point marks this season.

With that in mind, Stankoven might not be much of an offensive force for the remainder of the season.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado has been extremely busy on the trade front all year -- in addition to the Rantanen trade back in January that got the Avalanche Necas, Colorado also has an entirely different goaltending duo than the one it began the campaign with -- and the Avalanche didn’t slow down as the trade deadline approached.

Colorado added Brock Nelson from the Islanders, Coyle from the Bruins and Erik Johnson from Philadelphia this week. It did cost the Avalanche -- in addition to draft picks and prospects, Colorado also parted ways with Mittelstadt – but Colorado looks like a major Cup contender.

Nelson and Coyle make the Avalanche extremely talented up the middle. We’ll probably see Nelson assume the second-line center spot. Although that would keep him out of the enviable position of skating alongside Nathan MacKinnon or Necas, Nelson would still have plenty to work with alongside Jonathan Drouin and Valeri Nichushkin. It wouldn’t be surprising if Nelson largely maintained his scoring pace in Colorado after contributing 20 goals and 43 points across 61 appearances with the Islanders in 2024-25 before the trade.

That would leave Coyle on the third line. He’d see a meaningful decline in his workload compared to his average of 17:38 of ice time, including 1:55 with the man advantage, with Boston this season, but he kind of deserves that dip after collecting just 15 goals and 22 points in 64 outings. He did exceed the 40-point mark in three consecutive seasons from 2021-22 through 2023-24, so having him on the third line is a nice luxury to have, but he’s unlikely to challenge Nelson for the top-six spot, and it’s also not a given that Coyle will get regular time on the power play.

Jack Drury will probably center the fourth line. He doesn’t bring much offensively to the table anyway (seven goals, 13 points in 53 outings this season), but he is effective on the draw (57.1 conversion rate) and helps kill penalties, so Drury still has a clear role. The biggest loser in this will probably be Parker Kelly, who might spend a fair amount of time in the press box after dressing in the Avalanche’s first 63 games.

Speaking of the press box, I don’t expect Johnson to play much. It’s nice to see him back in Colorado, but unlike his first stint with the team, there isn’t really a clear role for him. Maybe if the Avalanche are forced to deal with injuries, the 36-year-old will get some work, but that’s about it.

Dallas Stars

Dallas made only one trade this month, but it was a huge one. As already noted above, the Stars acquired Rantanen in exchange for picks and Logan Stankoven. Dallas also signed Rantanen to an eight-year, $96 million contract extension.

Rantanen didn’t look great in Carolina, recording just two goals and six points in 13 appearances, but he still has 70 points (27 goals) in 62 outings this campaign, and his resume is fantastic. He should do great in Dallas, likely on the first line alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz.

Hintz and Robertson have typically played together this campaign, but the third member of that trio hasn’t been consistent. Wyatt Johnston has gotten a fair amount of work in that role, though, and that’s likely at an end. Johnston might not be on the second unit either given that Mason Marchment, Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund have done well together. Instead, Johnston might primarily center the third unit. That’s an odd position for a player with 23 goals and 59 points in 62 outings, but Dallas isn’t a typical team, and that would still leave him to play with Jamie Benn, who remains a solid contributor at the age of 35 (15 goals, 39 points).

Johnston may see a bit of a decline in his production down the stretch, but Dallas should remain happy given that it will be rolling out three very effective lines. The Stars’ embarrassment of offensive riches will get even better if Tyler Seguin (hip) is available for the playoffs. He was fantastic early in the campaign with nine goals and 20 points in 19 appearances. Maybe he’ll end up alongside Benn and Johnston.

Florida Panthers

The Marchand trade was jaw-dropping, especially given that the price was just a conditional second-round pick, which will turn into a first-round selection only if Florida wins at least two rounds and Marchand participates in a minimum of 50 percent of those playoff games. The latter condition speaks to Marchand’s health -- before the trade, he missed Boston’s past three games. Florida GM Bill Zito thinks Marchand will be out for a couple more weeks, but he also added that the team doctors will look at him, per Florida Hockey Now, so we’ll see.

Presuming that Marchand returns before the end of the regular season, it will be very interesting to see how he fits into the lineup. Will he play alongside another talented troublemaker in Sam Bennett? They did see some work together on Team Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Matthew Tkachuk (groin) is done for the remainder of the regular season, but should he return for the playoffs, he might join that duo to form a line that no one would want to play against.

Perhaps Florida will attempt to balance out the grit by separating the trio of Carter Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Maybe we’ll have something like Bennett-Verhaeghe-Tkachuk and then Marchand-Barkov-Reinhart. Whatever they decide to do, that will be a strong top six. While Tkachuk and Marchand are out, Mackie Samoskevich and Evan Rodrigues will see increased roles, but that duo is likely to serve strictly in the bottom six when everyone is healthy. Samoskevich in particular might see a drop in usage once Marchand is back, but for now, he’s enjoying the extra work -- Samoskevich has three goals and four points across his past six appearances while averaging 15:30 compared to eight goals and 17 points in his first 48 outings with an average of 11:41.

On the back end, Jones logged 20:40 of ice time over his first two appearances with the Panthers. Aaron Ekblad seems to have maintained his spot on the top power-play unit and has cashed in with a power-play assist in each of his past two outings. If Jones’ role with the man advantage has been diminished by the move to Florida from Chicago -- and that seems to be the case -- then his fantasy value will take a significant hit. Of his 27 points in 2024-25, 15 have been recorded on the power play.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay loves first-round picks, and sometimes when you love something, you have to let it go. The Lightning have drafted in the first round just once dating back to 2020 -- Isaac Howard (31st overall) in 2022 -- and it seems they’ll be waiting a while before doing so again. The Lightning gave their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to Seattle in a three-team trade that brought Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde to Tampa Bay. The Lightning were already missing their 2025 first-round pick as part of the Tanner Jeannot trade back in 2023.

While that’s a significant cost, the Lightning are looking like a well-rounded team going into the playoffs. Obviously, they already had the trio of Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov as their headline unit -- Guentzel has two hat tricks this season and still might be the worst player on that line, which is wild -- and that’s complemented by a strong second line in Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul.

Now Bjorkstrand and Gourde can man the third line, perhaps alongside 24-year-old rookie Gage Goncalves. Bjorkstrand has 17 goals and 38 points in 62 outings while Gourde has done worse this season (six goals, 18 points in 37 appearances) but has recorded over 30 points in each of his previous seven seasons. That doesn’t give the Lightning the same level of forward depth that Dallas is rocking, but that’s still really good.

These moves also probably cost Mitchell Chaffee his spot on the power play. That’s not a huge deal, but four of his 12 goals in 2024-25 have been scored with the man advantage.

Toronto Maple Leafs

There was an arms race in the Atlantic Division. Florida and Tampa Bay both made significant additions leading up to the deadline, and Toronto made some maneuvers too. The Maple Leafs acquired Brandon Carlo from Boston and Scott Laughton from Philadelphia, though in the process, Toronto surrendered, among other things, two first-round picks as well as prospects Nikita Grebenkin and Fraser Minten.

At a glance, those sacrifices would suggest Toronto is going all in, and while it’s undeniable that the farm system has taken a hit, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Carlo is signed through 2026-27 and Laughton is under contract through 2025-26, so these aren’t just rentals.

In terms of what they bring to the table, it’s nothing headline-grabbing, but it is important. Laughton is a solid third-line center, which will allow Max Domi to shift to the wing. His presence might also push Nicholas Robertson out of the top nine, though Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann might also occasionally shift down in the depth charts, especially when Max Pacioretty (undisclosed) is able to return.

Carlo might end up being a good shutdown partner for the offensive-minded Morgan Rielly. He might even enable Rielly to take more chances and bolster his scoring pace down the stretch. The 30-year-old Rielly has seven goals and 32 points in 62 appearances in 2024-25, which is down from 58 points in 72 outings last year.

Philippe Myers, who has gotten some looks alongside Rielly lately, probably won’t be a consideration for that role going forward. Instead, Myers will probably shift to the third pairing, and once Chris Tanev (upper body) is back, Myers might find himself competing with Simon Benoit to stay in the lineup.

Toronto’s xGA/60 in 2024-25 has been 3.19, which ranks 23rd in the league. That suggests the Maple Leafs have made life somewhat hard on their goaltenders this season with their defensive play. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll have mostly been able to make up the difference, but their work should be easier after Toronto’s recent moves.

Vegas Golden Knights

It’s weird for Vegas not to be the one making a blockbuster trade. In fact, the Golden Knights didn’t make any move Friday, but they did pick up Reilly Smith from the Rangers on Thursday in exchange for Brendan Brisson and a 2025 third-round pick.

It’s not earth-shattering, but it’s a nice bit of business. Although Smith has underwhelmed this campaign with 10 goals and 29 points in 58 appearances in 2024-25, he had some amazing campaigns with Vegas. In particular, Smith provided 26 goals and 56 points in 78 regular-season games in 2022-23 and went on to supply another four goals and 14 points across 24 playoff outings to help Vegas win the Cup in 2023.

This change of scenery might be what Smith needs to rebound. He’s not too old at 33, so he still should have something left in the tank. However, the Golden Knights are a deep team. Even with William Karlsson (lower body) and Victor Olofsson (lower body) out, Smith might still find himself in a bottom-six role, and when everyone is healthy, it’s inevitable that Vegas will have to make a healthy scratch out of someone who would play regularly on most teams. Perhaps that will be Brandon Saad on occasion, but Nicolas Roy and Smith are also on that bubble.

For that reason, I recommend tempering your expectations when it comes to Smith’s reunion tour.

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Sat, 07 Oct 2023 20:32:56 +0000

OTTAWA, ON - MARCH 22: Ottawa Senators Left Wing Tim Stutzle (18) (Photo by Steven Kingsman/Icon Sportswire)

REVIEW: When the Senators spent the summer of 2022 signing Claude Giroux, then 34 years old, and spending three picks, including the 2022 seventh overall, to acquire Alex DeBrincat, it was a clear sign that they hoped to exit the rebuilding phase. What followed though was a 39-35-8 record – a 13-point gain from a year prior, but insufficient for a postseason berth. Part of the issue was Ottawa finished a mediocre 18th in goals per game (3.16) despite adding two elite forwards. Alex DeBrincat’s 27 goals and 66 points in 82 contests was a regression compared to his 41-goal 2021-22 campaign with Chicago, but the bigger problem was a lack of offensive depth. Eight Senators players reached double digits in goals in contrast to 13 with Edmonton. Ottawa was also mediocre defensively, finishing 18th with a 5-on-5 expected goals against of 174.36, and unlike the Islanders, which squeaked into the playoffs with a worse offense and expected goals against, Ottawa didn’t have an elite goaltender masking their defensive woes. Instead, Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg were merely average, which sums up the 2022-23 Senators nicely: Not bad, but not good enough.

What’s Changed? The Senators hope they’ve bolstered their mediocre goaltending by signing Joonas Korpisalo to replace Talbot, who left as a free agent. They also failed to agree to terms with DeBrincat, who was a restricted free agent, so they dealt him to Detroit in exchange for a solid middle-six forward in Dominik Kubalik, defensive prospect Donovan Sebrango and two draft picks. In an attempt to make up for the lost offense, Ottawa inked Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year, $5 million deal.

What would success look like? Ottawa is looking to end its six-year playoff drought, but the competition in the Atlantic Division is intense. A strong year out of Joonas Korpisalo would certainly help, which is possible. He’s not an elite goaltender, but the 29-year-old is solid. A healthy season out of Joshua Norris, who scored 35 goals in 2021-22, but was limited to eight games last year due to a shoulder injury, would also provide Ottawa with a much-needed boost to its offensive depth. Between Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Giroux and Tarasenko, it’s reasonable to believe Ottawa will have two strong lines, but they need enough weapons to fill a decent third unit.

What could go wrong? However, Norris bouncing right back might be too much to hope for. The 24-year-old’s promise is clear, but that 35-goal campaign was also the first time in his career he even reached the 20-goal mark, so he’s far from proven. Meanwhile, Ottawa might get a bit less than Giroux’s 2022-23 finish of 79 points. After all, he’ll turn 36 in January. As far as injury risks go, Ottawa has a big one in elite defenseman Thomas Chabot, who has missed 37 contests over the last two years.

Top Breakout Candidate: One possible solution to Ottawa’s third-line question is Shane Pinto. Playing in his first full campaign, he supplied 20 goals and 35 points in 82 contests last year. Still just 22 years old, Pinto has the potential to start the campaign on the third line and then work himself into a bigger role, especially if Ottawa runs into injury troubles.

Forwards

Brady Tkachuk

Of the 15 forwards who registered over 200 hits last season, no one scored more than Tkachuk’s 35 goals. His 2022-23 season put him in some exclusive company. Alex Ovechkin is the only other player in the NHL’s recorded history to blend that volume of physicality and goal production. Tkachuk’s skillset makes him a unicorn and one of the premier power forwards in the league. Thanks to his willingness to go to the dirty areas of the ice and battle for deflections and loose pucks, Tkachuk has established himself as a shot-generation machine. Of all the qualified skaters who logged over 500 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time last season per NaturalStatTrick, only David Pastrnak averaged more shots per 60 minutes than Tkachuk. Any knocks to Tkachuk’s game are rooted in his defensive contributions and the notion he does not finish as many chances as he should given his shot volume. Considering he scored 35 goals, it may sound weird to read that he does not finish enough, but Tkachuk finished fourth in the league in expected goals (min. 500 5v5 TOI) in 2022-23. His expected goal metrics are always higher than his actual output. One of these years, it feels like if everything breaks right, he has the capacity to put up a monster offensive season. Like many of Ottawa’s other young players, Tkachuk’s poor defensive metrics can partially be explained as a product of the team’s personnel and defensive system. With a vastly improved defensive corps and a greater commitment to puck support as a five-man unit, Tkachuk’s metrics should continue to improve.

Tim Stützle

When the Senators invested in Tim Stützle, signing him to an eight-year contract worth an AAV of $8.35, they gambled on the German’s pedigree and offensive upside. His transition from the wing to centre during his sophomore year helped spark his ability to impact the game on both sides of the puck. In 2022-23, he rewarded the Senators with their long-term investment. He continued to take marked steps in his development offensively and defensively. He would finish the season leading the Senators in scoring with 39 goals and 90 points in 78 games. He became the third centre in franchise history to eclipse that point threshold but holds the distinction of being the youngest to do it at just 21 years of age. The departures of Connor Brown and Alex Formenton represented a significant loss to the Senators’ penalty killing units and Stützle was one of the forwards called upon to fill the void. It speaks to D.J. Smith’s growing confidence in him. Stützle tied for the team lead in shorthanded goals with three and averaged 1:16 of shorthanded ice time per game. Besides the natural growth of a young player, the jump in production can be explained by the quality of linemates. After spending most of the previous season playing predominantly with Alex Formenton and Connor Brown, centring Brady Tkachuk and Claude Giroux represented a significant improvement. As the team continues to improve around him, the hope is that his offensive production and defensive metrics will continue to improve.

Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux has only played one season for the Senators, but he already has leapt to the top of the list as the best free agent signing in franchise history. In his return home, the 35-year-old wowed fans by recording 35 goals and 79 points while playing in every single one of the Senators’ 82 games. Amazingly, the veteran’s 35 goals established a new personal regular season high. It was the first time Giroux had cracked the 30-goal mark since the 2017-18 season. This boost in production can be chalked up to the chemistry he developed alongside Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle. This trio generated more than 55 percent of the goals (58.49 GF%), shots (56.82 CF%), shots on goal (55.37) and expected goals (59.82 xGF%) at five-on-five per Evolving-Hockey. Playing predominantly as the right winger on this line Giroux had one of the best isolated defensive impacts on the team per Hockeyviz. His ability to impact the game at both ends of the ice was a huge addition to the Senators’ top six. In particular, his strength in the faceoff circle allowed his line to overcome Stützle’s struggles at the dot. Of the players who took more than 300 draws last season, Stützle’s 41.6 percent success rate was the eighth-worst mark in the league. Giroux insulated Stützle’s ineffectiveness with the league’s 10th-best mark at 58.3 percent.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Following the well-publicized departure of last season’s prize acquisition, Alex DeBrincat, the Senators shored up their top six scoring by inking Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year contract worth $5 million. The signing of the four-time All-Star and 2019 Stanley Cup champion generated headlines. Tarasenko is a recognizable talent who can still be a productive NHL player. In 69 games split between the Blues and Rangers last season, Tarasenko recorded 18 goals and 50 points. It was a step down in production for the six-time 30-goal scorer, but he represented the best available offensive talent that remained on the free agent market. There is a chance that Tarasenko’s waning production is part of an age-related decline, but the good news is that he is just one season removed from the second-best five-on-five shooting percentage of his career (14.8 per Evolving-Hockey). Last season’s (9.7) was the second-worst. A motivated Tarasenko should be extremely valuable to the Senators. If he can get back closer to his career norms, he will have a chance to cash in on the open market next summer. If his production continues to decline, the Senators will still need his offence to outweigh his defensive contributions. Tarasenko’s become a liability on the defensive side of the puck. There is also the question of fit. As a winger who prefers playing his off-side, the addition of Tarasenko to the right wing could necessitate moving one of Claude Giroux or Drake Batherson to their off-side.

Josh Norris

On the heels of a sophomore season in which he exploded for 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games, centre Josh Norris cashed in by signing an eight-year pact carrying an AAV of $7.95 million. The contract represented a significant commitment to the team’s second-line centre and set a relatively high standard for Norris to live up to. Last season, he never got the chance. A devastating shoulder injury curtailed his season and limited him to eight games. So much of Ottawa’s postseason aspirations hinge on Norris’ recovery and his ability to resemble the player that he was pre-injury. Even when healthy, it was fair to believe that Norris would experience some natural regression in his shooting percentage (20.3 in 2021-22). Fortunately, he has historically been a strong shooter throughout his career, so that regression should not be too severe - provided that Norris’ recovery does not inhibit his ability to shoot the puck. Power play usage will be another thing to monitor. Of the forwards who logged over 100 minutes of power play ice time in 2021-22 per NaturalStatTrick, only two forwards averaged a higher goals per 60 minutes of ice time rate than Norris – Chris Kreider and Leon Draisaitl. Norris should continue to play the right side on the first power play unit, but the addition of Vladimir Tarasenko, who also works from that spot, could impact those minutes.

Drake Batherson

On the surface, it is easy to look at Drake Batherson’s numbers and arrive at the conclusion that he had a down year. Scoring 22 goals and tallying 62 points in 82 games is not a terrible season by any measure, but that minus-35 was unsightly. Considering Batherson put up 17 goals in each of the two previous seasons while playing in what was essentially half a season’s worth of games, expectations for him were high. After scoring on more than 15 percent of his shots in each of his previous two campaigns, Batherson’s shooting percentage was almost halved to 8.8 percent last season. Although NaturalStatTrick’s data shows that Batherson’s goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time dropped from 1.08 to 0.37 last season, there are a number of reasons to believe that he can reach another level. He shot the puck more than he ever had in his career. His average of 8.87 shots per 60 of five-on-five ice time per NaturalStatTrick represented a career-high. Last season, only Buffalo’s Tage Thompson (15) hit more posts than Batherson. Provided he can stay healthy and preserve that kind of shot volume, better luck and a regression to the mean in terms of his shooting percentage should allow Batherson to enjoy a career season in 2023-24.

Shane Pinto

For the first time since Brady Tkachuk scored 22 goals during the 2018-19 season, Shane Pinto became the eighth rooking in franchise history to score 20 or more goals in his rookie campaign – joining Tkachuk, Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman, Patrick Eaves, Daniel Alfredsson, Alexandre Daigle and Alexei Yashin. Pinto started the 2022-23 season strong, scoring six goals in his first eight games. But, when Josh Norris was felled by a shoulder injury, Pinto moved up the depth chart and no longer received the luxury of being insulated. Despite more challenging assignments and responsibilities, the Senators still outshot (51.4 CF%) and created a higher percentage of expected goals (50.7 xGF%) when Pinto was on the ice at five-on-five. With the return of Norris, Pinto will once again be relegated to the third line and potentially easier matchups. For an organization that struggled to generate offence from its third and fourth lines, a returning Pinto armed with the confidence of knowing he can pot 20 goals will be vital to this team’s push for the postseason. One of the things to keep an eye on with Pinto this season will be his work on the penalty kill. Following the departures of Austin Watson, Dylan Gambrell, and Tyler Motte, shorthanded minutes will need to be reallocated. One of the benefactors of those responsibilities should be Pinto.

Dominik Kubalik

As the lone NHL piece that was returned to the Senators in this offseason’s Alex DeBrincat trade, Dominik Kubalik is a reasonably priced player who offers the Senators affordable depth scoring. He is in the last year of a two-year deal carrying an AAV of $2.5 million. In 81 games with the Red Wings last season, he scored 20 goals and 45 points. Brady Tkachuk is entrenched as the team’s first-line left winger, but beyond that, the second line could be open. If Vladimir Tarasenko plays on his preferred off-side, it could necessitate Giroux or Batherson moving to their off-side to accommodate him. The alternative is Kubalik because of his natural left-shot handedness. If he does, there is a chance for Kubalik to flourish. He finished third on the Red Wings in individual expected goals for per 60 (0.81 ixG/60) and individual scoring chances per 60 (7.71 iSCF/60) per NaturalStatTrick. He thrived playing alongside Dylan Larkin and David Perron. Away from Detroit’s top talent, the underlying numbers cratered. Something to keep an eye on is if Kubalik winds up on a line with Tarasenko. The Senators’ forward group is not exactly renowned for its defensive aptitude and their two biggest additions in Kubalik and Tarasenko are not going to bolster that weakness. They could exacerbate it.

Mathieu Joseph

It is never ideal to be referenced in the same breath as the infamous Bill Muckalt, but Mathieu Joseph was the only Senator forward to log more than 500 minutes of ice time who failed to score a five-on-five goal in 2022-23. According to NaturalStatTrick’s data, of the 382 forwards who logged more than 500 minutes of five-on-five ice time, only two forwards failed to score one goal last season: Montreal’s Jake Evans and Joseph. It was a precipitous drop in offence. Following his trade to the Senators at last year’s trade deadline, Joseph averaged 3.89 points per 60 minutes of ice time. Being an 11-game sample, it was naive to believe that this brief stretch was truly representative of his offensive upside. Last season’s output of three goals and 15 points was incredibly disappointing for Sens management after they locked him up to a three-year contract worth a $2.9 million AAV. Without any even-strength production out of Joseph, it really hurts the Senators’ secondary scoring. Hopefully, the return of Shane Pinto to the third line will boost Joseph’s productivity. Fortunately for the Senators, while Joseph struggled to produce offensively, he is still a competent defensive forward and a valuable contributor on the penalty kill that ranked in the top half of the league last season.

Defence

Thomas Chabot

The 2022-23 season was a polarizing one that showcased the best and worst of Thomas Chabot. Often last season, he would take heat for his defensive play and lapses. The numbers backed it up. According to Evolving-Hockey’s Total Defence (DEF) metric that combines the even strength and shorthanded contributions to arrive at a single number for defensive value created, 2022-23 was tied for being the worst defensive season of his career. The good news is that the site’s Total Offence (OFF) metric, which combines even strength and power play contributions measured 2022-23 as being his best offensive year – surpassing his impressive 2018-19 season in which he scored 14 goals and 55 points. One of the things that hurt Chabot last year is that he logged more than 30 minutes of ice time with eight defensive partners last season – including 257 with an ineffective Nikita Zaitsev, one of the least valuable defencemen in the league. Even with poor defensive partners and a lack of continuity, Chabot was rated as the team’s most valuable player according to according to Evolving-Hockey’s ‘wins above replacement’ (WAR) and ‘goals above replacement’ (GAR) metrics. It speaks to his importance in Ottawa’s puck movement and transition game. A full season alongside Jakob Chychrun will inevitably make things easier for Chabot and improve his numbers, but the Senators will need him to be more reliable for the team to take a step forward.

Jakob Chychrun

It took time, but the Senators finally addressed their need for a top-four defenceman by acquiring Jakob Chychrun at the 2023 trade deadline. A lower-body injury limited Chychrun to 12 games with Ottawa, but in those games, he averaged 21 minutes of ice time scoring two goals and adding three assists. Most of his minutes were spent playing with Travis Hamonic to some underwhelming 5-on-5 shot and goal metrics. When they were on the ice together, the Senators generated 48.9 percent of the goals (GF%), 40 percent of the expected goals (xGF%), 43.8 percent of the shots (CF%) and 44.2 percent of the shots on goal per Evolving-Hockey. Fortunately, Chychrun is expected to open the season playing alongside Thomas Chabot. In a very small sample size of 35 minutes of five-on-five ice time, the duo was exceptional – generating approximately 60 percent of the shots and expected goals. A wrinkle is that Ottawa’s three most talented defencemen are all natural left shots. Chychrun has experience playing his off-side, so that mitigates most of the concern, but he has missed 152 games across his seven seasons in the league. With so much invested in Chychrun being the solution to shore the blue line, if he needs to play his natural side or continues to be plagued by injuries, it could really hamper the team’s postseason aspirations.

Jake Sanderson

When Jake Sanderson was selected with the fifth overall selection in 2020, it created some ripples and consternation. Was he the best available defenceman? Should the Senators have targeted another highly skilled forward? Sanderson’s rookie campaign erased any concerns about his selection. He contributed four goals and 32 points in 77 games last season. Only Owen Power recorded more points as a rookie defenceman than Sanderson. Where he thrived was on the defensive side of the puck. His elite skating ability, gap control and active stick made life frustrating for attacking forwards. Perhaps the most flattering thing that you can say about Sanderson’s play last season is that he helped land veteran Travis Hamonic a new two-year contract. The pair logged over 500 minutes of five-on-five ice time together and the results were average. When this pairing was on the ice, the Senators generated as many shots and expected goals as the opposition (50.5 CF%, 49.5 xGF%). They did however give up a greater percentage of actual goals (42.9 GF%), but that can be attributed in part to bad luck. Sanderson is expected to play with Artem Zub this season. In 239 five-on-five minutes together, the Senators generated more of the shots (52.7 SF%) and expected goals (53.3 xGF%). Most impressively, the team suppressed a lot more shots when this pairing was together. Put in contrast with the Sanderson/Hamonic pairing which allowed 33.6 shots per 60 minutes of five-on-five, the Sanderson/Zub pairing allowed 24.9.

Artem Zub

Since joining the Senators from SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL in 2020, Artem Zub has developed a steadfast reputation for being the Senators’ best defensive defenceman. It is that reputation that earned the 27-year-old a four-year contract extension worth an AAV of $4.6 million. And, it is a reputation that is backed up by the data. Using HockeyViz’s data that measures a player’s isolated offensive and defensive impacts, no Senators defenceman had a more significant defensive impact than Zub. Evolving-Hockey’s total defence metric (DEF) had Zub ranked second on the team behind Erik Brannstrom, but injuries limited Zub to 53 games last season - robbing him of the chance to accrue more value. Historically, Zub has always been a player who makes those around him better and in 2023-24, he will be tasked with trying to get more performance and development out of sophomore Jake Sanderson. Considering how well Sanderson fared in his first season playing meaningful minutes carrying Travis Hamonic, the likelihood of Sanderson helping push Zub to a career year feels very real.

Goaltending

Joonas Korpisalo

The rebuilding Ottawa Senators have made it clear in the last few years – goaltenders who are moving on from old teams have a place with the Atlantic Division underdogs, and there’s plenty of time in their rebuild window to be patient with anyone needing a little extra time to get their game back on track. For former Columbus Blue Jackets tandem starter Joonas Korpisalo, it’s the perfect place – out of the public eye, and with a team that’s been slowly but surely turning things around – to prove that he still has an NHL-capable game and establish himself as a number one outside of the free-falling Blue Jackets.

Korpisalo stylistically looked like the less reliable option in Columbus, with a game that relies almost too much on flat angles and post coverage in a way that opened up holes and made him easy to predict. But while Elvis Merzlikins had the flashier game, Korpisalo was the team’s better option last year – and he showed during a brief stint post-trade deadline with the Los Angeles Kings that he might be predictable, but he’s reliable. He struggles at times with rebounds, but his tracking is effective – and for the Senators, the most important thing is that he’s both still relatively young (he’s only 29) and he has a fairly good track record of staying healthy. After multiple years of bad injury luck, the Senators should count it as a win if Korpisalo is even league average while maintaining his reputation as a goaltender who won’t go down for most of the year.

Projected starts: 45-50

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 20 Prospects

Contributors – Brock Otten, Derek Neumeier, Ethan Hetu, Dylan Krill — Sun, 18 Sep 2022 20:01:50 +0000

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 24: Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (57) skates up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on April 24, 2021 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire)

1 - Jake Sanderson D

Jake Sanderson was the highest-drafted defenseman at the 2020 draft, and since that point, he’s become the Senators’ top prospect without any NHL games under his belt. The six-foot-two, 190-pound defenseman has been one of the best defensemen in all of college hockey. While he only got into 23 games for the University of North Dakota last season, Sanderson was a dynamic force to be reckoned with, scoring at above a point-per-game rate and earning a selection to Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Sanderson just does so many things right in all three zones. His skating is exceptional, and he has been and will continue to be a top transitional defenseman. He likes having the puck on his stick and can be relied upon as an offensive generator both on the power play and at even strength. He’s shown an ability to fit seamlessly with highly talented teammates, something that is important to note as he’s joining a Senators team that has recently supercharged their top-six forward attack. Defensively, Sanderson plays an extremely well-rounded game, combining sound positioning, aggressive, intentional defensive stick work, and threatening (if not overwhelming) physicality. Sanderson might not have the same dynamic, special quality as other top defensive prospects, but that’s not to say that he can’t take over shifts when he’s on. He has a set of tools that will allow him to become a strong NHL defenseman and the sort of defender who has a chance to anchor a top-four pairing for many years and even, if things break right, potentially become a true top-of-the-lineup force. There might be some growing pains with Sanderson’s game, as it looks like he possibly might face top-four duty immediately as a rookie, but there are few on-ice challenges Sanderson isn’t equipped to handle and he’ll be part of what could be an exciting season in Ottawa. - EH

2 - Shane Pinto C

Expectations for Pinto were sky high coming into last season. After a strong NHL debut following his sophomore year at North Dakota in 2021, many had Pinto penciled in as a Calder Trophy candidate. However, a shoulder injury quickly killed any chance of that as Pinto was lost for the year after surgery in November. Now the expectation is that Pinto will be ready to go for training camp and is once again a Calder Trophy candidate. In a lot of ways, there are parallels between Pinto and current Senators breakout star Josh Norris. Both are well-rounded centers who excel at both ends of the ice. Both have good size and can be used as strong net front presences or down low to prolong possession. Both have good shots and scoring instincts. Realistically, Pinto and Norris could occupy the middle center spots in Ottawa’s lineup for the better part of the next decade. Pinto does need to continue to improve his skating and quickness. It is just about the only part of his game that needs improvement. Given the nature of his injury (upper body), one has to hope that Pinto has been working hard to improve this during his recovery. He should enter the year as Ottawa’s third line center and will be given significant responsibility across a variety of different situations. - BO

3 - Ridly Greig C

Whether you love Greig or hate him depends largely on whether or not he's on your team — and those feelings can burn intensely in both directions. The 28^th overall selection in the 2020 draft, and the son of former NHLer and hockey lifer Mark Greig (who currently scouts for the Philadelphia Flyers), Ridly is chaos personified on the ice. He is a center with a very impressive and well-rounded offensive toolkit and the scoring totals to match, yet one who isn't content to simply coast on his skill. If anything, he loves the nasty side of the sport the most. He will throw hits with targeted ferocity and is happy to talk trash, make stick jabs behind the refs' backs, get dirty in post-whistle scrums and utilize whatever other psychological warfare that he can to annoy the hell out of his opponents. His competitive edge is truly special, and when he is on the top of his game there are few prospects in the hockey world who can leave an impact in quite the same way that he can, which was on display at this summer's World Juniors reboot, where he was one of Canada's top forwards. However, like most players cut from similar cloth, that persona comes with drawbacks. He was suspended multiple times during his WHL career and will, perhaps fittingly, have to serve a one-game suspension to begin his NHL career after cross-checking Pierre-Luc Dubois in a preseason game in the fall of 2021. If the Senators can properly harness and focus Greig's destructive tendencies then they will be able to deploy a forward who can be a unique kind of difference-maker, especially come playoff time. - DN

4 - Egor Sokolov LW

Things really turned around for Sokolov after he committed to improving his conditioning heading into his final QMJHL season with Cape Breton in 2020. By shedding some weight, he really exploded and emerged as one of the best players in the entire CHL. As a result, Ottawa took him in the second round, in his final year of draft eligibility. Thus far as a pro, Sokolov has not disappointed, continuing to play the power game that he established as a junior player. He blends power and skill extremely well and as such, he can be a real load for defenders to handle as he drives the net. Without question, he has the offensive upside to be a top six forward at the NHL level. He could eventually be a very nice complement to some of the other young forwards Ottawa has in their stable. Is he ready for a full time NHL role? The results in an eight-game trial last year suggest that he is not and needs to continue to improve his skating and play away from the puck. However, the competition for bottom six spots in training camp will be fierce and Sokolov will be right in the thick of it. Best case scenario, he spends time in a checking line role this year, perhaps even earning some secondary powerplay time. Worst case scenario, he goes back to the AHL for another season and continues to develop. - BO

5 - Lassi Thomson D

A first-round selection by Ottawa, there was some concern that Thomson’s development had stagnated. Playing in Liiga, he was less than impressive. He even struggled in the half season he played in the AHL in 2020-21. However, he really turned a corner last season, emerging as a top defender in Belleville and leapfrogging someone Jacob Bernard-Docker, among others, on the Ottawa depth chart. Thomson has always possessed intriguing potential because of his athletic ability. He has a booming point shot that creates a lot of primary and secondary chances. He can skate with the puck, and he can defend aggressively, using his mobility to stay ahead of the action. On the other hand, his positioning and decision making have always been raw and have led to miscues at both ends. Last year, he worked to correct that and played a much safer game. As a result, he blossomed. So, what’s next for Thomson? After 16 games at the NHL level last year, he figures to earn more NHL time this coming season. Is he likely to beat out Jake Sanderson for a permanent role? Very unlikely. However, it is also likely that he becomes the team’s top call up in case of injury. After his breakout campaign, he definitely looks like he could be a #4-6 defender for the Senators in the coming years. - BO

6 - Mads Sogaard G

The hulking, 6’7 Danish netminder has been solid as a pro so far after a strong two-year stint with Medicine Hat of the WHL. Sogaard even got a nice two game audition with the Senators as an injury call up late last season, beating the Detroit Red Wings in his NHL debut. Ottawa attempted to solidify their goaltending by bringing in veteran Cam Talbot this offseason to pair with Anton Forsberg, which leaves Sogaard ticketed for the AHL yet again. However, he should also be the team’s first call up in case of injury. What makes Soogard so intriguing is that he’s an excellent athlete for a goaltender of his size. He takes up the upper portion of the net naturally with his size, but he can also cover his posts well with quick pads to take away the lower portion. It is just the technical components that continue to need refinement. Things like learning to control rebounds better, tracking the puck more efficiently and finding a balance between being aggressive and staying deep to use his size to his advantage. There might not be a better instructor to work with Sogaard than new Senators goaltending coach Zac Bierk, a large goaltender himself. Under his tutelage, Sogaard should be able to develop into an NHL netminder. Talbot’s deal is only for one year so if Sogaard has an even stronger pro year, they may opt to give him the reins in 2023-24. - BO

7 - Zack Ostapchuk C

It was a tale of two seasons in one for Ostapchuk, who came out of the gate slow in 2021-22 but turned it on down the stretch, captaining the WHL’s Giants to a massive upset of top-seeded Everett in the first round. This earned an invite to Team Canada’s under-20 team in August, where Ostapchuk anchored the third line and helped contribute to a gold medal. A Senators 2021 2^nd rounder, Ostapchuk is a lanky center who will likely never put up big offensive numbers but contributes in many other ways. Unlike most players, Ostapchuk seems more comfortable in high-traffic areas, not less. He defends well, kills penalties, and can finish plays from in tight. His skating is decent, but it will need improvement in order to play at the next level. Ostapchuk plays a direct style without much deception in his game, and offensively does his best work as the net-front presence. He gains coaches trust immediately with his defensive play, faceoffs and understanding of situations in games. Ostapchuk is adept at protecting the puck and can work in tight spaces, something that will translate well to the pro game. It will be interesting to see if the offensive side of the game comes for Ostapchuk, who admitted that he cheated for offense a bit to start last season before getting back to his game. He projects as a third-line center in the NHL, provided his progression continues. This upcoming season will likely be his last in junior. - AS

8 - Roby Jarventie RW

Rather than play another year in Liiga, Jarventie decided to play in the AHL as a 19-year-old last season, something that will likely have a positive impact on his long-term development. While his production was only average, it needs to be viewed with context. His 33 points were fifth best among U20 players in the AHL. For context, another big winger who had similar production recently in his 19-year-old AHL season was Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings, who is coming off a 35-goal season in the NHL. Jarventie also was very good at the Summer World Junior Championships for Finland, perhaps operating as their best player. All signs would point to him having a breakout year for Belleville this season. He is at his best when he can use his size and speed to drive wide, looking for opportunities to use his big shot. Armed with a big one timer, he can also be a weapon on the powerplay, working the area near the faceoff circle. The skill, size, and quickness combination is very interesting and Jarventie’s potential is that of a quality middle six scorer. That said, he will need to find a way to make other areas of his game more consistent. That includes his two-way play, attention to detail away from the puck, and his decision making with it. Still a bit of a longer-term project, the return on Jarventie will not be known for a few years still. - BO

9 - Jacob Bernard-Docker D

Calling JBD’s first full pro season a complete and utter disappointment would be unfair. However, the expectations were very high for the two-way defender out of the University of North Dakota. After turning pro late in 2021, Bernard-Docker actually jumped right to the NHL and played for Canada at the World Championships. Yet last year, he struggled mightily on the offensive side of things and the pace of play really seemed to overwhelm him and his decision making at times. No one doubts that JBD can be an NHL defender on his defensive play alone. He is an intelligent positional defender who uses plus mobility to be quick to pucks and quick to close lanes. However, his upside as an NHL player is starting to look somewhat limited. As mentioned, it would appear that Lassi Thomson has passed him on the team’s depth chart and there is no question that Jake Sanderson will do so immediately at training camp this year. So where does that leave Bernard-Docker? He likely spends the majority of another year in the AHL to try to increase his confidence with the puck at the pro level. Then Ottawa will have to make a judgment call on him. After this season, a lot more will be known. Without a significant step forward, he may end up being more of a depth defender, rather than the potential top four candidate we previously thought. - BO

10 - Tyler Boucher RW

The 10th overall selection from the 2021 NHL Draft, Tyler Boucher has yet to prove worthy of being a top 10 pick, but still shows promise to become a very physical and tough player that no team will look forward to playing against. There aren’t many players like Boucher, and that’s what makes him so unique. He has the ability to impact the game by wearing out opponents with his aggressiveness and being physical anytime there’s an opportunity, sometimes being over-aggressive. Boucher had previously played for the USNTDP, but unfortunately missed games due to having Covid-19 and also a knee injury that he obtained early in the year. During the 2021-2022 season, Boucher started the year at Boston University and played 17 games, but only produced three points (2G,1A). After a slow start, Boucher elected to leave BU and made the move to the OHL to play for the Ottawa 67’s. During his time with the 67’s, Boucher finished with 14 points (7G,7A) in 24 games. Boucher’s best assets are his physicality and competitiveness. To have a player that makes opponents think twice before going into the corners to retrieve a puck is very valuable. No matter who the opponent is, he will not back down. His presence alone allows his team to play a more simplified game, doing all the dirty work for his line. Not only is he physical, but he also brings great energy each shift. Outworking his opponents with his strength, making him very efficient in puck battles and keeping puck possession. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Boucher will look to take a step and become more of an offensive threat. With a full healthy season, Boucher will be one of the toughest players to play against in the OHL. You could also expect an increase in points. - DK

11 - Tyler Kleven

Kleven is easily one of the most physical defensive prospects on the planet right now. The 6’4 defender is also mobile for his size. This combination gives him some potential as a #4-6 defender for Ottawa. His puck skill and defensive zone awareness still needs improvement.

12 - Tomas Hamara

An intelligent two-way defender, Hamara was a third-round selection of the Sens this past draft. After giving Hamara an ELC already, it seems very likely that he’ll play in Kitchener of the OHL this season after being selected in the import draft.

13 - Leevi Merilainen

Expectations for Merilainen were pretty high heading into last OHL season with Kingston, but his performance was largely underwhelming. He will be loaned to Karpat of Liiga this season. His play tracking and ability to fight through traffic will need to improve.

14 - Stephen Halliday

The USHL’s new all time leading scorer, Halliday finally earned a draft selection after dedicating himself to improving his conditioning and off puck play. The big power center should be an immediate impact player for an improving Ohio State program this season.

15 - Angus Crookshank

A knee injury ended Crookshank’s first full pro season before it even began. Now fully healthy again, Crookshank will look to prove that the injury has not hindered his development. The high-energy, well-rounded winger still has a great chance to develop into a impactful third liner.

16 - Philippe Daoust

The Sens sent Daoust back to Saint John (QMJHL) for his overage season a few months into last season after he struggled at the AHL level. He helped the Sea Dogs capture a Memorial Cup, but does need to improve his pace and speed this offseason.

17 - Jonny Tychonick

Tychonick will take advantage of an exception allowing seniors to return for a fifth year. The athletic defender has yet to live up to the hype, so this season at UNO might be his final chance to impress the Senators.

18 - Mark Kastelic

The big power forward got into some NHL games with Ottawa last season and did not look out of place. The former Calgary Hitmen standout needs to continue to improve his quickness, but he has bottom six potential.

19 - Maxence Guenette

Guenette’s first pro season with Belleville had its ups and downs, but he did prove that he can compete at the AHL level. An intelligent two-way defender, Guenette will need to continue to improve at both ends to be an NHL player. A lack of true standout quality may hurt him.

20 - Oliver Johansson

The real wild card of Ottawa’s system. He has shown great skill and touch at the J20 level but has not broken through to the SHL full time. His upside is significant, and this year should give Senators management and fans a better indication of his likelihood of reaching it.

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Ottawa Senators Top 20 Prospects

Rachel Howard — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 20:17:21 +0000

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

Tim Stuetzle, LW/C (3^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Stuetzle has seen a steady rise last year thanks to his strong play at all levels. What makes him so dangerous and dynamic is his combination of dazzling puck skill with high end skating, featuring an explosive first few steps with elite agility. He also has an effortless stride and can change direction on a dime. He can maintain possession of the puck while in full stride, or through sudden movements East/West. His hands are elite, he can corral passes while at full speed, or stickhandle through traffic without being touched. A pass first player, he creates for linemates and demonstrates excellent vision at a fast pace. While he commits the occasional turnover, he generally makes good decisions in the offensive zone, understanding when to push the pace and when to slow things down, when to take risks and when to play conservatively. He still needs to grow as a three-zone player, improving his engagement level in the defensive end. Stuetzle may still require additional strength for the NHL level, but things are moving in the right direction. He makes those around him better and has the high-end skating ability to dictate pace at the NHL level. – BO

Jake Sanderson, D (5^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Looking like a solid, if unspectacular, prospect entering the year, Sanderson exploded in the second half, playing at a very high pace, leading the rush more often, generating chaos in the offensive end. Instead of holding the puck passively at the point, or walking the blueline to seek out openings, he would zip up the wall and find a horizontal lane instead. He was also a physical force off the puck. The biggest difference from the first half to the second was in his acceleration. He now explodes out of a static position and reaches overdrive immediately. This brought explosiveness to every facet of his game. He was more comfortable shooting the puck. His passing game also played up, by activating more in the offensive zone, looking for horizontal and diagonal passing lanes. His hands played as fast as his feet. His physical game also went up a few notches, and he regularly laid opponents flat just by dropping a shoulder. Finally, Sanderson’s ability to read the game became more uncanny at his new top speed. He now looks like a potential number one as long as he keeps the gains he has made last season. – RW

Jacob Bernard-Docker, D (26^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Having continued to watch Bernard-Docker develop with the Fighting Hawks as well as with Team Canada at the WJC, we see a defender who reasonably projects as a first pairing blueliner at the NHL level, playing upwards of 25 minutes a minutes a night, in all situations, and shutting down the opposition’s finest. The native Albertan does everything at an above average level, but has high end hockey IQ, allowing the entire package to play better than the sum of his parts. Without being a dynamic skater, he moves his feet very well. He can be both safe and creative when he carries the puck out of his zone. He is not a blueline bomber, but he has a very impressive wrist shot from the point that he can use to pick out targets when he takes his time. His own zone play is remarkable for his mature positioning and tight gap control. As a right handed shot, there will soon be room for Bernard-Docker to line up alongside Thomas Chabot, giving the Senators a long term first pairing (not to mention the other great blueline prospects in the Ottawa system) that can play against anyone and excel. - RW

Josh Norris, C (Trade: Sep. 13, 2018. Originally: 19^th overall, 2017 [San Jose]. Previous ranking: 2)

Norris finished his rookie pro season leading Belleville in points and earning a brief three game stint with the big club. Although he is a great playmaker and team player, his shot, paired with his individual effort on the ice, are what make him a deadly player. The fact that he finished nearly even in both goals and assists is indicative of the versatility of his offensive contributions. Norris is a good-sized forward and a strong skater. He is agile, reads the play well, and possesses an NHL level skillset with hands and a shot to go alongside his skating abilities. He has a full bag of tricks with no real negatives in his game, all working together to make his transition from college to the pros practically seamless. He is approaching NHL readiness and will be seen again in an Ottawa Senators jersey as soon as next season, if not full time then at least as Ottawa’s first forward call up. He is a naturally good all-round player with a high ceiling and the potential to be a first line forward, top six at the very least, when his time comes back in the NHL. - SC

Drake Batherson, C (121^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Batherson still has a few small details to touch up and tighten up with his game, but overall he has grown tremendously as a player and his maturity has come a long way with time spent up with Ottawa as well as on the farm. As a hard-working forward who plays both wing and center, he is versatile and can also be relied upon to play both powerplay and penalty kill. He is a good two-way player but can still work to improve his defensive coverage and play with more patience in his own end. As a bigger forward, Batherson has the potential to be a very dominant force when it comes to getting to the net and finishing plays but he will have to be more confident on NHL ice, which will come with time. He is almost at the point now where he has outgrown the AHL and is ready for a bigger challenge. He should have no worries when it comes to making a full-time adjustment to the league and finding a spot in the Ottawa top six in the near future. - SC

Alex Formenton, LW (47^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Formenton is the type of forward that every team should have, fast and forechecks well, handles battles safely, keeps his feet moving, and has the offensive mindset of a natural goal scorer. He will need to find a way to better protect his own end and work on his two way mindset, but other than that, he simply needs to maintain the same performance level and high energy when he gets called back up. He stands out, which means he needs to find a way to up his confidence and force his way to a prominent role. This past season with Belleville there were issues with consistency of effort and speed and as he relies heavily on his high end top speed, he will need to bring consistent effort each game in order to fulfill his potential and be deserving of a full-time, permanent spot with Ottawa. Formenton has the skillset, the speed, and the potential to be a top six forward but he cannot simply coast. - SC

Shane Pinto, C (32^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

A very late bloomer, Pinto is now developing at a rapid clip. He has enough muscle on his 6-3” frame to play in a power role, hanging out near the opposition net and preventing defenders from dislodging him. Not only does he serve as a distraction for the netminder, but he also is an ace shot tipper, demonstrating high end hand-eye coordination to get his blade on point shots in mid-air and angling them just so to squeak past the goalie. He uses his body well when carrying the puck, to shield defenders off, and maintain possession of the puck. There is little fancy about his game, as he is most effective playing largely in straight, North-South lines, but he can be extremely effective as a foil for two more highly skilled linemates. Most comfortable below the hashmarks, Pinto still has many possible outcomes for his career. He can fit anywhere in the middle six, including both at center and at right wing, where I think he might ultimately be most effective. One more year of consistent performance, and possibly a little extra jam would prove that he is ready for the pros. - RW

Ridly Greig, C (28^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Always on the hunt, Greig looks to play through defenders on the forecheck to separate them from the puck. Occasionally he crosses the line and could stand to improve his discipline, however his tenacity provides a ton of value. He excels down low and along the wall, where he works hard to gain or prolong possession. He is also aggressive in driving through the middle, crashing the net for scoring opportunities. With his high energy level, he excels as a three-zone player and penalty killer. Greig is also a highly intelligent player, who maximizes his own skills while playing an effective two-way game. He impresses with his ability to play at his pace, how he uses space and how he can hold the puck for that extra second to create a passing seam. A high-volume shooter, he is aggressive in putting pucks on net with a quick release. He demonstrates good vision, with his head up working the half wall and the cycle. He keeps his feet moving, providing constant energy. Greig can impact the game in many different ways and is sure to become a fan favorite because of his intensity level on the ice. – BO

Logan Brown, C (11^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

Despite being able to transfer all his skills and his game to the AHL, Brown, a former high first round pick, seemed to have trouble converting those same skills to the NHL, notwithstanding his offensive production. During the time spent up with Ottawa last season, he seemed to have difficulty adjusting to the pace of the NHL, meaning he will need to quicken the pace at which he moves the puck as well as his overall footspeed heading into next season. Brown is a strong player with a very big body and a lot of talent. If he can find a way to get to the net consistently and make faster plays, he will be a deadly playmaker and a forward who is a bear to stop. He has good hands, a hard shot, and a good eye during odd man rushes that would all be welcomed assets to Ottawa’s bottom six when he is up to speed with his game. - SC

Lassi Thomson, D (19^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Thomson’s first pro season was a somewhat difficult one. As a first round NHL Draft pick, he joined Ilves with high expectations, yet he struggled with consistency and decision making from time to time. He was the captain of the Finnish team at the World Juniors, but even there his play left a lot to be desired. He is a very physical defenseman who hits with authority when defending. He does not shy away from contact, plays the body and is tough to play against. He can close gaps quickly with his skating speed. His acceleration is very good, and he can carry the puck from his own end. Thomson has a hard, heavy slap shot and one-timer with good wind up. His wrist shot is accurate, and he can release it without much set up. His decision making, especially with the puck, was an occasional issue in the past season. The potential that he displayed in the WHL is still there, he just needs to put all the pieces of his game together. In the long run, Thomson projects as a top-four NHL defenseman with special teams’ assets. – MB

Tyler Kleven, D (44^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

While the game moves more and more towards speed and skill, Tyler Kleven is the epitome of the old school. The USNTDP grad has a frame and game that is very reminiscent of fellow Program alum Mattias Samuelsson. He is 6-4”, broad, and specializes working in his own zone. Rarely involved directly in the offensive game, he actually has some decent offensive tools, primarily his powerful point shot. Unfortunately, he rarely fires the puck. He moves the puck well, and can play with it, but prefers to make simple passes, either D-to-D in his own zone, or the occasional break-out pass crossing one or two lines. On the other hand, he frequently bangs the puck off the glass to exit the zone. On the other hand, Kleven is a shutdown defender using positioning, a smart stick, and his long frame. He reads the opposition very well and consistently gets himself into shooting and passing lanes to disrupt the attack. He has the strength and desire to stop opponents in a way they will remember. Not as exciting as Sanderson or Bernard-Docker, but Kleven can eat a lot of minutes at even strength and the PK. – RW

Roby Jarventie, RW (33^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

A big winger who can skate, Jarventie is blessed with power in his stride that allows him to be an effective North/South attacker. He is a skilled goal scorer, possessing multiple weapons to find the back of the net. His inconsistent draft year could be tied to his physicality and moreover his play without the puck, which still need work. He doesn’t use his reach and frame to play through the middle enough, and he can be too easily pushed off the puck when unable to beat defenders wide with his speed. There is hope that these issues become rectified as he completes his physical maturing. His speed is an asset in transition, especially combined with his strong lateral mobility. Defenders have a difficult time minding their gaps and keeping him in front of them. Additionally, he has a great touch around the net and anticipates the play well as a shooter. His wrist shot is hard and accurate, and he can one-time pucks from the faceoff dot on the powerplay. Jarventie has middle six NHL potential and his early work this season in Liiga may be a hint of what is to come. – BO

Vitali Abramov, RW (Trade: Feb. 22, 2019. Originally: 65^th overall, 2016 [Columbus]. Previous ranking: 8)

Abramov is yet another positive example of a trade working out well for both the Ottawa organization and the player personally, and since moving from the Columbus organization to the Senators, he has seen much better results. Abramov finished fourth in points with AHL Belleville this past season amidst the tight prospect scoring race featuring a number of intriguing young talents in this system. He is a small forward, but he makes up for his lack of size by bringing a lot of skill and hockey sense to the game. He is well positioned, has good hands, and makes plays quickly and efficiently with few turnovers. His primary challenge will be to continue to push his physicality and better his strength when fighting for position in front of the opposing net. Expect to see Abramov called up again next season for a longer stint as part of the Ottawa bottom six as he strives for a bigger future role with the club. - SC

Kevin Mandolese, G (157^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Mandolese earned the top Q goalie honors last season by refining his game and using his frame to the best of his ability, putting together the best season so far in his career. While he is quick and athletic enough to make highlight reel saves every game, he has harnessed his fundamental skills to make repeatable saves much more consistently last year and was rewarded for it. He has the size scouts look for in a goalie and will be given time to marinate on the farm in the Sens system. The Senators rewarded him with an entry-level deal this offseason, and Mandolese will look to start his pro career this coming season, likely as a backup at the AHL level or as a starter at a lower level. He will take a while, but Ottawa could be rewarded with a cat-like goalie that uses his size efficiently. - MS

Artyom Zub, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 1, 2020. Previous ranking: 10)

In his fifth full season in the KHL, Zub more than doubled his previous career high in points, putting up 22 for the perennially contending SKA St. Petersburg club. The right-handed shot with good size, Zub does a lot of things well, suggesting a high floor, and near term NHL readiness, but there is conversely little about his game that sticks out as well above average, thus seemingly putting a cap on his ceiling. The Olympic Gold Medalist skates well but is not a burner. He has a decent wrist shot and solid puck handling ability, capable of carrying the puck from the blueline to the slot, but nothing dynamic. He is reliable and tends to make the right decision but is not a shutdown defender. He is big enough but not overly physical. There were 10 Russian blueliners in the NHL last year, four of which came over as free agents. Of those free agent imports, only new Ottawa teammate Nikita Zaitsev is a full-fledged regular. If he can be more Zaitsev than Ilya Lubushkin, Alexander Yelesin, or Nikolai Knyzhov, the Senators will rightly be pleased. - RW

Mads Sogaard, G (37^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Sogaard has the prototypical body type that pro teams covet. He is long and lean, and his 6-7” frame makes him an intimidating presence in the net for even the best shooters. His GAA dropped a from an outstanding .921 in his draft year to a still respectable .908 last season. Overall, he didn’t show much improvement in his deficient areas last season which was a bit disappointing. His five hole is still a problem and if opponents get him moving laterally there is room to get pucks through. He is still a bit leaky where a puck will hit him and he loses control of it, either leading to a tap-in, or the puck trickling by him. The positives are certainly still there, though. He is a true puck stopper with good ability to track the puck. His butterfly is solid and when he goes down his shoulders still cover the top of the net. This allows him to cover his post top to bottom while still being in position to protect the lower part of the net laterally. His deficiencies all have coachable fixes, so he still holds a lot of promise. - VG

Joey Daccord, G (199^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 12)

Despite the fact that Daccord spent the start of last season back down in the ECHL, he quickly proved that he was much better suited for the AHL. He ended up splitting the Belleville Senators starts pretty evenly over the second half with fellow goaltender prospect Filip Gustavsson. Daccord plays a structured and calm game, bringing focus and good puck tracking skills to the table. He reads plays well and gets into good position. As a rookie goaltender last year, he adjusted well and is still continuing to make the necessary adjustments needed to continue improving. Daccord needs to make sure to not overplay the puck too much or bite too soon on certain plays and when facing dekes, but the more he plays, the more he will familiarize himself with players and situations and improve his reactions. He has not been the quickest to develop and it is tough to say when he will reach starting level but with the way the Ottawa goaltending situation looks, look for Daccord to at least get one call up next season and even a few starts. - SC

Maxence Guenette, D (187^thoverall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Guénette is very good at some aspects of the game and even his worst skills grade out as decent. His best asset is his skating ability. He doesn’t overstep his skillset and try to make plays he can’t finish, and he stays within himself to be a reliable rearguard. His plus-minus, while a controversial stat, was a -11 last season, which is a marked improvement over his previous two campaigns, and he was the highest scoring defenseman on his team. The biggest plus for Guénette last season is the alternate captain A on his sweater in Val-d’Or, as that shows that not only is he a good defenseman in all facets of the game, but he shows character and leadership as well. He will return to the QMJHL next season, where he will look to dominate at times, as he is fighting for an entry level contract. If his trajectory continues, he could become a dependable defender for an NHL team someday, but it will be an uphill climb. - MS

Mark Kastelic, C (125^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Kastelic has the size that teams covet down the middle. He is a meat and potatoes player who does his best offensive work by using his body on the forecheck. Once in the offensive zone he is a cycle machine who can protect the puck and drive the net, creating sustained offensive pressure that leads to mistakes and scoring opportunities for his team. At 6-3” 220 pounds he isn’t the best skater, but he has improved enough that he should be able to keep up with play at the pro level. Physically he is a dominating player and controls the net front on the power play with his body and frame. He makes good sound decisions and can keep his hands free to jump on rebounds or move pucks out of the scrum to an open man. 25 of his 37 goals last season came from below the dots. He plays in the hard areas of the ice and is able to make plays when he is there. He does a nice job defensively down low supporting his defenseman and was a top faceoff guy in the entire WHL, where he took the fourth most draws in the league and won an impressive 61.5% of them. – VG

Filip Gustavsson, G (Trade Feb. 23, 2017. Originally: 55^th overall, 2016 [Pittsburgh]. Previous ranking: 16)

Once a junior aged wunderkind in Sweden, Gustavsson has struggled mightily since coming over to North America, shortly after Pittsburgh dealt him to Ottawa in a deadline trade in 2017. He can still flash some of the tools that made him a highly touted teenager, starring for Team Sweden at multiple youth tournaments. He has moderate size and decent athleticism. His technical game is sound, and he has a knack for playing the puck more than many other Swedish netminders. Looking at his production this year in Sweden’s second division while he waits out the pandemic, we can see that he still has the potential to overcome his rough North American beginnings, and there really isn’t much separating Gustavsson from the three other goalies who are higher on this list. He specifically needs to improve his play reading and rebound control in North America, but what separates him from being a standout once again is one extra stop every second game. Now that the Senators have traded for – and extended - Matt Murray, perhaps the pressure to be a savior will drop from Gustavsson’s shoulders and he can play more relaxed once he returns to the AHL. - RW

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – OTTAWA SENATORS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 10

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 16:13:41 +0000

Ottawa Senators

As one of the most abject organizations in hockey, Senators’ fans can at least take some solace in the steps taken under GM Pierre Dorion who has done an admirable job of restocking the cupboard. This despite starting off with a large, self-inflicted handicap resulting from the ill-fated trade acquisition of Matt Duchene, which cost the Sens their ‘natural’ first round pick last year, which the Colorado Avalanche converted into Bowen Byram, currently one of the top prospects in the sport.

That might sting one day, but the Senators are looking at a plethora of future riches ascending to the top. In fact, quite a lot of those riches are already at the top. Outside of a few notable veterans dotting the NHL roster, much of the team is young. It is very easy to envision under-25s including Thomas Chabot, Brady Tkachuk, Colin White, and Anthony Duclair playing key roles on the next playoff team from Ottawa. Those were just the 2019-20 regulars. Additional critical pieces Drake Batherson, Logan Brown, and Erik Brannstrom also played up with the Senators for large chunks of this past season. The latter played enough to lose his prospect eligibility, even if he didn’t play well enough, consistently enough to cement his status for 2020-21.

Outside of the NHL, the Sens have a second tier of probable NHL’ers who have spent all, or at least the bulk of last season in the AHL. That crew incudes Josh Norris, Vitali Abramov, Alex Formenton, and Joey Daccord. Many teams largely skip their top prospects over the AHL entirely, but with Ottawa’s NHL projections for the last two years being so low, there was little reason to push these players right into the NHL, not counting a cup of coffee or three. Additionally, when so many of the players expected to suit up for the team by 2022 are currently this young, it really makes no sense to debut them all at once, never mind the cap implications that would entail. Better to stagger their respective arrivals, bringing up a few each year until they are ready to strike fear into all opponents.

Finally, we have the group who are at least one full season away, considering their current development stage, and/or contract status. Here I am talking about players such as 2018 first rounder Jacob Bernard-Docker, Shane Pinto, Lassi Thomson, Jonathan Gruden, and whoever the Senators draft with the third and fifth overall picks in the upcoming draft. One of the latter pair could feasibly join next year’s crew, but definitely not both, and considering the philosophy the Senators seem to practice, and the players likely available, neither are likely to spend all of 2020-21 in the NHL.

Another way to gauge how the Senator’s future is shaping up is to look at the system, position by position. Without knowing who the Senators will draft in October, the strength of the organization seems to be up front. One could easily envision a quartet down the middle consisting of Colin White, Josh Norris, Logan Brown, and Shane Pinto. That allows the flanks to include the likes of Tkachuk, Duclair, Batherson, Formenton, Abramov, Gruden, and at least two others. Even if we don’t yet know who the Senators will draft, knowing the strength of the draft class (wingers), it is likely that at least one of their top two picks will be used on a player who can fortify the wings, possibly as soon as 2021-22.

On the blueline, the discussion starts with Chabot, one of the best handful of young defensemen leaguewide. Regularly eating up 30 minutes per game, the load is lessened on the rest of the defense-corps. But I will also include Brannstrom, who has a lot more in the tank than he showed at the NHL level last year. Thomson and Bernard-Docker round out an intriguing top four, while the third pairing possibilities are currently a bit light within the system. There are options of course, but none that stick out as sure things.

Finally, in the crease, the Senators have built up a nice reservoir of four youngsters who each have a decent shot to matriculate into long-time NHLers, in addition to 25-year-old Marcus Hogberg, who may be good enough to start while the team waits for the cavalry to arrive. Goalies are notoriously hard to predict, but all of Daccord (7^th round), Kevin Mandolese (6^th round), Mads Sogaard (2^nd round), and Filip Gustavsson (trade) have their fans within the organization and without.

The present is dark, but the future is very bright in Ottawa.

Jacob Bernard Docker. Photo by Avid Photography.

Jacob Bernard-Docker, D (26^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

The best way to start this profile is with a mea culpa. We were wrong about Bernard-Docker. Two years ago, with the draft in Dallas, we thought of the AJHL blueliner as a decent late second round pick, ranking him 56^th in the draft class. Not only was that wrong, but the way that the University of North Dakota blueliner is trending, at least 10, if not 15, of the teams that picked before Ottawa in that class were also wrong. I will go so far as to say that, when all is said and done, there will be little to separate Bernard-Docker from Noah Dobson, who was drafted 12^th by the Islanders earlier that same day.

Having continued to watch him develop with the Fighting Hawks and with Team Canada at the WJC, I now see a defender who reasonably projects as a first pairing blueliner at the NHL level, playing upwards of 25 minutes a minutes a night, in all situations, and shutting down the opposition’s finest. The native Albertan does everything at an above average level, but has high end hockey IQ, allowing the entire package to play better than the sum of his parts.

Without being a dynamic skater, he moves is feet very well. He has the rare ability to be both safe and creative when he carries the puck out of his zone. He is not a blueline bomber, but he has a very impressive wrist shot from the point that he can use to pick out targets when he takes his time. His own zone play is remarkable for his mature positioning and tight gap control.

As a right-handed shot, there will soon be room for Bernard-Docker to line up alongside Thomas Chabot, giving the Senators a long term first pairing that can play against anyone and excel. - RW

Josh Norris, C (Trade: Sep. 13, 2018. Originally: 19^th overall, 2017 [San Jose]. 2019 Rank: 2)

It is an understatement to say that the acquisition of Norris, a former San Jose first round pick, was a steal of a trade for the Senators. In his rookie season after coming over from the Michigan Wolverines, Norris finished the year leading AHL Belleville in points and earning a brief three game stint with the big club where his performance was good albeit a little shaky at times, indicating that he may still need time in the AHL to start next season.

Although he is a great playmaker and team player, his shot, paired with his individual efforts on the ice, are what make him a deadly player. The fact that he finished nearly even in both goals and assists is indicative of the versatility of his offensive contributions. Norris is a good-sized forward and a strong skater, he is agile, reads the play well, and possesses an NHL level skillset with hands and a shot to go alongside his skating abilities.

He has a full bag of tricks with no real negatives in his game, all working together to make his transition from college to the pros practically seamless. Norris is approaching NHL readiness and will be seen again in an Ottawa Senators jersey as soon as next season, if not full time at least as Ottawa’s first forward call up. He is a naturally good all-round player with a high ceiling and the potential to be a first line forward, top six at the very least, when his time comes back in the NHL. - SC

Drake Batherson, C (121^st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 6)

For a small-town boy, who before the 2018 World Juniors was largely unknown, Batherson has made his climb as one of the Senators’ top prospects with ease and determination. He still has a few small details to touch up and tighten up with his game, but overall he has grown tremendously as a player and his maturity has come a long way with time spent up with Ottawa as well as on the farm.

As a hard-working forward who plays both wing and center, he is versatile and can also be relied upon to play both powerplay and penalty kill. He is a good two-way player but can still work to improve his defensive coverage and play with more patience in his own end. As a bigger forward, Batherson has the potential to be a very dominant force when it comes to getting to the net and finishing plays but he will have to be more confident on NHL ice and that will come with more time spent up with the Senators.

He is almost at the point now where he has outgrown the AHL and is ready for a bigger challenge in the NHL. He should have no worries when it comes to making a full-time adjustment to the league and finding a spot in the Ottawa top six at some point in the near future. With such a tight race between the club’s forward prospects it will be up to Batherson to maintain his high compete level going into next season and earn his spot permanently. - SC

Alex Formenton, LW (47^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

The Senators want Formenton to succeed and that is evident in the way they tried to start him up with the NHL club last season. However, he was not quite ready for the NHL game and instead spent the bulk of his season with Belleville in AHL, where he finished third in team scoring.

Formenton is the type of forward that every team should have, as he is fast and forechecks well, handles battles safely, keeps his feet moving, and has the offensive mindset of a natural goal scorer. He will need to find a way to protect his own end better and work on his two-way mindset and other than that he simply needs to maintain the same performance level and same high energy when he gets called back up. He enjoys being on a team where he stands out, which means he needs to find a way to up his confidence and force his way to a prominent role at the next level.

This past season with Belleville there were issues with consistency regarding effort and speed and for a player who relies heavily on his high end top speed, he will need to bring consistent effort each game in order to fulfill his potential and be deserving of a full-time, permanent spot with Ottawa. Formenton has the skillset, the speed, and the potential to be a top six forward but he cannot simply coast around because while he may be fast enough to afford playing at less than his top speed, playing at the next level requires constant effort and he will need an adjustment to his mindset before getting there. - SC

Shane Pinto, C (32^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

Another player here that we had underrated in his draft year. A very late bloomer, Pinto was not drafted into the USHL until the 21^st round of 2017, and spent another year playing AAA hockey in Connecticut before reporting to Lincoln, Nebraska. Pinto’s transition from AAA to the USHL was seamless, but as a player without dynamic skills backing up his impressive point totals, we were non-plussed.

As a freshman at North Dakota, teaming up with Bernard-Docker, Pinto’s game has continued to develop at a rapid clip. He has enough muscle on his 6-3” frame to play in a power role, hanging out near the opposition net and preventing the defenders from dislodging him. In fact, not only does Pinto serve as a distraction for the netminder, but he also is an ace shot tipper, demonstrating high end hand eye coordination to get his blade on point shots in mid-air and angling them just so to squeak past the goalie.

He also uses his body well when carrying the puck, to shield defenders off, and maintain possession of the puck. There is little fancy about his game, as he is most effective playing largely in straight, north-south lines, but he can be extremely effective as a foil for two more highly skilled linemates.

Most comfortable below the hashmarks, Pinto still has many possible outcomes for his career. He can fit anywhere in the middle six, including both at center and at right wing, where I think he might ultimately be most effective. One more year of consistent performance, and possibly a little extra jam would prove that he is ready for the pros. - RW

Logan Brown, C (11^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

Brown is a strong player with a very big body and a lot of talent. If he can find a way to get to the net consistently and make faster plays, he will be a deadly playmaker and a forward who is a bear to stop. He has good hands, a hard shot, and a good eye during odd man rushes that would all be welcomed assets to Ottawa’s bottom six when he is up to speed with his game. - SC

Lassi Thomson, D (19^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

He is a very physical defenseman who hits with authority when defending. He does not shy away from contact, plays the body and is tough to play against. He can close gaps quickly with his skating speed. His acceleration is very good, and he can carry the puck from his own end.

Thomson has a hard, heavy slap shot and one-timer with good wind up. His wrist shot is accurate, and he can release it without much set up. His decision making, especially with the puck, was an occasional issue in the past season.

The potential that he displayed in the WHL is still there, he just needs to put all the pieces of his game together. In the long run, Thomson projects as a top-four NHL defenseman with special teams assets. - MB

Vitali Abramov, RW (Trade: Feb. 22, 2019. Originally: 65^th overall, 2016 [Columbus]. 2019 Rank: 9)

He is a small forward, but he makes up for his lack of size by bringing a lot of skill and hockey sense to the game. He is well positioned, has good hands, and makes plays quickly and efficiently with few turnovers. His primary challenge will be to continue to push his physicality and better his strength when fighting for position in front of the opposing net.

Expect to see Abramov called up again next season for a longer stint as part of the Ottawa bottom six as he strives for a bigger future role with the club. - SC

Kevin Mandolese, G (157^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Mandolese earned the top Q goalie honors this season by refining his game and using his frame to the best of his ability, putting together the best season so far in his career. While he is quick and athletic enough to make highlight reel saves every game, he has harnessed his fundamental skills to make repeatable saves much more consistently this year and was rewarded for it.

He has the size scouts look for in a goalie, and will be given time to marinate on the farm in the Sens system. The Senators rewarded him with an entry-level deal this offseason, and Mandolese will look to start his pro career this coming season, likely as a backup at the AHL level or as a starter at a lower level. He will take a while, but Ottawa could be rewarded with a cat-like goalie that uses his size efficiently. - MS

Artyom Zub, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 1, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

The Olympic Gold Medalist skates well but is not a burner. He has a decent wrist shot and solid puck handling ability, capable of carrying the puck from the blueline to the slot, but nothing dynamic. He is reliable and tends to make the right decision but is not a shutdown defender. He is big enough but not overly physical.

There were 10 Russian blueliners in the NHL last year, four of which came over as free agents. Of those free agent imports, only new Ottawa teammate Nikita Zaitsev is a full-fledged regular. If he can be more Zaitsev than Ilya Lubushkin, Alexander Yelesin, or Nikolai Knyzhov, the Senators will rightly be pleased. - RW

Mads Sogaard, G (37^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

Overall, he didn’t show much improvement in his deficient areas this season which was a bit disappointing. His five hole is still a problem and if opponents get him moving laterally there is room to get pucks through. He is still a bit leaky where a puck will hit him and he loses control of it, either leading to a tap-in, or the puck trickling by him.

The positives are certainly still there, though. He is a true puck stopper with good ability to track the puck. His butterfly is solid and when he goes down his shoulders still cover the top of the net. This allows him to cover his post top to bottom while still being in position to protect the lower part of the net laterally. His deficiencies all have coachable fixes, so he still holds a lot of promise. - VG

Joey Daccord, G (199^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 8)

Daccord plays a structured and calm game, bringing focus and good puck tracking skills to the table. He reads plays well and gets into good position. As a rookie goaltender last year, he adjusted well and is still continuing to make the necessary adjustments needed to continue improving. Daccord needs to make sure to not overplay the puck too much or bite too soon on certain plays and when facing dekes, but the more he plays, the more he will familiarize himself with players and situations and improve his reactions.

He has not been the quickest to develop and it is tough to say when he will reach starting level but with the way the Ottawa goaltending situation looks, look for Daccord to at least get one call up next season and even a few starts. - SC

Jonathan Gruden, RW (95^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 18)

A former NTDP member, Gruden left Miami University after his freshman season in order to join the London Knights this year. Gruden operates well as an offensive support player. He controls the wall well, keeps his feet moving in the offensive zone, and possesses the vision and awareness to find those soft spots in coverage.

While his skating ability, skill level, and physical skill set would be deemed average, he is successful at the OHL level due to his high-end IQ. As such, Gruden projects best as a bottom six forward at the NHL level. At the pro level, there may certainly be an adjustment period as his skating and strength improve to the level that they need to in order for him to succeed in a “grind it out” role against men. - BO

Maxence Guenette, D (187^thoverall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

The biggest plus for Guénette last season is the alternate captain A on his sweater in Val-d’Or, as that shows that not only is he a good defenseman in all facets of the game, but he shows character and leadership as well.

He will return to the QMJHL next season, where he will look to dominate at times, as he is fighting for an entry level contract. If his trajectory continues, he could become a dependable defender for an NHL team someday, but it will be an uphill climb. - MS

Mark Kastelic, C (125^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

At 6-3” 220 pounds he isn’t the best skater, but he has improved enough that he should be able to keep up with play at the pro level. Physically he is a dominating player and controls the net front on the power play with his body and frame. He makes good sound decisions and can keep his hands free to jump on rebounds or move pucks out of the scrum to an open man. 25 of his 37 goals last season came from below the dots. He plays in the hard areas of the ice and is able to make plays when he is there.

He does a nice job defensively down low supporting his defenseman and was a top faceoff guy in the entire WHL, where he took the fourth most draws in the league and won an impressive 61.5% of them. - VG

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

Vince Gibbons — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 22:00:28 +0000

One of the joys of junior hockey is that the age limitations force roster turnover of top teams in 3-4-year cycles creating a new league every couple of seasons. This ensures that no team stays at the top of the league for too long. The class of the league last season was the Prince Albert Raiders. Wire to wire the top team in the WHL with three lines of scoring, three defenders with over 40 points each, and an NHL-drafted goalie prospect in Ian Scott, they ticked all the boxes of a team that was able to dominate the league.

This year they will be without three graduated top overage forwards in Dante Hannoun, Noah Gregor, and Sean Montgomery, who combined for an impressive 101 goals. Top scorer from last year Brett Leason is still in pro camp and could play in the AHL this season if he continues to show well. If he does that is another 36 goals no longer with the roster. Does this leave the door open to another team in the WHL to dominate the 2019-2020 regular season? Does Prince Albert have the staying power to remain at the top? These articles will try to answer those questions months in advance. (Teams are listed in their projected divisional rankings). Today we look at the Eastern Conference. The Western Conference article will be published tomorrow.

Peyton Krebs. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1^st)

No team has had more season-over-season change than Winnipeg. Formerly based in Kootenay, the roster looks substantially different with a plethora of scoring options up front, something they have struggled mightily with the past few seasons. The import draft provided the ICE two gifted forwards in Michal Teply (Chicago, 4^th 2019) and Nino Kinder (undrafted). Both have been impact players in the early part of the season at well over one point per game. Peyton Krebs (Vegas, 1^st 2019) will be playing with some talent this year when he returns from his off season injury and will get a chance to showcase his playmaking skills on a team with finishers on both wings. Connor McClennon is their top prospect for this year’s draft; the smallish winger is like a waterbug out on the ice with some high end offensive skills. Perhaps the most interesting player on the roster though, is 2004 born Matthew Savoie who was not granted exceptional status for this season. Rumors of him sticking with the team all season anyway are out there so it will be fascinating to watch this all unfold, regardless. There is a ton of scoring talent in Winnipeg to potentially pace them to the top of the division.

Saskatoon Blades (2^nd)

The Blades roster lost Max Gerlach’s 42 goals but for the most part remains intact up front. Kirby Dach (Chicago, 1^st 2019) remains in camp and will likely get a few games in the NHL but should return to Saskatoon, where he will lead a very strong group. Eric Florchuk (Washington 7^th 2018) and Chase Wouters will have to provide more offense especially while Dach is still in the NHL. Kyle Crnkovic had a very solid draft minus one season and look for him to produce a lot of offense on the wing of one of the top two lines. Despite his size, he could force his way into a middle round pick in the upcoming draft. The final difference maker on this roster is between the pipes, where undrafted Nolan Maier has shown the pedigree to be a top goaltender in the WHL. Last season his .910 save percentage was in the top half of the league and with the relative stability of the defensive corps, he will look to build on that.

Prince Albert Raiders (3^rd)

Despite the loss of talent already mentioned this team still boasts a strong roster. Returning import player Aliaksei Protas (Washington, 3^th 2019) has hit the ground running with five points in his first three games this season. Playing with Cole Fonstad (Montreal, 5^th, 2019) expect for Protas to have productive minutes and improve on last season’s totals. Both players will be counted on to be primary producers this year rather than the secondary roles they had previously. Two draft eligible players of note on the roster are winger Ozzy Wiesblatt, who has good speed and vision, and Kaiden Guhle, a solid two way defender. This year they should be on both special teams units because of their high hockey IQ and solid passing skills. Recently acquired Boston Bilous was brought in to stabilize the net with Ian Scott having a shot at a pro hockey this year. These players make this roster dangerous and a tough out on any given night.

Brandon Wheat Kings (4^th)

Just missing the playoffs last season, Brandon has plenty of young talent looking to take a step forward. Led by Luka Burzan (Colorado, 6^th 2019) and his impressive 40 goals last season, this team is flush with ’02 born talented players. Ty Thorpe, Nolan Ritchie, Ridly Greig and Riley Ginnel plus late ’01 birthday Jonny Hooker have all shown flashes of being quality forwards. On the back end they have one of the WHL’s top draft eligible defenders in Braden Schneider who logs a lot of minutes. In goal, they have used an overage and an import spot for Jiri Patera (Vegas, 6^th 2017) to protect the blue paint which enables them to compete every night.

Moose Jaw Warriors (5^th)

The offseason trade of Jett Woo coupled with the graduations of Justin Almeida and Josh Brook has left Moose Jaw at the start of a rebuild. Brayden Tracey has looked the part in Ducks camp, exceeding expectations, but should be back in Moose Jaw soon enough. He is the last remaining part of a lethal power play unit from last season and will be expected to continue producing despite recent graduates. In terms of this year’s NHL draft, Daemon Hunt looks to be the top prospect on the Warriors. They also have an impact players for further down the road with Ryder Korczak a late ’02 and ’03 birth year Eric Alarie who have been torching the league in preseason and are both ready to contribute regularly.

Regina Pats (6^th)

The Regina Pats are going through what most host cities of the Memorial Cup go through. After trading away futures to ensure a strong showing, the cupboard looks a little barren with no Bantam first round picks on their roster, save overager Dawson Holt. Austin Pratt, who led the team in scoring last season, returns as a 20 year old and should be a point per game player this year. He is an intriguing player that never took off the way it was expected when he came up from Minnesota. He has a huge frame and good skating but has never been consistent enough to take over a game and garner much pro hype. With the roster in Regina he should get every opportunity to be successful.

Dylan Cozens. Photo by Erica Perreaux - Lethbridge Hurricanes

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1^st)

The Hitmen possess a roster with some serious depth at every position. The acquisition of Jett Woo in the offseason makes their defense corps one of the best in the WHL. Yegor Zamula (Philadelphia, UDFA 2018) Luke Prokop, Dakota Krebs, and Jackson van de Leest can all play a tough physical brand of hockey and play the game with a real edge. At forward they have a top list of options led by overage player Mark Kastelic (Ottawa 5^th, 2019). He has great size and plays a heavy game. Fellow overager James Malm has shown good offensive skills despite being a little undersized. With drafted centerman Riley Stotts (Toronto, 3^rd 2018) and Carson Focht (Vancouver, 5^th 2019) also capable of filling the net they have as well balanced a team as anyone. Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Adam Kydd have some offensive tools and both could hear their names called on draft day in 2020.

Edmonton Oil Kings (2^nd)

Despite being without the services of Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus, 7^th 2018), one of the more dynamic offensive weapons in the WHL the past few seasons, Edmonton looks the part of a playoff team. Matthew Robertson (NY Rangers, 2^nd 2019) leads a strong, experienced blue line. Up front they boast six bantam draft former first round picks in Dylan Guether, Liam Keeler, Quinn Benjafield, Jake Neighbours, Brendan Semchuk, and Josh Williams. With Neighbours being one of the top draft eligible players in the WHL this year, he will be a large part of the offense as Edmonton battles for tops in the division. Relying on experience in overage goalie Dylan Myskiw and 2000 born Todd Scott to hold down the crease, Edmonton looks capable of pushing for top spot in the East this season.

Medicine Hat Tigers (3^rd)

Medicine Hat will be led by a couple of Danish born players (checks notes again), yes two Danish players. Jonathan Brinkman and Mads Sogaard (Ottawa, 2^nd 2019) both hail from Aalborg, Denmark. Sogaard was a revelation last season starting in both the WJC and Top Prospects Game and having a huge role in Medicine Hat sticking with Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs. Brinkman is looking to make his mark in the WHL after going undrafted last season. The Tigers also possess a team with lots of experience with James Hamblin, Bryan Lockner, Brett Kemp, and Ryan Chyzowski all in as undrafted 19 and 20 year olds. Eric Van Impe leads the team defensively and plays a nice brand of physical hockey coupled with some pretty good offensive upside which should get plenty of looks from NHL scouts this year.

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4^th)

Any team with a player as dynamic as Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, 1^st 2019) has the ability to win on any given night. This year he will do it on his own back as there as Lethbridge’s depth took a serious hit in the offseason. Likely graduated players Jordan Bellerive (Pittsburgh, UDFA 2018), Jake Elmer (NY Rangers, UDFA 2019), Nick Henry (Colorado, 4^th 2017) and Jake Leschyshyn (Vegas, 2^nd 2017) will create opportunities for younger players like Logan Barlage and recently acquired Dino Kambeitz. Calen Addison (Pittsburgh, 2^nd 2018) is still there to quarterback the powerplay and has shown he can produce as well as any forward in the WHL. The crease is a platoon style early as both guys have started a couple of games and shown well. If the goaltending is good enough they will be a playoff team in the East, however they will be in tough competing with the depth of some other teams.

Red Deer Rebels (5^th)

Last season was disappointing in Red Deer despite the Rebels making the playoffs. This year with the youth the team is ‘blooding’ expectations are pretty low. There is no dynamic scorer in any of their overage players and Brett Davies (Dallas, 6^th 2017) has been underwhelming since coming over in trade last season. It will be scoring by committee if they have any success this year. The likes of Josh Tarzwell, Cameron Hausinger, and Chris Douglas will have to up their games as none have had a 20 goal season in a Rebels’ uniform. There is reason for optimism though, particularly along the blue line, as Red Deer sports a number of young up and coming defenders. Led by Dawson Barteaux (Dallas, 6^th 2018) and draft eligible Christoffer Sedoff on the top pairing, and youngsters Blake Gustafson, Mason Ward, and Joel Sexsmith will also garner scouts attention as the season goes on. With two solid WHL goalies on the roster, both Byron Fancy and Ethan Anders are capable of carrying a young team into the season with the stability they provide in the crease. The playoffs would be a stretch for them this year, especially with the strength of the Eastern Division likely competing for both Wild Card spots.

Swift Current Broncos (6^th)

Swift Current is just two seasons removed from a Memorial Cup and have a roster that lacks experience going into this season. The highlight of their roster is a pair of draft eligible Finnish players, winger Joona Kiviniemi who returned after leading the team in goals last season, and looks to improve on his 16 goals from a season ago, and Kasper Puutio who the was the first overall pick in the latest CHL Import Draft. Pro scouts will be following the progression of these two in the North American game and they should keep fans interested as the season moves along. Ben King has also shown flashes of potential as a power forward but has not been able to put it together night in and night out as of yet. Expect another long season out in Speedy Creek.

2019 NHL Draft Reviews: Atlantic Division Part 2 – Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto

Ryan Wagman — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 12:43:03 +0000

With the 2019 draft in the books, it is time to come to grips with the 217 players that were selected and the hundreds of hopefuls who were not (some of whom made the trip to Vancouver) and give some thoughts to what it all means. I don’t like the concept of grading the draft one year out, and definitely not three days out, so I will not be pronouncing winners and losers in this series, but I will assess each teams draft class, division by division, looking at some trends and comparing the real outcome against our scouting profiles for the players. And I will give each team a draft score.

The score will consist of 1 point per first round player taken, .85 for second rounders, .75 for third rounders, .65 or fourth rounders and .5 points for players taken in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds. Add to that the drafted player’s OFP, divided by 100. So first overall pick Jack Hughes would be worth 1.645 points to the Devils, while Massimo Rizzo, taken with second to last pick, would be worth 1.025. Players for whom we don’t have OFPs available will be assigned an OFP 48.5.

2019 NHL Draft Review Scores	Atlantic
Detroit Red Wings	13.24
Montreal Canadiens	11.56
Florida Panthers	11.01
Tampa Bay Lightning	8.46
Buffalo Sabres	7.64
Ottawa Senators	7.51
Toronto Maple Leafs	7.09
Boston Bruins	5.81

Atlantic Division

Montreal Canadiens

After kicking off their draft class with the mightiest of mighty mites in USNTDP goal scorer extraordinaire Cole Caufield the Canadiens went heavily on the blueline, using their next four picks on defenders. That approach was somewhat reminiscent of their 2017 draft class, where they selected Ryan Poehling in the first round and then used four of their next five picks on the blueline, although in the previous class, they decided not to offer contracts to two of the four defensemen. This time around, they will have more time to decide on their blueline picks – most of their picks, in fact – as two of those four, and only three of their ten overall picks were taken out of the CHL leagues.

Their other seven picks were spread to many of the farthest reaches of the hockey world. Montreal has long scouted the American prep ranks quite heavily and their second pick was used on a player (Jayden Struble) who spent the bulk of his season in the Massachusetts high school system. Struble, incidentally, was probably the most impressive position player at the NHL Draft Combine. Similarly, the forward who broke the string of defensemen was also primarily a high schooler in Minnesota, although Rhett Pitlick did spend a brief period of time in the USHL with Omaha.

Other traditional scouting sources include a defenseman from the Allsvenskan in Mattias Norlinder who made huge strides with his skating this year. They also took a flier on an overaged Russian junior in the sixth round in burly winger Arsen Khisamutdinov, who held his own in his first KHL cameo last year.

Finally, whether it succeeds or not, the Canadiens’ scouting staff should be commended for having a wider net than any organizations. They took late round fliers on two players from leagues that no other team touched. In the fifth round, they buttressed the organizational goaltending depth with the only player drafted out of Denmark (although the second Danish goaltender selected). Frederik Dichow is almost as big as Mads Sogaard and is already geared to move to the Swedish junior ranks next season. Montreal’s final pick of the weekend was on a physical specimen from the Alberta Midget Hockey League. I cannot confirm, but Kieran Ruscheinski may be the first ever player drafted directly out of that league. Between the long shots mixed with the safer picks, Montreal’s draft class was creative, and should lead to some NHL time even beyond their potential future star in Caufield.

First Round Pick: Cole Caufield, RW, 1/15, USNTDP, USHL

Fewer teams were nervous about drafting Caufield early this time around than were for Alex DeBrincat, a very similarly built super scorer, who lasted until early in the second round not too many years ago. This being a relatively deep draft, I don’t want to state that too many teams will regret passing Caufield over this time, but I have full confidence that Montreal will not have any regrets about selecting the 5-7” sniper here. He has good strength for his size and can score in any number of ways. Will need a good playmaker on his line but has superstar potential.

Best Later Value Selection: Mattias Norlinder, D, 3/64, Modo J20, SuperEit

A world class skater, Norlinder didn’t draw much attention in his first draft eligible season. This time around, the blueliner went back to the Swedish junior ranks and scored eight more points in six fewer games, earning a callup to Modo’s men’s team, where he more than held his own in both the regular season and the postseason, playing with much more experienced partners. He lacks a physical game, but reads the game well, is a capable puck mover, and he flies.

Biggest Head Scratcher: Kieran Ruscheinski, D, 7/206, Calgary Northstars Midget AAA, AMHL

Ruscheinski was picked late enough that his chances of success are slim to begin with. To our knowledge, the only experience he has had above league Midget AAA hockey was a three-game stretch with Spruce Grove of the AJHL towards the end of last season. He had an assist. Ruscheinski is Coke machine sized and has never been an offensive presence, even in the leagues he played in. For perspective, four other defensemen on his Northstars team produced more offence last year. Ruscheinski will play in the BCHL next season and who knows where after that.

Also selected: Jayden Struble, D, 2/46, St. Sebastian’s School, USHS-MA; Gianni Fairbrother, D 3/77, Everett, WHL; Jacob LeGuerrier, D, 5/126, Sault Ste. Marie, OHL; Rhett Pitlick, LW, 5/131, Chaska HS, USHS-MN; Frederik Dichow, G, 5/138, SonderjyskE, Denmark; Arsen Khisamutdinov, F, 6/170, Reaktor Nizhnekamsk, MHL; Rafael Harvey-Pinard, LW, 7/201, Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL

Draft Score: 11.5575

Ottawa Senators

When I said earlier that I was not a fan of the Florida Panthers’ draft class, my objections were largely philosophical, not liking the selection of a goalie in the first round (to say nothing of the top half of the first round) and not like the abundance of second and third year eligible in their draft class. When I say that I was not very impressed with the Ottawa Senators’ draft class, it is because I think their first three picks were all reaches at the slot they were taken. Then again, with the exception of their final pick, all of the Senators’ draft picks were born in late 2000, or earlier.

That said, I believe that the Senators added some good talent to their ranks and their system is certainly deeper today than it was last week. They could have done better though. In the last few years, it seems like the Senators have alternated between taking mostly CHL prospects, or mostly college bound and European prospects. This year was the turn of the CHL scouts to shine with four of their six selections coming from North of the border.

I can appreciate the mix of players, with essentially a full line being taken. The Senators drafted three forwards, all of whom can play up the middle, two defensemen, both right-handed shots, and one gigantic netminder. Further to their credit, three of their drafted skaters are very good at putting the puck in the net, including first rounder Lassi Thomson, second rounder Shane Pinto, and fifth rounder Mark Kastelic. They also seemed to make a point of drafting large, with their shortest pick being their first rounder Thomson, who measured in at an even 6-0”. Considering their pick of Brady Tkachuk early last year, the size aspect could be something to continue to look for as long as Pierre Dorion is in charge in Ottawa. But I still worry about the draft class’ on ice upside. There is more than a little to suggest that the production of most, if not all, of their picks was context driven.

First Round Pick: Lassi Thomson, D, 1/19, Kelowna, WHL

After spending his draft year in the WHL with a disappointing Kelowna squad, Thomson is expected to take his first-round pick status back to his native Finland next year, as he signed with Ilves of Liiga. He put up great offense from the blueline on a mediocre team, but there is a question about how much of that will translate to the NHL. He does a lot of things well, but nothing exceptionally. I need to see him play more assertively to believe that he can live up to his newfound status.

Best Later Value Selection: Maxence Guenette, D, 7/187, Val-d’Or, QMJHL

The comment above about context playing too large a role in the production of the Senators’ draft class holds true for Guenette as well, but in his case, it works in his favor. Val-d’Or has been an underwater team since his arrival in Northern Quebec two years ago, yet Guenette has shown sharp decision making and above average wheels in his time there, with a burgeoning ability to produce offense. He was the second leading offensive producer from the blueline, and we could see him take off with a more veteran team next year.

Biggest Head Scratcher: Shane Pinto, C, 2/32, Tri-City, USHL

A late developing power forward, Pinto is a fine prospect with an intriguing set of tools in his belt. He produced in a front-line role with a poor Lincoln team in the first half, and didn’t skip a beat after moving to front running Tri-City in the second half. In the first round of the postseason, he was near unstoppable. In the second round, he was unstartable. My concern with Pinto is that he is rarely the type who drives offense if his teammates are out of sync and there were numerous USHL (not even looking at the USNTDP) prospects I would have taken before calling his name. TLDR: Good prospect, but not this high.

Also selected: Mads Sogaard, G, 2/37, Medicine Hat, WHL; Viktor Lodin, C/LW, 4/94, Orebro, SHL; Mark Kastelic, C, 5/125, Calgary, WHL

Draft Score: 7.51

Tampa Bay Lightning

Thanks to the Lightning’s unexpectedly early playoff exit, they had to step up to the draft podium on day one around 15 minutes earlier than they had hoped. Rarely for such a high performing team, they did not trade their first round pick, and finished the draft with a full allotment of seven picks although not always their original picks, as they had two picks in the third and seventh rounds each, but lacked picks in the second or fifth rounds.

With those seven picks, they picked up four wingers, two defensemen and one goalie. It may not have been deliberate, but three of their final four selections (Crozier, Shalagin, and Webster) were used on re-drafts. As those were all later picks, I can appreciate that the team could have valued the mildly additional certainty that comes with those players being somewhat closer to their respective fruition, particularly as their earlier, nominally higher upside, picks were in their first years if eligibility.

The Lightning spread the joy around as well, drafting two players each from the WHL and USHL and one each from Sweden, the QMJHL, and the MHL. Four of the six skaters have above average size, with only third rounder Cajkovic and seventh rounder Webster coming in under 6-0”. I had a sense that Tampa might be looking to draft a goalie in the first half of the draft, even being candidates to draft Spencer Knight if he was available. They used their second pick on a netminder, the top Swedish goalie of this draft class in Hugo Ahlnefelt. The system is very light on netminders and Alnefelt is potentially a very good one. We had him ranked as the sixth best goalie in the draft and he was the seventh selected in Vancouver. I was not as impressed by the upside of the Lightning draft as a whole, but outside of the goalie, there are a few picks with high enough floors to play in the NHL.

First Round Pick: Nolan Foote, LW, 1/27, Kelowna, WHL

The son of Adam Foote and the younger brother of Cal Foote, the Lightning were pleased as punch when they united the Foote brothers, having also made Cal a first rounder two years ago. There is a lot that is similar between the two, but Nolan is a winger while Cal (and Adam) were blueliners. Nevertheless, Nolan is a greasy goal scorer who can use his big frame to great effect. Also, like Cal, however, his skating could hold him back.

Best Later Value Selection: Hugo Alnefelt, G, 3/71, HV 71 J20, SuperElit

As discussed above, Alnefelt was one of the more talented goalies of the 2019 draft class, and the goalie that Sweden would turn to for international, even though the older Erik Portillo went four picks prior. He is a solid all-around netminder, but likely more of a future backup or a 1B than a workhorse.

Biggest Head Scratcher: McKade Webster, LW, 7/213, Green Bay, USHL

It is not that interesting that Webster was drafted in his second year of eligibility, as it happens to many. What is weird is that after he was passed over in 2018, injury limited him to six games last year. And he didn’t even do that much in those six games. Yet it was enough to put him over the top for Tampa. Even weirder is he was generally fairy run of the mill in his last healthy season.

Also selected: Maxim Cajkovic, RW, 3/89, Saint John, QMJHL; Max Crozier, D, 4/120, Sioux Falls, USHL; Quinn Schmeimann, D, 6/182, Kamloops, WHL; Mikhail Shalagin, LW, 7/198, MHK Spartak Moskva, MHL

Draft Score: 8.46

Toronto Maple Leafs

Despite missing a first-round pick (before day two got underway, trading next year’s as well, to Carolina so the Hurricanes could take over Patrick Marleau’s contract) the Maple Leafs maximized what they had, drafting for upside at nearly every pick. After their first pick, the Maple Leafs steered clear of Kyle Dubas’ old OHL stomping grounds, but they grabbed two players each from the USHL, which they are known to scout heavily, and Finland, where they are not known to scout heavily.

The picks were split evenly between forwards and the blueline. As Dubas is known for, the Leafs were concerned with size at the draft, with no one drafted over 5-11”, and none weighing more than 198 lbs. Another Maple Leafs drafting trait that was followed in Vancouver was the propensity to draft players with impressive statistical resumes and I can state that their six picks all fit that bill.

The team’s overall grade will suffer due to missing their first rounder and also not having any supplemental picks to compensate, but they are just as likely to receive NHL contributions as many teams that will fall above. That said, prospecting is a numbers game and the Maple Leafs will need to juice up their chances of NHL contributions on an entry level player would be better than continued European free agent signings.

First Round Pick: Nick Robertson, LW, 2/53, Peterborough

Nicholas Robertson plays a similar offense and aggressive game as older brother Jason, but the Leafs new second rounder does it from a much smaller frame, surrendering about five inches and 20 pounds to the Dallas prospect. A pest to play against, he has high end offensive tools and should be a good enough skater for his size not to be a detriment to his development. Fun to watch thanks to energy game.

Best Later Value Selection: Mike Koster, D, 5/146, Chaska High, USHS-MN

One of the most high-profile high schoolers in the country this year, Chaska put up over two points per game from the blueline at Chaska, the best numbers from the defenseman in the State of Hockey. When he got up to Tri-City in the second half, he showed that his varsity numbers were no fluke. He is small and slight but is very fleet of foot and has impressive instincts for generating offense.

Biggest Head Scratcher: Mikhail Abramov, C, Victoriaville, QMJHL

For this section, most teams have a player who was simply curious that he was selected at all. I can’t say that about Abramov, or any other Maple Leafs’ draft pick. But I am going with the Victoriaville winger as he was the largest distance from the Leafs’ profile. As good as he was at the pre-season Gretzky Hlinka Tournament, he was not as impressive over the course of the season in the QMJHL. He has a solid foundation of skills, but I want to see more in second season in North America.

Also selected: Mikko Kokkonen, D, 3/84, Jukurit, Liiga; Nicholas Abruzzese, C, 4/124, Chicago, USHL; Kalle Loponen, D, 7/204, Hermes, Mestis

Draft Score: 7.09

MCKEEN’S 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: Final Rankings – Top 217 Plus 100 Honourable Mention

Iain Morrell — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:52:23 +0000

MCKEEN'S RELEASES FINAL 2019 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

KOSICE, SLOVAKIA - MAY 13: USA's Jack Hughes #6 and Finland's Kaapo Kakko #24 shake hands following a 3-2 overtime win for team USA during preliminary round action of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship at Steel Arena on May 13, 2019 in Kosice, Slovakia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

American center Jack Hughes or Finnish Winger Kaapo Kakko?

That is the decision facing the New Jersey Devils who won the draft lottery for the second time in the past three seasons and hold the top pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Hughes (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) led the USA Hockey National Team Development Program under-18 team in scoring while setting the NTDP career record for assists (154) and points (228) in two seasons (110 games) with the program.

He earned the highest Overall Future Projection (OFP) score of 64.50, as per the 20/80 grading system developed by McKeen's Director of Scouting Ryan Wagman.

Skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ, physicality - these are the attributes measured for skaters using the 20/80 grading system to arrive at an Overall Future Projection (OFP) score.

Six areas are assessed for goalies: athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling.

BROADWAY KAAPO

Kakko (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) earned the next highest OFP score at 64.00.

The Turku, Finland native will go to the New York Rangers with the second pick, their highest draft position since taking Brad Park in 1966 before expansion (1967-68).

Kakko led Finland with six goals while winning gold at the 2019 World Championships at just 18 years, 102 days old to become the youngest player in IIHF history to win gold at the Under-18, Under-20, and WM (World Men) levels, supplanting Connor McDavid of Canada (19 years, 130 days) from the record books.

The Chicago Blackhawks have the number three pick with the top defenseman Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants next on the McKeen's OFP scale (63.40).

Seven players in total received OFP scores of at least 60.00 this season, up from five in 2018 - and just two in 2017 when the Devils selected Nino Hischier first overall.

The next five spots in the rankings are all centers - Kirby Dach of Saskatoon (63.20 OFP), Dylan Cozens of Lethbridge (61.40), the NTDP duo of Trevor Zegras (61.25) and Alex Turcotte (60.00), and Peyton Krebs of Kootenay (59.65).

ALL AMERICAN

Spencer Knight. Photo courtesy of the USNTDP.

Spencer Knight of the NTDP is the top-rated goaltender available (55.75 OFP) at No. 32 in the McKeen's rankings.

Knight will likely go in the opening round of what will be a record haul for the U.S. National Team Development Program as upwards of eight players could be taken in the top 31 selections.

As for past records, the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) had four players taken in the opening round of the 1979 NHL Draft - as did the Toronto Marlboros (OHA) in 1972 and the Montreal Junior Canadiens (OHA) in 1969.

Along with Hughes (1st), Zegras (6th), and Turcotte (7th), wingers Matthew Boldy and Cole Caufield are ranked at No. 12 and 13 on the McKeen's list, with defenseman Cam York at No. 17 and center John Beecher at 30th.

Caufield (5-foot-7, 165 pounds) scored 14 goals at the U18 World Junior Championship, tying Alex Ovechkin's single-tournament goals record. However, the United States lost in a shootout to Russia in the semi-finals.

There are also four others in the program ranked in the 32 to 62 range (second round) - all defensemen - Marshall Warren (35th), Alex Vlasic (54th), Henry Thrun (58th) and Drew Helleson (62nd).

In total, 16 players from the NTDP are ranked among the top 100.

SWEDE GOLD - SWEET SEIDER

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 23: Swedens Philip Broberg #4 makes a pass during preliminary round action against Russia at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 23, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Sweden won a first-ever gold medal at the U18 World Juniors.

Four blueliners on that Swedish team are first-round candidates led by Philip Broberg of AIK, named 'Top Defenceman' at the U18 tournament, and Victor Soderstrom of Brynas, ranked No. 9 and 10 respectively on McKeen's.

U18 captain Tobias Bjornfot of Djurgardens is ranked 19th and Albert Johansson of Farjestads is 26th.

Following Dominik Bokk's selection in 2018 (25th to St. Louis), Germany will produce another first-round pick this year in Adler Mannheim defenseman Moritz Seider.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound, right-shot blueliner displayed impressive skills and maturity for his age while appearing at the 2019 World Championships (5-2-0-2).

Seider earned an OFP score of 57.50 and is ranked No. 15.

He will become the highest-selected German-born player at the NHL Draft since the Edmonton Oilers took Leon Draisaitl third overall in 2014.

Here are our final 2019 NHL Draft Rankings. They are a culmination of a season’s worth of prospect analysis and coverage on mckeenshockey.com and the tremendous work put in rinks and looking at screens and numbers from our committed team. Enjoy!

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
1	Jack Hughes	C	NTDP (USA)	5-10/170	14-May-01	USA
2	Kaapo Kakko	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-2/195	13-Feb-01	Finland
3	Bowen Byram	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jun-01	Canada
4	Kirby Dach	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-3/200	21-Jan-01	Canada
5	Dylan Cozens	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-3/185	9-Feb-01	Canada
6	Trevor Zegras	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/170	20-Mar-01	USA
7	Alex Turcotte	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	26-Feb-01	USA
8	Peyton Krebs	C	Kootenay (WHL)	5-11/180	26-Jan-01	Canada
9	Philip Broberg	D	AIK (Swe 2)	6-3/200	25-Jun-01	Sweden
10	Victor Soderstrom	D	Brynas (Swe)	5-11/180	26-Feb-01	Sweden
11	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	SKA-1946 St. Pete. (Rus Jr)	6-1/190	24-Jun-01	Russia
12	Matthew Boldy	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/190	5-Apr-01	USA
13	Cole Caufield	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-7/165	2-Jan-01	USA
14	Raphael Lavoie	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-4/195	25-Sep-00	Canada
15	Moritz Seider	D	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	6-3/185	6-Apr-01	Germany
16	Simon Holmstrom	RW	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	24-May-01	Sweden
17	Cam York	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/175	5-Jan-01	USA
18	Alex Newhook	C	Victoria (BCHL)	5-10/195	28-Jan-01	Canada
19	Tobias Bjornfot	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	6-0/200	6-Apr-01	Sweden
20	Philip Tomasino	C	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/180	28-Jul-01	Canada
21	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-2/190	26-Jun-01	USA
22	Ryan Suzuki	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/180	28-May-01	Canada
23	Samuel Poulin	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/205	25-Feb-01	Canada
24	Thomas Harley	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-3/190	19-Aug-01	Canada
25	Ryan Johnson	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-0/175	24-Jul-01	USA
26	Albert Johansson	D	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/165	4-Jan-01	Sweden
27	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	Chicago (USHL)	5-10/160	24-Jan-01	USA
28	Connor McMichael	C	London (OHL)	5-11/175	15-Jan-01	Canada
29	Matthew Robertson	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-3/200	9-Mar-01	Canada
30	John Beecher	C	NTDP (USA)	6-3/210	5-Apr-01	USA
31	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	6-1/170	26-Oct-00	Russia
32	Spencer Knight	G	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	19-Apr-01	USA
33	Bobby Brink	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/165	8-Jul-01	USA
34	Brett Leason	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-4/200	30-Apr-99	Canada
35	Marshall Warren	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/170	20-Apr-01	USA
36	Egor Afanasyev	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	6-3/205	23-Jan-01	Russia
37	Ville Heinola	D	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-11/180	3-Feb-01	Finland
38	Nolan Foote	LW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Nov-00	Canada
39	Samuel Fagemo	RW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-0/195	14-Mar-00	Sweden
40	Nick Robertson	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Sep-01	USA
41	Nils Hoglander	RW	Rogle (Swe)	5-9/185	20-Dec-00	Sweden
42	Jamieson Rees	C	Sarnia (OHL)	5-10/175	26-Feb-01	Canada
43	Jakob Pelletier	LW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-9/165	7-Mar-01	Canada
44	Antti Tuomisto	D	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	6-4/190	20-Jan-01	Finland
45	Lassi Thomson	D	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	24-Sep-00	Finland
46	Michal Teply	LW	Bili Tygri Liberec (Cze)	6-3/185	27-May-01	Czech
47	Brayden Tracey	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/175	28-May-01	Canada
48	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr)	5-10/170	15-Mar-01	Russia
49	Yegor Chinakhov	RW	Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr)	6-0/175	1-Feb-01	Russia
50	Mattias Norlinder	D	MoDo (Swe Jr)	5-11/180	12-Apr-00	Sweden
51	Karl Henriksson	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-9/165	5-Feb-01	Sweden
52	Vladislav Kolyachonok	D	Flint (OHL)	6-1/185	26-May-01	Belarus
53	Nikola Pasic	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	16-Oct-00	Sweden
54	Alex Vlasic	D	NTDP (USA)	6-6/200	5-Jun-01	USA
55	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	HK Ryazan (Rus 2)	6-1/175	25-Jun-99	Russia
56	Albin Grewe	RW	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/190	22-Mar-01	Sweden
57	Trevor Janicke	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-10/195	25-Dec-00	USA
58	Henry Thrun	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/190	12-Mar-01	USA
59	Yegor Spiridonov	C	Stalnye Lisy Mag. (Rus Jr)	6-2/195	22-Jan-01	Russia
60	Patrik Puistola	LW	Tappara (Fin Jr)	6-0/175	11-Jan-01	Finland
61	Ilya Nikolayev	C	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-0/190	26-Jun-01	Russia
62	Drew Helleson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	26-Mar-01	USA
63	Graeme Clarke	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/175	24-Apr-01	Canada
64	Ronnie Attard	D	Tri-City (USHL)	6-3/210	20-Mar-99	USA
65	Mads Sogaard	G	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-7/195	13-Dec-00	Denmark
66	Oleg Zaitsev	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/185	7-Jan-01	Russia
67	Isaiah Saville	G	Tri-City (USHL)	6-1/190	21-Sep-00	USA
68	Kaedan Korczak	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Jan-01	Canada
69	Adam Najman	C	Benatky nad Jizerou (Cze 2)	5-11/175	23-Jan-01	Czech
70	Mikko Kokkonen	D	Jukurit (Fin)	5-11/200	18-Jan-01	Finland
71	Michael Vukojevic	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-3/210	8-Jun-01	Canada
72	Patrick Moynihan	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	23-Jan-01	USA
73	Michael Gildon	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	21-Jun-01	USA
74	Judd Caulfield	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	19-Mar-01	USA
75	Vladislav Firstov	LW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/180	19-Jun-01	USA
76	Hugo Alnefelt	G	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-3/195	4-Jun-01	Sweden
77	Gianni Fairbrother	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/195	30-Sep-00	Canada
78	Jackson Lacombe	D	Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS-MN)	6-1/170	9-Jan-01	USA
79	Ethan Keppen	LW	Flint (OHL)	6-2/210	20-Mar-01	Canada
80	Anttoni Honka	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	5-10/180	5-Oct-00	Finland
81	Roman Bychkov	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/160	10-Feb-01	Russia
82	Ryder Donovan	C	Duluth East (USHS-MN)	6-3/185	4-Oct-00	USA
83	Nathan Legare	RW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-0/205	11-Jan-01	Canada
84	Billy Constantinou	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-0/185	25-Mar-01	Canada
85	Vojtech Strondala	C	Slavia Trebic (Cze 2)	5-7/155	17-Dec-00	Czech
86	Case McCarthy	D	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	9-Jan-01	USA
87	Simon Lundmark	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-2/200	8-Oct-00	Sweden
88	Zac Jones	D	Tri-City (USHL)	5-10/175	18-Oct-00	USA
89	Erik Portillo	G	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-6/210	3-Sep-00	Sweden
90	Daniil Misyul	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/180	20-Oct-00	Russia
91	Daniil Gutik	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/180	31-Aug-01	Russia
92	Hunter Jones	G	Peterborough (OHL)	6-4/195	21-Sep-00	Canada
93	Michael Koster	D	Chaska (USHS-MN)	5-9/175	13-Apr-01	USA
94	Aliaksei Protas	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-5/205	6-Jan-01	Belarus
95	Blake Murray	C	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/190	5-Jul-01	Canada
96	Cole MacKay	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-10/190	13-Jun-01	Canada
97	Trent Miner	G	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/185	5-Jan-01	Canada
98	Semyon Chistyakov	D	Tolpar Ufa (Rus Jr)	5-10/170	7-Aug-01	Russia
99	Leevi Aaltonen	RW	KalPa (Fin Jr)	5-9/175	24-Jan-01	Finland
100	Antti Saarela	C	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-11/185	27-Jun-01	Finland
101	John Farinacci	C	Dexter (USHS-MA)	5-11/185	14-Feb-01	USA
102	Marcus Kallionkieli	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-2/195	20-Mar-01	Finland
103	Andre Lee	LW	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-4/200	26-Jul-00	Sweden
104	Kirill Slepets	RW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-10/165	6-Apr-99	Russia
105	Shane Pinto	C	Tri-City (USHL)	6-2/190	12-Nov-00	USA
106	Jordan Spence	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/165	24-Feb-01	Canada
107	Keean Washkurak	C	Mississauga (OHL)	5-10/185	16-Aug-01	Canada
108	Owen Lindmark	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	17-May-01	USA
109	Matej Blumel	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	5-11/200	31-May-00	Czech
110	Jack Malone	RW	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/190	13-Oct-00	USA
111	Jayden Struble	D	St. Sebastian's (USHS-MA)	6-0/195	8-Sep-01	USA
112	Artemi Knyazev	D	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-11/180	4-Jan-01	Russia
113	Maxim Cajkovic	RW	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/185	3-Jan-01	Slovakia
114	Matvey Guskov	C	London (OHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-01	Russia
115	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-1/195	4-Dec-00	Russia
116	Valeri Orekhov	D	Barys Astana (KHL)	6-1/190	17-Jul-99	Kazakhstan
117	Zdenek Sedlak	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-2/205	23-Mar-00	Czech
118	Alexander Yakovenko	D	Muskegon (USHL)	5-11/175	22-Feb-98	Russia
119	Yannick Bruschweiler	C	GC Kusnacht Lions (Sui 2)	5-10/175	29-Aug-99	Switzerland
120	Ilya Mironov	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/200	15-Mar-01	Russia
121	Albert Lyckasen	D	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-10/180	29-Jul-01	Sweden
122	Keegan Stevenson	C	Guelph (OHL)	6-1/185	31-Dec-00	Canada
123	Ilya Konovalov	G	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	6-0/195	13-Jul-98	Russia
124	Cole Schwindt	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/185	25-Apr-01	Canada
125	Domenick Fensore	D	NTDP (USA)	5-7/155	7-Sep-01	USA
126	William Francis	D	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	6-5/210	16-Nov-00	USA
127	Simon Gnyp	D	Kolner (Ger Jr)	5-11/180	10-Sep-01	Germany
128	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-10/150	22-Jun-01	Finland
129	Ethan Phillips	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-9/150	7-May-01	Canada
130	Linus Pettersson	RW	MoDo (Swe)	5-7/145	11-Apr-00	Sweden
131	Matias Maccelli	LW	Dubuque (USHL)	5-11/170	14-Oct-00	Finland
132	Anthony Romano	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-11/185	7-Oct-00	Canada
133	Nikita Alexandrov	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/180	16-Sep-00	Germany
134	Arturs Silovs	G	HS Riga (Lat)	6-4/205	22-Mar-01	Latvia
135	August Hedlund	G	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-4/185	7-Jan-00	Sweden
136	Nicholas Porco	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/175	12-Mar-01	Canada
137	Joe Carroll	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-2/200	1-Feb-01	Canada
138	Alex Beaucage	RW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/195	25-Jul-01	Canada
139	Luke Toporowski	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/180	12-Apr-01	USA
140	Sasha Mutala	RW	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/200	6-May-01	Canada
141	Harrison Blaisdell	C	Chilliwack (BCHL)	5-11/180	18-Mar-01	Canada
142	Valentin Nussbaumer	C	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-11/165	25-Sep-00	Switzerland
143	Dustin Wolf	G	Everett (WHL)	6-0/155	16-Apr-01	USA
144	Ondrej Psenicka	RW	Sparta Praha (Cze Jr)	6-5/195	7-Jan-01	Czech
145	Juuso Parssinen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	6-2/205	1-Feb-01	Finland
146	Mitchell Brewer	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-0/205	20-Mar-01	Canada
147	Lukas Parik	G	Liberec (Cze Jr)	6-4/185	15-Mar-01	Czech
148	Grant Silianoff	RW	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	5-11/170	4-Jan-01	USA
149	Josh Nodler	C	Fargo (USHL)	5-11/195	27-Apr-01	USA
150	Bryce Brodzinski	RW	Blaine (USHS-MN)	6-0/195	9-Aug-00	USA
151	Colten Ellis	G	Rimouski (QMJHL)	6-1/190	5-Oct-00	Canada
152	Rhett Pitlick	LW	Chaska (USHS-MN)	5-9/160	7-Feb-01	USA
153	Dillon Hamaliuk	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-3/190	30-Oct-00	Canada
154	Aleksei Sergeev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/185	22-May-00	Russia
155	Jack York	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/190	17-Sep-00	Canada
156	Jacob LeGuerrier	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/200	22-Nov-00	Canada
157	Zach Uens	D	Wellington (OJHL)	6-1/180	13-May-01	Canada
158	Josh Williams	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-1/195	8-Mar-01	Canada
159	Elmer Soderblom	RW	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-6/220	5-Jul-01	Sweden
160	Kyle Topping	C	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/185	18-Nov-99	Canada
161	Albin Sundsvik	C	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	27-Apr-01	Sweden
162	Cameron Rowe	G	NTDP (USA)	6-2/200	1-Jun-01	USA
163	Filip Lindberg	G	Massachusetts (HE)	6-0/180	31-Jan-99	Finland
164	Liam Svensson	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr 18)	6-3/195	2-Feb-01	Sweden
165	Xavier Simoneau	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-6/170	19-May-01	Canada
166	Pavel Gogolev	RW	Guelph (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Feb-00	Russia
167	Danil Antropov	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/185	20-Dec-00	Canada
168	Daniel D'Amico	LW	Windsor (OHL)	5-9/185	26-Jan-01	Canada
169	Vladimir Alistrov	LW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-2/175	12-Feb-01	Belarus
170	Reece Newkirk	C	Portland (WHL)	5-11/175	20-Feb-01	Canada
171	Sergei Alkhimov	LW	Regina (WHL)	6-0/210	3-Jul-01	Russia
172	Adam Beckman	LW	Spokane (WHL)	6-1/170	10-May-01	Canada
173	Alexander Campbell	LW	Victoria (BCHL)	5-10/150	27-Feb-01	Canada
174	Taylor Gauthier	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/195	15-Feb-01	Canada
175	Max Crozier	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-1/195	19-Apr-00	Canada
176	Santeri Hatakka	D	Jokerit (Fin Jr)	6-0/175	15-Jan-01	Finland
177	Kalle Loponen	D	Hermes (Fin 2)	5-10/185	13-Mar-01	Finland
178	Eric Ciccolini	RW	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	5-11/160	14-Jan-01	Canada
179	Aku Raty	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-11/170	5-Jul-01	Finland
180	Arvid Costmar	C	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-11/180	7-Jul-01	Sweden
181	Matt Brown	LW	Des Moines (USHL)	5-9/180	9-Aug-99	USA
182	Sven Leuenberger	C	Zug (Sui)	5-10/185	18-Feb-99	Switzerland
183	Jasper Patrikainen	G	Pelicans (Fin)	6-0/175	1-Jul-00	Finland
184	Jack Williams	G	Springfield (NAHL)	6-3/175	21-Jun-01	USA
185	Mikhail Abramov	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/160	26-Mar-01	Russia
186	Ben Brinkman	D	Minnesota (B1G)	6-0/215	4-Oct-00	USA
187	Chris Giroday	D	Green Bay (USHL)	6-1/175	13-Dec-00	Canada
188	Petr Cajka	C	Erie (OHL)	6-0/170	11-Dec-00	Czech
189	Mark Kastelic	C	Calgary (WHL)	6-3/215	11-Mar-99	USA
190	Kevin Wall	RW	Chilliwack (BCHL)	6-0/190	1-Feb-00	USA
191	Lucas Edmonds	RW	Karlskrona (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	27-Jan-01	Sweden
192	Carter Gylander	G	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	6-5/175	5-Jun-01	Canada
193	Ethan de Jong	RW	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	5-10/170	12-Jul-99	Canada
194	Wiljami Myllyla	RW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	6-0/170	9-Apr-01	Finland
195	Yaroslav Likhachyov	RW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	5-10/170	2-Sep-01	Russia
196	Layton Ahac	D	Prince George (BCHL)	6-2/195	22-Feb-01	Canada
197	Alfred Barklund	D	Orebro (Swe Jr)	6-2/200	21-Oct-00	Sweden
198	Radek Muzik	LW	Lulea (Swe Jr)	6-3/180	25-Mar-01	Sweden
199	Marcus Pedersen	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	6-2/165	25-May-01	Sweden
200	Filip Koffer	RW	Pardubice (Cze Jr)	5-11/175	4-Mar-01	Czech
201	Henri Nikkanen	C	Jukurit (Fin Jr)	6-3/200	28-Apr-01	Finland
202	Marc Del Gaizo	D	Massachusetts (HE)	5-9/190	11-Oct-99	USA
203	Tag Bertuzzi	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-0/200	18-Feb-01	Canada
204	Martin Hugo Has	D	Tappara (Fin Jr)	6-4/190	2-Feb-01	Czech
205	Jet Greaves	G	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/165	30-Mar-01	Canada
206	Mason Millman	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/175	18-Jul-01	Canada
207	Janis Jerome Moser	D	Biel-Bienne (Sui)	6-0/160	6-Jun-00	Switzerland
208	Nick Abruzzese	C	Chicago (USHL)	5-9/160	4-Jun-99	USA
209	Logan Barlage	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-4/200	7-Jan-01	Canada
210	Carter Berger	D	Victoria (BCHL)	6-0/200	17-Sep-99	Canada
211	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/205	7-Oct-99	Switzerland
212	Tyce Thompson	RW	Providence (HE)	6-1/180	12-Jul-99	USA
213	Nolan Maier	G	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-0/175	10-Jan-01	Canada
214	Massimo Rizzo	C	Penticton (BCHL)	5-10/180	13-Jun-01	Canada
215	Matthew Steinburg	C	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	6-1/185	7-Oct-00	Canada
216	Jake Lee	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/215	13-Jul-01	Canada
217	Luke Bast	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-9/170	20-Nov-00	Canada

100 HONOURABLE MENTION IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
HM	Nathan Allensen	D	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/180	3-May-01	Canada
HM	Ethan Anders	G	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/175	26-Sep-00	Canada
HM	Nicklas Andrews	D	Des Moines (USHL)	5-10/185	6-Jul-01	USA
HM	Tyler Angle	C	Windsor (OHL)	5-9/165	30-Sep-00	Canada
HM	Marcel Barinka	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/165	3-Jan-01	Czech
HM	Roman Basran	G	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/195	26-Jul-01	Canada
HM	Luke Bignell	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/170	3-Nov-00	Canada
HM	Mathieu Bizier	C	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-1/185	13-May-01	Canada
HM	Oscar Bjerselius	C	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/185	18-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Kaden Bohlsen	C	Fargo (USHL)	6-3/190	10-Jan-01	USA
HM	Samuel Bolduc	D	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-3/210	9-Dec-00	Canada
HM	Jakob Bondesson	D	Rogle (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	22-May-00	Sweden
HM	Cole Brady	G	Janesville (NAHL)	6-5/165	12-Feb-01	Canada
HM	Alex Brannstam	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	3-Jun-01	Sweden
HM	Lynden Breen	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-9/165	31-May-01	USA
HM	Jonas Brondberg	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-4/190	26-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Jeremie Bucheler	D	Victoria (BCHL)	6-4/200	31-Mar-00	Canada
HM	Brett Budgell	LW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	5-11/190	1-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Luka Burzan	RW	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/190	7-Jan-00	Canada
HM	Felix Carenfelt	LW	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	13-Feb-00	Sweden
HM	Luke Cavallin	G	Flint (OHL)	6-1/190	29-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Filip Cederqvist	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe)	6-1/185	23-Aug-00	Sweden
HM	Cole Coskey	RW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/190	1-Jun-99	USA
HM	Braden Doyle	D	Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)	5-11/170	24-Aug-01	USA
HM	Justin Ducharme	LW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-10/180	22-Feb-00	Canada
HM	Nathan Dunkley	C	London (OHL)	5-11/195	3-May-00	Canada
HM	Pontus Englund	D	Timra (Swe Jr)	6-3/205	15-Jul-00	Sweden
HM	Lucas Feuk	LW	Sodertalje (Swe Jr)	6-0/185	19-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Parker Ford	C	Sioux City (USHL)	5-8/170	20-Jul-00	USA
HM	Ethan Frisch	D	Fargo (USHL)	5-11/190	29-Oct-00	USA
HM	Maxim Golod	LW	Erie (OHL)	5-11/175	18-Aug-00	Canada
HM	Jacob Gronhagen	C	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-6/215	18-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Maxence Guenette	D	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-1/180	28-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Hugo Gustafsson	C	Sodertalje (Swe 2)	5-10/160	23-Feb-00	Sweden
HM	Mack Guzda	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-4/215	11-Jan-01	USA
HM	Aidan Harper	G	Skipjacks HC 18U (USPHL)	6-2/170	28-May-01	USA
HM	Ludvig Hedstrom	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	14-Apr-01	Sweden
HM	Konsta Hirvonen	LW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	5-11/165	1-Nov-00	Finland
HM	Eric Hjorth	D	Linkopings (Swe Jr 18)	6-3/190	8-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Samuel Hlavaj	G	Lincoln (USHL)	6-4/185	29-May-01	Slovakia
HM	Krystof Hrabik	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-4/220	24-Sep-99	Czech
HM	Rickard Hugg	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/190	18-Jan-99	Sweden
HM	Aaron Huglen	RW	Roseau (USHS-MN)	5-11/165	6-Mar-01	USA
HM	Aarne Intonen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	5-11/180	17-Jul-01	Finland
HM	Michal Ivan	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/185	18-Nov-99	Slovakia
HM	Dylan Jackson	RW	Dubuque (USHL)	5-9/175	6-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Ty Jackson	C	Dubuque (USHL)	5-7/150	6-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Taro Jentzsch	C	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/155	11-Jun-00	Germany
HM	Samuel Johannesson	D	Rogle (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	27-Dec-00	Sweden
HM	Wilson Johansson	RW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	11-Oct-00	Sweden
HM	Brooklyn Kalmikov	C	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-0/165	21-Apr-01	Canada
HM	David Karlstrom	C	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	12-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Mans Kramer	D	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-2/180	6-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Jami Krannila	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-10/160	3-Oct-00	Finland
HM	Grayson Ladd	D	Windsor (OHL)	6-1/175	1-Mar-01	Canada
HM	Martin Lang	LW	Kamloops (WHL)	5-11/170	15-Sep-01	Czech
HM	Oscar Lawner	LW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/185	13-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Jonathan Lemieux	G	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-0/185	8-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Hugo Leufvenius	LW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/230	26-Mar-99	Sweden
HM	Ethan Leyh	LW	Langley (BCHL)	6-0/190	7-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Josh Lopina	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-1/175	16-Feb-01	USA
HM	Emil Malysjev	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-3/190	1-May-01	Sweden
HM	Matias Mantykivi	C	SaiPa (Fin Jr)	5-11/160	21-Jun-01	Finland
HM	Jeremy McKenna	RW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/175	20-Apr-99	Canada
HM	Billy Moskal	C	London (OHL)	6-0/185	22-Mar-00	Canada
HM	Derek Mullahy	G	Dexter (USHS-MA)	6-0/180	20-Mar-01	USA
HM	Kim Nousiainen	D	KalPa (Fin Jr)	5-9/170	14-Nov-00	Finland
HM	Zachary Okabe	RW	Grande Prairie (AJHL)	5-8/165	4-Jan-01	Canada
HM	Oliver Okuliar	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/190	24-May-00	Slovakia
HM	Quinn Olson	LW	Okotoks (AJHL)	5-10/170	9-May-01	Canada
HM	Xavier Parent	LW	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-8/170	23-Mar-01	Canada
HM	Tommy Pasanen	D	Sioux City (USHL)	6-3/220	30-Jul-01	Germany
HM	Thomas Pelletier	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/195	23-Aug-01	Canada
HM	Andrew Perrott	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/205	24-Aug-01	USA
HM	Kari Piiroinen	G	Windsor (OHL)	6-0/175	1-Jul-01	Finland
HM	Lukas Pilo	D	Orebro (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	7-Sep-99	Sweden
HM	Garrett Pinoniemi	C	Holy Family Catholic (USHS-MN)	5-11/150	15-Jun-01	USA
HM	Mason Primeau	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-5/205	28-Jul-01	Canada
HM	Kirby Proctor	D	Des Moines (USHL)	6-3/190	19-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Liam Ross	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/195	13-May-01	Canada
HM	Henrik Rybinski	RW	Seattle (WHL)	6-0/175	26-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Nikita Sedov	D	Regina (WHL)	6-1/185	5-May-01	Russia
HM	Egor Serdyuk	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/160	3-Jun-01	Russia
HM	Nikita Shashkov	LW	Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)	5-11/180	26-Mar-99	Russia
HM	Ryan Siedem	D	Central Illinois (USHL)	6-2/190	25-Feb-01	USA
HM	Samuel Sjolund	D	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-1/175	19-May-01	Sweden
HM	Hunter Skinner	D	Muskegon (USHL)	6-2/175	29-Apr-01	USA
HM	Dominik Sojka	C	Banska Bystrica (Svk Jr)	6-5/210	16-Feb-01	Slovakia
HM	Kyen Sopa	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-9/185	30-Sep-00	Switzerland
HM	Tyler Spott	D	Green Bay (USHL)	5-10/170	17-Jun-00	Canada
HM	Matthew Struthers	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-2/210	26-Dec-99	Canada
HM	Roope Taponen	G	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	6-0/165	14-Mar-01	Finland
HM	Jacob Tortora	LW	Barrie (OHL)	5-6/165	25-Jul-99	USA
HM	Bobby Trivigno	LW	Massachusetts (HE)	5-8/155	19-Jan-99	USA
HM	Eric Uba	RW	Flint (OHL)	6-0/195	17-Dec-00	Canada
HM	Max Wahlgren	RW	MoDo (Swe)	6-1/185	9-May-01	Sweden
HM	Carl Wang	D	Sodertalje (Swe Jr)	6-2/195	28-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Matteus Ward	G	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	6-0/170	7-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Lukas Wernblom	C	MoDo (Swe 2)	5-9/170	22-Jul-00	Sweden
HM	Jonathan Yantsis	RW	Kitchener (OHL)	6-2/210	28-Apr-99	Canada

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

Kevin Olexson — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:12:54 +0000

After another exciting season in the Dub it took one final game to finalize this year’s playoffs. The Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers finish the season tied forcing a one-game playoff, the seventh in WHL history, to move on and play the Victoria Royals.

The Blazers made up a seven-point deficit in the last week and a half of the season, going 5-0-1 to tie Kelowna and earn a home tie-breaker game. They came in riding some momentum and sported a 6-3-1 record against the visiting Rockets this season. The Blazers were led by 16-year-old rookie goaltender Dylan Garand, who put aside 27 out of 28 shots, and forwards Connor Zary, Zane Franklin, Brody Stuart, and Captain Jermaine Loewen to earn their biggest win of the season. Next year’s Memorial Cup hosts have some work to do, as this is only the second time in the Rockets tenure that they have missed the playoffs.

The Prince Albert Raiders were far and away the top team in the Dub this year finishing with a 54-10-2-2 record for a league leading 112 points. The Vancouver Giants finished with the second-best record after going on a real tear in the last quarter of the season, as they surpassed the Everett Silvertips for the best record out of the BC and US divisions erasing a 16-point deficit. The Edmonton Oil Kings finished the season as the hottest team down the stretch winning their last 10 games to edge out the Lethbridge Hurricanes by two points for the division title.

As the quest to represent the WHL in this year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup begins, the Eastern Conference matchups look like this:

Eastern Conference

Brett Leason. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL.

The top seeded Prince Albert Raiders open their playoff series against the Red Deer Rebels boasting the best overall record, and head in to the postseason with a 7-2-1 record, where the Rebels stumbled in with a 4-5-1 record down the stretch finishing with 33 wins and 72 points. These teams played four times this season, with the Raiders taking three of the four games, losing only their first meeting of the season in Red Deer. All four games were decided by one goal, including a 2-1 shootout win by the Raiders in their most recent game played in Prince Albert.

The Raiders led the league in goals scored and finished the season with the second-best goals against. They are loaded up front with Brett Leason (36-53-89), San Jose prospect Noah Gregor (43-45-88), Montreal prospect Cole Fonstad (29-44-73), Ottawa prospect Kelly Parker (35-32-67), and Dante Hounen (29-38-67) who was acquired from the Victoria Royals and put up 31 points in 28 games with the Raiders.

The Rebels are led by Buffalo pick Brandon Hagel (41-61-102), Reece Johnson (27-26-53), and a couple of acquisitions in Cameron Hausinger (21-33-54) who put 37 points in 40 games, and Dallas pick Brett Davis (20-30-50) who produced 31 points in 41 games. On the back end, the Raiders are more than solid with Brayden Pachal (15-36-51) with 51 sporting an amazing +76, his partner Zach Hayes (3-24-27) with an equally impressive +71, Sergei Sapego (10-33-43) with a +42, and Max Martin (6-35-41) showing a +45. They have Washington Capitals 2018 first round selection Alexei Alexeyev with 43 points in 49 games, who is dealing with something but should be available, and Dawson Barteaux (7-27-34) to work their blue line.

In goal, Ian Scott has had a stellar season for the Raiders, going 38-8-1-2 with a 1.83 GAA, and a save percentage of 0.932 posting eight shutouts. The Rebels are back stopped by Ethan Anders 28-22-4-1 with a 3.09 GAA and a save percentage of 0.907 and two shutouts.

The Raiders seem to have the edge in most of the categories, but every game has been extremely close, and Red Deer was a top team last year, and anything can happen in the playoffs.

Pick - Raiders in 5

Kirby Dach

The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are set to meet as the second and third seeds in the East. The Blades have dominated the Warriors this year going 5-1 against them, including a 5-3 win near the end of the season. These are two good teams meeting, with lots of talent and players to watch.

At forward the Blades are led by top prospect Kirby Dach (25-48-73) who is slated to be a top five pick in this year’s draft, Max Gerlach (42-32-74), Washington prospect Eric Florchuk (21-29-50), and acquisitions Ryan Hughes (30-39-69) who had 29 points in 25 games, and Gary Haden (31-35-66) who scored 62 points in 55 games. The Warriors are led by line mates Tristan Langan (53-60-113) who topped 50 goals and sports a +43, and Justin Almeida (33-78-111), finishing second and third respectively in league scoring. Rookie Brayden Tracey scored 36 goals and put up 81 points in his first season with the Warriors.

On defense, both clubs have some nice features, as the Blades boast Dawson Davidson (13-62-75) and Nolan Kneen (6-39-45) with 25 points in 33 games since being acquired. One of the Warriors strengths is in their D-line, with Montreal prospect Josh Brook who scored 75 points in only 59 games, and Vancouver Canucks draftee Jet Woo (12-54-66).

In goal, Nolan Maier (36-10-6) backstops the Blades with a 2.64 GAA, a 0.910 save percentage, and four shutouts. The Warriors have used more of a committee approach as goalies Adam Evanoff (19-10-2-1) with a 2.62 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage, and Brodan Salmond (21-10-4-1) with a 2.73 GAA and 0.906 save percentage have shared the crease duties all season.

This should be a very good series to watch, and these teams are similar and should put forth an entertaining series. The Blades have dominated the regular season series, and have been the better club, and are headed in to the playoffs on an 8-2 run, but the Warriors enter on a three-game winning streak and will give them trouble, and make them earn it.

Pick - Blades in 6

Matthew Roberston, Edmonton Oil Kings

The central division winning Edmonton Oil Kings will host the Medicine Hat Tigers in the next matchup, and really seem to have the edge after going 5-0-1 against the Tigers this year, although all the games were relatively close except for one game which was a 5-0 final.

The Oil Kings Trey Fix-Wolansky (37-65-102), a Columbus Blue Jackets pick has led the charge all season and is definitely a player to watch. He is supported by Vince Loschiavo (37-25-62), Quinn Benjafield (15-39-54), and then 2019 draft prospects in Josh Williams, Vladimir Alistrov, and Jake Neighbours who will carry the load. The Tigers will rely on James Hamblin (33-44-77), Ryan Jevne (32-36-68), former Edmonton player Brett Kemp (33-27-60) who scored 21 points in 24 games for MH, and Ryan Chyzowski (27-28-55) to provide the scoring.

The Oil Kings defence is led by Conner McDonald (19-31-50), and Matthew Robertson (7-26-33) who is eligible for this year’s draft. The Tigers defence is led by Florida Panthers pick Linus Nassen (7-39-46) who will log a lot of minutes in this one. In goal, the Oil Kings have Dylan Miskew (28-11-2-3) between the pipes, who finished the season strong with his 2.53 GAA and 0.914 save percentage. He will battle the Tigers rookie Mads Sogard (19-8-2-2) with a 2.64 GAA and a 0.921 save percentage.

Even with the Oil Kings dominance throughout the regular season against the Tigers, it has been a close series and pretty equally matched. The Oil Kings ride an 11-game winning streak into the playoffs and look they have gotten hot at the right time. I like the forward depth for the Tigers and the defensive edge for the Oil Kings, and with two strong goaltenders this should be a close series. I feel it has upset potential, and despite the regular season series results, I think that Sogard can make a big difference and possibly steal this one.

Pick - Tigers in 7

Dylan Cozens

The last of the Eastern series is a central division matchup, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes playing the Calgary Hitmen. Once again, the Hurricanes dominated the season series by a 5-1 mark and scored handily as they averaged six goals a game in the series. Lethbridge has an abundance of offence, with five players who scored over 80 points, and will be a handful for the Hitmen.

The Hurricanes acquired forward Nick Henry (29-65-94) from Regina earlier this season, and the Colorado Avalanche prospect rolled on to lead the club in scoring as he put up 54 points in 44 games. Alongside of Henry, the Hurricanes also acquired Jake Leschyshyn of the Golden Knights (40-41-81) from the Pats, and he stepped in nicely as he had 49 points in 44 games. Top prospect Dylan Cozens (34-50-84), who is expected to go very early in this year’s draft, and Hurricanes Captain and Pittsburgh Penguins property Jordy Bellerive (33-50-83) filled the net regularly against the Hitmen, as Cozens had nine points in six games, and Bellerive had 13 in six. Joining them is Jake Elmer (39-42-81), who also had a very nice season and was able to knock 10 points in 6 games against the Hitmen.

As for Calgary, they have some offence as well, with line mates Mark Kastelic (47-30-77) and James Malm (34-43-77) leading the way. Malm, acquired from the Vancouver Giants put up a point a game against Lethbridge, while Kastelic scored nine points. They will be joined by Carson Focht (26-38-64), Kaden Elder (27-33-60) who was picked up from last year’s WHL champion Swift Current Broncos, Riley Stotts (19-38-57) , and Jake Kryski (19-27-46) to try keep pace with the Hurricanes.

On defense, the Hurricanes are led by Cale Addison (11-54-65), the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect will play a major role in this series and should have a good showing. He will be joined by hulking Ukranian defender Igor Merezheko (4-31-35) who will be responsible to shut down the Hitmen forwards. For Calgary, Russian defenseman Yegor Zamula (10-46-56), who was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers, and Belarussian Vladislav Yereomenko (7-26-33) will work with Dakota Krebs (4-21-25), as they have their work cut out to try and keep the Hurricanes forwards at bay, and hopefully keep the scoring to a minimum.

This will be an even more interesting series in the net, as both teams have rookie goaltenders that will duel against one another. Both goalies have been rather impressive thus far. Carl Tetachuk of Lethbridge put up a record of 24-9-1-1, with a GAA of 2.88 and a save percentage of 0.909 and two shutouts. His counterpart in Calgary, Jack McNaughton, went 25-14-3, with a GAA of 3.25 and a save percentage of 0.888, while posting two shutouts.

The Hurricanes finished the season going 9-1 down the stretch, while Calgary comes in with a 6-4 record to finish. The strong offence and forward depth of the Hurricanes should propel them to win the series, but the real story will be which 17-year-old goaltender will outplay the other, and even though McNaughton has played well down the stretch, his numbers against Lethbridge have not been good, going 1-2 against them, with a GAA of 5.16 and a save percentage of 0.838.

If the Hitmen can keep it close, and their special teams play, which was much better than the Hurricanes this year, seem to click, then they could make a good series out of this. The Hurricanes do have the experience after losing the Eastern Conference Championship two years in a row and should be extra motivated to get going for another chance.

Pick - Hurricanes in 6

LINK TO WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW HERE

Second Chances Part One: Promising CHL prospects re-entering the 2019 NHL draft

Brock Otten — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 22:51:26 +0000

The art of scouting is an imperfect science. For various reasons, players get missed. Maybe said player was on a bad team and was subsequently under scouted. Maybe said player worked through injuries in his draft year and as a result could never fully show what he was capable of. Or maybe said player did not get the ice time required to shine.

On the other hand, players can be skipped over because scouts felt that they just were not good enough. But teenagers are far from a finished product on the ice. Their games mature just as their minds and bodies do. That is why it is critical to track players as they move through their second and third years of draft eligibility. For North American players with birth dates from January 1st to September 15th, they will be eligible for three NHL drafts. For players with birth dates from September 16th to December 31st, they will be eligible for two NHL drafts. And for European players (in European leagues), extend that eligibility by one year in both cases.

In recent years, we have had a major shift in drafting philosophy, with more teams selecting players in their second and third years of eligibility. For one, these players are finding success at the NHL level, such as we have seen with Cam Atkinson, Mike Hoffman, Ryan Dzingel, Brandon Montour, and Connor Hellebuyck, to name just a few. Secondly, teams can draft more polished products who have shown a steep progression curve. And thirdly, in the case of draft and follow NCAA bound players, NHL teams will have a few years longer to decide whether they want to sign said players to one of their precious 50 contracts inside the limit.

Last year, seven “re-entry” candidates went in the first three rounds alone; Scott Perunovich, Sean Durzi, Seth Barton, Joey Keane, Logan Hutsko, Nathan Smith, Connor Dewar. And a total of 46 were taken in the draft overall. That is just a shade over 20% of all players drafted; one fifth were outside of their first year of eligibility.

In 2019, we have several high-profile re-entries who look poised to be NHL draft selections. This includes Brett Leason of the Prince Albert Raiders (and Team Canada at the WJC’s) who could even be a first round pick come June. This series of articles intends to highlight some of the candidates who could be part of that 20% this year broken into the CHL, US based and Europe based prospects. We start with the CHL.

Western Hockey League

Brett Leason. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL.

Brett Leason - Forward - Prince Albert Raiders

There is a reason why the 6’4, 200 pound forward is receiving consideration for the first round at this point in the year. He has been at or near the top of the WHL scoring race all season long. His Prince Albert Raiders are the best team in the CHL. And he just suited up for Canada at the WJC’s.

“There were a couple of things about Leason I thought were promising last year but there were two major draw backs, his skating and his consistency. First his skating stride is still choppy, but he generates enough power that it doesn’t hold him back with his North/South style of game. He handles the puck pretty well for a man of his size and he has a great shot. His release is so quick, and he can drive a slap shot hard, low and accurately towards the net. One on one he drives the net hard and can create his own space with his size and frame. He is shooting at triple the rate of his previous seasons well over five shots per game. This season he has been remarkably consistent offensively with only one pointless game and 21 multi-point games. He has pretty good vision from below the dots and quickly gets pucks out while working hard down low. He follows his shot to the net and often keeps rebounds alive with his active stick. Defensively he can be physically imposing and can end the other team’s cycle by effectively pinning guys along the wall. He rarely is on the ice for sustained defensive zone time because of this.” (Vince Gibbons)

Luke Burzan. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL

Luka Burzan - Forward - Brandon Wheat Kings

Many were surprised when Burzan went undrafted last year after being ranked inside the top four rounds by most publications (he was 127th at McKeens). The former gold medalist with Canada’s Hlinka team has bounced back incredibly well this year and is one of the highest scoring 2000 born players in the WHL. Many credit that to a strength increase this offseason as he put on ten pounds and is controlling the play more (stick tap to Vince Gibbons).

“Burzan is a strong skater who plays with speed and energy. He hustles all over the ice, is very aggressive in the offensive zone, likes to forecheck and dictate the play.He has grown in to a much more prominent role offensively and is playing with a whole lot more confidence and determination this year. he has developed his two-way game, and with an increased role and ice time seems to have figured things out. he has good scoring instincts as he has shown throughout his career and is second on his team in offensive stats behind only Stelio Mattheos. He has good puck skills as he carries and distributes the puck well, and he isn't afraid to drive and go to the net. He has a good wrist shot with a quick release and is shooting a lot more this season.” (Kevin Olexson)

Brett Kemp - Forward - Medicine Hat Tigers

Kemp is another 2000 born player who has taken a huge step forward in the WHL this year, as he finds himself near the top of the goal scoring race, playing alongside undersized star Trey Fix-Wolansky. In fact, Kemp has more goals in this half a season than he did the prior two seasons combined. However, a recent deal has him in Medicine Hat now (part of a trade for Josh Williams), where he has continued to put the puck in the net.

“His best asset is his shot. He has a quick release and can elevate from in close. His one-timer is particularly lethal which coupled with playing (previously) with a high-end passer in TFW (Trey Fix-Wolansky) has generated some buzz around him. He can read the play pretty well and had great chemistry with TFW as he is always ready to shoot. I am not sure that his skating or physical tools help him become anything more than a bit of farm team depth in the years ahead, but that remains to be seen.” (Vince Gibbons)

Mark Kastelic. Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen

Mark Kastelic - Forward - Calgary Hitmen

Speaking of players near the top of the goal scoring race, Kastelic, a hulking 6’3, 220 pound center, has already matched last year’s goal total in less than half the games. He also serves as the captain of the Hitmen. With his size and overall game, he will be alluring to NHL scouts.

“Mark Kastelic is a big man who, this year, has been more physical and is imposing his will. He is consistently in the fabric of the game. His production is not bloated by secondary assists as 86% of his point are either goals or primary assists (Prospect-stats.com). He controls the wall in both zones and generates offense from cycling the puck. There isn’t a ton of puck handling skill, but he knows how to get the most out of his physical tools and when they are most effective. He is good around the net creating screens and chaos around the crease. He has a knack for getting his stick on the puck, particularly loose pucks around the crease. His defensive game has come around and he is consistently goal side of his man. He doesn’t cheat in his own zone and makes sure pucks get out over the blue line. Faceoff skills are some of the best in the WHL this season.” (Vince Gibbons)

Ontario Hockey League

Forward #25 Nando Eggenberger of the Oshawa Generals

Nando Eggenberger - Forward - Oshawa Generals

Once touted as a potential first round pick, Eggenberger had a pretty large fall from grace in 2018. He struggled to improve his numbers in the NLA and, coupled with a lackluster showing at the 2018 WJC, was subsequently not drafted. Even with his struggles, it was still a surprise as most publications had him inside their top 100 (McKeens had him at 100 exactly). So, the 6’2 power winger moved to the CHL this year to try and impress scouts by taking on a new challenge. He has tackled that challenge head on, emerging as one of Oshawa’s top offensive players and putting himself back on the map for the draft this year. A much stronger World Juniors performance also helps his cause.

“The first thing that I noticed this year about Eggenberger was that his skating was much better than I had remembered, having seen him internationally previously. He is very much a North/South type of player who uses his size well to drive the net and play below the hash marks. He possesses impressive hands in tight and has developed terrific chemistry with Jack Studnicka and Serron Noel on Oshawa’s top line. I have also been impressed with his physical engagement and commitment in all three zones. This was something that I thought had been lacking on the international stage. The progression that he has shown leads me to believe that he could end up hearing his name called this time around in June.” (Brock Otten)

Matthew Struthers of the North Bay Battalion. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Matthew Struthers - Forward - North Bay Battalion

A mid-season trade last year brought Struthers to North Bay, where he averaged nearly a point per game. But it was not enough to get the late ‘99 born center drafted. Now in his second year of eligibility, Struthers has exploded alongside Justin Brazeau (one of the OHL’s top performers this year). At 6’2, 200 pounds, he possesses the size/playmaking package that NHL scouts find alluring.

“I have always appreciated Struthers’ game, going back to his rookie season in Owen Sound; a year in which he won gold at the U17’s. The lack of power in his stride has probably kept him from back drafted, but I do think that there have been improvements made to that area this year. He has been more powerful in driving the net and has developed great chemistry with Justin Brazeau. His vision is perhaps the most impressive part of his game, as he rarely turns the puck over in the offensive zone, showing impressive patience while working the cycle. If he can maintain one of the higher point-per-game averages in the league this year, he should be a guy that NHL teams look at for a later round selection this June.” (Brock Otten)

Cole Coskey of the Saginaw Spirit. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Cole Coskey - Forward - Saginaw Spirit

Coskey is a hard-nosed forward who just continues to improve his game, year after year. That type of progression is what impresses NHL scouts. He plays in all situations for Saginaw, one of the OHL’s top teams and was a late cut of the U.S. World Junior team this year. Currently leading the Spirit in scoring, Coskey will be integral to their playoff success this year, even after they loaded up at the trade deadline by bringing in Owen Tippett and Ryan McLeod.

“The straw that stirs the drink in Saginaw. This kid plays the game hard, always engaged in all three zones. One of the better players in the league working the wall, as he is so good at getting inside position on defenders and extending possession time in the offensive zone. Skates well. Plays physical. Coskey is a prototypical checking line player for today’s NHL game. He can be a bit turnover prone with the puck on his stick, especially when operating off the rush. Coskey is at his best when he keeps things simple. But I feel that he is a very safe pro prospect who has a high chance of finally hearing his name called this year in his final year of draft eligibility.” (Brock Otten)

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Jeremy McKenna. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Jeremy McKenna - Forward - Moncton Wildcats

McKenna certainly has not taken the typical path to the QMJHL. The PEI Native played in the prestigious Notre Dame program before going to Austria to play in EC Salzburg program. Upon coming to Moncton, McKenna originally struggled. But he continues to get better every year. Last year, he led the league in shots and currently leads the entire CHL in shots by a significant margin this year. He has also been among the league leaders in goals and points in the QMJHL, helping Moncton to be one of the best teams in the league.

“He has an elite shot for this level, and has really improved his release from a slow load time to one of the quickest in the Q. His shot will get him in the door. His skating has improved well in his Q career, but he won't be a speedster as a pro. He has some potential as a distributor, but his future is as a sniper. His hockey sense, especially with getting open and shooting the puck, is top-notch.” (Mike Sanderson)

Justin Bergeron - Defense - Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

One of the youngest players available last year (September 14th birth date), Bergeron was passed over at the NHL draft despite putting up some nice stats for Rouyn-Noranda. This year, he has exploded offensively for the best team in the QMJHL, and one of the best in the country. He happens to be one of the highest scoring defenders in the entire CHL for the 2000 birth year, in addition to having one of the highest +/-’s. At 6’1, he also has the size NHL scouts look for in offensive defenders. As such, he seems like a slam dunk to have his name called this time around.

“Bergeron is a very well-rounded defender with excellent skating ability. He is very agile and has the ability to make quick lateral movements. He is also really hard-to-beat on a 1-on-1 rush situation because of his excellent backward skating. Bergeron is able to pass the puck really well, in breakout situations or in offensive zone possession. But I also really like the control of his wrist shot. His wrister is accurate, hard and deceptive, as he releases it quickly and effortlessly. Bergeron’s hockey IQ is terrific. He plays well defensively, his stick is highly active and poke checks are timed without putting him at risk of getting caught flat footed and exhibits good gap control on 1-on1 situations. He makes the proper reads with or without the puck and always looks to either join the rush or create a breakout by himself. The improvement in his game over the last three years has been extremely encouraging.” (Benoit Belanger)

Taro Jentsch. Photo courtesy of the QMJHL.

Taro Jentzsch - Forward - Sherbrooke Phoenix

Ironically, Jentzsch is a fellow graduate of the EC Salzburg, like the aforementioned McKenna. The first-year German import has been excellent for Sherbrooke this year and is fresh off helping Germany advance to the main draw at the World Junior Championships next year. At the Division 1 Championships, he led a German team in goals that included 2018 first rounder Dominik Bokk.

“Taro Jentzsch is drawing the attention of numerous NHL scouts in the midst of a superb rookie season with the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the the QMJHL. The versatile two-way forward’s exceptional skating ability matched with his brilliant hockey sense allows his coach to use him in all situations. He has a knack for the net offensively, while remaining responsible in the defensive zone, earning him a spot on the power play as well as time on the penalty kill. His scoring ability is equally as dangerous as his strength in distributing the puck, leaving the German winger as an unpredictable threat in offensive zone. Jentzsch’s near point per game average and +9 rating has him ranked in the top 5 among rookie forwards in the Q, in those respective domains. The European prospect looks to carry his momentum into the second half of the season when he returns to the Phoenix lineup after a stint with the German U20 national team.” (Evan Milner, writer with the Sherbrooke Phoenix)

*Special thanks to Evan Milner, Jiri Vitek, Thomas Roost, Tom Kowal, Steve Kournianos, and the entire McKeen’s scouting team for their contributions to this series of articles.

Mark Kastelic – McKeen's Hockey

NHL: DADOUN – TRADE DEADLINE ROUND UP – What we can expect from some of the bigger players now?

Boston Bruins

Carolina Hurricanes

Colorado Avalanche

Dallas Stars

Florida Panthers

Tampa Bay Lightning

Toronto Maple Leafs

Vegas Golden Knights

MCKEEN’S 2023-24 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Team Preview – Player Profiles

Forwards

Brady Tkachuk

Tim Stützle

Claude Giroux

Vladimir Tarasenko

Josh Norris

Drake Batherson

Shane Pinto

Dominik Kubalik

Mathieu Joseph

Defence

Thomas Chabot

Jakob Chychrun

Jake Sanderson

Artem Zub

Goaltending

Joonas Korpisalo

MCKEEN’S 2022-23 NHL YEARBOOK – OTTAWA SENATORS – Top 20 Prospects

McKeen’s 2020-21 Hockey Yearbook: Ottawa Senators Top 20 Prospects

Tim Stuetzle, LW/C (3rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jake Sanderson, D (5th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jacob Bernard-Docker, D (26th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Josh Norris, C (Trade: Sep. 13, 2018. Originally: 19th overall, 2017 [San Jose]. Previous ranking: 2)

Drake Batherson, C (121st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Alex Formenton, LW (47th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Shane Pinto, C (32nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Ridly Greig, C (28th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Logan Brown, C (11th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

Lassi Thomson, D (19th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Tyler Kleven, D (44th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Roby Jarventie, RW (33rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Vitali Abramov, RW (Trade: Feb. 22, 2019. Originally: 65th overall, 2016 [Columbus]. Previous ranking: 8)

Kevin Mandolese, G (157th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Artyom Zub, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 1, 2020. Previous ranking: 10)

Mads Sogaard, G (37th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Joey Daccord, G (199th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 12)

Maxence Guenette, D (187th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Mark Kastelic, C (125th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Filip Gustavsson, G (Trade Feb. 23, 2017. Originally: 55th overall, 2016 [Pittsburgh]. Previous ranking: 16)

MCKEEN’S 2020 NHL PROSPECT REPORT – OTTAWA SENATORS – ORGANIZATIONAL RANK: 10

Ottawa Senators

Jacob Bernard-Docker, D (26th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

Josh Norris, C (Trade: Sep. 13, 2018. Originally: 19th overall, 2017 [San Jose]. 2019 Rank: 2)

Drake Batherson, C (121st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 6)

Alex Formenton, LW (47th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Shane Pinto, C (32nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

Logan Brown, C (11th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

Lassi Thomson, D (19th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Vitali Abramov, RW (Trade: Feb. 22, 2019. Originally: 65th overall, 2016 [Columbus]. 2019 Rank: 9)

Kevin Mandolese, G (157th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Artyom Zub, D (Undrafted Free Agent, signed May 1, 2020. 2019 Rank: IE)

Mads Sogaard, G (37th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

Joey Daccord, G (199th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 8)

Jonathan Gruden, RW (95th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 18)

Maxence Guenette, D (187th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Mark Kastelic, C (125th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1st)

Saskatoon Blades (2nd)

Prince Albert Raiders (3rd)

Brandon Wheat Kings (4th)

Moose Jaw Warriors (5th)

Regina Pats (6th)

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1st)

Edmonton Oil Kings (2nd)

Medicine Hat Tigers (3rd)

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4th)

Tim Stuetzle, LW/C (3^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jake Sanderson, D (5^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Jacob Bernard-Docker, D (26^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 1)

Josh Norris, C (Trade: Sep. 13, 2018. Originally: 19^th overall, 2017 [San Jose]. Previous ranking: 2)

Drake Batherson, C (121^st overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 3)

Alex Formenton, LW (47^th overall, 2017. Previous ranking: 4)

Shane Pinto, C (32^nd overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 5)

Ridly Greig, C (28^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Logan Brown, C (11^th overall, 2016. Previous ranking: 6)

Lassi Thomson, D (19^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 7)

Tyler Kleven, D (44^th overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Roby Jarventie, RW (33^rd overall, 2020. Previous ranking: NA)

Vitali Abramov, RW (Trade: Feb. 22, 2019. Originally: 65^th overall, 2016 [Columbus]. Previous ranking: 8)

Kevin Mandolese, G (157^th overall, 2018. Previous ranking: 9)

Mads Sogaard, G (37^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 11)

Joey Daccord, G (199^th overall, 2015. Previous ranking: 12)

Maxence Guenette, D (187^thoverall, 2019. Previous ranking: 14)

Mark Kastelic, C (125^th overall, 2019. Previous ranking: 15)

Filip Gustavsson, G (Trade Feb. 23, 2017. Originally: 55^th overall, 2016 [Pittsburgh]. Previous ranking: 16)

Jacob Bernard-Docker, D (26^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 4)

Josh Norris, C (Trade: Sep. 13, 2018. Originally: 19^th overall, 2017 [San Jose]. 2019 Rank: 2)

Drake Batherson, C (121^st overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 6)

Alex Formenton, LW (47^th overall, 2017. 2019 Rank: 3)

Shane Pinto, C (32^nd overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 11)

Logan Brown, C (11^th overall, 2016. 2019 Rank: 5)

Lassi Thomson, D (19^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 7)

Vitali Abramov, RW (Trade: Feb. 22, 2019. Originally: 65^th overall, 2016 [Columbus]. 2019 Rank: 9)

Kevin Mandolese, G (157^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: UR)

Mads Sogaard, G (37^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: 10)

Joey Daccord, G (199^th overall, 2015. 2019 Rank: 8)

Jonathan Gruden, RW (95^th overall, 2018. 2019 Rank: 18)

Maxence Guenette, D (187^thoverall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Mark Kastelic, C (125^th overall, 2019. 2019 Rank: UR)

Winnipeg ICE (1^st)

Saskatoon Blades (2^nd)

Prince Albert Raiders (3^rd)

Brandon Wheat Kings (4^th)

Moose Jaw Warriors (5^th)

Regina Pats (6^th)

Calgary Hitmen (1^st)

Edmonton Oil Kings (2^nd)

Medicine Hat Tigers (3^rd)

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4^th)

Red Deer Rebels (5^th)

Swift Current Broncos (6^th)